ă€ŠGeneral, Your Wife Wants You to Get Oută€‹


 C1

    Ten thousand scenes, twenty-one years, summer.

    A century-old drought swept through almost the entire Great Wei Province.

    For three months in a row, farmland in the southeast region, especially in Sichuan, was abandoned and there were no crops to be harvested.

    In addition to the exorbitant taxes and the bullying of officials, many people had been starving throughout the year, and had become food for their children. There were also countless people who had been forced to rebel against the rule of Mount Liang.

    In the face of the rebel army, Emperor Wei Wu was furious and ordered the Great General of the Auxiliary Nation to lead troops to suppress them.

    Not long after the heavy rain, the air was still filled with the rejuvenating smell of earth.

    A Jin put a pot of water on the stove to boil, and then carefully put it into the missing clay bowl, only bringing it to the mouth of the girl on the bed after it had almost cooled down.

    "Mother, please wake up and drink some water."

    Su Zhi was still confused, her head throbbing. She still vaguely remembered the frightened expression of the passengers when the plane crash had happened, as well as the air stewardess who had forcefully tried to calm them down.

    My head hurts...

    "Mother? Wake up. "

    Someone was nudging her, sounding anxious, one moment reaching out to touch her forehead, the next moment trying to give her water.

    After Su Zhi slowly adapted, she struggled to open her heavy eyelids. What entered her eyes was a boy around five years old.

    He was looking at Su Zhi with a worried expression. His clear black and white eyes still had some fog left in them, and they were slightly red and swollen. There were still crystal tears on his long eyelashes, which made people''s hearts ache.

    Little shota! Which family''s child?

    "Mom, you''re finally awake."

    Seeing Su Zhi open her eyes and look at him, the little boy squinted his eyes in joy, like two bright crescent moons.

    "Little Dou Bao, quickly come over. Mom is awake."

    Accompanied by a burst of babbling, another small head popped out from the bedside. Su Zhi looked carefully and saw that it was a cute little girl.

    The child was about two or three years old. Although he was adorable, his clothes were tattered and he didn''t even have a decent piece of clothing.

    Su Zhi rubbed her temples that ached and looked around. She saw herself lying on a wooden bed made of straw.

    In addition to the shabby square wooden table, there was only a dark wooden cabinet and two broken cans used to receive the rain. It was unknown when the crooked windows were hung up.

    This was what happened to the four walls of a household!

    After Su Zhi regained her senses, she subconsciously raised her hands.

    These hands were not hers. She had been pampered ever since she was little. She would never have a pair of shriveled, shriveled hands like these. This body was also not hers! Thinking back to the plane crash, she sighed and accepted the fact that she had crossed over.

    It looked like he was out of luck. He had caught up with the big trend, but he didn''t manage to get into a good family. Everyone else belonged to the princess and his wife.

    Su Zhi facepalmed, glancing at the two little fellows who were staring at her anxiously before their bed, that line: I''m not your mother, and I''ve been forced back.

    She didn''t have experience as a mother. Before the plane crash, she was still on her way to England to be an exchange student. When she opened her eyes again, she had already become their mother.

    "Mom, does your wound still hurt?"

    A Jin looked at the bruise on her forehead, her eyes revealing pain and worry.

    "Hoo hoo, it won''t hurt."

    The two year old little girl propped up her feet and seriously blew on her wound.

    Su Zhi''s face was covered in blood as she consoled, "Mother is fine, just knocked into her head. There are so many things that I can''t remember."

    For example, why was there only the three of them in the family, and where was the child''s father? Seeing how dilapidated this house was, it couldn''t be an unlucky widow, right?

    A Jin sensibly handed her a bowl of water and took out half a sweet potato, which was not even the size of his fist.

    "Mom, I''ll give it to you to eat."

    Before she could take the other half of the sweet potato, A Jin''s stomach let out a long ''gu gu'' sound.

    He embarrassedly touched his belly as his cheeks flushed.

    Su Zhi smiled and pushed back his hand that was holding the sweet potato. "Eat it yourself."

    "A Jin is not hungry, feed her mother."

    Su Zhi looked at the two skinny and obviously malnourished little bun and felt a little heartache.

    She got out of bed and prepared to cook. When the rice jar was opened, there was only a thick layer of dust inside, not a single grain of rice!

    It was a difficult task for a woman to make a meal.

    She wandered around for a while, but other than the half of the sweet potato the boy had just given her, she could not find any other food that could be cooked.

    "Jin, where''s your dad?"

    Su Zhi rubbed her head, feeling a little disheartened. This family was broke through to the bottom of the earth, and could not even keep up their worries.

    Without a man to manage their livelihood, it would be impossible for them to pull two children by relying on a weak woman.

 C2

    "Mom, did you forget? Daddy joined the army, and yesterday you said he left for half a year."

    A Jin said.

    So that was how it was. Wars broke out one after another in chaotic times. It wasn''t a rare thing for strong men to be on the battlefield.

    Su Zhi let out a faint sigh and looked towards the window. The dilapidated fenced yard had been turned into a paste by the rain. It would be difficult even if they went out.

    There were only a few large white poplars visible.

    "How long has it been raining?"

    "It started early this morning and just stopped not long ago."

    There was no kerosene lamp to light the room.

    After the sky darkened, he still didn''t know how to starve his way through the night.

    "Mother will go out and find some wild vegetables to eat. You guys stay at home and don''t come out."

    "Mother, don''t ˇ­"

    A Jin held onto her tightly, refusing to let her open the door. "Don''t go. After a few months of drought, the manor won''t grow anymore. The villagers took all the plants that could swim in the sky, run on the ground or grow in the fields."

    Su Zhi sensed his nervousness. She stopped her steps and asked patiently, "Obediently A Jin, are you afraid?"

    A Jin shook her head and stubbornly didn''t utter a word. Her small body pressed against the door, preventing her from leaving.

    How could three people spend a night on half a sweet potato?

    Just as Su Zhi was about to speak, a noise came from outside the door, accompanied by the village woman''s sharp and ear-piercing curses.

    "Su Zhi, you seductive vixen, come out for me!"

    Su Zhi looked over and saw a peasant woman standing outside the closed firewood door. She only revealed a pointed monkey face and was glaring at her.

    A Jin bit her lips, guarding the door fearfully but firmly, she took out half of the sweet potato and gave it to the little girl.

    "What''s going on?"

    Seeing his unfriendly face, Su Zhi knew that he had come to cause trouble.

    Her head hurt, but she still patiently squatted down to comfort the trembling boy.

    "Good child, tell your mother what happened."

    With tears in her eyes, A Jin looked at her pitifully and replied, "They stole my sweet potato."

    After forcing himself to finish his sentence, tears started dripping down his face, "I found it, it''s in my house."

    Su Zhi understood that drought caused famine, and crops were not easy to grow. Most farmers lost their rations, and it was not hard to see people fighting over food over time.

    A Jin was indeed a sweet potato that he had dug out from his own field. The youngest son of the Zhang Family had seen her snatching half of it away. During this time, fights broke out between the two.

    "Don''t be afraid. Since they''re the ones that stole you, the fault lies not with you."

    When A Jin calmed down, the woman outside the yard still couldn''t stop swearing.

    Su Zhi knew that this woman would not let this matter rest, so she openly opened the door.

    "Zhang family, why are you pestering us like this?"

    Seeing that Su Zhi had come out, Zhang Shi became even more spirited and stuck her waist, spitting out a mouthful of water towards the yard.

    "Pah! You little b * stard, do you know who''s wrong? What right do you have to hit my child with that little brat you''re raising?!"

    Su Zhi did not lose her composure and asked, "The little bastard you''re raising is not good at learning at such a young age. The learning mountain robbers are stealing from my child, shouldn''t he be taught a lesson?"

    Mrs. Zhang was so angry that her old face turned red. She kicked at the wooden door that was blocking her. "Lowly hoof, if you have the guts, come out. I''ll tear your face apart!"

    Su Zhi did not get angry, instead, she laughed, ridiculing him, "Seems like the reason you came to cause trouble is because you don''t like my face?"

    The two men standing opposite the door refused to give in.

    Mrs Zhang was unable to gain any advantage and could only curse at her until her mouth was parched. Yet, this woman, who usually didn''t dare to say anything when she was scolding with her, had, for the first time today, rebutted her for half a day?

    Mrs Zhang was so angry that her face turned pale. She refused to leave, "Everyone come and take a look, it''s that charming Hunters'' Wife again. She stole their things and beat them up. Is there any justice in the world?!"

    "Pei, this blind hunter, helping others raise their son, now that we are out fighting, this old lady even ordered me to rob things and beat people!"

    With the Zhang clan scolding like this, it did not take long for it to attract the attention of the villagers. When the Zhang clan saw this, they scolded even more fiercely.

    Su Zhi was still unable to restrain her anger. She pushed the two children back into the room and then went forward to argue with Zhang family alone.

    "Don''t spout slander, just blabbering doesn''t end well. Be careful of your tongue being pulled out of the Underworld."

    You shameless fox, you''re not a person from our An''an Village. I don''t know where you came from, but you brought an illegitimate child with you. Only a hunter brat would be willing to help you raise your son.

    As for the relationship between the original owner and her husband, Su Zhi hadn''t completely understood it yet. She could only roughly tell that A Jin was not the current husband of the original owner.

    No wonder they dared to bully the orphans and widows when no man was home.

    "Let me advise you, hurry up and leave this place. You are framing me, I can report this to the government!"

    Su Zhi''s face sank, and said with a hint of warning.

    Mrs Zhang snorted disdainfully, "You should go and report it! This county magistrate court in Qing He County has already been trampled to the ground by the refugees. Today, obediently kneel down and plead guilty to this old lady. If I were to teach that evil child of yours another lesson, I''ll spare you! "

    Su Zhi sneered. "I dare to kneel, but even you might not be able to take it!"

    Zhang Shi had yet to speak up, but was interrupted by a loud and clear voice, "Who''s making a ruckus here? Kneel before the lord! "

 C3

    Everyone looked over to see a young man standing in the middle. He was dressed in a green robe and was walking in a neat row.

    When had the surrounding villagers ever seen such a formation before? Furthermore, when they saw that the man was extraordinarily handsome and had a heavenly appearance, it was as if there were clouds and mud separating him from a country bumpkin.

    Zhang Shi who was interrupted felt unhappy in her heart. Seeing more than a dozen brawny men crowd around the man who looked like a master, she had a plan in her heart.

    Without waiting for the man in the lead to speak, she rushed over and knelt on the yellow ground, "Master Qing Tian, you have to avenge this humble woman!"

    Liu Yuan had originally been appointed by the imperial government to provide disaster relief in Qing He County. He went to several other villages, but when he arrived at An''an Village, he saw the villagers gathered at one end, and immediately rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

    "Who and what did you report?"

    Mistress Zhang did not care about making a fool out of herself. She bowed her head and pretended to be pitiful, "How can such a carefree person come out of our An Ran village? Take a look, milord, this hunter''s wife is ordering her son to steal things and beat people up! There is really no justice! "

    Su Zhi paid attention to every movement outside the door. Only after she made sure that Mrs. Zhang didn''t dare to do anything to her without permission did she open the door latch.

    "Sir!" This is not what the Zhang family is talking about, please enlighten us, Sir. "

    The gate was opened and a lady with snow-white skin and bright eyes and white teeth walked out of the courtyard.

    She stood up straight, very different from the village women gathered together to watch the fun with ill intentions.

    Liu Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "What exactly happened? Both of you just blurted it out without thinking."

    Su Zhi asked, "May I ask if Sir is a County Magistrate of Qing He County?"

    He shook his head, put his hands behind his back, and said to the crowd: "I am the relief inspector of His Majesty the Emperor. I come specifically for the people of Qing He County. My surname is Liu Yu An."

    Upon hearing these words, the only literate old man in the village turned pale with fright. He hurried forward to pay his respects, "So it''s Lord Liu, it''s my disrespect."

    Tranquil Village was a remote and remote place with mountains, emperors, and emperors. The village was covered up. Most people did not know of Lord Liu''s origins, but the old mister did.

    From head to toe, the Liu surname was unique.

    The three generations of the Liu Family were all court officials. The current head of the Liu Family had a good character and was an official with a clean heart. His Majesty favored him and he might be the next Prime Minister.

    When the villagers saw the esteemed old man bow first, they knew that this young patrolman in front of them was not an ordinary person and all knelt down to pay their respects.

    Having received the assurance of her identity, Su Zhi calmed down and bowed, "Master, the cause of the matter was my family''s A Jin going out to look for food while the commoner was sick in bed. She found a sweet potato in her own field, and upon seeing the situation, the son of the Zhang family tried to snatch it away. "It''s not right to hurt her, but the son of the Zhang family bullied him first, and A Jin tried to protect himself, so there was nothing wrong with that."

    After hearing the report, Liu Yuan''s expression didn''t change, but he nodded slightly.

    Mrs Zhang refused to comply and retorted, "Pui, how shameless are you? Your man has been a hunter for three generations, how could he grow sweet potatoes from his two acres of thin land? Why don''t you just say it''s real gold and silver. "

    Of the two people in the court, one was sharp-tongued and the other was calm and composed. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Mrs. Zhang was bullying the hunter''s wife.

    Liu Yuan understood the cause of the matter and quietly avoided the spitting Zhang clan. He said righteously, "Since it''s because of the two children, we''ll bring them here to interrogate."

    Su Zhi nodded and called for A Jin, who was in the room. Liu Yu An saw that although the child''s face was yellow and skinny, his bearing was no different from his mother''s, and he was extremely skilled at standing.

    The Zhang family''s youngest son usually bullied his village''s child who was the same age as him. He was a typical little bully. Today, seeing a stranger in official uniform, he cowered behind Zhang family without daring to make a sound.

    "Come here, I want to ask a few questions."

    He tried his best to lower his voice, but the son of the Zhang family still didn''t dare to step forward. On the other hand, Jin took a step forward despite her fear.

    "Greetings to the lord."

    "Mm, good boy. "Tell me, where did you dig up that sweet potato, and was there a witness?"

    "Sir, it''s A Jin''s father''s Tian Li. At that time, it was only me and Zhang Dang who were together. When he saw the sweet potatoes in my hands, he came over to snatch them away. If I didn''t want to, he would have attacked me."

    Zhang Wenfang pushed her child away and screamed, "Pah! Kids don''t know shit! Do you know where this is your family''s property?"

    A Jin pointed at the barren land at the village entrance, rolling her bright big eyes. "Could it be that the whole world belongs to the Emperor? None of the lands belong to Ah Jin, but I''ve borrowed that piece of land from father''s family for generations, I''m not mistaken, Ah Jin."

    Such a clever child, able to speak well.

    Liu Yuen smiled faintly.

    "This kid is pretty smart, but did he go to school?"

 C4

    "No, I was lucky enough to be able to read." A Jin answered appropriately.

    Liu Yuan nodded his head in approval and shifted his gaze to Zhang Zhang Zhang. "Tell me, what''s going on?"

    Zhang Zhang Zhang held his breath as he was pushed forward by Mrs. Zhang, "Don''t blame my lord, my child is very afraid of having a baby."

    "I ˇ­"

    "Is it like what A Jin said?"

    "My lord, I reward and punish clearly, and I love children who know their wrongs and can change their ways the most. However, if you do not change your ways after repeated teaching, you will have to eat sticks."

    Zhang Dazhi whimpered a few times and retreated behind Lady Zhang.

    Unwilling to do so, Lady Zhang pulled her body to the side and said with hatred, "You child ˇ­"

    Zhang Zhang Zhang whispered as he started sobbing and nodded his head.

    Seeing this, Su Zhi crouched down and whispered, "Good child, don''t cry. Aunt knew you didn''t mean to rob me, and now Aunt is forgiving you. Can you shake hands with A Jin and negotiate?"

    Su Zhi gave him a friendly smile.

    Mrs Zhang pushed her away, "You lied to my son and pleaded guilty. You never had any good intentions."

    "Alright, this official thinks that the child will not lie. The only thing to blame is that the lord did not pass on his teachings. "Zhang, stop messing around."

    Liu Yuan said.

    Mrs Zhang could only swallow her anger and didn''t dare to say another word.

    Liu Yu An raised his voice and said, "The reason I came today is to distribute food. There are dozens of grains and grasses on the horse carriage at the village entrance. It''s enough for you to split your food and go collect the food according to the number of people."

    With the food, the villagers also stopped watching the show. After kowtowing to the heavens and thanking the earth, they quickly took their food bowls and scooped them up.

    Su Zhi didn''t rush to snatch it, but thanked Liu Yuan sincerely. After comforting the two frightened children, he then walked into the house by himself.

    After this incident, Liu Yu An''s mind was focused on the Hunter family. He called over the old teacher and asked him about Su Zhi''s family''s situation.

    In reality, the situation of this family wasn''t as complicated as the Zhang family had thought. It was nothing more than a miserable woman who fled to this place with an abandoned family and was taken in by a poor hunter.

    This Madame Su was smart and capable, and the hunter was honest and honest. The two of them had been in love for a long time, so it could be said that they had a good relationship.

    Although his son was not his own son, the two of them treated each other with respect. The hunters had no qualms and treated A Jin as their own son. Xiao Budian''s eldest daughter was also found by a hunter when he went down the mountain to the market to pick her up. With a child as a hindrance, the young people who lived under the same roof soon started to spark, and the marriage didn''t take long.

    Half a year ago, the conscription hunter was among them. He took a few pieces of silver and placed them on the battlefield. There was no more news of them.

    It was not easy for a lonely woman to pull two children along.

    Liu Yuan felt a bit more compassionate. He merely instructed the servants to give some more rations to Su Zhi''s family, then didn''t say anything else.

    After settling the dispute, A Jin still didn''t show a smile and went back to his room pitifully, looking depressed as if he had done something wrong.

    Su Zhi rummaged through some kitchen utensils that could be used to store food. She only noticed A Jin''s mood when she was about to leave.

    "A Jin, what happened to you?"

    He shook his head and looked at Su Zhi with remorse, saying with a muffled voice, "I''m sorry mother, I''ve caused you trouble. If A Jin had been more smart and didn''t know about it, then none of this would have happened. Aunt Zhang has scolded you for so long. If Daddy was here, he would have already taught her a lesson. "

    Su Zhi gave a caring smile as she rubbed his little head, "It''s not your fault, there''s no need to blame yourself." "With mother here, I will protect you in the future."

    When Su Zhi returned with the grain from the village entrance, her mood improved a lot.

    In any case, food and clothing are paramount under any circumstances.

    It was just that the relief food sent by the imperial court was only coarse grain and rice. It would not be harmful to children who grew up if it was not tainted with the stench of meat.

    The woman was worried.

    Suddenly, there was a tremor in her head. It was the hairpin she used to fix her hair.

    She pulled it out and looked at it. The hairpin was slightly warm, so she could not tell if it was the warmth of her body or something else.

    The light outside the door was getting dimmer and dimmer, and the branches were squeaking.

    Looking outside, Su Zhi was lost in thought, and suddenly came up with an idea.

    "Jin, can you climb trees?"

    "Yes, I will."

    "Then can you go catch him with mom?"

    A Jin did not understand Su Zhi''s intention for him to find out, so she did not ask any further and obediently followed him out the door.

    When Su Zhi was traveling around the region before, many of the regions had a preference for food.

    Although the worm looked scary, it was actually the cleanest of the insects. It only drank dew for a living and had no parasites. After being fried, it would be extremely delicious without seasoning.

    A Jin learned a lot of skills from the hunter and was very skilled at climbing trees. Soon, she caught a dozen of them.

    With that, Su Zhi went back to her room and started working on the earth stove. But she had forgotten that the most important step was to have oil.

    How could there be such a thing in the house? Could it be that it had to be boiled with water? That act would probably scare the child, let alone the fact that she couldn''t eat it.

    Just as he was worrying, the hairpin on his head started to heat up again.

    Su Zhi impatiently pulled it off and casually threw it on the earth stove.

    With a slight muffled sound, a dish of frozen lard appeared on the surface of the dish.

    She was so shocked that her mouth was agape. Could it be that she was wearing shabby clothes and was willing to give her golden fingers to use?

    Picking up the hairpin and taking a look, a small line of words appeared on the hairpin: Host, you have done a great job protecting little bun. You have successfully passed the first stage.

    The line of words disappeared in an instant.

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. The reward was just a small piece of lard? What kind of crappy system was this? It was way too stingy.

    After fiddling around for a long time, the hairpin looked no different from an ordinary wooden hairpin. Therefore, she could only put it aside and get to the bottom of the matter.

    Her hands and feet were nimble as she boiled water to prepare rice. When the oil was about to be boiled, it started to explode.

    After a simple meal was done, the two little fellows had already begun salivating.

    By the time it was dark, the hut was already pitch black.

    After a day of rain, the night sky was still shrouded in layers of dark clouds.

    Su Zhi took some water and boiled them. After washing up, the two children went back to bed.

 C5

    On a July day, hot, wet bedding was inevitable.

    A Jin was well-behaved. She took a fan and sat on the edge of the bed to let the heat dissipate.

    "Mother, when will father come back?"

    How could a peasant woman of a small mountain village like her know that he had asked her about national affairs with just a single sentence.

    If the monarchs were incompetent in battle, the border wars could not be avoided frequently.

    If her husband didn''t come back, would she be able to raise the two children by herself?

    It would not be a problem to eat light food, but she did not want the children to stay in this isolated mountain village for the rest of their lives.

    "Jin, do you miss dad?"

    "Yes, I do. With father here, no one would dare to bully us. "

    "Then, can we go to the border to look for daddy together?"

    A Jin was so happy that he hugged Su Zhi. Actually, he had wanted to go find Nie Rufeng since a long time ago. The memory of his father''s strong body didn''t even dare to bully himself.

    Although the family was always short of money, father was the head of hunting, he never starved, and would always bring snacks from the market to satisfy his and Little Dou Bao''s craving.

    "When we''re done with the food, mother will make some dry rations and we''ll eat on the road. Let''s go look for Daddy together."

    Not without reason.

    From what the Zhang clan said today, it could be seen that there were plenty of people in the village who didn''t want her to live well.

    With such a big commotion, no one tried to stop her, they all stretched out their necks, waiting for her to make a joke of herself.

    Such a place wasn''t worth it for her to continue staying in!

    She was lost in her thoughts while in a trance as she coaxed the two children to sleep. In a daze, she once again dreamt that the plane had malfunctioned, then she screamed out in fear.

    When she woke up, the sky was already bright. The bean bun beside her was still sleeping soundly, but A Jin had gone off somewhere.

    Su Zhi got off the bed, pushed open the door, and saw a toddler using her tender shoulders to drag back a bundle of firewood that was half the height of a person.

    "Jin, what are you doing?"

    A Jin dragged a bundle of firewood back to the kitchen, so tired that she couldn''t even stand up straight. A relieved smile appeared on his sweaty face. "Mother, the firewood at home is gone. I went to chop some back."

    Su Zhi hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed his small hand. As expected, she saw that there were a few cuts on it.

    The tip of her nose ached and her eyes reddened from the pain.

    A Jin quickly retracted her hand to comfort her. "Daddy always said that I was a man who wanted to protect mother and sister. Now that Daddy is not here, A Jin can protect you all. "

    "Good child."

    Su Zhi''s heart ached, but she felt helpless.

    Her body was delicate, no better than it was last night when she went to fetch water to wash. Her arms still ached from the pain. He didn''t know if it was due to the lack of nutrition, but his two calves were also extremely sore.

    It was probably because this child noticed something, so he got up early to chop firewood for her to share her worries.

    Su Zhi endured her heartache and embraced the well-behaved and sensible child. Such a good son made her want to raise him up to adulthood.

    "Mother will make breakfast for you and your sister."

    She went to the kitchen and dug out a handful of rice and mixed it with the grated corn grains from the mill and made a pot of porridge.

    It was good to have rice porridge to nourish the stomach, but unfortunately he did not eat.

    Su Zhi wondered if she could go outside and see if there was anything she could use.

    "A Jin, yesterday you dug a sweet potato, today you and mom will go there again, maybe there will be more."

    A Jin nodded.

    After having breakfast, Su Zhi brought A Jin and Little Dou to the only two dry fields in the Nie family.

    Su Zhi looked at the structure of the mountain village and realized that it was indeed very poor.

    It was not easy for the Zhuang family to get enough food and drinks during their time in the city, and if they were to encounter a disaster or something like that and the government collected taxes, they would probably starve to death.

    This place was far away from the county city of Qing He County, but it didn''t seem like a paradise, a beautiful scenery.

    There are bare hills and barren yellow soil.

    There were only a few dilapidated buildings, and even the smoke couldn''t rise from the chimneys.

    It was raining, and the soil was soft and sticky.

    Su Zhi pulled her two children along a narrow path, attracting a few curious gazes from time to time. Most of them were so poor that they couldn''t even afford to marry their wives.

 C6

    An Jing Village knew that hunters picked up a beautiful wife, her thin skin was white and delicate, and she didn''t look like a woman in the wilderness. Even with her coarse clothes covering her exquisite figure, she could hook up with young men or widows who didn''t know what was good for them.

    "Yo, isn''t this the hunter''s wife? Where are you taking the children? There are wild beasts behind this mountain. You have to be careful. "

    "If you talk too much, who knows if such a beautiful lady will be impatient in her room in the spring. What are you going to do then?"

    After laughing and cursing, Su Zhi clenched her teeth in anger, but she still endured it. He was afraid that if he spoke up for her, it would make her even more excited, so she pretended that she didn''t know.

    A Jin, on the other hand, understood what was going on. However, she could not do anything since her calves were not even as thick as someone''s arms.

    The gossip was left behind as Su Zhi walked into the Nie clan ancestral field.

    Not much land was overgrown with weeds, so it was easy to tell that they were lacking in care.

    It was just that among some dead grass, there were a few sweet potato vines.

    "A Jin, let''s try our luck together. Maybe we can find something good."

    "Well, maybe sweet potatoes."

    Two people plus the little guy, the three of them squatted in the field and rummaged around, but even if they dug three feet deep, they wouldn''t be able to touch a single sweet potato.

    After tinkering with it for a while, Su Zhi was finally out of breath.

    This body was a little fragile, and was too easy to tire.

    On the other hand, A Jin clenched her teeth and persevered, not willing to let an inch of it go to waste.

    "What have you planted in this field?"

    "So much. The vegetables we normally eat grow here." "Daddy planted a bit of everything, but after he left, you became sick, and this land became abandoned."

    Without raising his head, Ah Jin continued digging at the ground.

    Su Zhi glanced at the barren, yellow land. She really didn''t think that this land that didn''t even have enough manure could produce any kind of manor.

    A Jin, who was still holding onto a glimmer of hope, did not dare to stop.

    However, after a long time, he could not even see half a big patch of grass, let alone a sweet potato. As her physical strength gradually depleted, Su Zhi doted on the child and did not let him continue to tire himself out.

    She suddenly thought of the hairpin on her head. Didn''t he bring her some broken system? It had to come in handy at critical moments.

    However, no matter how much she begged, the hairpin did not move at all.

    Su Zhi was disheartened, as she sat on the ridge of the fields, feeling worried.

    After the rain had cleared the sky, the sky was bright blue, as if it had been scrubbed. Occasionally, two or three red dragonflies would take off together and fly up and down the fields.

    If it wasn''t for the thorny problem of being fed and warmed up, she might have been grateful to Heaven for letting her have a second chance.

    "Gu Gu," A Jin, who was standing aside, let out a loud growl. The little guy blushed and pretended not to know what had happened, then turned its head to the side.

    No matter how bitter or bitter the children were, they could not be compared to these two obedient children!

    Su Zhi was excited. She asked A Jin to take care of the small bean bag while she dug into the ground to find the treasure.

    Since she couldn''t dig anything out of this place, she decided to switch to another place. Even if it wasn''t someone else''s territory, she wasn''t afraid of trouble.

    Su Zhi expanded the area of the pine tree into a higher area of the desert.

    The soil here was loose, and the stones of various sizes were scattered about, with no nutrients at all compared to the barren, yellow land. Su Zhi was gambling on her luck. She hoped that she could dig out half of the sand ginseng.

    The sun was growing bigger and bigger, and the noon sun was scorching hot. Su Zhi''s physical strength was beginning to deteriorate.

    He ate some porridge in the morning. It was good to nourish the stomach, but it didn''t matter if it was real or not.

    Just a pitiful amount of rations, and he still had to live on.

    "Mother, why don''t we go back? We''ll come back later!"

    A Jin''s worried voice came from the other side of the small dune.

    Su Zhi could not help but feel her heart ache. Her hand that had reached into the sand was already beginning to bleed profusely.

    If he tried again, he might even be able to find it!

 C7

    When the tips of her fingers sank another half inch, she felt something different from the soft sand.

    Su Zhi''s heart thumped wildly. She pushed away the sand on top of it with all her might, digging with both excitement and worry.

    No one was around, so she let go and finally dug out the treasure buried deep in the ground.

    It was a piece of yam as thick as an adult''s arm, fresh and covered in a layer of sand.

    The tentacles were very dense, and one could tell at a glance that they were good ingredients with a sticky and sticky taste.

    Su Zhi''s heart thumped incessantly. Holding the mountain medicine, she wished she could run around the entire mountain.

    During the years when resources were scarce, the difficulty of finding such food could be imagined.

    She was as excited as a child as she carefully broke and put her things away, so as to not make a long-tongued woman like Mrs. Zhang jealous.

    "A Jin, we can go home now."

    A Jin, who was playing hide and seek with Little Dou Bao, turned around with a puzzled expression. Seeing her excited mother looking at her, a bright and innocent smile appeared on her face. "En, okay. Let''s go home."

    Actually, even without sweet potatoes, the food would be delicious. When father comes back, he would definitely bring a lot of snacks to him and Little Dou. He only needed to be obedient and not make things too difficult for mother.

    Along the way, Su Zhi''s face was tense as she led the two children back at a leisurely pace.

    On the way, there was always gossip and unkind greetings. She pretended like she couldn''t hear them as her heart fell on the mountain medicine she got.

    Without growing corn, you don''t know how hard it is to work. Today, he finally understood the true meaning behind all of this.

    When Su Zhi returned home, she hurriedly took off the mountain medicine in her pocket and thought to herself: It would be great if I could have a fat and beautiful old hen. Stew a pot of soup, happily drink a meal, stewed yam mother chicken soup, do not add oil and salt fragrant.

    After he peeled off the yam, the hairpin on his head started to heat up. Su Zhi immediately took it off and placed it on the stove. Sure enough, that fresh chicken that had been slaughtered actually appeared.

    Su Zhi was overjoyed. She hurriedly chopped them into chunks and boiled them in water before letting the cold water start to boil. After the water boiled, she put down the cut yam and simmered it in a small fire.

    About an hour later, the wild yam chicken soup was ready.

    Noticing the fragrance, A Jin closed the door and windows very flexibly, waiting for the chicken soup to be served.

    "Mother, father always said you were a treasure. A Jin also thinks so."

    Su Zhi burst out in laughter. "Ah Jin''s mouth is so sweet."

    After a meal accompanied by a fragrant chicken soup, the three of them still had some leftovers from eating until their stomachs were full.

    A Jin didn''t ask where the pheasant came from. Her father could take a bow and arrow to the back of the mountain to hunt wild boars, and her mother could also do so.

    After finishing her meal, Su Zhi started to clean up the table. At this time, the door was kicked open, and a blinding light flashed into the room as a sharp voice yelled, "Wow, you cunning fox, there''s evidence and evidence everywhere. Let''s see how you deny this!"

    Before Su Zhi could figure out how Mrs Zhang had appeared, she was immediately insulted and insulted by her opponent.

    "Someone come, the hunter''s wife has become a thief!" Uncle Fu! Uncle Fu! Come quickly, your chicken is in my stomach. "

    Zhang Shi shouted with his head raised.

    Su Zhi stood up, blocked in front of the two children and asked sternly, "Zhang Clan, this is my house. This is trespassing! "

    She had just heard the reason why Zhang Clan came to her house this time. It seemed that the eldest son of Uncle Fu, who had gone to the back of the village with great difficulty to hunt a wild chicken, had been stabbed with a pair of wings.

    Zhang Shi heard Uncle Fu''s helpless cries and also happened to smell the fragrance coming from the hunter''s house. She immediately let her brother split the wood door and rush in. With a single glance ˇ­

    He actually saw the leftover soup pot on the small wooden table, as well as the leftover chicken bones.

    "Someone come, the hunter''s wife has become a thief!" Uncle Fu! Uncle Fu! Come quickly, your chicken is in my stomach. "

    Su Zhi stood up, blocked in front of the two children and asked sternly, "Zhang Clan, this is my house. This is trespassing! "

    "Pfft, normally you would just be an honest and honest person, but I didn''t think that you would do this kind of thing." Uncle Fu''s youngest son was about to die from illness. Pointing at the wild game to prolong his life, he didn''t have the face to fight over food with someone who was about to die. What? You want to die before him? "

    "Zhang!" I''m warning you, be careful when you speak! " Su Zhi was not someone to be trifled with.

    Both of them were furious and the loud noise attracted the villagers over.

    The first to arrive was Uncle Fu and his family. Seeing the chicken bones on the table, they rushed forward with the intention to beat Su Zhi up.

    "I want to see who dares! Don''t forget, when my husband was here, he helped quite a few of you! Now that he has gone to the front line, you who have received kindness so often do not know how to take pity on us, the orphans and the widows, and even try to bully us! My conscience has been eaten by dogs! "

    Su Zhi panicked, putting the two children behind her, and said coldly.

    Uncle Fu pointed at Su Zhi, but couldn''t find a word to say. "Even if a Nie kid took care of the villagers, what right do you have to steal our family''s chickens?"

    "Which one of your eyes saw me eating your chicken? When did your son come back from hunting? I''ve already eaten all of this soup. What, can it be that I can change my technique in a second and make all of the raw ones ripe? "

    Everyone in the room was staring at Su Zhi viciously. A Jin ran out from behind her crying and loudly explained, "We didn''t eat your family''s chickens. Mom and I worked hard to get all of this! We didn''t steal it! "

    Looking at her son who was rushing in front of her and spreading his arms to protect her, Su Zhi sadly squatted down and hugged him.

    "You guys are the worst. Don''t think that I don''t know what you guys are talking about behind your backs. Last night, who climbed up the wall in a delusional attempt to bully a woman like me, do you think that I don''t know? Stabbing someone in the back, he wasn''t afraid of his tongue getting rotten. "Since you all think I was the one who stole it, take out the evidence. Otherwise, go to the government!"

 C8

    Zhang Shi rushed to Su Zhi with her hands on her hips and spat at her, "Ha, didn''t you steal it? Then where did the chicken you ate come from? "Who did you sleep with that wild man for charity?"

    "Zhang Clan, try speaking a few more times!" "Since you think that I, Su Zhi, have the ability, I will not only bear the blame, but also be honest with myself. It''s not impossible for Big Brother Zhang to beg him to raise two children!"

    "You!" Mrs Zhang choked, her sallow face turning the color of pig liver. She wanted to slap him, but was stopped by Su Zhi. If it wasn''t for the people around her who were eyeing her covetously, she would have already slapped him.

    "Everyone heard it! What kind of trash is this woman from the Nie family!?" Uncle Fu, hurry up and send this unscrupulous woman to the government so she can suffer! In my opinion, she must be... "Aiyo!"

    Before she could finish her vulgar words, a bone-piercing pain came from Zhang''s thigh. Lowering her head, she saw that A Jin was firmly biting onto her.

    A Jin was biting down hard, and her eyes were filled with hatred as she stared at A Jin. She was clearly such a small girl, but Mrs. Zhang couldn''t help but feel her scalp go numb.

    "Good child, quickly let go."

    Su Zhi quickly stepped forward to pull her youngest son away, in case the Zhang brothers took action.

    "Don''t scold my mother!" With me here, you guys can forget about bullying my mother! "

    "Aiyo, this little bastard, wild bastard!" The pain must be from this old lady! "

    With one bite, it was already weird if there weren''t any traces of blood.

    After suffering such a loss, the Zhang Clan really did not dare to step forward and make things difficult for them. They were pulled far away by their own brothers and hid behind the crowd to curse at others.

    Uncle Fu''s eyes were filled with tears as he looked at the broken bones on the table. He pointed to his nose and asked Su Zhi, "All of us in Tranquil Village have received the favor of a hunter. It is indeed not easy for you to be an orphan." However, you should also get a clear score. In this situation, which family has no difficulties? My youngest son is about to die, and you still have the nerve to steal something from my family! "

    Su Zhi stood perfectly straight, not backing down in the slightest at all towards the villagers who had squeezed their way in to scold them.

    It wasn''t her doing. Why should she bear the guilt?

    "Wahhh ~" The two groups of people were in an uproar. The small bean bag placed on the bedside was so scared that it was crying.

    Crawling along under the bed on two short legs.

    "Mother ˇ­" "Kiss ~" A Jin felt like she went forward to catch her sister, holding her in her arms and avoiding the sight of the villagers.

    Su Zhi felt her heart ache. Worried that such a line-up would leave a shadow on her child, she told A Jin to stay home and take good care of her sister. He was the first to leave, saying that he was going to seek justice from the officials.

    The villagers were sure that Su Zhi had stolen the chicken, and were not afraid of going to the government. A group of people pushed and shoved each other as they ran towards the county magistrate''s office.

    When they found the Qinghe County officials, Liu Yu-an had just returned from his inspection of the disaster. He hadn''t had time to eat lunch, but when he heard that villagers were beating their drums with grievances, he didn''t have time to rest.

    "Who is beating the drum here?"

    After Uncle Fu grabbed Su Zhi, he kneeled down on the floor and shouted, "Lord Liu, please stand up for me! This hunter''s wife stole my family''s chicken, but she still refuses to admit it!"

    Seeing that it was Su Zhi again, Liu Yuan''s long, sword-like eyebrows creased slightly.

    This woman did not seem to get along well with the villagers. She stood there with a noble and arrogant air, her lips tightly pursed and her eyes downcast. All of them were filled with stubbornness.

    With such a strong character, it would be difficult to coexist peacefully with the people in the city.

    "Why is it you again? Does Madam Su have anything to say?"

    Su Zhi raised her head and glanced at him, her clear eyes still filled with tears of grievance. She frowned slightly, but a calm look hit Liu Yuan''s heart without a trace.

    She sighed and knelt down on both knees, "My lord, this humble woman only wishes to discuss the matter. Firstly, Uncle Fu thinks that I stole his family''s chicken, but is there any evidence? Second, without the permission of a woman, the Zhang family went into the house without permission. Is it a violation of the laws of the Wei Dynasty? "Third, when the cause of the situation has not been found out, should villagers rush into my house, insulting and insulting the women who had lost their lives?"

    Su Zhi knelt there without the slightest bit of fear or evasion from a thief. At one point in time, Liu Yu An had thought that the villagers of An Ran couldn''t tolerate her.

    As an official, he needed absolute rationality and calm to analyze the situation.

    "Uncle Fu?" Do you have evidence? "

 C9

    "Master, I ˇ­" I don''t have any evidence, but this little lady of the Su family is sick, how can she do the hunting? Moreover, her family couldn''t even take out two pieces of copper, so how could they buy pheasants? Other than her, who else could it be? "

    After Liu Yuan heard the explanation, he understood the cause and effect of the matter.

    He also did not really believe that Su Zhi would steal from him, but there was a mystery that could easily cause people to fall into a trap.

    Tranquil Village was poor. It was already difficult for them to hunt and eat meat and meat. With the drought added on, it was even more difficult. Where did Su Zhi get the chicken that she was eating from? If she didn''t steal it, it wouldn''t be difficult to find out.

    He never simply looked at the side of things, but when he looked at Su Zhi''s thin shoulders, Liu Yu An couldn''t help but feel a little reluctant.

    "Young lady, can you tell me where the chicken came from?"

    Su Zhi tightened her hands, trying hard not to show a troubled expression.

    This could not be said. If others knew that she was the soul transformed Su Zhi and that she had a storage system with her, she would immediately burn her as if she was a monster!

    First, let''s not talk about whether I believe her. Based on this theory, I shouldn''t be captured as a lunatic. As long as a villager was accused of insanity, she would steal it even if she didn''t steal it.

    "My lord, this humble woman still speaks the same words. There has to be evidence to prove that I stole it. Besides, where did my chicken come from? The adults might not believe it. There are many things in this world that are out of the ordinary, but that does not mean that they do not exist. "

    "Pui, shameless. You speak in such a godly manner. Just a sentence, it was given to you by someone who slept with a wild man!"

    Liu Yu-an slapped the wood and his words turned cold, "Silence!" No one in the court is allowed to disturb the order with their words! " After pausing for a moment, he asked Su Zhi, "You must understand, the more thoroughly you explain this matter, the more advantageous it is to clear yourself of all your crimes!"

    Su Zhi smiled bitterly as her gaze met his, "How do I explain this? This world is not fair, a woman alone at home needs to experience the unsatisfactory in order to not be suspected. If not, then he became a thief and stole a man? "

    Liu Yuan''s eyebrows jumped and he swallowed his words of doubt.

    "Alright, I admit it. This chicken was indeed gifted to me, but it was not stolen by me, nor was it the one in Uncle Fu''s house.

    "Alright, since words have no basis, then I will take the constable to An Ran village quickly to investigate what is going on. "We can always find out the truth."

    Without any doubt, Su Zhi nodded and agreed.

    Liu Yuan instructed the yamen to send someone to take a trip out of the village.

    Uncle Fu''s eldest son rushed in from outside the yamen, saying that the pheasant had been found.

    It turned out that the chicken hadn''t been stolen at all. The wolfhound in Uncle Fu''s house was so hungry that it couldn''t hold in its appetite. It ran away with the wild chicken in its mouth while others didn''t mind.

    Normally, this hound was the most intelligent one, but today it was able to make up for the wild chicken, so its contribution was the greatest. Uncle Fu''s eldest son originally wanted to follow them to the yamen and let the dogs watch the house. When he went out, he found that the dog was gone. There was only a lump of blood in the dog''s nest. He searched for the blood and found the pheasant that had been bitten half to death.

    The truth was originally a misunderstanding.

    Liu Yuan patted the wood again and scolded the villagers for being ignorant and lacking in manners. They shouldn''t treat a woman like this.

    Su Zhi only smiled bitterly. The world was cold and warm, one did not know the difference.

    "Since you were the ones who framed Madame Su, then I''ll be the witness. Everyone here owes Madame Su an apology."

    At this point, Uncle Fu could only stiffen his body and apologize to Su Zhi.

    Along with her two sons from Uncle Fu''s family, they all lowered their heads to apologize.

    Upon seeing this, the Zhang Clan secretly stomped their feet and then slipped away.

    As she was leaving the yamen, she whispered to a few other women in the village, "I slept with someone else and changed them to a chicken. Do you think this person is serious? As the saying goes, a man is not poor, but goes to be a brothel for food."

    "That''s right. Otherwise, how else would she be able to make a chicken to eat when she''s only a woman?"

    "That''s right, that coquettish look of hers is indeed not lacking in those wild men who are willing to help raise immoral beings."

    After the matter had been investigated thoroughly and they had left the hall, Su Zhi was still depressed.

    How difficult her current situation was, she didn''t need to think about it. Even if she hadn''t stolen anything, the number of people pointing fingers at her would definitely be much more in the future.

    There was always a moment of outburst. She wasn''t sure how long she could last.

    "Mistress Su, are you still thinking?"

    Seeing her distracted look, Liu Yuan felt pity and went up to ask.

    Su Zhi turned around and looked at him, her innocent almond eyes filled with humiliation and unwillingness.

    "Sire, to tell you the truth, did you think that I was the one who stole it from the beginning?"

    "This ˇ­" He had only suspected that it would be very difficult for a weak girl like her to hunt pheasants.

    "My lord also owes this woman an apology."

    The Grand Master was so shocked that his jaw dropped.

    This woman really dares to say something. She actually got her master to apologize to her?

 C10

    "I''m really sorry, but I really don''t dare to be so one-sided." Liu Yu An didn''t hesitate at all and sincerely apologized.

    "Does Milord still think that I''m really selling perverted food like they said?"

    This time, Liu Yuan didn''t hesitate. He immediately waved his hand and said, "That''s not the case. I hope that Madam Su can forgive me for the difficulties."

    Su Zhi said with a gentle smile, "Your words are too serious. This humble woman doesn''t dare to accept them."

    Compared to the aggressive villagers, Liu Yuan''s attitude was much better. Moreover, she was His Majesty''s personal disaster relief supervisor, and was not an ordinary government official. Even if Su Zhi didn''t have the concept of hierarchy, she wouldn''t dare to receive such a big gift.

    The afternoon sky darkened, and a large cloud of lead enveloped the land. The sultry air pressure was extremely low, and the cicadas'' chirping noise was unsettling.

    Liu Yuan looked at the sky and said to himself, "It''s going to rain again."

    After the drought had lasted for such a long time, the rain from yesterday had finally ended this natural disaster. After this disaster was stabilized, he still had to return to the capital as soon as possible and could not stay here for too long.

    After withdrawing his gaze, his gaze shifted to the girl at the side. He was still unyielding and unyielding, just like an unpainted white pill. He naturally had his share of grace and elegance.

    He had only seen it twice, but both times he had opened the conversation in the midst of an argument.

    It was unknown what kind of fortuitous encounters such a strong woman would have in the future.

    "Madam Su, the disaster has finally stabilized. From today onwards, I will return to the capital to report this."

    Su Zhi''s gaze turned sluggish and her frown deepened.

    "Lord ˇ­" This humble woman has a presumptuous request. "

    "Speak."

    Su Zhi clasped her hands together, looking very nervous. After she muttered something for a while, she mustered up her courage and said word by word, "Sir, can I borrow some silver from this humble woman?"

    She looked at Liu Yuan for help, her cheeks blushing with shyness.

    Borrowing money from a man he had only met twice, and he was also a powerful official.

    After Su Zhi made the request, she could not wait to bite off her tongue. How big of a face did she have to lend him the money?

    "If ˇ­" It doesn''t matter if it''s inconvenient, I, I, it''s just... Wanted to take the children to their father. "

    She lowered her head helplessly, and a green and red mark appeared on her small hand that had been squeezed into a ball due to her nervousness.

    "How much do you need?"

    Huh? Su Zhi raised her head in disbelief and looked at him in a daze.

    Was this person really willing to lend her some silver?

    Liu Yu An didn''t care about her surprise and gave a look to the Grand Master. He weighed the money pouch in his hand and said, "Here, there''s twenty taels inside. I should be able to reach the border without worry."

    Su Zhi was stupefied. She slowly took the heavy purse with both hands, feeling that her palms were frighteningly hot.

    She did not have much confidence in being able to borrow money, but her family was really stretched to the point of being unable to find even half a copper coin. He didn''t expect that Liu Yuan would really be willing to help.

    "Big ˇ­ Everyone ˇ­ A woman ˇ­" Staring at the purse in her hand, she became so excited that she started to speak incoherently. She calmed herself down and said, "Your Excellency is willing to contribute generously today. In the future, I, Su Zhi, will repay you tenfold."

    Liu Yuan smiled and shook his head. He had only intended to look at Su Zhi pitifully; he hadn''t thought that she would still be able to afford it.

    On the other hand, the vast sea of people was a thousand miles away from the border. He would return to the capital in a few days, and the two of them would never meet again.

    "I also have an older sister who is a distant husband. Her family met with an accident and relied on the help of others to return to her family. "This twenty silver taels is nothing, it''s just a small amount of energy. Since the journey is short, Madam Su needs to be careful."

    "Thank you, my lord, for your reminder. This humble woman will be extremely grateful."

    Su Zhi carefully put the silver back into her pocket and watched Liu Yuan leave. Her hot heart was about to spill its warmth.

    Once she got entangled, she could bring A Jin and Little Dou to the Fringe to find a husband. No matter what happened in the future, she would live a better life in An Ning village.

    When the sun was about to set, A Jin, who was waiting for her mother''s return from her ruined home, finally saw Su Zhi, who had returned alone at the other end of the road.

    "Mother!" A Jin shouted, mixed with worry and joy.

    "Mother ~" She took short steps and ran with her brother to bring Su Zhi home.

    Looking at the two cute little lumps, Su Zhi''s heart almost melted.

    Squatting on the left and right, he held the two of them tightly.

    Under the setting sun, the three shadows intertwined together and happily returned to the dilapidated wooden door.

    Not long after he entered, heavy rain began to fall, splashing on the thatched cottage.

    There was a leak in the house. A Jin sensibly found some terrines and placed them on the ground to prevent them from getting wet from the rain.

    Su Zhi''s mood was not affected in the slightest by the heavy rain as she cooked and cooked.

    There would be a rainbow after the storm, she believed!

 C11

    Dinner was white rice with lard and some leftover chicken.

    Su Zhi skillfully ground half a bag of flour and buns into a piece of skin, then made a chicken roll for the two children to satisfy their cravings.

    When they were preparing dinner, the system gave her a whole roasted lamb as well as a lot of seasonings that she used.

    Having learned her lesson, Su Zhi did not dare to act too arrogantly. She tore a lamb leg into pieces and poured half a bowl of sauce for the children to eat.

    The rain lasted for two days. Just as the firewood was about to be used up, the sky finally cleared.

    Early one morning, Su Zhi stood up and began her actions, making rice cakes out of rice that she had not finished eating. Then, she used flour to make some soft and delicious steamed buns, preparing for the rest of the journey.

    She stayed at home for two days without going out. However, the villagers'' saliva was still splattered all over the place, and the rumors were extremely unpleasant to listen to.

    Although Su Zhi felt bad, the moment she thought about her impending departure, she felt that her entire body had become much clearer.

    The next day before dawn.

    Su Zhi had already packed all her belongings. She took out a piece of cotton clothing from the wooden cabinet and prepared to give it to A Jin''s father.

    The material looked old, probably worn for some years, and the frontier began to turn cold in October. She thought of making some new clothes for her husband, whom she had not met yet, when she got there.

    After finishing everything, Su Zhi then gently pushed the two children on the bed and smiled gently at them, "It''s time to wake up children. Let''s go find Daddy together."

    A Jin nodded, immediately got up from the bed, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and put on her shoes and clothes.

    After putting on the small bean bag and letting the two children have some breakfast, Su Zhi took out a man''s robe from the cupboard and put it on, then tied her waist-length black hair into a ponytail.

    It would be inconvenient for a woman to have an identity when she was away, so it was better to dress like this.

    When the morning clouds started to disperse in the dark sky, Su Zhi locked the door with her two children and left Peace Village without looking back.

    Peace Village was not peaceful. If she found her husband, she would also be willing to find a better place, a place that would hurt people''s hearts.

    Not long after leaving the village, Su Zhi spent a few copper coins and went down the mountain on an oxcart with her two children. From start to finish, she showed no signs of wanting to stay, and just left without a sound.

    In the marketplace, she had to ask many times to find out which military camp the men from Tranquil Village had gone to.

    Although it was called the border, it wasn''t that far. Qing He County was originally quite far away from the Imperial City, and in comparison, the border was much closer.

    Su Zhi found a caravan that passed by the border and spent a few taels of silver as payment for the journey. With a few dozen taels left, she couldn''t help but think that she had borrowed a little too much.

    She hadn''t been here for long, so she didn''t really know much about currency. However, this twenty taels of silver was enough for a commoner to live for a year.

    Walking out of the city gate for around twenty to thirty miles, there were no longer any villages or farmhouses.

    Qing He County was like an unremarkable rock that had been left behind on the riverbank, easily thrown far away.

    Su Zhi rarely spoke during the journey. She would occasionally lower her voice and pretend that she was a man with a hoarse voice.

    She was dressed in rags, probably, and had two children with her. The leader of the caravan, who had mistaken her for a widower with a dead wife, let her do as she pleased when he saw that she didn''t like to talk to anyone.

    Fortunately, Ah Jin was sensible and would help Su Zhi take care of the small bean bag, but he could still endure the journey.

    Every time she woke up after a nap, Su Zhi would trick him and give him some candy that he had never eaten before as a reward.

    The caravan moved and stopped to rest. Since it was the era of war, they didn''t dare to take a shortcut and headed north on the official road.

    It was already five days later when he arrived at the border.

    For five whole days, the boat had been tiring. Not to mention two children, even Su Zhi herself could not handle it. However, when she saw the golden words'' Black Cloud Pass'' on the city wall, she couldn''t help but smile and jump up in joy.

    What should I say when I see Nie Rufeng later? She wasn''t the real Su Zhi. She couldn''t possibly be that watertight.

    How was she supposed to interpret the deep love and love that a husband and wife should have for each other so that it wouldn''t be seen through? Being a married couple who had separated from a man she had never met before, when she thought of what she would face later on, her face reddened.

    "Mother, is this where Father joined the army? We can see daddy now? "

    "Yes, this is the place."

    Su Zhi gently touched A Jin''s little head and hugged her little daughter who was sleeping soundly on her shoulder. She felt uneasy in her heart.

 C12

    She gathered up her courage and stepped forward. The soldiers standing guard outside the door saw her and shouted, "Where are you from? This is the barracks. Go and beg somewhere else."

    "Little brothers, I''m not a beggar. My husband is joining the army at your place. His name is Nie Rufeng, we''re here to find him."

    The city guards remained unmoved, waving their hands to allow her to leave.

    Since she had already reached the military camp, if she could not see the child''s father, then she would not have wasted so much time and effort.

    After dawdling for nearly two hours, the few generals became a bit impatient when they saw that she was still not leaving. "Our general is out hunting. It looks like he''ll be back soon. You should leave quickly, lest you displease the general."

    Su Zhi did not say anything as she brought the two of them to sit by the side of the road.

    The soldiers guarding the city wall wanted to expel her, but they were interrupted by the sound of rapid horse hooves. They thought to themselves, "Not good!"

    The general is back!

    The sky was filled with rolling sand, flying sand and flying rocks. A thousand elite cavalry soldiers trod on the dust and shattered the wind as they rushed over from the other side of the road.

    The long rainbow, Jinguo Tie Ma, Zhang Chi, well-trained.

    Su Zhi quickly covered the two children in her arms and waited for the group to approach with narrowed eyes.

    "The general is back! Open the gates!"

    The huge pulley made a dull noise, and with a loud bang, the bridge that connected to the moat was laid flat on the yellow ground.

    The leader of the soldiers split into two groups and made a path. In the middle of the path, a man wearing silver armor and riding a plagiarist slowly came out.

    He was a burly man with a narrow waist and broad shoulders. He held a long sword in his hand and used a dagger to protect himself.

    Although his expression could not be seen, the murderous aura around him could not be concealed. It was as cold as ice and as stable as a boulder.

    "Cough, cough, cough."

    The sandstorm was so strong that Su Zhi could not help but cough. That person had excellent hearing and looked at her with the side of his eyes.

    The moment she was stared at by him, Su Zhi felt the air pressure around her freeze.

    This man''s aura was really strong. He did not get angry, but his gaze was sharp. Looking at him directly, her entire body felt numb and uncomfortable.

    "Who is here?"

    The soldier guarding the city hurried forward to explain, "General, this person said that he is a family member of the army, so this servant did not dare to let her in presumptuously, and is afraid of being a spy."

    Su Zhi calmed down, endured the numbness in her legs and approached the troop, trying to give a brief introduction of her origins.

    "My wife, Su Zhi, is the wife of Nie Rufeng. My husband hasn''t returned to the army for half a year, and his family is suffering from a drought. I brought two children with me to seek my husband''s approval."

    That person didn''t say anything. Immediately, a guard behind him came forward and explained, "General, that Nie Ru Feng ˇ­"

    He raised his hand to interrupt the guard, and then looked at Su Zhi, whose face was covered in dirt and clothes were in tatters. As he looked down, he coincidentally saw the small bean bun looking around with its big round eyes.

    The kid didn''t seem to be afraid of living, and when he saw that someone was staring at him, he didn''t show any weakness and looked back. Seeing that there was a golden tiger with white foreheads behind the man''s horse, it grinned and patted him with its two short hands, as if it was praising him.

    A Jin quickly pulled down the hem of her dress, trying to distract her.

    The man''s ice-cold brows softened. After he shifted his gaze away, he said, "Let them in."

    "Yes, sir!"

    With the command from the general, no one disobeyed. Su Zhi entered the army camp very smoothly.

    They were taken to a barracks, where a general brought them new clothes, not the best of which, but much better than the clothes they were wearing.

    After running for so many days, it was time to wash up.

    She didn''t dare to trouble others too much and went to the kitchen to boil water and bathe. Since she was in the military camp, she didn''t dare to see too many doctors and women.

    Only after she had washed up and put on the simple and generous female attire did she dare to go out and ask the little general about Nie Rufeng.

    Now that she was in the military camp, it wouldn''t be difficult for her to meet her husband.

    The general, who had been questioned, had not noticed Su Zhi previously. He only knew that the general had let in a woman with a disheveled appearance to look for a wife, but he had not expected her to be so beautiful and moving after she had been dressed up.

    However, Su Zhi could still see through a plain, unadorned set of clothes. It was extremely elegant, with a light breeze, and a faintly discernible fragrance.

    A few of the generals blushed as their Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. They could only shake their heads and say that they weren''t familiar with each other before leaving in a hurry.

 C13

    Su Zhi was discouraged, and could only return to camp and wait. This was the military fortress, it was not polite for a woman like her to barge in at will.

    There were prepared snacks and tea in the tent. A Jin was taking care of the small bean bag, and when she saw that Su Zhi had come back alone, she couldn''t help but look outside. "Mom, where''s my dad?"

    She shook her head helplessly. "Maybe we should wait."

    The three of them waited in the tent obediently, waiting for a long time.

    No matter how patient Su Zhi was, she could not help but feel anxious.

    She made up her mind that she would definitely meet Nie Rufeng today. Therefore, she stood up and walked outside once again.

    The moment she lifted the curtain, her delicate body slammed into a hard and unclear object, causing her to grimace in pain. When she clearly saw who it was, she clicked her tongue in surprise. "General?"

    Xiao Qian had practiced martial arts since he was young and was extremely sensitive to his surroundings. He could clearly feel a warm breeze blowing by and a refreshing fragrance entered his nose. It was like a gardenia after the rain, sweet and pure.

    He lowered his head to look at the woman before him, who was shorter than him by a head, and could not help but frown. All these years he had been in the military camp, and the smell was the smell of men''s sweat and horses'' livestock.

    "Father, mother ~"

    The two of them were in a stalemate. Little Dou Bao was holding a osmanthus cake in both hands. She struggled to jump down from A Jin''s arms and ran towards Xiao Qian on two short legs.

    Xiao Qian stared blankly for a long time. He instinctively wanted to avoid the small ball of porcelain that was about to pounce on him, but was afraid that she would fall down and so he just stood there motionlessly as she hugged his leg and sweetly called him daddy.

    "Little Dou Bao, you''re not allowed to call me that."

    Su Zhi jumped in fright. She didn''t even know what personality the man in front of her had, but her daughter wasn''t on guard at all and called him daddy. Wasn''t she afraid of touching his reverse scale?

    Xiao Qian didn''t seem to mind. He lowered his head and stared at the minced pastries on Xiao Qian''s body, as if he was thinking about something.

    Su Zhi hurried to kneel down and pay her respects. "I''m sorry, but this child doesn''t know etiquette. He''s causing trouble for the general."

    Xiao Qian ignored her, reaching out his hand to grab the clothes at the back of the little girl''s neck. He lifted her up like a kitten and hugged the child tightly in Su Zhi''s arms as she cried out in surprise.

    Then, one big and one small, eyes staring at each other, tightly hugging that soft and outrageous little girl.

    Obviously, he didn''t have the experience of carrying children. The way the traffickers carried their children made her feel uncomfortable. She struggled around with a red face as she raised her short legs to kick him.

    This ticklish resistance did not attract his attention. It was only when the little bean bun was out of breath and howled out loud that he loosened his hands in panic, almost throwing the child onto the ground.

    Seeing that, Su Zhi hurriedly went forward to catch the child and comfort her in her arms. Only then did Little Dou Wu stop crying. She leaned on Su Zhi''s shoulder, pouting as she looked at him with a wronged expression.

    Xiao Qian stood there at a loss of what to do. He looked dazedly at the little girl who had just called him daddy. In the blink of an eye, the little girl turned hostile as she was at a loss for words.

    "General, please don''t blame me. I must have missed her father so much that I recognized you wrongly."

    A Jin was also quite frightened. She carefully went up and pulled the Soybean Pancake back, coaxing her to continue eating the pastries.

    Xiao Qian looked at the two children for a while before taking off his hat. His hair, which was as black as ink, flowed down his shoulders.

    Without any concealment, the sharpness he exuded lessened. Although he was by no means amiable, the sense of oppression he exuded was much less.

    He stood sideways in front of Su Zhi and seemed to be laughing.

    Su Zhi was once again astonished. She sighed at the fact that the general who controlled hundreds of thousands of soldiers was so young.

    He was very handsome, with straight eyebrows, long hair, a straight nose, and a beautiful face. He did not look like a boorish man, especially with his bright and clear eyes.

    Su Zhi estimated that this general was only 22 or 23 years old. If not for the fact that his hands were full of scars, she might have even suspected that this handsome man was actually part of the army.

    It was probably because Su Zhi had acted too boldly, that Xiao Qian''s eyes intersected with hers.

    Being stared at by such bright and thoughtful eyes, Su Zhi''s face turned red as she quickly tried to change the topic, "General, I wonder if this humble woman can see my husband for a bit."

    He nodded for her to come out with him.

    Su Zhi understood and left the two children alone in the tent.

    After walking for a long time, the tall man finally stopped and turned back to look at her. However, the expression in his eyes was too complicated. It was filled with pity and a trace of guilt.

    "General?"

    Seeing him like this, for some reason, a bad premonition rose in Su Zhi''s heart.

    He paused for a moment, then said with a sluggish tone, "Your husband, Nie Rufeng, died in the Flat Peak Wilderness last month. Thousands of arrows pierced his heart, and he was unable to return them."

    Tens of thousands of arrows piercing his heart ˇ­ He couldn''t return it!

 C14

    The word ''cold'' was like a sharp knife slicing through Su Zhi''s heart. A bolt of thunder from a clear sky had shattered her last hope!

    Was he dead? She was momentarily unable to accept that this was the end of her thousand miles of search for a husband.

    She wasn''t the same Su Zhi from before. Naturally, she would not be heartbroken from heartache, but she was still sad.

    The success of a general will be ten thousand bones dry, more or less white send black hair. However, the king was in trouble, and his bones were buried beneath the mountain.

    "How could this be ˇ­"

    How could she tell A Jin that their father would never be able to take them hunting, never hold them back with his broad shoulders, never, never again.

    "My lady, please grieve."

    Su Zhi''s legs went soft. She could not help but crouch down and land on the sand.

    Xiao Qian Xu helped her up, but at the same time, he didn''t really dare to touch her.

    Being widowed at such a young age with two children, even without personally experiencing it, he could still feel it.

    "I am sorry, but although our army has achieved complete victory and repelled the Huns, it is not without casualties."

    Her husband was in those lost souls.

    She had thought of many different situations where she wanted to meet Nie Rufeng. She had always heard Akin to that person, and from the bottom of her heart, she had always thought that he was a very good husband. It was just that she never expected that she would see him before she had the time to do so.

    "Madam, you are still young, so do not be too sad and lose your body. The child had already lost his father, and his mother was still young and had a long life to live. This was the best explanation for his younger brother. Madam lives in Qing He County, I will send someone to send you back okay? "

    "No, no, no, no. I''m not going back. Without my husband, there will no longer be a home there. What''s the point of me going back? I will only see the people I think of, and add to my sadness."

    A rejection that was almost repugnant.

    At most, it was a pity that such a beautiful and gentle woman like her, who was born in troubled times, would have many inconvenience and hardships. However, he still cared about those two children of Nie Rufeng''s, especially that little girl, who he liked the most and had never seen a child that wasn''t afraid of him.

    "Then what is Madam Su planning to do today?"

    Su Zhi shook her head in confusion, unable to answer for a long time.

    Tranquil Village would definitely not return. That was not the best place to stay.

    She had originally wanted to find Nie Rufeng and find a suitable place for people to live after the war, so that she could raise her two children. Her plan had been disrupted, and she suddenly lost all of her concentration. She was at a loss for what to do.

    "Where should I go ˇ­?" "Where to?"

    Su Zhi squatted on the ground and buried her face in her knees. Her delicate body was curled up like a homeless animal.

    Since he was 13 or 14 years old, Xiao Qian had started his life in the battlefield. He held a long spear in his hand as he defended his family and protected his country. He was used to being cut by knives and licking blood, so it was rare for his heart to be soft.

    He saw that Su Zhi was helpless and pitiful and wanted to protect him.

    "Since you are unwilling to return to the village, then find a place to settle down and find a job to earn a living. If a soldier dies in battle, he or she will receive a pension. Although it is not much, it can at least save his or her life. "

    "Thank you for your kindness, General. I appreciate it."

    "It must have been tiring for you to take your child across mountains and rivers. First, you should stay in the camp for a few days."

    Su Zhi gratefully nodded and pulled out a smile.

    Xiao Qian was not good with words, so he could not say much to comfort her. After waiting in silence for a while, he left.

    Losing a husband and two children by himself, in this ancient world where the hierarchy was strict, how could it be easy to do so? Furthermore, A Jin had already understood the logic behind this. He knew how to live in peace, and how to tell him about the news of Nie Rufeng''s death in battle.

    Su Zhi suppressed her depression and stayed alone in silence for a long time. She had been out for too long, worried that the child would be scared, but she still organized her thoughts and headed back to the tent.

    From afar, he could see A Jin, who was waiting outside the tent with a small bean bag. He was still holding the green bean cake in his hand and dancing up and down, teasing the crying girl.

 C15

    The cries of the small bean bun were too loud. From time to time, patrolling soldiers would rush over when they heard the sound.

    A five-year-old child, already learned how to understand the world and was afraid of causing trouble for others, smiled apologetically at the passing soldiers and kept apologizing.

    Su Zhi held back the tears in her heart and tightly held her hands under her sleeves. She let out a long sigh and then trotted over with a smile.

    "Little Dou Bao, why aren''t you being good again? You have to learn from big brother."

    "Mother!"

    "Mother!"

    The two children stopped making noise and rushed towards her, hugging her as she crouched down.

    "Mother, where''s father?"

    A Jin was smiling happily. Her bright big eyes were looking around, afraid that she wouldn''t see the man hiding in the dark to give them a surprise.

    Su Zhi stood up and led him back, "A Jin, come in first. Mom has something to tell you."

    A Jin absent-mindedly nodded her head. Her little head still looked left and right, unwilling to return to her tent. There was no one there.

    "Mother, where''s father? A Jin hasn''t seen him in a long time, she really misses him. Please quickly let him out. "

    Su Zhi hugged the small bean bun in her arms. She didn''t dare to look at Ah Jin''s childish face, and was so saddened that she couldn''t breathe.

    She didn''t have any feelings for Nie Rufeng. Although it was a pity, it was mostly because the poor child had lost his father long ago.

    She patted the bean bag in her arms, trying to coax her daughter to sleep.

    During that time, A Jin patiently avoided bothering her.

    Today, for some reason, the little bean bun refused to sleep. It hummed a little with a ''Daddy'' in its mouth.

    After finally coaxing the child to sleep, Su Zhi heaved a sigh of relief, and helped the little girl straighten her clothes, then slowly turned around to face A Jin who had a look of anticipation on her face.

    "Mother? Father? "

    Su Zhi pulled him into her arms tightly, yet she was still unable to say anything.

    A Jin seemed to have expected something as he struggled to push her away.

    "Mother, say something, where is my father? He said he would make me a paper kite, and when the East rose, he would go to the courtyard to fly it. He said he was going to teach me how to hunt, and I was waiting for him to make me a bow. Mother, please speak. "

    "Jin..." Your father went to the front and will be back in a few days. "

    Since she really couldn''t bear to make him sad, Su Zhi could only casually make up an unfounded lie.

    "You lied to me, brother soldier said that the war is already over!"

    "Jin..." "I ˇ­"

    A Jin pushed his mother away, trying to calm her down. This was the first time the normally well-behaved child cried in front of Su Zhi. His eyes were red and swollen as he asked her, "Daddy died in battle, right? "My father is gone ˇ­"

    "A Jin, you heard from mom that your dad just went somewhere far away and will come back. He still needs to take care of you and your sister, so he won''t leave you behind. "

    "Liar!" You lied to me! I want father! "

    "Jin!"

    Nie Rufeng had died in battle. The ones who were the most unwilling to believe this were either Su Zhi or A Jin.

    His father''s glory was deeply engraved in his memory, how could he be willing to lose that magnificent figure.

    The argument between the two was too loud, waking up the small bean bun. A Jin couldn''t take the impact anymore and turned around to run outside.

    Su Zhi wanted to chase after her, but her daughter''s wailing stopped her.

    By the time she picked up her beanbag and chased after him, where was the child outside the tent?

    Su Zhi panicked a little. She was worried that A Jin wouldn''t be able to bear the shock and do something stupid, and that her child wouldn''t be able to bear it. If there was such a thing, what would she do?

 C16

    Su Zhi was carrying a small bean bag in her arms, and her journey was blocked. Su Zhi was scurrying around the huge military camp, but she still hadn''t seen A Jin.

    There were many places in the camp that she couldn''t go, so she didn''t care much about it.

    Xiao Qian saw her burning anxiety and hugged the crying child. He got off the grandstand and asked with concern, "What''s wrong, Madam?"

    Su Zhi caressed the child in her arms as she explained the situation to Xiao Qian.

    "I have no intention of bothering you, General. It''s just that that child A Jin has always been a good girl and has never cried before. I''m worried that he would ˇ­"

    Xiao Qian understood the general situation and quickly called for his subordinates.

    The child was not far away, and it was impossible for him to leave the city through the closed gates. At most, he would just hide in a corner and cry.

    "Go back to the camp first, the child definitely won''t be able to get far. Although this place is big, it''s tightly shut in all directions. He''ll probably come back after crying for a while."

    Having said that, how could Su Zhi really relax?

    The obedient and sensible child was trying to suppress her playful nature. If she became hysterical one day, she really didn''t know how to do the thinking for him.

    After Xiao Qian left, Su Zhi carried the child and looked around. In the end, no trace of A Jin could be seen.

    His heart was in turmoil.

    It wasn''t easy for her to calm the small bean bun down. Su Zhi was so exhausted that her eyelids were about to fall open.

    The sky gradually darkened. The northern horizon had a short sun, and the sun had already set. The afterglow of the setting sun was gone in the blink of an eye, and the dark blue sky was dark and gloomy.

    It was just like Su Zhi''s mixed feelings.

    In the early hours of the morning, the barrack''s kitchen began to boil and cook.

    Afraid that the child would be hungry, Su Zhi took out a bottle of yoghurt from her storage space and handed it over to Little Dou.

    This personal system of hers was rather interesting. It seemed like only with her and her child alive would they be able to obtain an additional reward ˇ­

    In the time it took for an incense stick to burn, a soldier came in and brought her food. Su Zhi had no appetite. She just wanted to know how A-Jin was doing.

    The soldier who brought the food was unclear, so he put down the meal and left.

    It was just a bowl of white rice covered with some vegetables and two white buns, but there was a small plate of meat on the side. It looked like it was cooked in white water, and the food was very light.

    Since the food in the army was poor, it was no wonder that soldiers had to rely on hunting to sacrifice their teeth.

    Su Zhi tried eating some meat, wrenching her eyebrows in disgust, then eating some vegetables. She was speechless from the pain, and could only barely take two bites of the dry white bun to maintain her stamina.

    A Jin had gone missing for most of the day. Su Zhi was very worried, but at the same time, she was also worried about the future.

    The Heavens could be considered blessing her. She would not die from hunger if she did not have any help from the System. However, she still needed to think hard about how to grow her two children''s physical and mental health.

    Xiao Qian had suggested in the daytime that they find a job first. Even if they didn''t return to the village, they would have to find a place to settle down.

    At most two days in the military camp, it would be inconvenient for a woman like her.

    Su Zhi was lost in her thoughts, and did not notice that someone had opened the tent.

    It was only when the crisp sound of her ''mother'' rang in her ears that she realized someone had entered.

    "Jin?"

    After leaving for half a day, the child appeared unharmed in front of her. His red, swollen eyes were like two peaches, and there were even tears. His nose was still red, and his stubborn cherry lips were pursed into an arc.

    "Found him at the camp."

    Xiao Qian, who hadn''t taken off his military uniform yet, explained to her.

    Su Zhi nodded and pulled the child into her arms, then quickly checked if he was injured.

    "Thank you very much, General."

    She was very grateful that Xiao Qian had helped her over and over again.

    "No need to be polite, if there''s anything you need, you can bring it up. The conditions in the camp are very harsh, so bear with it." After receiving His Majesty''s orders, you can return to the imperial court as a teacher. When the time comes, you can take your children away and see where the An clan is. "

    "This general''s great kindness, this humble woman has no way to repay it."

    Xiao Qian didn''t mind. He nodded slightly in response.

    Seeing that the food on the table was almost exactly the same, he asked again, "Is it not to your liking?"

    Su Zhi quickly stood up and explained, "I see that the cook in the army camp is also inexperienced. After training by day, he still has to prepare three meals a day for the soldiers. In this way, the food will be roughly cooked." Although this humble woman is not much better off, she can still do it with difficulty. If General does not mind, you can let me try. "

    Since he would be leaving in a few days, it would be better to find a good reason to stay than to find trouble with others instead of eating or drinking.

    After the main force leaves, I will think of a place to settle down.

 C17

    Xiao Qian picked up the food box and sniffed it. He also felt that it would be a waste to make this kind of game.

    The military originally had an aunt who cooked meals specially. Not long ago, her grandson went back home due to a serious illness, and without any substitutes, she had to let the soldiers take over temporarily.

    The food these days was truly unsatisfactory. Although marching and fighting wasn''t like staying at home and having a comfortable life, if one was hungry, they wouldn''t have the strength to charge into battle.

    Xiao Qian thought for a moment and then agreed. "Tomorrow, you can go to the head chef. I will send someone to help you and give you your monthly salary as per usual."

    "In that case, thank you, General."

    After saying goodbye to Xiao Qian, Su Zhi then focused all of her attention on A Jin.

    Perhaps because she was too tired from crying, A Jin shed her sharp words and returned to being that quiet and obedient child.

    However, his expression was gloomy and gloomy. His originally limpid eyes were now empty, and he could not bring up the slightest bit of spirit that belonged to a child.

    Su Zhi sighed, took out a towel and wiped his dirty little face, "A Jin, you have to know, people are born sick and die of old diseases. Not just your father, but your mother as well. "

    Hearing this, a crack appeared on A Jin''s silent face. He stared at Su Zhi, his small, pursed lips slightly opening, yet he still didn''t say anything.

    "Mother knows that you are sad. Father''s death brought a great blow to you. However, you must know that your father is a great hero. There were many kinds of death, either hidden in dust, lighter than a feather, or sublimated, heavier than a mountain. Father drove the Tatar away to die for the nation. He was a man of indomitable spirit. If he saw you in the sky, he wouldn''t want you to be so sad. "

    "You are still young, you don''t understand much, and your mother doesn''t ask you to immediately let go of your worries. But as long as you are still alive, you must do your best to provide the best explanation for your own life, instead of burrowing into the shell of sadness and refusing to move forward."

    Su Zhi comforted her.

    "Mother will do everything I can to take care of you and your sister. You must grow up healthy and healthy so that your father will know and be at peace."

    A Jin did not understand the great principles, but he understood one thing.

    His father was a hero!

    After comforting A Jin, Su Zhi got hot water to help him wash his body.

    The child had matured early, and no longer needed her help. It was just that this time, A Jin did not refuse, allowing Su to put in the bath water and help him take off his clothes to wash.

    A Jin still didn''t say anything, so Su Zhi didn''t say anything else.

    It had to take some time to get from sadness to joy.

    After taking off the last piece of clothing on her child, Su Zhi just noticed the purple jade pendant hanging around A Jin''s neck.

    She did not need to elaborate on how difficult life had been in Peace Village. However, how did A Jin get this thing? Su Zhi could not understand.

    "Jin, you called me?"

    She curiously pulled the purple jade into her palm. The color of the jade pendant was extremely good. It was very warm to the touch and there was even a golden bead on the belt. Just the materials used to make the silk were extremely precious, let alone that piece of jade.

    A Jin squatted in the bathtub and casually replied, "Ah Jin has always carried this jade pendant with her, never leaving her body. Didn''t mother say no one is allowed to see it?"

    Su Zhi put down the jade pendant and fell into deep thought. She looked at the objects in her hands, seeing that they did not seem like things ordinary people could possess.

    Jade was priceless, and purple jade of good quality was even more priceless. It could even be said to be priceless.

    But how could such a rare thing appear on A Jin? Furthermore, he always carried it with him.

    Su Zhi was not clear about the past, but she was beginning to understand one thing.

    Before they had arrived at An''an Village, Su Zhi was definitely a rich and powerful family, and perhaps even a noble family wife.

    But since she was from a well-known family, why didn''t anyone look for her after she had scattered? Could it be that his family had fallen and he had escaped?

    "Mother, what''s wrong?"

 C18

    "I''m fine. A Jin, remember your mother''s words. Your mother is very happy. Such a treasure can''t be casually seen by others."

    A Jin came back to her senses and continued to work on her hands.

    A Jin nodded. "I know mother. I won''t let anyone else see her."

    Tonight, Su Zhi was once again caught in a mystery.

    She had always believed that Su Zhi, before her transmigration, was a poor peasant woman. At most, she had a good set of skin, and her slim figure made her seem like a lively person.

    However, with so many things linked together, she felt that A Jin''s background was extraordinary.

    The child was not the biological child of Nie Rufeng. He wasn''t a hunter, but if he wasn''t the child of an ordinary family, then what kind of fortuitous encounter had A Jin had before?

    No matter how he thought about it, he couldn''t figure out his doubts.

    Su Zhi had been running and running for so long that she was truly tired. Not long later, she fell into a deep sleep.

    The sun rose in the east, and the horn outside the tent sounded several times.

    Su Zhi quickly got out of bed, quickly put on her clothes and washed up before walking out of the tent.

    In order to not let others down, Su Zhi decided to finish this task brilliantly.

    When he arrived at the kitchen, the generals had already gathered together.

    Seeing the ingredients that could be used for breakfast, Su Zhi did not dare delay for even a moment, and rolled up her sleeves to start cooking.

    It was best to make porridge for breakfast to nourish the stomach, but for soldiers who worked hard to make porridge, it was easy for them to ignore hunger. Su Zhi had an idea and used the leftover game from last night to make porridge.

    With a sweet and soft steamed bun, plus a cold dish of pickled vegetables, he could manage the entire morning.

    She had the radishes washed and salted, then drained and mixed with seasonings such as oil, pepper, and other ingredients that had been prepared from within the space. After the water was boiled, he would put the rice in and turn it into a small fire to simmer. This kind of porridge would only have a soft and viscous taste and only then would it have a good taste.

    The flour was not grinded very thin, so Su Zhi had put in some yeast powder and mixed in some refined flour, afraid that it would affect the taste.

    With her dexterous hands and nimble movements, it didn''t take her long before a thick sweet fragrance wafted out from the steamer. The greedy soldier drooled as well.

    When the porridge was almost done, Su Zhi put some salt and other seasonings in, then put the chopped vegetables back into the pot.

    A simple nutritious breakfast was prepared.

    There was a beautiful woman in the military camp, and she also had a few brushes with her work. More importantly, she was as beautiful as a flower.

    During the time it took for breakfast to be served, news of Su Zhizhan staying at camp had already been spread out, adding fuel to the fire.

    Xiao Qian, who had just finished his training, nodded in satisfaction as he ate hot meat porridge and delicious steamed buns.

    The little woman looked as if her ten fingers were not touched by the spring water, but she did not expect that she would be so straightforward when doing things.

    Xiao Qian felt very satisfied, not only because his stomach had been taken care of, but also because Su Zhi had solved one of the military''s biggest problems.

    He did not pay much attention to the rumors about Su Zhi in the military camp, and his mood improved tremendously after the breakfast.

    After defeating the Huns, they stopped fighting, and the rations provided by the hundreds of thousands of soldiers became a problem.

    In order to improve the food supply, Xiao Qian brought his troops to hunt in the mountains at the risk of being ambushed by the enemy.

    Fortunately, the Huns'' arrogance had been suppressed a lot, so they didn''t dare to rashly attack from the north. At the same time, they also sent envoys to ask for peace.

    The two armies were at a standstill.

    Today, the sun was as hot as fire. The weather in Saibei Province in August and September was no longer as comfortable as that in Jiangnan. The sun shone brightly and the weather was refreshing.

    Xiao Qian spent a few hours training his troops. Su Zhi and his wife couldn''t bear to have a meal together, so they brought their men out to hunt.

    After finishing her work, it was rare for her to have time to spare. Su Zhi thought about what she should prepare for lunch.

    Since he was worried about not having a child in front of him, he let A Jin come with him so he could take care of her.

    When Su Zhi was busy, Ah Jin would help her wash the dishes. Even though Su Zhi had repeatedly tried to stop him, he still insisted on doing so.

    The bean bag had to be taken off. It was unknown who had picked up the helmet and placed it on the ground as a cuisine. It was mentioned back and forth very happily as it played by itself with a chuckle.

    When he was done, there was no other place for him to go. He kept an eye on his little sister and drew on the ground with the dry branch.

    A Jin was about to go to school at her age, Su Zhi thought. After she left Saibei to settle everything down, she would release some silver coins and let her child read and write.

    Su Zhi did not have much of an impression of studying, and did not believe that studying high quality books was the only way to achieve good results. She also did not agree with the theory that studying high quality goods was useless.

    However, learning a bit more wasn''t a bad thing. At the moment, the most important thing was to earn money.

    It was only a matter of time before she left the army camp. Being a cook was only a temporary matter. She relied solely on farming to support her family. If she had the capital, Su Zhi was more willing to do business.

    She did not have much experience, but after learning how to manage finance, she had a certain level of understanding and analysis towards many of the hundred years old stores and top hundred enterprises. It was not difficult for her to learn how to follow the pattern of management.

    However, she needed to be careful with how she captured the business opportunity. She only had 20 taels of silver from Liu Yu An and couldn''t be sloppy when she thought about returning it in the future.

    She didn''t know how much family pension she would receive in battle, but she was at a loss.

    She once again thought of how her good husband had disappeared just like that. She couldn''t tell what that felt like.

    "Mom, what''s wrong?"

 C19

    Hearing Su Zhi''s sigh, A Jin stopped what she was doing.

    Su Zhi shook her head and smiled faintly. "A Jin, do you still want to return to An Jing village?"

    "Mother, why do you ask this?"

    "Mother didn''t have any other intentions. I just wanted to ask if you think it''s better to return to the village or if you''re willing to change the environment."

    A Jin was at a loss, unconsciously moving the branch in his hand. Returning to Tranquil Village meant that they would have to live their past lives once again. The long-tongued woman next to them had cut off their heads and bullied them.

    In the past, with her father here, no one would dare to touch them. Now that her father was gone, it was certain that her days would not be easy.

    But if they didn''t return to Tranquil Village, they would really become homeless.

    He looked at Su Zhi''s hands that were red from washing the dishes and felt deflated.

    "Mother, if we don''t return to Tranquil Village, where else can we go?"

    "As long as A Jin is willing, we can go anywhere and use our own hands to create a future that belongs to us."

    It was too hard, A Jin understood.

    The first time he went to the market, he was envious of the children who were attending school and holding books. He hoped that one day, he would also be able to sit in the school and listen to the teacher''s lessons.

    When Nie Rufeng was here, even if his family was poor, he wouldn''t dare to speak up, let alone now ˇ­

    "Jin, returning to Tranquil Village is not the last resort. As long as we don''t have to go back to the last resort, we can try."

    "If you work so hard, you must want to go to school, right? You are an extremely talented child, and you will definitely become a great person in the future. After you learn it, you will have your own thoughts and thoughts. At that time, you might even be able to get into the top scholar and have great accomplishments. "

    As A Jin listened to her narration, she began to see vague blueprints appearing in her mind.

    After thinking for a long time, he finally raised his head, met Su Zhi''s probing gaze, and sincerely replied, "Mother, let''s not go back to Tranquil Village anymore."

    Su Zhi nodded with a smile. Such a decision was exactly what she wanted.

    "Jin doesn''t have anything she likes. We can go there."

    A Jin dragged her head to think about it carefully, as if recalling her memories, "I remember dad always saying that he would take us to Xuan City when we have enough money. It was just a mountain away from the capital, but it was the most bustling and bustling place apart from the imperial city. "Father also said that Xuan City is a beautiful place with the mountains and the waters. It is the Yi family without the many influential people in the capital."

    Xuan City''s territory was not under the jurisdiction of the capital, but because the two places were very close to each other, there were often endless caravans and carriages on the public roads. The place was open and fertile, and even the owners were better off than the others. It was a veritable treasure ground for crouching dragons.

    Before the Great Wei, this was the capital of the former dynasty that had a few hundred years of prosperity.

    Wei Gao Zu became an early stage, but resolutely gave up on this precious land and chose Jinling, which was behind a mountain, as his stronghold.

    Without the suppression from the royal power, Xuan City, which had been left behind, did not become lonely. Instead, it became more prosperous.

    A large number of merchants had planted their roots here, and the farmers were also willing to move here. Even after experiencing the war, Xuan City''s glory had not diminished in the slightest.

    Su Zhi didn''t know much, but when she saw the longing in A Jin''s eyes, she also began to imagine every blade of grass and tree in Xuan City.

    "Then let''s go to Xuan City together."

    "En!"

    With this hope, there was hope for a new one. Su Zhi was full of energy and made up her mind to properly settle down in Xuan City and earn money to raise children.

    She listed a lot of things she would do in the future, but she forgot to consider whether or not she should find a stepfather for Little Dou Bao and the rest.

    As far as she was concerned, as a man, it was not as if he could not continue living his life. He did not need to find people to work with to live his life together.

    A moment before noon, the tightly shut gates opened once more, and a wave of noise rushed into the barracks.

    The soldiers who went to hunt returned with seven or eight goats, a dozen wild boars, and dozens of pheasants.

    Before she left, Su Zhi requested that she bring back some wild fruits and some ferns.

    Although the generals did not understand, they still agreed.

 C20

    At this time, the fruit of the mountain was probably not edible. It was too sour. The ferns were fresh and tender, but they were usually boiled in water. With the green and oily pot of soup, the taste would make one sick of it no matter how good it was.

    Looking at the game she had brought back, Su Zhi thought for a while before being slaughtered by someone for killing wild boars and goats.

    The army was a good place to practice martial arts, and they were all nimble when it came to rough work.

    After the wild boar and the goat were cleaned up, Su Zhi quickly ordered some people to leave all their internal organs behind, saying they were useful.

    "Young lady Su, what''s the use of keeping these in the water? Just in case they stink when it''s hot, it won''t be good to smell them."

    Su Zhi was so busy that she did not explain any further. She just asked them to keep it, not to throw it away.

    Lunch was a roast lamb meal, so using the fire to cook it in the tent was a taboo. However, Xiao Qian didn''t say anything during the break and just let the little woman do what she wanted.

    More than a dozen sheep were roasted on the fire rack. Su Zhi went to check the situation one by one. Fortunately, her helpers were strong enough to help her.

    The rest of the wild boar was sliced into thin pieces by the finely crafted lackey. He cooked a few large pots of meat and sprinkled them with the fragrance of garlic.

    She made the hickory sauce again and used it for the roast mutton sauce.

    When lunch was almost ready, Su Zhi was also tired to the point that her eyes were blurry.

    In the kitchen, the woman heard from the general who was helping the assistant general that one third of the men in the barracks had been dismissed and only part of the military pay had been allocated. The general read the soldiers'' thoughts about their families and even paid for the return of those who did not receive military pay.

    The only son of the family left first, the unmarried ones left first. There were those who left first with their wives and children, leaving only a few people behind.

    Su Zhi admired Xiao Qian''s actions very much.

    As a general, it was not only necessary for him to kill the enemy, but it was also important for him to distribute the labor while he was busy.

    Xiao Qian was a rare man and a good general.

    Today''s lunch was an unprecedented sumptuous one. There was a plate of stewed meat with stir-fried ferns, roast lamb and cold mixed vegetables. The soldiers were eating very well.

    Xiao Qian sat in the tent as he watched the dishes on the plate. His cold face had traces of being frozen.

    He walked out of the tent and looked at the back and forth between the two of them with a look of approval.

    After tasting the food, there was actually a taste of home.

    In the afternoon, he had time to rest.

    Xiao Qian continued to worry about the pay after counting the soldiers on the battlefield.

    There weren''t many rations left, so dispersing the soldiers as soon as possible was the best choice. However, when he checked his accounts, the books were in complete disarray. It was truly a headache.

    With some free time, Su Zhi played football with her two children. Seeing so many people coming and going in Xiao Qian''s camp, she felt it was strange.

    She asked the people around her what had happened.

    It was no wonder that Xiao Qian was nowhere to be seen after such a long time. After all, it was not easy to deal with a huge army of a hundred thousand soldiers.

    Being able to stay in the military camp for the time being was originally just doing a good deed for them. Although Su Zhi did not have a deep understanding of the situation, she was still able to come up with an idea to resolve the problem. After that, he called A Jin to take care of the green bean bag and brought the tea in.

    Xiao Qian was having a headache and didn''t notice that she was the one who came in to bring water.

    He only paid attention to the thick accounting books piled in front of him. They were densely filled with information about all military expenditures. However, his words were vague and unclear.

    "General, are you worrying about the soldiers?"

    A clear voice rang in his ears. Xiao Qian subconsciously raised his head and saw Su Zhi. He nodded slightly and sighed.

    "The military pay of the court has not been fully allocated and half of the sequestration has not been completed. The harvest will arrive very soon. If the soldiers can''t get the silver, how can they be willing to go home peacefully? They will follow me and risk their lives without even getting a few taels of silver, how can I face them? "

    Su Zhi understood and said, "Then General will not dismiss all the soldiers and return them to their homes, right? There must be someone on duty to guard the border."

    "That''s right, but the problem is that we are starting to run out of rations. We can''t let our brothers stay and starve."

    Xiao Qian had a headache as he held his forehead. The court was controlled by Empress Zhao. His Majesty wholeheartedly focused on the rumors of the elixir of life. He ignored the imperial court and only trusted in Fang Shi.

    Such a situation was extremely dangerous and worrisome. It was unknown where most of the money was stuck and could not be allocated.

    "General, don''t be upset. The problem is solved, so it''s useless to be anxious."

    Xiao Qian smiled as he looked at her, "What? You have a plan?"

 C21

    "I do have an immature suggestion, but I''m afraid that the general will feel that something is amiss."

    "Feel free to speak."

    Su Zhi pointed to the account book on the desk, and tried to ask, "Can I take a look?"

    "Sure."

    Xiao Qian believed that this little woman could cook a good meal, but he didn''t think that she would have the ability to clear up such a chaotic account.

    Su Zhi skimmed through the book and could only find superficial mistakes. Indeed, she could not see any deep problems.

    "General, if you believe me, you can give me two days. I can arrange the accounts properly."

    "Absolutely not."

    Xiao Qian decisively refused. This was also considered a secret within the military. It was fine to have two eyes on it, but borrowing it was not allowed. Although Su Zhi was confident, Xiao Qian still had to be careful.

    "Tell me what solution you have."

    Su Zhi didn''t mind being refused permission to read the account book.

    She rubbed her chin and said thoughtfully, "The problem that is currently in front of the general is that the military''s salary is not in place yet the rations are running out. Without money, the soldiers would inevitably feel rebellious, and the prestige of the imperial government would be greatly reduced. Rather than trying to find problems with no results, it''s better to look at it from a different perspective. "

    "Since I don''t have any extra money to pay, I won''t give it to you for now." But the autumn harvest farm can not be a waste of labor. The general may order a leave of absence for the soldiers. "

    "Holiday?" Xiao Qian frowned. He obviously didn''t understand what Su Zhi meant.

    In this era, there was no such thing as a leave of absence existed only for the workers hired by the landlord and squire.

    "Let the soldiers go home and help with the farm work first, because it''s just a vacation that''s not really letting people go. Therefore, the military salary could be temporarily suspended. After the farming work was finished, they would have to continue to return to the military camp. Naturally, the general''s intention is to really disperse the redundant troops, so the only way to do so is still to treat those who are unable to cure the symptoms. "

    Pausing for a moment, Su Zhi continued, "But General can continue to explain. If a soldier who has been released from his armor returns home on leave, his family will be exempted from the tax for half a year, and if he is still unwilling to return to camp after his vacation, he can ask the government for money according to the records of military recruitment in the Ya County. During this period, the general had enough time to report to the emperor, and the money allocated by the court did not need to go to the general again. He also exempted himself from all sorts of complicated accounts. What do you think? "

    As Su Zhi finished her sentence, Xiao Qian was enlightened, and his frown disappeared.

    That''s right, why hadn''t he thought of another way to solve the problem? If he were to tell his brothers that he was on leave, he might even cheer for a long time. Even if he didn''t receive the silver, he would still be paid.

    Firstly, he had solved the urgent problem of being able to make the military camp spend less and secondly, he had reduced the cost of eating by the extra entrance, killing two birds with one stone.

    Xiao Qian smiled at Su Zhi, not concealing his approval, "I didn''t think a woman like you would know this."

    "It is just a small suggestion. As for whether the Emperor agrees or not, that will still depend on you, General. "

    Xiao Qian smiled, "Someone, give me some ink!"

    Ever since Su had gone to the general''s tent, the general who had been frowning for the past few days had also revealed a smile.

    Red rain fell from the sky. This little lady Su had some good methods up her sleeve. It was unknown how she managed to solve the general''s problem. It made the general look at her with admiration and respect.

    The news had spread throughout the camp during dinner time. The general had said that soldiers were allowed to go home on leave to visit their families. It was almost time to collect the farmland and help the family with some work. If you feel relaxed at home and don''t want to go back to work, you can get military pay on the spot, not a single cent less. Not only that, you can also get a head tax exemption for half a year.

    Who was the one who spread the news was the one who was unhappy.

 C22

    Therefore, on the afternoon of the same day, many soldiers were willing to take a break and go home.

    With someone taking the lead, the others also started to move and all expressed their intentions to take a leave of absence.

    After a while, more than half of the soldiers had left.

    It was unknown who came up with this method. The young maiden of the Su Clan thought of it. When they were not preparing dinner, there would be a lot of inquisitive heads in the kitchen.

    The surrounding soldiers were whispering that not only did this little girl have a handsome life, her ways of doing things were also top-notch. It was just a pity that she was a widow.

    However, even if she was a widow, her exquisite and graceful figure still made the little brat''s heart stir.

    On the other side, Su Zhi was busy preparing the plucked pheasant and preparing to cook it.

    The leftover lamb chowder was made into a mixed soup pot. There were some potatoes inside, and when the soup was ready, he would put some ferns in the wok, along with a plate of fried pork liver and fried fat sausages.

    Dinner was still delicious.

    The soldier even teased Su Zhi saying that he was reluctant to go home because of her cooking skills.

    In this regard, Su Zhi could only smile shyly, her heart beaming with joy.

    On the moon, the branches of the willow trees swayed in the middle of the night.

    Taking advantage of the time when the two children were sleeping soundly, just as Su Zhi was about to go out, she was blocked by a small soldier who came to lead her.

    "Young lady Su, our general invites you."

    Su Zhi regretted that she could not go out!

    It was already curfew time, what reason did Xiao Qian have to look for her?

    "Does your general have a plan?"

    "Not really, but I must have something to discuss with you."

    Su Zhi had to change directions and go to the main tent.

    Aside from the torches, the rest of the camp was completely dark. The soldiers had had enough to eat and drink, so they didn''t have any ways to entertain themselves. They could only rest and recharge their energy.

    "General, Madame Su has arrived."

    "Come in."

    With the permission given, Su Zhi opened up the tent and walked in. She saw that there were still a few books in front of Xiao Qian and knew that she had entered. She didn''t even raise her head as she went straight to the point.

    "You said that you could take care of all of this. I was willing to give you the chance, but I won''t take it away with me. Do you have any objections if you want to deal with it here?"

    Logically speaking, it would not be good for a man to be alone in a room with a woman. However, when Su Zhi saw that he was acting like a righteous man, there were no distracting thoughts in his clear and bright eyes.

    No matter what, she was still a widow, so even if she took advantage of the situation, it would still be up to her.

    On the other hand, this man had been through the battlefield for a long time, yet he still had such a beautiful pair of eyes.

    "No problem, since the general asked for it, I will do my best."

    Xiao Qian nodded and asked her to sit down. He handed over the account book in his hand and started flipping through the other one.

    The two of them were speechless but did not feel the slightest bit uncomfortable.

    Su Zhi found it somewhat funny. She wondered if this young general had ever been married before, and which young lady had such good fortune.

    In the dead of night, Su Zhi had been doing manual labor all day. She was already tired, and after flipping through two pages, she was tired and kept yawning.

    Xiao Gan said, "You''re tired."

    Su Zhi opened her mouth halfway and shook her head. "It''s fine. I can still hold on for a little longer."

    "Go back and rest first. Come back tomorrow when you''re free."

    Su Zhi did not refuse and returned the account book.

    When the general found her, Su Zhi had originally planned to go to the back of the army camp and bathe in the mountains.

    Today, he overheard a soldier say that there was a hot spring in the back mountain. The water was still flowing and a little far away, but the water quality was really good, so the temperature was also suitable.

    Su Zhi was a little squeamish about cleanliness. After burning the entire day''s worth of food, she always felt that her entire body was reeking of oil and smoke. She could not sleep soundly, so she planned to sneak out.

    She found the back door and went out. She told the soldier that it would be convenient, and he let her be.

    Su Zhi walked outside for a long time, and the fire piston in her hand was quickly burnt to ashes.

    The place was dark, and it was a wilderness. He could not help but feel a little scared.

    Without the light from the fire, her movement became slower. She stumbled all the way to the hot spring mentioned by the soldier.

    On the other side, Dou Zi, who had woken up in the middle of the night, used to touching her body. She didn''t feel anything familiar.

    The little bun rubbed his sleepy eyes. He used the kerosene lamp that was about to burn out to look at the bed, but he couldn''t find his mother. He held his mouth and was about to cry.

    "Mother!"

    No one answered her. She got up from the couch and looked around. The cold wind blew through the tent and extinguished the oil lamp.

    In the darkness, the wronged little bun stared blankly for two seconds. Then, he took in a deep breath and burst into tears.

    "Mother, wuwaa ~ ~ ~"

    A Jin was sleeping soundly when she was awakened by the sound of someone crying. She quickly got up and comforted her little sister, "Big brother is here. I won''t cry."

    When he hugged the small bean bag to comfort her, he realized that Su Zhi was not on the bed. Looking around in panic, he did not see anyone familiar. The first thing he did was fear.

    Having just lost his father, the young child had yet to regain his strength. Without his mother by his side, an indescribable worry and fear filled his heart.

    The little bean bun refused to obey and continued to cry non-stop. The loud sound of her crying seemed especially abrupt in the silent night.

 C23

    Xiao Qian was still awake, but he heard the sound of a child crying. He quickly got up and went out to check on the situation.

    "What''s going on? Why is that child crying?"

    "Reporting to General, Little A Jin said that the Su Family''s wife is missing."

    How could a perfectly fine person disappear? Su Zhi had clearly said goodbye to him, how could she disappear?

    "Did you go out to dinner?" Xiao Qian asked.

    "I don''t know. No one saw it."

    Xiao Qian did not ask any more questions and went to the tent where Su Zhi was being accommodated. As expected, he saw a five-year-old child sitting outside the tent with a crying little girl in his arms.

    When she saw him, she cried even louder. She broke free from her brother''s embrace and ran towards him, crying, "Daddy! Daddy!" She looked extremely wronged.

    Xiao Qian''s heart softened as he squatted down to pick up the child. The child, whose face was covered in snot and tears, was buried on his shoulder, gasping for breath.

    He did not know how to coax the child. Although he loved the child, his body language was coarse. He did not know how to tease her.

    "General, where did my mother go? She never leaves in the middle of the night. "

    A Jin''s voice was still shaky, carrying an extreme sense of fear and worry.

    Xiao Qian patted the girl gently on the shoulder as he consoled her with a low voice, "I was the one who asked your mother to stay here and help me with some things. I think it''s more convenient for her to go out at night, so I''ll send someone to look for her. Don''t worry, your mother will be fine. Take care of your sister first, don''t worry her."

    A Jin cried as she reached out to take the bean bun, "General, my mother is not well, if there''s any work in the future I can help her with it. I''m not afraid of pain or tiredness, I can do anything."

    Xiao Qian nodded slightly. He felt guilty, and didn''t dare to look into the child''s innocent eyes.

    Where the hell had the woman gone? Why did he disappear without a sound?

    After Xiao Qian sent A Jin back to their tent, he was informed that Su Zhi had gone out to relieve herself and had not come back yet.

    "Nonsense!" Let''s not talk about the presence of the Tatar children outside, even if there are countless beasts out at night, what can a woman do to them? "

    Xiao Qian was a little angry, but he thought it would be inconvenient so he specially built a latrine for Su Zhi and the rest. Although it was a little crude, this was the only condition the camp had.

    What was this woman doing out here in the middle of the night!

    "Send more people out to find her. Make sure she''s safe."

    "Yes, sir."

    Thinking about the begging look on his child''s face, Xiao Qian felt very sorry. He decided to let go of what he was doing and see where the woman had run off to.

    He put on his coat and went back up the hill in the direction indicated by the soldier with the torch in his hand.

    The night wind was quite strong, and the pitch-black forest was rustling. At first glance, it sounded like a ferocious flood.

    Relying on her rather good sense of direction, Su Zhi finally found the hot spring mentioned by the soldier.

    At this moment, the wind had somewhat calmed down. The dark sky was inlaid with countless silver stars. The crescent moon was shrouded in a light veil. It was hazy and indistinct.

    After confirming that there was no one around, Su Zhi lowered her body and began to undress.

    It had been a long time since he had a comfortable bath. The smell of oil was so thick that even he felt disgusted with himself.

    The warm spring water under the moonlight was still emitting traces of mist. Su Zhi reached out her three inch golden lotus and found it to be suitable for the temperature of the water.

    After soaking himself in it, he squinted his eyes comfortably and took out a mask from the storage room to apply on his face. He then took out the shower gel he liked and spread it on his body before happily rubbing the bubbles.

    The wild beasts that roamed the night were very sensitive to smell, and the scent of the bath fluid soon attracted the nearby wolves.

 C24

    Su Zhi did not sense the dangerous aura and suppressed her joy as she hummed a song in a low tone.

    Other than the calluses on his hands that had gone through too much farming work, the rest of his body was not bad.

    Her body was flawless and white like jade. The place that she should stand up proudly did not shrink just because she had given birth to a child. The place that should be smooth and flat had no excess flesh at all.

    With the nourishment of the hot spring, Su Zhi felt all the pores on her body open up. She pulled at the membrane underneath and cleaned herself up, afraid that the child would wake up and cry if he didn''t find her.

    Since I already know the location, I can sneak over here everyday.

    Su Zhi dried her body. Su Zhi reached out for the clothes on the shore and keenly felt the nearby bushes violently shake.

    Su Zhi instantly tensed up. It shouldn''t be so late, right?

    The short grass patch trembled and a big head popped out. Under the moonlight, one could see the dark green eyes.

    There were wild beasts!

    Su Zhi felt her scalp go numb. Her goosebumps stood up when she was stared at by the pair of sparkling green eyes. How could she have forgotten about this?

    He had never seen large wild animals before, nor had he seen them when he was in the ravine at the Peace Village. However, he had forgotten that there were wild beasts in the fertile wilderness.

    "ROAR ~"

    The enormous creature growled towards the hot spring, licking its thick and long tongue. It slowly walked towards Su Zhi as if it was extremely hungry.

    Su Zhi was so frightened that her guts broke, and she had even drained all her remaining strength.

    She forced herself to calm down and reached into the storage room to look for some kind of anti-wolf spray. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

    "Howl, howl ~"

    Ah!

    From the quiet wilderness came a piercing scream, accompanied by the low roar of a wild beast.

    Su Zhi felt that she was finished. She finally got the chance to reincarnate and report back to the Yama Hall.

    She closed her eyes and hugged her dying heart, but the expected pain didn''t come. She felt a strong tug on her arm.

    She was pulled out of the water.

    Who saved her?

    Su Zhi subconsciously opened her eyes and met a pair of eyes as calm as water and as deep as the sea.

    "General, general?"

    Xiao Qian was both angry and anxious. He couldn''t imagine what it would be like if he came a step later.

    This woman was not afraid of death. If she took off her clothes, she would be able to save herself the trouble of tearing her clothes off like a wild wolf!

    If Xiao Qian needed to hunt, he would habitually wear the armor. However, before he went to sleep, he had already removed the armor from his body.

    The clothes he wore were thin, and he could clearly feel the soft and slippery ball of cloth that stuck to his body.

    The darkness of the night easily covered up Great General Xiao''s bashfulness. Even the slight change in the redness on his ears was covered by a layer of frost.

    "Get dressed."

    After Xiao Qian said those few words, Xiao Qian stepped forward and stood in front of Su Zhi. He pulled out the dagger he carried with him and confronted the wild wolf.

    The extremely hungry wild wolf was unable to break Su Zhi''s neck in one bite. The extremely hungry wild wolf let out a low howl of unwillingness.

    This man had been on the battlefield for many years, and he had a murderous aura that could not be underestimated.

    That big wolf seemed to understand that he was not easy to deal with, and did not dare to rashly go forward. Its pair of cold eyes stared at Su Zhi, whose mouth was brimming with a transparent liquid.

    With Xiao Qian''s protection, Su Zhi calmed down a lot. Trembling and barely able to put on her clothes, she nervously grabbed his sleeves, afraid that the two of them would die.

    "Don''t be afraid. Standing behind me, that beast can''t even move you."

    Su Zhi nodded. In this difficult situation, he was still calm and composed, not flustered in the slightest. It was as if he had an innate, powerful aura that made people feel inexplicably safe.

    The wolf couldn''t care less as it clawed at the ground twice before pouncing towards the two of them.

    Xiao Qian swung his leg and kicked the wolf, knocking it away.

    The wolf was forced to fly a few meters, its sharp claws tracing long marks on the ground.

    Without waiting for the two to catch their breath, they pounced once again.

    This time, Xiao Qian pushed Su Zhi away and flew up on his tiptoes. He turned the dagger in his hand and stabbed it into the top of the wolf''s head.

    "ROAR ~"

    Xiao Qian grabbed the wolf''s hind legs as it felt the pain. Seeing the food nearing, the wolf opened its mouth, revealing two rows of white teeth.

    Su Zhi retreated in fright, sitting unsteadily on the grass behind her, gasping for air.

    Xiao Qian pulled back his wrist and heard two crisp sounds. His leg was broken, and with a flick of his wrist, he stabbed the dagger into the wolf''s head.

    The wild wolf let out a low howl of pain, then gradually stopped its flopping motion until it was dead.

    For a long time, Su Zhi couldn''t even stand up. Her legs were so soft that she couldn''t muster up any strength.

    It was clearly a day in the middle of the night, but she was covered in cold sweat, and her palms were also overflowing with sweat.

    She had been careless tonight and had forgotten that wild beasts roamed the wilderness. If it wasn''t for Xiao Qian''s timely arrival, she would have been buried in a wolf''s den.

    "Can you still get up?"

    Xiao Qian saw that she was trembling so much that it seemed as if she was scared witless.

    Although Xiao Qian was a little angry, he tried to lower his voice as much as possible and reached out to help her up.

    "Thank you, General."

    Su Zhi did not refuse and allowed him to do as he pleased.

 C25

    Xiao Qian''s arms were strong enough to carry her with one arm.

    However, he didn''t do so. Instead, he patiently held her by her arms and pulled her up.

    "Wild animals frequently come and go in the mountains. When you leave the camp in the future, you need to let me know. If I had come a little later today, your life would have ended here."

    Before Su Zhi could recover from her fear, she grabbed his arm with both hands. She could not refute his words, so she could only nod and agree.

    Xiao Qian wanted to scold her, but seeing that she looked pitiful and frightened, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

    Thinking about it, even if it was for the sake of her child, she wouldn''t care about it anymore.

    As a woman, she was always more particular than a rough man. It was indeed inappropriate for her to bathe in the army camp.

    Xiao Qian thought back and forth, but Xiao Qian still felt that it was inconvenient for the delicate and pretty woman to stay in the army.

    Both of them had their own thoughts as they descended the mountain in the dark. When they were almost to the campsite, Xiao Gan released Su Zhi and let her go back by herself. He watched from a distance.

    Not far ahead was the Great Wei Army camp''s line of sight control. Even a fly would find it hard to fly inside.

    Su Zhi understood that Xiao Qian was doing this because of their reputations, so she didn''t ask any questions and headed back.

    When she met the soldier guarding the gate, he asked her where Xiao Qian had gone, but she didn''t know.

    On this side, the little bun hadn''t been able to find his mother and had been crying for quite some time.

    A Jin endured the worry and coaxed her sister to sleep, only then did she finally see her mother who had returned late. Seeing that she was safe, she let out a long breath.

    Su Zhi said, "Sorry, Mother has something to worry about outside."

    She apologized to the child and did not mention the matter of the back mountain. Lying on the bed, she was still fearful and her entire body was trembling.

    All night long, the nightmare was the scene of a wild beast constantly fleeing for its life.

    The night wind quickly blew away the excess moisture. Before Xiao Qian could return to the camp, the wet spots on his body had dried up, leaving only a few shallow water stains.

    However, what he did not understand was that his body was emitting a mixture of the fragrance of flowers and fruits. It was different from the fragrance of a normal woman, this smell was purer and better.

    He lowered his head to take a sniff at the few marks on his body and realized that Su Zhi was the one who had caused this disaster.

    Xiao Qian was quite surprised, how could this woman be so fragrant? He wondered what she ate.

    He took off his outer garment and placed it in the frame, waiting for the personal attendant to take up the starter to wash it tomorrow.

    Tian''er was hot, and he was used to falling asleep naked, but once he closed his eyes, Su Zhi''s beautiful figure and her proud and arrogant demeanor appeared in his mind.

    There seemed to be a faint fragrance lingering on his breath. He stretched out his hands and found that it was indeed the familiar smell.

    Xiao Qian was a bit agitated. He wanted to get up and take a sip of his wine, but he was afraid that his body would feel even hotter so he called out from the tent, "Servants, come have some tea!"

    Strict and cautious, this was the first time that the Great General Xiao could not sleep. The patrolling soldiers were puzzled. Why was it that after such a short period of time, the general seemed to have lost much of his sleepiness?

    In the past, in order to prevent the enemy from raiding, one had to check the military accounts and sleep much later than an ordinary person. However, there was still time to rest.

    It was an unusual night. The general had not slept a wink all night.

    The next day, Su Zhi, who had been frightened, woke up late and hurriedly prepared breakfast.

    Usually the bugles in the barracks were as punctual as crowing roosters, and they slept without being heard this morning.

    As she was busy, she found out that Xiao Qian had spent the entire night looking through the books. Not long ago, he had narrowed his eyes and realized that it wasn''t easy for his subordinates to take care of him, so she didn''t let the sound of the horn disturb his rest.

    As she cooked the porridge, Su Zhi felt a little bit guilty. Last night, she had wanted to save herself, but she didn''t know if Xiao Qian was injured or not.

    He was powerful, and the wolf couldn''t do anything to him, but he might have a scrape on the outside.

    Su Zhi decided to check on Xiao Qian''s condition. After breakfast was ready, she scooped up a big bowl of porridge and carried a few dishes out to seek an audience.

    The soldier who reported the news took a look at the situation inside. "Let Su Zhi put down the porridge. Little Sister-in-law can put down the porridge after she goes in. We''ll talk about it after the general wakes up."

    Su Zhi agreed. "Alright."

    She quietly walked in with the lunch box in her hand. Xiao Qian, who was resting on a chair with his hands behind his back, was resting with his head on his head. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, and he seemed to be unwell.

    Afraid that his hands would get numb if he held them for too long, Su Zhi was afraid that if he held them for too long, so she wanted to remind Xiao Qian, but was afraid that she would disturb his rest.

    When she looked at Xiao Qian from the opposite side of the light, Su Zhi discovered that he wasn''t only handsome, he was also very attractive.

    It was unknown if it was because he had not slept for the entire night that his originally bright and clean chin had turned slightly green. However, it perfectly added to his manly charm.

    Xiao Qian''s facial features were somewhat heroic and his skin was delicate, but it didn''t reveal a hint of femininity. Even though his thick eyelashes made her jealous, he still looked like an elegant man.

    Su Zhi stared at him unblinkingly, and silently cursed. How could there be such a good-looking man with such good kung fu?

    When the woman looked down, she could vaguely see his sturdy and strong upper body. Su Zhi could not help but swallow her saliva, and quickly shifted her gaze away. She lifted her head and met with a pair of deep eyes.

 C26

    Su Zhi jumped in fright. Instinctively, she retreated until she bumped into the corner of the table behind her. The pain made her grimace, but it was difficult for her to flare up.

    After all, stealing a peek at someone being caught was not something to be proud of.

    "Are you alright?"

    Seeing that she didn''t look well, Xiao Qian stood up to check on her injuries.

    "Don''t worry about it, General."

    Su Zhi sucked in a breath of cold air and repeatedly refused.

    Xiao Qian didn''t force it and the tent wasn''t big. He could faintly smell a familiar sweet fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose.

    Su Zhi''s chest rose up and down from the pain, as she panted incessantly.

    Xiao Qian felt a bit unnatural. When he thought back to last night, his ears turned red.

    Su Zhi rubbed her sore spot. Su Zhi didn''t notice Xiao Qian''s strangeness and continued, "There''s nothing important in Japan today. I heard that the general has been handling military matters all night. I want to see if there''s anything I can do to help."

    Xiao Qian glanced through the account books for the entire night before reading a few pages. He couldn''t help but rub his nose.

    "It''s best if you can help."

    Without being rejected, Su Zhi brought over a small stool from the side, sat herself down in front of the desk, and used her slender fingers to quickly move the abacus up and down.

    "Why don''t I give you a list of ninety-nine times multiplication method?"

    Su Zhi said.

    Xiao Qian looked over in confusion.

    What the hell was that?

    "Or simple operations and laws? It''s all very simple, even children know how to do it. "

    Xiao Qian was silent. He was shocked by Su Zhi''s expression, which was clearly full of common sense.

    Although he was a martial general, he had studied proper books before, and even though he had not studied the Four Books and Five Classics very well, he still understood the general principles. As for Su Zhi''s simple calculation, he truly did not know a thing.

    Xiao Qian looked thoughtfully at the innocent looking woman in front of him. He had the nagging feeling that she wasn''t an ordinary mountain village woman.

    The general did not speak, and Su Zhi did not know why. She bit her pen and, before he could signal her, continued with the accounting.

    When within a hundred times add, subtract, multiply, and divide, the result can be easily calculated without the need of a click-clack abacus.

    "Wait a minute, if you were to calculate in this place, how did you end up flipping a page?" The man suddenly spoke up.

    Su Zhi blinked her eyes, but then turned to the previous page and puzzledly said, "This page has already been calculated. "The garrison city has given out grain a total of 11 times, and each time, there would be 4,611 stones, right? Then, we can just multiply it by 11 and get a total of 5,0611 stones, right?"

    Xiao Qian was stunned, but he quickly took the abacus and calculated it. The result was indeed correct.

    He looked at Su Zhi in shock and opened his mouth to speak.

    Su Zhi shrugged her shoulders indifferently. 11 was a miraculous number. No matter how complex the multiplier was, it could be calculated verbally.

    The simple truth was that any misplaced numbers were the result.

    "You ˇ­ You worked in an accounting office before? "

    "Is that so, my university, cough, my ˇ­ "I inadvertently received the teachings of an old mister and was told these simple calculation methods. The general is interested in them, so I can teach you."

    That was close! He had almost said that he was a major in university.

    What relative mass energy equation, Newton''s second law... This was just a small matter.

    "If that''s the case, then I''ll have to thank Madam Su first."

    In the past, when the military''s accounts were being investigated at the end of the year, he would always be in the top two. If he could learn Su Zhi''s method, it would be much easier.

    "Alright, I''ll take the general as my disciple."

    Su Zhi narrowed her almond eyes and chuckled. This was nothing. She knew a lot of things. If she wanted to learn, she would have to see how good your perception was!

    The thick stack of account books was finished with no effort at all.

    Su Zhi arranged the various data on the white paper and discussed some bad debts with Xiao Qian.

    After the time it took to make another half a cup of tea, Su Zhi thought to herself that it was about time. She would have to busy herself with lunch. The remaining two accounts would be ready by tomorrow at the latest.

    The faint sound of wailing could be heard from outside the tent. Su Zhi quivered. After being away for so long, she had even forgotten that Little Dou was causing trouble.

    "Young wife Su, your child ˇ­"

    "Mother ~"

    Su Zhi was in a very difficult situation. She closed the account book and said apologetically, "General, please forgive me. My child is still young ˇ­"

    "No problem, Mo Qi will let them in."

    Only with permission did the soldiers guarding the camp dare to let them through.

    The curtain was lifted, and A Jin, who had an uneasy expression, apologized, "Say hello to the general. My sister is crying because she doesn''t see my mother. She''s still young and insensible, please don''t be angry."

    "I don''t blame you. This general was wrong."

    The bean bun struggled to fall from A Jin''s arms, with a face covered in tears and a snot.

    Su Zhi loved her child dearly and did not have the heart to scold him. Seeing that Xiao Qian''s attitude was calm, she relaxed.

    "Good child, come here."

    The two year old child held his mouth in grievance. His eyes were red and wet as he ran towards the two of them.

    As expected, it was her own child. This crying appearance truly made Su Zhi''s eyes ache. She really wanted to hug him and make him cackle.

    "Bean bun ˇ­"

    Su Zhi was still thinking about how to coax the child when Xiao Budian turned in front of her and threw himself into Xiao Qian''s embrace. He even called out in a childish voice, "Daddy ~"

    This... They were indeed the children of their own family, without a doubt.

    She was wondering why Little Dou Wu always mistook this man for her father. Could it be that Xiao Qian''s temperament was similar to her father''s?

    "Little Dou Bao, don''t call me that. You have to call me General. Come and say it to Mother, General ~"

    The snowy-ball-like child gave her a serious look. He frowned as he couldn''t see clearly, but then turned his head to look at the extraordinarily handsome man behind him.

 C27

    "Daddy ~" The little bean bag was very persistent.

    Su Zhi spouted out a mouthful of blood. This child''s pronunciation really made her worry, why didn''t she change her pronunciation?

    "Yes, General!"

    "Father ~ Father ~"

    Su Zhi felt so embarrassed that she wanted to find a hole to hide in. She was too embarrassed to face anyone anymore.

    The little bean bun happily called Xiao Gan''s father. He even yelled at Su Zhi very seriously, as if he was trying to correct her mistakes.

    On the other hand, Xiao Qian didn''t feel uncomfortable at all. He was a bit surprised at first, but he didn''t pay any more attention to the child''s slip of tongue.

    He looked at the child in his arms rubbing its head. Xiao Gan''s heart had melted, and couldn''t help but laugh heartily at the cute child''s teasing.

    It was the first time Su Zhi had seen him smile. In the past, whenever she saw him, he always maintained a calm and self-assured attitude. She did not expect that the steel-faced and selfless Great General''s smile would be so beautiful and warm, like the bright and dazzling winter sun.

    "Little Dou Bao is still learning how to speak. You can''t speak very clearly. General, please don''t blame her."

    Xiao Qian was not the least bit displeased. On the contrary, he enjoyed it very much.

    "Little Dou Bao, come here. Go out with your mother."

    Su Zhi reached out to pull the child away. The small bean bun whimpered, turned its head, and buried its face in Xiao Qian''s bosom, refusing to leave. Its chubby hands tightly gripped onto his clothes.

    "Hahaha, this child is destined for me, forget it." You can do your work and leave her here. "

    "How can that be? Children don''t know their place. What if she makes trouble?"

    "Enough, this general will argue with a slightly older child."

    Instead, it became her fault?

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at the small bean bag in annoyance, but the kid was smiling mischievously at her.

    Su Zhi was speechless, and didn''t know what to say. She could only say to A Jin, "Take good care of your little sister. Don''t let her cause any trouble."

    A Jin nodded obediently and watched her leave.

    Su Zhizhan did not need to go that early. It was not easy for Xiao Qian to bring her child along, so all the work of boiling water and splitting firewood was given to the soldiers below. All the vegetables and raw meat were cut and placed in the plates, and even the garlic petal that was used as ingredients was cut and placed on the cutting board.

    She only needed to cook the side dishes. In addition, the soldiers that had left the military camp and returned to their hometowns had increased dramatically in the past few days. The difficulty of her handling the dishes had dropped by quite a bit.

    Outside of the tent, it was still sunny and the hotter it got in the afternoon.

    Since the general had not been able to hunt for fish that day, it was inevitable that there was a shortage of meat. Su Zhi had long asked the young generals to go catch fish by the river a long time ago.

    There weren''t as many streams and shallows at the border as there were rivers and rivers to catch fish. Without any good fishing gear, it would be difficult to catch enough fish to eat.

    Su Zhi looked at the two baskets of fish that she had been working on for a long time. She thought about it and decided to make some pickled fish with potatoes, vegetables, and tofu.

    However, there were no such things as pickled vegetables in the army camp, so the system could get them. However, when someone asked Su Zhi if she could give a reasonable explanation, she decided to make the Red Braised Fish after thinking it over for a while.

    Because of the limited number of fish, it is better to slice each soup bowl and mix a little.

    The woman ordered the soldiers to take a piece of fish while she busied herself with filling the bowl with noodles.

    After she put a piece of potato into the fish soup, she chopped a few tomatoes and picked up some fresh ones. There was still a bit of tofu left over, but it had been cut into small cubes and fried to form a bubble tofu.

    After lunch, the first thing Su Zhi did was run to Xiao Qian to pick up the child.

    When she opened the tent, she saw A Jin looking at the man with a face full of worship. In the man''s arms was a sleeping child.

    The two small heads, one big and one small, were actually so harmonious.

    "Uncle Xiao is truly amazing. He can calculate so many complicated numbers in such a short period of time."

    Su Zhi slipped. The strong one was your mother, and the one beside her was a disciple who had been taught a lesson! I haven''t even left my apprenticeship, how can I show off in front of my children?

    Xiao Qian smiled in satisfaction as he pointed to the numbers on the paper while patting the child in his arms. He was learning from his example.

    Even though it was his first time seeing her, he could still use his casual method of hugging her to make her unhappy.

    He learnt it very quickly.

    "General, dinner is ready."

    "Mm, got it."

    Not even looking at her?

    Su Zhi said, "Jin, let''s go eat."

    Xiao Qian raised his head. "Jin will eat with me. I''ll have to trouble you to bring her."

    "W-what?"

    "En, mother, I will eat with uncle Xiao."

    Uncle Xiao? It has only been a short period of time, how did he change his words so quickly?

    Su Zhi stood dumbly on the spot. She had a strange feeling about that man who was kind and amiable towards children. He clearly knew that this little kid mistook you for his father. Shouldn''t you avoid being suspected?

    "That''s right, you should eat by yourself. Come over as well."

    Su Zhi: "ˇ­"

    Did Great General Xiao forget that she was a widow now and was prone to causing trouble?!

    "No, there''s no need. I''ll go outside and see if there''s anything else I need to make.

    As a result, the family of three who had been using the food standard became Su Zhi alone.

    First, his daughter had been kidnapped, and now his son had also turned traitor. Su Zhi sat alone in a corner with a bowl in her hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. What was this?

 C28

    A Jin returned after idling for a while in the afternoon, followed by Xiao Qian, who was carrying her child.

    At this time, Su Zhi was planning to go to Xuan City in the future. When she saw that her child had returned, she hurriedly went forward to catch the sleeping Soybean Pancake.

    "The child woke up once, afraid that she might be hungry. You should feed her some rice paste first. I''ve thought about capturing two breast-feeding goats alive so that the children can grow up."

    Su Zhi was flattered and quickly shook her head, saying, "No need."

    "Mother, I''m going hunting with Uncle Xiao later." A Jin interrupted.

    "Don''t mess around, the general has important matters to attend to, how can I allow you to cause trouble?" Su Zhi retorted without even thinking.

    "No worries, I promised A Jin that I would take him there. It''s not good for the kid to stay in the camp all the time, so he has to go out and do some exercise. "

    Su Zhi refused. She had almost lost her life last night, and she knew that there were many dangers lurking in the north. How could A Jin take care of her?

    Xiao Gan said, "You don''t believe in my ability?"

    Su Zhi shook her head. "How would I dare? I''m just too young. It''s hard to guard the wilderness without any accidents."

    "Mom, please let me go. A Jin wants to go."

    Su Zhi frowned in displeasure and glared at the child she was begging for.

    A Jin understood and did not insist.

    "Because he is a child, his nature is to cause trouble, and there are many places in the camp that he wouldn''t be able to go, so I''m not at ease letting you take him out by yourself. It''s best if we go hunting with the troops."

    Since Xiao Qian had insisted, Su Zhi began to hesitate.

    A Jin had a good sense and never begged her for anything. She was so sensible that she almost forgot that he was still a childish child.

    In the end, Su Zhi could not bear her child''s lonely appearance and let out a sigh, "I can go, but you have to listen to the general. You can''t go to a dangerous place, and if your mother finds out that you''re injured, even if it''s just a little bit, she won''t agree to leave you in the future."

    "Mhmm, thank you mother for fulfilling my wish."

    A Jin''s face had a rosy glow as she happily led Xiao Qian out of the tent.

    Su Zhi looked at the two of them helplessly.

    This child had just lost his father and had been depressed for many days. It was good for him to go out and relax.

    "Remember to come back early."

    A Jin said, "Understood, Mom."

    Xiao Qian turned his head to look at her and gave a slight nod. She looked just like a beautiful wife waiting for her husband to return home.

    Realizing what he was thinking, he quickly turned around to hide his embarrassment.

    The sun gradually set to the west, no longer hot and hot. More than half of the soldiers that went out of the city to hunt had left. The remaining troops continued to train and patrol. Everything was in order.

    Life in the barracks was dull and boring. After taking care of the bean bag, Su Zhi began to prepare the vegetables and rice for dinner.

    Seeing Su Zhi busy herself, the soldier acting as an assistant very consciously went forward to help her.

    "Lady Su, did the general take little A''Jin to hunt?"

    The young soldier''s name was Liu Zhong, and he was a logistics officer who was looking for a room. He did things very well, so he got to know him very well.

    "Mm, calling it a child''s nature is playing around. It''s also good for me to go out and relax. This military camp is heavily guarded, don''t hold the child back. "

    "The way I see it, the general really does like the two children."

    Su Zhi smiled, disapproving. "I''ve probably been away from home for too long and missed my child."

    "How could that be? The general has never taken a wife, so where does this child come from? I''ve only heard that the emperor has bestowed upon a few beauties as concubines, but the general has never entered the room."

    Not married yet?

    Su Zhi expressed surprise. In her current age, this was still considered a trial marriage, let alone in this era.

    A man keeps his head like a jade. There are two kinds. First, he is obsessed with cleanliness. He just wants to have a couple for life. He won''t be able to do it before that person arrives. The other was that he belonged to someone else and could not tolerate it. He would marry anyone but her.

    There were very few men in this world who didn''t want to take a wife, so they had to have one. So the Great General is the second kind?

    He didn''t know who was the real Bai Guanyue in his heart.

    "Does your family''s general have a childhood sweetheart? That''s why he doesn''t dare to start a family until he breaks down."

 C29

    The soldier nodded, "There is such a thing. I heard it from someone else. The general has a girl he loves, but unfortunately, she was killed by the Huns." After that, the general would rarely show a smile. His heart was set on the battlefield, and he rarely returned to the capital. No matter how hard the family tried to urge him, they just didn''t care about the matter of the marriage. "

    So it was like that.

    After listening to Liu Zhong''s explanation, Su Zhi more or less understood why Xiao Qian had become an older bachelor.

    If his beloved woman died at the hands of the Huns, she would definitely want to take revenge on her enemies.

    Thinking about it, this General Xiao was also righteous. After the death of his wife, she had never thought about marriage.

    In the ancient times, when there were many wives and concubines, he could be considered a true man that could support both heaven and earth.

    Liu Zhong finished washing the vegetables and wiped the sweat off his forehead, complaining, "It''s so hot today. It''s not like I can go to the hot springs at the back of the mountain to wash. I''ll get a few brothers to go to the river pond later."

    Su Zhi was lost in thought. After she reacted half a beat slower, she asked slowly, "Why can''t we go to the hot spring?"

    "Cough, the general has just ordered that since there are wild beasts lurking in the back mountains, for the safety of the soldiers, we are not allowed to go near the hot springs. Violators will be dealt with according to military law."

    Could it be because of what happened last night? Recalling the fact that she had appeared before Xiao Qian the night before, fully clothed, Su Zhi could not help but blush. Add to that the sweat that had formed on her forehead, she looked crystal clear beautiful.

    Liu Zhong looked at her and scratched his head in embarrassment. "Young lady Su, you''re so handsome. You''re even prettier than our village''s green flowers."

    Su Zhi giggled and got up after arranging the vegetables.

    She carefully thought back to what Xiao Qian had said and ordered the soldiers not to go to the hot springs at the back of the mountain. However, she wasn''t restricted to her freedom.

    Thinking of this, Su Zhi''s heart warmed. She was very grateful for his care and meticulous care.

    She should be the kind of person who didn''t like to talk, but could actually do something.

    Although he had lost some of his surface sweetness, this kind of man was worth entrusting his entire life to. He didn''t know who the lucky guy was, who would be able to marry him.

    After finishing all the vegetables that he needed for dinner, only Su Zhi pulled the bean bag that she had been playing with to wait at the city gate, wanting to see when A Jin and the others would be back.

    The sun had set at the last moment, and the sound of galloping horses came from outside the city gate with the urge to return home.

    Before she could see him, the small bean bun jumped up in joy.

    The moment the city gates opened, soldiers came back with three sheep and two carts of game on their backs.

    Su Zhi stood at the side with the child in her arms, her attention focused on the ewe, looking like she was really breastfeeding. The lamb next to him was wailing in fear. The other one looked like it was ready to give birth to a baby. It held its stomach and kicked its hooves in an uneasy manner.

    "Mother, we''re back!"

    When Su Zhi turned around, Xiao Qian had already carried A Jin off the horse and ran towards her, holding something wrapped in a outer garment and showing it off to her like a precious treasure.

    "Mom, look!"

    "This is?"

    A Jin laughed happily and carefully opened her bag, "It''s honey."

    Su Zhi was so shocked that she ignored the entire beehive in his hand and nervously sized him up, somewhat reproachfully asking, "How do I touch these? Did they get stabbed?"

    A Jin shook her head before looking at Xiao Qian behind her with guilt. "I''m fine, it''s just that ˇ­ Uncle Xiao ˇ­"

    "The child said that you like to drink nectar and that you kept an eye out along the way. Coincidentally, we bumped into one of them."

    Su Zhi understood without A Jin''s explanation. Seeing that Xiao Qian had intentionally put his hands behind his back to avoid her gaze, she knew that he had been stabbed by a bee.

    In front of everyone, it wasn''t convenient to say anything. Su Zhi nodded indifferently and thanked him for his good intentions, then followed the team that was shipping the prey back to the kitchen.

    With someone helping him, the food would soon be ready.

    Evening meal made ginger beef fillets, dried bamboo shoots, stir-fried cabbage, plus a dish of cold mixed cucumber and liver powder soup.

    Due to the hot weather, Su Zhi specially made a cold shell and took out some mustard pepper and other seasonings from the system.

    Tears filled the eyes of the men in the camp who had just finished their meal.

    It was women who were more meticulous in cooking and knew how to reward a man''s stomach.

    After listening to the praises no less than a hundred times, Su Zhi''s sense of accomplishment rose little by little.

    After they finished eating, Su Zhi started to think about how she should use the honey on the stove.

    It would be a waste to pour water. Honey was useful and had a high nutritional value. It was also valuable as wild pure honey, so he needed to use it efficiently.

    The woman thought for a while, and Su Zhi decided to make some honey for the child to satisfy her craving.

 C30

    Su Zhi took some refined flour out of the system. She wanted to make eight ingredients in the capital for a taste, but the kitchen was too simple and crude. Fortunately, there was enough honey to make the honey cake.

    Su Zhi first took out a few boxes of milk and some thin sugar from the system. She poured a few drops of salad oil into the egg and stirred them evenly. After that, she added some low-glutted flour and mixed some lemon to make a fishy taste.

    It was difficult to do without a mixer. Even after a long time, it still wasn''t fully formed.

    After Liu Zhong finished his meal, he came in while cleaning up the dishes. Seeing Su Zhi rubbing her sore arms and staring at the large bowl of rice paste in front of her with distress, he was confused.

    "Wifey of the Su Clan, what are you doing?"

    Seeing him enter, Su Zhi''s eyes lit up, this was a free labour force!

    "Madame Su ˇ­" Liu Zhong was terrified. This kind of gaze made him feel like something was amiss.

    "Are you full?"

    He nodded quickly. "Ah, the food was delicious and the taste was good. I ate five whole bowls of rice."

    "After the meal, Little Dan wondered if he should order some?"

    "A snack?"

    Liu Zhong, who was confused, foolishly craved the snacks Su Zhi spoke of and was dragged to work for almost four hours.

    Originally, he had eaten his fill, but in the end half of his stamina was used up just like that.

    When the cake came out of the pot, one could smell its sweet aroma from far away.

    In order to compensate Liu Zhong, Su Zhi gave him two big cakes.

    Liu Zhong felt happy inside. Although it was a bit hard, it was soft and delicious. The instant cake tasted really good.

    He had never eaten such delicious pastries in his life.

    As expected, the two little ones were indeed snuggling up to General Xiao''s side, staring at him with their eyes wide open, as if they were busy with important matters in the army.

    The little bun was the first to smell the fragrance. When he raised his head and saw that it was from his mother, he clapped his hands and jumped up.

    Xiao Qian placed the wolf Bristles on the inkstone and stared at the pastries in Su Zhi''s hands with curiosity. "What is this?"

    "Milk and honey cake, try it."

    Without waiting for Su Zhi to finish speaking, Little Fatso reached out his hand, took out a piece of tofu, and began to bite on it.

    A Jin picked up a piece and handed it to Su Zhi, bending her little crescent teeth. "Mother, eat this." He picked up another piece and handed it to Xiao Qian. "Uncle Xiao."

    Xiao Qian took the cake and tried to eat it. The soft and delicious cake was sweet and not greasy at all. It was even more delicious than what the imperial chef cooked.

    "Nice craftsmanship."

    "As long as the general likes it."

    Although he intentionally avoided the wound on his hand, Su Zhi still saw the red mark after being bitten by a bee.

    He quickly took out the ointment he brought from his sleeve and handed it over.

    Xiao Qian looked at the tube that looked like it was made of iron and asked, "What is this?"

    Su Zhi said, "It''s a medicine used to treat bite wounds. General, you need to clean it first thing in the morning to take care of it."

    Xiao Qian waved his hand as he ate the cake in a few bites before picking up another piece. "No need. It''s not normal for a man to have some injuries."

    Seeing this, A Jin put down the food in her hands and accepted the ointment. She said with some guilt, "Uncle Xiao got injured in order to protect A Jin. Let A Jin apply the medicine for you."

    "Obedient A Jin, it''s fine. Leave this ointment on you in case you need it."

    Xiao Qian insisted on not applying the medicine, but A Jin couldn''t convince him, so she could only give up.

    In the dim light of the kerosene lamp, Su Zhi sat next to Xiao Qian and read the account book with him. It wasn''t very close, but there was a small bag of beans squeezed in the middle.

    The two of them did not speak and ignored the strange current.

    A Jin supported himself on his little head as he sat down obediently on the side.

    It was like a family of four leaning against each other.

    Going out to hunt in the afternoon was already very tiring, and after a while, A Jin could no longer sit still, and her eyelids began to twitch.

    Su Zhi hurriedly brought the two children back to rest. She looked back at Xiao Gan and said, "General Xiao didn''t sleep last night, and did not rest today either. You should go to bed early. You''ll be able to finish reading these books tomorrow."

    Xiao Qian was sitting in a chair with no one by his side. His heart suddenly felt empty.

    "Understood, you can go down first."

    He replied carelessly. It was obviously a perfunctory reply.

 C31

    Su Zhi also did not care that much. After she left, she went to the kitchen to get hot water for the two steamed buns to wash up.

    When Su Zhi settled the kids down, she realized that she was also sweating and that her body was dirty from working all day. She had wanted to go to the hot springs in the back of the mountain, but was afraid of meeting wild beasts that roamed at night to look for food.

    Su Zhi had always been a clean freak. She could not stand her slovenly appearance and was drenched in sweat. After tossing and turning for a long time, she still had not fallen asleep. Thus, she stood up and went outside to enjoy the cool breeze.

    She wandered aimlessly through the tents, only daring to visit a few places she often visited, afraid that she would be taken as a spy if she wasn''t careful enough.

    Unknowingly, they had arrived in front of Xiao Qian''s tent.

    Su Zhi stared blankly for a moment. Seeing that the kerosene lamp inside was still lit, she knew that Xiao Qian had not fallen asleep yet.

    "Eh? Young lady of the Su family? "Why haven''t you gone back yet?"

    The gatekeeper rubbed his eyes, and after seeing that it was indeed Su Zhi, he asked her in confusion, "What is this important that only a general knows?"

    Su Zhi had originally planned to go to bed, but had let go of the woman''s bun. Her hair was as smooth and shiny as ink around her waist, and under the bright and clear silver moonlight, she seemed like an immortal, cold woman floating in the air.

    With a beauty in front of me, how could I dare to be negligent? I had to turn around and report.

    Su Zhi quickly stopped him and pretended to be passing by and was about to leave.

    Her current identity was that of a real widow, which was nothing in the current era. However, in this era, widows were the real deal, and the general was still unmarried, so it was better not to implicate him.

    Seeing this, the little general gave up and saw that Su Zhi''s face was extremely unsightly and her eyebrows were gently knitted. He couldn''t help but take a few more glances at her.

    Xiao Qian had long since heard the conversation between the two of them.

    At that time, just as he was about to close the account book and go to sleep, he heard faint footsteps outside the tent. Upon hearing that it was Su Zhi, he thought she would come in.

    It was already so late, why didn''t this woman rest and wander around?

    "Tian''er, it''s hot, I can''t sleep soundly, so I came out for a walk to enjoy the wind. I''ll be back in a while, there''s no need to disturb the general."

    It was so hot that he could not sleep.

    Xiao Qian probably understood. Thinking back to last night when Su Zhi had gone to the back of the mountain on her own, his heart palpitated.

    In order to protect her reputation, he ordered his soldiers not to go near the hot spring. Did this woman not understand? He even looked at the terrain while hunting, afraid that he would disturb her.

    "Be careful, little lady Su. There are many mosquitoes at night. You have to be careful with this tender skin."

    "Thank you for reminding me, Little Brother."

    Su Zhi laughed softly. Her coquettish, covering mouth made the young general''s eyes twinkle like stars.

    The lackey honestly scratched the back of his head, his face flustered.

    Xiao Qian was a bit unhappy. What did this woman come here to talk to his subordinates about? He was really annoyed.

    He stood up and strode out of the tent.

    Su Zhi had already turned around and walked to the other side.

    The crescent moon shone brilliantly, causing the night sky to shine with a layer of silver light. Looking from afar, the woman''s back was bleak and slender, causing people to want to cherish her.

    Xiao Qian couldn''t understand why this woman''s waist was so slender. He could cover her with a single slap. She walked so lightly, the breeze blowing past her as if she were about to ascend to immortality.

    "General!"

    The general behind her shouted. Su Zhi stopped and looked back.

    Xiao Qian''s face was solemn. He had put down his sword and held it by his waist. He looked ready to go.

    Su Zhi could not help but ask, "General, why are you so late?"

    "We will return in a few days'' time. This general is not at ease, and thus the Huns have to go and look around at night. Don''t wander around either, go back and rest early. "

    So it''s a night patrol, what a professional.

    Su Zhi nodded. "I''ll be going now."

    Seeing her leave, Xiao Qian didn''t say anything and headed in the opposite direction.

    "General, why are you personally going out to patrol? There are so many brothers who are on duty overnight. Sigh ˇ­" "General?"

    No matter how much the general tried to persuade him, Xiao Qian didn''t utter a single word. He silently left the tent and disappeared around the corner.

    Su Zhi also felt bored from walking around and stopping, but she also despised the smell of her own sweat. Although she was unhappy about going back to camp, she could do nothing about it.

    She walked to a secluded spot. She was about to go out and return, but before she could move, she was pulled to a place where the torch couldn''t reach.

    Su Zhi cried out in alarm, nearly shouting out loud.

 C32

    The man covered her mouth, a thin cocoon in his palm and a slight heat.

    "It''s me."

    Xiao Qian?

    Su Zhi froze, unable to react to what had happened.

    Xiao Qian let her go when he saw that she didn''t make any noise.

    "General, what is this?"

    "Go to the back of the mountain. Go now."

    Ha?! What do you mean?

    "General, it''s getting late ˇ­"

    "You only need to obey orders."

    Su Zhi: "ˇ­"

    She clearly knew that that place at night was not safe, yet she still had to go. Just what was General Xiao up to?

    Suspicion rose in Su Zhi''s heart, she still obediently headed towards the east rear door.

    During the day, Xiao Gan had ordered the military to not go to the back of the mountain, especially not the hot springs.

    No one dared to disobey his order. Since Su Zhi was not considered a soldier of the military camp, she was naturally not restricted. The soldier guarding the gate did not ask and instead let her go after reminding her that the back of the mountain was dangerous at night.

    Su Zhi looked at the vast mountains and felt frightened. What if she met a tiger or a wild wolf?

    She took advantage of the moonlight as she walked along the small path, cursing Xiao Qian in her heart. This man was crazy. Why did he suddenly give her such an order so tyrannically?

    Ah ~

    He was too engrossed in his thoughts. He did not pay attention to his foot, but instead stepped on a rock and twisted it.

    Su Zhi crouched down and hugged her feet, crying from the pain.

    "Goddamnit, Xiao Gan, you''re crazy!"

    The pitch-black forest swayed from side to side as the wind blew, letting out ghostly wails.

    Su Zhi hugged herself in an aggrieved manner, wishing that she could smash a brick on that man''s head.

    "Watt? "What does that mean?"

    "It''s just that my brain is broken and needs to be restarted!"

    Eh ~ This sound?

    Su Zhi shuddered. She raised her head and saw a tall and straight figure standing in front of her. The deep and bright eyes stared straight at her, full of confusion.

    "I ˇ­ I ˇ­ I ˇ­" "Um, General, what I mean is, my brain''s broken, I can''t even walk properly ˇ­"

    The more Su Zhi said, the more guilty she became. She was really bold, even daring to scold the mighty Great General, how could she explain it after this?

    Xiao Qian didn''t say anything. It was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry.

    He pulled Su Zhi up from the ground, not knowing where he was going to pull her.

    "It hurts, it hurts. Lighten up, your ankle is twisted."

    This man shouldn''t be angry from embarrassment, right? He shouldn''t just drag her out and throw her to the wolves, right?

    Su Zhi curled up into a ball and didn''t dare to move a single step.

    Xiao Qian seemed to be a bit impatient as he crouched down and picked her up before continuing to walk.

    Sure enough, she was about to be thrown away. Su Zhi shouted anxiously, "General, your excellency doesn''t remember this lowly one, please spare this humble woman. This humble woman will not dare to scold General again. If you continue, the sky will strike like thunder, no good ˇ­"

    "Shut up."

    Su Zhi immediately shut her mouth to prevent herself from further enraging him.

    Xiao Qian finally regained his calm and used his Qing Gong as if the wind was blowing from under his feet. After a while, he arrived at his destination.

    He carefully put down the girl in his arms and pointed at the pond in front of him. "Hurry."

    Su Zhi was petrified. Looking at the sparkling hot spring, her emotions were complicated.

    What did I bring her here for ˇ­

    should not...

    "That... "General, you''ve misunderstood. I really can''t sleep at night, not that ˇ­"

    Could it be that she had specially come to find this man in the future? Did she think that she was a widow that couldn''t keep her heart in check?

    I admit that you are tall and powerful, elegant and graceful, a perfect candidate to be my husband." I admit that you are tall and powerful, elegant and graceful, a good candidate to be my husband. But this is too fast, I... "I''m not ready yet ˇ­

    "Let me tell you, although Little Dou Zi thinks of you as her father, I don''t dare to take advantage of you." That child was picked up by me and Rufeng. When she saw Rufeng, she would start crying. I think that girl must have been left behind by her family. She feels close to everyone. "

    "Although A Jin also changed his name to Uncle Xiao, but he ˇ­"

    She tightly gripped her collar as she spoke with her back facing Xiao Qian, not daring to look at the man in front of her.

 C33

    Xiao Qian''s ears became slightly red. He did not know how to respond and lightly coughed, "Are you going to wash or not?"

    "Huh?"

    "Didn''t you say that it was too hot to sleep? Didn''t he want to bathe here? "Hurry up, after a while, the child will cry again."

    What, what? What did she misunderstand?

    General Xiao was kind to her. Seeing that she couldn''t sleep without bathing, he took the risk to bring her out.

    Su Zhi felt as if her body was about to be drained of blood and die.

    How shameful, he had actually misunderstood her like this. It was so embarrassing that he had no face to meet anyone!

    "Alright, alright, I''ll go wash now."

    Xiao Qian turned around and stood to the side in a very gentlemanly manner. The only thing that could be seen was the trace of a smile on his face.

    He had lost a lot of face!

    With a sullen face, Su Zhi unwillingly took off her clothes, feeling embarrassed and annoyed.

    He couldn''t stop counting on Xiao Qian in his heart. Couldn''t he just explain the reason he wanted to bring her here? Why did he have to do something that would cause others to misunderstand?

    That''s right, she was a widow, so how could she enter the general''s eyes?

    Su Zhi went into the water, not daring to make too much noise, afraid of provoking any beasts. Seeing Xiao Qian standing straight in front of her, his hand gripping his sword sheath tightly, like a loyal warrior, he listened attentively, ready to fight at any time.

    Xiao Qian didn''t even try to peek at the girl behind him. He really did not disrespect her at all.

    "Gugugu ~"

    A sound came from the forest, interrupting Su Zhi''s train of thoughts. Before she could react, Xiao Qian kicked off a stone and threw it towards the direction of the scream.

    Along with the sound of the leaves being blown away, there were no more gurgling sounds.

    "What''s that?"

    Xiao Qian didn''t turn his head and just stood there in a daze. He indifferently replied, "A crow. It''s fine."

    Su Zhi focused and secretly smeared a bottle of Body Soap on herself.

    The sweet fragrance of the flowers soon filled Xiao Qian''s nose. He couldn''t help but sniff it, feeling very comfortable. He wondered if this woman could use demonic arts, how could she be so fragrant.

    A gentle breeze blew the bubbles into the air. The mischievous bubbles floated towards Xiao Qian, lightly sticking themselves behind his ears.

    Xiao Qian felt itchy, and felt a numbing sensation under his feet. He shrugged his shoulders as he heard a woman''s soft laughter coming from behind him.

    This man was pretty cute!

    Su Zhi covered her mouth and snickered, as if his ears were the most sensitive part.

    Xiao Qian did not know what Su Zhi was smiling about, and mistakenly thought that she was messing with the feeling he felt, causing his ears to turn red to the roots of his neck.

    This woman was truly amazing. He had kindly brought her here to bathe, yet she was actually playing tricks on him.

    Su Zhi said, "General, thank you very much for today."

    Xiao Qian waved his hand in disapproval. "It''s nothing. There''s no need to hang your teeth."

    How could it be so easy? Such a noble action, I''m afraid not many men in the world can do it.

    The man was honest and honest to the extreme. Although he looked like he was in a daze, he actually knew how to be considerate.

    "It''s been hot for the past few days, so I can''t do anything about it. Tomorrow, I''ll go wash myself in my tent. Sorry to bother you so much."

    Xiao Qian frowned, but didn''t immediately reply.

    What kind of a place was the military camp? According to the soldiers below, even a mosquito was still a male. A few years ago, there were still some military prostitutes who could help the soldiers with their physical needs, but ever since he had taken control of the army, this matter had never been allowed to happen again.

    With strict discipline, no one dared to have any ill thoughts.

    Now that Su Zhi was living here as a cook, it wasn''t appropriate for her to take a bath in the tent openly. Who knew how many hotheads she would attract?

    "No need, I''ll just treat it as eating when I go out to exercise at night."

    He actually rejected it?

    Su Zhi was a little surprised. She had originally thought that he would agree to this matter if he found it troublesome.

    But then again, a bucket of water to scrub the body, where is the pool hot spring to soak in comfortable. She also wished that she could wash up every night and take care of herself.

    "Then... "Thank you for your good will, General."

 C34

    Xiao Qian nodded and continued, "If you ever need anything in the future, you can tell me. I will try my best to help you with anything that is within my capabilities."

    Su Zhi nodded, deeply touched and unable to express her joy. "General, you''re such a good person."

    Xiao Qian was slightly startled. Why did this sound so weird? Was it good to say he was good? Why does it feel like being honest?

    Su Zhi continued, "If it were anyone else, they would not care about the lives of us orphans and widows. Not only did you not mind, you even helped me like this. I don''t know how to repay a great kindness."

    Xiao Qian looked at the distant starry sky, his gaze somewhat unfocused. Why was he helping Su Zhi? Perhaps it was because Nie Rufeng had died in battle as one of his subordinates, but he felt guilty in his heart!

    Since her soldiers were gone, it was understandable for her to be a direct relative of their superior. Furthermore, she was also bringing along the two children, Nie Rufeng.

    "Even if you didn''t come today, I would still treat you equally."

    "Oh ~"

    Su Zhi nodded in understanding. Worried that the small bean bun would start crying after waking up, she quickened her action of washing her face and rinsing her mouth.

    After tidying up everything, she put on her embroidered shoes and smiled to the man who was waiting for her: "You''ve been waiting for a long time. You can leave now."

    Xiao Qian nodded. Smelling her sweet fragrance, he turned around and left with her.

    It was hard to walk on the mountain road, and there were no lights.

    To soldiers who fought all year round, this was nothing, but Su Zhi was in a bit of a dilemma.

    Su Zhi walked on the winding road in fear, afraid that she would accidentally move her foot.

    "General, do you have a fire piston?" This road is too difficult. "

    When she mentioned that the road was not easy to walk on, Su Zhi remembered that she had cursed at someone just now. She could not help but feel guilty.

    "Nope." He replied dryly.

    Su Zhi held her breath and continued down the path at a turtle''s pace.

    He mused to himself that if he came tomorrow, he would have to bring some lighting tools. Since the fire piston could not last that long, it would be best if he brought a kerosene lamp with him.

    "Aiya ~"

    Due to being absent-minded, Su Zhi slipped and fell. Fortunately, there was someone supporting her from behind, otherwise she would have had to fall down the steep mountain road.

    "Be careful."

    Su Zhi kicked her leg through the air. After confirming that she was fine, she continued walking. Before she could step out, she was pulled back by Xiao Gan. "General?"

    "Watch your step."

    She lowered her head and looked at the pitch black ground. She could vaguely see a bunch of unknown creatures crawling on the ground, accompanied by a ''hiss'' sound.

    "What''s that?"

    "Snakes."

    Su Zhi was so shocked that she almost screamed, retreating in panic. The hairs on her entire body were all standing up, and even her tongue was tied up.

    "General ˇ­" "I''m afraid."

    This limbless mollusk, cold and slippery, was what she feared the most.

    "With me here, what are you afraid of?"

    It was just a small snake. When there was no rations to feed the troops, the serpent broth was the most nourishing delicacy.

    Su Zhi was so frightened that she was half dead. Her legs started twitching, and she did not dare to move further, as if there were Snake Ants at places she could not see.

    "It''s gone."

    "No, no, no, I don''t think so. Wait a little longer."

    As she cried, she ignored Xiao Qian''s urging and broke out in a cold sweat.

    "How troublesome."

    Xiao Qian sighed helplessly as he took the terrified little woman in his arms and held her in his arms.

    She was already frightened to the core, but now that Su Zhi had a broad chest, she was more at ease. She did not resist at all, allowing Xiao Qian to carry her down the mountain.

    "Again, I''ve caused trouble for the general."

    Xiao Qian did not say anything, but his eyebrows creased even more tightly.

    This woman was truly fragrant. Her body was so light, she didn''t even weigh much in his arms. She was as light as a ball of cotton, so she must have eaten too little on a daily basis.

    Su Zhi lowered her head, feeling wronged. She had nowhere to place her hands.

    Fear was human nature. Her legs were weak, they were truly weak ˇ­

    After a moment of silence, he felt awkward.

    Su Zhi always wanted to break this awkward situation by talking earlier, but in the end, she still chose to be quiet, afraid that she would cause trouble for others again.

    After walking for a while, they finally arrived at the camp.

 C35

    Just like last time, Xiao Qian put Su Zhi down and let her go back by herself to avoid being talked about by others.

    After Su Zhi recovered from her shock, she was no longer as frightened as she was before. Instead, she was more at ease with her gratitude towards Xiao Qian.

    She looked behind her, but there was no sign of the man. She smiled at the empty trail behind the mountain.

    Su Zhi washed her body clean and quickly fell asleep.

    That night, the Great General Xiao, who had returned from his night patrol, began to lose sleep again.

    He hurriedly changed out of his clothes that had caught the scent of Su Zhi''s body, changed into a worn-out robe, and lit a kerosene lamp to continue his nightly battle.

    When the soldier on night duty reminded him to sleep, Xiao Qian was still awake. He turned out the lights and went to bed to meditate.

    As the sun rose in the east, it was yet another sunny day.

    Su Zhi was sleeping soundly, and had a lot of energy when cooking. She finished cooking the breakfast in just a few hours.

    Early this morning, another batch of soldiers from the military camp packed up and left.

    The amount of food stored was decreasing rapidly, but there was also a significant reduction in the number of people.

    Seeing this, Su Zhi was also happy that the method had worked.

    Not long after he finished his work, Liu Zhong ran over to the kitchen excitedly and shouted to Su Zhi, "Lady Su, this is porridge for the general. I''m afraid it''s bad for the stomach if it gets cold, so I''ll have to trouble you to heat it up again."

    Su Zhi stopped the work she was doing and asked with a puzzled expression, "The breakfast hour has been going on for a long time. Did the general not eat at all during this time?"

    "Yes." The guard put the meal on the table as he saw the general meditating with his eyes closed. It took four hours for the general to get up. "

    Looks like he stayed up late last night looking at his account book.

    Why was this man so stubborn? He already said that he wouldn''t be in a hurry with her helping out.

    "I got it. I''ll heat up the porridge in the pot again and then I''ll take it myself."

    "Uh, then I''ll be troubling Young Lady Su."

    Su Zhi glanced at the untouched breakfast on the plate and shook her head helplessly. She quickly heated up the porridge, boiled another egg, hid it in her sleeve and carried the breakfast back to Xiao Qian''s tent.

    At this moment, Xiao Qian had just finished washing his face and rinsing his mouth. He didn''t feel hungry even though he hadn''t slept for the entire night. Seeing that it was already late in the morning, he was afraid that his lack of attention would arouse suspicion from his subordinates.

    Outside the door, the gatekeeping general''s laughter could be heard. "Young lady Su, you''re here."

    "En, I heard that the general did not have breakfast. I don''t know if it''s because of the taste, but I came here to ask."

    "The general is inside. Let me inform you."

    Xiao Qian heard their conversation and sat back in his chair. He opened the account book and started flipping through it.

    The general came in and said respectfully, "General, Madame Su has come to deliver your food."

    "Let her go back. This general isn''t hungry. I''ll go train with the accounts later."

    When the general heard that, he looked worried, "How can that be? People are made of iron, while people are made of steel. Besides, you have to work hard all night, so you have to be slow no matter what."

    Xiao Qian then stopped what he was doing and pretended to think deeply, "That''s true. Let her in."

    Hearing this, the general immediately got Su Zhi to go in and wait upon him.

    "General, are these dishes not to your liking?"

    Su Zhi saw Xiao Qian in armor the moment she entered the door. This uniform was meant for either training or hunting.

    "That''s not true. I have so many doubts about the account book that I forgot to have a meal."

    Su Zhi laughed and did not expose him. "No matter how busy you are, you still have to worry about eating. Tell me about the problems and I''ll answer them."

    Xiao Qian coughed and casually pointed out a place that would give her a headache.

 C36

    As a top student in economics, reading the account book was naturally a piece of cake for Su Zhi.

    The problem was not difficult, but the records were a mess and it would be quite difficult to sort them out.

    She took out the hidden egg and placed it in front of him. She smiled and said, "General, you''ve worked hard these past few days, so you should make up for it."

    Xiao Qian frowned and pushed the eggs back. "I''ve been in the army for many years and have never tried anything special. I''ll eat whatever the soldiers eat. The children on the left and right are still growing, take it back to them."

    Su Zhi had thought that he would refuse, but she had never thought that he would miss his child.

    "I won''t suffer for the children. Even if you don''t sleep at night, you won''t be able to rest easy. Your body is more important."

    Su Zhi didn''t care whether he refused or not. She peeled off the egg and handed it over to him.

    The man was unable to refuse her a few more times, so he could only continue to eat in silence.

    Seeing that he was finally willing to eat, Su Zhi was also happy, holding the account book and seriously flipping through it.

    Xiao Qian didn''t find it funny that she was so focused on eating the congee and following her to the other difficult cases.

    "From the looks of it, the words in this account book did not come from the same person."

    "That''s right. When Military Advisor Wu was here earlier, he was the one managing the account books. He was also the one who oversaw the big and small payments."

    Su Zhi nodded in understanding after hearing Xiao Qian''s explanation, "That''s why I don''t have any other problems with the accounts except that the decimal point is a little unknown. Starting from the middle and late stages of the game, there has been a large amount of bad debts and debts. The dates are unknown and the uses of the money are unknown.

    Xiao Qian nodded and said somewhat helplessly, "Before, Zhao Dagang had managed the accounts book. If there is a victory in the army, it is to boost the morale of the troops. He bought a large amount of good wine. He was the empress''s younger brother, so no one dared to question him. Even if he had money, no one would dare to question him. It has been a long time since I''ve returned from Mount Qilian in the north. I still don''t know what''s going on.

    A set of account books was managed by several people. It was easy for mistakes to occur. With the addition of a royal relative, who would dare to stick their tentacles into his sleeve? No wonder the later records were so messy.

    Su Zhi turned over a few pages in the back, and seeing that there were no records of purchasing a shop, she said, "If there really were food and wine, then it would be beneficial for the soldiers. At most, he would not be strict with his rules, and there would be no corresponding store to spend the money on ˇ­"

    "That''s right, this is the most troublesome part. "Later on, when I ordered some people to go to Border Town to investigate, I found out that Zhao Ditch used his identity to pressure people, and many of the good wines he bought didn''t even pay the silver, thus he took the merchant''s money for nothing."

    So that''s how it was.

    Su Zhi understood and did not ask any further questions. She continued to flip back and took out several unidentified expenses marked on the wolf pendant.

    "General, do you have a promissory note from a merchant that didn''t give money to you?"

    "Nope."

    The woman didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She took out the things but didn''t even give him the money or a promissory note. It was strange that she could take back this debt.

    Xiao Gan replied, "Zhao Dun is the country''s uncle and his status is very high. How could ordinary merchants dare to offend him? Of course they wouldn''t say that they owe him a paper."

    Without the promissory note, there would be no proof of death. Ever since Zhao Tong returned to the capital with his mother''s illness as the reason, no one could get a clear account book.

    He''d had a headache these past few days as well. If His Majesty found out about this mess by the end of the year, who knew what the consequences would be?

    Su Zhi said, "General, there''s no need to worry. There shouldn''t be any witnesses on the promissory notes. He must have called many soldiers to help him collect that much alcohol." "You have to explain this to the emperor when you''re free to return to the capital. His Imperial Uncle''s bluntness would also hurt His Majesty''s reputation. Why don''t you take a step back and admit your wrongs and say that there was originally a promissory note, but that the accountant lost it later on, allowing the public to know where the shortage of silver went?"

    Xiao Qian put down the bowl of porridge and said, "I''ve already filled a portion of the deficit, but I''m powerless to help with the rest."

    Su Zhi spat out a mouthful of blood. He was not the one who had taken the money.

    "General, there''s no need to do this. There''s always a way. Now that we''ve suffered so much loss in the military pay, we have to let the person, Zhao Du, spit it out."

    Xiao Gan asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

    Su Zhi thought for a moment. "Did anyone leave any trusted aides, trusted aides, or especially close friends in the military camp?"

    The man thought about it seriously, "There are a few people who gather in groups to drink and drink, and one of them is the first lieutenant."

    "If that''s the case, then it''ll be much easier. Send someone to test their background and see if they have any bad habits other than wandering around the city."

    "What do you mean?"

    Su Zhi smiled slyly and whispered a few words into Xiao Qian''s ear.

    "Your method?" Can it work? " Xiao Qian said with a hint of doubt.

    "At least it''s better than if you go and stupidly fill the gap. Moreover, you rushed in front of the emperor to say what Zhao Dun said, but didn''t you also slap his face?" If the two sides can''t work, then we can only find those few people to take the blame. "

    Su Zhi shrugged her shoulders. She had said the method, so whether it was used or not was none of her business.

    The man didn''t refute her and silently agreed to her suggestion.

    The two of them discussed a few more details and it wasn''t until Xiao Qian finished his porridge that their mood improved.

    The Imperial City hadn''t made any movements for the past few days, so it shouldn''t be like this. He estimated that the imperial edict would arrive at the border before long.

    After successfully solving the problem and eating breakfast comfortably, he felt more gratified than anything else.

    Xiao Qian saw that it was getting late and got up to leave.

    "I promised A Jin that I would teach him kung fu today, and that I would take him to train with the soldiers in the morning."

    Su Zhi tidied up the dishes and raised her head to look at him in surprise. "How old is A Jin? Learning martial arts is a bit too hasty right now. Let''s delay it for a few more years."

    When I was three years old, I started to ride in a horse stance. I tied up a sandbag and ran off in the morning. It''s not a bad idea for a man to train early.

    Su Zhi was unhappy. A Jin''s body hadn''t even fully grown yet. Who would feel sorry for her if she was exhausted?

    "I don''t agree ˇ­"

    Before the woman could finish her sentence, A Jin excitedly shouted from outside the tent, "Uncle Xiao, A Jin got up early to greet you."

    Xiao Qian smiled at her happily.

    Su Zhi unpacked the lunchbox, feeling extremely unhappy. If she had known earlier, she wouldn''t have given him any advice! Let him have his own headache for days.

    She opened the curtain and walked out. She saw that A Jin had gotten the armor from who knows where. When she put it on, she looked more spirited than ever. Her small face was as white as porcelain and she was eager to give it a try.

    "A Jin, aren''t you going to learn writing from your mom?"

    Su Zhi tried to induce it.

    Of course you have to learn it, but Uncle Xiao said that a man has to have both the arts and the culture.

    Xiao Qian crossed his arms, very satisfied with A Jin''s outfit. "It''s even like that. It''s rare for you to be so attentive at such a young age."

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him very impolitely. Can''t you just wait for me to have a son? What would he do if he didn''t seriously injure himself?

    The young and old duo tacitly ignored her supercilious look and went to the training field together.

    As Su Zhi watched the two figures leave, she suddenly felt that they seemed more like father and son.

    The woman realized this and quickly shook her head. This kind of thinking was very dangerous!

    She had wanted to follow him, but then she realized that it was inconvenient for one of her women to stay with her. Besides, there was a child in the tent, so she had to go back alone.

    He thought to himself: I''m probably just a child. I''m a bit curious about the things I''ve never tried before. After a few days, I won''t be in such a hurry to suffer.

 C37

    However, over the past few days, A Jin''s enthusiasm for learning kung fu did not diminish.

    Every time the child came back from his training, his body would be covered in dust, and even his inner clothes would be drenched in sweat.

    On the first day, he was so tired that his back ached and his waist ached. He kept tossing and turning the whole night without being able to sleep at all.

    Seeing this, Su Zhi''s heart ached. She tried to persuade A Jin to give up, or she was slowly rejected.

    Thus, the woman targeted Xiao Qian. With such intense training, how could it be called teaching a disciple? It was as if they were recruits.

    "Mother, please let me go. Uncle Xiao said that it was hard in the beginning, but when I finally catch up, I won''t be so tired anymore."

    Early in the morning, Su Zhi had blocked A Jin''s path, and had handed Little Dou Zi over for him to take care of. She refused to let him go out and practice no matter what.

    Su Zhi pretended to be pitiful, "I don''t care about the food of so many people, I can''t take care of your sister. Don''t go anywhere else today, just keep an eye on her."

    A Jin was discouraged. She gloomily squatted to the side and played a game of stone-catching with the small bean bag.

    The woman was busy with her work. She did not understand, "I do not understand why you must study martial arts now. You are still young and have trained to the detriment of your health. Why do you have to work so hard every day?"

    "Mom, A Jin wants to learn martial arts to protect you and her sister. In the future, no one will dare to bully you."

    As Su Zhi was peeling the beans, she heard A Jin''s explanation and stopped what she was doing.

    Ever since he found out about Nie Rufeng''s death, this child became even more sensible. It was unknown if he was worried that she would miss her late husband, so he happily smiled at everyone and even helped her clean up the kitchen. Now, he even said that he must practice kung fu with Xiao Qian.

    This child was so sensible that it caused one''s heart to ache.

    She sighed, not at all pleased.

    If Nie Rufeng hadn''t died in battle, the kid definitely wouldn''t have died in such a way. It was a pity that the heavens could never predict the future.

    "Mom is not opposed to you learning martial arts. It''s just that you are still young and your training is difficult. How can you do this with your thin arms and thin legs?"

    A Jin didn''t answer, instead, she picked up the stone with the back of her hand and threw it into the air. A few times, she caught the stone with the back of her hand.

    Seeing that he was staying and playing with his sister, Su Zhi did not say anymore and stood up with a blush.

    Only after her mother had left did A-Jin whisper into her mother''s ear. "Little Dou Zi, do you want to see Uncle Xiao?" Let''s go find him. "

    "Looking for Daddy ~"

    The bean bun smiled sweetly and suddenly remembered that there was someone like Xiao Qian. She stopped grabbing stones and stood up to run outside on her short legs while mumbling ''Daddy''.

    When Su Zhi heard the commotion, she turned around and saw Little Dou Zi sneaking out of the tent.

    "Ah, where are we going?"

    A Jin quickly replied, "Maybe she wants to go out to play. Mother, don''t worry, I will bring her back."

    Su Zhi nodded and let them go.

    This trip lasted for several hours, and even at dinner time, there were still no signs of the two children.

    Su Zhi thought that they were just having fun outside, but she didn''t see anyone when she went out to call them, so she naturally went into Xiao Qian''s camp.

    It was good that she didn''t go, but when she did, she saw Xiao Qian holding a small ball in his left hand and a ruler in his right.

    A Jin was riding on the side. His tired legs were trembling, and his face was a lot paler than before.

    Xiao Gan said, "Keep your lower body stable. A bit lower and you''ll almost stand up."

    Su Zhi flew into a rage and went forward to pick up A Jin, who was on the verge of collapsing, and began to curse, "I told you to look at your little sister, but you actually saw me here? If only you had come here to suffer and bear the hardships, you would have already planned to return to Tranquil Village.

    Seeing that Su Zhi had gotten angry, A Jin immediately grabbed her arm and acted like a spoiled child, "Mother, I was wrong."

    Su Zhi angrily took the small bean bag from Xiao Qian''s arms. With a gloomy face, she scared the little girl so much that she cried out loud, "Daddy! Daddy!"

    Damn it, this damn child was really in pain for nothing!

    "What were you eating today that made you angry at a kid?"

    Xiao Qian saw that Dou Zi was crying, so he quickly carried the child back. He hugged the child and coaxed him up and down.

    The woman was stunned. When did this fellow learn how to coax children? He was quite adept at it.

    The small bean bag returned to Xiao Qian''s arms and immediately stopped crying. Her small, white, chubby hands tightly gripped the front of Xiao Qian''s clothes as she pitifully laid on his chest, gasping for air.

    Su Zhi felt embarrassed. Her own son and daughter were about to become the family of someone else, she was really going to die from anger.

    "Alright, alright, alright. You all don''t want me anymore. I won''t serve you anymore."

    After saying that, he turned around to leave. A Jin rushed forward and hugged her leg, looking at her with her big blinking eyes. "Mother, don''t be angry."

    With a cold expression, Su Zhi was determined to leave. Little Dou Zi immediately could not take it anymore, and started to scream again, "Mother!"

    The power of the two children crying together was not small. Not long after, whispers could be heard from outside, "What''s going on inside? Those two children are still obediently crying. How could they cry so loudly today?"

    "Who knows ˇ­"

    "We, the generals, didn''t bully my mother, right?"

    Su Zhi choked on her words, then helped A Jin up, stopping him from crying.

    Noticing that his mother was not leaving, the little bean bag immediately stopped crying and turned her head to the side, refusing to let her carry it.

    The woman''s face cracked! Well, the playwright, she didn''t have a daughter like that!

    "I''m leaving."

    "Don''t, Mother!"

    "Wooo ~ ~"

    Su Zhi rubbed her head, feeling a headache coming on. She was doomed for life!

    Who said her child was well-behaved and sensible? They were obviously two people who were good at small things.

    "I''m not going to bring food, I''m going to starve you three to death!"

    Noticing the situation, A Jin did not make any more noise, and Little Dou was no longer crying.

    Only a confused Xiao Qian looked at the two of them and shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

    Because of A Jin''s martial arts training, Su Zhi and Xiao Qian were at loggerheads. They didn''t talk to him for days, nor went to the back mountain at night. Even though they slept uncomfortably, they still didn''t want to bother with him.

    Xiao Qian felt very helpless towards this. He was fine originally, but why did he just ignore him?

    His birthday in May of this year was already twenty-three people, but he had never married or had children, not even a concubine. He did not know what women thought, nor did he know how to coax them.

    Su Zhi ignored him. Although he did not understand, it was not good for him to ask. She was afraid that if he talked too much, she would dislike him, so they would have even less chance to talk.

    Today, when Su Zhi angrily barged in, Xiao Qian was stunned for a while. It took him a long time to understand that Su Zhi was angry with him because of A Jin.

    During the night, Xiao Qian took the initiative to bring the two children back. Su Zhi was sitting alone on the bed, lost in thought with her hands on her cheeks.

    A Jin ran up happily and called out, "Mom!"

    Su Zhi came back to her senses and accepted the child with a smile.

    She struggled to get out of Xiao Qian''s arms and ran towards her mother in a soft and adorable manner.

    Looking at the scene of the family of three embracing each other, Xiao Qian''s cold and resolute face was slightly moved.

    "When the children are asleep, come to the tent and check the books with me. I have two questions."

    Su Zhi did not even raise her head as she replied indifferently, "This humble woman does not dare disobey General''s orders."

    After coaxing the child to sleep, the woman was invited out.

 C38

    It was 15 years old, and the moon was round.

    A golden full moon hung in the ink-black sky. The river of stars was vast, and the wind was cold and still.

    Not long after Su Zhi left the camp, she was pulled into the shadows by Xiao Qian once again.

    Outside, it was dark and he could not see anything. Su Zhi met his deep eyes.

    Xiao Qian looked at her, confused. "Are you angry at me because of A Jin?"

    Su Zhi was speechless. How fresh was it? Is this man stupid? She had been sulking alone for several days, but he finally understood today?

    "This humble woman doesn''t dare." The woman forcefully answered.

    "You do."

    "Nope."

    Xiao Qian looked at her seriously. His clear eyes were like clear water, filled with innocence.

    "I will teach him my life''s work. As long as he is willing to learn, I will definitely be a strict teacher."

    Su Zhi: "ˇ­"

    As expected, he still didn''t understand where her dot was!

    "You, it''s not that I don''t think you taught him well ˇ­"

    Instead, he taught them to be too strict. Which mother didn''t feel sorry for her child and would come back every day tired like a pug? How could such a small child endure all of this?

    "Forget it, I''m going back to sleep."

    Su Zhi struggled free of his shackles and wanted to return.

    Xiao Qian pulled her back and pointed towards the back of the mountain. "Tonight, I''ll send you over there. A Jin said that you haven''t slept well these few days. You''re not like us men; no matter how dirty or smelly your bed is, it''s still tolerable. Your job is not that easy. If you don''t rest well, you''ll collapse."

    Su Zhi nodded slightly, thanking him for his good intentions.

    His attitude was very sincere, and if he continued to embarrass himself, he would appear to be ignorant.

    "I''ll wait for you on the other side of the road."

    Su Zhi nodded and hurried back into the tent to get a kerosene lamp.

    Last time, he couldn''t see the road clearly, so he twisted his leg and almost stepped on the snake. The lighting effect of the kerosene lamp wasn''t that good, but it was still better than nothing.

    The woman took the lamp, and after confirming that the two children had no signs of awakening, she left the tent.

    He hadn''t left for several days. The gatekeeper was a little surprised to see Su Zhi today. "Sister-in-law is going out?"

    "That''s right, I''ll have to trouble you to help me open the door."

    The little general nodded, opened the door, and kindly reminded, "Sister-in-law, be careful. There are ferocious beasts around tonight. You must be very careful."

    Su Zhi laughed.

    What are you afraid of? With the protection of your general.

    Tonight, the wind was somewhat strong. It was unknown if it was because she had not gone out for a few days, but her heart was always somewhat frantic.

    The woman made her way up the hill by the faint light of the kerosene lamp.

    When they were almost to the mountain trail in front of them, they looked around for a familiar figure.

    Under the moonlight, she could see Xiao Qian waiting for her on top of the hill. The night wind lifted up the corner of the man''s clothes, and under the cover of night, the man looked like an immortal.

    "I''ve kept the general waiting."

    Xiao Qian nodded at her as they walked along the small mountain path.

    Along the way, the two of them did not talk much. Su Zhi felt that the atmosphere was a little strange. She wanted to speak up a few times to break the silence, but did not know what to say.

    Soon, they arrived at the hot spring pool.

    After Xiao Qian had checked the safety of the surroundings, she indicated to Su Zhi that she could start moving.

    The wind was strong tonight, and the moment the woman took off her clothes, she clearly felt a chill, so she couldn''t help but let out a soft moan. A soft voice accurately entered Xiao Qian''s ears.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Su Zhi quickly replied, "It''s fine."

    Only when she went into the water did Su Zhi feel better. It had been a few days since she had last bathed, and she even felt disgusted with the water.

    The woman took out a mask and applied it to her face. As she applied the bath solution to her body, the pleasant fragrance started wafting towards her again.

    In order to be in a hurry, Su Zhi did not dare to linger any longer. After about ten minutes, she wiped herself clean and prepared to put on her clothes.

    Tonight, the forest was never quiet. Leaves rustled in the wind as they sobbed.

    Suddenly, a howl came from the depths of the forest. Su Zhi could hear it loud and clear. It was the voice of a wolf.

    Recalling her previous experience of barely surviving, a bad premonition hit her instantly. She couldn''t help but shiver and quicken her movements, quickly going ashore to put on her clothes.

    Unfortunately, the undergarment that was left beside the reeds just now was gone, leaving behind only the inner garment that was used for washing up.

    Such bad luck, it couldn''t have been blown away by the wind, right?

    Su Zhi covered her body and quickly looked around, but there was no trace of her personal clothes. She was so embarrassed that she didn''t know what to do.

    "If you are clean, then we should leave. There are wolves three hundred meters away, and there are three of them."

    Xiao Qian''s deep voice sounded.

    Hearing that, Su Zhi''s heart turned cold, she was so anxious that she was about to cry.

    "I, I''m fine now. I''m fine now ˇ­"

    Hearing her anxiety, the man comforted her instead, "Don''t be afraid, we will be fine. Just take your time."

    "No, mine... My things are gone. "

    Xiao Qian frowned, puzzled, and asked, "What did you bring with you when you went out?"

    Su Zhi was so embarrassed that she wanted to dive into the pool, so she stammered, "I ˇ­" My apron is gone. "

    Her tone was anxious and she sounded tearful like she was helpless. The little figure she was looking for looked really cute and innocent.

    When Xiao Qian heard this, his eyebrows that had originally been in a state ready for war trembled. He coughed lightly and unnaturally asked, "You ˇ­" Is it somewhere? "

    Su Zhi shook her head, feeling both wronged and helpless. "No, it wasn''t there just now. I''ll get rid of the ones here ˇ­"

    Xiao Qian cleared his throat, not knowing what to say.

    It was inconvenient for him to help with the search for his daughter''s personal clothes. He could only concentrate on ensuring the safety of the two of them. The longsword in his hand had already left its scabbard, moving with the wind.

    At the left rear!

    "Be careful!"

    With a stern shout, he turned around and leaped over the pool in front of him, then viciously sent a roundhouse kick towards the belly of the wild wolf that was pouncing towards Su Zhi.

    The huge wolf took the hit and was kicked far away. It bared its white teeth in pain as it glared at the two people in front of it.

    She did not know how the wolf had snuck into the grass. She did not care about looking for the small thing, but holding the kerosene lamp, she quickly snuggled close to Xiao Qian, her legs trembling in fear.

    "Did you find it?"

    Xiao Qian was not flustered at all. He pointed the long sword in his hand at the wild wolf and protected Su Zhi''s back.

    "No ˇ­." "I wonder where the wind blew it off to."

    "No problem, continue looking." Be careful to the right in front of you and to the left to the rear. There are wolves. "

    His expression did not change as he said so casually. The more scared Su Zhi was, the more she held the kerosene lamp in her hand. With a sullen face, she was afraid that if she was not careful, a wolf would jump out from the bushes and bite her neck.

    Last time, one was not enough to scare him, but this time, there were three.

    If he had known earlier, he wouldn''t have come to the back of the mountain.

    Su Zhi tensed up and her palms began to sweat. Her hands were stiff as she gripped the candlestick tightly. Under the light of the candle flame, there was something that resembled a small square handkerchief in the grass.

    Wasn''t that the apron that she had been searching for all day!

    Su Zhi stretched out her trembling hand and picked it up before putting it away in her bosom. She then said with a sigh, "I''ve found it. Think of a way to leave."

    As soon as Xiao Qian finished speaking, the wolf that was attacking Xiao Qian attacked again. Its huge front claws dug a deep hole in the ground and pounced on the two of them.

 C39

    Xiao Qian waved the long sword in his hand and met the wolf head-on. He spun it half a meter away from the wolf, and with his long arm holding onto the sword''s hilt, he stabbed it into the wolf''s throat.

    The wolf whimpered in pain, still unwilling to let go of the food near its mouth. It opened its bloody mouth and roared at Su Zhi.

    Ah!

    That wolf head was only ten centimeters away from her, so she could clearly see its sharp, eerie white teeth.

    "Aowu ~"

    The thick smell of blood stimulated the beast''s nerves. Seeing that the gray wolf was shackled, the other two wolves that had hidden themselves in the wild started to attack as well.

    The two wolves pounced on Su Zhi at the same time. She was scared out of her wits. A chill ran up her spine as she instinctively ran towards the empty space at the side.

    From time to time, the howls of the wild wolves could be heard behind him, like a series of death talismans, stabbing into one''s ears.

    But the wolf did not catch up quickly.

    Xiao Qian protected her behind him and used his sword to make a path for her to escape.

    Su Zhi did not dare to look back. She was clearly scared to death, but she was still worried about Xiao Qian''s safety.

    She forced herself to calm down. She had to think of a way to save Xiao Qian. A pair of him would definitely suffer a loss.

    On the other side.

    Xiao Qian was fighting with the three huge wolves. He thought that Su Zhi would have gone far, so he let go.

    Ah!

    Just as he relaxed his mind, the screams of a woman came from not too far away.

    Xiao Qian panicked and used his Qing Gong to chase after her.

    Originally, the mountain road was not steep and easy to walk on, so Su Zhi turned her foot in a hurry.

    "Are you alright?"

    "No ˇ­." "It''s fine."

    Su Zhi gritted her teeth. She was angry that she was useless and struggled to get up. A bone-piercing pain came from her ankles.

    The two gray wolves and the injured one quickly caught up.

    Xiao Qian had no time to pay attention to Su Zhi''s injuries as he focused on dealing with them.

    Su Zhi collapsed and continued to stumble down the mountain, ignoring the pain from her numb feet.

    On the other side.

    Behind Xiao Qian was a steep cliff. If he wasn''t careful, he would step on it and fall.

    The three wild wolves saw that he was alone and helpless. Their eyes glowed green as they salivated.

    Xiao Qian smiled. He was not afraid of surrounding wolves and did not plan to go head to head with them. His top priority was to find Su Zhi. He was afraid that something might happen to her in this wilderness.

    Just as he was about to flip over and jump off the cliff, a flame lit up on his left, accompanied by the woman''s brazen shout, "Ah! Burn you beasts to death! "

    Xiao Qian''s hand slightly trembled as he held the sword. This woman was truly ˇ­ Didn''t I tell her to leave!? Coming back to die?

    "What are you doing?"

    "General, do not be afraid. I know that wolves are afraid of fire. They do not dare to approach us."

    Xiao Qian felt his temple twitch. He was speechless. Should he thank her for her consideration? They thought that he was so useless that he couldn''t even handle a mere three headed wolf!

    "Come here if you dare!"

    Su Zhi bundled up the dead grass in a bundle and used a kerosene lamp to light up the dead grass. The torch burned brilliantly and the falling sparks ignited the surrounding weeds as well.

    Xiao Qian felt his head ache. Did this woman want to burn the wolves or themselves?

    "Put down the torch. Be careful to light it up and set it on fire."

    "That won''t happen, I know my limits ˇ­"

    Before he could finish his sentence, a dark red light shot into the sky from less than a hundred meters away from the two of them.

    ''Bang! '' With a loud bang, red sparks blossomed in the pitch-black night sky, followed by several other loud sounds that cut through the night sky.

    Su Zhi was dumbfounded, she did not notice that the fire had already become more intense.

    The spreading flames forced the wolves to retreat, and with a few explosions, the surrounding wolves lost their momentum and retreated. They whimpered a few times before disappearing into the night.

    "Su Zhi, what did you do?"

    "I... I just lit a torch. "

    Xiao Qian was both angry and anxious at the same time. He wished he could slap her on the head and ignite the flare with a torch.

    Now, everyone in the military base had to know that the two of them didn''t sleep in the middle of the night, so they ran around the back of the mountain.

    Su Zhi also felt that she had done something wrong. When she had ignited the ignition just now, she might have accidentally ignited something that should not have been ignited.

    Sure enough, after hearing the sound of the signal detonator igniting, the originally quiet military camp was instantly lit up. Large numbers of soldiers heard the sound and rushed towards the back of the mountain while looking for the colorful smoke in the sky.

    "How... "What should we do?"

    "What else can we do? Run!"

    Su Zhi was on the verge of tears. Typically, good intentions couldn''t do good.

    At this moment, the only road down the mountain had been blocked. Soldiers with weapons at their waists were holding torches, rushing up one after another.

    Su Zhi panicked and almost ran into the soldiers searching for her. Xiao Qian pulled her over and ran towards the southeast.

    "General, slow down. I-I can''t run anymore."

    "Even if you can''t run, you still have to. If the soldiers run into you, how do you explain yourself? It doesn''t matter to me as a man, but your innocence is gone. "

    Su Zhi was so tired that she was gasping for breath as he pulled her along. Her ankle had just been sprained, so she could not run. She just sat down on the ground and gave up.

    "I can''t run anymore. I''m not running anymore, at most I''ll just speak the truth. It''s my responsibility. I won''t shirk from my responsibilities, and I''ll admit it even if I eat the army stick and eat the board."

    Xiao Qian turned his head to look at her and squatted down with a mischievous smile, "Is that true?" I told you, if that board were to go down, your butt would probably blossom, not to mention your tender skin and body. You will be beaten until you spit out blood, and your life will be in danger. "

    Su Zhi pursed her lips and looked at him innocently. She couldn''t help but cry. "General ˇ­"

    Xiao Qian raised his eyebrows and teased, "Why don''t you go and get punished? I don''t have to take you and run all over the place."

    Su Zhi quickly shook her head. "No, no, no. Run, I can still run!" "Running at night is good for physical and mental health!"

    Without waiting for him to pull her, the woman let out a howl and ran towards the forest.

    Xiao Qian couldn''t help but laugh.

    The two of them were hiding in the forest, but there were more and more soldiers searching, so they had no choice but to hide in the trees.

    "Go over there and check if there are any random people around!"

    "Also, do not let any of the soil over there go! Search carefully one by one!"

    The two people who were chased to the point where they had lost their bearings were hiding in the trees. Using the camouflage of the night sky and the cover of the tree branches, they were lucky enough to escape this calamity.

    Su Zhi panted, anxiously watching the movements under the tree. Fortunately, it was the time of midsummer, and the luxuriant foliage was the best shelter.

    It was just that after running for so long, his entire body was drenched in sweat.

    The one leading the search was the vice commander of the army, Tan Zhao. This person was a capable general like Xiao Qian.

    Su Zhi had met him a few times, he was a strong and burly man in life, but he was extremely meticulous and had a keen insight.

    ''Bang! '' Not far away, there was a signal detonator ignited. Multicolored lights lit up the night sky as if it was daytime.

 C40

    The tree was narrow, so Su Zhi and Xiao Qian had to squeeze together. Looking at the fireworks alone sounded romantic, but it was not.

    Su Zhi did not dare to look at Xiao Qian''s face, afraid that he would kick her down in anger.

    If she hadn''t been so stupid tonight, things wouldn''t have turned out this way. The grand general actually squeezed a tree branch with her. Just thinking about it made her feel stifled, and the more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt.

    Su Zhi could not help but hug the tree branch beside her. If Xiao Qian was really angry, it would be easier for her to guard against it.

    After her actions, the tight colored undergarment slipped out of her clothes.

    The woman almost cried out in fear. She wanted to reach out to grab it, but she was too late.

    The soft undergarment formed a square as it fell towards the head of Tan Zhao, who was standing under the tree.

    It''s over, I''m afraid I''ll have to die in the back mountain tonight!

    Su Zhi covered her face and did not dare to look down. She did not dare to imagine how she would explain being caught red-handed.

    No, why bother explaining it! If you jump into the Yellow River, you won''t be able to clean it.

    In that split-second, Xiao Qian used his foot to hook the falling undergarment. It was only two meters away from the position of the vice commander.

    Su Zhi saw through her fingers that Xiao Qian''s expression was unnatural as she grabbed the undergarment and stuffed it into her hands like a hot potato, her ears turning red.

    Because of this small movement, the branch that couldn''t withstand the gravity let out a creaking sound.

    Qin Wentian heard the commotion, and instantly shifted his gaze onto the tree as he coldly stared at Qin Wentian.

    "Someone come!" Bring a torch! "

    Hearing that, all the blood in Su Zhi''s body froze.

    Upon receiving the order, a soldier immediately brought a torch over.

    Tan Zhao caught the torch and was about to reach for the tree when he was distracted by a sound coming from afar.

    "Who is it!"

    Not even six feet away from where he was, a figure quickly dashed out. That person''s speed was extremely fast, and after he flashed through the forest, he immediately disappeared without a trace.

    "Chase!"

    He had already thought about what to say after exposing the other party''s identity. He didn''t expect that he would be lucky enough to escape this calamity.

    Su Zhi let out a long sigh, feeling as if she had just survived a disaster. She looked to her side, only to realize that there was no trace of Xiao Qian around, and that he had risked his life to lure the soldiers away.

    The group ran in the opposite direction, moving further and further away from her.

    Now that she was safe, Su Zhi wiped the sweat off her forehead and carefully climbed down the tree. However, she did not expect her hands and feet to be so weak.

    "Ouch!" Realizing that she had lost control of herself, Su Zhi quickly covered her mouth and lay on the ground, not daring to move.

    "Eh? Did you hear anything just now? "

    The two young generals who had been left alone returned with torches in hand and looked in the direction Su Zhi had fallen.

    "Yes, it sounded like a woman''s voice." the soldier replied.

    "I think it''s because you miss women." Soldier B joked.

    "Don''t spout nonsense. Lady Su went out of the camp tonight, and I haven''t seen anyone. I wonder where she went."

    As the two soldiers got closer, the light became brighter. Naturally, Su Zhi could hear every word they were discussing.

    Su Zhi, who was lying on the ground, was sweating anxiously, hoping that the two of them could leave quickly.

    "That''s strange, we didn''t even see the general when we first came up."

    "What do you know? Who do you think our general is? He must have come here to investigate after hearing the news."

    The closer the two people got, the more Su Zhi would have nowhere to hide.

    At this critical moment, a figure quickly jumped out from the west side and stood in front of the two men, blocking their way. "Since you know that this general has arrived, you should be more nimble with your words."

    The two soldiers looked closely and saw that it was Xiao Qian, who was wearing armor and holding a long sword.

    "Your subordinate pays his respects to the general!" The two of them immediately stopped and bowed.

    Xiao Qian nodded slightly and pointed in the direction of the group. "There''s no need to search this place. We can go and see if there are any clues."

    "Yes, sir!"

    After the soldier left, Xiao Qian let out a breath and looked at Su Zhi who was obediently lying on the grass without moving. He found her funny.

    "He''s already gone, and he still hasn''t gotten up."

    Su Zhi raised her head and spat out the grass that she had choked in her mouth. She looked at him pitifully. "I can''t get up, my legs are broken."

    Xiao Qian frowned and immediately went to check on her injuries.

    "Can''t move my feet?"

    With a sullen face, Su Zhi pointed to her left leg and said pitifully, "She must be crippled."

    "Nonsense, what are you talking about?"

    It was just a dislocated part.

    Xiao Qian had fought in the army for many years and could even use simple Bone Connecting Doctors, not to mention these.

    Thus, screams of agony could be heard everywhere the army searched.

    Su Zhi even had the heart to stab Xiao Gan. She did not know if he was crippled or not, but in short, it was pretty tragic.

    Xiao Qian did not know how to react and did not give her time to catch her breath. He grabbed her feet with his rough hands and tossed and turned around. No matter how she shouted, it was useless.

    "General ˇ­" I think I''m fine now, running three hundred miles without catching my breath. Please, old man, don''t move anymore. "

    Xiao Qian frowned as he stared at the three inch golden lotus. He said in a low voice, "Don''t move. I''m just helping you connect the two. Why are you crying like this?"

    Was he helping her? I might as well strangle her to death. Does this man even know what being protective of the fairer sex is?!

    Xiao Qian rubbed her feet as he rubbed them back and forth. When she wasn''t paying attention, he used his strength to push her forward.

    "Ya!"

    No, that''s not right. This woman''s foot is too small.

    Ah!

    "Oh!"

    "Hey!"

    After repeating it a few times, Xiao Qian''s sharp senses heard a crisp sound. Only then did he put down Su Zhi in satisfaction. "Alright, this time is good. Try it."

    Su Zhi, who was lying on the ground near collapse, quickly crawled a few steps forward. She turned her head and looked at Xiao Qian in fear.

    Xiao Qian looked at the woman, confused, and asked, "What are you doing?" You don''t think the fall is painful enough. "

    As he spoke, he went over to see what was going on.

    "NO!" Don''t come near me! "

    Su Zhi slapped her shoes on the ground and raised her voice, "Men and women shouldn''t get too close to each other. You''re not allowed to get within three feet of them."

    Xiao Qian crossed his arms as if he was watching a play. He smiled at the woman and said, "Alright then. Since that''s the case, I won''t bother with you. I''ll go first."

    "Oh, right. There are plenty of snakes and wolves on this mountain. Take a closer look."

    Xiao Qian was about to leave when Su Zhi hurriedly put on her shoes and said, "Wait! As the saying goes, the children of the martial arts world do not care about small details, they do not do anything to help each other. We are not afraid of the shadow slanting at all. "

    Seeing that she was on the verge of tears yet was still trying to remain calm, Xiao Qian''s mood improved a lot.

    "Then hurry up and get up."

    "Alright!"

    Su Zhi stood up from the ground and patted off the grass on her body.

    Xiao Qian''s method was a bit crude, but it was still effective.

    "Where should we go now?"

    "Walk down the right path."

    "Then wouldn''t we be caught red-handed?"

    Xiao Qian strode forward without the slightest hesitation and headed down the mountain path.

    Su Zhi followed behind, unsure of what he was planning to do.

 C41

    "If I appear together with the general in front of everyone, it will definitely arouse their suspicion. A commoner, a country woman, who has lost her husband, is not afraid of gossip or gossip. Since the general is not married yet, his reputation must not be tarnished. "

    After hearing Su Zhi''s words, Xiao Qian turned to look at her, a faint smile on his face, "Remember, you did leave the camp tonight, but you went back before the incident happened. You don''t know anything about what just happened. For the sake of safety, I will personally send you back. I will return to camp after dawn. "You understand?"

    Su Zhi nodded as if she didn''t quite understand. She listened to his arrangements and was escorted back to the tent, unharmed.

    Something had happened in the army, and the night was not peaceful.

    The two children were frightened and woke up early.

    The little bun wailed incessantly as he curled up in his big brother''s arms, shouting for his mother.

    A Jin didn''t know what was going on outside. When she woke up, she felt unsettled even if she didn''t see her mother. Seeing the ruckus outside and not daring to go out, she could only coax the little bean bag and wait for her mother to come back.

    When Su Zhi sneaked back to the camp, the guards had already changed. She said that they had just left and were quite frightened when she saw a few flashes of fire in the sky. She quickly came back.

    Hearing her words, the gatekeeper wasn''t surprised at all.

    Su Zhi heaved a sigh of relief. Thankfully, they had swapped people before and after, so she could just say whatever she wanted.

    When she entered the barracks, she could hear the little girl''s crying from a short distance away. She quickly ran back.

    Su Zhi opened the tent and saw that both of her eyes were swollen like peaches. Even A Jin''s eyes were red.

    When the two kids saw that she had returned, they tightly embraced the woman on her left and right. The two kids'' actions pained Su Zhi to death. It was only after a long while did they console the child.

    As she lay on the bed, Su Zhi''s mind was still not at peace. She did not know how Xiao Qian was doing.

    He kept tossing and turning until daybreak, unable to sleep soundly.

    The next day, the sun had just risen.

    Su Zhi stared at her sleepy eyes as she got out of bed to get busy with her meals. All of the soldiers who had gone out to search the back mountain had returned, and even Tan Zhao, who had been searching all night, had returned.

    She asked about Xiao Qian''s whereabouts in private, but no one knew. She only knew that the general had gone in the direction of the Huns and hadn''t come back yet.

    Su Zhi was a little worried about Xiao Qian, who hadn''t returned for an entire night. She was the one who had caused the disaster, which was why she had implicated him.

    Thinking about it, he felt guilty. As a great general, given how powerful the other party was, when had he ever felt aggrieved about not being able to return to the camp?

    She specifically left some food for Xiao Qian, absent-mindedly cleaning up the leftovers. Her heart was completely focused on the back mountain, and she didn''t know where Xiao Qian would return from.

    Liu Zhong stood to the side and helped her. When he saw that she was still in a daze, he joked, "Is Lady Su thinking about the general?"

    Su Zhi nodded mechanically and quickly shook her head, "What nonsense are you talking about? Why aren''t you working?"

    Liu Zhong narrowed his eyes and laughed sinisterly, "Speaking of which, it sounds strange. Last night, when the signal from the back mountain was ignited by someone, Vice Commander Qin went to the tent to look for the general and found him missing. "Where do you think the general will go in the middle of the night?"

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him, not caring at all, "That''s still hard to say. I must have heard some sound of wind and gone to the back of the mountain to investigate."

    Liu Zhong put down the slop bucket in his hand, rubbed his chin and said thoughtfully, "That''s unlikely. The general has never encountered such a situation in his life. He would not dare to give an order at the first possible moment. However, he did not do so yesterday. This only means that the general was not in the camp from the start, which meant that the Vice Commander had failed to do anything. "

    Su Zhi''s eyebrows twitched and she acted like she was very busy. She lifted the basket of cabbage beside her and put it in the wooden bucket to wash.

    "Hey, hey, Lady Su, you''ve washed this cabbage."

    "I know, I can''t do it twice. If I don''t clean up, I will get a stomach upset."

    Liu Zhong smiled to the point that he almost wanted to punch out. He leaned over and reminded her, "This is the second time."

    "If you''re bored or bored, then take out the raw meat from last night and cut it into halves first. Then we''ll have a lunch of spiced meat fillets and eggplant minced meat. Cut the meat into small pieces for me."

    Liu Zhong was not angry at all, smiling as he threw a few pieces of raw meat on the chopping block. He turned his head to Su Zhi and said, "Lady Su, I heard that you were out of the camp last night."

    Su Zhi''s heart skipped a beat as she pretended not to care. "So what? I went back to camp before the signal detonator was ignited. I don''t know what happened, but it''s really scary."

    Liu Zhong chopped some minced meat and said, "The gatekeeper has changed a batch. Since when did you come back?"

    Su Zhi was furious, throwing a basket of cabbage on the chopping board, she said to Liu Zhong, "Why are you studying these? "What, do you have to learn how to ask people about their private affairs and write a word book?"

    Liu Zhong quickly smiled apologetically. "Look at what Madame Su said, I''m just asking. There''s no other reason." "But you''re right, my dad is just like a book, the words in that book are really well read."

    Su Zhi glared at him unhappily and did not intend to continue arguing with him.

    At this point, a soldier ran into the kitchen and gasped, "Hurry, hurry. Prepare some food. The general is back."

    Xiao Qian had returned. Su Zhi nodded and immediately took out the meat porridge and the soy sauce cake that were still warm in the pot. She then picked up a plate of pickled vegetables and hurriedly left.

    Liu Zhong smiled evilly as he watched Su Zhi leave.

    At this moment, Xiao Qian had just returned to his tent. Tan Zhao and a few other lieutenants were discussing what had happened last night with him.

    "Last night''s incident happened so suddenly. I was still on my patrol when I saw a signal flare in the sky. I thought that the thieves had sneaked in, so I followed the flames and headed towards the northwest. Did any suspicious people sneak into the army?"

    Tan Zhao realized that he had already left a long time ago. No wonder he didn''t see anyone at the time. "No, I brought people to search around the back mountain. I didn''t catch any suspicious people even after meeting with a few bright fires." On the other hand, if one does not see a group of human figures, it is difficult to say if it is not an illusion created by the shadows of the night. "

    Xiao Qian nodded and continued, "These past few days have been very dry and dry. It''s hard to avoid the phosphorous fire touching the signal detonator. Later, you can give the order to bury that thing in a more secluded area."

    "This lowly general obeys."

    Tan Zhao paused before continuing, "But ˇ­ If it wasn''t man-made, then how did the flames of the rear mountain ignite? "

    As soon as this question was raised, one of the lieutenants nodded and agreed, "That''s right. This lowly official had looked around last night and found traces of a fire being set alight."

    Xiao Qian raised his eyebrows and knocked on the table with his ten fingers. He lowered his voice and said, "Last night, I went over a few miles. I really did discover something strange."

    Hearing his words, the few generals pricked up their ears and asked curiously, "What does the general mean?"

    Xiao Qian didn''t beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "I saw the nomads from the north. They were gathered at the foot of the barren mountains in the north. Apart from the tents, there are also a few thatched huts. It seems like they have lived here for quite some time. Their movements are light and light, and they are using sand as fuel. Obviously, they do not wish for anyone to know that they are here. "

    Tan Zhao frowned and asked, "Are they Huns?"

    Xiao Qian shook his head, "No, he looks like a member of the Rou Family."

    Hearing this, the few of them had different thoughts.

    Ruthlessness was something that happened more than a decade ago. Under the leadership of the Great Ancestor, the last time the Great Wei was unyielding to its enemies was when the city was being softly invaded.

    However, it had gently disappeared for more than ten years. Even a remnant tribe had joined the ranks of the Huns.

    So there was a change in the Huns?

 C42

    "General, the breakfast has been prepared. Do you want to pass it to us?"

    A request came from outside the tent. Seeing this, Tan Chao and the others cupped their hands and left.

    Xiao Qian didn''t ask them to stay and just nodded and called for people to come in.

    "General, were you alright last night?"

    Su hurriedly asked the moment she entered the tent, before she even had the time to put down the lunchbox.

    "Thanks to you, this general has been staring at the stars all night. I did not sleep in the middle of the night and climbed up to his window."

    Eyebrows...

    Su Zhi''s face stiffened. She scratched her head in embarrassment and said, "I was stupid enough to harm the general."

    Xiao Qian stretched out his hand to stop her, "It might not be a bad thing. Last night, I discovered something. If I wasn''t forced to do it, I might not have realized it."

    "I wonder what the general found?"

    Xiao Qian took care of himself as he picked up the bowl of porridge and didn''t answer directly. He only said, "Anyway, last night wasn''t that bad. You don''t have to blame yourself too much."

    Su Zhi pouted and said that it was a lie if she didn''t blame herself. She hadn''t slept well that night. Wasn''t she just feeling guilty and unable to eat or sleep well?

    "After training my troops, I will continue to lead my troops to hunt. This time ˇ­" I''m going to walk away. "

    Xiao Qian smiled with an unknown meaning. Who knew? He might encounter something.

    "Is the general planning to go far away?"

    "I can''t say far, but we have to walk for a while. This time, I won''t take A Jin with me. The road might be dangerous, but it''s better if he stays in the camp."

    Su Zhi didn''t understand why he looked so guilty. Who would want him to take A Jin to torture?

    The bowl of porridge hadn''t finished yet, so the two continued to chat idly.

    The sound of galloping horses came from outside the city gate, accompanied by a few loud shouts, "There''s news from the capital! There''s news from Beijing! "

    The city guards pushed open the wooden fences, opened the gates, and presented the report.

    Xiao Qian also heard the ruckus from outside. He got up and walked outside, and before he could personally interrogate the little general, he had already dismounted from his horse and was kneeling on one knee. "General!" The news has come from the Imperial City! "

    "Bring it here!"

    The small soldier picked up the rolled up letter with both hands and respectfully handed it over.

    Xiao Qian opened the scroll and roughly scanned through. His brows were slightly knit, and his cherry lips were slightly pursed. He didn''t seem very happy.

    When Tan Zhao received the news, he quickly returned from the training grounds.

    "General, I heard that His Majesty''s orders have been issued. May I know what''s next?"

    Xiao Qian tossed the scroll in his hand to him and said in a deep voice, "The Emperor wants me to return immediately and leave this place."

    Su Zhi was surprised when she heard this. Wasn''t it a good thing to be able to leave so soon?

    "Why didn''t the letter mention the salary for placing the soldiers?"

    Xiao Qian cast a cold glance at him, and Tan Zhao immediately understood, falling silent.

    Not long ago, he had specifically written a letter about this matter and guaranteed for the idle soldiers to return home. Now that no mention of the military salary or silver coins was heard by the soldiers, it was no longer allowed to explode.

    "Follow me."

    Tan Zhao nodded and followed Xiao Qian into the tent.

    Su Zhi didn''t want to listen in, so she went back to the kitchen silently.

    No one knew where Liu Zhong went, but there were still piles of minced meat on the chopping block.

    Su Zhi put the spare minced meat on the plate. Recalling the news she had just received, she couldn''t help but calculate again.

    Below royal orders, this indicated that his career in the military camp was nearing its end.

    In a short while, they will leave this place. According to their agreement with A Jin, they will also leave with the army and go to Xuancheng to settle down.

    News about the Imperial City quickly spread within the army. The soldiers were most concerned about the issue of the military pay, but regarding this matter, Great General Xiao didn''t mention anything, and no one dared to ask.

    The departure date was tomorrow, so the trip was a bit more rushed. Apart from the two vice generals and three lieutenants, as well as the soldiers who had to stay behind to guard the city, the rest had all been released and returned to the fields.

    Later in the day, a few of the braver officers in the barracks finally began questioning him about the salary.

    Su Zhi had some free time to spare as she accompanied A Jin and Little Dou Zi to throw the sandbags. Seeing that the soldiers were unsatisfied with the situation, she also broke out into a cold sweat for Xiao Qian.

    Now that the plan to delay the war was useless, the rest of the money would not be allocated and the soldiers would not be paid. It was possible that at any time there would be a riot.

    It was a good thing that Xiao Qian was a very prestigious person. Even if they didn''t receive the money, there were still quite a few soldiers who expressed their understanding and didn''t disturb their superiors.

    After a while, the military horn sounded. Several lieutenants had gathered the leaders of the various camps in the training field, saying that the general had something to pass on.

    Su Zhi was a little worried about Xiao Qian''s situation. It was true that they didn''t have money, but it wasn''t an easy thing to comfort the soldiers with something.

    When all the soldiers who had brought their messages had arrived, Xiao Qian finally arrived. Su Zhi let A Jin bring her small bean bag and follow her to the training grounds.

    At this point of time, the sunlight was already dim. A man shrouded in dark clouds was standing on the high platform with an abnormally calm face that was as calm as water.

    "Everyone, you are all brothers that went through fire and water with this Xiao! Today, I won''t speak of those empty words. Let''s go straight to the point. The Emperor has given the order to return to the capital without delay! The emperor''s orders cannot be disobeyed, and so can this general. However, before the military pay has reached the border, I have already sent someone to report this matter. With my life, I guarantee that I will give everyone an explanation! "

    When these words were spoken, the soldiers below had already begun whispering to each other. If one did not have the money to take it back, then that would mean that their days of bloodshed had been wasted. No one had any complaints in their hearts.

    "General!" We naturally believe in you, but as you have seen, our brothers have homes to leave behind, and fields to waste, but isn''t it just to protect our home and protect our country? Yet, the military pay that you have promised has not been paid in advance. Why is that? "

    Su Zhi listened on the side, her heart tight. It was not his problem if Xiao Qian was foolish enough to not pay the military salary or not. What if that person in the capital didn''t give her a guarantee?

    Xiao Qian felt ashamed. Not only had the number of casualties exceeded his expectations, but it was also because Zhao Dagang had acted so recklessly in the army camp.

    If the money was not gathered and restrained, the remaining silver would be enough to split among the soldiers.

    "Everyone, I, Xiao, have a certain amount of responsibility for this. Therefore, I will take out a hundred thousand silver taels and use it to pay my soldiers." If there was anyone who arrested a child, they would obtain it first! For those who have an old parents, they get it first! "

    As soon as he finished speaking, not only the warriors below, but also Tan Zhao was stunned.

    100,000 taels of silver was not a small sum of money. This amount of money was nothing to the large General''s Estate, but it was equivalent to several years'' worth of money.

    "General, you don''t have to do this, this general ˇ­"

    "There''s no need to speak any further, Tan Zhao. You can take care of this matter."

    With Xiao Qian''s promise, the few people who were going to make trouble stopped talking and stayed silent.

    At the end of the day, military pay was paid by the imperial government. Even if His Majesty didn''t give it to him, what could ordinary citizens do? Currently, Xiao Qian was doing his best to fill the gap.

    The soldiers who had been waiting in line to receive the silver also felt a lot less discontented.

    Su Zhi, however, could not figure it out. Xiao Qian was indeed an honorable and honorable man, but he was stupid. Why did he need to make up the money himself?

    Since she had already made her decision, she couldn''t ask any further and could only sigh. It wasn''t good to be the leader of the three armies.

    That night, the banquet was very lively. For the first time, the strict and disciplined Xiao Qian allowed the soldiers to drink wine.

    A portion of the soldiers who had received the silver coins and could go home felt happy as they drank and chatted merrily.

    As for the rest, they didn''t say anything because they admired Xiao Qian.

    Everyone gathered for a few hours and didn''t dare to drink too much because of last night''s signal detonation.

    Seeing the smile on his face, Xiao Qian heaved a sigh of relief.

    "General, why are you acting like this today?" A hundred thousand silver is not a small number. "

    Su Zhi asked, puzzled, as she held a wine jug and poured wine for the man sitting on the seat of honor.

 C43

    Xiao Qian held the bottle of wine and looked deeply at her. "You''ll understand in a few days."

    She shook her head and said somewhat regretfully, "Even though I didn''t pay for the silver, I truly feel sorry for the general. It was supposed to be a headache for the government, so how did it become your responsibility?"

    Xiao Qian raised his head and gulped down the alcohol, not caring about his wealth at all.

    "It is merely something made of white and yellow. This general has the ability to help, so there''s no harm in helping."

    "But ˇ­" If the imperial court is in arrears every single time, there''s nothing you can do about it. "

    This was the first time that the military salary had not been issued since the beginning of the Grand Wei Dynasty.

    Gao Zu was a fighter, and every year he spent a third of his national treasury on military expenditures. The Ancestor went even further after he ascended to the throne, but the late emperor had left early. Now, the Emperor Wei Xian, who was in charge of the country, refused to use force to expand the land and instead used literature to rule the country.

    The military expenditures had been reduced significantly, and no military payments had ever been made.

    Xiao Qian frowned as he fiddled with the wine bottle in his hand, lost in thought.

    Su Zhi obediently waited at the side, not bothering him.

    "Right, have you and A Jin decided on where to go?"

    Why did he suddenly remember about her? Su Zhi hurriedly nodded and replied, "It''s Xuan City."

    "Have you thought about it?"

    Su Zhi nodded.

    Xiao Qian gave a faint smile and agreed, "Going to Xuan City is good as well. That place is bustling with life, and it is close to the capital. If it is, hehe ˇ­" If there was anything, he would be able to take care of it.

    Xiao Qian did not say the last half of the sentence, and Su Zhi did not hear what he was saying to himself.

    Tomorrow was the day they would return home, and the morale of the soldiers below was high. Some of them took advantage of the alcohol to strip naked and sing loudly.

    He was beating his bowl with bamboo chopsticks while singing a song of Zhawei.

    The past is when I arrived,

    Liu Yiyi.

    Now that I think about it,

    Rain and snow.

    With the help of the bright white moonlight, the homesickness soared in the sky, riding on the wings of the night, and reverberated in the world.

    Even Xiao Qian had a gentle expression on his face.

    It was unknown who was drunk, but he shouted towards Su Zhi who was on the stage, "Young wife Su, do you know how to sing a song? Come and sing a few lines to liven things up!"

    Su Zhi froze for a moment, her hand holding the wine jug tightened, and said bashfully, "Not really, don''t disturb your mood."

    The soldiers who came up with the alcohol shouted for her to sing a few lines.

    "This little lady cooked a good meal. How could she not know how to sing a song? Just humming a few words for us brothers to listen to is fine!"

    Su Zhi could not resist the curiosity of the soldiers below. Although she was troubled, she was not annoyed.

    Xiao Qian looked at her with interest. Being with this woman for so long, he had never heard her sing a song before.

    "How is it? But he was in a difficult position? If you don''t want to sing, then go on. "

    "Thank you, General, for your understanding. Since young men think highly of this woman, I shall sing a few words of praise instead."

    Su Zhi cleared her throat and said with a smile, "Let''s make a deal first. If my singing doesn''t sound good, you all are not allowed to laugh at me."

    "Of course not!"

    "I''ll beat whoever dares to laugh at my wife!"

    "Exactly, let''s see who has the guts to do so!"

    She was so amused that she simply put down her wine pot and walked down from the high platform to the side to play drums.

    This thing was used by the soldiers to help them enjoy themselves. Su Zhi patted the drum twice with her small hands. The sound was rich and rich, so it was the best thing to do as a accompaniment.

    She began to gather her energy in her voice, looked at the crescent moon in the sky, and slightly smiled.

    wolfsmoke sand mouth

    Please drink less wine, General.

    The road ahead is not easy

    I come to wait at home

    This "My General" was sung very nicely by Su Zhi. Her voice was not sharp at all, and her slightly hoarse voice had a bit of the perfect magnetism to it.

    The melody was pleasant and melodious, unlike Caiwei''s sorrowful and self-pitying, with a few traces of open-mindedness and heroism.

    The lively melody quickly brought the atmosphere to a climax. When it was time to start the second time, there were already people singing along with the beat of the beat.

    After the song ended, everyone was still a little unsatisfied, and directly praised Su Zhi for her good singing.

    "I didn''t expect Lady Su to cook so delicious, and this song is also good."

    Su Zhi smiled a little shyly. "All of you, please appreciate my kindness. There''s nothing you can do about it."

    Xiao Qian was still sitting on the high seat, his gaze following Su Zhi who was playing drums and singing. Seeing her blushing red face that was as shy and lovable as rouge, Xiao Qian''s heart couldn''t help but soften a bit.

    If this song was sung at a gathering of famous families in the capital, it would inevitably appear frivolous. However, today was different. Even if there was something more exposed than this song, it would not appear so lecherous.

    The heroic voice of Su Zhi covered up this point very well. The most important thing was that she did sing quite well.

    "Good singing."

    Xiao Qian gave a very pertinent evaluation as he led the applause.

    The soldiers below responded with respect, and warm applause rose and fell, causing Su Zhi to feel embarrassed.

    Having been in the military camp for so long, it was rare for him to be able to relax and chat like this.

    As people who had left home to fight, it was easy for them to resonate with one another as they had passed through life and death situations together.

    This banquet continued for nearly four hours. By the time the banquet ended, it was already very late.

    Xiao Qian drank some wine and gave Su Zhi a few rare smiles, even though more than half of them were for Su Zhi.

    After a full meal, Xiao Qian left the table before the time was up.

    Perhaps it was because of the wine, but his mind was always filled with the song of Su Zhi. The woman said, "My general."

    Xiao Qian smiled as he looked at the empty tent. He couldn''t help but feel happy. Even he couldn''t figure out the reason for this.

    He had nothing to prepare for his return trip tomorrow, so he sat alone on the edge of the bed, thinking back and forth about the song, and even tried to hum a few words to himself.

    The next morning, before the military camp horn could be heard, before the morning star could disappear into the dark blue sky, there were already soldiers outside calling out to them.

    "Lady Su?" "It''s time to wake up. The general has ordered us to depart as soon as possible."

    Su Zhi, who had been excited for an entire night, had just fallen asleep. Only after a long while did she react and reply listlessly, "Okay."

    Last night, she had coaxed her child to sleep and carefully calculated his circumstances. Xuan City was really too much for her to earn a living, and without some money, she would have had a hard time surviving.

    Fortunately, there was a system that he could use. If he couldn''t, he would sell some stuff from the storage room to make money. At least he wouldn''t starve to death.

    However, Su Zhi secretly studied the system in the middle of the night and found that everything inside was limited.

    No matter if it was food, clothes, or toys, they were all only a portion. If he used them all up, wouldn''t he be done for?

    Thinking of this, Su Zhi felt discouraged. It seemed that the system could help her solve the problem at hand. If she wanted to live a good life in the future, she would have to rely on her own hard work.

    She woke up the two children, packed them up briefly, and placed them in a carriage with the soldiers from the logistics department.

    He was leaving today. A Jin tilted her head, looking a little excited.

    "Mother, are we going to Xuan City now?"

    "Mmm, A Jin''s guess is right. He left today."

    A Jin pulled open the curtain of the carriage, and took one last look at the military camp that he had stayed in for a few days, feeling somewhat complicated.

    "If ˇ­" If only father could leave with us as well. "

    At the mention of Nie Rufeng, Su Zhi''s heart tightened. She was afraid that Ah Jin would feel depressed.

    Without waiting for her to comfort him, Xiao Budian had already lifted the curtain of the carriage and jumped out.

    "Jin!"

    "Mother, don''t worry, I''m fine."

    A Jin got off the car and looked at the military camp that was separated by a high wall. Tears seemed to be flowing out of her eyes.

    After observing for a long time, he suddenly kneeled on the ground and kowtowed three times towards the direction of the military camp.

    Then he picked up a handful of yellow sand from the ground and put it in a small jar that he could carry with him at any time.

    Having done all this, he dried his eyes with Su Zhi on his back, took a deep breath, and then got into the carriage.

    All this time, Su Zhi had been watching silently without saying a word.

    The child''s memories were very short. She had always thought that A Jin had opened his heart and let Nie Rufeng die. But now, it seems that the child was loyal to her.

    He still hadn''t forgotten the grace that Nie Rufeng had shown in raising him.

 C44

    The horse carriage slowly moved forward, and once the border area was cleared, it would never return.

    A Jin held the jar in her hands and said softly in a voice that only she could hear, "Daddy, let''s take you home."

    The border pass wasn''t too far from Peace Village, but it was a long distance from Xuan City.

    Tens of thousands of soldiers returned to the capital at the same time, so it was inevitable that their movements would be somewhat slow.

    It had only been half a month since he had arrived at An City.

    Shortly before noon, the group stopped to prepare lunch.

    Su Zhi sent someone to fish for some fish near the water source. She also caught some wild rabbits, which were also excellent with dry rations and nuts.

    After leaving the military camp, there was no sign of Xiao Qian for several days.

    When they were outside, they would easily be seen by the people they passed through. If there was nothing important, Xiao Qian wouldn''t pass on his message to her.

    But today, when they were preparing dinner, Great General Xiao, who hadn''t shown his face for a few days, personally came to find her.

    At that time, as Su Zhizhan was cooking the fish soup, she saw a disturbance behind her and thought that Liu Zhong and the others had brought back wild vegetables.

    He didn''t seem to care about it at the moment and said, "Cut the vegetables beside you into half and hand it over to me."

    The man behind him was stunned for a moment, but he did not retort. He obediently cut the dish and handed it over.

    "En, the taste is a little light. Bring me some salt."

    Without a word, he rummaged through the cabinet for salt.

    Su Zhi could not wait to get what she wanted, so she sighed and impatiently said, "I say, haven''t I fed you guys too much in the past few days? All of you are so otherworldly."

    Xiao Qian did not say anything, and could not find any salt. He asked for help, "Where did you put it?" I really didn''t see it. "

    This sound is...

    Su Zhi felt her head grow hot as she turned around stiffly. Indeed, she saw Xiao Qian standing behind her, bent over as he rummaged through the low cabinet.

    "General, general!"

    Xiao Qian nodded and continued, "Where''s the salt?" "Where did you put it?"

    "No, no, no. There is no need for the general to take action. This humble woman can do it herself."

    She must have eaten the heart of a bear to have the guts to command the empire''s generals, and to speak in such a carefree manner with such peace of mind!

    Su Zhi rushed forward to retrieve the salt before she got busy again.

    "Is the general hungry?" The food is almost ready. "

    Xiao Qian shook his head. After seeing that no one was around, he took out a silver note and handed it to her.

    "Take this and use it in the future."

    Su Zhi was in the middle of flipping the fish in the wok, glancing at the bill in his hand.

    "One thousand taels!"

    She wasn''t mistaken; Xiao Qian was going to give her a total of a thousand taels of silver.

    "That''s right, a thousand liang for now. If that''s not enough, you can come and find me in the capital again in the future."

    "No, no, no, there are so many. It''s impossible to accept without hard work. I can''t afford to have such a large amount of money."

    Xiao Qian folded the banknotes and put them into her hands, explaining, "Xuan City is very prosperous, but it is also a place where every inch of land is worth a lot of money. If you want to live on, there''s no way you can do it without money. "

    Su Zhi smiled gratefully at him. "General, this humble woman appreciates your kindness, but if you give me this silver, you''re undoubtedly betting your money on a wager that you won''t win. You''re not going to return it."

    "I didn''t ask you to return it. Just treat it as a pension for the dead soldiers."

    She didn''t have that much money on her, and the military was already giving her more of the pension she deserved. Why would she need so much money?

    Xiao Qian insisted on giving it to her, not allowing her to reject it.

    "Take it." "A few days ago, you said you didn''t understand why I had to pay myself to make up for my lack of military pay. That is the principle."

    Su Zhi stared at the silver notes in her hands, feeling that they weighed over a thousand pounds. She was so conflicted that she didn''t know what to say.

    She now understood that most of the citizens who joined the army were born to poor families. Not to mention that some of the soldiers had even become disabled, or had even died in battle on the battlefield.

    Although the silver would not be enough to repay his good fortune, it was still a great comfort to his family.

    "The two kids are still young and need a lot of money. It''s not easy for a woman like you to earn money, and that''s just a small part of it."

    "General, I ˇ­"

    Xiao Qian smiled and comforted her, "If you want to thank me, then there''s no need. Just treat it as a gift from me."

    Su Zhi understood better than anyone else the weight of a thousand liang. As a general with a heavy soldier, Xiao Qian naturally did not lack money. "Not long ago, she had taken out a hundred thousand taels and given it to the soldier herself. It was because she had thought of a way out long ago.

    It would be a lie to say that he was not moved. After all, he had no obligation to do so.

    "General, today''s favor shall be repaid tenfold in the future. "Thank you so much for thinking so highly of our Mother and Third, for your great kindness and gratitude, everything is in vain."

    Xiao Qian looked at her reddened eyes and felt a sense of pity. He unconsciously lifted his hand to help her straighten her messy hair, but there was a wave of laughter coming from outside.

    He raised his arm and slightly flicked away the flying mosquitos, then turned around and walked out of the kitchen.

    Hearing that the soldiers had returned, Su Zhi hurriedly greeted, "General!"

    "Greetings, General!"

    She carefully folded the banknotes and put them into her purse before continuing to work on the fish in the pot.

    Liu Zhong walked in with a few soldiers and teased, "Lady Su, why did the general come here just now?"

    Su Zhi did not say a word. She sniffed her reddish nose and busied herself with her work.

    Seeing that the situation was not looking good, the few generals immediately stopped laughing.

    "Lady Su ˇ­" What''s wrong with you? "

    Liu Zhong frowned and tried to sound out the situation, "Did the general bully you?"

    Su Zhi intentionally threw the shovel on the chopping block and said angrily, "It''s all because you guys are so fond of playing. You all go out and leave it be! The fact that the general has personally come to inquire about the food has made me blame myself. As a cook, how could I let my soldiers starve to death? "

    "Sigh, it''s no big deal. You women just like to cry. You guys are both men, so what if you guys are hungry for two meals? "Wait a moment, lunch will be ready soon."

    Seeing that Su Zhi was no longer happy, the rest of them stopped playing around and focused on the task at hand. No one doubted what had happened just now.

    Seven days had passed since he saw Xiao Qian.

    During this period of time, she did not see his figure again.

    This child was still young. Since Su Zhi couldn''t explain it to her, he could only spend more effort to coax her.

    Today, after dinner, the main group stopped at the outskirts to set up camp.

    The rain that continued for a few days also stopped. The moon was hazy and the sky was dark. A Jin volunteered to take the small bean bag to walk around.

    The child was crying so loudly that Su Zhi also had a headache. She thought that nothing would happen in the military camp, so after repeatedly warning A Jin, she let him go.

    A Jin pulled the small bean bag out of the camp, strolling on the green grass as she patiently explained to her sister, "Little bean bun, in the future, with big brother around, you don''t need to think about dad anymore, okay? Your mother will feel sad when you cry. Your father has gone far, far away and will not be able to return for a while. If you don''t listen, what can your mother do by herself? "

    The slightly older child didn''t understand what he said, and stared blankly at him with his watery big eyes. He pointed to a spot to the east with his chubby finger and shouted, "Daddy!"

    A Jin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She quickly covered her mouth and shook her head. "No, he''s not our father." His words contained a sense of loss and sadness that even he could not explain.

    After saying that, A Jin''s voice became a little hoarse. She was so sad that she couldn''t explain herself anymore.

    The bean bun let go of his hand and hummed as it walked towards him.

    "Little Dou Bao, don''t wander around. Come back quickly."

    The little girl ignored him, swinging her short arms and frowning as she ran towards the main tent on the east side.

    As they walked, she called out sweetly, "Daddy ~"

    There were still many soldiers patrolling along the way. A Jin smiled in embarrassment and reached out to grab her.

    "I already told you not to yell!"

    Before her hand could touch the little girl, she slipped and pounced forward. This fall was a bit heavy, and the mud marks on the ground dragged out a long time.

    A Jin panicked and quickly ran over to help her sister.

    The small bean bun went blank for two seconds, then burst into tears.

 C45

    The crying quickly attracted the attention of the passing soldiers, including Xiao Qian, who had just returned from his investigation.

    "Little sister, be good. Don''t cry, don''t cry. Big brother will whooshed for you, whooshing won''t hurt."

    The little girl sat on the slippery ground, crying her heart out. She spread out her little hands as she muttered, "Daddy ~ Daddy ~ ~"

    A Jin lovingly held onto the small bean bun. Seeing her palm was broken, blood had already seeped out from the torn part of her hand.

    He had failed to protect his sister, and he was extremely remorseful and heartbroken. His eyes were also red, and he was on the verge of tears.

    Xiao Qian hurried over after smelling the crying. Seeing the two children hugging each other, one of them was crying and the other was trying to coax him. However, he was still crying and looked pitiful.

    His heart ached and he quickly ran over to pick up the two children.

    "What''s going on? Why are you crying like this? "

    A Jin lowered her head sadly, wiping away her tears without making a sound.

    The soldiers nearby quickly explained, "It''s nothing much. He tripped while walking. How can there be any less tripping and stumbling for a bit? He''ll be fine after crying for a while."

    Xiao Qian pulled on Dou Bao''s hand. Seeing that his palm was already covered in blood, he wordlessly picked up the child and headed back to his tent.

    "Send the doctor over to show the child."

    The people below quickly called the doctor over to take a look.

    As the soldier had said, it was not a big deal to begin with. Even if the skin was broken, it would still be fine after a few days without rubbing the ointment.

    However, Xiao Qian was unwilling. He had to take out some Golden Sore Medicine and rub it onto the child''s wounds. He had to carefully examine the wound to make sure there were no other injuries before he could be at ease.

    When Su Zhi came out to find the children, she learned that the two of them had slipped and been taken to Xiao Qian''s tent. She also heard that they had hired a doctor, so she hurried over.

    "A Jin, little bean bun!"

    Hearing the call, A Jin quickly replied, "Mom, we are here."

    Su Zhi opened the tent and walked in. When she saw the little bun nestling in Xiao Qian''s arms, she hummed like a spoiled child. A Jin was sitting beside her, teasing her sister.

    Upon seeing her enter, the small bean bun pouted in grievance. It groaned twice and was about to cry again.

    "How are you still injured? Come and let mother see."

    Su Zhi''s heart ached as she reached out to hug her.

    Just as she reached out her hand, she seemed to have thought of something and quickly retracted it. Her two hands tightly held onto Xiao Qian''s clothes, unwilling to let go.

    Su: "ˇ­"

    Xiao Qian gently coaxed the child in his arms, so much so that even his voice softened. "It''s fine, it''s fine if I hug you."

    "Sorry for troubling you, General. This child still doesn''t understand, so I''ve troubled you."

    "There''s no need to worry. There are very few children who are so close to me."

    Su Zhi smiled with a guilty conscience and pretended to be serious. "I''ll see how mischievous you''ll be in the future. You''ll only know after you''ve suffered a loss."

    Dou Zi pouted in grievance as she rubbed Xiao Qian''s clothes back and forth.

    "I''m coming back with mom. The general is going to rest."

    A Jin quickly stood up and was about to pull away the Soybean Pancake.

    However, the child refused to comply and stubbornly refused to let go of Xiao Qian.

    "Little sister be good, follow mother back."

    The little girl shook her head in a spoiled manner, "Daddy!"

    Su Zhi became more and more embarrassed. She pretended to be angry and said, "Little Bean doesn''t want his mother anymore?"

    She was about to leave when Dou Bao quickly reached out to grab her. She muttered, "How about it?"

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as she looked at her. She felt both heartache and helplessness.

    A Jin whispered into her ear, "I''ll come see you tomorrow."

    Only then did the little girl let go and obediently let Su Zhi carry her away.

    Xiao Qian stood up to send them off. As he watched the family of three leave, his heart felt warm.

    The weather improved considerably after the return journey, and even the rainbows were seen in the rainy sky.

    Six or seven days later, Xuan City finally arrived.

    On the day they arrived at Xuan City, Xiao Gan came to see Su Zhi in person, saying his goodbyes.

    "I wonder when I will be able to see you again. Honored Warriors, please take care."

    Without waiting for Su Zhi to reply, she had already hugged Xiao Qian''s thigh.

    The child seemed to feel that something bad had happened and frowned. He pouted and chattered for his father.

    "Thank you for taking care of me all this time, General. This humble woman will always remember this in her heart."

    A Jin held Su Zhi''s hand and sensibly waved her hand. "Uncle Xiao, thank you for taking us in. Thank you for being willing to teach me martial arts."

    Xiao Qian reached out to rub his little head, smiling, "You have to work hard in martial arts, don''t waste it."

    A Jin smiled and nodded, "Yes, I will definitely remember Uncle Xiao''s teachings."

    Su Zhi smiled and reached out to take the green bean bun.

    Dou Bao retracted her hands, refusing to leave the warm embrace.

    "Yes, Father ~ ~ Yes, Father ~"

    "Be good, stop messing around. Uncle is waiting to go back." Su Zhi ignored her mischief and carried her back.

    Dou Zi refused. She struggled to get back into Xiao Qian''s embrace, crying incessantly.

    Su Zhi''s persuasion did not work for a while as she was sweating profusely from anxiety.

    It was like saying goodbye to your wife and children when your husband was away.

    The wailing of the bean bag had attracted many passers-by. Even the soldiers who had returned with her stood on tiptoe to see what was going on.

    Su Zhi steeled her heart and said sternly, "Don''t cry. If you don''t want to leave with Mother, then stay here!"

    After saying that, she pulled A Jin to the other side. The little bean bun quickly cried as he chased after her. After taking two steps, he turned around to look at Xiao Qian.

    "Listen to your mother, hurry up and go."

    Xiao Qian felt sorry for the child, but he couldn''t take her away. At the very least, he had to bring the child back.

    The small bean bag was standing between Su Zhi and Xiao Qian. As it slowly walked towards Su Zhi, it looked unwillingly at Xiao Qian.

    The little figure stood under the blazing sun, crying until his nose was mucus and tears ran down his cheeks. His little face was red from holding in his emotions.

    In the end, she cried loudly before running in Su Zhi''s direction as if she had made up her mind.

    "Mother ~"

    Feeling pained, Su Zhi hugged her child and nodded at Xiao Qian before disappearing into the crowd with her two children.

    After the three of them disappeared in the sea of people, Xiao Qian retracted his gaze and rode his horse towards the direction of the capital.

    It had been a month from the border pass to Xuancheng, when the weather began to cool from the cold dew.

    Now that Xuan City had arrived, Su Zhi was relieved. The most important thing was to find a place to rest.

    Xuan City was bustling, and since ancient times, it had been the gathering place of the Shang family''s illustrious families.

    Smoky willow painting bridge, green curtain, traffic, endless streams of, city treasure, LuoQi from different places, caravans from different places, there are golden hair and blue eyes, there are mysterious Fusang customers ˇ­

    Xuancheng scenery is unique, the sky is clear, the trees around the embankment sand, the raging waves frost snow, the heavy lake stack Qingjia.

    Three Autumn Osmanthus, ten miles of lotus flowers, singing a soft melody, riding a pleasure boat, half covered the lute, singing all night long, drunk listening to the flute drums, singing the flute melody.

    Su Zhi brought her two children and exclaimed in admiration at the prosperity of Xuan City.

    This place was not a peaceful village with barren loess, nor was it a desert filled with sand.

    The liveliness of Xuan City was just as she had anticipated.

    "A Jin, you and your little sister are following closely. Mom will bring you guys to find an inn to stay at for a few days."

    "Mother, don''t worry. I will definitely watch my little sister."

    Su Zhi brought her children to a few inns. Just by asking about the price of the shop, they were all extremely expensive.

    A normal guest room would cost 2 or 3 taels of silver each night. This was a relatively inexpensive restaurant, so it would be much more expensive to change it to the other room.

    It was no wonder that Xiao Qian had given her a sum of silver after learning that she wanted to live here peacefully.

    With a sigh, she pulled the two children around in search of the cheapest inn.

    The waiter of a restaurant in the busy city had told her that there was a restaurant on the street heading west. The restaurant''s prices were fair and fair.

    After walking around in a circle, the three of them finally found the hotel mentioned by the waiter.

    Outside of the limestone street sat a restaurant with a rather big front. The restaurant was called Flowerland Restaurant.

    At first glance, it sounded elegant and impressive, but in reality, it was a place where not even flies frequented. Looking at the signboard and the shop''s front, it really did have a simple and unadorned feeling, one couldn''t even see a customer drinking tea from the outside.

 C46

    Su Zhi pulled a large and small step into the room, and politely asked, "Is there anyone here?"

    No one answered her. The deserted and desolate storefront was in stark contrast to the crowded restaurant on the other side.

    "Is there anyone here?"

    This time, she raised her voice and tried to walk into the lobby.

    He had only taken a few steps when he heard the faint sound of someone reading a book, "Confucius said: ''If a gentleman is not strong, then he is weak; if a scholar is weak, then so be it. "The Lord is loyal, and if no friend is better than he or she, do not fear to change him or her."

    Hearing the sound, Su Zhi was overjoyed. She looked around for the sound and asked, "Is the wine house available?"

    The voice of the student stopped and said indifferently, "Go to the other side for tea and food. Get some lodging upstairs. One tael of silver per night for extra nourishment. The deposit will cost you half of the money."

    Su Zhi could not help but be speechless as she looked around ''Flowers all over the floor''.

    Perhaps because it had not been cleaned for a long time, the house was covered with cobwebs, and the tables and chairs in the center of the hall were covered with a thick layer of dust.

    ''Bang! ''A huge rat fell on the ground in front of the counter, knocking over the empty wine jar and smashing it into pieces.

    How dare she ask for a tael of silver in such a situation? If it weren''t for the fact that she was afraid of spending money like running water and couldn''t bear the time to settle down, Su Zhi wouldn''t have brought her child to suffer even if she had to stick to such a place.

    Thinking about how embarrassed she was, she could only endure it for now and politely said: "It should be the shopkeeper, right? I, a woman, brought my child to a relative with me, and I don''t have much money in my pocket.

    The studying voice had completely stopped, Su Zhi looked into the room, but there was still no one there. She thought that it was just annoying her, so she said, "I won''t disturb you for too long, but when I find my friends, I''ll be leaving soon."

    It was inconvenient for her to go out, especially since she was a weak girl and had brought two little children with her. She had no choice but to come up with an excuse.

    "In that case, please do as you please, my wife. No wine is served in this shop. The deposit is exempt. Do you have any money in the shop ˇ­?" "I''ll give you less than six cents."

    Accompanied by a clear and gentle voice, the curtain in the inner room was opened by someone. A young man in a blue shirt walked out of the room with a book in his hand as if he was wandering in the clouds.

    Her hair was uncombed and tied with a cotton scarf. She was dressed like a scholar. Her face was as white as jade. She was fresh and handsome. She looked elegant and gentle. She was kind and amiable.

    From the looks of it, he was a young master who had yet to have a weak crown on his head.

    When Su first heard his voice and then saw him, she was secretly surprised. She did not expect the owner to be so young.

    "Good job, Shopkeeper."

    Su Zhi nodded and met the scholar''s gaze. She was still as poised as before when facing him.

    When the young scholar saw that she was a woman with two children, he felt sorry for her after the journey had been full of hardships and fatigue. He shook his head and said, "Wealth and nobility are the desires of man. "Being poor and being lowly is the same as being evil. If one does not follow the same path, it is also impossible to not go ˇ­"

    Su Zhi listened to his lecture very patiently without disturbing him.

    After the scholar had a good talk with him, he finally realized that there was still someone like Su Zhi. A hint of red appeared on his jade-white face, "I''m really sorry. I''ve been studying hard. I don''t want to see any guests at this store today."

    Su Zhi smiled and expressed her understanding. "It''s not a bad thing for a man to study well."

    The scholar nodded, closed the book, and pointed to the guest room upstairs. "Since you want to stay here, please do so. I haven''t had a single customer for three or four months anyway, you guys can come and get more popular. The kitchen has rice noodles, if you''re hungry, you can make your own.

    "Oh right, cockroach, insect, ant, mouse and so on. You don''t have to care too much about them. Going out on a map is very convenient."

    With a stiff expression, Su Zhi took out some silver from her purse and gave it to him, then went up to find a room on her own.

    Behind him came the impassioned sounds of a scholar reading.

    This Flowery Mansion''s store was very big, but it didn''t have much customer traffic. If it was an ancestral shop, it wouldn''t pay too much rent.

    However, how could such a scholar, who only knew about the situation, possibly operate a shop like this? What a pity that such a huge hotel was such a pity.

    Su Zhi made some comparisons from room to room. Finally, she found a relatively clean and tidy room with better ventilation. After a simple cleaning, she finally settled down.

    In order to coax her, Su Zhi had bought candied fruits for the two children.

    Now that she saw the bed, she didn''t even eat the candied fruits anymore and started to doze off.

    A Jin helped her little sister straighten out, and she was also very tired.

    It was noon now, so Su Zhi was afraid of the hungry children. She quickly washed up, then told A Jin to stay in her room and look at the small bean bag while she went downstairs to find something to eat.

    When he arrived at the back of the kitchen, he saw the young scholar studying hard, holding a book as if he didn''t know he was hungry.

    "Shopkeeper, can I use the things in the kitchen?"

    Without looking back, the scholar paced back and forth in the small room, chanting a classic of Chinese Studies while waving his hand and shaking his head, indicating that she should do as she pleased.

    Su Zhi thanked him and then went back to busy herself.

    When he entered the kitchen, he found that the place was extremely dirty. There were heaps of bowls and chopsticks stacked together into a mountain that was already half a man''s height. There was a thick layer of dirt on the stove and a foul stench coming from the swill bucket.

    He opened the pot and saw that there were two yellow steamed buns inside.

    Su Zhi covered her nose in disgust and found the rice jar''s location. When she opened it to take a look, a fat rat had jumped out.

    Ah!

    She let out a shriek and was scared out of her wits. The wooden lid in her hand was thrown far away and it clanged against the stove. Several cockroaches the size of a thumb popped out.

    How could she dare to make food in this kind of place? Don''t eat until your stomach breaks.

    Su Zhi ran out of the kitchen as if she was escaping, and the only good impression she had towards the white-faced scholar was instantly gone.

    Since there was no place to cook, she could only go outside and settle the matter. Soon, she went to the opposite restaurant.

    It was the time for the meal. Su Zhi followed the customers who came and went into the hall and found that the place was already packed with people.

    The waiter was shuttling back and forth between the tables, busily greeting the officials like a spinning top.

    Su Zhi was the only one standing alone at the door, with no one paying attention to her.

    She went to the counter and greeted him. She said that she wanted to have a meal, so she didn''t even raise her head as she continued with her work.

    "Manager, can you cook a few dishes and send it to the opposite Flowery Restaurant?"

    When he heard the name "Flower Mansion," the accountant slowly raised his head and looked up and down at Su Zhi. When he saw that she was dressed in plain clothes and looked poor, he didn''t want to bother with her, but after seeing her bright eyes and white teeth, he kindly reminded her, "Young lady, the things in our store are not cheap."

    "I don''t need too much. Three dishes and one Tonga is enough for me to order some meat dishes."

    The accountant waved his hand, "Let''s go, let''s go somewhere else. You can''t afford the things here."

    Su Zhi panicked. Afraid that the child would be hungry, she took out a silver ingot from her purse and placed it on the counter, "It''s not that I can''t afford it, look carefully!"

    That person still ignored him. After all, he was used to seeing real money, so who would care about such a small amount?

    "Yuan Ming, how many times have I told you that the guest is not a small one but a customer instead? We, the Hundred Flavors Clear Joyous, are here to open our doors for business. Is there any reason for us to turn our guests away?"

    Su Zhi turned around and saw a man dressed in brocade clothing. He held a fan made of Agarwood, his hair tied in a bun and his waist adorned with a bright moon. He looked like a rich child.

    He was extremely handsome, especially his peach blossom eyes which flashed with shrewdness. Although he was talking and laughing, the smile on his face didn''t reach his eyes.

    "I apologize to the young lady. It''s all because of my lack of discipline. I''ll send the food over to you right away."

    His demeanor was respectful, neither humble nor haughty. While chatting and laughing, he had already kept the silver ingot.

    Su Zhi could only laugh, "Then I''ll have to trouble Young Master."

 C47

    Only then did the accountant raise his head and smile, "Yo, storekeeper, you''re here."

    The young master dressed in silk spat at him, "Get up, little monkey. How much money do you have to waste on me!? Are you an idiot if you don''t want to earn money? "

    As he cursed his subordinates in a low voice, he smiled at Su Zhi in a flurry of movements.

    "Speaking of which, young lady, since you''re not a junior from the cold arts, why did you go to that place, Flowerwood Restaurant, where chickens don''t lay eggs? If you come to our ''Lover of a Hundred Flavors'', then I promise you will have no regrets."

    The man waved his fan as he stared at the girl in front of him.

    Su Zhi pursed her lips, feeling that the person was looking at her as if he were looking at a rich god. She carefully waved her hand and said, "No need, I''m very afraid that I''m very afraid of growing up. I still prefer a quiet place.

    With these words, she hurriedly turned around and left, afraid that she would be tricked by this shrewd young man in front of her.

    To be honest, she also wanted to live and eat better, but she only had a few dollars in her pocket, so she had to make long-term plans.

    When Su Zhi returned to Flowerflower Restaurant, she remembered the scene at the back of the kitchen and felt goosebumps all over her skin.

    The young scholar didn''t seem to mind at all as he continued to recite the Four Books and Five Classics, as if he didn''t know his hunger.

    The dishes were delivered very quickly. The price was one tael of silver, but there was only a plate of plain stir-fried potatoes with shredded potatoes, a plate of fragrant eggplant minced meat, a plate of steamed vegetables with no ingredients and a big bowl of vegetable soup.

    Looking at the ingredients, the shop owner with a hundred flavors and a happy expression must have cheated her, but judging from the looks of it, it was indeed enough to arouse a person''s appetite. Su Zhi hurriedly ordered her two children to eat together with her.

    At this time, the beautiful scholar from the inner courtyard came out while smelling the fragrance.

    "It smells so good. The little lady is calling it a ''hundred flavors of Clear Joyous''."

    Su Zhi nodded in agreement as she served the food for the two children.

    Seeing that the scholar had no intention of leaving, Su Zhi felt a little embarrassed.

    "Manager, if you don''t mind, come and eat with us."

    The scholar sat down across from him and started to fill the bowl with rice.

    "Call me Brother Li. My family name is Li and my family name is Li."

    While Su was feeding Ah Jin, she also fed the small bean bun. When she heard his big name, she could only nod slightly.

    "Young lady, you are not from Xuan City right? I heard you said that you are here to look for relatives. I''m not good at anything else, but I''m familiar with Xuancheng and might be able to help. "

    Li Yi picked up a pair of chopsticks to stir-fry the potatoes and said disdainfully: "If you want me to say that the hundred flavors of Clear Joy is a scam, then isn''t it just ordinary potatoes with a little red pepper?" You have to call it Golden Silk Red Jade, it''s so expensive. "

    However, the taste was really good. The cooking skills of a chef were indeed not bad.

    Su Zhi said carelessly, "No need to trouble Brother Li."

    "How is this trouble? A woman like you dragging two children while you''re out, how inconvenient."

    Without waiting for Su Zhi to refuse, he continued, "I saw that you weren''t very old. I didn''t expect you to already be the mother of two children."

    Li Yi giggled and stared at A Jin and Little Dou curiously, as if he didn''t believe them.

    Su Zhi did not explain any further, but he still pursued her relentlessly. She changed the topic, "Big Brother Li''s shop must have been passed down by our ancestors, right? From the looks of this place, it must be filled with guests. How did it end up in such a desolate place? "

    Saying that, Li Yi lost his cool, slapping the bowl of food and said faintly: "Speaking of it, my ancestors were rich and powerful, but my grandfather was not a good person to start a business, and his family situation has worsened. In my father''s generation, Liang Tian''s stores had been sold, leaving only this'' Flowerful House ''. Before his death, father had told me that no matter how difficult the days were, I must not sell this ancestral restaurant. "

    "I don''t know much about business. I like reading books and I don''t like the smell of money. Not long after my father died, the cook and the waiter left. No one wants to stay. "

    Hearing this, Su Zhi understood more or less what was going on. From the looks of it, this young scholar was not a poor family who lived like that, but she did not know how long he could last.

    "Then did Brother Li take the Imperial examinations?" "If you don''t have a customer, how will you do business and earn a living?"

    Li Yi scratched his head and laughed in an embarrassed manner. "About this ˇ­ I''ve been an Elementary Scholar before, but I''ll surely pass the Imperial examinations next year."

    Su Zhi smiled and kindly said, "Since Brother Li has no intention of hiding anything from me, then I won''t beat around the bush. My surname is Su, and my name is Zhi."

    "This name is very good. Li Ting Lan of the shore, would like to stay high and clean."

    "Thank you, Big Brother Li, for your praise."

    After a moment of silence, Su Zhi could not help but ask again, "Since Brother Li can''t sell this shop, why aren''t you taking care of it properly? I think this shop is really dirty. Even if the price is cheap, it still won''t be able to attract customers. "

    Hearing that, Li Yi said righteously, "A gentleman should be far from the kitchen! I am just a scholar, how could I take care of all this? I can look for the waiter after I earn some money in the future. "

    "But where are you going to make money now?"

    Li Yi said indifferently, "There will always be guests who come to visit."

    Su Zhi put down her utensils and sat upright. "Husband, why can''t you sweep the world with a single room?"

    Li Yi abruptly raised his head when he heard this, then stared at Su Zhi. "Alright!" [How can I sweep the world if I don''t sweep the house!] Has my wife ever read the Book of Saints? "

    She shook her head and said, "I only know a few words. I just understand some principles."

    Hearing this, Li Yi no longer said anything. He actually obediently went into the kitchen to clean up after his meal.

    The sound of clinking came from the kitchen, accompanied by the sound of several porcelain bowls shattering on the floor.

    After about four to six hours, when Little Dou Bao called for water, Su Zhi went back downstairs to the kitchen to boil a pot of hot water.

    When he entered the kitchen, he saw that the place where the marinade was originally messy had already been scrubbed clean. The tableware had been cleaned and placed in the cupboard. The mildewed rice noodles had also been cleaned and thrown away.

    "A child is worth teaching." Su Zhi couldn''t help but laugh, feeling mischievous about her little thoughts.

    It was because she couldn''t find a good place to stay that she had to stay in this inn for a few days. She couldn''t stand the miasma of the kitchen.

    Su boiled some hot water to cool it down before sending it back to the room. Then, she turned around and went down, preparing to make some good food for the children while the Elementary Scholars were gone.

    One tael of silver and three dishes for four people to eat. I don''t think A Jin is full yet. She just doesn''t want to talk about it.

    The sound of the books being read had long been inaudible. It was probably because he was too tired from his work and had no idea where he was resting.

    Su Zhi closed the door and windows, took out a piece of beef jerky from the storage room, and pickled it with sesame oil and garlic. Then he took a few eggs and steamed them in a bowl. When it was almost done, he cut off a small piece of beef and stir-fried it with salad oil. Then, he added soy sauce to add some fresh meat.

    After the eggs were steamed, he put the beef mince that had just left the wok on the surface. A hibiscus egg was quickly cooked.

    She carried the steamed egg upstairs and asked the two children to share. She then went downstairs to continue thinking about the dinner.

    Elementary Scholar Li was still nowhere to be seen, so no one dared to make a tomato, beef, and asparagus prawns before Su Zhi could do anything. After cutting them into pieces and cooking them with sweet potato powder, they fried them together with the cured meat.

    "What is that thing that smells so good?"

    Suddenly, a loud shout startled Su Zhi.

    When Elementary Scholar Li smelled the scent of food as he barged into the kitchen and saw the three dishes on the stove, his mouth started watering.

    "This dish..." It''s not full of joy, right? "

    Su Zhi nodded and said, "I made the vegetables I bought at the market just now. I can''t afford to keep eating from restaurants."

    Li Yi stared at her with his two bright eyes, full of worship. He took the chopsticks to taste the flavor and admired her from the bottom of his heart.

    "Little Su!" Save me! "

    He grabbed Su Zhi''s arm as if he was holding onto his life.

    Su Zhi raised her eyebrows and squeezed out a smile, trying to ask, "Brother Li couldn''t be thinking of keeping me at Flower Mansion as a chef, right?"

 C48

    Elementary Scholar Li nodded, his eyes shining with excitement.

    "Do you want me to stay and help you to defeat the hundred flavors of happiness opposite you and restore your prosperity?"

    "That''s right, that''s exactly what I meant. Little Su is really intelligent."

    Su Zhi pursed the corner of her lips and pulled his hand away. Helpless, she said, "To be honest, if you keep me as your chef, there''s no way I can defeat you."

    Seeing that he was not willing to believe her, Su Zhi continued, "Firstly, I do have some culinary skills, but I am still far from being able to compare with the hundred flavors of Clear Joyous. I have carefully observed that their dishes cover eight main cuisines and can satisfy the tastes of different guests. Lunch is just a few dishes and yet you can cook so well, so how about having a delicacy? "

    "Second, if Flower Mansion does not make a living for a long time, it will be impossible to restore its former prosperity with the help of a chef. Furthermore, the things in your shop are cheap and are already well-known by everyone. If you want to sell them for expensive, it will be very difficult. "

    "Even if you sell the ingredients at a low price, regardless of the cost, you won''t be able to support the rising cost. Besides, there''s also the labor cost and so on."

    Hearing her recount the dishes in detail, Elementary Scholar Li gave up and started drooling as he looked at the dishes.

    Whether it was the color or the taste of the dish, the dish could be said to be of high quality. It would be a waste of talent not to be a chef.

    Elementary Scholar Li followed closely behind Su Zhi in an attempt to persuade her, but it was to no avail.

    During dinner time, Li Yi went through each of the dishes that Su Zhi had cooked and praised them endlessly. At the same time, he was envious of anyone who was blessed enough to have such a lovely wife.

    "Xiaosu, are you sure you don''t want to think about it? Do you have the final say on the salary? "

    Su Zhi shook her head and did not consider this matter.

    It was just as she said, with the Hundred Flavors Clear Huanhuan pressing on her side, wanting to rely on her skills to make a comeback was extremely difficult, and she wasn''t willing to take the risk.

    She was able to create some new dishes from normal dishes, but she was not able to reach the high difficulty level of carving flowers or cutting silk with tofu.

    "Brother Li, do you understand a principle?" "If there''s nothing for me to do, then there''s something for me to do. If there''s something for me to do, then I''ll change."

    "You mean, if we can''t win the fight, we have to give up?"

    Su Zhi giggled. "Of course not."

    Business still had to be done, but not restaurants. This road had already been blocked, so there was only a new road to be opened.

    "Oh yeah, does Brother Li know where there are people selling courtyards around here?"

    Elementary Scholar Li raised his head and looked at her, puzzled. "Little Su wants to own a house?"

    Su Zhi nodded. Since she wanted to stay in Xuan City, she needed a place to stay. Staying in an inn was not a long term solution, and not only was it expensive, it also made her uncomfortable.

    "I do know that Great Lady Liu''s house in Spring Leaf Alley, on the east side street, is being resold. "I heard that her nephew, who was a high official in the capital, saw that she had no one to rely on, so he took her away because he wanted to be filial and filial. So there is no need for him to keep that half-new house."

    Su Zhi considered the silver in her pocket and was a little troubled. "Since I''m from a Shangguan family, the courtyard must be magnificent. I probably won''t be able to buy it even if I took all my belongings."

    I''ve heard that Lady Liu does have a nephew who is a high official, but she is a bereaved child of an old age. Originally, having a son could be considered quite thorough. However, after a bout of malaria a few years ago, people disappeared. "One of her daughters died when she was far away from home, and her husband died fighting the Huns when she was young. She was the only one left.

    Su Zhi was also confused when she heard this. For some reason, she felt that that Liu fellow was especially amiable. Perhaps it was because she had received help from Liu Yu An and had a favorable impression of the Liu family.

    "I''ve seen that courtyard before when I passed by. It''s not that big, but it''s also a bit old. You can ask about the price."

    Su Zhi was tempted by Elementary Scholar Li''s words and wanted to try her luck.

    If one was able to successfully purchase a decent courtyard, they would be able to peacefully stay there before considering the issue of living.

    Sleeping through the night at Flower Mansion didn''t feel good.

    At night, there were always rats nibbling on tables, chairs, and the corner of the bed. Or else, some kind of wild cat would come in through the window of the room next door, howling in the middle of the night.

    The family of three slept restlessly throughout the night.

    Early the next morning, Su Zhi woke up, took her two children with her, and rented a carriage to rush to the place where Elementary Scholar Li had told her to go.

    Spring Leaf Alley was not too far from the market place. This place was relatively open, and there were a few families scattered about.

    Su Zhi got off the carriage, and according to the directions, she quickly found the legendary Lady Liu''s house.

    From the outside, the courtyard was not very eye-catching. It was obvious that a large part of the roof had collapsed. Fortunately, the courtyard was clean and quiet.

    "Excuse me, is this Lady Liu''s home?"

    "Who is it?"

    Su Zhi looked through the gap in the door and saw about forty women walking in from the main hall.

    The door was opened. The woman wearing silky silky silks looked at Su Zhi up and down and asked, "Who is this little lady looking for?"

    Su Zhi smiled politely. "You must be Auntie Liu. I heard that you were reselling this courtyard, that''s why I heard it all the way."

    When Lady Liu heard this, she opened the door gracefully and replied with a smile, "What is your surname?"

    "I''m surnamed Su. I''m called Zhi. You can just call me Little Su."

    Lady Liu nodded her head in a pleasant manner. When she saw that she was carrying two children with her, she gave birth to a cute and lovable appearance, and her smile deepened.

    "You finally came to the right place, and coincidentally, I''m going to the capital today. My nephew will be coming to pick me up soon." "Since this mansion has nothing better to do, I might as well sell it. I wonder if this little lady can bring enough money with her?"

    Su Zhi was invited by her to take a look at the courtyard. It was as Elementary Scholar Li had said; the house was indeed half-new. It took up a moderate amount of space. Thinking about it, this Auntie Liu should be wealthy.

    However, without descendants, it would be a waste to keep these assets. It would be better to sell them for money so that he could have access to them.

    "Then what is Aunty Liu''s offer?"

    "Xiaosu is a straightforward person, I''ll go straight to the point. The price is 1200 taels of silver."

    Su Zhi clicked her tongue in surprise. It was so expensive!

    Seeing her dilemma, Auntie Liu explained, "Little Su, I''ll be honest with you. I didn''t want to sell this house. There were too many memories carried within me. My husband died early, and my two children died one after the other. I was the only one left. My nephew was filial and did not want me to sell my family property to take me to the capital for old age. "I was thinking that I still had some farmland that I could leave to him. He probably didn''t need this mansion, which is why he sold it."

    "Go to Xuan City and ask around, where''s the small courtyard that can''t be counted with a few thousand taels?" "This is considered cheap. If it weren''t for the fact that two martial artists from the martial arts world had come all the way here a few days ago and destroyed my roof, I would not have said the price so low."

    Su Zhi quickly nodded and replied, "Auntie Liu really has a filial nephew. Others can''t envy him."

    Auntie Liu smiled and let out a long breath, "That''s right. My children and grandchildren were lucky and unlucky. They relied entirely on my nephew to look after me. "He''s a popular figure in front of His Majesty right now. In the future, he might even be able to become a prime minister."

    Auntie Liu brought Su Zhi to the inner room and the backyard, and looked around. Other than the old courtyard, there were indeed no other unsatisfactory areas.

    The furniture and utensils were all available, and the mahogany table and chairs in the main hall required quite a bit of silver. It was just that the items were a little old. Even if he did not sell them with him, it would not be easy to get rid of them.

    "Little Su, take a look. My courtyard isn''t bad indeed." "All of the tools in the rooms are there. You can''t afford to lose anything by spending a thousand taels of silver."

    Su Zhi was somewhat troubled. All the silver she had was not enough to gather up this much. How could she buy this courtyard?

    Furthermore, he didn''t raise the price. If he made the other party cheaper, perhaps he would make others unhappy.

    "Aunty Liu, let me be honest with you. I really do like this small courtyard." However ˇ­ "I don''t have that much money on me. You see, can''t we make a deal? I''ll pay the down payment first and then mortgage it?"

 C49

    She only said, "If Little Su thinks it''s too expensive, then I have no choice. This place can be sold, but it can''t be sold! I''ll let my nephew go through the renovations and give it to him as a summer shelter."

    Su Zhi hurriedly shook her head, "Aunt, that''s not what I meant. I want to buy this courtyard, but I can''t pay you in full right now. I mean I''ll pay you more than half first, then I''ll pay you the other half on a monthly basis."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t let you suffer any losses. How about I give you the interest?" Calculate every month. If the longer I extend, the higher the interest. What do you think? In this way, the silver I need to pay you will far exceed this twelve hundred silver taels.

    Auntie Liu had never heard of such a method of settling accounts, but she could only foolishly understand that it was similar to the principle of the bank lending.

    However, she saw that Su Zhi was unfamiliar and could not be from Xuan City. If she agreed like this, then something bad might happen.

    Just as he was puzzled, a loud noise came from outside. A gentle and low male voice came from the front yard, "Aunt, your nephew is here to pick you up."

    Auntie Liu was overjoyed, "My nephew is here!" He quickly went out to receive her.

    Su Zhi followed him out. A man dressed in brocade white came from the front yard. He was handsome, handsome, and had a warm and gentle temperament. Wasn''t this the same Liu Yu-an who they had met twice in Tranquil Village?!

    "Sir Liu!"

    She brought her two children along as she quickly went forward and bent their knees to say, "It''s been a few days since we last met, I didn''t expect to meet an adult here!"

    At first, Liu Yuan didn''t notice Su Zhi. However, when she greeted him, his smile was like a flower and his face was filled with gratitude. Only then did he recall that they had met before.

    "So it''s Lady Su. What a coincidence."

    Su Zhi dragged A Jin and Little Dou and said with a smile, "Quickly greet the lord."

    A Jin clasped her hands together in greeting, "Greetings, Sir!"

    The small bean bun Yi Yi Wu clearly said, only a general description of the good.

    Lady Liu was also quite surprised. "You two know each other?"

    Su Zhi nodded and smiled, "Thanks to Lord Liu''s care, I will never forget this for the rest of my life!"

    Liu Yuan smiled. He looked around and said, "Where''s your husband?" Didn''t I come with you? "

    When Su Zhi heard this, she withdrew her smile and replied in a low voice, "My husband died in battle. He was buried in a pile of dirt and bones, and not even his corpse could be found."

    Liu Yuan lost his smile and said apologetically, "I''m really sorry. I didn''t know you ˇ­"

    "Aiyo, so Little Su had the same experience as me. Why didn''t you say so earlier?"

    Auntie Liu interjected and told Liu Yu An in detail about how Su Zhi wanted to buy the house. In the end, she even felt a little pity for her.

    "Since even my nephew is willing to help, then I won''t be so unreasonable. However, according to what you said, I can''t give you my contract right now. Xiaosu won''t mind, right?"

    Su Zhi smiled, "Auntie Liu is already very grateful to you for agreeing to my request. How could you dare to mind? Furthermore, with Lord Liu as a witness, I am naturally not afraid. After I have paid all the silver, I will definitely get the contract back. "

    Thus, Su Zhi and Auntie Liu signed an agreement to pay eight hundred silver as the first payment. They would wait for the remaining four hundred silver to be paid before they would hand over the room contract.

    A portion of the money had to be paid in due time every month, and interest had to be paid until the full amount was paid.

    Su Zhi had not expected to be able to buy the yard so smoothly. She was very happy that Liu Yuan could be said to be her lucky star. Even when he met her, he had managed to escape danger and recover from it.

    "My lord, this humble woman still owes you twenty taels of silver. I will always remember this. When I earn enough money, I will pay you back double!"

    Liu Yuan didn''t care. He squatted down and played with the two children.

    Su Zhi was still worried that the naughty habit of calling her father, which was seen by the small bean bun, would repeat itself on Lord Liu.

    However, it was clear that her worries were unnecessary.

    Although the little girl was having fun, she would only call him uncle, not even mentioning his name.

    After signing the contract, Liu Yu-an said goodbye to Su Zhi.

    Now that she was alone with her two children, she could not help but feel sympathy for them. She repeatedly reminded them not to be in a hurry to return the money.

    Su Zhi still asked about the Liu Family''s residence so that she could pay off Auntie Liu''s room money.

    After she finished explaining everything, Su Zhi watched the carriage leave, unable to calm herself down even after a long time.

    She was very grateful for Liu Yuan''s appearance. He had helped her quite a bit this time.

    Although she had spent eight hundred taels of silver, the remaining two hundred taels of silver was enough for her to spend temporarily.

    That night, Su Zhi went to ''Flower Mansion'' to get some changed clothes, and told Li Yi where she had a place to stay.

    Although Elementary Scholar Li was unwilling to part with his chef, he knew that he could not let him go, so he said a few words of blessings.

    In the next few days, Su Zhi went back and forth to several fairs and bought some cooking utensils, bowls, chopsticks, and bedding.

    Although he was a little tired, he still had a home to settle in. The silver in his pocket was almost full. If this went on, he would have no money to buy rice.

    Fortunately, the items in the system could support her livelihood, but the items were limited and could only resolve urgent problems. If she did not have the money to pay for a long period of time, it would not be acceptable for her to do so.

    That morning, Su Zhi made rice porridge and pancakes for the two children and went out after closing the door.

    He had only taken two steps when he met the man next door.

    She was also a woman in her forties or fifties. She held a bamboo basket in her hand, and within it were some osmanthus flowers that she had collected.

    The branches were golden and the leaves were thick. No one knew where they had picked them.

    "Hello, Aunt. I''m a new resident next door to you. My name is Su Zhi."

    When the woman heard this, she smiled and came forward to chat.

    "I know you. On the first day you moved here, you sent rice cakes to all the neighbors. I happened to not be there that day. My youngest son opened the door, so he told me afterwards."

    "Aunt, where did you go to pick the osmanthus flowers?"

    The woman stepped forward and grabbed her hand, then smiled: "My surname is Bai, you can just call me Aunt Bai. This flower was harvested from the open space in front of them. In the past, there would always be many flowers growing in that small cove. That pair at home liked the osmanthus cake, so they went to pick it. "

    Su Zhi stared at the osmanthus flowers in her hands and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Her smile deepened. "Thank you, Aunt Bai. Then I''ll take a look as well and make some snacks for the two children."

    "Hey hey, go ahead. Be careful."

    After saying goodbye to Aunt Bai, Su Zhi followed the col she pointed to and indeed saw the osmanthus trees that were spread all over the mountain. They were densely packed, and the fragrance wafted everywhere.

    She hurried forward as if she had found a treasure.

    Not only were there osmanthus flowers, there were also many wild chrysanthemums, some blooming monkshood flowers, and other wild flowers that were unknown.

    In Su Zhi''s eyes, the flowers and plants that covered the mountain came with money.

    She went back to pick some of the flowers and grasses. Along the way, she saw some green and yellow orange trees. She also picked a few of them along the way.

    When they returned to the courtyard, the auntie Bai from next door came to deliver the osmanthus cake, and the two chatted about family matters for a while longer.

    It was just the gossip of the neighbors, so it didn''t matter if they listened to it or not.

    When the sun rose, Aunt Bai left in a hurry, and Su Zhi didn''t keep her.

    When there was no one else around, he used the well water in the yard to wash the flowers and plants clean to dry. Then he took out some essential oil and a container from his storage room to keep.

    It was not as if she had not gained anything from running around for the past few days. Su Zhi saw some business opportunities and had her own thoughts.

    Flowers and grasses were collected as raw materials, ground and extracted, with essential oil as supplement, distilled and cooled.

    Su Zhi wanted to make some perfume to see if they were on sale. In ancient times, most people would use perfume and incense, and if she wanted to have incense, she would need to steam her clothes, which she could only wear after a few days.

    With perfume, the situation would be completely different. It would be much more convenient to go out and meet the guests.

    She took out the necessary tools from the storage room and memorized the principles she had learned while she was in school. She fiddled with them for several hours.

    The raw materials are osmanthus flowers, sweet flowers, and citrus to refresh the mind, the idea is not bad.

    He went to filter it with the white gauze a few times, but the fragrance was spreading very quickly. By the time the boiling water of the osmanthus flower had cooled down, the fragrance was almost gone and the experiment was obviously a failure.

    If the perfume was sprayed out, it would not be offensive. The fragrance would be fresh and pleasant to the nose. If the perfume had a high durability, it would be the real thing.

    It was the first time that the fragrance of osmanthus flower had been made. It did not last long.

    Su Zhi still poured some into the small porcelain bottle and gave it to Aunt Bai next door.

    Aunt Bai tried using some on her clothes. Although the fragrance wasn''t obvious, it wasn''t strong. She happily accepted it.

    With this failure, Su Zhi learnt her previous lesson the second time she did it.

    Use white rose as raw material, with menthol and sweet orange glycerin, with alcohol lamp core heating. Considering the ratio of finished products according to the length of time, after going back and forth a few times, he finally succeeded.

    Su smeared the success perfume on her body and wandered around the courtyard. The smell had not faded for a long time.

    Once the perfume was ready, it was time to consider how to sell it.

 C50

    Most women liked perfume, so she had to consider where they gathered more women.

    However, in ancient times, even if the entrance of a woman''s room was closed, she would not be able to sell it out. After thinking about it for a while, there was only one place to sell it, and that was Xuan City''s large and small courtyard.

    In order to sell the products she had developed, Su Zhi stayed at home for two whole days, starting with the bottled technology and the different flavors, satisfying the aesthetic tastes of different women.

    On the evening of the third day, when the fun places like the Smoky Willow Lane were about to open up, Su Zhi finally instructed A Jin and Little Dou Bao to stay home peacefully before going out with her white felt hat on.

    At this time, the sun was setting in the west and the sun was setting. The merchants and soldiers on the street had already dispersed one by one. The market place had started to become deserted.

    No one is allowed to linger on the streets until curfew comes. The few brothels in the city were filled with guests, and all of them were laughing and talking softly, forming a sharp contrast.

    Su Zhi was wrapped in a light veil and her felt hat covered her face, giving her a sense of elegance and mystery.

    She found a good place to do business, gave Master Gui a silver tael and asked him to call out the bawd.

    Not long later, a middle-aged woman with heavy makeup walked out of the door. She waved her fan with the picture of a beauty in the spring room and asked in a sharp voice, "Who''s looking for me?"

    Su Zhi stepped forward, bent her knees, and said in a soft voice, "Greetings to mother. I''ve come to find you today because I have something to discuss with you."

    She whispered a few words into the bawd''s ear, and the bawdy old bawd in saffron immediately rejected, "So you''re a businessman. I thought you were a woman who couldn''t live a life, and wanted to come to my ''Escort Phoenix Restaurant'' to find fault. Come on, where did you come from? Don''t come in my way. "

    The old procuress rolled her eyes at Su Zhi, who was tightly wrapped up, and turned around to kick Master Gui.

    "Stupid brat, why aren''t you getting down to work!"

    After receiving such a kick, Duke Gui didn''t dare to make a sound. He hurriedly lowered his head and smiled apologetically, then ran off.

    "Hold on!"

    Su Zhi stepped forward and stood in front of the old procuress. She took out a silver ingot from her sleeve and handed it to her.

    "It''s all because of life. I can see that mother is a constant stream of guests, so she must have a lot of money. Seeing your fortunate state, you must also be a warm-hearted person, so take it as your good intentions. "

    The old procuress accepted the silver, her complexion looking much better. She looked at Su Zhi, who was covered by a veil, and asked with a puzzled expression, "Just what is it that I want to sell?" "This is all a meat business, I don''t know you ˇ­"

    "Don''t worry about it. Mom will just let me in and use it on your table. I won''t be held up for long."

    As he spoke, he took out a small piece of perfume from the bag he carried with him and passed it to her.

    "This is a perfume that I developed. You can try it, I guarantee that you will be pitied by my benefactor again."

    The old procuress was skeptical. She lifted the lid and sniffed the air, opening her eyes in surprise.

    This thing really did smell good. It had a sweet fragrance of osmanthus flowers and the taste of green oranges. It was unlike the greasy taste of osmanthus flowers sold on the market. It smells better and more special.

    "You want to sell these things?"

    "That''s right, this is also a matter of interest. I believe that your family''s young lady needs these as well."

    The old procuress smiled and quickly invited Su Zhi in.

    The Etiquette Phoenix Pavilion was brightly lit, as if it was daytime. The weather gradually turned cold, but the girls were still covered in thin gauze, and their figures were graceful and graceful. Half-revealed jade breasts, faintly visible, can indeed arouse a man''s lustful desire.

    Su Zhi''s appearance had already attracted the attention of many of the good-for-nothings. They all teased, "Mother Hua, where did you get this girl? She''s so mysterious. Should we wait for her to be taught to auction the first night of the auction?"

    Soon after, there was a burst of malicious laughter. The old procuress said sharply, "Aiyo, Young Noble Wu, look at what you''re saying. Isn''t it enough to have a red Xiang in your arms? Are you thinking about someone else?"

    Another few flirtatious laughs.

    From start to finish, Su Zhi didn''t say anything. She just walked up to the table covered in red silk and took out the things inside the bag.

    In the private room on the second floor, a dissatisfied and angry voice was heard from the VIP room. "Phoenix Pavilion? Where''s the Phoenix Hall? They''re all wild chickens, a bunch of rouge and vulgarities!"

    The man who was scolding was slightly drunk. His clothes were half open as he leaned against the wine table with an unrestrained manner.

    Seeing this, someone immediately went up to comfort her, "Your Highness, please forgive me. This lowly one does not know that Lady Yao of the Phoenix Pavilion is so kind. In Xuan City, who doesn''t know that Lady Yao dances gracefully and that the singing beauty is sweet? "

    When the bawd heard that there was dissatisfaction in the private room on the second floor, she quickly ran up and pushed the unhappy man away with a smile on her face.

    "What are you talking about, your highness? Who in Xuan City doesn''t know that you''re so beautiful? Of course these girls won''t enter your eyes."

    What he said was indeed true, the angry man had tied his hair with a jade crown, causing it to fall extravagantly. His facial features were extremely handsome, his facial features were picturesque, and his features were sharp and sharp. The corners of his mouth curled into a cynical smile, as evil as it was righteous.

    "If you let this prince hear your Feng Yi Pavilion claim that they''re the number one power in Xuan City, I''ll smash your reputation!"

    The old procuress did not dare to make a sound as she hurriedly kowtowed and begged for forgiveness.

    Although the other men had all left the noble residence, they did not dare to say anything.

    At this time, the girl''s clear and gentle voice came from downstairs, "I shouldn''t have disturbed your mood, it''s only because there are a few items that the ladies might like and want to sell them. If you like them, I''m very grateful."

    The sound was like the clear spring of the mountain stream, like the blue valley.

    The crowd looked towards the source of the sound and saw a woman standing on the stage with a veil covering her face. She was tall and slim.

    Lu Huan Zhi also heard the commotion. He immediately sat up straight and looked down the stairs.

    Su Zhi held up the small porcelain bottle in her hands and said, "This is called perfume. When it is sprayed on clothes, it will be able to last for a long time, and is extremely pleasing to the heart.

    Then she pulled off the lid, pressed down a few times on the spray head, and waved her hand to disperse it.

    Hua Niang, who was sitting at the table in front of him, smelled it and exclaimed, "Wow, what''s this made of? It really smells good. It smells like flowers, but it doesn''t feel like fruit. "

    "This item is named ''Ying Ge''. It is made by picking flowers and mixing them with citrus fruits. It is definitely a good item." The endurance is also high. May I ask which young master here is willing to buy this thing with a smile on his face? "

    Hearing this, the few flower ladies below already had the guts to ask the customers beside them for help.

    "Young Master Chen, it''s been a long time since you came to see me. I''ll just treat it as you accompanying me today. I want it."

    The flower lady was soft and gentle, her jade-like arms shaking all the young masters. With a beautiful woman asking for him, a man''s desire to win would naturally be broken.

    "I want this!"

    "Wait a moment, Young Master Sun, I have my eyes on this as well."

    A few people fought to buy it, but Su Zhi only smiled and said the highest bidder got it. A bottle of perfume was raised more than ten times by men who refused to admit defeat.

    In the end, the bottle of bird song was sold for 30 silver.

    "Young masters, please don''t hurt our relationship. I have a bottle of ''Yan Wu'' here, it has the fragrance of white magnolia flowers, the sweet orange fruit fragrance from before, the rose fruit and honey wax in the middle, and the wooden sandalwood fragrance in the base. The starting price is eight silvers! "

    The noble young masters below laughed for the beauty in Bo''s arms. They lowered their heads in succession, wanting to get their hands on a perfume. The price also soared and was finally bought for thirty-six taels of silver.

    Next, he sold the ''Butterfly Language'', ''Magenta'', ''Gardenia'' and a few other bottles of perfume.

    Su Zhi stood on stage, covered her face with a smile that could not be hidden. It seemed like he had chosen the right path. Indeed, there was nothing easier to seduce than a man''s struggle for victory.

    "Everyone, the finale is here tonight. This is the last bottle of perfume I have brought, it''s called ''Youlan of the Vale''. With autumn chrysanthemums simple elegant, goose pear sweet, rose strong choice material match, quite elegant. "

    Su Zhi opened the lid and sprayed some on herself. She went down the stage and walked back and forth, arousing the admiration of the ladies.

    "This object is fragrant with orchids, peonies, roses, white musk and pear, orchids and daisy. "The starting price is fifty silver taels."

    The perfume he sprayed out did not have much difference from the one he sold previously. It was all sweet and fragrant at first, but the feeling was different.

    Someone asked: "You are selling the Holy Water of Yaochi right? It costs so much silver! "

    A mocking laughter came from below.

    Su Zhi''s expression did not change. She whispered a few sentences to the musicians at the side of the stage before returning.

    "This perfume is expensive, so there''s naturally an expensive reason. If any of you do not believe me, you will understand in a moment. "

    Su Zhi had put in a lot of effort to get this perfume, and the translucent frosted glass bottle had also been found in the storage room.

    Moreover, this perfume was only a faint sweet fragrance, there was nothing special about it. However, it caused one to be unable to stop. The more one smelled it, the more one liked it.

    Seeing that it was about time, the musicians began to play the zither.

    Su Zhi put away her perfume, took off her heavy outer robe and took off her long veil, walking towards them.

    The sound of the zither clanged, the sound lingering around the beam. She was dancing with the satin, dancing up and down on the beat, like a flawless bird, flapping in the grass between the flowers.

    The flute suddenly soared high into the air. With a flick of her sleeve, she created a thick fragrance. Her jade-like feet were like a flying white crane spreading its wings as she soared high into the air.

    After a few leaps and a spin, the fragrance became even stronger and better. It evaporated with the help of the heat and even the servants at the side could smell it.

    In the candlelight and in the shadow, countless colorful butterflies flew over from who knows where. Everyone sighed, and they were truly amazed.

    "When I advised you not to cherish the Golden Silk Cloth and to cherish the youth. Flowers open to fold straight beard fold, do not wait for no flower empty to fold branches. "

    After the song ended, the fragrance still lingered for a long time.

    The applause from the people beneath her was thunderous. Su Zhi was also sweating profusely as she panted.

    "If that''s the case, is it still worth the price?"

    "Worth it!"

    "Not bad, Miss Chong''s exquisite dance moves are worth it!"

    Su Zhi smiled in satisfaction, waiting for the people below to raise the price.

    "I bid 60 taels!"

    "70!"

    With the silver to earn Su Zhi back, she could not help but smile. Tonight, she would earn another two hundred taels of silver, right? When we have enough capital, we can think of ways to extend the product diversity.

    It is best to be able to make lipstick with different sizes, eyebrow pens and so on, so as to make a big profit.

    Sure enough, no era would dare to, cosmetics would be a windfall industry.

    "Five hundred liang!"

    [What the heck, who is so stupid as to be so wasteful?]

 C51

    Su Zhi''s train of thoughts was interrupted. She looked toward the private room on the second floor, finding the voice. She was looking at a cynical face.

    She was a beautiful and elegant woman, but she was also very unruly. At first glance, she looked like a good-for-nothing.

    His shout silenced the hall. No one dared to refute him.

    He hadn''t thought that the crown prince of the Eternal Ning Prince''s estate would also be here.

    At that moment, a few of the young masters came up to greet him, flattering him.

    Lu Huan acted as if he didn''t care. He got up and brushed off his wrinkled clothes, then said: "Miss, I''ll buy this'' Orchid Sky Valley ''. Is five hundred taels of silver enough?"

    Su Zhi was at a loss as to how to respond. Not only was it enough, she had returned the room money and the twenty taels from Liu Yuan. Not only that, she could also spend a portion of the money on purchasing limited quantities of items.

    "Enough, enough! Her Highness the Crown Prince smiled for the beauty. "Such extravagance is truly admirable."

    Lu Huan''s bright smile called for the manservant to go downstairs and get the items.

    When Su Zhi held out her hands, they were still shaking violently.

    Having earned six or seven hundred silver taels in one night, the thrill of this day''s gold rush was like a dream.

    The young masters of the other lords looked at each other and smiled in understanding.

    It seemed like the crown prince had found his prey tonight.

    Who in Xuan City didn''t know that the crown prince of the Eternal Ning Prince''s estate was born with an amorous character and was nostalgic for the beautiful streets and willow alleys? He was a man with a heart of flowers.

    Any woman he took a fancy to, even a nun or a widow from a temple, could be captured easily.

    This man was skilled and had a handsome and free and unrestrained face. As long as his attacks were slightly fierce, there was no woman who would not be tempted.

    The concubines in the backyard were comparable to the three thousand beauties of the imperial palace. One could see the extent of their revulsion towards the old.

    "Crown Prince, I can''t even see this girl''s face, don''t be distracted. Be careful not to reveal her pure face under the veil."

    "Hahahaha."

    Lu Huan Zhi snorted lightly when he heard the teasing of his peers. He was not angry at all. "What do you know? This prince is confident. This ˇ­ this must be a peerless beauty!"

    After Su Zhi successfully sold all the perfume, she put on her felt hat and quietly left from the backstage.

    Seeing that the servant had left, Lu Huan Zhi called her personal attendant over and left after giving a few instructions.

    Su Zhi walked out of the Phoenix Maiden Pavilion, her hands shaking in excitement as she carried the banknotes she had exchanged with the old procuress and headed towards Spring Leaf Alley.

    At this time, the sky had already darkened.

    There were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the road. It was a hidden danger that Su Zhi was planning to rent a carriage.

    Just past a deserted alley, a man dressed like a servant came into the alley. He looked a little familiar.

    She thought about it for a moment and realized that it was the follower of the master who just took the auction for the Orchid Sky Valley.

    "Miss, please hold your steps. The Crown Prince has invited you."

    Su Zhi was puzzled. Seeing that no one was around, she tightened her sleeves and asked, "May I ask what is the matter, Your Highness?"

    "Since you bought the girl''s things, you should at least ask her what her name is, right?"

    She was startled when she heard the voice coming from behind. She turned around and saw that it was Lu Huan Zhi.

    "Greetings, Crown Prince."

    "No need for formalities."

    Lu Huan Zhi held onto her shoulders and caressed her hands without leaving a trace.

    Su Zhi resisted instinctively. In the past, when she bowed to Xiao Qian and Liu Yuan, the latter would only hold her up and not touch her skin.

    She was not used to seeing Lu Huan act like this today.

    "A commoner should speak lightly and have a lowly status. How could she insult the Crown Prince''s ears?"

    Hearing her call herself a commoner, Lu Huan Zhi raised her eyebrows and asked, "You''re already married?"

    "That''s right, she has already become a married child."

    "If that''s the case, what a pity ˇ­"

    Lu Huan Zhi stroked her smooth chin. Disappointment could already be seen in her eyes.

    However, when she saw Su Zhi, who was wearing a veil and looked weak and pitiful, her heart still throbbed a little.

    "Then why isn''t the little lady showing her true face?"

    Su Zhi covered her face with a veil and lowered her head. "Because this commoner is ugly, she intimidates others. Only then does she wear a veil."

    Lu Huan Zhi snickered. It was obvious that she didn''t believe her words.

    He walked back and forth in front of Su Zhi. Smelling her scent, he whispered, "It smells so good. I wonder who learned my cooking skills from?"

    Su Zhi unconsciously took two steps back and leaned her back against the cold stone wall.

    "Learning from an old master is not important."

    Hearing her slapstick, Lu Huan Zhi smiled sinisterly. She leaned against the stone wall at the back, enjoying the panic that appeared in her eyes.

    He was clearly afraid, but he still pretended to be calm. Interesting.

    But is he that bad? With his title as the heir to the Eternal Ning Royal Palace, he didn''t even need to hook many women to get them to his side.

    "It''s already late, how about I send my wife back?"

    "There''s no need. My husband must be extremely anxious. He might have already come out to find me, and there might be some unnecessary misunderstandings. This humble woman should go back by herself."

    Su Zhi carefully lowered her body, crawled out of Lu Huan''s arms with her head, and slowly moved away.

    "Hold on ~"

    Su Zhi stiffened and nodded. "Does Your Highness have any other orders?"

    Lu Huan Zhi chuckled. She raised her hand and hooked it under her chin. "Do you think this prince will scare you?"

    Su Zhi turned her face away and said coldly, "Please have some self-respect, Your Highness."

    "Good, good, good. This is the tune that I like. I bought this'' Youlan of the Vale ''from you. I''ll give it to you as a gift."

    What a man.

    There was a kind of dregs that liked demure and virtuous brothels. They preferred loose women. In short, they loved to hunt wonders.

    It was likely that this prince was someone of his caliber.

    "This humble woman does not dare to accept your kindness without merit. Your Highness, please drop this matter."

    Just as Su Zhi was about to escape, Lu Huan Zhi gave a naughty smile and pulled the white felt hat on her head with her large hands. With a slight tug, the veil which covered her also fell down.

    The moment the white gauze landed on the ground, the woman''s flustered face was instantly caught by the man''s eyes.

    Lu Hengzhi, who was used to seeing all sorts of beauties, did not believe that Su Zhi was a natural beauty. At the very most, she could only be considered a mediocre beauty.

    However, she had a pair of watery eyes that seemed to be filled with beauty, making her look extremely pitiful and innocent.

    At this moment, she was staring at him. There was no shyness like what he imagined, instead, there was only anger.

    "Your Highness, don''t go too far!"

    Su Zhi picked up the felt hat and veil that had fallen to the ground, glared at him, then turned around and ran away.

    Interesting, he had never seen a woman who could escape his teasing.

    This girl was considered the first.

    Staring in the direction Su Zhi had fled in, Lu Huan gave a faint smile.

    Su Zhi returned home safely. The two children were already asleep.

    A Jin sat on the edge of the bed with one hand still pressed against the mattress, as if she was trying to prevent her sister from kicking the quilt.

    She saw that A Jin had not taken off her clothes, and was obviously waiting for her to come back.

    Su Zhi was so touched that her heart warmed. She immediately hid the banknotes, took off her child''s clothes, and carried him to bed to sleep.

    Lying under the warm blanket, Su Zhi did not let Lu Huan''s little episode slip her good mood. Instead, she was secretly thinking about her future path.

    This perfume was sold really well. There must be a returning customer. After all, they couldn''t just let the guest run to Spring Leaf Lane and go to her house to pick up the goods, right?

    As a woman, she couldn''t be bothered to take care of that kind of busy street. It was inevitable that she would meet with Lu Huan''s kind of impudent and helpless people.

    After thinking for a long time, she finally made a decision. She kissed the two obedient children beside her and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

 C52

    Yongning Palace.

    Only after returning late did the servants return to the manor, hurriedly heading to the East Courtyard to report.

    At this time, Lu Huan Zhi was surrounded by a group of fat and skinny people, who were enjoying the rich and gentle countryside.

    "Crown Prince, Lu Si is back."

    The man rested his head on the beauty''s jade-like leg and pushed aside the Beautiful Jade Dew that the concubine handed to him. With great interest, he said, "Let him in."

    The servant waiting outside entered the room, bowing and bowing: "Your Highness, this servant has thoroughly investigated. It''s a pretty widow with two children. She came to Xuan City a few days ago and bought an old house to settle down in. "

    After Lu Huan heard this, she slowly sat up. Her clothes were untidy, revealing half of her well-built and sturdy chest.

    "What a nice little wench, you actually dared to swindle this prince."

    Lu Si rubbed his hands together and smiled vulgarly, "But we need the younger ones, that?"

    Before he could finish, he was immediately silenced under the man''s cold gaze.

    "Since when has this prince relied on such pickled methods to obtain a woman? Women are all those little tricks. I don''t believe that she won''t submit to me. "

    At dawn the next day, Su Zhi thought of making another trip to Flowery Mansion.

    It was not a good day. It looked like it was going to rain.

    Before leaving, A Jin sensibly handed her an oil-paper umbrella. "Mother, come back early."

    Su Zhi kissed her two adorable children and stroked A Jin''s head. "Good child, once your mother earns the money, I''ll send you to school." Then he took his umbrella and went out.

    Not long after he left the house, he met his neighbor, Madam Gu. She was carrying a vegetable basket as she came over to greet him with a smile.

    "Xiaosu, where are you going this early in the morning?"

    Su Zhi closed the door and replied, "Good day, Sister-in-law Gu. I''m going out to see if I can find some work to do."

    Gu Sister-in-Law was a few years younger than Aunt Bai, and was also on good terms with Auntie Liu. She was the first neighbor that Su Zhi saw on her first day here.

    "Aiyo, it isn''t easy for a woman like you to bring two children with you. Did he ever think about finding a stepfather for his child? I have someone I can help you introduce. "

    Su Zhi smiled and shook her head, "I appreciate sister-in-law''s good intentions. It''s just that my husband''s bones have not turned cold yet, so I don''t have any plans for now."

    The two chatted as a woman in her thirties walked out from the alley at the corner next door. She was wearing a headscarf and had a pale face. When she saw someone was outside, she didn''t even greet them.

    "Eh? "So there''s someone at home in this house."

    The last time he had given rice cakes to his neighbors, only this family had not shown up. No one opened the door, no matter how Su Zhi knocked.

    Gu Sister-in-Law looked at the thin, sallow woman and said in a low voice: "This woman is from He Village, a small door to become a farmer. Because she was the seventh oldest member of the family, she was named He Qi Niang. He was also a poor person, betrothed to Aunt Ying at the age of fourteen, and before he even got through the door, his husband had already died. "

    "Outsiders despise her for being unlucky, and since there are so many people in our family, we might as well ignore her. But when she turned fifteen years old, she was sent to Aunt Ying''s house. She paid homage to a rooster and kept watch over a blind mother-in-law for fifteen years. "

    He Qiniang, He Xiao. It was an ominous name.

    Gu Sister-in-law pulled Su Zhi along and pointed in the direction of He Village, "That West Street''s chastity memorial archway was set up for her."

    "In my opinion, what chastity arch do you want?" A woman in the prime of her youth has been dragged down like this. It''s such a pity that her youth has been ruined and she has taken on the appearance of a withered tree. "

    Sister-in-Law Gu was quite reasonable and agreed with a nod. "Who said I wasn''t? Sigh, it''s her fate."

    After hearing about He Qiniang''s background, Su Zhi could not help but feel some sympathy for her.

    Seeing Seventh Madame''s gloomy expression and empty eyes, she pulled on Gu Sister-in-Law''s hand to say her goodbyes. After all, it was not good to discuss her with others.

    After driving for a while, they arrived at the market. Several days after they left, Flower Mansion was still the same. It was deserted, with no customers. It was very different from Hundred Flavors Clear Joy.

    Li Yi also did not expect Su Zhi to come back, and he was quite surprised.

    "Xiaosu, you''re here. Please take a seat. Have you thought it through? Are you planning on coming here to be my chef?"

    Su Zhi shook her head and looked around the shop before slowly opening her mouth, "Brother Li, since I called you brother, I won''t treat you as an outsider. As you can see, Hua Manlou''s current condition will not last for long. Now that I have a way, I might be able to make Hua ManLou return to the prosperity of the past.

    Li Yi was someone who could distinguish between priorities. Seeing her solemn expression, he immediately sat down and asked, "I wonder what method Little Su has?"

    "I still remember what I told Big Brother, it is impossible to reopen a business and earn a lot of money. With the Hundred Flavors Clearing the Joyous, it would be useless no matter what. So we have to change our minds. "

    Li Yi nodded to indicate her to continue.

    "Since we cannot defeat our opponents, we should not be head-on and learn to think flexibly. I''ve been observing from all over the place for the past few days. Xuan City''s biggest problem is that the goods are not concentrated, so I can''t buy things as quickly and efficiently as possible. "

    Ancient bazaars were scattered everywhere. ''East bazaar, west bazaar, south bazaar, north bazaar,'' he said.

    They all had their own specialties, but in reality, if they wanted to buy a full set of items, they would need to buy two or even a few of them back and forth.

    Convenience was the only way to make money quickly. It was better to open a supermarket! He had everything he wanted. If he didn''t have anything, he could just collect the commission first and then find a way to get it.

    "So, I mean, we could have a joint supermarket. In short, you can buy anything here. You don''t have to go to other stores to buy cloth, you have to go to his house to buy rouge powder. What do you think, Brother Li? "

    Li Yi went silent and didn''t reply for a long time.

    He had never seen or heard of this kind of thinking before.

    If they did not manage well, how much money would they lose?

    "Well, I disagree. "This is too risky ˇ­"

    Su Zhi also thought that Li Yi wouldn''t agree immediately, so she persuaded again, "Only by being the first person to eat a crab can we earn money. I also know that Brother Li can''t afford it. I just want you to rent the shop to me, and I''ll pay the rent. "In this way, you will still be the boss of Flowerwood. No matter the loss or gain, you will still be the boss. What do you think?"

    Li Yi shook his head in reluctance, yet he still didn''t dare make a decision.

    "I''ll give you thirty silver as deposit first. I''ll pay you fifty silver per month in rent."

    Su Zhi put two silver ingots on the table and pushed it towards him.

    Looking at the silver on the table, Li Yi was unable to refuse.

    Honestly speaking, with just his management skills alone, how could he earn fifty silver taels a month?

    He gritted his teeth, accepted the silver and agreed, "Alright, I''ll rent it to you."

    Su Zhi smiled with satisfaction and took out another silver ingot from her sleeve. "This is also for Brother Li." As a woman in the outer sect, I have many inconvenience. Brother Li can''t help but to come forward to take care of this matter, so you can consider me begging you to be the second in charge of "Flower Mansion Tower". "

    Li Yi kept the silver and cupped his hands. "Sure, sure. Little Su, if there''s anything you need to tell me, just say it. I promise I''ll do it well."

    After negotiating over the matter of the shop, Su Zhi took out a rent contract and signed a pledge with Li Xiucai.

    Now that he had the store, he needed to spend a portion of the silver to renovate it.

    In order to turn a stolid old-fashioned restaurant into a department store, one would have to have ingenious thoughts and be able to brighten up the eyes of others.

    After considering it over and over again, Su Zhi decided to sell the daily necessities such as vegetables and fruits, as well as some clothing and bedding items.

    The second floor was converted into a teahouse, where people could watch plays and play chess and chat.

    She was planning to open a beauty salon or boutique on the third floor, selling perfume and lipstick, or a beauty suit for a lady, along the way selling some small and exquisite accessories, such as a new style of makeup case, hairpin, and so on.

    She drew the blueprint, consulted the craftsman, and then went to work on the purchase of the goods.

    The ''Flower Mansion'' was still in full swing. In the private room across the restaurant, the man with the fan was staring at Elementary Scholar Li with a pair of bright and strong eyes.

    "Go and ask this young master what he plans on doing."

    What the hell was going on in that gourd?

    The servant immediately left the room.

    Before long, he returned to report, "Young master, this servant asked around, and said what it was. "What are you trying to do, I don''t know what you''re trying to do."

    Yu Zhanhong laughed disdainfully, "Let him do it. If he loses this last bit of wealth, he won''t be able to hold on for long."

    At that time, he would be able to offer a full price.

    He had been thinking about this shop for a long time.

 C53

    In the next few days, Su Zhi ran around everywhere. She worked hard to find the source of the goods, so she had to find time to look after the decorations of the shop. She was so busy that she couldn''t care less about home.

    A Jin was a good girl, she would help take care of Little Dou. Su Zhi was not worried about her two children.

    But when she was busy, she often came home late.

    In order to prevent the two little fellows from starving, Su Zhi could only spend some silver to ask the neighboring Aunt Bai to cook.

    Aunt Bai refused and generously took the two children to her house, saying that it was a matter of one more person with two chopsticks, so she didn''t need to take the silver. Moreover, the two children didn''t eat much, so it wouldn''t cost them much food.

    Su Zhi was grateful to the neighbors she had met in Xuancheng. She sent a lot of gifts to Aunt Bai''s house, and then went to her shop a few times.

    The cost of modifying the store was huge, so he quickly ran out of six or seven hundred liang of money from his previous earnings. In addition to the deposits he received from various stores, he was almost unable to make ends meet.

    That night, Su Zhi returned late as usual.

    The autumn was getting thicker and heavier.

    Su Zhi sat in the carriage and wobbled back to Spring Leaf Lane. She got out of the carriage and paid the driver, and just as she was about to open the carriage and return home, she heard a burst of rustling sounds.

    She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall and thin figure. It was He Qiniang, who was wearing very thin clothes.

    In his hand was a bottle of incense, which was obviously poured with dirty water at night.

    "Seventh Madame."

    Su Zhi gently called out to him as a form of greeting.

    He Qi Niang also saw her and ignored the friendly greeting. She only glared at her venomously.

    Those eyes were extremely cold and merciless. There wasn''t the slightest bit of emotion in them, as if they were silently cursing their enemies.

    Su Zhi shivered as she lowered her head, took out her key, and hurriedly entered the room.

    The weather gradually turned cold. There were people selling leather mattresses on the market.

    Su Zhi walked around, stopping to rest. She also hurried the well-dressed children for a few moments, thinking to make cloaks for the two children, then make a few pairs of knee guards to send to Aunt Bai''s house next door as a way of thanking her for taking care of the two children.

    The small room was lit by a weak kerosene lamp. A Jin was fast asleep with her arms wrapped around a small bean bag.

    Looking at the two children''s innocent and cute sleeping faces, Su Zhi felt a warm feeling in her heart. Even after running for a whole day, she still felt particularly motivated.

    Since he had some free time, he needed to hurry up and do some needlework.

    It was already dark outside, and they would report the hour soon.

    After a while, there was a knock on the door.

    At first, Su Zhi did not pay much attention to it. She thought it was the sound of the door being blocked by the wind, but after listening to it, she felt that something was amiss.

    She started to get nervous, wondering who was coming this late.

    She put down the fur mattress, got up, and pushed open the door to the front yard. There was a sharp knock on the door.

    "Dong Dong Dong!"

    "It''s so late, who is it?"

    The knocking on the door stopped, and someone answered, "I am Li Wuyou, for the destruction of my wife''s roof. A change occurred on the way, I hope you can forgive me for being late. "

    Su carried a paper lantern and looked behind her. A large piece of the roof had collapsed, and she suddenly thought back to what Auntie Liu had said before.

    They seemed to have been destroyed by two martial arts competition and had also promised to send money to repair it. However, no one had come back yet.

    It was just that it was not appropriate to let a man whom she did not know enter the house at this late hour. Su Zhi thought for a moment, then replied, "It''s late, Young Master, please go back."

    The knocking on the door completely disappeared, and the person replied, "Sorry for disturbing you."

    Then he threw a heavy cloth bag into the yard, stood on tiptoe with his sword on the tip of his toes, and jumped on the cypress tree by the gate. He leaped into the trees farther away, and in the blink of an eye disappeared into the night.

    Su Zhi hesitated for a moment before she went forward and picked up the cloth bag. When he brought it into the room, he saw by the candlelight that it was a gold ingot.

    She was so scared that she quickly covered her purse. Seeing that there was no one around, she tremblingly opened it and took another look.

    Lately, he had been doing well. A few days ago, he had met a fool, but tonight, he had met another one who paid his debt.

    That night, Su Zhi hugged the gold as she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. The taste of being rich made her feel uneasy.

    At dawn, she quietly got up to prepare breakfast for the two children.

    Halfway through the cooking, he heard someone knocking on the door again.

    It was early in the morning, and no one knew who it was.

    She dried her hands and went to open the door. She peered through the crack in the door and asked, "Who is it?"

    "Broken Cloud Villa, Flower Melting."

    When Su Zhi opened the door, she saw a man standing outside. His hair was as smooth as ink, and his hair was tied up in a casual bun. His face was like an autumn flower, shining like a peach.

    If not for the Adam''s apple on his neck, Su Zhi would never have thought that he was a man.

    "Who is this young master?"

    That person''s eyes were squinting as he chuckled, as though he was the shining sun. His eyes were sparkling, captivating the hearts of those who looked on with excitement.

    Beautiful!

    He had the honor of seeing a beauty smile so early in the morning. He could even eat a few more bowls of rice.

    "I am Hua Li."

    ''A thousand seductive flowers, light soluble moon '', just like its name, worthy of the word'' flower dissolving ''.

    "Then why did young master come this time?"

    She took out a gold ingot and gave it to her, explaining, "This was the money to repair your house during the last martial arts competition. Take it."

    Su Zhi stared wide-eyed at the gold ingot and waved her hands in panic, "No, no, there was also a young master who came last night, saying that he came to repair the house for the money. Now that I have accepted it, there is no need for Young Master to give it back. "

    Hua Yan was slightly startled, then said suddenly: "Oh, so you have already come. But it doesn''t matter, he''s him, I''m me. "

    With that, he handed the gold ingot to Su Zhi.

    Just as he was about to push her away, Jin''s voice came from behind, "Mom!"

    "A Jin woke up."

    Oh no. There was still porridge in the pot.

    Su Zhi didn''t bother to refuse and quickly ran back to the kitchen like a wisp of smoke.

    When she came back with the porridge, A-Jin had already dressed sensibly and was helping the small bean bag to get dressed.

    The man called Hua Xuan had not left yet, so Su Zhi could not give the order to leave.

    "It smells so good. Can I eat it?"

    The man rubbed his stomach and stared eagerly at the pot of porridge.

    "Young master, if you don''t mind, let''s eat together." Young master, if you don''t mind, let''s eat together.

    "Alright, thank you, little lady."

    Lonesome Flower revealed a breathtaking smile as he sat down and started to fill his bowl with porridge.

    Su Zhi was secretly glad that she had accidentally made too much congee today. Otherwise, it would not be enough to eat.

    Suddenly, a furious roar came from outside the door.

    "Flower Soluble!" Come out for laozi! I''ve chased you for so long, but you''re actually hiding in someone''s home like a cowardly bastard! "

    The spoon in Su Zhi''s hand trembled as she suddenly looked out of the courtyard.

    He saw a black-clothed man walk in with a sword aura that was filled to the brim.

    "Young Master is again?" Su Zhi frowned and asked.

    "I am Li Wuyou!"

    It was the Lord who came to deliver the gold last night.

    "Wa woo woo ~"

    The small bean bun seemed to have been frightened by the man''s murderous aura and drilled into Su Zhi''s embrace while crying.

    Seeing this, Hua Xuan scrunched his eyebrows and said unhappily, "Wu You, look how you scared this child is."

    "Ah, sorry, little lady."

    Seeing that the child was crying, the menacing man immediately withdrew his stinky face and stood helplessly in the courtyard, not moving at all.

    A Jin looked at the two of them, her eyes filled with curiosity and caution.

    "Lonesome Flower, come out."

    "I don''t want to. After chasing me for a whole night, you should be tired now, right?"

    "If you don''t come out, then I''ll go cause a ruckus at the Broken Cloud Villa!"

    The man eating the porridge shrugged, "Then go, what else can you do?" You want me to really pretend to be a girl and marry you? I admit that I was being too much of a joke, and that I shouldn''t have lied to you using a woman''s outfit. I''ve already apologized, what do you want from me? "

    It sounded like a private matter between two grown men. Or ˇ­ A dispute?

    Su Zhi was a little confused. She probably understood that Hua Xuan had tricked Li Wuyou after returning to be a woman in uniform. The latter must have been real, because when she found out that the other party was a man in disguise, she became angry and chased after him, refusing to let him go even after he went to the ends of the earth.

    My enemy! If the two of them continued to fight, the house would not be demolished.

    "You two, it''s better to be calm than to fight. If there really is anything you don''t want to say, then please go to the open space in front of the house. I can''t take this any longer and am afraid of scaring the child."

    Huaxue nodded, and leisurely ate the porridge while taking a piece of pancake to leave.

    It was unknown what he said to the black-clothed gongzi outside, but in short, the two of them left.

 C54

    After hurriedly finishing their breakfast, the coachman, who had previously agreed to be delivered back and forth at the appointed hour, had already arrived.

    Su Zhi tidied everything up in a fluster, hugged the two adorable children and warned, "A Jin, mom has something important to do today and will be back very late. Go to Aunt Bai''s house next door after you and your sister have some porridge, be good."

    A Jin nodded obediently and smiled at her. "Mother, don''t be too tired. Sister and I both live well. A Jin eats too little, so it''s not expensive at all."

    Hearing this, Su Zhi''s heart warmed.

    The moment she stepped out of the door, she met Aunt Bai who was picking vegetables from the fields.

    "Yo, Lil ''Su, you left so quickly."

    "Yes, Aunt Bai, I''ve troubled you so much these past few days, I''m sorry."

    She looked at Su Zhi''s pointy chin and said worriedly, "I see that you''ve decreased a lot recently. You''re too tired from getting up early and taking advantage of the dark, although the expenses for the two children are huge, you have to pay attention to your body. If you don''t have enough support, you can find a stepfather and you''ll be fine."

    Su Zhi took Aunt Bai''s hand and passed a bottle of perfume from her bosom to her.

    "Let''s talk about this later. If you can hold on, hold on."

    After saying her goodbyes, Su turned around and got on the carriage, quickly disappearing into the alleyway.

    A Jin finished her meal, took her keys with her and went to Aunt Bai''s house next door.

    As he walked out of the courtyard, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He pushed the bean bag into the door of Aunt Bai''s house and said, "Be good, little sister. Big brother will go and pay you a visit. You can go to Grandma Bai first."

    After instructing the small bean bag over and over again, Ah Jin closed the door and hurriedly ran back to the cottage in the courtyard.

    In the deserted courtyard, Dou Qi stood in a daze. When she saw that her brother didn''t follow her, she turned her head and pushed open the door, stepping out of Aunt Bai''s house.

    She looked around her surroundings. It was unknown what she was thinking of as she smiled happily. She clapped her hands and muttered to herself, "I want father ~"

    They walked along the main road towards the outside of the alleyway.

    At this moment, a carriage slowly approached from the distance. However, the cynical man could not stop his irritation.

    "Lu Si, are you sure she lives like this?"

    The driver''s attendant replied respectfully, "That must be right, Your Highness. This little one has investigated everything thoroughly."

    Lu Huan Zhi rolled his eyes impatiently, "What kind of crappy place is this? The road is too hard to walk on. There''s not even a piece of limestone on top of it. It''s really difficult to walk in the rain."

    Spring Leaf Lane connected a stretch of the road to North Street, about 900 meters of muddy trail, after rain will be potholed, uneven.

    A man used to living like a prince does not like this deserted path,

    On the other side, Dou Zi was walking alone out the door. A pair of small shoes the size of his palm were soaked in mud.

    After the rain, the little girl stepped into the water puddle. Her feet slipped, and with a plop, she fell into the yellow mud, falling to the ground. The little child who tripped on the mud cried out in grievance. However, there was no one around him, and no one would coax him even if he fell in pain.

    With tears in her eyes, she sniffed and struggled to get up.

    As the horse carriage approached, a pitiful looking little mud puddle stared at Lu Si who was driving the carriage. Lu Li muttered a few words as if he was asking for help.

    "Eh? Which family''s child is this? It''s just like a mud monkey. "Go away, go to the side. The brothers are going to do some serious work."

    Lu Huan was impatient to begin with. Once she heard that someone was blocking the way and that it was a little brat, she was immediately on fire. She pulled open the curtain and was about to curse.

    The little girl, whose body was covered in mud, blinked her big black eyes as she stared pitifully at him. Perhaps it was because she fell too hard, but even her little face was covered in mud. It was both pitiful and laughable.

    His heart skipped a beat and he immediately softened. "Which family''s child is this? Why is she so virtuous?"

    "I don''t know. I think it was brought out by someone else. There have been a lot of abandonment of female infants these past few years."

    Lu Huan sized the little girl up, and when she said that she wanted father, she was a bit puzzled, "What is this little girl saying, that she wants father? "Who should I call father?"

    "Hey, little girl, who''s your father?"

    The small bean bun Yi Yi Wu was unable to explain clearly. Both of her hands seemed to be making gestures, like pulling a bow.

    Seeing this, Lu Huan Zhi became impatient. He waved his hand and urged, "Forget it, forget it. Hurry up and send them away."

    Lu Si took out a little toy from his bosom and threw it at the little girl, half lying to her: "Hehe, take it, hurry up, go play on the side."

    The small bean bag glanced at the items on the ground, but didn''t reach out to pick them up. Instead, she raised her head and stared at Lu Huan Zhi, stretched out her hands, and started talking.

    "Hug ~ Look for daddy ~"

    Lu Huan Zhi ignored her. She pulled out her feet from the mud and walked unsteadily towards him. Her small, dirty hands held onto the wheel as she chattered, "Look for daddy ~"

    Lu Si quickly reached out and lifted her up, disdainfully saying, "What is this little girl saying? She''s so old and can''t even speak properly. Could she have a problem with her mouth and have been thrown away by her family?"

    "Shut up! Do you know how to speak? Hurry up and throw her aside."

    Lu Si was about to get out of the car and put the bean bag to the side when she suddenly burst into tears.

    "Oh my god!"

    Lu Si was startled by the child''s crying and loosened his grip. The child fell from the high ground and into the mud.

    "God damn it, you bastard. Are you going to murder a girl?"

    Lu Huan Zhi was both angry and anxious. Seeing the little girl limp on the ground, she quickly grabbed her.

    "Your Highness, this servant did not do it on purpose. This little servant is most afraid of children crying."

    "Let''s hurry!"

    "Oh, oh!"

    Lu Si nodded his head and quickly drove towards the opposite direction of Spring Leaf Alley.

    The cries of the small bean bun lessened as Lu Huan pulled it into the carriage. It sputtered as it stared at her while wiping away its tears with its small, dirty hands. Its face was covered in dirt.

    The corner of Lu Huan Zhi''s mouth twitched. He unconsciously took a few steps back.

    Why did I meet a beggar when I was just going out? Then, he saw that the shirt worn by Little Dou Bao was not that shabby. He thought that what the servant said was right. It was a girl who had been abandoned.

    Over here, after Aunt Bai finished washing the vegetables, she went to find someone next door after not seeing the two children for a long time. Hearing A Jin''s voice from the hut, she thought the big one was peeing for the little one, so she didn''t say much.

    When Lu Huan, who had rushed here, saw that there was still a wife in Su Zhi''s room, he angrily kicked Lu Si in the face, "Bastard, didn''t you say there was no one else in her house? Why did you get an old woman! "

    Lu Si also felt wronged. He had clearly investigated, how could he be wrong?

    "Do you want to ruin your grandpa''s illustrious reputation? Hurry up and get out of here! "

    Lu Huan pursued women for three reasons: first, he did not provoke the white-haired old man in the family; second, he did not provoke the widow of a loyal general; and third, he did not provoke a married woman.

    He didn''t even tease the fairy from the Heavenly Palace.

    Lu Huan''s mood had been ruined by the fact that she fell flat on her face and had even gotten in trouble on the way.

    As if seeing the man''s displeasure with her, she rubbed off the dried up mud on her hands and showed him a clean palm, smiling sweetly.

    "What lousy thing are you wearing? It looks really annoying."

    Lu Huan took off the cloth bag she was wearing and threw it out of the carriage. It was hanging on a reed by a stream on the way.

    Lu Huan couldn''t hold back her anger anymore. She cursed for a long time on the way back before returning to the Eternal Ning Prince''s Mansion resentfully.

    A Jin didn''t know if it was because she ate something dirty last night. Her stomach hurt for a long time. After running back and forth several times, her exhausted legs were a bit weak.

    When he was out of breath, he got up, locked the door, and walked over to Aunt Bai''s house.

    "Grandma Bai!"

    When Aunt Bai heard someone call her, she hurriedly wiped her pockets clean and came out, "Yo, A Jin is here, sit down." Grandma Bai will give you a bean bun and a osmanthus cake to eat. "

    A Jin smiled and looked around. Seeing that her sister was nowhere to be seen, she asked, "Where''s Little Dou Zi?"

    Aunt Bai was confused. "Isn''t little sister with you?"

    He opened his eyes wide and shook his head. "No, I had a stomachache and sent my sister to you."

    When Aunt Bai heard this, she hurriedly put down the shovel and searched the yard and the house a few times.

    "Hurry, hurry, let''s go next door to see if sister went back or not."

 C55

    Jin''s heart was pounding as she opened the door, but there was no sound from the house or the yard.

    He panicked and felt his legs go weak. "No, Granny Bai, no!"

    They quickly went out to look for someone nearby, but there was no sign of the child.

    Aunt Bai slapped her thigh. "Oh no, the child is gone! Jin, you and uncle are looking for your mother in the market right now! "

    Hearing that the child was gone, Aunt Bai''s husband came back from the fields with A-Jin, who was crying loudly, and borrowed an ox cart from Sister-in-law Gu''s house next door, heading straight for the market.

    Aunt Bai was extremely anxious. She quickly knocked on the door one by one, saying that the girl from the Su family had been lost and had asked the big guy to come out and help find her.

    The neighbors who were at home also stopped what they were doing and carefully went to find their children one by one.

    After Lu Huan''s return to the Lu Manor, he asked one of his attendants to change the clothes on the small bean bag. He was prepared to give some delicious food to the small bean bag and send it away.

    When the maidservant saw that he had returned, she hurriedly went to pay her respects. She said that Madam An had returned and had asked him to meet her in the front hall.

    "Didn''t Grandmother go to Wutai Mountain to pray for the Goddess Bodhisattva? Why are you back so early?"

    The maid lowered her head and looked at him, not daring to say more, "It seems like she came back for an urgent matter."

    When he heard the young maid mention it, he immediately stopped and laughed evilly, "You must have come here to make a mess, right? Which noble girl did you send to this crown prince?" Was it the Grand Preceptor''s grandson, or the princess'' daughter? Or the daughter of a newly rich and powerful family? "

    No, no.

    He was too used to being a prodigal, so how could he expect him to guard a green leaf and give up a forest?

    Lu Huan Zhi refused to meet his grandmother. He said that he had just come back from the outside world and needed to bathe and burn some incense.

    Old Mistress An and Princess Ning knew that this was his excuse not to come out and meet with them.

    The two equally elegant and luxurious women looked at each other and walked towards the East District in tacit understanding.

    At this time, Lu Hengzhi was listening to Ji Ying''s melody. His mood had improved a lot, and he didn''t even notice the upcoming torrential downpour.

    Madam An didn''t let the servants report. She followed Princess Ning into the courtyard. Just as she was about to make some preparations, a little girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

    The child seemed to have just been washed and dressed in clothes that belonged to someone else. It did not fit him at all. However, she was extremely well-behaved, especially her pair of big, black eyes. It was a very pleasant sight to behold.

    "Little girl, don''t run around. I''ll break your legs!"

    The small bean bag wheezes as it rubbed itself against Old Madam An''s legs. It held her in its arms, refusing to let go.

    Old Madam An was stunned. "Whose baby is this?"

    Lu Si followed behind her into the courtyard. Ning Xiaoyao shouted harshly, "Whose legs are you going to break?"

    His entire body trembled in shock as he immediately knelt down to pay his respects. "Greetings to the old mistress and esteemed wangfei!"

    Old Mistress An arched her back as she carefully examined the bean bag. "Where did this child come from?"

    Lu Si replied, "I just went out with His Highness and met a little beggar on the way."

    "Nonsense!" Is the beggar this clever and nice? "

    "Old madam, seriously ˇ­"

    Ning Xiaoyao couldn''t believe it either. How could she not know what kind of virtue her son was? He was born with a dislike for children. Although there were many ladies in the courtyard, none of them were the ones who left behind children.

    Would she bring a beggar back to the house if she met him on the roadside? How could that be possible, unless...

    "I remember now. That stinking brat said that he would marry a singer back to become his secondary wife and I rejected him. Now, he shouldn''t be ˇ­ He did not break off relations with that actress and he even secretly gave birth to a child? "

    Lu Si''s eyes were wide open, unable to understand Princess Ning''s thoughts.

    What was this all about? Every day, the Crown Prince would say that he wanted to marry a woman to be his side wife. Even if there were ten of them, there were at least seventy or eighty.

    "Is that true? How come I didn''t know! "

    Old Lady An was stunned. She stared at the little girl who was hugging her, feeling rather surprised.

    "Aiyo, mother, you don''t know what kind of bastard he is, being able to make people die from anger. If it wasn''t for me gasping for breath, I don''t know how this mansion would have been ruined by him."

    "No wonder!"

    Old Mistress An stomped her foot in anger, and a look of disappointment appeared on her face.

    "The empress''s younger sister that showed him, he''s gone without a trace. "Alright, this stinking brat!"

    After the maidservant opened the small bean bag, the two bright and beautiful women simultaneously entered the East District''s entrance. Pushing open the vermilion door with a palm, they angrily walked inside.

    At this moment, Lu Huan was shaking his head and listening to a song.

    When he saw his mother and grandmother barging in, he was stunned for a moment, then quickly rose to his feet and bowed.

    Before he could say a word, Madam An had already scolded him harshly, but before she could vent her anger, Princess Ning continued to reprimand him.

    After a short while, Lu Huan''s mind was completely confused.

    "Well, you worthless thing! "Having raised a houseful of singers, a concubine and a concubine, and even having children, she is still living in a luxurious place outside!"

    Ning Xiaoyao was holding Jun''er in her hand as she sobbed. "You''ve been hiding things from your mufei! It''s so bitter!"

    Lu Huan''s face was filled with confusion. Seeing the wink from Lu Si''s face and seeing the small bean bag that was supposed to be sent away being held by a servant girl, he immediately understood.

    "Mufei, grandma, this is a misunderstanding. This child isn''t mine!"

    "Then why did she call you father?"

    "How is she calling me? They said they were looking for their father, and I''m not her father. If you don''t believe me, just listen."

    Princess Ning and Old Mistress An really did get close enough to listen. Little Jun reached out with her chubby hands to grab the lapels of her clothes and sweetly called out, "Wa Nanny ~" (Granny Bai).

    Old Lady An''s heart skipped a beat as she held the silk to her chest and shouted happily, "Did you hear that? Did you hear that? Did you call for me?"

    "I heard you, mother. I was calling you. Great granny, this child is so smart!"

    Lu Huan spat out a mouthful of blood. He felt as if he had jumped into the Yellow River and washed away all the blood that came out of his mouth.

    Where did this little ancestor come from? Go back to where you came from! He was just causing trouble for him!

    "Don''t say anything more, wait for your father to come back and break your legs!" I let you spend your days without thinking, and only know how gentle and rich you are! "

    "That''s not it. Even prisoners have to be given a reason, you guys ˇ­"

    The two women, who were in tacit understanding with Lu Huan, left Lu Huan Zhi behind, along with the small bean bag.

    Thus, the two extremely respectable women from the Wang Mansion immediately quieted Lu Huan Zhi down.

    In the name of disrespect and unfilial piety, he was to be punished.

    Unfortunately, before Lu Huan Zhi could even warm up after returning to his residence, he was guarded by guards from inside and outside.

    Old woman An and Princess Ning didn''t stop either. One of them was so enraged by his grandson that he threw a bowl at them and the other was so enraged that he started crying. He was scolding him for not knowing what was good for him and not marrying the empress''s niece. He insisted on having a woman of unknown origins as an outside room, but at the same time, he couldn''t help but feel an urge to bury the sharp edge of his heart.

    Heavens, this year, Lu Huan Zhi was already a weakling. He refused to marry a woman of good family, but he just didn''t want to settle down.

    Princess Ning was so anxious that she wanted to hug her grandson. Now that a little girl had popped out of the carriage all of a sudden, she couldn''t help but weep tears of joy when she realized that she had already become a grandmother.

    In his mouth, he only said "How nice is a girl". A girl was more carefree than a boy, and he even brought up all of his mansion''s precious treasures just for the sake of playing with the small bean bag.

    There were only a few days until the store would open. Su Zhi was busy preparing everything she needed, so she was very busy.

    "Flowerwood" had already invested a lot of money in the early stages of the game. If they couldn''t make it back in time, the family of three would have to live happily ever after.

    Thinking about the two little kids at home, even if she was tired, she didn''t dare to relax for even a moment.

    As the owner of Flowerwood, Li Yi did not think highly of this new model of operation, but he did not need to go against the silver. He also saw how energetic Su Zhi was, so he could not say anything disheartening.

    "Xiaosu, the store is going to open in a few days. If you have anything else you want me to do, feel free to tell me."

    Su Zhizhan was instructing the artisan on how to work when she turned around and gave him a bright smile, "I do. Big Brother Li''s calligraphy is really beautiful. Why don''t you help me write some flyers? If you are writing, let me explain the contents. "

    The opening of a new store naturally needed to be advertised. Whoever was selling things would not shout out ˇŞ

    She would not believe that there would be no source of customers, given the great rewards and the discounts on all goods.

 C56

    Su Zhi found the printed white paper she had prepared a long time ago and prepared to have Elementary Scholar Li write down a template before printing it. When the time came, she would give some crushed silver to the children who were running through the streets and spread the news.

    Just as the two were deep in thought, the driver tightened the reins of the oxcart that was barreling towards them from the corner and stopped in front of Flowery House''s entrance.

    Su Zhi heard the commotion and looked outside. It was Aunt Bai''s husband, Uncle Liu. A Jin was sitting on the oxcart with swollen eyes.

    "Uncle Liu, Jin, what''s going on?"

    Seeing that the situation was not good, Su Zhi hurriedly went out to inquire.

    "Xiaosu, hurry up. Your daughter is gone. Go back and find her!"

    Uncle Liu picked A Jin up from the ground and wiped the sweat off her forehead with his sleeve. He was so anxious that he didn''t know how to explain it to her. The child was given to the couple to look after. Now that something had gone wrong, Uncle Liu was extremely upset.

    "What did you say?" What happened to the bean bun? "

    A Jin got off the ox-cart and rushed towards Su Zhi, sobbing and gasping for breath. "Mother, little sister''s gone. I couldn''t find her no matter how hard I tried, wuu.

    The child was gone?!

    It was as if someone had dug a hole in Su Zhi''s heart, causing her to pinch and not know how to react.

    "Everything is fine, how can the child not see her?"

    "Mother, it''s my fault. It was my greed that caused my stomach to break. After leaving for a short while, my sister disappeared."

    A Jin cried very sorrowfully and blamed herself.

    He was the one who sent the Soybean Bag over to Grandma White''s house. It only took him a blink of an eye to get rid of it. What would he do if his sister didn''t come back?

    Hearing the sound of the wind, Li Yi also went out the door. After hearing a few words, he realized that the little girl was gone and hurriedly went up to comfort her.

    "It''s fine, don''t worry, Spring Leaf Alley is only so big, where can we go?" It must be the child''s nature to be playful and unable to stay at home, to go for a walk. "

    Uncle Liu stomped his foot and gritted his teeth as he said, "Yes, I did. I searched the entire street and alleyway, but I couldn''t find any trace of the child. Everything was fine, why did the child get lost? "Right now, there''s a lot of people outside, don''t ˇ­"

    "NO!" "Impossible, my child won''t go missing ˇ­"

    Su Zhi''s heart abruptly contracted. She was in so much pain that she was about to cry.

    The Soybean Pancake was not born of her, but she had always regarded it as her own.

    Such a soft and cute child. Even though they had only known each other for a few months, she had already gotten used to hearing the cute call of the little bean bun. The little girl couldn''t even speak properly, yet she could clearly call out her mother''s child.

    "Big Brother Li!" Big Brother Li! Hurry, hurry, go to the government, we''re going to report this! No no no, you go to the government, I''ll go back to Spring Leaf Lane! "No, no, no. Only I know how a child looks like. I have to go to the government, first!"

    Su Zhi''s heart was empty. She wanted to cry, but she couldn''t. The feeling of a child missing was like burning hot water. It was hard to bear.

    She had no one in Xuancheng who could turn to but the government officials.

    Li Yi nodded. Seeing that Su Zhi had lost her soul, she was so anxious that she was about to cry. However, she was still strong and unwilling to show weakness.

    The usually shrewd and capable woman seemed to have lost her backbone, as if all her strength had been sucked out of her.

    "Xiao Su, think carefully. Who else can help you in Xuan City? "Even if it''s just one more person, it would be more powerful."

    Who else could help her? Who was there?

    Su Zhi clenched her hands and paced back and forth. "Oh right, there''s someone who can do it!"

    The man had promised to ask for help if he was in trouble.

    "Brother Li, do you know where the General''s Residence is in the capital?" I want to enter the capital! "

    Li Yi thought back for a moment and said, "Are you referring to the capital''s Xiao family? I''m not too sure about the exact location. If you want to find someone from the general''s manor, hire a carriage first and have the coachman take you there! "

    Su Zhi murmured and nodded her head. When she stepped out to find a carriage, her legs gave way and she stumbled onto the stone steps.

    "Mother!"

    A Jin rushed up to help her up, crying as he hugged her, "Mother, I''ll go with you, I want to go find my sister too!"

    Su Zhi pushed him away and turned to Uncle Liu for help. "Uncle, please take care of A Jin for me. I''ll go to Beijing and ask for help. I''ll be right back."

    Uncle Liu nodded, pulling A Jin back, "Hurry up and go. With me watching, A Jin will be fine."

    Li Yi stepped forward to support her and comforted her, "Little Su, don''t worry. The child will definitely find you. "How about this, I''ll go to the government and report this. You go to the capital and seek help. We''ll split up now!"

    "Alright, thank you Big Brother Li!"

    Su Zhi hired a car and headed towards the capital without stopping.

    Without someone by her side, she would always think of bad things and feel as if a knife was being twisted inside her heart when she thought of the disappearance of the bean bun. Her tears flowed uncontrollably.

    The capital was indeed not far from Xuan City. After they passed the official road, they would be able to see the city gate from afar.

    Su Zhi, however, felt that she could not wait to fly to the general''s estate and ask Xiao Qian to help her.

    When she encountered difficulties, the first person she thought of was Xiao Qian. Other than him, Su Zhi really couldn''t find anyone else to ask for help.

    Auntie Gu was right, it was impossible to have no man in the family. Since she was both a mother and a father, there was bound to be mistakes.

    It had been a few days since they last met. How was Xiao Qian and how had he been recently? The imperial government''s pay had not been distributed yet, but it had already attracted many dissenting military officers. This rumor was heard by Su Zhi and her family. They didn''t know if Xiao Qian was in a bad shape or not, and had no place to vent it out.

    He didn''t know if it would be troublesome if he asked for his help at this time.

    The more she thought, the more annoyed she felt. Su Zhi didn''t want to continue anymore. She wiped her tears away and forced herself to calm down.

    "My wife, the General''s Estate is right in front of us. You should get off the carriage and walk there by yourself." The general''s manor is under strict security. This little one is a commoner, I will not trouble you. Please do as you please. "

    Su Zhi took a deep breath, tidied herself up, and got off the carriage.

    Not far ahead was the general''s manor. Two rows of guards with sabers were standing in front of the manor gate. The vermillion gate was solemn and majestic.

    Su Zhi hesitated a little and stood in place, not daring to move forward. Thinking that it was unknown whether or not Little Dou was dead or alive, she steeled her heart and braced herself to move forward.

    "Halt! Who dares to barge into the general''s manor?!"

    "Little brother, my name is Su Zhi. I''m an old friend of your general. I have something to discuss with him. Can you inform him?"

    The guard looked Su Zhi up and down, frowned, and said, "Do you have an invitation from the General''s Estate? If not, then what about the card? Do you have the keepsake? "

    Su Zhi shook her head blankly. Other than promising her, Xiao Qian did not leave her any keepsake.

    "Since there aren''t any, I can''t let you in."

    Su Zhi patiently explained, "I really do know your general, and he will help me. I''ll have to trouble you with your report, and tell you that this is my wife, Su Zhi, requesting an audience. If the General does not wish to see me, then I will turn around and leave.

    After hesitating for a moment, the guard with the saber called for the servant in charge and whispered a few words into his ear.

    The attendant understood the gist of it and was about to enter the door to report the matter, but was stopped by a delicate shout. "Who''s making a ruckus here? Are there any rules?!"

    Everyone looked over and saw eight people carrying a big palanquin full of Hibiscus Mutabilis. There were dozens of guards and five serving maids walking with them.

    From the looks of it, it must be some noble girl.

    "So it''s Princess Anyang. This humble servant pays his respects to the princess."

    The sedan stopped as the servant girl opened the curtain, supporting a twenty-eight year old girl as she slowly walked out.

    The lady in the palanquin was sitting on a red and gold silk soft and silky silk brocade robe. The ground was smooth and smooth, making her skin as creamy as cream. Her skin was as smooth as jade, and her skin as ice.

    "Who is this person? This princess has heard her crying from afar. How unlucky."

    The guard cupped his fist and explained, "He said he came to ask for the general''s help."

    The girl snorted disdainfully. Her beauty was like a flower and the moon, but her disdainful expression gave birth to a sense of haughty haughtiness. "What kind of place is the General''s Estate? How could a village woman cause trouble? Hurry up and send her away."

    The guard hesitated for a moment, not daring to disobey the woman''s wishes. He could only chase Su Zhi away.

    "Lil ''Bro, I''m begging you to help me. I really do have urgent matters to discuss with the general."

    No matter how much Su Zhi begged, she was still mercilessly pushed far away.

    The woman then revealed a satisfied expression and arrogantly entered the general''s manor.

    Since she could not obtain any results, Su Zhi was unwilling to accept this. Furthermore, she could not even see Xiao Qian. She was so anxious that her heart was in turmoil.

    She had been wandering around the general''s manor for a long time. Seeing that the four small doors were guarded by guards, making it impossible for her to enter, she couldn''t help but feel frustrated.

 C57

    Princess Anyang had come to the general''s estate as a guest again. Everyone in the Xiao family was worried, afraid that they would offend the princess.

    The Canton Princess went to the General''s Estate every few days. There were always countless reasons for her going there. She would either ask the madame for embroidery or visit someone in the estate.

    In fact, the intention was not to drink. The fact that An Yang adored General Xiao was known throughout the capital.

    With the exception of General Xiao, who did not understand the relationship between the two of them, he was well aware of everything else. However, he did not dare to say it out loud.

    At this moment, Xiao Qian was in his study, trying to figure out the military strategy. He heard from the attendant outside that the princess had come to the mansion as a guest. He couldn''t help but have a headache.

    "General, the princess is one of the most beautiful women in the capital. How many people would be willing to go through all this? How did it end up becoming a headache for you?"

    Xiao Qian cast him a sidelong glance and snappily replied, "If you like it, then go ahead and enjoy it."

    "Look at what you''re saying. What status does this princess have? How could this little one dare to wishful thinking? This is a matter that will cause my head to fall off."

    Xiao Qian sighed, closed the book, and said faintly, "Who do you want to visit today?"

    Greenwood covered his mouth and laughed. "They say that the chef from the Prince''s Residence made a new pastry and offered it to the madame for her to taste."

    As expected, the pastries would be delivered by the princess herself soon, saying that she would give them to Big Brother Xiao to taste.

    Xiao Qian felt helpless. What kind of pastries hadn''t he eaten before? Besides, the best pastry he ever had was made by that woman. It melted in his mouth, but it was sweet and not greasy. It was even better than what the palace''s chef had done.

    "Qing Mu, you can leave from the back door and find Tan Zhao, and have him make a trip to the general''s manor. No, the best thing would be for the servant to come over and say that he has something to discuss with me. "

    "Alright."

    How could Greenwood not know that Xiao Qian''s true intention was to avoid Princess Anyang? Although the Xiao family was a staunch military general, their ancestors had been born with wild grass.

    Because the protector of the Xiao family had done a great service, the ignorant Xiao Mian was promoted to the vice minister of the military. It wasn''t until the birth of the Xiao family''s grandchild, Xiao Gan, that the hopeless military family saw hope.

    Xiao Qian had the courage to fight, and was able to stand firm and stand firm in the imperial court because of this.

    The mother and the head of the Xiao family had always hoped that An Yang would marry into their royal family. When others talked about the Xiao family, it would naturally be different. However, Xiao Qian repeatedly hinted that he couldn''t understand her, so he decided to stay at the border for three to five years and didn''t get married until the time of their marriage.

    Not long after Qing Mu left, the front courtyard sent someone to look for Xiao Qian, saying that the Countess had invited him to accompany her on her tour of the garden.

    Xiao Qian could only admit that he had sweated all over while practicing martial arts. He needed to change his clothes in order to stall for time.

    At this moment, Su Zhi, who was helpless, had sneakily found the back door of the Xiao family and took out all of her valuables. After thinking about who would come out next, she would definitely kneel down and beg him to notify her.

    For the sake of her child, Su Zhi couldn''t care less.

    The wooden door was pushed open with a creak. Su Zhi''s heart was beating wildly. She grasped the silver coins in her hands and was about to move forward.

    He saw a familiar face appear before him.

    That little brother had been guarding the tent on Xiao Qian''s behalf many times, so she didn''t know if she could speak up.

    "This little brother!"

    Suddenly, a shout startled Qing Mu. He looked at her carefully and said in surprise, "Isn''t that Young Lady Su? Why are you here? "

    Su Zhi''s eyes were red as she begged, "Little brother, I beg of you, please let me see the general. I have urgent matters to discuss with him!"

    "My wife, don''t worry. What happened?"

    "It''s too late to explain. Please let me meet with the general."

    Su Zhi stuffed all the valuable things in her hands into the green wood, her mood already on the verge of collapse.

    The Greenwood Tree was naturally unwilling to accept money, but it turned around and went to the back door to look for Xiao Qian.

    "General, someone wishes to meet you. Please go and take a look!"

    Xiao Qian was about to be coerced into the front courtyard by the madame, but seeing that Qing Mu had returned, he couldn''t help but heave a sigh of relief.

    "Who is it?"

    Greenwood took a brief breath before saying, "Take a guess. It was the kitchen lady from the military camp, Young Lady Su."

    Xiao Qian was stunned. He couldn''t believe it. "Who did you say came?"

    "Mistress Su, it seems like there''s something urgent. She''s almost crying from anxiety. She said that the guards at the gate are not allowed to enter."

    After parting for a few days, Xiao Qian did not think that Su Zhi would actually come looking for him. After listening to Qing Mu''s urgent words, he knew that she had met with trouble.

    With that woman''s personality, she wouldn''t ask for help unless she had no other choice. She didn''t know what kind of difficult problem she encountered this time.

    Xiao Qian didn''t dare to delay any further. He dismissed the servant girl who had come to deliver the message. This was equivalent to giving the madame some face.

    He rushed to the back door and pushed it open with his palm. He saw a woman who had lost a lot of weight standing there looking at him pitifully.

    Seeing him come out, she could no longer hold back her tears. "General!"

    Su Zhi ran over to him in tears, kneeled down and sobbed, "Please help this commoner, General!"

    When she hadn''t seen Xiao Qian, Su Zhi had always warned herself not to cry. However, for some reason, the moment she saw him, she felt an inexhaustible sense of grievance and heartache.

    Xiao Qian''s heart thumped when he saw how her eyes were swollen like peaches. He couldn''t bear to see her like this. "If there''s anything, please get up first. I won''t make things difficult for you with me around."

    Su Zhi refused to get up, crying so hard that tears fell like rain. Breathing heavily, she said, "Little Dou Zi, Little Dou Zi is missing ˇ­"

    Hearing that the child had disappeared, Xiao Qian was startled. He hurriedly helped the unconscious woman up and ordered for a carriage to be sent over.

    "Qing Mu, go and find the best painter in the entire capital. If the child is missing, you need to put up a portrait to search for him. In addition, he went to the justice courts to report that the children of the general''s estate had been lost. "In the end, use my keepsake to assign the soldiers on both sides of the capital and Xuan City. Send orders to go down and search carefully, don''t let even an inch of land slip by. Even if you have to dig three feet deep, you must still find him!"

    "Yes, sir."

    Xiao Qian helped Su Zhi up the carriage and rushed to Xuan City with her.

    After not seeing her for a long time, the woman seemed to have lost a lot of weight. Her round chin was sharpened, and under her eye sockets, there was a faint sense of exhaustion that could not be ignored. It was not easy for a widow to bring two children.

    "Where do you live with your child now?"

    She wiped away her tears and replied, "Spring Leaf Lane. I found an old house and moved there with the children."

    Xiao Qian understood and thought of something.

    "Don''t worry, as long as I am here, I will make sure that the child will be safe and sound before returning to your side."

    His words were like a tranquilizer that comforted Su Zhishan and calmed her restless mind by quite a bit.

    Su Zhi was already exhausted from all the crying, so she didn''t have much energy left. She only wanted to find her child and refused to collapse.

    Seeing her exhaustion, Xiao Qian took off his shirt and draped it over her body. He consoled her, "There''s still some distance from Xuan City. You should take a short rest first. I''ll call for you when it''s time."

    Su Zhi shook her head and stubbornly refused to close her eyes to rest. She mumbled to herself, "That child is still so young, so no matter what happens, he won''t be able to ask for help. I really don''t know where she''s going. "It''s all my fault. If I had kept my child by my side all the time, this wouldn''t have happened ˇ­"

    It was fine to not mention it, but whenever Su Zhi mentioned her, she would scold herself unceasingly. The tears that spilled out from her eyes made people feel pity for her.

    "Don''t blame yourself too much, it''s not your fault."

    Xiao Qian couldn''t help but want to hug the crying woman in his arms.

    In reality, he had also done the same. He did not feel that there was anything wrong with it. Even Su Zhi did not resist this warm embrace. She clung onto his clothes tightly, just like she had done with Dou Zi. She was relying on him and did not let go.

    "You''re too tired. I have to take a nap first."

    His large hand gently patted Su Zhi''s back, as he comforted her with a gentle whisper.

    Su Zhi was so frightened that she entered a generous embrace, as if she had done some heavy physical labor. When she found the place to rest on, she slowly closed her eyes.

 C58

    Even though the capital was relatively close to Xuan City, the carriage was already in time when they arrived at Xuan City''s bustling city.

    Xiao Qian woke Su Zhi up and said that he would go to Spring Leaf Lane with her to have a look. The two children had left some traces behind.

    The matter of reporting the officers was left to the servants. With his medallion, Xuan City''s County Magistrate didn''t dare to slight him.

    Su Zhi was awakened by him, so her consciousness was still very chaotic.

    In fact, she was not sleeping soundly either. The carriage swayed unsteadily, and she always felt drowsy and weak. She closed her eyes and half woke up. She kept dreaming about the crying face of the little bean bun. The voice of the child calling her kept echoing in her mind.

    Nightmare was on her body. When she woke up, she knew that her tears had drenched Xiao Qian''s clothes, but she didn''t turn away.

    "You sit in the car and I''ll walk. If a child passes through here, he will always leave behind some clues. "

    Su Zhi said apologetically, "There is a muddy path between the streets and Spring Leaf Alley. It''s extremely hard to walk on that path whenever it rains. I really have my guilt if I have to trouble the General."

    Xiao Qian didn''t mind and got off the carriage by himself.

    Just as Su Zhi had said, there was indeed a stretch of muddy ground not far ahead. After being drenched by the lustful rain, it was already becoming slippery and difficult to walk on.

    Every day, people or vehicles from inside and outside passed by here. The muddy ground was covered with the marks of rolling wheels, so it was impossible to discern any clues.

    How could Su Zhi feel good while sitting in the car? After all, her daughter was his, and he should have taken care of himself.

    She ignored Xiao Qian''s obstruction and insisted on getting off the car to go with him.

    The woman''s'' Three-Inch Golden Lotus'' was petite and delicate. It was difficult for her to lift it up just by stepping on it.

    Xiao Qian was worried about her, so he took care to protect her from time to time, pulling her arm.

    "Is there anything special about the child? "For example, if you were to pass by here, you would definitely leave behind two things."

    Su Zhi blamed herself. She had two children in her family. What good thing could she give them?

    The business had just started again, and it was time to use the money. Where would he have the spare to buy those things for the Soybean Pouch?

    She was lost in her thoughts. One of her stomps missed her other foot, but she couldn''t pull it out. She lost her balance and was about to fall down.

    Xiao Qian reacted quickly and went forward to hug her. His strong body was as steady as Mt. Tai as he gave Su Zhi a firm backing.

    "Thank you for your help, general, I ˇ­"

    Xiao Qian straightened her back, a little worried. "I think it''s better if you go back to the carriage."

    Su Zhi disagreed and turned her head restlessly to continue onward.

    His embroidered shoes were stained with yellow mud and he began to slow down.

    She stared at the muddy ground, afraid that she had seen her child fall in the puddle before.

    It hurt as much as it hurt.

    She scanned the muddy puddle in the middle of the road and caught a glimpse of a small, delicate cloth shoe, about the size of a palm, embroidered with butterflies.

    Su Zhi''s heart skipped a beat, and she anxiously shouted, "That shoe! It''s Soybean Bag! "

    Xiao Qian took two steps forward and picked up the shoes that had been stained by the muddy water so their original color couldn''t be seen. He then carefully looked to the side.

    He saw that there was a small pendant made of sandalwood half-hidden in the dirt. He also picked it up and asked, "Is this thing made out of beans?"

    Su Zhi shook her head and focused her attention on the shoe that had fallen to the ground.

    "So the child has been here. This shoe was personally embroidered by me, so it can''t be fake. "

    Xiao Qian looked at the surrounding terrain and saw that it was a few miles wide. He rubbed the small toy in his hand as he fell into deep thought.

    According to the situation, Spring Leaf Lane was inhabited by a few middle class citizens. Although they were not poor, they were not rich.

    This item was made from expensive materials and had an exquisite design. One could tell at a glance that it wasn''t left behind by the surrounding residents.

    However, who would ever come out here to travel?

    "General!"

    Just as he was thinking, Su Zhi''s scream came from ahead of him. He put away the pendant and looked at her.

    The lady was so frightened that her face turned pale. She covered her mouth as she pointed at the reeds by the river.

    Amidst the dense reeds, there was a small cloth bag that was also covered by mud. It had already been dried by the sun.

    "This is ˇ­" I put it on myself this morning... "

    Su Zhi''s voice trembled with fear that even she could hear. In a place where the reeds were lush, the water was deep. Even if the river was not strong enough to drown a robust adult, a two or three-year-old child ˇ­

    She did not dare to think about it. She took off her shoes that were stuck in the mud and ran toward the river with her bare feet.

    Xiao Qian saw the danger and immediately caught up. "Dangerous!" "Don''t go!"

    Su Zhi could not care less as she tumbled down the muddy path and crashed into the riverbank.

    She moaned in pain and struggled to get up. She took off the cloth bag with cartoon patterns embroidered on it from the reeds and collapsed to the ground in fear.

    Beside him was an endless river. Although it was not bottomless, it was still able to devour weak and helpless lives.

    Su Zhi collapsed completely. She lay prone on the riverbank, not daring to take a step forward. She was afraid of the scene of her child being submerged in the water.

    The sound of her crying was filled with despair and grief, which made Xiao Qian''s heart hurt.

    He rushed forward and squatted down to hug the woman who had broken down in her emotions. He said pitifully, "Don''t be sad, the child will definitely be fine. First, pull yourself together."

    Su Zhi looked at him with tears streaming down her face, her beautiful face.

    She shook her head and showed the cloth to him, then pointed at the cartoon kitten on top and said, "Little Dou Bao, I''ve embroidered a lot of things that you like ˇ­" "There''s a lot of embroidery, and all kinds of little kittens ˇ­"

    Seeing that she was crying pitifully, Xiao Qian hugged her tightly. He consoled her as he cried, "I know that my child is still here, but she is still fine. Maybe when she got tired of playing, she would go back on her own. Don''t worry, we''ll look for it later. "

    He carried Su Zhi up the muddy path and carefully put her in the car.

    He turned around and instructed the servant, "Go. Have the county magistrate send out a few of the better ones to carefully search through this section of the waterway."

    Afterwards, he drove the carriage to Su Zhi''s courtyard.

    At this moment, the neighbors who had been looking for him for more than half a day were gathered together, discussing with each other. Seeing a luxurious carriage coming down the alleyway, everyone guessed which noble young master it was.

    Xiao Qian stopped the carriage, lifted the curtain, and let Su Zhi off the carriage.

    Auntie Gu was the first to probe inside. When she saw that she had returned, she gave a startled cry before rushing forward to hold her back. "Little Su, you''re finally back!" Have you seen any children along the way? "

    Su Zhi shook her head in a daze, choking on her sobs, "Where''s A Jin?"

    Gu Sister-in-Law patted her cold hands and comforted her, "A Jin is fine. She was left at Aunt Bai''s house by my son. She was just crying so much that she wanted mother and sister."

    The neighbors all knew that Su Zhi had gone to seek help in the capital, but they had never expected that the person she had brought back was actually a first-class, good-looking young man.

    He also saw Xiao Qian''s calmness and extraordinary bearing. He was definitely not an ordinary noble family''s young master.

    "Xiaosu, who''s this?"

    Su Zhi was in a trance and did not explain Xiao Qian''s origins.

    It was best not to divulge his identity, lest he help her and cause trouble for her.

    Xiao Qian didn''t say anything, but he already understood that the child hadn''t returned home yet. No one had found his trail, so he said to himself, "I''ve sent people to the river to look for him. We can''t let go of other places. Let''s go take a look first." "You''re tired, go meet A Jin, just take it as a rest."

    When Su Zhi turned around to look at him, Xiao Qian had already left in his carriage.

    Seeing her gloomy and gloomy expression, her eyes red and swollen, Aunt Gu knew that she must have cried loudly, drained of all her energy, and supported her to Aunt Bai''s house to see A Jin.

    When they met, the mother and son held their heads and cried again. A few women who were usually on the same side as them talked to each other for a while before they managed to persuade her.

 C59

    Xiao Qian walked out of Spring Leaf Alley and stopped after traveling for a distance. He spoke to the empty area, "All of you, come out!"

    As soon as his voice fell, a dozen or so black uniformed secret guards appeared from all directions, respectfully kneeling as they saluted, "Master."

    Xiao Qian threw the pendant in his hand casually and ordered, "Go and find out who bought this thing. "Also, who are the carriages that are entering and exiting this path today?"

    The leading guard, An Jing, half knelt on the ground and caught the pendant thrown over. He stood up and cupped his fist: "This subordinate obeys!"

    Very soon, an elite troop of well-equipped soldiers appeared on the streets of Xuan City. They searched through several roads and alleys, but were occupied by saber soldiers. Even the common people had never seen such an army before.

    The peddlers speculated what was going on with Xuan City''s sudden appearance of a large group of soldiers and horses.

    Someone said, "I heard that the children of the capital''s general''s mansion have been lost."

    The crowd retorted, "Impossible, you''re talking about the Xiao family, right? Great General Xiao is not married yet, where did your child come from? "

    "I can''t lie to you. My nephew is working in the county magistrate court, I just came back from there and heard about it." It has already alarmed the justice courts, how could it be fake? "

    After a while, a portrait of a two or three year old girl was posted on the bulletin board.

    The notice stated that if anyone told the little girl where they were going, they would be rewarded with a large sum of money when they found the child.

    After the crowd had seen enough, a young man who looked like a servant squeezed in to take a look as well. When he saw the child on the portrait, he gasped in surprise and quickly left the crowd.

    Yongning Estate, Northern Courtyard.

    Princess Ning glanced at the little bun girl as she shook the drum in her hand to coax her patiently. "Good little grandson, please call me grandma to listen."

    Dou Zi frowned as he stuck his waist in. He stubbornly turned his head to the side and chattered, "Mother!"

    Old Mistress An pushed Princess Ning away impatiently and waved the priceless jade pendant in her hand in front of the girl. "Little great-grandson, be good and call me great-granny again. Otherwise, even great-granny would be fine."

    No matter how the two noble women coaxed her, Dou Bao refused to call out for them. Her small body sat cross-legged on the collapsed ground, and her small face was filled with displeasure.

    Princess Ning Xiaoyao sighed and put down the rattle in her hands. She sat back on the wooden chair and said helplessly, "Why does this kid keep calling me mother and refuse to say anything?"

    Old Madam An was also discouraged. She waved her hand and said, "Enough, enough. Your child has just entered the mansion and is afraid of the new students. In any case, he won''t cry anymore." "Go and find a few better wet nurses. In the future, you must do your best to keep them."

    Little Dou Bao was originally happy when she was brought into the Eternal Ning Royal Mansion, but after she couldn''t see Su Zhi, she pouted her lips and started crying.

    Old Mistress An, Princess Ning, and the other maidservants tried to coax the child to stop crying.

    After he woke up from his drowsiness, the granny stopped calling out to him and did not say much. She only said that she wanted to be his mother, but she was too anxious for the two women who had no other ideas.

    Even after Princess Ning had been married into the Prince''s Mansion for so many years, Lu Huan Zhi was the only child. However, she couldn''t stop worrying ˇŞ even if the prince had concubines, he only had one son.

    In reality, the concubines that had been raised by an imperial concubine had all died long ago, leaving behind only the two mischievous girls who didn''t even stand a chance. Princess Ning simply didn''t put them in her eyes at all.

    After so many years, at least she had gotten married from a daughter-in-law. She also had a granddaughter, so she was both happy and troubled. In her heart, she wanted Lu Huan Zhi to agree to marry her as soon as possible.

    This way, it would be better for Little Dou Bao to be properly foster under the title of Crown Princess than if she was born without a reason.

    "The two of you, go to the East District and call that unscrupulous unfilial son over. This wangfei has something to say."

    Just as the servant was about to invite the crown prince over, the steward rushed into the courtyard, saying that he would report anything that came his way.

    "Esteemed wangfei, esteemed wangfei, something big happened."

    The madame was trying her best to tease the little bun but she did not say anything.

    Princess Ning Xiaoyao knitted her brows slightly as she spoke carelessly, "What''s the matter? Why are you so flustered?"

    The steward gave her a meaningful glance before the manservant bowed and replied, "Princess, I''m afraid this little girl''s origins are not simple."

    Ning Xiaoyao''s pretty eyebrows rose when she heard this. "Oh?" "It''s not simple at all. This girl can also be considered as the son of the prince. Naturally, she''s not an ordinary child."

    "Princess, I''m afraid we made a mistake! The little one went to the street and saw many children''s portraits pasted on the street, saying that the children of the General''s House had been lost. This little one will take one back while the others aren''t paying attention. Please take a look. "

    The maid took the portrait from the servant and handed it to Princess Ning.

    Princess Ning looked at the portrait carefully before comparing it to the face of the little bean bun. She really felt that the child was the person in the portrait. "Hurry up and call the crown prince over!"

    The servants hurriedly went to the East District to invite Lu Huan Zhi. The poor crown prince had been left in seclusion for most of the day, so he couldn''t contain his anger anymore.

    "Bastard, quickly tell me the truth!"

    Lu Huan sat on the red wooden chair and helplessly said, "Ah, yes, yes. The child is mine, okay?"

    Princess Ning smacked the table in anger, throwing the portrait in her hand over. "Your child? If you can honestly give my grandson a hug, I''ll burn incense for you! "

    When Lu Huan Zhi saw the contents of the notice, he smiled, "Interesting, interesting. To think that it would actually be related to the General''s Estate. However, General Xiao didn''t seem to be married. Could it be that even though the Xiao family was so strict, they still couldn''t protect Xiao Qian''s outer room? That''s true, how can a man who travels to the north and south not have a warm bed? "

    "Shut up! You dare to say any kind of shameful things! "

    Lu Huan held his breath, stood up and whispered to Dou Zi, "Hey, little girl, am I your father? Try calling out? "

    The small bean bun turned its head and humphed, clearly not giving him any face.

    "Look, this prince has already said it. How could a smart person like me have such a daughter?"

    It was only then that Ning Xiaoyao grew anxious. She blamed herself for not listening to her son, but then again, this guy didn''t actually say much. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

    Old Mistress An threw the jade to the ground, looking as if she was about to cry. "I''m already this old and you want to have a great-grandson. You unfilial brat, you even lied to me about this!"

    The corner of Lu Huan''s mouth twitched. What did he mean by deceiving me? He was clearly trying to explain that the child wasn''t his!

    "You have to get others to refute you for accusing me unjustly. Did the two of you take my words seriously?" "But now, it''s the little girl from the general''s estate. Grandmother and mufei can send themselves over."

    There was no need for the madame and Princess Ning to set out, but a servant came in to report once more. "Madame, esteemed wangfei, Your Highness Crown Prince." Xiao ˇ­ Great General Xiao is here! "

    Xiao Qian came?!

    Lu Huan''s brows were slightly raised. It seemed like this little girl was not simple after all.

    "This son will go meet him."

    "Come back here, don''t you think your goods are not big enough?"

    Lu Hengzhi facepalmed, "Alright then. Mufei, go and explain it yourself. Just say that you mistook this little girl for your own granddaughter."

    Princess Ning hesitated. If she had to say it, where would she put her old face?

    After thinking it over, she told her son to deal with it.

    Old Mistress An watched helplessly as the little bun was taken away. She wanted to cry, but there were no tears. Her good great-granddaughter had just disappeared just like that!

    Xiao Qian stood outside the gates of the mansion, expressionless.

    Su Zhi, who had rushed over after hearing the noise, stared at the tall, towering door and felt her heart tighten.

    "I heard that little bun was sent to Yongning Palace? Why is that? "

    "Perhaps it was the child who came out alone and was met by the prince who was out on a trip. He must have come here by mistake."

    Hearing this, Su Zhi was shocked. How could she not know what kind of trash King Yongning Palace was! If only it was as Xiao Qian said, it was just a misunderstanding.

    "Hahaha, General Xiao is indeed sharp as expected, his movements are also extremely fast, and he managed to touch upon Prince Yongning''s residence. I''m impressed! "

    When he didn''t see the person, he first heard his voice.

    The two of them looked towards the gate and saw a young master dressed in ochang clothes stepping out the door, striding towards them. When they saw Su Zhi outside, the person was obviously stunned for a moment, then lightly coughed twice.

 C60

    "General Xiao, please excuse me!"

    Xiao Qian nodded and replied, "Your Highness."

    Lu Huan''s bright laughter rang out, "I saw a magpie calling from a branch this morning. I was wondering if it was a general who was coming to visit."

    Although he was talking to Xiao Qian, he was staring at Su Zhi from the corner of his eyes.

    "Who is this lady?"

    Su Zhi was slightly startled. She didn''t know if Lu Huan was really unable to recognize her, or if she was pretending to not know her, but since she couldn''t care less about the others, she could only kneel down and bow, "This humble woman, Su Zhi, has come to King Yongning''s Mansion to find my ignorant child."

    Lu Huan Zhi softly replied, "Oh. The majority of Xuancheng has been spread. It''s said that the General''s Estate lost their child. I never thought that this little girl was given to you by a woman. Then, you and the General ˇ­"

    Su Zhi was shocked and hurriedly explained, "Your Highness has misunderstood, this humble woman and the general are innocent. It was only because I had a woman with two children and no one at home to look after them that I let them slip away. "The general was busy this time because my husband was loyal to the country."

    If he had known earlier, he would have stayed in Spring Leaf Alley and waited for the beautiful ladies to return. Now that he was involved with this matter, he would have to see what kind of backer this woman had in mind if he wanted to make a move in the future.

    "The child left the mother for half a day. He must have cried and caused a lot of trouble. I hope that the crown prince can bring the child out so the mother and son can see him."

    Xiao Qian was keenly aware that something was amiss. He didn''t know why, but he kept having the feeling that Lu Huan was looking at Su Zhi in an infuriating manner.

    No, it was extremely annoying!

    His eyes seemed to be staring at his prey, yet he still wanted to tease it and see the fear and evilness in its eyes.

    He didn''t need to explain in detail how unruly the young heir of the Eternal Ning Prince''s estate was. What was even more despicable was that this person would never be picky with women. He even seemed to be interested in hunting them.

    Thinking of this, Xiao Qian unconsciously stepped forward and stood in front of Su Zhi.

    Lu Huan was able to clearly see this minute movement. She glanced at the man with the dark expression and instantly saw through his intentions.

    Interesting, really interesting.

    What kind of woman would a dignified general, with overflowing authority and authority, want to be so devoted to a widow? It seemed like this woman wasn''t simple!

    "Your Highness, please let me see the child."

    Su Zhi begged with a low voice, afraid that Little Dou was going to infuriate the people in the mansion by making a ruckus wantonly.

    The child was still young and insensible. If someone treated her badly, what would happen if they beat and scolded her?

    Lu Huan Zhi put away his frivolous smile. After hearing what was said, he waved to the servant behind him. Immediately, people came out with the little girl in their arms.

    When Su Zhi saw that Little Dou Wu was brought out by a cyan robed servant, and before she could even get close, she had cried herself out.

    "Soybean Bag!"

    The little girl had originally been looking around curiously, but upon hearing the familiar voice calling out to her, she immediately regained her senses and cried out, "Mother!"

    As he called out for Su Zhi, he extended his hands towards where Xiao Qian was.

    Su Zhi missed and stopped crying. She looked awkwardly at the child who was struggling on the ground and crawled into Xiao Qian''s embrace while crying.

    Su Zhi, "..."

    There didn''t seem to be a need to find a daughter! It was a waste of her tears and her expression!

    Lu Hengzhi said, "Hahahaha, the little lady has been ignored. It seems that the little girl likes General Xiao."

    Xiao Qian very naturally squatted down to pick up the Soybean Pancake that was pouncing towards him. He held it in his arms and smiled as if he was a father to his father.

    Su Zhi was depressed!

    What kind of trouble was this? She was the one who kept the child. Why did her daughter always come to him whenever the man was around? It made her, as a woman, lose all sense of existence.

    "Since the child has been found, then I won''t disturb Your Highness anymore."

    Su Zhi kneeled down and left. Xiao Qian and Lu Huan Qi greeted each other and followed closely with the child in their arms.

    From afar, they looked like a family of three, their expressions blissful and blissful.

    Seeing this, Lu Huan Zhi rolled his eyes and gave a cold snort to the three people who left.

    I don''t know the manners of courtesy, but this little girl made him stay in seclusion for a long time. She left just like that?

    Xiao Qian hugged the bean bag, and the clever little girl immediately stopped crying. She began to call out in a soft voice, "Mother!"

    Su Zhi pretended not to hear him. The little girl wasn''t calling her, she was her mother.

    "The child is calling for you. Why are you leaving so quickly?"

    Xiao Qian didn''t quite understand. It was obvious that the child had found her, but why was this woman wearing such a dark expression? It was as if someone owed her money.

    He didn''t know who it was that cried pitifully before the child found him.

    Su Zhi stopped in her tracks, turned around and stretched out her hand to the bean bun. She said dryly, "I came home with mother."

    Who knew that along the way she would eagerly call out to her mother''s child, sneaking around with her two short and fat arms behind her back, looking at her as if she was facing a great enemy.

    Alright, this daughter really isn''t her own daughter! This infuriated her to death!

    "Alright then, I don''t need mother. Mother will leave then. I''ll have to trouble General to take you with me."

    With that, he made as if to leave.

    Soybean was so scared that she reached out to grab her. While shaking her head, she yelled, "Mother!"

    "Su Zhi, what''s wrong with you?"

    Xiao Qian didn''t understand how this woman could change her mind so quickly.

    "I didn''t do anything, the general saw it himself. As long as you''re hugging me, he''ll ignore me, the mother."

    No meaning, really no meaning! A daughter with an elbow out.

    Xiao Qian was stunned for a moment and couldn''t help but laugh. So it was because of the taste.

    "What are you trying to learn from a child? The more you live, the more you will return."

    Su Zhi blushed, and stubbornly refused to speak with him.

    When Dou Bao became anxious, she decided not to hug Xiao Qian anymore and struggled to go to Su Zhi''s place.

    "Look, this general carried this child all the way, but in the end, he doesn''t want me anymore. This general will be hurt."

    Only then did Su Zhi burst out in laughter and reached out to catch the child.

    Little Dou Zi was being hugged by Su Zhi, but her eyes were staring at Xiao Qian without blinking, as if she was very nervous.

    Xiao Qian had always felt that once he left, this child would let out a roar.

    "You''re too tired today, get on the carriage first."

    Su Zhi was so preoccupied with her anger that she completely ignored the carriage that was following her from the back.

    Xiao Qian replied, "Since the child has been found, the magistrate court will have to inform the child." I didn''t even say hello before I came out. Grandmother must be very anxious, so let''s not delay this any longer. I have to go back quickly. "

    Su Zhi nodded somewhat embarrassedly. "It''s all thanks to General today." The general is busy with his official duties, there is nothing else he needs to bother you with.

    Xiao Qian sent the mother and daughter to their carriage and mounted their horses to ride towards the capital.

    The small bean bun was cleverly tightened. Seeing that the posture was not right, it pouted its mouth and was about to cry.

    Su Zhi''s face immediately darkened as she warned, "You want Uncle Xiao to not have a mother? Then mother will send you to the general''s estate. You don''t need to come back, and you don''t need your big brother anymore. "

    Hearing this, the little bean bag did not dare to cry. She pouted her face and twisted her chubby fingers, groaning in annoyance.

    The child was found. He did not lose an arm or a leg. The neighbors were also happy. A Jin hugged her sister, not daring to let go for even a second.

    After working hard for the whole day, Su Zhi''s legs had started to go weak. In order to thank her neighbors for their help, she burned a pot of bread and distributed it to everyone.

    Later in the day, the next door, Aunt Bai and her husband came to Su Zhi''s courtyard together, saying that they had specifically come to apologize.

    After all, he had accepted the responsibility of taking care of the child, and this had almost led to a huge disaster.

    Su Zhi politely pulled the two of them to sit down and comforted them, "Anyway, this child is a bit too mischievous. Aunt Bai originally wanted to take care of the family''s work, and she also had to watch the dishes in the courtyard. Don''t blame yourself, otherwise Little Su would have already become a sinner. "

    Aunt Bai looked at the child playing next to her and sighed. "Oh, Little Su, it''s not that Aunt is blabbermouth." You, a woman, are going to be a father and a mother and a child. I was so busy that I lost my head and couldn''t care less. The children are still young, there''s no man that can''t make it. "

    Sister-in-Law Gu had also said these words to her. Although she was a bit embarrassed, the truth was as such.

    Honestly speaking, after finishing all his work in the shop, he had to find some time to prepare winter clothes for his child when he came back. He was truly exhausted from cleaning up his house.

    "Let''s not talk about anything else. Auntie will just say some private words. Even if you''re smart and capable, you should at least ask a man to say something nice when you get home."

    It was just like a man returning home after a day of work. With his wife waiting for him to prepare tea and food, and his wife and children warming up their beds, it was always better than having a cold gray lamp and being alone.

    "Aunt is right, but the child''s father died not long ago and died for the country. "I shouldn''t even have ˇ­"

    "If you have a parents-in-law in your family, I won''t mention it, but since you''re alone in Lissoso, it''ll be easier."

    Su Zhi lowered her head, feeling somewhat complicated.

    In her previous life, she didn''t have any love experience and didn''t understand the affairs of a man and a woman, but she knew that if she was destined to live here for her entire life, she would have to marry and have children.

    However, the problem was ˇ­ Nie Rufeng had just left, so how could she bear it?

 C61

    Even if he had nothing to do with it, he had at least propped up the previous owner of the place, and should have been widowed for a few years.

    Seeing that she didn''t say anything, Uncle Liu said, "Little Su, you''re still young. Your aunt and I both think we should find someone to stay at home. If you don''t mind, my distant relative has a nephew who is only twenty-three years old and once married.

    "What about Uncle''s meaning? If you think it''s okay, we can be Red Niece and introduce him to you." Don''t you worry about that child, honest and honest Zhuang Han. The family has some land and has been doing some small business all these years. Even though it''s not a big deal, but it''s definitely not a problem to have at least some food and drinks. Having a daughter who''s frail and sickly, no mother to take care of her, it''s just too pitiful. "

    Uncle Liu''s intention was to return the favor. He hoped to pair his nephew with Su Zhi so that both of them would be young and fertile.

    Su Zhi hesitated. On one hand, she was too embarrassed to refuse the kind intentions of Aunt and Aunt Bai, and on the other hand, she didn''t seem ready to accommodate a man to intrude into her life.

    If she really had to choose a person, she wanted it to be...

    Xiao Qian''s figure appeared in her mind. Realizing that she had thought about something she shouldn''t have, she quickly shook her head in fear and lowered her head in silence.

    Aunt Bai thought she was shy, so she and Uncle Liu looked at each other and smiled. They patted her shoulder, then got up and said their goodbyes.

    That night, Su Zhi was unable to sleep. She lay on her bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Considering her future path, she could not help but feel troubled.

    To be honest, finding a man to rely on was not a bad thing. She was still young, so she couldn''t just peacefully bring up these two children.

    The children will leave, and when they are full, they will form their own families.

    At that time, Su Zhi would become an old woman, a burden on anyone. She would be alone, a person with three illnesses and two pains with no one else.

    She had the ability to raise a child, so what if she found a husband, what would happen to the two children?

    If only he could find someone like Xiao Qian, who would spoil these two children.

    Why, did he think of that person again?

    Su Zhi patted her head and tried not to think about Xiao Qian.

    How could she possibly think of a great general, a great figure with roots that were at the height of youth, a great figure that could make one''s hands hot?

    It was not until the next morning that she fell asleep.

    A Jin tactfully helped her mother straighten the quilt and quietly got off the bed.

    It didn''t take long for Soybean Bun to wake up as well, waking Su Zhi up as well.

    Su Zhi rubbed her throbbing temples and got up to help her child dress. When she did not see A Jin, she panicked and immediately got off the bed to find someone.

    "Jin!"

    A Jin, who was in the kitchen, heard the call. He quickly threw away the charcoal in his hand and headed out the door.

    "What smell?"

    Something seemed to be burning.

    Su put on her shoes and quickly entered the kitchen. Seeing the black faced child, she tiptoed to pour water into the pot on the stove while hurriedly bending over to hand over the firewood.

    "A Jin, what are you doing? Hurry, hurry! Go out and wash your face. Look at yourself!"

    A Jin let out a sigh of frustration and said dejectedly, "Mother, you worked hard yesterday. A Jin wanted to make breakfast for mother and sister. I didn''t expect ˇ­"

    Su Zhi was both touched and sad. She took out a handkerchief and wiped Jin''s face, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "How old are you? You only want to cook."

    "Daddy is not here anymore. A Jin is the man in the family. This is what A Jin should do."

    Su Zhi trembled slightly, and when she thought back to what Aunt Bai had said last night, she could not help but sigh with emotion. Indeed, there should have been a man at home.

    "Alright, go wash your face and help your little sister dress. These women will do it."

    "Oh."

    A Jin walked out of the kitchen gloomily. Su Zhi opened the window to let the suffocating smoke dissipate. He then changed the pot and boiled water to cook the noodles for the children to eat.

    Su Zhi faced him and thought about it carefully. If she could have a complete family for her child, then she should have a man to work together and support each other.

    However, to her, it was still a desire to have a pure love. The two of them didn''t live together for the sake of the rice, oil, and salt; it was because the two of them loved each other that they became husband and wife.

    Right now, she was too busy at home to find time to talk about relationships. If Uncle Liu''s nephew was someone who could be relied on, she wouldn''t reject him. She could calm down and try to get along with him. As for whether she could succeed or not, it all depended on fate.

    After about an hour, a large bowl of sliced noodles was prepared. Su Zhi cooked some pickled vegetables and minced meat to make a piss before cooking.

    She was happy to see the food the two of them were eating.

    Because of what had happened yesterday, Su Zhi didn''t dare to go out for a long time, fearing that her child would have another accident. He had someone bring a message to Elementary Scholar Li, saying that he would head over to the store later in the evening to make preparations.

    When the sun was high in the sky, there was another knock on the door.

    Su Zhi was playing marbles with her child on a woolen mattress. Upon hearing that someone had come, she hurriedly opened the door.

    "Who is it?"

    There was no response from anyone outside the door. As she had expected nothing bad to happen in the clear sky, Su Zhi openly opened the door, and upon seeing who it was, she was shocked.

    "Your Highness!"

    The person who was standing outside the door was none other than Lu Huan Zhi, whom he had just seen yesterday. He wore a dark red brocade robe with 3000 strands of black silk fixed in place with a crown made of gold.

    Xiao Qian was also born good-looking, but he had a completely different style. One was calm, one was heavy, and the other was flirtatious.

    Su Zhi stared blankly for a moment before asking in puzzlement, "Your Highness, what do you want this early in the morning?"

    Lu Huan Zhi didn''t wait for her to invite him in. Instead, he lifted his leg and jumped past Su Zhi.

    He even pretended to be profound as he walked around.

    Aroma!

    Su Zhi''s first reaction was that this man had nothing better to eat in the morning, so he came to her side and wandered around randomly. He dressed up like a peacock, just missing spreading his wings and spreading his tail.

    "May I ask what may I do for Your Highness?"

    Lu Huan Zhi snorted twice before replying in a slow and unhurried manner, "What do you want me to do? I came to take a look at that girl yesterday."

    He moved closer to Su Zhi and said in a crafty manner, "That little girl called me daddy yesterday."

    "This is impossible!"

    Su Zhi immediately retorted. Didn''t she know about her own daughter? Other than calling Xiao Qian''s father, that girl would never call anyone else that she wasn''t related to.

    "Why would I lie to you? There really is such a thing. If you don''t believe me, just call her out."

    Su Zhi felt a headache coming on. She did not want to get entangled with him. At this time, the neighbors were coming out one after another. If someone saw her, how would she explain herself?

    "Your Highness, don''t make fun of me, please go back. That child of mine is too boorish, he has never seen anything of the world before, you must be joking."

    Lu Huan Zhi refused to leave. He continued to look inside and out and said to himself, "There''s no such thing as an old lady. Did I see wrongly that day?"

    "Your Highness?"

    Lu Huan Zhi smiled and teased, "It''s fine. This prince will take a look at the child and then go back." With that, he walked towards the hall.

    Dou Bao was playing marbles with A Jin, happily running around the house on her short legs.

    Seeing a stranger walk in, she stood still and looked at him curiously.

    "Hey, little girl, do you remember me?"

    The small bean bag thought for a while and ignored him. Then, it squatted down and continued to pick up the pearl.

    A Jin stood in front of her sister, cautiously looking at the strange man.

    "This child is really obedient, acting like a jade-faced boy."

    Lu Hengzhi pinched A Jin''s face as if he didn''t see the child''s uncomfortable expression.

    Su Zhi followed behind him and resisted the urge to kick him out.

    "What''s that little kid''s name again?" Little bun? "Sesame cake?"

    "It''s Soybean Bag."

    "Right, right, Little Bean Bun, let''s see what lousy name you''ve come up with."

    Lu Huan Zhi glanced at the woman with a disgusted expression. She squatted down and revealed a bright smile, "Little Bun, look over here."

    The little girl glanced at him indifferently, not showing any expression as she hurriedly flicked the bead on the ground.

    "Hehe, call me daddy, call me daddy." As he said that, he took the jade pendant from his waist and waved it in front of the little girl.

    "What is Your Highness doing!"

    Su Zhi interrupted him angrily.

    "Shh ~ Don''t make a sound, I''m just verifying it for you."

    After successfully making Su Zhi shut up, he continued to instruct her happily, "Read it to me, Daddy ~"

 C62

    The little girl rolled her big, black eyes, but did not speak.

    Lu Huan Zhi continued to speak, "Father ~"

    "Sigh ~"

    This time, the little girl gave him a rare reply.

    "Damned girl, how dare you take advantage of me!"

    Lu Huan stood up in rage.

    However, Su Zhi couldn''t help but burst out laughing. Her daughter was definitely a clown.

    Lu Huan Zui made an uninteresting scene. He glared at the little girl who was having fun and walked out angrily.

    Su Zhi let out a long breath, "I send you off."

    The man turned around and glared at her. "Who said this prince is leaving? I haven''t even eaten lunch yet!"

    This...

    "Your Highness, there are still matters that haven''t been settled in this commoner''s shop. At lunch, I will take the two children to the aunt''s house next door, and there won''t be enough time to cook."

    Lu Huan Zhi laughed disapprovingly, "Oh, go back and busy yourself with your work. You should come back for dinner."

    "Not even for dinner."

    "I say, woman, this prince should at least help you a lot. This little girl was in the palace eating and drinking."

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him. Helped her out a lot? It made her very busy for a while!

    "It''s time to give face to Your Highness. I''ll repay you in a few days."

    "Alright, you''re the one who said that. I''ll write it down!"

    Su Zhi felt that she should not have spoken such polite words.

    Lu Huan Zhi did not act like a scoundrel anymore after getting the promise, and swaggered out of the courtyard. He didn''t even take two steps before returning, "That''s right, do you have any of your fragrant water? Last time, she gave me a concubine and I also liked the other one.

    Why wouldn''t she earn if she had a business deal? Su Zhi replied and immediately went into her room to take out two bottles, and then sold them to Lu Huan for several times the amount of silver.

    Hmm, this thing, earning money is a man''s face, if you don''t earn it then you will earn it for nothing.

    Lu Huan Zhi disapproved and threw down the silver ingot, "This is so cheap. Ying''er is not happy with this price. Can''t you sell this thing for a bit more?"

    Su Zhi was stupefied. To be honest, she deserved the title of being a profiteer. From picking materials to making finished products, this thing would not be so expensive.

    "Then... "One hundred silver taels, how does Your Highness feel about that?"

    Lu Huan Zhi frowned as he stared at the small porcelain bottle in his hand in contemplation.

    Su Zhi then said, "Why don''t we buy one and give one away? Two bottles is cheaper for you. "

    "Alright, let''s do it like this. Later, I''ll get Lu Si to send the silver over."

    After successfully sending away the god of pests, Su Zhi heaved a sigh of relief.

    For the next few days, His Highness the crown prince, who had nothing better to do, never appeared in Spring Leaf Lane again.

    Flower Mansion had been renovated and refurbished, and business was on the right track. Su Zhi had been too busy these few days to rest.

    The opening day was specifically calculated by Li Yi, who said it was a lucky day with the blessing of a lucky star.

    On the opening day, about a quarter of the people in Xuancheng came to the Department Store.

    As early as a few days before the opening, Su Zhi had spent a lot of money on advertising, distributing flyers and discount coupons in large amounts.

    At the beginning, when the citizens received the cash vouchers, they did not dare to believe it to be true and only half-believed it to be true.

    Su Zhi''s calculations were extremely accurate. As a large scale shopping mall, the customers were mostly ordinary commoners, and she would be a fool if she did not take advantage of the situation.

    The discount was real, and the news spread like wildfire. Every single woman on the street carried a vegetable basket as they ran towards the Flowery Restaurant.

    The furnishings of the store were also very different from those of other places. Upon entering, one could see many small pulley baskets placed at the entrance that could be used to store items when buying.

    The entire hall was brightly lit and neat. Although there were a lot of goods here, there was no sense of disorder.

    Not only that, the price was also very cheap.

    The rice noodles were half a dollar cheaper than the rice shop''s, the cloth was all good, and there was also the activity of buying two to one yuan. Even if there was no shortage of necessities, there were also many new things.

    The original kitchen had been converted into a dessert shop, and the sight of all sorts of pastries was dazzling.

    Suzhi studied many new products, such as salted hops, roasted hibiscus, rose cake, milk vanilla sachima, hand-torn bread and steamed rice cakes, and so on.

    There were also drinks for sale and delivery of fried chicken and other services.

    On the first day of business, the living quarters on the first floor were bustling with business. Li Yi was truly excited. Flower Mansion was about to return to its former prosperity!

    On the other hand, Su Zhi was not that happy, and she was even at a loss as to what to do.

    "Little Su, what''s wrong with you?" "Business is so good. Although we have given away a portion of the items, but the profits are plentiful. In the end, we were still able to earn a lot."

    Su Zhi looked at the second and third floor with a somewhat melancholy expression. "The situation on the first floor is indeed good. It''s better than I expected. But isn''t the second and third floor a bit too lonely?"

    On the second floor, there were booths for singing south songs and acting shadow plays. He also bought some tea nuts along the way. As good as the business on the first floor was, the second floor was as deserted as the second.

    Li Yi laughed indifferently, "Hey, what time is this? Would the people who listened to the music come to the store early in the morning to stand guard? Naturally, he would only come after noon when he had some free time. "Just you wait. It won''t be long before he arrives."

    As Elementary Scholar Li had said, after lunch time, the second floor had indeed become crowded.

    Firstly, he was curious about how the second floor was arranged, and secondly, it was for the opening of the second floor.

    However, he would not be disappointed once he reached the second floor. There was a hall on the second floor to watch the show, as well as a small room that was soundproof and could not be disturbed.

    Su Zhi found a crew and organized two great scenes, one for the White Snake, and the other for the loyal Yang family generals.

    The former women loved to look at it, the latter lords liked to look at it.

    The entire match was so chaotic that even a single person was overwhelmed by it.

    However, what worried Su Zhi was still the third floor.

    Among the three floors, the beauty salon and boutiques on the third floor were the ones that Su Zhi cared about the most.

    Even the potted plants were arranged in an exquisite manner, to say nothing of their low and extravagant tasteful decor. However, a few women from a small sect came to try out their perfume and then left after asking about the price.

    Throughout the whole day, other than buying and selling two exquisite mirror cases, no one else bought perfume and lipstick that Su Zhi had spent so much effort to make.

    What was the problem?

    She couldn''t figure it out, but by the time she closed up for the night. Looking at the pile of silver, Elementary Scholar Li couldn''t help but smile. He counted the silver coins that he had earned like a miser, while only Su Zhi remained silent with a worried expression on her face.

    Seeing that she wasn''t happy about what had happened on the third floor, Li Yi tried to comfort her, "People have to learn to be content. Look at the situation on the first floor. It''s not a small number! Although the operas on the second floor are free, they can still be sold for several dozens of scenes as a snack and tea. "

    He calculated and calculated that after a whole day, the department store had earned a total of three hundred and sixty-seven taels of silver and six strings of copper coins.

    Su Zhi was depressed. If the situation on the third floor was better, this income would be far more than that.

    "This little bit of silver is not enough to make us happy. We have to get rid of the manpower and commodity fees, and we also have to pay taxes. Seven or eight counts are almost all gone."

    Originally, the third floor was used as the main force to make money, but now the products were being delayed. What was to be done now?

    He was already satisfied with this result. The department store was a completely new business model. He had already prepared himself for losing everything, but the result was surprisingly good.

    "Big Brother Li, you have to find someone to do the purchasing for you. I''m just a woman, so I can''t run around outside. Write a recruitment notice for me."

    "Alright, since the business is on the right track, you might as well give it a shot. I''ll think about it."

    Su Zhi smiled and sighed, "How can I be idle? I have to think of a way to solve the problems on the third floor. The things that I''m working on all day and night cannot be wasted." Naturally, I can''t be particularly careful on the first floor and the second floor. When the time comes, I''ll find two more astute people to be the steward of the first and second floors. Brother Li will be in charge of their affairs. "

    Li Yi nodded and agreed to this matter.

    Seeing that it was already late, Su Zhi did not want to stay any longer and bid farewell to Elementary Scholar Li.

    Sitting on the carriage, Su Zhi was still thinking about what had happened on the third floor. Was it because of such an outcome?

    Xuan City was not short on noble clans, and there were countless wealthy merchants and giants. There were no signs of things that were too expensive to buy, but there had to be a reason why no one wanted to buy the products.

    After wobbling back to Spring Leaf Alley, Su Zhizhan put away the frustration in her head and paid the driver to enter the house.

    He had just taken two steps when he heard a wave of curses accompanied by the sound of chopsticks smashing to the ground from the yard around the corner.

    The carriage just happened to stop at this place, so Su could clearly hear the movements in the courtyard.

    This courtyard belonged to He Qiniang and his mother-in-law, Aunt Ying. It was dark and the lights were dim. It was unknown what had caused such a ruckus between the two daughter-in-law.

    Recalling the way He Qiniang had looked at her last time, Su Zhi shuddered and quickly walked towards her own courtyard.

    When she opened the door and went in, she found the lights were still on. She thought A Jin was waiting for her, so she didn''t want to sleep. When she opened the door, she saw Aunt Bai sitting by the bed, watching over the two sleeping children.

    "Aunt, it''s so late, and we haven''t rested yet."

    Seeing her return, Aunt Bai hurriedly stood up and gave her a thumbs up. "Little Su, you did a good job. Many residents of Spring Leaf Lane went to help you. I heard that business is booming. You''re really good!"

    Su Zhi smiled shyly. "There''s no need for that. I just barely managed to keep the book. I''ll have to improve a bit more."

    Aunt Bai restrained her smile and said, "Little Su, you''re a strong one, Aunt can see that. Now that I think about how that nephew of the Liu family is a farmer, I feel that I am not worthy of you. "

    Su Zhi was stunned for a moment before she remembered that Uncle Liu had said that he would introduce her nephew to her. She had actually forgotten about it.

    "Aunt, don''t say it like that. It''s all for the sake of eating a full meal and making a living. How can there be any difference between noble and lowly? How can you be worthy?"

    Aunt Bai held her hand, a little embarrassed. "I''ve already told the other side. If I had known earlier that you were so capable, I, I ˇ­"

    "Auntie, you''re going to kill me. I can''t do anything else now that I''m like this."

    Aunt Bai nodded and said, "But don''t worry, I met her a few times when she was young. She''s a good seedling! "Not to mention the corn fields beside, even if you grow it would still be better to not mix it up with your neighbors. The man is Zhou Zheng, tall and big, and you would only like to earn money. I guess he''s not as fast as you think."

    Su Zhi also didn''t know what to say. Aunt Bai''s meaning was that she should meet with that Liu family member.

    Right now, things in the shop had not settled yet. She had to be careful in every place. She did not want to waste time on personal matters, but she could not disrespect others, so she could only agree.

    "Little Su, ah, Aunt is hoping you''re doing well. That Liu family kid is really not bad." Meet me first, and we''ll talk about it later. "

    "Oh, thank you, Aunt."

    Aunt Bai nodded in satisfaction and left the yard after bidding farewell to Su Zhi.

    That night, Su Zhi could no longer sleep.

    However, it wasn''t because he couldn''t sleep due to the strange man he was about to meet, but because of the business situation on the third floor.

    As soon as the sky brightened, Su Zhi, who had been in a daze all night, came out from her bed, busily making breakfast for her child. Before she could even enter the kitchen to start a fire, there was another knock on the door.

 C63

    Su Zhi hurriedly straightened her clothes and went to open the door, only to discover that it was Aunt Bai carrying a few cabbage.

    "Aunt, it''s so early in the morning. What are you doing here?"

    Aunt Bai pushed a few lush green cabbages to her and said with a helpless expression, "I forgot to tell you yesterday that the Shangguan family occupied the garden in front of my house. "He said that a distinguished official wanted to build a garden here, so we decided to accept them all. Our family wouldn''t be able to eat that much anyway. Why don''t we send some over to you?"

    Some of the vegetables had already been distributed to the families that were usually close to each other. Even Aunt Ying had taken some away, thinking that she would pity their widowed mother.

    However, what was left in his hand was still not going to be finished. He could only waste it.

    Su Zhi froze for a moment, then looked towards the open space in front of the door. Indeed, she saw that Aunt Bai''s vegetable garden had been emptied out, and that some masons had already begun to build the building.

    "This Spring Leaf Alleyway is not a very good location. Could it be that you''ve taken a fancy to the feng shui here?"

    Aunt Bai sighed and shook her head, "I don''t know which official must build this courtyard. I also heard that it was given to me by the Emperor to choose their own location.

    Su Zhi comforted her with a smile, "It''s fine, maybe this alley will become more lively in the future."

    "It doesn''t matter if it''s lively, but what about the vegetables I''ve planted so hard? Now that they''re all harvested, even if I gave you some, they wouldn''t be finished. They''ll be ruined in a few days."

    Aunt Bai had always been a kind person. With the exception of today, it was difficult for her to complain.

    "Aunt, why don''t you sell the rest of the dishes?"

    "I do have that intention, but where is our energy?" Besides, it was going to rain soon, so it was inconvenient for them to travel. "My son is a teacher in the government, and although he doesn''t receive much monthly salary, there are still a lot of people coming and going. If they see us selling things on the streets, it would be bad for their reputation."

    Looking at the fresh and emerald green vegetables in her hands, Su Zhi comforted her, "Go and sell them in a department store. You''ve been watching the children for me for so long, just treat it as me returning this favor. I won''t charge you any commission."

    Aunt Bai excitedly clapped her hands. "Okay, thanks, Little Su. I did Aunt a big favor."

    "Whether you want to thank me or not, my two children have troubled you quite a bit." Besides, now that Flower Mansion had been converted into a shopping mall, it needed supplies to begin with. This dish of yours looks good, you don''t have to worry about not being able to sell it. "Since there are a lot of wine here, they might be able to sell it all today."

    With Su Zhi''s help, Aunt Bai smiled and said, "It''s better to sell as much as you can than leave it at home to grow mold."

    "Oh, that''s right. I forgot to tell you. I''ve already told that kid from the Liu family. He''ll be here tomorrow. If you have anything on your mind, leave it to the side for now. "

    Su Zhi was stunned. "That fast?"

    "Foolish child, why are you so surprised that this girl wishes to marry you so quickly?" "It''s a deal then. Don''t go to the store tomorrow and wait for him. Auntie will make a table of good food and invite you and the child to come to my house."

    For the first time ever, Aunt Bai was matchmaking. Hong Niang''s mind was exceptionally lively and fresh.

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She could only agree.

    After finishing everything and personally bringing the child over to Aunt Bai''s house, Su Zhi finally relaxed and got into the carriage, rushing over to the store.

    Last night, she had tossed and turned, thinking of many ways to deal with the situation on the third floor.

    "Qiu Hong, come with me for a moment."

    Qiu Hong was personally passed the interview by Su Zhi and was also a capable person. If not for the fact that her husband had tuberculosis and could not do any work, she would not have shown her face and come here to earn a living.

    "Boss, you called me?"

    Su Zhi pulled her to the side and asked, "Earlier, you said that your cousins were first-rate maidservants in big families."

    "Yes, what are your orders?"

    Su Zhi took out a few pieces of paper from her bosom and stuffed them into her hands. "I''ll have to trouble you to deliver these to them. There are also a few bottles of sample perfume."

    What was written in the mysterious note was just a few lines of advertisement that moved a woman''s heart, such as "getting back the favor, staying in youth forever, changing into a new face".

    Naturally, these small card-like slips of paper would accidentally reach the manager''s mistress or the other concubines. If a few maids casually mentioned them, there would naturally be some people who would make an exception.

    High doors, many grudges women, there is always a deep room, but also there is always a desire to cherish do not fall.

    When a woman is alive, she will never stop dressing herself!

    "After this is done, I will pay you."

    Su Zhi took out a silver ingot from her sleeve and handed it to her, promising, "As long as the business on the third floor improves, I will promote you to be a steward."

    Qiu Hong received the silver and listened to her boss''s words. She felt delighted and bowed gratefully. With a few notes in her hand, she boasted about the price and left excitedly.

    Towards such a method, Su Zhi''s heart was pounding. How effective would it be?

    The flow of customers on the first and second floor was very good. The vegetables from Aunt Bai''s house had already been bought by several restaurants, so it seemed like there was no need to worry about selling them.

    Just before lunch, Qiu Hong came back with good news. She said that her cousins had all accepted their things and might have some business coming to her.

    Before then, the only thing Su Zhi could do was to wait.

    A minute before the announcement, a mysterious lady came to the third floor.

    She was sitting on a sedan with a sabre and guards protecting her as she traveled, and she was accompanied by three or four maids.

    The only difference was that the woman was covered by a veil, tightly wrapping herself in it.

    Since a guest had come to visit, Su Zhi was naturally happy. She quickly went up and greeted, "Good morning Madam."

    The woman glanced at Su Zhi and saw that she was about the same age as herself, but her skin was really good. Her skin was tender and white, smooth as porcelain. She immediately asked, "I heard that you have some good stuff here."

    Su Zhi invited her into the beauty shop with a mysterious smile. "Of course there is. However, this humble woman needs to know what the Madam needs in order to cure her illness."

    The woman''s eyes flashed. It seemed that she was unwilling to mention the difficulties in her heart.

    Su Zhi was intelligent, and she only needed a glance to guess the gist of it. "Madam, what is your surname?"

    "My surname is Huo."

    "Madam Huo''s eye sockets are blue, and her forehead is full of pimples. It must be because I can''t sleep at night, my liver is burning, and I''m depressed, so my skin is a little yellow. "

    Madam Huo looked at her in astonishment. The doctor had to examine her pulse, yet she was able to tell at a glance.

    Su Zhi laughed silently. The most direct expression of her expression was her face whether or not her internal organs were clean or not.

    "Is there any way to resolve this?"

    "I''ll use the essential oil to massage your wife''s face. I''ll make her another facial mask and some perfume that you like. She''ll be in a good mood and will feel comfortable, so all the problems will be solved easily."

    Selling products, everything with the idea of selling things.

    However, the key to solving the problem was that she had to do it first so that there would be more customers coming back.

    Madam Huo had some doubts. Su Zhi graciously opened a bottle of perfume and sprayed it on her.

    The fresh and tranquil taste indeed gave people a sense of happiness.

    Finally, he had successfully taken down the first customer!

    Su Zhi took out the lavender oil she obtained from the system and massaged Madam Huo''s temples and neck area.

    It was supposed to be a body massage, but the Missus wouldn''t undress, so that was it.

    Afterwards, Su Zhi used pearl powder mixed with honey milk to make a mask, and also marketed her armor skills.

    After finishing the entire set, Madam Huo spent over a hundred silver taels. She didn''t even bat an eye.

    She looked at her skin in the mirror, which had become white and tender, and felt much better.

    "Madam, please look at the perfume again. There are many types of perfume here. There is always one that suits you."

    Madam Huo ignored him. She was very interested in the lipstick that Su Zhi had made and bought it as well, choosing several different colored numbers.

    Su Zhi refused to give up. Seeing that she was not interested in ordinary perfume, she must have been used to using fine incense sticks, so she could only use her trump card ˇŞ

    A perfume recommended to stimulate hormones.

    "Madam, you must not miss this perfume. Soak it on your body in the evening bath and you will be able to secure the mercy of your husband."

    Madam Huo tried smelling the perfume and found that it was a little strong when it was first sprayed out. After a while, it became better and the more she smelled, the more she liked it. She then heard Su Zhi''s last sentence.

    Su Zhi stated her price.

    To Madam Huo, this was a drop in the bucket. She immediately bought it and wanted to give it a try.

    When Su Zhi sent Madam Huo downstairs, the maid hurriedly took out a veil for her to bring.

    Before they got on the carriage, Madam Huo suddenly said, "Shopkeeper, as I see it isn''t easy for a woman like you to do business, I would like to remind you of something." In a place like this, it was very hard for anyone to lower their status. esteemed lady of the noble family, it is taboo for you to have such lecherous eyes. "

    That one sentence woke Su Zhi up.

    The second floor of Flowery Restaurant was filled with guests, but the third floor was deserted. Why?

    Most of the madams and mistresses of famous clans disdained to show their faces at such an occasion.

    Hua Manlou''s customers were mostly ordinary citizens, and the aristocratic families had strong notions of respect and inferiority. They were not willing to meet the common people. However, the goods on the third floor were not something ordinary people could afford, which meant that business could not improve.

    Besides, it was a taboo for women to show themselves recklessly. If someone saw this and made a ruckus, wouldn''t they lose their reputation?

    Su Zhi was enlightened. She immediately called for Elementary Scholar Li and said that she wanted to reform the third floor ˇŞ

    Cover up the third floor corridor with gauze curtain, close the corridor, and open a new corridor, Yu Hua Manlou main door deviation.

    As a result, the third floor was basically isolated and became a separate floor.

 C64

    Besides, on Madam Huo''s side, she had originally been the main wife of the Duke of Guo''s estate, but after marrying the Duke of Guo for a few years, her husband couldn''t fall for it.

    Seeing that her concubines were about to be bullied by her, and that she had a small promotional note in her hands today, he decided to give it a try.

    "Yo, big sister is back."

    Just as he entered the mansion, his concubine, who was in the midst of gaining momentum, walked up to him with a smile while twisting her willow waist.

    Madam Huo did not wish to talk to her any longer and left on her own.

    "Sister, please wait a moment. Today, I saw that you looked radiant and extraordinary. Your skin is clear and moist, white and rosy, like a delicate flower."

    Madam Huo''s expression did not change, but her heart felt a lot more comfortable.

    "Elder sister, which servant did you make these nails?" "With such a clever trick, there''s even something stuck on top. It''s quite pretty."

    The wet nurse avoided the figure of her concubine and supported Madam Huo as she left.

    The woman who was left behind revealed a mocking expression, and her smile instantly disappeared, "Go and find out where she went today? Especially since who was the one who made that person, Dan Kou? He''s so special! "

    One of the maidservants at the side immediately flattered her. "My wife, don''t worry. The Duke of Guo has always doted on you the most. No matter how much the main wife torments you, it''s all in vain."

    "She wants to hook up with the Duke of Guo just based on her dead fish appearance?" As a man, I don''t know about the dirty stuff on the bed. No one would want to see her like this. "

    That night, however, the wet nurse coaxed the Countess into going to the Crown Prince on the grounds that she was having a headache and didn''t feel well.

    What was unexpected was that the duke, who hadn''t stayed in Madam Huo''s room for months, had stayed that night.

    The maid guarding the door was still able to hear the sounds of activity coming from the room in the middle of the night. The joyous moans lingered on until dawn before gradually fading away.

    Because she had agreed to Aunt Bai''s invitation yesterday, Su Zhi didn''t go to Flower Mansion the next day.

    Aunt Bai had gotten up early in the morning and started busying herself with the food. Su Zhi was sorry, but she insisted on helping out, despite Uncle Liu''s obstruction.

    When she was busy in the kitchen, Aunt Bai couldn''t help but lecture her, "Little Su, if Aunt didn''t say anything about you, you should still dress up. Look at you, you really don''t look like a young lady."

    Su Zhi scratched her head and said with an embarrassed smile, "There''s so much work to do today, how could I have the time to do that?"

    Aunt Bai nodded, and continued: "Luckily that Liu family member is a family member, he said that he only wants to find a reliable woman. It doesn''t matter if it''s good or not, the two of you are just right for it. "

    Aunt Bai was just teasing Su Zhi when Uncle Liu, who was standing outside, stuck his head in. "My nephew is here. Aunt, bring Little Su out to meet him."

    "Yo, so fast."

    Aunt Bai dried her hands and immediately walked to the front hall with Su Zhi in tow.

    "Good child, you''re here. Quick, let Aunt see!"

    Before he even reached the main hall, Aunt Bai already started getting friendly. She entered the room and pulled a young and robust man along, feeling a wave of coldness and asking for his warmth.

    Su Zhi followed behind, feeling somewhat nervous.

    She roughly glanced at the man that was being pulled by Aunt Bai and saw that he was about the same age as Xiao Qian.

    Just as Uncle Liu had said, he was tall, strong, and powerful. His skin was somewhat dark, but his facial features were handsome. When he smiled, his dimples and canine teeth made him seem like an idiot.

    Sunlight, spirit, like a warm sun, loyal and good-natured.

    This was Su Zhi''s first impression of a man.

    "Come come come, let me introduce you." "This is the nephew I mentioned, his name is Liu Yuan."

    The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Liu Yuan immediately opened his eyes as a hint of red flashed across his dark face.

    "This is Little Su, the one my aunt mentioned to you before. She opened her own store and is probably doing business!"

    Liu Yuan took a step forward and bowed, "It''s our first time meeting. I''ve already made Little Su watch a joke."

    He then picked up a few wrapped up items from the tea table and handed them to Su Zhi. "A mere gift is not worthy of respect."

    And even prepared a gift? Su Zhi felt somewhat sorry. She hadn''t prepared anything.

    "You said that for a child like you, etiquette is too considerate. Why did you bring such a thing when you just came?"

    Only then did Su Zhi see that there were several items inside the room, as well as two baskets of white noodles and a basket of eggs.

    Although the items were not valuable, they were brought here by someone who had gone through a lot of trouble.

    "Many thanks for Young Master Liu''s gift, but I, I, didn''t prepare anything ˇ­"

    Liu Yuan looked at her with an innocent smile, "It''s fine, it''s fine. It''s my daughter''s house. How could she be so polite the first time we meet? It''s unreasonable." If it''s a pickled product, the gains will not make up for the losses. "

    "Hahaha, you brat."

    Uncle Liu and Aunt Bai laughed up and down, scolding Liu Yuan for his glib.

    Having said that, Su Zhi still felt a little uneasy. She casually took out the silver hairpin from her bun and handed it to him, "It''s not worth much money. Consider it a gift in return. I can''t just take these things for nothing."

    Liu Yuan did not refuse. He extended his hand and received the hairpin while laughing in his heart. How could he have taken it for free?

    Aunt Bai and Uncle Liu looked at each other, exchanged glances, smiled and placed the two of them in the main hall, then both went to the kitchen to busy themselves.

    When they were alone, Su Zhi didn''t know what to say. She sat upright on the wooden chair, looking straight ahead, unable to sit still.

    It wasn''t because he liked the other party, but because he had lived for two lifetimes and this was his first time going out on a blind date. He just didn''t get used to it.

    "I heard that Xiaosu''s cooking skills are quite good."

    Liu Yuan noticed her uneasiness and was the first to open the conversation.

    "It''s not that it''s that good, it''s just that I''m interested in doing this. For example, I know some hand-made soap and facial creams. I don''t know if Young Master Liu has anything that can be of use, so I''ll be able to bring some back. "

    Liu Yuanyuan gave him a bright smile, "Little Su, don''t call me Young Master Liu. Call me Big Brother Liu."

    Su Zhi smiled and nodded, then said, "I heard that Big Brother Liu has a girl in his family."

    "That''s right. My wife gave it to me. I''m already four and a half this year."

    The two of them chatted idly until Aunt Bai put the dishes on the table. Only then did Su Zhi heave a sigh of relief, before she went next door to Gu Sister-in-Law''s home to pick up the two children.

    A Jin was sent to a neighbor''s house not long ago. The half-grown child seemed to have understood the situation and was sensitive to a trace of abnormality.

    Seeing that there was an unfamiliar man in Grandma White''s house and that he was so attentive to his mother, he could guess what had happened.

    "This must be A Jin and Little Dou, right? They look really cute."

    Liu Yuan took the initiative to get closer to the two kids, taking out a handmade slingshot from his bosom and giving it to the two little guys.

    "Thank you, uncle."

    A Jin reluctantly accepted it without showing much happiness.

    Compared to Jin who was observing the situation silently, the small bean bun seemed more lively. It took the small gadget from the man and held it in its hand to play with it.

    Aunt Bai invited everyone to sit down and eat. She avoided A Jin and said in a low voice, "Bring Sister Qing here another day. That child is really pitiful. He lost his mother at such a young age."

    "Well, next time, I''ll bring you to bother you, Aunt."

    Liu Yuan''s eyes were only focused on Su Zhi, so he didn''t notice the subtle changes in the child.

    Before coming to Spring Leaf Lane, the young man had already made plans to reconnect, whether it was for his daughter to have a mother or because he really needed a woman. More importantly, he wanted a complete home.

    More than two years after his wife''s death, the elders of his family urged him to find another person who knew his wife. They didn''t ask for any beauty, as long as he wasn''t a fool and was able to help manage his family.

    Seeing Su Zhi today, Liu Yuan was sincerely satisfied.

    Su Zhi was pretty, but she did not seem like a married woman at all. Her shyness was even similar to that of a yellow flower girl.

    He had not read many books and could not think of any suitable words to describe her, but he was satisfied.

    Two children was nothing. He had the ability to support them and was willing to treat them as his own.

    The honest and honest man sneakily glanced at the coquettish girl. He was overjoyed in his heart and felt that there was something sweet somewhere.

    A Jin scooped up the rice. Some of it was tasteless and less than half the usual appetite. Su Zhi had noticed all of this. Although she didn''t show it on her face, she was still worried.

    After dinner, Aunt Bai saw that the weather had turned cloudy and it was inconvenient for her to go out for a stroll, so she pulled Su Zhi and Liu Yuan away in the yard.

    Liu Yuan was chatty and humorous. He looked simple and honest, but he wasn''t in the habit of talking. His personality was also good. He looked like he was living a good life, so there was nothing to be picky about.

    Su Zhi''s mind was focused on A Jin. She could see that the child was unhappy and couldn''t get out of it for a while. Thus, she became even more depressed.

    "Why is there a missing piece of the Little Su Family''s roof?"

    When Liu Yuan walked out of the backyard, he saw that a large piece of the eaves above the main hall had collapsed, as if it had been artificially destroyed by someone.

    "Oh, it was a competition between two Jianghu Heroic Assassins when Aunty Liu was taking care of me. I accidentally broke it and paid the bill, but I''ve been busy and haven''t had time to find craftsmen to fix it."

    Liu Yuan understood and volunteered, "I''m pretty good at renovating houses. If any houses in the neighborhood are damaged, I''ll be the one who helps you take care of them. Since we made it in time today, I can help you fix it."

    No matter what, she was still a guest, it would not be good for her to let someone else become a labourer the first time they came.

    Liu Yuan insisted on helping her, so he carried the wooden ladder from Aunt Bai''s house to Su Zhi''s.

    "It looks like winter is about to arrive. It''s winter, and the moon is in the middle of winter. I''ve encountered a miserable and rainy day, but I''ve had to bear the hardships. The eaves of this house should be repaired as soon as possible."

    He took his tools and walked up the ladder to the eaves, helping Su Zhi build the eaves one brick and one tile at a time under the autumn wind.

    Aunt Bai stood beside Su Zhi and sighed, "This child is indeed not bad. He is honest, loyal, and handsome. Not to mention that he was a farmer, and the daughter of a squire was clamoring to marry him. "The Liu Clan''s disciple is a love-struck child. His wife has been dead for two years before he decides to look for her again. If it were any other man, who knows how many more have been stuffed into their home."

    Honestly speaking, Liu Yuan was not bad. Even if he was a farmer, his family still had to hire a labourer. He could also earn a lot of rent in a year. Even if he wasn''t considered rich, he was still considered well off.

    But the problem was, that kid A Jin ˇ­

    "Aiya, daddy, hug ~ ~"

 C65

    While Su Zhi was in a trance, a giggle came from outside the courtyard.

    She hurriedly went out to check. When she saw that her daughter was carrying a tall and mighty man, revealing two rows of front teeth, she smiled extremely happily.

    The man who was entangled by the little girl didn''t have the slightest dislike for her. He picked her up and put her in his arms to tease her.

    That''s right, the person standing outside was no one else but a fully dressed Xiao Qian.

    Su Zhi jumped in shock and hurriedly went forward to greet him, "General, why are you here?"

    Xiao Qian was getting more and more familiar with how to carry children. The small bean bag was resting on his shoulder without the slightest discomfort.

    "I came to see you."

    Look at the ground?

    Xiao Qian pointed at the empty space not far from Su Zhi''s door and said with a half-wry tone, "The Emperor bestowed upon me a mansion and told me to find a place to build it myself. I''ve taken a fancy to this place."

    Huh? How could he have taken a fancy to such a lousy place?

    It seemed that the idiotic official who Aunt Bai complained about yesterday was Xiao Qian himself?

    "Xiaosu, can you see this?"

    Liu Yuan''s question came from inside the house. Su Zhi then hurriedly turned around and entered the house. Seeing that the broken parts had been repaired, the bricks and tiles fit together extremely well. There was no need to worry about leakage of water during a rainy day.

    "Very well, thank you very much. Big Brother Liu is truly a great craftsman. You must have worked hard. Come down quickly. "

    Aunt Bai pulled on Su Zhi''s sleeve and asked, "Little Su, I didn''t hear wrong just now, right? Why did Little Dou Zi call that Daddy outside?"

    Su Zhi''s expression froze and became somewhat embarrassed. "It''s like this. Didn''t I go find my husband earlier? He died in battle, unlucky. It was that general who took us in. Perhaps Little Dou Bao thought he looked like my late husband and mistook him. "

    Aunt Bai suddenly nodded.

    However, he felt that something was amiss, but he couldn''t tell what it was.

    Xiao Qian had ridden over to check on the situation of the land and the construction process. Actually, he didn''t need to worry about that. The craftsmen who built the house were from the royal family, and had high craftsmanship and meticulousness.

    But he just had to come, and he even came up with a grand excuse.

    When he rode over from afar, he saw the man on the eaves of Su Zhi''s room. He thought he was the craftsman she had hired to repair the house.

    However, when Xiao Qian saw that man, he realized that he was wrong.

    The man called Liu Yuan was tall and big. Although he had experienced some hardships, from a man''s perspective, he could be called a real man. What made Xiao Qian uneasy was that when the man was facing Su Zhi, there was a ball of fire hidden in his eyes.

    Liu Yuan carried the wooden ladder out and saw Xiao Qian. Although he wasn''t from a wealthy family, he could tell that Xiao Qian was extraordinary.

    Both sides were silent. Liu Yuan was the first to open the conversation, "Who is this?"

    Su Zhi took the bean bag from Xiao Qian''s arms and said calmly, "This is our neighbor, Great General Xiao."

    "So it''s General Xiao. I''ve heard a lot about him."

    Liu Yuan carried the wooden ladder on his shoulder. It was inconvenient for him to clasp his hands together in a bow and give him a friendly smile.

    Xiao Qian nodded and didn''t say anything else.

    Su Zhi only introduced Xiao Qian, but didn''t explain where Liu Yuan came from. This inexplicably made Xiao Qian uncomfortable, seeing Su Zhi carrying the child and leaving with Liu Yuan.

    He pulled her back and asked in a low voice, "Who is he?"

    There was a hint of uncontrollable unhappiness in his tone. It seemed that Su Zhi had done something to let him down.

    "General, are you asking about Brother Liu?" He''s Uncle Liu''s nephew. "

    They only explained their kinship, but did not explain the reason why the man had come to Spring Leaf Lane.

    Xiao Qian felt even more uncomfortable as he let her go.

    Seeing that everyone had left, A Jin ran out from the other side of the door and grabbed his clothes. "Uncle Xiao, you''re here."

    Xiao Qian squatted down to rub his little head and gently smiled, "What happened to A Jin? She doesn''t look too happy."

    "Uncle Xiao, that uncle was invited by Grandma Bai. He''s going to be A-Jin''s stepfather."

    When Xiao Qian heard this, his tiger body shook and a wave of nameless fire rushed up to his head.

    When he saw the child''s wronged expression as if he had been abandoned, the anger in his heart had yet to subside, but his heart softened a bit.

    "I heard from the big brother Shen next door that mother wouldn''t love my sister and me anymore if she found her stepfather. Uncle Xiao, what happened to A Jin? "

    Xiao Qian himself also felt baffled. It really wasn''t easy for a woman like Su Zhi to drag two children around. It was normal for her to look for her husband. However, for some reason, he was just angry for no reason at all. Even he himself did not understand.

    "A Jin is not afraid, your mother has always loved you, she will not change her mind."

    A Jin was on the verge of tears as she refused to believe Xiao Qian''s words of comfort. "If that''s the case, then if mother and uncle had a baby brother, would they still like A Jin this much?"

    Xiao Qian couldn''t guarantee this.

    It wasn''t so much that he didn''t dare to guarantee it, but rather that he wasn''t willing to see Su Zhizhen''s second marriage.

    Today, Japan came to see the two children. She didn''t expect that it would be such a coincidence.

    Xiao Qian comforted the depressed children as he felt the two children''s gifts in his arms. He felt a bit disappointed.

    Su Zhi couldn''t see A Jin, and worried that something might happen to her child. She came back to look for him, but seeing that Xiao Qian hadn''t left yet, she hugged A Jin who wanted to cry but had no tears to comfort him.

    She thought it was strange. Little Dou Zi was clearly the child who relied on Xiao Qian the most. How come A Jin''s mood had also changed today?

    "A Jin, don''t disturb the general''s official business, come over quickly."

    The last time Xiao Qian had helped to find the child, Su Zhi hadn''t had the time to thank him. Coincidentally, it was inconvenient today, so she couldn''t keep him any longer.

    Unexpectedly, the child in the man''s arms didn''t listen to him. He whispered in his ear, "A Jin doesn''t like that uncle of hers. She doesn''t want him to be my father."

    Xiao Qian was surprised for a moment. His expression was strange. He felt both amused and helpless.

    "Jin, come here."

    Su Zhi could not understand Xiao Qian''s expression, and she did not know what the child had said to him. Afraid that it would make him unhappy, she went up and pulled A Jin away.

    "Sorry for the trouble, General. I didn''t expect that in the future, we will be neighbors. When General Qiao Qian comes, this humble woman will definitely bring her child to congratulate you."

    Xiao Qian looked at her with a complicated expression as he shook his head. "It''s not a big deal. We just have a new house. In the future, our two children will be much closer to each other."

    Su Zhi really didn''t understand the meaning behind Xiao Qian''s actions. The houses bestowed by the royal family would definitely be extremely luxurious, yet he had already prepared them for her and wanted to create a new house for her? New and new, but he had to pick this place again.

    Spring Leaf Alley was inferior to the Royal City in any aspect. After all, under the feet of the Son of Heaven.

    Xiao Qian held a high position of authority. There was no need for him to fight over a place with a lowly official. Even if he liked quiet and quiet places, there were still plenty of good places around.

    "General, you have not thanked me for helping this humble woman find the bean bag last time. "Let''s wait for you to come to the courtyard, then we''ll have to trouble you."

    "You''re welcome."

    His expression was indifferent, and his slightly raised eyelashes covered the profoundness in his eyes.

    Su Zhi nodded and brought A Jin through the door, leaving Xiao Qian alone.

    He was accompanied by the assistant minister of the Ministry of Industry. Seeing that he was busy greeting people, he looked at the terrain and ran over to report, "General, are you sure you want to choose this place?"

    The subtext is, this place is really not very good, you be careful.

    Xiao Qian turned around and looked at the barren land behind him.

    "Since the construction has already begun, we will leave it here. I will have to trouble you with the rest."

    "General is too polite."

    In the end, Xiao Qian decided to set up the house here. Even though the Assistant Minister of Work didn''t understand General Xiao''s intentions, he still didn''t dare to neglect his work.

    Compared to the confusion of the others, Madam Xiao was more meticulous. She immediately understood what her grandson meant and slapped the table in anger.

    Xiao Qian wandered alone in Spring Leaf Lane for a while. Since he could not see Su Zhi, he could only ride his horse back to his house.

    Not long after they entered the courtyard, the personal attendant came in to report that the madame had an invitation.

 C66

    Xiao Qian changed into a new robe and rushed to Old Mistress Xiao''s courtyard.

    Chun Xi, who was serving close quarters servants, came in from outside with a cup of tea. She hurriedly reported to the madame that the general had arrived.

    Mother Wu looked outside and saw Xiao Qian.

    "Madam, the general is here. He probably hasn''t even had a sip of tea yet."

    The meaning behind his words was that Xiao Qian was filial and filial. He was gentle and humble. He only needed to give a good lecture.

    Old Mistress Xiao scoffed, "What, are you all worried that my wife will make your grandson suffer? "Now that he has done something that goes against common sense, he deserves a beating."

    "Grandmother, are you unhappy?"

    Upon entering, Xiao Qian bowed deeply to show his respect. There was no one else inside or outside the courtyard. Who else could make his grandmother angry other than himself?

    Old Mistress Xiao glared at him in annoyance, "You actually know that you''ve returned, and you also know what I''m angry about. When it comes down to it, you''ll hide in the western suburbs'' camp without even greeting me. You really are my good grandson!"

    Mother Wu shot a glance at the maid before serving her some tea. "The imperial concubine ordered the chamberlain to bring these tea leaves over. The old mistress and the general should both have a taste."

    "Humph!" At this point, mother Wu did not point at the sloppiness of the situation. I have to make this matter clear. Everyone in the capital, inside and outside the palace, has been informed about it. My wife has lost all her face. "

    That day, Xiao Qian went against his grandmother''s wishes and didn''t go to the front hall to meet a guest. Instead, he took Su Zhi directly to Xuan City.

    This trip wasn''t a big deal. More importantly, he had used his own name to report to the justice courts and pretend that the baby from the general''s estate had gone missing.

    However, the fact that General Xiao did not have any marriage was something that everyone knew. How could there be an extra child? It was to help a widow find a child.

    It was fine to help out for the sake of justice and morality, but the ruckus at that time was so great that it was obvious that the general was too concerned about it.

    Even though several days had passed, the storm in the city had never stopped.

    The old mistress was angered. She had never gone to any of the banquets, afraid that she would attract criticism if her words got out of hand.

    Xiao Qian took the tea from his mother and covered it with a white porcelain lid. After that, he blew gently on the tea and calmly sipped on it.

    "This tea is very good. Grandmother, please try it."

    "What kind of attitude is this!?"

    Old Mistress Xiao slammed the table, waved her sleeve and knocked over the tea cup that the servant had brought over.

    Seeing this, mother Wu''s heart rose to her throat and lowered her head, not daring to say another word.

    Xiao Qian saw that she was angry, so he put down his cup of tea and walked forward a few steps before kneeling on the ground.

    "Grandmother, please calm your anger."

    "You want me to calm down? How can I quell my anger? That day, for the sake of a widow, you abandoned Princess Anyang, abandoned my wife''s face, and went to great lengths to find a child in Xuancheng. Have you thought about the consequences? "

    That day, Princess Anyang was so angry that she was on the verge of tears. Xiao Qian had actually left with a widow.

    How could Princess Anyang, a dignified and noble daughter who could not compare to a country bumpkin and whose heart was higher than the heavens, suffer such grievances? He then cried as he returned to his residence. The matter of him finding his child was once again the talk of the town. The princess was embarrassed and ran to the palace to make a ruckus.

    The situation became more and more serious, and the general''s mansion was almost flooded with saliva.

    Xiao Qian knelt on the ground and kowtowed. His attitude was extremely sincere.

    "That child was originally the orphan of one of my loyal soldiers, and should be helped by both sides. "Outsiders say that ''Grandmother'' is a good thing, but men on the battlefield are full of pride and loyalty. How could the people in the capital understand that?"

    Old Madam Xiao heaved a sigh of relief and said coldly, "So, you allow outsiders to speak freely and ruin our Xiao family''s reputation? Your mother''s health has always been poor, and you''re still angering her! "

    When he mentioned his severely ill mother, Xiao Qian''s expression changed again. His attitude of not giving in due to force and not being able to take it had added a little bit of guilt.

    "How many times have I told you? The marriage between you and An Yang is something that will happen sooner or later. Everyone will be able to see it clearly. It isn''t easy for the Xiao family to rely on you to support them. Marrying a relative from a royal family to bring glory to their family is the best thing to do, but you refused to listen. "This is great, the good marriage that I got has been ruined by you!"

    Whether or not he could marry An Yang, Xiao Qian had never really cared about her. His heart wasn''t with her, so it was a good thing that he couldn''t marry An Yang.

    An Yang''s father was highly valued by the emperor, and could be considered to be one of the rare brotherly feelings of the imperial family. His mother was the daughter of the current Prime Minister, Prime Minister Liu, and if they could get married, the weight of the Xiao family in the imperial court would be unshakeable.

    Grandmother, your grandson doesn''t like princesses.

    When Old Madam Xiao heard this, she gave a cold laugh, "Then why did you care about the widow? Furthermore, you intentionally built your residence in Spring Leaf Lane, thinking that I am ignorant? "

    Xiao Qian was slightly startled as he retorted, "It''s only to find a quiet place to stay."

    "Is that so? "Since this is the case, there is a place at the foot of the Buddha Lotus Temple that is not bad, you can move the mansion over there."

    "The Ministry of Construction has already sent people to move the soil, it''s not appropriate to change their mind."

    "What nonsense!"

    The old mistress was infuriated as her heartbeat quickened. She felt pain in her chest all of a sudden, her face pale.

    "Madame, please don''t be angry."

    Xiao Qian hurriedly stood up. "Grandmother, be careful."

    The madame, who had been forced to take a sip of tea, pushed her worried grandson away and said weakly, "I don''t care about you anymore. Just go and explain it to your mother." There are two paths in front of you right now. The first is to pay your respects to the princess and tell her that you are willing to marry her. The second is to move into a house and never see the widow again. "

    "Grandmother, your body is weak. Take care of yourself first. Grandson''s marriage is not urgent."

    Xiao Qian did not answer and instead changed the topic.

    The old lady was so angry that she poked him in the forehead and hammered the table again.

    "You are already twenty-three years old. A man your age is already a father to you. Earlier, when you said that you wouldn''t break the oath of the Huns and your grandmother let you do as you pleased, it was a good thing for men to have ambitions. Now that the Huns have pledged their allegiance to the Great Wei, what other reason do you have for delaying your return? "

    "Since ancient times, filial piety has always reigned supreme. Seeing how my wife was about to enter the coffin, and your mother''s illness repeating itself over and over again, if you don''t marry a daughter-in-law, don''t tell me you''ll have to wait for my death?"

    Xiao Qian let out a sigh and softened his attitude, comforting her, "It''s not that I don''t want to marry, it''s just that the affairs of my country are far more important than the love of a child. Once everything is settled, we''ll listen to grandmother and mother."

    "Hmph. I''m afraid that you already have wings and you might not be willing to listen to my words."

    Xiao Qian did not say anything. He lowered his head to the side with a complicated feeling in his heart.

    The battle at the border was over. Even if it was for the continuation of the Xiao family''s bloodline, it was time for him to get married and have children. However, he was unwilling in his heart. As a general of a country, there were many days when they licked their blood. He did not like the girl from the Shangguan family who drank tea and admired flowers, playing zither and music.

    Inadvertently, the image of Su Zhi appeared in his mind. Weak, but not fragile, soft as a reed. Stubborn, patient, but not stubborn and reckless.

    It was exactly the way he liked it.

    But he could not marry Su Zhi.

    Xiao Qian understood this, but he really did like girls like Su Zhi. However, after searching the entire capital, he couldn''t find a girl with that sort of character.

    What a pity.

    Old Lady Xiao calmed down and pulled Xiao Qian along as she advised, "Grandmother knows how you met that woman. It''s just that when there''s no woman in the army, I feel like seeing her." When you see more of those well-groomed women, you might as well leave her somewhere. It''s not wrong to listen to grandmother. If you obediently marry Princess Anyang, you''ll be a Prefecture Lord. "

    Xiao Qian withdrew his hand and asked, "Grandmother, do you wish for your grandson to marry a close wife, or marry someone who can strengthen the family?"

    The old mistress was momentarily at a loss for words, her face turning red as she glared at him hatefully.

    Xiao Qian bitterly smiled, bowed his head, and said goodbye.

    The old mistress was so angry that she started thumping her chest and stomping her feet again.

    He walked out of the courtyard. It was already late in the evening. He had originally wanted to go see his mother and find out that she needed to rest. Xiao Qian could only give up and send Qing Mu to meet up with Tan Zhao.

    Xiao Qian called Tan Zhao over. Although it was a reunion, it was actually to be bored.

    Everyone in the military camp knew Xiao Qian''s personality. He was the one who disliked banquets.

 C67

    When Tan Zhao came, he thought to himself: Today, there must be a reason why you are looking for me.

    As expected, General Xiao''s reaction was abnormal. Seeing him come, he did not say anything else and just hugged the wine jar and sighed. Seeing that Xiao Qian drank a whole jar of wine before snatching the jug from his hand, Qin Zhao narrowed his eyes and said, "The great general didn''t call me here just to let me see you drink, did he?"

    Xiao Qian sighed, staring at the table full of untouched food in a daze.

    "Tsk tsk, I''ve never seen the general like this before. Could it be that something big is happening at home?"

    Xiao Qian coughed lightly as he opened his mouth to speak. He stammered as if he couldn''t say anything complete. It was as if there was something he couldn''t say.

    "I... have an unusual feeling about a woman. "

    Tan Zhao finally understood. So it was all for matters of the heart.

    That was true. Men wanted women when they drank, and women wanted men when they drank.

    No problem!

    "Which girl has the general taken a fancy to? "It''s so worrying."

    Xiao Qian thought for a moment and continued, "It''s not that she doesn''t want to marry, but seeing that she has a new girl makes me feel uncomfortable."

    Tan Zhao narrowed his eyes and unceremoniously teased, "My great general, you were swift and decisive on the battlefield. You were bold and fierce, why did you become so indecisive when you met your beloved girl? If you like it, then come and propose! "

    He snatched the jug back and gulped it down. "I''m fine, it''s just that Grandmother doesn''t agree, and I''m worried that her child isn''t happy."

    Puff!

    Qin Zhao spat out a mouthful of wine, coughing up so much that his face and neck turned red, as tears welled up in his eyes.

    "I''ll go..." A married woman? This goes against common sense. General, you have to control yourself. "

    Xiao Qian calmly nodded. "Yes, I know, but her husband is already dead."

    Tan Zhao wiped away his tears before he could catch his breath. "Speaking of which, does the General like charming women? The taste is very unique. "

    He winked at Xiao Qian as he joked.

    "I... I like her two children. "

    "Then do you like her, or do you like her two children? Or do you want to see the child or the woman? "

    Xiao Qian paused as he held the wine jug and fell into deep thought.

    He kept recalling the time he had spent with Su Zhi. He could not help but feel relaxed and content.

    That woman was sometimes silly and could easily cry. Even when she met a big problem, she would panic and not know what to do, thus she needed his help.

    However, she had a lot of methods. The key was to cook a good dish.

    Xiao Qian''s heart thumped wildly as he thought about his two encounters with the hot spring in the back mountain. That woman''s body was so soft that it could be held by her waist. He could easily lift her up with one hand.

    "General? "General?"

    Tan Zhao saw him standing there in a daze, his thoughts drifting away from him. He extended a hand and waved it in front of his eyes.

    "Thinking about that little girl?"

    Xiao Qian coughed unnaturally as he raised his head to take another sip of the strong wine.

    Pausing, he continued, "What do you think I should do now?"

    Every time he fought and fought on the battlefield, he would always listen to Xiao Qian''s orders. Today, when the sun rose from the west, he was actually asked for his opinion.

    "This... "He doesn''t have much experience in capturing a woman''s heart, but my good-for-nothing younger brother is rather favored by the flower ladies of the world."

    Xiao Qian raised his eyebrows and waited for the next part.

    Tan Zhao covered his mouth with his hand and laughed, then moved closer. "Firstly, you have to be generous and show your sincerity. It''s not good for other girls to not know about it, right? No one is a worm in your stomach. Secondly, if a woman has some face, then you are a man that should act like a tyrannical scoundrel. The third and most important thing was to be caught off guard and pester her until the end. Perhaps liking a man when a woman met him wasn''t the kind of love that could be fallen for at first sight. But there are only three things that I can talk about: living well, earning money, and being gentle and considerate. "

    As time passed, he gradually got used to a man''s goodness and could no longer bear to part with that bit of warmth.

    Xiao Qian frowned and said, "Then why are there bandits and landlords who would rather die than submit?"

    Tan Zhao took another sip of wine. "I forgot to mention the most important point. It depends on your face."

    "Oh."

    Xiao Qian unconsciously rubbed his chin as he wondered what his face looked like.

    If Tan Zhao knew what he was thinking, he would have rolled his eyes without restraint. Who would have known that the great general of the Xiao Clan was a courageous and warlike man?

    If such a character doubted himself, then more than half of the people in the capital would be ashamed.

    "You mean, the first step I need to take is to explain it to her?"

    Tan Zhao nodded his head. That was for sure. It was the first step to expressing his determination, and the second step was to strive for emotions. The third step was to fiercely seize the bridal room.

    Xiao Qian was silent for a while, as if he was making a decision.

    From the moment he was born, as the successor of the Xiao family, he only had one mission, and that was to protect his family and country with a sword.

    At the age of fourteen, he began his military career. He faced rolling sand and sword shadows, a field of battle that had already sharpened his heart into an indestructible fortress. He had never been so moved by a woman before ˇŞ

    Except for the woman who had sacrificed her life and inspired him to resist the Huns.

    However, he could only admire that woman.

    It wasn''t until Su Zhi appeared that he began to realize that men really needed a woman to accompany them.

    ''Bang! ''

    After thinking for a long time, Xiao Qian finally made up his mind. He heavily placed the wine bottle on the table and said, "Ok, I will explain it to her!"

    Tan Zhao jumped in shock. He swallowed the strong wine in his mouth with difficulty and reached out to grab him.

    "General, cough cough cough."

    Xiao Qian ignored him and walked out of the room. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the night.

    "General, think twice before acting ˇ­"

    Tan Zhao stared at the empty courtyard, instantly feeling guilty.

    He did not encourage the general. He had made the decision himself.

    The moon hung high in the sky, the river of stars swayed, and tens of thousands of lanterns were lit.

    Spring Leaf Alley had already returned to peace. Su Zhi was boiling water for the two children to wash up.

    After some work, Aunt Bai knocked on the door again.

    "Xiaosu, did you sleep?"

    "Aunt, not yet."

    Su Zhi carried the two children to bed and hurried to open the door.

    "It''s so late. What''s the matter, Aunt?"

    Aunt Bai didn''t go in and looked around to see that there was no one around, so she pulled Su Zhi''s hand and grinned, "Xiaosu, that nephew of the Liu family is very satisfied with you. They say that you are demure, gentle, dignified and elegant, and that you are the one who manages the family. "

    Su Zhi shyly lowered her head and said, "Brother Liu is flattering me. I really can''t take it."

    "I see, that child is also very tolerant. He won''t treat you two unfairly, and he won''t be wronged if he marries you. That depends on what you think. "

    Su Zhi now understood that Aunt Bai was here to scout things out.

 C68

    Su Zhi didn''t know how to respond. Liu Yuan was considered pretty good in all aspects of the situation. As for his character and how he treated the two children, she probably wouldn''t be able to explain it in a short time.

    Furthermore, even though she had a good impression of Liu Yuan, it did not mean that she could marry him without any feelings for him.

    "Aunt Bai, I won''t hide it from you. I feel that Big Brother Liu is a good person, there''s nothing to choose from."

    Aunt Bai was overjoyed and nodded her head, "Who''s wrong. I just found out for you that the child did some small business and made a lot of money. He even said that he was willing to give his family''s assets to you for safekeeping after the two get married. You don''t need to take care of too much in the house, so I will naturally help out. "

    Su Zhi understood that Aunt Bai was not the one who asked, but Liu Yuan.

    Although it was to win her favor, it also showed her sincerity.

    Aunt Bai continued on endlessly, narrating all of Liu Yuan''s benefits, including what assets the family had left behind. She only hoped that Su Zhi would nod her head and agree to this marriage.

    "Little Su, if you want aunty to say so, then agree. It''s difficult to buy a good marriage alliance with a thousand gold coins." "You should marry as soon as possible. Take advantage of your youth and have two more kids with the Liu Clan. There will definitely be hope for your happy and harmonious days."

    Su Zhi widened her eyes in shock, and quickly waved her hand, "This is too fast, it''s something that needs to be done slowly, it can''t be rushed. "Besides, I don''t know what A Jin and Little Dou Bao are thinking, so I agreed. What if the two kids have complaints?"

    Aunt Bai didn''t care. Where did the child''s thoughts stand in the lead? The most important thing was still their own feelings? Besides, having a stepfather to support her was no better than being widowed by orphans and widows.

    "Little Jun is still young, how could she know all this? Even A Jin can''t possibly understand everything about the two of them living together. "Don''t worry, the child will like him."

    Su Zhi still shook her head, indicating that she had to ask for the two children''s opinions.

    Seeing this, Aunt Bai did not insist, "I can understand that you have children on your mind, but you have to grasp onto your own marriage. Not to mention the distance, just the current situation. Is there anything in the family that you, a woman, can bear? "If we say that I''m not ashamed, when Tian''er gets cold, I need a man to warm my bed."

    Aunt Bai winked at her, but Su Zhi was too embarrassed to look up.

    "You better believe it. This man''s good points are not only on the bed sheets. Even if he''s tired, saying a few good words would be great."

    Su Zhi''s face was slightly flushed as she nodded, "I know, Aunt. I''m embarrassed, please don''t say anymore."

    Aunt Bai jokingly scolded her, "Look at you, you''re already the mother of two children, and you still act like a little girl."

    Since she had no experience with relationships between men and women, besides shyness, she could not find any resonance with the story Aunt Bai told Su Zhi. However, she knew Aunt Bai was right. Even if she could still hold on right now, what about in the future? It was impossible for her to not get married for the rest of her life and raise her child by herself.

    "Think about it. Aunt won''t harm you."

    "Aunt, take care."

    After watching Aunt Bai leave, Su Zhi stared blankly for a long time before closing the door.

    The moment the wooden door closed, her emotions became more complex than ever before. Even her family would stumble over her, so how could she not know the difficulties of reorganizing her family?

    Putting aside whether the two children would accept Liu Yuan, it was unknown whether Sister Qing, who she had never met, would be able to tolerate having two more children in her family.

    The children getting along with each other was also a huge factor in family harmony. If they were to cause a ruckus, where would Liu Yuan stand?

    Can you handle it fairly? Moreover, it was very easy for a husband and wife to have small differences because of such a trivial matter. She really didn''t dare to take risks with her child and her own happiness.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    While Su Zhi was still lost in her thoughts, there came another series of hurried knocks on the door.

    She thought that Aunt Bai had come back to question her. After a moment of silence, she mustered the courage to open the door.

    "Aunt Bai, I feel like Big Brother Liu ˇ­"

    Halfway through her sentence, she realized that she had made a mistake.

    The person outside the door was not Aunt Bai, but a man covered in stars and covered in moonlight, stepping on the chilly night wind.

    He was tall and sturdy, and his entire body was blocked outside the door. The formless pressure made it impossible for people to hide.

    "General?"

    Su Zhi had never thought that they would meet again so soon after seeing Xiao Qian.

    "It''s already so late, is there anything for the general to visit?"

    He did not speak, his big hands pressed against the door like a falcon spreading its wings, he stared at her with his pair of eagle-like eyes, which were filled with complicated thoughts, seeming like he was enduring but also acting brave.

    "What did you want to say about Brother Liu just now?"

    Ah?

    Su Zhi looked at him in confusion. She did not understand the meaning of his question.

    "Answer me!"

    What did she think of the man? Are you very satisfied with him?

    "What happened to the General? Drunk? "

    Su Zhi could clearly smell the smell of the alcohol on his body, she wondered how much he had drank.

    Xiao Qian couldn''t get an answer, but he was very persistent. He asked again: "Do you like that man called Liu Yuan?"

    Su Zhi thought of eighteen different ways before confirming his question, "General, why do you ask this?"

    "Just answer me."

    This...

    "What happened to the general today? Could it be that I went through the wrong door and found the wrong person? "

    "Su Zhi, I ˇ­"

    He wanted to speak, but he stopped himself. Looking at the girl under the moonlight, his throat unconsciously rolled twice.

    The woman''s sweet and elegant scent assaulted his nose, causing his heart to itch.

    Xiao Qian wasn''t a person with a strong desire. Otherwise, he wouldn''t still be left alone in this world.

    But he also never deliberately avoided his desires. It was only when he faced Su Zhi that he realized that he was a grown man with his own needs and desires.

    It was unknown whether it was because of the alcohol, but the more he looked at Su Zhi, the more his mouth and tongue grew dry.

    A woman who had just finished showering and wore a light muslin was the most attractive, especially when faced with Su Zhi''s current muddle-headed appearance. It was simply a fatal blow to him.

    "Su Zhi!" "Listen, I, I ˇ­"

    Su Zhi quietly looked at him, her clear eyes like two waves of autumn water. "Eh? "What do you say?"

    Xiao Qian couldn''t help but panic as he was stared at by such a pure and flawless pair of eyes. He withdrew his hand and touched his chest, taking out two longevity locks and handing them over to her.

    "This is a gift for my two children. I want to take them as my foster daughters. We shouldn''t have been able to find a suitable opportunity to speak during the day. "

    Su Zhi looked at the two objects made of gold in her hands and shook her head in fright. "No, no, how can I do that? Those two kids are still young and insensible, they''ll only cause trouble for you. They can''t do that."

    Xiao Qian insisted that she accept it and refused to let her reject it.

    It turned out that he had come to him in the middle of the night for the sake of his two children.

    Su Zhi understood and could not refuse. She could only reluctantly accept the longevity lock.

    "The woman thanked the general on behalf of the two buggers."

    Xiao Qian quickly helped her up, touched her arm, and then took it back.

    After accepting the gift, Su Zhi looked at the sky and reminded Yun Che, "General, you''ll have to delay quite a few more hours this time when you go back."

    The meaning behind his words was to urge Xiao Qian to hurry back.

    After all, it wasn''t suitable for a single man and woman to stand at the entrance. If someone saw them, they wouldn''t know how to arrange them.

    Xiao Qian was very disappointed. Sighing, he turned around and left. After taking a step, he turned back.

    "You are not allowed to marry anyone else."

    Not in a tone of consultation, but an order, a plain order.

    Su Zhi even heard a trace of coercion in her tone.

    "What is this general?" Have you had any conflicts with Brother Liu? "

    To meet by chance and talk about festivals in one''s lifetime?

    He just didn''t like her marrying, that''s all. If it was another man, he wouldn''t like her either.

    "Su Zhi, you''re a woman with two children. When you''re married, you think of the difficulties of having a child."

    "Oh, well, I was going to talk to the kids about that."

    "No!"

    Why?

    Su Zhi stared at him blankly. She couldn''t possibly interfere in his private life just because he had become the godfather of two children, right?

    "In short, I won''t allow it. Don''t even think about it!"

    She really couldn''t understand where this man''s tyranny came from. What was his confidence?

 C69

    Su Zhi had always been stubborn and did not like being held back. She pursed her lips and muttered, "Big brother Liu is quite a nice person. He is handsome, strong and has some family background. He would never treat me and his child badly."

    Xiao Qian refused to accept this. Was his life as good as his? If a man was strong, could he be stronger than him? With her background, was the entire general''s household not enough for her to eat?

    "Shut up!"

    He stopped her with a look of anger. "Don''t think too highly of him."

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "General, are you drunk? Are you going crazy over alcohol?" "Sorry, it''s late at night, I have to go back. General, be careful when you ride."

    She was sure that something was wrong with the man''s head tonight. He must have had some sort of broken tendons, and instead of his usual calm and collected face, he must have been a rude and overbearing lord.

    Since she couldn''t afford to offend him, she might as well hide!

    Su Zhi bowed and then closed the door behind her, ignoring the man who was still standing outside.

    That was why he didn''t need to touch the wine much.

    The moment the door was about to close, Xiao Qian''s hand grabbed it, stopping her from moving.

    Su Zhi was about to get angry when he used his strength and barged in recklessly.

    Ah!

    Startled, she let out a piercing scream.

    This shout directly alarmed Aunt Bai and Uncle Liu, as well as Liu Yuan, who was too nervous and unable to sleep.

    Realizing that she had caused trouble, Su Zhi covered her mouth and stared at the uninvited guest in fear.

    Hearing the sound of the door opening from next door, she quickly pulled Xiao Qian over and closed the door.

    On the other side, Liu Yuan and Aunt Bai took charge of the lights. Liu Yuan persuaded Aunt Bai to go back to her room to rest while he went out to see what was going on next door.

    "Xiaosu, are you alright?"

    Hearing Liu Yuan''s voice, Su Zhi instantly tensed up.

    Alone with a man in the middle of the night, if news of this got out, her reputation would be bad. Even if she didn''t marry Liu Yuan, she wouldn''t dare to joke around with him.

    Xiao Qian could also tell that it was Liu Yuan. His anger grew even stronger.

    "Big Brother Liu, I''m fine. It''s dark and I can''t see the road clearly. I twisted my leg."

    A concerned voice came from outside the door, "Is it serious? Open the door, I''ll take a look. "

    "No, it''s not a big deal. It''s not good for the neighbors to see."

    Liu Yuan had no choice but to give up, following which he consoled her, "Alright then, I''ll go back first. If you encounter any problems, come and find me. If it''s inconvenient, just say something, I''ll be right next door."

    Su Zhi didn''t dare to make a sound. She could clearly see that Xiao Qian''s face had already turned black, and his deep eyes seemed to be able to spit fire.

    Little Su, Little Su, you''re calling me so affectionately!

    Only after she had left did Su Zhi heave a sigh of relief. She looked at the large Buddha in front of her that she could not afford to offend and began to worry.

    This man was definitely drunk and probably didn''t even know what he was doing.

    "General, you should go back."

    She lowered her voice and made a please gesture. "We still have to go to court early in the morning."

    Xiao Qian snorted and leaned against the door, not moving at all. "Promise me that you won''t marry him."

    Su Zhi: "ˇ­"

    Can anyone tell her what the wrong medicine this man took tonight?

    "If I say that Big Brother Liu is a good person, then I would rather ˇ­"

    "Ugh ~"

    Before she could finish her sentence, Xiao Qian''s anger reached its peak. He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her. Then, he lifted her chin to personally gag her.

    Su Zhi was shocked and her brain exploded with a bang.

    She bulged her watery almond-shaped eyes and innocently looked at the man who wanted to kiss her. For a moment, she forgot to resist.

    Xiao Qian didn''t expect the woman''s small mouth to be so sweet. It was as if he had tasted the sweetness. He borrowed the smell of the wine to become much bolder. The woman''s legs went soft, unable to break free.

    While the two of them were busy fighting, there was another knock on the door ˇŞ ˇŞ

    Liu Yuan was worried that Su Zhi''s foot was injured, so he specially brought some ointment.

    "Xiaosu, open the door. I''ll bring you some ointment."

    Su Zhi''s mind was about to explode. What was even more infuriating was that she really couldn''t breathe, but this man wasn''t going to let her go.

    She wondered if she had angered Xiao Qian, and if he was going to suffocate her to death by sucking up her air.

    "Xiaosu?"

    After a long while, Su Zhi collapsed into Xiao Qian''s arms and weakly replied, "No need, Big Brother Liu. I''ve already fallen asleep. You should go back and rest."

    "What about this pill?"

    "No need for the medicine, I''m fine."

    Su Zhi looked at the fire in Xiao Qian''s eyes and trembled in fear, afraid that he would do something new.

    Since the other party refused, Liu Yuan had no choice but to return with the lantern.

    Su Zhi gasped for breath, all the strength in her body seemed to have been sucked out as she stared at Xiao Qian in complaint.

    "Are you crazy!"

    These words were said with a certain charm after a period of nourishment.

    Xiao Qian felt that something had changed somewhere, but was afraid of scaring Su Zhi and forcing himself to let go.

    No, he had to leave as soon as possible.

    Even though Su Zhi was married, he was still afraid that his Meng Lang would scare her.

    The woman he liked must have enough respect for him and not give him her body in such an obscure manner.

    "I''ll come look for you tomorrow. It''s already late, you should get some rest."

    The god of pests himself wanted to leave, how could he possibly stay? Su Zhi was afraid that he would continue to make a ruckus, hence she quickly nodded, not daring to disobey him at all.

    Xiao Qian walked out into the night and then walked away.

    However, Su Zhi just stood there for a long time without reacting. Why did that happen just now?

    The only thing he had truly experienced was that kiss just now. It wasn''t a very good feeling, after all, it was forced.

    He did not use any technique to kiss Su Zhi. He only bit her tongue twice. It was clumsy but sincere.

    This man was truly despicable. He actually dared to bully her to such an extent.

    Su Zhi was unable to sleep again that night. She lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. When she closed her eyes, she saw Xiao Qian''s domineering and domineering look, as well as that somewhat terrible kiss.

    She didn''t understand what Xiao Qian was trying to do in the middle of the night. First, he wanted to give away his child''s money, and then he forbade her from getting married. Moreover ˇ­

    How annoying, Su Zhi thought. It was too dangerous to not be alone with this man in the future.

    After several hours of confusion, when the starlight began to gradually fade at dawn, the crowing of a chicken could be heard from the next courtyard.

    Yesterday, Aunt Bai had hinted that Liu Yuan would go back early in the morning. The Spring Leaf Alleyway was quite a distance away from the Liu Village, so it was possible for them to go back as soon as possible before the sun set.

    Su Zhi lay on the bed, extremely sleepy. She had not closed her eyes all night, and her mind was spinning.

    Thinking of what Aunt Bai had said, Su Zhi decided not to send her off.

    After all, she didn''t know whether she should marry Liu Yuan or not.

    After dawdling for a while, when the faint mist of dawn was penetrated by the morning glow, Su Zhi woke up and started to cook for the two children while feeling dizzy and unwell.

    A Jin woke up very early today. When Su Zhi finished grilling the soy milk and fried the fried dough sticks to go look at the two dolls. She saw him sitting in front of the bed in a daze, his small face wrinkled into small bundles.

    "A Jin, what happened to you?"

    Only after being called did A Jin slowly raise her head and look pitifully at Su Zhi.

    "Mother, are you looking for Uncle Liu to be our sister and me''s father?"

    Su Zhi was momentarily at a loss for words. After a pause, she asked, "Does A Jin not like Uncle Liu?"

    A Jin shook her head without hesitation, "I don''t like it."

    She patiently squatted down and took the child''s hand. "Can you tell mother why?"

 C70

    "I just don''t like it. I don''t want my mother to marry Uncle Liu. Ah Jin will grow up quickly and earn enough money to support you and his sister."

    Su Zhi shook her head helplessly. "A Jin, you''re still young. Maybe you don''t understand the definition of marriage. Mother will consider finding an uncle, but it''s not for Mother''s sake, do you understand? "

    The child looked at her blankly and shook his head. "A Jin doesn''t understand. I don''t like Uncle Liu. I don''t want him to be my father."

    Su Zhi was silent for a moment. After sighing, she did not say anything else. After dressing the Soybean Bag, she took the two of them to eat breakfast.

    Seeing that the time was almost up, Aunt Bai was worried that Su Zhi had left early, and had knocked on the door again when half the food had been used.

    "Xiaosu, are you up yet?"

    "Hey, Aunt Bai, you''re up early."

    Su Zhi put down her chopsticks and went to open the door. She saw Aunt Bai standing there with a smile on her face, holding a bronze embroidered box in her hand.

    "Aunt, this is?"

    "I entrusted the Liu family''s child to you before he left."

    Originally, Liu Yuan didn''t intend to give this gift to her, but last night, Aunt Bai didn''t bring back an answer that would reassure him. He was worried that Su Zhi would not marry him and would leave behind the jade pendant he carried with him.

    Su Zhi understood what this big gift meant and waved her hands, unwilling to accept it. "This thing is too valuable, I can''t take it."

    Aunt Bai took out Lan Tian Yu from the box and sighed. "The quality of this thing is indeed good. It can be seen that the child has truly fallen for you. I hope we can get a good result."

    Even though he said that, he still wanted to ask A Jin about it. Children don''t like Liu Yuan to be their stepfather. If the child disagrees, then how will they get along in the future?

    "Aunt, I''ll tell you the truth. "The children don''t want me to get married again at this time. I thought about it and realized that the children are still young. It will be too late to find them after a few more years."

    Aunt Bai was very surprised when she heard this. In her opinion, Liu Yuan was undoubtedly the best marriage partner. No matter how she looked at it, he was the right one.

    "Xiaosu, you''re saying that the child is so young, how do you know all this? Furthermore, it is human nature for children to not like outsiders. After getting to know each other more, they will naturally acknowledge this father. "

    Su Zhi lowered her head, looking troubled.

    She hoped the child would have a happy childhood and not be depressed about reorganizing her family.

    At the moment, she had the ability to support two children, and as for men, it didn''t matter if they did or not for the time being.

    "Aunt, I really don''t know what to say. For my matter, you and Uncle Liu have put in a lot of effort. It''s my fault that I spared your good intentions. "

    Aunt Bai looked at the expensive Lan Tian Yu in her hand and put it away. She could not understand why Su Zhi had refused Liu Yuan.

    "Xiaosu, do you think that Liu family member is a farmer?"

    Su Zhi quickly waved her hand. "How could that be? Big Brother Liu is tall and handsome with an extraordinary temperament." "If you didn''t say it, I would have thought it was some small official."

    "Then you really only rejected him because the child didn''t like you?"

    Su Zhi was slightly startled, and then she heard Xiao Qian''s threat, "You''re not allowed to marry him!"

    She trembled uncontrollably and hurriedly shook her head, "There''s no other reason. It''s really because of the child. Let''s wait for a few years before we make any plans."

    Aunt Bai frowned, her expression becoming more serious, "You have to know, although Liu Yuan is not a government official, but that child''s potential is very good. If you miss out on it, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

    Su Zhi thought for a moment, then nodded seriously.

    How could she not know that Liu Yuan would be a good husband? But she didn''t like children, she didn''t want them to get upset, and besides, she didn''t really like them much herself.

    Although relationships needed to be developed, she wasn''t in the mood to care about personal feelings right now.

    It definitely wasn''t because of Xiao Qian''s order. It definitely wasn''t!

    Su Zhi tried to convince herself that she didn''t get along with Liu Yuan for her own reasons, and not because of Xiao Qian''s interference.

    Aunt Bai left in disappointment. Although it was a pity that they had such a good marriage, it wasn''t good to force the girl to nod her head. If she didn''t want to, then so be it.

    Not long after sending Aunt Bai off, Su Zhi drove off to the market place.

    The modification of the third floor had already been completed. The corridor had already been covered by a gauze curtain. The people in the hall and on the first and second floors couldn''t see what was going on on on the third floor.

    This way, the noble ladies and young ladies who came to visit did not have to worry about being seen in public.

    Not long after the third floor had been renovated and opened, Su Zhi once again welcomed her regular customer, Madam Huo.

    Unlike a few days ago, Madam Huo, who had come again, looked much better. There was even a faint shyness on her face.

    "Madam, are you alright?"

    Madam Huo smiled faintly and dismissed the servants who had followed her. "I''ve indeed slept a lot better after using your products."

    It wasn''t just sleep, it was also a little more fun to be married.

    For the past two days, the duke had remained in her courtyard, the harmonious relationship between husband and wife that they hadn''t seen in a long time.

    "In that case, congratulations Madam."

    Madam Huo smiled and said, "You shouldn''t sell this rouge and cosmetic powder. It would be great if you could be a doctor looking after patients."

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "That won''t do. I know how to do things. It won''t work if you put on an act."

    In fact, this kind of woman who was raised to be a prince was not seriously ill. At most, she lacked exercise and had a delicate body. Walk as much as you can, and sleep as well as have a good appetite.

    "That day, I heard you say that what type of essential oil would be better for massage?"

    "That''s right, the main thing is to help you move your meridians. If you sit down for too long, it''s easy for your body to have problems. Your shoulders and neck become stiff, you will develop cervical spondylosis or something."

    Madam Huo hesitated for a while before finally letting go of her ill feelings. She was willing to let Su Zhi give her a massage.

    The massage bed had been specially made by Su by a craftsman. After staying at the beauty salon for a long time, it had finally become useful.

    Su Zhi treasured her hard-won guest very much and used every means at her disposal.

    The places that were painful before, especially when Su Zhi pressed a few acupuncture points, made Madam Huo almost cry out in pain.

    But after dressing up, she felt her body relax a lot.

    Taking advantage of Su Zhi cleaning up, Madam Huo stood up and looked at the perfume and blubber placed on the wooden table. Seeing that there were a few new items beside her, she became interested for a moment.

    "What is this?"

    Su Zhi put away the blanket, turned around and looked, "It''s eyebrow pencil, a different color, suitable for a different group of people."

    Madam Huo took the items and tested them. She nodded in satisfaction. "I think they are more useful than charcoal. There are also many colors, so they can''t be very single."

    "Madam can also take a look at rouge. I''ve just developed it, and it has pearl powder added in it. It can not only look good, but it can also calm down the flames. There are a lot of color numbers as well, if you like it."

    Mrs. Huo took two boxes, selected a few different sizes of lipstick, and bought them together.

    Su Zhi was very happy. If customers like them appeared every day in a beauty salon, then the sales definitely wouldn''t be a problem.

    "Oh yeah, you still have that perfume from last time right? "At any time, I might come back one day to pick it up."

    "Madam Huo is an esteemed guest. She will prepare anything that you want in advance."

    Su Zhi understood that Madam Huo definitely wouldn''t tell her concubine about the change out of selfishness because she had bought Su Zhi''s things.

    However, there were always two or three close friends in a woman''s room. She had to wait for a while, and after a while, there would be other guests.

    It was almost noon when Madam Huo was sent off. The business of the Hundred Flavors Clear Enviantment was getting better and better.

    According to the rules of the past few days, most of the customers who had gone to the restaurant across the street would come over to drink tea or play chess or listen to music or watch a show.

    Sure enough, not long after, the customers who had just finished their meal started to come over.

    Su Zhi temporarily let go of the matter on the third floor and followed him to take over the business on the second floor.

    When Li Yi saw her come down the stairs, he immediately went up to report on the general situation of the day. "Little Su, the effect of your second floor isn''t small. You''ve invited all of the best acting teams in the entire Xuan City." Yesterday''s secret history of Tang Minghuang and the Imperial Consort had a pretty good reaction. Today, the teahouse at the inn was full of storylines that brought up this grand play. "

    Su Zhi blinked and smiled slyly. She was not the least bit surprised by this result. She had hidden quite a number of famous Chinese and foreign words in her mind.

    Think of a way to improve the stage effect, blow the gimmick out, business will certainly be better.

    Flowerwood''s business had improved, and many of Xuan City''s guest houses had not expected it to.

    Amongst them, the one in charge of the Hundred Flavors Clear Joyous was the one with the most dissatisfaction.

    Every time he saw a customer who had already eaten in a hotel go to the other side, Yu Zhanhong would be filled with anger.

    How could a bookworm who didn''t know anything bring the business back to life?

    He had asked about ''Flower Mansion'' many times and knew about Su Zhi''s existence. He regretted not being able to keep this important person with him last time. Even if he could not be of use, he could at least not help Li Xiucai expand his shop.

    The more he thought about it, the more infuriated he became. This woman was so shrewd that she had actually snuck in to see Elementary Scholar Li''s store.

    "Someone, come!"

    The servant who was waiting outside immediately pushed open the door and entered, "Young master, what can I do for you?

 C71

    "The business across the street is pretty good. People come and go everyday.

    The servant smiled sinisterly, "I can''t believe that a useless scholar would rely on a woman to set the business on fire.

    Yu Zhanhong''s eyes turned cold as he sent the wine cup flying with a slap, "Go, find a few people to help them create some momentum."

    The attendant understood in his heart. "I understand."

    It was a good afternoon. Su Zhi was in the dessert shop discussing the new dish with a few bakery masters when she vaguely heard a commotion from outside.

    Without waiting for her to go out and check, Qiu Hong ran in frantically.

    "Boss, quickly go take a look. There''s a group of people outside. It seems like they''re here to cause trouble."

    Su Zhi stared blankly for a moment. She had not expected that trouble would come so soon.

    With a certain scale of business, there would always be cases of red-eye disease, and all kinds of troubles also came pouring in.

    "Who are they?"

    "Like those unlearned and unskilled popinjays who don''t come in to look at things, only saying that they want to buy the most special things. Manager Li has gone out to deal with them. "

    Logically speaking, ordinary rich kids wouldn''t care about a ''flower-filled building''. This department store was only for ordinary people living in small shops.

    Although the promotional slogan in the shop was to help customers settle any items they needed to buy, there were no distinguished customers on the second floor other than the third floor.

    Intuition told Su Zhi that this wave of rich family disciples must have come to cause trouble.

    The more prosperous the business was, the more envious people would be. It was expected that they would come looking for trouble.

    She put down the dessert recipe and followed Qiu Hong out of the backyard.

    Just as they reached the main hall, they heard a mocking voice, "Alright, that''s enough. You''re surnamed Li, who doesn''t know that you''re a rotten Elementary Scholar who relies on women to make a name for himself. What''s the point of being so arrogant."

    Li Yi''s face turned red from anger, but it wasn''t good for him to flare up. After all, this was the entrance of a shop. There were a lot of people inside and out, and quarrelling would affect the business.

    "What? It seems like you''re not convinced? Bro, you''re right."

    "Hahahahaha!"

    Su Zhi looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a few young noblemen wearing embroidered clothes standing in front of Flowerflower Restaurant''s entrance, laughing mockingly at Li Yi in front of them without restraint.

    Even though Li Yi was enraged, he still didn''t lose his reason. He clenched his fists and didn''t say anything.

    "How did your accountant do? How many months does the little lady give you? "Why not come to my house and help me carry my shoes? Maybe I can even give you a bit more."

    "You!"

    Li Yi gnashed his teeth in anger. His fist fiercely smashed onto the counter.

    "Don''t speak nonsense. Be careful that I may sue you for slander!"

    "Hahahaha."

    Elementary Scholar Li''s warning did not stop them from humiliating him. Instead, he laughed even louder.

    "Then why don''t you go!"

    The others continued doing whatever they wanted, clearly not putting Elementary Scholar Li in their eyes.

    In the private room across the street, a shrewd man in a brocade robe was fanning himself with a fan. His mood also improved a lot.

    Yu Zhanhong was waiting for something good to happen, but he didn''t expect the bookworm to be even more tolerant than he thought. He was only missing calling out to his dead parents, yet he was still able to endure.

    "Elementary Scholar Li, you lost all of your roots and relied on women to revive your ancestors. I''m afraid your parents in the underworld will die from anger and not even be able to reincarnate."

    "Hahahaha!"

    "You! You bastards! "

    Li Yi finally lost his reason. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to rush out.

    Yu Zhanhong smiled in satisfaction. That''s right, the angrier he got, the better it was for him. If the news of Hua Manlou beating up a customer got out, who would dare come knocking on their door again?

    Although they were not official families, they were at least nephews who were related to the court officials. If they were to go to court, they might not suffer a loss.

    "Everyone!"

    Just as Li Xiusheng was about to rush out, Su Zhi quickly pulled him back.

    "Xiaosu, let go! I''m going to tear those bastards'' mouths apart!"

    Seeing that he was truly angry, Su Zhi cast a glance at Qiu Hong.

    A few stewards hastily went up to pull Li Yi away.

    "Yo, I guess this person is Hua Manlou''s true ruler. At least he''s not a fake."

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him for a few days, then said coldly, "Until the founding of Great Wei, Ancestor Gao, he had always been a kind and filial man. He also enacted the Twelve Regulations, which clearly stated that no one is allowed to insult the parents of others in the busy city. "Everyone''s words just now were truly unpleasant to hear. If it were a match to the court, it would have been worth at least twenty boards.

    Everyone was stunned. They had not expected the delicate woman to be so shrewd. She was not as easy to mess with as Elementary Scholar Li.

    "I spent a lot of time doing small businesses, and since the people who came were guests, I naturally treated them with respect. However, if someone has specially come to provoke a villain, then we will definitely not be courteous at all. "

    At this time, many onlookers had already gathered at the entrance of the store. Seeing that they were losing face, the young men who were leading the group started to make trouble for Su Zhi again.

    "Alright, since the little lady is welcoming the guests, then we''ll be your guests at Flower Tower!"

    Su Zhi''s expression did not change as she indifferently looked at the few men who harbored malicious intentions.

    The leading man had a sharp tongue. After whispering with the other three, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Do you think you can buy anything for the customers?"

    Su Zhi nodded calmly, "Of course."

    "Alright then!" I want to buy something. Can I take over this business? "

    "Since it''s a business transaction, there''s no reason for me to not accept it."

    The leading man laughed sinisterly, as if he was trying to get Su Zhi to respond.

    Yu Zhanhong laughed loudly and said, "Very good, you jumped into this pit yourself."

    The man standing in front of Hua Manlou''s door said, "You said it yourself, if you can''t do it, how are you going to pay the deposit?"

    "If you can''t, you will be given ten times the deposit!"

    What an arrogant tone, Yu Zhanhong snapped his fan shut.

    He wanted to see how she would deal with the problem before her.

    The man who was making trouble saw Su Zhi''s resolute look and subconsciously glanced at Hundred Flavors Clear Huan. He then continued, "Men, present us with a gold deposit!"

    The crowd felt a chill as they watched the scene unfold.

    If even a single gold ingot was so expensive, then what kind of precious thing was this?

    "Hold on!"

    Su Zhi spoke up to stop the servant who came forward with the gold.

    "What is it? Scared? "You don''t dare to accept this business deal?"

    Su Zhi smiled fearlessly. "How could that be? It''s just that the young master said that the items you''re looking for are extraordinary and cannot be compared to ordinary items. Naturally, the deposit cannot be low." However, on account of your first collaboration with this store, you can offer a portion of the discount. "

    The man in the lead was not stingy with his money. He was well aware that Su Zhi would admit her loss. It was not a bad thing to give more as a deposit. She would compensate him with ten times the price.

    "Fine, give me another gold ingot for my wife."

    Yu Zhanhong, who was in the private room, was overjoyed. Looking at Su Zhi''s confident look, he really did not know what to say to her.

    Sure enough, women were still women after all, so there was nothing out of the ordinary.

    In another private room, the few men gathered together smiled at each other.

    One of the men in black silk clothing couldn''t help but laugh, "According to Your Highness'' view, how will this young lady end up?"

    Lu Huan Zhi, who was being questioned, stared at the scene below with interest. His thin lips curled up ˇŞ ˇŞ

    This woman was really interesting. He couldn''t figure out where her bursting self-confidence came from. Otherwise, she would cry and seek help from the General''s Estate.

    Lu Huan knew that someone was intentionally making things difficult for Su Zhi. He had originally wanted to instruct Lu Si to go downstairs and help out. However, after thinking for a while, he gave up on this idea.

    Perhaps this woman could give him a different kind of surprise.

    Wait and see!

    At this point, no one had a chance to retreat.

    Su Zhi accepted the gold ingots and asked politely, "May I ask what you are looking for, Sir?"

 C72

    The leading man laughed sinisterly: "I want to find something. This thing is neither a dessert, nor a plaything like a flower, bird, worm, beast, nor something else. Not food, not play, not use... I want something that does not exist in this world! "

    The spectators were all flabbergasted. It was clear that they were here to ruin the show.

    If it''s nothing, then why are you looking for it? Even if you find something, it''s not what you want. After all, I''ve said that I want something that doesn''t exist in this world.

    This was contradictory. If they really found the rarest object in the world and brought it out for others to see, wouldn''t it become something that existed in this world?

    As a result, the compensation was given.

    Everyone was sweating for Su Zhi as they guessed what would happen next.

    The restaurant was only open for business for a short while. Even if he had so much money, he still had to clean it up.

    Not only that, their credibility would be tarnished as well.

    "Alright, I''ll take over this deal."

    "What?!"

    The crowd went into an uproar. They hadn''t heard wrongly, but the little lady had actually agreed?

    "I''m afraid that little lady is not a fool. Where would she find that thing? "Even if we find it, how can we prove that it is not something from this world?"

    Lu Huan was also quite shocked. She had agreed to this dead end and there was no way out for her. What was this woman thinking?

    The battle in front of Flowery was still as intense as ever.

    "Hahaha, good! This little lady is indeed a straightforward person! "Since the deposit has been paid, when will our brothers come to inspect the goods?"

    Su Zhi calmly replied, "Please answer a few questions, Young Master."

    "Go ahead."

    "Firstly, are the things that you want extremely special and extraordinary? "Second, since you''re looking for the whole restaurant to do this business, are you keeping your word?"

    "Of course!"

    Su Zhi pursed her lips. In her clear eyes, there was cunning that others could not see.

    "Then are you admitting that something extraordinary has to be obtained at an extraordinary time?"

    The man thought about it for a moment, then nodded and said, "That''s how it should be."

    Su Zhi giggled on the inside, and sure enough, she took the bait, "Alright then. Since that''s the case, let''s invite young master to come one day when you don''t have any in this world. That day is neither the fifteenth day of the first month, nor the eighteenth day of the eighth month, nor the month of the twelfth month, nor the year of the fourth month, nor the year of the eightieth, nor the eleventh, nor the month of the sixth, so come and take it from me on a day that is not there in the world! "

    When these words came out, the audience was even more shocked.

    Such a smart girl, her abilities were truly amazing.

    Yu Zhanhong, who was in the private room, was so shocked that his jaw dropped. He didn''t expect this woman to find a way out of this situation.

    "Hahaha, good!"

    Lu Huan laughed heartily. She increasingly felt that Su Zhi was a treasure, and a profound look appeared in her eyes.

    As expected of the woman that this prince has taken a fancy to!

    The man leading the way to cause trouble was unwilling to agree, "You''re being unreasonable! "You clearly want to blacken my gold, how can you say that day in this world!"

    Su Zhi was not flustered. Instead, she asked, "Could it be that young master forgot what I just said?" You personally admitted to it. If you don''t believe me, you can ask everyone present. "

    The foppish young lord no longer had anything to say to refute him. He looked at the Hundred Flavors Clear Enjoyment with a fleeting look.

    Yu Zhenhong was so angry that he closed the coffin. A bunch of idiots. If they couldn''t even do such a small thing, it wouldn''t be difficult for them even to be a woman!

    Even so, he understood one thing ˇŞ

    That was, the girl called Su Zhi was not someone to be trifled with.

    Elementary Scholar Li was not worthy to be his opponent, but this shrewd woman was not to be underestimated.

    In this battle, not only had he lost two gold ingots, he had also lost face. More importantly, this had made him even more famous.

    What is stealing a chicken without being able to eat a grain of rice?

    Yu Zhanhong finally understood the feeling of lifting a rock to smash his own foot.

    However, there was always a double side to everything. He just couldn''t believe that he didn''t get anything good out of it.

    Yu Zhanhong sneered as he nonchalantly hit the red wooden table with the fan in his hand.

    After successfully solving the problem, the business continued as usual, and endless streams of customers flowed in and out.

    Since Su Zhi had brought face to Hua Manlou''s victory, there was still time for that.

    However, Li Yi was more downcast than ever before. He could see that Su Zhi was many times stronger than he was, and her mind and wrist were both better than his.

    Perhaps what Su Zhi said was right. He was indeed just a weakling who relied on women to survive. Without Su Zhi supporting him from behind the scenes, he would have collapsed long ago.

    "Big Brother Li."

    Hearing someone call him, Li Yi slowly raised his head. When he saw Su Zhi, he lowered his head in shame.

    "Big Brother Li is still troubled over what just happened?"

    He shook his head and sighed, gloomily flipping through the account book in his hand.

    "Brother Li, if you have anything to say, feel free to say it."

    "I''m fine, you go ahead. Just now, Qiu Hong said that a customer came from the third floor. Hurry up and take a look."

    Su Zhi knew that he was unhappy about it, but Li Yi was unwilling to say more. It wasn''t good for her to console him in the shop, so she could only temporarily return to the third floor.

    After this small incident, Su Zhi had become even more intimidating in the shop, but she didn''t know that Li Yi no longer had the mood to continue operating his business.

    After a busy day, Su Zhi dragged her exhausted body back to Spring Leaf Lane.

    The lipstick in the boutique was not bad today, especially the grapefruit red number, which had sold out.

    Su Zhi thought about how long it would take her to make a few more cigarettes. If she couldn''t catch up, she would take some backup from the system.

    While she was busy working, she took out a lot of palm wax and honey wax from the storage room, along with some scallion oil, lanolin, and paraffin oil.

    As the weather dries up, a few glazes should sell well.

    Just as the woman was taking out some tools from the system to play with, there was another hurried knock on the door.

    "Lil ''Su, Lil'' Su, are you there?"

    When Su Zhi heard Aunt Bai''s voice, she hurried to open the door.

    "Aunt, I''m here. What''s the matter?"

    When she saw the door, Aunt Bai was so anxious that she was crying. "Little Su, auntie has something to tell you. That Liu family''s child was beaten up when he went back! "

    Been beaten up by someone?

    Upon hearing this, Su Zhi was also shocked. How could she have been beaten up like that?

    "Could it be that they encountered a bandit?"

    "That''s impossible. The security of Xuan City has always been good. Why would anyone do this kind of business under the hands of the Emperor?"

    Su Zhi was puzzled. "Could it be that we''ve met an enemy?"

    Aunt Bai denied it again, "That child is famous for being popular, which neighbor doesn''t praise him? Not to mention that the money wasn''t stolen, the silver hairpin that you were the only one who was robbed. Aiyo, it must be a blind God. This child is too good, and I''ve hardened my heart to teach him a lesson. "

    If he was neither a bandit nor an enemy, then who would suddenly beat up a good person for no reason? That silver hairpin had stolen that thing for an unknown amount of money.

    Su Zhi thought for a moment and recalled Xiao Qian''s words next to her ear.

    Could it be...

 C73

    "Xiaosu, no matter what, that child came to invite me and your uncle Liu to be his guests. Since something has happened to him, there''s no reason for us to ignore him. I don''t have any way to take care of the two children tomorrow.

    Su Zhi nodded somewhat sluggishly.

    After Aunt Bai left, Su Zhi''s lipstick did not continue to work either. She felt uneasy and suspected that it was Xiao Qian who had done it.

    However, Xiao Qian was a straightforward person. How could he go on a rampage to beat up a good citizen?

    But if it wasn''t Xiao Qian, who else would it be? No one had a motive.

    The more Su Zhi thought about it, the angrier she became. Her good impression of Xiao Qian had completely disappeared.

    This man had done such a outrageous thing last night. He had beaten someone up again today.

    That night, around midnight.

    Su Zhi had long since put the two children to sleep, but she had been paying attention to what was happening outside the door.

    Sure enough, after a while, there was another knock on the door.

    She angrily got up and opened the door. As expected, it was Xiao Qian.

    Seeing his handsome appearance, Su Zhi could not help but feel infuriated.

    What was the man''s expression now? Pretending to be innocent or pretending to be kind?

    Seeing Su Zhi''s angry look, Xiao Qian''s heart was in turmoil.

    He had been drinking last night and had actually done such a ridiculous thing. Afterwards, he had always regretted coming to Spring Leaf Lane. However, he had already said that he would come last night, so he couldn''t help but come rushing over.

    "Sorry about last night. "I ˇ­"

    "The general knows he''s done wrong, why does he keep on making mistakes? You actually dared to make such a principled mistake like hitting someone? "

    Xiao Qian looked at her blankly, not understanding what she meant.

    "When did I hit him?"

    Su Zhi sneered, "I''m just asking you, were you the one who sent people to beat up Brother Liu on his way back?"

    "You''re saying that Liu Yuan was beaten up?"

    Still pretending to be dumb!

    "Do you dare to say that it wasn''t you? Big Brother Liu is such a warm-hearted person, yet you still have the heart to hurt him? "

    Xiao Qian frowned and didn''t directly answer her question. Instead, he asked, "Are you really that worried about him?"

    "Yes sir!"

    Without even thinking, Su Zhi admitted it immediately.

    Xiao Qian''s face instantly turned pale.

    "Even if the general sends someone to injure him, he can''t change the appearance of a righteous man like Brother Liu in my heart!"

    He was discouraged, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed. In a hoarse voice, he replied, "I didn''t do it."

    Su Zhi didn''t want to hear his rebuttal, so she pushed him out of the room and said, "General, I can''t tolerate this little temple of mine. You should go back as soon as possible."

    She casually wanted to close the door, but Xiao Gan held the door in his hand. He didn''t say anything, but stubbornly stared at Su Zhi, his eyes filled with emotions that she couldn''t understand.

    Being stared at by him until she felt weak, Su Zhi began to panic, afraid that the man would get angry.

    Based on her posture last night, she wouldn''t be able to hold on.

    However, Xiao Qian wasn''t angry. Instead, he calmly looked at her as if he was very sad.

    Su Zhi''s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly felt like she had turned back into an evil person, but she also understood that this man had a face that no one else knew.

    The two of them were in a deadlock, their thoughts different.

    After a long while, Xiao Qian lost first. He let go of his hands in disappointment, and without saying another word to Su Zhi, he got on his horse and disappeared into the pitch black alleyway.

    Su Zhi let out a sigh of relief. She felt that her heart was empty again, and her thoughts about Xiao Qian became even more complicated.

    She didn''t want to think too much about the whole incident. Would she be able to see through Liu Yuan''s innocence after he was beaten up and robbed of his hairpin? She admired Xiao Qian''s righteousness, but that didn''t mean she liked a man''s narrow-mindedness.

    He was a man who liked to manage the affairs of the east and the west.

    Yongning Palace, East Courtyard.

    The man with a cynical expression leaned against the tiger skin, playing with the silver hairpin in his hand.

    Lu Si knelt on the ground, trembling in fear, not daring to face the man in the seat directly.

    "Tsk, this prince wants you to inquire about that person''s information. By the way, do you think this silver hairpin is a token of love?" "Yet, you beat him up and even alarmed the county magistrate. Just look at how you did this."

    His understatement made Lu Si even more afraid.

    Lu Hengzhi was known to be a smiling tiger. He rarely had a cold face, but he was able to kill his loyal subordinates who had followed him for ten years with a smile.

    This person was very romantic, but he was also very cold.

    "This little one knows my wrongs. If I screw up, I''m willing to be punished."

    The man on the bed smirked, "It is indeed a punishment, but at least you did the right thing."

    That was, he had snatched the hairpin from Liu Yuan''s hands. However, he had been met with the inopportune moment, and this caused a huge ruckus.

    "This one, this one wasn''t here to be serious in the first place, I just wanted to scare him. Who would''ve thought that this one would see this hairpin so highly and refuse to hand it over. Not only did this one beat off my brothers, this one ˇ­"

    Lu Huan Zhi raised his eyebrows and said nonchalantly, "Oh? So you didn''t kill him by accident, and that''s the second mistake. "

    Lu Si''s face was ashen as he collapsed onto the ground, speechless.

    "Go and collect the 30 tablets first. You don''t need to handle the rest of the matters. Lu San, please wait upon you."

    That night, the Prince''s Mansion secretly crippled a servant who couldn''t be trusted. The next day, the servants discovered that the servant who was with the Crown Prince had disappeared and was replaced by a new face.

    When she woke up early in the morning, Su Zhi was troubled.

    Yesterday evening, Aunt Bai said she was going to visit the injured Liu Yuan.

    Thus, the two children were left unattended today. Su Zhi originally wanted to bring them to Gu Sister-in-Law''s home, but when she thought about the fact that Shen Ge and the other two girls next door were still young, and that Gu Sister-in-law couldn''t take care of them, she could only take them to Flower Mansion Restaurant.

    As a result of yesterday''s battle, Flowerwood''s reputation became even more resounding. Many people came to take a look when they heard the news.

    The business on the third floor had also improved greatly. Several new products had been sold in the morning, with perfume and lipstick being the most sold.

    Shortly before noon, Mrs. Huo brought another lady with her, saying that she wanted to try out a massage.

    Su Zhi busied herself for a long time before sending off her honored guest and asking Qiu Hong to find Li Yi to write a few notices for recruiting disciples.

    Not only the beauty salon, but also the boutique. They would need someone to take a look at it. It was best if they were good at it and could see through the hidden needs of the customers with a glance.

    Previously, when the third floor was deserted, Su Zhi could handle it herself. Since Madam Huo''s arrival, the business had become better and better. Many noblewomen and pavilion ladies had come to pay their respects to her.

    At lunchtime, Su Zhi, who was busy to the point of overwork, finally had the time to take care of the two children she had brought with her.

    A Jin had always been a well-behaved girl. She had always played by herself while carrying the small bean bag. She did not have to worry about it. But at the beginning of the afternoon, when the second floor was about to open and people were coming and going, she worried about the children being disturbed.

    Now that she thought about it, there was no one watching her at home, she really couldn''t do it alone.

    The lunch break was very short. The customers who had eaten their meals at the side would most likely come over to take a break.

    Guests were arriving one after another on the third floor. Su Zhi couldn''t care less and could only bring her two children to stay at the boutique.

    In about half a cup of tea''s time, an important guest that he could not afford to offend appeared on the third floor.

    When Qiu Hong came over to tell Su Zhi, she was still stunned. From the start of their business, they had only called for their female guests.

    Moreover, this guest was none other than the amorous young master who had left Xuancheng ˇŞ the crown prince of the Eternal Ning Prince''s estate.

    It was really annoying.

    Today, for the first time ever, a man appeared, and he was not someone they could afford to offend. Since everyone had no other choice, they could only call Su Zhi over to settle the matter.

 C74

    Upon receiving the news, Su Zhi was also very big, but she couldn''t neglect the crown prince. Thus, she could only invite him to the tea room on the second floor.

    He had originally thought that this master would just sit down and watch the show before leaving. However, before Su Zhi could come, he would not leave. He would occasionally make a ruckus and come up to the third floor, making a few stewards suffer.

    Helpless, Su Zhi could only temporarily put aside what she was doing and go to the second floor to see him.

    At this moment, Lu Huan Zhi was sitting cross-legged, enjoying the service from the stewards.

    Su Zhi glanced at the melon seeds on the ground and rolled her eyes at him very rudely.

    "It''s really fortunate that His Highness the crown prince is visiting this store."

    Seeing that they were finally here, Lu Huan put away her lazy attitude and said, "Yo, at last, little lady is here."

    "I don''t know what your highness wants to buy, but this humble woman will send someone to take it down for you."

    He stared at Su Zhi in doubt and expressed his surprise. "This is the first time I''ve heard of customers rushing outside when they open their doors for business. It''s really rare. Why can''t I go to that crappy place of yours?"

    It was simply a headache. Even the waitresses on the third floor wouldn''t dare to come here rashly, let alone the men. The consequences would be unimaginable.

    Su Zhizhan thought about it and felt that Lu Huan''s words were not wrong. If some young master, in order to please his sweetheart, wanted to buy things in the store, but couldn''t get in, wouldn''t he have missed out on a lot of business opportunities?

    Su Zhi was someone who was good at thinking of ways to deal with these problems. After hearing Lu Huan''s advice, she immediately thought of a way to deal with them.

    "How about this, the Crown Prince is a regular customer of this woman, so he should enjoy the rights of being a VIP. I''ll have my servants take down a piece of all the rouge and cosmetic powder on the third floor in a bit. How about you slowly choose one?"

    Lu Huan Zhi refused, "I''m not a woman. How would I know what sort of things the singers like? I''d better trouble the young lady to explain them one by one."

    Su Zhi was somewhat speechless, but she tried her best to keep a smile on her face. "I have a steward named Qiu Hong. She knows everything about my things, so I asked her to explain it in detail to His Highness."

    Lu Huan Zhi said shamelessly, "That won''t do. This prince will listen to what you say. You''d better put in more effort."

    Su Zhi was helpless and did not show it on her face, but in her heart, she repeatedly asked about the man who had a face full of shamelessness.

    Since he was the one who threw himself at the fat sheep, how could he not slaughter them?

    After a while, the servant took the extra items from the third floor.

    Lu Hengzhi stared at the table full of small items. He was surprised that the woman was so troublesome. She had made so many strange and strange things out of her previous makeup.

    There were many types of perfume. All the lips and lips were red, but there were also many different colors. There were also things to draw the eyebrows with, such as light brown, brown, dark gray. It made him feel dizzy.

    She held back her laughter and still said respectfully, "These things cover most of the things in the makeup series on the third floor. There are still a few items remaining, and after seeing them for a while, Crown Prince will be dissatisfied, and then take out those items to take a look."

    Lu Huan Qi quickly waved his hand, "No, it''s alright. After all, it''s a woman''s thing. As a man, it''s not good for me to get involved in this."

    Su Zhi picked up a bottle of expensive perfume and began to persuade her, "This bottle of ''Thousand Charm'' was developed by this humble woman recently. The reaction is pretty good, and it''s also selling exceptionally well.

    "Mm, I''ll take it."

    He nodded to the page next to him and bought the perfume.

    Su Zhi worked even harder and blew on a few bottles of expensive perfume, which even the noblewoman was reluctant to buy.

    Lu Huan Zhi indicated that people were foolish enough to have a lot of money, so it was not a big deal.

    "His Royal Highness has bought several bottles of perfume, next you can think about it and take a look at the lipstick that the woman has developed."

    "Isn''t it all red? What''s there to choose from?"

    Su Zhi patiently explained, "It''s not quite like this tomato red, which is moist and shiny and easy to color. "The cuckoo red on the side gives off a soft and dumb feeling, giving off a very distinct feeling ˇ­"

    When Lu Huan heard her introduction, he felt extremely sleepy. What do you mean by different colors? He only thought that the fat in her mouth was the same color: red!

    Su Zhi patiently explained in detail a lot. Lu Huan Zhi waved her hand and said, "Yes, yes, I''ve bought all of them."

    "Does Your Highness not want to personally choose a gift for your beloved woman?"

    As she asked this question, Lu Huan Zhi''s interest was piqued. Amongst a pile of different red blubber, he chose a color that he thought was slightly different from the other blobs of blubber.

    "This one, then."

    The corner of Su Zhi''s eyes twitched. It really was the eyes of a man. He had singlehandedly chosen the Death Barbie Powder. Without a doubt, it had the male attribute.

    "Good, your majesty really has good eyes."

    Since this color symbol was not something that anyone could control, it was either black or exaggerated. Su Zhi had only made one. From the opening till now, this unique purple pink color had never been sold. Today, it had actually been bought by a lame eye.

    Lu Huan Zhi was very satisfied. The color of the fat in his mouth was similar to the robe his grandmother wore. He didn''t expect that it would look so good when it was made.

    "A gift to my beloved."

    He proudly placed the small item in his hand in front of Su Zhi and pouted at her.

    Here, for you.

    Su Zhi hurriedly refused, "Thank you for your good will, Your Highness. I will be ashamed if I receive it."

    "Take it. This prince still cares about this little bit of money."

    However, when he paid the bill, the attendant was stunned.

    Under Su Zhi''s urging, more than half of the items on the table had been bought. One or two items were not expensive, but the total amount of money that had been bought was a few hundred silver taels.

    The manservant felt his heart ache as he advised.

    However, Lu Huan Zhi didn''t care. With a wave of his big hand, he directly paid the silver.

    Su Zhi was overjoyed. Even after opening up for so long, the items on the third floor still didn''t sell as much as they did today.

    Lu Huan Zhi was indeed a rare potential customer!

    "After buying so many things, there''s one thing you should give me an answer about."

    It''s easy to do anything with money.

    "What does Your Highness want to know?"

    While Su Zhi was still confused, Lu Huan Zhi took out a silver hairpin from her bosom. It was the same silver hairpin she had given back as Liu Yuan.

    Su Zhi was instantly enraged. She stood up abruptly and said angrily, "So it was you who sent people to harm Big Brother Liu!"

    Lu Huan Zhi shrugged, "It won''t be me. You don''t understand my personality. If I were to make a move, I would either die or become a cripple. I wouldn''t be in such an awkward situation."

    Of course, although the person was not ordered by him, but the servant who beat him up was indeed one of his people, so it was understandable that he had to bear the blame.

    Su Zhi was so angry that she wanted to beat this man up. This time, she had misunderstood Xiao Qian and even offended him.

    "What does Your Highness want to do!?"

    "Oh ~ I just want to ask, are you going to use it as a token of love for that Liu guy?"

    In the face of such a question, Lu Huan Zhi was so angry that she couldn''t do anything about it.

    This man''s thick skin and curses didn''t work. He couldn''t beat her, but he still needed to go to jail. She clearly knew how much trouble he had caused.

    "Regardless of whether I am or not, that is my business. What does it have to do with His Highness?"

    Lu Huan Zhi rubbed her chin and said thoughtfully, "I didn''t send anyone to hurt him in the first place. If you were to say that it was a token of your affection, you might really be beaten up."

    "Lu Huan Zhi!"

    He was not angry at all. Instead, he stared at the silver hairpin in his hand and sized it up.

    Su Zhi was flustered and exasperated. She snatched the hairpin back.

    Her hands were too weak to do anything to him. Lu Huan Zhi bent his leg and pressed it against her calf.

    Su Zhi felt her legs tingle. She could not stand steadily and thus was pulled into his arms.

    She was angry and anxious, but she couldn''t do anything to him.

    The attendant on the side was used to it, so he even shooed away one of the stewards who came with him.

    Lu Huan Qing hugged Su Zhi and did not do anything excessive.

    On the contrary, there was no trace of desire in his eyes, only amusement and probing.

    Su Zhi quickly calmed down and stopped resisting, allowing him to hold her.

    This kind of man had a strong desire to conquer. The more you resisted against him, the more zealous and obedient he became, and the more he lost his interest.

    She had guessed half right. Lu Huan''s eyes didn''t show much liking for him, but what was the purpose of him provoking her?

    As Su Zhi thought about it, she came up with a very pertinent definition: I''m free!

    Now that the Huns had surrendered, the Prince''s son did not need to charge into the fray.

    He was also an idle prince, he had nothing to do, he fought crickets when he was bored, and teased women.

    How disgusting!

    "Your Highness still hasn''t let go!"

    "Oh? "Why are you letting go? It''s soft and fragrant to hold. It''s quite comfortable."

    Su Zhi was so angry that she vomited blood, and she had no way to struggle free from him.

 C75

    "Your Highness, do you know that if this were to be seen by outsiders, our reputation would be ruined. "At that time, if I go to the King''s Manor and cry, then there will be no end of trouble. I''ll force you to give me an explanation with my death. What do you think?"

    Lu Huan Zhi pinched her little face and smiled proudly, "This is exactly what I want. If this happens, this prince will go with the flow and take you as my concubine."

    In any case, the mansion was boring, and there were very few people who were as interesting as the ladies in the courtyard. Why wouldn''t he be happy?

    "This humble woman will not be a concubine!"

    Lu Huan''s eyes narrowed, and the interest in them vanished in the blink of an eye.

    "You want to be an imperial concubine?"

    "That''s right!" An official imperial concubine! "

    Once he said that, Su Zhi Dun dared to retract his hand power, and took the chance to escape the shackles.

    "Your Highness, do as you please!"

    With that, she quickly left. All the men here had this sort of tone, Xiao Qian and this man as well.

    Before he could walk out of the room, the tightly shut door was pushed open by someone from the outside.

    Before Su Zhi could see who it was, she heard A Jin''s familiar voice. "Thief!" "How dare you bully my mother!"

    Focusing, he saw A Jin angrily barging in with a big stick in her hand.

    "Jin!"

    Seeing the furious child, Lu Huan''s face broke into a smile. However, she was not in a hurry to make a move.

    The attendant at the side easily received the blow from the head, and conveniently snatched away the weapon.

    A Jin didn''t give in and continued to charge forward, biting onto Lu Huan Zhi''s arm.

    He had underestimated his opponent!

    A man would never have thought that a child this young would have such drive.

    He grabbed a spot and bit into it. No matter how the manservant tried to pull him back, he wouldn''t let go.

    Su Zhi was stupefied. Jin had bitten twice for her sake, the first time was Tranquil Village, but Lady Zhang at that time was nothing to fear.

    The person he had injured this time was the Crown Prince, and it was no small matter.

    "Jin, hurry and let go."

    Lu Huan Zhi looked at his child who was biting him with a calm and composed manner. Instead of getting angry, he was smiling.

    "Young lady, you have a good son."

    Su Zhi was very nervous, afraid that she would anger him.

    In any case, A Jin''s face was flushed red. She did not have any strength left, so she finally let go of him.

    "You''re not allowed to bully my mother!"

    Lu Hengzhi looked at the kid and laughed without a care for the blood that was already seeping out of her arm.

    "Good, good little brat. This prince really appreciates it."

    As Su Zhi pulled A Jin back, she still had some lingering fear.

    Before she could even calm her child''s emotions, the bean bag outside the door creaked and ran in. The little girl pursed her lips and frowned, holding a palm-sized piece of wood high in her hand.

    She unsteadily ran into the room and threw the building block at Lu Huan.

    Unfortunately, he was easily caught by the man with two fingers.

    Dou Zi stomped his foot and walked up to him, giving him a fierce slap on his thigh.

    Lu Huan Zhi was amused, "Ha, ha, ha, ha. No matter how important your attacks are, it''s like scratching an itch."

    Su Zhi quickly went forward and pulled the small bean bag back, afraid that the man''s face would turn cold.

    "These two brats are quite protective of you, they didn''t raise you for nothing, hahaha."

    After being caught and given a bite, Lu Huan Zhi showed no signs of being angry. Seeing the two kids staring at him with puffed up cheeks and scrunched eyebrows, his mood instead became a lot happier.

    Su Zhi was so nervous that sweat broke out on her palms. She pulled at the two children and apologized to him, "Your Highness, don''t blame me. Don''t bother with me like a child. I still have things to attend to here, so I''ll be taking my leave first. "

    He left with the two angry children.

    Behind him, the man''s hearty laughter began to die down.

    Interesting. This entire family was extremely interesting.

    At the side, Lu San broke out into a cold sweat as he silently cursed: "The Crown Prince''s taste is getting stronger and stronger. Isn''t this widow a little too handsome? He can''t be considered a beauty." Why was this man so determined to catch him and not let him go? Besides, there were still so many innocent girls in the mansion that he had never touched before. No matter what, they were better than this charming widow.

    "Your Highness, it''s best that you don''t come back in the future. It''s not good to be spread out."

    Lu Huan Zhi''s smile disappeared as he looked coldly at the servant who was trying to persuade him otherwise.

    Lu San''s body trembled as he frantically slapped himself in the face. "This servant will talk too much. Please don''t be angry, Your Highness."

    Lu Si was still lying in bed recuperating from his injuries. He did not want to suffer any more.

    The crown prince was so preposterous that he couldn''t even control the wangfei. How could he be persuaded with a single word?

    Lu Huan Zhi lowered his head to look at the wound on his arm. With a smile, he wondered if he could go and swindle that woman.

    On the other side, the two children that Su Zhi had taken away were still fuming.

    Especially A Jin, her mood was like a freezing point.

    He could faintly feel that this wasn''t the first time this villain had bullied his mother.

    What was even more debilitating was that even though he knew this was not the first time, he was still unable to do anything about it.

    The half a year old child thought of a person, a person who had a glorious achievement in his heart, a proper and honorable person ˇŞ ˇŞ Xiao Qian.

    A Jin felt that she couldn''t do anything to Lu Huan, but with Xiao Qian''s power and influence, he would definitely be able to save her.

    Su Zhi''s palms were sweating all the way. Strictly speaking, they were foreigners who had come to Xuan City to beg for food. If they had angered a powerful person, they would have no idea how they died.

    The person that Lu Huan was the most romantic and loved to flirt with women the most. Su Zhi avoided Lu Huan as she could, but her reversals were obviously more to that person''s taste.

    She was extremely vexed. She truly did not know what sort of bad luck she had encountered by provoking this deity of pests.

    "Mother, let''s go find Uncle Xiao and have him help mother."

    When mentioning Xiao Qian, Su Zhi''s heart was filled with guilt.

    Last night, she had wronged him and even said some outrageous words. Even if she was already merciful, she would still dare to ask for his help?

    Besides, if she really did go to Xiao Qian, how would she open her mouth? She went to the brothel for a stroll to earn her living, and she also got herself into trouble?

    "A Jin, don''t worry, that bad uncle won''t come again in the future. He will be scared away by you."

    A Jin stubbornly shook her head. A child''s intuition told him that this matter was not over yet.

    "Mother, why don''t I go find Uncle Xiao and have him send someone to protect you?"

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. How could she use the soldiers of the imperial court as she liked?

    She really shouldn''t have brought her child to the store today. A Jin was worried about her and wondered if she would follow them again because of her safety.

    On top of that, he had to face off against Xiao Qian. He didn''t know if Xiao Yan would come again tonight.

    For the first time, Su Zhi hoped that he would come. At least, he would give her a chance to apologize.

    However, her hopes were dashed. After being scolded, Great General Xiao did not come tonight.

    By the time Flowery had closed up, it was already late.

    Su Zhi hurried back with her child. She even asked the neighbors if anyone had seen anyone.

    When the neighbors said that no one was coming, Su Zhi returned to her room in disappointment.

    Even though she had already rested, she still paid attention to what was happening outside the door. However, there was no sound coming from outside for an entire night.

    It was not until the next morning that Aunt Bai came back with news.

    At that time, Su Zhi had just finished her breakfast and was cleaning up the kitchen.

    There was another knock on the door. She hurried to open it and saw Aunt Bai standing outside with a troubled look on her face, afraid to meet her eyes.

    "Aunt Bai, you''re back."

    "Sigh, I''m back."

    Looking at her, Su Zhi asked, "Aunt, what''s the matter?"

 C76

    After a moment of silence, Aunt White stammered, "Oh, Little Su, you have to forgive me. I can''t bear to see that child of the Liu family sad before telling a lie."

    "Where did this come from?"

    She had never seen Aunt Bai so sad. She instantly understood that something must have happened.

    Sure enough, Aunt Bai hesitantly went to see Liu Yuan in the village of Liu Jia Village and told him everything.

    It turned out that Liu Yuan was beaten up and his injuries were quite severe, and he was even sent back while in a coma. When he woke up, he realized that the silver hairpin he brought along with him had disappeared.

    Seeing that Aunt Bai had gone to visit him, and had even forced herself to get up and apologize, asking about Su Zhi''s situation, and seeing how his face was bruised, Aunt Bai''s heart softened. She could not bear to tell him Su Zhi''s true thoughts, telling him to just take care of his injuries and wait for the good news.

    Liu Yuan''s mood was really good. Although he was wounded, he didn''t feel depressed.

    "Therefore, I''m really sorry that I didn''t handle this matter properly."

    Su Zhi sighed, not knowing what to say.

    With such a ruckus, Liu Yuan would definitely think that his marriage proposal was a success. Who knows, it might not be long before he would come back with a betrothal gift after recovering from his injuries.

    Aunt Bai saw that she was silent and told her about Liu Yuan''s injuries and Liu Yuan''s sincerity in building a new house and preparing to marry her.

    "Little Su, why don''t you reconsider?" The child really wants to marry you. "

    Su Zhi was in a difficult situation. On one hand, she was worried that A Jin would be hurt, and on the other hand, it was because of her own selfishness. She didn''t like Liu Yuan.

    The most important thing was that she actually cared about Xiao Qian''s opinion. He was trying to put on a brave front, but his words were firm. He wouldn''t allow her to marry Liu Yuan.

    "Aunt, I really... This matter of relationship is not something that can be forced. "

    "Hey, I haven''t even met your uncle before we got married, and they still respect each other like they''re together. They''ve spent their entire lives with each other. Find a man? Firstly, let''s see if he''s capable or not, and secondly, let''s see how his character is. Can he treat you well?

    Love over a long period of time? Is it love or habit?

    "Aunt, my child is still young, so I can''t ignore their feelings right now."

    Aunt Bai was also getting anxious. She had seen how good Liu Yuan was with her own eyes, but Su Zhi had refused again and again. If she said something more serious, she would really not know what was good for her.

    "Ai, whatever, I can''t force you. After being tired for the entire day, you can go and rest first. Just change the fact that I have accompanied this old face of yours and explain it clearly to him. "

    Su Zhi held her head in an apologetic manner and watched Aunt Bai leave.

    Just as she closed the door and turned around, she was surprised to find A Jin leaning on the front door, staring at her.

    "Jin?"

    She had thought that Ah Jin would plead as hard as he had begged her to, but to her surprise, the first thing he said surprised her greatly.

    "Mom, A Jin agrees to let you stay with Uncle Liu."

    Su Zhi was stupefied. It had only been a few days, and the child''s heart had changed so quickly.

    A Jin had his own considerations. He had followed Su Zhi to the store yesterday. He understood how difficult it was for Su Zhi to hold on by herself. What was even more infuriating was that there was a strange uncle bullying her.

    The child immediately realized that even if his strange uncle hadn''t appeared, there would still have been others who would have provoked his mother.

    If he had a father to protect his mother, things would be completely different.

    "What happened to A Jin today?"

    He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Su Zhi''s slender waist. With red eyes, he said pitifully, "Mother, in the future, when you have a little brother, don''t forget about me and my little sister."

    "I''m willing to give him my mother''s love."

    Su Zhi''s heart softened into a mess. If she hugged her sobbing child and didn''t even have time to comfort him, how would she be able to think of Auntie Bai''s warning?

    "A Jin be good, don''t let your imagination run wild, mom will always love you and your little sister."

    A Jin hugged her waist and mumbled, "If only Uncle Xiao could be A Jin''s father. He is a powerful martial artist and a great general. No one would dare to bully his mother."

    Su Zhi could not hear his words clearly. She only thought that the child was flirting with her and did not pursue the matter to the end. After pacifying the two children who were coming with her, she took her leave and went into the shop.

    When the morning sun pierced through the clouds and shone through the land, the flowery buildings were already filled with guests.

    The sign of the store stated that as long as they went there early, the price of the eggs and vegetables would be 10%.

    Therefore, every time the restaurant opened, a bunch of old grannies would stand outside the door.

    However, Hua Manlou did not open the door today. Qiu Hong and the other shop assistants had been waiting for a long time, but still could not hear anything.

    Only when Su Zhi came did the business begin.

    Only she and Li Yi had the key to the door. In the past, Elementary Scholar Li was good at reading holy books and got up early. What happened today?

    "Where''s Manager Li?"

    After searching for a while and not seeing Li Yi, Qiu Hong went to the inner hall and finally found Li Yi, who was dead drunk and asleep.

    The room was filled with the smell of alcohol, seven or eight empty wine jars, and the weak scholars who had no idea where they were.

    Hua Manlou''s internal regulations state that employees are not allowed to misappropriate items for sale. Obviously, Elementary Scholar Li came to the wine shelf in the middle of the night out of the blue to get a drink.

    "Boss, look at this?"

    Qiu Hong lost her idea and invited Su Zhi over.

    Su Zhi looked at Elementary Scholar Li who had collapsed on the ground. She did not immediately question him, but instructed the people beside her, "Send the person in charge to his room first. When he wakes up from his drinking, I can''t stay in the shop forever."

    The time limit of one month had come, so he had to make a trip to Aunty Liu''s place. He had yet to get the house deed, so the mortgage must be done.

    Su Zhi took out some silver from the store and wrote it down. After giving some instructions, she called for a carriage and headed towards the capital.

    She still remembered the panic she felt the first time she came to the capital. At that time, the bean bag was missing, so she had to beg for helplessness in order to move in.

    She could not bear to be blamed for not sparing no effort to help her find the child.

    Thinking about Xiao Qian''s expression as he left, Su Zhi''s heart tightened.

    Since he had already come to the capital, it would be best for him to accompany him for a bit.

    Su Zhi got off the carriage and reported her intentions to the family servant. After a short while, she was brought into the Liu Manor by a maid who came to fetch her.

    Shuxiangmen, civil officials, the Liu family has always been the capital''s hottest and most prestigious family, generation after generation of power, high office.

    The Liu Mansion''s branch and servants numbered two to three hundred. Inside the Liu Mansion, it was a towering structure and was bustling with people.

    Su Zhi followed behind the servant obediently, not daring to look around.

    After passing through the Hundred Garden Arch Bridge, they arrived at the ''Fragrant Orchid House'' mentioned by the maidservant. Aunt Liu was brought over by her nephew to live in the courtyard of the capital.

    At this moment, Aunt Liu was standing outside the courtyard, waiting for Su Zhi to come over. She looked at her from afar and greeted her with a smile.

    "Little Su came so fast."

    Su Zhi walked up with a smile, "I was afraid that Auntie Liu would get anxious from waiting."

    "It''s good that you''re here, it''s good that you''re here. My wife has been living here by herself for so long, there isn''t even anyone who can talk to her. "My nephew is very busy with his official duties, and has not seen him even once in ten to half a month. The sister-in-law and sister-in-law in the other courtyards all have grandchildren to support them, but have troubled me."

    Lord Zaifu Liu, you are unwell, please leave home to recuperate.

    As the head of the family, Liu Yu''an served his parents and aunts wholeheartedly, but he couldn''t visit his aunt often.

    Lady Liu was a pitiful woman who had lost both her son and her husband. The other wives in the courtyard didn''t know who she was and didn''t want to bother with her either. Even the maids didn''t have much to say.

    "Today, I''ve especially come to trouble you. Firstly, to return a portion of the money for the room, and secondly, to personally pay a visit to thank Lord Liu."

    She could still remember the twenty taels of silver, and now she could pay them back along with the interest.

    Auntie Liu exclaimed, "The first time I saw you, I knew you were a capable person. How long has it been since your business has become so popular?" "Even though I''m in the capital, I''ve heard quite a lot of rumors. The business of that store of yours is much better than those popinjays who only know how to eat wine and ride horses."

    Su Zhi smiled shyly and took out a silver ingot from her bosom to hand to her. "Give me a portion first. It''s not good to distribute too much silver when the business of the shop is on track."

    Auntie Liu took the silver and praised Su Zhi for being smart.

    "I also brought some small stuff with me this time, so I can''t show you everything. I hope Auntie doesn''t mind."

    Su Zhi took out a few perfumes and blubber from her bag and said with a smile, "There are always people in the courtyard who are considerate and considerate to me. Although these things are not considered expensive, they are still worthy of being called special."

    Auntie Liu was delighted. She was just worrying about the misgivings of the maidservants in the backyard, and the many places that needed a reward. Su Zhi''s rouge and cosmetic powder could be used. Currently, there was nothing to sell in the capital. They had been brought all the way from the promotions. It was extremely precious.

    "Little Su is very considerate, a bad old granny like me really doesn''t need these things, but the girls in my courtyard are still young, they can use these things."

    She purposely raised her voice so that the maidservants waiting by the side and outside the door could hear her. This way, they would be able to do as she said.

    Su Zhixin was left alone with Auntie Liu. She did not say anything and stayed for a while longer, before being dragged to eat lunch together.

    It was not long after the morning assembly when Liu Yu-an returned home in a carriage.

    Auntie Liu knew that she still had something she wanted to say to her nephew, so she was not afraid of arousing suspicion. She instructed the maidservant to call Lord Liu over.

    Having moved to the mansion for so long, this was the first time Auntie Liu personally sent someone to call for someone. Liu Yuan didn''t delay and rushed over to the Fragrant Orchid House without even taking a sip of hot tea.

 C77

    Liu Yuan didn''t know that Su Zhi had come to visit and was extremely surprised to see a girl he had not seen for more than a month.

    "Lady Su is here, a rare guest."

    Su Zhi stood up to pay her respects. "Sir Liu, good morning."

    "There''s no need to stand on ceremony. Please take a seat."

    Su Zhi felt that Liu Yu-an must be a good official who did not put on any airs. He had a special charm about him that made people feel as if they were bathed in spring breeze.

    "I heard that Mistress Su saved a hundred-year-old store in Xuan City. I didn''t know that you had such an ability in business."

    "Originally, it wasn''t anything extraordinary. I was merely taking advantage of the situation and listened to the will of the heavens."

    Liu Yu An laughed softly, "What a great line of words. We''ll just listen to fate. How did Mistress Su think of using this method to bring business back to life?"

    How could she have imagined that a department store would operate in such a way? She had only read a few management books and understood how to put theory into practice.

    Besides, business was booming, and it had something to do with the system.

    There were many things that could not be bought outside of the market. The limited production standards of this era was all thanks to the omnipotent treasure system.

    "Sir, do you want some business knowledge?"

    Liu Yu''an was amused by her, "The Great Wei has always carried out the policy of giving prizes to the farmers and suppressing merchants. Although I pitied the bitterness of the meal on my plate, I also understood one thing. "The country is prosperous and cannot be separated from commercial, agricultural and military industries. As fellow citizens of the Great Wei, there are no good or bad jobs in the country."

    Su Zhi once again had a whole new level of respect for him. He was definitely a good official that was hard to come by, but he could actually think so far ahead. This was truly rare.

    "Thank you sire for your understanding. People only know that merchants are sharp and cunning. They all hide far away, not wanting sire to be completely different from those people."

    In ancient times, it took courage to do business. Most rulers didn''t like business. Many regulations were issued to restrict business. Not only that, but the status of a merchant was very low. Even though he had the strength of a wealthy family, he did not have many people envious of him.

    To be impartial was not something that an ordinary person could do.

    "Oh, and I also heard that you got into the limelight yesterday and viciously beat up the young master who came to cause trouble for you."

    Su Zhi looked at his meaningful smile, confused.

    Aunty Liu told him about how she had beaten up the local ruffian and hooligan yesterday, adding fuel to the fire. It only made Su Zhi not know whether to laugh or cry.

    "You still don''t know. This matter has been spread all over the streets of Beijing. "One of the young masters who originally went to cause trouble for you was the nephew of the vice minister. When he heard of this, he scolded his nephew harshly."

    Su Zhi, on the other hand, couldn''t be happy. She didn''t spend any effort to figure out the identities of those people; she only thought they were here to cause trouble. Now that she heard of it, she was shocked speechless.

    From the direction that those people frequently looked in, Su Zhi could roughly guess who had nothing better to do. It was just that she did not expect Yu Zhanhong''s influence to be spread throughout the government.

    "Lady Su, there''s no need to be afraid. That Vice Minister Yang of the Department of Public Affairs is a clean and honest official who went out. When he learned that his nephew went to make things difficult for a woman, he was already punished with imprisonment for contemplation."

    Even so, Su Zhi could not help but feel nervous.

    Xuan City was close to the capital, so he had to be careful in the future.

    What if that Vice Minister Yang was being fussy and sent someone to scheme against her? She wouldn''t be able to open the door even if she made a random arrangement.

    "I''m rather interested in Lady Su''s sophistry. I really didn''t expect you to be so intelligent. To be able to return the favor with your own body is truly amazing."

    Su Zhi smiled bitterly. She really did know a lot of debates like this. In the past, what she loved to do most was just become a debate group and engage in verbal sparring.

    "Actually, the reason is very simple. They just need to change their way of thinking to think about the problem. When most people encounter this problem, their first reaction would be for the other party to mess around and forget about learning the underhanded techniques. "Think about it carefully, there are no problems in this world that cannot be overcome."

    Apart from some boring things like chickens or eggs, if you want to meet those buddies of yours from university, you can just bullsh * t them for a day.

    Liu Yuan thoughtfully nodded his head. This was the essence of the matter. The problem had only been magnified.

    "Lady Su is indeed very smart. Right now, I feel that leaving that small mountain village is the right choice."

    That place didn''t belong to her. She should have a wider world.

    "Thank you, my lord, for your praise."

    After the servants passed down the dishes, the three gathered together for a meal.

    Su Zhi was truly excited. Liu Yuan was the future Prime Minister, and a perfect candidate for that. Who knew, perhaps he would be recorded in a history book and be passed down throughout the ages.

    Halfway through their meal, an old lady came to the courtyard to pass on a message that the madame was asking Liu Yu An to return.

    Only then did Su Zhi realize that it wouldn''t be a problem for Lord Liu to eat with his aunt, at most, a few words from his mother. But she was an outsider, and it was not polite to do so.

    Liu Yu felt that it didn''t matter. He didn''t care about the truth. Eldest Aunt Liu was afraid that her sister-in-law would interrogate him, so she hurriedly urged him to leave.

    Su Zhi stood up, took out a few silver ingots, and handed them over to him. "I am indebted to sire for your help. My gratitude is indescribable."

    Liu Yu An shook his head and laughed: "Didn''t I say that we don''t need to pay back the money?"

    Su Zhi was adamant that they should pay. No one''s silver had come from a rich family. Although it wasn''t much, she wasn''t used to coveting for people to take advantage of her.

    Since he couldn''t force her, Liu Yuan had his servants accept the silver, bid them farewell, and left.

    Not long after they had finished eating, Su Zhi saw that it was getting late and needed some time to make a trip back. She did not linger to bid farewell to Auntie Liu.

    Auntie Liu had been alone for a long time, so she was reluctant to part with him. "Little Su, although our ages are quite different, we can still chat together. In the future, you have to come visit more."

    "Sigh, in the future when I have more free time, I will come and see you."

    Only after making a promise did Lady Liu reluctantly send her away.

    Just as Su Zhi took two steps forward, two little kids appeared out of nowhere. The two of them went forward and hugged her, unable to move.

    "Aiyo, my two little ancestors, where did this come from? Where did this old lady go?"

    Auntie Liu and the maidservants hurried forward to pull the two children away. Su Zhi asked in doubt, "Who are these two children?"

    "Little Su, don''t blame me. They are the two children of my nephew."

    Su Zhi squatted down and looked at the two little fellows. She was intrigued to discover that the two chubby kids looked ninety percent alike.

    The two babies were raised well, they were fair, cute and innocent, and innocent. They were about the same size as a bean bun.

    "Speaking of which, my daughter-in-law gave birth to these two twins. She was unable to save them, so unfortunately, she left."

    So it was Liu Yuan''s two youngest sons. They were so pitiful, having lost their mother the moment they were born.

    Su Zhi smiled amiably at the two children, fished out a pack of candy from her bosom and handed it over.

    One of the children, not wanting to admit his death, stepped forward and smiled back. Then, he stretched out his hand and took the candy.

    The two little fellows snuggled up to each other. They really enjoyed the fruit candy in their hands.

    At this time, the young wet nurse who had been looking for them finally cried and took the two children away. She only recited the words'' heart and liver '', but it was enough to scare people to death.

    After leaving the Liu Estate, Su Zhi slowed down her pace. She was not in a hurry to find a carriage, instead, she thought about the General''s Estate.

    Last time, when he went to beg someone that was blocked by that domineering princess, what if he was stopped this time?

    Besides, Xiao Qian wasn''t necessarily happy with her. After all, he had offended her.

    Su Zhi hesitated before finally making up her mind. She had to go! In any case, he had to get things straight.

    Arriving at the general''s manor once again, the guards outside had already changed. Seeing her expression, the guards stopped her.

    "Who is the Madam looking for?"

    Su Zhi paused, then replied, "I''m looking for your general."

    The guards looked at each other, "Does Madame have an invitation?"

    She shook her head, ready to leave through the back door.

 C78

    Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Qing Mu called out from behind him. "Lady Su?"

    Su Zhi turned around and saw a ebony carriage slowing down and slowly approaching.

    The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and the person inside was Xiao Qian.

    The handsome man with no lifespan was dressed in a red official''s robe, which made him look dignified and dignified. At the same time, he was also as cold as ice and had a sense of estrangement.

    From the looks of it, she had probably just returned from the palace. Su Zhi stood on the spot and started to become nervous.

    Xiao Qian got off the carriage and walked forward in large strides. However, he didn''t have his usual expression. Instead, he had returned to the icy coldness of his first meeting.

    Her heart thumped, and she didn''t know why she felt so sour.

    "Is there something at home?" he asked.

    Su Zhi shook her head. "It''s fine."

    He nodded, ignoring her, and walked away.

    Su Zhi''s breathing became heavier. She tightened her grip and finally called out to him, "General!" I want to say something! "

    He stopped and looked back at her. "What are you trying to say?"

    "I, I want to say ˇ­"

    Seeing that she was in a difficult situation, Xiao Qian gestured for her to keep up. However, after thinking for a while, he seemed to be worried about something.

    Greenwood immediately understood when he saw her. He whispered into Xiao Qian''s ear, "I just asked the housekeeper. The princess has gone back."

    Only then did Xiao Qian relax and bring Su Zhi into the mansion through the main entrance.

    Everyone had witnessed Princess Anyang''s methods of throwing a tantrum. If she were to cause a ruckus in the palace again, they would be annoyed by the empress dowager''s nagging. It wouldn''t be the best to avoid her left and right.

    Xiao Qian directly brought Su Zhi to his own courtyard. This was also the first time that the servants had seen the Great General bringing the woman to the hospital, and they all speculated about her origins.

    This was the first time a woman came into the courtyard, so the servants didn''t dare to be negligent. They only saw the young lady as a guest. He quickly served the tea and fruit, and after a while, spread the cloth on the dishes.

    Su Zhi knew that Xiao Qian definitely did not use his lunch. She stood to the side somewhat cautiously, afraid that her fearless thoughts would delay his meal.

    Xiao Qian went to the inner room and changed out of his court uniform. He had changed into a dark blue common uniform. His expression was still as serious as before, without the slightest hint of loosening.

    "Sit, let''s eat first."

    Su Zhi had originally wanted to tell him that she had already eaten, but before she could explain it to the servants, she had brought over two pairs of chopsticks.

    However, her appetite was really not that great. She barely clicked the two bowls of white rice in front of her. Facing a table full of delicate and tasty dishes, she was unable to muster up the slightest bit of excess appetite.

    Xiao Qian helped her scoop up half a bowl of soup and handed it to her, calmly looking at her.

    Su Zhi felt extremely awkward. He clearly hadn''t ordered her to drink it, but how was she supposed to take back her uncontrollable hand?

    Thus, she took the bowl and drank it all in one go, giving him a lot of face.

    Xiao Qian, however, didn''t think so. He thought she was thirsty, so he kindly helped her fill another bowl.

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She hurriedly waved her hand and said, "I''m not hungry. General, eat it yourself."

    "Unpalatable?"

    "No, no, no. I''m not that hungry, I don''t really want to eat it."

    Even though she tried her best to explain, Xiao Qian still helped her fill up a bowl with food.

    Su Zhi could only lower her head and eat as much as she could, but it was very painful and she could not hold on much longer.

    "All of you, leave."

    Thinking that she was being cautious, Xiao Qian affectionately dismissed the servants, leaving the two of them to eat in the room.

    "I remember when we were in the barracks, your appetite wasn''t so bad and you weren''t feeling well?"

    In the barracks? She looked up at him in disbelief.

    Su Zhi was silent for a moment, then put down her chopsticks and said in a low voice, "In my heart ˇ­" "It really is uncomfortable."

    He raised his eyebrows and looked at her quizzically.

    "I was the one who wronged the general, and you''re still spouting nonsense, please forgive me."

    Xiao Qian put down his bowl and chopsticks and glanced at her. "So the one you love is in trouble. It''s reasonable for you to complain."

    The word ''beloved'' was used extremely heavily.

    Su Zhi quickly waved her hands, "No, no, General, don''t misunderstand. I do rather admire Big Brother Liu, but there''s no relationship between a man and a woman at all. It''s just like how a little sister looks up to her big brother, whether she likes him or not."

    "En." Xiao Qian''s eyes flashed, as if he didn''t care about this explanation.

    Su Zhi continued, "Originally, Aunt Bai wanted to lead the Red String of Fate out of good intentions. She saw that I had a woman and two children, so she had no one to rely on. That''s why she wanted to match me and Brother Liu." I''ve made it clear to my aunt that I didn''t mean it. "

    He still didn''t say anything. His eyes were unfocused, as if he was thinking about something else.

    However, Su Zhi''s face turned red with embarrassment because she didn''t understand why she had explained so much. She could have never told him these things, but she had said them all.

    "I came here today just to apologize to the general."

    Anyway, didn''t you bully me that night?

    As she thought about it, her small, blushing face became extremely alluring.

    Xiao Qian''s Adam''s apple rolled up and down as he looked away.

    Now that things had gotten to this point, it was time to reply.

    However, to Su Zhi''s disappointment, he didn''t say anything. His expression was very cold, as if he was standing on the outside.

    "That''s right, General, let''s continue with the meal. I won''t disturb you any further. There are still a lot of things we need to do in the shop, so we can''t delay any longer."

    She stood up and was about to leave, but Xiao Qian didn''t stop her. Su Zhi even slowed down her footsteps, but he didn''t stop her.

    "Bye."

    Just like that? Su Zhi could not say what she was feeling. In short, she was disappointed.

    She did not reveal anything, and after saluting, she was led out of the residence by a servant.

    Su Zhi did not know that after she left, the grave looking Great General laughed foolishly by himself for a long time. He had an unprecedented good appetite and ate two bowls of rice in a row.

    Even Greenwood was amazed that the love affair between a man and woman could be so nourishing.

    The power of love was truly great!

    When he returned to the store in the afternoon, the sky had already darkened.

    Seeing that Su Zhi had returned, Qiu Hong hurriedly went up to report on the big payments for the day. She also mentioned Li Yi, "Manager Li has probably fallen into a deep slumber and has slept for almost a day. He just got up from his bed and went to the dessert shop to get some pastries.

    Su Zhi frowned slightly and asked, "Did he say anything?"

    "No, but when we went to get him, he was a bit impatient and told us not to disturb him."

    "Alright, I understand. Go back to your work."

    Because she had been absent for more than half a day, the ladies of the third floor who had come in the morning to empty the place had once again come in the afternoon.

    Seeing that she was still not there and not angry, they got to know each other and chatted about family matters.

    Qiu Hong served her the best tea and snacks. The few wives chatted merrily and waited for Su Zhi to come back.

    Since she was busy, Su Zhi didn''t have time to drink a mouthful of hot tea. She rolled up her sleeves and began to receive the guests.

    The new apprentices were not very skilled, and their service was not very thorough. She had been massaging and massaging on her own, but luckily, the young lady next door, who had just arrived a few days ago, was once a servant girl in a rich family.

    If he gave her the armor, he would be able to complete it.

    Xuan City had recently become a very popular place, with only Su Zhi serving as the sole member. As a result, business was excellent.

    In addition to the excellent effect of the essential oil and the variety of perfume on the mouth, the flow of customers on the third floor gradually caught up to that on the first and second floor.

    However, Su Zhi understood that her market required far more than just this, and she also needed to recruit more workers.

    In this way, he could provide services. There were many ladies who wanted to make nails, but it was not easy to leave the house. In addition, many ladies in the brothel were also restricted by their freedom and could not move freely.

    As a result, she had many fewer consumers. Naturally, Su Zhi would not let go of this business opportunity.

    It was not until the shop closed did the customers leave one after another.

    The fruits of their visit were plentiful. After Flowerland''s reputation exploded, many restaurants, including those run by aristocratic families, were willing to pay them a visit.

    If the business was any better, the supply and demand of the store would be great. Su Zhi thought of finding a warehouse to store the grain and oil. This way, a large number of purchases could be made and shipped out of the warehouse.

    She originally wanted to discuss this matter with Li Yi and see if he could find any usable warehouses, but when she went downstairs, she found that he was no longer there.

    The Li family''s businesses were all in ruins. Other than this store, there was nothing else that could maintain itself. Therefore, Elementary Scholar Li also stayed here to eat. At this time, he should have stayed in his room to study, but he had disappeared.

    Su Zhi''s sharp senses sensed that something was not quite right. After searching in all directions, she could not find any trace of Elementary Scholar Li, so she could only call for Qiu Hong and the others to close the door and return home.

 C79

    Originally, he thought that Li Yi was just angry over yesterday''s incident and that he would understand the situation in a day, but the next day was the same. He was drunk and ignored everything else.

    No one dared to say anything. Su Zhi was busy with things at home and in the store and could not spare any time. It was only on the fourth day that she finally found the opportunity to talk to Li Yi.

    At that time, Elementary Scholar Li had just returned from wandering the streets. It was dark outside, and he had barely managed to reach the door after staggering for a while.

    After opening the door and entering, he saw that the shop was still lit up. He didn''t think too much and went straight to the inner room.

    "Big Brother Li!"

    Su Zhi came down from upstairs and called out to him.

    Li Yi drank until his head was spinning. Seeing that everyone had a shadow, he shouted that his head was in pain and wanted to go rest.

    "Did something bad happen to Brother Li in the past few days?" Not only is he wasting his education, he''s also drinking too much alcohol and injuring himself. "

    Su Zhi went downstairs and prepared the soup for him to drink.

    Elementary Scholar Li waved his hand and smiled, "Anyway, I can''t get my title, so why waste your time."

    "You haven''t even reached the Weak Crown this year, and you still have a long way to go in the future. How can you say such depressing things?"

    He smiled bitterly, leaned his head back on the wooden chair, and said sorrowfully, "I have never been a prodigy, but I always thought that as long as I worked hard, I would be able to get rid of the title of son of Shang. But then I realized that I was wrong. Not only was I not qualified, I couldn''t even do my job well. Didn''t you hear what others said? I relied on you to barely fill my stomach. "

    Su Zhi felt helpless. That was probably the meaning behind those malicious words.

    He had purposefully said these words to anger, but Elementary Scholar Li had taken them for real and had been downcast for so long. To put it bluntly, his mind was still immature.

    "Big Brother Li, I hope you can understand one thing. The reason why you can live well is all because of you, it has nothing to do with others. When I submitted the contract with you, I made it clear that you and I are not master and servant, nor are we of the same rank, so we are cooperating. Admittedly, you did very well when you were doing your job. Not only can you finish the things in the shop, you can also work hard and study hard. To be honest, there''s a lot of people who can''t compare to that, including myself. Now that there''s someone who''s specially trying to sow discord between us, I originally thought that you were someone who understood everything and wouldn''t take it to heart.

    Li Yi sighed as he closed his eyes in pain.

    Su Zhi could not help but shake her head. In the end, she was still too young.

    "What Little Su said is right, I shouldn''t have believed those words. However, it was indeed under your guidance that Flower Mansion Lou returned to its former flourishing state."

    "Then can I, by myself, endure through so many things? Brother Li is a smart person, and good at reading, he should understand the principle of concealing one''s strength and keeping it hidden. "You will only end up in the wrong of those people if you continue to be muddleheaded like this. If you want to defeat your enemy, you have to work hard and take out your results to prove it."

    Elementary Scholar Li lowered his head, full of regret and regret. How could he not feel sorry for his wasted days? He just felt powerless and did not know what to do.

    If he couldn''t take the title exam and couldn''t do well in the business, it was all thanks to Su Zhi. Even if he helped, he would still be pointed at and cursed at.

    Right, there was still a long road ahead of him. He could continue to work hard, and doing business was not his strong point, so what if he almost died?

    "I just take Brother Li for being tired these few days and go out to relax. I hope tomorrow I can see that energetic, hardworking Brother Li."

    Li Yi nodded seriously. Although he didn''t promise anything, Su Zhi saw that his eyes had regained the resolution from before. She didn''t waste her time waiting for him to come back.

    "It''s getting late. I need to go back as soon as possible. After Brother Li wakes up, he can go back and rest."

    If he didn''t leave later, the coachman would have to turn around and head back.

    After Su Zhi left, Li Yi regretted it for a long time. He used cold water to wash his face and decided to pick up the book once again to prepare for the exam.

    When he turned on the lights, he was surprised to find that Su Zhi had hurriedly persuaded him to leave her key on the table.

    He quickly took the key and chased after her after closing the door.

    The carriage swayed all the way back to Spring Leaf Lane, passing by a muddy and difficult road. The wheels of the carriage were accidentally stuck in the mud. No matter how hard the coachman tried, he was unable to lift the wheels that had sunk in.

    Su Zhi saw the situation and got out of the car. "Tian''er is also late. Uncle, please wait for me for so long. You should think of a way to go back. I''ll be taking a walk in front."

    The wagon driver was grateful that she could understand, and said his thanks. He didn''t wait for Su Zhi to walk far before pulling out the wheel and returning.

    Tonight, the moon was unknown, and dark clouds covered the sky. When one looked up, they would not be able to see anything.

    She didn''t bring any lanterns before she left, and since there were no houses on either side of the road, Su Zhi cautiously walked on the muddy road in the dark.

    When she was still some distance away from the alley, she could faintly hear the panting of the woman and the laughter and scolding of the man.

    Su Zhi''s brain exploded with a hum, her heart in her throat.

    [What the hell is going on?]

    A game in the middle of the night? Needless to say, how could an ordinary couple not sleep and come here to stir up trouble? If they were to be seen by others, would they still have any face?

    Su Zhi immediately realized that someone had done something intimate.

    However, she heard this man''s strange voice, it did not sound like it belonged to a resident of Spring Leaf Lane.

    No matter who the other party was, she had no interest in knowing. Clenching her little heart tightly, she continued to walk back.

    "Be quiet, be careful of people coming."

    The woman seemed to be a little afraid, but the man seemed to be more energetic, causing a lot of noise.

    Su Zhi panicked, wishing that she could immediately enter the house and have some peace of mind.

    However, the heavens were not willing. Behind her, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard, accompanied by the man''s loud shout: "Little Su!"

    What was there to be afraid of?

    With a mournful face, Su Zhi turned around to see Li Yi desperately running towards her with a lantern in hand. As he ran, he yelled, "Key! The key! "

    "Shh ~ Don''t make a sound." She made a motion of hush to show the missing man.

    The men and women at the reeds by the river were momentarily panicked. Rustling and rustling sounds came. Under the faint moonlight, Su Zhi saw a face that was not unfamiliar to her emerging from the reeds.

    He Qiniang?!

    At this moment, she was staring at Su Zhi in fear, as if she had met her mortal enemy.

    Before Su Zhi could react, Li Yi had already run over, panting from exhaustion. "What did you just say? I can''t hear you." "We''ve finally caught up. Why don''t you stay outside for the night?"

    After a long silence, Elementary Scholar Li raised his head and saw her pale face. He did not know what had happened.

    "Xiaosu, what''s wrong?" Did he bump into a ghost in the middle of the night?

    "You ˇ­ "Why did you shout so loudly just now?"

    Li Yi didn''t understand. Why did she feel unhappy that he had come all the way here to give her keys?

    "If I don''t tell you, how will you catch up to me?"

    Su Zhi was having a terrible headache. This was so bad that it would be bad if she said that she would return home late.

    This adulterous affair had happened to her somehow. What was even worse was that she could have pretended that she didn''t know and that it was better to avoid trouble, but now she had been interrupted by Elementary Scholar Li.

    It was clear that it was not the first or second time that she and her lover had gone out to avoid each other. By the time Flowery had finished his business and returned, it was already very late, so her leaving early and returning late should have disturbed their good fortune. That was why He Qi Niang hated her.

    Li Yi did not understand what was going on with Su Zhi, "You look terrible, are you not feeling well?"

    She grabbed the key, thanked him stiffly, and left.

    Li Yi was at a loss. He didn''t know what he had done wrong, so he stood blankly on the spot for a while before shrugging his shoulders and leaving.

    Su Zhi returned to her room, locking the door and windows behind her. Her heart was still thumping non-stop, she did not expect He Qiniang, who was usually silent, to actually do such a thing.

    But the thought of her being widowed even before she left the pavilion made me understand that this was human nature, but at least you had openly remarried.

    Remembering Aunt Ying''s curses that day, Su Zhi was somewhat frightened. If that was the case, then He Qiniang''s half-blind mother-in-law must have known about her daughter-in-law''s involvement.

    Cursing was also a good thing, but in the end, he did not break the last window paper.

    That night, Su Zhi was so tired from the worry that she could no longer sleep.

    It was not yet dawn, and she could not sleep. She got up to make breakfast, and there was another knock on the door.

 C80

    What was different from before was that this time, she had a different customer.

    That person was the person she had met last night, He Qiniang.

    When the two met, Su Zhi could only smile awkwardly. She didn''t know what to say, as if she was the one who had done the wrong thing.

    He Qi Niang glared at her coldly. She pushed her aside with one palm and walked into the room.

    "Where are your two little bastards? You still haven''t woken up yet, right? "

    With such rude remarks, Su Zhi''s face immediately turned cold, "You came so early in the morning just to scold my child? Get out before I get angry. "

    She reevaluated the woman in front of her. For the first time, she felt that she was not as delicate as her neighbors had said.

    "Alright, I''ll be frank. What are you trying to do? What benefits do you want? "

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at her, "You have nothing, what can I get from you?"

    "Don''t think that I don''t know you just want to make fun of me like they do. You know that I''m an unlucky person who killed his husband, so you think I deserve to die!"

    Su Zhi looked at her, confused. "I can live my own life, why should I care about you?" Besides, I don''t think you''re paranoid. I always felt that when everyone was together, they were just discussing and insulting you? You think too highly of yourself. It''s not like that at all. "

    "Humph, you say it so lightly, but you''re just trying to act cool!"

    Su Zhi replied, "In my opinion, a woman who has the courage to marry a widow in the form of an underworld marriage is itself admirable, but also extremely stupid. Since you have chosen this road without a destination, you should behave yourself. Of course, love between a man and a woman is a natural thing to do, but you shouldn''t do it as a widow. But even if you did, I would understand. After all, I have not been taught to be so pedantic and foolish.

    He Qi Niang''s expression became relaxed, and she lost some of her edge. "You said you can understand me?" Do you know how many pairs of eyes I''ve received? "I have a family that I can''t go back to, my mother-in-law treated me so harshly that she wouldn''t even go out to buy things. She said that she didn''t want to sell me her things, and said that I didn''t say that I would bring bad luck to others. Do you understand all of this?"

    Therefore, when a man was willing to talk to her, she was happy. She clearly knew that he had come for a good reason, but she still easily fell into his flowery speech.

    "Every woman needs love. Saying that it''s for chastity is a big lie. You''ve suppressed your emotions for so many years, yet you''re so sensitive. But you have to understand, if you''re friendly to outsiders, people might not be as ruthless. "

    The first time he delivered rice cakes to his neighbors, only He Qi Niang rejected Su Zhi.

    Later on, she understood He Qiniang''s thoughts. She closed the door to prevent anyone from spying on her and sealed her heart, unwilling to freely communicate with others. Under such extreme pressure, it was very easy for her to be tricked by a man with ill intentions.

    "I don''t believe in anyone else. In this world, only he treats me well and is willing to accept me."

    A trace of tenderness appeared in her eyes when she mentioned the man who did not show his face.

    "The road is long and vast. Everything can be anticipated."

    Su Zhi didn''t understand the relationship between her and that man, so she didn''t say much.

    But if a man really loves you, he''ll find a way to marry you, not to make a bed out of the sky like that.

    "Can you all look forward to it?" He Qi Niang mumbled to herself as traces of her desire for life welled up in her eyes.

    Su Zhi nodded faintly and said, "I didn''t see anything last night. I hope you don''t hold a grudge against me. I just want to pull my child up safely. I don''t have that much time to spare on other matters."

    He had come here to denounce them for his crimes, but now he was met with a soft nail.

    He Qi Niang looked at Su Zhi in disbelief and probed, "You don''t do it for money? And it''s not for fame? "

    Su Zhi sneered, "How much money can you take out to cover my mouth? What good can I do if I tell you about you? "

    This time, He Qi Niang was silent.

    "What does your business have to do with me? Everyone should close the door and live their own lives. No one should disturb anyone."

    "You mean you''ll keep your mouth shut? "You won''t tell this to anyone else?"

    Su Zhi stressed again, "What do you want me to say? Tell what to others? "

    He Qi Niang looked at Su Zhi''s calm face with a complicated expression.

    However, she still couldn''t be at ease. It was difficult to protect her earlier attitude from angering Su Zhi. Even if she didn''t say it now, she could still see everything in her stomach later on.

    Su Zhi was not a petty person, but she saw a trace of ruthlessness in He Qi Niang''s eyes. While panicked, she could not help but take two steps back.

    "Alright, I''ll believe you this once. If this gets out, I''ll be the first to not let you go."

    With these warning words, He Qi Niang gave her a sinister smile, turned around, and left the courtyard without any hesitation.

    Su Zhi was extremely depressed. She was very clear that He Qi Niang wouldn''t be completely at ease and would definitely stare at her. It was no wonder that the crime of fornication was deep enough, and no one dared to be careless in matters of life.

    It only benefited the man who didn''t even dare show his face.

    He wasn''t in a good mood early in the morning, so no matter who it was, they would feel uncomfortable.

    The only thing worth celebrating was that Li Yi got back to his senses after he did the brainstorming last night. He was willing to take care of the shop and study whenever he had free time.

    However, before the waves had settled down, not knowing how Aunt Bai had explained it to Liu Yuan, not long after Su Zhi had gone into the store, she actually received a letter from the messenger.

    The first time she received a letter, she was stunned for a moment. She thought that they sent it incorrectly, so she opened the envelope and saw the signature. Only then did she realize that the sender was Liu Yuan.

    The contents of the letter basically meant that he already knew that he didn''t want to be married off to her, showing his admiration and sincerity. He also repeatedly promised that he would treat the child well and treat her equally.

    The letter was accompanied by a love poem:

    The heavens were not old, and their feelings were unquenchable. Heart like a double silk net with thousands of knots

    I wish to take you as my wife for all time and for all time.

    As Su Zhi held the letter, she couldn''t help but sigh.

    She had always been soft-hearted and knew that Liu Yuan was sincere. However, she couldn''t agree to this matter. Her heart couldn''t lie to herself. If she liked him, then she liked him. If she didn''t like him, then she couldn''t force him.

    She did not respond to the love letter, as if she did not know about it, but the next day she received a letter of love, and the fourth day after that.

    Su Zhi could not stand the continuous bombardment. After she finished reading the letter, she quickly burnt it.

    One day, she opened a letter and took a quick look. She saw that the contents of the letter were still filled with love and admiration. She intended to burn it.

    She thought she was seeing things, so she opened the letter and took a closer look. That''s right, it was Lu Huan Zhi''s name.

    This was truly strange ˇ­

    "Are you curious about why your name has changed?"

    Su Zhi trembled in fear. She turned around and saw the crown prince, dressed in silk and silk and displaying such a debauchery and debauchery, staring at her with interest.

    "Why is it you again?"

    Lu Huan Zhi revealed a mouthful of white teeth. She smiled brilliantly, "That''s right, it''s me again."

    When Su Zhi saw him, it was as if she had seen the true body of the god of pests. Her head hurt greatly.

    "It''s not like you don''t know that my third floor doesn''t receive male guests. Why aren''t you going down?"

    Lu Huan Zhi wasn''t angry at her rudeness. Instead, she was very happy, "If you want me to say it, then your way of thinking is really good. After I came here once, I actually knew to set up a small stall and sell things for men to choose. You sure have a quick mind."

    "Your Highness is too courteous, you should hurry up and go back. It''s already noon by now, if you don''t go back now you won''t even be able to drink a mouthful of hot tea."

    Lu Huan Zhi ignored him and found a seat for himself. He leaned against the door with satisfaction and didn''t want to leave.

    Su Zhi Yin endured her patience and asked coldly, "What else does Your Highness want to buy today?"

    If he didn''t, he would kill until he didn''t dare to come!

    "Hahaha, woman, do you have anything else to say to this prince apart from your belly full of business records?"

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him, clearly showing that she did not!

    Lu Huan Zhi feigned a regretful sigh, "I had originally planned to light my heart up for the moon, but I couldn''t do anything about it."

    No one paid any attention to him. Lu Huan Zhi also felt a little awkward. He rubbed his nose and continued, "All the women in the world are docile and obedient for me. How come it doesn''t work on your side?"

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes, and said with a stern face: "The reason why you want to compete like this is no more than a fly staring at a rotten egg, what''s there to be proud about?"

    This woman was actually scolding him!

    How preposterous!

 C81

    Lu Huan Zhi''s face was a little better. In the blink of an eye, she revealed a smile again, "This is called skill, do you know that?"

    "Preposterous!"

    "What nonsense, wait until you and this prince have a warm time, then you will understand this young master''s power." However, with your small body, you won''t be able to satisfy this prince. "When the time comes, you will understand why there are so many women in the backyard."

    His righteous words did not seem inappropriate at all.

    Su Zhi blushed, she wanted nothing more than to take a broom and chase him out.

    He really had never seen such a shameless person. Not only did he flaunt his wealth, he even boasted of his good looks. What was even more shameless was that he felt that he should be proud of himself as his wife and concubine.

    Seeing her blushing, Lu Huan''s mood improved, "If you follow me, I''ll treat you well. You don''t have to be this tired from running around, and I''ll take care of the child. Wouldn''t that be perfect?"

    Su Zhi sneered and sat opposite him, saying indifferently, "Not bad. Since you''re marrying someone, who should you marry?" It''s just that I''m not a concubine, so if I want to marry I''ll have to do so as well. As for the other two children, I have to join your family tree as well, using the title of young princess. How about it? "

    Lu Huan Zhi laughed and looked at her with a strange expression, "Do you know that I will do my best to capture all of the people that I have set my eyes on, so long as it''s something that I cannot hope for? Even if I can''t get it, the Liu family is even more delusional. "

    Big bully! He was absolutely lawless!

    Su Zhi stood up in anger, not even knowing where to start cursing while pointing at him.

    Although she didn''t like Liu Yuan, it didn''t mean that she liked this kind of binding.

    He really couldn''t understand what these men were thinking, so he smacked them on the face with his nose.

    She thought that Xiao Qian was too excessive. Compared to Lu Huan Zhi, this lunatic, he was like a gentleman.

    "Just what do you want!?"

    Lu Huan Zhi looked at her meaningfully and said, "If you accompany me for one night, then I''ll naturally let you go."

    Without another word, Su Zhi raised the teacup on the table and greeted him with a handsome face.

    Lu Huan''s body moved to the side, dodging the spilled tea. He was laughing from head to toe.

    For some reason, he felt happy when he saw Su Zhi get angry from embarrassment.

    That''s right, why was all the women bowing and groveling in front of him? He did not like it at all. In the end, this little chili was more to his liking.

    Seeing that she was really angry, Lu Huan immediately withdrew her hands. With her hands behind her back, she swaggered away.

    He thought that the most unfortunate thing to happen today would be encountering a god of pests like Lu Huan. Once the store closed, everything would be fine.

    However, when Su Zhi returned home, the Bai Aunt next door told her another piece of big news.

    It turned out that Liu Yuan saw that there was no reply for a long time, so he couldn''t help but bring his orphaned daughter to Aunt Bai''s house tomorrow as a guest.

    How could she not know that it was a lie to be a guest? He wanted to show that the two of them could live happily together, and that it was true that they could marry each other.

    Su Zhi felt a headache coming on, but she didn''t know how to refuse.

    He had said that he was going to visit his aunt, so he couldn''t just refuse and tell her not to come.

    Forget it, it''s best to speak clearly in front of everyone. It''s better for everyone to explain everything that needs to be said clearly when you meet them.

    The next day, Su Zhi went to the restaurant for an entire day, as usual, and sent someone to report to Li Yi, saying that there was an issue at home and that she was unable to leave.

    It was almost noon when Liu Yuan drove the carriage to Spring Leaf Lane. Along with him was a little girl who was a little younger than A Jin.

    Aunt Bai began to prepare food early in the morning. Finally, a guest arrived, and she hurriedly got Uncle Liu to greet her. The old couple busied themselves with the food and were extremely enthusiastic.

    When they saw Liu Yuan again, Su Zhi could still vaguely see the wound on his cheek. She silently cursed Lu Huan''s words.

    Seeing her first reaction, Liu Yuan bowed deeply, sincerely apologizing, "I''m truly sorry for not being able to keep the hairpin that Little Su gifted me last time."

    Su Zhi hurriedly helped him up, indicating that she did not care, "That thing is not worth much, I wonder which blind person would want it. Let them take it."

    "Aren''t you angry? That is, after all, a keepsake. "

    Su Zhi was puzzled. Could it be that Liu Yuan had used the hairpin she had given him as a keepsake, and thus was exceptionally anxious after losing it? He couldn''t possibly think that his unwillingness to marry was due to this hairpin incident, right?

    This misunderstanding was quite funny. It seemed that being polite wasn''t a good thing. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn''t have given her that hairpin. Not only did he get beaten up, he even blamed himself for it.

    "Big Brother Liu, I think you''ve misunderstood. I''ve never treated that hairpin as a keepsake. It''s just not good for me to show you so many gifts for free."

    Last time, she hadn''t prepared anything, but this time she made a lot of pastries for the children.

    Sister Qing was afraid of living, so she hid behind Liu Yuan and didn''t dare to take the pastries that Su Zhi had given her.

    Liu Yuan sighed in disappointment. Sure enough, he had been overthinking things.

    He forced a smile and took the pastry for the child, feeling sour in his heart.

    Su Zhi could see his disappointment, so she didn''t open her eyes to take care of him. She didn''t know how to explain the unnecessary words.

    The two of them remained silent, maintaining a subtle atmosphere.

    Not long after, Dou Bao felt bored and shouted that she wanted to play on the ground. Su Zhi let her go and let A Jin and her sister play.

    He turned around and said in a friendly manner to the timid child, "Sister Qing, come and play with me as well."

    The little girl stared at A Jin and the bean bun and slowly walked over. The three children soon started playing with each other. It seemed that they were really friendly.

    Liu Yuan gave a comforting smile and continued, "Don''t worry Little Su, I didn''t bring my child here for any other reason, I just wanted her to have two more companions. I have no intention of forcing you to do anything. You don''t have to feel that this is a burden. I liked you the first time I saw you, but I knew I shouldn''t ask others for what I felt. I will give you enough time. Whether you reject it or not, it''s your own business. No one will embarrass you. "

    His words caused Su Zhi to feel extremely ashamed.

    She underestimated Liu Yuan''s kindness, always thinking that he had brought the child with him to ask her for an explanation, to ask why she didn''t agree to the marriage.

    However, it seemed that he wasn''t such a unreasonable person. Being able to personally experience what she was thinking was a trivial matter, but it was actually the place where he could see the true nature of a man.

    "Big Brother Liu is kind, and Sister Qing is very well-behaved too. It seems like these three children might actually be able to have some fun together."

    "That''s right. That child is always timid. I was afraid that she would have a bad temper due to boredom. Now, it seems that she really likes Little Dou Wu and A Jin."

    Looking at the three children playing together, a faint smile appeared on Su Zhi''s face.

    When Liu Yuan saw that Aunt Bai was starting to set the table, he went up to help her.

    When Sister Qing saw that her father had left, she stood up to follow him. The marble in her hand fell to the ground as she accidentally kicked it out of the door.

    Su Zhi smiled at her and comforted her, "Don''t be afraid, Aunt will go with you to pick it up."

    Sister Qing nodded slightly and followed Su Zhi out the door.

    The marbles that were there just a moment ago had disappeared. An unexpected guest stood next to the door, staring at the bead in his hand as he muttered, "What''s so interesting about this broken bead? My Wang Mansion has a lot of beads from the South Sea."

    Su Zhi was stupefied, why ˇ­ It was this god of pests again. What was he doing here?

    She was worried about Liu Yuan''s safety, but seeing that he came alone made her feel more at ease.

    Lu Huan looked at Su Zhi''s frightened expression, curled her lips, and said, "You just called this prince blind?"

 C82

    Did that mean that the crown prince had been listening at the door all this time?

    Thank you very much for being able to hear it!

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes and ignored him. The little girl beside her stared at the marble in his hand, not daring to speak.

    Lu Huan Zhi glanced at her and joked, "Eh? After a few days of not seeing each other, the appearance of the small meat bun has changed a lot. "

    "This is Big Brother Liu''s daughter. She is called Liu Lian, and her name is Qing Qing. She came to Aunt Bai''s house to be a guest."

    "Hahaha, Durian? This stupid name is really interesting. "

    Su Zhi glared at him. There was nothing she could say to him as she walked forward, snatched the marble away and pulled Sister Qing into the house. She did not forget to lock the door behind her.

    Lu Huan''s face did not change at all, but she continued to smile leisurely. When her gaze turned towards the door of Su Zhi''s room, her smile froze.

    Not far away, a new house was under construction. Looking at the scale of the foundation, one could tell that it was the Shangguan family''s mansion.

    With a cold snort, he rode his horse and slowly left.

    For the entire day, Su Zhi and Liu Yuan had been taking care of the three children playing together. They didn''t say anything unnecessary to each other. It felt good to get along with each other. Although there was no passion to speak of, there was always warmth and serenity.

    A Jin took good care of her two little sisters. The three children had never had a quarrel before, and their relationship was very harmonious.

    Liu Yuan would steal glances at Su Zhi from time to time. He could not conceal the fondness in his eyes. He tried his best to remain calm, afraid that his hot-bloodedness would scare her.

    In his generation, his father only felt the need to study, so he sent him to school for a few days and barely passed the examinations. Even so, he still couldn''t change his origin as a farmer.

    He had always disliked sour scholars who wrote poetry and pretended to be reserved. If he liked someone, he should have shown off and let her know.

    However, when Liu Yuan met someone who was interested in his own business, he became cautious and began to think about other people''s business. It seemed that luck was playing with people.

    He shook his head and smiled bitterly to himself, looking at Su Zhi with eyes full of love and adoration.

    Sensing Liu Yuan''s gaze, Su Zhi pretended not to know and looked at the three children lovingly.

    It wasn''t that she couldn''t tell how good a man was. Perhaps Aunt Bai was right, but marriage was something that lasted a lifetime. Even if she wasn''t a child, she still had to consider whether or not she really liked this man in front of her.

    If you truly want to love, then you can do it. If you truly want to love, then you can''t leave.

    Through the whole day, although the two of them did not communicate much, Su Zhi was not as conflicted as she had feared before. She got along very easily with Liu Yuan, he was funny and humorous, he did not put on airs, he made a ruckus with the children, he laughed without restraint, regardless of his image, A Jin was no longer afraid of him, the children''s faces were brimming with joy.

    Autumn was approaching, and night was approaching quickly. After a day of laughing, the two children were tired as well.

    Su Zhi bid farewell to Aunt Bai and went back to her room to rest with A Jin and Soybean Pouch.

    Before she went to bed, A Jin who was lying on the bed suddenly grabbed Su Zhi''s hand. Her small face no longer had a playful smile. "Mother, do you like Uncle Liu?"

    Su Zhi could not help but laugh. "Why would A Jin ask this?"

    How old is this child? I''m afraid he doesn''t even understand the meaning of the word ''like''.

    A Jin stubbornly asked, "Does mom like it?"

    Su Zhi sighed, kissed the child on the forehead, and replied affectionately, "Mother only loves A Jin and Little Dou Bao."

    Hearing this, A Jin''s bright eyes were filled with emotions. He held Su Zhi''s hand and solemnly said, "A Jin is willing for Uncle Liu to marry mother."

    "Then, does A Jin like Uncle Liu?"

    A Jin slightly frowned, thinking carefully for a while, then nodded and shook his head.

    "If you really want to choose someone to be your father, A Jin loves Uncle Xiao the most."

    Su Zhi was startled. She had not expected Xiao Qian to have such a high position in the hearts of the two children. Needless to say, even A Jin liked him so much.

    However, she could not do such a thing. Although Xiao Qian had come to find her drunk that day to express his love and admiration, Su Zhi felt that he had done such a foolish thing because he was drunk.

    Even if he really did want to, he was a powerful general, and he was just a widow without a director.

    She did not dare to think, nor did she dare to hope.

    "Mother? What about you? Do you like Uncle Xiao or Uncle Liu? "

    Su Zhi smiled bitterly and tidied up the blankets for the two children, but did not say a word.

    According to the social situation, she and Liu Yuan were the most compatible. However, according to what she thought, her heart was inclined towards Xiao Qian.

    However, she didn''t dare to admit that Xiao Qian''s identity and status was not something she could entertain. She could only bury her subtle feelings in her heart and never think about them.

    A Jin didn''t have time to wait for her reply, and gradually fell asleep.

    Su Zhi lit the oil lamp and took advantage of her free time to make cloaks for the two children. The weather became increasingly cold, and it was necessary to knit a scarf and hat.

    She busied herself under the lamp. After an unknown period of time, there was another knock on the door.

    At first, it was just a probe, but Su Zhi didn''t pay much attention to it. But soon after, there was another knock on the door. Now, she was sure that someone was knocking on the door.

    It''s just that it''s so late. I wonder who is it that has come?

    Su Zhi stood up to open the door. After listening to the commotion outside, she asked, "Who''s there so late?"

    The noise outside the door stopped. After a moment of silence, someone replied, "It''s me."

    This sound is... Xiao Qian?

    "General?"

    "It''s me."

    Su Zhi suspected that she had misheard him. She opened the door doubtfully and saw that the one standing outside was indeed Xiao Qian, whom she hadn''t seen for a few days.

    He stood outside the door, shining like the stars and moon. The moonlight was also cold, but his pair of deep eyes were filled with endless thoughts.

    This man''s charm was that no matter what, he would be able to make people want to submit to him. This man was very scary, because it was unknown where his heart had gone to.

    Su Zhi stared at him blankly, a strange feeling in her heart. She blushed slightly and asked, "It''s so late, General still hasn''t slept."

    She did not ask him why he was here. She only asked why he had not rested.

    "I... I''m still looking at the ground. "

    You can''t sleep at night and look for me?

    Su Zhi looked behind him. The courtyard was well-built, there was no need to come in the middle of the night, was there?

    Xiao Qian looked at her with a sour feeling in his heart.

    Tan Zhao told him that if he didn''t act quickly, a moment of unrequited love would become a lifetime unrequited love.

    Only then did he learn that Liu Yuan had come to visit again. After hesitating for an entire afternoon, he still rushed over without stopping.

    Even Tan Zhao could see through his intentions, but he still followed etiquette. He did not dare to come find her, afraid that he would be displeased by Su Zhi like last time.

    Forget it, now he didn''t care about anything anymore. The woman he liked was about to be taken away by someone else. He did not care about etiquette anymore.

    "I came here to talk to you."

    He hadn''t even started speaking when Su Zhi''s face turned red. She didn''t know where to put her hands, so she suppressed the small emotions in her heart. She was nervous and sore.

    Not waiting for her to blush for too long, Xiao Qian walked up and firmly held her in his arms.

    Su Zhi cried out in alarm and quickly covered her mouth to prevent herself from shouting out.

    "I''ll take you somewhere first."

    He carried Su onto the horse, and closed the door behind them. Then, he mounted the horse and hurried towards the hill ahead.

    It was late autumn and the night wind was strong.

    Afraid that she would get cold, Xiao Qian took off his cloak and tied it around her.

    It was Su Zhi''s first time riding a horse, so she was not used to it. Fortunately, Xiao Qian was good at riding, which made her feel less bumpy.

 C83

    The two of them rode the same horse, travelling through the stars and the moon, traversing over mountains and valleys. Most of the time, Su Zhi would squint slightly to prevent her eyes from being uncomfortable by the cold wind.

    Not long after, the horse stopped. She didn''t even have time to open her eyes before Xiao Qian grabbed her.

    "This is the place."

    Only then did Su Zhi slowly open her eyes. All along the way, it had been dark and there was no light.

    When she opened her eyes and took a good look at the scenery in front of her, she was so shocked that she didn''t know how to react.

    Not far from her was an ancient banyan tree. Although it was late autumn, it was still verdant and lush with leaves. What was even more astonishing was that fist-sized, colourful lanterns were hung all over the tree, and the oil core was ignited inside. From afar, it looked extremely colorful and beautiful.

    As she got closer, she saw that there were also many small words written in ink on the lantern. Picking up a small lantern and looking carefully, he realized that it was her name. This tree was covered in light, and the small lantern was filled with her name. It was accompanied by a short narration.

    Su Zhi was filled with mixed emotions. With reddened eyes, she turned to look at Xiao Qian and asked, "General, what are you doing?"

    Xiao Qian explained with a smile, "I personally wrote the words on the lantern. I, I have never done this before, and I don''t know if you truly like it, but Tan Er promised that he would give it a try when he said that it was a hundred times a hundred, so I wanted to give it a try ˇ­ "

    Tan Er was Tan Qing, the younger brother of Tan Zhao, a playboy from the capital. He was as famous as Lu Huan, and he had the same reputation as Lu Huan. Although he was disgraced by his elders, he was still very envious.

    This was clearly not the way to talk to Xiao Qian. It was clear who it was that came up with this idea.

    Xiao Qian stood behind her and embraced her from behind. The refreshing fragrance filled his nose once again. He was intoxicated by the smell of the girl in his embrace.

    "Ah Zhi, I love you." The mountain has trees and branches. My heart loves you. Do you know? "

    Su Zhi felt as if all the blood in her body was boiling and her heart thumped rapidly.

    She did not know what to say.

    Xiao Qian buried his face in her neck and reached out his hand, as if performing a trick, and took out a green jeweled hairpin.

    The hairpin''s workmanship was quite exquisite. It was made from pink gems. The bottom of the flower bud drilled into the hole, piercing through the thin copper wire. With a slight movement, the hairpin swayed continuously, looking vivid and lifelike.

    "Do you like it? I made it myself. "

    Su Zhi stared at the beautiful hairpin, not knowing what to say. Xiao Qian took the hairpin and personally put it into her hair.

    The hairpin and the beauty matched each other very well. He could not help chuckling. "The court is making fun of me for not marrying my wife, saying that I lost my love on the battlefield. However, the world doesn''t know that I will only take one ladle of the myriad purple glows red weak waters. I''ve told myself not to fall in love with you, but I can''t help it. "

    His subordinates had died fighting for his country, but he had fallen for his subordinates'' widows. This kind of ethics couldn''t be overstepped no matter what.

    However, he couldn''t control himself. He liked her, and at first he just liked her. He didn''t care, but by the time he was completely lost in it, it was all too late.

    However, while blaming himself, he was also glad that he was a normal man. He would be angry at a woman he liked, and he would also sleep peacefully for her.

    Su Zhi''s heart sank. She let Xiao Qian hug her as he spoke words that she shouldn''t have heard.

    Her remaining intellect told her that she could not, absolutely could not.

    She took a deep breath and gently pushed Xiao Qian away, covering her mouth as she said, "General, aren''t you afraid that others will laugh at you for doing this kind of thing, just like that hedonistic son of a bitch?"

    Xiao Qian coughed twice, not explaining that he had placed the blade against Tan Qing''s neck.

    "Do you like it?"

    Su Zhi unconsciously touched the hairpin on her head and looked at the lanterns on the trees. She knew that no matter how he wrote, he had drawn a lot of thoughts, so she still gave him face and nodded, "I like it."

    Xiao Qian smiled in satisfaction. This smile was pure and innocent.

    Su Zhi opened her eyes and said, "But General, do not do this again. This humble woman does not dare to have any thoughts. Let''s just treat today''s matter as General getting drunk."

    Xiao Qian withdrew his smile and clenched his hands tightly. "I knew you wouldn''t like it." He went back and skinned the brat.

    "No, I like it."

    However, she didn''t dare to accept his kind intentions. The difference in their statuses was too great. Since ancient times, they had both been of equal status. How could she dare to be together with Xiao Qian?

    "This humble woman doesn''t dare to hold herself high. You''re an official, and I''m just a country woman. If you were with me, what would the people of the world say?"

    "Why does the matter between you and me have to do with the world? I only know one thing. You are the person I love, and I cannot sit by and watch you marry someone else. "

    "General, you still have someone you love, right? Because she died in the hands of the Huns, that''s why you spilled your whole heart and blood on the battlefield to kill her, to avenge her."

    Xiao Qian stared blankly and instantly became helpless. "How did you know?"

    Su Zhi did not answer directly and continued to be aggressive. "So, the person you truly like is the dead person and not me. General, please stop your provocations and let the woman go."

    She turned around to leave, but Xiao Qian hastily hugged her and explained, "That''s not it. Although I feel regret for you, it has nothing to do with the feelings of a man and a woman. She died because of my negligence. She died miserably, and was abused to death by the Huns. When I closed my eyes all those years ago, I would think of her, covered in blood, and that''s why I swore that I wouldn''t be able to leave unless I destroyed the Huns. "

    Afraid that she didn''t believe him, Xiao Qian continued to explain, "Qu Yutang is the direct granddaughter of the Grand Princess Lanhua. Her status is extremely precious, but I underestimated my opponent and ended up like this. "The emperor is benevolent. He didn''t look for fault with me. How could I dare to be so magnanimous and not work hard to destroy that piece of useless land?"

    She understood the gist of the matter. The white moonlight carved on Xiao Qian''s heart was not his true love, but was a woman he could never forget out of guilt.

    Su Zhi felt a lot more relaxed, but it seemed that she felt even heavier.

    It was just as Xiao Qian had said; he had been focusing on fighting the Huns for the past twenty years. He was a clean person from head to toe. It was so clean that even the whole house, the beauties sent by the lower class, had not touched one.

    Su Zhi, on the other hand, was married and had children.

    "I''m not worthy of you."

    After a long while, Su Zhi finally resigned herself to fate and closed her eyes, forcing back the tear that was about to fall.

    Xiao Qian released her and caressed her face. "If the two of them truly love each other, how could they be worthy of that?"

    She shook her head, her voice choked with emotions, "We just don''t care, what the outsiders think, what your family think? Public opinion pressure, rumors of right and wrong, have you thought about all these? "

    "Why should I care about that? Whether or not we stay together is our business, what does it have to do with anyone else? "

    Su Zhi lowered her head in sadness and advised, "General, please give up. If you are just an ordinary person, there is no harm in me following you. However, your status and position are very different from mine now. If I''m not wrong, the princess from last time liked you, right? "Not only that, but other than her, there are also a few other girls from other officials who have fallen in love with you."

    She sniffed and said, "I don''t have anything. I don''t even know where I came from. I forgot a lot of things from before. Other than the two children who depend on each other, I can''t help you with your career."

    Xiao Qian took her face in his hands and kissed the tears flowing from the corners of her eyes. A numb and itchy feeling spread throughout her body.

    He caressed her red lips and could not help but cover her, forcing her to continuously pant.

    When Su Zhi stopped crying and collapsed on top of him, he finally calmed her down and said, "I thought you were worried about something, but it turns out it was those considerations. But I really don''t understand what you''re talking about. My great-grandmother was also widowed by great-grandfather before she entered the house. "Throughout the entire imperial court, there are many more cases like this. How come this is a taboo that you absolutely do not dare to touch?"

    Su Zhi''s mind was still in a state of chaos, unable to come up with a rebuttal.

 C84

    "If I wanted to possess monstrous power, I would''ve long since come knocking to ask for Princess Anyang''s hand in marriage, or a young lady from any of the ministers'' families. I wouldn''t have even thought of doing anything to you."

    He tried his best to explain, patiently persuading, and promising Su Zhi that he would marry her into the sect and not let her and her child suffer any grievances.

    The obstacles in front of them were not as easy as he said, but it was not easy to like someone. He wanted to fight for it, did not want to compromise.

    Being wrapped around in his arms, Su Zhi did not know whether to cry or cry, but she was coaxed into a daze by him.

    "So, it''s better if you promise me. If you''re not willing to follow me, then why should I put in so much effort?"

    She did not speak, but lay on his chest in a daze.

    "I''ll take it that you agree if you don''t speak."

    "Huh?"

    "Alright, since you''ve agreed, then don''t go back on your words."

    Su Zhi was stunned. When had she ˇ­

    In any case, Xiao Qian was so happy that he couldn''t find the north while hugging her.

    So it turns out that this method was actually effective. That boy, Tan Qing, was not completely useless.

    Thus, men were born with the ability to speak sweet words. They originally thought that the great general Xiao was a little dull and didn''t understand these matters. Afterwards, Su Zhi still bit her teeth in anger when she thought of it. Men were really all big pig''s hooves, she had been fooled in such a muddled way.

    It was a good thing that Xiao Qian didn''t do anything out of line with her. He had kissed her a few times outside the wilderness. Although he really wanted to take the next step, he didn''t go against etiquette.

    Su Zhi still wanted to be reserved, but her heart was already soaked in honey. What was the final outcome of the Chi Guda Chi? She had been miserably abandoned without caring about it at all.

    After being warm for a long time, Xiao Qian finally rode Su Zhi back.

    Xiao Qian refused to leave as they were standing in front of the door. "The one next door, what do you plan on doing with him?" This was too much. Even the child had been used. What a scheming mind!

    "I''ll explain everything to Big Brother Liu. You should hurry back, it''s already curfew time, and you''re still wandering the streets. Be careful not to get caught."

    He nodded in agreement. After pondering for a while, he said, "I''ll send a housekeeper and two maids over tomorrow to help you take care of the children''s housework. This way you can relax a lot and you don''t have to bother your neighbors. "

    Su Zhi waved her hand and said no. With her current situation, she couldn''t afford to hire so many servants. Besides, she didn''t even have a place to live as long as there were other people around.

    "Don''t worry, you don''t care about all the expenses. I''ll send them here to take care of the children, so you don''t have to worry about it. [If you don''t accept it, why do you keep bothering me? Besides, he wasn''t in his own yard, so A Jin''s personality was bound to be restrained and bad. When the wives are empty and waiting for their children to go out for a walk, isn''t that the perfect thing to do? "

    Su Zhi thought about it and felt that it made sense, so she came down to thank him for his good intentions.

    Xiao Qian was still worried. He whispered into her ear, "If you like children, we''ll have eight in the future. Don''t be soft-hearted and be tricked by others."

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Did she really have no sense of propriety? So much more, not a litter, one nest at a time.

    After persuading Xiao Qian to leave, she tiptoed back to her room. It was hard to calm her heart down, so she couldn''t sleep.

    Her heart was sweet and she couldn''t help but want to laugh.

    Xiao Qian was like a pig''s hoof ˇ­

    Thinking this, Su Zhi giggled happily.

    The autumn mist was thick and the sky had been bright for a long time, but the sun had not come out yet.

    The coffin was covered with a layer of frost, and when he pushed open the door, he could see white cotton on the grass and trees.

    A Jin took a long time to build a fire in the kitchen and boiled some hot water on a bench. When she came back and saw that Su Zhi was still awake, she walked over quietly.

    The small bean bun had already woken up before him. It was coquettishly lying on the bed as it mumbled that it was unwilling to get up.

    In her dreams, Su Zhi felt someone pinching her face. She heard a low voice say, "Little Dou Bao, don''t cause trouble. Let mother sleep well."

    Su Zhi moaned twice before her consciousness began to clear up. She opened her sleepy eyes and a cute little face entered her sight.

    "Ah, son!"

    A Jin looked at her puzzledly, and reached out to touch her forehead, "Mom, you''ve been giggling all night, and A Jin was worried about you."

    Su Zhi smiled awkwardly and quickly slipped away to get up. "You must be hungry. Mother will immediately prepare some food."

    She was busy putting on her clothes and washing her face. Her face was completely red. She was truly a coward. Her embarrassment had been clearly seen by the child, leaving her no face at all.

    After hurriedly preparing breakfast, Su Zhi took care of the two children and prepared to go next door to find Liu Yuan to explain the situation. In the end, when she left, she had already left.

    She had no choice but to return. Before she could close the door, the sound of a carriage came from behind her.

    She turned around and saw a familiar face. She had seen this person before in the army camp. He could be considered Xiao Qian''s servant, Mo Qi. He was called Qing Mu.

    He was driving his car, greeting her from a distance.

    When the carriage neared, Mo Qi jumped down and bowed with a bow. "Long time no see, Lady Su."

    "Mo Qi, why are you here?"

    "Send a few men over for the general."

    He lifted the carriage''s curtain and made a face. A woman and two other maidservants came out of the carriage one after another.

    Mo Qi had someone come out to pay their respects to Su Zhi and explained, "The general sent this over. He said that Mistress Su is usually very busy, and a few people are here to help."

    Su Zhi thought back to what Xiao Qian had said last night and said that he would send someone over to help so that she wouldn''t trouble Aunt Bai again.

    "Mm, I remember now. Help me thank your general for his good intentions."

    After Mo Qi was done, he took out a bag of silver and gave it to Su Zhi. "This was left behind by the General. Madame Su doesn''t need to worry about the wives'' monthly salaries and money for the rice grains."

    "How can that be? You should return it."

    "The general guessed that the little lady wasn''t willing to accept him, and even said that if you were separated from him, it would mean that you wanted to go back on your words."

    Su Zhi had no choice but to accept the silver.

    Mo Qi went up to him in a gossipy manner and asked with a smile, "What do you mean by going back on your word? What did Lady Su say to the general? "

    "No, it''s nothing. Once you''re done with your work, go back and report."

    Mo Qi could only foolishly giggle as he rode the carriage back.

    After they had left, the woman took the initiative to introduce herself, "Good morning madam, we are all chosen by the general to serve you." If there are any problems in the future, I hope that Madam can forgive me. "

    Su Zhi helped her up, replying, "What are you saying, mama? It''s already wronged that you''re willing to come to my little place."

    "Madam is too polite. My wife is only a little girl, she can do anything she wants, so feel free to tell me." My surname is Ding. One of them is Bi Yue and the other is Dan Xue. "

    Su Zhi nodded and hurriedly gestured for the three of them to enter the house.

    "I will have to trouble the three of you to take care of the matter in the future. I will take care of the shop and the two children will never be able to take care of it. As soon as I see that mother Ding is familiar with it, I am relieved."

    "Madam, rest assured. We will definitely do our best to help you take care of this courtyard."

    Su Zhi was in a great mood. Thanks to Xiao Qian''s meticulous consideration, she would have to trouble Aunt Bai for a while if she didn''t allow her to do so.

    There was actually not much work in the yard, it was just going back and forth so fast. The main thing was taking care of the two children, especially the small bean bag.

    Su Zhi didn''t put on airs and chatted a bit more with her mother. After giving her general instructions, she prepared to leave for the store.

    He went to Aunt Bai''s house and said many words of thanks. He said he had help to look after the child and was too embarrassed to trouble her again.

    Aunt Bai was also straightforward. She was not surprised to know that someone had come, and did not accept the silver from Su Zhi.

    Su Zhi had no choice but to withdraw the silver and ride the carriage to the store to busy herself.

    Since he couldn''t tell Liu Yuan in person, he could only write and explain. He believed that Liu Yuan wasn''t the kind of person who couldn''t be a friend even if he couldn''t be a husband and wife. He was still young and capable, so he would definitely find someone more suitable.

    After writing and handing the letter over to the messenger, Su Zhi heaved a long sigh of relief, and thought back to what had happened last night, and couldn''t help but giggle foolishly.

    Qiu Hong didn''t even hear her call out, so she had to run to the third floor to look for her.

    "Boss, something terrible has happened. Please go and take a look."

    Su Zhi came back to her senses and saw Qiu Hong''s face pale and sweating profusely. She did not know what had happened.

    "What happened? Are you that flustered? "

 C85

    Qiu Hong didn''t have time to catch her breath and quickly explained the reason. It turned out that there was a problem with the rice ordered by the Drunken Life Tavern. After the originally healthy grains were transported back, they turned into rotten rice with moths growing on them.

    Hua Manlou''s reputation had always been good, and the brand name he had was quality assurance. If this happened, the manager of the Drunken Life Tower would be furious and bring people to cause trouble in the store.

    "Manager Li has gone to receive you. I can see that something is wrong, so I''ve come to look for you."

    "Alright, I understand. I will go now."

    How could rice suddenly become so bad that it could not be eaten? There must be someone among them who was up to mischief.

    Su Zhi did not have time to think about it. She hurriedly opened the closed corridor on the third floor and went downstairs as fast as she could.

    The hall was already in an uproar. Manager Tao of the Drunken Life Tower, along with a few malevolent looking robust men, shouted loudly and cursed harshly.

    After his fight, many of the guests didn''t have time to buy anything and turned to flee.

    "Shopkeeper Tao came with great respect, and was unwelcome. I hope that you can be magnanimous and not hold any grudges against me."

    Tao Lingzhong became even angrier when he saw Su Zhi''s smiling face. "Humph, I thought it was not easy for a woman like you to do business and understand their difficulties, but how do you know that you are a villain who doesn''t keep his word! Pui! Ignorant woman, do not talk about friendship! "

    This scolding had already caused Qiu Hong and Li Yi''s faces to change, but Su Zhi still wore a smile on her face. "We need to investigate everything thoroughly. If it really is our fault, we will compensate you double."

    "Compensation? Are you worthy? Although my Drunken Life Tower business is not the best in Xuancheng, it is still well-known. "I''ve painstakingly built this place for so many years, yet today, it has all been ruined by you!"

    "Qiu Hong, immediately contact the people at the warehouse and send Ten Dans of Good Yang City''s rice to the Drunken Life Tower. "You must remember, this is the crystal white rice specially made in Yang City. This kind of rice is the one that Shopkeeper Tao has been ordering all this time."

    "No need, I can''t use your things, so let''s skip the cooperation later. I''d rather spend a few more dollars to buy it from the shop north of Silver Coin than sell you rice with moldy worms!"

    Su Zhi smiled apologetically and said, "Manager Tao, you have always been our flowery customer. Now that something has happened, we should go through it together. Please do not misunderstand, this rice is not compensation for you, we spend the entire credibility of you know. We''ll make our plans when the matter is investigated. If it really is our fault, then we can do whatever you want to apologize. "

    Only then did Tao Zhengzhong shut his mouth and stop cursing, but his attitude was still not good.

    "A new batch of good quality Longjing [1] [2] [2] has come to our shop. Please take a seat on the second floor first, Master Tao. Give us something to find out which part of the problem is there."

    "There''s no need. With such a big slip up, there''s someone in my shop to take care of it. You guys should find out what happened as soon as possible so that you can explain it to me!"

    Su Zhi nodded. "You''re right."

    After sending off the angry Manager Tao, Qiu Hong finally dared to speak.

    "Boss, the warehouse manager is here."

    "Well, call him to the second floor and wait for me."

    Li Yi stood at the side, and he frowned extremely unhappily as he thought of something. He pulled Su Zhi into a quiet corner, clenched his teeth and said, "This must have been done by the other party. Last time, it was Yu Zhanhong who called for trouble. If not, then there''s a second plan. What a sinister idea."

    Su Zhi shook her head, indicating for him to calm down. "Before we find out what''s going on, we can''t act rashly. The most important thing right now is to stop the damage, so that we can restore Flowerless'' reputation." Big Brother Li, go and check the other rice grains sold in the restaurant, just in case. "

    Li Yi''s heart was heavy, but there was nothing he could do. He could only nod in agreement.

    Su Zhi went to the second floor''s cubicle, where Qiu Hong and the warehouse manager were already waiting.

    Only after seeing her did the warehouse manager, Old Yellow, stop his uneasy footsteps and kneel down towards Su Zhi.

    "Boss, I was wrong to trust you!"

    "What are you doing, Old Yellow, hurry up."

    Huang Youshan refused to get up. Tears streamed down his face as he began to cry.

    "If you have something to say, then say it properly. The most important thing right now is to stabilize the situation. We must not panic and fear others'' words." When the enemy is in the dark, I am in the light.

    "Boss, I, Old Yellow, am a sinner who has been to an inner prison. I didn''t expect that you would use me so highly. Now that I''ve made such a mistake, I''ll never have the face to see you again!"

    Su Zhi helped him up, allowing him to calm down before she spoke again, "I know that you can''t be blamed for this, so I came to find you to clarify what exactly happened. You can just answer whatever I ask."

    "Ok, ask away, boss. I will tell you everything I know!"

    Su Zhi nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Is everything in the warehouse normal?"

    "That''s only natural. After knowing that something had happened, I immediately checked them one by one. There''s absolutely no problem."

    There was nothing wrong with the items in the warehouse, which was that they had either made a mistake during the delivery or had their bags dropped while they were still in the Intoxicated Dream Pavilion. It was impossible for a good meal to rot the moment it left the storehouse.

    "Who''s in charge of transporting the stuff to Drunken Dream House?"

    Old Yellow wiped his tears and said honestly, "It''s just the two of them, Da Zhu and Ah Niu. You know them. They are both honest people and have no bad intentions."

    "I know, I don''t suspect these people. If it was still fine in the warehouse, then there might be changes along the way. Which way did you take the goods this time? "

    "We took a detour around the west side of the city, but our eyes never left them. How did it end up like this?"

    Su Zhi, on the other hand, couldn''t believe it. It was very likely that something had gone wrong on the way, and it was also possible that it had happened in Drunken Dream House. However, it was unlikely to happen.

    "Take me over there."

    "Ai ai, alright!" The group of people immediately set off towards the warehouse.

    The purpose of this warehouse was to store all the goods. The rice, grain, and oil that would not be able to be stored in this place were all properly stored. Some customers needed Su Zhi to write an order with a red stamp and sign it, then send it to Old Yellow by a specific person.

    The order was written in detail on the quantity, the name of the goods, as well as the place where they were sent to, signed by the recipient.

    Because of this method, the supply and demand chain had never had any problems before.

    Su Zhi specifically made a trip to the warehouse and checked everything inside. Everything inside was still in good condition. If so, it was indeed a problem on the road and at the destination.

    She looked around and immediately thought of something, "Old Yellow, prepare the fire protection facilities in the warehouse. If there is a fire, you must put it out as soon as possible."

    "I know, I''ll do it right away!"

    "In addition, you need to be able to protect yourself from the tide. Go find a better carpenter and make a wooden shelf for the goods. "In the end, you must send someone to patrol the area at all times in order to prevent any random person from appearing."

    The weasel immediately nodded in agreement, then called for his subordinates to do so.

    After being extra careful, Su Zhi turned her gaze towards the small path that led to the restaurant, "Call A''Niu and Big Pillar over, then let''s go take a walk towards Drunken Dream. Maybe we can find something."

    In her opinion, this road was built by coincidence. The official road to the west of the city was not easy to walk on, but the local magistrate court had never cared about it. Why did they suddenly stop and say that they were going to repair it?

    "Ah Niu, are you sure that your line of sight never left the goods on the cart when we were transporting them?"

 C86

    "That''s right, boss. When the order was sent out, it was only a short period of time before it would be delivered. I weighed it with Lao Huang and the rest and then immediately left with Da Zhu to deliver the goods."

    Su Zhi, however, could not be sure. She said, "Think carefully. Did something happen at some point? Can''t look after it for a while."

    At this point, Dazhu immediately exclaimed, "I remember now! Passing the ravine in front of them this morning, I ran into some soldiers. At the time, they were building planks, saying that it was just road surface water, and it was inconvenient for us to drive, so we had to go help, so that we could quickly pave the road for delivery. "

    "Which direction? Go take a look immediately."

    They rushed to the scene and saw that there was indeed a puddle on the dirt road. The water had already seeped into the ground, leaving only soft sticky soil. There were several wooden planks on it, with the marks of wheels and the footprints of pedestrians.

    Su Zhi felt that something was amiss. These few days, the weather had been good and cool, with no rain. Where did the water come from?

    Dazhu seemed to have thought of something and said uncertainly, "Those soldiers asked for our help, it was only for the blink of an eye."

    What he was afraid of was that the blink of an eye was enough.

    "Everyone, stop guessing. Look around and see if you can find any clues."

    This place had a unique location. The entire path was a bit more remote here, and there was a ravine underneath the path. If it weren''t for the sudden road construction in the west side of the city, there probably wouldn''t be many people who would choose to walk this path.

    It was inconvenient for Old Yellow to move while limping. It simply lay on the ground. It was buried under the ravine in search of its target. Its entire body was covered in mud.

    Finally, not far away, he found a place with traces of soil refurbishment.

    He ignored the mess and used his bare hands to dig through the sticky dirt to find the answer.

    "Boss!" Come and take a look! "

    When Su Zhi heard the commotion, she immediately went down the road to Lao Huang''s position.

    "Motherf * cker, the official is still so deceitful towards us!"

    In the muddy pit he dug, it was filled with the gritty white rice of Yangcheng. The mystery was solved, and while bulls and pillars were busy setting up the board, the goods on the cart were all lost. After the two of them left, the soldiers buried the rice.

    Dazhu looked at the rice buried in the mud with a pained expression, confused. "This ˇ­" What was this? Those people have no enmity with us, why would they do that? "

    Ah Niu gritted his teeth in hatred, "Exactly, even if you did not take the things away, you would have just destroyed them on the spot. With such a clumsy method, you still won''t find me to reason with!"

    Su Zhi stared at the destroyed grain and couldn''t help but sigh. She was afraid that the mastermind wasn''t afraid of them causing trouble at all.

    Old Yellow had no more ideas and looked at the silent woman, "Boss, what do you think?"

    Su Zhi took a deep breath, and replied, "We can''t sell the rice that''s mixed in with the soil. We should just eat it ourselves."

    "What?" Just like that? Boss, we can''t accept this loss, how can we just let it go like this! We have to find that person! "

    "That''s right, Old Yellow is right!" Boss, with your order, even if Ah Niu and I have to risk our lives, we still have to go to the government to get an explanation! Is there still any law in the feet of the Son of Heaven? "

    However, Su Zhi shook her head. Beneath the feet of the Son of Heaven, the dark waves were surging as danger lurked in every direction.

    Since it was the Shangguan family that was causing trouble, that meant that the other party had quite a large force. Since they did not have enough evidence, there was nothing they could do about it.

    "Don''t worry, I will definitely investigate this matter to the end. However, the truth is that it was due to our negligence that we were switched out by the adulterers. Now that Drunk Dream House is not going to let it go, and I''ve already promised to double the compensation, I have to do what I say. "

    Old Yellow and the others were dumbfounded. This Yangcheng rice was expensive ah!

    It was precisely for this reason that the Intoxicated Dream Pavilion''s Manager Tao was able to stand firmly under the pincer attack of the Hundred Flavors Clear Joyous.

    To be able to accompany someone twice as fast now, how big of a loss would that be!

    Since Su Zhi had already made up her mind, there was nothing they could do about it.

    However, Su Zhi did not intend to punish them, but instead, silently swallowed her bitter fruit.

    "From now on, you must be very careful. You must take care of every detail so that no mistakes can be made."

    "I will remember your teachings!"

    Just because she was wearing the uniform of an officer or a patrol on the streets, where could she go to find those who had committed crimes? Other than being on guard against the unexpected, she could not afford to be rash anymore.

    As soon as the matter on her side was settled, Qiu Hong had followed along to tell Su Zhi another piece of shocking news.

    "Boss!" "Oh no, you should hurry up and go back to take a look. Something big has happened!"

    Su Zhi''s eyebrows twitched as she supported the panting Qiu Hong. She asked, "What''s wrong?"

    "It''s Manager Li. He, he couldn''t hold back his anger for a while, so he ran off to Hundred Flavors Qing to make a ruckus!"

    As expected, what was there to be afraid of!

    Li Yi was good at everything, but he wasn''t experienced enough in society. He was impatient and impulsive.

    Su Zhi had warned him repeatedly to not follow her just so that he would not be so easily angered. Now, just as she turned around, he had already run to the other side.

    "Hurry back, I''m afraid something will happen today."

    Just as she had said, although Li Yi was a weak scholar, he did not slander her. Raising his wooden stick, which was as thick as a man''s arm, he angrily smashed it towards her.

    At this moment, he was charging into the Hundred Flavors Clear Joy alone. Without saying a word, he slammed his pole on the counter.

    "Tell that grandson, Yu Zhanhong, to come out!"

    Yuan Ming, who was jabbering away on his abacus, was startled. When he saw that it was Elementary Scholar Li, he was overjoyed.

    "Yo, let me calculate. This pole of yours broke two jars of top-quality Pear Blossom White Flower. It would at least cost ten taels of silver." "Yah, there''s a crack in the counter. Fifty silver, look, even scaring the customers. One hundred silver."

    Li Yi shouted coldly, then raised his rod and smashed it onto Duan Ling Tian''s head. "Pah!" A scamp who sees money opening his eyes, scram! When will it be your turn to speak! "

    Yuan Ming covered his aching head, pointed at him and stammered, "Little bastard! How dare you hit me?! There''s no grandpa who can''t get up in two hundred taels!"

    "Then I''ll throw another shuttle at you and smash your dog head!"

    "Aiyaya, he''s killing someone!"

    With the loud commotion, the customers eating in the main hall all got up and ran away. The waiter and the waiter rushed out, "Come back, I didn''t pay you!"

    Li Yi was fuming and attacked Yu Zhanhong fiercely with his stick. When Yu Zhanhong refused to come out, Li Yi assumed that he was doing it out of guilt and shouted that he was going to cause trouble at the Yu Mansion.

    When Yu Zhenhong heard the news, he was so angry that he jumped up and down. He put down his chopsticks and left the mansion, then he rode his horse and dashed into the store.

    The weak, useless Elementary Scholar actually dared to find trouble with him? If you don''t die, you will be letting down this great opportunity!

    Even though he had already mentally prepared himself, his legs still couldn''t help but to soften when he rushed over.

    "Grandson of a Turtle!" "Look at what you''ve done!"

    Broken wine jars, fine white porcelain tableware, and carefully custom-made tables and chairs made from red bean trees were all destroyed!

    He had underestimated the destructive power of an Elementary Scholar.

    It was silver, white silver!

    Yu Zhanhong''s heart ached for the silver, and he collapsed to the ground in anger.

    "Grandson, you''re finally here!" The wooden sticks in Li Yi''s hand had been cut in half, and he was also exhausted to the point of sweating.

    "You with the surname Li, just you wait, I swear I won''t be a human until I send you to jail!"

    Li Yi was already going all out and wasn''t afraid of his threats in the slightest.

    Li Yu and Li Yu had been competitors since their ancestors were born, and Yu Zhanhong''s grandfather was an accountant hired by Elementary Scholar Li.

    Because the hard worker is willing to work hard, they treat him as a brother. From time to time, he imparts business skills to him.

    Who knew that the Yu Family was not a peaceful family. Once they gained experience, they would establish their own new sect. What was even more infuriating was their son''s generation watching the Li Family fall.

    The grudge between generations of ancestors was not made clear to this day.

    "Does laozi fear you!?" Didn''t you want to take all the flowers into your pocket? Let''s see if you have the ability to do so! "

 C87

    "Good, good, good. You have guts. I want to see what kind of storm you can create!"

    Yu Zhanhong was never someone who was willing to take a loss. He had already sent someone to report to the government on the way here. The people of the magistrate court had a deep relationship with the Yu family. They brought their sabre constable over quickly and immediately controlled Li Yi.

    The knife was placed against his neck, but Elementary Scholar Li was still unafraid. He was not allowed to retreat due to his scholarly attitude.

    "Listen up, Yu family. Even if you bribe the officials to assassinate me, I still won''t give you Hua ManLou''s room deed. Just give up on that!"

    "Even the Emperor wouldn''t be so unreasonable!"

    Yu Zhanhong silently cursed Li Yi as a lunatic. He only sent a few people to cause trouble.

    They had won without even a single battle, and their reputation had even earned them gold. Even if they were angry, they shouldn''t have held back at this point.

    After a long period of fear, the Hundred Flowers Garden began to clear up the mess. Fortunately, the retard only made trouble in the main hall and didn''t go to the private room on the second floor. If he went up and messed up like that, he really would have vomited blood and died.

    "Wu wu wu. Manager, that grandson surnamed Li hit me, wu wu wu ~"

    Yuan Ming covered his bulging head and sobbed silently.

    Yu Zhanhong kicked him away and jokingly scolded, "Who told you not to see it, you actually went straight for the gun."

    "Shopkeeper, you''re still laughing? How much money did you destroy? Let me calculate ˇ­"

    Yuan Ming struggled to pick up the abacus from the ground.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t let go of a single cent of what I owe." However, for that fool to work so hard, it means that something bad has happened to Flower Mansion. "

    Yu Zhanhong had always been smart. Li Yi was a fool, and the Su family''s wife was not an ordinary person.

    There was only one possibility for her not to be able to attend such a grand scene, and that was that she would be unable to leave.

    Something big was definitely going to happen in Flowerland, so he decided to wait and see a good show.

    "She''s in charge. On the other side, the Su Clan''s wife requests an audience."

    He came too late, everything was settled.

    Yu Zhanhong put away his astute smile and put on a mournful face, "Go, call him in. We have to give him an explanation no matter what!"

    When Su Zhi walked in, she looked at the rubble on the ground and felt her heart turn cold. What do you mean, disaster doesn''t work alone? This is it!

    He had been keeping an eye on Elementary Scholar Li since long ago, but he had never expected that he would be so impulsive.

    "Hello, Manager Yu."

    She found Yu Zhanhong, who was huddled up under the table, and her expression instantly turned sour.

    It seemed like Li Yi was going to beat him up.

    "Lady Su, why did that fool barge in to beat people and destroy so many things on me? How do you want to compensate me? "

    Yuan Ming came out from under the table again. As he cried, he fiddled with the abacus in his hand and said, "Let''s calculate the treatment fee first. It hurts when he beats someone up, wuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuu ~"

    Su Zhi had a terrible headache. Looking at the mess on the ground, she asked, "Have you already put him in the dungeon?"

    "What do you mean by ''I closed''?" Yu Zhan Hong stood up, gritting his teeth in anger.

    "He is breeding trouble and disturbing the order. He should be sending thirty people to the dungeon! "No, 40 boards!"

    According to Yu Zhanhong''s character, he would not let this matter go so easily. He would not let things go without ruthlessly extorting him.

    Su Zhi also knew that she wasn''t in the right. Other than allowing him to meticulously calculate what he needed to compensate, she couldn''t refute him at all.

    "I''ll apologize on behalf of Brother Li. There is a reason behind the matter, and once everything has been investigated, I''ll have a detailed discussion with the person in charge."

    His top priority right now was to see that idiot in the prison. He was a weak scholar; if he was beaten, he probably wouldn''t be able to last an entire night.

    This trip didn''t go smoothly. The Yu Family knew that someone was going to visit the prison, so they greeted them in advance.

    Su Zhi had spent a lot of silver to bribe the General Prison Division, and those who were assigned as guards had successfully entered the prison.

    The dark, damp dungeon was filled with the stench of rotting flesh, and rat ants were growing.

    A few burly prison wardens were soldering red-hot iron as they beckoned to the prisoners who refused to confess. The smell of burning flesh spread out, and those who were timid or had low mental endurance were likely to be beaten that night.

    Under the guidance of the guards, Su Zhi suppressed her discomfort and followed closely behind. She finally saw the imprisoned Li Yi.

    "Big Brother Li!"

    At this moment, Li Yi had changed his appearance from that of a hotheaded youth. He knew that he was being held captive, so he didn''t panic. He calmly leaned against the corner of the wall and didn''t cry out injustice like the other prisoners.

    Hearing the call, he suddenly opened his eyes and stood up. "Little Su, you''re here!"

    Facing the spontaneous and generous Li Yi, Su Zhi didn''t say much to reprimand him.

    The two fell silent for a moment before she shook her head helplessly, "Brother Li is so muddle-headed!"

    The matter had yet to be clarified and he had already caused such a huge mess. Apart from suffering from such grievances and not injuring a single bad person, it was truly a loss that was not worth it.

    Li Yi shrugged indifferently. "It''s fine, I''ve already thought of the consequences." "At most, I will just die and become a scoundrel, yet I am unable to get rid of him. I am truly ashamed in my heart."

    Su Zhi sighed and comforted, "Don''t worry, Brother Li. I will think of a way to save you." I''ve already made up my mind that they won''t make things difficult for you for the time being. "I will have Qiu Hong come and bring you food every day. First, you have to suffer a little. It won''t be long before everything is settled, then I will bring you back."

    However, Li Yi shook his head and refused to accept Su Zhi''s good intentions, "This matter was caused by me, so I will swallow all the bitter consequences." "Take a good look at the shop and expand the business of Flowery House. One day, those who look down on us will be amazed."

    Even though she said that, Su Zhi could not stand by and watch him suffer in prison.

    At the end of the day, he was doing it for the sake of the store, but the way to do it was still open for discussion.

    Although he had acted rashly, it also proved that Elementary Scholar Li was a man indeed.

    "Right, have you found anything today?"

    "Hmm, it''s not like we got nothing out of it. We''ve tentatively determined that this matter is related to the officials. Or rather, someone above is trying to make us suffer. "

    Li Yi was stunned. "People from the government?" Was it not sent by Yu Zhanhong? "

    Su Zhi smiled helplessly and explained, "This time, it can''t be him. When Brother Li thought about it carefully, Yu Zhanhong''s character didn''t seem to be at a disadvantage at all. If he really did it, would he still give you the chance to charge in and cause a ruckus? We''ll definitely be on guard against you and have some thugs prepare them early, just in case. "

    Only now did Li Yi realize what had happened.

    "Then what do we do now? Have I wronged someone and done something wrong? "

    Su Zhi shook her head again, "That may not be the case. Yu Zhonghong should have fought against him in the first place. That is an indisputable fact." After this incident, the people up there will definitely be secretly watching the joke. They became careless for a moment and thought that if we really suspected that the Yu Family was the culprit, we would be exposed. "

    No matter how brilliant a criminal was, he or she would still reveal a little bit of his or her abilities when enjoying the fruits of the crime. It depended on whether or not he or she had the ability to uncover the truth of the matter.

    However, Li Yi still didn''t understand. Other than Yu Zhanhong, who would go against Hua Manlou? According to Su Zhi, the entire matter had become complicated and confusing for those involved with the government.

 C88

    The guard saw that it was almost time: "Alright, it''s time. Let''s go."

    Su Zhi had no choice but to leave. Before leaving, she repeatedly warned Li Yi to be careful and not be reckless.

    Hua Manlou is now on the cusp of a storm, and any small move could bring disaster.

    In this way, all his previous efforts would be in vain.

    After leaving the prison, Su Zhi did not dare to waste even a second and directly returned to the shop.

    She was tired all morning, and when she was dizzy, she remembered that she had not yet eaten lunch.

    Qiu Hong was worried that her body wouldn''t be able to support itself, so she took some pastries from the dessert shop to fill her stomach.

    "Boss, the business on the second floor isn''t very good today. Many people didn''t dare to come when they heard that Manager Li was causing trouble. "I don''t know who said anything, but Manager Li had epilepsy and could hurt people at any time. Rumor has it that with this commotion, there would be fewer customers."

    It was within reason that Su Zhi thought of this. There were many people who were staring at Hua Manlou, so she naturally wanted to take advantage of a few more opportunities to kick him a few more times.

    Opening a department store was cheaper than opening other stores, which meant that selling rice would offend the people in the rice shop; selling cloth would offend the people in the cloth shop; and selling fresh fruits and fruits at the same time would even offend the pawn vendors.

    However, Su Zhi had the foresight to greet the various great trading companies in advance, in order not to offend these people.

    Even so, self-deception was still present everywhere in the shopping mall. This was a battle that could not be seen.

    "Just keep working as usual and pretend that this didn''t happen. If someone is gossiping and talking about Flowerland, don''t pay any attention to them. "

    "Then wouldn''t we be letting them do as they please? To slander? "

    Su Zhi was also helpless. While gossip was indeed troublesome, wouldn''t it be even worse if someone took advantage of this gap to dig a hole for them to jump into?

    "In short, all of you should remember that you can''t argue with people outside. Calm down and do your own things."

    Although Qiu Hong was unwilling, she knew that Su Zhi was right.

    Flowerwood''s reputation was not to be harmed. Business was all about reputation, and not just fame, but fame as well.

    "Boss, thank you for your hard work. I will pass on the message and make sure that our people will be careful and not fall victim to others'' rule."

    "Mm, you can leave now."

    Su Zhi supported herself with her head, feeling exhausted after busying herself for the entire morning.

    She was acutely aware that there was a crisis hidden beneath the invisible undercurrent.

    Since the opening of the restaurant, Hua Manlou''s business has been very good. Many people come to the restaurant to listen to music and drink tea after lunch each day. This afternoon, however, it was extremely cold and desolate. There were only a few people, in twos and threes.

    Part of the reason for this was that Li Yi had destroyed the Hundred Flavors Clear Harmony. It wasn''t surprising that there were fights in the mall, but there were also times when the lips and teeth had fallen.

    The Hundred Flavors Clearing Huan could not be left alone, and the number of customers in Flower Mansion had been reduced by half.

    Su Zhi thought about the ridiculous relationship between the two of them and found them laughable.

    Without the accountant in the main hall, Su Zhi personally went up to fight.

    The business on the third floor was handed over to the new acolytes. She went up to receive a rather large customer, since the business on the first floor was deserted. A few people came and went, and soon, the dessert shop had a special customer.

    At first, Su Zhi was busy with her accounts with her head down. Someone directly rushed into the dessert shop. She just treated it as a guest coming back and didn''t need to call anyone.

    The man had bought a few bags of new products and was quite surprised to see Su Zhi sitting at the counter.

    "Oh ~ It''s you, little lady?"

    Hearing the call, Su Zhi raised her head and saw a young master dressed in black silk clothing looking at her with a bag of pastries in his hand.

    She was stunned for a moment. She also did not expect to meet him here. "Young Master Li?"

    Li Wuyou stepped forward and placed the pastries on the counter. Smiling, he joked, "I didn''t think that this little lady would have such great ability. To think that she would actually take on the task of accounting."

    Su Zhi smiled. "Young Master Li, you flatter me. I can barely handle the lack of people in the shop. On the other hand, Young Master, you also like the pastries in our shop?"

    Li Wuyou shrugged his shoulders, glanced at the exquisite pastry, and shook his head. "I don''t like to eat sweet things. My junior likes it, that''s why I came here specially."

    Su Zhi understood and gave her price on the abacus. "You can consider it cheaper. There''s a total of one and a half taels of silver."

    Li Wuyou took out some silver and paid the bill, but he was not in a hurry to leave.

    "Is there anything else Young Master Li would like to see?"

    He scratched his head and laughed simple-mindedly, "Can this little lady impart culinary arts to me? After Hua Xuan ate the congee you made, she was full of praise. She kept yelling that she wanted to eat it. "

    Mentioning the man with the peerlessly beautiful appearance, Su Zhi was once again surprised. Weren''t those two enemies? Why were they talking about the same thing?

    "Sure, no problem. I''ll just write down the ingredients and procedures for you."

    Li Wuyou cupped his fist and proudly boasted, "I didn''t think that this little lady would be so generous. I''ll thank you. If you need anything in the future, just say it."

    In any case, he didn''t need to rely on his cooking skills to cook, so it was fine to tell him the secret recipe. Su Zhi wrote down the necessary ingredients and cooking time according to the procedure. She did not take the promise made by Li Wuyou seriously.

    "When I came to the shop, I heard a bit of news. I said that you two were selling ruined rice to others. Before, I looked down on you two, but now, it''s my fault. You guys must have been wronged."

    After writing the secret recipe to him, Su Zhi shook her head and said with a wry smile, "I''ve been plotted against once. I''ll grow intelligence after suffering a setback. Next time, I''ll know how powerful I am."

    Li Wuyou folded the paper slip and placed it carefully in his pocket. After pondering for a moment, he finally spoke.

    "If you really were attacked by someone, why not uncover the truth and return the innocence of that person to everyone?"

    He knew how much business people cared about their reputation. It was like how they would lose their reputation if they lost their goods.

    Su Zhi sighed. How could she not know of this strong relationship? But things were all stuck together, and they were at a complete loss. She had no idea how to find out the truth of this matter.

    "How about I help the little girl find out what''s going on for you?"

    When Su Zhi heard this, she looked at him in disbelief. "Young Master, are you serious?"

    "Of course I''m serious. Don''t look down on us, the Moyun Castle is the best place in the world to work as an assistant in the investigation of darts. Everyone knows how powerful the Moyun Castle is."

    "So it turns out that Young Master Li has such a great background. I apologize for my disrespect. If you really can help me this much, I will repay you handsomely after this matter. "

    Regarding Li Wuyou''s understanding of him, Su Zhi had only stayed to have a small fight with Hua Li, and had also conveniently destroyed her family''s house ˇŞ

    He had a violent temper but was skilled in martial arts. He had never thought that he was someone from the Black Cloud Stronghold.

    Su Zhi had more or less heard about the rumors regarding Moyun Castle. It was probably a place where all the heroes of the martial arts world gathered. It was a place that every man in the forest respected and respected.

    Li Wuyou opened his mouth and agreed to this matter. After discussing the strangeness of the matter with Su Zhi, he took her letter and went to the warehouse.

    The most important thing about the case was that he was wearing the uniform of an official.

    If he hadn''t offended the higher-ups, he wouldn''t have acted rashly.

    However, the problem was that Su Zhi did not know who she had offended. Even if Li Wuyou asked again and again, it would be useless.

    In the blink of an eye, it was already dusk. The business inside the store had become even colder.

    On the opposite side, the hundred types of people had already closed their doors. In the blink of an eye, it became much quieter.

    Before he left, Yu Zhenhong brought someone to the store to ask for an explanation. He also threw the calculated bill in front of Su Zhi, saying that they would not be able to open Hua Manlou''s door without paying the bill within three days.

    Su Zhi knew that her side was unreasonable, so she nodded and admitted that she would be compensated.

    After sending her off, she opened up the accounts. When she saw the numbers on it, she couldn''t help but catch her breath.

    She already knew that Yu Zhanhong was a man who was good at everything, but she didn''t expect him to ask so much.

    "How outrageous! We merely broke a few plates, bowls, chopsticks, and a few jars of wine, but he actually wants us to accompany him for so long!"

    He even said that he had destroyed the best tables and chairs in the restaurant, and had actually asked for double the amount of company. How repulsive!

 C89

    Qiu Hong had cleaned up everything, packed up her stuff and prepared to leave. Seeing Su Zhi supporting herself with her head, looking like she had a headache, she guessed most of it.

    "Boss, we''ve been targeted by the vicious dogs. Seeing how the other side is now, if they don''t let even a little bit of blood flow out, they won''t let go."

    Su Zhi rubbed her throbbing temples as her chest tightened. Those words weren''t wrong. They knew that the other party was here to extort them, so they couldn''t give any reasons to reject.

    "Boss, how about we go to the government? Shopkeeper Li was a bit impatient, but it wasn''t our fault that the Hundred Flavors Clear Joyous were the first to go."

    "How can it be that easy to get into the government? Not to mention the culprits, even if we go to the government, with the Yu family''s power, how can we defeat them?"

    Qiu Hong was unwilling. Was she simply letting others bully her and doing nothing at all?

    "Boss, don''t you know the officials in the capital? Shang Jing, go find someone to help you! "

    Su Zhi rejected him without thinking. After Xiao Qian''s confession last night, she could not defend the defense in her heart and agreed to it without thinking.

    She had already determined that their relationship wouldn''t be as casual as it was before. Besides, this was her own affair and she should think of a way to resolve it herself. Unless it was a last resort, she didn''t want to trouble him.

    "I will take care of it. It''s getting late, you can go back first."

    After Qiu Hong left, Su Zhi mustered her strength to finish looking through the final accounts. Seeing that it was already very late, she called the coachman back.

    It was already dark outside, and the weather was getting colder.

    Winter mist soaked in the night sky, the night sky did not see the moon and stars, Spring Leaf Alley in the winter more quiet.

    After the carriage slowly drew near, Su Zhi adjusted her mood and lifted the curtain. Seeing that her mother was waiting at the door, and that she had come back, she went up to welcome her.

    "Aiyo, that''s so pitiful. Madam has finally returned, and it''s already so late. Even the watchdog has returned to its nest."

    Seeing that her hands were clasped together and her body was covered in a thin layer of frost, Su Zhi knew that she must have waited for a long time. Warmth filled her heart as she hurriedly stepped forward to support her mother.

    "I''ve made you wait for a long time. There will be many more of these in the future. Just rest and don''t wait for me."

    Mrs Ding invited her into the house, closed the door, and once again asked warmly, "Madam, you still haven''t had your meal, right? I''ll go heat up the prepared food."

    "No need, I''ve already eaten. I just need to wash up. Mommy Ding, go rest."

    "Yo, I was just warming up the hot water, I''ll bring it to you right away."

    Su Zhi was indeed very tired and didn''t want to shirk the kindness of her mother.

    It was cold outside, and her body was already frozen by the time she got back. She was afraid that she would not be able to handle the cold in the shop, so she hurried back to her room to get some winter clothes to prepare.

    Not long later, the bucket behind the screen was filled with hot water.

    Under the dense fog, Su Zhi felt even more sleepy.

    She quickly took off her clothes and entered the hot water, closing her eyes in comfort.

    "Madam, this old woman is outside. If you have any orders, just say it."

    Su Zhi acknowledged softly and replied, "Mom Ding, you can go down to rest. I don''t need to wait on you. I just need to wash myself and go to sleep."

    She yawned, closed her eyes, and leaned against the wall of the bucket. She wanted to take a nap, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier as she slept.

    She felt that the water''s temperature had turned cold, but she did not want to get up with her eyes closed.

    Someone pushed the door open and walked over to the screen. After pausing for a long time, he lightly approached her.

    A shadow passed over his eyes, and the wide towel on the wooden mat was taken off.

    Su Zhi sensed that someone was wiping her body. She thought that it was her mother who came in to serve her, so she struggled to open her eyes.

    This glance frightened her quite a bit. Su Zhi saw that the man holding the long sword and steel knife was doing his best to soften his movements and wipe her hair. He moved cautiously, afraid that he would disturb her.

    "General? "Why are you here?"

    Su Zhi jumped in fright. Half of her sleepiness was gone, and she immediately took the towel from Xiao Qian''s hands to cover herself.

    Although they had confirmed their relationship as lovers, she had not reached the point where she could let the other party see her naked body.

    Seeing that she had woken up, the man lightly coughed to hide his awkwardness. "I came to see you. Mommy Ding said that you have been here for a long time. I was worried that you would come in to take a look."

    After being bathed in the warm water, the woman''s body became even more delicate and pretty. Crimson spots appeared on her skin, and her skin was as smooth as creamy white porcelain.

    Xiao Qian rolled his Adam''s apple and his body suddenly burst into flames.

    He quickly turned his back, suppressing the dryness in his mouth and the burning in his ears.

    Su Zhi''s face was also extremely red. She must have seen everything from Xiao Gan just now.

    When she thought about it, she felt slightly angry. She complained about why he didn''t knock on the door. It was really disrespectful to barge in just like that.

    "General, I''m afraid you''ve forgotten the difference between men and women. Your reputation as a commoner who barged in like this has been ruined."

    Xiao Qian suddenly remembered what Tan Qing had told him: If your woman is still innocent even after meeting you, she must be prepared to leave.

    His heart skipped a beat and he started to feel sad for no reason.

    "We... Aren''t we already together? "

    Su Zhi did not know what it meant that she had promised Xiao Qian last night. The men of this era must have been prepared for a woman to agree to marry him, especially since he was a martial general and did not have the red tape of a scholar. All they knew was that she had agreed to it and that it could be considered to be a lifetime.

    Now that Su Zhi had reacted, Xiao Qian mistakenly thought that she had changed her mind.

    "If you don''t want to follow me anymore, I won''t blame you."

    Su Zhi covered her body and stood to the side, not knowing how to reply.

    How did it become her fault?

    "However, our Xiao family has an ancestor''s teachings. Since we have already decided on that girl, we must treat her well and not let her down. If you think that something that I have done is not right, then tell me, and I will change it. " As long as you don''t regret agreeing to it.

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry and rolled her eyes at the screen.

    Didn''t they say that since ancient times, it was taboo for both men and women to cross the line before marriage? That doesn''t count? Not only that, it had become her fault?

    "I didn''t mean that, I''m just not used to being like this ˇ­" She got up and dried herself and changed her clothes and came out.

    Outside the window, Xiao Qian stood under the solitary lamp with a look of worry on his face. He was speechless.

    At first glance, it seemed that she was the one who had wrongly lifted her pants and didn''t recognize him. Xiao Qian was the one who had been abandoned.

    "I want to see you. I heard some news about the store that day, so I was worried that you didn''t come to greet me."

    When have you come to say hello?

    Su Zhi wrapped up in a robe and sat in front of the dowry to wipe her hair, accidentally sneezing.

    Seeing this, Xiao Qian didn''t bother to be polite. He took the white towel from her hand and carefully wiped her hair.

    "I''ll send someone to help out with the shop matters. You can just stay at home and embroider flowers. If you have nothing to do, you can just go out with the kids."

    The meaning behind his words was for her to be more relaxed and become a person who didn''t know what to do.

    Su Zhi understood his good intentions and was definitely worried that she would not be able to hold on. However, she did not want to be a canary that kept living like a prince. She wanted to rely on herself to do everything and support her children.

    "Thank you for your kind intentions, General. I can still deal with the matters in the shop."

    Xiao Qian stopped moving and bent down to hug her. He rubbed her temples and moved intimately, extremely gentle.

    "If you follow me, I won''t let you suffer. If you can''t stay idle, then when the marriage is in the future, I''ll let you rule."

    Su Zhi''s heart was pounding and her ears were slightly burning.

    Knowing that she was shy, Xiao Qian smirked as he bit her earlobe and licked her lips.

    Her delicate body couldn''t help but tremble. She tried to push him away but discovered that she was completely powerless.

 C90

    "General, don''t ˇ­"

    He did not intend to let go, and was amazed at the endless desire in his body.

    He had killed countless enemies on the battlefield, thinking that he had lost all traces of his so-called desire to be a person, and would not understand the wonders of love between men and women. He did not expect that when he was facing Su Zhi, he would actually be like a kid who had experienced love, and had a weird urge.

    "Don''t be afraid. If you don''t want to, I won''t do anything to you."

    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to, it was just that he felt it was too fast.

    Su Zhi did not push him anymore and let him continue wringing her hair after he was done with his naughtiness.

    Xiao Qian didn''t overwork himself with her effort. He waited for his hair to dry before he picked her up and put her on the bed.

    It took Su Zhi so long to realize that her two children were actually not in bed.

    It was likely that his mother knew that Xiao Qian would come and brought him to her room to take care of him.

    "Leave the matters of your store to me. No matter what, I don''t need to care about the rumors. Just relax."

    Su Zhi nodded. She was extremely sleepy and did not say anything to reject his good intentions.

    "I''ll go back first. I''ll come see you tomorrow."

    "Mm, be careful on the way."

    He looked at the woman lying on the bed with her eyes wide open and couldn''t help but laugh. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then left after she completely lost consciousness.

    Mother Ding had been paying attention to what was going on next door, but after listening for a long time, she still couldn''t hear anything. She thought it had been a long time since they last saw each other.

    He was about to get up to take a look when he saw that Xiao Qian had already opened the door and left.

    Mother Ding watched him leave before locking the door again.

    It was a good night. At dawn the next day, Su Zhi woke up quietly. Mrs Ding had already prepared breakfast, and the two children were already awake. They stood outside the door and secretly observed the situation in Su Zhi''s room.

    "My two little babies, come in quickly."

    After Su Zhi had put on her clothes, A Jin came in with a small bean bag in her hand, asking for a good morning kiss.

    "Mother, you came back so late these few days. My sister and I can''t see you."

    A Jin snuggled up to Su Zhi like a spoiled child, pouting as if she was wronged.

    She nodded her head emphatically as she said, "Daddy ~ Daddy ~ ~"

    Su Zhi kissed the two children from left and right, feeling a little guilty.

    There was no end to the money, but the two children had lost their fathers, and the lack of maternal love was pitiful.

    After the store had gotten out of the limelight, she decided to take the kids for a walk. She also wanted to find out more about the academy, so she could prepare for A Jin to go to school.

    After a hasty breakfast, Su Zhiyi reluctantly confessed her two children.

    Now that Elementary Scholar Li was caught, she was the only one in charge of the store, so she had to follow suit.

    It was almost noon, and the 100 Flavors of Clear Harmony had already completed its normal business. It seemed like it wasn''t much loss since Elementary Scholar Li had broken the equipment, but Yu Zhanhong''s aggressive attitude yesterday clearly showed that he was trying to trick her to death.

    Su Zhi couldn''t help but have a headache. She really didn''t know how to deal with this troublesome master.

    "Qiu Hong, come over here for a moment."

    Hearing this, Qiu Hong, who was busy counting the goods, quickly raised her head. "Boss, you called me?"

    Su Zhi glanced at the restaurant full of people and felt unbalanced. "Go ask Manager Yu to come over and tell him that I want to discuss compensation with him."

    "Alright, I''ll go now."

    "Wait a moment, prepare lunch and send it over to Brother Li. He''s just a weak scholar, he must have never suffered in prison before. "

    Qiu Hong nodded. "Don''t worry, Boss. I''ve already had Shuang''er prepare."

    Only then did Su Zhi relax. No matter what, she could not delay matters of pleasure. It had to be resolved as soon as possible.

    Not long later, Qiuhong called Yu Zhanhong over.

    What was different from yesterday was that he didn''t bring too many people to strengthen his aura. Besides him, there wasn''t even a personal attendant.

    What was different from usual was that his expression was a little ugly. It seemed that he was secretly enduring his grievance as he stared at Su Zhi with fear in his eyes.

    "Hello, Manager Yu."

    He nodded slightly, his expression too stiff.

    According to his way of doing things, he should have used both hard and soft methods to make Hua Manlou pay for the loss of money. However, he remained silent and did not say a word.

    Su Zhi invited Yu Zhanhong to the VIP room on the second floor and had him serve some fruits and tea while thinking about how to start the conversation.

    They had to pay him back, but they had to release him as well. It was a lesson to be locked up for a whole day, and the Hundred Flavors Clear Joyous was the first to do something to hurt him, so they couldn''t blame him for that.

    After thinking for a moment, she cleared her throat and said, "I''ve roughly finished looking through the accounts that Yu Zhanhong handed me yesterday. First of all, we do have something wrong with Flowerwood, and I must apologize to you for that. However, we all open our doors to do business, so it''s normal for us to have a fight. Look, Brother Li has already been inside for so long, shouldn''t he send us off as well? "

    He remained silent as he listened to her words with an indifferent expression.

    "Regarding the compensation, we will accept it as well. However, if you calculate the total amount, we will need to accompany you for more than 1,700 taels of silver. This is too..." To be honest, since the start of the store''s business, its net profit has not been that high. It really can''t be taken out. "

    Su Zhi wanted to play an emotional card with Yu Zhanhong, but Yu Zhanhong still did not respond. Even if she had a stomach full of schemes, she could not use them.

    What was going on with this man today?

    "Manager Yu?"

    Yu Zhanhong took a deep breath and clenched his fist tightly under his sleeve, but he held it in and didn''t dare to let it go.

    "Then tell me, Lady Su, how exactly do you want to compensate?"

    Su Zhi opened the account book, took out a brush and drew a circle on the admitted part, then forked the other parts that couldn''t be accepted. Even so, he still had to pay a large amount of silver coins.

    "What do you think of this? The things in your shop can be repaired. We''ll get some craftsmen to do it. Those that cannot be repaired, we will repay the cost. As for those precious wines that you all have mentioned, we will accompany you as you wish. Finally, there''s Yuan Ming''s medical fees. We''ve specially invited the people from the infirmary to come and see him, and we''ll bear all the expenses. In addition, we''ll accompany him for another ten silver taels.

    This plan of Su Zhi''s really did not cause the Lovers'' Gourmet to suffer the slightest loss. She only protected Hua Manlou to the greatest extent. She thought that Yu Zhanhong wouldn''t agree if he insisted, but she didn''t expect him to actually nod his head and agree.

    "I''ll do as you say."

    Su Zhi blinked her eyes in disbelief. "Shopkeeper Yu agreed?"

    Yu Zhanhong gritted his teeth, nodded with extreme pain, and said in a deep voice, "I agree! "Farewell!"

    He stood up, grabbed the account book from the table and left without looking back.

    Just like that? So easy to talk to?

    Qiuhong was also surprised. Yu Zhanhong was known for his meticulous planning, would he give in on this matter? It was the first time he had heard of it.

    "Boss, did he really agree?"

    Su Zhi also felt that something was off. She watched his back as he left and fell into deep thought.

    The man who was rolling on the ground while clutching his heart in pain on the Hundred Flourishing Flower private room roared towards the sky, "What a sinner!" "Pity there''s no one above me ~ My silver ~"

    Yuan Ming flipped through the account book in his hand, unable to close his jaw in shock.

    "You''re in charge. You agreed just like that? You gave me ten taels of silver for such a small compensation? "

    Yu Zhanhong''s heart was twitching in pain, and his heart was still in pain. It was real silver! It was still a good opportunity to destroy Flower Mansion!

    Gone, everything was gone!

    Who asked the person behind her to be the Great General Xiao! I can''t fight, no one! "

    Yu Zhan Hong still remembered the scene last night when Xiao Qian came to visit him with a sword in his hand. He said that he had heard of his father''s name for a long time, but in reality, it was just a disguised threat!

    Who would be so thickheaded as to bring twenty to thirty elite soldiers without a gift? This was so infuriating!

    Holding the account book, Yuan Ming cried out, "Then wouldn''t I have nothing left to earn?"

    "Earning my ass!" Does General Xiao know? The popular people around the current emperor! Lu Li had the Liu Family General and the Xiao Family General, so how could you afford to offend them? "You must be tired of living!"

 C91

    "Wuwuwu ~ Then my money is gone ~"

    Yuan Ming''s heart ached for the hundred taels of silver that had gone missing from his mouth. Now that it had shrunk by ten times, it would be better to kill him to his heart''s content.

    "Go on, don''t argue with the people on the other side, it''s the same if you earn less, it''s better than dying."

    Yu Zhanhong never expected that there was such a huge mountain behind Su Zhi.

    Xiao Qian was definitely not someone he could afford to offend. If the situation turned bad, it would be best to stay far away from him.

    While they were still puzzled, Shuang''er, who had gone to deliver the food, had already returned. Li Yi, who had not seen the light of day, had also returned with her.

    Perhaps it was because the prison had been too hard on him, and Elementary Scholar Li was depressed.

    Su Zhi was still very happy to welcome him back. She ordered the chef to cook a few more dishes to celebrate.

    As happy as she was happy, Su Zhi keenly felt that everything was too easy to settle. She thought about it and found no other reason other than Xiao Qian secretly helping her.

    It was a good start for Li Yi to return safely. The rumors that Hua Manlou had provoked the powerful and influential had broken on his own.

    The shop that had been waiting for a good show for a long time yesterday was looking for something boring today, so there was no need to come up with such a joke.

    After lunch, the business on the second floor began to warm up, and the restaurant became lively once again.

    Su Zhi finally broke away from herself and threw herself into the business on the third floor with all her heart. She had been too lazy to do anything these days. She hadn''t been able to sell many of the new products she should have developed.

    She was studying a box of dried flowers while no one was around.

    It should be good to do some moisturizing dew in the cold weather, or make face cream hand cream or something like that.

    She took some grape seed oil and olive oil from the system and started to think. There was another commotion from outside.

    "Your Highness, you really can''t go in there. The madams and misses go there."

    "Get out of the way, get out of the way! This prince has gone through a lot of trouble to make this trip. What are you blabbering about?"

    Hearing this voice, Lu Huan Zhi''s trouble came again.

    Su Zhi''s central nervous system burst out, and her head began to ache again.

    "Beauty, I''ve come to see you!"

    With a bang, the door was kicked open by someone. A man, who was laughing so hard that his branches were quivering, walked in happily with a clay pot in his hand.

    "Look what I brought you."

    Su Zhi did not want to look at him at all. She was afraid that she would die from anger.

    Lu Huan Zhi opened the pot and fanned her with his fan. He said mysteriously, "It''s a clear soup for the pigeons. It''s a great dish to nourish the Yin and nourish the Yang. Try it. I personally... "Cough, cough, cough. I personally supervised the cooking process."

    Su Zhi glanced at the good-looking pigeon soup. For some reason, a bad feeling rose in her heart.

    "How did you get this pigeon?"

    Lu Huan Zhi brushed off his clothes and sat down, and said while half-biting his lips, "Guess what? When I came back this morning, I saw a fat pigeon flying over from the top of a building full of flowers. "I caught it immediately. That pigeon wasn''t afraid of me and was captured by me just like that. You said that it was unfortunate, but I wanted to eat the pigeon."

    Su Zhi stared wide-eyed, staring straight at the dead pigeon, and stammered, "Is there a note tied to its leg?"

    "Hey, god!" How do you know! "

    F * ck you! Can a domesticated carrier pigeon be so afraid of living? Su Zhi simply wanted to cry, but there were no tears. Yesterday, she had sent a messenger to Liu Yuan in order to clarify the situation. At the end of the letter, she had specifically instructed him not to reply, especially not to let a messenger send a letter in case someone stopped him halfway.

    He probably couldn''t let go of the obsession in his heart and wanted to explain it to her, but Liu Yuan insisted on replying. He sent a letter with a pigeon, but he didn''t want to be stewed by Lu Huan.

    Su Zhi was furious. There were plenty of things to begin with and this man was adding fuel to the fire, afraid that she would not be busy enough.

    "Where''s the letter!?" Give it to me! "

    "I burned it."

    Lu Huan''s dead body looked at her with an unafraid look, and her smile was full of mockery. Seeing that Su Zhi was so angry that she did not know how to react, she explained, "It''s not like you said you wanted to see."

    Su Zhi...

    They had never seen such a shameless person!

    "Don''t be angry, I''ll just keep you company. If not, then it''ll just be a group." Come, come, come. Calm down, drink some soup. "

    What should I do? I really want to beat him up!

    Su Zhi was so angry that she rolled her eyes a few times, barely able to calm her good mood, "Go back Your Highness, I still have to entertain some guests here."

    "What''s the rush? Eat a pigeon first, and then we''ll talk. Let me tell you, once the culinary skills of the chefs of Prince Yongning''s mansion reach perfection, you''ll suffer a great loss if you don''t eat."

    Ignoring her anger, Lu Huan''s smile became even wider.

    "En, this pigeon stewed quite well. The soup is very delicious and the meat is fresh and tender." "When the time comes for you guys to grow up and wait for the pigeons, hahahaha."

    Su Zhi tried her best to say that she should not be angry and bicker with a rascal. At most, he would just tell Liu Yuan that the pigeon had become someone else''s meal.

    Lu Huan pulled off half of the pigeon and placed it in a bowl, passing it to her. Then, he very politely scooped another half bowl of soup in front of her.

    "You try it, it''s really not bad."

    Su Zhi was infuriated, gritting her teeth as she forced out a word: she didn''t want to eat it.

    Let him eat them all, it would be best if he could just force him to death!

    Seeing her gloomy expression, Lu Huan didn''t seem to be worried at all about the dissatisfaction of the woman as he leisurely drank the soup.

    "If you don''t want to drink, then I''ll eat slowly. In any case, you can''t open the door to do business anymore."

    Su Zhi could not help but slam the table. "Can you not be so bored?"

    He shook his head. "Sigh, life is boring. We have to find some fun."

    It felt like he was bored and didn''t know where to find trouble, so he treated her as a pastime?

    Su Zhi resisted the urge to strangle him and rushed downstairs with the pot, pouring all the pigeon soup into a swill bucket.

    "Do you want more?" She stared at the man behind her provocatively, so angry that she wanted to tear his mouth apart.

    "I don''t have such strong tastes. If you want to drink it, I won''t stop you."

    "Please leave, Your Highness!"

    Lu Huan Zhi pretended to be sad as she said, "You have no conscience. I specifically sent you soup, yet you treat me like this."

    Having successfully made Su Zhi angry, Lu Huan Zhi did not plan to stay for long. In a good mood, he went downstairs and swaggered off.

    Su Zhi took a deep breath, then went upstairs in a huff.

    Lu Huan had come over and over again to cause trouble, but at first, no one said anything. However, after a few attempts, there were already people who guessed at the relationship between him and Su Zhi.

    What was even more infuriating was that there were actually rumors that the two of them were lovers, that Su Zhi was the outer room of Lu Huan''s foster son, and that he was the one who had spent all the money spent on the modification.

    Qiu Hong knew the truth of the matter and could also see that the Crown Prince did not truly admire Su Zhi. At the very most, when her days were no longer interesting, she needed to find a place to play.

    Everyone in Xuancheng knew about Lu Huan''s terrible incident and it had caused quite a stir even in the capital. For a playboy of the Chu Hall, he had even dared to offend the empress and niece, making it clear that he would never step foot into Prince Yongning''s residence again.

    However, Su Zhi could not do anything about this helplessness.

    Ye Zichen had thought that Ye Zichen just loved to play around and would stop after a while, but he didn''t think that this man was going to force the hoodlum to the end, and was clearly going to make things difficult for her.

    How infuriating!

    Despite his dissatisfaction, Lu Huan Zhi still did a pretty good job.

    According to rumours and rumors, the crown prince loved to linger around the streets and alleys. Wherever he went, he would return the things he bought from Flower Mansion to Mrs. Hua Kui.

    He didn''t forget to tell them where they came from even after giving it as a gift.

    This soft advertisement was well done. As a result, many of the famous singing and courtesans knew of the Flower Mansion''s existence. After the items were used up, they would go there a second time. Even if he didn''t personally go there to choose, he would still send someone to buy them.

 C92

    The sun was high in the west, and the bluestone was late.

    The first winter''s day was fleeting. In the blink of an eye, the sky darkened again.

    After the performance ended, the entire second floor was deserted. Other than the maidservants on the third floor, who were helping their Young Miss to purchase them, there were no other guests.

    Su Zhi packed up everything and decided to go downstairs to discuss the situation in the store with Elementary Scholar Li. Just as she was about to leave, Qiu Hong ran upstairs to tell her that a customer had come to see her.

    "Boss, I''ve already brought that Young Master Li to the second floor. After you finish your work, go and take a look."

    Su Zhi nodded and hurriedly tidied up everything before heading downstairs.

    Li Wuyou had arrived too quickly, and she was willing to wait at least three or four days. She didn''t expect that he would come looking for her after a single night. Could it be that something had happened?

    When she arrived at the private room, Li Wuyou was drinking tea leisurely. Along with him was Hua Li, who had fought with her before.

    The two of them did not argue and did not cause trouble. They just sat there quietly, like two peerless beauties.

    "Both gongzis have come. If you''re not able to welcome them from afar, there''s still a chance for you to see them."

    "Good morning, Lady Su."

    Li Wuyou put down his teacup, scratched his head and smiled apologetically, "This morning, I followed the instructions written by my wife and cooked the porridge. I ate my food and refused to eat anything I made, so I''m ashamed."

    Su Zhi covered her mouth and chuckled lightly. She comforted him, "It''s alright. Just do it a few more times. Cooking is something that can be learned."

    Her pretty face instantly fell, "I don''t want to go to the latrine as a slut again."

    Li Wuyou smiled guiltily before getting down to business.

    "I''ve already investigated the matter that the young lady requested yesterday."

    Su Zhi was shocked, she did not expect it to really happen so quickly.

    "Young master is so smart. I thought you''d have to wait a few days to get the news."

    Li Wuyou reported back on his sword and arrogantly tilted his head towards Su Zhi, saying in disdain, "How could it take so long? You''re underestimating the strength of my Black Cloud Stronghold too much."

    "I am truly sorry. I was the one who failed to recognize the belittlement of young master Mt. Tai." I hope that Young Master will not blame me for telling you the truth. "

    Li Wuyou retracted his conceited look, and said seriously: "Before this investigation, I always thought that it was all because of the big business, that the big tree attracted the displeasure of others, and that was why they colluded with the government. But it turns out that it''s not as simple as we think. "

    Su Zhi''s mind tightened as she continued to ask, "What does Young Master mean?"

    "Part of the reason we were able to quickly find out who the mastermind was was because he didn''t avoid the evidence. In other words, they''re not worried about you causing trouble at all. "

    Now that things had gotten to this stage, Su Zhi could already faintly guess what was going on. Li Wuyou, who was afraid that she might guess the wrong person, immediately whispered in her ears and told her who the mastermind was.

    Su Zhi frowned and pretended to be worried. She had never thought that she would be the cause of this disaster.

    "Now that the matter has been ascertained, I have a general idea of what I should do in the future. "Many thanks to Young Master Li. Here is twenty silver taels, I hope you can accept them."

    Li Wuyou pushed it back with a wave of his hand.

    "I said that I won''t accept this silver, as long as the little lady is willing to accept me as her disciple and teach me how to cook porridge."

    Su Zhi burst out in laughter, finding it difficult for Li Wuyou to act tough. In order to satisfy the nectar of the flower, he did not hesitate to drill into the kitchen to make a pot of good porridge.

    "Thank you very much, Young Master Li. I will be hosting a banquet in the Han Residence one day to entertain the two of you."

    Upon hearing that there was food to be had, Flower Soluble nodded his head and said, "In that case, thank you very much, little wife."

    After sending off Li Wuyou and Hua Xuan, Su Zhi fell into deep thought once more. Now that she knew who had splashed Hua Manlou with dirty water, she didn''t know how to respond.

    Just as it was about to close, Qiu Hong came upstairs and saw her sitting motionlessly at her spot. She asked worriedly, "Boss, did you run into any trouble?"

    Su Zhi shivered all of a sudden, then shook her head. "I''m fine. You guys can go back now."

    Qiu Hong nodded and headed downstairs. Su Zhi thought about it for a while, then called out to her, "Go and call Manager Li over. I have something to discuss with him."

    "Sigh, alright."

    Li Yi was in the midst of accounting for the entire day''s worth of accounts when he glanced at the few hundred silver that was given to Hundred Flavors Clear Joyous. The pain in his heart was extremely intense. He secretly cursed Yu Zhanhong for being a man who ate people without spitting out their bones. He even asked for compensation for the toppled potted plants. It could be considered a blessing in disguise that this man didn''t do such things.

    He closed the account book angrily and stormed up the stairs, getting straight to the point, "I don''t agree to pay that much silver to that bastard from the Yu family!"

    Su Zhi was very calm when she saw the fire in his eyes, and she gestured for him to sit down.

    "I already know who is plotting against us."

    Li Yi temporarily stopped his anger and asked, "Who is it?"

    Su Zhi sighed and unwillingly said, "It''s Princess Anyang."

    "Who did you say?"

    Not only did Li Yi not dare to believe it, but even Su Zhi herself was very suspicious.

    Princess Anyang was a relative of the royal family, so there was no need to use such despicable methods to make life difficult for them. Furthermore, there was no reason for her to do so.

    However, Su Zhi understood that although An Yang and her were two completely different people, due to Xiao Gan, it was expected that she would bear a grudge.

    Li Yi was afraid that he''d heard wrongly, so he asked in a half-believing and half-doubting manner, "Why would a dignified princess go against us commoners?"

    Su Zhi lowered her head, sighing helplessly, "She came for me."

    If someone else were to resort to such underhanded methods, it could only mean that there was a huge amount of envy in the entire business. But if it was Princess Anyang, other than Xiao Gan, there was no other reason.

    Thus, this time, it was completely her fault for offending someone.

    "In the future, make everyone pay attention to the fact that you have to be more careful in everything you do. Don''t let anyone catch you red-handed."

    If he was truly unbalanced and wanted to add to her trouble, then he would have to stop after teaching her a lesson.

    Su Zhi felt a little helpless. Anyang was untouchable, and if it was an official, she would immediately pay some silver to quell the disaster. But since the other party was a princess, she had no other choice but to endure it for the time being.

    Although Li Yi was a good person, he wasn''t stupid. He contacted the person that Little Dou Bao had found when Su Zhi had gone missing, then recalled some of the Beijing gossip and could imagine the reason behind An Yang''s actions.

    "Then, if it''s like this, then I''m afraid that Hua Manlou''s business won''t go smoothly."

    Su Zhi frowned and twisted the silk in her hand into a fried dough twist.

    She had met An Yang once, and she still vividly remembered that person''s fierce personality. If it was really like Li Yi was worried about, then she wouldn''t let go of him.

    "I can only hope that Princess is only temporarily mischievous and won''t offend you afterwards."

    Both of them sighed. There was a long silence.

    Princess Anyang was the current empress dowager''s favorite granddaughter, especially after the Great Wei''s princesses had been married off and Yuchang had died tragically. An Yang''s position was skyrocketing. Even Empress Zhao, who held the power of the harem, didn''t dare to slight him. In this way, the pampered and proud personality was even more unrestrained. Wasn''t it easy to teach this unsightly commoner a lesson?

    Su Zhi frowned, but Li Yi instead comforted her, "Don''t think too much about it. If the other side doesn''t directly fall out with us, perhaps once they have a bit of fun will be over."

    This was the best plan. If An Yang refused to budge and refused to budge, they had no other choice. Even if it was the government, they might not pay attention to this.

    "Sigh, I hope that''s the case. After today, I''ll be able to take it one step at a time."

 C93

    Dusk was falling in all directions, and the sun was setting in the west.

    After taking care of everything in the shop, the night sky was already completely covered with ink.

    The winter night was especially cold. Su Zhi was afraid that her mother would wait too long, so she had no choice but to bid farewell to Elementary Scholar Li and leave with an anxious heart.

    Today, they came back early and the children were still awake.

    After leaving early and returning late in the past few days, the two children seemed to have not seen their mother for a long time. One on the left and one on the right, they threw themselves at Su Zhi, unwilling to let go.

    "Mother, you always came back so late these few days. My sister and I fell asleep before you came back."

    Su Zhi crouched down and hugged the two warm little babies. Her tiredness from the day had been washed away quite a bit.

    Danxue and Bee busied themselves with the charcoal stove, and Tinker''s mother served hot tea and prepared food.

    The family was also enjoying themselves. Although the yard was not big, it was warm and harmonious.

    "Madam, I took Jin''er and Lan''er for a walk today. The two children are still too excited to sleep."

    Su Zhi smiled gratefully at her mother. It had been a while since she had last lived in Xuan City, but she hadn''t had the time to take her two children out for a stroll.

    Seeing A Jin and the small tofu boy laughing so happily, Su Zhi could not help but feel sad.

    "My sister and I also bought a drawing book, but A Jin doesn''t know many words. Can mother read it to us?"

    A Jin took out a small booklet wrapped in string from her bosom and showed it to her.

    Inside, there were some heroic deeds and folklore. The paintwork was extremely lifelike, and the characters were vivid. No wonder the children liked it.

    Su Zhi took over the picture book and turned a few pages, feeling very gratified. "In a few days, things will settle down in the shop. Mother will find you a school so A Jin will know a lot of words."

    "Mm, thank you mother ~"

    Dan Xue and Bi Yue looked at each other and smiled. One in front and one behind, they joked, "Our Brother Jin is really smart. We can still go to school later."

    "Yeah, Jin''er knows a lot more than her peers."

    Mother Ding scolded the two young maidservants, "With your abilities, our Big Brother Jin will be someone who can accomplish great things in the future."

    Dou Bao slapped the table and shouted, "Big news! Big news!"

    The serious and cute faces made them burst out in laughter.

    "Look, even Miss Lan knows that you two little girls are the most useless."

    From time to time, there would be sounds of laughter coming from the quiet courtyard. The faint yellow light of the lanterns gave a layer of warmth to the cold winter night.

    As Xiao Qian hurried over with the biting cold, he heard the laughter of the entire courtyard.

    He grinned and laughed too.

    Mother Ding was the first to hear the sound of movement outside the door. She hurriedly opened the door and saw that it was Xiao Qian who had come. She quickly curtsied and greeted him.

    "The general is here."

    Dan Xue and Bi Yue hurriedly went out to greet him.

    A Jin and Soybean Pouch ran out to the left and right sides to welcome the incoming attack.

    "Uncle Xiao!"

    "Father, mother ~"

    Xiao Qian crouched down to catch the two kids and hastily replied, "Ai ~"

    Su Zhi was still sitting there without moving. She was amused by Xiao Qian''s extremely quick response.

    This man dared to say that he had the nerve to call him father.

    "The general came early today. Have you eaten? I''ll go to the kitchen and prepare some dishes. "

    Xiao Qian waved his hand and replied, "I''ve already eaten. There''s no need to trouble yourself."

    He carried the two children into the main hall from left to right. Seeing Su Zhi not even raise her head, he knew that she was unhappy and did not pay attention to him as he continued to eat.

    "It''s a bit cold tonight."

    Su Zhi finally raised her head and glanced at him. "Mn, wear more."

    It was still Mrs Ding who immediately ordered the two maidservants to get another brazier.

    Xiao Qian was unsatisfied. After putting down the two children, he sat down next to her and said, "After riding on a horse for a while, I feel a little hungry."

    Su Zhi glanced at him again, then glanced at the half-eaten bowl of rice. After hesitating for a moment, she pushed the bowl and chopsticks in front of him.

    "Then eat."

    Xiao Qian rolled his eyes at her. "Why did he come here just to steal her food?"

    Does this woman understand gentleness?

    Su Zhi had eaten enough, so she didn''t bother with him anymore. She went to her room and took out a few fur-covered bedding and began to busy herself.

    Xiao Qian''s nose was covered in dust as he dragged the two kids into the room. The two of them stared at her dumbly.

    "Are you unhappy tonight?"

    Su Zhi shook her head. "No."

    "Didn''t we settle the matter at the store?"

    "Oh, yeah, thank you."

    Xiao Qian was completely speechless. After staring at Su Zhi for a while, he opened his mouth again.

    "What is this?"

    "The cloaks I made for the two children, they can be used for when the weather is cold."

    Did he not know it was a cloak? He just wanted to ask if he had a share!

    "You sent knee guards next door?"

    Su Zhi nodded impatiently. She had sent a few pairs of knee guards to Aunt Bai and Sister-in-law Gu''s home. It was necessary to maintain the relations between the neighbors. Besides, Auntie Bai had helped take care of the child for so long, so she had to show some gratitude no matter what.

    "Then... What about me? "

    Xiao Qian pointed at himself as he eagerly asked.

    Su Zhi burst out laughing. "The clothes you''re wearing are all the best. I''m not worthy enough for you."

    She had made cashmere and fur coats from the system. Using the warmest materials to make winter clothes for her child would also be the most effective way to protect her child from the cold. Xiao Qian was not worried about food and clothing.

    However, he was no longer happy. Su Zhi had already prepared all the neighbors, only he did not have any.

    Angry, very angry!

    "Then... My knee pads are all last year''s, aren''t you going to make a few new pairs? "

    Su Zhi raised her head and looked at him, puzzled. "Do you need me to do it for you?"

    That was a must! A few years ago, Tan Zhao had flaunted his wife''s skills in front of him. He didn''t care at the time, but now it wasn''t as if he didn''t have a woman.

    "Oh ~ Alright, I''ll see if there''s enough left for you to make a collar for. If there isn''t, I''ll give you the sole of my shoes."

    Xiao Qian was completely speechless.

    He had already asked for it, but she didn''t even plan to give it to him!

    There was still only enough left for him!

    "Can you not be biased?"

    he muttered, with a hundred disgruntled feelings.

    A Jin helped him shout, "That''s right, mother, don''t be biased."

    Good son! Xiao Qian patted A Jin''s head affectionately and smiled in satisfaction.

    "Not biased ~"

    "Hahaha, did you hear that? Even the green bean bun said not to be biased."

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She rolled her eyes at the three generals who were sitting across from her.

    To be honest, Su Zhi''s strange attitude tonight was somewhat influenced by An Yang.

    She felt that Xiao Qian had caused her a great deal of trouble, but then she thought that Xiao Qian already had the qualifications to make all these women fall in love with him. Furthermore, he had never given An Yang any thoughts since the beginning. He could not allow anyone to look down on his man just because he was outstanding.

    "Alright, I''ll make you two pairs of knee guards."

    Xiao Qian felt both wronged and relieved that his daughter and his daughter had given him such an item. No matter what, the child wasn''t in pain for nothing.

    "I''d like to take you and your child to the tea garden on the outskirts of the city in a few days'' time. "Now that it''s the season and tea is in bloom, and I''m free, why don''t you push the matter of the store a bit? Let''s go over there and have a look."

    Su Zhi thought about it and did not reject it, but she was still a little worried.

    Xiao Qian had a lot of admirers, so there was a chance that some princess or young miss would appear. Thus, it was best not to let others find out about the relationship between the two.

    "It''s okay, I was thinking about taking the kids out for a walk anyway. But it must be me with the children, and the general had better not go too close to us. There are many people who know you in Xuancheng and Beijing, so it''s hard to avoid gossip. "

    Xiao Qian didn''t mind. Since they were going out together, how could they split it into two groups?

    "Why do you care so much? Who dares to gossip about me?"

    Su Zhi, on the other hand, was very stubborn. "In short, General, you don''t have to be too close to us from the outside. I''ll take notice of it myself."

    Xiao Qian couldn''t force her, so he could only agree.

 C94

    As the sky got darker and darker, the children began to swim around the market. Not only did they not feel sleepy, but they also had a trend of getting better and better energy.

    A Jin and Little Dou Bao snuggled up to Xiao Qian and started telling him the story in the book.

    Originally, he had wanted to warm his heart with Su Zhi and let his plans be disturbed by the child. Although he could do nothing about it, General Xiao could only patiently tell the story.

    Su Zhi raised her head and looked at the three crowded figures. She could not help but laugh. Why hadn''t she discovered that Xiao Qian had the potential to be a kind father in the past?

    She raised a faintly discernible smile. Xiao Qian caught it just in time with a glance.

    The woman''s red lips under the light were seductive and delicious.

    He could not help but roll his Adam''s apple, suppressing the impulse to hold her.

    Finally, the children fell asleep.

    The night was beautiful, the lights were dim, and the beautiful woman was by his side.

    Xiao Qian carefully carried the two children onto the bed, and could not suppress his joy as he moved closer to Su Zhi.

    "Hey, don''t. Be careful not to get seen by the child."

    "No, I''m fast asleep."

    Everyone in love looked forward to seeing each other at all times. Xiao Qian had never experienced this before, but now he understood. It was laughable that he mocked Tan Zhao for only knowing the wind and moon. He didn''t expect that one day, he would also turn into an idiot.

    Being embraced by him, Su Zhi could no longer finish the work she was doing. Thus, she simply put her hands on his neck.

    Xiao Qian was flattered by this initiative. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and sealed her burning lips.

    At first, it was only a soft hum, but soon it became louder.

    Su Zhi thought of her child and pushed Xiao Qian aside a few times, but he always suppressed her.

    When she was gasping for breath and resting on Xiao Qian''s chest, she couldn''t help but look over at the bedside. This scene scared her out of her wits.

    At some point, Dou Qi sat up on the bed and glared at the two people hugging each other without blinking.

    Su Zhi was shocked and almost cried out.

    While she was still in a hurry, she hurriedly pushed the man away and stood up. She did not forget to turn around and glare at him. You are not allowed to come back here again at night! "

    This man had quite a lot of hormones, especially at night. His energy was terrifyingly vigorous. She purposely ignored the fact that he had a higher position in his body, ignoring his patience and discomfort.

    Not only was he rolled his eyes, he was also ordered not to come back. Xiao Qian felt wronged. Didn''t he just want to be intimate with the girl he loved? Was he wrong?

    "Mother!"

    The little bean bag reached out to hug Su Zhi, but her big, black eyes were fixed on Xiao Qian, unable to conceal the puzzlement in her eyes.

    "Look at the good things you did. I let you coax the child."

    Su Zhi hugged the small bean bag to coax her to sleep, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment. He then ordered Xiao Qian to leave, "It''s getting late. General, it''s time to leave."

    Xiao Qian rubbed his nose and smiled at the child''s intimate moment. He looked out at the sky and felt that it was getting late, so he got on his horse and galloped away.

    Two days passed in a row. Princess Anyang no longer tried to use her as a hindrance and Flower Mansion also temporarily quieted down.

    After the storm, Su Zhi''s ability to handle matters was extremely high, and she was able to protect her reputation as quickly as possible. Although they had lost some rice grains, the business of the Intoxicated Dream Pavilion was preserved. Manager Tao also expressed that he was willing to believe in Flowerwood and chose to continue cooperating with him.

    As for the culprit behind it, Su Zhi did not mention a single word. No matter how the people below him guessed, they could not find out anything about it.

    He didn''t touch An Yang because he didn''t want to cause trouble for Xiao Gan. He also wanted to give the princess another chance. Su Zhi''s calculations were very good, she had a lot of evidence that she should have. If there was a next time, she would definitely not pretend that she did not know about it.

    After a few days of peace and quiet, the appointed day to enjoy the mountain tea ceremony arrived.

    In the morning, Su Zhi slept lazily for the first time in her life. It was winter, and the morning mist was thick. It was chilly to the bone. It was not easy to seize an opportunity to be lazy.

    Only when the two children ran in did Su Zhi have no choice but to get up and dress.

    A Jin was lying down on the edge of the bed with a small bean bag in her hand. Her small face was brimming with a warm smile. When she saw the red mark on Su Zhi''s neck, she stretched out her hand and cried out, "Mother! You''ve been bitten by a mosquito!"

    There was more than one place, both at the base of the neck and at the base of the collarbone.

    Su Zhi hurriedly tidied up her clothes and awkwardly tried to find a hole to hide in.

    Xiao Qian was that big mosquito. He clearly told him to go back earlier last night, but he wouldn''t listen to her even if he had the entire day. This is great, the imprint was so obvious, yet the child saw it. The usually dull and cold person was actually an extremely sultry person.

    How could Dan Xue, who was guarding outside, not know the truth? Where did the mosquitoes come from during the winter? It was actually because the general had rushed over from the Imperial City last night.

    Thinking of this, Danxue couldn''t help but laugh out loud while covering her mouth. He entered the house and brought in the hot water in a copper basin. Then, he took the two children out to play.

    After Su Zhi had washed up, she decided on a whim to apply some makeup.

    When she was busy with her daily work, she almost never gave herself a good lesson. Women always cared about their appearance. If there were sufficient conditions, who wouldn''t want to dress up delicately?

    Su Zhi played with her makeup products to sell, but she herself never smeared makeup or anything like that.

    Just thinking about it, it was indeed a little too modest.

    She closed the door and took out a mask from the storage room to apply.

    These few days, his skin was dry and he had a severe lack of water. After a few minutes, he took it off and washed his face.

    Then take out the creamy cream of the skin lotion to evenly spread, put on makeup, and then on the left eyebrow drew a pink plum blossom.

    This was the most popular makeup in the Imperial City this year. It was called pretty and pretty (eyebrow). Speaking of which, this makeup went off completely due to the flower-covered building.

    Su Zhi developed a kind of eye shadow. It was easy to take off makeup, but it was very complicated. Even if she sweated, it was not easy to faint. In the capital, there was a woman with a scar on her face. She was injured, so she used this to cover up the scar and draw a plum flower.

    As the saying goes, unintentional interference in a tree''s shadow, this type of caution was very popular with the clan lord. In the blink of an eye, it had actually become a style.

    But to Su Zhi, this makeup was a little too beautiful. She was a widow with two children, and she was too shy to follow the trend. Besides, there was very little makeup to make up for it.

    Thinking about it, it was his first time going on a date with Xiao Qian. Even if he didn''t clean up, he wouldn''t say it. He decided to change to a bold color like Smoky Violet Willow Green and choose a very light pink color.

    She didn''t expect the effect to be so good. After she applied the glaze on her lips to fix her makeup, she changed her hair into a simple hairstyle that reduced her age. He took out the hairpin Xiao Qian had given him from his jewelry box and brought it with him.

    The beauty in the mirror had changed from pure white to full of spirit. "The makeup didn''t cover up her pretty charm, but instead she used a thin layer of powder to make her look elegant.

    Beautiful eyebrows, two eyes cut water, a smile, can be seen in a thousand charming, I see pity.

    Su Zhi turned in a circle in the mirror, took off her cloak that she had only finished yesterday, and went out.

    Mrs Ding was just about to come in to report that the carriage had been prepared, but seeing that Su Zhi had come out, she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh heavens'' daughter, is this still our wife?"

    Mother Ding was considered the steward of the Xiao family''s older generation and served Xiao Qian the entire time. Initially, she was assigned to take care of Su Zhi. She thought it was because Xiao Qian raised the outer room, and regardless of the rumors outside, she believed that the two children were both Xiao Qian''s doing. She had always been loyal to Su Zhi.

    She had thought that Su Zhi was a charming and demoness, but it was completely the opposite of what she had expected. Today, after seeing that she was dressed up, he knew why Xiao Qian had been waiting for her all day and hadn''t let her rest.

    "In the past, Madam always wore a plain face, but today, she looks so charming and graceful."

    Bi Yue nodded to the side, expressing her certainty. "Yeah, I didn''t expect that Madam would have such a peerless appearance. General can''t help but feel happy after looking at her."

    Jin and Little Dou Zi, who were in the midst of kick-starting, rushed over and hugged Su Zhi''s thigh.

    "Mother is the most beautiful, the most beautiful mother in the world ~"

    Su Zhi''s heart warmed because of the two children''s teasing.

    After being praised by the servant girl, he still felt a little uncomfortable. She was worried that her makeup wouldn''t be elegant enough. After all, she was the mother of two children. It wasn''t good for her to act frivolous.

 C95

    After everything was settled, the family of three got into the carriage.

    Dan Xue served her comrades and took care of the two children when necessary, giving Xiao Qian and Su Zhi the chance to be alone. Mama Ding and Bi Yue were left to guard the yard.

    The legendary Thousand Day Tea Garden was located at the border between Xuan City and the capital, so every year when the mountain tea opened, a large number of tourists would stop at it.

    Mountain Tea Garden is famous for a sad and beautiful love story.

    Before the establishment of the Great Wei, the land was ruled by the Southern Dynasties. In the last years of the Southern Dynasty, the flames of war were raging and the spirits of life were burnt to ashes.

    Legend has it that a woman planted a camellia every month in anticipation of her husband''s departure. Day after day, no news of Jun Wu Yi''s return. The lovesick woman was so ill that she could not wait for her husband to return.

    It was not until the southern dynasty was defeated and the nation was destroyed that the Great Wei''s Steel Cavalry broke into Xuancheng. The border that had been set ablaze had such a pure land. With a wave of the Great Wei Dynasty''s imperial edict, the capital was established. Every single plant in Xuancheng was preserved, including this mountainous tea garden.

    Over the past hundred years, there had always been men and women who came to watch the show. The tea garden was becoming more and more famous.

    Along the way, Su Zhi listened to Dan Xue''s explanation of the garden''s origins, hinting at Xiao Qian''s intentions.

    "Madam, do you believe in this servant?" A servant is a citizen of Xuan City. My mother told me this story when I was very young. Rumor had it that any couple who came to the garden to make a promise would be able to stay together for the rest of their lives. "As the saying goes, if one''s heart is sincere, one can do it."

    She winked at Su Zhi, her intention clear.

    General Xiao wants to stay with you forever.

    Su Zhi''s face was flushed red. She reached out and touched the hairpin on her hair bun, laughing to herself.

    Did she say that Xiao Qian was a lumberfish? Although a stiff person doesn''t understand the ways of the world, I think he does.

    Just as he was lost in thought, the carriage suddenly shook.

    Su Zhi pulled back the sleepy child, lifted the curtain and looked at the situation outside.

    The coachman replied: "Madam, I''m really sorry. Three horses pulled the carriage. It was so fast that I almost bumped into them."

    "It''s fine. I''m just curious about what happened. Just continue on your way."

    Just as she was about to pull back into the car, she heard a voice she absolutely did not want to hear.

    "Young lady!" You came to join in the fun too! "

    Su Zhi raised her head and saw a red Ferghana Horse running toward her from the front of the carriage. The rider wore a dark blue cloak that made his skin as white as jade. The man had an extremely good set of skin. Not only did he not flaunt his appearance, he had an air of sharpness that came from laziness.

    "Your Highness?"

    "Eh? This little lady is so beautiful today. "

    He really didn''t expect to meet Lu Hengzhi at this time.

    After Su Zhi thought herself unlucky, she once again gave him a pertinent evaluation: How repulsive!

    Very sultry!

    Who would ride a horse in the middle of winter? Oh ~ There''s a like-minded Xiao Qian.

    However, this man did enjoy being in the limelight. There were quite a few carriages on the way to the tea garden, but this was the first time he had seen someone like him, who had to ride in the cold wind.

    It was as if he hadn''t come to admire the flowers, but had ridden a horse to show off his skills.

    "My wife, is there room for you in the carriage? I just realized how cold it is to ride a horse. Why don''t I go and sit at your place? "

    Pfft ~ He would know that it was cold now.

    Su Zhi found this funny. She pulled open the curtain and pouted. "Hey, there''s no place left. I''ll have to trouble Your Highness to ride it to the end."

    With a worried look on his face, Lu Huan watched as she put down the curtain and went back inside. She felt unspeakably disappointed.

    The three-horse carriage slowed down, and as it passed him, the people inside lifted the curtains.

    The pretty and beautiful girl said with disdain, "Oh, does the Crown Prince know it''s cold now?" This princess had just told you to get on the carriage. How could you change your face in the blink of an eye? "

    Lu Huan Zhi glared at An Yang, who had mocked him, and continued to ride his horse, "Take advantage of the lack of people and hurry up. In a while, block the way. Don''t butt in on my business. "

    "Pfft, who doesn''t know about that stupid thing of yours?"

    "Damned girl, no matter what, I''m still your elder brother. You have nothing to be afraid of."

    An Yang refused to give in and retorted, "Of course!"

    The two cousins talked back and forth, quarrelling to the point that they didn''t want to start a fight.

    Only after Su Zhi drove the carriage back and forth did Lu Huan Zhi keep her bickering expression and happily followed behind.

    "Little girl, wait for me!"

    An Yang refused to admit defeat, and ordered the carriage to catch up with them as soon as possible.

    As a result, a carriage was slowly moving forward on the road that led to the teahouse. It was getting faster and faster, as if it was trying to avoid someone. Behind him was a large horse, and behind it was a luxurious carriage with three horses.

    An Yang, who didn''t want to fall behind, opened the curtain. Seeing Lu Huan''s infatuated look, he felt really embarrassed. He couldn''t help but rush forward to teach them a lesson.

    "As the crown prince, your judgement isn''t very good. To think that you would fall for that widow Su Zhi."

    Lu Huan didn''t back down in the slightest. He replied, "As a princess, your judgement isn''t that good. To think that you would actually fall for Xiao Qian, that blockhead."

    "I''m not the same as you! Uncle and Aunt have high hopes for you. It''s one thing for you to play with women all day long, but this time you''re showing good will to a widow. You''re not afraid of losing both your parents!"

    Hearing this, Lu Huan Zhi didn''t turn around to look at her. Instead, he turned his head and stared at her with an extremely cold gaze.

    An Yang was shocked by his unfamiliar expression and swallowed the words that were about to leave his mouth.

    In the blink of an eye, Lu Huan''s expression changed. The gloominess from before had completely disappeared. Instead, it was a ludicrous laugh, "You''re right, that''s all I know. So what''s the difference between playing with what kind of woman? "

    An Yang was so intimidated that he didn''t dare to give chase and demonstrate his strength. Just now, Lu Huan Zhi''s gaze was too sharp. It was as if he had suddenly turned into a different person.

    It would be better not to look for undesirable things to vent his anger.

    Just like that, the group of people arrived at their destination in an orderly manner.

    Before this, Xiao Qian had already arrived and waited for a long time.

    Dan Xue got off the carriage first and carried the two children off.

    Su Zhi got off the carriage at the same time.

    When Xiao Qian saw Dan Xue from afar, he was so happy that he quickly walked up to her.

    Danxue bent her knees and bowed, "General!"

    Su Zhi reflexively turned around and saw a man in an azure brocade robe hurriedly coming over. With her hair tied up in a jade crown, she had an imposing and noble air about her, a noble and domineering aura that could not be forced upon.

    Su Zhi had originally wanted to greet him. When she thought of An Yang who had rushed up from behind as well as the other tourists who were standing around, she hurriedly shook her head and indicated for him not to come up.

    As expected, Xiao Qian stopped, but what stopped him wasn''t Su Zhi''s reminder, but ˇ­

    He had never thought that Su Zhi could be so charming and charming, and he was used to seeing her simple and honest appearance. Today, she painted this plum blossom makeup. It was so exquisite and elegant, beautiful like a ring in the Heavenly Palace.

    Xiao Qian''s heart raced as all the blood in his body boiled. He stood on the spot, staring blankly at Su Zhi as he laughed.

    The smile deepened when he saw that she was wearing his hairpin again.

    Seeing his confused expression, Su Zhi couldn''t help but laugh. He cursed in his heart: "Idiot."

    A Jin and Little Dou were in a daze along the way. Only after getting off the car did they recover. Seeing that Xiao Qian was about to shout out, Su Zhi quickly covered his mouth.

    However, it was already too late. Dou Zi already rushed out. She shakily stretched out her arms towards Xiao Qian and happily yelled, "Daddy!"

    "Sigh ~"

    Su Zhi was stupefied. This man was shameless and had told her where he came from, but he actually went back on his word!

 C96

    The surrounding people also heard this, but they all knew that Xiao Qian had never married before. Where did he get such a big daughter? They thought they had heard wrong, but seeing the father and daughter hugging each other, it was obvious that it wasn''t a lie.

    Su Zhi was extremely angry. She quickly went up and pulled open her small bean bag, and scolded, "How many times have I told you not to call people ''Daddy'' whenever you meet them? Do not change your bad habits! Along the way, if you meet anyone who''s about the same age as you will call me daddy, and if I really do anger you, I''ll piss you off. "

    Oh ~ So it was a child who didn''t know how to act.

    Only then did the spectators disperse.

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at Xiao Qian, indicating for him to pay attention. Then he took his cloak out of the car and tied it around the children.

    The cloak, which had not been completed until last night, was a little late, but it worked slowly. The design and workmanship of the cloak are exquisite. Lake green wool was used. There was a white orchid pattern embroidered on it. Jin''s was a green bamboo pattern embroidered on it. With a large, snow-white, soft fur collar, both warm and beautiful.

    When Xiao Qian saw this, he thought for a moment before turning his head to Greenwood and asking, "Where is my cloak?"

    Greenwood quickly replied, "Oh, oh, he''s here." Knowing that it was cold outside, this servant specially brought two pieces. "Take a look and see which one you want."

    Xiao Qian looked at the indigo cloak and frowned, "I don''t have a green cloak?"

    Green Tree wondered. Green? No. Why would a grown man wear such bright clothes?

    "Then forget it, I won''t wear it anymore. I''ll have the tailor make a green one another day."

    The three men standing to the side wore cloaks of the same color with different designs. Anyone who saw them would be able to tell that they were a family.

    On the other side, the crown prince, who had been messing around the whole time, finally caught up with them amidst the cold wind. Behind him was a luxurious carriage.

    Su Zhi''s eyelids jumped as she quickly pulled the child towards the garden.

    Xiao Qian also saw Lu Hengzhi. His eyebrows unconsciously knitted together in displeasure.

    Since he was in a bad mood, he didn''t pay any attention to her and just left with Su Zhi.

    It was currently the day when the camellias were in bloom. The beautiful scenery in the garden was magnificent and filled with a myriad of colors. The shape and form of the plant are beautiful, the branches and leaves are dark green and shiny, the shape of the flower is gorgeous and the posture is different.

    Jewelry, sea tea, pomegranate tea, thousand-leaf red, white pearl tea, peony red variety of flowers, as well as rare color striped tea flowers, flowers can reach a maximum of about 3 meters.

    There weren''t that many types of camellias in this place, and many of them were planted by future generations to commemorate that infatuated woman. Spring left and autumn came. This teahouse had over a hundred varieties.

    "This place is strange, it is not easy to find flowers and plants in the shade here, but it is really a strange sight for a mountain tea to be so beautiful."

    "Lord Chief''s words are very true. The soul of that infatuated woman is still there, protecting this last party."

    A familiar voice came from behind him. Su Zhi turned around and saw Liu Yu An in the middle, surrounded by everyone.

    What a coincidence. Lu Huan Zhi and the god of pests were not the only ones on their journey today. Lord Liu was also there.

    She wanted to step forward and greet him, but then she saw Liu Yuan supporting an old man. There were more than ten servants and servants behind him, and some subordinates and trusted aides beside him.

    From the looks of it, it seemed like Liu Yuan had brought his injured father to the garden.

    Old Ziefu had already written to the government last month because of his ill health, and all the cabinet ministers had unanimously chosen Liu Yu-an to take over. The emperor immediately issued an order for Liu Yuan to take over.

    Indeed, just like the old man from Peace Village, the Liu Family was unique and unique.

    Su Zhi looked behind her. The one with the biggest reaction was Xiao Qian. However, after looking at it for a long time, his face was full of smiles, but he didn''t react. Xiao Qian only reacted when his eyes didn''t land on her body, following her gaze ˇ­

    When he turned around, his smile had disappeared completely.

    Although he didn''t know what conflict Su Zhi and Liu Yuan had, no one would be happy if his woman stared directly at another man.

    Xiao Qian shifted to the side, just in time to block Su Zhi''s line of sight.

    Su Zhi did not notice this childish caution. When Xiao Qian blocked her, she had already shifted her gaze elsewhere.

    "General Xiao is also here?"

    Before Xiao Qian could feel proud of himself, Liu Yu An had already stopped him.

    Civil and military officials had always been at odds with each other. However, Xiao Qian rarely went to court, so the conflict between the two factions wasn''t that deep.

    He turned his head and smiled, "Sir Liu, Mister Liu."

    Being attracted by the conversation behind her, Su Zhi couldn''t help but turn her head back.

    This time, Liu Yuan happened to see her.

    With so many people around, he didn''t greet Su Zhi warmly. He only nodded and smiled, taking care of her.

    Su Zhi replied with a polite smile and nodded her head, not paying any attention to Xiao Qian''s darkening expression.

    Thus, Su Zhi was in the lead, Xiao Qian was in the middle, and Liu Yu An was in the back. The atmosphere of the three groups of people instantly became strange.

    Greenwood''s sharp eyes noticed that his master''s expression had changed, and he hurriedly changed the topic. "General, that little girl is smiling at you."

    Xiao Qian''s complexion slightly improved as he turned around and waved at Little Dou.

    Today was a sunny day. Although it was winter and the moon was in the sky, the sun was shining brightly. Even though there was a westerly breeze blowing against his face, it did not feel cold at all. A cool breeze accompanied by a bright sun was the perfect time for hiking.

    The garden took up a large area of land, and only after four hours did he roughly enjoy half of the scenery.

    The speed of Su Zhi and her child had slowed down a lot, and they had long since parted ways with Liu Yuan who was behind them. Only Xiao Qian, who had been following Su Zhi the entire time, was left behind. When he heard Su Zhi''s words, he maintained a distance that wasn''t too far away. He was so pitiful that he couldn''t even say a word.

    Dan Xue couldn''t bear it any longer, so she took the two children and suggested, "Madam, there is a small pavilion in front of us. You and the general can go there to rest." The two young masters and the servants can take care of it. "

    It was almost noon, and the sun was scorching hot. A Jin had already slowed down, and was no longer as excited as before. The bean bun had been sleeping on Dan Xue''s shoulder for a long time.

    Considering that the two children needed to rest, Su Zhi nodded and accepted the suggestion.

    The pavilion wasn''t far away, and as the few of them approached, they bumped into Lu Huan Zhi, who was lying on a wooden chair with his legs crossed and humming a song.

    Su Zhi didn''t think too much about it. Turning around, she pulled Dan Xue and left. He found a shady spot in the forest and spread out the white cloth on the ground to rest.

    Xiao Qian also stopped walking and followed dejectedly.

    It wasn''t easy to get a chance to go out and end up in such an awkward situation. If he knew earlier, he would have gone further away to look for a secluded spot.

    How could Su Zhi not see Xiao Qian''s unwillingness? But An Yang had also come today. Not only that, along the way, it was Miss Shangguan who greeted him.

    Although Xiao Qian had a sullen face and looked as if he didn''t want anyone else to enter, the effect was minimal. A military general held a lofty position in the Wei Dynasty, especially a great general who had experienced hundreds of battles at a young age like Xiao Qian. Not only were their accomplishments in battle impressive, but they also looked like talented people. There were many women who came up to pay their respects.

    Su Zhi smiled bitterly and shook her head. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn''t have come. She said it was an outing, but in fact, both of them were unhappy.

    During lunch time, Su Zhi took out the snacks she had prepared and handed them to Dan Xue, asking her to send them over to Xiao Qian.

    Dan Xue gently patted the packet of beans with her arms. She kept her face hidden and said, "Your servant will not go. Madame will go by herself."

    "There are a lot of people here, so I can only send you. Do you want the general to be hungry?"

    "To the general, even a hungry stomach is no worse than being sad."

    Su Zhi choked and sighed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

    She looked over to where Xiao Qian was sitting. Qing Mu had already taken out the lunchbox and handed it to him. Xiao Qian shook his head and refused to accept it as he looked at the dessert in her hands.

    Forget it, since they were all older children, it would be difficult for her to worry about them.

    Su Zhi stood up with the dim sum in hand, and without noticing it, her grip on her hands became lighter. She raised her head and found that the lunchbox was already in Lu Huan''s hands. What was even more despicable was that he didn''t even bother to say anything before opening the lid and sending it straight into his mouth.

    "Hm!" Delicious, your cooking skills are quite good! "

    Su Zhi stood up and reached out to grab the dim sum in his hand.

    "What is the Crown Prince doing?!"

 C97

    Lu Huan Zhi didn''t immediately run away. Instead, he sat down cross-legged beside her and replied unhappily, "Don''t be stingy. At worst, I''ll just give you the silver. Name your price."

    "This... It''s not a matter of silver. " It was all prepared for you! Could this man''s skin be any thicker?

    "That''s right, it''s not a matter of silver."

    A bunch of shadows appeared in front of him. Before Lu Huan Zhi could react, the dessert box was already snatched away.

    Xiao Qian stared at the remaining half of the pastries in his hand as his face grew even colder.

    "Yo Yo Yo Yo, Great General Xiao. Come, come, sit over here."

    Xiao Qian snorted disdainfully, pushing both him and Su Zhi away from each other, forcefully blocking the path between the two of them.

    Su Zhi looked at the two competitive men beside her and felt that it was really funny. Who could tell her what was going on?

    "Can you two move out of the way? This humble woman really can''t tolerate two big bosses here."

    "He left first!"

    "He left first!"

    The two people pointed at each other at the same time, causing sparks to fly at a place that Su Zhi couldn''t see.

    Su Zhizhan facepalmed, this was such a headache, she should definitely not go out today!

    "Big Brother Xiao! "So you were here!"

    Lu Huan Zhi revealed a bright smile and said, "Little sister, you''re here. Hurry, sit over here." Since the rescue had arrived, he didn''t believe that Xiao Qian wouldn''t have a headache.

    An Yang saw the smile on Xiao Qian''s face and jogged toward him. He couldn''t wait to pounce on him.

    Su Zhi''s head hurt even more. What the hell was this?

    Ever since Lu Huan Zhi and Xiao Qian had squeezed in, An Yang had unceremoniously joined the camp. Poor Su Zhi and the two children had been pushed to the side, so they didn''t say anything.

    The passersby who came and went to admire the flower were all staring at each other and were discussing in private.

    "Aiya, isn''t that the crown prince and Great General Xiao?"

    "Yeah, the princess is here as well. Who is that person next to you? I''ve never seen him before. "

    "I don''t know her. Perhaps she''s a young lady from a big family that I''ve never seen before."

    Su Zhi tried her best to hide to the side, trying her best to ignore the feeling of her own existence.

    If she had known that she would be able to use the carriage after lunch, she would not have been able to handle all of it.

    Anyang automatically ignored Su Zhi and pestered Xiao Qian to ask about Su Zhi''s well-being.

    Lu Huan''s gloating laughter filled the air as he walked in a circle before sitting back down beside Su Zhi.

    "Young lady, do you have a prepared meal? "It''s alright, I won''t take it for free. I''ll pay the silver."

    "No, that''s all."

    Su Zhi replied indifferently, standing in front of A Jin, afraid that Lu Huan would snatch her child''s snacks.

    In fact, Lu Huan Zhi had this plan. He walked up to A Jin and said with a smile, "Good A Jin, give big brother a little."

    A Jin had a good memory. She recognized Lu Huan at a glance, the bad uncle who bullied her mother in the shop a few days ago. Pfft, calling yourself brother? Shameless!

    He turned his face to the side and protected the lunchbox in his hand. His calves bulged and he turned his back to the young man, turning his perfectly round ass towards him.

    "Hey, this kid!"

    Su Zhi laughed. Her son had been too protective of her. Bullying her was equivalent to offending him, so she wouldn''t give you face.

    The afternoon sun was shining brightly. Other than Xiao Qian, who was sitting upright, the others were all drowsy from the sun''s rays.

    Afraid that the dazzling sunlight would cause the child to be unable to sleep soundly, Su Zhi planned to go back to the carriage for a while.

    Just as he got up to leave, he heard a commotion not too far away. He vaguely heard someone calling for help, and many people who had stopped to rest ran over to investigate.

    Lu Huan loved to join in on the fun, so she stood up to ask passersby, "Brother, what happened earlier?"

    The passerby who was stopped replied anxiously, "Yes, it''s Master Liu. I heard he accidentally choked on something to eat. It''s an emergency!"

    Hearing that something had happened to the Liu Family, Su Zhi immediately stood up and went to the place where the incident had occurred. Xiao

    Qian also got up and chased after him, while the other two followed behind.

    By the time Su Zhi arrived, Old Man Liu was already surrounded from inside out. Although the surrounding people looked anxious, they had no idea what to do. Liu Yu-an was probably trapped inside as well.

    "Excuse me."

    She pushed her way through the crowd and entered the courtyard. When she heard Liu Yuan''s frantic shouts, she said, "Father, Father, please wake up. Hold on. We''ve already gone to get a doctor!"

    Old mister Liu, who was surrounded by people, had his face turn green. His breathing became sluggish and he could not even breathe. His throat was stuck and he could not even breathe. His eyes had already started to lose focus.

    "He was choked by a foreign object and had his trachea blocked. It would be useless even if he were called for a doctor."

    Liu Yuan raised his head and looked helplessly at Su Zhi with a pale face. "You ˇ­" You have a way? "

    "Let''s give it a try."

    Su Zhi gave him a look to indicate that he could be at ease, and went up to help the old man up without saying anything. Standing behind him, hugging his abdomen from behind, he wrapped his arms around his waist, and with one hand clenched into a fist, he pressed the center of the fist between Old Mr. Liu''s navel and ribs.

    "Please spread out a bit, in case the air doesn''t circulate."

    "Quick, quick, quick! Spread out! Everyone spread out!"

    Since Su Zhi''s strength was not great, it was already difficult for her to hug Old Mr. Liu. As she repeatedly squeezed, beads of sweat had already begun to form on her forehead.

    "Cough, cough, cough!"

    With a series of violent coughs, the old man in his arms finally spat out a peanut. He let out a long breath before softening his body. His complexion gradually began to improve.

    "Hey, hey, okay. Look, he''s fine!"

    After a false alarm, Old mister Liu turned the situation around. Liu Yuan''s expression was no longer ugly.

    "Thank you for helping me, Lady Su. It was all thanks to you that my father was able to overcome this obstacle."

    He bent his head and bowed, bowing towards Su Zhi.

    "Lord Liu is too polite. It was just a small effort, not worth mentioning."

    Old mister Liu, who was beginning to wake up from his daze, finally realized what was going on. He pointed at Su Zhi and smiled amiably. "Miss, you''re the one who saved this old man."

    "Old mister Liu, you don''t need to worry about it."

    Even though he said that, Old mister Liu was still extremely grateful, "My broken body lasted for one day. I thought I would have seen Yama just now, but I didn''t expect that the lady would save me. "Yu-er, prepare a great gift and thank this lady."

    Su Zhi shook her head. "No need. I didn''t do anything." However, in the future, old mister should take care to avoid using hard and crusted objects when eating. "

    "Thank you, my lady. This old man will definitely remember your warning." "Right, how did you know about the method just now?"

    "Do you mean the Heinrich first aid method? I learned it in a book. There are many people who choke on their food, and this method is especially used to overcome the problem of choking. "

    Old mister Liu nodded and said in an amiable tone, "I didn''t think that this lady would understand so much. Even a doctor would be helpless in the situation just now."

    Hearing this, Liu Yuan''s face paled again. A trace of fear and regret appeared in his heart.

    "It''s all my fault for not taking care of Father properly and making him suffer."

    "It''s fine, you are usually filial, this kind of sudden situation is not something you can control."

    Fortunately, it was a good thing that there was no danger and that Su Zhi was present.

    Liu Yuan smiled gratefully at Su Zhi once again, a trace of admiration surfacing in his eyes.

    Everyone let out a sigh of relief as their gazes landed on Su Zhi. There were questions and questions on their faces.

    "Since old mister is fine, then this humble woman will take her leave first."

    Old mister Liu waved his hand, "Go, we''ll have a feast to entertain the lady next time."

    Su Zhi nodded and thought that he was just saying it casually.

    Walking out of the crowd, Lu Huan Zhi was the first to rush up and pat her on the shoulder. "Well done, little lady. You''ve gotten yourself a chance to climb onto the top branch of the Liu Family. Your future is limitless!"

    Xiao Qian separated the two of them without leaving a trace, dragging Su Zhi along as they walked out of the garden.

    "The general doesn''t want to admire the flowers?"

    "No, the child is trapped. Let''s go back first."

    Lu Huan Zhi followed with ill intentions, as if she was talking to herself, "Three days later, the birthday celebration will be held in the Liu family. We will meet with the little lady again!"

    So that was the reason. She had already explained why Old Mr. Liu wanted to set the table and greet her.

    Speaking of which, it seemed like he wanted to invite her to come and congratulate him.

    "Big brother Xiao, where are you going? Wait for me! "

    An Yang''s voice came from behind them. Only then did Su Zhi notice it and immediately broke free from Xiao Qian''s restraints. She had already experienced the virtue of the person following her, so it was best not to provoke her.

    Suddenly being left behind, Xiao Qian was stunned and clearly unhappy.

    "When did you meet Lord Liu?"

    Su Zhi stopped walking and was puzzled. "Why did you suddenly ask about this?"

    "Who else do you know before me? Other than Liu Yuan and Lu Hengzhi. "

    Jealous?

    Su Zhi only needed a glance to understand that Great General Xiao was just eating his food.

    However, this vinegar was simply too lame. She didn''t even plan to talk to Liu Yu-an. It was only forced by the circumstances to save him.

    The two couldn''t wrap their heads around what was going on, but An Yang had already caught up to them. "Brother Xiao, don''t go so fast." As she spoke, the woman reached out to wrap her arms around Xiao Qian''s arm and intimately snuggled up to him.

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him without leaving a trace. "Explain yourself first!"

 C98

    Feeling Su Zhi''s displeasure, Xiao Qian consciously pushed An Yang aside and obediently stood behind her.

    "The weather is just right. Princess, please do not disappoint the beautiful scenery of this morning. I, Xiao Budian, am not suited to travel with a princess like you.

    Xiao Qian''s lack of understanding of the situation and his concern for Su Zhi instantly made An Yang jealous. His hands under his sleeves tightly clenched as a trace of ruthlessness appeared in his eyes.

    He did not even need to look back to know that he had offended the princess again.

    He didn''t know what kind of trouble he was going to cause next. In short, with Xiao Qian as his stake, he wouldn''t be able to hope that his days would be peaceful.

    On the way back, the journey was much quieter. The two children, who had caused enough trouble, slept soundly.

    Lu Huan Zhi, who was accompanying them, didn''t follow them. Only Xiao Qian, who was following them, remained silent as if he had been greatly wronged.

    Dan Xue held the child and secretly paid attention to Su Zhi''s expression. She whispered, "Madam, this servant has been serving the general for a long time. In his impression, generals were not the kind of people who put on airs and rarely cared about others. Looks like they have really taken this seriously today. "

    Su Zhi lowered her eyes slightly and remained silent. Dan Xue then said, "Your servant''s mouth is a bit broken, so please don''t take it to heart. There were some things, perhaps, that the Lady ought to know. You should know that our family is the most influential general. Many officials send their daughters to the mansion. However, the general was not in love with a woman and did not want to get in the way. This made the madame helpless. In the end, you let me and Bi Yue come with mother Ding to serve you that day, and we were also greatly shocked. "

    "Madam, you have a kind heart and you have never treated us like servants. You treat everyone and everyone alike. "But the key is that you also ˇ­"

    After all, their relationship wasn''t ordinary. There had to be a difference of priority. He couldn''t always treat his own husband with the same thoughts as an ordinary person. He would also score points for some matters.

    "So ˇ­" You think I''m not good for the general? "

    Su Zhi thought about it for a moment and also felt that it was reasonable. If Xiao Qian treated An Yang the same way she treated him, how would she react?

    "It''s not that you''re not good, it''s that you feel that. From an outsider''s point of view, the general is feeling wronged."

    She clearly had the identity of a true husband, but a crown prince kept popping up from the side of Su Zhi to be an eyesore.

    If this was not eliminated, who knew what kind of people might appear in the future and create trouble for the general.

    Dan Xue tried to fight for Xiao Qian, but Su Zhi only heard it and smiled, pretending that she didn''t understand what was going on. When Xiao Qian hadn''t married her, she had deliberately kept a certain distance between them. As for the others, she didn''t care about them at all. Love was a matter for two people, there was no need to bring in someone who was unrelated.

    Seeing that Su Zhi had remained silent, Dan Xue sighed slightly and did not say anything else.

    The carriage swayed all the way back to Spring Leaf Lane.

    Mother Ding heard the noise and looked towards the door. Seeing Greenwood coming back with a carriage, she quickly put down the broom in her hand and went out to welcome him.

    "Didn''t you say that you were going to admire the flowers?" "Why did you come back so early?"

    Greenwood stopped the carriage and jumped down, pushing aside the curtain to let Xiao Qian off the horse. When she saw his cold appearance, she guessed that he must be throwing a tantrum with the madame.

    "Has the general ever eaten? This servant will go to the kitchen to cook some side dishes now. "

    "No need, I''ll just sit for a while before leaving."

    "The general won''t stay for dinner?"

    Xiao Qian did not return her. Instead, he went to the carriage at the back and took A Jin from Su Zhi''s arms.

    The two of them entered the house one after the other. Only then did Mrs Ding hold onto Danxue and ask, "What''s going on?"

    Dan Xue helplessly shrugged her shoulders. What else could she do? It was clearly an unpleasant trip.

    "Don''t go near them yet. Leave the Madam and the general alone for a while."

    After placing the child down, Su Zhi then looked towards Xiao Qian who was beside her and said, "General doesn''t have anything to eat, let me go to the kitchen and make some food."

    "No need, I''ll be going in a bit."

    Su Zhi didn''t know how long he had been talking about this for, and felt that she had indeed wronged him today. It was difficult for her to let him, who had been guarding behind her all this time, be disturbed by Lu Huan who had jumped out in the middle of the way.

    "Then... I''ll show you something before the general leaves. "

    Xiao Qian did not say anything and did not intend to leave either. He silently watched as she opened the cabinet and took out a set of folded clothes.

    "I made this a few days ago. General, I want to see if it fits."

    "What is this?" He pointed to the snow-white clothes that Su Zhi was holding and asked in confusion.

    Su Zhi''s face was slightly red as she said shyly, "The underwear I made for the general is gone, so I won''t be using it as a knee protector. Anyway, don''t you have a few sets of clothes that I made for you?"

    Xiao Qian looked at the clothes in her hands. He was puzzled at first, but then surprised. He revealed a smile, revealing a mouth full of white teeth.

    "For me?" He stretched out his hand to receive the clothes, as if he had obtained a precious treasure. He held it in his hand, feeling jubilant.

    "This is fine too, but you don''t need to wear knee guards."

    As he spoke, he began to take off his clothes.

    "General, what are you doing?" What are you doing taking off your clothes in the middle of the day?

    "I''ll give it a try. How can I know if it suits me if I don''t?" "If you don''t have to go back and forth, I''ll let you change it."

    Su Zhi could not speak a word of refutation. She unnaturally turned her face away and made a gesture of invitation.

    Xiao Qian quickly took off his outer garment, revealing his strong upper body and ˇ­

    "The child is here. Hurry up."

    "They''re all asleep. It''s fine, I''ll tell you later when there''s a veil covering them."

    She didn''t know what to say, so she just sat on the edge of the bed and didn''t look at him.

    There was a rustling sound from beside her. Even though Tian''er was very cold, she felt her heart palpitating and her hands sweating.

    "Take a look, is that alright?"

    "Just take a look for yourself."

    She didn''t dare to turn her head, but Xiao Qian stood in front of her, wearing a thin undergarment, showing off his white teeth.

    In just an instant, Su Zhi felt her blood boiling up, and her ears heating up.

    This man definitely did it on purpose. He didn''t even bother to put on his clothes.

    A large portion of her body was exposed in the cold weather. Her pure white clothes outlined her perfect figure, seeming to inadvertently attract others'' attention.

    She looked at him in a daze and swallowed her saliva. It was as if her gaze was glued onto him, unable to pull away.

    Putting everything else aside, this man''s figure was impeccable. His body brimmed with a masculine aura, a perfect golden ratio, long legs, and somewhere else that was of an exceptional size ˇ­ She did not dare to continue looking, and she lowered her head, her face flushed red.

    "Cough cough, what are you doing? Are you cold? Quickly put on your clothes."

    Xiao Qian leaned over and deliberately stuck close to her. "I don''t know how to wear it. The clothes you make are too unique. Help me."

    Su Zhi''s face turned red, the tip of her ears almost bleeding. She pretended to be angry and said, "If you don''t know how to wear it, then don''t."

    "No."

    He mumbled, his voice rising three degrees. It was a bit more intimate.

    She couldn''t take it anymore, this man was actually acting coquettish to her?! This was unprecedented!

    "Are you trying to seduce me?"

    Xiao Qian giggled, his low and slightly hoarse laughter tickling Su Zhi''s ears.

    "That''s right. I wonder if Ah Zhi has been lured in."

    Su Zhi pretended to be angry and pushed him away. "Hurry up and put on your clothes. I''m not responsible if you catch a cold."

    Xiao Qian was in a very good mood. He obediently put on his clothes and threw his old shirt on the ground. It seemed that he was going to throw it away.

    "From now on, I''ll leave my undergarments to you."

    "Why did you throw them all at me? I''m not your tailor. "

    He said happily, "The sizes you make are suitable. Only you know how to make it."

    Su Zhi was completely speechless ˇ­ He felt an urge to immediately take back his undergarments.

    Other than his wife, there were very few helpers who could make such private clothes.

    Since Su Zhi was willing to do this, it meant that she had already placed herself in front of Xiao Qian. This made him very satisfied.

    Thus, Great General Xiao, who had gotten a new set of clothes, swept away his previous unhappiness and spent the rest of the day smiling happily. Without saying anything about leaving, he wandered around the venue in his new clothes, afraid that others would not know that he had temporarily changed into a new set of undergarments.

    Although mother Ding and the two maidservants did not know what method Su Zhi had used to coax her master.

    In short, they were happy and no longer made a fuss about leaving. After coming to the courtyard for so long, this was the first time they stayed for dinner.

    Su Zhi personally cooked dinner. In order to reward him, Xiao Qian, who hadn''t had much to eat for lunch, cooked a table of good dishes for the first time.

    Although it was not a complicated dish, but when the family gathered together, they were happy and at ease. It was also a rare warmth and tranquility.

 C99

    As expected, the Liu Family sent someone to the Spring Leaf Lane to give their thanks.

    Su Zhi refused, but the present was from the steward of the Liu residence. After much discussion, she finally accepted the gift and sent out an invitation for her to attend Old Master Liu''s birthday feast.

    Su Zhi originally did not plan to go, but after asking Xiao Qian for his opinion, she finally decided to go ˇŞ

    After the tea garden incident last time, Lu Huan had said that they would meet again in three days. Su Zhi was worried that meeting that bottle of plague would be the best. However, the Liu Estate had sent an invitation to the General''s Estate.

    She thought: I can''t not give face to the Liu Family. Besides, with Xiao Qian around, there''s no harm in going.

    It was the start of winter and the moon, and the weather was getting colder and colder. As the end of the year approached, every household in Spring Leaf Alley began to paste in the Spring Festival Couplet Slicing Window Flower.

    Early in the morning, Mama Ding took the two maidservants to the market and bought some rare things for the two children.

    Seeing that Su Zhi had no intention of waking up, she knocked on the door and reminded her, "Madam, you should wake up. The Liu Manor''s people will be arriving soon."

    Today was Old Mr. Liu''s birthday. The Liu Estate had spread the word that they would specially send a carriage to meet her. This could be considered the most honorable day for a savior like her.

    Su Zhi rolled over and mumbled to herself, she was really not willing to leave. Seeing that it was indeed getting late, she decided to get up from her bed.

    Mama Ding, carrying a box of food, entered the room with a pleasant face and said with a smile," Bi Yue made rice wine and dumplings for the madame. "How can a banquet at a high-class mansion be enough to fill one''s stomach? A banquet usually has an extravagant amount of extravagance, so it''s best for Madam to eat more before you go.

    "In that case, thank you, mother Ding."

    Su Zhi stretched for a while before she slowly got off the bed to wash up and put on her clothes. Just as she finished messing around, Dan Xue hurriedly reported that the Liu Family''s carriage had arrived before she even had time to eat the rice wine and dumplings on the table.

    "Madam, you should go first. Just come back earlier and I''ll keep the stove for you."

    Su Zhi did not expect that the Liu Family would arrive so early. She ate two mouthfuls of the Soup Dumplings and went out.

    Outside the door stood a green-clothed attendant. When he saw her come out, he respectfully greeted her, "Greetings, Lady Su. I''ve come under the orders of the Patriarch to bring you to the estate to eat wine."

    She nodded and smiled, "Sorry for troubling you, little brother."

    Just as she was about to get on the carriage, someone called out to her, "Su Zhi, wait!"

    Hearing the sound, Su Zhi looked over to see He Qi Niang, who had not appeared for a few days, jogging over. Seventh Madame? What business do you have with me? "

    After not seeing her for a few days, He Qi Niang had become much more haggard. Her originally thin cheeks had become sunken even more, and her lifeless eyes were empty. She looked at Su Zhi with hesitation, her sallow face filled with panic and worry.

    Su Zhi looked around and saw that no one was around, so she waved for her to follow him to the carriage. She then explained to the attendant, "Little brother, please wait a moment. I have something to say to this big sister."

    "It''s fine. Lady Su is an esteemed guest, it''s all right for you." The attendant replied politely and consciously moved to the side.

    He Qi Niang had been pulled up the carriage by Su Zhi, but before she could even ask for the reason, she was already shocked by the sound of her kneeling down.

    She quickly pulled up the woman on her knees and comforted her, "What''s wrong with Seventh Madame? "Hurry and get up."

    "No, I''m not getting up. Su Zhi, help me. If I didn''t have no other choice, I wouldn''t have come to trouble you."

    He Qi Niang refused to get up. She pulled Su Zhi''s hands as if they were grabbing onto the last straw of hope.

    Her hand was very cold, and the feeling of her touch was cold and clammy. Su Zhi frowned.

    Remembering the last time they had parted, He Qiniang''s ruthlessness, Su Zhi could not help but withdraw her hand and sit down to ask her, "Did something happen to you?"

    She knelt inside the carriage, and after a few moments of hesitation, she finally revealed the reason, "I ˇ­" I got it. "

    Su Zhi''s eyebrows jumped as she grinned in surprise, "You got it?" You mean you''re pregnant? "

    He Qiniang nodded slightly as a reply.

    "Are you sure?"

    "There''s no mistake. The monthly matters have been postponed for a long time. I have always been quite accurate."

    Su Zhi''s heart was thumping non-stop as she broke out in a cold sweat for her.

    A woman that had been a widow for so many years actually had a child. If anyone knew that she was going to enter the pig cage, they would definitely have committed an unforgivable crime.

    "Does he know?"

    He Qiniang shook her head again, "He probably doesn''t know. Ever since you broke him last time, he never came to find me again."

    Su Zhi shook her head, feeling that it wasn''t worth it.

    It was clear that the man wanted to take advantage of her. He lied to her to avoid being caught, so he hid and refused to come out.

    Now that he had a child, he was a coward when it came to choosing.

    "Then what do you think? Do you want this child? "

    He Qiniang let out a sigh of relief as she sobbed while covering her face.

    She had lost more than ten years of her youth, and hoped that her children would be happy with her. Now that she was pregnant with a child, how could she not want to keep it? However, she was a widow.

    Seeing her expression, which was filled with pain and depression, Su Zhi helped her up and comforted her, "Everything depends on your decision. If you don''t want to keep this child, I can get you some birth control medicine. However, this is your first child after all. Even if it is for this little life, you should clearly explain it to your child''s father. Whether you go or stay, is up to you. "If he truly loves you and is willing to take great risks to marry you, then this child can legitimately land on the ground. If ˇ­"

    She did not continue, but the meaning was clear.

    His lonely appearance was no longer as gloomy and cold-blooded as before. She twisted her fingers and bit her pale lips, as if he was a lost person who had lost his way.

    Su Zhi could not bear it and said, "Don''t worry too much. It''s better to go and explain things to him." If he doesn''t want it, then come back and don''t let him touch you again in the future. "

    "Alright, I understand."

    She lowered her head and dried her eyes. Her ice-cold hands unconsciously stroked her stomach with a complicated expression on her face.

    Only when He Qiniang got off the carriage did the green-robed attendant approach and steered the carriage out of Spring Leaf Alley.

    She did not know if that man she had never met would actually want this child. If she was willing to risk her life and marry He Qi Niang, then it would be fine, but if she was spat on by a neighbor, after a long period of time, when she was no longer fresh, she would finally let go of her grudge.

    If he did not want to marry, and did not want that poor child, then what awaited He Qiniang Niang would be a shadow for the rest of his life.

    Su Zhi sighed faintly. What was there to do? If he had known that he would not be able to control his emotions and desires, why would he have needed to set up that chastity memorial archway?

    "Madam, we''re almost there."

    After an unknown period of time, the attendant finally reminded him.

    Only then did Su Zhi realize that they had arrived in the capital.

    She lifted the curtain and saw that the carriage was passing by the general''s manor. Suddenly, she thought of Xiao Qian.

    They were both widows, and both of them had relationships that couldn''t be shamed. However, Xiao Qian had the courage to act recklessly, and more than once asked the matchmaker to hire him.

    Thinking of this, Su Zhi finally relaxed her eyebrows and smiled.

    The carriage continued to move forward and soon, the area outside was bustling with noise and excitement.

    He had arrived at the Prime Minister''s Estate.

    Su Zhi got off the carriage and saw that there were more than ten carriages parked outside the Liu Manor. There were many guests coming and going, and it was bustling with activity.

    There were a group of servants standing outside the door. When they saw the carriage stop, they walked up to it and led it into the mansion.

    Only she stood where she was and didn''t know where to go. The people around her saw her but most of them didn''t know her and didn''t want to greet her.

    When he looked for the attendant, he found that there was no trace of him.

 C100

    "Lord Liu is here."

    Everyone shouted out loudly. Su Zhi looked towards the door and saw a smiling Liu Yuan walk out.

    "Everyone, thank you for coming to support us. Quickly, come in."

    He went down the stairs, chatted and laughed with the passing customers, asked about the warm weather, and unconsciously moved in the direction of Su Zhi. Only when he was almost done did he withdraw from the crowd and walk to the side.

    "Lady Su, you''ve come. You didn''t manage to receive me, please forgive me."

    Su Zhi smiled and shook her head. "Of course. Lord Liu is too polite."

    "Today you are an esteemed guest. Father has specially instructed you that you must not be negligent."

    He had personally welcomed Su Zhi into the Palace. Such honor caused all the guests around to raise their eyebrows, guessing at the relationship between the two of them.

    Being stared at by everyone, Su Zhi felt particularly uncomfortable, but she could not say much. She could only follow them silently.

    Liu Yuan didn''t seem surprised at all. He led her to the main hall and greeted the people around them, "How have you been, Lord Yang?"

    "I am indebted to Lord Zai Fu for his concern. Everything is fine."

    Su Zhi slowed down her steps and followed behind him. She didn''t even glance at him, deliberately ignoring the looks of the passersby. Liu Yu''an seemed to have noticed her distress and affectionately called for a servant girl to bring her. He then busied himself with greeting the others.

    Without Liu Yuan in front of her, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and followed the maidservant.

    Passing by on the narrow gravel road, he accidentally bumped into the woman who was walking towards him.

    She quickly lowered her head and smiled apologetically. "I''m sorry for disturbing Madam."

    The woman Su Zhi had met was dressed in a purple-colored palace dress. She looked extremely charming and her demeanor was elegant. Although she was a little disturbed, she didn''t look unhappy. When she clearly saw Su Zhi''s face, she said in surprise, "This lady looks familiar, I think I''ve seen her somewhere before."

    "Then you must have been here at Flower Mansion before, as a guest of a common woman."

    The purple-dressed woman suddenly said: "Oh, I know where you''re talking about. Although I''ve never been there, I''ve used your things." The most popular cosmetic powder nowadays is from your place, you are very capable. "

    Su Zhi looked bashful as she continued, "Then, Madam, please go over personally. This humble woman will take care of Madam for a while."

    The purple-clothed woman nodded. After exchanging a smile with her, she turned around and left.

    The unintentional interlude did not make Su Zhi notice anything amiss, nor did she forget where the woman seemed to have seen that line just now.

    The maidservant brought Su Zhi to the banquet in the Flower Hall. Since the two of them were seated separately, Su Zhi did not meet Xiao Qian along the way. Naturally, she did not need to worry about running into that god of pests.

    "Xiaosu, you''re finally here."

    From afar, they could see that Auntie Liu was already waiting in front of the yard for her to come in.

    Su Zhi greeted him with a face full of smiles, "Long time no see, Auntie Liu."

    Two little boys of similar appearance were waiting for her as well.

    One on the left and one on the right, they stood beside Auntie Liu like two New Year''s dolls.

    "I already heard from my nephew that you were the one who saved my old brother, so I guessed that you would definitely come to today''s banquet. I was afraid that you weren''t familiar with people, so I waited here."

    Su Zhi squatted down and took out the candy in her arms to tease the two children. The two round kids were teasing her until they were giggling and had a pair of cute dimples on their round white cheeks.

    "Thank you for taking care of me, Lady Liu. I''m afraid I don''t know anyone, and I don''t know what to do."

    Auntie Liu took her hand and patted it. "Come, come. Sit down and talk." It''s been a long time since we''ve seen each other. Tell me, how are Aunt Bai and the others? "

    "It''s all good. Everyone often misses you. If you''re free, you can go back and take a look."

    As the two chatted, two children tore open the candy wrapped in kraft paper. They picked up a candy and were about to put it into their mouths when a young wet nurse rushed over and slapped away the candy in the child''s hands.

    "Big brother and second brother, don''t eat. Just take it as something to look at. What are you eating that you don''t understand?"

    Hearing that, Su Zhi looked annoyed. Aunt Liu also became angry, "You''re just spouting nonsense. Don''t you know where Mistress Su comes from? How dare you neglect the savior of our old master''s life?"

    The wet nurse didn''t buy it, and kicked the candy off into the distance with a sniff. "The old mistress said that the two young masters'' identities were too precious, so you can''t eat random things. "Besides, the child is still young and eats candy and bad teeth. What''s there to be worried about?"

    Aunt Liu was about to lose her temper, but Su Zhi quickly held her down and explained, "I made that candy myself. I added some juice and a little sugar to it with cow colostrum. I have my own children to eat, and they won''t break their teeth. "

    The wet nurse snorted and left without a word with the two children.

    Auntie Liu said with a guilty conscience, "Little Su, don''t mind her. This wet nurse is such a naughty person. A small person coming out for his own milk and water, seems like he really thinks of himself as a master. " She whispered into Su Zhi''s ear, "This blind girl is delusional in trying to seduce my nephew. It''s a pity that no one in the Liu Family thinks highly of her."

    Before she could say anything, Aunt Liu said, "My nephew is also on the side this year. Previously, when I loved my wife and couldn''t bear to take in a concubine, the child was finally reborn, but my nephew''s wife is gone. "It''s been three or four years, and you still haven''t gotten married yet. Even if you have two concubines, you still wouldn''t go that far."

    "That means that Lord Liu is righteous and loyal. Ordinary people have a lot of old and new love. As the saying goes, promoting an official to wealth and losing a wife is a great thing in life. Which man doesn''t have a house full of women?

    Speaking of this matter, Su Zhi rather admired Liu Yuan. With his status, he couldn''t find anything, but on account of his wife and children, he refused to continue. This kind of insistence was rare among men.

    "Yesterday, my sister-in-law even sighed and said that she wanted to find a good girl for him. However, there were so many girls that had yet to leave the pavilion in the capital, not a single one of them were worthy of her attention."

    Auntie Liu could not help but shake her head. When she thought of Liu Yuan''s dead wife, she couldn''t wrap her head around it either.

    Logically speaking, her daughter-in-law looked ordinary, but her appearance wasn''t set. It was just that she was sensible and considerate, so why was her nephew unwilling to marry again?

    Hearing this, Su Zhi smiled faintly. "It''s not that I don''t want to marry, but I can''t find someone I like. I''m also afraid that my stepmother would be unkind to her child and owe her a wife who died in the underworld."

    "Presumably, that''s the theory as well." Auntie Liu nodded her head in agreement.

    The two of them chatted non-stop as the guests arrived one after another and the banquet officially began.

    Not long after, another commotion sounded from the courtyard. The crowd looked over and saw that it was Princess Anyang, who had arrived late.

    Seeing that she had come, Su Zhi was also unsatisfied. On the other hand, An Yang had specially picked a seat beside Su Zhi.

    She just ignored Su Zhi, just like she did with Auntie Liu and the rest of her family.

    Only when the banquet was in full swing did he lean his body to Su Zhi''s ear and say, "Wait for me at the back after you''ve eaten your meal. There''s something you want to say."

    Su Zhi did not say anything. She just held onto her food, holding it in her hands.

    This meal was a bit unpleasant. Anyang deliberately got along with her, intentionally or unintentionally talking about the business interests that had disturbed the market recently and had been suppressed by the emperor''s order.

    Su Zhi felt that she had lost her appetite. She really did not like An Yang''s rebellious attitude. After reluctantly eating a few bites, she declined, saying that she was going to leave if she was tired.

    Seeing that she had finally left, An Yang put down his chopsticks and left without even looking back.

    She rushed forward to catch up with Su Zhi, who was about to leave the courtyard. She grabbed her and questioned her, "This princess has instructed you to wait, but you actually dared to disobey my orders!"

    Su Zhi flung her hands away in annoyance and replied, "Princess, what can I do for you?"

    An Yang smiled in an exaggerated manner and admitted in a very generous manner, "I was the one who did the thing in your shop."

    "Yes, I know."

    An Yang looked at her in disdain and continued to provoke her, "Not only you know, even big brother Xiao knows, but he just doesn''t have any reaction. Do you know why? Because he won''t be embarrassed by you and me. "

    Su Zhi shrugged her shoulders. She truly felt that there was no need to continue the conversation. Since An Yang didn''t want her to leave, it was obvious that he wanted to put up a show of his might for her.

    "This princess has made it clear that you, a widow, should know your place. You are not worthy of Brother Xiao at all, so don''t be so despicable and stick close to him. If you can''t enter the Xiao family''s gate, you will cry bitterly. You should also know that this princess has a bad temper. If any unscrupulous person were to provoke me, I would think of any method. Even if your business is going to fail, you should still be worried about those two evildoers, right? "

    Hearing this, Su Zhi was completely enraged, and said with a gloomy face, "It''s not up to you whether I''m worthy of him or not! "Anyang, let me give you a word of advice. Don''t touch my bottom line."

    An Yang was fearless. When he saw her angry smile deepen, he said, "What does this matter to you? It would be easy for even a lowly servant to die with a casual staff, not to mention those wild flowers and weeds by the side of the road."

    Su Zhi looked at her seriously and questioned, "Princess An Yang, it was in vain for you to be a blood relative of the royal family. Don''t you know the same thing? "The Son of Heaven has violated the law and committed the same crime as the commoners."

    "Same crime?" This princess is the daughter of Zhennan Wang, the direct granddaughter of the empress dowager. If I want to teach this lowly slave a lesson, do I need you to do so? "Are you going to sue me at the justice courts or report me to the procurator''s office? Go to the yamen and report your grievances. Let''s see who will care about a country woman like you."

 C101

    Su Zhi and An Yang''s theories were getting more and more intense. From time to time, guests would look in their direction.

    Su Zhi looked at her coldly, not wanting to argue any further. Seeing that it was about time, she said goodbye to Liu Yu An and left.

    An Yang saw that she was about to leave, and warned her with a ferocious expression, "I said all that to make you understand that you should stay away from big brother Xiao. If you do not know what''s good for you, this princess will not mind falling out with you! "

    "Heh ~ Then let me also remind the princess, if you can grab onto a man''s heart and guarantee that he won''t go to another woman''s place, then why did you come here to flaunt your might? You only chose to do it from me because you felt that you had no chance of getting Xiao Qian''s pity. "Sorry, I''ve never bothered him before. If you don''t believe me, you can ask him yourself."

    Faced with An Yang''s overbearing attitude, Su Zhi did not appear to be in a difficult position. She simply glanced at An Yang and left.

    "Su Zhi, remember this!" The woman behind him twisted her face, undisguised hatred in her eyes.

    As her mother had expected, the feast was not enough to fill her stomach. A pampered young prefecture lord had also appeared, causing trouble for her.

    Xiao Qian and the others were indeed attracted by An Yang''s attention.

    It was unknown whether other than this troublesome master, there would be other ladies secretly watching him. It was truly a headache.

    "Indeed, it''s not a good thing for men to be too good-looking."

    Su Zhi muttered as she walked out of the female guest''s yard. She was lost in thought when she realized that she had deviated from her previous route. She did not know where she was at the Liu Estate, and she did not see a single customer!

    She let out a sigh of frustration and randomly picked a small path to walk towards that direction. The more she walked, the more she realized that the yard was off to the side and she was completely unable to find the way back.

    The woman was frowning unhappily, and a low coughing sound came from the shady part of the forest.

    Su Zhi was overjoyed. She had finally seen a living person.

    She quickly stepped forward and asked, "Is anyone here?"

    No one answered her, and then there was a quiet cough.

    "Your Highness, are you alright?" This subordinate will kick out those who disturbed your rest. "

    "Don''t, don''t scare her."

    Two short sentences of conversation intruded into Su Zhi''s ears. She stopped and didn''t dare to take a step forward.

    Your Highness? It couldn''t be that he was a noble like Lu Huan.

    "Is the girl lost?" The man''s voice that seemed to be on the verge of death sounded again.

    Su Zhi''s heart skipped a beat. She was such an intelligent person, yet she didn''t even open her mouth. He actually knew that she was in an awkward situation.

    "Sorry for disturbing you. I did get lost."

    A young man was sitting on a stone table under the shade of a tree. He was dressed in a white fox fur coat.

    His back was facing the small path in the courtyard, so the pedestrians could not see his expression clearly. Just his back alone could not conceal the unparalleled charm of his beauty. He was situated deep in the shadows of the forest, spotless and untainted.

    "Girl, take a hundred steps back. There''s a fork in the road, take a left."

    The young man still didn''t look back, but patiently answered her question.

    Su Zhi hurriedly thanked him, "Thank you for your kind words."

    Before the man could reply, Su Zhi heard a low cough and disordered breathing.

    The guard beside her was getting impatient. He waved his hand at her and said, "Hurry up and leave, don''t stay here any longer."

    Su Zhi nodded and was about to turn around to leave when a voice called out to her. "Wait."

    She stood in the distance and curiously stared at the man.

    "Young master, do you have any other important matters?"

    The man turned slowly and looked at her.

    Under the bright, mottled sunlight, his young face was as white as jade, his lips were pale, but his black and white eyes were filled with a faint smile. Perhaps it was because he had been sick for a long time, but his body was very thin, thin, and even his two slender hands were so white that they were almost transparent.

    Su Zhi was stunned, not because this seventeen or eighteen year old youth in front of her was handsome, but because his appearance suddenly gave her a familiar feeling.

    "Big sister Su."

    The youth looked at her with a smile on his face and his eyes blossomed.

    "Big sister Su," she called out as if she had been waiting for a long time.

    Su Zhi looked at him in surprise and replied blankly, "You''re calling me?"

    However, the problem was that she had never met this young man before. How would she know that her surname was Su?

    In response to her surprise, the youth slowly stood up and was supported by the guards to walk two steps forward.

    "Oh, maybe I was wrong. I''m so sorry."

    He looked at Su Zhi closely and shook his head as if he had just realized something. "Recently, I always dream of an old friend. Miss looks too similar to her, and I apologize for being careless."

    So she had recognized the wrong person. Su Zhi nodded in understanding and smiled indifferently, "It''s alright. To be honest, I feel like I''ve met young master before."

    The youth raised his eyebrows and looked at her with interest. The smile in his eyes had a layer of darkness that others couldn''t see.

    If he misunderstood her, he could just say it out loud. Su Zhi bent her knees and bid him farewell, then waved her hand and walked back the way she had come.

    "You see, those who should come back, will come back sooner or later." The youth looked at the distant figure as he faintly said.

    "Your Highness, you just called this woman ˇ­"

    "Yes, that''s right. She''s back."

    The swordsman guard''s face changed drastically as he lowered his voice, "Since that''s the case, Your Highness only needs to say one word, and Subordinate will ensure that she will never return."

    The teenager shook his head with a faint smile. He put the back of his jade-white hand against his lips and coughed gently. Then, he put his hand down and quietly wiped away the bright red light. "No, she should have come back long ago. I''ve been waiting for her for a long time."

    He looked at the empty courtyard with a complicated expression.

    After walking around in circles for a long time, Su Zhi finally walked out of the courtyard and arrived at the front hall.

    She thought to herself: I wonder if I''ll be able to find Liu Yuan after this stroll.

    The woman had originally planned to meet with Xiao Qian, but she decided against it. Anyway, this man would go to Spring Leaf Lane every night, it didn''t matter whether he saw or not.

    She followed the path out, randomly grabbed a woman dressed as a servant, and asked with a smile, "Miss, is this the way to the front hall? I want to go see your Lord Liu. "

    The servant girl nodded, "Yes, we''ll leave from here. But right now, sire is a bit busy, I''m afraid he won''t be able to leave. Madam can look around anywhere before leaving."

    "Thank you, I understand."

    After letting the young maid go, Su Zhi continued to walk forward. She passed by another small courtyard and saw that it seemed that the banquet had just begun.

    She remembered that her servant who had been leading her there had explained to her that this was a banquet eaten by officials and distinguished attendants. In other words, many of the old masters and madams'' servants were dining here.

    Now that the banquet had dispersed, more and more servants came to look for their masters.

    Su Zhi followed the crowd and walked outside. Before she could take two steps, she was stopped by someone from behind.

    She staggered, almost losing her footing.

    "I am truly sorry. This servant deserves to die and disturbed the young lady!"

    Su Zhi steadied her feet and turned around. She saw a woman in her forties with her head lowered and eyes lowered. She was extremely apologetic, afraid that she would vent her anger on her.

    "It''s okay, there are so many people here, I can''t blame you."

    The woman nodded her head repeatedly. "Thank you, young lady!" As he fawned over Su Zhi, he raised his head and looked at her.

    However, a sliver of fear appeared in the woman''s eyes the moment she raised her head. It was as if she had met with something terrifying.

    She grabbed onto Su Zhi, her hands shaking in nervousness.

    "You, you''re the one!"

 C102

    "Wei''er? Who''s the one? "Did auntie recognize the wrong person?"

    That person was staring at her with a gaze that seemed to be able to see through her.

    "No, you are ˇ­"

    The woman raised her voice and looked at her surroundings. She realized that she had lost her composure and immediately let go of her. However, her eyes were still round and round as she stared unblinkingly at her, as if she had received a great shock.

    In less than the time it took to make a cup of tea, Su Zhi had been mistaken twice.

    Could it be that someone looked very similar to her? Or maybe ˇ­ The relationship of the original owner?

    She scratched her head in confusion and walked forward hesitantly. From time to time, she turned her head to look at the old mistress. Her eyes were slightly red, and it seemed as if tears were about to fall from them.

    Su Zhi panicked, and ran away as fast as she could.

    This was a little strange. Why did both of them recognize her wrongly?

    The guests had not completely dispersed from the main hall yet, so Liu Yu An was busy greeting them through the crowd.

    From afar, he couldn''t see Xiao Qian, but he could see Lu Huan''s laughter playing with the ladies of the Shangguan Family.

    From the looks of it, most of the reputable people in the capital had come to congratulate Old mister Liu!

    The Liu family had a strict background and was a family with a civil service background. It was no wonder that Liu Yu-an gave them face and came to support them.

    Su Zhi had originally wanted to go back and say goodbye to Aunty Liu, but after looking around, she was afraid that she had made a mistake. She could only stand at her original spot, and wait for the guests to leave before going up again.

    "I''ve been looking for you for so long, so you''re actually here!"

    A suppressed joy came from behind Su Zhi as she moved her palm across his gentle touch.

    She lowered her head to look and could not help but blush, "There are so many people here, don''t make a fuss."

    The woman shook off Xiao Qian''s hand and felt her palm heat up.

    "Men and women are sitting separately from each other today. I''m afraid that I won''t be able to find you, but I''m also afraid that An Yang will be infuriating you. I''m not in the mood to drink, and I''ve offended a bunch of veterans."

    Since An Yang was not mentioned, Xiao Qian didn''t mention it.

    Su Zhi''s face turned cold, and gently pushed him away, "Go up and greet him, I''ll take the chance to talk to him. We can''t stay here any longer."

    Xiao Qian looked sideways at her, a little flustered. "Anyang really pissed you off?"

    The more he spoke, the angrier he got!

    "You talk so much nonsense, why aren''t you going up!"

    This man was so smart that he used it to fight and kill the enemy. Although he was more intelligent than Qian Linglong, he became a fool when it came to this matter.

    "Don''t be angry, I''ll bring you to bid farewell to Lord Liu."

    Xiao Qian was afraid that she wasn''t happy, so he quickly went up to talk to Liu Yuan.

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him, and followed him very unwillingly.

    "Lady Su, I''m really sorry for not being well-received today."

    Liu Yuan cupped his fists and bowed slightly. His attitude was very sincere.

    Su Zhi quickly waved her hand. "Words? Lord Liu is too polite."

    "When Lady Su comes to the Liu Estate as a guest again, I will definitely accompany you."

    Xiao Qian interrupted their conversation, "This general has heard that Mister Liu has hidden two pots of the finest flowers. Why are you so petty? Why don''t you bring it for everyone to try?"

    Seeing this, Liu Yuan laughed loudly and said, "If General is interested, come to the mansion another day. I will definitely have a good time entertaining you."

    Su Zhi laughed to herself. Xiao Qian''s little trick was really childish and funny.

    How could she not know what this man was thinking? She didn''t say anything else and only bid farewell to Liu Yuan.

    Since Su Zhi was being held up by Xiao Qian, it wasn''t good for Liu Yuan to see her out. He could only instruct the butler to personally send her out.

    Once Su Zhi had left, Xiao Qian withdrew his interest in fine wine and his attitude became much colder.

    "It just so happens that today, those of me who haven''t been out for a long time are able to meet the hottest and hottest newcomer to the Great Wei Empire."

    The two of them looked behind them and saw the purple-dressed woman dashing towards them, each step she took creating lotuses.

    "It is truly fortunate that Madame Jiang came to my humble abode." Liu Yu-an clasped his hands in a gentle bow.

    Xiao Qian, on the other hand, nodded indifferently, "Greetings, Lady Jiang."

    Jiang Si smiled and said, "The two of you are both the noblest and most powerful officials of the imperial court, but now you can stand together peacefully. It''s not like how people say, civil and military officials are at odds with each other."

    "What about Madam? General Xiao and I have never been at odds with each other because of a certain point of view."

    Jiang Si gave a faint smile and said, "Yeah, Wei and Changsheng are inseparable from the pillars of our country."

    Xiao Qian nodded in agreement. Although he said it with some difficulty, his mind was already on Su Zhi''s side.

    It was still early in the morning, so he could still follow her around the streets.

    "I won''t be bothering you two any longer. I have some matters to attend to, so I''ll be taking my leave."

    Liu Yuan didn''t want him to stay and just let him be.

    Jiang Si had no intention to stay here any longer. He said a few words of blessings to Mr. Liu and prepared to leave as well.

    "Madam!" Xu Yue, who had rushed over, called out to her.

    "Since Madam still has matters to attend to, I won''t bother you any longer."

    Jiang Si knelt down, "Say goodbye to Lord Liu."

    Xu Yue wanted to say something, but stopped and followed her out of the Liu Estate''s main entrance. As soon as he got on the carriage, he couldn''t hold back his tears. He knelt down in front of her with a plop and started crying.

    "Madam, your servant has seen Xiu-Er!"

    Jiang Si held up Xu Yue, who was so excited that he was about to cry, and said in confusion, "What''s wrong, Aunt Xu? Who did you say you saw? "

    "It''s Wei''er!" "She''s back!"

    Hearing that, Jiang Si was shocked, "Wise? You mean the one in the palace? "

    Xu Yue''s head was like a clove of garlic as he cried at the top of his lungs, "It''s been five years. These five years, I''ve been suffering day in and day out. Now, I''ve finally found someone."

    "That''s impossible, Wei''er died a long time ago. Five years ago, the great fire inside the Liu Li Palace burned for three whole days, and no one can return! "

    The fire originated from the favored Xuan Fei''s chambers. The source of the fire was strange. It was clearly winter, but the intensity of the fire only increased. No matter how many people tried, they couldn''t save it.

    It took them three days to extinguish their flames, taking away nearly a hundred servants of the Glazed Palace, as well as the recently born Prince Xuan Fei, and the little prince who was born a month later.

    According to the rumors in the harem, if Xuan Fei gave birth to her magic seed, she would be in danger.

    The heavens could not bear to see the common people suffer, and did not want the Lu family''s century-old foundation to be destroyed. Therefore, a great fire had fallen from the sky, and the Demon Consort and the child that should not have been born had been taken back.

    He still vividly remembered the old days. That palace which had scorched half of the capital''s sky, the cries of innocent palace servants, the cries of babies, and the shrill cries of beautiful women.

    Jiang Si was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat while his hands were slightly trembling. Two streams of clear tears gushed out from his eyes.

    "Yeah, it''s been five years."

    Xu Yue sobbed, his red and swollen eyes beating himself with all his might. "If this servant hadn''t gone to the Palace to look for His Majesty, I wouldn''t have been taken advantage of by a thief and killed my poor young miss."

    Now that that person had returned, Feng Chen''s past could only be seen in the light of day. The truth should always surface on the surface.

    "Madam, this servant is going to look for her. I must get to the bottom of this, maybe our little prince is still alive!"

    Jiang Si quivered and abruptly opened his eyes wide, "Who are you looking for? A wench? "I don''t know who that person is, but if you rashly go, I''m afraid you''ll alert the enemy. It''s not like you don''t know our situation."

    Xu Yue wasn''t willing to give up and begged, "But this servant can''t just ignore it. Even if it''s just a sliver of hope, I still have to firmly grasp it, right?"

    "Isn''t your wish the same as mine? If it is, why would you openly come to the Liu Family? Are you not afraid of being seen? " Suddenly, Jiang Si thought of the woman he had just met and felt that he had seen her somewhere with just a glance.

    "I think I know which one you are referring to. Just now, I saw a woman in the Liu Estate. She was none other than the new manager of Flower Mansion."

    After a pause, she confirmed again, "Are you sure it''s Xiu-Er? You haven''t seen her for five years, do you still remember her appearance? Even if she was still alive, she couldn''t be what you remembered. Furthermore, Wei''er was only thirteen when she entered the palace, and she was only fourteen when the fire started. "

    "This servant is certain that this servant was the one who brought the child into the palace. Although a few years have passed and his appearance has grown, his foundation is there. How could I possibly recognize him wrong?"

    Xu Yue''s certainty made Jiang Si hesitate. After all, they hadn''t met in five years, so there was too much uncertainty.

    Besides, all these years, the Jiang family had been completely suppressed by Empress Zhao. One wrong move and they''d lose everything. She couldn''t afford to gamble.

    "Based on your own words, I can''t be sure. Who else was in the family? If she was close to him, he would definitely recognize her. "

    Xu Yue thought for a moment, then replied, "Her parents were long gone, but she still has a cousin who was married to a child. She''s the same age as her."

    Jiang Si nodded seriously and said, "Go and get cousin Xiu-Er. If he agrees, I will admit that she is back."

    The girl who should have died in the fire actually returned to her homeland five years later. If she was still alive, why hadn''t she been missing for five years? Why did he suddenly appear again?

 C103

    Jiang Si felt a splitting headache coming on as he held his forehead and sighed. This matter was related to the honor of the Jiang Clan, and he couldn''t be careless.

    Xiao Qian caught up to Su Zhi after they left the Liu Estate. He insisted on pulling her out of the car.

    The two walked side by side, stuck in the middle with the passersby.

    Su Zhi''s face was red with embarrassment. On the contrary, someone was grinning without a care in the world, as if he didn''t find anything amiss.

    "If you don''t have anything to do, then you just have to wander around. There''s still work in the store."

    Xiao Qian narrowed his eyes and said happily: "Is my wife a money grubber? "Since you''ve been talking about earning money all day, why don''t you marry into the general''s estate earlier and help my grandmother gather some money?"

    He smiled and teased the shy girl beside him.

    Hearing his words, Su Zhi panicked and looked around, blaming him in a low voice, "Don''t speak nonsense in public. What if someone hears?"

    The man held his tongue in grievance. It was one thing if he didn''t want to hold her hand, but it was one thing to say it was intimate. It was quite difficult for him to steal away half a day''s time.

    "It''s about time. I should go back to the store and keep an eye on him." Watching on unhappily, perhaps An Yang was secretly messing with him again.

    The business of Flowery Tower had gradually been pushed away. The corresponding customers were not only the individuals who went out to purchase the dishes, but also a few restaurants and a few aristocratic doorways.

    If he was manipulated at this time, the business that had not stabilized just a moment ago could very well be ruined.

    The more she thought about it, the more worried she became.

    "Nothing much, I really should go back now. The general is interested in taking a stroll around the streets."

    Xiao Qian stopped his steps and was hit by the pedestrians behind him. Before he could say anything, the person behind him had already started swearing, "You really don''t grow eyes. Can''t you see that there''s someone behind you!"

    He raised his eyebrows and cast a cold glance at the cursing man.

    Shocked by this look, the man immediately stopped and swallowed his saliva as he moved to the side.

    "It''s fine, why would I do that?" Su Zhi poked him with her hand and her attitude softened a little.

    [This man really doesn''t want to say it out loud. He just doesn''t want to say it out loud. That''s why he has to put on a face.]

    Xiao Qian looked at her silently. He was an iron blooded man who fought on the battlefield, and when he didn''t say a word, his aura was incredibly strong. He didn''t dare approach anyone within three feet of her.

    "Alright, alright, it''s fine to continue strolling around." She pushed against him, grabbed his sleeve, and walked on.

    "No, go back."

    He pulled back his clothes. With a stiff expression and a stifled breath, he tightly pursed his lips and no longer paid any attention to Su Zhi.

    Why does she look like an infuriated wife? Is this man a puffer? He was always cheering up.

    Su Zhi resigned herself to fate, shook her head, coughed lightly, and stepped forward to grab his hand.

    Her wide sleeves were draped over her shoulders. Although no one could see her intimate actions, she acted like a thief, feeling uneasy and shy. From time to time, she would look around, lower her head and bite her lips, both awkward and novel.

    Being held by a woman, Xiao Qian felt very flattered. He could feel a numbing electric current flowing from his palm to his heart, making him feel a sweet sensation.

    He slowed his pace, a faint smile curling his lips.

    "I''m really afraid of you ˇ­"

    Su Zhi muttered to herself and rolled her eyes at the man beside her in annoyance.

    Xiao Qian, on the other hand, didn''t feel ashamed. Instead, he smiled even more happily.

    As expected, it was necessary for a man to have a bit of a temper!

    He began to admire that brat, Tan Qing, more and more.

    He would invite him to drink some other day and take out all the precious ancient wine. He would make sure that he would teach him everything he had learned in his entire life.

    After this trip to the market, although Su Zhi was a little tired, it was not like she had not had any gains at all.

    For example, when she saw several dowries she had designed herself on the stall, she had spent a lot of effort to get the craftsmen to forge them and sell them all over the place.

    As a result, on the way down, she found that there were quite a few small peddlers selling this item. Although the workmanship wasn''t considered good, it was still much cheaper.

    No one would feel comfortable having the fruits of their labour stolen. It seemed that they were aware of their own rights, or else they would be bullied for nothing.

    "What are you thinking about? Why are you so engrossed in me? Do you hear me talking to you?"

    Su Zhi snapped out of her daze and looked at Xiao Qian, "Ah? What did you say? "

    The man sighed helplessly. "I said I won''t be able to see you and the kid for the next few days. I have to go to the camp in the western suburbs. I think I''ll be delayed for three or four days."

    "Oh, I know."

    Xiao Qian stared at her with a puzzled expression.

    "You have nothing else to say to me?"

    Su Zhi''s face was full of questions. What did he want to say?

    Xiao Qian looked at her with dissatisfaction, waiting for her to finish her words.

    "Oh oh, the military camp is hard, take care, General."

    So disappointed, just like that...

    Last time before Tan Zhao went on the battlefield, his wife had even made clothes from the soles of his shoes. She had prepared everything for him and had sent him all the way out on the official road. At that time, he didn''t feel anything, but compared to that, why was he feeling a little sad?

    Su Zhi was also dumbfounded, not knowing what Xiao Qian''s sudden disappointment meant.

    As a general, he had quite a few servants under him. What he needed to prepare didn''t need her to do so, right? Besides, the camps in the western suburbs were not that far away, there was no need to wail and express reluctance, right?

    As the two walked together, their thoughts were different.

    It was already evening when he returned from the capital. The winter sun had set early.

    Before dark, Spring Leaf Alley had become quiet. Occasionally, there would be the sound of barking dogs, disturbing the return of the people at night.

    As usual, Mama Ding was waiting outside for Su Zhi to come back, along with Xiao Qian who insisted on sending her back.

    "Madam and the general are finally back. Miss Lan is making a fuss about father and mother, but we won''t listen no matter how hard we try."

    "I''m sorry, mother Ding. I spoiled that child a little. His personality is very sticky."

    Mother Ding shook her head. "That''s nothing. Miss Lan is very clever. Many kids her age can''t even compare to her."

    Xiao Qian nodded in agreement. "That''s right. The Soybean Pancake is indeed smarter than an average child." He might even be a child prodigy when he called her daddy.

    Su Zhi spat at him, "Just get used to him. Who can endure his temper when he grows up?"

    If his child were to suffer it, what else could he do?

    As soon as he stepped into the yard, two children, one big and one small, ran out of the house and ran toward them.

    "Mother, Uncle Xiao, you''re finally back."

    Soybean was still holding her breath, looking teary. She sniffed and put her small face on Xiao Qian''s shoulder, staring at Su Zhi with her big, watery eyes full of grievance.

    "Yo, this pitiful appearance."

    Su Zhi''s heart softened as well as she reached out her hand to tease her.

    The family of four was enjoying themselves, but when they saw the servant girl beside them, their hearts were filled with envy.

    When Mama Ding went to the kitchen to prepare some snacks, she could not help but sigh. The general''s age could be considered as having a future, which was better than being alone in the past.

    If only a family could be so harmonious forever.

    Unfortunately, there was no such thing as eternity.

 C104

    At night, Xiao Qian refused to leave and stayed on the bed with the two children.

    After Su Zhi finished bathing and dressed in her undergarments, she came out to see Great General Xiao wrapped in a blanket, holding two little buns in his arms.

    She didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as she went up to push him, "It''s time to wake up. Didn''t you say you left early in the morning?"

    The man wrapped in the blanket didn''t say anything. He moved his body closer to the bed and refused to get up.

    "I really can''t cure you ˇ­"

    If the soldiers found out, the normally domineering general would actually behave in such a manner. Wouldn''t he be making a fool of himself?

    Su Zhi lifted her delicate foot and kicked him. The kick was not light, and it had caused the man on the bed to suffer.

    But the man with his back to her spun around and grabbed her ankle, revealing a sly smile from under the quilt.

    Su Zhi lost her balance after Qin Lie gripped her feet tightly. She fell into his arms, unable to stand steadily.

    Xiao Qian lifted the blanket and caught the woman in front of him. He narrowed his eyes and smiled.

    "Xiao Qian!" "You, uh ~"

    The woman''s angry words were cut off halfway. The man stepped forward and pressed her down.

    Su Zhi was both angry and embarrassed. She was afraid that she would disturb the child sleeping at the side, so she stiffened her body and let him mess around.

    By the time Xiao Qian stopped, the woman below him was already gasping for breath as tears streamed down her cheeks.

    She arched her knees and kicked at the man, but he quickly suppressed her.

    "Is this enough? The child is still here!"

    Xiao Qian lay on the woman''s body, letting out a breath of air in disappointment, "I know, haven''t I stopped there?"

    "Otherwise, what else do you want!"

    What should be done was done!

    It was too dark and too windy to do anything sweet.

    Xiao Qian blamed his mother for not being sensible. Despite knowing that he might be sleeping in a spring alley, she didn''t take the child away.

    "I''m leaving tomorrow. You don''t even miss me? "I''m still hoping that I can return quickly."

    "General, I have matters to attend to, how can I dare to cause trouble?"

    He raised his head and looked at the girl''s blushing face. He could not help but feel good as he kissed her forehead.

    "You don''t have to be so sensible in front of me, it''s fine to have a bit of a temper."

    Su Zhi was speechless. Why did the Great General Xiao like this sort of tune? Wasn''t it good for a lady to be so sensible and considerate?

    "Quickly get down. It''s not good to let the child see you."

    Xiao Qian sighed and rolled over onto the bed beside her. He held her soft pancreas in his hands.

    "I keep feeling worried about you and your child."

    Especially with that playboy Lu Huan Zhi around, he was even more reluctant to leave.

    "What are you worried about? Children are always obedient. My shop''s business is getting better and better. Nothing else will be difficult."

    The man turned around and surrounded her, murmuring with dissatisfaction, "Then after I leave, don''t even talk to Lu Huan. Don''t even look at him. Also, don''t go to the Liu Estate to see Liu Yuan."

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes. This was to restrict her personal freedom, it was simply overbearing and unreasonable.

    Seeing that she didn''t say anything, Xiao Qian depressingly said, "If you don''t agree, then I won''t leave."

    "Got it, got it. Go back quickly."

    Xiao Qian was in no hurry to leave. He asked again, "You seem to have something on your mind tonight. It seems that your mind has wandered a few times."

    He had been found out. It seemed like this man''s observation skills were not bad.

    Su Zhi did indeed recall that Liu Manor''s young man and the woman who excitedly called her "Wei''er". She had always felt that things were not that simple.

    She wasn''t a particularly sensitive person to begin with, but for her to be acknowledged as wrong two times in a row, no matter how she looked at it, she felt that something was off.

    "I met two people in the Liu Estate. One of them was the teenager I saw in the backyard. The other one is a middle-aged woman.

    Xiao Qian narrowed his eyes, a dark glint flashing across them. " "What does that youth look like?"

    "It''s very thin, and its body doesn''t seem too good. It was born with a pure and beautiful body, and its temperament is very refined and pressing. One look at it and you can tell that it isn''t an ordinary family''s child."

    Su Zhi felt that the man''s grip on her large hand had tightened up, and her words contained some surprise and doubt.

    "Could it be His Highness, the Crown Prince?"

    Crown Prince? Not to mention Xiao Qian, even Su Zhi herself was confused. She had just arrived at Xuan City, so how could she know the crown prince? However, they had also said that they had recognized the wrong person.

    "Alright, then I must be overthinking things. I shouldn''t be disturbing myself."

    Xiao Qian didn''t reply as he stared at the pink veil, deep in thought.

    Other than this, there was also He Qiniang''s situation.

    Although Su Zhi did not want to meddle in other people''s business, she had come to ask for help.

    In the morning, he would go and take a look at that poor woman. If he could be looked after by his father, it would be good for him to be born safely. If he didn''t have that blessing, he wouldn''t be able to blame his mother.

    "General, what would you do if I conceived your child one day?"

    Xiao Qian was interrupted by her and a smile appeared on his face again. "You''re stupid. Of course you were born, pet!"

    "Oh, that''s not right. If you''re a daughter, then you''ll be spoiled. If you''re a boy, then follow me in training to protect you."

    Su Zhi could not help but giggle, feeling warm in her heart.

    If that was the case, then he had met the right person.

    At the mention of this topic, Xiao Qian had even less intention of leaving. He held Su Zhi''s hand, looking forward to the future.

    The man had even thought of several children''s names.

    Facing the incomparably sincere Xiao Qian, however, Su Zhi could not bear to drive him away and began to indulge his rogue.

    When he woke up, he didn''t care about Xiao Qian and went to sleep.

    That night, Su Zhi had a strange dream. She dreamt that a teenager was waving to her from deep within the shade, sweetly calling her: Su family''s elder sister.

    When the scene changed, she found herself in a sea of fire with a baby crying beside her. She was sweating profusely, wanting to scream but unable to do so. Tears flowed freely from the smoke, and only when someone patted her in her sleep did she feel at ease.

    As soon as the sky brightened, Su Zhi was jolted awake by the scene she repeatedly dreamt about. She laid on the bed without strength, without even the strength to turn back.

    The pillow beside him was already empty. It was unknown when Xiao Qian left.

    When she touched it, it was still warm.

    Su Zhi forced herself up. When she opened the door, she found that Dan Xue had already filled the hot water bottle and was waiting outside.

    "Madam, did you not sleep well last night?"

    "Mm. After being entangled by a nightmare, I won''t be able to awaken."

    Dan Xue looked at her worriedly. She hurriedly put the copper basin on the wooden shelf.

    "When the general left, he even mentioned this matter, saying that he wanted this servant to pick some white tea to fry for him so that he could calm down and help him sleep."

    Su Zhi nodded slightly, but didn''t put too much thought into it. Instead, she asked, "When did the general leave?"

    "About two hours ago."

    Didn''t that mean that he would only leave when the sun rose? If he stayed here for a night, he wouldn''t have to worry about the chatter of his family.

    "Forget it, there are already some people leaving. I don''t really care about the business in the store these few days. Let''s go over there first."

    Dan Xue attended to Su Zhi as she washed herself. She served morning tea for Su Zhi to use and personally sent her out the door.

    After leaving the main gate, Su Zhi didn''t rush to leave. Instead, she turned a corner and went to Aunt Ying''s house.

    He didn''t know if He Qiniang had woken up, nor did he know if that man was willing to accept the child.

    She tried knocking on the door but there was no sound from inside. Seeing that no one was around, she softly called out, "Seventh Madame, are you up yet?"

    Still, no one paid any attention to her. The tightly shut door was ice-cold and still had no signs of opening.

    Su Zhi had no choice but to board the carriage and rush to the store. For some reason, she felt nervous whenever He Qiniang was mentioned.

    It was probably because she hadn''t slept well last night ˇŞ Su Zhi comforted herself.

 C105

    He had been busy these past few days with other things, as well as planning for the development of new products.

    Early in the morning, Flower Mansion did not have many customers, but there were some old ladies who bought vegetables in the living quarters on the first floor.

    Li Yi, Shuang''er, and the other employees were busy working below.

    After greeting her, Su Zhi dove into her cubicle, touched the wooden hairpin in her hair and summoned the system.

    The transparent interface jumped out without any medium, and the front page revealed a few selectable plates.

    She selected the skincare ingredients below, found some avocado oil and milky wood fruit oil, and also took some glycerol as backup. There was also a little organic beeswax, plant emulsifier, and various kinds of essential oils.

    It was the season for plum blossoms and camellia. It would be well-received if they were used as scents.

    I don''t need raw materials anyway, I can make hand cream and lipstick.

    It was still early, so she had plenty of time to mess around. She might be able to produce quite a few items in the morning to try out the effects and follow up on the product after she was done.

    There was a huge market for these small items, especially in winter. There was no girl who wouldn''t be willing to spend that little bit of silver.

    As Su Zhizhan was fiddling around, there was a knock on the door from outside, "Boss, are you there?"

    It was Qiu Hong''s voice.

    Su Zhi did not think too much into it. Thinking that a VIP had come, she casually said, "I''m developing a new product. If a guest comes, please help me greet him."

    "This ˇ­"

    Qiu Hong, who was outside, seemed to have something hard to say. After hesitating for a while, she said, "Boss, a Young Master has come to find you."

    Su Zhi felt a sense of foreboding. Which young master would come to the third floor? It couldn''t be that god of pests again, could it?!

    "Who is it? Your Highness? "

    "No, from the looks of it, I''ve never been to Flowery House and only said that I wanted to see you."

    This was strange. A man who had never visited his store before wanted to look for her? What for?

    "Did that young master explain the reason?"

    Qiu Hong replied, "No, I''m just looking on anxiously. Maybe it''s something urgent."

    "I understand. Bring him to the living room on the second floor, I''ll be there in a moment."

    "Sigh, I''ll head there now."

    Su Zhi put the generator back into the storage room and tried to apply the pale apricot paste, which had just been finished, onto her hands. She put it close to her nose and took a sniff.

    She got up and separated the paste from the jar into a few delicate little bottles. After sealing them, she left them outside in the new product section.

    As he was descending the stairs, he saw Qiu Hong walking up with a lady in tow.

    Su Zhi immediately recognized the woman that had followed them. Wasn''t she the same Madam that she had bumped into at the Liu Estate?

    "It''s so early. Madam is here to visit."

    Jiang Si was so worried that he was suddenly stopped by her. His body slightly quivered while he raised his head and looked at her strangely.

    "It''s also early for Lady Su."

    She looked at the smiling Su Zhi, unable to find any trace of panic on her face.

    Her eyes were very pure, so clean that it didn''t seem like she had seen an old friend.

    For a moment, Jiang Si felt that Xu Yue had recognized the wrong person. Or perhaps, the woman in front of him was Su Qiuyi, but she couldn''t remember anything.

    No matter how much a person disguises himself, it is impossible for him to be this powerful.

    The past had been forgotten, just like a stranger.

    "Qiu Hong, call Madam and don''t be negligent."

    Qiu Hong replied, leading the way respectfully.

    Su Zhi and the others walked past them from the side, and their eyes caught sight of a woman behind them.

    She clearly remembered that this woman cried and called her ''Qiao`er'' yesterday.

    At this moment, the woman was tilting her head and secretly observing her. Seeing her look over from the corner of her eyes, she hurriedly lowered her head.

    It seemed to be the lady above. Su Zhi paused in her steps and looked curiously at the few people on the stairs. After a simple exchange of glances, she knew that this lady was not here to simply look at things.

    Su Zhi had originally wanted to catch up and find out. Thinking that there were still guests waiting on the second floor, she could only go downstairs first.

    The door to the living room on the second floor was ajar. The corridor was empty before noon. Siu

    The moment she opened the door, the light on the windowsill was extremely dazzling, and in the place where the light was reflected, a young gongzi stood there ˇŞ his black hair was tied up in a half inch blue band, and his back was straight and tall.

    As if he had heard the noise, the man raised his eyes slightly. His hands under his sleeves curled into a ball. His tall and skinny body quivered, giving people the illusion that he was trying his best to restrain himself.

    "Is Young Master looking for me?"

    Su Zhi stared at him curiously, tilting her head in an attempt to investigate his true appearance.

    The cloth-clothed man let out a breath, and only after making sufficient preparations did he slowly turn around to look at her.

    She was delicate and graceful, gentle and refined. Although she was not a silkworm, she had a strong character and character for a scholar ˇŞ this was Su Zhi''s first impression of him.

    In contrast to Su Zhi''s reaction, when the man saw her for the first time, he opened his eyes wide as if he could not believe it. He stretched out his bony hands towards the door, and then quickly put them down. His eyes, which could not hide his shock, were still staring at the girl at the door.

    "Young Master?"

    Su Zhi called out softly. She really could not understand why the man in front of her had a look of disbelief.

    Was it her imagination? He seemed to see tears welling up in his eyes.

    "Uuu ˇ­" He gently said this word before quickly swallowing it back. His tall and slender body couldn''t help but tremble.

    Five years had passed, and now he was back.

    The man seemed to be trying his best to control his emotions as he forced the tears back. He took a deep breath and bowed, "Greetings, young lady."

    Ah? Girl? She was their mother now, so she couldn''t afford a girl like that.

    "Young master, you should call me Lady Su."

    The bent man trembled violently once more. He raised his head and looked at her in disbelief. "You ˇ­" "Married?"

    Su Zhi thought for a moment, then nodded, "I guess so."

    Hearing this, the man''s footsteps shook. It was obvious that he had taken a huge blow.

    His gaze began to dim as he muttered to himself, "Already ˇ­" "Is he married?"

    "Why did the young master call me here?"

    After finding out that she had gotten married, the man didn''t know what to do. He seemed to lament over it as he covered his chest with his hands. His expression was painful beyond belief.

    "I ˇ­"

    He started to speak, then stopped, unable to utter a complete sentence.

    Su Zhi smiled, patted her head and asked, "May I ask for your name, young master?"

    "I am Shen Zhu, the Shen Family from Qu Fu County''s Copper Beam Platform."

    He said he was, not he.

    Zhu Qing Song was thin and tough and verdant. It was quite a good name, and matched well with him.

    Su Zhi had heard most of the names, but she hadn''t thought about the difference in these words. Then why did young master come to find me today? "

    After a long while, Shen Zhu finally managed to raise a faint smile, "I''m not talented, but after ten years of hard work, I''ve finally made a name for myself. Now that I''ve become a teacher, I''ll earn some money to support my family."

    So that''s how it was. He was a young teacher who came to take in students.

 C106

    Only then did Su Zhi realize what had happened. However, she still didn''t understand why Shen Zhu was so astonished just now.

    "Sir, please take a seat. My family does have a child of appropriate age who should be attending school. I haven''t been able to find a suitable academy for you. It just so happens that you''re here so that we can get to know each other better."

    Su Zhi politely invited him to sit down and personally poured hot tea for him. She said respectfully, "I don''t mean to offend you, sir. It''s just that you''re still young and your bearing is extraordinary. You shouldn''t be worried about not being able to pass the examinations."

    With Shen Zhu''s recovery and talk, it shouldn''t be a difficult task for him to become a student under the rank of a high ranking official. Besides, the Imperial examinations involved ten thousand students trying to get to the top, so how many people had failed to pass the examinations for most of their lives? This wasn''t the only thing he should do to get back at them.

    Hearing her question, Shen Zhu calmly smiled without a trace of regret, "My ambition is not to become an official. Furthermore, the current imperial court has the Zhao Family ˇ­"

    He didn''t continue speaking. He looked at the woman before him with a complicated expression and kept silent.

    Since it was a matter of personal preferences, there was really nothing much to explain.

    Su Zhi nodded and smiled, "That''s alright. Tao You doesn''t like to be an official. He prefers to waste his time in the morning."

    Shen Zhu smiled indifferently, silently looking at the round words of the girl. His heart ached, and when he caught a glimpse of her scabbed hands from the corner of his eye, he frowned, and sorrowfully turned his face away.

    "I wonder where mister is currently living. I''ll go back and discuss it in detail with my child. If he is willing, I''ll bring him here tomorrow to pay my respects to mister."

    "I''ve always been in Moon Residence. I''ve never left."

    Su Zhi understood and silently memorized the name. She could not help but look at Shen Zhu twice more, and she was also satisfied from the bottom of her heart.

    For such a man to have such a good time, he must have an extremely good temper. He must have been very patient with his children, so he could be at ease when he told A Jin to go over to his side.

    "That''s good. In that case, I''ll go back and discuss it with my child. Although his talent isn''t the best, he is still intelligent and quick-witted. I''m afraid that you will have to put some effort into it."

    Shen Zhu nodded his head and said, "It is my duty to be a teacher. To impart knowledge and dispel doubts is naturally to do my best."

    Such a righteous attitude made Su Zhi overjoyed. No matter what, the teachers who came to the door had to be firmly captured.

    "I only came today because my life was forced. Let''s see if I can recruit a few students to disturb Lady Su."

    Shen Zhu got up and was about to leave, but Su Zhi hurriedly got up and sent him downstairs.

    At the same time, the lady who had just walked out of the corridor looked at the situation downstairs with disdain. She glanced at the servants beside her and then left.

    After sending Shen Zhu off, Li Yi put down the account book in his hand and came over. He asked Su Zhi, "Who is this? He didn''t buy anything and specifically came to find you."

    Su Zhi smiled and replied, "My name is Shen Zhu, and I''m a teacher. It looks like my A Jin has a chance to go to the academy.

    Most of the people in Xuancheng have power, and many of them have their own private schools. It is almost impossible for ordinary citizens to enter.

    Even the few prestigious institutions in the city were filled with students. Su Zhi had a lot of headaches over this matter, so it could be considered as having been solved today.

    Li Yi was astounded when he heard this. "Who did you say?" Shen Zhu? The one from old mister Shen''s house? "

    Su Zhi blinked in confusion and asked, "You know him?"

    "Tch ~"

    He raised his hand: "Go outside and ask around. Who doesn''t know about the Shen family?" This ancestor of Shen Zhu''s had once been a teacher of the previous emperor. Back then, he had possessed an incomparable amount of glory and possessed an immense amount of honor. Ever since Shen Zhu was born, he was even more famous for being a prodigy. He had become an Elementary Scholar at the age of eleven, and a High Scholar at the age of twelve. It can be said that you are rich through studying, and you are extremely talented! "

    It turned out to be another official family, but it looked like they had fallen into despair.

    "Since he''s so knowledgeable, why didn''t he get into the top scorer''s seat?"

    After she mentioned it, Li Yi hurriedly lowered his voice, "You don''t know anything about official matters. The one in the palace who kept suppressing the Shen family was originally one of the top three, but for some reason, he was pushed down by someone. "Last year, because of a small matter, he took a lawsuit. This Shen family is a civil servant, how could they know what was going on in the dark? Wouldn''t they end up like this?"

    Su Zhi understood the gist of it and also understood that it wasn''t easy to keep up appearances. If the higher ups wholeheartedly wanted to suppress him, it would truly be difficult to rise above the masses.

    Li Yi sighed, then said, "It''s a pity about this Shen Zhu. He''s a proud and unyielding character. Even though I have a heart full of ambitions, I am unable to display them.

    The dignified young master of the Shen family, who was once such a noble and elegant person, was pushed aside by the Zhao family, unwilling to lower his head to express his goodwill. In the end, he ended up begging for a student.

    "How did Brother Li find out about this?" Su Zhi raised her eyebrows in confusion.

    Li Yi harrumphed once again, "Anyone with some character would pity the Shen family. There were also many officials who pleaded for leniency, but before the papers could be delivered to the emperor, they were suppressed by the cabinet. "

    Su Zhi was even more confused. Hadn''t the cabinet always held the power of the Liu Family? If the Shen Family was really suspected of being wrongly accused, why would the Liu Family sit idly by?

    "Didn''t the Cabinet say anything?"

    Li Yi shook his head. "Of course not. You don''t know that the empress is so deeply rooted that she can''t be easily shaken." How could Liu Zaifu contend with the castrated army alone? But that was in the past, and now that the new Zai Fu has taken office, if someone is willing to bring up the matter of the Shen family, it might be another sign. "

    After listening to Li Yi''s indignant words, Su Zhi was deeply worried.

    That being the case, the Shen family might not be able to stay safe. If they were to send A Jin over, would they be implicated?

    Although she admired Shen Zhu''s upright character, she was more worried about the safety of her child.

    "Now that Brother Li has said that, I''m actually a bit worried for A Jin."

    "Hey, you don''t have to worry about that. There is no one else in the Shen family who is an official now. After all, they can''t just force people onto a path of no return.

    Su Zhi giggled, thought about it, and then put down her grudge and went back to the third floor to greet Li Yi.

    As soon as she got up, Qiu Hong jumped out and excitedly said to her, "Boss must have made a new hand cream and it was bought by that lady just now. "If the price is not low, one bottle will cost six taels of silver."

    Su Zhi replied, feeling a little disappointed in her heart. Originally, she had wanted to find a chance to talk to that lady, but she had been delayed.

    Since the sales were good, she could make more to sell.

    After Shen Zhu left Flower Mansion, she walked around the pedestrians and arrived at a quiet alley. Seeing that no one was following her, she pushed open the low wooden door and walked in.

    Upon entering, a servant dressed as a servant led the way. Without saying a word, Shen Zhu followed him into the small courtyard.

    In the simple and unadorned small yard were two golden red plums, and next to it were two stone tables and two wooden stools. The green-clothed female servant sat on the stools and occasionally looked outside.

    When Shen Zhu entered, the servant girl hurriedly stood up to greet him.

 C107

    "Young Master Shen is here. It''s cold outside, please follow me inside."

    Shen Zhu nodded and was led into the room by a maidservant.

    Inside the house, it was Jiang Si, who was holding a troubled heart. Seeing him come in, his heart tightened even more.

    "How is it? After Young Master Shen verified it personally, did you come to a conclusion? "

    The man who entered shook the ice particles on his clothes. His eyes were as deep as a lake.

    He pursed his lips, raised his head, and asked, "What kind of answer does Madame Jiang wish to hear? Or perhaps, what do you want to do? "

    Jiang Si knitted his eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean by that, young master?"

    "In the imperial court, most of the officials had been bribed by Empress Zhao. The Jiang family is in a precarious situation, and they can''t rest peacefully while they feel threatened. I don''t need to remind my wife of this."

    Jiang Si snorted coldly and said, "That''s right, the Jiang family is indeed the camel that was killed by the dead, but how good could the Shen family be? I just want you to confirm some things. There''s no need for Young Master Shen to be so overbearing. Since you''re willing to go, doesn''t that mean that you have doubts as well? "

    Shen Zhu coldly looked at her, his tightly pursed lips had a hint of coldness. He tightly clenched his fists, gritted his teeth and said: "If you want to turn over, you can, but don''t drag in innocent people. It was not easy for her to escape from death, so you must not implicate her. "

    Hearing this, Jiang Si abruptly stood up, tremblingly said, "So, you mean ˇ­" Is she really the same as she was five years ago? "

    "Yes, it''s her." Shen Zhu sighed and painfully closed his eyes.

    She shouldn''t have come back.

    "It''s really her!" Not all of them were taken away by the fire, and after five years, there was actually a girl who managed to escape with her life.

    Jiang Si''s legs instantly softened, and he collapsed on the wooden chair. Both of his hands were so cold that he couldn''t feel anything, yet his heart was beating endlessly.

    Shen Zhu tightly shut his eyes and endured the pain. When he opened them again, he no longer hesitated, and instead became sharp and resolute.

    "The empress''s faction is all over the court. If Madame wants to make a move, you''d better see the cards in your hands. I swear that I won''t let anyone hurt her after Wei''er escaped from death."

    "Do you think that if she is trapped in this prison, she will be able to get by on her own?"

    When the Su Clan had sent her to the palace to be a teacher, her fate had already become entangled with the Jiang Clan.

    Shen Zhu coldly looked at her, the corners of his sharp eyes overflowing with hostility.

    "No matter who it is, whoever dares to touch her, I will do everything in my power to make it so that he will be eternally doomed!"

    Jiang Si turned tears into smiles, held his stomach and shook his head, laughing in an extremely exaggerated way. Only after quite a while did he finally calm down and ridiculed, "Do you think with your current power, you can fight against the Queen? Just by making up a story, she can make the Shen family die a hundred times over! "

    "This is my problem. Madam, you don''t have to worry about it. You just need to remember that the ''Wei''er'' is not a chess piece that you can discard, even if you want to use it!"

    With that, he turned and pushed open the door, leaving against the incoming blizzard.

    The moment the door opened, the woman inside the pavilion was assaulted by the cold wind and could not help but shiver slightly.

    The maidservant at the side immediately closed the door, adding another piece of charcoal to the stove. She respectfully said, "Madam, Aunt Xu Yue has returned."

    The woman nodded tiredly. "Let her in."

    The wooden door was pushed open again, and before the woman who was covered with snow could close the oil-paper umbrella, she hurriedly entered the room and kneeled down in front of Jiang Si. Madam, this servant has thoroughly investigated everything! Su Qiuyu had come to Xuancheng not long ago to tell the world that her husband had died, and that she was dragging her two children to live at the feet of the Son of Heaven. Of those two children, one is more than five years old while the other should be three years old. "

    Jiang Si''s hands trembled while his slightly raised red phoenix eyes were filled with tears and anger, "You never went to check on that kid?" At the time of the incident in the palace, Su Qiuwei was only a fourteen-year-old child, and she had yet to be married. Five years had passed and there was already an additional child this big! Don''t you think that''s strange? "

    Xu Yue knelt on the ground and sobbed as he shook his head, "This servant doesn''t dare, afraid that I might recognize the wrong person. If the little prince is still around at this age, this servant will definitely not dare! "

    Jiang Si wiped his tears away, then his red and swollen eyes started to turn cold.

    "As long as Su Qiufu is alive, that child must be my sister''s flesh and blood. Even if it isn''t, I''ll make him! "Only in this way can I have the power to topple the empress, win the battle for the Jiang family, and avenge my sister!"

    It was only tomorrow, after seeing the child, that she would understand.

    The Jiang family could no longer continue to be bullied. The good days of their Zhao family had come to an end.

    In the early winter, the first snow fell over the whole city of Changan and Xuancheng. The scattered willow branches turned the land into a palace of silver.

    It was a good omen.

    Before the snow had even stopped, a group of children wrapped in buns jumped out from the street, chasing and playing.

    Li Yi looked at the leaden sky and couldn''t help but sigh. Another year had passed, and in half a month, the Spring Festival would arrive.

    Shuang''er held the hot water bottle with cow skin and curled up in a corner, shivering from the cold. She constantly chanted, "What''s so good about it snowing? The pests on the ground have all frozen to death. That person is also about to freeze to death."

    Li Yi shook his head and smiled to her. "Little girl, you don''t understand. This snow isn''t the coldest time, it''s always cold when the ice melts and melts." The manor''s people relied on food to survive. There were many bugs and mice in the ground, so how could they increase their output? It would be better if it snowed. "

    "But the snow is too cold. It''s snowing ten days earlier than last year."

    The snow outside the window was piled higher and higher. The snow was getting heavier and heavier, and the number of people on the street was gradually decreasing.

    A few children who refused to return home were found by their families and dragged by the ears. The snow-white street became even colder.

    Su Zhi stood by the window with a thermos in her hands, thinking about Xiao Qian at the western suburbs'' camp.

    The weather was cold, so he didn''t know if he had brought enough winter clothes. If he had known earlier, he would have taken the time to make him a big demon.

    "Boss, the business hasn''t been very good these few days. Perhaps it''s because the weather is cold, and the ladies in the high school aren''t willing to go out."

    Su Zhi came back to her senses and closed the window. She nodded with melancholy. "That''s right. Especially with the snow, no one wants to go out."

    Boss, do you want us to take our things to the houses of our regular customers?" "In your own words, a home sale.

    It was snowing so heavily outside that it must have been difficult for her to travel. Although Su Zhi loved money, she knew how to take advantage of it.

    "No, how can we finish earning the silver?" After being busy for so long, it''s time for us to rest. "

    Qiu Hong was not surprised. She knew that Su Zhi was kind and would not make such a decision, so she just smiled and did not say anything.

    There were no customers left or right, and there were helpers watching over the place.

    Su Zhi dove back into the cubicle and began to work on the new product.

    The weather had been dry for a long time during the winter, and long ago she had planted large patches of aloe in the backyard.

    After a few days, the green aloe vera is excellent, jade-like.

    Su Zhi intended to extract some of the juice and sell it using a mask. This had the effect of calming down the flames and keeping her body moist. Any finished product she made would definitely be a fire.

    The business of the beauty salon on the third floor was no longer as business as before. The second floor was not much better off. Only the first floor was still bustling with business, and it was getting busier and busier.

    The helpers on the second and third floors all went to the first floor while Su Zhi stayed in her cubicle to develop new products.

 C108

    Not long after, Qiu Hong knocked on the door and said that everything in the dessert shop on the first floor had been sold out. The chef didn''t have time to cook and asked if she could help.

    Su Zhi responded, then took out some juice concentrate from her storage room, intending to make some fruit candy.

    During the whole afternoon, the best food sold by Flower Mansion was the rice noodles and other necessities for daily living. The dessert shop business was also much better. Adding on Su Zhi''s delicate hands, she had made quite a lot of sweets and cakes, as well as other cooked foods, Xiao Yumei. Even without the customers on the third floor, her income was still quite high.

    When it was near dark, the guests gradually dispersed, and many of the new snacks were unable to meet the demand.

    When all the shop assistants had left, Su Zhi stayed in the shop and made some simple pastries for the sale tomorrow. She and Li Yi also prepared some end-of-year benefits, which, in addition to the commission for the shop based on performance, would allow everyone to take a batch of New Year products, with a limit of five taels of silver.

    Even Li Yi was stupefied by such a lavish gift. He had never seen a shopkeeper so extravagant.

    After being busy until very late at night, Su Zhi finally bid farewell to Li Yi and hurried back in the carriage.

    The snow had already started to fall, and the weather was freezing cold. It was bone-chilling cold, but she was happy. After checking the annual accounts book, she realized that she had earned far more silver than she had expected.

    From being a poor peasant woman until now, she could be considered to have made a fortune by herself. Of course, the System definitely had a great contribution to make.

    However, she also had money to spend on materials, so she didn''t take them for free.

    When the carriage arrived at Spring Leaf Alley, Su Zhi stopped the coachman and walked on foot.

    She had always been thinking about He Qiniang and didn''t know how the situation had turned out after not seeing her for the past two days.

    As soon as he arrived at Aunt Ying''s house, he heard a sharp argument coming from inside. The woman''s hysterical roars and wild cries seemed especially horrifying in the pitch-black snowy night.

    She quickly knocked on the door and called out, "Aunt Ying, Seventh Madame, are you there? "Open the door and I''ll bring some melon fruits back as a New Year gift."

    No one paid any attention to her, and the sounds of quarrelling continued unabated. Hearing the angry curses that came from outside the door, the woman''s heart shuddered.

    Although the relationship between these two wives couldn''t be considered to be very harmonious, they still depended on each other for more than ten years. Normally, it was rare for them to quarrel so much.

    What happened today? Could it be ˇ­ Had his mother-in-law found out about the matter of He Qiniang getting pregnant in private?

    If this disturbance became too big, it would become uncontrollable.

    Although Su Zhi had never seen someone unfaithful tied to a dumpling before, she could imagine how powerful the relationship was.

    The chastity memorial archway was set up, and if he were to lose, it would be a capital offense and he wouldn''t even be in charge of the government.

    "Seventh Madame, Aunt Ying! Open the door! "

    No matter how she shouted, the door did not open and the argument continued.

    Su Zhi stood outside the door, completely unconscious from the cold, and had no choice but to place the fruit basket in her hand at the door. There was even a small slip of paper inside. It was a piece of paper with a New Year painting imprinted on it. If He Qi Niang saw it, she would understand what she meant.

    "Aunt, Seventh Madame, the things have been placed outside the door for you."

    When she finally knocked on the door and saw that no one was paying any attention to her, she could only turn around and return to her own courtyard.

    Mommy Ding was anxiously waiting in the yard. She was also very cold. When she heard someone knocking on the door, she hurriedly opened the door in joy.

    "Aiyo, god, I''m finally back. Madame''s body is weak, how can it stand all of this? "

    As she opened the door to welcome Su Zhi in, she quickly closed the door and locked it.

    "Thank you, mother Ding, for waiting every day. You really don''t have to wait in the yard for the next day. "It''s cold, but if you freeze to death, my two children will have one less powerful mother."

    "What are you talking about? My wife''s skin is rough and her flesh is thick."

    When Su Zhi entered the room, Mother Ding quickly went to the kitchen to bring out the warm food.

    Bi Yue busied herself with adding charcoal while Dan Xue served her hot tea to warm her stomach.

    A Jin and Little Dou Bao rolled off the couch and ran towards her.

    "Mother is back!"

    The two little bun surrounded her and pounced on her from both sides.

    Su Zhi was very cold, but her heart was warm.

    "A Jin, mom found a teacher for you. Are you willing to go to school?"

    Hearing that, A Jin was overjoyed, ran two laps around Su Zhi before throwing himself into her arms, "I''m willing."

    As she put the dishes on the table, she couldn''t help but say, "It''s good to study, but it''s winter and the moon is in the middle of winter. Our Brother Jin is still young, how can he bear it?"

    Bi Yue and Dan Xue, the two young maidservants, also nodded and advised, "That''s right Madam, it''s too cold. It won''t be too late for spring to come next year."

    "That''s right, Brother Jin is intelligent to begin with. A year and a half later won''t be a problem."

    Su Zhi also felt that the weather was too cold, and worried that A Jin would not be able to take it. She then said, "I mean, if A Jin doesn''t want to go now, that''s fine too. We can go after the New Year."

    However, A Jin stubbornly shook her head. "No, A Jin wants to go. She remembers that she wants to learn a lot from Teacher."

    "Fine, I will bring you to see her tomorrow, if we, A Jin, are willing to learn."

    Mrs Ding''s heart ached for A Jin. She recited that her child was still young, so she might be bullied by older children at school. However, she was afraid that she would not get used to eating lunch at school, so she became a lot more anxious.

    Su Zhi comforted her, "Jin is smart. It''s not necessarily a bad thing to study early. If he''s not well, I won''t let him go, even if you don''t have to tell me. If I were to go and take a look tomorrow, I might not have to start learning now. "

    Only then did she shut up. Although she didn''t want the child to suffer through the cold, she had no choice but to endure it.

    During the night, the two children were already asleep on the bed. Su Zhi took out a few gelatinous hot water bottles from her storage room and thought about going to the Moon''s Residence Garden tomorrow. With the end of the year approaching, perhaps Shen Zhu was only here to accept students in advance, so he might not start teaching now.

    She sat under the lamp and began to knit cotton socks. When she thought about how she hadn''t prepared anything for Xiao Qian when he left, she felt a little guilty. No matter what, he had to be prepared. No wonder that man was so petty, as though he had not done his duty.

    Su Zhi thought of Xiao Qian and became absent-minded.

    In his absence, the night had become much colder.

    In the past, he would always complain about not sleeping in the middle of the night and causing a ruckus. One day, he didn''t come again. His heart was empty and he was still not used to it.

    When she laid on the bed, Su Zhi would always think of Xiao Qian''s naughtiness and unconsciously make a space for him on the side.

    Although it was impossible for him to come back, but at least he left some thoughts in his mind.

    That night, there was a man who stayed up all night writing a dozen pages of letters with a candle. The evidence pointed to the Zhao family that no one dared to mess with in the capital.

    Every word was a blow to the heart.

    "His Majesty, the Emperor, is worried about the land and the mountains and the lands, and has been fooled by a vile character and is unable to see through the filth of the harem." Mrs Zhao maimed and was loyal, and harmed the royal family and the royal family. As the imperial uncle, Zhao Shu was domineering and domineering, forcibly snatching the women, committing all sorts of crimes. For the Zhao Clan to be a disaster for their country, it is impossible for them to be at peace without getting rid of it ˇ­ "

    The letter was accompanied by evidence of the crime, as well as the bloody handprints of the few officials who dared to risk their lives.

    Shen Zhu hid the letter inside the bamboo tube and sat upright in front of the table. When he closed his eyes tiredly, the image of the woman appeared in his mind once again.

    The childhood of childhood was pure and innocent, but it was already long gone.

    The memory of that pure smiling face, always engraved in the bottom of the heart, never drowned by the flood of time.

    In these five years of time, Shen Zhu had speculated on many possibilities. If his Wei''er was still alive, wouldn''t the result be completely different?

    When he was young, he had said that he would not marry unless he was a monarch, and he would not marry unless it was a official.

    Now, things had changed.

 C109

    The man sitting in front of the desk sighed. He felt depressed and confused.

    The bamboo curtain was opened by someone and the candle flame slightly swayed. Shen Zhu''s hidden brows were tightly knitted. He flipped open the book but was not in the mood to look.

    "It''s so late, why aren''t you resting?"

    A middle-aged woman came in with a cup of calming tea. She looked at him with worry and murmured, "After you went out today, you came back with a bad complexion. You didn''t even eat dinner. Why are you sitting here alone?"

    Shen Zhu forced out a smile and replied, "Thank you mother for remembering. I am grateful. It is already late at night, so you should hurry back to rest."

    The beautiful woman put down her tea and revealed a light sadness with her embroidered eyebrows. She helplessly shook her head and said, "Your father was trapped in prison and you are the one who is supporting this family. If you are too worried and fall down, then what hope do you have for your mother?"

    "Mother, you''re overthinking it. Your son had tea with a few friends outside. I''m not hungry."

    "You still want to lie to me? After your father went to prison, who dared to come into contact with the Shen family? What kind of amazing friends did you meet? "

    Shen Zhu''s mind was preoccupied with many matters, and her lies were full of loopholes. Knowing that it was impossible to fool her, she could only close the book and pretend that she was sleepy.

    "Tomorrow at the academy, there will be a new student. Your son will rest first."

    She turned her head to Shen Zhu, who was fiddling with the bed, and said, "If there''s nothing special, come with me back to Qufu''s hometown. Your aunt over there made a good girl for you. Look ˇ­"

    "Mother, father is still in prison. How can I let go of this knot in my heart and build a family?" "Let''s not talk about this anymore. We can plan on doing it in the future."

    Madam Shen knitted her brows slightly. She did not say anything else and left with the tray.

    It was a cold winter night, and he could not sleep alone.

    Shen Zhu tossed and turned, unable to sleep at all. Once she closed her eyes, she would immediately think of Su Qiao1''s face.

    He could still see the past, sweet and sad at the same time.

    If time had reversed, he would have definitely prevented the Su Clan from sending her to the palace to teach, and he would not have gotten involved in that dispute and almost lost his life.

    At dawn, after a night of falling snow, Xuancheng had become a snowy house shaped like a jade sculpture.

    The peddler who usually took action in the early morning also became lazy and did not make any sound.

    The street was still quiet and deserted. The school kids had taken a leave of absence and the shops were opening late. From afar, the sound of horse hooves could be heard on the empty street.

    He carried the eight hundred li of soldiers who were in urgent need of official documents on his back as he galloped recklessly on the Thousand Mile Horse. He stepped into the dawn before rushing to the Imperial City.

    "Quick, open the door! I have received the orders from the City of Ye to send you off! "

    A hoarse scream was heard. The imperial city guard on duty looked at the insignia of the envoy before opening the gate and letting him into the palace.

    The last time, when they were in a hurry for eight hundred miles, it had been when the Huns had attacked the borders and seized several cities of the Great Wei Province. It had only been a year since then, and the emergency document had once again spread to the Imperial City.

    In the first half month of the new spring, news of the mutiny came from Ye, Dazhang, and Ying.

    The rebels in the regions could not get the promised military pay, so they formed gangs and rose up to rebel.

    Ye Xiwen''s guards could not hold on and abandoned the city to run away. The rebel generals had chased them all the way to Tai An and killed them. They then hung their heads high above the city gates and released the messenger.

    This was a blatant provocation. Half a year ago, there were rebels in the arid region of Qinghe County, but in the end, they were forced to surrender because they were led by a general.

    This time, the person was aggressive and didn''t have a shred of fear.

    After a year, Emperor Wei Wu, who was engrossed with cultivation, once again ascended the throne room with his yellow robe. He slapped his palm and glared at the officials below, gritting his teeth: "Mutiny? Or was it because I couldn''t get a salary, which one of my beloved officials explained to me what exactly is going on? "

    When the Son of Heaven was angry, the officials were terrified. The great hall was absolutely silent, and no one dared to speak.

    "Your Majesty, this humble subject believes that this matter cannot be entirely blamed on the bandits. Having joined the army for one and a half years without any money, it was impossible for them to maintain their livelihood. Furthermore, there were also those who had stayed at the border for four to five years who had left empty-handed. When soldiers complain, it becomes resentment. When it''s cold and winter, resentment becomes hostility. Naturally, there will be people who take the risk. "

    Liu Yu An wasn''t afraid of Emperor Wei''s wrath, so he methodically explained the formidable relationship between them.

    "Bastard!" I have set aside silver coins for soldiers to join the army a long time ago. Where did this rebellion come from? What about silver? "What about the military pay?"

    The officials didn''t dare to speak out in the face of the Emperor''s rage.

    Whether it was the relief for the soldiers or the subsidies for the soldiers, they had all been exploited. This was a public matter, and only the Venerable One on the throne did not know what was going on.

    When asking about where the money had gone to, the court officials were as small as local officials. Not many of them were innocent, and if they wanted to investigate, they would have to implicate a group of people.

    "What is it? No one dares to answer me? What about Xiao Qian? "Did his subordinates say anything to me about their rebellion?"

    The general of a supporting nation, Qi Yanzhong, stepped forward and cupped his fists as he explained, "Reporting to Your Majesty, General Xiao went to the western suburbs'' camp."

    "Get him back for me!" Explain yourself! "

    Qi Nianzhong revealed a troubled expression. He bowed and didn''t dare to get up. It seemed that his white beard had been twisted into a lump.

    He had personally promoted Xiao Qian as a fellow disciple who was also a good friend of his. As such, how could he not understand Xiao Qian''s personality? The mountains of gold and silver were piled there. As long as it was marked as a soldier, it wouldn''t be taken even if it was forced on him.

    "Your Majesty, there are many suspicious points about this matter. It would be better to first have someone investigate it thoroughly."

    Wei Wu Emperor''s sturdy body trembled. His black moustache trembled slightly, and he angrily said, "Investigate? "Now that the conspirators have attacked three cities in a row, my beloved Qi has such good intentions. She even wants us to investigate!"

    Qi Nian Zhong lowered his head and said, "This humble subject is terrified, and will not side with General Xiao. I hope that Your Majesty will observe carefully."

    "Your Majesty, the most important thing for you to do is to put an end to this rebellion, so as to ensure the stability of our Wei Dynasty." Liu Yuan spoke up in time to stabilize Wei Wu Emperor''s fury.

    "What Liu Aiqing said is right. Since cadre Xiao is causing trouble, let him go. If he can''t, then don''t come back!"

    "Your majesty the Emperor!"

    "Your majesty the Emperor!"

    An early dynasty began with rebellion and ended with rebellion.

    After this incident, many of the senior officials had lingering fears in their hearts.

    The corrupt military''s salary may not be considered a precedent, but this time, it was clear that they had stirred up a great disaster and were planning a rebellion. Some things could not be dealt with on paper, and sooner or later they would cause trouble.

    In a short span of half a day, the news of the mutiny spread through the streets and alleys.

    When Su Zhi heard the news, her heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously scrunched up her legs. She didn''t know what to do with Xiao Qian, since one side was her brothers who risked their lives while the other side was the emperor''s. The choice was too difficult.

    Dan Xue, who was also with her, was anxious and could not calm down. She held Su Zhi''s hand tightly and asked, "Madam, what should we do, General? Wasn''t the emperor clearly making things difficult for the general? "We generals are not greedy for military salaries. It''s one thing if we can''t clear our suspicions, but we still need to bring troops to suppress them. Aren''t we making things difficult for people during the new year?"

    Xiao Qian cherished his military strength. Although he held a high position, he never put on airs. He was on good terms with the soldiers, and because of this, more and more soldiers under his name began to follow him.

    Now that he was leading troops to fight against his former brothers, his prestige would definitely plummet.

    Although he was a military genius, fighting against the Huns and killing the pirates, but when the blade and sword in his hand were pointed at his subordinates, he could tell what kind of mentality he had.

 C110

    Su Zhi clenched her hands tightly and comforted Dan Xue, "No problem, once we reach the end of the bridge, we will naturally be straight. The heavens will not forbid us from leaving. General will be fine."

    A Jin sat aside, blinking her big eyes as she asked in confusion, "Mother, what happened? Why did you mention Uncle Xiao?"

    Su Zhi rubbed his little head and softly explained, "It''s fine. A Jin just needs to study properly. Don''t worry about the rest."

    A Jin nodded obediently and didn''t ask any further questions.

    The carriage moved through the snow, leaving a long wheel print.

    It took them two and a half hours to travel from Spring Leaf Alley to the Moon Residence Garden.

    The hot water bottles in their hands had already turned cold. Fortunately, Su Zhi had carefully arranged the carriage so that no wind would leak out.

    "Madam, we''re here."

    After the carriage stopped, Su Zhi opened the curtain and carried A Jin out of the carriage, who was wrapped tightly.

    "Hello, Lady Su!"

    Su Zhi looked over and saw Shen Zhu, dressed in thin clothes, standing in the snow like a green bamboo.

    She quickly pulled the child forward and bent her knees in greeting. "I''m really sorry for making Mister wait so long."

    Shen Zhu faintly nodded. Her gaze shifted to the child in her hands. The little bun that was surrounded by the green cloak was round and round, revealing a small face. His big, black eyes curiously stared at him, a little shy.

    "This is my child, you can just call him A Jin. This child can''t do anything else, but his ability to read and write is extremely high, so I hope that Mr Shen will put in a lot of effort. "

    Shen Zhu smiled. With a single glance, she understood that A Jin was not from Su Zhi. However, after thinking about it again, her eyes became even more complicated.

    "It''s cold, let''s talk inside."

    The Moon Residence Garden was not far from the Shen Residence. It was a courtyard belonging to the Shen family and had been converted into a school by Shen Zhu. Currently, the children who attended school as well as those who returned home during the holidays were all deserted, not even a single person''s shadow could be seen.

    After the Shen family fell, they dismissed a large number of servants, pouring tea and adding firewood was something that Shen Zhu personally did.

    Su Zhi couldn''t bear his busy work, so she called out to him, "Sir, there''s no need to be polite. Since you''re here for school, how can you be as delicate as you are at home?"

    Shen Zhu chuckled, "The child''s body is weak, you have to be careful not to get caught in the cold. "The summer in my garden is cool, and I can''t bear to stay here in the winter. Without a brazier, even the lord wouldn''t be able to bear it."

    Su Zhi also realized that this Lunar New Moon Garden was indeed bone-piercing cold. She didn''t stop him from his busy work. The child does need to exercise, but can''t take health joke, this cold infected disease, oneself should be heartbroken again.

    Dan Xue looked at the furnishings of the garden and whispered into Su Zhi''s ear, "Madam, I think we should wait until spring before sending Jin''er here. This is too cold. Children are pampered. They can''t endure the cold."

    "Let''s take a look first. The students here have all left. I believe that Mister Shen is also considering things for the children. Maybe today is just to see A Jin''s spiritual root, so he won''t stay here to start teaching."

    Hearing their words, A Jin, who was in his embrace, said indifferently, "Mother, I''m not afraid of the cold. I''m willing to study with Teacher."

    Su Zhi was somewhat surprised. She pinched his soft cheeks and smiled, "This place is so cold. Can A Jin endure it?"

    The child nodded, "Yes, mother has taught me before that it is difficult for someone to accomplish something great."

    "A Jin has such a good memory. When did mom say that?"

    Shen Zhu walked in with a brazier filled with heat. Coincidentally, when she heard this, she narrowed her eyes and praised, "This child is indeed intelligent and extremely intelligent. I''ve accepted this student. Does Lady Su have any objections?"

    Su Zhi stood up and thanked him, "Sir, you can''t thank me enough for taking A Jin in." She pulled A Jin forward to kneel down. "Good child, thank you quickly."

    "Thank you teacher for accepting me as your student!" A Jin was about to kneel down, but was stopped by Shen Zhu, "Waixiang, you don''t have to."

    Su Zhi was grateful. She winked at Dan Xue beside her and said happily, "Today is a good day. I''ve brought some things specially. Sir, please accept them." Dan Xue understood and handed over the gift she had brought. She then took out the money bag she had prepared and handed it over.

    Shen Zhu hurriedly waved his hand to shirk him. "If you want to pay tuition, just three taels of silver will do."

    So cheap? Su Zhi was secretly surprised. How could a teacher live through such a small amount of money, and not only for the children, but also for the coal they needed for the winter?

    "Sir, although I am a woman, I can do a small business myself. The silver is not too big of a problem, so you don''t have to be so considerate."

    As he said this, he pushed the heavy purse in front of Shen Zhu.

    "Even if my child needs some charcoal, sir, take it."

    That''s right, Master. If you''re willing to accept Jin, it''s not because you''re lacking." "In the future, when I become famous, I will never forget your kindness.

    When Shen Zhu heard A Jin''s words, he was so shocked that he couldn''t speak. He was amazed at the child''s good sense.

    Su Zhi was also surprised. She had never taught him these things before. This child was very intelligent.

    "Since A Jin has spoken, I will accept these yellow and white items."

    Only then did Su Zhi smile in satisfaction. As expected, it was still a good job for a child to come out.

    "Then, is A Jin willing to stay in the yard and study with Master today?"

    "I am willing, but I would like to ask for Teacher''s permission to send mother off in person."

    He cupped his hands in front of his chest and bowed.

    Su Zhi could not hold back her laughter. "The shop will be busy for a while. If the child is willing to stay, I''m afraid it will delay Mister''s rest."

    "No worries, Lady Su has matters to attend to, so you can just leave."

    Although Dan Xue felt pained for A Jin to be frozen, the little mistress herself was willing to stay. She did not say any words of consolation, but only comforted Su Zhi, "Madam, please relax. Jin''er has a servant watching over her."

    Su Zhi nodded and left.

    They followed the carriage out of the cave and disappeared in the snow.

    After everyone had disappeared from sight, a woman wearing a plain cloak slowly walked out from the park. She was not far away, and was covered by a layer of white fog.

    "Madam, did you see that just now?"

    Jiang Si held the stove in his hands, slightly bit his red lips and shook his head, "I can''t see clearly, it''s too far."

    But as soon as the child appeared, her heart skipped a beat, as if there was some unusual connection.

    She began to believe that Jiang Xuan''s flesh and blood were still alive. The child called A Jin couldn''t possibly be Su Zhi''s.

    In the snowy days, it was hard to see and travel. Apart from the guests who busied themselves with buying New Year''s food, there were very few people idling around.

    The previously noisy street had become much quieter.

    At this moment, Hua Manlou''s advantage appeared.

    Because the store was inside, the store was filled with people and was heated by a brazier. Many customers were willing to come and visit.

    Li Yi busied himself with all of this. He looked at the endless stream of customers with a smile, and watched the white silver enter his account. He was so happy that he couldn''t stop smiling.

    Su Zhi returned to Flower Mansion and dived into the dessert shop to make some pastries.

    Before she left yesterday, she had already prepared the raw materials in the shop. Before she went in, Su Zhi took out a lot of colorful wrapping paper from her storage room and let Qiu Hong put on a promotional sign: New Year''s gift.

    The delicious pastries, the exquisite outer shell and the unique combination made the customers unable to resist buying a few boxes, and soon sold out.

    Guests who hadn''t been bought yet could only sit on one side and wait. They were all grouped together and could say a few words if they didn''t know each other.

    "Hey hey, have you heard? General Xiao''s men have rebelled. " Guest A was the first to open up a conversation and speak.

    "I heard about it a long time ago. I heard about it even before dawn. I say, this General Xiao sure is unlucky. Now that the new year is about to arrive, the imperial edict will tell us to forget about this year. "

    Another one answered, "Yes, I heard it from the outside that it was because the soldiers'' pay had not been paid. The soldiers below were angry and wanted to rebel."

    The few of them looked at each other, but did not say anything.

    It was unknown which of the Warlocks had spoken nonsense, but the emperor was engrossed in cultivating the dao and had long ignored the matters of the imperial court.

 C111

    How could a nameless emperor care about the lives of soldiers when he didn''t even care about the kingdom?

    In any case, the Great Wei had the Liu Family and the Xiao Family.

    As a result, corruption and corruption became more and more serious on the part of the officials. Wasn''t this the reason for the mutiny?

    Su Zhi was busy buttering the cake in her hands. Listening to them, she felt depressed.

    Xiao Qian was really wronged. She had never seen a general who would use his wealth to supplement his soldiers.

    If the emperor didn''t investigate everything and Xiao Gan became innocent, even a woman like her wouldn''t be able to watch on.

    He could not be bothered with all the work until the evening when the guests finally dispersed.

    Su Zhi was so tired that she couldn''t even straighten her back. When she stopped, she thought about the army mutiny again. She was worried that Xiao Qian would be wronged.

    Li Yi saw that it was almost time, and seeing that the woman who was staring blankly at the side had a heavy heart, he decided to let Flower Mansion close the restaurant earlier.

    Su Zhi nodded in agreement. It was almost New Year''s Day, so she could ask the shop assistant to go back early and prepare the new year''s goods. Besides, today was the first day A Jin had gone to school, so she also wanted to go back early to check the situation.

    The gate of the Moon''s Residence Garden was opened early in the afternoon.

    Shen Zhu personally sent A Jin and Dan Xue out. He reminded them, "The weather is not good. The snow is slippery. A Jin should be careful when she returns."

    A Jin nodded and smiled. "Yes, thank you for your concern, Teacher."

    "My garden is cold. A Jin, come back after the first day of the Chinese New Year."

    "Remember Teacher''s warning."

    Shen Zhu waved his hand in satisfaction. "Go. The snow will become even heavier in a moment."

    Dan Xue saluted and pulled A Jin onto the carriage.

    After the carriage slowly left, Shen Zhu withdrew her gaze and sighed with a complex expression.

    He turned around and looked at the direction where the branches and leaves of the cypress pine tree were concealed. His eyes suddenly turned cold. He gave a warning and turned around, walking into the yard.

    The door closed with a bang, and the woman, who had been waiting, revealed her face. She pointed at the disappearing carriage and ordered, "Think of a way to lure that woman away. I want to see that child alone."

    Xu Yue nodded and whispered a few words into the attendant''s ear.

    The two green-robed attendants received the order and turned around to rush to the side.

    The snow on the road was too thick, and the carriage''s speed was much slower than before.

    As the coachman was driving the horse, he passed by a remote alley and fell into a quagmire. The whip landed on the horse''s butt, causing it to struggle forward for a while.

    Dan Xue lifted the curtain and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    The driver apologetically replied, "Lady, the carriage has been driven into a dark ditch."

    "Can you get up? The young mistress is already quite cold. "

    "Can I, can I not? You two go down and stand there for a while. I will whip this beast a few times."

    Seeing that there was nothing she could do, Dan Xue could only carry A Jin and get off the car. She stood to the side and waited for the carriage to pull the cart up.

    "Big sister Dan Xue, I want to relieve myself ˇ­" A Jin pulled on the woman''s sleeve, her face red.

    "Alright, then this servant will bring Big Brother Jin to a quiet place."

    "No, no. I''ll go by myself. I''ll be back soon."

    Dan Xue noticed A Jin''s distress and could not help but find it funny. She was still worried, "This place is secluded. I''m afraid you won''t be able to find a place here."

    "I can, when I was in the village, I could go up the hill and dig for sweet potatoes by myself."

    Dan Xue couldn''t force him. Knowing that the child was shy, she could only let him be.

    A Jin received her permission and quickly walked towards the deserted alley behind her.

    "Brother Jin, don''t go too far. If you need anything, just shout. Your servant is waiting outside."

    A Jin answered without thinking, finding a corner to solve the problem before feeling a lot more comfortable.

    Afraid that Dan Xue would wait for too long, he didn''t dare to linger and hurriedly went back.

    The alley was originally empty. He had only taken two steps when he bumped into a woman walking towards him.

    Just as she was about to apologize, the woman asked anxiously, "Who are you?"

    He raised his head and saw the beautiful girl looking at him with tears in her eyes. She lightly bit her lips as her entire body trembled.

    Jiang Si stared at the small, jade-like kid in front of him in a daze, slowly squatting down and looking at him carefully.

    Like, is really like, these two eyes and the dead Xuan Fei as if the same, so bright and beautiful.

    "My name is Nie Wenjin, and Madam is?"

    A Jin was wary of strangers, but this woman in front of him made him unable to put up any defenses.

    This was because she was looking at him with eyes filled with love and heartache. She was unable to find any traces of ill intentions in her eyes.

    The child''s state of mind was pure. Seeing how nice Jiang Si looked, although he didn''t know why she was crying, he still smiled and said, "Good morning Madam."

    "Good morning, A Jin." Jiang Si wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes, excitedly put his hand on the kid''s shoulder and explained with a smile, "I have a nephew who is as old as A Jin. Seeing you made me feel very close to him."

    A Jin nodded and politely replied, "Madam, I should leave now. Someone is waiting for me outside."

    "Wait!"

    She pulled the child who was about to leave, and after looking up and down, she softly said, "Jin will be six years old in April, won''t she?"

    A Jin shook her head in confusion, indicating that she didn''t know her birthdate.

    Jiang Si refused to let go and continued asking, "Why is there only a little maid waiting outside? Where''s A Jin''s dad? "

    Speaking of Nie Rufeng, who had died in battle, A-Jin felt both hurt and proud. She patted her chest and said, "My father is a great hero!" After saying this, he lowered his head sadly. "Unfortunately, he is no longer here."

    "Then... Who else is at A Jin''s house? "

    "There''s my mother!" I also have a sister, Nie Wenlan. "

    Jiang Si nodded in understanding, caressing the kid''s face and couldn''t help but hold him in his arms. He couldn''t help but feel his heart throb from the reunion, and began to sob in a low voice.

    The last time he saw the little child in his arms was when he was still a baby that had yet to be born. Five years had passed, yet it had grown so big.

    Su Zhi took good care of the child. From the looks of it, she had never mistreated him.

    For sure, the people would not be as pampered as they were raised in the palace, but it was a good thing that the children were healthy and healthy, without any signs of life.

    A Jin felt a bit uncomfortable being hugged by her. When she looked down, she saw a purple jade pendant on the woman''s chest and cried out in surprise.

    "This Jade Pendant Ah Jin also has it."

    Jiang Si let go of him, stretched his hand out towards his neck and found the purple jade.

    This jade book was a pair. Ever since she was born, her father had worn the jade pendant with Jiang Xuan and had never left his side.

    He didn''t expect to see the other half of the purple jade today.

    "Brother Jin, are you ready?" We can go now! "

    A call from Dan Xue came from outside the alley. A Jin quickly answered, "Sister Dan Xue, I''m coming!"

    "Madam, it''s time for me to leave."

    Before Jiang Si replied, A Jin took back the jade pendant from her hand, turned around and ran outside.

    "Silly child, you should call me aunt."

    She looked at the tiny figure with a look of love.

    Xu Yue walked out from the dark and also sobbed without a sound.

    "Madam, it''s really him. He''s our little prince."

    Jiang Si wiped away the remaining tears, and his eyes became determined and sharp.

    Yes, he was Jiang Xuan''s child. He was the only one in the court who could threaten the crown prince''s position.

    Who knew that Lu Chenming was weak and could die at any moment?

    Empress Zhao had spent many years of painstaking thought, afraid that a normal prince would appear and change the emperor''s mind. Since the Zhao Family is afraid, then I will let you fear nothing!

    One day, the Zhao Clan would be annihilated, and the Jiang Clan would regain its glory.

    That day will not be too long, autumn grasshopper can live for how long?

    As long as anything happened to Lu Chenming, no matter how powerful the Zhao Family was, they would not be able to create any big ruckus.

    Empress Zhao was ruthless in her actions, removing all disrespect and preventing any prince other than her own son from living. This was retribution.

    It wasn''t certain if a medicinal jar could survive the Emperor''s wrath.

 C112

    "Send some people to protect A Jin and prevent any mishap from happening. Do not mention this matter to anyone in advance, not even the Marquis. "

    "Yes, this servant understands."

    Although Xu Yue agreed, he was still a little confused. He asked, "Since it''s definitely the youngest prince, why didn''t Madame secretly take him away from Wei''er?"

    Jiang Si shook his head, not agreeing with Xu Yue''s idea at all.

    "Have you forgotten how much trouble there was after that little girl left? Su Qiao1 was inextricably linked to the general''s manor, so she could not act rashly. If the people from the Zhao Family found out, what would they do? "Besides, this girl brought along my nephew to save lives and nurture the family. My Jiang family isn''t so cruel and unscrupulous."

    Xu Yue then understood Jiang Si''s intention, thinking that it was indeed not appropriate to confess to his identity to his child now, it was better to be careful around him. With the current strength of the Jiang Clan, apart from secretly calculating, on the surface, they wouldn''t be able to beat the Zhao Clan.

    "Come on, let''s go back first. I don''t want the dark guard squad to follow me. Let''s go to Spring Leaf Lane."

    After giving her instructions, the woman left in a hurry, as if the conversation in the alleyway never existed.

    It was snowing in winter and the sky was overcast. There was not a single hint of sunlight, especially in the evening.

    Since she closed up early today, Su Zhi also returned early.

    The horse carriage had just arrived at Spring Leaf Alley when they heard the whispers of people outside.

    She opened the curtain and saw a few yamen constables interrogating a few neighbors, including Aunt Bai and Aunt Gu.

    Su Zhi was keenly aware of something unusual. She quickly stopped the coachman, dismounted from her horse, and came to investigate.

    "Aunt Bai, Sister Gu, what''s going on? Why are there people from the yamen? "

    When Aunt Bai saw that she had come back, she quickly stepped forward and held her hand. She leaned close to her ear and whispered mysteriously, "It''s He Qi Niang, that worry-free Bane!"

    He Qiniang? Upon mentioning this name, Su Zhi''s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately knew that the matter was not simple.

    "What happened to her?"

    "Little Su still doesn''t know, right? That damned jinx killed his wife!"

    Upon hearing this, Su Zhi was startled. A chill ran up her head from the bottom of her feet. She was completely dumbfounded.

    She remembered last night when she had come back and had heard the fierce argument that had come from Aunt Ying''s house. She had not expected things to turn out this way.

    "This, why is that?"

    Gu Sister-in-Law stomped her feet and said indignantly: "Why would I do that? That woman who doesn''t want to steal a man is known by her mother!" What was even more infuriating was that she was born with an evil seed! Tell me, the chastity memorial archway on the street is still there. She really became a b * tch. He set up the memorial archway again. "Pfft, shameless scum!"

    As expected, something unexpected had happened.

    From the very beginning, Su Zhi had felt that this was not the best time to live. She had not expected it to happen so soon, and even more so, did not expect He Qi Niang to be so ruthless as to kill her mother-in-law.

    "Then... "How did everyone know about this matter?"

    Aunt Bai sighed, blaming Su Zhi for being a fool. "You''re really a simple-minded child. This matter was known by the neighbors since yesterday. It was because Aunt Ying had heard the news and confronted her that they were so quarrelsome. Originally, everyone had secretly poked her in the back. Who would have thought that she would kill people? This morning, the door to Aunt Ying''s house was not opened. It was the dog from Old Yellow who went out to look for food. It only discovered Old Yellow after smelling the stench of blood and sneaking into the house. "

    Su Zhi''s heart shook, and an extremely bad feeling rushed to her.

    Wasn''t she the only one who knew that He Qiniang was pregnant? This matter was like a storm, and it even involved the murder case.

    If her explanation wasn''t clear, He Seventh Madame would think that it was her who spread the news. Wouldn''t she hate her?

    "Where is He Qi Niang now?" Were they taken in by the authorities? "

    When she asked this question, Aunt Bai immediately revealed a frightened expression. "No, she ran away!"

    He ran away? Su Zhi felt as if she was struck by lightning, and her heart began to thump wildly.

    "You have to be careful these few days. Someone overheard the argument last night, and that idiot He Qiniang wants to set the alley on fire." Aiyo, why did you have to be so worried. "

    Hearing Aunt Bai''s words, Su Zhi''s heart thumped like a drum. He Qi Niang''s personality was gloomy and eccentric. Living in a depressed environment for a long time would easily cause her to have extreme personality.

    Now that she was running away with guilt, she hated everything that happened in Spring Leaf Lane and would definitely not let it go.

    When she thought of that sallow and gloomy face, Su Zhi suddenly shuddered and returned to the courtyard in a trance.

    Mommy Ding was sweeping the snow outside the yard. Seeing that she had come back in a daze, she hurriedly stepped forward. "Madam, you''ve returned. Yo, what happened?" "His face is so ugly."

    Su Zhi forcefully shook her head and tightly locked the door. She held on to her mother''s hand and solemnly warned, "Mother Ding, be extra careful in the next few days. The murderer is a resident of Spring Leaf Lane. I was afraid she would come back for revenge."

    The commotion outside was so great, how could Mrs Ding not know what was going on? She did not think too much about it at first, but now that Su Zhi mentioned it, she felt that things were not as simple as they seemed.

    "It was not long after noon when I heard people shouting outside. They were saying ''dead''. I told Bi Yue to go out and see the situation before I knew that this had happened. "

    Su Zhi had wanted to tell her mother about He Qiniang asking for help, but she didn''t know what to say. Thinking over and over again, he could only swallow his words and repeatedly remind her to watch out for herself. Maybe if that woman got anxious, she really would burn the yard down.

    She wasn''t afraid of it, but she was afraid of what might happen to the child.

    As the New Year approached, Su Zhi did not feel the New Year atmosphere. Instead, she felt depressed.

    She had been worried about Xiao Qian and now this matter had arisen.

    After washing up at night, she calmed herself down and asked A Jin what she had learned today.

    A Jin gave a rough outline of the courses that Shen Zhu had taught. He had just learned a few new segments of the discourse, and he was holding the new book that Shen Zhu had given him, his eyes smiling like crescent moons.

    When his small hand touched the item in the undergarment, he couldn''t help but think of the mysterious woman he met in the empty alley.

    Su Zhi herself was also worried. She didn''t notice the change in her child. She turned out the light and went to bed early.

    The night was windy, so if there was even the slightest movement outside the door, she would be awoken from her slumber and would not be able to sleep soundly.

    When the woman closed her eyes, she saw He Qiniang''s ferocious expression. She kept tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

    In the northwest military command post near the Imperial City, the main tent was still lit as bright as day. Under the candlelight, the man''s strong and handsome face was covered with a layer of broken orange light, softening the killing intent in his eyes.

    When Greenwood came in with a cup of hot tea, he saw that Xiao Qian still had no intention of resting. He couldn''t help but worry, "General, it''s late in the night. It''s time to rest."

    The man didn''t seem to hear her, staring at the edict in his hand, lost in endless thought.

    In the end, what he was worried about happened. This rebellion could not be completely blamed on the low level people ¨C they had gone through the drought and war together with the poor harvests of the village, yet their military pay had been delayed. If they didn''t have nowhere else to go, why would they choose to revolt?

    Xiao Qian looked at the heavy suppression order in his hand and felt pain in his temple.

    His sword had killed countless Huns who had invaded the Central Plains from the south. Even the Prince of Huns was not spared.

    However, how could he possibly point a sword at his subordinates and chop off the head of his sworn brother?

 C113

    "General, don''t even think about it. Since the imperial edict is in your hands, you can still defy the imperial decree no matter what."

    This matter might not have caused that much of a headache for others, but it was different for Xiao Qian.

    He was a grimace of terror when he rushed to the battlefield with a sword in his hand; he was the most admired general in his men''s ranks when he put down his weapon and removed his armor.

    After living and eating with the soldiers for so many years, he had never put on any airs and had only been able to kill his subordinates with a heart of stone.

    "My sword will only drink the blood of the Huns. It will not point to the people of the Great Wei."

    Qing Mu sighed. "Even though he said that, His Majesty''s royal decree has already been issued. Could it be that you want him to retract his orders?"

    Xiao Qian put away the imperial edict and said coldly, "Your majesty wants peace and stability. The soldiers just want to fill their stomachs. He only hated those who were greedy and rebellious. He had deducted the military''s pay, which was why this country was in such a state of turmoil. If we do not eliminate the dangers of a country, then we can only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. "

    "Then what does the general mean?"

    The man smiled coldly and said in a deep voice, "I will definitely go to pacify the chaos, but before that happens, I have no choice but to eliminate a few people."

    When the army was checking the account books, Su Zhi had given him advice to keep those corrupt people under Zhao Ditch''s command and collect strong evidence. They would definitely have something useful to use in the future.

    Thanks to that little woman.

    Xiao Qian''s gaze softened. Had she missed him after not seeing him for two days?

    The next morning at daybreak, she got some hot water and knocked on the door to serve him.

    As she had not slept soundly last night, Su Zhi woke up very early, and her head was still a little dizzy.

    "Madam, the snow outside has only stopped for a short while. It''s bone-piercing cold, so don''t go to the store today."

    "That won''t do. The number of customers taking in New Year''s gifts has increased tremendously these days. The store doesn''t even have enough staff, how could I dare to go?"

    After about six or seven days, the store would close and close. Taking advantage of the last few days, he could earn some money for the new year.

    However, for some reason, she felt uneasy early in the morning, unable to calm down.

    Su Zhi forced herself to drink some porridge. Looking at the vast snowfall outside, she really did not want to go out.

    Yesterday evening, Li Yi had made it clear to her that today was his cousin''s birthday, and he had to make a trip to the capital.

    At that time, once he left, the only thing the shop could do was rely on Su Zhi. It would be impossible for them not to go.

    Outside the house was a vast expanse of white. The mountains and the water were all covered in a snowy fog. The lead gray sky didn''t have any sunlight, making it so gloomy that it made people''s hearts unsettled.

    Su Zhi stood at the door for a long time before mustering up the courage to take the umbrella and leave.

    "Madam, come back early today. It''s a small New Year''s Eve, let''s gather together and have a good time."

    "Oh, please, Mommy Ding, please remind me to come back early."

    Su Zhi got on the carriage and counted the days with her hands. She did not expect that she would be so young that she would not even know about it.

    As the carriage moved away, the woman revealed a sallow face and stared coldly at the door with the word ''Blessed'' on it.

    The dagger in her hand glinted with a clear, cold light. It had just killed someone yesterday, and on closer inspection, there were traces of dried blood.

    Mother Ding closed the door and remembered the couplet. She quickly went inside to find the paste. While smiling, she shook her head and said, "Sure enough, he''s old and his brain isn''t working."

    "Bang, bang, bang!"

    There was a sharp knock on the door, and she stopped and turned back.

    "Who is it? It''s so early in the morning."

    "Bang, bang, bang!" The knocking on the door became even louder.

    "Coming, coming."

    Other than knocking on the door, no one else could be heard. Mrs Ding''s hand that was holding the door latch stopped. She remembered Su Zhi''s repeated warnings and didn''t dare to rashly open the door.

    "Who''s outside?"

    She couldn''t see anyone through the crack in the door, so she pressed her ear against the door to listen for movement.

    "It''s me, aunty. I''m here to bring you cakes."

    The voice of an unfamiliar woman came from outside the door, so she could not recognize it.

    After coming to Spring Leaf Lane, Gu Sister-in-Law and Aunt Bai would send things over every few days.

    Other than that, there were also a few other families that were familiar with each other.

    Miss Ding was not sure which daughter-in-law came to deliver the waffles.

    "Aunt, it''s very cold outside. Open the door, I have to go to Aunt Bai''s house after you take the cake."

    The spring cake giver had really come!

    It was freezing cold, and Mrs. Ding could not bear to be kind to him. She quickly pulled the bolt on the door and opened it.

    When He Qiniang heard the sound of the door opening, she gave a cold laugh. The dagger in her hand was ready to strike at any moment.

    "I''m truly sorry ˇ­"

    "Go to hell, old thing!"

    Before Mrs Ding could finish her sentence, He Qiniang had already pushed open the door. Her sharp dagger fiercely stabbed towards her mother''s chest. Even a few more slashes wouldn''t be enough to quell her hatred.

    "You ˇ­"

    Mother Ding forcefully pulled on He Qiniang''s sleeve. Pain spread throughout her body, and she was unable to utter a complete sentence.

    Dan Xue finished sharpening the rice noodles and wiped her hands clean. She walked out of the kitchen and saw that her mother''s body was limp as she fell into a pool of blood. The ferocious looking woman standing next to her smiled strangely.

    The servant girl at the house had never seen such things before, she immediately screamed out, "Murder! Murder! Someone come quickly! "

    The first person who heard the sound was A Jin. Hearing the call from outside, he reflexively hid the small bean bag in the wardrobe.

    He Qi Niang stood up, raised her dagger and pounced towards the young maid under the eaves.

    Danxue was scared out of her wits and screamed as she hid inside the house. In a hurry, she tripped on the door frame and fell heavily onto the ground.

    "Big Sister Dan Xue!"

    A Jin ran out and was about to run into He Qiniang, who was about to commit murder, but her face suddenly turned pale.

    "Little bastard, I''ve been waiting for you! Hahaha!"

    "No, Jin''er, run!"

    Danxue didn''t care about being scared. She grabbed He Qi Niang''s legs and wailed, "Young Mistress, let''s go!"

    "Want to leave?" It''s not that easy! "

    A Jin''s legs couldn''t help but shake, clenching his teeth and throwing caution to the wind, he grabbed a wooden stick in the corner and rushed over.

    "Ah!" I''ll beat you to death! "

    He Qi Niang lowered her body and stabbed the dagger in her hand towards the young maid who was on the ground.

    The sound of a sharp weapon piercing through flesh was heard. Dan Xue felt a bone-piercing pain from her back as the strength in her hand loosened.

    Breaking free from the restraints, He Qiniang raised the dagger in her hand and stabbed towards A Jin once again.

    "No!"

    Danxue''s consciousness gradually became blurry and her vision started to blur. She was unable to see the movements of the bandits clearly.

    When she heard the woman''s cries of pain, she fainted completely.

    He Qi Niang took the stick from A Jin''s hand and pushed it over with a smile, "Your mother harmed me, so I can only kill you to quell my anger. I will be accompanying my poor child on the Road to River Styx."

    "You, don''t come over!"

    Without a weapon in hand, A Jin collapsed to the ground, groping around.

    "If you want to blame someone, blame your heartless mother. In your next life, I will wipe the bright spots from your eyes."

    A cold dagger came piercing over. Jin closed her eyes instinctively and curled her body into a ball.

    The premonition of pain didn''t come, and a woman''s pained voice sounded in his ear. When A Jin opened his eyes, he saw two masked men in black holding onto He Qiniang''s wrist.

    Crack * The woman twisted her face, and when the man in black let go of her hand, the hand had already lost all of its strength and was now lying limply on the ground.

    A Jin was stunned. "Who are you?!"

    The two men in black exchanged a look, kicked the woman out of the door, jumped on the beam and disappeared.

    The woman who had suffered a loss struggled up from the ground and left the yard as if she had escaped.

    Only then did A Jin react. She rushed towards the servant girl on the ground and shoved her: "Big Sister Dan Xue, wake up! I''ll go get someone, hold on! "

    He dried his eyes but couldn''t stop crying. He ran outside, sobbing.

    "Is there anyone here? Come quickly to my house!"

 C114

    When the sky was covered in snow, no one else appeared. Next door, Aunt Bai and Uncle Liu went to their nephew''s house to be guests. Gu Sister-in-Law left her room early in the morning, but there was no trace of her.

    A Jin helplessly stood in the snow, crying anxiously, "Is there anyone here?"

    "Brother Jin, what happened to you?"

    Bi Yue carried a basket of freshly picked vegetables and returned from the fields. When she saw her child crying, she stood alone in the snow, her body shaking like a sieve.

    "Big Sister Bi Yue!"

    Seeing that she had returned, A Jin ran towards her in tears, "Quickly go and get a doctor! Mother Ding and Sister Dan Xue are almost at their limits!"

    "What''s going on?"

    Bi Yue quickly pulled the child back. Before she even entered the courtyard, she saw her mother lying in a pool of blood. Her heart immediately caught in her throat.

    "Mama Ding! Someone come quickly! Help! "

    Bi Yue threw down her vegetable basket and pushed A Jin into the house, her hands still trembling. "Brother Jin, stay at home and don''t come out. This servant will go find someone!"

    A Jin nodded while crying. She moved her feet around her mother''s body and obediently hid inside the house.

    At the turn, he bumped into Lao Huang, who had just returned from the farmland.

    Bi Yue rushed up to ask for help. "Uncle Huang, please help me. There was a thief in my house, someone was injured!"

    "It''s the new year, and there''s such a thing?"

    Old Yellow put it down? Head, she quickly patted on the door of her house and shouted towards the inside, "Her aunt, quickly come out and lend a hand, someone has died!" "Don''t be afraid, there''s a barefoot doctor living in the alley. I''ll go get him."

    Bi Yue nodded and said gratefully, "Thank you, Uncle Huang."

    The weasel did not say anything else as it sprinted forward like a wisp of smoke.

    Auntie Huang opened the door. When she saw the young maid from Su Zhi''s family standing outside, she guessed that something big had happened and quickly left with her.

    When they arrived at the courtyard, they realized that the situation was far more serious than they had thought.

    "Oh god, it''s the new year!" Auntie Huang''s legs went soft. She quickly told Bi Yue to find some gauze to stop the bleeding. In the end, she didn''t forget to call her son out to report.

    When they were almost to the market place, Su Zhi''s heart suddenly jumped wildly as she felt extremely uneasy.

    She felt around her and remembered that she had not brought her key with her.

    After a while, Li Yi would go to the capital and rely on her key to lock the door when it closed.

    "Uncle, I''ve left my shop key at home, I''ll have to trouble you to return."

    The coachman acknowledged and immediately turned around.

    Halfway there, the carriage suddenly stopped. Through the curtain, the driver''s surprised voice could be heard, "Yo, it''s snowing heavily, why is there a person lying on the ground?"

    Su Zhi stuck her head out, and indeed, she saw a woman lying not far away.

    "Don''t think that the little girl fainted when she went out to freeze."

    The driver got off the carriage and walked over curiously. "Are you alright, little lady?"

    When the coachman reached her, the woman suddenly opened her eyes, took out a dagger hidden beneath her, and stabbed at him.

    The driver''s reaction was very fast. He shouted and quickly retreated.

    Only then did Su Zhi clearly see that the woman on the ground was the missing He Qiniang.

    "Su Zhi, I''m going to kill you!"

    "She, she has a weapon!" The coachman was old, and he didn''t dare to rush forward to help. He abandoned the carriage and rolled away.

    Su Zhi quickly regained her senses and was about to drive the carriage forward.

    He Qiniang was one step ahead of her and she controlled her movements.

    Su Zhi accidentally fell into the snow while dodging. After feeling pain, she got up and hurriedly ran in the opposite direction.

    "Do you think you can escape?"

    He Qi Niang quickly caught up, forcing her to the stream.

    The stream had formed a thin layer of ice. If a person were to stand on it, they would definitely sink and die from the cold, even if they were not drowned.

    Seeing that they had reached a dead end, Su Zhi thought of something and advised in a low voice, "Seventh Madame, you don''t have to make a move against me." "You already killed your mother, so it should be a capital offense, but as long as you are willing to turn yourself in, you still have a chance to live. Even if you are hopeless, you have to think for the child in your belly.

    "Hahahaha, naive!"

    When she mentioned that bitter child, her eyes only showed the slightest hint of softness.

    "Do you think my child is still here? Let me tell you, he was beaten up by my heartless mother-in-law for a bowl of saffron medicine! "

    It was no wonder that the woman before his eyes would kill him and become his executioner.

    "It''s all your fault! It''s all your fault! If you hadn''t told someone else that I am pregnant, how could I have ended up like this? "

    Su Zhi quickly waved her hand and explained, "No, it''s not me. I didn''t do that, believe me!"

    "Who else could it be other than you? The only one who knows that I have a body is you! "

    The other day, when He Qiniang asked for help, she had indeed said that only Su Zhi knew about this. However, Su Zhi dared to vouch for it with her life, and had never exposed this matter. But how did it turn out like this?

    She quickly thought for a while and said, "Oh right, I asked you to go and find that lover of yours. Did you go and find him? Was this news spread by him? Perhaps he wants to get rid of you and take this opportunity to embarrass you. "

    A light flashed in He Qiniang''s eyes as the dagger in her hand trembled slightly.

    Su Zhi took the opportunity to summon the system and retrieve an electric shock rod as a backup.

    "No, that''s not possible. He said that he still loves me, but now that he wants this child, he will definitely be unjustly named." Therefore, the two of them had argued that day, and then separated on bad terms.

    "Seventh Madame, think about it. If I really wanted to harm you, why wait until today?"

    "Then maybe you''re looking for evidence?"

    Su Zhi stomped her feet in anger, "He Qi Niang! Did you lose your mind to that man? I only ask you, how long have you two been in this relationship? Since he already had a child, it couldn''t possibly be in just a few short days. It''s been so long. Did he promise you anything? Have you ever paid for anything? Did I really love you, other than to feel something new in you? "

    "You shut up!"

    As if stabbed by a pain that the woman didn''t want to think about, she covered her head and glared at Su Zhi with her scarlet eyes, like a crazed beast.

    "On what basis! They''re all widows, and everyone likes you? Why! "

    She pressed closer and closer, forcing Su Zhi to retreat.

    "He Qi Niang, calm down. Although you are pitiful, have you ever thought about your own hateful aspects? What do you do with people? I told you before that not everyone is as bad as you think. "

    The woman smiled coldly, raised the dagger in her hand and said, "You are right, I hate them. Why should I stay as a widow? So, both you and I don''t need to be stupid, everyone will die for sure! "

    The woman who had lost her mind threw herself at Su Zhi with a roar, like a ferocious ghost that had crawled out of hell.

    Su Zhi calmed herself down and raised the electric shock rod in her hand. Just as she was about to go forward, she was interrupted by a man rushing over in a hurry.

    "My wife, this prince has come to save you!"

 C115

    Su Zhi was shocked by the sudden shout. She looked towards the shore and saw Lu Huan Zhi riding a horse towards her.

    "Your Highness?"

    He Qi Niang smiled sinisterly and said, "Sure, another one that''s courting death. And he''s also the crown prince of Prince Yongning''s mansion. My trip this time won''t be a loss."

    Su Zhi calmed down, "Don''t be complacent. His Highness knows martial arts. If you know what''s good for you, obediently surrender."

    Lu Huan''s horse galloped over to Su Zhi''s side. With a beautiful somersault, she jumped down from the horse in a smooth manner, without the slightest hesitation.

    "Hmph, even if this prince doesn''t know martial arts, it''s still more than enough to deal with a woman like you!"

    No, he doesn''t know martial arts? Then why did you come down here and cause trouble!

    Su Zhi''s head hurt, she shook her head while crying, "Your Highness, you should still stand behind me. If you old man gets injured, I won''t be able to bear the consequences. This woman has worked as an escort in her family, she would at least know a few tricks, I can''t be careless. "

    Hearing that, Lu Huan Zhi sternly said, "If that''s the case ˇ­ "Alright then." She retreated behind Su Zhi.

    Su Zhi...

    He really wanted to knock this man out first!

    His daggers in his hand were like a silver snake that had left its hole, his actions were ruthless and decisive.

    "All of you, go die!"

    Su Zhi calmed down and the electric shock rod in her hand was activated to its maximum capacity.

    The moment the two women stepped forward, the man hiding behind them panicked.

    "Be careful!"

    In the time it took for a spark to fly off of a piece of flint, Lu Huan Zhe noticed that something was not right. He used his long arm to block Su Zhi''s slender waist, and turned around to avoid He Qi Niang''s attack.

    The silver dagger slashed across his shoulder, leaving a gash, and blood immediately gushed out.

    "Your Highness!"

    Lu Huan Zhi ignored the wounds and kicked He Qi Niang''s stomach.

    The dead fetus had not been cleaned up completely. The woman''s body was still a bit weak and weak. She had nearly lost her balance after being kicked. Furthermore, she was injured in Spring Leaf Lane just now.

    "Quick!" "Capture that thief!"

    The sound of a constable''s voice came from the side of the road. Seeing that something was wrong, He Qiniang kept her dagger and ran towards the other side of the river.

    With a fright but no danger, Su Zhi let out a breath of air. Before she could slow down, Lu Huan Zhi, who was beside her, had already collapsed onto the ground.

    "Motherf * cker, not everyone can be a hero saving a beauty. This is too f * cking painful."

    Su Zhi found it funny and couldn''t help but roll her eyes. "Who let you hug me? Shouldn''t normal people''s thinking be to suppress the assailant?" Yet you want to suffer this blow? "

    Besides, he didn''t know much about martial arts. Even if he showed off as a hero, he would still have to consider the situation.

    Pointing at Su Zhi, she stuttered, "What kind of expression is that? I did it to save you!"

    He covered his wound, and his handsome face began to turn pale. "It''s over, I''m going to faint."

    "It can''t be, right? Then hurry up and sit down. I''ll bandage it for you."

    There was a antidote in the system, taking it out and applying it would solve the problem.

    "Endure the pain, I''ll get some medicine for you."

    "Wait, wait. Are you sure you can do it? My meat is expensive."

    Su Zhi held her breath. "Then why don''t you do it yourself?"

    "This ˇ­"

    The two of them were still talking back to each other when Uncle Huang''s son hurriedly said, "Little Su, hurry and go back. Someone in your family is injured!"

    Su Zhi''s heart sank and her eyelids jumped up.

    She turned around and spoke to Lu Huan with a pale face, "Your Highness, I have matters to attend to at home. I won''t stay any longer. Take this medicine for yourself."

    Then, without waiting for Lu Huan''s reply, she ran back to the shore.

    He had been feeling uneasy ever since he left the house this morning. Something had indeed happened. How was the situation at home?

    Su Zhi hurried home, exhausted and out of breath.

    As soon as she arrived at the entrance of the yard, she saw a big pool of blood on the ground that had not dried up yet. Two constable were taking notes, but there was no trace of A Jin and her mother.

    Su Zhi felt dizzy and her legs went weak.

    "Little Su, you''re finally back."

    Old Yellow came out of the house with its face scrunched up as it pointed to the inside, "Hurry and take a look, your maidservants and grandma were stabbed by the He family''s woman."

    "Is Mother Ding and the others injured? Is it serious? What about A Jin and Little Dou Bao? "

    Su Zhi caught her breath and stumbled into the room. Seeing that her mother''s face was pale and unconscious along with Dan Xue, Bi Yue stood at the side and cried helplessly. A Jin and Little Dou were hugging each other, also crying non-stop.

    "Mother!"

    Seeing that she had returned, A Jin pulled her little sister and rushed forward. Her little body was still shaking uncontrollably.

    Su Zhi was both angry and anxious. She wished she could tear the goddamned He Qiniang into a thousand pieces.

    "Jin, are you and your sister okay?"

    A Jin sobbed and shook her head. "My sister and I are fine. The injuries sustained by Mother Ding and Sister Dan Xue are not light."

    Su Zhi stood up guiltily with a heavy heart.

    If he hadn''t gone to spend all his money today, things wouldn''t have been so bad. The child was protected, but Dante''s mother and Dan Xue were seriously injured.

    "It''s really a bad year." Auntie Huang patted her shoulder and comforted her, "But luckily, everyone is fine. The doctors have seen that the clothing is very thick in winter and did not pierce the vital veins. It''s just that they lost a lot of blood and need to rest for a while."

    Su Zhi took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Now that the situation had stabilized, the most important thing was to prevent He Qi Niang from making a comeback.

    "Uncle Huang, thank you so much for today."

    "Neighbors, thanks or something. It''s only right. Furthermore, that woman did all sorts of evil deeds. Everyone is from every corner of the streets, and they all had the same intention to arrest her so that she wouldn''t continue to harm us. "

    Su Zhi nodded her head solemnly. Since He Qi Niang dared to be so ruthless, she wouldn''t be polite. If she were to meet her again and not let her pay the price, she wouldn''t be surnamed Su!

    She could not go to the shop today at all. Su Zhi had asked someone to send a message and stayed at home to look after her.

    Bi Yue was frightened. Her work was not as nimble as it was in the past, and many things were accomplished by Su Zhi herself.

    She first took advantage of the absence of others, took out some good medicine from the system and fed it to the two on the bed. Then she used disinfectant to wash her hands, took out clean gauze and bandages to change the medicine for Mother Ding and Dan Xue.

    After finishing everything, Su Zhi was already exhausted. She went to the kitchen to check on Bi Yue''s condition after she saw that it was almost noon.

    The little girl was squatting under the stove with a stick in her hand. She stared nervously at the door. The window was firmly locked, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of boiling water.

    "Bi Yue, have you finished cooking the porridge I asked you to?"

    Ah!

    The little girl was shocked and remembered that the rice in the wok had yet to drip.

    "I''m sorry Madam, I ˇ­ I was scared and forgot about this matter."

    Bi Yue didn''t dare to look at her. She lowered her head, her eyes swollen red and on the verge of tears.

    "Forget it, I''m fine. You must be scared. Go down and rest. I''ll take care of the food."

    Since the arrival of the helpers, Su Zhi had almost never been to the kitchen. Today''s situation was special, so she could only be stronger.

    She washed her hands, opened the pot to look at the nearly evaporated water, and poured some into it.

    Then he took out the flour, mixed it with warm water and then stir-fried the minced minced soy beans in another pot. He made a pot of spicy and sour noodles with a knife.

    After lunch was ready, only she and Bi Yue ate, and the child''s appetite wasn''t too big.

    However, after experiencing the events of the morning, everyone''s appetite was not good. As long as they cooked a pot of noodles, there would still be some leftover noodles.

    "Keep your spirits up, and let the morning pass, and forget the terrible scenes. With me here, nothing bad will happen to you all. "

    The one Su Zhi was most worried about was A Jin. It was still okay for Little Dou to not see it with her own eyes, plus she was young and could easily pass her days. But A Jin had matured too early, so she was afraid that he would get depressed.

    "A Jin, mother told you she was sorry for what happened today. It was mother''s fault, so she couldn''t appear soon." "After we sleep tonight, we''ll forget about it in the morning, okay?"

 C116

    A Jin still couldn''t muster up her spirits, but she forced a smile and said, "En, everything will be up to mother."

    After lunch, Su Zhi started to get busy again.

    Following the example of the previous scouts, there were patrolling the courtyard as well.

    Even if He Qiniang was nearby, she wouldn''t be able to get in so easily.

    At night, the temperature dropped even further.

    Bi Yue''s appetite had been low all day. She had entered the house long ago under Su Zhi''s invitation.

    A Jin and Little Dou Bao washed up and hid in their beds.

    Su Zhi then looked at the injuries of her mother Ding and Dan Xue. She fed them medicinal pills, added two braziers to the room, opened the window and went back to her room.

    I''m afraid I won''t be able to sleep well tonight. At night, I have to be on guard against He Qi Niang really burning down the courtyard, taking care of the two wounded, and comforting the two children.

    Su Zhi sighed, hit her sore waist, wiped her hot feet, and quickly went to bed to comfort the two little ones.

    "Jin, you''re still awake?"

    The little child hugged his sleepy sister as he vigilantly stared out of the window.

    "What are you looking at? Go to sleep."

    A Jin shook her head and stubbornly said, "No, I''m watching over my mother and sister. I''m not sleeping."

    Su Zhi''s heart softened as she hugged her beloved son and kissed him fiercely.

    "Don''t be afraid. With mother here, no one can hurt you. Actually, today is not the worst ending. Both mother Ding and Dan Xue are fine. They will be full of vitality in a few days. "

    A Jin nodded, as if she understood something. However, her expression remained solemn.

    "Good child, a person''s entire life is a long time, there will be a lot of things that happen. But remember, no matter what happens, as long as all of us are fine and can still be together, it won''t be the worst case scenario. "You''re still young and don''t understand these things. You''ll know when you''re older."

    Su Zhi rubbed the child''s small head and pinched his cheeks lovingly. "Go to sleep, my mother is here."

    A Jin was also sleepy, and hearing her words, he didn''t force himself to stay awake any longer. He fell down and closed his eyes.

    "Dong, dong, dong!"

    There was a clear knock on the door. The child who had just closed her eyes immediately sat up and stared out the window in alert. She took out a rolling pin from under her pillow and placed it in front of Su Zhi.

    "Mother."

    Wearing a thin undergarment, he crawled out of bed shivering with cold.

    Feeling pained, Su Zhi pulled him back into bed and comforted him, "It''s alright. Maybe he''s from the yamen. I''ll go take a look."

    "No, I don''t want it!"

    "Dong Dong Dong!" Someone knocked on the door again.

    "Ah Zhi, it''s me!" Open the door! "

    This voice belonged to, Xiao Qian!

    "It''s Uncle Xiao!"

    A Jin was overjoyed. She put on her coat and ran out with Su Zhi.

    Outside stood a dusty man in a black robe with a long sword at his waist and an imposing manner.

    In the silence of the snowy night, it was as if a divine weapon had descended from the sky. It was extremely comforting.

    When the door opened, Jin pounced on Xiao Qian, and her eyes reddened again.

    "Uncle Xiao, you''re finally back."

    Xiao Qian, who was carrying the child, untied the cloak around her neck and wrapped it around A Jin''s body. He looked at the silent Su Zhi, looked her up and down, saw that she was fine, then signaled Qing Mu behind him before closing the door and entering the house.

    "I heard the news so I rushed over. Are you guys okay?"

    "The child and I are fine, but we''ve suffered for mother Ding and Dan Xue."

    Xiao Qian carefully put the child back on the bed and, without turning around to avoid the child, hugged Su Zhi tightly.

    "This is my fault. I found two maids that know martial arts to serve me."

    Su Zhi was hugged by him until she felt an indescribable sense of security filled her entire body.

    The man''s strong arms were around her waist, and the palms of his hands were like hot iron.

    "It''s all in the past now. We''re all fine. We''ve already reported it to the government. That woman doesn''t dare to come back."

    "En, tonight I will stay here and watch over your mother." You must be exhausted, go to sleep first. " Xiao Qian lowered his voice and gently rubbed against Su Zhi''s forehead. He looked at the child and comforted her, "Jin should sleep as well. With Uncle Xiao around, even if the sky falls, you can rest easy."

    With Xiao Qian''s protection, A Jin was finally relieved. Her body was no longer as tense as it was before. She closed her eyes and peacefully fell asleep.

    When the child finally fell asleep, Su Zhi went to check on her mother Ding''s and Dan Xue''s injuries.

    Xiao Qian followed her out of the room and stood outside the door. His sharp eyes swept over the scene under the night sky, seeing that everything was fine, he finally followed Su Zhi back to the room.

    "I heard that there''s a mutiny in Ye City, Dazhu and Ying City. How do you plan to deal with it?"

    Xiao Qian took off his boots and clothes to lie beside Su Zhi. He hugged her and sighed in satisfaction. He was not worried about a woman''s matters.

    "Why are you bringing this up? It''s been a while, I miss you."

    Su Zhi grabbed his restless hands and asked, not knowing whether to laugh or to cry, "The emperor has already decreed his decree, and you''ve also accepted it. You can''t just disobey his decree, can you?"

    "Then, from Madam''s point of view, what should I do?"

    He lay down beside the woman and greedily kissed the fragrance in her hair. His mood also improved a lot.

    "It''s true that the Emperor told you to suppress the rebel army, but he also didn''t say that you must suppress them by force." However, if you do not capture the leaders who are causing trouble, they will definitely be convicted of covering up for their subordinates. Those officials in the court are really mean, I was afraid you wouldn''t be able to handle the pressure. It''s a good thing that the law does not punish the masses. Even if you want to suppress the bandits, it''s impossible for them to all be imprisoned. "

    "Yes, Madame wants to go along with your husband."

    He had indeed received the imperial edict, but just as the woman had said, he did not plan on relying on force to suppress it.

    After all, they were not planning to rebel for no reason at all. If the landlord did not give them any wages, the workers would complain, not to mention a bunch of soldiers who would lick their own blood with their sabers.

    "I was going to put up with it and break up the rebel forces. But before that, he had to get rid of the accomplices under Zhao. "I still don''t have enough evidence to bring down my uncle, but I can get rid of those small fry, so there''s always a good way to surrender."

    Su Zhi''s mood became even heavier as she let out a faint sigh, "I''m just afraid that you will anger the Zhao Family. That Zhao Shu is the current empress''s younger brother, if you touch his people, wouldn''t you be slapping them in the face? I asked you to collect evidence and find them as scapegoats, but now that you think about it, I don''t think it''s appropriate. "

    Only after arriving at Xuan City did he find out how powerful the Zhao Family was. It had already reached the point where they would defy their will and die.

    The Shen family was a good example. She didn''t want Xiao Gan to be under so much pressure.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of everything. Your husband is not a rash man.

    How could Su Zhi not guess Xiao Qian''s plan? She just let Zhao Ditch go temporarily and specifically picked out his henchmen.

    No matter what, he was the only one who acted, so it would be considered as having become enemies with the Zhao Clan.

    "The Crown Prince was given to you by the empress. He is the best shield to protect the Zhao Family. If he becomes the next emperor, your career as a official might be blocked."

    Xiao Qian chuckled softly and comforted, "Don''t worry, the Zhao Family is the Zhao Family and the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince. In the past few years, His Highness'' health was not good, and he rarely cared about matters outside the country. He has heard of the Zhao Family collusion and discussed it with the Empress. "

    In the end, it was still because the crown prince was not feeling well. Everyone knew that he might just leave one day.

    While he was still alive, the Zhao Family kept the wealth that they should keep in their pockets and protected the relationship that they should have. Even if the Crown Prince died one day, he would still have his back to them.

    "Thus, the Crown Prince is quite trustworthy. Although he is the empress''s child, he hates the actions of the Zhao family."

    Su Zhi still couldn''t rest at ease. Xiao Qian spent most of his time outside, and the imperial court was weak, afraid that he would be framed.

 C117

    "Sleep, sleep. I have to go to the morning court tomorrow. I should be up by then."

    Xiao Qian pinched Su Zhi''s small nose. He was dissatisfied with the short amount of time they had, so he could not be gentle with his wife.

    With Xiao Qian''s protection, Su Zhi quickly fell asleep.

    The man had a magic that made her feel at ease. With him by her side, she did not even have a nightmare.

    Seeing that the girl was sleeping soundly, Xiao Qian smiled gently. With a wave of his hand, the candlestick on the table was extinguished.

    The sky was cold and the earth was cold. It was still the warmth of his wife''s bed.

    Holding the beauty in his arms, Xiao Qian giggled foolishly. He put his chin on Su Zhi''s head and fell asleep peacefully.

    It was already late in the night, and the lights were still on in the other courtyards of Prince Yongan''s estate.

    The man with the white bandage on his shoulder crossed his legs and hummed a tune. He seemed to be in a good mood.

    The attendant came in carrying a medicine box and respectfully bowed. "Your Highness, this servant will help you change the medicine again?"

    The man waved his hand, appearing to be very impatient. "Bye, goodbye. It''s such a big matter. How can this prince be so weak?"

    Lu San had no choice but to give up, but he still didn''t have the intention of taking the medicine box away. "This servant had already instructed the chef to let her stew some nourishing soup tomorrow, drinking it quickly."

    The man merely nodded and did not reply.

    Lu San smiled and said, "Your Highness, isn''t the cost of capturing a beauty''s heart a little too high? This servant has served you for so long, when have I ever seen you bleed. "

    The man who was humming a melody said mysteriously, "You don''t understand. This is different from the past, so naturally you have to put in some effort."

    "Your Highness, no matter how good that Madame Su is, she''s still a widow. Besides, General Xiao ˇ­"

    Hearing this, Lu Huan Zhi stopped his actions and a dark expression appeared on his playful and disrespectful face.

    Seeing the slight change in his expression, Lu San knew that he had said the wrong thing. Just as he was about to slap his face in apology, he heard him laugh out loud. "Wouldn''t this be more interesting?"

    The corners of Lu San''s eyes twitched. He felt helpless. What kind of joke was this? It''s fine if you like women, but do you like those who have lovers?

    Lu Huan rubbed his smooth chin and thought that if Su Zhi fell under his attack very quickly, he would be sick of watching her. It just so happened that the woman didn''t want to take his trick and couldn''t even get a glance at him even if she used all her methods. When had he, Lu Hengzhi, ever touched a wall before? Which woman isn''t obedient?

    It wasn''t easy for a change to occur. How could he let it go so easily?

    "Your Highness, that General Xiao isn''t someone who''s easy to mess with."

    Lu Huan Zhi rolled his eyes and snorted, "You think this prince is easy to mess with? For a widow to not be married, that is all unknown. Anything can happen. "

    Tiger''s butt couldn''t be touched. Not only did he want to touch it, but he also wanted to kick it!

    Lu San was embarrassed. He didn''t understand how his master had developed such a hobby. The girl he had once liked was not a noble or noble girl, but she was also not a country girl.

    Although the little girl wasn''t bad, she was a widow without a husband. It was very possible that even her husband would die. Furthermore, there was also General Xiao who was protecting her.

    If he were to fall out, he would be beaten up by the prince.

    Eh ~ This taste really is ˇ­

    Lu San shook his goosebumps as he disdainfully glanced at the man at his side.

    In the time it took for half an incense stick to burn, there was a slight sound coming from the ceiling.

    Lu Huan Zhi smiled and said in a low voice, "So fast."

    "Your Highness, your subordinate has come to report." The noise from the roof disappeared and a deep male voice came from outside the door.

    "Come in."

    After receiving the approval, the door was pushed open, and the dark guard in the tight suit stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

    "Your Highness, the person has been taken care of."

    Lu Huan Zhi replied lazily, "You didn''t leave any traces, did you?"

    "Your Highness, rest assured, when the next day outsiders find her, they will definitely think that she fell into the river and struggled until she froze to death."

    "That''s good then. I''ve always been magnanimous, but I must take revenge on those who dare to hurt me."

    His shoulder still hurt. Tomorrow, he would go speak to the woman. No matter what, it was because of her injuries.

    Lu Hengzhi glanced at her wounds, secretly thinking, could Su Zhi have a whole new level of respect for me because of my injuries? Would it be a little more biased towards him?

    The next day, the winter mist was not yet gone.

    Su Zhi had woken up. She hadn''t even noticed when Xiao Qian had left last night''s sleep. He didn''t have time to wash up early in the morning. He quickly put on his clothes and went to check on the injuries of his mother Ding and Dan Xue.

    After an entire night, coupled with the effects of the medicinal herbs, both of them regained consciousness. Bi Yue was guarding inside the house. Seeing Su Zhi come, she stood up and bowed.

    "Is Mommy Ding and the others awake?"

    "Yes, I''ve already woken up once. It seems like I''ve recovered quite well."

    Su Zhi carefully examined the two people''s wounds on the bed and discovered that the blood had already solidified. They would be able to recover in a few more days after recuperating.

    Dan Xue was young and woke up earlier than her mother. However, her eyelids were very heavy and she could not muster up any strength from her whole body.

    Seeing someone standing by the bed, he hurriedly asked about the situation at home.

    "Madam, are Jin''er and the others okay?"

    "It''s fine, don''t worry. It''s been hard on you and Mother Ding. The general has already returned last night with hidden guards all around so that no flies can fly in. "

    Only then did Danxue relax and close her eyes tiredly.

    "You haven''t eaten in a long time. I''ll ask Bi Yue to cook some porridge and stew some bone soup. Drink some more or less."

    "Sorry for troubling you, Madam."

    Su Zhi smiled gratefully at her, "Why bother? If it wasn''t for you, A Jin might have been hurt by that vicious woman."

    Dan Xue really wanted to shake her head and say that it wasn''t because of her, but because she didn''t do anything.

    But she heard He Qiniang''s scream before she lost consciousness. It shouldn''t be that A Jin subdued her.

    "Your body is weak. Take a good rest first. If you need anything, just let me know. We''ll be right outside."

    Dan Xue blinked twice, then closed her eyes and continued sleeping.

    Bi Yue went to the kitchen to prepare food. Since Su Zhi couldn''t go to the restaurant for the next two days, she also went to take care of other things in the courtyard.

    A Jin woke up a little later after getting a shock yesterday.

    The weather was good today. After a few days of snow, the long-missed sun rose from the east.

    When the baby woke up, she held her brother in her chubby little hands and pointed at the golden sunlight on the coffin.

    "Little Dou Bao, don''t cause trouble. Big brother will go to sleep for a while more."

    The little girl seemed to not understand, she stretched out her little fat finger and inserted it into A Jin''s nose, giggling non-stop.

    A Jin couldn''t sleep because of her, so she had to get dressed for her.

    Seeing the sun outside, he felt much better, "Big brother will take you to build a snowman later."

    Su Zhi brought some hot water to wash the two children. Seeing that the sky was bright, she hoped that they could go take a look around the courtyard.

    After having breakfast, A Jin squatted at the corner of the room with Little Bean Bun and played with the snow. From outside the door came a series of blubbering noises. "Wuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwu"

    Curious, the child squatted down and saw something furry outside the door.

    He poked at the ball of yellow fur and touched it with his fingertip.

    The ball of yellow hair trembled and let him poke his way through the gap in the fence.

    "Mother, can I open the door and take a look? There seems to be something small outside. "

    After saying this, he regretted it again. Thinking of the scene of his mother lying in a pool of blood yesterday, he subconsciously pulled the small bean bag away.

    Hearing the voice coming out of the kitchen, Su Zhi patiently explained, "Jin can open the door if she wants, but it''s not like we can''t go out for the rest of our lives. "It''s just that that bad aunt hasn''t been caught yet. We have to be careful."

    After saying that, she magnanimously opened the door and let A Jin out.

    The child stood behind her, hesitating for a long time, before mustering the courage to step forward.

    Outside the door, there was a ball of yellow and white mottled puppy dog. Its entire body was covered in short, yellow fur, and only its four paws were white fur.

    It looked like it hadn''t been two months and was still a small puppy. It was curled up on top of a pile and whimpering pitifully.

    "Wow, what a cute dog."

    A Jin reached out her hand to stroke the little yellow dog''s head. The little dog obediently let him rub his head without making any noise. It was just freezing cold.

    "Mother, it''s so pitiful. Can I raise it?"

 C118

    Su Zhi reached out and picked the puppy up from the snow. She examined it up and down, but didn''t find any trace of injuries. She didn''t know where it came from, but it was very likely that it would freeze to death outside.

    "What do you think, mother?"

    "Alright, since A Jin wants to raise a baby, mother will allow it."

    Su Zhi nodded.

    Hopefully, the puppy will be able to clear the haze in A Jin''s heart and quickly forget about yesterday''s incident.

    With that, A Jin jumped up happily and carefully picked up the little dog in Su Zhi''s hands, happily narrowing her crescent teeth.

    Su used hot water to wash the little mutt''s body clean, then placed it beside the brazier to let it warm up.

    The two children had a new toy, and they surrounded the little yellow dog, sizing it up.

    The dog was not afraid of living. It ate and drank to its heart''s content as it lay by the brazier and slept soundly.

    No matter how much the child played around, he would not pay attention. He was snoring and sleeping soundly.

    When it was noon, Su Zhi saw that the lunch was about to be ready, and was preparing to let the two children wash their hands before having their lunch, there came a knock on the door.

    As she raised the matter of knocking on the door, Bi Yue, who was preparing the dishes, instantly tensed up.

    "Who''s going to be here at noon?"

    "I''ll go take a look. You stay here."

    Su Zhi put down the dishes in her hands and went out to open the door.

    "Who is it?"

    "Young lady, it''s me!"

    Lu Hengzhi? Why did this plague come again? If he didn''t recuperate properly, what was the point in running around blindly?

    "I came down here to... Open the door first, I''m feeling really bad right now. "

    The man''s weak voice came from outside the door. Seeing that the door was still open, he even felt a bit wronged.

    Su Zhi had no choice but to open the door.

    The man was wearing thin clothes and stood outside the door pitifully. "Su Zhi, I''m going to die soon."

    Clutching his wound, he leaned against the door, trying to look as if he was in pain.

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him, "Your Highness, stop acting, it''s pretty boastful."

    "Very boastful? That shouldn''t be the case, I''ve practiced it many times over and over. "

    This man ˇ­ Is there something wrong with my head?

    "Your Highness, since you are injured, you should lie on the bed and recuperate. If you run around the streets like this, you will worsen your injuries."

    "Ah?" "Really?"

    The man''s face fell as he said in a sobbing tone, "I also feel that we shouldn''t ride a horse. It was just a bit cold, but my shoulder is hurting now."

    Yes, who told you to do it? Just bear with it!

    "Hey, you guys are eating. I''m also hungry."

    After he finished speaking, the man walked in without waiting for Su Zhi''s response.

    "Hey hey, what is His Highness doing, does Prince Yongning''s residence not care about food?"

    Lu Huan Zhi bit her lips and said with dissatisfaction, "Don''t be so stingy. After all, I was injured in order to save you. Don''t you mean past? "

    Su Zhi: "ˇ­"

    Thank you. If it wasn''t for you getting in the way, He Qiniang wouldn''t have escaped!

    "You have no conscience. This food is not for free. I will give you money."

    He took out a silver ingot from his bosom and tossed it to the woman who blocked the door before rushing into the courtyard.

    Su Zhi pursed her lips. This lively person really couldn''t even be bothered to disguise himself after being exposed.

    After Lu Huan Zhi entered the room, she sat down without waiting for anyone to greet her. Picking up her chopsticks, she picked up the bowl and started filling the bowl with the rice.

    Since there were so many dishes, Su Zhi had no choice but to let him eat.

    "Look at how fated we are, I just so happen to be here for dinner."

    Su Zhi almost spat on the ground. Did this man have any shame? At this time, could there be nine households in each of the ten households that were eating? He was still so shameless when it came to eating meals.

    "That''s right, it just so happens that there''s a dog outside today, His Highness said it was a coincidence."

    Lu Huan Zhi snorted and ignored her. She picked up a piece of Ziran beef and put it in her mouth while praising her.

    A Jin didn''t like him, seeing what he liked to eat that purposely separated his chopsticks, she pouted her small mouth.

    "Hey, you little bastard, I, your grandpa, will give you money for this meal."

    "Who cares?"

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as she watched the fight between the two of them. She really didn''t understand how Lu Huan could fight with A Jin.

    The child has a very good temper, and rarely has he been so rude.

    Dou Bao was sitting on a small stool and eating with a spoon in her hand. She didn''t need Su Zhi''s help anymore.

    Bi Yue sat at the side and mumbled that she didn''t dare to take down the chopsticks. She muttered in her heart, "Is the food in Prince Yongning''s mansion terrible?" Why did the Crown Prince eat so much, as if he hadn''t eaten in days?

    As if he didn''t know it, Lu Huan was still happily eating while she was busy competing with A Jin.

    After the meal, the five dishes and one soup on the table had been swept clean.

    The sun was shining outside.

    Lu Huan was so satisfied that her belly was full. She rubbed her stomach and leaned back in her chair.

    He carried the chair to the front yard and sat in the middle of the room. He rested his arms against the pillow and basked in the sun.

    After Su Zhi and Bi Yue finished cleaning up, they went to take care of mother Ding and Dan Xue. After finishing everything, she saw him dozing off in his chair, with no intention to leave at all. She could not help but have a headache.

    "Your Highness, shouldn''t you go home after eating your fill?"

    Lu Hengzhi ignored her. Her eyes were closed, as if she was in a deep sleep.

    But Su Zhi knew that this man was definitely pretending!

    Besides, if you want to sleep well and have to concave, does the injury on your shoulder hurt anymore?

    She reached out to poke Lu Huan''s arm, but the pain was so excruciating that the man clenched his teeth and said weakly, "It''s over. You''ve just aggravated my injury again. You have to stay for dinner."

    Su Zhi wished she could slap him in the face. She had seen rogue people before, but she had never seen one as rogue as him!

    "Your Highness should go back quickly, thank you for yesterday." "No matter what, you are an outsider. My reputation as an orphan and a widow is not good to listen to."

    As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Huan Zhi''s face turned dark.

    Don''t think that he didn''t know that Xiao Qian would stay here at night. What did he have to care about then?

    "Su Zhi, I''ve discovered that you have an especially low conscience. If it wasn''t to save you, would I have ended up like this? Today, my royal father will hold a banquet at my mansion, and all of my guests will be seasoned warriors on the battlefield. It will be unavoidable after a few moves. I came here to seek refuge in order to avoid injuries. Isn''t this too much? "

    "Your Highness has so many female friends, why not just go anywhere? Why do you have to come to my place?"

    What''s more, towards Lu Huan Zhi, who usually did nothing but act good, Su Zhi was truly not speechless.

    The Great Wei was a martial artist.

    At this moment, Su Zhi really wanted to retort, "It''s good for you to take the time to learn some kung fu skills of a three-legged cat, it''s also good for you to be nostalgic for the fireworks."

    Lu Huan laughed shamelessly. "There are indeed a lot of intimate friends, but this is the first time you''ve gotten this prince to be so concerned."

    Su Zhi quickly waved her hands. "No need, no need. Let''s stop here. I don''t think I would dare befriend Your Highness. You can go back by yourself in the time it takes for a cup of tea to brew."

    The man ignored him and impatiently waved his hand, "Get out of the way, you''re blocking the light."

    The corner of Su Zhi''s mouth twitched and she could not help but mutter: What morals!

    Lu Huan Zhi continued to lie on the floor with his eyes closed, enjoying his rare days of comfort.

    Since no one came to bother him and the sun was shining comfortably, he really did feel drowsy after a while.

    Bi Yue packed everything up and walked out of the kitchen to see the man in the courtyard.

    It was winter and winter, and the snow had yet to melt. Although the sun was high in the sky, it was still bone-chilling. Looking at the man sleeping peacefully, the young maid couldn''t help but be puzzled, wasn''t His Highness really cold?

    Bi Yue hugged a basket of charcoal as she curiously went forward to take a look.

    Under the rays of the sun, the man''s jade-like face was fair and beautiful, and his long, curling, dark brown eyelashes trembled from time to time. Her thin lips were slightly pursed ˇŞ it had a somewhat amorous meaning.

    The maidservant thought: The general is the most good-looking man she has ever seen, but this one doesn''t seem to be bad either. The only difference was that her family''s general was an upright and manly man. He was not as pampered and pampered as the noble prince.

    No matter when it came to the general, he would always be resolute and tenacious. However, the Yongning Mansion was an exquisite and flawless place. No wonder so many women in the world were infatuated with him!

    Bi Yue thought to herself. When she looked over again, she found that Lu Huan Zhi had already woken up. He was staring at her with a sleepy look and a smile.

 C119

    The little girl panicked and cried out ''ah''. The bowl of charcoal she was holding fell from her arms and heavily hit her feet.

    "Ouch!"

    It hurt.

    Bi Yue immediately crouched down and covered her smashed leg, crying out in pain.

    Lu Huan''s clear laughter rang out. He narrowed his beautiful eyes and smiled at her, "Little girl, are you alright?"

    His smile was like a peach blossoming in spring in March. It warmed Bi Yue''s heart and even the back of her feet didn''t feel as painful anymore.

    "I, I, I''m fine."

    She blushed and endured the pain. She quickly picked up the piece of charcoal that had fallen to the ground, tidied it up, and limped into the house.

    At this moment, Su Zhi was teaching A Jin arithmetic in her room. The small bean bag was nestled on top of the collapse, and she was holding the puppy that she just picked up in her arms.

    She heard movement outside and ignored it.

    It had been so long, was this man still not planning to leave?

    No one paid him any attention. Lu Huan Zhi didn''t feel bored as he crossed his legs and calmly observed everything in the yard.

    Not long after, there was a knock on the door.

    Before Su Zhi could get up, she heard Lu Huan''s rude shout from across the room, "Who is it?"

    It was as if he were the owner of this courtyard.

    "Your Highness, are you really here?"

    Hearing this voice, Lu Huan Zhi finally understood that it was Lu San who had come looking for him.

    If he had known it was him, he wouldn''t have made a sound!

    Su Zhi hurriedly stood up to open the door, hoping that the servant would hurry up and bring back her bottle of God of Plague back.

    "Hello, Lady Su."

    Lu San greeted them and looked into the yard.

    Su Zhi nodded. "Your highness is right here. Hurry and bring him back."

    Lu Huan Zhi''s face was extremely ugly, "What are you doing here?"

    Lu San nodded and bowed. "Your Highness, the Prince is looking for you. You''ll be appearing for dinner later."

    "Not going or not, it''s really annoying."

    "Then, the prince has already instructed, if you don''t go back, then don''t even think about going back for the new year. You can spend your days outside."

    Lu Huan Zhi snorted disdainfully, "If you''re not going to reply, then you''re not going to reply."

    "The prince also said that if you really don''t return to the palace, I''ll go to the palace tomorrow and beg the empress for her niece''s birth date."

    "What?!"

    At the mention of finding a wife to pair up with, Lu Huan Qi slowly stood up from his chair. After being stunned for a long time, he sighed and walked towards the door dispiritedly, looking as if he had just eaten Huang Lian.

    Su Zhi sneered on the inside. "Your Highness can leave, please forgive me for not sending you off."

    The man let out a dissatisfied snort before flinging his sleeves and leaving with the manservant.

    Noon had long since passed, and when the time came for the assembly in the past, it would be about time for it to disperse.

    However, ever since they had started fighting, the arguments had been going on and on. The anger was growing, and it seemed that there was no time for it to stop.

    Sitting on the throne room, Emperor Wei Wu was so angry that his face turned the color of a pig''s liver.

    There were also shattered porcelain cups and shattered pieces of paper.

    Xiao Qian stood up straight in the imperial court, unafraid of the angry men in the high seats. On the other hand, Zhao Dagang, who was so scared that his face turned pale-white, had already wiped his forehead several times.

    "Uncle Guo, is it so hot today that you''re sweating?"

    Wei Wu Emperor lowered his voice. Gritting his teeth, he stared at his brother-in-law with a cold smile, wishing that he could drag him out and kill him.

    Zhao Danchen quivered and knelt down with a thump. "Your Majesty, you must be aware that these matters have nothing to do with this humble subject. It''s all because of those ignorant people of mine. "

    "That''s right. After sealing your seal and hollowing out our military pay, they were the ones who did all of this behind your back."

    "Your Majesty ˇ­ "This humble subject ˇ­" This humble subject is willing to sacrifice my life for the Great Wei. I have no other intentions, so why would I do such a thing? "

    There were more than 20 memorials, detailing how Zhao Chuan''s trusted aides had stolen the army''s salary in vain.

    Even if he didn''t admit it, there was nothing he could do.

    "I have always thought highly of you and entrusted you with such an important task because I hope that you can abide by your duty and do some practical things. I never thought that you, as the country''s uncle, the Queen''s twin brother and the crown prince''s blood uncle, would actually allow the person you accept to do such an outrageous thing! "

    "Your Majesty!" Zhao Ditch kneeled on the ground, crying bitterly. "This subject knows his wrongs. We shouldn''t just accept them without thinking. That''s why this group of monkeys got the chance to collect the military salary."

    Zhao Jian glared at his son in disappointment, then took a step forward and kneeled on the ground. "Your Majesty, this subject is unable to teach his son. I am willing to accept your punishment."

    "This matter has nothing to do with Zhao Zibai. Please get up."

    Even though he said that, Emperor Wei Wu was still eager for his father-in-law to kneel for a long time.

    He had heard about the things the Zhao Family had done in the open and in the dark, but he did not care about the Empress and the Crown Prince.

    However, as the ruler of a country, how could he tolerate a faction formed by Zhao Dagang to allow his men to do something that would harm the country?

    "Whether or not Uncle Guo is involved in this matter has to be verified. But in the end, they are still yours. Even if you are unable to discipline them properly, you should still be punished. "

    Emperor Wei Wu knocked on the Dragon Throne and said thoughtfully, "Pass on my decree that the eldest son of the Zhao Family should not misjudge anyone and mistreat the future of the Great Wei Empire. He will be punished for one year, and his official will be demoted by one rank."

    Zhao Shu''s face turned pale. He could not believe that he had heard it with his own ears.

    Seeing that it was about time, Xiao Qian spoke again, "Your Majesty, the reason this humble subject received these sheets of paper was because the young masters of the Liu, Zhang, and Zhu Families were too much. Not only did it result in a huge disaster, it also affected Uncle Zhao''s good reputation. This humble subject cannot bear it any longer, I hope that Your Majesty can retrieve the money that was stolen and return the innocence of this country''s uncle. "

    Liu Yuan stood to the side and pursed his lips into a smile. Great General Xiao was so powerful.

    He stepped on her and gave her a candy in the end. If she got the candy, she would still have to take back the benefits. What a good plan.

    Even if they couldn''t get the silver back, the Zhao Family would have to return it to the treasury for the sake of their pride.

    Wei Wu Emperor thought for a moment, then waved his hand. "That''s right. Since Imperial Uncle is implicated, we need to get back that portion of the military pay that was withheld, so that Imperial Uncle can return the innocence."

    Zhao Di''s face turned even paler. Who knew where the money had been spent!

    Zhao Jian sucked in a breath of cold air, but he quickly came back to his senses. He hurriedly thanked the Emperor, "Thank you for your help, your humble servant will definitely do his best to get that silver tael back!"

    Xiao Qian smiled in satisfaction. In this way, the disciples of the three clans had been defeated.

    "Forget it, there''s no need to argue anymore. According to the intentions of my beloved servant, I will retrieve that portion of the military salary to prove the innocence of Grand Wei''s civil officials. "My beloved daughter Xiao can''t stay here any longer. Let''s hurry to the front lines to calm the chaos."

    "Hold on!"

    Just as they were about to receive their orders, another official stepped out from the main hall.

    Wei Wu Emperor looked at him with a headache, asking impatiently, "Sir Wang, is there anything else you would like to request?"

    Wang Wenfu was a third-grade official in the cabinet. Everyone in the imperial court knew that he was on good terms with the Zhao family.

    He was afraid that he had stepped forward to plead for mercy on behalf of the Zhao Family.

    However, Wang Wenfu didn''t mention the Zhao Family, he only said indifferently, "Whoever takes the military''s salary will be punished, this is no small matter, it is a crime that should be punished. For the same reason, if someone''s subordinates tried to rebel and raise an army, shouldn''t they also treat them the same? "

    He coldly looked at Xiao Qian, who was in front of him, and asked confidently: "Does the Great General Xiao not plan to give an explanation?"

 C120

    Xiao Qian turned his head to glance at him, then turned to look at the emperor sitting on the throne. "The Yellow River Basin has been very distinct since ancient times. In the upper reaches, water conserves all things and farming is excellent. In the lower reaches, water afflicts every year and destroys cottages in fertile farmlands. "According to Lord Wang, if something bad happens to the Yellow River, we will have to cut off its source to prevent future troubles?"

    "You! "You are inverting right and wrong!"

    Wang Wenpu was so angry that he blew his beard and glared. He pointed at Xiao Qian and cursed, "Great General Xiao is sharp-tongued! He''s no different from a woman!"

    "Then wouldn''t that Lord Wang be even more outrageous?"

    "You!"

    "Enough!" Emperor Wei Wu clapped his hands. "After arguing for the whole morning, even if you all don''t feel tired, I still feel that my ears aren''t clear!" "Liu Aiqing, tell me, what should we do?"

    Liu Yu-an cupped his hands and said, "Sir Wang, there''s nothing wrong with pursuing the responsibility, but looking back at the nature of the matter, it''s still because the soldiers couldn''t get any military pay that they rebelled. In this way, wouldn''t he be targeting his uncle now? This is not a fair matter to General Xiao or Imperial Uncle. "

    Xiao Qian pursed his lips. This was a really good turn of events. Liu Yu-an''s Taiji style was truly profound.

    Wang Wenfu''s face froze as he tried his best to refute, "This humble subject did not mean that, Your Majesty!"

    His original intention was to come back for the Zhao Family, but the more he described it, the worse it became.

    Wei Wu Emperor did not have the last bit of patience left. He waved his sleeves and said, "Alright, let''s end this matter here. The most important thing right now is to calm down! If His Excellency Wang believes that General Xiao is guilty, are you willing to replace General Xiao and go to the front lines? "

    Wang Wenfu was completely at a loss for words. Lowering his head, he said without the strength to defend himself, "No, this humble subject does not dare."

    "Let''s leave the court. We''ve been arguing for the whole morning and I''m tired of it too."

    "Retreat!" yelled the eunuch loudly.

    Only then did the officials who had different expressions on their faces kneel and respectfully send the emperor off.

    Zhao Du collapsed to the ground, unable to recover from the shock.

    He originally thought that this matter was done in a way that left no room for investigation. He didn''t expect that Xiao Qian would find the evidence in the end.

    Those idiots were truly a failure!

    "Why aren''t you getting up? You''re embarrassing yourself!"

    Zhao Jian''s face was extremely dark.

    "Father, can you help your son plead with His Majesty or have your elder sister speak to him?"

    "Bastard, you still want to drag your sister into the water? Get up quickly and go back and meditate! "

    Zhao Ditch was a weak person. Relying on his status as the country''s uncle, he had bullied many people. He had killed more than a dozen people on his hands.

    The big tree covered the sky, and there was always a way to move the wind. The paper in Xiao Qian''s hand was the best way to prove it, especially the blood letter. It was fierce and spicy, specifically targeting the weak spots in the Zhao Family.

    "Father, what should I do?"

    "What else can we do? We''ll talk after we go back. You have to behave yourself for the next few days, but luckily, we''re down by one level. It''s already good enough if we don''t have you in jail. If you go to the Imperial Secret Service, you''ll die!"

    After Zhao Dagang heard this, he felt a burst of fear. His legs were trembling, and he couldn''t even walk fast.

    Although Zhao Jian hated to see his son fail, Zhao Shu was the eldest son of the Zhao Family. Even if he had done something wrong, he could not just watch his son get beheaded.

    "If you had half the ability of your younger brother, this old man wouldn''t have ended up in the same situation as His Majesty!"

    When mentioning his concubine''s younger brother, Zhao He was somewhat unwilling. However, even if he was at fault, he did not dare to retort. He lowered his head and silently followed along with them as they left.

    Xiao Qian walked out of the palace gates and saw that the sun was shining brightly. When he thought of the arguments in the imperial court, however, his mood didn''t change at all. When he returned to the capital yesterday, there seemed to be someone who had already predicted what would happen. They secretly gave him evidence of the Zhao Family''s evil and more than ten pages of blood.

    Looking at the entire Great Wei, there were countless people who had been targeted by the Zhao Family. How could they find the person behind the letter? If it weren''t for this blood seal, the emperor might have turned a blind eye to it as usual.

    "General Xiao!"

    Hearing someone call out, Xiao Qian stopped and turned around to see Liu Yu An walking towards him.

    "Lord Liu."

    Liu Yu-an stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting, "If General Wen had known earlier, he would have been a Confucian general of both the martial and the martial arts. Now that I''ve seen it for myself, it''s true."

    "The lord wants to mock me?"

    "That''s not the case. I just want to remind the general that it is difficult for the poor to be at peace, and their journey is long and long. Take care of yourself along the way."

    Xiao Qian understood and nodded, "Thank you for reminding me, Lord Liu."

    However, he was afraid that if he offended the Zhao Family, he would be secretly tripped.

    Zhao Danchen had suffered such a huge loss, he couldn''t just let it go.

    Although this person was the eldest son of the Zhao Family, he was not the most difficult to deal with. The main reason why the Zhao Family was able to stand firm and escape from the complaints was because of another member of the Zhao Family.

    Xiao Qian understood the true meaning behind Liu Yuan''s words: be careful of Zhao Zheng!

    As the sun gradually set to the west, the temperature rose again and gradually dropped.

    Spring Leaf Lane, on the other hand, was in an uproar. Residents gathered at the end of the street. The corpse of the frozen woman was lying on the unlucky floor.

    "Did the coroner check it out?" Is it really that b * tch He Qiniang? "

    "That''s right, she said that the woman accidentally fell into the stream while she was escaping, and her body was shaken by the silt, causing her to struggle until she died from the cold."

    Everyone pointed and talked about. There were those who were disgusted and those who were disgusted with it. There were those who were unlucky, but no one felt sorry for them.

    At least she''s a good place to go. She''s having an affair with someone, getting pregnant with an evil son, and killing her mother." It''s a pity that Aunt Ying''s family didn''t even leave behind a descendant.

    "Yeah."

    While the residents discussed amongst themselves, Su Zhi, who was in the courtyard, did not go out to join the discussion.

    Since she was already dead, there was only one thing that could be done. Although this death wouldn''t be easy for He Qi Niang, considering how she had lived alone as a widow for so many years, Su Zhi could finally relax a little.

    Aunt Ying''s house was empty and there had been a murder case before, so the residents of the alley didn''t mention it. The yamen police had sealed off the note, so the house could be considered abandoned.

    At night, Xiao Qian came back with good news. However, that was not good news for Su Zhi.

    "So, you really didn''t leave any leeway to thoroughly offend the Zhao Family?"

    Xiao Qian''s expression didn''t change as he casually replied, "That''s right. Originally, I only wanted to get rid of those subordinates of mine. But yesterday, someone sent me a letter. If it wasn''t for that letter, perhaps His Majesty wouldn''t have done anything to the Zhao Family."

    Su Zhi was puzzled. "A letter?" "What kind of letters?"

    "I''m not too sure either. Someone used a special method to get into the carriage and when I went out to look for him, he was already gone."

    The Zhao Family committed many evil deeds, and many people could have predicted this. Su Zhi was dissatisfied with Xiao Qian for not mentioning this matter.

    "Why didn''t you mention it to me?"

 C121

    Xiao Qian hugged her and consoled her, "First, things in the court are like a bunch of hemp rope. It''s so messy that the less you know, the better." "Secondly, I was too preoccupied with worrying about you and your child to think about such a big incident that happened at home yesterday."

    Thankfully, that woman, He Qiniang, had died. Otherwise, he would not have been able to relax and go to war.

    Xiao Qian replied, "Alright, let''s not talk about the depressing things. Just talk about the happy things. I''m leaving again tomorrow. I can''t even make it back in time for the Spring Festival. I''ll take this opportunity to see you a little longer."

    Su Zhi let out a sigh unwillingly, reaching out and hugging the man''s strong waist, muttering to herself, "I had thought that New Spring would be able to stand guard with you, but who would have thought that you would have to leave again."

    Xiao Qian kissed her forehead as he consoled her, "Don''t worry. We still have an endless number of new years to live. We don''t care about this one."

    "But I do care, and so does the child."

    When some great general was ready to go all out, not to mention licking his knife with blood, he had to prevent his food from being eaten ¨C careful in everything, cautious in everything, and worried that someone would harm him.

    Su Zhi felt uncomfortable just thinking about it.

    "That can''t be helped. Your husband is a great general of the hussar. He''s in his prime, and this matter was caused by my men. If I don''t go who else can I go to?"

    "Forget it, you are working for the imperial government. You don''t have to do this much. I won''t mess with you anymore. Go cook dumplings. Tonight, it will be considered as the new year for our family."

    Xiao Qian smiled and pinched her nose, "Alright, I''ll listen to my wife."

    Su Zhi glared at the man. Seeing the trace of gentleness in his deep eyes, she sighed helplessly and did not correct him.

    Bi Yue came into the hall with a bowl of dough kneading. Su Zhi then took out the leek pork stuffing that she had already prepared and hurriedly rolled the dough into dumplings.

    Xiao Qian curiously looked at the two of them wrapping the dumplings. He thought to himself, "It''s still a woman''s skill. This small and exquisite dumpling is something he can''t make."

    The man who couldn''t help squatting at the side accompanied the two giggling dogs. The small bean bag rolled up its legs, placed the dog on its lap, while Little Fatso grabbed onto the fine fur on the dog''s belly.

    The puppy whined in pain, its calf glared at the girl, but it didn''t dare to open its mouth to bite her.

    A Jin helplessly took the small yellow dog from her bosom and stroked its fur with her small hands. She scolded him, "Little sister, how could you be so naughty? One day, don''t let this puppy bite you!"

    Xiao Qian laughed in a low voice and rubbed the stupefied face of the little girl, laughing, "When I was young, I loved to pluck feathers, dogs, and even geese. The most amazing one was when I was chased and pecked by the two geese in the green pond."

    Su Zhi couldn''t hold it in and burst out laughing. Did this man think this was a glorious matter and had the nerve to say it out loud?

    When A Jin heard this, he burst into laughter. "Hahaha, then did Uncle Xiao suffer any pain from being pecked by a goose?"

    "There is. If your pants are broken, then you won''t need to pluck your hair from that place. It would be easier to escape if you change your hair."

    Su Zhi shook her head with a headache. "Don''t talk about your achievements. Be careful of teaching your child."

    The whole family gathered together, laughing happily and harmoniously.

    After the dumplings were made and brought to the table, everyone gathered around to eat.

    Mother Ding and Dan Xue both woke up, but their wounds were still extremely painful and their movements were difficult to move.

    Listening to the laughter from outside, the two of them also felt a lot better.

    After a round meal, Xiao Qian helped the two children wash up for the first time ever.

    Although this was the first time he had done this, he had done it well. Su Zhi complimented him generously, causing the man to squint his eyes and laugh for a long time.

    When the lights were out and they got into bed, Xiao Gan said, "The injuries of Mother Ding and Dan Xue are not very quick. You have to take care of the children and you also have to take care of the business in the shop. I''m afraid you won''t be able to handle it. "Don''t worry, those people will come over to help during the day, and we will be back at night."

    Su Zhi nodded. Her heart felt warm. She used to think that Xiao Qian was a dull and boring person who didn''t know how to react. Unexpectedly, after being together, this man was gentle and considerate, his thoughts even more thoughtful than her.

    "Right, how did that woman He Qiniang escape yesterday? "It''s reasonable to say that she injured her mother and Dan Xue, and that Bi Yue wasn''t here. A Jin couldn''t do anything to her, so how could she ˇ­"

    Speaking of yesterday''s matter, Su Zhi still felt a lingering fear, but she could not answer Xiao Qian''s questions.

    "I didn''t think too much about it. I just thought that the child was fine, so I didn''t care."

    Xiao Qian didn''t ask any more questions. He hugged the girl, and rubbed his chin against her forehead. However, his eyes were as deep as a pool.

    "Then this is indeed strange. It''s good that the child is fine, but we still have to figure out what happened."

    A Jin had fallen asleep by her side. Su Zhi caressed her child''s innocent sleeping face, lying in the man''s arms and feeling very satisfied.

    While the child was asleep, Xiao Qian was not tired of enjoying himself. He carefully tossed and turned for a while. Unfortunately, every time he was done, the last line of defense was not broken. Although he was helpless, he still looked forward to it.

    It was only when it was very late that Xiao Qian finally allowed the woman in his embrace to sleep.

    When the sun rose, the man finally opened his eyes. He lovingly kissed the girl beside him, then left.

    It was still too dark to see the face outside. Xiao Qian opened the door and rode on his horse. He waited until they left Spring Leaf Alley before stopping.

    Immediately after, two dark guards came in pursuit, their bodies as light as snow.

    "Your subordinate greets Master."

    Xiao Qian held onto the reins and looked straight ahead, saying faintly, "Have you found anything?"

    "Reporting to Master, when our people were squatting down, they discovered that there was another group of people protecting the courtyard as well. "It''s just that we didn''t know our motives at the beginning and almost killed people. After seeing the truth, we retreated far away and kept watch."

    Xiao Qian narrowed his eyes and asked in a low voice, "What kind of person are you?"

    "A very strong Death Servant with kung fu. You have come and gone without a trace."

    That is to say, the reason why A Jin was able to escape was all because of the group of guards that were secretly protecting her?

    Dante''s mother and Danxue''s injuries were not light. It could be seen that protecting the courtyard of Ah Zhi was not their primary goal. Protecting their children was their main goal.

    However, besides him, who else in Xuan City would spend so much effort to protect Ah Zhi and the children? No, Su Zhi had met He Qi Niang and fought with her before, so protecting their child was their main goal.

    "I understand. All of you, stay here and guard the safety of everyone in the courtyard."

    "Yes, sir."

    The man stood in a daze for a long time, thinking. Then, he gripped the horse''s belly with his whip and dashed in the direction of the military camp.

    Not long after the sky turned white, Su Zhi woke up. She had wanted to stay in bed for a while, but the man beside her had long since disappeared, leaving only a faint warmth behind.

    Su Zhi''s heart was empty and she had an indescribable feeling.

    She glanced at the paper clipping pasted on the window. She felt a little disappointed. It was the new year, so she always felt that it was not a good omen to separate from her beloved.

    She recalled that Xiao Qian had instructed her to send someone to help out today, so that she could get to the store as soon as possible.

    She stood up to open the door so she could look at the time. However, just as the door was opened, she saw three burly women standing outside, as well as two muscular men.

    Su Zhi cried out in alarm. Before she could understand the situation, the servants outside the door bowed first. "Madam, good morning. We were sent by the General to look after the yard."

    "Oh, oh. Then thank you everyone. Please come in."

    They were all covered in snow, so it was obvious that they had been waiting for a long time.

    Su Zhi felt guilty and hurried to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. "You guys have come so early, you haven''t eaten yet, right? I''ll go cook now."

    "Madam, how can I trouble you? We are here to help, not to be guests. Whatever Madam needs to do, just do it. We will take care of all the work in the yard."

    "Yes, ma''am, we all know Mother Ding. She''s never courteous to us."

    Su Zhi smiled and called a few servants into the yard. She said in a friendly tone, "Mom Ding will be happy to have you guys here."

    He hadn''t been to the store for two days, so he decided that he should find some time to take a look.

    Xiao Qian had sent helpers. Su Zhi could indeed make time to do her own things, but she was worried about the child.

    Although He Qiniang was no longer a threat, A Jin had been feeling a bit depressed these days. Afraid that her child would leave a shadow in her heart, Su Zhi decided to take A Jin and Little Dou Bao with her this time.

 C122

    They did not come to the shop for a few days. When Su Zhi arrived with the two children, the help in the shop were all astonished.

    Li Yi was the first to drop the account book and run up to Su Zhi. He looked her up and down before letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank God, Little Su. It''s good that you''re fine."

    "Yeah, boss, everyone''s worried when they heard that something happened to you." Qiu Hong stepped forward with a smile.

    Su Zhi was a kind-hearted person. She would never so easily criticize others, and that was when the shop assistant committed a mistake. As long as it was not important, she would just kindly persuade them.

    For so long, Hua Manlou and company had been very fond of this new owner.

    "Thanks for your concern, today is the last day of business for the new year. Let me see if there''s anything I can help with."

    Li Yi returned to the counter and presented the account book to Su Zhi like a treasure. "Little Su, take a look. The income''s really good these two days. Why don''t we delay the holidays? There''s still three days until New Year''s Eve."

    Su Zhi took the account book and gently shook her head. "How can the promised vacation be delayed? Besides, there are still people who are not from Xuan City in the store, so it won''t be easy to go back. It''s settled like this. Today''s holiday will be ready after work."

    The main boss had already announced it. All the employees below were grinning from ear to ear. On the other side, the hundred scents of the Qing Xiang were not closed until New Year''s Eve.

    In comparison, Flower Mansion was much more human-like. Furthermore, there was also the year-end benefits and bonuses that the shopkeeper personally offered. Like this, they had truly come across a huge bargain.

    With a guarantee, the shop assistant worked even harder.

    Satisfied, Su Zhi brought her two children up to the third floor.

    "Boss, the business on the third floor is still in a mess these two days. Several large families have dragged their maidservants over to purchase some things."

    "Hmm, what''s the best item for sale?"

    "Jade Face Paste and Almond Mountain Tea Hand Cream."

    This was also within Su Zhi''s expectation. It was a severe winter and cold, making the skin the easiest to dry. The sales of high-moisture products would also be higher.

    "I got it, let''s go up and see if there''s anything we can replenish. You can go to the yard to pick some aloes and bring them up to me."

    Qiuhong nodded, brought some green aloe vera, two or three white plum blossoms, and put a charcoal brazier in the compartment before leaving.

    Su Zhi began to get busy as A Jin strolled around the boutique next door with a small bean bag.

    It was unknown when it started snowing again, and ice was forming under the eaves of the house.

    Qiu Hong used a bamboo pole to clean up the ice pillar that might break at any time. When her eyes glanced around the yard, she found that a man had appeared at the gate where she had not seen him for a long time.

    The person held up a light green oil-paper umbrella. The bamboo umbrella tilted slightly, hiding his face. The only thing he saw was a man wearing a large grey robe, with an ink-colored shirt lining. His feet landed silently on the ground, appearing as if they were treading on snow from the sky.

    "Hello, young master. Are you here to help the madam collect the items?" Qiu Hong quickly put down the bamboo pole in her hands and went up to welcome her with a smile.

    Flowery Restaurant''s third floor didn''t receive any male guests, but since there weren''t any, it wouldn''t be a problem for them to receive any. Judging from the wolf fur mattress, a man''s body was worth a lot of money. Who knows, he might even be able to take on some big business.

    "Thank you, I would like to buy some small items for my wife."

    Qiu Hong quickly went up to welcome him. "This way, please."

    The man put away his oil-paper umbrella, revealing a young face that looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He had a pair of elegant almond-shaped eyes, and at the corner of his left eye was a teardrop.

    What surprised Qiu Hong was not the man''s outstanding looks, but his graceful bearing and the noble aura that he was born with.

    The two of them went up to the attic. Qiu Hong was about to ask, but the man laughed first. "The weather is so cold. Can I trouble you to get me a cup of hot tea?"

    Qiu Hong smiled. "Seeing how sharp my eyes are, please wait for a moment. This little one will do it right away."

    Hearing the voices coming from the other side of the door, A Jin dropped her bean bag and stuck her head out in curiosity.

    In the main hall of the third floor, a young man was shaking snow particles off his clothes.

    Seemingly aware that someone was looking at him, his actions paused for a moment. His clear gaze instantly caught sight of the little kid who was sticking his head out and poking his head out.

    A Jin was a little embarrassed, she could only smile at the man.

    "Little friend."

    The man didn''t seem to feel anything. He stood with the umbrella in the corner. His gaze was still following the smiling child. When he saw A Jin''s face, he was slightly surprised.

    At this moment, Su Zhi had already developed some hand cream that was easy to handle. She put the bottle away, and as soon as she came out, she met a man who was glaring at A Jin.

    She was slightly surprised. "Who is this young master?"

    Only after hearing the voice did the man withdraw his gaze and cast a sidelong glance at her.

    "Greetings, little lady. I wish to buy some rouge and water powder for my wife."

    He clasped his hands together in a bow and stared unblinkingly at Su Zhi. A trace of unusualness was hidden in his inky eyes.

    "Oh, so that''s how it is. What do you want to buy, young master?"

    The man smiled warmly and replied, "This humble one was careless in my understanding of women''s things. I hope that young lady can give me some pointers."

    Seeing him be so courteous and elegant, Su Zhi guessed that he was the son of a rich family.

    He had an extraordinary bearing and always felt a sense of humility and gentleness, especially his eyes that were filled with a sense of control. He smiled especially, and the teardrop mark at the corner of his eyes gave him an air of elegance.

    "May I know how to address young master?"

    "I am Zhao Zheng."

    Su Zhi very politely led him to a boutique at the side. She pointed at the dazzling counter and introduced it one by one, "Young Master Zhao, I''ve made these with great care. You can take a look. If your wife likes the blubber, look this way. If she likes the rouge of the eyebrow pencil, look this way. Or maybe, try the hand cream I just developed to help protect you from dry cracks and frost markings. The effect is very good. "

    Zhao Zheng roughly swept his eyes over the things in the room and bitterly smiled as he shook his head. "I''m just a boorish person. I really don''t understand what these madams and mistresses are using. It''s better for this little lady to choose a few."

    "That''s fine too. I''ll definitely pick out something that Madam will like from the first glance."

    Su Zhi thought, since this Young Master Zhao was so gentle and refined, his own daughter-in-law should be about the same.

    She pondered for a moment, then picked up a bean-colored lip glaze and handed it to him. "Do you think that this color of lip glaze is suitable for your wife? This color number is neither ostentatious nor old, and is suitable for different colors. "

    Zhao Zheng didn''t pay much attention and took it over, cupping his hands: "Thank you, little lady."

    Seeing that he did not have any objections, Su Zhi picked up a bottle of hand cream and gave it to him, "This is a finished product that was made not long ago. This is a bottle of hand cream, it contains the essential oil of the camellia, together with milk and grape seeds.

    Zhao Zheng still didn''t say anything unnecessary and accepted it.

    "Do you want this series of skincare products for your wife? Aloe Vera Moisturizing Face Cream and Honeycomb Water Film, not greasy and clear, very suitable for use in autumn and winter. "

    From start to finish, Zhao Zheng didn''t say much. He really didn''t seem to know what to buy for his wife. However, what Su Zhi did not know was that as soon as she turned around, the man''s gaze would shift to the two children.

 C123

    A Jin was holding a unique looking green wooden comb, smiling as she teased the small bean buns on the ground.

    No matter how hard he tried, the little bean bun ignored her and focused on picking up the fur of the dog in his arms.

    "Don''t hold back. If this goes on, the little mutt will get bald."

    Zhao Zheng laughed out in a low voice, staring at the two little kids sitting together as if he found them very interesting.

    Su Zhi turned around and smiled helplessly. "These are my two mischievous children."

    The man seemed a little surprised. "Looking at the little lady''s appearance, she should be around 18 or 19 years old. To think that she actually has two children this age."

    A decent smile hung on Su Zhi''s face as she nodded.

    Not new, is it? In this era, it was already too early for women to get married. Even though Little Dou Wu wasn''t her biological daughter, A Jin didn''t say that she picked her up.

    "Madam is so lucky."

    In the end, Zhao Zheng said meaningfully.

    "What''s so good about it? In any case, I just want to earn some money and raise the two children."

    Su Zhi answered casually.

    Even A Jin''s father didn''t know who he was. This kid had the surname Nie Rufeng, and his family tree also belonged to the Nie family.

    Just as they were chatting, Qiu Hong came upstairs with a cup of tea. She explained to the man, looking ashamed, "I''ve made young master wait for a long time. There are a lot of guests and the tea is being consumed. I''ve made a new pot for you.

    "No worries, sorry to trouble you."

    This man seemed to be so polite to everyone. His demeanor was graceful and his bearing was really good.

    With the tea warming his body, Zhao Zheng seemed to feel more comfortable and his movements became more lively. He took the initiative to choose two exquisite hairpins to ask Su Zhi''s opinion. Then out of curiosity, he looked at many other things and bought quite a few small items.

    Seeing that it was almost time, Zhao Zheng had the thought of returning.

    "I''ll have to trouble the two of you today."

    After settling the bill, Su Zhi gave him a bottle of perfume as a test subject and put it in a bag.

    "Young master, there''s no need to be so polite with New Year''s Day."

    Zhao Zheng smiled and nodded, then took the umbrella downstairs.

    Qiu Hong followed him out. She saw him into the carriage with her own eyes before returning.

    "I didn''t expect to meet such an esteemed guest on this day. I wonder which young master he is."

    Su Zhi pursed her lips and realized that the man''s surname was Zhao!

    Qiu Hong saw her expression change instantly and asked worriedly, "Boss, what''s wrong?"

    She shook her head. "It''s nothing. I''ll go down and find Brother Li."

    Seeing Li Yi, Su Zhi went straight to the point, "Brother Li, are there a lot of people with the surname Zhao in the capital?"

    Elementary Scholar Li, who was in the middle of calculating, snorted, "It''s not just the capital. There are quite a few families with the surname Zhao Xuan City."

    Only then did Su Zhi relax. She was afraid that the person she had just met was that Zhao family from Beijing. Listening to Li Yi''s explanation, perhaps she was overthinking things.

    On the other side, just as Zhao Zheng got on the carriage, the coachman who was driving the horse said respectfully from outside the curtain, "Third Young Master, the Old Master has just sent someone to look for you. He told you not to go to the manor for now, but to return home first, saying he has something to discuss with you."

    "Yeah, I know." He stared at the small items in the bag in his hands, and a hint of darkness appeared in his eyes.

    "Uncle Guan, if a woman hadn''t met you since she was thirteen, would you still remember her?"

    The coachman smiled when he heard this, "Why did Third Young Master suddenly mention this? "Hmm ˇ­" This matter is still rather suspenseful. You must know that after so many years, his appearance has definitely changed. However, if there is some sort of imprint on his body, it should not be difficult to recognize him. "

    The driver continued: "Think about it. In these five or six years, if you don''t see him, his appearance will change, his figure will also change, his height will rise, and his body will be well-developed. Even if you want to recognize him, you will need to put in a lot of effort. Or stay together day in and day out, and only those close to you will recognize you at a glance. "(A/59/2005, para. 2) (OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMN/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG/OMG)

    "Yes, Uncle Guan''s words are reasonable."

    There was a long silence in the carriage as the chained carriage continued forward through the cold and clear streets before slowly entering the capital.

    Once they reached the capital, the streets became lively once again.

    It was almost New Year''s Eve, and many children on the streets were throwing firecrackers at the open space.

    The coachman was currently on his horse, swinging the whip in his hand to scare the child who was causing trouble. "Move aside, you''re not allowed to throw firecrackers. What are you going to do if you scare my young master?"

    As he was speaking, some devilish brat ignited the firecrackers in his hands and threw them towards the carriage as if it was scalding his hands. The firecrackers exploded, and the horses below cried out in fear as they ran forward.

    The coachman hurriedly tightened his grip on the reins. Seeing that the horse couldn''t stop, he was about to charge into the oncoming caravan.

    "Not good, get out of the way!"

    Before the driver could finish his sentence, the man had already moved out of the curtain in a blur, his big hands grabbing the reins and exerting force. The horse let out a long cry of pain and then obediently stopped in its tracks.

    "Aiya, it was too scary but it was not dangerous!"

    After stopping the mad horse, Zhao Zheng returned to the carriage as if nothing had happened. It was as if the accident of almost causing casualties was just a small game.

    Uncle Guan was secretly speechless, thinking that the Third Young Master Zhao''s internal energy had increased by quite a lot.

    As soon as he returned to the Zhao residence, a servant waiting outside immediately came to greet him. "Third Young Master, you''re finally back. Master started to talk to you yesterday."

    Zhao Zheng got off the carriage, still wearing the same smile on his face and full of intimacy. "I understand, I''ll go to father''s courtyard now. It''s cold enough even after waiting for so long. Go heat up a cup of wine and eat."

    The attendant was flattered and clasped his hands in a bow. "Thank you, Third Young Master, for your kindness."

    Although the Zhao Family had a secondary assistant, whose position was only second to Liu Zaifu, and a second son, who had just lost his position, in the end, the entire Zhao Family''s fortune was with Empress Zhao. The house''s affairs were under the third young master''s control.

    Although Zhao Zheng didn''t have an official and a half, his reputation was far greater than his older brother who was an official in the imperial court. Since no one was willing to be apart from him, he was humble and forceful towards everyone, and many people were happy to interact with him, even the servants in the mansion were like this.

    Hearing that the third young master had returned, the manor was in an uproar. Especially from the third room, they hurriedly went to prepare hot soup and food.

    Zhao Zheng handed the bag in his hand to a servant and instructed: "Send this to the Third Wife."

    "This little one will go right away." The servant took the item from him and ran off happily.

    Entering the backyard, a maidservant walked up with an umbrella, "Third Young Master, Master is waiting for you in the study room."

    When the mama in charge saw that he had arrived, she did not need any instructions from her master and had already returned to the kitchen to serve the soup.

    Zhao Zheng knocked on the door and said: "Father, your son has come in to apologize."

    Hearing his voice, Zhao Jian put down the brush and ink, got up, and personally opened the door. "It''s already snowing heavily and making you go to another village to look at the harvest, it''s already hard on you. What other crime do you have? Come in quickly."

    When father and son met, Zhao Jian treated them like honored guests with a very humble and amiable attitude. He invited Zhao Zheng into the room before letting out a faint sigh.

    "Your brother is in trouble."

    "Yes, I heard something when I came back."

    Zhao Jian was so angry that he slammed his fist on the desk, "Your brother has always been useless. I''ve long guessed that this would happen." "However, that kid from the Xiao family is quite capable to be able to grasp so many flaws. This old man has neglected this fact."

    Zhao Zheng took a sip of the hot tea the servant had brought in and indifferently said, "I''m afraid that Xiao Qian was planning on pulling those popinjays from second brother''s hands from the very start."

    "Oh? "How can I see such an extraordinary person?"

 C124

    Zhao Zheng put down the teacup and said: "In the entire case, the only key factor is the letter of impeachment with the bloody handprint. If Xiao Qian failed to deliver the letter, then the Zhao Family would still be safe. "

    Zhao Jian thought about it for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "That''s right, I also thought about it before. The letter''s words are sharp and sharp, and it doesn''t seem to be something that Xiao Qian can write. "The only possibility is that the officials have been punished by the Zhao Family before. However, we have offended quite a few people, so we really can''t find anyone to come."

    Zhao Zheng smiled, "There''s no need to find him. Isn''t that person waiting for the opportunity to turn the tables?"

    Zhao Jian''s expression changed, "Zheng''er means?"

    "There is only one person who can truly write down the recommendation."

    "Who is it?"

    "Shen Zhu."

    Zhao Jian''s eyebrows twitched, he immediately thought of Shen Lian, who was still imprisoned in the Sky Prison.

    The Shen family had already left. However, as long as the Shen family was still alive, especially Shen Lian''s son, he would still be able to fight in the imperial court, even if he had no authority or authority.

    "You mean, the Shen family and Xiao Qian are working together?"

    Zhao Zheng shook his head confidently. "With Shen Zhu''s personality, he definitely won''t personally go find Xiao Qian. I''m afraid that even Xiao Qian doesn''t know who sent that letter."

    Zhao Jian heaved a sigh of relief. When he couldn''t completely exterminate the Shen family, what he was worried about the most was still the Shen family''s desperate counterattack.

    "As long as the Shen family continues to act high and mighty and not ally themselves with anyone, the Zhao family need not worry about the later autumn cicada of the Shen family."

    "Father''s words are wrong. A Shen family is indeed nothing to fear, but don''t forget that the Jiang family is still hanging in the air." If these families join hands, the situation will become very complicated. "

    Zhao Jian''s heart tightened, and he asked uncertainly, "Then the Shen family wouldn''t be thinking about the Alliance, right?"

    Zhao Zheng laughed softly. "If it were in the past, perhaps not. But now, Shen Zhu''s attitude tells me that he is much smarter than that stubborn father of his."

    "I don''t quite understand Zheng''s words."

    Zhao Zheng gave a faint smile and gave a false answer. He changed the subject and said: "Today I met someone I should have met a long time ago."

    He was curious about what kind of woman Xiao Qian would like, but he didn''t expect to find out.

    "Does father still remember the Su Clan that was so popular back then?"

    Zhao Jian frowned and thought about it, "Of course I remember, but haven''t all of the Su Clan died?"

    Zhao Zheng shook his head, narrowing his almond-shaped eyes, "No, there might be one person who''s still alive."

    "What does Zheng''er mean?"

    "The young daughter of the Su Clan, Su Xing."

    "This is impossible!" Zhao Jian almost blurted out his thoughts before immediately rebutting this possibility.

    It had been almost six years. Six years ago, the fire in the Glass Palace had shocked the whole Wei Province.

    No one, not even the little prince, nor the young daughter of the Su Clan''s lecturer was spared from the scorching fire.

    "However, in this world, there is a possibility that no ordinary person would be able to figure it out."

    Not only that, the child that was born with the curse might still be alive.

    "I won''t believe it unless I see it with my own eyes."

    "Today, I saw it. Su Qiuyi, and Lu Wenjin, who came back to life after dying six years ago. "

    Hearing this, Zhao Jian''s heart shook as if he couldn''t believe what Zhao Zheng said.

    If he didn''t know that his youngest son never made fun of him, he would have thought that it was just some nonsense, a scam to make him happy.

    "You ˇ­ Have you seen Su Xing? "

    Zhao Zheng nodded, "I think it''s her, and that child, who looks like the late Xuan Fei."

    Zhao Jian did not believe him and asked curiously, "If it really was the daughter of the Su Family, why did Xiao Qian not notice it? Why didn''t Liu Yuan recognize him either? "

    One was a close lover, and the other was a meticulous Zai Fu. It was impossible for him to not recognize any of them.

    Zhao Zheng thought about it for a long time before coming to a conclusion. "Xiao Gan has been out fighting all year round. The only times he returned to the capital were when he left in a hurry. It''s normal for him not to know Xiao Gan. "As for Liu Yu-an, he had been studying at the little saint estate for a long time, and was never in the capital. After becoming the top scholar, he was sent on patrol around the capital. Six years ago, his majesty only found the capital once.

    Thus, it just so happened that the two of them did not realize that the Su Clan''s woman had come to Xuan City without any obstructions.

    "When I went to see her today, I felt that it was strange. That person from the Su Clan seemed to have completely forgotten about his future, and it didn''t seem like he was faking it."

    Zhao Jian felt dizzy and his heart skipped a beat.

    He dejectedly closed his eyes. After closing his eyes tightly, he fiercely opened them and decisively said, "Since that''s the case, let''s send people to kill that woman and child right now!"

    "No, we can''t do it now."

    "Why?"

    Zhao Zheng helplessly shrugged his shoulders. "The Jiang Clan already found out. Not to mention that there''s also that Xiao Qian that was secretly protecting him."

    Judging from his many years of martial arts practice, there should be more than one death guard hidden in the shadows.

    If he wasn''t wrong, the Jiang Clan would already know that he had visited them.

    Under these circumstances, there would only be a few dark guards. How could it be easy to secretly attack them?

    "Then what should we do now? "Can it be that I''m going to watch that evil creature snatch away Ming''er''s position as the crown prince?"

    Zhao Zhengfeng lightly shook his head. The teardrop mark under the corner of his eye was as clear as a jade plate.

    "If Su Xing leaves Xuan City, I can kill her."

    "Then how is she going to leave Xuan City by herself?"

    "Father, don''t worry. There''s always a way."

    Zhao Jian frowned, his mind was still muddled. He originally wanted to call his son back to discuss what Xiao Qian had done, but how did he come up with so many things?

    "Let''s talk about Xiao Qian, your brother can''t count on you. Daddy would like to ask what you think."

    Zhao Zheng narrowed his eyes, as if he had already made up his mind. "I naturally have to get the military salary back. There can only be more than that. The more, the better."

    "That''s tens of millions of silver taels. Are you trying to empty out the entire Zhao Family?"

    "Father, if you really want to turn the tables around and punish Xiao Qian, then do as I say."

    At this point, Zhao Jian had no choice but to cut the meat and take out the large amount of silver.

    He had remembered the Zhao family''s grudge today. He definitely wouldn''t let Xiao Qian off!

    In the inner courtyard of Hou Mansion, Jiang Si was at a loss of what to do in front of the flickering candle flame.

    The secret guard had received news that the third young master of the Zhao Family had gone to the Flower Mansion. This meant that the Zhao Family had likely discovered this secret.

    However, the woman had actually done something stupid in her anger.

    The fact that A Jin was still alive had to be made public sooner or later, but he didn''t expect it to happen so soon.

    Now that the Jiang Clan was in a passive state, they had no choice but to be careful to deal with the unforeseen events that could happen at any time.

    "It''s already late, why isn''t the Madam resting?"

    The door was pushed open and the flame in the candlestick flickered slightly.

    A middle-aged man dressed in luxurious clothing entered the room. He had a slightly tipsy air to him.

    Jiang Si knitted his eyebrows in disgust and said with a cold face, "Master Hou, you should go to sleep. Didn''t you agree to go to Little Sister Mian''er''s place today?"

    Lan Yu impatiently waved her hand. She seemed a bit dissatisfied. "This marquis will decide on his own where to go. I''ll stay here today."

    "I''ll send someone to escort Master Hou to Fragrant Flower residence," he advised.

    "The duke has drunk too much wine. He clearly has a poor tolerance for alcohol and yet he still has to fight with fists on the table. Isn''t that just asking for trouble?"

    Lan Yu took off her clothes and went to bed. "Why do you keep looking down on me like that? I ˇ­" "Burp. I am your true husband."

    Hmph, a proper husband? Seeing that the Jiang family wasn''t willing to lend a helping hand in times of trouble, afraid that his position as duke wouldn''t be preserved, and he didn''t even care about it, so it was fine if he didn''t have a husband like this.

    "Are you still holding a grudge that I didn''t help your sister redress her grievances and didn''t help the Jiang family?"

 C125

    Jiang Si stared at him coldly. He didn''t even try to hide his disgust before he said, "Master Hou, you can stay for the night. I''m going to the side room to sleep."

    Lan Yu helplessly looked at the girl''s back as she disappeared into the distance. Lying alone on the bed, she felt even more upset.

    On the day before New Year''s Eve, snow began to fall again.

    Although the weather was cold, the joyous atmosphere of the new spring still permeated every nook and cranny.

    The streets and alleyways were decorated with lanterns, lanterns, couplets and window flowers hung from every household.

    The New Year in Wei Dynasty has a custom, New Year''s Eve from the last day of the Lantern Festival, a whole 16 days can be set up in the night market.

    During this period of time, no curfew is imposed. Those who like to travel through the night can enjoy the scenery through the night.

    The only worry was that Mother Ding and Dan Xue''s injuries would not be fully healed. Although she had taken the medicine and scabbed her wounds quickly, she had lost a lot of blood and would probably be able to heal them soon.

    Having just eaten breakfast, Su Zhi was busy frying tofu balls and fish in the kitchen.

    Jin and Soybean Bun were gluttonous, sneaking in from time to time to steal their mouths.

    "Hurry up and stop eating. Such a greasy dish, it''s not good to eat too much in the morning."

    Bi Yue peeled the beans and dotingly looked at the two kids. She happily said, "It''s the new year, so let the two young masters go."

    Su Zhi took out a big bowl of longan silver ear soup and handed it to the two gluttons. "Kids eat less oily food, especially A Jin. You''ve eaten too much of the meat, so stop choking."

    The two of them took the soup and ran outside.

    "Madam, it''s too tiring for you to do all this work alone. You shouldn''t have let the helpers the general sent back."

    "It''s the new year, so they have to stay with their families. The only people who can reunite these few days are them. No matter what, they have to take a vacation, right?"

    At the mention of reunion, Su Zhi thought of Xiao Qian with a sour feeling in her heart.

    She looked at the neighbors gathering happily. Then, she looked at how she was holding her own furniture while the two in the house didn''t have any injuries. It could be said that this New Year had passed with a lot of unhappiness.

    Just as he was lost in thought, he heard someone knocking on his door.

    Bi Yue packed up her things and patted the hem of her skirt. "I''ll go take a look. Maybe it''s another family that sent spring cakes over."

    The neighbors in Spring Leaf Lane were all very friendly. Every family prepared spring cakes or candies for the new year''s festival and distributed them according to the number of households. You made the spring roll, I gave you some pie, she made the sugar, who changed the pattern and gave it away.

    Su Zhi had already sent out two big pots of tofu balls early in the morning, and the amount she had bought was almost insufficient. When she heard the knock on the door, she was still wondering who had sent over the things? Counting the number of houses in the vicinity, it had already been sent out.

    "Madam, please come out quickly. The Liu Family has sent someone."

    Hearing that it was someone from the Liu Family, Su Zhi quickly wiped her hands clean and went out to welcome them.

    "Greetings to Madam. This lowly one has been ordered to deliver an invitation to Madam."

    Su Zhi recognized the servant who had come to the door. He was the one who had been sent last time, but tomorrow was New Year''s Eve. Every family had reunited with her, so how could the Liu Family remember her?

    "Bro, you''re here to send me a post again?"

    The manservant nodded and replied, "Yes, Aunt Liu originally wanted to meet you. Now that you mention it, our master also thinks of you. He wants you to come to our residence for a visit, it won''t take you long. "

    Su Zhi originally did not plan to visit them everywhere, just like how she would spend time with a child at home. However, when Eldest Aunt Liu and Old mister Liu asked to see her, Su Zhi did not say anything to reject them.

    "Alright then, I''ll go with you." He also paid back the silver coins that he should have.

    Su Zhi entered the house and changed into clean clothes. After instructing Bi Yue to look after the things in the kitchen, she went out with the servant.

    The snow on the streets and alleyways had been swept up. Passing by the market, he found that the small vendors who had been quiet a few days ago had started to gather together again.

    There should be something interesting happening in the near future.

    Su Zhi closed the curtain, her hands were red from the cold. She rubbed her hands and asked puzzledly, "Does little brother know why Old Mr. Liu has called me here?"

    The manservant didn''t forget to reply even as he rode the horse, "I heard from Aunt Liu that Master is not in good health. I originally invited a doctor, but I didn''t get it right away, so I wanted to see you."

    This time, Su Zhi was in trouble and had the urge to escape.

    Although she had coincidentally saved him, it didn''t mean that she was skilled in medicine. She didn''t know a thing about pulse diagnosis!

    "But I don''t even know any medical skills. It''s useless for old mister to look for me. It won''t help his condition at all."

    "Rest assured, the lord said that the last time you went to the mansion, there were too many guests to take care of you. That''s why he wanted to set up a feast for you."

    Even though the servant had explained it in such a way, Su Zhi still felt that it was mysterious. What if he told her to take her pulse and see a doctor? She had not reached that point in everything.

    The Liu Estate was uneasy all the way here, but they still arrived quickly.

    Su Zhi got off the carriage and found that Liu Yuan, whom she hadn''t seen for a long time, was waiting at the door.

    "Lady Su, how have you been?"

    "Thank you for your concern, master."

    Liu Yu An very courteously invited her into the room, but didn''t explain the purpose of the banquet. Su Zhi didn''t pursue the matter and only asked why she hadn''t seen Auntie Liu. After all, they had prepared to pay off the money for this trip.

    "Father has a few things he wants to discuss with Lady Su. Bringing you into the estate at this hour is indeed a bit rude."

    Although Su Zhi couldn''t guess what Old Man Liu wanted to say to her, she still replied with a faint smile out of courtesy, "It''s alright. I have nothing to do at home anyway."

    "Please come in."

    Liu Yuan brought Su Zhi to the Warm Pavilion. Inside the pavilion sat Liu Shiqian, who had been waiting for a long time.

    "Old mister, good morning."

    Liu Shiqian closed the scroll on the desk and stood up to welcome her. "Lady Su, sorry to disturb you."

    "Sir, what are you talking about?"

    "All of you can leave now, and get a maidservant to bring some tea and snacks over."

    When the servants left, there were only three people left in the room.

    Liu Shiqian, however, remained silent. Liu Yu-An stood at his side with a solemn expression. Only Su Zhi looked at the father and son who had yet to speak a single word. She was at a loss for what to do.

    After a long while, Old mister Liu''s anxious face took the scroll and muttered: "Jade Spring, Dansha, mercury, kunqing, mica, Pu Xiao, alunite, white quartz, blackstone, yellow ˇ­"

    Su Zhi listened attentively until Liu Shiqian finally lifted up her head and asked, "Does Lady Su know these things?"

    There was only one noun that sounded familiar to her, and that was mercury.

    "May I ask what is the purpose of all this gathering?"

    Liu Shiqian frowned and said worriedly, "It took Yu''er a lot of effort to get this. Mistress Su probably doesn''t know that these strange things are all immortal pills that His Majesty consumes every day."

    Su Zhi was flabbergasted. These things could be eaten? Isn''t that a bellyful of chemicals? Wasn''t mercury just mercury? Eating too much will poison you. Is this an elixir of life or a poison ah!

    "You can''t eat this thing, or to put it differently, someone can concoct a pill based on the ingredients listed above." "After eating it, your spirit will also show itself for a short period of time, but I can guarantee that if you eat it for a long period of time, you will definitely die."

    With a ''clang'', the scroll in Liu Shiqian''s hand fell to the ground.

    "You ˇ­ Is that true? "

    "Everything is true."

 C126

    If he thought about it carefully, wasn''t all that nonsense just some perverted warlock tricks? Using things that outsiders couldn''t figure out, as well as things that doctors couldn''t figure out, to fool the emperor who was wholeheartedly pursuing the cultivation of the Dao.

    Countless emperors in the past have been killed by the so-called immortal pills. Eating that thing would make people excited and there would be a few ladies in the night, but their bodies would also become more and more empty.

    Su Zhi thought it was laughable. In ancient times, emperors who held high positions all wanted to live forever.

    However, they did not think that Fang Shi was really capable of concocting pills. First of all, he would have to show off before he could be convincing again.

    Even the emperor is extremely foolish, to actually listen to such nonsense.

    Liu Yuan picked up the book on the floor and flipped open a page. He recited, "Bait Fang Shi Jindan. Your temper is anxious and your emotions are unusual." Flipping over to the last page, he said, "Since autumn and winter, I have felt ill, and the Taoist thinks that I have changed my bones."

    That''s right, the so called Jindan was indeed like that. The first time one took it, they would be excited, and over time, their temper would become violent. Then, their body would slowly become empty.

    "Lady Su, these are all the records of the eunuchs who lived by His Majesty''s side. I came here to take them out by chance."

    Su Zhi understood and explained, "There is a ten percent chance that the so-called elixir of life and death in this world is fake. There is simply no such thing as an immortal elixir that can be reached by consuming the elixir of life and death. Mercury was a liquid metal. In other words, it was something that was slightly similar to gold, silver, copper, or iron. If you were to take it recklessly, it would be like taking a chronic poison. Over time, the poison would invade your bone marrow and even the immortals of the Great Luo would not be able to save you. "

    Hearing this, Liu Shiqian coughed. He seemed to be very angry.

    "Father, your health is more important." Liu Yuan patted him on the back with a worried expression.

    The old man waved his hand and said, "I have secretly looked for a few doctors who have seen this prescription, but they were unable to detect anything. Yuquan, taste Gangping, the main treatment of five viscera diseases. Soft tendons strong bone, soul, long muscle, nourishing qi, long suffering from the cold and heat, no hunger, no thirst, immortal. Empty cyan, the chief cure for youth blindness and deafness. Bright eyes, sharp nine orifices, blood circulation, nurturing the spirit. "Long live and long live ˇ­"

    Liu Shiqian suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "I was naive enough to think that these things could extend a person''s life. It wasn''t until later that I realized that something was wrong with His Majesty and that this recipe wasn''t as simple as it looked."

    Su Zhi nodded with certainty. "Teacher''s intuition is right. This recipe is full of harm and benefits. It empties the body."

    Liu Shiqian''s heart ached as he stared at the page with anxiety.

    Even if they knew it was harmful, they might not be able to convince the emperor to stop consuming the medicine. Most importantly, the Warlock was recommended by the Zhao Family, and everyone was aware of his intentions.

    If the Zhao Family wanted to do this, they were afraid that the Emperor would not abdicate his throne for a long time and that the Crown Prince would not be able to hold out against them, their father! Such vicious thoughts! He actually dared to take the risk and commit murder on behalf of the Son of Heaven!

    "Cough, cough, cough!" Liu Shiqian violently coughed again, making him unable to breathe.

    Liu Yuan helped him calm his breathing before saying, "Thank you, Lady Su, for answering the riddle. My aunt will let you take me to see her."

    Su Zhi understood tacitly and curtsied, "Thank you for your trouble. Please take care of yourself, old mister."

    She pushed open the door and was immediately welcomed by a servant.

    After the woman disappeared, the old man stopped coughing and stared at the tightly shut door.

    "Yu-er, when did you know this woman?"

    Liu Yuan didn''t understand why he suddenly asked this question. In the end, he replied, "I met him when I was on my way to the disaster relief in Qing He County."

    Liu Shiqian narrowed his eyes and thought.

    A peasant woman who came from the countryside actually knew about this and had the ability to make business so popular. This girl was definitely not an ordinary person.

    "At your age, you''ve also been standing here this year. Ever since that child died, you''ve been like a monk with few desires. If you take some time, you''ll have to think about the future."

    Liu Yu An looked a little helpless. "Why did father bring it up?"

    "You are my son after all, and there are no parents in this world who do not wish their children to live a good life. It doesn''t matter if you''re young now, but when those two little monkeys are old and you don''t have anyone by your side, you''ll know that your days aren''t going well. "

    Although he could not see Su Zhi''s background clearly, Liu Shiqian thought that if that girl could enter the Liu Family, she might become an invisible force to help them.

    He had lived for dozens of years and had never made a mistake.

    "Go and investigate the origin of that woman."

    "Father, are you trying to ˇ­"

    Stupid!

    Liu Shiqian rolled his eyes at his son in disgust, didn''t he understand his intentions? If this girl had a clean background, with her ability, it would be better for her to get into the Liu Family as soon as possible.

    Su Zhi left the Warm Pavilion and was brought to the Fragrant Orchid House by a servant.

    She saw someone waiting outside the courtyard from a distance, and when she got closer, she knew it was Auntie Liu.

    "Good New Year, Auntie."

    Auntie Liu smiled as she welcomed him, "Happy New Year." "In the past, I always spent time in Spring Leaf Alley. This year, when I checked into the Liu Estate, I didn''t find it too lively."

    "Everyone is thinking highly of you. If you are free, you can go back and stay for a few days."

    Su Zhi was helped into the room by Madam Liu. She said with some grievances, "As an old man with a dead husband and no children, it''s not good for me to go to someone else''s home. My nephew is kind to me, and fears that I will be lonely, and comes to see me now and then. "

    Old Madam Liu was the only one who was slightly unhappy with her sister-in-law; everything else was fine as well.

    Su Zhi soothed Auntie Liu by talking about Liu Yuan being filial and kind. She could relax and live a good life.

    "Seeing that the year is almost up, I recall how kind you were when I came to Xuancheng to live without a place to stay. Today, I have brought enough money to pay you back with the interest. " She gave the banknotes to Aunty Liu, but did not forget to thank her for her help.

    "Xiaosu is indeed capable. How long has it been since we last met? Many men can''t even catch up to you."

    Auntie Liu also took out the housing deed that she had taken care of and handed it to Su Zhi, "Although that courtyard isn''t the best, auntie has spent a lot of effort on every single blade of grass and tree in there. In the future, if you find anything you dislike and want to fix it, pay attention."

    "I understand. Aunt Liu, don''t think too much. That courtyard is still good. There is no need to fix it."

    The two of them were holding hands and talking when the surprised cry of a maid came from outside.

    "Yo, what happened here?"

    The maidservant went to take a look outside, her expression flustered as she ran in, "Aunt Liu, it seems to be eldest brother and second brother."

    Mentioning her two grandnieces, Auntie Liu let go of Su''s hands and ran out of the room in a hurry.

    Su Zhi followed him out the door.

    It turned out to be two playful little babies taking advantage of the wet nurse''s inattention to get into the fence and go to the pond.

    Ever since the two young masters had run away from the mansion, the servants had spontaneously surrounded the dangerous areas with fences, afraid that one of them would accidentally bump into two children.

    The worry that the servants were worried about still happened. Today, the two children brought out a small bundle of burning branches from who knows where. They held it in their hands and lit up many flowers and plants in the garden.

    Now the two miscreants were crawling on the loquat tree by the pond, lighting the sparrows'' nests on the top of the tree with their beams of fire.

    There were two white bunches hanging from a small tree that was not thick enough to begin with, and the branches were almost bent.

    Below him was a pond. If he were to fall into it in winter, even adults wouldn''t be able to withstand it, much less a child as large as him.

    "Aiyo, my two ancestors, quickly come down." The nurse cried and ordered a few servants to go and fetch the child.

    Outsiders watched with trepidation, but the two small ones found it extremely interesting. The higher they climbed, the lower the branches dropped.

    The servant stood not far from the shore and reached out to grab the child on the tree.

    Su Zhi was also worried. A child who had never suffered a loss would not know how dangerous the situation was, but would not know the consequences of falling down while laughing happily.

    Auntie Liu was so anxious that she began to cry. She scolded, "How do you all treat children? If something happens to them, will you be able to compensate them?"

    "Aunty Liu, don''t worry. Is there a boat at home?"

    With a point from the girl, Auntie Liu immediately reacted, "Hurry, hurry. Go and row a few boats over there and catch them."

    The servant moved quickly and brought over a small boat to row towards the pond. The two children in the tree lost interest and fell down.

 C127

    The maidservants guarding the shore covered their faces and cried out in alarm. Fortunately, the child was received safely. They were neither shocked nor injured as they fell into the servant''s arms and giggled.

    "Aiyo, these two bastards!" Auntie Liu patted her chest, quite frightened.

    The child returned unscathed. The wet nurse cried as she walked forward and hugged the two mischievous kids. Even her arms were still shaking.

    "Cloud Cong, Cloudburst!"

    A furious roar came from behind them. Everyone looked over and saw Lord Liu striding over in big strides. It was clear that he had seen the farce.

    "Little brat!" You only know how to mess around all day! "

    Having known Liu Yuan for so long, they had met him a few times. When had they ever seen him so angry?

    Su Zhi was a little worried for the two brats. Lord Liu seemed to be a strict father.

    "Milord, it''s all my fault. I wasn''t optimistic about the two young masters. If you want to be angry, then come at me." The wet nurse stood in front of the child, afraid that Liu Yuan would punish the two children.

    "Don''t let these two brats off. You don''t know the seriousness of the situation today. What should we do if we end up in a disaster in the future?"

    No matter how much the wet nurse begged, Liu Yuan still went forward and grabbed the children''s ears, one on each side, as they walked towards the ancestral hall.

    Lord Liu was furious, no one dared to go up and plead.

    Auntie Liu was worried about the child and couldn''t help but interrupt: "But they just like to play around a bit. When they get older and become more sensible, they will naturally know how powerful they are. Such a young child, will you still punish them by kneeling in the ancestral hall?"

    Su Zhi also felt that making such a young child kneel down in the ancestral hall was a little harsh, but if the child''s playfulness did not subdue, it would indeed be bad. This time, he had been caught red-handed. What should he do next time?

    "Bring the two young masters down. Kneel until nightfall and don''t get up!"

    The servant took away the crying child. Although he felt sorry for the two children, he did not dare to obey the order.

    "Kneeling for so long, how can the child take it!"

    Lady Liu panicked and followed after him to plead on behalf of her two children. Seeing that her nephew was truly angry, she could only be anxious.

    Liu Yuan had a cold expression. He listened to everyone and personally supervised the kneeling of the two children in the ancestral hall.

    No matter how much the little rascal cried, no one dared to talk to him.

    "Move the praying mat away, kneel on the ground!"

    The servant had no choice but to take the prayer mat and have the two children kneel on the cold floor.

    The child was so young that he would have to kneel until dark, and the kneecap would have to be injured.

    Su Zhi patted Auntie Liu''s hand, signalling for her not to worry. When Liu Yu An''s anger subsided, she whispered a few words into the maid''s ear.

    "Lord, this isn''t the way to educate children."

    Only now did Liu Yu An notice Su Zhi. He said somewhat awkwardly, "I''ve let Lady Su watch a joke. These two vile creatures are really a headache."

    "Kids who are a few years old don''t understand anything. If you punish them like this and don''t explain how strong the relationship is, you might make the same mistake again." If you continue to punish them, they won''t know what to do and what not to do. Over time, they will become rebellious and unhealthy for the child''s mental health. "

    "Then what should I do? These two brats have made me worry quite a bit."

    Su Zhi smiled amiably at the two children, then said to Liu Yu An, "If Sir Liu trusts me, then let me say a few words."

    Originally, it was someone else''s family matter, so it was inconvenient for him to talk too much. However, Su Zhi had also taken care of the child herself. She understood that the child had to be taught well.

    She poured two cups of boiling tea and placed them on a tray. She squatted down to touch the two crying children, "Cloud Cong, Cloud Shui, you can''t play with fire in the future, and you can''t climb into such a dangerous place. Fire is a very dangerous thing, and it will hurt if you come across it. "

    She held two cups of boiling tea in front of the child and said, "Feel it."

    As expected, the two children reached out to touch the porcelain cup. The moment they touched the cup, they immediately withdrew their hands.

    "Touch it again."

    "No ~"

    This time, the two children didn''t touch anything. With their hands behind their backs, they were no longer curious.

    "Hey, this is the feeling of being scalded. Do you understand that playing with fire is more dangerous than this? And if you all fall into the pond and get hurt, Daddy will feel so much heartache. "

    Su Zhi softened her voice and explained the danger she was in patiently. The two glutinous rice balls stopped crying and nodded, seeming to understand what was going on.

    One of them was a bit bolder. He stood up and pounced towards Liu Yuan without waiting for the others to speak.

    "Daddy, I was wrong ~" A delicate and soft child pounced on him. Liu Yuan''s anger receded quite a bit, and the other child, seeing this, also stood up and pounced over.

    Looking at the two pitifully crying children, Liu Yuan felt terrible as well.

    Since the death of his mother, he had been busy with official business and rarely accompanied his children.

    A child so insensible, as a father also has a responsibility.

    It looked like it was time to reconnect. When he was busy on his own, there was always his mother watching over him.

    As Liu Yuan thought of this, he unconsciously looked in Su Zhi''s direction.

    If he were to take a wife, he would rather marry someone as virtuous, capable, gentle, reasonable, pleasant to listen to, and good-looking like Su Zhi.

    He lowered his head and smiled at the two children, but his eyes were elsewhere.

    Su Zhi had wanted to go back and accompany her child, but Liu Shiqian insisted on staying, so she decided to stay.

    On the same day, Ye City, a thousand miles away.

    The rapidly advancing elite troops were imposing, and the general in the lead was wearing a silver armor, carrying a long sword at his waist; he was unstoppable.

    "General, Ye City has arrived!" Tan Chao rode up to report

    Xiao Qian nodded slightly. "Stay alert. The rebel army should be waiting in ambush nearby."

    "Yes, sir."

    Along the border of Ying City, there were dense forests, which made it easy for them to ambush the enemy.

    Xiao Qian looked at the main road in front of him and felt that something was amiss.

    The place where the army had arrived was extremely quiet.

    There were no spies nor rebel soldiers. The rebels who had been so furious a few days ago had actually disappeared.

    "General, what''s wrong?" Tan Zhao walked up and asked.

    "It''s nothing. My eyelids are jumping."

    "Left or right?"

    "To the right."

    Tan Zhao laughed, "You''re finished, your wife is going to be taken away!"

    "Scram!" Xiao Qian snorted coldly as he lifted his foot to greet the man with the broken mouth.

    "Don''t, don''t, don''t. Don''t look at the tense situation, let''s liven up the atmosphere."

    Ever since they had left the capital, the entire journey had been rather strange.

    It was rumored that half of the mutineers could not see the Ye City. Ye City was the first place to be occupied, but there was not a single person guarding it.

    "What about the pay?"

    "General, all the pay that was stolen has been gathered and sent over."

    Xiao Qian snorted, "It''s only been a few days and he already collected several tens of millions of silver taels. The Zhao Family is truly wealthy."

    Tan Zhao wiped off his cold sweat. The thing he was most worried about right now was whether the Zhao Family had done anything in secret. That day in the imperial court, he had slapped the face of his uncle, offending the entire Zhao Family.

    If Empress Zhao had blown a little wind by the pillow, who knows what the situation would have turned out like.

    "General, don''t you think that something is amiss? With Zhao Dagang''s personality, how could he obediently return the money? "

    "Yeah, it doesn''t seem like the style of Zhao Du."

    "Then someone else was involved in this matter?"

    Xiao Qian raised his eyebrows. "The entire Zhao Family will be caught off guard. The one who does the opposite will be the third young master." I wonder what kind of surprise Zhao Zheng has prepared for us this time. "

    No matter what, if the Zhao Clan dared to pay, he would take it.

    It should have belonged to those brothers who risked their lives to begin with. As for who he would offend, he didn''t care too much.

    "Send a few spies to investigate."

 C128

    It had been so quiet, so eerily quiet, that it did not seem like the place where the rebel army had attacked.

    "Yes, sir."

    He had already made enemies with the Zhao Family. No matter how Zhao Zheng planned to set up a trap, no matter what happened in the future, he had a plan in his heart.

    Wan Jing twenty-two years, New Year''s Eve.

    At the beginning of the new year, the sounds of firecrackers could be heard in the Central Plains.

    The Great Wei City was bustling with noise and excitement. The winter cold could not freeze the enthusiasm of the people. There was no lack of children playing in the streets.

    From the street to the bridge, there were peddlers selling goods.

    The night market was bustling with activity, carriages and BMWs, beauties travelling side by side.

    Clothes, umbrellas, potted flowers, fresh fish, pigs, sheep, pastries, preserves, fruits, everything.

    Xiao Ren Square sold balls, Qin An Square sold ten colors of soup balls, City West Square sold bubble nut, Pingping Square sold candy and so on.

    After eating dinner, every household came out to the streets to play.

    The capital was in a prosperous state, and it was crowded to the point that not even a drop of water could trickle through.

    In the Eastern Palace of the Royal Capital, there was a thin youth wearing clothes sitting under the lantern. He looked exhausted as he lightly coughed without end.

    As soon as the night came, the lanterns were lit. The liveliness of the new spring did not extend to the East Palace, and the clamor of the gongs and drums was cut off outside the high wall of the city.

    "Your Highness, the Emperor has just sent someone to inquire about your situation."

    The youth stared at the painting on the table. His long and slender eyelashes trembled, and his eyes became somewhat empty from the illness.

    He looked up and could not help but cough. "It''s alright. After you go and report to my royal father and mother that I''m not feeling well, I won''t be accompanying them on their nightly tour."

    The eunuch received the order and respectfully bowed, "Well, this servant will pass on the message now."

    After the eunuch left, the empty hall seemed even more desolate. The youth held his chin as he stared unblinkingly at the picture scroll on the table, muttering to himself, "I already said that big sister Su will definitely come back."

    He touched the woman on the scroll, his cherry lips curling up into a smile, as if she were March.

    His thoughts flew back to that night six years ago. Summer flies filled the sky, and the woman who rashly broke into the Imperial Garden to fight the fireflies was simply adorable.

    The eleven-year-old asked, "What are you chasing with a fan?"

    The woman replied, "A light fan pounced on Liuying."

    "Then you should bring the net. How can you throw yourself at it like this?"

    The young woman blushed and pursed her lips, ignoring him.

    "Do you want to learn from the books, to be a bit of a coquettish?"

    As if her thoughts had been exposed, the woman stomped her feet and made a face at him.

    Even after so many years had passed, the girl''s charming and beautiful appearance was still engraved in his mind, unforgettable.

    Lu Chenming''s health had never been good, from his parents to the palace maids and eunuchs, everyone was worried about his long illness. Only that woman would bring him along to act wildly without any scruples, causing the palace servants behind her to complain incessantly.

    "You are a man, how can you be like this? "She''s even more delicate than a lady from a pavilion."

    The youth would also be unconvinced. He would stubbornly ride his horse to show his resolute side. He would also endure the feeling of being unable to breathe as he ran in the wind ˇ­

    It had been so long since they had parted, and the time of their youth had been so sweet.

    "After you leave, the palace is very boring."

    The youth stared at the portrait as he muttered to himself.

    Six years ago, during the palace fire, he was sent to Wutai Mountain to pray for blessings.

    However, he had a nagging feeling that if that woman didn''t die, she would return one day.

    The youth stood up and opened the tightly shut door.

    The palace maid immediately surrounded him in alert. He waved his hand and called back the palace maids who were on standby.

    He looked up and saw a golden moon in the sky, hovering in a cloud of red and green mist.

    "Look, another year."

    Tonight was New Year''s Eve, and Spring Leaf Alley was even more lively than usual.

    While Su Zhi was taking care of the two fireworks in the yard, the next-door Gu Sister-in-law arrived with Shen Ge.

    "Oh, Lil ''Su, happy new year."

    "Sister Gu, come in quickly."

    Sister-in-law Gu smiled and held Su Zhi''s hand, saying, "Someone from another alley has hired a crew, why don''t you come and take a look as well?"

    "No, sister-in-law. There are two people at home who are inconvenient to move around. You can go now."

    However, Gu Shisui was in no hurry to leave. She smiled mysteriously as she whispered into her ear, "The man you''re on good terms with hasn''t come to accompany you for the new year?"

    Su Zhi blushed, not knowing how to reply.

    "I know, does that man come looking for you every night?"

    "Sister-in-law ˇ­"

    Seeing the embarrassment on her face, Gu Sister-in-Law quickly explained, "I''m not talking nonsense. We''re neighbors, so I just care a little." Besides, I''m on good terms with you, and I like your character, so I won''t gossip behind your back anymore. "We''re all women, and there''s so much difficulty. Besides, you don''t have a father-in-law or mother-in-law for a widow. Since you don''t have a chastity arch, it''s reasonable for you to be married.

    Su Zhi didn''t know who else knew about this other than Gu Sister-in-Law. Every time Xiao Qian came here, it was at night, but he didn''t deliberately avoid everyone''s eyes.

    It would not be honorable if word of this were to spread. The two of them had never married, so the only thing they could do was to say it was a reunion between lovers. Thinking of He Qiniang''s fate, Su Zhi unconsciously tightened her clothes.

    "Sorry for making sister-in-law worry."

    "That person is Lord Liu, right?"

    What?! What kind of gaze was that? It was obviously Xiao ˇ­

    Su Zhi''s face was full of shock. Gu Sister-in-Law assumed she was right. She then said, "I saw that Liu Family servant came several times to deliver the message."

    Twice, just twice!

    "Did he fall in love with Lord Liu?"

    Su Zhi...

    "Sure, Little Su." That is the current Zayad! "

    I have a younger brother who''s got a small job in the East District. He doesn''t have much of a future, and I''ll have to rely on your help in the future.

    Su Zhi''s face stiffened, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "Sister-in-law, things aren''t what you think. I have nothing to do with Lord Liu."

    Gu Shisui rolled her eyes. "Hey, you big sis, what''s there to be embarrassed about?" [He comes all the way from the capital to see you without any effort at all. How many men can do such a thing?] You should hurry and respond when the time is right. If you have already sent a servant to invite you into the palace, then old mister Liu should know. It is only a matter of time before you choose a day to get married. "

    The explanation was unclear. It was the new year, so Su Zhi had the urge to jump into the Yellow River.

    "Alright, alright, I''m not talking to you anymore. My kids are saying that they are going to watch a show, so I''ll be leaving first."

    "Sigh, sister-in-law, take care."

    After seeing off Sister Gu, Su Zhi deeply felt the meaning of wanting to cry but having no tears.

    That man, Xiao Qian, was really stingy. If he knew that his neighbors mistook him for Liu Yuan, then he might have had a temper.

    Day after day.

    "Madam."

    While he was in a daze, a call sounded from behind him.

    Su Zhi turned around and saw Bi Yue supporting her mother as they walked into the yard.

    "Mom Ding, it''s a cold day. Why don''t you lie down in your bed?"

    "After lying down for so many days, it''s time to get better. "This courtyard is a bit more peaceful. Take Brother Jin and Sister Lan and go out for a walk. Don''t bother about my old woman."

    Dan Xue also stood up. Her condition was better than that of her mother''s and she had recovered quickly. Now, she could help with some light jobs.

    "That''s right, Madam. The general won''t be able to accompany you when you''re outside. It''s not good for him to have you holed up in the courtyard with us for the rest of our good times."

    Su Zhi didn''t really care. It was different whether Xiao Qian came back or not.

    "Don''t think too much about it. New Year''s Eve is our family''s reunion. It''s so cold outside, and I''m afraid the two children won''t be able to endure the cold."

    Mama Ding wanted to persuade her again, but Su Zhi said, "Since you''ve gotten up, let''s set off fireworks together."

    Bi Yue was the first to clap her hands. "Alright, your servant will go and get the fire seed now."

    Although she couldn''t wait for Xiao Qian to come back, Su Zhi still happily took her child and crossed the year with the servants.

    The colorful balls of fire shot up into the sky, and the children''s smiling faces and sincere smiles on the faces of the people around her made Su Zhi feel a sense of accomplishment.

    At the same time, he also missed the man who was thousands of miles away and could be in danger at any time. He didn''t know how the peace was progressing and he couldn''t get any news from the outside.

    Su Zhi let out a faint sigh. Throwing away her frustration, she started to play with the child''s firework.

 C129

    On the first day of the new year, the neighboring houses began to open their doors. The residents of Spring Leaf Lane were rarely seen, and all of them except for their relatives gathered together.

    The lunch went to Aunt Bai''s house, and the dinner was arranged to go to Old Huang''s house.

    After exchanging courtesies, Su Zhi decided to treat everyone to a New Year''s dinner tomorrow.

    After returning from Aunt Bai''s place, Su Zhi started to busy herself with the New Year meal the next day. Bi Yue was helping her on the side, and her mother Ding could not stay idle as she followed Dan Xue to clean the chairs and chairs.

    A Jin was chasing the small bean bag in the yard, while the small bean bag was chasing the small dog, running non-stop.

    "Dong Dong Dong", another knock was heard on the door.

    Before Su Zhi could wipe her hands, she shouted towards the outside, "Jin, look who''s here."

    A Jin stopped running and ran to open the door.

    "Oh? Little ghost head, it''s you. Where''s your mother?"

    A Jin blinked and stared at Lu Huan for two seconds. Then, she slammed the door shut. Before she could close the door, it was pushed open by the man.

    "Heh, you little bastard. You dare to shut me outside?"

    "Get out! You are not welcome here! "

    A Jin stood guard at the door, refusing to let a man in.

    The two of them started arguing, and the little yellow dog that was running non-stop immediately rushed over, opening its mouth and biting towards Lu Huan.

    "Hey, you little bastard!"

    "Hahaha, good bite of Big Yellow, but strong bite!"

    Su Zhi had long since heard the man''s hubbub. During the new year, she always felt the space between her eyebrows twitch non-stop. She did not know why this god of pests was not accompanying his concubine at home and was instead coming to her side.

    "Your Highness."

    She dried her hands and reluctantly left the kitchen.

    "Hey, you''re here. Hurry up, you dog, bite me! "Don''t keep him anymore, he''s going to make a stew!"

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him. Why was a grown man so pampered? How old was this puppy? It couldn''t even run as fast as him.

    "Doggie, come back ~"

    From behind A Jin, the small bean bun came out, waving at the grimacing puppy.

    As expected, Big Yellow stopped his chase and obediently ran to where the little girl was.

    Lu Huan let out a sigh of relief, "You''re still as cute as a small meat bun."

    The little girl ignored him and carried the little dog into the house.

    Su Zhi couldn''t understand what this man was trying to do, so she asked, "Your Highness, why have you come here?"

    "Here''s me wishing you a happy new year!" The man blurted out, smiling in an extremely infuriating manner.

    A Jin harrumphed, "We don''t want you to come. We, the weasel, wish the chicken a happy new year."

    Lu Huan Zhi gave an exaggerated laugh, "Alright, I''m a weasel, are you a chicken? "Hahahaha!"

    A Jin''s face turned red. He was so angry that he was about to close the door.

    Su Zhi patted him and said, "Be good and go finish with your sister." In the end, she was still able to carry the small bean bag easily. She just ignored that god of pests and wanted to see how he would play by himself.

    "Young lady, this prince is your big client. It wouldn''t be too much of a big deal to treat me to a reunion dinner during the new year."

    "It''s unfortunate that no food is prepared today."

    "In that case, what about Ming Lai?"

    Su Zhi shrugged helplessly. "If you want to come, I can''t just kick you out, but if you think highly of us commoners and are willing to sit at the same table as us, that''s fine too."

    Even if Lu Huan Zhi were to bow down to him, the wangfei of Prince Yongning''s Mansion would not allow her son to act so recklessly.

    "What''s there to be afraid of? If I didn''t say anything, who would know my identity?"

    Su Zhi felt a headache. This man was not an ordinary person.

    "Hmm ~ What did you do in the pot? "It smells so good."

    Without waiting for Su Zhi to refuse, the man pushed open the door and walked around her in big strides.

    Bi Yue was rummaging through the contents of the pot, and she was quite surprised when she saw him enter.

    "Wow, what is this thing? It smells so good."

    Su Zhi felt very helpless. "Your Highness, don''t tell me that you don''t know how to cook?"

    Lu Huan Zhi pretended not to know as he picked up a piece of meat from the pot and put it in his mouth. Satisfied, he nodded his head, "It''s delicious and delicious."

    Because they were having a feast tomorrow, Su Zhi had made a special flavor. Not only that, there were also a lot of other cooked foods that could be served at any time on the stove. Lu Huan Zhi seemed to have seen a treasure. He took his chopsticks and greeted them one by one, praising Su Zhi''s culinary skills as he ate.

    Bi Yue looked on dumbfoundedly from the side. Indeed, Prince Yongning''s residence didn''t care about food. No matter what time it was, the crown prince would always act as if he was escaping from the wasteland.

    "Poor..." "It''s about time, we''re done eating."

    Su Zhi really hadn''t thought that a man who didn''t seem to have much appetite could hold a pig''s elbow and gnaw so happily. Looking at the half of the food on the stove being swept away, she had the urge to rush up and beat him up.

    "Stingy, it''s not like I ate too much. People like us who are cultured only get seventy percent full."

    Seventy percent full ˇ­

    Su Zhi felt that she was about to cry.

    Lu Huan Zhi finished gnawing on his elbow and burped in satisfaction. He took out a silver ingot from his bosom and said, "Ah, this should be enough." In the end, he even took a piece of beef stewed in brine from the plate.

    "But if I were to tell you, you would definitely be in a good position if you were to open a restaurant."

    He winked at Su Zhi and clicked his tongue. "Look at you, what are you doing with that black face of yours?"

    Su Zhi heaved a sigh of relief, "Your Highness has had your fill. It''s time to leave."

    "Who says that I have eaten my fill and that you still owe me the New Year''s Eve meal? Do you want to send me away with all this?"

    Su Zhi was speechless.

    Did anyone tell her how the man''s logic came to be and why did she feel like she was treating him to a New Year''s Eve meal instead? Why!

    "Whatever, since you''re busy, I''ll come back in a few days."

    Before Su Zhi''s face completely darkened, Lu Huan Zhi tactfully patted her butt and left, "Oh, right. That elbow was so sweet that it was thrown away."

    He raised his hand and joined his index finger and thumb together, seriously gesturing with it.

    A good day had come to an end.

    Bi Yue looked at the mess in front of her and was extremely speechless. "Madam, what should we do?"

    "Let''s make it with other ingredients." After working for a few hours, it was all for naught.

    In order to ensure the variety of dishes at the banquet tomorrow, Su Zhi had no choice but to busy herself once again. She spent the entire afternoon preparing the things she needed to prepare.

    When she came out from the neighborhood at night, A Jin suddenly shouted that she was going to the market.

    On the first day of the new year, the night market was bustling with noise and excitement. Su Zhi had originally wanted to go in a few days, but after thinking that her children had been cooped up at home for the past few days, and were almost unable to hold them in any longer, she agreed.

    It was just past lunchtime when the street started to bustle with activity. Along the long street, there were quite a few peddlers selling small toys. A Jin looked around in novelty, happily grabbing Su Zhi''s sleeves, wanting to buy a mask to play with.

    "Mom, I want to buy this."

    A Jin picked up a green mask with fangs and started walking around Su Zhi with it.

    "Son, what grade is that? This mask is so ugly, why don''t you choose a cuter one?"

    "But, this Ghost Face General looks very impressive."

    Su Zhi could only take out some crushed silver to buy the mask. In the blink of an eye, the small bean bag disappeared again. She looked around and saw the little kid squatting beside the stall selling pets, reaching out his chubby little hand to grab the rabbit in the cage.

    "Little Dou Bao, stop messing around."

    Wherever this child came from, he would pluck his fur. The dog at home was about to be roped bald.

    She stepped forward and pulled away the child who was grabbing onto the rabbit''s ear and pointed at the lanterns at the side, coaxing, "Little Dou Bao, do you want to put on the river lanterns?"

 C130

    "Mother, put one on." A Jin tied her mask around her neck and held onto a lantern, "Let''s do it like this."

    "If A Jin likes it, then buy it." Just as she was about to fork out the money to buy the lanterns, the bean bun crawled into a nearby stall and reached out to grab the rabbit hair.

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She only knew that she still had to ask Bi Yue to follow her. The two mischievous girls really couldn''t take care of them.

    "Madam, children like this rabbit, so just buy it."

    "Mother, how about we just buy it? This way, little sister won''t have to keep trying to get rid of Big Yellow."

    Helpless, Su Zhi could only spend money to buy the rabbit and the small cage to be carried by the small bean bag herself.

    A Jin held the lamp and happily ran towards the river.

    The banks of the river were crowded with people who had lit lanterns to bless them. In the middle of the river were many different kinds of lamps.

    A Jin couldn''t squeeze through, so she held the river lamp anxiously.

    "What a coincidence, Jin also came to put on the river light to pray?"

    A familiar voice came from behind. A Jin turned around and saw that the man in blue was also holding a river lamp and smiling at him.

    "Teacher!"

    Not expecting to meet Shen Zhu here, A Jin quickly ran up and took his hand.

    Su Zhi was holding onto a small bean bag, and only after seeing that it was Shen Zhu, did she nod and greet him, "Young Master Shen."

    "Teacher, are you going to put out the river lanterns as well?"

    The man nodded and replied, "Yes, I pray for the blessings of an old friend. Ever since she left, I have come here every year to put out the river lamps."

    A Jin nodded in understanding, but then felt distressed. "But, there are too many people here, we can''t squeeze in."

    Shen Zhu lovingly patted his little head, squatted down and patiently said, "I know of a place where there are few people."

    "Then take me there, Teacher."

    Su Zhi glared at the child, "A Jin, you''re not allowed to mess around. Don''t disturb Teacher''s work."

    Shen Zhu smiled, "What serious matters could I possibly have? I''ll take my child with me."

    A Jin was the most active, holding onto Shen Zhu''s sleeve as they left.

    Su Zhi relaxed a little. With Shen Zhu watching over the child, she could concentrate on staring at the small bean bun.

    The duo held hands as they headed towards the direction where the crowd had left off. After walking a short distance, they turned around and dived into the darkness of the river.

    "Lady Su, be careful."

    Shen Zhu was worried that the child would fall down, so he carried A Jin.

    He stood to the side, holding a river lamp to illuminate Su Zhi. After this part of the journey, everything would be fine.

    They followed the small stone bridge to the other side of the river and arrived at a wide open area. From this point of view, the street view of the creek is very beautiful.

    On the surface of the river, there were a few flickering lanterns. On both sides of the river, however, which were six feet wide, were teahouses with blue walls. Bright yellow lights were imprinted on the surface of the river, giving off beams of golden light.

    "It''s really a good place to put a river lamp." Su Zhi nodded in agreement.

    A Jin quickly took out the river lamp, turned on the oil paper arc below, and carefully dragged the flower lamp to the surface of the water.

    A breeze blew, and the river lamp in the shape of a tiger drifted away with the wind.

    Seeing the child''s happy smile, Shen Zhu also smiled and conveniently let go of the river lamp in his hand.

    "Who does A Jin want to pray for?"

    "That''s too much. My father, mother, sister, Uncle Xiao, and Teacher, oh ~"

    Su Zhi sat on the shore, hugging her bean bag and laughed out loud.

    After so long, this child still hadn''t forgotten about Nie Rufeng. He had always remembered this favor.

    "A Jin is a filial child." Shen Zhu stroked the child''s head, a complicated look in his eyes.

    There were sounds coming from the shore, accompanied by gongs, drums, and cheers from the crowd.

    Shen Zhu looked towards the shore and explained, "It''s time to start the dragon dance. Does A Jin want to take a look?"

    "Yes, I want to go."

    The child nodded his head. Shen Zhu didn''t mind the trouble and returned with the child on his back. Afraid that Su Zhi wouldn''t be able to see the path clearly, he deliberately stood by the shore and watched her safely get on the shore.

    After just a short while, the amount of tourists on the shore had increased.

    The pavilion was crowded with onlookers.

    The dragon-dancing team consisted of a total of twenty robust young men. They wore a uniform set of clothing, specially made long boots, and a coat on a cold day. They didn''t feel cold at all.

    In front of him was a man wearing a mask to tease the dragon. In his hand was a stick as thick as a child''s arm.

    The child had never seen such a rare thing. He clapped his hands and jumped up with a smile.

    A Jin was amazed by the visual feast that the dragon dance had brought her. She could only watch as her big brother, who had a face full of smiles, calmly sat by the side of the small bean bun. He reached out his fat hands to grab the rabbit''s ears.

    The pink-haired rabbit was nibbling on a finger-long radish, very unwilling to be grabbed by the ear. It bared its teeth and was about to bite, yet it couldn''t bite the child through the iron cage.

    Su Zhi patted the child''s hands and lifted up the cage herself. "You''re not allowed to pull the rabbit. Watch the dragon dance."

    She rubbed the fur on her hands and leaned against her body to look at the dragon in the middle of the street.

    The fireworks were accompanied by the sound of the gongs and drums. From time to time, the crowd would give a cheer, and thunderous applause and laughter could be heard.

    The dragon danced for a while before it ran towards the street in front of it. Many pedestrians were in hot pursuit of it. The crowded street only opened up a little space for them.

    A Jin wanted to continue, but Su Zhi was too tired to move forward.

    Seeing that she was too weak, Shen Zhu suggested that they find a place to sit.

    The two of them took the child to a noodle shop on the street and ordered two bowls of noodle soup and a pot of Longjing.

    "Mother, I''m not hungry. I want Sugar Man."

    A Jin pointed at the shop of the sugar artist in front of them and found it very interesting.

    "Don''t eat so much sweet food. Mother will cook it for you when you go back, okay?"

    Very rarely did a child who went out for a walk find anything new. Su Zhi couldn''t bear to see him looking forward to something, so after persuading him, she handed him the silver.

    "Take it, don''t run around."

    Su Zhi sat with her back facing the candy stall, while Shen Zhu, who was sitting face to face with her, was able to look at the child very carefully.

    A Jin took the copper coin and happily ran away.

    Two or three children stood in front of Sugar Man''s Shop, accompanied by a few adults.

    A Jin watched the old man scoop a spoonful of sugar from the box, shake his wrist and pour it on the metal plate. With a few strokes, he made a butterfly.

    The child cried out in alarm and said, "Old mister, can you make a dragon?"

    The old man smiled at him and said, "Sure. I''ll trouble you, my friend, to wait. I''ll make two swallows first."

    A Jin wasn''t in a hurry. She stood in front of the stall and watched curiously as he drew the candy. After he finished drawing it, he took out a thin bamboo stick and tied it up, handing it to the waiting child.

    "Jin, are you here too?"

    Hearing the call, the child turned around and saw a sedan chair parked behind him. The woman sitting inside was the same lady he had met in the empty alley last time.

    "Good morning Madam."

    Jiang Si glanced at the girl who was eating the noodles not far away, only to find that Shen Zhu was staring at him vigilantly.

    She gave a bitter smile and reached out her hand to hold the child''s hand, "Does A Jin like sugar people? "One day, auntie will give you a good one."

    A Jin grinned. "Sure, thank you Madam."

    Seeing the child''s genuine smile, Jiang Si refused to leave.

    If it wasn''t for Shen Zhu''s tight watch, she really wanted to hug the child and be alone for a while. How could her own nephew not love her?

 C131

    "Little friend, your Sugar Man is ready."

    The old man handed over the dragon that he had made. A Jin laughed happily and placed the copper coin in the metal box. That dragon looked very lifelike, and she reported majestically that A Jin really liked it.

    Jiang Si stared at that dragon, lowered his eyes and said, "So, it turns out that A Jin likes dragons."

    The child raised the dragon in his hand, nodding and grinning from ear to ear.

    Su Zhi ate two mouthfuls of noodles and looked behind her when she realized that the child had not come back yet.

    Jiang Si hurriedly put down the curtain and instructed the servants to leave.

    "Mother, look!"

    Su Zhi smiled and nodded, "What a lifelike Tianlong."

    Shen Zhu stirred the bowl of ramen noodles. He did not eat a single bite as his eyes stared at the sedan chair as it brushed past him. His sword-like eyebrows were gently knitted, as if he was unhappy.

    After leaving the noodle stall, A Jin made a ruckus as he wandered around a few other places. He bought two boxes of persimmon cakes and a few skewers of candied fruits, saying that he would bring them back.

    As the sky grew darker and darker, Su Zhi and her child had long been exhausted.

    Shen Zhu advised A Jin to go back early and rest. The night market was still long, so it would be fine to come tomorrow night.

    Seeing her mother''s tiredness, A Jin hugged her in pain, blaming herself for not having noticed.

    "It''s already so late, I''ll send Madame Su back."

    Su Zhi shook her head with a wave of her hand. "There''s no need for that. I''ll be able to go back after calling the carriage. Many thanks to Young Master Shen tonight."

    What a joke! Gu Sister-in-law had already misunderstood the relationship between her and Liu Yuan. With another Shen Zhu, even if the Yellow River jumped to its death, it wouldn''t be washed clean.

    Shen Zhu also felt that his words were superfluous. The fact that Jiang Yao was able to find this place so accurately must mean that he had planted spies. Even if something happened, he would be protected by guards hidden in the shadows.

    "In that case, farewell."

    Su Zhi saluted and took the carriage to Spring Leaf Alley.

    She was exhausted, but the two children didn''t seem tired at all. They were happily talking about what had happened on the street and yelling that they would go tomorrow.

    Su Zhi agreed on the surface, but she didn''t have the energy to accompany the two energetic children to run.

    That night, the child, who had been in a ruckus for a long time, quickly fell asleep. Just as he was about to turn out the light, he heard a chirping sound from the corner ˇŞ it was the little rabbit that was trapped in a cage.

    Su Zhi placed the cage outside, closed the door, then went back to her room to sleep.

    At daybreak the next day, Bi Yue had already woken up to prepare for the party lunch.

    Seeing that it was already getting late, she quickly got up and followed him to the kitchen to do some work.

    Worried that she wouldn''t be able to handle it, Aunt Bai and Aunt Gu also came over to help.

    The peace and harmony between the neighbors was something that Su Zhi had never experienced in An''an Village. She had come to Xuan City to learn that encountering a group of warm-hearted neighbors was a good thing.

    During lunch time, those who didn''t visit their relatives in Spring Leaf Alley all came.

    The courtyard was busier than ever. The children were gathered together, playing around. After everyone had dinner, they helped to clean up, and they gathered together to chat while the afternoon was still warm.

    The days passed in this manner, and it was only on the seventh day of the ninth month that the news of the rebellion finally arrived from the imperial city.

    In the capital, Xiao Qian, who had gone to quell the mutiny, was boasted.

    They said that General Xiao''s reputation was spread far and wide, that he did not even need to spend a single soldier, and that he only needed to lead his men to rule, to scare the few leaders who were in chaos to the point that they pissed their pants.

    Su Zhi''s first thought was that something was wrong. Although it was a good thing that Xiao Qian had come back early, it had only been half a month before the chaos subsided. She could not help but feel that something was amiss.

    As the people spoke of Xiao Qian, his reputation had risen by quite a few levels. Since ancient times, he had always been known to be a dangerous person.

    On the eighth day of the new year, there was news of Xiao Qian returning to the capital. However, there was another news. The three soldiers that had led the rebellion had disappeared.

    It was also on the same day that news of the military mutiny spread that someone else was behind it. The first to be suspected was the painstakingly leading soldier Xiao Qian.

    As Xiao Qian''s underlings, it was impossible to clear the suspicion that they were conspiring against him. With this situation, who could say if he was planning to lead his troops and run away, or if he had some other tricks up his sleeve?

    When Su Zhi heard this, her heart sank. The wind of public opinion was pointing at Xiao Qian, but what she couldn''t see was the sharp edge of a hidden arrow.

    If the Emperor became suspicious and was framed by a traitor, the consequences would be unthinkable.

    For the past few days, Su Zhi had been feeling anxious, hoping that Xiao Qian could get rid of the suspects and capture the missing leaders as soon as possible.

    On the previous day of the Flowers and Lantern Festival, the news in the capital became even more intense.

    On one hand, the commoners were full of praise for Xiao Qian''s betrayal. On the other hand, the talk about how Xiao Qian had incited his subordinates to go against him was getting more and more heated.

    When the army had just arrived at the outskirts of Xuan City, the imperial city quickly sent out two imperial edicts: Great General Xiao had rendered meritorious service by bestowing 10,000 taels of silver upon everyone. The other imperial edict clearly stated that although Xiao Qian had done a good deed, his underlings had committed a disorderly action. As a high-ranking officer, he wasn''t strict in his discipline, so he had to withdraw the military talisman in his hand.

    After the imperial edict had been issued, the crowd could not come up with an answer no matter how much they thought about it.

    Wasn''t it obvious that he was going to give a piece of candy another slap? He didn''t say anything about the army''s movements and just stayed in the suburbs.

    After receiving the imperial edict, Tan Zhao was like an ant on a hot pan as he anxiously circled around. The person who was the calmest was the person in question, Xiao Qian himself.

    So it was like this. This was Zhao Zheng''s plan.

    "General, why aren''t you in a hurry at all?"

    The military had been stripped of their authority. As generals of an army, they were still so carefree.

    If the Great Wei was in a peaceful era, then martial generals could not hold a weapon token. However, in the last ten years, the Hu people had always invaded the borders, and the Huns were recalled before they broke through. This was not a good omen.

    "What should I do? Things have already happened, and I''ve never done anything behind the scenes. "

    Besides, there was no point worrying about it.

    "General, your subordinate felt that something is amiss. Yesterday, there was a message from the capital that it was directed at you."

    Xiao Qian calmly nodded. "Yeah, I heard some things."

    However, he just wanted to raise him up a bit, to make the Emperor unhappy, and to bring in some rumors out of thin air. He only wanted to push him to the heart of the struggle. Was this the ability of the third young master of the Zhao Family? Not much.

    "Then what does the general plan to do?"

    Xiao Qian smiled. "Let''s go home and get a wife."

    Are you serious? You obviously have a trump card aimed at you, but you still have the heart to think about those matters. Sure enough, with a female general, that sword is no longer sharp.

    What a pity, what a pity.

    Xiao Qian saw him shake his head and found it funny. "I offended the Zhao Family. They clearly wanted me to return the favor." As things stood, the outcome might not be the worst.

    His Majesty was paranoid. If he did not give the order to withdraw the token at the first possible moment, perhaps he really would have been anxious. However, the order did not come. That would have meant that things were turning for the better.

    "Then how does the general plan to deal with it?"

    "No one dares to be number one in the entire Zhao Family of the Imperial Court. Since you want your majesty to guard against me, then let them see if this trick can work. "

    However, there was one thing that was truly a mystery. After the army reached Ye City and the other two places, other than catching a few scattered soldiers, they did not run into any of the leading gangs.

    According to the intelligence report, the leaders of Ye City, Sun Yan, and Big Liang Ying Du, Mo Qijie and Qian Bin, were missing.

    The three crucial people had disappeared into thin air. Even if they were to ask a lower rank, they would not have been able to find any trace of them. However, it was impossible for the three of them to just disappear like that.

 C132

    "If you send people to search, you must find the whereabouts of these three people no matter the cost."

    Tan Zhao received the order and immediately ordered.

    If these three people were not found out, they would become a hidden, fatal weakness. If someone told them about it openly, it would lead to a lot of trouble.

    That night, the soldiers who failed to enjoy the New Year''s Eve and couldn''t return home for the Lantern Festival could only hold back their anger, unable to vent.

    He had traveled so far and he hadn''t hit anyone. He had just picked up his stick and hit the cotton, and there was no reaction at all.

    Xiao Qian took care of the feelings of the soldiers below and passed down the order for them to set up a feast and drink wine.

    Xuan City, Spring Leaf Alley.

    Su Zhi was using a pair of chopsticks to poke the Soup Dumplings in the wok when the pair of chopsticks pressed down.

    He repeated the process mechanically, as if he was in a daze.

    Dan Xue pushed Bi Yue, who was beside her, and gave her a look.

    The two maidservants looked at each other and asked, "Madam, how is the Soup Dumplings?"

    "Ah?" "Oh, oh, oh, okay, okay."

    Only then did Su Zhi react. With an embarrassed smile, she used a spoon to scoop up the noodle soup that was about to rot from the pot.

    She initially thought that Xiao Qian would be back soon, so she prepared an extra serving. However, even now, there was no sign of him. The person who had received the news had been temporarily left outside the city.

    It was still cold and the snow had fallen a few days ago. What was His Majesty thinking? He didn''t care about the military strength, so he wasn''t afraid of the soldiers'' complaints.

    "Take the Soup Dumplings out."

    Not only would Xiao Qian not come back for the new year, he would not even be able to come back for the Lantern Festival.

    Su Zhi felt somewhat wronged for him. The bigger a person''s position was, the harder it would be to do things for them. He also thought about how much her family''s general had accomplished for the Great Wei.

    This one was tasteless. Mother Ding also sighed, and seeing that Su Zhi''s face didn''t look too good, she didn''t dare to show it.

    After the family ate the Soup Dumplings, they tidied up the dishes in a depressed manner for a while before returning to their own rooms.

    Deep into the night, Su Zhi coaxed the two children to sleep and turned off the lights as well.

    She was still awake when a shadow flashed past her window, so fast that she thought she was seeing things.

    Su Zhi rolled over and forced herself to sleep.

    "Ah Zhi."

    A man''s voice came from behind. Su Zhi shuddered and opened her eyes.

    He saw Xiao Qian, who he hadn''t seen for a long time, squatting beside the bed with a gentle smile on his face.

    Perhaps because he had traveled a long way, he felt a bit tired. There was a black stubble on his chin and he seemed to have lost a lot of weight. Under the bright moonlight, only his eyes were still bright and burning.

    Su Zhi could not believe her eyes. If this man did not like climbing over walls in the middle of the night the most, she would have definitely mistaken her for overthinking things and hallucinating.

    "General?" She reached out to touch the man''s face, not knowing what to say.

    "It''s me, I''m back."

    Xiao Qian stretched out his hand to wrap around her soft pancreas and rubbed it against his cheek.

    Su Zhi saw that the water stains on the front of his clothes had not dried yet. They should have been caused by the falling snow.

    She sat up quickly and untied his cloak.

    "Quick, take off your clothes." In case of cold. The last few words had yet to come out.

    Xiao Qian chuckled, "I didn''t think that Madam would become so bold after so many days." Don''t be in such a hurry, we have an entire night''s worth of time, just take it slow. "

    Su Zhi''s hands froze and her face turned red. She wanted nothing more than to kick him out. What nonsense was this man spouting?

    "If it wasn''t for the fact that the child is still here and I''m afraid of causing too much trouble, I really want to swallow you whole without even leaving behind a bone."

    "You ˇ­ What nonsense are you spouting? Quickly shut up. "

    Xiao Qian took off his wet clothes, removed his shoes and socks, and slipped into the blanket. His long arm went around the woman''s slender waist to kiss her.

    "Be quiet, don''t disturb the child."

    The man didn''t say anything and just tenderly and lovingly kissed her.

    The stubble on her chin caused Su Zhi to feel numb. It was itchy and painful.

    After waiting for him to make a ruckus and be willing to talk properly, only then did Su Zhi impatiently ask about his situation.

    "There have been some bad things said recently in the Imperial City. I''m worried that you''ve been framed by a traitor."

    Xiao Qian kissed the palm of her hand, comforting her, "What are you afraid of? It''ll be fine."

    "Are you sure? The military power has been handed over. "

    "Is that a military talisman, not a military power? The authority to control hundreds of thousands of soldiers is still in your husband''s hands." As for the army talisman, it might not be a bad thing to return it. "

    The Huns suffered a great loss of vitality and had been much more obedient lately.

    Even though it was hard to endure in the dead of winter, he didn''t dare to risk his life to breed trouble at the borders of the Wei Province.

    Without the use of force, the best place to collect these tokens would be in the hands of the emperor. Without the use of force, the best place to receive these tokens would be in the hands of the emperor himself.

    Su Zhi snuggled into his embrace. Hearing him comfort her like this, the depression in her heart eased up quite a bit.

    "Then what are your plans?"

    Xiao Qian embraced the girl in his arms and laughed softly. "Rest for a few days and improve your relationship with my wife."

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She pinched him, the strength in her grip was neither painful nor itchy. "I''m telling you something serious."

    "Isn''t this serious?"

    Forget it. This man had been in the battlefield for a long time, so his schemes wouldn''t necessarily lose to others. No matter how worried he was, it was useless. Since he couldn''t interfere, he wouldn''t pursue the matter.

    The two of them spent the night together after a long separation. After Su Zhi fell asleep, Xiao Qian put away her playful look and pursed her lips, looking at the pitch black night sky, deep in thought.

    Early morning the next day. The morning assembly.

    Emperor Wei Wu sat upright on the Dragon Throne and looked down at the hundreds of civil and military officials standing below. His expression was complex and difficult to fathom.

    "Three big live people have disappeared just like that? This is the good news that Great General Xiao has brought us? "

    The man on the high seat didn''t get angry, instead, he looked at the officials below and asked, "Where is Xiao Qian?"

    The eunuch stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, General Xiao is waiting outside."

    "Let him in!"

    The eunuch bowed his head and shouted loudly, "Pass!" General Xiao Gan and General Xiao! "

    As soon as his voice fell, a man walked in from outside the hall. He was clad in armor and did not wear a hat. Under everyone''s gaze, he walked forward and knelt on one knee, "This humble official pays his respect to Your Majesty!"

    Wei Wu Emperor sneered. "General Xiao, are you having a good New Year?"

    Xiao Qian''s expression didn''t change as he replied, "We can help His Majesty share his worries. Naturally, we cannot be too greedy."

    "Then tell me, did you share our worries?"

    He had to make up for it with military pay and punish anyone. He had agreed to the conditions set by the imperial court before he left, but when he returned, he told him that he hadn''t caught any of the three bandits.

    Wei Wu Emperor''s face turned darker and darker as he stared at the man kneeling on the ground with a deathly glare. "Why isn''t my beloved official saying anything?"

    Xiao Qian straightened his robes and knelt on the ground to pay his respects. "Your Majesty, this humble subject has not been able to properly handle this matter. I should not have caused Your Majesty so much trouble by allowing these criminals to flee." This humble subject humbly requests the king to take back the rewards, and to take back the power wielded by the three armies! "

    After those words were spoken, the hall exploded into an uproar as hundreds of officials whispered to each other.

    Wei Wu Emperor''s sword-like eyebrows twitched. Although he didn''t understand it, the anger on his face had dissipated quite a bit.

    Xiao Qian''s face was filled with lament as he spoke again, "As a general, bringing a soldier to suppress your former subordinates is a dilemma to begin with. This humble subject had wanted to convince the thieves to leave so that they wouldn''t escape unnoticed. This subject is anxious, I am unable to think of a meal or tea, I plead His Majesty to punish me! "

    Xiao Qian had already taken back the military emblem, but now that he had taken back the military authority, he actually wanted to become a general without any actual authority? Wei Wu Emperor stared at the man kneeling on the ground in fear and trepidation, yet he forcefully swallowed the blame that came out of his mouth.

    "Your Majesty, General Xiao is truly extraordinary. General Xiao is right, we should take back the military power in order to convince the masses. "

    Wang Wenhui stepped forward and secretly sneered.

    It was a wise move to use this move to advance. If it was said that there was no danger at the border, then Xiao Qian''s theory would be courting death. However, he was confident that the king would not take back his military power.

    Wei Wu Emperor narrowed his eyes and looked coldly at the two groups of ministers who were secretly competing with each other.

 C133

    Seeing this, Zhao Dagang wanted to step forward to add fuel to the fire, but Zhao Jian understood his intention first. He then coughed lightly, signaling him not to be reckless.

    The emperor didn''t say anything. Xiao Qian lowered his head and didn''t say anything. The other ministers were eyeing them covetously and had long fallen into a stalemate.

    After a long while, Emperor Wei Wu brought up the issue of Liu Yuan who was standing in front of them, "Liu Aiqing, what do you think?"

    After being called out, Liu Yu-an walked out calmly and bowed with a bow, "Your Majesty, this subject believes that General Xiao cannot be blamed for this matter. After the rebel army received the news, they thought that their destiny was irreversible and would choose to abandon their lives to escape. This also showed that they still held reverence for His Majesty. Back when they left the capital that day, His Majesty had asked them to pacify General Xiao. However, the traitor has not been caught, and cannot be rewarded at all. "

    Wei Wudi nodded, "Only Liu Aiqing understands."

    Nowadays, the rumors about Xiao Qian were in an uproar.

    If the head of the rebel army was not captured, the whole matter would not end here.

    Although Wei Wu Emperor had some complaints about Xiao Qian''s reputation, he couldn''t show it to be too petty.

    Only after Liu Yu-an''s side attack today could he be considered to have found the right path.

    "If that''s the case, then my beloved servant Xiao shall continue to investigate the matter of the rebel leader. I order you to capture all three of them within half a month. No mistake can be made."

    Xiao Qian cupped his fists. "This humble subject obeys your command."

    Wei Wu Emperor squinted his eyes and looked at him coldly. He then said: "If you can''t catch her within the prescribed time limit, I, Xiao Aiqing, have to think clearly about the consequences."

    "I will not fail my mission."

    Although Xiao Qian had saved the power in his hands and didn''t mention the matter of taking back the reward, this opportunity to make up for the efforts he had done so gave him a headache.

    In the vast sea of people, where would they find the missing three people? If they couldn''t find them after half a month, then all their plans would be in vain.

    After the morning assembly, Zhao Ditch gloomily followed behind Zhao Jian, muttering, "Father, why did you stop your son just now? As long as we open our mouths, most of the officials in the imperial court will be on our side, and Xiao Qian will be dead for sure! "

    Zhao Jian turned around and glared at him, "Do you think this is the best time to touch him?" Use your brain to figure out if Xiao Qian is that easy to mess with. He only dared to hand over the military power because his majesty was suspicious. If you were to speak out and trample on him, you will definitely bring about your own downfall. Since His Majesty suspects you have no idea what you should say, you should go back and think about what you should not say! "

    After being reprimanded, Zhao Ditch could not swallow his anger, but he did not dare to retort and could only grind his teeth as he followed behind.

    Shortly after the assembly was dismissed, Emperor Wei Wu issued his last decree: The troops that had been stuck in the outskirts of Xuan City would return immediately. New Year''s Eve and Yuanxiao''s rush to the frontlines to suppress the rebel army would be rewarded.

    As for Xiao Qian, he didn''t say anything about reclaiming the reward, nor did he express any dissatisfaction. He only asked for the rebel leader to be captured as soon as possible.

    One person seemed to have predicted this outcome.

    Within the garden of the Zhao manor, a man was cooking wine and admiring the plum blossoms. He had an elegant demeanor and was very pleasing to watch.

    In contrast to the man''s calmness, Zhao Jian was clearly a little anxious, "Zheng''er, say something."

    Zhao Zheng poured a cup of wine and passed it to him with a faint smile. "Father, there''s no need to worry."

    "How can I not be anxious? And thou shalt gather up the three men for thine father, and give them money to flee. "Originally, I wanted to humiliate Xiao Qian, but now that the situation has shifted, not only did Xiao Qian not suffer any losses, he ˇ­"

    If he really was able to find those three people within half a month, then all his previous efforts would have been for naught.

    "Father, what are you afraid of? Xiao Qian will never be able to find those three."

    Zhao Jian asked in confusion, "They''re in a very safe place?"

    The man took a sip of the wine and nodded indifferently, "That''s right. It''s a safe place that Xiao Qian will never be able to find."

    He raised his head, his eyes as cold as knives, but his lips were still smiling.

    Only dead people were always safe, no matter how many people looked for them, even if they dug three feet into the ground, they wouldn''t be able to dig them out.

    From the beginning, Zhao Zheng hadn''t thought of using silver to bribe the rebel soldiers. He had indeed spent a lot of silver to protect them from being worried for the rest of their lives, and to protect Xiao Gan from finding them in his entire life.

    There was only one way to do that, and that was to die.

    Only the dead could avoid future troubles.

    "In the end, he was still born into the younger generation. His brain is so simple that he thinks that he will be able to sleep peacefully after causing trouble."

    Zhao Jian looked at his youngest son in front of him and couldn''t help but shiver. "Didn''t you send those three to the East Ocean Continent?"

    Zhao Zheng smiled lightly and replied in a carefree manner: "Dead and submerged at the bottom of the sea. Even if Xiao Qian poured out the seawater, he still wouldn''t be able to find it. Can the coastal toothed sharks still leave their corpses?"

    From start to finish, his expression didn''t change much. It was as if he was calmly discussing how to taste it. With that in mind, it was impossible for Xiao Qian to find him. The only thing waiting for him was accountability.

    When the time came, he would move the other ministers over to file a letter of impeachment. He didn''t believe that he wouldn''t be able to topple the Xiao family.

    Just before noon, the leaden sky was covered with layers of clouds. It seemed like it was going to snow again.

    The horse carriage slowly made its way back to the mansion. Just as Xiao Qian stepped into the courtyard, a woman dressed in a green palace dress came running towards him.

    "Brother Xiao, you''re back!"

    An Yang lifted his skirt and ran towards him. His slightly shy face was overflowing with laughter.

    "The princess is here."

    Greenwood''s eyebrows jumped. He was finished. He forgot to mention asking about news of the manor, so he was going to be scolded by the general.

    "I''ve been waiting for you for a long time. The madame said that you will definitely return to the manor today. I will be waiting for you there early in the morning."

    Xiao Qiansheng shook his head as if he had nothing else to live for. With the support of the girl, the entire room became stiff.

    "Long time no see, you''ve lost so much weight. I''ll enter the palace tomorrow to beg Uncle Huang so he won''t make things too difficult for you. " An Yang warmly held his arm, talking to himself.

    After entering the courtyard, Madam Xiao was supported by her servant girl as she used a walking stick to support her.

    "Qian''er, you''re finally back. Hurry and let Grandma see."

    Xiao Qian took the opportunity to break free from the woman''s restraints, bowing with both hands, "Grandmother greets grandchild."

    Old Mistress Xiao hurriedly helped him up, and looked him up and down before saying with a pained heart: "He really did lose a lot of weight. Your mother was even asking about you during breakfast."

    "How is Mother?"

    The madame shook her head. "It''s better if you don''t see her. Have your meal first and then go see her."

    Xiao Qian had no appetite, so he returned to his room to change into a clean set of clothes before walking towards the Pear Pavilion.

    At this moment, Madam Xiao had also heard the news of her son''s return. She forced herself to sit up from the bed and supported her maidservant, wanting to get off the bed.

    "Mother!"

    A man''s voice came from outside the door. Madam Zhen was overjoyed. She stood up and stuck her head out of the door.

    The maidservant opened the door, her face full of smiles, "The general is back!"

    Xiao Qian strode into the room and saw the sickly woman. He felt very uncomfortable. Why don''t you just lie down and get up? "

    Mrs Zhen helplessly shook her head. "She''s been lying in bed for so long, she''s almost gone."

    "Mother, what are you saying? Stop being so unlucky."

    Old Mistress Xiao followed him into the room with An Yang by her side.

    "Your mother is worried about you. Her appetite is not good, and her body has always been weak. Even a doctor would not be able to do anything if he saw her."

    Xiao Qian lowered his head in guilt, "Your son is unfilial and caused your mother to worry."

    "If you can get married early and get your mother to pick up your grandson as soon as possible, then she''ll be fine."

    Hearing this, An Yang, who was standing to one side, smiled bashfully. His ten fingers pinched the snow-white handkerchief as he shyly glanced at the man in front of him.

    Madam Zhen nodded in agreement. "That''s right. As soon as you left the house, it would be empty without a child making a ruckus. Your grandmother and I have discussed this. This year, we must definitely settle your marriage."

    Xiao Qian didn''t say anything. He frowned and thought for a while before replying, "Mother is right. Your son is about to get married."

    Old Mistress Xiao clapped her hands and excitedly grabbed An Yang, who was beside her, and gave her a look.

 C134

    Before she could say anything, Xiao Qian added, "But before we get married, your son has to ask her for her opinion."

    "Big Brother Xiao, don''t ask me when you want to come." An Yang whispered, his small face blushing.

    Xiao Qian ignored her and said to Madam Zhen, "Your son likes a girl and has been in love with her for a long time. I hope mother can help."

    At this moment, An Yang''s expression changed.

    Old Mistress Xiao immediately came to her rescue. "Anyang is indeed a good person. Don''t let him down so often."

    Madam Zhen nodded, "Qian''er, how about An Yang?"

    Xiao Qian stood up and bowed his hands towards the three women. "Reporting to mother, this child''s heart isn''t tied to Princess Anyang. I''m sorry for the princess'' wrong love."

    "You!"

    An Yang knitted his brows, tears brimming in his eyes.

    Old Mistress Xiao hurriedly patted the woman''s shoulder. "Princess, please calm your anger."

    I looked back and glared at Xiao Qian, "Look at what you''re saying. Which girl can compare to the princess? I don''t allow you to speak nonsense again, hurry up and apologize to the princess. "

    Xiao Qian, not afraid of his grandmother''s protest, saluted Zhen Shi and said, "Your son has been on horseback all year round since the war. He has never thought about marriage. Moreover, marriage is the order of the parents, and the child has no right to say, but now I like a woman, and I just want to marry her. "

    "Shut up!" Madam Xiao leaned on her walking stick as she glared at him.

    Madam Zhen could be considered calm. She first consoled the princess, who was crying her heart out, before saying, "Bring the princess back to rest first."

    An Yang refused and insisted on staying in the room.

    "Brother Xiao, tell me, is that woman Su Zhi? What kind of bewitching soup did the widow give you? "

    Madam Zhen was stunned and asked in puzzlement, "Widow?"

    "Madam, you probably don''t know about it yet. Recently, Brother Xiao and Xuan City has been a widow." That woman still has two children. Not long after her husband died, she dared to seduce Big Brother Xiao. She must be a restless fox spirit. "

    Xiao Qian''s expression turned cold as he replied, "Princess is a woman who has yet to leave the pavilion. Her words are so unpleasant to hear. The teachings of the Duke''s Mansion are truly worrisome."

    "I''ve told you a long time ago that you wanted to break off all relations with that woman. It''s not like you won''t listen, just what kind of situation can make you fall for it. You are the grand grandson of the Xiao family and the grand general of the hussars. If you insist on marrying a widow, you will be laughed out of your teeth! "

    Xiao Qian refused and retorted, "Isn''t that great-grandmother the same? She''s a widow and was carried in by her great-grandfather."

    "The past and the present are different. Moreover, your great-grandmother was also loyal. How could that countryside woman be comparable?"

    The two of them were quarreling intensely. Next to them, there was a crying Canton Princess.

    Madam Zhen''s head began to hurt again. Seeing that the situation wasn''t looking good, the maidservant said worriedly, "Madam, your health is more important."

    Old Madam Xiao steeled her heart and slammed her hands on the table. "Today, you must make this matter clear. You must not disappoint Anyang and you must not marry that widow. You should carefully judge between the two of us if Grandmother''s words have harmed you!"

    Zhen Shi felt a splitting headache coming on. She wanted to say a few words, but she suddenly felt dizzy again.

    Xiao Qian couldn''t bear to see his mother in such a state, so he had to lower his stance. "Let''s let this matter rest for now. My mother''s body is not feeling well. Grandmother, please don''t speak anymore."

    Old Madam Xiao coldly snorted and refused to leave.

    "Mother, please calm down and let your daughter-in-law persuade this child."

    "That''s fine, but your personality has always been soft. This is no small matter, but you have to be tough." With these words, the madame left with An Yang, who was still crying.

    Xiao Qian stood to the side, feeling guilty. Seeing how Zhen Mo''s head was hurting, he couldn''t help but want to slap himself. "Mother, your child is not good."

    "It''s fine, it has nothing to do with you. The symptom of my headache is an old ailment."

    The servant girl pressed her forehead and felt a bit better. Then, she asked, "Where is that woman from? How do you know each other? "

    "Reporting to mother, Ah Zhi is an orphan. She was in Tranquil Village all this time, and we met when she was looking for her husband in my military camp."

    Zhen Zhen nodded in understanding. "I would like to see what kind of charm that young lady has to be able to enchant my son."

    Honestly speaking, she also didn''t like Anyang very much. Although she was a relative of the royal family, that girl was too stubborn and stubborn. Marrying her would cause a ruckus in the backyard, and since she was also a favoured princess, it would be tiring just thinking about it.

    "Mother will like her, son."

    "In your life, you''ve never told me which girl you like. I''m worried too, so I''ll be your master. You''re not happy about that. It wasn''t easy to get someone you like, and she''s a widow as well. It really is her life. "

    Xiao Qian had never cared about Su Zhi''s identity. Even if she was married and widowed, he didn''t care. Even if she was, it was a pity that he hadn''t met her earlier.

    "Mother, although she was not born very well, her character is definitely fine. She is very kind and considerate, gentle and meticulous, very much like when you were young."

    Madam Zhen laughed and scolded him, "Don''t put on a tall hat for me. No matter how good that woman is, she''s still a widow. Moreover, An Yang is here, so you can''t give the imperial family any face." Pausing for a moment, she then continued, "How about this? You take Anyang as your wife and bring that woman in as your concubine."

    He wanted Su Zhi to be his concubine? How was this possible? He had promised to take her as his wife, so how could he go back on his word and marry another woman?

    "Mother, your child cannot. In this life and for the rest of my life, she will be the only child."

    She reluctantly explained, "You should know that this is the biggest concession I can make. Otherwise, how can I explain myself to your grandmother? If you don''t have any power backing you in the imperial court, and you hold a high position by yourself, then who knows who might think of you?

    With the current situation in the imperial court, if Xiao Qian and the royal family were to be married, the Zhao family would be able to restrain themselves.

    However, relying on his wife to stabilize his position had never been something he wanted. Furthermore, his heart was with Su Zhi and he could not bring up any love for Anyang. Forcefully marrying her would only embarrass both sides.

    "Mother''s health isn''t good. Let''s rest for now. Your son will be leaving first." The two women in the family had no idea what to say, and Xiao Qian didn''t want to come at this moment. The matter of the rebellion wasn''t resolved yet, and there were a lot of annoying things.

    The Zhen Clan knew that he was using this as an excuse to escape, so they did not stop him.

    Her step back was actually to consider her own son. Being able to marry An Yang was like adding wings to a tiger, and then marrying the one outside into a small family. Wasn''t that the best way to do both?

    After an unhappy conversation, Xiao Qian left the courtyard. He was in no mood to eat.

    An Yang chased him for a long distance before he started to cry non-stop.

    Old Madam Xiao was making a ruckus about punishing her grandson. Qing Mu hurriedly explained that there was something wrong with the military camp before calming down this farce.

    For the rest of the day, Xiao Qian stayed in the army camp with a sullen face, not daring to approach anyone.

    After the Chinese New Year''s Eve, the business of Flowery Restaurant began to warm up.

    Taking advantage of her free time during the Spring Festival, Su Zhi developed a large number of new products.

    It had only been a few days since the store was opened, and everything was almost sold out. In a situation where supply was insufficient, she had no choice but to enter the cubicle and try her best to finish the work.

    With the update from the system, the items were distributed even more carefully.

    There were a lot of ingredients that could not be found previously, but now they could be obtained. However, this broken system was still stingy and stingy. There were many things that indicated that there was only one of it.

    Su Zhi took some lavender essential oil and a few bottles of tea tree essential oil, she intended to make some anti-inflammatory and soothing skin water. Spring immediately, changing the season is most likely to lead to skin sensitivity, finished products should be able to sell a lot.

    "Boss, there''s someone from outside."

    Just as he was meditating, Qiu Hong knocked on the door. Su Zhi didn''t pay much attention to him and casually replied, "Go ahead and say hello. I''m busy."

    "Boss, the person who came was an old lady. She called for you."

 C135

    Old madam? Su Zhi felt it was strange. She didn''t seem to know any lady either. Qiu Hong urged him from outside. She had no choice but to give up, packed her tools, and went out.

    "Which old mistress is this?" Have you been to the shop before? "

    Qiu Hong shook her head. "She looks unfamiliar, but ˇ­" It seems like he did not come with good intentions.

    "It''s inside. Go take a look."

    Su Zhi nodded and pushed open the door.

    The first to enter the door was an old nanny, with two maids standing by her side. The person sitting in the middle was an old lady with grey hair at her temples. Her face was cold and there was a hint of anger on it.

    "This lady is looking for me?"

    The old mistress sized her up before snorting. "Your figure is not bad, and your face is pretty. You really have the ability to seduce men."

    Su Zhi stared blankly for a moment, not understanding why this old lady was so unfriendly. She could only endure it and say, "Madam, you want to buy some rouge and cosmetics, right? I can see that your complexion is quite good, but there are some wrinkles at the corner of your eyes.

    The madame did not speak, but the old mama beside her started making things difficult for him. "Impudent! Why aren''t you bowing when you see our old mistress?" Our Madam is the direct grandmother of General Xiao! "

    Old Mistress Xiao? Xiao Qian''s grandmother?

    Su Zhi was completely stupefied. She stood there, at a loss of what to do.

    Did Xiao Qian tell her family about her? He didn''t inform her in advance. This made him feel awkward.

    "The madame is well!"

    "She was stunned for a moment before she quickly curtsied and greeted with a smile." I didn''t know that you came to the store, but I''m really sorry for not welcoming you. "

    "Hmph, look at her, she''s really a fox spirit."

    The old nanny spat at her in disdain and turned to look at the old lady beside her. "This slender and tender waist really doesn''t seem like it has a child. I''m afraid her skills in bed are not bad."

    Although it was a whisper, Su Zhi still heard every word.

    Her face flushed red and she was at a loss for words. She was afraid that she would offend Grandma Xiao Gan so she could only lower her head in silence.

    When Old Madam Xiao saw her pitiful appearance, she became even angrier. When she thought about how her grandson, whom she was so proud of, had actually snuck into this woman''s bed, she gritted her teeth in hatred.

    "Su Zhi, right? I heard that you still have two children. It''s only been a year since your husband died. "

    Su Zhi''s heart skipped a beat, and she could not help but feel embarrassed. From the looks of it, she already understood that Madam Xiao had specially come to cause trouble.

    "Madam said that I still have two children in my family."

    As for that nominal husband of Nie Rufeng, she hadn''t even met him before. However, she couldn''t erase the fact that the Plains Lord had once married him.

    "Since you have married and have children, you should do your duty. What is your birth and what is my grandson''s status, can''t you see them clearly? You are a widow of unknown origins, and you want to occupy my grandson because you want to enter our Xiao family''s gate? "That really disappoints you. Although my Xiao family is a martial-general family and doesn''t have many playthings, we will definitely not allow a woman like you to enter our family!"

    She was still a merchant woman. If this matter were to spread, where would the face of the Xiao Clan be?

    These words made Su Zhi blush.

    Her skin was thin to begin with, and she had hesitated to follow Xiao Qian. Now that she was rejected by the Xiao family, her heart felt stifled and uncomfortable.

    "It doesn''t matter if you don''t say anything. I have plenty of time to waste with you, but you have to understand one thing. The one my grandson should be married to is Princess Anyang, not you." "Mother Qian''er even said that she could let you enter the palace to be her concubine, but on my side, you''re not even qualified to be her concubine!"

    Su Zhi''s heart went completely cold, but since the other party was an elder, she did not want to say too much. She could only smile and explain, "From the perspective of the Countess, you are indeed right. Compared to An Yang, there wasn''t much that I could give to the general. But I''m not a burden, either. I''m strong enough to support myself and my children, and I don''t need him to worry about me. If Madam thinks that I am lusting after the power and position of the Xiao family by being with him, then you are wrong. "Also, I hope that old mama won''t make things sound so bad. What fox embryo? Which family doesn''t have a daughter?"

    "Besides, I''ve never hooked up with anyone before. The general is willing to come to me, so I won''t chase him away. If he doesn''t come, I won''t beg him either. I did not think too much into it when I was with him, and forgot to consider the situation in both families. If the madame can persuade him to give up on his thoughts, I have nothing to say. "

    When Mother Wu heard this, she was stunned for a moment. She did not expect Su Zhi to have such a soft temper. Seeing that she did not have the slightest bit of shame, she gritted her teeth in anger.

    "Madame, please listen. She is trying to show you off. "Ha! If you don''t hook up with our general, will he come looking for you?"

    "Momo is wrong. I''ve never taken the initiative to look for the general, but I''ve lost the child once and asked for his help."

    "You!"

    Old Mistress Xiao snorted coldly and laughed when she heard this. She looked at Su Zhi and realized that this girl''s temper was not bad.

    If she had come from a prestigious clan, she might actually be willing to let her grandson marry her.

    It was a pity that she was still a village woman after all. Her strength was not comparable to the Southern Zhenren.

    "Since you''ve said this, I understand that your heart is not on Qian''er''s side. That''s easy, I will naturally advise him to be cautious. As long as you don''t accept him and allow him to close the door a few times, he will naturally lose his interest. "

    Su Zhi smiled bitterly. When she thought of how good Xiao Qian had been, her heart ached uncontrollably.

    How could he not be with him? After all, they had been together for such a long time, and they had finally formed feelings for each other.

    When the two of them were together, she was very rational and even a bit cold. She was just worried that such a day would come. She didn''t expect that this day would come, but it was far more difficult than she had expected.

    "Madam, my heart for the general is real. Even if you don''t agree with us, it won''t change our mutual feelings. Like you said, if you can persuade him to stop coming to find me, then I really have nothing to say.

    Old Mistress Xiao slammed the table, leaned on her walking stick and stood up, smiling in satisfaction, "Alright, you said it. If I can persuade him to let go, you''re not allowed to cause trouble either! " She didn''t believe that her grandson would cause trouble at home because of this woman.

    "It''s true. If he really didn''t come, I would have thought he never appeared."

    When she said this, Su Zhi felt as if her heart had shattered into pieces. The pain was heart-wrenching.

    However, if Xiao Qian really did not come, she would keep her promise and would not look for him.

    If that man could really be persuaded, she wouldn''t force him no matter what the reason was.

    After Old Mistress Xiao left, Su Zhi fell into a trance for a long time.

    Qiu Hong saw that her expression was strange and asked about the reason. Su Zhi only said that she was not feeling well and did not say anything else.

    When she returned in the evening, she found her mother waiting for her outside the door.

    Thinking of what Old Madam Xiao had said, Su Zhi began to feel uncomfortable again. It seemed that she and her child had worried Xiao Qian too much.

    "Miss Ding, the weather is cold, please don''t stay outside. Your body is not well yet, be careful of the cold."

    "Madam is right, but my body is fine. I don''t mind."

    Su Zhi originally had something on her mind, but after persuading her a few times, she stopped speaking.

    Her mother saw that she did not look too good. She thought it was just a trivial matter, and that she was too tired.

    Su Zhi reluctantly ate two mouthfuls of the dinner before putting down her chopsticks and returning to her room.

    "Mother, are you unhappy?"

    A Jin ran in and grabbed her from behind.

    Su Zhi turned sideways and picked up her adorable son, shaking her head gently. "No, mother isn''t unhappy."

    "But A Jin thinks you''re unhappy."

    "A Jin held her face in both his hands, and said very seriously." "I''m sure my sister saw it too."

    He looked later and saw the little girl standing in the doorway with her head cocked, holding the little yellow dog in one hand and the rabbit''s ears in the other.

 C136

    Su Zhi couldn''t help but burst out laughing when she saw the appearance of Soybean Pancake.

    In the future, her daughter would definitely be a girl with monstrous strength.

    "Come, mother, give me a hug ~"

    The little girl nodded and tucked the little mutt under her arm, freeing one hand to hug Su Zhi.

    Only when the two cute children snuggled together did Su Zhi feel slightly better. As expected, children were more sensible and cute.

    "Mother, if you''re not happy, you can tell A Jin."

    "Mother isn''t unhappy. Mother is just thinking about a lot of things and feels a headache."

    Hearing this, A Jin jumped out from her embrace, extending her hand to help press down on her head, "Massaging her mother won''t hurt anymore."

    Noticing her brother''s actions, the small bean bag stuffed the rabbit in her bosom into Su Zhi''s arms and pinched its butt.

    The pink rabbit jumped up and turned around to grimace at the little girl.

    Being amused, Su Zhi finally stopped feeling depressed.

    After arguing with the child for a long time, Su Zhi closed the door and turned off the lights before going to bed.

    He tossed and turned on the bed, unable to fall asleep, as he thought about his past with Xiao Qian.

    If he really agreed to marry Liu Yuan that time, what would the result be now?

    After a long time, the sound of Big Yellow''s barking came from outside the door, and then the door was pushed open.

    But when she went to sleep, Su Zhi intentionally went to close the door, and none of them pushed it open.

    "Ah Zhi."

    It was Xiao Qian.

    "Don''t leave the door open for me no matter what." The man standing outside the door seemed a little wronged.

    Big Yellow was still yelling at him, causing a lot of noise. When Mother Ding heard the barking of a dog, she immediately checked the light. Seeing that it was Xiao Qian who came, she quickly brought the little yellow dog down.

    "Ah Zhi, open the door."

    Su Zhi didn''t fall asleep. She lay on her bed, conflicted. In the end, she got up and went to open the door.

    "It''s so cold outside. Can you bear to keep me locked up for so long?"

    As soon as he entered the room, the man immediately took off his cloak, stepped forward, and embraced the soft girl.

    Su Zhi struggled free and lay back down on the bed. She turned her back to him and hugged the two children to sleep.

    Xiao Qian stuck his face up, but didn''t know what was wrong with her, so he could only shamelessly climb onto the bed.

    "What happened to you today?"

    Su Zhi did not answer. She stared blankly at the curtain for a long time before saying faintly, "Don''t come back in the future."

    Xiao Qian''s body stiffened and he immediately asked, "Who offended you?"

    "Anyway, you''re not coming?"

    "Did I disturb you and the child?"

    She ignored him. Xiao Qian tried to figure it out for a while and asked, "Did An Yang go and provoke you again?"

    "Can you stop talking about Anyang!" She could not help raising her voice, and the child beside her could not help but grumble.

    Su Zhi patted her child, holding her breath and not saying anything.

    Xiao Qian was confused by her cold attitude and immediately softened his posture. "Then I must have offended you?" I''ll just compensate you, okay? Don''t be angry. Speak out what you have to say, and don''t keep it in your heart. "

    The more gentle he was, the more Su Zhi felt like crying, but she didn''t know where to start.

    Xiao Qian got up and helped her straighten the quilt. He leaned against the bed and muttered, "It''s my fault. New Year and Yuan Xiao aren''t able to accompany you and the child. I promise that they won''t do it again. Is that alright?"

    This fool didn''t know where her spot was located.

    "Today, your grandmother came to find me."

    Xiao Qian understood the situation in an instant and went back to the woman''s side. "The person you want to marry is me and not my grandmother. Why do you have to be angry with her?"

    "However, if I am to be with you, I will inevitably interact with your seniors. Actually, what your grandmother said is correct. My status is low and I am unable to enter the Xiao family''s residence. "Since ancient times, everyone has always emphasized on being well-matched. In comparison, An Yang is more suitable for you."

    Xiao Qian wasn''t happy to hear this, so he sat up and looked at her. "Ah Zhi, do you not want me anymore?"

    Su Zhi pulled the quilt over, covering it properly, and said somewhat sulkily, "I can''t afford it!"

    "Yes, I am."

    This man was truly ˇ­ Would you mind the atmosphere? She was clearly angry!

    "If you want me to say that you care too much about those false reputations, I want to marry a wife. If I really want a great amount of power, forget about An Yang, I can even marry a princess."

    That was true. Lu Chenming''s sister, the empress''s daughter, didn''t the current Eldest Princess also favor him? It was just that imperial women were not easy to serve, and he was used to wandering around. He hated red tape the most, so it was better for people like Su Zhi to communicate with them without any burdens. Be it making a scene or being shameless, he wouldn''t feel awkward.

    "I will find a chance to convince them. Before this, you are not allowed to ignore me, and even more so, you are not allowed to shut the door on me."

    Su Zhi snorted, "You weren''t like this in the past. How can you have the cheek to find someone to learn from?"

    "Tan Er, ah, just that kid Tan Qing married another two concubines a few days ago. He didn''t even pay a single cent for the betrothal gift and instead got two boxes of silver taels from that girl."

    "Then you''re envious?"

    Xiao Qian hurriedly shook his head. "I don''t envy you. It''s quite troublesome to have many women. Just you alone is enough."

    Su Zhi could not hold back her laughter. Remembering that she was still angry, she forced herself to keep a straight face.

    "So, leave the matter of persuading Grandmother to me. Do what you need to do, and don''t feel sad for being distracted."

    "Ahh, do you think that if I really married someone else, I wouldn''t make things difficult for you?"

    Xiao Qian sat up and tried to straighten her body. With a threatening tone, he replied, "You''re wrong. You''re not allowed to have any more of this in the future. Otherwise, I''ll let you have some fun with me!"

    What kind of virtue... Su Zhi slapped his hand away and rolled over, continuing to hug the soft and fragrant child.

    Xiao Qian held his breath before lying down and hugging her again. "Anyway, you''re not allowed to think like this. I''ll be sad."

    He hugged her from behind, sniffing with grievance. "I didn''t do anything wrong, so why are you doing this to me?"

    Su Zhi''s heart softened again. Indeed, it wasn''t easy for a man to act so coquettishly.

    "Go on in."

    Xiao Qian arched his back, squeezed his way in, and found a comfortable position to sleep in.

    The man had already fallen asleep, but Su Zhi was still unable to fall asleep. She held the two children in a daze.

    The next day, the sun rose in the east.

    Outside the main hall of the Palace, the cute girl had already knelt down for a long time as she held a handkerchief and sobbed.

    One of the eunuchs tried to dissuade her, but it was to no avail. Seeing that there was no movement from inside the hall, he could only speak again. "Princess, get up first. If there''s anything you want to say, we can talk about it after the empress dowager wakes up."

    The woman kneeling at the entrance of the hall sobbed softly, yet she refused to rise.

    After a while, the sound of a palace maid transferring toiletries came from within the palace.

    When Little De saw this, he immediately ran in.

    At this moment, the Empress Dowager, who had just woken up, was dressing in front of the mirror. Several palace maids were carefully attending to her.

    "Empress Dowager, you finally did."

    The old lady in the bronze mirror was still in good condition. Her fair face showed the beauty of a country when she was young. The years had a few lines carved in the corners of her eyes, but she was still beautiful and dignified.

    "What is it?"

    Little De Zi helplessly replied, "Aiyo, you don''t know. Princess Anyang has been kneeling at the entrance of the palace since early in the morning, and refused to get up no matter how she shouted."

    It was only then that the old woman with the mirror and makeup turned her head in surprise. "This one''s An Yang is here?"

    "He''s here. He''s still kneeling outside."

    The empress dowager''s face sank as she reprimanded, "How can you make her kneel for so long without letting the princess come in?"

    The young eunuch replied and quickly ran out the door to help An Yang up.

    "Royal Grandmother, you have to seek justice for Anyang!"

    Before the person appeared, the sound of weeping could be heard again.

 C137

    The palace servants carefully invited the pampered woman in. Before the empress dowager could speak, she had already kneeled down.

    Startled, the empress dowager hurried forward to help her up. "What''s going on? You''re crying so early in the morning. "

    An Yang leaned against the empress dowager''s chest, crying her heart out. She thought of Xiao Qian''s decisiveness and his anger and hatred.

    "Who''s pissing you off, tell This Dowager instead!"

    "Who else could it be? Brother Xiao has gone too far!"

    It was that Xiao Qian again. The empress dowager could only helplessly shake her head. He''d come to the palace day after day just for a man, and every time he''d look bad. He didn''t know how charming that man was, but he was so angry that he couldn''t bear to let go.

    "What did he do to you?"

    An Yang stopped crying, gritting his teeth in anger. "He dares to abandon me for a widow."

    Her Majesty was surprised. "Widow?"

    "Yeah, she wouldn''t marry me because of that woman."

    This time, the empress dowager was in a bit of a predicament. Logically speaking, Xiao Gan wasn''t engaged to An Yang, so she should''ve had her wishful thinking. She didn''t care who he was good at, but when she heard that he was a widow, the empress dowager was somewhat surprised.

    Just what kind of girl would be able to hook the heart of the great General Xiao? She actually left her dainty granddaughter to marry a widow.

    "Where did that woman come from?"

    An Yang snorted disdainfully. "She''s a woman from the countryside. She even brought two children with her to do some small business in Xuan City. Her means are quite good."

    The empress dowager nodded in understanding. She was also a little curious about what Su Zhi herself looked like. What kind of woman could make a general put down his haughtiness and status, and not hesitate to give up a noble daughter to stay with her?

    "Royal Grandmother, please help me teach that woman a lesson. Her skills are too brilliant. Big Brother Xiao must have been bewitched by her."

    The old woman frowned and thought for a while.

    There were many excuses for wanting to teach someone who wasn''t related to her a lesson, but as the empress dowager, she was afraid that doing so would arouse the displeasure of the Xiao family and attract the attention of court officials.

    She thought for a moment and made up her mind. "Go call that woman into the palace, and I will help you meet her."

    Anyang was a bit unhappy. He could find a random person to throw out Xuan City or lock her up in a prison. He had to call for her.

    "Royal Grandmother, that''s a country bumpkin, he can''t even show his face. What are you doing if you see her? Don''t dirty your eyes."

    The empress dowager poked the woman''s forehead and lectured, "Do you know why you aren''t favored by Xiao Qian? You''ll have to restrain your temper a bit. When you enter your husband''s house in the future, it''ll be inevitable that you''ll have a short term and a daughter-in-law relationship. With your outspoken and outspoken attitude, if you don''t change it, you''ll only end up suffering later. "

    An Yang didn''t seem to care. Madam Xiao valued her a lot. Besides, Madam Zhen wouldn''t be able to live for long.

    As long as they had Xiao Qian''s heart, who would care about that?

    "What use is it for you to see her? You have to make Brother Xiao give her up."

    "I just want to see what ability that woman has. Learn from her."

    Even though An Yang was unwilling, he had no choice but to compromise.

    Half a cup of tea later, within Phoenix Nest Palace.

    In the magnificent hall, no one dared to speak. The palace servants carefully waited at the side, afraid that they would accidentally anger their masters.

    The peerless beauty lying on the bed was holding a blue eyed and white furred cat in her hand. Her ten fingers were dazzling red.

    "That idiot An Yang went to find the empress dowager for Xiao Qian."

    But this time it was different. The empress dowager wanted to see the woman.

    If not for Zhao Jian''s mention of her, Empress Zhao would never have thought that the woman from six years ago was still alive.

    She was truly tenacious. Even now, she couldn''t even burn her. Even more despicable was that she still managed to keep that evil creature alive.

    "Empress, what should we do next?" The palace maid, Ruo''er, reminded her, "Right now, I''m not sure if the empress dowager remembers that woman. After all, who could say for sure what happened six years ago? But to be safe, I think we should do something about it."

    Empress Zhao snorted coldly and impatiently pushed the cat away from her arms. She sat up straight and said in a low voice, "Regardless of whether the empress dowager recognizes her or not, we can''t let her enter the palace with her true face."

    There was still an old man in the palace from six years ago. If someone accidentally recognized him, the consequences would be unimaginable.

    No matter what the outcome was, even if there was a slight possibility, she would not allow a potential danger to appear.

    "Then what does the Empress mean?"

    "Find a chance to make her lose face."

    Ruo''er lowered her head and smiled in understanding. "This servant understands your meaning."

    This morning, Su Zhi''s eyelids were constantly twitching. Perhaps it was because she had not slept well last night, but her mind was not in a good mood.

    Seeing that her complexion still did not improve, Qiu Hong could not help but worry.

    "Boss, if you''re not feeling well, you should go back and rest. I''ll be waiting for you here."

    Su Zhi rubbed her temples and returned her a peaceful smile. "It''s fine, I''m fine."

    Qiu Hong still wanted to persuade her, but there was already movement downstairs. The two opened the curtain and saw a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards wearing flying fish clothing barging into the hall. The one leading them was a young eunuch.

    Li Yi was the first to put down his work and welcome them, "Yo, why have all the officials come to visit?"

    The young eunuch glanced at him coldly, then he lifted his orchid like fingers and smoothed his hair, saying with a duck voice: "Who is Su Zhi? Let her come out, the empress dowager has invited her! "

    The woman on the third floor secretly observed with wide eyes, thinking that she had misheard.

    Her Majesty was looking for her? What the hell!

    Beside her, Qiu Hong was also stunned. She looked at the woman in disbelief. "Boss, did I hear wrongly? The empress dowager is looking for you?"

    Su Zhi blinked and looked towards the hall again, feeling that something was amiss.

    "It looks to me that those people were indeed dressed in palace clothes, but I don''t understand why the empress dowager is looking for me. We''ve never interacted, unless ˇ­ "

    A trace of a possibility flashed through Su Zhi''s mind, unless it was An Yang. Didn''t that princess always receive the empress dowager''s favor? If she went to the palace to cause a ruckus, it was possible that she might blow the matter up.

    "I''m going down to check on the situation. You take care of the business on the third floor."

    "Boss, please slow down."

    Su Zhi hurried downstairs, fearless of the probing gazes around her, and stepped forward to pay her respects. "This eunuch here, this humble woman is Su Zhi. May I ask why esteemed empress dowager is looking for me?"

    Little De Zi looked her up and down. He couldn''t help but smile and nod when he saw her pretty appearance, graceful, dignified, neither servile nor overbearing.

    "Why are you asking so many questions? Just follow me honestly."

    Li Yi stepped forward and held her back, a puzzled expression on his face. "Little Su, what''s going on? Why would the empress dowager look for you?"

    Su Zhi shook her head, at a loss. "I''m not too sure either, but since the Empress has given the order, we can''t go, right? I''ll go take a look first, I''ll leave the matter of the store to you."

    The young eunuch waved the horsetail whisk in his hand proudly and arrogantly as he walked out of Flowers Mansion. Su Zhi was even escorted up the carriage at the back.

    Qiu Hong looked on helplessly as someone was brought into the palace. She suddenly felt uneasy in her heart.

    Could it be that he had offended some noble person in the palace? He was perfectly fine, why did he come to the shop to look for someone?

    The carriage disappeared along the official road into the capital. The two servants who were hiding in the shadows made a gesture, and one of them flipped over the roof, flying towards the western suburbs.

 C138

    As Su Zhi sat in the carriage, she had already made her preparations.

    Since An Yang was able to move the Empress Dowager, he would not let the matter rest.

    Entering the palace this time would definitely force her to express her stance. If she didn''t want to be a lowly person, she would have to let go of this path. Recalling what Xiao Qian had said to her last night, Su Zhi''s heart turned sour.

    It took a full four hours to go from Xuan City to the Imperial City.

    The palace door was towering and heavily guarded. Only when the sounds of guards investigating the situation came from ahead did Su Zhi lift the curtain of the carriage and look outside.

    She had peeked into the palace to see how resplendent the palace was. The stone steps below were all paved with fine white jade. The red walls of the jade roof were dazzling to the eyes, and the jade walls were beautiful beyond compare.

    Five steps to the ground floor, ten steps to the pavilion; the veranda back, the eaves high peck.

    Dressed in beautiful green robes, the palace maid bowed her head and lowered her eyebrows, shuttling to and fro in every corner of the palace. Every hundred meters, there were blade guards patrolling the palace.

    At the back of the palace gate, in front of the main hall, carriages were not allowed to pass.

    Su Zhi got off the carriage and followed the young eunuch on foot to the Palace of Destiny.

    "Madame Su, when you see our empress dowager, you have to understand the rules of the palace. If Mistress doesn''t wake you up, you can kneel down even if you want to." "Don''t look at what you shouldn''t, don''t listen to what you shouldn''t. Answer whatever you ask, and don''t spout nonsense."

    Little De raised his thumb and said, "Don''t offend Master. When the time comes, you will only end up burying a dried up well."

    "Thank you for your reminder, Eunuch."

    Su Zhi followed behind the young eunuch. For some reason, her heart had already begun to tighten.

    "Little De!"

    "Yo, isn''t this big sister Qian''Er?" What orders does the empress have? "

    A group of females dressed in pink walked over. The leading girl was around 20 or 8 years old and held a jade bottle in her hand.

    "The Empress thinks that Tian''er is dry and needs some honey. I just got this from the storehouse."

    Little De gave her a bashful smile and poked her shoulder. "Big sister Qian''Er, when are you free? I have a gold-plated bracelet that the empress dowager has bestowed upon me. It suits you quite well."

    Qian''er pursed her lips into a smile and suddenly stopped moving. Turning to the side, she said, "I think ˇ­"

    "Ouch ~"

    Before he could finish, his ankle twisted, and the small porcelain bottle in his hand smashed towards Su Zhi''s face.

    Su Zhi had no time to dodge and was hit in the forehead by the porcelain bottle. A dull pain assaulted her, followed by a spray of the white liquid spilling out of the bottle and covering her entire face.

    "Where did this lowly slave come from?"

    Su Zhi instinctively touched her forehead, which was injured, and touched the incense on her face.

    This woman was not stupid. She was the one that lost her balance and ended up being someone else.

    "Elder sister, please calm your anger. The empress dowager wants to see him. Once the honey''s gone, hurry to the storehouse for more, don''t keep the empress dowager waiting."

    "How unlucky."

    Qian''er looked at the broken porcelain bottles on the ground in heartache, then glared at the bedraggled Su Zhi and left with the palace servants.

    Little De unhappily rolled his eyes at Su Zhi, "Do you have any eyes? Do you know who this person is? Of the maids by the empress''s side, no one in the palace dares to offend them. "

    "I didn''t hit her. She twisted her leg."

    "You still dare to talk back!"

    Su Zhi shook her clothes and was too lazy to argue with him. Just as her face touched the scented powder, she began to itch unbearably.

    She walked on patiently, scratching her face, feeling the pain and itch in the place she touched, like it was on fire.

    "Hey, hey, what''s wrong with your face?" Little De Zi noticed the commotion and turned to look at her.

    "I don''t know. It''s extremely uncomfortable. Perhaps it''s because that thing had just covered me up, so I don''t feel well."

    Su Zhi didn''t know what was mixed inside that honey fragrance. There were very few things that could cause her to feel uncomfortable in such a short period of time, especially now that things had developed to this point. She began to suspect if the contents of that small bottle were really incense.

    "Hurry up and cover your face. With your appearance, don''t scare the empress dowager later."

    She held her breath and took out a silk cloth to cover her face. She felt uncomfortable and uncomfortable.

    After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, they finally arrived at the Palace of Fortune.

    "Wait here. I''ll call you before I go in."

    Su Zhi nodded and waited outside the palace.

    Little De Zi waved his horsetail whisk and walked into the main hall, leaving behind two palace maids.

    Su Zhi lowered her eyes and stood there quietly, looking around at her surroundings. His face was no longer in pain, but the redness and swelling had not yet subsided.

    She touched her cheeks. It was still very hot, but it didn''t itch anymore.

    It was just after noon, and he had not been able to eat on the way here. He had also traveled for so long, so he was already exhausted.

    Su Zhi sighed, forcing herself not to feel well, afraid that someone would catch her off guard.

    "Pass on Su Zhi!"

    After a long while, the young eunuch finally returned to the entrance of the hall. He glanced at the girl outside and said, "Come in quickly."

    Su Zhi accepted the order and entered the palace at a leisurely pace.

    It was a cold spring outside, and the moment he entered the main hall, he felt comfortable and warm.

    She let out a light breath, and her frozen hand regained some sensation.

    When she entered the palace, no one called out to her. It was quiet and no one spoke to her.

    Su Zhi was somewhat puzzled and couldn''t help but raise her head to investigate what was going on. However, there were two palace maids standing around them. She didn''t see the empress dowager nor An Yang.

    Inside the chamber, the cloud roof sandalwood is used as the beam, the crystal jade wall is used as the lamp, the pearl is used as the curtain, and Fangjin as the foundation. On the six feet wide bed of the agarwood hung a silk cloth, embroidered with beads of silver thread and crabapple blossoms. The wind stirred the silk as if it had fallen into a sea of clouds.

    "The empress dowager has woken up. Everyone, come in and serve her."

    Su Zhi felt aggrieved. She had been waiting outside for so long, shivering from the cold. Was it because the real culprit had yet to wake up?

    "Royal Grandmother, please slow down."

    The pearl curtain was lifted by someone, and an elegant and graceful old woman walked out from the room. She wore a golden crown on her head, and was dressed in a brocade robe. She did not get angry, but she still carried herself. Beside him was Princess Anyang. At this moment, she was looking at the woman in the middle of the hall with a complacent expression.

    "Why aren''t you kneeling when you see the empress dowager!?" Little De raised his eyebrows and glanced at Su Zhi.

    "This humble woman, Su Zhi, greets the empress dowager."

    Su Zhi was not used to kneeling down. She felt that it was really awkward to impose such a concept of rank on her.

    She bent her knees and raised her hands in a bow, not looking directly at the old woman on the high seat.

    "You''re Su Zhi?"

    After a long while, when Su Zhi''s legs were about to give out, the empress dowager spoke up. "Stand up."

    Su Zhi heaved a sigh of relief and stood up, standing there obediently.

    "Raise your head and let This Dowager see."

    She raised her head, displeased with the old woman.

    "Why did you cover your face? Take it off and let This Dowager see."

    "Esteemed Empress Dowager, something happened on the way here. That girl''s face is as swollen as a pig''s head right now, afraid of staining your eyes."

    "How?"

    "To reply Her Majesty, perhaps it was due to some discomfort."

    When he heard that Su Zhi''s face had been ruined, An Yang was obviously very happy. He insisted that she take off the silk.

    "Take off your veil as soon as you see the Empress Dowager."

    Su Zhi sneered and still took off her veil helplessly. Her small face, which was covered by the white veil, was indeed extremely red and swollen.

    An Yang chuckled, wishing he could clap his hands and clap.

    This was great! If she were to ruin her face, she would see if she had the ability to seduce a man.

    The empress dowager also saw the face beneath the veil and bitterly waved her hand. "It''s better if you just put on the veil."

    Being despised by others made Su Zhi uncomfortable in her heart, but after all, she was in the palace and her emotions could not be revealed. She could only be careful at every turn to minimize the feeling of being in existence.

    Empress Dowager Feng kept feeling a sense of familiarity with the woman in front of her who''d snatched away her grandson''s husband, but she couldn''t quite place the details. It looked like she''d met her before.

    Upon learning that her surname was Su, Empress Dowager Feng thought back to the Su family and the little sister who had been teaching at the palace six years ago.

    "Sir Su, can you come in?"

    A mysterious sentence was uttered that confused Su Zhi.

 C139

    An Yang was frightened to the point that his face turned pale. He reminded her in a low voice, "Grandmother, where is the Su family? Be careful, don''t let your royal uncle hear it."

    Only then did Empress Dowager Feng realize that she''d said the wrong thing. The Su family had already been exterminated a few years ago.

    The high-spirited young master of the Su family had actually committed adultery and sold his country. He was beheaded by the afternoon gate, and along with Lord Su being expelled and exiled, he died along the way.

    As for that young daughter of the Su Clan, she had long since perished in that great fire at the palace.

    The world was unpredictable, ah. Empress Dowager Feng couldn''t help but shake her head, somewhat pitying this ugly girl in front of her with the surname ''Su''.

    "I heard that you''re on good terms with General Xiao. Is that true?"

    Su Zhi was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I want to be with the general."

    "Then, do you know that with your birth, it is impossible for you to enter the Xiao family?"

    Even if An Yang didn''t interfere, there would still be other court ladies surrounding Xiao Qian.

    Moreover, Madam Xiao''s attitude was very decisive, not allowing even the slightest room for manoeuvre.

    Su Zhi thought for a moment, and could only nod her head in agreement.

    In terms of status, she wasn''t worthy of Xiao Qian, but that was all.

    If she was born into a good family, who knows what would happen to her?

    "In the entire Imperial City, my granddaughter An Yang is most suitable for that kid from the Xiao Clan. But now that his heart is with you, he has let down the princess. If this were to spread, where would the face of the imperial family go? I''ve come to find you today so that you can see the truth clearly. If you know what''s good for you, I can make the decision to grant you a good marriage. "

    When An Yang heard this, he became somewhat unhappy. "Grandmother, this woman is just a village woman. How could she have the luck to be controlled by you? I think we should send her away and let her stay in Qing He County for the rest of her life."

    "She did not do anything wrong after all. If you were a little smarter, would you still need me to show your face if you were able to make Xiao Qian happy?"

    Empress Dowager Feng had gone through many vicissitudes of life, so she could see things more clearly.

    The matter of a man loving a woman was actually not fundamentally wrong. The Wei family was a little stricter on the inside, and marriage was more about the right thing to do.

    This great general, who had never taken a wife, and a widow who came from the countryside, had such a huge disparity in status that it would always cause criticism.

    Furthermore, if the princess refused to marry and married a widow, she wouldn''t be able to live up to her reputation.

    Su Zhi stood at the side and found it funny that the two of them had decided to stay or not.

    Could it be that she was relying on him to take root in Xuan City? Must be arranged.

    "I''ll have to trouble Esteemed Empress Dowager to take care of this. This commoner will decide his own affairs and not make decisions for others."

    "Impudent!" "How dare he spout such arrogant words, let''s see who dares to drag him down and beat the crap out of him!"

    An Yang seized this opportunity and immediately clamored to punish Su Zhi.

    Empress Dowager Feng didn''t say anything, but the young eunuch was about to step forward and grab her.

    If she continued down this path, even if she didn''t die, she would still end up crippled. Moreover, An Yang must have already planned this long ago. This board would most likely take her life.

    "Wait!"

    Just as he was about to bring his men down, the loud and clear voice of a man came from outside the hall.

    The palace maid followed her in, kneeling down and begging for mercy. "Esteemed Empress Dowager, His Highness came in without waiting for a notice."

    Lu Huan kicked over and scolded in a dissatisfied tone, "Do you need me to tell you that I came to see your grandmother? You must be crazy! "

    The empress dowager felt a headache coming on as she held her forehead. She hadn''t thought that this demon king would enter the palace.

    "Today, the sun has risen to the west. How could a monkey like you come to This Dowager''s palace to take a look?"

    Lu Huan Zhi walked over to rub the old woman''s shoulder like a thief. His smile was just as obnoxious as it was before.

    "Look at what you''re saying, this grandson has always been thinking about you."

    Empress Dowager Feng naturally didn''t believe it, but she casually asked, "Your mufei must have missed you a lot, right? Did she get tired of listening and come to This Dowager''s place?"

    "How could that be? Mufei went to another manor with Grandmother An, but the two of them told me they had to go out and relax after seeing me get annoyed."

    The old empress dowager laughed heartily at his words and could not help but pinch his ears.

    "I already said that you''re a slut."

    King Yongning, Lu Huan''s biological father, was not born by Empress Dowager Feng, but was the child of Grand Concubine An.

    However, Lu Huan Zhi had a sweet mouth and often visited the palace. Since she was the vassal lord of Xuan City, she was closer to him than most of the other clan members, so she had always liked Lu Huan Zhi a lot.

    An Yang was unwilling to be ignored by her, so she tugged at the empress dowager''s sleeve in a spoiled manner. "Grandmother."

    Seeing that Su Zhi was still standing inside the hall, he scolded her in a low voice, "Hurry up and drag it out!"

    Lu Huan Zhi pushed her aside and said impatiently, "Did you hear that? That means you have to let them go! "

    An Yang''s face turned red as he pointed at the cynical man and shouted, "Royal Grandmother, look at him!"

    Empress Dowager Feng gave her a comforting smile before asking Lu Huan Zhi, "You know this woman?" How could This Dowager not beat it? "

    "Yes, yes, General Xiao and I will compete fairly. Whoever can win the heart of a beauty will win."

    What sort of taste did this kind of woman like?

    The empress dowager cast a disdainful glance at the man with the serious expression, then looked back at Su Zhi.

    This woman was neither arrogant nor impetuous, and her demeanor was appropriate. She was indeed not bad, and it was no wonder that she liked him.

    "Grandmother, don''t listen to his nonsense. His concubine''s in the backyard are almost unable to fit in!"

    Lu Huan Zhi refused to obey and argued, "Who said we can''t block it? There''s still an empty yard in the other garden!"

    An Yang choked. He really didn''t expect this man to be so shameless.

    Su Zhi calmly listened to the people on her seat arguing. She did not say anything and just stood there quietly.

    Although Lu Huan''s man was truly shameless, he was still quite useful in critical moments.

    She looked towards the man in the seat, only to see that Lu Huan Zhi was also looking at her. Seeing her gaze move over, he gave her a flirtatious look.

    Su Zhi trembled and shook the goosebumps on her body. She immediately lowered her head.

    The three argued that An Yang wanted to punish her, but Lu Huan wouldn''t allow her. Empress Dowager Feng stood in the middle, struggling with herself. She argued for a long time without coming to a conclusion.

    From Xuan City to the capital, then to the Imperial Palace, Su Zhi did not even drink a single sip. She was already allergic and uncomfortable, and after standing there for a long time, she could not help but feel dizzy.

    Seeing her unsteady posture, Lu Huan Zhi felt a little worried. Just as he was about to get up, he heard the panicked voice of a young eunuch coming from outside the hall.

    "Empress Dowager! Xiao ˇ­ General Xiao is here! "

    When he heard that Xiao Gan had arrived, An Yang immediately stood up and excitedly began acting coquettishly towards the empress dowager. "Imperial Grandmother, let big brother Xiao come in."

    Lu Huan harrumphed disdainfully, "How can the harem let men in and out so casually? If word of this spreads out, the imperial concubine''s reputation would be tarnished."

    An Yang was unhappy and retorted, "Yo, then this person isn''t a man anymore?"

    "I''m different. I came here specifically to visit my royal grandmother, so my goal is different from General Xiao''s. Little girl, think about it carefully. The general''s sweetheart is in the Palace of Fortune, why did he rush over to meet her? "Don''t let it all go to waste."

    An Yang wouldn''t listen to these words, but Empress Dowager Feng paid attention.

    Although Xiao Qian was an important official of the imperial government, he was not allowed to enter the imperial harem unless it was a special situation. Now, he was looking for her at all costs, so how could she not know the reason?

    It was absolutely impossible for him to have done it for the sake of An Yang, who was dreaming. There was only one possibility, and that was ˇ­

    She glanced at Su Zhi, who was about to faint from exhaustion, and sighed helplessly.

    The kid from the Xiao family valued this woman so highly. An Yang''s fiery personality was such that he probably wouldn''t be able to win.

    "Forget it. I''ve already seen the person. It''s my duty." "Both of you will be punished, but this one will also be in a difficult position. How about we disgrace this lady and let her go back?"

    "Royal Grandmother! How could you! "

    An Yang was unwilling. He had finally found an opportunity, but how could he let it go? He didn''t know how long he would have to wait until the next time.

    "Grandmother Huang is right. She does business in a proper manner and has never provoked anyone. Some people use their status to bully the common people. When word spreads, their reputations will not be pleasant."

    In the end, Empress Dowager Feng became the peacemaker and allowed Su Zhi to leave the palace.

    Originally, it was a problem whether he could recover completely with that face. Since his daughter cared about her looks, she was already feeling very upset. How could she punish him for no reason at all? Besides, she liked the woman who stood there with neither arrogance nor impatience. Although she was not from the Su Family, she still felt a sense of familiarity when she saw Su Zhi.

    Anyang''s argument was fruitless, and he could only watch Su Zhi leave the Palace. When he thought that Xiao Qian might really have come specifically for her, he became even more furious.

 C140

    After being sent out by the palace servants, Su Zhi held her breath and finally released.

    She touched her red and swollen face, her heart feeling very uncomfortable. The more she got outside the hall, the more she stopped.

    Her current appearance was definitely extremely ugly. Although Xiao Qian wouldn''t care, humans were visual creatures. If it scared him, that would be great.

    "What''s wrong, I don''t dare to meet anyone?" Lu Huan Zhi chased after her, waving his fan as he calmly looked at her.

    Su Zhi turned around and nodded slightly. "Thank you for your help, Crown Prince."

    It was a small matter, but if you really want to thank me, you can prepare a table for me. When my mood is better, come and have a seat at your table." He winked at Su Zhi with a smile, but his mocking expression was still the same as before.

    "A commoner ˇ­"

    "Ai, wait. If you''re really going to treat me like a good meal, then recover your face first. Otherwise, how much of an appetite would I get?"

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him. The glorious image that she had painstakingly created instantly collapsed. She could no longer be bothered to care about him, saving him from having to eat.

    After she turned around to leave, Lu Huan Zhi followed behind her, unwilling to let her go. "Isn''t one meal too casual? You''ll need at least two."

    She did not respond, but rather held onto the veil covering her face, and trembled as she walked out of the hall.

    Outside the palace walls, under the shade of greenery, stood a dusty man.

    He held the sword in his left hand, his fingers gripping the scabbard, his joints turning white with exertion.

    Perhaps it was because he had been rushing all the way here, but before he could take off the heavy armor, his boots were covered in dust.

    Even so, he could not hide the aura around him.

    When Little De saw Xiao Qian, he immediately smiled apologetically, "Great General Xiao, you''ve been waiting for a long time!"

    Only after hearing the voice did the restless man come back to his senses. His sharp eyes immediately caught sight of the familiar figure.

    "Ah Zhi!" What are you doing? "

    Even though Su Zhi''s face was covered halfway, Xiao Qian still recognized her immediately. She nodded to the young eunuch and then hurriedly ran over.

    "What''s wrong with your face?"

    "Nothing, let''s get out of here first."

    As she held onto Xiao Qian''s arm as they walked out of the palace, the girl''s sweet voice sounded from behind her, "Big brother Xiao!"

    A hundred meters away, a cousin of his followed after him, loathing each other.

    Su Zhi felt a headache coming on, and she was tired and thirsty. She really did not want to waste any more time in the palace.

    Xiao Qian saw her impatience and patted her shoulder, comforting her, "Wait for me here. I''ll be right back."

    With that, he temporarily left Su Zhi and walked towards An Yang.

    "Princess, I have something to say."

    An Yang smiled complacently, shyly smoothing the hair at his temples as he nodded: "What does Brother Xiao want to say?"

    Xiao Qian glanced at Lu Huan Zhi, who snorted disdainfully, but still walked away.

    Seeing this, he then looked at An Yang with a cold expression and said, "Princess, I, Xiao Yuan, am not worthy of the princess''s love. All along, I have treated you as my sister, without a shred of love between a man and a woman. The woman I want to marry is only Su Zhi. If you are unwilling, just come at me, but don''t hurt her. This time, I will not forgive you. If you are willing to call me Big Brother Xiao when we meet in the future, then call me that and let it go. Otherwise, even if I were to cause trouble for the Emperor, I will not let this matter rest! "

    His words caused An Yang to feel disheartened. From his initial expectation, to his disappointment, to his anger. For an unclear widow, she did not hesitate to fall out with her!

    "Big brother Xiao, how can you treat me like this? I only asked my Royal Grandmother to send her to the palace and didn''t do anything to her. I didn''t do anything to her face! "

    "Regardless, I hope that there won''t be a next time. If her face can be good, then I will let bygones be bygones. If it can''t be good, then I will exchange whatever she has."

    An Yang was so frightened that he quickly retreated. His almond eyes were filled with tears. "You ˇ­ you actually ˇ­!"

    "Farewell!"

    This was the first time An Yang had experienced a man''s determination. In the past, no matter how much trouble she caused, Xiao Gan would at most ignore her. However, today was the first time he threatened her. He even said that if Su Zhi''s face couldn''t be cured, he would make her do the same ˇ­

    "How preposterous! She''s just a country girl, why can she be compared with this princess! "

    The man did not reply, but strode forward to lead Su Zhi out of the palace.

    An Yang was so angry that she was crying. However, Lu Huan Zhi smiled without a trace of politeness. He walked over and did not forget to mention something, "See, men are always like this. It''s not like you care whether you''re happy or not." "Little sister, listen to your brother and forget about him. You should find a good person to marry to."

    "Pfft!" Your mouth is so cheap! "

    Lu Huan''s hands were spread out in front of him, as if he didn''t care, "Foolish and useless, it''s useless to speak anymore."

    After that, he waved his fan and swaggered away.

    Su Zhi had heard An Yang''s anger from far away. She thought to herself that she had completely offended someone, and she still didn''t know how to obstruct her in the future.

    Xiao Qian held her hand and carried her onto the carriage as they exited the palace.

    As Greenwood was driving in front, Xiao Gan finally had time to check out the wounds on Su Zhi''s face.

    "How do we do this? It looks very serious. I''ll take you to the hospital first."

    "Don''t, don''t, don''t. This is allergy. Rest well for a few days and you''ll be fine. There''s no need to gather so many people."

    If An Yang found out about it again, it would be hard to figure out how to deal with it.

    Xiao Qian revealed a worried expression as he looked at her in heartache, "Take off your veil, I want to see."

    "Goodbye. Maybe there''s cassava powder mixed in the honey. I''m allergic to that stuff."

    Although she didn''t know why there was such a thing in the honey, Su Zhi was very sure it was made from cassava powder.

    It didn''t matter if she touched anything else, except that it was itchy and painful to touch the tapioca powder, which was the conclusion she had inadvertently discovered while she was tinkering with new products and looking for raw materials in the fields.

    Was there such a thing in the incense of the palace? This recipe is not reasonable at all.

    "Are you sure? If there''s anything uncomfortable, you have to say it. "

    Su Zhi shook her head. "I''m really fine. I''ll be fine in a few days."

    Even if it can''t be good, there are drugs in the system, and there are all kinds that can help relieve inflammation and relieve pain, as well as soothe allergies, right?

    "Oh right, why did you suddenly appear in the palace? Did someone take over the military camp?"

    Xiao Qian started to have a headache when the topic of official business was brought up. The deadline was half a month, and he had to find the three leaders of the rebel army.

    The three of them seemed to have disappeared from the world without a trace.

    Su Zhi noticed his awkwardness and asked again, "I heard that the three rebel leaders have disappeared?"

    He nodded and said earnestly, "The inner court''s spy will serve the dark guards. We won''t be able to find him even if we dig the ground for three feet."

    It was strange that the three of them could not find the Great Wei Empire that had united as one.

    "Since you can''t find it even with that, you don''t need to."

    Xiao Qian was slightly startled as he didn''t understand what she meant.

    "Ah Zhi knows that if these three people are unable to be found, the consequences will be unthinkable." Not to mention what kind of punishment he would receive, if these three people were not eliminated, there would always be a hidden thorn in the side of the Wei River. If not, then there would be a hidden calamity.

    Su Zhi nodded in understanding. She naturally knew how powerful it was, but perhaps it was because of this reason that no one wished for him to be able to find it.

    "I heard that the military salaries that were swallowed earlier were already raised to the fullest within a short few days."

    Xiao Qian nodded in affirmation. "That''s right."

    "This is a sign of danger."

    "What does Ah Zhi mean?"

 C141

    Su Zhi raised her head, and continued to explain with a serious look, "Think about it, if this military salary could be collected in a short period of time, then it would mean that the person behind this is rich and powerful. Why did soldiers rebel? It was because he was hungry and had nowhere to go. Furthermore, with you leading a group of people to reverse the situation, no one would dare to risk their lives to obtain that grain. If someone were to offer a high price to buy them off, what would the result be? "

    People die for money, and birds die for food. Since they have enough money to live, and they can also avoid being beheaded, no one can resist that temptation.

    "Thus, from the very beginning, the Emperor ordering you to reverse the situation was a fatal mistake."

    If it hadn''t been for Xiao Qian, the rebel soldiers wouldn''t have missed their target so quickly. The title of Gui Sha and Yan Luo was enough to make anyone tremble in fear, especially his former subordinates.

    As a result, in order to escape as soon as possible, the leader of the rebellion could be bribed and hidden away in the corners of the world or even overseas. Under such circumstances, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

    After the time limit was up and no one was able to hand it over, the Zhao Family had more than a hundred ways to put Xiao Qian to death.

    Su Zhi felt a lingering fear just thinking about it. If the Emperor really blamed the Zhao family and added fuel to the fire, then Xiao Qian''s situation ˇ­

    "General, I''m afraid you won''t be able to find those three. It''s best to make other plans as soon as possible."

    After this analysis, Xiao Qian quickly understood.

    He had fallen into the net that Zhao had weaved when he had listened to his orders to put an end to the rebellion.

    It was rumored that he had been hurt only to confuse him, to let the common people spread the word, to create the illusion that he was the one who had done the deed. His real purpose was simply to take this opportunity to get rid of him.

    Not bad, not bad. This was the true ability of the third young master of the Zhao Family.

    Su Zhi''s heart burned with anxiety. Seeing that he was still grinning, she could not help but mutter, "You''re still in the mood to laugh at a time like this? There are times when you cry when the knife falls to your neck. "

    Xiao Qian raised his eyebrows, took her into his arms and comforted her, "Don''t worry, I won''t be so useless. I''ve seen the corners of the imperial court, so I can''t think of any way. "

    "Then what are you going to do?"

    He kissed the girl''s hair in his arms and replied carelessly, "We''ll do whatever we need to do. There''s always a way."

    Su Zhi didn''t know if Xiao Qian said this to comfort her, or if he really had a plan. In short, she felt an indescribable sense of insecurity, and felt that something big was going to happen this time.

    There was a slight awkwardness in the ruckus at the Palace. Although everyone had dispersed, this matter had somehow reached Emperor Wei Wu''s ears.

    After hearing the news of Xiao Qian entering the palace, the first thing he thought of was that the traitor had been found.

    However, General Xiao took a stroll around the palace. He didn''t enter the palace and instead quarreled with An Yang outside the palace hall before leaving with a mysterious woman.

    "Humph!" Just what kind of woman could make the princess come to the empress dowager personally, and even cause that little brat Lu Huan Zhi to wade through muddy water? " He truly didn''t have his eyes on the monarch anymore. He came to the palace and wandered around without even saying hello.

    "Go and find that girl for me. I want to see what kind of girl could mesmerize my left and right arms." The traitors left, the barracks left, and they went to the palace.

    Lu Kui threw the paper slip that he had seen half in his hands onto the ground, then called a servant by his side to invite Su Zhi to the palace.

    "Your majesty, that woman is probably still on her way back to Xuan City, so she''s probably coming back."

    "Eunuch Shi is also an old man from the palace. Come and take a guess, what kind of girl has this kind of ability?"

    The stone handle poured out a cup of hot tea and handed it over. Smiling, he replied, "This servant doesn''t dare to guess what kind of woman it is, but General Xiao came all the way back. This proves that this woman is not simple."

    "Oh? Hearing you say this, I really do want to meet you. "

    Ever since Jiang Xuan''s death, Lu Xuan had rarely been so interested in a woman.

    The women in the palace were all fat and thin, with a myriad of attitudes, but he could not find the feeling he had when he looked at her.

    Remembering the woman who had died in the sea of fire, Lu Que laughed self-deprecatingly. Although he felt regretful, he didn''t feel sad at all.

    "Then Your Majesty means to send someone to invite that woman into the palace?"

    Lu Qiu thought about it for a moment, then replied, "If that''s the case, then send some people ˇ­"

    "Your majesty!" Before he could finish his words, a call came from outside the imperial study.

    The stone handle looked outside the study and mocked, "Esteemed Empress is here."

    The carved scarlet door was pushed open. A dignified woman wearing a long dress walked in, dragging a cup of ginseng soup with her slender and jade-like hands.

    "Who does the emperor want to see? "But chenqie?"

    Lu Qiu cleared his throat, smiling as he hit her. "Why is the empress here?"

    "Your majesty''s busy with work, chenqie couldn''t bear to personally make the ginseng soup and send it over."

    The empress increased her relationship, and the others consciously retreated to the side.

    With Zhao Yaoyan''s sudden appearance, Lu Kui hid his true feelings. Afraid that the empress would be displeased, he had no choice but to give up his curiosity towards Su Zhi.

    After returning from the imperial study, Zhao Yuyan''s complexion changed.

    The emperor almost saw that woman. It was all that idiot An Yang''s fault.

    "Did the honey really contain a large amount of cassava powder?"

    Qian''er nodded. "That''s right, Niangniang. I heard that the woman''s face is swollen like a pig''s head. She won''t recover for a while."

    "I only remember that girl being unwell towards the cassava powder. I didn''t expect it to be her. The damned person has returned."

    Ruo''er consoled her, "Empress, don''t worry. Third Young Master said that as long as she leaves Xuan City and doesn''t head for the capital, we will have the chance to make our move."

    Zhao Yaoyan couldn''t help but snort. She didn''t have much trust in her half-brother.

    If it wasn''t for the fact that Zhao Dagang was useless, the Zhao Family wouldn''t have allowed a bastard son to take charge. It wouldn''t have been pleasant to hear about him being a little girl after all.

    Send word that we''re going to find a way to keep that woman in Xuancheng." If Zhao Zheng really had a way to kill Su Qiuyi, then she would give him a push in the dark. After leaving Xuan City, the dark guards around her dispersed, making it easier for her to deal with them.

    "Yes, your servant will obey."

    She wanted to see how Xiao Qian and the Jiang and Shen families, who were half dead, would be able to save that woman''s life.

    "In addition, go and invite my father over. Tell him that his daughter misses home and wants him to enter the palace to say a few words."

    Returning from the palace, Su Zhi did not return to the shop. Instead, she was directly sent back to Spring Leaf Alley by Xiao Qian.

    At this moment, Mother Ding had just gone to the garden with Bi Yue, leaving Dan Xue to look after the bean bag at home.

    When the carriage stopped outside the door, Danxue heard the sound of movement as she opened the door, and was even quite surprised.

    "Madam will be back soon?"

    Xiao Qian carried her out of the carriage and headed inside. He instructed her, "Go and get some food. Clean it up a bit."

    Dan Xue complied and quickly served some soup dishes. When she saw Su Zhi''s white veil covering her face, she asked with some worry, "What''s wrong, Madam?"

    "It''s nothing. I accidentally got allergic."

    Xiao Qian took the soup from the maid''s hand, blew on it to cool it off, and put it at the corner of Su Zhi''s mouth. "Take off your veil, I''ll feed you."

    Su Zhi shook her head and accepted the bowl of soup, urging, "Hurry up and do your own thing. A rebellion is no small matter, and if you can''t do it perfectly, then I will find a way to harm you. Besides, the reason why I''m acting like this right now is because I don''t want you to see me leaving.

    Xiao Qian didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as he shook his head. This woman was truly ˇ­ even he didn''t mind, but she actually did dislike him.

    "Alright, then I won''t make things difficult for you if you don''t feel like it. Don''t worry about what happens in the shop, take care of yourself first."

    "Got it. Hurry up and go."

    After Xiao Qian left, Su Zhi let out a sigh of relief and took off her veil in front of Dan Xue.

    Dan Xue could not help but let out a breath of cold air when she saw the large patches of red spots on Su Zhi''s face.

    "Why is it so swollen?"

 C142

    Su Zhi was not in a good mood. Slightly depressed, she drank some soup and filled her stomach.

    When his hand touched his face, it still hurt. She put down the bowl and chopsticks and went into her room to get some medicine from the system.

    Dan Xue was worried about her, so she whispered from outside, "Madam, let this servant pick some buckwheat for you and boil some soup to wash your face."

    "No need, I''ll sleep for a while."

    She opened the storage room and selected a medicinal item from the menu. She took some anti-inflammatory medicine and smeared it on her face.

    The ointment was as cold as jade, and it felt much more comfortable when applied to his face.

    After getting into bed, Su Zhi could not fall asleep. Her mind kept recalling what had happened in the palace.

    The maid called Qian''Er was clearly heading towards them, but when she saw the young eunuch, she came with him.

    He was clearly not near her, but she deliberately pretended to trip over him and sprinkled the powder from the bottle onto her face. She even acted in advance, shouting that she was hit and spilled something.

    From the young eunuch''s words, it seemed that she was the empress''s servant girl. What was her motive for doing this? Destroying her face. Didn''t she want to be recognized?

    Su Zhi suddenly remembered the question that the empress dowager had inadvertently asked when she saw her: How have you been recently, Master Su?

    Lord Su?

    Which Lord Su? From An Yang''s expression, it seemed that he was someone who shouldn''t be mentioned.

    Su Zhi could not understand the many doubts and misgivings involved. However, she was certain of one thing. It was no accident that she had been admitted to wrong at the Liu Estate!

    Smoke gathered at the silver moon, and dark clouds covered the sky.

    Spring had not yet arrived, and the depression of winter still hung over the capital.

    The night was as silent as water. The man leaned over the desk and fiddled with the lyre in front of him. The melody of the zither was melodious and melodious, it was beautiful and beautiful. If one wasn''t a martial artist, then one wouldn''t easily see the killing intent in the zither music.

    When Zhao Jian pushed open the door and entered, the flame on the candlestick flickered slightly.

    The man who was playing the zither did not stand up to welcome him. Instead, he focused on playing the tune until it was finished before he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

    "Why did father come to visit late at night?"

    Zhao Zheng caressed the zither''s body. Compared to Zhao Jian''s worried expression, he seemed exceptionally calm.

    "Your elder sister asked me to come to the palace today. She said that the empress dowager had almost recognized that woman, and that the emperor was even curious about the Su family. Who knows, they might even be summoned some day."

    "Oh ~ for this."

    Zhao Jian nodded his head and asked, "I wonder what Zheng''er''s plan is?"

    "Since I''m afraid that paper cannot contain fire, then let''s make the first move and eliminate all future troubles." After all, the dead were the safest.

    "I understand what you mean, but that woman has a lot of hidden guards. If we were to act rashly, we might alert the enemy."

    Zhao Zheng held a piece of white silk in his hand and carefully wiped the zither, but his expression still didn''t fluctuate much.

    It was as if the difficulty of killing someone had not exceeded his expectations. However, there was one person who could not make a move.

    "With Xiao Qian here, none of us will be able to touch that woman."

    Zhao Jian''s approval was also what gave him the most headache. He didn''t know how the Xiao family had fallen for that woman. Now, not only did he have to guard against the Jiang family and pay attention to the Shen family, he also had to deal with that troublesome master.

    "However, there is no need for Father to be anxious. He cares more about that woman than I had expected. This is our most advantageous bargaining chip."

    The Xiao family wanted to topple him. Xiao Qian did not seem weak at all, but from the looks of it, wasn''t the Su family''s girl his most fatal weakness?

    "If something were to happen to Su Xing when Xiao Qian left and he had to return to the Imperial City without his majesty recalling anything, what would happen?"

    A strategy of killing two birds with one stone, aside from that woman, could also knock out Xiao Qian.

    Zhao Jian did come up with this method, but it would be troublesome no matter how he tried. After all, he couldn''t just let Xiao Qian leave the capital for no reason at all, especially after knowing that An Yang might harm Su Qiuyi.

    "My plan is to release the news of the rebel leader''s escape and lure him away. Then, I will find an opportunity to lure that woman out of the city before killing her."

    Zhao Jian''s eyes widened as he asked in confusion, "Will we be able to trace this information to the Zhao Family if we spread it out like this?"

    Zhao Zheng shook his head with great confidence. "Of course not, because the person is already dead. If we can''t even find the corpse, then how do we confront each other?"

    His goal was just to get Xiao Qian to leave the capital. As long as he just left, he would have a way to make Su Xing suffer.

    Once someone left Xuan City, after the two groups of dark guards split up, wouldn''t it be easy to kill her?

    This time, however, her luck would not be as good as it was six years ago.

    Seven days later, the scouts who had sent out the order to track down the rebel leader received a message. They said they wanted to confirm where Sun Qiang, Mo Qijie and Qian Bin had gone to the East Ocean Continent.

    The moment he received the news of the defection, Wei Wu Emperor ordered Xiao Qian to bring him into the search, he must capture him and bring him back.

    Therefore, General Xiao, who had been busy from the year before, rushed to the East Sea without stopping.

    Nightfall. Spring Leaf Alleyway.

    In a brightly lit area, there was a school-age child leaning on a desk, earnestly taking notes from the book.

    The woman stood by her side with a pleased look on her face and a new pair of cotton pants in her hands.

    In a corner squatted a pretty little girl, picking at the short hair of a rabbit in her arms with her fingers.

    The family of three stood under the oil lamp. Although they did not communicate, they still felt warm.

    "Ah Zhi, I''m back!"

    A man''s voice came from outside the door.

    Su Zhi put down the thread in her hand and walked out to welcome him.

    Xiao Qian was still acting like he was in a hurry, with black stubble on his chin.

    "It''s so late. I thought you wouldn''t be here today."

    The man stepped forward and embraced her. With a tired tone, he explained, "I''m leaving tonight. I''ve come to see you and the child."

    Su Zhi was slightly surprised. Where were they going now?

    "The scouts have sent word that the rebels may have crossed the sea to the East Ocean Continent." "The Emperor was furious and told me that I must capture him no matter what. If I can''t capture him, then don''t ever come back."

    "Then you''re leaving tonight?"

    He nodded at her and buried his head in the woman''s neck, full of attachment and reluctance.

    "I don''t trust you and your child. I''m always worried that An Yang and the others will come and cause trouble for us. "If anything happens to you after I leave, go and trouble Tan Zhao. If he can''t deal with you, then find the general of a secondary nation. He''s my colleague and he''ll help you."

    Hearing that he was leaving, Su Zhi was even more reluctant to let him go as she wrapped her arms around the man''s neck. He didn''t know when he would be able to return from this perilous journey.

    "You and I don''t have to worry, child. Rest in peace and do your own thing. Leave early and come back early."

    Hearing the conversation of the two, A Jin brought Little Dou Bao out to take a look. Xiao Qian let go of Su Zhi and crouched down, hugging the two children.

    "Daddy ~" Once the rabbit was gone, she hugged him and called out to him sweetly.

    "Ah ~" Xiao Qian replied with a smile as his heart melted.

    If it weren''t for the monkey that was messing around, he could still be hugging his wife and children and warming his head, but unfortunately, the heavens didn''t help him.

    "Uncle Xiao, are you leaving?"

    Xiao Qian patted A Jin''s head and nodded, "Yes, when Uncle Xiao is not around, A Jin has to listen to mother."

    "It''s cold outside, let''s enter the house." Su Zhi urged from the side.

    "No, I should have left anyway, so I won''t go in."

    The military situation was urgent and could not be delayed. Xiao Qian hugged the child and Su Zhi one last time, and didn''t even step through the door. After saying a few words to them, he turned around and disappeared into the night.

    Looking at her departing figure, Su Zhi felt at a loss. He had thought that he would be fine after being busy for a while. He hadn''t thought that his days of running around would be so long.

    The day after Xiao Qian left, Su Zhi wanted to go to the store once. The red mark on her face had not completely disappeared, but it was still pretty much gone. If he didn''t look closely, he wouldn''t be able to sense anything.

 C143

    If the business wasn''t bad, they should have used up all of their previous stock.

    During these few days, Su Zhi had also made some new products at home, and they were the products with the best sales before replenishing the stock. It was still early, so she was in a hurry to take these things to Flower Mansion Tower.

    Mother Ding persuaded her to stay at home and rest, but Su Zhi couldn''t stay idle. She always wanted to see the situation in the shop. If the business was good, Hua Manlou might have to open a branch.

    Li Yi had told him about this situation two years ago. The number of customers in the store gradually increased, and customers from many other places would come to pay their respects. Considering the distance, many people choose the principle of proximity and lose many potential customers.

    Su Zhi wondered if she could open a branch in the capital. If it was Yang City or other places with a large flow of people, they could open a national chain.

    Besides, he came to the shop today because of the doubt in his heart.

    It was still early, Flower Mansion was still not open for business, and customers would not be able to come this early. When Su Zhi opened the door and entered, Li Yi was even surprised.

    "It''s so early, Little Su."

    "Good morning, Brother Li."

    Li Yi nodded as he greeted her before continuing to read.

    Su Zhi was in no hurry to go to the third floor. She stood at the side, waiting for him to finish his studies.

    Seeing that she didn''t leave, Elementary Scholar Li put down his book and asked, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

    Su Zhi nodded and pulled over a stool to sit down. "There''s something I want to ask Big Brother Li."

    "Mm, go ahead."

    "Brother Li, do you know a Lord Su from Beijing?"

    When he mentioned the Su family, Li Yi''s face turned pale. He raised his index finger and made a silent gesture. He got up and looked at the closed doors and windows, then turned back and asked, "Why did Little Su suddenly ask about this?"

    Li Yi''s expression changed. When Su Zhi saw this, she too became nervous.

    What could the Su Clan not mention that caused the color of their faces to change? An Yang was the same, and so was Li Yi.

    "I just happened to hear some news and wanted to ask you."

    Staring at her, Elementary Scholar Li didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he changed the topic and asked, "What happened after Little Su went to the palace and didn''t come to the store for a few days?"

    Su Zhi was shocked by his serious expression. In her memory, Li Yi had never been so cold. She pursed her lips and revealed everything. "The reason why I was summoned to the palace was entirely because Princess Anyang wanted to embarrass me. You know what happened last time, but we were cautious later on. She couldn''t find a chance to make a move, so she allowed the empress dowager to step in.

    Hearing her explanation, Elementary Scholar Li''s complexion turned much better. But when she mentioned the Su Clan, she still felt fear.

    "Since you want to know, then I''ll tell you. But I don''t know that much, after all, they are not in the capital, nor are they on duty in the imperial court."

    He lowered his eyes slightly, his pitch-black pupils had a peculiar emotion. After a long time, he said with an extremely regretful tone, "The Su Clan was annihilated five years ago." After pausing for a moment, he continued, "According to the rumors, because the Su Clan was adulterous and traitorous, Lord Su was exiled to the Southern Sea and died along the way.

    However, that''s not the case. Lord Su was secretly killed by the waist punishment, while Young Master Su was decapitated. His corpse was separated into pieces. He truly died without a complete corpse. "

    Hearing Elementary Scholar Li''s words, Su Zhi''s stomach churned as she broke out in a cold sweat. Just what kind of unforgivable punishment was this?

    "The Su Clan has always been a group of civil servants. Young Master Su has great talent. Zhong Ming and Yu Xiu are both rare and talented. What a pity ˇ­"

    Su Zhi could not help but shiver and ask doubtfully, "Then, is there really a traitor of the Su Clan?"

    Li Yi snorted and laughed coldly, "The day that Lord Su died was clearly only the seventh month, yet the sky suddenly snow and the clouds pressed down on the city. This sky must have been wronged for a thousand years!"

    That is to say, the Su Clan is most likely wronged!

    Elementary Scholar Li sighed and muttered, "I remember back then, the Su Clan was high and clean, the Shen Clan was clean and honest, and the Jiang Clan was famous for their beauties. The Su Clan and the Jiang Clan were originally related by marriage, and in other words, they were both male and female. But then, somehow, the Jiang family''s daughter had been chosen by His Majesty and had forcefully married her into the palace. After that, Xuan Fei had died horribly, which was what happened after that. "At this point, no one can shake the status of the Zhao Clan."

    Su Zhi''s heart ached. She didn''t know why, but she suddenly heard a woman''s miserable shriek.

    She shook her head, her palms sweating from shock.

    "Xiaosu, are you alright?"

    She shook her head and forced a smile. "I''m fine."

    When he mentioned the Su Clan back then, Li Yi''s heart surged.

    Young Master Su was the prettiest man in the capital. Not only that, his knowledge was unfathomable.

    He had coincidentally seen her once when he went to the capital with his father. It was just that once he saw her from such a far distance, but a glance at her was enough to stun him for his youth.

    The sage had passed away, and things had changed. In this world, there was no longer a man that Su Jun envied.

    Li Yi still remembered that the year the Su Clan was exterminated was a disastrous turning point for Da Wei ˇŞ Shen Lian was imprisoned, the Jiang Clan was never able to recover, and the Emperor was obsessed with cultivating the immortal path. The Zhao Clan controlled the imperial government.

    At that time, General Xiao was fighting against the Huns, and Liu Zaifu was unwell. In the imperial court, there were a bunch of useless people.

    Uncle Zhao was the head of the government, and he sold the position to the common people.

    Those few years, the citizens of the Great Wei were in deep waters, until Liu Zai returned to the capital. Only then did the situation improve.

    Elementary Scholar Li Xiu was dazed for a moment before he said earnestly, "Little Su, you must not tell anyone about the Su Clan in the capital. This is considered a taboo."

    Su Zhi nodded seriously, and her heart sank as well.

    If so, why did the empress dowager mistake her for a member of the Su Clan? Did the destruction of her face have anything to do with it?

    "Actually, the Su Clan''s injustice is much more tragic than what I''ve said. It''s just that this matter is related to the most acrimonious secret of the court. Outsiders are not allowed to investigate any aspect of it. That''s all I know."

    "Even more tragic than this?"

    She already felt that the Su Clan had suffered a terrible fate. Why did she hear Elementary Scholar Li say that they were only the tip of the iceberg?

    "Mm, because the Su Clan''s true extermination is by exterminating three generations of their branch members."

    Su Zhi''s heart shook. She was so shocked that she couldn''t speak. That is to say, the Su Clan was killed along with three other clans?

    "Okay, let''s not talk about that anymore. It''s about time. Qiu Hong and the others should be here."

    Li Yi stood up to open the door, hurriedly cleaning up the things on the shelves.

    Su Zhi stood blankly on the spot, her heart cold to the extreme.

    She couldn''t guess who had persecuted the Su Clan to such an extent. Was it the Zhao Clan? On charges of adultery and treason? During the reign of Emperor Wei Wu, the Su Clan was the only clan that had such an ending.

    "Boss, you came really early today!"

    Qiu Hong''s call sounded out in her ears. Only then did Su Zhi come back to her senses, forcing herself to smile at her in response.

    "Yo, what happened to your face? Why are there some red marks on it? "

    "It''s fine, I accidentally became allergic. "In the days that I was gone, how were the goods sold?"

    Qiu Hong followed her up to the third floor. She pointed to the boutique next to her and said happily, "You''ve sold out all your blubber and hand cream. You even placed a lot of orders yesterday.

    Su Zhi roughly glanced at the few remaining items on the counter. The haze in her heart had dissipated quite a bit. Only a few eyebrow pens and two bottles of perfume were almost sold out. She had to work harder today, no matter what.

    She took out the cloth bag she had brought with her and handed it to Qiu Hong, reminding her, "These are all things that I did at home. You can take them and deal with them first, then have Shuang''er and the others go pick some mountain tea and plum blossoms.

    "Alright. Also, the west side of the city says that a new batch of extremely good quality pearls have been brought in. I''m asking if you need them, so I can sell them to you at a cheaper price."

    Su Zhi thought about it, after the weather turned hot, she would need sunscreen products, and using pearl powder to color and whiten the original chemical medicine would be good. She wouldn''t worry about not being able to sell it anyway, so she didn''t worry about the expensive raw materials.

    "Sure, buy some and grind them into powder. I''ll make some pearl paste and face cream."

    Qiu Hong immediately went back to work.

    Su Zhi entered the cubicle and first took some rose fruit oil for lipstick from the storage room, as well as various colors of white beeswax. With the raw materials, lipstick is quickly made in batches. Not long after, several finished products had been produced. They were all the color numbers that were sold well.

    When Shuang''er knocked on the door to send her fresh flowers, Su Zhi had already worked hard to make mouth fat to last two days. Plus, she had nothing to do at home, which was enough to last for a long time.

    There were so many varieties of camellias harvested that even the color was different. La Mei was still not defeated yet, so she was still useful.

    Su Zhi soaked the flower in water, washed it and dried it, then cooled it in distilled water.

    When it got hot, and the lavender and roses were open, she would try to use some of the bouquets to make lotion and mask.

    Once busy, he couldn''t care less.

    The shadow of the Su Family had been forgotten for a long time. Su Zhi was busy with the products in her hands and did not have time to go out.

    When the clamor came from downstairs, she was still curious. She opened the window and saw a crowd of people gathered downstairs to watch the commotion.

    There were three blond Hu men in the crowd, dressed in brightly colored uniforms, shouting and peddling along the street.

    Although the Great Wei emphasized on the control of agriculture and commerce, it still attracted many foreign merchants to do business.

    In recent years, more and more merchants came from the Western Regions. Many commoners who had never seen a pervert before also came to join in on the fun.

    Su Zhi could not see what Hu Shang was selling, and saw one of the man holding onto a guava.

    The onlookers did not know what it was. They only saw a green fruit, afraid that it was not ripe yet. They all shook their heads and refused to buy it.

    However, when the Hu Shang picked up the entire piece of wolf hide, the onlookers finally opened their mouths to ask for the price.

    Su Zhi thought it was interesting and decided to take a look.

 C144

    In the Western Regions, there were many things that were not available in the Central Plains. If they could use the flower-filled channels and spread them to the Western Regions, their business would be even bigger.

    She went downstairs and pushed her way through the crowd. There were many strange plants and plants under the feet of the merchant, and many things like ivory and bear''s paw.

    "Miss, buy some."

    Seeing that she was lost in thought, Hu Shang, who was standing in the middle, grinned at her and said in a harsh Central Plains language: "These are all good things, you don''t have them in your Central Plains."

    Su Zhi didn''t expose him and only smiled.

    Due to geographical constraints, the Grand Wei only lacked some tropical fruits and plants. The crystal agates and ivory crafts laid out on the carpet were not difficult to find. There were even many pieces that were more expensive and more exquisite than these pieces.

    Waiting until all the items had been sold, the spectators lost their interest and dispersed one by one. Only then did Su Zhi pick up a bunch of dried up trees on the ground and stare blankly.

    The three Hu merchants were stunned. Along the way, they had sold a lot of things. None of the seedlings they brought with them had been sold. They were still discussing if they could not sell today, so they threw it away. Now, seeing Su Zhi staring blankly at the few saplings, they all stared at her in anticipation.

    "This is pepper, right?"

    For the time being, the Great Wei didn''t have this as a seasoning ingredient.

    Not only that, there were also many species of Pineapple and Leek in the stall.

    "Miss is right, it''s just that the people of Central Plains don''t like it."

    Su Zhi found it funny. It wasn''t that she didn''t eat it, but that she didn''t use it the right way. It was pretty good to grind pepper to make seasoning.

    "I''ll buy all of these. Give me a price, boss."

    Hearing that the goods were being sold, the three Hu merchants got excited. Afraid that Su Zhi would go back on her word, they exchanged glances and tried saying, "Two taels of silver, go ahead and take it. We won''t earn anything this time, just give us a fare."

    "Sure, deal!"

    Su Zhi straightforwardly opened her mouth and paid the bill.

    All the seedlings that no one wanted to buy at the stalls had been taken away by her.

    When he carried the pile of half-dead seedlings back, Li Yi still felt it was strange, so he pointed at the things in her arms and asked what they were.

    Su Zhi busied herself with digging holes in the yard and watering the plants, as if she had picked up a big bargain.

    "Why would I want to buy these things? Whether I can survive or not is a question."

    "Yes, I''ll carefully raise them. They shouldn''t be a problem."

    Li Yi was extremely puzzled. "But are these things that I''ve never seen before of any use in buying them?"

    As Su Zhi watered the seedlings, she replied, "I do. Look at this. It''s called pepper. The raw fruit can be used as seasoning. This one''s for seasoning. There''s also these spices. "

    "But these kinds of things don''t necessarily mean that people are in the habit of eating them. What do we do if we can''t sell them all?"

    "Don''t worry Big Brother Li. Even if I can''t sell it, I can still use it myself."

    He was afraid that once he figured out how to use them, the supply would be insufficient.

    She had faith in the Chinese people''s commitment to food. If she wanted delicious food, there would be a lot of seasonings.

    When the summer came, he would sell some cold vegetables mixed with pepper. The sales would definitely be very good.

    "Oh yeah, those businessmen outside haven''t left, right? Brother Li, please do me a small favor. I would like to invite them to the second floor."

    Li Yi squatted down and looked at the seedling in the yard. He asked in confusion, "What are you trying to do now?"

    "Doing business. I want to discuss something with those Hu men." You see, they have it, we don''t have it, we have it, they don''t have it. Mutual assistance, mutual benefit and mutual benefit, so that Flowerhouse can sell more and more things to buy, and the flow of customers will also become bigger and bigger. "

    Li Yi thought about it for a moment and felt that it was reasonable, so he didn''t refuse and hurriedly went to see the Hu merchants outside to invite them.

    The few people who were packing their luggage were once again invited back by Su Zhi. Seeing her, the slightly younger man in the lead cupped his hands and bowed, following the etiquette of the Central Plains, "What business does the lady have with us?"

    After inviting them to sit down, she went straight to the point. "I won''t hide it from you all, I''m the new manager of this Flowerland Tower. The reason I called you all here for a reunion is to expand our business."

    The younger man slightly nodded his head and said, "I wonder what kind of business this lady would like to do with the three of us."

    Su Zhi smiled. "Call me Little Su. Since we''re all open-minded people, I won''t beat around the bush." To put it bluntly, the current scale of my shop depends on the sale of goods in all directions. I need many things that other shops cannot purchase, but customers also need. In this way, we will need various sources of goods, such as those that you brought from the Western Regions but not from the Central Plains. "

    It was only after hearing her explanation that they understood her intentions.

    Su Zhi poured tea for the three of them and once again said politely, "Naturally, the things that you people brought over from home or elsewhere, as long as you can put them in my shop, you won''t have to worry about the sales, and you can also avoid the difficult situation of selling things on the streets."

    The young man in the lead rubbed his chin and said thoughtfully: "Little Su is trying to earn some money from this."

    Having been seen through, Su Zhi wasn''t embarrassed. She replied straightforwardly, "That''s right, I can provide you with a good market. This is exactly what you lack. "As long as you do business here in the capital, you can sell everything you have here. You can sell everything you have as well as take back your money as quickly and efficiently as possible. Don''t you kill two birds with one stone?"

    Before the young man could reply, a middle-aged man with short hair and a beard spoke up in his ear. "Ai, this is a good way to go. Once we have a place to sell our goods, we won''t have to wander around.

    "That''s right. In this way, we will be able to move the goods freely. Anyway, we won''t have to worry about not having a place to sell them."

    The other person also agreed.

    The man called Ai Ai, however, did not agree very quickly. He smiled at Su Zhi and leisurely said, "Then is it that we can sell anything at this shop? Once we switch hands, will we really be able to sell the item and not be in charge of it? "

    Su Zhi smiled and shook her head, "Of course not. You saw it too. Not every item you brought all the way here can be sold successfully. Since we are cooperating, we have to sign a contract. I will give you a general idea of what the people of Great Wei require, what they lack for money to sell, and what they are unable to sell in the market. You need to sign a contract. Although the item is for sale in my store, I am just a person who changed hands. Naturally, I will give you guys a portion of the deposit. If you can''t sell the item, then pay the other one. If you can''t sell it, then press it down. "

    Ai shrugged and said, "Little Su, you mean we should take responsibility. Do you want to earn money?" In any case, it doesn''t matter whether you sell it or not.

    "You can''t put it like that. We will accept all of your goods. Some things can''t be sold, but we have already paid for this portion of silver. It''s not like you guys are losing out." At the same time we took over your goods, we also took on the risks and responsibilities. After all, we paid the first payment and we would have to wait until the goods were sold before we could give the last payment.

    Ai Hui laughed out loud and looked at the shrewd yet innocent woman. He had come to the Central Plains several times, and this was the first time he had met a woman who could not handle business.

    Although this method didn''t sound like a loss to them, it wasn''t by much either. Having come this far with all these goods, even though he had the means to sell them, it was not a good thing.

    Not only did this woman want to make a difference, she was also unwilling to take the risk of selling the difference. This kind of logic sounded normal, but it was actually quite profound.

    "If little Su is sincere and wants to work with us, then we have to be sincere. Otherwise, we can find other stores for the distribution system."

    Su Zhi snorted nonchalantly and replied confidently, "I''m sorry, I''m the only store in the entire Great Wei. Even if you''re not afraid of trouble, you can find a few more shops to work with. The price might not be as high as mine."

    Ai Hui stopped his arrogant attitude and softened his attitude. He then asked, "How much is Su Bai willing to take out?"

    Su Zhi stretched out her hand and answered, "Fifth floor. As long as you give me the goods, I will convert them to the market price and give you half of the cash. Remember, it''s all the goods, including those that might not be sold. This is only the first price. Once the item is sold, another two layers will be paid. "

    It did sound tempting. He just wanted to buy it from the same person, so he wouldn''t have to suffer all over the place.

    "Moreover, you may not necessarily suffer as a result of this transaction. If luck was good, everything would be sold, saving both the pain of a wasted trip and time and labor costs. "Our shop also needs manpower to manage the storage and sale of goods. We will not make a profit of three floors."

    A''Ai thought carefully for a while before discussing in a low voice with the other two people, speaking a language that Su Zhi did not understand.

    Regarding the result, Su Zhi was not anxious at all. This was a win-win situation, they would not refuse.

    Sure enough, after a short discussion, Ah Ai raised her head and looked at the woman who was leisurely drinking her tea.

    "This business, we''ll take it!"

    "Good!" Satisfying! Please have a seat. I''ll go draw up a contract. I''ll be right back. "

    When Su Zhi walked out of the living room, Li Yi, who was guarding outside, quickly followed, "Little Su, I calculated that if we took the money at that rate just now, we would have lost. It''s not a loss. We wouldn''t have earned it anyway."

    "Yeah, I know."

    Li Yi was stupefied. "Since you don''t want to earn money, then why are you doing this business? You''re wasting your time and aren''t trying to curry favor with me!"

 C145

    Su Zhi went up to the third floor and stood at the edge of the long corridor. She lowered her voice and replied, "I''m giving the ratio according to the market price, and I didn''t say that the goods will be in my hands, so I have to sell them at that price."

    Like this, Li Yi finally understood.

    Emotion was something that he had in mind here. It was true that he couldn''t earn much with just the percentage, but as long as the price of the items increased by one tier, he would earn some money! Besides, there were things that could not be bought in the capital, or even in the entire Great Wei Empire. The higher the price, the more money one could earn!

    "Hehe, so that''s how it is. Little Su is really smart."

    Su Zhi walked into the cubicle, took out a pen and paper and wrote down two contracts. After carefully determining that there were no problems, she took them to the second floor for Hu Shang to sign them.

    After the contract was signed, the few of them left in a relaxed manner. They were already planning on when they would be able to do business the next time.

    In order to prevent the item from being sold, Su Zhi kindly suggested a few suggestions and then mentioned some things that she needed.

    Ai Hui nodded and promised to bring the goods he needed intact.

    As they were leading the horses away, the two men who had been pretending to sell exchanged glances and left in a hurry.

    It was almost noon when he sent off the merchant. As the flow of customers gradually decreased, Autumn Red came back from the outside with a box of pearls of good quality.

    Su Zhi once again took the box of pearls and stuck it into the cubicle. Using the storage room''s tools, she ground the pearls into powder and also took some ingredients for making the beautiful white frost from the system.

    When Qiuhong sent lunch to the cubicle, Su Zhi had already made a few bottles of skin toner from the dried flowers.

    "Boss, it''s still early. Please take a rest."

    Su Zhi nodded and took the newly made products to the boutique.

    The results from the morning were not bad. The scarce items on the shelves were being filled up one after another.

    After a while, he would leave the time to deal with the orders he had received previously. This day would basically pass by.

    After a long lunch, Su Zhi was finally tired to the point that she couldn''t even stand up straight. She leaned on the table and took a nap.

    Faintly, she heard curses coming from the lobby. She moved her numb arms and stretched.

    The cursing from below did not stop. Just as she was about to go downstairs and check out the situation, Qiu Hong had already arrived.

    "Boss, something terrible has happened. Please go down and take a look."

    Su Zhi opened the door and saw Qiu Hong, still frightened, standing outside the cubicle with an anxious look on her face.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Someone came down here to ask for an explanation. That woman is vicious. Brother Li has already talked to her, but she insisted on causing trouble. No one can persuade her."

    Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Su Zhi did not dare to delay and immediately went downstairs to investigate.

    Just as he reached the first floor, a sharp curse began to resound, "Look at this big guy! What a crappy place this is! What a terrible place to sell my child! What should I do if I can''t get married in the future!"

    In the center of the hall, there was a fat woman holding the hand of a thirteen-fourteen year old girl who was crying in grief. The girl''s entire face was covered with a red rash, and her original appearance could no longer be seen.

    Su Zhi was startled and quickly calmed down. She went up and asked, "Madam, what is it that you need to tell me?"

    When the woman saw her, she pointed at her face and shouted, "You! What soap did you sell to my daughter? Your stupid thing ruined the child''s face like this! What do you think we should do?!"

    Qiu Hong came close to Su Zhi''s ear and explained, "This lady came yesterday afternoon and didn''t bring much silver with her. I sold her an essential oil soap by hand."

    Su Zhi understood and walked up to the girl. Carefully examining the red rash on her face, she asked, "Has the girl eaten anything bad? Our handmade soap can''t be this allergic. "

    When the fat woman heard this, she became displeased and shouted loudly in front of the girl, "What? You don''t want to admit it? These are the bottles and jars that your family sells to harm people, big guy be careful, if you use these things you will ruin your face! If you don''t believe me, then come and look at my daughter''s face. How are we going to get married in the future? "

    After he finished speaking, he collapsed onto the ground and flung his sleeves and started crying.

    The people who came to buy something whispered to each other.

    Li Yi could no longer bear to listen. He rushed forward, grabbed the fat woman, and pointed at her nose while cursing: "Stop spouting nonsense. We''ve been opening our store for so long and''ve already met a guy like you. Whether or not he''s a scammer is unknown!"

    Su Zhi stepped forward to persuade Elementary Scholar Li to leave, but her attitude was still quite calm. "Madam, I wonder if your young lady has had such symptoms before." In addition, based on the current situation, any mother who wants to visit the infirmary should be the first to do so. "

    The fat woman stared at her angrily, spitting out a mouthful of saliva. "I was afraid you would deny it!" "My daughter doesn''t feel bad, but she was fine before. She just used your family''s things and became like this!"

    The ruckus grew louder and louder, and the entrance of the shop was now filled with many onlookers.

    Su Zhi was worried that it would affect the business so she kindly advised, "How about this, we''ll walk straight ahead of the store and then take a left turn. There''s a clinic that''ll take the children to have a look first. If it''s really because of us, I''ll pay the medical fees."

    The woman was unrelenting, clearly wanting to blow up the matter. The girl by the side grabbed the woman''s clothes and mumbled, "Mother, I feel terrible."

    Hearing this, the woman did not change her attitude. She slapped away the girl''s hand and viciously said, "Who told you to buy people''s things without knowing if it would harm you or not? Don''t be afraid to use it!"

    Su Zhi''s face turned cold and was already displeased, "There''s nothing you can do if this continues. If the child is yours, how could you bear for her to show her face in such a manner in front of so many people? It doesn''t matter if you''re not afraid of losing face, there are other people in the family, right? Furthermore, as I said, if the responsibility falls on us, compensation will not be lacking. If you continue to pester us like this, we won''t have a good ending. "

    When the woman heard this, she was willing to give up. She stood up, patting her butt, and glared viciously at Su Zhi.

    "Sure, follow us to the infirmary to see if that thing is harmful!" I still have that thing with me, so everyone can go take a look! "

    Without fear, Su Zhi nodded and left Flower Mansion with the two of them.

    Li Yi was extremely worried. He was afraid that someone would cause trouble again. The store was busy opening branches, so if there was a lawsuit, wouldn''t the business end up ruined?

    "Qiu Hong, go and take a look. Tell me whenever there''s any news!"

    Qiu Hong was also worried that Su Zhi would not be able to handle this alone, hence she followed after her.

    A group of people came to the infirmary and called for a doctor. The elderly doctor was also frightened when he saw the little girl''s scarlet face. After carefully examining the diagnosis, he announced the result. "Something was used to cause the girl to be unwell."

    After the fat woman heard this, she clapped her hands and said to Su Zhi, "I heard it, it''s your responsibility. You won''t be able to escape, right?"

    Su Zhi ignored her and only smiled at the old doctor, "Doctor, in your opinion, what is the cause of this discomfort? by the way, to see if this essential oil soap was made. "

    The woman took out a handmade soap wrapped in a silk cloth and handed it to the doctor.

    The old doctor stroked his goatee, took out some silver, and fiddled with the transparent, palm-sized soap. He shook his head and said, "The silver needles are not black. They don''t seem to be caused by this."

    "Hey, Doctor, look carefully." The fat woman squeezed forward, stared at the soap and said, "This thing looks good, it''s transparent and it has petals. That damned girl of mine specially hid her money to buy it, and normally she doesn''t touch anything else!"

    The doctor nodded and turned to an empty bowl. He placed the soap in it and dipped it in water.

    He waited until the water in the bowl slowly turned to paste before he took out some silver and dipped it in the liquid.

    This time, he didn''t even need to say anything. Even Su Zhi herself saw the signs of the needle turning black.

    "Poison!" "It really is poisonous!" The fat woman slapped her thigh and cried out anxiously.

    Su Zhi''s heart skipped a beat. She examined the transparent hand soap in the bowl and fell into deep thought.

    These things were all personally made by her, and taking into account the fact that there would be people who would be allergic to it, the materials she used were all very mild.

    With so many items sold, it was impossible for something to have gone wrong until now. Looking at the situation of the silver needles, it was obvious that someone had done something.

    She immediately turned around and ordered Qiu Hong, "Go back and see if the other handmade soaps are in such a condition. If you don''t have any silver needles, take out the other silver ornaments and give it a try."

    Qiu Hong nodded and quickly ran back.

    Su Zhi tugged at her heart and asked, "Then Doctor, can this child''s face be restored?"

    The old doctor frowned, hesitating to speak for a while. Finally, he said, "I can''t say for sure. From the water in the bowl, I can tell that something has been poisoned. I can''t tell what it is."

    She had painstakingly made these things herself, so how could she possibly poison them?

    Su Zhi did not believe that it was caused by handmade soap. It must have been sold and used by someone before it could be used.

    Not long after, Qiu Hong rushed back. Before she could catch her breath, she replied, "Boss, I''ve checked them one by one. It''s not because of us. None of the hand soap that entered the water has any problems."

    So it was bought and drugged.

 C146

    "What!?" "You want to go back on your word? I have proof. I''ll go report it right now and have the authorities seal your shop!"

    The fat woman was about to leave when she pulled the girl''s hand towards the yamen.

    Su Zhi did not stop them and carefully thought over the cause and effect. She felt that there were a few suspicious points.

    First, the woman claimed to be the mother of the child, but which mother ignored the child''s injuries and went to find someone to argue with?

    Second, the item was sold yesterday afternoon, so the girl hasn''t used it since then? It wasn''t until this afternoon?

    Third, once things happened, this woman would not mention anything about compensation or treatment. Most of the things she would talk about were going to the government.

    It seemed that he had long since decided that no matter how the matter was resolved, he would have to go to the yamen.

    Thinking of this, Su Zhi could not help but be confused. She pulled Qiu Hong and whispered a few sentences to her, then let her leave. She paid the medical fees and chased after her.

    "Madam, is your little girl''s face going to be cured? "I''ll pay for all the medical expenses, so I can look after the child first. If I don''t leave behind any scars, how am I going to get married in the future?"

    The fat woman humphed angrily and did not say a word. She grabbed the girl''s hand and charged forward.

    "How about this, I''ll be with you for as long as you can decide."

    "Pui!" Who wants your stinking money! "

    Yeah, if you don''t want money and you don''t want compensation, what exactly do you want?

    Su Zhi narrowed her eyes and walked forward with a cold smile. "As long as this matter does not blow up, you can state any condition."

    Only then did the woman stop her steps and stare at Su Zhi like a money grubber. After thinking for a while, she seemed to feel that it was difficult, so she could only say, "I don''t want money, and I don''t want you to accompany me. I must go to the government to clear this matter up."

    "But since you''ve gone to the government, the yamen people can''t do anything to me about this matter. Since you''re still going to let me compensate you, I might as well settle the matter privately. How do you want to accompany me? Just say a few words."

    "I ˇ­" The woman whined for a long time as if she was in a difficult situation.

    "You have to think carefully. I can give you the silver. I can guarantee that your child''s face will be restored. I know a high-ranking official in the capital. Whatever benefits you want, I will try my best to satisfy you."

    "This ˇ­"

    With such tempting conditions in front of her, the fat woman stammered and finally made up her mind. "I don''t want you to accompany me. I want you to court!"

    Su Zhi smiled coldly, was it? Didn''t this mean that he was sure this woman was here to cause him trouble?

    But who was that person behind him? Anyang? Xiao Qian didn''t even remember what happened last time, he just left and made a fool of her.

    If she really did go to the yamen, the business of Flowerland would definitely be damaged. She was selling crafts, and once the goods on the third floor were sold off, the income would be reduced by half.

    Su Zhi thought to herself that she definitely could not let this woman sue her at the yamen. But what else could he do to stop her? Since she was sent here to cause trouble, no matter how much she tried to coerce him, it was to no avail.

    Just as they were in a dilemma, the sound of rapid hoof steps came from behind them. Someone was galloping their horse in the street, arrogant and unbridled.

    "Everyone, get out of the way for this crown prince!" If you were to collide with this young master''s Ferghana Horse, no one can compensate you! "

    Hearing this voice, Su Zhi''s entire body couldn''t help but tremble. Just as she was about to step forward, her body abruptly lightened.

    Someone grabbed her waist with one hand and lifted her up into the air.

    The man''s teasing voice sounded again, "Yo, I was wondering who it was. So it was my wife who was waiting for me here."

    Su Zhi was not in the mood to argue with him. She struggled to get off the horse.

    "Put me down!"

    "No, you stood there waiting for me."

    Lu Huan Zhi smiled shamelessly. The speed of his horse did not decrease at all.

    "How shameless are you? I was just thinking about a problem!"

    "Then are you thinking about me?"

    Holding the reins in one hand and the woman''s waist in the other, he stared at her with his bright peach blossom eyes.

    Su Zhi was so angry that her heart ached. She twisted his arm and helplessly said, "Quickly let me down. I still haven''t done anything."

    "What''s the matter? It''s a suitable time for a spring vacation today. Accompany me everywhere."

    At this time of the winter, the spring had yet to come.

    Su Zhi looked at the snow and ice that had yet to completely melt on the street. She wished she could slap the man on the forehead.

    "I got sued! "Hurry up and let me down, I have to call for people to stop in front of the yamen."

    Only then did Lu Huan Zhi stop his horse. He pouted and said, "Why did you say so earlier? My riding skills are so good. We''re already at the entrance of the yamen in fifty steps!"

    Su Zhi looked up ahead and saw the large words prefectural magistrate court. She was so angry that she almost fell off her horse.

    This man didn''t get along with her at all. Every time she met him, she would be extremely happy.

    She struggled to dismount and stood by the side of the road, wanting to cry.

    He had said that he would stop the other party from reporting to the official. Now, he had arrived earlier than her.

    "By the way, what did you do? "Why do you want to be sued?"

    Su Zhi didn''t want to explain anything to him. She could only feel a suffocating feeling in her chest and not be able to spit it out. Her teeth were itching to bite him.

    This man was used to idle around. Everywhere he went, he would be there. He was simply lingering like a ghost!

    Lu Huan Zhi led his horse and stood by the roadside. He was wearing a light green robe with a white jade flute and a tasseled belt.

    She was born good-looking, and her scholarly appearance made her look like an elegant young master. Even when she stood quietly by the side of the road, many pedestrians stopped in their tracks.

    The passing woman looked at him shyly and timidly. Lu Huan Zhi didn''t hesitate to reply with a bright smile, causing the girls on the street to blush.

    When she met with the hostility of a foreign woman, Su Zhi had consciously moved to the side, trying her best to distance herself from that man who loved to flirt with peach blossoms.

    He didn''t check the calendar when he went out today. Even if he met with such a person, it would give him a headache!

    "Don''t run! You want to go back on your word, right? "

    After waiting for a while, the fat woman appeared breathlessly, bringing a girl with a red rash on her face after her.

    Su Zhi replied with her hands spread out, "Why should I run? A straight body is not afraid of a slanted shadow. Am I not waiting for you at the entrance of the yamen?"

    "Fine, if you have the guts, I''ll go beat the drum right now!"

    The woman panted and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She was about to head to the yamen.

    However, Lu Huan Zhi stepped forward to block her. She was laughing so hard that the branches of her flowers were quivering. "This beautiful and unparalleled madam, you''re so righteous and kind. Why do you want to go to the yamen? It''s not good."

    The man looked sweet and handsome as the fat woman stared at him. She unconsciously lifted her hair and replied softly, "The things sold by her family almost ruined my daughter''s looks. I''ll go to the magistrate to ask for an explanation."

    "So it''s like that ˇ­" He rubbed his chin and said thoughtfully: "You can go and sue her. Since this woman''s old lover, General Xiao, isn''t here, you can take this opportunity to bully her. However, since this woman had saved Mr. Liu before, he was afraid that she would not let him off the hook so easily. "Even if he doesn''t care, this prince still hopes that she will accompany me on my spring trip. If someone bothers my mood, I will burn that person''s house and let her sleep on the streets. Oh ~ I will also take off her clothes along the way."

    The fat woman was so scared that she was flabbergasted, she stared at Su Zhi and didn''t dare to blink.

    "Are you kidding me? "Is this woman really that amazing?" Since she was such a powerful person, why would anyone dare to harm her?

    Lu Huan Zhi waved his fan and gave an exaggerated sigh, "Who asked her to have someone on top?"

    Su Zhi was amused by his infuriating appearance and could not bear to make a sound.

    Could this man be any more boastful?

    "Then... "If that''s the case, then I ˇ­ I''ll ˇ­"

    Even the Xiao family could not afford to offend them, not to mention the Liu family and the royalty in front of them.

    The fat woman hesitated. Holding the silver ingot in her hand, she could only sweat.

    She thought for a moment, deliberately bluffing as she shouted, "Who knows if what you say is true or not. What if you lie to me?"

    Lu Huan Zhi shouted in an exaggerated manner. He raised his fan and whistled.

    The last few words had just left his mouth when the five dark guards immediately landed on the ground and knelt down respectfully, "Your majesty, what orders do you have?"

    The man pulled a long face, putting on the airs of a popinjay. "It''s cold outside, go heat up the room for me."

 C147

    "Yes, sir!"

    When the guard stood up to leave, the fat woman exclaimed, "No, no, no, no. We can talk, we can talk!"

    Lu Huan''s expression did not change as he closed his fan and pointed at the yamen. "Don''t force her, sue her!"

    The fat woman cried out. What had happened at the stall?

    He originally thought that everything would be fine once he received the silver. Who would have thought that he would run into such a tough person?

    "I''m not going to tell anymore, it''s all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!"

    Lu Huan Zhi tried even harder, "What are you afraid of? Go ahead and report it. This prince will go ahead and burn it."

    "I don''t dare, I don''t dare, please spare me, Your Highness!" This humble one was also ordered by someone else and was obsessed with money! "

    Only then did Su Zhi retract her stance of watching a joke. With a cold voice, she said, "Tell me who ordered this, and I won''t pursue this matter."

    The fat woman slapped her thigh and hatefully said, "How would I know? A man was giving me money. He said that as long as you entered the government office, he would give you another 20 taels. I really don''t know!"

    "You don''t know where that person came from?"

    The fat woman quickly shook her head, "I don''t know. This is my fault, I shouldn''t have been greedy. You are in charge. Please do us a favor and let us off! "

    Su Zhi did not say anything immediately. She was at a loss as to who was behind all of this.

    Could this be An Yang''s doing? With her personality, she shouldn''t be afraid of getting caught. She shouldn''t have done it so flawlessly.

    "Sure, anyway, we shouldn''t have gone to the yamen to settle this matter anyway. Come with me to the store and explain everything."

    "Alright, alright, whatever you want to do is fine."

    The commotion had died down. Fortunately, Lu Huan had appeared. Otherwise, they would have no idea how it would have ended.

    Su Zhi glanced at the person who had exploded on the side, and for the first time, she felt that this man also had a good impression of him.

    "What are you looking at? Do you suddenly think that I''m handsome and unparalleled?"

    She giggled. "Thank you, Crown Prince, for today."

    Lu Huan Zhi snorted and stretched out four fingers, "You owe me four meals!"

    Su Zhi giggled. "Alright, four meals is four meals."

    "However, if you think that my performance is really not bad, you can add another bit."

    "I don''t think so ˇ­"

    "Tsk, stingy!"

    After settling the disturbance in the shop, Lu Huan Zhi rode his Cyan Maned Horse and galloped towards the long street.

    Li Yi, who was extremely anxious, hurriedly went up to inquire after the few people that had returned.

    The fat woman had changed her attitude. She clasped her hands together and apologized sincerely to Su Zhi. Not only that, she had also wandered around a place with a large amount of customers, explaining the farce from earlier.

    Li Yi never imagined that someone would change after returning from a single trip.

    "Xiaosu, what magic did you cast on them?"

    Su Zhi shrugged helplessly. "Another great favor."

    In short, since the matter had been resolved, there was no need to go to the yamen.

    After the fat woman and the little girl left, Qiu Hong came back from outside. The moment she entered the door, she eagerly told Su Zhi the information she had gathered.

    "Boss, I asked. That woman doesn''t have a daughter, just two useless sons. "This young lady, she was bought by a woman from a man to be his daughter-in-law!"

    No wonder, Su Zhi felt it was strange. Which mother put her daughter''s face in front of him and didn''t treat her? She came to confront him first, but that attitude didn''t seem like she was concerned about the girl at all.

    "What else did you find out?"

    Qiu Hong thought about it and said, "That woman is greedy for money and likes to take small advantages of others. There are no neighbors who like her, but that person is domineering and swears that no one around her would dare to take the risk."

    Su Zhi nodded. She already understood what was going on.

    However, she still didn''t dare be certain of the person behind all of this.

    If it was An Yang''s doing again, she would have no choice but to retaliate. However, it wasn''t good to just randomly find people to confront him. There had to be evidence.

    "From now on, you have to be more careful when you''re selling things. If you''re not a regular customer, you should pay more attention. There might be people who are plotting against you."

    Qiu Hong understood. After hearing Su Zhi''s words, she also understood.

    "Boss, our shop was only cleaned up once last time, wasn''t it? Is it the same person? "

    Su Zhi shook her head, somewhat at a loss. "I''m not sure. I think so, but I can''t guarantee it. After all, there''s no evidence."

    "Then, how about we find Young Master Li and check it out?"

    This was a good method. She knew that Li Wuyou had the ability to investigate a case. If she let him do it, she might find out very soon.

    "Sure, make a trip to the Black Cloud Stronghold and tell him that I want to ask him to investigate something."

    "Alright, this little one will do it right away."

    After Qiu Hong left, Su Zhi was still unable to calm down. When she thought of the people who carried the Gu on their backs, she could not help but worry about the flowery situation.

    What was even more troubling was that she already vaguely knew that this matter would only be the beginning and not the end.

    But who could it be? Was it his peers who were jealous? Or was it An Yang''s doing?

    Zhao manor, deep in the garden.

    The ten fingers of the man playing the zither flapped as the originally steady melody abruptly rose in height. The rapidly rising zither music was accompanied by a faint killing intent.

    The Dragon-Li cat curled up at the man''s feet hissed sharply and ran away with its four feet.

    After a while, the zither music slowly came to an end.

    The bamboo leaves that were scattered about due to the murderous aura fell to the ground, causing the red plum blossoms beside the pavilion to be unable to endure the torment and be crushed by Ying Xue''s pressure.

    Zhao Jian had heard the zither music from far away. He waited until the sound had died down before speeding up his pace and rushing to the pavilion by the side of the water.

    "Zheng''er should know that the plan has failed."

    The man with the slightly closed eyes nodded his head, his face expressionless.

    The flying bamboo leaves were bounced off before they could get close.

    Zhao Zheng fiddled with the zither strings and suddenly laughed, "Interesting. This woman is together with Xiao Qian and has some relationship with Shen Zhu. Now that there''s a new heir, it doesn''t seem like it''s clear who the Liu Family is before. "He really is amazing, to be able to pull out so many influential people."

    After laughing, she answered her own question, "That''s right, she is Old Su''s daughter after all."

    Back then, that man whose name was renowned throughout the world, no matter how many people could compare to him by a single finger, his own little sister would never be that bad.

    Zhao Jian looked a little depressed. His plan had failed and he was getting anxious.

    "Now that the matter has been suppressed by Xuan City''s young crown prince, it''s impossible for us to take the opportunity to cause a huge ruckus."

    "What''s there to be afraid of? One trick doesn''t produce two tricks." "Send them to keep an eye on the Hu Shang scouts, we can make some noise now."

    "That''s fine, then we''ll start from the Hu Merchants'' side."

    Zhao Zheng stood up and brushed the wrinkles off his clothes. With his hands behind his back, he stared at the ground covered in red, lost in thought. When he looked at the red plum blossom on the branch, he couldn''t help smiling. "I heard that the girl called Little Dou Bao was picked up by that woman. She sent someone to investigate where the girl''s biological parents were."

    "Zheng''er, what are you planning this time?"

    "Hmph, she came to Xuan City without saying a word and wanted to live a peaceful life? I''m afraid it''ll be difficult. "

    Zhao Jian understood and immediately sent his servants to deal with this matter.

    Zhao Zheng stood under the red plum tree and put a plum blossom under his nose. He suddenly thought of the smiling man from many years ago.

    "Su Junyi, did you expect that your Su Clan would not perish?"

    He plucked a plum flower and twirled it between his fingers. His movements were gentle, and his gaze was as sharp as a knife.

    No matter what, he wouldn''t let any of the Su Family go this time.

 C148

    It was already dark by the time he got back from Flower Mansion.

    What happened during the day made Su Zhi not smile. Seeing that something was amiss, Mrs Ding asked out of concern, "Madam, you don''t look too good."

    "Hmm, there''s been a small problem, don''t worry."

    As soon as they entered the room, A Jin and the small bean bun rushed up and hugged her. Looking at the two adorable kids, Su Zhi''s frustration was reduced by more than half.

    "Mother, Teacher taught me a lot of words today. I''ll write them down for you to read later."

    Su Zhi patted the child''s head, feeling very gratified. "A Jin studies hard, so mother is very happy."

    "Yes, I told the teacher to wait for my younger sister to come with me to the academy."

    On the other side, Dou Zi was very calm when he was called out. He held the small yellow dog in both hands and stared at the two of them blankly.

    Su Zhi couldn''t help but laugh out loud. Mojie''s daughter was probably learning how to chase ducks and tease dogs.

    The little girl roughly understood what her brother said. Seeing her own mother''s happy smile, she couldn''t help but giggle.

    Dan Xue walked in with a cup of pigeon soup in her hands and handed it to Su Zhi. "Madam, it was just today. Mother Ding said that you had to put up with running twice."

    "Mm, sorry for the trouble."

    Dan Xue happily held the hands of the little bean bun and said, "Madam, please don''t say it. Our Miss Lan is very smart."

    Su Zhi took a sip of the soup, pursed her lips and smiled, "I don''t know about this child, he''s the most naughty one. When he does something wrong, he can only pretend to be pitiful, and won''t even say a few words."

    Thinking up to here, Su Zhi began to think about how Little Dou Wu was not very good at talking. The child looked very strange and didn''t have any other questions, but he didn''t talk much.

    For a child almost four years old, other than calling him ''father'' and ''mother'' and occasionally spitting out two words, he really didn''t interact much with others. It wasn''t because the child was timid and self-contained. It was quite joyous just looking at it, but why was it that he couldn''t even utter a complete sentence?

    "Little Dou Bao, where''s your rabbit? Show it to mother. "

    The little girl understood and turned around. She ran out the door, ran into the rabbit nest, and grabbed the rabbit that was twice as fat. She ran back eagerly and put it in Su Zhi''s arms.

    "Little Dou Bao, what name did you give to the rabbit?"

    The little girl rolled her big black eyes and grinned. "Gou Zi."

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. What lousy name was this? She was a genuine rabbit.

    "Change your name."

    Dou Zi thought for a moment, then replied indistinctly, "Fish Swinging ~"

    "Aiyo, good boy, do you want to eat fish?"

    Dan Xue and A Jin, who were at the side, were already laughing, while Little Dou was not the least bit embarrassed. As if she had done something great, she proudly raised her head with her little face revealing her best expression.

    Su Zhi, on the other hand, could not laugh. A child of this age should be able to speak, but this child could not even speak a long sentence and could only say a few short words.

    "Danxue, come out, I have something to talk to you about."

    She stood up and gave the green bean bag to A Jin to look after. She and her maid went out the door.

    "Madam, what do you want to say?"

    "Danxue, have you ever seen a child as big as Little Dou Wu, and you still don''t know what to say?"

    The young maid found it strange that she would mention it like that. After being together for so long, Danxue had never felt anything unusual about the Soybean Pancake. The kid loved to laugh and also liked to chase after the dog and the rabbit. He could also play very happily by himself. In the same courtyard, Bi Yue and her mother also did not discover this problem.

    "Probably because the child is still young and can''t speak clearly."

    However, Su Zhi shook her head. She always felt that the voice of Little Bean Bun was inferior to that of her peers. It was just that this child was so noisy and always liked to be mischievous, so she didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary.

    "Some other day, I will take my child to the infirmary to have a look."

    "Perhaps Madam is overthinking things. Sister Lan is much smarter than those girls in the alley."

    Even though she said that, Su Zhi was still worried that the child wouldn''t talk too much.

    There was absolutely no problem with the child''s intellect. He was even very smart. It was just that he was at a loss for words.

    Just as this matter was being discussed, there was a knock on the door outside the courtyard. Mrs Ding put down her broom and went to open the door. She turned around to ask Su Zhi, "Madam, a young master surnamed Li is looking for you."

    Su Zhi was overjoyed. "Quick, let Young Master Li come in."

    After not seeing Li Wuyou for a long time, he still dressed as a martial artist.

    "Lady Su, how have you been?"

    Su Zhi went up to welcome him and invited him into the room. "I''m sorry to have to inconvenience Young Master Li again this time."

    "I heard from the messenger that the shop is looking for trouble?"

    "That''s right. I''m just afraid that if I don''t find out as soon as possible, it will affect the business of the shop."

    Li Wuyou nodded and asked for more details. Su Zhi then told him all of her doubts, as well as the address of the fat woman who had caused trouble during the day.

    "Alright, I''ve got the gist of it. Give me two days and I''ll help you find out who''s behind this."

    Su Zhi bowed with a bow. "In that case, many thanks to Young Master Li. You will definitely repay me handsomely once this matter is completed."

    "Lady Su, there''s no need to be so courteous. In any case, that guy Lonesome Flower is greedy for words. You can just worry about him."

    Mentioning the man who had seen the bright and beautiful moon, Su Zhi smiled knowingly. "Of course."

    The last time Anyang had done something bad, it was also due to Li Wuyou''s investigation. Li Wuyou owed him a huge favor to begin with. He wouldn''t accept any money, as long as he bought some delicious food. It would be easy to coax him.

    Li Wuyou only stayed for about a quarter of an hour to understand the whole situation. It could be said that he was in a hurry.

    After working all day, it was already late at night.

    Su Zhi hugged the child as she lay on the bed. She thought of Xiao Qian, who had left for a day and a night. He wondered about his current situation, and if there was any definite news of him defecting or betraying the rebels.

    She reached out her hand and touched the intentionally left empty seat. She felt a little depressed.

    In the past, he had always despised him for squeezing into a bed with him. He had always thought of him as a tall man who took up space, but now that he suddenly left, he couldn''t bear to stay any longer.

    Holding the awkward Xiao Qian in her arms, Su Zhi sighed and fell asleep with the two children in her arms.

    The crowing of chickens could be heard outside the courtyard. The dark sky was washed away by the dawn light, and the stars were still shining brightly.

    The farmers who were busy plowing in Spring Leaf Lane had all stood up. From time to time, the muffled sound of an old cow could be heard.

    Mother Ding had woken up early and was busy with breakfast in the kitchen.

    After waking up, Su Zhi also began to put on her clothes and wash up. The weather was still a little cold in the morning. Yesterday, Mrs. Ding also said that the winter this year was very long and that she needed to wear more clothes.

    The view outside was still not clear. When the knock came, Su Zhi hesitated for a moment, thinking that she had misheard.

    Soon after, there were a few more sounds, and when Ding Yi''s mother heard the commotion, she ordered Bi Yue to open the door.

    "No, I''ll go."

    Su Zhi tidied up everything and went to open the yard door. "Who is it?"

    A reply came from outside, "I''m Hua Li."

    Hearing that it was Hua Xuan, Su Zhi did not hesitate to release the door latch.

    "Morning, Flower Soluble Young Noble."

    A man under the dawn, a moon white shirt, hair like a waterfall, still beautiful without a speck of dust.

    However, her beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with worry. Her eyebrows were knitted slightly, and her red lips were tightly pursed.

    "What happened to Young Master?"

    Hua Jue looked at her and said solemnly, "Something has happened to Wuyou."

    Su Zhi was shocked as she felt her brain explode.

    He was still fine when he left last night, how did something happen in one night?

    "When he came to find me, his entire body was covered in blood. After knowing him for so long, I''ve never seen him hurt so badly."

    Li Wuyou''s kung fu had always been good. Although he was not a top-notch expert of the Black Cloud Stronghold, he could still be considered a top-notch expert. He was also good at tracking and investigating cases. He had never failed an assignment for so long.

    "Then... How is he? "

    Hua Xuan frowned and lightly shook his head, "Not good, the injury is too heavy. The bones of the hands have been shattered, and all eight of the extraordinary meridians have been severely injured."

    Su Zhi felt dizzy and almost lost her balance.

    She was the one who asked him to investigate the case, but he almost died this time. After leaving for such a short period of time, Li Wuyou was able to find out what had happened. He was actually heavily injured to such an extent.

    "The reason I came here this time is to tell Lady Su that I''m afraid I won''t be able to give you the answer to the task you entrusted me to. The Black Cloud Stronghold will send people to follow you, but I''m afraid no one will have good methods like worry-free."

    "I understand. This matter is not urgent, it is more important to wait until someone is free. Young Master Hua Xuan, please wait for a moment. I will go fetch a few items for you."

    Su Zhi invited him into her room and waited. She went back to her room and took a lot of medicine from the storage room to cure his wounds and stop his bleeding.

    "Young Master Li was injured because of me. Please help me bring these medicine back."

    Hua Xuan took the strange small bottle in her hand. After she figured out how to use it, she walked away through the morning mist.

 C149

    After sending off Lonesome Flower, Su Zhi''s heart felt even more depressed. He had originally thought that this matter would be a foolproof plan, but to think that Li Wuyou would actually be severely injured.

    In this way, the person behind him would no longer be An Yang. With that woman''s personality, she was probably worried that Su Zhi might not be clear and might not be able to put up a show of force against her. She shouldn''t be able to injure her people to such an extent.

    But if it wasn''t An Yang, then who else could it be? If he had the ability to injure Li Wuyou, how many people would there be in the Imperial City?

    Hearing the bad news early in the morning, Su Zhi was depressed. Even when she went to the shop, she still had a worried expression on her face. She had a vague feeling that this matter was not as simple as she had imagined. The shadow that shrouded Flower Mansion was perhaps even darker than she had imagined.

    "Boss!"

    While she was still focused, Qiu Hong rushed up. Her face was anxious, as if there was something hard to say.

    Su Zhi snapped out of her daze. Seeing her in such a state of panic, her heart rose to her throat.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "This is not good, boss. The yamen just posted the latest notice saying that a few Hu merchants were caught outside Xuan City killing people for their goods." Shuang''er and the others even went to take a look. The portrait on the notice was of the people who had come to the shop yesterday. "

    "What did you say?"

    Su Zhi stood up in shock, causing her entire body to turn cold. Ai Ai and the others have been captured? And because of the murder laws?

    "The notice also said that Hu Shang had accomplices, and that the government will uncover them one by one."

    A''Ai still had the contract she had just signed. The message from Flower Mansion and Su Zhi''s own signature were written on black and white. If they were to investigate this, wouldn''t that mean that the first thing they would do was to follow the trail ˇ­

    "Little Su!" Little Su, come down quickly! "

    Li Yi''s voice came from the main hall. Su Zhi walked out of the cubicle and looked down. She saw a group of constables in official uniform carrying scimitars patrolling the shop.

    "Go away, go away, don''t affect the official business!"

    Because the soldiers had paid them a visit, all of the guests who had gathered there had been coaxed into leaving.

    Su Zhi rushed downstairs and was stopped by the lead constable. The constable with a moustache stood in front of her and looked her up and down. He asked with an aggressive attitude, "You''re Su Zhi?"

    "Yes, sir."

    The leader snorted and waved at the people behind him, "Take her away!"

    "Wait!"

    Li Yi rushed forward and withdrew a silver ingot from his pocket before handing it over. "Sir, why are you capturing him?" We are all good people and have never done anything before. "

    The leader of the constables stowed the silver away skillfully and his attitude softened, "The yamen caught a few smugglers from the Great Wei. Those grandchildren even killed some people. Our men found this on them."

    He took a folded piece of white paper from his sleeve and showed it to the two of them.

    Su Zhi could see clearly that this was the contract that she had signed yesterday.

    "There''s no mistake, bring him away!"

    Li Yi quickly stopped him, "Sir, please observe clearly, this is an ordinary contract. We also know that these people will do something. Their actions definitely have nothing to do with Hua Manlou. "

    "Who knows? I have to bring him to the yamen to interrogate and interrogate him!"

    The crowd could not stop her and could only watch as she was arrested and brought away.

    "Qiu Hong, hurry to the capital to find Xiao ˇ­" That''s not right, General Xiao had already left, there was no use in going. Li Yi held his hands as he paced around anxiously.

    "I think perhaps I can ask for your help with this matter." Qiu Hong tried asking.

    Lu Huan often hung around the shop. It seemed that she was on good terms with Su Zhi. She did not know if he could step in and let the matter go.

    "That''s fine. Quickly go to the Prince Yongning Mansion and look for His Highness. Tell him that Little Su has been taken away by the yamen. The situation is urgent!"

    Qiu Hong nodded and ran out of the main door, looking gloomy.

    After being taken away by the soldiers, Su Zhi panicked for a while and quickly calmed down.

    When she thought about what happened yesterday and what happened now, she had reason to believe that there was a powerful force behind it.

    She had no idea what the person behind her was up to. Being able to mobilize so much power to deal with Flowerfruit, it shouldn''t be just about the business of the shop.

    Seeing that it was about to rain, the group quickened their pace. Su Zhi was surrounded in the middle and pointed at by the commoners on the street.

    "Look, isn''t that Hua Manlou''s new manager?"

    "That''s right, their things are both cheap and good, I don''t know why they are going to the government."

    As the passersby discussed amongst themselves, Su Zhi was not feeling well, for fear that one incident after another would affect her shop''s business.

    "Looking at a gentle and refined woman, she doesn''t seem to be someone who would commit crimes."

    "That''s not necessarily true. Yesterday, someone from their family caused trouble. They said that if that soap was used, their face would be disfigured!"

    "It can''t be. My lady really likes the things in their shop. Once there''s a new product, she''s definitely going to buy it."

    In the face of criticism, Su Zhi kept her head high and chest puffed up, not showing any signs of abnormal behavior.

    Hua Manlou''s operation was the clearest to her. She would not touch upon the laws of the Wei Dynasty in any aspect.

    They hadn''t done anything bad, and even if they went to the government, they wouldn''t be afraid.

    But these rumors were bound to be false. I''m afraid that after this incident, the flow of customers will be greatly reduced.

    He was taken all the way to the yamen, but the government official did not show his face. The lead constable quickly locked Su Zhi up in the dungeon, then left after clapping his hands.

    "Lord Guan, can I see your lord?"

    "Be honest and see you when you are summoned."

    The constable locked the cell and left quickly.

    "Little Su!"

    In the cell opposite, there were three men in strange clothes.

    Su Zhi recognized Ai Ai Hui and the others at a glance.

    "What''s going on with all of you? How could you kill someone?"

    A''ai hurriedly waved his hand to defend himself. "We did not. Yesterday, we left the shop and went to another place to look, wanting to learn more about the local customs and customs of the Great Wei. At night, I left for the guesthouse by the way of Xuancheng''s government office to stay at night, but somehow, I was caught and brought in. "

    No murder?

    Su Zhi paused slightly and continued asking, "Are you sure you didn''t dare to violate the law?"

    "Indeed not. When we arrived at the inn, it was already very late. The three of us huddled together in a room, and when we heard movement outside, we went out to look. There was a person lying on the ground, and when we went up to check, he was already dead. Then, some officials rushed in and insisted that we were the ones who did it.

    In other words, Ai Hui''s group was framed?

    "How long has it been since you guys last saw the dead and then the soldiers barged in?"

    "We had just decided that the man was dead when the soldiers came in. We just happened to bump into each other."

    Su Zhi was certain that this had been set long ago. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence?

    This is our first time in the Imperial City and we''ve already encountered such a situation. If we can''t get rid of the suspicion, how can we go back? Let alone doing business, they might even die in a foreign land if not for their bodies and bodies. "

    "Don''t worry, we can get out. Since it wasn''t us who did it, we shouldn''t go down on our laurels. We must find out everything."

    Even though those words were said, the few of them looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

    Connecting her with what had happened before and after, Su Zhi felt that she had not been implicated by Ai Hui and the others, and that it was very likely that she had implicated them.

    Xiang Zhuang''s sword intent was clear.

    The person who really wanted to catch him was probably her.

    "Xiaosu, do you know anyone? Can you guarantee that we can get out? We really were wronged. "

    Su Zhi sighed. If Xiao Qian was here, perhaps he would be. But now that he was not, she did not know who she should seek help from. Moreover, from the looks of this chain of events, it seemed that it was completely against her, and the power of the people behind it was not small either.

    "I''ll try my best to think of a way. Don''t worry, it''ll be fine."

    When she said this, even she wasn''t confident.

    He was originally an honest businessman. This time, he didn''t know who he had offended. He wanted to find trouble with you, but how could he deal with it?

    After about two incense sticks of time, Su Zhi was finally brought out of the prison.

    The jailer took her to the courthouse lobby and met with the magistrate.

    "Is the one sitting here Su Zhi?"

    "That''s me."

    "You colluded with those trashy merchants who killed people for no reason?"

    Su Zhi was not afraid in the slightest. She directly looked into the county scout''s eyes and said, "Whether or not those people actually killed them for their goods, I hope that sire can make a clear observation. Although I''ve signed a business contract with them, I''m not aware of their whereabouts."

    Zhixian nodded, "You''re right, but those few people are suspicious and can''t move around too much." If anyone can prove that they are truly innocent, I can release them. "

    Hearing this, Su Zhi felt that there was hope, "Then could the Lord temporarily let this woman have her freedom, and allow me to find out the truth of the matter!?"

    The Prefect rubbed his chin and said thoughtfully, "This is fine, but you have to investigate this matter as soon as possible."

    "As soon as possible!"

    Su Zhi left the yamen without any obstruction. In order to keep an eye on her, Zhixian had specially sent two constables to follow her.

    The three of them rushed to the place where the murder had started.

 C150

    On the other side, Qiu Hong had already rushed to Prince Yongning''s residence and was stopped as expected.

    When she came here, she had already guessed the outcome. What kind of place was the Prince''s Mansion? It was not a place where a single piece of cloth like her could go.

    However, Su Zhi was imprisoned. In the entire Xuan City, only Lu Huan had the ability to save people.

    "Little brother, you guys do well. Go inform them that Hua Manlou''s men are here to see His Highness."

    The guard waved his hand impatiently. "You should hurry up and leave. Who is our prince? Do you think you can easily meet him?"

    "His Highness is a regular customer of Flower ManLou, you will definitely inform him. I dare to guarantee that His Highness will not ignore this."

    "Go, go and behave atrociously elsewhere. Do you want to enter the palace as you please?"

    Qiu Hong stomped her feet in anxiety. She could not do anything about being stopped outside the door. When she thought of Su Zhi''s predicament and how she was unwilling to leave, she could only wait outside the mansion anxiously.

    At this moment, Lu Huan Zhi was leaning back in his teacher''s chair with his legs crossed as he listened to Mei Ji play the zither.

    Qiu Hong was unwilling to leave, so the butler brought the matter to Lu San''s ears.

    Hearing that it was Hua Manlou''s people, Lu San''s first reaction was Su Zhi.

    However, when he went out to take a look, he realized that the person who had come was not the one that the crown prince was interested in.

    "Butler, how long has that girl been standing outside?"

    "It''s been a while, but I refuse to leave. I''ve come to ask for your opinion."

    Although Lu San wasn''t familiar with Qiu Hong, he still felt that it was necessary to let Lu Huan Zhi know that she had come for him.

    "I''ll go report to his majesty right now. All of you, look after him."

    The butler obeyed and stopped Qiu Hong from being stopped. He only asked the servants to keep an eye on her movements.

    "Your Highness!"

    When Lu San came to report on the situation, Lu Huan was still wandering in the zither music. Seeing that the attendant had disturbed her mood, she even felt slightly displeased.

    "What are you doing, noisy."

    "Your Highness, a woman came from outside and said that she''s from Flower Mansion."

    At the mention of Hua Manlou, Lu Huan put away his impatience and asked, "What''s the matter with her?"

    "I didn''t ask, I just wanted to tell you."

    "Then invite the person in."

    After receiving his orders, Lu San ran over to pass on the message, asking the gatekeeping guards to bring Qiu Hong in.

    Qiu Hong, who was already dispirited and ready to leave, followed the butler to Lu Huan Zhi''s yard with tears in her eyes.

    Seeing Lu Huan''s Qiu Hong kneel down, "Your Highness! Your Highness, please save our boss! "

    Lu Huan hated women crying the most in her life. Seeing her like this, she quickly got Lu San to help her up and ask a question.

    "Speak slowly, don''t be anxious. What happened to Mistress Su?"

    Qiu Hong wiped away her tears and replied, "Not long ago, the government took our boss away. We don''t know how the situation is right now, and we thought that His Highness might be able to help, so we came to find you."

    Hearing that Su Zhi had been taken away, Lu Huan Zhi was also puzzled.

    This woman was quite capable. She failed to get to the yamen yesterday and insisted on going today. He couldn''t stop her.

    "Why was she taken away?"

    "The officials said that the boss is colluding with the merchant."

    Lu Huan Zhi stood up with a cold look on his face.

    The cover used to capture people was not meticulous at all. He dared to use all sorts of lousy reasons to cause trouble. He didn''t know who this woman had provoked, but she had caused trouble for him time and time again.

    "I got it. I''ll go to the yamen now to ask around."

    Qiu Hong thanked him gratefully and followed Lu Huan to the yamen.

    It was only when they arrived at the yamen that they found out he had been released and asked for directions. It was only then that they found out that they had not returned to Flower Mansion, but had gone outside of Xuan City.

    Lu Huan''s eyes narrowed, and he slapped his forehead with his folding fan, "It''s broken."

    "Lu San, prepare a horse for my son!" I want to leave the city! "

    This woman probably didn''t know that she had fallen into his trap.

    The murder case asked her to investigate, so why did she need to go to the yamen? Yet, she chose to follow him without thinking clearly about anything.

    After waiting for the manservant to lead the horse, Lu Hengzhi didn''t have enough time to explain. She mounted the horse and galloped towards Xuan City''s city gate.

    It was almost noon. The sky was so dark that it seemed like it was going to rain. The pedestrians on the street had already dispersed.

    Su Zhi followed the two constables out of the city. The place they arrived at became more and more remote.

    It was surrounded by shrubbery that was half the height of a man, which didn''t seem like a place with alcohol.

    "Brothers, did we go to the wrong place?"

    The constable who was leading the way did not say anything, but the hand holding the knife tightened.

    Su Zhi also realized that something was wrong as they walked. According to what A''Ai said, they should be near the main road of Xuancheng''s outskirts. However, this place deviated from the official road and showed signs that it was becoming more and more deviant.

    She did not dare to continue walking forward as she stood on the spot, vigilantly observing her surroundings.

    This place was desolate and uninhabited. Weeds covered the ground along the way. One could tell with a glance that very few people had come here before.

    "Hurry up and go, stop wasting time!"

    Seeing that she had stopped, the two constables impatiently urged her, "We''re at the front. Let''s go!"

    Su Zhi stopped walking. When she saw the strange expressions on their faces, she could not help but step back.

    Just as she was about to turn back, the two normal constables unsheathed their swords and pounced on her.

    Seeing that the situation was not good, Su Zhi screamed in fear and ran back the way she came from.

    The constable followed closely from behind, and it seemed that the large blade was about to slash down from behind.

    In the nick of time, four uniformed bodyguards jumped out from the jungle. With a wave of the long sword in their hands, the two policemen fell to the ground.

    When Su Zhi turned around, she saw that the person who had been about to attack her was already lying in a pool of blood.

    The four guards kneeled down and said, "Madam, do not be afraid. We were sent to protect you by the general."

    "If the general sends you here, what about him?" Thinking about that silly man, Su Zhi''s heart ached.

    He risked his life outside, yet he gave the secret guard to him. Was he not afraid that something might happen to him?

    "The entire squadron of the dark guard has been arranged to protect you. A few of our men will remain at Spring Leaf Alley and A Jin''s side."

    If they split up into three teams, there would definitely be no one left on Xiao Qian''s side.

    "This way ˇ­" Just when he said that he didn''t need so many people to follow him, a sharp arrow flew towards him from the depths of the jungle.

    The dazzling arrow moved extremely fast. The dark guard who was kneeling on the ground raised his hand and shot out the dart.

    "There''s an enemy!"

    As soon as his voice fell, dozens of masked men in black jumped out from the woods. He held a long sword in his hand and coldly stared at the woman.

    The leader made a move, and all the men in black behind him rushed forward.

    "Madam, quickly leave! We''ll block them!"

    Su Zhi was frightened. She had never seen such a scene before and knew that these people were here for her. Without further ado, she ran towards the official road.

    She wanted to shout for help, but just as she spoke out, an assassin came chasing after her. For the sake of safety, Su Zhi could only try her best to escape.

    The process of escaping was extremely tense. The hidden guards that Xiao Qian had sent were scattered; four people weren''t enough to deal with the dozen or so cold-blooded assassins.

    Su Zhi was caught up very quickly. "Help!"

    She shouted for help. The man in black moved quickly and cleanly, chopping apart all the plants around him.

    "Help!" On the quiet ancient path, the woman desperately tried to escape, but the people behind her were still relentlessly pursuing her.

    After running for a long distance, she gradually began to feel weak. Cold sweat poured out of her body, and her calves were already beginning to spasm. If this carried on, she was afraid that she would die here!

    "Giddy up!" Not far from the official road, the sound of rapid horse hooves could be heard.

    As Su Zhi panicked, she did not forget to call for help. "Help!"

    "Lady Su!"

    It was Lu Huan Zhi who had arrived in time!

    As if seeing her savior, Su Zhi ran in the direction of the official road with all her might.

    A man was riding a green mane horse. His lotus clothes were fluttering in the wind. His black hair was fluttering in the wind, as if an immortal had descended into the mortal world.

    "Your Highness!"

    "I''m here, don''t be afraid!" The man pulled the reins tightly and stood in front of her. He frowned slightly as he stared vigilantly at the assassin who was chasing after them.

    Seeing that it was him, the man in black, who had caught up, hesitated for a moment. When the leader of the group caught up, he opened his mouth and said to Lu Huan Zhi, who had come to help, "Sir, why are you wading in this muddy water? We only want this woman''s life.

    "Hey, don''t you know who this woman is? Who sent you here? Who was it that sent you here? "Go back and say that this woman is under my protection!"

    "Your Highness should hand over this woman."

    Lu Huan gave an evil smile, "Are your ears on your chin? Or was his brain caught by the door? I''ve already said that I''ll protect her, you don''t understand! "

    The black clothed man choked and his polite attitude changed.

    After the negotiation was fruitless, the leader pondered for a long while, and after sensing that the four dark guards had caught up, he had no choice but to give the order, "In that case, I''ll be offending you!"

 C151

    The man who had been conceited a moment ago was completely dumbfounded. What? Even he dares to move! Who wouldn''t give some face to Lu Huan in this world? Was it because his face wasn''t big enough and his demeanor wasn''t good enough?

    "Wait!" He still wanted to buy some time.

    However, the man in black did not care. He raised his saber and charged forward. Lu Huan Zhi did not know any martial arts. Seeing that something was wrong, he hurriedly pulled Su Zhi onto the horse and ran towards Xuan City.

    The leader of the assassins took the crossbow off his back, and held three long arrows in his hand, ready to fire at any moment. Squinting his eyes, he pulled his wrist and fired three arrows at the same time, one at the back, one at the head and the other at the horse''s legs.

    ''Bang bang! ''

    Two clashing sounds of blades and swords came from behind Lu Huan Zhi. Three sharp arrows were shot out by the secret guards following behind her. It was unknown if the leader of the men in black was an expert at shooting, or if the hidden guard had failed, but the last arrow still managed to pass through the interception and hurt the pony''s hind hooves.

    The horse whinnied in pain as it retracted its hooves and slowed down.

    "Little White, hold on!" After we return to the city smoothly, this prince will find a wife for you.

    Little White? Su Zhi''s eyelids twitched as she looked at the completely black horse. This man had a style that resembled a bean bun.

    "We... It should be able to safely escape, right? " Su Zhi hugged Lu Huan''s waist. The wind that was blowing towards her made her unable to speak clearly.

    "Relax, no problem ˇ­"

    Before he could finish his words, two men in black, who were spreading a net, appeared on the road in front of them. Lu Huan Zhi reacted quickly. He turned the horse around and dodged to the side.

    On the side of the road was soft yellow mud, and the horse, carrying two men, soon sank.

    "Aiya, Lil ''White, why don''t you jump!"

    Su Zhi looked at the situation on the surface of the sea and suggested to dismount. "This place isn''t suitable for a horse to pass through. They''ll fall in. Let''s get off."

    Lu Huan Zhi had no choice but to dismount. The black-clothed men behind him quickly caught up to him.

    "It''s over. They caught up so quickly."

    "Don''t worry, although this prince doesn''t know martial arts, the guards are all top class masters, one top ten!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, the guard fighting in the front was kicked away by the man in black. Lu Huan Zhi was so shocked that she could not even close her jaw. She angrily waved her fan and scolded, "Get up and continue fighting! A bunch of rice buckets. What''s the use of this prince raising you!"

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes, grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back, "Alright, something''s wrong, let''s hurry up and go."

    Lu Huan''s mouth was filled with curses, but her legs were still effective. She dragged Su Zhi and ran towards Xuan City''s city gate.

    The two of them continued to flee in the direction of Xuan City. However, no matter how much they charged, they were both vicious assassins who forcefully blocked their path.

    "This won''t do, the road we used to come here has been cut off. There are too many assassins, and we can''t break through!"

    Although Su Zhi was frightened, her mind was still relatively sharp. Very soon, she found some clues.

    Lu Huan clenched her teeth and pulled her away in the opposite direction, "I know how to go back. Follow me."

    With the protection of the secret guards, the black clothed man was gradually losing. Although he could not catch up quickly, he still did not want to let go and retreat.

    The two of them did not dare to relax and chose a hidden path to enter.

    "Rumble!"

    The sky had been gloomy for the whole morning, but finally came the muffled sound of thunder, and a bolt of green lightning streaked across the cloudy sky.

    "I can''t be that unlucky, can I?" I can''t be so unlucky.

    Lu Huan''s voice was still sobbing, but he was already tired and was gasping for air.

    Su Zhi''s physical strength was even worse than his. She was already gritting her teeth as she ran for her life.

    "First..." "Don''t run like hell. Let''s find a place to shelter from the rain. If it rains like this, I''ll catch a cold."

    Lu Huan Zhi also could not run anymore, but he still held onto her hand and never let go.

    "Previously, we were strolling around the nearby col and knew that there was a cave nearby. Let''s take a look."

    Before the two of them could find the legendary cave, heavy rain began to fall.

    Su Zhi quivered from the rain and complained incessantly, "What happened to the spring rain? Did the oil have water in it?"

    "Enough nonsense, hurry up and run!"

    They ran around in the rain, almost losing their way. There was no one around, not even a deserted farmhouse. The ground was slippery from the rain, making it more difficult to run away. The two of them were so tired that they wanted to find a place without rain to sleep.

    "Up ahead is a 30,000-meter tall pine tree. I remember that."

    Lu Huan pulled Su Zhi along while they staggered and stumbled. Finally, they found a cave to shelter from the rain.

    When they entered the cave, both of them were completely drenched. The spring rain was chilly, so cold that it caused one''s entire body to tremble.

    "Let''s stay here for a while. We''ll leave after the rain stops."

    Su Zhi nodded. The rain seeped into her clothes. She hugged her arm and sneezed loudly.

    Lu Huan wanted to be a hero and take off his clothes to give to her, but he found that he was also wet. He had no choice but to give up on this idea, "Find a way to burn your clothes dry, otherwise you''ll catch a cold."

    Su Zhi said with concern, "But if we start a fire, will we be seen by the assassins?"

    "It won''t, it''s raining outside. If I don''t go out on the smoke, even if I go up, I wouldn''t be able to see it in the dark."

    This made sense to her. To be safe, she found some dried branches from the cave entrance to block the way.

    It was dark outside and the cave was hidden by the branches, making it even darker inside.

    She wanted to get some tools for lighting a fire from the system, but she was afraid that Lu Huan Zhi would find it difficult to explain himself, so she said, "Sorry for troubling Your Highness to turn around, I want to take off a piece of clothing."

    Lu Huan Zhi was usually a cynic, but he still did not forget his noble nature. Without a word, he turned around.

    Su Zhi opened the system, took out a lighter, and lit up a branch beside her. Only then did she slowly say that she was done.

    "Hey, you''re amazing! How did you start a fire in such a short amount of time?"

    "I brought some flint. Let''s not talk about it for now. Come closer and roast your clothes."

    Lu Huan Zhi didn''t say anything else and obediently walked closer to the bonfire.

    "Gu gu gu ~"

    After a morning of wandering around, the two of them had already started singing their empty plan. Su Zhi was more tired than hungry. Lu Huan Zhi, however, felt a little awkward.

    "When I came, I hadn''t even eaten lunch."

    Su Zhi pursed her lips into a smile, took out two boxes of cake that she had casually taken out from the system and handed to him.

    "Eat."

    Lu Huan Zhi took the pastries in astonishment. Once again, he exclaimed, "Wow, so well-prepared."

    Su Zhi smiled and murmured as she looked out into the rain, "I can see that the rain won''t stop for a while. Once my clothes are dry, I''ll think of a way to leave."

    "Don''t be so anxious. It''s not easy to get a chance to be alone with this little beauty."

    As Lu Huan was eating the pastries, her long and narrow peach blossom eyes once again returned to their teasing look, "Come, have a taste. It''s not bad, just keep your strength on."

    Su Zhi unhappily slapped his hand away and used a branch to stir the fire.

    "You''re in a good mood, aren''t you afraid of being chased?"

    "What am I afraid of? My fortune is great, even you are under my protection."

    Although Lu Huan Zhi did not change his slovenly attitude, Su Zhi could not get angry at him. Counting that time at the palace, he had already helped her three times in a row.

    If he hadn''t arrived earlier today, she might have become a ghost under the blade.

    "Your Highness, thank you." She felt guilty as she looked at the man who was eating the pastries and looking as wet as a wet chicken.

    "Don''t... If he had known earlier that he would be hacked to death, this prince would not have come. "

    Su Zhi shook her head and smiled, shrugging her shoulders to show that she didn''t mind.

    "When that little girl, Qiu Hong, went to find me, I was still wondering why you kept rushing into the yamen."

    In this regard, Su Zhi also felt helpless.

    The chase today had let her clearly see that she was being targeted, and not just for money, but for her little life.

    Who would want to put her to death?

    "Speaking of which, you don''t know who the person chasing you is, right?"

    She shook her head, confused. "I really don''t know."

    After eating the pastries, Lu Huan Zhi clapped her hands and said, "Anyway, it won''t be An Yang''s doing. That little girl is jealous and secretly wants to make things difficult for us, but she won''t do such a shady thing."

    Su Zhi also felt puzzled. Since it wasn''t An Yang, who else could she have offended?

    "Ya, I know. It must be General Xiao''s fault. Perhaps other than An Yang, there are also other women who have a crush on him. After he leaves this time, I''ll take this opportunity to take your life. "

    Knowing that Lu Huan Zhi was joking, she didn''t take it to heart. However, he was right about one thing. What happened to Hua Manlou really did happen after Xiao Qian left.

    The emperor had ordered him to investigate the purpose of the rebel leader''s visit. Since he had just left, trouble kept looking for him. Even Su Zhi herself did not believe that this was not intentional.

    However, she had indeed never offended anyone. Who would want to kill everyone?

 C152

    No matter how she thought about it, she couldn''t come up with an answer. Su Zhi grudgingly and angrily hit the fire with a stick, not wanting to say anything.

    Lu Huan said honestly, "Don''t worry, I''m here. But now you can see who''s more reliable? Xiao Qian might have shown more mercy to the outside world. Do you want to consider throwing yourself into this prince''s arms? "

    Su Zhizhan rolled her eyes, "If you''re talking about amorous feelings, as the second son of the great heir of Lu, who would dare to be first?"

    "Concede, admit it. This prince doesn''t dare to disappoint such a title."

    She broke into a bitter smile. This person couldn''t tell that he was being teased, could he?

    "But to be honest, you can consider coming down into this prince''s embrace. I will not have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of my life, I''m sure I can continue to be pampered."

    "No, no. There are a lot of girls in your backyard that are famous. People like me aren''t competitive at all."

    Hearing this, Lu Huan Zhi pondered for a while, "Hmm ˇ­ In terms of appearance, you really aren''t the type that is particularly attractive. "

    Su Zhi pursed her lips and did not speak.

    "Body isn''t the best either." He gestured in front of his chest and said honestly, "You also have a bad personality, but you won''t say that you''re good and obedient."

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him, holding in her breath and still not wanting to speak.

    "He''s a bit old, too."

    This time, Su Zhi was thoroughly angry. When it came to this matter, she really asked him to do so. No matter what era she came from, she would care a lot about her age.

    He had originally thought that since the other party would save his life, he should at least put aside his attitude.

    Who knew that this man was truly born to be a walnut, and lacked the hammer; the day after, a cucumber, and lacked the smack.

    A few bad words could cause a person to fly into a rage.

    With a fake smile, she replied, "Then you have to take care of your body. When you''re seventy or eighty, you still have the energy to like little girls."

    Lu Huan Zhi narrowed his eyes and smiled, "That''s not true either. If I can find a woman who is truly happy and loves me, she will be the only one in my life. Wouldn''t it be good if she was the only one to care for me?"

    When he said those words, the man''s face no longer showed any signs of being unrestrained. Instead, there was only seriousness and a rare warmth.

    "If you keep looking like this, I''m afraid there won''t be only one woman who is truly in love with you."

    Lu Huan''s back was leaning against a stack of grass as he smiled, "If you don''t believe me, then why don''t you try to be the person I placed at the top of my heart?"

    Su Zhi waved her hands, dazzled by his bright smile. "I can''t, I can''t."

    Lu Huan Zhi''s legs trembled as he hummed a small tune. Her smile was still unruly, but a hint of disappointment flashed across her eyes.

    It was still raining outside and it was hard to move.

    The sky and the earth were connected by a dense line of rain, and everything was immersed in the sudden rain, making it impossible to see the rugged mountain path.

    "I''m afraid I''ll have to spend the night here."

    Lu Huan Zhi replied indifferently.

    Upon hearing his words, Su Zhi was on the verge of tears.

    Don''t go home all night. Those two kids at home can''t make a ruckus. Besides, with a man like this who ran a train full of people, she felt that her nerves were always on edge.

    "No, I have to think of a way to leave no matter what."

    Seeing that she looked like she wanted to cry, but had no tears, Lu Hengzhi felt like teasing her.

    "Don''t be afraid. Although this is a wilderness, there will always be wolves, tigers, and leopards at night. "Oh, there''s a high chance that there will be snake worms and ants inside the cave, but it''s alright, I can protect you."

    "Thank you so much, I don''t even know martial arts!"

    Recalling the bad memories of her encounter with the wild wolves, Su Zhi suddenly shivered.

    He had been under Xiao Qian''s protection before, but now he had to rely on himself and had a son.

    I wonder how Xiao Qian''s situation is going.

    She sat dejectedly by the fire, unable to stop her thoughts from drifting away.

    "Who are you thinking about?"

    Su Zhi shook her head. "No one."

    "It must be General Xiao."

    She did not refute his words, admitting to his words.

    Lu Huan Zhi was in a bad mood. He pursed his lips and snorted. Then, he turned his face away.

    The two once again fell into silence.

    After an unknown period of time. Outside, the rain had gradually stopped and it was dark. Wherever his gaze touched, there was only mist.

    Would he really have to spend the night here?

    Su Zhi stood up and took a look at the situation outside. Seeing that the cave entrance was wet and slippery, and the surroundings were dark and gloomy, she helplessly sat back down and dispiritedly stirred the bonfire on the ground.

    "Your Highness, are we really going to stay here?"

    If he went out recklessly, he would encounter many dangers, such as the assassin chasing after him or the wild beast at night.

    Even if they were lucky enough to not meet each other, the two of them could not walk back to the city.

    Lu Huan Zhi didn''t reply. He leaned against the haystack as if he was asleep.

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes, she was truly magnanimous to be able to sleep like that.

    However, she soon discovered that something was wrong. The man''s eyes were still closed, as if he was asleep. However, his face was pale and his forehead was dripping with sweat. Not only that, his thin lips were parted as if he was talking in his sleep.

    "Your Highness?"

    She leaned over and shook him. The back of her hand touched his forehead, causing him to retract his hand from the heat.

    No way, this man was really used to living like a prince. Even with rain, he would get a cold?

    "Your Highness, wake up!"

    Lu Huan wanted to open his eyes in a daze, but his eyelids felt heavy and he was unable to do so no matter how hard he tried.

    However, his consciousness still remained. He knew that he had caught a cold, so he said to Su Zhi in a hoarse voice, "If you can leave, then leave. It''s cold and damp in this cave, and you won''t be able to stand it for one night. "

    "I won''t leave you alone." This life was saved by Lu Huan. Now that he was in trouble, how could she not care about it?

    Su Zhi quickly opened the storage room and took out the cold medicine.

    There was no pure water to drink in the cave, so she had to go to the storage room to get more.

    However, he had been in a hurry these past few days and had taken too many things. The system had given him the ingredients for free, so he was willing to pay the price for them.

    Su Zhi was furious. She knew she was ruining the system, but she couldn''t let her chain fall at the most crucial moment!

    "You wait here, I''ll go outside and get some water. Lie down here and don''t move."

    Just as he was about to get up and leave, the man grabbed her and struggled to open his eyes.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Lu Huan Zhi said awkwardly, "I ˇ­" One person is afraid. "

    Su Zhi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Who let her leave just now?

    "Don''t be afraid, I''ll go to the cave entrance to get some water. I''ll be back soon."

    Only then was he willing to let go. He weakly lay back down on the haystack, his eyebrows knitted together in pain.

    Su Zhi got up and carefully walked out of the cave.

    It was so dark outside that the mountain road could not be seen. The air was still wet.

    On March day, before the peach blossoms had bloomed, the weather was still cold.

    Su Zhi wanted to take out a light from the storage room, but she still needed to pay for the items. After bumping into a pile of dust, she could only walk in the dark.

    She was going to spend some silver to prepare the system as a reward for her bad evaluation.

    It had just rained, and the trail was slippery, leaving a deep imprint on the ground. In addition to the cold weather, even though he had just come out from the bonfire, it was still extremely cold.

    At night, Su Zhi couldn''t see anything clearly. She walked a few steps to the side based on her intuition, but then stopped. She listened carefully, surrounded by the sound of rain and green leaves, and other rustling noises.

    Afraid that there would be wild beasts lurking around, she quickly found a few small banana leaves, picked up some rainwater from the tree, and prepared to head back.

    There was a sound coming from the darkness. Su Zhi immediately became alert and touched the wet tree branch by her side to use as a backup weapon.

    "Who''s there?"

    The sound stopped, followed by a slight gasp from the man. "It''s me."

    "Your Highness? Why did you come out? "

    Su Zhi quickly put down her stick and walked forward. One of his legs had already sunk into the ground, unshakable.

    "I was afraid something would happen to you." He softly replied as he felt a chill from the wind.

    "I beg of you, do it like that so that I can get into trouble."

    Did he not have any points for his physical condition? If she were to fall, she would have to find a way to carry them back.

    "Can you still get up?"

    "My feet are stuck."

    Su Zhi sighed helplessly. She put down the rainwater she had collected and helped him up.

    "This is great. The clothes that were dried with great difficulty have gotten wet again."

    The two of them supported each other as they headed towards the entrance of the cave. At this moment, the bonfire was almost burnt out and the dried up firewood in the surroundings was almost used up.

    "Hurry up and eat this medicine. You''ll feel much better after a short rest."

    Lu Huan Qi took the colds from Su Zhi''s hands and obediently swallowed them along with the cold rain water.

    "What kind of medicine is this? It''s weird."

    Su Zhi replied carelessly, "I''ll go find some dry firewood for the wind chill medicine. Otherwise, it''ll be hard to endure tonight."

    The man didn''t agree with her leaving. He shook his head and said, "Goodbye. The outside is completely soaked. You won''t be able to find it."

    "Then what else can we do? If we don''t have a fire to keep you warm, you''ll probably choke."

    "If you come closer, I won''t be cold."

    The man''s innocent face was illuminated by the fire. He opened his moist eyes and stared blankly at Su Zhi. If it wasn''t for the fact that he was truly uncomfortable, Su Zhi really thought that this man wanted to take advantage of her.

    "That won''t do. Even the beasts wouldn''t dare to approach us with a torch." How about this, I''ll go into the cave and look around. "

    The cave they were in was not very small, and the cave entrance was deep. The stone walls were long and curved. When Su Zhi first entered, she had peeked inside. She would reach the bottom after another two to three hundred meters.

    "Then I''ll go with you." Lu Huan Zhi struggled to get up.

    "No need, rest well. I''ll be back soon."

    Since he wasn''t going to get out of the cave, Lu Huan Zhi decided to just let her be.

    Su Zhi took out a matchstick that was as thick as an arm, and used it to probe into the hole. She moved slowly, the torch in her hand swaying in the air. Indeed, she saw some dead branches that could still be used not far in front of her.

    "Found it!" Su Zhi was overjoyed. She ran to pick up the firewood.

    When the torch struck the stone wall, she found a translucent mass wrapped around the stone pillar. When she got closer, she was so frightened that her face paled.

 C153

    Ah!

    Hearing the cry of shock, Lu Huan Zhi immediately stood up, "Su Zhi, what''s wrong?"

    "You ˇ­ Don''t come over, I''m fine! "

    The torch was aimed at a whole piece of shedding snake skin. The light brown net-like skin meandered around the stone pillar until it reached the ground. Su Zhi felt her scalp tingle as a wave of cold air spread from the bottom of her feet to her back.

    Trembling, she picked up a bundle of branches and stumbled back.

    "What''s the matter with you?"

    Seeing her fear, Lu Huan asked worriedly.

    Su Zhi looked at him very seriously, swallowed her saliva, and said, "Your Highness, other than this cave, is there any other place nearby that can accommodate you?"

    Lu Huan Zhi stared at her in shock and slowly shook his head, "As far as I know, there''s nothing else."

    That is to say, there is no other place to go out of this place tonight?

    "What''s wrong with you? Why are you asking this?"

    Su Zhi gasped, trying her best to remain calm as she replied, "I just saw a shedding snake skin deep inside the cave. It was about as thick as a bowl''s mouth."

    "What?"

    This time, Lu Huan''s back turned cold.

    "No way!" He stretched out his voice and looked helpless.

    "Fortunately, the snake''s skin doesn''t look like it was newly shed, and there aren''t any suspicious areas around. So it should be safe for the time being."

    With their current situation, they would die even if they were to leave. It would be better to stay here and wait for dawn.

    Even after taking the medicine, Lu Huan''s head was still dizzy, but he still forced himself to stay alert, "I''m not afraid. Sleep peacefully, I''m here."

    Su Zhi replied with a wry smile, "Don''t try to show off. Rest first. We''ll think of a way to leave here tomorrow morning."

    "I ˇ­"

    He wanted to continue joking, but he was too sleepy. He leaned against the haystack and closed his eyes.

    Su Zhi was also tired, but she did not dare to sleep.

    If she stayed in the cave, anything could happen. She had to be extremely alert.

    On the same night, Xiao Qian, who was thousands of miles away, suddenly covered his eyes.

    When the wooden lamp was serving tea, it saw that the general was feeling uneasy and said with concern, "General, it''s late at night. Hurry and rest."

    Xiao Qian impatiently shook his head. "My eyelids are twitching."

    Thinking of the previous joke Tan Zhao had made, Qing Mu happily said, "It''s all over. Your wife ˇ­"

    When she saw the man''s sullen expression, Qing Mu immediately cleared his throat. "Your wife is doing very well."

    "Any news from the dark guard?"

    "Not at the moment. Everything should be fine."

    Xiao Qian nodded slightly, but for some reason, his heart felt restless.

    "General, we''re camping here, and it''s not far from the South Sea. Why don''t we take advantage of the situation and chase after them?"

    The man''s resolute mouth raised, his eyes carrying an imperceptible look of contempt.

    He didn''t expect to find those three alive.

    "This general has his own plans. You can go and rest."

    Greenwood scratched his head in confusion, but he didn''t dare to ask any further, so he could only leave.

    Xiao Qian rubbed his eyes, which were constantly pulsating.

    After leaving for a few days, he wondered how Su Zhi and her child were doing.

    He crouched beside the desk, wanting to write a letter home to pass on to her. He held onto the calligraphy brush in his hand for a long time, but didn''t know how to write it. After thinking for a while, he could only give up.

    That night was the most unpeaceful night that Su Zhi had ever had.

    She hugged her sore knees and added firewood to the fire from time to time. She also had to pay more attention to her surroundings. Her tense nerves never relaxed.

    High tension was always hard to bear. She had waited for the dawn to break with great difficulty, but she could feel her eyes aching. She was on the verge of collapsing.

    "Sleep for a while. I''ll keep watch." A warm voice entered his ears.

    The man leaning against the haystack regained consciousness and opened his eyes to see a woman fighting with her tired eyes but still holding on.

    Seeing that he had woken up, Su Zhi''s tired face revealed a relieved smile, "You''re awake. Are you feeling better?"

    She moved her numb legs closer and extended her hand to caress the man''s forehead, calming her heart down. "The fever has subsided. Everything is fine now."

    Lu Huan held onto her waist with only a slight force. Su Zhi felt that she could not break free.

    "Sleep in my arms for a while. Be good, be good."

    "Stop messing around. Let''s hurry on our way."

    She wanted to get up, but Lu Huan Zhi refused to let go of her. She continued to hug her, "If you don''t listen, I''ll kiss you."

    After successfully suppressing Su Zhi with a single sentence, she glared with her angry almond-shaped eyes and said while gritting her teeth, "Are you being reasonable or not? I-I''ve been guarding you for the whole night!"

    "Yeah, I was rude and unreasonable to begin with, it''s not like this is your first time seeing one."

    Su Zhi was so angry that she wanted to bite him, so she hit the man''s chest with her fist, "I''ll beat you to death, you bastard!"

    The man who had been saving up his strength all night had already recovered. No matter what she did, it was like she was tickling him. It didn''t work at all.

    "Two hours. Rest for two hours first before we leave. Otherwise, you won''t be able to walk too far."

    His attitude was not the least bit playful, his clear peach blossom eyes were pure and clean.

    Su Zhi gave up resisting and unconsciously softened her body.

    She was indeed too tired. Hunger and thirst were bad for movement, and if an assassin found her, she wouldn''t even have the energy to run.

    "Fine, you are not allowed to do anything wrong. Wake me up in two hours."

    Compared to an assassin, Su Zhizhan truly felt that this man was more dangerous.

    Lu Huan Zhi revealed a gentle smile. "Go to sleep. I''ll protect you."

    Su Zhi struggled out of his embrace and frowned half a meter away from him. "Seriously, you''re not allowed to do anything rash."

    The man laughed softly. His low and deep voice was like a feather, causing one''s heart to feel numb and itchy.

    "Do you want me to mess around? He kept on emphasizing it. "

    "Pfft, don''t talk nonsense."

    She ignored the grinning man and turned her back to him, closing her eyes.

    Lu Huan stared at the woman''s skinny back with a complicated expression.

    After staring for a long time, he finally got up to make sure she was asleep. He reached out his hand to caress her hair, then gently caressed it.

    He came out of the cave, pushing aside the branches that blocked his path, and saw that the sky outside was dyed with the color of the morning sun, which had not been seen for a long time under the colorful clouds.

    A gust of wind came from his side, following which a guard appeared in the open space in front of the cave entrance.

    That person knelt on one knee, his attitude respectful, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

    Lu Huan Zhi nodded slightly. "No problem."

    "According to your orders, I have completed everything. But those guards are very skilled, I''m afraid they will catch up very soon."

    "I understand. You did well this time. You''re much smarter than that idiot Lu Si."

    Lu San, on the other hand, did not feel like he was being complimented. What had he done that night?

    Not only did he have to rescue the two people being hunted down, he also had to divert the attention of the four dark guards who were following Su Zhi, which made him extremely tired.

    "The cold poison in your highness'' body flared up again last night?"

    Lu Huan''s face was expressionless as he snorted, "It''s not a big deal."

    Fortunately, the woman thought it was ordinary typhoid and did not arouse any suspicion.

    "Your Highness, why do you have to suffer?"

    Last night, when Lu Huan Zhi followed the guards out of the cave, he had already found out the whereabouts of the hidden guards, but he refused to let them out.

    "Why are you blabbering so much, do what you should do."

    "Yes, your subordinate spoke too much."

    Lu Huan ordered the guards to retreat while listening in every direction. His sharp eyes caught sight of the people in the forest and he sneered.

    They came pretty quickly, and the guards under Xiao Qian''s command were pretty good.

    He dusted off the wrinkles on his clothes and returned to his usual unruly self. He turned around and walked into the cave.

 C154

    Su Zhi''s disappearance had caused a huge commotion at home.

    Ding''s mother was worried the whole night, so she couldn''t sleep soundly.

    Yesterday, when he went to the shop to inquire about the situation, he found out that someone had been called by the government. After going to the yamen, he found out that the person had already left the city.

    In this matter, Dan Xue and the others were still hiding this from the two children at home. They only said that the shop was busy and Su Zhi had left early and returned late, and they had never seen her before.

    Although Jin was worried, she still obediently went to the Moon Residence Garden to study.

    The two children did not suspect anything and continued to cause a ruckus. It could also be considered a blessing in disguise.

    Meanwhile, Hua Manlou wasn''t in much better shape either. Seeing that Su Zhi hadn''t come back for the entire night, Li Yi couldn''t help but feel uneasy.

    When he thought about how Qiu Hong had invited the Crown Prince''s son to act, he felt slightly more at ease. However, he was certain that the both of them would not meet with any mishaps.

    Not long after dawn, a red sun rose from the east.

    Su Zhi was still sleeping by the haystack, perhaps because she had been too tired from yesterday''s journey.

    The moment she fell asleep, she felt extremely heavy. Even the sunlight shining through the tree branches at the entrance wasn''t enough to wake her up.

    The man at the side supported himself with his head as he stared foolishly at her sweet sleeping appearance. He just didn''t want to see enough no matter what.

    Why didn''t he realize that this girl was so pretty before? Her curls and thick eyelashes matched well with her delicate nose and eyebrows. Her pink lips were still pursed, and her fair and soft skin was covered with dust. No matter how one looked at it, she was extremely pitiful.

    There were many concubines in Lu Huan''s residence, including fat and thin concubines.

    In comparison, Su Zhi was indeed not the most eye-catching, but she was a cute little girl.

    He stared at her dumbly, his gaze sliding down the path as he subconsciously swallowed his saliva.

    He took back what he had said yesterday about her being in bad shape.

    Only when he saw her hands that were slightly callused did he calm his gaze, revealing an expression of heartache.

    These hands were the ugliest hands he had ever seen. Who could have a girl''s hands that rough like this? Who knew how much suffering this girl had gone through before.

    However, since he didn''t have a man to help him, it was naturally more difficult to pull two children along.

    He stared at her without sparing a single inch of her gaze. In his eyes, there was a trace of gentleness and tenderness, as well as a love that even he could not detect.

    Su Zhi fell asleep quietly as he watched.

    As time passed, the morning sun was shining down from the sky, and the cave was lit up.

    The clatter of horses'' hooves came from outside. Before Lu Huan Zhi could get up, the woman on the haystack had already woken up.

    "Ya, it''s already so late. I shouldn''t have slept for more than two hours, right?"

    Su Zhi rubbed her eyes. Seeing the bright sun shining outside, she quickly stood up.

    "It''s still early anyway. There''s no rush." Lu Huan Zhi giggled at her.

    "You''re not in a hurry, I''m in a hurry!"

    The three merchants in the prison were still pointing at her, trying to clear away any suspicions.

    Was it that the two constables had been planted to kill her, or was there a problem with the people in the magistrate''s office?

    The sound of the horse hooves was getting closer and closer.

    Su Zhi stretched her back and followed Lu Huan''s exit to have a look.

    "Well, isn''t this your horse?"

    Lu Huan Zhi nodded his head proudly, "Not really. The Thousand Li Horse knows how to recognize its master."

    Su Zhi nodded in agreement. This was indeed a rare good horse that could find her way here.

    The two of them packed their things and descended the mountain on the same horse.

    Along the way, they didn''t meet any more assassins. The two of them were anxious to return home so they quickened their pace, walking on the bright sun as they hurried towards the city gate.

    It rained all night long, and the Four Seasons Taurus in the garden fell to the ground.

    The branches of the willows that had not been drawn hung on the yellow grass, and there was not much of spring to be seen in the bleak landscape.

    Zhao Danchen was wrapped in a fur coat as he looked at the woman beside him with an unsatisfied expression. He was in a very good mood.

    "Second Master, it''s been a long time since you''ve come to this servant''s place."

    The coquettish and mellow woman pouted her lips in dissatisfaction, as if she felt wronged.

    "Don''t be sad, in a while, when the old man becomes angry, I''ll carry you on as a concubine."

    The woman smiled charmingly. "In that case, thank you, Second Master."

    Ever since the rebellion started, he was unable to hold his head up in front of his father because of the corruption of his provisions.

    Once he lost his power, Zhao Zheng became the mansion''s new pet.

    Thinking of his half-brother, Zhao gave birth to a strong sense of disgust in his heart.

    A child born of a concubine dared to control the Zhao Family? Other than having the face to be a waiter, how could that man compare to him? Wasn''t it just a loss in pay?

    "Second Master, what are you thinking?"

    "Some little bitches don''t know their place."

    Having been demoted to a higher position and then depressed for a long time, the two of them had been playing with each other for a long time. The man seemed to want to vent all of his discontent.

    "I''ll be leaving first. I''ll fight with you later!"

    The woman gave the man a flirtatious glance as she watched him leave.

    Zhao Danchen walked out of the door. Not long after he walked out, he heard the sound of a zither. Seeing that there were many shy young maidservants hiding in the pavilion in front of him, he became agitated once again.

    "He''s showing off his zither skills again so early in the morning. It really is the same as those lowly bastards in the Chu Clan!"

    He stepped forward and chased away the surrounding maidservants, cursing loudly, "What are you looking at!? Get down to work! This sort of brothel prostitute selling this kind of thing is so nice to listen to? "

    The maidservants lowered their heads, although they did not like the way he insulted the third young master, they did not dare to make a sound, and one by one, they took their leave.

    The zither music abruptly stopped. The man''s slender fingers pressed against the zither, his gaze scattered across the center of the lake. His indifferent and ethereal body contained a bit of coldness and hidden sharpness.

    "I say, Zhao San''er, can you go further if you want to play the zither or play music in the future? Why don''t you just go back to the brothel? After all, isn''t that where you and your mother came from? "

    Before he could finish his sentence, Zhao Dagang felt a strong gust of wind against his abdomen. He was sent flying a few meters away and fell flat on his face.

    "Fuck you, you actually dared to hurt me!"

    Zhao Danchen struggled to get up and was about to lift a large rock to his side.

    "Bastard!" Just put it down! "

    A series of angry shouts came from the hallway. Zhao Jian walked over and slapped Zhao Jian in the face.

    Zhao Ditch covered his face and was stunned, "Dad, you actually hit me for the sake of this prostitute?"

    "Shut up! What did you do to make you shut up? To hang around with a woman all day without any signs of improvement! "

    After beating up his own son, Zhao Jian''s heart did not feel good.

    No matter how disgraceful Zhao Du was, he was still his own son. If he had a bit of potential, he wouldn''t have let Zhao Zheng come forward and do things.

    "Okay, okay, okay. Ever since this evil bastard entered the door, you have always found me pleasing to the eye. Nothing I do can please you, so why should I stay in the Zhao Family?" "I''ll leave now. You just have to count on this son of a bitch to bring you to your death!"

    "You!"

    Zhao Jian was so angry that his chest felt stuffy and he almost fainted.

    "Trash!"

    The father and son duo were at loggerheads, and the man in the pavilion had an indifferent expression the whole time, neither happy nor sad, as if he didn''t care about anything.

    After a long time, he slowly stood up and cupped his hands in a salute, "Father."

    Due to the displeasure just now, Zhao Jian''s attitude was not very good. He nodded his head coldly.

    "Your plan failed again."

    Zhao Zheng didn''t care in the least, "What you''re most worried about is that other princes will appear and threaten the crown prince''s position as storage monarch. As long as this matter did not succeed in the end, wouldn''t it be as you wish? "

    "But now, we can''t touch that woman or child. Chen Ming''s body hasn''t been doing well all this time. I''m worried ˇ­"

    "There''s nothing to worry about, because no matter how lucky that woman is, it''s impossible to let that child sit on the throne!"

    Faced with his affirmation, Zhao Jian did not refute anymore. After saying a few words to him, he left on his own.

    Zhao Zheng looked at the empty corridor. His face was pale, and suddenly he seemed to see the man approaching him again: "So you are here, son?"

    And the man said, The son is gone, and the day of his return shall come. The next episode, you did a good job with these words.

    However, he had forgotten that he had personally picked up the words for Zhao Zheng.

    Deep in the courtyard, the scorching sun burned the heart. The dead man would never come back, never.

    Zhao Zheng pursed his lips. The teardrop mark under the corner of his eyes was like a sob. He lowered his head and clasped his hands, bowing towards the empty courtyard.

 C155

    She had not come back last night, but when Su Zhi had secretly returned to Flower Mansion Tower with her hair in a mess and her clothes in a mess, she had even scared Qiu Hong witless.

    "Boss!" "You''re finally back!"

    She sobbed as she walked forward and hurriedly ordered someone to go downstairs and invite Li Yi up.

    Su Zhi rubbed her stomach and asked pitifully, "Is there anything to eat?" "I''m so hungry. It''s best if it''s hot soup or something."

    Qiu Hong nodded her head like she was pounding garlic. "Yes, yes. Please wait!"

    Having not eaten for so long, his stomach had long since become empty.

    Su Zhi felt that her recent life as the bane of evil was completely unlucky. The bad luck that stuck to her body had not yet calmed down, but it had caused her to suffer greatly.

    Hearing that she had come back, Li Yi put down what he was doing and rushed over. He shouted as soon as he opened the door, "Little Su! Are you okay? "

    Seeing that her body was covered in dirt and her face was dirty, his heart skipped a beat and he softly said: "I''m fine. Fortunately, someone came back."

    Su Zhi looked at him in confusion. "Brother Li, do you have something else to say?"

    Li Yi stomped his feet and said hatefully, "Those two bastards dared to have malicious thoughts towards you. They are truly despicable. Don''t worry, you won''t let them off when the general returns!"

    Just as he finished speaking, he remembered that the two men were already dead.

    "What do you mean?"

    Li Yi evaded and didn''t dare to answer directly. He was forced by Su Zhi to say, "The yamen came by early this morning to say that there were two lecherous things on the stall, hoping to tarnish you ˇ­"

    What?

    She had disappeared for an entire night, and the story had come out so quickly?

    Those two clearly wanted to take her life, right? How could it be what they said!

    Li Yi saw her surprised expression and consoled her with great sorrow. "Don''t think too much about it. Life is still long, so let''s just treat this as the past. The only people that the shop knows about are me and Autumn Red, and even Shuang''er doesn''t know."

    Su Zhi Sheng shook his head. Relax, this matter would spread like wildfire.

    However, when she thought about it, those two clearly wanted to kill someone, so why did they want her? Who was the one that had stealthily guided the rumors? Was he trying to ruin her reputation, or was he trying to hide the fact that he had killed her?

    "Boss, the chicken soup I brought you is still hot!"

    Qiu Hong came in with a food box. She exchanged glances with Li Yi and stared at her with concern.

    "Thank you."

    Su Zhi held the hot soup and took a sip. Her stomach felt a lot better. Her clothes were stuck together and uncomfortable. She got up to straighten her shirt.

    "Boss!" Qiu Hong stepped forward and closed the wooden window.

    "How... "What''s wrong?" Su Zhi stared at her in confusion.

    Qiu Hong''s expression froze as she shook her head. "Nothing, just eat."

    "Tsk, Qiu Hong, you don''t think that I want to jump off a building and meet with you, do you?"

    What was this? She really wasn''t affected. It was impossible to explain!

    "No matter what, you have to be strong. The shop can''t be without you!"

    Li Yi also nodded, "That''s right, Little Su. We won''t look at you differently, and neither will the general."

    Su Zhi really wanted to smash her head into a wall. Who would randomly think of such a wicked reason?

    "I really haven''t ˇ­"

    No matter how she explained, Qiu Hong and Li Yi didn''t dare leave her alone.

    This meal made Su Zhi speechless. She simply ate a little to fill her stomach, then asked Qiu Hong to take out a piece of clothing from the clothing store on the first floor that she could wear and change into it.

    Based on her current appearance, she would probably scare them when she went back.

    "I haven''t been home for the night. I need to go back and take a look. I won''t be staying in the shop today. I''ll come back tomorrow."

    Qiu Hong hesitated. "That is fine too. This little one will go back with you."

    Su Zhi laughed bitterly. "Qiu Hong, I really need to thank you for being afraid of me being unhappy. I really haven''t been touched by that. I''m fine, I don''t want to die!"

    No matter what one might say, that was the reason why Qiu Hong and the others gave up on the idea of following them home.

    Su Zhi got on the carriage and headed straight for Spring Leaf Alley.

    When Mama Ding saw that Su Zhi had returned, she went up to her happily and held her back. "Oh my god, what kind of lawsuit would require Madame to personally leave the city and let our general know. We''ll definitely let them suffer a loss."

    Bi Yue also walked out of the house. She went up to him and asked with concern, "Is Madam alright? I don''t think you look too good. Where did you go last night? We''re all worried to death. "

    Su Zhi comforted the two of them. When she saw the little bean bag lunge at her with the rabbit in her arms, she crouched down and hugged her to the ground.

    "Mother."

    "Sigh!"

    Only then did Su Zhi turn back and say, "It''s all a misunderstanding. It''s okay, you don''t have to worry." "Dan Xue went to school with A Jin?"

    Bi Yue nodded. "That''s right. In the morning, Jin''er asked about your whereabouts. It''s all thanks to you coming back."

    "It''s true that I didn''t get a good night''s sleep last night. I even went to walk in the muddy ditch. I just want to take a bath and sleep for a while now."

    "Alright, Madam will accompany Sister Lan for a while. I''ll go prepare some hot soup now."

    Bi Yue dove head first into the kitchen. Only her mother, Ding, noticed that something was wrong and refused to leave.

    "Ma''am, did you encounter some difficulty?" Tell me, and I will send a message to the general so that he can think of a way. "

    Su Zhi hurriedly shook her head, "There''s no need. The general is also very worried outside. Now that he''s been distracted and worrying about his family''s matters, isn''t that just making things more difficult for him? "Mom Ding, don''t worry. I can handle this. It''s not a big deal."

    As she refused to answer, there was nothing she could do. She could only play with the small bean bag beside her and unwittingly said, "The general is on good terms with the other generals of the supporting countries in the imperial court. Not only that, he has a good relationship with the young masters of the Tan Family.

    Su Zhi understood the meaning behind her words and knew that the enemy she faced this time was incalculable.

    If the truth realm could not hold out any longer, she would think of a way to seek help.

    "I understand her kind intentions, so you can rest assured that if something similar happens again, I will brazenly ask for their help."

    Mother Ding sighed and nodded. She knew that she had a strong personality and didn''t like to trouble others, so she didn''t say anything more.

    Su Zhishu took a comfortable bath, then ate some pastries. Her body felt much more comfortable.

    He had been sitting there all night, and now his back was aching and his mind was running out of steam.

    After the small bean bun was brought by Jade Moon into the courtyard to play, Su Zhi climbed onto the bed and fell asleep.

    The branches of the willow branches on the moon shined for an entire day. At night, the river of stars also swayed.

    The Royal Capital, Eastern Palace.

    A youth wearing a white fox fur coat was sitting under the lamp, looking at the portrait of the woman.

    His body was very thin, and from time to time he coughed. Although he was trying his best to restrain himself, it was still worrisome.

    "Your Highness Crown Prince, it''s late at night. Rest for now."

    The youth under the lantern was thin and weak, his appearance like a painting. He caressed the woman in the portrait, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

    "Fu An, do you think Su Family''s elder sister will like my current appearance? She used to think I was too thin. "

    The eunuch shivered, not daring to reply. He looked around, then replied carefully, "Your Highness, since you are already dead, why mention it? If His Majesty were to hear it, I will blame you again. "

    Recently, Lu Chenming had been looking at the portrait more and more frequently. He had secretly put it away quite a few times, but he was still able to find it.

    "Since I was a child, I have always been weak and sickly. I have never left the palace. If it weren''t for her, I would still be like a canary in a cage, unable to see the outside world."

    "Your Highness ˇ­"

    The youth bitterly smiled. "I miss her very much."

    "Don''t let the emperor and empress hear that."

    "Mm, I know. You can leave now and let Pei Yan in."

    "Your Highness," the eunuch called out, bowing and backing away, before long, he had the strength to dress up as a guard.

    Lu Chenming nodded lightly and put away the portrait on the table, "The Zhao Family is making a move?"

 C156

    "As Your Highness had expected, the country leader and the others did want to lure Miss Su out of Xuan City and kill her."

    "Mm, besides General Xiao''s people, who else?"

    The guard cupped his fists and said, "Yes ˇ­ Your Highness. "

    "Oh?"

    Lu Chenming raised his eyebrows. He seemed to find it very interesting.

    Even that slut was dragged in. It seemed that even if he didn''t act, the Zhao Clan wouldn''t be able to do anything to the big sister of the Su Clan.

    "Your Highness, do we still need to continue watching?"

    He smiled slightly, "Now it seems that there''s no need. "You should pay more attention to Zhao Zheng''s movements. In the entire Zhao Family, only he would want to completely exterminate the Su Family."

    Pei Yan nodded his head and hesitated for a moment. Then, he said, "The scout has sent news. It seems like the country''s Sky Sovereign has sent people to Qinghe County. As for what they are going to do, this subordinate does not know."

    The youth tightened his grip on the portrait and took out a red ribbon to tie it. His movements were gentle and meticulous, but there was frost in his eyes.

    "No matter what they want to do, they can make a big deal out of it at the critical moment."

    "Your Highness''s meaning is ˇ­" I hope that His Majesty knows that person from the Su Clan is still alive? "

    Lu Chenming held the portrait and said thoughtfully, "Pei Yan, you said that royal father once doted on Xuan Fei, why would he listen to Fang Shi''s slanderous words and truly believe that the child was a demon?"

    The guard who was questioned was stunned, not knowing how to reply.

    Since she had entered the palace, she had taken the top spot with six palaces.

    No one from the three palaces and six courtyards could compare, but for some reason, His Majesty''s attitude had turned cold when he learned that Xuan Fei was pregnant and that the baby in the harem was the son of the demon.

    His Majesty did not feel any additional sadness until his children and his favorite concubine died in the sea of fire.

    Was it really as heartless as a king?

    "Your subordinate does not dare to make wild guesses about this matter."

    Lu Chenming could not figure it out, so he waved his hand, "Go. Father will find out sooner or later, the Zhao Family will definitely harm them. If the Jiang Family can''t take care of it, help them out secretly."

    "Yes, your subordinate understands!"

    The youth carefully placed the drawing in his hand in the drawer, seeming to be talking to himself. "Elder sister Su, that''s all I can do."

    Several days had passed since the assassination attempt on the outskirts of Xuan City.

    Su Zhi counted the days with her fingers. There were no longer people looking for trouble in the shop, nor were there people from the government saying that she had committed a crime. As for the few Hu merchants in the prison, he didn''t know how Lu Huan Zhi had dealt with them. In short, he had released them.

    His days were truly free from worries. However, Su Zhi did not dare to relax her vigilance. After all the trouble she had caused, the person behind her could not possibly give up just because she had no results.

    He was obviously plotting something in the dark for her little life.

    The last time Lu Huan Zhi saved her, she hadn''t had the chance to properly express her gratitude. That man loved to run to Flowerwood when he had nothing to do, but he hadn''t come even once since he had returned.

    Could it be that his personality had changed? Do you know how to restrain your temper?

    Su Zhi had also visited Li Wuyou at Moyun Castle. He was indeed severely injured and had just woken up, yet he did not know anything.

    Perhaps it was because of the severe brain injury, and he could not recall anything about that night''s incident.

    It was hard to say who had injured him. The only thing he could tell Su Zhi was that she had to be careful of everything.

    After the last two twists and turns, the store''s traffic had been greatly reduced.

    When Li Yi mentioned this matter, he even gnashed his teeth in anger. He said that the opposite party, "The Hundred Flavors Clear Joyous", seized the opportunity to spread rumors, causing the flowers on the floor to become even more bitter.

    When he went to the shop today, Elementary Scholar Li had rolled up his sleeves and was so angry that he wanted to go across the room and ruin the scene.

    "Big Brother Li, calm down. If you go in again, I can''t guarantee that I can save you."

    Li Yi clenched his fist and smashed it onto the counter. He pointed at Hundred Flavors and scolded, "He, Yu Zhanhong, has gone too far!"

    "The business these few days really isn''t that good. How about this? There''s a promotional event that''s going on in the shop. The price will be reduced by a certain amount and even if the price isn''t fully reduced, we''ll give him a gift."

    "That won''t do. If it''s like this, we have to thank each other."

    Su Zhi made some rough calculations. She had earned more than ten thousand taels of silver in net profit since she had started operating the restaurant. Even if he gave them back to the old and new customers, he would not be able to keep many things like rice, grains, vegetables and fruits unless he sold them as soon as possible.

    The more we buy, the higher the discount. In any case, we won''t be able to reach the limit, so giving out a small piece of cake from the dessert shop isn''t a big deal. It''s not a big deal.

    Li Yi drooped his head and said listlessly, "Little Su, it''s best if you have a way. When you encounter a problem, you will think of a way to resolve it. I can''t do it. Without you, this shop will collapse. "

    Su Zhi smiled and comforted, "Big brother Li, don''t say that. We are all part of this shop, we can''t leave anyone. It''s impossible for me to run such a large store all by myself. Everyone has their own duties, so this store can be run as usual.

    "I''ll be the accountant, not as hard as you guys."

    "Mr. Accounts are very important. You have to be precise about your income and expenditure to know how profitable the store is. Brother Li did a good job." I think there are already some students preparing for this year''s Autumn Festival. Brother Li, you should also want to go, you can do it! "

    When Su Zhi changed the topic, Elementary Scholar Li''s complexion turned better, "Right, I must go and try out this year''s Imperial Examinations. What Little Su said is right!"

    "Alright, then I wish Big Brother Li victory at the start!"

    Li Yi received encouragement and was fully confident.

    The two of them were discussing about the business of the shop when a dozen or so armed constables barged in. They had met the leader a few days ago. It had only been a short while, why was he here again?

    "Su Zhi!" "Someone at the yamen hit the injustice drum and said that you kidnapped someone''s child and you''re coming with us!"

    The two of them were confused by her words, and Su Zhi was even more confused. When did she kidnap another person''s child?

    "Your Lordship, could it be a misunderstanding? How could our family''s Xiaosu kidnap a child? "I don''t buy or sell human teeth."

    The leading constable shrugged, "How should I know? We are only following orders. Alright, alright, let''s go!"

    Li Yi went up to stop them and explained again, "You must have made a mistake. The yamen can''t come and arrest someone every two or three days!"

    Although Su Zhi did not say much, she had already sensed that this was another trouble that had been premeditated. As expected, she could not relax her vigilance.

    "Big Brother Li, it''s fine. I''ll go take a look. Maybe I really made a mistake. I''ll be back in a while."

    "But ˇ­"

    The constable''s patience was limited, as he pushed Su Zhi towards the door, "Let''s go, let''s go, there''s no mistake from the county lord."

    Li Yi could not stop her and could only watch as Su Zhi was taken away.

    Qiu Hong happened to rush over to the shop, looking confused. "Manager Li, what''s going on?" Why did the yamen come to arrest him again? "

    Li Yi sighed with a frown and said, "They say that Little Su kidnapped their child and wants to go to the government to clarify things."

    Qiu Hong was shocked. "What is this reason?" The boss only does small business, where can he kidnap other people''s children? "

    "Who knows? I feel that something is not right these few days. Spring is approaching and something is going on with Flowery Lou. Who knows, it might be behind this!"

    However he put it, Qiu Hong also felt that it made sense. In the past, when there were jealous shops, the manager wouldn''t make a big fuss. Su Zhi''s wrist was high, so she could easily settle it. However, it was very clear that there were people who wanted to thoroughly defeat her in the recent few times, bringing along Hua Manlou and his sinister methods. No one knew who operated in the secret chamber.

    "The shop is closed for the day, I want to go to the yamen to check on Little Su''s condition."

    Li Yi didn''t have the mood to stay at Flower Mansion, so he made a gesture to follow them.

    However, Qiu Hong stopped him. "No way. If the store is not opened, outsiders will think that Flower Mansion is in trouble, which is even more detrimental to the progress of the business."

    Li Yi was a little worried, "You''re right, but there must be someone watching over there. How about this, you go to Prince Yongning''s residence to look for His Highness? "

    "Alright, I''ll go take a look. As long as Your Highness is here, the boss will be fine."

    Not long after Qiu Hong entered the store, she was in a hurry to leave in the direction of the manor ˇ­

 C157

    Su Zhi followed the constable and quickly arrived at the yamen. Sure enough, she saw a young man rolling up his sleeves and swinging at a large drum in front of the gate.

    That person was wearing patched linen clothes and a pair of sewn cotton shoes. He was tired and was sweating profusely. He was even knocking non-stop. When he saw her walk over, his eyes were filled with hostility.

    "Master Qing Tian, please make the decision!" "This commoner is Zhou Family of Qing He County''s Zhou Family Village. My child was taken here by someone. Our family of three travelled thousands of miles just to find him and return justice to our family!"

    Inside the hall, there was a woman around Su Zhi''s age. Her clothes and skirt were all covered with marks of mending.

    At this moment, he was kneeling in the center, crying his heart out.

    Kneeling beside him was an old woman with a head full of white hair.

    Su Zhi''s temples suddenly jumped up. She didn''t know what was going on.

    "My lord, we have brought the criminal Su Zhi!"

    The fat-headed and large-eared Zhixian slapped a wooden log, "Silence!"

    "Kneel before the lord!"

    She stood in a daze on the spot. The constable quickly launched an attack in an attempt to suppress her.

    "Forget it, come on, look at the seats."

    Zhixian still remembered when Lu Huan came back a few days ago, he said in a strange tone, "You know Yuxian right? Your nephew, Yu Zhanhong, was in trouble with Lady Su before, but do you know why you left her alone in the end? You still don''t know that the person supporting that girl is the Great General Xiao, right? "

    Naturally, there was also Lu Huan.

    Although Yu Zhi County followed the Zhao Family''s lead, they didn''t dare to offend the Xiao Family and the Crown Prince.

    This time, another person came to report to the government, especially since it was related to Lady Su. Yu Zhi County could not afford to eat the food that they worried about so early in the morning. This year had been bad for him. Why did he always encounter such things? He probably wouldn''t be able to do it for more than a few days, spending money to buy the official seat from his uncle in the country.

    "Milord, there is no need to be courteous. I have come here today to understand what is happening."

    Without waiting for the county magistrate to speak again, the woman who knelt on the ground and sobbed silently rushed forward and grabbed Su Zhi, "It''s you, right!?" You took my child! Give her back to me! "

    Su Zhi frowned, unable to break free, she could only refute, "Big sis, you can eat whatever you want, but you can''t say whatever you want. When did I kidnap your child? I don''t even know who your child is!"

    The old granny who was by his side interrupted him and shouted: "You liar! Either you or your man did it! That damned husband of yours must be a hunter in Peace Village. That brat surnamed Nie died on the battlefield half a year ago! "

    Mentioning Nie Rufeng, Su Zhi''s eyebrows jumped as she stared at the old woman kneeling on the ground with a dark expression.

    "You know my husband?"

    "Pfft! Although I don''t know her, I do know that your entire village has told us that Nie Rufeng took away my grandson''s daughter!"

    This time, Su Zhi understood that the child that they were talking about as having been kidnapped was Little Dou Zi.

    It was true that Nie Rufeng had picked up that child, but he had only adopted it because he felt pity for her. When he saw that child, he didn''t hear that her parents were still alive.

    "Then, do you know that my husband found the Soybean Bag by the roadside? My family''s A Jin often joked about this matter, saying that after her sister was abandoned, her father bought her half a bean bag. "

    When they first met, the little girl was sitting on the muddy ground crying. Nie Rufeng came back from the market and saw that the child was pitiful. He took out one of the bean buns he bought for A Jin and gave it to her. Only then did the child stop crying and call him daddy sweetly.

    During the wasteland disaster, there were countless children who had to be abandoned because they couldn''t eat their fill. The bean dumpling was one of the children abandoned.

    Hearing this, the young girl on the ground said in disbelief, "This is impossible! She is my daughter, how could I abandon her!"

    Su Zhi laughed coldly, "I have to ask you. My husband never intended to meddle in other people''s business, but that child followed him all the way." "The poor child was staggering, and there were wild dogs in the vicinity. He only adopted her because he was worried that his child would lose his life in the wolf''s den."

    The woman seemed to have suffered a heavy injury. She laid on the ground and only shook her head. Her gaze shifted to the old mistress at the side. She then turned her head to look at the man who was beating the drum again.

    "What is it? Now that the child has been raised by me, do you remember her? "

    Having known each other for so long, Su Zhi had long since treated Little Dou Bao as her own daughter. A family that abandoned their children, what qualifications did they have to take them back? No matter what, she would not agree to it!

    "My lord, to be honest, the Soybean Pouch was not given to me by a commoner, but it was not given to me by someone else. That child was picked up by my late husband, who pitifully fed him. Now that my husband is no longer around, although we don''t know the details, at least we have a point. The child was picked up and was not stolen. "

    Yu Zhi County, who was sitting on the high horse, patted the wooden log and said impatiently, "Alright, alright, stop beating the drum. My lord, my ears are shaking like crazy!" He then pointed at the woman below and said, "Mrs. Zhou, did you abandon your child or not?"

    The woman who was asked cried and shook her head, "How can that be? She''s my first child. I don''t even have enough time to feel heartache, how can I lose her?"

    Su Zhi remained calm and said coldly, "Just because you haven''t lost anything doesn''t mean that others haven''t done it. The children I raise are fine and don''t need to worry about food and clothing. Why are you calling my mother? Where did you come from?"

    "Nonsense! That child doesn''t know how to talk! " The old mistress insisted.

    "Oh? Can''t speak? You know that? "

    "Hmph, that little girl doesn''t even know how to speak when she is just a boy of a couple of years old. She only knows how to make sounds when she is two years old. How could I not know?"

    Su Zhi smirked. "You despised her for not being able to speak, so you abandoned her, right?"

    Only then did the old woman shut up and realize that she had fallen into a trap.

    Soybean indeed didn''t speak very well, but it wasn''t dumb or stuttering. It was just that it had sprouted too late and couldn''t compare to a child of the same age.

    "Is Lady Su right?" The county magistrate lowered his voice and scolded, "Do you blame your child for not being able to speak, thus deciding to lose her?"

    "Not only that, but we''re now arguing that we have a child." Su Zhi added fuel to the fire.

    "No, no, no, I don''t mind. Even if that child is mute, I won''t mind. After all, she''s the flesh that fell from my body!"

    The woman who was kneeling on the ground grabbed Su Zhi''s hand and cried, "I really never thought of abandoning her. Madam, give her back to me!"

    Su Zhi frowned and withdrew her hand, replying coldly, "Too late, I consider that child to be my own. I won''t return her to you. "Besides, you should take care of your own family matters first. Don''t you have any points in your heart when it comes to getting rid of children?"

    The Zhou Family Village and the An Village were both located in Qing He County. Although they were separated by a mountain, no news had spread out.

    During the time that Nie Rufeng adopted the Soybean Pancake, he also inquired about which family lost their child. At that time, there was a drought. There was no harvest from the farmland, and many people had starved to death. Who would care about this little girl who would not even know how to speak?

    Su Zhi could see clearly that the Yang family might not abandon their children this week, but this old woman might not. She turned around and glanced at the man kneeling behind her without uttering a single word. Her look of despise grew even deeper. Who knows, she might even have an accomplice.

    Madame Zhou cried as she asked the old woman, "Mother, did you throw my child away?"

    "Pfft, don''t talk nonsense. Don''t you also dislike the money losing goods that you gave birth to!"

    "But I never thought of abandoning her!"

    "Enough, speak less. Where is this place? How dare you be disrespectful to your mother! "

    The three of them argued back and forth. Su Zhi only smiled coldly and didn''t plan on letting them go.

    She wouldn''t return the child. They had been together for so long, even if it were a little kitten or a little dog, they would still have feelings for each other.

    Besides, when the child returned, she doubted that the family would be able to keep her well.

 C158

    "Lord, I wish to meet my child. Please allow it!"

    Madame Zhou knelt two steps forward, kowtowing to the ground. With three muffled sounds, blood seeped out from her forehead.

    Su Zhi could not bear to see this, so she turned her face away.

    The woman kowtowed and could no longer stand steadily. She turned around and crawled towards Su Zhi while sobbing, "Madam, I beg of you, please let me see my child!"

    The woman''s dusty appearance looked really pitiful, but Su Zhi didn''t want her child to see them.

    No matter what, the Soybean Pancake had indeed been abandoned. So what if they saw it? She would not let the family take the child away.

    "Lady Su, since that''s the case, I think it''s better if you let your child come to the court." In any case, the child does belong to someone else. "

    Su Zhi was somewhat hesitant. Seeing that the Zhou family was crying pitifully, she could only agree.

    The constable quickly went to Spring Leaf Lane and quickly brought the child along with him, along with his mother Ding and Jade Moon.

    When she saw Su Zhi, Mother Ding hurriedly went forward to pull her back, "Madam, what''s going on? "We''re fine at home. Someone from the government said he wanted to see us, and said he wanted us to meet."

    "I ˇ­"

    Before Su Zhi could explain, Mrs. Zhou had already rushed forward and hugged the small bean bag, "Aunt Lan!"

    Seeing this, Bi Yue hurriedly carried the child to the side and cautiously stared at her. "Where did this crazy woman come from? Can you even touch our Big Sister Nalan''er?"

    "Miss, this is my child. Let me hug you!"

    Madame Zhou looked pitifully at the bean bun, her eyes full of desire.

    Su Zhi could not bear to see her kneeling and begging for mercy. She softened her attitude and said, "Just look at her, don''t scare her."

    She took the child and sat on a chair to one side, teasing the ignorant girl in her arms. "Little Dou Zi, where''s your little rabbit?"

    "I was in a hurry to go out, so I didn''t bring it with me," Mother Ding answered from the side.

    "En!" She nodded and wrapped her fat arms around Su Zhi''s neck as she sweetly called out, "Mother ~"

    Mrs Zhou was so excited that she cried, "My child can speak. Hubby, listen, she can talk!"

    When he sent the child away, he also hesitated. Originally, she didn''t like having a daughter and she couldn''t talk, so he didn''t care that much about the first child. When his mother suggested throwing away the child, he nodded and agreed.

    Then he lied to his wife that the child had gone missing.

    "Even if he knows how to speak, he''s still a money-loser." The old woman rolled her eyes as she muttered to herself.

    Dou Zi looked at Zhou Yang''s tear-stained face in a daze. Her arms were wrapped around Su Zhi, making the woman''s heart ache uncontrollably from looking at her obedient appearance.

    "Madam, let me hold the child."

    Bi Yue was displeased. "Madam, where did this woman come from? The General''s Estate ˇ­" How could our young lady be so easily carried? "

    "No, no, no." She turned around and put her head in Su Zhi''s arms, acting like a spoiled child.

    Madame Zhou pulled back her hand sadly and wiped away her tears, "It''s fine if she doesn''t hug me. I''ll just look at her first."

    Su Zhi did not make a sound. She gently patted the child in her arms and also felt upset.

    This girl looked pitiful. She probably had no status at home. Judging from her domineering appearance, she must have suffered a lot.

    "Big sister, if you are certain that the child is yours, I will not refute this matter. Today, you went to the government and declared your wrongdoings. You said that my husband kidnapped my child, and now you deny it because you despise your child for being unable to speak. Originally, with my character, I would not have let my child meet with any of you. But now, I see that it''s not easy for you either. For you to meet her does not mean that I will return your child to you. "

    Zhou Yang looked heartbroken as she looked at the bean bun. Seeing that the child didn''t want to look at her, she felt even more pained in her heart.

    Seeing her like this, Su Zhi could only get up and leave, "Master, this humble woman still has matters to attend to, so I''ll take my leave first."

    Yu Zhi County already had a headache from this case. Seeing that Su Zhi was about to leave, they took the opportunity to say, "Let''s end this matter here. The three of you don''t need to tell anyone else. You lost your child and the villain sues you first. Truly!"

    After Zhi Prefecture left, she slapped him with her palm, fiercely warning him, "How many times have I told you this? The reason we came here this time, why are you always doing bad things?"

    When they were in Zhou Village, someone found them and said that they would give them a large sum of money on the condition that they go to Xuan City and find someone called Su Zhi. They said that she had kidnapped their own child and would go to the government to sue her. As long as he sent her to prison, he would be able to get his money.

    The old granny of the Zhou family did not care about the little girl who had been abandoned, but coveted the silver. Thus, she brought her family to Xuan City.

    Who knew that the girl called Su Zhi was not to be trifled with? She had run away for nothing this time.

    "Weeping all day long? Do you want to curse me to death?"

    "Enough, Mother." Please do not be angry, Xiao Cui has not seen her child for a long time and is sad.

    "Just get used to her! What hope did she have now that she would be wasting her time at home? "Go back and quickly divorce her. Mother will find you another suitable one."

    The man didn''t say anything. He helped the swearing old mistress walk away, leaving behind the reluctant woman. She stared at Su Zhi''s side, unwilling to move.

    Her mother finally figured out the ins and outs of the situation. She had been mistaken about the relationship between them the entire time. When she heard Little Dou Bao call Xiao Gan''s father, she instinctively thought that this child was Xiao Qian, but in the end, it wasn''t.

    Bi Yue noticed her displeasure, so she silently pulled at the corner of her clothes and lightly shook her head with a glance.

    "Madam ˇ­"

    Even if Jade Moon tried to stop him, she still couldn''t help it.

    Su Zhi turned around with the child in her arms and looked at her, "What''s wrong?"

    "If my wife asks, if Sister Lan isn''t my general''s flesh and blood, then what about Brother Jin?"

    Mrs Ding had long since noticed that her child didn''t resemble Xiao Qian. Especially the few times they had come here, she had actually called him ''Uncle Xiao''. She had originally thought that they were listening to him, but now, it seemed that neither of the two children were his.

    "Not his." Su Zhi calmly replied.

    Mother Ding seemed to have been greatly stimulated. Her face changed as she covered her heart, unable to utter a word.

    She had fallen out with the madame and was willing to follow Xiao Qian to Spring Leaf Lane, but those two children were not the generals of her family.

    Was Xiao Qian helping him raise a son?

    Bi Yue tightly held onto her mother''s hand, not daring to let her ask any further questions.

    How could a servant have the right to talk about a master''s affairs?

    Xiao Qian told them to come to the courtyard and wait upon him. The only thing they could do was to serve their master with all their might.

    "Mom Ding."

    Su Zhi put down the small bean bag and walked in front of her while holding her hand, but she still turned around and smiled at her in a friendly manner, "It doesn''t matter if you don''t want to serve in the courtyard if you''re not worthy of the general. You just need to return to the Xiao family, I won''t say a single extra word to the general."

    Mother Ding lowered her head, her face full of wrinkles.

    Having spent so much time with Su Zhi, she had always felt that this girl had a kind face and lived in a comfortable place. She had never put on airs and that there wasn''t much difference between master and servant between the two of them.

    A Jin and Little Dou Bao were both smart and clever, so she had long since relaxed and tried her best to serve them.

    Now that the truth was revealed, she felt a little uncomfortable.

    "Rest assured, I will tell the general that you are too old to look after these two little monkeys. As for Bi Yue and Dan Xue, whether they go or stay, I won''t stop them either. If we return together, then I''ll say that they are unwilling to part with you. "

    "Madam, I ˇ­"

 C159

    Without waiting for her mother''s reply, Bi Yue hurriedly stepped forward and replied, "Madam, your servant won''t leave." The little girl pouted and said, "You are the general''s man, and you haven''t given the general a man and a woman yet. There''s a chance that you will give birth to a bunch of fat kids in the future."

    Su Zhi''s face suddenly turned red, and she couldn''t help but spit at her. "What are you talking about, little girl? You''re not ashamed at all."

    Mrs Ding also nodded in agreement. "That''s right. My wife really likes these two children and is willing to stay and look after them." Pausing, she continued, "But, the general is not young anymore. You should know that in the entire Wei Dynasty, which man has not already become a child? This servant only hopes that Madam will be able to add a few more meridians of incense to the general as soon as possible. This way, the madame will have more hope when she asks. "

    Su Zhi focused her mind, appearing to be in a trance as she answered, "Mn, we''ll talk about it when the general comes back."

    Old Mistress Xiao didn''t like her, so this matter was obvious. Xiao Qian had been busy ever since the year before, saying that he wanted to convince the madame to accept her. However, whether or not this method would work was a problem.

    If Grandmother Xiao Qian refused to let her pass through the Xiao family''s front door, then she and Xiao Qian could only be fated to be together.

    Thinking up to here, Su Zhi let out a long sigh, feeling depressed in her heart.

    When they arrived at the entrance of the shop, the whole family separated. Little Dou Bao was brought back to Spring Leaf Alleyway by Mama Ding and Jade Moon. Su Zhi had to continue working on the matters concerning the shop.

    Before they reached Flowery House, they saw Li Yi from afar looking at them from the door. When he saw her return, he went up to her happily and greeted, "You''re finally back. The officials didn''t do anything to you, right?"

    Hearing the commotion, Qiu Hong also stuck her head out. "Boss, you''re back. "I had originally wanted to go to the Prince''s Mansion to look for His Highness the Crown Prince, but unfortunately, he hasn''t been around for a few days. Manager Li and I were still worried, afraid that the yamen wouldn''t let him go."

    "Where is the Crown Prince''s Palace?" Su Zhi thought to herself. Before she could thank Lu Huan, he hadn''t come to the shop. So he wasn''t at home.

    Qiu Hong shook her head, at a loss. "This little one doesn''t know. Even if I went to find someone, the butler would send a message saying that His Highness has not been home for quite some time. It''s hard to say when he will return."

    No wonder she didn''t see that man wandering around. When she thought of Lu Huan''s pale face when they parted ways, she couldn''t help but worry. She didn''t know if his chills had completely recovered.

    Within the inner courtyard of the Marquis'' Mansion.

    Xu Yue was in a hurry. When he heard the message from the scout, he was so shocked that he hurriedly came back to report.

    At this moment, Jiang Si was stroking Xiao Jin''s lock, which was in an embroidered box, with a kind smile on his face. April was the birthday of that child A Jin. He didn''t know if he would like this gift or not.

    "Madam!"

    Xu Yue rushed over from outside the courtyard, but before he could catch his breath, he shouted, "Something''s happened!"

    Jiang Si put away the box, knitted his eyebrows and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    "This servant just heard from the scout that someone had sued Su Qiuyi for kidnapping her own child. This matter has already reached the yamen!"

    They had chased someone out of Xuan City a few days ago to kill him, and now they wanted to start a lawsuit. The Zhao Family was not going to give up until they had achieved their goal.

    "No matter what, nothing can''t happen to Su Qiao1. How could I not know what the Zhao Family is scheming?" I just want to get rid of this last member of the Su Family so that A Jin won''t be able to recognize the Emperor for the rest of his life. "

    Xu Yue clenched his fists tightly, his mind was extremely tense. He had waited for news of Su Qiuyang and the little prince reviving with great difficulty, and now he couldn''t allow anyone to hurt them.

    "Madam, what should we do? "The Zhao Family is biting hard not to let go. I''m really afraid that one day, I''ll ˇ­"

    Jiang Si shook his head while sneering, "Don''t worry, as long as Su Xing doesn''t leave the Royal City, the Dark Guard will not easily disperse. The Zhao Family can''t do anything to her for now." You just want to drag her into the dark prison, then kill her without anyone noticing. "

    Unfortunately, the little girl who managed to escape from the sea of flames had improved in the past five to six years. The Zhao Family had never thought that Su Qiuyi, who only liked to play and was carefree, would turn into a thorny hedgehog that was not to be trifled with.

    "Tell someone to press the case and negotiate with that county in Xuan City. If he dares to touch the Su Family, don''t blame him for wearing that black gauze hat on his head. "No matter how great the power of the Zhao Family is, it will be too weak to control its subordinates. It is not impossible for the house of the Marquis to touch a small county."

    Xu Yue nodded in agreement and hurried off to give orders.

    Jiang Si showed a cold face, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes.

    However, the man hiding behind the pillar outside the door had a deathly pale face, as if he had heard an unspeakable secret.

    Even in her wildest dreams, Lan Yu would never have imagined that the child of Xuan Fei would not die and would return to the Imperial City safe and sound.

    No wonder she had been worrying so much when she visited Jiang Si for the past few days, and she didn''t want to talk to him.

    Lan Yu felt extremely bitter as he thought about his own wife''s attitude. He couldn''t let go of the foul air in his chest. He stared at the Peach Blossom Soup in his hand that he had just bought from the store and fell into a dilemma.

    After a moment of hesitation, he turned around and silently left, as if he had never been there before.

 C160

    Today, after going to the court, Su Zhi was still nervous and didn''t have the mood to stay in the shop.

    The thought of someone robbing her of her bean bun made her feel bad.

    Some people didn''t want her to be too comfortable and secretly played tricks on her. They wanted to make her lose her business and kill her. Since the two of them couldn''t walk around anymore, they might as well steal the child instead.

    Su Zhi was worried about the condition of the two children at home. Before closing time, she left and handed the shop over to Qiu Hong and Li Yi to look after.

    He had been feeling uneasy the entire way, but when he arrived at Spring Leaf Alley, he saw someone pointing and talking about something inside the alley.

    "Alright, alright, stop looking. Everyone disperse."

    When Su Zhi heard Gu Sister-in-Law''s voice, she thought something had happened to her family. When she arrived, she found out that it was her house. A woman was kneeling on the ground, and the onlookers were whispering amongst themselves.

    "Little Su, you''re back!"

    Upon seeing her return, Gu Sister-in-Law greeted her warmly, then pointed at the woman on the ground and asked, "What''s wrong with this person? He actually said he wanted to see his own child. Is there something wrong with his head?"

    Su Zhi took a closer look and realized it was the Zhou family she had seen in the yamen.

    She was kneeling at the front door, her cheeks still wet with tears.

    "Everyone disperse, there''s nothing to see."

    Su Zhi dispersed the crowd and said somewhat helplessly, "It''s useless for you to kneel here. The sky is cold and you must be careful of your body. Get up quickly."

    Zhou Yang shook her head tiredly, unwilling to get up. She moved her stiff and numb knees and crawled towards her, "Madam, I beg of you. Give Aunt Lan back to me."

    "I''m sorry, but I can''t give it back to you. Back then, it was you who lost your child and now you want to find it. If my husband had not coincidentally met her, perhaps this poor child would have perished. "

    Madame Zhou''s eyes reddened, and she began to sob. "Does Madame really think that I am so determined to lose her?" The midwife at first thought it was a stillborn child. When she was a year and a half and she still didn''t speak, I was anxious to get a doctor to treat her. However, her family disliked her as a girl, so how could they be willing to spend money to let the child see a doctor? "While I was out on the farmland, they took the child and threw him away. When I came back, they lied that the child had been kidnapped ˇ­

    Until a few days ago, when someone came to the door to tell them the whereabouts of the child, and was willing to give them a large amount of silver as a reward, as long as they went to the imperial city to complain, they could get the silver and the child back.

    "My mother-in-law doesn''t like girls. If I don''t have a good month and my stomach fails, my body will be empty. It will be difficult for me to have children in the future. If I am really abandoned by my in-laws, then this child is my only hope. I cannot do without her. "

    Madame Zhou hugged Su Zhi''s thigh and cried like rain.

    "Think of it as pitying me. Give Aunt Lan back to me, madam ˇ­"

    Su Zhi was not a heartless person, and upon seeing her like this, her heart was moved.

    "You get up first. Let''s talk inside, don''t let it get cold."

    She supported the woman who was crying incessantly, her heart also not feeling good.

    Zhou Yang did not do anything wrong, only blaming her mother for being too strong, and her husband for being too weak to take care of his wife.

    "No, I won''t get up. If Madam doesn''t want to return Aunt Lan to me, I will kneel here and die!"

    Su Zhi sighed, "Why are you doing this? Get up, we can discuss everything. Let''s go inside the house, you can take a look at the child."

    Sister-in-Law Gu had not gone far. She stood to the side watching, when the conversation finally broke out, "What''s up, Xiaosu? The child you''re talking about is Xiaosu?" You didn''t give birth to that child? "

    "Sister-in-law, I''ve let you watch a joke. I just heard Brother Shen call for you. Please go inside to take a look."

    After saying that, he lifted the woman up and knocked on the closed door.

    The moment Su Zhizhan entered, Gu Sister-in-Law told another woman who had come to watch the show, "What''s going on? How can a child not be his own?"

    The woman who was watching the show nodded, "Who''s wrong. When Little Su just arrived at our Spring Leaf Lane, I already saw that something wasn''t right. How could she have such two children at such a young age?"

    Gu Sister-in-Law tiptoed towards Su Zhi Yuan, and the woman said, "Maybe, that Little Jin isn''t hers either."

    "Hey, hey, don''t spout nonsense. Xiaosu is a good girl, don''t talk so much about the neighbors."

    The woman snorted, "I don''t know who likes to join in the fun." With that, he shook off his sleeves and left.

    Su Zhi supported Zhou Yang into the house and served her hot tea and snacks.

    The woman didn''t want to take it. She stared at the little girl who was sitting cross-legged in the corner playing with rabbits.

    "I didn''t expect this child to have a day to talk."

    At the corner of the room, a small bean bag was picking at a rabbit''s short fur. The fat rabbit was eating a cabbage, and after its butt had been plucked, it turned around and bared its fangs at her.

    Su Zhi Lian looked at the little girl lovingly and replied, "My husband decided to adopt her because she called her ''Daddy''. It''s not that she doesn''t know how to speak, it''s just that she spoke even later than her peers. "

    Madame Zhou looked at her child with some sadness. "Madam has taught her very well. This child has gained a lot of weight."

    She looked at the rabbit hair that was being pulled, and smiled as she narrowed her crescent moon shaped doll, picking up the cabbage leaves from the ground and hanging them by the rabbit''s mouth. The fat rabbit opened its mouth to bite, but when she lifted her small hand, it missed. The rabbit smoothed the hair at the corner of its mouth, then lowered its head. Once again, Soybean Pancake held the vegetable leaf to its mouth, waiting for it to open its mouth and bite and raise its arm.

    Several times the rabbit got angry and turned his back on her.

    Noticing the situation, the small bean bag stretched out a small fat hand to poke its butt, but the rabbit just stayed there without moving.

    Su Zhi found it funny. Her daughter was so cute, she really couldn''t bear to send it back.

    Knocking sounds came from outside the courtyard. Bi Yue went to open the door and shouted inside, "Brother Jin, you''re back!"

    "Mother!"

    A Jin, who was carrying a cloth bag on his back, happily ran towards Su Zhi.

    "Mother, you came back early today!"

    "Mm, I''ll come back early to accompany you and my sister."

    Hearing the familiar voice, a small yellow dog jumped out from the corner of the yard and pounced on A Jin with its short legs.

    "Big Yellow!"

    Once she saw the puppy, Dou Zi''s eyes lit up. She stood up and ran over to it.

    Maybe he was scared by her. Big Yellow was running around A Jin, but he didn''t dare to meet her.

    A Jin surrounded Su Zhi, the puppy around A Jin, the small bean around the puppy chase. The whole family was enjoying themselves, while Zhou Yang, who was watching from the side, was full of envy.

    "Mother ˇ­" Noticing the probing gaze, A Jin pulled Su Zhi''s sleeve and asked in a questioning tone.

    "Come, call me aunt."

    Madame Zhou quickly stood up and waved her hands, "I don''t dare to say I don''t dare to say I do."

    "Dinner is almost ready, let''s stay and eat together."

    Su Zhi hugged the two children and smiled at her in a very friendly manner. "There are no other rules here, so you don''t have to be too restrained. I''ll have the coachman take you back to the inn after dinner."

    Zhou Yang shook her head sadly, "I can''t go back, if I don''t have a child, my husband will divorce me. "My mother-in-law has long since hated me. If I don''t have a child by my side, I really won''t have any hope."

    "Child, I''m raising it well. Even if you want it back, you can''t guarantee that it will be better than mine. Moreover, your mother-in-law''s personality is narrow and I''m afraid she doesn''t like this granddaughter of hers."

    He looked at the pair of long, fair, and sturdy children, and felt ashamed.

    The place where the Zhou family village was at its end was indeed better than Xuan City. Whether the child was educated or married, it was much better than the little village in Wasteland.

    However, she was reluctant to part with her child, especially after knowing that she might not be able to have another child.

    "Madam, if this child is lost and I have my own thoughts, then no matter what, I will not lick my face to come and find you. Please be merciful and let me bring the child back."

    Su Zhi sighed and did not answer her directly.

    Mama Ding and Bi Yue brought the food. Su Zhi followed them to the kitchen to help with the dishes.

    "Madam, what should we do about this girl?"

    Mama Ding pulled her back and looked into the room. "I think he''s a pitiful person, but it''s not a good idea to hand Miss Lan over to him!"

    Su Zhi sighed again and again, "Who says I don''t. If that family really wanted the child back, I wouldn''t have done it this way. The key point is that the old woman and her husband aren''t people that can be trusted."

    "In my opinion, I should not be too merciful in trying to get rid of her after eating, regardless of all that you do."

    "But if that woman really can''t be raised, then we can only rely on the small bean bag."

    Just as the two of them were discussing their next course of action, the sound of Soybean Dumpling and A Jin''s crying voice came from outside the kitchen. "Let go of my sister!"

    Hearing the sound of the wind, the few of them ran out and saw Mrs. Zhou carrying the crying Soybean Pancake and kicking the door open as she rushed out.

 C161

    Su Zhi put down her bowl and chopsticks and chased after her, stopping her in her tracks to snatch the child back.

    "What are you doing? Quickly put the child down!"

    "Madam, I beg of you, please return the child to me. You''re still young, so it''s possible that I''ll only have this one daughter!"

    Mother Ding, Jade Moon and Danxue chased out together, pulling at Mrs. Zhou Yang, unwilling to let go.

    "I beg of you!" Madam, please do me the honor! "

    Dou Zi was so scared that she was crying. She kicked the woman and yelled, "Mother!" Mother! "

    Su Zhi''s heart ached for her child, and she hurriedly extended her hand, wanting to catch her.

    Madame Zhou was unwilling to let go, kneeling on the ground with a thump, "Madam, I kowtowed to you!"

    After saying that, she held the child and crawled onto the ground, heavily kowtowing to the ground.

    "Don''t be like this, let me think. I won''t make things difficult for you!"

    Su Zhi supported the girl and helped her up. Seeing the child crying so loudly made her so distressed that she didn''t know what to say.

    Madame Zhou finally released the child, but she still remained kneeling on the ground, unwilling to get up. She silently cried as she looked at the little girl who had escaped from her embrace.

    "I gave birth to her in October, and now she is unwilling to acknowledge me as her mother."

    "She clutched her chest and knelt on the ground, her tears falling into the dust." My Heart... It''s worse than a knife! "

    Su Zhi understood the feeling of losing a child. She had experienced the same thing when the little bean bun had gone. She felt as if the sky was about to collapse and her eyes were swollen from crying.

    She had experienced the Zhou family''s difficulties before, so how could she bear to see her beg again and again?

    "Get up. Go eat first. Your health is more important."

    "No, I don''t. Without Aunt Lan, I might as well die."

    Su Zhi looked at the child in her arms, frightened out of her wits.

    "Even if you want to take the child away, you have to let her eat."

    Hearing her words, Madame Zhou who was lying on the ground immediately raised her head, looking at her with her red and swollen eyes, full of hope. "Madame is willing to give Aunt Lan back to me?"

    Su Zhi said nothing as she carried the child inside the house.

    The woman wiped her tears away and followed him in.

    The meal was very depressing. Little Dou Bao refused to leave Su Zhi''s embrace, hiding in her arms like a spoiled child.

    A Jin vigilantly stared at Zhou Yangshi, her tears filled with hostility.

    Mother Ding and Danxue also felt uncomfortable. The atmosphere was extremely solemn.

    After eating dinner, Lady Zhou stared eagerly at the bean bun. Several times she wanted to go up to it, but was stopped by A Jin.

    "Let this child stay here tonight. You can go back to the inn first."

    "But ˇ­"

    "You can''t refuse to let the child stay on this last night, can you?"

    Madame Zhou hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

    Only after Su Zhi had washed the child, did she have the time to come and pay attention to her, "If you''re not at ease tonight, you can also stay. Just wait and see."

    "I... "I still need to go back and serve my mother-in-law and husband. Then, tomorrow, please bring the child to the ''Blessed Blessings'' Inn. We will stay there for the time being."

    "Yes." Su Zhi answered indifferently and then stopped talking.

    Zhou Yang reluctantly left, watching the yard turn back three times before finally disappearing into the alleyway.

    After everyone had left, A Jin cautiously asked, "Mother, are you going to send your little sister away?"

    Su Zhi''s body froze, and her hand that was packing her bag stopped.

    She looked up at the nervous child, unsure of what to say.

    "Mother, you won''t send your little sister away right?"

    She put down the spring shirt that she had just finished knitting for Dou Zi and said in a low voice, "Jin, Dou Qi has her own mother. We can''t ignore the feelings of others."

    "I don''t care! Why send my sister away? "Why?!"

    She sat on the bed in a daze, looking at Su Zhi with her big, black eyes and pouting lips.

    "Mother doesn''t want me to leave either, but ˇ­" As you can see, it''s not easy for my aunt either. "

    A-Jin kicked off her shoes, jumped onto the bed and hugged the little girl, shaking her head in panic, "No, sister won''t go anywhere!"

    "Jin, you be good and listen to me."

    No matter what Su Zhi said, A Jin would not listen to her. She found a red rope and tied it around his and Little Bean''s wrists.

    "I won''t let my sister leave!"

    Su Zhi also felt very upset. On one hand, she really didn''t want to part with the Soybean Pancake, but on the other hand, she couldn''t bear to see Madame Zhou grieve.

    This was originally a dilemma. Since she couldn''t weigh both sides, she had to compromise.

    If she was more ruthless, she would have that girl kneel to the point of death and not hand the child over. However, she couldn''t do it. She could understand the grief a parent felt for their child.

    That night, Su Zhi lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Looking at the children beside her who were hugging each other and afraid of being separated, her heart felt heavy and uncomfortable.

    She even thought of going back on her word, but when she thought of Zhou Yang''s begging face, she gave up.

    When the sky slowly brightened, Su Zhi, who had been up all night, finally stood up and washed up.

    Spring approached, the days grew longer, and the weather was no longer as cold as before. Mrs Ding had gotten up early and saw Su Zhi standing blankly in the yard. She went up to stop her. "Madam, do you want to talk about sister Lan''s matter?"

    She turned her head and sighed helplessly with furrowed brows.

    "Madam, if you don''t want to send the child back, then just ignore that woman."

    "A child is still a piece of her body. I can''t be this selfish."

    Mother Ding thought for a while and said, "Why don''t you give me some silver coins to send away? Back then, it was difficult for them to abandon their children. Madam, you went to scout out the situation and asked them for more or less an explanation. "

    Only now did Su Zhi remember that there was something fishy about the Zhou family coming to find her child.

    Logically speaking, she should not have discovered the journey that she had taken to Xuan City, which was a thousand miles away from Zhou Village. So why did she suddenly come looking for him?

    While he was lost in thought, he heard someone knocking on the door.

    Mother Ding went to open the door. When she opened the door, she saw that it was Zhou Yang.

    "It''s you?" "Why are you so early in the morning?"

    The person standing outside the door was Mrs Zhou.

    When Su Zhi heard the sound and walked towards the door, she saw the girl eagerly looking into the yard.

    Today, she wasn''t the only one who came. There was also the old woman that she met yesterday, as well as her husband.

    "Good morning mama, good morning mama. I thought about it last night, so I really shouldn''t trouble you to personally send your child over." So we came in the morning. "

    Mother Ding gestured to Su Zhi, then turned around and said, "The child hasn''t woken up yet."

    "Forget it, let them come in first. I have something to say."

    The three of them were brought into the room. Su Zhi was fairly polite and did not put on airs. She had called them here to clarify some matters. For example, how did they know that the child had arrived in Xuan City?

    Of the three, the Yang family was the most nervous, but that man did not seem to care.

    Only the old woman looked around the courtyard and touched the expensive mahogany chair the moment she entered the room. A trace of envy flashed in her eyes.

    Su Zhi took in the expressions of the three of them, then instructed Bi Yue to serve tea, before slowly opening her mouth, "Since I let the few of you in, then I''ll go straight to the point. "I really can''t bear to see my daughter leave. Coincidentally, I made some money doing business these days. If you guys think that the silver can be settled, just name a price."

    "No, no, ma''am, we don''t want money. We only want children."

    Zhou Yang quickly waved her hand, rejecting Su Zhi''s suggestion.

    That old woman was unhappy to be interrupted by her wife. She smiled apologetically and said, "We can see Madam''s sincerity. Isn''t it the same to leave such a little girl where she is? It''s fine if you want to stay."

    She gestured at the silver taels with her hands, unable to conceal the greed in her eyes.

 C162

    "Granny, how can you be like this? Aunt Lan is not an item!"

    Hearing that, the old lady was unhappy, and reprimanded: "Do you think it''s your place to interrupt the elder''s words? Your husband didn''t even say no, what are you yelling for? "

    Su Zhi chuckled, and then went back to being a peacemaker, "Calm down, the two of you, I think big sis is right. "It''s because I haven''t thought it through properly that the child is not an item. I originally wanted to take out ten thousand taels of silver, but now that I think about it, it seems like I''m being narrow-minded."

    When they heard that it was ten thousand silver taels, the old woman and the man both revealed astonished expressions.

    "But since you insist on taking the child away, I won''t stop you. "How about this, as long as you are willing to tell me who the source of this information is, I will let the child return with you."

    Madame Zhou quickly replied, "Not long ago, a stranger came to our house and said that the child was brought to Xuan City and that he gave us your exact address."

    Originally, his family did not plan to come and find his child. It was only because the conditions they offered were tempting enough, that they were willing to travel a thousand miles to Xuan City.

    Now that the lawsuit had not been completed, the person who had brought the money had also disappeared. Zhou Yang''s mother-in-law had already been in a bad temper several times.

    "Don''t, madam, if you really like that child, then give us the silver. You can keep the child."

    Su Zhi did not answer her question and continued to ask, "What kind of person are you? What news did he tell you? "

    Madam Zhou thought about it for a long time, shook her head and said: "This, I don''t know, that person only said this much, he gave us money to help us find our child."

    "Alright, I understand." Su Zhi nodded indifferently and instructed Dan Xue at the side, "Go wake Sister Lan up."

    The maidservant entered the room and carried the little girl out after dressing her clothes.

    A Jin also ran out after waking up from her stupor. She threw herself into Su Zhi''s arms and cried, "Mother, please don''t send our little sister away!"

    Seeming to have sensed that something was wrong, the normally cheerful Little Dou Wu suddenly cried out, struggling to get Su Zhi to hug her.

    When Su Zhi saw this, she could not bear it, so she told the three of them in her heart, "Don''t let your child down, stay well. She''s actually very smart, but she spoke a little too late. "

    Mrs. Zhou Yang stood up to pick up the child. Little Dou wrapped her legs around her waist and refused to listen to her.

    "Mother, Ah Jin is begging you, please don''t send my little sister away!"

    A Jin cried out together with the hands holding onto the Soybean Pancake.

    "Bi Yue, bring Big Brother Jin back to his room."

    "I don''t want it, I don''t want it!"

    Madame Zhou took the child and tightly hugged it. Her eyes couldn''t help but turn red.

    Su Zhi turned her face away and warned carefully, "When she eats peaches, she will have diarrhea. She is a little allergic to things with shells on them, so it''s better for shrimp and crabs to eat less. "She loves furry little animals the most. All her puppies and rabbits are dragged by her a hundred times a day ˇ­"

    Upon mentioning the child''s cuteness, a look of love appeared on Su Zhi''s face, but she could not finish her sentence.

    "Mother!" Mother! " Being hugged by this unfamiliar woman, Dou Zi screamed out in fear and reached out her hands for Su Zhi to hug.

    "Little Dou Bao, stop messing around. In the future, you have to listen to your mother. Otherwise, I won''t like you anymore."

    The little girl looked at her in a daze, tears overflowing from her eyes. She looked at Su Zhi pitifully and said, "It''s alright, I like you."

    Su Zhi looked at her in disbelief, shock in her eyes.

    This was the first time that she had heard the little bean bun speak so long. Joy and reluctance surged through her at the same time.

    Madame Zhou quickly expressed her thanks, afraid that she would go back on her word. "Thank you Madam for reminding us, we will not disturb you any longer. I will take my leave first."

    Holding the crying child in her arms, she ran out of the courtyard as if she were escaping.

    Su Zhi sat upright on the wooden chair, and two streams of clear tears fell from her eyes in an instant.

    She thought of the stuffed toy she had made for the child the night before and hurried to get it from her room.

    A Jin''s eyes turned red from crying.

    "Mother!" "How heartless!"

    Su Zhi''s whole body shook as she pinched the furry bear in her hand. Her heart ached.

    "Mother!" "If you send your sister away, will you also send A Jin away one day?"

    Hearing this, Su Zhi''s head buzzed. She blankly looked at the child who was huddled up in a corner crying and her mind went blank.

    "I ˇ­"

    No, the bean bag was picked up, but A Jin wasn''t. How could that be?

    "Madam, they''re on the carriage!" Mother Ding reminded him from outside.

    Only then did Su Zhi react and ran outside with the stuffed animal in her hand.

    "Wait! Wait a moment! "

    No matter how she shouted, the carriage showed no signs of stopping.

    After chasing for a long time, she ran out of Spring Leaf Lane and passed through the mud path.

    He stumbled all the way until the carriage was no longer in sight.

    Su Zhi felt as if someone had dug up a piece of her heart. She stood there blankly, letting her tears wet her eyes.

    "Rumble!"

    Thunder rumbled in the sky, and spring rain, which had not shown up for several days, poured down in torrents.

    After being drenched by the rain, Su Zhi walked back dejectedly.

    As she was holding up her umbrella to look for someone, she coincidentally bumped into her and fell into the bushes by the side of the road.

    "Aiya, Madam, are you alright?"

    Su Zhi looked at her in a daze and shook her head mechanically. Her throat seemed to be stuffed with lead, and she was so calm that she could not speak.

    "Madam, you''re not in a good mood. Why don''t you go back and rest?"

    "Mother Ding, I forgot to give the little bear to the child."

    Mother Ding could not bear to see her like this. She tried her best to help her up, "Let''s not talk anymore, let''s go back to shelter from the rain."

    Su Zhi was sick. It was unknown if it was because of the rain or because she was overly worried. In short, she was sick when she came back.

    Mother Ding had never seen her like this. She was so anxious that she invited a doctor to come and have a look. Even after drinking a few doses of medicine, it still didn''t work.

    She lay in bed for the entire day, staring at the veil most of the time. When she closed her eyes, she would think of her child''s laughter and feel so sad that she wanted to cry.

    After the small bean bag left, the courtyard lost a lot of laughter and chatter.

    A Jin didn''t want to go to school, so she squatted in the corner and sulked.

    The fat rabbit in the nest was no longer happy. It was lying on the vegetable block. Big Yellow was whining as he searched the house for traces of children, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not find them.

    It was pouring rain in Xuan City. A hundred miles away, a group of low-key players were heading back into the fields where the oil plants were blooming.

    Seeing that the sun was about to set, Greenwood Horse rode up and asked for permission, "General, you should stay here for the night. When the first light of the morning arrives, you should head to the Imperial City and arrive there in one day."

    The man riding the horse on the edge of the cliff had a grave and stern expression on his face. Looking at the setting sun from afar, he looked calm and handsome.

    "No, the sooner we return, the better."

    "Yes, sir!"

    Xiao Qian was reluctant to part with them. After leaving for half a month, he didn''t know if the woman and child were good or not. From time to time, the secret guards would send him some news, especially when they found out that someone was looking for trouble with Hua Manlou. This caused him to worry even more.

    "General, a scout has sent news."

    Xiao Qian took the letter from Greenwood, but before he could open it, Greenwood said, "General, your thoughts are not on tracking down the culprit. Instead, you are trying to find out the truth about Lady Su. I''m afraid that you won''t be allowed in when we go back."

    Xiao Qian looked at him coldly as he opened the letter. When he saw the contents of the letter, his pupils suddenly constricted.

    When Greenwood saw the look of shock on his face, he asked worriedly, "General, what''s wrong?"

    "Hurry back, we have to hurry!"

    "What happened?"

    "Don''t ask anymore, go back!"

    The group that was resting continued on their way towards the imperial city without stopping.

    A day and a night after the small bean bag had left, Su Zhi had been lying on the ground for such a long time.

    With the domineering nature of this chilliness, the slightest movement would cause one''s head to spin.

    After having been in the room for so long, she struggled to get up. Just as she was about to leave, she heard voices coming from outside.

    "It''s true. Our family''s Old Yellow saw it with his own eyes. That child was thrown onto the street and ignored it. He cried pitifully, his eyes swollen like peaches."

    This voice belonged to Uncle Huang''s aunt.

    Mother Ding couldn''t help sighing. "Don''t let Madam hear those words. The child has already been carried away, so we can''t stretch out our hands that long. I can only blame the child for being unlucky and for being born into such a family. "

    "Aiyo, who says I am, but children are still pitiful. If they really are left alone, then they might become a beggar."

    Hearing this, Su Zhi could no longer hold it in and walked out of the room, "Aunt, what did you say just now? What happened to my Soybean Pouch? "

    When the two saw Su Zhi come out, they hurriedly shut their mouths in panic.

 C163

    "Xiaosu, you''re out. Aren''t you sick? Hurry back and lie down. "

    "No, aunt, tell me, how is the child?"

    Mother Ding stepped forward to help her leave, "Madam, please don''t ask. The child has already left. How would you view her good fortune in the future?"

    Su Zhi pulled back her hand and stepped forward to hold onto the aunt. "Please, tell me."

    "Sigh, it was our family''s Elder Huang who met her after leaving Xuan City. That little girl seems to have been abandoned again, and she looks pitiful."

    Discarded again?

    Su Zhi had thought that they wouldn''t treat their children well, but due to her last bit of trust and pity for Zhou family, she was willing to return her child.

    "I''ll go get the child!"

    Mother Ding objected and stopped her. "Madam, how are you getting out of the city?"

    Su Zhi couldn''t care so much. When she heard that her child was suffering, she felt uncomfortable in her heart.

    She was the one who brought back the Soybean Pancake, so she should be held responsible if anything happened to it.

    "I''ll go and see. I can''t really let my child be abandoned again."

    "Why don''t we do this? I''ll ask Bi Yue to go find the child so that you can rest in peace."

    She wasn''t at ease even if she was asked to go by herself, as she was afraid that another accident would occur.

    In the end, under Su Zhi''s insistence, she was allowed to take Bi Yue out of the city.

    The last time she had left Xuan City, she had been hunted down. If it weren''t for Xiao Qian''s hidden guards and Lu Huan Zhi''s rescue, she probably would have been dead by now.

    Looking through these events, it wasn''t hard for Su Zhi to discover that someone wanted to take her life, but when she thought about her child, she couldn''t care less.

    "The auntie of the Huang family said that Sister Lan was found on the main road. Maybe that family member was the one that lost her child on the way back."

    Bi Yue lifted the curtain and looked outside. When she looked back, Su Zhi''s expression didn''t look too good, so she continued to comfort her, "Madam, don''t worry. We''ll have enough reasons to keep our child when we find Sister Lan."

    "It''s my fault, I shouldn''t have agreed to her request just because I felt sorry for Madame Zhou."

    "Madam is also kind, but who would have thought that the woman was someone who didn''t keep her word?"

    Su Zhi shook her head helplessly. Perhaps the one who wanted to lose her child wasn''t Zhou family, but her mother-in-law.

    "Pay close attention to the movement outside. Maybe the child is nearby."

    Bi Yue nodded and continued to look at the situation outside.

    When the carriage passed by the long road in the forest, there were two bright long arrows aimed at the carriage.

    Swoosh! Two long arrows darted out of the air. One of them was facing the coachman, while the other one was facing the woman who looked worried in the window.

    Clang! - The arrow was shot down midway.

    Bi Yue was frightened as she hurriedly put down the curtain.

    "Don''t be afraid, once we find the child, we''ll immediately return to the city!"

    Su Zhi knew that the people behind her were making their move again. Using her child as bait to lure her out of the city, they were certain that she would go. They had definitely set up an ambush along the way.

    However, she wasn''t completely unprepared. After all, she had suffered a loss in secret and knew how to protect herself.

    "Madam, there''s an assassin up ahead!" cried the coachman, not having time to tighten the reins.

    Su Zhi lifted the curtain and shouted harshly, "Cover your mouth and nose!"

    As soon as she finished speaking, she threw out a few smoke cannonballs, blocking the assassin''s line of sight. The shadow guard took this opportunity to attack while he was hidden in the dark. He swiftly swung his long sword, instantly taking care of the few men in black who were blocking his way.

    "They''re catching up!"

    "You just drive. Don''t worry about anything else. Bi Yue, pay attention to your child''s movements. Don''t panic!"

    In the nick of time, Su Zhi appeared abnormally calm. She took out the tear gas she carried with her and threw it at the place where the black clothed person came from.

    Before the assassin could even get close, he was forced back.

    Within the blurry light and shadow, a few gunshots could be heard. The leader of the group, a man in black, had his shoulder injured and was forced to give up on chasing.

    Su Zhi touched the mini pistol in her hand, feeling very satisfied.

    The System''s Pit was a Pit, so the quality of the items was guaranteed.

    "Madam, I can''t see the child, and I didn''t hear anything!" Besides the assassins that wanted to kill her along the way, she couldn''t find the slightest trace of a child.

    "Continue searching!" In order to lure her in, she must have hidden it somewhere.

    This road was the only convenient place in the outskirts of the city, outside of which were inns and villages. The main force of the assassins should be stationed here, so the children must also be in this place.

    Bi Yue was already used to being a servant girl in a large courtyard house, so her days were always peaceful. Even if it wasn''t peaceful, she only had a few quarrels with the little girls. She had never experienced all this before. Seeing the man in black about to slash with his broadsword, Xiao Yun was so shocked that his face paled.

    Su Zhi was still relatively calm. Although she was worried, her movements were still fast and accurate.

    "This is bad!"

    As soon as the driver issued the warning, the carriage crashed into the rocks by the side of the road.

    Receiving the violent impact, Bi Yue was taken out of the carriage. Su Zhi could not catch her and was brought out with her.

    Shouts and exclamations, the clashing of blades and swords, and the urgent cries rang in his ears. again

    There was a long period of unconsciousness after that. Su Zhi felt her entire body heat up. Someone helped her wipe her body clean over and over again, gently calling her name. But she was too sleepy to open her eyes.

    After an unknown period of time, when she regained consciousness again, it was already dark.

    A kerosene lamp had been lit inside the room, and the dim yellow light made half the room seem quiet and serene. She moved her numb arm and found that it was injured and bandaged.

    "Ah Zhi, you''re awake?"

    The man''s gentle voice sounded out. Su Zhi looked towards the bedside and saw a travel worn Xiao Qian sitting on the side with a small bean bag in his arms.

    "They''re all confused by the illness." Shouldn''t Xiao Qian still be searching for the traitor''s whereabouts?

    "I''m not confused, we''re back."

    He placed the child on the bed and placed his hand on her forehead. "The fever has subsided. One more day of rest will be enough."

    Xiao Qian''s hand was very warm and was covered in a thin cocoon. Every time he touched her, it would give off a slightly coarse and numb feeling.

    That''s right, it was a very familiar feeling.

    "You, really came back?"

    "En, I''m back. I''m really sorry for making you and your child suffer."

    He leaned over and kissed her forehead, his warm lips moving away from her delicate face.

    The child at the side opened his big watery eyes, clapped his small hands, and happily said, "I want to kiss ~"

    Only then did Su Zhi realize that the child was still at the side.

    She pushed Xiao Qian away and held the innocent and childish child in her arms. A strong feeling of nostalgia arose in her heart.

    "Sorry, Mom shouldn''t have sent you out."

    She put her plump arms around her arms and held her silky long hair with her small hands as she smiled sweetly. The child was still young, so he would soon forget about his unhappiness. As long as he could return to his mother''s side, he would be happy.

    Tears of guilt fell from Su Zhi''s eyes. Holding her in his arms, he instantly felt the joy of recovering what he had lost.

    "How did you find the child?"

    Xiao Qian embraced the two of them and said softly, "That woman was given up by my husband the moment she left Xuan City. The small bean bag cried non-stop the entire way; they don''t want to keep it and only let the two of them fend for themselves. When I found them, this woman almost had a baby with her. "

    Hearing this, Su Zhi''s heart skipped a beat. She regretted returning the child because she was soft-hearted.

    Madame Zhou had a weak character and could not even take care of a good child. If Xiao Qian had not arrived in time, who knew what would have happened to the child?

    "This child calls me father. I have always been a domineering person. I don''t like it when people try to take advantage of my child."

    Su Zhi took his hand and placed it on her face, rubbing it back and forth, "It''s good that you''re back."

    Seeing her acting like a little girl, Xiao Qian was very satisfied. His woman wasn''t that strong to begin with, she would have to live too arduously. With him around, it wouldn''t be a bad idea to rely on her husband.

    "Right, where''s A Jin?"

    "I''m punishing the face wall, I heard from Mother Ding that the bastard has roared at you."

    Su Zhi shook her head. "It''s my fault. I didn''t handle this matter well. I can''t blame all of them." A Jin had always been a well-behaved girl, but she had a pure heart and was reluctant to part with her family.

    "Call him in. I have something to say."

    Xiao Qian did as he was told and got up to find Ah Jin to send him back to his room.

 C164

    Upon seeing Su Zhi who was still unrecovered on the bed, A Jin''s eyes immediately turned red. Crying, she rushed over and hugged her. "Mother!"

    As soon as she said that, she started sobbing, "I''m sorry, A Jin shouldn''t have been so fierce towards you."

    After throwing a tantrum at Su Zhi, A Jin''s heart was also in pain.

    Today, when he went to the academy elder''s room, he was unable to concentrate on listening to the lecture.

    "It''s alright, mother wants to apologize to your sister as well."

    Xiao Qian looked at his mother with a gentle expression as he silently walked out of the room.

    His mother was waiting outside. When she saw him come out, she approached him hesitantly. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she hesitated.

    "General ˇ­"

    Xiao Qian nodded, gesturing for her to walk out of the courtyard and into a secluded area.

    "What does Mother Ding want to ask?"

    "General, I am not a talkative person, but I do have something I need to tell you."

    He did not say anything. With his back facing Mrs Ding, he gazed at the bright moon in the sky. He seemed to have guessed what the old servant was going to ask.

    "Sister Lan is not the Madame''s biological daughter, this servant just found out about this matter. But according to this servant''s guess, Jin''er probably isn''t the Madame either."

    Xiao Qian didn''t look back as he stared at the crescent moon. After a while, he slowly replied, "I know."

    Mother Ding was shocked. "You knew?"

    "Yes, I know."

    That letter contained general information about Su Zhi before she had left for An Ning village. Thinking about how the crown prince had treated her and how his business had been blocked, he had even guessed Su Zhi''s true identity.

    The acrimonious events of the past would be uncontrollably brought up again.

    Although he hadn''t been in the Imperial City for the past few days, he wasn''t completely unaware of everything.

    The people of Zhao family should have recognized her and tried to kill her.

    If she really was the one who escaped from the sea of flames six years ago, then that child should be the descendant of Xuan Fei.

    In the Great Wei, there was only one prince who managed to avoid the Empress''s hands and grow up.

    Don''t bring up this matter in front of Ah Zhi. She forgot a lot of things from before and told me that she can''t remember her past. Don''t ask the one beside you, just serve her wholeheartedly.

    Mother Ding nodded, but could not set her worries at rest.

    As a result, Su Zhi and A Jin''s life had become a mystery.

    What if another person came to ask for a child? She sighed, not knowing what to say. After bowing, she quietly left.

    Because Xiao Qian had returned to the Imperial City today, he couldn''t stay for too long.

    Su Zhi was also worried that not returning to report at the first possible moment would make the emperor unhappy. After having dinner, she urged the man to leave.

    Su Zhi didn''t have enough time to ask about the situation regarding the arrest of the traitors, and she didn''t know what the actual situation was.

    Only on the second day, news came from the imperial court saying that the civil and military faction had started a dispute.

    The leader of the Zhao Family, a group of civil servants, scolded Xiao Qian for neglecting his duty and failing to capture the traitor alive. The group of generals were indignant and thought that the civil officials had gone too far.

    In short, it was from the morning assembly until the end.

    When Su Zhi heard the commotion, she became nervous. It just so happened that another uninvited guest came to Spring Leaf Lane. At first, she didn''t want to let her see him and wanted to kick him out immediately. But the woman wouldn''t leave. She cried at the door.

    "Madam, let me see the child."

    Hearing this voice, her head felt like it was about to explode. If not for her timely arrival yesterday, this foolish woman would have already carried her child and given birth to him.

    Su Zhi walked out of the door and coldly looked at Madame Zhou. "You still have the face to come back?" You promised me you''d treat the child well. Did you do that? "

    Madame Zhou knelt and crawled forward, begging: "Madam, I was just unable to think! Forgive me once. "

    "To tell you the truth, I really don''t feel comfortable leaving the child in your care. Other than giving birth to her, you can''t help her in any way. With your personality, I have every reason to believe that if you don''t have a good time, you will vent your anger on her. So, even if you end up dying in front of me, I won''t hand my child over to you. "

    Zhou Yang had no face to be ashamed of. She had no place to hide after being abandoned by Hugh. For a moment, she felt disheartened and resentful.

    Now that he was awake, he felt extremely regretful.

    She used her memories to find this courtyard and try to persuade Su Zhi to hand over her child, but it was already impossible.

    "Go, you are still a pitiful person. I''ll give you a silver, and you can marry a good man with it, or you can live alone, but I don''t want you to come back to see her again, and I won''t stop you, but I can''t raise her. "

    Su Zhi asked her mother to take out a large amount of silver and give it to the Zhou family. No matter what, she would not let her have her child.

    Madame Zhou took the silver, her eyes filled with tears. "Alright, thank you Madam. Consider this silver as I''ve borrowed it. I''ll definitely return it to you in the future." The mother of the child is me, after all, and I''ll come back to her when I''ve earned some money. "

    After successfully sending the woman away, Su Zhi had originally wanted to be safe.

    Who knew that the front leg sent away the difficult problem, the back foot welcomed the god of plague.

    Lu Huan, who had disappeared for several days, came uninvited. He took advantage of the time when his mother was closing the door to run in like a wisp of smoke.

    "Your Highness!"

    She was the first to see him, and when she closed the door, she thought he had climbed over the wall.

    Mother Ding was the most protective of them all. Lu Huan had been here a few times, and had a bad reputation, so she had also guessed that Su Zhi was the one who had ill intentions towards her. She immediately said with a cold face, "Your Highness, as a noble member of the Royal Family, you should know what is proper and upright.

    Lu Huan Zhi was no longer sick and weak like when they parted ways. His sickness had returned to his previous cynicism.

    "What do you mean, ''this prince'' ran in openly from the front."

    Su Zhi had long since heard the commotion in the courtyard. When she went out to take a look, she was met with Lu Huan''s bottle of plague god''s rebuttal for her mother, and then with a flirtatious glance at Bi Yue.

    "Are you feeling better?"

    Lu Huan Zhi waved his fan and laughed in confusion, "I''ve been fine for a long time. How can a small bit of chilliness harm this prince?"

    "That''s good."

    "Heh, I told you that the little lady still cares about me."

    Ignoring the ugly look on his mother''s face, he walked into the house. Seeing the girl squatting down on the ground and teasing the rabbit, he became very playful.

    "Long time no see."

    The small bean bag was currently feeding the rabbit with half of the radish. The rabbit that was still eating was suddenly picked up by someone. Its four short legs were kicking non-stop, baring its teeth as it stared at the culprit.

    "Let go of the rabbit!" Little Dou Bao reached out to grab the rabbit. Lu Huan''s action became even more extreme. Seeing the little girl''s flushed face, she forced a big smile.

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at the naughty man, then went forward to save the little rabbit.

    "What does Your Highness want to do this time?" "If you have something to eat, you don''t plan to prepare any food or wine today. You can come back another day."

    However, Lu Huan Zhi wasn''t in a hurry to leave. His eyes dimmed a little as he looked at the little girl thoughtfully, "My wife, how come I didn''t see that little brat A Jin?"

    "A Jin went to school. She will be back for a while."

    "Oh, really?"

    He leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and fanned himself.

    "When was the child born? I, your son, am in a good mood today. I plan to give each of my children a birthday present. "

    When she mentioned A Jin''s birthday, Su Ranzhi was stunned.

    She had always been a half-way mother and had raised her two children with all her might, but she knew nothing about the matter of giving birth to a child. He had thought about it a few times, but didn''t know how to understand it, so he gave up.

    Since the child was still young and he wasn''t sure himself, who could she ask?

    He could only feel that the child had grown taller. It seemed that he would soon be a year old.

    He saw that she was silent.

    Lu Huan Zhi''s eyes narrowed, and a carefree smile quickly covered the darkness in his eyes.

    He didn''t want to leave. No matter how much his mother scolded him, he didn''t budge. Only when A Jin was brought back by Dan Xue did he turn his attention to the child.

    Su Zhi felt that Lu Huan Zhi was a little different today. She seemed to be very concerned about A Jin''s movements.

    Even though the two of them were pinching each other, the look in his eyes was different from the one in front of him. There was a complicated look in his eyes that Su Zhi could not see through.

    "Mother, I don''t want to see him."

 C165

    A Jin put down the bag, pointed at Lu Huan Zhi, and pouted, "I don''t like him."

    "Hey, what a coincidence, I don''t like you either!" The man waved his fan and rolled his eyes at A Jin.

    Su Zhi pulled A Jin into the house, not forgetting to reply, "Since that''s the case, Your Highness, please go back quickly."

    Lu Huan suddenly stood up and grabbed A Jin''s arm. He straightened his body and carefully observed his body. Being stared at so closely by him, A Jin forgot to resist.

    "What is Your Highness doing?"

    He pinched the child''s face. After a few seconds, his serious face instantly broke the spell. "Come, come, let''s call you uncle!"

    Only then did A Jin push his hand away and return to the room angrily.

    Lu Huan Zhi stood up, but didn''t follow them in. She stopped smiling and left the yard just as Mama Ding was about to drive her away with a broom.

    Su Zhi felt that he was acting a little strange today, but she didn''t think too much about it.

    Imperial palace, royal study.

    The grave-looking monarch was wearing a grey robe as he muttered to the pill furnace in front of him. He didn''t utter a single word despite the arguments between the several ministers around him.

    Zhao Jian endured for a long time before raising his voice and scolding, "General Xiao, when we left the capital that day, you promised you you would take down the leader of the bandits. But now that he''s returned empty-handed, isn''t it a bit too simple to say that three people have already fallen into the ocean and abandoned all their crimes? "

    Before Xiao Qian could reply, Wang Wenfu immediately followed up, "That''s right, General Xiao said that they fell into the sea? Without solid evidence, how can we convince others? "

    The two of them stopped talking and glanced at Emperor Wei Wu from the corner of their eyes.

    Liu Yuan rarely expressed his opinion. He looked at Xiao Qian beside him, waiting for him to explain.

    Qi Nianzhong spoke up, "My lords, do you mean that those three people should not apologize with their deaths? Instead, you should live on in peace? "

    Zhao Jian snorted coldly, "Of course not. I just feel that something is amiss. I''m just afraid that some people might not be able to find the whereabouts of the rebels. In order to avoid punishment, I deliberately claimed that the three of them fell into the sea and died!"

    In fact, Zhao Jian was the most clear on what would happen to the three people.

    He and Zhao Zheng both underestimated Xiao Qian''s ability. They believed that the reckless military general would only use brute force. If they couldn''t find the whereabouts of those three, they would continue to track them down.

    Unexpectedly, he returned so early, much earlier than they expected.

    When Xiao Qian came back, he directly said that he was already dead and sunk into the sea.

    There was no proof against his words. When the emperor heard them, he did not reveal any of his attitude.

    Those three people are indeed dead. Xiao Qian''s psychological tactics are very brilliant. In any case, if you don''t believe him, you can continue to investigate.

    However, the problem was that he was able to reach the end of the road by chance. That was because the leader of the bandits was indeed dead.

    "Your majesty, this humble subject believes that General Xiao did not truly investigate the whereabouts of those three people. He must have made up a lie in order to get rid of the crime!"

    He had finally found a reason to take Xiao Qian down. How could he let it go so easily?

    Wei Wu Emperor continued to ignore him as he stared at the smoke rising from the cauldron in an infatuated manner.

    Qi Nian was about to retort, but Xiao Qian stopped him. He gave a relieved smile and turned around to smile at Zhao Jian.

    "Master Zhao, you are the one who refuses to believe me the most when I say that those three people are already dead. May I ask if Master already knows where the traitor''s destination is? That''s why he dared to refute me so precisely. Since you know, you should report it to His Majesty. Since you don''t know, are you angering me to the point of offending Second Young Master Zhao''s men? "

    "You! Don''t slander me! " Pointing at him, Zhao Jian yelled, "With your mouth, it doesn''t matter what you say. In any case, if he isn''t here, what''s wrong with you even if you wipe away the truth? Who doesn''t know that those three people were once your subordinates, following the lead of your Great General Xiao? Perhaps it was you who was reluctant to let your subordinates be executed and secretly sent to another place! "

    Qi Nian Zhong''s expression immediately changed.

    Xiao Qian was famous for his pampered subordinates.

    Zhao Jian''s kowtow was too ruthless. If Wei Wu Emperor were to hear it, who knew how he would respond.

    For the first time, the silent Liu Yuan frowned. He also felt that what he said was a bit too much.

    Only Xiao Qian''s expression didn''t change, but he continued to smile and say, "Sir Zhao''s words are very interesting. Why is it that you speak so clearly about hiding criminals? Could it be that you have done something similar and are experienced?"

    Zhao Jian and Wang Wenfu quickly rejected this argument and pointed at their noses, wanting to curse Xiao Qian.

    Emperor Wei Wu, who was still as steady as Mt. Tai, took a deep breath, stared at the pill in the censer and clapped his hands as he laughed, "It''s done! Done! "My pills have been refined!"

    Only then did they stop their argument and bow their heads in greeting. "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

    "Aiya, this is the method I got from Taoist Maoshan not long ago. When this pill is made, it can extend one''s lifespan and replenish their thirst. Not bad, not bad."

    Lu really opened the pill furnace, looking at the pills inside with a smile like a flower blooming on his face.

    Seeing that he was in a good mood, Zhao Jian felt uneasy. He said, "Your majesty, General Xiao was unable to capture the prisoner this time. He should be punished."

    Lu really did have a sullen face. Only after putting away the pills in the furnace did he look coldly at him and indifferently say, "Then according to what Master Zhao said, what should we do?"

    "We will follow the military rules!"

    "Alright, then I will leave the defense of the border to your Zhao Family. I think that Second Young Master Zhao is a rare good material, why not send him to take over the position of Xiao Aimin! "

    Mentioning that bastard Zhao Shu, Zhao Jian''s old face turned red.

    Although he was his own son, he was very clear about Zhao Ditch''s ability to fight against the strong and barbaric Huns.

    "Your majesty is joking. My son is incompetent and cannot take on such a heavy responsibility."

    Lu Gu helplessly shook his head, "So, how does Master Zhao want to deal with this? According to the military rules, Xiao Aimin should be handed over to the justice courts, responsible for squatting in the inner prison and setting down her exile. However, since no one is guarding the border, you must find a substitute! "

    Zhao Jian was silent.

    Xiao Qian''s position in the Great Wei Army was unshakable.

    This person was born to be a general, and his ability far surpassed his grandfather''s generation. Even Qi Nian who was at the same level as him couldn''t match him.

    Because of this, even if Xiao Qian had committed a crime, it could be ignored.

    Zhao Jian was unwilling to accept this. He believed that Emperor Wei Wu was biased towards him, but he had no other choice.

    "Xiao Aiqing, what do you think?"

    "Those three have indeed fallen into the sea, and there is no chance of them surviving. If Your Majesty is willing to trust this humble subject, this humble subject is willing to use my life to protect Great Wei River, and will not refuse!"

    Wei Wu Emperor knocked on the table. His gaze shifted to the side and asked again: "What does Liu Aiqing not want to say?"

    Liu Yuan nodded and replied, "This humble subject is willing to trust General Xiao with His Majesty. Since his Majesty''s accession to the throne, the people had lived and worked in peace, and the country had been peaceful and peaceful. Both times of internal troubles had been caused by the people''s lack of food, and they had rebelled because they had nowhere to go. As I reflected on the pain, I felt that I should focus on appeasing the will of the people and building a new career for the village and not just for the sake of the argument of the three people who deserve to die! "

    "That''s right!" It suits my heart! "

    Liu Yuan shifted the topic of conversation once again, pointing the spear at the essence of the matter.

    Why did someone rebel? It was not because they were in danger from the imperial power, but because they couldn''t live for long before they decided to take the risk.

    Wasn''t it because of the corruption and corruption behind the government that the Zhao Family deserved to be punished?

    Zhao Jian understood the meaning behind his words and lowered his head, not daring to make a sound.

    He originally thought that killing those three people would make Xiao Qian punish him for his crimes. Who would have thought that he would be the one to lift a rock and smash his own foot.

    This time, the Zhao Family lost again.

    When he thought of Zhao Zheng''s confident appearance, Zhao Jian''s anger flared up and his disappointment with Zhao Du slightly improved.

 C166

    "Alright, I''ve heard all of you arguing for so long. This Emperor is also tired. All of you can leave now."

    At Emperor Wei Wu''s order, Zhao Jian, who had been beaten black and blue, could only leave gloomily. Along the way, he left the Imperial Study with Wang Wenfu, who had his tail between his legs.

    Qi Nian Zhong and Liu Yu An left together, but Xiao Qian stayed where he was, unmoving.

    "Why aren''t you leaving, your beloved official?"

    Xiao Qian bowed deeply. "Many thanks to Your Majesty for trusting this humble subject."

    Wei Wu Emperor laughed lightly. "Last night, you entered the Imperial Palace and repeatedly assured me that if the three of them ever had the chance to come back, they would apologize with their lives, and I will believe you."

    After returning last night, Xiao Qian didn''t immediately return to the palace but went to the Imperial Palace.

    He understood that this tug of war was a trap set up by the Zhao Family.

    People couldn''t be found alive. The Zhao Family didn''t want him to find them, so they must have done something to him.

    In this way, being able to find it was a forgery, and not being able to find it was a dereliction of duty.

    It was thanks to Su Zhi''s reminder that he didn''t need to care about the lives of the three people, that he was able to claim that he was dead.

    The main reason why the Zhao Family didn''t dare to send for him was because they couldn''t find him themselves.

    Wei Wu Emperor waved his hand. "Go back. Don''t stand here and obstruct my view."

    Xiao Qian cupped his hands in greeting, glanced at Lu Zhen''s pill furnace, and left.

    Since the debate in the imperial court was fruitless, Zhao Jian returned home huffily.

    The butler looked at the servant beside him when he noticed his strange expression.

    The green-robed attendant understood, and turned around to walk towards the backyard.

    At this time, Zhao Zheng had just returned from the garden.

    Her tawny cloak was still soaked in the mist of rain, and her fair face was still covered in the fine rain drops. The teardrops at the corner of her eyes were like ink, giving her a sense of elegance.

    The manservant hurried over just in time to see him take off his cloak. "Third Young Master!"

    The maidservants rushed forward to serve him. Zhao Zheng casually handed over his outer garment. He turned his head and smiled at the manservant. "What happened?"

    "Young master, the old master is back. He doesn''t look too good."

    He nodded slightly as if he was not surprised, "Hmm, I understand. I''ll trouble you to send the message. Go back to the butler to receive the silver."

    The attendant waved his hand and refused to take the money.

    Other than Second Young Master Zhao and Eldest Young Master Zhao who liked to oppose Zhao Zheng, there was no one in the Zhao Family who didn''t like to be close to him.

    Although Third Young Master Zhao was not a proper and direct young master and had a low status, he had a very good character. He was very courteous to everyone and never showed a stingy smile.

    "This servant will come over to remind you that there''s more important matters to attend to, so I''ll be leaving first."

    Zhao Zheng gratefully nodded his head and cupped his hands: "Thank you."

    The servant didn''t dare to receive such a great gift and hastily declined the offer before running off like a wisp of smoke.

    He had already guessed that Zhao Jian would be unlucky enough to return.

    Xiao Qian had secretly returned to the capital yesterday and had gone to the Imperial Palace overnight. If he hadn''t been able to settle this after a long discussion, it would be detrimental to his demeanor as a general.

    Not long after the attendant sent the message, Zhao Jian sent someone to look for him.

    Ever since the incident with Zhao Dagang, this was the first time Zhao Jian did not come to the courtyard to see him personally because of the matter of the imperial court.

    Zhao Zheng acted as if he didn''t know and followed them as if nothing had happened.

    The maidservants in the yard began to feel that it was unfair for him. Every time Zhao Dagang caused trouble, he would be the one to take care of himself, but the benefits were not on his side.

    If it wasn''t for Zhao Zheng''s usual good-natured nature, it would have been even more difficult to take even a single step in this mansion.

    He had barely taken a few steps out of the courtyard when he saw Zhao Dun swaggering over.

    "Yo, isn''t he that person? The famous Zhao Family''s Third Young Master, where was he going? Oh, let''s go to Daddy''s courtyard? "Tsk tsk, what''s going on? A few days ago, it was my father who went to look for you. Is it the turn of the wind and the water?"

    Zhao Dagang was aggressive and harboring malicious intentions. Zhao Zheng remained silent, as if he hadn''t heard anything.

    "If I remember correctly, tomorrow should be the day of your lowly mother''s death, right?"

    As soon as his voice fell, the man who was silent a moment ago stopped walking and stared at Zhao Ditch with a pair of cold eyes.

    "Why are you staring at me? Did I say something wrong? Ah ah ah, don''t tell me you didn''t even remember yourself? "Tsk, tsk, unfilial. If I were your mother, I would have died from anger in the netherworld."

    Zhao Zheng coldly stared at him, his slender hands tightly clenched. The baleful aura surrounding him couldn''t help but surge out.

    The manservant who was leading the way could not bear to watch any longer and reminded him with good intentions, "Third Young Master, hurry up and leave. Don''t make the old master wait for too long."

    Only then did the man''s tensed nerves ease up, and he silently left with his fists clenched and his body stiff.

    Zhao Di snorted disdainfully and continued to chase after the disappearing figure, "A child born of a prostitute is a bastard, so what can you do even if you enter the Zhao Family tree? "Isn''t he just a lowly son of a b * tch!

    The manservant who was leading the way secretly broke out into a cold sweat, afraid that the Third Young Master would explode. Fortunately, he had a calm personality and wasn''t like the Second Young Master, who only wished to stir up trouble.

    The attendant nodded in satisfaction, not noticing in the slightest the coldness in the man''s eyes.

    "Third Young Master, we''re here. The old master is inside."

    Zhao Zheng smiled and nodded. "Thank you for leading the way."

    "You''re too kind, this humble one''s duty is to you."

    After the servant left, a senior servant came out from the corridor. When she saw that it was him, she smiled and bent her knees in greeting. "Third Young Master, you''ve come."

    Zhao Zheng was the first to open the door for her. He waited until the mama came in before slowly closing the door.

    "Dad, you''re looking for me?"

    Zhao Jian was sitting in front of his desk, holding his forehead and appearing to be deep in thought.

    Knowing that he had come, he didn''t have much of a reaction. He said indifferently, "Take a seat."

    Mammy served hot tea and withdrew.

    Zhao Zheng looked at himself as he picked up the teacup, blew away the tea in the blue and white porcelain cup, and took a sip. "A good West Lake Longjing. It really is not bad."

    Only then did Zhao Jian lose his temper and said snappily, "Stop tasting the tea first, think about what to do!" Xiao Qian had successfully escaped death once more, as if he had expected that the three people would no longer be around. To dare praise them in such an unrestrained manner, what was even more infuriating was that the Emperor actually believed them. Now that he has returned, we were unable to bring him down, and even that little girl from the Su family was unable to do anything about it. Just thinking about it makes me angry. "

    "Father, there is no need to disturb yourself. Although Xiao Qian managed to escape this calamity, it is not as if the Zhao Family has no benefits."

    "Oh? What do you mean? "

    Zhao Zheng smiled as he held the cup of tea, "Being able to explore the Imperial Palace at night is in fact proof of the importance of this peace. Although the Emperor did not publicly criticize him, how could the two of you know if his Majesty has any ill feelings towards Xiao Gan because of this? "

    Zhao Jian thought about it for a moment and said uncertainly, "No matter what, His Majesty did not punish him."

    "Because His Majesty didn''t punish him one after the other, Xiao Qian''s position in His Majesty''s heart had been set off."

    The Emperor had doted on the good officials and was willing to let go of all unnecessary punishments, but he would still leave a part of his mind behind when it came to the future of the land.

    Xiao Qian, on the other hand, did not have a single soldier chasing after the rebel leader. He did not even have a corpse to hand over to him.

    Although the Emperor didn''t say anything, he would still mind in his heart.

    "You know that, Your Majesty."

    Zhao Jian nodded his head in agreement, "That''s right. Even so, that woman from the Su Clan ˇ­ I was afraid that one day the paper would not hold the fire, and that the child would one day be known by the Emperor. "

    Back then, it was an indisputable fact that Xuan Fei was pampered. Although the Emperor had pampered many beauties over the years, none of them could be like Jiang Xuan, who was favored by the Six Palaces and could directly threaten the position of the empress.

    The crown prince was not in good shape. The emperor''s desire for the little prince''s birth was not something that could be accomplished in a day or two. If a child came back to life from killing halfway through, then who was to hold the position of the crown prince?

    Zhao Zheng put down the teacup and indifferently shook his head, "Rest assured Father, that child won''t be a threat to the Crown Prince''s position."

    "How can you be so sure?"

    He did not reply, but his deep eyes were filled with a cold chill, like a cold pond.

    If the Emperor really cared about that child, Su Junxian wouldn''t have died.

    Recalling the sad ending of that clear and limpid man who ended up with his head separated from his body, Zhao Zheng felt a sense of revenge in his heart.

    Even if he came back alive, so what? Even if the crown prince left first, the throne would not be his, it would never be his.

    Besides, with the Zhao Clan sending the Emperor to consume elixirs every day, no matter how tough his body was, there would still come a day where he would be short of money.

 C167

    Since the beginning of spring, business at Flowerwood has been blocked.

    Not only that, Su Zhi was even involved in a lawsuit.

    Taking advantage of the good days, she specially prepared a brazier, saying that it could avoid danger and turn disaster into blessings, which could flourish like flames.

    The morning mist had yet to disperse, and the sun was rising in the east. It was yet another good day.

    Bi Yue looked at the fire in the brazier and added firewood.

    "Mom Ding, what do you think?"

    At the moment, General Fu''s portrait was pasted on the front gate. She looked around the courtyard and nodded. "That''s all. I''ll go call Madam over."

    Su Zhi was feeding the small bean bag to Su Yun. The child was being naughty, struggling to get down to the ground from time to time as he chased the little mutt around the house.

    Mrs Ding smiled and shook her head. "Miss Lan is too noisy. Let Bi Yue come. Madam will build a brazier to avoid any disasters."

    "That''s fine too, this child is spoiled, he''s so old that he can''t eat properly."

    Bi Yue came in and took the small bowl from her hand, teasing the small bean bag.

    Su Zhi followed her mother out. Looking at the brazier in the yard, she laughed out loud. "Thanks for your trouble, mother Ding. You even prepared these for this early in the morning."

    "The brazier was invited back from the temple, and this branch was also cut down from the temple. Madam, try it, it will definitely be able to drive out the bane."

    There was no basis for any of this.

    Su Zhi had never believed in it, but she did have good intentions in her heart, so she could not give face.

    The firewood in the brazier was burning vigorously, and the red and green flames soared high into the air. Mother Ding put her hands together and muttered, "Bodhisattva bless my wife. It''s a great fortune for you to eliminate evil and bring good fortune to yourself."

    Su Zhi stared at the brazier, lost in thought for a moment. When she finished reciting, she gestured, "Madam, you can step over."

    She nodded, lifted her skirt, and strode over.

    "Aiya!"

    When she turned around, Su Zhi found that the place where her skirt hung had been set on fire.

    "Quick, quick, quick, bring the water! Madam, don''t move! "

    When Bi Yue heard the cry, she hurriedly went to the courtyard to get a bucket of cold water to pour over Su Zhi''s skirt.

    "What do you mean fine? You even burned your clothes."

    Mother Ding was so frightened that her face turned pale. She sprinkled dirt on the brazier and extinguished it. She then stepped forward to check on Su Zhi''s condition.

    "Is Madame alright?"

    Su Zhi shook her head. "I''m fine. It''s alright. If I get stuck in the fire, I might be able to turn red from the heat of the fire."

    Even though he said that, it was still a bit unlucky to be able to cross the brazier and burn his clothes.

    His mother had been living at the Xiao family''s residence for most of her life, so she rarely touched these things.

    "My bad, my bad. I shouldn''t have let Madam do all these in the morning."

    Su Zhi comforted her, "It''s alright. It''s also a good intention of mother Ding."

    Because of the incident with the bonfire, she felt very guilty. Worried that she would bring Su Zhi trouble, she went to the kitchen to prepare food.

    "It''s getting late, A Jin and the others have already left for the academy, so I should also go to the store."

    Bi Yue pulled the bean bag and said, "Madam, the general will be coming for dinner tonight. Please come back early."

    After Xiao Qian had been busy dealing with the traitors, the two of them rarely met. Their free time was even less.

    Although Su Zhi did not say anything that she missed, she had been thinking about it in her heart.

    "I know, I''ll be back early."

    Because his business was in the way, there wasn''t much work to do in the past few days.

    Since she was free, she would just take a break. Su Zhi had more time to develop her new product, and a series of troubles came knocking on her door. It had been a long time since she had produced her new product.

    Compared to Su Zhi''s calmness, Li Yi appeared to be more anxious, and the number of customers in the shop was reduced by half.

    After some thought, he decided to try the method of opening Flowery Tower and send out some leaflets.

    However, Qiu Hong had already said that the flyers were only there to advertise the opening of the store. Many people in the city already knew about the shop, and distributing the flyers again wouldn''t work.

    When he recalled the discount mentioned previously, Li Yi still felt sorry for the silver and was reluctant to do so.

    "Sigh, the business in this shop is getting worse with each passing day."

    Shuang''er, who was inspecting the goods, immediately retorted, "Pei pei, whatever you say, the business will get better." "Who do you think our boss is? He won''t let our business end in vain. Instead, it is Li Jun who is in charge of you, saying such depressing things all day long."

    Li Yi stood up and walked out of the gate. He wanted to try and recruit some guests, but he was unable to do so due to the lack of face, and he walked up and down the stairs with a face flushed red to the ears from anxiousness.

    "Yo, Elementary Scholar sour. Is it because I can''t recite any of the Four Books and Five Classics, or is it because I''m having trouble reading the Book of Virtue?"

    Yu Zhanhong crossed his arms and smiled disdainfully, "You look completely stupid."

    Li Yi was furious to begin with, and after being provoked by Duan Ling Tian in this way, he angrily rolled up his sleeve and was about to move forward.

    "You with the surname Yu, don''t look for trouble!" "Be careful, laozi will beat you until you cry for your mother again!"

    Yu Zhanhong had always disliked Flowerwood. He had been threatened by Xiao Qian before and always feared the power behind him. Thinking of Xiao Qian''s seemingly impartial face, he couldn''t help but tremble.

    However, it was clear that there were people looking for trouble these few times. This also meant that the other side''s nest was not invincible. The higher they went, the deeper their background became.

    Since someone had already bullied him, why would he be afraid of being filled with flowers?

    "What!?" If you still want to hit someone, then eat enough! "

    Li Yi''s smile was not a smile as he coldly snorted, "I can''t say that I hit someone else. I can''t even go through the dungeon''s door after hitting you so hard. If you don''t believe me, we can give it a try!"

    "You!"

    Yu Zhanhong didn''t look too good for the poor Elementary Scholar he despised. He was still worried that Xiao Qian would bring him to the Yu Family to look for trouble.

    "Don''t blame me for not reminding you, Yu. Just do your job well. Don''t talk like a long-tongued woman all day!"

    Yu Zhanhong was full of anger, but he didn''t dare to act rashly.

    It wasn''t because he was afraid of Li Yi, but because he was afraid of Xiao Qian''s power.

    Although he had a blood uncle who was in the county, his official rank was too small for him to handle, and he might even lose his black muslin hat.

    "You just have to wait and see. This year''s Imperial Examinations will be your time to cry!"

    The meaning of his words was that he wanted to give Li Yi a blow. He would be busy all day in the shop, and it wouldn''t be easy for him to hit the jackpot if he didn''t prepare his homework.

    Although outsiders did not know this, Su Zhi knew very well that Li Yi would read books very late every night, and would wake up before dawn.

    "There''s no need for you to worry. I''m not your father, and I''m even considering the important matter of my life. It must have been tough for you!"

    Yu Zhanhong stomped his feet and was about to charge forward, but Yuan Ming, who had been observing him for a long time, quickly ran out and stopped him, "We can''t do anything about it. If you go, we will be at a disadvantage! "I will calculate how much silver I will lose ˇ­"

    "Go away!"

    He broke free from the shackles and glared fiercely at Li Yi. He turned around angrily and went upstairs.

    Yuan Ming followed up with his abacus, saying in surprise, "You''re in charge. You just lost in scolding us!" This is the first time in history that Elementary Scholar is becoming more and more powerful! "

    Yu Zhanhong turned around and kicked him, "Why are you being so talkative, get back to work!"

    Li Yi clapped his hands and returned to the shop. Shuang''er went up to him and gave him a thumbs up. "Manager Li, you''re amazing. This is the first time I''ve seen you act so tyrannically!"

    "Alright, alright. Stop talking. Think of a way to get the business going. If this goes on, you''ll lose your monthly salary."

    Shuang''er held her tongue and took the feather duster to sweep the shelves.

    Su Zhi did not know about the small episode downstairs. At this moment, she was focusing on studying the skin care products for the new season. In two months the sunscreen will be useful.

    There was a lady out for a summer vacation, so this was a must.

    "Boss!"

    As he was pondering, Qiu Hong knocked on the door.

 C168

    "What is it?"

    "Boss, something bad happened!"

    Su Zhi packed up her things and opened the door to the cubicle. She saw Qiu Hong standing outside with a worried look on her face.

    "I just came back from outside. I saw some rouge shops were selling our store''s items, and the prices were half the price!"

    "There''s such a thing?"

    She thought back to the last time she went to the capital and saw a mirror case on a small shop along the street. It looked like it had been bought by someone else. However, things like lipstick and perfume could not be made by ordinary imitation. They needed the aid of the apparatus.

    "If you look carefully, are they really the same as the items in our shop?"

    Qiu Hong nodded urgently. "It won''t be any different. I picked one up and looked at it. It looks exactly the same as the one in the shop."

    That was strange. Could it be that other than her, there was someone else who could create all these?

    "How about this, you go to those stores and buy a few items. I''ll take a look."

    Qiu Hong turned and left.

    Su Zhi was not in a hurry. It was a plain fact that there were lipsticks in her mouth and fragrant ointments in ancient times.

    However, perfume and the things she had developed herself could not be produced in this era.

    After a while, Qiu Hong came back with a sample from another store.

    "Boss, look, I just bought these. Are they the same as our family''s items, even the packaging and fragrance are the same."

    Su Zhi took the thing in her hand and examined it for a while. Then, she brought it close to her nose and sniffed it. She could not help but frown.

    She took out a bit and said with certainty, "This is our shop. This camellias hand cream and almond oil face cream were made by me not long ago. They even have the same number at the bottom."

    It might have been pirated, but who would have thought of pirating this string of Arabic numerals and alphabets?

    As it turned out, the items sold outside all left her shop.

    "But how can that be? We sell our goods directly to our customers, and we don''t distribute them to other stores. Even so, it can''t be that much cheaper than the stores. "

    Su Zhi thought for a moment and asked, "Last time, when I was in trouble, I didn''t come to the shop for a few days. You said that the items were sold very quickly, and there were many orders that needed to be made. Was it made by a customer?"

    Qiu shook his head to express negation. "How could that be possible? There are several brothels'' girls who placed orders in bulk, but they don''t use them alone. Many people split them among themselves."

    "It could also have been a collection of lists."

    However, she could not think of anyone who would be so bored as to do something so expensive and unflattering.

    Buying and selling at a high price without any profit.

    If he had to find a reason, it couldn''t be because he wanted to rub away all the traffic in the restaurant. However, in the long run, there was no other way. After all, the flow of customers had decreased and the items had been sold as usual.

    "I don''t know who would do such a stupid thing. They can''t do it because they want Flowery Restaurant to have fewer customers, but the items are still available for sale." Pay attention to the people who are going to the shop to purchase items. I suspect that someone is intentionally playing tricks on us, and is trying to use such a stupid and strenuous method. "

    "Alright, I''ll pay more attention."

    Su Zhi was not too worried. Recently, things had happened wave after wave, and she had learned how to stay calm.

    Once the business was done big, some people would get jealous and cause trouble. If they met with something else, anything could happen.

    She went back to her cubicle and continued to work on the new product. When the afternoon was almost over, she took the finished product to the makeup section of the boutique. After explaining the situation to Qiu Hong, they returned to Spring Leaf Lane.

    She had come home early today, and her mother was still waiting for her outside.

    Before Su Zhi even entered, she heard the sounds of children''s jubilation coming from the courtyard. It was accompanied by the low, melodious laughter of a man and the barking of a puppy.

    "Mom Ding, I''m back."

    She called out, and the door swung open.

    The one who opened the door was not Mother Ding, but the smiling Xiao Qian.

    "My wife is back." He leaned against the door and winked at her. "It''s been hard on my wife to support her family. I''m sorry."

    Su Zhi''s face was red as she rolled her eyes at him. "Why did you come so early? It''s not even dark yet."

    Xiao Qian dragged out his last words and said meaningfully, "Oh? "What does my wife want to imply?"

    This person is ˇ­ That lunatic Lu Hengzhi must have possessed it? He spoke in such a dissonant manner.

    "What are you doing? Be more serious."

    Seeing her intentionally have a serious expression, Xiao Qian immediately stopped playing around and scratched his head. "Tan Qing said that women like that."

    "Everything is said by others, get out of the way."

    Xiao Qian stepped aside, while Su Zhi entered the room and held the two children tightly.

    "It''s still early. I''ll take you and my child for a walk in the wilderness. Tomorrow, I have to go to the western suburbs to guard the camp."

    Su Zhi froze. This person had just returned, why was he leaving again?

    "The emperor won''t let you slow down?"

    Xiao Qian shrugged his shoulders. "That''s what people who eat royal food are like."

    In recent years, Emperor Wei Wu''s days in the early imperial court were becoming fewer and fewer. However, he still required the civil officials below him to be strict with him so that he could perform his duties to the fullest.

    "His Majesty didn''t want me to continue guarding the border. It was Grandmother who went to the palace and caused trouble for the empress dowager. She cried and shouted for me to stay behind for the Xiao family before she gave up."

    He crouched down and ignored the child at his side. He moved closer and continued, "So, when are you willing to enter the Xiao family to continue this matter regarding the Joss Flame, it will be up to you."

    Su Zhi pursed her lips, recalling Old Madam Xiao''s attitude, she could not help but shake her head. "I''m afraid it won''t be easy on your grandmother. If the family elders don''t agree, then it''s not a good idea for us to stick together."

    "You don''t have to worry about that. As long as you agree, I can send the betrothal gift over tomorrow."

    His expression was very serious, and there was not a hint of ridicule in his expression.

    Su Zhi opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped.

    The Xiao family''s old patriarch didn''t want her to become his concubine, so how could he be willing to allow her to marry Xiao Qian as his wife?

    "This matter can take a while. You must be tired after this period of time. First, relax a little."

    Being able to marry Xiao Qian was naturally good, but Su Zhi didn''t want herself to have to face a tough time coming back after hard work every day, not to mention the fact that they were separated by a generation.

    Old Madam Xiao refused to let her in. Even if Xiao Qian were to use a method to marry her, it was inevitable that they would bump into each other in the future. If they were to bicker, it would be difficult to coax both men.

    "What are you thinking about? You look like you''re frowning."

    Xiao Qian reached out to smooth her brow as he embraced her. "How about I tell Grandmother that she''ll definitely want you to come in tonight."

    Su Zhi treated it as a word of comfort and didn''t take it to heart. "Your grandmother''s attitude is quite tough. Don''t you dare hit the gun."

    The man smiled and continued, "What my grandmother cares about the most is for the Xiao family to continue burning incense. If you really have it, she won''t stop you from entering."

    Su Zhi blushed, scolding him for being improper.

    Fianc¨¦ was not something to be proud of even in the future, let alone in this era.

    If she really had a child, she would be able to bear the title of an outsider and would not be able to raise her head when she entered the room in the future.

    "Don''t think about it. I won''t agree to it. Beautiful."

    Xiao Qian embraced her and chuckled, "If you don''t want to, I can''t force you. I''ll go back and tell my grandma that you have my child and that will be the end of it."

    "Her thoughts are quite simple. What if she sends someone to check my body? Won''t I be exposed soon?"

    "Leave this matter to me. Leave everything to me." "I''ve thought it through. I need to marry you back home as soon as possible."

    Su leaned on his chest, her face flushed red.

    She could truly feel Xiao Qian''s love and was also looking forward to the day when she could be on the same level as him. However, when she thought of Old Madam Xiao''s face that she hated, she couldn''t help but feel disappointed.

 C169

    While the sky was still dark and there were still some time before dinner, Xiao Qian forcefully dragged her and the child out for a walk.

    The courtyard built in front of Su Zhi''s residence a few years ago had been completely built. It was a fake mountain garden, a pavilion and the style of a luxurious mansion.

    "When all the furniture and tools in the garden have been arranged, you and the child can go live on the other side. I''ll send a few more servants to help you with some tasks, so I won''t feel wronged by you and the child."

    Su Zhi looked at Dewar on the opposite side of the wall and shook her head. "Forget it. I''ll stay in the same courtyard as the children. It''ll be more comfortable."

    "How can that be? This courtyard is old and run-down. When the children are older, they will not have their own room."

    Su Zhi also thought about the lack of rooms, but she just wanted to build a new house in the backyard. She didn''t plan to move out.

    Xiao Qian held Su Zhi''s hand with one hand and the small bean bag with the other.

    A Jin held her mother''s hand as the family walked down the path, envious of the bystanders.

    At such a warm moment, Su Zhi would fall into a trance for a moment, as if she had already married Xiao Qian. Every day, she would do the same thing.

    "Hey, Little Su? Wandering around with Lord Liu? "

    A single sentence succeeded in breaking the short moment of bliss.

    Su Zhi stared at Gu Shisui in shock, her mouth wide open, not knowing what to say.

    "Sister Gu, I know you don''t like my nephew from the Liu family for a reason. After all, the tall and handsome man of the Liu family is one of the most outstanding among the people. No matter what, he is still a hundred times better than that farmer!"

    Xiao Qian: "?"

    Su Zhi: "ˇ­"

    "Cough cough. Sister-in-law Gu, do you recognize Lord Liu?" Don''t talk nonsense, she''s innocent! Xiao Qian, this man likes to eat so much, can you not make her eat?

    Gu Sister-in-Law scratched her head and pointed at Xiao Gan. "Isn''t he?"

    Su Zhi was flabbergasted and didn''t know how to reply.

    It really wasn''t the right thing to do! The two of them had completely different styles! Liu Yuan was refined and gentle, while Xiao Qian was calm and reserved, daring to kill.

    How did he become a person? It was obviously not even one thing!

    Seeing her shocked expression, Gu Sister-in-Law knew she was wrong. She clapped her hands and explained: "Sorry, but this isn''t Sir Liu right? I resent and resent me, but I can''t see clearly, and I dare to speak carelessly when I haven''t met anyone before. I am truly sorry, but little brother, please don''t take it to heart! "

    After saying that, he stuck out his tongue and quickly ran away.

    Su Zhi could clearly feel that someone at the side was unhappy, the kind that was extremely unhappy.

    "That... Sister-in-law Gu''s words are like this, a little out of bounds, don''t take it to heart. "

    Xiao Qian tightened his grip on her hand, a meaningful smile on his face. "Not bad, even the people living next door know of Liu Yu An''s existence. Just that they don''t know about me."

    "Don''t speak nonsense. Didn''t you save Mr. Liu before? Then, you invited me out to dinner, and I was just misunderstood by them. "

    He stopped and stared straight at Su Zhi. "More than once, right?"

    "About that, it''s more than once, but I''m telling you the truth, just the day before New Year''s, you asked me to go, and for serious business, I didn''t lie to you!"

    "Oh? You dare to say that you didn''t lie to me? "

    Su Zhi vowed solemnly, "If I want to lie to you, can''t you take a thunderstorm!"

    "Rumble ~ ~ ~ ~"

    Just as he finished speaking, a muffled thunder sounded in the sky.

    Before the sun set, the sky was still clear, and in the blink of an eye, it had darkened.

    Su Zhi stood in the same spot in embarrassment. She glanced at the overcast sky and laughed sloppily in embarrassment. "The weather has changed quite quickly."

    The man ignored her, let go, and walked back with the baby in his arms.

    A Jin was very smart. She instantly sensed the subtle atmosphere between the two of them.

    "Mother, you can''t just randomly swear that you will be struck by lightning."

    Su Zhi glared at him unhappily. What the hell was this kid talking about? Where did the usual cleverness go?

    "There are clouds above evil, and I wish to know you. Mausoleum is not in the mountains, the river water is exhausted,? The winter thunder shook the summer rain and the snow, and the heaven and earth gathered ˇ­ What is it? "

    A Jin shook his head, trying his best to think.

    "Son, where did you learn these things?"

    "Next door to the school, Little Flower asked me to recite it for her!"

    Su Zhi slipped and almost fell to the ground.

    "En, good son, don''t casually read poems like this to other girls in the future."

    "Can you read it to a boy?"

    "No way!"

    This kid always learns stuff!

    "Oh."

    A Jin helplessly held her hand as she looked at the little bean bun that was comfortably resting on Xiao Qian''s shoulder. An envious expression appeared on her face.

    However, the man in front didn''t seem to be happy, he only carried the girl and silently walked back.

    Sensing the gaze behind him, Xiao Qian turned around and smiled at him, "Come here, A-Jin. Uncle Xiao is holding you."

    A Jin smiled as she let go of Su Zhi''s hand and climbed onto the man''s strong arm.

    The three people in front were enjoying themselves, leaving Su Zhi alone as she silently followed behind. She stuck her tongue out at the man and muttered something to herself. And then there were the two stinking children, the little traitor.

    As soon as the family returned home, it began to rain.

    Although it was not past spring, the rain was not gentle at all, and crackling and rattling violently.

    Mrs Ding enjoyed her meal. After a long time, she didn''t see Xiao Qian come back and prepared a big table full of good wine and dishes.

    Bi Yue and Danxue were busy doing their work as well, and didn''t notice the man''s little mood in the slightest.

    For the first time in her life, Su Zhi was happy with the rain.

    It was raining so heavily that the man couldn''t have left tonight, right?

    She understood Xiao Qian. His temper came a bit faster, but it also dispersed a bit faster. It was actually very easy to coax. He was only thinking of his big brother, yet he still had to coax him. It gave him a feeling that he couldn''t quite put his finger on it.

    Su Zhi did not have much experience in love, so she did not know how to handle this kind of thing. She could only rely on instinct to decide. He would be better after a while.

    After the meal was served, Xiao Qian did not slow down his mood and remained silent. Mrs Ding took A Jin and Little Dou Bao away, hoping that the two of them would be more at ease. But without the child by her side, Su Zhi felt even more uneasy.

    The two of them ate in silence. The atmosphere was a little awkward.

    Su Zhi ate the rice in the bowl and secretly sized up the man in front of her. She saw that his eyebrows were stiff and his curved, beautiful lower jaw was moving slightly with the sound of chewing. It was obvious that he was unhappy.

    She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

    This man was really annoying. Wasn''t he just being stingy? Wasn''t he just admitting his wrongs in the wrong words? Was there really a need to be so stingy?

    "That ˇ­" This Jealous Ribs is not bad. "

    Unable to bear the awkward situation anymore, Su Zhi picked up a pork chop and placed it in the man''s bowl, as a show of goodwill.

    Xiao Qian stared blankly at the small piece of pork chop before continuing to eat his own. He didn''t show any displeasure nor did he appear very happy.

    He was speechless.

    Su Zhi felt that she had lost a lot of face. As expected, this man was not easy to coax. Forget it, just let him be!

    So what if I like it!

    She lowered her head in exasperation, but there were only a few dishes in front of her, so she no longer spoke to him.

    After a long while, Xiao Qian put down his chopsticks and looked at her seriously.

    "Ah Zhi, tell me the truth, are you unwilling to marry me because of Lord Liu?"

    Su Zhi could not swallow a mouthful of rice as she choked on her tears.

    "You don''t have Waters in your head, do you? If I don''t want to marry you for the sake of Lord Liu, why would I waste time and emotions with you! "

    The man looked helpless. "But you refused to say yes."

    It''s not because you have a powerful grandmother and you don''t want a girl like her, who has no background, to come in.

    "Take care of your grandmother first."

    She was clearly such an easy person to deal with, yet she was the one who had to talk nonsense. If the elders agreed, would she be unhappy?

    "Then, you''ve agreed to follow me?"

    Su Zhi rolled her eyes at him, she was so angry that she could not eat anymore.

    Could this man be any more stupid?

    With this guarantee, Xiao Qian quickly cleared the haze. His mood was elated. "Alright. You don''t need to worry about the rest of it. Just leave it to me."

    He gave a silly smile to Su Zhi, then picked up a piece of Sweet ''n'' Sour Ribs and passed it to her, "This taste is indeed not bad, eat more."

    "Don''t go against the madame. She doesn''t like me so she naturally won''t let you marry me. I don''t want you to be unhappy with my family because of my matter."

    Xiao Qian quickly finished the large bowl of rice and said happily, "Don''t worry about that. I have a way to get Grandmother to let you in."

    He didn''t say that Su Zhi also knew that he was trying to deceive Madam Xiao by saying that she was pregnant, but how long could he keep this a secret? Even if he managed to get through to the doctor, he would not be able to hold on to the fact that there was nothing in his stomach after a few months.

    It was still raining heavily outside. After dinner, the rain didn''t seem to lessen as Xiao Qian stayed behind.

    Mama Ding took the two children to her room to rest while lying alone on the bed with Xiao Qian. Su Zhi was still a bit shy.

    After washing up, she was the first to get into bed. She leaned against the wall and wrapped herself in a blanket as she squinted at him.

    "What? Everything was fine before, but now you''re feeling shy?"

    "That''s different. In the past, you were just a bedhead ˇ­"

    Her voice trailed off until she buried her face in the covers and didn''t dare look at him.

    Xiao Qian took off his outer garment, leaving only a snow-white inner garment. Su Zhi clearly remembered that she had personally sewn this lining for him.

    The material on his shirt was thin to begin with. He slightly opened his collar revealing half of his strong, wheat colored body, as well as a faintly discernible red bead ˇ­

    This man''s figure was simply impeccable. Su Zhi withdrew her peripheral vision and disappointedly swallowed her saliva. He was definitely doing it on purpose. He was just trying to be perverted. Lure her!

 C170

    "Aren''t you cold? Why aren''t you coming up?"

    The man was in the midst of slowly tidying his clothes on top of the wooden mat. When he heard her words, he smiled and said with interest, "It''s still deep into the night. My wife, don''t be anxious."

    Su Zhi cursed under her breath and fell asleep on her own.

    After Xiao Qian Xiu was strong enough to get on the bed, he pressed her body against the bed.

    "How is your husband?"

    "Not bad."

    She narrowed her eyes and deliberately ignored the throbbing in her heart.

    "Is that all?"

    Otherwise? When did Xiao Qian''s hoof become so slutty?

    Men were indeed the same!

    Su Zhi harrumphed, "What else can we do?"

    He replied shamelessly, "Perhaps the lights are too dim, you can''t really feel it. Otherwise, feel it?"

    Su Zhi''s face turned red from his teasing. She reached out to push him, "I''m going to sleep if you don''t. Get out!"

    Xiao Qian pinched her nose, flipped over, and pulled her into his embrace.

    "Tomorrow I will go to the western suburbs and camp. Before I leave, I will tell Grandmother about this matter. She isn''t such an unreasonable person, she only favored the Southern Zhenren and hoped that I would marry Anyang."

    "En, it''s up to you. In any case, I''ll just say those unsightly words first. Don''t regret marrying me into your family then, I''m not going to give up."

    He smiled and kissed the woman''s forehead. "I regret that I didn''t meet you earlier."

    Su Zhi smiled shyly and sighed as she laid in his arms. "Then, are Little Dou and A Jin going to belong to the Xiao family tree from now on?"

    The man was obviously shocked. He remained silent for a while and then slowly said, "There''s nothing wrong with the Soybean Bag. A Jin, he ˇ­"

    "Hmm? What happened to A Jin? "

    He didn''t answer her directly, but asked her instead, "Ah Zhi, can you really not remember everything that happened in the past? "Even a little bit?"

    Su Zhi shook her head, confused. "I can''t remember anything. I knocked my brains out in Peace Village. I can''t even remember A Jin''s birthdate."

    Xiao Qian tightened his arms as a complicated expression appeared on his face.

    "A Zhi, did you know that there was a family in Beijing with the surname Su?"

    She nodded calmly, "I know. I''ve heard Brother Li speak of it before. It seems that his fate is somewhat miserable."

    But what did it have to do with her?

    "Why did you mention this?"

    Xiao Qian shook his head. "No, nothing. I just suddenly remembered."

    Su Zhi nodded softly. In her mind, she thought back to the woman who had admitted her wrong and that young man.

    Xiao Qian had once said that he might be the Crown Prince.

    As if he had sensed her absent-mindedness, Xiao Qian stroked her hair and patted her shoulder with his rough hand. "Go to sleep. You''ve been tired enough these past few days."

    Since Su Zhi had something on her mind, she did not say much.

    The two of them lay side by side, their thoughts different.

    At dawn the next day, the crowing of chickens came from outside the courtyard.

    The rain had stopped in the middle of the night, and the mist of dawn hung far off in the distance.

    Su Zhi turned over and subconsciously looked to her side, only to find that the man beside her had already left.

    She recalled that Xiao Qian had said last night that he would go and reveal his skills to Madam Xiao. She didn''t know if everything would go smoothly.

    Thinking about all this in the morning, Su Zhi shook her head and took a deep breath before sitting up and putting on her clothes to clean herself.

    These few days, the store''s business was in a bad mood, so he had to think of a way to drain the water as soon as possible.

    "Madam, it rained yesterday. The road is slippery, so be careful when you go out."

    "Before General Ding left, he specially instructed me to ask you to wait at home for good news. Don''t come back too late, it''s easy to get tired."

    "Mm, I understand. Please go back."

    Su Zhi liked this kind of warm feeling. When people always thought of you when you were outside, you were no longer alone. You were always warm in your heart.

    She got into the car with ease and bumped all the way up to the Flowery Building.

    Li Yi had already opened his store for business since a long time ago, and there was no business in the store that was cold and cheerless. Ever since the series of incidents that had occurred, the old ladies who had lined up to wait for the door to open were nowhere to be seen.

    "Big Brother Li, good morning."

    Li Yi was holding a book and reading it, and when he saw her lightly smile, it could be considered a form of greeting.

    "I probably thought about it last night. According to the current situation of the store, I''ll have to make some adjustments."

    "Whatever Little Su says, do it. You can still be considered as one of those companies with a profit/loss ratio. I don''t know a thing about them."

    Su Zhi found pen and paper and roughly calculated the discount guarantee rate, using the most cost-effective method to estimate the amount of the discount.

    "I''ll send out some more leaflets and tell them that all items except for the daily necessities of our store are 10% off. The more items you purchase, the more discount you get. In this way, there will always be customers who like to buy things cheap. "

    Li Yi counted with his fingers, "Then how much money will it cost to go out?"

    "Don''t worry, I won''t lose out. I just earned less."

    Su Zhi drew up a plan and racked her brains. She looked towards the dessert shop and said, "Today, let Master make more cakes and place them in front of the store for free. I will help out later. Then, let Little Dong and Shuang''er go to the streets to distribute flyers, and Qiu Hong will go to the third floor to look after it. Brother Li will be in charge of the cashier.

    Li Yi sighed. "I still don''t know if it''ll work."

    "Don''t worry, it will definitely work."

    No matter what era it was, a discount at a shopping mall was always the most attractive thing to the common people.

    Furthermore, the quality of Flowery Tower''s merchandise was guaranteed, and there was no lack of returning customers. It was just that they had been in the limelight for a long time, so if they did not react to it, the reason they felt that business was not doing well was because of the lack of good stuff.

    Su Zhi was full of energy as she drafted a plan and imagined how the business in Flower Mansion would continue to flourish.

    At this moment, the streets had already started bustling with activity. The peddlers along the streets were shouting and hawking their wares, while the pedestrians were bustling with activity. It was a bustling scene.

    Qiu Hong also came to the shop. As she prepared to go to the third floor to manage the business, there was a sudden commotion from the street. Looking at the direction of the street, he saw ten or so officials jogging over.

    It was unknown whether it was because of the last few incidents, but the moment Qiu Hong saw the people from the yamen, she couldn''t help but worry.

    "Big Brother Li, come over here and take a look, could it be that this group of people are here again ˇ­" You''re looking for your boss again?

    She swallowed the rest of her words and didn''t dare to say it out loud.

    Li Yi stuck his head out and saw that the constable was cold like ice. With a serious expression, he rushed towards the direction of Hua Manlou.

    His eyelids twitched as he instinctively looked in Su Zhi''s direction. "Little Su, hurry to the capital. Go right now!"

    Xiao Qian had already returned to the capital, so no one could do anything to her.

    Just as he finished speaking, the leader of the constables had already barged in.

    Qiu Hong was shocked. She stared at Li Yi, unsure of what to say.

    Su Zhi, on the other hand, was very calm. She placed the wolf Bristles on the inkstand and stepped forward with a smile. "Why have all of you come to visit?"

    The leader raised the arrest warrant in his hand and spoke without batting an eyelid, "Su Zhi, there''s someone accusing you of murder and murder. We''ll arrest you now and bring you to justice. Come with us!"

    Qiu Hong''s heart skipped a beat and quickly explained, "Sir, I am afraid you are not mistaken? Our boss is a good person, how could he do that kind of thing? Killing and killing are things that you wouldn''t even dare to think about! "

    Li Yi trembled as he asked, "May I ask, who is the person who died?"

    The leader of the constables coldly replied, "The one who went to the county magistrate a few days ago to beat up the innocent Zhou family."

    "What?!"

    Su Zhi was also shocked. He was clearly fine two days ago, how could he ˇ­

    "Don''t ask so much, go to the yamen to explain it!" The constable waved his hand, "Take him away!"

    Qiu Hong wanted to stop him, but was pushed away. She steadied herself and said to herself, "I wonder if His Highness the Crown Prince is here this time."

    Li Yi stomped his foot and became anxious. "Are you stupid? The general has already returned. Why are you still asking the crown prince? Hurry up and go to the capital to find General Xiao!"

    After the two of them discussed the matter, they immediately headed to the capital to seek help.

    The third time she came to the yamen, Su Zhi secretly mocked herself for living a bad life. She could not live a peaceful life, so she made her way to the yamen every few days.

    He also didn''t know what happened after the Yang family left Spring Leaf Alley that week, and how they ended up in a foreign land.

    Thinking about it, this girl was also a pitiful person. She was not liked by her husband and had a weak character. Su Zhi believed that she had not been wronged. The amount of silver that she had been given was enough for her to live most of her life, and even if she found a restaurant to stay in, it would be enough to sustain her living for a long time.

    She was escorted all the way to the county magistrate court. There were quite a few pedestrians that came to watch the commotion as they surrounded the street and pointed out the details.

    "Ahh, isn''t that Lady Su who''s blooming all over the place? "Why did they get found by the officials again?"

    "In my opinion, this woman is not a good person. Otherwise, why would she keep getting scolded by the officials?" "Look at us good citizens, who runs the county magistrate court like that? Why do we have to go every few days?"

 C171

    The passerby''s mouth was broken. Su Zhi also heard some sounds.

    The wind had not been good recently, but now it was getting worse.

    She could not help but sigh and gloomily walked towards the yamen.

    When he arrived at the county magistrate court, he discovered that there were already many people surrounding the door. They were whispering and looking at Su Zhi with a different expression, as if she really was the unforgivable murderer.

    "My lord, the suspect Su Zhi is here!"

    The fat and chubby Zhixian wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, then retracted his hand out of politeness.

    This was really hard to do. Everyone knew that this woman was General Xiao''s woman. She had already returned to the capital. How could he dare to be moving if he didn''t even look at her?

    However, if he did not act in a proper manner, the onlookers would start gossiping. The crux of the issue was that he still had a ancestor that was hard to serve.

    Yu Zhi County looked at the girl at the side and his neck shrunk. He could only muster up his courage and clear his throat, "Su Zhi! "Do you know this woman on the ground?"

    Before she could enter the door, Su Zhi saw An Yang sitting upright on a wooden chair. At this moment, she was helplessly staring at the well-maintained, soft pancreas. Out of the corner of her eyes, she was glancing at the entrance, her eyes filled with uncontrollable joy and schadenfreude.

    The constable lifted the white cloth from the corpse.

    Su Zhi glanced at the ground, and quickly recognized that the person was indeed the Zhou family.

    She appeared to have been dead for a while, her face pale, her lips dark purple, her body stiff.

    "Yes, I know him." She quickly averted her eyes and could not bear to look again.

    An Yang covered his nose in disgust and sneered, "Su Zhi, did you kill this woman? Just to take away their children, to look down on the laws and to kill them! "

    Su Zhi looked at her, neither servile nor overbearing, "Princess, you can eat whatever you want, but you can''t say whatever you want. When did you see me harm anyone? "Is there any evidence?"

    An Yang gave an exaggerated laugh. "Isn''t that simple?" Many people know about the lawsuit that happened a few days ago. You stole their child, yet not only did your family not return the favor, they even had thoughts of killing them! "

    "Princess, how is this logic formed? Another day, you should go and sit at the Flower ManLou to see how he speaks, so that no one will be able to laugh or cry at what he says. "

    An Yang''s face darkened. He slapped his chair and stood up. "Don''t deny it. It was you who killed him because you didn''t want to return his child!"

    Su Zhi shook her head helplessly and said, "Let me think with you for a moment before you think about whether you''re right or not. First, just like you said yourself, many people know about this lawsuit. If I kill someone at this time, wouldn''t I be throwing dirty water on myself? Secondly, even if I want to kill someone, I will think of a way to throw away the corpse in the wilderness and not let you find a reason to commit the crime. No matter how weak he was, he would at least bury him, right? "Third, it''s not that I haven''t returned the child to her, it''s just that she can''t raise the child well."

    "Then, perhaps you killed someone and didn''t have the time to destroy their corpse?"

    Su Zhi looked at her as if she were looking at an idiot. "If that''s the case, I wouldn''t have killed her so recklessly and brought a lawsuit on myself!"

    The two of them argued with each other.

    Kaixian, who sat on the seat of honor, did not know how to decide.

    He only felt sorry for himself.

    He hadn''t held this position for long, so why was there so much trouble? Just the person he shouldn''t offend had come several times.

    Xiao Gan, who didn''t know Su Zhi before, thought she was a good businessman.

    He didn''t expect that the other party would have his back against the Xiao family, Prince Yongning''s Mansion, and Old mister Liu''s savior. Each of them was more difficult to deal with than the other!

    "What doesn''t Yu Zhi County want to say?"

    An Yang was infuriated, and pointed the spearhead at him.

    "Eh, this, this ˇ­"

    Just the death of an unrelated country woman. Yu Zhi County wasn''t concerned about this matter to begin with. It was An Yang who had come early in the morning to report this matter. How could he afford to provoke this aunt? He could only bite the bullet and accept the case.

    The moment he found out that it was Su Zhi again, Yu Zhi County had the urge to return to his hometown to farm.

    "I wonder what evidence Lady Su has?"

    Su Zhi stood on the spot and replied shamelessly, "Then, Sir, do you have any proof that I was the one who killed them?"

    Zhixian scratched his head, feeling troubled.

    Princess Anyang had only asked him to open the hall, but he had no other evidence to provide. It wouldn''t be good for him to solve this case.

    An Yang sneered, "Do you even need evidence? Isn''t it obvious? "

    "Little princess, you have to be responsible for your words. You accuse me of being the murderer, but you don''t have any evidence, so how can I convince you? Just based on your words alone, what is there for you to do? "

    Su Zhi turned her face away and begged Yu Zhi County calmly, "Sir, please pass a coroner!"

    Yu Zhi County waved his hand and allowed the coroner to come to the hall.

    Even though Xuan City was not the capital, it was still within the scope of the Imperial City. Beneath the feet of the Emperor, there were rarely any strange people who died like this.

    Zhi County was puzzled as well. How did this person disappear so easily? Seeing Su Zhi''s benevolent look, there was no way she was a murderer, she could only blame her for being unlucky, as anything could be related to her.

    The coroner examined his body and then stood up to reply, "Sir, the lungs and lungs of the deceased had a foul smell and their throat was swollen and rotten. They must have been poisoned to death."

    Yu Zhi County was very surprised, "Huh?" "What kind of poison is this? It''s actually so powerful."

    The coroner thought for a moment. "This poison ˇ­" It''s called Man Tuo, from the Western Regions. "

    Su Zhi sighed, she had already understood that the Zhou family had been deliberately killed by someone to blame her.

    That poison was from the Western Regions. A few days ago, it was those few Hu merchants that had arrested her.

    He really couldn''t stay still for even a moment. He didn''t know who was it that was against her, trying to kill her with all their might.

    Zhixian rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. Then he tried asking, "Lady Su, are you cooperating with the Hu merchants?"

    She nodded and did not deny it.

    "Now the truth is revealed, you''re the one who killed them!" An Yang clapped his hands, pointed at Su Zhi, and said, "Sir, quickly capture her and torture her, forcing her to tell us the truth!"

    Su Zhi replied indifferently, "I said, I didn''t kill the person. You have no evidence, so you can''t detain me!"

    "Yu Zhixian, this princess orders you to arrest that person and bring him to justice immediately!"

    Since he was in a dilemma, he didn''t dare to make the decision rashly.

    An Yang was furious, "Didn''t you hear that? This princess orders you! "

    Just as he was in a dilemma, the Grand Master walked up and whispered something in his ear.

    Yu Zhi County was stunned for a moment, then his mind was set on swaying left and right.

    "Since Lady Su is really plotting against someone''s life, it''s better to keep her in custody. Someone, bring her down and wait for her orders!"

    Su Zhi could not believe her ears. In just a blink of an eye, the prefecture lord''s attitude took a complete turn. Someone behind him ordered him to do so, but that person was not An Yang.

    The constable quickly came over to take her away. An Yang happily smiled, and squinted his eyes. He was very satisfied with her appearance of being humiliated.

    She didn''t believe that if she couldn''t get such a despicable woman, she would only be able to live by his side, while she herself didn''t have much ability.

    "Use the punishment for this princess. You must make her speak the truth!"

    Yu Zhi County couldn''t believe it when they heard the order to be put in jail was issued by the Zhao Family.

    Could it be that Lord Zhao and General Xiao had already fallen out?

    "Wait!"

    A loud shout stopped the constables who were rushing forward.

    The crowd looked towards the entrance and saw a group of beautiful maidservants barging in.

    He knew that woman, Yu Zhi County, especially that Aunt Xu beside her, who had come to meet him a few days ago.

    Things had gotten out of hand! Kaixian moans incessantly, the gods fight, the imps suffer.

    "So it''s the Marquis'' Madam, sorry for the inconvenience!"

    Jiang Si stared coldly at the fat Zhixian, who was lowering his body. Her beautiful eyes turned around and landed on Su Zhi.

    "You can''t touch this woman."

    An Yang suddenly stood up, unwilling to let the matter go, "Madame Jiang, the Marquis'' Mansion is famous for not meddling in other people''s business! "What, you want to cover up this murderer today?"

    Jiang Yao snorted lightly and ignored An Yang, "I''ll ask Madame Su to come with me."

    Yu Zhi County didn''t know how to react.

    He was General Xiao''s man to begin with, so he could not afford to offend him. His immediate superior also wanted him in prison, but now he had another Madam Hou.

    In this dilemma, Zhixian ignored it and pretended not to hear anything.

    Although Su Zhi didn''t know what Jiang Hao was here for, she wouldn''t be locked up in the prison if she left with him now.

    She nodded slightly and followed him.

    An Yang furiously slapped away the teapot on the table and viciously glared at the woman as she left. The bitterness in his eyes grew even stronger.

    "Thank you Madam for your help."

    After exiting the yamen, Su Zhi finally opened her mouth to express her gratitude.

    Jiang Si didn''t reply and climbed into the carriage.

    "Lady Su, please!"

    Xu Yue pushed her into the carriage, his expression solemn and irrefutable.

    Su Zhi was a bit against it, but at least she had saved her.

    She lifted her skirt and followed him into the carriage.

    "Where would you like me to go?"

    Jiang Yao closed his eyes and said nothing.

    The carriage sped on, leaving the yakuza behind.

    Was it her imagination? Why did she see that Jiang Si was sobbing? Even though his eyes were closed, his body couldn''t stop trembling.

    "Madam, are you alright?"

    After a long while, Jiang Yao calmed himself down and opened his eyes. His eyes were slightly red as he looked at Su Zhi. He seemed to want to say something, but hesitated.

    "Su Qiuyi, it''s been six years. I hope you''ve been well."

 C172

    Surprised, Su Zhi corrected him, "Madam, my name is Su Zhi."

    Jiang Si looked at her with an indescribably complicated look in his eyes.

    He vaguely remembered that the little girl who had been teaching in the palace six years ago was also like this, ignorant and innocent.

    All these years, she had escaped without a trace, and no one had been able to detect the news of her and A Jin.

    "All these years, you''ve suffered."

    After the Su Clan''s three clans were killed, it was already a different story when they returned to the capital.

    Su Zhi was very confused. Looking at her sorrowful expression, she was confused.

    "Yes, I was confused and forgot that you don''t remember what happened before. I''ve invited a famous doctor to treat you today, so it might be able to remind you of the past. "

    "Madam, you mean that we''ve met before?"

    Jiang Si nodded, "You may have forgotten that you are the descendant of the Su Family, who was famous throughout the world. Your brother, Su Jun, has always held the title of the capital''s most beautiful man.

    Remembering the man who had been dismembered and decapitated, Jiang Si felt a burst of regret.

    If it wasn''t for the trap, he and Jiang Xuan would have been incredibly happy.

    Su Clan? Su Jun was envious?

    In an instant, Su Zhi thought back to the youth she had met in the Liu Estate, and the panic that had appeared on Xu Yue''s face the first time he had seen her.

    The capital''s Su Clan, a famous family that was popular six years ago, was also a taboo that caused people to change their expressions.

    She was a descendant of the Su Clan?

    Su Zhi shook her head, indicating that she didn''t want to believe it.

    "I am not, I am just a village woman who came from the countryside, how can I be from the Su Family? Madam, please do not joke. "

    Jiang Si cried sorrowfully. Large amounts of tears had stained the snow-white orchid.

    "Then, do you still remember what happened before we left for Tranquil Village? Do you remember where you came from, your parents, your brothers, your fellow clansmen? "

    Su Zhi shook her head in confusion. When she woke up, she had been in Tranquil Village. Naturally, she only remembered what happened after that.

    "You are Su Qiuyi, the young daughter of the Su Family who was sent to the palace to be taught six years ago. It''s only because she and my sister became friends that she often sent you to the Glazed Palace as a guest. Do you think A Jin is really your biological child? The purple jade pendant that he has been carrying is the one that Xuan Fei personally brought up to him. "

    The annihilated Su Family, the prince left behind by the common people, the favorite concubine of the dead in the sea of fire ˇ­

    Su Zhi felt her head buzz. It seemed as if she had once again heard the shrill cries of a woman, the cries of a baby, and the panic-stricken cries of a palace maid.

    My head hurts...

    "Su Qiuyi, it''s been six years since we last met, and you''re finally back. Thank you for raising Ah Jin so well. Thank you for allowing him to be reborn and escaping from the Queen''s clutches."

    Jiang Si tightly held Su Zhi''s hand and cried.

    "If it wasn''t for you, A Jin would have been long gone, and the Jiang family would never have survived!"

    "I ˇ­" Su Zhi retracted her hand, looking absent-minded.

    Her purpose of coming to Xuancheng was only to let her child have a better life.

    She didn''t want to get into so much trouble. She shook her head instinctively, unwilling to believe it.

    "I''m not Su Qiuyi."

    Jiang Si wiped away his tears, crying like a teardrop.

    "How could it not be? If you go to the palace now and ask those old nannies, who doesn''t know that you are the one known as Wei''er? "

    "I''ve known Xiao Qian for so long, and I know His Highness. I''ve even been to the Liu Estate, so why didn''t anyone say I was Su Qiuyi? Madam, what is your intention in designating me as you? "

    If she really was a descendant of the Su Clan, then why was she only recognized by people at this point in time? Moreover, only Madame Jiang thought so.

    "Xiao Qian has been stationed at the border with the army since he was young. Lord Liu has always been studying outside. Lu Huan was originally a playboy who couldn''t remember anything. Do you think they could recognize you? If you do not believe me, go and ask Shen Zhu. He is your childhood sweetheart, he will not deceive you! "

    Mentioning Shen Zhu, Su Zhi once again thought of the first time she had met him. The kind of look she had had for tens of thousands of years, as if they had finally met after a long time, came back to her and she didn''t dare to recognize him.

    Li Yi had mentioned the relationship between the Shen family and the Su family.

    In other words, Shen Zhu had long recognized her presence. The fact that she came to take in students was just a cover, and her real purpose was to meet her at Flower Mansion.

    The carriage slowed down until it finally stopped.

    Su Zhi had yet to recover from her shock. Suspicion clouded her mind as she felt a surge of wireless power enveloping the area above her. No matter how she tried to escape, it would be useless.

    "The one who framed me time and time again, was it the Su Clan''s enemy?"

    Jiang Si nodded seriously and said, "Yes, that''s the Zhao Family."

    Zhao Family again?

    "That day when Zhao Zheng went to Flower Mansion, I knew he would have recognized you. I don''t dare to act rashly, for fear that he will harm you and A Jin with his crafty actions, so I have no choice but to secretly send people to protect you guys. "

    Su Zhi immediately thought back to that gentle and courteous man. Although there were many guests who had come to the Flowery Restaurant, there were very few who had an extraordinary temperament like his.

    So even after so long, she still had an impression of him.

    However, that man looked so innocent and harmless. He actually wanted to kill her?

    "Don''t be fooled by Zhao Zheng''s appearance. Your brother was killed by him!" The leader of the execution is Zhao Jian! "

    Su Zhi''s heart shook as she felt an unexplainable pain.

    She clutched her heart, moaning in pain. Yin.

    She had never seen Su Jun envious, wearing the outer shell of the Su Clan, but it wasn''t the real Su Clan. She didn''t know why, but her heart felt so uncomfortable.

    She followed Jiang Si out of the car and into a small courtyard. There was a plum tree planted in the yard. It had passed the blooming season, and it looked somewhat despondent. A pot of tea was placed on a green stone table in the corner.

    "Do you remember this courtyard?"

    Su Zhi shook her head. She couldn''t remember a thing.

    "No problem, I''ve asked for a doctor. He might have a way to cure you."

    Hearing this, Su Zhi stopped and refused to take a step forward.

    She was not a real Su Qiuyi, how could she remember?

    "Don''t be afraid, I won''t make things difficult for you. If you think of it, it will be very helpful for Jin to return to the palace."

    "NO!" I don''t want to send A Jin back! "

    That day, when she sent Little Dou Wu away, A Jin once cried and asked her if she would also send her away one day.

    He had never thought that such a day would actually come.

    Jiang Si felt a bit helpless, "If you don''t want to, you have no choice. After all, he is a member of the Lu family, a legitimate prince, and a very likely future ruler. If something happens to Lu Chenming, he will become the sole heir to the Great Wei River!"

    Su Zhi growled, "I''ve never thought of letting him be the ruler of anything, or sit on the throne! I just want him to live a peaceful and healthy life, and I don''t have any other hopes, fighting in the open or in the dark, fighting for power or gain anything else. You can do whatever you want, but please don''t implicate the children! "

    The Zhao Family was able to cause the Su Family''s three families to be exterminated, Jiang Family to be quiet, and Shen Family to be wronged. They were also able to openly oppose Xiao Qian. They were naturally not to be trifled with.

    She didn''t want A Jin to be involved. The adult world was too complicated, and the child didn''t know anything.

    "Su Qiuyi, you can''t be so selfish. Do you think everything will be alright if you don''t let A Jin and His Majesty recognize each other? "Let me tell you, the Zhao Family will not let you and your child go. Now, with the protection of General Xiao and I, you can escape from death many times. If A Jin cannot enter the palace, the consequences will be even worse!"

    She had thought of this before. The Zhao Family had attacked so many times based on the Lifeline.

    This time, it was her. If there was an accident, the next target would be ˇ­

    Jiang Si invited her into the palace, still trying his best to persuade her, "Don''t worry about A-Jin''s weak power. Once he enters the palace, the Jiang Clan will always stand on his side. If General Xiao thinks so highly of you, he will definitely help him. "

    The only person that could contend against the Zhao Family was Xiao Qian.

    The Jiang and Shen Families'' influence was already gone. They simply could not support A Jin entering the palace. The Zhao Family''s foundation was deep and profound. Wouldn''t it be easy for them to destroy the gates of the Jiang and Shen Families?

    Thinking of this, Su Zhi''s heart tightened.

    "Madam, long time no see!"

    A greeting came from inside the room, interrupting Su Zhi''s train of thoughts.

    She turned towards the direction of the sound and saw a young man in grey robes walking towards her.

    Jiang Si hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, "Doctor Luo, long time no see."

    That person nodded slightly and cupped his hands with a faint smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced in Su Zhi''s direction. "Second Miss Su, long time no see. Do you still remember me?"