《Legitimate Daughter of the Noble Family》


 C1

    September 17th, Ji, appropriate for marriage.


    The clear and autumn dawn seemed particularly cool and pleasant. The sky was just starting to brighten, and the Ye Mansion s were already brightly lit. The sound of people bustling about appeared extremely lively. The busy but orderly servants all had joyous smiles on their faces.


    Today, was a joyous day for Second Miss to leave the pavilion.


    Compared to the ruckus in the other courtyard, the Yulan Garden was as tranquil as water.


    A blue and white porcelain oil lamp was burning, and from time to time, a bean-sized flame would dance about, making soft popping sounds. The room was filled with a faint orchid fragrance, which made one feel at ease and at peace.


    "Bi He." A soft call broke the silence in the room.


    "Is Miss awake?" Bi He who was half lying on the soft couch on the outside was half asleep when she suddenly heard a shout. She woke up and quickly got dressed, took up the lamp on the table and entered the room.


    "Yes." The lake blue curtain slightly swayed a few times. "What time is it?"


    "It''s still early in the morning, why don''t you sleep a little longer?" Bi He carefully placed the lamp on the table, neatly lifted up the tent, and used a silver hook to hang Ye Jinlan. He then took out a soft pillow, allowing her to lean half against the bed. Then, he turned around and picked up the teapot with rich white porcelain and dark patterns, placed on the small table beside the bed. He poured a cup of warm tea and brought it to the side of the bed.


    Second Miss had been weak and sickly since childhood, so he definitely had to drink a cup of warm tea when he woke up. Otherwise, he would cough non-stop, which caused the Yulan Garden to have servants change him to a pot of hot tea every four hours in case they needed it.


    Ye Jinlan slowly drank half a cup of tea, and the itchy feeling in her throat was slowly suppressed. She heaved a sigh of relief and passed the teacup to Bi He, "Are you busy in the outer courtyard?"


    Although the location of the Yulan Garden was a little far away, it was still within the Ye Mansion after all. Therefore, the clamoring that came from afar could not be concealed.


    Bi He was startled, and immediately laughed: "Last night, Eldest Wife personally instructed me to let young miss out of the pavilion, I''m afraid that it will be too much trouble ¡­ young lady''s body won''t be able to take it, so before I use my makeup, I should let young lady rest, and wait for Lady Fu to enter the pavilion before letting young lady up."


    "Mother came to Yulan Garden last night?" Ye Jinlan frowned, "Why don''t I know?"


    Bi He bent over and tucked in some of the silks on Ye Jinlan''s body, then softly said, "When Eldest Wife came, I had already rested for a while, so I was afraid that I would disturb you, so I didn''t ask this servant to call you."


    Ye Jinlan''s eyebrows gradually relaxed. After a long while, he let out a long sigh, "It''s all my body''s fault. It''s all my mother''s fault."


    The current Eldest Wife of Ye Mansion was his concubine, not Ye Jinlan''s mother. His mother, Madame SHen, was his wife who had passed away when he was young. Even so, Shao''s love for her Ye Mansion was obvious. No matter what kind of fohehe ate, what he wore or how much he spent, she did not lose out at all. He was even better than Shao''s own daughter.


    Therefore, Ye Jinlan naturally had a lot of trust in Shao.


    "Would you like to take a break?" Bi He used the flickering light to size up his young lady, only to see that Ye Jinlan''s face was pale, although his pair of autumn water eyes were shining under the light, but the faint green color could not be hidden from Bi He''s eyes. Thinking about it, the lady had not slept soundly for the entire night, so she could not help but advise, "Eldest Wife said that the Marquis Anyuan Palace must have come at some point in time to have her makeup taken care of."


    "Don''t talk nonsense! If you have nothing better to do, go change it to a pot of hot tea. " When he mentioned Marquis Anyuan Palace, a tinge of red flew onto Ye Jinlan''s fair face without leaving a trace, and his drooping eyelids quickly covered the shyness that spread in his eyes.


    Bi He knew that she had shamed Ye Jinlan with her words, so she stuck out her tongue, held up the teapot on the table and left.


    Only when the door closed did Ye Jinlan raise his head and stare blankly at the moonlight shining through the window and onto the bed.


    Shao''s treatment of her was extremely good, even the major events of her life were chosen with great care, and it was only after she agreed to it that it was decided. It was just that she still felt like she was in a dream, and did not dare to believe it.


    Was that gentle and refined man as handsome as a tree made of Lanzi jade really going to be her husband?


    On many quiet nights, that long figure would often appear in her dreams, often saying that it was the year of the year, but she didn''t expect that that blurry face would become clearer with the passage of time, as if it was just a hair''s breadth away.


    He always carried a refined smile, like the morning dew on a jade orchid. It was clear and lustrous, inadvertently dropping one, yet it made ripples appear on the surface of her heart.


    At that time, she, who had yet to reach her prime, was playing with her sister in the Yulan Garden. Her eyes were covered with silk and the fragrance of the Jade Orchid was lingering on her nose.


    Later on, he found out that his father had treated him to a banquet.


    And then, in the few encounters that followed, he would always stand at the farthest place and send out the gentlest of smiles. She could only return the greeting modestly and gently leave, but her heart was filled with joy. They had even recklessly left the Lan Garden that they had lived in since childhood and moved to the secluded Yulan Garden. This was because the Yulan Garden was the place where they had first met.


    Right now, everything was about to change. She would stand at the same spot as him and get old together with him ¡­


    "Miss, girl?" After Bi He changed the tea leaves, she realized that Ye Jinlan was already lying on the bed with his face towards the ceiling, his breathing was even, as if he was sleeping. After calling out softly twice, she did not get a reply, so Bi He had no choice but to put down her tent and return to the outer room quietly.


    Little did he know that the person in the tent was tightly holding the soft silk blanket. Her delicate face was no longer as sickly as it was before.


    He wondered if he would remember this Yulan tree filled courtyard when he came to escort the bride.


    After sleeping for an unknown period of time, Ye Jinlan was suddenly awoken by the sound of firecrackers from far away. Lifting up his tent, he saw that the sun had already risen outside the window and he couldn''t help but worry at the bottom of his heart, "Bi He, Bi He!"


    "Miss." Hearing the call, Bi He rushed in from outside and was prepared to help Ye Jinlan get up, but she was stopped by a pair of cold hands.


    "What time is it?" What time is it now? " Ye Jinlan was slightly uneasy and asked a few more questions. His throat felt itchy and he could not help but let go of Bi He''s hand and grabbed the handkerchief placed beside his pillow to cover his mouth and cough.


    "Miss, don''t worry. It has just been a while since you last saw Madam Quan Fu." Bi He immediately supported Ye Jinlan, she then patted her back a few times and called Wan Ju who was holding the hot water to help her: "Wan Ju, the hot water is ready, please help me pour some tea for Miss."


    "Sigh!" Seeing that Ye Jinlan was coughing so badly, Wan Ju did not care too much about it. She placed the copper pot on the ground and quickly went forward to pour some tea.


    Only after drinking two cups of tea did Ye Jinlan gradually stop coughing. However, her face had an unusual flush to it, and cold sweat seeped out of her fair forehead, soaking her tattered hair.


    Seeing that, Bi He immediately took out a set of clothes from the cabinet. Wan Ju also quickly picked up the copper pot on the floor, poured the hot water into the yellow copper pot placed on the Pear Blossom House''s wooden shelf, then took out a crescent white cloth that was filled with fragrant incense and soaked it in the hot water. He twisted it a few times, and together with Bi He, they helped Ye Jinlan wash and change her clothes.


    After Ye Jinlan was fully dressed, Wan Ju removed the copper basin from the table and went to the kitchen to bring the dessert that had been hot in the stove. Although it was not suitable for her to eat today, the girl''s body was delicate. If her stomach really did not suffer, she would not be able to get off the bridal sedan at the end.


    Just as Bi He finished tying up Ye Jinlan''s hair, hurried footsteps came from outside.


    Wan Ju, who had returned, opened the door and anxiously looked at the two people inside: "Miss, something bad happened!"


    Ye Jinlan was shocked and suddenly stood up, "What?"


    Perhaps she had run too fast, and after stopping she could no longer breathe. The sound of the chrysanthemum stuck in her throat and she could not spit it out. When Bi He saw this, she rushed forward to pat her back and stroke her chest. Only then did she catch her breath, "Just now, I saw Qing Juan and old granny Zhou talking in the kitchen. I didn''t intend to go, but I overheard Qing Juan say ¡­" "Qing Juan said that Lady Fu had already entered the residence. However, the one who has come is not the Yulan Garden but the Fang Residence!


    "What!?" Ye Jinlan''s hand trembled, he touched the ivory comb on the table, his eyes opened wide, staring at Wan Ju in disbelief, "Madam Quan Fu went to the Fang Tang Courtyard?"


    "Is Qingjuan really saying that?" Bi He, who was supporting Wan Ju, had a face full of shock. Although she was somewhat suspicious of the entire Blessed Madam''s delay, she did not expect it to be like this!


    "Your servant''s words are true. Furthermore, I am standing at the door of the moon and looking into the distance. Fantasy Courtyard is bustling with people coming and going. How lively!" Wan Ju''s face was deathly white, but her gaze was as firm as a boulder.


    Although there was a small distance between Yulan Garden and Fangming Garden, there was a gate of the moon in the center, between which was a bluestone path. There were many potted plants along the edge of the road, but there were no big trees blocking the shade.


    Hearing these words, Ye Jinlan immediately felt the world spinning around him. He couldn''t figure out the reason at all as he unconsciously muttered to himself, "No, it won''t happen. I don''t believe it, I don''t believe it!"


    "Miss!" Seeing that Ye Jinlan was about to fall, Bi He''s small face lost all color, and could only let go of Wan Ju''s arm to support him. However, he was pushed to the side and staggered, and upon looking carefully, he saw Ye Jinlan''s figure flash past and disappear in front of the door.


    What should he do?


    Bi He did not have time to think, she stomped her feet and quickly chased, while Wan Ju did not have time to rest, following closely behind.


    Ye Jinlan''s heart was in a mess. Today was clearly her wedding day, so how did she become the big sister?


    Relying on a thought, Ye Jinlan, who would normally be out of breath after taking just two steps, actually jogged from the Yulan Garden all the way to the Fang Liu Courtyard, and even stumbled into Ye Jinwei''s room.


    His eyes were filled with a glaring red color. Whether it was the pure white walls or the sculpted windows, they were all covered with words'' happy ''. There was also a large red silk swaying in the wind.


    Facing Ye Jinlan''s intrusion, the well-dressed Ye Jinwei did not have a single ripple on his face, as though he had already expected it, and even the servants in the house had been deliberately taken away.


    "What is little sister doing so early in the morning?" Ye Jinwei, who was usually amiable, suddenly sneered while looking at Ye Jinlan who was leaning on the door, who was gasping for breath, and said with a tut in his mouth: "Look at his current appearance, how pathetic is he? Is he still my gentle and graceful second sister?"


    Ye Jinlan had finally managed to catch his breath, but his eyes had turned red when he saw the big red embroidered suit on Ye Jinwei''s body, and he asked with difficulty, "Why?" Why did this happen?


    "Why?" Ye Jinwei pursed her lips into a smile, her face was full of pride, "Of course it''s as you have seen it, the one who married into the Marquis Mansion today, was me and not you!"


    "You!" He wanted to step forward and interrogate them, but the whole way he ran had exhausted all the energy in his body. If he wasn''t leaning on the door, he would have already fallen to the ground. How could he take a step forward?


    "You, you''re not afraid that mother and father will know ¡­" She took a deep breath and forced out a sentence that even she could not believe.


    If not, with just Ye Jinwei alone, it would be impossible for him to do such a thing. I just don''t know if father ¡­


    "Father, mother?" Ye Jinwei suddenly giggled, as if she had heard the funniest words in the world, "My dear sister, everyone is praising you for being extremely smart, why are you so confused now? If it wasn''t for her father, how could today''s matter have changed? As for mother ¡­ " She slowly stopped smiling, her eyes flashing with a cruel light. After a while, she softly said, "She is my mother."


    "What did you say!?" Ye Jinlan''s body trembled and his mind buzzed. Father also...


    "Right, speaking of this matter, it was personally decided by Crown Prince Anyuan." As if it was not enough to injure Ye Jinlan, Ye Jinwei spat out another fatal blow.


    Ye Jinlan''s pupils constricted. He could no longer bear it and sat down on the ice-cold limestone floor, mumbling in a daze, "How could ¡­ how could this be?"


    How could that person ¡­


    "In short, I still have to thank my sister. If it wasn''t for my sister, how could my mother and I have today''s status?" Ye Jinlan was still seated in front of the dressing table, he raised the corner of his mouth and looked Ye Jinwei who had lost his soul, and laughed sinisterly: "It''s all thanks to sister''s blessings! And in order to thank my sister, my mother would even help my sister to arrange a good marriage. "


    "Nonsense!" Ye Jinlan''s face was ashen.


    That being said, all these years, Shaosi''s love and so-called deep sisterhood were all made of arsenic covered in honey? It was laughable that not only was she willing to swallow it, she was even extremely grateful and trusting towards it.


    "I''m not spouting nonsense. The other party is the son of the Prince Zhennan, and has a higher position than the Duke of Yuanan. Look at how much mother loves her little sister." Ye Jinwei seemed to be complaining, and the schadenfreude on her face could not be hidden.


    Who in the capital didn''t know that the son of the Prince Zhennan was someone who liked to eat, drink, and gamble? He loved to stay in the streets and alleys, and besides his official wife, he had already taken five or six concubines.


    At this moment, Ye Jinlan felt as if his heart was being stabbed by a sharp knife. A bone-biting pain seeped out from his body, causing her to slowly curl up on the ground. Her pale knuckles tightly gripped the front of her clothes as she struggled to breathe, causing a layer of cold sweat to appear on her forehead. He tried to open his mouth, but no sound came out.


    Ye Jinwei who was at the side continued to chatter while admiring the exquisite and luxurious phoenix coronet, and didn''t notice anything unusual at all.


    "Save, save ¡­" Ye Jinlan exerted all his strength and let out a weak cry. Suddenly, a sweet taste came from her throat as dark red blood spewed out from her mouth, staining the stone floor red.


    "Ah!" Only now did Ye Jinwei react, the phoenix crown in her hand suddenly fell to the ground, the beads scattered and a sharp sound pierced through the air above the Fang Residence.


    Everything in front of Ye Jinlan began to blur. He tried his best to open his eyes wide, but could not see anything. However, the pain in his body only increased.


    Why was this happening? Although her body was a bit weak, she had never been in such a situation before!


    Ye Jinlan''s dazed gaze made contact with the bloodstain on the ground, a trace of understanding suddenly flashed across his heart.


    It was poison! Ye Jinlan wanted to shout out the unwillingness and hatred in his heart. His lips trembled a few times as it was covered in blood, but in the end, he did not open his mouth. His two hands that tightly gripped the lapel of his clothes slowly loosened. His eyes were wide open, and he had not even managed to close his breath.

 C2

    "Why? "Why?" Ye Jinlan woke up from his nightmare and sat up abruptly, gasping for breath. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. The familiar itch in his throat assaulted her, causing her to cough violently.


    "Did the girl have a dream again?" A pair of warm hands gently patted Ye Jinlan''s back. After drinking the hot tea, her breathing became smoother. Only then did she slowly raise her head, a benevolent expression appearing in her eyes.


    "Mama?" Her heart skipped a beat as she carefully cried out. She was afraid that the person before her was just an illusion. If she touched him, she would disappear.


    "Sigh!" Mama Tang looked at Jin Lan''s pale little face and could not help but hold her in his embrace, "Miss, don''t be afraid. Mama is here, it was just a nightmare just now.


    Yes, it was a nightmare. She was still alive.


    Jin Lan laid softly in Mama Tang''s embrace, trying to hold back the tears that were almost flowing out. After half a month, she kept reminding herself that she was still alive in this world.


    With a sense of pity, she, who should have returned to the Underworld, opened her eyes and actually returned to her childhood. Everything had not happened yet, the mother was still there, the Mama Tang was still there, she had not ascended to the throne, Ye Jinwei had not succeeded, and that person was also not there.


    Feeling the person in her embrace trembling, Mama Tang could not help but sigh slightly. For the better part of a month, the young lady had dreamt night and day. It made sense to think about it. Although the summer was hot, the waters of the pond were still very cold. The girl''s body was always weak, and she did not know how to swim. If it wasn''t for the fact that Wan Ju knew water ¡­ Mama Tang did not dare to think further, and suddenly felt resentment in her heart. It was all First Miss''s fault, they had to pull the girl to the Lotus Pond to play.


    Smelling the faint fragrance of the osmanthus flower from Mama Tang''s body, Jin Lan felt slightly more at ease. He sat up and looked at the gray sky outside the window before asking softly, "When did Mama return home? Is elder brother in good health? "


    In his previous life, besides his mother, Mama Tang, the wet nurse who loved him the most, was found by Lady Shao and sent far away. Not only did she believe it, she also ignored Mama Tang''s pitiful look. Thinking about it now, it was really like she had a heart of a wolf!


    He came back last night. Miss Meng is worried, the farm boy''s skin is rough and thick, how can he be so precious? It''s been a long time since I''ve been alive and kicking. " A few days ago, someone at Tang mama''s house sent a letter saying that her youngest son had caught a cold and refused to drink medicine to make a fuss about his mother. Tang mama had no choice but to leave the house on leave.


    The last time she went back to the manor last night? The Mama Tang lived far away, she had to spend more than half a day on the road the moment she came back. That being said, Mama only stayed at home for one night and then rushed back. It was likely that she was worried about him, right? Looking carefully at the fatigue on Mama Tang''s face, her nose twitched and she could not help but hug Mama Tang''s shoulders tightly.


    "Look, I''m sweating." The Mama Tang stretched out his hand and touched Jin Lan''s back, who was perspiring in sweat, then turned and shouted towards the outside: "Bi He, bring some hot water to wash this lady''s body."


    "Sigh!" Bi He agreed and immediately brought the hot water on the furnace in.


    Jin Lan looked at the busy figure. The feelings he had with her from the past surfaced in his mind bit by bit. His expression was extremely complicated.


    "Miss?" Bi He tested the temperature of the hot water in the copper basin, and it just so happened that she was able to neatly take out a set of clothes from the yellow cabinet. When she turned around, she saw Jin Lan staring at him blankly, and his face couldn''t help but redden as she extended a hand to shake Jin Lan''s gaze, and laughed: "What is Miss looking at? Have flowers grown on this servant''s face? "


    Jin Lan lowered his eyes, covering them as they trembled. After a long time, he said softly, "I''m fine."


    Although Bi He felt that the girl was a little different from before, she didn''t dare say much as she helped Jin Lan wash and change her clothes together with Mama Tang.


    "Miss didn''t eat much last night. This servant will take a look at the kitchen and bring the breakfast over. Does Miss want anything to eat?" Bi He''s hand in combing her hair was passed down from the Mama Tang, and since the Mama Tang was still here, he didn''t need her. She helped Jin Lan hang up his goatee jade skirt and adjusted the corners of it before standing up and asking with a smile.


    "It''s still early, so I''m afraid the pot hasn''t come out of the kitchen yet. I made some cinnamon cake last night and it''s still warm in our little kitchen. Bring it over here to rest the girl''s belly." Mama Tang instructed as she lightly combed Jin Lan''s hair.


    Mama Tang''s words made Jin Lan''s heart warm up. She loved to eat the osmanthus cake made by the Mama Tang. In her previous life, after the Mama had left the Ye Mansion, the osmanthus cake made by the Female Cook might have been exquisite, but it was never as delicious as the one made by the Mama herself.


    It was probably because Mama heard that she did not eat much for dinner when she returned, she had prepared the osmanthus cake overnight. After all, the entire Ye Mansion was provided by the large kitchen every day. After the hour had passed, unless there was a special event, the furnace wouldn''t be reignited.


    As for the small kitchen, not every yard could have one. With such a large Ye Family, other than the Shuixie Pavilion of her father and mother who lived here and the old lady, only her Lan Garden had been set up.


    "Sigh!" This servant will go and bring it over now. " Bi He replied, and turned to leave.


    "Wait!" Jin Lan hurriedly called out to Bi He, "I want to have breakfast with mother."


    With the Eldest Wife? Mama Tang and Bi He looked at each other, their hearts filled with an indescribable strangeness.


    Second Miss actually wanted to accompany Eldest Wife to eat breakfast. This, this was truly a rare event.


    Jin Lan looked at the expressions of Mama Tang and Bi He with an unwavering gaze. She knew very well that if this were to be said in her previous life, it would definitely not come out from her mouth. Even if there was something, it was her mother who had invited her along, not her who had brought it up on her own accord. However, she did not plan to explain. Raising her head, she smiled towards Mama Tang: "Mama has been tired for the night, you don''t have to follow me later."


    Bi He squatted in front of Jin Lan and carefully helped her put on her shoes.


    The light green cotton cloth was embroidered with the flower chrysanthemum pattern on the Thousand Layers Shoes. Not only was the embroidery exquisite, the soles of the shoes were also soft and comfortable. Jin Lan had to admit that among the people by his side, Bi He''s Lil ''Red was the best.


    "This servant will accompany Miss?" After putting on her shoes, Bi He prepared to help Jin Lan get off the bed. To the nine year old Jin Lan, this carved and painted bed was really too tall.


    "No need." Jin Lan shook his head, avoiding Bi He''s support without leaving a trace, and nimbly jumped off the bed, "You were tired last night, rest well in a while, and let Wan Ju follow along. It''s fine if it''s just a few steps, there won''t be any problems."


    Bi He''s empty hand paused, just as sshe was about to raise her head and say "not tired", he met Jin Lan''s profound gaze, and her breathing suddenly stopped, the words immediately stuck in her mouth, unable to come out no matter what. She could only reply with a low voice: "Yes."


    "Since that''s the case, Bi He, go and call Wan Ju over." Although Mama Tang felt that the Jin Lan in front of her was slightly different from the one before, she didn''t think too much about it and determined that the young lady was frightened and had missed her mother. No matter what, the Eldest Wife was still his mother, and blood was thicker than water.


    Who would have thought that even though the little girl in front of him was a Second Miss that he doted on, she was no longer the Ye Jinlan that he had treated as he was back then.


    Bi He called Wan Ju over, and sent Jin Lan and the rest out of the courtyard. Looking at Jin Lan''s figure disappearing into the distance, a trace of confusion surfaced in her eyes.


    Jin Lan brought Wan Ju on a stroll in his own garden. Although the July burning hot weather was sultry, the early morning was extremely cool, and the fragrance of the flowers and plants mixed with the air dispelled the morning fatigue. She took a deep breath and felt refreshed.


    In the distance, the scenery of the garden was arranged in an orderly fashion. Strange stones and green flowers, both firm and supple, had a unique charm. Although there were no brilliant colors on the sculptures, they exuded a pure and original artistic conception.


    The Shuixie Pavilion was not far from the Lan Garden, it was merely a small garden.


    When Jin Lan approached the courtyard door, the gatekeeper coincidentally opened it. Seeing the figure that was walking in, the woman was startled, but she quickly put on a flattering smile and said, "Yo, Second Miss is safe."


    In his previous life, Jin Lan rarely came to the Shuixie Pavilion so he wasn''t familiar with the servants there. Although the old woman in front of him didn''t seem unfamiliar, he still didn''t know what she was called. On the other hand, Wan Ju was clever enough to catch up: "Hello, Mama Tian."


    Jin Lan looked at Wan Ju with satisfaction, then smiled at Old Lady Tian. "Mama Tian, is mother up yet?"


    Mrs. Tian was flattered and quickly replied, "I saw that the lights in the room were on, so I guess you''re awake."


    "Then I''ll go talk to my mother." Jin Lan nodded his head, then looked at Wan Ju.


    Although Wan Ju had doubts in her heart, she didn''t show it on her face. She took out a few copper coins from her bag and stuffed it into Old Lady Tian''s hands, then smiled: "Mama has worked hard."


    "Heh, heh, I can''t do that!" Old Mrs. Tian''s eyes lit up, although she said that she wanted to shirk her hold on the copper coin, she did not want to let go. After pushing the coin away a few times, she put the coin into her pocket, and with an even more fervent smile, she bowed towards Jin Lan''s back: "This old servant thanks Second Miss for his reward."


    Seeing that Old Man Tian is being hypocritical, Wan Ju secretly snorted, and quickly followed Jin Lan. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke: "Why does Miss want to reward her? There are many thoughts on the faces of these gatekeepers. If they don''t hand it over next time, who knows what kind of trick it will be. "


    "It''s just a few coppers, I''ll give it to you then." How could Jin Lan not know what was going on? However, these gatekeepers that people looked down on were usually the people with the most information in the mansion. Moreover, they were the ones who got up early in the morning when it was advantageous, so it wasn''t easy for anyone to bribe them.


    When they arrived at the main house, a person coincidentally lifted the curtains and walked out. When he saw Jin Lan, he couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise, "The Second Miss is here!"


    "Sister Hui Xiu." Jin Lan smiled sweetly at her. She recognized this person, it was the servant girl, Hui Xiu.


    "Madam was just talking about it when the lady came." Hui Xiu smiled and paid her respects to Jin Lan Que, then extended her hand to touch the curtain, "Miss, please come in."


    Just as Hui Xiu opened the curtain, a strong and bitter medicinal smell wafted out, causing Jin Lan''s eyebrows to knit together. Why was this smell so familiar?

 C3

    Before he could hear the details, Jin Lan felt as if he had been struck by a sledgehammer. His face instantly turned pale and he couldn''t help but recall the painful scene before his death. His legs went soft and he heavily crashed against the door frame.


    "Miss!" Wan Ju, who was behind her, exclaimed and immediately supported Jin Lan who almost fell to the ground.


    "Lan Er?" Madame SHen, who was holding a porcelain bowl and was about to drink the medicine, was startled. She immediately placed the bowl down and moved forward.


    Unexpectedly, Jin Lan had already pushed Wan Ju away, endured the pain and quickly rushed to Madame SHen''s side, without saying a word, he reached out and knocked over the medicinal bowl on the table.


    A crisp, yet ear-piercing shattering sound came from inside the house. The brown Medicinal Juice s splattered all over the floor, and even a large patch of dirt appeared on Jin Lan''s yellow coloured jacket dress, but she was completely unaware of it. She held onto Madame SHen''s hand, and anxiously cried out: "Mother, you cannot drink that medicine!"


    "My son, are you hot? "Let me see!" Compared to the medicine bowl, Madame SHen was more concerned about whether his daughter was scalded by the Medicinal Juice s that were spilt open. She held Jin Lan''s small body and prepared to hug her onto the soft bed.


    Helpless, although Jin Lan was small, he was not light for the Madame SHen who was bedridden all year round. The other servant girl, Man Ping, who was serving Madame SHen, immediately stepped forward to support Jin Lan.


    "Mother, Lan Er is fine." Only now did Jin Lan realize that the Madame SHen had an anxious face, and immediately said.


    Madame SHen did not want to hear it, and insisted on inspecting it, so Jin Lan had no choice but to compromise and sit obediently on the soft couch. Madame SHen lifted her jacket that had tainted the Medicinal Juice, and gently lifted her similarly brown underpants. On her leg that was as smooth and clean as jade, a tinge of shocking red instantly appeared in front of everyone''s eyes.


    "This, this ¡­" Madame SHen took a deep breath: Man Ping, go get a doctor!


    Man Ping lowered her body, "Yes, Madam."


    "Wait! Big Sister Man Ping, don''t go. " Just as Jin Lan shouted out, Man Ping had already left the main house. She secretly sighed, but seeing Madame SHen''s pained and remorseful look, she intentionally comforted him: "Mother, it''s alright, Lan Er doesn''t hurt at all, just cold water on her face will do."


    It really wasn''t painful. Compared to the painful death in his previous life, what was a small burn like this worth?


    Yes, look at my memory. Hui Xiu, quickly get a basin of cold water.


    "Yes." Hui Xiu agreed and was about to leave, while Wan Ju stood up, "Let this servant go!" Without waiting for Hui Xiu''s reply, she ran towards the well in the courtyard.


    Seeing that, Hui Xiu retreated to clean up the mess on the ground.


    Jin Lan glanced at the Medicinal Juice on the ground, feeling strange in his heart, why does the smell smell smell different from before? It was as if the familiar smell was just an illusion, and it had disappeared without a trace. Even the sudden pain had disappeared without a trace.


    "It''s already so red, and you still say it doesn''t hurt? It''s all my fault. I can''t even hold a bowl. " Madame SHen did not notice his daughter''s strangeness. With reddened eyes, she carefully used a silk handkerchief to wipe the remaining Medicinal Juice on Jin Lan''s leg. She did not dare even touch its burning red body, afraid that she would hurt his daughter.


    Jin Lan leaned into the Madame SHen''s embrace, pouted her lips, and said softly: "Lan Er overturned the medicine bowl herself, how can you blame mother?"


    Madame SHen was surprised and happy that her daughter, who would never get close to him, would act like a spoiled child. Her heart trembled violently, and like a sweet spring pouring into her dried up heart, she started crying uncontrollably.


    Warm tears dripped onto the back of Jin Lan''s hand, causing a heart-piercing wave of remorse to spread from the bottom of her heart. In her previous life, Shaojie had given her some kind of knockout drugs, but her heart was set on outsiders, and she was instead heartless and sarcastic towards her own mother.


    When he thought of how he had treated the Madame SHen coldly in his previous life, Jin Lan wanted to strangle himself on the spot.


    "Madam, young lady, the cold water is here." Wan Ju''s voice came from outside and broke the sad atmosphere inside the room.


    The Madame SHen wiped off the tears at the corners of her eyes, "Come in."


    Hui Xiu gathered the broken pieces on the floor and placed them on a wooden square plate. Then, she stood up and lifted the curtain by the door, and Wan Ju entered the house with a bucket of cold water.


    "Hui Xiu, help me change into that apricot-colored peony dress." Madame SHen gently covered Jin Lan with a cold handkerchief and instructed him without raising his head.


    "Yes." Hui Xiu called Qiu Wen, who was busy in the courtyard, to clean up the remaining Medicinal Juice s on the floor and then had Mo Chu, who was at the side, look at the situation from the kitchen. From the looks of it, the Second Miss would probably have to stay in the Shuixie Pavilion for breakfast. After settling the matter properly, she hurriedly went to the inner room and opened the cage, taking out the peony dress that Madame SHen had mentioned.


    Although his mouth said it didn''t hurt, the pain still made Jin Lan shiver when the cold handkerchief was pressed against his wound.


    "Did it hurt?" Sensing the trembling in her bosom, Madame SHen hurriedly retracted her hand.


    "How could that be? It''s cool and comfortable. " She did not want Madame SHen to worry about her anymore.


    After applying it for a while, Hui Xiu and Wan Ju finally helped Jin Lan change into a new dress.


    A peony skirt and a peach-colored peony jacket accentuated her rosy white skin. Although her facial features had yet to grow, the small oval face had already begun to reveal the outline of a beautiful woman''s body.


    "Second Miss has grown taller." Hui Xiu laughed until her eyes curved, "This peony dress is just right for you."


    Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat. The satin of this peony dress was bright in color, and the creases on its body were light. It didn''t look like it had been there for a long time. It should be new. But in the past, he rarely came to the Shuixie Pavilion, and with Hui Xiu''s words of "grew taller" ¡­ In that case, even if he wasn''t close, his mother would always be concerned about him. Presumably, there were still a lot of clothes in that cage, right?


    When he thought here, Jin Lan''s heart throbbed in pain. He couldn''t help but throw himself into Madame SHen''s embrace, burying his head deep within. He softly called out, "Mother ¡­"


    Madame SHen thought that Jin Lan was just flustered, his eyes overflowing with love as he coaxed gently.


    Just then, Man Ping led a female doctor in.


    After some careful examination, Lady Shen was relieved when the doctor left behind a few patches of ointment, wrote a prescription, and made sure that Jin Lan''s calf would not leave a scar. He quickly ordered Hui Xiufeng to send him the medical fee and red seal, and then sent Manchu Ping back to the medicine store to capture the medicine.


    After being busy for a while, she had missed the hour to eat breakfast. Fortunately, Hui Xiu had made arrangements beforehand, so she placed the piping hot food on the table.


    The fragrant stewed meat porridge, the crisp and refreshing dishes, the exquisite steamed buns, and a few soft pastries caused a huge commotion. For the first time, he drank a whole bowl of the thin porridge.


    Seeing that her daughter was eating happily, Madame SHen''s face revealed a comfortable smile. Even she had eaten half a bowl more, causing Hui Xiu and Wan Ju who were serving beside her to heave a sigh of relief.


    After the breakfast, the mother and daughter duo were happily talking and laughing. Just as Jin Lan was thinking about how to explain about the medicine, Qiu Wen''s voice suddenly came from outside the door, "Madam, First Miss and Concubine Shao are here."


    The laughter in the room died down immediately, and the Madame SHen said indifferently: "Let them in."


    Qiu Wen lifted the curtain as the and the Concubine Shao entered the house one after another.


    "Mother."


    "Madam."


    Ye Jinwei and Concubine Shao bowed towards the Madame SHen.


    Madame SHen did not mind, she still wore a faint smile on her face and waved at them, "Stand up."


    Ye Jinwei stood up, her gaze sweeping past Madame SHen''s body. She could not help but be startled, and then revealed a gentle smile.


    Her eyes were like limpid autumn water filled with worry, anyone who saw her would praise her sisterhood. However, the scene in front of Jin Lan was full of mockery. She quietly looked at Ye Jinwei, her gaze deep.


    Ye Jinwei, who did not receive the reply she expected, was just about to speak again, when suddenly, she looked into a pair of eyes, her heart feeling weak, she hastily turned her head and looked at Concubine Shao beside him.


    Originally, he thought that it would be easier for Second Miss to settle this matter since he had already entered the room. However, he did not expect that the usually talkative Second Miss would be hit by Ye Jinwei, who then laughed and said: "Seeing that Second Miss''s complexion is much better than last time, I''m sure that she''s in good health."


    "Aunt is still as good at talking as ever." Jin Lan shifted his gaze to Concubine Shao.


    The person in front of him was not much different from what he remembered, but his face looked much younger. He combed his peach heart into a bun, with a gold-plated phoenix butterfly hairpin embedded with rubies stuck between his thick and black hair, and also decorated with a few bright pearl emeralds. The brocade satin and smoky red broccoli butterfly flew around the hundred fold skirt, with light footsteps, the lotus moved slightly, and the exquisite colored butterfly on the dress seemed to have come alive as it flapped its wings around the Concubine Shao.


    She smiled faintly. As expected, she did have some skills, even if she was only thirty percent pretty. The way she dressed up also allowed Concubine Shao to grow to seventy percent of her strength.


    The long room of the Ye Family had a wife and two concubines. If the Madame SHen was a noble and graceful peony, then the Concubine Ning was a refined and beautiful lily while the Concubine Shao was an enchanting peony. It was a different story and it was no wonder that Ye Lin was captivated by it.


    Concubine Shao hesitated when she saw Jin Lan''s smiling yet not smiling expression. Second Miss looked very different from usual. Could it be that she was still angry at First Miss for causing her to fall into the water? The more Concubine Shao thought about it, the more she felt that this was the situation, and her heart slowly calmed down.


    "Isn''t it time to send someone in charge? How can you be free to come to my place? " Madame SHen had not interjected this whole time, but she had clearly seen everyone''s reaction. She raised the teacup and took a sip, as she asked indifferently.


    Although Madame SHen was a Eldest Wife of the Ye Family, she had always been resting in the courtyard. Other than the major matters of the residence, she had managed a few trivial matters, and although Concubine Shao was a concubine, she was still able to firmly control half of the Ye Family.


    "This ¡­" Concubine Shao quickly swept a glance at Jin Lan, and pulled Ye Jinwei to the side. She kneeled in front of Madame SHen and sobbed out, "I brought First Miss here to beg for forgiveness, my wife. Please punish me!"

 C4

    "Oh?" Madame SHen''s expression was still indifferent, but her voice suddenly dropped a few degrees. Her daughter was her weak spot. Although she didn''t want to be in charge, it didn''t mean that she didn''t know anything about the matters of the manor.


    Ye Jinwei, who was kneeling at the side, received the hint and also started to mourn and sob, "It''s all my daughter''s fault, it caused my second sister to fall into the water, I almost..."


    Madame SHen''s face was gloomy. Just as she was about to flare up, she was stopped by a pair of warm small hands. She turned her head in astonishment and looked at the little girl beside her with a puzzled expression.


    Jin Lan smiled sweetly, signalling Madame SHen not to speak. She turned her head towards the crying Concubine Shao and Ye Jinwei and said in a clear voice, "What are big sister and aunt doing? Wasn''t Lan Er just fine? Moreover, if she went to the Lotus Pond to play, although it was Big Sis''s wish, if Lan Er did not agree, would Big Sis still be able to tie him up and bring him there? "As for the matter of falling into the water ¡­"


    Her bright black eyes rolled slightly as she asked naively, "It was an accident that Lan Er fell into the water, why is big sister asking for forgiveness? Could big sister have pushed Lan Er into the water? "


    As soon as Jin Lan finished speaking, the faces of Concubine Shao and Ye Jinwei instantly paled. Surprisingly, falling into the water and pushing it into the water were two entirely different crimes!


    No matter how much a concubine and a concubine get spoiled for the murder of their direct daughter, they would not be able to escape death.


    Although a smile hung on Jin Lan''s face, his cold gaze was fixated on the two kneeling on the ground.


    She was extremely powerful, but today, she actually sent a supervisor to bring Ye Jinwei to Madame SHen''s house at this time, and even dressed up so meticulously, to say that she was asking for forgiveness? Even if he beat Jin Lan to death, he wouldn''t believe it.


    However, it was all thanks to them kneeling down that Jin Lan remembered something extremely important. She watched the Shao duo as she watched the scene outside the house.


    Sure enough, after a while, the sound of footsteps could be heard from outside the house.


    Although Madame SHen and the rest were all outside the main house, which was only one wall away from the outside, it was easy to overlook such light footsteps unless one paid careful attention.


    Right now, there was more than just the Concubine Shao in the room. Just as she was about to go over the Jin Lan''s question and answer as she had expected, a voice even faster than the previous one sealed her words in her mouth.


    "It''s better for Eldest Sister and Aunt to get up quickly. The sun falling into the water was indeed not about Eldest Sister''s matters. Mother is also a reasonable person, so naturally, Eldest Sister will not be punished."


    Jin Lan''s tender voice was like a pair of large, formless hands that tightly grabbed onto Concubine Shao''s throat, causing her to be unable to breathe.


    Even so, Concubine Shao''s face revealed a look of pleasant surprise, and then was immediately filled with worry. She avoided looking at Madame SHen from time to time, who was sitting on the soft couch, looking like she wanted to say something but did not.


    If not for being involved, Jin Lan really wanted to clap and cheer on the spot. With the change in Concubine Shao''s expression, it was likely that even the most popular little servant in Pear Garden would not be able to catch up to him. Unfortunately ¡­ She blinked her bright eyes and asked doubtfully, "Why aren''t Big Sis and Aunt up yet?"


    He was slightly terrified and said softly: "In the end, First Miss shouldn''t have been so careless. As the eldest sister, she has been so tired that her sister is in danger. If I don''t let her have a good memory, in the future ¡­. And it would be hard to explain it to the old lady. "


    "Aunt''s words are wrong." Seeing that Madame SHen''s face was getting worse, Jin Lan quickly interrupted him.


    Concubine Shao talked about Madame SHen and Jin Lan, but brought out the old lady she loved the most, implying that if Madame SHen didn''t take care of her properly, it would arouse the old lady''s displeasure. Both publicly and secretly, they had pushed the Madame SHen to the point where she had no choice but to punish Ye Jinwei.


    At the same time, she felt a chill down her spine because of Concubine Shao''s actions. No matter what, Ye Jinwei was Concubine Shao''s own daughter, and was known as the tiger that doesn''t eat its prey. However, Concubine Shao, in order to gain favor with him, had placed her daughter at the forefront.


    In her previous life, Madame SHen did not try to dissuade him. Instead, she was provoked by the anger in her heart and brought out the family law to beat Ye Jinwei ten times on the spot. Although she was blocked by Ye Lin who had just arrived, Madame SHen fought with all her might against Ye Lin, in the end, Ye Jinwei was forced to kneel at the Ancestral Temple, and even fainted in the gloomy and gloomy Ancestral Hall, almost dying.


    It was because of this that the furious Ye Lin and the Madame SHen had a huge quarrel, and berated the Madame SHen in front of the crowd for being unkind and evil, and for being jealous and jealous.


    After that, Ye Lin left with a brush of his sleeves, leaving behind these words, which sent the Madame SHen into hell, and from then on, his position in the Ye Family plummeted. Adding to the confusion, Jin Lan''s relationship with Ye Jinwei at that time was not ordinary, and after the exaggeration of the Concubine Shao, they were completely separated from it.


    From then on, Madame SHen died alone.


    "Although Aunt is the biological mother of Big Sis, Big Sis is still the First Miss of Ye Family after all. Whether it''s right or wrong, whether it''s a prize or a punishment, it''s all up to mother. Aunt, you don''t have to worry too much about it." Perhaps it was because he thought of his previous life, that Jin Lan''s tone became colder and colder, and unrestrainedly ridiculed Concubine Shao for surpassing her status.


    Even if Ye Jinwei was a Shu daughter, she was still a First Miss of Ye Family, her master. On the other hand, Concubine Shao was a concubine. Even though she had control over half of the Ye Family, in terms of status, she was still a servant.


    Jin Lan''s words were like slapping his face in public. The resounding slap caused Concubine Shao''s delicate cheeks to twist slightly. Sometimes red, and sometimes white, and sometimes green. But in the end, she was still a scheming person, so she forcefully swallowed her anger.


    Compared to that, Ye Jinwei seemed to be a little immature. Being agitated by the golden tide, he immediately forgot her original plan, and angrily raised her head, saying: "Aunt is ¡­ "Ahhh!"


    "It''s all my fault. Please calm your anger, Madam!" The moment Ye Jinwei opened his mouth, the Concubine Shao knew that something bad was going to happen. She kowtowed to the Madame SHen without hesitation, and at the same time, used the moment she kowtowed to move forward, and pinched Ye Jinwei''s waist forcefully.


    Ye Jinwei''s waist was in pain, she suddenly remembered the situation she was in, and his body suddenly stiffened, as cold sweat flowed down his body.


    Although the Madame SHen was not clear as to why Jin Lan kept stopping her, she was after all from a famous family, and had seen a lot of scheming and scheming in the backyard. At this time, she more or less had an answer in her heart. He couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows and ask indifferently, "Jinwei, what did you say just now?"


    "Daughter ¡­" Ye Jinwei did not dare to speak from the bottom of her heart. She secretly took a deep breath to calm her emotions, she raised her head and said gently to Madame SHen: "Mother, please calm your anger. This aunt is only concerned for her daughter."


    "Care?" Madame SHen squinted her eyes, and looked at Ye Jinwei and Concubine Shao deeply, and a smile suddenly formed on her mouth, "I am worried, since we are mother and daughter, and blood is thicker than water."


    Ye Jinwei''s face suddenly paled. Madame SHen''s words pricked the sore spot in her heart, causing her to unconsciously tighten her grip on the handkerchief. A strange light flashed in the depths of her lowered eyes.


    Compared to Ye Jinwei''s anger and shame, Concubine Shao was greatly relieved. No matter what, Madame SHen did not seem to have any intentions of pursuing the matter.


    But looking at the situation today, he was afraid that it was not going to work, who knew what kind of evil spirit was in Second Miss, to actually try to help Madame SHen. Although it was a pity, he didn''t have to worry about not having enough firewood to burn.


    Concubine Shao started to retreat, but Jin Lan didn''t plan on letting her off that easily.


    "Eldest Sister and Aunt are still kneeling like this, but do you think Mother is still not done yet?" As Jin Lan spoke, he carefully moved to the edge of the soft couch and prepared to slide down along the edge.


    Seeing that, the Madame SHen was afraid that his daughter would fall down. She immediately extended her hand to support her, and Jin Lan gently landed on the ground. She smiled at Madame SHen and walked over to his side. Under the confused gazes of the crowd, she knelt down steadily.


    "Lan Er, what are you doing?" Madame SHen stood up fiercely, only to see her daughter shaking her head at him, she could only suppress the anxiety in her heart, and slowly sat back down on the soft couch.


    "Mother, please listen to what Lan Er has to say." Jin Lan purposely raised her young and tender voice, and said loudly: "Lan Er remembers that her father once said that when dealing with people, one must behave properly. If Big Sister should be punished, then Lan Er should be punished as well."


    "Second Miss ¡­" Concubine Shao and Ye Jinwei looked at Jin Lan in astonishment, unable to figure out what she was up to.


    Jin Lan didn''t take a glance at the side, he only thought that he had to use that person''s hand to kill himself no matter what, otherwise Concubine Shao wouldn''t give up, and no one knew what kind of waves he would cause. Besides, if he got to the old lady, things would not be so easy.


    Since the heavens had asked him to start over, no matter what, he could not let the destiny of his past life replay!


    This time, she did not do it for Ye Jinwei, but for the Madame SHen.


    "Good!" What a great saying, sit upright, looks like Lan Er has grown up. " With a hearty laugh, a tall figure stepped through the raised curtain and into the door.


    "Master." Although Madame SHen was shocked by Ye Lin''s arrival, she still stood up and welcomed him.


    Concubine Shao and Ye Jinwei who were still kneeling on the ground stopped thinking about it, and raised their smiles in joy. Only Jin Lan didn''t show any signs of joy.


    She did not forget how this person treated the Madame SHen coldly in her previous life, nor did she forget what Ye Jinwei said before he died. Amongst the people who pushed her into such a predicament, the person who was the most important, was definitely her father, Ye Lin.


    "Get up." Ye Lin looked up and saw the people kneeling on the ground, the smile on his face became lighter, and he said.


    Madame SHen followed behind Ye Lin with his still gentle smile, as if he knew nothing of Ye Lin''s changes.


    Ye Lin and Madame SHen were seated in the proper seats, so Hui Xiu quickly brewed a cup of tea and brought it to Ye Lin. Ye Lin lifted the teacup containing the Green Flower Wound Lotus, lifted the cup lid and gently stirred the clear tea soup. The jade green tea leaves swayed along with the water pattern on the cup, and the aroma of the tea slowly wafted into the air.


    It was Longjing before the rain, his favorite tea.


    After putting down the tea cup, Ye Lin''s attitude towards the Madame SHen had eased up by a lot.


    With Ye Lin''s words, the Concubine Shao didn''t dare disobey, but there was more or less a tinge of grievance between her brows.


    "Lan Er, come and let father see, is your body better now?" Ye Lin waved his hand at Jin Lan, his face full of smiles.

 C5

    "Father." Jin Lan lowered his head and removed his eyelashes, blocking Ye Lin''s cold gaze as he bowed. When he raised his head again, his face was covered in a sweet and gentle smile, "Lan Er has long since recovered, but I''m actually tired of father''s busy memories, Lan Er is unfilial."


    She was still not Ye Lin''s match. In terms of Ye Mansion, the only person that could truly be relied on was Ye Lin. So for the sake of the Madame SHen and herself, she could only endure everything and curry favor with Ye Lin.


    Seeing that Jin Lan was thinner than before, but with his ruddy complexion, he looked fine, so Ye Lin nodded with a smile. Then, his gaze landed on Concubine Shao and Ye Jinwei who were standing behind him, as a look of disappointment appeared in his eyes.


    He had always hoped that his wife and concubine would be at peace. Just now, he had made the maidservant outside quiet down just to hear the situation inside the house. Unexpectedly, he heard that the usually gentle and gentle Lady Shao was pestering him.


    It was a good thing that the Madame SHen and Jin Lan were reasonable. Otherwise, if news of this were to spread, where would his face be?


    Concubine Shao was a man who could read words and observe the situation. Seeing the dark expression on Ye Lin''s face, his heart tensed up. Just as he was thinking of how to fix the situation, Ye Lin had already spoken.


    "Regarding the matter of Lan Er falling into the water, Jin Wei, as the eldest sister, put her baby sister in a dangerous place. Although it is unintentional, I have done it before, so I decided to close my doors and think deeply within the Yunxiu House during this period of time.


    Ye Lin''s words were extremely important to Ye Jinwei as her white lips trembled. After a while, she replied in a low voice, "Yes."


    Jin Lan quickly glanced at Concubine Shao and Ye Jinwei, whose expressions were extremely ugly. Although this punishment did not look painful or itchy, it was still a big blow to their beloved Concubine Shao.


    When Jin Lan and Wan Ju stepped out of the Shuixie Pavilion gate, the dazzling sunlight shined down from the sky, causing their skin to burn with a scorching pain. Even though it was not yet noon, there was not a single breath of wind. The green brick road was scorched up, and a slight movement would cause one to sweat all over. It was extremely uncomfortable and made one wish that the cat would just sit in the shade without moving.


    Although Jin Lan was walking along the corridor towards Lan Garden, he wasn''t even halfway there when he started sweating profusely. His new jacket and skirt were already faintly discernable, and his small face was flushed red, as if he was an apple that had matured.


    "Miss, why don''t I carry you?" Looking at Jin Lan''s red face, and thinking about the burn wound on her leg, Wan Ju couldn''t help but to ask.


    "No need." Jin Lan shook her head in refusal. Even though she was only nine years old right now, which was nearly half the size of the twelve-year-old Wan Ju, to Jin Lan who had lived her entire life, Wan Ju was just a little girl who had yet to grow.


    Seeing Jin Lan''s back, Wan Ju could not help but open his mouth, but did not say anything, and slowly closed it.


    Ever since the girl had fallen into the water, it was as if she had become a completely different person. Every single action and word of hers had their own ideas. Furthermore, in the past, those close to him became distant, like the First Miss and the Concubine Shao. On the other hand, those distant to him became closer, like the Eldest Wife ¡­


    The two of them faced each other the entire way, and after silently turning the last bend in the road, they could already see the Lan Garden s gate in the distance, and it was only then that Jin Lan slowed his pace.


    "Wan Ju, do you have any sisters in the Shuixie Pavilion?"


    Wan Ju was startled and quickly replied: "This servant has the same Shuixie Pavilion as Mo Chu. Although their relationship isn''t close, they can still say a few words."


    Jin Lan pondered for a while, then raised his head and looked around. He then said in a low voice, "I have something for you to do." Saying that, she paused for a moment, "However, this task, only you are allowed to know!"


    The meaning in his words was that they couldn''t even tell the Mama Tang or Bi He.


    Wan Ju saw that Jin Lan''s innocent face was filled with respect, but at the bottom of his heart, he shivered. He replied: "Don''t worry, Miss, I will save it all!"


    "In the past few days, find some time to walk around Shuixie Pavilion and talk to Qiu Wen and the others. Take a look at which family''s doctor your wife is looking at, and see what kind of person usually takes their medicine at what time, who fried them and who sent them." After thinking about it, he also made Wan Ju lower her body. Jin Lan tiptoed, and softly whispered a sentence into her ear.


    A flash of astonishment appeared on Wan Ju''s face, but she still took Jin Lan''s words to heart and nodded her head: "Yes."


    When Jin Lan brought Wan Ju back to the Lan Garden, Mu Lan, who was watching from the door, came over.


    "The girl is finally back."


    "Where did the sun come from? It''s actually you, the gatekeeper. "


    Mu Lan had a happy and displeased look on her face. The servant girls who worked with her in Lan Garden liked to tease her, and even Jin Lan would tease her occasionally in his previous life.


    "Sister Wan Ju, don''t tease me. If there is anything else, I won''t stand here." Mu Lan''s bun face tightly knitted together. She had a lot of meat on her body, so she was most afraid of the sultry weather this summer.


    "Why?" When Jin Lan saw the fine beads of sweat on Mu Lan''s forehead, he was afraid that he had stood here for quite a while.


    "Replying to the young lady." Mu Lan bent her knees towards Jin Lan and said, "The three misses are here."


    Three girls? Ye Jinxian? Jin Lan couldn''t help but be stunned.


    In her previous life, perhaps for some unspeakable reason, Shao Shi seemed to be full of hard work, and was not harsh at all on Jin Lan and the three girls that the Concubine Ning had sent. However, when Jin Lan died, Ye Jinxian was still young, so he did not know what Shao Shi would do to her.


    However, for even her, the direct daughter, to scheme against him like this, Ye Jinxian, the concubine, would probably not be much better off.


    "When did third sister come?" Jin Lan sighed silently. In his previous life, she was relatively close with Ye Jinwei, so even though she also had feelings for this little sister, she didn''t have much feelings towards him.


    "I''ve been here for more than an hour. According to Mama Tang''s instructions, I invited the three miss to Side Chamber, and also had Wen Zhu wait on me. Then, I came to the door to wait for the miss."


    Jin Lan nodded, and walked towards the Side Chamber, but just as she walked two steps, she stopped. She thought for a bit, then said to Mu Lan: "Go and inform Third Sister, that I have just come back from the outside, and will be changing my clothes before going to see her."


    "Yes." Mu Lan smiled and bowed, then turned and left towards the Side Chamber.


    Jin Lan returned to his room, allowing Wan Ju to clean herself up and change her clothes. After drinking a cup of cold tea, she waited until the heat on her body had subsided before she stood up and went back to Side Chamber.


    She never thought that before she even entered the room, she would see a scene like this: Ye Jinxian was quietly sitting on a chair facing the window. In her hand was a simple bamboo taut wire. His fingertips were slender and were as white as green onion. The silver needles between his fingers were nimbly flying up and down along with colorful threads. The shadows of the trees outside the window overflowed the windowsill and fell beneath her feet. The mottled light made her look as if she were in a dream.


    The corner of Jin Lan''s mouth curved into a warm smile. He saw that his third sister was still the same as before. She was always tense wherever she went. It was quite strange, even though she had a skipping personality, she could actually calm down and become a beauty. She would often sit there for four to four hours.


    "I''ve kept my sister waiting." She purposely raised her voice and walked into the Side Chamber.


    Sure enough, after Ye Jinxian heard this, he suddenly raised her face that was like a crescent moon, and looked towards the door in surprise. With a glance, she saw Jin Lan who was walking over smilingly, "Sister Second Sister!" Unexpectedly, the angle of the needle went awry, and the silver needle went into her fingertips, "Ya!"


    Hearing the exclamation, Jin Lan immediately walked forward and grabbed Ye Jinxian''s small hand to carefully examine it. "Did you prick it? Is it that painful? "


    Ye Jinxian immediately laughed: "It''s fine, it''s not painful at all." Saying that, she quickly put away her needle and tensed up. Then, she stood up and bowed towards Jin Lan''s knee: Second Sister is better now?


    Jin Lan quickly reached out his hand to help Ye Jinxian up, and he couldn''t help but scold: "Why are you so courteous? "It''s no wonder they were born separately."


    Ye Jinxian stuck out her tongue: "Aunt said that Second Sister is good to me, but I can''t not greet her. It''s always like before, I''m not allowed to come."


    Jin Lan pursed his lips into a smile. "I''m still thinking. With your personality, you actually didn''t come to look at me for so long. You''re really being held captive."


    "I had originally wanted to come earlier, but Aunt wouldn''t let me go no matter what. She said that Elder Sister has been feeling unwell the entire time and was afraid that it would disturb her rest." Ye Jinxian frowned, she had a helpless look on her face that made people unable to hold back their laughter.


    Jin Lan glanced at the tea cup on the table, then turned to Wan Ju and instructed him: "Go and fetch the dim sum that you brought back from the Shuixie Pavilion." Then, with a smile, he said to Ye Jinxian: "Just now, I went to my mother''s place for breakfast. And so, he grinded some of it out for his mother to bring back.


    "Second Sister is the best!" Hearing that he had something to eat, Ye Jinxian''s little face immediately lit up, and she beamed with joy.


    Wan Ju went to the kitchen and took out the jujube paste mountain medicine cake from the food box, placed it on a crystal plate and carried it to the Side Chamber. She then poured a cup of hot tea for the two of them before retreating to the side and waiting.


    "The old lady and the Female Cook in my mother''s room cooked the cake well." Ye Jinxian picked up a piece of jujube mountain medicine cake and impatiently took a bite. She was enjoying it so much that her eyes were squinted, and she said unclearly: "It''s a pity that the old lady hasn''t returned from Shang Jing, it''s not like I can go and bother her mother often."


    "Slow down, be careful of your choking, Greedy Cat." Jin Lan moved the teacup closer to her, and after a while, he said hesitantly, "Old lady ¡­" Did you go to Shang Jing? "


    "Huh?" Ye Jinxian swallowed the pastries, held the cup of tea and drank a small mouthful, before placing it down, extending her hand in front of Jin Lan''s forehead, and said: "Second Sister, are you sick yet? The Old Granny brought Yu Ge''er to the capital in the beginning of spring, why don''t you remember? "


    "Where is that?" Jin Lan hurriedly turned his head and forced a smile, "I just lay there for too long. I forgot something. I remembered it after you said that."


    She had forgotten most of what had happened in her previous life. Other than the scene before she died, the rest of her memories were all blurry. How could she still remember about the old lady going to the capital? Moreover, in her previous life, she was extremely close to Concubine Shao and had never suspected anything.


    Hearing Ye Jinxian''s words, Jin Lan vaguely remembered that the old lady going to the capital was related to a big matter, but he was not sure what exactly it was.

 C6

    Grimoire time, Yunxiu House.


    Ye Jinwei had just taken off the pearl hairpin on her head, allowing Qian Yun to wash up. The other servant, Si Ling, walked in, "Miss, Concubine Shao is here."


    She slightly raised her eyes, and slowly took the incense cloth from Qian Yun''s hands and gently wiped her face. Without replying, she casually threw the wet and wrinkled silk cloth into Qian Yun''s hands, then turned around and walked to the bed.


    Although it was so, Si Ling did not dare to be negligent, and immediately pulled up the curtain to welcome Concubine Shao into the house.


    Ye Jinwei sat on the bed, her slender fingers played with the black hair that hung on her chest, and she acted as if she didn''t care about Concubine Shao at all.


    The Concubine Shao did not care about her indifference. She walked over to the carved chair in front of the bed and sat down, then picked up the hot tea offered by Si Ling and took a sip before glancing at Si Ling and Qian Yun.


    The two maidservants understood what was going on, so they kneeled down and left, closing the door behind them.


    Only then did Concubine Shao open her mouth and said, "I know you are unhappy."


    Ye Jinwei kept everything that had happened in the Madame SHen''s room in mind and said snappily: "Since you know, why did you still come here?"


    "For what?" Concubine Shao sneered, "Isn''t it all because of you? If not for you pushing Jin Lan into the lotus pond, none of today''s matters would have happened! "


    "I ¡­" Ye Jinwei choked, she knew that he was in the wrong, yet was unwilling to lower her head, and said with a straight face: "So what? Since I''ve already been rejected, why don''t you go back and punish me! "


    Concubine Shao slammed the teacup in her hand down on the table, "Who am I working so hard for? You''re still trying to be petty with me, aren''t you going to take my life by punishing me? "


    Ye Jinwei did not reply, but her expression unconsciously relaxed.


    "Viv." Concubine Shao got up and sat on the bed, she then pulled Ye Jinwei into her embrace and said, "I know what you''re thinking, it''s just that Jin Lan can''t move against her, we have to rely on her for so many things ¡­"


    Ye Jinwei''s previously relaxed expression suddenly became cold, and she fiercely pushed Concubine Shao away, "Aunt, are you feeling bad?"


    A trace of annoyance flashed across Concubine Shao''s face. She stood up and saw Ye Jinlan''s face under the candlelight. She slowly sat back down and sighed, "It''s because of you that I feel sorry for you. The other one didn''t say anything, but since you are the flesh that falls from my body, how can I not think for you? As for Jin Lan, that girl ¡­ " She paused, "Although I have the Yu Ge''er, in front of the old lady, she holds the status of a direct descendant, so her words have weight."


    "In the end, it''s still because of her." Ye Jinwei twisted her body and ignored Concubine Shao.


    "Aiyo, my little ancestor!" Concubine Shao hugged her again, rubbed her hands together, and laughed for a long time before stopping.


    Ye Jinwei ruffled the hair by her ear and spoke: "Since the situation is like this, what should we do?"


    "Do you know the urgency now?" The Concubine Shao unhappily rolled her eyes at her, she looked towards the door and windows a few times, then cautiously said: "We will do as the old master says for the next few days, An Xin will stay in the house, wait for the old master''s anger to dissipate, then we can go find Second Miss." As she spoke, her voice gradually became smaller, "As usual ¡­" Lecturing ¡­ Waiting for the old lady and Yu Ge''er ¡­ "


    "Is what Aunt said true?" Ye Jinwei raised her delicate eyebrows, her face was full of astonishment.


    Concubine Shao hurriedly used her hand to cover her mouth, "Be quiet, there''s ears on the walls."


    "What are you afraid of?" Ye Jinwei turned her head, her gaze filled with disdain, as if she was about to pass through the door and the window and gaze upon the neighboring room, "Looking at the sky and acting like a monkey, you can''t stop worrying.


    Alright, let''s just endure for now. The Concubine Shao patted Ye Jinwei''s hand, and said with a sinister gaze.


    Ever since that day, Jin Lan always got up early every day, went to Shuixie Pavilion to eat breakfast with Madame SHen after washing up. It was strange, however, that he never got the chance to eat Madame SHen''s medicine again. She wanted to ask, but didn''t know how she could explain the reason to Madame SHen. She could only suppress her emotions and wait for Wan Ju to find out.


    The servants in the Shuixie Pavilion had already gotten used to Jin Lan''s sudden action and had even secretly grasped the time. Just that, when she had just stepped onto the bluestone staircase, Qiu Wen who was originally sitting down on the corridor and training had caught sight of her. She quickly got up and lifted the curtain, smiling as she passed on: "Second Miss is here."


    Jin Lan smiled and nodded at Qiu Wen, but just as sshe was about to enter, he turned her head and quickly glanced at Wan Ju who was behind him.


    The Madame SHen in the room was sitting with her head down, copying something on the rosewood square table. When she heard the sound, she put down her brush, and when she raised her head, she saw her daughter''s petite body cross the threshold, and was filled with joy. She immediately waved at her, and gently said: "Lan Er, quickly come over."


    "Mother." Jin Lan bowed towards the Madame SHen and walked inside with a smile.


    Madame SHen hugged Jin Lan who was sitting on a chair made of purple sandalwood with inlaid marble. When his fingertips touched the faint moisture on the satin, he immediately frowned and said with a pained heart: "It''s still early in the morning, why don''t you wear some clothes. The dew outside is heavy, your body is better now.


    Jin Lan''s body went limp as he leaned into Madame SHen''s embrace with a sweet smile on his face. He enjoyed this pampering extremely and replied softly: "Don''t worry, it will only take a while for the sun to rise. Besides, my daughter is already this old, how can I not understand? Mother, you are worrying for nothing. "


    Madame SHen looked at his daughter''s expression carefully, it was no different from usual. Only then did she relax, and stroke her smooth and black hair, and said with a smile: "Lan Er has grown up and become sensible, but in mother''s eyes, you are still a child who doesn''t know anything." As she spoke, he glanced at the door, and her smile faded. "You''re the only one here today?"


    Afraid that the Madame SHen would misunderstand, Jin Lan hurriedly said: "When I came over, I brought Wan Ju with me. She was just outside the door."


    "Why didn''t you bring him in?" Madame SHen had a good impression of this hardworking Little Maid, so she casually asked.


    "A few days ago, I asked her to embroider a square handkerchief. In the end, she was unable to embroider it for more than half a month. Yesterday, I heard from the Mama Tang that Big Sister Qiu Wen in my mother''s room is good at double-sided embroidery. Even though she had made preparations beforehand, Jin Lan still felt a bit uncomfortable, and the smile on his face immediately lessened.


    When Madame SHen saw this, she thought that Jin Lan was angry because the servant girl''s skills were lacking. She couldn''t help but sit up straight and lightly patted Jin Lan''s back, and said: "If you like double-sided embroidery, then you can just get Qiu Wen to help you. I think Wan Ju is not bad, it''s good to have her come over to serve us. "


    "How can that be?" Jin Lan blurted out. He then noticed that there was something wrong with his words, and explained: "Big Sister Qiu Wen is capable in my mother''s room, but Wan Ju is clumsy. With this exchange, wouldn''t it take advantage of Mother?"


    Madame SHen saw that she was still deep in thought, and immediately laughed out loud, "What''s there to be worried about? If you want it, Mother can give you everything that she has. "


    Man Ping, who was serving at the side, pursed her lips into a smile and spoke in agreement: "Madam truly loves this lady. Let alone Qiu Wen, as long as this lady asks, this lady will definitely be willing to serve you."


    Jin Lan was afraid that the Madame SHen would really exchange with Wan Ju, so he quickly changed the topic, pointed at the paper spread out on the table, and asked: "What is this?"


    The Madame SHen looked at the paper in her hand, which had not been dried yet, and before she could say anything, Man Ping replied her with a voice: "This is my wife''s copy of the book. A few days ago, the young lady was sick, my wife was reciting Buddha''s prayer and made a wish in front of the Buddha. Now that the girl was well, she should have come to the temple to make up her mind, but the lady was not well either, so she was delayed. "Then I''ll copy the scripture and wait for my body to get better before making any plans."


    "Mother ¡­" He never thought that Madame SHen would still work hard for him even when she was ill. A warm feeling flowed through Jin Lan''s heart and his arms tightened around Madame SHen.


    In his previous life, although Shao treated her well, she was not as intimate as she was now. Furthermore, she would not put her in front of everyone else. How could a mother and daughter match up to a mother and daughter? What''s more, Shao Shi only used her as a means of making use of her and pretended to be intimate with her.


    Thus, it was only now that she understood what a mother and daughter was.


    After accompanying Madame SHen in eating breakfast, they talked for half a day like usual. Only when it was late morning did Jin Lan stand up and prepare to return to the Lan Garden.


    Man Ping immediately went to draw the curtain, and the moment it was lifted, Jin Lan saw Wan Ju standing outside the door with a blue handkerchief in her hand. It was precisely the side with the embroidery on both sides that caused the smile on her face to become even more brilliant.


    After making a few turns and waiting for the Shuixie Pavilion''s door to completely disappear behind him, Jin Lan finally slowed down. Just as she was about to speak, she saw a figure curling towards her from the corner of her eyes.

 C7

    Ye Jinwei was dressed in a lilac colored crescent-moon-shaped dress, with her arms and legs covered by a Plum Blossom muslin. Although she looked simple and plain, she looked elegant and refined. Her rosy face was filled with spring, her beautiful eyes were filled with spirit, and the corners of her lips were slightly raised. It was as if there was someone else who had been sentenced to ban copying the ''ring'' a few days ago. When he saw Jin Lan from afar, his originally slow footsteps sped up, "Second sister."


    Jin Lan immediately stopped talking, his brows knitted slightly, but quickly relaxed. He greeted Ye Jinwei as usual, "Big sister."


    Ye Jinwei dodged to the side, dodging Jin Lan''s greeting, and asked: Why are you being so polite? You don''t usually do that. "


    Although these words were pleasing to the ears, they contained a hidden meaning, implying that she did not know how to conduct herself in the past. In her previous life, she was too stupid and easy to trust, thus she could not notice these small details. Now ¡­ Jin Lan gathered his drifting thoughts. He then smiled and asked, "Big sister, are you here to see mother as well?"


    Aside from Jin Lan, the three ladies of Ye Family had their own courtyard, while the First Miss and the third lady, Ye Jinxian, lived together in the Yunxiu House at the west corner of the Ye Mansion.


    The Yunxiu House and the Shuixie Pavilion that the Madame SHen lived in were separated by more than half a mansion, adding the presence of the butler from the Concubine Shao, Ye Jinwei had always thought highly of herself, and never placed the Madame SHen in her eyes. Other than celebrating the New Year, she had never even gone to pay her respects, let alone going into deep sleep in the morning.


    Now that she had appeared on the road to Shuixie Pavilion, she probably did not have any ulterior motives.


    Sure enough, Jin Lan carefully noted that Ye Jinwei''s expression had stiffened slightly, then was quickly covered by her smiling face, "Of course, it''s just that my mother''s body isn''t well, so I can''t recklessly disturb her. I was hesitating about whether I should go or not, I didn''t expect to see my sister." As he spoke, he walked forward and eagerly held Jin Lan''s hand, "Sister, are you from mother''s place? Is Mother feeling better? "


    "Better." Jin Lan retracted his hand and nodded to her with a smile.


    "That''s good." A flash of unwillingness appeared in Ye Jinwei''s eyes, but the expression on her face suddenly relaxed, as if she had put down a heavy burden. She looked at the Shuixie Pavilion in the distance and laughed: "Little sister came out of the Shuixie Pavilion now, are you resting mother?"


    It was rare for the Madame SHen to have a few days of peace and quiet, so Jin Lan naturally didn''t want Ye Jinwei to add fuel to the fire in Madame SHen''s heart.


    "Then I''ll go pay my respects another day. It''ll be bad if I don''t disturb mother." Ye Jinwei''s brows relaxed even more, "Oh yes, when I was in the garden just now, I saw that the Jade hairpin flowers are blooming right inside. I remember that my sister loves the Jade hairpin flowers, so let''s go take a look together?" Afraid that Jin Lan would reject her, she continued, "It''s said that the first Jade hairpin flowers are the best. The weather isn''t hot today either. If I don''t go, I''m afraid I won''t be able to see it in a few days."


    Jin Lan looked deeply at Ye Jinwei, and replied: "Alright."


    The two of them brought the maidservant out of the corridor and into the garden. Although the sun was smaller than in the past few days, it still felt somewhat hot. However, there were a lot of trees in the Ye Mansion Garden. Under the shade of a large patch of trees, the originally oppressing summer breeze brought about a trace of coldness that was hard to come by.


    Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei walked side by side on the soft geese stone path that was shrouded in shade. When the servants who were busy in the garden saw the two walk over, they all gave way and bent down to pay their respects.


    Not far away from the garden, there were clusters of white jade hairpin flowers. The bright sunlight reflected off of them, making them look like flawless pieces of white jade. Jin Lan watched on as he walked, his gaze was still on the flower beds, and he did not take an extra glance at Ye Jinwei who was beside him.


    Ye Jinwei had brought up the topic several times but Jin Lan still managed to figure it out. The gentle smile on his face gradually became unable to hang on.


    Today, she came over from the Yunxiu House early, and especially waited on the way back to the Lan Garden. She walked under the blazing sun for half a day, and she didn''t come here specifically to admire the flowers.


    After hesitating for a while, Ye Jinwei finally made up her mind. She opened her mouth and said: "Second sister, I have something that I want to say to you."


    Jin Lan turned around, and glanced at Wan Ju, who was being carried by Si Ling, and whose mouth was slightly raised: "Elder sister, if you have something to say, say it, I''m listening."


    Although he was smiling, his voice was calm and distant, completely devoid of the intimacy it used to have.


    Ye Jinwei was no longer in the mood to beat around the bush and directly asked: "Is little sister still angry at me for that matter?"


    "That?" Jin Lan was stunned, and a trace of confusion appeared on his face.


    "Last month, I invited my sister to play by the lotus pond. I didn''t expect that she would see a powder blooming there, so I insisted on picking it. "Speaking of which, it''s my fault. I couldn''t stop my sister for a while, causing you to accidentally fall into the pond. You almost ¡­" A thin layer of mist floated up from Ye Jinwei''s eyes. "Although it is normal for sister to be angry at me, but father has already punished me, and Aunt has always scolded me. I hope sister can calm down, and forgive me!" As he spoke, he pulled Jin Lan''s sleeves, looking very pitiful.


    So it was this matter! However, when she woke up, she was already lying on the bed, completely unconscious from the fever. Furthermore, she had returned to her childhood, and was extremely shocked. If not for Mama Tang occasionally mentioning this matter, she wouldn''t even know how this disease came about, much less pluck lotus seeds and fall into the water ¡­


    "Elder sister, you worry too much. I am not angry." Jin Lan was silent for a moment, then naturally raised his hand to stroke the hair at the side of his ear, taking advantage of the fact that Ye Jinwei was holding onto her sleeve.


    "Then why does my little sister keep ignoring me, even going back and forth day in and day out ¡­" Shuixie Pavilion running? " Hearing that, Ye Jinwei was ecstatic, but on the surface she pretended to complain.


    The corner of Jin Lan''s mouth pursed. "Big sister was practicing her calligraphy in the Embroidery Hall for the past few days, how could I dare to disturb you?" As he said that, he tilted his head, revealing a suspicious look. "Besides, Mother has been resting at Shuixie Pavilion all this time, so I''m afraid that it''s too stifling. If I have time, I''ll have to chat with Mother to relieve my boredom. What''s wrong with that?"


    These words caused Ye Jinwei to be speechless. Even though she had thought in her heart that Jin Lan should not get too close to the Madame SHen, and should get more close to her and the Concubine Shao, she could not say these words. Once he revealed it today, the entire Yangzhou City would probably be in an uproar tomorrow.


    A concubine with Ye Family that disrespected his mother, how big of a joke was this! At that time, Ye Lin would probably be the first one to not forgive her.


    "What''s wrong?" Jin Lan saw that Ye Jinwei had suddenly stopped walking and could not help but to ask: "Am I wrong?"


    "Ah?" How could that be? Sister is right. " Ye Jinwei regained her senses, and forced out a smile. After taking a deep breath, she gradually calmed herself down, and pointed at the jade hairpin flower that just happened to bloom, "Let''s go and take a look?"


    Jin Lan raised his head and looked at the sky, shaking his head. "The reward here is the same as well."


    Ye Jinwei casually mentioned it, but after seeing Jin Lan shake his head, he gave up. He did not say anymore, and the two once again fell into silence. However, from time to time, she would glance at Jin Lan, who was admiring the flowers with great interest.


    His second sister was indeed different from before. In the past, his second sister always had her thoughts on her face, and he understood very well. No matter what she said, she would nod in agreement, and every time Shuixie Pavilion was mentioned, her face would change.


    After walking forward for another short while, Ye Jinwei''s excuse was that she was tired. After bidding Jin Lan farewell, he brought Si Ling back to the brothel.


    Jin Lan watched as her back figure disappeared around the corner, then slowly walked toward Lan Garden along with Wan Ju, while looking at her lace.


    Just as he entered the courtyard, he saw Mama Tang dashing towards him.


    "My little ancestor, where did the sun go?" When Mama Tang saw that Jin Lan had returned at the time she usually did, she had already sent people to the Shuixie Pavilion to ask about it. She did not expect that the old granny guarding the door had long left the Shuixie Pavilion. She was just about to search along the road with the servants, but in the end, Jin Lan took Wan Ju and leisurely walked in.


    "When we met big sister on the road just now, we gave her a reward for a while. When I thought about it, I didn''t even ask Wan Ju to come back and tell her about it, so I made Mama worry."


    Mama Tang wanted to say a few more words, but when she saw the blood dripping from Jin Lan''s forehead and her completely red face, her heart started to ache. "Look at the heat in your body, Bi He, quickly go and bring a bowl of sour plum soup over!" After saying that, she pulled Jin Lan into the house. She scrubbed and changed her clothes busily for a while, until Jin Lan drank the sour plum soup. Her complexion gradually returned to normal before she gave up.


    In the end, he was still young, and his body was weak and he woke up early. After this short conversation, Jin Lan was truly exhausted. After thinking about how there were still two hours before lunch, he prepared to take a short rest.


    Bi He attended to the Jin Lan and collapsed, then casually picked up the Jade Bamboo Flower fan beside him, but was stopped by the Jin Lan, "Let Wan Ju do it."


    The hand holding the fan suddenly stopped, and then slowly lowered. Bi He bit her lower lip, and with an unreadable expression, she glanced at Jin Lan, and quietly replied: "Yes."


    Jin Lan was preoccupied with his thoughts, so she did not notice Bi He''s strangeness. After Bi He left, she laid on the bed, tossing and turning, and was actually feeling uneasy. Only when Wan Ju came in did she suddenly sit up, she quickly looked outside and said softly: "Close the door."

 C8

    Wan Ju then closed the door, causing Jin Lan to soften his body and lean on the large satin pillow.


    Although there was an ice mountain in the room to relieve the heat, Jin Lan''s body had just recovered. Mama Tang placed the ice mountain in the corner opposite of the bed. Wan Ju took the fan Bi He placed on the table, and slowly fanned Jin Lan.


    She was not in a hurry to talk to Wan Ju, so she squinted her eyes and listened to the sounds outside, after a long while she exhaled and looked up at Wan Ju, "How is the situation?"


    Wan Ju had long considered things in her heart, but when she heard Jin Lan''s question, she couldn''t stop the fan in her hands as she replied softly: "I heard from Qiu Wen that Madam''s illness is always under the watch of Doctor Gong, and that she is the one that Big Sister Man Ping invited after the lady''s scalding foot last time."


    "Doctor Gong?" That day, he had been scald by the Medicinal Juice. Madame SHen had only asked for a doctor, not a name, but Man Ping had invited this Doctor Gong. From this, it could be seen that Madame SHen often invited her to the palace to see a doctor.


    "Yes, Qiu Wen also said that his wife''s medicine would be consumed in the morning when she wakes up, it would be more or less the same as the girl drinking a cup of hot tea when she gets up. Furthermore, the matter of the medicinal herbs being given to us is done personally by Sister Man Ping and Sister Hui Xiu, and they have never pretended to do it. "


    Man Ping? Hui Xiu? Jin Lan couldn''t help but frown. The two of them were the maids standing beside Madame SHen, and they had been taking care of him for the past few years. Furthermore, from the looks of it, the Madame SHen trusted them greatly, so it shouldn''t be ¡­


    "That''s right, this is the item that the young lady ordered me to retrieve." Wan Ju seemed to have thought of something, and immediately put down the fan in her hands, and took out a silk handkerchief that was tightly wrapped up, "This servant and Qiu Wen said that Miss woke up early to eat osmanthus cake, and wanted to let Qiu Wen see if there was anything prepared in the kitchen, so I followed along. Taking advantage of the fact that Qiu Wen and the Female Cook weren''t paying attention, I secretly took out a small piece." As she spoke, he opened it and handed it to Jin Lan.


    A small dark brown thing was quietly lying in the scallion colored brocade handkerchief. The handkerchief that was wrapped around it was stained with a brown color, and a faint medicinal smell wafted in the air. It was the dregs of the medicine that had been used in the frying.


    Surprise flashed past Jin Lan''s eyes. She hadn''t thought that things would go so smoothly. Not only did she get the information she wanted, she even got her hands on the dregs. Just as Jin Lan was about to receive the brocade handkerchief, the smell of the medicine in front of her caused her hand to pause, and then she withdrew it. "How can you be so sure that this is something that your wife used?"


    Wan Ju heard and laughed, then said: "Masters'' medicine pots are naturally different from those used by servants. Other than Mistress, who else can use good purple sand medicine cans?"


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but feel that something wasn''t right, so he asked again, "Then tell me, how did you get this dregs?"


    Only then did Wan Ju understand what she meant, but Jin Lan still had a smile on his face, and his tone of voice had a hint of flirtatiousness. Perhaps the girl was curious and felt relieved, so she continued to smile and said: "Speaking of it, it''s a coincidence, when I went there, the medicine pot had already been cleaned. I thought that we could only wait until the next time to think of a way, who would have thought that Qiu Wen accidentally touched the hairpin, when this servant was helping to pick it up, I coincidentally saw a small piece of dregs by the side of the furnace, and thus took it back. "


    Jin Lan took the silk handkerchief that was wrapped in medicinal dregs, lowered his head and examined it carefully, after which he secretly sniffed a few times before handing it over to Wan Ju, "In two days time, you will go out of the house and find a doctor. Take a look at the contents of this medicine." With that, he added, "Don''t go to Doctor Gong."


    Wan Ju was not stupid. Jin Lan had made her do so many things, say things like that, take out medicinal dregs, and now they still had to go out to examine some medicine. If she didn''t understand Jin Lan''s thoughts now, she would not be able to show her face. He took the handkerchief and respectfully replied, "Yes."


    Only after giving out all the instructions did Jin Lan''s tensed state of mind relax a little. As drowsiness assaulted him, he fell into a deep sleep.


    This sleep lasted all the way until noon. When Mama Tang was in the hall preparing lunch, Bi He finally called out to him. After lunch, Jin Lan was in high spirits. She ordered people to pack up the four treasures of the study room and prepared to practice calligraphy.


    Although Ye Lin''s bloodline was only a side branch, he had been an official for five generations, and his great-grandfather was an official. Although Ye Lin''s generation suffered a bit, his Ye Family was still considered a family of bells, and the aroma of books was very expensive. Moreover, Ye Lin was born to scout and received a good debt of gratitude. To be able to obtain the high position in the history of the Patrol of the Salt Clan at the age of thirty showed that he was not a foolish person.


    Thus, Ye Family did not believe in women. On the contrary, they had strict requirements of the three young ladies. Not only did they invite instructors to read and write, they even invited various master teachers to teach them their skills.


    Ye Family were the three talented women, and everyone in the Yangzhou City knew who they were.


    Jin Lan liked calligraphy. Ye Lin doted on the only direct descendant, so he sent all kinds of inscriptions to the Lan Garden.


    As a result, although the three ladies of Ye Family were young, they were able to write quite a few words.


    A few days ago, he was sick and his body was weak. Now that he had recovered, Jin Lan immediately returned to his daily habit of practicing calligraphy.


    After a few days, Wan Ju found a reason to leave the palace, and Jin Lan was naturally able to do so. After eating dinner and giving Mu Lan proper instructions on what to do, Wan Ju returned back to her room to pack up her things, and prepared to leave early tomorrow morning while it was still cool.


    Bi He waited for Jin Lan to rest before turning off the lights in the house. Seeing that Wan Ju had already finished packing, he did not go forward to help, but turned around and poured a cup of tea for Wan Ju.


    Wan Ju accepted the teacup with a smile, took a sip, and said: "I only lack a few more, I might as well keep it well and rest, so that I won''t sweat too much." As she spoke, she placed the teacup on the table and got busy again.


    Bi He watched on from the side, and the corner of her mouth twitched. She wanted to say something, but didn''t know what to say. However, Wan Ju had finally packed her bag and turned around to see Bi He standing at the side, looking completely lost in thought.


    "What''s wrong? You look so bad? " Wan Ju placed her hand on Bi He''s forehead, and then touched her own forehead, feeling that there was no difference.


    "No problem." Bi He tried to retract her thoughts, and immediately grabbed Wan Ju''s hand, and laughed: "It might be because of the hot air."


    "It''s a bit hot today, so you have to be careful of your body. If you fall ill, who will serve you?" Wan Ju was extremely concerned, the young miss only had her and Bi He''s two senior servant girls, the second tier servant girls usually could not just enter the house casually, and now that she was on leave, what if Bi He was sick, wouldn''t there be no one by the young miss''s side to help her?


    "Look at your jinx!" "It''s not as serious as you say." Bi He scolded, but her eyebrows relaxed a lot, she pulled Wan Ju''s hand and sat down, "Let''s talk."


    Wan Ju saw that her face was slightly better, and laughed: What did you say? I see that you have been in a daze recently. Could it be that you have something on your mind? "


    Bi He shook her head, she hesitated for a moment before sighing silently, holding onto Wan Ju''s hand tightly, she spoke: "Wan Ju, how long have we known each other?"


    Wan Ju was startled, she thought for a while and said: "We entered the palace together, it has been six or seven years."


    It''s been seven years. Originally,''s eyes were a little unfocused, he muttered to himself: "Once we enter the house, we will follow the young miss, from the third tier servant girls to the first tier servant. Just look at the Qiu Wen and Mo Chu who are still serving as the second tier servant girls, you can tell that the young lady treats us extremely well."


    Wan Ju nodded her head, "Young lady''s temper and softness, not to mention us, which one of us in this house is not nice?"


    "But ever since Miss got this disease, do you feel that ¡­" Bi He''s hand that was holding Wan Ju felt cold, the words that reached her mouth, paused for a moment, then spat out with difficulty: "It''s as if this lady has become a completely different person?"


    "Someone else?" Wan Ju thought for a moment, then shook her head: "No!"


    As expected, did she overthink it? But to herself, the girl ¡­ Bi He closed his eyes before letting go of Wan Ju''s hand, and said: "Rest early, I''ll wake up earlier tomorrow."


    Wan Ju thought that Bi He''s words were weird, she wanted to say that the young lady had grown up and had her own way of thinking, but seeing the fatigue on Bi He''s face, she swallowed her words and did not say anymore.


    Early morning of the second day, Wan Ju left the mansion carrying a bag.


    Although Jin Lan appeared no different from usual, his heart was in turmoil no matter what he did. A short three days felt like three years.


    Especially on the day that Wan Ju returned to her residence, she became even more restless, and faintly felt that something was going to happen.


    In the evening, Wan Ju, who should have already returned to her home, didn''t see anyone. Jin Lan, who was specifically waiting in the room, could only wait anxiously.


    Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the house. Jin Lan hurriedly told Bi He to go out and have a look, but the person Bi He brought back was not Wan Ju, but Qiu Wen who had Shuixie Pavilion.


    When Qiu Wen saw Jin Lan, she suddenly rushed forward and cried: "Miss, go and take a look! Madame fainted! "

 C9

    When Jin Lan and Qiu Wen rushed to Shuixie Pavilion s, it was still a mess inside.


    The outer room''s floor was a mess. On the square table with purple sandalwood carved flowers, there were a few tea cups scattered around. From the looks of it, it was a set. As for the porcelain pieces on the ground, it must have been when Madame SHen fainted and crashed into the ground.


    A maid who looked unfamiliar was standing in the corner, completely helpless. Jin Lan glanced at her quickly and walked into the room without asking further questions.


    Madame SHen had already been helped to the bed. Hui Xiu was half-kneeling in front of the bed, her face completely pale white. Even her voice had a hint of a sobbing tone: "Madam, what''s wrong? "Madam, please wake up ¡­"


    Mama Tang, Bi He and Qiu Wen who were behind Jin Lan were so scared that their bodies were trembling.


    Jin Lan tightly gripped the handkerchief in his hand and took a few deep breaths before forcing himself to calm down. She quickly stepped forward and squeezed to the bedside only to see that Madame SHen''s eyes were tightly shut, his eyebrows were furrowed, his face was completely devoid of blood, his forehead was drenched in cold sweat, and even his breathing had become extremely shallow. She tried her best to stabilize her trembling voice, and said quickly: "Bi He, quickly go to the front yard and find Steward Li, get him to personally find a doctor, quickly!"


    Miss, this servant has already ordered Mo Chu to go and invite the Doctor Gong. Seeing that Jin Lan had arrived, as if he had a backbone, Hui Xiu quickly asked him to find Steward Li for a doctor when she heard Jin Lan''s instructions.


    Jin Lan swept his gaze across Hui Xiu, but did not respond. Instead, he ordered Qiu Wen: "Go and clean up the outer room."


    After Bi He and Qiu Wen heard this, they turned around and pulled up the curtain as they walked out.


    "Miss, madam''s body has always been taken care of by Doctor Gong ¡­"


    "Shut up!" Jin Lan cut Hui Xiu off.


    Hui Xiu had never seen the soft Jin Lan get so angry, and she was stunned for a moment.


    Jin Lan didn''t bother to explain as he sat on the side of the bed and held Madame SHen''s hands. It was cold and wet, so he said to the Mama Tang, "Mama, go get a basin of hot water."


    Mama Tang replied and left, and the room immediately quietened down, leaving only Jin Lan and Hui Xiu guarding.


    At this time, Jin Lan shifted his gaze to Hui Xiu, "Everything is fine, why did mother suddenly faint? I remember when I came in the morning, my mother said that she had been feeling a lot better recently. "


    "This servant, this servant isn''t sure, but after eating dinner, Chun Xiao, who was in the front yard''s study, came to seek an audience with Madam. Madam thought that it was because of master''s orders, so she let Chun Xiao in, and sent this servant to make tea. Hui Xiu was initially shocked and fearful, but after hearing Jin Lan''s shout just now, she couldn''t help but cry out loud, "Miss, what should we do!?"


    Chun Xiao in the outer court''s study? Could it be the maid that was standing in the outer room just now? What was she doing here? "And ¡­" Why are you alone in the room? Where''s Man Ping? " Jin Lan''s heart was filled with resentment. He didn''t even care about the usual intimacy as he directly called out his name.


    "Man Ping''s mother celebrated her birthday. She went on leave today and left the house very early." Hui Xiu knew that Jin Lan was truly angry, so she did not dare conceal it and told the truth.


    Man Ping left the house on leave and went down to make some tea. Adding to the fact that Qiu Wen and Mo Chu were both level two maidservants, so they couldn''t casually enter the house, then only and Madame SHen were left in the room. If that was the case, Madame SHen''s fainting must have something to do with Chun Xiao! Jin Lan''s expression darkened, and said coldly: "Lock that Chun Xiao up, and wait for mother to wake up before sending the message."


    After Jin Lan came over, Mu Lan, who had been guarding outside the whole time, heard the voice coming from inside the house. He hurriedly called out to the two of them, and was prepared to take Chun Xiao, who was hiding in the outer room, out.


    "Lady! This servant was wronged! This servant did not harm Madam! " The servant girl called Chun Xiao was distracted only after being grabbed by the servants, she struggled to get up, "This servant does not have one, this servant was wrongly accused, this lady cannot abuse her private punishment!"


    Sure enough, she was a maidservant from the outer court. She was extraordinary and could even blurt out the abuse of lynching. Jin Lan laughed out of anger and raised his voice, "So you''re saying that Madam fainted on her own accord?"


    Seeing Jin Lan speak, Chun Xiao was overjoyed. She thought that she had hope of exonerating, and hurriedly replied, "Lady, please understand. This servant had only just entered the room, and had not even had the chance to reply to Madam. "Everyone in the manor knows that Madam''s health hasn''t been good all this time. The weather has been hot recently, maybe she''s in the middle of the summer heat ¡­"


    Before Chun Xiao could finish her words, Hui Xiu saw that Jin Lan''s complexion was growing worse and worse. She could not help but shout: "What are you waiting for? Was it up to her to make noise between the wife and the girl? Stop talking and drag him down! "


    ''s wife was quick to react and quickly stuffed the handkerchief in her hands into her mouth. The dense smell of sweat made Chun Xiao feel like she was about to puke, and before she could even struggle, she had already pulled him out.


    An outer court maid dared to be presumptuous in front of the Shuixie Pavilion? Jin Lan tightly gripped Madame SHen''s hand, not knowing whether to be angry or sad in his heart.


    Only after Mama Tang brought hot water over did she regain her senses. She soaked the cotton towel in water and carefully wiped the cold sweat off Madame SHen''s face and hands.


    Madame SHen''s expression was extremely unsightly, cold sweat continuously oozed out nonstop, and her palms were ice-cold. Jin Lan bit his lips and wiped it clean over and over. Only when Mama Tang noticed that something was wrong and stepped forward to grab her hand did he realize that her face was already wet and cold.


    "Miss." Mama Tang''s heart tightened, her wife had fainted, if something were to happen to the young lady again ¡­


    "I''m fine." Jin Lan broke free from Mama Tang''s hands and realised that she was shaking violently. She took a deep breath and wiped the tears off her face with the handkerchief before asking, "Why is the doctor not here yet?"


    "This servant will go take a look now." Qiu Wen glanced at Jin Lan and was about to go to the outer courtyard to check out the situation, but she didn''t expect that a voice came from outside the house the moment she walked out of the inner room.


    "Sister Hui Xiu, Doctor Gong is here!" Mo Chu gasped for breath as he lifted the curtain. A slender figure entered the room, it was the female doctor who had treated Jin Lan that day.


    The Doctor Gong was wearing a simple long skirt made of cloud silk, his hair was tied up with two simple pearl hairpins. He was plain and elegant, giving off the feeling of an almond forest. However, she had an indifferent expression on his face as she walked into the inner room.


    When Jin Lan saw Doctor Gong enter, although she was extremely unwilling, the situation in Madame SHen was extremely critical. She did not know when the doctor that Steward Li had invited would arrive, and could only let her have a look. Thus, he got off the bed, and made room for Doctor Gong to have a look.


    The Doctor Gong looked at Jin Lan indifferently, without saying a word, he extended his hand to the Madame SHen''s vein, Hui Xiu and the rest stood quietly behind, not daring to even breathe.


    Jin Lan pretended to be calm as he stood at the side and watched. Unconsciously, he raised the handkerchief in his hand.


    Doctor Gong called out for a while, then stared at Madame SHen for a long time. She frowned, without saying a word, she got up and went to the side to write out the prescription.


    Although Jin Lan and the others were burning with anxiety, they didn''t dare to step forward and inquire, as they were afraid of disturbing her explanation.


    When Doctor Gong put down his brush, Jin Lan rushed forward and asked: "Doctor Gong, about my mother''s illness ¡­"


    Doctor Gong picked up the prescription that had been written down and blew it lightly a few times. Then he said neither too quickly nor too slowly, "Although the Snow Root Iris has the same effect of calming the heart as the lily, to Madam, it is like arsenic coated in honey. "Fortunately, I discovered it early, and it might be dangerous. If there''s a next time ¡­" She lowered her voice and quickly swept her eyes over everyone.


    Jin Lan''s face paled, she was shocked and afraid. Doctor Gong might not have said it out loud, but she could hear the danger involved.


    It was not a secret in Ye Family that one could not smell the fragrance of the Snow Root Iris when they were born. As a result, although the flower beds in the Ye Family were full of flowers, there would always be one Snow Root Iris missing. Now, something that should not have appeared in the Ye Family, and was even in the Madame SHen''s house, how could Jin Lan not be afraid?


    Who was it that wanted to harm the Madame SHen? Was it the Concubine Shao? But in her previous life, three years after Madame SHen met with mishap, why would she do it now...


    If it wasn''t Concubine Shao, who could it be? Speaking of which, Chun Xiao is an outer court servant, could it be Ye Lin!?


    Jin Lan''s heart was in turmoil, and after thinking about it again and again, he even felt that everyone was harmful to the Madame SHen.


    "Just take this recipe and cook it on fire for an hour. Then, cook it in three bowls of water and make it into a bowl. Sooner or later, take it each once. After three consecutive days, I will come back for a consultation." Doctor Gong passed two prescriptions to Hui Xiu one after the other.


    "Yes, this servant will follow you to grab the medicine." Hui Xiu respectfully received the medicinal formula.


    Doctor Gong nodded and did not say anymore. After packing the medicine box, he left.


    "Doctor Gong, please wait!" Only then did Jin Lan regain his senses, and he hurriedly stepped forward to stop Doctor Gong from leaving, his eyes revealing a look of anxiety, "When will my mother be able to wake up?"


    Doctor Gong stared at Jin Lan''s worried little face, his tone becoming slightly more gentle, "Take the first recipe, and Madam will wake up in a short while."


    Hearing Doctor Gong''s words, Jin Lan''s hanging heart immediately dropped by half.


    After sending off the Doctor Gong, before she could even return back into the house, she saw Bi He leading a few other people walking towards her. Borrowing the light from the lanterns, Jin Lan saw that the person walking in front was her father ¡ª ¡ª Ye Lin!

 C10

    Ye Lin had been busy with official business recently, so he rested alone in the Outer Court for eight to ten days. Seeing Bi He''s anxious face and hearing the orders from the Second Miss, the Steward Li thought about how the servants in the house had been talking about his various actions towards his wife the past few days, and secretly paid attention to his actions. Not only did he personally go and invite a doctor, he even sent people to the study room to report to Ye Lin.


    Ye Lin, on the other hand, remained calm, and continued to write on the table. It was as if Madame SHen''s coma was nothing to him. It wasn''t until he was done with his work that he stood up and prepared to check the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Coincidentally, Steward Li had also invited the doctor back, and the few of them followed Bi He to the Shuixie Pavilion.


    When Jin Lan saw Ye Lin coming over, he immediately bent his knees and saluted. He only raised his head for a look, and then his tears fell with a ''shua'' sound.


    Ye Lin frowned, he saw that Jin Lan''s small face was extremely haggard, it was because he cared about his daughter, and sighed, then waved his hand to allow Jin Lan to get up, "Let the doctor take a look first."


    Jin Lan nodded obediently and followed Ye Lin into the house.


    Although this matter was related to Chun Xiao, Jin Lan believed that Ye Lin was the last person who was willing to let something happen to Madame SHen. If she remembered correctly, the three years of official service were about to end and the time to return to the capital to resume their duties, why would Ye Lin stir up trouble at this time?


    Now that Madame SHen was in a coma, if Ye Lin got a bit more attention, then Madame SHen would be in less danger.


    As a result, Jin Lan purposely revealed a helpless and panicked look in front of Ye Lin.


    Steward Li waited outside the house. Fortunately, he knew it was to treat his wife, so he specially invited a female doctor. This way, Jin Lan didn''t have to avoid him.


    Doctor Jiang checked the Madame SHen''s pulse again carefully, and the results were pretty much as Doctor Gong had said. It was just that this was Doctor Jiang''s first time seeing a patient in Madame SHen, so he was not clear about the Madame SHen''s taboo towards snow and irises.


    However, Jin Lan was clear that only now did the half stone hanging in her heart fall to the ground.


    At least Doctor Gong did not randomly treat someone this time, but just in case, she still decided to use Doctor Jiang''s prescription in the end.


    Ye Lin instructed the Steward Li to take Doctor Jiang''s prescription to get the medicine, while Jin Lan sat back down on the bed and carefully wiped the Madame SHen''s hands. The servant girls on the side continued to carry out their duties, and the Shuixie Pavilion returned to its previous orderly state.


    Just as Jin Lan was about to heave a sigh of relief, Mu Lan''s somewhat high-pitched voice came from outside: "Concubine Shao is here."


    Just as she finished speaking, the curtains were lifted, and Concubine Shao walked in with a red lacquered box.


    "Why aren''t you resting this late? What are you doing here?" Ye Lin''s face sank. It was clear that he was dissatisfied with Concubine Shao coming here at this time.


    Concubine Shao slightly lowered her head, half squatting down in blessing, her posture beautiful. "I heard that a servant said that my elder sister was sick. Coincidentally, a few days ago, Third Master Lu gifted me an old mountain ginseng, and thought that elder sister might need it as well. That''s why he specially brought it to help nourish my sister''s body." As she spoke, she carried the box in front of Ye Lin.


    His surname was Lu in the Concubine Shao, so Master Lu San must be a relative of the Concubine Shao.


    Ye Lin''s face was slightly pleased, he nodded, "Stand up."


    After Concubine Shao got up, she placed the box on the table. She did not sit down, but walked around Ye Lin and helped him relax her shoulders. Seeing Ye Lin''s pleased look, he guessed that Concubine Shao must have done this a lot.


    Although there was a crystal bead curtain separating the inside from the outside, and there was a screen in front of Madame SHen''s bed, as long as one wanted to, Jin Lan could still see the situation outside through a crack. However, she was not interested in seeing Ye Lin flirting with the Concubine Shao, so she took good care of him without raising her head.


    Concubine Shao rubbed it for a while before sshe turned around. Seeing that Ye Lin''s expression was not bad, he thought for a bit, then said hesitantly: "Speaking of which, it is quite strange. A few days ago I heard that elder sister''s health was good, why did she suddenly faint all of a sudden?"


    Faintly hearing the Concubine Shao''s mention of the Madame SHen, Jin Lan couldn''t help but stop and listen carefully for any movements outside.


    Ye Lin did not reply, and continued to meditate.


    Seeing that his expression did not change, Concubine Shao became more relaxed, and continued: "I am thinking, perhaps it is because Madam has been sick for a long time, the servants in the house all have a big heart."


    There were some words that could only be said so far. After Concubine Shao finished speaking, he did not say anything else and focused on trying to force Ye Lin''s hand.


    After being silent for a moment, Ye Lin slowly opened his eyes, the expression on his face was indifferent, and even a bit cold: "Madam has always been soft on the ears, if there''s anything you can''t care about, just help me out."


    These sudden words caused Concubine Shao to smile widely, but it also caused Jin Lan to suddenly freeze.


    It was still unknown who ordered Chun Xiao to harm Madame SHen, and if Concubine Shao used this matter to extend her hand into the Shuixie Pavilion, even if Madame SHen woke up, she would not have a place to stand.


    As Jin Lan thought about this, he came out from the inner room. "Father."


    Ye Lin gently nodded his head, but Concubine Shao''s face revealed a look of surprise, it was just that the surprise was not in her eyes yet, "So Second Miss is also here."


    Jin Lan courteously nodded to her, "Concubine Shao."


    "Why did you come out instead of accompanying your mother?" Perhaps because he had thought of something, Ye Lin''s tone was somewhat impatient.


    Jin Lan pretended not to know anything, "Your daughter came to inform father, mother probably won''t be able to wake up like this for a while, the things father told me earlier must be important, and Concubine Shao is also here, if not I would be delayed."


    Ye Lin''s hand that was holding onto the tea cup paused, and looked at Jin Lan with suspicion: "What''s the matter?"


    Jin Lan raised his head, and unintentionally swept his gaze across the faintly green Concubine Shao. "Your daughter doesn''t know, but I heard from Big Sister Hui Xiu in Mother''s room that a Big Sister Chun Xiao came over in the evening with Shuixie Pavilion."


    Chun Xiao? Ye Lin''s expression suddenly became extremely unsightly, and with a bang, he slammed the teacup onto the table. The silence in the room could be heard as a pin dropped to the ground, and the Concubine Shao beside Ye Lin didn''t even dare to pant, as they were afraid that they might get into trouble.


    Jin Lan stood straight as before, his lowered eyelids concealing the serenity that flashed past his eyes.


    Ye Lin pondered for a moment, then suddenly stood up and walked out, he crossed the threshold with half a foot, and stopped, "Take good care of your mother, there are some things that should be handled after she has fully recovered!" After saying that, he turned around and left the Shuixie Pavilion without looking back.


    Jin Lan lowered his eyebrows and waited for Ye Lin to disappear outside the Shuixie Pavilion door before slowly getting up.


    The cooked duck flew away just like that! Concubine Shao''s chest moved up and down with all her might, but Ye Lin''s words immediately flashed across her mind. Only then did she relax a little, the distortions on her face immediately disappearing, and she slowly revealed a loving smile, "Second Miss is so filial, this wife will be very pleased if she knows about it."


    "Aunt is too kind." Jin Lan stepped forward and held the red lacquer box on the table with both hands. He laughed so hard that his eyes curved into a smile and he looked extremely innocent, "How can Lan Er compare to Aunt? So late at night, they even sent over such precious old ginseng. "Mother''s prescription requires an old ginseng. With this from Aunt, the effects will definitely be better. I believe that mother will be able to recover soon after eating it."


    Concubine Shao''s gaze fell on the box in Jin Lan''s hands, and the affection on her face almost disappeared. She had even spent a lot of money and effort to get this old mountain ginseng. Even now, she was still unwilling to use it, but this time, she had actually taken advantage of Madame SHen!


    Eat, eat, eat until you die! She tightly gripped the handkerchief as she thought bitterly, but didn''t reveal anything on her face. She pursed her lips and smiled as she replied, "Second Miss is right. With Second Miss''s care and care, this sickness of yours will naturally be cured by medicine."


    Jin Lan''s smile became even sweeter. "This way, Aunt will be more at ease. The elder sister will always complain to me that Aunt is always busy all day long. Even she can''t take care of me."


    Concubine Shao''s face changed slightly, a look of ferocity flashed past his eyes, but when she saw the faint smile in Jin Lan''s eyes, she regained her senses, and forced down her surging anger, and laughed slowly: "That''s for the best."


    After sitting for a short while, Concubine Shao left the Shuixie Pavilion. Once she left, Bi He carried a few bags of medicinal ingredients into the house.


    "Miss, Steward Li has brought back the prescription prescribed by Doctor Jiang."


    Jin Lan nodded. "Go and light up the stove in the cubicle. Put it there to fry mother''s medicine."


    Bi He replied, "Yes." Then she hurried out to not mention it.


    It was not until the house had quietened down again that Jin Lan looked at the brightly lit courtyard outside the house, turned around, and walked towards Madame SHen''s bedside.


    In the end, he was still a step too late.


    Although he was the butler of Concubine Shao, Steward Li was Ye Lin''s man. As long as Concubine Shao quarreled with her within the Shuixie Pavilion, even if it was only one or two sentences, Steward Li would definitely be aware of it.


    At a time like this, he definitely would not allow his Inner Court to catch fire!


    Even if he were to be punished as well, the situation he was in would be much better than what was currently happening right now.


    Unfortunately ¡­ She let out a long sigh.


    Although she did not lose all decorum, Concubine Shao must have already noticed her change. She would probably have to think of a way to help her mother recover as soon as possible.

 C11

    The moon was as cool as water, and the bustling mansion gradually calmed down.


    A shrill sound suddenly rang out from within the Bright Autumn Pavilion. A servant girl with a double bun was currently kneeling in front of a beauty bed with a white silk cushion spread out on her knees, while trembling. Traces of blood could be seen seeping out from her forehead.


    "All of you are useless trash!" Concubine Shao''s face was gloomy, her chest was heaving violently. Anger was burning on her exquisite face, and her beautiful eyes were staring fixedly at the servant girl in front of her. She wished that she could treat her like a golden wave and chew her up and swallow her whole.


    Seeing that, Su Xin hurriedly poured herself a cup of tea, and used her eyes to signal the maidservants who were kneeling on the ground to quickly withdraw, then she advised the Concubine Shao: "Aunt, please drink a cup of tea first, calm down."


    Concubine Shao did not vent her anger on Su Xin. She raised the teacup, flipped open the lid to the teacup and soup, then closed it again with a heavy heart, and hatefully said: "I never thought that after being good to her for so many years, in the end, I''ve raised such an ingrate!"


    He initially thought that the last time he helped the Madame SHen was because he was angry, but he didn''t expect that it would be so hard to plan everything out, and he painfully took out that Hundred Years Old Ginseng. And all of this was destroyed by Jin Lan, how could she not be angry?


    "Second Miss is still young, maybe she has gotten the upper hand. I think it will be fine after a few days." Su Xin put away the cup in Concubine Shao''s hands, reached out and moved the big soft pillow to the side, supporting her to lie down, then she picked up the fan with the hibiscus fan embroidered on it and slowly waved it.


    "Last time when the Master punished Viv, I specifically didn''t beg for mercy, just to vent her anger. "After that, she humbly went to coax Wei''er. Instead, she became more and more intimate with that bitch!" Concubine Shao clenched the handkerchief even tighter, looking as though she was about to gnash her teeth.


    With regards to the First Miss, Su Xin didn''t know how to explain it, so she changed the topic, "This is also strange, the Second Miss has always been unwilling to go to the Shuixie Pavilion since young, and has always kept a distance from her wife.


    "Humph!" The Concubine Shao snorted, "In the end, she was the one who crawled out of the hole in her stomach.


    "This servant remembers that this change in Second Miss only started after that serious illness." Su Xin was a servant girl by Concubine Shao''s side. Wherever she went, Concubine Shao would bring her around and many things would naturally not be hidden from her eyes.


    "Isn''t that so? When you wake up, it''s like you''re a different person. It''s really hateful! "


    Su Xin''s hand slightly paused, and said with slight hesitation: "Speaking of which, this servant does remember something, but I don''t know whether or not I should say it."


    Concubine Shao frowned, and indifferently swept his gaze across her: "Su Xin, how long have you been following me for?"


    Su Xin was startled, "Aunt, it''s been eight years."


    The Concubine Shao laughed coldly, "It has been a while. I believe you should understand that I am a good person. If you really think you shouldn''t have said anything, you''d better stay in my stomach and don''t say a single word! "


    Su Xin''s face turned white, she kneeled down with a ''putong'', "This servant deserves to die!"


    Concubine Shao''s cold eyes landed on Su Xin''s trembling body, her white fingers gently rubbing the Icy Jade Flower Bracelet on her wrist, the coldness from her fingers slowly spread to her heart, extinguishing the traces of anger that lingered in her heart. After a long while, she sighed, "Get up, us master and her servant have been through a lot these past few years, haven''t we?" "Now that you are by my side, you are the only one who can trust me."


    Su Xin lowered her head, and said with a choked of sobs: "This servant ¡­"


    "What is it? Are you still mad at me? " Concubine Shao raised her voice, but her tone was slightly relaxed.


    Su Xin immediately raised her head, "This servant doesn''t dare!" Saying that, he stood up, picked up the fan on the ground, and continued fanning Concubine Shao.


    Concubine Shao nodded her head in satisfaction and did not speak further. She shifted her body and chose a comfortable position before closing her eyes and dozing off. Who knew that the moment she closed her eyes, the smiling face of Jin Lan would appear in her mind. The rage that she had suppressed with great difficulty once again appeared. "What did you want to say just now?"


    Su Xin looked outside the door carefully, and only after confirming that no one was listening did she softly say: "This servant remembers when I was young in the village, there was a brat who was very mischievous. He also fell into the pond at the village entrance and almost lost his life. After he was rescued, he suddenly acted as if he was a different person. He was gentle and refined, and actually didn''t even like leaving the house. "Everyone in the village said that there might be something dirty ¡­"


    Although Su Xin was accompanying him, it was still deep into the night. The shadows of the branches outside could be seen moving back and forth in the night, as the wind blew, they looked like figures moving about. When the Concubine Shao heard him, he immediately got up and shouted: "Stop talking nonsense!"


    Su Xin was shocked, and immediately shut her mouth. Seeing Concubine Shao''s pale face, she knew that she was scared, so she quickly poured a cup of hot tea and brought it over.


    After drinking a cup of hot tea, her icy cold four limbs finally warmed up a little. Concubine Shao exhaled, raised her eyes and said to Su Xin: "You''re not allowed to bring this up again in the future.


    "Yes, this servant remembers." Even though she said that, Su Xin knew that the Concubine Shao heard what she said. She lowered her head and the corner of her mouth curved up in a faint smile.


    Jin Lan stayed at the Shuixie Pavilion tonight. Even though she knew that the Madame SHen was fine, she couldn''t be at ease until she saw the Madame SHen wake up with her own eyes.


    When Hui Xiu returned, Jin Lan had already placed Doctor Jiang''s medicine on the stove. She hesitated for a moment, then let out a long sigh and kept the medicine.


    Jin Lan looked at her for a moment, then told Bi He to clean up the East Wing, and had Mama Tang simmer a few jade-green porridge in the small kitchen. He also warmed up a few dishes to prepare, afraid that Madame SHen would get hungry after waking up. She herself was waiting by the stove in the cubicle to make the medicine.


    After working busily for half the night, after he fed the Madame SHen medicine, he could faintly hear the sound of someone banging on the door. It was already late in the morning.


    Not long after drinking the medicine, Madame SHen''s complexion gradually improved and her breathing stabilized. Only then did Jin Lan finally relax. As soon as he relaxed, he immediately felt a wave of sleepiness. He could not help but stretch out his body, lay down on the ground in front of Madame SHen''s bed and fell into a deep sleep.


    Jin Lan''s sleep was extremely unsteady, and she kept on having dreams in her trance. In her dreams, she seemed to see Ye Jinwei''s ferocious face, and her bright red lips opened and closed, yet the most vicious words in the world came out:


    "If it wasn''t for father, how could things have changed today?"


    "Right, speaking of this matter, it was personally decided by Crown Prince Anyuan."


    "If it weren''t for little sister, how could mother and I have the status we have today?


    "It''s all thanks to little sister!"


    "It''s all thanks to little sister!"


    "Everyone..."


    No!


    No! Mother is not dead! Mother is still alive and well!


    Jin Lan tightly covered his ears, but couldn''t stop the sharp, ear-piercing voice. It was as if countless Ye Jinwei were surrounding her. The sounds came from all directions and tightly wrapped her like a thick cocoon, unable to escape and unable to escape.


    Finally, she fell into the darkness, a heart-wrenching pain engulfing her entire body. She tried to open her eyes, but there was no focus. She staggered and groped in the darkness. After an unknown period of time, just as she was gradually falling into despair in this never-ending darkness, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of her.


    "Mother!" Jin Lan called out with joy. Just as she was about to head towards Madame SHen''s side, she heard someone calling her name faintly.


    "Miss, Miss, wake up ¡­"


    Jin Lan frowned, but the scenery around him suddenly changed. The darkness retreated like the tide, and after a moment of absent-mindedness, everything in front of his eyes gradually became clear. The lotus roots were covered by the Hibiscus Mutabilis''s gauze. It looked somewhat unfamiliar, making her unable to react for a short period of time.


    Seeing Jin Lan open his eyes, Mama Tang heaved a sigh of relief, but seeing that she was lying motionlessly, he just stared at the ceiling in a daze. His heart tensed up again, and he immediately waved his hand in front of Jin Lan, "Young lady, young lady!"


    Jin Lan regained his senses, "Mama."


    "Thank God! The girl is finally awake. " Mama Tang''s anxious heart finally returned to its original place as she hurriedly helped her up and poured herself another cup of tea.


    Jin Lan held the teacup and gulped down the tea. It felt much better after he drank it all in one go. Putting it down, he immediately asked, "Is Mother awake?"

 C12

    Although Mama Tang had been guarding beside Jin Lan''s bed the whole time, she guessed that her daughter was really concerned about her. She believed that when she woke up, she would ask for news of her wife, causing Bi He to constantly pay attention to her master''s movements. "The lady woke up not long after the girl had fallen asleep," she said.


    Jin Lan frowned. "Mother, why didn''t you wake me up when you woke up?"


    Seeing that Jin Lan was unhappy, the Mama Tang hurriedly said: "Madam saw that the young lady is sleeping soundly, and specifically told me not to disturb the young lady, and also had me move the young lady to the East Wing.


    Hearing that, Jin Lan loosened his brows, but he did not personally confirm the situation in the Madame SHen, as he was still a little worried, so he lifted his blanket and jumped off the bed, "I''ll go take a look at mother."


    "Ouch!" "My good girl, the ground is cold, how can you be barefoot ¡­" Mama Tang hurried forward and hugged Jin Lan, persuading him, "Besides, Madam has already eaten a bowl of Jade Gangli porridge, drank some medicine, and is still sleeping.


    Jin Lan was startled, she was worried but confused. After hearing Mama Tang''s persuasion, she reacted and was no longer in a hurry to go to the Madame SHen''s house.


    Mama Tang carried her back to bed and covered her with a thin blanket. "Miss should sleep well.


    Jin Lan nodded his head obediently and fell asleep soon after. His sleep was sweet and devoid of any dreams of the morning sun.


    When he woke up again, it was already a little less than a minute. Mama Tang and Bi He had helped him wash and set up a table for the morning meal, but Jin Lan had no appetite.


    The Mama Tang knew that she was worried about the Madame SHen, so she took the initiative to say: "Qiu Wen just came over to pass the message that the young lady is already awake, please eat more and pay respects to the young lady, otherwise the young lady will worry if she sees that the young lady''s complexion is bad."


    Jin Lan barely managed to eat half a bowl of the Jade Ginseng Congee before pushing the bowl away. "I''m going to my mother''s place."


    The Mama Tang didn''t say anymore and left Bi He to pack her stuff as she accompanied Jin Lan to the main house.


    Mo Chu, who was guarding the door, saw Jin Lan and Mama Tang from afar and hurriedly bowed, "It''s such a coincidence that young lady has come. Madam has just finished her lunch and is resting right now, young lady, please enter quickly." As he spoke, he pulled up the curtain and invited Jin Lan and the Mama Tang in.


    The moment Jin Lan entered, she saw Hui Xiu welcoming her. She could not help but take a few more glances, her eyes had turned green, and her usually bright eyes were filled with red light. It seemed that she had not slept for the entire night. Jin Lan''s heart was moved. Last night''s discontent with her had unknowingly lessened.


    Hui Xiu saw Jin Lan staring at him anxiously, so she bent her knees and laughed: "Madam has seen much more, and is waiting for the young lady inside the house."


    Only then did Jin Lan retract his gaze and nod at her.


    Madame SHen was leaning on her bed, holding a book in her hands as she slowly flipped through the pages. On the side of the acid wood cabinet, there was a small smokebox carved with gold. Seeing Jin Lan enter, she put down the book, "Lan Er is here. Have you eaten lunch yet?"


    Jin Lan took a few steps forward to the side of Madame SHen''s bed, looked at the smoke stove, and smiled. "I used it just now."


    Hui Xiu quickly brought out a carved chair for her to sit on, but Madame SHen shook her head and lightly patted the bed. Jin Lan smiled as he understood and quietly climbed up to sit beside Madame SHen. Seeing that, Hui Xiu had no choice but to return the chair back to its original position.


    "Mother, why don''t you rest a bit longer?" When Jin Lan saw that although Madame SHen''s face was still pale, her mental energy was still strong. She calmed down and pointed to the smoke stove. "Mother''s body isn''t well, why is there still incense?"


    "That place is filled with sandalwood, calm and collected. It would be good to use some of it." Madame SHen held Jin Lan''s small hand, and carefully examined her daughter''s small face. Although she was smiling, she couldn''t conceal the exhaustion on her face, and her heart ached: "I heard about what happened last night from Hui Xiu, and it troubled my Lan Er."


    Jin Lan glanced at Hui Xiu, then tenderly said: "Mother, where are you saying this? Isn''t it natural for a daughter to be filial to her mother? It''s not hard at all. "


    Madame SHen''s eyes flashed a look of water, she let out a long sigh, "I originally thought that I could peacefully raise them in the courtyard, but who would have thought that there would be someone who did not give up, it was actually my tired Lan Er who saw all these dirty things."


    "Mother." Jin Lan was startled, she thought that Madame SHen did not know about this, and was hesitating to speak, but unexpectedly Madame SHen knew everything. However, Madame SHen was still sick, in order to prevent her from having to trouble herself, Jin Lan advised: "It might be an accident. Mother does not need to think too much, taking care of my body is more important."


    Madame SHen shook her head and self-deprecatingly said, "I know very well whether it was an accident or not. Not only me, even your father knows it. "


    She and Ye Lin were a young couple, and the two of them had the same feelings. Adding that they were well-matched, when she first married into the Ye Family, she had indeed lived a blissful time that everyone was envious of. She didn''t know why, but even though the two of them were inseparable, her stomach didn''t move for a long time. Three years later, the old lady''s dissatisfaction with the Ye Family increased day by day. Both publicly and secretly, she mentioned it quite a few times, allowing Ye Lin to receive a concubine so that she could open a branch for her Ye Family and scatter its leaves. However, she was unwilling and pretended that she didn''t understand, which was why she completely angered the old lady.


    The old lady had personally carried the concubine for Ye Lin. The elder bestowed her a gift, she could not refuse it. The relationship between husband and wife died down amidst the ruckus. Even if she was able to give birth to a golden tide later, it would not be able to save her from it. Until now, it was normal for Ye Lin to not step foot into the Shuixie Pavilion for two or three months.


    Seeing Madame SHen''s face reveal a trace of dejection, Jin Lan''s heart tensed up, so she snuggled into Madame SHen''s embrace, and said with her red eyes and flat mouth: "Mother, you scared Lan Er to death last night."


    Madame SHen felt a warmth in her arms, the soft and tender voice of her daughter echoed in her ears, dispelling the gloomy feeling in her heart.


    Yes, she had her daughter by her side now, what else could she not let go?


    Jin Lan had been secretly paying attention to the changes in the Madame SHen. Seeing her expression change from cold to hot, finally turning into a field of tranquility, he knew that his heart was at ease. Only then did he quietly reveal a smile. However, he did not dare mention what happened last night. He decided to wait until Madame SHen was completely healed.


    The mother and daughter pair lay on the bed and whispered to each other. Along the way, Hui Xiu went out and returned with a bowl of steaming hot medicine.


    "Madam, it''s time to drink your medicine."


    Jin Lan quickly got up from the bed and stretched out his hand. "I''ll feed the medicine to mother."


    Hui Xiu smiled as she brought the medicine in front of Jin Lan, then instructed Jin Lan to carefully burn his hands. Mama Tang also stuck close to the bed, deeply afraid that Jin Lan would accidentally overturn the medicine bowl and burn his hands.


    Jin Lan carefully held up the bowl, scooped up another spoonful of the brown Medicinal Juice, and blew on it with his lips. He waited for it to cool down before moving to Madame SHen''s mouth.


    Madame SHen watched her daughter''s clumsy actions with a smile, but she felt warmth in her heart. Just as she was about to drink the medicine in her spoon, Jin Lan shrank back. Madame SHen could not help but be taken aback, "What happened?"


    Jin Lan did not answer, but raised his head and looked at Hui Xiu, "Which doctor prescribed this medicine?"


    Hui Xiu''s expression changed slightly, and stammered for a long while before replying, "It was opened by the Doctor Gong."


    "Didn''t I say last night that I used Doctor Jiang''s prescription?" As he spoke, he handed the medicine bowl over to Mama Tang, "Could it be that you have ignored my words?"


    Hui Xiu lowered her body, "This servant doesn''t dare, only ¡­ "But ¡­"


    Jin Lan looked at him coldly. This matter was related to Madame SHen''s consolation, she had no choice but to be cautious. Just as she wanted to ask more, she was stopped by Madame SHen.


    "I was the one who asked Hui Xiu to change the recipe for Doctor Gong."


    Jin Lan was shocked. "Mother!"


    Madame SHen patted her hand, signalling for her to calm down, she turned and said to Hui Xiu: "Get up."


    "Yes, ma''am." Hui Xiu heaved a sigh of relief and quickly retreated to the side.


    "Mother, it looks like Doctor Jiang''s prescription worked well last night. Why did you change to Doctor Gong''s recipe now? "If that''s the case, I wonder if the two prescriptions will clash with each other. What will happen if they break down after eating?" Jin Lan didn''t know how to explain his suspicions towards the Doctor Gong. He could only use Doctor Jiang and the medicine as a cover.


    A trace of a gentle and loving smile surfaced on Madame SHen''s lips when she heard Jin Lan''s words. After she finished speaking, she slowly said, "Lan Er, I know what you''re worried about. However, if you say that there is a doctor that I trust in this world, that would be the Doctor Gong. "


    Ah? Jin Lan''s face was filled with astonishment, "Why ¡­"


    "If she hadn''t helped me recuperate, I''m afraid she wouldn''t have lasted this long." A hint of sadness surfaced in Madame SHen''s eyes, but it disappeared in a flash, "Speaking of which, when we were about to be born, she was the one who helped you."


    That is to say that mother and that Doctor Gong are old acquaintances? But the medicine from that day ¡­ Could it be that he was overthinking things? Jin Lan''s heart was a mess, unable to make sense of the situation. Just as she was about to ask a few more questions, the sound of footsteps came from outside the house.

 C13

    Mo Chu''s respectful voice sounded from outside the door, "Madam, the third lady and Concubine Ning are here."


    The smile in Madame SHen''s eyes dimmed a little, and she said calmly: "Let them in."


    The three young ladies, Ye Jinxian and Concubine Ning, entered the house and respectively bowed towards the Madame SHen.


    "Mother."


    "Madam."


    The Madame SHen waved her hand, "Get up and sit. Hui Xiu, serve tea for the three miss and the Concubine Ning."


    "Yes." Hui Xiu replied.


    Ye Jinxian and Concubine Ning sat on the left and right side of the small Wooden Pellet.


    "You''re still running outside in the heat? What would happen if you got hit by the heat?" Although Madame SHen''s tone was distant, it revealed a hint of concern.


    The light in Jin Lan''s eyes flickered, and he silently raised his eyes to size up Concubine Ning.


    Her eyebrows were like the bright moon, and her face was like a bright moon. She wore a Ginkgo colored double-striped satin dress, and her waist was tied with a brocade belt that outlined her slender waist. She didn''t look like a woman who had already passed her twenties. A pair of Southern Pearl earrings hung from her round earlobes. Her lowered eyebrows were pleasant to the eye, and she looked like an orchid blooming in the middle of a valley. She appeared even more gentle and refined.


    This Concubine Ning had been serving Ye Lin since childhood, and before Madame SHen even entered the room, she had become Ye Lin''s concubine. From the looks of it, he was quite extraordinary, just that her personality was too soft. Even the Concubine Shao was able to climb up faster than her, and only helped her become an aunt after Ye Jinxian was born.


    However, even if she had a reputation, she was still someone with an uncontainable character and couldn''t wait to disappear in front of everyone''s eyes. When Madame SHen first entered the courtyard, apart from the morning when she was unconscious, she had almost never taken a step outside of the courtyard. Now that the Madame SHen was bedridden, after being relieved of the need to pay respects, it was even more simple and did not show her face. If not for the fact that Ye Lin reminisced about his old friendship and went over to sit at her place for a while from time to time, he probably would have forgotten that there was such a person in the residence even from the bottom of the Ye Family.


    In his previous life, although Jin Lan was close to Ye Jinxian, he didn''t have many opportunities to see her. Looking at her now, this Concubine Ning''s personality was as calm as the rumors say.


    The Concubine Ning smiled humbly, "Madam, where are you saying this? This servant is here to pay respects to you, it is only right for me to do so. I am just afraid that I will disturb you." As she spoke, she opened the box she had been holding in her hand. "I made a concoction for my wife, but I don''t know if it fits."


    A jade-green color spread out from Concubine Ning''s hands, like rippling lake light, with a thousand ripples, and lifelike peach blossoms embroidered at the bottom of her clothes. At first glance, it looked like flowing water reflecting falling flowers, and her mental state was being born.


    Madame SHen praised: "Your Female Red has become more and more proficient."


    Concubine Ning carefully folded the weasel in her hand and put it back into the embroidered box, "As long as Madam does not mind me making it rough."


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but glance at the brocade box on the table. This piece of emerald colored satin was extremely beautiful, and it would probably take a lot of effort for the best embroidery lady in the mansion to produce it, right?


    Madame SHen looked at Concubine Ning who was sitting upright, and sighed after a long time: "Ru Lan, it''s been so many years, you haven''t changed one bit."


    Concubine Ning looked up and quickly lowered her head. She muttered: "Madam ¡­ "It hasn''t changed either."


    Madame SHen was startled, but then her eyes immediately revealed traces of bitterness. Yesterday, the person was more delicate than a flower, but today, it was overshadowed. How could it be said that she hadn''t changed from the proud spring breeze to the sickly bed?


    Although Jin Lan was paying attention to the Concubine Ning, Ye Wen did not neglect the Madame SHen. Seeing his downcast expression, the hand that was grabbing her couldn''t help but tighten.


    Madame SHen understood her daughter''s thoughts, so she gave Jin Lan a comforting look, and laughed: "Forget about all this nonsense, it''s fine if you came alone, why did you bring Jinxian here too? Not to mention the fact that the sun is high outside, it would be bad if you come here and get sick. "


    "Did my mother despise me?" Ye Jinxian answered ahead of the Concubine Ning. She blinked her bright eyes, pouted her lips, with a wronged look on her face, "Even the Second Sister Sis can come, why can''t I? Mother was clearly afraid that I would finish all of the delicious pastries in the Shuixie Pavilion. " Her tone was sweet and innocent, like a naive child who had no experience in the world. She didn''t seem angry at all when she heard it, but she felt cute and mischievous at the same time.


    The corner of Madame SHen''s mouth rose in a smile, "Look at this little mouth, the reason why you are here is for the pastries." He then looked towards Hui Xiu who was carrying the tea to the side and waiting at the side, "Go and see if there are any pastries, bring them here for our three young misses to have a taste."


    Hui Xiu laughed, "This servant remembers that the morning kitchen made rose cake and a hibiscus cake, and it should still be hot, this servant will go and bring it over right away."


    Concubine Ning''s lips slightly closed, as though she wanted to say something, but after looking at the happy Ye Jinxian, she finally chose to remain silent.


    Ye Jinxian happily got up and kneeled in front of Madame SHen: "Thank you, mother!" He then looked at Jin Lan with a burning gaze. "Second Sister Sis, now we have something good to eat."


    Looking at Ye Jinxian whose eyes lit up like a greedy cat smelling fish, Jin Lan covered his sleeves and laughed. Even the Madame SHen could not help but chuckle.


    For a moment the room was happy.


    Before Hui Xiu could even bring out the pastries, Mo Chu called out from outside: "Madam, First Miss and Concubine Shao are here."


    Silence filled the room. Jin Lan subconsciously raised his head to look at the door. Why were they here?


    "Come in." After a moment of silence, the Madame SHen finally spoke. The smile that was originally on her face disappeared without a trace, and was replaced with an endless indifference.


    Mo Chu lifted the curtain and Concubine Shao entered the house. Behind the two of them were Su Xin and Si Ling, who was still holding onto a round cyan and white jar with glazed flowers. Seeing that there were so many people in the room, Concubine Shao was slightly surprised, then she laughed: "So Third Young Miss and Big Sister Ning are also here." Without waiting for Concubine Ning to react, she immediately bowed to him, "Madam."


    Ever since Ye Jinwei entered the room, she had not glanced at the Concubine Ning and Ye Jinxian at all, as if they were transparent air. After seeing the Concubine Shao greet him, she also kneeled down, "Mother."


    After Ye Jinwei greeted her, Jin Lan nodded at her. "Big sister."


    However, Ye Jinxian stood up and said, "Big sister."


    Ye Jinwei maintained a certain degree of gentleness towards Jin Lan, "Second sister." When she looked at Ye Jinxian, her eyes seemed to have a hint of coldness, "Third sister."


    Madame SHen''s lower jaw slightly rose, "Sit."


    Seeing that, the Concubine Ning immediately got up and sat below Ye Jinxian, and gave him the seat on the right. But Concubine Shao did not follow her instructions and sat down. Instead, she took the porcelain jar from Su Xin''s hand and laughed: "This is a Candied Begonia from the Soup Temple, it is the most sour and sweet of all. Eating a pill will remove the bitterness in your mouth, I especially brought it for you to taste."


    Amongst them, candied Begonia were the rarest. They only sold a small jar each day, and even if one was rich, it was not certain that they would be able to buy it. The Concubine Shao was busy with matters of power, she did not have the time to bother with them. Presumably, it was Ye Lin who brought him here.


    Madame SHen laughed coldly in her heart, she glanced at the porcelain jar in Concubine Shao''s hands and said: "Thank you for your trouble."


    "If Madame likes it, I''ll send someone to buy more from the Sapidity Temple." Concubine Shao personally placed the porcelain jar on the round table beside her bed. Then, he turned around and returned to the seat that Concubine Ning had given him and sat down.


    Seeing Concubine Shao flattering him in front of Madame SHen, Jin Lan couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows. The scene from last night was still vivid in her mind. She didn''t believe that the other party had specially come to deliver the candied fruits. However, with what Ye Lin had said last night, the Concubine Shao should not have thought about it anymore.


    Thinking of this, a hint of worry surfaced in her eyes.


    Sure enough, after sitting for a while, Concubine Shao opened her mouth and said, "Today, I have something I want to ask Madam for."


    Madame SHen looked at Concubine Shao and asked, "What is it?"


    Seeing Madame SHen''s gaze, Concubine Shao could not help but sit up, "According to the rules, this year, there will be a group of servants in the house. Attendant has reached the age where they should be released, I am here to ask Madam for her permission.


    "According to the rules, I''ll do whatever I have to do." After a long while, Madame SHen''s indifferent voice came out from the house.


    As if he was waiting for Madame SHen''s words, the smile on Concubine Shao''s face became even wider, "Just that, of the maids released this year, Man Ping and Hui Xiu are also included."

 C14

    The room suddenly quietened down. Anyone could tell that Concubine Shao had set her sights on the two capable maids beside Madame SHen. However, since she was in charge of the house and also had to rely on the customs of the past, even Madame SHen would not be able to say much.


    She had suspected Man Ping and Hui Xiu from the start, so it would be a good thing if she could use the Concubine Shao''s power to get rid of the two of them from Madame SHen''s side. However, the Concubine Shao would definitely not be so kind, maybe there was some hidden trick behind them. She secretly paid attention, afraid that the Madame SHen would accidentally suffer a loss.


    Without leaving a trace, Concubine Ning retracted her slender arm, wishing that she could turn into a small Wooden Pellet and disappear from everyone''s sight. Even the usually lively and lively Ye Jinxian was shivering, as she calmly sat on her chair, no longer making noise and wanting to eat snacks.


    Madame SHen''s face was calm, no emotions could be seen on her face, her body leaned on a thread of golden thread embroidered on her back, her eyes slightly closed, as though she had fallen into a deep sleep.


    Following everyone''s silence, a strange atmosphere pervaded the room. This time, it was unknown whether Ye Jinwei got instructed beforehand, but she did not speak carelessly. Only, from time to time, she would glance at Madame SHen and Jin Lan who were on the bed. Occasionally, he would glance at Ye Jinxian and the Concubine Ning and reveal her naked loathing for them.


    "If we follow the rules of the past, we will release Man Ping and Hui Xiu by the end of the year..."


    Before he could finish speaking, a crisp sound of something hitting the floor came from outside, followed by the sound of a bowl falling to the ground.


    Everyone was shocked, they raised their heads to look, only to see Hui Xiu opening the crystal curtain and rushing in, in a few steps she went to Madame SHen''s bed, with a plop, her knees struck the ground heavily, his face was filled with nervousness and fear, "Madam, Madam, did I do something wrong? Your servant will definitely be changed. I just hope that my wife doesn''t kick me out. "This servant has lost both his parents since childhood, and uncle and aunt are like that as well. If I didn''t meet my wife, this servant would have ¡­" Then, as if he had thought of something, he kneeled down and kowtowed towards Madame SHen. He raised his tear-stained face and said as if he was swearing an oath, "My wife treats this servant as if I were a mountain, this servant is willing to never marry, and will serve Madam for the rest of my life!"


    Jin Lan looked at the touch of purple on Hui Xiu''s forehead and couldn''t help but be moved. Hui Xiu''s actions did not seem to be intentional, the sorrow and determination in her eyes was not something that could be easily feigned. Her white and tender fingers slightly curled up, slowly forming a ball.


    Madame SHen looked distracted, the figures of Hui Xiu loyally serving the bed appeared in her mind, the little girl had followed him for many years, her thoughts were exquisite and her work was straightforward, if he really were to let her go ¡­


    Thinking about it, Madame SHen''s heart was filled with melancholy, she looked at Hui Xiu who was covered in tears, and sighed: "Forget it, you can get up first, it''s still far from the end of the year, even if I have to let you out, I will carefully find a good family for you, and I will not let you down, but ¡­." While speaking, the Madame SHen swept a glance at the Concubine Shao who was sitting steadily beside him, "If you are unwilling, then let this matter rest for now. We can discuss this further in the future."


    When Hui Xiu heard this, her tears turned into smiles, she kowtowed respectfully to Madame SHen and got up, but when she got up, she swayed a little, afraid that she had used too much strength to kneel and injured her knees. However, she gritted her teeth and endured the pain as she retreated to the outer room to clear away the toppled pastries and broken plates.


    Concubine Shao was not angry that Hui Xiu actually rushed out and ruined her plans. She just sat there quietly, as if everything was as she had expected. It was only until Hui Xiu had walked out of the room that she smiled and said: "Hui Xiu is definitely a good person. Not to mention that my wife is unwilling, even if it were me, I would definitely be unwilling as well."


    Jin Lan was secretly surprised at how the Concubine Shao had become so easy to talk to. Who knew that her tone would change immediately, "It''s just that Madam only has Hui Xiu and Man Ping, I''m afraid that the servants there are too weak, according to tradition, there are four of them."


    He had originally planned to first let the servants out, and then, when he was short on manpower, he used custom and rules for everything, and openly extended his hand towards the Shuixie Pavilion. Concubine Shao had calculated that his mother would definitely leave Hui Xiu and Man Ping behind. She had dug a trap waiting for his mother to jump. However, even she could see that something was off. How could her mother not know?


    Madame SHen held her forehead, her face darkened, "All these years I have been recuperating in the courtyard, the more people there are, the more noisy it would be, having Hui Xiu and Man Ping to accompany me is enough."


    The Concubine Shao did not argue, but instead went along with the words of the Madame SHen: "Madam, you have a point, but if there is something, I am afraid the maids are too busy, and it would not be good if they are careless." He then looked at the teacup beside Concubine Ning and swept his eyes across the shiny table on her right hand, "Furthermore, this is the order from the old master. He wants to take advantage of this situation to buy a new batch of maids and Attendant servants to replenish the manpower in the areas that are lacking."


    Hearing Ye Lin''s intentions, the Madame SHen became silent. When Jin Lan saw him, he could not help but feel anxious, but before she could think of a way, the Madame SHen had already slowly said: "Since it''s Master''s intentions, then let''s do it this way." There was a hint of helplessness in his tone.


    Jin Lan''s eyes were filled with anxiety. He bit his lips and tried his best not to make a sound. At this time, if she were to say anything, even a casual word would likely be taken advantage of by Concubine Shao, and thrown onto Madame SHen''s body.


    Seeing that he had finally achieved his goal, the Concubine Shao''s face showed a smile that was hard to conceal. "Then in two days, I will find someone to let Madam personally choose the maid she wants."


    Even if he picked them himself, they might not be easy to use! Madame SHen rubbed between her brows, and said: "Alright, that''s enough for today. You can all go back now, I''m also tired."


    Just as Madame SHen finished speaking, Concubine Ning was the first to stand up, bowing respectfully, "This servant will be going first then." After that, Ye Jinxian also stood up and obediently said: "Mother, take care of your body. Daughter will take her leave."


    Concubine Shao and Ye Jinwei naturally left one after the other.


    When only the Madame SHen and the Mama Tang were left in the house, Jin Lan asked worriedly, "Mother, why did you let go of me so easily?"


    "If that''s not the case, I''m afraid that if we get into trouble with the lord, it will be even more difficult to deal with." The Madame SHen sighed. She glanced at Jin Lan, who was frowning, and patted her slightly cold hands, "This child has a lot of thoughts. Since she wants to do this, what does it matter if I let her have her way? Could it be that two maidservants could overturn the heavens? Furthermore, this person is better kept under my nose. "


    Jin Lan wanted to say more, but he realized that Madame SHen''s face was paler than before, her eyes were slightly out of focus. She must have worked so hard just now, to the point of panic. He swallowed down the words in his mouth, coaxed Madame SHen to sleep, and then took him away from the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Hui Xiu escorted Jin Lan out of the courtyard and saw her off into the Lan Garden. Then, she turned and returned to the Madame SHen''s hut.


    When the sleeping Madame SHen heard the rustling footsteps, she knew that Hui Xiu had returned. She slowly opened her eyes.


    Hui Xiu nodded, "Yes, Second Miss went to the Lan Garden and did not go elsewhere."


    "Lan Er, this child is very close to me ¡­" Madame SHen sighed, his eyebrows filled with sadness, "I don''t know if this is a blessing or a disaster."


    Hui Xiu quickly consoled her, "Madam, you think too much. And this time, if not for Second Miss, I wonder how much more I would have to suffer. " She tried to persuade him on the surface, but in her heart, she was extremely resentful.


    Although Man Ping and her were concubines who were by her wife''s side, outsiders could see that they were from an extremely glorious family. Concubine Shao''s butler, there are many servants and wives who are very respectful on the surface, but on the ground, they are disobedient, so there is no telling how they are arranged. She still needed to spend some money every time she left the mansion. Otherwise, she would have to make all sorts of excuses. She might not even be able to leave even if her legs were sore. They didn''t have to wait very long, for fear of delaying his wife''s illness. Now that the Second Miss was close to his wife, the snobbery in her heart had naturally been retracted by quite a bit.


    The corner of Madame SHen''s mouth curled into a cold smile, "Old master would never confuse Inner Court with the matters of the outer courtyard, furthermore, I have always been lucky enough to pass on the message, how did it suddenly change to Chun Xiao? Forget about, just based on the background of Chun Xiao''s servant, the old master would definitely not let her enter the Inner Court! That person has probably been seeing me sick for a long time and has treated me like a fool. "


    Hui Xiu stepped forward and tucked Madame SHen in, "Madam, what should we do with Chun Xiao then?"


    Madame SHen waved her hand, looking tired, "Just lock her up. I don''t have the mind to care about her right now, not to mention, Master needs time, right? "It''s fine to have the old woman in charge pay attention. She''s in the courtyard anyway, so she can''t run far."


    "Yes." Hui Xiu understood that her wife was making a long line to catch big fish.

 C15

    When Jin Lan came out from the Shuixie Pavilion, she walked through the handwritten corridor. She did her best to suppress the churning of her mind, but her steps became uncontrollably messy.


    First, the servants in the outer courtyard, Chun Xiao, suddenly entered the Inner Court, followed by the loss of consciousness of Madame SHen, and then, with the help of the Concubine Shao, the matter of releasing the maids began to become more and more pressing down, piece by piece, intertwined.


    Why? Why did the Concubine Shao need to extend her hand into the Shuixie Pavilion so urgently? Three years after the passing of the Madame SHen in his previous life, quite a few things seemed to have happened during this period. Only after working hard for nearly a year did Concubine Shao, who was in a concubine''s room, have the chance to sit in the main wife''s seat. Otherwise, with Ye Lin''s identity, no matter how much he was pampered, he would never take a concubine right.


    Right now, everything should still be in its infancy, why would the Concubine Shao make a move on him ahead of time?


    Could it be ¡­


    Jin Lan stopped in his tracks, and the Mama Tang that was behind her almost bumped into her.


    "Miss, what happened to you?" When Mama Tang saw the fine beads of sweat on her forehead, she quickly took out a handkerchief and helped her wipe it off, "Is it that hot? Just a little more and we''ll be there. "


    "No, I''m fine." Jin Lan saw the worry on Mama Tang''s face and couldn''t help but laugh, "It''s just that it''s a bit boring, so Mama doesn''t need to worry."


    The Mama Tang paused for a moment, "You must be worried for your wife, right?"


    Jin Lan didn''t deny it. He replied in a low voice, "Yes."


    Thinking about it carefully, there was a high chance that the reason the Concubine Shao did such a thing was from her. Perhaps it was because of her change that Concubine Shao felt that things had gradually gotten out of control. For those who held great power, this was something unbearable, and that was why she was so impatient to regain it.


    She lived her whole life to the end, and the things she said and did were completely different from before. Even her surroundings were slowly changing, and she was afraid that she could no longer predict what she would do in her previous life.


    Jin Lan raised her head, the sky blue as if it had been washed. She let out a long sigh, and her gaze gradually became resolute.


    No matter what, she couldn''t repeat the same mistake!


    Seeing that Jin Lan''s face was blank, Mama Tang advised: "Lady, please relax. Madam will have her own plans. She will be fine very soon."


    Seeing the concern on Mama Tang''s face, Jin Lan''s heart suddenly calmed down. She nodded lightly, "En."


    When Jin Lan and the Mama Tang returned to the Lan Garden, the courtyard was cold. Other than a few servants who were sweeping the area, there were no other signs of anyone else. When he entered the room, he saw Wen Zhu sitting in the room, sewing.


    Seeing Jin Lan and the Mama Tang enter, Wen Zhu quickly put down what he was doing, stood up, and saluted. "Miss has returned."


    Mama Tang''s face sank, "Why are you the only one in the house? Where''s Bi He? There''s no one outside, where''s Mu Lan? "


    Wen Zhu saw the unsightly expression on Mama Tang''s face and quickly explained, "Just now, the snow geese in the sewing room was looking for Big Sister Bi He, as if they were trying to help Miss Qiu Yi. Big Sister Bi He was afraid that if no one came to attend to her after she left, she would have me guard the house. While Mu Lan was under the kitchen, he said that he would cook some Tremella Lotus Seed Soup for the young lady to drink during the summer. "


    Snow geese from the sewing room? Jin Lan''s heart was moved, "When did Bi He leave?"


    Wen Zhu neatly poured a cup of tea and said, "About half an hour."


    Jin Lan lowered his eyes, lifted up the teacup and took a sip. It was filled with a delicate fragrance.


    Bi He was the senior servant by her side, the reason he wanted to look for her in the sewing room was because of the patterns on her autumn clothes, but this time was a bit too long.


    Probably being able to see through Jin Lan''s thoughts, the Mama Tang said to Wen Zhu, "Send a Little Maid to the sewing room. If Bi He is free, let her come back quickly."


    "No need." Jin Lan called out to Wen Zhu, who was about to walk out. "If it''s not urgent, then I presume the sewing room won''t be here. It''s also for me anyway, so let her be." As she spoke, she seemed to recall something and asked, "Is Wan Ju back yet?"


    Just as Jin Lan finished speaking, before Wen Zhu could speak, a servant reported: "Miss, Wan Ju''s sister-in-law has come. She has matters to discuss with the Miss, so she is currently waiting outside the second door."


    Jin Lan was startled. What was Wan Ju''s sister-in-law doing here? He looked suspiciously at Wen Zhu. "Call her in."


    Wen Zhu took the opportunity to reply: "Sister Wan Ju has not come back yet."


    What? Wan Ju still hasn''t come back! Jin Lan''s heart couldn''t help but tighten.


    Not long later, they heard a series of footsteps from the courtyard. Wen Zhu lifted the curtain and saw a Little Maid wearing a scallion skirt walking towards the room. Behind him was a young woman in her early twenties.


    Little Maid stopped in front of the door and blessed Wen Zhu. Wen Zhu nodded and smiled as he invited Wan Ju''s sister-in-law into the room.


    Upon entering the room, Wan Ju''s sister-in-law bowed respectfully to Jin Lan, "This humble servant greets Miss." However, before he could kneel down, he heard a clear and melodious female voice, "There''s no need to be so courteous, quickly get up!"


    Madame Dou paused for a moment, and still bowed her head to stand up.


    Jin Lan looked at him for a while before speaking: "From what Mu Lan said, you have something to see me about?"


    "Yes." Madame Dou raised her head and quickly glanced at Jin Lan, who was sitting on the main seat, then hesitantly said: "Reporting to young lady, my sister-in-law has an emergency. I''m afraid she won''t be able to return to the mansion to serve young miss, so I specifically asked this servant to take a leave of absence for young lady."


    Wan Ju got an emergency? It was not only Jin Lan, even the Mama Tang and Wen Zhu who were at the side couldn''t help but be startled. Is it serious? "


    A hint of uneasiness flashed across Madame Dou''s face, "Speak, I said that I was hit by heatstroke and that I ate too much. When I woke up in the morning, I would vomit and vent out.


    Although the unnatural expression disappeared in a flash, it was coincidentally noticed by Jin Lan. He immediately became suspicious. She thought for a moment, then said with a worried expression: "Wan Ju is someone that I can help with, I can''t ignore her disease, Mama, quickly go and invite a doctor to visit Wan Ju''s home, don''t miss your sickness."


    The Madame Dou panicked and quickly waved her hands, "How could I bother you? The doctor has already invited you over and even wrote down a prescription saying that you need to take a few doses of medicine. You just need to rest for a few days."


    Jin Lan shook his head and insisted: "Doctor Jiang, whom I have often treated in my residence as an emergency patient, is very good at treating emergencies. I''ll have her show it to Wan Ju as soon as possible."


    "You can''t!" Madame Dou''s face suddenly changed, she was so anxious that she couldn''t speak, but before she could finish, she screamed in her heart, and anxiously tried to salvage the situation: "I, I mean, Miss is very kind, and Miss thinks that it''s a blessing to hold onto my sister-in-law''s hand, but if the doctor who treated her were to find out that there are some relatives in the family, I''m afraid that the doctor might invite someone else to take a look at me, and I''m afraid that my family wouldn''t be afraid of causing trouble, and might lose the dignity of the household."


    Jin Lan''s eyes slightly moved, and her white fingertips slowly slid across the exquisite patterns on the teacup. She looked at Sister Wan Ju with a fixed gaze, and didn''t say a word.


    Mama Tang and Wen Zhu looked at each other, clearly seeing the doubt in each other''s eyes. Logically speaking, if this miss was willing to request a doctor to treat Wan Ju, her sister-in-law should be extremely grateful, but why did she keep pushing it around, as if this lady was trying to harm Wan Ju? However, since the lady was asking, they couldn''t interrupt and could only listen attentively from the side.


    He could not help but shiver. In the room, there was an ice mountain that was supposed to be used for the summer, it was cool and pleasant, but on the tip of her nose, there were beads of sweat. It was wet and itchy, but she did not dare to extend her hand to wipe it, and just stood there with her head lowered, staring blankly.


    Jin Lan placed the tea cup on the table with a clink, as if he had thought of something by accident. "Oh yes, when Wan Ju came home, I specifically gave her a box of millet cakes.


    "Huh?" Madame Dou did not expect Jin Lan to turn his attention to food the moment he made a sound, and a layer of cold sweat appeared on his back.


    How could she have known that her sister-in-law wasn''t wearing a red date cake or something like that? Her eyes rolled around as she tried to think of a way to hide it, but she inadvertently found Jin Lan staring at her, as if trying to see through her thoughts. He could not help but panic, and before he had time to think, he opened his mouth and replied, "The restaurant''s food is so precious, of course it''s excellent. Even the food sold outside can''t compare to it. This servant has lived for so many years, but this is the first time I''ve eaten such delicious millet cake. "


    Following Madame Dou''s flattery, Jin Lan''s heart gradually sank to the bottom.

 C16

    Wan Ju was merely a servant of the Ye Family. Although her facial features were delicate and pretty, she did not have a devastating beauty and her family wasn''t doing well either. Furthermore, the servants of the house have always been kind to the servants, so every two months, they would have the chance to go home and visit their families. In all these years, Wan Ju had walked back and forth from the Ye Mansion to her home countless of times and nothing had happened.


    It must be because of that!


    Jin Lan''s eyes darkened, and she gently lifted the cup lid, fiddling with the green tender tea leaves in the teacup.


    The sound of porcelain colliding could be heard from time to time in the house. Normally, it would be pleasant to listen to, but when it entered Madame Dou''s ears, it was like a thousand-pound hammer smashing into her heart. She immediately felt her heart pounding. She kept twirling the hem of her clothes as she nervously tried to figure out how to escape.


    After a long while, Jin Lan opened his mouth, "Sister-in-law Dou, do you know the laws of the Zhou Dynasty? What is the crime of a servant who has signed a death contract escaping in secret?"


    Madame Dou was shocked, a strong unease arose in her heart, "This servant doesn''t know."


    Jin Lan turned his head to look at Mama Tang, "Does Mama know?"


    Although the Mama Tang did not know why Jin Lan suddenly mentioned this, he still nodded his head and replied respectfully: "According to the laws of the Great Zhou, the servants who have signed the death contract can escape at will. Those who capture them can be killed at will, and their families can be punished as well.


    Although Madame Dou tried her best to suppress the fear in her heart, her body still trembled uncontrollably, "Many, many thanks Mama for telling me, but what does this have to do with me?"


    The corner of Jin Lan''s mouth rose in a cold smile, "If I''m not wrong, what Wan Ju signed is a death contract."


    Wan Ju was not the son of Ye Family, it was said that her brother did some odd jobs outside, and could not earn much money every year. Although Madame Dou often helped people wash and sew up to earn some money, my father and mother''s bodies were in a bad condition, and they had to watch the doctors eat their medicine. This was why she sold Wan Ju to the Ye Family. Firstly, because she obtained silver to live on, and secondly, to find a place for Wan Ju to eat and wear.


    Thus, when Wan Ju sold herself, she signed the death contract.


    Madame Dou''s body continuously trembled, she forced out a smile that was uglier than a cry, "Where did this lady come from? It was just that my sister-in-law was suffering from an emergency and was afraid that if I were to return home I would cause this young lady to get sick, thus coming here to take a few days off. How did this young lady get involved in this? "


    "Sister Dou, you don''t need to quibble." Jin Lan let out a cold snort, her young and tender face was filled with severity. "To tell you the truth, when Wan Ju left the mansion, I didn''t even ask her to bring a millet cake!"


    Mama Tang and Wen Zhu were startled, their faces revealed a strange expression, then instantly understood why Madame Dou was so resistant to Jin Lan and asked for Wan Ju''s doctor.


    "How, how could this be ¡­" Madame Dou''s breathing suddenly stopped, the feigned calmness on her face was finally broken, revealing a bit of panic, but she still bit on her lips, "I did eat a millet cake that day, maybe, maybe, maybe little sister-in-law bought it by passing by the store."


    "So you''re saying I misunderstood?" "Since that''s the case, Wen Zhu, come back with Sister Dou and help me visit Wan Ju. Tell her to rest in peace and come back when she is well."


    Wen Zhu replied, "Yes." With that, she coldly looked at Madame Dou, "Sister Dou, please!"


    Unexpectedly, Madame Dou turned a deaf ear to Wen Zhu''s words, he was still standing blankly on the spot, his body shaking like a sieve, and his face turning uglier and uglier.


    "What is it? "Sister Dou, it''s getting late. Why don''t you hurry up and go home?" The Madame Dou had lied to Jin Lan the moment they arrived. Now that they had been exposed, Wen Zhu would naturally not give her any good looks.


    Madame Dou''s face instantly turned pale, she could not hold on any longer, and kneeled on the ground and kowtowed to Jin Lan, "Miss, please spare me!"


    Jin Lan leaned back in his chair and watched quietly. He did not answer, but Mama Tang by his side calmly asked, "What did Sister Dou say? This lady wants you to go home, not to harm you, why are you shouting for mercy? "


    She raised her pale face and looked at Mama Tang with trembling eyes before turning back to Jin Lan. "Miss, Miss, could it be that after this servant said it, this servant will spare my family?"


    Jin Lan suppressed the anger in his heart and looked at her coldly. "Is Sister-in-Law Dou negotiating with me?" Have you forgotten that all of this is not up to you! "


    Initially, Madame Dou still had some hope. Jin Lan''s words were like the last straw that broke a camel''s back. Her face immediately turned deathly pale as she shakily said: "Miss, this servant will say now. This servant will say ¡­"


    "This servant was preparing to take the sewn clothes to the shop early in the morning, but I didn''t expect to see a sixteen or seventeen year old lady standing outside the door with a smile on her face when I opened the door." Madame Dou knelt on the ground and said while wiping her tears, "This servant asked who she was but she did not answer. She opened her mouth and told me her sister-in-law''s name."


    "This servant thinks that she is probably the same as little sister-in-law, someone close to the girl, so I want to invite her into the house. But who knew that she would wave her hand and refuse? She took out two taels of silver and said that she had something to discuss with him. " When he thought about the amount of silver, Madame Dou''s face flashed with shock, and his tone immediately became hesitant.


    The room was completely silent. The only sound that could be heard was the intermittent sobbing of the Madame Dou. Jin Lan did not urge him, but only looked at her steadily while the Mama Tang and Wen Zhu coldly stared at him.


    Seeing that, Madame Dou knew that it was too much of a coincidence, so she continued: "She said, she said that the young lady ordered her sister-in-law to go out with her for some matters, but seeing that it was about time, and the matter had not been completed, she was afraid that the young lady would blame them for doing things poorly, so she came to me to tell the young lady about it. She even said that she was afraid that the girl would be angry after knowing about it, so she might as well say that the little sister-in-law is suffering from an emergency. Once things are settled, it''ll be easier to get away with it. " Saying that, she started to cry loudly, crying as she kowtowed, "Miss, this servant really didn''t know that the little sister-in-law had left the mansion. If I knew, I would have definitely sent her back! "Please be merciful, and spare this humble servant''s family!"


    Seeing Madame Dou''s red forehead, Jin Lan couldn''t help but frown.


    The Mama Tang was afraid that the Madame Dou would scare her, so she took a step forward and shouted: "Get up first!"


    Madame Dou did not dare to continue kowtowing after being yelled at by Mama Tang. She could only kneel down for a long time with her legs numb.


    Jin Lan was silent for a moment, then spat out the last question from his heart: "Has Wan Ju ever returned home?"


    Madame Dou''s hair was tied up and she had spent all her makeup just to enter the palace. Tears were streaming down her face, but when she heard Jin Lan''s question, she carelessly wiped it with her sleeves and shook her head, saying, "No."


    When Jin Lan heard this, he felt slightly relieved. Wan Ju had left her house four days ago, and logically speaking, she should have returned yesterday. However, Madame SHen''s coma made her unable to investigate it, and it was only today that she remembered. Although the words of the Madame Dou made people feel suspicious, but there was still a thread of hope, and that was that Wan Ju was still alive!


    At least until now, Wan Ju was still alive, and had not yet fallen into the hands of another. If something happened to Wan Ju or someone caught him, it would be easy for him to not look for Wan Ju and even bribe the Madame Dou to take a leave of absence from him. This was obviously because she was afraid that the Palace would find out that Wan Ju had gone missing, which would arouse her suspicions.


    However, since Wan Ju was safe and sound, she did not return to the clan. Most likely, she was also in a very dire situation.


    Jin Lan took a deep breath, and tightened his grip on the teacup. If she guessed correctly, the person who did this to Wan Ju was most likely the one who poisoned the Madame SHen!


    It was precisely because Wan Ju brought the dregs of the Madame SHen''s medicine out for an examination that ignited the flames of anger on her body. However, only she and Wan Ju knew about the medicine, how could the mastermind of the poison find out? Furthermore, the other party had clearly grasped the time and the path Wan Ju had taken to leave the palace ¡­


    Although it was a scorching summer day, the heart of Jin Lan felt as if it had fallen into an ice hole, and it became colder and colder.


    Mama Tang carefully noticed that Jin Lan''s face had alternated between green and white. He couldn''t help but be worried, "Miss, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"


    With great difficulty, Jin Lan recovered his wits and shook his head. "I''m fine."


    With so many things coinciding, the only explanation was that someone had set up a chess piece within the Lan Garden.

 C17

    After sending away the Madame Dou, Jin Lan sat quietly on his carved chair, his mind a blank.


    Mama Tang and Wen Zhu were anxious, but they did not dare to make a sound. Through the words of the Madame Dou, they had already realized that something was amiss, but they had no clue as to exactly what had happened.


    After who knows how long had passed, Jin Lan finally regained his senses, he looked at Mama Tang and Wen Zhu with a twinkling eyes, then suddenly said: "Wen Zhu, I haven''t had much lunch, so I''m a little hungry. Go down to the kitchen and see if you can get any Silver Ear Lotus Seed Soup?"


    "Yes." Wen Zhu knew that Jin Lan was going to push him away so he could speak to Mama Tang. After answering him, he quietly left, closing the door behind him.


    Mama Tang was anxious to the point that she dared to speak, "Miss, what is going on? Wan Ju, she... "


    When he mentioned Wan Ju, Jin Lan''s forced calmness collapsed. His nose turned sour and his eyes reddened, "Mama."


    Wan Ju was after all, outside the palace, and as a young lady, she could not casually leave the manor. But even if she could, it would be useless. And now, in the Lan Garden, other than the Mama Tang, she didn''t know who else to trust.


    She suppressed the tears in her eyes with the handkerchief and looked at the tightly closed door. She got up and pulled Mama Tang into the room, "Mama, you take a seat first."


    How could the Mama Tang still sit, but seeing the red circles under Jin Lan''s eyes, he could only nod and sit sideways on the small Wooden Pellet.


    Jin Lan then quietly told the Mama Tang about the reason behind Wan Ju leaving the manor and his own speculations, but he did not mention anything about suspecting that the Madame SHen was poisoned. He only said that it was because the medicine he had consumed for such a long time still did not work, but the heart medicine was not right.


    The more Mama Tang heard, the more frightened she became, and the paler her face became. After she finished speaking, she immediately stood up, "My little ancestor, why are you so foolish! Even if he had suspicions, he should have told his wife to make the decision. How could he make the decision for Wan Ju to steal the medicine? "It''s fine if you know this, but if you praise this girl''s filial piety, if you don''t, you might think this girl is scheming and plotting against her mother!"


    In the past, she was definitely not close to Madame SHen, and this was something that even the servants knew about. But now that there was an accident in Madame SHen, if news of Wan Ju spread and there was someone trying to meddle in it, even if there was nothing, it would still happen. At that time, not only would Madame SHen be injured, her reputation would also be ruined as well.


    A fallen ¡­


    Thinking about it, Jin Lan couldn''t help but shiver. She really couldn''t imagine how Ye Lin, who loved his reputation, would be able to take care of such a daughter. It would be better to die than to live!


    However, after the chill had receded, determination slowly surfaced in her eyes. She took a deep breath, and said sonorously: "Mama, Lan Er knows that you are doing this for my own good, but there are some things that Lan Er has no choice but to do!"


    It was rare for Mama Tang to see Jin Lan so serious, and they were all stunned for a moment.


    Jin Lan paced back and forth inside the house. Not only was he worried and anxious for Wan Ju, he was also faintly angry. It wasn''t that she didn''t know who wanted to harm Madame SHen, but that she had no proof. Initially, he had thought that he would be able to use this as proof to capture the Doctor Gong and point out the mastermind behind it. But he didn''t expect that he wouldn''t be able to find the proof, while Wan Ju had gone missing.


    "Miss, what should we do now?" Mama Tang''s gaze followed Jin Lan''s swaying back and forth. Seeing that she was silent for a long time, he couldn''t help but ask.


    The longer the matter dragged on, the worse it would be for both her and Wan Ju. Jin Lan stabilized his thoughts, and said without hesitation: "The most important thing to do is to find Wan Ju first."


    "But my Yangzhou City is so high, if I want to find someone, it would undoubtedly be like looking for a needle in a haystack."


    Jin Lan frowned, "People can''t just disappear for no reason. As long as you pay extra attention, you will definitely find some clues. "However, if it''s just the two of us, it really won''t work." After thinking for a moment, she suddenly raised her head and looked at Mama Tang, "I heard that you opened a shop?"


    Mama Tang was startled. She did not understand why Jin Lan would suddenly mention this, but she nodded and said, "Yes, we opened a general store at the east end of River Square Street."


    "How about this, let me find some trustworthy people and split them into four groups. We will head towards Wan Ju''s house from the vicinity of our residence and ask the businessmen that are going to do business along the way if they have seen Wan Ju before. We will ask around from the pharmacies all the way to the inns and restaurants, and along the way, we will specifically walk through the alleys with fewer people to see if we can find some clues. "There''s no need for too many people. We only need two or three people on each road to take care of each other." Jin Lan quickly told her all of the plans in his mind.


    Mama Tang was very surprised that the lady could think of such a foolproof method.


    "Other than that, we have to hide this matter no matter what. If the people from the house find out that Wan Ju is missing, even if they found him, they can''t keep it a secret." Ye Family would not allow any form of existence to affect one''s reputation, even if Wan Ju were to return as clean as snow.


    The Mama Tang understood the seriousness of the situation and nodded: "Rest assured miss, I will personally report this to you."


    Only when she thought of the other thing, her heart sank again. She hesitated for a while, but after a while, she finally calmed down and said a few words to Mama Tang in a low voice.


    Mama Tang was shocked, "Is what lady said true!?"


    Jin Lan looked at her steadily, nodding his head.


    In the evening, the Mama Tang found an opportunity to leave the palace and make arrangements.


    Jin Lan was burning with anxiety, but he could only patiently wait in the residence.


    Who knew that even after a few days had passed, there was still no news at all. It was as if Wan Ju had vanished from the world.


    She felt more and more uneasy.


    After eating breakfast, Jin Lan absent-mindedly accompanied Madame SHen to speak.


    Madame SHen''s coma looked serious at first, but after going through Doctor Gong''s diagnosis, he had almost fully recovered. She had been in a trance for the past few days and had an ugly expression on her face. She thought she was tired and wanted to go to the blue chiffon cabinet to rest, but then she saw Hui Xiu lifting the curtains to come in.


    Hui Xiu whispered a few words next to Madame SHen''s ear. Madame SHen''s expression slightly changed, and quickly recovered back to normal. She put down the needle and thread in her hand, lightly rubbed Jin Lan''s temples, and laughed: "Is Lan Er tired? "Why don''t you take a short rest in the blue chiffon cupboard and wait for lunch. I''ll get someone to wake you up."


    Although Jin Lan was worried about Wan Ju, he vaguely guessed what kind of things the Madame SHen was preparing to deal with, and immediately shook his head: "Lan Er is not tired, so is mother going to settle some matters from a few days ago? Take me with you. "


    Madame SHen rejected him without even thinking, "No, there''s no need for Lan Er to interfere in this matter."


    Jin Lan was clear that the Madame SHen did not want her to see those vulgar things, but she was already stuck inside, and there was simply no room for choice. "Mother, if Lan Er does not go, she will definitely not be able to sleep in peace."


    Madame SHen couldn''t help but hesitate when she saw Jin Lan''s resolute gaze.


    Man Ping quickly advised, "Madam, since the young lady wants to go, please bring her along." It just so happened that she applied for leave that day, and only after returning home the next day did she find out about it. She felt both remorseful and remorseful, and these past few days, she had been serving by Madame SHen''s side every single day.


    Seeing that the Madame SHen was still hesitating, Hui Xiu also agreed: "Young lady is intelligent, learning more is beneficial for young lady."


    As the direct daughter of the Ye Family, the place that Jin Lan was going to would definitely not be as simple as the Ye Family''s backyard. Madame SHen was naturally aware of this as well.


    Looking at Jin Lan''s young face which was filled with determination, she sighed and said, "Forget it, I just can''t figure it out. If you really want to go, then go." After saying that, he let Hui Xiu pack her things, brought Jin Lan and the others, and majestically went inside the Side Chamber.


    Although she agreed to let Jin Lan go together, Madame SHen didn''t want her to show her face. She allowed Jin Lan to sit behind a red wooden screen and Hui Xiu to accompany her to the side.


    Since Madame SHen had let her come, Jin Lan was already satisfied. Naturally, she didn''t say anymore and quietly sat on the small Wooden Pellet, waiting for her to come.

 C18

    Not long later, the two women brought Chun Xiao in. Although Madame SHen did not have people watching over her, they only gave her a bowl of porridge every day. With so many days of starvation, even if she opened her doors, she would not be able to walk more than a few steps. Now that the woman who was holding her had let go, she softly knelt on the ground.


    Jin Lan turned his head to the side, and peeked the curtain out through the carved gaps, only to see that Chun Xiao was still tied up, her delicate and pretty face a few days ago was already extremely haggard. His face was deeply sunken, making her cheekbones stand out even more. His eyes were dim and lifeless, with a circle of black and white under his eyes. Her neatly combed hair was in a mess, and she looked extremely miserable.


    When Chun Xiao saw the Madame SHen in the main seat, her face changed. Her starved and weak body actually surged with power, as he fiercely pounced towards her!


    This sudden action shocked everyone present. Fortunately, the two sturdy women behind her reacted quickly and grabbed her shoulders. Their forward momentum stopped them, and they staggered two steps back before plopping down on the ground.


    She struggled to get up, but was tightly pressed to the ground, her body frantically twisting and turning. However, she was already dizzy from hunger, so she didn''t have much strength left. Her eyes were filled with fear, and she continuously begged Madame SHen for mercy. However, her mouth was stuffed with a piece of rag, no matter how she shouted, she could only let out a wuwu sound in the end.


    Madame SHen sat steadily in the main hall, her expression unreadable. She looked at her indifferently and did not say a word.


    The surrounding servants and wives were now even more numerous than before, and other than Man Ping and Hui Xiu, who were serving at the Side Chamber, the rest of them were standing outside the door. The five of them lined up in a row, completely blocking the door, but they were only lowering their heads and staring at their own toes, not even daring to pant a little more. Madame SHen had specifically asked Hui Xiu to call all the servants in Shuixie Pavilion over to the Side Chamber because she wanted to make an example out of nothing.


    Chun Xiao struggled for a long time as she sobbed. Finally, she could no longer make a sound. Only then did Madame SHen open her mouth slowly. "Chun Xiao, after being hungry for so many days, have you thought about what you should do? If you don''t have any, I can give you a few more days to study it. "


    Chun Xiao''s body that had collapsed onto the ground stiffened as she involuntarily raised his head to look at Madame SHen. The fear in her eyes grew even stronger. She was once the daughter of a wealthy family, but was forced to become a servant because of her family background. Although her appearance could not be considered beautiful, her facial features were not ordinary either. Even so, she had never experienced such pain. Now that the Madame SHen had said it, it was like she had a nightmare again. She could not help but squeeze out a last bit of strength and shook his head with all her might.


    Madame SHen''s expression was indifferent. She picked up the teacup with the blue and white flower patterns on the table, took a sip, and said: "Since you''ve thought it through, I''ll give you a chance." With that, she glanced at the old granny guarding Chun Xiao, "Let her speak."


    One of the old granny quickly took off the tattered cloth that was stuffed into Chun Xiao''s mouth, while the other continued to press down on her.


    The moment she removed the tattered cloth ball in her mouth, Chun Xiao immediately cried out with a hoarse voice: "Madam, Madam is clear, this servant was wrongly accused, this servant really did not harm Madam!"


    Chun Xiao''s unrepentance caused Jin Lan to frown slightly. She turned her head to look at Madame SHen and only calmed down when she saw that her expression was calm and did not show any signs of being angry. Although Madame SHen''s health was good, she still needed to recuperate, and she did not want to be angered, but looking at the situation today, Chun Xiao would not easily admit her mistake.


    Madame SHen did not seem to be in a hurry at all.


    Chun Xiao swore and swore for a long time, but seeing that the Madame SHen was ignoring him, she slowly quieted down. She knelt on the ground and sobbed, occasionally shouting out a few words of injustice.


    The Madame SHen did not seem to be in a hurry to interrogate him, as if she was watching a show from the bottom of the platform. No matter how Chun Xiao made a scene, she was not moved, and leisurely sipped on her tea. Seeing Madame SHen''s assured look, she suddenly thought back to Hui Xiu''s actions when she first entered the room, and couldn''t help but glance at Hui Xiu who was beside her.


    Seeing that Jin Lan was looking at her with a puzzled expression, Hui Xiu smiled and shook his head, her eyes were clear and full of spirit.


    Jin Lan was stunned for a moment before he came to a sudden realization.


    She had asked Madame SHen before why she did not hurry up and deal with Chun Xiao''s matter. Although Chun Xiao would not be able to escape after being locked up, there were too many people in the Ye Family, and more or less, there would be news about it. Once the people behind the scenes found out, the clues would be erased, and that person would be even more careful.


    But when the Madame SHen heard this, she just smiled without saying a word, and did not need to worry.


    Now it seemed that the Madame SHen had secretly made arrangements, and had already gained a lot, which was why she brought Chun Xiao up.


    After thinking it through, Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief. He patiently waited to see how the Madame SHen would deal with it.


    After crying for less than an hour, Chun Xiao''s throat was dry and dry. The pain made it so that she could no longer scream. Seeing that Madame SHen''s eyes were calm and did not seem to show any signs of getting angry, his heart gradually became lively and she began to think of a strategy to deal with it.


    The sun rose higher and higher, and the chirping of cicadas in the courtyard was disconcerting. Just as even the confident Madame SHen was getting impatient, Mo Chu''s voice sounded from outside, "Madam, Concubine Shao is here."


    Madame SHen''s tensed heart suddenly relaxed, a cold glint quickly flashed past her eyes. It really came.


    She had pretended to be unaware and even made the guard''s wife let her guard down. In reality, she had always been secretly being watched by Hui Xiu, just waiting for the person who had ulterior motives to fall into his trap. After waiting for a few days, there was no one who took the initiative to contact Chun Xiao, nor was there anyone who could scout him out. If it wasn''t for him accidentally discovering some clues, she was afraid that this matter would have really ended there and then.


    The servants blocking the entrance all retreated to their left and right, and after a short while, a passage was created, allowing them to enter the Concubine Shao.


    Before she could step through the door, she saw Chun Xiao kneeling on the ground. She was startled, she glanced at the servants on her left and right, and understood what was going on. She couldn''t help but laugh coldly in his heart, but she didn''t show it on her face at all. She still wore the brilliant smile of a summer flower as she slowly stepped forward to pay her respects. "Madam."


    The moment Concubine Shao appeared, her gaze fell on her and never left her. Seeing that her expression was normal without the slightest change, the light in her eyes became increasingly heavy.


    He had secretly planned for a few days, and with great difficulty, he used the Steward Li''s ability to attract her to him at this time in order to catch her off guard. However, with the current situation, he had underestimated her.


    Madame SHen placed the tea cup in her hand on the purple sandalwood carved table and asked knowingly: "Why are you here?"


    Concubine Shao laughed: "A few days ago, I said that I wanted to buy someone, but my wife is not feeling well, so I pushed her away. These two days, my wife has been well. Master has specially instructed me to call Dental Granny into the house and let my wife choose two maids. " Then, with a calm expression, he glanced at Chun Xiao, "I never thought that I would come at the wrong time, and cause you trouble."


    There was a hint of retreat in her words. Normally, Madame SHen would wave her away, but she had gone through so much trouble to trick her this time, how could he let her go so easily?


    Madame SHen pointed to the chair at the bottom of the room, "If there''s no hurry, it would be early in the morning, and it would be the same later. "You should sit down for a while. After I finish dealing with this matter, we will go together."


    "Alright." Concubine Shao felt hatred in her heart, but she could only compromise. She took a few steps forward and sat down, while Su Xin stood respectfully behind her.


    Mo Chu swiftly carried the tea to the door and waited.


    He had spent a great deal of effort to set up the stage, and had even invited guests over. Madame SHen looked up at Chun Xiao who had recovered some of her spirit, and coldly said: "I assume you are also a fool, and I will give you one more chance. As long as you say who the person directing you is, I can make things easy for you, and will definitely not make things difficult for you."


    Chun Xiao''s face paled, she was not confused, on the contrary, she was smart, at this point, how could she not realise that she was being schemed against? In the Madame SHen''s interrogation, she kept on saying that she was wronged and refused to speak. She was afraid that she would be dealt with unknowingly, and now that the Concubine Shao, the butler was here and she remembered the relationship between her and his wife, she was overjoyed.

 C19

    Chun Xiao trembled as she kowtowed to the Madame SHen, and spoke in grief: "This servant is just an insignificant servant girl, how dare I harm you?"


    "Since that''s the case, why did you come to the Shuixie Pavilion when you were a servant of the outer court for no reason?"


    Chun Xiao answered: "Although this servant is a servant from the outer court, I know that I must not casually step foot into the Inner Court. That day, this servant was waiting in the study room, but someone sent a message, saying that this lady wanted to see this servant, and so I hastily entered the Inner Court."


    "Oh?" Madame SHen glanced at Concubine Shao who was sitting upright and upright, and asked, "Who told you this?"


    Chun Xiao hesitated for a moment, gritted her teeth and said: "It''s Madam''s Qiu Wen!"


    The moment Chun Xiao''s words landed, a soft sound of breathing suddenly sounded from outside the room. Madame SHen''s face was gloomy, she looked at the figures around the door again, she gasped, the servants who had strange expressions all lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.


    "You''re lying!" Usually, she and Qiu Wen were the closest to each other, so how could she bear Chun Xiao splashing dirty water on Qiu Wen? She rushed forward and knelt down, and said, "Madam, Chun Xiao is spitting blood! Qiu Wen had been with this servant for the past few days, making her an autumn dress. She had not even stepped out of the Shuixie Pavilion gate yet, so why would she go to the outer courtyard to spread the news? This is clearly slander! "


    Chun Xiao did not show weakness, and said with a resolute face: "Everything this servant said is true, if there is even a single false word, I will be struck by lightning, my intestines will rot, and I will die a miserable death!"


    These words were so ruthless and merciless that even Jin Lan, who was hiding behind the screen, couldn''t help but tremble when he heard them. But if it was said that Qiu Wen had harmed Madame SHen, she found it somewhat hard to believe. In her previous life, after the Madame SHen had passed away, Qiu Wen had personally visited the temple to keep watch at her spot and light it up. This matter caused quite a commotion in the Ye Family, and even Ye Lin himself had lamented that Qiu Wen was a rare foster daughter.


    Thus, a few days ago when she asked around for news of Madame SHen taking medicine, she specially picked Qiu Wen as her candidate.


    She glanced at Concubine Shao who was taking joy in his misfortune and said in a deep voice: "Qiu Wen is a second rate servant girl, without proper cards, you cannot enter and leave the inner and outer court freely. If you still do not call for help from the truth, I will send people to tie you up and send you to the yamen, and at that time, whether you die or live, it will be up to you!"


    Chun Xiao''s face suddenly paled. If she was given to an official, she might only have two choices: either die in jail, or endure through. She could be sent by the officials to the bitter cold land or sent to the fireworks. If it was the former, it would be alright. After dying, she could still keep her clean body. But if it was the latter, it would be better to die than to live.


    She could no longer hold back her trembling, regretting her decision. Her eyes that were already swollen like walnuts had shed two more lines of tears, "My wife, if you don''t believe me, I can ask Qiu Wen to come out. I am willing to confront her!"


    Seeing that she was determined to pull Qiu Wen down as a shield even if she died, Mo Chu could not help but say angrily: "You must have known that Qiu Wen was not here, that''s why you dragged her along with me!"


    Chun Xiao argued: "This servant has been locked in the woodshed the entire time, how would I know that Qiu Wen is not here? It was obvious that she had a guilty conscience, so she intentionally avoided the question. If she was innocent, why didn''t she come out and confront this servant? "


    Madame SHen rubbed her forehead, feeling waves of pain.


    The maids in the Shuixie Pavilion, especially the first-rate and second-rate maids, were all left behind after being selected by her. As her trusted subordinate, if they were really Qiu Wen ¡­ Madame SHen sighed silently. If it really was Qiu Wen, then his Shuixie Pavilion would no longer be just like a barrel.


    Seeing that the Madame SHen did not reply, the Concubine Shao who had been silent all this time finally had an opportunity to speak, "Madam, in my opinion, this matter should still be done to let Qiu Wen come out and fight with Chun Xiao. At that time, the truth would be revealed."


    Madame SHen slowly opened her eyes. She looked at the smiling Concubine Shao and asked Man Ping, "Where is Qiu Wen?"


    Man Ping said softly: "In the sewing room."


    Just as Madame SHen prepared to instruct Man Ping to look for Qiu Wen personally, Hui Xiu suddenly walked out from behind the screen, and blessed herself in front of Madame SHen: "Madam, let this servant bring Qiu Wen back to confront Chun Xiao."


    She frowned and looked into the interior of the screen, only to see Jin Lan blinking at her with a sweet smile on his face. Madame SHen immediately understood that his daughter must have some weird idea again. After some thought, he nodded, "Go and come back quickly."


    "Yes." Hui Xiu replied and left. When she turned around, he saw Jin Lan, who had a face full of confidence, and also thought of the method she used. His heart immediately calmed down a bit, and he rushed back to his sewing room.


    The needlework room was located at the northwest corner of the Ye Mansion, facing the Yunxiu House from afar, and a small corner door at the side was opened to connect with the outside world, it was extremely convenient to buy things on the streets, and normally, kitchen groceries would also be delivered by this corner door before being distributed to the small kitchens in each courtyard.


    From the Shuixie Pavilion to the sewing room, it took about half an incense worth of time to finish. Just as Madame SHen was about to fill up her second cup of tea, Hui Xiu returned.


    "Madam, Qiu Wen is waiting outside the house."


    Hearing Hui Xiu''s instructions, the servant girls opened up a path again, but this path was much wider than the one before.


    Madame SHen pursed her lips and said: "Let her in."


    As her back was facing the light, she could not see her face for a moment. Just as her body shook, there was actually another figure behind her, and then another, four figures entered one after another, neatly lined up behind Chun Xiao, and bowed towards Madame SHen: "Madam."


    "What ¡­ what is going on?" Not only was Madame SHen surprised, even he was dumbstruck.


    Jin Lan pursed his lips into a smile, ignoring Concubine Shao, and said to Madame SHen in a shallow voice: "Mother, since it''s a message from Qiu Wen, I believe Chun Xiao is familiar with her.


    Madame SHen immediately understood Jin Lan''s idea. He couldn''t help but be annoyed: "Girl, do your best to come up with some strange method."


    Hearing Jin Lan''s voice, the Concubine Shao immediately looked towards the thick screen of red wood flowers. The light in her eyes moved, "So this Second Miss is also here."


    Jin Lan lowered his eyes. "Sorry for the ridicule." His voice was distant and indifferent.


    Concubine Shao hated Jin Lan so much that she had ruined her life time and time again. She replied with a smile that did not reach his eyes, "Who would? Second Miss is smarter than others, this is good! Not only can it prove whether what Chun Xiao said was true, it can also avoid conflicts.


    "Aunt is too kind." Jin Lan replied indifferently and did not say another word, almost angering Concubine Shao to the point of falling backwards.


    "Alright." Madame SHen waved her hand, stopping Concubine Shao from speaking further, and continued to speak: "Chun Xiao, get up, look behind you, is there anyone who has sent the message to you?"


    Joy flashed past Chun Xiao''s eyes, she immediately struggled to get up, but her body was still tied up, it was extremely painful, after moving a few times, she fell back down. The old woman who was guarding the door quickly reached out and pulled her up from the ground, but her legs were so numb and soft that she couldn''t even stand steadily.


    Madame SHen frowned, "Hold her."


    The two women glared at Chun Xiao in disgust, and following their orders, they grabbed her arms from left and right. Using all their strength, they lifted her up like lifting a chick, and turned to face the four maidservants.


    Chun Xiao was desperate to survive, so she could not care about the pain in her arm right now. She quickly opened her eyes wide and carefully sized the person in front of him. The four maidservants in front of him were dressed in the same clothes, the same jade colored flowery skirt, even their height was about the same.


    After looking at it several times, her heart gradually turned cold. Amongst the four of them, there was actually no Qiu Wen who had sent her a message!


    Could it be that her wife had done something to him? Chun Xiao really wanted to turn and ask Madame SHen immediately, but her remaining intellect suppressed the impulse in the bottom of her heart. She did not forget that this was Shuixie Pavilion, Madam''s courtyard. Even if she was extremely noisy, as long as Madam insisted that one of them was Qiu Wen, what could she say?


    What should she do now? Chun Xiao shuddered, unintentionally sweeping a bit of white light from the corner of his eyes, his eyes couldn''t help but light up: Concubine Shao! The Concubine Shao s frequently come and go of the Shuixie Pavilion, so they must know Qiu Wen''s appearance!

 C20

    Chun Xiao looked towards the direction of Concubine Shao, but before she could express anything, a figure had blocked her view.


    "Aunt, the tea is cold. This servant will change a cup for you." Hui Xiu smiled as she held out the red lacquered wood square plate. She slowly poured the Concubine Shao a cup of tea, her movements graceful and graceful, looking extremely beautiful to watch.


    It was a pity that Concubine Shao did not have the heart to admire him at the moment. A trace of anger rose in her eyes as she glared at Hui Xiu.


    Seeing that, Su Xin stood in front of Concubine Shao without leaving a trace, accepted the cup of tea, and chuckled: "How dare I trouble Big Sister Hui Xiu, let me handle it."


    Hui Xiu purposely stayed polite for a while before putting the tray down, returning to Jin Lan''s side.


    Concubine Shao picked up the tea that Su Xin offered, the anger in her eyes gradually receding. Her chance had already been lost, she could only wait for the next time. She hatefully stared at the mahogany screen. Her gaze was as sharp as a sword, as if she wanted to pierce through the heavy screen and pierce through the person inside. His gaze flashed past, Concubine Shao lowered his head and took a sip of the fragrant tea. When she raised his head again, his face had regained its smile.


    This change naturally could not be hidden from the shrewd eyes of Madame SHen. She looked at Jin Lan and Hui Xiu with some surprise.


    Hui Xiu lowered her head cautiously. Although she had listened to Second Miss''s words just now, the one who made the decision was her wife. However, for some reason, the moment Second Miss opened her mouth, she did as she was told. Her eyes were bright and clear, to the point that she couldn''t even think about resisting.


    On the other hand, Jin Lan''s face was calm, as if he had done something insignificant. Seeing Madame SHen''s probing gaze, he couldn''t help but reveal a sweet smile.


    The corners of Madame SHen''s lips slightly softened. After a while, she shifted his gaze onto Chun Xiao, and coldly refocused his gaze. "Is there a Qiu Wen here who has sent you a message?"


    Being blocked by Hui Xiu, Chun Xiao already understood that it was impossible to rely on the Concubine Shao. She let out a long breath, her face ashen as she replied woodenly: "Reporting to Madam, I did not."


    Madame SHen looked at her deeply, "Are you sure?"


    "Your servant ¡­" Before Chun Xiao could finish speaking, a soft cry was suddenly heard, "Big sister Ling Shan, why are you here?"


    Ling Shan? Concubine Shao''s expression changed slightly. She suddenly raised her head to look at Madame SHen, but when she met the pair of eyes that was smiling yet not smiling, the hand holding the teacup slightly trembled, and a few drops of scalding tea immediately splattered onto her fair hands. "Ah!"


    Accompanied by a cry of pain, the teacup in her hand tumbled to the ground before spilling the tea soup over her entire body.


    Su Xin was startled, she could not care about the water stains on the ground, and anxiously squatted down, and took out a handkerchief to wipe Concubine Shao clean, "Aunt, you did not heat it up, right?"


    A profound look flashed past Madame SHen''s eyes, and she called for the two servant girls outside to help Su Xin to clean up.


    Even though the tea broth had spilled all over his body, it was fortunate that the corners had been soaked and not burned. However, he was afraid that he wouldn''t be able to wear the brocade dress anymore. The Concubine Shao''s eyes revealed a look of pity. The pleated skirt was changed especially for Ye Lin this morning, but after thinking about it again, this way was also good. He could use this reason to leave the Shuixie Pavilion. After some thought, she raised his slightly pale face and apologized to Madame SHen, "Sorry to bother you, Madam. From the looks of it, I''m afraid we won''t be able to go to the main hall together with you."


    Madame SHen''s gaze swept across Concubine Shao''s wet clothes, which were constantly dripping water, and said: "There are many maids and wives along the way from Shuixie Pavilion to Bright Autumn Pavilion. It''s not appropriate for you to be seen like this when you''re going out. It just so happens that I have a new pomegranate dress that is not even on my body. The material it is made from is similar to the one you have, so I can take it out to deal with emergency situations. " Without waiting for Concubine Shao''s reply, she turned to instruct Man Ping: "Open the cage, and bring the purple-red pomegranate dress over."


    Man Ping nodded, "Yes."


    With this posture, it was obvious that he would not let her go. Could it be that the Madame SHen sensed something? Concubine Shao''s heart trembled, but he revealed a happy smile, "Then I''ll be troubling Madam."


    Madame SHen glanced at her indifferently, and the corners of her mouth raised in a smile: "You''re welcome."


    Man Ping took the pomegranate dress, then led Concubine Shao to the room to change her clothes.


    Exiting the Side Chamber, Concubine Shao saw that Ling Shan was standing in the courtyard and talking to a servant. It seemed that she was holding onto something in her hands, and was preparing to head towards the Side Chamber, his heart dropped, as though she had inadvertently looked at the beautiful flowers in the courtyard. She smiled, "It''s been so long since spring, and the flowers in my wife''s courtyard are blooming so well, it''s truly a rare sight."


    Man Ping smiled and replied: "Madam likes flowers and plants, these are all the servants that bring the defeated ones back to the flower room every few days, and they also brought the ones that were just right to be brought over, with good flowers, it''s all thanks to the meticulous care of the workers."


    Originally, when Ling Shan saw that the servants had surrounded them, she probably was dealing with some kind of matter, and immediately had thoughts of retreating. However, before she could even turn around, she was caught by the eyes of the coarse servant girl standing outside. She even shouted out loud, so she had no choice but to head in that direction. Just as she was asking about Qiu Wen, he saw a group of people coming out from the house, and after hearing what Concubine Shao said, she seemed to have thought of something, and her face changed.


    Ling''er saw that she suddenly stopped talking, her face suddenly became ugly, and asked: "Sister Ling Shan, what''s wrong?"


    Ling Shan forced herself to retract her thoughts, and squeezed out a smile: "It''s nothing, it''s just that I suddenly remember that there''s something important, give this bag back to Qiu Wen for me." As she spoke, she handed a delicate and exquisite embroidered bag to Pendant and turned around to leave.


    Just as he took two steps forward, Madame SHen''s voice came out from inside, "Is that Ling Shan? Let her in. "


    Ling Shan bit her lips, her gaze obscure. She forcefully took a step back, slowly turned around and slowly walked towards the Side Chamber.


    After entering the door, the first one she saw was a figure kneeling on the ground with a rope tied to his back. Her pupils constricted and her heart immediately turned cold, she immediately lowered her head, barely managing to calm the fear on her face, and knelt down, "Greetings Madam."


    Hearing the voice, the originally despairing Chun Xiao trembled, suddenly turning her body, she stared straight at the person who spoke. This appearance and voice kept appearing in her mind, making her want to eat her flesh and drink her blood! Now that it had appeared in front of him, how could she bear it? She immediately shouted at the top of her lungs, "She! It''s her! It''s her message to me! "


    A trace of panic surfaced in Ling Shan''s eyes, she could not help but take a small step back, her eyes drifted away, and did not meet Chun Xiao''s gaze. Originally, she was being cautious and didn''t want to leave her house. However, in the past few days, there hadn''t been any activity. Therefore, she had been very lucky. Qiu Wen quickly left, but dropped the pouch with the thread. Mama told her to consider that it would not be so coincidental, and she did not reject it, but who knew that she would actually bump into it! Now personally knocking on the door, this is not muddle is what?


    Madame SHen glanced at Ling Shan, and said coldly: "Chun Xiao, you are certain, Ling Shan is not a servant, but an embroidery lady in a needlework room.


    Chun Xiao''s eyes were filled with hatred as she stared at Ling Shan. If she was not tied up and unable to move, she would have already rushed forward to tear apart this evil spirit. Seeing that Madame SHen still had suspicions, she gritted her teeth and said: "Madam, this servant did not recognize wrongly, she would have been recognized if she entered the furnace and burnt herself to ashes!"


    Ling Shan''s heart was stirred up, she almost lost control of herself. When she heard Madame SHen still have some doubts towards Chun Xiao''s words, she was overjoyed and immediately replied: "Madam, I came to return Qiu Wen''s money bag to the workshop, I did not mean to disturb you. Moreover, this elder sister''s words are really strange. This servant has never left the sewing room, and I don''t even know her, how could I have sent her a message? "


    "Nonsense! That day, you clearly came to the outer court''s study room and said that you wanted to see me. At that time, I even asked you if you knew why I wanted to see you. "Tell me ¡­" Although Chun Xiao was extremely angry, she knew that she was still her daughter after all. With just that thought, it was impossible for her to see the light of day, causing her originally green and white face to immediately turn red. In order to survive, she could not care about anything else. She clenched her teeth and said, "You said that your mistress wanted to open my face and bring me into the house as my concubine!"


    After these words were spoken, the surroundings instantly quieted down. Other than Chun Xiao''s hurried breathing, no other sound could be heard.

 C21

    Jin Lan''s gaze passed through the gap between the screens and landed on Chun Xiao''s face, her heart racing a hundred times. Although Ye Lin was already past his prime, his appearance was handsome and he was born in a scholar''s family, his stomach full of knowledge. Naturally, the gentleness and elegance that came from his bones was even more attractive than that of a normal man.


    There were probably many maids that had the same thoughts as Chun Xiao. She sighed and raised her head to look at Madame SHen.


    Her pure white fingers silently slid across the table. Madame SHen looked indifferent, but her tone of voice was like the winter wind, cutting people''s throats in pain, "Really?"


    Ling Shan shuddered, her face suddenly changed, without thinking she immediately knelt down, the sound of her knees landing made Jin Lan''s teeth ache, "Madam, please forgive me, but how would I dare to say such outrageous words!"


    Madame SHen lifted her head, stared at Ling Shan with her sharp eyes, then shifted her gaze onto Chun Xiao.


    Chun Xiao''s heart trembled when she saw the look in Madame SHen''s eyes. She immediately thought of the words she had heard from the other servants when she first entered the house.


    From the looks of it now, this was no paper tiger! She suddenly turned her head, fiercely glared at Ling Shan, and laughed coldly: "Look, the heavens are watching! There''s a god in the sky, do you dare to swear that you never spread the word to me?"


    Ling Shan''s head was lowered, revealing her slender neck, her hands constantly twisting the handkerchief. Although she was extremely unwilling, but it was already too late to back down, so she could only mutter: "This servant, this servant is willing ¡­"


    Just as she opened her mouth to speak a few words, Chun Xiao saw that she had dared to take the oath, and became anxious, she suddenly turned and kowtowed to Madame SHen, "Madam." As if she had thought of something, her originally dispirited and dispirited eyes began to shine with a bright light, "Everyone says that words cannot be counted on, but this servant has proof!"


    Chun Xiao''s words were like a clap of thunder that exploded above Ling Shan''s head with a "hong" sound. In an instant, she felt that the warmth in her entire body had retreated completely, leaving only bone-piercing ice.


    How could there be a witness? That day, she had clearly heard the news, and she was the only one on duty in the study!


    Madame SHen''s hand that was about to pick up the teacup suddenly stopped, her eyes narrowed, and asked coldly: "Who is it?"


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but lean forward, holding his breath, afraid that he''d miss a word.


    "It''s Zhidie, who''s serving with me." Chun Xiao suppressed her throat that was trembling with excitement, the look in her eyes gradually recovered. "That autumn, er, when Ling Shan came to find a servant, the lord had coincidentally instructed the old man to tidy up the study room, so Zhidie, who was not on duty, was also in the study room. Although this servant and Ling Shan were talking outside, the door was not closed. Zhidie must have definitely seen it, and even teased this servant afterwards. "


    Following the opening and closing of Chun Xiao''s lips, Ling Shan''s expression became more and more unsightly. In the end, not a single trace of blood was seen on her face, and her legs buckled as she sat on the ground.


    Although Chun Xiao was facing Madame SHen and replying, she had been paying attention to the change in Ling Shan''s expression the entire time. Seeing such a reaction, she knew that he had grabbed onto her weak spot, and her eyes shone even brighter. She steeled her heart, and shouted hoarsely, "Madam, please get someone to call Zhidie over here, you''ll understand once you ask her."


    She was indeed in the study, but she did not see who was speaking to her. She only vaguely heard a few sounds. As for the random questions she had after the incident, they were just casually made up. However, Zhidie was working together with her in the study room. They could be considered to be rather close, and it was likely that Zhidie would speak up for him.


    Even if she was exposed, she could not care about it. She had to make Ling Shan accept the news, only then would she have a chance of survival. Although the lowly maid who climbed onto the master''s bed was unpleasant to hear, she was much less of a crime than someone who had secretly harmed his wife. At the very least, she wouldn''t be sent to an official!


    Chun Xiao''s heart became calmer and calmer, to the point that even she believed Zhidie was a witness.


    The completely different reactions of the two were reflected in his eyes. Madame SHen had already more or less believed in Chun Xiao''s words, "Man Ping, send someone to get Zhidie."


    "No need," Ling Shan suddenly raised her head, with a sad look in her eyes, she slowly kneeled down and bent down towards the Madame SHen, kowtowing until she reached the bottom. After a long while, she lifted her forehead from the cold limestone ground, and said with a pitiful expression: "This matter, it was indeed done by this servant."


    Seeing that she admitted it, Chun Xiao thought back to the hardships she had endured in the past few days. Her anger immediately broke through her logic, and she screamed hoarsely: "I have no enmity with you, why do you want to harm me!"


    The sharp ear-piercing sound made Madame SHen crease her eyebrows. She glared at the old granny who had been guarding Chun Xiao, who understood what was going on, and quickly shoved the ball of rags back into her mouth.


    The continuous questioning cries suddenly stopped, Chun Xiao''s face was filled with fear, she instinctively twisted a few times, the hemp rope tightly tied around her body had long started to grind lines of blood on her delicate skin. The moment she moved, the dried up wound started to open up again, revealing traces of crimson red. The intense pain made her suck in a cold breath, and her brain immediately came to her senses. No matter how unwilling she was, she could only slowly stop struggling.


    The Madame SHen did not care about Chun Xiao, and only looked at him coldly, "Who ordered you to do this?"


    Ever since Ling Shan admitted it, she just blankly knelt on the spot. No matter how Chun Xiao screamed, she was not moved at all, as if she had lost her soul. Hearing Madame SHen''s question, her eyes blinked, and she said in a low voice: "This servant ¡­ No one orders this servant. "


    The corner of Jin Lan''s mouth twitched, but he still remembered what the Madame SHen said, hence he did not say anything, and was only suspicious of what Ling Shan had said.


    There were gatekeepers and Attendant s at all the gates and main corridors of every corner of the Ye Mansion. There were people guarding the entrances to the inner and outer courtyard in particular. Apart from the various masters and their serving maids, as well as the stewards of the residence, anyone who came in or out of the house had to rely on the manor''s tokens. And the signs were naturally in the hands of the master and his wife. Ling Shan was only an embroidery mother in his residence, so he didn''t have the right to walk around as he pleased. He couldn''t even walk around as a maid, let alone go to the outer court.


    Thus, if she said that no one was willing to take orders from him, she would never believe it.


    Madame SHen raised the teacup and brushed off the jade leaves floating on the surface of the water. Her eyes were reflected in the clear tea water and looked deep and serene, "As long as you tell me who is the principal envoy behind you, I can let bygones be bygones and let you be bygones."


    After hesitating for a long time, the corner of his mouth twitched. Just as he was about to answer, Concubine Shao''s voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Madam." Ling Shan''s body stiffened, and immediately swallowed down the words in his mouth.


    Madame SHen''s eyes were filled with rage, but she endured it in the end. She moved slightly, and saw that Concubine Shao was walking over through the doorstep, dressed neatly, but the dress she was wearing was not the one she mentioned, and she looked at Man Ping who followed Concubine Shao in.


    As if he knew what the Madame SHen was thinking, the Concubine Shao smiled and explained: "Madam''s pomegranate dress was excellent, but unfortunately, I wasn''t wearing it well, so I had Su Xin go back to the pavilion to get some clothes, which was why I delayed."


    Madame SHen also didn''t want to waste anymore time with her. Waving her hand to let her sit down, her gaze once again swept across Ling Shan, "Speak! "Who is referring to the envoy?"


    Who would have thought that Ling Shan would change from the hesitation just now and said with a resolute expression: "This matter was indeed done by this servant alone, and no one else has ordered it!"


    Ling Shan''s tone made Jin Lan''s expression change slightly, she had clearly let her guard down just now, why did she bite back now? Could it be ¡­


    Seated on the chair, she was happily sipping her fragrant tea, as if she had no interest in Chun Xiao and Ling Shan''s lives. The wet Ru Yi Hundred Fold Dress had already been replaced with a Smoky Red Satin Dress, tied around her waist was an exquisite fish-playing lotus bag, and there were five colored beads stringing around her body, slightly swaying along with her movements, which didn''t seem inappropriate at all.


    No, that''s not right! Jin Lan''s heart tensed up, when Ling Shan appeared, the Concubine Shao was obviously in a mess, but after changing her clothes, they became so calm, there must be something fishy going on!

 C22

    No matter how confused Jin Lan was, he could not find anything suspicious after staring at Concubine Shao a few times.


    Madame SHen sat there quietly, her expression gloomy and unreadable, not saying a word.


    Seeing that, Jin Lan could not care about the explanation anymore, he quickly walked out from behind the screen and directly walked to Madame SHen''s side, only to see Madame SHen''s eyes revealing a deep weariness, his forehead was faintly moist, he seemed to be holding on. She panicked, and quickly extended her hand to grab Madame SHen''s hand, causing it to feel extremely cold.


    An evil flame emerged in her mind, her cold gaze swept through everyone within the Side Chamber, and finally she looked at Ling Shan, and coldly asked: "You and Chun Xiao are not acquainted, why do you want to harm her? Furthermore, if there is no one to support us, how will we be able to enter and leave the inner and outer courtyard? "


    Ling Shan closed his eyes, and only opened them after a long time. "Chun Xiao relied on her work in the study room to have the old master''s eyes, her personality was extremely despotic and unkind, and often bullied the maids and Attendant s in the outer courtyard. This servant has a sister whom I have a good relationship with called Jing Xiang, who is also working in the Outer Palace. She was constantly humiliated by Chun Xiao, and this servant was just unable to see through it, so I tried to find a way to teach her a lesson, and it wasn''t because of this. "


    Hearing Ling Shan''s words, Chun Xiao''s eyes opened wide, and continued to curse out loud.


    Ling Shan turned a deaf ear and continued: "That day, the Mama in charge of the household had this servant deliver the last batch of maids'' clothes to the outer courtyard, so this servant took the opportunity to go to the study room." Then, he started to get excited, "Although this servant did the wrong thing, but if it wasn''t for Chun Xiao''s bad intentions, I wouldn''t have fallen into her trap."


    A sneer surfaced on Jin Lan''s lips. "So you''re saying that mother wants to thank you?"


    Ling Shan could not help but tremble, "This servant does not dare."


    "Did you give Chun Xiao something that was smeared with the fragrance of the Snow Kylin?" Jin Lan didn''t want to listen to superfluous words, she just wanted to get this matter settled quickly and quickly. Madame SHen''s current appearance made her extremely worried.


    Ling Shan immediately shook her head, "No, this servant just sent a message and did not give her anything."


    If it was not given by Ling Shan, then there was someone else, or else Chun Xiao obtained it herself! Jin Lan pointed his spear at Chun Xiao, "Speak! Where does the scent of the Snow Iris come from? " Seeing Chun Xiao moaning, she remembered that her mouth had been stuffed, and said to the wife: "Let go of her mouth."


    Chun Xiao heard everything from the beginning until the end. She cried and explained, "This servant doesn''t even know what a snow root iris is, how can I possibly have such a thing?"


    "You still dare to quibble!" Jin Lan''s chest heaved up and down, and a layer of captivating red appeared on his furious face. If it wasn''t for the Snow Root Iris, how could Madame SHen have lost consciousness? When she thought about how she almost lost her Madame SHen, her heart felt as if it had been ruthlessly crushed by a boulder.


    "Your servant didn''t quibble, I really don''t know!"


    Jin Lan still wanted to reprimand him, but he was stopped. Madame SHen sighed and looked at his daughter affectionately: "Why are you so angry?" As she spoke, she lightly patted Jin Lan''s back, waited for her to calm down a bit, and then coldly said: "Man Ping, go and call Steward Li over. This way, you won''t be able to hold the Ye Family of the servants who carry the Patriarch anymore, send them all to the yamen!"


    "Madam is right. Why are you so angry over these servants? Send them to the yamen and let the constables fight with them. In the end, you''ll know what they are thinking." Concubine Shao played with the Five-coloured Beads Tasseled Ying Luo under the sachet, the smile on her face was rather playful, her gaze moved between Chun Xiao and Ling Shan, as though she was observing something.


    Hearing that, Ling Shan''s face became pale, she raised his head and quickly looked at Concubine Shao, his eyes focused, and then quickly buried his head in her chest, not saying a word.


    Chun Xiao was frightened out of her wits, as she cried and kowtowed with all her might, "Madam, please spare me! "Your servant really doesn''t know what fragrance it is ¡­" While shouting, his body suddenly froze, and he suddenly raised his head, "This servant remembers!" It must be that powder! "


    Jin Lan frowned. "What powder?"


    How could Chun Xiao still dare to hide anything from him? Like a bamboo popping bean, it fell to the ground with a crackling sound, "That day, after Ling Shan finished her words, this servant, along with Zhidie, was about to go back to their room to clean up. In the end, they picked up an exquisite box, which this servant thought was probably left behind by some Mama accidentally and picked it up. Then I opened it and smelled the good scent and put it on my face. "


    Madame SHen''s gaze swept across the Concubine Shao''s exquisite face and said indifferently: "Man Ping."


    "Yes." Man Ping had served Madame SHen for many years, and had long developed a tacit understanding between master and servant. Needless to say, she understood Madame SHen''s thoughts, after coming out of the Side Chamber, she ordered a few servant girls surrounding the door, and they all quickly headed towards the outer courtyard.


    The Side Chamber once again quietened down, and Hui Xiu moved the small Wugong to the side of the Madame SHen''s chair, letting Jin Lan sit down. Then, she served some tea to the Madame SHen, Jin Lan and the Concubine Shao once again.


    Jin Lan looked carefully. Although Ling Shan''s eyes were dull, his body was straight and still, like a wooden sculpture. Chun Xiao had long ago collapsed to the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably. Her face was filled with fear, despair, and regret, as well as a faint trace of anger. Especially when she looked at Ling Shan, who was beside him, it was even more obvious.


    Man Ping brought the servants and wives to rummage through the boxes, and even the bed was raised to carefully search, and it took more than an incense''s time before they hurriedly returned to the Shuixie Pavilion.


    "Madam, Chun Xiao''s house has been searched thoroughly, not a single pink box could be seen."


    "How is this possible!" Chun Xiao cried out involuntarily, "It''s a brown wooden box. On the lid of the box, there was an engraved Jade Orchid, which was placed on the low wooden cabinet beside the bed."


    Man Ping sneered, "Not to mention that it''s a short wooden cabinet, other than the floor tiles that were not taken down, I have searched every corner of the room and found nothing, not even a shadow of the room, let alone a pink box!"


    "Forget it, let''s drag this on and beat them twenty times." The Madame SHen raised her eyebrows, her face revealing a trace of weariness, she continued: "Don''t hurt your life, after we finish fighting, we''ll send you straight to the yamen."


    Hui Xiu saw that the servant girls outside were all standing there dumbfoundedly, not moving at all. Pointing at Chun Xiao who was still blaming her for everything, she shouted angrily at the servant girls behind her: "What are you all standing there for! Didn''t you hear what your wife just said? Hurry up and shut your mouth, drag them into the courtyard, then beat them up there. Let everyone come and see what happens to those who harm their master''s underlings! "


    Perhaps it was because they had never seen Hui Xiu get so angry before, the two women''s complexions also paled a bit as they glanced at Madame SHen. Seeing that she was only holding her forehead and closing her eyes while Second Miss was staring at them coldly, they couldn''t help but shiver and quickly dragged Ling Shan and Chun Xiao out.


    It was the first time Hui Xiu had seen such a display of power, causing a touch of paleness to surface on her face, but she still insisted on standing outside to supervise. She raised her voice even more, and spoke each word: "All of you are not allowed to close your eyes, keep your eyes open and watch, and dare harm my wife, beat her secretly! "Beat him up!"


    As soon as he said this, the maidservants in front of the door immediately lost all color on their faces. Even if they hadn''t seen it with their own eyes, she could imagine how terrified they were. Despite the lingering hatred in her heart, she couldn''t help but panic a little when she heard this kind of wailing.


    Madame SHen covered her ears and asked gently: "Is Lan Er scared?"


    To prevent the Madame SHen from worrying, Jin Lan forced out a smile and shook his head: "No, Lan Er is not afraid."


    She silently sighed; Chun Xiao and Ling Shan had completely brought this upon themselves. No matter what, she could not believe that Ling Shan did not have a backer. As for the smell of the Iris on Chun Xiao''s body, it must have been deliberately done by someone, but these two people were obviously abandoned and no clues could be found.


    Chun Xiao had already fainted and was only left with one last breath of life. She wanted to raise her head with all her might, but her blurry vision seemed to pass through the servants and wives standing around her, and she saw the Side Chamber, but before she could clearly see it, her vision suddenly turned black and she lost consciousness.


    Even Hui Xiu almost vomited blood on the spot. With a pale face, she pointed at the few women with round, thick waists and said, "Carry them to the front courtyard and ask the Steward Li to send them to the yamen."


    The few women each lifted one of them up and carried Chun Xiao and Hui Xiu out of the Shuixie Pavilion. Only then did Hui Xiu cover her mouth and ran down to the tree quickly to retch.


    Concubine Shao also did not expect the usually soft-hearted wife to beat him up just because she said so, and that she would really send him to the yamen after the fight. Her expression immediately turned ugly, but when she thought about what she had in her hands, she relaxed a little. Turning her head towards Madame SHen, he smiled and said: "Madam, this trial is over, we''ve already beaten them and the time seems to be right before us. Let''s hurry to the main hall, Dental Granny is also ¡­."


    Before he could finish, he saw Si Ling, the servant girl beside Ye Jinwei rushing into the Side Chamber. As soon as she stepped through the doorstep, she immediately knelt and cried: "Madam, Aunt, quickly go and see, First Miss is not well!"

 C23

    "What!?" Concubine Shao''s expression changed greatly. She stood up with a whoosh and quickly rushed to Si Ling''s front. Her sharp eyes stared at her face, "What happened to First Miss?"


    "B-First Miss, she ¡­ "She ¡­" The Yunxiu House was a long distance away from the Shuixie Pavilion to begin with so as Si Ling jogged back, she had long ago become breathless. In addition to being both shocked and anxious, she actually didn''t know how to speak up for a moment.


    Concubine Shao was burning with anxiety. Seeing that Si Ling was still stuttering and unable to speak, she quickly spoke sternly: "Little hoof who wants to die, tell me what happened to First Miss!"


    "Alright, what''s the use of scolding her? I should hurry over to take a look. " Madame SHen frowned, as though she was dissatisfied with her son''s actions.


    Only now did she remember that this was the pavilion''s pavilion, not the pavilion''s pavilion. With great difficulty, she put away the stern expression on her face and smiled coyly, "Madam''s words are extremely true. I was just too anxious and muddle-headed. Saying so, he lowered his body towards Shen Shi and hurriedly left the room with her. He didn''t even spare a glance for Si Ling, who was kneeling on the ground.


    Madame SHen swept her eyes across Si Ling and said: "You go too."


    As if she was granted amnesty, Si Ling crawled up from the ground, bowed respectfully towards Madame SHen, and left.


    The Side Chamber instantly quietened down. Madame SHen glanced over, and saw Jin Lan frowning, and his eyes were staring outside the door without blinking. He couldn''t help but point at her nose, and said gently: "What are you thinking about? "To be so engrossed in his thoughts?"


    Jin Lan then shook his head, and revealed a smile: "I was just thinking that Si Ling did not explain herself, I wonder what happened to big sister."


    Their four eyes met, and Madame SHen saw the crafty look in Jin Lan''s clear eyes. Knowing a daughter but not a mother, how could Madame SHen not know what she was thinking? Her slender finger gently poked her forehead, "If you''re worried, then go to the Yunxiu House to see your big sister."


    "Alright." The little scheme in his heart had been exposed by the Madame SHen. Jin Lan couldn''t help but stick out his tongue and laugh.


    After all, Madame SHen had only just dealt with Chun Xiao and Chun Xiao, and didn''t even have the time to send them out of the Ye Family gate when something happened. Isn''t it too much of a coincidence? It was as if they were trying to divert everyone''s gazes away from Chun Xiao, causing others to have no choice but to be suspicious.


    "Send someone to get a doctor, I''ll go check out the Yunxiu House first." Madame SHen told Man Ping before she brought Jin Lan and the servants outside.


    Seeing that, Hui Xiu rushed forward to support Madame SHen, although she used cold water to wash her face to calm her nerves, but her face was still pale, showing how much of an impact the fight had on her.


    Madame SHen looked at her but did not say a word, allowing her to support him as she walked towards Yunxiu House.


    The East Wing of the Yunxiu House had already been thrown into chaos, while the west wing was extremely quiet. The doors and windows were tightly shut, and it was so quiet that there didn''t even seem to be a shadow of a person. Just as they reached the center of the courtyard, they heard Ye Jinwei''s shout. Jin Lan bit her lips, and couldn''t help but take two steps towards Madame SHen. Madame SHen comforted her by patting her small hands, and stood at the door for a while with a frown before stepping in.


    Concubine Shao was already in the room, sitting on the side of the bed and tightly grabbing onto Ye Jinwei''s hands, her expression was filled with panic. Ye Jinwei''s wet nurse, Yao Mama, hurriedly twisted her handkerchief and was about to give it to Concubine Shao, when both Si Ling and Qian Yun, who had arrived before him, saw them and bowed, "Madam, Second Miss."


    "Get up." The Madame SHen said lightly and directly walked in.


    Concubine Shao obviously did not expect Madame SHen to come over, a look of surprise flashed across her face, "Madam."


    Madame SHen nodded, "How is Jin Wei?"


    The surprise on Concubine Shao''s face was quickly covered up by worry. She took the handkerchief passed to her by Yao Mama and carefully wiped the cold sweat on Ye Jinwei''s forehead, "I''m afraid I''ve been possessed."


    Madame SHen and Jin Lan walked to the side of the bed and looked over, only to see Ye Jinwei''s pale face, eyes tightly shut, her slender eyebrows tightly knitted together, her forehead was covered in dense beads of cold sweat, and she was struggling non-stop. Her left hand was being held tightly by the Concubine Shao, while her right hand that had not been grabbed was flapping in the air, as she continued to shout: "Don''t come near me, go away, go away ¡­ Don''t... "Save me ¡­"


    Jin Lan was slightly shocked, the way Ye Jinwei looked right now shouldn''t be an act, it seemed like she was truly sick. She reached out to touch Ye Jinwei''s forehead. He raised his head and was about to speak to the Madame SHen behind him, but unexpectedly the small hand that he did not have the time to retract was grabbed by Ye Jinwei''s hand which was waving chaotically in the air, causing him to feel pain from it. She groaned and said softly, "It hurts ¡­"


    Before he finished speaking, Ye Jinwei who had his eyes closed suddenly opened them. When his eyes touched Jin Lan''s face that was enduring the pain, her right hand suddenly loosened and a sharp scream burst out, "Scram, don''t come over, don''t come over!" As she shouted, he desperately retreated to the corner of the bed, as if she had seen something terrifying.


    "First Miss!" The Concubine Shao was shocked, she did not care that the Madame SHen was still around, she immediately kicked off her shoes and went to bed, then pulled Ye Jinwei into her embrace, "Don''t be afraid, don''t be afraid, the aunt is here."


    Ye Jinwei''s soul was in flux, and her body that was in Concubine Shao''s embrace trembled, her large eyes were opened wide in fear and panic, and there was even a hint of despair in them. Her lips that did not have a trace of blood opened slightly, but no sound came out.


    Even though Jin Lan had lived for an entire lifetime, he was still scared by this appearance to the point that his back turned cold. He could not help but push back two steps and tightly pulled on the corner of Madame SHen''s clothes.


    Unexpectedly, this move greatly stimulated Ye Jinwei. She shakily stretched out her hand and pointed at Jin Lan, her teeth making ear-piercing sounds as she knocked on each other in shock. After a long while, she finally squeezed out a word from between her teeth. Bai rolled her eyes and her body went limp. In an instant, she had lost all signs of life.


    Before Concubine Shao had the time to react, it was Mama Yao who had by the side who trembled. The handkerchief in her hand that was just ready suddenly dropped to the ground, her voice piercing into her throat as she howled, "First Miss is out of breath!"


    However, she had no idea what to do. Seeing Ye Jinwei like this, she immediately started to wail in fear. With her loud and clear voice, the maidservants who heard the conversation thought that Master was really in trouble. Soon after, they began to cry as well, and a large commotion broke out in the room.


    Concubine Shao''s entire heart was on Ye Jinwei''s body, she pinched her chest, she was in a mess, he simply did not have the time to care about the chaotic situation in front of him.


    Madame SHen frowned, she raised her head and looked at the crying Yao Mama, then glanced at the servant girls outside the house who were whimpering, and coldly asked: "What are you doing? First Miss just fainted, what are you crying for! " He paused for a while and then continued, "Other than Mama Yao, Si Ling and Qian Yun, the rest of you, go do whatever you need to do.


    Although the mistress was deep inside and did not like to be in charge, she was after all the proper mistress of the Ye Family. With her words, how could the servant girls dare to disobey, they all choked and bowed before retreating, the surroundings instantly became quiet.


    Jin Lan was flabbergasted by Ye Jinwei''s last sentence. He stood in place with a pale face, staring blankly at the unconscious Ye Jinwei.


    Seeing that, the Madame SHen became anxious, but after hearing that the person bluffing could not be woken up forcefully, and was easy to scare, she extended his hand and gently placed it on her shoulder, and called out with an extremely gentle voice: "Lan Er."


    A slight warmth seeped into Jin Lan''s body from Madame SHen''s palm and slowly flowed into her four limbs and bones. After a while, she shuddered and let out a long breath of air. She blinked her sore eyes and raised her head to look at Madame SHen. "Mother."


    Seeing that Jin Lan had calmed down, Madame SHen could not help but heave a sigh of relief.


    She nodded her head obediently. However, she knew clearly in her heart that the scene just now would not disappear from her mind for a long time.


    After a while, Man Ping led the doctors in. Jin Lan raised his head and saw that the person who had come to visit the Madame SHen was the Doctor Gong who often treated patients.

 C24

    The Doctor Gong still had a cold expression on his face. After entering the house, he nodded towards the Madame SHen, then glanced at Jin Lan, then walked straight to the window. Seeing that the Concubine Shao was tightly hugging Ye Jinwei, her eyebrows knitted, and she coldly said: "If you don''t want her to die, hurry up and flatten her out."


    When Concubine Shao saw that it was Doctor Gong, her expression darkened slightly, but she still worried about Ye Jinwei''s safety in the end. Following her words, she carefully placed the person in his embrace onto the satin plum blossom pillow. Then she got off the bed quietly, but still stood close to the bed, refusing to leave even one step.


    The Doctor Gong touched his pulse, and then asked a few more questions before withdrawing his hand. He looked up at the Madame SHen and said in a low voice: "Sputum is addicted to the heart, it''s hysteria."


    "How did he get hysteria?" Concubine Shao was shocked, she stared at Doctor Gong and asked quickly. Unfortunately, the Doctor Gong didn''t pay attention to her and only looked fixedly at her.


    Madame SHen frowned and looked right into her eyes, "You can cure it?"


    "Naturally." Doctor Gong nodded, he stood up and sat down at the side of the round table made of wood, and picked up the pen and paper that Qian Yun had prepared.


    Hearing Doctor Gong''s reply, Concubine Shao''s tensed heart calmed down, but she did not trust Doctor Gong as she was a member of Madame SHen, so she took advantage of the lack of attention to secretly give Qian Yun a look.


    When First Miss had gotten sick, she had already asked someone to go to Steward Li to get a doctor, but for some reason, she had not seen him at all.


    "First Miss''s illness needs some time to recuperate and one must not be frightened again. Every day, I take the prescription until I wake up." Doctor Gong finished prescribing the ingredients, and after giving a few more words of warning, he left with Man Ping. Si Ling also took the prescriptions and followed behind him to the medicine store to catch up on the medicinal herbs.


    Once Doctor Gong got up, he immediately sat back on the bed and gently brushed away the cold sweat that had stuck onto his face. His tears were like beads with a broken string as they fell onto the bed one by one and muttered, "First Miss, wake up ¡­"


    Madame SHen also had a daughter, after seeing this scene, her heart was moved, and she could not help but sigh: "Take good care of your First Miss, and don''t make any mistakes."


    Mama Yao and Qian Yun busied themselves with blessing and replied softly, "Yes."


    It was as if Concubine Shao remembered that there was still someone like Madame SHen in the room. She hurriedly wiped the tears off her face with her handkerchief, got up and squatted in front of Madame SHen, and said with bloodshot eyes: "Looking at First Miss, I really don''t think I can accompany you to the main hall. Please forgive me."


    Madame SHen waved his hand, "Forget it, take good care of First Miss. There''s no need to worry about it." With that, she led Jin Lan out of the room.


    Exiting the courtyard of the Yunxiu House, the Madame SHen walked on the blue brick road with Jin Lan in tow. When she saw her daughter''s pale face, Madame SHen stopped walking, "Lan Er, are you tired? The main hall is still far away, so there is no need for you to go. As she spoke, she instructed Hui Xiu, "Accompany Second Miss back to the Lan Garden."


    "Mother, I''m not tired." Jin Lan immediately shook his head and squeezed out a smile, then said to Madame SHen in a tender voice: "Just now, I was just scared stiff by big sister''s appearance, and now that I have recovered, it''s fine. Besides, mother is not tired, why is Lan Er tired?"


    The Madame SHen who was usually amiable to Jin Lan actually revealed a rarely seen unyielding expression. "I can see that your expression isn''t right, it''s better to listen to mother and obediently go back to rest."


    Seeing that, Jin Lan knew that the Madame SHen was determined not to let her follow, so he nodded and compromised. After bowing to the Madame SHen, Hui Xiu changed the route and returned to the Lan Garden.


    Ever since something had happened to Wan Ju, she had deliberately found a reason to send the Mama Tang out of the house so that she could report the news back in time. As a result, only Bi He, the head servant, and the two other maidservants, Mu Lan and Wen Zhu remained. Normally, Bi He would accompany her to the Shuixie Pavilion, but in her heart, she was suspicious of the servant girls inside the Lan Garden. Usually, once they reached the Shuixie Pavilion, they would send her back home, but when they wanted to return there, they would leave with either Man Ping or Hui Xiu.


    When Jin Lan''s figure disappeared, Madame SHen brought a group of people to walk towards the veranda. Not long after, they saw Steward Li leading a man who looked like a doctor towards the Yunxiu House. The Madame SHen''s gaze wavered as she pursed her lips. Without further ado, she retracted her gaze and walked towards the main hall.


    That night, Jin Lan lied on his carving bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. When he closed his eyes, Ye Jinwei''s shivering face and his widened eyes that revealed fear and despair surfaced in his mind. It wasn''t easy for him to squint for a bit, but he was repeatedly woken up by his nightmares. Even Bi He, who was on night duty, woke up twice, scrubbed and changed her clothes, tossed and turned until the edges of the sky suffused with a touch of fish-belly white, before drowsily closing his eyes.


    When it was the hour that they normally ate breakfast, Madame SHen, who was waiting left and right for no one to come, sent Hui Xiu to the Lan Garden to inquire about the situation. After finding out that she was unable to sleep soundly last night, she must have been extremely frightened due to the Yunxiu House. Then, she got Man Ping to personally find the Doctor Gong to prescribe some medicine for calming the spirit. After ordering someone to personally deliver it, she had to stare at her as she drank it before giving up.


    With a frown on his face, Jin Lan finished drinking the bitter laughter of the Medicinal Juice. Feeling sleepy, he could not help but yawn, and then laid back on the bed, falling into a deep sleep. This time, he slept extremely soundly.


    Madame SHen sat in front of his bed, quietly watching her daughter''s peaceful face, only after a while did she get up and walk out of the room, and especially gathered the servants and wives for a beating, and instructed Bi He to take care of Jin Lan, and then brought Hui Xiu and the servants out.


    On the way, she walked and stopped, enjoying the garden that she had not stepped into for a long time. Only after more than an hour did Madame SHen return to her Shuixie Pavilion. Before she could sit down, Man Ping came in from the outside and whispered to her. After hearing what Man Ping said, Madame SHen''s face turned slightly pale, but she quickly calmed down. She looked up at Hui Xiu, and said, "Go and call Qiu Wen over."


    Hui Xiu nodded, then turned and walked towards the living room.


    Not long later, Qiu Wen entered the main house behind Hui Xiu.


    Qiu Wen bowed towards the Madame SHen respectfully, "Madam."


    The Madame SHen sized Qiu Wen up carefully, as if she was trying to see something from her face. After a long time, she finally opened her mouth: "Why did you go to the sewing room yesterday?"


    After Qiu Wen heard Madame SHen''s question, she told him everything. It was because she got up yesterday morning to find that she had used up all the rolled silver threads from the needle and thread basket, but she only had a small part of her clothing left to roll, so she went to the needlework room to get some. As a result, the embroidery ladies left the room to consult the double-sided embroidery method. After all, no one could compare to her when it came to double-sided embroidery in the Ye Mansion. When Hui Xiu personally came to look for her, she hurried back to the Shuixie Pavilion with Hui Xiu. It was just that she did not know when the bag that was originally hanging on her waist had fallen, if not for Ling Shan bringing it over, she would not have realised it.


    After she finished speaking, she nervously stood in place. Although Hui Xiu did not say it explicitly, she had personally witnessed everything within the Side Chamber yesterday, so she naturally understood a bit. Especially when she heard Chun Xiao slander her as the messenger, she was shocked and fearful, and almost fainted on the spot. It was fortunate that the person who spread the news was finally found, otherwise... Qiu Wen''s heart could not help but tremble.


    He thought he had found some useful clues, but now it seemed that they were all useless. Madame SHen was quiet for a moment, then waved her away.


    "Madam, you''ve been tired all day. Why don''t you lie down and rest for a while?" Hui Xiu reached out her hands to straighten the pillow at the side, and helped Madame SHen up onto the soft couch.


    With one hand holding her chin, the Madame SHen half leaned on the soft couch, her eyes narrowed as she stared in a daze. Man Ping took out the Satin Beauty Hammer and hammered her legs, the Peacock Blue Glaze that was placed in the outer room burned with the fragrance of sandalwood.


    Concubine Shao had always been guarding the Yunxiu House, and Ye Jinwei had woken up twice during this period. Both times she was unconscious, but even so, whenever someone approached him, she would struggle, spouting nonsense. Yao Mama, Si Ling and Qian Yun had to work together to drink the medicine. After drinking the medicine, she gradually calmed down and fell back into a deep sleep.


    Only when the moon reached the treetops did Concubine Shao bring Su Xin back to the Bright Autumn Pavilion. As soon as she sat down, he slammed her hand on the table, scaring the Willow who was just about to enter the room with her tea, out of her mind.

 C25

    Su Xin took the tray and waved her hands at Qing Liu, gesturing for her to go down first. Then, he steadily walked to Concubine Shao with the tray, "Aunt, drink some ginseng tea to refresh your heart. The old ginseng that was soaked in water here was specially sent over by Master last time."


    When he mentioned Ye Lin, the frost on Concubine Shao''s face slightly melted. From yesterday all the way until now, taking care of Ye Jinwei at the bedside was indeed tiring. She lifted the teacup and took a sip, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He said bitterly: "Why would Ling Shan, this little tit for a tat, go to the Shuixie Pavilion? This good situation has been messed up! "


    At the Shuixie Pavilion, Su Xin had already noticed the abnormality, but she did not get the chance to say it aloud. Now that there''s only her and the Concubine Shao, there''s naturally no need to hide it, When this servant sees this, it seems a little strange.


    Concubine Shao stared at Su Xin, a look of doubt flashing past her eyes, "You mean, madam ¡­"


    Su Xin shook her head and said softly with extreme caution: "This servant feels that this matter might not necessarily have been done by this lady, if not, this lady could have called Ling Shan out to identify him from the very beginning, why would she do it on Qiu Wen?"


    "It''s not Madam ¡­" Concubine Shao muttered, her expression suddenly shook, she suddenly stood up and cried out: "Could it be Master?"


    What happened yesterday at the Shuixie Pavilion flashed through her mind one by one. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that it was as she had expected.


    Su Xin hurriedly stepped forward to console her: "Aunt, don''t panic, perhaps your servant''s guess was wrong."


    "No!" Concubine Shao held Su Xin''s hand tightly, the color of her face gradually drained, her normally exquisite face was cut by a trace of panic, "You guessed right, it must be, it must be Master!" She spat out the last two words, as though he had drained all the energy in her body. If not for her grabbing hold of Su Xin''s hand, she might have immediately fallen to the ground.


    Su Xin was startled and quickly helped Concubine Shao to sit on the beauty bed. She then picked up the ginseng tea and carefully brought it to her lips. Gently stroking Concubine Shao''s back, she continued to advise: "Aunt, don''t think too much into it. Forget about the rest, other than the old lady who kept a portion for the tea, the rest were all at Bright Autumn Pavilion. Even if the other courtyards stretched out their necks to look around, there might not be even a little bit of it. The old master''s heart ached for the aunt, how could she do such a thing? "


    Although she was still sitting restlessly, but Concubine Shao had heard Su Xin''s advice and her complexion had improved a little. Just that, when the tea that had originally tasted like honey entered her mouth, it was filled with bitterness. She looked at Su Xin with a complicated expression and laughed bitterly: "Master does pity me, but Master is more ¡­." The words that had just left her mouth turned into endless sighs. She had served Ye Lin for so many years, how could she not know what he was thinking? Compared to a girl''s love, the most important thing to him was his reputation. It was also because she had seen through this point that she was able to guess Ye Lin''s decision time and time again, and from here on out, convert it into a condition that was most beneficial to her.


    If not, how could a maidservant like her be superior to the famous Lady Shen?


    "Even if it wasn''t Master''s idea, it still has something to do with him. Don''t forget, who was the one who passed down the message for me to go to Shuixie Pavilion? That is the most capable Steward Li beside the old master! " After a moment of panic, Concubine Shao gradually calmed down. She knew Ye Lin too well. With his personality, he would definitely not cause such a ruckus. He was only trying to use his wife''s hand to hit him. As long as he slightly restrained himself, he would be fine.


    However, in order to be safe, he had to think of a way to test it out tomorrow.


    Seeing Concubine Shao''s complexion fluctuating between white and green, Su Xin slowly relaxed. She knew that she had an idea, so she tried asking, "Then Chun Xiao ¡­"


    Concubine Shao raised her eyes, her gaze cold, "Since Madam has made her decision, we will naturally listen to Madam."


    Although it was a pity that the Madame SHen had not been toppled, at least Chun Xiao, the slut, would not be able to think of turning the tables around. Humph! The most hateful thing was that he was delusional enough to want to replace her and see if she had that kind of life! Her eyes were cold, and her voice suddenly lowered, as she quickly spat out one sentence to Su Xin.


    As the words entered her ears, it fiercely smashed into her heart, causing her to be shocked. Her bright eyes swept past the shadow at the corner of Concubine Shao''s mouth.


    Concubine Shao seemed to be very satisfied with Su Xin''s reaction. She held Su Xin''s hand and patted it lightly, then said gently: "Don''t worry, I will definitely not treat someone who is loyal to me poorly."


    Su Xin forcefully ignored the uneasiness at the bottom of her heart, and said with a smile: "How could this servant dare not be loyal to a Bodhisattva like person?" She paused for a moment, and then a look of worry surfaced on her face, "Chun Xiao, don''t worry, this servant is worried about First Miss''s sickness, I drank so many doses, but did not improve in the slightest."


    When Ye Jinwei was mentioned, the smile on the Concubine Shao''s face sank, "Wei''er''s illness is strange. Tomorrow, we will first lock up the servants and their wives, and take advantage of these few days to buy people. We will choose another batch we can trust and send them over. As for Yao Mama and Si Ling Qian Yun ¡­ " She thought for a while, and then said with a stern face, "Don''t worry, we won''t be able to leave them for now. Just wait for Viv to recover and see if I can''t skin this group of black-hearted people!" At the end, her expression was already a bit twisted.


    Jin Lan brought Bi He to Shuixie Pavilion early in the morning, and after drinking the Spirit-Calming Elixir for two days in a row, they finally stopped making noise at night. When they woke up today, their faces had also become much redder.


    The moment he stepped into the Shuixie Pavilion gate, Jin Lan could feel that something wasn''t right. The old woman guarding the gate looked more respectful than before, and there were two new servants standing guard in the courtyard.


    Jin Lan frowned, because sshe was too concerned about the Madame SHen, he was too lazy to bother with them, so she brought Bi He straight to the house.


    The one on duty today was not Qiu Wen nor was it Mo Chu, but the other servant. When she saw Jin Lan approaching, she bowed from afar, "Second Miss."


    Jin Lan''s frown deepened as she looked doubtfully at the servant girl in front of her with lowered eyebrows. She then asked, "Where did you work before? How come I''ve never seen you before?"


    The maidservant smiled and replied, "Your servant is called Pi Er. I was originally a third-rate maidservant in the maidservant''s room, so this young lady naturally does not recognize her."


    Grade three maidservant? Then why are they guarding the door? Logically speaking, a third-rate maidservant could only run errands in the courtyard, and normally, she couldn''t get close to the door. She wanted to ask a few more questions, but the door curtain suddenly raised from the inside, Ye Lin''s furious face instantly appeared in front of her.


    Jin Lan was shocked, but he quickly blessed himself and shouted, "Father!"


    Seeing that it was Jin Lan, the anger on Ye Lin''s face receded a bit, "Stand up." Then, he snorted coldly, and without saying anything more, he started walking out, as though he did not want to stay in Shuixie Pavilion for even a moment longer.


    Jin Lan didn''t bother to ask the servant anymore, even Bi He had forgotten to order her to return. He lifted the curtain and entered the room, only to see that the bluestone floor tiles were in a mess.


    "Mother!" She rushed into the room and saw that Madame SHen was sitting on the purple sandalwood sculpture stone chair with a dull expression. The bun on her head had not been combed properly yet, and her soft and smooth black hair was scattered on her chest. Man Ping and Mo Chu were by her side, seemingly trying to advise her against something. Jin Lan rushed to Madame SHen''s side, and carefully examined her from head to toe. Only after discovering that her face was somewhat ugly, but her body was completely safe and sound did he heave a sigh of relief. I just saw my father leaving in a hurry, and I don''t seem very happy about it. "


    "Lan Er is here." Hearing her daughter''s voice, Madame SHen forced herself to calm down, she raised her hand and gave the gold-studded treasured sparrow spreading its wings to Man Ping, then smiled at Jin Lan: "Don''t worry, there''s nothing much to worry about. Go and sit on the bed for a while, Mother will take care of everything now." With that, she ordered Qiu Wen to clean up the outer room.


    Jin Lan looked at Madame SHen''s wrinkled brows and slightly red eyes and felt his heart ache. He raised his hand to cover Madame SHen''s ice-cold hands and said, "Something must have happened. Mother didn''t say anything, so how could daughter not be worried?"


    The Madame SHen was silent, but Hui Xiu stood out and kneeled in front of Jin Lan, crying out loud: "Miss, please save Madam!"

 C26

    Jin Lan was shocked by Hui Xiu''s words. Before he could ask further, he heard Madame SHen say sternly: "Hui Xiu, shut up!"


    Hui Xiu''s face was deathly pale, but her eyes were filled with determination. She kowtowed towards Madame SHen with tears in her eyes and spoke with a trembling voice: "Madam, this servant has been serving the Madam since young. You have treated me well, this servant does not dare forget this. "Today, even if you kill this servant, this servant will still say it!" With that said, he took two steps forward and said to Jin Lan in a sobbing voice: "Miss, this morning, Master came to Shuixie Pavilion to vent her anger on Madam. Before she left, he even berated Madam Jin Lan for being unkind and jealous! And she said she was going to divorce her wife! "


    "You, what did you say?" Jin Lan''s face was terrifyingly white, and her face was filled with disbelief. She stared straight at Hui Xiu, and said word by word: "What did you say just now? Say that again! "


    Hui Xiu was so shocked by Jin Lan''s appearance that she couldn''t help stammering: "Young, young lady ¡­ "You ¡­"


    Madame SHen also noticed that something was wrong with her daughter. She was shocked and quickly pulled her to her side, only to realize that her little body was trembling in fear! With wide eyes, Madame SHen was in a panic, "Lan Er, Lan Er, what happened to you?"


    Jin Lan felt the sound in his ears quickly receding like the tide. In a trance, he could only hear Fate''s mocking laughter.


    Why? In her previous life, Ye Jinwei''s punishment almost made her lose her life, which was why Madame SHen got reprimanded by Ye Lin. But now that she had changed everything, why did those words still appear?


    Jin Lan suddenly raised his head, his big eyes flashed with a trace of fear. He clenched Madame SHen''s sleeves tightly: "Mother, why does Father say that?"


    The Madame SHen was startled, she did not expect that what Jin Lan was thinking about was actually this, causing her eyes to astray. Thinking about Ye Lin, she couldn''t help but have her heart turn into ashes, she sighed, gently stroking Jin Lan''s back, and after a moment of hesitation, she opened her mouth and said: "Old master, he ¡­ I think the hysteria in the First Miss was caused by me. "


    "How is this possible?" Jin Lan exclaimed, "What does elder sister''s illness have to do with mother? It''s clear that Si Ling came to report and my mother only went to the Yunxiu House.


    Madame SHen''s eyes dimmed as the corners of her mouth curled. She said indifferently: "Whether I am or not, it isn''t important anymore. Lan Er doesn''t need to mind it too much, your father will never abandon me."


    That''s right. If he abandoned her, who would help him clean up this mess? Madame SHen laughed at herself in her heart, how could she not know that Ye Jinwei''s illness is only an excuse, it must be because of Chun Xiao''s servant. Although the one who sent Chun Xiao into the Ye Family was the Yangzhou Prefect, Cheng Bo Shan, standing behind the Cheng Family, was the loyal Duke Palace, the outer sect of the Second Prince. Beating Chun Xiao was tantamount to smacking Second Prince in the face. No matter how pleased Ye Lin was, he would not let it go so easily.


    Be neither virtuous nor merciful, and be jealous and vicious. Heh! Presumably, tomorrow''s news would spread across the entire Yangzhou City, but he did not expect that after so many years of devoted companionship, what he received in return would actually be this sort of ending.


    "But ¡­" She looked over, and saw that there was a small stain of water on her wrist. Her pupils constricted, and she suddenly raised her head, only to see that there was a crystal teardrop hanging beside Madame SHen''s cheek. "Mother?"


    Hearing Jin Lan''s call, Madame SHen suddenly regained her senses, and felt a cold sensation on her cheek. She quickly turned his head, used a handkerchief to wipe her face, and forced a smile: "I wonder what kind of person cleaned up the house with such thick dust. With the window open and the wind blowing, she is actually bewitched."


    Man Ping quickly continued: "It''s this servant''s fault!"


    She couldn''t resist pouncing into her embrace, "Mother, Lan Er doesn''t want to ask, don''t ask anymore. Please don''t be sad, Lan Er will always be by your side."


    She tried so hard to change it, but when she looked back, nothing had changed.


    Fate turned in a circle and returned to its starting point. However, in this life, she would definitely not accept her fate!


    Since Ye Lin could say these words, she definitely wanted him to take them back personally!


    A sharp look flashed past Jin Lan''s eyes, and she gently stepped out of Madame SHen''s embrace. Then, she looked at Hui Xiu who was still kneeling motionlessly on the ground, and said, "Stand up first."


    Hui Xiu looked at Jin Lan, then looked at Madame SHen, she wanted to say something but hesitated. After a moment of hesitation, she knelt down, all the way until Madame SHen spoke.


    "Yes." Hui Xiu responded softly, then slowly stood up, her knees were already numb from the pain, she staggered a bit, and after cleaning up the room, Qiu Wen quietly went back to her original position and quickly extended her hand to support him.


    Jin Lan''s sharp gaze swept across all the servants in the room, including Bi He who followed behind her into the house, and said solemnly: "Today''s matter, cannot be spread out! If there are any rumors or rumors outside, then I will not forgive you, not to mention my mother! "


    The five replied in unison, "Yes, this servant has remembered."


    Jin Lan and the Madame SHen chatted for a while longer before the house started to bustle with activity. Man Ping helped Madame SHen comb her hair, Hui Xiu went to the small kitchen to prepare breakfast. Qiu Wen took out hot water and poured it into a brass basin to serve Madame SHen and Jin Lan.


    In less than half an incense''s time, a steaming hot breakfast was placed on the table. It was just that Madame SHen and Jin Lan obviously had poor appetite and did not use much. After Jin Lan finished his breakfast, he suddenly thought of the two unfamiliar maidservants and Ling Er who was guarding outside the door. He couldn''t help but ask.


    The Madame SHen laughed lightly, but did not hide it from her, and said softly: "Those two are the maids that I bought from the Dental Granny the day before yesterday."


    A new maid? Isn''t that what you bought to be a head maid? A trace of surprise flashed across Jin Lan''s face.


    As if seeing through Jin Lan''s thoughts, Madame SHen pursed her lips and said, "Although I do have two less maids in my room, I may not necessarily have to use them. I brought up Qiu Wen and Mo Chu, and also filled in the gaps for the second rate maidservants for Ling''er and Qian''er, so naturally, only the empty seats for the third level maidservants remain.


    So it turns out that Madame SHen already had a plan. No wonder she agreed to Concubine Shao''s request so readily. When she thought of Concubine Shao''s ugly expression, Jin Lan finally heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. She might as well stay and accompany the Madame SHen until she woke up from her lunch break before returning to her own Lan Garden.


    Jin Lan brought Bi He and walked extremely slowly. Perhaps it was because it was going to rain soon, the sky was completely dark and heavy, it was heavy and stuffy, as if even her breathing was being suppressed. It was extremely uncomfortable. She felt depressed as she thought about what had happened in the last few days.


    Seeing that Jin Lan was walking slower and slower, and that the sky seemed to be starting to rain, Bi He couldn''t help but urge: "Miss, I''m afraid it''s going to rain soon, let''s go back quickly, Miss''s body is weak, if we were to be drenched, I''m afraid we''ll get sick."


    Jin Lan raised her head and looked at the sky. The thick black clouds were pressing down on the ground and it was indeed about to rain. She looked at the direction of Lan Garden and suddenly turned around to go down the handwritten veranda.


    Bi He was startled, and immediately followed: "Miss, where are you going?"


    Jin Lan didn''t even turn his head around, and directly said: "I''m going to go see big sister. If you don''t want to go, then go back to the Lan Garden by yourself first."


    Bi He bit her lips, a look of grievance flashing past her eyes, but in the end she still followed Jin Lan towards the Yunxiu House.


    The servant girl standing guard outside the East Wing gate was Dong Xue. Seeing Jin Lan bringing Bi He over, a look of nervousness faintly surfaced in her eyes. When Jin Lan walked to the door, she hurriedly bent down and bowed. "Second Miss."


    Jin Lan smiled as he glanced at the tightly shut door behind her. He then asked softly, "I''ve come to visit big sister. Is big sister awake?"


    Dong Xue smiled apologetically: "It''s bad luck that this Second Miss came here, this First Miss just got drunk and went to sleep, I''m afraid I won''t be able to wake up in a short while."


    Before he could finish his words, a sharp cracking sound suddenly came from inside the room, as if something had fallen onto the ground. The smile on Dong Xue''s face stiffened, he couldn''t help but want to step forward and cover Jin Lan''s ears.


    "It seems big sister is awake. Let me go in and take a look." There was still a smile by the corner of Jin Lan''s mouth, but there was a chill in her eyes, she went around Dong Xue and directly pushed open the door.


    Just as she entered the inner room, a gust of wind blew in, and the curtain by the window was lifted by the wind. The lotus flower colored curtain fluttered on Jin Lan''s body, as if covering her from head to toe with a layer of gauze. Before she could raise her hand to move it away, a heart-wrenching shriek rang in her ears.

 C27

    "Miss, the bird''s nest has been stewed." Mu Lan held onto the Chicken Wing Wood, Vermillion Bird Flower Food Box and stood outside the door, then lifted the curtain a little, but she did not come in.


    Jin Lan was lying sideways on the white plum blossom couch, one hand holding his forehead and the other holding a book. A string of Jade Seal Stone buddhist beads were tied loosely around his white wrist, causing his skin to be as white as snow. After flipping over a page, he whispered, "Come in."


    After Mu Lan heard the noise, she lifted the curtain and entered the room. Although it was Jin Lan who looked lazy, her eyes were staring at the books with interest, as though she was not even blinking an eye. She took out a porcelain bowl of the official kiln''s sweet white glaze and told him: "Miss, should we rest for a while? Seeing how the heavens are looking at books like this, I''m afraid it hurts my eyes. "


    Jin Lan''s hand that was holding the book hung at her waist, she glanced at his tightly wrapped right ankle, then turned her head towards Mu Lan and said with a helpless expression: "With my current appearance, I can only stay in my room to read and practice." As she spoke, she tried to sit up and accidentally pulled on her injured ankle. The sharp pain made her unable to restrain herself from inhaling a breath of cold air.


    Seeing that, Mu Lan immediately stepped forward to support her, and carefully helped her up from the soft couch. She saw a trace of paleness on her face due to the pain, and beads of cold sweat on the tip of her nose.


    "Big Sis lost her consciousness, and it wasn''t on purpose." Jin Lan picked up the bird''s nest that Mu Lan brought up, and lightly stirred it with a spoon, eating it slowly.


    That day at Yunxiu House, when she was being blown by the wind, her eyes were covered by a veil, and before she could even react, a heart-tearing and lung-splitting scream came from beside her ears. She recognized that voice, it was Ye Jinwei. Inwardly anxious, she raised her hand to push aside the curtain, but to her surprise, there was a huge force that pushed her slim body against it. She instantly retreated a few steps and heavily crashed into the corner of the room. A blue and white glazed vase fell to the ground and landed on her right ankle. It immediately swelled up like a steamed bun, making it impossible for her to move.


    Bi He anxiously carried her back to the Lan Garden, and sent for a doctor. Fortunately, the injury was not light, so Madame SHen knew about it and sealed her feet.


    After seven or eight days, the swelling on his ankles had almost subsided, but it was still painful to watch.


    "How does the lady feel today? Madame said yesterday that if the young lady''s pain is still severe, I would like to invite the Doctor Gong to take a look. " While Mu Lan was cleaning up the Xuan paper scattered on the paper, he said noisily.


    "No need for that. I feel better than I did a few days ago. I think I''ll be fine after taking a few more sets of medicine." Jin Lan looked at Mu Lan who was busying at the side, this girl had just been transferred here to support Wan Ju''s lack of children, she was pleasing to the eyes, and her personality was also honest and hardworking. At first glance, she seemed to have a little bit of Wan Ju''s shadow.


    When she thought of Wan Ju, her hands paused, and she couldn''t help but panic in her heart. It had been almost a month since Wan Ju had left the house, but there was no news at all. Borrowing the fact that her body wasn''t well enough to leave the house to recuperate, Mama Tang dashed through the Yangzhou City daily. Occasionally, she would send back a few letters with the intention of telling her to give up.


    How could she not know that at this point of time, Wan Ju was probably not in a good situation. But a voice kept insisting in her heart, in the dead of night, Wan Ju''s bright eyes would always light up in her mind. Therefore, as long as there was no specific news, she would believe that Wan Ju was still alive!


    "Miss, girl?" Mu Lan''s mouth was dry from talking for a long time, when she suddenly realized that her young lady looked to be in a trance, and her relaxed heart tensed up again. She hurriedly asked: "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"


    The corners of her mouth raised up slightly, "No, I''m just thinking why is Bi He not here?"


    Mu Lan looked at Jin Lan weirdly, "Today is the first day of the month, when Big Sister Bi He went to the Bright Autumn Pavilion, before she left, she specially asked the young lady about it. How come the young lady doesn''t remember?"


    "I forgot." Jin Lan smiled slightly, then suddenly recalled something, and immediately asked: "Wasn''t this monthly test sent by Su Xin? Why did you want Bi He to go and retrieve it today? "


    Mu Lan shook her head, "This servant isn''t too clear either, it''s just that after hearing that First Miss is sick, and that Aunt has to take care of his affairs and take care of them, I was too busy to ask Big Sister Bi He to take care of it."


    Jin Lan frowned, then sneered in his heart. Concubine Shao is really too shameless, she can''t even be bothered to maintain her most basic appearances? What good would it do her? With the Concubine Shao''s personality, if there were no benefits, she would definitely not act rashly.


    She lowered her head and thought, then raised the curtain on the outside, causing Bi He''s figure to appear in front of the door.


    "Miss." Bi He''s face was dyed red, her forehead was covered with beads of perspiration, one glance was enough to tell that the weather outside was extremely hot. She knelt towards Jin Lan and took the bag that she had been holding with both hands, "This is our courtyard''s monthly allowance for next month, a total of eight taels of silver."


    Jin Lan glanced at the purse in her hand, but didn''t accept it. He indifferently said, "Put it in the cage."


    Bi He was startled, then immediately met with her eyes that were as black as ink, as she replied: "Yes." However, she didn''t move an inch.


    Jin Lan ate a mouthful of bird''s nest and pushed the bowl away, then took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. Seeing that Bi He was still standing at his original position, he immediately raised her brows, "What''s wrong?"


    Bi He hesitated for a while, before speaking vaguely: "Miss, when we were passing through the garden earlier, this servant accidentally overheard a few Little Maid''s words ¡­ They say that there have been some rumors going around. "


    Jin Lan frowned, and looked at Bi He in puzzlement, "What rumors?"


    "This servant isn''t sure, but this servant has brought Little Maid back who knows about the internal affairs. Does Miss want to meet him?"


    Jin Lan pondered for a moment before nodding. "Let her in."


    Bi He turned around and went out to bring the Little Maid in.


    The Little Maid looked to be about eight or nine years old, and shshewas well-built, with a round face. It was likely that she was a servant girl in the garden who had been exposed to the sun and wind, and her skin was darker than the average maid. Upon entering, he knelt down and kowtowed to Jin Lan, saying with a trembling voice: "This servant, Cui Ya greets Second Miss."


    Jin Lan scrutinized Cui Ya for a while, then said with a smile, "Stand up first."


    Cui Ya nervously stood up, her eyes flickered as she glanced at Jin Lan, and discovered that this Second Miss was around the same age as her, with a beautiful face, and a sweet smile on her lips, making people want to get close to her. Thinking of this, his trembling body gradually slowed down.


    Seeing her standing there in a daze, Bi He did not say anything, and stared straight at Jin Lan. He was not happy, so he opened his mouth and coldly said: "Cui Ya, hurry up and tell me everything you said in the garden!"


    Cui Ya''s shoulders shrunk, and she looked at Bi He timidly. "These words are not meant for me, I have also unintentionally overheard my elder sisters say that First Miss''s illness is very strange. Every time Second Miss comes to the Yunxiu House, First Miss will have an illness, and it might be because of Second Miss. She even said that the proof is that Second Miss fell into the water a few days ago and when she woke up, she looked like a different person. Her voice became lower and lower as she spoke. Seeing Jin Lan''s expression suddenly change, she couldn''t help but cover her mouth and stop talking.


    When Bi He heard the rumors, she was so anxious that she did not think much before bringing Cui Ya back to him. This time, when she saw Jin Lan''s pale face, she immediately regretted it. What a fool!


    She quickly poured a cup of hot tea for Jin Lan. "Miss, how about a cup of tea first?"


    Jin Lan sat there unmoving, as if he could not hear Bi He''s voice. His entire face was as cold as ice, and the hand under his sleeves was trembling uncontrollably, but in his heart, he was laughing out of anger. No wonder he suddenly called Bi He to his Bright Autumn Pavilion to receive her orders, it was all because of this idea!

 C28

    The Concubine Shao wanted to make use of this matter to show everyone that the rumors in the manor might not be fake, and that the rumors might even come from the Bright Autumn Pavilion! Jin Lan gritted his teeth, and a cold light flashed in his eyes as he lowered his head.


    Bi He saw that Jin Lan''s complexion was getting worse, so she looked angrily at Cui Ya and scolded: "You little bastards, don''t work all day and think about it yourself. If you make this girl angry, then see if I don''t go back to my wife, I will take care of your skin!"


    Cui Yu was already on tenterhooks, but how could she stand after being frightened by Bi He. With a plop, she knelt down towards Jin Lan, wiped away her tears and explained: "How could I dare speak carelessly, it''s just that this matter has already spread outside the Second Gate. I only learned about it after hearing about it from my sisters." He then kowtowed towards Jin Lan, "This servant knows her wrongs and won''t dare to do it again. I beg the Miss to spare this servant!"


    Jin Lan lifted his head and swept his gaze across Bi He. His cold eyes made Bi He stifle his breath, and he couldn''t help but lower his head and shudder. After a moment of silence, she slowly said: "Alright, you may go. You are not allowed to bring up the matter of coming to Lan Garden today."


    Cui Yu acted as if she was granted amnesty. How could she dare to delay any longer? She immediately kowtowed and got up, hurriedly leaving.


    Seeing that the curtains were drawn outside, Bi He hesitated for a moment. Finally, she could not help but ask: "How did Miss let her go? It''s time to ask who sent the message behind the scenes. "


    Jin Lan said flatly, "So what if I ask? "It''s just that the maidservants are biting each other. Even if we find out who the rumors are, we won''t be able to stop them from leaving. Instead, I seem to have gotten angry from embarrassment, and maybe, it is more like someone''s words."


    Since these words were said outside the Second Gate, Ye Lin would definitely not let it go. With Ye Lin appearing, it was much more effective than her doing it himself, why would she go over there and wade in this muddy water? Besides, it wasn''t necessarily a bad thing.


    Hearing that, Bi He was startled, and only reacted after a long while: "Young lady''s meaning is, this matter is deliberately done by someone ¡­"


    "Speaking of which, I''ve put a lot of bird''s nest sugar in today''s stew. It''s a bit greasy." Suddenly, he gave her a gentle smile: "I remember that when it''s summer, you will always make tea using the candied kumquats. It''s so sour that it''s the best to stop it, do you still have it now?"


    Seeing Jin Lan smile at him, Bi He was both surprised and happy, and immediately replied: "Of course there is. If young lady wishes to drink it, this servant will go and get it."


    Jin Lan smiled and nodded. "I''ll be troubling you."


    "Miss, where are you speaking of this? Serving this lady is a servant''s business, how can it be considered troublesome?" Bi He blessed herself as she spoke, and quickly headed to the small kitchen to prepare some fruits and tea.


    The candied kumquat tea was a secret recipe passed down in her family. After choosing a kumquat tea that was about the same size as her own, she used honey stains on it, then mixed it with good tea and soaked it with dew from the lotus leaves before dawn. The tea was a light gold color, and the taste of it was sour and sweet.


    Jin Lan smiled as he watched her leave, listening to the sound of her hurried footsteps. She walked further and further away, until the voice disappeared from her ears, before calling Mu Lan, who had been quietly leaning against the soft couch, and whispering a few words into her ear.


    Hearing that, Mu Lan''s face looked surprised, and quickly waved her hand: "Miss, this is too much. If Old Master and Madam knew about this, what would happen?"


    In truth, leaving this matter to Mu Lan wasn''t the most appropriate decision, but now that Wan Ju was missing and the Mama Tang wasn''t in the manor, she was more willing to trust Mu Lan by a little compared to him. Moreover, this matter had already been exposed. At most, Ye Lin would restrict their movements, and wouldn''t lose much. On the contrary, she would lose out to someone else if she could see clearly from this.


    Mu Lan felt that Jin Lan''s clear eyes were filled with endless grievance. After forcing herself to endure for a moment, she finally could not bear the gaze anymore, and lowered his eyes, and said anxiously: "It''s not that I am not willing to help Miss, it''s just that this matter is detrimental to Miss, I know that Miss is wronged, but why do you look down on me like that? "Servant, even if this servant were to go all out, this servant definitely cannot agree with the miss!" He knelt down in front of Jin Lan with his back straight and an unyielding expression on his face.


    Jin Lan stared at the stubbornness on Mu Lan''s face and went silent for a moment. She could not help but let out a long sigh: "Hurry up and get up, how come you''re already at the point of fighting for your life?" After Mu Lan got up, she said: "Some things cannot be done without a choice. What I do, naturally has its reasons."


    Mu Lan raised her head, and with a slight smile on her lips, he said: "This servant only thinks that the master and wife, and even the old lady above, will seek justice for the young lady, why must you go through all this trouble yourself?"


    The old lady ¡­ Jin Lan''s gaze wavered a bit. The old lady truly loved her, but this love could not surpass the glory of Ye Family. The time when she stole a dragon and turned a phoenix in her previous life, the old lady probably nodded her head. Besides, the old lady had never been fond of her mother. How could the things she wanted to do be tolerated by the old lady? At that time, it would be better to speak twice about who he would be making the decision for.


    As Mu Lan said this, she noticed that Jin Lan was absent-minded. She couldn''t help but wave her hand in front of her eyes, and call out in a low voice: "Miss?"


    Jin Lan came back to reality and suddenly held onto the hand that was swaying in front of his eyes. With a glint in his eyes, she said, "Mu Lan, you should accept this, this is not a difficult matter.


    "But ¡­" Mu Lan was immediately shocked, she bit her lips, and hesitated. Although the girl was her master and should listen to everything she said, this matter was clearly harming the girl, so how could she dare to easily agree?


    Seeing that Mu Lan''s heart had loosened, Jin Lan hurriedly struck the iron while it was hot, and then said slowly: "Don''t worry, I won''t degrade myself. I only want to do this, father and mother will definitely understand the seriousness of the situation, and maybe even benefit from it."


    In the end, Mu Lan nodded her head helplessly, "I will listen to lady''s orders."


    Jin Lan felt as though he was carrying a heavy burden, his eyebrows immediately relaxed as he lightly patted Mu Lan''s hands, "Do as I said just now." He then let go of her hand, indicating that she should move quickly. He then instructed her to be careful so that she would not reveal any clues to others.


    Mu Lan replied and left. Jin Lan stared at her curvy figure, and only after the curtain had fallen did she retract her complicated gaze, clenching her fists tightly.


    This was a gamble. If she won, everything would be resolved. If she lost, her reputation would be ruined.


    When Bi He carried the tray into the room, she saw Jin Lan leaning on the pillow, her face was gloomy, Mu Lan who was initially in the room was nowhere to be seen, she could not help but be surprised: "Miss, where is Mu Lan?"


    Jin Lan picked up the teaspoon that was placed on the crystal plate, stirred it a few times, and then scooped up a full and sparkling kumquat. He seemed to inadvertently say, "I remember mother made the rose cake in her room with great skill. It would definitely be delicious with the kumquat tea."


    Bi He laughed and said: "Since Miss likes the Rose Soup, let this servant do it. In the early summer, I picked some of the roses for you and Wan Ju and marinated them in flower paste. It can''t be better to use them to make a Rose Soup."


    Jin Lan shot her a glance before suddenly releasing her teaspoon. He then indifferently said, "No need, I''m just here to try something fresh."


    Bi He didn''t know what she said wrongly, but it actually caused Jin Lan''s expression to return to being distant, and she said with a coy smile: "Yes."


    After two days, Ye Lin finally heard the rumours in the manor. After that, with a loud rage, he became furious at the Concubine Shao, and started to beat up a few of the most proficient female Attendant, who were mostly sons of their families. Naturally, all of the servants in the Ye Family were children of their families, so they got Dental Granny to come and sell the family of old and young to them. Apart from this, he had also personally spoken. If anyone dared to speak carelessly again, they would be directly thrown out!


    His swift and fierce tactics immediately silenced all the rumors in the manor. For a time, all of the servants were trembling with fear. They did not dare to even speak to each other, let alone whisper to each other.


    At first, Mu Lan was even worried about what she had done, afraid that someone would notice. But gradually, when she realized that nothing had happened, and the rumors were solved by the old master just like what the lady said, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Jin Lan, on the other hand, looked elated, as if everything that happened in the mansion had nothing to do with her. After her foot injuries had mostly healed, and she had Doctor Gong''s permission, she finally didn''t have to stay in the house every day. However, no one could have expected that the moment she stepped out of the door, she immediately headed towards the Yunxiu House as if to prove that those rumors didn''t match up to the truth.


    Unexpectedly, Ye Jinwei''s screams broke the illusion of Ye Mansion calmness, causing the undercurrents that had been lurking to finally erupt, and even Ye Lin was unable to suppress the fear on everyone''s faces. Various versions of the events spread throughout the Ye Family, and there were even some orchestrations regarding the trivial matters of Lan Garden, which were described vividly, as though everyone had seen it with their own eyes.


    Every time Jin Lan went out, the servants and wives would scatter like birds. They could not avoid her in time and would just retreat to the corner of the wall. They hung their heads, not daring to even look at her. At night, none of the wives on patrol dared to pass through the Lan Garden gate. With a single glance, they hurriedly ran off with lanterns in their hands.


    This time, no matter how much anger Ye Lin had, it was to no avail. If not for Madame SHen taking care of it in time, the rumors would have spread across the entire Yangzhou City in a few days. In the end, even Ye Lin started to doubt it.


    "Miss, what should we do?!" Mu Lan would go out every day to find out, but the news she received made her even more anxious. She couldn''t help but cry out loud, just what did this lady want to do? With great difficulty, the old master managed to quell the malicious rumors, but the girl wanted to smash it!


    A austere look surfaced in Jin Lan''s eyes. Seeing Mu Lan''s red eyes, her heart warmed, and just as she was about to speak, she heard a surprised exclamation from behind her.

 C29

    "Lady! I''ve finally found you. "


    Jin Lan turned his head to look, and saw that a servant girl dressed in a green cotton dress was walking over, hurriedly. When she walked closer, she saw her face clearly, and realised it was Ling Er from Shuixie Pavilion.


    Ling''er went to the Lan Garden first, and upon hearing Bi He say that the Jin Lan was in the garden, she rushed over here. She ran all the way, and although she looked exhausted, she could not hide the anxiousness in her eyes, "Miss, quickly come with this servant.


    He suddenly stood up, and without even asking any questions, he started sprinting towards his Shuixie Pavilion, not even caring about the faint piercing pain that came from his ankles.


    "Miss, your injuries!" Mu Lan shouted anxiously, but when she saw that Jin Lan did not even pause his legs, she could not help but stomp her feet and quickly chased after him.


    Ling''er was startled, she did not expect that the young lady would run away without even allowing her to finish speaking, but when she thought about the situation within the Shuixie Pavilion, she did not rest and followed closely behind Mu Lan. The three of them rushed towards the Shuixie Pavilion one after the other, and all of the servants and wives on the way revealed strange expressions.


    Jin Lan was originally taking a walk in the garden, and was not far from the Shuixie Pavilion. He did not stop to rest again, and in a short while, he entered Shuixie Pavilion''s courtyard gate.


    There was not a single servant in the courtyard, so he guessed that they had been sent out. On the other hand, there were a lot of people guarding the door, other than Ling Er who had just become a second tier servant girl, Man Ping, Hui Xiu, Qiu Wen and the rest were all there.


    This meant that Madame SHen and Ye Lin were the only two people in the room, and Jin Lan''s heart couldn''t help but sink.


    The five of them were standing outside the corridor, helpless. When they saw Jin Lan, it was as if they had seen their lifesaver. Their eyes lit up, and just as they were about to greet him, Jin Lan stopped them.


    Although everyone was puzzled, they still listened to her words and only bowed without saying anything.


    Jin Lan took a deep breath, he slowly and gently walked to the window and listened intently to what was going on inside. After a while, he heard Ye Lin''s intermittent sounds.


    "I''ve already decided on this matter. There''s no need to say anymore, your health is not good, you can rest in the house later on. You don''t need to worry about the matters of the manor!" Ye Lin sipped on his tea expressionlessly, and the anger in his words was obviously suppressed. Everyone in the Ye Mansion knew that even though Ye Lin was usually gentle and refined, with very few times where he was angry, if it really came to that point, even the old lady would have to retreat by a bit.


    "Old master!" Madame SHen''s heart tensed up, she used her handkerchief to cover her mouth to cough, and then anxiously said: "If we really do that, how do you want Lan Er to act? And once word of it spreads, the face of the Ye Family ¡­ "


    "It''s because of the dignity of the Ye Family, that''s why I have to do this!" Ye Lin rudely interrupted the Madame SHen, his face ashen as he said coldly: "Right now, everyone in the Palace is panicking, it''s hard to say if news of this will spread, at that time, wouldn''t the entire family lose all their Ye Mansion!"


    "Then should I sacrifice Lan Er?" Madame SHen''s lips trembled, his face alternated between green and white, and the hand placed under his sleeve couldn''t help but start to tremble, "Lan Er is your biological daughter!"


    Ye Lin coldly snorted, "She''s my daughter, so is Jin Wei not? Moreover, since she is the daughter of Ye Family, she should put more emphasis on the honor and disgrace of Ye Family! " He glanced at Madame SHen''s completely pale face, and felt that he had gone overboard. His tone became slightly gentler, "LinRong, this matter is beneficial to Lan Er, and as long as you restrain the servants in the residence well, outsiders might not know about it."


    "If restraining servants works, then why did you have such an idea?" Madame SHen''s chest was heaving up and down violently, she was unable to even speak properly, her beautiful eyes stared straight at Ye Lin, her gaze filled with unspeakable disappointment.


    The Madame SHen''s mournful disappointment and even the trace of resentment in her eyes stung Ye Lin. He could not help but become angry, "Shut up! "You ¡­"


    "Father, please calm your anger." Just as Ye Lin was about to angrily rebuke Madame SHen, a soft voice suddenly sounded out, and following that, the curtain was raised high, and a golden silhouette appeared in front of the two of them.


    Ye Lin raised his head, seeing Jin Lan looking at him obediently, the anger in his heart suddenly stopped, and thinking back to what he had said just now, a sense of guilt rose up from his heart. The anger on his face couldn''t help but lessen, but he still remembered the rumors, thus he coldly said: "Why are you here?"


    "Daughter is taking a walk in the garden. As she walked, she came to my mother''s place. I didn''t expect my father to be here as well. Daughter was rude and disturbed my father and mother." Jin Lan''s eyes flashed with a gentle light, as though she didn''t know what was going on in the house, but when she was outside, she had already secretly asked Hui Xiu and the others about the reason.


    It turned out that after Ye Lin heard someone''s words, he had the thought of inviting people to the palace. Since the Madame SHen did not listen, the two of them started to argue.


    "Lan Er, the wound on your leg has not healed, it is not appropriate for you to walk around too much. Quickly go to the side room to rest." Madame SHen took a deep breath, barely able to calm her emotions. She did not want her daughter to know about this, so she called for Hui Xiu, asking her to bring Jin Lan out.


    Hui Xiu heard the noise and immediately rushed into the house. Although she wanted to ask Jin Lan to help a group of Madame SHen, when she saw the sternness in the eyes of the Madame SHen, she immediately pulled Jin Lan''s hand and advised him: "Miss, please listen to Madam.


    Unexpectedly, Jin Lan shook her hand off, and without looking at the worry on Madame SHen''s face, he blessed Ye Lin and said softly: Father, daughter has something to say to father.


    Ye Lin frowned, he raised his teacup and took a sip, then asked: "What is it?"


    Jin Lan raised his head, looked at Madame SHen, and said with a face full of worry: "All these years, mother has been besieging the sickbed, and I don''t know how many medicines she has taken, but she never met me. My daughter wants to personally go to Lingji Temple and request for a peace talisman for mother, and at the same time, pray for the blessing of the scriptures for the Ye Family.


    Countless ideas that could be proposed flashed through Ye Lin''s mind, but he never expected that she would actually bring up the idea of going to the temple of his own initiative. He couldn''t help but be startled when he heard her words, "You''re going to the Lingji Temple?"


    Madame SHen was also stunned as she couldn''t think of what her daughter wanted to do.


    "Yes." Jin Lan nodded, then a trace of doubt surfaced on his face. He asked hesitantly, "Daughter ¡­ Can''t you go? "


    Facing Jin Lan''s clear eyes, Ye Lin seemed to be choked by the tea, and hurriedly put down the teacup in his hands, and couldn''t help but cough fiercely, "Since you''re so filial, of course it''s good, but your body has just recovered and your Lingji Temple is very far away. Furthermore, you''re bumpy up the mountain, I''m afraid ¡­"


    "Daughters are not afraid of bumps." Jin Lan shook his head, and said in a firm voice: "Blessing for Ye Family is something a daughter should do for her mother, how can she ignore the bumpy road, and show her sincerity by asking for Buddha''s blessing."


    It''s just that she''s still young, so it''s hard to not be worried when she''s out alone. When the time comes, I''ll accompany Lan Er and we''ll meet her in the temple. The Madame SHen suddenly said, this meant that she had somehow agreed to Jin Lan''s plan, and interrupted Ye Lin''s hesitation.


    Ye Lin muttered to himself as his gaze shuttled back and forth between Madame SHen and Jin Lan.


    Madame SHen didn''t even turn to look at him, as if she didn''t want to meet Ye Lin''s gaze. Instead, Jin Lan''s heart was beating incessantly, and a layer of dampness and coldness seeped out of his hands. However, his body didn''t move, and he did his best to maintain the expression on his face unchanged.


    After a long while, Ye Lin sighed, and nodded: "Since it''s like this, then I''ll choose a good day to go."


    In other words, he agreed! Jin Lan was ecstatic, but he did not reveal it on his face, and respectfully replied Ye Lin: "Yes."


    There was no wall in this world that could not let the wind out, no matter how restrained he was, it was impossible to ensure that everything would end forever. His daughter praying for him sounded much better than inviting people to return home. No matter how powerful a ghost was, they would still be afraid of Buddha, right? If there really was anything dirty on Second Miss, how could he take the initiative to invite them instead of hiding anything?


    Doing this was undoubtedly the best way to crack the rumors.


    Madame SHen naturally understood what was going on, which was why she agreed to her actions. As for Ye Lin ¡­ If the Madame SHen could think of it, how could he not?


    In the late summer and early autumn, the heat gradually dissipated and the weather became cooler with each passing day. On July 30th, as it was the Christmas of Kitigarbha, Madame SHen and Jin Lan decided to leave one day earlier.


    The Lingji Temple was the most famous of the Yangzhou City, and was filled with the most popular temples. As a result, Master Fang Wu was a respected monk, and there was an unending stream of benevolent men and women who came to visit. If they did not leave early, they would not even be able to enter the mountain gate.


    On the morning of the twenty-ninth, just as dawn broke, Jin Lan and the Madame SHen left the mansion in a carriage. As the carriage was filled with women, and also with the wives and girls of the mansion, the coachman didn''t dare to drive too fast. Furthermore, as the number of pedestrians on the street gradually increased, the speed slowed down even more. It wasn''t until dawn arrived that Ye Mansion''s carriage arrived in front of the western gate and was about to leave the city.


    Suddenly, with a loud bang, the originally steady carriage shook, catching Jin Lan off guard. If Bi He had not supported her in time, she might have been struck, but even so, her elbow still struck the carriage''s wall heavily, causing her to scream in pain and take in a breath of cold air. Madame SHen was also shocked, Hui Xiu raised her voice and asked, "What''s going on?"


    Li San, who was driving the carriage, immediately replied: "Reporting to Madam, I don''t know why the carriage of the Bie Family was so missing, as it bumped into our carriage."


    "Nonsense!" You obviously bumped into our carriage, and yet you want to run away? " Just as Li San finished speaking, a sharp shout immediately sounded out, and a woman dressed in red stood on another carriage. She held a whip in her hand, and glared at Li San.


    Li San was a servant of the Ye Mansion, he was simple, honest and straightforward. He would often speak carelessly, and it was easy for him to offend others. Hearing the other party''s words, his face immediately flushed red, and he retorted, "You''re being unreasonable! The carriages in our house are walking along the road, and it was clearly you guys who crashed into us from the ramp. How did this become our fault? " As he finished speaking, he bowed to the surrounding crowd and said, "Please give your judgment, fellow villagers."


    "Yes, I saw that girl''s carriage rush out of the alley and crash into that young man''s carriage."


    "I saw it too."


    "That''s right, he''s still framing others even after bumping into them. He''s really uneducated."


    The surrounding discussions caused the woman in red to become angry from embarrassment. All her fellow disciples were holding her in their sect. When had they ever let her off like this? He then raised the whip in his hand and whipped it fiercely towards Li San!


    Li San did not expect the other party to dare hit him in the streets, and for a moment he stood in his original position, forgetting to dodge. The horse whip carried a sharp wind sound and was about to land on Li San''s head. Some of the spectators could not bear it anymore and closed their eyes.


    Suddenly, a deep voice resounded: "Stop."


    The voice wasn''t loud, but it fell into the ears of everyone around them. Jin Lan, who was sitting in the car, suddenly shuddered and froze on the spot.

 C30

    This voice was surprisingly familiar. Although it had a trace of unfamiliar hoarseness to it, the heart-wrenching pain once again surfaced in his heart. Jin Lan was in a trance, buried deep within his heart. All of a sudden, those things he had long forgotten were pulled out and displayed before his eyes.


    Yulan tree full of white as early snow, the nose of the lingering fragrance of warmth, and the figure of Yun Zhi jade tree, also illusionary and real. However, the love that was intertwined into his bones became more and more blurry. In the end, it turned into a room full of scarlet, shocking to the eye.


    This debt should be ended. She definitely would not have anything to do with him in this life!


    Jin Lan bit his lips as his cold fingers curled into fists, trying his best to maintain his calm. Fortunately, Madame SHen and Hui Xiu''s attention was on the outside of the carriage, and Bi He was blocked behind her, so no one noticed her abnormal behavior.


    As the deep voice sounded, the lady in red flicked her wrist, and the whip suddenly swept towards Li San''s head. Like a spirit serpent, it coiled back to her slender arm with a whoosh.


    Li San felt a chill on his head, a few strands of jet-black hair floated down from his eyes, his back could not help but feel a chill, to think that this lady was actually a practitioner! But he had always been honest and bold, and when he thought of his wife and girls in the car, the chill in his back disappeared. He stood there without moving and used his body to block the door as he said loudly, "You dare to commit murder in broad daylight? Are there still any laws?"


    Li San''s words were treated as provocation when they fell into the woman in red''s ears, and the anger that was forcefully suppressed couldn''t help but surge up again. She narrowed his eyes and stared fiercely at Li San, but didn''t dare to act again easily. Thus, he turned around and pouted towards the carriage, "Senior Brother."


    It was as if the people in the car could not hear the woman in red''s alluring words as they faintly uttered two words, "Noiseless."


    Although his voice was soft, there was an unquestionable tone in it. The red-clothed female was immediately speechless, he suddenly turned and glared at Li San fiercely, he stomped his feet and sat back down in the driver''s seat, his face filled with grievance.


    Li San was confused, he did not know why the other party suddenly acted in reverse, but he continued to vigilantly watch his movements. The lady and the young lady had specially picked a horse carriage to look simple, although it was marked with Ye Mansion, there were many families surnamed Ye in the Yangzhou City, thus he was not able to tell that it was a carriage from the history of the Salt Clan. Li San thought, if there was anything wrong, he would immediately say the old master''s name.


    There was a market not far from the west gate. Usually, the merchants and servants who lived in the west suburbs would bring their own things to the market to exchange for money, and there were also quite a few families like Jin Lan and the rest that wanted to reach the Lingji Temple early today. There weren''t many pedestrians in the early morning, so they naturally didn''t think much of it. However, as the sun rose higher and higher, the surroundings gradually became lively. The two horses became an obstacle to entering and exiting the city.


    Perhaps she didn''t want to delay any longer, the voice from the carriage sounded again, "I am still young, please forgive me ¡­" Before he could finish his sentence, he heard an extremely weak groan. There was no sound from the car at all.


    The originally wronged woman in red instantly changed her expression and whispered, "Senior-apprentice Brother!" He raised the horsewhip in his hand and whipped it against the horse''s butt. He then rushed towards the city gate. The pedestrians on the road hurriedly dodged as they were afraid they would be trampled by the horse''s hooves.


    Li San looked at the horse carriage that was gradually getting further and further away, and then turned towards the Madame SHen and said: "Madam, that man has left."


    Although the Madame SHen could not see what was happening inside the carriage, she had been paying attention to what was happening outside. Upon hearing that the other party had left, she did not care and said to Li San: "That''s right, you should first check if you can leave or not."


    "Yes." Li San replied, he got off the carriage to check the place he was hit, and replied after a while: "Reporting to Madam, the carriage has loosened."


    Madame SHen frowned, Hui Xiu saw that and quickly asked: Can you cultivate it?


    Li San knocked on the axle, it sounded like it was good, it did not crack, and immediately replied: "I can cultivate it, but it will take me some time."


    I think that this is the only way, if I let someone return to the house to call a carriage, I''m afraid it will take even longer. Madame SHen muttered to herself for a moment, then ordered Li San: "Move the carriage to the side first, quickly fix it, don''t delay it for too long."


    Li San replied as he carefully moved the carriage to the side of the road to make space for pedestrians. After he stopped, he casually took out a cloth bag from under the driver''s seat, which contained a simple tool, and quickly got off the carriage to play with it.


    At this time, Madame SHen finally noticed the paleness of Jin Lan''s little face. His heart couldn''t help but tighten, and he reached out to pull her into his embrace.


    Madame SHen vaguely remembered that Jin Lan had struck his hand. Without waiting for Jin Lan to answer, he grabbed her wrist and lifted his sleeve gently. When he got to her elbow, Madame SHen couldn''t help but exclaim out loud, "It''s actually struck so heavily!"


    Jin Lan lowered his head to look and could not help but take in a breath of cold air. Although he had thought about the amount of bruises and the waves of pain that came from where he had hit, he did not expect it to be this tragic! Her elbow was almost entirely covered in a bluish-purple color. Compared to the white and delicate part of her arm, it was even more shocking.


    Madame SHen''s eyes immediately turned red, she had been so focused on the outside that she had forgotten about her daughter. Now that she saw such a large scar, how could she not feel guilty?


    Jin Lan vaguely caught a glimpse of tears that flickered in her eyes. He forced out a smile and said softly, "Mother, don''t worry. Although the wound looks frightening, it doesn''t hurt much."


    "How can it not hurt?" Madame SHen interrupted her, her tone filled with remorse and heartache. "Let''s not go to Lingji Temple for now. Hurry back to the residence and ask for a doctor to come take a look."


    "Mother." If she really went back, everything that she did before would be in vain. She quickly sat up straight, gritted her teeth and endured the intense pain as she moved her elbow, pretending as if nothing had happened: "Look, isn''t this all right? "I originally planned to go today, but I suddenly stopped. Bodhisattva will blame me for being dishonest."


    Madame SHen held her in her arms, her voice trembling a little. "What are you doing?


    Hearing Madame SHen''s voice, Jin Lan choked with emotions. His heart quivered and he immediately lay in Madame SHen''s embrace, not daring to move at all.


    Hui Xiu and Bi He watched on from the side and were also extremely worried about Jin Lan''s injuries. It was just that as Madame SHen and Jin Lan were talking, it was not appropriate for them to interrupt. Seeing that the Madame SHen was upset, Hui Xiu advised: "Madam, how about we have Li San look for a doctor for the young lady?"


    Madame SHen wiped the corner of her eyes and sighed: "That''s the only way."


    Hui Xiu then got out of the carriage and spoke with Li San, Li San fixed the axle, and then drove the carriage to a nearby infirmary. When Jin Lan got off the carriage, he brought along his Drapery Cap, which he used to treat and apply medicine, and only started off at noon. As they left the city gate and headed west, the pedestrians gradually dwindled, and the carriages sped up.


    The Lingji Temple was located on a mountain in the western suburbs of the Yangzhou City, and although it was very remote, the scenery was clear. Even though the mountain gate was small, the great hall was spacious and open, and there was a Pond of Life before the temple. It was said that the Bodhisattva of Lingji Temple was extremely effective, and a great amount of incense was burning hot, so many rich and powerful families came as well. Seeing that the mountain road was bumpy and difficult to traverse, these rich and noble pilgrims donated their money to repair the mountain path and expand it further, benefiting themselves and making it convenient for others. Thus, at the foot of the mountain, there was an achievement tablet with rows and rows of names engraved on it. All of them were pilgrims who had spent money to repair the mountain path.


    Since it was the Christmas of the Kitigarbha Buddha tomorrow, there were many people who came to pay their respects. When Ye Mansion''s carriage reached the foot of the mountain, the pilgrims had already lined up in a line.


    Now that he had applied the medicine on Jin Lan''s elbow, he felt the coolness and comfort, and his brows relaxed. At this moment, he carefully lifted a crack in the air to look outside, and upon seeing the dense crowd, he immediately frowned.


    Madame SHen glanced outside through the gap, "Even if I have to stay in the temple for a few days, I don''t mind waiting for this little bit of time."


    Jin Lan thought about it, felt that the Madame SHen was right, smiled and nodded. Actually, this was not the first time she had come to the Lingji Temple. In her previous life, she had accompanied Concubine Shao for several times to burn incense. It was her first time back after she was reborn, so she was accompanying Madame SHen again.


    The Madame SHen looked at her daughter who was smiling so much that her eyes were curved and bent, her intelligent eyes flickered, causing her heart to move. Unconsciously, she said a sentence: "Lan Er, the rumors in the palace, you did it, right?"


    The smile on Jin Lan''s face stiffened. Madame SHen''s words were definitely not a question. She retracted her hand and the curtain let out a soft ''pa'' sound before falling back down.


    Hui Xiu and Bi He felt that the atmosphere inside the carriage had become heavy and depressing.


    Madame SHen saw his daughter''s silent face and sighed. She reached out her hand to pull her hair, which was a little messy from being blown by the wind, behind her ears and said softly, "I am not blaming you.


    Jin Lan looked up and saw the worry on Madame SHen''s face. His heart was bitter, and he said calmly: "Mother, don''t worry, Lan Er will not be so reckless in the future."


    That''s right, all the rumors in the mansion would come true, and she had contributed a great deal to it. The other day, she had told Mu Lan to find a chance to talk with the Old Lady Zhao who was guarding the outer courtyard and also intentionally revealed some "internal affairs". This Old Lady Zhao''s personality was not bad, only her mouth was a bit broken, and she liked to exaggerate things a little, if she said everything, the dead would be able to talk about it, and with her to spread the word, would she worry about not causing trouble?


    Furthermore, Wan Ju''s disappearance was still a thorn in her heart. Even though she might not be able to find the person after leaving the residence, she had to at least give it a try.


    Step by step, they arrived at the top of the mountain. Li San parked the carriage amongst a pile of BMW carts, and the Madame SHen got off with Jin Lan. Of course, before they got off the carriage, Jin Lan had Drapery Cap mounted on his head. Hui Xiu and Bi He surrounded the two of them and walked towards the temple, while Li San stayed behind to move the carriage to a suitable place.


    Jin Lan and his men had just arrived at the main door, but before they could step through, they saw a human figure flying towards them with a ''swoosh'' sound.

 C31

    Bi He quickly pulled Jin Lan, but the person just brushed past Jin Lan and bumped into Bi He''s shoulder. Even Jin Lan fell to the ground. Luckily, with Bi He''s support, it didn''t hurt, but Bi He was only injured by the seedling.


    "Lan Er!" Madame SHen hurriedly went forward to help Jin Lan up and down, looking worried that she would be injured again.


    "Mother, I''m fine, it''s just that Bi He ¡­" Jin Lan immediately laughed, indicating that he was safe and sound, then he turned to look at Bi He who had already been helped up by Hui Xiu, only to see that her face was pale white.


    Before he could say anything, a sharp voice pierced in from behind.


    "Don''t all of you look blind? Can''t you see that someone is passing by?"


    Jin Lan''s face suddenly turned cold, she recognized this voice, it was the woman who had just crashed into the Ye Mansion and bit back!


    Madame SHen''s face also did not look good, it was clear that she recognized who it was. It was just that her pavilion was not as lively as the girl in front of her, and she said calmly: "Is this lady mistaken? "If my daughter hadn''t dodged so quickly, I''m afraid that she would have already been injured by this lady. How could she have passed by with such a rampage?"


    The red clothed female saw that although Madame SHen and the others were dressed simply, their conversation revealed that they were not ordinary people. It was just that she was used to being carried by people around her since she was young, so naturally she was arrogant. Madame SHen retorted, then she immediately threw her rationality to the back of her head and jumped up while shouting, "There is only one path. If you all can leave, I can leave as well, why can''t you all be considered as passing by? Don''t tell me you think this isn''t a road? "


    Madame SHen had never seen someone who talked nonsense like this before. For a moment, he choked, his face turning ugly.


    When the red-clothed female saw that the Madame SHen had turned silent due to her words, she thought that she was in the wrong and immediately became proud of herself. She lightly swung the horsewhip left and right, not worried at all that she would hit the other people who were preparing to enter the temple.


    Seeing that Madame SHen was angered, Jin Lan''s face darkened again. She looked up at the lady and coldly said: "Don''t tell me this big sister likes to turn the tables on the right and wrong? In the morning, you clearly bumped into someone else''s carriage, yet you still clung on to them. Now that my mother clearly said those words to you, yet you dragged yourself onto the road below, could it be that you are certain that you cannot open your mouth to compete with her? "


    The woman in red felt embarrassed and angry as someone pointed out her thoughts. She immediately understood that these were the people who were sitting in the carriage this morning. Don''t talk nonsense! "


    "Oh?" Jin Lan raised his eyebrows, and the corner of his mouth curled into a sneer, "Did I say something wrong? Had my sister not run into someone else''s carriage in the morning? Or did you not climb your way to the top just now? "


    "You ¡­ "You''re courting death!" The woman in red was furious. She grabbed her whip and was about to lash at Jin Lan, completely ignoring the fact that she was still a child.


    Madame SHen''s expression changed greatly as she tightly embraced Jin Lan in an attempt to stop the whip for her. Hui Xiu and Bi He also charged forward to protect Jin Lan and Madame SHen.


    "Amitabha, please stop!" The woman in red''s expression suddenly changed. She suddenly raised her head to look for the origin of the sound and saw an eleven to twelve year old handsome little Shamei walk out.


    "What a meddling monk!" The woman in red snorted coldly, as if she was extremely fearful of this little Shamei. She fiercely glared at him, then turned her head back to look at Jin Lan and his group before squeezing out of the crowd and leaving without looking back.


    Little Sha Mi didn''t mind her spitting out evil words, so she walked straight in front of Madame SHen and Jin Lan, clasped her hands, and said to them, "Amitabha, Almsgiver is frightened."


    The Madame SHen smiled and returned the greeting. "Thank you, Young Master Kongming, for helping me out." Since she was supporting the incense within her Lingji Temple, she naturally recognized that the little Shame in front of her was a disciple of the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu.


    Kongming''s little Shamei extended his hand to invite them, "The room that the Almsgiver has decided on has already been cleaned up. Would you like to pay your respects at the Fa Hua Palace first, or go to the room to rest?"


    Jin Lan and the Madame SHen looked at the distant crowd that followed. They were slightly afraid; if they went to worship the Bodhisattva now, they probably wouldn''t even be able to touch the praying mat, right? It would be better to miss the time with the pilgrims, and the bumps and accidents along the way had long since caused everyone''s faces to reveal traces of fatigue.


    Madame SHen thought for a moment and said: "I''ll have to trouble Young Master to take us to the side room."


    Kong Ming and Little Shamei nodded, then led them to the east wing. Seeing that there was nothing else to see, the surrounding pilgrims also dispersed.


    There were not many maidservants accompanying them this time, only Hui Xiu and Bi He. Xiao Ming, Sha Mi had arranged two rooms, which coincidentally happened to be the room for Jin Lan and the Madame SHen. Madame SHen settled Jin Lan down first before returning to his own room. The two did not live in the same place, but it was not far from each other, just a few rooms away.


    Jin Lan carefully examined for Bi He, and after seeing that there were no obvious injuries, his face was no longer as pale as before. It must have been because she was distracted like before, and after a long time it recovered, and she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Seeing that Jin Lan was so concerned about her, warmth arose in Bi He''s heart, and a bitter look appeared in the depths of her eyes. It had been a long time since this lady had treated him in such a manner.


    Although she was a little tired, she was unable to sleep for the moment. Jin Lan simply sat on a chair by the window, while sizing up the furniture in the room, and casually chatted with Bi He about harmless matters.


    Her body trembled slightly, and her voice also paused for a moment. But she quickly came to her senses, as if she had thought of something, and smiled towards Bi He: "Have you brought the candied kumquat fruit tea that you made?"


    Bi He was startled, didn''t the lady say she wouldn''t bring it before she left? Why did she ask this again? and she said, "Did you forget? You say that the temple naturally needs to drink the tea prepared by the temple, so tell your servant not to bring it. "


    "Is that so?" Jin Lan pouted and said, "It''s just that after walking on the road for so long, the bumpiness of the carriage makes me feel uncomfortable. I only felt comfortable after eating some sweet and sour food and pressing down. I remember mother brought some."


    Bi He was in a difficult situation, now that the lady was only by herself, and was planning to hide away the Bodhisattva for Christmas the next day, there were many pilgrims who came to the temple to stay the night, who knew what kind of family lived next door? Although the little Shame said that the East District was the place for the female family members to live, no one could guarantee that nothing would happen.


    Seeing that she was hesitating, Jin Lan unhappily said, "It''s only a few steps, you should return quickly!"


    Bi He was helpless, seeing Jin Lan''s insistence, she could only nod her head, pushed open the door and quickly went inside the Madame SHen.


    Jin Lan was still sitting on his chair. After Bi He''s figure disappeared from the window, he silently calculated the time in his heart, then stood up in annoyance, and muttered to himself: "How did I forget? The water needed to brew the fruit tea should be dewy. It seems like I need to find little master Kong Ming and ask him if there''s any dewdrops in the temple. "


    Just as she walked over to open the door, before she could even step over the threshold, she felt a gust of cold wind coming from behind her. Jin Lan''s heart tightened, and just as she wanted to shout out, a hand suddenly covered her mouth, stopping her from speaking.


    He was still a step too late. Jin Lan''s heart trembled as he sighed inwardly.


    The fingers of his hand that covered Jin Lan were slender with distinct joints, and there was a thin layer of cocoon around the mouth of the tiger. Her hands were wide and thick, covering her entire mouth and nose. In just a few moments, she was unable to catch her breath.


    Even so, she did not move an inch, let alone struggle, afraid of angering the other party. She only followed the movements of the other person as he slowly retreated, occasionally coming into contact with the bruises on his elbows, not even making a sound.


    That person saw that Jin Lan was young and seemed to be more obedient, so he noticed that she accelerated her chest. He bent his body and whispered into her ear, "I will let go, but you are not allowed to make any sound, otherwise ¡­" As he spoke, he tightened his grip.


    The voice seemed to squeeze out from his throat as the tone was suppressed to an extremely low level. An icy aura permeated the voice, causing Jin Lan to uncontrollably shiver. His body stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered. She quickly nodded her head and felt her hand loosen a little. She waited for a little while and when she saw that she did not listen to him, she completely let go of her hand.


    The sandalwood fragrance that was curling up in the smokehouse mixed with an indescribable scarlet sweetness formed a strange smell that quietly filled the entire room. Jin Lan couldn''t care less as she gasped heavily for breath and her legs went soft.


    She did not dare to look around. After the rise and fall of her chest gradually calmed down, she timidly opened her mouth and said, "If you want silver taels, you can take them from me. I ¡­ I closed my eyes, but I could not see your face, nor could I tell you what happened today."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the room suddenly quietened down. If it wasn''t for the scorching heat coming from behind him, Jin Lan would have thought that that person didn''t even exist. After a long while, she heard a faint laughter coming from behind her.


    Facing such a mocking smile, despair flashed past Jin Lan''s eyes. Although she could call for help now, she could not easily make a sound. Otherwise, that person would definitely break her slender neck before the sound could reach her. Judging from the method of bringing her back into the house, this was not a difficult task.


    What should he do? This voice, this voice should be him right? Although it was suppressed, he could still recognize it. Jin Lan bit his lips, trying his best to suppress the fear in his heart. His body couldn''t help but tremble slightly. Just what was he trying to do?


    Just as both parties were silent, Bi He suddenly knocked on the door. "Miss, why did you lock the door?"


    In an instant, Jin Lan felt a hand on his neck, the strength behind it was even stronger than when he was covering his mouth. But in a short moment, her white face was flushed red and she could not help but grab onto the cold hand, but she could not move it at all.

 C32

    Just as Jin Lan closed her eyes in despair, her hands that had been tightly wrapped around her neck loosened. A slight chill entered her nose, and she couldn''t help but cough violently.


    "Miss!" Hearing the faint coughing sound that came from inside the room, Bi He was startled. The strength in her hands unknowingly increased, slamming the thick mahogany door open with a bang. But don''t scare me! "


    The hand that was pinching her neck had loosened a little, but it was still stuck to her delicate skin, not letting go. It was clearly a scorching hot palm, yet it still made people feel a chill to the bone. Jin Lan coughed twice before clenching his teeth and raising his sore and weak hand to cover his mouth. He forcefully endured the pain in his throat, not daring to make a single sound. Although he wasn''t sure why he had let go, if he had been pinched again, he wouldn''t have been so lucky.


    That person paid attention to Jin Lan''s actions. His eyes flashed with a trace of light before he suddenly whispered into her ear, "Send her away."


    Jin Lan suppressed the scream that was about to burst out of his mouth, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. He tried his best to swallow a mouthful of foam, but it took a while before he opened his mouth and said, "I''m fine, I''m just tired. I wanted to rest for a while, but you woke me up." Her voice was still shaky and hoarse, but it gradually returned to normal, "I still need to take a nap. You''d better come to my mother''s room first, or else you''ll disturb me again."


    Hearing Jin Lan''s words, Bi He''s voice immediately became softer. She no longer knocked on the door, but still advised softly: "Miss, let me in.


    Seeing that Bi He was unwilling to leave, Jin Lan was burning with anxiety, but she still could not show it.


    Bi He was startled, and immediately explained: "Madam said, she did not bring any fruit tea."


    Jin Lan paused, then pretended to be displeased as he said, "Since that''s the case, go and find little master Kong Ming and get some plums or plums."


    In fact, she had already known from the beginning that Madame SHen had brought the high class Tie Guanyin, she did not bring the fruit tea at all. The reason why she brought it up was to chase Bi He away as soon as possible, because she could feel that the person behind her was breathing more and more heavily, as though she was getting more and more impatient.


    "Yes, this servant will go now." Bi He hesitated for a while, but in the end, she still couldn''t change the situation.


    When Bi He''s footsteps could barely be heard, the man slowly lowered her hand. After moving half a foot away, she moved back like lightning.


    Jin Lan widened his eyes as his breathing halted. Was he going to go back on his word?


    Before she could react, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the house, followed by Bi He''s flustered voice: "Miss, Miss, are you still awake? There are many soldiers outside! "


    Officer? A look of astonishment surfaced on Jin Lan''s face. Lingji Temple was a holy land of buddhism, how could there be an official? Even if the Prefect were to personally come, he wouldn''t have such a grand show of bearing! Could it be ¡­ In a split-second, she thought of the person behind her.


    "Let her in." That person''s cold voice suddenly came out, "Find out more about what happened outside, but don''t think about escaping!"


    Although he didn''t mention anything about breaking his neck, Jin Lan knew that his hands were definitely faster than his feet. Thus, he nodded lightly just thinking about it.


    Bi He could not hear the sound and thought that she was still sleeping. She could only knock on the door: "Miss, quickly open the door."


    Jin Lan instantly felt a chill on his neck. Lowering his head to scan his surroundings, it turned out that the person had already loosened his grip, and even the heat behind him had dissipated. Having lost her support, she staggered and almost fell. She hurriedly reached out her hand to support herself from the chair before she managed to steady herself.


    A moment later, she felt a thread of energy beneath her feet. Just as she was about to open the door, she suddenly felt something loosen up above her head, as if something was slipping away. She stretched out her hand and touched it. It was actually her own scarlet hair! Her black hair that was even smoother and softer than brocade cascaded down like a waterfall, scattering behind her.


    "You ¡­" Jin Lan couldn''t figure out what that person was trying to do. Just as he was about to speak, he stumbled and was pushed a few steps forward. She had no choice but to put away the shock on her face as she hurriedly opened the door. "Come in."


    Seeing that the door had finally been opened, Bi He immediately looked left and right at Jin Lan. Seeing that there was nothing abnormal, he relaxed. After entering the room, she did not wait for Jin Lan''s instructions and closed the red wooden door. Then, she plugged the door again.


    Jin Lan was originally worried that Bi He would discover that there was an outsider inside the house, so she carefully observed the changes in her face after opening the door. She didn''t want to be shocked by her actions, "What''s wrong?"


    "There are so many people outside. It wouldn''t be disrespectful if someone saw her like this, would it?" Bi He pressed her down on the chair, and took out an ivory comb from her bag, in order to comb her hair. However, when she saw the silk flowers on her head, she couldn''t help but be stunned, "Miss, why did you only pull out the hairpin and sleep? And why didn''t you take the silk flowers off as well?"


    Since she was still young, Jin Lan had only combed her hair. On her head was a jasper hairpin and a silk flower. She reached out to touch her hair, and sure enough, she found the silk flower, but she was missing the hairpin.


    Presumably, it was done by that person, but if it was not so, Bi He would have realised it. She bit her lips, covered her eyes with her eyelashes, and softly said, "I was too tired just now, I forgot to bring the silk flowers after taking the hairpin. Fortunately, it doesn''t matter if I take it or not, I can give you some free time this time."


    "The lady is teasing me." Bi He said with a smile as she coiled her hair skillfully.


    Jin Lan pursed his lips, he did not make a sound, his fingertips caressing the skin on his neck, he secretly sighed, but did not know if there were any marks, just that Bi He did not notice it after so long, and did not tighten it. As he thought of this, he retracted his hand.


    She knew that she should not look around, but she could not help but look around. Although the side room of the Lingji Temple was spacious, it was not as spacious as the inside and outside of the palace, where there was only a screen placed in front of the bed to block her view. The rest of the furnishings were simple, and with a single glance, she was able to scan them all.


    Could that person have already left? Jin Lan immediately tossed this thought to the back of his mind. He had been standing by the door, it was impossible for him to leave without anyone noticing. However, with that person''s skill, perhaps from the window ¡­ She raised her eyes to look at the window three feet away. It was only the size of a copper mirror. If she were to drill it herself, it would take a lot of effort, much less him.


    Jin Lan concluded that the person must still be inside the house, though he didn''t know where he was hiding.


    When she thought of the scene where she escaped from death, her legs couldn''t help but go soft. How could she forget what he said? What are the soldiers doing here? Could he be here to burn incense? "


    "This servant isn''t too sure, but as soon as I stepped out of the east courtyard, I met little master Kong Ming. He said that Master Inspector personally gave the order to capture a vicious rebel, and now, not only do we have to search the temple, we even have to check the entrance and exit of the city."


    Counter thief? Jin Lan''s eyelids jumped. How could he be a rebel? He isn''t ¡­


    "Miss, where is your jade hairpin?" Bi He combed his hair and helped to straighten the silk flowers before asking Jin Lan about the hairpin.


    "Huh?" Jin Lan was surprised, but soon recovered her wits. How could she know where that man had taken the jade hairpin from? She couldn''t help but secretly complain in her heart, "The hairpin ¡­" Hairpin... "I can''t remember where to put it. If you can''t find it, then so be it. It''s the same whether you bring it or not."


    She stuttered, but Bi He was already able to see a corner of the silk tent from behind the screen, "It might have landed on the bed." After which, he walked over.


    Jin Lan''s expression changed, and he suddenly extended his hand to grab Bi He''s sleeve, "Wait!"


    Surprise flashed across Bi He''s face, and she asked puzzledly: "Miss, what''s wrong?"


    "I''m fine." Her eyes flickered as she looked at the silk tent that was tightly shut. After a long while, she let go and raised her head to look at Bi He, forcing a smile, "I''m thirsty, do you have any tea to drink?"


    "This servant will go down now." Bi He nodded, and poured a cup of still warm tea from the purple sand teapot on the table and brought it over.


    Jin Lan had just picked up the tea cup when a clamor suddenly came from outside the room, followed by Hui Xiu''s voice: "Miss, Madam has sent me a servant to inform Miss, as for the errand boy, please do what you want, and don''t panic, just bring the Drapery Cap along and stay inside the house."


    He really wanted to search the temple! She silently sucked in a breath of cold air, and the panic in her eyes deepened. Others didn''t know, but she was well aware that there really was someone hiding inside the silk tent! If she was found out on the spot, not to mention the others, her reputation would definitely be ruined. Furthermore, if the traitor mentioned by the officials and soldiers was really him, then even the entire Ye Family would be implicated.


    No, he must not be found! Jin Lan gripped the handkerchief tightly as he quickly calculated in his heart.


    Bi He walked to the window to answer Hui Xiu, and when she turned around, she discovered that Jin Lan was trembling, and his face was as pale as snow. He couldn''t help but be shocked, "Miss, why do you look so pale? "But where is the discomfort?"


    "Uncomfortable ¡­" Jin Lan muttered. His eyes suddenly brightened as he looked at the silk tent with some hesitation. At this moment, the noise was getting closer and closer. It was obvious that they were already outside the door.


    She quickly glanced at the red wooden door, gritted her teeth, stood up and ran towards the bed, went around the screen, and softly said to Bi He: "My head is a bit dizzy and uncomfortable, I''ll lie on the bed for a while, you come and greet me, don''t disturb me." As he spoke, he opened a corner of the silk tent and went inside.


    "Miss?" Bi He was startled, she opened her mouth about to speak, but then suddenly heard a burst of sound of someone knocking the door.

 C33

    Jin Lan hurriedly entered the silk tent, but suddenly met with two cold gazes. His heart couldn''t help but tremble as he quickly lowered his head and turned around. With his back facing the tent, he reached out his hand and tightly closed the corner of the silk tent.


    Although the light in the room was bright, the silk tent was extremely thick. Without even a crack, the tent was somewhat dim. Her face was pale, and her small hands trembled as she clutched the silk curtain with a slight flush of shame and annoyance at being alone with the man.


    It was as if the surroundings had suddenly quieted down. After a while, Jin Lan heard an extremely low laugh coming from behind him. It was different from the previous taunting, as it seemed to be mixed with traces of ¡­ Pleasure? She held her breath and shook her head slightly, feeling ridiculous for the idea that had popped into her head.


    Bi He saw Jin Lan''s figure disappear into the silk tent. Although he did not know what she wanted to do, he still did his duty. He walked to the door and pulled the latch, and the situation outside immediately entered his eyes.


    A few maidservants stood outside the room, led by a woman in her early thirties. She wore a blue and white cotton jacket and a matching belt that wrapped around her slightly fattened waist. She had two silver hairpins on her head, but apart from that, there were no other decorations. Her facial features were still there, but her eyes were exceptionally sharp. Just looking down from the corner of her eyes made her feel this sharp and harsh. She was clearly a person that wasn''t easy to get along with.


    "Greetings to the young lady." Old granny Lai''s eyes swept across Bi He, and roughly looked around the room, and then spoke with an expressionless face.


    Bi He immediately turned and smiled as she returned the greeting, "Mama is being too courteous."


    Maybe because of Bi He''s kind attitude, Old Lady Lai''s face relaxed slightly, but she continued to speak in a hard tone: "Sir Inspector is currently capturing a rebel, and it is said that someone found out that the rebel had snuck into Lingji Temple. I was ordered to come to the East Branch to inspect, and would like to seek Miss''s help."


    Although Hui Xiu had come here to pass the message, the young lady had instructed him not to disturb her. Bi He hesitated for a moment, then stood in front of the door without moving, and said crisply: "Other than my young lady, I am the only one in this room, I have not seen what my sister-in-law calls'' rebel '', and my young lady is struggling on the boat, her body is slightly unwell. She is currently resting, why don''t Mama go take a look elsewhere first?"


    "Don''t worry Miss, we are all people who know our manners. If it wasn''t for the order of the Lord Patrol Officer, this old woman wouldn''t dare to disturb you." Furthermore, if we were to enter and check, we will definitely not disturb your esteemed self. " It seemed like this wasn''t the first time she had been rejected like this. Old Mrs. Lai didn''t even think before she quickly said, "That rebel is extremely evil. If we accidentally sneak into his room, I''m afraid something big will happen!"


    Nai Lai''s words were reasonable, and his wife had said that she would do as she pleased. It was obvious that she agreed to it, but the girl ¡­


    "Bi He, let her in." Just as Bi He was hesitating, Jin Lan''s calm voice came out from the silk tent.


    "Yes." Bi He could not help but heave a sigh of relief, but when she shifted her body, she could not help but exhort Old Lady Qian: "I do not dare to obstruct Mama from handling the errands, but I hope that Mama will act quicker and not disturb my family''s young lady."


    "Of course." Old woman Qian nodded and took the lead to enter the house. The maidservants behind her followed her in a line as they looked around.


    Listening to the commotion outside, Jin Lan''s heart rose to his throat. Cold sweat trickled down his palms as he tightly pressed the silk curtain that she had secretly tucked under the soft cushion.


    The furnishings in the room were simple. They could basically be swept clean with a single glance. Madam Lai and the rest specially rummaged through the cabinets, but they couldn''t find any clues. The East District had already been searched more than half. If they didn''t find anything else, it would be hard to explain this errand. Thinking of this, Old Lady Lai''s expression darkened.


    Suddenly, one of the maidservants looked at the silk tent that had fallen down. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to her, she nudged Nanny Lai''s back with her elbow and pouted towards the bed.


    Old Man Lai''s eyes lit up and he quickly walked to the bedside.


    Bi He had always been paying attention to Old Man Lai''s actions, upon seeing her, she quickly walked forward to block her path, "What is Mama doing?"


    Old Man Lai answered seriously, "Naturally, I want to check the bed."


    "How dare you!" Bi He''s face sunk, her tone becoming more stern: "Inside is my clan''s young lady, how can you be so rude!"


    Old Man Lai rolled his eyes a few times before the corner of his mouth suddenly lifted, revealing his yellowish front teeth. He smiled and said, "Young lady, please don''t be angry. Moreover, just by a glance, it would not be rude to someone of noble character. " As he spoke, he signaled the maidservant beside him with his eyes.


    The two servants immediately walked up, with fawning smiles on their faces, they half-pushed Bi He away.


    "You all ¡­" Bi He was enraged, but was entangled so tightly that he could not get out of it, and could only anxiously look at the bed.


    From the sound in the room, Jin Lan could guess what was going on. His face was full of fear and shock, as he tightly gripped the handkerchief, all sorts of consequences of being discovered flashed through his mind. His body couldn''t help but tremble slightly, but he still sat on the edge of the bed without backing down.


    The person who had not spoken a word since she started chuckling was currently staring at her frail shoulder. A strange look flashed across her deep eyes.


    Just at that moment, Jin Lan was just in a daze when he saw a waxy yellow hand slowly reaching into the silk tent through the opening. His heart immediately turned cold, and his face turned deathly pale.


    Old Man Lai touched his tent, and just as he opened up a slight gap, a young yet dignified voice suddenly rang out beside his ear.


    "This Mama is too rude."


    Old Man Lai was stunned and his hands froze. He hurriedly said with a coy smile, "Greetings to your benefactor."


    "I can''t afford to be a Mama." Jin Lan pressed his hand against his chest, as if trying to suppress his heart that was about to jump out of his chest. At the same time, he took a deep breath, trying his best to keep the trembling of his voice steady, afraid that someone might sense something amiss. Mama has to think clearly about the consequences of opening this tent. "


    "This old servant was only checking according to the orders of the Lord Patrol Officer, not ¡­"


    "Mama, don''t pressure me with you, either." Jin Lan sneered and interrupted Old Man Lai''s words, "The Chief Patrol Officer wanted you to check it out, but the room is only this big. Why didn''t you leave after reading it? You even want to disturb my rest?" Could it be that the Chief Patrol asked you to do this? If that''s really the case, when I go back, I want to tell Father, and have him ask the Chief Patrol Officer if he suspects that my Ye Family is related to the rebels, and is acting so overbearing! "


    "This ¡­" A trace of astonishment surfaced on Old Man Lai''s face. Before she came to the East District to check, she naturally understood what kind of rich and powerful people lived in there. The owner of this house was clearly a half-grown girl. She stuttered for a long time before saying, "This old woman doesn''t dare."


    "Since you don''t dare, hurry up and leave. Do you want me to invite you in myself?" Jin Lan raised his voice to rebuke, but his eyes were focused on the incoming hand, not daring to even breathe.


    At this time, Bi He took advantage of the two servants'' inattentiveness, and struggled free from Old Lady Lai''s grasp. She rushed to her side, pointed at the door and angrily said: "Please come over here!"


    Old Mrs. Lai''s face was alternating between green and white, she did not give Bi He an extra glance, her gaze drifting towards the silk tent, trying to see through the gap that was lifted slightly.


    Seeing that she did not make a sound, Jin Lan did not retract his hand at all. Her heart tightened as she slowly let out a breath, and said indifferently: "Mama, if you want to see, I''ll let you see."


    However, before she could even spit out the word ''thank you'', Jin Lan''s voice rang again. This time, her tone was especially cold, "However, after you open the door, if you discover the culprit, I naturally have nothing to say. I''ll do whatever you want with him. "But if we can''t find the culprit ¡­" She coldly snorted and continued, "If we don''t find out who the villain is, then Mama will not be leaving. We have toiled for the better part of our lives, leaving the high monk with the Lingji Temple behind to go overboard.


    Old Man Lai instantly retracted his hand. With a pale and frightening face, he repeatedly apologized, "Please forgive me, Miss!"


    Jin Lan paused for a moment, as though his anger had dissipated. He then indifferently said, "You can leave."


    Old Man Lai quickly brought the maidservants in through the door and headed for the door. They had only taken two steps when they heard the word "wait". The foot that had just been lifted up suddenly froze in mid-air.


    "Mama, this is related to my family''s reputation and I have no choice but to be cautious. I hope Mama will not take it to heart." Jin Lan''s tone was light and slow, carrying a sense of apology. Contrary to her previous sharp tone, she continued: "Bi He, give this Mama a good ride."


    Bi He immediately understood what Jin Lan was trying to do, and answered back. Resisting the anger with great difficulty, she smiled at Old Woman Lai, "Mama, please come over here."


    The sound of footsteps inside the house gradually died down. Jin Lan''s taut heartstrings finally slowed down. He could not help but heave a sigh of relief. His straight-backed body suddenly went soft. Only then did he feel a chill on his back.


    "You''re quite intelligent." The person hidden inside the bed suddenly spoke, but his voice was no longer cold like before. Instead, there was a trace of a rare smile on his face.


    Jin Lan''s body, which had finally managed to soften after much difficulty, froze. He had just sent away the tiger and leopard, how could he have forgotten that there was a jackal behind him? And the tiger and leopard were attracted by this damned wolf!


    "What do you want?" She could not hold the fear in her heart any longer and could not help but let out a low growl with red circles in her eyes.


    That person did not reply. Instead, he suddenly asked, "Which girl is this Patrol of the History of Salt?"


    Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat as the fear in his eyes grew even stronger.


    How did he know that his father was the salt master? According to the experiences of her previous life, she should only meet him after three years. Thus, at this very moment, they should not have known each other!

 C34

    "Hmm?" The person raised his nose as he did not hear a reply after a long time.


    Jin Lan''s expression turned cold as he hurriedly retracted the hundred cycles in his heart. With a trembling voice, he replied, "I, I''m ranked number two at home."


    "Ye Family Second Miss ¡­" The man mumbled softly, paused, and then said: "Name."


    Jin Lan bit his lips as the light in his eyes wavered. His eyes struggled for a moment before he softly said two words: "Jin Lan."


    After getting the answer he wanted, the person seemed to be satisfied and became silent again. The room immediately became silent, as if the atmosphere had frozen, making people feel depressed and uneasy. Not long after, his ears twitched and he said, "Your servant girl is back."


    As if to prove his words, hurried footsteps gradually sounded outside the house, approaching from afar. From the sound of it, it seemed like Bi He had returned.


    Jin Lan lowered his head and replied in a low voice, "Yes." Then, realizing the situation he was in, he quickly raised his head but did not dare to look back. He could only stare at the silk tent and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t let her find out. "But you ¡­" She wanted to ask how he was going to let her off, but she stopped herself and retracted the words on the tip of her tongue.


    That person seemed to have seen through her thoughts as his eyes flashed, "When that servant girl enters the room, you will leave with her and head straight ahead." Then he said, "I will follow."


    Was he going to use them as bait? The light in Jin Lan''s eyes darkened. However, after weighing the pros and cons, she could only obediently nod her head.


    "Miss." Before Bi He even arrived, the voice sounded out.


    Jin Lan lifted up the tent slightly and came out. Of course, he didn''t forget to place the tent properly, as he had just finished all these, Bi He''s figure appeared in front of the door.


    Seeing Jin Lan get off the bed, Bi He hurriedly went forward to support her. She reported to her as she helped her: "According to lady''s instructions, I gave that wench a silver tael and especially waited for them to leave before returning."


    "Yes." Jin Lan nodded his head, restraining himself from looking at the bed, she pulled Bi He''s hand and was about to leave, "I can''t fall asleep anyway, why don''t you accompany me to walk around."


    Bi He had carefully looked at Jin Lan just now, and although her face was pale, she looked to be in good spirits, but when she held her hand, he realised that her palm was cold. She could not help but be anxious, and immediately stopped her footsteps, "Miss, wait!"


    "What''s wrong?" Jin Lan was shocked, thinking that Bi He had discovered something, she looked at her anxiously.


    Bi He smiled at Jin Lan, then walked to the side of the wooden chest and opened the cage placed on Xiao Qi, which contained Jin Lan''s clothes. She took out a thin cotton satin cape embroidered with green calyx plum blossoms from the lotus root, shook the cape as she walked, and then threw it over Jin Lan''s shoulders, "Although it is the end of summer, the wind on the mountain is much colder than in the city. Young lady has always been delicate, it is better to wear more if you want to go out and enjoy the scenery."


    Jin Lan lowered his eyes, looking at his ten fingers that were grabbing the silk ribbons with a complicated expression on his face. Bi He treated her extremely well, no matter what he did, he always liked her. As a result, in her past life, he had become her most trusted servant. However, the scene before her death made it hard for her to forget. The dark red bloodstain ¡­


    Bi He''s movements were brisk, and in a short while she had already tied up a fine knot and tied up her cape, and then she reached out and straightened the cloaks on Jin Lan''s shoulders, her gaze sweeping across his collar, and suddenly exclaimed out loud, before locking onto the skin on the inside of Jin Lan''s collar, "Miss, why is your neck red?"


    "Huh?" Jin Lan subconsciously held onto his neck, and raised his head, but when he saw Bi He''s probing gaze, he realized that he had lost control of himself. An unnatural expression appeared on her face as she explained, "Maybe, maybe he was bitten by a mosquito."


    "Is that so?" Bi He was at a loss. Although there were many mosquitoes on the mountain, but the house was neat and tidy, and when she first entered, she could smell a faint scent of fragrant jade, how could there be mosquitoes? However, she still nodded her head and did not pursue the matter.


    "Yes." Jin Lan loosened his grip on his neck and nodded confidently, but his tone was obviously lacking in confidence. "Let''s go inside." As he turned around, he subconsciously glanced at the bed from the corner of his eyes. The green silk curtain seemed to be perfectly integrated, and other than the occasional gentle sway of the curtain in the wind, no other movements could be seen.


    Bi He followed Jin Lan out the door, and the two walked along the corridor on the left. The Madame SHen''s house was located on the right side of Jin Lan, so Jin Lan chose to go left to avoid danger from affecting her.


    Jin Lan didn''t say where he was going. He just walked on aimlessly, step by step, at a leisurely pace. Every once in a while, a cool breeze would come from behind her. A sweet smell that was faintly discernible lingered on the tip of her nose.


    This taste... Did he always follow? Jin Lan wanted to look back, but he didn''t dare take the risk. After passing through the gate of the East District, she thought for a moment before walking towards the back of the mountain.


    The Lingji Temple was built on top of a mountain, and the rear mountain was a cliff. No one could enter the temple from the back mountain. Furthermore, the monks in the temple rarely turned a single blade of grass or tree on the back of the mountain. As a result, the grass and trees on the back of the mountain were lush, strange, and rugged. Most importantly, at this time, very few people would go to the back mountain.


    Perhaps it was because he was walking outside, but Jin Lan''s heart gradually calmed down. Naturally, he could clearly see many things that he had overlooked earlier due to his nervousness and fear.


    That person did not want her life, right? Otherwise, he would not have let go of her hand at that time, so what if there was Bi He outside? If he could kill one, he could naturally kill the second. He could only do it to intimidate her and to prevent her from causing unnecessary trouble. Furthermore, he had probably made arrangements to hide in that room. The only person who could do anything to them was that little Shame, Kong Ming!


    No wonder her mother and her room were separated by a distance. It must have been because she was young that she had purposely hidden them in her room. She didn''t expect to be found out in the end.


    Then, the reason why he knew that he was a young lady of the Patrol of the Salt Clan''s history was probably because he had investigated her in advance.


    Kong Ming''s little Sha Mi should not dare to act so rashly, and the person behind him was most likely the host of his Lingji Temple, the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu.


    However ¡­ Jin Lan frowned. How could Inspector Jiang Nan enter the temple to search? Not to mention the rest, the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu s were respected, even the Emperor had treated them with respect. The plaque of the temple was mentioned by the Emperor himself, how could a mere patrolman dare to search the temple so blatantly? Among them, it must have been the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu who gave the order.


    If they wanted to hide him and at the same time agree to search the temple, what was the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu planning? Jin Lan rubbed his throbbing forehead. Just what kind of trouble had she gotten herself into?


    "Miss, after walking for so long, are you tired? "Why don''t we go back and have some fast food in a little while?" Bi He who was silent along the way saw Jin Lan''s tiredness and couldn''t help but ask.


    "Huh?" Only then did Jin Lan recover his senses. Upon closer inspection, the two had already reached the back mountain.


    Looking around, you can see that the surrounding shade is like a canopy, birds are singing softly, the scenery is very beautiful. However, she was not in the mood to appreciate it. She sniffed slightly and was surprised to find that the sweet smell lingering at the tip of her nose had disappeared!


    He''s gone? Jin Lan stopped moving and stood where he was, pretending to enjoy the scenery. After a long while, he did not smell that scent again, so he was certain that that person had left. Just in case, she gritted her teeth and suddenly turned around to scan the area behind her.


    After confirming that there was no one around, she could not hold on any longer. She struggled to move to the side of a large rock and plopped down on it.


    Bi He exclaimed: "Miss!" He hurried forward to see if she was hurt.


    Jin Lan shook his head and said softly, "I''m fine."


    Perhaps it was because she had suddenly relaxed her taut heartstrings, but she felt a little dizzy and her gaze immediately became unfocused. However, in just a short hour, she had experienced a life and death battle. The scene just now flashed through his mind. Until now, Jin Lan still had some lingering fear. Regardless of whether it was that person or his wife, as long as she didn''t handle it properly, she would be smashed into smithereens and would never be able to stand up again.


    Jin Lan''s wandering gaze fell into Bi He''s eyes. She lowered her head and thought for a moment, then asked softly: "Miss, do you have something on your mind? This servant feels that since she was sent into the room, this lady has become a bit absent-minded. "


    "Maybe he''s really tired." Jin Lan looked deeply at Bi He, his lips slightly pouted, as if he had something he wanted to say. After hesitating for a moment, he finally gave a long sigh.


    It was indeed a little late for them to arrive at Lingji Temple today, but before this, they had already sent people to the temple and made arrangements. Although it was a little cold inside, it would be alright once the window was opened. Bi He even ordered a piece of sandalwood to disperse the smell of moisture in the room.


    When she was talking with Bi He, she was sitting on a chair by the window. When the wind blew, she smelled a sweet smell, and most importantly, this sweetness was mixed with a familiar smell!


    This scent was exactly the same as the one she had smelled in the Madame SHen''s medicine bowl before. And the first time she smelled this smell was from her previous life, when she died with dark red blood.


    Perhaps she died from this poison in her previous life, so she was especially sensitive to its smell after her rebirth. Even if it was just a sliver, she would still be able to smell it.


    So it was this scent that betrayed him and put her in a dangerous situation that she would never be able to recover from.


    Even though she had never seen his face before, based on that voice, the voice that had once made her daydream was now certain that it was him!


    But even if he did, what could he do? At this moment, there was no love nor hate in her heart. What was on her mind was not her past feelings, but something else.


    That was, three years later, he was still alive. He had even lived up to the age of her!


    This meant that the poison could be cured. The Madame SHen is saved!

 C35

    At the end of summer and early autumn, the weather was no longer as hot as it was in the middle of summer. Jin Lan''s body was wearing only a beige, dark flower cloud patterns, and a moon-white water pattern on his clothes. He was wearing only a dark flower pattern, and a moon-white water pattern on his dress, and the goose-fat jade hairpin on his head was taken away by that man. This time, he only had a light pink silk flower on his head, and on his hand was an ordinary jade buddhist bracelet.


    Although it was almost dusk, the sun was still shining overhead. She walked from the East District nonstop. She had been thinking about things, so she naturally did not feel much. Now that she had recovered, she felt that it had gotten hot. Even after sitting in silence for a quarter of an hour, he still felt that his body was somewhat dry, so he took off his thin satin cloak.


    Bi He carefully put the cape on his elbow and gently held Jin Lan up, and advised: "Miss, let''s go back. We didn''t even inform Madam that we were coming out just now.


    Jin Lan was right. His mother did not come when he was searching the chamber. She must have been caught. As soon as the old woman left, she went to the back of the mountain. Her mother would probably go to the house to look for her. If she didn''t go back, it would be a huge mess.


    She nodded, and with Bi He''s support, she turned and walked back the way they came. Halfway there, she saw Hui Xiu jogging towards him from afar, holding onto something in her hands.


    "My good girl! "No matter how you went out, you didn''t even say anything. Madam was so worried that she was about to lose her temper!" Hui Xiu ran over, but before she could even gasp for breath, she started sputtering nonstop. Her reddened eyes and anxious face could not be hidden. With that, she turned to Bi He and said, "You too, in that situation just now, if it was not absolutely necessary, my wife would have definitely come to my house. After waiting for everyone to leave, she hurried over to take a look. The girl had disappeared, so how could his wife not be worried? If it wasn''t for Madam Qin, Madame Qin would have personally come to look for her! "Miss is still young and doesn''t know what''s good for you. You''re the old man next to her, why aren''t you alert?"


    Bi He secretly cursed herself for not being thorough enough, and did not even think of reporting to her wife. Being scolded by Hui Xiu in such a way, her mouth moved, and in the end, she lowered her head and remained silent, her face full of shame.


    When Jin Lan heard how anxious the Madame SHen was, she immediately blamed herself in her heart. Seeing that Bi He had been scolded for him, she felt a little guilty, so she pulled on Hui Xiu''s sleeve and said anxiously: "Big Sister Hui Xiu, it''s my fault. I made mother worry.


    Hui Xiu did not dare say anything about Jin Lan, and upon hearing that, she immediately nodded his head, and covered Jin Lan''s head with the thing in his hand. It was her Drapery Cap!


    It was only then that Jin Lan remembered that he had left in a hurry, and his heart had tensed up. For a moment, he didn''t even remember to bring a Drapery Cap with him. Although the back mountain was at the back of the East District and had very few people, there were many people who came to enjoy the incense today. There was a chance that there would be people coming to the back mountain to enjoy the scenery. The Lingji Temple was not a Primordial Priory, only receiving female guests. There were all sorts of benevolent men and women here, if they accidentally encountered it, it was likely that the reputation of the Second Miss would become bad if word of this spread.


    She could not help but let out a layer of cold sweat as she raised her head to look at Bi He. Her heart sank. She had no idea what people she had met along the way.


    Seeing Jin Lan looking at him, Bi He more or less guessed what she was thinking and quickly shook her head.


    In other words, he did not manage to touch it. Jin Lan heaved a long sigh of relief, and revealed a grateful smile towards Hui Xiu who was currently focusing on tying her hat.


    Clad in a thin veil, her vision was somewhat obstructed, and her surroundings were a blur. Fortunately, Hui Xiu was leading the way, so Bi He followed closely behind to support him, and they did not walk slowly, but in half an incense''s time, they entered the Eastern Courtyard''s gate. Walking up to the door of Madame SHen''s room, Jin Lan suddenly heard a sweet laughter coming from inside.


    This unfamiliar person revealed a familiar laughter. Jin Lan recognized that this was the Madam Qin that Hui Xiu had mentioned earlier. She was not very familiar with Madam Qin. After all, they were not close to the Madame SHen in their previous life and there were very few opportunities for them to appear together.


    As such, he could only vaguely remember that this lady seemed to have a deep relationship with the Madame SHen.


    When Hui Xiu''s figure appeared in front of the door, the chatter and laughter in the room suddenly stopped. Madame SHen looked at the door, the anxiety in her eyes completely exposed.


    Jin Lan didn''t bother with the Drapery Cap. He crossed the threshold and quickly walked towards the Madame SHen. "Mother."


    Madame SHen pulled his daughter in front of him and helped her remove the Drapery Cap. She placed her on a few small cubs at the side and looked at them with anger and heartache for a while, only when he saw that she was safe and sound did she say angrily: "Why don''t you say something when you''re out enjoying the scenery? It really makes me worry." After that, he continued, "Hurry up and go meet your Aunt Qin and your Sister Ruhan."


    Jin Lan knew that Lady Shen was trying to find an excuse for him to wander around the temple, so he nodded obediently. He then turned to the right and saw a lady about the same age as Mistress Shen sitting on a chair. She was dressed in red, stone, green, plum, damask, and a dark golden bamboo dress with a jade seal on it. Although her appearance was dignified, this kind of clothing made her seem a bit beautiful.


    She knew that the person in front of her was the Madam Qin that Madame SHen had mentioned before. She walked forward and greeted him: "Lan Er greets Aunt."


    "Alright, alright ¡­" Madame Qin smiled as she squinted her eyes, holding Jin Lan''s small hand to help her up. After examining her for a while, she laughed and praised: "Truly a painful girl, your mother is biased, and hid you away. She isn''t even willing to bring you over for me to see, as if she was afraid that I would snatch you away." With that, she instructed the servants behind him: "Qing Yu, go and get the gifts that you prepared."


    Qing Yu acknowledged her, then turned and left, probably heading to Madam Qin''s room to retrieve her things.


    Madame SHen pursed her lips and laughed, her eyes filled with joy, "I only know how to talk to me, in my opinion, Luhan is the one that will cause pain, don''t you think the heavens are hiding in your mansion? Speaking of which, you won''t be able to hide for long. At that time, the people who come to ask for marriage will probably step on the doorstep of your residence. "


    Jin Lan looked at Madame SHen, she was stunned, she had never seen Madame SHen revealing such a beautiful smile, even though she was happy for him, she was only happy, but not happy. There were too many knots in her heart ¡­ Looks like leaving the Ye Family temporarily was the right decision.


    "I only know how to spout nonsense." The Madame Qin pretended to be angry and spat at Madame SHen, ignoring her smiling face, he lightly patted Jin Lan''s hands and pointed at the little girl sitting below him: "This is your Sister Ruhan."


    Meng Ruhan, who was sitting upright at the side, had been sizing her up ever since Jin Lan entered the door. Although there were many sons of Meng Family, only she was her precious daughter. She had been surrounded by her elder brother ever since she was young. Now that she saw such a beautiful girl who was similar in age to her, she naturally felt extremely fond of her.


    Hearing Madame SHen''s teasing, Meng Ruhan lowered her head in embarrassment, but then heard her mother mentioning her to the girl. She couldn''t help but raise her head and look at Jin Lan with sparkling eyes.


    Seeing the familiar face, Jin Lan couldn''t help but be excited. Her impression of Madam Qin wasn''t deep, but she was extremely familiar with Meng Ruhan. Because in her previous life, Meng Ruhan was a close friend of hers.


    Perhaps it was because he had grown up with his brothers since childhood, but Meng Ruhan''s personality was very valiant. Jin Lan remembered that the first time she accompanied Madame SHen out to view a flower was during Meng Family, and she also got to know her at that time. Unexpectedly, they had met in Lingji Temple, exactly one year earlier than in his previous life.


    Jin Lan could not hold back his joy, and blessed Meng Ruhan: "Sister Ruhan."


    Meng Ruhan immediately stood up and bowed towards Jin Lan. "Sister Jinlan."


    The two held hands and laughed at each other. They sat down and started talking, which surprised Madame Qin, "My daughter is good at everything, it''s just that she is a bit high-spirited. Originally, I was worried that they wouldn''t be able to get along, but who would have thought ¡­ "Look, he''s even more familiar with it than us."


    Madame SHen smiled and nodded, looking at Jin Lan lovingly. She could tell that her daughter truly liked interacting with Meng Ruhan, and that Ru Han''s character was with Madam Qin, making her an extremely good person. Her Meng Family family situation was also not bad, so if she traveled more in the future, maybe ¡­ Her eyes flashed, she turned to Madame Qin and said: "I remember that you don''t like bumpiness the most, how did you come here personally?"


    Madame Qin picked out a candied plum flower from the fruit box with a special piece of silver. Hearing Madame SHen''s words, her hands paused for a moment as a happy expression surfaced on her face: "I want to snatch the first incense of Wen Jin''s Bodhisattva Temple tomorrow morning."


    Bodhisattva Wen Mu? Madame SHen''s heart was moved, his eyes also lit up, "Could it be that Zhan Xuan ¡­"


    "That''s right!" "He wants to participate in next year''s spring event. My brother sent a letter saying that he has already arranged everything so that he can go to the capital as soon as possible so that he can study in peace. I''m afraid that in another half a month, he will have to leave."


    Seeing Madame Qin''s happy face, a trace of envy flashed past her eyes, but she quickly organized her thoughts. She lifted the teacup and took a sip, then continued to chat with him. It was only until the maid called Qing Yu returned did Madame Qin pull Jin Lan to her side once again, and personally give the thing Qing Yu had placed on the tray to her.


    Jin Lan looked at it. It was a band with red agate on it. The agate was bright and vibrant. It was obvious that it was a rare treasure.


    The Madame SHen naturally gave her an equal gift. A jade lotus petal with the same heart as her was like a pool of blue water, slightly moving would be like a ripple of blue water.


    After a fast meal, the sky grew darker and darker. Jin Lan and Meng Ruhan made an appointment to burn incense together tomorrow before reluctantly returning to their respective rooms.


    Bi He waited for Jin Lan to collapse, but before she had the chance to sleep, a knock came from the door.

 C36

    "Bi He, open the door."


    Upon recognizing Hui Xiu''s voice, Bi He hurriedly got up to open the door. However, when she saw the person behind Hui Xiu, he couldn''t help but be stunned in place.


    Jin Lan rubbed his eyes. Pushing away the silk curtain, he stuck out half of his body and asked softly, "What''s wrong?"


    "Miss!" Bi He welcomed Hui Xiu and the person behind her in, looking a little excited: "Who do you think has arrived?"


    There were two lamps burning in the room, one on the wooden table outside and the other on the small table by the bed, so that although it was dark outside, there was enough light in the chamber.


    Jin Lan closed his eyes, and waited for his vision to clear before he looked behind Bi He. The first one to come over was Hui Xiu, and behind Hui Xiu, was Mama Tang! Just as she was about to shout out in joy, she suddenly stopped, her gaze fixated on the person behind Mama Tang.


    Astonishment, disbelief, joy, ecstasy ¡ª a flash in her eyes. She sat up abruptly, threw open the curtain and jumped off the bed. She didn''t even bother to put on her shoes as she rushed toward the man with her bare feet.


    Mama Tang and the rest were all shocked by Jin Lan''s sudden action. Luckily the bed in the Lingji Temple was not high, otherwise the wounds on her legs would have recurred. Even so, Bi He still hurriedly lifted up the shoes on the ground, and shouted to Jin Lan: "Please slow down young lady, the ground is cold, put the shoes on first."


    How could Jin Lan understand? He ran straight to the side of the Mama Tang, his eyes red, and started crying. "Wan Ju!"


    The person who entered the house behind Mama Tang was Wan Ju, who had been missing for more than a month! When she saw Jin Lan''s actions, tears gushed out of her eyes. "Young lady!"


    Jin Lan grabbed onto Wan Ju''s hand. His voice was a little hoarse, but his face was full of concern.


    Wan Ju shook her head, she lowered her head and started crying.


    Seeing that, the Mama Tang tried to smooth things over: "Miss, at least put on your shoes. After walking for so long on the mountain road, Wan Ju is tired, right? Would you like to sit down and talk? "


    Jin Lan then regained her senses, and quickly wiped away the tears on her cheeks. She nodded, and allowed Bi He to put on her shoes and coat, before pulling Wan Ju along to sit on the chair.


    Hui Xiu only followed Madame SHen''s instructions and brought the person to Jin Lan''s room. This time, she did not bring many servants with her, as Madame SHen still needed someone to serve them, so after informing Jin Lan, she quickly returned to her room.


    Due to Jin Lan''s habit of drinking hot tea, Madame SHen had long since found Kong Ming, Little Shamei, and asked for a small stove to place in the corner. Bi He quickly brewed a pot of tea, and just as she was about to pour the tea into the cup to bring Jin Lan and the rest over, Mama Tang came to receive her hands, "It''s been hard on you these few days."


    Bi He pursed her lips and laughed, "Serving the young lady is part of my business, how can I say that it is hard?"


    "You little girl." The Mama Tang shook her head helplessly, before placing the cup of tea that she had poured earlier on the tray. She smiled and said to Bi He: "Madam has let little master Kong Ming out of his room, in the third room to the right of the lady''s room. I think Miss will have a talk with Wan Ju tonight, so you should go and sleep over there first."


    Wan Ju''s hand that was about to hold onto the plate went empty, and after hearing what the Mama Tang said, she could not help but be stunned.


    Mama Tang was afraid that Bi He would overthink things, so she explained while beaming: "If everyone is stuck here, who will be serving Miss tomorrow? That''s why I told you to go and rest, so that you could get up in the morning to take Wan Ju''s place. "


    Bi He glanced at Mama Tang and then glanced at Jin Lan, who was talking to Wan Ju. Her expression darkened immediately and she hung her head, a trace of bitterness appearing in the corner of her mouth.


    "Hurry up and go. If you''re free, help me get off the bed. I''ll go take a rest later as well." Mama Tang exhorted again before picking up the tray to serve Jin Lan tea.


    With such words, how could Bi He not realize that Mama Tang was trying to send her out? She could not help but look inside the house. Seeing that Jin Lan did not seem to notice the situation over here, she continued to chat with Wan Ju, much more lively than usual. Twisting her sleeves, Bi He turned and left the room dejectedly.


    The two rooms in the Lingji Temple could not be compared to the mansion, and any activity in the rooms could be heard clearly outside. Jin Lan calmed his heart, and did not inquire about Wan Ju''s encounters these past few days. Instead, he told her about everything that had happened in the mansion that everyone knew. After about half the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Mama Tang left the room, and Jin Lan peeked at the door from time to time.


    Not long after, the Mama Tang returned. Facing her anxious gaze, she nodded her head almost imperceptibly.


    Then, Jin Lan relaxed and turned to look at Wan Ju. Unexpectedly, Wan Ju had already left his seat and directly knelt in front of her.


    "Miss, this servant thinks that I will never see Miss again!" Wan Ju''s tears fell like rain as she sobbed, "This servant is useless, I have failed to live up to lady''s request."


    "What is this? Hurry and get up! " Jin Lan quickly helped her to her feet. "Don''t worry, we''ll talk slowly if you have something to say."


    Mama Tang shut the door and also rushed over to persuade her. After much difficulty in stopping her tears, she poured her another cup of hot tea and went to guard by the door.


    Wan Ju held the teacup and took a sip, then impatiently started talking about what had happened recently.


    "That morning, this servant left the house. I had wanted to go home first, but halfway through, I started thinking about how long I could keep this herb dregs for, if it took too long, it would probably be hard to identify them. So I thought about it and went back to the medicine store. Although this servant grew up in Yangzhou, I have sold myself into the palace since young. Other than knowing how to return home, I am unfamiliar with other places. Thus, after many twists and turns, and after asking around, I found a medicine store. "


    "This servant gave the handkerchief wrapped in medicinal dregs to the shopkeeper and asked him to help me find out what kind of medicine was inside. In the end, the result was ¡­" As she spoke, she couldn''t help but shiver. Her eyes were filled with fear and her body couldn''t help but tremble.


    Jin Lan was stunned. He immediately reached out and placed his hand on the back of her ice-cold hand, "Don''t be afraid, everything is over."


    Wan Ju raised her head. In the face of Jin Lan''s caring and encouraging eyes, Xiao Bai''s complexion slightly retreated. His trembling body also slowly calmed down. She secretly cleared her throat and continued, "The shopkeeper brought the handkerchief to the back, and it took about half an hour for it to come out. Once it was out, he shouted for several big men to tie up the servants."


    "How could this be?" Jin Lan couldn''t help but exclaim softly, "Everything is fine. Why is he tying you up?"


    "This servant asked too. That storekeeper aggressively threw the handkerchief on the table. He said that the thing inside was a poison that could kill a person!" In the end, it had left a shadow in his heart, causing Wan Ju''s face to suddenly turn white, and the tears he had stopped sliding down once again, "And you still say that your servant used this medicine to harm others, so you want to tie me up and go to the officials!"


    Jin Lan frowned. Although she suspected that there was something wrong with the medicine, it shouldn''t have become a deadly poison. Putting aside the fact that Madame SHen looked safe and sound for the time being, even Doctor Jiang, who had come to help her pulse when she was unconscious, was unable to find anything. It could be seen that either there was no problem with the medicine, or there was very little poison in it, which was why it was hard to find.


    But why did the medicine store manager swear it was poison? And even sending Wan Ju to the officials?


    Her brows knitted as she thought about it for a moment. Then, she suddenly looked up at Wan Ju and asked, "Did you tell him that you are a servant of the Ye Mansion?"


    "This servant didn''t say anything at first, but after that, as he became more and more shocking, this servant, this servant, was afraid. That''s why I said it."


    Jin Lan followed up with another question, "Will the shopkeeper send you to the officials'' office after knowing your identity?"


    Wan Ju nodded his head, "Yes, he said that since you are a member of the clan, then we should send you off immediately, so as to not let us servants harm our masters."


    This was strange, he was just an ordinary medicine store manager, after knowing Wan Ju''s identity he still insisted on sending him off? Generally speaking, if one isn''t afraid of offending others, they should just send it to the mansion for reward. How could it be ¡­


    "Miss." Seeing Jin Lan''s sullen face and him sitting there without speaking, Wan Ju thought that she was angry at him for not speaking properly and felt uneasy in her heart. She glanced at her timidly, then lowered her head and muttered: "This servant, this servant did not mean to leak the information, this servant is only, just ¡­ ¡­" At the end of her sentence, she was as loud as a mosquito.


    Speak out, speak out... Jin Lan''s eyes lit up, and he suddenly grabbed onto Wan Ju''s hand, asking urgently, "Were you talking about the Ye Mansion or the Patrol of Salt Censors?"


    "Servant, servant ¡­" Wan Ju was shocked by Jin Lan''s sudden action, but after hearing her words, she started to think carefully, and after a long while she replied with certainty: "I did not say that I was talking about the Censorate, or that I was talking about Ye Mansion."


    That''s right! Jin Lan realised, then revealed a cold smile, it seemed like Wan Ju was deceived. What defense medicine, what poison, this was all a scam! I''m afraid that even the people who were guiding her on the way were pre-arranged.


    She took a deep breath, composed herself and indicated for Wan Ju to continue.


    "Later on, the shopkeeper said that he was afraid that this servant wouldn''t want to meet the official, but he was also afraid that I would take the opportunity to run away, so he decided to get a small sedan chair and block this servant''s mouth, saying that he would carry her to the yamen. At first, those people seemed to be walking around the city, but later on, they became more and more remote, as if they were going out of the city and to the outskirts of the city. This servant was so anxious that she kept on kicking the palanquin, but the more she walked, the faster she moved. "


    Under the bright light, she could clearly see that Wan Ju''s forehead was drenched in cold sweat. In her heart, she was wondering if it was time to end this matter here, and for the rest of his life, she could easily imagine that Wan Ju''s life was at stake. After hesitating for a moment, she secretly sighed, Forget it, no matter how Wan Ju took the risk, it did not matter, as long as she was fine, everything was alright.


    But before she could open her mouth, Wan Ju continued, "When the palanquin landed, it was at the river bank. The surroundings were completely deserted, and even this servant was unable to recognize it. And then there was a pain in the back of my neck and I didn''t know anything. " After saying that, she stopped, her gaze towards Jin Lan became uncertain, and after a long while, she stuttered: "When I woke up, I was in the infirmary, yes, it was the Doctor Gong who saved this servant!"

 C37

    "What?" How could it be her? Jin Lan could not help but splatter as he stood up, "Which Doctor Gong are you talking about?"


    Was there a second Doctor Gong in the Yangzhou City? Wan Ju looked at Jin Lan who had a surprised face and said: "That''s the Doctor Gong who treated my wife."


    Doctor Gong, Doctor Gong again! It was precisely because Wan Ju took her medicine that she came across such a calamity. Yet in the end, he was actually saved by her.


    No, impossible! After Wan Ju entered the medicine shop, she should not have shown her face outside, even when she went to the river bank, she was carried by a palanquin, how could Doctor Gong know about it? Unless... Unless she knew that Wan Ju would be secretly harmed from the start! But why did she want to save Wan Ju? It was convincing that she was the one who killed Wan Ju, it was unbelievable that she had saved Wan Ju.


    And who was the lady that came to report the fake letter to Wan Ju''s home? Why did she do this? If anyone from the medicine store knew that Wan Ju was rescued, they should have thought of a way to hide. If it was the Doctor Gong, why didn''t he send Wan Ju back to the manor? Instead, he had to lie?


    He thought that Wan Ju would be able to find the truth after returning, but instead, things became more and more complicated, as if there were two invisible hands pushing things in the opposite direction that he was moving in.


    Seeing that Jin Lan''s expression was not good, Wan Ju thought that she was scared by what she had said and could not help but secretly blame herself. She quickly got up and helped Jin Lan to sit down, and asked worriedly: "Miss, are you scared? It''s my bad, I shouldn''t have said these things to you. "


    "I''m fine." She rubbed her forehead that was faintly aching, and a moment later, her eyes regained their former clarity. She held Wan Ju''s hand: "Since there''s nothing wrong, why have you not returned to the Palace, letting me worry about you these past few days, it''s been a long time."


    "Your servant is disappointing." Wan Ju blinked his somewhat red and swollen eyes, "Doctor Gong said that those people knocked out the servant, and when she fell to the ground, they knocked her forehead on a rock. "Many geniuses opened their eyes, but they were still in a daze and could not remember what had happened. That''s why they were unable to return to their homes and caused this lady to worry."


    Jin Lan pushed away the strands of hair on her forehead. Sure enough, there was a small scar on her forehead near her hair. Although it was healed, the reddish-brown flesh bulged out like a spider.


    Wan Ju dodged and turned her head. He had personally seen that scar before, and even he himself felt that it was incomparably ugly, let alone a lady ¡­


    All of a sudden, she felt a hint of cool air gently land on that scar. A voice filled with concern sounded in her ears: "Does it hurt?"


    Wan Ju was startled, she raised her eyes to look at Jin Lan, only to see her extending her hand, her white fingertips slowly sliding across the ugly scar, her face under the light was full of guilt. She could not help but tremble slightly as a layer of mist appeared in her eyes. She sniffed with all her might and shook her head. "It doesn''t hurt. It doesn''t hurt anymore."


    From the looks of it, Wan Ju had broken his appearance, with such a big scar, there was a 80 to 90% chance that she would not be able to remove it. Jin Lan''s eyes became unsightly. She retracted her cold little hands and carefully looked at Wan Ju. A servant of Ye Family, she had never had any problems looking at him. She silently sighed, her gaze gentle. "Hurry up and stop crying. These past few days, I''ve made you suffer. Tonight, you should properly rest up."


    Wan Ju wiped away her tears, "This servant is not tired, Bi He must have already gone to bed, this servant will watch out for Miss."


    Jin Lan lowered his head and picked up the cup of cold tea. A faint bitterness spread through his mouth. Tea, it''s better to drink it while it''s hot. She raised a gentle smile and said gently: "Tomorrow is the Kitigarbha''s Christmas, I''m afraid more people will come to burn incense than usual, Mama is too old to accept it, you go rest first, tomorrow morning I will burn incense," afraid that she would be worried, she added: "There''s a Mama at night."


    Hearing that, Wan Ju could only nod her head and agree, then bowed to Jin Lan and left.


    Mama Tang closed the door, and then put a bolt in, and then helped Jin Lan up onto the bed.


    Jin Lan sat upright on the bed and lightly patted the edge of the bed. The Mama Tang understood and half sat by her side, helping her to straighten her slightly sliding clothes.


    After he slightly arranged his thoughts that seemed to have become numbed, Jin Lan turned his head to the side and looked at Mama Tang, and asked softly: "Mama, how did you find Wan Ju?"


    Mama Tang sized up Jin Lan''s face, which was more reserved than usual. It could be seen that she was not feeling well these days.


    Jin Lan was startled. He couldn''t help but touch her face, but he didn''t think too much into it. She had too many things to take care of now.


    Seeing that she did not talk, the Mama Tang knew that she was worried about something, so he did not delay, and directly said: "Speaking of it, it''s a coincidence, we met at the small corner door."


    The Ye Family rules were strict, servants were not allowed to enter and leave the gate, they were not even allowed to enter through the side gate. The front and back courtyard had a small door, which was specially set for servants to enter and exit, but there were also gatekeepers and Attendant s that guarded the gate.


    That is to say, Wan Ju came back by herself? Jin Lan muttered to himself for a moment, then said to Mama Tang: "Since Wan Ju is back, let me disperse him, but Mama needs to find some free time, find Wan Ju and ask him where the medicine store is, and let me find a way to ask about that shopkeeper." After thinking for a bit, he continued, "Also, Doctor Gong, although Mother said that she is trustworthy, I still feel that Wan Ju''s matter is related to her. I will have Big Brother ask around as well to see if there are any flaws."


    Mama Tang nodded, "Alright."


    Jin Lan didn''t say anything more. The night was filled with joy and worry. Coupled with the bumps and unexplainable fear during the day, Jin Lan''s expression relaxed. He immediately felt tired.


    The Mama Tang laid her down and covered her with a blanket. After covering her with the blanket, she went back to rest on the small bed outside.


    The night passed in silence.


    A hundred years in the Cauldron Realm together, the morning bell and the evening drum have no time to rest.


    The sky had just turned gray, and the melodious sound of the bell rang out in the morning sunlight. The monks were singing their praises while the buddhist medallions were faintly ringing, harmonizing with the sound of the bell and washing away the mortal world''s dirt, causing people''s hearts to become increasingly ethereal.


    Jin Lan got up early, and was helped by Bi He and Wan Ju to get dressed.


    After washing her noodles, Bi He put on a yellow brocade orchid herb and persimmon brocade. She wore a crescent white embroidered bamboo plum blossom dress with threads at the side, and the Mama Tang was giving her a double bun. Bi He opened her mirror, preparing to choose two suitable pieces of jewelry based on her clothes today.


    After searching for a while, Bi He couldn''t help but let out a cry. After carefully thinking about it, she asked full of suspicion: "Miss, where''s that lamb fat jade Jasmine hairpin of yours?"


    Jin Lan lowered his face, trying to avoid the question while thinking. After a long while, he raised his head and asked with a puzzled expression, "Didn''t he fall on the bed?"


    "But I didn''t see it when I made up the girl''s bed last night. This servant thought it was Miss who had put it away." Bi He said as she walked to the side of the bed and looked again carefully, but she still could not find her.


    "It''s fine if you can''t find it, but it''s not something precious anyway. Just throw it away." Jin Lan took out a jade inlaid pearl and Eight Treasures hairpin from the mirror and handed it over to Mama Tang.


    Bi He opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but seeing that Jin Lan did not care about it, he decided not to, and casually arranged the disordered bed.


    Wan Ju finished packing the cage and poured a cup of tea for Jin Lan. Seeing the hairpin on her head, she said: "Young lady only brought a hairpin, could it be that you used a bit too much?"


    Jin Lan swept his eyes over the figure in the copper mirror, the slightly sharp oval face, porcelain white and exquisite skin, with eyes like a pool of autumn water, clear and bright, her exquisite nose with no rouge but with red lips, at first glance she looked very similar to Madame SHen. The Eight Treasures hairpin on his head faintly glowed with a jade-green light. If he only brought a hairpin, it would truly be a bit useless, even though he had come to offer incense, it was different today. He might even meet the wives in the Yangzhou City.


    She was slightly startled and chose two fingernail-sized peach silk flowers and a pair of scarlet silver pearl pendants. As a result, they were gentle and graceful, just right for her.


    After dressing, Jin Lan brought Wan Ju and Bi He to Madame SHen''s room. After using the fast food that was brought over early in the morning, Madame Qin coincidentally brought Meng Ruhan over, and the group majestically went to the great hall.


    Although it was still early, it was Kitigarbha''s Christmas and there were many people who came to snatch the incense. Other than the pilgrims who stayed in the temple, the good men and women in the vicinity also got up before dawn. At this moment, a few people had already entered the Earth Treasury Hall. On the other hand, the entrance to the Great Treasure Hall was cold and deserted. It was unknown if anyone entered. The Madame Qin had always been rushing to get the incense, but now that they were getting closer, they could not help but increase their pace, and gradually pulled away from Madame SHen and the others.


    Meng Ruhan, however, was not in a hurry at all. She leisurely walked beside Jin Lan, pulled her to look left and right, sizing up the buddhist hall that was just passing by. The two of them carried Drapery Cap s, so although they could not see it clearly, they were still full of interest, so they did not mind it much. Only when the figure of the Madame Qin disappeared from the Great Hall, did the group of people walk to the steps of the hall.


    Jin Lan raised his head and looked at the majestic buddhist hall with its ash-gray fish-scale tiles and vermilion wooden pillars. On the front entrance of the hall, there was a signboard with the words "The Three Saints of Magnificence" written in black and gold. Inside was dedicated to the three Sakyamuni, Sakyamuni Buddha in the middle, Pu Xian Bodhisattva on the left and Wen Shu Bodhisattva on the right. Below them were more than ten monks chanting scriptures and beating wooden fish for their morning lesson. There weren''t any pilgrims in the hall, so it was likely that all of them had gone to the Earth Treasury.


    The Madame Qin was extremely quick, the moment the Madame SHen and the rest stepped into the hall, she had already finished paying her respects to the incense, and was chanting an incantation. She waved her hand, and a green bamboo lot fell out. Madame Qin picked it up quickly, and after reading it, he revealed a happy smile.


    Seeing that, the Madame SHen walked over, Jin Lan looked at it, but did not leave, because the table for the drawing of lots was placed at the entrance of the hall.


    She just stood there, but she didn''t expect that someone would come in like a gust of wind behind her, almost knocking her to the ground ¡­

 C38

    Jin Lan brought Wan Ju and her two servant girls along with her. The group of people blocked most of the entrance of the hall.


    The person was quite skilled. From afar, he could see that the person blocking the door did not slow down in the slightest. Instead, he directly slammed into the door. Fortunately, they did not hurt anyone when they brushed past Jin Lan and the others.


    Seeing that someone had entered the palace, and it was a young man at that, Wan Ju and Bi He''s expression changed slightly as they hurriedly hid Jin Lan behind them. Meng Ruhan''s maid was stunned for a moment. Seeing the actions of the two, she immediately realized what was going on and followed along to protect Meng Ruhan.


    Although Jin Lan and Meng Ru Lan brought along their Drapery Cap, they were still female Qi warriors after all. With a quick glance, they lowered their heads, refusing to look.


    The person who entered was around seventeen or eighteen years old. He was tall and slender and tall, dressed in a blue robe with a cloud pattern on it. His jet-black hair was tied high up in a cloth made from profound light, but his facial features were extremely ordinary.


    He entered the hall and went straight towards the table of the Master. When he passed by the group of female disciples, he stopped and glanced at Jin Lan who was hiding behind the Drapery Cap. Then, he walked towards the old monk who was sitting behind the table as if nothing had happened.


    As Jin Lan pondered over the questions he had left behind last night, a palpitation suddenly rose up in his heart. It was as if some venomous snake or ferocious beast was staring at him, causing her to feel a chill run down her spine. She quickly raised her head and looked in that direction, but didn''t find anything out of the ordinary.


    Was it an illusion? She looked around the hall. It was basically the same as when she first came in, except that there was a man in a long robe in front of the table. Jin Lan looked sideways, although Drapery Cap was blocking her view, she was sure that she had never seen this person before.


    The man in the robe bowed deeply towards the old monk and said in a deep voice, "I''ll have to trouble Master to clear the lot for me." After he finished speaking, regardless of whether the old monk agreed or not, he handed the bamboo stick in his hand over.


    Her deep and slightly hoarse voice entered Jin Lan''s ears as if it was being devoured by lightning. It completely stupefied her, causing her to freeze on the spot without moving an inch. There was no trace of blood on her initially rosy cheeks. Her face was terrifyingly pale, and if not for the Drapery Cap, Madame SHen would probably be worried.


    How could that be? This voice was obviously very familiar, but that face ¡­


    "Girl, madam wants you to come over." Wan Ju suddenly said to Jin Lan quietly. He did not expect to see her still standing there in a daze, turning a deaf ear. She could not help but call out softly, "Miss, girl?"


    "Huh?" Wan Ju''s call caused Jin Lan to become alert, but she immediately woke him up. She looked up to see Madame SHen waving her hand towards him, and could only restrain herself from thinking too, before walking over to Madame SHen''s side. As she walked past the table, she couldn''t help but steal a glance at that simple-minded face, confirming that she really had never seen it before.


    As if he had felt Jin Lan''s gaze, the man suddenly turned his head, and their eyes met. Her heart couldn''t help but shiver. Her eyes were deep and jet-black like the stars shooting into the moon, and they didn''t have the slightest bit of normal appearance. But in the blink of an eye, how could it be pitch-black? It was just that his eyes were calm and dim like a pool of stagnant water.


    He suddenly revealed a mysterious smile towards Jin Lan, causing her to immediately look away in shock. Her heart thumped rapidly, not daring to meet his gaze.


    This person was not him! Jin Lan lowered his head and clutched the handkerchief in his hand as he quickly thought: ''People who resemble each other are not rare in this world. Therefore, it''s not impossible for them to have similar voices.'' She must have recognized the wrong person from the very beginning.


    However, he was definitely the person who was in the room yesterday! That was because when she passed by the table, she could smell a faint smell that was exactly the same as the person from yesterday! Even the incense in the hall couldn''t mask the smell.


    It was just that this smell was a lot fainter than the one she had smelled yesterday. She gripped the handkerchief tightly as a strange light flashed in her eyes.


    Meng Ruhan walked a little faster, she took the green bamboo lot from Madame Qin''s hands and looked at it carefully, her little face suddenly lit up, she pulled at Jin Lan who had just walked over and said happily: "Sister Jinlan, look, mother asked for an autograph!"


    Jin Lan was a little absent-minded, but he was unwilling to let Meng Ruhan''s happiness get away from him. He gathered his focus and received the slip, then read it carefully: "Yu Men Jump over the waves, the fish has become a dragon, and have become a sovereign. It was indeed the signature of a huge treasure. She couldn''t help but be happy for Meng Zhanxuan in her heart.


    In her previous life, when she was on good terms with Meng Ruhan, she had met him a few times. He was Meng Ruhan''s elder brother, a young man with a hat as warm as jade. However, she couldn''t remember if there was a high school this spring or not.


    "Well? I already said that my big brother would definitely pass the examination, and now that I have obtained the blessing of the Bodhisattva, I might even become a top scholar! " Meng Ruhan chuckled as she took back the bamboo stick, and flipped it around in her hand.


    "That''s enough, Han''er. Don''t mess around. In a bit, let the Grandmaster explain and see what the trigram says." Although she was scolding, her tone of voice did not contain the slightest bit of anger. Madame Qin''s entire face was filled with laughter, reaching deep into her eyes.


    Meng Ruhan was also aware that Madame Qin was not angry, she mischievously stuck out her tongue and passed the bamboo stick in her hand to Madame Qin, then pulled Jin Lan to hide by the side to bite her ear, "Look at that man, he''s so strange, even Master is not willing to help him get rid of his lot, why is he still standing there?"


    Jin Lan followed Meng Ruhan''s gaze and saw that the man in the robe leaned forward slightly, as if bowing to the old monk, with both of his hands still holding onto the bamboo stick. If the old monk didn''t accept it, he wouldn''t budge, and so was he.


    After a long while, the old monk narrowed his eyes and chuckled, "Benefactor''s lot is requested by the Earth Treasury Hall and should be resolved by senior brother Hui Chen. Why did you come here to find the old monk? "How strange."


    He did not seem to be moved at all by the old monk''s words, as if he could not even look at the old monk and could not say where the bamboo stick in his hand had come from. He remained calm as he said faintly, "I have long heard of the great master''s boundless magic power, the ability to occupy the lives of my past and present lives. It can be considered a cycle of karma, and I hope the great master will not reject it."


    The old monk looked at Liu Ming''s calm expression and his turbid eyes suddenly flashed with a trace of light. He stroked the few strands of white hair on his chest and raised his hand to pick up the warm bamboo stick placed in his palm. Carefully looking at the bamboo lot, then looking at the man in front of him, he slowly said, "Sir, this is the forty-eighth one, ''Yellow Wilds meets the Immortals''. The clouds are colorful, and the room is filled with sunlight. This lot is signed, and the Nine Revolving Pill shown on it boasts of completion. I wonder what Benefactor is seeking? "


    The robed man stared at the old monk, "Looking forward."


    "This lot is about getting alcohol from the Thousand Refinements Method. After a few years of sitting here quietly as an idle person, he has borrowed some good work to meet with rich and powerful people."


    "How?"


    The old monk laughed: "Benefactor is looking for a future, naturally it is as shown in the contract, the plan requires a lot of effort, only then can you get the result, although there are countless twists and turns, but with the help of a noble person, you still need to be wary of me."


    The man then asked, "Where is the exalted person that Master spoke of?"


    "If fate wills it, we will meet. Before the time is ripe, we will be far off in the horizon."


    He was silent for a moment, as if he was pondering over what the old monk had said. After a while, he took out a silk bag made of coarse cloth from his sleeve.


    Jin Lan was listening carefully, and when he saw the man turn to leave, his heart suddenly moved. He walked to the side of Madame SHen and spoke to her in a low voice.


    Madame SHen''s face showed surprise, but was a little helpless. She instructed Hui Xiu in a low voice: "Bring Miss to the cleaning room."


    Just as Jin Lan wanted to push him away, she suddenly remembered that in the eyes of the Madame SHen, this was her first time coming to the Lingji Temple, so she naturally did not know where to find a clean house. She could only nod her head, leaving Bi He and Wan Ju to accompany the Madame SHen as she quickly walked out of the hall.


    As soon as she stepped out of the door, she quickly scanned her surroundings, searching for the figure. The number of people who came to offer incense had gradually increased, and the path to the Earth Treasury Hall was already rather crowded. With her sharp eyes, she caught a glimpse of an azure robe flashing in the crowd. Immediately, it disappeared from her sight. Without much time to think, she took a step forward and gave chase.


    When Hui Xiu saw that, she thought that she was panicking. She could not help but say: "Miss, the clean room is over here."


    Jin Lan immediately slowed down his steps, turned around and explained: "Yesterday, I looked around Bi He, and remember that there''s a clean house in front of us. It''s not far, it''s just right for us to go there." After saying that, he turned around and ran off.


    Hui Xiu could only keep up, but she was not as petite and nimble as Jin Lan, and after squeezed into the crowd for a while longer, she managed to pull away from Jin Lan, to the point where she anxiously shouted: "Miss, slow down, wait for me!"


    How could Jin Lan have heard about it? Fortunately, there were quite a few ladies who came to offer incense today, and most of them were like Jin Lan, with a Drapery Cap on their head, but they were all different in different colors. As such, she was not considered to be out of the ordinary amongst them.


    After squeezing through the crowd for a long time, that person had still disappeared. Disappointment appeared on her face, and a trace of unwillingness could be seen in her eyes.


    Originally, he was still planning to not act rashly while there were more people outside. Furthermore, she had helped him resolve the situation before, and now that the poison in his body seemed to show signs of being dispelled, she just wanted to ask him to help Madame SHen take a look, but she didn''t expect him to lose someone in the end. It seemed like she could only think of another way to find someone else.


    Jin Lan sighed, preparing to go back the same way as Hui Xiu and go to the cleaning room to cover her retreat. Stepping out of the crowded crowd, she walked along the corners of the Buddha halls towards the Great Hall. Her gaze continuously traveled through the crowd, searching for Hui Xiu who had been pushed to an unknown place.


    The sun gradually rose as the bright and beautiful sunlight poured down from the horizon like golden powder, sprinkling onto the ground. The towering hall was covered with bluestone tiles as it burned layers and layers of shadows of varying sizes.


    The further away they were from the Earth Treasury Hall, the fewer people there were who would burn incense. Perhaps he should first return to the Great Hall if he couldn''t find her? She bit her lip, which meant her mother was worried again, and she quickened her pace.


    Her petite figure disappeared into the shadows. As long as she passed the corner in front of them, she would be at the Great Hall. She secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly, her vision blurred, then her nose started to ache, and the Drapery Cap above her head fell to the ground.


    "Ugh!" Jin Lan covered his sore nose as tears streamed down his face. He reached out his hand hazily but touched a hard chest.


    She unconsciously touched it twice and was immediately scared to the point that her face turned pale. This ¡­ this was clearly a man! Jin Lan retracted his hand with lightning like speed. Just as he opened his mouth to scream out, his mouth was suddenly covered by someone ¡­

 C39

    "You''re still so impetuous." His voice was low and mixed with impatience.


    This voice, without even needing to look to know who it was, caused Jin Lan''s heart to involuntarily thump loudly. A trace of fear crawled onto his pale little face.


    Asking for his help was one thing, but actually meeting face to face was another. Moreover, this was not the first time she had been covered by him. With the previous example, how could she not be afraid? Moreover, the two were now standing in the middle of two buddhist halls. There was an unremarkable path, and above their heads, there was even a large shadow.


    He was tall, completely blocking her. He was also wearing a green robe, and if one didn''t pay careful attention, it would be difficult to notice that there was someone here. Normally, there would be guests who would pass by and head for the Great Hall to burn, but now ¡­


    "Since you''re so afraid, why did you still come?" He let out a cold snort, as if he was sure that Jin Lan wouldn''t shout out again, and he happily let go.


    Jin Lan''s expression froze. She felt like someone had seen through her mind. She lowered her head and bit her lips like a pearl, unable to utter a single word.


    The two of them stood facing each other in silence for a long time. The man in the robe suddenly turned around and left with an expressionless face. His cold voice slowly echoed in the alley, "There won''t be a next time."


    He was leaving? Jin Lan raised his head in astonishment and saw a figure walking toward the bright exit. Her mind went blank, and she subconsciously said, "Wait!"


    A soft and tender voice that sounded like the chirping of a bird was heard. He frowned but stopped in his tracks. He did not turn his head back, but continued to look at the crowd that was coming and going in the distance.


    Jin Lan slowly straightened his shoulders, which had been slightly hunched because of his fear. This was the first time he looked at that person with such determination, even if it was just his back, "There''s something I want to discuss with you." After the first sentence was said, the rest wasn''t too difficult, "My mother is feeling a little unwell, I would like to ask for your help to take a look."


    His face was hidden in the shadows, so his expression could not be seen. After a while, he indifferently opened his mouth and said, "I''m not a doctor."


    Did that mean he didn''t know any medical skills?


    "My mother has invited quite a few famous doctors for this disease." If a doctor was useful, why would they risk coming to him? Jin Lan said in a somewhat anxious tone, "I want to know, how did you get rid of the poison in your body?"


    As soon as he finished his words, he turned around and walked up to her. He reached out his hand to grab a boneless catkin, and said in a cold voice: "How do you know I''m poisoned?"


    Even though he was in the shadows, Jin Lan could clearly see that pair of soul-stirring eyes were deep and heavy, like a deep and cold pond in a hollow valley, suffused with a trace of coldness that made people shiver.


    She could not help but shiver and suddenly felt a tinge of cowardice. Asking him for help was undoubtedly asking a tiger for its skin!


    But now, he was at the point of no return, and had no choice but to do so. For the sake of the Madame SHen, he had to persevere on.


    She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain in her wrist. She lifted her eyes to meet his cold, bone-piercing gaze. She did not mention that she had encountered this kind of situation before. After all, she was a stranger, and it was inconvenient to speak about it deeply.


    He narrowed his eyes, his gaze abnormally sharp. His lips pursed into a straight line as he stared at Jin Lan with eyes that were like a cheetah staring at a sheep, cold and filled with bloodthirsty viciousness.


    Jin Lan''s heart sank, but he gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to turn around and run. He looked into his eyes, his expression extremely stiff, like a lifeless ceramic doll. He tried his best to conceal the fear in his heart, not wanting to show any sign of cowardice.


    It was as if after a long time, when her eyes started to feel itchy and she couldn''t hold on any longer, the grip on her wrist finally loosened a little.


    In a split-second, her five senses recovered from their stagnation, and the expression on her face gradually regained its liveliness. In the distance, the clamoring of the crowd could be heard again and again, and she even heard the soft rustling of green leaves as they swayed back and forth in the breeze that blew across Bodhi. The air was filled with the faint fragrance of sandalwood.


    In the end, she was afraid. She held onto her wrist, which was still in pain, with her other hand safe and sound. Her fingertip could not help but tremble slightly. Her chest heaved up and down, and there was no trace of blood on her face.


    He did not say anything. He just stood there, quietly staring at that pale little face.


    "So ¡­" After a while, the initial fear was no longer in Jin Lan''s eyes. She still raised her head, and looked at the pair of stern and reserved eyes, "Please help me, save my mother, my Ye Family must be thick ¡­"


    "Tomorrow afternoon, at the Stainless Pavilion on the west side of the back mountain." That person seemed to have sensed something and his expression changed slightly. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and interrupted her.


    "Huh?" His sudden words caused Jin Lan to be stunned for a moment. By the time she could react, the figure had already disappeared into the crowd.


    This, so to speak, he agreed to? A look of astonishment flashed across her face as she looked in the direction he had disappeared to. She didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. This guy was really unpredictable. She didn''t even have time to ask for his name before she left.


    However, as long as he was willing to treat his mother, nothing mattered anymore.


    Jin Lan raised his head and looked at the blue sky. He heaved a long sigh of relief and even his footsteps became lighter. He then continued walking towards the Main Hall.


    "Miss!" Before she could walk out of the green brick path, Jin Lan saw Hui Xiu''s figure running towards her.


    Hui Xiu''s expression was anxious, she grabbed her hand and asked with a trembling voice: "Where did you go? "You frightened this servant. If I lose this young lady, this servant, this servant, how would I explain it to my wife!?"


    Hui Xiu was in a sorry state, Mu Lanqing''s dress was wrinkled, the bun that was originally neatly combed was squeezed loose, many strands of hair were scattered on her neck, and there were a few strands that were drenched in sweat which were stuck to her forehead. The pearl flowers in her hair had long since disappeared. If it wasn''t for her clean skin, he would have been like a refugee in the wilderness.


    It looked like Hui Xiu had never returned to the Great Hall, but had always been searching for him in the crowded crowd. Instead, she held Hui Xiu''s cold hands and said apologetically: "Maybe I misjudged my judgement yesterday or remembered the place wrongly. I searched for a while over there, but I didn''t manage to find the clean house. There were so many people who saw the incense that it was hard to squeeze in and out, so I just moved out to go with you to another place. However, in the blink of an eye, you are nowhere to be seen. In the end, you are preparing to return to the main hall before making any further plans. "


    No matter whether or not Madame SHen was poisoned or that mysterious man, they both had to be buried deep within her heart, and could not be easily spat out to others. Even to Madame SHen, one could not say it before the time had come.


    "Is the girl all right?" Hui Xiu did not care about herself as she quickly looked up and down at Jin Lan. Suddenly, she discovered that on her left wrist, there was a circle of green and purple marks on her skin. She couldn''t help but exclaim, "What, what''s going on?"


    Jin Lan cried out inwardly. He had actually forgotten about the problem on his wrist. Now that he had been caught red-handed, it wasn''t easy to fool him. He could only stutter, "I didn''t pay attention either. Maybe I accidentally bumped into something." Then he said, "Quickly take me to the cleaning room, it feels really bad."


    Although Hui Xiu felt that this green purple light did not seem like it came from the inside, Jin Lan was urging him not to delay any further. She hurriedly put away her thoughts and brought Jin Lan to the clean room, and on the way he said to her: "This servant feels that this lady''s luck has not been too good recently, and should go and burn some incense in a while?"


    "Yes." This time, Jin Lan didn''t interrupt and nodded seriously. She also felt that she had been extremely unlucky recently, especially after meeting that person. First, her elbow had been injured, then her neck had been squeezed red, and now, there was another bruise on her hand.


    She made up her mind that as long as Madame SHen was fine, she would absolutely not have anything to do with that person anymore. However, she didn''t expect that things would go against her wishes, and begging for mercy didn''t necessarily mean that she would gain kindness. Instead, things that she couldn''t avoid just happened to happen one after another. Of course, that was something to be said later.


    Jin Lan followed Hui Xiu to the clean room, where Hui Xiu took the opportunity to tidy up a bit, so that she wouldn''t look too terrible.


    When he returned to the Great Treasure Hall, there were already many pilgrims kneeling on the prayer mats, worshipping them. Madame Qin, Madame SHen and the rest stood behind a curtain at the side, as though they had finished unravelling the drawing. The Madame Qin''s face was filled with intense joy, it seemed like what the master had said was deep in her heart.


    Madame SHen saw Jin Lan and Hui Xiu slowly walking over, his gaze turned towards Jin Lan, then turned to look at Hui Xiu, who was standing behind him. Seeing her dishevelled hair, he could not help but be startled, but thinking about the days they had today, he understood a little, and did not ask further.


    Madame Qin Buddha also paid his respects and as long as they signed it, they would not waste any more time on Lingji Temple. She was the mistress of the Meng Mansion, regardless of whether it was big or small, once Meng Zhanxuan prepared for it, she would pass it all. Yesterday, being able to stay overnight in the Lingji Temple had already given her a lot of free time, so if she did not go back, her Meng Mansion would probably be in chaos. Since the Madame Qin was going back, Meng Ruhan naturally could not stay either. Taking advantage of the servants packing up their things, Meng Ruhan pulled Jin Lan and left, unwilling to part.


    Seeing how Meng Ruhan was staring at him, Jin Lan couldn''t help but laugh, "Sister Han, what are you doing? The palace is much more comfortable than this, but why do I feel that you would rather stay here and suffer? "


    Meng Ruhan said listlessly: "After I go back, I will be left alone again, bored in my room all day, either embroidering or playing the zither, it is really boring."


    Madame Qin and Madame SHen were sitting on the main seat chatting, upon hearing Meng Ruhan''s words, a helpless smile surfaced on her face, "Look at what you said, if you want to play with Jinlan, when the flowers in the garden bloom, you can post a invitation to visit her and admire the flowers."


    "That''s right!" Meng Ruhan''s dispirited eyes suddenly lit up, and she started laughing excitedly. Her large eyes suddenly curved into a crescent moon, "When I return to my residence, I will post for you."


    Jin Lan nodded with a smile on his face. "Alright," he replied immediately.


    After everything had been tidied up, Madame SHen and Jin Lan sent the Madame Qin''s group to the Eastern Courtyard''s entrance. After watching them leave, they slowly moved back.

 C40

    In the early morning of the next day, Jin Lan first accompanied Madame SHen to the Earth Treasury Hall for an incense stick of time, then went back to his room to have his fast food. A young Shamil who was about seven or eight years old came to the Madame SHen to pass on a message, saying that Master Huifeng would be lecturing at the opening of the Bodhi Courtyard today, and would be able to listen to the buddhist mantras.


    Since they had run into each other, the Madame SHen was naturally going there. Jin Lan felt that it was still too early, and decided to listen in instead of staying in the room. Moreover, the Bodhi Courtyard was not far from the rear mountains. At that time, it would be convenient to find an excuse for the Madame SHen to go there.


    Thus, she took the Drapery Cap and went to the Bodhi Courtyard with Madame SHen.


    Although it was called a courtyard, it didn''t have a single room, only a tall and luxuriant Bodhi tree. This Bodhi tree had been growing for who knows how many years. Its trunk was tall and sturdy, and it was difficult for five or six people to embrace it. Its branches were lush and the leaves were green.


    Master Hui Wei''s eyebrows were tightly knitted, and his eyes were tightly shut, as though he had already entered a meditative state. His face was full of wrinkles, but in between his eyes, there was a hint of compassion. He sat cross-legged under the Bodhi tree, his left hand forming a seal in front of his chest. After a while, he opened his eyes and his lips moved slightly.


    Three feet away from the Bodhi tree, the prayer mats lined up on the ground in rows and rows, until they filled up the entire Bodhi Courtyard. The few monks in the front rows of prayer mats who were already sitting cross-legged on them had Lingji Temple already. Behind them were the pious and pious monks who were like the Madame SHen. Everyone quietly sat on the ground with respectful expressions.


    After an unknown period of time, a melodious bell sound rang out. Master Hui Wei clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist chant, indicating that the lecture was over.


    Jin Lan hurriedly got Wan Ju to help him up. After sitting there for so long, her legs had long ago become numb. Wan Ju and Bi He helped her up. She looked at the sky and asked in a slightly anxious voice: "What time is it now?"


    "Just now, the bell for Master Huiyuan Palace''s sermon rang a few times, I''m afraid that it is already more than halfway through, what''s wrong, is there anything for Lan Er?" Madame SHen was not fully satisfied, she had always been respectful to the Buddha, so she could still sit at this time.


    Since it was already halfway through, wouldn''t that mean it was almost noon? Jin Lan thought for a moment, then pulled Madame SHen''s sleeves and pouted: "Mother, I heard that the scenery behind the Lingji Temple is unique, and is even more beautiful than the garden at home. Let''s go take a look at the back of the mountain?"


    Madame SHen was angry and amused at the same time. She lightly tapped her nose and said, "Girl, you obviously wanted to play by yourself, but you still had to find such an excuse."


    She didn''t explain, she had originally been pondering about what kind of reason she should give for the Madame SHen to go to the rear mountains. Now that things had turned out this way, it was natural for her to go to the Stainless Pavilion since she loved to play. She pulled Madame SHen along, and the two of them walked towards the back of the mountain after leaving the Bodhi Courtyard, with Hui Xiu and the other two maidservants following closely behind.


    Today, there were many pilgrims listening to the scripture lecture. After dispersing, they would also be able to observe the scenery at the back of the mountain. As a result, it was completely different from yesterday''s seclusion.


    Even though it was already the early autumn, the back of the mountain was still covered in verdant and lush greenery, as if it was spring. All kinds of wild flowers decorated the green grass with a myriad of colors, causing Madame SHen to be unable to help but exclaim in amazement.


    The Stainless Pavilion was on the west side of the rear mountain, and Jin Lan specially pulled the Madame SHen to the west side of the mountain to look around. A path of Ethereal Opening slowly extended into the distance, and perhaps with a companion, they chatted and laughed at each other as they walked quickly. After a short while, the road came to an end. What entered his eyes was a large patch of quiet green bamboo forest. Occasionally, a breeze would caress it, making it rustle lightly, and it was extremely pleasant to listen to.


    Sparse sunlight slid through the leaves, and a hazy light fell on the ground. An exquisite hexagonal pavilion was hidden in the depths of the bamboo forest. On one side of the pavilion facing the path, there was a small signboard with the words'' Stainless Pavilion ''written in black and gold on it. On the columns on both sides of the pavilion, there were two words'' Buddha''s abode ''.


    Looking around, there seemed to be another person sitting in the pavilion. Jin Lan was elated; it seemed that he was still keeping his word, so he couldn''t help but quicken his pace.


    "Lan Er, where are you going?" The Madame SHen was completely confused by Jin Lan''s actions. He said that they were here to enjoy the scenery at the back of the mountain and that they were going to come to this remote place even if it was worth not looking at.


    Jin Lan pointed at the nearby hexagonal pavilion. "My legs are aching from walking. Mother, let''s rest in the pavilion for a while."


    Madame SHen shook her head helplessly and followed her. However, as they got closer, her gaze suddenly focused and she muttered with uncertainty: "That person, looks a little like Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu."


    Although the mutters were not loud, they just happened to fall into Jin Lan''s ears. She followed the Madame SHen''s gaze and saw that there wasn''t one person sitting in the Six Horn Tower, but two. One of them was the man in the robe from yesterday, while the other one was wearing a monastic robe. His back was facing the crowd, so it was hard to see his face. The two were sitting in the pavilion, playing chess.


    It wasn''t until he reached the foot of the pavilion that Madame SHen confirmed that the monk was indeed Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu.


    Many years ago, she prayed for her son to study in a temple and monastery of various sizes in Yangzhou, and then after that, she became pregnant. As a result, she had always been there to burn incense, and was naturally familiar with the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu. It was just that Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu did not normally meet any outsiders, she had only met a few of them due to fate, he did not expect to meet them here.


    Madame SHen pulled on Jin Lan''s small hands, signalling for her to slow down so that she wouldn''t disturb Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu. The two of them quietly walked into the pavilion. Although the hexagonal pavilion looked spacious, in truth, the space inside wasn''t too big, and Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu and the robed man were coincidentally seated in the middle of the pavilion playing chess. As a result, there was only enough space for the two of them to sit outside the pavilion.


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s face was indifferent, as though he did not know that there were more people behind him, he did not even raise his head, and his gaze was fixated on the chess board. The robe was the same. Even though Jin Lan was standing right in front of him, the two of them still played chess without even glancing at him.


    Jin Lan was anxious, but he didn''t dare to say anything. Madame SHen had a calm expression, as if he had already expected this would happen.


    After about the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the last black piece settled. A trace of a smile appeared on Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s indifferent face.


    The robed man didn''t say anything. He raised his head and glanced at Jin Lan. Then, he picked up the black and white chess pieces one by one and placed them into the round wooden chess box.


    Only then did Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu stand up and clasped his hands together towards Jin Lan and Madame SHen. He chanted a Buddhist prayer, "Amitabha, how have you been?"


    "Greetings, Grandmaster Fang." A look of pleasant surprise surfaced on Madame SHen''s face. It was obvious that she did not expect Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu to recognize her, and she quickly returned the greeting.


    Although Jin Lan couldn''t understand why the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu would come here, he still bowed like Shen Wu, "Greeting Master Fang Shen."


    "Young Benefactor need not be so courteous." Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu nodded his head, and looked at Jin Lan with eyes as deep as an ancient well, unable to see the bottom, but filled with wisdom and understanding. After a long while, he sighed: "Foolish, foolish son, since it has already settled, why are you so determined?"


    Madame SHen was confused when she heard it, "Master, you''re talking about..."


    Jin Lan was shocked. It was said that Master Hui Wu was an outstanding monk with boundless magical powers. Could it be that he really saw through his own plight?


    Master Hui Wu''s gaze fell on her. He saw that her expression was slightly startled, but he pursed his lips and did not reply. He could not help but sigh, "Doing things against the will of the heavens will not bear fruit."


    Jin Lan was already alarmed and uncertain in his heart, but upon hearing Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s words, he immediately became angry, and replied: "Master Fang Shen''s words are wrong."


    Hearing this, the long robed man sitting next to him picking up pieces raised the center of his brows. A look of surprise appeared on his calm face.


    "Lan Er, don''t be rude!" Seeing Jin Lan speak like that, the Madame SHen frowned and scolded softly, "Hurry up and apologize to the great master."


    "It''s fine, it''s fine." Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu laughed and waved his hand at Madame SHen, his gaze however, was fixated on Jin Lan. He squinted his eyes and said calmly: "Young Benefactor, please enlighten me."


    At this point, Jin Lan wasn''t sure if the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was really able to see through everything, but various memories from her previous life kept flashing through her mind, and her heart felt as if it was ignited with a raging flame, "Buddha talks about being greedy, angry, addicted, slow, and suspicious. Master is an outsider, so naturally, he is superior to everyone else, but how many people in this world can achieve great things like master? As for karma, if there are consequences, there must be reasons. Why is it that the Grandmaster only looks at the fruits and ignores the cause? "


    Right now, Jin Lan was only a nine year old child, yet he had actually said those words so coldly, that every word and sentence he took in completely different parts of his body. This caused Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu to be taken aback for a moment.


    Needless to say, Madame SHen looked at her daughter in astonishment. However, her expression could not be seen clearly due to the Drapery Cap.


    The chess player also stopped mid-air. His calm eyes seemed to reflect an unyielding little face. A trace of unease appeared in the depths of his eyes.


    After a moment of silence, Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu suddenly laughed out loud. "It''s indeed exquisite, forget it, little Benefactor is right. The cycle of karma, naturally there''s logic in it, this humble monk is speaking nonsense." Saying that, he continued, "It''s just that I still have something to tell you."


    Jin Lan only blurted out those words due to anger, he was not truly angry at Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu. As soon as he said it, he felt slightly regretful, and upon seeing that Master Fang did not blame him, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief, and said politely: "Master, please speak."


    "Don''t ask too much of anything. Heaven''s will is already set. It is not something that can be changed by one person."


    Could it be that he would have to helplessly watch the death of Madame SHen in this life? Jin Lan bit his lips, concealing the dissatisfaction in his heart as he replied softly, "Thank you, master, for your guidance."


    So what if fate was already set? Wasn''t her appearance here the biggest variable? Since the heavens had allowed her to live a new life, they agreed that she would make up for all the regrets she had in her previous life!


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu could hear the stubbornness in her tone and knew that he had not heard anything, but he did not say anything else. He turned around and said to Madame SHen, "Benefactor Shen, please take a seat."


    Jin Lan and Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s repeated explanations made the Madame SHen feel as if she was falling into a cloud. When she suddenly heard Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu talking to her, she was startled, but she quickly reacted and sat on the stone table in the pavilion.


    Just as Madame SHen took her seat, Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu once again spoke out, "Benefactor Shen, please place your hand on the chess board."


    Looking at the empty chess board, Madame SHen asked in puzzlement: "May I ask Master, why is this so?"


    The Madame SHen was not clear, but Jin Lan could tell immediately. He was afraid that the poison in his body was detoxified by the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu, that''s why he said he was here today at noon. She smiled at Madame SHen and said, "Mother, I heard that Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s medical skills have reached perfection.


    "You child ¡­" Madame SHen instantly understood why Jin Lan pulled her here today. He couldn''t help but feel warm in his heart and immediately placed his hand on the chess board.


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu nodded, and extended his hand to feel the Madame SHen''s pulse through her long sleeves. However, as time slowly passed, his expression gradually became stern.

 C41

    The Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu used nearly half the time it took to support his meridians to open, after withdrawing his hand, he carefully examined the Madame SHen''s face and eyelids. He didn''t say anything after he had used more than half of Weng Wen Che''s words. Instead, he closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.


    Seeing Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s serious expression, Madame SHen wanted to ask what was wrong but did not dare to disturb him. Jin Lan was also anxiously looking at Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu. Seeing that he did not have any reaction, he turned towards the man who had already stood up and walked to the side, leaning on the pavilion pillar as he stared blankly into space.


    The robed man looked indifferently towards the distant mountain forest. Whether the Madame SHen was alive or dead was a small matter to him. What he wanted was only an answer.


    Suddenly, his keen senses allowed him to detect a gaze that seemed to be begging for help. He tilted his head slightly to the side and looked through the gauze, taking in the entire view of his face full of worry. The deep gaze in his eyes flickered for an unknown moment, but somehow, he slowly shook his head.


    Seeing him shake his head, Jin Lan couldn''t help but be stunned. She didn''t know what that person meant. Was he trying to tell her not to worry? Or was she supposed to stop talking? However, if she were to guess, it would be towards the latter.


    After a long while, Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu suddenly opened his eyes, turned his head and said to the man in the long gown: "Benefactor Yan, please lend me your Profound Jade Pendant for a look."


    He glanced at his Jin Lan and fished out something from his sleeve, handing it over to Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu.


    Jin Lan''s gaze unconsciously landed on his broad palm. He saw an oval jade pendant the size of an egg lying there quietly. It was completely different from what he had seen in the past; it was actually black! As though a drop of thick ink, Zhang Xuan was unable to see any patterns on it.


    "It''s as black as ink and as thin as mutton fat. Its color is full and glistening. It''s truly a rare piece of top quality profound jade." Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu took the jade pendant, his eyes squinted as he praised. Saying that, he looked up towards the Madame SHen, "Benefactor Shen, may I borrow three thousand threads of vexation?"


    "This ¡­" Madame SHen hesitated for a moment, but when she remembered that Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu wanted to help him with her diagnosis, she nodded her head, "How much do you need, Master?"


    "One is enough."


    Madame SHen reached out her hand, pulled out a stalk of hair from her forehead and gave it to Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu while enduring the pain.


    "Amitabha." Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu chanted a Buddhist chant and opened the teacup with green and white flowers and mountain and river patterns beside him. What was inside was actually not tea soup, but clear water, almost full. He first dipped the Profound Jade into the water, and after taking it out, he placed it to the side. Then, he curled Madame SHen''s hair into a ball, and placed it into the water soaked in the Profound Jade, as he quietly watched.


    Jin Lan knew clearly in his heart that Master Hui Wu''s strange action was probably to investigate the poison in Madame SHen''s body. As a result, he stared intently at the tea cup without even blinking, afraid that he would miss out on some change.


    After being silent for a while, Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu suddenly sighed, "That''s true."


    Jin Lan kept his eyes on the water, but didn''t notice any changes in the water. It was still as clear and transparent as before. Hearing Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu say this, he could no longer hold back the anxiousness in his heart, and anxiously asked: "Master Fang Mao, what''s wrong with my mother?"


    "Don''t be impatient, young Benefactor." Master Hui Wu did not answer. Instead, he cautiously asked Madame SHen: "Recently, Benefactor Shen seems to have been tired and is unable to endure.


    Madame SHen nodded her head, "That''s right, I am indeed prone to lethargy these days. Although I sleep soundly at night, I am still a little drowsy by day."


    "Then Almsgiver Shen, have you ever remembered when such an anomaly appeared? Moreover, before this, do you have completely opposite symptoms? It''s like you can''t sleep at night." The Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s expression became even more serious.


    Jin Lan''s heart tightened, based on Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s tone, he was afraid that Madame SHen was really poisoned. Not long after the engagement in her previous life, she had also suddenly felt tired and tired, but sleeplessness had never happened! Could it be that the poison in Madame SHen was different from her own? But what about that familiar smell?


    A few thoughts flashed through her mind, but she was unable to find an answer. Since things had progressed to this point, they could only restrain their thoughts and listen to what the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu had to say.


    "About ¡­" The Madame SHen recalled for a while, and said, "About half a month ago, I was a bit lazy, and after a while, I gradually fell asleep. As for before, there was a period of time when I could not sleep at night, but it seemed to be a hot and hot day, and it was normal for me to not be able to sleep."


    As Madame SHen spoke, Jin Lan recalled something. Since half a month ago, Madame SHen had indeed been a bit dispirited, and the events that had occurred a few days ago were most evident. When she normally woke up in the morning to pay her respects, Madame SHen had not gotten up yet. Normally, Madame SHen would have already washed up by that time and was waiting for her to eat breakfast.


    He originally thought that it was because of the many things that had happened recently that caused Madame SHen to put in so much effort to act like this. However, it seems like it''s not that simple now!


    "Master, please tell me what''s wrong with me. It''s fine if I don''t get in your way." Madame SHen saw that Master Wu Hui''s expression was serious, while Jin Lan''s face was extremely ugly, he more or less understood what was going on, and could not help but sigh.


    Jin Lan immediately stopped thinking, and stared at Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu, as though he was facing a great enemy. The eyes of the man in the long gown that leaned back onto the pillar also stopped, and landed on him.


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "To be honest, Benefactor Shen is probably poisoned."


    "Poisoned?" Madame SHen was stunned. She thought that she might have contracted some incurable disease, she didn''t think that Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was talking about poison. How could she have been poisoned?


    Compared to Madame SHen''s surprise, Jin Lan revealed an expression of ''as expected''. Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu had verified the doubt that she had been hiding in her heart, and could not bother to answer Madame SHen''s questions. He immediately followed: "May I ask, Master, what poison is in my mother? Does master have any methods to remove poison? "


    Master Hui Wu looked at Jin Lan thoughtfully. After thinking about it, he turned his head to look at the man in the robe, "Speaking of which, the person who poisoned him really did put in a lot of effort." "There is no such poison in the Zhou Dynasty. I once roamed the world and was fortunate enough to meet one in another place."


    Mentioning the place where the poison resided, the robed man''s gaze grew colder. Master Hui Wu paused for a moment before continuing, "This poison is known as the Drunken Immortal Powder, it doesn''t cause any discomfort in the beginning, but as the poison grows deeper, it gradually begins to show signs of restlessness and sleeplessness. This is followed by laziness and a craving for sleep. However, from the pulse, everything seemed normal. The two symptoms alternated and continued for about a month before all the symptoms slowly disappeared. "The first month of this episode is the month of the four seasons. It''s like this every year."


    "If that''s the case, then there shouldn''t be any major problems. However, it will be a bit difficult when the seasons change. It was just that the longer the poison was poisoned, although it looked no different from an ordinary person on the surface, it was actually greatly damaged. He had invited the famed physician, the Sacred Hand. If he couldn''t see anything out of the ordinary about it, he could only treat it as his body weakening and prescribe some medicine to nourish his body and nourish his blood to recuperate. Those prescriptions can''t be cured, how can they withstand the corrosive effects of poison? As time passed, the sickbed became more and more entangled, and the bed became more and more sleepless. "Those with good foundations and precious herbs hanging on their backs can probably last for more than ten or twenty years. Those with bad foundations will die after only a few years after their Essence has been exhausted."


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s words were reasonable, adding on to the fact that this was indeed the case, Madame SHen finally believed that she was truly poisoned, and was no longer able to calm down. When did the poison come into effect? And who could have done such a malicious thing to her? She tried her best to think back. Due to the fact that she had been poisoned for too long, she could not come up with any clues at all even though she had been thinking about it for a long time.


    Although Jin Lan was anxious to find out the truth, he did not ignore the change in Madame SHen. Seeing her defeated expression, he couldn''t help but move closer to her and call out softly: "Mother."


    Madame SHen suppressed the fear in her heart, forcing out a smile, doing her best to make her expression appear calmer, she lightly patted Jin Lan''s hands: "Lan Er, don''t worry, I''m fine." Then, he looked at Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu. "Master, I wonder if I can remove the poison in my body?"


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu stroked the white beard on his chest, "This will depend on Benefactor Shen."


    Madame SHen frowned, puzzled. "Master, please enlighten me."


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu did not answer as he continued, "I still have a few questions, I hope that Benefactor Shen can answer truthfully."


    Seeing that the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was changing the topic and had a heavy expression, the Madame SHen''s heart could not help but feel slightly cold, but he still politely said: "Master, please ask."


    "Benefactor Shen should have been taking the blood and Qi replenishing soup, is there a prescription?"


    Madame SHen nodded her head, "Yes there is, but the prescription was kept in the residence and is not carried there. Is that prescription important?"


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu had obviously guessed at this possibility, his expression did not change, "To Benefactor Shen, it is indeed very important."


    Could it be that the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu suspected that there was something wrong with that recipe? Jin Lan suddenly thought of the dregs that Wan Ju had secretly obtained. If the dregs were still there, if he could identify them, he should be able to reveal the true identity of the Doctor Gong. Unfortunately ¡­ A look of chagrin flashed in her eyes.


    Since it was related to her life, the Madame SHen had to focus even more on it. She thought for a bit, then hesitantly said: "I have seen the recipe, so I remember a bit about it."


    "Please speak, Benefactor Shen."


    Madame SHen thought about it for a while before she recited the prescription. There were many common herbs, such as ginseng, deer antler, head crow, and so on.


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu listened and lightly nodded his head. Madame SHen did not bring up whether the prescription was good or bad. He then asked, "Has Almsgiver Shen used incense everyday?"


    "When it comes to incense, Madame SHen actually smiled," I have always loved incense, especially sandalwood. I brought some here, would you like to take a look, Master? "


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu nodded his head, then called Hui Xiu over, ordering her to return to the room to retrieve some bait.


    At this moment, Jin Lan had quieted down. Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu repeatedly avoided the topic of detoxification, making her heart gradually sink. The poison in that person''s body had clearly been cured. Although it had not been completely removed, it had at least cured more than half of the poison. And from the time he left the house to the time he met his on the small path, it had only been one night. This proved that the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu had a way to cure his, but why did he refuse to do so now?


    She was indulging in her imagination while Hui Xiu jogged to the side, and there was a distance between him and the back of the mountain. Normally, coming and going would take around half an incense worth of time, but Hui Xiu had surprisingly shrunk by half.


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu took the red lacquer box with the bait, opened it and placed it three inches below his nose. He slightly flapped his nose, and after a long time, he said in a deep voice: "As this humble monk expected, aside from the Drunken Immortal Powder, Benefactor Shen has another poison in his body!"

 C42

    Jin Lan was shocked and angry. Gouyu''s large eyes stared fixedly at Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu, only after a long while did he regain his senses and asked with a slightly trembling voice, "Master, master, is what you said the truth?"


    Madame SHen''s face was also pale white. Her hands that were clutching Jin Lan were ice-cold. She had already found out that Lin Fan was poisoned, but she did not expect him to be poisoned by two poisons!


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu nodded his head with a stern expression, "That''s right, Benefactor Shen did indeed suffer from another strange poison besides the Drunken Immortal Powder." Saying that, he gently pushed the teacup beside him in front of Madame SHen, "Benefactor Shen, if you don''t believe me, please look."


    Madame SHen and Jin Lan hurriedly looked into the teacup. Other than the crystal clear water, there was nothing special about it. Madame SHen raised her head in shock, "Master, what does that mean?"


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu stroked his white beard and looked at Jin Lan enigmatically, but he did not answer.


    Jin Lan was also confused, but Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu must have done this for some special reason, for she once again shifted his gaze back to the teacup. The clear water, the snow-white walls, there was nothing special about it ¡­ Wait! Her muddled mind suddenly cleared up and she cried out involuntarily, "Hair, where did my mother''s hair go?"


    That''s right, there was nothing special about this teacup, it was just that there was one hair missing from the hair Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu had put in, the hair of the Madame SHen.


    Mrs. Shen was no more than twenty-nine, and with the proper maintenance, her black hair was still the crow''s. Even if there was only one, it wouldn''t disappear without a trace in this white porcelain teacup. She and Madam Shen had been staring at the scene for so long, yet there wasn''t a single trace of her to be seen.


    Master Hui Wu seemed to be satisfied with Jin Lan''s care. He reached out two fingers into the teacup, then lifted up a strand of hair. The hair wrapped in a layer of water sparkled with clear moisture, clearly falling into the eyes of everyone present.


    Jin Lan and the Madame SHen were shocked, "This, this is..."


    The originally jet-black hair that was extracted from the teacup had turned snow-white!


    The black robed man indifferently swept a glance at the hair on Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s hands. He did not have much expression on his face, as if he had already known about this from a long time ago.


    "This is Benefactor Shen''s second kind of poison, June Snow." Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu looked at the hair on his hand and explained, "This poison is similar to the Drunken Immortal Powder. Furthermore, at the time of his death, regardless of his age, he had a head full of silver hair that was as white as snow. From the time of poisoning to the time of death, not more than six months has passed, so that''s why it''s called June Snow. "


    "Then why is this hair so white now?" Jin Lan frowned, Madame SHen''s hair was obviously still pitch black, but this piece of hair had changed color after soaking in the water for a while.


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu looked at the robed man, "This is all thanks to Benefactor Yan''s Profound Jade Pendant."


    Jin Lan remembered that before Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu put his hair into the tea cup, he had once dipped the black jade pendant into the water for a while. He couldn''t help but glance at the man who stood at the side as if he was transparent. The noon sunlight fell on his ordinary face, dyeing half of it a faint golden color. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, as if he was secretly laughing at her. Jin Lan was startled, and instantly averted his eyes.


    "Benefactor Shen must have had more than six months of poison in his body. It''s just that although June Snow is rather similar to Drunken Immortal Powder, they are in fact incompatible with each other, and the amount of June Snow is very small, thus delaying the release of the poison. Otherwise, Benefactor Shen would not be sitting here today. "


    Jin Lan''s expression suddenly changed. She bit her lips hard, forcing herself to calm down. She suppressed her trembling body and asked, "Can the poison in that mother be cured?" When she opened her mouth, she could clearly feel Madame SHen''s hands slightly tremble.


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was quiet for a moment, then he sighed, "Difficult, difficult, difficult."


    The three consecutive words of ''difficult'' caused Jin Lan and the Madame SHen''s hearts to feel as though they had fallen into an icy cavern.


    "Is there no other way?" Although her personality was soft, she was a stubborn person. If not, she would not have barged into Fang Yuan Academy and asked Ye Jinwei about this in one breath. Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s words indeed made her feel a trace of despair, but she did not think of giving up.


    "Lan Er." Madame SHen immediately pulled Jin Lan into her embrace. From her initial state of panic to unmistakable, her expression had now calmed down. He knew his own body very well that after being bedridden for so many years, he had more or less gained some understanding. "If he can''t be cured, then it''s his fate. Don''t make it difficult for Grandmaster Fang Master."


    "Amitabha, please allow this old monk to finish." Master Hui Wu chanted a Buddhist chant and suddenly said with a smile: "Although this poison is difficult, it is not impossible to cure.".


    Jin Lan was instantly stunned. Looking at his sneaky smile, he seemed to have thought of something and suddenly burst out in rage. It seemed that this old monk was purposely toying with her. He must have been trying to take revenge on her!


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was satisfied with Jin Lan''s little face, which gradually turned green. A trace of craftiness flashed past his eyes, and on his haggard face, a little bit of arrogance appeared like a child''s.


    Madame SHen did not notice the anger on Jin Lan''s face, and immediately understood what he was trying to do. She came back from death''s door, almost causing her to be unable to suppress the excitement in her heart, and she immediately took a deep breath, stood up and bowed to Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu with a serious look, with hope in her eyes: "Then I will trouble Master to help, if you need any medicinal ingredients or ingredients to concoct for me, I will definitely look for Master."


    "Although the Drunken Immortal Powder and the Snow June are strange poisons, antidotes are common and not hard to find. It was just that Almsgiver Shen was infected with two poisons and had been poisoned for a long time. Since the two poisons were compatible, he could no longer use the usual detoxification method. If we do not deal with it properly, not only will we not be able to cure the poison, the poison will most likely act up immediately and we will lose our lives on the spot. "


    Jin Lan and the Madame SHen froze when they heard this. Jin Lan wanted to ask again, but Madame SHen shook his head at her, he then closed his eyes and kept quiet.


    "The only way to guarantee Benefactor Shen''s safety is if the two poisons are dispelled at the same time. The difficulty lies in this place." Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu put away the smile on his face. This matter was rather troublesome for him.


    Jin Lan''s eyes lit up. He couldn''t help asking, "Even so, wouldn''t it be fine to consume two antidotes at the same time?"


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu shook his head, "All living things in this world are at loggerheads with each other. Sometimes, when different antidotes mix together, it becomes extremely poisonous. Therefore, if you want to cure the poison at the same time, you also need a medicinal herb to fuse the two antidotes together. In this way, the poison will naturally be removed. "


    Madame SHen asked curiously: What medicine is this? Master, please speak your mind. "


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu squinted and softly said: "Snow Twig."


    Snow Twig? Jin Lan and the Madame SHen looked at each other. Although they weren''t sure what kind of medicine it was, the Madame SHen still nodded and replied, "I''ll have someone go down the mountain and go to the medicine store to get the medicine."


    "Please wait, Benefactor Shen." The Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu stopped the Madame SHen who was about to call over Hui Xiu, "Snow Twig s are hard to find, they are not something an ordinary medicine store can buy."


    The mother and daughter pair''s expression changed. Madame SHen opened her mouth with difficulty: "Master, please enlighten me."


    The branches and leaves of the branches were snow-white, just like the branches and branches of a snowstorm. If one was not meticulous in his search, one might miss this opportunity right in front of him. Moreover, a thousand year Snow Lotus is extremely rare, so it can only be found and not sought for. " "Even though he traveled all over the world, he had never seen such a magical item.


    In other words, the poison in his body could no longer be cured? Madame SHen''s face froze, his expression became gloomy.


    If they could survive, who would be willing to give up? However, even though he knew the method to cure the poison, it had turned into poison due to the lack of an antidote. If it was another person experiencing this, he would not be as calm as Madame SHen. Jin Lan took her other hand. "Mother." Although a Thousand Year Snow Lotus is rare, there are still some in the end. We can get people to go to the northwest to investigate, and perhaps, we will be able to find a Snow Twig if we follow a Thousand Year Snow Lotus. "


    "That''s right, Benefactor Shen has a profound cultivation. A worthy person will have their own destiny." Although Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was talking to Madame SHen, his eyes seemed to drift off in another direction.


    With Jin Lan and Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s consoling, Madame SHen felt a little better in her heart.


    After comforting the Madame SHen, Jin Lan took the chance and said: "I''m afraid it will take a long time to find the Snow Twig, how will my mother''s body be able to hold on?"


    "That''s fine." Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu waved his hand, "Later, this humble one will write a prescription to temporarily suppress the poison in Benefactor Shen''s body. However, the sooner we can find the Snow Twig, the better. " After saying that, he paused for a moment, pointed at the red lacquer box, and said in a deep voice, "The bait here, please don''t use it again in the future."


    As matters stood, how could the Madame SHen not understand the meaning behind Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s words? She stared at the small box on the chess board, her eyes gloomy and unreadable.


    After he finished explaining the situation, Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu did not speak anymore and just placed the chess box on the table. From the looks of it, he was preparing to continue playing chess with the robed man. The Madame SHen knew that this was his command to leave, so he did not stay any longer. He took Jin Lan and left, returning to the east yard''s wing.


    Once inside, Madame SHen found a place to send all the servants out. She didn''t have the mood to eat lunch, so she closed the door and chatted with Jin Lan for a long time.


    Jin Lan took the prescription and looked at it again and again. The recipe looked like it was used for recuperation. With 100-year-old ginseng as a guide, most of the other ingredients were ordinary. The other was a prescription to suppress the poison, but she couldn''t identify the ingredients in the prescription. Besides the herbs, the recipe also specifically stated when the ingredients would be added, so she couldn''t even mistake the order in which they should be added.


    After waiting for Jin Lan to take a look, Madame SHen kept the prescription properly. She did not trust any of the servants in the house, so it seemed like she needed to clean up the courtyard properly.


    The Mama Tang had already left the mountain and returned to the city. Wan Ju and Bi He stayed by her side to dress and bathe her, while the other made bed for Ai Xiang.


    The three of them stood below the pavilion during the day. Although they could hear some sounds, they could not make out what they were saying. Wan Ju curiously asked, but was dismissed by Jin Lan with a smile, and did not dare to ask anymore.


    Twisting his hair dry, Jin Lan lay on the bed. He didn''t want to put down the bed curtain. He just silently gazed at the bright moonlight shining in through the window.


    The development of the situation had exceeded her expectations. She hadn''t expected that her mother would be poisoned by two poisons. One of them should be the same as the one she had suffered from in her previous life.


    These two poisons shouldn''t have been administered by the same person, right? There was no need to do anything unnecessary, what''s more, the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu had already said that the poison would counteract the poison.


    But in the Ye Mansion, other than the Concubine Shao, who would poison their mother? Father?


    With this thought, she immediately shook her head. It shouldn''t be.


    At this time, if his mother were to go, it would be detrimental to him. After all, returning to the capital to continue his post would require the help of Shen Family.


    The lights on the door suddenly dimmed and turned back on, as if they had been blown by the wind.


    Jin Lan turned his body, unable to stop his wild thoughts. Suddenly, her vision went dark, as if something warm was spreading on her face.


    "Don''t make a sound." A voice sounded in her ear, low and with a hint of seductive hoarseness.

 C43

    This voice... His eyes moved slightly, and he saw a pair of black satin boots on the floor under the bed. Slowly lifting his eyes, a piece of green stone fell into the curtain, and above it was a plain and unadorned face. The corners of his brows slightly raised, and his pitch-black eyes seemed to carry a hint of ridicule.


    Suddenly, a sudden burst of strength came from somewhere. She suddenly reached out and pushed away the palm covering her mouth. "Men and women shouldn''t be so intimate with each other. I hope young master can be more respectful."


    His eyes sparkled in the dim light, his gaze locked on her small, embarrassed face, his thin lips pressed into a cold line.


    Jin Lan felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He couldn''t help but shiver, and his brain immediately came to its senses.


    How did he get in? The people staying in the East Branch were all women. At night, there would be a little Sha Mi to release dog and Wan Ju had obviously locked the door from the inside.


    Wan Ju? Jin Lan suddenly remembered that Wan Ju was lying on the bamboo bed in the hall on night duty. With that thought in mind, she got up from the bed in a hurry, "What did you do to Wan Ju?"


    When she came out from the screen blocking his bed, Jin Lan saw Wan Ju sleeping soundly on the bamboo bed. She was lying on her side on the bed with her legs slightly bent and a thin blanket covering her body.


    A sliver of astonishment appeared in Jin Lan''s eyes, but his heart was at ease.


    He looked at her and said in a low voice: "The acupuncture point will be unlocked when the time is right."


    Jin Lan stared at him, his gaze filled with fear. He chuckled dryly, then quickly lowered his head. He could actually enter the house without making any sound. If he had any evil intentions, who could stop him? She suddenly felt apprehensive.


    He sat on the edge of the bed without moving, gazing at her small face hidden in the darkness, as silent as the night.


    The atmosphere in the room suddenly became strange, and even the air was suffused with a faintly discernable chill. Jin Lan felt that he was like a cheetah staring at his prey, and it was unknown when he would reveal his sharp teeth and pounce on her, tearing her to pieces.


    She couldn''t help but take a small step away.


    Glancing at the pair of light green cotton embroidered shoes, something flashed in his eyes, "I know where there are Snow Twig s."


    "Huh?" Jin Lan didn''t react for a moment, he merely raised his head and looked at him blankly.


    "I say, I know where the Snow Twig are." His tone was neither fast nor slow, but a strange look appeared in his eyes.


    Jin Lan''s dull eyes gradually lit up. She stared at him in wild joy, but she did not dare reveal it too much, afraid that she would anger this capricious man. At that time, it would not be worth it if he was unwilling to tell her the whereabouts of the Snow Twig.


    She took a deep breath and asked softly, "What are your conditions?"


    On the contrary, she was a clever one. If the other party really had a good heart, she would have brought it up on the spot when she heard Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu say so in the Stainless Pavilion at noon. Why would she wait till the dead of night to sneak into her room secretly? If he did so, it would only prove that he had some shady request.


    She was in a daze, but he suddenly stood up. The rustling sound of his clothes in the quiet night was especially clear and loud.


    Jin Lan was greatly startled. He unconsciously took two steps back, but there wasn''t much distance between the two of them in the first place. With a single step, he was already standing in front of her. Jin Lan immediately felt the surrounding air become stagnant, and the pressure rise steeply.


    He lowered his head and condescendingly looked down at the young girl who had not even reached his shoulder. He intentionally lowered his voice and said with a hint of a smile, "You seem to be able to see through me."


    An almost imperceptible chuckle escaped as Jin Lan raised his head in surprise. If he hadn''t caught the curve of his lips, he would have thought that something was wrong with his ears.


    "I can find the Snow Twig for you, but you have to do one thing for me."


    Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat. Her hope for the Snow Twig had already surpassed a faint uneasiness. She gritted her teeth as she saw his indifferent face return to normal. Without even asking what it was about, she immediately replied back, "Sure."


    Unexpectedly, he lowered his voice and said, "Don''t be in such a hurry to agree. My matter isn''t that simple." After a pause, a cold glint appeared in his eyes as he continued, "If you find out who poisoned your mother, then hand that person over to me." The words were spoken with a decisive tone. There was no room for discussion.


    Jin Lan''s eyelids jumped. Even if he hadn''t said it, she would have done the same if he had found out who poisoned Madame SHen. But why did he want the person who poisoned him? Could it be that he had something to do with the person who poisoned him?


    She raised her eyes, but met his eyes fiercely. In that moment, she remembered the poison in his body and understood what was going on.


    "Alright, I promise you!" Jin Lan nodded in agreement.


    One of the poisons must be from Concubine Shao. With her personality, she shouldn''t waste too much time searching for poison in other places. However, there was currently no evidence. She had to slowly find it out, and especially since there was another invisible hand hiding in the Ye Mansion, this person was the scariest!


    However, she couldn''t figure it out. Her mother was just an inner chamber wife, who else would try to harm her other than Concubine Shao?


    A light flashed through Jin Lan''s eyes. It didn''t matter who that person was, she wouldn''t let him off so easily. Since there was someone willing to do it for her, why was she so stubborn? She believed that if that person fell into his hands, he would definitely be in a miserable state. It wouldn''t be a loss to exchange them for his mother''s life.


    "In the future, if you have any problems, go to Zhou Ji Rice Shop in East Gate Market and find a shopkeeper with the surname Shi. He will help you." With that, he turned and left.


    Jin Lan stared at his broad back as he frowned. What did this count as? Was he trying to tell her that his people were in Yangzhou City? Help her? Or watch her?


    "Hmm?" Seeing that she didn''t answer him for a long time, he turned around again and stared fixedly at the woman who had lowered her head in contemplation.


    Just as Jin Lan was considering how she should decline, she happened to meet his gaze as he turned towards her. Looking at the unyielding coldness in his eyes, she opened her mouth, lowered her head again, and replied in a low voice, "I, understand." Before obtaining the Snow Twig, it was best not to anger him. Furthermore, he only said that if there was something he wanted her to report to the shopkeeper with the surname Shi every day, he didn''t want her to report it.


    He seemed to be satisfied and lightly snorted. He silently walked to the door and opened it after a slight movement. He stepped out of the door, but stopped, and without turning his head, he muttered: "Yan Ye." As soon as he finished speaking, his upright posture had already disappeared into the thick night.


    Yan Ye? Is that his name? Jin Lan was slightly startled as an inexplicable feeling slipped through his heart.


    The night wind on the mountain was cold, the door was open, and with the wind blowing, Wan Ju shivered, then froze awake. She rubbed her drowsy eyes, only to find that the door had unknowingly opened. Jin Lan was staring blankly at the door, not knowing what else to look for.


    "Miss, why don''t you wake up and call me a servant?"


    Jin Lan came back to his senses, closing the door and locking it. "I can''t fall asleep, so I stood up to admire the moon. "You go to sleep, I''m going to rest too."


    Wan Ju did not know what happened, seeing Jin Lan on the bed, she did not think anymore, so she got up and poured Jin Lan a cup of hot tea. She stayed by the side of the bed, and only went back to the bamboo bed after she had deeply fallen asleep.


    In the early morning of the next day, after Jin Lan woke up, his eyelids were suffused with a faint cyan color, and her Madame SHen was naturally normal as well. After the fast food, she accompanied Madame SHen to various halls to burn some incense and just as she was leaving the Great Hall to the round hall, Bi He, who had specifically stayed behind to guard the door, ran over from afar and reported: "Madam, Miss, there''s someone from the house. They say it''s to report to Madam on important matters, and they''re waiting for you in the east courtyard."


    Jin Lan looked at the sky. The people who had just announced the news had arrived. Most of them were probably still dreaming when he said this. Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that something big had happened in the manor?


    Returning to the east yard''s wing, Madame SHen asked Hui Xiu to call the people over. The person sent by the house was a wife, and seeing how tense she was, Jin Lan decided to sit down quietly and listen to what was going on.


    Jin Lan didn''t recognize the wife, but Madame SHen knew about her. She was the manager of the Second Gate, a woman with the surname Qian, a person from Concubine Shao. She took a sip of the tea cup that Hui Xiu had brought before asking calmly: "Speak, did something happen in the mansion?"


    Old woman Qian quickly kowtowed to Madame SHen, raised her eyes and smiled obsequiously: "Greetings to Madam and Second Miss. This servant has received orders from Master to come and invite Madam and Second Miss back to the house."


    When she went out with her mother, she had told her father that she came to Lingji Temple this time for the peace talisman and to pray for blessings in the palace. Thus, she had decided to stay in the temple for a period of time. It had only been three or four days, how could her father suddenly send someone to send them back?


    Madame SHen looked at the kneeling Old Woman Qian, and a cold smile appeared on his face, "Could it be that Mama is old? You can''t hear me? "


    Mrs. Qian was chilled by Madame SHen''s words and quickly replied: "Reporting to Madam, Master received a letter last night saying that the Old Granny would be back soon. That''s why I was able to catch up to the mountain early in the morning and asked Madam and Second Miss to return home."


    "The old lady is coming back soon?" This time, it was not only the Madame SHen, even Jin Lan was stunned. The old lady brought the Yu Ge''er to the capital in the beginning of spring, calculating the time, it was indeed time to return, just that he did not know where they were.


    "Yes." Seeing Jin Lan''s response, the smile on old woman Qian''s face widened as she replied with a smile, "I heard from the lord that it was the old lady who returned to report that she would be able to enter the city tomorrow."


    "That''s right. Go back to the manor and tell the old master that I''ll be leaving shortly." Madame SHen''s expression did not change, but her voice became more solemn.


    Old woman Qian kowtowed and left with Bi He.


    The Madame SHen had Hui Xiu and Wan Ju to guard outside, and now, only the mother and daughter remained in the room. She did not hide anything, and her face immediately became cold, "Lan Er, looks like someone has made a good plan!"

 C44

    After Mrs. Qian left, it was noon. The carriages that came to pick up the Madame SHen and Jin Lan were here, but they were different. There were a total of two carriages in total. Hui Xiu and the others had long received the letter, they packed the clothes of the two properly and carried them to the carriage at the back, then helped Madame SHen and Jin Lan to get on the carriage.


    After discussing the matter of the Madame SHen''s poisoning, the mother and daughter decided to keep it a secret for now. Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu did not need to worry, ordinary people would not be able to see him, and no one would think that he would help treat Madame SHen. Jin Lan suggested that even if they found the Snow Twig and detoxified it, as long as they couldn''t find the source of the poison in a day, they should pretend to be weak in order to avoid that person failing with his plan.


    The carriage was covered with a soft and luxurious Su Mei flower cushion, and a small piece of mahogany plate was placed in front of Madame SHen and Jin Lan, on top of which were two plates of exquisite pastries, afraid that the two of them would get hungry on the way. In the corner of the carriage, there was a Jadeite Guan Yin furnace with a sweet smell coming from it. Inside the furnace was the fragrance of sandalwood that Madame SHen loved. It was just that this sandalwood fragrance had long since been changed. It was no longer the fragrant bait that she had brought from the mansion.


    Hui Xiu and Bi He sat in the carriage at the back and paid their respects to the carriage. Madame SHen closed her eyes and dozed off the entire way. She chewed a piece of cake slowly and carefully, her gaze occasionally sweeping across the curtain of the carriage, guessing where she had gone.


    The Ye Family was located on Shuanghua Street, which was located to the east of the Yangzhou City. There was only one big house there, and it took up an extremely large amount of land.


    After passing through the towering western city gate, after about an hour, he was finally able to see the Ye Family''s gate. On the vermillion gate hung a black, lacquered signboard. On it, two words were powerfully written: Ye Mansion!


    "Madam, Second Miss, we''re here." Li San who was driving the carriage respectfully reported.


    Jin Lan looked towards Madame SHen. She knew that after stepping through this door, both she and her mother would be different. Although she couldn''t see it on the surface, she could still feel a hint of sharpness in her mother''s gentle eyes.


    Hui Xiu got off the carriage first and set up a footstool, then she pulled up the carriage''s curtain. Man Ping, who had already been standing guard outside the door, quickly rushed over. With her right hand held by Madame SHen, he extended her left hand and carefully helped the Madame SHen down.


    "Madam, Second Miss." Most of the maidservants behind Man Ping bent their bodies and bowed towards the Madame SHen and Jin Lan.


    Madame SHen looked at Man Ping, her eyes did not reveal much excitement, but her expression was still calm. She looked around, and said, "All of you, stand up."


    "Madam, you''ve worked hard!" Steward Li, who had been silent all this time, walked up and bowed towards Madame SHen. His face that was filled with smiles, barely squeezed out a trace of a faint smile.


    The Madame SHen looked at Steward Li meaningfully, and suddenly said in a low voice: "Has the old master returned to the residence today?"


    Steward Li did not expect that the usually careless Madame SHen would ask about Ye Lin''s whereabouts. He could not help but be stunned, and immediately reported: "Reporting to Madam, Master has long returned home, and is currently in the study room."


    Madame SHen swept a glance at the servants in front of the door, her eyebrows raised slightly, and without saying anymore, he patted Jin Lan''s hands and said: "Go in first." As she spoke, she instructed the maidservant and his wife to move the luggage into the mansion.


    Jin Lan nodded calmly. He raised his eyes to look at the plate with the golden word on it, and an unfamiliar feeling arose within him.


    This was the place where he had lived from birth to childhood. Strictly speaking, it had been almost six years since she had last passed through this gate. At the end of next year, Ye Lin will resume his duties in the capital, and from then on, this house will be known as the Ye Family Ancestral Mansion. In her previous life, besides his mother''s death, she had only helped his spirit return once. Even after dying, she had never taken a single step back. Now, the painting of destiny would once again slowly unfold from here, and she, was no longer that unscheming Second Miss who was being manipulated by anyone.


    After spending so much time with the Madame SHen and the cleansing of the buddhist chants in her Lingji Temple, she no longer felt much hatred in her heart. All she wanted now was to change the fate of her mother and herself. Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s warning was a warning to her. She could not believe in her fate, but she could not stop fate''s invisible footsteps.


    Thus, only by letting go of his resentment and allowing his heart to calm down, would he be able to find a way to change everything.


    Jin Lan thought silently while holding Madame SHen''s hand and walking up the stairs. Man Ping, Wan Ju and the others gathered around him as they headed towards the residence.


    When they arrived at the second courtyard, the Mama Tang who had returned earlier had already prepared Soft Palanquin s. Seeing Madame SHen and Jin Lan walking over, he quickly brought the wife carrying the palanquin, bowing to them, "Madam, miss."


    Madame SHen nodded indifferently, "Stand up." He then turned to Jin Lan and said gently, "Lan Er, go back to the Lan Garden first. There''s no need to come over for dinner, I don''t think I have had a good rest in the temple during these few days.


    Jin Lan guessed that she was looking for Ye Lin to talk about something, so he nodded his head, blessed Madame SHen, and went on the Soft Palanquin.


    When he returned to the Lan Garden, the sky had already darkened. The octagonal lanterns hanging under the eaves had already been ignited, illuminating the entire Lan Garden inside and outside like it was day. The Steward Li had long ago ordered people to send Jin Lan back, so Mu Lan, who was specially left in the courtyard, was waiting in front of the door. Seeing the Soft Palanquin coming from afar, he immediately ordered the Little Maid to go inside the house to inform Wen Zhu that they were going to set up a meal.


    Jin Lan entered the room to rest for a little while. After he finished his dinner, he drank another cup of water mixed with a rose drop. Only then did he slowly heave a sigh of relief and completely relax. This way, however, he would feel tired and would be unable to stop himself from yawning.


    Seeing that she revealed an indifferent expression, the Mama Tang immediately called for someone to help her wash up. All of a sudden, the maidservants in the room started circling Jin Lan. They showered, changed, loosened their hair, and busied themselves making the bed for a while. Only after she laid on the bed did she finally leave, leaving Mu Lan to stand guard, while he accompanied her to the side and slowly fan herself.


    Jin Lan narrowed his eyes for a moment, then said softly to the Mama Tang: "Mama, let Mu Lan in."


    Mama Tang nodded her head and went to the outer room to call Mu Lan. She then brought in a small tray made of yellow poplar wood and poured Jin Lan a cup of hot tea.


    There were only three people left in the room, so Jin Lan naturally no longer had to stand on ceremony. He took a sip of tea and looked at Mu Lan who was standing quietly at the side.


    "Miss." Mu Lan paid her respects to Jin Lan, and without waiting for her to ask, she reported what she had told him before she left: "As lady had expected, when Madam and the young lady left the house, First Miss''s illness started to improve, and on the morning of the second day, she actually got out of bed by herself, and was even able to recognize the person. Master specially made a trip to the Yunxiu House, and I heard that he was very happy. "


    Jin Lan''s eyes flickered as she laughed coldly in her heart. As soon as she went out, Ye Jinwei immediately became better, what was this fellow trying to do if he didn''t intend to put the Demonic Ghost''s hat on her head? Although Ye Jinwei could not see any flaws in the attack, but the attack itself was strange. Furthermore, with the way she was doing it, she was even more sure that everything was caused by someone else.


    It was just that he did not expect the Concubine Shao to be so heartless.


    Mu Lan glanced at her expressionless face, and continued: "This servant did as Lady San''s command, and often went to find Chen Xiang in Third Miss''s room to talk, it''s just that her sister Chen Yue is also just a servant girl in First Miss''s room, if I don''t get any information from her, this servant will not dare to ask too closely, for fear of arousing her suspicions." Then, he thought for a while and said, "Oh right, there is one more thing, but this servant cannot do it."


    Jin Lan was slightly startled. "What''s the matter?"


    "First Miss''s clothes have always been washed by Sunset Moon, and when Sunset Moon washed her clothes that day, she accidentally tore off the threads of First Miss''s most beloved Blue Luminary makeup flower armor, causing her soul to fly out of her body. She originally wanted to secretly sew it up before taking it out, but she didn''t expect to find out that there was actually a layer at the place where the threads were taken out on a small piece of yellow paper.


    Jin Lan''s eyes narrowed. "Little Yellow Paper?"


    Mu Lan nodded her head, "Yes, Chen Yue thought it was Concubine Shao who had asked for the safety amulet for First Miss, and she softened her body even more, not daring to look at him any further. She quickly ran back into the house with the armor still dripping with water, and still called for Chen Xiang to help her with sewing the clothes. That day, Chen Xiang told me about it. She even patted her chest and shouted in fear. "


    No matter how you looked at it, this was something caused by a servant''s rough hands and feet. There were many maids and maids serving in a large family, so it wasn''t strange. However, Jin Lan was keenly aware that something was amiss. She looked at Mu Lan, and then asked suddenly after a moment: "Why did you think of looking for Chen Xiang?"


    Mu Lan was startled, then replied shyly: "Before this servant entered the palace, she and Chen Xiang were from the same village, and the two families were neighbors. "Your servant, your servant ¡­" As he spoke, his face turned red, and after mumbling to himself for a while, he said, "This servant was once engaged to her son."


    Jin Lan and the Mama Tang thought that there was still something like that, and was stunned for a moment. After a while, the Mama Tang said: "Then why did you enter the Palace? Don''t you know that once you sign the death contract, you can never go out again? "


    The words of the Mama Tang made a lonely look float up on Mu Lan''s face, "This servant knows, it''s just that the food on the ground couldn''t be collected during the drought of that year. Chen Xiang and Chen Yue were also the same. At least, this servant''s family was still better off. They had fewer children, and since they were the oldest, they were willing to sell it together. "


    Jin Lan looked at the sadness on her face and sighed. She was the daughter of a lady. She had never known the feeling of starvation, but she had experienced the pain of being separated from her loved ones. She looked at Mu Lan, her expression softening, "Don''t be sad, if you do your job well, I can let you go and reunite with your family."


    Mu Lan''s dull eyes suddenly lit up, and she kneeled down with a ''putong'', "This servant, this servant will definitely not let Miss down on her kindness!"


    Jin Lan nodded and smiled. "Get up quickly. If you''re thinking about my safety, then help me with something."


    Mu Lan quickly got up with a determined face, "I will listen to lady''s orders."


    Jin Lan slightly leaned forward and lowered his voice. He slowly said, "Go find Chen Yue and find a way to get that small piece of yellow paper."

 C45

    The next day, as the sky slowly brightened, Jin Lan got up. He had slept soundly the night before, but when the time came for him to wake up, his eyes would naturally open. After she was done washing up, she decided to pay respects to the Madame SHen at Shuixie Pavilion. However, Wan Ju walked in and said: "Miss, just now, Madam''s Big Sister Hui Xiu from her room came over, and said to let Miss sleep for a while longer, there''s no need to go over to pay respects, and we''ll also leave the breakfast at the Lan Garden. You can just order the kitchen to make it for you whatever you want to eat."


    "Why?" Jin Lan was stunned. "Everything is fine. Why would mother suddenly ask me not to go over?" "Could it be that mother''s body ¡­"


    "Miss, don''t think too much." Wan Ju saw that she was shocked and quickly replied, "Sister Hui Xiu said that Master is currently having breakfast with Madam at Shuixie Pavilion. Even the aunties that went to pay respects were all sent away by Master."


    "Father is having breakfast with Mother?" Jin Lan was slightly startled, he did not expect Ye Lin to accompany Madame SHen for breakfast, this was truly rare!


    "Yes, I heard that Master rested at the Shuixie Pavilion last night." Wan Ju covered her mouth and laughed.


    Jin Lan lowered his eyelashes, concealing the solemnity that glided across the bottom of his eyes. He smiled faintly. "Since that''s the case, I won''t go over. Let''s set up a meal."


    Wan Ju nodded her head and was about to leave, but when she lifted the curtain, she saw Mama Tang heading over to the upper rooms, she had especially slowed her legs and waited for the Mama Tang to enter, then quickly went to the small kitchen.


    When Mama Tang entered the room, she saw Jin Lan sitting alone in front of the make-up desk. He exerted himself with his feet and quickly walked to her side, bent down and quickly moved his lips next to her ear.


    The color in Jin Lan''s eyes flickered as a layer of coldness appeared in his eyes. He really couldn''t hold it in anymore. It was just that she had just come back yesterday and was already doing this today. Did he really think that she was a fool that was blind and could not see? She humphed coldly in her heart and lowered her voice as she said, "Watch her!"


    After breakfast, Jin Lan wandered around the garden twice, ate, and returned back to the Lan Garden. He then ordered all the servants and wives to come out and complete a new assignment.


    The Mama Tang was naturally the mother in charge of the yard. Wan Ju and Bi He were level 1 servant, other than serving Jin Lan in close proximity, they each took care of their clothes and jewelry in the kitchen. Originally, when Wan Ju was not around, Mu Lan had taken over the job, instead, she was taking care of the Little Maid and the old granny, while Wen Zhu was taking care of the flowers and plants in the courtyard.


    The servants in the house were always arranged by her, it could be said that other than the young lady and Mama Tang, she had the highest prestige in the courtyard, and even Wan Ju, who was a level 1 servant, was shorter than her. But now, for no reason, Mu Lan had given her the job, and even Wan Ju had gotten the short end of the stick, but she could only manage the clothes and accessories. This, this had always been the work of a second class maid!


    "Alright, let''s do it like this. As for Mu Lan''s silver, let''s compare it to the hair of a maid and add it into the rest of the courtyard." Jin Lan thought about it for a moment, then waved her hand to tell everyone to disperse.


    She turned around and went back into the house, and directly walked behind the table to sit down. She found the half-copied letter and started to practice with focus, Wan Ju went to the kitchen to inventory the goods and exchange the account book with Female Cook.


    Bi He waited at the side for a short while before borrowing the time to make Jin Lan''s shoes to rush out.


    Jin Lan didn''t even raise her head as she steadily finished her last stroke, and only then did she place the white jade Bunny Hair Pen onto the mountain-shaped Azure Flower Mountain Water Pen rack in satisfaction. She lightly blew twice on the paper, and the scent of the ink slowly drifted to the side, and only after the writing had been half dried, she opened her mouth and said indifferently: "Mama, Mu Lan, continue to instruct me. No one is allowed to say a word, except your wife, no matter who asks! If anyone accidentally makes a mistake, then don''t come to my place and cry, and get someone to take them away! "


    Mama Tang and Mu Lan looked at each other and replied in unison, "Yes, Miss."


    It was only when the sun was rising did his hands start to feel sore. After being bathed and dressed by the Mama Tang and Mu Lan, he was prepared to go to the Shuixie Pavilion to have lunch with the Madame SHen. She did not sit on the Soft Palanquin like yesterday. Instead, she brought Mama Tang and Wen Zhu to slowly walk along the hand roaming corridor towards the Shuixie Pavilion, where they could still see the autumn scenery in the garden.


    "Sister, you''re so elegant. You''ve worked hard in the temple for a few days. Why don''t you take a good rest and go out for a stroll instead?" Jin Lan had only walked for a short while when a gentle voice came from behind him. However, the tone clearly indicated that the person who had come had not come with good intentions.


    Jin Lan turned around and looked at the figure walking towards her. With a slight raise of his eyebrows, he said with a smile, "So it''s big sister. I haven''t seen her for a few days. My big sister''s face is flushed red. It''s even more obvious now."


    Ye Jinwei was ten years old this year, and her features had grown a little. Although the Concubine Shao wasn''t some peerless beauty, Ye Lin was actually a completely beautiful man.


    "This is all thanks to little sister!" Ye Jinwei clenched her teeth, thinking back to how her concubine had mentioned that she was a crazy woman a few days ago, and how there were other servants in the house who looked at her strangely, she couldn''t help but want to tear Jin Lan''s smile away.


    Jin Lan suddenly smiled brightly, as his gaze landed on Ye Jinwei''s furious face. "I almost forgot, big sister was sick a few days ago, but little sister isn''t in the mansion, so I couldn''t visit you. Elder sister''s body seems much better now, so I can rest easy. "


    "Shut up!" If it wasn''t for you, how could I have gotten such an illness? Ye Jinlan, your heart is truly vicious! " Ye Jinwei''s hatred for Jin Lan had been accumulating for a long time. If not for Concubine Shao constantly reminding her to befriend Jin Lan, how could she pretend to be warm and kind? She immediately tore off her mask and cursed angrily.


    "What is elder sister doing?" The doctor must have said that it was hysteria, so why would it be because of me? " The current Jin Lan was not like before, and would not be easily provoked by others. She only looked at Ye Jinwei quietly, her gaze as calm as water, even the words that came out sounded like this, and without adding anything, she stated a fact.


    Ye Jinwei did not notice the difference in Jin Lan at all, the strange looks she had received in the past few days caused her mind to be stretched to the limit. Now that she was stepped on, the strings in her head suddenly snapped, and she grabbed at Jin Lan''s face, screaming out: "You think I don''t know? "If it wasn''t for you ¡­"


    "Miss!" Although they were following behind Jin Lan, they were two or three steps behind. Coupled with the fact that something happened too suddenly, they were unable to block the incoming attack. In order to make her fingers seem long and slender, Ye Jinwei had left nails on them, and they were so pointed, that if she made a grab, Jin Lan''s face would probably be completely ruined!


    Ah!" A cry of pain came from Ye Jinwei.


    Mama Tang and Mu Lan trembled as they looked, and saw that Ye Jinwei''s hand was only a small distance away from Jin Lan''s face, and was being held tightly by Jin Lan''s hands. The two of them came back to reality and hurriedly went forward to protect Jin Lan. Mama Tang asked anxiously: "Is young lady alright?"


    Jin Lan shook his head, and let go of Ye Jinwei''s hand, indicating for him to move away a little. She raised her eyes to look at Ye Jinwei who was rubbing her wrist and staring at her hatefully, and said with a voice as cold as ice: "Big sister is still better to be cautious with her words. If some bad rumors were to break out in the Palace, not only would it harm big sister''s reputation, I''m afraid father would also be unhappy. I will pretend that nothing happened today. If there is a next time, I will have to ask elder sister to personally explain it to father. "


    never thought that things would turn out like this. Her face was pale white, the Concubine Shao had warned her many times to never bring up this matter again, but she was so muddleheaded that she actually forgot everything. Furthermore, she had even made a move on Jin Lan. She couldn''t help but shiver.


    "Elder sister, if there''s nothing else, I''ll be leaving first. I still have to go pay my respects to mother." Jin Lan was too lazy to continue dragging on with her, he turned around and continued to walk towards the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Ye Jinwei looked coldly at Jin Lan''s back, and forced himself to calm down. "You don''t have to be too complacent, you definitely won''t deceive me for too long!"


    Jin Lan''s feet didn''t pause at all. "Elder sister should take good care of herself. We can''t keep that armor any longer. If we accidentally hurt ourselves, that wouldn''t be good."


    Ye Jinwei glared at her fiercely, holding the handkerchief tightly in her hands, she pulled it a few times before turning around and leaving.


    Upon arriving at Shuixie Pavilion, before even entering the main house, he heard a few indistinct female voices coming from inside.


    "The Second Miss is here!" Breuer smiled as he knocked on the door curtain, bowing with his knee.


    Jin Lan smiled faintly at her and nodded before walking in.


    She could not help but frown. When she raised her eyes, she saw a lady dressed in a green horse-shaped skirt serving tea to Madame SHen. That person had an enchanting smile, if it was not Concubine Shao, who else could it be? It was just that she didn''t know how she managed to reach the Shuixie Pavilion in the middle of the afternoon, so how did she manage to do it for the first time?


    When Concubine Shao saw Jin Lan, she immediately put on a smile as if she was bathed in spring wind, "Aiyo, I heard that Lingji Temple is a good place to raise a person, it''s only been a few days since I''ve seen it, Second Miss looks even better now."


    Jin Lan''s eyes moved, she saw that, other than Concubine Shao, there was actually another Concubine Ning, but that Concubine Ning was standing beside him, looking at his heart and nose, he did not say a word. After Jin Lan entered the room, he smiled and bowed, returning to his original appearance.


    Madame SHen took Concubine Shao''s teacup and casually placed it on the table. Her gaze landed on Jin Lan and she said softly: "Why have you come? Didn''t I tell you not to come here today? Can I have lunch now? "


    "Mother." Jin Lan smiled and bowed to Madame SHen, when he raised his head, he saw Madame SHen''s pale white and haggard face, his heart suddenly shrank, and he immediately walked towards her.

 C46

    When Concubine Shao saw that both Madame SHen and Jin Lan did not see her, a look of anger flashed past her eyes. Her eyeballs moved slightly as she smiled and said, "Madam has never been in good health, eating and chanting in the temple. I am afraid you have hurt your mind. "In my opinion, you should raise your wife properly these few days."


    Jin Lan frowned slightly as he saw Concubine Shao trying to please him. Concubine Shao had always relied on hherown Ye Family to bear a son, and had also received Ye Lin''s favor, so why did she not put Madame SHen in his eyes?


    Madame SHen swept a glance at the Concubine Shao whose face was filled with tender smiles, and said indifferently: "It is only right for me to pray for the master and for the palace, how can this be considered harming the mind?"


    Concubine Shao was choked by Madame SHen''s words, and immediately became embarrassed, "Look at my stupid mouth, it seems like Madam is right."


    "Alright, you can all go back. I''ve just returned, and I still have a lot of things to take care of in the courtyard. I won''t be accompanying you in reminiscing about the old days." Madame SHen was unwilling to speak any further with her, so she directly ordered her to be excused.


    Concubine Shao glanced at Jin Lan, who was standing at the side. He knew that he wouldn''t be able to get anything out of Madame SHen today, so he restrained his smile and replied perfunctorily. He then turned around and walked out.


    Concubine Ning bowed respectfully, "This servant will be going back."


    After the two of them left the house, Jin Lan sat down beside Madame SHen and studied him closely. With a pained heart, he asked: "Mother, did you rest well last night?"


    "How could that be?" The Madame SHen forced a smile, "You must have not eaten lunch yet, is there anything that you would like to eat? Tell Hui Xiu and have her instruct the little kitchen to do it. "


    "Mother." Jin Lan felt that there was something wrong with Madame SHen''s expression, as if she was hiding something. She reached out and grabbed his arm, pouting, but just as she was about to act coquettishly, she felt his body tremble, and her originally pale pink lips instantly lost all color, and beads of cold sweat flowed down her face. She couldn''t help but ask, "What happened?"


    When Hui Xiu saw that Jin Lan''s small hand was grabbing onto Madame SHen''s arm, her expression immediately changed. "Miss, quickly let go!"


    Jin Lan was stunned, then quickly let go of her hand. She saw that the sleeves of the Madame SHen''s Primeval Grass, which was yellow as if it was made of clouds, were actually oozing out a tinge of blood. She immediately opened her eyes wide, "Why is there blood!?" As he spoke, he lifted up her sleeves to see what was going on.


    "Lan Er!" Madame SHen immediately held down Jin Lan''s hand, his pale face revealing a weak smile. He said softly: "Last night I accidentally knocked over the teacup and cut a hole in it. I''ve already applied the medicine on it."


    "Since that''s the case, it''s fine for daughter to look around." Jin Lan''s face was full of determination. Although Madame SHen was wearing a summer gown, he knew that Shu brocade was not weak either. She made up her mind to see it for herself.


    Madame SHen was unable to force the issue and could only sigh, allowing her to slowly pull up her sleeves.


    "This, this ¡­" Madame SHen''s arm was wrapped in a circle after circle of clean cotton cloth, like a big steamed bun that was steamed white and fat. Only, the inside part was dyed red with blood, no matter how you looked at it, that large bloodstain did not seem like what Madame SHen had said, and had a cut.


    No wonder Madame SHen told her not to come pay respects today. It turned out that she was afraid that she would be worried if he found out. Jin Lan''s eyes instantly turned red, and her tears rolled down like pearls with their strings cut. She carefully held Madame SHen''s arm, and asked with a trembling voice: "What exactly happened? Who did it? "


    Madame SHen used a handkerchief to wipe away the tears on her face and comforted gently: "How can it be as serious as you think? "It''s just that the cut is a little deep. It''ll be better in a few days."


    Seeing that Madame SHen did not say anything, Jin Lan suddenly turned his head towards Hui Xiu and said: "Sister Hui Xiu, speak!"


    Ever since Madame SHen passed out, Hui Xiu no longer dared to look at Jin Lan as if he was a child. Only, Madame SHen had specifically instructed him last night to not inform Second Miss no matter what.


    "Lan Er." Her daughter''s anxious expression made Madame SHen feel gratified and pained. She put down her sleeves to cover her wound and wrapped one hand around Jin Lan as she sighed: "It''s good to tell you, you will know about this sooner or later." After she finished speaking, she looked at Hui Xiu who was kneeling on the ground, "Stand up first, go out and guard, say that I will rest, don''t let anyone near the main house."


    Hui Xiu hurriedly got up, "Yes." Just as sshe was about to leave, he closed the door behind him.


    Jin Lan sat upright and looked straight at Madame SHen. She did not urge them, only after a short while, her emotions had calmed down, and the words Wan Ju had said in the morning appeared in her mind.


    From the moment she returned to her residence, Madame SHen had been fine, but after just one night, she had suffered such heavy injuries. If there was anything abnormal, it would be that Ye Lin had for the first time ever rested in Madame SHen''s room! Hence, there was a high chance that this matter was related to Ye Lin. It was just that she could not understand, why would Ye Lin want to injure Madame SHen?


    Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan, wanted to say something, but hesitated. In the end, he sighed in his heart, lightly patted her back, and slowly said: "This injury wasn''t caused by anyone else, it was caused by me."


    "Huh?" Jin Lan''s breathing suddenly stopped. He thought about it a lot, and even suspected that Ye Lin and the Madame SHen had started an argument, which was caused by a sudden failure. She did not expect that it would actually ¡­ "Why?"


    Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan and suddenly laughed, "Do you still remember why we suddenly came back from the Lingji Temple?"


    Jin Lan was slightly startled. Could this have something to do with it? She nodded as she thought about it, "I remember that father came to pass a message saying that the old lady will be back soon."


    "It was your father who made the decision, but the person who came was not one of his people." No matter what Ye Lin did, he would always use the Steward Li and those few Attendant s by his side.


    "Mother, you mean that the old woman is from the Concubine Shao?" Jin Lan frowned. It was his father''s idea, but it was not someone he sent. After his mother left the house, besides his father, only the housekeeper Concubine Shao could send people up the mountain to spread the news and arrange carriages. Could it be that Concubine Shao has secretly done something? "


    Madame SHen smiled, her eyes full of ridicule: "No matter what she did, your father would always listen to her. This time, the matter regarding the old lady''s return was five out of five. "


    Jin Lan was surprised. "Is five points true?"


    The Madame SHen nodded and no longer hid it any further, she said directly: "The old lady returned to the Xuzhou, but contracted an emergency ailment.


    "What?" Jin Lan looked at Madame SHen in shock, suspecting that he had heard wrongly. Although the old lady was old, she had a strong and sturdy body, otherwise, she wouldn''t have brought the Yu Ge''er to the capital herself. Furthermore, the old lady was still alive and well even after she had died in her previous life.


    "It was a letter reported by the Mama Ji, who had been serving the old granny all this time. This can''t be wrong." As if she had seen through the doubt in Jin Lan''s heart, Madame SHen continued, "If the old lady was safe and sound, how could your father have let me return so easily?"


    Jin Lan didn''t ignore the self-deprecation in Madame SHen''s eyes. She carefully held onto Madame SHen''s other hand that was not injured, "Father was at Shuixie Pavilion last night, so he must have discussed this with Mother already, right?" And this result should be the reason why Madame SHen was injured.


    Senior Servant Ji said that the old lady''s illness isn''t that difficult to treat, but it requires two medicinal primers, one of which requires more than five hundred years of experience. This medicine isn''t considered expensive, but it''s still not easy to find in a short period of time, and coincidentally, I have one in my dowry. Your father knows about it, so he came to ask me for it." "As for the other ingredient ¡­" She lowered her eyes and spat out a few words after a while, "It''s flesh from a living person''s body.


    Madame SHen''s words were like a thunder in Jin Lan''s ears, shocking him to the point that she became completely stiff. He stared at her injured wrist for a long time, before forcing out a sentence, "Mother''s injuries, is it for the sake of the old lady''s medicine?" Taking a deep breath, the anger in her heart flared up even more. "Why doesn''t he use his own? Besides, there are so many people in the mansion, why does he have to have his mother cut out his flesh?!"


    Or did he personally cut the flesh off? How much pain would he have to endure? How ruthless must he be? Ye Lin, how can he be so cold and merciless? His mother was his legal wife! Last night, she should have gone to the Shuixie Pavilion to rest. If she had asked more questions, if she had noticed earlier, her mother wouldn''t have suffered so much.


    Ye Lin, after going through the experiences in her previous life, she should have been clear of just how unjust this person was. How could he expect that his change in this life would bring about a different result?


    The eye-piercing redness in his eyes became more and more blurry, and the tears that Jin Lan had suppressed once again fell.


    "If Lan Er does not cry, this little injury is nothing." Madame SHen hugged Jin Lan, who was blaming herself endlessly. This time, although he had cut off a piece of her flesh, it wasn''t a loss.


    Being neither virtuous nor merciful, although the words'' jealousy is vicious'' had not spread, it was hard to guarantee that it would not be used by someone in the future. For Lan Er, she could not bear such a notoriety. Now that she had saved the old lady, even if she couldn''t make Ye Lin feel guilty, it was enough to stop the old lady''s mouth from opening. Besides, she had a plan that she couldn''t say out loud.


    Jin Lan''s eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were trembling. "This injury is still bleeding. It can be seen that the injury is extremely severe. Did mother let the doctor see it?"


    "Of course. It''s much better than last night." Madame SHen patted Jin Lan''s hands and said gently: "Other than your father and me, no one else knows about this. Remember, do not tell anyone else about it."


    "Daughter understands." Jin Lan nodded in agreement, but was still worried. He then proposed to the Madame SHen: "Mother, I''ll move over here with Shuixie Pavilion to stay for a while."


    To be able to be close to her daughter, Madame SHen naturally couldn''t wait and agreed with a smile.

 C47

    In the end, Jin Lan was still unable to stay in the Shuixie Pavilion and stayed there for a short while. She could only stay in the Shuixie Pavilion during the day and return to there only after dinner.


    The two prescriptions that Master Hui Wu gave were taken from Madame SHen and personally went to the medicine store to catch them. The formula to suppress the poison was extremely complicated, and one had to grasp the time to add medicinal herbs in a timely manner. Jin Lan saw that it wasn''t easy, and was afraid that the maid might accidentally make a mistake or someone might secretly make a move, so she said that she wanted to personally make the medicinal herbs. He was also afraid that he would be negligent and pull both Mama Tang and Wan Ju along. That medicine had to be consumed five times in order to make a bowl, and twice in a day. For the past half month, she was practically wasting time in the small kitchen of Shuixie Pavilion.


    With Jin Lan''s closeness to Ye Lin and the fact that he was staying for the night, the atmosphere in the mansion immediately changed. Those snobbish servants who were originally on duty while wearing small shoes all had bright smiles on their faces. They wished that they could run a few more times. Not to mention Man Ping, Hui Xiu and the rest, even the rough servants walked out, their chests raised up a little.


    The days of the Shuixie Pavilion were good, but the other place was filled with rumors and jitters.


    A sharp and ear-piercing sound of cups falling to the ground came from within the Bright Autumn Pavilion. The servant girl guarding the door couldn''t help but shiver, just how many times had it been today ¡­


    The Concubine Shao sat on the beautiful bed with a gloomy expression. Not far from him, there were some exquisite porcelain objects that had been broken into pieces on the limestone tiles.


    Seeing that she was preparing to sweep the tea set from the table to the ground, Su Xin immediately advised: "Aunt, this set of tea set from the Juju Kiln was specially given to you by the Master, if it was broken, I am afraid the Master will not be happy."


    "Will the old master be unhappy? Now that the old master is laughing merrily, why would he come to my place? " Concubine Shao looked at the teacup by his hand and raised her eyes slightly. Her expression was gloomy and indecisive, but in the end, she still retracted his hand.


    Su Xin heaved a sigh of relief, this was the most precious thing in Concubine Shao, if it were to fall in anger, when she calmed down, the one who would suffer would not be him.


    With that in mind, Su Xin quickly used the opportunity to pour some tea and shifted the position of the teacup a little. She held up the hot tea for Concubine Shao and comforted him with a smile: "How could I? From what I see, the old master only came to Shuixie Pavilion tomorrow because of the old ginseng that Madam took out. "


    Concubine Shao took the cup and slowly took a sip, her mouth carrying a trace of ridicule, "I had thought that she would die outside, but who would have thought that she would still be alive and kicking, and that she would occupy the position of Master the moment she returned."


    Su Xin sat at the foot of the bed and lightly patted Concubine Shao''s knees, "Aunt, you shouldn''t have been soft-hearted, let Master bring them back."


    "What do you know?" The Concubine Shao snorted, "Although the old master has treated her coldly for all these years, she should be the one to be discussed. Since the old lady is sick and she has something good in her hands, how can the old master not think of her? It would be better for me to say it myself, and also let old master remember my words. " However, she had underestimated the abilities of the Madame SHen. She hadn''t thought that she would be able to win over the old master!


    Su Xin smiled and praised her, "Aunt is wise."


    Concubine Shao squinted her eyes, a glint flashed past her eyes, it seemed like the matter had to be settled quickly. She sipped a mouthful of tea and asked: "How is the matter that I asked you to do?"


    Su Xin''s hand paused for a moment, before she continued, "This servant used some silver, I found someone new to send the item over, I can''t be wrong."


    Concubine Shao''s eyes suddenly became sharp, "You have to be accurate, this is not something that can be done carelessly. If it was discovered, even I would not be able to escape from this responsibility!"


    Su Xin hurriedly nodded, "Aunt, don''t worry. I found a half-grown beggar and even specially let him eat it before returning. He only gave me a few copper coins left and right, so no one can see anything wrong with him. "That day, this servant specially bought a set of coarse clothes from a clothing store outside. She definitely won''t be recognized by anyone."


    Only after hearing her explanation did Concubine Shao relax. However, she still warned her, "For the time being, don''t go out. If there''s anything you need help with, go to Wang Rui''s family outside the Second Gate."


    Su Xin replied, "Yes."


    Concubine Shao laughed satisfactorily. She closed his eyes lightly, there was no other expression on her face, and only after a long while did she suddenly open his eyes and look at Su Xin, "Go and see what First Miss is doing. If there''s nothing else, ask her to come over to me.


    After drinking the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s prescription, his body was obviously much better than before, and the wound on his arm had also gradually healed. Even though he had smeared some scarred spirit medicine on it, with such a big wound, it was impossible for him to not leave any traces. A deep red mark the size of a duck''s egg, with a gouge in the middle, still looked startling at first glance. Fortunately, he was usually concealed under his long sleeves, so it was not easy for people to see him.


    The Xuzhou was not too far away from the Yangzhou, it was just that the old lady was too ill to travel, thus the journey was delayed. However, the various medicinal herbs in the house were sent over like flowing water, and the Attendant sent over the news quickly every few days. After knowing that the old lady''s condition had greatly improved, Ye Lin''s worries disappeared.


    According to the laws of the Great Zhou, when parents pass away, a person''s child should be filial and worried. Ye Lin''s future was bright, how could he be willing to be quiet?


    As the Patriarch of a family, Ye Lin''s heart was at ease. The anxious clouds shrouding his Ye Mansion had finally dissipated. But all of this had nothing to do with Jin Lan. She concentrated on accompanying Madame SHen, personally brewing medicine, and talking to relieve the boredom. If it weren''t for the fact that Ye Lin would sometimes stay at the Shuixie Pavilion during the night, she wouldn''t even be willing to take half a step out of Madame SHen.


    On this day, Jin Lan was sitting in front of a round table made of ebony, copying the scriptures on behalf of Madame SHen. Madame SHen sat at the side and occasionally glanced at his daughter''s beautiful Xiao Kai, nodding his head in satisfaction.


    The mother and daughter were having fun. Wan Ju lifted the curtain and came in, holding a flowery invitation, "Madam, Miss, Meng Mansion sent someone to deliver a letter saying that the autumn chrysanthemums are opening well in the house. Please come by the day after tomorrow to enjoy the chrysanthemums with Madam, Miss and First Miss."


    "Meng Mansion?" Jin Lan put down his brush, took a look at the invitation, and saw that it was Meng Ruhan. Only then did he come to a realization. "When we were at the Lingji Temple, Sister Ruhan had mentioned this before. I forgot about it."


    However, Madame SHen''s body had only just recovered a little, she did not want Madame SHen to tire herself, and also ¡­ She looked at the name on the thread and couldn''t help but frown.


    Madame SHen glanced at the post with golden edges, "The chrysanthemums in Meng Mansion are famous for their beauty, and there are also green chrysanthemums that ordinary people cannot see. She paused for a moment, then spoke slowly: "Meng Mansion is using Ru Han''s name to send out invitations this time, so naturally we cannot lack Jin Wei and Jinxian, if not others will say that she is rude."


    "But ¡­" It would be a lie if she said she didn''t want to go. She had been making her heartstrings in the manor all day to guard against this and that. Being able to go out was a good thing for her and the Madame SHen, but when she thought about Madame SHen''s body, Jin Lan started to hesitate.


    Madame SHen scratched Jin Lan''s head and said gently: "How can it be as serious as you think? It''s settled then."


    Early the next morning, two carriages slowly drove out of the Ye Mansion gate. In front, there were Madame SHen and Jin Lan, and in the rear, there were Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian.


    The carriage travelled along the road at a moderate pace with Ye Family located at the east of the city and Meng Family at the south of the city. Jin Lan sat in the carriage, bored beyond belief. Suddenly, she heard a clamor coming from outside, and guessed that they had probably arrived at a bustling city, or perhaps they had sat for too long, and hadn''t seen Yangzhou City in so many years. She couldn''t help but feel moved.


    She secretly glanced at Madame SHen, and seeing that she had closed her eyes, Hui Xiu focused on massaging her shoulders, and turned to look at Wan Ju.


    Wan Ju awkwardly glanced at Madame SHen, and then slightly shifted his body, using his body to block Madame SHen''s and Hui Xiu''s line of sight.


    Jin Lan smiled at Wan Ju, then quietly turned his head and opened the curtain a crack, and looked out the window.


    In a bustling city like Yangzhou, Holy Master Li Bai had once written a beautiful saying, "Three months of fireworks." Although it was not March now, the streets were filled with shops and shops, and the bustling noise was enough to prove that Yangzhou was a wealthy place.


    "Isn''t it very lively outside?" Suddenly, the Madame SHen spoke out, scaring Jin Lan so much that his small hands trembled, and the curtain fell with a light popping sound. She quickly turned her head, to see that Madame SHen was smiling at her, "If you want to see, if you wait until the middle of autumn night, will mother bring you out for a walk? It was even more lively then. "


    "Really? Mother is not lying? " Jin Lan was startled, his face revealed a look of happiness, and he immediately went to Madame SHen''s side.


    Madame SHen smiled as she nodded his head, "Of course it''s true. When has Mother ever lied to you? Even though there aren''t as many lanterns in the Mid-Autumn Festival as the Lantern Festival, it is still unusually lively, just as there is in Suzhou. When my mother was young, your grandmother and grandfather often brought me out to see them. "


    When it came to her parents, the smile on Madame SHen''s face dimmed a little. Ever since she married into Yangzhou, although the two families were not too far away from each other, she had never once returned to them. In the end, she herself was still disappointing and was unable to win Ye Lin''s favor.


    Jin Lan saw the melancholy on Madame SHen''s face with his sharp eyes, and knew that she was reminded of the unhappy things that had happened. He immediately pulled her along and asked her a few questions, then changed the topic. The mother and daughter pair chatted as time flew by. Soon, the carriage came to a halt as Meng Mansion arrived.

 C48

    Meng Family was an ancestral Yangzhou, and was a large clan. Although his Meng Family had long since moved to the capital, there was still a set of Yangzhou left in there, which was quite similar to his Ye Family. This Meng Mansion was originally the ancestral residence of the Meng Family. After Meng Zhiyuan received his authority in the Yangzhou, he bought all of the land surrounding the ancestral residence and expanded it once more. Of course, this time, it didn''t require the assistance of the direct disciples of the clan, which was why he had the current Yangzhou.


    At this time, the Yangzhou Patriarch Meng Zhiyuan was an envoy from the Yangzhou. He was in the same department as Ye Lin, and although he was not ranked first, he was still an elite of the second list. His career was smooth sailing, and he had already reached the third rank at a young age. Her wife, Madame Qin, was also a direct descendant of a noble family. Her conduct was exquisite, and practically all the wives of Yangzhou had some relationship with her.


    Even the Madame SHen. Although they did not leave the house due to their weak bodies, they had a very close relationship with the Madame Qin.


    The chrysanthemum flowers of Meng Mansion were famous for their beauty. As the saying went, "A patch of gold at the bottom level of the porch, and a wave of fragrance waves amongst the tourists", referred to this Meng Mansion''s chrysanthemum garden. Madame Qin loved autumn chrysanthemums so much that she had to spend a lot of effort to take care of her own chrysanthemum garden. Every year when the time came, he would send out invitations to the ladies of various families to admire them.


    Ye Family''s carriage stopped in front of Meng Mansion''s gate for a moment. A few servants guarding the door hurried over to greet them. A butler looked at the signboard Ye Mansion handed over and smiled as he let the carriage pass inside.


    When they reached the second door, the maidservant who was guarding the door to receive the esteemed guest called Madame SHen and the rest out of the carriage. Jin Lan followed behind Madame SHen, supporting Wan Ju by holding his hand, she alighted the horse carriage softly and looked around, only to see that the buildings in the courtyard were carved with walls and walls, they were extremely beautiful, similar to the indistinct memories of her previous life.


    and Ye Jinxian who were behind him also got off the carriage and quickly followed beside Madame SHen, but they were two steps behind Jin Lan.


    Jin Lan tilted his head slightly, and glanced at the two of them. Ye Jinwei''s face was expressionless, and upon seeing Jin Lan''s gaze, he glared back. Jin Lan was too lazy to argue with her, and he looked at Ye Jinxian who was at the side with the wrong eye, only to see her holding the handkerchief with her hands, her eyes were slightly red, and the beads on her head were all tilted to the side. Sensing Jin Lan''s probing gaze, Ye Jinxian forced an ugly smile on her face. The anxiousness and grievance in her eyes flashed momentarily, and she opened her delicate lips, not knowing what to say.


    It looks like it wouldn''t be easy for Ye Jinxian on this trip, it''s just that she didn''t think Ye Jinwei would be so bold, after all, she was a guest that was leaving the palace, if something were to happen to him, it would disgrace her Ye Family! Jin Lan shot a cold glance at Ye Jinwei, took two steps forward, reached out his hand to straighten the bead flower that was crooked at the side of Ye Jinxian''s head, and pulled her cold little hand up as he said with a smile: "Don''t worry little sister, I''ve seen Lady Qin and Big Sister Meng Family before in the Lingji Temple, they are both extremely good people."


    Ye Jinxian gratefully nodded, fearfully looked at Ye Jinwei who had a dark face, and quickly followed, walking beside Jin Lan. Even though Ye Jinwei was infuriated, she knew that this place did not allow him to be impudent, and could only forcefully suppress her anger. With a cold snort, she leisurely followed suit.


    Madame SHen was very clear about this, but she pretended as if nothing had happened. She looked at Jin Lan with a smile in her eyes and slowly followed the servant that was guiding the way.


    After passing through the Flowerflower Sect, a few maidservants came over. The leader of the maidservants knelt down and said, "Madam has ordered the servants to prepare the Soft Palanquin. Please come over to Madam Ye''s side."


    Madame SHen indifferently nodded, and all of them sat on the Soft Palanquin, being carried all the way in by the old granny. When he got down from the palanquin, it was another scene. There were fewer exotic stones in the pavilions and buildings, which made it seem more solemn. Jin Lan understood that he had arrived at Madame Qin''s courtyard.


    The maidservants accompanying them directly led them to the main house, but before they could even enter, they saw a lady wearing a yellow plaid dress rushing out. When she saw Madame SHen and the rest, she revealed a smile and bowed, "Madam Ye, our wife is waiting for you, please come in."


    Jin Lan looked over and saw that it was Qing Yu, who was beside Madame Qin with her Lingji Temple. She returned a sweet smile and followed closely behind Madame SHen, entering the room.


    Seeing the Madame SHen enter, the Madame Qin hurriedly stood up to welcome him, "You finally came. Any later, I''ll be looking for someone."


    Madame SHen pursed her lips into a smile and sat down with her. "You are bluffing me again, don''t think that I don''t know this, even if I didn''t come today, you wouldn''t have the time to look for me."


    Hearing that, Madame Qin laughed, and turned her eyes to the three sisters that were following behind Madame SHen. She looked at Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian, and finally landed on Jin Lan''s body, and laughed slightly, then spoke warmly: "My little ancestor had been wondering why Sister Jinlan was not here yet, and had quarreled so much that it caused my ears to hurt. This is great, now that we have three goddess-like girls, she will definitely be overjoyed. "


    Madame SHen glanced at Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian, the joy in her eyes dimmed a little, and laughed: "Hurry and greet Madam Meng." Then, he turned around to Madame Qin and introduced him, "The one on the left is my First Miss, and the one on the right is the three ladies."


    The three of them immediately bowed to Madame Qin, "Greetings Madam Meng."


    "Good, good, quickly get up." Madame Qin was all smiles as she asked Qing Yu to give him a gift. She was only giving Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian the first gift, but she was still unable to overcome Jin Lan. Waiting for the three sisters to express their gratitude, they said to Qing Yu who was beside them: "Didn''t the Fifth Miss always say she wanted to see her Sister Jinlan? Go take a look at her courtyard, tell her that the Sister Jinlan is here, and tell her to come quickly. "


    Qing Yu smiled as she replied, then headed to Meng Ruhan''s courtyard.


    The maidservants carried the trays in, served the Madame SHen and the others tea, arranged the tea and fruit snacks, and then left quietly, leaving a few maidservants to wait upon them. The conversation between Madame SHen and the Madame Qin was mostly due to the interesting conversations between the Yangzhou ladies, but Jin Lan was listening with relish, but to Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinwei, it was completely boring. He did not dare move about recklessly, and just sat upright, feeling extremely tired.


    After a while, she suddenly heard clear laughter coming from far away. Madame Qin paused for a moment, covered her mouth and laughed: "It''s my Fifth Girl who has come."


    Just as Madame Qin finished speaking, a clear and melodious voice sounded in the room, "Greetings to mother."


    A figure quickly entered the room and appeared before the crowd. Meng Ru Han was wearing a peach-colored makeup dress with white lotus patterns on the bottom. Her skin and cheeks were covered in a red background, and her smile was like a crescent moon.


    Although the Meng family was also smiling, their tone was intentionally serious: "All day, you have been so reckless. Carefully watching your father detain you again, hurry over to see your aunt, and also your sisters from Ye Family."


    Meng Ruhan secretly stuck out her tongue, turned and bowed to Madame SHen: "Greetings Aunt." Then she smiled at Jin Lan and said, "Good day, Sister Jinlan." But when she looked at Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian, he hesitated, "This is..."


    Before Madame Qin could even speak, Ye Jinwei had already stood up and bent down towards Meng Ruhan, "Ye''s Jin Wei greets Sister Ruhan."


    Meng Ruhan blinked her eyes, her face was full of surprise, "You recognize me?"


    Ye Jinwei said with a gentle and modest smile, "I naturally recognize this Sister Ruhan."


    "I don''t know, but my name is actually spread outside. The news about my younger sister is really well-informed." Meng Ruhan was still smiling, but her tone of voice was slightly calmer, she was valiant and did not bother with small details, but she was not stupid, although she was not known as evil, but she would definitely not be known as good. When Ye Jinwei said this, the good impression that she had of him disappeared in an instant. Looking at the gentle smile on her face, she felt that it was fake. She then turned to look at the nervous Ye Jinxian, "Who is this sister?"


    "I, I am Ye Jinxian. Greetings, Sister Ruhan." Ye Jinxian nervously held onto the handkerchief, her small face drooping as she stammered.


    Ye Jinwei did not know how she offended Meng Ruhan, but seeing how she acted, the smile on his face immediately froze, and his face turned red and white, turning ugly in an instant.


    Jin Lan watched on from the side and could not help but smile. This time, Ye Jinwei had probably put in a lot of effort, and told her about the Meng Family at a fixed time and place, if not for it she would not have been able to call Meng Ruhan by name. She had just underestimated Meng Ruhan. As the daughter of an aristocratic family, who was truly careless? And Meng Ruhan hated people who were fake and hypocritical the most, this act of fawning on her was her bottom line.


    "Sister Jinlan." Jin Lan was in a daze, and saw that Meng Ruhan was already standing by her side, holding onto his little hand, "It''s so boring here, can I take you out to play?" Then, without waiting for Jin Lan''s reaction, he stretched out his other hand and pulled her towards the door.


    "Ru Han, Jin Lan isn''t as reckless as you. Don''t lead her astray." Madame Qin could not help but say when she saw her daughter''s actions.


    Madame SHen smiled and waved her hand, "Let them go. Jin Lan''s character is just too boring. I hope she can learn from Ru Han."


    "Then mother, aunt, we will take our leave." With Madame SHen''s support, Meng Ruhan became even happier and pulled the two out.


    Seeing that she was ignoring him, Ye Jinwei could not help but bite her lips. When she saw the gazes of the Madame Qin and the others, she gritted her teeth and stomped her foot, following her.

 C49

    Just as Meng Ruhan and the three Jin Lan sisters were about to leave, a servant hurried over and greeted them when she saw Meng Ruhan and the others. Then, she lifted the curtain and peeked her head out, causing Qing Yu to see them from the corner of her eye. Seeing that the Madame Qin and the Madame SHen were happily chatting, she did not disturb them, and quietly retreated.


    Not long later, Qing Yu quickly entered the house, "Madam, Madame Zhao''s carriage has arrived outside the door."


    When the Madame SHen heard this, he frowned without a trace. This Madame Zhao was the wife of Jiang Nan Patrol Officer Zhao Ruping, and her family name was Ruan. Although Madame SHen had met her a few times, she had never liked the way she acted.


    Constable Jiang Nan and Constable Yan Ji were both second rank officials, while Madam Zhao, Madam Ruan and Madame SHen were both second rank first-class ladies. It was reasonable to say that they were on equal footing, but in front of Madame SHen, she had a haughty expression. Firstly, the Madame SHen had been married for many years but still ended up being a direct descendant. The wives in the Yangzhou City all looked down on him and couldn''t help but mock and ridicule him, especially the Ruan Family. Secondly, the Ruan Family was the young lady of Marquis Ruan''s house in Changping and was more or less related to Imperial Concubine Ruan in the palace.


    The Ruan Family had naturally risen in status. Although Ruan Ruan was a young lady who came from a branch family of the Ruan Family and had some relationship with Imperial Concubine Ruan, naturally, Ruan Ruan''s horizons were high, if not for the Meng Family in the capital, she would not even bother to take up the Madame Qin''s invitation today.


    Madame Qin was very clear about the relationship between the Madame SHen and the Ruan Family, why did the Madame Qin invite the Ruan Family this time? She glanced at Madame Qin in puzzlement, but even if she was unhappy in her heart, she would not show any expression so that Madame Qin would lose face.


    Because of curiosity, Meng Ruhan stopped outside the door to listen. When she heard Ruan Shi who was standing in the corner, her expression changed, he immediately pushed aside the curtain and rushed in. She grabbed Qing Yu''s sleeves and asked anxiously: "Is Zhao Qianrong also coming?"


    "This servant isn''t sure either. Miss will know when Madame Zhao arrives at Inner Court." Qing Yu laughed, seeing Meng Ruhan''s displeased face, she asked, "Miss Zhao, are you not happy that you are here as a guest?"


    Meng Ruhan snorted coldly, but still worried about the Madame Qin, and then muttered: "Who would want her to be a guest? Let''s never come back to my house."


    Jin Lan and the other two followed Meng Ruhan back to the house. Jin Lan was closer to her, so she could hear her clearly. She could not help but be suspicious of what kind of person Zhao Qianrong was, to actually be rejected by Meng Ruhan in such a way. In her previous life, when she was at the Yangzhou, she was only slightly closer to Meng Ruhan. The other girls basically all nodded their head in friendship, so even if they met each other for so long, it was normal for her to not have any impression of him.


    Meng Ruhan pouted sher lips, then turned her eyes. She suddenly thought of an idea and pulled Jin Lan''s hand, "Sister Jinlan, let''s go. Then, he turned around to Madame Qin and said, "Mother, I will bring the Ye Family sisters to the chrysanthemum garden for a stroll."


    Madame Qin never planned to hold them captive in the first place. Furthermore, the banquet of admiring the flowers was right in front of the chrysanthemum garden, so she naturally nodded her head in agreement. Madame SHen called over Jin Lan and the other two and instructed them to follow.


    Meng Ruhan pulled Jin Lan''s hand and ran, Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian could only follow behind, all the way until the end of the corridor, and then after turning another corner, when they could no longer see Madame Qin''s courtyard, she stopped to pant.


    The two servants behind Meng Ruhan were panting from running, upon seeing her stop, they heaved a sigh of relief and quickly advised: "Miss, normally only the servants will follow, it''s nothing much, but now that the three young ladies are here, it''s better to be more careful."


    Only then did Meng Ruhan remember that there were still people by her side, and immediately apologized along with Jin Lan and the rest.


    Jin Lan and the other two had never made such a big move before, all of their faces were flushed red, their chests anxiously rising and falling, seeing Meng Ruhan apologizing, they all shook their heads. Ye Jinwei had always wanted to be on good terms with Meng Ruhan, so now that she was lucky enough to find the right thing to do, she took a deep breath and said: "No, it''s not tight, it''s just the Sister Ruhan, why are you running so fast?"


    Compared to Zhao Qianrong, Ye Jinwei was clearly much more pleasing to the eye. Meng Ruhan patted her chest, and waited for her anger to ease before saying: "I was afraid that if I walked too slowly, Mother would let me bring Zhao Qianrong with me, that would be ¡­." She frowned, her face filled with tears, "We agreed to only invite you, but never did I expect mother to invite so many people, and even send a thread to Zhao Qianrong. When I thought of her, I felt uncomfortable all over!"


    Seeing her answer, Ye Jinwei was overjoyed in her heart, and deliberately went along with her words: "If you say it like that, then that whatever Zhao Qianrong is definitely not a person that she likes."


    Meng Ruhan quickly nodded, but said while looking at Jin Lan: "If you see her, you''ll hate her the same."


    Jin Lan looked at Ye Jinwei''s flattering look coldly. It would be good if his words were not spread out, but if it was spread out, others might not say that Meng Ruhan was rude, since it did not seem like a day or two that she and Zhao Qianrong were going against each other, but Ye Jinwei who was talking behind everyone''s back would not be so lucky.


    Someone who was able to obtain a Meng Family thread definitely had a good family background, especially one that Meng Ruhan disliked so much. Madame Qin had even sent a thread, which showed that the Zhao Family was probably even more illustrious than the Meng Family. At that time, not only would the Zhao and Ye Families get into trouble, even the prestige of the Ye Family would be implicated.


    She held onto Meng Ruhan''s hand, interrupting him and said softly: "Let''s hurry up and go, the people outside all say how good your chrysanthemum garden is, I have never seen it before."


    Meng Ruhan was also aware that her words were inappropriate, and followed the steps down, "En, then let''s go over first." With that, she pulled Jin Lan along.


    The opportunity that she had painstakingly found disappeared just like that. Ye Jinwei was so angry that the root of her teeth started to itch, as she fiercely stared at Jin Lan''s back. A trace of resentment quietly flashed past her eyes.


    Ye Jinxian followed behind him and walked two steps, then turned to look at the furious Ye Jinwei who was standing at the same place, and anxiously said: "Big sister, let''s go over too?"


    Ye Jinwei''s face was gloomy, she glanced at Ye Jinxian''s round face, then raised her head and chased after Meng Ruhan, and when she passed by Ye Jinxian, he intentionally knocked her shoulder.


    If the servant did not hold her back in time, Ye Jinxian might have fallen to the ground. Even so, a painful cry came out of her mouth, causing Meng Ruhan and Jin Lan to turn around and look.


    The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, as if she was talking about something funny. However, her tone was like a knife that was being sharpened as she slashed at Ye Jinxian, "Third sister, be careful. This is not a place where you can lose etiquette. If you do something dishonorable here, it will ruin the reputation of the Ye family.


    Ye Jinxian looked at Ye Jinwei with wide eyes, her face was pale white, the ten fingers on her hands were continuously twisted, waiting for Ye Jinwei to walk a short distance, before she recovered from the servant''s warning, and quickly followed.


    Although Jin Lan did not know what Ye Jinwei had said, but looking at Ye Jinxian''s expression, she knew that it was not a good thing. She purposely stopped for a moment, and waited for Ye Jinxian to follow along.


    After walking for less than a quarter of an hour and walking out of a door, the group of people arrived at the intersection of the veranda. With one on the left and one on the right, Meng Ruhan headed in the right direction without even thinking. Although Jin Lan had come to the Meng Mansion before in his previous life, he did not go deep. The rest of the people did not know where they were and could only follow Meng Ruhan.


    However, although the people from the Ye Mansion were unsure, it did not mean that the two maidservants by Meng Ruhan''s side were unclear. The moment they walked towards the right, Lan Xiang''s personal maidservant, Lan Xiang, could tell that something was amiss.


    "That''s right, head to the right." Meng Ruhan raised her charming face and laughed, her black eyes filled with cunning.


    "But isn''t the girl going to the chrysanthemum garden? "If that''s the case, we''ll have to walk to the left. To the right is Pin-Lotus Lake." Lan Xiang had a bad feeling about this.


    Meng Ruhan rolled her eyes, and said unhappily: "Of course I know where to go to Pi Lian Lake at the chrysanthemum garden, the Flower Lover Banquet is in the chrysanthemum garden today, and it will happen sooner or later. Since I have free time now, I will take care of my little sisters by the lake, and then we can go back to the chrysanthemum garden when we get there, wouldn''t that be better?"


    Ye Jinwei echoed her words with a smile: "I heard that the lotus flower within the Meng Mansion is as famous as the chrysanthemum.


    "But madam ¡­" Lan Xiang still wanted to advise her otherwise, but Meng Ruhan waved her hand and interrupted her, "I will naturally explain to mother." She then stared at Lan Xiang, "You are not allowed to reveal yourself, otherwise you won''t be allowed to follow me anymore."


    Seeing Meng Ruhan''s serious face, Lan Xiang could only force a smile, but his heart felt like it was on fire, and did not know what to do.


    He then turned his head to look at her excited face and couldn''t help but snicker in his heart. First, he purposely told Madame Qin that he was going to the chrysanthemum garden, and then turned to Pi Lian Lake midway. He was acting in such an inverted manner, just to avoid Zhao Qianrong, perhaps, he would go to the chrysanthemum garden after a while, and wouldn''t be able to face him sooner or later? However, seeing her joy, Jin Lan didn''t pour cold water on her.


    Everyone suddenly felt a light flash before their eyes, and a large green lotus leaf sprinkled on the surface of the lake. Although it was already past the blooming period, there were still white and pink spots scattered among the green flowers, and there was even a faint fragrance of lotus flowers in the cool breeze blowing from the lake.


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but take in a deep breath. The gloom that had been lingering in his heart suddenly dispersed, and he felt refreshed and refreshed.


    Meng Ruhan proudly looked at Jin Lan''s shining little face, and suddenly suppressed her voice, speaking softly: "Sister Jinlan, do you want to go and pick the lotus seeds?"


    Jin Lan was stunned. He turned his head and asked doubtfully, "Harvesting lotus seeds?"


    Meng Ruhan nodded her head, then pulled her and walked a few steps forward, pointing to the pavilion near the water surface: "Look, there is a boat there, we can go there and pick some lotus seeds. Mother and the rest still need some time before they can go to the chrysanthemum garden, they won''t be able to find out."


    Ye Jinwei naturally would not refute her words, but Ye Jinxian nodded her head timidly. The hesitation in Jin Lan''s heart also subsided under Meng Ruhan''s pleading, and she half pushed her away as he followed her towards the pavilion.


    It was only when the red lacquer boat entered their eyes that the confused Hui Xiu and Wan Ju realized what was going on. Panic surfaced on their faces. Wan Ju remembered that time when Yue Yang fell into the water, his face was filled with panic, he anxiously grabbed her sleeves and said, "Miss, you cannot go, the lake looks to be deeper than the mansion, what if something happens?"


    "Don''t worry, it''s not like this is the first time I''ve gone back. My brothers often go to the lake to sing poems against each other. Even I''ve played with them so many times, how could there be any accidents?" Meng Ruhan waved her hands unhappily and dragged Jin Lan onto the pleasure boat.

 C50

    Seeing that she had already boarded the cruise liner, Lan Xiang could only secretly stamp her feet, turned her head and anxiously towards Bin Jin: "Go to our courtyard first, get all the servants and wives that are in the water to come over, tell them to stand guard, then inform Madam about it, then think of a way to call Mama Dong over. Do you understand?"


    Mama Dong was Meng Ruhan''s wet nurse, so she was very strict, and normally, other than Madame Qin, Meng Ruhan would only listen to what Mama Dong said the most. Lan Xiang thought that Madame Qin had to entertain the ladies that were invited, and would definitely not be able to leave, if she called Mama Dong over, she might even be able to persuade her to return.


    Although Binqin''s personality was stiff, she did not do things unnecessarily. Seeing that Lan Xiang''s tone was especially cautious, she nodded her head immediately and looked at the happy Meng Ruhan before running back the way she came. The reason that Madame Qin had so many servants that could swim in the water in Meng Ruhan''s courtyard was because he was afraid that she would sneak out to the lake to play.


    Other than Meng Ruhan who was walking right in front and Jin Lan who was being pulled by her, everyone else had noticed Bin Jin''s actions. Ye Jinxian only glanced at Bin Jin''s shadow before lowering his little face and remaining silent. Ye Jinwei''s eyes flashed a few times as the corners of his tightly pursed lips curled up slightly. Then, she turned to look at Meng Ruhan who was arguing with Jin Lan, her expression unclear.


    The rest of the servant girls all lowered their heads, not daring to object to their master''s decision. Only Hui Xiu and Wan Ju showed a bit of worry on their faces, the temper of this Fifth Miss of the Meng Family was too extreme, it was unknown where she would be brought to.


    Should he go and inform his wife? As Hui Xiu thought about this, sshe took another glance at Jin Lan, and saw a pair of pitch black eyes staring at him. His heart trembled, and he immediately dispelled this idea. Ever since she was scolded for asking for a doctor, she did not dare to treat Jin Lan as an ignorant child. Although Jin Lan was only nine years old, his mind was intelligent and meticulous.


    The cruise liner was not big, and could only fit around a dozen people. It was covered up by a curtain from the front and back, making it impossible to see the people in the boat from the outside. On both sides of the boat were rows of carved windows, allowing one to clearly see the scenery of the lake as long as they lifted the curtain. In the middle of the room, there was a small table with red branches and carved flowers. On the table, there was a small and exquisite censer.


    Generally speaking, if the manor''s master wanted to swim in the lake, he would have sent people to arrange the cruise liner beforehand. Pastries, melon fruits, and fragrant tea were placed on the table one by one. It was just that this time, Meng Ruhan had arrived out of the blue and did not make any preparations. When they boarded the ship, Lan Xiang quickly followed them to draw the curtains, but fortunately for them, there was someone specially to clean the boat everyday. Even if they did not arrange it beforehand, it would not be stained with dust.


    "Sister Jinlan, do you still like this pleasure boat?" Meng Ruhan pulled at Jin Lan''s hand with a complacent expression, her gaze sweeping towards Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian who were at her side.


    As the daughter of a noble family, Meng Ruhan was definitely luckier than them. Her father loved her mother and her elder brother doted on her in every way possible, and this was the only way to nurture her into such a happy, angry, and happy person. As for herself ¡­ Jin Lan''s hand, which had been tucked under his sleeve, tightened slightly, but it soon relaxed.


    Compared to the elegance of Jin Lan, Ye Jinwei was much more enthusiastic. She sweetly smiled and looked around at the decorations on the boat, then smiled: "The Sister Ruhan''s boat is famous for its wood, and its engravings are exquisite and extraordinary, it''s extremely good, there isn''t anything like this in our house."


    The moment Ye Jinwei had finished speaking, Jin Lan glanced at her indifferently, then turned her head to look at the calm lake light outside. Ye Jinxian, on the other hand, lowered her small face so low that it almost touched her chest.


    Meng Ruhan was instead smiling as she turned to look at Ye Jinwei, "Little sister Jin Wei is truly a knowledgeable person, to be able to recognize even the wood on the pleasure boat. "Speaking of which, I''m so embarrassed. Although this pleasure boat belongs to my family and is usually used to sitting and playing, I really don''t know what kind of wood is beneath it." With that, she lightly knocked on the boat tree beneath him. She stared at Ye Jinwei who was gradually becoming distressed with her words, "Since Little Sister Jin Wei has seen through it, then tell me about it. This saves my mother from asking on a whim, but I am unable to answer."


    The smile on Ye Jinwei''s face froze for a moment, and the handkerchief in her hand twisted a few times. She bit her lips, and said with difficulty: "Sister Ruhan is too kind, sister is not considered knowledgeable, I naturally do not recognize the wood of this pleasure boat, but my Meng Mansion is extraordinary, so the wood used for this pleasure boat must be very expensive as well."


    "So that''s how it is." Meng Ruhan realised, the interest on her face suddenly disappeared, her expression became dull, so she turned her head away and did not look at her anymore. This caused Ye Jinwei to feel embarrassed and embarrassed, she glared at Meng Ruhan hatefully.


    After Meng Ruhan, Jin Lan and the rest boarded the boat, the face of the boat lady was filled with surprise and astonishment. However, after the masters sat down, they used the boat pole to forcefully tap on the rocks of the lake, causing the boat to slowly move towards the center of Pinglian Lake.


    It was likely that the three lotus ponds would not even be able to match up to half of the lotus pond, and the lake was covered with dark green lotus leaves. The sunlight was like flowing water, quietly sprinkling down from the clouds, covering the entire lake with sparkling green water. Even Jin Lan couldn''t help but fall for it.


    "Look, we''re here." Meng Ruhan suddenly cheered, she extended her hand out of the hole in the window and pointed ahead. Jin Lan looked towards the direction that Meng Ruhan pointed at, only to realize that the jade green ship that seemed to be far away had already caught up to the pleasure boat.


    "Sister Jinlan, let''s go and harvest the lotus seeds!" Meng Ruhan quickly stood up and dragged Jin Lan away from the cabin.


    Hui Xiu and Wan Ju''s faces instantly paled as they hastily followed behind Jin Lan. With how reckless Meng Family girl was, and how she was in the middle of the lake, it would be over if something really happened, so they had to follow closely.


    Seeing Meng Ruhan pulling Jin Lan along, Ye Jinwei did not hesitate as she followed. Behind her, Si Ling was naturally also trembling with fear and trepidation. Ye Jinxian hesitated for a while, her hands and feet trembling, she slowly walked out with Hua Zi''s support.


    Meng Ruhan pulled Jin Lan and rushed to the bow of the boat, only then did Jin Lan realize that the boat was even taller than the ordinary pleasure boat.


    The boat was exceptionally stable. That boating woman was very experienced. With her own daughter jumping out of the water like that, if she swayed a little, she might just let the girl fall into the water. As a result, the wife in charge of this cruise liner was specially bought by the Madame Qin.


    After paddling the pleasure boat into the lotus leaves, the speed gradually slowed down. Finally, the woman completely retracted her boat''s pole, leaving the pleasure boat to silently linger on the surface of the lake. In this way, Jin Lan and the rest were not too afraid. In the end, this was the first time seeing such a green scenery, and even Ye Jinxian''s face revealed a smile. The group of people stretched out their hands to shake the lotus leaves in front of them, causing the round droplets of water on the leaves to flutter about. Their laughter was like silver bells ringing in the air above the Pint Lotus Lake.


    "Lan Xiang, take out the things in the cabin." Meng Ruhan''s laughter was the loudest as she pulled out a pink lotus and waved it over Jin Lan''s head.


    It was rare for Jin Lan to relax, so he just let her cause a ruckus. Although the lotus flower was only half-open, it was still bigger than Jin Lan''s little face. Putting it on top of his head made it somewhat comical. Jin Lan looked into the water, and couldn''t resist laughing out loud. He turned his gaze, and saw Ye Jinxian, who was standing at the cabin door with an admiring look on his face. He thought for a moment, then waved his hand at her.


    Ye Jinxian timidly looked at Ye Jinwei in front of her, but she was still a child after all, so her playfulness was a little strong. After being stunned for a moment, she happily went over to Jin Lan''s side, with Hua Zi naturally following behind. As such, the originally small boat suddenly became crowded.


    Ye Jinwei intentionally chose to stay by Meng Ruhan''s side, when she saw Ye Jinxian squeezed over, she chuckled: "Third sister must hold on tight, don''t fall down." As she said that, she turned to look at Meng Ruhan, "Sister Ruhan, I heard of some grasses, leaves, and other dense areas that usually have snakes. I don''t know if there are any in the lake?"


    After saying that, the color of Ye Jinxian''s face immediately drained. If one were to say that in this world, the only thing she was most afraid of was Ye Jinwei, it would be the snake.


    "Snake?" Meng Ruhan looked at the jade-green lotus leaves in doubt, "I have never heard of a snake in the Pi Lian Lake. If it is, we can make it into a serpent soup. As she finished her sentence, her eyes lit up. She was actually staring at the water expectantly.


    Lan Xiang took out an exquisite basket, hearing Meng Ruhan''s words, she immediately explained: "Ladies, do not scare the Ye Family ladies, Pi Lian Lake is not some mountain lake outside, how could there be a snake? "If there were, the lord would have already filled this place up."


    "I was just casually saying it." Meng Ruhan stuck out her tongue, took the basket from Lan Xiang''s hands, took out a pair of small and exquisite silver scissors, and smiled at Jin Lan: "Watch me." She held the lotus in one hand and the scissors in the other. She cut off the stem with a crisp sound.


    When Jin Lan saw that half of her body was stretched out and swaying unsteadily, he hurriedly used his hand to pull at the corner of her clothes. He was afraid that she might accidentally fall into the water.


    Meng Ruhan cut the lotus seed heads and shrank back, passing the water droplets that were still dripping onto Jin Lan, "Look, it''s that simple, Sister Jinlan wants to try it?"


    There were two silver scissors in the boat. Meng Ruhan took one and grabbed the other one in her hands. She smiled at Meng Ruhan: "Sister Ruhan, do you also want to teach me?"


    Meng Ruhan looked at Ye Jinwei''s admiring eyes, but he did not slap her face. She turned and smiled at Jin Lan: "Sister Jinlan, please wait."


    Jin Lan naturally wouldn''t fight over such a small matter, and nodded his head, watching Meng Ruhan teach Ye Jinwei how to pick lotuses.


    The two of them were not slow, and in no time, they had filled up more than half of the basket. Meng Ruhan was not done, but she knew that there were two more people by the side who were cold, and gave Jin Lan the scissors in his hand: "Sister Jinlan, how about you pick some? It''ll be even more delicious when you personally pick it. "


    Jin Lan thought about it for a moment, then looked at the chubby and lovable lotus root, and took the scissors. "So, I''ll try it."


    Ye Jinwei always stuck her body out of the boat with her heart pounding against the drum. Seeing that Meng Ruhan was not going to pick it up, she was happy to pretend to be generous and passed the scissors in her hand to Ye Jinxian.


    Jin Lan followed Ye Jinxian as they carefully cut the lotus leaves that stuck out from the side of the boat. Meng Ruhan chattered on at the side as she pointed, and the atmosphere was filled with joy. Other than Hui Xiu and the others who were standing to the side, who viewed Jin Lan and the others as great enemies, the rest had their eyes fixated on the figures of Jin Lan and the others.


    For a moment, Ye Jinxian''s face revealed a brilliant smile. She carefully looked at the surrounding lotus leaves, her sharp eyes noticed a thick lotus leaf was hidden under the jade leaf, and stretched out more than half of her body. Just as she was about to cut it down, she suddenly sensed an ice-cold sensation moving around her ankle, causing her face to suddenly turn pale white.


    "Ah!" A mournful scream burst out from her mouth, and her exposed body slanted as she suddenly fell into the lake.

 C51

    In that split-second, Jin Lan didn''t even have time to think as he reached out to grab her. Fortunately, Jin Lan was afraid of falling, so he grabbed onto the fence with his other hand.


    Right at the moment when Ye Jinxian''s legs were on the boat and Jin Lan was about to heave a sigh of relief, Ye Jinxian''s hand swung with force, causing the bottom of Jin Lan''s foot that was standing on tiptoe to fall.


    "Sister Jinlan!" Meng Ruhan cried out in shock, and extended her hand to pull her leg, but unexpectedly, although Jin Lan was weak, his body was not light, and adding the momentum of his descent, she actually brought Meng Ruhan down.


    In the blink of an eye, all of this happened without waiting for the servant girls to react. When Hui Xiu and Wan Ju rushed over, they only heard two "putong" sounds in succession, and a large splash on the calm surface of the lake.


    Wan Ju was startled, her face suddenly changed as she anxiously shouted: "Quickly save the young lady!" As she spoke, she immediately jumped down.


    Lan Xiang and the rest were all shocked, upon hearing Wan Ju''s shout, they regained their senses, but the servants on the boat, other than Wan Ju, no one knew how to swim. Lan Xiang remembered what she said to Bin Jin earlier and immediately raised her head to look at the lakeside. In the end, she did not see a single person. Just as she was about to jump into the lake with a deathly pale face, she heard a very faint sound of her body falling into the water.


    Even at noon, the lake waters of early autumn were still cold. As soon as Jin Lan fell into the lake, he choked on two mouthfuls of water. The brocade on his body sucked in the water before he heavily plummeted to the bottom of the lake. Although she was struggling in pain, in her mind she saw Ye Jinxian''s pale and terrified little face right before she fell into the water.


    That swing was too sudden, causing her to have no choice but to become suspicious. However, Ye Jinxian''s panicking eyes were not faking it.


    The lake water poured into Jin Lan''s mouth and nose. His head and chest felt like they were about to explode. At this moment, she didn''t have any time to think, her hands unceasingly splashed around in the water. She remembered that Wan Ju knew how to drink. As long as she could hold on for a little longer, she would definitely come down to save her!


    However, when she used up all her strength, her consciousness had already started to blur. She still did not wait for someone to save her.


    Was she going to die just like that? Jin Lan''s heart went cold.


    No, he couldn''t give up! Heaven didn''t bring her back to experience death again!


    He had to persevere, he had to persevere!


    Maybe she had gone deep, Wan Ju needed some time to find her, maybe in the next moment she would be able to save her!


    As long as he could hold on for a little longer, he would definitely survive!


    The suffocating pain made Jin Lan''s consciousness become more and more blurry. She used her last bit of strength and randomly tried to grab onto something, but other than the cold lake water, there was nothing.


    A sliver of despair surfaced in her heart. Just as she was about to sink into darkness, she vaguely saw someone swimming towards her. The thought to survive made her stretch out her hand powerlessly ¡­


    Although Wan Ju knew how to swim, she was not proficient at it. She jumped into the lake to feel around and grabbed a few pieces of the floating brocade. Hui Xiu and the rest had pale faces, staring intently at the lake surface. Seeing that Wan Ju had appeared, they immediately extended the boat pole towards him.


    Wan Ju forced herself to lean on the boat, wiping the water on her face and coughed twice, and with the help of the rest of the people, she dragged the person who was rescued onto the boat.


    "Miss!" When Lan Xiang saw that peach-red arm, she immediately cried out. Fortunately Wan Ju had saved him in time, so although Meng Ruhan had choked on a few mouthfuls of water, she was safe and sound. She covered her mouth and kept coughing, "Jin, Jin Lan, little sister ¡­ "How is it?"


    When they mentioned Jin Lan, everyone''s expression changed again. Wan Ju saw that the one who was saving wasn''t his lady, but had gone into the water to look for her. Hui Xiu bit her lips tightly, her face ashen. How, how could she explain this to his wife!


    "Don''t worry Sister Ruhan, Second Sister has her own destiny. She will definitely be safe." Ye Jinwei consoled Meng Ruhan with a gentle voice. There was a bit of worry on her face but there was a faint excitement in her eyes.


    Ye Jinxian trembled as she leaned into Hui Zi''s embrace, staring at the lake with red eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks. She cried softly, even her lips were trembling.


    After a while, the surface of the calm lake surged, Wan Ju struggled to lift her head up to the surface and could not help but ask: "Did you find a girl?"


    Wan Ju powerlessly shook her head. With a loud bang, her legs went soft, and she fell on the ground. Wan Ju who was immersed in the cold lake, could no longer stop shivering, but clenched her teeth, took a deep breath, and dove again.


    In the end, even when Wan Ju was completely exhausted and was dragged onto the pleasure boat, he still could not find the Jin Lan.


    Despair surfaced on all of the servant girls'' faces. Ye Family young lady was a noble guest invited by the mistress, and now that something had happened before their eyes, how could the mistress forgive them? and Wan Ju, on the other hand, wished that they could just throw themselves into the lake and die. Even Meng Ruhan''s face was ashen as she cried out loud.


    "Is it Fifth Sister in front of us?" A path suddenly opened up in Lian Ye''s field of vision. A boat that was about the same size as Meng Ruhan and the rest, but about twice the size, started moving slowly towards them from within the jade-green leaves.


    "B-big brother, save me!" Hearing the voice, Meng Ruhan, who was covering her face and crying, suddenly raised her head. Looking in the direction of the voice, her red eyes were filled with strong hope, as though she was a drowning person grabbing onto a straw to save a life. She shouted without caring about anything: "Sister Jinlan has fallen into the water, Big Brother, quickly save her!"


    Everyone looked up, at the bow of the ship, stood a man in an autumn robe, about 14 or 15 years old. He was tall and thin, had a pretty face, wore a five bats robe with dark lines embroidered on it, had his hair tied up simply, and looked very scholarly.


    When the cruise liner came closer and their bows were facing each other, Lan Xiang quickly blessed herself and said, "Eldest Young Master."


    Meng Zhanxuan waved his hands, his eyes clear and bright, helplessly looking at Meng Ruhan who was crying until his eyes were red and swollen, "Don''t cry first, let''s see if this person is the Sister Jinlan you spoke of?"


    Meng Ruhan''s wailing stopped, she looked behind Meng Zhanxuan, at the deck covered in bamboo mats, there lay a wet person, in a red dress, with a pale face and closed eyes, if it was not Jin Lan, then who else could it be?


    "Miss!" Hui Xiu''s eyes lit up, she struggled to get up and bowed towards Meng Zhanxuan, and anxiously said: "Young Master Meng, please have this servant take care of my family''s miss."


    Meng Ruhan also stood up, and shouted that she wanted to go over, but Lan Xiang was scared stiff, afraid that she might accidentally fall back into the lake, so she pulled her and did not let go.


    Meng Zhanxuan shook his head, as if he was not surprised by this, and said: "Fifth sister, let''s quickly go back. Even though the girl had choked on the water, the doctor still had to take a look at her. There is a bright red light here, you don''t have to worry. "


    "Young master Meng." Hui Xiu suddenly kowtowed to Meng Zhanxuan, and said: "Let this servant go!"


    Meng Zhanxuan looked at Hui Xiu who had a determined face, and then looked at the cabin with an unknown expression, after pondering for a moment, he nodded his head, and asked Hui Xiu to come over.


    As they spoke, the two pleasure boats sailed towards the pavilion. After they landed, they found an empty courtyard and arranged for Jin Lan to enter. Meng Zhanxuan sent the Attendant to get a doctor, while Lan Xiang instructed the old granny who was guarding the courtyard to report to the Madame Qin, then sent some people back to the courtyard to get some clean clothes.


    Fortunately, Meng Ruhan and Jin Lan were similar in size, so changing into Meng Ruhan''s clothes first was also possible. As for Wan Ju, he was also going to let the servant take her to change out of her drenched clothes.


    While Madame Qin was chatting and laughing with Madame SHen, Ruan Shi, and the other wives from the Yangzhou City, suddenly, the capable Steward Wang Mama rushed in and whispered a few words into her ear. Madame Qin''s expression changed as she looked at Madame SHen, his eyes filled with impatience and apology.


    Madame SHen''s heart thumped, she immediately felt unsettled, and quickly asked softly: "Is there something wrong?"


    The Madame Qin frowned and said worriedly: "The girls are playing, I wonder how they ended up in the lake."


    Madame SHen''s expression suddenly changed, and she stood up abruptly, "Do you know who fell into the lake?" Heaven bless, it must not be Lan Er.


    Madame Qin also could not sit still anymore, she raised her hand and called for Qing Yu, "It''s my Fifth Girl and Jin Lan, but Fifth Girl is fine, just Jin Lan is ¡­"


    "Huh?" Madame SHen felt her vision go black, and almost fell to the ground. Luckily Qing Yu was there to support her in time to avoid this awkward situation.


    Seeing Madame SHen''s reaction, Ruan Ruan naturally guessed that Jin Lan was Madame SHen''s daughter. She then said with a hint of schadenfreude: "Let''s quickly go and take a look, just what is going on? How did the maids and wives take care of the young mistress? "


    By the time Madame Qin and the rest had arrived, Jin Lan and Meng Ruhan had already changed into dry clothes, and even their hair were wrung dry. Due to being able to squash the water in his chest in time, although Jin Lan''s face was pale, he had still regained his senses, and was being served by Hui Xiu. He took small sips of the steaming hot ginger soup.


    Meng Ruhan was naturally holding a blue and white flower bowl as well, as she was being stared at by Mama Dong to drink the ginger soup, while Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian quietly sat on the small Wooden Pellet.


    "Lan Er!" Seeing her daughter''s small haggard face, Madame SHen''s eyes turned red, she quickly walked to the bed, and upon seeing this, Hui Xiu could only retreat to the side. Madame SHen reached out and held Jin Lan''s hand, instantly feeling that his fingertips were ice-cold. He couldn''t help but say with a pained heart: "Didn''t you say you were going to enjoy the chrysanthemums? How did he fall into the lake when he was just fine? "


    When the Madame Qin heard him, his face turned unnatural for a moment, he glared at Meng Ruhan who was seated at the side and said guiltily: It''s all my fault, my fifth daughter. She originally said that she would go to the chrysanthemum garden, but in the end she dragged Jin Lan and the rest to Pi Lian Lake on the way, that''s how it happened. With that, he turned to Meng Ruhan and scolded him: "It''s all my fault for bringing you up to date, is the lake something that you can casually play around with? Hurry up and apologize to your aunt and Sister Jinlan! "


    This time, Meng Ruhan was truly frightened, and seeing Jin Lan''s weak and pale appearance, she did not feel good, so she obediently stood up and faced Madame SHen and Jin Lan, and said faintly with a weeping voice: "Aunt, Sister Jinlan, it''s all my fault, no matter what punishment I get, I will accept it."


    Jin Lan knew that the fault was not with Meng Ruhan, so he opened his mouth and spoke with a hoarse voice: "What is Sister Ruhan doing? It''s my own carelessness, not my sister''s fault. " As he said that, he gave Hui Xiu a meaningful glance.


    Hui Xiu looked at Madame SHen hesitantly, and upon seeing her nod, he hurriedly helped her up.


    Madame Qin hurried forward and said, "The doctor should be here soon. Let Jin Lan rest here and see what the doctor has to say before making any plans. What do you think?"


    Madame SHen thought for a bit, and decided that it was the only way to go about it. If she went back to her home, it would take too long.


    After Madame Qin finished making the arrangements, she brought Meng Ruhan and the other ladies who wanted to watch the show and left the courtyard. Madame SHen also let Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian go down to rest, leaving Hui Xiu and Wan Ju to wait upon them in the room.


    Jin Lan had already expended his energy in the water, and he had been frightened. Now that he had finished drinking the ginger soup, he felt dizzy, so he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Just then, a figure slowly appeared before her. If she remembered correctly, the figure that saved her looked very familiar. It seemed to be a man, but who was that person?

 C52

    After Meng Zhanxuan sent Attendant to get a doctor, he left the courtyard. Men and women paid particular attention to great defense; the so called seven year old seats difference, he was already fifteen now, and the young lady of Ye Family was also more than eight years old. He naturally could not stay for long.


    After returning to his own courtyard, Meng Zhanxuan did not return to his main house. Instead, he dismissed the servants and Attendant by his side and went to the west wing. Just as he entered the room, a figure stepped out from within.


    Her wet black hair stuck to her back and a few wisps of it stuck to her neck. Occasionally, a drop of water would be seen seeping out and sliding down her neck. He wore a moon-white cotton cloth that covered his face, but it was impossible to see his face. Before he could put on his robe, it was already torn open, revealing a large, strong, honey-colored chest. The jade pendant hanging around his neck made him look rough and unruly.


    "I was wondering why you ran so fast when you just got off the boat." Meng Zhanxuan leaned on the doorframe with eyes full of ridicule and ridicule. If Meng Ruhan was here, she would definitely jump up and down, how was this still her gentle, refined, and elegant big brother? You know that lady from Ye Family? "


    The hand that was using a cotton towel to rub his black hair suddenly stopped, and a deep and deep voice faintly came out from the lips under the cloth, "No."


    It was clear that Meng Zhanxuan did not believe him, he clicked his tongue twice and went straight to the main seat to sit down. He reached out and poured himself a cup of fragrant tea from the Sky Glazed Crab Crab Arowana, but he did not drink it. He waved it around in his hands and said after a moment: "If it wasn''t for the fact that we''re old acquaintances, how come you jumped in without saying anything? "Pity that fifth sister of mine floated in the shallow area. You didn''t save her, so you had to go deeper in to find her. You saved her yet you hastily avoided her. Wasn''t it because you were afraid that she would recognize you?"


    The cotton cloth on his head was torn off, revealing a dull face. His deep eyes stared fixedly at Meng Zhanxuan for a few times, as if he was displeased with the string of questions he was asking.


    To be able to hold back Yan Ye, Meng Zhanxuan was truly happy in his heart. After drinking a mouthful of fragrant tea, the smile on his face became even deeper, "That Ye Family lady doesn''t look to be older than my fifth sister, do you miss his?"


    Yan Ye''s dark eyes instantly narrowed, emitting a faint evil aura. A dangerous aura was emitted from Yan Ye''s body, as if a sleeping beast was awakening, causing a chill to suddenly rise up Meng Zhan Xuan''s back. "In a split-second, the imposing aura disappeared, leaving only his unapproachable face.


    "You, you take care of it first. I''ll go take a look to see if Jiang Tang is done cooking." Meng Zhanxuan immediately stood up, like his butt was on fire, and slipped out the door, causing the Attendant s who were guarding the courtyard to be dumbstruck.


    Jin Lan fell into a deep sleep and Madame SHen tucked her in. Then he called Hui Xiu and Wan Ju to the side and asked them about falling into the water.


    But at that time, although Hui Xiu and Wan Ju were guarding at the side, they only saw Ye Jinxian''s body suddenly fall out of the ship, and Jin Lan was able to save her in time, she did not expect herself to fall into the lake. From the looks of it, it was just an accident, but Madame SHen had no choice but to think about it more.


    In less than an hour, the Madame Qin had led a white-haired old man into the courtyard, "Little Sister Lingrong, this is the most famous Imperial Physician Situ in the capital. Last year, he returned to his hometown and coincidentally, his residence is not far from our residence.


    Upon hearing that it was an imperial physician, the Madame SHen''s complexion finally relaxed a little. Hui Xiu hurriedly brought over a small Wooden Pellet and placed it in front of the bed, asking the Imperial Physician Situ to take a pulse examination.


    Imperial Physician Situ placed his hand on Jin Lan''s pulse through the handkerchief. Sometimes he squinted his eyes, thinking to himself, and sometimes he stroked the few strands of white beard on his chin. After a long while, he stood up and waved towards Madame SHen, gesturing for her to speak outside the door.


    Jin Lan woke up when Madame Qin entered the room. Seeing that the Imperial Physician Situ wanted to avoid him, he could not help but say: "Grandpa Situ, please wait."


    The Imperial Physician Situ turned his head in surprise, and looked at Jin Lan who was staring at him with shining eyes, "Miss, what''s the matter?"


    "I''ll have to trouble Grandpa Situ to treat Lan Er, but this body is Lan Er''s after all, Lan Er also wants to know if there will be any side effects."


    This was to tell him not to avoid it, and to put it bluntly? In the capital, he had examined quite a few Princess County Princess s, and if there were any contraindications, they would avoid to discuss in detail, afraid that those noble lords would not be able to handle the bad news. In comparison, there were very few who were as bold as this young lady.


    He looked at Madame SHen and saw that she had nodded her head lightly. He then retracted his steps and said solemnly: "This old man wants to ask Madam, other than this time, has this young lady ever fallen into the water before?"


    Madame SHen was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly nodded and answered: "That''s right, Lan Er, about two months ago, accidentally fell into the Lotus Pond in the palace.


    Imperial Physician Situ stroked his beard and nodded: "That''s more like it." He then looked at Jin Lan, "Lady looks like she has congenital deficiency, and her body is much weaker than normal people. The last time she fell into the water, she had already ingested the cold poison, and although she has nurtured herself well, she was still afflicted. "But now, in just a short two months, she has fallen into the water yet again. Furthermore, the coldness of the lake in the beginning of autumn is even more intense. I''m afraid that this ¡­"


    "Afraid of what? Imperial Physician Situ, please enlighten me. " Madame SHen''s hands trembled, and could not help but ask.


    Imperial Physician Situ had been paying attention to the expression on Jin Lan''s face the whole time, and he was secretly surprised to see that although she was a little anxious, she did not panic at all. After some thought, he decided to speak the truth. "I''m afraid that the cold poison in my body is very hard to suppress, so much so that in the future, my lady''s body will become more and more weak from the cold. If I can recover from my injuries, I would be in danger, but my son in the future will be in a difficult situation. "


    "How could this be ¡­" As if unable to bear the blow, Madame SHen''s face became pale white, and her body swayed. Hui Xiu hurriedly went forward to help her sit on the small Wooden Pellet.


    She was originally being treated unfairly because her son had gone through a lot of trouble. She did not expect that her Lan Er would have to follow in her footsteps again, could it be that the heavens were really going to force them to their deaths?


    Madame Qin''s face was also extremely ugly. She thought that although Jin Lan''s body was a little weak, his complexion was still good. As long as he took proper care of himself, he would recover sooner or later. After a few twists and turns of thoughts, the original thoughts in her mind were dispelled.


    It was just that this matter was more or less related to Meng Ruhan, and she had to take care of it. If not, when the Meng and Ye Families were at odds, it would be extremely disadvantageous for that person, especially at such a crucial time.


    After pondering for a moment, Madame Qin asked with concern: "Imperial Physician Situ, do you have any way to cure this cold disease?"


    Imperial Physician Situ thought for a bit, then opened the medical kit he brought along, took out a pen and paper, and sat on a wooden table to the side to write a prescription. After a while, he picked up the ink stone, looked at Madame Qin and Madame SHen, and said: "This is a medicine for curing cold, eat and read first. Other than that, Miss should rest for at least a year and a half, and do not worry about anything else, and in the cold and bitter regions, it is best not to enter.


    "Thank you, Imperial Physician Situ!" Madame SHen took the prescription himself and his face revealed a hint of joy. However, her lips trembled, and he still said hoarsely: "Then, in the future ¡­."


    Imperial Physician Situ shook his head helplessly. He had suffered from many difficult diseases in his life, but never had he suffered from such a severe cold disease. It was rare for this young lady to still be alive and kicking, and in the future, he was afraid he would be powerless. However, in order to not sweep away Madame SHen and Jin Lan''s hope, he said ambiguously: "It''s better to say two things about the future. Maybe the young lady can recuperate well, and everything might change."


    "Yes, yes, Imperial Physician Situ is right." Madame Qin hurriedly stepped forward to comfort him, "Jin Lan is still young. As long as he is properly nurtured, he might be able to... You should first relax, don''t mess around on your own. "


    Originally seeing Imperial Physician Situ shake his head, Madame SHen''s heart was already ice-cold. He did not expect that after he changed the subject, he brought out a bit of life, and with Madame Qin''s consoling, Madame SHen''s heart calmed down a little. He pressed the corner of his eyes with the handkerchief, and forced a smile: "You''re right, I''m lacking in manners."


    The surprise, happiness and sadness in the room seemed to have nothing to do with Jin Lan. She lowered her eyelids and silently looked at her fair wrist. From the very beginning, she had heard the words of the Imperial Physician Situ from the very beginning. It would be impossible to say that she did not have any grudges in her heart, but to her, it was truly a little too far. Right now, her heart was thinking of ways to escape the tragic fate of her previous life. As for how she would end up getting rid of it, she had never thought of that.


    After that experience in her previous life, her feelings towards marriage had been deeply rooted in her bones. Now that there was such a chance, perhaps it could also be a turning point. Perhaps in the future, he could use this chance to break away from the marriage and that person.


    "Miss, girl?" Seeing that Jin Lan''s face was expressionless, Wan Ju thought that she couldn''t stand Imperial Physician Situ''s words and called out to her softly.


    Jin Lan took a deep breath, looked up and smiled at Wan Ju, then said softly: "I''m fine."


    When his change in expression fell on Imperial Physician Situ''s eyes, he could not help but reveal a look of pity, then said to Jin Lan: "Then you can use the recipe for three months first, if Madam is willing after three months, this old man can come and help you."


    How could the Madame SHen not be willing? She immediately agreed and got Hui Xiu to get the seal to come out, but Imperial Physician Situ refused. Madame Qin was clear of Imperial Physician Situ''s stubborn nature, so she persuaded him, and took the recipe to say that he was going to get Jinlan some medicine, and then left the courtyard with Imperial Physician Situ.


    The Madame SHen sat on the side of the bed and looked at her daughter''s pale little face with eyes that could not help but turn red. Just as she was about to speak, Hui Xiu, who was escorting Madame Qin and the others out of the room, lifted the curtain and reported softly: "Madam, the third lady is outside, and wishes to meet Madam and the young lady."

 C53

    Madame SHen frowned. She really didn''t want anyone to disturb Jin Lan''s rest at this time, but after thinking about it, she nodded in agreement: "Let her in." As he said that, he gave a meaningful glance at Wan Ju, who hurriedly put down the tent on her silver hook.


    Even though Jin Lan had a suspicious look on his face, he did not stop the Madame SHen from making her decision. She also wanted to see what was going on in the dark.


    Hui Xiu lifted the curtain and invited the three ladies in.


    Ye Jinxian''s face was filled with anxiety, the moment she entered the door, she saw the bed, but she could not see the person inside clearly, not even through the tent. She bowed her head to greet the Madame SHen.


    The Madame SHen indifferently nodded her head, and pointed to the small Wugou at her side, telling her to sit down and speak, "What''s wrong? Is there something wrong? "


    "Mother." Ye Jinxian did not follow her instructions and sat down, but kneeled in front of Madame SHen instead. Her round face was filled with panic and regret, a pair of shiny black eyes had long become as swollen as walnuts, and tears that had not dried once again flowed down her cheeks.


    Madame SHen had seen her every move inside the room, it was just that this was Meng Family after all, and it was not likely that Madame Qin would come here at any time, so it was inappropriate for outsiders to see this situation. She then frowned, and let Hui Xiu help her up first.


    However, Ye Jinxian pushed away Hui Xiu''s hands with all her might and cried in grief: "Mother, it''s all my fault, I''m the one who harmed the Second Sister Sis!"


    Madame SHen''s expression suddenly darkened, and she slowly asked: "What''s going on?"


    Ye Jinxian choked with sobs as she told them everything that had happened. Basically, it was as Hui Xiu and Wan Ju had said, but she only told them a few more details they did not notice. For example, the cold feeling of her ankle moving around, as well as the fact that she had accidentally flung her hand away like a snake, causing a great wave to fall into the water, all of these were told without any concealment.


    "So there are snakes on that ship?" The Madame SHen looked at Hui Xiu suspiciously. It was clear that she did not believe in this.


    Hui Xiu immediately shook his head and said that she did not see any snakes, before she brought up what Lan Xiang had said before. This way, Ye Jinxian was at a loss of what to say. She knelt on the ground and sobbed softly. Her little head was shaking as she muttered, "Mother, there really is a snake. I am not lying."


    Jin Lan laid inside the tent, and through the tent, he could just make out Ye Jinxian''s blurry outline. He did not expect her to confess everything, which made his tensed heart loosen a little. It was just that there were people taking care of every flower and blade of grass in the Ye Mansion, not to mention a family like the Meng Mansion. With such a large Pitiful Lotus Lake, Young Master and the girls would often step foot in and play.


    However, there was always a chance, if it was really as Ye Jinxian said, then the Meng Mansion would not be as gentle as it seemed on the surface.


    Since even Jin Lan could think of such a thing, the Madame SHen naturally wouldn''t ignore it. However, thinking about the fact that Ye Jinwei was still on the ship, her expression immediately darkened. His eyes that looked at Ye Jinxian flickered a little, his face looked a little better, "Get up first, I will personally ask Madam Meng about this matter." After she said that, she looked at Hui Xiu, "Bring some water to help the three ladies wash their faces."


    "Yes." Hui Xiu replied and left.


    After tidying things up for a bit, Ye Jinxian''s face finally regained some peace. She looked at the corner of her mouth which was curling up slightly, wanting to say something, but she hesitated. After a moment, she still lowered her head and bowed towards Madame SHen, and softly retreated.


    The Madame SHen was silent for a moment, then sent Hui Xiu and Wan Ju out to guard the place, she personally lifted up the tent and hung it on the hook, then looked at the clear and bright light in Jin Lan''s eyes and suddenly asked: "Lan Er, what do you think?"


    Jin Lan placed his hand on the back of Madame SHen''s hand. With bright eyes, the corner of his mouth slightly curled up. "Mother, third sister is most afraid of snakes." Whether it was a real or fake snake, none of them were important. The only thing that was important was that Ye Jinxian was afraid of snakes.


    Madame SHen nodded her head, as if she approved, but her eyes were mixed with a complex emotion that was hard to describe. Looking back at Meng Ruhan, she could see that she was still as young as a flower and she could laugh as she liked, but her daughter was still living in the midst of her scheming and scheming, one step at a time.


    When Jin Lan saw Madame SHen''s frown, he couldn''t help but reach out to touch it, "Mother, what''s wrong?"


    "I''m fine." She pursed her lips into a smile, removed Jinlan''s white and tender fingertip, and said gently: "I''m thinking, after drinking the medicine, we''ll return to our residence. I''m afraid your body can''t blow the wind, it''s fine if you don''t even go to the Flower Viewing Banquet."


    Return to the residence? Jin Lan was startled, then shook his head: "Actually it''s not as serious as Imperial Physician Situ said. After drinking the Jiang Tang''s sweat, it''s already much more comfortable now."


    This time, the people invited by the Meng Mansion were all the top-notch wives, so the matter of and her falling into the water could definitely not be concealed. If she were to leave without even showing her face, it was unknown what kind of words would come out from the Yangzhou City tomorrow. Three people becoming tigers, if she was the only one, then it would be fine too, but what she was afraid of was going to drag everything down to the Ye Family and rules and upbringing. In that case, she would not be the only one to be unlucky, and Madame SHen would definitely be affected as well.


    This was the same reasoning as when she first entered the Palace for worrying that Ye Jinwei''s actions and words might be inappropriate.


    Therefore, even at the end of her tether, she had to grit her teeth and pretend as if nothing had happened as she strolled around in front of the ladies.


    Madame SHen didn''t agree, but she couldn''t change the situation. In the end, she compromised, so she went to Madame Qin and took a weasel that was a bit thicker and put it on her.


    With the white crescent edge of the satin dress, her skin reddened a little. After drinking the medicine, the coldness of her body gradually receded. She raised her head to look at Madame SHen and said with a waxy smile, "This group of people is probably in the chrysanthemum garden.


    Seeing that her complexion was better than before, Madame SHen nodded and stood up, then asked Hui Xiu to go to the side room to call Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian over, they both went to the chrysanthemum garden. She did not expect Hui Xiu to hurry over, but she only brought him back, "First Miss has already gone to the chrysanthemum garden."


    Madame SHen''s expression immediately became ugly. By doing this, Ye Jinwei was slapping her in the face.


    "Mother, the big sister and the Sister Ruhan were fated, perhaps the Sister Ruhan called her over." Jin Lan smiled slightly. Other than Meng Ruhan, no one else knew anyone else in the mansion, so she definitely wouldn''t, and wouldn''t dare to go over there. The only possibility was that she was sticking by Meng Ruhan''s side, but it was unknown whether Meng Ruhan would care about her or not.


    Under the guidance of the Meng Mansion servant girls who were specially guarding the courtyard and waiting for orders, they slowly walked towards the chrysanthemum garden. Fortunately, the courtyard they had chosen when they first arrived at the shore wasn''t too far away from the chrysanthemum garden, so when they arrived, the sun had just set. At this time, other than Madame Qin and the various ladies, the other girls did not see anyone else in the chrysanthemum garden.


    The Madame SHen was the first to walk over. Jin Lan and Ye Jinxian followed behind her, paying their respects to the various wives one by one. Meng Family and Ye Family were prominent families among the people, so the people who were invited naturally wouldn''t be any worse. The ladies present today were all first-class ladies, but other than Ruan Ruan, their ranks were lower than Madame SHen and Madame Qin. Everyone knew that Jin Lan and Meng Ruhan had fallen into the water, and upon seeing her, they couldn''t help but ask about her.


    Look at that little face. I''m afraid it''s scary, but a doctor?" "Although it wasn''t cold in the early autumn, the lake water was still cold after all. It would be better to drink more of that ginger soup to dispel the cold." The one who spoke was a lady wearing a purple silk dress with a sunset glow. She was currently holding Jin Lan''s hand and scrutinizing him closely. She had a smile on her face and looked very friendly.


    After thinking for a moment, she took off her bracelet, which was inlaid with blue and white glass beads, and placed it around Jin Lan''s wrist. "I don''t know what this lady likes, but this bracelet is not anything precious. This lady is wearing it, right?" After saying that, he smiled and sized Ye Jinxian up from the side. He also removed a bracelet from his other hand, but it was a normal gold-plated jade bracelet.


    "Jin Lan, Jinxian, quick, thank you Madam Lu." The Madame SHen said with a smile.


    The two of them quickly bent their knees in greeting. "Thank you, Madam Lu."


    Seeing Madame SHen''s actions, the smile on Madam Lu''s face deepened, "They are all painful ladies."


    Isn''t that so? Look at me, I like it a lot. " Just as Jin Lan stood up, he was pulled over by another lady. A smile hung on her face as well, but it was different from Madam Lu''s. There was a faint hint of disdain. After a while, he sighed and said, "It''s a pity that this body is a little thin. I don''t know how much suffering this fall is going to bring about." As he said this, he raised his head to look at Lady Shen. "I have some precious toad ointment from the palace that nourishes and nourishes people. Send some to the mansion later.


    The Toad Ointment was also known as the Snow Toad Ointment, and it was a nourishing saint product. Ordinary quality items were extremely rare, let alone rare ones, which only the nobles of the palace could enjoy. It was obvious that the madame was using such a rare item to show off her illustrious family background.


    Madame SHen''s face darkened, but immediately recovered back. She smiled and said: "Lan Er is still young, after recuperating for a while she is fully recovered, this kind of rare item, how can I let her enjoy it, I''ll just leave it for Lady Zhao. Speaking of which, it''s said that this toad toad ointment can nourish women''s faces, and we ordinary people can''t even beg for it. I''m truly envious of Lady Zhao. "


    Ruan Shi was the oldest of all the madams. Although she was normally well preserved, she had never shown mercy, and more or less left a few scars on her face. To Ruan Ran, this was a fatal weakness, and normally, no one would even dare mention it.


    She could not be compared to Madame SHen who was well-educated, and her face turned ugly on the spot. With a cold snort, she turned around and left.


    Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Madame Qin hurriedly came out to smooth things over, "If you have this kind of good stuff, I would rather be thick-skinned enough to ask for a taste. At that time, you better not hide it, I''m not going to comply."


    Jin Lan pursed her lips, suppressing the laughter that was on the verge of bursting out. Madame Qin was indeed an astute and exquisite person, whatever she said would seem to be of some interest, and would make people feel angry.


    The Madame SHen brought Jin Lan and Ye Jinxian to walk around. She did not recognize many people and received a lot of gifts, but she did not see Meng Ruhan around. The Flower Lover Banquet was divided into two sections. The first was a feast for the ladies, while the other was in the Half Moon Pavilion on the right.


    Seeing the color of the sky, when it was about time for the banquet to begin, the Madame Qin let Qing Yu bring Jin Lan and Ye Jinxian to the Half Moon Pavilion.

 C54

    Jin Lan and Ye Jinxian followed Qing Yu through the chrysanthemum garden. Those that bloomed were like balls of color, while the ones that were half-opened were like exquisite lanterns. They flowed with light and overflowed with color, making one feel dizzy just by looking at them.


    Indeed, he did not disappoint his reputation. Jin Lan secretly praised him. He walked along the small path in the flowers to the right, and in a short while, he arrived at the Half Moon Pavilion. Double decked carved flower house, almost can see the chrysanthemum garden in the panoramic view. There were two sturdy Mama guarding the door, and two maids standing by the side. They looked to be about Qing Yu''s age, and when they saw Qing Yu, they smiled and came over: "Why is Sister Qing Yu here, does Madam have any orders?"


    Qing Yu also smiled lightly, and said softly: "Madam asked me to bring Ye Family Second Miss and the three young misses, did the banquet begin inside?"


    The two maidservants quickly bowed towards Jin Lan and Ye Jinxian, and said with a smile, "Miss Ye has finally come, our Lady has already asked you about it many times." With that, she turned to Qing Yu and replied: "The banquet has not started yet, but the young lady said that Miss Ye has not arrived, so this banquet cannot be held. "Well, the girls are leading the girls to play Leaf."


    Qing Yu could not help but frown, but upon hearing that Jin Lan and his sister were still at his side, he did not say much, but smiled and bowed, letting the servant lead them in, then hurriedly returned to Madame Qin''s side.


    The girls were all gathered on the second floor. The maid, Silverfrost, was smiling as she led the two sisters up. A crystal bead curtain was hung at the entrance, and before the curtain had been lifted, Jin Lan could hear voices coming from within. However, he couldn''t hear the conversation clearly. He couldn''t tell what topic they were talking about. The only thing he knew was that the atmosphere inside was quite harmonious.


    Silver Frost stopped right in front of the door. He lifted the curtain with a smile on his face, indicating that the two of them should enter by themselves. Jin Lan smiled at her and then told Wan Ju and Hua Zi to wait outside. He then pulled Ye Jinxian inside, and before they even stepped into the Side Chamber, they heard a voice filled with ill intent: "Who is outside, what are you doing sneaking around?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the voices in the room suddenly quieted, and everyone''s gazes immediately gathered on Jin Lan and Ye Jinxian.


    Meng Ruhan was bored to death watching someone else play a card with leaves. Seeing Jin Lan''s figure appear in front of the door, his eyes immediately lit up, his expression jumping up, ignoring Ye Jinwei who was sitting at the side, he suddenly went up and greeted her. "Sister Jinlan!"


    A smile bloomed on Jin Lan''s face. "It''s my fault for making elder sister wait."


    Before Meng Ruhan could reply, the voice from before rang out again, "I was wondering who it was. So you are the Miss Ye who fell into the water while swimming."


    Jin Lan raised his eyes and saw a twelve to thirteen year old girl wearing a pomegranate red embroidered Eight Treasures Cloud Patterned Dress lazily reclining on the beauty bed. She was fiddling with the unopened Nine Links in her hands, her eyes lowered and her gaze focused on the Nine Links, a trace of a mocking smile on her face.


    Although this girl looked familiar, she had never seen her before. Furthermore, he had never offended her, so why was it that they had never been so tit for tat since the very beginning? It was really strange.


    "Sister Jinlan." Meng Ruhan also had a face full of displeasure. She lightly pulled on the sleeves of Jin Lan and whispered: "She is Zhao Qianrong." Then, she couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows, as if to say, this guy is really annoying, isn''t she?


    So this was Zhao Qianrong who was seen as a ferocious beast by Meng Ruhan. Jin Lan looked at her again, and no wonder she felt that she looked a little familiar. As expected, the mother and daughter duo''s tone of voice were not much different from each other''s.


    Seeing that the atmosphere had turned cold in an instant, another lady who was sitting beside Zhao Qianrong stood up and walked over, holding Jin Lan''s hand, and laughed softly, "This must be the Sister Jinlan that Ru Han desires, Qian Rong has a straightforward personality, please don''t bother with her."


    Seeing her light smile, Jin Lan couldn''t help but sigh in his heart. The girls of Ye Family and Meng Ruhan were all extremely beautiful, and even the ladies of various families present, were all beautiful women, each with their own charms. But the person in front of her was the one who had the most charming smile out of all the people she had ever seen. The goose-yellow rose silk filigree, the soft yarn reflects her pure and clean smile, just like the warm sun in winter, warming the heart and soul.


    Other than that, her thoughts were meticulous, Zhao Qianrong had obviously borrowed her strength to say those words to Meng Ruhan. Meng Ruhan''s popularity seemed to be greater than Zhao Qianrong''s, if not she would not have brazenly delayed the start of the banquet for an hour, and there were no complaints from the room. Thus, Zhao Qianrong''s words had undoubtedly made all the girls in the room unconsciously lean towards Meng Ruhan and Jin Lan. This was extremely disadvantageous to Zhao Qianrong, so she quickly came out to smooth things over.


    From the looks of it, it was not the first time she did this. She did not know which family''s girl it was, but she had such a good relationship with Zhao Qianrong.


    When Meng Ruhan saw who it was, her expression immediately relaxed and with a hint of complaint she said to her: "Big sister Yifei, why are you always speaking up for her?"


    Bai Yifei revealed a helpless smile, and said in a thin voice: "You know her temperament, it''s just that she''s happy on the surface, her heart is not bad." Although she said that to Meng Ruhan, her eyes looked at Jin Lan, as though she wanted to find some clues from her face.


    Thus, Jin Lan didn''t say much. He smiled lightly and said, "That''s true. I''m really envious of someone as emotional as Miss Zhao."


    Jin Lan''s dignified appearance caused a flash of astonishment to appear in Bai Yifei''s eyes, but the smile on his face did not change at all, "Ru Han, why aren''t you quick to introduce these two ladies to us?"


    Meng Ruhan nodded her head, and immediately threw the complaints from before to the back of her mind. She pulled Jin Lan and Ye Jinxian and walked a few steps into the hall, and said: "These two are the girls from the History Clan of Yangzhou, the one on the left is Second Miss Jin Lan, and the one on the right is Third Miss Jinxian. Other than Zi Tong, everyone else is younger than us. "


    When the others saw her like this, they all stood up and greeted her. Of course, was the exception, but she seemed to care a lot about Bai Yifei, and seeing that she had taken the lead, she sat by herself and played with the Nine Links, not saying a word. In this way, the older and younger sisters in the room burst into laughter.


    The youngest Zhou Zitong was only five years old, he glanced at Jin Lan and Ye Jinxian, then turned to look at Ye Jinwei who was seated at the side. With a "Eh", he asked: "Big sister Jin Lan and this big sister seems to belong to the same family."


    Although Zhou Zitong''s voice was young and tender, it still made everyone turn to look at Ye Jinwei. Only then did she stand up, and barely nodded at Jin Lan and Jinxian, "Second sister, third sister."


    "Big Sis." Bo Gu Ye could be played with by a few people, and in front of the small square table that was carved with chicken wings, wood and hibiscus, there was a small round table. Ye Jinwei sat at the outermost seat, it was obvious that the people in the room did not like her.


    "That''s great. Luhan, hurry up and start the banquet. I''m almost starving." Lu Jing pushed the card in her hand. Her round and smooth face wrinkled up like a bun, and said weakly.


    Her appearance caused the young ladies to cover their mouths and laugh. Meng Ruhan did not delay any further, and directly called for the silver frost outside the door to have a meal.


    When the maidservants heard the order, they immediately brought in steaming hot dishes and placed them on the circular table covered with a red embroidered cloth and covered with a hundred different colors. Marmite, Marmite, Sesame Sauce, Dairy Fish, Lotus Roasted Tofu, Crystal Elbow, Octagon Soup, Green Shrimp roll wrapped in tender lotus leaves, Cake of chrysanthemum from the chrysanthemum garden, and Candied Begonia from the Sapidity Sachet.


    The maidservants outside the door were finally able to come in and serve their masters. For a moment, the room was quiet, and only the light footsteps of the maidservants could be heard.


    Jin Lan''s body was not well to begin with, and now that he had not eaten much, he slightly moved his silver chopsticks and placed it down, causing Wan Ju to immediately serve her a bowl of Eight Treasures Soup. Jin Lan replied with a faint smile, but only moved his spoon and didn''t drink a single mouthful. Although he appeared to be indifferent, his eyes had already swept over everyone in the room.


    Zhao Qianrong and Bai Yifei sat a little closer together. The others also sat in groups of two or three, which made them feel a little closer and a bit distant. However, sitting together with Meng Ruhan, naturally became the center of the crowd.


    After finding out that Bai Yifei''s father was the governor of the two rivers, the White Mountain, Jin Lan finally understood why she had always been helping Zhao Qianrong. The Bai Clan was not a prestigious clan. Bai Zishan was born a martial general and had done great deeds in the past. That was why she was able to stand at the peak of the world. As for Bai Yifei''s mother, she was the younger sister of Imperial Concubine Ruan, the direct descendant of the Changping Marquis Ruan Family.


    No wonder Zhao Qianrong would listen to what Bai Yifei said, if it was her, she would do the same.


    Without saying a word, the maidservants took off the plates and bowls, used the copper basin to give them water to wash their hands, and then used warm water to rinse their mouths. Finally, they served hot tea, and the room gradually resumed its chatter and laughter.


    The banquet in the Half Moon Pavilion had just been adjourned, and the feast in the chrysanthemum garden had also come to an end. It was already late, and the ladies all stood up to bid their farewells.


    Bai Yifei pulled Jin Lan''s hand, and said that he would invite her over for a stroll next time, and Jin Lan agreed with a polite smile. Meng Ruhan naturally came over to join in the fun, and clamored that Bai Yifei was not allowed to be biased. After a while, the crowd reluctantly dispersed.


    I don''t know what Madame Qin and Madame SHen said, but Ye Family''s carriage was the last to leave the manor, but before they left, Madame Qin specially picked up a few extremely well bloomed chrysanthemums, which were placed in multi-colored plants and sent over, and surprisingly her beloved chrysanthemums were among them.


    Madame SHen did not decline, and smiled as she let Hui Xiu carefully receive it. Amidst her laughter, Jin Lan actually noticed that the two of them were a bit strange, as though they were somewhat estranged, and not as intimate as they were within the Lingji Temple.


    On the way back, the Madame SHen closed her eyes and did not speak of anything else, so Jin Lan could not ask too much. The carriage smoothly entered the second gate, and just as they got off, Man Ping, who was guarding the second gate, ran over, her expression did not look good.


    She forced out a smile, bowed to Jin Lan and the rest, then walked to Madame SHen''s side and said a few words in a low voice. Madame SHen''s face immediately changed.

 C55

    The sun was setting in the west, and the sky was filled with a beautiful red glow. Peach colored clouds were drifting along with the wind. In the main room of the Lan Garden, Mu Lan lit up the blue and white porcelain three-legged lotus lamp, and then brought the freshly brewed tea in front of Jin Lan, then she retreated behind her.


    "Mama." Jin Lan called for the Mama Tang softly. Now that Mu Lan was in charge of the Little Maid and her wife, she was a lot more at ease than before. Bi He had already been deliberately sent to the kitchen by her, to take advantage of this time to speak privately.


    Mama Tang also understood what was going on. She went up to Jin Lan and said softly, "Madam, you can''t get anything from my house. I only know that Master is going to stay at Shuixie Pavilion for the night."


    Jin Lan''s expression became heavy, and when they returned to the residence, although Man Ping''s voice was extremely low, she had always been by Madame SHen''s side, and had more or less heard some scattered words, including a familiar name, Chun Xiao.


    She did not forget about Chun Xiao, the servant who almost caused the Madame SHen to lose his life. Now that Man Ping''s face was ugly and his actions were unusually flustered, suspicion immediately arose in her heart. When he came back, he specifically told the Mama Tang to look for a way to enter the Shuixie Pavilion, but he didn''t expect Ye Lin to go to the Shuixie Pavilion as well.


    Even though the Madame SHen didn''t say it explicitly, Jin Lan could guess that the reason she sent Chun Xiao and Ling Shan to the yamen was to fish out the mastermind behind all of this.


    "Miss?" Seeing that Jin Wen didn''t say anything, the Mama Tang continued, "Why don''t we get someone to go to the Shuixie Pavilion to take a look?"


    Jin Lan came back to his senses and shook his head. "No need."


    No matter what the reason was, since Madame SHen had warned her to go back to the Lan Garden, it was clear that she didn''t want her to get involved. No matter how hard she tried to find out, she wouldn''t be able to find anything.


    She thought for a moment, then looked at Wan Ju who was guarding the door and asked: "Any news about that medicine store manager?"


    When the young lady ordered her to investigate the medicine store manager and the Doctor Gong, it was obvious that Wan Ju had opened her mouth to speak, but why did she ask about this matter in front of her now? The Mama Tang hesitated for a while before replying, "I went according to what Wan Ju said and found the medicine store, but the shopkeeper and Wan Ju were not the same."


    "Not the same person?" Jin Lan sat up straight and asked doubtfully, "What''s going on?"


    "Now, the medicine store''s shopkeeper is a woman. Little San asked around and found out that the shopkeeper had passed away a few days ago, leaving behind widows and widows. Since he couldn''t manage the funeral and take care of the shop, he decided to leave the shop with his relatives for a few days. Now that everything is ready, that storekeeper''s wife took the shop back and continued opening the doors for business. "


    Xiao Sanzi was the nickname of the third son of the Mama Tang, the one who opened up a shop. When Wan Ju went missing, she was the one who helped find him.


    Jin Lan''s hand that was on the teacup slightly paused, "So, the person who did this to Wan Ju, was it the female owner''s relative?"


    "That''s why." "The relative entrusted by the female shopkeeper is my uncle. He is around fifty years old, which is completely inconsistent with what Wan Ju said, and that shop is not very big. It is said that there has always been only the shopkeeper, and there is basically no waiter."


    Jin Lan lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment. Afterwards, he picked up the tea cup and took a sip. After he gently placed the teacup back, he asked, "Where did you get all this information from?"


    "Other than what Little San asked around for, there was also my daughter-in-law who pretended to buy some common herbs from the store, trying to get close with the female owner." Mama Tang thought that Jin Lan suspected that there was some trick, so he quickly replied.


    It seemed like this milk brother was still a smart person, he knew how to attack from the inside and outside, but what about the shopkeeper that attacked Wan Ju? She wouldn''t just quietly search around, right? Jin Lan pondered.


    Even though the two were speaking softly, Wan Ju, who was guarding the door, could still hear them. Seeing that Jin Lan was deep in thought and did not speak, she thought for a moment and couldn''t help but take a few steps forward, "Miss, this servant has a way."


    Jin Lan''s clear eyes flickered. "What method?"


    "This servant can draw the appearance of that person." Wan Ju gently replied. He was an expert in drawing female red, so even though he could not draw that person into a lifelike manner, he was not wrong in general terms. Furthermore, to her, that incident was like a nightmare that she could not shake off. Even now, they would appear in her dreams from time to time, so how could she not recognize their appearance?


    Hearing that, Jin Lan''s expression did not change, but Mama Tang''s eyes lit up, "With a picture, things will be much easier."


    Since Wan Ju was willing, the matter was settled like this. Jin Lan said a few words, then told Wan Ju to go back and draw, the sooner the better.


    Mama Tang saw that she didn''t ask about Doctor Gong''s matters, so she decided to keep her mouth shut and stopped talking.


    After Wan Ju left, Jin Lan leaned against the pillow, looking at the candle flame with a slight startled expression.


    Under the bright candlelight, the skin on her face looked as smooth and alluring as goat fat, but her pair of pitch-black eyes were as still as water. The candle flame on top of the Three-legged Blue Lotus Lamp danced in the depths of her pupils. Her rosy lips curled up slightly, revealing a heartbreaking smile. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared without a trace, as if she was hallucinating.


    It wasn''t that she didn''t know what kind of person Wan Ju was, it was just that with the previous example, he was somewhat suspicious and suspicious. Furthermore, the matter of him disappearing was already filled with suspicions, it was always good to be careful. Through this test, she could truly understand Wan Ju''s loyalty.


    When did she learn to scheme? Jin Lan raised his eyes and laughed at himself.


    I wonder how my mother is doing. It''s not a good idea to be in such a hurry.


    Just as Jin Lan was deep in thought, Bi He walked in with the food box. Mama Tang and Mu Lan quickly reached out and placed the food on the table. She hadn''t eaten much at lunch, so now that she was really hungry, she focused on her lunch and stopped thinking about it.


    Just as he finished eating, a figure hurriedly entered the Lan Garden. It was the Little Maid who had specially instructed him to pay attention to the movements in the Shuixie Pavilion. After hearing the report, Mama Tang hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered the room. She went close to Jin Lan''s ear and whispered into it, "Concubine Shao is going into Madam''s room, but Master is not allowed to enter."


    Hearing that, Jin Lan''s eyes became serious. If the Concubine Shao was also involved, then things wouldn''t be so simple.


    The next morning, Jin Lan went to the Shuixie Pavilion and Madame SHen also got up. However, looking at his haggard appearance, it seemed like he could not sleep soundly at night.


    "Mother." Jin Lan saluted and sat down next to Madame SHen. He did not say anything, and just looked at her quietly.


    Madame SHen knew what her daughter was thinking. She sighed and pulled Jin Lan into her embrace as she said softly, "Yesterday, your father came to find me. He said that Chun Xiao died."


    What!? Chun Xiao died? Jin Lan opened her eyes wide in shock. She had made many guesses last night, but never thought that Chun Xiao would actually ¡­


    Seeing her pale face, Madame SHen thought she was scared, and regretted telling her about this, so she quickly patted her back and coaxed her gently, "Today, the new satin from the Cloud Chang Pavilion will be here. After breakfast later, I will bring you there to see how many pieces I like, okay?"


    Jin Lan took in a deep breath, and only blinked after recovering from it for a while. He pulled at Madame SHen''s sleeve, and raised his tender little face in confusion as he asked: "Isn''t Chun Xiao locked in the yamen? How could this happen? Also, isn''t Ling Shan also in prison? "


    Madame SHen lowered her eyes, and lightly clapped her hands together. Chun Xiao''s death was completely unprepared for her. Originally, he had sent her to the yamen in order to force out the person behind the scenes. She hadn''t thought that this would be the result. Speaking of which, Chun Xiao was only a maid with a backer. Even if she died, she didn''t have much of a responsibility towards them. But the problem was that she happened to be bestowed by the Chief Patriarch of Yangzhou, Cheng Bo Shan, who was on the side of the team, so the relationship between them had become more subtle.


    As for Ling Shan ¡­ She glanced at Jin Lan and laughed bitterly in her heart. Then, she sighed lightly: "You don''t have to put in too much thought into this matter. Imperial Physician Situ told you to take care of yourself.


    "Mother, Lan Er is worried." Jin Lan''s face was serious. If she was really as Madame SHen had said, putting down everything to focus on her health, then all her previous efforts would have been in vain. Furthermore, her fate would have been the same as in her previous life.


    Then, what''s the use of nurturing her now?


    She thought for a moment and decided to avoid the question from before and choose a relatively less abrupt topic. "How do you plan to deal with this matter?"


    Madame SHen''s gaze paused on Jin Lan for a long time, but she did not speak up for a long time.


    Jin Lan raised his head to look, only to see that Madame SHen was staring at him in a daze, as he felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart. Although no news was spread last night, Ye Lin still had a bad face. If not, the green color under Madame SHen''s eyelids would not be so heavy.


    After a long while, Madame SHen finally said slowly, "Your father will personally take care of this matter. In the end, I am still the wife of Ye Family."


    Let Ye Lin handle it? Jin Lan couldn''t help biting his lip. Last time, he had used eight words. What could it be this time?


    However, the Madame SHen was unwilling to say more, she could not find a chance to intervene. It seemed like she could only think of a way to get people to scout the yamen for information.


    After making up his mind, Jin Lan calmed down. With a calm expression, he accompanied Madame SHen for breakfast, then went to the sewing room with her to see the new ingredients that were delivered. He chose a pomegranate red moonlight brocade and pea-green Jinling Cloud brocade as his autumn clothes, one gorgeous and one simple, just perfect. Madame SHen felt that it was still insufficient, so he added a clear blue rain brocade.


    After leaving the sewing room, Jin Lan supported Madame SHen as he strolled around the garden. Although the scenery in early autumn wasn''t as gorgeous as the flowers blooming in spring and summer, it still had a unique charm to it. But this rare moment of tranquility, gradually disappeared along with the Steward Li''s hurried footsteps.


    "Madam, Second Miss." Steward Li was sweating profusely. It seemed like he had only found this place after searching for a while, he bowed respectfully and reported: "The old lady has returned!"

 C56

    Although the Steward Li said this, in truth, the Old Madame Ye''s carriage was just about to reach the Yangzhou City gate.


    A look of surprise flashed across Madame SHen''s face, but she quickly recovered. She nodded and instructed, "Send someone to the Jiayu Hall s to take a look, don''t make any mistakes." After he finished speaking, he continued, "Send someone over to Bright Autumn Pavilion, inform Concubine Shao of this matter."


    In fact, Steward Li had received the letter early in the morning, he immediately sent someone to the yamen to report to Ye Lin and personally went to Concubine Shao, who would have thought that Concubine Shao would actually send him here to find Madame SHen, which was why she sweated profusely. However, these words could not be said to Madame SHen, so he respectfully replied: "Yes, this servant will do it right away."


    After waiting for Steward Li''s figure to disappear behind the circular arch, Madame SHen tilted her head and said to Jin Lan: "Lan Er, it''s still early. You should go and change first, and then we''ll go and welcome the old lady."


    Jin Lan nodded obediently, and took Wan Ju back to the Lan Garden.


    After returning to her room, the maidservants immediately busied themselves. It had been seven or eight months since the old lady had left home, but to her, it was just a moment of opening and closing her eyes. Jin Lan got Bi He to open the box. Although the elders normally don''t like those unrestrained colors, the old lady was an exception. She always liked her grandchildren''s bright clothes, making them look happy.


    She specially swapped the jade hairpin on her head for a South Pearl Plum Flower hairpin with yellow agate. The exquisite petals were made from the finest South Pearl, and each one was perfectly round and smooth, shining so brightly that it could be seen on one''s face.


    This hairpin had even been given to her by the old lady, so it was a good fit to wear at the moment.


    Just as Jin Lan finished changing her clothes and dressing, Hui Xiu came over.


    She glanced at the water caltrop mirror, saw that there was nothing wrong with it, and was about to follow Hui Xiu to the Shuixie Pavilion. Mama Tang, Wan Ju and the others immediately followed.


    Jin Lan thought about it for a moment, then ordered the Mama Tang to stay behind, "Mama, your body isn''t feeling well today, so you should stay in the house and not go.


    Mama Tang was slightly surprised. She glanced at Jin Lan and saw her nod to herself. In her heart, she immediately understood and said, "Yes."


    When Jin Lan reached the Shuixie Pavilion, Madame SHen had two Soft Palanquin prepared and the mother and daughter got on a sedan. The old lady then carried them out the second door.


    Lu Jindan sized up Madame SHen and saw that she had also changed into the usual bright colored clothes. Her face was also lightly powdered, and she looked very different from her haggard appearance, appearing to be especially radiant.


    Perhaps he had noticed Jin Lan''s gaze, the Madame SHen turned her face to her and said with a smile, "Did Lan Er miss the old lady?"


    Jin Lan was stunned for a moment before nodding lightly. He replied in a low voice, "Yes."


    Was he thinking about it? At least for now the old lady was very nice to her.


    The Soft Palanquin was fast and stable, and after a short while, they arrived at the second door. When Jin Lan came back to his senses, he saw that there were already many people standing in front of the drooping flower gate.


    The Concubine Shao, Ye Jinwei, Concubine Ning and Ye Jinxian were all present. Adding the servants, the spacious Hanging Flower Gate was actually completely covered.


    Maybe because her son was about to return, Concubine Shao was in a very good mood. Her face was filled with a strong sense of pride and joy, and when she saw Madame SHen and the beautiful sedan chair, she came to welcome her. Madame. "


    The expression on Madame SHen''s face remained indifferent the whole time, it did not change at all due to her dazzling smile, "Where''s the old lady?"


    The Concubine Shao did not mind, and instead laughed even more brilliantly. "Just now, the Chang Gui who was serving the old lady reported that the carriage has already passed through Thorny Tree Alley, and it just happened like that."


    As soon as his voice fell, someone with sharp eyes shouted loudly, "The car is here!"


    Everyone raised their heads to look and saw a blue carriage slowly entering the mansion.


    Ye Lin was busy with work, and was unable to leave the carriage for the moment. Standing outside the door to welcome the Steward Li, he followed along as they walked in.


    After a short while, the carriage came to a stop on the empty ground in front of the Flowerflower Sect. The first one who lifted the curtain to get off the carriage was a maid with red lips and white teeth, a sweet smile on her face. It was the elder servant in the old lady''s room, Yan Rong. She was extremely fond of the old lady. No matter where she went, she would bring her along. She would never be able to leave her service.


    After Yan Rong got off the carriage, she lifted up the curtain and carefully helped the old lady down from the carriage.


    "The old granny has finally returned. You''ve worked hard on your way here." Madame SHen brought Jin Lan and the others to welcome her, extending their hands to support the old lady. Although there was a smile on her face, it was not as dazzling as the one on Concubine Shao''s face.


    Although Old Madame Ye was close to the age of sixty, and had suffered from a serious illness along the way, hherbody still looked extremely sturdy. She wore a jujube red gold embroidery that covered both his legs, his hair was neatly combed back, and on his forehead was a thumb-sized piece of Ancestral Mother Jade Gem that was rolling and wiping his forehead. Although his face looked old, it was still unable to conceal her noble Qi.


    She nodded slightly in agreement to Madame SHen''s words, then turned to the left and laughed: "My old bones are so strong, I''ve only suffered for Yu Ge''er. I''m a young girl, and yet you have to accompany me, an old woman, to bounce up and down."


    Even though Ye Yu, who was being forced into Mama''s embrace, had a sleepy look on his face, when he heard the old lady''s words, he immediately widened his round eyes, revealing two tiger teeth. He said in a baby voice, "As long as Grandmother is by my side, Yu''er will not be tired."


    "You all said that I''m in love with Yu Ge''er, but I don''t know how considerate he is." The Old Madame Ye smiled lovingly, and without leaving a trace, he pulled out the Madame SHen''s arm that was supporting him, and touched Ye Yu''s small head.


    "That''s because you''re the one who taught me well." Concubine Shao''s face was flushed red, she immediately grabbed Old Madame Ye and secretly raised her eyebrows at him in satisfaction.


    Madame SHen turned a blind eye to her provocation, and continued to smile faintly.


    "Grandmother was biased. She only brought Yu Ge''er to fun places and left us sisters behind. I was unwilling." Jin Lan took a few steps forward to Old Madame Ye''s side, pouting her pink lips. Her watery eyes were full of grievance.


    "Look, this little mouth of yours can hang oil bottles." The Old Madame Ye smiled as she held the little girl who had come over. In this residence, the ones she loved the most were Jin Lan and Ye Yu.


    The old lady had been paying respects all year round, so naturally, her body was stained with the fragrance of sandalwood. Jin Lan pretended to mutter a few words, and then, under the gentle coaxing of the old lady, she stopped.


    Everyone naturally followed closely behind him as they welcomed the Old Madame Ye back to his room like a group of stars cupping the moon.


    There was a small piece of green bamboo growing in the courtyard, and under the eaves, a few pots of chrysanthemums were spitting out fresh green stamens. At the corner of the courtyard, there were also some mischievous rocks of various shapes and sizes.


    Upon entering the house, Jin Lan and the rest of the juniors first kowtowed to the old lady, and then the Old Madame Ye s, each gave their own rewards. After that, the Madame SHen sent someone to fetch water for her to wash her hands.


    After drinking a few mouthfuls of hot tea, Old Madame Ye''s exhausted expression receded a bit.


    Her loving gaze swept across everyone''s face, and finally landed on Madame SHen''s body. She suddenly asked: "Why is Master not here?"


    Madame SHen was stunned by sher question, and did not know how to reply. When Ye Lin was discussing with her before, he said that he would personally welcome the old lady home, but now, he didn''t see her at all.


    Had he been delayed?


    Just as Madame SHen was thinking about how to answer, she walked in the door gracefully, bowed towards Old Madame Ye, and said with a smile: "The old master originally wanted to welcome the old lady, but he was invited by the Lord Prefect early in the morning. He said that it was an urgent matter. But this servant reckons that Master is about to return. " After a pause, he continued, "How about this servant send someone to ask them?"


    Old Madame Ye''s eyes flickered as she looked at Madame SHen. She looked up and shook her head, "Forget it, the mission is more important, it shouldn''t take more than a few hours."


    Madame SHen''s expression instantly became colder. As her mother, she wasn''t as clear about her husband''s whereabouts as a concubine. By doing so, the old lady was undoubtedly slapping her in the face.


    Ye Jinwei who had performed very well from start to finish, stood up and walked in front of the old lady, "Grandmother has been gone for the past few days, and Jinwei has always been thinking about it, so she embroidered a perfume bag for Grandmother. As she said this, she took out a scented sachet from her sleeve. It was made of an indigo material, and the words'' Longevity ''were embroidered on it with golden threads.


    Old Madame Ye laughed as she received the scented sachet. She brought it close to her nose to smell it, then carefully flipped through it again, "Jinwei''s beauty is getting better and better, it''s just that an old lady like me who has these scents would be a joke."


    Jin Lan''s gaze fell upon the scented sachet in the old lady''s hands, the tip of her eyebrows slightly raised. The master who had invited Nu Hong to teach her was from Suzhou, but the character on the scented sachet was smooth and clear. If she hadn''t seen it in her previous life, she wouldn''t have been able to tell. It was just that the old lady should have been able to tell.


    Yan Rong who was serving by the side pursed her lips and laughed: Who dares to laugh at you, old lady? I''m afraid it''s too late to be envious! "


    Old Madame Ye was amused by Yan Rong''s words and laughed heartily. The atmosphere in the room immediately became harmonious.


    Just as they were talking, Su Xin lifted the curtain and entered the house, quietly walking behind Concubine Shao.


    "Old lady." Concubine Shao did not even look at Su Xin, and laughed: "It''s almost noon, do you want to set up a meal? This servant thinks that since the old lady''s appetite was poor, she had someone boil a light chicken wire porridge. Old lady, please try it. "


    Old Madame Ye was extremely satisfied with these words. Although her Xuzhou was not far from the Yangzhou, she had just recovered from a serious illness and was feeling weak all the way. Compared to Madame SHen, she was more meticulous.


    Old Madame Ye looked at Concubine Shao with even more amiable eyes.


    After lunch, he chatted with Ye Jinxian for a while longer and teased the Yu Ge''er, then a maid came over and told him that the lord had returned home. Old Madame Ye looked around, and then said that she was tired, and sent everyone back, but left Madame SHen.


    Jin Lan''s heart sank, and immediately felt a sense of unease. He pretended to be a petty person and stayed by Old Madame Ye''s side, unwilling to leave.


    Old Madame Ye did not manage to coax her after a long time.


    Just as Ye Lin returned to his residence, he hurriedly rushed towards the Jiayu Hall without even changing his official''s attire.


    When he was done entering, Old Madame Ye sent all the servants out of the house, and also had Yan Rong stand guard outside the door. Only then did she suddenly turn gloomy, her cold gaze gouging towards Madame SHen as he raised his hand and slammed it onto the rosewood table, and shouted: "Madame SHen, kneel down!"

 C57

    The angry shout of the Old Madame Ye caused the silence in the room to subside. Jin Lan stuck closely to the old lady, the smile on his face gradually turning into shock. The old lady had actually disregarded everything and embarrassed her mother in front of her daughter.


    Not to mention the others, her mother had at least cut off her flesh as a guide, saving the old lady''s life. How could she insult her mother like this the moment she returned home?


    Could it be that something happened while the old lady was on her way home?


    Jin Lan''s thoughts raced, but the more he thought about it, the more shocked he became. She looked at Ye Lin who was seated at the side, seeing that he did not say a word, his face was gloomy, obviously knowing the reason behind the Old Granny''s actions.


    Her heart slowly sank to the bottom. Although she was anxious, she couldn''t casually interrupt because she was a junior. Furthermore, she didn''t know the current situation, so she could only suppress her emotions.


    Madame SHen slowly stood up. Although there was no smile on her face, there was not the slightest bit of panic. She walked up to the old lady and bent her knees deeply. However, she crouched down and did not kneel down. I don''t know what mistake the daughter-in-law made to make the old lady so angry, but the daughter-in-law will apologize to you. "


    Old Madame Ye squinted her eyes. She had purposely brought out her thunder and lightning fury from the start just to suppress Madame SHen''s aura. She did not expect that after not seeing her for half a year, Madame SHen''s calm personality had grown even more.


    Thinking up to here, Old Madame Ye''s narrowed eyes flashed with an ice-cold light, "You still know that you are my Ye Family''s daughter-in-law? You have completely lost face for the Ye Family! "


    Madame SHen frowned, her beautiful eyebrows knitted together, a trace of seriousness on her face. Even though the old lady didn''t like her in the past, she had only used the words of the childless as a reason to oppress her. She had never used such a heavy explanation to suppress her. Old lady, ever since I married into the Ye Family, I have taken care of everything in a neat and orderly manner, and have never done anything that would damage my Ye Family ''face, no matter what.


    "Mother, could there be a misunderstanding ¡­" Ye Lin suddenly opened his mouth, but for the first time, he spoke up for Madame SHen. Not only because he needed the help of the Shen Family, but all these years, although Madame SHen did not have any direct sons, but everything else was as she said. He had done very well in all aspects, especially things that were beneficial to him.


    "Misunderstanding?" Old Madame Ye immediately glared at Ye Lin, sneered and took out a square piece of white paper from her sleeves, then slammed it onto the table, "Has everyone already written out the paper, and is ready to sue us at the yamen, or is it a misunderstanding?"


    Jin Lan''s gaze moved to that white piece of paper. It was an ordinary writing paper, the sort that was extremely cheap and had a yellow hue with varying depths. The words on it were written with some sort of cinnabar. Although he couldn''t see what was written on it, he could see the red marks on the paper.


    Ye Lin picked up the sheet of paper, opened it and looked at it a few times with a face that was extremely ugly to behold. He looked up at Madame SHen, his gaze obscure, as if trying to gauge his gains and losses.


    No matter how calm Madame SHen was, she could not remain calm under Ye Lin''s gaze. She tried her best to stabilize her tone and said calmly: "I don''t know what crime I have committed, please enlighten me old lady."


    Old Madame Ye snorted coldly, she raised the teacup to her mouth and took a sip, then said coldly: "Let me ask you, did you send a servant girl to the yamen cell a few days ago?"


    Could it be that the old lady was talking about Chun Xiao? Madame SHen suspiciously glanced at Ye Lin, only to see his gaze flicker as he subtly lowered his head.


    She immediately understood. "That''s right, I did send a maid with malicious intentions to the officials."


    Seeing that the Madame SHen recognized her quickly, she then asked: "Then let me ask you one more question, how is the maid now?"


    How about it? Isn''t that obvious? Since the old lady knew about Chun Xiao''s matter, how could she not know that she had died? The reason for her asking was to get her to say it out herself. Madame SHen laughed coldly in her heart as she indifferently replied: "Dead."


    Old Madame Ye''s face became stern, "That girl died in there for no reason, her family wants to sue us for our lives, and even blocked my palanquin from kneeling down, making it known to everyone, if this isn''t disgrace to our Ye Family, then what is it!?"


    Blocking the old lady''s palanquin while she was on her knees, calling for injustice? Jin Lan''s eyelids jumped as he could not sit still.


    Chun Xiao''s mother only found out about her death last night. Based on Ye Lin''s personality, he must have come to find her at the first possible moment, so judging from his actions, it was most likely a matter that happened to Chun Xiao just a day ago. Normally, when the yamen would announce someone, they would also report it to the Ye Mansion. After all, Chun Xiao was a servant of the Ye Mansion, so how did her family know about it?


    Besides, he was shouting that he was going to sue the bailiff. He didn''t want to hand the paper over to the yamen constables, but he wanted to hand it over to the old lady instead. Furthermore, only Ye Family people knew about the Old Granny''s return, and how did Chun Xiao''s family know about it? He calculated the time and blocked the palanquin on the street.


    If these things were a series of coincidences, then there were too many coincidences. Every single one of them headed straight for her mother, clearly indicating that someone was secretly plotting it.


    Since he was aware of Chun Xiao''s situation, and also understood the matters of the Ye Family like the back of her hand, the mastermind must be someone from the manor!


    Who could it be? Was it Ye Lin or Concubine Shao?


    However, Ye Lin was wholeheartedly preparing to return to the capital to continue his duties, so it was unlikely that he would take the initiative and smash his own feet with stones.


    In that case, only the Concubine Shao remained.


    The old lady returned to the residence with Yu Ge''er. Judging from his performance outside the Hangzhou Sect just now, Yu Ge''er clearly valued the old lady very much. Concubine Shao wanted to borrow the old lady''s power to pull his mother down when she had just returned to the residence.


    Jin Lan went over all the questions in his mind, filtering through them one by one. His mind became clearer and clearer. After thinking for a while, he came up with a solution.


    "Grandmother, Chun Xiao wanted to harm her mother. She is a bad person, shouldn''t a bad person be sent to the yamen?"


    "And how could she have died in a cell?"


    "And it was clearly something that happened in the prison. Why would you blame your mother?"


    "Also, Lan Er heard from others that Chun Xiao is very clever, she did not expect her family members to be like that, to be able to guess the time her grandmother returned home. If not for the fact that Steward Li had come to report, Lan Er would not even know this. "


    Jin Lan pulled Old Madame Ye''s sleeves, blinking his bright eyes, and pouted as he asked. The expression on his face was pure and honest, making it hard for others to tell anything from him.


    Old Madame Ye and Ye Lin, one was the mistress of Ye Family and had battled with the Old Master''s concubines for most of his life; As Jin Lan''s childish voice sounded out, the two of them became more and more unsightly.


    Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan lovingly, her nose slightly sour. Her daughter was currently thinking of a way to help her escape.


    Even though his daughter was so young, he still had to worry about her all day. Madame SHen''s cold heart slowly breathed in a warm current. She rubbed her eyes with the handkerchief and her indifferent eyes suddenly turned red. With a look of lingering fear, she said to Old Madame Ye while choking: "Old granny, you don''t know that Chun Xiao that girl almost ¡­. I''ve only hit her a few times, and although it''s a bit painful, it''s definitely not a threat to my life. "


    After saying that, she looked up at Ye Lin, and then said softly: "Originally I was thinking that it would be fine to do this, but if we don''t investigate it thoroughly, and if there is some other person who sneaked into the residence without knowing, wouldn''t it harm the old master and the old lady? That''s why I sent Chun Xiao to the yamen. I wanted to take this opportunity to beat her up so that she could say who the mastermind was. I never thought that she would do something like this! "


    The words of the Madame SHen caused the complexions of the Old Madame Ye and Ye Lin to change. In the eyes of many, the glory of Ye Family was like a thorn that they wanted to pull out quickly.


    The sternness in Old Madame Ye''s eyes slowly faded. Madame SHen was right, since she could even sneak in a forbidden place like the Snow Lirius, then what else would she do next? Especially at such a sensitive time, what was waiting for the Ye Family was probably the disaster of clan extermination.


    When their gazes fell into the eyes of the Madame SHen, a smile flew past the corner of her mouth. Then, she softly said: "Besides, Chun Xiao''s death, indeed has nothing to do with me.

 C58

    Someone''s certificate? Not to mention the Old Madame Ye and Ye Lin, even Jin Lan did not expect the Madame SHen to suddenly say this.


    Jin Lan raised his head and looked at Madame SHen. Although her eyes were still rimmed red, he could see the confidence on her face, so he relaxed for the moment and let go of the old lady''s sleeve and quietly sat by the side.


    Old Madame Ye did not ask her in a hurry, but stared intently at Madame SHen with an unsettled expression, as if he was pondering if her words were true or false. Only after a long while did she ask: "Who is the witness?"


    "The old lady is not in the residence. I''m afraid that the master does not know about this matter. However, the maid that was sent to the yamen that day was not one, but two."


    Not one, but two. Jin Lan''s heart was slightly stifled as he suddenly jumped up.


    That''s right, how could she have forgotten that there was another person other than Chun Xiao who had been beaten stiff and sent to the yamen.


    "Oh?" Old Madame Ye looked at Ye Lin suspiciously.


    Ye Lin was startled for a moment, and then nodded his head awkwardly: That''s right, there are indeed two maids, your son has forgotten about them.


    He was clear that the two maids were sent to the yamen, but other than avoiding Chun Xiao''s identity, he did not pay attention to the other maid. It was like when Boshan sent someone to tell him about this matter, he was only so busy returning to find Madame SHen to settle the score, but he forgot to ask about it as he was in a hurry.


    Only now, when the Madame SHen mentioned it, did he remember.


    With Ye Lin''s nod, things became much easier. Madame SHen then spoke out, "I was also worried that the two of them would be colluded, so I had some people specially set up a yamen runner to separate them. Although the cells are different, they are still in the same room, so the maid could clearly see how Chun Xiao got there. "


    Old Madame Ye frowned. She couldn''t tell if what Madame SHen said was true or not, but it concerned the face of Ye Family. If she could prove that Madame SHen was innocent, then naturally everything would be fine. Therefore, after a moment of silence, she asked the Madame SHen to call the servant girl over.


    Madame SHen made sure that Old Madame Ye would ask about it personally, then asked Yan Rong who was waiting outside to call Hui Xiu over, and in front of everyone, ordered Hui Xiu to find Steward Li and bring him out.


    Although Steward Li was following by Ye Lin''s side, his parents were the old lady''s dowry. With Steward Li watching them, even if they were on the road, they would not dare to be careless.


    When Hui Xiu left, the house immediately quietened down.


    With someone to rely on, Madame SHen''s expression returned to her initial indifferent and demure look. She slowly retreated back to her seat, picked up the porcelain tea cup and took a sip, then slightly frowned and let go.


    Old Madame Ye held Jin Lan, and patted her back lightly, but didn''t say anything. She closed her eyes, and her expression became unclear, causing people to not be able to see what she was thinking.


    Jin Lan lay quietly without making a sound, and using the corner of his eyes, he occasionally glanced at Ye Lin, who was wearing an official''s robe, who had an even more imposing manner than usual.


    What would he do if his mother wasn''t certified? Wife? Maybe it was a more vicious way than those eight words? In the morning, his mother had said that he would take care of this matter, yet now, she had brought out a witness. It was sufficient to show that his mother did not completely trust him.


    Ye Lin did not notice Jin Lan''s probing gaze. The silent atmosphere in the room, combined with the words that had a deeper meaning from Cheng Bo Shan''s words that morning, made him restless. He grabbed the teacup and gulped it down. Then, he slammed the teacup on the table and spilled some of the tea on the table.


    He said angrily, "I''ve seen the old lady out for a long time. These servants have all wandered around and actually gave master some cold tea!"


    Yan Rong immediately went in to apologize.


    Madame SHen glanced at the cup of tea on the table. The tea was cold, but not so cold. She suddenly remembered the words the Concubine Shao of the drooping flower gate said to the old lady, and her eyes couldn''t help but flash. The reason why Ye Lin was so angry was not because of the tea break, but because of Cheng Bo Shan.


    In the end, the old lady scolded Yan Rong a few times, and then lightly tore it off, and asked her to place the tea on it again.


    After waiting for the time it took two incense sticks to burn, Hui Xiu finally brought her to the Jiayu Hall.


    Yan Rong lifted the curtain and two human figures entered the house. One of them was dressed in dark blue clothing, and his body was so skinny that it looked like it would fall at any moment. His face had a few wounds on it, and although they were already scabbed, he looked especially sinister. This person was the embroidery mother in the needlework room of Ye Mansion, Ling Shan.


    As for the other person, she was wearing a pea-green horse-faced skirt and a hair''s breadth away from the rest. It was as if she was extremely unhappy about someone coming to Ye Mansion.


    Jin Lan''s gaze made contact with her, and she couldn''t help but be startled. Why was she here too?


    Madame SHen stood up with a smile, "Doctor Gong."


    The expression on Doctor Gong''s face relaxed as he replied with a bow, "Madam Shen." Then, he bowed towards Old Madame Ye and Ye Lin, "Greetings to the old lady and Lord Ye."


    Old Madame Ye nodded and smiled as he allowed her to get up. "Doctor Gong doesn''t need to be overly courteous, I hope that you can go to the Huai Xia for a short rest."


    Doctor Gong naturally knew that Old Madame Ye was trying to separate him. After all, this was a family matter for Ye Mansion, and as an outsider, it was inconvenient for her to stay in the house. After thinking about it, she nodded and followed Yan Rong to the Huai Xia on the right side of the Jiayu Hall.


    After Doctor Gong left, Old Madame Ye''s gaze moved to Ling Shan who was standing there with her head lowered, "She is the servant you were talking about?"


    Madame SHen nodded, "Yes."


    The Old Madame Ye stared at Ling Shan with her pair of eyes closed, and suddenly shouted: "Hurry and call for the truth!"


    Ling Shan trembled, her legs went soft, and with a plop, she knelt down. Ever since she was imprisoned in that dark prison, her heart had been tormented by despair. If it weren''t for her remaining hope that that person would keep her promise to save her, she would have collapsed long ago.


    Until she saw Chun Xiao''s death with her own eyes, she finally understood a little more. And when she was rescued from her cell, he found out that not only did the person she trusted not save him, she even failed to do what she wanted. At this moment, why would she still grit her teeth and refuse to let go? It was as if she was pouring beans into a bamboo shoot as she revealed everything.


    The more they heard, the uglier Old Madame Ye and Ye Lin''s faces became, especially Ye Lin''s, he was so angry that his face turned green, he tightly grabbed onto the armrest with his five fingers turning white, wishing that he could break someone''s neck!


    Old Madame Ye rubbed her painful forehead and instructed Yan Rong: "Go to Bright Autumn Pavilion, bring Concubine Shao here!"


    Hearing the words from inside, Yan Rong, who was already familiar with the nature of Old Madame Ye, immediately knew that she was truly angered, and did not dare to delay in the slightest, allowing Pin Yue to stand guard outside the door and personally rush towards the Bright Autumn Pavilion.


    Not long after, Concubine Shao brought Su Xin and entered the Jiayu Hall behind Yan Rong, her face still carrying a trace of excitement. It was obvious that Yan Rong did not inform her about what happened within the Jiayu Hall.


    "Old lady, master, madam." Concubine Shao bowed to everyone as soon as she entered the room. When she raised her head, she saw the people kneeling on the ground. Her gaze was stunned for a moment, and then became extremely shocked, as she cried out involuntarily: "Ling Shan?! How could it be you! "


    Old Madame Ye raised her eyebrow, and looked at her coldly: "What, you recognize her?"


    Concubine Shao acted as if sshe did not hear Old Madame Ye''s question, and stared straight into Ling Shan''s face. Her fingers under her sleeve curled up into a stiff ball, and her lips trembled slightly. After a long time, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence from her mouth, "You, haven''t you already died?"


    Ling Shan turned her head, her eyes suddenly brimming with intense hatred, the corners of her mouth raised coldly, she slowly raised her chest and mocked: "This servant also hopes that I die, if that''s the case, I will not know the truth, won''t I? Concubine Shao. "


    Why did she not ask Yan Rong about it just now? If she had known that Ling Shan was still alive, and was even brought to the old lady, she would have brought him along no matter what she said.


    No matter what Ling Shan said, sshe would not be able to prove it! With that, he calmed herself down, and her complexion recovered a little, so she avoided Ling Shan''s gaze and smiled at Old Madame Ye, "Old granny, you called me over, is there something important?"


    The change in Concubine Shao''s expression was all seen by Old Madame Ye. If one were to say that she had only believed five points of Ling Shan''s words, she would believe it completely. But in the end, she could not take it lying down, so she endured the anger in her heart, and with a cold face, she repeated what Ling Shan had said. She glared at Concubine Shao and asked sternly: "Is what this servant said the truth!?"


    With that, the Concubine Shao turned pale and staggered two steps back. She knelt in front of Old Madame Ye and raised his eyes that were filled with grievance, tears flowing down from his eyes, "Old granny, your servant is wronged! The maid had been ordered by someone to slander this servant. Even if this servant had eaten a leopard''s gall bladder, I would not dare to do such a malicious thing, much less the mistress! "


    Ling Shan had already guessed that Concubine Shao would not easily admit her mistakes, she took a deep breath, bent down towards Old Madame Ye, touched her forehead to the ground, and raised her head with a determined gaze: "Old granny, I am not slandering Concubine Shao, I have evidence!"

 C59

    Everyone''s attention was focused on Ling Shan. Old Madame Ye asked in a deep voice: "What evidence?"


    "Your servant''s parents left three years ago, leaving your servant and younger brother to each other. Because of your good luck, I was able to enter the palace to work as an embroidery lady. Three months ago, this servant''s younger brother was lured into a gambling den by a pervert, and gradually fell in love with this kind of evil thing. In the end, he even lost it himself. The boss of the casino said that his youngest brother owes him a total of 300 taels of silver. If he doesn''t return it, he will have to sell his younger brother to ¡­ " Ling Shan was still an unmarried woman after all, and the name brothel and Red House was already choked in his mouth, and he could only cover his face and sob softly.


    Old Madame Ye was an intelligent person, how could he not know what kind of place she was talking about.


    Ling Shan kowtowed towards Old Madame Ye in gratitude, she used her sleeves to wipe away the tears on her face and continued to speak: "Just when this servant was at the end of my rope, Concubine Shao ordered his men to call this servant over to Bright Autumn Pavilion." "Concubine Shao said that if this servant is willing to help her do one thing, not only will I help you pay my debts, I will also return the indemnity for the slave''s indenture, and give you a sum of silver so that this servant and my younger brother can go to the village to buy land. You no longer need to be a slave anymore."


    "You''re lying!" Concubine Shao screamed. Although she thought that the person was dead, but these things were exposed in front of the crowd. She could not hold herself back anymore, especially when Ye Lin was inside the house.


    "This servant''s words are true!" Ling Shan said in an excited voice, "My master learned how to embroider from the Shangyi Department of the palace. She once embroidered a scented sachet for each of her servants and younger brothers, using this embroidery needle technique. This servant has the Rainbow Butterfly and Flaming Lotus, while the younger brother has the Fish and Lotus! "


    Jin Lan was startled, after some thought, he suddenly remembered that when Madame SHen was interrogating Chun Xiao and Ling Shan, Concubine Shao poured him a cup of tea and after changing her clothes and returning, Ling Shan''s breath, which she had been struggling to loosen, immediately became firm. He also suspected that Concubine Shao did something to her, so he carefully sized up her new attire. There was indeed an exquisite scented sachet hung around her waist, as for the patterns embroidered on it, he couldn''t really remember.


    "At that time, this servant didn''t completely believe Concubine Shao''s words, but she took out my indenture contract and the sachet of the fish swimming in the lotus, so this servant ¡­" Ling Shan said as she kowtowed again, she looked at Old Madame Ye with her red and swollen eyes and said sorrowfully: "I never thought that this servant would end up in a prison and my younger brother was still sold to such a shameful place!"


    The Old Madame Ye was already so angry that her entire body was trembling. She glared at the Concubine Shao coldly, and wished that she could eat her alive! But when she remembered that she was Ye Yu''s biological mother and she helped her up with one hand, she kept quiet, wanting to hear her story.


    Concubine Shao was gouged out by Old Madame Ye''s eyes and her face immediately turned pale white. She quickly distinguished herself, "Old granny, this servant absolutely does not dare to do such a malicious thing! Not to mention the rest, this servant had to think for the First Miss and the Yu Ge''er. If the matter were to be exposed, how would the First Miss and the Yu Ge''er know about it? Therefore, this servant definitely did not do it! "


    Mentioning the Yu Ge''er, Old Madame Ye''s expression immediately turned slightly serious before gradually slowing down.


    Seeing that the situation was not good, Jin Lan immediately covered his mouth and coughed, borrowing the lowered head position to quickly look at Madame SHen.


    Madame SHen pursed her lips and said coldly to Ling Shan: "To you, Concubine Shao is master.


    Ling Shan was startled, and quickly kowtowed to the Old Madame Ye. As she kowtowed, she said: "Old granny, this servant is just a small embroidery lady, if I wasn''t ordered by the Concubine Shao, how could I have done such an outrageous thing? Furthermore, your empty words are completely unfounded, and this humble servant is speaking the truth.


    Old Madame Ye thought for a moment, then looked at Jin Lan and Madame SHen, then looked at Ling Shan and Concubine Shao. Ling Shan''s gaze continued to stare hatefully at Concubine Shao, while Concubine Shao continued to dodge.


    Her anger that had been suppressed a bit longer suddenly flared up again, she slammed her palm on the table, raised her head and called Yan Rong in, "Find a few servant girls, go search through the Bright Autumn Pavilion!"


    Yan Rong replied and left, she called for three or four trusted servant girls in the courtyard and led her head to Bright Autumn Pavilion to search carefully.


    Concubine Shao kneeled on the ground, her heart burning with anxiety. If the Fragrant Gourd of the Swimming Pisces Lotus was really found, then she would be finished. However, the location of the hidden items was very hidden. If one did not search carefully, they would not be able to find it. However, her heart was in turmoil, and she really wanted to give Su Xin who was outside a meaningful glance so that she could go back and watch him.


    But up above, there were Old Madame Ye and Ye Lin, as well as Madame SHen and Jin Lan who were staring intently, the Concubine Shao still did not have the courage to turn back.


    Madame SHen looked at her coldly, taking in the sight of the worry that flashed across her face.


    From the moment Qiu Wen reported that she had come to request an audience, she saw through the oddity in her words, and simply pretended to let Chun Xiao in. It was just that she did not expect him to use the Snow Root Iris, which was why she was accidentally tricked. Afterwards, she took advantage of her unwell body and deliberately dragged the matter of interrogating Chun Xiao to a later date. Other than wanting to lure out the emissary behind him, the main reason was to wait until she had everything under her control so that she wouldn''t escape.


    In the end, she found some clues. Chun Xiao''s family had gotten a large amount of silver for no reason. This was why she made the decision to take action. She intentionally used the matter of buying a servant to drag Concubine Shao to the Shuixie Pavilion. He never expected that what Chun Xiao said would be out of her expectations. If not for Ling Shan suddenly sending herself to her doorstep, perhaps, she would have really left it at that.


    Although she could not pry open Ling Shan''s mouth, she could not stop her from carrying out her plans.


    When she had sent Chun Xiao and Ling Shan to the yamen, she had long planned out what to do there, and secretly had people watch over them. She had also had people investigate Ling Shan carefully, and finally found out about her younger brother''s identity. He originally thought that he would have to wait a good while longer, and didn''t want Chun Xiao''s death and Concubine Shao''s impatience, so he decided to reveal everything ahead of time.


    Even if the heavens did something wrong, one could still live; one could not live if he did something wrong! Madame SHen retracted her gaze, raised the teacup to her lips and touched it. The lines at the corner of her eyes calmed down.


    In less than half an incense''s time, Yan Rong had already returned to the Jiayu Hall with a perfume bag.


    With trembling hands, Old Madame Ye brought the scented sachet that Yan Rong presented to him in front of her eyes.


    Silver fish red lotus, green lotus, fine embroidery, fine needlework. The silver fishes hidden beneath the green lotus seemed to be alive and agile. The red lotuses were alluring and graceful, and even the jade-green waves seemed to ripple. She had only seen this embroidery before on the ancestor of her clan. It was said to have been bestowed by the palace, and was embroidered using the same embroidery method.


    The Old Madame Ye held the scented sachet tightly in her hands, and with a gaze as cold as an arrow, she fiercely shot towards the Concubine Shao, "What else do you have to say for yourself?"


    Seeing that the scented sachet that was hidden so secretly had still been found out, Concubine Shao''s heart surged with shock. Her legs went weak and she immediately fell onto the ground, subconsciously muttering: "This servant, this servant ¡­."


    Looking at Concubine Shao''s bloodless face, Jin Lan felt an indescribable happiness in her heart. The pain she experienced in her previous life, the fear she suffered from almost losing Madame SHen in this life, all of that accumulated lifelessness had completely dissipated. She felt that her entire body, both inside and out, was suffused with an unprecedented sense of relaxation.


    She raised her head, and looked at Old Madame Ye with her clear and bright eyes, "Grandmother, what is the crime of murdering the mistress? "What should we do?"


    Old Madame Ye lowered her head to look at Jin Lan''s face, which still had a childish expression as she sighed to herself.


    This girl had been raised in front of her since she was young. How could she not see through her little thoughts? In those days in Shang Jing, although they were far away, there were still people who would send half a letter every few days. Most of the letters were about Jin Lan.


    Although she was grateful that Madame SHen had gouged out her flesh and blood, she knew that she could not afford to waste her energy for the Ye Family and her temper was not pleasing. If Jin Lan followed her, she would only be delaying herself. As a result, they especially kept the little girl here today to alienate her from the Madame SHen.


    She never thought that in the short span of half a year, Madame SHen would be able to move her heart away as well.


    When Jin Lan saw Old Madame Ye looking at him with an unfathomable expression, he thought to himself: Damn it, if I was too impatient, it would instead arouse the old lady''s suspicions. She then revealed a sweet smile, her eyes flickered a few times and asked in a soft voice: "Grandmother, why are you looking at Lan Er? Could it be that there is something on Lan Er''s face? "


    Before Old Madame Ye could reply, she seemed to have thought of something and suddenly shouted: "This servant is wronged, this servant did not harm Madam!"


    The slightly relaxed atmosphere instantly turned serious again. Old Madame Ye vented all of her anger onto her, grabbed the teacup and threw it ruthlessly at her, "Shut up!"


    In the end, her aim was still off, as the lid of the tea cup brushed past Concubine Shao''s clothes and shattered behind her body.


    The sharp and ear-piercing sound caused the entire room to turn silent, and even Ye Lin unconsciously frowned.


    This was a matter of life and death. Even if the old lady was furious, Concubine Shao could not care about it anymore. She wiped away her tears and cried, "It''s this servant''s fault that I angered the old lady. Although Chun Xiao had asked Ling Shan to pass down the message to his wife, she did not give her the Snow Root Iris! The old lady can ask Ling Shan if what I said was true. "


    The gaze in the room landed on Ling Shan once again, causing her to shudder uncontrollably, but her brain lightly nodded, "Concubine Shao did not ask this servant to bring anything back to Chun Xiao, it was just a message."


    Ling Shan''s words seemed to give Concubine Shao some hope, her whimpering voice became louder, "Chun Xiao served the old master in the outer courtyard''s study room, I thought it would be a good thing if I let her face the old master. The Madam had never seen Chun Xiao before, and this servant was worried that the Madam might not agree, hence the message told Chun Xiao to first ask to see the Madam, so that she could pass the time. As for the scented sachet that Ling Shan talked about, this servant only, just... " She rolled her eyes a few times, and immediately came up with an explanation, "I was just worried that if this matter did not succeed, or even if it were to be spread out, it would ruin the old master''s reputation, which was why I treated Ling Shan like this. After the matter was completed, this servant had already returned the indenture contract to Ling Shan''s younger brother. This is not about me being a servant anymore! "


    Ling Shan''s face revealed a look of astonishment, she could not help but raise her head to look at Madame SHen. After she was rescued, all the information that she received came from others, and they had not seen it with their own eyes. At this moment, Concubine Shao''s retort that produced tears could not help but cause her heart to waver.


    Madame SHen''s expression turned cold. She had indeed found out that Ling Shan''s youngest brother had been sold to the Red Court, but whether it was done by the Concubine Shao or by himself, no one knew. Even if someone found him to ask, they would only shake their head, unwilling to say anything.


    When Jin Lan saw the gloom in Madame SHen''s eyes, his heart sank. Could there be some other change?

 C60

    The atmosphere in the room immediately became heavy. Old Madame Ye''s expression was gloomy and unsettled, her gaze shuttling back and forth between and Concubine Shao.


    Today, something like this happened right after she returned to the manor, and it really made people feel angry and resentful. But for the sake of Ye Family''s reputation, she couldn''t relax either, and could only endure and ask personally. Who would have thought that the situation would become even more complicated? A maid''s death was related to the private and private affairs of the inner chamber!


    The old lady looked extremely pale, and even Ye Lin stood to the side and apologized. Concubine Shao had originally wanted to cry a little, but when she saw Ye Lin''s gaze on her, her expression turned cold and fierce, and she involuntarily choked on her words, as her whimpering voice became softer.


    "Old lady." Yan Rong pulled up the curtain and entered, "The Concubine Ning is here, wait outside and wishes to see the old lady."


    Old Madame Ye''s gaze suddenly became sharp. At this time, she had come to add fuel to the fire, "Say that I''m tired, tell her to come back later."


    Although Yan Rong had a smile on her face, a trace of unease flashed past his eyes. She quickly stepped forward and leaned towards the old lady''s ear, her mouth lightly moving a few times.


    After Old Madame Ye heard this, her face showed surprise, raising her eyes to look at the door, after thinking for a bit, she said: "Let her in."


    Jin Lan was surprised, the old lady obviously did not want Concubine Ning to get involved, why did she change her mind now? Could it be that there was news about Concubine Ning?


    Yan Rong hurried out and brought the Concubine Ning in.


    Concubine Ning''s face was filled with anxiety as she bowed her head to pay her respects to Old Madame Ye and the others. It was as if she had turned a blind eye to Concubine Shao and Ling Shan who were kneeling on the ground.


    Old Madame Ye waved his hand, "Get up, didn''t I tell you to go back and rest? "If there''s anything you want to say later, it''s because of it. Why do you have to come over now?"


    Concubine Ning had a troubled face, her white and slender fingers tightly gripped onto the scallion blue handkerchief as she thought for a moment. Then, she spoke out, "This servant has thought for a moment, I should report this matter to the old lady, master, and mistress as soon as possible. With that, he lightly walked to the door and called a maid in, "You say it yourself."


    When she saw Old Madame Ye sitting in the hall, she immediately revealed a terrified expression. Looking at Ye Lin, Madame SHen and the people kneeling on the ground, her face immediately turned pale white, and she looked at Concubine Ning imploringly, as though she was begging for mercy.


    Concubine Ning lowered her head, sighed helplessly, and closed her eyes.


    When Jin Lan heard the four words "cause a great disaster" from the Concubine Ning, his heart was moved. He hurriedly turned his ears to the side and focused on listening.


    Old Madame Ye saw through the expressions of Concubine Ning and the servant girl, her face darkened, and she slowly asked: "What exactly happened?"


    The maid who was kneeling on the ground couldn''t help but tremble, but she clenched her teeth and refused to speak.


    Concubine Ning saw that if this continued, it would anger the old lady, and had to say it out loud: "This servant''s name is Cui Wen, she is a servant girl who only knows how to use the servants'' rooms, they are just cleaning the courtyard or running errands. If you need anything everyday, you can take it to the Mama s who are responsible for collecting items. The reason why I took the money is to prevent any unclean items from flowing in and harming the masters. " Concubine Ning glanced at Cui Wen.


    Cui Wen was so scared that she immediately buried her head in her chest.


    The Concubine Ning paused for a moment, then said: "Only today did this servant know, that Cui Wen''s father was a peddler that walked the streets and alleyways, specializing in miscellaneous items. And Cui Wen actually bribed the guard wife and brought the things over to the house, secretly starting a business. " As she spoke to this point, self-blame appeared on her face, "It was also because this servant didn''t discipline her properly that caused this maid to have the courage to do such a misdeed. She was brought here specifically to ask the old lady to decide."


    When the Old Madame Ye heard this, her gaze shot towards the Madame SHen. She had only been gone for half a year, yet the palace was in such a mess.


    Madame SHen''s eyelids moved slightly as she faced the old lady''s sharp gaze, her face expressionless.


    Even though she was the mistress of Ye Mansion, the authority of the housekeeper had always been in the old woman''s hands. The Old Granny was willing to let Concubine Shao, the concubine, manage a small half of it, but she was not willing to give it to her. On the surface, it sounded good. For her body, there was no need for her to waste time on trivial matters, and if there were any big matters that could be handled by an old lady up there, then where would she be able to open her mouth?


    Now that there was a mistake, he was going to use her?


    Seeing the ridicule in Madame SHen''s eyes, the Old Madame Ye became angry out of shame, but she still kept her sense, and did not break out in conflict with the Madame SHen. She turned to look at Cui Wen, and coldly scolded: "How dare you!"


    Cui Wen''s face was drained of color, she trembled uncontrollably and said in grief: "Old granny, please spare my life, this servant had only narrowed my heart for a moment. "This servant''s own mother accidentally broke her leg and couldn''t find the money to pay for the medicine in the doctor''s hands. That''s why, that''s ¡­" Saying that, she kowtowed to Old Madame Ye again and again, "Old lady, please spare me!"


    Old Madame Ye laughed out of anger, "Have mercy? If I were to spare you, and let each of you end up like you, wouldn''t the rules of the manor become a decoration? " Saying that, she called for Yan Rong, "Bring them out to fight 20 boards, after calling for Dental Granny to sell! This kind of clever servant girl, my Ye Family cannot afford it! " She slammed her palm on the table, causing the teacup to shake. The clear tea in it immediately rippled, "Also, lock that old woman who was guarding the door and eat the things inside!"


    When the Madame SHen heard her angry curses, her eyebrows slightly raised, but the Concubine Ning''s face was deathly pale. She swayed twice, almost unable to stand still.


    Seeing that the old lady was so angry that her chest was moving up and down, Yan Rong immediately called for two servant girls to come in and drag Cui Wen out.


    Jin Lan hurriedly reached out his small hand to massage Old Madame Ye''s back and chest, persuading him otherwise.


    Cui Wen had nowhere to run to, she struggled and cried: "Old lady, please spare me! Although this servant did something wrong, I only committed a crime once. What I brought into the mansion was only rouge and cosmetic powder, it wasn''t anything harmful. I beg the old lady to be merciful and forgive me this time! "


    rouge powder? The hands of the Jin Lan, who was holding onto his chest, suddenly stopped, as he remembered the box of cosmetic powder that Chun Xiao had mentioned. Seeing that Cui Wen was about to be dragged out, she did not have time to think anymore, and immediately called for the two servant girls, staring straight at Cui Wen: "What kind of cosmetics are you bringing?"


    Cui Wen looked at Jin Lan, as if he was grabbing onto her life saving straw, "This servant doesn''t know what type of rouge and cosmetics it is, I only remember it to be in a brown wooden box with an orchid carved on the lid."


    Jin Lan almost shouted out loud. Wasn''t this box exactly the same as what Chun Xiao said before? She impatiently looked up at Madame SHen.


    Madame SHen''s heart also trembled. She nodded towards Jin Lan and said to Old Madame Ye, "Old granny, the other day when we interrogated Chun Xiao, she personally admitted to using this box of fragrant powder. "I suspect that the powder was mixed with a snow iris, but it was never found."


    Hearing his words, the Old Madame Ye did not make a sound. Instead, he raised his head and looked at the kneeling Concubine Shao.


    Madame SHen''s words and Old Madame Ye''s gaze caused panic to rise in her heart. She suddenly felt as if her head was heavy and her feet were light. Only after a long while did she finally stabilize her mind.


    "Who did you give that box of powder to?" Old Madame Ye''s face was cold, "You''re still not going to start?!"


    Cui Wen anxiously replied: "I gave the Profound Handle''s Rui Zhu."


    "Foolish little hoof, how dare you slander me!" Concubine Shao forced herself to stay calm, staring at Cui Wen with her beautiful eyes.


    Old Madame Ye looked at Concubine Shao coldly, and under her sharp gaze, she immediately shut her mouth.


    Ye Lin, who rarely spoke, had an expressionless face. He took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart, and ordered his men to bring the bead over.


    "With Cui Wen around, Rui Zhu didn''t last long before he admitted it," I did ask Cui Wen to buy some scented powder, but I didn''t sense any smell of snow root or iris. As he spoke, he took out the pink box that he had brought along with him.


    It was a brown wooden box with an orchid carved on the lid, just as Chun Xiao had said.


    Seeing the pink box, Cui Wen also nodded her head, and said that it was the pink box.


    Yan Rong took the powder box from the Rui Zhu in her hand, walked to the corner and opened a crack, she moved closer to her nose and took a whiff, then immediately closed her mouth.

 C61

    The Snow Root Iris was not a rare flower, and there were some people who made it into powder. It was just that Madame SHen could not smell the aroma, and it had never appeared in her Ye Mansion, but it did not mean that others could not recognize it.


    Jin Lan stared intently at Yan Rong, only to see her shaking her head, her heart tensing up. How could it be?


    This was obviously the box that Chun Xiao mentioned, why didn''t it have the Snow Liar''s Tail? Could it be that they had been mistaken from the very beginning?


    The Old Madame Ye also smelled the fragrant powder, and after that she handed the box over to Yan Rong, and looked at him again, indicating for Yan Rong to give the box to him. Imperceptibly, it proved that Yan Rong''s judgement was not wrong. The powder in the box did not contain the Snow Root Iris.


    Madame SHen took the box, and did not open it for personal inspection. Instead, she placed it on the table beside him. At this moment, regardless of what she said or did, it was useless. There was still something that could not be faked.


    "Since this has nothing to do with what was said just now, there''s no need to delay any longer. Drag that servant out!" Old Madame Ye glanced at Cui Wen in annoyance and waved her hand.


    The two maidservants who were by the side of the door heard the command, they stepped forward and grabbed Cui Wen, then dragged him away. Cui Wen screamed: "Old granny, this servant has something else to say! This servant knows where the scented powder in my wife''s mouth is!"


    Concubine Shao and Rui Zhu fiercely stared at Cui Wen, their expressions immediately changing.


    Without even waiting for her to speak, he immediately searched for a box in the depths of his sleeves with Madame SHen''s and took it out, "Some of the flowers have no leaves, while some of the leaves are white orchids." When Rui Zhu went to a servant to buy powder, she took away two boxes. Other than the flowers carved on the lid, the rest were almost the same. Originally, I gave Rui Zhu both boxes of servants, but one day, I don''t know how, I found this box under the jade hairpin in the garden. " Cui Wen looked at Rui Zhu, her gaze dodging, "This servant, this servant intends to keep it for her own use."


    Old Madame Ye stared at the box that Cui Wen presented to her for a long time. Her hands started to tremble before she picked them up.


    Concubine Shao''s forehead was filled with sweat, her face was already drained of blood, it was grey and green in color. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but stopped in her tracks. This box had clearly been given to Su Xin to throw in the abandoned well in the garden, how could it be in Cui Wen''s hands!?


    Just as Old Madame Ye opened the box a crack, she closed it again. This time, Yan Rong was not sent to Madame SHen.


    Jin Lan blinked his eyes in disbelief. Did this mean that there was something wrong with the powder in the box?


    Old Madame Ye closed his eyes, a trace of inattentiveness appearing between hherbrows, and after a moment she suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Concubine Shao, his gaze was as sharp as a blade.


    The Concubine Shao trembled, and said: "Old granny, even if Rui Zhu had bought the pink box from Cui Wen, but Cui Wen had already said it herself, the pink box was something she had picked up from the garden. Maybe some other servant girl accidentally fell there? "


    Cui Wen panicked, "This servant only brought things into the palace once, and it was Rui Zhu who begged this servant for a few days before this servant finally agreed. I brought these two boxes with me, and gave them all to her at that time. "


    After all, since the time of the butler, the status of the Concubine Shao s had increased by leaps and bounds, so how could she allow a rough maid to argue with him? With a cold harrumph, she said: "Red mouth and white teeth, how many things did you secretly bring into the house, how could anyone know, wasn''t it all for you to speak nonsense?"


    Rui Zhu shrewdly followed up, "Last time, this servant only bought a box of fragrant powder. How could there be two boxes?"


    "Your servant, your servant ¡­" Cui Wen''s heart burned with anxiety, yet she didn''t know how to refute the two''s words.


    Concubine Shao seemed to have caught hold of something as she clenched her teeth and refused to let go. "Let me ask you, when you were picking up the boxes in the garden, did anyone see you?"


    Cui Wen was startled, she bit her lower lip, and after a long while, she shook her head, "No, no."


    Concubine Shao scoffed, her face revealing an expression of "ha", she turned to Old Madame Ye and said: "Old granny, you heard it too, you insisted on saying that it was Rui Zhu''s without any proof. Who knows what kind of people instigated Cui Wen to do that, and what kind of people they were trying to frame me with. "


    Concubine Ning was shaken to the core by Concubine Shao''s words, she immediately knelt down, and said with a low voice: "This servant is innocent!"


    "Sister Ning." Concubine Shao''s back became straighter and straighter, "I did not say your name, are you admitting it now?"


    Concubine Ning wanted to remain silent, let alone argue. Being stung by Concubine Shao''s words, she could not help but lower her head in grievance.


    Jin Lan looked coldly at the farce. Although Concubine Shao was unreasonable, her words had a certain order, allowing others to catch him without making a mistake.


    The powder case Chun Xiao used was picked up on the way here, but she did not know who exactly it was. As for Cui Wen''s words, they were most likely true. If she had really done it, how could she possibly rush up to plead guilty? However, if no one was to testify, the Concubine Shao might take the opportunity to push everything to Concubine Ning and Cui Wen.


    What should he do? Jin Lan''s eyes were gloomy, his small hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves, his nails pinching the flesh without pain. She clearly knew who had harmed her mother, but she didn''t have the ability to pull him out. Her usually calm heart suddenly felt a bit impatient.


    "Mother, your son still has matters to attend to, so he will take his leave first." Ye Lin''s face darkened, he was so angry that the corners of his mouth twitched. He had originally thought that the days of the zither music hidden such filth. This caused him, who liked to control everything, to be shocked and angry. He felt even more humiliated. After saying that to Old Madame Ye, he quickly left the room. He did not even look back as he left. This also meant that no matter how Old Madame Ye handled this matter, he would not have any objections.


    Old Madame Ye looked at Ye Lin''s figure that was leaving and sighed, then looked at Madame SHen indifferently, "All of these maids signed the death contract right?"


    Madame SHen nodded her head, the servants of the Ye Family had always signed death agreements, so it was rare for them to buy people from the outside, they were basically the children of their families.


    "Since that''s the case, then if you''re not willing to admit it, then I won''t ask." Old Madame Ye''s gaze suddenly became cold and stern, "Pull out the staff and kill him! "It would be troublesome anyway. I''ll just have to send someone to the yamen for the record."


    Cui Wen and Rui Zhu immediately lay on the ground in fright, their bodies trembling uncontrollably as they begged for mercy.


    Only Ling Shan was still kneeling in shock, her gaze was fixated on the side of Rui Zhu''s face, seeing her lean forward, she immediately cried out: "It''s her, she''s the one who threw the powder case in the corridor, and was picked it up by Chun Xiao!"


    It turned out that after Ling Shan had finished relaying the message to him, she had faintly caught a glimpse of a figure flashing behind the tree just as she was about to return to her Inner Court''s needlework room. Ling Shan was worried that someone might hear her words, so she sneaked her way out, and was prepared to see who was behind the tree, when she bumped into the auspicious bead. Ling Shan''s heart was in a panic, she did not dare look straight at the person who bumped into him, and only looked at her back in a hurry. When she looked again in front of him, Chun Xiao had already bent her waist and stood up, as if she had picked up something and put it into her sleeve.


    After the incident, he had forgotten about it. Even the Madame SHen did not manage to remember her appearance on that day, hence she did not dare to say much. It was only when she saw Rui Zhu and saw her back bending over him that she recognized her.


    Rui Zhu was already as limp as mud. Although she had been kneeling beside Ling Shan the entire time, she had not noticed her appearance. Adding the wounds on her face, even if one looked carefully, they would not be able to see any clues. Hearing Ling Shan''s words, she finally realised that something had happened.


    Concubine Shao''s face was also filled with despair and unwillingness. His original plan for this matter was flawless, how did she end up like this? She stared straight at Ling Shan, her eyes revealed a berserk look, she suddenly raised her hand and was about to hit her!


    "Stop!" Old Madame Ye had been watching them all this time. When she saw that Concubine Shao actually dared to hit them in front of her, she couldn''t help but slam the table.


    Concubine Shao was so frightened that she was stupefied on the spot. She immediately felt a wave of pain in her lower abdomen and her face paled. She could not help but bend over to cover her stomach and fall towards Concubine Ning, who was closest to him.


    Seeing that, Concubine Ning immediately went to support her, but when her eyes touched the perspiration on her forehead, her face became flustered, "We-Old lady! "She, she ¡­"


    Old Madame Ye frowned, thinking that Concubine Shao was pretending to be sick, she shouted: "What are you panicking for? "You dared to hit me just now, why are you so weak now?"


    Concubine Shao was in so much pain that she couldn''t speak anymore. She struggled to raise her head and look at Old Madame Ye.


    Old Madame Ye was shocked, she called Yan Rong and told her to go and get a doctor.


    Madame SHen''s gaze swept across Concubine Shao''s pale face, then said to him: "Doctor Gong just so happens to be hugging Xia, why don''t we invite her over to take a look?"


    When the Concubine Ning who was supporting the Concubine Shao heard that the Doctor Gong was hugging Xia, a trace of a ripple suddenly appeared in her lowered eyes.

 C62

    Yan Rong quickly walked over to hug Xia and invited the Doctor Gong over. The Concubine Shao had already been lifted onto the green muslin bed, leaving Ling Shan, Cui Wen, and Rui Zhu kneeling on the floor.


    Doctor Gong entered the door and paid respects to the old lady first, then followed Yan Rong to the Jade Curtain Cabinet.


    When the Concubine Ning inside saw Yan Rong bringing in a simple and elegant person, she recognized that it was the Doctor Gong that Madame SHen was talking about, and quickly retreated to make space.


    Once in and out, Concubine Ning''s body brushed past him, Doctor Gong''s feet paused for a moment, then she gently walked over to her bed and sat down, feeling Concubine Shao''s pulse.


    Three pure white fingertips gently rested on the vein on Concubine Shao''s right wrist, but they were removed in less than half a minute.


    After seeing Concubine Shao hold her stomach and fall, a faint clue appeared in her heart, but she was not a doctor in the end, so she was unable to confirm her thoughts. Seeing Doctor Gong retract his hand, she asked: "How is it?" His gaze fell on her face, deep and reserved.


    Her pulse is like a pearl rolling on a jade plate. It''s smooth and looks like it''s been going on for two months." After a pause, he continued, "However, it''s a bit heavy in the middle of the slide. There''s a slight feeling of heaviness. It''s the aura of a fetus being born." After saying so, she looked at Madam Shen. Seeing that her face didn''t seem to have any expression, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Concubine Shao was pregnant.


    The hand that Madame SHen was holding the handkerchief suddenly tightened, and she looked around the house.


    Yan Rong brought Doctor Gong in and left. Concubine Ning was not in the room, and in the entire Jade Curtain Pavilion, other than the unconscious Concubine Shao who was lying on the soft couch, only she and Doctor Gong were left, even the door was closed.


    Although there was only one door between the blue chiffon cabinet and the old woman''s room, no one could hear what was being said inside if they chose to be quiet.


    Madame SHen looked at the Concubine Shao who had a pale complexion and closed eyes, and frowned.


    In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind, and her knuckles that tightly gripped the handkerchief turned white. After a moment of silence, she opened her mouth, but no words came out.


    The Doctor Gong sat on the small Wooden Pellet quietly. Both of his eyes were calm like a pool as he watched the struggle on the face of the Madame SHen with rapt attention. Suddenly, a irrelevant sentence came out of her mouth, "Second Miss, you seem to have grown a lot taller compared to the last time I saw you."


    Madame SHen was startled, and a small face with beautiful eyes appeared in front of him.


    Lan Er was already nine years old and it was the time for her to grow up. Her new skirt had to be changed almost every month, and her little head was already about to touch her shoulders...


    Her sluggish eyes inadvertently touched upon Doctor Gong''s calm and emotionless eyes. Her blank mind suddenly cleared up, and she slowly exhaled. Her face regained its former tranquility, "Can we keep the baby?"


    The corners of Doctor Gong''s lips curled up in a faint smile, "Sure."


    If Madame SHen decided to get rid of this child, she had ways to do so without anyone noticing. However, she was still unwilling to see too much blood on Madame SHen''s hands, so she mentioned Second Miss.


    Now that Madame SHen had finally woken up, she was truly relieved in her heart. She got up and quickly wrote down the prescriptions, and then went out with Madame SHen to talk to Old Madame Ye.


    Upon learning that Concubine Shao was pregnant, the Old Madame Ye was taken aback at first, but then her brows relaxed. Before she could laugh, the corners of her mouth suddenly froze, and she slowly retreated back into her original position.


    In her previous life, other than Ye Jinwei and Ye Yu, Concubine Shao did not have a third child, so why would she suddenly become pregnant? Was it not because of him?


    She suddenly remembered what Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu had said in the Stainless Pavilion in the Lingji Temple that day. "Don''t be too insistent on asking for everything.


    Destiny, destiny!


    Could it be that her mother''s rescue had destroyed Concubine Shao''s plan to force her into Vale so that she could escape this calamity?


    A good man has no repayment, but a man who has committed many evil deeds has lived for a hundred years to enjoy wealth and glory. What kind of destiny is this!?


    Jin Lan bit his lips tightly, barely stopping the fury in his heart from erupting.


    With the old lady by her side, she could not reveal any inklings. Otherwise, not only would it harm her, it would harm her mother as well. Jin Lan took several deep breaths to calm himself down.


    "Why is it so sudden? Previously, I didn''t hear much noise, and Zhang Luo who was running up and down just now doesn''t look like he''s pregnant. " The Old Madame Ye said in a low voice, but his gaze was fixated on the Madame SHen''s face.


    Madame SHen smiled faintly, and looked at Old Madame Ye, "It''s only been two months, I''m afraid she doesn''t even know it herself. If not for calling Su Xin in to ask her, she would probably know a little about it. " Her eyes were calm and serene, as if the fact that the Concubine Shao was pregnant wasn''t something hard for her to accept.


    "Forget it. Since she doesn''t even know herself, how would a maid know?" Old Madame Ye waved her hand and looked at Doctor Gong. She asked impatiently: "Can we protect the child?"


    Doctor Gong nodded his head and replied, "Even though I have used my Fetal Qi, it''s not too serious. As long as I recuperate for a period of time, I will naturally be safe and sound."


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but frown. She looked suspiciously at Doctor Gong, then at Madame SHen, and saw her face was as calm as water. There seemed to be nothing amiss. Logically speaking, Concubine Shao was pregnant, but her mother''s heart was somewhat estranged, why did she look like she didn''t care at all? Had something happened in the cabinet?


    Thinking of this, she couldn''t help but feel some regret. Just now, why had she forgotten to follow him in?


    Old Madame Ye sighed, "I can''t stop worrying. It''s really difficult to be a child of Ye Family, it was difficult to get pregnant but at the same time, it was careless. This time, I used the Fetal Qi, it''s really ¡­" Old Madame Ye paused, her gaze sweeping across the servants kneeling on the ground, before landing on Madame SHen.


    After Madame SHen heard Old Madame Ye''s words, her drooping eyelids trembled. She sneered in her heart, but her face revealed a faint look of concern, "Fortunately the doctor said that she can keep the child. As long as he recovers, he might be able to grow fat in the future ¡­ "Brother."


    The Old Madame Ye nodded her head in satisfaction, "Although Chun Xiao''s death had nothing to do with our Ye Family, she had still served in the palace. With that maid as a witness, I believe they wouldn''t dare to cause any more trouble. " Her gaze shifted towards the servant girl who was slightly shorter on the ground, "Call the Dental Granny over, sell them all. "There''s no need to play the game anymore. Just treat it as accumulating virtue for the child in her womb."


    Just as she finished speaking, Cui Wen and Rui Zhu started crying and begging for forgiveness. Yan Rong would never allow them to argue with the Old Madame Ye, so she quickly got someone to cover her mouth and drag them down.


    Before Ling Shan was pulled out of the door, she suddenly turned her head to look at Madame SHen, only to see her nodding slightly.


    After the servants left, Doctor Gong also stood up to take his leave. Old Madame Ye naturally had Yan Rong to bestow them with rewards, and without being polite, she accepted the rewards and looked at Madame SHen again, then followed Yan Rong and left the Jiayu Hall.


    The room suddenly became empty. Other than Old Madame Ye, Madame SHen and Jin Lan, there was no one else.


    The happiness that the Ye Family was about to bring about caused Old Madame Ye to have trouble hiding her smile, and even the way she looked at Concubine Ning became a lot friendlier, "You should go back too, next time, don''t cause trouble, and be more alert in the future. Those servant girls in the houses should always be on their guard.


    Concubine Ning bowed her head, bent down, and responded in a low voice: "Yes, this servant will remember the old lady''s teachings." With that, she did not stay any longer and left the house with light footsteps. She turned around and returned to her own courtyard.


    Old Madame Ye''s smile slowly faded as sshshelooked at Madame SHen, who was sitting upright on her three-screen chair, with an inexplicable expression on her face. After a long while, he sighed, "In the end, I''m getting old, and my body''s bones are getting worse every day." As she spoke, he rubbed her sore shoulder.


    Seeing that, Jin Lan stood up and walked behind Old Madame Ye, extending his hand to help her hit her chest. He smiled sweetly and said: "Grandmother''s body is strong, you will definitely live for a hundred years."


    Her kind words instantly made the gloom around Old Madame Ye''s face dissipate quite a bit. She held Jin Lan''s hand and pulled him back into her embrace, "Look at this mouth, did you steal some honey?"


    Jin Lan blinked his bright eyes, feigning suspicion. "How did Grandmother know I drank osmanthus honey today?"


    Old Madame Ye was amused by Jin Lan and started laughing. The cold atmosphere in the room immediately became active.


    After the grandfather and grandson talked for a while, the Old Madame Ye looked at Madame SHen again, "The Lu family will let her rest at Bright Autumn Pavilion until the production time.


    After entering the palace, she changed her name to Shaoyin, and as a result, after being supported into an aunt, she was called Concubine Shao.


    The meaning of the Old Madame Ye was to restrict the Concubine Shao and give the authority of being a butler to the Madame SHen, so that the Madame SHen would not pursue the matter any further.


    As expected, in the old lady''s eyes, a son was better than anything else. The mockery in Madame SHen''s eyes flashed by as he nodded his head indifferently, "I''ll do as old lady says."


    Old Madame Ye seemed to be very satisfied with Madame SHen''s reaction, and after conversing with her for a while longer, she finally stood up and took her leave, and Jin Lan naturally left with her.


    After Madame SHen brought Jin Lan away, his loving expression suddenly darkened, and he ordered Yan Rong: "Go and invite the old master."

 C63

    Jin Lan followed Madame SHen out of the Jiayu Hall, through the garden, and onto the veranda. When the Shuixie Pavilion''s door was still far away, she couldn''t help but ask: "Mother, maybe Chun Xiao''s death was also related to the Concubine Shao. Why didn''t you tell the old lady and just let her go so easily?"


    Madame SHen glanced at Jin Lan, his gaze gentle. "Your thoughts are still this heavy, when will you be able to change them?" He then turned his head and looked in the direction of the Jiayu Hall, "Right now, in the old lady''s eyes, no one is heavier than the Concubine Shao''s stomach, even if Ling Shan were to testify, it would not be of any use. "Rest assured, I have my own plans for the future."


    She knew very well in her heart that even if Concubine Shao was not pregnant, this matter could only be dealt with secretly, and could not be put on the surface. If this information were to accidentally leak out, even though it would ruin her reputation as a Ye Mansion, he would still have to deal with Jin Lan and other juniors in the future.


    As a result, the old lady had prepared to use the reason of nurturing the baby to imprison the Concubine Shao within her Bright Autumn Pavilion and seize the authority of her butler to pacify the people''s hearts.


    With regards to the matters in the manor, the Old Granny''s heart was probably as clear as a mirror. If they were to continue pestering her, they would only be able to injure their enemies, not injure themselves.


    Seeing that the Madame SHen was not willing to let him know, Jin Lan swallowed her words and followed the Madame SHen into the house.


    Right now, Qiu Wen was already a servant in the Madame SHen, but she was still used to sitting outside on the veranda and sewing. The early autumn sun was not hot, making people feel lazy and comfortable under the sun. While holding onto the soles of her shoes, she occasionally glanced at the entrance of the courtyard. Seeing Madame SHen and Jin Lan slowly walking over, she hurriedly put down the Thousand Layers Shoes in her hands, stood up and greeted them, "Madam, Miss."


    The Madame SHen nodded, she raised her leg and walked up the stairs, Qiu Wen quickly went to beat up the curtain.


    Inside the house, there were already people waiting for them. Before Madame SHen could say anything, Jin Lan rushed to ask, "Why is it you?"


    The person who was waiting in the room was the Doctor Gong who had already bid his farewell when the Jiayu Hall came. It was just that he did not expect that she had not left the mansion, but had instead come for the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Doctor Gong looked at Jin Lan, still maintaining his indifferent look, "It''s my rude Second Miss."


    The Madame SHen did not seem to be surprised at all that the Doctor Gong would appear here. She turned her head and ordered Man Ping to get some tea, then pulled Jin Lan to sit on the soft couch while she ordered the servants to retreat. Then she smiled at the Doctor Gong: "I did not inform Lan Er that you would come.


    When the Doctor Gong saw that Jin Lan was extremely close to the Madame SHen, the indifference on his face receded a little and was replaced with a faint smile. "Why should I bother with the Second Miss?"


    "Mother." Jin Lan tugged at the corner of Madame SHen''s sleeves. "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"


    The diagnosis and treatment of Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu confirmed the doubt in her heart. Previously, whenhe smelled poison in that bowl of Medicinal Juice, she didn''t know whether it was Drunken Immortal Powder or June Snow. Although it was possible that Concubine Shao did something to the medicine, the greater possibility was that there was something wrong with the medicine itself. Otherwise, how could Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu change the prescription?


    As a result, she greatly disliked this Doctor Gong.


    When the Madame SHen saw her looking as if she was about to meet a great enemy, and recalled the bowl of Medicinal Juice that she smashed once, she immediately understood and patted her head affectionately: "Lan Er, Doctor Gong is not an outsider, she is the daughter of the Gui Mama."


    "Mama Gui?" Jin Lan couldn''t help but be taken aback. This name was unfamiliar to her, and she didn''t have the slightest impression of it in her mind. It was as if she had never even heard of it.


    Looking at Jin Lan''s puzzled expression, Doctor Gong smiled slightly, "When my mother left home, she wasn''t even born yet, how could she recognize him?"


    Madame SHen lightly patted her forehead and could not help but laugh: "I was careless." With that, she said to Jin Lan, "Mama Gui is my mother''s wet nurse, just like you and Mama Tang."


    In other words, the Doctor Gong was like a big help to him, a person that his mother trusted? No wonder when her mother had fainted last time, she had used Doctor Jiang''s recipe. When her mother had woken up, she had insisted on changing it to the Doctor Gong, saying that if there was a doctor she could trust in this world, it would be the Doctor Gong.


    Jin Lan came to a realization.


    "But ¡­" Wan Ju said, you saved her, what''s going on? " Other than the bowl of Medicinal Juice s, what she remembered the most was Wan Ju''s disappearance.


    Madame SHen was startled for a moment. She and Doctor Gong looked at each other, then suddenly remembered what happened.


    Jin Lan was shocked. Could it be that his mother knew about this as well?


    Madame SHen didn''t want to be separated because of such a small matter, so she pulled her to her side and softly said: "Lan Er, it''s been a long time since we''ve talked about the things here. If you''re willing to listen, I''ll tell you everything that has happened."


    Jin Lan didn''t put in so much effort, scouting and testing medicine, and even got the Mama Tang to think of ways to find clues. Wasn''t it for precisely this sentence? How could he not be happy? He nodded his head immediately: "Lan Er is willing to listen to mother."


    Madame SHen took a light sip from the tea cup with green flowers and lotus flower patterns and cleared her throat, before she explained everything, "Although I was injured when I gave birth to you, with Soo Soo, I will be able to recover in a short period of time. "Just like back then ¡­"


    She choked before continuing, "I didn''t expect the medicine to be consumed every day, but my body is getting weaker every day. In the end, I can''t even walk anymore, and every three or four steps I have to pant. However, from the pulse, it seems like nothing has happened. We just need to rest for a short period of time. "


    "Soo Soo thought that there was a problem with the medicine. However, even though she was staying in the residence and personally used the medicine to fry the medicine, she did not leave it at that and could only constantly consume the medicine to recuperate. In the end, however, she grew weaker and weaker, and if she did not eat it, she would not even be able to get up from her bed. It was only until the day you smashed that bowl of Medicinal Juice that I started to suspect if there was a traitor by my side. At the same time, I told this matter to Soo Soo. It''s just that I didn''t expect you to secretly take the medicinal dregs and let Wan Ju go out to examine the medicine. "


    "Take it. Let me say it." The moment Madame SHen''s words fell, Doctor Gong immediately followed, "Since you were young and weren''t close with your wife, to suddenly do such a thing, I doubt if you knew anything, so I found two reliable people to guard at the Ye Mansion''s back door and corner door. That day, when your servant Wan Ju who was by your side left the residence, she was immediately eyed by someone, one of them was found by me while the other one was a stranger''s face. My men followed them all the way, and only then did they save Wan Ju''s life. "


    "Later on, I will go to the Lingji Temple and have Master Hui Wu help my veins heal." With that, Madame SHen let out a long breath. Her gaze landed on Jin Lan''s face, which was furrowing from deep thought. She couldn''t help but hug him, "Mother didn''t lie to you, it''s just that I don''t want you to be in danger."


    So it was like this! She took a deep breath in and smiled at Madame SHen. Suddenly, she stood up and walked in front of Doctor Gong and bowed, "It''s Lan Er who misunderstood Doctor Gong, Lan Er has apologized to you."


    Doctor Gong''s expression changed as he quickly stopped Jin Lan from bowing, "What is Miss doing? I don''t dare to treat you as such a great gift! "


    Jin Lan shook her head, and said seriously: "Doctor Gong has always wholeheartedly treated Mother, but Lan Er still acted like a lowly person, this is truly not something that should be done. Doctor Gong will naturally be able to receive this bow. "


    When the Madame SHen heard Jin Lan''s words, he also nodded and agreed, "Soo Soo, you just have to bear with it. All these years, you have been wholeheartedly taking care of my body and also saved Wan Ju''s life a few days ago.


    The Doctor Gong was helpless and could only let go as he received Jin Lan''s gift.


    After the three of them sat down, Doctor Gong asked about the Concubine Shao. After hearing about the matter regarding Old Madame Ye, he asked worriedly, "What do we do now? If this child is born, I''m afraid ¡­ " I''m afraid that the Madame SHen will be even more powerless.


    At the mention of Concubine Shao, the joy on Madame SHen''s face faded. She slightly raised her eyebrows and her eyes flashed, "The reason the old lady asked me to be the housekeeper was because she was afraid that I had thoughts that I shouldn''t have had, so she tied her to me. Therefore, in the next eight months, not only will we have to eat well and drink well, but we will also have to ensure that the child in her womb is absolutely safe! "


    Although the Madame SHen made it sound casual, Jin Lan could hear the tinge of patience in her words. His heart suddenly ached and he snuggled into the Madame SHen''s embrace.


    Shuixie Pavilion was nearing the end of their secret conversation, yet Jiayu Hall had only just begun.

 C64

    Yan Rong went to look for the old master as per Old Madame Ye''s orders, but she failed. The Steward Li said that the Old Master had matters to attend to and left the manor, but he was unwilling to say where he had gone to. Yan Rong was helpless, she could only ask Steward Li to think of a way to send a message to the old master.


    When Ye Lin received the Attendant''s report and rushed back to the manor, it was already close to the time. He hastily washed himself, then changed his blue Xiang Bat Tattooing Robe before rushing to Jiayu Hall.


    Yan Rong lit up all the lamps in the room, carried Su Xin, the Old Madame Ye''s favorite drink, along with two plates of the almond buddhist hands, and brought all the servants down the stairs. She closed the door, leaving Ye Lin and his son alone to speak.


    The old lady hadn''t even opened her mouth when she smelled a faint fragrance from Ye Lin''s body. She immediately understood in her heart where he had gone to, and she was a little angry at Ye Lin for not fighting back: "It''s just some trivial internal affairs. You''re already so impatient, what if one day something big happens, how are you going to deal with it? Or do you want to just go and get drunk like that? "


    Hearing this, Ye Lin revealed a look of embarrassment. He had to write a letter and rush back, then wash himself before specially bringing a scented sachet to remove the smell of alcohol from his body. He did not expect the old lady to be able to smell it. He then hurriedly smiled apologetically, "Mother, please calm your anger."


    The old lady did not pursue the matter any further. She took a sip of tea and asked, "How is it going?"


    Ye Lin shook his head, his face revealing a gloomy look, "Still no idea."


    The old lady frowned, as if she did not expect that Ye Lin''s actions would be so sloppy, "Can''t you just randomly list one or two of those things that you are holding in your hands? "Why bother going around in circles?"


    Ye Lin said: "Since the Cheng Family is in line, and the momentum of the Second Prince is growing stronger, I''m afraid that they will not be able to make it to the table today. Moreover, the situation in Jiangnan was unclear. Besides getting married, the Second Prince must have other tricks up his sleeve. We have to uncover all of them before we can make a move, so as to not let anything slip through the net. "


    Although Ye Lin''s words were reasonable, the old lady did not miss the glint in his eyes. He immediately put down the teacup in his hands and asked, "What other things are you hiding from me?"


    Ye Lin''s face stiffened. Just as he wanted to say something, he met the old lady''s sharp gaze, and stammered: "Last time at the Painting Garden, I drank a bit too much, so I stayed in the garden. I don''t know why but I was somehow informed by Fu Shan."


    "Foolish!" The old lady flew into a rage and immediately glared at him. She raised her hand and slapped the table a few times, almost knocking the teacup to the ground. Yan Rong who was guarding outside was shocked, she anxiously looked at the closed door.


    "I told you not to go there, but you just wouldn''t listen. Now that you have been set up by someone, let''s see just how refined you''ll be in the future! "


    Ye Lin''s face instantly turned red. Painted Fragrance Garden was indeed a place of elegance, situated at the most beautiful place in the Slim West Lake. The garden was filled with flowers and trees, and strange stones stood tall and straight. There were also zither and music to amuse the listeners. Many scholars and guests came all day long to talk poetry and write essays in the garden, to cook wine and talk about ancient and modern times.


    Even Ye Lin, Cheng Fu Shan and the others would often set up a feast.


    There was something wrong with what happened that night. Although he was a weak scholar, his tolerance for alcohol had always been good. That night, he drank a few cups before becoming unconscious, and when he woke up, everything was in order.


    After the incident, he had secretly sent people to investigate, but how could he find any evidence? Cheng Fu Shan initially thought that no one knew, but before long, he found a reason to send over the night''s attendants.


    However, he had no evidence, so he could only restrain his emotions. Furthermore, he then deliberately accepted Chun Xiao who knew that it was possible that she was a spy. Fortunately, Madame SHen had dealt with Chun Xiao and saved him a lot of trouble.


    Looking at Ye Lin''s embarrassed and annoyed expression, the old lady snorted, "What did you do with that person?"


    Ye Lin answered honestly: "Placed in the big house in Cat''s Ear Lane."


    In the popular outer rooms of the Zhou Dynasty, those with money and power all had several mansions outside, and their names were like gold and gold. In the past, he had scoffed disdainfully at this matter. However, due to the identity of the servant and the fact that this matter was not known to the public, he had learned to set up a small house outside and raise this person. Before he returned to the manor, he went to Cat''s Ear Lane.


    The old lady was so angry that she started laughing, "Now that everyone is in danger, you actually imitated me and hid my talent. I''m afraid that in the end, your hundred years of reputation in the Ye Family will be destroyed!"


    Ye Lin was shocked. The old lady had received an invitation from the clan''s elders to go to the capital this time, and staying here for a long time, he might have heard some news.


    He hurriedly asked, "Mother, did you hear something?"


    The Old Granny stared at Ye Lin angrily: "If you really hear the news, then it''s too late."


    Then there would be nothing to do. Ye Lin''s worried heart slowly calmed down, and he instantly heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Don''t worry too early." The old lady''s expression was unfathomable. After pondering for a long time, she finally leaned back and sighed: "I heard that you have been getting sick and sick. Two days ago, I invited Old Imperial Physician Hua to help me with veins."


    Ye Lin''s expression changed greatly, "It''s actually this serious?"


    A shadow flashed across his eyes. The Hua family was known as the godly doctor Hua Tuo, and their medical skills had always been at the top of the apricot forest. Now that Imperial Physician Hua, who was at the head of the Imperial Physician Guild, had invited the reclusive Old Imperial Physician Hua into the palace to assist with his meridians, the Imperial Physician Hua was afraid that the Imperial Physician Guild was helpless to deal with the situation.


    "Not yet." The old lady shook her head and thought for a moment. Then, she said, "It''s just that we have to make arrangements to continue serving in Shang Jing after the new year."


    Ye Lin nodded with a heavy expression. The piece of fat Jiang Nan was something that all the forces had to contend for, but today, they definitely could not allow Jiang Nan to fall into the hands of a single prince. From the looks of it, Jiangnan was going to fall into chaos soon. The censor was someone who had offended many and many people were eager for him to be unlucky. How could they possibly pull him out of the mud? He only hoped that he could consider the Old Master''s loyalty and the benefits of helping him all these years, and could lift his hand and release him once and for all.


    The Old Granny took a sip of the tea on the table, her gaze touching the complicated and melancholy on Ye Lin''s face, she sighed in her heart.


    Ye Family had always been a clear stream, but the Old Master was a smart person, not only did he grasp the opportunity to help the late emperor, he also decisively helped him raise Lin''er''s cultivation step by step. However, although he was quite talented, he was still inferior to the Old Master in terms of foresight.


    She rubbed her forehead and her tired eyes instantly became clear again. "One more thing. My ancestor''s eightieth birthday is going to bring all the Ye bloodline back to the capital to have a good reunion."


    Ye Lin frowned, he was initially confused by the Ye Family''s sudden invitation to the old lady and Yu Ge''er, but after hearing this, he became even more suspicious: "The Ye Family has been a branch family for a long time, I have always looked down on the branch family, so why do you suddenly want to do this?"


    The old lady''s eyes were bright. "My health isn''t good today. The adult princes are getting restless. The Old Ancestor just wants to spread the word."


    Ye Lin seemed to have thought of something, "Mother, you mean ¡­"


    "Although the Old Ancestor has a tight tongue, as long as he has money, there is no information that he cannot find out. It is said that the Fifth Prince is going to choose the Lateral Consort s, the Old Ancestor intends to choose the suitable girls from the branch sects and send them in. "


    "If that''s the case, why don''t you let the girls go?" Ye Lin''s face changed. Although the Second Prince has the power to rule the world, but the Fifth Prince is intelligent, and has a Sacred Heart, he might still have the power to fight for it. How could his family be willing to give up such a good opportunity?


    "This is the wisdom of the Old Ancestor." The corners of the old lady''s mouth curled up coldly, "I say it''s a side branch, but in the end, it''s still the bloodline of Ye Family. If it''s a matter of the future, how can I not help Ye Family? One must know that the bones are broken and the tendons are still attached. " He paused for a while and then continued: "What''s more, our family is a noble''s mansion, how could Lateral Consort enter our eyes? She was probably plotting to become the main wife! However, it is unknown which prince is in her sights. "


    "This family has gone too far!" Ye Lin suddenly stood up, if it was any other branch, then it would be fine, but his branch did not have a noble title, but they had always been placed in the imperial court, and were also famous people in the south of the river, so how could they allow their family to do as they were told! Although the Lateral Consort was nice to listen to, but she was still a concubine. If news of this spread out, wouldn''t selling women for glory be sullying his reputation?


    "This matter cannot be decided." He gave the old lady an anxious look. "Mother didn''t nod in front of the Old Ancestor, did she?"


    "Sit down!" The old lady''s face was somewhat stern. "How can you take on such a big responsibility if you are so restless?" I have already agreed to leave after the Mid-Autumn Festival! "

 C65

    Ye Lin was startled, he did not expect the old lady to agree to this matter, and immediately opened his mouth, but he did not know what to say.


    The old lady gave a cold snort, "This family just relies on their influence. When that happens, the smart ones will naturally choose to help this family. Although our mansion is a little inferior, but what if we pick a girl from the mansion, then it''s our turn to criticize? Besides, who am I doing this for? "Isn''t it all for the Ye Family!


    "But ¡­" His reputation.


    The old lady''s face darkened as she said, "If not, how could the Old Ancestor have agreed to help you find a good job?"


    Ye Lin was also a smart person, but after being stunned for a moment, he immediately understood what the old lady meant, and his heart was suddenly happy, the ancestor of the clan was the younger sister of the previous emperor, and also his current aunt. If she were to personally step in, then there was a high chance that she would be able to escape from his position after going back to the capital!


    Thinking about it this way, his thoughts of resistance faded. He hurriedly asked, "If that''s the case, then let Jinwei go. Yu Ge''er is still young and has just returned from the capital. I''m afraid we can''t make another long journey."


    The old lady nodded. She had originally planned to do the same, but since the family was going to choose someone from the branch, they might even have the idea of carrying on in the end. Letting Jinwei go was the best, even if in the future ¡­ Suddenly, a glint flashed across her eyes and another idea appeared in her mind.


    "Let Jin Lan and Jin Wei go together."


    Ye Lin frowned, "Jin Lan is only nine years old." He''s too young, I''m afraid even the Fourth Prince wouldn''t look up to him, right?


    The old lady waved her hand. "Although he is still young, he only arrived in the capital after mid-autumn. He just happened to be ten years old when he was born in the capital." This time, they were only deciding on a candidate. Once the Venerate Heavens Sect selected a day, they would need at least a year to complete a set of royal etiquette. Taking a step back ten thousand times, as long as the Fourth Prince is happy about it, they can get married first.


    Ye Lin thought for a moment, he felt that it was reasonable, so he did not say anything more.


    The old lady thought for a moment, then continued, "Don''t spread this matter for now, especially since you have to hide it from the Madame SHen, so as to avoid any accidents when you get it."


    Ye Lin nodded his head, "Alright, I will do as mother says."


    Only then did the old lady''s smile fade, and she told him what had happened after he left. Ye Lin naturally had no objection to the old lady''s punishment, but when he found out that Concubine Shao was pregnant, he immediately beamed with joy, and after conversing with the old lady for a while, he impatiently went towards the Bright Autumn Pavilion.


    After dinner, the mother and daughter pair stood up to send Doctor Gong out.


    Just as Doctor Gong was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something, his feet paused for a moment, but quickly recovered and followed Man Ping.


    Jin Lan stayed at the Shuixie Pavilion s until the lanterns were lit. Bi He led the way with a red octagonal lantern in her hand, while Jin Lan brought Wan Ju to follow from the back, and along the hand holding walkway, they returned to the Lan Garden s.


    After a short break, Jin Lan instructed the people to prepare water to bathe, and while everyone was busy, the Mama Tang secretly returned to her side of the room with the movement of her Lan Garden.


    Other than Wen Zhu, who went to the sewing room, everything else was normal. No one came in.


    Jin Lan nodded slightly but didn''t say anything.


    The eardrum had already been filled with hot water. Dense fog lingered in the air, and the clear water surface was overflowing with petals as white as early snow. A faint fragrance assaulted his nose. Mama Tang helped Jinlan spread his clothes and coiled her black hair with a clean cotton handkerchief. She then reached out her hands to help her carefully step on the unique double step into the water.


    The hot water that was hot enough to last for a whole day gradually seeped through her fair and tender skin, relaxing her tensed heart.


    Mama Tang hung some clean clothes on the mahogany peony carving rack and rolled up her sleeves. She picked up a cloth and a silver plate with a bath bean on it and walked behind Jin Lan to help wipe her back. However, she was politely rejected by Jin Lan. She smiled and told her to leave temporarily, saying that she wanted to soak in the water for a while longer.


    After the Mama Tang left the room, Jin Lan slowly slipped down, his entire body submerged in the water, only his head remained above the water. After being soaked in hot water, her white skin was suffused with a faint pink hue. Occasionally, her slender fingers would poke out from the water and play with the petals on the surface of the water.


    He did not expect that Doctor Gong was actually the daughter of his mother''s wet nurse. What he had originally expected was completely subversive, and according to what his mother had said, there was at least a spy hidden in the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Who could it be? She lowered her eyes, looked at her blurry face, and the light in her eyes flickered. The maids by Madame SHen''s side flashed across her mind, no matter who it was, they all looked to be loyal and devoted.


    It seemed that she had to think of a way to make the other party expose their fox tails. Otherwise, if she waited any longer, who knew how many hidden moths would appear. Moreover, Concubine Shao had her rights as a housekeeper. If she knew that his mother had taken over, who knows how crazy she would be. Furthermore, she was pregnant.


    The old lady cared a lot about this child, so she was afraid that Ye Lin would also do the same, if anything happened to his mother ¡­ Just thinking about it made her feel cold all over.


    While his mind was wandering about, the rising mist had already dissipated. The water in the bath barrel gradually became cold. Jin Lan felt his body becoming heavier and his head turning dizzy. Maybe it''s been a long time, she thought. He then called the Mama Tang in, hurriedly cleaned himself a few times, got up and dressed, and laid on the bed.


    At night, her body was hot and cold, and her chest felt a bit stuffy and uncomfortable. She woke up a few times in a trance, but her eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand kilograms.


    When he woke up again, the room was still quiet and dimly lit.


    Jin Lan felt as if all the bones in his body had been crushed by a carriage, the pain was unbearable, it was as if a fire was burning in his throat, and he did not have any strength left. He forcefully opened his eyes and called out softly: "Wan Ju." His voice was like a broken gong, hoarse and unpleasant to the ears.


    "Miss?" Wan Ju was originally very light asleep, as if she had heard something and opened her eyes, only that voice just now was too sudden, for a moment she wasn''t sure if Jin Lan had woken up, so she tried to speak.


    Jin Lan moved his tent weakly. "Water."


    Wan Ju was shocked. She hurriedly put on her clothes and shoes, picked up the blue and white porcelain oil lamp on the table and entered the room. She then lifted up the lotus root coloured cloth and saw Jin Lan''s abnormally red face.


    "Miss, what happened to you?" Wan Ju lost her voice, hurriedly placed the blue and white porcelain lamp on the table, and swiftly hung up the tent. After pouring a cup of tea for Jin Lan to drink, she stretched out her hand towards her forehead, "So hot!"


    She had originally been infected with cold air when her Meng Mansion fell into the water. Although she drank ginger soup to dispel the cold and also ate the medicine prescribed by the Imperial Physician Situ, she had not been able to rest properly. After the incident in the old lady''s room yesterday, and after coming back and soaking in the bathtub for a long time, he was afraid that the cold he was suppressing at this moment was coming out.


    After drinking the tea, her throat was no longer dry. She thought for a moment and looked at Wan Ju, "Don''t make any noise, quietly go to the kitchen and put the medicine given by Imperial Physician Situ on the table to boil."


    "But ¡­" Wan Ju''s face showed hesitation, she opened her mouth, wanting to say that it would be better to invite a doctor over to take a look, but seeing that Jin Lan was insistent, she could only nod her head and leave. She first called Bi He to get up, then went to the kitchen to fry some medicine.


    Bi He found out that Jin Lan''s body wasn''t feeling well and also advised him to go and get a doctor, but he was forcefully suppressed by Jin Lan.


    Only when the sky started to brighten did Wan Ju carefully enter the room with a red lacquered wooden tray in hand. On the tray, there were two bowls, a bowl of steaming hot jasmine congee, and a bowl of pitch black Medicinal Juice.


    "Miss, please drink some porridge to cover your stomach. Otherwise, your stomach will hurt."


    This Jade Gem Congee was currently simmering, and Jin Lan would come to the Shuixie Pavilion everyday to accompany Madame SHen in the morning meal. As a result, she basically did not prepare anything in the small kitchen. Wan Ju took advantage of the opening of the medicinal herb, and quickly grabbed two pieces of rice and placed them in the pot to boil. Coincidentally, once the medicinal herb was fried, the porridge would come out of the pot.


    Jin Lan didn''t decline. Even though she didn''t have any appetite at all, she still forced herself to eat half of the bowl of Jade Grain Soup, then picked up the Medicinal Juice that had become warm, and drank it all in one go.


    Wan Ju was secretly speechless. After the first time she had fried the medicine, she had tried a small piece of it and in the end, she could not help but spew out the bitterness. The girl had finished drinking the entire bowl, to the point that she did not even bat an eyelid.


    "Miss, would you like to sleep a little longer?" Bi He saw her dispirited expression and could not help but be worried.


    Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief, and nodded his head slightly. Wan Ju and Bi He then pulled her down and laid her down, and covered her with a blanket.


    Outside the window, the sky was bright, Wan Ju saw that Jin Lan was still dreaming and could not get up, so she sent Wen Zhu to Shuixie Pavilion to report.


    When Madame SHen heard that Jin Lan was unhappy, she immediately panicked. She got Hui Xiu to help him wash up, and then went back to Lan Garden.


    It was just that she was still on her way and an unexpected guest had already arrived within the Lan Garden.

 C66

    Wan Ju knew clearly that once the Madame SHen received the letter, she would definitely rush over, so she let them wait outside. Bi He and the other Mama Tang who had already received the news guard the room.


    After waiting for a while under the porch outside the house, she heard a wave of footsteps heading towards the main house. When she looked up, she saw that it was not Madame SHen.


    Just as a tiny figure stepped through the Lan Garden door, it headed straight for the main house. Behind it were a few servant girls, and they were even saying "Be careful". "Slow down." Don''t fall. " Words like that.


    Wan Ju thought about Jin Lan who was still on the bed, his brows furrowed for a moment before releasing him.


    "Eldest Young Master."


    The jogging figure ran all the way to the bottom of the bluestone staircase, and when she saw Wan Ju blocking her way, her young and tender face instantly revealed displeasure, "What are you blocking my way for? I want to see Sister Second Sister. "


    Wan Ju went up to pay respects to Ye Yu, with a smile on her face, she gently said: "Second Miss is still lying on the bed, how about this servant go in and take a look to see if Second Miss has woken up yet, is it okay?" She thought that since Eldest Young Master and the Second Miss were very close, she should understand and sympathize with each other.


    "No need, I''ll go in alone." Ye Yu''s mood did not seem to be very good. With a hard tone, he circled around Wan Ju and was about to step onto the bluestone staircase.


    Wan Ju''s heart was anxious, she hurriedly took two steps back, her body blocking the door, "Eldest Young Master, Second Miss has not..."


    "Who do you think you are to dare block my way like this?" The repeated obstructions caused Ye Yu, who was originally in a bad mood, to become even more furious. He suddenly reached out and pushed Wan Ju away, scolding him.


    Even though Ye Yu was only seven years old, he doted on everyone in the manor. He was plump and white, so the strength in his hands was naturally a bit stronger than the children of ordinary families. Furthermore, Wan Ju didn''t think that Ye Yu would take action against her, and was caught off guard, falling to the ground.


    As the two of them just so happened to be standing at the side of the stairs, with a fall, Wan Ju tumbled down the bluestone staircase.


    Ye Yu did not expect himself to injure someone, and was immediately stunned. His face paled slightly, and quickly recovered his composure, as he threw Wan Ju a glance in disgust, and spoke with conviction: "I saw that the maids in Second Sister''s courtyard are all useless. They can''t even stand steadily, how can they serve Second Sister''s sisters? No wonder the tired Sister Second Sister was sick. Hurry back to the old granny tomorrow, and send all of you away, then select the ones that you want to give to Second Sister Sis! "


    When the servants behind him saw him, they were all terrified out, and immediately rushed over, surrounding Ye Yu as they tried to find him. Seeing that he was safe and sound, they all heaved a sigh of relief, but no one cared about Wan Ju who was lying on the ground.


    Wan Ju''s miserable cries woke Jin Lan from her deep slumber. Mama Tang, who was guarding the side, immediately knew that something had happened and quickly called for Bi He to go out and take a look.


    Bi He lifted the curtain and saw Ye Yu in the middle, surrounded by a large group of people. Before she even had the chance to greet them, she caught a glimpse of a faint blue color from the corner of her eyes.


    "Wan Ju!" Bi He turned pale with fright, not bothering to look at Ye Yu who was in front of the door, she flung the curtain and stepped through the doorway, only then did she clearly see the situation on the ground. Wan Ju fell onto the ground at the bottom of the stairs, her forehead flowing with blood red. Her eyes that were tightly closed dripped onto the ground, turning into a small piece of brick.


    Seeing that someone had come out from the house, Ye Yu was a little perturbed, but he did not think that he was in the wrong. He twisted his voice and said: "All of you servant girls have been spoiled by Second Sister Sis, and you actually rode on top of my head to act mighty." With that, he snorted and didn''t ask the servant girl to beat up the curtain. Instead, he raised his hand and moved his exquisite lower hem as his plump body entered the room.


    The servant girls behind him still remembered that this was the Second Miss''s courtyard. After hesitating for a moment, they decided to stop at the door, not daring to follow him in.


    When Ye Yu entered the room like the wind, Jin Lan had already sat up, leaning on the pillow beside the bed, his lips covered with a layer of clear water, obviously he had just finished drinking his tea. She passed the teacup to Mama Tang, and then picked up the handkerchief beside her pillow to wipe her lips. Only then did he raise his eyes to look at the person who had just arrived.


    "Yu Ge''er, I have not seen you for half a year. Your body has grown much wider."


    Although he was still a bit confused just now, the sound outside wasn''t soft, and he could vaguely hear some of it. He still did not know what happened to Wan Ju, but from Bi He''s words, it was clearly not a good thing.


    Ye Yu entered the room and sat on the small Wooden Pellet on the bed, looking at Jin Lan, and did not speak. Her round face was probably red from running, but it was filled with impatience.


    The light in Jin Lan''s eyes flickered as he turned his head to instruct the Mama Tang, "Quickly, get the Yu Ge''er a cup of tea." As he spoke, he glanced at the door.


    The Mama Tang understood in his heart, so he nodded his head and gave Ye Yu a blessing in disguise before accepting his orders and leaving the room.


    Jin Lan''s gaze followed closely behind the Mama Tang, and only after her figure had disappeared from the door, did it land on the slightly swaying curtain of the door. She did not know what was happening outside, but Wan Ju should be fine right?


    Suddenly, Ye Yu opened his mouth, his young and tender voice sounded, his tone full of reproach: "Why didn''t Second Sister Sis help Aunt yesterday?"


    Jin Lan retracted his gaze and looked at Ye Yu, sizing him up.


    He was dressed in a robe of royal blue, with a silver-edged collar, a golden longevity lock on his chest, round jasper at his waist, and a pair of white brocade shoes on his feet. Although their attire was simple, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the workmanship of these items were all extremely exquisite, even better than the ones in the residence.


    Presumably, it was given by the Old Ancestor in the capital.


    "Why are you looking at me like that, Sister Second Sister? Didn''t you hear what I asked you! " Ye Yu saw that Jin Lan had made a sound, and was staring straight at him, and then remembered what she had said just now, and immediately became angry.


    Although he had traveled to the capital with the old lady and had traveled a long distance, he did not feel tired at all, either staying in the carriage or being carried by the wet nurse. On the contrary, he was excited by the novelty of the scenery. When they arrived at the capital, the Old Ancestor was even more pleased with them. He dressed and played with food and clothes more exquisite than the mansion itself. In just half a year, his body felt like it had been blown away. Although others thought that he was lucky, he was not willing to be pointed at, and would explode at the mere mention of it.


    "What do you think I should do?"


    Ye Yu''s face was full of surprise. He felt that on this trip back to Shang Jing, the Second Sister seemed to have become a lot more unfamiliar.


    He pondered for a bit, and creased his eyebrows that were somewhat similar to Ye Lin''s, revealing a haughty and proud expression, looking down at Jin Lan with a haughty expression, and said with a loud voice: "Of course I''m helping Aunt get rid of that tuberculosis patient!"


    Jin Lan stared at Ye Yu suddenly, his eyes filled with coldness: "You, what did you say?"


    Yu Ge''er was Ye Lin''s eldest son and also his son.


    It was difficult for Ye Lin to bear a son, and his mother had not given birth to a son, so he was the only male in the house. Whether it was the old lady or Ye Lin, they all felt pain in their hearts, and as a result, all the servants in the house treated the Yu Ge''er as their future master.


    Naturally, Concubine Shao only relied on his mother to be rich, and her status in the family rose sharply, eventually surpassing even her mother.


    In her previous life, she was very close to the Concubine Shao. Now that they looked at it again, the Yu Ge''er did not even take her, this young mistress, seriously, let alone his mother, who Ye Lin and the Old Granny did not like.


    "I said that elder sister Second Sister should have helped aunt, but now she''s getting closer to that tuberculosis patient instead? Looking at her, she doesn''t even have a few days to live. What will happen if you get sick? I am thinking for my sister! " Ye Yu simply did not notice anything abnormal about Jin Lan and thought that she could not hear his words clearly, so she said them out loud again.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his vision blur. His face immediately felt a burning pain, and a red mark could be seen on his cheeks at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    Ye Yu''s thin and long eyes instantly stared wide open as a buzzing sound came out from beside his ears. He was startled for a moment before suddenly raising his pitch high as he screamed in anger: "You dare hit me!"


    Jin Lan squinted his eyes, and looked at Ye Yu coldly, and said: "As a son of a human, I am not responsible, I am your sister, to teach you a lesson is natural and right, why do you not dare to hit me?"


    "I''ll beat you to death, you bitch!" Ye Yu''s eyes turned red, he roared and was about to pounce.


    When the Mama Tang guarding the door heard the sound, he sensed that something was amiss, he immediately lifted the curtain and entered the room. Just as he walked to the door, he saw Ye Yu brandishing his fist, fiercely pummeling at Jin Lan''s face.

 C67

    "Stop!" Mama Tang cried out involuntarily as she strode forward and barely caught hold of the hem of Ye Yu''s clothes.


    Ye Yu staggered, his legs slipped and he immediately fell onto the ground. Intense pain spread from his buttocks to his limbs and bones, and he immediately cried out.


    The maids and wives who were serving him were stunned. They immediately rushed into the room like a swarm of bees without thinking too much. Looking at Ye Yu crying on the ground, everyone was dumbstruck. Young Master was a treasure that could not be touched, even if he was missing a strand of hair, the old lady would still punish him severely if she knew!


    Seeing that the person beside him had arrived, Ye Yu''s courage recovered a bit. Without waiting for anyone to help him, he crawled up from the ground and limped towards the door, crying out loud: "I''m going back to the old lady, let her clean up your useless things!"


    Ye Yu''s figure quickly disappeared behind the curtain. Mama Tang''s face was pale white, his hands tightly gripped the handkerchief as he muttered: "What should I do?"


    Bi He and Mu Lan who arrived a few steps late saw the Mama Tang''s expression and were both startled.


    Everyone knew that the Eldest Young Master was the old lady''s treasure in her heart, but now ¡­


    "What are you panicking for?" Jin Lan took a deep breath, and said with a calm expression: "Mu Lan, quickly follow me out. See if there are other people with him in the Yu Ge''er. Mama, Bi He, please help me change and wash up. I''m going to the Jiayu Hall to pay respects to the old lady. "


    Her calmness infected the people in the room.


    The three of them acknowledged and quickly split up.


    Mu Lan was originally the closest to the door, so without a word, she lifted the curtain and ran out.


    Mama Tang opened the box and chose a thick and thick Smoky Rosy Pomegranate Ointment. Bi He personally went to the small kitchen to bring hot water there.


    The two of them neatly helped Jin Lan to wash up, and then helped her change her clothes. As the Mama Tang was combing her hair, Jin Lan had the time to ask Bi He: "Where is Wan Ju?"


    When Wan Ju was mentioned, both Mama Tang and Bi He''s face instantly turned ugly. Bi He''s eyes had even reddened.


    Jin Lan''s heart tightened. "What''s going on?"


    Bi He raised her head, and said softly: "When this servant went out to look, Wan Ju had already fallen on the ground." As he said that, he couldn''t help but tear up, his eyes glistening. "There''s a big hole on my forehead, and blood is flowing out non-stop. I used a handkerchief to cover my mouth for a long time, but still didn''t stop. Right now I have Wen Zhu watch over me. "


    "Have you called a doctor?" Jin Lan couldn''t help but suck in a cold breath.


    "I''ve sent old woman Feng out of Jiao-men Manor to invite you." Bi He then knelt down, "Miss, please forgive this servant for taking the initiative to make a decision."


    "Stand up." Jin Lan sighed. Last time, Wan Ju was injured due to coming out for an examination, and there were some scars on her forehead, but now ¡­ Her hands could not help but tighten together.


    The Mama Tang swiftly rolled up the last strand of hair, and Mu Lan quickly entered the house.


    "Miss, this servant watched as Eldest Young Master walked in the direction of the Jiayu Hall." Mu Lan gasped for breath, she stepped forward a few steps and softly replied to Jin Lan, and after she finished speaking, she hesitated.


    Jin Lan saw the hesitation in her eyes, "Other than that, what else is there?"


    Mu Lan thought for a while, and still decided to speak up: "When we were chasing after them, this servant saw a shadow flash past the banyan tree in the front of the courtyard. Like the First Miss! It''s just that this servant was unable to see it clearly, which is why I didn''t dare to speak to the young lady. "


    "There''s no hurry, you can go down first." Jin Lan picked a blue jade hairpin from the mirror and handed it to Mama Tang, then went silent.


    According to the memories of his past life, although he was not really close with Yu Ge''er before he came to the capital, there were still people who were fifty to sixty percent of them. They would not disregard everything and barge into her house like that. Furthermore, when she was close to his mother, Yu Ge''er and the Old Granny had already arrived at the capital, so he didn''t know at all. Then, the only possibility was that someone had informed him.


    Knowing what happened yesterday, and telling the people of Yu Ge''er, they didn''t even need to think to know that it was the Concubine Shao. It was just that the Concubine Shao would definitely not incite the Yu Ge''er to come find trouble with her at this point of time. Hence, the only one left was Ye Jinwei.


    Hence, she ordered Mu Lan to follow her out, to see if Yu Ge''er would directly go and complain to the old lady, or if he should go and discuss it with Ye Jinwei first.


    Just as expected, Mu Lan noticed Ye Jinwei, so she must have been following behind Yu Ge''er, just that she did not enter Lan Garden.


    Did Ye Jinwei want to see her make a joke out of herself? A faint smile appeared on the corner of Jin Lan''s mouth as a light flickered in his eyes. Then, he would wait and see. He would see just who would make a fool of who!


    After tidying up properly, Jin Lan asked Bi He to stay behind to take care of Wan Ju, and he only brought Mama Tang to the Jiayu Hall. Just as he walked out of the courtyard, he saw Madame SHen walking over.


    Why is Mother here? Jin Lan was startled. Without further thought, Madame SHen had already walked up to him.


    "Didn''t I say that I''m not feeling well? Why aren''t you resting properly, and even came out to enjoy the wind. " Madame SHen anxiously pulled Jin Lan closer. Seeing her slightly pale face, she said with a pained heart.


    Jin Lan bowed to Madame SHen, "Mother, I was just about to pay my respects to the old lady."


    Madame SHen was startled, only then did she notice that there was something wrong with her expression. After pondering for a moment, she nodded and followed her to the Jiayu Hall.


    On the way, Jin Lan told Madame SHen everything that had happened within the Lan Garden, and only ignored the few unscrupulous words that the Yu Ge''er had said.


    When the Madame SHen heard these words, her gaze immediately became sharp, and she could not suppress the rage in her eyes. She pursed her lips and did not say anymore, as she coldly looked at the Jiayu Hall that was getting closer and closer.


    The moment Jin Lan and Madame SHen stepped into the Jiayu Hall gate, Yan Rong came over to welcome them. Obviously, he had specially waited here for them.


    Yan Rong stepped forward and bowed, "Madam and Second Miss are here. The old lady was just reciting."


    Looking at Yan Rong''s expression, it looked as if she wasn''t the least bit surprised that his mother would come here, Jin Lan sneered in her heart. It must be that after hearing Yu Ge''er''s words, the old lady wanted to drag this matter onto his mother''s side, right? Even if his mother hadn''t come to the Jiayu Hall with him, perhaps the servant girl who was going to the Shuixie Pavilion would already be halfway on the way.


    Yan Rong led the Madame SHen and Jin Lan into the house. The old lady was currently sitting on the soft couch outside, with the Yu Ge''er in her embrace. They were talking softly, but when they saw someone walk in, they immediately shut their mouths.


    Jin Lan quickly scanned his surroundings, and did not see Ye Jinwei''s figure. Did he not come or not?


    The moment Ye Yu saw Jin Lan and the Madame SHen enter, he immediately shrank into Old Madame Ye''s embrace and said with a face full of fear: "Grandmother, Big Sister Second Sister is here, but she wants to hit me again?"


    Madame SHen was already angry from the start, but seeing that Ye Yu actually told the old lady in front of her, it was clear that he was not taking her seriously, a ruthless look flashed past her eyes.


    "Nonsense, who dares to hit you?" Old Madame Ye lovingly patted Ye Yu''s back and coaxed him lovingly, "Go wash your face first, when we get back, grandmother will let the kitchen make the Sesame Rice and Jade Bean Cake that you love, okay?"


    "Alright." Ye Yu turned his tears into a smile, and obediently went down to wash his face. When they were about to leave, he took the opportunity when the old lady wasn''t paying attention to him and proudly made a face towards Jin Lan.


    "Wait!" Madame SHen suddenly called out to stop him, smiling faintly as she looked at Old Madame Ye, "Old granny, just now, did Yu Ge''er say that Jin Lan hit him?"


    Seeing the Madame SHen block her path, the Old Madame Ye frowned in displeasure, "Do you see the marks on the Yu Ge''er''s face?" He then looked at Jin Lan, although his expression was still angry, but it was slower than when he was facing Madame SHen, "Jin Lan, as your elder sister, how can you beat Yu Ge''er?"


    Just as Jin Lan was about to speak, the Madame SHen beat him to it.


    "Did the old lady ever ask Yu Ge''er what he said in the early morning in the Lan Garden and what he did?"


    Old Madame Ye looked at Yu Ge''er who was standing by the door. Just now, he was crying and raising the mark on his face, but she had forgotten to ask because of her heartache. He then asked gently: "Yu Ge''er, tell Grandmother, what are you doing in Sister Second Sister''s room?"


    Ye Yu vigorously shook his head, like a frightened rabbit, his small eyes blinked a few times. The flesh on his face had almost squeezed together, and he said timidly: "I-I didn''t do anything, it''s just that it''s been too long since I saw Big Sis Second Sister, so I came to Lan Garden to see her. But who knew that Second Sister Sis would ¡­ " As he spoke, he squeezed out a few more tears, looking extremely pitiful.


    Madame SHen looked at Ye Yu suddenly, his eyes cold. Then, he asked with a smile on his face, "Did you really not do anything?"


    Ye Yu looked at Madame SHen''s smile, his heart feeling cold, he anxiously hid behind Yan Rong and avoided her gaze.


    Madame SHen''s questioning and Yu Ge''er''s frightened look made Old Madame Ye''s face even uglier. She suddenly shouted, "Enough! I''m not dead yet, you can''t be too presumptuous in Jiayu Hall! "


    Madame SHen''s face instantly turned white, the old lady''s words could be said to be extremely harsh, implying that she did not respect her elders, and was disrespecting her family.


    "Grandmother." Even if Jin Lan supported the shaking body of the Madame SHen, and with clear eyes, he looked straight at the Old Madame Ye, "Please calm your anger Grandmother, this matter is related to Lan Er and the Yu Ge''er, Grandmother shouldn''t just listen to Yu Ge''er''s words and judge Lan Er as the perpetrator, right?"


    She did not regret beating Yu Ge''er. If she had tried again, she would still slap him without hesitation.


    Gu Yan once said that dragons have reverse scales, and her mother was her reverse scale. Once touched, she would be furious!

 C68

    Jin Lan helped Madame SHen to sit on a chair at the side, and turned to look at him, "Does Grandmother not even give Lan Er a chance to explain herself?"


    That small face, which was slightly raised, flickered with stubbornness and unyielding, as well as a trace of sadness and disappointment. When it entered Old Madame Ye''s eyes, she immediately felt a little upset.


    Jin Lan had been living in front of her ever since he was young. Without mentioning the others, she knew his character the best. He was gentle and kind, even talking softly. Once, Yu Ge''er''s naughty leg got injured, but she accompanied him for a few days, blaming herself for not taking good care of Yu Ge''er. At this moment ¡­


    Old Madame Ye''s eyes moved slightly as she looked at Ye Yu who was hiding behind Yan Rong, revealing only a corner of her blue robe with silver threads. Ye Yu waved at him, "Yu Ge''er, come over."


    Ye Yu stuck out half of his head, looked at Old Madame Ye, then looked at Jin Lan, and shook his head: "Grandmother, my face is so sticky, if I dirty Grandmother''s clothes, it would not be good. I''ll come and stay with my grandmother after I''ve washed up. " Then he turned around and was about to run out.


    "Yu Ge''er." Jin Lan suddenly called out, "It''s been so long. Your body has grown quite a bit. Why are you still so cowardly?"


    Ye Yu had always been brave, but he was afraid that the spider webs that were wedged into the corner of the roof, even if they were as tiny as the tip of a hairpin, would still make him cry when he saw them. Thus, the courtyard that the Yu Ge''er lived in was probably the place that the palace cleaned the most diligently. Let alone the spiders, they couldn''t even see a single spider web. In the past, Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei would often make fun of his cowardice, but after being made a fool of a few times, they had never mentioned this matter again.


    Hearing Jin Lan''s sneer, the foot that had stepped past the threshold immediately shrank back. Ye Yu turned his head around, and his face turned green and white, and without even thinking he angrily shouted: "Who said I''m cowardly?"


    Jin Lan''s eyes flashed with a look of satisfaction. He said slowly, "In that case, do you dare to repeat what you said in my room in front of the old lady and mother?"


    Although Ye Yu had a haughty and arrogant personality, he was not a fool. If those words were spoken privately, it would be fine, but if it was on the surface, the old lady would definitely not listen to him. After all, she valued rules and respect the most. Therefore, when he complained earlier, he only cried out that Jin Lan had hit him, not saying a single word about what he had said.


    Seeing that Jin Lan was so anxious, he rolled his eyes and remembered that there was no one else in the house back then. He immediately spoke with a harsh tone as he raised his neck and shouted, "Second Sister Sis'' words are too unreasonable, I was clearly being kind to you. It''s fine that you didn''t appreciate my kindness, but now you still want to blame this on me? Could it be that Second Sister Sis thinks that I can fool you?"


    Jin Lan''s eyes flashed. She was sure that the Yu Ge''er didn''t dare to say such outrageous words to the old lady, but she didn''t think that he had become smarter. He brought out the old lady with every word, wanting to push her into a position opposite to the old lady.


    Looks like she was truly blind in her previous life. Not only was she unable to see through the true colors of Concubine Shao and Ye Jinwei, even the young Yu Ge''er couldn''t see through them.


    Madame SHen''s face sank, but just as she was about to speak up, she saw Jin Lan give her a look.


    "Yu Ge''er, you keep saying that. Let me ask you, do you dare to swear in front of the old lady, that if you lie, you will never eat your favorite cake again, the Jade Bean Cake. And the house is covered with spider webs, while the ground is covered with spiders! "


    "Jin Lan!" Old Madame Ye bellowed, her tone carrying a hint of sternness.


    Jin Lan turned his head, and looked at Old Madame Ye with a wronged expression, "It is wrong for Lan Er to make his grandmother angry, but if Yu Ge''er truly has a clear conscience, so what if he has sworn an oath? Does Grandmother think that Lan Er would beat him up for no reason? "


    Old Madame Ye swept a glance at Madame SHen, then tightly stared at Jin Lan''s small face, as if he was trying to find some clues.


    Jin Lan didn''t have the intention to dodge at all. From start to finish, he looked straight into Old Madame Ye''s eyes, but the grievance in them only grew more and more.


    After a long while, Old Madame Ye sighed secretly. Her expression was unclear, but she did not say anything more. Yu Ge''er suddenly felt that something was wrong, she did not continue hiding, but rushed to the front of Old Madame Ye, buried his head in her bosom and said: "Grandmother, I''m afraid."


    Old Madame Ye hugged the soft body in her arms as she looked at Ye Yu''s pitiful appearance. Just as she was about to open her mouth to brush away Jin Lan''s thoughts, Jin Lan spoke first. "Since you haven''t done it before, what are you afraid of? Grandmother is the most impartial, she will definitely not accuse anyone. "


    The Old Madame Ye patted Yu Ge''er''s back and hand paused for a moment. Then, she looked at Jin Lan meaningfully and swallowed back the words that were about to leave his mouth.


    Jin Lan was clear that her words just now had made the old lady unhappy, but she did not cower, and stared straight at Yu Ge''er.


    Seeing that Old Madame Ye did not move, and did not have the intention to speak for him, Ye Yu became flustered, she pulled on Old Madame Ye''s sleeves and shook a few times, as if she was about to cry, she raised her head and said, "Grandmother ¡­."


    How could Jin Lan allow him to soften the old lady''s heart? She immediately said, "If you don''t want to say it, then I''ll do it for you. Please give the old lady some judgement!" He paused for a while and then continued, "Regarding the matter earlier, I don''t know which chatty person learned it for Yu Ge''er to hear, but Concubine Shao is after all her biological mother, so it is understandable for Yu Ge''er to be worried about her. But Yu Ge''er barged into the Lan Garden very early in the morning, not only did he injure Lan Er''s personal servant, he even spoke rudely, and questioned why Lan Er did not speak up for Concubine Shao, and even cursed her mother! The more he spoke, the colder his expression became.


    "Although mother lives in seclusion, she is still the wife of Ye Family! As the son of a human, Yu Ge''er did not show mercy, Lan Er was the direct descendant, does Grandmother think that she should not hit him with this slap? " Jin Lan enunciated each word sharply, "was taught a lesson, but was unrepentant and still wanted to attack me. If not for Mama Tang being in time, grandmother might have met Lan Er who is safe and sound!"


    Old Madame Ye''s gaze suddenly darkened, and he asked Ye Yu with a straight face: "Is this for real?"


    Ye Yu shook his head like a rattle drum, denying repeatedly, "No, no."


    Although he said that, the fear and panic on his face could not escape the shrewd eyes of Old Madame Ye, and he immediately understood.


    "Even if Yu Ge''er were to really injure Lan Er, as his sister, Lan Er would not fuss over it. But when Yu Ge''er made his move, he actually called Lan Er a bitch, and even beat her to death! "After that, he couldn''t see her, and even said that he wanted to find Grandmother and have Grandmother clean up our useless things!" Jin Lan didn''t plan to stop there, her face revealed a trace of grief, "So in the heart of Yu Ge''er, this young mistress of mine is a slut, an immoral person! What are father and mother? "Then where is Grandmother?"


    She was well aware of the old lady''s selfishness, but she could not tolerate her mother being bullied on her head by a concubine''s bastard. Since his mother couldn''t tear herself away from the old lady, he might as well let her be his daughter.


    The main reason why the Concubine Shao was favored, was because of the Yu Ge''er. And wasn''t the arrogance of the Yu Ge''er all because of the old lady''s and Ye Lin''s favors? Then she will think of a way to destroy this favor and see what the Concubine Shao can rely on.


    When the Old Madame Ye heard Jin Lan''s few words that came out from his mouth when the Lan Garden had occurred, he choked out a few more words to question the Yu Ge''er''s conduct and deeds, and the expression on his face became gloomier and gloomier. She looked at Madame SHen who remained silent with a dark face, then looked at Ye Yu, whose body was trembling, and whose face was pale.


    No matter how much he doted on her, there was a difference between her and her son. At this very moment, Yu Ge''er''s identity could not compare to Jin Lan''s, and Jin Lan was right, Madame SHen was unpopular, and was also the wife of Ye Family, how could Yu Ge''er say such arrogant words, this was slapping his face!


    "Yu Ge''er, is what your Second Sister sister said the truth?" The Old Madame Ye asked.


    Ye Yu never thought that the old lady who loved him the most would question him like this with a cold face. His hands and feet instantly turned cold, and he no longer dared to look at the old lady.


    After saying that, Jin Lan returned to Madame SHen''s side and watched coldly as the old lady dealt with this matter. Madame SHen had a complicated expression on her face. Just now, Jin Lan did not mention anything about Yu Ge''er cursing her, but with Yu Ge''er''s personality, her words must be a hundred times, a thousand times harder to hear than what she said.


    It seemed that the people in the mansion had already forgotten who the real master was! A hint of sternness flashed through Madame SHen''s eyes as he clenched his hand into a fist under his sleeve. Only after a long while did he slowly loosen his grip.


    "Who told you about yesterday?" In the end, Old Madame Ye was an old man, and she saw through the whole thing with a glance. Yu Ge''er was merely used as a spear by others.


    At this very moment, Ye Yu did not dare to hide anything. He bowed his head and replied softly, "It''s big sister."


    A smile appeared on Jin Lan''s face.


    Old Madame Ye''s face was green and black. She raised her head to look at Yan Rong who was standing by the side of the door, and coldly said: "Go and call First Miss over!"


    "Yes." Yan Rong then left.


    Ye Yu never thought that his words would bring about any sort of consequences for Ye Jinwei. He quickly thought about how he could make the old lady vent her anger on him, his eyes quietly rolling around, and her round little face immediately wrinkled like a bun,. He rubbed his eyes, wanting to step up but hesitating fearfully, his eyes red as he looked at Old Madame Ye, "Grandmother, Yu''er is wrong, please punish Grandmother.


    Looking at Ye Yu''s expression, Old Madame Ye couldn''t help but sigh. All these years, Madame SHen had been living in the sickbed ever since Yue Yang and Jin Lan were young. She was well aware of their personalities. Although Yu Ge''er was a little arrogant, she was not a bad person.


    Thinking about it, the Old Madame Ye called out to Pin Yue in a loud voice, "Bring the tea over, use the clouds brought over from the capital, and ask the little kitchen to make some Blessings and Jade Bean Cake."


    Just as he finished speaking, Yu Ge''er immediately revealed a sweet smile, "Grandmother''s pain is the most intense!"


    Jin Lan looked coldly at Old Madame Ye rubbing Ye Yu in his arms, then lowered his head and remained silent. She had never thought that she would be able to make the Old Granny hate the Yu Ge''er. After all, he was the only male heir to the household.


    However, as long as the seed continued to be watered, there would be a day when it would emerge from the ground and grow into a towering tree.


    Pin Yue brewed some tea and brought it up, and after a while, Yan Rong''s voice sounded outside: "Old lady, First Miss is here."

 C69

    The affectionate smile on Old Madame Ye''s face faded as she said in a cold voice: "Let her in."


    Yan Rong pulled the curtain, and the nervous Ye Jinwei entered the house.


    She didn''t think that the old lady would send someone to call for her. She was originally waiting not far from the Jiayu Hall, just to see Jin Lan''s dejected expression. Unexpectedly, before Jin Lan could even react, Yan Rong had arrived. When she found out that the old lady had gone in search of her, she had also asked Yan Rong what was the matter. However, Yan Rong just smiled and did not reply.


    Madame SHen and Jin Lan sat at the side, sipping the cloud fog tea that they normally wouldn''t be able to drink. Their expressions were calm, as if they couldn''t see Ye Jinwei.


    Ye Jinwei glared fiercely at Jin Lan, and noticed the cold gaze of Old Madame Ye, and immediately held his breath in fear, lowering his head and sincerely bowing to Old Madame Ye.


    The corner of Old Madame Ye''s mouth curled into a cold smile. She took a sip of tea and said lightly: "Do you know about the matter of Yu Ge''er coming to Lan Garden early in the morning?"


    Ye Jinwei bit her lips as she held the handkerchief tightly in her hand. She was shocked in her heart, How did the old lady know about this? Could it be that Yu Ge''er said something? However, she had specifically told the Yu Ge''er not to reveal her name, no matter how others asked, especially the Old Granny. Ye Jinwei really wanted to raise her head and look at Yu Ge''er, but she didn''t dare to act too boldly.


    "Hmm?" Old Madame Ye snorted, she placed the cup back on the table, using a bit more strength.


    Ye Jinwei was suddenly shocked in her heart, "No, I don''t know." Her voice was soft and whimpering, and it was clear that even she could not believe it.


    Once he said that, Ye Yu immediately became unhappy. He stood up from Old Madame Ye''s embrace and turned to shout at Ye Jinwei: "Big sister is speaking nonsense! It was clearly you who told me that your concubine was being bullied, saying that not only did Second Sister Sis not help your concubine, she was even adding insult to injury on the side. It was a waste for Aunt Fei to treat her so well and even told me to ask her why she was doing it, so I got up early in the morning and went to Lan Garden! "


    Ye Yu''s words made the color of Ye Jinwei''s face drained. She never thought that the blood brother of her mother would break her down like that, in front of the old lady and wife at the same time. More importantly, there was still Ye Jinlan in the room!


    When Old Madame Ye heard this, her eyes became sharp, and she slammed the table, "Is what Yu Ge''er said true?"


    She wanted to deny it, but even though she opened her mouth she could not make a sound. She knew clearly in her heart that compared to the two of them, the old lady would definitely trust Yu Ge''er, not to mention that there was still Ye Jinlan.


    She raised her head and looked at Ye Yu angrily, cursing him in her heart: Damn that Yu Ge''er, he really is an inexperienced wolf! He had been so nice to her all this time that he had actually stabbed her in the back.


    "Jinwei, let me ask you again, is what Yu Ge''er said true?" The Old Madame Ye looked at Ye Jinwei coldly. To dare incite the Yu Ge''er to cause trouble, it seemed that after being away from home for a few days, the Concubine Shao''s heart had grown bigger.


    Ye Jinwei knew that she couldn''t avoid it anymore, so she could only endure it and said with a trembling voice, "Ancestor, Grandmother, please calm your anger. Jin Wei won''t dare do it again!"


    "Next time?" "As your eldest sister, instead of being respectful and loving with your sister-in-law, you instigated your Yu Ge''er to commit such a heinous crime. In my opinion, it was the respect of everyone in the household, which was why you had such an impudent personality!" Then he called Yan Rong, "From today onwards, First Miss will move to the Tranquil Heart Mansion and have two other instructors properly teach the First Miss etiquette. With such a temper, we still do not know what kind of mistake he will make, but when the time comes, we will lose face for our Ye Family!"


    Ye Jinwei suddenly raised her head, and looked at the old lady in disbelief. Her face instantly turned green and white, and she felt the blood in her entire body congealing.


    Tranquil Heart''s residence was located in the westernmost corner of the mansion, and the place next to the Tranquil Heart''s residence was the Ye Family''s ancestral hall. It was only until Ye Lin''s vein that people were slowly left idle. Usually, only the servants in charge of the ancestral hall would occasionally think of cleaning it.


    The old lady had actually punished her to live in peace of mind! Ye Jinwei''s face turned pale, his body trembled, and tears flowed down her face. He suddenly jumped forward, and fell down, hugging Old Madame Ye''s knees as he wailed: "Grandmother, Jin Wei knows her wrongs, and is willing to copy the¡¶ Fourth Woman Book¡· a hundred times, and only hopes Grandmother does not punish me to live in peace!"


    Jin Lan raised an eyebrow. The "Female Four Books" contained the < Female Commandment >, the < Encyclopedia of Women''s Words >, and the < Female Classics >. Not to mention a hundred times, even copying it down wasn''t easy. However, she never thought that the Old Granny would let Ye Jinwei come to the Tranquil Heart Mansion, it seemed that the Old Granny had planned to beat Concubine Shao up. Ye Jinwei had done this to Concubine Shao and to Yu Ge''er, she just wanted to move to the Tranquil Heart Mansion.


    Old Madame Ye swept Ye Jinwei a cold glance, "Yan Rong, send First Miss back to her Yunxiu House to pack her things. Move over after lunch."


    Yan Rong quickly called for a few servants to come up. Ye Jinwei struggled to say more, but Yan Rong''s hands were quick. She quickly covered her mouth with the handkerchief in her hands. The servant girl behind her also twisted her, but she did not dare to hurt Ye Jinwei, as they had to work together to drag Ye Jinwei, who was whimpering in pain, half supporting half supporting and half dragging her out.


    The inside of the house immediately quieted down. Ye Yu''s face turned white, but he heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. The person who had luckily gone to rest was not his. Before he could reveal a smile, Old Madame Ye opened her mouth again: Yu Ge''er, although you have been instigated by others, but you have to be a man, you need to be able to bear the consequences. If it''s a mistake, it''s a mistake, why don''t you go and apologize to your Second Sister sister?


    "Grandmother." Yu Ge''er called out in dissatisfaction. Seeing the old lady''s gloomy face and thinking of his big sister who had been punished to live in peace, Yu Ge''er felt a little fearful in his heart. He then got up and slowly walked to the front of Jin Lan, bowing to him in a casual manner while mumbling something softly. Unfortunately, his voice was too soft, and not to mention Madame SHen and the Old Madame Ye, even Jin Lan, who was standing right in front of him, could not hear clearly what he was saying.


    Jin Lan gently put down the teacup in his hand, and a smile appeared on his face, which was extremely dazzling to Ye Yu, "What did you say? Why can''t I hear you clearly? " She raised her eyebrows at Ye Yu with a face full of ridicule and provocation.


    "You ¡­" Ye Yu almost could not hold back from swearing, but when the words reached his mouth, he was still choked in the end. He glared at Jin Lan viciously, gritted his teeth, and squeezed out a few words from the gaps between his teeth: "Sister Second Sister, I was in the wrong today, I hope Sister Second Sister can forgive me."


    "Since you know you''re wrong, I naturally won''t argue with you. Who asked me to be your direct sister? Am I right?" Yu Ge''er. " Jin Lan pursed his lips, placing extra emphasis on the word ''direct'' as a peculiar luster shone in his eyes.


    Ye Yu glared at her but did not reply. He turned and walked straight to the old lady''s side and sat down.


    Madame SHen looked at Ye Yu coldly, then looked at Old Madame Ye and said indifferently: "Yu Ge''er is still young, so it''s hard to avoid being a little impulsive. We''ll just have to teach her from now on.


    Old Madame Ye squinted her eyes, she lowered her head and glanced at the unwillingness on Yu Ge''er''s face, her gaze flashed for a moment, then suddenly said: "Yu Ge''er, since you know your wrongs, go back to your house and copy down the ''Analects'' that you have learnt, then come out after you have copied it."


    When Ye Yu heard that they were going to copy books, he immediately shouted: "Grandmother!" He had clearly admitted his wrongs, and even repaid the favor. Why did he still have to imprison him to copy books? Wouldn''t that mean he wouldn''t be able to go out and play? He didn''t want to!


    "What is it? "You don''t want to?" Old Madame Ye''s expression, which had just calmed down a bit, suddenly darkened again, "Then does Yu Ge''er want to go to a peaceful place to accompany big sister for a short period of time?"


    At the mention of Tranquil Heart Pavilion, Ye Yu went silent, and did not dare to say another word.


    The Old Madame Ye was called by Pin Yue to urge him to come in, and after a careful beating, she brought Ye Yu back.


    No matter how unwilling Ye Yu was, he could only turn around and urge the Mama to leave.


    Only then did Old Madame Ye loosen her tensed face, and waved Jin Lan over. "Lan Er, come to Grandmother''s place."


    Jin Lan walked over obediently. She did not intend to argue with the old lady because the old lady had already locked Ye Jinwei up in the Tranquil Heart Mansion.


    Old Madame Ye pulled her into her embrace, touched her head, and after looking at her carefully, she laughed: "I haven''t seen her for half a year, but Lan Er has grown a lot taller, and has become a lot taller."


    A faint captivating red rose up from Jin Lan''s cheeks, and he smiled lightly: "Grandmother is teasing Lan Er again."


    Old Madame Ye smiled dotingly: "If you counted up to a few months, it should be the birthday of Lan Er when she is ten years old."


    Jin Lan nodded. Her birthdate had been specially named ''Lan'' in the new year. It implied that years and years would pass in waves after years, and that she would always be wealthy.


    "Although the Yu Ge''er is at fault, he is still young after all. As your big sister, you should forgive him a little." The Old Madame Ye suddenly changed the topic.


    Seeing Old Madame Ye''s words suddenly change, Jin Lan''s heart shivered. Ever since the old lady had waved her hand, she knew it was her turn, but she didn''t know what the old lady would do with her slap on Yu Ge''er. At this moment, he could only nod in agreement.


    The Old Madame Ye patted Jin Lan''s hands and sighed, "Being small makes me feel less worried. Now that you are older, I naturally feel more at ease. Grandmother has especially asked the Old Ancestor in the capital to choose a famous Mama as a guide. I heard that he is an old man from the palace, and wants to serve his benefactor. When that time comes, you must follow me in learning, and don''t disappoint my hopes. "


    A teacher who came out of the palace and guided the Mama s? A trace of surprise flashed through Jin Lan''s heart. In his previous life, her guidance Mama wasn''t from any palace, how could such a person suddenly appear?


    She faintly felt that the old lady''s words were somewhat familiar, as if they were related to some important matter. However, she couldn''t remember what it was!

 C70

    The moment Jin Lan left the Jiayu Hall and went back to the Madame SHen, his body became limp. She had woken up from her dream several times last night. Apart from her body covered in cold sweat, she felt weak. She was furious again and again this morning. She had worked so hard to calm herself down, so how could she bear it? At night, he was even more confused and started to mutter nonsense.


    Seeing Jin Lan like this, how would Mama Tang dare to listen to her orders before, so she immediately sent someone to pass the message to the Madame SHen.


    The Madame SHen turned pale with fright. She immediately called for Man Ping to come out of her residence late into the night to invite him over, which caused both the veins and medicine to boil over in the entire manor. Even Ye Lin had come over to look around, and the candles on the Jiayu Hall were lit up a few times.


    When dawn was about to break, the golden light was supported by the Mama Tang and Wan Ju. The Madame SHen had fed the medicine and waited for the temperature to drop.


    Only, she did not expect that even if Wan Ju recovered quickly, this disease would still last for more than half a month.


    Aside from the fact that Doctor Gong came over almost every few days to help his pulse, Imperial Physician Situ had also made a trip to the Ye Family as promised. He looked at the medicine and slightly changed the prescription, so everything else was pretty much like what he said in the Meng Mansion.


    For this reason, Jin Lan was ordered by the Old Madame Ye and her family to lie on his bed and recuperate. Only when she had gotten better did he allow her to walk around the courtyard. In this way, he had managed to hold her in place for a whole day, making her feel extremely stuffy.


    Meng Ruhan found out that Jin Lan''s body wasn''t feeling well, and shouted that she wanted to visit them. Once she got back to her residence, she asked the Madame Qin to pass a letter to him at the Ye Family. Coincidentally, Madame Qin also had things she wanted to discuss with Madame SHen. Just when she was worrying about why she should come to visit, she used the fact that her daughter was visiting him, and happily sent people to deliver her invitation.


    When the Madame SHen received the invitation, she recalled the words the Madame Qin had said in her room right before returning to the. She had originally intended to reject them, but after thinking about the lonely face of Jin Lan, she agreed.


    Although the Ye Family''s garden was not as exquisite as the Meng Mansion''s pavilions, and was luxuriantly purple and full of fragrance, the wondrous stones that were placed inside were all the materials personally designed by the ancestor of the Ye Family when the residence was completed. It was as large as a fake mountain, and as small as a goose egg that was beautiful from top to bottom, it gave off a majestic aura.


    After the Madame Qin entered the palace, she first brought Meng Ruhan to go pay respects to the Old Madame Ye.


    "Greetings to the old lady." Although Meng Ruhan''s character was eccentric, but when there was a need to be courteous, he was not sloppy either.


    "Alright, quickly get up." The Old Madame Ye laughed and waved, gesturing for Meng Ruhan to come over.


    Meng Ruhan looked at Madame Qin and saw her smiling face. Then, she walked over.


    Old Madame Ye held Meng Ruhan''s hand and scrutinized it closely. Seeing that she had a pleasant appearance, she acted naturally and gracefully, revealing the gentleness of a lady, and immediately rejoiced in her heart. "She really is an excellent girl." As she spoke, she got Yan Rong to open the box and took out the Tian Tian Qing Yu Four Butterfly''s Ru Yi hairpin out as a gift.


    Madame Qin was an extremely perceptive person, with just a few glances, she was able to see just how extraordinary this hairpin was. Although it didn''t look colorful, it was actually clear and smooth, with patterns that flowed like the clouds and flowing water. The patterns on the butterfly''s wings formed the character of a month, and it was a gem from the Moon Shop.


    "Old granny, if you give me such a precious item, I''m afraid it will be a waste." Madame Qin immediately tried to dissuade him.


    Just as she finished speaking, Meng Ruhan cried out in surprise, "What a beautiful hairpin! Ru Han thanks the old lady."


    Madame Qin immediately felt a bit awkward.


    Old Madame Ye smiled meaningfully, "It''s not anything precious. Just let Miss Meng bring it along for fun."


    Madame Qin''s eyes suddenly flashed with a glint of light as she thought about the Old Madame Ye opening spring in the capital, and she smiled while leading Meng Ruhan to thank Old Madame Ye for her rewards.


    The jewellery of the Eternal Moon Temple was extremely exquisite and valuable. Moreover, its style had never been repeated, so it could be said to be unique.


    Even if it was herself, she had only specially searched for a few secrets when she was married, but Old Madame Ye had immediately bestowed her such a precious gift. She couldn''t help but think about it.


    Old Madame Ye and Madame Qin chatted for a while before she let them go. Madame SHen invited Madame Qin to the backyard, and had Hui Xiu bring Meng Ruhan to the Lan Garden. It was clear that the two had something to say, and didn''t want her to know it.


    Jin Lan already knew that Meng Ruhan was coming, and had already arranged tea in the house. When Meng Ruhan arrived, she covered her mouth and laughed, "My Feng Lu tea has just been made to become outstanding, and you''re already here. It''s so timely, did you think that there would be anything delicious here?"


    "I made some calculations. Naturally, everything is known. You don''t know, right?" Meng Ruhan was joking with her, but when she looked at Meng Ruhan, she saw that her pretty face had shrunk a lot. Her chin, which was originally still slightly baby fat, was now thin to the point of being pointy. Her skin was a sickly pale color. Although there were several pots of flowers in the room, the strong smell of medicine could not be concealed.


    She couldn''t help but frown. She walked to Jin Lan''s side and sat down. Holding her slightly cold hands, she asked with concern, "How is it that you''ve become so ill in just a few days?" As he said that, he remembered that he had caused the golden waves to fall into the water because of him. Guilt welled up in his heart as he continued, "I was the one who let you down. If that day..."


    "I think you don''t want to drink this Maple Dew Tea anymore. It''s so annoying to talk nonsense like that." Jin Lan laughed as he interrupted Meng Ruhan''s self-blame. He then took out the white porcelain cup of tea with the Four Seasons Flower and moved it to the side, casting a sideways glance at Wan Ju who was serving the side. "Take this tea and pour it under the flower root, so as to avoid giving it to this annoying person.


    Wan Ju resisted her laughter and replied. Just as she was about to reach forward to take the tea cup, Meng Ruhan quickly inserted his hand, moved the cup to her side, and laughed: "Don''t, for the sake of eating this good tea of yours, I have to endure it since I can''t even bear to drink a mouthful of water." Saying so, she blinked her eyes and pouted.


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but giggle when he saw her feigning grievance, "So, you''re saying that even though you put away your family''s good tea and don''t eat it, you''re still eyeing my little things? If word of this gets out, I''m afraid no one will believe it. "


    "Don''t believe me. It''s just me, you little thing." Meng Ruhan lifted the teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile: "Although the tea in the palace is a rare and good tea, it can''t compare to your exquisite style, and actually has never seen such a style before. "When you return home later, you have to pack ten catties and eight catties for me to take with you. Otherwise, I won''t be able to comply."


    Jin Lan covered his mouth and laughed so hard that he squinted his eyes. He scolded her while feigning anger, "The old lady saw that I was sick and intentionally took it out to comfort me, so it''s only worth five or six taels. Normally, he wouldn''t even be willing to eat, but his mother told him that he would come today and only brought some stew for him to soak in. Yet, you said ''10 jin of 8 jin'' just by opening your mouth. Where can I get that for you? "


    "In that case, I''m getting the better of you." Meng Ruhan laughed until her eyes curved, suddenly, she thought of something, and turned her head to Lan Xiang: "Did you bring the thing I asked you to bring?"


    "Yes." Lan Xiang smiled in response, and immediately took out an exquisite and delicate scented pouch from her bag, it was much smaller than the ones she usually carried around, obviously used to store playthings.


    Meng Ruhan anxiously grabbed the scented sachet, and with a light tug of her ten fingers, she opened the gap that was held together, and took out a cotton handkerchief that was wrapped in a square. A few days ago, you were sick and didn''t go to the Bai Clan to admire the flowers, but missed out on a lot of good things. " As she spoke, she opened up the cotton handkerchief in her hands and presented it to Jin Lan. "This is a good item that Sister Yifei obtained. Of the people who went over that day, only Zhao Qianrong and I got a few pills."


    Jin Lan fixed his eyes on it and saw that there were different colored tea grains on the snow-white cotton handkerchief. They were slightly larger than ordinary tea grains, but the rest ¡­ It didn''t seem that strange.


    As if she had seen through Jin Lan''s thoughts, Meng Ruhan said mysteriously: "Don''t underestimate this thing. If you look at it openly, no one will see you, and once you soak in it, you''ll be different." Saying that, she looked at Wan Ju, "Do you have hot water? "Take some to soak these up." She passed the tea in her hand to Wan Ju.


    "Wait!" Jin Lan hurriedly reached out his hand to stop her, "Since it''s such a rare thing, I''ll just make one and see. Besides, I''ve already made some maple syrup tea. If you don''t drink it, don''t waste it."


    "Forget it, I''ll do as you say." Meng Ruhan took out one pill, and wrapped the rest up in a cloth and stuffed it back into her scented sachet, winking mischievously at Jin Lan: "When the time comes, you''d better not be shocked."


    Wan Ju took out a clean tea cup and placed the tea grains inside. Then, she splashed the boiling water down, causing Jin Lan and Meng Ruhan to stare inside. Even Wan Ju and Lan Xiang started to get nervous.


    After soaking it for a while, the tea grains had indeed changed.


    The small tea grains slowly spread out like a tender bud breaking through the earth; then the tightly wrapped leaves began to relax, as if they were blooming in a ball of flowers. The dull color gradually blossomed with the layer upon layer of leaves, becoming more and more beautiful. What is still tea? It was clearly a tender peony that was slowly rotating in the light green tea, like a peony fairy dancing in the water.


    Wan Ju''s eyes went straight to the point, and she could not help but exclaim: "It is indeed a good item, this servant has never seen such a strange thing before."


    Jin Lan also smiled faintly. "It''s indeed rare."


    "You''d be surprised if I told you." Initially, I had wanted to ask big sister Yifei for more, but now, I have found a Mama to guide her, it is under my control, so I don''t have the chance to look for her and play. "


    Teaching Mama? Jin Lan''s hand trembled, almost knocking over the teacup with flowers blooming, she raised her head and looked at Meng Ruhan, and asked anxiously: "The Bai Clan also invited a Mama to teach them? When did you invite them? "


    "That''s right, not just the Bai Clan, even Zhao Qianrong is the same. Mo must have come from more than half a month ago." Meng Ruhan didn''t understand why Jin Lan was so surprised, but she was extremely happy when she knew that Zhao Qianrong had suffered so much.


    Jin Lan was stunned.


    Half a month ago, the Bai Clan, Zhao Clan, and Ye Mansion had all invited Mama s to guide them.


    Was it a coincidence, or ¡­ Jin Lan bit his lips as a trace of unease rose in his heart.

 C71

    Meng Ruhan stayed at the Lan Garden until it was time for lunch and only then did Madame SHen send Hui Xiu to invite him. Meng Ruhan reluctantly pulled Jin Lan''s hand, and repeatedly warned her to rest in peace so that she could recover early.


    Although Jin Lan was a little absent-minded, he still responded with a smile. It was only until Meng Ruhan''s figure disappeared around the corner of the walkway that she returned to the house with Wan Ju''s help. She sat for a while and then stood up again, walking up and down the room, feeling a little uneasy.


    Wan Ju saw that there was a thin layer of cold sweat on Jin Lan''s forehead, and could not help but say worriedly: "Miss, you are only slightly better now, Miss Meng has come to visit today, you are already tired, let''s rest for a bit." As he spoke, he stepped forward to help her up.


    The instant he lowered his head, Jin Lan saw the scar on Wan Ju''s forehead.


    Last time, the wound on his left forehead was extremely severe, leaving behind an ugly spider like mark. This time, because of the Yu Ge''er, he knocked on the right side again. Although he had asked the Imperial Physician Situ for some medicine to remove the scars, there were still some faint traces after applying it for a long time.


    Because of this, Jin Lan often felt that he owed Wan Ju, and he treated her even better. Seeing that Wan Ju was worried, she could not help but worry for him. She obediently sat at the table and took the hot tea from her.


    She thought for a moment, then said to Wan Ju in a soft voice: "Send someone to the second floor to take a look, if mother is free, then please come to Lan Garden."


    Wan Ju nodded, and asked Wen Zhu to go over personally.


    Madame SHen sent away Madame Qin and Meng Ruhan. Just as she returned back to the Inner Court from the Second Gate and was about to go there, she met Wen Zhu who was rushing over.


    When she entered the room, she saw Jin Lan sitting on a rosewood chair. His eyebrows were lowered and his eyes were deep in thought. He looked fine. Only then did her heart drop.


    Madame SHen sent her servants over, then she walked over to her and gently asked: "Lan Er, what are you thinking about? "I am so lost in thought."


    When Jin Lan heard the sound, he suddenly came back to reality. When he looked up, he saw Madame SHen approaching, and immediately got up to greet him, "Mother."


    "Alright, it''s just the two of us, mother and daughter. Why are you being so courteous? Your body has not completely recovered yet. Quickly, sit down." "Madame SHen quickly stepped forward to help her up, and then pulled her hand to sit on the chair with her. I heard from Wen Zhu that you have something to talk to me about? "


    "Yes." "Mother, just now, Sister Ruhan told me that the Bai Clan and the Zhao Clan had invited the Mama to enter their residence about half a month ago, and the time given was actually about the same as ours. My daughter is thinking, is there some secret behind this? "


    Madame SHen used a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on Jin Lan''s forehead.


    "Does mother know about fate?" Jin Lan''s face was full of curiosity, but his heart felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His mother knew about this, it should have been Madame Qin who told him.


    "I know a little about this." Madame SHShe nodded her head, she did not intend to hide anything from Jin Lan. "Saying that I plan to elect consorts for princes of appropriate age, although the Bai and Zhao Families live in Yangzhou, they are still somewhat related to the imperial concubines in the palace. Naturally, we can fight over this. Right now, I have asked the Mama to enter my residence because I want to study some of the necessary rules so that I can participate in the elections in the capital. " He paused for a moment before continuing, "As for the matter of Old Granny assigning Mama s to you and Jinwei, I''m afraid that she''s extremely angered by that matter."


    Choosing a consort? Shang Jing? A ''boom'' resounded in Jin Lan''s mind. Something seemed to have surged out, and several images flashed through his mind one after another. His face immediately paled.


    The Madame SHen was startled, and immediately called for a servant to get a doctor.


    Jin Lan immediately pulled her back, took a deep breath to calm his emotions, and then shook his head. "Mother, don''t worry.


    Seeing that her complexion was getting better, Madame SHen sat back down, "Since you are tired, why don''t you go and rest on the bed?"


    "No need." Jin Lan shook his head as he sighed silently in his heart. "So that''s how it is."


    No wonder she felt that the old lady''s words were familiar. In her past life, the old lady had pointed out the Mama in the palace to Ye Jinwei, not her! Not long after, Ye Jinwei went to the capital.


    But why did the old lady give the Mama to him? Could it be that he wanted her to replace Ye Jinwei and go to the capital?


    The more Jin Lan thought about it, the more he felt that this was a possibility. Her heart couldn''t help but sink. Although she remembered that there was something about Shang Jing, she could not remember why Ye Jinwei was doing it. At that time, no one in the residence seemed to have mentioned it, and she had asked herself, causing Ye Jinwei to be confused.


    Could it really be Shang Jing''s consort selection?


    No, it should not be a choice of concubine. The moment this idea appeared, she immediately denied it. She didn''t want to say that Ye Jinwei was just a bastard, and couldn''t even be placed in her eyes right now. Not only Ye Jinwei, even she was the same.


    However, even though she thought this way, she still could not help but say, "I had thought that the old lady wanted me and elder sister to go to the capital to choose our consort." After all, there was still a clan in the capital with Ye Family, and the current Old Ancestor was also his biological aunt. If he were to seriously consider it, there might be a way if he really wanted to go.


    The Madame SHen chuckled as she poked Jin Lan''s shiny forehead with her slender white finger, "All day long you always think of random things. Fine, I''ll tell you so that you won''t feel apprehensive, and you''ll mistake your body for something else." She held up the teacup, blew gently on the foam on the surface, took a sip, and continued: "Even though your father is the current ruler of the Yangzhou, and is a second rank official, to the capital, he is nothing. Even with the ancestors of our clan present, you must not forget that our clan has quite a few young ladies of appropriate age. "


    If that was not the case, then why did Ye Jinwei go to the capital in her previous life? Jin Lan pondered.


    Jiayu Hall


    On top of a small plate of three bent legs made of purple sandalwood grass that was tied around her waist, there was a plate of glistening yellow oranges. Yan Rong sat on the side of the bed and peeled the orange in her hands with her hand. The golden orange peel had been peeled off bit by bit, and the orange pulp had also been meticulously divided into a single petal, which was covered with a white color. The old lady had never liked to pick out the orange. She remembered.


    When she placed the peeled orange in the small crystal plate, and reached out to pick up the second orange, ready to peel it away, Old Madame Ye suddenly opened her eyes, and waved her hands: "Stop peeling, this thing is cold, it''s not good to eat too much, one is enough." Saying so, she let out a long sigh. "I''m getting old, I even need to be afraid of eating."


    "Old lady, you''re not old." Yan Rong listened to her, put the oranges back onto the plate in her hands, then used a handkerchief to wipe the juice on her fingertips and brought the crystal dish to Old Madame Ye''s side, "Right now, everyone in this house is counting on the old lady."


    Only then did Old Madame Ye start laughing, and she instructed Pin Yue and the other servants who were waiting at the side: "You may leave."


    "Yes." Pin Yue and the rest responded and left.


    When there was no one else in the room, Old Madame Ye picked a piece of tangerine and placed it in her mouth. She chewed it slowly for a while before asking, "Madam Meng, you''re back?"


    Yan Rong nodded her head and replied: "Yes, Madam has just sent Madam Meng out."


    Old Madame Ye slightly twisted the thin silver in her hand, her gaze deep and profound. "In your opinion, are you sure Madam Meng is here to visit?"


    "This ¡­" Yan Rong hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth: "This servant is slow, and was unable to see Madam Meng''s intentions, only this servant felt that if Madam Meng had specially brought Miss Meng to visit the Second Miss, how could she not have entered Lan Garden door?"


    Old Madame Ye sneered, "She is only using this as an excuse to deceive people."


    Since Ye Family knew about that matter, how could Meng Family not be clear about it? Madame Qin must have come to ask for more information, but she just did not know how much she had divulged to Madame SHen. Thinking about it, Old Madame Ye''s expression darkened. She specially took a hairpin from the Moon Landing Temple as a gift, hoping that Madame Qin would not disappoint her.


    The next day, Mama Shang, who had been delayed on the road for quite a while, finally arrived at the Ye Mansion.


    No matter if Jin Lan was willing or not, there was still an extra Mama in the Lan Garden who wanted to be taught a lesson.


    Mama Tang and Wan Ju supported Jin Lan to sit on the soft couch outside the room, and the Mama Shang bowed to her.


    A smile appeared on Jin Lan''s face as he said softly, "Please sit Mama. There are no outsiders here."


    Mama Shang gave way for a while, before lightly touching a corner of the chair and sitting down.


    Jin Lan let Wan Ju serve tea, then said to Mama Shang: "Mama is an old man from the palace, and have come to Yangzhou from the capital with great effort. Jin Lan is endlessly grateful, and will wholeheartedly study, I hope Mama does not despise Jin Lan for his stupidity."


    First Princess had once praised this lady''s talent and intelligence. As long as this lady put her heart into it, she would definitely be able to learn everything. The Mama Shang had a lot of trust from the First Princess. The reason she was sent to teach xiaojie was also because the First Princess valued the Ye Lin family greatly. Even if her attention was mixed with schemes, it was not something that she could contend against.


    Mama Shang naturally understood this logic, so she would do her best to help Yue Shuang.


    However, he could not help but cough a few times, "Jin Lan did not want to let down the ancestor''s kindness. He just blamed my body for not being able to live up to his expectations, I was sick for so long, and I still haven''t recovered."


    Mama Shang''s eyelids twitched, "Miss does not need to worry, First Princess had specially instructed me, if necessary, I would like to request Imperial Physician Situ to personally help me."


    Did he dare to bring the Old Ancestor down on her? A trace of ridicule flashed past Jin Lan''s eyes, "Mama is new here, I''m afraid he isn''t clear about my illness. Imperial Physician Situ helped me pulse before, but it''s only taking care of me."


    In the Grand Hospital, Imperial Physician Hua and Imperial Physician Situ''s medical skills were the best, and Imperial Physician Situ was an arrogant person who was difficult to get along with. After suing him to return to the village, even First Princess might not be able to get him to invite him, so why would he let this little miss see a doctor?


    Jin Lan noted the change in Mama Shang''s expression and laughed coldly in his heart.


    As expected, things were not that simple here! However, no matter what the Old Granny and the Old Ancestor wanted, they couldn''t force a seriously ill person to travel thousands of miles to travel across the continent, right?

 C72

    After all, Mama Shang was someone from the palace, so how could Jin Lan not see through her? With just a few words, she was able to confirm that this girl definitely disliked Shang Jing. He didn''t say anything else and just said blandly, "It is not something that can be learnt overnight. Since you are not feeling well, wait until you are well enough to learn it."


    Jin Lan looked at the expressionless Mama Shang. Even though she knew that she was weak, she did not change her mind. Her heart sank, but a weak smile appeared on her face. "Then I''ll have to trouble Mama Shang." She slightly raised her head and looked at Mama Tang beside her, "Have you arranged the rooms in Mama Shang?"


    Mama Tang smiled and replied: "Everything has been arranged, it will be in the west wing''s rooms."


    Lan Garden had a total of five rooms, and they all had an extremely good layout. In front was the Side Chamber, and in the center was Jin Lan''s room, followed by the east, west, and east rooms. Usually, the East Wing would be used as a guest and a place for banquets. The west wing was separated from the front and back, with the larger front, where Mama Tang, Bi He, Wan Ju and the rest lived. Behind them, there was Mu Lan, and Wen Zhu''s residence. As for Mrs. Feng and Mrs. Zhou, they lived in a small room behind the main house.


    Now that the Mama Shang had arrived, and the people from the palace were also here, and their identities were different after all. Thus, the Mama Tang tidied up the space that had been vacated, and set up some personal belongings to serve as the resting place for the Mama Shang. However, that place was located in the middle of the rooms between the Mama Tang and Bi He.


    Jin Lan was very satisfied with the arrangements made by the Mama Tang, so he said to the Mama Shang: "Mama, I''ll let Wan Ju accompany you to the house to take a look. If you need anything more, just talk to Wan Ju."


    Mama Shang got up, calmly squatted down and gave Jin Lan a blessing: "Yes."


    Jin Lan watched Wan Ju lead the Mama Shang out of the door, then stopped smiling. With her previous performance, if it was just an ordinary Mama, she would have most likely retreated, but this Mama Shang still remained as unmoving as a mountain. It was clear that she would do her best in this matter.


    This was enough to prove that she knew about Shang Jing and even the Old Ancestor''s plans!


    "Mama." The color in Jin Lan''s eyes changed, "Have the kitchens serve more dishes tonight to welcome the wind for Mama Shang."


    Mama Tang nodded her head, "I have already instructed them to do so. Lady, there is no need to worry." She continued to laugh, "The old lady really loves the young lady dearly. With this Mama Shang, everyone will have a good impression of the young lady in the future."


    Looking at Mama Tang''s happy expression, Jin Lan couldn''t help but laugh bitterly in her heart. If she hadn''t known about the twists and turns within it, she would probably be the same as the Mama Tang, thinking that it was her grandmother''s favor and feeling endless gratitude. Even though she couldn''t remember much of it, she knew that all of this was just the result of the poison in the honey.


    Compared to Jin Lan''s gloom, Madame SHen was a little more polite to Mama Shang. Thinking about it, she and Mama Tang shared the same thought, thinking that this matter was beneficial to Jin Lan.


    Although the Mama Shang would only be taught after Jin Lan had fully recovered, he still had to take into account Shang Jing''s time. Thus, he would pay more attention to Jin Lan''s usual actions and speech, and would correct him whenever necessary. Mama Tang, Wan Ju and the others were naturally happy to see it happen, causing Jin Lan to feel extremely vexed.


    It was noon today, and after just finishing their lunch, Mama Shang was called over to the Jiayu Hall. Just as she was about to leave, Mu Lan lifted the curtain and entered, "Miss, the third lady is here."


    Jin Lan was leaning on the bed and reading a book, and upon hearing Mu Lan''s words, he shifted a little and said softly, "Invite her in."


    Ever since Ye Jinwei moved to the Tranquil Heart Residence, the smile on her face grew wider and wider, and he often came to the Lan Garden to talk with her. However, after the Mama Shang came, he did not visit.


    Ye Jinxian followed Mu Lan into the house, and upon seeing Jin Lan, bowed: "Second Sister Sis."


    The corner of Jin Lan''s mouth held a smile. After asking Mu Lan to serve tea, she softly said to her: "How come you''re free to come to my place today?"


    Ye Jinxian smiled sweetly as she sat on the small platform beside the bed. "When I was in the garden just now, I saw Pin Yue walking past Mama Shang and Grandmother''s room. I thought that it had been a while since I last came to visit Big Sister, so I came over to take a seat."


    Hearing that, the smile on Jin Lan''s face deepened. "You also know that you haven''t come to see me in days?" "I''m afraid that you have already tired of eating the snacks here and are unwilling to come again?"


    "What did sister say?" Ye Jinwei pouted, "In this mansion, only Lan Garden can eat delicious snacks, if not for... I''m willing to move in here. "


    "Alright, that''s why you wanted to move over for a snack. You heartless little thing. It''s fortunate that I''m usually so good to you." Jin Lan covered her mouth and laughed, Ye Jinxian had once came across a Mama Shang, and because of her gluttony, he got beaten up. From then on, he was afraid of this stubborn Mama, so long as he saw her figure, she would definitely avoid her.


    Ye Jinxian stuck out her tongue, "Who asked big sister to plant such a huge ice mountain inside the house." She looked left and right, her expression one of lingering fear.


    "Who did you learn to talk like that? Be careful that the Mama Shang knows, I''ll teach you a lesson." Jin Lan looked like he didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, but she was right, the Mama Shang looked at the sky with a straight face, and didn''t smile at all.


    Ye Jinxian shrunk her neck, and immediately shook Jin Lan''s sleeve, saying in a spoiled manner: "Good older sister, you must not tell Mama Shang, if she finds out, then I really won''t be able to eat Lan Garden''s snacks anymore."


    Mu Lan carried the tea in, and seeing Ye Jinxian sway the Jin Lan, she hurriedly said: "Third Miss, our lady already has a headache when she wakes up. If you continue shaking, I''m afraid you won''t be able to take it."


    Hearing that, Ye Jinxian immediately let go of her hands, her bright eyes filled with regret: "I''m sorry, I don''t know, is elder sister okay?"


    Jin Lan shook her head, and joked: "Just say it in such a serious manner, Mu Lan, don''t scare the three misses, what if she doesn''t dare to come from now on, our dim sum would be spoiled, right?"


    Mu Lan pursed his lips into a smile, agreed and retreated to the side to wait upon them after the tea was served.


    Ye Jinxian carefully studied Jin Lan, seeing that she was really fine, she heaved a sigh of relief and picked up the teacup with the yellow pear grass stripes. Just as she was about to drink the tea, he stopped and thought for a moment, then decided to put down the teacup and took out a brocade handkerchief from her sleeves, "I almost forgot, I brought something good for elder sister."


    Jin Lan swept a glance at the handkerchief in her hand. "What''s that?"


    Ye Jinxian opened the handkerchief and said: "A few days ago, the Bai Clan sent an invitation to admire the flowers. Since Big Sister was ill and did not go, Mother allowed me to go.


    The last layer of the light green handkerchief was removed, separated by two dark, dried tea grains.


    Jin Lan''s pupils contracted. Wasn''t this the tea that Meng Ruhan brought with him last time? How could Ye Jinxian have such a thing?


    Ye Jinxian didn''t notice the strangeness of Jin Lan, and said to herself: "When this tea grain is soaked, it becomes different, to actually be able to grow a flower."


    Jin Lan forced herself to calm down. She revealed a faint smile. "Since there''s such a rare item, I''ll have to broaden my horizons." Then, she instructed Mu Lan to bring some hot water.


    Ye Jinxian took one of them. Sure enough, like what Meng Ruhan brought, it blossomed with a fresh flower, but Meng Ruhan''s was a peony, and this one was a chrysanthemum flower.


    Jin Lan only took a glance before shifting his gaze, his gaze landing on Ye Jinxian who was closely staring at the teacup with a smile plastered all over her face, "This is truly extraordinary, I wonder where little sister obtained this from?"


    Ye Jinxian smiled sweetly, "It was when I was admiring the flowers in the Bai Clan, Big Sister Yifei gave it to everyone, and they all got it, it''s a pity that Big Sister did not go."


    "So that''s the case. It''s quite a pity then." That day, Meng Ruhan had said before that only she and Zhao Qianrong could get some of these tea grains. The others didn''t have any, but now Ye Jinxian had said that everyone had a share.


    One of the two must be lying, but Meng Ruhan would never lie to her, so she had no reason to.


    "Elder sister? Are you not feeling well? "His face is so ugly." Ye Jinxian raised her head, only to realize that Jin Lan was staring at him in a daze, his expression extremely ugly.


    Jin Lan came back to his senses. He reached out his hand to touch his cheek and smiled. "It''s fine. Maybe I''m tired."


    As she was speaking, the Mama Shang lifted the curtain and came in. When she saw Ye Jinxian, she was startled for a moment, then swept her gaze across the teas on the table, and couldn''t help but sullen, "Young lady has just eaten lunch, and has eaten all these, I''m afraid you''re about to accumulate food soon."


    The moment Ye Jinxian saw Mama Shang, her smile froze and she quickly got up to take her leave.


    Looking at how Ye Jinxian was fleeing, Jin Lan couldn''t smile at all. She waved her hand for Mu Lan to take the tea and food away, then looked at Mama Shang, "Although the Almond Scroll is delicious, it''s too sweet."


    Second Miss did not like to eat sweet food, so it was not a secret in the palace. Naturally, Mama Shang was clear of this, and her expression relaxed a bit, but she maintained a straight face and said: "Miss should rest for a bit, after I''m done here, I will have to go to the mansion to help you pulse."


    Jin Lan''s eyes flashed as he looked at Mama Shang. Laughing lightly, he said, "I was planning to take a short rest anyway, it''s just a coincidence that third sister came over." With that, he laid down, his back facing Mama Shang.


    Mama Shang looked at Jin Lan''s back, suddenly sighed, and turned to leave.


    Hearing the rustling of the curtain, Jin Lan''s closed eyes instantly opened, and they were filled with complex emotions.


    Why did Ye Jinxian lie? And where did she get the tea from? According to what Meng Ruhan had said, other than her, Bai Yifei had only given it to Zhao Qianrong.


    Meng Ruhan probably did not even give sher the tea. Otherwise, he would not have mentioned it to her that day.


    Could it be Zhao Qianrong?


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but roll over.


    But with Zhao Qianrong''s personality, it shouldn''t be possible for him to be on good terms with Ye Jinxian.


    If not for Zhao Qianrong, only Bai Yifei would be left.


    She frowned, and Bai Yifei''s pure smile appeared in front of her.


    When Ye Jinxian got the tea grains, no one else should have known. If she was worried that the rest of the girls would feel resentful, she wouldn''t have hidden the fact that Meng Ruhan also got the tea grains from him.


    Jin Lan laid on his bed and tossed and turned. His mind was in a mess, and no matter how he thought about it, he couldn''t figure out the reason, until his eyes started to tear, and just as he was about to fall asleep, Mama Tang entered his room, "Miss, Imperial Physician Situ is here."

 C73

    Since the Imperial Physician Situ had come, Jin Lan naturally got up. The Mama Tang hurriedly helped her clean her face, but luckily, her hair had not been messed up after just lying down. It was just that the tasseled hairpin made with golden water chestnuts and red jadeite grains was a little crooked, so it could be adjusted a little.


    Just as he was packing up, Bi He''s clear voice came from outside the door, "Miss, Imperial Physician Situ is here."


    The Mama Tang was bustling with activity as she laid back on her pillow. She raised her voice and said, "Quickly, ask Imperial Physician Situ to come in." Then he tuck the quilt in his hand and covered Jin Lan''s body.


    Bi He pulled up the curtain and led the Imperial Physician Situ into the house, behind him followed Mama Shang and Yan Rong.


    Jin Lan looked at Yan Rong in surprise, then said with a light smile. "Why is Big Sister Yan Rong here?" She swept a glance behind Yan Rong. Other than Bi He, there was no one else.


    In the past when the Imperial Physician Situ entered the manor, it was always his mother who accompanied his here. Why did he...


    Yan Rong went forward to pay her respects to Jin Lan, and smiled: "Madam is currently at Jiayu Hall to discuss the Mid-Autumn Festival with the old lady, and cannot leave right now, so the old lady asked me to lure the Imperial Physician Situ over."


    This implied that the Old Granny wanted to know the condition of Second Miss''s body.


    Jin Lan''s breath faltered, but a smile appeared in his eyes as he said, "I still need to trouble you, old lady. It''s all my body''s fault."


    Yan Rong''s eyes flashed, and laughed: "Miss is the person that the old lady is most anxious about, when has the old lady not been worried about? "Even in the capital, he would mutter these words everyday."


    Mama Shang saw the impatience on Imperial Physician Situ''s face, and pinched Yan Rong''s words, she extended her hand out, "Please help my lady with the pulse first."


    Yan Rong was startled, her face revealed a few expressions, the corners of her mouth twitched, and she wanted to say something but she stopped himself.


    Imperial Physician Situ glanced at the few of them before putting down the medicine box and walking over to the bed.


    Jin Lan raised his eyes to look at him and said weakly, "Thank you, Grandpa Situ."


    Seeing Jin Lan''s gloomy expression, Imperial Physician Situ frowned and did not say anything. He waited for Mama Tang to place the silk handkerchief on her white wrist and then placed her hand on it.


    Mama Tang and Bi He, as well as Yan Rong, were all nervously staring at Imperial Physician Situ. Even the Mama Shang couldn''t help but wring her handkerchief.


    Imperial Physician Situ stroked the few strands of white beard on his chin, his hand paused for a moment, his eyebrows knitted together, he inadvertently looked at Jin Lan''s little face, saw his clear eyes revealing hints of pleading, and recalled the few words he spoke when he entered the room, his heart couldn''t help but sink.


    Jin Lan held his breath, carefully observing Imperial Physician Situ''s expression. Seeing his eyes that were as heavy as water, his heart gradually turned cold.


    Imperial Physician Situ''s prescription was indeed effective, after eating it for so many days, his body was getting more and more powerful, but now that his path was unknown, being sick was actually a good thing that he could only wish for.


    She had calculated the days when Imperial Physician Situ would come to help her pulse. Last night, she had borrowed the power of the bath to think of some tricks, but since Mama Shang was outside, it was not easy to make things too obvious. Although the autumn wind was not as sharp as the winter wind, it was still as cold as the night water. Her four limbs were cold as she woke up early in the morning, and her forehead throbbed with pain.


    From the looks of it, her little tricks might not be able to hide from this highly skilled physician. He only hoped that since he had treated him with respect every time they met in the past, he wouldn''t say too much.


    Imperial Physician Situ retracted his hand, and spoke slowly: "My cold is much better than before, I am sure."


    As soon as the words were out of his mouth, everyone''s faces lit up, but Jin Lan''s heart sank to the bottom.


    She secretly sucked in a deep breath and clenched her hands into fists. A hint of gratitude appeared on her face as she softly said, "It''s all thanks to grandpa Situ''s wonderful return to life that Lan`er''s body can live to this day." Then he sighed, "It''s just that I''ve been drinking the medicinal juice that''s as bitter as a yellow lotus all day, I don''t know when it''ll be the end." "It sounded like a sigh, but it carried meaning.


    After all, the body was still his. If he wanted to recover, he would naturally be able to recover. If he didn''t want to recover, there were plenty of ways to stay sick for a long time. As an imperial physician, if he couldn''t even treat a minor illness, wouldn''t that be detrimental to his illustrious reputation as an expert returning to spring?


    Imperial Physician Situ''s eyes narrowed as he looked pensively at Jin Lan. He saw that she had an unperturbed expression and a slight smile at the corners of her lips, as if what she had said just now was just a response. He thought for a while and said slowly, "Although she has improved a bit, the chills on her body are not the result of just one or two days of rest. She still needs to meditate and recuperate. This medicine may be bitter, but it''s a good medicine. As long as the girl takes it according to the time, there will be a day when she will recover completely.


    These words made Mama Shang and Yan Rong praise her again, but Mama Tang and Bi He were still happy. As long as this lady could recover, even if it was just a trace, it would still be good.


    "Imperial Physician Situ, can you really not heal the lady''s body as quickly as possible?" In the end, Mama Shang was not satisfied, she watched as the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, and the time for her to set off approached, but Second Miss''s body was still sickly and listless. Let alone the rules of the church, even taking a few steps would make her breathless, how could she go as she had planned?


    Imperial Physician Situ glanced at Mama Shang and snorted, "If you think you''re proficient in medicine, then you don''t have to invite me over to your residence to treat your miss yourself." As he spoke, he stood up and flicked his sleeves, preparing to leave.


    The Mama Shang was shocked. Only now did she remember the Imperial Physician Situ''s temperament and quickly replied: "This old servant has talked too much. Please forgive me."


    Yan Rong, Mama Tang and the others also hurriedly went forward to advise him otherwise. Looking at the Imperial Physician Situ''s occasional wink, the corners of Jin Lan''s mouth curled up into a sly smile, and then returned to normal.


    Imperial Physician Situ glared at her unhappily, and said angrily: "Prepare the brush and ink." He then said, "Your lady wants to rest. Why are there so many people guarding his? Get out!"


    Everyone had no choice but to retreat and wait outside, leaving Mama Tang to wait inside. Imperial Physician Situ looked at Mama Tang, "Go and get the medicine box."


    The medicine chest was placed by Imperial Physician Situ in front of a small round table carved with red wood in front of the Treasure Chest in the inner room.


    The Imperial Physician Situ took the chance and turned his head to glare at Yue Yang. Using his voice that only the two of them could hear, he shouted: "Little girl, what a good idea you have made!"


    Seeing Imperial Physician Situ''s furious look, Jin Lan almost couldn''t hold back her laughter. Fortunately, she had been paying attention so she quickly held it in, put on an innocent expression, and asked in a low voice: "What did Grandpa Situ say? Why can''t Lan Er understand a single word? "


    "You, you ¡­" Imperial Physician Situ''s snow-white brows trembled. Just as she was about to speak up, Mama Tang had already walked over with a medicinal case in her hands. She could only swallow the words at the corner of her mouth and give Jin Lan another glare.


    He walked over and took out a blue and white porcelain bottle with a red silk stopper from the medicine box. He placed it on the table with a heavy sound, "There are two pills per day. Take them after breakfast and send them with warm water." He picked up the lakeshore pen and began to write on the pure white paper.


    After a short while, he put down the pen, picked up the ink, and nodded his head in satisfaction. "The recipe from a few days ago can be stopped. From now on, I''ll use this recipe three times a day."


    When Mama Tang took the prescription, she glanced sideways and proudly raised her eyebrows at Jin Lan.


    Jin Lan suddenly shuddered as a bad premonition arose in his heart.


    After writing the prescription, Imperial Physician Situ did not say anymore. He picked up his medicine box and walked out. The Mama Tang hurriedly sent him out, allowing Bi He to return to his room to take care of Jin Lan.


    The Mama Shang and Yan Rong were naturally waiting outside. They had originally wanted to invite the Imperial Physician Situ to the old lady''s room, but unfortunately for him, the old man was in a bad mood and did not say a word. The two of them had no choice but to give up. Mama Shang returned to her Lan Garden, and only after Yan Rong sent him out of the residence did he return to the Jiayu Hall.


    Yan Rong told Old Madame Ye and Madame SHen everything that she knew.


    Old Madame Ye sighed, "Girl Lan is a lucky man, she was born weak, and fell into the water multiple times. In the end, she was injured in the root of the problem, how can she recover so easily?" After pausing for a moment, she continued the Madame SHen, "When you get back, go to the Lan Garden and see what ingredients the Girl Lan''s prescription requires. If you don''t have any in the public, come and get them from me."


    Originally, Old Madame Ye said that Jin Lan''s body was delicate and weak, but when she hinted at the fact that he was pregnant, the expression on Madame SHen''s face dimmed a little. However, she still tactfully refused: "Lan Er''s food, Saliva, has always been taken from my private storage. Although it is not as good as the food in the old lady''s room, it is still better than the food outside, and when the day comes that none of it exists, he will definitely come to find the old lady."


    The Old Madame Ye thought for a moment, then nodded her head in agreement.


    Madame SHen remembered Jin Lan in his heart, so he continued: "So let''s compare the Mid-Autumn Festival with the past ones, shall we? Other than relatives and families that have a good relationship with each other, the other daughter-in-law thought that there would be a slight decrease of two levels. After all, Master is about to go to the capital to continue his post.


    In the past, even though Concubine Shao was in charge of managing these, she would still let Madame SHen look at the list. It was just that Ye Lin was about to go to the capital, if he gave them more gifts, the officials would think about whether or not he wanted to stay.


    The position of the salt-patrolling censor was quite lacking. There were many people watching from below. If anything were to happen to him, it would be a small matter, and that would be even greater. Although it looked impolite, it gave everyone a peace of mind. At the same time, it also left a way out for Ye Lin.


    Old Madame Ye looked at Madame SHen with satisfaction, "Let''s do it this way." Even though this wife didn''t like him at all, at least she had something to do. As she thought about it, she cared about Madame SHen for the first time: "There''s been a lot of things going on in the family these few days, and your health isn''t too good either. You have to be more careful."


    Surprise flashed through Madame SHen''s heart. She smiled and agreed, then stood up to take her leave, hurriedly heading to Lan Garden.

 C74

    Yan Rong sent Madame SHen out of the Jiayu Hall, and only returned to her room after she had left.


    The Old Madame Ye raised her hand, and Yan Rong quickly went forward to help the old lady up. She helped the Old Madame Ye into a room, where a double-moon moon cave treasure was laid out on her bed, then took the beauty''s satin hammer, knelt on the floor, and began to hammer the Old Madame Ye''s legs.


    "Get up, let Little Maid do these things." Old Madame Ye slowly said after seeing Yan Rong''s actions.


    Yan Rong laughed, "This servant is already used to serving old ladies, if I don''t do it someday, I would be depressed in my heart."


    "You are the only one who is considerate. Unlike them, you are making me worry about you one by one."


    Yan Rong was naturally not so foolish as to think that she was talking about a servant. Since it was inconvenient for her to talk, she could only smile and agree with him.


    The room quieted down.


    Old Madame Ye held her forehead, closed his eyes for a while, then opened them again, "Today, go to Lan Garden, can you tell what''s wrong with Girl Lan?"


    Yan Rong had already guessed that Old Madame Ye would ask, so she shook her head and said: "Second Miss does not look like she has much energy left, her face is also pale white, but she is not as beautiful as before."


    Hearing that, Old Madame Ye nodded slightly, her eyes revealing a look of weariness.


    Yan Rong could not help but advise: "Old lady, Imperial Physician Situ said that as long as Second Miss recovers, she will definitely recover. However, you, on the other hand, always take everything seriously. Ever since your return home, you seem to be even more prone to fatigue than on the road.


    Since the incident with the Xuzhou, my body has been getting worse and worse every day, and it was also indeed easier to tire myself out. Old Madame Ye sighed, "Now in this mansion, how can I be at ease? I can still hold on for a few more years with this body, but if I can''t, it would be better to go earlier. "


    Yan Rong''s nose twitched, and she advised: "Old lady, where are you from? You are healthy, and only have so many things on your mind, that''s why you are like this. As long as you are at ease for a period of time, you will definitely be fine."


    Old Madame Ye raised her eyes and looked at Yan Rong carefully. Her eyebrows were bent, although her eyes were red, but it made her eyes look like water.


    Unknowingly, the Little Maid serving in front of him had become so beautiful.


    Her eyes flashed, and she suddenly asked: "Yan Rong, how old are you?"


    Yan Rong was startled, and hurriedly said: "This servant is nine out of ten this year."


    Nineteen. If it was an ordinary family, they would have already married and become another person''s wife. Even if it was a servant girl, there were very few who had yet to leave their home at this age. The Old Madame Ye sighed, "It''s time to think it over for you."


    As Yan Rong listened, her heart suddenly thumped wildly.


    It was not easy to get the old lady''s trust and love from the lowest class of servants. After such a good age, what they wanted was not just to have a supervisor or a Attendant, but to have a son to continue being a Attendant, and then have a daughter to be a servant ¡­ Thus, he did his best to serve the old lady without any complaints. Currently, other than the Concubine Shao s, the old lady and the Concubine Ning were not in favor of anyone else. In order to balance the manor, the old lady had become the heir, and she would definitely provide the lord with an imperial concubine.


    However, the few servants served by the master were chosen by the Concubine Shao, their looks could not be considered good, if the old lady wanted to choose, she could only choose them from the Jiayu Hall s. Not only must they be loyal, obedient, had good characters and looks, and be easy to handle. There was really no other good candidate other than her.


    She was so excited that two streaks of red appeared on her cheeks. She could barely suppress the jubilation in her heart as she lowered her head and said in a low voice, "I only want to serve in front of the old lady."


    After the Old Madame Ye heard Yan Rong''s explanation, a light smile appeared on her face. She followed her words and said: "Fine, I can''t leave you either, I''ll keep watch first. If there''s anything good, then I''ll help you make the decision."


    Yan Rong did not think that she would make a mistake, she regretted it in her heart, but it was useless now, so she could only think of another way. The corners of her mouth curled up with difficulty as she continued hammering on the old lady''s legs.


    When Madame SHen entered the Jin Lan''s room, she did not rest, but only leaned on the pillow with the flower, and spoke to Bi He who was sitting beside her, embroidering on a handkerchief, and Wan Ju who was resting on her shoes.


    Seeing Madame SHen coming in, Bi He quickly stood up and bowed, "Madam."


    Jin Lan was about to get up, but he was stopped by Madame SHen, "Hurry and lie down, don''t get up." She took a close look at Jin Lan''s expression, only to see that although her face was slightly pale, there was nothing abnormal about it. Only then did her heart calm down.


    "Just now at the old lady''s place, Yan Rong had learnt the Imperial Physician Situ''s teachings, but I was still a little worried, so I came over to take a look." She pulled up Jin Lan''s hand. It was cold, but not cold.


    Jin Lan had already gotten Bi He to take the pill that he had previously left behind and eat it. It was much warmer now and more comfortable than before, so he laughed and said: "It''s much better now. Imperial Physician Situ''s recipe is very effective, after a while, it should be alright. She was worried that the Madame SHen would be aggrieved, and continued: "I heard from Yan Rong that mother and the old lady were discussing about the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan''s serious look, and suddenly laughed: "Child, you always like to worry for nothing, since I came to see you, I have naturally arranged everything properly."


    Only then did Jin Lan smile at Madame SHen, and spoke with a tender voice: "I''m only concerned about mother, how can it be for nothing?"


    Madame SHen scratched her nose affectionately and said: "If you want to be concerned about me, then you can take away those unnecessary thoughts and rest peacefully. As long as you are well, I will thank the heavens."


    Although she was the current steward of the Madame SHen, she had deep roots and roots. Many of the stewards were people that she had brought up, and with the Old Madame Ye watching her from the side like a tiger. Even if the Madame SHen wanted to help her, it would be difficult to find a reason. After working so hard for so long, he had only managed to grasp a few unimportant areas.


    However, she did not intend to tell Jin Lan about these matters, lest he worry too much about it.


    "Mother, what''s wrong?" Seeing the strange expression on Madame SHen''s face, Jin Lan could not help but to ask, tilting his head in confusion.


    "I''m fine." Madame SHen calmed herself down, gently patted Jin Lan''s hands, and said softly: "Rest well. If you need anything, just ask your servant girl to come to Shuixie Pavilion to find me." With that, she gave Wan Ju and Bi He a few more words, then stood up and returned to the Shuixie Pavilion.


    After Madame SHen left, Wan Ju and Bi He laid down on Jin Lan''s bed, but she had things on her mind, how could she sleep? She just closed her eyes and let her imagination run wild. When the Mama Tang delivered the medicine, she took a sip and almost puked.


    Bitter, very bitter, very bitter.


    Jin Lan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at the black Medicinal Juice in the blue flower bowl. He felt that the Imperial Physician Situ was using this kind of method to take revenge on her.


    Mama Tang saw that she was staring at the medicine bowl in a daze and couldn''t help but to say, "Miss, what''s wrong? But what''s wrong with this medicine? "


    "Nope." Jin Lan shook his head, gritted his teeth, and poured the warm Medicinal Juice into his stomach. Then, he clenched his teeth tightly, otherwise, he would have vomited all out. When she thought about how she had to drink three bowls of such bitter Medicinal Juice on time every day, she really wanted to chew the yellow lotus.


    Seeing Jin Lan''s frown, Mama Tang knew that she was suffering. She hurriedly brought over an exquisite round jar of sweet white glaze cones, opened its lid and took out a candied fruit. She placed it next to Jin Lan''s mouth.


    Jin Lan opened her mouth and swallowed, a sweet and sour taste spreading in her mouth. Finally, the bitter and numb tongue recovered some of its taste.


    Fortunately, Imperial Physician Situ did not expose her little trick, no matter how bitter it was, it was still worth it.


    In just a few days, Imperial Physician Situ will arrive at the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    The servants of the first class Ye Mansion were all very excited, because this Mid-Autumn Festival coincided with the day of their visit every two months. The maidservants who had already returned home two months ago could only restrain their emotions and concentrate on serving their masters. There was no helping it, since time was of the essence.


    Madame SHen had been extremely busy for the past few days. Other than going through all the festivals of the various residences, arranging for people to send them out, she had also started arranging the Mid-Autumn Family feast as well as preparing the stewards for the Ye Mansion. The servant girls and the Attendant s would give him red packets for the holiday bounty, and the stewards and shopkeepers of the shops outside would naturally not be left behind. All day long, Hui Xiu would go in and out with an account book to hold, and every now and then, she would even have to tell her about it with her Jiayu Hall.


    Although they had interacted with each other in their past life, she was only nine years old now. Furthermore, in the midst of her illness, whether it was Madame SHen or Old Madame Ye, they would never let her touch their hands.


    The Madame SHen calculated the final amount of expenses and filled out the account book. Then, she stood up and stretched her aching arms.


    Man Ping brought out a cup of hot tea for the Madame SHen, and helped her knead her shoulders, "Madam, do you need someone to serve dinner?"


    She raised her head and looked at the sky outside the window. After thinking for a bit, she said: "Send someone to tell me about it at Lan Garden. I''ll go have dinner with Second Miss."


    "Yes." Man Ping replied and left.


    When Madame SHen arrived at the Lan Garden, Jin Lan had just had his dinner set up. She was worried that Madame SHen would be so busy during this period of time that she made people cook some of her favorite dishes. Mother and daughter had not eaten together for a long time, so naturally it was exceptionally sweet.


    After dinner, the two of them were drinking tea and chatting. Hui Xiu carried a Vermillion Painted Food box into the house and first paid respects to Madame SHen and Jin Lan, then placed the box on the table and smiled: "Madam, Second Miss, the moon team made in the kitchen has just come out. This servant has brought some over and wishes to have a taste of it." As she said that, he took out a plate of neatly placed crescent moons from the food box and placed it on a few small tables in front of Madame SHen and Jin Lan.


    The surface of the noodle skin was roasted until it was bright yellow, with only a few bites. The noodle skin had been roasted until it was yellow, and the noodle skin had only a few mouthfuls of noodle soup.


    Jin Lan looked at it for a bit, then asked Hui Xiu: "What''s the filling inside?"


    My wife has ordered the peach, pork, sesame seeds, and the girl''s favorite bean paste, as usual.


    Jin Lan frowned, these were all the dishes he had in the past. He was tired of eating these.


    Madame SHen saw that there was no happiness on her face and could not help but ask: "What happened? Lan Er doesn''t like it? "


    "Not really." Jin Lan shook his head. "I just feel that it''s a bit monotonous. Besides, it''s like this every year, it doesn''t even taste good anymore."


    Hearing this, Madame SHen laughed, "This moon is just a response to the scenery, how can you eat so much?"


    A light flashed through Jin Lan''s eyes. In her mind, she thought of the popular monthly group in the capital. She smiled and said, "I have an idea. This year, aside from these monthly groups, why don''t we make some more fruits?"


    "Fruits for filling?" Madame SHen was suspicious for a moment, before understanding Jin Lan''s idea. His eyes lit up, "This method is not bad, we can try it."


    Hui Xiu couldn''t help but interrupt, "If you use fruits, you can also use flowers. It''s just like the osmanthus cake, it will definitely be delicious."


    Jin Lan nodded, then smiled as she held the teacup. In her previous life, the dish she loved the most was the monthly group of the osmanthus stuffing. She wondered how it tasted like now.

 C75

    The silver man silently turned the jade plate.


    August 15th, Mid-Autumn Festival.


    Jin Lan got up early in the morning and changed into a white peach-red plaid with many flowers. He wore a dress with gold thread embroidered on it made from shallow lotus powder. It was a new autumn dress, and he was rushing it so quickly that he was able to reach the front of the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    Mama Tang was combing her hair, her fingertip passing through the soft and black hair. She instantly and skillfully separated a few strands of hair, "Young lady, you can''t be too modest today. How about we just make a hanging bun?"


    Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and in a little while, there would be a feast. It was naturally not as casual as usual. Jin Lan thought for a moment, then nodded his head in agreement.


    Bi He held her hands at the side and opened a drawer at the bottom of the mirror. Inside, there was a golden velvet cloth and on top of it, there was a set of jewelry that was embedded with pure gold jade. From the steps to the hairpins to the earrings, it was all there, and its style was extremely good.


    This was something the Old Madame Ye had brought back from the capital. Each of the three ladies of Ye Family had one set, but it was Jin Lan''s "Butterfly Love Flower" set that was the most exquisite.


    Jin Lan was wearing a flowery dress today, and with this set of jewelry, it would be the most suitable. However, she shook her head at Bi He, "Change it to a different set.


    The old lady did not like people who liked to be pampered the most. She had angered the old lady a few days ago, so it was better for her to keep a low profile today. Besides, she was pretending to be sick, so where did she get to dress up so brilliantly to make the old lady suspicious again?


    Hearing this, Bi He said hesitantly, "But I believe the First Miss and the three young misses will probably..."


    "I know." Jin Lan waved her hand to interrupt Bi He, and said with a light voice, "Just do as I say."


    Seeing that, Bi He could only let it go, and gently closed the drawer, opening the box he usually used.


    In the end, Jin Lan chose a silk gold hairpin encrusted with goose-fat jade and gems. She wore only a carved Shuangfu and Tian Baiyu bracelet, which, although not a set of jewelry, caught her eye.


    Her face was fair, her lips were like a cherry blossom, her eyebrows were like ink, and her eyes were like autumn water. Although her face was still sickly pale and lacking a trace of brilliance, there was an extra touch of gentleness in the morning light.


    "Miss, you''ve grown up." Mama Tang looked at Jin Lan who was reflected in the water luster mirror and praised: "She will definitely be an extremely beautiful person in the future."


    Jin Lan''s cheeks flushed red, she glanced at Mama Tang unhappily: "Mama, if I were to ask an outsider to learn it, how would I be embarrassed?"


    Mama Tang smiled as she looked at Jin Lan''s embarrassed face, "With just me and Bi He, who would be so talkative?" As she spoke, she looked at Bi He wrongly and said meaningfully, "Do you think so, Bi He?"


    Bi He''s hands paused for a moment to clear up the dowry before she smiled and said, "Of course." Then she lowered her head and placed the ivory comb and the comb, one by one, back into place.


    The light in Jin Lan''s eyes flickered, and he did not say anything more. He looked at the color of the sky, then stood up and walked towards the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Originally, Meng Mansion sent out a card inviting Madame SHen and Jin Lan to a banquet, but Jin Lan''s body was not well, and Madame SHen was also busy to the point of being disoriented, hence he tactfully declined.


    When Jin Lan arrived at the Shuixie Pavilion, the Madame SHen had just finished packing up, and the mother and daughter pair went to pay their respects to the old lady.


    When Madame SHen brought Jin Lan to the Jiayu Hall, there were already sounds coming from inside. Pin Yue respectfully lifted the curtain and upon entering the room, she saw Ye Jinwei, who was wearing a red peonish peonies with a lined jacket, nudging the old lady. She spoke softly, and no one knew what she was talking about, causing the old lady''s face to be filled with smiles.


    Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival. The old lady had allowed her to leave the Tranquil Heart Residence, but she didn''t expect to arrive so early in the morning. It would take almost an hour to get here and there. If she kept this up, Ye Jinwei would probably be up before daybreak. And her demeanor ¡­ Jin Lan looked at the jewelry that Ye Jinwei was wearing. As expected, it was the set of pure gold jewelry that the Old Granny was giving him.


    Seeing Madame SHen and Jin Lan come in, Ye Jinwei immediately stood up and greeted them with a smile, "Mother, second sister." The tone was especially intimate.


    Jin Lan couldn''t help raising his eyebrows, and a sweet smile appeared on his face as he returned her salute. "Big sister."


    Although Madame SHen''s expression was indifferent, she nodded her head, "Stand up."


    The Old Madame Ye smiled amiably and gently as she sized up Jin Lan''s clothes, and then carefully examined the color of her face, waving at her: "Has Girl Lan been getting better recently?"


    Then, he went forward and held Old Madame Ye''s arm, "It''s much better now. It''s really Lan Er''s fault for making grandmother worry."


    "Stop!" The old lady deliberately made a face. "It''s so early in the morning and you want to curse yourself. "You are my lifeblood. You have to be fine."


    Ye Jinwei also came over, and smiled as she nodded: "Old granny is right, Second sister, you have to be more careful of your own body. Recently, I have been meditating everyday to pray for second sister''s luck, I hope second sister can recover soon."


    When these words came out, not only Jin Lan, but even the Madame SHen''s face flashed with a strange look. Only Old Madame Ye did not seem to notice anything wrong and continued to smile merrily.


    Jin Lan turned his face over, the smile on Ye Jinwei''s face was beautiful, no matter how he looked at it, she was a good older sister who cared about her sister. However, she knew in her heart that this was just a facade. The savagery hidden behind that bright smile had long since been clearly seen by her.


    He was already thankful that he didn''t curse her now. How could she calm her heart and pray for him to recite the scriptures?


    "I was wondering why she suddenly felt so comfortable, it was originally elder sister''s credit, younger sister should thank elder sister here, especially in front of the old lady. I let mother deliver the copied scriptures to Lingji Temple, to the Buddha, it could be counted as elder sister''s credit."


    Ye Jinwei''s smile froze on her face, and she nodded her head as though nothing had happened, and said: "Copying a scripture for my sister, it''s just a result of my intentions, it''s nothing to say, it''s just that I''m not finished copying it yet, I''m afraid I''ll have to wait for a few more days."


    The smile on Jin Lan''s face deepened as he looked at her flickering gaze. He said, "There''s no need to worry. Elder sister doesn''t need to worry. I''m willing to wait."


    Ye Jinwei hated him to the core until it started to itch, but on the surface, he could only smile and reply, "Okay."


    Seeing that the two sisters were being intimate, the Old Madame Ye''s smile became even more satisfied. She raised her head to look at the Madame SHen and asked: "Is the family feast ready?"


    Madame SHen nodded her head and replied: "Everything has been arranged, put it in the Zhiyun Palace."


    Not far from the Jiayu Hall, on the lotus pond, there was a beautiful scenery and there was even a stage set up in the early days. The old lady loved to watch the show. After the family banquet was over, she could even listen to one or two of the plays. It was an excellent arrangement.


    Old Madame Ye nodded, her expression becoming more amiable.


    Just as everyone was talking and laughing, Ye Jinxian and Ye Yu entered the house one after another.


    Ye Yu was dressed in a blue satin gown with silver inscriptions on the sides. A jade belt was tied around his waist, it was adorned with a double-ringed moon pendant, he was wearing green satin powder boots, his entire person looked like a lucky girl in a new year painting.


    Old Madame Ye naturally hugged Ye Yu and rubbed his mouth, she was so amused that she couldn''t close his mouth, and instead ignored Ye Jinxian who was at the side.


    Jin Lan looked at Ye Jinxian who had bowed and then quietly retreated to the side, a complicated look in her eyes. Before she could think too much, she heard Ye Jinwei say: "Second sister, third sister, look! The old lady was really biased, the moment Yu Ge''er came, she had already forgotten about us."


    Ye Jinxian timidly raised his head to look, and discovered that Jin Lan was staring at him. The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile, and she once again lowered his head.


    Only then did Jin Lan turn his gaze to Ye Yu.


    Perhaps because of what happened last time that scared him to death, he no longer dared to be rude towards Jin Lan. He shouted honestly at Jin Lan, "Sister Second Sister."


    Jin Lan smiled and nodded.


    Old Madame Ye saw everything, patted the back of Jin Lan''s hand, and then pointed at Ye Jinwei''s forehead with her index finger: "With your glib mouth, start making arrangements for your little brother in front of me."


    He then picked up the teacup and giggled. "I didn''t arrange it, just look at the tea leaves and you will know that when we came here just now, it was in a Da Hong Pao, but now that the Yu Ge''er has come, it had turned into mist. If grandmother wasn''t biased, what was it?"


    A few words caused everyone to reveal a smile, and for a moment, the room was filled with laughter and chatter, bustling with noise and excitement.


    Madame SHen sat for a while and then took her leave. Although Man Ping and Hui Xiu were at the side of the Sesame Rice Restaurant, they did not make much of a threat, as this was the first time she had handled such a huge matter. It was impossible for anything to go wrong, so she had to watch over them personally.


    When noon came, Ye Lin hurried back to the house, washed up and changed his clothes, then went to Jiayu Hall to talk to the old lady. Not long after, the Madame SHen sent Man Ping over to invite him.


    Only then did everyone gather around the old lady and head to the Sesame House.


    When it came to''s generation, most of the people were no longer as prosperous as they were in the past, and so they were not separated. The old lady sat on the main seat, while the Ye Lin and Madame SHen sat on the left and right side of the table. And Ye Yu''s next target was Ye Yu. Even the Concubine Ning made an exception and arranged a seat, it was just a little far back, at the bottom of Ye Jinxian.


    Jin Lan did not see the figure of Concubine Shao at the banquet. It seemed like the old lady had steeled her heart to let her "rest and nurture the womb".


    On the round table, which was covered with a red and gold brocade, a large table made out of yellow pear-shaped flowers and birds, was filled with golden buddhist hand rolls, butterfly scrolls, ginger fish slices, bamboo shoots, jade palms, pearl tofu, ten thousand words coral cabbage, and other delicious and delicious dishes.


    With the disappearance of the Concubine Shao, Jin Lan felt that the dishes were exceptionally delicious. He had only eaten two mouthfuls when a rustling sound came from behind him, followed by a "ding" sound, and a bowl of warm broth sprinkled onto her body.

 C76

    "Servant, this servant deserves to die, this servant deserves to die!" The Little Maid who was holding the bowl of soup suddenly turned pale and she kneeled on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.


    "Stupid, clumsy servant girl, you can''t even hold a soup bowl? If you''re scalding your second sister, carefully watch your skin! " Before the crowd could react, Ye Jinwei had already let out a sharp shout. Her expression was indignant, and when she looked at Jin Lan, she revealed a little concern, "Is Second Sister alright?"


    Madame SHen did not care about the oil and dirt, and anxiously pulled away the broth on Jin Lan''s sleeves, seeing that it was not scalded at all, she heaved a sigh of relief, but still asked anxiously: "Is it scalded?"


    Old Madame Ye sat a little further away and finally reacted, "Quick, get a doctor!"


    Even Ye Lin raised his eyebrows.


    "Grandmother, Lan Er is fine, there''s no need to find a doctor." Jin Lan looked at Madame SHen, signalling to him that he was fine, then quickly spoke out to stop the old lady, even to Ye Lin, he revealed a smile at the right time.


    Seeing Jin Lan smile, Ye Lin knew that she was not injured, and looked at the young maid who was kneeling on the ground trembling, and asked coldly: "What happened?"


    In the past, there were always banquets or other places held in the residence, and they would always wait on the side for her. If not, Madame SHen would not have chosen her to serve him.


    The courtyard was paved with bluestone bricks, and people who went in and out of the courtyard had never tripped before, who knew what would happen to them this time, they were clearly walking well, but they suddenly stumbled and tilted the stew in their hands, causing the soup to spill all over Second Miss''s body. Now that Ye Lin had asked his a question, she did not know how to answer. He was so scared that she could not help but kowtow and say, "This servant deserves to die, this servant deserves to die ¡­" Not long later, his forehead was red and swollen.


    Ye Lin frowned, he glanced at the snow twigs on the ground in disgust, "If you can''t even do such a small thing, what''s the use of keeping you in the residence?" He waved for someone to drag the branch of snow down.


    As the sound of the branches stopped, they immediately collapsed to the ground in despair.


    "Father." Jin Lan stood up, and blessed Ye Lin, then said in a clear voice: "Lan Er is not injured, but her clothes were tainted, and it will be fine after changing. This maid did not do it on purpose. Moreover, it is rare for grandmother to be so happy today, so there is no need to be unhappy over such a small matter. Father, please bother her this once. "


    Ye Lin''s eyes flashed, but his expression relaxed. This daughter of hers had been raised under the old lady''s tutelage, with a gentle and pure personality, and was indeed very good. Maybe the old lady''s decision would really be feasible.


    Thinking about it this way, the dark look on his face disappeared, and he said amiably: "Since Lan Er asked, then let''s do it this way." As he spoke, he glanced at the branches on the ground, "Why aren''t you going down!"


    The branch hurriedly kowtowed to Jin Lan, before rolling back up and leaving with the empty stew cup.


    Old Madame Ye''s eyes revealed a trace of gratification when she saw Jin Lan. "Girl Lan, hurry back and change your clothes."


    Ye Jinwei had originally planned to make Jin Lan feel embarrassed, but she didn''t think that she would have such a high opinion of Ye Lin and the old lady. She was instantly furious, but she quickly followed, "Grandmother is right, Second Sister should quickly go and change into a new set of clothes, and then see if she wants to find a doctor."


    Jin Lan looked at Ye Jinwei who was gritting her teeth to please her, and said with a smile that was not a smile: "Thank you elder sister for your concern, I am fine." At the end of the snow twig was a cup of chicken nest. Although it was a bit warm, the autumn dress was thick and not hot. It was just sticky.


    The Madame SHen patted Jin Lan''s hands, and surprisingly agreed to Ye Jinwei''s words, "Although the hands seem to be fine, I don''t know what to do. When I change my clothes, let Wan Ju take a look, if it''s not possible, I''ll ask for a doctor right away."


    Jin Lan didn''t want to worry the Madame SHen, so he nodded his head and agreed, before hurriedly bringing Wan Ju and the others back to the to bathe and change.


    Even if there was one more accident, the feast still ended perfectly.


    After eating, Ye Lin left for the feast that would be held by his comrades. Ye Yu stayed for a while and ran off without a trace, he must have gone to play with the other juniors that he was close to. The Old Madame Ye did not hold him back, she only specially instructed the servant Attendant beside him to take care of the young master.


    Jin Lan and the rest had nothing to do, so they accompanied Old Madame Ye to the stage and watched two show before returning to their rooms to rest.


    Perhaps because she was tired, Old Madame Ye told Madame SHen not to put the dinner on Jiayu Hall, and not even a month''s worth of rewards, so she had a good rest early.


    The Madame SHen was happy, so she let the kitchen arrange the dinner for Ye Jinwei and the rest and sent them to the courtyard, while she went to the Lan Garden and enjoyed the view of the moon with her children.


    After dinner, the shining jade plate gradually rose into the air, and the moonlight scattered down. Madame SHen led Jin Lan to set up a table in the Central Garden, and offered the moon, pomegranates, dates, and other fruits to the table to pay his respects to the Grand Moon Sovereign.


    When Jin Lan saw Madame SHen''s serious expression, he closed his eyes and put his hands together. As he muttered to himself, he also imitated his wish, and the servants behind him naturally followed suit.


    After they finished bowing, the mother and daughter took their seats. Jin Lan looked at the servants serving behind him and smiled, "Why are you all standing? "Come over and sit."


    Hui Xiu and the rest looked at each other, then laughed: "Miss, this is against the rules, it is enough for us servants to wait on you."


    Jin Lan pouted and suddenly stood up to pull Hui Xiu''s hand. He pulled her to the side of the small Wu Dan and forced her to sit down.


    "Miss." Hui Xiu immediately struggled to get up, but the Madame SHen smiled and said: "It''s rare for all of you to willingly stay in the manor today, so there''s no need to be overly restrained, just sit down."


    Hearing Madame SHen''s words, Hui Xiu could only compromise. She thanked Madame SHen and Jin Lan before sitting down. Man Ping, Wan Ju, Bi He and the Mama Tang also followed suit and sat down, with seven or eight people huddled together, it was rather lively. The red hibiscus carved on the round table was decorated with a variety of fruits. Everyone was joking around with each other.


    Waiting until the jade plate in the sky started to rise higher and higher, Madame SHen suddenly said to Jin Lan: "Lan Er, do you still remember the last time we were on the road of Meng Mansion, when I promised you?"


    Jin Lan was rubbing a sweet grapefruit in his mouth, and upon hearing Madame SHen''s question, his eyes lit up. He immediately swallowed the sweet juice in his mouth, and asked: "Mother said you would appreciate the lanterns?"


    Seeing her daughter''s happy look, Madame SHen''s heart could not help but jump, "The time is right now. If you want to go, change into a set of clothes that are thicker. It''s cold at night."


    "Thank you, mother!" How could Jin Lan not go? With that, he pulled Mama Tang back into the house to change his clothes.


    Not long later, a tall carriage slowly drove out of the Ye Mansion.


    Yangzhou''s lanterns would be even more lively than Jin Lan thought. The streets would be filled with the shadows of people moving about, their toes touching their legs, shoulders and arms like the tide, filling up the entire street. The two sides of the street were decorated with lanterns and lanterns, with different shapes. Half of the Yangzhou City was reflected upon them, making them seem as bright as day.


    The boats on the West Lake sparkled as the music of the singers'' guzheng and their melodious melodies echoed across the lake. The melody was very suitable for the scenery: the moon in the sky, the tall buildings as well as the eaves of the verandas. With a frown on her face and her slender jade arms, she looked towards the west through the fence ¡­


    Before the carriage had even reached the bustling area, they could already hear the bustling sounds of bullets. Jin Lan couldn''t help but lift up the curtain a crack to look outside: the streets were lined with lanterns like fire, the people were boiling over with songs of Xu Shengge, the distant clamor came in waves, everywhere was a picture of the middle of autumn''s night in high tide.


    "Lan Er." Madame SHen called out with a laugh, and pulled her into her embrace, "In front of us is the City God Temple, there are many lanterns there, and there are also many riddles with lanterns. You will definitely like it, but you have to follow me closely later, don''t lose yourself."


    Jin Lan nodded her head obediently, "Mother, don''t worry. Lan Er understands the importance of this."


    The Madame SHen rubbed Jin Lan''s head, then ordered Man Ping, who had followed them out, and Wan Ju and the others to protect the lady well.


    Before he finished speaking, the carriage suddenly shook, and Jin Lan quickly stabilized himself. Madame SHen frowned, and Hui Xiu immediately shouted: "Li San, what''s wrong?"


    Li San looked at the dense crowd, then turned and reported: "Reporting to the madam and young lady, there are too many people walking on the street, the carriage is not easy to take."


    Man Ping lifted the curtain to take a look, and sure enough, it was filled with people.


    Madame SHen thought for a moment, then said to Jin Lan: "It''s not far, how about we go over?"


    Jin Lan had wanted to take a look since a long time ago, but when he heard Madame SHen''s question, he didn''t think he should. Wan Ju immediately helped her put on the Drapery Cap s, and Hui Xiu and Bi He also tied the cloaks they brought out specially for the two of them. Although the inside of the carriage was warm, it was not certain if it was still outside. Madame SHen and Jin Lan''s body were weak, so they had to be extra careful.


    Madame SHen and Jin Lan got off the carriage, and when Li San stopped the carriage by the side of the road, the seven of them followed the flow of people and walked towards the City God Temple. Hui Xiu and the rest of the maids were surrounding the mother and daughter duo in the middle to protect them, while Li San followed behind them at a distance.


    After walking forward a bit, there were more and more people. Originally, the people surrounding Madame SHen and Jin Lan had scattered due to the large number of people, the Madame SHen protected Jin Lan tightly in their arms, afraid that she would be pushed away by the crowd. Hui Xiu and the rest also tried their best to move closer to them, but there were simply too many people, and they could only maintain a distance of half an arm''s length.


    "Lan Er, come and rest." Madame SHen brought Jin Lan to a flower lantern stand at the side. Although there were a lot of people gathered there, it was much better than the street.


    Hui Xiu and the other maidservants also rushed over, all of them sending out crooked hairpins. Jin Lan couldn''t help but burst out laughing, but just as he was about to open his mouth to tease, his gaze was attracted by a hexagonal glass palace lamp that was hung on the left side.


    Within the clear and translucent glass, there was a bit of candlelight. Each piece of glass was even painted with 12 flowers that slowly bloomed from the bud, looking vivid and lifelike. There were already many tourists gathered under the lanterns. They had clearly been attracted by the lanterns too.


    "Does Lan Er like that flower lamp? Why don''t we go and take a guess? " Madame SHen followed Jin Lan''s gaze and knew which lamp she was looking for.


    Jin Lan nodded, but just as he was about to follow Madame SHen, he heard a loud bang. A resplendent silver flower suddenly exploded in the sky, immediately creating a clamor, causing all the tourists'' line of sight to be attracted by the blossoming ceremonial flower, and they all stopped, raising their heads to look up at the night sky.


    Under the night sky, the dazzling silver flowers bloomed like a chrysanthemum, yet like a peony in full bloom. They were rich and beautiful, fleeting in the blink of an eye like a fleeting flower. One after the other, the flowers and trees fell like rain in the east wind. The fragrance of the carved BMW carts filled the entire road, the sound of the phoenix and the flute moved, the light in the jade pot revolved, and overnight, the fish and dragon danced about.


    Everyone was immersed in the dazzling multi-colored light, when suddenly, a mournful shout rang in their ears: "We went into the water!"


    The crowd seemed to have awoken from a dream and instantly scattered in all directions like exploding ants. Jin Lan immediately stretched out his hand to try to stop Madame SHen, but a huge force suddenly came from behind him, knocking her ruthlessly towards the fleeing crowd ¡­

 C77

    "Lan Er! ¡ª ¡ª" From the time she was holding the bag in her hand to the moment Jin Lan staggered and fell onto the ground, Madame SHen''s eyes almost popped out as he shouted crazily. He ignored the people in front of her and tried to escape to where his daughter was, but he was knocked back a few steps by the crowd.


    Although she was screaming hysterically, the voices of the surrounding people running for their lives were louder than her voice. All kinds of screams and shouts, along with the firecrackers not too far away, were mixed together. In the end, no one could clearly hear what was being said.


    "Madam!" The servant girls who were originally standing by her side were also washed away and scattered. Fortunately, Hui Xiu was the closest to the Madame SHen, so she had to use all her strength to push her way to her side, protecting the pale Madame SHen.


    However, the two of them were already weak, how could they have the ability to protect themselves in the crowd? He staggered and was carried forward by the crowd.


    Hui Xiu''s eyes were sharp, seeing that there was a gap between the two lanterns that had yet to be knocked over, she immediately went to protect Madame SHen, and cut in between the cracks as she walked.


    After squeezed into the crevice with much difficulty to stand firmly, Madame SHen immediately turned to look at the place where Jin Lan was previously standing.


    Madame SHen instantly wailed out, tugging at Hui Xiu''s knuckles until it was white, continuously trembling as she incoherently spoke: "Lan Er, Lan Er fell! "Go find her, find her!"


    Huaxu''s face turned pale when she heard that Jin Lan had fallen. How could anyone care about such a panicky scene? Even a strong man might not be able to withstand such a step, let alone a girl with such a delicate body.


    She could not help but take in a breath of cold air, her eyes anxiously sweeping the crowd, hoping to find Man Ping or her figure. She hadn''t been standing close to her earlier, but now that she was surrounded, which one of them managed to hold her back?


    Unfortunately, after looking for a long time, he was unable to find a familiar figure.


    "Hui Xiu, I need to go back. I need to go back to that stall just now, maybe Lan Er is still waiting for me!" Madame SHen suddenly wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.


    "Madam ¡­" Hui Xiu wanted to advise her against it, but seeing Madame SHen''s resolute expression and remembering Jin Lan Qian''s smiling appearance, his eyes flashed and he gritted his teeth: "This servant will protect you."


    Madame SHen''s bloodless face revealed a hint of gratitude. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the two decisively moved out of the temporary safe space and went against the crowd and headed towards their original location.


    Although it was only a short ten steps, it was like a natural chasm that was difficult to cross.


    In the end, Madame SHen and Hui Xiu were still forced to retreat by the huge crowd of people, and that gap was also occupied by the people who tried to hide. No matter how unwilling they were, they could only watch as the lantern stand got further and further away ¡­


    But when Jin Lan was knocked over, all the people he was worried about were all Madame SHen. Just as she was about to fall, she caught a glimpse of Hui Xiu walking towards Madame SHen''s side.


    With Hui Xiu''s protection, Mother should be safe right? Just as she was thinking, her eyes touched upon the surging crowd, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.


    Ah!" Jin Lan couldn''t help but shriek. The white and black soles of his shoes gradually enlarged in front of his eyes. Was he going to end up like this? No, no, she didn''t want to die.


    However, no matter how much she screamed in her heart, she couldn''t stop her body from collapsing.


    She closed her eyes in despair.


    Suddenly, a slight gust of cool wind blew past. Jin Lan felt a pain in his arm, and suddenly felt as if he was riding on clouds and fog. Her muddleheaded mind suddenly cleared up. She opened her eyes and a simple face entered her sight.


    "It''s you ¡­" Jin Lan''s pink-lipped lips parted as she murmured softly. The remaining words were swallowed back into her stomach with a single glance from her deep eyes.


    As his gaze shifted, he realized that he was being held horizontally in his arms. Everything in front of him was quickly retreating. The lights that were originally bright as day gradually dimmed, clearly heading towards a place with fewer people.


    Mother!? She suddenly remembered that Madame SHen was still in the crowd, and could not help but struggle to land. "Let go of me, Mother is still in the crowd!"


    The man who was running at his full strength suddenly shouted. His eyes narrowed and a cold voice came out from between his teeth, "If you want to die, then keep moving."


    Jin Lan was horrified. He suddenly remembered that when they first met in Lingji Temple, the two big palms that almost strangled him to death instantly froze. However, Madame SHen''s comforting words were like needles stabbing into her heart. Her nose started to feel sore, her eyes started to redden, and she weakly choked: "I''m worried about mother."


    Accompanied by the flickering flames, Yan Ye looked at his tearful little face. In the face of death, he hadn''t seen her shed a single tear, yet now, he looked like this ¡­


    His eyes flickered as he said, "Your mother is safe and sound."


    Jin Lan immediately raised his head, his misty eyes sparkling. "Really?"


    Yan Ye shifted his gaze away as he coldly stared in front of him and snorted, "Mn."


    Jin Lan''s tense heart instantly calmed down. She didn''t know why, but she actually believed this person''s words. It was as if if if he had said that her mother was fine, then she would be safe and sound.


    There were fewer people on the street by the time they reached Cat''s Ear Lane, but there were still a few who ran as fast as Yan Ye, albeit at a much slower speed. He also saw a cold-faced man in green robes hugging a figure. That slender figure was clearly a woman. They all looked at the person curled up in his embrace with curious gazes.


    Luckily, Jin Lan lowered his head and shrank tightly, plus the thick black hair poured down, covering a large portion of his face, if not, early tomorrow morning, the great reputation of the Ye Family Second Miss would probably spread throughout the entire Yangzhou City.


    After running a bit further, Jin Lan felt his body shaking more and more. Just as he was hesitating about whether he should open his mouth to ask Ling Chen to put him down, a low voice sounded above his head, "Where''s the carriage?"


    "Huh?" Jin Lan was stunned and immediately understood that he was asking about their family''s carriage. After a moment of thought, he replied softly, "It should be by the side of the Heavenly Falls Lane."


    It wasn''t too far from the city''s temple, and that was where they got off the car and walked to the temple. Jin Lan hoped that Yan Ye could turn his head around. This way, he would be closer to the place where he separated from his mother at that time. He might even be able to go back and look around, or perhaps his mother had already returned to the carriage and was waiting for him.


    Even though she thought this way, she didn''t dare to hold too much hope. They had already run to the Cat''s Ear Lane, so he might not be willing to go back. Just as he was thinking about how to persuade her, the direction under his feet had completely changed. He only left the main road and turned left and right in the small alley.


    From the looks of it, he seemed to be extremely familiar with Yangzhou City! Jin Lan looked at Yan Ye''s taut face without a trace.


    Since she was a child, she had grown up in the Yangzhou, and even streets and alleys in the city did not dare to say that they were completely recognizable, yet he casually traveled through them, as if he knew every nook and cranny of the alleyway.


    Who was he? Last time, he attracted an official search when he was in the Lingji Temple. Could it be that he was really an extremely vicious fugitive?


    She shivered at the thought, but when her eyes met his resolute jaw, she could not help but deny it.


    If he was really such a person, he wouldn''t have shown mercy in the side room of the Lingji Temple back then, and he wouldn''t have attracted Grandmaster Wu Guang''s help to treat his mother''s illness, nor would he have saved her just now.


    Even for him, it was difficult to defend against such a torrent of people. If he was careless and got caught in it, it would be extremely dangerous. However, he pulled her out without saying a word, preventing her from being trampled to death by the crowd.


    Even in the eyes of the officials, he was an unforgivable sinner. To her, he was a savior.


    Thinking about this, Jin Lan''s apprehensive heart gradually calmed down. He focused his eyes and saw that Sky Water Lane was already close by. She could even see the Ye Mansion''s tall and wide green-covered carriage from afar under the light of the lamp.


    It was a full moon night in the middle of autumn, and there were a lot of people going out to enjoy the night. The number of people going out to enjoy the night was almost double the amount of people going out to enjoy the night, and the number of people going out to enjoy the night was a lot of people coming out.


    Ye Family''s carriage stopped at a place like this, only that the empty space was still bustling with people. Many of the people who escaped did not have the slightest interest in playing around, and one after another, they took out their copper coins to settle their debts, boarded their carriages, and left while waving their whips.


    Yan Ye specifically waited for a while, until almost all the carriages surrounding the Ye Family Wagon had scattered. Then, like a ghost, he rushed in with Jin Lan in his arms.


    As soon as he entered the carriage, Jin Lan felt the grip on his hand loosen as his body fell onto the soft cushion with a soft thud.


    "You, what are you planning to do?" Even though Jin Lan thought that Yan Ye was her savior, a man and woman alone in a sealed room, she was still frightened.


    Especially since this man was someone who could control him with a single hand.


    Hearing Jin Lan''s trembling cry, the originally panting Yan Ye suddenly opened his eyes. Even though the interior of the carriage was dark, the faint light that shone through the curtains allowed him to catch a glimpse of the little girl''s rabbit like eyes, as well as the trace of fear on her face.


    His deep eyes began to ripple, and his thin lips slightly opened, once again forming a straight line. Only after a while did he close his eyes and cover his eyes that were as clear as black jade. "So noisy."


    He probably wanted to rest. After all, he had been carrying her for such a long time, even though she was only nine years old and thin, she was still a living person and her weight was not light.


    Thinking to this point, she secretly let out a breath of relief. She also put away the fear on her face and quietly hid herself in a corner, preparing to wait for him to rest before thinking of a way to find her mother.


    Jin Lan held his breath, afraid that he would disturb the people around him. The carriage became quiet, other than the noise from outside and Yan Ye''s hurried breathing, no one could hear anything else.


    Just when she was thinking about when Yan Ye would leave, she suddenly felt a sharp gaze landing on her.


    Jin Lan''s heart thumped. He suddenly raised his head. Before he could even make a sound, his arm was grabbed by a powerful palm. Immediately afterwards, a powerful force pressed down on his body.

 C78

    What are you trying to do! Jin Lan opened his mouth, but no sound of anger could be heard. His tender lips were covered by a thick palm the moment he opened them.


    "Pfft!" With a light sound, Yan Ye groaned. He could not help but stiffen his body, and his arm that was supporting his body suddenly bent, almost pressing his entire body down on the person below.


    Let me go! Feeling the two people''s bodies tightly touching each other, Jin Lan was both embarrassed and fearful. He completely lost the calm and composed attitude he had in the past.


    Her eyes were filled with a layer of mist as she struggled with all her might, trying to break free from his grasp.


    Suddenly, a faint smell of blood entered her nose along with her breath. A trace of astonishment appeared on her angry face before it quickly turned into shock. She raised her head to look at the face that was not even half a foot away from her, almost touching it with her nose.


    Is he hurt?


    That person''s scorching breath sprayed all over her face, and her eyes that were as black as ink were suffused with an unfathomable haze. She didn''t relax even a little bit when she held down her body and mouth.


    What was going on? Jin Lan''s mind was in chaos. He had no time to react at all.


    Suddenly, she felt the hand that was covering her mouth loosen as her waist tightened. The entire carriage seemed to have flipped over, and the jade plate that was embedded in the sky suddenly appeared before her eyes. She could clearly see the thick smoke that soared into the sky and the people that were still running away.


    She ¡­ she was actually being carried by him!


    Just as she was about to struggle for help, her gaze landed on the back of a shoulder on the other side. Surprisingly, there was a dagger that had almost sunk into her flesh. Her ash-green robe had already been dyed black.


    That is ¡­ Blood! Her face, which had originally been suffused with a captivating red color due to shame and anger, instantly lost all color!


    The soft and bright moonlight scattered down from the sky. Although it wasn''t as bright as the day, it was still sufficient for one to clearly see their surroundings. The moment Yan Ye''s figure flashed out of the carriage, it immediately attracted the attention of people.


    "Over there!"


    "Chase!"


    With a few low roars, several black clothed men suddenly disappeared in the direction of Yan Ye with quick steps. Jin Lan, who was being carried on his shoulder and was about to puke, could even vaguely see the cold light flickering in their hands.


    Yan Ye didn''t head towards the direction where there were many people, but rather, he traveled through the dark alley just like when he came here. Perhaps it was because he was carrying the burden of Jin Lan, and because he was injured, his speed was obviously inferior to the black clothed man who was in hot pursuit.


    Jin Lan saw the man in black slowly drawing closer, fear filling his clear eyes.


    The dagger that was stabbed into his body and the nauseating smell of blood filled his nose, constantly reminding her that the other party was a group of people who would kill without blinking an eye.


    Once he was caught, even he would not be able to escape unscathed, much less a weak woman like himself who was powerless.


    Feeling the body on his shoulder violently trembling, Yan Ye''s deep eyes flashed. Even though she was afraid, she did not scream out loud in panic, which surprised him.


    After turning a corner, both sides had already reached a dead end. Facing the tall stone wall in front of him, Yan Ye''s eyes did not show any signs of panic, but instead revealed a hint of ruthlessness. He endured the pain of his bones scraping and raised his hand to place his pinky into his lips.


    The footsteps of the man in black, who was right behind him, suddenly slowed down. Jin Lan realized that there were more than a dozen ordinary dressed men fighting with the man in black in the alley.


    Both sides held sharp blades in hand, so when their attacks clashed, there was no sound. Only when the blades sliced through the flesh would there be a groan. Although the figure that appeared afterwards had the advantage in numbers, he was clearly at a disadvantage. The black clothed man had almost easily cut down one person in a few moves.


    Under the gentle white moonlight, the splattered blood was extremely shocking.


    That inaudible scream had fallen into Yan Ye''s heart, causing his usually cold eyes to turn completely red. These were all his trusted aides and brothers that he had brought out with him, who had gone through the cost of their lives!


    Taking advantage of the time he earned with his life, Yan Ye casually picked a house that wasn''t lit, a house that was completely dark, he kicked open the door, and threw the person on his shoulder inside.


    With a "pa" sound, Jin Lan fell face down on the ground, completely exhausted. Fortunately, he had both hands on his back to support him, so he didn''t fall into the mud. He only had enough time to hear his low voice, "Don''t come out."


    When she looked up, the door was closed before her eyes, and the sounds of fighting in the alley died away.


    She rubbed her elbow against the ground, the intense pain jolting her out of her stupor. She finally let go of her breath. Jin Lan couldn''t help but gasp for breath. His trembling hands pressed against his chest, as if trying to suppress his heart that was about to burst out.


    However, his eyes touched the sticky blood on the sleeve and he couldn''t help bending over to vomit.


    "Ugh!" He vomited clean the dinner and also vomited out two mouthfuls of sour water. Finally, he managed to stop the nausea from his chest. His pretty face was battered and battered as tears streamed down his face.


    Blood was dripping. The scene of flesh and blood flying everywhere had already exceeded the limits of what she could bear, not to mention the fact that those people who were still alive had just turned into a lifeless corpse in front of her eyes.


    Jin Lan''s nose twitched, and he covered his face with his hands. Yet, he couldn''t stop his tears from rolling down, and a scorching heat seeped out from between his fingers. The tears fell one by one, wetting his dress.


    She had only gone out with her mother to admire the lights. Not only did she run into some troubles, she also lost track of her mother. She was originally lucky enough to be saved, but now she was caught in a bloody hunt under the night sky.


    Now, curled up in this pitch black room, she was at a loss except for listening and waiting outside.


    The sounds of weapons clashing in the alley gradually lessened, but the smell of blood became stronger and stronger. It had already permeated into the house, making Jin Lan feel as if it was difficult to even breathe.


    Her heartstrings had been taut the entire time. Upon hearing this commotion, she knew that the battle outside would not be going on for long. It was just that she did not know who would be the victor.


    After some thought, Jin Lan used his other clean sleeve to wipe away the tears on his face. He forced himself to stand up, and with the faint light that seeped into the window, he was barely able to distinguish the direction.


    Although she wasn''t sure if the black-clothed men had seen Yan Ye leaving her in the house, she knew clearly in her heart that she didn''t want to die!


    Before he could get up to the corner, he heard a "Bang!" With a loud bang, the door was kicked open. A black figure covered in blood rushed in with his back facing the moonlight. The cold blade in his hand reflected a dazzling white light, sweeping across her terrified eyes.


    Jin Lan''s legs softened as he staggered two steps back. He held his breath as his heart pounded. Before he could even think, he had already turned around to flee.


    However, the room was so big. She couldn''t even run a few steps before she was blocked by the black clothed person who caught up to her after she adapted to the darkness.


    Looking at the hand that was still dripping down, covered in blood, in front of his eyes, Jin Lan could no longer suppress the despair in his heart. He closed his eyes and let out a shrill scream, "No!"


    The moment the last word left his mouth, the black-clothed man who was originally bullying him suddenly soared into the air. He was ruthlessly kicked to the side by the person behind him. Immediately, he let out an "Ah!", and let out a blood-curdling screech.


    The expected pain did not come, and Jin Lan opened his trembling eyes, only after blinking a few times did he clearly see the situation in the room. The black clothed man who had grabbed him had already fallen to the side, completely lifeless.


    A tall and straight figure stood in front of the door. Her back was to the moonlight, and her face and expression couldn''t be seen. However, she could still see a few pieces of stone green on her almost dyed black robe.


    "Yan, Yan Ye." With tears in her eyes and trembling lips, she called out his name for the first time with suppressed joy, just like seeing the light of dawn slowly rise in the darkness.


    A complicated look flashed across his eyes that were hidden in the shadows. Perhaps, he shouldn''t have ¡­ Suddenly, with a shake of his right bowl, the dagger in his hand whizzed through the air and went straight for the black clothed man who was originally lying on the ground.


    "Ding!" A sound was heard, as if some sharp weapons had collided with each other. However, Jin Lan suddenly realized that a cold light was heading straight for her face!


    In that instant, it was as if a root had sprouted beneath his feet. Jin Lan''s pupils suddenly contracted, his shiny black eyes reflecting the approaching cold light. There was only one thought left in his mind: She will die!

 C79

    In his two lives, Jin Lan had never seen such a hand. It was a broad palm, and the joints on its long fingers were smooth and round. Under the gentle moonlight, there was a faint silver sheen. Even though his fingers were dyed with a dazzling scarlet color, it was like a jade-like glow that bloomed and burned strangely.


    It was precisely this kind of hand that suddenly appeared in front of her eyes. It tightly clenched its fist, revealing a short, cold light that was only a few inches away from her eyes.


    The silence was Jin Lan''s only feeling at this moment. His eyes were wide open as he blankly stared at the hand in front of him. The blood seeping through the gaps of his fingers dripped onto the floor like autumn rain.


    It was a dazzling blood-red, and the tip of her nose was surrounded by a sweet and fishy smell. Every single one of them reminded her that no one knew when the person who had rushed over had blocked that life-taking cold blade for her.


    "It''s over." A deep voice resounded in Jin Lan''s ears, seemingly carrying a trace of charm that was hard to refuse, yet mixed with a hint of gentleness that even he did not notice.


    Jin Lan blinked his eyes, as if he had just awakened from a nightmare. His stiff body gradually relaxed, but he still kept staring straight ahead.


    Yan Ye''s eyes turned slightly, following her gaze, he saw a black clothed man lying down in the corner, with a sharp dagger stabbed into his chest, with only half an inch remaining where his body was not even exposed, reflecting the light that leaked through the door, it was flickering with a cold light.


    He frowned slightly and lifted his left hand that was not injured and covered her eyes that had lost their clarity. It was as if he wanted to completely cover up that bloody scene with those clear eyes.


    Jin Lan only felt his vision darken as he covered his eyes with his slender fingers. He lifted his hand to bring about a gentle breeze, making the smell of blood even stronger.


    She instinctively closed her eyes, and without making a sound or paying any attention to him, she sniffed the repulsive stench of blood, causing her terrified heart to gradually calm down.


    After a long while, the sound of footsteps could be heard around him and he slowly loosened his grip.


    "Senior apprentice-brother!"


    Jin Lan turned his head, only to see a slender figure dashing into the house, heading straight for her and Yan Ye.


    "Senior Brother, are you alright ¡­ "Huh?" The running girl stopped right in front of them. Only then did the girl in crimson dress realize that there was another person in the room, and it was even a woman. Although she was only eight or nine years old, her gaze touched upon the intimate distance between the two of them, and her tone became heavy, "Who are you? Why would they be here? "


    Even though the room was dimly lit, Jin Lan was still able to recognize that the girl dressed in red was the very unreasonable red-clothed girl he met last time at Lingji Temple. She glanced at Yan Ye, took a deep breath, and was about to open her mouth, but was snatched away by someone else.


    "I know." The woman in red suddenly understood, "So you are the bait that Senior Apprentice Brother spoke of!"


    The word ''bait'' struck Jin Lan like a thunderclap. His slightly opened mouth was instantly frozen. What bait?


    Facing the previous group of shocked and fearful eyes, Yan Ye''s gaze lightly flashed, but he didn''t turn around. Instead, he coldly swept his gaze over the still chattering girl in red, and said, "Get out!"


    "Senior?" The gowned woman looked at Yan Ye in astonishment. "Did I say something wrong? It was you who said you wanted to find a bait and made them think that you wouldn''t be able to escape with all your burdens, thus luring the enemy ¡­ "


    bait, burden, lead the enemy... Hearing up to this point, what was there that Jin Lan didn''t understand? In her mind, there was a "boom" sound. Her face, which had just recovered a few strands of color, suddenly turned deathly pale. Her body swayed a few times before she collapsed limply to the ground.


    The straight figure stretched out his hand to grab the little girl who was about to collapse onto the ground and put her arms around her.


    "Red silk, don''t let me say it a second time." With a hint of sternness in his voice, Yan Ye''s eyes unknowingly carried a hint of iciness.


    The beautiful red silk face was filled with disbelief, she pointed at the golden light in his arms, then looked at Yan Ye who had a gloomy and cold expression. She wanted to say something, but she hesitated and finally stomped her feet, turned around and ran out of the house.


    Yan Ye lowered her eyes and quietly looked at Jin Lan, who had his head lowered without saying a word. From his messy black hair, a white neck like a tender lotus could be seen, and her eyes that were as clear as black jade, were filled with an indescribable emotion.


    Jin Lan tried her best to suppress the fear in her heart. She could feel someone pressing her back against someone''s chest, but she didn''t have the courage to struggle.


    He was still alive, and the woman in the red dress was also alive, enough to prove that he had won. Otherwise, that man in black would not have rushed into the house in a hurry, wanting to grab her as a bargaining chip.


    Heh, Jin Lan swept his gaze over the completely dead man in black at the corner of the wall. He laughed miserably in his heart. She had always treated him as her savior, but in the end, she realized that she was just bait.


    Now that this matter had been accomplished, would she, this bait, still be able to live?


    Her chest rose and fell slightly. Despite being separated by a few layers of cloth, she could still feel the warmth emitted from his body. However, this rare warmth was like a lake in the middle of winter, causing her to feel bone-chilling coldness.


    "Senior apprentice-brother." The red silk cloth that had already left the room turned back, and stared unwillingly at Jin Lan. The corners of her eyes suddenly curved. "Although you don''t want me to speak, there are some things that I have no choice but to say." She turned her head to the side and pursed her lips. She could vaguely see a few elongated black shadows coming towards them from the outside of the alley.


    Perhaps seeing that his helpers had arrived, the red silk had confidence in herself, so she ignored Yan Ye''s cold face and continued, "She knows our mission tonight and has seen a lot of brothers. If she stays, it will be a scourge that will threaten our brothers at any time. "Also, my senior said that after we succeed, we must eliminate all outsiders in order to avoid any rumors." She looked at Yan Ye meaningfully and said, "I hope that senior can reconsider."


    She struggled to put forth her last bit of effort, but felt that a cold wind was blowing against her. Suddenly, a sharp pain came from the back of her neck, and her firm eyes gradually turned into a dazed look, as if they were losing their luster.


    Faintly, she seemed to hear many messy footsteps. She could even vaguely see a face coming closer, its eyes like cold stars without a trace of emotion.


    They would really kill her to silence her.


    "How could it be her?"


    When the last cry of surprise entered Jin Lan''s ears, her vision went dark. With unwillingness and bone-corroding hatred, she completely lost consciousness.


    Yan Ye hugged his soft body. Only after hearing the girl''s shallow yet steady breathing did he raise his eyes to look at the person who came over.


    The person embarrassedly retracted his gaze from the gossip and his expression gradually turned serious. "The situation outside has been cleaned up, as for ¡­" He then looked at the person in Yan Ye''s embrace.


    Yan Ye glanced at him, opened his mouth and said indifferently, "She won''t leak it."


    The underlying meaning of his words was not to kill.


    The red silk cloth leaning against the door frame suddenly changed, "Could it be that Senior Brother intends to use our lives to gamble?" The voice was sharp and shrill, and it sounded harsh in the silence of the room.


    Yan Ye slowly raised his eyes to look at the red silk cloth. The moonlight seeped into his eyes, illuminating his cold eyes that were as deep as ink. Suddenly, his lips slightly curled upwards. His usually expressionless face revealed a smile for the first time. However, the red silk veil couldn''t help but shiver and feel a chill run down his spine.


    Even the men at the side quietly took two steps back.


    "F * ck off."


    His tone was flat, as if he was chattering casually, but it was like a deadly Limitless, causing the breathing in the room to stop one after another without a sound.


    The red silk cloth bit her lower lip, and a puddle of water appeared in her eye sockets. She glared at the unconscious Jin Lan hatefully, then quickly turned around and dashed out without even turning her head back.


    "Why are you doing this?" "If you anger her, be careful of your master ¡­" The man who had taken two steps back suddenly stopped in front of the door. He looked at the figure of the red silk cloth disappearing in the darkness and sighed softly. Turning his head, he looked at Yan Ye with resentment.


    That handsome face was none other than the first young master of Meng Family, Meng Zhanxuan.


    Yan Ye quietly looked outside the door, as if he had turned a deaf ear to Meng Zhanxuan''s sigh, a complex emotion that he had never experienced before flashed past his eyes.


    Because of the person in his arms, he had killed someone he had left behind. This action had almost destroyed most of his plans, but he did not feel any remorse. He had even insisted on keeping her alive, not sparing his own life.


    Why would he make such an unwise decision? His not-so-thick eyebrows were deeply furrowed, and a trace of blankness appeared in his intelligent eyes.


    Perhaps it was because she was trembling but still tried to appear calm, or perhaps it was because when he arrived in time, her eyes were shining with joy and she was calling out the name in a soft voice. The sudden shooting of Lifestealer Blade made him instantly want to kill those who should have remained alive ¡­


    Taking advantage of the time while Yan Ye was deep in thought, Meng Zhanxuan asked the rest of the people to leave the hut, and then asked softly: "Now, what should we do?"


    Yan Ye was quiet for a moment, then said: "Return to the capital."


    Meng Zhanxuan hesitated for a moment, then looked at Jin Lan and asked: "Then what about her?"


    "I have my own ideas." After she finished speaking, without waiting for Meng Zhanxuan''s response, she directly carried the unconscious person into her arms and walked out of the dark room, step by step, into the shallow and gentle Yue Hua.


    "Lan Er, Lan Er, wake up! Don''t scare me!"


    "Miss, please wake up."


    Jin Lan felt a splitting headache. Sobbing sounds filled her ears, but it instantly calmed her mind. Her eyelids trembled as she slowly opened them. His hazy line of sight gradually became clear. They swept across the roof, the swaying curtain, and the carriage covered in Scholar''s Cushion cushions one by one before finally landing on Madame SHen. His bereft lips trembled as he asked hesitantly, "Mother?"


    The weak voice startled Madame SHen. Only then did she realize that Jin Lan had already opened his eyes, and the tip of his nose was sour. He immediately cried out loud while hugging his daughter: "Lan Er, you''re awake!


    Jin Lan shook his head with effort, and his small hand under his sleeve lightly pinched his thigh, feeling a burst of pain. Her eyes were filled with surprise and shock, as if she couldn''t believe what had just happened. She exerted more force, and the intense pain caused her tears to flow out in an instant.


    She was alive, she was still alive!

 C80

    The night was dark, and the farce that had been going on in the Yangzhou City had gradually subsided. Only, the citizens who were admiring the lamps had already lost their interest in continuing to play and were returning home one by one. The Mid-Autumn Festival, which had always been bustling with noise and excitement until dawn, had actually come to an end this year.


    Although half of the city had already fallen asleep, there was one place that was extremely lively, as if they had just awoken from a deep slumber. That was the place where Yangzhou s had emerged from the Flower Mansion.


    No matter how much they fled outside, the flower beds far away from the God-level temple were not affected in the slightest. Dai Jun was covered in makeup, the cicada''s hair was fully clothed, and delicate jade was peeling spring onions. She grew in the fragrant jade sleeves, and was as beautiful as jade.


    In a rather spacious room on the second floor, Cheng Fu Shan sat gloomily on a cloud inlaid stone chair with yellow pear carved design. His fingers tightly gripped a white jade wine cup, his veins bulging as he stared at the middle-aged man kneeling on the floor, dressed like a butler.


    "Say it again."


    The Death Soldier who should have come back early to report the news had not returned. Chu Fushan was anxious and agitated, but everything was already set up, so he could only restrain his urge to send someone to scout, in case something went wrong.


    It was only at the end of Yin Qi that the person in front of him had arrived late. Moreover, the news he had brought with him made Cheng Fushan wish he could skin him alive on the spot!


    The butler knelt on the ground and kowtowed for a long time. With his head close to the ground, he said in a trembling voice, "The Shadow Sect sent out this time acted according to Master''s instructions. Although the shadow is still in hot pursuit, but that person seems to have already predicted Master''s plan and lured the shadow into an ambush. In the battle, the shadow, the shadow is completely annihilated. "


    He was the tail that had been left behind in the shadows to keep watch over all of Shadow''s duties and prevent traitors. This time, he was far behind, and with the cover of the house, he was able to see the tragic fight in the alley clearly. From the moment the last shadow rushed into the room, to the moment it let out a scream, he decisively retreated.


    He was extremely clear in his heart that Cheng Fu Shan''s methods were vicious. When he stepped into this sect, he had already made up his mind that he would definitely transfer this matter to someone else. The only thing that would attract Fu Shan''s attention would undoubtedly be a traitor.


    As a result, under his seemingly indiscernible hints, Chengfu Mountain''s thoughts had indeed shifted away from the failure of the Umbra.


    "What''s going on?"


    Cheng Fu Shan frowned, he was sure that the middle autumn night Yangzhou City would have a lantern festival, but in the past, it had always been arranged extremely well, and there had never been a incident of them going astray, why would they suddenly appear here?


    The steward was delighted, but he replied with fear on his face, "The city guards have checked carefully. They found out that a few carts filled with wet straw had caught fire. Smoke rose. The civilians thought that they had gone into the water. They started to panic."


    It was the equinox, and the dew was heavy at night. Even the dry straw could not be easily burned, let alone the wet straw. This was clearly someone deliberately using this to spoil his plans!


    Cheng Fu Shan''s face was ashen as he glared venomously at the butler''s dark head, "What else did you see? "Speak!"


    Shadow Tracking," the steward said hesitantly. "We made it back to Skywater Alley after a long detour. We almost lost track of him. Finally, we found a trail of him by a carriage." He glanced at the furious Cheng Fushan, paused for a moment, and then quickly said, "That carriage seemed to have the Ye Family''s sign, and its target is a girl in his arms. Although it doesn''t look real, it looks like the Ye Family''s girl.


    He only saw the target carrying a person out of the carriage, and from the looks of it, the target was a girl. Since it was Ye Family''s carriage, he took it for granted that it was Ye Family''s girl.


    "Bam!" Cheng Fu Shan then smashed the white jade wine cup onto the person in front of him as he roared with a ferocious expression, "Scram!"


    The butler only felt a sharp pain on the back of his head as warm liquid flowed down his hair. He didn''t even dare to raise his hand. After kowtowing and trembling, he crawled back out of the room while enduring the pain.


    After the door had been tightly shut, Cheng Fu Shan suddenly stood up and swept the plates and cups on the carved round table with one hand. Amidst the ear-piercing cracking sounds, he flipped over the round table beneath him, and looking at the mess on the floor, he felt that it was not enough.


    "Ye Family, Ye Lin!" His eyes were half closed as he stared at the drowsy picture of a lady on the screen. His face was dark and white, and his voice was fierce and scary. It sounded like he was gritting his teeth. It was extremely resentful.


    When the golden light of dawn peeked out from the horizon, it was only then that Jin Lan fell asleep. The Madame SHen''s heart ached for Jin Lan, who had been frightened all night, so she stayed by the bed. After she had gone to sleep, she stood up and went to the Jiayu Hall to pay respects to the Old Madame Ye.


    Madame SHen was also extremely nervous, if it were not for her daughter, shshewould have been unable to hold on for a long time. She anxiously walked forward, and her legs were weak and weak, causing him to immediately stumble, if not for Hui Xiu who was quick, he would have fallen down.


    Hui Xiu held onto Madame SHen''s cold hands, her eyes filled with worry, "Madam, you haven''t slept for the entire night, it''s still early, why don''t you go inside the house to rest for a bit, and then pay respects to the old lady?"


    Madame SHen took a deep breath, steadied her swaying body, and shook her head: "It''s alright, the old lady always gets up early, it''s not appropriate to be late."


    She might as well take the initiative to come over and take the blame for the matter of her return last night, as to buy more time for the Jin Lan who had just fallen asleep.


    Hui Xiu and Man Ping looked at each other, seeing the helplessness in each other''s eyes, so they could only each stand to one side, steadily supporting Madame SHen as she headed towards the Jiayu Hall.


    Forget about the matter regarding Jiayu Hall, when Jin Lan woke up, it was already past noon. Wan Ju and the other servants who should have been waiting inside had gone off somewhere, and it was quiet inside and outside.


    She rubbed her somewhat sore eyes and endured the burning itch in her throat. She sat up from the bed, but was unwilling to call a maid. After fastening her belt, she moved to the bedside and prepared to put on her shoes. When she looked down, she saw the vivid red peony embroidery on the white silk of the moon.


    Ah!" She let out a sharp scream, and with a shake of her hand, the embroidered shoes fell off her hands. She quickly retracted her legs, and headed towards the side of the bed.


    Bang! The red wooden door was pushed open from the outside and Mama Tang and Wan Ju ran in quickly.


    Seeing Jin Lan curled up in a corner with his body trembling, Mama Tang and Wan Ju''s hearts tensed up. They looked at each other for a moment, then Mama Tang called out gently, "Miss."


    Jin Lan raised her pale little face, and large tears rolled down her pale cheeks. With a terrified look in her eyes, she whispered, "Mama, blood, blood."


    The Mama Tang gave Wan Ju a meaningful glance and told her to close the door behind her. She walked over with light steps and slowly sat on the edge of the bed, saying loudly: "Miss has a bad dream, this room is good, where did the blood come from?" As she spoke, she reached out her hand to embrace Jin Lan.


    Jin Lan retreated backwards as fast as lightning, avoiding the hand the Mama Tang was reaching out to him, and pointed under the bed with a terrified expression: "There is! On the shoes. "


    Mama Tang suspiciously looked at the collapsed embroidered shoes. When her eyes touched the peony on the shoes, he immediately understood. Without saying anything, she bent down to pick up the exquisite embroidered shoes and left the room.


    Seeing that, Wan Ju hurriedly picked it up and brought it out.


    Mama Tang turned around and smiled lovingly at Jin Lan: "Miss, don''t be afraid, Mama has already thrown it away for you."


    Only then did Jin Lan regain his senses, and threw himself into Mama Tang''s embrace, choking on his emotions with a soft but suppressed sound.


    Mama Tang silently sighed, her warm hands lightly stroking Jin Lan''s back, quietly waiting for her to vent.


    After a long while, Jin Lan raised his slightly red and swollen eyes and said softly to the Mama Tang, "Mama, prepare some water, I want to take a bath."


    Mama Tang nodded her head, she called over Wan Ju and Bi He who were standing guard outside and had them make the necessary arrangements, while she poured Jin Lan some hot tea.


    After a while, Jin Lan sat in the oak barrel, her body was immersed in the hot water, and she slowly softened. The hazy mist before her dazed her for a moment, before sending Mama Tang and the rest away.


    She lowered her head to look at the water surface that was covered with petals, which covered her shoulders. Everything that had happened last night flooded her mind once again. Every scene, every fragment, had made her feel pain. Anger and grievance welled up in her moist eyes.


    He didn''t kill her.


    Jin Lan took out a wet, delicate hand that had a few petals on it and gently covered his eyes.


    He had originally thought that he was in debt, but now, he was even.


    He saved her life.


    She acted as bait, returning the favor with her life.


    In the future, they would not owe each other anything, and only a single transaction would be left.


    Thinking about Madame SHen, Jin Lan''s hand stopped and slowly lowered.


    If she remembered correctly, her mother seemed to have been guarding her all this time. How did she wake up and disappear?


    Jin Lan''s thoughts changed slightly, and he heard a few light knocks on the door. An anxious voice was heard. "Miss, are you done washing?"


    It''s Wan Ju. Jin Lan looked at the closed door, "What''s the matter? "Come in."


    Wan Ju pushed the door open and entered. Seeing that Jin Lan was safe, he heaved a sigh of relief in his heart and hurriedly went forward to reply, "Miss, the Big Sister Yan Rong from the old lady''s room has come. She said that she wants to invite you to visit her Jiayu Hall."


    Old lady? Jin Lan frowned, then stood up from the water. "Help me change my clothes."

 C81

    The moment Jin Lan saw Yan Rong, he could tell that the smile on her face was different from usual. If it was before, the most considerate servant girl beside the old lady had always been respectful to him, then the smile on her face now was flattering.


    Why? Jin Lan frowned his eyebrows unnoticeably, he had originally guessed that the reason the old lady allowed her to join Jiayu Hall, was probably because of the matter of her leaving the house last night, but Yan Rong''s actions did not seem to be like that. After thinking for a moment, he carelessly asked: "Sister Yan Rong, did the old lady have a good sleep yesterday?"


    Yan Rong smiled like the spring breeze blowing past her face, giving Jin Lan a bow, she got up and replied: "Don''t worry Second Miss, the old lady slept well last night, she got up early, and was full of energy. I had intended to call the young lady to the garden to admire the flowers, but young lady said that the young lady''s health was not good, that''s why I didn''t come over."


    So his mother was actually in the old lady''s room, but after hearing the meaning behind Yan Rong''s words, the old lady did not plan to call him over, so why did she change her mind now? And knowing that her body was "unfavorable", he still sent someone to call her.


    Jin Lan thought for a bit, then asked with a smile: "When did mother go to the Jiayu Hall, no wonder I sent someone to the Shuixie Pavilion a few times just now, and said that mother wasn''t in the courtyard."


    Yan Rong looked at Jin Lan, and laughed: "Madam came to Jiayu Hall early in the morning to pay respects to the old lady, and saw that the Old Ancestor''s birthday is approaching, and that the old lady is discussing with Madam what kind of birthday present to present to the old lady."


    Old ancestor''s birthday? Jin Lan''s heart suddenly jumped. She seemed to have grasped on to something. She walked a few steps toward the door and asked, "Are there any visitors in the old lady''s room?"


    "What visitors?" "But he''s from my clan ¡­" Just as Yan Rong spoke halfway, he suddenly choked, only then did he realize that Jin Lan was trying to trick her, causing his face to instantly turn awkward. Without further ado, he said: "Second Miss should go quickly, it''s always a good thing."


    Jin Lan nodded his head with a smile, but his heart was already in turmoil. Even though Yan Rong hadn''t finished speaking, she had already spat out the most important part.


    The old lady did indeed have someone in her room, and it was someone from her own family. From the sound of it, she was not her master, but to be able to travel all the way from the capital to the Yangzhou, she definitely was not an ordinary slave.


    Who could it be? The Old Ancestor is also my clan''s Eldest Wife?


    Jin Lan''s heart rose. It was very tense the whole way.


    Yan Rong seemed to realize that she had talked too much and never took the initiative to open her mouth again. Jin Lan pondered for a moment before giving up.


    As they walked along the veranda to the garden, the autumn light became thicker, and withered leaves fell from the branches one by one. However, at the corner, the Begonia and Hibiscus were blooming just right, and there were also a few chrysanthemums and red clumps of green flowers, adding a lot of radiance to the desolate garden.


    The servant girl who was cleaning the garden was busy cleaning up the dried branches and leaves. When she saw Jin Lan and his men walking over, she lowered her head and bowed. After she walked over, she stood up and resumed her duties.


    Walking across the garden''s Nine Winding Bridge, the Jiayu Hall''s gate could already be seen in everyone''s eyes.


    After walking for another ten steps, Jin Lan saw Ye Jinwei wearing a goose-yellow brocade cloak in the distance. She was talking to someone under a locket tree not far from the courtyard door. From the looks of it, she seemed to be a Concubine Shao.


    Jin Lan squinted his eyes, that''s right, it was the Concubine Shao, who was wearing an emerald colored 10 kinds of embroidered flowers and a light blue, silver-edged bamboo blue horse mask dress. After being pregnant for almost 5 months, his lower abdomen had grown slightly, and he looked even more round and jade-like, exuding a different kind of charm.


    It was unknown what the two of them were talking about, but they both suddenly covered their sleeves and laughed. There was even a hint of complacency in their eyes.


    Why is Concubine Shao here? Didn''t the old lady personally ask for her to be nurtured in the Bright Autumn Pavilion until the day of birth? Just as Jin Lan was thinking, Su Xin who was standing at the side saw the group of people walking over.


    She raised a smile and walked towards Jin Lan: "Second Miss." His voice was clearly louder than usual, and was a little sharper.


    Even the old gatekeepers looked over, which of course alarmed Ye Jinwei and Concubine Shao.


    Jin Lan''s eyes flashed, but his mouth raised in a smile, he did not slow down, and followed behind Yan Rong the same steps.


    Seeing that Jin Lan had not paid attention to him, Su Xin''s face immediately stiffened. However, after pausing a moment, he smiled again, bowed to Jin Lan, and then said to Yan Rong, "When I came out just now, I still heard that old lady talking about Second Miss."


    Yan Rong laughed and replied, "Isn''t that how they came?" Her tone was neither too polite nor too intimate.


    The sycamore tree was planted not far from the gate of the Jiayu Hall courtyard. According to the paths taken by the group of people, they would have to pass under the tree to enter the courtyard. Ye Jinwei and Concubine Shao had long since stopped standing late and just happened to be standing there talking. It was very likely that they were waiting for her.


    Jin Lan thought over everything in detail and had some idea of what to do. He didn''t avoid it but walked straight towards it.


    Yan Rong bowed towards Ye Jinwei and Concubine Shao, then returned to report to her Jiayu Hall. After she left, Jin Lan walked forward slowly.


    "Second sister." Ye Jinwei was obviously in a very good mood today. When she saw Jin Lan, she did not even raise her head, and greeted him with a smile.


    "Big Sis, thank you for your concern. Little Sis is fine now." Jin Lan also had a sweet smile on his face. If an outsider had seen this scene, they would have thought that the two of them were intimate sisters.


    Concubine Shao raised her hand and gently caressed her lower abdomen, nodding towards Jin Lan with a smile, "Second Miss."


    Jin Lan naturally replied with a smile. "Aunt." A trace of ridicule flashed past her eyes. Did she really think she could push her mother and herself into the mud while carrying her body and not even giving them a half a salute?


    "I was still wondering why I didn''t see my second sister when I came to pay my respects to the old lady in the morning. Just now, I heard from my mother that my second sister was sick again." Ye Jinwei laughed, "Last night, I copied half of the scriptures for my sister. I was obviously very tired, but after lying down, I couldn''t fall asleep.


    Each word specifically pointed to the night before, when her mother had brought her out to admire the lights.


    Jin Lan''s heart tensed up. Normally speaking, his mother would never talk too much with Ye Jinwei, and the only possibility was that she was an old lady. This meant that the old lady most likely knew of this matter and was extremely angry, if not Ye Jinwei would not be gloating like this and would be stuck here, wanting to see her in a good mood.


    His mother was still in the Jiayu Hall, and he didn''t know what the old lady would do to his mother.


    When he thought about the Madame SHen, Jin Lan was not in the mood to argue with Ye Jinwei, and instead said with a smile: "Since that''s the case, big sister must also be careful, if you accidentally get as sick as your little sister and delay the copying of the scripture, if Buddha thinks that big sister is not sincere, I''m afraid he will blame you."


    "You ¡­" Ye Jinwei''s smile froze on her face. She raised her eyebrows and was about to open her mouth to scold him, but the Concubine Shao stopped her in time.


    "Second Miss is right. To Buddha, sincerity is naturally everything. Why would First Miss be delayed?" Concubine Shao''s gaze flashed, and said with a smile that did not reach his eyes, "On the other hand, Second Miss should have gone in earlier, this old lady has been looking forward to it."


    Jin Lan originally wanted to go in quickly, but he was too lazy to get riled up with the Concubine Shao, so he went down the stairs, smiling as he nodded his head, and brought the Mama Tang and Wan Ju who were waiting at the back to enter the Jiayu Hall.


    Ye Jinwei stared at Jin Lan''s back until he disappeared from the courtyard door, then unwillingly said to Concubine Shao: "Why did Aunt let her go in? Didn''t you plan on dragging it out so that the old woman would have a grudge against her? "


    Concubine Shao looked at Jiayu Hall meaningfully, "Yan Rong, that lowly servant will be entering the house first. Old lady will definitely know that we are obstructing her from going in, and if you want to blame her, you can only blame us."


    Ye Jinwei coldly snorted, "Yan Rong has never placed me in her eyes, sooner or later..."


    Concubine Shao quickly covered her mouth, "Little Ancestor, look at where we are, can you speak nonsense?" As she spoke, she surveyed her surroundings and made sure that no one was paying attention to him, before releasing her hand. In a deep voice, she said, "Let''s go back first. We''ll slowly calculate later!"


    Ye Jinwei nodded, and brought up the topic on Bright Autumn Pavilion together with the Concubine Shao.


    Jin Lan quickly entered the courtyard. Pin Yue had already known that she was coming, so he smiled and bowed, then pulled the curtain to invite her in.


    Upon entering the house, Jin Lan saw the Madame SHen sitting under the old lady with a dejected look on her face. Obviously, something had happened, and her heart couldn''t help but sink.

 C82

    "Lan Er greets the old lady and mother." She first paid her respects to Old Madame Ye and Madame SHen, then raised her head to look at the people in the room.


    Aside from Old Madame Ye and Madame SHen, Mama Shang was also standing inside the house. When she saw Jin Lan''s gaze on him, she turned sullen and blessed herself.


    A cold look flashed past Jin Lan''s eyes, and he shifted his gaze, his gaze landing on the person at the left side of Old Madame Ye.


    The man was a woman of about forty, dressed in a turquoise brocade coat, with her hair neatly tied up in a bun and tied with a finely carved mahogany hairpin, and a silver string of rice beads strung across her temples. Although the bead was only the size of a grain of rice, it was still of the same size and had a round luster. It was a good item that ordinary people would not be able to see.


    He had a face like a silver plate, fair skin and delicate hands, and a well-developed body.


    Jin Lan recognized this person. She was the most capable person beside the Old Ancestor of the family, and his surname was Wu. In his previous life, when he moved to the capital, Jin Lan often went to and fro the main house of his family and often came into contact with her.


    Although Mama Wu was the most capable person to the side of the Old Ancestor, she had a face that was pleasing to the ears. Everyone in the house was very willing to be close to her, even though most of the reason was for the sake of the Old Ancestor.


    When the Old Madame Ye saw Jin Lan staring curiously at Mama Wu, she did not avoid nor bow to him. A trace of light flashed through her eyes, and she said with a beaming smile: "This is the most arrogant person in front of my clan''s ancestor, Girl Lan, quickly come and greet Mama Wu."


    "The old granny is breaking the servant''s lifespan." The moment Old Madame Ye finished speaking, the smile on her face instantly became unnatural.


    Even if she was a popular person in front of the Old Ancestor, she was still a servant. Although Yangzhou was a side branch and was the master, if Jin Lan really greeted her, the Old Ancestor would probably not let her off when he returned.


    Therefore, she hurriedly bowed to Jin Lan with a cordial smile. "I''ve met Lady Jin Lan. Just as the old lady had said, she is indeed a beautiful person. Compared to the other young ladies in the mansion, she is much better. No wonder the old lady is so concerned about her in the capital."


    Although these words flattered the old lady on the surface and made things difficult for her, there was actually a small stumbling block in the actual situation. If these words were to spread, the old lady would be alright. Jin Lan might suffer a big loss. The ladies of the family were not to be trifled with, how could they allow others to climb on their heads? Especially a girl from a side branch.


    While Mama Wu was speaking, she intentionally looked at Jin Lan, to see that the smile on the branch Second Miss''s face had always been indifferent. She was stunned for a moment. She had only seen this kind of unperturbed attitude before, without showing any sign of shame or disgrace. It was something she had only seen once on a person, and that person was the First Princess from far away in the capital.


    But the Second Miss in front of him was only nine years old, how could he have such a deep state of mind? She frowned slightly, but quickly let go of her hold. Her gaze swept across Madame SHen, and heard that Second Miss was raised in a room with a weak body, and his wife had always been indifferent. Perhaps it was because she was affected, but she had developed such a cold personality.


    When he thought that he understood, a bright smile appeared on Mama Wu''s face again.


    Old Madame Ye still had a kind and loving look on her face, but when she looked at Mama Wu, the smile in her eyes dimmed slightly. She waved to Jin Lan and smiled: "Come here, let grandmother see. After he finished speaking, he looked straight at Madame SHen, not at all afraid.


    Jin Lan followed her words, catching a glimpse of the cold look in the old lady''s eyes, she held her hand and spoke softly: "It''s not Lan Er''s fault. Last night, after seeing the bright moon, she brought mother Lan Er out to admire the lamp, but unexpectedly, they ran into water, luckily mother is safe, luckily, otherwise Lan Er would have made a huge mistake."


    When the Madame SHen saw that Jin Lan had taken care of everything for her, she felt her heart go soft. Long before Mama Wu had entered the palace, she had already told the old lady about last night''s events. She had only left out the details of Jin Lan''s disappearance, then mysteriously appeared in the carriage. The old lady was naturally infuriated, and more than half of the authority of the steward that she had managed to hold in her hands had been taken away.


    However, as long as his daughter was safe and sound, those by her side meant nothing.


    Old Madame Ye clapped her slightly cold hands and sighed: "You must be more curious to see what happens from now on. If you want to see the lamp, just tell the maids and wives to hang it up. "Little girl, you must make me, an old woman, worry so much that I don''t know when I''ll be able to live a comfortable life."


    As he spoke of Jin Lan, every word was directed at Madame SHen. Fortunately, after so many years, Madame SHen was already used to it, so his expression did not change at all.


    Jin Lan glanced at her, but he didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary, so he relaxed. He stood up quickly and knelt in front of Old Madame Ye to apologize.


    "It''s all Lan Er''s fault, causing grandmother to worry, Lan Er should be punished!"


    "You child, it doesn''t matter what you say. What are you doing? Hurry up and get up!" Suddenly seeing Jin Lan kneel down, the Old Madame Ye was startled, then hurriedly extended his hand to help her up, and said with a voice full of complaints: "The day of the autumnal equinox, when cold air drilled into this blue stone, your body was only able to get better with great difficulty, what if you get sick again?"


    Jin Lan got up and snuggled into Old Madame Ye''s embrace, his eyes filled with moisture. He bit his lips, and with a face full of guilt and uneasiness, he forced Old Madame Ye''s heart to go soft.


    "Forget it, forget it. There isn''t any major incident in the past, otherwise ¡­" The Old Madame Ye looked down at the Madame SHen and snorted.


    "Oh, old lady, Lady Jin Lan really has a filial heart. Look at how painful it is. I can''t blame the Old Ancestor for wanting to meet her." Mama Wu looked at the old lady and then looked at Madame SHen. Finally, her gaze landed on the pure white face and the smile on his face became wider.


    "Speaking of which, Lady Jin Lan is exactly the age that people think she is. Not to mention Lady Jin Lan, which one of the ladies in our house would want to go out and admire the lanterns during the middle of autumn or New Year''s Eve? It''s just that under the feet of the Son of Heaven, she was more strict than her Yangzhou in the end, so she was safe and sound. "


    Old Madame Ye squinted her eyes as she looked at Mama Wu''s smiling round face. She was fully aware of what Mama Wu meant.


    Originally, the discussion was in the letter, but now that she purposely left the Mama Wu hanging in the air, it was to let the family understand that even if Jin Lan was a girl from a branch, she would still grow a pearl in her palm and would not be able to fool him easily.


    With the Old Ancestor''s temperament, the more she thought about it, the more she would spend, and the greater the chances would be.


    The Mama Wu could not hold it in and opened her mouth, taking what she wanted to say with a laugh: "Girl Lan, I called you over because I have something urgent to tell you."


    Jin Lan''s heart tensed up, but she had to put on an expression of confusion. She tilted her head and asked: "Since Grandmother is busy, logically speaking, Lan Er should not reject, but I''m just worried that if we delay it, what will happen? ¡­"


    Without waiting for her to finish speaking, Old Madame Ye laughed: "Grandmother, are you that reckless person? Finding you is naturally something that you can do. "


    Jin Lan''s heart gradually sank to the bottom. The old lady wanted him to agree personally, so she decided to tell him what she was supposed to do.


    The moment he agreed, no matter how unwilling he was, he had to obediently follow the Old Granny''s arrangements. However, if she rejected him, what if the old lady was not talking about the Shang Jing matter, but a normal family matter. Would she not become a disrespectful and filial person? Who knows, the old lady might even use this to make things difficult for her mother.


    What should he do?


    "What is it? Girl Lan finds it troublesome, so she is unwilling to help this old granny? " The hesitation in Jin Lan''s eyes did not escape Old Madame Ye''s eyes, she remembered that Yan Rong said that First Miss and Concubine Shao would speak to Second Miss outside, and suspected that Jin Lan knew of her plans.


    Old Madame Ye''s words shocked Jin Lan. He did not dare think any further and directly opened his mouth: "Grandmother, where do you say that? How did Lan Er ¡­."


    "Old lady." Although his expression was faint, his tone was filled with determination, "The old ancestor''s birthday is already a joyous occasion, it''s just that Lan Er''s body has always been delicate, and the sickness left behind from her last fall has not completely healed. Imperial Physician Situ had specifically instructed us not to go to the bitter and cold lands." Then he glanced at the Mama Wu, "If we leave now, I''m afraid we will have to spend the winter in the capital. Although the capital is not the northern border, it still won''t be as warm as Jiangnan. Your daughter-in-law is worried, with Lan Er''s body, I''m afraid he won''t be able to hold on. "


    Madame SHen''s interruption caused Old Madame Ye''s expression to darken in an instant. "What you mean is, will I harm Girl Lan?"


    "My daughter-in-law wouldn''t dare." Although she said that she dared not, Madame SHen did not lower her head in the slightest. She still looked straight into Old Madame Ye''s eyes without yielding in the slightest. However, the old lady had gone to the capital at the beginning of the year and had not returned until a few days ago. There were many things that she was unclear about. If Lan Er''s body was still the same as before, there wouldn''t be any problem even if she went to visit her. However, I believe the old lady is also aware of the things that the Imperial Physician Situ s talked about a few days ago. Lan Er''s current body is not comparable to what it was in the past. "


    These words struck right into Old Madame Ye''s heart, she had always been worried that Jin Lan''s body would not be able to take it. Thinking of this, his face suddenly became gloomy.


    Jin Lan could tell from Old Madame Ye''s expression that there was room for maneuver, so after thinking for a bit, he grabbed Old Madame Ye''s sleeves and raised his head, his lively eyes flashed with admiration, "Grandmother has always doted on Lan Er since she was young, if there was anything good, it would all be given to Lan Er. Lan Er, Lan Er is willing to share Grandmother''s worries." The corners of her lips curled up, and her eyes reddened. "It''s just that Lan Er can''t bear to part with Grandmother ¡­" The more he spoke, the softer his voice became. In the end, only his nasal voice could be heard.


    Old Madame Ye had been observing Jin Lan the entire time. This child had been well-behaved since childhood, and no matter who he spoke to, he always had a gentle and obedient appearance.


    She let out a long sigh, and hesitated.


    "Old lady, madam, Second Miss." Seeing that Old Madame Ye''s face was swaying, Mama Wu immediately became anxious. She rolled her eyes slightly and smiled. She took a step forward and said: "Please listen to this servant."

 C83

    "Although the Imperial Physician Situ''s medical skills are renowned throughout the world, it can''t be compared to the Hua family, which is the descendant of the genius doctor. Ever since the First Princess heard the old lady talk about the deficiency of the Second Miss, she personally invited the Old Imperial Physician Hua to help her."


    The Hua Clan had always specialized in the ways of the world, but their clan had an unwritten rule. Even though the disciples of their clan studied the Apricot Forest, there could only be one disciple in each generation who worked in the Imperial Hospital. When the previous Imperial Physician Hua Yan resigned from office, he was the head of the hospital. He was the highest in command of the hospital. Four years ago, he had retired because of his old age. Now, although he tried to dissuade him, he could only compromise in the end.


    After Hua Yan resigned, his son, Hua Mei, made a name for himself in the Family Competition and became a member of the Hua Family who had entered the Imperial Hospital. He was young, but his medical skills were beyond his years and he had become the vice head two years ago. Last year, when the Imperial Physician Situ returned home, he took the opportunity to sit at the seat of honor.


    At present, the people of the capital all called him Imperial Physician Hua Xi. It was obvious that Mama Wu''s "Old Imperial Physician Hua" referred to Hua Yan.


    Jin Lan and the Madame SHen didn''t have much of a reaction yet, but Old Madame Ye''s eyes lit up, "Did we really invite the Old Imperial Physician Hua over?" There was a rare trace of excitement in his tone.


    Mama Wu covered her mouth and laughed: "It is absolutely true, First Princess even told me this servant. If Miss came to the capital, I would bring Miss into the palace and ask Old Imperial Physician Hua to help me with my veins."


    Old Madame Ye''s unsettled expression instantly became clear. She held Jin Lan''s hand and looked at him lovingly, then sighed: "I have troubled the Old Ancestor."


    Jin Lan lowered his head, his face showing gratitude and shame, but in his heart, he was sneering. If the Old Ancestor was sincere in asking for treatment for the younger generation, why would the name First Princess come out of Mama Wu''s mouth? She just wanted to use the First Princess''s name to suppress the old lady and her mother.


    Mama Wu smiled sincerely and said: "That''s because the old lady dotes on Miss, and keeps mentioning you in front of First Princess, that''s why you took my interest to heart." Without leaving a trace, she held the old lady in her arms and looked towards Madame SHen, who was sitting there thinking, "If you want a servant to say, who wouldn''t feel sorry for their junior? He knew the girl''s health was not good, yet he still wanted her to suffer? Old Imperial Physician Hua is currently supporting a noble in the palace, and is unable to separate himself from the palace. Otherwise, how could this young lady possibly travel thousands of miles to the capital? "


    "Exactly." "Old Madame Ye nodded her head repeatedly, the respect on her face having long since disappeared completely. I had originally planned to have Girl Lan go to the capital to congratulate the old lady. Firstly, I wanted to show my filial piety, and secondly, I wanted to ask the Old Ancestor to take pity on Girl Lan''s body.


    The Mama Wu being the first to go, was the first to salute him. This moved the old lady''s heart, and now, with the old lady''s tacit approval, the two of them were singing the same tune, clearly wanting to use filial piety to suppress her.


    As the ancestor of the First Princess, to be able to do such a thing for her was a great favor to others. If she still did not know the gratitude and was not willing to personally attend the ancestor''s birthday, how could she not know what was good for her? It was simply unfilial! Back then, the slap she gave Yu Ge''er was now thrown right back at him.


    Jin Lan thought about it for a moment, and then a sad expression surfaced on her face. She said softly, "Lan Er also misses the old ancestor in her heart. When she heard that Lan Er was born, the old ancestor even gifted him with a great gift ¡­"


    After his previous life in the capital, when Cheng Huan was working for the Old Ancestor, he overheard the Old Ancestor mention that the Old Ancestor was still alive, and his relationship with his family was not as gentle as it is now. As a result, all the gifts that Jin Lan had received were rejected by the Old Master. Only after the Old Master passed away did the old lady and the Old Master begin to write letters to each other, slowly repairing their relationship.


    Old Madame Ye and Mama Wu knew of this matter, and their faces immediately became unsightly.


    Jin Lan acted as if she did not see it, and continued: "How could Lan Er, who had gone through so much trouble for Lan Er, the Old Ancestor, be that heartless and ungrateful person? She naturally wanted to see the Old Ancestor. But right now, her mother''s health was not very good, and was the only one left, if Lan Er left, who would show their filial piety? That''s why you''re hesitating, and don''t know what to do. "


    In terms of filial piety, no matter how senior the Old Ancestor was, he was not ahead of her mother, Madame SHen. Besides, she had to be filial. The granddaughter of the direct descendant of the old ancestor was ranked somewhere, so it was impossible for her to be the daughter of a side branch.


    Even if the Mama Wu knew how to speak, Jin Lan''s reasonable and watertight words made her choke back her words.


    Madame SHen was already extremely happy. With Jin Lan''s words, if she still did not understand her daughter''s thoughts, then it would be useless for her to be a mother.


    Although she started to think about what Mama Wu was saying, but if it was something that her daughter wasn''t willing to do, she would naturally not force it. She immediately said to Mama Wu: "Mama Wu, look, it''s not that I can''t bear to part with my daughter, it''s just that my body is in a bad condition. If Lan Er were to go with you, if something were to happen to me, it''s a pity that this child''s age doesn''t allow her mother to say it.


    There was a tinge of sadness in her words. She pressed the handkerchief to her eyes and continued, "Old Ancestor is a wise man. He would never have the heart to separate mother and daughter. In my opinion, when spring starts next year, when the weather gets warmer, Lan Er and I should be able to recuperate a little, and then personally bring Lan Er to pay a visit and kowtow to the old ancestor and apologize, how about it? "


    Mama Wu was indeed someone who followed in front of the Old Ancestor. If she was a normal woman, Jin Lan and the words that Madame SHen had said would have made her retreat a long time ago. Although the smile on her face appeared forced, it did not decrease in the slightest. With a slight raise of her brows, she calmed down.


    After a moment of silence, she sighed and replied at a moderate pace, "This servant doesn''t know how to speak. It seems that this lady has misunderstood. The Old Ancestor sent a servant here. Aside from thinking for the lady''s health, he also sent a servant here. It''s related to the Madam. "


    Madame SHen and Jin Lan were stunned, even Old Madame Ye revealed a look of suspicion, why did something related to Madame SHen suddenly appear? There was no mention of this in the letter!


    "The Old Ancestor said that although the two families share a shrine, they are born from the same roots." The Old Ancestor said that the Old Ancestor said that although the two families share a shrine, they are born from the same roots. Fortunately, there was a branch of the Hua family that had studied the illness of women for a hundred years and had been very effective. The Old Ancestor specially sent someone to deliver a message to the Hua family to look for medicine for his wife. When this servant left, the medicine I gave was almost 90% done. This time, this lady will be going to the capital, and after a few months, I can return to the Yangzhou. I can also bring back the pill.


    With that said, the Old Madame Ye could not sit still. Grabbing the armrest, he stood up and asked involuntarily: "Are you serious?"


    Although the Yu Ge''er was Ye Lin''s bloodline, she was still a bastard. Even if she were to be reared under the Madame SHen in the future, she wouldn''t be able to change the essence of the matter. If Madame SHen could give birth to a son, then he would truly be a legitimate son. How could Old Madame Ye not be ecstatic?


    "This servant doesn''t dare to lie to the old lady, of course it''s true." Mama Wu smiled and nodded, "Originally, before, the Old Ancestor told me not to say too much. However, now that he has gotten my wife to misunderstand, I had no choice but to speak the truth."


    No son was the source of all the pain she had experienced ever since she married into the Ye Family. If she had a son, even if Concubine Shao was given ten times the guts, she wouldn''t dare scuttle over to her, not to mention those filthy and dirty things!


    However, the moment she lifted her head, her wandering gaze met Jin Lan''s limpid eyes. She shuddered, and her mind immediately woke up.


    What happened to her? Although she had no son, she still had a daughter! Could it be that he wanted his daughter to stay in a dangerous place for the sake of such a fleeting thought?


    Madame SHen took a deep breath, the blank look in her eyes gradually fading.


    She first looked at the old lady who was full of hope, then smiled gently at Jin Lan, and finally said to Mama Wu in a deep voice: "I will naturally remember the Old Ancestor''s kindness, but Lan Er''s body, really cannot endure the cold. Time is tight now, and I won''t be able to find a good fur coat for a while, I''m afraid I won''t be able to endure it on the way here. It will only be a few months, and at that time, I will definitely kowtow to the Old Ancestor in the capital to express my gratitude. "


    Ever since the Mama Wu had mentioned the matter of the Old Ancestor searching for medicine for the Madame SHen, Jin Lan had not opened his mouth, and continued to carefully mull it over in his heart. It was not that she did not notice the hesitation and anticipation that flashed through Madame SHen''s eyes, but in the end, Madame SHen still gave her face back at the old ancestor.


    Even though the son who gave birth to the Ye Family was the deepest and most deep-seated obsession in her heart, her mother still put her first.


    A hint of bitterness surfaced in her eyes. If that pill was really that magical, maybe ¡­


    After saying all that, it was both hard and soft, but Madame SHen still kept on pushing it away, causing Mama Wu''s face to turn dark, "Mistress, please relax, since it was arranged by the Old Ancestor, how could we not take care of it? This time, the servant also brought the most popular satin jewelry in the capital, as well as the best fox fur hide in the old ancestor''s private storage, ensuring that not a single strand of a girl''s hair could be frozen. Furthermore, this young lady will definitely go to the capital to curry favor with you. You will definitely not let this young lady be harmed in the slightest. "


    Mama Wu''s words caused Jin Lan''s heart to thump loudly, and he instantly fell into a hole of ice.


    The old ancestor had invited the imperial physician to search for medicine and had even specially sent out so many pieces of clothing and accessories, clearly blocking all avenues of retreat. She was forced down the stairs.


    She was just a side child, why did she go through so much trouble? Even for a birthday, it was too much. It was not enough to have Ye Jinwei as well, she just wanted to pull her along. This was something that had never happened before in her previous life!


    Could it be that the clan has some sort of shameful thoughts?


    Old Madame Ye stared at Madame SHen''s skinny face for a while before slowly sitting back down, "Counting the time now, it''s been more than ten years since you married into the Ye Family."


    A sigh that sounded like it made Madame SHen''s face pale.


    Jin Lan''s heart trembled, and he instantly made his decision.

 C84

    With Jin Lan''s promise, the matter was settled quickly.


    Old Madame Ye looked coldly at Madame SHen, she then retracted her gaze and landed on Jin Lan, returning to her original benevolence, "It''s hard on you, luckily you have your big sister''s company, we will be accompanied along the way, and won''t be lonely."


    Jin Lan glanced at Madame SHen quickly, and then forced out a sweet smile. "To be filial to the Old Ancestor, that is what Lan Er should do, I wonder if Grandmother has decided on the day of her departure?" If she had enough time, she might be able to think of other ways.


    "The second day of the ninth month." Old Madame Ye gently pulled Jin Lan into his embrace, and looked at her with a kind gaze. He smiled and said: "The second day is a good day, it is best not to touch the earth as a beam, it is better for us to travel together. If it had been earlier, it would have been inappropriate to prepare the birthday present, but if it was too late, it would have been too late. September 2nd is just right, there will be no snowstorm on the road, so you two siblings won''t have to suffer. "


    The second day of the ninth month? Today was the sixteenth of August, and there was only about half a month left. Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat ¨C how could he be so fast!


    Yan Rong had said that his mother would pay respects to the old lady early in the morning and discuss the matter up till now. That was to say that the old lady did not have time at all, and would not openly show her story in front of her mother. These days must have been calculated a few days ago, maybe, it was already calculated when they were in the capital, if not, how could the Mama Wu come in time?


    It was enough to use half a month to prepare for departure, but it was far from enough to think of a way to escape from this predicament!


    Jin Lan pondered for a moment before revealing a hesitant expression.


    Old Madame Ye could not help but ask with concern, "What''s wrong? Is there something wrong with that? "


    Jin Lan looked at Madame SHen and said hesitantly, "The sixteenth of September is mother''s birthday."


    As soon as he said that, everyone in the room was stunned.


    Mama Wu was not clear about this matter, but Old Madame Ye had completely forgotten about her daughter-in-law''s birthdate. Only Madame SHen''s spirit was shaken as she looked at Jin Lan with a glint in her eyes.


    The Old Madame Ye frowned, "After the sixteenth day of September, there won''t be a good day for us to travel."


    The meaning in her words was that he didn''t want her to stay and spend her birthday with her mother?


    Jin Lan pouted, but he did not speak up to fight back. His face was filled with reluctance.


    Seeing that the matter that he had settled upon with great difficulty had come to an end, the Mama Wu thought for a moment, then said to the Madame SHen with a smile, "After the sixteenth day of the ninth month, if you want to search for more days, you can get ten months later. Those who were rushing along the way would be able to make it in time. "The servants'' skin is rough and their flesh is thick. They don''t think anything of it. It''s just that the ladies suffer from the ups and downs day and night." After a pause, he continued, "If you walk quickly, Mo will reach the capital by the middle of December. By then, you will be able to reward the snow even if you are on the road."


    With that, she turned to Jin Lan with a smile. "Miss has grown up in Jiangnan since childhood. I''m afraid you''ve never seen the drizzling snow in the north."


    Jin Lan looked coldly at Mama Wu''s quivering lips, wishing she could take out something to block them. She really wanted to reply with disdain: She has even been to Drunken Sky Tower in the capital, not to mention admiring the snow.


    She raised her head and smiled sweetly: "It is only right to be bumpy while congratulating the Old Ancestor. However, Mama Wu is right about one thing; Lan Er has never seen snow before, she has only read about the taste of snow and plum." Her pink lips curled up into a trace of ridicule. "Now, I''m looking forward to it."


    She carefully sized Jin Lan up with two eyes, and as if there was nothing wrong with it, she quickly said with a smile, "It''s still young lady who is interested in being a slave like us. My heart is thinking about the snow, the weather is cold all day, and even the errands will be harder."


    Even though Jin Lan said that, the Madame SHen still understood what he said. After pondering for a moment, he said to Jin Lan gently: "Lan Er, it is better to leave early. If you are weak, you will be delayed on the road for one more day, which will worsen your cold condition. It would be better for you to come to the capital city as soon as possible and invite the Old Imperial Physician Hua for a look. "


    Jin Lan''s heart tightened, "Mother ¡­"


    "Exactly." Before she could say anything, the Old Madame Ye chimed in: "Your mother is right. Going out is not like going into a mansion and everything is more detailed. It''s not like you going out to the capital for sightseeing. It''s not good to be late." She patted the catkin in her hand, "It''s settled. We will leave on the second day of the ninth month."


    Even if Jin Lan had an idea in his heart, he wouldn''t be able to say it after being interrupted like this. She gloomily looked at Madame SHen, only to see that his eyes had already turned red.


    Madame SHen endured the pain in her heart. It was not that she did not want to keep her daughter by her side, but the journey was too far, and her daughter was weak. Moreover, her daughter had never left Jiangnan ever since she was young. The bone chilling cold in the north had undoubtedly added to the frost on her body. If he had arrived at the mansion earlier, the land dragon would have been burning hot and would have felt much better than rushing through the wind and snow.


    Hence, she could only harden her heart and refute her daughter''s words. Now that he saw Jin Lan raise his head to look at him, his eyes involuntarily turned red.


    How could Jin Lan not understand Madame SHen''s painstaking efforts? Glimmers danced in her eyes as she inwardly decided to leave early and come back early.


    Having made up her mind, she temporarily put down the knot in her heart and said with a smile, "I''ll do as Grandmother says."


    Seeing that everything was settled, Mama Wu relaxed and retreated to the side, watching with a smile.


    Old Madame Ye was very satisfied with their attitudes, especially towards Madame SHen, which looked especially pleasing to the eye. She nodded slightly as if she had thought of something. "Do you plan to bring those maidservants with you to the capital this time?"


    Jin Lan was startled for a moment, and then said straightforwardly: "Mama Tang is Lan Er''s wet nurse, so we naturally have to go. It should be enough with Wan Ju and Bi He, the two big maids." After all, she had only been gone for a few months. The more people she had with him, the more obvious she would be.


    After thinking for a while, he said: "Wan Ju and Bi He seem to be safe, there is no harm in following them, as for Mama Tang, there is no need to go, let Mama Shang accompany you, on the way there I will talk about the rules of the capital."


    Jin Lan looked at Old Madame Ye in shock, then quickly looked at the Mama Shang who was at the side, almost forgotten, without even opening her mouth. Her expression was as calm as still water, without the slightest hint of surprise. It was obvious that she knew of this result.


    It was no wonder that the Mama Shang would appear here. Their relationship had long ago come to the old lady''s side, and it was unknown just how many schemes they had planned behind the scenes, allowing the old lady to make this decision! When he thought here, Jin Lan''s heart felt like it was being churned. He felt a faint sense of resentment.


    When the time comes, we will bring two Female Cook s, and have arranged everything we need to eat and drink properly from the Manor. Old Madame Ye waved her hand and struck the hammer down, not allowing him to speak at all.


    His other hand, tucked under his sleeve, was clenched into a fist, and his fingernails were not painful in the flesh.


    Since things had already come to this, it would only get worse if she spoke up again. Who knew if the old lady was waiting for her to cause a ruckus so that she could change everyone around her.


    She forced herself to calm down and reveal a cheerful expression. She lightly withdrew the small hand held by the old lady and half-squatted as she greeted, "Many thanks, Grandmother."


    "Go back and see what else you need. Tell your mother." Old Madame Ye nodded kindly and helped her up. She raised the teacup and took a sip, her face revealing a look of exhaustion, she then called out to Yan Rong: "Bring Mama Wu to the East Wing to rest first, I''ll instruct the kitchen to cook a few dishes later."


    "Aiyo, old lady, I can''t accept this." Mama Wu''s mouth opened and closed, but his eyes narrowed with laughter, making him look like a crescent moon.


    Old Madame Ye laughed: "Since you''re here, it''s not up to you to decide whether to use it or not." She paused for a moment before looking at Mama Shang, "You''ll be coming over later too."


    Mama Wu covered her mouth and laughed in joy, then said a few more polite words, bowed to Old Madame Ye, and followed Yan Rong down. The Mama Shang followed closely behind, but before she left, she looked at Jin Lan''s small and exquisite embroidered shoes.


    It just so happened that Jin Lan was also staring at her. For a moment, their eyes met, and she saw a profound look in each other''s eyes.


    Jin Lan''s expression slightly changed.


    After bringing the two Mama s away, the Madame SHen stood up and prepared to leave with Jin Lan, but he was held back by the Old Madame Ye.


    Now, there were only three people left in the room. Old Madame Ye put down the teacup in her hand with a "bang" sound, the kind and loving gaze in his eyes faded away, and anger surged in his eyes. "What happened last night?"


    Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat. When he entered the room, the old lady had already asked him about this. Why was he asking now?


    She couldn''t spend too much time thinking about it, or else the old lady would easily see through it. She made up her mind and prepared to do as she was told, but the Madame SHen snatched it away from her.


    "Old lady, your daughter-in-law has already reported what happened last night in great detail to you."


    Madame SHen''s attitude was neither haughty nor humble, as if she was not too moved by Old Madame Ye''s question.


    "Do you think I''m muddle-headed?" Old Madame Ye snorted, "If it''s really safe and sound, then where did that blood stain on your body last night come from?"


    Jin Lan and the Madame SHen''s eyes flashed with shock. When they went back to the mansion last night, although there was a maid who was on patrol, Jin Lan was wearing the Madame SHen''s cape and was covered tightly. Furthermore, he was surrounded by them, so it was impossible for them to be discovered.


    Could it be Li San who drove the carriage?


    It shouldn''t be, Madame SHen secretly shook her head. At that time, the crowd had relaxed a little, and she had returned to her original place with the maidservants she had found. In the end, she did not find Jin Lan. Just as they were looking for a place to park the carriage, they saw Li San anxiously running around.


    Without even thinking, she sent Li San to search in another direction. As a result, when he found Jin Lan in the carriage, Li San was not there, and when they returned to the mansion, they did not see Jin Lan, so they had no way of knowing.


    The mother and daughter pair looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other''s eyes.


    Who was it?

 C85

    "Old lady." Madame SHen was silent for a moment, the fear in her eyes faded like the tide, and her face returned to normal, "Last night at the corner of the eaves, there were many red gauze lanterns hanging, I don''t know which old woman made a mistake and came over to the old lady to talk about it, making the old lady worry."


    Once she went back to the Lan Garden, she told the Mama Tang to prepare hot water and to personally bathe and change the clothes of her soulless daughter. As for the Qiu Shuang and the cape that were dyed in blood, they were also made into a fire by the Mama Tang.


    Now that all the evidence had been destroyed, even if the old lady was suspicious, she would not be able to find any clues.


    Madame SHen was uncharacteristically gentle as she struggled with reason. Her gloomy face became more and more gloomy, as if she was about to explode.


    Jin Lan''s fingertips suffused with a hint of coldness. No matter if someone had actually seen what happened last night, they couldn''t admit it!


    She thought for a moment, and could not help but lower her head, as if she was wronged: "Last night, we met with some trouble, and Lan Er and her mother were washed away by the crowd. Luckily, Lan Er was smart and hid under the stall, otherwise Lan Er would not have been able to see Grandmother again." Saying this, her clear eyes were already covered by a layer of mist, "Did Grandmother hear any more rumors or slanders? "It was the same last time, but now ¡­"


    Even though she had been away from the for more than half a year, something had happened. When she had just returned, the Steward Li had already started reporting everything. When Jin Lan spoke of the last time, she immediately recalled Steward Li''s words: First Miss suffered from hysteria, Second Miss invited himself to the temple to pray for blessings.


    When Jin Lan saw the old lady''s flickering expression, she immediately knew that her words had aroused the old lady''s suspicions. She simply clenched her teeth, and said with grief and indignation: "If Grandmother thinks the same, then Lan Er will turn her head and become her sister-in-law. This way, everyone in the Ren Family will have a good face. Otherwise, if I were to ruthlessly search for a rope and hang myself on it, it would be like what those people wanted me to do. Furthermore, I can also get away with my innocence and will never be said to be unclean by others! " As she spoke, tears began to fall.


    "Speak!" Old Madame Ye was startled, she immediately slammed the table and bellowed: What blind fool is the one that taught you this nonsense? As she spoke, her sharp gaze pierced into the Madame SHen like a knife.


    Jin Lan knelt towards Old Madame Ye with a "putong" sound, and choked with emotions: "Grandmother does not need to blame Mother, this is all Lan Er''s thoughts, and should have already done so the last time, it was only because I was thinking of Grandmother that I was willing to endure inside the temple. Now that those people all dare to mutter in front of our grandmother, openly speaking, they will not be able to tolerate Lan Er.


    Madame SHen''s face became pale as she looked at her daughter''s tear-stained face. She clenched the handkerchief tightly, took a deep breath, and then said in a deep voice: "Since someone has reported this to the old lady, I ask the old lady to call the maid or the wife over. My daughter-in-law wants to confront her face to face!"


    Old Madame Ye''s face jumped a few times before suddenly becoming silent. Her probing gaze moved back and forth between Jin Lan and Madame SHen''s face.


    He thought that with this scheme, even if Madame SHen didn''t reveal anything, Jin Lan would have honestly blurted it out. He never expected that she would be the one to be forced into a dead end.


    Could it be that that person was seeing things?


    When the wavering expression on Old Madame Ye entered her eyes, she couldn''t help but be moved.


    If it was someone in the old lady''s room or a maidservant patrolling the garden, according to the old lady''s character, she would have immediately called them out. Why was she so silent now?


    It was probably because that person did not work at these two places that he did not show himself.


    Who could it be?


    Jin Lan lowered his head to ponder over the matter, his gaze blankly sweeping over the old lady''s pair of satin shoes with the word ''blessings'' embroidered on it. Suddenly, the image of Mama Shang''s meaningful glance before she left appeared in his mind.


    She suddenly raised her tear-stained face and looked at Old Madame Ye, "Grandmother, Lan Er finally knows what''s going on."


    Old Madame Ye''s competitive gaze instantly landed on Jin Lan, "What is it?"


    Madame SHen used her long sleeves to hide her hands tightly. Her eyes were filled with worry as he looked at Jin Lan, afraid that she would accidentally reveal him.


    Jin Lan glanced sideways, giving the Madame SHen a comforting look.


    Although her thoughts had not recovered by the time she returned home, she vaguely remembered that her mother had taken off her cloak and tied it around her. If there was anything wrong with her tightly covering body, it would be the embroidered shoes beneath her feet. No matter how the cloak covered him, every step of the way, a bit of his shoes would be revealed, and that pair of embroidered shoes would probably be stained with some blood.


    On the way back to the courtyard, he was in a rush and did not run into anyone. The maids and servants that were patrolling the night were all sent off from afar, unable to get close to him.


    The only thing that people noticed, was that when they returned to the Lan Garden, everyone''s tensed state of mind relaxed a little, so they didn''t pay too much attention to their surroundings. Moreover, the west wing wasn''t too far from the main house. Once the courtyard door was opened, one would definitely be able to hear the commotion. Adding to the few steps ¡­


    Jin Lan made her decision, and spoke without hesitation: "After thinking about it, Lan Er didn''t do anything wrong last night. She was only wearing a pair of white silk shoes with a thousand layers, with a few red peony embroidered on the top, I''m afraid that it''s like this, and the lights are hazy, so people saw him, and mistook him for injured, right?"


    As she spoke, she carefully observed the change in the old lady''s expression. At the same time, a trace of unease appeared on her face. After pausing for a moment, she continued, "Those embroidered shoes were stained with some dust. Lan Er was afraid that she would be rude to her grandmother, thus she changed into this clean pair of shoes today. How about, Lan Er sent someone to take it? Mama Tang is currently outside the door. "


    Old Madame Ye squinted her eyes as she stared at Jin Lan''s slightly nervous face, as if she was pondering how trustworthy these words could be.


    Madame SHen stood quietly by the side, her heart in her throat.


    After a long while, the urgent gaze finally disappeared. Old Madame Ye heaved a sigh of relief, extended her hand to support Jin Lan who was kneeling on the ground, and said slowly: "Forget it, you get up first."


    Jin Lan was overjoyed, and his stiff back instantly softened. It was as she had expected, Mama Shang told him! The old lady could not be sure of the authenticity of the matter. Otherwise, she would not have endured until now. Furthermore, she would have asked him about it instead of being honest.


    She resisted the pain in her knees and grinded her teeth as she stood up. She swayed a little and took the opportunity to sink into the old lady''s embrace, "Grandmother, do you still not trust Lan Er?"


    Old Madame Ye raised her hand and used a handkerchief to wipe away the tears on Jin Lan''s face, and then sighed: "Grandmother did this for your own good, it must be known that as a daughter, reputation is the most important, no mistakes can be made. You are still young, if you are led astray by someone by your side, won''t that cause this old woman to feel sad? "


    The Madame SHen lowered her eyes and slowly sat back down on the yellow rosewood chair with egg inlaid on it. She ignored the words that the Old Madame Ye had said to him.


    Only then did Jin Lan''s tears turn into a smile. However, the smile on the corner of his mouth had yet to bloom at night before it was withdrawn again.


    Old Madame Ye was about to pick up the teacup, but seeing Jin Lan''s expression, he stopped, "What? Are you angry with your grandmother? "


    Jin Lan shook his head, deliberating over what to say, then said: "Lan Er is not worried, I''m just worried that those servant girls might speak carelessly and cause Grandmother to feel fear for nothing."


    Seeing that she was willing to be careful, Old Madame Ye was worried. Qing Yan''s face seemed to be especially soft, her heart softened, and said: "Don''t worry, in the future, no one will talk anymore."


    Was he planning to not let them get involved in the rest of the matter? However, when he thought about how the Mama Shang had to go to the capital together, Jin Lan felt indignant in his heart, "Luckily, I was only talking about Lan Er. If there were to be a day when he mentioned Father, Mother, and even Grandmother, if word of this spread out, I wonder how others would view our residence."


    After the Madame SHen heard the words of Jin Lan and the old lady, she more or less understood what was going on. She then continued, "Lan Er is right, old lady, those servant girls of the young master, I''m afraid that we cannot keep them.


    "Alright!" Old Madame Ye''s expression sank again. She rubbed her forehead and said tiredly: "I will take care of this matter myself. Let''s stop here for today, I''m tired."


    Jin Lan and Madame SHen looked at each other. They did not intend to take advantage of the old lady in the first place, but they wanted to use this opportunity to teach her a lesson so that she would have more reservations in the future. Hearing the old lady''s words, they stood up and left together.


    After the mother and daughter duo left, Old Madame Ye called Yan Rong in. "Girl Lan doesn''t look like she''s lying anymore.


    Yan Rong sent Mama Wu to the side room and went back to the main house. She just followed the Old Granny''s instructions and didn''t enter, instead she hid under the window and observed her wife and Second Miss carefully. She didn''t seem to be concealing anything, so she said with a smile, "Second Miss is still young, and after being shouted at like this by you, she had already lost her cool. I''m afraid that she didn''t think too much about it, and what she said should be the truth."


    Old Madame Ye remained calm and nodded, "Since that is the case, let''s put this matter to rest. There is no need to ask any more questions about Girl Lan, in order to not arouse suspicion. When you get back, ask Steward Li to come over. I have other things to say about the matter of Girl Lan and little girl Wei going to the capital. "


    Yan Rong agreed with a smile on her face, and helped Old Madame Ye to rest.


    Jin Lan accompanied Madame SHen back to the Shuixie Pavilion, and told him about their suspicions along the way.


    Upon hearing that the person who informed the old lady was actually Mama Shang, a flash of astonishment appeared on Madame SHen''s face before he angrily said: "I thought she was a good person, but I didn''t expect her to be like this!" When he thought about how the Mama Shang would follow Jin Lan to the capital, her face immediately turned cold, "No wonder the old lady wanted her to take over the position of the Mama Tang. I''m afraid she wants her to keep an eye on your every word and action."


    Thinking about the Mama Wu from her own clan, Madame SHen felt a burst of chaos in her heart. In that case, shouldn''t Shang Jing not simply be congratulating the Old Ancestor, or asking for medicine for the mother and daughter?


    "Mother." Seeing that the Madame SHen''s expression was amiss, Jin Lan immediately grabbed her arm and advised softly. "This matter is just my daughter''s wild suspicions, it''s not certain yet."


    Touching her daughter''s beautiful face, Madame SHen sighed as her heart ached. She raised her hand to rub the Jin Lan''s temples, "Don''t worry, Mother won''t tell you to face danger with your own body." She made up her mind that she would go to Meng Family.


    The Meng Family and the capital were very close. Previously, when Madame Qin came to visit them, she said a lot of strange things, but she did not take it to heart. Now that she thought about it, maybe Madame Qin already knew what was going on!

 C86

    In the early morning of the next day, Madame SHen left the Palace. When she returned, he did not even bring Jin Lan with him. Arriving at the gate of Meng Mansion, Madame SHen asked Hui Xiu to pass her name scroll to him, and before long, she was welcomed.


    Madame Qin looked as if she knew Madame SHen would come visit him, as there was no surprise on her face, but when she saw Madame SHen''s haggard look, she was truly shocked, "A few days ago I saw you in good spirits, but now you look like this?" She sent the servant girl who brought the tea fruit over and pulled Madame SHen''s hand to the soft couch. She could not help but size him up.


    Madame SHen was a woman from a southern river and township. Her figure was slender, and coupled with her long bed, she seemed extremely weak. At this moment, she was wearing a magenta robe with four joyous cloud patterns on it. It was originally a dress that matched her skin color, but it actually made her face pale. There was a worried look between her eyebrows, making her look very haggard.


    Thinking about it, Madame Qin could not help but sigh.


    The Madame SHen did not hesitate, she laughed a few times and went straight to the point, "I came today to ask you, do you have any news from the capital?"


    Although the Madame SHen asked gently, how could such a shrewd person like her not understand the meaning behind his words? She remembered the last time she went back to Ye Family to visit a patient, she did not receive any response even after trying many times. It was probably already too late. She hesitated for a moment, then softly asked, "Tell me first, is there any unusual activity in the manor?"


    She was sure about it! The Madame SHen held the handkerchief tightly in her hands, and said: "The 80th birthday of the Old Ancestor is coming up in the capital, the Old Granny decided it yesterday, she will let Lan Er and Jin Wei go to the capital together to congratulate the Old Ancestor. She set a date, and we will leave on the second of September."


    The second day of the ninth month? It seemed like the Ye Family was also about that matter. She raised her head and looked at the Madame SHen, but did not say anything. Although the Yangzhou had revealed its phase, it was also the time when the late emperor had first ascended to the throne. It had been decades, and the glory of the past had long since disappeared. Logically speaking, she shouldn''t have the qualifications to do so. Furthermore, it is one thing for she to be the direct descendant, but even a concubine is going with her. I''m afraid ¡­


    Madame SHen saw that her eyebrows were slightly furrowed but she did not speak. She then grabbed her hand and said with a miserable look in her eyes, "Sister Lan, you have seen the suffering I have endured for the past few years the most." As she said that, she covered her mouth with the handkerchief and coughed twice. Then she continued, "Carry this tormented body to the famous temple''s Ancient Sha, and chugged all day long. Even the bitter and bitter Medicinal Juice has to drink a lot. Right now, there is only Lan Er, if there really is a mishap to her, I, I ¡­ " Before she finished speaking, Madame SHen was already sobbing. He got up and was about to kneel down and beg.


    The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Now that she had determined that there was a hidden secret behind the events at the capital, and that the Madame Qin was the only person who could possibly know of it, how could she bear with it?


    When Madame Qin saw sher, he panicked and quickly reached out to support her, "Little Sister Rong, what are you doing? If you still recognize me as your sister, quickly get up! "


    After talking for awhile, Madame Qin finally persuaded Madame SHen, and then called for Qing Yu who was guarding outside to bring hot water, and waited for Madame SHen to wash her face, then the two of them sat down to talk.


    "Lan Er is your daughter, but I didn''t want her to call me aunt for nothing." Madame Qin patted Madame SHen''s cold hands and sighed, "Speaking of which, I don''t know much about it either. I only know that there''s a letter for my husband from the capital, saying that it''s to hurry up and set the date for Ru Han''s marriage. I have been worrying about it these few days, and do not know what to do."


    Meng Zhiyuan had warned her thousands of times not to reveal even a single word about this matter. Now that the Madame SHen was asking for it, she could only reveal a few words.


    Madame SHen was intelligent, even though she only mentioned a little, she immediately thought of various crucial points.


    The Meng and Ye Families both had direct descendants in the capital, but their Meng Family and Ye Family were different. The Meng Clan was a noble family in the capital, and they were well-received. Under such a deep background, they believed that Meng Zhiyuan could get married as soon as possible, even if he was still young.


    From this, it could be seen that something must have happened in the capital, and the only thing that could cause the Meng Clan to panic was the palace ¡­


    Madame SHen''s eyes widened, revealing a hint of shock. She could not help but take a deep breath and quickly stood up to bless Madame Qin. "Thank you sister Lan for saving my life!"


    The Madame Qin quickly turned around and said in a displeased tone: "I only treated you to tea today and you''re already so well-mannered. I''m really getting lucky."


    Madame SHen knew very well that her meaning was that after she left this sect, she would not recognize the things that she had said today. But to have obtained such information, Madame SHen was already deeply grateful. Of course she wouldn''t force others to testify against him.


    The two spoke a little more before Madame SHen got up and left.


    Seeing that she was distracted, Madame Qin did not force her to stay, and got Qing Yu to send her out of the house.


    Once Madame SHen returned to the Ye Mansion, she immediately sent Hui Xiu to the Lan Garden to call Jin Lan over, and then told him about the news she had received from the Meng Mansion.


    "So you''re saying that the old lady wants to send me and my elder sister to our family for the election?" Jin Lan ran his white fingers across the cloud patterns on the teacup, his face full of doubt. "But based on what mother said before, I don''t even have the qualifications to be an elder sister, much less an elder sister. How could the Old Ancestor and Old Granny not know?"


    The expression on Madame SHen''s face was heavy as she studied Jin Lan''s delicate face. After a while, she said in a deep voice, "Lan Er, even though my first wife and you do not have the qualifications to participate, if it is Lateral Consort, it is not certain."


    Lateral Consort? Jin Lan looked at Madame SHen in shock, and a "boom" resounded in his mind.


    Yes, in her previous life, Ye Jinwei had been depressed all day after she had returned from the capital, so she could not persuade him for a long time. No matter how she asked, she was not willing to divulge anything about him being in the capital.


    Then, was the reason why Ye Jinwei was the only one to go to the capital in her previous life, because she was obstructed by the Concubine Shao?


    In this life, due to her change, Concubine Shao was grounded by the old lady, so she naturally did not know of this matter. As a result, no one tried to stop her, so the old lady naturally included her in it.


    Jin Lan''s heart was ice-cold. It seemed like even the so-called blood relationship was not comparable to the glory and riches of the past. As long as the Ye Family was flourishing, not to mention her, even the Yu Ge''er and the Old Granny would be willing to part.


    "Mother." Jin Lan called out in a low voice. What should he do now? For the first time since her rebirth, she was at a loss of what to do. The Old Granny, the Old Ancestor, her family, and the Imperial Palace were all insurmountable mountains for her.


    Even after so much effort, he still couldn''t reverse fate''s course of action?


    Madame SHen hugged Jin Lan''s trembling body into his embrace, and said with heartache: "Don''t be afraid Lan Er, Mother will definitely not ask you to go to that place that eats people without spitting out their bones."


    Jin Lan laid in Madame SHen''s embrace, listening to her messy thoughts and the rapid rise and fall of her chest, but her heart had calmed down bit by bit.


    At this point, no, no.


    The Old Ancestor had already sealed off all avenues of retreat, and the Old Granny''s thoughts were clearly the same as the Old Ancestor''s. If she acted rashly, it might be her mother who would be implicated.


    The old lady''s words were like a thorn in her flesh, making it impossible for her to ignore them.


    Therefore, there was no choice but to go forward.


    Jin Lan greedily took in the warm smell coming from Madame SHen''s body. He sat up and said softly, "Mother, I''m afraid this trip to the capital is unavoidable."


    "Lan Er!" The thing that the Madame SHen feared the most had happened. She could think of any means to stop the Old Granny and even the Old Ancestor, but if Jin Lan was willing, what could she do?


    She grabbed Jin Lan''s hand and said with a trembling voice, "You can''t go! I believe in my mother. I will definitely think of a way. "


    "Mother, first listen to what Lan Er has to say," Jin Lan shook hshe head, a clear and gentle light shining in her eyes, as she slowly calmed down Madame SHen''s anxious heart, "I guess that there must be many girls that are congratulating the old ancestor on his death in Shang Jing. Lan Er is only nine years old, and even if she was born in the capital, he would still be ten years old.


    Madame SHen was a mystery to the public and was extremely worried. Adding to that, Jin Lan had a calm demeanor every day, which made her neglect Jin Lan''s age. Now that she was given such a lesson, she vaguely understood.


    Jin Lan saw her anxious expression lighten a bit, and continued, "Mother also said that our family has a huge scheme, so we definitely won''t do anything shameful. Otherwise, if there''s any trouble, I''m afraid our family won''t be able to handle it." Even if it was just a side branch, with so many tiny branches combined, they could still fight the main branch.


    "My daughter suspects that the Old Ancestor is the younger sister of Emperor Xian. His aunt today must be someone from the imperial family involved in her birthday feast." I, the, my clan, am using this birthday banquet to secretly act. As long as a lady is chosen, marrying a Lateral Consort is just a sentence from today. "


    Lateral Consort was not a match for the main wife, she still needed to plan for her family''s talents, her family background was too mediocre, perhaps the higher ups would not be at ease. The Lateral Consort was different. As long as one''s background was pure, even a level nine sesame official would give birth to a prince or Lateral Consort.


    It was only after they moved to the capital that Jin Lan finally understood the truth. Now, it just so happened that she could use it. "Therefore, as long as your daughter doesn''t show off, or doesn''t show her face in front of the prince, no matter how scheming the family is, it won''t be your daughter''s turn."


    The other honey is mine, and she doesn''t want it, but that doesn''t mean that others will scoff at it. There will definitely be a lot of people fighting over that spot. Didn''t Ye Jinwei lose in her previous life?


    "But ¡­" Madame SHen still didn''t feel reassured. She was prepared to persuade Jin Lan, but she stuck her tongue out at him.


    After being cooped up with the Madame SHen for a while, Jin Lan finally sat up from Madame SHen''s embrace and said in a clear voice, "Mother, you can be at ease. Lan Er will definitely be unharmed, and return safely!"


    Madame SHen looked at her daughter''s determined face and could not help but feel pain on the tip of her nose. If she could be like Madame Qin, her daughter would definitely not suffer like this! As he thought of this, he once again embraced Jin Lan and started crying.


    Jin Lan advised for a long time. When the sky darkened and it was about time, she and the Madame SHen went to pay their respects to the old lady. The old lady didn''t expect that she had yet to wake up, so they went to the Shuixie Pavilion for dinner.


    Just as she was about to enter the room, Bi He raised the curtain and said to Jin Lan: "Miss, Mama Shang is here."

 C87

    Mama Shang? Just as Jin Lan took the hairpin out, and before she put it in the mirror, she turned to Bi He and said: "Let her in." He thought for a moment, then ordered, "Light the lanterns outside, call the maidservants into the courtyard. I have something to say."


    Bi He did not know what Jin Lan wanted to do, but after being startled for a moment, he replied and left.


    Mama Tang kept the golden hairpin ornaments on the head of the Jin Lan. Her black hair only had two fingernail-sized silk flowers. After the Mama Shang entered the house, she followed behind Jin Lan and headed outside.


    "Second Miss." The Mama Shang bowed politely towards Jin Lan. His old-fashioned face did not have much of an expression of closeness, but it was less cold than usual.


    Jin Lan sized her up once or twice, then sat on the soft couch and waved her hand: "Mama doesn''t need to be so courteous, you are a person in front of the old ancestor, different from them."


    Mama Shang''s eyelids twitched, but she did not say a single word. She only lowered her head, folded her hands in front of him, and stood there.


    Jin Lan looked at her deeply, then reached out his hand to pick up the tea cup with the white porcelain glaze of Ru Yue''s wooden hibiscus. He leisurely sipped on the tea with a carefree expression, not fretting or fretful at all.


    As soon as she returned, the Mama Shang came knocking. It could be seen that the other party had been paying attention to the movements of the main house. She just stood there without saying a word. It was obvious that she had a plan in mind. The one who spoke first would be the one sitting next to him.


    She wanted to see who had the longer patience.


    In the end, when Jin Lan finished her tea and Bi He entered the house, Mama Shang was still standing there like a wooden pillar, not moving at all.


    Bi He''s gaze swept across Mama Shang and said to Jin Lan: "Miss, everyone has been called out and is waiting for you in the courtyard."


    Jin Lan nodded, he put down the warm tea cup in his hand and ignored Mama Shang, directly turning to Mama Tang and Bi He: "Let''s go out first."


    "Yes." The Mama Tang glared at Mama Shang angrily as she headed out of the door with Bi He.


    Only then did Mama Shang raise her head and look at Jin Lan''s slender back. The corners of her mouth moved slightly, and she wanted to say something, but she stopped herself. After a moment of silence, he could not help but sigh. He took back his foot that had taken half a step forward and continued to stand where he was.


    The night was as cold as water. The moment Jin Lan stepped out of the room, he felt waves of cold air pouncing on him. Fortunately, she hadn''t changed her clothes, so she didn''t feel cold at all.


    Seven or eight lanterns had already been hung in the courtyard. Although they were not as bright as the day, they could clearly see the expressions on everyone''s faces. Other than Wan Ju and Bi He, the two big maids, and the Mama Tang on the stairs, even Mu Lan and Wen Zhu stood together with the rough maidservants.


    Seeing Jin Lan come out, everyone bowed respectfully, "Second Miss."


    There was a trace of a friendly smile on Jin Lan''s delicate face. Her clear eyes reflected the bright red lanterns hanging under the eaves, sparkling with brilliance. "I''ve called you here at this hour because I have some instructions to give you." With that, he explained the matter of leaving the capital on the second day of the ninth month. After he finished speaking, his gaze swept across everyone''s faces.


    Mu Lan, Wen Zhu and the other servant girls looked at each other, then their faces lit up. Ever since they were young, they had never left the palace, not to mention the bustling city, they had all wished for the young miss to bring them.


    Jin Lan paused for a moment before continuing, "Shang Jing Mo will take around three months to return this time, so there must be someone left to guard this courtyard. Apart from Wan Ju, Bi He and the Mama Shang, the rest will stay in the Palace, and shall do as they are told. "


    When the crisp voice entered their ears, the originally excited maidservants immediately shriveled up like eggplants. However, there were some people who were just surprised that the lady did not bring the Mama Tang, but instead the Mama Shang?


    In that moment, numerous gazes all landed on Mama Tang who was standing behind the golden wave.


    The Mama Tang had already received a letter, they had another round of persuasion, and even made other arrangements, thus the expression on her face did not change much, but when she looked at those inquisitive gazes, she gave them a sharp glare, scaring the eyes of the maids and their wives, who were deep in thoughts, away from him.


    Jin Lan saw everything, but did not say a few good words for Mama Tang. He instructed Wan Ju and Bi He to quickly settle all the errands in the courtyard, and returned to his room.


    Wan Ju and Bi He followed Jin Lan to the capital, and someone had to take over their errand from the Lan Garden. After thinking for a bit, he called Mu Lan and Wen Zhu to the west wing''s rooms to explain the situation.


    When Jin Lan entered the house, he saw that Mama Shang was still standing there, the corners of his mouth twitched as he said indifferently: "Mama, it''s getting late, you should go back and rest." This was a subterfuge.


    Mama Shang''s expression changed slightly. She finally raised her head and looked at Jin Lan, then glanced at Mama Tang beside her and said solemnly: "This servant has something to say to young lady."


    "If Mama has something to say, say it." Jin Lan played with the bracelet with the Jade Seal Stone Buddha Bead on his wrist. He didn''t even raise his eyes as he said, "I''m listening."


    Seeing that Jin Lan was listening attentively, Mama Shang opened his mouth and closed it again. Then, her gaze fell on Mama Tang''s body.


    Mama Tang snorted coldly, she busily poured some tea for Jin Lan and pinched his thighs, not leaving even half a step away.


    After a long while, Jin Lan slowly raised his eyes, and sized Mama Shang up with a smile that was not a smile, "Didn''t Mama have something to say to me? Why isn''t there any response? "


    Mama Shang''s heart couldn''t help but sink, and only now did she realize that she had still underestimated the young Second Miss in front of him. She took a deep breath and retracted the scheming in her heart. She respectfully said, "This servant has something to report to young lady."


    Jin Lan blinked his eyes, the corners of his mouth raised, and he said to Mama Tang: "Somehow, I suddenly feel like eating cheese, the sweet and sour cream made by Mama is so smooth and delicious, I haven''t tasted it for a long time. It just so happens that we didn''t eat much tonight''s dinner, and right now, we''re sleeping in a bowl. That''s for the best. "


    How could the Mama Tang not understand that Jin Lan wanted to separate from him? He had a grudge against the Mama Shang, but he still nodded lovingly and went down to make some cheese for Jin Lan.


    After the Mama Tang left, Jin Lan leaned back against the pillow, the two corners of the room were lit up with an octagonal lantern, which was unusually bright, but with her retreating, she just so happened to fall short of the light, her small white face was half revealed, and more blurry.


    "Mama, go ahead."


    After thinking for a moment, Mama Shang opened her mouth and said, "Today at Jiayu Hall, the old lady asked the young lady about last night. I presume that after this servant left with the Mama Wu, the old lady mentioned it again?" As she spoke, she glanced at Jin Lan, trying to find some clues from her expression. Unfortunately, it was unknown whether it was because the light was too dim or because the golden waves hadn''t changed in the slightest, but she had gained nothing. He made up his mind and said bluntly, "The matter of the lady''s embroidered shoes being stained with blood was reported by this servant to the old lady."


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but straighten his body as his clear eyes shined with a cold light in the darkness.


    When Mama Shang came to visit, she faintly felt that it had something to do with this, so she intentionally left him out and took off her disguise. However, even though she had already guessed that it was the Mama Shang doing it, she had never thought that she would personally admit it.


    "Did the Mama come over just to say these things? But I don''t understand. What blood? Did Mama fall asleep at night? " Jin Lan''s voice was cold, "I advise Mama to be more alert, although Grandmother treats people well, talking too much about these kinds of things might not be good for Mama."


    There was astonishment in Mama Shang''s eyes. Could it be that the old lady did not tell Second Miss about that? Had she guessed wrongly? No, Little Maid had clearly said that when Madam and Second Miss came out of the old lady''s room, their expressions were extremely ugly. Obviously, the old lady had said something else afterwards!


    She pondered for a long time, then looked at that blurry little face and said in a low voice, "Miss, last night, it was the east wind."


    It was the east wind, and she lived in the west wing, not too far from the main house. Even though her cloak was covering her body, it was unable to block the dense stench of blood, which was also the reason why Hui Xiu and the rest kept the night maids far away.


    Jin Lan''s gaze met with Mama Shang''s confident eyes, and a smile suddenly blossomed on his face. Her dense beautiful eyes were like blooming flowers, and even in the dim light, they still revealed a trace of breathtaking brilliance. Mama, no matter what happened last night, has become nothing now. "


    "This is the reason why this servant came here tonight." Jin Lan''s performance actually gave the Mama Shang a sense of relief. "This young lady knows what''s good for me, there''s no need for me to beat around the bush. I did inform you because I was trying to test you."


    Jin Lan raised an eyebrow. "Test me?"


    Mama Shang nodded, "That''s right. If Miss can''t even get through this matter, then I don''t need to come and find you."


    Jin Lan looked at the arrogance that flashed past Mama Shang''s eyes, and laughed coldly in his heart, "Mama is someone sent by the Old Ancestor to teach etiquette, she should be well-mannered. Right now, not to mention the others, I am the master, you are a servant, yet you actually do such a slave-like thing.


    Mama Shang''s face changed, "This servant isn''t ¡­"


    "Could it be that Mama thinks that she spoke wrongly, or that I heard wrongly?" Jin Lan''s mouth held a hint of coldness. "Or else the Old Ancestor was wrong?"


    Just as he finished speaking, the Mama Shang could no longer hide the palpitations in his heart, revealing a flustered look, his face suddenly went pale and he anxiously replied: "This matter has nothing to do with the Old Ancestor, I hope young miss can understand."


    Jin Lan coldly snorted, and said with a sarcastic tone: "How do you want me to explain to you, Mama? Otherwise, if we go to Jiayu Hall, can we ask the old lady to be the judge? " His mother had said that her clothes from the previous night had already been burnt. Even if she had to confront the old lady, she was confident that she could still escape with her life intact.


    Mama Shang felt her throat go dry. She wanted to say something, but she didn''t know how to do so, so she could only smile bitterly in her heart. She thought that she could make the Second Miss follow up with her own words, but she never thought that the seemingly gentle and weak Second Miss would actually have such sharp tongue. She expected that the Second Miss would have some tricks up her sleeves, but she always thought that she was still young and was not a threat.


    After a long while, she slowly lowered her body, which had been standing straight ever since she had entered the Ye Mansion, and knelt in front of Jin Lan.

 C88

    Jin Lan straightened his body as he slowly leaned back onto the pillow, his eyes shining like he wanted to look into her heart through the body of the Mama Shang.


    Mama Shang kneeled on the ground with her chest and head down, she did not look flustered, but now that Jin Lan had laid a hand on her, she did not dare to speak in such a righteous manner, and since Jin Lan did not speak, she could not speak anymore.


    For a moment, the room was silent.


    After a long while, Jin Lan retracted his gaze, and suddenly asked: "Mama, what are your conditions?"


    Mama Shang''s body shook slightly, the calmness on her face showed that she was barely able to do it.


    When Jin Lan saw this, the corners of his mouth curled, as if he did not notice the unusual expression on Mama Shang''s face, "The fact that Mama is here tonight is nothing but something worth thinking about, so why don''t you tell me?"


    The moment Mama Shang opened her mouth, she immediately confessed the fact that she had snitched. Sometimes she would probe her, and sometimes she would kneel down and admit her mistake, making trouble everywhere she went, simply because she did not want to blow the matter. Even if she suppressed Mama Shang''s arrogance and haughtiness, it would not be so effective. The only explanation was that she had a request.


    It wasn''t that Jin Lan didn''t think of using this opportunity to get rid of Mama Shang, it was just that there was one less Mama Shang. It was clear that the Old Granny would not allow her to go to the capital alone. She had to arrange for people to restrict and supervise the proceedings, so that the Old Granny could send some of her trusted aides to her side.


    At least, the current Mama Shang''s performance was enough to prove that she was not of the same heart as the old lady.


    Mama Shang never thought that there would still be room for turning the situation around. She raised her head to look at Jin Lan, and said a little urgently: "This servant wants to redeem himself."


    "A ransom?" Jin Lan frowned slightly, "The Old Ancestor letting the Mama enter the Yangzhou is only a temporary matter. After the etiquette professor is done, you can return to the capital. Even if the Mama wanted to redeem herself, she should have asked the Old Ancestor. Could it be that he wanted her to beg the Old Ancestor?


    "That should be the case. It''s just that this servant only found out after arriving at the Yangzhou, that First Princess has already handed over this servant''s indenture contract to the old lady." This meant that from now on, she was a servant of the Ye Mansion.


    The Mama Shang was someone who came from the palace, it was not strange that the Old Ancestor sent him here to teach the girls the etiquette and etiquette. Many families in Jiang-Nan city would spend their efforts to find a good guide Mama, especially those old Mama s or palace maids that were released by the palace. But the Mama Shang looked like she was capable by the side of the Old Ancestor, how could she have even sent over the indenture contract?


    She lifted the teacup, lifted the teacup, and lightly brushed the leaves floating above the teacup. With a light voice, she said, "Since that''s the case, Mama has also found the wrong person. The old lady lives in Jiayu Hall."


    "Miss." Mama Shang lowered her eyes and hid the sadness in her eyes as she said unhurriedly: "The old lady will definitely have this servant accompany you. Even if this young lady were to leave the pavilion in the future, this servant would definitely help."


    Jin Lan''s shiny black eyes instantly narrowed, and his face was as cold as frost. "You''re threatening me?"


    The Education Mama was the same as the Breast Mama, they would be brought to the husband''s house as a betrothal marriage. Of course, there were also some Education Mama s who would specially come from wealthy families to give pointers and etiquette rules, and they would resign immediately after teaching. However, this type of education Mama s had very high requirements for status and reputation. Someone like the Mama Shang who had served the First Princess before naturally could be included in the list as well. It was just that, when they left the palace, they had signed an indenture contract with the, so they were bound.


    However, with the old lady''s personality, she might really keep Mama Shang by her side as a spy.


    "This servant does not dare to threaten Second Miss." Mama Shang said in a low voice: "I''m just speaking the truth."


    Jin Lan''s cold gaze unwaveringly fell on Mama Shang, but he did not respond to her words.


    The inside of the house became quiet once again, until the rustling sounds of footsteps came from outside the house. Wan Ju''s and Bi He''s voices faintly came from outside the door, as if they were assigning some matters to the maids below.


    Mama Shang moved her stiff body. If someone were to come in at this time, he was afraid that he would not have the chance. She pondered for a moment before lowering her voice and said, "If Miss can retrieve the contract from the old lady, I am willing to help Miss avoid this calamity."


    Although her voice was soft, each word was clearly heard by Jin Lan. A trace of surprise flashed past her heart, so Mama Shang knew that the purpose of this trip to Shang Jing was not simple.


    "For First Princess''s eightieth birthday, not only did you invite the ladies and First Miss, all of the ladies of appropriate age who came from a branch of the Ye Family were on the list that the First Princess had invited." "First Princess''s voice was flat, without any emotions, giving off a feeling of caution," First Princess is planning to pick out a few ladies with the best temperament and send them to the Prince''s Mansion for a favor. With my intelligence, I believe I have already guessed this matter.


    Jin Lan sipped the tea in the teacup, neither denying nor admitting it.


    "But there''s one more thing that lady is definitely not aware of." Mama Shang''s tone was calm, "I''m afraid that the old lady is also in the dark."


    Jin Lan''s eyelids twitched as he quietly listened to her words.


    There was already a trace of ridicule that could not be concealed in Mama Shang''s eyes: "What First Princess''s true plan is to send the ladies to the palace, to celebrate today. If my body is well and well today, my Ye Family will naturally improve. I''m afraid that the Ye Family woman who entered the palace to celebrate would leave with me. With this, the new emperor will remember Ye Family and First Princess''s goodness. "


    Jin Lan turned pale with fright, but when he thought about it again, he felt that although it was unexpected, it was within reason.


    The Old Ancestor had spent so much time and effort in arranging for the imperial physicians, giving away clothes and accessories. There were also all sorts of insinuations, indicating that this wasn''t an easy task. Even an old granny would not treat her with such kindness, much less a ancestor who had never seen her before and had many grandchildren.


    She entered the palace to accompany him. She remembered that her illness in her previous life had never recovered. She forcefully dragged it on, and it was even in the 37th year of the Great Zhou that she died. Right now, there were still more than three years of time left in the thirty-three years of the Great Zhou Empire''s autumnal equinox.


    Can''t enter the palace! At the same time, he felt waves of coldness from the Old Ancestor''s methods. Even if it was a side branch, it was still the bloodline of Ye Family!


    She looked at Mama Shang, her expression turning heavy.


    I can finally move the Second Miss! A look of gratification flashed past Mama Shang''s eyes, and she continued to strike the iron while it was still hot, "Although this servant followed First Princess out of the palace, I am still a member of the palace, and more or less know about the matters of others that do not benefit me, and am extremely familiar with the capital city''s manors.


    Her silky white fingertip caressed the delicate Mu Furong on the teacup. What Mama Shang possessed was precisely the thing that she needed the most, and that was the way to obtain information.


    "This servant begs Miss to think of a way to take the indenture contract from the old lady''s hands, but it''s not to redeem myself immediately. I just hope that when the time comes, Miss can be magnanimous."


    "Mama, even if you were by the Old Ancestor''s side, you must have had such thoughts, right? Can you tell me the reason? " Jin Lan put down the teacup in his hand with a calm expression. The indenture contract should have been in her hands when the old lady was still in the capital. It was probably because the Mama Shang had done something that had angered the Old Ancestor, causing him to stay far away, out of sight.


    Her attitude caused the Mama Shang to be slightly startled, and it took quite a while before she said with difficulty: "This servant is doing this for a pair of children."


    After entering the palace, she could only last until she was 25 years old before being able to leave. She looked to be in her early thirties, and even if she followed the First Princess out, the marriage should have been arranged by the ancestor, and her children should have stayed in the palace to take care of the affairs. Even if she took back the indenture contract, she wouldn''t be able to bring her family away, so what was she doing for her children?


    She smiled bitterly and said, "I was originally a member of a family of poor but innocent people. When I was young, I unintentionally took on an Embroidered Mother from the clothing department of the palace and later became the son of a daughter of my own. I used to sew for people and also used some scented sachet and fan sets to make up for my family, so my days were not too bad.


    "Who would''ve thought that one day, someone would set his eyes on this servant''s technique and force me to buy that needle technique. This servant tactfully refuses it, only to end up attracting disaster to myself from now on." He wiped away his secretly overflowing tears and continued to speak: "That person is the owner of the clothing shop in Gesu City. I heard that he has quite a good relationship with the prefect, that he has money and power, and found quite a few immoral characters. Not only did he beat the servant girl, even the half-grown child wanted to take action.


    "After that, I had no choice but to go to the capital and seek refuge with my master. The servant girl who brought the child along with her temporarily went back to her relatives and told them that she would be back in a year or so. However, he hadn''t expected that this point would last for thirteen years. Ever since she followed First Princess out of the palace, a servant would send someone to find out more about her. It was said that her boss had died of an illness, and her daughter and son had also been lost. Back then, this servant''s eyes were filled with tears and I couldn''t hold any more needles, so I ended up being a guide Mama in the First Princess''s Palace. "


    After Mama Shang said this, she clenched her teeth and kowtowed to Jin Lan, "This servant''s greatest wish is to find my lost flesh and blood. That''s why I want to redeem myself and leave the palace." Then she raised her head, and her tears fell like rain, "This servant knows my wrongs, I shouldn''t have offended Miss, but I beg Miss, on account of this servant''s eagerness, please forgive this servant! "In the future, this servant will definitely offer her life as a sacrifice. She will gain merits and be able to eat and chant Buddha. I beg Bodhisattva to bless this young lady for a lifetime of wealth and glory, and to live for a hundred years!"


    Jin Lan stared blankly into Mama Shang''s sad eyes. In his mind, he recalled her mother''s appearance. The first time he saw her mother, she had the same expression, but there was even more pain in her eyes.


    She let out a long sigh, "Mama, get up." There was an indescribable gentleness in his tone.


    "Miss ¡­" Mama Shang''s slightly red and swollen eyes lit up, "You agreed to it?"


    Jin Lan neither shook his head nor nodded. He seemed to be deep in thought.


    There was no sympathy, sympathy or emotion as the Mama Shang had imagined ¡­ She was a little uncertain, but she didn''t dare say too much. If by any chance she provoked Second Miss, wouldn''t it be like lifting a stone to smash her own foot?


    Jin Lan pondered for a moment before blinking his sore eyes. "You can leave first."


    Mama Shang felt unresigned in his heart, but she could only endure it as she nodded her head, wiping the tears off her face, and left.


    The next day, Jin Lan got up. After washing up, he took Wan Ju and the Mama Tang to the Jiayu Hall realm to pay respects to the old lady.

 C89

    September 2nd


    A sliver of white had just appeared on the horizon, but a drizzling rain that was like smoke and mist floated about. Jin Lan listened to the faint rustling outside the window, and a sense of loss appeared in his eyes.


    Mama Tang inserted a Jade Embedded Pearl and Eight Treasures hairpin into the profound black hair of the Jin Lan. Wan Ju opened the curtain and entered the room, "Miss, the wife is here."


    Jin Lan was startled. He hurriedly got up and went to greet her. "Mother."


    Madame SHen quickly stepped forward to help Jin Lan up, and then pulled her little hand to sit on the soft bed. Only then did she carefully observe her daughter''s makeup today.


    Inside, there was a pink silk jacket with white plum stripes, a silky silver crabapple dumpling, and a silk hairpin. There were also two fingernail-sized crabapple silk flowers in her hair. There was a trace of elegance in her delicateness that caused people to be unable to resist the urge to ache for her.


    But when she thought about how her daughter was about to go to that dangerous place, Madame SHen did not sleep for the entire night.


    "Mother." Jin Lan looked at the bruises on Madame SHen''s eyes and felt uncomfortable. He then turned his body and nestled into her embrace, "At most spring, Lan Er will be back." It was a word of consolation, but it was also a tone of certainty.


    Madame SHen embraced Jin Lan''s soft body and let out a long sigh in his heart. When he thought about his daughter''s intelligence, his expression recovered a little. After thinking for a moment, he made Jin Lan sit down. Then, he took off his Jingtai Blue Enamel Silk Twined Flower Bracelet and placed it on Jin Lan''s right hand.


    Jin Lan looked at the bracelet in surprise. "Mother, the old lady gave me a lot of jewelry a few days ago. Mother should still wear this bracelet." As he spoke, he was about to pull out the bracelet.


    This was the bracelet that her mother always wore, it was a rare sight for her to take it off. Hearing Hui Xiu say that this bracelet was her mother''s favorite item before leaving the pavilion, but now it was in her hands.


    Madame SHen hurriedly held Jin Lan''s hand, and laughed: "Mother, isn''t that yours? Could it be that Lan Er loathed the fact that the bangle design was old? "


    After nearly twenty years, no matter how carefully one took care of the old objects, it was still difficult to hide the traces of the erosion of time.


    "How could that be?" Jin Lan shook her head, her clear eyes looking at the Madame SHen, and said seriously: "This is my mother''s beloved item, a noble does not steal from others, what if Lan Er accidentally loses or breaks it?"


    Madame SHen was amused by Jin Lan, and a smile appeared on his face. He reached out to pinch the tip of her nose and said: "Little Gu Ling Jing, you''ve only known a few words, and yet you''re already biting your tongue like that. It''s clear that you''re unwilling, but you''re still taking advantage of me." Even though he said that, he did not loosen his grip on Jin Lan, "You should take this bracelet with you. It is empty inside and contains a note worth a thousand taels of silver. This time, you have travelled thousands of miles to the capital, and your mother cannot stay by your side. You should keep the silver notes well.


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but be stunned, she didn''t think that this bracelet would hide such a large sum of silver. Although her Ye Family was abundant, even in her previous life, she had never taken out more than a thousand taels of silver at once. "Mother, this silver ¡­" Could it be from the public?


    Madame SHen saw through Jin Lan''s thoughts and couldn''t help but laugh. He said softly: "These are the silver from my private bank, they have nothing to do with each other. Don''t worry."


    Jin Lan was relieved when he heard this. The accounts of the officials were reported to the old lady every month. If the old lady knew that her mother had given her so much money in private, it would bring her quite a bit of trouble.


    "Alright, it''s getting late. I still have to say my goodbyes to the old lady and your father." The Madame SHen patted Jin Lan''s small hands, and said with a sigh: "You have to be more careful on the road. Your body is weak, and you can''t take the torment." As he spoke, his eyes turned red.


    Seeing that, Jin Lan hurriedly agreed and changed the topic. The mother and daughter duo spoke for a while, before standing up and leaving Jiayu Hall to bid their farewells to the old lady. Not thinking about Ye Lin, Ye Jinwei, Concubine Shao and Ye Yu were all there.


    The whole family gathered together for a rare meal, and after happily having their breakfast, Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei set off.


    At this moment, the sun had risen and the drizzling rain had stopped. The bright sunlight shone down from the sky, and the temperature was cool and pleasant.


    The Ye Mansion gate opened, and the leader of the carriage was led by two chariots, followed by three ordinary green carriages, and finally by over ten wooden flatcars. Other than the maids that served closely behind them, the group also had two Female Cook s and a doctor, as well as more than twenty of Ye Lin''s bodyguards, who surrounded the two carriages in front of them in three layers. The clatter of horses'' hooves, the rumble of wheels, and the noise of the road headed for the pier.


    The commoners on the street opened up a path and stretched out their necks in curiosity, gathering in groups of twos and threes to watch the show.


    "Oh, isn''t this Ye Family''s carriage?"


    "Truly impressive!"


    "With such a great position, where can we go?"


    "It looks like they''re going to the dock. Who''s in the car?"


    Jin Lan sat upright in the carriage, the noise beside his ears unable to arouse her curiosity. His white hands folded on his lap, and the fingertips of his left hand lightly traced the Jingtai Blue Bracelet on his right wrist. However, his heart was unable to calm down like a raging river.


    What would happen after she left, was no longer something she could anticipate or control.


    However, no matter what happened, she would return safely.


    Definitely, definitely, must come back!


    The carriage did not travel very fast, and had to wait for more than two hours for the horse carriage with the birthday present before they arrived at Yangzhou Pier.


    Due to the drizzle of early morning, the river was now suffused with a faint mist. From afar, it looked like smoke was drifting along the river, making the scenery extremely elegant.


    At the edge of the dock, there was a three-masted red lacquer sailboat and a few small boats. Steward Li had already arranged for people to wrap a long tent around a path and two maids stood by the red lacquer ladders, ready to help them board the boat.


    The horse carriage stopped in front of a clean clearing, and the servants came to and fro to carry the chests of the vans onto the boat, Steward Li went to pay respects to Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei, "First Miss, Second Miss, the boat has been prepared, please board the boat."


    Jin Lan stepped off the horse carriage with Wan Ju supporting him, and then gently got off the carriage. With Si Ling leading the way, he steadily landed on the ground.


    Ye Jinwei turned his head back to look at Jin Lan, and with a snort, she raised his head and walked along the path towards the side of the boat.


    Jin Lan felt that it was funny and infuriating, he was too lazy to bother with her, he just glanced at the things they greeted and got on the boat with Ye Jinwei.


    The three-masted red lacquered sailboat was divided into two decks. The rough maidservants lived on the lower decks and the two of them prepared three rooms connected to each other, one on the left and the other on the right.


    Wan Ju and Bi He, as well as the Mama Shang, shared a room with Jin Lan. However, since it was night time for Jin Lan to stay up, it did not feel crowded. Ye Jinwei''s side was also arranged in this way, and inside the small boat, there were guards as well as laid out birthday presents and big items.


    After getting on the boat, Jin Lan''s mood gradually improved. She sat by the window and lifted the bamboo curtain a little to look at the riverbank outside. Her nose was filled with water vapor. Wan Ju and Bi He were in their room cleaning and counting boxes and cages. Although the birthday present and most of the treasures were on the boat, they still carried some precious things with them.


    Mama Shang placed the red lacquer on a plate, and placed the piping hot sugar bird nest soup on top. She then lifted the flowery curtain hanging on the plate and entered the room, "Miss, please eat something to rest your stomach. Steward Li said that we have less than an hour before we set sail."


    He was indeed a little hungry now, so he nodded his head slightly and said to Wan Ju and Bi He: "You guys are tired from the journey, you should go and rest first. It''s enough as long as Mama Shang is here."


    The two of them looked at Mama Shang and increased their speed. They finished counting the boxes, bent their knees, and left.


    After eating half a bowl of Swallow''s Nest soup, Jin Lan placed the silver spoon down, used a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth, and then softly said to Mama Shang: "Mama, sit."


    The Mama Shang replied as she half sat on the small Wooden Pellet beside him. Her expression revealed a rare trace of apprehension.


    Jin Lan looked at her for a bit, then the corner of her mouth suddenly curled up. With a smile, she slowly spoke: "Since Mama chose to believe me, why are you still so nervous?"


    Mama Shang''s face stiffened. She opened her mouth but did not know how to reply.


    Jin Lan just spoke, he did not have any intentions of teasing her, but seeing her like this, he did not continue, and reached his hand into his waist pouch and took out a folded four-sided object, "Mama, what is this?"


    Mama Shang looked up and couldn''t help but to be startled. After looking carefully again, her eyes suddenly stared wide, "This, this is..."


    Even if the light in the cabin wasn''t as bright as the light outside, it was still enough for people to read the words written on it. Jin Lan lightly shook the Xuan paper in his hand, "I''ve already done what Mama asked me to do. I hope Mama does not go back on her words." Saying so, he handed the Xuan paper to her.


    Mama Shang shakily extended his hand, but just as she was about to touch a corner of the xuan paper, she withdrew it as fast as lightning. She swallowed a mouthful of foam and said with difficulty: "This indenture contract, I think it''s better for young lady to keep it first."


    Glimmers danced in Jin Lan''s eyes, then she shook her head and said, "Mama, there''s no doubt about it. Since I''m giving it to you, I have my reasons, you can just keep it."


    Someone like the Mama Shang, who was proud and arrogant, would lower herself to her because she needed help. However, she would still hold back in her heart. What she wanted was wholehearted loyalty.


    Mama Shang looked deeply at Jin Lan, and extended his hand to take the thin indenture contract. He then quickly swept his eyes over it, and folded it into his sleeves. She got up and curtsied for Jin Lan, "Your servant will never forget your kindness for the rest of my life. I will never go back on my word regarding anything that I''ve promised. Otherwise, thunder will strike the heavens, and I will die a horrible death!"


    Hearing Mama Shang''s venomous oath, Jin Lan blinked his bright eyes, and his tender lips slightly parted. "Why does Mama need to make such a venomous oath? If you truly treat me well, then I will not let you down. Come to think of it, I have seen Mama''s daughter before. "


    "What?" Mama Shang''s body trembled as she stared at Jin Lan in disbelief. She cried out involuntarily: "Miss has seen this servant''s daughter?"

 C90

    In comparison to Mama Shang''s shock, Jin Lan was very calm at the moment, although she had the same expression as Mama Shang when she first found out about this matter.


    "Mama''s daughter is seventeen in this year, and there is a cinnabar mole the size of a hairpin on the inside of her left wrist." She softly said while looking at Mama Shang, then added, "She also carried something that Mama left behind back then. This thing was originally a pair, and the other thing was placed on Mama''s youngest son."


    "Where are Qing Qing and Little Rock? "Miss, quickly tell this servant!" Mama Shang was so excited that her eyes turned red, she couldn''t help but take two steps forward, reaching out her hands out to grab Jin Lan, her trembling hands reaching out to touch the air, before she could even touch the soft white hand, she suddenly froze. In the end, she did not forget that Jin Lan was her master.


    Jin Lan looked at the anxious Mama Shang quietly. "Don''t worry, Mama. Since I''m being honest with you, I will definitely invite you to acknowledge me as you in the future."


    "Young lady ¡­" The Mama Shang gave Jin Lan a complicated look before he finally calmed down. After a while, he asked, "How are Qing Qing and Little Rock?" Her eyes were filled with melancholy, yearning, and a mixture of guilt and sorrow.


    Jin Lan sighed, "Don''t worry Mama, they are doing quite well. As for the rest, I will inform Mama after we return from the capital."


    "How does Miss know the whereabouts of Qing Qing and Xiao Shi? And how can I confirm that they are doing well? "..." Mama Shang''s heart was more or less filled with unwillingness, but before she finished speaking, she looked at the expression on Jin Lan''s face and couldn''t help but stifle his mouth and cry out.


    "Mama doesn''t need to worry about where I come from. You only need to remember that this is a fact." Jin Lan''s expression was light, and his tone was laced with the intent to send someone out.


    "Yes, this servant understands." Mama Shang suppressed the desire in her heart, bowed his head, and was about to leave. However, when she lifted the curtain, he suddenly turned his head and asked, "Are they in the residence?"


    Jin Lan turned his head to look at her and smiled, but he didn''t say anything. The bright sunlight shone through the bamboo curtain and onto her jade-like face, leaving behind a trace of a mysterious burning flame.


    Mama Shang was someone who came from the palace. She did not dare to boast about his abilities, but she had seen most of them. But at that moment, she only felt that Second Miss in front of her was covered in a thin layer of fog, she could not understand her thoughts, and could not fathom its depths, causing her to feel an indescribable feeling lingering in her heart. She lowered her eyes and did not say anything else. She put down the flowery curtain and went into the neighboring room and called Wan Ju over to help her.


    Not long later, the Steward Li sent his wife to report that the boat was leaving. He accompanied the two sisters to the capital, accompanied by the watchman, who personally escorted them to the capital. But when they reached the capital, they would only need to wait for the people sent by the clan to welcome them before returning to the Yangzhou. The manor would wait for Steward Li to return and report to them, and Ye Lin would not be able to leave him either.


    Jin Lan couldn''t sleep soundly last night, so Wan Ju cleaned up the dishes and helped her get on and off the bed.


    In the middle of the night they arrived at Hongze, but the boat was not docked, it was anchored in the middle of the river. Several boats were scattered around the ship, surrounding her in a tight circle.


    The journey was smooth and the weather was beautiful. The wind blew continuously for several days, and in just seven or eight days, they had reached the Xuzhou.


    Jin Lan felt seasick. At first, sshe was fine and didn''t feel uncomfortable, but gradually, he felt like she couldn''t eat anymore. She felt dizzy and weak all day, and her small face was about to become swollen from sleep. On the other hand, Ye Jinwei passed her days extremely extravagantly. Every day, accompanied by a servant girl, she would go to the side of the boat to enjoy the scenery, where she would sing poems against each other. Occasionally, she would have Si Ling place the guqin on top of the boat, facing the green mountains and the jade water. Life was getting more and more interesting.


    This would make things difficult for Jin Lan. Even if he wanted to sleep for a while and hide in his dreams, it wouldn''t be enough. Wan Ju had no choice but to burn the Ambergris Fructus s in the cabin time and time again, not daring to break for even a moment.


    But like this, before even walking halfway, he had already seen the bottom of the box full of Ambergris Fructus bait, causing Wan Ju and Bi He to walk around anxiously, not knowing what to do.


    "I''m thinking that if I were to save some time, I would only be able to hold on for five to six days. I really can''t delay my journey to the capital." Wan Ju looked at the Six Horn Box in her hand with a gloomy expression. This Ambergris Fructus was something his wife was worried about, so she specially went to Mixin House to buy it for her. She just did not expect her to use it so quickly.


    Bi He''s expression was not any better than hers. Her two delicate eyebrows knitted together as she walked around the room twice, and could not help but raise her head to look at the other door, and said hesitantly: "How about we borrow some from the First Miss first? That day when Si Ling was carrying the zither, I happened to pass by and accidentally saw that the First Miss''s house was also burning incense. Although the smell was different, it wasn''t too different.


    "But ¡­" Wan Ju remembered the grudge between First Miss and Jin Lan, and she could not help but hesitate a little, "Will First Miss agree to give all the spices to Miss?"


    "That''s hard to say. I have to ask first before I know." Bi He also had a face full of apprehension. She twisted her handkerchief, made up her mind, and forced a laugh: "No matter what, First Miss and Miss are sisters, this time they are going to the capital together, they should help each other out, we don''t need to worry too much." These words were said for Wan Ju to hear, and at the same time, for herself.


    "Then, shall we go together?" It just so happens that First Miss is on the side enjoying the scenery. " Wan Ju closed the box in her hand and gently placed it on the side, then she and Bi He went to the side of the ship to look for the person.


    Ye Jinwei was sitting on a stone chair with a redwood conch shell in the middle. In her hand was a translucent Thorny wood Chrysanthemum Light Rhubarb Fan, which was rotating slowly back and forth in its position. In front of him was a small teapot with a blue and white bowstring pattern and a blue bowl of Sweet ''n'' Sour Fruit Powder was placed on the side. The river flowed slowly, the cool wind blew gently, and the scenery was enjoyed. Her face was filled with a carefree and happy feeling.


    The two of them could not help but think of the listless Jin Lan who was lying inside the ship. They looked at each other and bowed towards Ye Jinwei.


    "Greetings to First Miss."


    Ye Jinwei turned her head and saw Wan Ju and Bi He. What a rare sight! Is my sister feeling better? I heard that she was seasick and unwell, so I didn''t want to disturb her. " She had already known someone was coming from Si Ling''s hints, but pretended that she didn''t know. Seeing that it was Jin Lan''s personal servant, she couldn''t help but speak up.


    The two of them had long predicted that Ye Jinwei would not look too good, so they were not too embarrassed, smiling as they replied: "Thank you First Miss for your concern, our young lady has been better these past few days, her appetite has increased greatly, and she was just resting, leaving Mama Shang to wait inside."


    Ye Jinwei pursed her lips and laughed, but his eyes were filled with naked ridicule and ridicule, "I say, how can you all have the time to come over to my side, you were actually kicked out."


    Wan Ju and Bi He''s face stiffened, but they still forced out smiles. Wan Ju blessed her again, and said in an amiable tone: "First Miss, Second Miss is unconscious on the boat, the bait you brought is almost used up. I would like to ask if First Miss can have some, after we reach the capital, we can buy some good stuff to return to First Miss."


    After Ye Jinwei heard this, she was stunned, the corners of her mouth slowly rose, but a smile could not be seen, "How do you know where I can smell the incense?" As she spoke, she swept her cold gaze across Si Ling''s body.


    Si Ling could not help but shiver.


    Bi He quickly explained: "I undoubtedly saw the smoke furnace in First Miss''s room, and the fragrance coming from First Miss''s body smelled really good, so I guessed that First Miss must have burnt the incense."


    This explanation was reasonable, but unfortunately, Ye Jinwei did not hear it, "That''s right, I do have bait, but I am afraid that I do not have much left, and will not be able to help my sister solve her problem, but my sister has always been intelligent, so I think that there must be other ways."


    The two of them did not expect Ye Jinwei to reject them in such a straightforward manner, her face immediately became ugly. Bi He opened her mouth, wanting to say more, but was stopped by Wan Ju.


    "If that''s the case, then this servant will be rude, and this servant will take his leave."


    Wan Ju pulled Bi He''s hand and bowed, then quickly returned to the cabin.


    Si Ling looked at the two of them leaving hastily, a look of worry plastered on her face, "Miss, is Second Miss..."


    Ye Jinwei''s expression turned cold, and said while gritting her teeth: "What are you afraid of? Right now, she can''t even get out of the door, so she might not be able to detect us.


    Even so, Si Ling was still worried: "Then what do we do in the future?"


    "What do we do in front? What do we do in the future?" Ye Jinwei laughed coldly, "I don''t believe that she can really smell it." However, after thinking for a while, he said, "Forget it, it''s not wrong to be more careful. Don''t use it in the daytime. We''ll talk about it at night."


    Si Ling nodded, and only then did she heave a sigh of relief.


    With great effort, Wan Ju managed to pull Bi He back. Unwilling to give up, Bi He flung her hand away and said angrily: "Why are you pulling me back, it''s obvious that First Miss has gone too far!"


    "Foolish!" Wan Ju was shocked, she immediately covered her mouth and said softly: No matter what, the First Miss is my master, and borrowing things has always been my wish, do you think we should force the First Miss to take out the bait?


    It was not that Bi He was not clear that what Wan Ju said was the truth, but her heart was inexplicably filled with fire, "Even so, First Miss should not stab the lady with her words, how could she ¡­"


    "Shut up!" Wan Ju growled as she raised her head to look at the flowery curtain at the entrance of the cabin door. She then pulled Bi He back into the house and closed the door as she said, "I think you''ve lost your mind today? If this was known to the girl, it would not end well! "


    Bi He''s face changed, she had just woken up from her daze and was about to say something, but then she heard a strange voice from outside: "Is Second Miss at home?"

 C91

    Jin Lan was already half asleep. As soon as his wife called out to him, he immediately became clear-headed.


    Mama Shang poured some tea for her before asking sternly: "What is it?"


    The servants had all been told what kind of people there were, and upon hearing the voices, they immediately guessed who it was. Then, they smiled and replied: Mama, Steward Li sent a messenger saying that we will arrive at Xuzhou not far ahead, and will rest at the Xuzhou Pier for the night. The food on the boat needs to be repurchased, so I specially sent a servant to report back to the young lady. I also wish to ask the young lady if there is anything in the house that is in short supply. "


    To the Xuzhou? Isn''t that half the way? Jin Lan drank two mouthfuls of tea, and then handed the teacup back to Mama Shang, raising his hand to rub his slightly dizzy forehead. After the Xuzhou, there was Ji Ning, Jia Cheng, Texas, Cangzhou, and Tianjin, followed by Tongzhou. In Tongzhou, abandoning the ship to travel by car, it was not so hard to endure.


    Thinking about it this way, her chest, which she felt extremely uncomfortable for, became lighter. She pondered for a bit, and just as she was about to speak, Wan Ju and Bi He, who had just come out from the back room, grabbed her back.


    "Miss, our bait is almost used up. We need to prepare some more."


    Following the hasty voice, Wan Ju lifted the flowery curtain and entered the house with Bi He. Taking advantage of the opening in the curtain, Jin Lan caught a glimpse of a woman standing outside with a respectful yet unfamiliar look on her face.


    After the flowery curtain fell, she withdrew her gaze, looked at Wan Ju, and asked puzzledly: "Before we left, didn''t mother give us a new box of fragrant bait? What do you want to buy? "


    "This ¡­" Wan Ju could not help but look at the pea green glaze three-legged furnace that was placed on top of the Red Wood Condor Hibiscus Flower. The remaining fragrance lingered in the air, penetrating deep into one''s heart.


    Jin Lan remembered that not long after he had boarded the ship, the incense had never stopped burning. He believed that he had used up a lot of it. If he wanted to go to Tongzhou, he would probably need another month or so. After thinking for a while, she said softly, "Then tell Steward Li the name of the bait, and tell him to bring back a box of it when collecting it."


    "Miss." Wan Ju''s face revealed a look of awkwardness, "This box of scented bait was specially made for the sake of the young lady from the Mixin House. This servant is worried that if I am unable to buy it, other spices will not be able to help me with my seasickness. "


    Mother''s custom-made spices from the Mixin House? Jin Lan was startled. No wonder it tasted different than usual, it looked extremely fresh, and when she thought about how Madame SHen had even arranged such a small matter properly, she felt a bit of warmth in her heart. He immediately thought of something, waved his hand, and said, "Forget it, I''ll think about it after arriving at Xuzhou. You should first count and see if there''s anything else you need to fill up, other than spices."


    Wan Ju and Bi He nodded, they then opened the box and looked inside, and then went out to talk to the old granny who was waiting outside.


    Ye Jinwei and Qian Yun naturally came out to give instructions, and maybe what happened on the side of the ship just now made Si Ling suspicious. Now that he saw the two coming out, his gaze was more or less cautious and guarded, after quickly giving instructions, he pulled Qian Yun back into the house and closed the door with a "bang".


    Wan Ju did not have much of a reaction as she calmly talked about the things that needed to be added in the room with her wife. However, Bi He was furious in his heart, because she had heard what Wan Ju said in his heart, and did not dare to act rashly.


    After the old woman left, Jin Lan took a short nap. Before dusk, Ye Family''s ships had already entered Xuzhou Pier.


    "Miss." Not long after the boat stopped, Bi He came over to Jin Lan and reported, "First Miss has disembarked."


    Wan Ju was helping Jin Lan change his clothes, and a faint smile appeared on her pale face: "It''s still early, let''s go take a walk, and buy some spices."


    After hearing this, not only Bi He, but even the Mama Shang''s face showed a trace of emotion. After being cooped up on the ship for half a month, they could finally walk around. Wan Ju tied the Qian Hong Silk Precious Belt on Jin Lan''s waist, gave it over to Bi He, and said with a smile: "This servant will ask the Steward Li to arrange it first."


    Since the Mama Tang was not here, the job of combing her hair naturally fell to Bi He. She smiled at Wan Ju and said, "Come back quickly."


    Wan Ju let out a "Sigh" before hurrying to the lower deck of the ship. Naturally, there would be a lackey specially there.


    The Steward Li had just finished making arrangements for Ye Jinwei to disembark, and after knowing that Jin Lan was also going to take a stroll, he immediately called for a Attendant to send him back to the carriage shop to rent a better carriage, then arranged for two sturdy looking women and four tall and sturdy bodyguards to accompany him.


    The tidied up Jin Lan supported Wan Ju''s men off the carriage, and Bi He and the Mama Shang naturally came along as well. Fortunately, the carriage the Steward Li found was extremely spacious, and it wasn''t too crowded for the four of them to sit inside. Although the decorations of the carriage were not as comfortable as the Ye Mansion, they were still outside.


    Xuzhou, also known as Peng City, the Yellow Sea in the east, the Central Plains in the west, the River Huai in the south, and the Qi Lu in the north. Since ancient times, it was the Northern Key, the Southern Gate, the place where all the armies fought and where all the merchants gathered. Although it was not as magnificent as the capital, it was still not inferior to Su Yang and the other two prefectures.


    The city was bustling with people, and people were bustling with activity. All kinds of shouts could be heard, and the atmosphere in the city was rather open. The streets did not lack the slender figures of young women. However, unlike them, Jin Lan still brought along her Drapery Cap under the orders of the Mama Shang.


    Walking and stopping along the way, even though he couldn''t walk freely, it was still much better than lying inside the cabin. Jin Lan tilted his head and looked through the bamboo curtain, looking at the people outside who were different from Yangzhou with great interest.


    Wan Ju and Bi He were also looking at the carriage from the other side of the carriage, looking at the carriage with interest. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, "Miss, look!"


    The soft excited voice attracted everyone''s attention. Jin Lan moved closer to Wan Ju, and following the direction that she pointed, he coincidentally saw a two story sculpted flower tower in front of him. The words "Mixin House" were written in golden paint on the door on the first floor, exuding vigor and charm.


    Jin Lan never liked using spices, and only liked the fragrance of flowers. This time, he was forced to do it out of helplessness, and it was also under the Madame SHen''s arrangements that he kept using Ambergris Fructus. As for Mixin House, she wasn''t too familiar with them, and she didn''t know what connection the Mixin House here had with the Yangzhou; He was here for a stroll anyway. Since he had run into one, it wouldn''t be a problem to go in and take a look.


    "Let''s go there and take a look."


    Bi He then hurriedly ordered the Attendant who was driving the carriage to lean towards the Mixin House.


    After the carriage stopped, Wan Ju pulled up the curtain and got off the carriage first, then she went to support Jin Lan, followed by Mama Shang, Wan Ju was the last one. Jin Lan instructed the Attendant who was driving the carriage to stop by the side of the carriage before bringing the three into the shop. As for the two women, they stood guard outside the door while the guards stood guard by the side of the carriage.


    The interior of the store was clean and tidy, and upon entering, a fragrant aroma wafted into the air. It did not seem to be tiresome, instead, it gave off a soothing feeling. Jin Lan looked around. It was a spacious hall. Beside the door, there was a wooden block carved with broccoli and lotus. On it was a pot of magnolia. It had a complete set of furniture and furnishings, arranged in a neat and orderly manner.


    When the shopkeeper saw Jin Lan and the others enter, he came over to welcome them with a smile. "Miss, please enter the private room." He then called out to the waiter, "Ah Fu, quickly serve some tea and send it to the Plum Room!"


    Although the Jin Lan was small, the clothes and accessories he wore were simple, were not ordinary goods. Adding Wan Ju and the Mama Shang, he had Drapery Cap on his head, so he did not look like a local girl. Therefore, the shopkeeper concluded that this group of people was the first rare "fat sheep", so they appeared especially enthusiastic, almost to the point of bursting into laughter. He nodded and bent his knees, leading the way into the private room.


    After Jin Lan sat down, the waiter swiftly served the tea. The shopkeeper then smiled and rubbed his hands, and asked, "May I ask what kind of incense young lady would like to buy? "Recently, a new batch of celebrities have arrived at the store. Does Miss want to give it a try?"


    "No rush." Jin Lan raised the tea cup, scooped it under his nose and sniffed, then put it down, and said to the shopkeeper in a clear voice: "I wonder what this Mixin House of yours has to do with Yangzhou?"


    "Yo!" The shopkeeper''s heart trembled, he had met a regular customer, but the smile on his face did not change, "To be honest, my lady, our Mixin House''s name is famous in the Great Zhou Empire, not to mention our Yangzhou, as long as there are people around, hehe, we will have our Mixin House''s reputation."


    Hearing that, Bi He could not help but burst out laughing, "Innkeeper, could it be that such a backwater place can also be found?"


    Hearing Bi He''s words, the shopkeeper''s smile became awkward, but she gritted her teeth and replied: Yes, why not? It''s just that the size of the shop is different. " He chuckled twice and continued, "Please wait a moment miss, I''ll go get some incense for you." With that, he turned around and was about to leave.


    "Wait!" Wan Ju quickly stopped the shopkeeper, "Do you have Ambergris Fructus here?"


    The shopkeeper stopped when he heard the sound, but the three words "Ambergris Fructus" caused his smile to freeze on his face. He frowned, and said with difficulty: "Does miss want to buy Ambergris Fructus?"


    Jin Lan nodded, "For the past few days, I''ve been relying on the Ambergris Fructus, otherwise, I''m afraid that she wouldn''t even be able to get up from bed. However, when she saw the shopkeeper''s troubled expression, she couldn''t help but frown:" My box of Ambergris Fructus was bought from Yangzhou, why? Don''t you have it here? "


    "It''s not that there aren''t any." The shopkeeper rubbed his hands, and said hesitantly: "This Ambergris Fructus was not made into incense, but was reserved by the incense maker in advance by the customer."


    So that was the case. Jin Lan thought for a moment, then asked, "If I decide on it now, when will the earliest I can get it?"


    The shopkeeper stretched out three fingers and shook them. "Three days." After a pause, he continued, "If everything goes well, it will take at least two days."


    That long? The Steward Li repeatedly reminded him that he had to return to the boat before sunset and leave tomorrow at dawn. How could he wait for three days?


    Wan Ju and Bi He also looked like they did not dare, and Mama Shang asked in a low voice: "Can''t we speed up the progress?"


    The shopkeeper helplessly spread out his hands: "This Ambergris Fructus is no ordinary spice, its production is extremely complex, in just two days it will reach its limit. No matter how fast it is, it might ruin the signboard."


    It seemed like there was no other way. Jin Lan sighed, "Then do you have any spices in your store that have a similar effect as the Ambergris Fructus?"


    "Yes, there is. The spices such as the Hundred Blossom Leaves, Ming Ting Xiang and a few others are all about the same as Ambergris Fructus s." He originally thought that his business was going to fail, but unexpectedly, there was still a chance. The shopkeeper''s depressed face instantly lit up again, "I''ll go and get it right now!"


    However, before he could go out, he heard a clamor coming from outside.

 C92

    "Shopkeeper, storekeeper, esteemed guest, quickly come out!" A ruthlessly rogue howl sounded out, followed closely by the waiter''s obsequious laughter and a flurry of messy footsteps.


    The shopkeeper''s expression suddenly changed and he looked at Jin Lan in panic before walking out the door. He even shut the door tightly at the same time.


    Jin Lan and the others looked at each other, puzzled. However, they sat in the private room and waited for the shopkeeper to bring them the incense.


    "Oh, isn''t this Young Master Zhang? What wind blew you here! " The shopkeeper had a bright smile on his face as he walked out the door, welcoming a young man in embroidered clothes, "Hurry, hurry. Young Master Zhang floor, please.


    He looked at the shopkeeper with a pair of slanted eyes, closed the folding fan in his hand, and patted his chest, "I say, after taking so long to come out, is your store hiding gold or beauties that you can''t even move your legs?"


    The shopkeeper secretly cursed in his heart, but the smile on his face became even more profound. "Young Master Zhang, don''t make fun of me.


    Young Master Zhang was the younger son of the Lord Prefect and had always pampered and pampered him. He was famous in Xuzhou City as a fiend, and had no other hobbies, except for his lustful sex appeal. As long as there was a girl with a bit of beauty, very few would be able to escape his clutches. It was definitely because that young lady had accidentally been targeted by the Young Master Zhang. Now, he would be in deep trouble.


    If the Young Master Zhang took the people away from the shop, the signboard of the Mixin House would be destroyed. However, if he angered the Young Master Zhang, he would not even have a place to stay in the city anymore.


    The more he thought about it, the more passionate the shopkeeper became. He almost wanted to grab Young Master Zhang and drag him upstairs.


    Young Master Zhang''s eyes continued to scan the shop, but he did not find anything. Just then, a Attendant man came close to his ear and muttered something, and pouted towards the private room. Young Master Zhang immediately understood, and faked going upstairs with the shopkeeper, when they passed by the private room, he suddenly raised his leg and kicked the door hard, and with a "bang", the door that was tightly shut opened, and everyone in the room entered into his sight.


    "Ha ha!" Young Master Zhang''s eyes lit up. He took a step to the side and entered the private room.


    The loud sound scared Jin Lan and her group, but Wan Ju and Bi He quickly reacted, and tightly protected Jin Lan behind them. Mama Shang also stood up and blocked the path of the Young Master Zhang, "Sir, there are already people here, I hope Sir can move elsewhere!" With that, she shouted out the door: "Manager, Manager!"


    Seeing that the Young Master Zhang was acting in such a manner, the shopkeeper was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Hearing the Mama Shang''s shout, he hurriedly squeezed his way in, "Here."


    The Mama Shang''s face became stern, and shouted at the shopkeeper: "There is already a customer in this room, why did you bring someone in? You still don''t understand the rules! " While speaking, his eyes would occasionally glance at Young Master Zhang.


    The shopkeeper apologized again and again, "It''s all this little one''s fault, this little one got confused." After making amends to Jin Lan and the rest, he then turned to Young Master Zhang, "Young master, please head upstairs first. There are many new spices in the shops today, I hope you are satisfied with them!"


    Unexpectedly, Young Master Zhang pushed the shopkeeper away and walked forward with a smile on his face. He opened the folding fan with a clap sound and pretended to wave it a few times, "Since you have good spices, then quickly take them out. You don''t need to go upstairs, it just so happens that you can share them with these few ladies. As they spoke, they stared lecherously at Wan Ju and.


    Just now, he was drinking in the Eastern Ascension Restaurant, and did not expect that Attendant would report it. Several beauties came from the Mixin House, and so he hurriedly paid the bill and ran over to Mixin House to block the way. [I didn''t expect to find such a perfect pair of beauties!]


    Wan Ju and Bi He felt chills down their spines when he looked at them, but when they realized that Jin Lan was still behind them, the two of them forced themselves to stand there and not move at all.


    Mama Shang saw that Young Master Zhang was being frivolous and confirmed that he did not come with good intentions, his old-fashioned expression darkened again and again as he said coldly: "This Young Noble, men and women should not be close. Looking at Young Noble''s clothes, you must be from a rich family, you must have definitely read the Book of Virtue before.


    Hearing Mama Shang''s words, the shopkeeper''s face almost turned green. If the etiquette rules were useful, then who knew how peaceful Xuzhou City would be! Young Master Zhang was used to people doing things and could not bear to see other people oppressing him, so it might be too late to do anything about it!


    Who knew that Young Master Zhang would not be angry, and would instead laugh as he replied, "I say, this Mama has the heart of an ancient person, and loves beauty. I only felt that I was fated to be with the ladies and wanted to invite them to have a taste of my incense. Could it be that Mama is looking down on this young master and deliberately humiliating this young master? "


    "You ¡­" Mama Shang saw that his words were disorderly and forced to speak reason, and immediately became angry. Just as sshe was about to open her mouth to argue, he was interrupted by the shopkeeper.


    "Impudent, the young master of the Department of Xuzhou, is a commoner like you able to teach him a lesson?" As he spoke, he winked at Mama Shang, telling her not to anger this evil star.


    "Mama." Jin Lan''s voice sounded faintly. "Since this young master likes this private room, we''ll let him have it. I''m tired. Let''s go back." At this point, if she still could not see anything, she would be blind. As the saying goes, a strong dragon won''t crush a snake on the ground. They were only passing by, so there was no need for them to cause such a ruckus.


    The Mama Shang nodded, the earlier they left this place, the better. It was just that the Attendant that the Young Master Zhang had brought with them was blocking the entrance, as long as they did not leave, it would be hard to exit through this door.


    "Yo!" There''s one more. " It was only then that Young Master Zhang noticed the Jin Lan, who was being protected by the three people and had a Drapery Cap with a white veil on his face, but after just a glance, he lost interest and looked away, "So it''s a little girl!"


    Attendant who was at the side saw the disdain in his eyes, and whispered into his ears, "Young Noble, the little girl''s transformation has always been fast and shocking."


    Young Master Zhang snorted, his gaze once again landed on Jin Lan''s body. He thought to himself that since it was true, he should not let this little girl go. The hazy white muslin covered his indistinct white skin, and it suddenly made his heart itch. "Little beauty, don''t you feel so stuffy wearing that thing in the middle of the day? There are no outsiders here, so it''s better to just quickly take it off. He bypassed the Mama Shang in front of him, and actually wanted to reach out and pick the Drapery Cap.


    "How dare you!" Without thinking, Mama Shang slapped off Young Master Zhang''s hand and scolded: "You dare tease my lady in public, do you still have no laws?!"


    Mama Shang used quite a bit of strength and a few red marks instantly appeared on his hand. It hurt so much that he pulled his hand back and grimaced while rubbing it. The Attendant beside him saw that the Mama Shang had made a move, and stepped forward and cursed: "How dare you! My young master is the young master of the Xuzhou, you old fogey, you actually dared to hit our young master, I think you''re tired of living! "


    Attendant''s scolding caused Young Master Zhang to immediately muster up his courage. With a face full of evil, he pointed at Mama Shang and fiercely said: "Hit him, throw this old bastard out!"


    Jin Lan was so angry that he started laughing. A fourth rank Prefect''s son was trying to take advantage of a second rank great official like her, and he even wanted to beat her up in front of her. She remembered that there was a Matriarch from the Steward Li guarding outside the door, and there were also a few guards.


    This shout was sharp and sharp, but unfortunately, there was a childish tone in his voice. Instead, it sounded like he was flirting, and it was completely unable to intimidate people.


    Young Master Zhang looked at Jin Lan''s slender body, his originally careless thoughts were now stirred, and he laughed obscenely: "What? Feeling sorry? Why don''t you come over and let me have a good look? Maybe if I am happy, I will show you mercy and disturb your dog slave? "


    Jin Lan let out a cold snort, and was about to push both Wan Ju and her hand away, but was stopped by two people.


    Wan Ju whispered: "Miss, you can''t go!" Bi He also nodded her head, her face completely pale.


    Jin Lan lightly patted Wan Ju''s hands and said softly: "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine."


    She walked to the side of Mama Shang and stood a little closer to the door before taking a deep breath and raising her voice: "As a young master of a Prefect, you do not know how to take care of your son and daughter, and instead take care of them in the streets. Aren''t you afraid that you will cause your father to be impeached by the censors?"


    "You know quite a lot." The Young Master Zhang raised his loose eyebrows and sneered: "The censor is nothing. In Xuzhou, my father is king''s law, who would dare to impeach my father!"


    Jin Lan listened attentively to what was going on outside, and Mama Shang immediately understood Jin Lan''s thoughts. He then raised his voice and said, "The Supervising Censor was personally bestowed by the Emperor, he was touring it on behalf of the Emperor. Could it be that he can''t control you?"


    Young Master Zhang laughed crazily, the sneer in his eyes became even stronger, he opened his mouth, revealing his white teeth, "Who the hell are you!" He wasn''t stupid, how could an ordinary girl know all this? It seemed like the identity of this passerby wasn''t simple. Although he was beautiful, he wasn''t someone who was lustful and infatuated with others.


    Jin Lan''s face was calm, but his heart was sinking. Why hadn''t he arrived yet? Young Master Zhang kicked the door so loudly that the old woman guarding the door couldn''t hear anything. Even though she didn''t know it was her who was being pestered, but from the start till now, even when she raised her voice to shout, there was still no movement from outside. What was going on?


    No matter how many times she thought about it, she could not come up with a conclusion.


    Young Master Zhang also noticed that Jin Lan was trying to stall for time and was too lazy to continue talking with her. She rushed forward like an arrow, suddenly extending her hand towards the Drapery Cap above her head to grab it ¡­

 C93

    Just as his hand was about to touch the Drapery Cap, he was stopped by Mama Shang who stepped forward. He reached out his hand and quickly blocked it, "Stop! "Young Master Zhang also seems to be a person who has read a lot of holy scriptures. How can he possibly do something so outrageous ¡­"


    "Fuck you old bastard!" Before he could finish his sentence, Young Master Zhang, who was so angry that he turned angry, slapped him hard on the face.


    Although Young Master Zhang had been debaucherous for a long time, and had long since been drained of energy, but he was still a man, and Mama Shang was getting old, this slap made her dizzy, and her body went soft, falling onto the ground.


    "Mama!" Jin Lan was shocked, he immediately squatted down to support Mama Shang, "Are you alright?"


    Wan Ju and Bi He did not expect Young Master Zhang to be so daring, to actually dare to injure him in front of everyone, they were stunned for a moment before rushing forward, "Miss, Mama!"


    Mama Shang only felt a burning pain on hherleft cheek that she was covering, his ears buzzing, a fishy smell coming from her mouth. After being stunned, he found out that everyone was looking at him with concern, and her expression immediately became clear, barely nodding her head, "Miss, don''t worry, your servant is fine."


    Just as Jin Lan was about to heave a sigh of relief for the Mama Shang, obscene laughter suddenly sounded out, "Little beauty, I showed mercy because of you, but don''t disappoint me, obediently take that Drapery Cap away!"


    Jin Lan suddenly raised his head, his cold gaze piercing through the white gauze covering his face, fiercely piercing towards Young Master Zhang. With a cold tone, he said, "Young Master Zhang, the Emperor is enlightened, even my daughter knows that men and women should not be intimate with each other. Could it be that Master Zhang did not teach the young master what it means to be fair and honest?"


    When Young Master Zhang saw that Jin Lan had raised the Emperor with a single sentence, and even linked the matter with his father, his expression immediately became ugly. His pair of eyes were filled with haze, and the folding fan in his hand slapped onto his left palm with a "pa" sound, he did not argue any further, he gritted his teeth and coldly said: "Bring this bitch back to me!"


    "Yes, young master." The Attendant behind him acknowledged, and three or four people immediately rushed in, rubbing their fists and wiping their palms as they walked towards Jin Lan''s group.


    The shopkeeper, who was at the side, could not help but suppress the fear in his heart when he heard Young Master Zhang''s orders. He quickly stepped forward and smiled apologetically, "Young Master Zhang, Young Master Zhang, you can''t make a move here! This will ruin the technique that will destroy your Mixin House ¡­ "


    "Scram!" The anger in Young Master Zhang all surged towards the shopkeeper. He raised his foot and kicked his abdomen, instantly knocking the shopkeeper to the side, "This grandpa never does things with words, who the hell do you think you are? How dare you point things in front of this grandpa, I will spit!" As he spoke, he spat a mouthful of foam onto the face of the shopkeeper.


    When Wan Ju and Bi He saw the shopkeeper fall to the ground and the approaching Attendant, their expressions suddenly changed. "Crap" and they stood up, protecting Jin Lan and the Mama Shang from both sides.


    Jin Lan''s small face suddenly paled. He didn''t expect the other party to be so stubborn and unyielding. He was determined to capture them and bring them back to the mansion. If they really did enter the Zhang Mansion, I''m afraid... Her slim body couldn''t help but tremble and feel anxious.


    Where were the old wives and guards? Where did he go? With such a large commotion happening in the room, even if it was inconvenient for the guards to come in and take a look, the two women at the door could do it. The room wasn''t too far away from the main entrance, so they could see clearly with one glance. If the two ladies were afraid that the opposite party wouldn''t dare to enter, they would have gone to inform the guards. If that were the case, the guards would have arrived long ago!


    Could it be that all those guards and wives were sent away by the Young Master Zhang?


    No, I don''t think so.


    The clothes of these Attendant s were neat and tidy, and did not look like they had ever fought with anyone before. Although he had never seen the few guards, they were probably chosen by the Steward Li, and as his trusted aides that followed beside Ye Lin, they would definitely not be lacking!


    But why didn''t they appear?


    A few thoughts flashed through her mind. It was just a blink of an eye, but the situation had turned even worse.


    Just like Jin Lan, they were raised deep within the palace. Even if they did some work everyday and had a strength slightly greater than Jin Lan, how could they compare to the subordinates of the Young Master Zhang that had been doing evil deeds for years.


    In a single exchange, the two of them were restrained, and the two Attendant s went forward to grab Jin Lan.


    Jin Lan was both embarrassed and angry. He wished that his eyes could turn into sharp swords and pierce through the figure that was standing not far from him.


    Young Master Zhang seemed to have noticed Jin Lan''s gaze, but an evil smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he licked his dry lips, "Little beauty, it''s fine if you don''t want to take it off, but there''s something else too." As he spoke, his eyes insolently stuck onto that slender body, while his mouth was unclean as he said: "Although it''s a little small, but tender and has a taste!"


    The rest of the Attendant behind him had long gotten used to the Young Master''s way of doing things, upon hearing this, they all started to laugh dubiously.


    Jin Lan was so angry that her entire body was trembling. Seeing the struggling Wan Ju and, and the Mama Shang with his swollen face, she felt a bit of regret in her heart. If she hadn''t insisted on disembarking, this wouldn''t have happened.


    "Don''t touch our girl!" Even though she was a little dizzy, Mama Shang still gritted her teeth and pounced in front of Jin Lan, trying to stop Attendant from grabbing her.


    "Mama." Jin Lan was a little dazed. Although she promised to seduce him, which was why he had temporarily abandoned his selfish motives, she never thought that he would still stand in front of her in the face of danger. Seeing the abnormally tall and thin figure of her shoulders, Jin Lan''s eyes suddenly narrowed. He knew that he would not be able to escape this calamity today. Opening his mouth, he spat out a sentence, "Your daughter is ¡­"


    Suddenly, a voice sounded from within the room, "Zhang Yuting, before you make your move, do you want to listen to some advice?"


    "Who?" Young Master Zhang, who was the Zhang Yuting that the other party was talking about, turned around in anger, and three human figures appeared before them.


    The leader was a tall and elegant figure wearing a moon-white brocade robe. His robe was embroidered with elegant bamboo leaves and his hair was intertwined with the dark green jade crown on his head, making him appear even more elegant and graceful. He looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, and his facial features were as fine as fine jade sculptures. He had red lips and white teeth, and was extraordinarily handsome. He was actually a rarely seen gentle and beautiful youth.


    Zhang Yuting raised two loose slumbering eyebrows, and spoke with a hint of surprise: "It''s you."


    The beautiful teenager nodded, "It was me."


    When the Attendant who was holding onto Wan Ju and Bi He saw this person, her hands loosened. The two of them struggled fiercely and came out to protect Jin Lan once again.


    Just as Jin Lan and his entourage were puzzling over the sudden appearance of this young man, the storekeeper''s eyes lit up with pain on the face of the storekeeper. Like a drowning man seeing his lifesaver, he crawled up from the ground and staggered over, "Boss!"


    Boss? This youth was actually the owner of the Mixin House?


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but be stunned, even the Mama Shang wouldn''t have thought that the owner of the Mixin House was actually a young child.


    "Zhao Danchen, you better not meddle in other people''s business!" Zhang Yuting''s eyes flickered, he did not expect the usually elusive Zhao Danchen to appear at this moment.


    "Mind your own business?" The corner of Zhao Danchen''s mouth curved into a smile, a silver glint flashed across his narrow and long eyes, "I knew you liked women, but I didn''t expect you to not let a single girl go." As he said that, his phoenix eyes glanced at Jin Lan who was being protected by everyone. He clicked his tongue and said, "Look at this tiny body. It''s not even worth two taels. Aren''t you afraid of being knocked around?"


    Although the words were spoken to Zhang Yuting, he still pointed to the people behind him. Sensing the coldness that almost seeped into his spine, the smile on his face became even more dazzling, "Furthermore, this place is my territory, how can it be considered meddling in other people''s business?"


    Jin Lan''s face turned completely red from her naked words. His gaze was like a blade as he glared fiercely at the youth that he thought was a good person. However, she still maintained her rationality, knowing that she was the best choice at this moment.


    Wan Ju and Bi He were a little bit older, so they knew some people. Thus, when they heard Zhao Danchen''s words, their faces also reddened as they gouged out the other party in anger. Just as Bi He was about to open her mouth, he was pulled in secret by Wan Ju, causing him to wake up. Seeing Wan Ju acting in such a way, she secretly nodded in her heart. While protecting Jin Lan, she carefully sized up Zhang Yuting and Zhao Danchen, trying to find a way out of between the two of them.


    The extremely arrogant "My territory" caused the enraged Zhang Yuting to instantly turn cold. How could he forget that this was Mixin House? Although Mixin House was nothing to Xuzhou, even if he wanted to exact revenge, he still had many methods.


    However, all of this had to be done in secret, because the other party was Zhao Danchen!


    If one did not have the slightest bit of background and means, would they be able to use their entire Mixin House to cover the entire Zhou Dynasty? Zhang Yuting was not an idiot, he was well aware of just how great Zhao Danchen''s power was. Even the Xuzhou Department, who was also his father, had warned him repeatedly to never provoke Zhao Danchen, and he had even had to put in the effort to rope him in!


    He had meticulously waited for more than half a year, and the number of chances of them meeting could be counted on one hand, and in the end, he could not even see her shadow. He did not expect that Zhao Danchen would actually appear within the Mixin House today, and even at this time!


    Zhang Yuting stared at Jin Lan and his group gloomily, he secretly inhaled and opened the fan in his hand with a ''whoosh'' sound. When he turned his head, his face had a smile that made people feel like spring wind, "Where are you talking about, with Young Master Zhao here, who would dare behave atrociously in the Mixin House?" Saying that, he turned to Attendant who was still in the room and shouted: "You blind fool, quickly greet Young Master Zhao!"


    These Attendant were all Zhang Yuting''s trusted aides and naturally masters who could read eyes. They hurriedly revealed flattering smiles as they paid their respects to Zhao Danchen.


    "Whatever, I''m not a person without a stomach." Zhao Danchen was still smiling merrily, but he took out a small and exquisite golden abacus from his sleeves, his long white fingers lightly tapping on it, causing crackling sounds to replace the Attendant''s sounds of laughter.


    After a while, the voice stopped, his bright and clear voice became the devil''s voice in Zhang Yuting''s ears, "A gold silk Nanmen wooden door was carved with plum blossom, and there was also the shopkeeper''s medical fees, medicine fees, rest expenses, and even a mistake in the shopkeeper''s work to delay the business in the shop ¡­ In total, it was three thousand and eight hundred taels. "Out of respect for your father, I will take care of this matter. Hand over three thousand silver and this matter will be forgiven. Otherwise ¡­"

 C94

    "Wh, what!?" Zhang Yuting, who was originally smiling, suddenly widened his eyes. "Three thousand gold?"


    Zhao Danchen nodded his head as a matter of fact, "That''s right, three thousand gold taels, my Golden Silk Sauna Wood is the best wood, one of them is not considered a sculptor, and is worth two thousand and five hundred silver. The other five hundred silver are as the shopkeeper''s fee, medicine fee, recuperation fee ¡­ "Wait a minute, it can''t be too much, right?"


    Not too much? Not too much, my ass! Zhang Yuting''s slightly swollen face slightly twisted, just as he was about to release his anger, he saw a hint of a smile in Zhao Danchen''s eyes, and the words that came out of his mouth immediately choked up, causing his cheeks to become hot and dry.


    He had to exert every ounce of strength in his body to swallow his anger, "Three thousand ¡­" Just three thousand! However, I don''t have that much money on me right now. Young Master Zhao, why don''t you follow me to the mansion? "My family''s old man greatly appreciates Young Master Zhao."


    Hmph, as long as those surnamed Zhao agree to follow me back to the manor, none of them will be able to escape! At this moment, Zhang Yuting was still scheming.


    When Jin Lan heard them, she was terrified. She looked at Zhang Yuting, then looked at Zhao Danchen, and helped him up, saying coldly: Since that''s the case, let''s not disturb the two young masters anymore. I don''t need the incense anymore, let''s go.


    You want to leave? Zhang Yuting looked at the Attendant beside him, and someone immediately stepped forward to block Jin Lan''s path.


    "Miss, I was wrong before. I apologize to you." Zhang Yuting squeezed out a smile from between his teeth, "I will prepare a feast as a form of apology to Young Noble Zhao and the young miss, please forgive me and move." He thought fiercely in his heart. Once he entered the mansion, he must use some methods to make her wish for life, to beg for death!


    What apology? He could even say such a grand reason! Jin Lan looked at Zhang Yuting''s sullen face, yet he still had to put on a joyful look. His entire face looked somewhat twisted and hideous.


    Jin Lan rejected coldly. "Young master, I appreciate your kindness, but I have something important to take care of. I can''t stay for long."


    Seeing how she rejected him so straightforwardly, Zhang Yuting could not help but blurt out, "Don''t be so shameless!"


    When he heard the report from the Attendant, he had to pay attention thisis when he rushed over. He did not find any suspicious people in front of the door and guessed that he was not an official''s daughter, but was a normal merchant''s daughter. Otherwise, she would not have brought a guard with her when he went out. With a Drapery Cap on her head, it was obvious that he was not a person from Xuzhou City.


    When he kicked the door to take a look, it was exactly as he had expected. However, he brought two maids and a woman with him. Although they dressed well, they were not too extravagantly.


    Now that he was disturbed by Zhao Danchen and the little girl did not know how to appreciate favors, he immediately erupted.


    "Young Master Zhang!" Jin Lan was so angry that he started laughing. It seemed that her actions and actions were just giving them face, not giving them any face at all? " You forced your way into my room, teased my maidservant, and now you even forcefully brought me back to the manor. I wonder if the Grand Elder of Xuzhou dotes on the common people as much as you do? To serve the common people in such a way? Since Young Master Zhang has already disregarded the face of himself and Master Zhang, how can you talk about giving face to others? "


    The loud and clear words of Jin Lan made Zhang Yuting angry from embarrassment. But before he could even react, a "pa!" sound came from inside the room. "Pah!" After two round of applause, Zhao Danchen''s Phoenix eyes flashed with a resplendent glazed light, and his entire face was beaming with joy, as though he was exceptionally excited at the fact that the golden tide had failed Zhang Yuting.


    He turned his head towards Zhang Yuting as he gloated, "I was going to give you a piece of advice, but I forgot it all of a sudden. It''s not too late now." With that, he swept his eyes across Jin Lan and continued: "In this Xuzhou City, you can have anyone you want, but only she can''t."


    Hearing this, Zhang Yuting was startled, his slumbering eyebrows once again raised, "Oh?"


    Even Jin Lan and the rest all looked towards Zhao Danchen to see what he wanted to say.


    Zhao Danchen pursed his rosy lips, a glint shining in his eyes. He pretended to look around, and his gaze even specifically stopped behind his for a moment before landing on Zhang Yuting once more, "Because there are some women that you cannot touch."


    Zhang Yuting suspiciously looked at Zhao Danchen and Jin Lan. Suddenly, he thought of something, and an ambiguous smile naturally appeared on his face, "So that''s how it is!"


    Zhao Danchen knew that he had misunderstood, but he did not plan to explain. He ignored the ice that could freeze his back, smirked, and nodded: "That''s right!" As he said this, he gave Jin Lan a "seductive look".


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but shiver when he saw Zhao Danchen''s "affectionate" gaze. Who was this person? It was as if she had never seen it before. Why would she suddenly say something so vile to her? Annoyed, she flung back two eye knives and was about to retort when she was stopped by him.


    "Zhang Yuting, three thousand silver, you have an incense''s time to deliver it to the Mixin House. Zhao Danchen retracted his gaze, and said with a calm expression: "When the time comes, I will personally pay a visit to Great Master. As for the Hibiscus Courtyard''s Miss Ying Ying ¡­"


    Back then, he had spent an exorbitant amount of money to get her to break his body, but now, she had become his forbidden daughter. Every month, a large amount of silver would flow into the Hibiscus Courtyard, and he had even touched the accounts in the manor several times. Other than him, who else was it that wasn''t clear? How did Zhao Danchen find out?


    If Father finds out ¡­ Young Master Zhang, who had always been fearless, couldn''t help but shiver when he thought of the scene where the old man went crazy.


    Young Master Zhang, there is a distance between the Zhang Residence and the Mixin House, but if you need to return quickly, an incense stick of time is enough. Taking advantage of the time that Zhang Yuting was in shock, Zhao Danchen had already instructed the shopkeeper to bring out a golden thread incense. The golden thread incense that was several times thinner than chopsticks slowly rose up, and a faint spark jumped at the top.


    "So thin?" It was only then that Zhang Yuting realized that the so-called incense was actually this kind of Golden Thread Incense. Suddenly, he saw Zhao Danchen walk over to the golden threaded incense and blow on it lightly, causing a small cloud of dust to fall down. He opened his eyes wide and roared: "Zhao Danchen, you''re shameless!"


    Zhao Danchen smiled and waved the golden threaded incense in his hand, "There''s not much time left, Young Master Zhang, please come in!"


    Zhang Yuting''s heart ached as he stared at the golden threaded incense that was falling to the ground with white dust following Zhao Danchen''s shaking. At this moment, how could he care about Jin Lan who was at the side? He immediately rushed out, as if his body was on fire. The rest of the Attendant s were stunned for a moment, then followed him out.


    Once Zhang Yuting left, Jin Lan didn''t want to stay any longer in this place. Who knew how far away the Zhang Residence was from the Mixin House.


    Wan Ju, Bi He and the Mama Shang all had the same thoughts, so they did not wait for Jin Lan''s orders and supported the Mama Shang, preparing to leave.


    "Miss, please wait." Zhao Danchen passed the golden threaded incense to the shopkeeper, and told him to retreat to the side, then raised his foot to block Jin Lan''s path.


    She could tell that this owner of the Mixin House had helped her out. Although the process was a little biased, she still extended a helping hand, so she blessed Zhao Danchen with this, and even though her tone was cold, it was a bit slower than before. "My daughter thanks Young Master for the help just now, it''s just that I have matters to attend to, so I hope that Young Master can''t stay for a long time."


    Zhao Danchen smiled, but he remained motionless, and said in a clear voice: "I heard that Miss wants to buy a Ambergris Fructus?"


    Jin Lan''s face changed, when they came in, there was no one else in the room, and ever since he appeared, he had been pestering Zhang Yuting, and never saw the shopkeeper announce her situation, why did he say out what he wanted to buy? This Mixin House shouldn''t only contain one type of non-finished product''s fragrance, right?


    She shifted her gaze to the shopkeeper with the golden incense in his hand. She saw that he had his chest held high and his head lowered, so she could not see his expression.


    "Miss, don''t worry." Zhao Danchen seemed to have clearly seen what she was thinking, and said naturally: "This lady is obviously not a local person from Xuzhou City, and must be a traveller that was just passing by. This plum blossom room is specially used to negotiate joint incense, so I am writing down the conclusion that this lady did not buy it for Cheng Xiang."


    "Amongst all the spices that need to be prepared, only the Ambergris Fructus''s smell is tranquil, allowing people to feel relaxed after hearing it. It has the effect of clearing their mind and focusing their attention, making it the most suitable for the ladies and girls who have traveled a long way." As he said that, his eyebrows curved, "So I guessed, the lady came to buy the Ambergris Fructus, is that right?"


    Jin Lan raised his eyebrows, and a look of surprise flashed past his eyes. It seemed that although the owner of the Mixin House was young, his ability was not weak, and was able to understand everything, causing people to not be able to find any clues. But what did that have to do with her?


    "The shopkeeper said just now that you do not have any Ambergris Fructus in your shop. Since that''s the case, why did you stop us?"


    Zhao Danchen looked at Jin Lan with interest. Even though he couldn''t see it clearly with the Drapery Cap, he could sense the caution in her tone and was extremely anxious. To have such a state of mind at such a young age, it couldn''t be considered simple. He thought for a moment, then asked: "Who said there are no Ambergris Fructus in the shop?"


    Jin Lan and the shopkeeper were stunned.


    The shopkeeper hurriedly said in a low voice: "Boss, there isn''t anything in this shop ¡­"


    Zhao Danchen raised a hand to stop him from speaking and continued, "Didn''t Madam Ji order a few boxes of Ambergris Fructus s to do so a few days ago? "Won''t one or two boxes be enough?"


    "This isn''t appropriate!" The shopkeeper said hesitantly: "That Madam Ji''s custom-made Ambergris Fructus said that she would come tomorrow to retrieve it. If there''s less, I''m afraid it''ll be hard to explain."


    "Don''t worry, I have my own ideas on this matter." Zhao Danchen waved for the shopkeeper to leave, and then turned to Jin Lan and revealed a sly smile like a fox, "How about it? Do you want to buy it, or don''t you want to buy it? "

 C95

    Although she wanted to leave immediately, without the Ambergris Fructus, she would have to suffer until the end of the month.


    Wan Ju and Bi He looked at each other, then at Jin Lan, and could not help but be a little anxious. Mama Shang sensed Jin Lan''s hesitation, thought for a while, and then asked: "This Ambergris Fructus, how much are you selling it for?"


    Mama Shang''s words caused Zhao Danchen''s eyes to light up, he once again quickly fished out the golden abacus, and muttered to himself as he moved it, "The golden signboard of the Mixin House is over there, all the incense are made from top-grade ingredients, in addition to the rare and precious ancient recipes, as well as the blood and sweat of the incense mixer ¡­"


    After a while, his long fingers drew a perfect curve on the golden abacus. "Pa!" His candid voice sounded again, "In total, three hundred silver taels per box. Two boxes cost six hundred silver taels."


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but suck in a breath of cold air. It was actually so expensive! Ordinary spices were not worth more than a few taels of silver, while the better ones were worth less than a dozen taels. Even when the Old Ancestor was in the capital, he had only used about a hundred taels of silver.


    This was obviously treating them as ignorant little girls, wantonly slaughtering them as they pleased!


    Jin Lan''s rare sliver of good impression disappeared in an instant. As she lifted her leg and prepared to walk around Zhao Danchen, Wan Ju and the others also came back to their senses one after another and followed him out.


    "Miss." Zhao Danchen retreated two steps and coincidentally stopped right in front of the door. However, he did not show any anger on his face, and continued to speak while beaming: "This price is still deducted for the young lady.


    Jin Lan said coldly, "Since that''s the case, you can sell it to her. I don''t want it anymore. Young Master, please step aside!"


    Seeing Jin Lan''s anger, the smile on Zhao Dancheng''s face deepened. "This Ambergris Fructus is indeed expensive. However, since she''s outside, it would be inconvenient for her. Since this lady feels that the price is too expensive, it''s not like she has no other choice. "


    Jin Lan raised her eyebrows but didn''t say anything. This was the first time she used a Ambergris Fructus, and it was also her mother''s, so she didn''t know how much silver was spent on it. However, she seemed to have nothing to do with Zhao Danchen, and now that he was the first to help her out of her predicament, he was willing to destroy her reputation as a Ambergris Fructus, and was also willing to sell at an extremely high price, to throw out such a good opportunity when she was about to leave, how could she believe him if he said that there was nothing wrong with it?


    If she had nothing to offer, she would either commit adultery or theft. She did not want to fall into that predicament again.


    Zhao Danchen did not mind her coldness, and spoke straightforwardly: "I have two friends that are planning to head to the capital, but we met with heavy rain and wind along the way, so the ship might not be able to move forward anymore. If young miss is willing to give them a ride, these two boxes of Ambergris Fructus s will be used as ship capital, and as a gift to young miss, what about it?"


    Jin Lan''s heart tightened bit by bit. It wasn''t strange for him to be able to guess what kind of incense someone wanted to buy just by relying on the layout of the store and his familiarity with the spices. However, Mixin House and the dock were separated by a long distance, the streets and alleys twisted and turned, and there were many people coming and going. How did he guess that he was heading to the capital?


    Just who was he? The doubt in Jin Lan''s heart became bigger, and his wariness of Zhao Danchen grew tighter and tighter.


    Mama Shang was the second person to sense that something was amiss. She immediately put on a cautious face, and took a small step back to protect Jin Lan.


    Although Wan Ju and Bi He were clueless about what was going on, it was not hard to guess from Mama Shang''s expression that this person was in a bad situation for the girl. Only then did they relax and focus on Jin Lan, staring fixedly at Zhao Danchen, afraid that he would run over and do something bad.


    It seemed like he had overplayed himself. Although Zhao Danchen could not see the expression on Jin Lan''s face, the servant girl beside her knew that they had misunderstood.


    Feeling a faint killing intent from the cold behind his back, his heart shivered. He quickly pulled out a smile and explained, "I''m afraid that lady has misunderstood. I''m afraid that you know these two friends." He didn''t dare to block the door and quickly dodged to the side. A short while later, two figures could be seen walking in.


    For a moment, everyone looked at each other.


    "Why is it you?"


    "Why is it you?"


    The first sound came from Jin Lan, followed by the second sound from a tall, thin, and handsome man in a moon-white brocade monarch''s orchid robe. It was none other than Meng Zhanxuan.


    Jin Lan''s gaze did not rest on Meng Zhanxuan''s body, but instead, stared blankly at the figure beside her. Dressed in green, with an ordinary yet expressionless face, a pair of eyes as deep as a deep pool, it suddenly entered her vision.


    Her body could not help but tremble, and a name suddenly surfaced in her heart: Yan Ye!


    On the bloody night of Mid-Autumn, she thought she had forgotten. She had completely forgotten about it, but now she understood that she had never forgotten it.


    That night on his shoulder, the shocking blood-red, and the smell lingering on his nose, bit by bit, had long been branded into her bones, ready to explode at any time.


    When she saw his face once again, that pair of eyes that contained an inexplicable meaning, her heart, which had been stretched to the limit, gradually relaxed.


    She actually felt a trace of relief.


    Mama Shang did not know who the two were, but she could sense that there was something strange about Jin Lan. She held her soft hand that was alternating between cold and hot, and said in a low voice: "Lady."


    The sound beside her ears was like a clap of thunder that had exploded above her head, causing Jin Lan to quiver. Her emotions left her deep eyes, "Mama, I''m fine." Even though she said that, a trace of a hot and dry feeling rose up from the pale face beneath the white veil.


    What happened to her? He was actually staring at a man in such a daze!


    "Miss." Although Jin Lan had never seen Meng Zhanxuan, but that day when they met on the lake, Meng Zhanxuan had saved Jin Lan before. Thus, Wan Ju and Bi He recognized each other and bowed to Meng Zhanxuan, "Greetings, Young Master Meng."


    Surname Meng? Jin Lan''s heart stirred. He glanced at Wan Ju, and without asking further, he happily replied: "So it''s brother Meng Shi."


    The only person who was going to go to the capital of the Meng Family recently, seemed to be the person that day within the Lingji Temple, the person Ru Han called Big Brother, Meng Zhanxuan, right?


    Meng Zhanxuan did not know that the person in the room was Jin Lan. Although he had seen Jin Lan twice, one time was when he fell into the water and one time was when Yan Ye knocked him out, so he had not heard her speak. Seeing that, she suddenly realized what was going on. No wonder Yan Ye was staring at Zhao Danchen, his expression even colder than winter.


    Seeing Jin Lan''s greeting, Meng Zhanxuan immediately sidestepped, and revealed a refined smile: So it''s Sister Jinlan, it''s truly a coincidence.


    Jin Lan nodded, and said, "I heard that Brother Meng left for the capital very early. Why is he stuck at Xuzhou all by himself?"


    How could he not worry and let Meng Zhanxuan travel alone? It must be the same as me, other than the servants and Attendant s, there are also stewards and guards who are familiar with the route, but by his side ¡­ Jin Lan looked behind Meng Zhanxuan, and sure enough, there was not a single person.


    It''s a long story." Meng Zhan Xuan sighed, and then a bitter smile appeared on his handsome face, "The weather is merciless, and the boat coincidentally goes into the river. "Thankfully, my fate is good, otherwise, I''m afraid ¡­


    Attendant? He is Meng Zhanxuan''s Attendant? Jin Lan looked at Yan Ye suspiciously. Although he did not have an outstanding appearance, his unfathomable martial arts skills and cold aura made him look like he was not even in Attendant. However, with the relationship between Ye Family and herself, since she had met them, she could not just leave them be. Even if it was for Aunt Qin''s sake, she still had to send Meng Zhanxuan to the capital.


    She withdrew the doubt in her eyes and a bright light flashed in her eyes.


    Besides, it was just following the way.


    Within a few breaths, she made a decision in her heart.


    Zhao Danchen naturally heaved a sigh of relief, if this matter could come to a successful end, he could also quickly escape the torture of Yan Ye''s block of ice. Thus, with a face full of smiles, he offered up the two boxes of Ambergris Fructus and personally sent the group out of the bed door.


    With her sharp eyes, Wan Ju quickly found the carriage she was riding on just now. She passed the box in her hand to Bi He and jogged over to say a few words to the carriage driver, who then quickly drove the carriage over here.


    Jin Lan supported the Mama Shang and looked at the approaching carriage. He thought for a moment, then turned to Meng Zhanxuan and said, "Brother Meng, there''s only one horse carriage, I''m afraid it''s inconvenient for you to ride on it. Not far away from where we are is the Yangzhou jetty, a ship with three masts of red paint on it is extremely easy to find."


    Meng Zhanxuan was clear about the inconvenience, and did not force anything, nodding his head, and smiled: "Alright, when the time comes, I ask Sister Jinlan to wait."


    Jin Lan responded with a chuckle. "Of course." His gaze was agile, but he dodged the azure shadow.


    Just as she finished speaking, the carriage stopped in front of Jin Lan steadily. Wan Ju jumped down from the carriage, and helped Jin Lan up, then the Mama Shang, and finally bowed to Meng Zhanxuan. Then she got on the carriage and left.


    "Miss, those guards and wives ¡­" Once Wan Ju got on the carriage, she impatiently wanted to report what she just heard from the driver''s mouth to Jin Lan. However, she stopped him with a look. She knew what Jin Lan was thinking and sat to the side, not saying anything.


    Jin Lan looked at Mama Shang''s swollen and red face and felt even more guilty, "Mama, once we return to the ship, I will immediately get Doctor Mo to come and take a look at your injuries."


    "This servant does not mind." Mama Shang shook her head gently. With a deep look in her eyes, she whispered to Jin Lan.


    How could she not know? Such a ridiculous person had appeared out of nowhere, clearly aiming for her. At the critical moment, the old wives and guards guarding outside had all disappeared. Anyone with long eyes could tell that something was amiss.


    She was unfamiliar with this place in Xuzhou City, not to mention people who looked at each other wrongly. Other than Ye Jinwei, she could not think of anyone else who would do such a malicious thing.


    It was just that Ye Jinwei got off the boat a step before her, and the horse carriage was travelling along the streets. Even she did not know where she was going, so how could Ye Jinwei be so clear about this?


    Unless she followed him from the start to the end, or he had spies planted into his side!

 C96

    Under Jin Lan''s instructions, the interior of the carriage was extremely quiet. Other than the rumbling sounds of the wheels turning and the clamoring of the crowd outside, there was nothing else that could be heard.


    This time, aside from the two masters in the Shang Jing, the various maids, servants and guards numbered around thirty to forty people in total. As a result, the consumption rate on the road was extremely huge, and fortunately, there were supplies along the way. Currently, Steward Li was in a awning at the side of the pier, and from time to time, Attendant and servants would come to report and receive new jobs.


    Seeing a tall green carriage slowly approaching, Steward Li recognized the one driving the carriage. He knew that it was one of his trusted aides, and thus knew that it was the carriage belonging to the Second Miss. He quickly got up, but when he looked carefully, he discovered that his wife and guards were not by his side. His heart sank, and he couldn''t help but reveal an anxious expression.


    Before the carriage could stop, he went forward, "Second Miss." Is everything all right? He anxiously looked at Attendant who was holding onto a horsewhip.


    Attendant jumped down from the carriage swiftly, and when he saw Steward Li staring at him, he immediately nodded his head.


    Steward Li was slightly relieved.


    Wan Ju and Bi He helped Jin Lan and the Mama Shang off the carriage respectively. It was only when they personally confirmed that Jin Lan was safe and sound did the Steward Li completely relax. However, when his gaze made contact with the wounds on the Mama Shang''s face, he could not help but be stunned, "This is ¡­"


    "Bi He, help Mama Shang get on the boat first." Jin Lan did not bother with the Steward Li''s questions, getting out of the car and ordered Bi He.


    Seeing that, a look of embarrassment flashed across Steward Li''s face, he instantly recovered and waited quietly by the side.


    The Steward Li had always been shrewd, otherwise he wouldn''t have been used so highly by Ye Lin. He would definitely not be able to cover the things happening in the Mixin House, if he was sincere enough, he could easily guess it by inquiring a little on the streets.


    While Zhang Yuting was trying to cause trouble, although the crowd outside the door were afraid of him and did not dare to go up and watch, they all pricked up their ears and listened attentively. Furthermore, with his usual demeanor, they all knew in their hearts that Young Master Zhang must have taken a fancy to some kind of delicate flower.


    Rumors had it that three people were tigers. Rumors spread like wildfire, causing mistakes. Thus, she had to personally explain this matter to Steward Li. As for how to explain it, she had her own plans.


    Jin Lan made up his mind and then softly said to the Mama Shang: "Mama, your injuries are more important. Steward Li is here anyways, don''t worry."


    After getting off the carriage, Mama Shang''s expression returned to its usual prideful and indifferent expression. She looked at Steward Li, bowed to Jin Lan, and said indifferently: "Thank you, Second Miss." Then, he let Bi He support him as he limped onto the boat.


    Bringing the two of them with him, Jin Lan gradually disappeared from the treadmill. He then smiled sweetly at the Steward Li and said, "I will have to trouble Steward Li to invite Doctor Mo to my house so that you can take a look at my injuries."


    The Steward Li nodded his head and replied solemnly: "Doctor Mo is coincidentally on the boat, let him pass." With that, he called over the Attendant who was running fast, and followed Jin Lan''s orders.


    There was a silk cloth hung around the awning, it was originally arranged for Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei to rest, now that Jin Lan had returned, there was immediately a clever servant girl who brought over a clean and embroidered small Wooden Pellet, and also made some hot tea, before bowing and leaving.


    Although he was a servant of the Steward Li''s Ye Family, he was still a man. The Golden Tide Drapery Cap did not understand and sat straight down, then sent the rest of the servant girls and Attendant out, leaving only Wan Ju to attend to them. Only then did she slowly tell him what happened in the Mixin House.


    However, her main focus was on the matter of her wife and guards who were outside the door. The rest were mostly vague.


    Steward Li''s face became uglier and uglier. He naturally noticed that something was wrong and secretly sized Jin Lan up. Although she was seated properly and her voice was normal, the brocade handkerchief in her hand had already been twisted into a mess.


    Jin Lan stopped for a moment after speaking, as if he remembered something, and said anxiously: "As for where those servants and guards have gone to, Steward Li might as well call the Attendant over to ask him. He should be able to get some information about them." At the end of his words, there was a hint of regret.


    Steward Li sighed in his heart. Although Second Miss was intelligent, he was still a little young, and couldn''t help but overthink things. With that thought in mind, he turned around and called the Attendant into the awning.


    "Greetings to Second Miss." Because the carriage had stopped some distance away from the Mixin House, the Attendant who drove the carriage did not know what was happening inside the shop. Even though he was confused, he still bowed respectfully to Jin Lan when he was called in.


    "Dong Zi." Steward Li looked at Attendant whose name was Dong Zi, and asked with a cold tone: "Let me ask you, where are the wives and guards that followed along with Second Miss?"


    The Attendant that ran errands all year round was like a monkey. When Dong Zi heard that Steward Li''s tone was off, in addition to the wound on the Mama''s face, and the fact that Wan Ju had deliberately asked him to drive, he immediately guessed that something had happened to the Second Miss.


    How could he dare to hide anything now? He simply bent his leg and knelt on the ground with a "putong" sound, giving out everything that happened with a "putong" sound, "Just as Second Miss entered the shop, this servant saw Miss Si Ling who was beside First Miss. She said that First Miss had taken a fancy to a big object and did not have enough hands to work with the carriage, so she asked someone to go over to help her. They even said that it would take a lot of time for Second Miss s to enter the shop and pick and choose from. As long as they return quickly, no one would notice them. "


    "Later on, Miss Si Ling took out two taels of silver, and said that she would use it as a wager. The two servants and the bodyguards combined and left, leaving behind only the servants to look at the carriages. Not long after, we saw Miss Wan Ju coming to get a servant to drive the carriage, and we did not know what was by our side. " As he spoke, he wiped her eyes with her sleeve, looking pitiful.


    Sure enough, it was Ye Jinwei. Jin Lan''s heart went cold, no matter what, they were sisters after all. Had she not thought that if something were to truly happen to her, not only would it destroy her body, but it would also ruin her reputation in the Ye Mansion?! In the future, even she would be implicated.


    It seemed like in her heart, no matter how deep the affection between sisters, no matter how reputable her family was, it couldn''t compare to the hatred in her heart.


    Steward Li looked at the beautiful white knuckles. At first glance, it was just a coincidence, but if he were to ponder over it, it was possible that... Furthermore, if anything were to happen to the Second Miss, not to mention the Old Granny and Old Master, even his wife would not forgive him!


    A layer of cold sweat covered his back as he forcefully suppressed the surging thoughts in his heart. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Useless thing, hurry up and get out of here!"


    "Yes, yes!" Dong Zi hurriedly kowtowed and left the awning. Only when he was a little further away did he dare to reach out and wipe the beads of sweat off his forehead.


    When he first saw the white and shiny silver, he was also moved. However, he did not have much strength left, and since he could not leave the carriage there, he was left behind. But from the looks of it now, it was Bodhisattva''s blessing! Dong Zi chanted a few words of Amitabha in his heart before he went back to his work.


    Steward Li was a bit hesitant. First Miss and Second Miss were both masters, and Concubine Shao was pregnant, so this matter, on the surface, might not be easy for him to handle!


    "Steward Li."


    Her gentle and tender voice startled Steward Li, and the hesitation that occasionally appeared on his face disappeared. He lowered his head and said: "Second Miss has something to say."


    The corner of Jin Lan''s mouth curled up into a smile, "Since big sister called for help, then I believe that big sister did not expect Xuzhou City to be this chaotic, and since nothing happened to me, that grandma''s guards did not leave their duties. This matter ¡­" She paused, showing some hesitation, but then quickly continued: "Let''s stop!"


    Stop? Steward Li was stunned, he could not help but raise his head to look at the white gauzed Drapery Cap, unable to see Second Miss''s face, if he stopped, for him, it would be the best, but he had wronged Second Miss.


    As he thought about this, a change appeared in his eyes.


    Just as the two were conversing in the awning, Yan Ye and Meng Zhanxuan had already leisurely walked to the pier.


    Hearing Attendant''s report, Jin Lan and the Steward Li left the awning together.


    "Young master Meng." Ye Family and Meng Family could be considered as a friend of the world. Ye Lin and Meng Zhiyuan were both officials of the imperial court, so the Steward Li naturally recognized this famous young master Meng Family.


    Meng Zhanxuan did not mention anything about the Mixin House either. He only borrowed the conversation he had with Jin Lan to talk to the Steward Li, and with Jin Lan nodding from the side, the Steward Li readily agreed to the matter of bringing the two to the capital.


    Seeing that the matter was settled and worried about Mama Shang''s injuries, Jin Lan bowed to Meng Zhanxuan, turned and walked towards the ship''s ladder.


    The wind blowing from the river blew against her elegant autumn dress, the thin white silk of the Drapery Cap fluttered in the wind, the black and soft hair slightly lifted, revealing a small cut of her white neck and her small and exquisite chin. Yan Ye''s hands that were inside his sleeves moved, a sharp yet tough yet warm thing slipped into his hands.


    His slightly callused fingertip slowly moved along the varying depths of the patterns. As he watched the golden tide gradually fade away from his back, something seemed to flash past in the depths of his eyes.


    Meng Zhanxuan glanced at him with interest, then quickly muttered: "She''s only nine years old."


    The expression in Yan Ye''s eyes suddenly turned cold, and his expressionless face abruptly revealed dense killing intent.


    Meng Zhanxuan''s smiling face froze, he immediately turned and walked over to Steward Li''s side. In the next moment, his face had changed to a refined smile, "Steward Li, why is the palace still in the capital? I''m afraid we won''t be able to catch up to Yangzhou back then, right? "


    The Steward Li laughed and replied politely: "On the birthday of our old ancestor, the young ladies came to the capital to show their filial piety." This was not a secret, and with the power of Meng Mansion in the capital, they would find out sooner or later.


    So it was like this! Meng Zhanxuan was deep in thought, but he didn''t show it on his face. He was still smiling and chatted with the Steward Li to find out what he wanted.


    Although Yan Ye was quite a distance away from the two of them, with his hearing, he was naturally able to hear their conversation clearly. When he heard about the purpose of Ye Family going to the capital, his dark pupils shrank slightly.

 C97

    Jin Lan returned to the cabin, and just as he was about to go to Mama Shang to rest, he bumped into Doctor Mo who just came out. She carefully asked around, and upon knowing that the Mama Shang was only suffering from superficial wounds, she finally calmed down. She let Bi He accompany Doctor Mo to get the medicine, and instructed Wan Ju to place the Ambergris Fructus properly in the box.


    After the two of them left the cabin, she closed the cabin door, leaving only the two of them in the room.


    Mama Shang was leaning on the bed, upon seeing this, she wanted to get up, but was stopped by Jin Lan who stepped forward, "Mama is lying down, there is no need to get up."


    While she was speaking, she carefully looked at Mama Shang, only to see that her left cheek that was swollen like a steamed bun had been covered with a layer of dark green paste, making it hard to tell what it was, but it was still tasty and not too bad. Although the dark green paste was a bit ugly, it was much more pleasing to the eye than the dark purple from before. It was not that shocking.


    After a long while, Jin Lan retracted his gaze and sighed. Mama Shang, this could be considered a disaster, right?


    "Miss." Mama Shang lowered her eyes and said lightly: "This little injury will disappear in ten to fifteen days. When we arrive at the capital, not even a trace of it could be seen."


    So when the Mama Shang heard Jin Lan''s sigh, she thought that she was worried that there would be something that would affect Yi Feng after they went to the capital, so she started to explain.


    "Mama." Jin Lan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Was she such a shallow person? However, if it was the her from his previous life, it might have been like this.


    She looked at Mama Shang in the eyes and said seriously: "Just now in the Mixin House, this Mama sacrificed herself to protect you. This is an unforgettable scene. When you return from the capital, you will definitely bring this Mama''s children before you!" After thinking for a moment, she continued, "If Mama wants to know right away, I can also tell him the location of her whereabouts right now."


    The Mama Shang looked at Jin Lan in astonishment, only to see that there was no trace of a joking expression on her delicate face.


    The indenture contract was with her, if she knew the whereabouts of her children, even if she left now, no one would be able to stop her!


    Go or stay?


    Others might not know, but she understood that the water in the capital city''s Ye Mansion was very deep.


    The First Princess was intentionally rushing towards them, as they were trapped inside, wanting to leave was simply too difficult.


    If she wasn''t careful, even she might have been caught.


    Several thoughts flashed through Mama Shang''s mind, as she stared at the pair of eyes that was as clear as water, yet with incomparable seriousness. The scene from many years ago surfaced in front of her eyes. Her young daughter was also looking at her in such a manner, but her tender voice was filled with an irresistible insistence. "Mother, you have to leave now!"


    Behind her daughter was her husband trying his best to hold on as he kicked the wooden door. The door was trembling so badly that it was on the verge of collapsing. She jumped out of the window sill and into the cold stream behind the house. With her familiarity with water, she managed to escape the calamity. However, she could never see her loving husband and children again.


    How many times did she dream at midnight? How many times did she weep and blame herself? If everything happened again, she definitely wouldn''t abandon her husband and children. Even if she died, she would die together with them!


    Jin Lan had been paying attention to the change in Mama Shang''s expression. When he saw that her face had suddenly lost all color, and a trace of despair appeared in her eyes, he was startled. Her warm palm covered her cold hands and she anxiously shouted: "Mama, Mama!"


    Mama Shang''s body trembled as she suddenly regained her senses. The pain in her eyes gradually faded and she lowered her head, quietly wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes and said solemnly: "Don''t worry miss, this servant vow to protect my safe return, I will not go back on my word."


    This was her last test, but after getting the answer she wanted, Jin Lan couldn''t be happy. She looked at the Mama Shang, but hesitated to speak. After a long while, he retracted his hand, slowly got up, and sighed. "Mama should rest well first. He hurried back to his room.


    The next day, when the mild-mannered young master Meng appeared in front of everyone, his face was dark green. It was said that he was seasick and couldn''t sleep well at night.


    In the early morning, before the morning mist on the river had completely dispersed, Ye Family''s ships were already preparing to set off for their journey.


    Steward Li waited until all the things were packed before moving them back to the boat. Then he called his trusted aides and took out a warm letter from his clothes, "Send this letter back to the old lady. Remember, you need to personally do this and don''t let anyone else know!" Then he took out twenty taels of silver and passed it to the Attendant. "Buy a good horse, fast!"


    "I understand!" The Attendant took the letter and silver swiftly and nodded his head in agreement.


    Waiting until the Attendant bowed and ran far away, the Steward Li finally turned around and boarded the ship.


    After passing Xuzhou, their journey gradually slowed down, Ye Family''s fleet travelled by day, and when they rested they stopped at the pier, this was also for the sake of the "seasick" Meng Zhanxuan, and the Steward Li was doing so to pass the news that came from behind.


    As a result, with the addition of the Ambergris Fructus, Jin Lan''s days felt much better than before. He no longer saw the sky nestled in his bed, and from time to time he would come out to take a breather, or he could read some books he brought along with him.


    "Miss, what is First Miss trying to do?" Bi He sat at the side, preparing for the bath with Jin Lan''s skirt. As she listened to the constant banging sounds coming from the next room, her eyebrows seemed to scrunch together.


    Jin Lan nodded his head in satisfaction after calming down his mind and finishing the last stroke. He then put down the white jade Bunny Hair Brush in his hand. "Who cares about what she does. We''ll just follow her. If it doesn''t hurt, then why bother ourselves?"


    Bi He placed the clothing she selected to the side, folded the rest and put it back into the box. As she busily worked, she said, "I knew that Miss would be practicing calligraphy at this time, yet I created such a commotion.


    "Alright." Jin Lan saw that she was getting more direct, so he frowned and asked, "Why is Wan Ju not back yet?"


    Bi He was shocked, and knowing that she had said the wrong thing, she forced out a smile as she stood up and replied: "This servant will go take a look."


    It was only until Bi He''s figure disappeared behind the hanging flower gate''s curtain that Jin Lan sat down on the red wooden chair. Since she had set out on her journey, Bi He''s actions had become more and more strange, as if she had a grudge against Ye Jinwei. He would mutter a few words from time to time.


    And according to what the Mama Tang said that day, Bi He and Ye Jinwei''s relationship shouldn''t be like this. She quietly looked at the brush and ink on the word life, her eyes rippling, hoping that Wan Ju would find some useful information.


    That night, Wan Ju stayed in the Jin Lan room for the night.


    When Jin Lan got onto the bed, Bi He took out the rolled up store and placed it on top of the bed. Jin Lan didn''t want to put down the silk tent, so the master and his servant laid on the bed with only a layer of cloth separating them.


    A blue and white porcelain lotus lamp was placed on top of a few carved red wood pearl and cloud flowers. From time to time, the bean-sized flame would dance a few times, emitting a light crackling sound. On the side, there was a three-legged incense burner with green and white flowers on it. The fragrance of the Ambergris Fructus permeated the entire room and made one feel at ease.


    Jin Lan was not sleepy at all. After the lights in the room next door were extinguished, she turned around and faced Wan Ju, and gently opened her mouth: "Wan Ju, are you asleep?"


    Wan Ju had never closed sher eyes until very late on night duty, but now that Jin Lan had said that, she rolled over and crawled back up, lifting up her veil: "Miss, are you thirsty?" As he spoke, he was about to pour some tea when Jin Lan grabbed him.


    "Nope." Jin Lan shook his head and sat up as well. "I can''t fall asleep. Why don''t you have a chat with me?"


    Wan Ju hurriedly pulled up the sheet that had slipped down. It was already the early winter, and on the river, it was much colder than on the shore. She waited until the corners of the bed had been pressed before she smiled and asked, "What does Miss want to say?" Her voice was naturally lowered.


    She uncomfortably moved her body, half leaning on the bed, and looked at Wan Ju with her burning gaze: "Have you gotten the results of the things that you paid attention to a few days ago?"


    Wan Ju guessed it was because of this, and nodded: "First Miss bought a screen in Xuzhou City that day, but what exactly does it look like? It''s mostly small, so I don''t know, but it''s in the boat at the back."


    Jin Lan was not surprised that Ye Jinwei would bring back something. After all, regardless of whether she had escaped safely, when this matter was investigated, the first to be investigated were those wives and guards who had disappeared without a trace. If Ye Jinwei really dared to return empty-handed, even she would not be able to escape her crimes.


    But was she following her all the way that day, or was there an informant planted beside her? Jin Lan thought for a moment, then asked, "What about the wives and guards?"


    Wan Ju shook her head, "This servant doesn''t know, those wives don''t want to say a single word. But, this servant knows one of the wives that was following outside the carriage the other day, and looked for an excuse to wander around everyday, but didn''t see anyone. This servant guesses, could it be that Steward Li sent them back? "


    Retracting Yangzhou? According to the way the Steward Li handled things, there was actually such a possibility. In this case, wouldn''t the clue be broken? Jin Lan couldn''t help but bite his lips.


    "That''s right, my lady." Wan Ju suddenly said: "When this servant was scouting downstairs, I heard something. A woman following a carriage from the First Miss said that the First Miss was an extremely good person, not only did she reward them with silver, she did not let them walk for nothing, but also wandered around the pier to admire the local customs and practices of the Xuzhou."


    The moment Wan Ju said this, Jin Lan immediately understood. No wonder... So it turned out that Ye Jinwei had been waiting for him this whole time. As for Zhang Yuting, I''m afraid it was really an accident.


    After all, she was unfamiliar with Xuzhou, and so was Ye Jinwei.


    October 26th. The north wind gradually blew. Ye Family''s ship docked at the Tongzhou Pier. After almost two months of journey on the water, they had finally reached the end of their journey. From today onwards, they would abandon ship and change into a horse carriage.


    Jin Lan held Wan Ju''s hand and walked down the stairs steadily. When she landed, she could not help but feel a sense of relief in her heart. However, just as she raised the corners of her lips, she noticed a distant gaze land on her.


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but raise his head and look into that pair of deep eyes. His heart couldn''t help but thump. How could she have forgotten that this person was still travelling together with her?

 C98

    Abandoning the ship and boarding it, perhaps because they were not far from the capital city, Ye Family''s journey was slightly slower than before. Although Yan Ye and Meng Zhanxuan travelled together, under the deliberate dodging of Jin Lan, they had very little chance of meeting each other. However, it was Ye Jinwei who seized every opportunity and flashed a shadow in front of Meng Zhanxuan.


    That day, he coincidentally met this young master from the Meng Family swimming lake. When he came back, he asked the Concubine Shao and knew that he was an elegant youth with boundless prospects.


    Watching Ye Jinwei bringing Si Ling and Qian Yun to the back of the convoy after getting off the carriage, Jin Lan frowned. Other than the Steward Li and his wife, there were only Meng Zhanxuan and Yan Ye left.


    Wan Ju held her hand and asked with a puzzled face: "Why is First Miss always asking questions recently?"


    "Big sister is already twelve." Jin Lan spat out a sentence that didn''t seem to be related to him. He adjusted the cloak made of Yun Fei''s makeup and continued walking towards the inn.


    Meng Zhanxuan was a dignified looking man, but at such a young age, he was already famous outside. Adding on his Meng Family and his family background, it was normal for Ye Jinwei to be moved by the Red Luan. Just that, didn''t Concubine Shao tell her the purpose of this trip to Shang Jing? Or perhaps, even the Concubine Shao did not know about the old lady''s plans?


    The guests in the inn were all officials and their families, thus, they were different from ordinary inns. The renovations were very elegant. Not only was there a pavilion with carved beams and pavilions, but it was also divided into different sized courtyards. There were all kinds of beautiful objects such as Plum Blossom, which were not inferior to those of the wealthy merchants.


    Steward Li had long sent his Attendant to deliver Ye Lin''s card and arrange for a courtyard house. Upon entering, a well-mannered servant welcomed them and led them to the courtyard house.


    The house set up by Ye Family had a total of five rooms, with the main room having one room, but it was extremely spacious. It was divided into two rooms, one big and one small, with each room having a small ear. There were two rooms in the east and west wing respectively, and there were pear trees growing in the yard. Unfortunately, the north was cold early in the morning, and the leaves had already fallen, making it look desolate and desolate. Fortunately, there was a small pond in the yard, with a few budding water fairies.


    He entered the courtyard but did not say anything. With a cold snort, he entered the main hall on the east side of the house.


    Bi He could not hold in her anger, she whispered: "Miss, look at First Miss, she is..."


    Jin Lan looked at Ye Jinwei''s back and pursed her lips. Then he said softly: It''s just a night, why do we need to care so much? She is the eldest young mistress, so I should have let her. " With that, he got Wan Ju to help him in.


    The west side was smaller than the east side, but the arrangement was the same, and as soon as they entered the room, a burst of heat hit them in the face. The floor was covered with a vermilion three-colour tapestry, a perfectly heated kang under a carved window, and a set of red lacquer furniture was neatly arranged. "In addition to a small guard, there was also a soft couch.


    Jin Lan sat on the brick bed and untied his cloak.


    It was the first time Wan Ju and Bi He had returned to the north, so they looked at him weirdly, "Miss, why is it that there''s no brazier in the house, but it''s warm? Furthermore, how can a lady sleep without a bed? "


    Hearing that, Jin Lan couldn''t help but smile: "This place is different from Yangzhou. In the middle of winter, if you were to fall asleep on a bed that is damp and wet like the south, wouldn''t you be suffering?" Saying that, he patted the brick bed below him, "So, this is the hot brick bed that normally sleeps in the north. As for the room being warm without a brazier, I think it was the land dragon that was burned. "


    Wan Ju and Bi He looked at each other, reached out to touch each other, "It''s really warm."


    Mama Shang watched from the back, her face was filled with surprise, she had already lived in the capital for more than 10 years, so she was not unfamiliar with the place, but Jin Lan was a woman who had never stepped out of the door, how could she know about this?


    Bi He could not help but ask, "Miss, what is an Earth Dragon?"


    "I''m not sure about that. The book did not mention it, if you want to know, ask Mama." Jin Lan tilted his head, his lips curled into a smile, as he looked at Mama Shang behind him. These were the experiences of her past life, but she was unable to say them out loud. They could only be attributed to books.


    Mama Shang was startled, seeing everyone''s look of anticipation, she said: "Earth Dragon dug a fire tunnel under the house, connecting the end of it to the kitchen, it was so cold that they started the fire, the hot air traveled through the fire tunnel and into the house, naturally it is warm now."


    "So that''s how it is." Hearing this, the two nodded their heads, finally feeling puzzled.


    Evening meal was used inside the house, it was cold outside, and Jin Lan was not willing to move, adding that Ye Jinwei was doing the same, Steward Li ordered his men to bring the hot food inside.


    After dinner, Bi He opened the box with the bedding and laid the warm brick bed. Wan Ju got some hot water to wash Jin Lan. After lying down and reading for a while, she became sleepy. Mama Shang found a few women with strength and brought out the soft couch in her ear room, allowing Wan Ju to stay up for the night.


    Ever since he had disembarked from the abandoned ship, Jin Lan seemed to want to make up for the two months of missing experiences. He slept soundly every night. But tonight, for no reason at all, she woke up.


    Outside the house, the cold wind howled, and a few wisps of the window frame that were shut occasionally entered the house, causing the candle flame on the window to sway back and forth, causing a faint fragrance to permeate into the room. She raised her hand and saw Wan Ju lying on the soft bed, sleeping soundly, and a familiar ticklish feeling rose up from her throat, making her unable to hold back from coughing a few times.


    "Miss." Wan Ju woke up from her stupor, seeing the half of her body outside the tent, she quickly got up and covered herself with the clothes, then took off the copper pot on the stove and poured herself a cup of hot tea, "Miss, why didn''t you wake me up and call me a servant?" After serving her tea, she quickly pulled on the sheet that had slipped off the bed.


    Jin Lan took a few sips from the teacup and suppressed the discomfort in his throat. He heaved a sigh of relief and said softly, "It''s nothing. It''s just a dry mouth. Quickly go and lie down. Don''t get frozen." As he said that, he passed the teacup to Wan Ju and laid down.


    Wan Ju kept the tea cup and the tent before returning to the soft couch.


    Jin Lan covered the quilt, tossing it over and over. His originally heavy sleepiness seemed to have been dispersed by the cold wind, and he could no longer fall asleep.


    Tomorrow, she would reach the capital. The person she was going to face was the Old Ancestor.


    Even though he had made such a solemn vow in front of his mother, how could he allow things to go as they pleased in the capital?


    If the Old Ancestor made up his mind to plot against her, no matter how she tried to hide, it would be difficult for her to do it by herself.


    Wasn''t Shang Jing like this? All the roads were blocked, forcing her to obey.


    Jin Lan felt a burst of anxiety. He turned his body again and placed his soft and delicate hands on the pillow. He suddenly felt something strange. He extended his hands to touch it, and a refreshing feeling immediately came from his fingertips.


    Frowning, she sat up and fished out an object from under the pillow. It was dark in the tent, so she couldn''t see what it was. She simply lifted the cloth and moved the object into the candlelight.


    This, this is ¡­ Jin Lan resisted the urge to scream as he saw an oval-shaped jade pendant the size of an egg quietly lying on her palm. It was as big as ink and gave off a cold and serene feeling under the candlelight.


    She moved towards the side of the bed. If she did not remember wrongly, this jade pendant was clearly the profound jade pendant Yan Ye was wearing! When she was at Lingji Temple, Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu borrowed from him to test for poison.


    But how did his item get under his pillow?


    The inside of the house was as warm as spring, but Jin Lan still shivered, and immediately recalled the night in Lingji Temple where Yan Ye had sneakily barged into the house to discuss business with her.


    Could it be that he just let this thing in?


    No wonder when she woke up, the room was filled with a faintly discernible cold fragrance. It was clearly the smell of his body!


    In a split-second, Jin Lan felt that the jade in his hand was burning hot, but he didn''t dare to carelessly throw it away.


    What if he were to knock on the door or lose it? If he were to ask for it one day, wouldn''t that mean ¡­ As she was thinking, she took out a pouch from under the pillow and carefully put the black jade pendant inside.


    No matter what meaning he gave this jade pendant to her, she could not accept it. Her private pouch would be given to her, and if she was found out by others, there would be no way to explain herself. I have to find a chance to return it to him after dawn.


    Jin Lan thought to himself.


    Who knew that on the second day, Jin Lan deliberately searched for a long time yet he could not find Yan Ye. Even Meng Zhanxuan had not been seen. She called Steward Li over to ask, and only then did she find out that the two had already left before dawn.


    Gone? She wrinkled her delicate eyebrows, and her hands, hidden by her cloak, inadvertently pinched the money bag hanging on her waist.


    Since that was the case, he could only find someone in the capital to find out where Meng Zhanxuan was and give the jade pendant to him.


    October 29, Ye Family''s carriage finally drove into the majestic and bustling capital.


    Jin Lan sat in the carriage, listening to the commotion outside without the slightest hint of happiness on her face. She was wholeheartedly considering how she could enter and leave freely when she saw the old ancestor.


    "Lady, the capital is bustling with noise and excitement!" Wan Ju looked through the gap in the curtain and excitedly looked out at the bustling streets and the horde of people. When she turned around, she saw Jin Lan sitting upright, a fine layer of sweat seeping from his forehead. "What''s wrong, Miss?" She quickly took the handkerchief and helped Jin Lan wipe it.


    Hearing Wan Ju''s call, Jin Lan woke up from her thoughts, and laughed uncontrollably: "It''s fine, maybe I wore too much, it''s a bit hot."


    Mama Shang knew Jin Lan''s thoughts more than anyone else. She took the handkerchief in Wan Ju''s hand and gently wiped the sweat off Jin Lan''s forehead, then said slowly: "Miss, blood is thicker than water."


    Blood thicker than water? Jin Lan felt his heart twitch. That''s right, no matter what, this family was still related, so he didn''t dare to go overboard on the surface. Besides, this family was scheming too much, and could not tolerate even the slightest mistake.


    Thinking about that, her mood eased a bit, and she smiled at Mama Shang, "Thank you, Mama."


    After they walked for another fifteen minutes, the surroundings gradually quietened down. The capital''s Ye Mansion wasn''t far from the Supreme Pond Lake, so the people living in this area were at least a third grade capital official.


    Finally, the carriage swayed a few times and slowly stopped. A respectful voice that came from the old lady outside said, "Second Miss, we have arrived."

 C99

    The capital''s Ye Family is a noble''s home, the old master has received the rank of second-class official, which is the main branch of the house. With the help of the old ancestor, the second and third branch have never taken any big advantage, and the power of the house is firmly held in the long room.


    The old ancestor''s birthday party this time had more than just the Jinlan faction. A few days ago, quite a few ladies'' carriages had arrived, so when Jin Lan and his family entered the mansion, a group of maidservants came to welcome them. The leader was a lady with a jade hairpin on her head. She was Mama Wu who had returned to the capital a step earlier than the two of them and said, "Greetings to the young lady." After getting up, he continued to smile: "Are you First Miss s of the Orchid Hall and the Second Miss s of the Orchid Hall?"


    During the time of the division, the Ye Family was divided into four halls based on the Plum Orchid Flower, which represented the four side branches that had been divided.


    Mama Shang lifted the curtain and got off the carriage. When Mama Wu saw him, she was not surprised at all.


    Before Jin Lan and the rest had entered the mansion, Steward Li had already sent someone to deliver a letter. Now that he had asked, he only wanted to confirm it, and upon seeing Mama Shang, he was even more sure that the person who had come was the Lan Tang girl.


    As Wan Ju supported Jin Lan down the car, Ye Jinwei also slowly walked over. After the maids and wives bowed, Mama Wu said with a face full of smiles: "The Old Ancestor looks forward to it day and night, you''ve finally brought this lady here."


    "Mama Wu, long time no see." Ye Jinwei had a charming smile on her face as she kept her blessings on her shoulders. She gave this ancestor''s savior enough respect.


    Jin Lan glanced at her, and politely bowed, "Good day, Mama."


    "Ouch!" This is not something that can be done. " Seeing the two of them act this way, the smile on Mama Wu''s face became even wider, but she did not dare accept their greetings. She easily avoided them and extended her hand, "Lady Jin Wei and Lady Jin Lan, I have already prepared the Soft Palanquin.


    The main house had five entrances, a large and a small garden, and also led to the Tai Chi Lake as the swimming lake. All of the sights that Ye Jinwei saw along the way left him completely dumbstruck. This was not the first time Jin Lan had entered the mansion. In his previous life, he had stayed in the mansion for quite a while, so he was not in the mood to watch. He just sat on the Soft Palanquin quietly, then lowered his head to think about his actions.


    The palanquin turned and turned, one day it was the veranda, the next it was the garden. Just as she was lost in her thoughts, the Soft Palanquin suddenly stopped.


    Someone blocked his way.


    Jin Lan raised his head and saw a young girl, about thirteen or fourteen years old, with skin as white as snow, and raven hair. She was extremely pretty.


    Jin Lan recognized this person. It was my Seventh Miss, Ye Jinyan.


    "Seventh Miss." Mama Wu stepped forward and bowed, smiling like a spring breeze. "These are the two young misses, Lady Jin Wei and Lady Jin Lan of the Orchid Hall."


    Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei got off the Soft Palanquin and greeted Ye Jinyan. "Elder sister, greetings sister."


    Ye Jinyan stood there unmoving, coldly sizing up the two people, as though she wanted to see a flower from their faces.


    Seeing that Ye Jinyan did not return the greeting, Mama Wu knew that she had changed her character. She hurriedly added, "Seventh Miss, this is the first time you sisters have met each other. I''m afraid it''s too unfamiliar.


    When Ye Jinyan saw Mama Wu bring out the Old Ancestor, her expression finally changed. She raised her chin and snorted coldly, "I thought it was some three headed, six armed person, but I guess it''s only to this extent. With that, she turned around and left, not even putting them in her eyes.


    Ye Jinwei was immediately angered, but Jin Lan didn''t think much of it. Her Seventh Miss, Ye Jinyan, was a young lady who was born with a long bloodline, and the Old Ancestor had always held her in high regard. But ¡­ Her brows furrowed slightly, this was the first time they had met, and it was not as if they had provoked anyone, why would Ye Jinyan be so angry?


    Jin Lan did not speak, but that did not mean that Ye Jinwei could endure this. She turned and climbed onto the Soft Palanquin, and raised her eyebrows at the Mama Wu, "I heard that Big Sister Jin Yan is the apple of the eye in the palace, and is indeed different from the rest.


    What kind of person was the Mama Wu? How could she not hear the mockery in Ye Jinwei''s words? The smile on her face immediately faded.


    Jin Lan looked at Ye Jinwei. Since she knew Ye Jinyan''s name, she knew that Ye Jinyan had been raised by the old ancestor since she was young. But if she were to say it in front of the Mama Wu, wouldn''t that mean she was slapping the old ancestor''s face? He even used the word "we", making it clear that he wanted to drag him into the water.


    After thinking about it, Jin Lan looked at Mama Wu again, without showing any emotion on his face, he chuckled: "Mama, how much longer until we arrive? We have to leave quickly, and not let the Old Ancestor wait too long. "


    Mama Shang looked around and said sternly: "The patriarch''s Longevity Hall will be waiting for us at Seventh Miss''s Pear Fragrance Court."


    Seeing that the Mama Shang had opened her mouth, he did not have any more airs, and raised her smile again, saying: "The gate to the moon in front of us is the Pear Fragrance Court, after a short walk, we will reach the Longevity Hall."


    Jin Lan raised his head and looked around. Ten steps later, he would arrive at the Moon Gate, probably because it was not far from the Pear Blossom House, which was why Ye Jinyan came here to stop them.


    "Since it''s only a few steps, we don''t need Soft Palanquin s anymore. We don''t want others to see them, so they think we don''t know their manners." She smiled lightly, turned her head and looked at Ye Jinwei who was sitting on the Soft Palanquin, "What does big sister think?"


    Ye Jinwei''s face suddenly became ugly, she clenched her teeth and stood up, then forced a smile: "Sister''s words are reasonable, then let''s go."


    Mama Wu gave Jin Lan a deep look, then continued to lead them towards the Longevity Hall.


    Passing through the moon gate, they walked forward for over a hundred steps before reaching Pear Courtyard. With just a glance, everyone headed straight for the Longevity Hall, and in a short period of time, they circled around a wall of flowers. When they reached the veranda, they could faintly hear the sounds of chatting and laughter.


    The Mama Shang secretly gave Wan Ju and Bi He a meaningful glance. The two of them were already very nervous, but right now, they had restrained their expressions. They held their breath as they followed behind Jin Lan, not moving an inch.


    Seeing this, Mama Shang calmed down.


    When Si Ling and Qian Yun saw this, they also quickly followed behind Ye Jinwei like they had learned something. However, Ye Jinwei''s expression was not as calm as Jin Lan''s.


    After turning a corner, ten figures appeared in front of them. There were maidservants of all sizes, and some of them were standing on the veranda talking. The laughter and chatter they had heard earlier were all from them.


    Upon seeing Mama Wu, the servants quickly stopped talking and went up to greet him. "Paying respects to Mama Wu." Some of the more observant ones noticed the Mama Shang at the side and quickly muttered, "Greetings, Mama Shang."


    The greetings rose and fell one after another, but when their gazes made contact with Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei, who were following behind Mama Wu, they instantly quietened down.


    The Mama Wu waited for them to finish saluting before scolding with a dark face: "If you aren''t serving the master, then what are you all doing here?"


    Everyone shrunk their necks, and a bold servant girl replied with a smile: "Mama, Seventh Miss sent the servants out. She said that the ladies were talking to the Old Ancestor, and did not need the servants to attend to them."


    Mama Wu guessed that it was also because of Seventh Miss, so she deliberately slowed down her footsteps. Firstly, it was for Jin Lan''s body, and secondly, it was to let Seventh Miss go to the Old Ancestor''s house earlier.


    Seventh Miss did not like these two from the Orchid Hall, so she was clear about it, especially after hearing that the Old Ancestor had sent Mama Shang to the Yangzhou, her performance became even more obvious.


    However, he did not expect Seventh Miss to send all of the maidservants that the maidservants of each courtyard had brought here. If the two maidservants of the Orchid Hall had behaved in such a manner, they would probably lose a great deal of face.


    However, this might be good as well. If they could not even keep this small scene under control, then the Old Ancestor would not need to give them any pointers. Mama Wu''s mind quickly spun, her expression did not change at all, she nodded to the servants, then brought Jin Lan and the rest to move out of the way.


    Jin Lan didn''t even glance at him, but she was aware that someone was sizing her up. She pretended to ignore him and followed the Mama Wu at a leisurely pace.


    Even though Ye Jinwei was nervous, she was also striding gracefully with a beautiful smile on her face.


    Only when they were far away did they finally hear a voice louder than the one they had just heard.


    "What kind of girl is this? She looks even more beautiful than the other girls."


    "What''s the use of looking good? "If your clothes are so shabby, I''m afraid you must be from somewhere in the countryside, right?"


    "As I see it, the tall girl is dressed very well. The hairpin on her head seems to be something from the Moon Laying Hall, but the short one is indeed a bit shabby."


    "Maybe it was born from a concubine, her attire isn''t comparable to a direct relative of a lady ¡­"


    The servants discussed animatedly, but their words did not reach Jin Lan''s ears. Mama Wu led them through the corridors, to the Longevity Hall, and when the old gatekeepers saw them, they sent people in to inform them.


    When they reached the steps to the main building, a servant girl with an upright posture and a full body came out. She greeted them with a smile, "Lady Jin Wei, Lady Jin Lan, the Old Ancestor invites you in."


    "Thank you elder sister." Jin Lan smiled faintly at her. This maid was called Lixia, the senior servant girl by the Old Ancestor''s side. Furthermore, the one beside the Old Ancestor was even more dignified than a normal lady. Calling her elder sister ''elder sister'' would not be a disgrace to their own family.


    Ye Jinwei also called her elder sister with a smile as she stepped forward to pull Lixia up. Borrowing the time when she was sizing her up, she secretly stuffed a bag into Lixia''s sleeve.


    Lixia was stunned for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. His smile remained on his face, "The ladies are all accompanying the old ancestor. However, the two of you don''t need to be shy. We are sisters, a generous family."


    As she spoke, she lifted the curtain.

 C100

    Lixia followed beside the Old Ancestor, and he was just like Yan Rong, who was by the Old Granny''s side. The golden wave unwittingly glanced at Ye Jinwei''s hand that was just hanging down, but its face was completely covered with a sweet smile.


    The two of them stepped into the Longevity Hall one after the other. Just as they raised their heads, a group of luxuriant purple beauties came into their view, seven or eight of them were laughing and joking together, and the one gathered in the middle by Ying Yan was the Old Ancestor, the Madame Chen. At this moment, when they saw someone coming in, the lively atmosphere abruptly stopped. The gazes of the girls all landed on the figures behind Lixia.


    Lixia''s expression did not change, as if he had long since gotten used to this scene. He bowed to the Madame Chen with a smile, "Old Ancestor, the Blue Hall''s First Miss s and Second Miss s have arrived."


    Madame Chen squinted her eyes as she smiled, "Oh? The two girls are here? "


    Chun Fen and Dong Xue, who were serving by the side, quickly took out two prayer mats and arranged them neatly on the green bricks five steps in front of Madame Chen.


    The two Little Maid s who were waiting at the door helped to remove the cloaks on Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei. The two of them walked forward lightly and knelt on the praying mat, then politely paid their respects to Madame Chen.


    "Greetings to the Old Ancestor from my grandson and daughter, Jin Lan."


    Even if Ye Lin were to personally come, he had to call his Grandmother. Of course, Jin Lan was a grandchild of the younger generation.


    Just as Jin Lan finished speaking, Ye Jinwei''s delicate voice followed, "Nephew Xuan Sun''s daughter, Jin Wei greets the Old Ancestor.


    Even if she had the first rank and was called the First Miss, in reality, she was more powerful than the other. The seniority of the direct disciples was different, but the ancestor''s rules were the most important. No matter how unwilling he was, he could only hold it in for now and hope that the old ancestor would be happy.


    "Good, good, it''s all painful." Madame Chen''s face revealed a kind smile, and waved at the two of them. "Come over here quickly, let me take a good look.


    Jin Lan took three steps forward with his chin slightly lowered. With a bashful smile on his lips, he looked a little more nervous and timid. His originally delicate face lost some of its charm.


    Madame Chen looked at her, the smile unknowingly fading from her eyes.


    "It''s all the fault of Xuan Sun''s daughter. She should have come early to pay her respects to the Old Ancestor, and instead made the Old Ancestor think about her. It''s truly a sin. I hope that Old Ancestor can forgive the disrespect of Jin Wei and his little sister." Ye Jinwei followed behind Jin Lan, looking obedient and dignified. She had her good fortune and begged for forgiveness, her actions were graceful and graceful, adding on to the fact that she was dressed in a peach-red peach-collared coat, which made her creamy white skin seem like it was lit up with a ray of sunset. She smiled, looking even more beautiful than Ye Jinyan, who was snuggling by Madame Chen''s side.


    Madame Chen''s eyes lit up, she could not hide the astonishment in her eyes. Just now, she was completely focused on Jin Lan, the direct daughter, and did not notice that there was actually such a person by her side. However, her eyes flashed and she returned to normal. She smiled and said, "Look at this mouth. It''s even sweeter than smeared honey. How could I blame you?" She then gently patted the soft couch and kindly said, "Come, come to the Old Ancestor''s side."


    Jin Lan only took one small step before stopping. The Old Ancestor had two girls surrounding him, on his left was Ye Jinyan, and on his right was a young lady with a fragrant bun that was nearing the clouds, her ears were decorated with pearls, where would she be able to go?


    Since Jin Lan didn''t want to leave, Ye Jinwei naturally kept her embroidered shoes. In an instant, she froze, unable to advance or retreat.


    Madame Chen pretended not to know as she continued to smile, her cautious gaze looking back and forth between the two of them.


    Although Ye Jinwei''s face revealed a little unnaturalness, but his smile did not reach her eyes, as though there was nothing wrong with it.


    After a while, the Madame Chen laughed and patted Ye Jinyan''s hands, and said with a strange tone: "Seventh Sister, quickly tell your sister to come over."


    Ye Jinyan''s beautiful eyes looked like they were about to spew fire. She stared at Ye Jinwei in hatred, then turned towards Jin Lan, and curled her lips in the end, saying: "Old Ancestor was biased, you only saw newbies laughing, and threw us seniors to the back of your head. Yan''er is not going to listen."


    Her coquettish words made the Madame Chen burst out into laughter. He hugged her and said repeatedly, "You, ah, no wonder your mother always said that you had a clever mouth and even dared to make things up for me, an old granny."


    "Yan''er wouldn''t dare." Although Ye Jinyan said that she did not dare to do so, the complacency and provocation in her eyes was not small as she shot towards Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei.


    Jin Lan lowered his head and pretended to ignore her words. Although Ye Jinwei was furious, he knew that in front of the Old Ancestor, he was nothing compared to her.


    "Alright." The Madame Chen lovingly pointed at Ye Jinyan''s nose, "Don''t squeeze here, our sisters are already laughing at you."


    When the surrounding girls heard this, they covered their mouths and laughed. They teased and teased, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.


    Ye Jinyan also clearly knew that she could not go against the words of the Old Ancestor. She lightly rolled her eyes, then laughed: "Yan''er can''t bear to part with the Old Ancestor." While speaking, he took off his embroidered shoes and neatly got on the soft bed, hiding behind the Madame Chen. "Yan Er will massage the Old Ancestor''s shoulders."


    "Sure enough, Yan''er is the most caring." Madame Chen laughed so hard that her teeth could no longer be seen, she patted the catkin on her shoulder.


    Ye Jinyan gave up his seat, and the other lady took her seat, standing up and sitting with the other girls.


    The place beside Madame Chen was instantly vacated. She raised her hand and pulled Jin Lan to her side, after squinting her eyes and looking at him carefully, she got Ye Jinwei to come over, and waited for the two of them to sit down before holding their tender hands and placing them on top of each other. She then patted her hands and complimented: "Jiangnan is so good that you can raise such a beautiful girl.


    Jin Lan was startled. He didn''t know why the Old Ancestor would say that. Wouldn''t this create a gap in the hearts of the other young ladies?


    As expected, just as Madame Chen finished speaking, a young lady who was dressed in a goosebumps suit stood up and smiled brightly: "Old Ancestor, we are all envious of these two godlike sisters, we just don''t know who they are ¡­"


    The Madame Chen seemed to only just remember this, she patted her forehead and said, "Look, she''s old, and has forgotten about this."


    "Where did the Old Ancestor come from? The two younger sisters are so dazzling that they make people unable to take their eyes off them, making them forget about their own matters!" Ye Jinyan who was rubbing her shoulder suddenly interrupted and looked at the two of them condescendingly.


    Jin Lan secretly complained in his heart, Ye Jinwei''s expression was ugly, as though he was sitting on needles, and was starting to get restless.


    Madame Chen''s heart was as clear as a mirror. She did not point it out and laughed for a while before slowly saying: "Come, you sisters greet him. We are all family members, don''t admit your wrongs when we leave from now on." After she had finished speaking, she stretched out her hand and pointed to the well-dressed ladies from left to right, saying, "This is your sixth sister, Jin Qiao, and your eighth sister Jin Rong." He pointed to the girl sitting beside Jin Rong and said, "The oldest is your sister Jin Fang."


    Jin Lan and Ye Jinwei stood up and walked over to greet them. His sister called out to him. Although it was not considered friendly, he did not get too far away from her.


    Madame Chen waited for them to finish their greetings before pointing to the young lady on the right as he said, "This is your Bamboo Hall''s Big Sister Jin Yu."


    Jin Lan took a look. It was the girl who had been sitting to the right of the old ancestor with her hair tied into a bun. With a smile on her face, she took a step forward and held Jin Lan''s hand. "Little sister."


    The kindness in her eyes was completely different from the perfunctory attitude of the others. Jin Lan''s heart warmed and he smiled as well. "Elder sister."


    In her previous life, Ye Jinyu was another of her best friends in the pavilion, and like Meng Ruhan, she had met him earlier.


    Ye Jinyu nodded her head, then smiled and greeted Ye Jinwei, but the smile on her face was not as radiant as when she was facing Jin Lan.


    Madame Chen saw the change in their expressions and her heart skipped a beat. She smiled and nodded again, "This is your Ju Ling Hall''s Jin Dai Big Sis and Jinyue ¡­" When she heard about the girl dressed in the goosebumps, Yue''er hesitated for a moment. "Yue''er seems to be the same year as Lan Er, but I wonder which year you two will be the same age?"


    Ye Jinyue''s eyes curved, two dimples appearing on her round face. She said to Madame Chen in a tender voice, "Old Ancestor, Yue''er is born in the first month."


    Jin Lan smiled and bowed, "Then it''ll be Sister Yue." She was born in the Twelve Flowers Hall in the beginning of February, which coincidentally meant that she was younger than Ye Jinyue by a month.


    Ye Jinyue''s face was filled with pride, actually somewhat similar to Ye Jinyan''s, as she casually bowed and said, "Sister." She then shouted out to Ye Jinwei as usual, "Sister."


    Jin Lan raised his eyebrows slightly, although the expressions of the few girls just now were not very intimate, at least they used all their manners, but Jinyue did as she was told, clearly not putting the Orchid Hall in her eyes. However, Ju Tang had always been close to the family.


    After seeing the young lady sitting below, Madame Chen held Ye Jinyan''s hand and said affectionately: "This, is your First Uncle''s darling, Big Sister Jin Yan."


    Jin Lan was not surprised that the Old Ancestor would say something like this. Ye Jinyan was the eldest daughter of the Su Family, and was also raised under the Old Ancestor''s tutelage.


    Ye Jinwei was somewhat unwilling in her heart, but she knew that this was not the time to be willful, and clenched her teeth as she bowed, "Big sister."


    Ye Jinyan snuggled behind Madame Chen. She didn''t even plan to get up, so she disdainfully nodded and lazily replied, "Younger sister."


    The Madame Chen said happily: "Alright, we''ll stop here for today. Jin Lan and Jin Wei will have to rest up here. A feast will be held later to welcome you and your sisters. " With that, she called out to Lixia, "Have the two ladies'' rooms been arranged?"


    Lixia replied smilingly, "I''ve already prepared it long ago. We just need to wait for the girls to go over and see what else they need."


    The Madame Chen then laughed: "Since that''s the case, don''t delay any longer. You all should hurry up and go over."


    Wan Ju and Bi He were anxiously waiting outside the door. Seeing that she had safely made it out, they heaved a sigh of relief.


    A light flashed in Jin Lan''s eyes, and she discovered that the Mama Shang was nowhere to be seen.

 C101

    Not long after Jin Lan left, the Mama Wu entered the house. When the Old Ancestor Madame Chen saw that she had returned, she dismissed all the young ladies in the house, including the four maids from Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Only she and the Mama Wu were left in the house.


    "Have you asked them all?" The Madame Chen supported her as she stood up and slowly walked inside the room.


    Mama Wu hurriedly stepped forward to support Madame Chen. "I''ve asked everything, and said that everything was fine for that Second Miss, except for her weak body. Eight out of ten days is spent lying on the bed."


    "Since her body is weak, how could she know that everything is fine?" Madame Chen furrowed her brows, and her expression became cold, "In my opinion, she is obviously blaming me for sending her to the Yangzhou."


    Mama Wu carried Madame Chen to sit on the bed of the Black Wood Gold Twisted Elephant, bent down to take off her shoes, and then carefully helped her lie down on the cushions of the White Peony Palace on the blue ground. She then smiled and said: "How could I? Master is a kind-hearted person, so we did this so that she could reunite with her family as soon as possible. "


    The Old Ancestor was terrified, and immediately ignited a land dragon inside her Longevity Hall. Although the room was warm, she still covered Madame Chen with a blanket.


    After the Madame Chen heard this, he was silent for a moment, then said: "What do you think about Jin Lan, that girl?"


    "Your servant''s eyesight is poor, I can''t see a single ugly one at all." Mama Wu half sat on the edge of the bed, nestling his feet under the covers and holding it tightly in her chest, "However, Miss Jin Lan is quite an intelligent person, and if she were to grow up in the future, she would definitely become an extremely famous person."


    Madame Chen''s expression relaxed a bit as she gently looked at him, "After all these years, among the people following me, who else could be the clearest?"


    Mama Wu laughed: "This servant is just trying to pick the teeth and share the wisdom, how can I compare to you, Master?"


    "You don''t have to be modest." Madame Chen sighed, held her forehead and said with some pity: "Jin Lan, this girl does look good, and she is somewhat scheming. It''s just that she is a bit young, and her body is weak.


    Mistress, you are overthinking it." Wu mama''s hand paused before she started to squeeze again. "It''s better to be young, to be well-bred for a few years, and to understand what''s right and wrong in the future. You''ll know who''s truly affectionate towards her." "As for my weak body ¡­" She then revealed a smile and pointed out, "With the Holy Hand in the Imperial Physician Courtyard, taking good care of her body for a few years, and a lively and active body, didn''t the three ladies act exactly like this back then?


    Madame Chen''s eyes lit up as she nodded: "You''re right. It''s still early, let''s see what you have to say first." After thinking for a moment, she said, "Send the things you prepared to the Plum Garden and hand them over to the Embroidered Girl Lan personally."


    Mama Wu replied with a smile, "Yes."


    Lixia led Jin Lan and the others out of the Longevity Hall and headed east. They quickly arrived at the Plum Garden which was not too far away from the Longevity Hall. The ladies who came to pay their respects were all staying in the Plum Garden. It was too late for Jin Lan to come, as the East Wing was already full. Only the west wing room was still empty. Ye Jinwei looked around, and then picked the house that was close to the east side.


    Jin Lan didn''t care about it at all as he stepped into the other room. It was clean and clean, spotless, and the furniture was all brand-new. It must have just been moved out of the storage room, and they were all made of fine chicken wings wood. A five-fan face chicken fin wood inlaid with a hundred flowers compete for the screen, is a double moon bent leg lotus lotus lotus bed.


    Every courtyard in the Ye Mansion had an Earth Dragon, so it was very warm for winter to sleep on the bed. In addition to the bed, there was also a brick bed placed under the window. On top of the bed, there was a carved small table and two brocade cushions. Although the earth dragon was not burning in the Plum Garden like the Longevity Hall, there was a very strong silver furnace inside the house, so it was not cold.


    Seeing that Jin Lan was satisfied, she called for the maidservants outside the room and smiled: "Miss, she is Jin Qian. Everything in the Plum Garden is under her control, if Miss has any needs, feel free to look for her."


    Jin Qian stepped forward and bowed to Jin Lan, "This servant greets Lady Jin Lan."


    Jin Lan sized her up. She appeared to be around sixteen to seventeen years old, and her appearance couldn''t be considered elegant. There was a red mole growing from the end of her right eye, giving her a strange look. She nodded and whispered, "Quickly get up. I''ll have to trouble you in the future."


    Jin Qian stood up, and hurriedly promised that she did not dare.


    Seeing that everything had been arranged, Lixia bade Jin Lan farewell, "Miss should rest for a while. The Old Ancestor will send someone to call for Miss when we have dinner later."


    "Thank you elder sister Lixia." Jin Lan gave her a bashful smile, then gave Wan Ju a meaningful glance, which caused Wan Ju to immediately follow Lixia out.


    Once Xia Yi left, Jin Qian and the others finished looking through the house, and took note of the things that needed to be added, and then left to busy themselves in Ye Jinwei''s house.


    Bi He took off the cloak that Jin Lan wore and hung it on the chicken wing wooden threaded hibiscus rack. Then, she nimbly poured a pot of hot tea and asked worriedly, "Miss, the Old Ancestor didn''t make things difficult for you, did he?"


    Jin Lan burst out laughing, his originally tired mood immediately becoming spirited. "Look at what you''re saying, the Old Ancestor is not a ferocious beast, what can he do to me?"


    Bi He then felt embarrassed and quickly went forward to make up the bed for Jin Lan.


    Jin Lan sat on the soft cushion at the head of the brick bed, and just happened to see Bi He''s busy figure. She thought for a bit, then suddenly asked: "Where is Mama Shang?"


    Bi He did not even raise her head, as she continued to stroke the bed: "I wonder what business Mama Wu has, the moment I entered, I invited you in to have a chat with me, I and Wan Ju were afraid that Miss would not see anyone, so I did not follow you over."


    Mama Wu? Jin Lan raised the teacup and lightly sipped. In that case, the Mama Wu should be looking for the Mama Shang to get some information? Was it the Old Ancestor''s idea? I wonder what the Mama Shang will say. Judging from the situation at the Old Ancestor''s house, the situation was not looking good!


    Bi He had just made up her bed and sent Wan Ju and the invisible Mama Shang out of the courtyard back into the room. After closing the door, Wan Ju nodded to Jin Lan and said: "Miss, everything has been completed."


    When Jin Lan saw Mama Shang come in, he stood up impatiently, "Mama."


    The Mama Shang signaled Jin Lan not to be impatient. She stood by the door for a while before walking over, "Don''t worry Miss, I won''t say anything that I shouldn''t say."


    "Mama, could it be that Mama Wu is here to look for you?" Hearing Mama Shang say this, Bi He could not help but ask curiously.


    The Mama Shang had a calm face and her eyes sparkled, "Miss, although the Mama Wu only knocked on the door to tell me that most of the information is related to the lady''s body, it still involves the lady''s body."


    Jin Lan''s clear eyes narrowed. "Mother?" Why the mother?


    "That''s right." Mama Shang nodded her head solemnly, "Old Ancestor is more concerned about Madam''s health than I thought. Miss, this servant thinks that this matter is more complicated than we thought."


    Even if the Old Ancestor wanted to choose a Prince and Lateral Consort from among them, taking a step back, even if he wanted to send them to the palace, he wouldn''t have anything to do with his mother, right? Why was Mama Wu asking for news of his mother like this? Jin Lan felt as if a mess had been stuffed into his mind, and he couldn''t make sense of it no matter how hard he tried. He couldn''t help but mumble, "Just what does the Old Ancestor want to do?"


    "No matter what the Old Ancestor is thinking, we have to be more alert in the near future." Mama Shang''s face was filled with caution, she said to Wan Ju and Bi He: "The current situation is unclear, the mansion''s ladies are weak, we can only rely on ourselves to think of a way. In the future, if Miss goes to the Old Ancestor''s house, don''t just stand by the door. You should spend more time with the maids of the other Miss. "


    Wan Ju and Bi He looked at each other and nodded strongly, "Mama, don''t worry, we know what to do."


    "This alone is not enough." He thought for a moment and said, "The Old Ancestor''s birthday is in late December, and it''s only the end of October. There are still almost two months left, so we have to think of a way to safely pass it." Not only the Old Ancestor, but just Ye Jinyan and the others were enough to give others a headache.


    Before she could come up with any viable method, a knock sounded on the door. "Miss Jin Lan."


    Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously raised his head to look at Mama Shang.


    "It''s the Mama Wu." Mama Shang moved her lips and said softly. She then gave Wan Ju and Bi He a meaningful glance before stepping forward to open the door, "Why is Sister Wu here?"


    "I am also following the orders of the old ancestor to give something to Lady Jin Lan." Mama Wu entered the house full of smiles. She first paid her respects to Jin Lan, then placed the embroidered box in front of her.


    Jin Lan looked at the square colored silk box, and smiled submissively: "Since the Old Ancestor has given it to me, I should be the one to personally go and get it. I''ll have to trouble Mama to take a trip, Mama, please take a seat."


    Wan Ju hurriedly brought a round plum blossom chair for Mama Wu as she poured tea.


    Mama Wu smiled and shook her head, "There''s no need. It was the Old Ancestor''s order for this servant to deliver the items. Furthermore, the Old Ancestor still needs someone to serve him. This servant will not delay this lady''s rest. " As he spoke, he turned around to leave.


    Since she said so, Jin Lan couldn''t force himself to stay. He then looked at Mama Shang and asked her to send him off.


    When the Mama Shang finished sending them back to the house, Jin Lan opened the box and took a look, causing everyone to be stunned.


    The four of them looked at each other in dismay. Jin Lan stretched out his hand to shake the coat at the top, and beneath it was a mist-colored halo like a phoenix fairy dress. The vivid and lifelike acacia flowers bloomed like the wind on the branches.


    Even Jin Lan had never seen such fine materials and exquisite embroidery!


    Mama Shang looked at the dress in the embroidered box, her face pale. She stabilized her beating heart and said: "Miss, this is just embroidery."


    Jin Lan trembled. Embroidery? Wasn''t that something that came out of the palace? As if she was holding a hot potato, she hurriedly put the cashmere jacket back into the box. Her delicate face gradually lost its color.


    If she had gotten dressed, she would have been jostled to death by the girls who lived in the Plum Garden before she could even walk out. Moreover, there was Ye Jinwei!


    Was the Old Ancestor planning to let her have a taste of being besieged from all sides so that she could obediently listen to him? Could it be that the cowardice she displayed just now was still unable to dispel the interest that the Old Ancestor placed in her?


    Jin Lan''s heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

 C102

    No matter how anxious he was, he could only defend himself. Before the Old Ancestor truly made his move, Jin Lan could only restrain his thoughts, not daring to act rashly.


    The four of them discussed about areas that they should pay attention to later. Seeing that her face was pale and that a trace of weariness could be seen from her eyes, Wan Ju urged her to go to bed.


    It was just that Jin Lan was too preoccupied with her own matters, how could she rest in peace? After thinking about it again and again for a while, Jin Qian finally decided to send a message.


    "Miss Jin Lan, the Old Ancestor sent people to invite Miss Jin Lan to Longevity Hall for dinner."


    Seeing that Jin Lan was still confused, Wan Ju did not say a word and quickly went to welcome him: "Thank you elder sister for the message. When our young lady changes her clothes, we will immediately go and pay our respects to the Old Ancestor."


    Jin Qian unintentionally glanced inside the door, and laughed: "The Old Ancestor normally eats at the end of the year, it is still early, so it is only natural for Lady Jin Lan to be slower."


    Wan Ju was not an idiot, she quickly blessed Jin Qian and tried to get closer to her, "Just now, when I saw my sister, I felt that my face was very good, but I was afraid that it would delay my sister''s job, and did not dare to come up and speak." As she said this, she untied the scented sachet on her waist, "This scented sachet was newly embroidered by me. Before I entered the manor, I touched it and gave it to big sister to play with. I hope you don''t mind my coarse craftsmanship."


    Jin Qian kept the scented sachet, flipped it slightly, and smiled: "Such excellent culinary skills, how can it be called crude? "Sister is modest, it''s just that I don''t have anything good on me right now. I''ll return the gift to sister later."


    Wan Ju''s eyes lit up slightly. After greeting him courteously, she chatted with Jin Qian for a while before returning to her room.


    Jin Lan had already stood up, and Bi He was helping her wash up. She took out the fragrant moon-white cotton handkerchief to wipe off the water droplets on her face, and then asked: "What? Is it Jin Qian? "


    "Yes." "Yes," Wan Ju replied as she stepped forward to clasp Bi He''s hand. "Sister Jin Qian said that the Old Ancestor sent someone to invite Miss to the Longevity Hall for a meal, saying that she would be fine until the end of time."


    Jin Lan was naturally clear about the Old Ancestor''s rules and timing for eating meals, but she still nodded her head and sat in front of her dowry for Bi He to comb her hair.


    Seeing that Jin Lan had woken up, he placed the food box on the fire brick bed. "Miss, in a while, the Old Ancestor might let you have a meal with Longevity Hall, it''s still early, let''s eat some pastries first."


    Wan Ju was just about to remove the hot water from the copper basin, but when she heard Mama Shang''s words, she could not help but burst out laughing: "Mama really has foresight. Just now, Big Sister Jin Qian came over to pass on a message."


    Mama Shang paused for a moment as she held the crystal plate, "What foresight, it''s just that I''ve served the Old Ancestor for a long time, I''ve already figured out one or two ways of thinking about it." Even though she was smiling, there was a trace of self-mockery in her tone.


    Jin Lan looked at the lonely back of the Mama Shang from his water caltrop mirror. His heart was moved, but he could not say it out loud. After all, this was a master-servant relationship between the Old Ancestor and the Mama Shang.


    Bi He elegantly tied up the last pinch of black hair and combed a simplified lily bun for Jin Lan. The remaining hair behind him was divided into two strands, which were tied together with pearls that flowed between his hair and hung down from his left neck to his chest. It made her look both smart and mischievous, without losing any of her daughter''s gentleness.


    "Miss." Bi He looked at the embroidered box on the third cabinet of the Chicken Wing Wood Company, and asked hesitantly: "What clothes do you want to wear in a while?"


    The Old Ancestor anxiously sent the Mama Wu to deliver the palace uniform. Didn''t he want to let her go to the Longevity Hall to eat dinner? Jin Lan followed Bi He''s gaze. If she wore it, it would be similar to the old ancestor''s decision. If she did not wear it, it would be against the old ancestor''s good intentions.


    It really was a dilemma.


    Mama Shang saw that she was staring at the embroidered box and knew what she was doing. After thinking for a while, she smiled and said: "Miss, the sky inside the house is extremely cold, and the wind outside is very strong. Especially at night, the wind is cold, as if it is boring through your bones. Although the Plum Garden was unwilling to leave the Longevity Hall, there was still a distance between them. This dinner was specially prepared to receive the wind for the ladies, and it was unknown when they would leave. "In my opinion, it would be better to wear more."


    Jin Lan''s eyes shone, he suddenly raised his head to look at Mama Shang, the corners of his mouth slowly rose, "Mama is right!" After thinking for a moment, he said to Bi He: "I''ll wear the fox fur coat, the one that mother prepared."


    Before she left, her mother had bought her some clothes and jewelry, but now she was wearing them and no one could say anything.


    Wan Ju immediately opened the box and took out the Peach Blossom Tufts and the Plum Blossom Veins, according to Jin Lan''s instructions. His collar, sleeves and even the hem of his clothes were inlaid with a layer of pure white fox fur. It was fluffy, but the more she wore it, the more adorable it made her seem. She was dressed in a dress of the same color, but it was a white satin with peach plum stripes. It was the exact opposite of the jacket.


    "With that on, the young lady''s face looks much better than it did in the morning." Bi He took out a pair of red coral pearl earrings and hung them on Jin Lan. The bright and round beads lightly swayed beside her cheeks, causing her white skin to become slightly redder.


    Mama Shang and Wan Ju nodded their heads in succession.


    After searching and choosing from the mirror, Bi He also picked a Seven Treasures Pearl Gold Steps that was embedded with jade. Just as she was about to insert it in for her, she was stopped by Jin Lan, "This step is too expensive."


    This was the most luxurious piece of jewelry the Old Ancestor had asked the Mama Wu to bring to the Yangzhou. The Old Ancestor did not know what was going on, and it was obvious that he wanted her to make enemies.


    Bi He thought for a while, then understood Jin Lan''s thoughts, he immediately retracted the step that he was holding, and once again picked out a white jade pearl encrusted with a red coral pearl, the Double Knot Ru Yi Chai, and said, "The pendant with the coral pearl, it would be good if it could be put in a whole set." She stuck the Ruyi hairpin into her hair, pulled out the flat needle, and put on a pink velvet flower.


    Just as he was dressed neatly, Jin Qian''s voice came from outside the house, "Miss, are you ready?"


    Jin Lan looked at the water caltrop mirror hurriedly, and when he saw Mama Shang nod his head, he asked Wan Ju to go out and answer.


    Wan Ju smiled as she opened the door, and replied to Jin Qian: "Big Sister Jin Qian''s arrival is really a coincidence, Miss has just put on her clothes, and will be able to move the moment she speaks."


    Jin Qian nodded her head with a smile and said: "The Old Ancestor sent word that dinner would be served at Longevity Hall''s Eastern Warm Pavilion, so the young lady can head over directly. There is no need to pay respects at the Old Ancestor''s house."


    Jin Lan then walked out, and looked at the East Wing on the other side, "Are the sisters already gone?"


    Seeing Jin Lan''s pretty appearance, Jin Qian''s eyes lit up. Her eyes flashed for a moment before he hurriedly replied: "Just now, Lady Jin Wei has already left. As for the other young ladies, they didn''t come back at noon.


    When Ye Jinwei went to Longevity Hall, she would definitely pass by her door, but she didn''t expect to call her that. And the other girls coming to Fragrant Li Palace was Ye Jinyan''s idea, right? Was she afraid that the girls would be befriended when they returned to the courtyard? Such childish actions really resembled each other. Jin Lan couldn''t help but smile inside.


    "If that''s the case, I can''t delay any longer." Jin Lan smiled and nodded towards Jin Qian. Although she did not know why Jin Qian was being so friendly to her, but in the current situation, having a little bit of kindness was better than a little bit of malicious intent, but she could not be completely unguarded.


    Jin Qian''s mind was sharp, and was an expert at observing other people''s faces. She knew that Jin Lan would remember her words, so she slightly bent her knees, and left with a smile.


    Bi He took off the cape that she had placed on Hibiscus Mutabilis, shook twice, and tied it around Jin Lan''s body, "Miss, your servant will accompany you there?"


    Jin Lan saw that both Mama Shang and Wan Ju were preparing to leave, thought for a while and said: "There''s no need for that many people, Mama Shang and Bi He will accompany me for a trip. Wan Ju will stay behind to guard, it''s not suitable for no one to come in the house."


    If everyone left, who knew what would happen in the house? If there was anything more or less, the situation would become even more uncontrollable.


    Mama Shang herself knew the Inner Court like the palm of her hand, so they did not wait for Jin Qian to arrange a servant to lead the way, and the three of them tidied up their clothes and cloaked themselves in the cold wind. Although it hadn''t snowed yet, the winter night had come early. The sky was already rather dark, and lanterns were already lit up on the veranda.


    The place was not as spacious as the main house, but it was elegantly decorated. On top of the flowers laid a blue and white glazed flower bottle, and inside, there were also a few Four Seasons Begonia s that had just been broken down from the flower room. The crystal clear emerald green leaves and delicate and gorgeous flowers were gorgeous and extraordinary. They were magnificent and dignified, making them seem very fresh and elegant.


    The Old Ancestor had not arrived yet, as Ye Jinyan was currently holding Ye Jinyu''s hand and sitting on the soft bed, the rest were also seated by her side chatting, even to the point where Ye Jinwei, whose heart was filled with loathing at the beginning, was currently sitting there, laughing merrily.


    Seeing Jin Lan enter, everyone turned their heads to look at her before continuing to speak, as if they didn''t care about her arrival. When no one was looking, Ye Jinwei raised his eyebrows at her and revealed a look of schadenfreude.


    Jin Lan''s eyelids twitched slightly, but he didn''t show it on his face. He smiled, and waited for the maid in the corner to remove her cloak. Then, he stepped forward and bowed, "Jin Lan greets the sisters."


    The girls, who had originally decided to leave things alone, were stunned as they did not expect her to act in such a manner.


    The smile on Jin Lan''s face became wider and wider. Ye Jinyan''s unfathomable hostility made her anticipate that this would happen sooner or later. Therefore, she directly ignored everyone''s negligence and graciously greeted them, using all the courtesy she could muster. If they were still this indifferent, it would be because they were rude. It was not because she was ignorant.


    Sure enough, after a short while, Mei Tang''s daughter Ye Jinfang stood up and returned the greeting, "Sister Jinlan."


    One was the other. The six and eight girls who were born into the family also stood up to greet him.


    The rest of the girls hesitated and was about to get up when they heard a cold snort resounding in their ears.

 C103

    "I can''t accept such a huge gift!" Although Ye Jinyan''s sarcasm wasn''t loud, it happened to fall into the ears of every girl present. The girls who were hesitating to get up immediately gave up on their idea. Seventh Miss was the direct descendent of the family. Compared to Jin Lan, they were more willing to befriend Ye Jinyan.


    Ye Jinfang, the sixth girl, and the eighth girl, who had already returned the greeting, all had somewhat embarrassed expressions. They glanced at Jin Lan and also withdrew.


    The smile on Jin Lan''s face did not diminish, but a cold glint slowly appeared in his eyes. Since the moment they had entered the residence, Ye Jinyan had not given her a good look, and kept insulting her with her words. Although she didn''t want to cause too much trouble at such a critical moment, she couldn''t tolerate it at the moment.


    After all, standing here represented the Lan Clan!


    Jin Lan took a deep breath, looked at Ye Jinyan, who was in the middle of everyone, and said indifferently: "Big sister Yan, Jin Lan is stupid, I don''t know where you offended me. In front of so many sisters, little sister will be apologizing for you." Saying that, she gave a slight bow to Ye Jinyan, "I hope elder sister will not mind this lowly one, don''t fuss about it with me again."


    Ye Jinyan did not expect Jin Lan to lower his head so straightforwardly. Before he could even speak out the words that had been brewing in his mind, he was choked with sobs for a moment, and then shouted angrily: "Who wants to haggle with you? I am only speaking the truth. The Old Ancestor clearly told people to go around and shout in advance, yet you only came now. You don''t even care about the Old Ancestor''s face.


    Jin Lan was so angry that he laughed instead. He obviously wanted to make things difficult for her, but in the end, he turned black and white and even wanted to blame her for being disrespectful towards his elders. Did he really think that she was a soft persimmon who could be taken advantage of no matter what she wanted to do? Her lips slightly parted. Just as she was about to retort, she heard the jingling of a ring behind her.


    "What''s going on? To be able to get so angry. " A thick and heavy door curtain was raised, bringing with it a burst of cold Qi, a slender figure stepped over the doorstep, her beautiful shoes gently, with a smile on her face, it was none other than Ye Jinyu who Jin Lan had not seen after entering the room.


    Seeing Ye Jinyu coming in, the originally heavy atmosphere in the room immediately calmed down. The girls all raised their heads and looked at him, "Sister Yu is back." "Has the Old Ancestor woken up?" Sister Yu, come over quickly and take a seat. Concern and questioning rose and fell in succession. Compared to the indifference towards Jin Lan, they seemed extremely fervent.


    Other than Ye Jinyan, the person with the most noble background among the other branches was Ye Jinyu. Her mother was the County Princess of the Prince Zhennan Palace, the direct descendant of the Prince Zhennan''s sister. Thus, other than Ye Jinyan, the one the Old Ancestor doted on the most was Ye Jinyu.


    "I''m not wrong." Ye Jinyan''s mouth twitched, but he did not continue to shout loudly, and only muttered one sentence.


    Ye Jinyu untied her red feathered cloak that had peacock pattern on it, and slowly walked over to hold Jin Lan''s hand. She turned her head to look at Ye Jinyan, and with a smile in her eyes, she said, "Little sister Yan, the Old Ancestor has just gotten up, and has not yet come to the Warm Pavilion. Little sister Lan is here, it''s just right."


    It was just that because she was led by Jin Lan earlier, Ye Jinyan was so angry that she opened her mouth to slander Jin Lan. Now that Ye Jinyu had spoken, although she was unhappy, she knew a little about restraining herself.


    Ye Jinyu had long known the temper of this Seventh Cousin Sister of the Clan and knew that she was angry, so he didn''t refute her further. She turned her gaze on Jin Lan with a smile and said: "Previously, I heard that Little Sister Lan''s health is not good, the weather in the capital is not as warm as the weather in the Jiang Nan, and I was worried that you wouldn''t be able to take it.


    "Thank you for your concern, Sister Yu." Jin Lan sincerely bowed to Ye Jinyu. She knew that of everyone in the room, Ye Jinyu was the only one who treated her sincerely and hoped that she would be alright. In his previous life, Ye Lin had lost his position due to some reason, and many people viewed her as a fierce beast that would flood. However, Meng Ruhan and Ye Jinyu still treated her like how she was before.


    Silently, Ye Jinyan who was observing from the sidelines could not stand seeing the two being so intimate, so she interrupted with a strange look on her face: "Yeah! Sister Jinlan had to pay more attention. If she fell ill in the capital, not only would the tired cousin uncle Lan worry about him, he would also bring misfortune to the old ancestor''s life! Of course, we know our sister''s body is always weak. If it was anyone else ¡­ "Tsk, tsk. Who knows, you might think that your little sister is pampering us!"


    "Yan''er!" Ye Jinyu''s and Yue Yue Yue''s brows knitted together, "What are you trying to do? If the Old Ancestor were to hear your nonsense, he will definitely punish you with copying the books. "


    Normally, Ye Jinyu treated her extremely well, but now, she had gone against her for the sake of the Jin Lan, and had even shamed her in front of everyone.


    Ye Jinyan could not help but be infuriated. With a "whoosh", she stood up and pointed at Jin Lan as she screamed, "Who is speaking nonsense? "She''s just a ¡­" The angry gaze made contact with Jin Lan''s expression that was not a smile. His mind could not help but clear up, and as he remembered certain things, he immediately calmed down. The words that were about to burst out of his mouth were forcefully choked in his throat, "Anyway, I was right!"


    The tense atmosphere in the room silenced everyone. Ye Jinyue saw that Ye Jinyan was at a disadvantage, so she stood up and said, "Sister Yu, Sister Yan is just worried about Sister Jinlan''s body, how can it be considered as nonsense?"


    Ye Jinwei also took the opportunity to express her goodwill, smiled and nodded: "Little Sister Yue''er is right, my little sister Lan is indeed a little thin, Sister Yan''s words are just a reminder for little sister to be afraid of others, to prevent little sister from losing out." As she spoke, she bowed towards Ye Jinyan. "As a sister, I thank Sister Yan for her concern."


    Jin Lan''s sharp gaze swept across Ye Jinwei''s body, and instantly went back to the bottom of his eyes. Ye Jinwei really did not let go of any opportunity to prop herself up, from the looks of it, did Ye Jinwei see her as a stepping stone? However ¡­ The corner of her mouth suddenly rippled with billowing glistening, and she gently struggled free from Ye Jinyu''s hands. She turned towards Ye Jinyan and said in a clear voice, "Little sister thanks Big Sister Yan for your concern."


    Initially, she was still worried about how she could pass these two months unscathed. However, Ye Jinyan''s words just now were like a bolt of lightning that split the numbness in her mind, and a sharp idea emerged from the bottom of her heart.


    Therefore, these words of thanks could be considered as sincere and heartfelt.


    With the help of Ye Jinyue and Ye Jinwei, as well as Jin Lan''s understanding of the situation, Ye Jinyan''s expression became slightly better. She did not continue entangling herself with Jin Lan and slowly sat back down on the soft couch.


    Seeing that both parties had taken a step back, Ye Jinyu smiled and said: "Alright, alright, Little Sister Lan, don''t just stand there. Come and sit here quickly." With that, he led her over.


    Seeing that, Ye Jinfang quickly got up and made a seat for the two of them to sit down. She looked at Jin Lan, then carefully examined Ye Jinyu''s clothes, "Sister Yu, is this jacket used for the Thousand Sunsets Embroidery?"


    At first glance, it looked like the first rays of the morning sun rising from the sea, and the tens of thousands of clouds on the horizon were sparkling, beautiful, but not vulgar. It was an extremely rare brocade.


    The jacket she was wearing didn''t have much use for embroidery. It was only covered with a faint cloud pattern of peonies at the collar and cuffs, and rolled over with a layer of silver lining. It was elegant and luxurious, with no hairpins at the temples.


    Ye Jinyu''s eyes flashed, laughed, and did not say much.


    After sitting for a while, he heard the sound of Old Ancestor''s Madame Chen''s crutches coming from outside the door.


    The servant girl standing by the door quickly pulled up the curtain, and saw the Mama Wu supporting the Madame Chen as they slowly walked in, followed by the four senior servant girls of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.


    "Old Ancestor." The girls in the room all stood up and bowed towards Madame Chen.


    Ye Jinyan also quickly got off the soft couch, walked up to welcome her, held onto Madame Chen''s arm and said coquettishly: "Old Ancestor, you are finally here. Yan''er is really hungry."


    When the little girl''s coquettish words entered Madame Chen''s ears, she immediately laughed out loud, "Look at this gluttonous cat."


    She completely ignored Ye Jinyan''s provocation. Her ancestor''s love for Ye Jinyan was obvious to all, unless she lost her head, then she would want to fight with Ye Jinyan for her favor. Furthermore, she couldn''t avoid the Old Ancestor in time, so why would she continue to move closer to him?


    A table and chairs had already been set up in the Eastern Warm Pavilion''s Side Chamber. Now that everyone had taken their seats, Jin Lan sat at the back and waited for everyone to sit down before choosing a seat. In front was the sixth girl, Ye Jinqiao, and behind her was the eighth girl, Ye Jingrong. It wasn''t too far away, and no one could tell what was wrong with it.


    The sixth and eighth girls looked at Jin Lan with some surprise. They were born from a concubine, and their seats were always at the back. Although Jin Lan was a side branch, he was still a direct descendant and a guest.


    Jin Lan pretended not to notice the strange looks on their faces. He gave them a polite smile in return, but with a sense of familiarity.


    Ye Jinyan snuggled beside Madame Chen, talking nonstop, making Madame Chen laugh out loud from time to time. She hugged her and rubbed her hair, making the girl beside him look full of envy. Ye Jinyu sat on the other side of Madame Chen and watched with a smile, but when her gaze landed on Jin Lan who was seated behind, she was stunned.


    Jin Lan gave a wink before she even opened her mouth. Ye Jinyu''s mind was sharp, and immediately thought of the conflict between her and Ye Jinyan, and he nodded towards her with a smile.


    Originally, the Madame Chen noticed that Ye Jinyu had turned his head, so she followed her gaze and looked, and noticed the position of Jin Lan, and said: "Why did Girl Lan run behind? Come and sit by my side. "


    Yan Yan Yan''s laughter immediately died down as everyone turned their gazes towards Jin Lan.


    Ye Jinyan''s brows twitched when she was interrupted, and her expression did not change at all. She stared at Jin Lan angrily, with a momentum that showed her if she dared to step forward, she would definitely look good.

 C104

    How could Jin Lan possibly go and be the target of all? She stood up with a bitter face and said, "Lan Er is rough with her feet and hands, I am afraid I will break the Old Ancestor''s rules. This is the first time I have seen so many sisters, and I want to get closer to them.


    Although there were maidservants serving the Old Ancestor, they had to be extremely alert beside him. From time to time, they had to serve food to the Old Ancestor. These were all things that the Old Granny had instructed and instructed them before her departure. Ye Jinyan and Ye Jinyu would often accompany the Old Ancestor to eat, so they did not feel that it was difficult at all. However, this was her first time doing it well, it was too eye-catching. In addition, Ye Jinyan was watching them from the side like a tiger eyeing its prey.


    Therefore, she simply showed weakness and hid far away, saving herself the fear of being in danger even if she had to eat.


    The smile on the Madame Chen''s face did not lessen, but she was not anxious at all. She chuckled and said: "Whatever, let''s just leave it at that for now, there''s no need to pay attention to everything else."


    The girls were naturally all smiling merrily as they repeatedly said "Many thanks to the Old Ancestor". Each of their faces had a gentle and obedient expression, and only Ye Jinyan took advantage of the moment when no one was looking to glance at the faintly smiling Jin Lan, his eyes filled with pride.


    When Mama Wu saw that it was about time, she let the Little Maid clean their hands with warm water that was not too hot or too cold. Then, the maidservants that were in charge of serving the dishes entered in a line: Corn Chicken, Gold Needle Chicken Silk, Sugar Elbow Elbow, Silver Ear Sauce, Deer San Zhen, rouged Goose, Steamed Duck Duck with Wine, Eight Treasures Soup, and Dirty Quail. There were a total of eight dishes and a soup. Most of them were meat dishes, and they were also Beijing food with a heavy taste. Jin Lan, who was used to the faint taste of Jiangnan, could not swallow the food.


    She glanced at Ye Jinwei and saw that although she looked reluctant, she still tried her best to look happy. After some thought, she moved the dishes in front of her and began to eat slowly.


    The noble family had always been strict with their food and drinks, and did not speak at all. Other than the maidservants making light rustling noises, they did not even hear the sound of clinking cups. Madame Chen looked at everyone''s elegant actions with satisfaction.


    The dinner lasted for about an hour. Mama Wu then quickly ordered the maidservants to send water to wash their hands, and gargled some tea. After the dishes on the table were removed, the four maidservants, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, served the Six An tea.


    Madame Chen held up the full color porcelain tea cup, took off the lid and stirred the tea leaves, then took a sip and looked at Jin Lan, "Girl Lan, did you accept the thing Mama Wu sent over?"


    Jin Lan was shocked in his heart, he got up and replied: "Lan Er received it, thank you Old Ancestor for the gift."


    "Jiangnan is not as cold as the capital. I don''t know if the clothes you brought are thick enough. You are weak, so you should be more careful." Madame Chen''s face was full of love, "In the end, all of you have to pay respects, hurry and wear them all for an old lady like me to see."


    "Yes."


    The ladies all stood up and returned the greeting with smiles on their faces. It seemed that the gifts the Old Ancestor had given them were definitely not ordinary. However, his clothes ¡­ Jin Lan lowered his eyelids, covering up the peculiarity in his eyes.


    The Madame Chen did not speak anymore, she waved his hand to let them all leave, "Alright, it''s getting late, you guys should go back and rest."


    Everyone saluted the Madame Chen before quietly leaving the Eastern Warm Pavilion.


    Leaning on the Plum Garden and the Pear Fragrance Court were on the left and right sides of the Longevity Hall respectively. No matter how unhappy Ye Jinyan was, she couldn''t possibly keep everyone under the Pear Fragrance Academy''s roof. However, she intentionally arranged to go to the garden with the other girls to admire the flowers tomorrow. Even Ye Jinwei was angered, leaving Jin Lan alone.


    Jin Lan did not care too much about it, and followed behind slowly, until they left the Longevity Hall, before parting ways with Ye Jinyan.


    The girls of the four halls were in groups of twos and threes. Although they were not far from each other, they were still quite distinct from each other. Other than Ye Jinyu stumbling on her, Ye Jinfang from the Plum Hall and the six girls and eight girls from the Plum Hall walked together with Ye Jinyu and Ye Jinde from the Ju Hall. Only Jin Lan was walking leisurely behind with Mama Shang and Bi He.


    It seems that the main house and the Bamboo Flowers Hall are rather close, while the second and third house have a good relationship with the Plum Hall. As for her branch, the Orchid Hall ¡­ Most likely, the matter regarding the Old Master back then had grown up with the clan. Otherwise, even when she was born, the Old Master would not have rejected the gift from the Old Ancestor.


    However, this was the first time in her life that she had stepped foot into my house, so why was Ye Jinyan, who she had never seen before, so tit for tat? Although in her previous life, the two weren''t on good terms, there was a reason for this. Could it be that someone had instructed her to make things difficult for him? But she was just a side branch direct daughter, what did she have to do with the clan? Was there some other reason?


    Jin Lan was filled with his own thoughts as he walked slowly, gradually distancing himself from the girls in front of him. While he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard a clear voice from behind him, "Sister Lan."


    She suddenly stopped and turned around, only to see Ye Jinyu chasing after her with quick steps.


    "Sister Yu." Jin Lan smiled. "Just now, I heard Sister Yan say that she wanted you to stay in the Pear Fragrance Court. That''s why I didn''t wait for you."


    There were still four or five steps away from Jin Lan when Ye Jinyu slowed her footsteps. Her soft, small hands gently patted her chest that was moving up and down slightly, and after a while, she smiled and said: "She''s just like a cannonball.


    Jin Lan pursed his lips into a smile, his eyes were like the crescent moon in the sky. "Elder sister, you worry too much. I''m not such a petty person."


    The mischievous words implied something, but others didn''t say it was wrong. Ye Jinyu couldn''t help but to let out a "puchi" laugh, and realized that this little sister of her was actually also a person who understood everything.


    "However ¡­" Jin Lan frowned, feigning ignorance as he asked, "Sister Yan seems to hate me. Ever since we met in the corridor, she always acted like she didn''t care about us. Sister Yu, did I do something wrong to make Sister Yan unhappy? "


    "How could that be?" Ye Jinyu shook her head, she wanted to say something, but was a little hesitant. Her gaze flickered as she looked at Mama Shang and Bi He who were waiting at the side.


    Jin Lan understood and sent them away, "Mama, Bi He, you two go back first. See if the house is ready? I will go with Sister Yu, there''s no need to worry. "


    Bi He looked at Ye Jinyu worriedly, but just as she was about to speak, she was pulled back by the Mama Shang, causing the two of them to leave.


    After waiting for Mama Shang and Bi He to leave, Ye Jinyu also sent the servant girl behind him to the side. She then held onto Jin Lan''s hand and spoke gently: "It''s not that you did anything wrong, but some things were seen by the people around you and turned into dissension." With that, she meaningfully glanced at the backs of Mama Shang and Bi He.


    Jin Lan instantly understood that all of this was because of the Mama Shang.


    The Mama Shang was an old man who followed beside the Old Ancestor, and seemed to be rather trusted by the Old Ancestor. However, it was precisely such a person who was sent to the Yangzhou, becoming the teaching Mama of a branch lady like her, how could Ye Jinyan not be jealous? If she remembered correctly, even though Ye Jinyan''s Mama s came from the palace, they couldn''t compare to the trusted Mama Shang s by the Old Ancestor''s side.


    Presumably because of this, Ye Jinyan''s heart was filled with jealousy. In the short period of half a day that she had just entered the palace, she had constantly put on airs, and teamed up with other girls to ridicule and snub her.


    Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief and blessed Ye Jinyu, saying, "Thank you, Sister Yu, for telling me the truth."


    Since she knew the root of the matter, then everything would be easy to handle. Especially since there were no other reasons involved, she was relieved.


    "What is sister doing?" Ye Jinyu immediately reached out to support her, and said with a pouting expression: "I only want to be sisters, it''s a blessing from my previous life, don''t ruin the friendship between sisters for such a small matter."


    "Sister Yu, don''t worry. I will definitely be more careful in the future. I will no longer anger Sister Yan." She would not take the initiative to cause trouble, but that did not mean that Ye Jinyan could continue to step on her head.


    Seeing that although Jin Lan was young, he was able to see through the bigger picture, Ye Jinyu became even closer to her. Looking at the sky which had already darkened, he said: "Let''s go back quickly.


    Jin Lan also felt the cold get heavier. Even though he was wearing a cotton-padded jacket and a cloak, he could not help but shiver. He stomped his feet and said, "Alright."


    The servant girls who were waiting at the side rushed back to the Plum Pavilion, and after they said their goodbyes, Ye Jinyu went to the East Wing s and Jin Lan went to the west wing rooms. As they stepped onto the stairs, they saw Wan Ju lift up the curtain to welcome her.


    The earth dragon ignited within the house, and right after entering, the cold air around her dissipated. Wan Ju quickly took off her cape, and the Mama Shang helped her lie down on the warm brick bed. She also wrapped her in a bed, and Bi He quickly poured herself a cup of hot tea to bring over.


    After drinking the tea and holding it for a while, Jin Lan felt his almost frozen limbs gradually regain their senses.


    Wan Ju looked at her lips which had turned white from the cold, and said with a pained heart: "What this servant said Imperial Physician Situ is right, this lady''s body is not in a cold or bitter place, and it''s only just winter, and this lady can''t take it anymore. How do you expect me to endure this for such a long time?"


    If it was earlier, Jin Lan would surely have looked worried, but now that she had a plan, her heart relaxed a little. She said with a smile," My body is always like this. The Old Ancestor knows that if I can''t handle it, I''ll just get sick. After the birthday feast, I can return to Yangzhou, no?


    Seeing her cursing at him, Wan Ju immediately covered her mouth with her hands, "Pui! Everything is fine, why did the young lady start cursing herself? "


    Bi He nodded her head, "That''s right, no matter what, the young lady should be safe and sound!"


    Jin Lan helplessly looked at the two mummies who couldn''t turn their heads, and then looked up at Mama Shang who seemed to be deep in thought, "What does Mama think?"


    Mama Shang was stunned, facing Jin Lan''s cunning eyes, he immediately understood, and his eyes could not help but light up, "This method is not bad!"

 C105

    An idea started forming in Jin Lan''s mind, but whether or not she could use this method, was still up to 50%. With Mama Shang''s approval, she felt a little more confident, "Does Mama also think that this method is feasible?"


    The Mama Shang lowered her head in thought. After a while, she raised her head, her gaze calm, "The Old Ancestor should know how young lady is, and since the young lady has just arrived in the capital, it is common for her to not submit. Even the imperial physician cannot say anything."


    Jin Lan thought for a moment, and felt that the Mama Shang''s words made sense, so he said: "Since the soil and water cannot stand it, then we should do it as soon as possible. If we were to take another two or three days in peace, it might cause suspicions."


    Wan Ju and Bi He, who had originally been confused, turned around and thought that the idea was very good, but their original plan was a little weaker. Bi He frowned and asked: "Does Miss plan on ''getting sick'' until the ancestor''s birthday? "However, it''s not a serious illness. A few batches of medicine and some rest would be enough. I''m afraid we won''t be able to reach that point in time."


    Wan Ju placed the warm hand stove with the autumn cotton sleeve into Jin Lan''s hands, used her shoulder to lightly touch Bi He, and said while winking: "This lady does not accept the conditions of the soil and water, and cannot eat or sleep well, her body is getting weaker and weaker, and the atmosphere in the capital is cold, and is prone to getting cold, how can it be so easy to say yes?"


    Jin Lan covered his mouth and laughed, giving her a gaze worthy of teaching. Even the Mama Shang revealed a trace of a noble smile.


    The four of them sat down to discuss everything in detail, going through all the details that needed to be paid attention to. All the people they had to face, as well as possible situations, were all included in their discussion.


    With the Mama Shang''s understanding of the old ancestor, it was extremely likely that he would find an excuse to bring them one by one to her place for questioning. Moreover, Jin Lan would definitely not benefit from this, and the relationship between the Lan family and the Lan family would worsen.


    The stakes were very high, so he had to be careful.


    That night, Jin Lan became ill, and came in full fury. He was unable to get up the next day.


    Early in the morning, when Mama Shang was about to get up, Mama Shang rushed over to the Longevity Hall. When Madame Chen heard that Jin Lan was ill, she immediately got a name letter from Mama Wu and went to the imperial hospital to ask for an imperial physician to support his pulse.


    In less than an hour, the Mama Wu led a middle-aged imperial physician into the Plum Garden.


    Jin Lan was lying on the lotus bed with his bent legs. There was a wet cotton handkerchief draped over his head. There were also two thick bedsheets covering his body. His small white face was suffused with a peculiar flush.


    When the imperial physician entered the room, the veil covering the bed had already been removed, revealing only a small section of her white wrist outside. Wan Ju covered the silk handkerchief with it, and the imperial physician placed his hand on the vein.


    Wan Ju and Bi He who was behind him had a nervous expression on their face. Although Mama Shang had a stern face and could not tell what she was thinking, they could not hide the anxiety in her eyes.


    Only after a long while did the imperial physician withdraw his hand.


    Mama Wu asked anxiously: "Imperial Physician Wang, my lady''s illness..."


    "This lady is born cold and weak. Coupled with the recent cold weather, she has been slightly careless, causing the cold evil to enter her body and causing her to be in seclusion. I''m afraid that ¡­"


    "What is it?" Wan Ju and Bi He asked at the same time.


    Mama Wu glanced at them. Considering that the two were worried about Jin Lan, they did not make a sound as they too stared at Imperial Physician Wang anxiously.


    "There''s no danger to my life." Imperial Physician Wang thought for a moment, then said: "You just need to rest up in bed, you must not touch typhoid again."


    Hearing Imperial Physician Wang say this, the two maidservants'' hearts were finally at ease. Even Jin Lan, who was in the tent, heaved a sigh of relief.


    She was really sick.


    Originally, he wanted to use the reason of feigning sickness to avoid some conspiracy, but he didn''t expect that during the night, he would suddenly get a fever, and the Mama Shang sent people back to the Eldest Wife. They even invited doctors to help them catch the medicine that night, but drinking the medicine had no effect, instead, their illness became more and more serious. When the sky turned white, her whole body felt sore and weak.


    As he thought about it, a wry smile appeared on Jin Lan''s face. What a coincidence, but the heavens were helping her or torturing her!


    That is to say, he''s really sick? Mama Wu raised her eyebrows. She was still a little suspicious as she looked at the layer of blue gauze covering the cicada''s wings. Yesterday, she had just entered the residence, but today, she was sick. Could it be that she had really discovered something?


    Mama Shang did not seem to see the doubt on Mama Wu''s face, she prepared a brush and ink and invited him to the side.


    After waiting for Imperial Physician Wang''s figure to exit the screen, Jin Lan raised her head and looked at Mama Wu''s slightly suspicious eyes through the veil. She knew that Mama Wu definitely represented the Old Ancestor''s eyes, and since they had doubts, she would let them have enough of it!


    "Mama." Jin Lan lifted the veil, exposing his flushed face to the Mama Wu''s gaze. He struggled to get up.


    Mama Wu was shocked, she did not expect her to be this sick, so she quickly went forward to hold her down and gently advised: "Miss, quickly lie down, what if you catch a cold again?" As she said this, she even pulled the sheet up, accidentally touching Jin Lan''s soft hand, feeling that his hand was very hot.


    He was now certain that Jin Lan was truly sick.


    After a long while, the Imperial Physician Wang finished writing and handed over the prescription to the Mama Shang who was waiting at the side, and said with a loud voice: "Young lady is still young, and has a disease, this time she is cold, the illness is fierce, and needs more effort to recuperate. These two prescriptions, one for fever and the other for cold, the other for rest and recuperation, both take two doses a day, three bowls of water decoction into a bowl, and take it while it is hot. Miss must not take any wind during this period of time. If you are not careful and catch a cold, it will be difficult to recover from it. "


    Mama Shang took the prescription, "This servant will remember your orders, Imperial Physician Wang, and thank you very much."


    Seeing that Imperial Physician Wang was packing up his medical kit and was about to leave, Mama Wu did not stay any longer. He bent his knees and personally sent Imperial Physician Wang out. The Mama Shang naturally followed him out. Firstly, it was to retrieve the medicinal herbs, and secondly, he came to prevent the Mama Wu from having any ulterior motives.


    Outside the door, Chamomile watched them go through the gate of the Plum Garden and back into the house, closing the door behind them. She and Bi He looked at each other before hurrying to the bed. They hung up the drapes and said to Jin Lan in a soft voice, "Miss, Imperial Physician Wang and Wu mama have left.


    Only then did Jin Lan slowly lift up the bed sheets, and handed over the items to Wan Ju. It was actually a furnace.


    Wan Ju took the copper stove that was already slightly hot, while Bi He held Jin Lan''s hand and looked at it carefully, "Miss, are you hot?"


    "I''m fine." Jin Lan waved his hand and replied softly, "Aren''t I fine? I kept the stove under the covers, not always in my hand. "


    It was just that it was not as serious as Imperial Physician Wang had said, but in order to be safe, she still made preparations. Putting aside the fact that Mama Wu had hurried over with Imperial Physician Wang first, his limbs were extremely cold. Adding the fact that she had deliberately used her hand that covered the furnace to touch him, it naturally gave him a different feeling.


    "Miss, do you want to wash your face first? This servant will wring the handkerchief for you. " Wan Ju tested the temperature of the water and felt that it was just right, so she asked softly.


    After some thought, Jin Lan shook his head and said, "No need." Perhaps the Old Ancestor would even send someone over to keep it as it was.


    Her face was covered with a thin layer of powder, which was made from a bit of rouge mixed with jade hairpin powder. When applied to her face, it made her cheeks turn even redder due to the high temperature.


    Hearing her words, Wan Ju looked at the steaming pot of water, and turned to look at the screen, only to see a red blush forming on her face, as though she wanted to say something, she hesitated.


    "What''s wrong?" Jin Lan did not miss the hesitation on Wan Ju''s face, and instead, she shifted her numb body and wanted to sit up, but she did not have much strength left in her body, so she tried and failed to do so.


    Wan Ju and Bi He hurriedly helped her up, and also placed the blue lakeshore over her back, allowing her to comfortably lean on it. After organizing everything properly, Wan Ju then asked hesitantly, "Miss, are you not afraid that Imperial Physician Wang would leak some information with Mama Wu?"


    After all, they did not know each other when they were at Imperial Physician Wang. Just now when they were trying to raise their meridians, their hearts almost reached their throats, just in case they heard Imperial Physician Wang spitting out an inappropriate word. Fortunately, Imperial Physician Wang still opened his mouth as expected, or else he really wouldn''t know how to end it.


    Jin Lan revealed a weak smile, but his clear eyes flashed with craftiness. "Don''t worry, no matter which imperial physician I''m talking about, they will all say the same thing as Imperial Physician Wang, and there won''t be a second explanation."


    Bi He paused for a while, then asked curiously: "Why?"


    "Why? Just because they''re imperial doctors. " Jin Lan leaned on his pillow, tilted his head, and replied slowly. "Even though this is the Marquis Mansion, the Old Ancestor is still a First Princess."


    Changing the rules of the court was a taboo for the Imperial Family. Even though the Old Ancestor had married into a noble family, in his bones, he was still the most respected First Princess Prince in the Great Zhou Empire. Furthermore, she was already sick, so the cold poison was indeed in her body. Lying in bed to recuperate was the only way, unless the Imperial Physician Wang had a way to remove the cold poison from her body. However, even Imperial Physician Situ was at a loss for what to do, this Imperial Physician Wang might ¡­


    While they were conversing, Mama Shang had already brought the medicine back. The Ye Mansion already had a medicine store in it, and the herbs inside were much better than outside. When Imperial Physician Wang reached the Longevity Hall, he told the Madame Chen to send the formula to the medicine shop to catch the medicine.


    Although decocting medicine was one of the duties of the medicine house, Mama Shang was still worried. Using Imperial Physician Wang''s words as an arrow, he retrieved the medicinal ingredients and the clean purple sand jar.


    The rich smell of medicine slowly pervaded the room. Jin Lan had not been able to sleep soundly last night, and now that he smelled medicine, he was actually a little tired. Just as he fell into a daze, Jin Qian''s soft voice came from outside: "Miss Jin Lan, Eldest Wife has come to see you."


    Eldest Wife? Jin Lan trembled, and instantly opened her eyes. She knew that the Old Ancestor would not let go of all his suspicions so easily, she just did not expect that the one who came was the elder''s direct relative, the Madame Fu!

 C106

    Madame Fu, the manager mother of the capital city''s main family, and the biological mother of the Seventh Miss Ye Jinyan.


    Jin Lan was not worried about Madame Fu''s identity and schemes, rather, he was worried about the fact that Madame Fu was born in a medicinal family. That year, the Old Master of the Fu Clan had coincidentally cured the Prince Consort of the First Princess, which was why they had formed a good relationship. Although it was not comparable to the famous doctors of the current world, it was still possible to differentiate between the ordinary people and the ordinary people.


    Right now, the Madame Fu had taken time out from her busy schedule to condescend to rely on Plum Garden to visit Yue Yang. This must have been the Old Ancestor''s idea. Otherwise, how could a junior like her receive such "honor"?


    This time, the Madame Fu would probably not be so easily fooled.


    Jin Lan felt a little guilty. His hands and feet, which originally lacked strength, became even softer now. Wan Ju and Bi He''s faces were also filled with panic. They did not know that the Madame Fu was an expert in medical knowledge, but they were worried about the identity of the Madame Fu and the possibility of him infiltrating the Jin Lan Gang.


    Mama Shang looked at the medicine that was about to be fried, she turned and walked to the bed, her gaze calm, "Miss, Eldest Wife came to visit, and couldn''t compare to other people, you have to be more careful, if you are not careful and get over your illness, it will not be good."


    A series of deep words stabilized Jin Lan''s originally chaotic state of mind. She looked at Mama Shang and her eyes regained their clarity, "Mama is right." Then, he pretended to cough twice, and weakly ordered Wan Ju: "Quickly go and invite Aunt Tang over."


    Jin Lan''s calmness made the two maids feel as if they had found their own way. They hurriedly hid the panic in their eyes and opened the door as usual, just in time to see Mama Wu accompanying Madame Fu into the western wing''s Dazzling Spring Sect.


    "Greetings to Eldest Wife." Wan Ju welcomed them and paid her respects to the Madame Fu.


    "Get up, are you girls better?" Madame Fu waved her hands and without stopping, she walked straight into the door.


    Wan Ju quickly got up and opened the curtain, then said with a smile: "Reporting to the Eldest Wife, young lady is preparing to drink the medicine right now." She only said that the young lady wanted to drink the medicine, secretly indicating that the time was not right for the Madame Fu to appear.


    These were the words that Mama Shang had specially taught her before she left. Firstly, it was to prevent her being nervous while telling lies from accidentally falling into the trap; secondly, it was to prevent Madame Fu from understanding the depths of their abilities.


    With regards to this shrewd Eldest Wife, Jin Lan and the Mama Shang were fully focused, and did not dare to underestimate him in the slightest.


    Just as Madame Fu was about to enter, she shot a glance at Wan Ju, and said with a glint in her eyes, "This girl is quite a coincidence."


    "Thank you, Eldest Wife, for your praise. How could I compare to the sisters by your side?" Wan Ju replied softly, lowering her head with her chest down. She raised her hand high up, just in front of her slightly trembling eyelids.


    Taking the chance that Wan Ju had caught the Madame Fu, the Mama Shang had already finished cooking Medicinal Juice and poured it into a white porcelain bowl, which she placed on a small bowl. She also didn''t remove the medicine jar from the bowl because she wanted to make the room smell like medicine.


    When Madame Fu entered, the warm spring air, mixed with the smell of medicine, rushed towards her. Mama Wu could not resist using a handkerchief to cover her nose, but she did not change her expression.


    Mama Shang came out from behind the screen, coincidentally blocking the entrance between the bed and the screen, "This servant pays his respects to Eldest Wife."


    "It was originally Mama Shang." The smile on Madame Fu''s face became wider, and she glanced at the bed which only revealed a little bit of Jin Lan''s messy hair, "Mama is an old man by the ancestor''s side, how could she commit such a crime? It had always been the job of the pharmacy to fry medicine. The medicine boys there all knew a bit about medicine, and they also knew how to handle the fire and make the medicine just right. Mama had secretly brought the medicine back, and had even left the pot of medicine inside the house. If this continues, how can I allow you to rest and recuperate in peace? "


    As expected, Madame Fu was not easy to deal with. She used the smell of the medicine in the room to make an article, and not only did she break the rules, she even secretly smelt medicine in the room to test for Jinlan''s illness. Since she had used Wan Ju''s little trick just now, and was able to disrupt the other party''s thoughts, killing two birds with one stone.


    Jin Lan resisted the urge to turn his head to look, and clenched his small hands into fists under the sheets.


    "Eldest Wife is right." Mama Shang had already expected that Madame Fu would mention this matter, but she was not flustered at all. She maintained a straight face and explained in a deep voice: "Just now Imperial Physician Wang''s prescription said that Miss must drink it when it is hot, and the pharmacy is very far from the Plum Garden. With the cold weather added on top of that, by the time the medicine was ready, it would probably be cold. That''s why this servant made the decision on my own, and placed the medicine inside the room. Firstly, it''s convenient to take care of it, and secondly, it''s so that this young lady can take the medicine in time according to Imperial Physician Wang''s instructions. "


    No matter if it was the Imperial Physician Wang''s words or his actions, they were all perfectly round. If she insisted on holding onto his words, it would inevitably make people feel that she was deliberately making things difficult for him.


    Moments later, the smile on her face faded.


    Seeing that, the Mama Wu hurriedly interrupted: "Even though it''s like that, you can''t hold back your breath. The entire room''s medicinal smell, I''m afraid even the young lady wouldn''t feel good about it."


    "This matter is also my fault for thinking too much." Mama Shang glanced at Mama Wu who was standing up, "But this servant had no choice, when Imperial Physician Wang was opening her meridians, Sister Wu was there, Imperial Physician Wang said that you must not get typhoid fever, if you open the door, I''m afraid ¡­"


    Her neither fast nor slow words caused Mama Wu to be at a loss for words. She turned furious, but she still continued to smile, "I forgot, I forgot."


    The Madame Fu was not in the mood to get entangled with the Mama Shang, she was the one in charge of all the matters in the house, there were even a lot of Mama s waiting for her to reply and claim their tags, she was busy all day, if not for the Old Ancestor personally asking her to come, how would she have the time to visit a young lady?


    She immediately withdrew her smile and said indifferently: "Since that''s the case, you guys follow Imperial Physician Wang''s words and take good care of this lady, don''t be careless."


    "Yes." Mama Shang replied respectfully, her body moved slightly to the side, opening up a path. She did not expect that the Madame Fu would return home just because of these words. She only wanted to buy some time for Jin Lan so she could settle down and fight the Madame Fu.


    Whether he lost or not still depended on Jin Lan''s performance in the end.


    Just as Mama Shang finished speaking, before she could take a second step, she heard a weak voice say, "Bi He, hurry up and help me up."


    "Ah?" "Yes!" Bi He only regained her senses after being stunned for a moment, and quickly reached out to help Jin Lan up.


    "What is this?" Madame Fu had already walked to the bed, her fair and plump hands lightly lifted the drapes hanging on the silver hook, but there were some curtains hanging down, causing Jin Lan''s red face to jump into his eyes, "Quickly lie down, your body isn''t well, so there''s no need to be so polite, what if you freeze after standing up?" As he spoke, his face had changed to one of concern.


    Even though sshe said that, how could Jin Lan take it seriously? Madame Fu was so concerned about the juniors, if she really treated him as a fake, he was afraid that she would become a person who took advantage of him. But at this time, she was indeed in a difficult position to get up from, so with Bi He''s support, she made a ''blessed'' position on the bed, and drooped her head gloomily: "Thank you for your concern Aunt, when Lan Er is fully recovered, I will definitely kowtow to Aunt." Then she continued: "Wan Ju, look at this, Bi He, quickly serve some tea to Aunt."


    Wan Ju immediately brought the round plum blossom chair to the bedside and placed a embroidered cushion on it. Just as Bi He moved, he saw Mama Shang bringing a fresh tea tray with red lacquer carved flowers.


    Madame Fu slowly sat down and accepted the cup of tea. She then placed it on top of the small bowl and swept her gaze across the white porcelain bowl with the Medicinal Juice s, then started to carefully study Jin Lan. She had a listless look, her eyes were unfocused, perhaps because of a fever, her cheeks were burning red, her lips were dry and covered with scabs, and she looked extremely weak.


    Her eyes flashed and she held the soft hand next to the pillow. She felt that it was scalding hot. She sighed and said lovingly, "Poor child, to be this ill." As he spoke, he placed his finger on her pulse.


    Jin Lan knew that the Madame Fu was trying to find out more about her, and although she was prepared, she couldn''t help but panic when the matter was about to come to an end. At the moment, she did not see it, nor did she look away. She simply sized up Madame Fu''s attire, and used it to avoid the probing gaze.


    Madame Fu had obviously received orders from the Old Ancestor at the last minute, and was in a hurry to come here. She was dressed in a golden robe with peach blossom patterns, and was tied up in a ponytail. Her hair was sparkling with jade, and there were quite a few bracelets on her body. According to the memories of her past life, this should be the attire of Madame Fu''s morning manager.


    It seemed that the Old Ancestor''s suspicion of her illness was not all that high. He was so impatient to have the Madame Fu come and investigate, causing Jin Lan''s heart to sink even further.


    The smile on Madame Fu''s face did not change, but her eyes gradually became cautious. Although she was not as skilled as the physicians of the Grand Hospital, but it was possible for her to have a deep cold poison in her body. From the pulse, typhoid fever could not be considered serious, but her bones were not like that of an ordinary person''s, and it was inevitable that it would drag things down a little.


    Jin Lan touched upon the serious heaviness of the Madame Fu, and immediately felt a sense of unease in her heart. She pretended to move her body, moving her wrist which was lightly gripped by the Madame Fu, and spoke naively: "Aunt, do not worry, Lan Er is not afraid to drink medicine. As long as you drink medicine on time, it will be alright."


    Madame Fu''s mind flashed, the corners of her mouth curled up, and she let go of her hand, saying amiably: "Girl Lan may be young, but she is still so sensible. If Jinyan is half as obedient, I am relieved." While sighing, she suddenly stretched out her hand towards Jin Lan''s face, looking like an elder caring for a junior.


    Jin Lan''s pupils constricted. Her face was powdered, and could not find anything wrong with it, but when she touched it with her hand, there was no limit to it. With Madame Fu''s shrewdness, he could definitely guess her little scheme.


    What should he do? Madame Fu''s hand kept getting bigger in front of her eyes as her heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cave ¡­

 C107

    No! Everyone''s heart leaped to their throats, Mama Shang''s gaze inadvertently glanced at the Sea Bowl with Medicinal Juice on it. In a moment of desperation, she did not care much and quickly brought it over, "Miss, it''s time to drink the medicine!"


    A voice filled with urgency and flashing eyes made Jin Lan take a look at the medicine bowl that was handed to him. He steeled his heart, raised his hand to cover his mouth, and started to cough violently.


    With her touch, the bowl of water that was unable to be held back suddenly fell from Mama Shang''s hands. With a "Clang Dang", it fell onto the edge of the bed and crashed into a few pieces on the floor. The piercing sound of porcelain mixed with Madame Fu''s scream rang throughout the room.


    Although the majority of the bowl of Medicinal Juice spilled onto the bed, Madame Fu was too close, and she couldn''t avoid it in time, so the remaining half of the bowl splashed onto her body.


    For a moment, everyone in the room was stunned.


    Jin Lan stopped coughing and panted, as if he had just realized the situation in front of him. He immediately became stupefied, and stood up to wipe the Medicinal Juice on Madame Fu''s body in a hurry, and stuttered: "Aunt Tang, y-I''m sorry, I-I didn''t do it on purpose."


    The stunned crowd finally reacted, the Mama Wu quickly helped the Madame Fu up, and asked anxiously: "Eldest Wife, did you heat it up?" As she spoke, she turned to the maidservants outside and shouted, "Go get a doctor!"


    "I''m fine, don''t disturb the Old Ancestor." Madame Fu''s face was extremely ugly. Fortunately the sky was cold and the clothes were thick, although they had spattered many Medicinal Juice s, they were not scalding hot. It was just that the Ten Thousand Blessed Clouds Satin Skirt that was only worn on her body today was ruined.


    "It was this servant''s fault!" Mama Shang made a prompt decision, without caring about the filth on the floor, she kneeled down, "This servant accidentally knocked over the medicine bowl, Eldest Wife, please punish me!" Originally, she had wanted to use the matter of drinking the medicine to stop the Madame Fu''s movements, but she never thought that Jin Lan would be so daring!


    However, as she was in a daze, she saw Jin Lan give her a wink, and immediately understood that she had to delay her plan.


    Seeing that the Mama Shang understood her own hardships, Jin Lan''s tensed heart slightly relaxed. Raising his reddened eyes, he panted and pleaded, "It''s none of my business, it''s, it''s Lan Er''s fault. If Aunt wants to punish me, you can punish me!" As he spoke, he began to cough violently again.


    "Look at what you''ve said, it''s not like you meant it. Why would I blame you?" Seeing that she was coughing so much that she could not even breathe, Madame Fu opened her mouth and spoke a few sentences before turning to Mama Shang, "Mama should get up as well. Girl Lan''s medicine has spilled all over the place, quickly cook another bowl, don''t miss the time to drink the medicine."


    "Yes." Mama Shang did not even raise her eyes, she stood up and left to prepare the medicinal herbs.


    Madame Fu didn''t know that the Old Ancestor had already sent the Mama Shang''s indenture contract to the Yangzhou, and thought to herself that in the end, she was still someone close to the Old Ancestor, which was why she had gently lifted her up.


    "Thank you, Aunt Tang." Madame Fu did not punish Mama Shang, and Jin Lan could not help but heave a sigh of relief. From what he knew in his previous life, Madame Fu''s conduct and actions required a lot of face, otherwise, she would not take such risky moves.


    The smile on Madame Fu''s face could no longer stay, she had originally thought that Jin Lan was just a nine year old child, even if he pretended to be sick, he would probably be moved by the people around him. She didn''t expect that before she could get to the bottom of it, her skirt would have already been touched by the seedling.


    When she thought of the pleated skirt on her body, her heart throbbed in pain. This was the cloud silk brocade that the old master had specially ordered someone to bring back from the sea. Usually, when buying brocade, the price would be two, but this cloud silk brocade was different.


    It was commonly known as one tael of cloud silk and one tael of gold, but in reality, things at sea were extremely difficult to get hold of. Thus, this warm winter and summer cool cloud silk brocade was often bought without money. Even a noble''s house like Ye Mansion could only get two, one in the old ancestor''s cage, and the other one just so happened to be on her body today.


    Lowering her head to look at the large patch of brown filth on her skirt, Madame Fu was so conflicted that she almost couldn''t speak. Adding the warm Medicinal Juice which had dripped into her embroidered shoes, she felt extremely sticky and unwell. Since the others had also seen her pulse, the Old Ancestor could pass the information on to her as well. After exchanging a few words, she turned around and was about to leave.


    "Aunt Tang, please wait a moment." Seeing that the Madame Fu was about to leave, Jin Lan hurriedly asked him to stay.


    Wan Ju and Bi He could not help but be shocked, it was so difficult for the Eldest Wife to leave, but this lady was actually allowed to stay?


    "Why?" Madame Fu stopped and turned around to look at Jin Lan with a fake smile, "Is there anything else?"


    Jin Lan weakly laughed, his clear eyes flashing with fear. He hesitated for a moment, and then said: "The old ancestor''s birthday is coming up, yet Lan Er is caught in a cold, and relying on the Plum Garden has many sisters living in it, it''s inevitable that there will be an accident when people come in and out of the Plum Garden. If any of the sisters were to accidentally go too far, it would be Lan Er''s grave mistake. "


    As they talked, she looked at Madame Fu''s expression, but there were no major changes. Only then did she continue: "So I kept thinking, please ask Aunt to see which manor is quieter, and let Lan Er move over. Firstly, to be able to calm his heart and recuperate her illness, and secondly, to prevent it from affecting our ancestors and our sisters."


    Madame Fu raised her eyebrows and said: "Girl Lan is overthinking it. You travelled thousands of miles to the capital to congratulate the Old Ancestor on his death, how can you catch a bit of cold and send you to the manor? When people who don''t know saw this, they thought that we were suppressing the other branches, and that not even our nephews and daughters could survive! "


    "Lan Er doesn''t dare!" Jin Lan''s face revealed his fear, "Lan Er is just..."


    "Aunt Tang knows that you''re just worried about the other sisters." The Madame Fu waved her hand to interrupt Jin Lan, and her eyes flashed, "How about this, it just so happens that your third sister''s Lotus Root is still empty. I''ll have someone to clean it up, you can stay there for now, and as for going to the manor, don''t mention it anymore.


    The Lotus Root of the three young misses? Mama Shang''s face changed slightly.


    Jin Lan didn''t think too much about it. She had wanted to move out of the Plum Garden to prevent people from talking too much. To go to the manor was just an illusion, the Madame Fu would definitely not allow it, but since she could not go to the manor, she could only arrange for another location. If not, if there really was a lady who accidentally caught a cold again, then this matter would definitely become a matter for the Madame Fu. Everyone in the second and third branch all coveted the rights of the butler, and wished that the Madame Fu would make a mistake.


    Although Madame Fu''s tone was not good, Jin Lan still thanked him gratefully.


    Madame Fu gave her a deep look before hurriedly leaving the Plum Garden with Mama Wu.


    It was only after hearing their footsteps gradually disappear from his ears that Jin Lan finally heaved a sigh of relief. Only then did he realize that his forehead was already covered in sweat, and when he touched it with his hand, it was so wet that it seemed as if there was still faint red powder on it. "Bi He, bring the water over, I want to wash my face."


    She had never liked smearing makeup on her face before, so she was forced to do so. Now that the danger was temporarily gone, with the confirmation from Imperial Physician Wang and Imperial Physician Wang, no one would ever suspect that she was sick. Even if the Old Ancestor was suspicious, he wouldn''t send anyone over to investigate.


    Bi He immediately brought over the copper basin that was still warm, twisted the handkerchief and gave Jin Lan a clean face. Only when all the powder on her face had been wiped away, revealing a blushing little face, did she stop, and helped her tidy up the messy hair. She could not help but say: "Miss, in the future, don''t play with me like this, I cannot bear it."


    "That''s right!" Wan Ju who was busy cleaning up the mess also nodded, her face still filled with fear: "It''s so scary."


    She looked at the two of them who seemed to have survived a disaster. She could not help but burst out laughing, and then took out the furnace and handed it over to Bi He. "Don''t worry, when we move to the Lotus Root, we will not need to be so afraid all day."


    Mama Shang placed the medicine jar back on the fire stove, then turned around and entered the screen. Coincidentally, when Jin Lan mentioned Lotus Root, his face couldn''t help but turn gloomy, thought for a bit, and then made up his mind and spoke: "Miss, that Lotus Root ¡­ "It''s not a good place."


    The three of them were stunned, and Jin Lan asked, "What? Isn''t Lotus Root the third big sister''s courtyard? Is there something wrong with that? "


    She didn''t know much about the three young women who came from the main house. She only knew that her sister was the main house''s daughter, and that she was extremely beautiful. The one who married her was the top beauty, so she didn''t know much about it.


    With regards to the matter of the family''s secret, Mama Shang had no choice but to be cautious. She first checked that the lower windows were not completely closed, then carefully opened the door and peeped out to confirm that no one was listening to the corner before closing the door and closing it.


    Seeing her actions, Jin Lan''s heart shivered, and let Wan Ju and Bi He guard outside the door and window, then signaled Mama Shang to sit and speak.


    The Mama Shang sat on the round plum blossom chair that Madame Fu had sat on. She first sighed, then softly explained to her about the matter, "The third lady was given by Aunt Ying, and was half a year older than the fourth lady that his wife had given him. She was the eldest daughter of the eldest wife. The three ladies were the same as the young lady, their small bodies didn''t look good. They bumped into each other until they were thirteen years old, but they looked like ethereal women emerging from the water, slim and graceful. Furthermore, the third young miss is an intelligent and talented woman. Her fame is widespread in the capital and the people who came to ask for her hand in marriage are endless. Even the fourth young miss, as her direct daughter, was suppressed by her. "


    As a concubine, how could the Eldest Wife allow her to suppress her own daughter? Jin Lan was slightly moved. He guessed that this third sister, whom he had never met, must be having a difficult time.


    "Later on, for some unknown reason, the successor of Huai Nan''s Marquis Mansion also took a fancy to the three young misses. When this matter was found out by the Eldest Wife, he immediately became furious. That crown prince was someone the Eldest Wife had his eyes on for the four young misses. This matter caused quite a commotion for a long time, and then, with the Old Ancestor in charge, the three young maidens were betrothed to the newly promoted Rankers, and the four young maidens were appointed as the heirs of Duke Huai Nan. The two of them left the pavilion on the same day. "


    The matter of love, was also only this much. A sliver of disappointment slipped across Jin Lan''s heart, "Since that''s the case, what does it have to do with Lotus Root?"


    "Miss, these are all public matters." Mama Shang curled her fingers and tightly gripped the handkerchief. Her face was slightly pale, "Back then, the newbie in the sedan wasn''t Third Miss, he was just a maid who somewhat resembled Third Miss.


    As she spoke to here, she paused, looked at Jin Lan''s young and tender face, hesitated for a moment, then said with gritted teeth: "The real Third Miss, on the night before her wedding, had already suspended herself within Lotus Root!"

 C108

    Madame Fu hurriedly returned to the Ying Xue Hall that she lived in, changed her clothes from head to toe after washing up, and lit a Su He incense to dilute the remaining medicinal smell before leaving for Longevity Hall.


    The Old Ancestor Madame Chen was sitting on the hot brick bed, holding a letter in one hand and an enameled mirror in the other.


    The land dragon burned vigorously within the house. There was a bronze carved Twin Lives Bracelet at the side of the brick bed, and the silver frost inside was burning brilliantly. It was warm, even hotter than in the Jin Lan room, and all the servants inside had been sent out, leaving only Mama Wu to beat her legs.


    Hearing that there was a servant outside, Madame Chen placed the letter and a mirror on top of the carriage, and looked up to see the figure of Madame Fu.


    "Greetings to the Old Ancestor." Madame Fu''s gaze swept across them from a few moments ago, and then bowed and greeted respectfully. All these years, the second and third branch house had been getting more and more powerful. If not for the Old Ancestor''s support, she might not have been able to hold her position as the housekeeper, so she truly respected and fawned over the Old Ancestor.


    Madame Chen looked at her clothes and waved her hand, saying: "Take a seat, how is Girl Lan?"


    Madame Fu sat on the brick bed and looked at Madame Chen a few times, but she only got a little wet. She did not sit on the bed, "She did indeed suffer from the cold, it seems that she is approaching menacingly, but..."


    Madame Chen''s eyes focused, her hand that was originally going to carry the tea cup stopped, "But what?"


    "However, from the pulse, I can''t be sure." Madame Fu hurriedly smiled and replied, "Nephew Lan''s daughter''s body is indeed weak, and has extremely severe cold ailments. This way, her meridians would be hard to recognize."


    The meaning behind his words was that Jin Lan was sick, but whether it was light or serious was unknown.


    Madame Chen lowered her head and pondered, then said: "Since that''s the case, let''s do as Imperial Physician Wang has said, even though my body is weak, wind chill isn''t a big deal, carefully take care of him, adding the good herbs, it shouldn''t be a problem."


    "The Old Ancestor is right." After saying that, the investigation ended. Madame Fu heaved a sigh of relief in her heart, thought for a bit, and then explained Jin Lan''s request without missing a single word. In the end, she continued: "Most of the courtyards in this mansion have been arranged for the guests. Although the guest waiting room is empty, but that place is for the guests to stay in.


    Madame Chen nodded and said, "That''s the theory."


    "That''s why, Granddaughter-in-law thought that Lotus Incense is still empty. Although it has been idle for a long time, the house is still good. Let someone clean it and replace it with a new piece of furniture, then we can also ¡­" Before he finished, he was suddenly choked by Madame Chen''s gaze.


    "You arranged for Girl Lan to live in the Lotus Root?" Madame Chen squinted her eyes slightly, she had already heard of this matter from Mama Wu, but it was not as heavy as what she said, "What kind of place is that, do you not know?"


    Madame Fu''s heart skipped a beat and she quickly explained, "Granddaughter-in-law is naturally clear, it''s just that..."


    "Nonsense!" How could Madame Chen allow her to argue? She slapped her own face heavily onto the table and shouted: You placed Girl Lan there. Aren''t you afraid of people gossiping about you? Do you even want face in this mansion anymore? "


    The smile on Madame Fu''s face froze. Her originally unsettled body abruptly stood up with a "whoosh", her face full of fear. "Granddaughter-in-law knows her wrongs, Old Ancestor should calm her anger." She originally thought that the old ancestor would definitely have some ulterior motives towards this Lan Tang niece after inviting the imperial physician and having her personally probe him. She didn''t think that the little girl would be so highly regarded by the old ancestor!


    Mama Wu normally held many benefits from Madame Fu, so she naturally spoke up for her. She brought the cup over and comforted her: "Master, please drink some tea to quell your anger, don''t be angry and lose your health."


    After waiting upon the Madame Chen and drinking the tea, she glanced at her face slightly relaxed before continuing: "Eldest Wife is also very impatient. Relying on the Plum Garden only has its own bloodline, the back of the hands are all meat, if there really was someone who gave Master a disease, it would not only cause the master to worry, the masters and wives of the various halls would also become anxious."


    "Mama Wu is right." Madame Fu was like a clove of garlic as she repeatedly chimed in, "Granddaughter-in-law Sun was also thinking, that Lotus Root was indeed... It was not far from the Plum Garden, and it has been peaceful for so many years. In a moment of desperation, I finally managed to get my niece Lan to move in, and when she recovered, I''ll move back to the Plum Garden. "


    Although Madame Chen''s expression softened, her tone was still cold. "Compared to Lotus Root, doesn''t the Jadeite Ice Pavilion move forward a bit more in comparison to the Leaning Plum Garden? Why didn''t you arrange for the Girl Lan to come to the Jadesea Pavilion? "


    However, he did not dare to show it in front of Madame Chen. He could only endure it and forced out a smile, saying, "Tong''er will be home in a few days, he said that he is accompanying the Old Ancestor on his birthday."


    Although Ye Jintong has already married, Huai Nan''s Marquis Mansion is not far away. She would occasionally come back to stay for a while, but most of the time, the Jade Tong Pavilion is still empty. In terms of decorations, the Lotus Root naturally couldn''t compare to the Jade Tong Pavilion, which was always overseen by people.


    Madame Chen''s heart was moved, her gaze filled with kindness. "Tong''er is coming back?"


    Ye Jintong was the first blood relative of the legal wife, so she naturally had the heart of the Madame Chen. Even after that incident that year, the Madame Chen still loved her dearly, and Ye Jintong was good at camping, often returning to her parents'' home to stay and fawn on and repair her relationship with the Madame Chen. Therefore, after marrying for so many years, the Madame Chen was still concerned about her. Compared to Ye Jintong, even Ye Jinyan had to retreat a step.


    "Yes, I sent a message last night saying that he will be back in a few days." Speaking of her eldest daughter, Madame Fu also had a kind smile on her face. She quickly glanced at the Old Ancestor and said, "I''m afraid that Tong''er is pregnant."


    Madame Chen was stunned, she could not hide the smile on his face, "Did you succeed?"


    The Madame Fu smiled and nodded, then said: "I said that I asked Imperial Physician Hua to help me, but it''s just that the time is still short, and I can''t really see the pulse clearly for now, but Tong''er''s matter with her month has yet to come, so there''s a high chance that it''s true. I''ll ask Imperial Physician Hua to come visit me in a few days, I should be able to find out."


    "God bless me." Huai Nan''s Marquis Mansion was an outer sect of the Fifth Prince, and the Fifth Prince was also one of the more powerful people to choose from. If this continued, it would be difficult to protect Ye Jintong''s position from being shaken.


    The Mama Wu laughed and seized the opportunity to praise the Madame Chen, "According to what I said, it is all thanks to master''s great fortune that you were able to protect the wife of the crown prince. If not sooner or later, and if not later, there would be movement at this time, truly a double celebration!"


    "Granddaughter-in-law thinks the same." Madame Fu looked at Mama Wu, and said with a face full of smiles: "The old ancestor is still as profound as ever."


    "Alright, alright, the two of you really seem like you just wiped honey off your face." Madame Chen could only grin from ear to ear. She laughed for a long while before she stopped and stabilized her breathing: "Since Tong''er is pregnant, then don''t let her travel back and forth. She should carefully tire her body."


    Could it be that the Old Ancestor still planned to let Jin Lan, that little girl, move into the Jade Tong Pavilion? A thought flashed through Madame Fu''s mind, then she smiled and said, "Sun''s daughter-in-law originally thought so. It''s just that Tong''er said that no matter what, she will come back for the ancestor''s eightieth birthday. She told me not to worry." After a pause, she continued, "Tong''er also said that it would be good for her to come back and benefit from the good fortune of the old ancestor."


    "This girl, I thought she was really sincere. So she came to see me because of this. She really has no conscience." Madame Chen looked to be in a bad mood, but the curve of her eyes and the smile on the corner of her mouth made anyone with a discerning eye to see that she was extremely happy in her heart. Since that''s the case, let''s have our people properly tidy up the Jade Tong Pavilion and the Lotus Root.


    With that said, Madame Fu heaved a sigh of relief and laughed: "Old Ancestor, don''t worry. Sun Wife will naturally arrange everything properly."


    "Yes." Madame Chen nodded her head, she picked up the teacup and took a sip, "Go and busy yourself."


    Madame Fu bowed her head and left. As she walked out of the door, she realized that her back was covered in a layer of sweat.


    After the Madame Fu left, the Mama Wu went up to support the Madame Chen to lean to the side. She then took out a thin blanket and covered half of her body.


    Madame Chen looked at Mama Wu''s busy figure with a deep look in her eyes. After a long while, she sighed, "Madame Fu''s heart is big."


    Mama Wu''s hand that was holding onto the fire pincer trembled, and immediately laughed as she replied, "Eldest Wife''s heart is with you."


    The Madame Chen glanced at Mama Wu and said, "I''m afraid I might be in the middle of something."


    In these few years, the Madame Fu had secretly given her countless things and benefits, she knew them all clearly in her heart. It was just that after following the Mama Wu by her side for so many years, she was still loyal to him. Only, just now, she had deliberately used Jin Lan''s words to establish her might for the Madame Fu, so as to give him a good beating. However, she had been disrupted by a few words from the Mama Wu, so she was more or less dissatisfied.


    This time, Mama Wu was truly frightened. Although Madame Chen did not say it directly, but the meaning behind her words was clear that she had made Madame Chen suspicious. Having served Madame Chen for so long, she was well aware of her temperament. Although this First Princess seemed kind and amiable, she was actually suspicious of him.


    She put down the fire pincer, turned around and knelt in front of Madame Chen with a "putong" sound, "Master, this servant has served master for many years, so I definitely do not dare have any second thoughts.


    Madame Chen stared fixedly at Mama Wu''s downcast face, her expression unfathomable. The entire room was silent for a moment, and then she said slowly: "Get up, what oath are you going to make? You''ve been with me for so many years, what about it? "Still unable to figure out my thoughts?"


    "This servant naturally knows that master''s heart is benevolent." Mama Wu stood up, bowed her head and said respectfully: "That''s why I spoke sincerely."


    Madame Chen was satisfied, her face revealing a look of exhaustion, "You have been busy the whole morning, go and rest, let Lixia come in to serve you."


    Mama Wu wanted to say something but hesitated. When she saw Madame Chen''s slightly closed eyes, he immediately stopped thinking and curtsied before leaving to call for Lixia.


    When the door curtain fell, the Madame Chen''s closed eyes suddenly opened. She slowly sat up and picked up the letter on the slip of paper. She skimmed through it and suddenly crumpled it into a ball. Then, she threw it into the charcoal bowl along the hollow carvings.


    When the letter touched the charcoal, it would ignite, and the orange flame jumped about in Madame Chen''s deep eyes, flashing all over with an indescribable light.

 C109

    Madame Fu had her Lotus Root cleaned thoroughly and replaced with new things, everything was ready. She also asked the Old Ancestor to send people over to take a look, and only when Madame Chen also nodded, did she allow Jin Lan to pass.


    The Lotus Root was not as big as the Plum Garden, but it was still similar to the Pear Fragrance Court. It had a main room, while the east and west rooms had a total of five rooms. It was truly empty to only live with the four master and servants of Jin Lan. The Madame Chen let Dong Xue come over and attend to them, and also sent a few rough maids and wives to take care of the courtyard. Only then did the Madame Chen become slightly more lively.


    "Miss, it''s time to drink the medicine." Wan Ju carried a vermilion box with a tight lid and lifted the curtain as she entered the room.


    Seeing that she was not enjoying her meals in the capital, the Madame Chen also made people change one of the empty rooms in the west wing into a small kitchen. Then, he made Yangzhou follow the Female Cook into the mansion to serve her.


    Madame Chen''s action pushed Jin Lan onto the wind again, causing Ye Jinyan to become even more furious. However, she didn''t know what Madame Fu was saying to her that she was actually able to hold back her temper and not come knocking. This made Jin Lan frown.


    Jin Lan was leaning against the hot brick bed, looking at the books he had brought out from his house. He wore a short autumn coat embroidered with red plums and silver mice, and a quilted silk cloth covered his crotch. His long black hair was not tied in a bun, but had been pulled back from his ears.


    After lying in bed for so many days, her slightly round lower jaw had shrunk quite a bit, making her look even more attractive. Hearing Wan Ju''s call, her curved eyebrows suddenly frowned, and she pitifully stared at the food box in Wan Ju''s hands, and said: "You don''t need to drink this medicine, right? Your body is almost healed. "


    Wan Ju carefully placed the food box on the small plate, opening the box, she took out the Sea Bowl filled with Medicinal Juice, and softly advised: "Miss, this is a medicine to recuperate the body, drinking it will help with no harm." She glanced outside the door and said, "Sister Dong Xue made a pair of shoes for you a few days ago. She said that she would bring them over shortly."


    Dong Xue was the head maid to the Old Ancestor and was also a spy the Old Ancestor had placed within the Lotus Root.


    Jin Lan immediately lowered his face and put down the book in his hands. He resigned himself to his fate and picked up the bowl. Closing his eyes, he gulped down the brown colored Medicinal Juice.


    The result of feigning illness was a constant stream of bitter medicine, twice a day. Nothing could be done about it, nothing could stop it. For the past month, she had been able to smell the scent of Medicinal Juice in her dreams. No matter what she ate, even if she drank tea, it would carry a hint of bitterness.


    Seeing her endure such hardships, Wan Ju''s heart ached as he hurriedly opened the jar that was filled with Jingtai Blue Shattered Flower, and took out a candied date, "Young lady, take one and try your best to taste it."


    Jin Lan opened her mouth and took a sip, and then a sweet and sour taste appeared on her taste buds. Only then did her bitter and numb tongue somewhat recover. She heaved a long sigh of relief. "There''s still more than half a month before the end."


    Wan Ju swiftly kept the bowl back into the food box, and tightly sealed the food box, saving the leftover medicinal smell from spreading outwards towards Jin Lan. She shifted the large pillow that was a little crooked, and supported Jin Lan as she felt around to get the loose bed sheets for her.


    After a long while, she looked at her master''s face which had almost lost a lot of weight, and could not help but say with a sad heart: "Once we return to Yangzhou, we''ll be fine, this lady can eat whatever she wants, there''s no one else to force this lady to drink the medicine anymore."


    Jin Lan pursed her lips and started laughing. She knew that Wan Ju was only trying to comfort her, and even if she were to return to Yangzhou, she wouldn''t be able to do anything.


    In this life, there were too many things to worry about. Living as Meng Ruhan was, was extremely hard to come by.


    Even so, her heart was still filled with warmth. At the very least, she still had company by her side, unlike her previous life ¡­


    When she thought about her previous life, the smile in Jin Lan''s eyes immediately disappeared, and she suddenly asked: "Where''s Bi He?"


    "Today, the fruits sent by the big kitchen aren''t fresh. Bi He went to the big kitchen to ask the manager." Wan Ju moved the food box to the corner and set it down, then opened the box on the third cabinet. She took out a sweet and white porcelain bottle that was stuffed with red silk, and said, "Miss, the people in the kitchen are truly powerful, seeing that the Old Ancestor has been sending fewer people to visit you, for fruits and vegetables, it seems to me that each day is getting worse."


    Jin Lan held up the book, flipping a page before saying faintly, "We''re just guests, do you really expect them to serve us like our ancestors?" His tone carried a trace of coldness.


    With regards to the kitchen, the Mama Shang was in charge of it all the time. Logically speaking, if there was anything that she needed to do, she should be the one in charge to settle it herself. Even if the Mama Shang was unable to move, wouldn''t there be another Dong Xue within the Lotus Root? No matter what, it was not Bi He''s turn. Not long after she moved to the Lotus Root, the Old Ancestor paid less and less attention to her every day, which wasn''t something that happened recently either.


    If she remembered correctly, the journey from Lotus Root to the large kitchen was not short. The first thing she had to pass through was Plum Garden!


    Bi He... A light flashed through Jin Lan''s eyes, and a trace of irritation appeared in her heart. But right at this moment, Dong Xue''s voice sounded from outside the door, "Miss, Imperial Physician Wang is here."


    Imperial Physician Wang? She suddenly felt his heart. From the moment he moved in with Lotus Root, the number of people in the Old Ancestor had lessened, but the Imperial Physician Wang was running more and more frequently.


    Jin Lan took in a deep breath and suppressed his restless mind. He sat upright and gave Wan Ju a look.


    Wan Ju had no choice but to place the porcelain bottle on the table, and went out to beat up the curtains, "Sister Dong Xue."


    "Is the girl resting?" Dong Xue, who was dressed in a light green flowery jacket, walked in with a smile, and Imperial Physician Wang followed behind him.


    Wan Ju laughed: "No, young lady just drank some medicine and is currently reading a book." Then, he bowed to Imperial Physician Wang, "Imperial Physician Wang."


    Imperial Physician Wang responded indifferently, then followed Dong Xue into the room.


    "Good morning, Imperial Physician Wang." When Jin Lan saw him enter, she nodded her head to greet him. It was not strange for her to be so courteous, and furthermore, her little life was in the hands of the Imperial Physician Wang.


    Imperial Physician Wang nodded his head. Although the expression on his face was slightly relaxed, it still appeared to be indifferent.


    I don''t know if all the imperial physicians were like this or not, at least this Imperial Physician Wang and the ones far away in the Yangzhou were the same. However, after interacting with the Imperial Physician Situ for a long time, he realized that the was originally an old urchin.


    "The young lady''s complexion looks much better than it did a few days ago." The Imperial Physician Wang sat on top of the small plate that Wan Ju had brought over. After Jin Lan placed his hand on Ji Zi and covered himself with a thin handkerchief, he slightly pulled up his sleeves and prepared to connect his meridians. But as his eyes swept across the porcelain bottle beside Hao Yu''s wrist, his expression suddenly changed.


    Seeing his hand frozen in mid-air, Jin Lan couldn''t help but to feel suspicious as his eyes were fixated on the bottle. After a moment of hesitation, he opened his mouth and called out, "Imperial Physician Wang?"


    Imperial Physician Wang suddenly regained his senses. Looking into Jin Lan''s probing eyes, he could not help but feel awkward. He pretended to cough twice before raising his head, his gaze continuing to look at the porcelain bottle, "Can I have a closer look at this bottle?"


    "Why not?" Jin Lan generously handed the porcelain bottle over to Imperial Physician Wang. Although she did not know why Imperial Physician Wang''s complexion changed when he saw the bottle, she could still guess a little.


    This bottle was an object of the Imperial Physician Situ, including the pills inside, they were personally made by the Imperial Physician Situ himself. Before they left, he specially delivered them to the Ye Mansion, saying that he was afraid that she would break the bottle in the capital, and destroy his signboard. She obviously cared about it intentionally, so she found a reason to make people grind their teeth in hate. At that time, it made her both angry and amused.


    And now, most of the things that were happening in the Imperial Physician Wang were mostly related to the Imperial Physician Situ.


    Imperial Physician Wang carefully held the white porcelain bottle in his hands and carefully examined it several times. He did not even miss the bottom of the bottle.


    What is it? Jin Lan couldn''t hear it clearly, but seeing the excitement in Imperial Physician Wang''s eyes, he was sure to be happy.


    Sure enough, Imperial Physician Wang gently put the bottle back on the table and then nodded to her: "Thank you miss, but I still have one more question to ask, I hope miss can be honest with me."


    Jin Lan seemed to have already expected this question. His lips slightly parted as he softly asked, "Imperial Physician Wang is asking about Grandpa Situ?"


    Imperial Physician Wang''s eyes lit up, "Where is my benefactor now? Are you okay? " There was a trace of uncontrollable excitement in his voice.


    Imperial Physician Situ had returned home, how could the people at the hospital not know about this? Jin Lan secretly glanced at Imperial Physician Wang, and he could tell that the joy on his face was not fake. In his mind, he suddenly remembered that when the Yangzhou met the Mama Wu, she also mentioned the Imperial Physician Situ, and the Mama Wu was also surprised at that time.


    Could it be that not many people were clear about the matter of the Imperial Physician Situ in the Yangzhou?


    After a few turns in his mind, Jin Lan replied with a smile, "Grandfather Situ is currently in the Yangzhou Palace, and his body is extremely sturdy."


    Imperial Physician Wang''s face revealed a rare smile, but he did not ask, and extended his hand to support her pulse.


    The Imperial Physician Wang knew very well whether Jin Lan''s body was good or bad, it was just that he had the cold ailment in his body as a cover, plus he did not want to get involved with the Hou clan''s secret, so he had been vague about it in front of the Madame Chen. Now that he knew the whereabouts of his master, he more or less felt grateful towards Jin Lan in his heart, and his mouth naturally didn''t expose her little scheme.


    Imperial Physician Wang looked at Jin Lan who had a warm smile on his face, "Although young lady''s body is getting better, you still have to take care of it."


    "This is all thanks to Imperial Physician Wang." At least for now, she didn''t need to worry about the Imperial Physician Wang leaking information to the Old Ancestor.


    "You''re too polite." The Imperial Physician Wang nodded, and opened up Zhang Fang Zi''s room again, then quickly left.


    Dong Xue was naturally in the habit of luring the Imperial Physician Wang to the Longevity Hall to give him a reply. However, before leaving the inner room, she seemed to have turned her head inadvertently, and swept her eyes over the porcelain bottles on the floor.

 C110

    Not long after Imperial Physician Wang left, Bi He returned to the Lotus Root. Seeing that her lips were pale from the cold, the Mama Shang let her go to the Jin Lan room to warm up. Because other than the main house, the side room they lived in did not have a fire dragon.


    Bi He was originally headed towards the East Wing, and after hearing what the Mama Shang said, she thought for a bit, then changed her mind. She lifted the curtain and entered the main house. However, she only stayed outside, afraid that the cold air around her would freeze the entire area.


    Wan Ju was originally sitting on a small chair by the side of the brick bed, resting her shoes on it. When he saw her come in, she took a glance at her and quietly put down the sewing basket in her hands.


    Bi He looked at Qi Jian, and said softly: "Is Miss resting? Have you drank the medicine for noon? "


    "Drink it, Mama Shang fried the medicine well, then I''ll send it over." Wan Ju also lowered her voice, as if she was afraid of disturbing Jin Lan. She held Bi He''s hand, and immediately felt like a block of ice, freezing to the bone. She then hurriedly said: "Look at this cold air, hurry up and roast the fire."


    Jin Lan was scared of the cold. Other than the underground dragon fire brick bed, there was also a silver frost brazier placed in front of the fire brick bed.


    Bi He shook her head, and extended her hand to stop Wan Ju''s good intentions, "It took me so much effort before I finally feel better. There''s a land dragon burning in this house, and I''ll be warm in the outer room after a while. "


    Wan Ju was startled, but after thinking about it, she also agreed to it. She stopped insisting and pulled her to sit on the acid wood flower vine chair that was covered with cashmere, and quickly poured herself a cup of hot tea.


    Bi He drank a cup of hot tea, and after a long while, she finally spat out the foul air, the chill on her body had gone through eighty to ninety percent, her hands and feet had slowly regained their former agility, she then placed the teacup on the table and asked: "When did Miss sleep?" Ever since she moved to Lotus Root, Jin Lan had gotten used to resting for two hours after lunch. According to usual, she would probably wake up soon.


    "I''ve only rested for a short while. Just now, the Imperial Physician Wang came to check my pulse, and it took his quite a while before he left." When Wan Ju saw that the tea cup was empty, she neatly added another one for her.


    The Imperial Physician Wang is here? Bi He seemed to have thought of something, and her face suddenly turned ugly.


    "Why?" Wan Ju saw that she had changed her expression, and couldn''t help but to place a hand on her forehead, "Could it be that it''s frozen?"


    "No problem." Bi He tried to retract her thoughts, but she turned her head slightly, and avoided Wan Ju''s hands, "I''m just worried, my lady''s body is fine, I''m afraid I can''t hide it from the Imperial Physician Wang."


    When Wan Ju saw that she was initially worried about this matter, she could not help but laugh, and said: "Don''t worry, Imperial Physician Wang said, although lady''s body is much better than before, she will still need a period of time to recuperate. And you didn''t know that Imperial Physician Wang was actually Imperial Physician Situ''s disciple. " Saying that, she learnt what she meant by adding oil to the fire, causing Bi He to be stunned.


    "In other words, her words ¡­" Bi He muttered absentmindedly.


    Her voice was low, causing Wan Ju to be unable to hear clearly, so she asked: "What? Who said that? "


    "Nothing." Bi He regained her senses, but her brows loosened up a lot, "I''m saying, in that case, we don''t have to be so worried, afraid that the Imperial Physician Wang will expose our secret."


    "That''s right, I can finally feel better." Wan Ju heaved a long sigh of relief, her face filled with agreement. These few days, they had been under constant fear day and night, and every time there was a sound in the courtyard, they would be startled, afraid that their ancestor had discovered something.


    "Alright, hurry up and go in. If the Mama Shang finds out, she''ll have to say that we''re lazy to hide again." With that, Bi He stood up, flicked her sleeves, and walked inside the room softly.


    Although the Mama Shang was kind to the young lady, she was strict towards the servants. Even if they were the young lady''s personal servants, sometimes, they would scold and scold her mercilessly when they had done something wrong. Wan Ju was both respectful and afraid of Mama Shang, and yearned for him in her heart.


    Hearing Bi He say that, she also stood up and followed him. It was as if if the Mama Shang would pull the curtain after her if she stayed any longer.


    When the two entered the room, and saw that Jin Lan was sleeping soundly, they could not bear to disturb her. Bi He brought over Zhang Wu Zi and started sewing on the brick bed with Wan Ju.


    The sky darkened early in the winter, and when the first hexagonal lantern lit up in Lotus Root''s courtyard, Jin Lan woke up. She blurrily saw Bi He sitting in front of a brick bed, and called for her to pour him a cup of tea.


    Unexpectedly, Bi He seemed to have awoken from a nightmare, her entire body suddenly trembled, the embroidery needle in her hand tilted, and pierced into his flesh solidly. She could not help but cry out in pain.


    Ah!


    When Wan Ju, who was at the side, saw this, she immediately grabbed her finger and slowly let out a round bead of blood on her white fingertip. She then looked at her grudgingly and said: "What happened to them today? If you were to tell the maids in our residence that they had no other choice, you would definitely clasp your hands and smile, covering your mouth with your hands. "


    At this moment, Jin Lan had completely woken up, she endured the discomfort in her throat, looking at the soulless Bi He, her brows slightly raised: "What happened?"


    Hearing Jin Lan''s question of concern, the words in Bi He''s heart almost rushed out, but in the end, she endured it. She used her handkerchief to cover her finger and barely laughed: "It''s alright, perhaps the sky is too cold, my hand is a little stiff." Saying so, he stood up to pour some tea for Jin Lan.


    Seeing that she was injured, Wan Ju took the initiative to pick up the Three Colored Hibiscus Butterfly Flower''s One-Eared Pellet, "You should treat the wound on your hand first."


    After the Mid-Autumn Festival, blood was not visible in Jin Lan''s eyes. Bi He took off the handkerchief and took a peek, the blood droplets on her fingertips had already seeped into the handkerchief and onto the green cloth. Although she was still bleeding, it was not as obvious as before. She should be able to completely stop it in a short while.


    She shook her head and said, "It''s just a small cut. It doesn''t hurt anymore."


    Jin Lan returned the tea cup back to Wan Ju, and then wiped his mouth with the brocade handkerchief that was placed on the pillow, "These few days be more careful, don''t let the wound get wet."


    Bi He nodded and laughed uncomfortably, "Yes."


    Jin Lan looked deeply at her, and didn''t say anything else.


    The room immediately became silent, making people feel depressed. Bi He nervously stood at her original position, she did not know how to walk or how to sit, but she was actually holding onto her finger as she stared blankly.


    Seeing that he was almost done with his work, Jin Lan asked, "Have you settled the matter with the melon?"


    "The main kitchen''s steward, Mama, said that she sent the wrong message. Right now, she has already asked someone to change it." Bi He was itching to ask more about Jin Lan, so she secretly sized Jin Lan up. Seeing that her face was calm, and there was no difference, her nervous heart gradually calmed down.


    Jin Lan smiled faintly. "That''s good." Saying that, he picked up the half-flipped book again, and only put it down after Mama Shang came in to set up a meal.


    After a few days, the first snowfall of winter finally began to fall in the capital. It was like the gentle flutter of willow branches, or like the scattered petals of a pear. In just a short night, everything within his line of sight was pure white.


    Wan Ju and Bi He had never seen snow before, so they rushed into the courtyard in the early morning. They looked left and right and touched it, filled with curiosity.


    Jin Lan held the tea cup and sat on the hot brick bed, watching the white feathers fly outside through the glass window. In his previous life, he had lived in the capital for three years, so he remembered seeing snow for the first time. Her body had never felt cold, so she spent most of the winter in the pavilion, except at some house where she was invited to enjoy the snow.


    At that time, Ye Jinwei would often tease her, saying that she was like a cat, curling up wherever she was warm.


    When Mama Shang entered the room, she saw Jin Lan''s depressed and lost look. Thinking of the person behind him, she called out, "Miss, Lady Jin Yu has come to see you."


    Hm? She recovered her wits, and turned to see Ye Jinyu with her hands in the purple marten skin, walking in, "Sister Lan."


    "Sister Yu." Jin Lan revealed a bright smile, he hurriedly sat up and welcomed Ye Jinyu on the brick bed, then said to the Mama Shang: "Quickly bring the brazier over, let Big Sis feel the cold air."


    Ye Jinyu hurriedly stopped her, "No need, your room is filled with land dragons and charcoal pots, the moment you come in, it''s already very warm, how could it be cold?" As she said that, she took his hand out of the thermal sheath. Holding Jin Lan''s hand, he scrutinized the two of them before saying, "I can see that your complexion is getting better and better."


    Jin Lan smiled, but did not answer. She was not willing to lie to Ye Jinyu, but there were some things that she could not casually say.


    One must know that the wall has ears.


    Ye Jinyu did not care, "It''s just right, ever since you were sick, we sisters have not been together for a long time. Now that it''s snow, it should stop by night. "Sister Yan said that the red plum in the garden is just right. Tomorrow, I will go to the forest to admire the Snow Song Plum. She even asked me to invite sister Lan to go with her."


    Would Ye Jinyan invite her to admire the Snow Song Mei? Jin Lan was startled upon hearing this, she had never met Ye Jinyan before, ever since she came to live in the Lotus Root, the rest of the girls had all come together to pay their respects. Other than Ye Jinyu who would come over from time to time, even Ye Jinwei, who was born to be her older sister, would rarely visit her house because he was afraid that he would disturb her recovery. But now, Ye Jinyan had actually invited her. It was truly strange.


    She suddenly had the urge to stick her head out and see if the sun was rising in the west.


    "How is it?" Ye Jinyu saw that she was smiling yet did not say a word, and continued: "If you go, I will come and find you tomorrow morning, we will go together."


    If Ye Jinyu extended an invitation, Jin Lan might consider it a little, but since it was Ye Jinyan who suggested the idea, she had no choice but to think it through. Ye Jinyan had always been on bad terms with her, but if she was in a good mood and didn''t want to meet someone she didn''t care about, how could she possibly let go of the Ye Jinyan who he had doted on since she was young? She might have been ordered by someone or instigated by someone.


    And in the mansion, the only person who could make Ye Jinyan do such a dishonest thing, was probably the Old Ancestor, right?


    Suddenly, she remembered the strange Bi He that day. The hand holding the handkerchief tensed up, but her face blinked, and revealed a look of yearning: "I actually do want to go, but Imperial Physician Wang said, although my body is good, I still need to take care of it, and can''t withstand the wind." His words contained a trace of regret, as if he was blaming himself for not being able to meet his expectations.


    Ye Jinyu seemed to have already expected her to say this, and there was no surprise on her face. She lightly patted her hand, and said thoughtlessly: "Since your body isn''t good enough to go, Little Sister Yan naturally won''t blame you. However, after being treated by the Imperial Physician Wang for so long, he still hasn''t changed much. The Old Ancestor is very worried. "


    She paused before continuing, "I heard from the Old Ancestor that in terms of medical skills, the Hua family is the first. Your majesty''s body has recently improved a lot."


    Jin Lan''s heart suddenly trembled, and her eyes widened. Ye Jinyu''s delicate and pretty face, which was reflected in the candlelight, seemed to have changed in her eyes. However, those words were like a clap of thunder in winter, causing her to feel dizzy from the explosion.


    The emperor''s body, Old Imperial Physician Hua!


    How did she forget what Mama Wu had said when they were at Yangzhou? She originally thought that it was just a way to coax her to go to the capital, but it turned out to be true!


    Old Ancestor wanted to bring her directly into the palace!

 C111

    Jin Lan''s heart was in a mess, and for a moment, he forgot to answer Ye Jinyu''s question.


    Ye Jinyu did not take it to heart, her gaze flickered, her lips curved up slightly, and said: "Since Little Sister Lan is not feeling well, then I will not disturb your rest. As for Little Sister Yan, you do not need to worry, I will go back for you."


    Jin Lan suddenly regained his senses, and looked at Ye Jinyu with grateful eyes: "Thank you, Sister Yu, for today''s kindness, I will never forget it!"


    After Ye Jinyu heard this, she lowered her eyes slightly, "Sister Lan is too serious, it''s just a feast, even if I don''t say anything, your big sister will definitely help you out." She then stood up and said with a gentle smile, "Sister, please rest. I will come to see you again tomorrow."


    "Sis, take care." Jin Lan nodded with a smile, then got the Mama Shang to send her out. After the curtain was drawn, the smile on his face suddenly turned cold.


    Although Ye Jinyu did not say it explicitly, her words just now, according to her elder sister''s personality, definitely did not fit the bill. This time, she came because of Ye Jinyan. Firstly, she used Ye Jinyan to light up the suspicions the Old Ancestor had towards her, and secondly, she wanted to use the Old Imperial Physician Hua to say that the Old Ancestor, other than Ye Jinyan, had prepared another hand.


    Regardless of whether she went or not, it would be impossible for her to escape the Old Ancestor''s arrangements.


    Why? He had clearly arranged everything in order, and after another half a month, he would be able to leave safely. At this critical juncture, did the Old Ancestor make any moves?


    Jin Lan''s eyes were filled with gloom. The first person she thought of in her mind, was Bi He!


    That''s right, since that day, the Old Ancestor did not let the Imperial Physician Wang come and check his meridians, and even Dong Xue very rarely wandered around in front of her eyes. This meant that the Old Ancestor was certain that she was feigning illness.


    Although there were a lot of people arranged by the ancestor and the Madame Fu in the Lotus Root, under the constraints of the Mama Shang, the maids were unable to get close to the main house, other than Dong Xue who was also a maid. In the past month, Dong Xue did not find any clues, but now...


    Adding on the words Ye Jinyu had said before she left, it proved that Ye Jinwei could speak volumes in front of him. Based on Ye Jinyan''s personality, she should not have taken a fancy to Ye Jinwei. The only possibility was what Ye Jinwei said or did that captivated her.


    What could be more interesting to the two of them than causing trouble for her?


    If Ye Jinwei really knew something, for her, this matter could please Ye Jinyan but also shock her. To kill two birds with one stone, how could she miss that? In addition to the Old Ancestor''s interference, this had naturally become the current situation.


    All of this was too much of a coincidence, causing her to have suspicions towards Bi He.


    Jin Lan took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to call Bi He in to interrogate him. Things had already gotten to this point, and she didn''t have any concrete evidence on her hands, so if Bi He didn''t admit it, she had no other choice.


    The old ancestor had done everything for the sake of the few people in the palace. She had always been unable to avoid it, so how could she just barge in? He could only think of a way to get the Old Ancestor to give up on the idea of entering the palace as soon as possible.


    However, having been ill for so long, he couldn''t just let things be at peace, right? This was a slap in the face. If it wasn''t good, then what reason could she have to reject the Old Ancestor''s "kindness" in bringing her to the palace for treatment? It could be seen that the Old Ancestor''s methods had turned her plan to protect him into a cage.


    It was as the ancients said, the older the wiser! Jin Lan smiled bitterly. She was still too young.


    Mama Shang sent Ye Jinyu off, and when she returned to the house, she immediately saw Jin Lan''s dejected look, his face couldn''t help but flash with a look of astonishment, this lady had always been confident, even in the Xuzhou, she wasn''t as dejected. Could it be that the Flower Viewing Banquet that Lady Yu mentioned just now was very important?


    As she thought about it, she deliberately slowed down her footsteps and increased her pace, waking her up.


    "Sister Yu has left?" Jin Lan lifted his head, the expression on his face quickly disappearing as he smiled faintly at Mama Shang.


    Only then did Mama Shang quickly enter the inner room. "Yes, Lady Yu went towards the direction of Fragrance Li Palace."


    It seemed that Ye Jinyu was extremely cautious with her actions, and had borrowed the reason why Ye Jinyan had invited her to the Flower Lover Banquet to do so. Now that she had left the Lotus Root, she went straight to the Pear Blossom Academy to find Ye Jinyan, even if the Old Ancestor suspects that Ye Jinyu has told her anything in the future, she would not be able to find anything.


    Her finger slightly retracted, and asked again: "Where did Wan Ju and Bi He go?"


    "The two of them are in the kitchen, saying that the young lady''s appetite has been bad lately, so they are thinking of making some pastries for the young lady to taste." How could the elderlies of the Mama Shang not see that Jin Lan had something he wanted to say to her? After pausing for a moment, they continued, "As for Miss Dong Xue, we couldn''t find our ancestor''s forehead a while ago, so we sent word for her to make another one. This time, she is busy working in the house."


    A light flashed through Jin Lan''s eyes. Although Dong Xue was someone from the Old Ancestor''s house, so it was understandable for her to help the Old Ancestor wipe her forehead, but right now, her Lotus Root was lacking and the best needle from the Old Ancestor''s side was ¡­ She did this because she wanted Dong Xue to temporarily leave her line of sight so that she could calm her heart and relax her guard.


    She suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. The old ancestor was truly too good at scheming. He was in a loop, and as soon as he arrived, she was tightly bound before she could even react, making it impossible for her to break free.


    Seeing Jin Lan suddenly shudder, Mama Shang thought that she was cold and tucked the cloth in. However, when she saw the cold sweat on her forehead, she was shocked, "Miss, what''s wrong?"


    Jin Lan looked at Mama Shang and said hoarsely: "Mama, I''m afraid the Old Ancestor knows about our actions already."


    Mama Shang was startled, and immediately widened her eyes. "How is that possible? Could the girl be mistaken? "


    Jin Lan shook his head bitterly. He had said out his own discoveries and guesses, but he had left out the part related to Bi He. It was not that she didn''t trust Mama Shang, but this matter should be kept a secret temporarily.


    "This, this ¡­" When they found out that the Old Ancestor was bringing Jin Lan into the palace, Mama Shang was momentarily stupefied. In the past month and a half, hadn''t they been scheming day and night just to avoid this matter? But now, the Old Ancestor had directly left and viciously attacked them! Everything he had done in the past had all been for naught.


    No matter how hard she tried, she could not figure out what was wrong. After pondering for a while, she said in a low voice, "Miss, this is probably an unknown situation. We can''t get into a mess just because of Miss Yu''s words. Maybe the Old Ancestor did it on purpose so that the young lady could expose her own weakness. "


    Compared to Jin Lan, Mama Shang was more inclined to think that Ye Jinyu was a trap set by the Old Ancestor specifically, and not because Jin Lan had guessed it.


    Jin Lan did not refute Mama Shang''s words. She was unable to think that Mama Shang would be able to explain the matters of his previous life, and Mama Shang''s guess was also reasonable. Although she and Ye Jinyu had a good relationship in her previous life, they were only acquaintances in this life. The total number of times they met was not more than two fingers, so what if they were related by blood? Ye Jinwei was even her biological sister, she just couldn''t wait for her death.


    Right now, she was treading on thin ice, and the slightest carelessness could lead to eternal damnation. She could not afford to be careless.


    Mama Shang had been staring at Jin Lan''s small face. Seeing sher expression turn serious, he knew that she had taken her words to heart. After a moment of thought, she said, "So now, the lady can only think of a way to calm herself down."


    Jin Lan solemnly nodded his head. That''s right, he mustn''t mess up his own plans, otherwise he would fall into the Old Ancestor''s trap.


    Ever since then, the Lotus Root temporarily calmed down. Every day, other than the Mama Shang and Wan Ju, almost no one would wander around in front of Jin Lan. Jin Lan specially tried to find an excuse to probe Bi He, but couldn''t find any useful clues in the end.


    Seeing that Bi He was becoming more cautious, she stopped and started to focus on thinking about how to enter the palace.


    In the end, before she could think of a good method, there was a movement in her Longevity Hall.


    It was noon today, and Jin Lan was resting on the collapsed bed. While he was still in a daze, he suddenly heard Mama Shang''s voice, "Young miss, you have arrived in the middle of the summer, and are waiting outside."


    Jin Lan instantly opened his eyes and ran away sleepily. When she looked at Mama Shang and saw her gloomy face, she knew that something was amiss. After tormenting herself for so many days, she had finally calmed down. She sat up from the bed and said with a deep voice, "Let her in."


    As soon as Lixia entered the room, she paid her respects to Jin Lan, and said with a smile: "Miss Jin Lan, the Old Ancestor invites you to go to Longevity Hall."


    So it was like that! Jin Lan''s heart stirred, but he didn''t show it on his face. He smiled and said, "Originally, I should pay my respects to the Old Ancestor, but it''s all my fault for not being able to serve the Old Ancestor and not only did I fail, I also have to trouble the Old Ancestor to remember. Elder Sister Li Xia, go back and greet the Old Ancestor first. I''ll pay my respects after I change clothes."


    While Jin Lan was speaking, Wan Ju happened to be bringing a bowl of Plum Blossom Sweet Soup in. Hearing her words, she could not help but say anxiously: "It''s cold outside, how can your girl''s body withstand it?"


    Lixia heard this and laughed, "I was careless and did not make myself clear. The Old Ancestor was worried that Lady Jin Lan was freezing, so he specially sent his wife to bring a warm sedan. He reckoned that when the lady finished changing, the sedan would already be at the door."


    In other words, she wouldn''t be able to hide from him no matter what.


    Jin Lan pursed his lips and smiled faintly, "Even if you don''t have a warm sedan, it''s time for me to pay my respects to the old ancestor." Then, he instructed Wan Ju to change.


    Seeing that the matter had been settled, Xia Zhi did not linger, bent down, and left the room, returning to the Longevity Hall.


    Wan Ju called Bi He over, and then went to the small kitchen to bring hot water. The three of them served Jin Lan, washed him, and dressed him in clothes.


    Jin Lan''s gaze swept across their faces one by one. "Wan Ju, stay behind and watch over the house. Other than me, don''t let anyone else in! No matter what excuse it is, it''s not good! "


    Wan Ju nodded her head seriously, "Yes, this servant will guard the house well and wait for the young lady to return!"


    Jin Lan tidied up his camel''s coat and stepped out of the room into the warm sedan chair.


    The wives waited for Jin Lan to sit properly before steadily lifting the palanquin. After exiting the Lotus Root, they headed straight for the Longevity Hall.

 C112

    When Jin Lan arrived at the Longevity Hall, the Old Ancestor''s Madame Chen was sitting on the warm brick bed, talking to the Mama Wu. When he saw her enter, he immediately stopped and revealed a caring smile, "The Girl Lan is here!"


    Lixia took off the embroidered fox cloak he was wearing, then walked over to greet Madame Chen. "Jinlan pays her respects to the Old Ancestor."


    "Good boy." Madame Chen seemed to be very satisfied with Jin Lan''s respect, smiling as he waved his hand at her, "Come over quickly and let this old lady see, is your body better now?"


    Jin Lan didn''t hesitate, but stepped forward with a obedient smile on his face, "Lan Er is much better now. Old Ancestor is worried, it''s Lan Er''s fault."


    Madame Chen pulled her, and after scrutinizing her a few times, she patted her small hands and said in a musical voice: "Seeing that Girl Lan is so caring, I can''t help but remember her."


    The Mama Wu at the side also laughed and agreed, "Yes, Lady Jin Lan is pure and pure. Old Ancestor, you, naturally, will love Lady Jin Lan to the core."


    Jin Lan''s heart chilled. She had only just come up with such a big hat. If she had any biased opinions, wouldn''t she immediately become a person who didn''t know what was good for her? Just how muddleheaded was she in her previous life to not realize the deep shrewdness of the Old Ancestor? Instead, she felt that she was a rare and doting elder.


    Her heart raced, and a faint blush rose on her small face, as if Madame Chen and her daughter''s words had stunned her.


    "Your body can''t stand the cold, hurry up and sit down." The Madame Chen made Jin Lan sit on the brick bed. Although it looked kind, his sharp eyes were focused on her face, as if he wanted to see through her shy face and see through her true thoughts.


    "The Old Ancestor''s house is warm in the winter and cold in the summer, why is Lan Er cold?" Even so, Jin Lan still smiled sweetly and shifted his body, half-sitting on the edge of the warm brick bed.


    Madame Chen did not let go of her hand. She held it tightly in her palm the entire time, not in a rush to throw it down. The Madame Chen was kind and gentle, even the Mama Wu serving at the side felt that it was true that Sun Xiao was kind and benevolent.


    "In the end, your body is still too weak." Madame Chen laughed as she spoke, she suddenly changed the topic and sighed: "Back then, your third sister was similar as well. Fortunately, Saint Hand was there later on, and it took her many years of hard work to recover."


    Was he finally getting down to business? Jin Lan felt a chill run down her spine. She didn''t expect the old ancestor to use the three ladies as a topic. When she thought of the red-faced Third Miss, an indescribable sorrow arose in her heart. She wondered if the Old Ancestor would feel a tinge of guilt when he recalled this pitiful Xuan Sun''s daughter at midnight.


    Madame Chen was not clear about what Jin Lan was thinking, but she looked at him with her clear eyes, thinking that she was just feeling it, and the expression on her face became even more kind, "A few days ago, Imperial Physician Wang and you supported your pulse, and came to me to report. Since you had caught the cold, more than a month have passed, but you have yet to recover, it is sufficient to see the depth of the cold in your body. I remember that Imperial Physician Situ, who had returned to his hometown, gave you a look once? "


    "Yes." Jin Lan put away the thoughts at the side, held his breath, and fully focused on dealing with the Old Ancestor, "It was Lan Er''s three lives of good fortune that allowed him to obtain the diagnosis and treatment of the Imperial Physician Situ."


    Madame Chen nodded his head, "Imperial Physician Situ has a very high opinion of himself, to be able to get him to help is indeed your good fortune, I wonder how he sees the cold ailment in your body?"


    When the Old Ancestor said the Imperial Physician Situ''s name, Jin Lan understood in his heart.


    Even if Imperial Physician Situ wanted to return to his hometown, he would not hide his presence and secretly go to the Yangzhou. He was sure that it was because something happened in the Imperial Physician Guild that caused Imperial Physician Situ to behave like this.


    When the Old Ancestor mentioned the Imperial Physician Situ, although he spoke with praise, his tone was not respectful at all. Instead, there was a hint of ridicule. It could be said that when the Imperial Physician Wang saw the bottle and recognized someone, Dong Xue had already reported every single word to the Old Ancestor.


    Therefore, when the Old Ancestor thought about the relationship between her and the Imperial Physician Situ, he completely stopped doubting the Imperial Physician Wang.


    Jin Lan mulled over it bit by bit, but he didn''t dare think for too long. He followed Imperial Physician Wang''s instructions, increased and decreased as he revealed the intentions of the Imperial Physician Situ, "It''s called an illness that''s not enough from the womb. Coupled with Lan Er''s previous experiences with the water, the cold poison entering his body will be even more difficult to remove. "As such, he prescribed a formula to recuperate and made more pills. As he ate day in and day out, he looked a little better."


    Madame Chen listened attentively. After Jin Lan finished speaking, he said with some guilt: "It''s my fault. I just thought that your Lan Hall branch had been living in Jiangnan ever since they split up. It''s been so many years since I last had a good walk around. I''ve never even seen you except for the ceremony you gave me back then. I''ve always thought about you ever since you were born. It just so happened that your grandmother came to the capital early in the year and mentioned you two sisters, so I got the idea and told you to come to the capital. " Sighing, he continued, "I didn''t expect it to harm your body."


    What a grand reason. If she hadn''t known the truth long ago, she might have believed it. But now, the Old Ancestor''s deep love for him only made Jin Lan feel cold teeth.


    However, she still had to do what she had to do. She revealed a panicked look on her face and said: "Old Ancestor, if you are talking about this, then be filial to the Old Ancestor. This is something Lan Er will take care of.


    "Good child, the Old Ancestor did not love you for nothing." Madame Chen seemed to have been moved by Jin Lan''s explanation, and hugged her in his arms, exclaiming: "However, you don''t have to worry, although Imperial Physician Situ''s medical skills are outstanding, in the end, he is still inferior to the Hua family''s descendant. Old Ancestor has personally invited Old Imperial Physician Hua to help support your pulse, at that time, you will definitely be able to return to Yangzhou safely."


    Were they really planning to enter the palace? Jin Lan nestled into the Old Ancestor''s embrace, her mind quickly turning, and only after a while did she get up and take care of it. A look of pleasant surprise surfaced on her face, but with some hesitation, she said: "What ability does Lan Er have to have Old Ancestor toil like this, before going to the capital, Mother requested Imperial Physician Situ to prepare three medicinal pellets for Lan Er to bring along, saying that it would coincidentally allow him to eat it back Yangzhou. Furthermore, with the help of the Imperial Physician Wang''s medicine, Lan Er has been feeling much better these past few days. "


    Then, as if he was thinking about something, he paused for a while and continued, "For Lan Er, it is as cold as ice and as cold as winter. If others were to find out, they would definitely think that Lan Er is extravagant, and ignore the body of the Old Ancestor, and tormented him endlessly. Then, Lan Er will become a sinner. "


    The Old Ancestor did not truly say the word ''enter the palace'', and she could not say it either. Otherwise, this place would become completely devoid of money. She indirectly admitted to the Old Ancestor that she knew everything, and that the Old Ancestor might not have a falling out. Without this cover, she would be at a disadvantage if they fought recklessly.


    Madame Chen was not surprised that Jin Lan would say that. She wiped the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief and sighed: "Child, you''re just kind. You only know how to think for others, why aren''t you planning for yourself?"


    Jin Lan smiled bashfully, but didn''t reply. At this moment, whatever she said wasn''t appropriate at all. It was better to pretend to be shy.


    Madame Chen patted Jin Lan''s back, his kind eyes seemingly sweeping across Mama Wu who was standing at the side.


    The Mama Wu understood and immediately went up to pour tea for the Old Ancestor, and laughed as she interrupted: "This servant''s mouth is weak, I cannot say anything, I only think that the Old Ancestor should cherish Lady Jin Lan who is kind and beautiful."


    The corners of Madame Chen''s eyes were full of smiles as she said angrily on purpose: "How am I not pitying Girl Lan?"


    Jin Lan also lowered her eyes to cover her smile, but her heart sank to the bottom. She purposely mentioned the matter of her mother asking for medicine before her departure, and then mentioned her filial piety as a junior who didn''t want her elders to toil around with it. She suppressed her words to prevent the Old Ancestor from bringing it up any further.


    But in the end, Mama Wu''s next sentence was easily and delicately tossed over.


    "Aiya, it was this servant''s fault, this servant should have hit you." The Mama Wu raised her hand and lightly slapped her face twice, causing the Old Ancestor to laugh heartily and point at her, "You, you ¡­" She kept sighing and the atmosphere in the room became a lot more relaxed.


    Mama Wu laughed and said a few good words before returning to her original spot and silently looked at Jin Lan. When she looked into Jin Lan''s clear eyes, she suddenly felt that the light was at her back.


    She pursed her lips. Although this Jinlan girl in front of her was young, her thoughts were much more astute than any other girl in the mansion. She had served the Old Ancestor for so many years, but she had never seen anyone who could make him so hard to deal with. If it were any other young lady, they would have long been overwhelmed by this honor and knelt down in gratitude when they heard that the Old Ancestor had personally invited the Hua Clan''s Sacred Hand to treat them.


    However, Lady Jin Lan ¡­ Mama Wu secretly sized up the girl again. Her soft and harmless face made her heart throb uncontrollably.


    "Girl Lan." After the Madame Chen finished laughing, she picked up the new cup of hot tea poured by the Mama Wu, took a sip, and then placed the cup down. Her face became more serious, "In two days, I will be going to the palace, at that time you can accompany me. I am here for your body and also for your mother. "


    Mother? Jin Lan was stunned, then suddenly recalled that the Mama Wu had said that the Old Ancestor requested the Old Imperial Physician Hua to prescribe medicine for his mother.


    She did not reply, and Madame Chen did not need her to reply either. She continued to speak: "There are still two days left, Mama Shang will teach you about the palace''s rules. When you enter the palace, do not panic."


    Although the Old Ancestor''s voice was gentle, it caused Jin Lan to feel a chill. She knew that this time, she could not avoid it no matter what. Just like what happened in Shang Jing before, a heavenly favor had fallen on her and she had no choice but to accept it. Besides, this involved her mother. Even if it wasn''t for her own sake, it was for her mother as well.


    Otherwise, why would he talk about filial piety when he didn''t even have the heart to ask for medicine for his mother? In this way, the words that had come out of his mouth just now for the sake of the old ancestor immediately became a resounding slap in her face.


    She took a deep breath, steadied her trembling legs, stood up and bowed to the Old Ancestor. Then she replied in a low voice, "Yes, Lan Er will follow the Old Ancestor''s instructions."


    Madame Chen nodded her head in satisfaction, then waved her hand: "Alright, it''s rare that you have the heart to accompany this old granny, taking advantage of the bright sun to quickly return, if it''s not too late, if you catch a chill, then it''ll be this old granny''s fault."


    Jin Lan tried his best to ignore the old ancestor''s meaningful gaze and retreated.


    These words seemed to be referring to something, completely blocking her last path of retreat.

 C113

    When Jin Lan left the room, Mama Wu, who was standing at the side and looked like a wooden figure, went forward to help him lie down. Seeing the fatigue in Madame Chen''s eyes, she recalled the feeling she had when facing Jin Lan, and after a moment of deliberation, she said: "Master, can''t you just tell Lady Jin Lan about your intentions? Why are you so tired of yourself? "


    Madame Chen glanced at her, closed her eyes, and said indifferently: "Saying it directly is definitely useful, but it unavoidably creates a gap in her heart."


    If it wasn''t to make Jin Lan willing, why would she spend so much effort to circle around this little girl?


    Mama Wu wanted to say something but she hesitated. In her eyes, Lady Jin Lan was not someone easy to control, and she did not know if her master was right or wrong. Even though she had a strange feeling in her heart, it was only a guess. She could only nod and say, "Master is right, this servant is stupid." He then did not dare to say anymore and focused on beating Madame Chen''s legs.


    Jin Lan walked out of the room, and a cold wind blew past her. Her face felt as if it was being cut by a knife. She couldn''t help but shiver in fear. She felt a chill in her heart because of the cold weather.


    "Miss!"


    Mama Shang and Bi He had been standing at the bottom of the porch the entire time. Even though Chunfen had invited them to rest in the side room, they did not want to move and insisted on guarding outside the door. The moment she saw Jin Lan, she stepped forward to welcome him.


    A trace of white mist appeared from the corner of Jin Lan''s mouth. She reluctantly glanced at Mama Shang, who had an anxious look in her eyes, and signaled her to speak more when she returned.


    Even if Mama Shang was extremely anxious, she had no choice but to restrain herself as she supported Jin Lan up onto the palanquin and returned to Lotus Root.


    Along the way, the sky was gloomy and it seemed like it was going to snow again.


    Bi He and Mama Shang were walking on the two sides of the warm sedan. As she walked, she would occasionally turn her head to look at the sedan chair''s window that was covered by a thick curtain, and her expression was complex.


    Ever since Jin Lan left, Wan Ju closed the door and stayed outside under the glass window to sit down to stitch. Seeing that the sky was getting darker, she reckoned that someone was about to come back, she raised her head and coincidentally saw the warm sedan chair enter the courtyard. She quickly put down the sewing basket and opened the door.


    After Jin Lan entered the house, Wan Ju and Bi He busied themselves with helping her change her clothes and pour the tea. Mama Shang took some copper coins and gave them to the wife who was carrying the palanquin before sending them back.


    After a long while of work, Jin Lan sat on the warm brick bed, surrounded by the warm brocade bed, holding the hot ginger soup and sipping it. This ginger soup was specially made by Wan Ju after she left and was kept warm on the furnace in the outer room.


    As the large bowl of ginger soup entered her mouth, beads of sweat began to form on the tip of her nose. She exhaled deeply, and her body immediately felt much better. Only after placing the blue and white bowl on a few steps did she raise her head to look at Wan Ju, "Has anyone come before after I left?"


    Wan Ju nodded her head, "First Miss has been here before, but this servant did not open the door, and only replied through the window."


    Ye Jinwei is here? Jin Lan raised his eyebrows. It seemed that besides the Old Ancestor, every move she made in the Lotus Root was a matter that people cared about!


    "Miss." Wan Ju saw her solemn expression and could not help but ask: "The Old Ancestor is perfectly fine, why did he let this lady pass with a chill?" She had been feeling uneasy, wondering if the Golden Tide incident had occurred.


    Jin Lan raised his eyes and looked at Wan Ju and Bi He''s faces, "Don''t worry, it''s nothing important. I''m tired too, I want to rest for a bit. The pastries last time were not bad. You guys can go make more. When I wake up, I can fill my stomach. "


    The two froze for a moment. They looked at each other, then replied, "Yes."


    Mama Shang sent the two of them out of the room and closed the door behind him. Although Wan Ju had his suspicions, he understood that there were some things Jin Lan wasn''t willing to let the two of them know about. After walking two steps, she realized that Bi He was not following him, so she turned around to look, only to see her staring blankly at the closed door. He could not help but call out: "Bi He?"


    "Huh?" Bi He trembled, she quickly turned her head, and seeing the look in Wan Ju''s eyes, she unnaturally smiled, and quickly walked forward and grabbed her hand, and said: "Let''s go, let''s go make some pastry for the young lady."


    Wan Ju was completely confused as she was pulled into the small kitchen by Bi He.


    Although the voice was soft, it still reached Mama Shang''s ears bit by bit. After the footsteps outside the door disappeared, she returned to the room and looked at Jin Lan with her clear eyes: "Miss, about that ¡­"


    Jin Lan lowered his gloomy eyes, sighed, and said: "Mama, I have already agreed to the Old Ancestor''s request, I will accompany her to the palace two days later."


    "What''s going on?" Mama Shang could not help but take in a breath of cold air, and anxiously replied: "How could I allow that!"


    "I don''t want to agree to this either." Jin Lan smiled bitterly, "But other than that, there''s no other way. Mama, the Old Ancestor is much more shrewd than we thought he was, these little tricks simply won''t enter her eyes!"


    After she finished speaking, she narrated every single detail of the conversation she had with the Old Ancestor in the Longevity Hall. Hearing this, Mama Shang felt as if a bucket of cold water was being poured over her head, causing her entire body to turn ice-cold.


    "In that case, the Old Ancestor never believed that the lady was sick." After serving First Princess for so many years, she was confident that even if she wasn''t able to completely understand his intentions, she could guess his thoughts by fifty to sixty percent.


    Jin Lan shook his head, "You can''t say that. The old ancestor indeed believed it at the beginning, but there were still doubts in his heart. As for the later ¡­" A trace of disappointment appeared on her face, "We were careless."


    Even though she did not dare to relax her guard, everything that happened in the capital went smoothly, and even if there was something that happened, it would lead to a narrow escape. Furthermore, the past month had been relatively safe and torturous, so she had unknowingly overlooked the Old Ancestor''s methods.


    With the Old Ancestor''s scheming, how could he let him live so smoothly? Now, it seemed that she was only boiling the frog in warm water. Slowly easing her tense heart, she was able to achieve the effect of being able to hit the target with a single hit.


    "What should I do?" Mama Shang was anxious, she suddenly thought of something, and her eyes lit up, "Why don''t we continue pretending to be sick? The Old Ancestor naturally could not force the young lady to enter the palace as she was too sick. "


    If only things were that easy to deal with, then it would be great. Jinlan rubbed between his eyebrows, and shook his head: It''s useless, Mama, think about it, the Old Ancestor only said that I was to enter the palace, after that I will be bedridden. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that there is something wrong, let alone the Old Ancestor. Besides, I can''t go this time. I still can''t go next time? Since the Old Ancestor has already thought about it, how can he let me feign sickness every time and avoid it? "


    Furthermore, the words of the Old Ancestor before she left had blocked the possibility of her pretending to be sick. She dared to say that if this time she was lying in bed, then the Hua family would appear in front of her bed. If they were to be seen through, what would happen?


    "Do we have to just sit and wait for death?" Mama Shang felt a bit of discouragement in her heart.


    Jin Lan took a deep breath and slowly spat out a single word, "No!"


    Mama Shang''s face was filled with joy, "Did Miss think of something?"


    What method? Right now, she could only take one step at a time. No matter what, she couldn''t afford to fall here, as her mother was still waiting for her at Yangzhou!


    Her eyes gradually regained their clarity. After thinking for a while, she said to Mama Shang: "Mama, I need to know the layout of the palace, and I don''t need to know the perfection of the layout. At the very least, I need to know the approximate location of a few main halls."


    Since the Old Ancestor engaged in a marriage alliance with the prince, the only way to bring her to the palace was to find a way to make her appear before the prince. If that wasn''t the case, then the other way was to take her to see the prince''s birth mother! As long as she knew the locations of these palaces in advance, she would be able to guess what the Old Ancestor was thinking and help her escape.


    That''s right, even if he entered the palace, it did not mean that the Old Ancestor could control everything. As long as the prince did not fancy the lady, even the Old Ancestor would not be able to do anything!


    She solemnly nodded her head and said: "This servant understands, I will slowly draw the situation in the palace tonight, it''s just that this servant didn''t have much time to work in the palace, and was always in the clothes department. I rarely walk around the palace, I''m afraid ¡­"


    Jin Lan had never thought of getting a detailed map from the Mama Shang. Otherwise, how could the Old Ancestor allow her to stay by his side without worry? "Just a rough estimate would be enough."


    That night, the candle flame in Jin Lan''s room hadn''t extinguished. Early in the morning of the next day, a simple map appeared in Jin Lan''s hands. Although it was a bit simple, it drew the positions of a few of the main halls and even specifically indicated who lived within them.


    Jinlan was extremely grateful towards this.


    Other than memorizing the map, Jin Lan had also followed the Mama Shang to learn the etiquette of the palace. After dinner, the Old Ancestor sent someone to receive Jin Lan, asking her to complete the etiquette she had learned.


    Madame Chen saw that although Jin Lan''s movements were a little rough, she still did it in a normal manner, and laughed: "Girl Lan is much smarter than I was back then, when I was your age, I would often cause Aunt Yin a headache, many rules are carefully studied, I studied for more than half a year before I could be considered to have mastered it."


    "How could Lan Er dare to be compared with the Old Ancestor? This is also because the Mama taught him well, and Lan Er was afraid that she would lose the face of the Old Ancestor, which was why she bothered the Mama Shang all night."


    Hearing Jin Lan''s words, the smile on Madame Chen''s face became even wider.


    Just as they were speaking, Mama Wu lifted the curtain and walked over to the Old Ancestor, and said in a low voice: "The Ruan Family''s people have entered the palace."


    The smile on Madame Chen''s face vanished, and she raised her eyebrows slightly, "A long room or relative?"


    Mama Wu''s face was a little ugly. She looked at Jin Lan hesitantly, wanting to say something.


    Jin Lan obediently lowered his head, "Old Ancestor, Lan Er will take his leave first. Let''s get back to Mama Shang to give some pointers."


    Madame Chen nodded amiably and said affectionately: "Rest early tonight. Don''t be late."


    "Yes." Jin Lan replied with a smile, then turned and left the Longevity Hall.


    The next morning, Jin Lan was awoken by the Mama Shang just as the sun rose. After putting on a grand attire, Lixia brought a warm sedan chair over to the Lotus Root. This time, he had followed the Old Ancestor into the palace. Other than him, he could not bring anyone else with him, and even the Mama Shang was left behind.


    Mama Shang''s lips chattered, her heart was filled with countless words, but at the end she could only call out with a sigh: "Lady ¡­"


    Jin Lan''s body stiffened for a moment. He turned his head and gave Mama Shang a bright smile, and without saying a word, he turned and entered the warm sedan.


    The warm sedan chair first went to the Longevity Hall, Madame Chen was also dressed in fine clothes, she sized Jin Lan up before nodding in satisfaction. She pulled Jin Lan''s small hands and sat on her special treasured palanquin, and along the wide doors of the mansion, she headed straight for the Nine Layer Palace, which symbolized the peak of authority.

 C114

    The palanquin stopped outside the east gate, there was an attendant waiting outside. Upon seeing the large palanquin, he immediately came over, "This servant pays his respects to His Highness First Princess."


    The Old Ancestor Madame Chen who was resting with his eyes closed suddenly opened his eyes, as she looked at the cashmere blanket that was hung in front of the carriage and blocked the cold wind.


    Mama Wu who was following the whole time saw the man and frowned, he then walked up quickly and raised his voice, "So it''s Eunuch He, what wind blew you here today?"


    When Eunuch He saw Mama Wu, his triangular eyes slightly narrowed, revealing yellow teeth. His sharp voice carried a smile as he said, "Aunt Wu, we are here on behalf of the Emperor to welcome Your Highness. The Green Glaze Soft Palanquin has already been prepared.


    What was going on? Mama Wu''s smile did not waver, the expression in her eyes had already darkened. When First Princess entered the palace, she had always been sitting in a large sedan chair and had never obstructed it before. Why did the Emperor ¡­


    Jin Lan sat upright with his face down. On the surface, he looked like he didn''t hear anything, but in reality, he had been listening attentively to everything. Mama Wu''s purposely raised voice and the words spoken by Eunuch He didn''t fall out of his ears at all. However, in doing so, he had missed the old ancestor''s uncertain expression.


    After a moment, Madame Chen turned her head to look at Jin Lan, "Girl Lan, let''s change sedans."


    "Yes." Jin Lan nodded obediently and followed Madame Chen out of the warm sedan.


    In the blink of an eye, a whistling cold wind brushed past her face. She couldn''t help but close her eyes before slowly opening them. The towering imperial palace immediately entered her field of vision.


    The tall brick walls, with their eaves and arches, looked simple and dignified, and the red walls were covered with patches of bright yellow glazed tiles, which shone brightly in the warm winter sun, a rare sight. Looking from afar, the hall was a sight to behold. It was magnificent and majestic with a majestic aura. Two imperial guards holding long spears stood on either side of the east gate. They stood like pine trees and didn''t even glance at each other.


    Even though it was clearly such a dazzling splendor and the imposing might of the Nine Layer Palace, a cold and merciless feeling was born in Jin Lan''s heart.


    This was not the first time she had entered the palace. In her previous life, the Old Ancestor had also brought her, Ye Jinyan and Ye Jinyu to the palace to congratulate the empress dowager on her birthday. And this time, when I entered the palace early, I...


    Does this mean that the Emperor has some sort of ulterior motive towards this aunt, and even towards Ye Family? The reason why the Old Ancestor was so anxious to marry the princes was also because of the Emperor''s thoughts, right?


    Then, according to the time he had entered the palace for the first time in his previous life, two years later the old ancestor regained the trust of the emperor.


    Jin Lan followed behind the Madame Chen, quickly pondering over the clues he had grasped.


    Qing You Soft Palanquin was a palanquin that was commonly used by the palanquin to allow people to travel. Although it was not comparable to Ye Family''s big treasured palanquin, it was specially prepared for Jin Lan and the Madame Chen. It was much more spacious than a normal Soft Palanquin, with a layer of soft rabbit hair covering the inside. A small, exquisite, green glaze tripod furnace was placed in the corner near the sedan chair door, in particular, it was in the middle of burning silverfrost, thus making the inside of the Soft Palanquin much warmer.


    The Eunuch He led the palanquin and passed through, walking towards the Emperor''s current recovery Ganquan Hall.


    Reaching the Ganquan Hall, the moment he got off the palanquin, he saw a bunch of palace maids standing in the courtyard, and upon seeing them enter, they all kneeled down and saluted.


    Madame Chen took a quick glance before replying, "Stand up."


    Only then did the palace attendants stand up and retreat to the side, lowering their heads with chests in their hands, their faces full of respect.


    The Eunuch He welcomed the Madame Chen and Jin Lan to the side hall, and also had the palace maids serve tea. Only then did he laugh and said, "The emperor asks the First Princess to wait for a moment. The assistant minister of the government is currently reporting to the emperor in the hall."


    "Thank you, Eunuch He." Madame Chen said in a low voice, her face was expressionless, it was hard to tell if she was happy or angry.


    Jin Lan shot a glance at her before standing quietly to the side.


    Eunuch He was flattered and quickly bowed: "This servant doesn''t dare."


    Madame Chen glanced at Eunuch He''s flattering smile. His eyes flashed and a trace of cold ridicule flashed in his eyes. "Eunuch He is the most popular person beside the Emperor, and also the palace''s general director. Naturally, she deserves this old one''s thanks."


    The words of the Madame Chen caused the Eunuch He to be somewhat embarrassed, but she did not dare to reply, and waited with a smile on her face.


    "Girl Lan." Madame Chen saw that he understood the situation, and turned to look at Jin Lan amiably, "What are you standing there for? Come and sit. "


    Jin Lan quickly took a glance at the Eunuch He, and after a moment of hesitation, he slowly stepped forward and sat on the Embroidered Pellet that the palace maid brought.


    Madame Chen gave her a calm look, and leisurely picked up the sweet white porcelain glaze and color peach tea cup. After taking a sip, he slowly asked, "Eunuch He, has the Emperor''s dragon body been well recently?"


    Eunuch He was just left at the side, feeling a bit uneasy. After all, in terms of seniority, Madame Chen was the emperor''s aunt, he couldn''t afford to offend her. When she heard Madame Chen''s voice, she immediately raised her head and laughed, "Reporting to First Princess, Your Majesty''s body has become better and your appetite has improved. Last night, you even specially got up to use a bowl of broth."


    "Nonsense!" Madame Chen placed the tea cup on the square table with a heavy weight. She shouted, "The Emperor has been sick for a long time, so it is extremely important for him to rest at night.


    Eunuch He did not expect Madame Chen to make a move so easily. He was shocked in his heart, "This servant deserves to die!"


    Madame Chen snorted coldly. She still wanted to say something, but a fat servant ran over and quickly greeted him, "Greetings to First Princess Your Highness, His Majesty asks First Princess to move to the main hall." He then bowed and extended her hand, "Your Highness, please follow me."


    When the Eunuch He heard this, he immediately escorted the Madame Chen and Jin Lan into the main hall.


    After the two of them went in, Eunuch He reached out and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead with his sleeve.


    When the attendant who came to deliver the message saw him, he couldn''t help but ask in a low voice, "Godfather, what happened to you?"


    Eunuch He looked around vigilantly for a bit, then said snappily: "Don''t mention it today, it''s bad luck! If you were to accidentally offend the First Princess, don''t blame me for not taking care of you. "


    Hearing this, the young attendant''s face turned white, and he hurriedly nodded.


    Inside the Ganquan Hall, the land dragon burned, and when one walked inside, they would feel warm all over. In the center, inside the three-legged incense burner that was the result of the Gilded Nine-Dragons Dragons Drama Bead, there was an indescribable fragrance that filled the air, causing one''s mind to be refreshed.


    Jin Lan didn''t dare to size him up carefully. He lowered his head and listened to what Mama Wu was saying, supporting the Old Ancestor as they slowly walked forward.


    The palace maid who was leading the way led the two inside the hall. When Madame Chen saw the purple sandalwood bed with bright yellow drapes draped across it, she bowed and said, "This old one pays his respects to the Emperor." As he spoke, he was about to kneel down.


    Jin Lan naturally followed closely behind the old ancestor, following suit.


    But before the Madame Chen''s knees could touch the cold stone, a deep and gentle voice sounded out, "There are no outsiders here, so there''s no need to stand on ceremony, Aunt!"


    The Mama Wu at the side quickly supported the Madame Chen, but Jin Lan was about to kneel down and kowtow on the hard stone. He immediately felt pain and numbness. Even though the land dragon was burning and she was wearing a thick jacket and skirt, the cold air still seeped into her skin and into her bones, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.


    At this moment, there was no room for disrespect. She clenched her teeth, trying her best to calm the trembling in her throat, and said in a calm voice, "This humble girl, Ye Jinlan, respectfully asks for Your Majesty''s safety, long live your life!"


    After Jin Lan knelt, Mama Wu followed suit and bowed.


    "Oh?" The Emperor raised his sword-like brows. He obviously hadn''t expected that his imperial aunt wouldn''t bring his most beloved grandson and daughter. His starry eyes swept over Jin Lan''s body as he kindly said, "Stand up." With that, he raised his voice and ordered, "Set a seat for my imperial aunt."


    Immediately, a group of palace maids filed in and brought over a plate of hot tea.


    Madame Chen thanked him before sitting on the Jin Wu.


    Jin Lan stood up and stood behind the Old Ancestor with his head bowed and his chest folded. He lowered his head and his eyes, appearing to be more respectful and cautious.


    The emperor didn''t speak, the Madame Chen didn''t speak either, and the hall immediately quietened down. Jin Lan was the same as the palace attendant standing in the corner. Even her breathing had become a bit lighter, afraid of alerting the most respected person in the Great Zhou.


    After a long time, the emperor seemed to sigh with emotion and said, "It''s been a long time since the imperial aunt has entered the palace." There was a hint of complaint mixed in his tone.


    "Your majesty the Emperor''s dragon body is not well. This old one is afraid of disturbing your recovery, so I could only eat and chant buddha in the palace, praying to Buddha to bless Your Majesty''s early kang Tai."


    "Aunt, thank you." The emperor lightly nodded his head, and then shifted his gaze to Jin Lan. "This, is she the direct descendant of the Yangzhou Patrolling Salt Censor''s, Ye Lin?"


    Jin Lan''s heart trembled. The Emperor was actually able to reveal her identity so accurately!


    Even the Madame Chen was shocked. She clearly didn''t expect that the Emperor knew Jin Lan''s identity like the back of his hand, so the thoughts in Ye Family ¡­ Her heart slightly sank, but on the surface, she was smiling as she pulled Jin Lan over before her, and said lovingly: "That''s right, she is indeed Ye Lin''s direct daughter.


    "If that''s the case, then it''s a sign of my filial piety." The emperor''s gaze towards Jin Lan became a bit more amiable.


    The late emperor reigned for fifty-eight years, and only at the age of seventy did he relinquish his position to a sage. When he passed away from illness, the emperor who had already inherited the great treasure was still painstakingly serving him personally beside the collapsed throne. The late emperor passed away. Today, he cried his heart out. He made up his mind to protect his filial piety, not stepping into the imperial harem for three years, and became famous for his filial piety.


    "That''s right, this child''s body is weak, and the cold in his body is rather severe. The reason I brought him to the palace this time is to ask Old Imperial Physician Hua to help treat his daughter''s illness."


    The emperor nodded. "Old Imperial Physician Hua is currently in the East Warm Pavilion, get someone to bring her over. Royal Aunt can accompany me for a chat."


    It seemed that the Emperor and the Old Ancestor wanted to send her away so that they could speak in private. Jin Lan respectfully kowtowed to the Emperor, then bowed to the Old Ancestor before following the palace maid down.


    Although in the middle of winter, there were still flowers blooming inside the Ganquan Hall, and Jin Lan couldn''t help but look up. Although they weren''t as lily-red as Spring and Summer''s, there were a few stalks of delicate flowers that were struggling to bloom.


    The palace maid who was leading the way seemed to have seen through Jin Lan''s thoughts, as she said with a smile: "The Ganquan Hall has a hot spring, so the temperature here is much warmer than outside. If we move some fresh flowers from the flower room, we''ll be able to open them undefeated."


    So it was like this! Jin Lan was enlightened. He nodded gratefully at the palace maid and said with a clear voice, "Thank you, elder sister."


    "There''s no need for Miss to be so polite. Just call me, Roughpeak, and I''ll do it."


    The two of them walked forward, and just as they were about to reach the Eastern Warm Pavilion, a coquettish voice sounded from the side, "Hey, stop right there! I''m talking about you! Stop right there! "

 C115

    Jin Lan followed the direction of the voice and saw a thirteen-fourteen year old girl and two palace maids walking over from a cloud pavilion not far away. They wore a sable embroidered fur coat, and as they walked under the mink, the royal blue pearl embroidered thread dress would appear and disappear with each step. The thick black hair was tied into a beautiful bun like a hibiscus, and the hairpins in her hair were azure and pointed, while the side of her face was like flowing silver, embedded with beads; even a pair of embroidered shoes had threads of gold and silver thread that circled around a five-colored peony; it was indescribably extravagant.


    However, that round and beautiful full moon had a haughty look on its face. Its steps were light and graceful. It quickly passed through the corridor and arrived in front of the two.


    "Lucky County Princess Pingyang." When Roughpeak saw the newcomer, a trace of helplessness flashed across his eyes. He hurriedly nodded his head and bent his knees to pay his respects.


    This girl is a County Princess? Jin Lan''s eyebrows creased inconspicuously, following Ying Ying''s lead, "This humble girl, Ye Jinlan, pays his respects to County Princess Ping Yang."


    "So it''s Aunt Roughpeak. Hurry up and get up." Li Yingluo, the Pingyang County Princess, avoided Roughpeak''s salute, but did not let Jin Lan get up. Instead, she glared at her, and asked with an extremely serious tone, "Who are you? Why would it appear here? "


    Jin Lan was baffled by the sudden question. She had just followed the emperor''s instructions to the Eastern Warm Pavilion, why did a County Princess appear out of nowhere to obstruct her? He was even angrily questioning her identity.


    "Are you deaf or dumb? Can''t you hear what I''m asking you? " Unable to get Jin Lan''s answer, Li Yingluo shouted angrily.


    "Reporting to the County Princess, this is the lady from the Marquis Runan'' Mansion. She is entering the palace with the First Princess''s highness." Seeing that Li Yingluo had started to pester her again, Jin Lan seemed to be completely frightened out of her wits. She stood there in a daze, and had no choice but to speak up to save her.


    "Aunt Huang!?" Obviously, Li Yingluo had not expected that the origin of the Jin Lan would involve her, someone who even her parents respected. Her fair hands immediately covered her tender red lips, and her sparkling black eyes turned as she said to Jin Lan slowly, "Stand up first."


    "Thank you, County Princess." Only then did Jin Lan stand up straight. In less than an hour, she had been kneeling and bending at the same time. Her knees were aching, but she still had to endure it.


    She was feeling extremely helpless in her heart. After all, she was the son of the Tian Family, and she was just an ordinary commoner. Even though her Ye Family was a family of the Prominent Class, if she placed it in the capital city, it would be like dropping a grain of sand in a thin lake.


    Roughpeak was a personal female official serving the Emperor. He was in charge of all the palace maids in the Palace.


    Li Yingluo''s expression towards Roughpeak was like the difference between heaven and earth compared to Jin Lan. She pouted her rosy lips and said coquettishly, "Aunt Roughpeak, Fourth Brother can come to Ganquan Hall today, can you? I went to his palace early in the morning, but there was no sign of me. I asked the palace maid and the maid about it, but they did not tell me about it! "


    Roughpeak could tell without guessing that this mistress had come to Ganquan Hall early in the morning. She must have come here as the Fourth Prince and the Pingyang County Princess loved to stick close to the Fourth Prince. Who in the palace didn''t know of her? Unfortunately ¡­ She secretly sighed, then chuckled: "To reply County Princess, Fourth Prince, you''re still talking about your future Ganquan Hall."


    "How could that be? Fourth Brother is not in Ganquan Hall, where else can you go? " Li Yingluo had a face of disbelief. Fourth brother normally would come to the Ganquan Hall to serve the emperor, how could he not come today?


    Roughpeak helplessly shook his head. "The Fourth Prince really isn''t at the Ganquan Hall. When the First Princess entered the palace today, His Majesty ordered for no one to disturb him."


    Only now did Li Yingluo believe what Roughpeak said. Just now, when she was about to pay her respects to the Emperor at the main hall, she had indeed been stopped by the attendant.


    Since Fourth Brother isn''t at Ganquan Hall, there''s a high chance that he''s at the Imperial Garden. She thought for a moment, then proudly swept her gaze over Jin Lan who was standing at the side with her head lowered and her chest folded. She suddenly turned around and walked away, "I''m going to take a look at the Imperial Garden." As soon as she finished speaking, the slim figure had already slipped out of the corridor, causing the two palace maids behind her to follow closely behind.


    After Li Yingluo had disappeared into the distance, Roughpeak turned to Jin Lan and said apologetically, "Lady, please do not take it to heart. County Princess has been raised by the empress dowager''s side since childhood.


    "Aunty Roughpeak, you''re overthinking it. How could I dare to argue with County Princess?" Jin Lan raised his head and smiled obediently, just like Ye Yingluo and calling Roughpeak his'' aunt ''.


    Although Roughpeak was just a palace maid, he was still someone who served the Emperor. Even the County Princess treated her with such respect.


    When Roughpeak saw that Jin Lan was able to distance himself, he smiled wryly in his heart. It was with great difficulty that he managed to pull himself closer to Jin Lan ¡­ Forget it, I''ll think of something later.


    She led Jin Lan into the Eastern Warm Pavilion, but could not find the figure of the Old Imperial Physician Hua. When she asked someone else about it, it turned out that the Old Imperial Physician Hua was busy today, so they went to visit the Imperial Hospital.


    "Miss, please wait here for a moment. This servant will send someone to look for the Old Imperial Physician Hua at the Grand Hospital." Roughpeak called for a maidservant to pour some tea and water for Jin Lan. He then served him a few plates of exquisite pastries before bidding Jin Lan farewell.


    Jin Lan nodded, then laughed calmly. "Thank you, Aunt Roughpeak."


    After Roughpeak had left, the only ones left in the East Warm Pavilion were Jin Lan and a small palace maid guarding the entrance. She didn''t care if the other party had intentionally stayed behind to monitor her every move; after all, this was the imperial palace.


    Jin Lan swept a few glances at the furnishings in the Eastern Warm Pavilion. Although they weren''t considered dazzling in terms of gold and jade, they were still extremely luxurious. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Old Imperial Physician Hua was living here, that the room was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance.


    Since the Emperor had ordered for her to come over, and with the identity of the Patriarch, she was undoubtedly safe within the Ganquan Hall. However, he couldn''t be careless. The moment he relaxed, a hidden danger might appear. It was as if he was facing the old ancestor.


    The diamond-shaped window was made of red wood, and although it was not big, it allowed one to see the veranda and the view from the front yard clearly.


    The little palace maid guarding the door quickly glanced at Jin Lan''s back, feeling amazed in her heart. Why did this lady not sit down on a comfortable chair and instead sit on a pedestal by the window?


    Jin Lan didn''t notice the surprised gaze of the young palace maid. She was gazing through the clear glass window, staring fixedly at the hanging boll tree in the front courtyard, which was a little withered after falling all its leaves.


    She originally thought that the Old Ancestor must have wanted to bring her to some easily encountered prince''s palace in order to enter the palace. She didn''t expect that he would directly rush to the Emperor''s side.


    Moreover, after entering the palace, what she cared about the most was that the Emperor was able to recognize her identity without any errors!


    Although his grandfather had stood up for him in the past, after all these years, and his grandfather had long since passed away, and his father was living in seclusion in the south, the Emperor was very lucky to be able to remember his father. However, the Emperor only heard her name, and he was able to tell her background. This meant that the Emperor was not completely clueless about Ye Family!


    Perhaps, even the main clan in the capital, and even the Yangzhou in the distant Jiangnan Province, had spies arranged by the Emperor!


    When this thought arose, Jin Lan couldn''t help but shudder.


    It was too terrifying!


    No wonder the Emperor had sent the Eunuch He to block the Old Ancestor''s palanquin outside the east gate. This was a warning to the Old Ancestor, that even though she was the imperial aunt, he was the Great Zhou''s Son, the one who decided the fate of the Great Zhou!


    This being the case, the Emperor actually doesn''t wish to see the Ye Family and royal family get married? Could it be that she had guessed wrongly from the start? Two years later, the Emperor''s change in opinion towards Ye Family was not because of the marriage alliance?


    She rubbed her throbbing forehead, but her eyes inadvertently caught two figures slowly walking over from the veranda to her right. Her heart shuddered, and she hurriedly turned her head to the left side and moved towards the wall; they were able to hide her figure as much as possible, and she was also able to see the person who had come.


    The main door of the Eastern Warming Pavilion was right behind her, which was to her left. The other party was coming from the right, so if she wanted to enter, she had to pass through the glass window. However, it was clear that the two of them were not going to the East Warm Pavilion. They only walked along the veranda for a short distance before going down the stairs and heading towards the wickerwood in the front courtyard.


    One was tall and the other was short. Both of them wore fox fur cloaks, but judging from their attire, they were clearly a man and a woman. When they turned down the walkway, Jin Lan noticed that there were a few palace maids behind them.


    Even though the glass window was clear, it was not enough to see that far, even with the help of Jin Lan''s eyes. Moreover, since the two of them had walked up to the Hanging Bell Tree, there was a faint mist surrounding them that made it even harder to see clearly.


    Since he wasn''t at the East Warm Pavilion and he didn''t have anything to do with her, Jin Lan stopped staring at him. Since there was someone outside, it wouldn''t be good to sit at the window anymore. Moreover, it might even be possible that these two people were distinguished figures like princes and princesses. It would be best for her to avoid them.


    Jin Lan turned his head as he thought of this, and prepared to move to the middle chair. However, just as he got up and before she could take a step, the glass window that was originally shut suddenly opened, and a whistling cold wind mixed with an angry shout poured into the room.


    "How dare you!"


    Jin Lan creased his brows in grief as he was truly afraid of what would come next. This voice sounded very familiar.


    Sure enough, when she turned around, she saw County Princess Li Yingluo''s angry full moon face.


    "Greetings County Princess Pingyang." Jin Lan cried out in his heart, was she attacking the palace or the County Princess?


    Li Yingluo did not care what Jin Lan was thinking about, her gaze was sharp, her expression was haughty, her painted finger pointed at Jin Lan, and she bellowed: "Get the hell out here, you''re just a lowly girl from a side branch, do you think you can stand up to me like that?"


    Jin Lan''s originally respectful and submissive expression suddenly turned cold. He slowly straightened his body as he curtsied. His clear and cold eyes narrowed as he coldly gazed at the lovable face that was filled with contempt.


    Scolding her as a lowly girl was equivalent to treating the parents behind her as lowly people. If it was Ye Lin, maybe she would not be angry, but instead clap and cheer, but she would definitely not allow anyone to insult and slander the Madame SHen!


    "What is it? Are you the opposite of a commoner? I haven''t even allowed you to rise, and you actually dare to stand up on your own? " Li Yingluo had been raised by the empress dowager since childhood and was doted upon by the emperor.


    Seeing Jin Lan not dodging at all, looking at her coldly and even getting up on his own accord, the anger in her mind exploded. She screamed, "What are you all waiting for? "Hurry up and drag this lowly commoner out!"

 C116

    A sharp shout rang out from far away, and even the pair standing beneath the Hanging Bell Tree were alarmed. They simultaneously raised their heads to look in the direction of the Eastern Warm Pavilion.


    However, the diamond-shaped window was not big to begin with, and with Li Yingluo''s figure blocking the window, she was unable to see the situation inside the house. She didn''t know what the girl had said, but the man shook his head. She continued to stand under the tree, not moving at all. She only turned his head to look at her.


    When the palace maid who was behind Li Yingluo heard that, she immediately prepared to enter the house, following orders to grab the person who angered the County Princess.


    Unfortunately, Jin Lan didn''t give them a chance.


    She straightened her body, and her young and tender voice came out from her lips, "County Princess, how unreasonable."


    His indifferent tone was like a casual gossip, yet it was aimed straight at the other party''s heart!


    Standing at the opposite of Jin Lan, Li Yingluo''s expression immediately changed. From the little girl''s anger, it gradually turned into savageness as she fiercely squeezed out a few words from her clenched teeth, "What did you say?"


    No one had ever dared to speak to her like this, not even the emperor. When he spoke to her, his voice was gentle and soft. This slut, how dare she publicly reprimand her!


    Jin Lan did not seem to hear Li Yingluo''s question, her black eyes were like black jade, sparkling. She repeated what she had just said again, and even her tone and attitude were the same.


    "The words of this humble woman, County Princess, are unreasonable." As soon as she finished her sentence, she added, "You are guilty of being disloyal and dishonest. You are guilty of disrespecting the sovereign!" As she said that, she intentionally glanced behind Li Yingluo, a glint flashed past her eyes, so fast that even Li Yingluo who was constantly staring at her did not notice.


    "Slut!" Li Yingluo held the silk handkerchief tightly in her hands, her eyes filled with a terrifying ruthlessness. She stared fixedly at the small face that made her want to tear it, and shouted: "You dog slave, quickly catch that slut who insulted the imperial bloodline!"


    The palace attendants, who were already not far from the door, were stunned by Jin Lan''s words. They suddenly came to their senses, and without further delay, rushed into the pavilion, reaching out to grab Jin Lan''s body.


    "Don''t bother, I know how to walk." Jin Lan was quick with his eyes. With just a few steps, he avoided the hand that was reaching over. He then turned around and walked towards the veranda outside the door.


    When the palace maids and attendants saw that she had volunteered to go out, they could not help but heave a sigh of relief in their hearts. Although it was County Princess''s orders, she was said to be a delicate guest brought into the palace by her highness. The County Princess naturally had the protection of the empress dowager, but they, the servants, would be in trouble.


    They were not the first servants from the Pingyang County Princess''s side.


    Jin Lan walked out of the pavilion, but the inside and outside of the door seemed to be separated by two layers of ice and fire. She gathered up the fox fur coat on her body and didn''t remove it after entering the room.


    She smiled wryly to herself.


    However, with these words and actions, she would definitely have no regrets! No matter who it was, even if it was His Majesty himself, he couldn''t humiliate her mother for no reason!


    Initially, she was worried that she would anger the emperor''s aunt, but now that she had delivered herself to her doorstep and accused her of insulting the imperial family, even if it meant taking her dog life, the emperor''s aunt was unable to say anything.


    When Jin Lan was still three feet away from her, Li Yingluo could no longer suppress the bloodthirsty urge in her heart. She opened her mouth to order someone to take the torture staff, she wanted to see this slut die from just one staff strike!


    But before she could even spit out the words that she wanted to say, a delicate and pretty servant girl ran to the end of the veranda and shouted at Li Yingluo: "This servant pays respects to County Princess, His Highness invites you to come over for a chat."


    "Fourth brother wants me to go over?" Li Yingluo tilted her head to take a look, and couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows in surprise, then turned to look at the figure below the huge Suspending Bell Tree.


    Presumably, Fourth Brother heard the argument just now? The anger in Li Yingluo''s heart cooled, and a look of vexation involuntarily surfaced on her face. She fiercely glared at Jin Lan and shouted: "Take her with you!"


    Although she was a County Princess and was raised in the empress dowager''s palace, she was still someone with a different surname. Li Yingluo was very clear on this point. This is the Ganquan Hall, a place for the Emperor to recuperate. If he had dared to use violence here just now, he might have incurred the wrath of the Dragon King. It must have been Fourth Brother seeing through the connection that had caused her to come over and stop her impulse in time, right?


    Li Yingluo''s heart was warm, and the gait beneath her feet became even more graceful.


    The palace maids and servants behind her were in trouble, this time the County Princess was using pawns, not capturing them or bringing them, if they really allowed Jin Lan to pass like that, Iron Dazhi would definitely be in trouble.


    One of the servants could only smile apologetically at Jin Lan and bow, "Miss Ye, what do you think?"


    Jin Lan pursed his lips, looking at Li Yingluo''s back, the chill in his eyes grew colder and colder. If she was really taken by someone else, her maiden name would be completely ruined, and even Madame SHen, who was far away in the Yangzhou, wouldn''t be any better.


    When the servant saw that she was still standing upright, and remembered the notoriety of the Pingyang County Princess, after weighing the pros and cons, he mustered up his courage and planned to take her in!


    Just as they made their move, the attendant that had just returned said in a timely manner, "This lady, His Highness has invited you."


    Jin Lan lowered his eyelids, concealing the light in his eyes. The corners of his mouth curled up, and he ignored the palace maid who was standing by the side. Raising his legs, he began walking down the Hanging Bell Tree.


    She was sure that if the person under the tree asked him to come, it wouldn''t be to add punishment. Otherwise, if Li Yingluo caused a ruckus, it would be fine.


    As for who the woman under the tree was, Jin Lan couldn''t see it clearly, nor did he know. But as for the man, she had a guess in her heart.


    When she first met Li Yingluo, she was bringing the palace maids to search for the Fourth Prince, and the time that she had spent in the Eastern Warm Pavilion, was definitely not more than an hour. In this short period of time, Li Yingluo had returned after leaving and even made clear her identity. The only possibility was that she was stopped not too far away from the Ganquan Hall.


    It was this person who not only told Li Yingluo the whereabouts of Fourth Prince, but also told him about her identity and background.


    From this, she determined that the man under the tree was Fourth Prince.


    However, who was the informer? Jin Lan secretly tightened his fingers.


    Could it be Roughpeak? A smile suddenly flashed across her face and her heart sank. Roughpeak was someone close to the emperor, could it be that he was ordered by the emperor to make things difficult for her, County Princess Pingyang?


    But why? She was merely the daughter of a rank 2 noble official. In a place like the capital where crouching tigers and hidden dragons were hidden, she was nothing. Even with the Old Ancestor here, shouldn''t she make the Emperor fear her?


    Jin Lan laughed at himself.


    This palace was truly difficult. No matter how careful one was, they would involuntarily fall into the trap of others.


    No matter how spacious the front yard was, it would always come to an end. However, as they got closer, Jin Lan felt the cold air grow thinner. Instead, waves of warmth assaulted his senses. She had always been walking with her head down. Now, taking advantage of the others being unaware, she quickly looked around and found that it was already filled with fog.


    Although it was already the middle of winter and the moon, the spring water was still hot and misty. Therefore, standing by the side like the sun and spring, it didn''t seem to be cold at all.


    Li Yingluo was the first one to walk over. She had already removed the sable coat on her body, revealing a bright red five-colored dress that was adorned with white fox fur.


    "Fourth brother." Li Yingluo gracefully bowed to the Fourth Prince, and then smiled and nodded at the young girl in pink, "Cousin sister."


    The young girl dressed in pink naturally curtsied and returned, "County Princess."


    "What happened? "He''s so angry."


    Her warm voice was like a flowing spring water, slowly surging into the hearts of everyone present, causing Li Yingluo''s beautiful face to redden uncontrollably. However, when she mentioned Jin Lan, the gentleness in her eyes that was like water immediately retreated. She pursed her red lips and said: "Fourth brother, that slut, uh, that woman actually reprimanded and insulted me in front of everyone."


    What a good ''villain is the first to complain''! The moment Jin Lan walked over, he coincidentally heard Li Yingluo''s words that were full of grievance, and couldn''t help but laugh coldly in her heart.


    "Hmm?" Fourth Prince softly replied, as though there was a layer of mist covering his, his unfathomable eyes flashed, raising his head to look at the young lady, "Is that so?"


    Jin Lan stopped walking. He still had his head down and his chest out, looking submissive, but there was a layer of unyielding stubbornness in his eyes. "Reporting to His Highness, Fourth Prince''s words are sweet and charming. This humble woman cannot argue."


    "You ¡­" Li Yingluo saw her poking her bottom in front of him and immediately became angry, but just as she was about to spit out a word, she was stopped by the young girl in pink.


    "Cousin, what are you pulling me along for?" Li Yingluo turned his head in anger, only to see the girl in pink shaking her head at him, and giving him a look.


    Only then did she realize that Fourth Brother was still beside her!


    Seeing that Li Yingluo had understood her thoughts, the girl in pink let go of her sleeve and turned her head to look at Jin Lan with interest.


    Fourth Prince did not seem to notice the two''s little movements, his gentle gaze was fixated on that small and thin body from start to finish. His beautiful lips, which had a little less blood color than the rest of the people, slightly opened, "If young lady is willing to say, this king will naturally listen."


    "Fourth brother!" Hearing that, Li Yingluo stomped his feet, "Why are you still talking to her Fourth Brother? Drag him down and teach him a lesson, then chase him out ¡­ "


    Fourth Prince gave Li Yingluo a glance and instantly made her swallow the rest of her words. She glared at Jin Lan and turned her head away, not saying a word.


    Jin Lan stood at the same place, but his heart was sinking to the bottom bit by bit. Fourth Prince''s intention, was he not going to let her go so easily?


    "Raise your head."


    At this moment, the gentle and pleasant voice entered Jin Lan''s ears like a clap of thunder, causing her entire body to tremble. No matter how unwilling she was, she could only slowly raise her drooping face ¡­

 C117

    Jin Lan raised his head, and a face as warm as jade was thrown right into her eyes.


    Her fair and clear face exuded distinct edges and angles. Her delicate and pretty face carried a touch of gentleness. Her two black eyes that flew down to her temples were clear and bright. Her tall and straight nose and thin lips were as tranquil as water. A head of black hair was neatly tied up on top of his head. It was crowned with a jade carvings the size of a baby''s fist. His thin and slender body was covered by a snow-green Cloud Tattooed Python''s embroidered robe.


    The smile on her face was as pure as amber, without any impurities. However, the kindness she showed him caused Jin Lan to be startled. She immediately shifted her gaze away, and her eyes widened as she saw the pink-clothed girl beside her.


    How could it be her?


    When the pink clothed young lady saw Jin Lan looking over, she openly nodded her head in greeting, "Sister Jinlan, it''s been a long time."


    Jin Lan quickly retracted the shock in his eyes, and smiled as he blessed himself, "Indeed, it has been a long time, Big Sister Yifei."


    It turned out that the young girl in pink who was with Fourth Prince was actually Bai Yifei, whom he had seen at the Meng Mansion Flower Lover Banquet before.


    "Cousin, you know her?"


    Not only Jin Lan was surprised, Li Yingluo had a face full of shock, only the Fourth Prince still had his original expression.


    Bai Yifei nodded, and said with a gentle smile. "Sister Jinlan and I are both in the Yangzhou, so we naturally recognize each other."


    Jin Lan''s breathing became stifling. She had only met Bai Yifei once, and it was even because of a grudge between them. But now that Bai Yifei had said that, it was as if they had long known each other well.


    If something was abnormal, then it meant that she was in danger. She had no choice but to be on guard.


    After knowing that Bai Yi had given him the chance to get acquainted with Jin Lan, Li Yingluo was extremely dissatisfied. She coldly snorted and said: "Even so, you cannot escape the crime of slandering the Imperial Family!"


    Bai Yifei frowned when she heard it, she knew that this cousin of hers, County Princess, had been regarded as a treasure by everyone since she was young, and had a very cunning and despotic personality. However, she was not such a righteous person, especially in front of the Fourth Prince, could it be that this girl, Ye Family, had said or done something to anger her?


    However, according to her understanding, even if there was something, it would still be Li Yingluo who provoked her first.


    After thinking about it, Bai Yifei turned her head and looked at the Fourth Prince: "Your Highness, look..."


    Fourth Prince nodded and said slowly, "Ying Luo, don''t mess around."


    "Fourth brother!" When Li Yingluo saw that her own cousin and the Fourth Prince were faintly moving towards that slut, the anger that she had barely managed to suppress flared up, and she shouted in anger, "I''m not messing around!" She then turned to Jin Lan and roared harshly, "Do you dare to repeat what you said just now!"


    In the blink of an eye, the situation had reversed.


    Although she didn''t understand why Fourth Prince and Bai Yifei would stand by her side for no reason, she knew how to grasp this opportunity accurately. She smiled faintly and said: "Reporting to County Princess, this humble girl does not know the meaning behind County Princess''s words? Earlier, did this humble woman say anything about charging into County Princess? "


    Li Yingluo did not expect Jin Lan to actually open his eyes and lie. Under the extreme anger, she also forgot to call the palace maids and attendants who were there to testify. She opened her mouth and screamed, "You said it! You clearly said earlier that I was unreasonable and disloyal! Do you dare to lie to Fourth Brother? "


    Li Yingluo had obviously fallen into the trap of Jin Lan. Although she wanted to help Jin Lan, she was not willing to see Li Yingluo suffer big losses, and did not even hesitate to speak up for him.


    However, Jin Lan was already prepared when he opened his mouth, and was just waiting for Li Yingluo''s words. How could he allow Bai Yifei to speak? As she spoke, she looked fixedly at Li Yingluo, and actually returned what she said to him without changing a single word.


    After hearing Jin Lan''s words, Li Yingluo glanced at Fourth Prince at the side with a bit of guilt. Fourth brother hated domineering girls the most.


    However, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the sneer in Jin Lan''s eyes. She felt her chest stifled, and after suppressing the words with great difficulty, she rushed to the front of her mouth without a care. "You are just a lowly girl from a side branch who relied on your Aunt Huang to enter the palace. If you don''t behave yourself, you might as well hide to the side and peep!"


    "Ying Luo!"


    "County Princess!"


    Fourth Prince and Bai Yifei shouted at the same time to stop Li Yingluo.


    Li Yingluo knew that she had misspoke, but after being shouted at by the two, she felt wronged, a tinge of moisture appearing in her round eyes, "Fourth brother, you are so fierce towards me."


    Fourth Prince frowned slightly, but he slowly spoke, "Alright, I will take care of this matter."


    Li Yingluo wanted to say more, but Bai Yifei hurried forward and pulled her back, and chuckled: "Your Highness, I am afraid that both sides are in the wrong, I hope that Your Highness will be lenient with your actions."


    Although she was here to visit Imperial Concubine Ruan, in reality, it was the Ruan Family that had sent her here to lend a hand to Li Yingluo. Just now, she truly wanted to help Jin Lan, but now, after weighing the pros and cons, she could only favor Li Yingluo.


    Hearing Bai Yifei''s words, Jin Lan sneered in his heart. These words that seemed to plead for her actually confirmed her crime of slandering the Imperial Family. Moreover, she had played down to the greatest extent the overbearing words Li Yingluo had said just now.


    He really was a meticulous person.


    "In that case." Fourth Prince looked away from Li Yingluo to Jin Lan, her tone still as gentle as the spring wind in the third month. "Miss, please apologize to Ying Luo.


    Hearing that, Li Yingluo''s heart was extremely unsatisfied, but just as she was about to speak, Bai Yifei had lightly twisted her waist, although it was not painful, it made her mind clear, and she immediately forced it back down. She glared at Jin Lan hatefully and thought to herself that she would make use of the fact that fourth brother was not around and find a way to make her suffer!


    Jin Lan was standing face to face with them, so the Fourth Prince couldn''t see what was happening behind them, but she could see everything clearly. The corners of her lips suddenly curled upwards, and she opened her mouth to lightly spit out a sentence: "What mistake has this humble girl made?"


    She knew that Wang Lin was afraid of the ancestor behind her, so he didn''t want to blow the whole thing. As long as she lowered her head, she would be able to get out safely. But apologizing was one accepting of Li Yingluo''s humiliating words. If that was the case, then why did she have to go against Li Yingluo just now?


    His sword-like eyebrows that had just calmed down returned back to normal. It was just that the anger that flashed across his warm eyes was not the face of someone who had just been refuted, but an indescribable sense of interest. Right, a trace of curiosity rose in his heart towards this slender little girl.


    To be able to catch that person''s attention, it was indeed extraordinary.


    As they stood behind Fourth Prince, they naturally could not see the expression that flashed past his face, and gently advised Jin Lan: "Sister Jinlan, even though this matter happened because of County Princess, she was the one who mistakenly thought that you had committed an immoral act. Since Your Highness has said so, I hope Sister Jinlan can take a step back."


    The smile on Jin Lan''s face disappeared, and he looked up to Bai Yifei, interrupting her words coldly: "Sister Yifei, the reason I came to the Eastern Warm Pavilion, was because of the emperor''s orders. Furthermore, I''m not the only one in the pavilion, I also have a palace maid accompanying me."


    She originally thought that although First Princess had brought Jin Lan into the palace, Jin Lan had only appeared at the Eastern Warm Pavilion. It must have been because he sneaked out of the pavilion, so she wanted to clear Li Yingluo of his mistake.


    However, she had forgotten. How could the imperial palace allow them to walk freely? Furthermore, this Ganquan Hall was the emperor''s resting place, and its security was even tighter. If she hadn''t followed the Fourth Prince, she might not even have been able to enter, let alone Jin Lan.


    Seeing that Bai Yifei was speechless, Li Yingluo could no longer hold back, "Even if it''s an imperial edict, you shouldn''t hide by the window and peep. She then looked at Fourth Prince and said, "Fourth brother, she was the one who sneaked in first, and I was the one who spoke recklessly."


    Li Yingluo was not stupid, she knew that she had to push everything onto someone else.


    Fourth Prince did not turn around to look at Bai Yifei and Li Yingluo. Her watery gaze was still locked on the beautiful face of the golden waves.


    Jin Lan did his best to ignore that probing gaze, and looked straight at Li Yingluo, "This humble woman entered the Eastern Warm Pavilion, and took a seat in front of a window where her Highness and Big Sister Yifei were not present when she took a look. For this, the palace maid who was in the room earlier can bear witness to this. " After pausing for a moment, he continued, "It''s just that I didn''t expect Your Highness to believe me, and just as I was about to leave the window, the County Princess appeared.


    Without exaggerating at all, she narrated what had happened, yet it was this indifferent expression and tone that made Li Yingluo nearly go crazy. "Humiliate? Did I say anything wrong? Are you not from a side branch? Since she was born with a concubine''s bloodline, she was naturally a lowly person! And what makes you think I''m unfaithful and unjust? "


    Li Yingluo was already starting to speak, the only thing she wanted to do was to take down the golden wave and save some face for the Fourth Prince.


    "Lord County Princess." "County Princess kept calling me a lowly person, and I have to ask if you are a king of this world or a subject of this earth. All the people in this world are his subjects, so how could the words of the County Princess reach Your Majesty''s ears? This is disloyalty! "


    "My daughter is not talented. Although she is from a branch family, my father is a middle-second rank official in the imperial court. He is an official of the imperial court and my mother is blessed with a second rank title! County Princess humiliating a woman as a lowly commoner is tantamount to humiliating my father and mother, humiliating the imperial court officials, and ordering my wife to be considered unrighteous! " Finished speaking, she finally shifted her gaze to the gaze that had always been on her. "So, does Your Highness still think that this humble woman is wrong?"


    She was the shortest of the four, yet she gave people the feeling that she was too high to reach. Her sinister and slightly distorted facial features formed two distinct contrasts with Li Yingluo''s.


    One was obviously a golden branch with jade leaves, while the other was a commoner. However, the commoner girl suddenly blossomed with a dazzling light, like a magnificent treasure. It was hard for people to look away from her.


    Li Yingluo felt the blood energy in her body surge up, and in an instant, she lost consciousness. She forcefully flung Bai Yifei''s hand away, took a big stride forward, and fiercely raised his palm towards the small face that she hated, and fiercely swung it down ¡­

 C118

    "Stop!"


    "Stop!"


    A strong and weak voice suddenly sounded out. Although Fourth Prince knew that Li Yingluo had been spoiled a little by the empress dowager and the emperor, he had never once beat someone up in public before. Suddenly, his heart tightened. If Jin Lan got hit, then the promised matter would be ruined!


    Another voice came from the free Mama Wu. With just a turn, she saw Li Yingluo''s hand that was raised high in the air.


    Although Jin Lan was just a side branch of the Ye Family and wasn''t directly related to it, she was still someone that he brought in. To be surrounded by people at this moment, it was akin to slapping her in the face.


    To the Madame Chen who had such a strong reputation, this was an offense!


    The two roars caused Li Yingluo''s body to tremble, her mind became clearer, but the arrow had already left the bow, and she was unable to stop it!


    Jin Lan didn''t expect Li Yingluo to be so bold. Although the palm force that had fallen did not stop, the shouts of the Fourth Prince and the Old Ancestor caused Li Yingluo to hesitate, and she instantly retracted quite a bit of her speed and strength, giving her enough time to react.


    It was already impossible to completely dodge the attack. The distance between the two was simply too close. Only, in her heart, she had never thought of avoiding this slap. Since the Old Ancestor''s shout had reached Li Yingluo''s palm, in a split-second, a thought had flashed through her mind.


    Seeing that Li Yingluo had already waved his hand towards him with the ring on her finger, Jin Lan raised his hand and blocked. With a sound, she felt a burning pain in her arm. She had still underestimated Li Yingluo''s strength.


    Although it was made of gold and jade, and was raised with a noble family, Li Yingluo grew up with the princes and princes, and was quite proficient in riding and shooting. Compared to Jin Lan who was young and weak, she was undoubtedly a valiant lord.


    Jin Lan sighed helplessly as his arm was about to get bruised, but he still staggered a few steps backwards due to the huge force.


    "Be careful!" Fourth Prince, who had originally wanted to stop Li Yingluo, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Jin Lan block his palm. However, before he could even exhale, he abruptly raised his hand.


    Without time to think, he stretched out his hand to try to pull Jin Lan back.


    The instant that Jin Lan lost her balance, she closed her eyes. However, the last time she almost drowned in the water due to the Meng Mansion, she experienced the pain of a nightmare again. She didn''t even reach the hot spring but found it hard to breathe.


    In this critical moment, she instinctively stretched out her hand and wildly waved in the air. Thus, with a "Rip" sound, a tear suddenly appeared on Fourth Prince''s sleeve.


    "Plop!" "Plop!" Two, a slender figure wrapped around her delicate body and fell into the hot spring!


    Everything happened in a blink of an eye. Bai Yifei was stunned, she regained her senses and looked at the stunned Li Yingluo, then anxiously shouted to the palace maids and servants: Come and save them! As she spoke, she gritted her teeth and jumped in as well.


    The spring wasn''t very deep, and to Fourth Prince, it simply couldn''t reach his chest. Even if it was Bai Yifei, it only reached his lower jaw, it wasn''t without an end.


    However, compared to a nine year old Jin Lan, it was a disaster.


    She never thought that this spring would be so deep, that her delicate feet could not penetrate to the bottom!


    At the same time that Jin Lan secretly complained, a trace of fear grew in his heart.


    Why hasn''t anyone come to save them yet?


    The Old Ancestor had clearly already arrived. With so many palace maids waiting nearby, one of them should know how to swim, right?


    In the blink of an eye, she had already choked on two mouthfuls of water. From her throat to her lungs, it felt as if they were about to explode.


    Suddenly, she felt something tighten around her waist, as if something was squeezing her. She felt her body suddenly lift up, and a pungent smell of air rushed into her nose. She couldn''t help but cover her mouth and cough violently.


    "Are you okay?"


    A gentle voice came from the top of his head. Jin Lan''s breath caught in his throat as he felt something behind him. Even though they were separated by his jacket, he could feel the warmth of his body. She quickly wiped the water from her face, opened her eyes, looked sideways, and met her eyes.


    Fourth Prince!?


    The person who had saved her was actually Fourth Prince!


    Only now did Jin Lan realize that the thing that was clamped at his waist was a thin, slender arm. However, it was this arm that did not seem to have much strength that held her tightly in his embrace, preventing her from being annihilated.


    "Sister Jinlan, Sister Jinlan! Are you okay? " Dong Ri''s clothes were much thicker and heavier than before. Bai Yifei spent a lot of effort to only move a few steps, then stood behind Fourth Prince as she asked in concern.


    Thank you for Sister Yifei''s concern, I''m fine. Only then did Jin Lan regain his senses. He reached out his hand to shove the arm at his waist, indicating him to let go. Unexpectedly, although the arm loosened a little, it didn''t pull back and continued to stubbornly wrap around her waist that was still in her grasp.


    As they spoke, the palace maids and attendants who were stunned by Bai Yifei''s words of "save her" had already been woken up, and rushed forward to save her. Especially the little attendant called Little Road who was by Fourth Prince''s side.


    was also supported by Mama Wu as she rushed over. It was just that she was old, so although she was anxious, she was not strong enough. In the end, she was still a step too late.


    The culprit that caused all of this was standing there blankly.


    Since Fourth Prince happened to have his back to Li Yingluo, he could not see that the Fourth Brother he admired the most was currently holding Jin Lan in his arms. Her mind was blank as she blankly stared at the hand he had swung down at Jin Lan. Her legs went soft, and she slowly fell to the ground.


    "Your Highness, you ¡­ are you alright?!" Little Road was so anxious that his eyes turned red. Why didn''t he stop the fourth prince in time? In this winter, what if he caught a cold and fell ill?


    "I''m fine." When the Fourth Prince saw the palace maids and servants coming over, he slowly loosened his arms.


    Jin Lan was immediately supported by the two palace maids and slowly moved to the shore.


    His arms suddenly felt empty, and Fourth Prince felt the warmth that was gradually disappearing. He suddenly felt a sense of loss in his heart. In just a short moment, he had completely suppressed the abnormality that had just occurred.


    Jin Lan was wearing a fox fur coat, and it was heavy. She nearly couldn''t climb out of the water. After a few tries, she was finally able to land with the help of the two palace maids.


    The wet brocade jacket and the scholarly dress stuck tightly to her body. Fortunately, it was in the middle of winter and her clothes were very thick. If she wore a thin shirt in the middle of summer, then she really wouldn''t have the face to see anyone.


    However, even though it was right next to the hot spring, the north wind was still blowing. The fox fur coat that was soaked to the skin had not only lost its original function, it also caused people to feel a chill that seeped into their bones.


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but shudder.


    "Girl Lan!" Madame Chen kept using her walking stick along the way. The thumping sounds of the walking sticks being called out could be heard by the people around. Suddenly, all four of them had different expressions.


    Jin Lan held onto the fox fur coat that could be twisted with force. Her clear eyes were filled with misty water. Her tender lips, that had lost their color, slightly parted as if she wanted to say something, but hesitated. Bai Yifei, on the other hand, somewhat panicked as she turned her head to look at the pale-faced Li Yingluo, who was sitting on the ground.


    Only Fourth Prince still had a gentle and calm expression on his face as he held onto the small path''s hand and swiftly went ashore from the hot spring.


    Madame Chen stepped forward quickly. Although Jin Lan''s face was pale, he looked to be safe and sound, and his heart was slightly relieved. Glancing at her trembling body, he couldn''t help but lower his face, and shouted to the palace attendant who was cowering at the side: "Hurry, go change into some clean clothes for Fourth Prince and the two young misses!"


    "Your servant obeys!" The palace maid, who did not even dare to breathe loudly, quickly replied and left.


    After sending people to get clothes, Madame Chen ordered the rest of the palace maids to send Jin Lan and Bai Yifei, who had fallen into the water, to the Eastern Warm Pavilion. As for Fourth Prince, he went to the side hall.


    After making all the necessary arrangements, only then did Madame Chen raise his head to look at Li Yingluo, who was already being supported up by the palace maids, and stood at her original position with his head lowered.


    "I never knew that a County Princess with another surname would dare to run rampant in the palace, actually striking people at Ganquan Hall. Who gave you the guts!"


    The reason the late emperor was able to turn the tables on his opponents and gain great fame, with the greatest assistance, was because the Madame Chen, the heroic and unyielding First Princess, was the young sister of the late emperor''s first mother, and the most beloved First Princess of the late emperor!


    At the beginning of Shaohua, he whipped Ma Jingcheng, which was as beautiful as spring, reflecting the hearts of countless noble children.


    If not for the Ye Family she had married, washing her hands to make a soup, her childhood friends, and the years she had spent training all over her body, her spirit would not lose out to any other man. Otherwise, there really wouldn''t be many women who could resist the wrath of the Madame Chen. Even the Empress Dowager had to back off a bit.


    Even so, the fact that she fell so heavily with the help of a palace maid seemed to have struck Li Yingluo''s heart. Her face instantly turned as pale as paper, and if it were not for the support of the palace maid, she would have fallen to the ground once again.


    Seeing her terrified look, the Madame Chen looked disgusted, and said coldly: Bring her to the main hall, this old one wants to seek guidance from the Emperor, what do you mean by royal etiquette, what do you mean by palace rules! With that, he turned and walked away, ignoring the trembling Li Yingluo who had opened her mouth and was about to admit her mistake and beg for forgiveness.


    The floor dragons were already burning in the East Warm Pavilion. Not long after Jin Lan had entered, the palace maids swiftly prepared hot water and took off all of her wet clothes in a flurry to help her take a bath. She then took a clean and warm coat and changed into it before helping her to wring her hair dry. After that, he placed her in one of the rooms in the East Warm Pavilion. Bai Yifei was the same, but lived in another room nearby.


    When Old Imperial Physician Hua hurried back to the Eastern Warm Pavilion, Jin Lan had just finished drinking the steaming hot ginger soup.


    The Old Ancestor did not appear during the pulse examination, and in fact, Jin Lan did not see the Madame Chen until he left the palace in the evening.


    She laid peacefully in the room. If the Old Ancestor were to step in, she would definitely not lose out.

 C119

    When they left the palace, Eunuch He was still the same as before, but after the meeting at the side palace, Eunuch He''s attitude was clearly more respectful than before.


    Qing You''s Soft Palanquin walked to the east gate and changed the big palanquin with Ye Family.


    The palanquin steadily went back to the Ye Mansion along the way it came.


    The Old Ancestor Madame Chen leaned against the cushioned palanquin wall and closed her eyes for a short rest. After being treated by the Old Imperial Physician Hua and drinking the medicine, Jin Lan did not have any ailments done, only her expression was gloomy as she thought about everything that had happened in the palace while pretending to have a lowered head.


    In the end, the Old Ancestor ordered for the emperor to send Li Yingluo out of the palace after hearing the news. When he heard that even the empress dowager had arrived, he was still unable to protect Li Yingluo. To Li Yingluo, who had grown up in the palace since childhood, this was simply a derogatory punishment! In the future, his reputation in the capital would decline by leaps and bounds.


    As for the matter of her "offending" the Pingyang County Princess, it was also reported to the emperor by all the palace maids present. They didn''t expect for the emperor to laugh loudly and say "good" three times in a row!


    When Madame Chen heard this scene, she couldn''t help but be dumbstruck.


    She thought that even if Li Yingluo was punished, it would be bad if she was unable to escape. After all, she was only a commoner in the Imperial Family, even with the support of her ancestors, she would still be scolded. In the end, not only did the Emperor not get angry from Long Yan, he even rewarded her.


    Jin Lan quietly glanced at the brocade box at the side, silently cursing in his heart. Just what did the emperor mean?


    Although Madame Chen looked like she had her eyes closed, she had actually been squinting her eyes and observing Jin Lan''s every move. Seeing her turn her head slightly, her murky eyes instantly flashed with a glint of light. "Girl Lan."


    Jin Lan held his breath and quickly collected his thoughts. With a smile, he said, "Old Ancestor, Jin Lan is here."


    Madame Chen looked down at Jin Lan''s pleasing appearance, and thought about what had happened in the palace. She felt extremely satisfied. She was respectful and courteous, her movements gentle, her movements orderly; she was gentle when she should be strong but she was firm when she should be strong. Her conduct was even higher than she had expected, just that such a person was of a side bloodline.


    Thinking of this, she couldn''t help but feel a sense of pity. If only Jin Yan had half as exquisite as this little girl, she wouldn''t have to spend so much effort in devising such a detour.


    Jin Lan sat upright, and although the Old Ancestor did not make a sound, she could feel a gaze roving back and forth on her body. She hid her thoughts even deeper, afraid that the Old Ancestor would catch her unawares.


    After a long while, when the smile on her face was about to freeze, Madame Chen finally opened her mouth and said, "County Princess Ping Yang is Princess Mingxin''s daughter."


    Princess Mingxin? Jin Lan''s heart trembled. If she remembered correctly, Princess Mingxin was the empress dowager''s apple, and also the late emperor''s only princess. In her previous life, she had met this Princess Ming Xin who had married into the Jing Yang Palace. Even though she was over thirty years old, she still had a bright and beautiful appearance.


    However, this was not the main point. The main point was that Princess Ming Xin was very protective of her.


    It was said that back then, someone from the Marquis Mansion had accidentally injured the third young master of the Jing Yang palace. Although it was a concubine, the third young master was raised under the name of Princess Mingxin. That night, Princess Ming Xin came knocking with a guard from the Duke''s Palace, making Changping''s Marquis Mansion restless. After that, she ruthlessly cut Changping''s Marquis Mansion, and even if Imperial Concubine Ruan sobbed in front of the emperor, she only reprimanded him twice in the end.


    And now she had offended Princess Ming Xin!?


    Compared to Li Yingluo''s confinement and exit from the palace, injuring the bastard was like a small matter, a huge slap on the faces of Princess Ming Xin and the Duke of Jingyang''s Mansion!


    Jin Lan immediately felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, her entire body icy-cold. She did not know that Li Yingluo was the daughter of Princess Ming Xin, otherwise she would definitely have hidden far away and not even touched him.


    Madame Chen took note of her pale face and faintly smiled in her heart. However, she closed his eyes and did not speak anymore.


    The sedan immediately regained its calm.


    Jin Lan bit his lips as he tried his best to stabilize his trembling hands. A complicated gaze flashed across the ancestor''s face as he closed his eyes.


    The Old Ancestor intentionally told her Li Yingluo''s identity, it shouldn''t be purely because he had good intentions, right?


    The old ancestor definitely knew that Li Yingluo was in the palace, but before he entered the palace, he hadn''t mentioned anything at all. In addition, Li Yingluo had gone back, and at the same time, found out her true identity.


    Furthermore, the Emperor clearly didn''t know that the Old Imperial Physician Hua wasn''t in the palace. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have let Roughpeak bring her to the Eastern Warm Pavilion. Could it be that the Old Imperial Physician Hua was deliberately being shunned by others as well?


    Fourth Prince and Bai Yifei...


    The more Jin Lan thought about it, the more shocked he became. It would be too much of a coincidence if there was no one to arrange this! Other than the Old Ancestor, she really couldn''t think of a second person who could have done all of this without anyone noticing.


    Just as the large palanquin was gradually approaching Marquis Runan'' Mansion, carrying the slumbering Madame Chen and thinking about random things, there were also people inside the Hua-Yang palace whose expressions were grave and their writing fast.


    Fourth Prince sat upright in front of his purple sandalwood desk, and wrote down everything that had happened today in great detail on his letter. In the end, he even added a little bit of Li Yingluo''s weight to Princess Ming Xin''s heart.


    Putting down the strand of hair in his hand, he picked up the paper full of words and quickly scanned it with a serious expression. However, when his gaze came in contact with the three words "Ye Jinlan", he could not help but pause for a moment as a stubborn and unyielding face appeared in front of him.


    A pair of eyes that were as clear as water, her face as white as early snow made her seem exceptionally spirited. Especially her slim but straight figure, which was like a plum blossom standing proudly in the snow, which made people unable to help themselves from praising her, making their hearts move ¡­


    Fourth Prince was stunned for a moment. He suddenly wadded up the letter in his hand, dipped his brush in the ink, and wrote another letter. After the ink had dried, he sealed it and snapped his fingers. A figure then appeared in the room.


    "Send this letter to the Prince''s estate." Fourth Prince flicked the letter back, and the figure immediately caught it, disappearing from the room as if it had never appeared before.


    Returning to the Ye Mansion, Jin Lan first accompanied Madame Chen to the Longevity Hall. After sitting for a while, Madame Chen instructed the Mama Wu to prepare a warm sedan chair and personally send her back to the courtyard.


    Wan Ju was anxiously waiting in front of the door. From time to time, she would glance at the door, and upon seeing a warm sedan slowly approaching, her eyes lit up, and happily shouted: "Miss is back!"


    After she finished speaking, she ran over to welcome them. When the Mama Shang and Bi He heard the commotion, they hurriedly lifted up the curtains and stepped out the door.


    "Miss, you''re finally back." The warm sedan chair stopped at the end of the corridor. Wan Ju then raised the curtain of the sedan, and extended her hand carefully to support the warm sedan.


    Mama Wu who was walking at the back walked forward, she glanced at Wan Ju, Mama Shang and Bi He who were standing in front of the door, and then said to Jin Lan with a smile: "Miss Jin Lan, I''m afraid I''m too tired today, the Old Ancestor wants you to rest early."


    Was this to stop her from speaking nonsense?


    A smile appeared on Jin Lan''s face. "I''ll have to trouble Mama to inform the Old Ancestor when we return. Jin Lan thanks the Old Ancestor for his concern."


    Wan Ju and Bi He were both immersed in the joy of Jin Lan''s safe return. Only the Mama Shang was able to carefully discover that Jin Lan wasn''t wearing the same set of clothes he had worn this morning. His heart tightened, "Lady ¡­"


    "Mama, may I trouble you to make some ginger soup so that the Mama Wu and all the other Mama may warm their bodies?" Jin Lan''s quick voice interrupted the Mama Shang, and at the same time, he shot her a look.


    Mama Shang was enlightened. She nodded and was about to go to the small kitchen, but she was stopped by Mama Wu.


    "There''s no need, the Old Ancestor is still waiting for me, your servant, to attend to him. Your servant will take her leave now." Since he had already said what he needed to say, Mama Wu would not linger any longer.


    "Mama, have a good trip." Jin Lan wished that she would leave earlier, so he naturally wouldn''t keep her here. He got Mama Shang to send him off before he supported Wan Ju and Bi He into the room.


    Once Bi He entered the room, she immediately reached out to take off Jin Lan''s cape, only to realize that she was wearing a snow mink fur coat, not fox fur. Although the two were pure white, Bi He was in charge of clothing, how could she not recognize her?


    She was immediately shocked, "Miss, this cloak, looks like ¡­"


    Jin Lan shot a glance at Bi He, then personally took care of the snow mink fox. As he said, he said: "Go and prepare a basin of hot water for me first, I want to wash my face."


    Bi He knew that there was something fishy going on, so after thinking for a bit, she kneeled down and replied: "Yes."


    When Bi He left, Jin Lan asked Wan Ju to open the box and take out a set of clothes, and quickly change out of his clothes. When Bi He returned, she was already on the warm bed, and the clothes she wore back from the palace were already properly packed as well, and she hid them in the rarely used box.


    Jin Lan had cleaned up and the Mama Shang had returned. She casually found an excuse to send Wan Ju and Bi He back to their room before she told Mama Shang everything that had happened in the palace.


    "Princess Ming Xin!?" When Mama Shang heard about Li Yingluo''s identity, she could not help but exclaim out loud: "Why are you so silly, Miss!"


    Jin Lan pursed his lips and smiled bitterly. If she had known beforehand, she wouldn''t have met him head on. Now that she was already in such a situation, speaking any further would have been useless. However, even if she knew Li Yingluo''s identity, she would not regret what happened today.


    "This is going to be troublesome!" Mama Shang was so anxious that she paced back and forth in the room. After a while, her face turned pale and said to Jin Lan in a trembling voice, "Miss, Princess Ming Xin is usually rather generous and kind, but once she touches upon the bottom line, she will definitely take revenge!"


    "Mama." Jin Lan took a deep breath, lifted his eyes, and looked fixedly at Mama Shang. "Things have already come to this point, I believe that the Old Ancestor would not sit idly by. What I am worried about is the thoughts of the old ancestor! "


    She had thought things through on the way here. Since the Old Ancestor didn''t back down even half a step in front of the empress dowager and the emperor, he definitely wouldn''t allow Princess Mingxin to make things difficult for her. However, this matter had probably become a weakness of the old ancestor. If it was used on her, it would be better. She was a junior and might still be able to avoid a bit of ambiguity.

 C120

    After chatting with Mama Shang for half the night, Jin Lan finally laid on the bed. Only by tossing and turning it was difficult to fall asleep, the old ancestor''s shrewd smile would occasionally flash in his mind, and then, Li Yingluo''s unruly look. There was also Bai Yifei''s light smile, which contained a deeper meaning, and even that seemingly weak, yet powerful arm in the hot spring ¡­


    All sorts of strange things kept repeating in her mind until the sky gradually turned white. Only then did she fall asleep.


    Ever since they left for the Palace and Residence, Jin Lan had been on guard, alert that Princess Ming Xin had come to "seek justice" for Li Yingluo. However, after ten days passed, there was not a single sound from the manor. Even the Old Ancestor only ordered for her to rest up.


    Although she had an idea in mind, and used Li Yingluo''s actions to cause her to fall into the spring of warmth in front of the Old Ancestor, it was for this result. However, the astute and astute Old Ancestor did not seem to have any doubts. This caused her to feel some doubts in her heart.


    He didn''t know what was going on, but as Jin Lan thought about it, someone came knocking.


    "Miss, Lady Jinyu is here."


    Jin Lan was resting on the warm brick bed, and upon hearing Bi He''s call, he suddenly opened his eyes. Wan Ju, who was guarding by the side, immediately helped her up when she saw that she had woken up, and said loudly: "Invite Lady Jin Yu in."


    Bi He pulled up the curtain and welcomed Ye Jinyu inside.


    "Sister Yu." Jin Lan''s body was draped with a dress the color of lotus roots makeup. Just as he was about to get off the brick bed to welcome her, he was stopped by Ye Jinyu who walked over quickly.


    "Little sister Lan, it''s good that you''re lying down. Be careful and don''t catch a cold."


    "In the past few days, after eating Old Doctor Hua''s prescription, I feel that I have become a lot more nimble. Perhaps in another two days, I will be able to recover completely."


    She could not stay sick. As the days passed and the Ancestor''s birthday approached, her body must also gradually recover. Otherwise, the Old Ancestor might use this as an excuse to have her stay in the capital to recuperate.


    Seeing that, Ye Jinyu did not try to stop her, and returned the greeting, followed by the two of them sitting on the warm brick bed. She held Jin Lan''s hand and scrutinized it for a moment before smiling. "Look at your face. It''s indeed redder now. Old Doctor Hua''s medical skills are indeed exceptional."


    Jin Lan''s eyes flickered, speaking to Ye Jinyu, she never needed to think twice, but if she were to speak slightly, she would understand the meaning of his words, the smile in her eyes became even deeper, and she turned to the side, "Bi He, go brew a pot of good tea."


    "Yes." Bi He quickly swept her eyes across Jin Lan and Ye Jinyu, bowed her head, and responded in a low voice, then quietly left the room.


    Ever since the matter with the Imperial Physician Wang, she had very rarely left Bi He in her room to serve him. Even if it was night time, it was only when the two of them took turns to replace him.


    "Sister Lan, are you curious why I chose to pay a visit today?" After Bi He served tea, and was then sent out by Jin Lan for some reason, Ye Jinyu finally spoke up with a smile.


    To think that Ye Jinyu would open her mouth like that, Jin Lan was startled, then laughed: "Didn''t Sister Yu come to visit me? As long as big sister is willing, I will definitely be eager for you to come every day. "


    Ye Jinyu smiled faintly as she lifted up the cup of tea. With a slight flutter of her nose, a mellow fragrance spread out to her heart and soul, she lightly shook her cup of clear tea and said: "The ancestor''s birthday is coming up in a few days. Now, all the sisters are discussing what kind of congratulatory gift should be given to the ancestor."


    A congratulatory gift? Jin Lan frowned. The wedding gifts they had brought were basically all prepared in their own residences. Furthermore, the gifts had been prepared and passed into the hands of the Old Ancestor. Why was the birthday present being brought up again now?


    Sister Fang said that she wanted to give him the ''Classic of the Fa Hua'' that she had personally embroidered. Sister Yan was from the ''Nine-Nine Longevity Stars Atlas'', and Sister Wei was good at playing zither and Sister Yue was good at dancing. Ye Jinyu took a sip of his tea, and said without thinking much of it: "But I thought that only my younger sister''s gift was most suitable for the Old Ancestor''s heart."


    His birthday present? Jin Lan was startled. She couldn''t wait to hide far away these days. If she wasn''t worried every day, she wouldn''t have the time to prepare a birthday present.


    Furthermore, no one had come to the Lotus Root branch to speak to her before this matter. Even Ye Jinwei had already thought of a plan, but she had nothing in hand ¡­


    Ye Jinyu looked at Jin Lan''s tightly knitted eyebrows in interest. "Little Sister Lan, are you blaming me for not letting you know in advance?"


    "Elder sister, you''re overthinking it." Jin Lan shook his head. If Ye Jinyu was truly not willing to talk to her, then why did she come all the way here? She decided to wait until the day of the Old Ancestor''s birthday and watch him make a joke of herself.


    Looking at how Jin Lan was deep in thought, Ye Jinyu stopped smiling and said: "In fact, I only got the letter last night. I need to prepare myself."


    She deliberately acted in a completely unrelated manner, just so that she could see Jin Lan''s reaction. If Jin Lan was confused or could not see through her plan, then this trip would truly be considered as one where she came to visit. After all, she could not take the initiative to participate in that matter.


    Seeing her suddenly become serious, Jin Lan''s heart was moved. With Ye Jinyu''s character, she would rarely shoot without a reason, so this letter definitely was not just a birthday present.


    After pondering for a long time, her eyes gradually lit up, and raised her head to look at Ye Jinyu, "Elder sister, you said just now that my birthday present is the most suitable for the old ancestor, what is the explanation of this?"


    Although Ye Jinyu looked calm, Jin Lan thought deeply, his heart was in turmoil. Seeing that she had finally found the right answer, he could not help but heave a sigh of relief, "Little sister Lan, don''t blame me for this, this matter is extremely important, I have no choice but to be cautious."


    Pausing, she continued: "You have just arrived in the capital, and are well versed in Lotus Root, so naturally you are not clear about the situation outside. However, in the past few days, the capital had been bustling with noise and excitement. Miss from Ye Family. "


    With that, she deliberately stopped and waited for Jin Lan to react.


    "Sister Yu." Jin Lan was silent for a moment before he forced out a smile. With a hoarse voice, he said, "Please continue." She already had an answer in her heart, but she still held onto a glimmer of hope.


    A trace of pity flashed past Ye Jinyu''s eyes, "Rumors have it that three people became tigers and the people formed a forest. Now that word has spread, they have become the Fourth Prince and the Ye Family lady ¡­ Love each other and accept each other''s wishes. "


    Following the proverbs of the market, it was hard to avoid her mouth turning agape. Her blushing face slightly nodded, and then she quickly moved on to the other side, "It was said that the rumors were originally spread from the palace and only said that Lady Ye Family had lost her footing and fell into the water. Fourth Prince had risked her life to save her, but for some reason, they spread like this later on. Even if the name of the woman in Ye Family was not mentioned, there is a high chance that the Old Ancestor was secretly watching her after he entered the palace.


    So it was like this!


    Sweat slowly seeped out of Jin Lan''s palms, but his heart felt waves of coldness. With a pale face, she got up and gave Ye Jinyu a deep blessing.


    Ye Jinyu immediately helped her up, and said with a strange tone: "Little sister Lan, what are you doing? Since we''re all sisters, and you''re sick, it''s only right that I come to see you.


    Jin Lan understood that Ye Jinyu did not want to involve herself too much in this matter. After all, this matter had a high possibility of being related to the Old Ancestor. However, Jin Lan was already extremely grateful that she was able to deliver the letter.


    Ye Jinyu wanted to stay a little longer, so she chatted with Jin Lan about the sisters and revealed some of Ye Jinwei''s recent situation. "Sister Wei and Sister Yue are fated to be together, and the two of them going in and out together these few days is more intimate than anyone else. Little Sister Yan is also together often.


    Jin Lan only smiled faintly when she heard this. She had never underestimated Ye Jinwei. In her previous life, it wasn''t easy for her to hide her jealous heart under the illusion of a deep sisterly love.


    In this life, the reason why she could make the mother and daughter suffer so easily was solely because of the coincidence of her previous life and the fact that Ye Jinwei had not fully matured in this life. However, it should be more than enough to deal with the other ladies of Ye Family.


    Furthermore, now that she was unable to take care of herself, as long as it was Ye Jinwei, she did not have any extra thoughts to worry about. Fortunately, they had all come for the sake of making a name for themselves on the birthday banquet, so they did not need to find trouble with the Lotus Root for the time being.


    After chatting for a while, Ye Jinyu got up and took her leave, Jin Lan personally walked to the door, and when she had walked far away, she felt as if all the energy in her body was gone, and her legs went soft, causing her to stumble.


    "Miss!" Wan Ju, who was behind Jin Lan, saw that she was in a hurry to support her, but when her eyes made contact with her pale little face, she could not help but exclaim: "Why does my lady''s face look so ugly? This servant will call for a doctor! "


    "No need!" Jin Lan grabbed Wan Ju''s hand tightly and shook her head: "I''m fine, I just woke up a little anxiously. Just help me sit down, don''t say anything."


    Wan Ju immediately helped Jin Lan to sit on the reclining chair, and went to the back to massage her forehead gently.


    Jin Lan closed his eyes as his thoughts spun rapidly.


    Perhaps Bai Yifei and Li Yingluo did not see what happened at the Spring of Warm Water that day, or else, with Li Yingluo''s temper, it would not end like this. The only person who could clearly see the situation when Fourth Prince saved her was her ancestor!


    Although Ye Jinyu said that the initial rumors came from the palace, but the imperial palace was heavily guarded. How could it be a place where anyone could casually spread the word? And in the end, it was spread so unbearably! These were all things that the old ancestor was happy to see happen.


    With this, even if she was unwilling, as long as the Old Ancestor seized the right moment, she could only be a fish on a chopping block, and would be at the mercy of others.


    Jin Lan initially thought that she had escaped calamity before falling into another circle. He felt that a dense yet soundless net was slowly enveloping her within. There was no way forward, no way back ¡­

 C121

    December 28th, the sky turned bright after the snow.


    Before the sky brightened, the sounds of Marquis Runan'' Mansion were gradually becoming louder and louder. Madame Fu had not slept for almost the entire night and had only stood up in the middle of the night, staring at the servants who were rushing in and out, making the last preparations for the Old Ancestor''s birthday.


    In the end, at the beginning and end, the main room of Lotus Root was also lit up with light.


    Wan Ju swiftly lifted up the curtain and hung it on a silver hook, then softly called out: "Miss, Miss, it''s time to wake up."


    Jin Lan rubbed his hazy eyes and turned his head to look. The sky outside the window was still pitch black. He suppressed the discomfort in his throat and asked hoarsely, "What time is it?"


    "The time is still early, so this lady doesn''t need to worry." Wan Ju picked up the copper pot placed on top of the stove and brewed a fresh hot tea before bringing it to the bed.


    Jin Lan nodded. Today was the ancestor''s birthday, so he had to put more effort into dressing and dressing up. Naturally, he had to get up earlier than usual. Just as she finished drinking the tea, Mama Shang ordered two servants to carry a bucket of hot water into her ear room. She placed the cup on top of the cup and went to her ear room to bathe and change.


    Wan Ju and Bi He used a soft white cloth to dry Jin Lan''s hair. Today, Mama Shang would personally comb her hair.


    "Miss, the ancestors'' birthday is not just for the Ye Clan. Most of the officials'' families in the capital will be present. You have to dress up properly to prevent yourself from losing your identity." Mama Shang held onto her ivory comb, shuttling back and forth in her thick black hair, her fingers nimbly moving left and right.


    Jin Lan sat in front of his dowry and looked at Mama Shang''s proficient actions through his water chestnut mirror. In his trance, he seemed to see Mama Tang ¡­ She blinked her eyes, pursed her lips and laughed: "Mama is already an old man in the family. In the past, how the sisters dressed up for the ancestor''s birthday, Mama only needs to subtract a few points from that."


    Although she could not let the honor of the Orchid Hall fall on her shoulders, she could not go beyond her own family. Although she could not let the honor of the Orchid Hall fall on her head, she could not go beyond her own family.


    Mama Shang understood her thoughts, nodded her head slightly, then started to work.


    Before she reached her prime and was unable to keep her hair in a tight bun, she was given a bun of hibiscus in the capital, and two strands of hair were separated from her temples and tied around her head with a pearl string, which hung down to her chest. Her fair face was covered with a thin layer of powder, and her fair and tender lips had also been painted with a faint blush. Her small face immediately looked pretty and charming.


    "The young lady''s appearance is not inferior to any of the young ladies in this family." Mama Shang could not help but exclaim, before putting down the ivory comb in her hand.


    Jin Lan''s cheeks became even redder as she glared at Mama Shang in annoyance, "Mama, if you don''t hurry, I''m afraid you will miss the timing to pay respects to the old ancestor."


    Mama Shang chuckled in an extremely rare manner: "I can''t mistake it, I am calculating in my heart." She opened the mirror and began to pick out jewelry for her.


    The jewelry that the Jin Lan brought with him through Yangzhou was not as new as the ones in the capital, but it was indeed an excellent material. The jewels were bright and shining, the jewels were bright and pure; even the head of pure gold was a hundred percent pure gold, not to mention other rare treasures. It was just that she shook her head and rejected the choice of several Mama Shang s.


    She thought for a while, then said to Bi He, "Go and take out the head of that Butterfly Flower."


    Bi He immediately opened the box and took out the Scarlet Gold Jewelry Set, holding it in front of Jin Lan, the Scarlet Gold Jade Stone shone with a dazzling light under the bright candlelight.


    Although it wasn''t appropriate to be too grand, with this set of jewelry for the Moon Shifting House on hand, many people would naturally think of it. Furthermore, it was given to her by the old lady, and after wearing it, no one would be able to find fault with the things that the old ancestor delivered a few days ago.


    When the Mama Shang saw this, she also nodded her head, "Not extravagant, this is great."


    After finalizing the jewelry, they began to choose clothes.


    Bi He had arranged a few sets of brand-new dresses on the brick bed, and the embroidery of the fabric was naturally top-notch. However, when she saw Jin Lan''s gaze sweeping over the dresses, she couldn''t help but glance at the embroidered box on the cabinet, and said: "Miss, if you''re right, the set that the Old Ancestor gave us was more luxurious."


    She thought that Bi He would not open his mouth to mention that set of clothes, but in the end, she was still unable to hold back.


    She didn''t even raise her head as she said indifferently, "Mother spent a lot of effort to prepare these clothes. It was all for the ancestor''s birthday; no matter what, it was Mother''s kind intentions. I believe the ancestor won''t mind."


    The Mama Shang was different from Wan Ju, she had gotten used to the scheming and scheming in the house, and immediately understood the meaning of Jin Lan''s words. Thinking about how she had not been served by Bi He in the house for a long time, her heart immediately became clear, and she continued on: "What the young lady said is, although the wife''s Yangzhou is a thousand miles away, if the old ancestor sees the clothes the young lady has, he will definitely think of the wife''s filial piety."


    Bi He pinched the handkerchief in his hand, lowered his head and replied: "Yes."


    Jin Lan smiled, yet it was not a smile as he glanced at Bi He. He then slowly picked out a red, multicolored, Thousand chrysanthemum petal and wore it. After wearing a good dress, her waist was bundled up with a white double ring four times the size of a Ruyi Mask, outlining her slim waist that was tightly grasped.


    Everything had been prepared appropriately, and after carefully examining the three of them several times, the Mama Shang finally nodded her head to confirm that she had not made any mistakes.


    This cloak was naturally inferior to the fox fur coat, but after falling into the water in the palace, that fox fur coat had a few more flaws and could no longer be worn.


    Although it was already dawn, the sky outside the window was still dark, but compared to before, it was already much brighter. Jin Qian held the red birthday lantern and rushed into the Lotus Root, just in time to meet Jin Lan outside the door. She raised the lantern and lit it, causing her eyes to light up, and she could not help but praise: "Miss Jin Lan''s clothes, looks like a celestial being." Then, he looked to her left and right at Wan Ju and Bi He.


    The two of them had also meticulously picked up the decorations. They had combed a flat bun, and between their hair were two peach pomegranate fluff flowers. They were also tied up with the same color silk ribbon and wore a red dress, which made them seem exceptionally joyous. Even the Mama Shang dressed up quite properly.


    Seeing this, she smiled and said, "The two younger sisters are also very picky."


    "Sister Jin Qian." Wan Ju smiled as she greeted her, "My family''s young lady has just finished dressing up, it''s not too late yet, is it?"


    With Mama Shang around, the time of the golden waves would naturally be stuck tight. She was only purposely changing the topic, afraid that Jin Qian would use the Old Ancestor''s clothes to give her something. After all, Jin Qian was in charge of the Plum Garden, so most of the girls were wearing clothes that the Old Ancestor would reward her with.


    "Not too late." Jin Qian laughed: "Right now it''s only been half an hour, I believe that the Old Ancestor has just gotten up, so there''s no rush for young lady to walk slowly, the Longevity Hall is just right in front of us, there''s no need to wait long, there''s also no delay in greeting."


    Jin Lan nodded with a faint smile. "In that case, let''s not waste any more time. Let''s go."


    Today was different from usual. They had to kneel down and pay their respects, and there were more people coming than usual. Besides the girls, there were also young masters and clansmen who came from all over the place.


    Listening to Mama Shang, she feared that they would be tossed about until noon. Other than that, there were also around a hundred tables of Flowing Water Mat outside the Ye Mansion, giving longevity noodles to the citizens to celebrate the 80th birthday of the Old Ancestor.


    He would be able to rest for a little while after noon, and then receive his Longevity Hall when the time is right. At that time, it would be the most grand moment, and all the nobles in the capital would come to congratulate him. The male guests were the Great Master of Ye Family, which meant that the current Marquis of Ru Nan was personally receiving them, while the female servants were given to the Madame Fu.


    When Jin Lan left for the Mama Shang and brought Wan Ju and Bi He to the Longevity Hall, it was already bustling with noise and excitement. The moment she entered the room, the discussion and laughter of the group of warlocks suddenly stopped, and everyone looked towards the door.


    Today, Jin Lan''s attire was not the most extravagant, and his appearance was not the most beautiful. However, the faint smile on his face was like a spring breeze, and the more he looked at it, the more comfortable he felt.


    "Greetings, big sisters and little sisters." Jin Lan saluted, a trace of helplessness flashing through his eyes. He hadn''t thought that the crowd would be so enthusiastic. He thought that she had come at the right time, but now, it seemed that she had come too late.


    After Ye Jinyan entered the room, the smile on her face had disappeared, at this moment, when she greeted him nonchalantly, flames almost spouted out of her eyes. If not for Ye Jinyu who was holding her hand tightly, she might have lost control and acted impulsively.


    "Little sister Lan, please take a seat. The Old Ancestor will be here shortly." Ye Jinyu smiled, and said gently.


    Jin Lan nodded slightly, gave her a sweet smile, and then found the place furthest away from Ye Jinyan and sat down. It wasn''t because she was afraid of Ye Jinyan, but because she didn''t want to create unnecessary trouble in this kind of life.


    However, her retreat did not mean that others could see the big picture.


    Ye Jinyue stood up, looked at Ye Jinyan, saw her undetectable nod of head, and then turned to Jin Lan and said: "Little sister Lan, I have something that I want to ask you."


    Although she was smiling all over, her tone had a hint of ill intent. Jin Lan turned his head to the side, and looked at Ye Jinyue first, only to see that she was wearing a magenta colored peach striped jacket, and a white colored brocade dress. Her face looked a bit more dignified, but it had lost some of its original beauty.


    Her eyes flashed and she pursed her lips into a smile. She said calmly, "I wonder what business sister Yue has? "I don''t mind telling you."


    When Ye Jinyue saw that Jin Lan did not even get up, she was slightly annoyed. "I heard that when Little Sister Lan ''accidentally'' entered the palace, ''accidentally'' fell into a hot spring, and it was Fourth Prince who saved us, allowing us to survive?"


    Jin Lan laughed coldly in his heart. He had indeed come for this matter! However, his expression didn''t change in the slightest. He nodded and indifferently spat out two words: "That''s right."


    Ye Jinyue glanced at the seat of honor, and decided not to beat around the bush. She revealed a look of contempt and said directly: "Even though Little Sister Lan is the direct descendant of the Orchid Hall, the Orchid Hall is still a side branch, and Fourth Prince''s identity is noble. Little Sister Lan should be careful in her actions, and should not burden the reputation of the Fourth Prince!"

 C122

    When Ye Jinyue''s sharp voice landed, the room immediately became silent.


    Apart from Jin Lan who was'' unwell ''and didn''t leave the house, the other girls all had their own sources of information. They had more or less heard some of the rumors outside during this period of time. It was only a matter of the royal family. Even if they had other thoughts in their minds, it would not be good for them to speak of them openly.


    It was unknown who instigated or instigated Ye Jinyue to jump out and question him in public.


    "Sister Yue ¡­" Ye Jinyu had originally been pulling Ye Jinyan to sit at the main seat, but when she saw that something was wrong, she immediately went to relieve Jin Lan, but just as she was about to speak, she was stopped by Ye Jinyan.


    "Sister Yu, do you still have Su Xin''s Longjing that you brought with you last time? The Old Ancestor said that it would be better than having the six melon slices for a long time. "


    "Su Xin, Longjing?" Ye Jinyu''s smile was faint, her gaze was constantly on Jin Lan, "I do have some in my room, but it''s not much."


    "In the past few days, the Old Ancestor''s appetite was not very good, and only Su Xin, the elder sister''s, dragon well can be used as an entrance. I think, why don''t the elder sister bring some here for the ancestor to eat, to make the old ancestor happy."


    Ye Jinyu knew very clearly that she was trying to push him away, and she was even looking for the reason why.


    After giving it some thought, she looked at Jin Lan with a troubled expression.


    Ye Jinyan did not try to hide his voice at all, as if she was trying to do it specially for Jin Lan to see. As a result, although Jin Lan was quite far away from the main seat, he could still hear everything clearly. She glanced to the side, seeing the difficult look on Ye Jinyu''s face.


    The Prince Zhennan Palace and the Marquis Runan'' Mansion were very close, so it was very likely that Ye Jinyu was in a dilemma between her and Ye Jinyan. Thinking to this point, she exposed a faint smile from Ye Jinyu.


    Finally, after Ye Jinyan urged her again, Ye Jinyu got up and went back to the Plum Garden to get some tea. The place where Jin Lan stood was not far from the door to begin with, so when she passed by, she said in a low voice, "Be careful."


    Jin Lan nodded slightly, a trace of gratitude flashing through his eyes.


    After Ye Jinyu left, there were less people who suppressed him, causing Ye Jinyan''s expression to immediately rise, she glanced at Jin Lan and gave Ye Jinyue a look.


    "Sister Lan." Ye Jinyue was originally worried that she would offend Ye Jinyu if she overdid it, so if she were to run in front of the Old Ancestor and mutter to herself, then her hard work these days would have been in vain.


    Now that Ye Jinyu had left, coupled with the support of Ye Jinyan, her courage suddenly increased, "You are still young, and the Lan Tang aunts'' health is not good, it''s inevitable that you won''t think about it too much. It''s just that, in the end, the capital isn''t as casual as the Yangzhou, where they have to speak clearly and discipline themselves, hoping that Little Sister will remember this in her heart, so as to not lose face with our Ye Family."


    "Big Sister Yue, what do you mean that I should do?" The corner of Jin Lan''s brows slightly raised, the coldness in his eyes gradually thickening. What Ye Jinyue had said not only implied that she did not understand the rules, it also implicated her mother and the entire Orchid Hall.


    If it was only related to the Orchid Hall, perhaps she wouldn''t be angry, but her mother was her weak spot!


    Ye Jinyue did not see the change in Jin Lan, and thought that she had truly been stunned by himself. He proudly raised his chin, "In my opinion, before little sister has fully learnt the rules, I should not enter the palace. If she" accidentally "falls into the water again, who knows which prince''s reputation she will be tired of next time."


    "If I''m not mistaken, big sister seems to be fighting for the Fourth Prince?" Jin Lan asked indifferently, "But what does this matter have to do with elder sister?"


    Falling into the water was indeed a scheme on her part, but she never thought that it would be related to the Fourth Prince.


    Ye Jinyue''s words and actions would only make her more certain that all of this was a conspiracy set up by her ancestor. And the prince who she discussed with her mother about choosing an imperial concubine, was most likely talking about the Fourth Prince!


    Ye Jinyue did not expect Jin Lan to have room to retaliate, she hastily glanced at Ye Jinyan and shouted: "I just don''t want to see Fourth Prince getting hurt by rumors."


    Jin Lan took a deep breath, and mockery flashed in his eyes, "May I ask what elder sister Yue has to do with the Fourth Prince? Even the Fourth Prince did not send someone to inquire about this matter, what reason do you have for this Big Sis to take this matter to heart? "


    "You ¡­" Hearing Jin Lan''s words, Ye Jinyue''s face immediately flushed red. "Am I wrong? Could it be that the rumors outside were not started because of you? "


    Jin Lan sneered: "Elder sister''s question is really laughable. Ever since I returned home with the Old Ancestor, I have been recuperating in the Lotus Root, and normally don''t step out of the door at all. What does the rumors outside have to do with me? And elder sister said that it was just a rumor on the market, so of course it wouldn''t be true. Just now, elder sister advised me to be careful with my words, but now, elder sister is actually confused? "


    With that, she did not even give Ye Jinyue the chance to react, and immediately followed up: "Today, these words, you and I sisters will be fine, if some blind servant were to learn it and spread it around the palace, if the Old Ancestor finds out, even big sister would not be able to do well!"


    These words were said to Ye Jinyue, but Jin Lan''s gaze was fixated on Ye Jinyan who was seated at the seat of honor. She was not blind and turned a blind eye to Ye Jinyue''s fleeting gaze. This matter was obviously because of Ye Jinyan''s order, otherwise, just Ye Jinyue alone, she would not dare to do so and would not cause any trouble at this time.


    She stood up and pointed at Jin Lan. Just as she was about to curse him, she heard a burst of clear laughter coming from outside the door. It was the voice of the Old Ancestor. Her expression suddenly changed and she immediately swallowed the words that were about to leave her mouth.


    The girls who had been silent the entire time, suddenly became as lively as blooming flowers. They all stood up and walked over, with Ye Jinyan at the front.


    Lixia and Chun Fen stood to their left and right, and the two of them simultaneously lifted high up the curtain. The Old Ancestor''s Madame Chen s stepped into the curtain, and Ye Jinyan rushed forward to pay her respects, sweetly saying, "Yan`er pays her respects to the Old Ancestor."


    "Girl, you ran really fast, but you came too late!" The person supporting her was Ye Jinyu who was returning to the Plum Garden to get the tea leaves, and on the other side was an eighteen or nineteen year old young man. He had a fair and pure complexion, with a circle of green fur around his mouth.


    When they saw the man, the girls were shocked, but they quickly calmed down. They recognized that the man was their clan''s first young master, Ye Zhangzhong, who was also Ye Jinyan''s elder brother. Other than the two of them, there were also eight or nine other young masters from other families and branches following behind them. Originally, men and women were on guard, but since they all had the same Ye Family and bloodline, coupled with the fact that today was the birthday of the old ancestor, there was no point in arguing too much with them.


    "So it''s Sister Yu." Ye Jinyan rolled her eyes, but did not stop her footsteps, and pounced straight towards the Old Ancestor''s side.


    Seeing that, Ye Chong laughed gently, and made room for her younger sister and Ye Jinyu to support the Old Ancestor to sit down, while he and the young masters behind him stood at the side to prevent them from blurting out the girls in the room.


    The moment Ye Jinyu entered the room, her gaze found Jin Lan. Seeing that she was smiling, and did not look as if she was wronged, she then heaved a sigh of relief and laughed: I was just about to go back, but coincidentally I met the Old Ancestor.


    The Madame Chen took his seat and pulled the two to sit down. She looked around and smiled, then patted the soft sleeves on their arms and asked kindly: "It''s been hard on you two to get up so early. Are you waiting for a bit?"


    How could the crowd agree? All of them shook their heads. For a moment, it was a beautiful scene.


    Perhaps because today was his birthday, the Old Ancestor was dressed in a colorful robe that was rarely seen, with golden lines embroidered on it. The collar of the coat was embroidered with the symbol of a crane with a cloud pattern on it, signifying the beginning of a new life. At the waist of the coat was a piece of five blessings, atop of which was a fine jade mushroom, and the hairpin on its head was also made of gold and jade, looking extravagant and extraordinary.


    After chatting for a bit, Ye Jinyu and Ye Jinyan got up and sat down. The Madame Chen sat upright on her seat and a kind smile appeared on her blessed face as her gaze swept across everyone one by one. When she saw the last bit of Jin Lan, he couldn''t help but stop and quickly looked at it before moving away.


    All the descendants of the hall stood on the left and right sides of the stage, while Ye Changzhong took the lead on the left and Ye Jinyan stood on the right. The two rows of people kowtowed and kowtowed to Madame Chen in unison.


    "Greetings to the Old Ancestor for his blessings as smooth as the waters of the East China Sea, and his life as old as Nanshan."


    Madame Chen looked at the room full of carvings and jade carvings. She smiled and raised her eyebrows, her tone becoming more amiable, "Wake up, wake up quickly." He then looked towards Lixia, "Bring the longevity peach buns over."


    Not long later, she brought four maids in. Each of them was holding a plate of red lacquer drawing and adding gold to the tray, inside it was a plate of peach buns that looked like butterflies, it wasn''t too big, the man just so happened to take one bite, and the girls could eat it in two or three bites.


    The maidservants placed the trays in front of everyone and each of them took one and used their sleeves to cover their faces as they nibbled on it. Not long after, cries of alarm rang out from within the room ¡­


    "Ah!" I ate the Jade Bead. "


    "Me too, mine is Golden Beads!"


    "Look at me, it''s Cui Zhu."


    "¡­"


    The longevity peach buns were usually filled with small items for luck. Jade beads, gold beads, jade beads, all sorts of different items. However, not every longevity peach had it, so Ye Jinyan did not manage to eat one with a "core". Seeing the occasional exclamation, her expression turned ugly.


    Alright, you can go back and rest. Madame Chen looked at the crowd with a face full of smiles. On this birthday, just Madame Fu alone wouldn''t be able to handle it, she still had to rely on them to entertain her family members who were the same age as him.


    "Yes." Everyone immediately kept the joy and disappointment on their faces and bowed to Madame Chen respectfully. Then, they all left in an orderly fashion.


    Jin Lan also lowered her head and looked at the crowd as she walked towards the door. However, before she could step out of the door, she was called to a halt by the Old Ancestor.


    "Girl Lan, don''t be in such a hurry to leave. Come over and sit with me for a while."


    Jin Lan''s footsteps paused, as he finally understood that the Old Ancestor was probably going to ask about clothes.

 C123

    Jin Lan''s heart was as clear as a mirror, but on the surface she pretended that nothing had happened, and even when she saw the annoyed gazes from Ye Jinyan, Ye Jinyue and the rest, the corners of her mouth curled up into a gentle smile. After everyone had left, she turned to the Old Ancestor''s Madame Chen and said: "I wonder if the Old Ancestor has any orders for Lan Er to leave behind?"


    Madame Chen did not say anything, she just stared at her for a moment, then waved her over.


    Jin Lan hesitated for a moment, then he slowly stepped forward with his small Lotus Shattering Steps.


    Madame Chen pulled her to sit beside him and studied her carefully. She stroked the pearl on her head and sighed: "Amongst you sisters, only Yu''er is living in the capital. Even though she would often come to accompany me, I''m not as close as I was in the past. You don''t want to wear the clothes that I prepared like the other sisters today, so you can see that the Orchid Hall is still unable to let go of what happened back then. "


    Jin Lan had originally thought that if the Old Ancestor asked him about clothes, he would answer according to his plan. However, when he heard the Old Ancestor mention the words "events of the past", "Orchid Hall", and "free from worry", his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately remembered the relationship between Orchid Hall and the family. It didn''t seem as harmonious as it seemed on the surface.


    Back then, the Old Ancestor had publicly denied the Old Ancestor''s face, and he was not afraid of offending the Old Ancestor. From all the signs, it could be seen that the relationship between the two families had reached the point where fire and water couldn''t tolerate each other.


    Could it be that something had happened between my clan and the Orchid Hall in the past? Judging from the tone of the Old Ancestor''s voice, he probably thought that his actions were at the behest of the elders of the Orchid Hall.


    Originally, she woke up early in the morning to change the clothes that the Old Ancestor had bestowed upon Lan Er. However, when she opened the box, she saw the clothes and accessories that her grandmother and mother had meticulously prepared for the Old Ancestor''s birthday banquet. She then thought to herself, "Although this body is not as good as the Old Ancestor''s, it is still a gift from her mother and grandmother.


    Then, she looked up at Madame Chen timidly, "If Old Ancestor wants to blame something, then blame Lan Er for acting on her own. Whether it''s scolding or punishment, Lan Er will accept it all.


    She really didn''t know what had happened that year, not even in her previous life. The old ancestor had purposely kept it a secret in order to find out whether she was acting on her own or had received orders from someone else beforehand. If she was anxious to get what she wanted and recklessly agreed to the Old Ancestor''s words, she would have immediately exposed herself. Denying it without warning would instead cause the Old Ancestor to be bewildered.


    As long as the Old Ancestor was not too sure, she would have a chance to escape!


    After a long while, he let out a long sigh and said: "Forget it, as the saying goes, children will have their own children''s blessings. It was this old granny''s fault for worrying about it, it seems like you are blessed, in the future ¡­"


    Hearing the Old Ancestor''s profound words, Jin Lan held his breath, lowering his face as if he was shy, and covering the trembling of his eyes.


    It seemed that the Old Ancestor would not let go so easily!


    Seeing her shy look, Madame Chen couldn''t help but hug her in her embrace, laughing and teasing. Just as she was about to continue probing, she saw Mama Wu pull up the curtain and come in.


    "Old Ancestor." Mama Wu walked in front of Madame Chen with quick steps and greeted him. Her mouth moved, but she did not say anything as she lifted her eyelid to take a quick glance at Jin Lan. Her expression was extremely ugly.


    Madame Chen lightly patted Jin Lan''s back and said amiably: "Alright, you should go back and rest. After noon, I''m afraid that Aunt Tang is too busy and you guys will have to take care of it for me. However, there isn''t much to do, just pretend that you recognize the face of the girls in the capital. "


    Seeing Mama Wu like this, Jin Lan guessed that there was something important, so he stood up and bent his knees to kowtow to the Old Ancestor: "Lan Er will remember the Old Ancestor''s instructions."


    Mama Wu kept a close eye on Jin Lan, and only when she opened the curtain and went out did she whisper in his ear.


    Although the Mama Wu''s voice was soft, Jin Lan purposefully paused her steps when she crossed the threshold, adding on to her slowing down grip on the curtain, she listened intently, so that she could hear some words that were scattered around. No matter how much she spoke, she couldn''t hear clearly.


    As the door curtain was completely drawn down, Jin Lan realized that a thin layer of cold sweat had formed behind him. The cold wind outside blew in, causing him to feel a bone-chilling cold. He couldn''t help but shiver.


    Wan Ju and Bi He, like the other young ladies'' personal servant, were originally invited to the Side Chamber to wait, until someone came to shout, saying that the young ladies were preparing to go back, then they would wait at the bottom of the walkway. However, the other young ladies had all left, waiting to the left and right, still not seeing their young miss coming out.


    The two of them waited for a while, then saw Mama Wu hurriedly enter the house, then saw Jin Lan come out again. Seeing her trembling, they quickly covered her with a silk cloak.


    "Miss, did something happen?" Wan Ju saw that Jin Lan''s expression was a little unsightly, and remembered that the Old Ancestor had left her alone in the room, hence she asked nervously.


    Jin Lan shook his head, indicating that she was not allowed to speak here, and sat in the warm sedan chair to return to the Lotus Root.


    Along the way, the warm palanquin lightly swayed, causing her to feel a bit sleepy. However, she still kept thinking about the ''that matter'' mentioned by the old ancestor, and couldn''t quite close her eyes. After pondering for a while, he realized that the sedan had stopped, and steadily landed on the ground.


    Wan Ju lifted the curtain of the sedan chair hurriedly, Bi He reached out to support her, but before Jin Lan could get off the sedan, Mama Shang had already come out.


    The change in Mama Shang''s expression was naturally reflected in Jin Lan''s eyes, and she was immediately moved in her heart. Ever since Xuzhou, when Mama Shang risked her life to protect her, although she did not view this troubled woman as being as intimate as Mama Tang, she had truly treated her with sincerity. Now that she saw Mama Shang was worried, she immediately revealed a smile and asked: "Mama, have the bird''s nest and soup been well?"


    These were the words she discussed with the Mama Shang last night. If everything was safe and sound, they would use the nest as the symbol.


    Hearing Jin Lan''s question, she heaved a sigh of relief. "It''s already cooked. It''s still warm on the stove. Miss will enter the room first. Your servant will bring it over for you now."


    What the Mama Shang meant was that everything inside the Lotus Root was safe and sound, and no unexpected situation occurred.


    After sending off the wives who were carrying the warm palanquins, the master and servant entered the house. Mama Shang was the last to walk in, as soon as they entered the house they closed the door.


    The three of them waited until Jin Lan had washed her hands before changing into the brick bed. Just as they were about to speak, they heard a maid call from outside, "Lady Jin Yu is here."


    Everyone was stunned as they looked at each other. Then, they rushed to open the door.


    "Sister Yu, why are you here?" Jin Lan smiled lightly as he invited her to sit on the warm brick bed, then told Bi He to quickly make some tea.


    "Let me see you." Ye Jinyu smiled, she was also dressed up today, dressed in Peach Red Inscribed Silk, Twin Cloud Jade Palace clothing, with her head like a moth and her hair like a moth as she stroked her cloud bun, wearing an exquisite blue phoenix phoenix crest, raising her hands and wearing a ring around her feet, it was truly luxurious to the extreme.


    In Jin Lan''s heart, he was very clear that Ye Jinyu had come to see if she had been wronged by Ye Jinyan. After thinking for a while, she smiled and said, "Don''t worry, Sister Yu, I''m fine."


    Ye Jinyu took up the tea cup that Bi He had brought him, gently brushed the tea leaves on her face and took a sip, then said: "I can see that your complexion is still not very good. I''m afraid you''re tired from waking up early, so since you''re free, you should quickly rest and wait until night. "Otherwise, you''ll have to endure it tonight."


    The taste of it was really hard to describe. "In tonight''s grand feast, all the well-known families in the capital had already accepted the invitations, so naturally, Aunt Tang had to take care of the people outside. She had to clean out the Fragrant Sky Garden so that all the young ladies could sit together, and then everyone would have to accompany her."


    She thought that the Old Ancestor was just saying some polite words to her. After all, this was the Qing Clan''s residence, and even if they had to receive guests, it was still a matter of Ye Jinyan. There was still Sixth and Eighth Sister supporting him, it shouldn''t have been her daughter''s turn to step forward.


    "Alright, I will not disturb your rest anymore. When we leave, I will ask Jin Qian to come and call you." After Ye Jinyu finished speaking, she did not want to stay any longer, so she put down the tea cup and took her leave.


    Jin Lan naturally stood up to send him off.


    After Ye Jinyu left, the four of them closed the door again and whispered the news that they had heard.


    It was just that the servants of the clan were extremely careful with their words and could not obtain any good clues. On the contrary, Jin Lan pondered for a moment, and then asked Mama Shang about the "source" mentioned by the Old Ancestor, regarding the relationship between the family and the Orchid Hall.


    Unfortunately, Mama Shang knew nothing about this either. It seemed that the matter had been brought to light even earlier than the time Mama Shang had stayed by the Old Ancestor''s side.


    After a long discussion, Jin Lan closed his eyes wearily and rested for a short while.


    The luncheon was specially prepared for the Ye Clan''s clansmen. Although it was sumptuous, it was not very lively. After all, the number of girls who came back was few. He did not know where Ye Jinyan had gone to, but he was not at the banquet, so it was rare for Jin Lan to enjoy this small feast.


    Until the sky dimmed slightly and the Marquis Runan'' Mansion were filled with bright red palace lamps, lighting up the entire mansion as if it was daytime. The night wind was chilly, but it couldn''t stop the people coming and going. Whether it was the Inner Court or the outer courtyard, both were as noisy as spring.


    The Madame Chen sat on a high seat in the main hall with a smile on her face, and from time to time, a servant girl would announce the guest''s honorific title:


    "The marquis'' wife is here."


    "Madam Marquis Dingbei has arrived."


    "Madam An is here."


    With each word he said, the smile on Madame Chen''s face grew wider. This secretly signified that the Ye Family still held a decisive place in the capital.


    Jin Lan and the other girls quietly stayed inside the blue chiffon cabinets, watching the situation outside through the hanging curtains. When almost everyone arrived later, the Old Ancestor would call them out, which was also an opportunity for them to show their faces. After all, many of the ladies in Ye Family had already reached the age at which they should be betrothed.


    In the main hall, Yan Yan Yan smiled and congratulated him. Madame Chen also smiled and nodded her head as she waved her hand.


    The maidservant said: "North Prince Jing''s Consort has arrived."


    The room suddenly became quiet. A slim figure crossed the threshold and slowly entered the room. Before North Prince Jing''s Consort could say anything, she caught sight of the person behind her and her expression changed.

 C124

    The North Prince Jing''s Consort''s appearance was not considered beautiful, but the aura she exuded was completely different from that of an ordinary concubine. Amidst the elegance, she exuded the elegance of an orchid in a valley. As if she hadn''t seen the old ancestor''s Madame Chen''s expression change, she smiled and bowed, then said: "Greetings to First Princess. It''s been a long time since we last met First Princess, you old man are still so energetic."


    Madame Chen''s strange expression was instantly replaced with a smile, as if the people around him had seen her expression, "You are the busiest one in the capital, getting married and getting married, busily going in and out of the city. Luckily, you still remember me, this old woman."


    It seemed like her words were implied, implying that she was nosy. North Prince Jing''s Consort''s eyebrows were raised, and her smile became more and more moving, "I forgot that no one would dare to forget about you, First Princess. Today, I brought Jiajia to kowtow to you." As she spoke, she patted the small hand on her jade arm and gently said, "Hurry up and kowtow to your royal aunt."


    Chen Ying obediently nodded, loosened her grip, and took two steps forward, kneeling on the soft cushion set down by the servant girl, and then bowed to Madame Chen.


    "Good child, quickly get up!" When she stood up, he looked at her for a bit, and said with an even more amiable tone: "I see, let''s talk here, don''t hold them back." She looked at Madame Fu, "Have you finished cleaning up the Fragrant Sky Garden?"


    Madame Fu nodded her head, "We have long prepared everything well, we will wait for the girls to pass."


    "Then what are we waiting for?" Get warm couches ready for them to play with! Yan Er and the rest are already waiting at the Perception Garden. It is enough for the maids to wait upon them. " Madame Chen slapped the table to make sure that since she was the longevity star today and also had a noble identity, no one would go against her will. All of the wives from different families nodded in agreement.


    When the voice reached the blue chiffon cabinets, a trace of disappointment appeared on the faces of everyone present. Who knew how long they had prepared behind the scenes, meticulously drawing their eyebrows and powdering their faces, then dressing themselves up, only to be dismissed in such a way.


    Jin Lan was also inwardly amazed. What did the Old Ancestor mean? The reason why they were arranged in the blue chiffon cabinet was obviously to look at each other, but when the North Prince Jing''s Consort came, how did it end up without any problems? Could it be that North Prince Jing''s Consort had done something that could change the Old Ancestor''s mind?


    She couldn''t help but peek outside through the curtain, but unfortunately North Prince Jing''s Consort was standing at the dead end of the blue curtain, so she couldn''t see his figure.


    At this time, Chun Fen hurriedly pushed open the door and came out. She bowed and whispered, "Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me."


    The blue chiffon cabinet had two doors, the front door was connected to the main hall, and the back door led to the garden. Chunfen followed Madame Chen''s instructions and led the girls to Fragrance Garden from the back door.


    The main hall was still bustling with noise and excitement. Only after Chen Ying and the various ladies got on the warm sedan did the various ladies sit back down and chat normally.


    North Prince Jing''s Consort took a few steps to the side, and An Guang, who was sitting at the bottom of Madame Chen, quickly gave up her seat. She smiled and nodded, and greeted An Guang Madame with a smile, then sat down and said: "Just now, before I got off the palanquin, I could already see the bustling and bustling scene in front of the mansion, it''s so lively, the servants outside were afraid they were too busy to come, and almost got delayed."


    Madame Chen took a sip of tea, glanced at the people behind North Prince Jing''s Consort and sighed: "Qing Ying, send a few more Attendant over, don''t neglect this guest."


    Qing Ying was a daughter of the Madame Fu. Upon hearing the Old Ancestor call her, she hurriedly smiled and replied, "Yes, let them pass."


    "Naturally, First Princess''s eightieth birthday is bustling with noise and excitement. Even the blood relatives of the Yangzhou that are thousands of kilometers away send over a congratulatory gift to show their filial piety. Truly envious." North Prince Jing''s Consort pursed his lips and laughed. His voice was low, but there was an indescribable attractiveness to it that caused others to feel as if spring wind was blowing over them. They couldn''t help but feel a bit more at ease.


    Madame Chen slowly raised her head and her heavy eyes fell on her body, "Oh? How did this old one not know about this? "


    The North Prince Jing''s Consort raised his eyebrow, "There are too many people here to deliver the gift, the servants outside were so busy that they almost slipped through, luckily I happened to meet them, and they conveniently brought me in."


    Just as she finished speaking, the figure that was standing behind her immediately stepped forward. "Putong!" She knelt in front of Madame Chen and firmly kowtowed, then said: "This humble servant greets the Old Ancestor, on behalf of the Old Granny and Madam, I shall deliver the birthday present to the capital. I wish the Old Ancestor the best of luck and the best of life."


    After knocking her head against the wall, she handed over a large, red, and golden post to him. It was the birthday present.


    Lixia quickly took the list and showed it to Madame Chen. Madame Chen glanced through it and focused on the stamp. It was indeed the Ye Clan''s family seal of the Orchid Hall. She waved her hand and had Lixia accept the invitation. She then said with a smile, "I wonder if your old lady is doing well?"


    Mama Zhu lowered her eyebrows and replied respectfully: "Reporting to the Old Ancestor, the old lady''s body is sturdy. She has always been thinking about the Old Ancestor."


    Madame Chen''s eyes flashed, "Alright, you''ve worked hard on your way here, so you should go and rest first."


    Mama Zhu was startled, she quickly glanced at it, then quickly looked down. It seemed that the Old Ancestor did not plan to let her stay, but, according to North Prince Jing''s Consort''s arrangements, it should not be a problem. As she thought of this, she kowtowed and retreated.


    Seeing Mama Zhu being so obedient, Madame Chen was not happy, but instead worried. She signaled Lixia with her eyes, Lixia began to understand, and also followed her out.


    North Prince Jing''s Consort saw everything. She held the tea cup and sipped the fragrant tea as if nothing had happened, but the curve of her lips only grew wider and wider.


    Chen Ying and the other girls sat in warm palanquins and wandered around the garden for a while before they entered. Ye Jinyan was the first to welcome them as she greeted them with a smile.


    After everyone had entered the parlour, the maidservants entered in a line and served tea and fruit pastries. Only when they were familiar with each other did they sit down and chat.


    The fragrance of the fat powder mixed together with the warm air of the land dragon in the hall. Although it was a bit pungent, it did not seem to be unpleasant. Jin Lan sized them up and saw that the girls were all around thirteen or fourteen years old. They wore bright and beautiful clothes, exuding an air of nobility.


    However, there was still an intrinsic difference between a noble daughter and an official''s daughter. Although they were dressed indistinguishable, their temperament and temperament were vastly different. There was a tinge of arrogance and recklessness in the daughter''s eyes.


    "Little sister Lan, what are you standing there for? "Come over and sit." Ye Jinyu was holding onto a young lady who was wearing a jade crown on her head, and when he saw Jin Lan standing in the corner, he waved at her.


    Jin Lan was helpless. Originally, she did not want to get too involved, she only wanted to quietly hide for a while. She did not expect Ye Jinyu to discover her. She understood in her heart that Ye Jinyu was planning something for her. After all, the girls that came today were all from prestigious sects.


    Furthermore, she was not willing to publicly refute Ye Jinyu''s words, so she revealed a sweet smile and walked over, "Sister Yu."


    Ye Jinyu had not finished speaking, but the young lady who was sitting by the side laughed and said, "Look, why are you talking to me absent-mindedly? It''s because you''re worried about this beautiful little sister."


    Ye Jinyu rolled his eyes at her, and said: "Don''t scare Lan Er, she''s timid." She pulled over Jin Lan and said, "Let me introduce her to you. This is County Princess Wu Yang from the Residence of Prince of Northern Jing. Don''t look at her gentle and quiet appearance. Her mouth is really tricky!"


    Chen Ying was not angry after hearing Ye Jinyu teasing him. She covered her mouth and laughed lightly, then looked at Jin Lan curiously, "You are that Ye Jin Lan?"


    Jin Lan slightly lowered his lapel, bent his knee, and said: "Greetings County Princess Wu Yang."


    Currently, the person with the highest identity in the room was Chen Ying. Everyone''s attention was naturally on her, and when they saw Jin Lan bowing, they also took the opportunity to come over and chat. Ye Jinyu was so angry that smoke rose out of her seven orifices. She found an excuse to leave, so fast that Ye Jinyu couldn''t even stop him.


    Ye Jinyue naturally went along, and Ye Jinwei, who had been trying her best to please her, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to stay. After all, County Princess Wu Yang''s status was much more honorable.


    "My name is Shen Bi Ai."


    "I''m Tan Yuwei."


    "Liuxianti ¡­"


    "Chu Xin..."


    The girls in the room struggled to get up and return the greeting. They all got to know each other, and soon, everyone knew Jin Lan''s identity.


    "Eh? You''re Ye Jinlan? " Immediately, a lady could not help but ask, and it was exactly the same as Chen Ying''s question just now.


    Jin Lan was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, he remembered the rumors in the capital. He could not help but smile wryly in his heart. It seemed that the rumors had spread like wildfire! Even though she was thinking this, she still nodded with a smile, "Yes, I am Ye Jinlan."


    Perhaps it was because she heard that Jin Lan''s tone, that the girl felt embarrassed for her rudeness and nodded her head politely without saying anything more.


    There were a lot of girls surrounding Chen Ying, and even Ye Jinyu was trapped inside. Jin Lan looked at Ye Jinwei who seemed particularly attentive to her, thought for a bit, then turned and walked out of the house with the curtain drawn.


    The clear, cold air rushed towards him, but it carried a faint plum fragrance. In an instant, it had dispelled the smell of the powder on the tip of his nose. Ye Jinyan went somewhere, other than the servants guarding the door, there was no one else. The courtyard was filled with lanterns, although it was not as bright as the day, it was still very bright.


    There were a few white plums growing in the Fragrant Sky Garden, and now that they were just in time, she turned around to look at the faintly discernible sounds of laughter coming from the parlour. She simply walked up to the tree to admire the plums.


    After today, she would have to find the reason to return to Yangzhou. She was not willing to stay in this place for even a moment longer.


    However, looking at the Old Ancestor''s attitude, he probably wouldn''t let her go so easily.


    After thinking for a long time, Jin Lan couldn''t help but sigh. Unexpectedly, a laugh rang out from behind her: "Sister Jinlan is fine, why are you sighing?"


    She was stunned, she suddenly turned her head, and only when she saw the bright candlelight did she clearly see that the person was Chen Ying!


    "County Princess Wu Yang." Jin Lan quickly bowed.


    "What are you doing?" Chen Ying quickly stepped forward to help her up, "Yu''er is best friends with me. Since you are her younger sister, you can just call me Big Sister Jian. There''s no need to be so formal."


    In his previous life, Jin Lan had never seen County Princess Wu Yang, but he had heard Ye Jinyu mention him before, that this County Princess Wu Yang was frank and straightforward, that she did not care about trifling matters, and that as long as he entered her eyes, no matter what, everyone was good, and no one paid attention to him.


    Although she didn''t know why Chen Ying had also left the house, she still called out to him, "Big Sister Jian."


    Chen Ying immediately broke into a smile and pulled Jin Lan''s hand. "I will call you big sister." Saying so, she took out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Jin Lan. She then said softly, "Quickly take a look. Remember to burn it after you finish reading."


    Jin Lan did not expect Chen Ying to actually come to deliver a letter, but who would write to him, and ask a County Princess to deliver a letter?


    She was confused but quickly opened the envelope and took out a thin envelope. She looked at it with the help of the light coming from the top of her head. Her hands trembled and her face turned pale.

 C125

    The paper was thin, and there were only a few strokes of thick ink on it. Soon after, it was signed, and the word "Ye" was written with a tip that was like a hook as it emitted a murderous aura.


    Normally, she might have paid more attention to the calligraphy skill Jin Lan, but right now, she was only staring at the four thunderous black words: "Mother is in danger, return quickly!"


    A mother''s life ¡­ a mother''s life!


    Before they left, although his mother''s body was not as well-built as before, it was still much better than before. With the help of the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s medicine, no matter what, it was impossible for his to in just a few short months ¡­


    Could something have happened at the Yangzhou?


    Her face was pale and her lips were trembling. Her entire body seemed to have been frozen by the cold wind. She stood there motionlessly, except for her delicate hands that were gripping the letter.


    This letter should have been written by Yan Ye. Although she had never seen his handwriting, no one beside his, including his mother, knew about her relationship with Yan Ye.


    Therefore, even if it was a fake, he wouldn''t use this signature.


    If this letter is not false, then ¡­


    "Sister Lan, what''s wrong?" Seeing Jin Lan keep silent, Chen Ying immediately looked up. Her face was pale white, and even her lips were bloodless. She panicked and reached out her hand to cover the letter, "Could it be that you have caught a cold?"


    Unexpectedly, this touch caused Jin Lan to shiver, and he snapped back to reality. She quickly grabbed onto Chen Ying''s hand, "Where is the person who wrote the letter? I want to see him! "


    Chen Ying never thought that the gentle and weak looking Jin Lan, who looked as if it would be blown away by the wind, would have such strength. Looking at her wrist, which had turned white, she endured the pain of rushing out, afraid to alarm the gatekeeping servant. Gritting her teeth, she forced out a few words: "Little sister Lan, you, you calm down first, okay?"


    Upon seeing Chen Ying enduring the pain, Jin Lan was shocked. He immediately let go of his hand and frantically kneeled down: "Elder sister County Princess, please forgive us, Lan Er is being rude."


    Her mind was already in a mess, for a moment, even the way she addressed him was a mess.


    Chen Ying rubbed the red marks on her wrist, and said softly: Hurry and get up, if someone saw you, I''m afraid they would be suspicious.


    She did not know anything else, and when she saw Jin Lan''s burning heart, she added, "This is not the place to talk. Although I don''t know what is written on the letter, Mother told me to inform you that you are not to act rashly, and that as usual, someone will look for you at the door."


    You can''t act rashly? Jin Lan couldn''t wait to understand the situation clearly. How could he restrain himself? She wanted to ask again, but Chen Ying beat her to it.


    "Sister Jinlan, look at this White Plum Blossom. It''s so beautiful, even our Duke Palaces can''t compare to it!"


    With her purposely raised voice and Chen Ying''s expression, Jin Lan slightly glanced to the side and realized that Ye Jinyan was actually walking slowly towards him.


    "Jadian elder sister, why are you here? You can make it easy for me to find you." Ye Jinyan giggled as if she could not see the ripples at the side and directly pulled Chen Ying and spoke to him.


    Chen Ying''s face revealed a gentle and respectful smile, but there was a hint of estrangement in her tone. "I heard that the white plum blossom in the Incense Garden has opened, so I went out with the Sister Jinlan to admire the plum blossom." While saying that, she struggled free from Ye Jinyan''s tugging, and turned to Jin Lan: "It''s cold outside, let''s go inside."


    Normally, Ye Jinyu would just protect Jin Lan, but this was the first time they met the County Princess Wu Yang, so Ye Jinyan was unconvinced. She stared at Jin Lan fiercely, and with a smile that did not reach her eyes, she said: "That''s right, Sister Jinlan your body is weak, so you should stay alert, what if you get caught in the wind, and get sick? Today is the birthday of the old ancestor! "


    Jin Lan was worried about the Madame SHen, so how could he have the mood to talk with Ye Jinyan? She replied indifferently: "There''s no need for Big Sister to worry." With that, she circled around Ye Jinyan and headed back to the house. If she stayed any longer, there was no guarantee that she would lose her mind and do something rash.


    After being interrupted by Ye Jinyan just now, her anxious heart had calmed down a little. Although she didn''t know why the North Prince Jing''s Consort had asked Chen Ying to send her this letter, she had a good saying.


    Being impatient didn''t change anything, other than making her situation worse. Whether it was for her or her mother, she had to calm down!


    "You ¡­" Normally, Jin Lan would look extremely careful, but he never had such a face, causing Ye Jinyan to jump and jump. If it wasn''t for the fact that she knew Chen Ying''s identity, she would have already scolded him.


    Chen Ying never liked Ye Jinyan''s arrogant attitude, she was simply the same as her cousin Li Yingluo. Seeing Jin Lan take a few steps, she also quickly followed, leaving Ye Jinyan behind.


    Seeing that, Ye Jinyan became even angrier, she couldn''t help but feel pain in her chest, she stomped her feet and chased after her into the house, at the same time, she became even more furious in her heart, no matter what, she had to pull Chen Ying over, and not let her get close to him.


    The room was still filled with voices, but the daughter of the imperial court and the daughter of the officials were clearly separated, and they were not in harmony with each other. When Jin Lan entered the house, everyone only raised their heads and glanced at him, only when Chen Ying who was behind them revealed her face, did they calm down and started boiling.


    Even though Chen Ying was an expensive County Princess, her personality was extremely gentle and she rarely put on airs. As a result, all of the young ladies in the clan were extremely willing to interact with her, and the ones with low statuses would be more than willing to interact with her.


    Thus, when they saw Chen Ying coming in, the silent ladies all fought to get up first, walking up to Chen Ying and welcoming him into the room to sit down, and started conversing with him.


    Jin Lan did not want to get involved, he merely nodded at Ye Jinyu and walked to a corner to sit down.


    Ye Jinyan then raised the curtain, seeing that Jin Lan was so ''aware'', his expression relaxed slightly. He snorted at her, then smiled and walked over to have a chat with Chen Ying.


    After the girls chatted for a while, a manager Mama opened the curtain and came in. She first bowed respectfully, then said in a clear voice: "The banquet has been prepared.


    Hearing that, Ye Jinyan knew that all the guests were gathered in the main hall, and that it was probably the end of the ceremony, so she stood up and smiled: "The feast is placed in the garden, it is located on the right side of the Fragrance Garden, all sisters, please follow me."


    Madame Fu had specially arranged for the banquet to be held at the Jade Tong Flower Hall, right between the Longevity Hall and the Fragrance Garden. After walking for a short while, they would arrive at the veranda, which was constructed from parasol trees that were placed above the pavilion.


    When Jin Lan and his entourage arrived at the Jade Tong Flower Hall, the various wives had already gathered and took their seats. Those who were the hall masters were naturally the old ancestor''s Madame Chen.


    The girls, including Chen Ying, bowed towards the Madame Chen at the same time. Then they went into the Side Chamber and sat down.


    Unexpectedly, there was a person sitting there, Jin Lan took a look, and saw that it was the Pingyang County Princess, Li Yingluo who was dressed brightly in red silk clothing!


    When Li Yingluo saw Jin Lan, she could not help but shake her blade twice. She sat there motionlessly, with no intention of standing up.


    She was indeed qualified to be disrespectful to her. Amongst all the ladies present, other than Chen Ying, who had the same status as her, the rest were all naked.


    Jin Lan didn''t want to argue with her at this moment, so he gave Li Yingluo a gift along with the others. He wanted to choose a remote seat to sit down at, but who would have thought that Ye Jinyu would actually hold her hand and head towards the front.


    "Sister Lan, according to etiquette, you should sit with us." She explained to Jin Lan in a low voice.


    On the left side of the table, Li Yingluo, Chen Ying and the others were sitting on the left side. Naturally, Jin Lan and the others were sitting on the right side, but that way, they would inevitably have to face Li Yingluo face him face to face.


    Ye Jinyu was naturally not clear about the dispute between Jin Lan and Li Yingluo, so she brought Jin Lan to Ye Jinyan''s side.


    Seeing Jin Lan coming over, Ye Jinyan''s face darkened. Ye Jinyu pretended not to see it and smiled: "Little sister Yan, Little sister Lan and I will sit together with you."


    "Sister Yu, this place is too small. I''m afraid I can''t sit here. Sister Lan, go sit with Sister Six and Eighth Sister." Ye Jinyan did not even think before opening her mouth to reject Jin Lan.


    Ye Jinyu''s eyes flashed. "Since that''s the case, then Sixth Sister and I will squeeze together." With that, she made as if to turn around.


    Annoyed, Ye Jinyan grabbed her and asked with a sour tone: "Sister Yu, why are you always protecting her?"


    It''s really strange, the two of them clearly saw each other for the first time, yet it looked like they were enemies from their past lives, and no matter how they looked, they couldn''t see eye to eye. Ye Jinyu sighed inwardly and advised softly: "It''s not that I''m protecting her, but today it''s the ancestor''s birthday banquet, if there was any commotion, wouldn''t it be embarrassing our family?"


    Ye Jinyan let out a light snort, rolled her eyes at Jin Lan, and said: "Don''t worry, I''m naturally not that kind of person who doesn''t care about the severity of things."


    Hearing that, Ye Jinyu heaved a sigh of relief, laughed twice, and pulled Jin Lan into a seat.


    The moment the two of them sat down, Li Yingluo suddenly turned around and his gaze swept across the ladies of Ye Family one by one. In the end, it stopped on Jin Lan''s face, whose eyebrows were lowered, and his lips slowly formed a sneer, "Speaking of which, this County Princess has already been waiting here for most of the time.


    The audience that was whispering to each other suddenly went quiet, no one expected the County Princess Ping Yang to suddenly make a move.


    As the owner of the Marquis Runan'' Mansion, Ye Jinyan naturally wanted to give an answer. She originally wanted to explain to the rest that it was not too late, but after seeing the cold look in Li Yingluo''s eyes, she immediately swallowed her words and said with a coy smile, "County Princess, what you said makes sense." With that said, she poured herself a cup of wine and sipped on it. When she was about to pour her second cup, she was stopped by Chen Ying.


    "Cousin, today is my royal aunt''s birthday banquet. If my sisters drink too much, I''m afraid they will be disrespectful. In my opinion, one cup is enough."


    The honey wine on the noodle soup was different from ordinary wine. It was made from nectar and did not have any taste of alcohol. Instead, it was sweet and tasty, only that it would make people intoxicated if drunk too much.


    "Since Cousin has asked, let''s just leave it at that." Li Yingluo spoke slowly without turning her head, and only stared at Jin Lan.


    Chen Ying frowned slightly, and glanced at the beautiful eyes with some worry. The people around them did not understand the feud between the two, but she understood clearly in her heart.


    With Ye Jinyan leading the way, it was naturally hard for others to say anymore. Following the order of seating, Ye Jinyu also drank a cup of honey wine. When it was Jin Lan''s turn, Li Yingluo spoke up.


    "Sister Jinlan." She lifted the white jade wine jug that was placed in front of her and personally poured a cup of wine. She placed it in front of Jin Lan and said with a smile, "Based on our friendship in the palace, let me toast you."


    Jin Lan looked at the clear and delicate wine in the wine cup. A faint aroma wafted through the air, but her heart sank slightly. This wine, was not honey wine!

 C126

    The honey wine was tasteless, yet the wine that Li Yingluo had personally poured emitted a faint aroma, even though Jin Lan could not recognize what kind of wine it was, he knew that with Li Yingluo''s character, he would definitely not be let off lightly, and even brought out the matters of the palace.


    Therefore, it was best not to touch the wine.


    But County Princess had personally toasted her, if she did not drink, then it would be ungrateful in the eyes of the bystanders, and had already relaxed his hold on the punishment wine, including Ye Jinyu had also drunk a cup, now it was her turn, so it was impolite to refuse.


    It seemed that Li Yingluo had calculated that she would not reject him, which was why she was giving her trouble so openly.


    After hesitating for a short moment, Jin Lan had already noticed that there were many more probing gazes on her body. Looking at Li Yingluo''s smiling yet not smiling face, she secretly took a deep breath and revealed a hint of light smile.


    She was about to close her eyes and finish the wine in one gulp when a soft white hand reached out and took the cup from her hand.


    "Sister Jinlan, I heard that your health isn''t good, and you were sick on the bed a few days ago. It took a lot of effort for you to recover now, so it''s best for you to drink less of this wine."


    The one who snatched away the wine cup was actually Chen Ying, her beautiful face was extremely gentle, her every frown and smile was like a spring breeze, her heart was relaxed and happy. Her eyes moved about, smiling at Li Yingluo beside her, she raised the white jade wine cup in her hand and spoke gently: "I''ll drink this forfeit wine on behalf of the Sister Jinlan, I don''t think cousin will mind, right?"


    Chen Ying''s action not only stunned Jin Lan, but all the girls in the audience revealed looks of astonishment. They never thought that County Princess Wu Yang would actually help a girl from the side, could it be that the matter regarding Fourth Prince''s heart was not baseless?


    Jin Lan was not clear about what the crowd was thinking, but she looked at Chen Ying with suspicion. Although Chen Ying had shown great kindness to her from the moment they met, and even secretly delivered an extremely important letter to her, she had never thought that Chen Ying would actually help her out at this moment in time.


    After all, doing so would be equivalent to rejecting Li Yingluo''s honor.


    Although Chen Ying was of the orthodox royal bloodline, Li Yingluo''s mother was Princess Ming Xin, the daughter that the empress dowager doted on the most, the direct sister of His Majesty. To Chen Ying, Li Yingluo was just a blood relative, and she was merely an outsider who couldn''t even hit a target.


    Jin Lan was puzzled. What was on his body that was worth Chen Ying treating like this?


    "How can I not give face to my cousin? "Since my cousin is willing to do so, I will do as you say." Surprisingly, Li Yingluo chose to back off. She glanced at Jin Lan, then raised her eyes to Chen Ying, and started to ponder about the relationship between the two of them.


    "In that case, thank you, Cousin." Chen Ying covered her face with her sleeve, slightly lifted her chin, and finished the wine in one gulp. After putting down the wine cup, she immediately covered her mouth with the handkerchief.


    When the burning sensation in her throat lessened slightly, she smiled and said, "As expected of the Peach Blazing Dew that my cousin loves to drink the most. This small cup actually makes me feel a little intoxicated."


    Li Yingluo raised hshe hand and poured a cup of Chen Ying''s Peach Blossom Dew, she then took a sip and closed her eyes, as though she was enjoying the taste of it, and then lazily said: "Then Cousin sister, please drink less." As she finished speaking, he raised her head and finished all of the remaining Peach Blaze Dew in the white jade wine cup. Her clear and cold gaze swept across Jin Lan''s face as she coldly asked, "Who''s next?"


    Therefore, other than Chen Ying, the rest of the girls stood up one after another to toast to him. It was time for the banquet to begin. The orderly maidservants carried steaming hot and fragrant meals in a line.


    The table gradually regained its liveliness. Although they did not eat or sleep, it was a birthday feast. Furthermore, they were allowed to sit alone at the table. They did not sit together with the other wives because they wanted to make the girls feel more at ease. Thus, the occasional soft sentence or two did not seem out of place.


    Chen Ying was different from Li Yingluo, she had always drank very little, so she gave Jin Lan a toast, maybe because she was drunk, she rarely spoke, and just continued to quietly eat. It was only when a plate of pine nut rolls was placed on the table that her intoxicated eyes suddenly cleared. Her silver tusk picked up a piece of the pine nut roll and she softly said to Jin Lan, "Sister Jinlan, this pine nut roll tastes pretty good. Try it."


    Song Ren, give it away, this was what the North Prince Jing''s Consort had promised her beforehand.


    As she said this, she was about to place the Pine Core Scroll into Jin Lan''s bowl. Unexpectedly, with a shake of her hand in midair, the Pine Core roll caught between her chopsticks instantly slid off the bowl and onto Jin Lan''s body.


    Ah!" He hurriedly got up and walked over to Jin Lan''s side. "I''m sorry, little sister Jin Lan. It was my fault. I couldn''t hold my ground.


    On the corner of Li Yingluo''s lips, an arc suddenly appeared and disappeared, and she quickly retracted her hand next to Chen Ying.


    That pine nut roll [1] was swept away by Jin Lan immediately, but its skirt was still stained with a little bit of oil stars, and after being wiped by Chen Ying''s handkerchief, it became even more powerful. She quickly held down Chen Ying''s hand and shook her head.


    "How can this be?" Chen Ying''s face was filled with guilt, "I''m afraid I can''t wear this Eight Blessed Dress anymore." She raised her hand to summon a maidservant. "Quickly bring Lady Jin Lan to change her clothes."


    Jin Lan originally wanted to say no, but when he saw Chen Ying''s meaningful gaze, he suddenly realized and stood up, bowing to the girls who were looking at him, "Sisters, please enjoy your time, I''ll be right back."


    Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. She glanced at Chen Ying, then followed the servant out of the Jade Tong Flower Hall.


    A cold breeze brushed against his face, and Jin Lan''s anxious heart immediately calmed down a little. She looked at the maid who was leading the way. She looked pretty and delicate, but her eyes looked tight.


    For today''s birthday banquet, other than the masters, the servants, Attendant, and the steward of the Mama would also be given second-class seats. As a result, the servants at the Jade Tong Flower Hall were specially selected by the Madame Fu, so it was normal that she had never seen them before. However, the clothes of this maid ¡­


    The burgundy jacket, the Yulan cotton dress, and the butterfly hairpin stuck in her bun had all been dyed a deep purple. Even Lixia, who was standing beside the Old Ancestor, had never been dressed like this.


    This servant girl, was most likely not someone from the Ye Mansion!


    Glimmers danced in Jin Lan''s eyes as he surveyed the surroundings. This road seemed to lead to the outer courtyard. Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Yan Ye had really snuck into the Ye Mansion?


    Before she could finish her thought, the guide girl changed the direction of her footsteps and walked towards the garden.


    Jin Lan looked, but stopped.


    She looked left and right, then trotted back, bowed to Jin Lan, and said cautiously: "Miss, do not be afraid, I was ordered by North Prince Jing''s Consort to bring you to meet an old friend."


    "Old friends?" Jin Lan raised his eyebrows. "I just want to change my clothes. Where''s the old friend to see me?" Furthermore, from what I see, you don''t look like a servant girl.


    A mature servant girl walked the path of a few people. If something were to happen, it would be hard for anyone to notice her even if she was in the mansion. It wasn''t wrong to be careful.


    "This servant''s name is Zhu''er, she is a servant girl by the side of the North Prince Jing''s Consort. It is my honor to have come to Marquis Runan'' Mansion with Princess Consort several times, so I do know her path." Zhu''er seemed to have guessed Jin Lan''s thoughts. She rummaged through her purse at her waist and took out something to hand to Jin Lan. "Miss, look at this hairpin and you will understand if this servant''s words are true or false."


    When she took a look, she couldn''t help but be stunned. This hairpin, was actually the lamb fat jade Jasmine hairpin that had been lost in the Lingji Temple!


    So it really was him who took it. Jin Lan looked through it carefully, and once again confirmed that the Jasmine hairpin was the one that he had lost, and the suspicion in her heart immediately went away. Holding the hairpin in her hand, she looked at Zhu''er and asked, "Where is he?"


    "If we continue walking forward, there will be a pavilion." Zhu''er pointed forward.


    Jin Lan nodded, and followed Zhu''er without saying anything further.


    Although the lanterns in the garden were not as many as the lanterns in front of them, they were still only a dozen or so steps away. Although it was not very bright, it was not dark either.


    After walking forward for a short distance, a pavilion suddenly appeared before them. The figure within the pavilion swayed, as if it was taking a few steps back and forth.


    Jin Lan squinted his eyes, that figure, was obviously not Yan Ye.


    When Zhu''er and Jin Lan walked closer, Hou Zai''s men immediately came out of the pavilion to welcome them.


    That person was precisely the Mama Zhu who entered the Palace along with the North Prince Jing''s Consort, the one who offered birthday gifts for the Yangzhou! Her face was full of excitement, but her heart was full of apprehension. Afraid that she would alert the others, she opened her mouth. However, in a quivering voice, she lowered her voice and called out, "Miss."


    Jin Lan was startled, she did not recognize this Mama, but it looked somewhat familiar. After hesitating for a moment, she asked hesitantly: "You are ¡­"


    "This lady doesn''t recognize this servant, but this servant does!" When we were children, the girl and her wife were just like a child''s print. " Mama Zhu''s eyes were brimming with tears, he looked at Jin Lan darkly, "This servant is Madam''s wet nurse, Lady Zhu."


    Mother''s wet nurse? As if Jin Lan had misheard, he widened his eyes in disbelief. "How is this possible?"


    If she remembered correctly, her mother''s wet nurse had already left the Ye Family, so why would she appear in the capital? and even appeared in the Marquis Runan'' Mansion together with the North Prince Jing''s Consort?


    Mama Zhu wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes and said with a stern voice: "This servant is indeed this lady''s wet nurse. It''s just that when we left the palace, this lady wasn''t born yet, so this servant didn''t recognize you."


    Seeing that the two of them had lost control of their emotions, and afraid that they would accidentally alert the servants who passed by, Zhu''er advised them softly, "Miss Jin Lan, Mama Zhu, the situation is urgent. I am afraid we cannot delay them any longer.


    Only then did Mama Zhu come to her senses. She nodded and quickly took out a letter from her sleeve and passed it to Jin Lan, "If this lady does not believe me, this lady should be able to recognize this lady''s handwriting."


    Jin Lan quickly opened the letter and read the lantern hanging under the pavilion.


    That''s right, the letter was written by her mother. She had seen the scriptures her mother had copied, so she was naturally familiar with the handwriting.


    This letter was obviously not written recently, it only remembered that after Jin Lan left, Madame SHen was worried about her daughter.


    It was just a few sentences, but it caused Jin Lan''s eyes to become watery.


    She covered the letter with her hand and looked at Mama Zhu, asking Mama Zhu: "How is Mother?"


    "Madam ¡­" Mama Zhu''s face suddenly revealed sorrow, "Madam, I''m afraid you can''t do it anymore!"

 C127

    Today, on the birthday of the Old Ancestor Madame Chen, other than having a feast, he had also set up a stage in the Dian Cui Hall near the lotus pond and invited a famous pear concert in the capital to perform.


    He tidied up the Jade Dining Hall early in the morning and laid out a dozen long tables carved with red wood. There were a few plates of rare fresh fruits and delicate pastries neatly arranged on the tables.


    The Madame Chen was naturally seated in the middle. Beside him was Princess Mingxin, the North Prince Jing''s Consort, and then there was Changping''s Grand Lady, Duke An, and so on. As for the girls, they had arranged another play in the Agarwood. They didn''t need to go to their elders to set up the rules.


    Waiting for the maidservants to present the newly-brewed tea, Madame Chen personally ordered "Moonworshiping Pavilion" for him. The class master of the Pear Sing Class respectfully received the play paper and retreated behind the stage. Not long after, a few middle-aged men wearing blue cotton-padded jackets and holding various types of musical instruments appeared on the stage. First he kowtowed to the crowd, then he sat down on the low wooden bench to the right of the table. The gong sounded, and the show began.


    For a time, the sound of the gongs and drums in Dian Cui Tang Hall was extremely lively.


    The performance onstage was truly worthy of being called a top performer of a famous class. The voice was as smooth as jade, and the singing was very sincere. He raised his hands and raised his feet, wincing and wincing; it was extremely well done. Even the Madame Chen revealed a satisfied smile, the hand on his leg shook gently, as he listened to what the elder had to say, engrossed.


    < Moonlight Pavilion Record > had a total of four folds. Just as he finished singing the first fold, a Little Maid with a double bun hurriedly ran into Dian Cui Hall. However, he did not dare approach and only stood on the outermost corner with his feet on the ground, looking around with a face full of urgency.


    Mama Wu who was standing beside Madame Chen had her attention on the door. Upon seeing Little Maid appear, he quietly took a few steps back, and walked around the crowd from the back.


    When the Little Maid saw Mama Wu, she immediately revealed a relieved expression. She hurriedly walked to a corner and muttered a few words in a low voice.


    Mama Wu''s face suddenly changed. She waved her hand to dismiss Little Maid, then hurriedly returned to Madame Chen''s side and leaned over to whisper something into her ear.


    Madame Chen''s narrowed eyes suddenly widened a bit as a glint flashed past them as they reflected off the lanterns on the stage.


    Although the two of them could not hear the mutterings of the Mama Wu, they could clearly feel the fluctuations in the expression of the Madame Chen. She slowly picked up the colored porcelain teacup with the words'' Fushu ''in the official kiln. Her red lips were lightly pursed as the sweet and mellow tea slipped down her throat. Only then did Feng Feng, who had yet to remove her teacup from the stage, reveal a hint of joy in her eyes.


    Madame Chen waved her hand and ordered Mama Wu to retreat to the side as if nothing had happened, she sat firmly on the Ink Pellet Wu, then continued to watch the show. After waiting for the maids to bring out the fresh longevity peach buns, she ate a few mouthfuls, then frowned and started feeling uncomfortable.


    Everyone guessed that most likely, Madame Chen ate until her stomach broke and wanted to go to the washroom. Only the corners of North Prince Jing''s Consort''s mouth curled up into a faint smile.


    The Madame Chen left the Jadeite Hall and went along the carpentry corridor to the east. However, she didn''t return to the Longevity Hall, and instead went to the Half Moon Temple which was not too far away from the Longevity Hall.


    Lixia had been waiting in front of the door. When he saw the Madame Chen, who was being supported by the Mama Wu, come in from the corridor, he quickly went to greet them, "Greet the Old Ancestor."


    "Get up." Madame Chen looked at Lianxia expressionlessly, "Where is he?"


    Lixia bowed his head and held his chest, "Reporting to the Old Ancestor, we will wait inside."


    The Madame Chen nodded and did not say anything else. She glanced at the Mama Wu and the two of them stepped into the house. Lixia paused for a moment, but did not follow him in, and waited for Mama Wu to close the door behind him, and quietly waited outside.


    Half a month was not long, but it was a rebuilt study that was part of a summer retreat. Originally, Madame Chen had married a Prince Consort in the past, but the Grand Old Master of Ye Family had personally arranged this. Although the number of books in the study was not more than ten thousand, there were still many, many of which were left behind. However, since Prince Consort Ma had left, the Half Moon Pavilion had been empty. Other than the servants who cleaned up the place, only Madame Chen would occasionally come and sit for a while.


    Madame Chen entered the outer room and walked straight to the main hall. Just as she sat down, Jin Lan lifted the curtain and walked out through the curtain.


    "I, Jin Lan, pay my respects to the Old Ancestor." She quickly went up to pay her respects to Madame Chen, who followed and knelt down as well.


    "Forget it. Hurry up and get up." The Madame Chen was all smiles, but when she looked over the Mama Zhu, her eyes flashed with sharpness, "Why are you not going to watch the show with your sisters, and come here alone?"


    "Old Ancestor." Jin Lan raised his head to look at Madame Chen, and his swollen red eyes started tearing up, "I plead for the Old Ancestor to seek justice for Jin Lan!" As he spoke, he handed the letter in his hand to Madame Chen.


    The Madame Chen looked at it for a bit, and the smile on her face gradually disappeared. After a long time, he put the letter down, sighed deeply, and said: "I was just thinking of finding an opportunity to tell you about it tomorrow, but you found out."


    In other words, what Mama Zhu said was true? The Old Ancestor received a letter from the Yangzhou a long time ago, and he also clearly knew that his mother was in critical danger!


    Hatred was like a tidal wave, instantly extinguishing the last of her reason. She trembled and looked up to the Old Ancestor with a determined expression, saying each word clearly, "Old Ancestor, I want to regain my Yangzhou!"


    These trembling words carried an incomparably firm tone. Regardless of whether it was Madame Chen or the Mama Wu, or even the Mama Zhu who was still kneeling on the ground, their hearts couldn''t help but shiver.


    Madame Chen stared at Jin Lan''s slim body and pursed her lips without saying a word. Mama Wu beside her realised that her expression was growing darker and darker.


    Jin Lan was filled with grief and indignation, she never thought that the Old Ancestor would hide such news from her for his own benefit. According to the Mama Zhu, she had not been gone for long, and her mother''s body was growing weaker and weaker, and within a few days, she was lying on her bed. At that time, Ye Lin had personally written a letter and sent someone to quickly send it to the capital. Other than mentioning his mother''s body, he had also faintly mentioned a few things about wanting her to return to the Yangzhou as soon as possible.


    However, the Old Ancestor did not say a word about them. If not for the appearance of Mama Zhu, it would have been too late by the time she found out.


    When he thought of his mother''s unknown fate, Jin Lan felt as if a knife was being twisted into his heart. His already slim body trembled and seemed to be on the verge of collapse. But she did her best to stay on her feet, not wanting to look away.


    Jin Lan didn''t know that the letter had long ago been burnt by the Madame Chen, so the news was naturally concealed.


    Madame Chen''s face was as dark as water. She looked at Mama Zhu coldly, and said in a low voice: "Mama Zhu, you go out first. I have something to say to Girl Lan."


    The Mama Zhu''s protector was anxious, she did not dare leave Jin Lan alone in the room, and immediately kowtowed to the Madame Chen, her eyes red as she said: "Please forgive me, First Princess, please allow this servant to stay. This lady is still young, there are some things I am afraid I cannot explain, this servant will wait at the side, if necessary, I can also tell a little, and will definitely not disturb the First Princess and the young lady."


    The title changed from Old Ancestor to First Princess, from pro-disciple to pro-disciple. The Mama Zhu then made a decision.


    "Old Ancestor, please let Mama Zhu stay behind." Jin Lan lowered his eyelids and bent his knees in a seemingly respectful manner. However, everyone could hear the persistence in her voice.


    Ever since she entered the Marquis Runan'' Mansion, no matter what tricks the Old Ancestor used, she had always taken detours and evasion, and never once directly confronted him before. But at this moment, it was already too late for her to take even half a step back.


    She definitely could not let the Old Ancestor think that she was weak enough to bully, otherwise, walking out of the Marquis Mansion''s gate would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens!


    Jin Lan clenched his hand into a fist, his nails digging into her flesh. It hurt, but she didn''t feel it. She stared at the ancestor in the hall.


    Madame Chen looked deeply at Jin Lan and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. It was as if he could see his own face when he was young, as unyielding as his mother''s concubine, with an unyielding gaze.


    As though the age of water, royal father and mother had long passed away. Even royal brother and consort ¡­


    Seeing that the Madame Chen was lost in thought, she hurriedly lifted up the teacup and said softly, "Master, I''m afraid that I''ve gotten tired of the food just now. Here are some freshly stewed melon slices.


    Madame Chen suddenly regained her senses, and when she lifted her head, she saw Mama Wu''s eyes filled with worry. She raised her hand and accepted the teacup, nodding slightly, as if she had given Mama Wu a peace of mind. She then turned to Jin Lan. "Since that''s the case, let her stay." He was just a servant, how could she overturn the heavens?


    "Thank you for your grace, Old Ancestor." Madame Chen''s retreat, allowed Jin Lan to calm down. From the moment she knew the truth of the matter, she had quickly made a decision in her heart. No matter what, she had to hurry back to the Yangzhou!


    After thinking for a moment, she took a deep breath and said: "Jin Lan came here to congratulate the old ancestor. Now that mother is lying ill on the bed, I hope the old ancestor can forgive Jin Lan''s wish to return.


    Madame Chen never thought that Jin Lan would speak in such a straightforward manner.


    She stared at Jin Lan for a long time before slowly lifting the lid of the cup and saying helplessly, "Girl Lan, it''s freezing cold now, and your body''s just gotten better. If there''s any delay along the way, wouldn''t that make your mother more anxious? Furthermore, after I received the letter, I had already sent someone to deliver it to the Imperial Hospital, requesting that Dr. Hua personally head over to the Yangzhou. During the journey with Imperial Physician Hua, you can take good care of me, and let me feel at ease. "


    She knew that the Old Ancestor would not let her go so easily.


    Jin Lan didn''t even think as he directly kneeled down towards Madame Chen. The sound of his knees hitting the green brick floor made everyone''s teeth ache.


    "Old Ancestor, mother is sick in bed. As a child, how can you be indifferent to your own safety? His mother had once told Jin Lan about the matter of the emperor''s filial piety in the past, when he was sick and served at the front of the emperor''s bed. Even though he was a girl, he knew to be filial. Otherwise, he would not have travelled thousands of miles to the capital to congratulate the old ancestor. Now, I beg that the old ancestor grant me the honor of showing filial piety! "


    Since the Old Ancestor''s name was love, then she would follow the path of filial piety.


    After the banquet just now, His Majesty had ordered everyone to congratulate the Old Ancestor on his death and brought up filial piety. Coupled with the early benevolence and filial piety of His Majesty, she didn''t believe that the Old Ancestor would forcefully stop her from returning to the Yangzhou!

 C128

    The calmness in Madame Chen''s eyes gradually disappeared. Ever since they entered the Half Moon Temple, Jin Lan''s actions had become like that of a different person, completely out of her expectations.


    She had originally planned to keep this matter a secret until everything was settled. No matter how noisy it was, as long as they pushed it to the capital and Yangzhou, where they had a long way to go and failed to receive the news in time, the people around would not be able to explain themselves.


    Yet now, this little girl had already known about it and was behaving with such filial piety. If she was able to suppress it, if word of this got out in the future, she would most likely become an unfilial victim. Furthermore, just now, the Emperor had given the order personally to praise the Ye Family with the words of loyal and filial piety. The Marquis Runan'' Mansion had been silent for many years, and with great difficulty, he had taken this opportunity to reestablish his power.


    A cold light flashed in Madame Chen''s eyes. She had underestimated the Lan Clan after all, to be able to establish a relationship with the Residence of Northern Tranquil King. She had also underestimated this child who was only nine years old.


    She thought that although the little girl was clever, she was still young, her actions were gentle and roundabout, and was not as stubborn as Ye Jinyan.


    With the Madame Chen floating palace, after controlling the inner palace for dozens of years, she would definitely benefit from it if she was able to avoid harm.


    But when she thought about the situation that she had just arranged with great difficulty, she was still a little unwilling. She calmed the anger in her chest and said, "No matter how impatient you are, you still have to wait until the next day. I will arrange for some carriages to leave, right? Also, we need to clean up the Lotus Root, so we don''t have to leave anything behind. "


    In other words, he agreed to let her return to the Yangzhou?


    Jin Lan was ecstatic, he suddenly raised his head and looked at the Madame Chen, "Thank you for your consent, Old Ancestor!"


    Without another question, she opened her mouth to thank the Old Ancestor for the courtesy and confirmed what he said. This way, no matter who it was that came up with the idea, she would just hold on to her face and not let it go.


    The Old Ancestor''s eyelids jumped, his face revealing a cold expression, but using the gesture of carrying tea, he forcibly pushed it back down, "Alright, Girl Lan, quickly get up. The green bricks are cold, it''s not good to freeze over." He then shifted his gaze and gouged out Mama Zhu''s eyes, "You should get up as well.


    "Yes, this servant thanks First Princess for his great kindness." Mama Zhu respectfully kowtowed to Madame Chen. Just as she was worrying about what kind of excuse she should find to stay, she did not expect that it would be so easy to achieve what she wanted. Compared to the obstacles she faced when she entered Marquis Mansion, Madame Chen''s attitude was like heaven and earth.


    Jin Lan endured the pain in his knees and stood up with the support of the Mama Zhu. He then apologized to the Madame Chen, "Jin Lan, please punish me for disturbing the Old Ancestor''s listen to the drama."


    "Forget it." Madame Chen looked at Jin Lan''s delicate and white face, and sighed: "Speaking of this matter, it''s also my fault. In my opinion, you should be happy and quiet normally, and with this kind of matter, you probably won''t have the mood to listen to any more. It''s better for you to return to the Lotus Root to rest early, so we can get up early tomorrow."


    The Old Ancestor''s intention was for her to avoid revealing her secrets to the other girls, so that no one would be able to find any clues.


    However, she was not in the mood to continue the liveliness. After a moment of thought, she lowered her head and replied, "Yes."


    Even if she was in a rush to go back and clean up, Jin Lan still accompanied Madame Chen out of the Half Moon Temple first. After Mama Wu and Lixia supported him out of the temple and along the hand overpass to the Emerald Hall, she deeply gazed at Lixia''s back for a while before bringing Mama Zhu back to the Lotus Root.


    Fortunately, when Li-Xia came, Zhu''er was alertly able to avoid him. Even if the Old Ancestor suspected that she had some grudge with the Residence of Northern Tranquil East, as long as she was not caught, the Old Ancestor could not use this as an excuse. However ¡­


    She turned her head to the side and glanced at Mama Zhu. And why would Yan Ye''s letter be on Mama Zhu? Also, even if Mama Zhu was his mother''s wet nurse, she had long redeemed herself and left the palace. However, she clearly knew all about the news inside the manor and even knew about Ye Lin''s letter.


    There must be something she didn''t know!


    No matter what, it was imperative that they leave the manor successfully and return home. There was still time for her to get to the bottom of things.


    Bypassing a crowded area, Jin Lan walked along the quiet veranda back to Lotus Root.


    On the Old Ancestor''s birthday, most of the maids and maids had prepared some good food. The courtyard was quiet. Other than the two old wives on duty, no one else could be seen. When he pulled up the curtain and entered the house, he found that Mama Shang, Wan Ju and Bi He were all waiting for him.


    "Miss!"


    Seeing Jin Lan enter, the three of them could not help but come over, but when they saw the Mama Zhu behind her, they were all stunned, "This is ¡­"


    Jin Lan took off the silk cape that he was wearing, "Mama Zhu is mother''s wet nurse."


    Mama Zhu swiftly closed the door and received the crane cloak from Jin Lan''s hands. Then she smiled and nodded to the three as a form of greeting.


    Mama Shang was the first to recover and quickly saluted back, "Greetings, big sister."


    Wan Ju and Bi He followed closely behind, and also kneeled down to Mama Zhu. However, the two of them had their suspicions, they had been beside Jin Lan for so many years, yet they had never seen, let alone a wet nurse.


    He didn''t know if it was true or false that one had popped out all of a sudden.


    As they thought of this, the two of them looked at Jin Lan at the same time.


    "Wan Ju, Bi He, the two of you hurry up and pack up. Tomorrow morning, we will head back to the Yangzhou!" Jin Lan didn''t have the intention to explain any further. At this moment, she was extremely anxious, wishing that she could immediately go to her mother''s bedside.


    "You''re leaving tomorrow?" Although they wished to return to the Yangzhou as soon as possible, they did not dare dream of leaving on the second day of the Old Ancestor''s birthday. After all, according to the Old Ancestor''s intentions, if he could not wait for the young lady to stay in the capital, how could they easily escape?


    Mama Shang''s thoughts were much more meticulous than the two of them. She noticed something amiss from the anxious look on Jin Lan''s face and the sudden appearance of Mama Zhu, so she asked: "Miss, did something happen?"


    Jin Lan knew that if she didn''t explain the situation clearly, the big guy would be confused, and would make mistakes in the chaos. After thinking about it for a while, she told him about her conversation with Mama Zhu, but hid the secret between King Residence of Northern Jing and the old ancestor, saying that her mother was very ill and the ancestor had agreed to let them return to Yangzhou tomorrow.


    My wife is very ill? Wan Ju and Bi He looked at each other, only then did they realise how serious the situation was, and immediately did not say anymore, and started to pack their boxes.


    Mama Shang had the intention to ask more, but when her eyes made contact with Jin Lan''s gloomy face and Mama Zhu''s worried expression, she knew that it would not be convenient to say anything more. She simply took the crane cloak that Mama Zhu had wrapped around her arm and hung it on the rack, and led the two of them into the room, in order to warm them up.


    However, before Jin Lan could sit down, there was a series of knocks on the door, causing everyone''s expression to change.


    "Is Lady Jin Lan in the room?"


    It was Jin Qian. She raised her head and gave Mama Shang a look.


    Mama Shang nodded, she glanced at Wan Ju and Bi He who had stopped, then quickly walked to open the door, and lifted the curtain, "Miss has just returned, what a coincidence."


    Jin Qian held a Vermillion Painted Flower food box, and laughed: "I also came here to offer Miss Jin Lan Life Congee following the orders of the Old Ancestor."


    Eating longevity porridge with longevity noodles was the custom of the Great Zhou. It had a long meaning, and at a young age, there was a present era. However, not long after using the Life Bestowing Porridge, it was time to send them off. After all, the capital city had strict curfews. Even if the Old Ancestor was a noble First Princess, it would not be good to drag it on too long in order to avoid a situation.


    Jin Lan climbed onto the brick bed, and then changed the brocade bed sheet beside him to cover his oily octopus before raising his voice and saying, "Let Sister Jin Qian in."


    Jin Qian smiled as she entered the house, she went straight to the innermost room, and when she saw Jin Lan, she blessed herself, "Miss Jin Lan."


    Even though she hadn''t interacted much with Jin Qian in this manor, she had always sensed her goodwill. From the very beginning, she had intended to reveal the time when the Old Ancestor stood up, his habits and the small movements in the Plum Garden to them.


    Therefore, Jin Lan had a good impression of Jin Qian, "Sister Jin Qian, quickly get up, the sky and earth are freezing cold, send someone to say that I will ask Wan Ju to go and get it, and I will trouble you to come over specially."


    "Miss, where are you from? Serving the lord is a servant''s duty, how can you pick and choose?" Jin Qian smiled as she said that, she placed the food box on the warm brick bed. Just as she was about to open the lid and take out the Life Eating Porridge, Wan Ju walked over from behind and snatched it away.


    "Let me do it, sister. Rest well." With that, Wan Ju quickly opened the box and brought out the still steaming hot Five Grains Porridge, "Young lady, try it."


    Jin Lan scooped up a spoonful of the white porcelain spoon. The Five Grains Porridge Porridge was cooked until it was extremely fragrant and sweet, but she had no appetite. After tasting a bit, she put down the white porcelain spoon.


    Jin Qian was about to leave after putting away the food, but after the porridge was sent over, she still had to return to report to the Old Ancestor. She had only taken two steps when she turned back and looked meaningfully at Jin Lan. "Miss, you need to drink this porridge while it''s hot. Otherwise, it''ll get cold if you delay it any longer. By then, it might not be tasty." With that, she lightly smiled, turned around and left the room.


    Waiting for the door curtain to close with a "Pa" sound, Jin Lan''s expression suddenly changed, and she anxiously looked at Wan Ju: "Quickly pack up, we will leave immediately!"


    Wan Ju was startled, didn''t she say that she would only start tomorrow? Why is it ¡­


    The faces of Mama Shang and Mama Zhu also changed drastically. They didn''t have time to explain as they started to pack up their things.


    "Besides jewelry and clothes, anything beside that can''t be identified, leave it all behind!" Jin Lan couldn''t sit still anymore. He lifted the brocade bed sheet off his body, jumped off the brick bed, and helped to clean it up.


    She was too careless. How could she be so muddleheaded, did she really believe that the Old Ancestor would let her leave?


    There were more than ten million ways to subvert things overnight. The ancestral elders who wielded great power in the manor could do countless things if they wanted to leave behind a branch girl.


    She was sure that if she believed the Old Ancestor''s words and rested peacefully in the Lotus Root, then everyone in the entire Palace would know that the young lady of the Orchid Hall had a relapse and was bedridden!

 C129

    Jin Lan took off all the jewelry on his body, and then broke the bun from Hibiscus Mutabilis. He wore a new flat bun like Wan Ju and the others, and changed his brocade clothes into an inconspicuous peachy jacket.


    In this way, at first glance, it looked like an ordinary Little Maid from the Marquis Mansion.


    The few of them cleaned up quickly, cleaning up the clothes and accessories they brought from the Yangzhou. The box was not easy to hold, and it was extremely easy to attract attention, so Jin Lan decisively made them divide the items into four parts and wrap them up in a bag. The Mama Shang and the Mama Zhu, as well as Wan Ju and Bi He carried each of them on their back.


    "Miss, let''s just leave like this. If the Old Ancestor finds out later, things might not end well." Although the Mama Shang didn''t oppose Jin Lan''s plan to escape, she was still worried about what Madame Chen would do next.


    After all, leaving without saying anything was an extremely disrespectful action, especially towards the elders.


    "Mama, don''t worry." Jin Lan''s heart was as clear as a mirror. Holding the teacup that still had half of its contents, she quickly walked to the desk and sprinkled half of the teacup onto the inkstone. Then, she picked up the ink stick and began circling it rapidly.


    Usually, he needed clear water to grind the ink, but he could not use tea. Furthermore, he needed to grind it carefully to produce the good ink, but at this moment, he could not care less.


    After grinding out a little bit of the ink, she put down the grindstone, took down a Bunny Hair from the pen holder, dipped it in ink, and quickly drew a few lines on the pure white of the heart paper. As she did so, she made a few brief points regarding her return home in the course of the night, and even secretly mentioned the matter of her eldest sister''s filial piety.


    In this way, regardless of whether it was due to face or infamy, she would still leave everything for the clan and would not be disrespectful to the ancestors.


    Jin Lan stopped writing, and placed the paperweight on a blank spot. He looked at the people around the table, and then said with a worried expression, "Let''s go!"


    Just now, when she was keeping the ink, Mama Shang had already gone out to send off the old gatekeeper. As a result, they left the Lotus Root without any obstruction.


    On the Madame Chen''s birthday, the most lively places at the moment were the Dian Cui Hall and the Calming Incense Garden, but there weren''t many people in the garden. Using the fact that the Mama Shang was familiar with the Marquis Mansion, Jin Lan and his entourage made seven or eight twists and turns along the way, hiding in secret.


    However, just as they were about to continue walking forward, they realised that Mama Wu was bringing along a few servant girls and were hurriedly walking on the veranda. Fortunately, they did not have to walk on the veranda openly and instead traveled between the flowers, plants and trees in the garden, otherwise, they would have been caught red-handed.


    Only, looking at the direction that Mama Wu was heading towards, it was towards the Lotus Root.


    Jin Lan''s heart sank, the Old Ancestor probably thought of the problem that he could think of, and now that she was being watched by the Mama Wu s, it also proved her conjecture that the Old Ancestor would not let her go.


    It wouldn''t take long for the small garden to walk along the walkway to the Lotus Root. As long as Mama Wu found out that they weren''t inside the house, she would definitely know that she was escaping. When the time comes, under the orders of the Old Ancestor, it would be impossible for him to take advantage of the night to sneak out!


    What should he do? At this moment, Jin Lan was completely flustered.


    "Miss." Mama Shang''s face was a mix of green and white. It was clear that someone who was familiar with the terrain of the Marquis Mansion was able to see through her, "What should we do?"


    Jin Lan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She looked at Mama Wu who was gradually walking further and further away, her eyes filled with determination. "Let''s go. No matter what, we have to think of a way to get out of here as soon as possible."


    "That''s the only way." Mama Shang clenched her teeth and nodded. The group of people did not dare to delay any longer and quickened their pace.


    There were many times when he was almost discovered by the servant girls, but in the end, he was able to leave his Inner Court safely.


    In the outer court, there were less maids but there were more stewards in the Attendant. Fortunately, there were many distinguished guests today, so everyone was alert and carefully served the Duke, who was still talking and laughing merrily. As a result, they had neglected the sneaky ''maidservant'', Jin Lan.


    The arrangement of the outer courtyard was much harder than Inner Court. There were fewer flowers, plants, and trees, but the fake mountains and special stones were visible to the eye. Jin Lan and his group were hiding behind the fake mountains, and not far ahead was a corner gate that allowed them to leave the mansion.


    It was likely that the Inner Court had already discovered their escape, and would affect the outer courtyard in a short while. Although the Old Ancestor did not dare to fly into a rage in front of all the distinguished guests, he would definitely have people secretly search for him.


    There was no longer any place for them in this mansion.


    There was no time to lose. Everyone looked at each other and decisively moved towards the Horned Gate. However, in the middle of it all, they quickly returned to the fake mountain.


    There were actually four Attendant s guarding the corner door!


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but take in a breath of cold air. She had thought that there would definitely be people at the gate, but she didn''t expect that there would be four Attendant s guarding it.


    This time, he was in big trouble!


    Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it would be hard for even a single mosquito to fly out, let alone the five of them.


    "Miss, what should we do?" Bi He trembled, with a faint sound of him crying.


    At this moment, even the Mama Shang didn''t know what to do as she looked at Jin Lan, who was lowering his head in deep thought with a pale face.


    You can only accept your fate? Jin Lan bit his lower lip, which was gradually losing its color.


    No, there must be another way. She definitely could not give up!


    Her mother was still waiting for her to return safely, so, no matter what, she couldn''t stop here!


    "Miss." Suddenly, Wan Ju extended her hand and covered Jin Lan''s cold hand. Her eyes were filled with determination, "This servant will go and lure them away, miss will take the chance to leave!" He was about to get up.


    Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat, and he grabbed onto Wan Ju, "No!"


    She could not imagine, if she were to leave just like that, what kind of ending would Wan Ju, a maid, have with an angry ancestor?


    If Wan Ju lost her life because of this, she would never be able to forgive herself!


    "But ¡­"


    Wan Ju wanted to say more, but Jin Lan shook his head and interrupted him, "You don''t need to say anymore, we will all come at once, and then we will all go back together. Otherwise, it would be better to just obediently stay within the Lotus Root and wait for fate. "


    Mama Shang and Mama Zhu also solemnly nodded their heads, while Bi He pulled at Wan Ju''s hand, her tears kept rolling down.


    Wan Ju''s eyes immediately turned red, she did not dare act blindly without thinking.


    Just as everyone was at a loss on what to do, the faint sounds of messy footsteps came from the fake mountain, causing them to feel as if their hearts had fallen into an ice hole.


    The Old Ancestor sent people to find him!


    Although the Outer Academy was extremely spacious, the fake mountain that they were hiding in wasn''t any place to hide. As long as they had the intention to search, it would only take a few minutes.


    The five of them were as anxious as ants on a hot pan, but the more this happened, the more confused they became. They simply couldn''t think of any way.


    "Don''t rush, don''t rush! Heaven will not kill you, there will definitely be a clever plan to get out of this. " Jin Lan clenched the handkerchief tightly as he muttered to himself.


    Wonderful plan... A brilliant plan! Mama Zhu''s eyes suddenly lit up, she hastily rummaged through her waist pouch, pulling out a small and exquisite sachet from within. She could not help but exclaim in a low voice: "Young lady!"


    Everyone was shocked by the shout, and looked at Mama Zhu.


    "Miss, this is the sachet that the North Prince Jing''s Consort gave me before I entered the residence. He said that he will only open it when he sees Miss." Mama Zhu passed the sachet to Jin Lan. Seeing Jin Lan unable to hold himself back for a moment, she had actually forgotten one thing.


    North Prince Jing''s Consort? Jin Lan paused for a moment. Without hesitation, he picked up the scented sachet and opened it. He stuck his two fingers into the scabbard and gently took out a small paper folded into a square.


    The handwriting was delicate and pretty, probably written by the North Prince Jing''s Consort himself, but what exactly did this "West" mean?


    "Could it be the Western Horn Gate?" The Mama Shang guessed that the west gate was a side gate for servants entering and leaving the residence. Normally, masters would not go through this gate.


    The Mama Zhu heard this and nodded her head, "That''s right, just now when this servant followed the wangfei into the mansion, there were already many precious carriages parked outside. If the wangfei found it noisy, she would have people drive the carriages to the west side and wait."


    In other words, the North Prince Jing''s Consort was helping them escape?


    Jin Lan didn''t have time to think about the twists and turns, and didn''t think about why the North Prince Jing''s Consort was so wholeheartedly helping her. He only folded the letter, stuffed it into his scented bag, and said to the Mama Shang: "Let''s go, to the Western Corner Gate."


    The west corner of the gate was located in the most remote corner of the outer courtyard. Usually, apart from the stewards and servants, very few people would come here.


    For today''s birthday banquet, all the well-known maids and servants were well off. Only these crude servants received a bit of the reward, and were not even worth a third-rate banquet.


    Although she was unwilling, she did not dare to leave her duty. She could only swat at the mosquito while swearing softly. As she was swearing happily, she caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of her eyes. She could not help but shout in alarm, "Who is it?"


    "Yo, sister has such sharp eyes." Mama Zhu walked over openly.


    The old gatekeeper looked at the lantern hanging on the door with suspicion, "Who are you? Where do you work? It''s the middle of the night, why are you here? "


    The Mama Zhu did not panic and said while beaming: "I was on duty at Longevity Hall, following the orders of the Old Ancestor, to send money to elder sister for me."


    Upon hearing Mama Zhu mention that she was working in the Longevity Hall, the old gatekeeper''s face suddenly changed, looking full of flattery, "So it''s actually my older sister who was working in front of the Old Ancestor. Speaking of which, didn''t I only reward her before?"


    As you say, the Old Ancestor was very kind and considerate. He thought that it would be hard for us to work as servants, so he gave us a reward and even set up a third class table in the evergreen garden. I came here in a hurry to reward you and inform you. " As she spoke, Senior Servant Zhu took out a piece of silver that was less than fifty grams, and shook it.


    The old servant woman''s gaze immediately fell on the silver figurine, unwilling to move away from it. After getting the money, she finally believed in Mama Zhu''s words. With a grin and a smile, she bowed towards Mama Zhu and said, "Thank you, Big Sister."


    Mama Zhu dodged hurriedly and said, "Why are you thanking me? Thank you, Old Ancestor."


    "Yes, yes, sister is right." The old gatekeeper kneeled in the direction of the Longevity Hall, with her head like garlic, and kowtowed before standing up. After putting away the silver nakedness, she rubbed her hands together and said hesitantly, "Then the mask ¡­"


    "It''s already open. There''s a lot of people there." Mama Zhu intentionally glanced at the Evergreen Garden. She remembered that Mama Shang had specifically pointed this out just now.


    Ah!" The old woman couldn''t help but take two steps forward and back away. She looked at the door with hesitation.


    Mama Zhu knew that she was done with her work, so she smiled and said to the wife: "Originally, I wanted to go to the main gate to send some rewards to the Attendant. On account of elder sister''s kindness, I will watch over you for a while, just for a bit! You have to come back early. Don''t miss my job. "


    That old woman was extremely grateful and repeatedly answered. She impatiently ran away and soon disappeared into the night.


    Once she left, Jin Lan and the others hurriedly came out from behind the fake mountain, opened the Western Corner Gate, and smoothly exited the Marquis Mansion.


    There weren''t as many lanterns outside the west corner of the city compared to the ones outside the main entrance. Under the dim light, a tall and wide horse carriage with a luxurious body was parked not far away.


    With the support of Wan Ju and Bi He, Jin Lan got on the carriage, and pushed aside the curtain as he was about to go in. Unexpectedly, the moment he raised his head, he met with a pair of deep starry eyes.

 C130

    Jin Lan looked at the person in the carriage in shock, and his body froze on the spot.


    Along the way, the two Mama s and the two maids were alerted that something was amiss. The curtain of the carriage was lifted high by Jin Lan. Although the situation inside the carriage wasn''t completely exposed, one could clearly see that there was a person inside.


    They were so frightened that they were about to cry out in surprise, but when they saw the cold gaze of the people in the carriage, a cold feeling rose from their backs. Even the words that rushed to their mouths were forcefully choked back.


    "Get in."


    Her tone was flat and cold without the slightest fluctuation, but when it entered Jin Lan''s ears, it made her feel a trace of anger.


    Was he angry? Jin Lan was astounded, but when he met the pair of eyes that were like a cold pond, his thoughts quickly calmed down.


    If that old woman who guarded the gate did not discover the banquet when they arrived at the Evergreen Garden, she would definitely feel that something was amiss. In addition to the Old Ancestor''s questioning, perhaps they would admit it as a whole, and at that time, the other party would naturally suspect that they had escaped from the West Gate.


    After some thought, Jin Lan turned around and said to the worried crowd, "Get in the car first. He''s not a bad person."


    Yan Ye''s status was too different, she did not know how to explain it to the rest, so he could only say it vaguely.


    The four of them saw Jin Lan get into the carriage. They looked at each other before grit their teeth and got in as well. No matter what, they couldn''t let Jin Lan get into the carriage alone with an unfamiliar man.


    The treasured carriage of the Residence of Prince of Northern Tranquil Water was extremely spacious. Even though there were six people in it, it still didn''t feel crowded. There was a small and exquisite palace lamp hanging from the ceiling. Although it was not as bright as the lantern outside, it was sufficient to see everyone''s faces.


    However, including Jin Lan, a group of five people sat in a straight chair, while Mama Shang and the rest clustered around Jin Lan, staring at Yan Ye''s figure in panic.


    After everyone got on the carriage, there was the sound of rustling footsteps. Then the carriage began to move slowly.


    Mama Zhu''s eyes lit up as she heard the coachman outside shouting, the nervousness on his face slowly disappeared. Only Mama Shang, Wan Ju and Bi He remained as though they were facing a great enemy.


    Yan Ye leaned against the soft cushion, turning his face to face to face with the person with his chest, he glanced at her hand that was on her leg, which was smeared with some moss and mud, and snorted: "Are you mute?"


    One night she was afraid, adding the fact that she was worried about Madame SHen, Jin Lan''s heartstrings had long been stretched to the extreme, and now that Yan Ye had lightly said that, they were completely crushed. She suddenly raised her head, and stared at him with embarrassment, annoyance and grievance, asking in a low voice: "Who''s mute?"


    Seeing her gradually reddened eyes, Yan Ye frowned, the look in his eyes unconsciously eased up, but when he thought about how this little girl had almost put him in prison, he strangely took a deep breath, shifted his eyes away, and spoke with a heavy voice, "I thought you were intelligent, how come you don''t know that you''ve been dreaming for a long time?"


    Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat. How did he know about what had happened in the mansion?


    Suddenly, the image of a red mole with cinnabar at the end of the right eye appeared in his mind. It was Jin Qian!


    She suddenly understood, no wonder that ever since she had entered the house, Jin Qian had always been helping her. The words that she had said to wake her up from the life saving porridge, they must have also been ordered by the person in front of her, right?


    Who exactly was he? Although this family is only a Marquis Mansion, because of the identity of the old ancestor, the security in the manor is no less than that of an ordinary Duke Palace, and there might even be some who are not inferior to them. However, even with this being the case, he was still able to get his eyes into it. This was most likely not something an ordinary person could do.


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but size up Yan Ye who was staring at the curtain. He was wearing an indigo robe with flowing clouds embroidered on the collar and sleeves, and it was also adorned with black ferret hair. A black gold belt was tied around his waist, and on it was hung a piece of jade that looked extremely good.


    However, when she looked at his extremely ordinary face, she felt a sense of unease in her heart, as if he shouldn''t have acted like this.


    "Hmm?" After waiting for a long time without a sound, Yan Ye slightly tilted his head and met a pair of clear and curious eyes.


    Sensing Yan Ye''s gaze on him, Jin Lan instantly lowered his head, his cheeks boiling. Why, why did she keep staring at the man naked? The pink hue of his face, already reddened by the cold weather, deepened. However, she still said in a low voice, "Many thanks for Young Master''s help."


    Yan Ye''s eyes flashed as he looked at the faint redness beside her ears. After a while, he glanced at the servants protecting the little girl and asked indifferently: "Now, what are your plans?"


    "Ugh ¡­" "Huh?" Jin Lan lowered his head. When he saw Li Yao''s slightly narrowed cold eyes out of the corner of his eye, his mind immediately cleared up. Only then did he react, blinking his eyes with effort to get rid of the uneasiness in his heart.


    "Alright." Yan Ye replied, his eyes still set on the rosy white face, he slowly clenched his fists, the black pupils becoming denser, after a while, he turned his head, and no longer looked at her.


    Although Mama Shang and the rest were not clear about the conflict between Jin Lan and the man who suddenly appeared, but after hearing the words of the two, it was not hard to guess that they could escape successfully, and thus relied on the man''s help.


    As a result, although the wariness in everyone''s eyes had yet to fade, it was much less than when they first saw each other.


    The carriage belonging to the Prince''s Mansion was originally parked at the back, and there were several other carriages of the male Marquis Mansion blocking in front of them. When they turned around to leave, they actually didn''t attract anyone''s attention.


    When they were slightly further away from the Marquis Runan'' Mansion, the carriage suddenly sped up and sped towards the dock.


    However, just as they turned the corner of the street, the Western Corner Gate suddenly opened. The wife who was guarding the door just now was pressed down by a few Attendant''s guards as she knelt on the ground with a terrified expression. She anxiously looked at the empty street corner, despair in her eyes.


    The horse carriage sped along with the signs of the Residence of Prince of Northern Tranquility hanging on it. The patrolling soldiers of the nine cities did not dare to approach at all, so they naturally arrived at the canal''s pier.


    At this time, it was already moonlit and treetop, the dock was brightly lit, people were clamoring, all kinds of ships were anchored in the port, and people were coming and going, it was very lively.


    The carriage belonging to the Prince''s Mansion was not a luxurious item that an ordinary person could bear. Coupled with the two horses pulling the carriage, the commoners who were busy on the pier saw it and escaped far away.


    The carriage stopped steadily under a awning at the east side of the dock. Yan Ye got off the carriage first, and Wan Ju followed closely behind with Jin Lan in her hand. When everyone got off the carriage, a slender figure walked over.


    "Yo, it''s so late. I thought you had an answer to that." Following the mocking voice, a handsome face appeared in front of everyone.


    Other than Yan Ye and Mama Zhu, Jin Lan and the rest revealed strange expressions. The person who came was actually met with a "profiteer" from Xuzhou, the owner of Mixin House, Zhao Danchen!


    Yan Ye looked at Zhao Danchen''s smiling face and asked expressionlessly: "Are you ready?"


    "Of course." Zhao Danchen squinted his eyes, and shouted in shock: "Why aren''t you looking, my Mixin House''s signboard is over there! "I have never made any mistakes, but you, on the other hand, were so late. If I had known earlier, I would have stayed in the Drunken Fragrance Inn for just one more moment. Poor old man, looking forward to the day, looking forward to this young master''s song, Manwu, Shuishan ¡­"


    Yan Ye''s eyes flashed a little, and he ignored his lacking words, turning to look at the little girl whose expression had gradually faded from shock. "Mixin House is the perfect way to use Yangzhou."


    It turned out that he had already arranged everything in advance.


    Jin Lan sniffed at his nose that was a bit stuffy, and for the first time, sincerely gave her a gift. "Thank you."


    Although this was their first meeting, and he almost took his own life away, when he met her again, he recommended the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu to treat his mother''s poison. Even though it was a trade, he had somehow solved the problem of the Snow Twig.


    After carefully calculating, without realizing it, she owed him so many favors, so how was she going to repay him in the future?!


    Thinking about it, she made a decision in her heart. As long as Yan Ye needed help in the future, even if she was weak, she would still help with all his might.


    Zhao Danchen saw the golden light behind Yan Ye, and a strange glow flashed across his narrow eyes. The corners of his lips curled up, and he stepped forward with a smile: "Miss Ye, long time no see."


    Jin Lan didn''t have the slightest good impression of this hateful evil merchant, but in the end, he had to rely on someone''s boat to return to the Yangzhou. He could only smile and nod, "Indeed, I haven''t seen you for a long time, Boss Zhao."


    "Haha, there is no need for Miss Ye to be so polite." Zhao Danchen took two steps forward, leaned in front of her, and said with a grin: "As the saying goes, we rely on our parents and friends at home. Why don''t you call me Big Brother Dan Chen and I''ll call you Sister Jinlan?"


    When the Mama Shang and the rest heard Zhao Danchen''s words, their expressions darkened. They hurriedly pulled Jin Lan away, afraid that this fellow would cause trouble for their own girl.


    Don''t look at Zhao Danchen''s frivolous appearance, he was keenly aware of the cold energy that attacked him from behind. The smile on his face froze for a moment, and then he smiled slightly and said, "Miss Ye, hurry up and board the ship.


    Jin Lan was stunned for a moment. He suddenly remembered that there were still pursuers from the Old Ancestor. If he couldn''t find them in the mansion, he would definitely think of the station and dock. He was afraid that he would catch up soon.


    Without further ado, she nodded towards Zhao Danchen, then looked at Yan Ye, who walked towards the large boat moored on the eastern side of the river amidst the crowd.


    Only when that slender figure disappeared from the bow of the ship did Yan Ye retract his gaze. Without even looking at Zhao Danchen, he turned and got on the carriage. The driver raised his whip and rolled towards the capital.


    Zhao Danchen watched as the carriage disappeared into the distance, a complicated look flashing past his eyes, following that, he turned around and shouted to the shop assistant who was still carrying the goods, and also boarded the boat.


    After a short while, the ship left the dock and went into the night.


    Zhao Danchen arranged three cabins for Jin Lan and the rest, all of them were excellent rooms. Everyone sat inside the cabins, their bodies slightly swaying, giving them the feeling that they were escaping from the world.


    As he relaxed, fatigue appeared on his face one after another. Jin Lan rubbed his forehead and sighed, "Everyone is tired tonight. You can all go rest. Let Mama Zhu stay inside the house to guard it."


    Wan Ju and Bi He were a little hesitant. After all, to them, the Mama Zhu was an unfamiliar person. But Mama Shang could tell, Jin Lan wanted to talk to Mama Zhu alone, so she nodded, stood up and called the two out, and closed the cabin door.


    Now, all that was left was Jin Lan, who was leaning on the bed, and the nervous Mama Zhu, who was half-sitting on the small Wooden Pellet.


    The room instantly quieted down.

 C131

    By the time Jin Lan and his entourage boarded the boat, the house was already prepared. In addition to the traditional pastries in the capital, there were also freshly brewed tea leaves.


    Jin Lan took out two clean tea cups and poured the tea out slowly.


    When Mama Zhu saw this, she quickly got up to serve him, but instead she moved her hand away, avoiding the cup, "Mama, just sit down. If you didn''t send a letter all the way to the capital, I''m afraid I would still be encouraged by the Old Ancestor, you deserve this cup of tea."


    "Miss, your servant has lost her." Mama Zhu''s heart jumped, her expression immediately turned unnatural. Although she had long redeemed herself and left the palace, after serving beside Madame SHen for so many years, if she had no plans, she would not have rushed into the capital alone to notify others. This action of hers was likely to be frank and open. However, there were some things that she did not know whether she should say them or not.


    Jin Lan put down the white porcelain teapot that was marked Begonia. He lowered his eyes and pursed his lips with a smile, then said, "Mama doesn''t need to be modest. Since I said you can do it, you can." As she spoke, she placed the teacup in front of Mama Zhu.


    The teacup struck the table, and with a "bang" sound, it seemed to explode Mama Zhu''s heart. She looked at Jin Lan''s quiet and beautiful face, which looked extremely similar to Madame SHen''s childhood, and a complicated look flashed in her eyes.


    Jin Lan held another teacup and sipped on it. She hadn''t eaten much tonight, so she had been hiding and running away. Now, her stomach was rumbling with hunger. The teaspoon that was warm and mellow slowly slid into his stomach, causing him to feel a little refreshed.


    She was not in a hurry, now that the ship had left the harbor, even if Marquis Runan'' Mansion people were chasing after them, they would not be able to find any trace of her, even though the people on the dock had eyes and ears everywhere, as long as they were careful, they would be able to find out where she went. However, by then, she would have already gone somewhere, plus the preparation of the boat and all sorts of other trivial things, it would have taken up a lot of time.


    With the Old Ancestor''s shrewdness, how could he not have guessed the result? After weighing the pros and cons, he probably wouldn''t continue to pursue her.


    Therefore, she could temporarily calm her mind and solve the many questions in her heart.


    Mama Zhu looked at the cup of hot tea that was placed in front of him. She let out a long sigh in her heart, raised her eyes and looked at Jin Lan, and said with a congealed voice: "Miss, you can ask however you wish.


    Glimmers danced in Jin Lan''s eyes as she held the teacup with both hands. She smiled slightly and said, "The daughter of Mama, she should be the Doctor Gong, right?"


    "Yes." Mama Zhu nodded her head, "Madam made the decision back then to marry this servant to the palace manager who took care of Madam''s dowry shop. After so many years, this little girl is the Doctor Gong that Miss spoke of."


    No wonder when they met for the first time, she felt that the Mama Zhu had a kind face. The Doctor Gong was probably Mother Xiao, and the two looked 50% to 60% alike.


    After thinking for a moment, she put down the teacup in her hands and said seriously: "Mama, I am in Marquis Mansion today, so I cannot say too much. Although I am not absolutely safe right now, I am still out of danger.


    "If Miss doesn''t ask, this servant will tell Miss Yu everything." She had already guessed that Jin Lan would ask about this matter a long time ago, so she did not hide anything at this moment. She explained everything in detail, "Although I am not serving in the palace, I have always been worried about my wife.


    "Ever since the young lady entered the capital, the young lady''s heart had been in a state of depression, and her body was getting worse and worse. Although she was taking good care of herself, how could her old illness recover so quickly? At first it was all right, but her health was not so bad that she could not be out of the house as it used to be. But as the year approached, all the affairs of the house fell upon her, and the weather turned cold, and she fell ill again. It is even more dangerous than in the past. In less than two days, he is already bedridden and will never be able to get up again. "


    How could this be? With the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s prescription pressing on him, he had clearly recovered a lot. After taking another prescription to nourish himself, even if he couldn''t compare to an ordinary person, he shouldn''t have suddenly fallen asleep.


    Could something have gone wrong with the medicine?


    Her ten fingers inside her sleeves were tightly twisted together, her eyes were filled with worry, she glanced at Mama Zhu, and signaled her to continue speaking.


    One day, my daughter returned from the mansion with a letter personally written by Madam Feng. She said that she would think of a way to enter the capital and that no matter what, I would bring her back. She even said ¡­" Senior Servant Zhu suddenly stopped speaking and looked hesitantly at Jin Lan. After a long time, she said, "She said that Madam''s body is getting weaker and weaker, and that she won''t be able to hold on for much longer. However, her heart is filled with the desire of being a girl, so she must think of a way to bring the girl back.


    Jin Lan''s body swayed as if he had suffered a heavy blow. He felt as if his heart had been cut by someone. Fresh blood dripped from his body, and the pain from his bones caused her to be unable to breathe.


    "Mother. Mother." In the Marquis Runan'' Mansion, she had heard this grievous news from the Mama Zhu, but at that time, the situation was not something that could be told in detail, so she still held onto a trace of luck in her heart. But now, she had no choice but to face this reality.


    "Miss." Mama Zhu saw that Jin Lan''s face was shockingly white, and his heart was sour. He also wiped away his tears and choked: "When I went to the capital, my daughter said that although my wife''s health did not improve, but she did not continue to be weak. Maybe she has already recovered."


    She comforted Jin Lan against her own heart, but even she could not believe these words, much less a girl who thought of her mother.


    Jin Lan covered his mouth and sobbed softly, forcefully withdrawing his tears. His mother had said that she would wait for her safe return. His mother had never lied to her, so she would definitely do as she said!


    Therefore, she couldn''t fall down, couldn''t admit defeat, she wouldn''t believe everything others said until she saw it with her own eyes!


    Jin Lan wiped away the cold tears on his cheeks, his eyes gradually recovering their clarity. There was an eighty to ninety percent chance that there was someone secretly messing with his mother''s illness, and it was most likely Concubine Shao.


    Counting the days, Concubine Shao was also almost seven months pregnant. Most likely, relying on Yu Ge''er and that stomach, she would be restless again. The culprit who had been hiding within the Shuixie Pavilion did not come out. It was possible that he had colluded with the outsider to once again harm his mother.


    Concubine Shao! Her chest violently heaved up and down, and then settled down again. A cold and harsh light lurked in her eyes. These tents, when she recovered her Yangzhou, she would definitely calculate them one by one!


    "Miss, are you alright?" Mama Zhu poured another cup of tea and held it in front of Jin Lan, caressing her back worriedly.


    Jin Lan shook his head and took the tea offered by the Mama Zhu. Lifting the teacup, he blew gently on it and took a sip before asking, "How did the Mama get related to the Residence of King of Northern Tranquil Water?"


    This was what puzzled her the most.


    Seeing that she had regained some color on her face, Mama Zhu was relieved, and sighed: "Speaking of which, it''s quite a coincidence. Since I heard that, I packed up my things and prepared to go to the capital, but for some reason, I was unable to hire any boats from Shang Jing. Fortunately, the Manager Shi from the Zhou Li Mi Shop at the East Gate Market was about to enter the capital, and was also a neighbor. As for the Residence of Prince of Northern Jing, this servant is also somewhat confused. "


    "This servant has arrived at the capital, and only after scouting around all the way did I find the Marquis Runan'' Mansion. Although I handed the invitation over, I was unable to enter the manor, so I was left with no choice but to find a path. Manager Shi and a young noble brought this servant into the Residence of Northern Jingjing, and even sent a letter to this servant, saying that this servant would be handed over to the young lady at that time. After that, this servant stayed at the Residence of Prince of Northern Tranquility for half a month, and only yesterday did she enter the Marquis Mansion with Princess Hua-Yang. She then waited at the pavilion according to Princess Hua-Yang''s orders, waiting for the young lady. "


    A young master? Jin Lan couldn''t help but frown. "Was it that young master in the carriage just now?"


    Mama Zhu shook her head, "No, although her figure is similar, that young master looks much younger.


    An extremely handsome appearance? That should not be Yan Ye. His face, had something to do with those words. As for the Manager Shi, why did it sound so familiar? He seemed to have heard someone mention it somewhere.


    After thinking for a while, he still couldn''t get a clue, so Jin Lan put the Manager Shi to the side. He still knew his name, and knew where the store was, so he sent someone to ask about it after returning to the Yangzhou.


    In short, Yan Ye should be involved in the matter of the North King''s Mansion.


    After he finished asking the questions, Jin Lan allowed Mama Zhu to rest on the soft couch at the side. He laid on the bed and tossed and turned, until he was completely exhausted, and then fell into a deep sleep.


    When they left the capital, it was still the winter and winter months of heavy snow. When they got close to the Yangzhou, the Spring Flowers along the shore had already plucked their tender green leaves, and in about two months'' time, it had already passed by.


    During the two months that the ship travelled, the new year passed, the Spring Festival passed, and so did the flowers. Other than the New Year''s Eve and the New Year''s Day, the merchant ship rested at the docked dock for two days, so there was nothing special to do. However, after experiencing the shock from the Xuzhou, Jin Lan no longer casually disembarked and obediently stayed aboard the ship.


    Luckily, with Zhao Danchen''s meticulous arrangements, although they were unable to reunite with their families, they were still living a lively life.


    However, Jin Lan could not help but feel sour at the tip of his nose when he heard the faint sounds of firecrackers and the big red lanterns hanging on the shore along the way. As time passed, he stopped looking outside.


    On the sixth day of the third month, as the merchant ship slowly docked at the Yangzhou Pier, Jin Lan returned home with a heart like an arrow. After thanking Zhao Danchen, he hurriedly boarded the carriage he had arranged, and urged the carriage driver to head towards Ye Mansion.


    She sat upright in the carriage, and the closer she got to the Ye Mansion, the more nervous she became. When the carriage passed through Thorny Tong Lane, the brocade handkerchief in her hand had already been unconsciously twisted into a fried dough twist.


    When Mama Shang and the rest saw this, they couldn''t help but advise: "Miss, don''t be impatient. We''ll be there shortly."


    Jin Lan shook his head with a bitter smile. She wasn''t impatient, she was clearly afraid.


    Yes, she was afraid that the fear that she had always suppressed in her heart would turn into reality. At this moment, she even had the impulse to turn around and flee.


    Mama Zhu was also burning with anxiety, but when she saw the beads of cold sweat on Jin Lan''s forehead, she could only restrain herself as she said slowly: "Miss, madam will definitely be fine."


    "Yes." "Yes!" Jin Lan answered in a low voice. Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound of suona came from afar. It sounded like a sorrowful song. She had heard it before in the mourning hall when her mother had died and her ancestor had died.


    Her face paled, and she ignored the formalities. She reached out to open the curtain and stuck her head forward.


    A piece of snow-white silk fluttered in the wind, immediately falling into her line of sight.

 C132

    "Miss!" Wan Ju was the closest, and was shocked by Jin Lan''s expression. When he followed her gaze forward, he couldn''t help but turn pale.


    "Why would there be a funeral?" A sharp thorn pierced the tip of her index finger, causing traces of blood to ooze out. However, she acted as if she did not notice it, and stared fixedly at the white silk that was flying up and down, "Quick, quickly go and ask, just whose family''s funeral is it!?"


    Bi He hurriedly said to her, "Don''t panic miss, this servant will go take a look." As he spoke, he got the coachman to stop the carriage.


    Without waiting for the carriage to stop, she jumped down and staggered a few steps towards the place where the funeral took place. She ran for a short distance before grabbing hold of a passerby and began to investigate.


    To Jin Lan, this short period of time was as long as his entire life.


    She was busy dealing with it, busy changing the fate of her previous life. Even if she often accompanied her mother to dinner, her heart was still filled with worry about how to uncover the evil deeds of Concubine Shao.


    His mother''s body had always been weak, and the prescriptions of the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s medicine could only suppress the poison. In the end, it still couldn''t cure the poison, and with his grandmother and Concubine Shao ¡­


    Wrong, she was wrong!


    She shouldn''t compromise Shang Jing, she should resist until the end. Even if she were to fall into the water again, she should stay by her mother''s side after suffering from a serious illness!


    If mother is real, really...


    She would never be able to forgive herself in this life!


    Bi He retrieved the information he wanted and immediately turned back.


    Looking at Bi He''s figure, Jin Lan couldn''t help but lean forward, but as Bi He got closer, she suddenly felt fear.


    If it really was bad news, what should she do?


    His body went stiff as he leaned out of the window. He grabbed the window''s knuckles and felt a little pale. What should he do?


    Bi He''s running figure had already reached ten steps away, and Jin Lan looked at her anxiously and fearfully.


    "Miss, girl! It''s the Old Granny of the Prefect''s family who has passed away! " Seeing Jin Lan leaning out of the window, Bi He shouted as she ran. Her voice was filled with joy, causing many passersby and mourners to look over.


    The residence of the Procurator of Yangzhou was not too far away from the imperial history palace of the Patrolling Salt Censor. Furthermore, they were both located in the east side of the city, so the suona and the white silk hanging along the street looked like it was caused by Ye Family.


    Not mother, not mother!


    Jin Lan only felt his mind go blank as his body felt deflated. He collapsed and sat inside the carriage.


    Wan Ju and Mama Zhu who were by her side hurriedly supported her. Their tensed hearts also loosened up as they cried out of joy, "That''s great, not Madam! Not Miss! Not Madam!"


    She closed her eyes like a butterfly on white jade, slightly fluttering her wings. After a long time, she breathed out a mouthful of foul air, opened her eyes, and said with misty eyes, "It''s not mother, it''s not ¡­" As she murmured, her tears flowed down her pretty face.


    Wan Ju and Mama Zhu couldn''t help but turn their heads and wipe their tears away.


    "Miss" Mama Shang was the person with the most situation. She looked at Wan Ju and Mama Zhu, then advised Jin Lan: "Let''s return home quickly."


    Jin Lan wiped his tears and nodded. He said hoarsely, "Mama is right."


    The journey in winter was much slower than usual. In two months time, there were too many variables. She had to see for herself if her mother was safe and sound before she could be at ease.


    Waiting for Bi He to get on the carriage, Mama Shang urged the carriage driver to continue on their journey.


    "Two, Second Miss?" After about an hour, Jin Lan''s carriage finally stopped in front of Ye Mansion''s gate. When the guards saw Jin Lan getting off the carriage, they were all surprised, and after staring blankly for a while, they hurriedly went forward to pay their respects. At the same time, one of the Attendant went in to report, "Second Miss is back!"


    Jin Lan didn''t have time to explain further and hurriedly entered the mansion. He jogged all the way to the second door, but met Man Ping who was about to walk out.


    Seeing the figure that was rushing over, Man Ping was startled, she rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then lost control of herself and shouted: "Second Miss?"


    "Man Ping!" Jin Lan jogged all the way while panting heavily. She grabbed onto Man Ping''s hand and asked intermittently, "Mother, Mother, what''s wrong?"


    Man Ping felt pain in her hands, she suddenly regained her senses and said happily: "Mistress is fine, I just finished my meal and had to rest. This servant is going to invite Doctor Gong to the palace to help with veins."


    When he heard that his mother was safe, Jin Lan''s panicked heart instantly calmed down. He then felt dizzy, and covered his mouth with his hand, coughing violently. His chest was burning with pain; this was the result of suffocating for too long.


    "Miss, what''s wrong?" Seeing her abnormal expression, Man Ping hurriedly patted her chest and back.


    Wan Ju and the others who were following closely behind Jin Lan also hurried over. Seeing that Man Ping did not have much of a reaction, Wan Ju and Bi He quickly greeted, "Big Sister Man Ping."


    Man Ping smiled and nodded at them, when Jin Lan''s breathing calmed down a little, she then said: "Why did Miss come back? Madame only said yesterday that it would be at least half a month before she saw the girl. "


    Jin Lan slowed down his breath, then stared at Man Ping and asked anxiously: "Is mother well?"


    Man Ping was startled, the joy on her face immediately faded, she slowly shook her head and said in a low voice: "From the beginning of winter, my wife''s body is getting worse every day, although the old lady personally took over the big and small matters of the house, to allow my wife to rest in peace, even though she used good medicine, she was still ¡­" She glanced at Jin Lan and sighed: "Doctor Gong originally took half a month to enter the palace to help out his pulse once, but now it has gradually shrunk to three days. Today is the day that my pulse should be supported."


    Had his mother''s body become this weak?


    She forced out a smile, and said: "Since that''s the case, then quickly go and find Doctor Gong, I''ll go and see mother at Shuixie Pavilion right now."


    Man Ping looked at Jin Lan, and suddenly felt like saying something, but stopped. She thought for a moment, then swallowed her words and bowed to Jin Lan, and said: "This servant will go right away."


    Jin Lan did not delay any further and nodded, bringing Mama Shang and the rest with him as they hurried towards the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Man Ping looked deeply at Jin Lan''s departing figure, and also hurried out of the palace to look for the Doctor Gong.


    Whether it was Old Madame Ye''s Jiayu Hall or Concubine Shao''s Bright Autumn Pavilion, even the third lady, Ye Jinxian, and Concubine Ning had received the letter.


    The calm and tranquil Ye Mansion on the surface, instantly turned into a surging undercurrent.


    Jiayu Hall


    Madam Ye was in the buddhist hall, kneeling on the prayer mat with her hands clasped together. She was mumbling something to a white jade on a rosewood altar. After a while, she opened her eyes and stood up shakily, offering three sticks of golden incense with red bones.


    Only then did Mama Wu, who was quietly waiting at the side, rush forward to support him. As she walked, she passed on the message that Little Maid had just sent to him.


    "Oh?" Old Madame Ye''s footsteps paused, "You''re saying, Girl Lan is back?"


    Mama Wu nodded her head, and said: "Yes, the gatekeeper sent someone to report him, saying that Second Miss is back, and that she was alone, bringing two maids and two Mama s, we did not see any trace of him."


    Old Madame Ye''s gaze suddenly became sharp. Other than the two personal attendants, there was only one more wife accompanying Jin Lan in the capital. Why was there one more person?


    "Where''s the Girl Lan?"


    Although the maidservant who reported the news went back to the mansion, she did not know where she went after entering, so the Mama Wu could only shake her head and say: "This servant does not know, but I do not know yet that Second Miss has come to pay respects to the old lady, most likely she has gone to her wife''s place."


    Old Madame Ye''s face was gloomy, she snorted lightly, but did not say a word, and walked out of the buddhist hall with her walking stick one step at a time.


    The fact that Old Madame Ye was able to keep her cool did not mean that everyone was like her.


    Concubine Shao had already been in existence for nine months, and it was about to be born. The most precious person in the entire Ye Mansion, must definitely be her.


    Old Madame Ye had personally invited a famous doctor from the Yangzhou City to come see him. Everyone said that Concubine Shao must be pregnant with a male child, so no matter whether it was Old Madame Ye or Ye Lin, they were both happily supporting him, afraid that something bad might happen to their stomachs.


    Concubine Shao, who was enjoying life at the moment, couldn''t sit still when she heard the news of Jin Lan returning to his residence.


    "Why did she come back? Didn''t they say that Steward Li would need at least another half a month before he gets to the capital? " Concubine Shao puffed out his stomach, with one hand on her waist and the other holding his stomach, because she was pregnant, her entire body seemed to become more round, like a round eight bow. It was a pity that at this moment, her rosy face was filled with both shock and anger, making her look exceptionally ugly.


    Su Xin was afraid that she would accidentally hurt the child in her stomach, so she hurriedly supported her rotund body and sat on the chair, and advised: "Even if Second Miss were to come back, it would not change anything, why would Aunt bother?"


    "What do you know?" Concubine Shao snorted, "This girl has too many thoughts! "Now is an important moment. If something bad happens, all my efforts will go to waste!"


    Su Xin laughed but did not reply.


    Concubine Shao thought for a bit, but was still unable to calm down. She clenched her teeth, supported herself with the armrest, and stood up, "No way! I need to personally go and take a look at Shuixie Pavilion. "


    Su Xin looked at her protruding abdomen, but did not try to persuade her further. She went forward to support her, and had her prepared a Soft Palanquin to accompany her to the Shuixie Pavilion.


    As for Ye Jinxian and Concubine Ning, they cleverly maintained their silence, did not rush upwards and quietly stayed in the courtyard.


    She was completely unaware of the undercurrents in her residence, as her heart was filled with Madame SHen.


    The Shuixie Pavilion was just like what she had seen before she left, it did not change at all. It was just that the flowers and plants in the courtyard had withered quite a bit.


    Just as Jin Lan stepped into the courtyard, the eyes of Qiu Wen, who was guarding the corridor, lit up. She suddenly stood up and came over, "Second Miss, Second Miss is back!"


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but feel his heart skip a beat at the joyous cry, and his feet quickened their pace.


    Qiu Wen''s eyes were red, she quickly took the initiative to throw the curtain open, "Miss, Madam is thinking of you everyday, at least I have looked forward to your return, please enter quickly."


    Jin Lan looked at Qiu Wen gratefully, and without saying anything more, she entered the room and jogged over to the bed that was covered in books.


    There was a strong smell of medicine in the room. Mother must have just finished her medicine.


    Jin Lan stretched out his trembling hand, and slowly pulled open the curtain. When he looked in, he was shocked awake because of Qiu Wen''s shout, Madame SHen who was struggling to turn around and sit up.


    However, in just a few months, her mother had lost a lot of weight. With her sharp chin, pale and haggard complexion, and strands of silver strands at her temples, she almost didn''t dare to look straight at her mother.


    "Lan Er..." Madame SHen raised his head and looked at the person he missed the most. His tears immediately rolled down.

 C133

    Jin Lan stared blankly at Madame SHen''s haggard face, completely dumbfounded.


    "Lan Er?" Seeing her daughter''s dazed look, Madame SHen could not help but call out, raising her hand with much difficulty, wanting to stroke her little face that was filled with yearning day and night.


    "Mother ¡­" Only then did Jin Lan regain his senses, and took a step forward to grip Madame SHen''s withered hand, his palm felt ice-cold.


    The curtain that was lifted by her suddenly fell down, covering the two of them.


    Jin Lan couldn''t hold it in anymore, threw himself into Madame SHen''s embrace, and broke down crying.


    The grievances she had suffered in the family, the dangerous situation she had encountered in the palace, the hardships she had gone through, and the terror she had felt at the first sight of the funeral had all turned into tears that poured out from her heart.


    "It''s good that you''re back, it''s good that you''re back ¡­" Madame SHen didn''t say anything, she only tightly embraced Jin Lan''s slender body, with one hand on his back and the other stroking her hair as she softly murmured with tears.


    Hui Xiu was initially busy working in the kitchen, but upon hearing Qiu Wen''s orders, she hurriedly wiped her hands clean and jogged towards the main house. However, when she looked outside, she saw that there were quite a few people gathered around him.


    She purposely slowed her pace, glanced at Mama Zhu, then walked over, "Indeed, Second Miss has returned."


    Mama Shang turned her head to look at Hui Xiu, then turned and continued staring at the door curtain, as though the pattern on it was extremely attractive. She had an old-fashioned personality, but in the face of Jin Lan, she seemed a bit more gentle. To others, she still had a long face.


    "Sister Hui Xiu." Wan Ju and Bi He greeted her. Mama Zhu also greeted her with a slight nod of her head.


    Back then when Mama Zhu left the Ye Mansion, Hui Xiu, Man Ping and the rest were not by her side, thus none of the servant girls in the Shuixie Pavilion could recognize him.


    When Hui Xiu saw Mama Zhu dressed decently and returning with Jin Lan from the capital, she wondered if this person was her own Mama. After pondering for a bit, the smile on her face lessened, but she still returned the greeting. Then, she looked at Wan Ju joyfully, "When did Second Miss return to the Palace? Is she in there right now? "


    Wan Ju nodded her head, "Young lady has just entered the house, and did not even return the Lan Garden, she arrived at Shuixie Pavilion in the first carriage, and is currently in the house."


    Just as they were talking, they suddenly heard faint wails coming from inside the house. It was clearly the Second Miss and her wife. Instantly, everyone felt their hearts ache, and their eyes couldn''t help but become slightly red.


    Hui Xiu was initially worried about Madame SHen''s body, and anxiously extended her hand to touch the door curtain, but was stopped by Mama Shang, "Don''t go in first, let the mistress and Madam calm down, and ask the servants below to prepare some hot water for us, so that we can clean our faces later."


    Initially, the servants at Madame SHen''s side all thought that Mama Shang and the Mama Wu, who had returned, were one of the same group. If it weren''t for them, the young lady wouldn''t have travelled thousands of miles to visit the capital to celebrate her birthday, and the young mistress wouldn''t have missed her daughter so much that her body was injured.


    As a result, when she saw the Mama Shang, Hui Xiu didn''t have a pleasant expression on her face, but hearing her say this, she immediately felt that it was reasonable, and slowly retracted her hand. She turned around and returned to the kitchen to prepare hot water.


    Before Hui Xiu could take a step back, Mama Zhu followed up: "Miss''s heart is like an arrow, I did not eat properly on the way, I must be hungry now, I have to trouble Miss Hui Xiu to prepare some porridge for me. "Madam must not have had a very good appetite, and now that she has seen the young lady, she is very happy to be able to use some of it. It would be good for your health as well."


    Compared to the Mama Shang''s old-fashioned face, Mama Zhu was much more approachable, Hui Xiu''s face naturally eased up a bit, nodded, did not delay anymore, and quickly went back to the small kitchen.


    After she had prepared hot water and a meal, they entered the house together.


    The mother and daughter had been talking for some time, crying and laughing, their eyes red and puffy.


    Originally, Madame SHen doted on her daughter the whole way and didn''t want her to be busy. However, Jin Lan couldn''t change her insistence, and in the end, she still received the handkerchief.


    After helping Madame SHen clean her face, Jin Lan helped her wipe her palms that were a bit sweaty. Then, he went to the side and cleaned himself up.


    Madame SHen had Hui Xiu open the box and take out her new winter attire to change into Jin Lan. She himself, on the other hand, wanted to talk with Mama Zhu and the others about Jin Lan''s time in the capital.


    It was not until Jin Lan had changed his clothes that she finally looked up. The bright peach dark embroidery dress covered with the white begonias looked like it was custom-made. The more it was, the shorter it was, and the more rosy it looked with its alternating red and white colors, causing Jin Lan''s pale skin to become a little redder.


    The Madame SHen nodded her head in satisfaction, "Fortunately, it''s just right. I was originally worried that it might be too short."


    Hui Xiu placed the meals on the table one by one, then ordered the servants to go out. Looking at the clothes on Jin Lan''s body, she could not help but say: "Miss, the design and hem of the clothes were personally embroidered by Madam, from the time you left the Shang Jing to the time you completed it a few days ago."


    Madame SHen glared at her, "Hui Xiu, you talkative."


    Hui Xiu secretly stuck out her tongue, and retreated to the side, not daring to speak anymore.


    Jin Lan never thought that the Madame SHen would actually be the one to sew these clothes up. Looking at that haggard face, she complained in her heart: "Mother, your body is weak, why aren''t you taking a good rest? Just let the people in the sewing room do all this tiresome work."


    Madame SHen chuckled as she pulled her in front of him. After carefully examining her for a short moment, she lightly patted her hands and gently said: "I have nothing better to do, anyway. It''s still too early for you to return. "It''s just that the needlework has been put on hold for a long time, and the embroidery is no longer as good as it was when I was a girl."


    "Where is this place? I can see that mother''s embroidery is excellent. It''s even better than the best embroidery master in the embroidery workshop." Jin Lan knew these words were just to comfort himself. When he had just left the capital, his mother had been in charge of matters within the mansion. How could she have time to spare? According to Man Ping, when her mother was unable to hold on anymore, the Old Granny would accept. At that time, reckoned that her mother would already be sick in bed.


    Mother, I''m afraid that you have realized it as well. You want to do what you can for her!


    Seeing that the mother and daughter pair''s eyes were gradually turning red, Mama Zhu hurriedly stepped forward and interrupted them, "Miss, you got up early in the morning. Until now, you have only placed some pastries on top of the table.


    "Lan Er still hasn''t eaten lunch?" Madame SHen hurriedly wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief and said to Jin Lan: "Go quickly, don''t you starve to death."


    Perhaps because he had relaxed his heartstrings, in addition to the fragrance that pervaded the room, Jin Lan felt that his stomach was empty. He was so hungry that he was panicking, she looked at the meal that was placed on the bed, which was still steaming, and turned to Wan Ju and said: "Move the few over here, put it in front of the bed.


    Wan Ju nodded her head in agreement, then carefully moved a few steps forward with Bi He to the bed, and then brought over a Ink Pellet for her to sit on.


    Red dates and green stalks of porridge, crisp and delicious mixed with lettuce, sparkling and translucent seven-jade soup, fragrant and fragrant stewed rice dumplings, and a plate of white and tender fragrant almond tofu. Just the rich aroma alone was enough to stir one''s appetite.


    Madame SHen did not use much for lunch, and with Jin Lan accompanying him, her gloomy mood immediately dissipated. Naturally, she felt hungry as well.


    Seeing that she was willing to eat more, Hui Xiu was overjoyed, and quickly went to serve her.


    Just as Jin Lan sat down, before he could even pick up the piece of ivory, Qiu Wen''s voice came from outside, "Madam, Concubine Shao is here."


    Concubine Shao? Why was she here?


    Not only Jin Lan, even the Madame SHen frowned.


    Ever since Concubine Shao got pregnant, she had avoided the Shuixie Pavilion like a snake or scorpion. Now, she actually came over, she probably got some sort of message?


    Thinking about it, Madame SHen''s face darkened.


    Suddenly, a wave of warmth covered her ice-cold hands. As she lifted her eyes, she met Jin Lan''s gaze full of concern.


    Jin Lan''s gaze contained a smile, and said softly: "Mother, rest well. Concubine Shao must be worried about Big Sister, after hearing that my daughter has returned, she came to visit, and told my daughter to go out and have a chat with her, and everything will be fine." After she finished speaking, she looked at Hui Xiu and said: "Big Sister Hui Xiu will accompany Mother to her meal first, I''ll be back shortly."


    "Lan Er..." Madame SHen knew clearly in her heart that Jin Lan didn''t want Concubine Shao to obstruct her, but Concubine Shao was pregnant. If something were to happen to her accidentally, then she was afraid ¡­ After thinking for a moment, she said, "Let her in."


    Jin Lan shook his head with a smile on his face and threw Madame SHen a comforting look. Then, he glanced at Mama Shang and left the room with light footsteps.


    Just as the curtain of crystal pearls separated the inside and the outer room was drawn, Concubine Shao entered the room. Seeing Jin Lan''s slim and graceful figure, his gaze focused and a surprised expression intentionally appeared on his face. "Second Miss?"


    Jin Lan smiled faintly, walking straight to the seat of honor and sitting down. Only then did he reply crisply, "It''s me. It''s been a few months since we''ve seen each other, this aunt seems more blessed."


    The words hid needles within her body made Concubine Shao feel pain. After three months, her appetite had become even better, adding the importance that Ye Lin and the old lady placed on this stomach, she had always had everything she needed. In the short span of a few months, her body had grown two circles horizontally. It was simply impossible to see her round belly clearly.


    No one in the manor dared to speak out, fearing that they would be infuriated. Who knew that Jin Lan would ignore everything and step on her painful feet? How could she not hate him?


    However, Jin Lan was not a Madame SHen, so she could not do anything about it for now. She rolled her eyes slightly and suppressed her anger as she laughed tenderly: "A few days ago, Old Master sent Steward Li to the capital to bring both First Miss and Second Miss back to the capital. I never expected that Second Miss would arrive today, if Old Master knew that Second Miss had returned, he would definitely be very happy. I just wonder, did the First Miss return to the Palace as well? "


    Although it sounded like joy, it actually implied that she was going back to her own residence. Furthermore, there was a thousand miles between the capital and Yangzhou.

 C134

    When he raised his head again, there was a smile on his face, "Aunt, don''t worry, the Old Ancestor especially likes big sister, that''s why he wanted to keep her here for a little longer. As for Steward Li ¡­"


    When she left, she already thought that other than Marquis Runan'' Mansion, even if it was Yangzhou, there would be a great deal of shock.


    Hence, not only did she need to complete Marquis Runan'' Mansion''s etiquette, she also needed to think of a way to round up the manor''s idle chatter.


    Jin Lan picked up the teacup and lightly swirled it, brushing away the tea foam. He then looked into the room and lightly said, "The mother is bedridden, and as a child, the ancestor knows best when he takes medicine before the bed."


    She was gambling.


    At the same time, he was betting that the Old Ancestor would not dare to expand the matter of her leaving without permission, and would instead walk down the stairs that she had set down for him.


    Clutching the letter, don''t try to scheme for the girl and her filial piety, sending the girl back to her hometown in a thousand miles, which is light and which is light, which is good and which is bad, the shrewd ancestor is clear!


    As for the old lady, as long as she did not make things clear, she would pretend to be confused.


    Sure enough, Concubine Shao was all smiles, even hshe voice revealed a sense of pride, "Your big sister''s personality is gentle and virtuous, she is an extremely good person, she is naturally favored by the Old Ancestor, and this is a big matter in the clan, I have to congratulate you." As she spoke, he lifted her foot and prepared to enter the room.


    However, before her hand could touch the bead curtain hanging on the door, it was stopped by Jin Lan.


    "Aunt, please wait."


    The four short words were like bone-piercing ice, causing the Concubine Shao to involuntarily shiver. The hand that was just extended out was frozen in mid air, but after thinking about it, she became angry again. She puffed out her stomach and said: "What? What''s wrong with me going to say hello to my wife? "


    Jin Lan lowered her head to look at the foam floating in the sweet white porcelain tea cup with the pink and white peony pattern. The clear, clear tea made her cold eyes light blue. "Mother just drank the medicine and fell asleep. If Aunt wants to pay respects to Mother, I''m afraid I''ll have to wait for a while. "Also ¡­"


    She paused, and looked at the furious Concubine Shao coldly, then said: "Furthermore, mother has been sick for a long time, and can''t blow the wind. The inner room''s doors and windows are tightly shut, and there''s a strong medicinal smell coming from her, which would be bad for Aunt. Especially since I don''t know if Aunt is drinking some birth control medicine, but if there''s anything that goes against the smell of the medicine, wouldn''t it be a disaster? "


    "You!" Concubine Shao was shocked, she opened her eyes wide and a layer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead: "What did you say?"


    Jin Lan''s gaze flickered slightly, and with faint ridicule in her voice, he said slowly: "Even if Aunt isn''t thinking for herself, you should at least think about the child in your womb. After all, this is a child born of the Ye Family, so no loss is allowed.


    After he finished speaking, he did not want to continue interacting with Concubine Shao, so as to avoid disturbing his mother who was lying inside, Jin Lan called for Qiu Wen who was outside, he did not expect that the one who lifted the curtain and entered was the big servant, Su Xin.


    She quickly glanced at Su Xin, who was looking down at her eyebrows, and Qiu Wen, who was following behind her. She instructed: "Serve Aunt well and bring her back to Bright Autumn Pavilion."


    "Yes." The two of them nodded their heads, and were about to go forward to support Concubine Shao, but were pushed away by her.


    Concubine Shao paused for a moment, then walked towards Jin Lan, steadied his heart, and lowered his voice, asking the two of them in a weak voice: "What, do you know?"


    Jin Lan slowly put down the teacup in his hand and looked at Concubine Shao with a harmless expression. After a long while, his lips curled up and he asked softly, "What does Aunt think I should know? What should I not know? "


    "You, you, you ¡­" Concubine Shao pointed at Jin Lan with trembling hands. It was hard to tell whether he was more angry or more afraid.


    Seeing that the situation was bad, Su Xin hurriedly stepped forward to support the Concubine Shao, exclaiming: "Aunt, what''s wrong?"


    was initially shocked and afraid by Jin Lan''s words, but now, Su Xin''s words caused her to regain her senses. Under the chaos, she felt a faint pain in her stomach, and she started to groan as she held her stomach: "My, my stomach, it hurts so much."


    Jin Lan saw that her face was pale and covered in cold sweat. It didn''t seem like she was faking it. His brows couldn''t help but twitch. Could it be such a coincidence?


    If something were to happen to the Concubine Shao inside the Shuixie Pavilion, then it was impossible for her mother to not be implicated.


    Without time to think, she decisively made Su Xin help Concubine Shao to sit on the reclining chair, then had Qiu Wen immediately go get a doctor. At the same time, she said to Hui Xiu who was in the room: "Quickly go and get the old granny."


    In any case, he had to minimize all matters that were detrimental to his mother.


    When they were on the boat, Mama Zhu had already listened to Jin Lan about everything that had happened in the palace, so she was very clear on how much Ye Lin and the old lady valued the Concubine Shao''s stomach. Furthermore, based on her personality, she had invited a doctor who was an expert in the disease of women to stay in the mansion, which was not far from the Bright Autumn Pavilion.


    The person she asked Qiu Wen to call was this doctor.


    As for the old granny, she would definitely not be able to keep it under wraps any longer. Concealing her identity would make people feel that there was something fishy within the Shuixie Pavilion, so it would be better to just tell the truth and bring the old granny over to show her innocence within the Shuixie Pavilion.


    She did not believe that with Concubine Shao''s personality and the fact that she was pregnant, she would still come to the Shuixie Pavilion every day to pay respects to her mother.


    Furthermore, the Old Granny would never allow Concubine Shao to wander around with a big belly up to the Shuixie Pavilion. After all, in the Old Granny''s eyes, her mother was a "phthisis".


    Her heart felt like it was being pierced by needles. She looked at Concubine Shao, who was sitting on a chair, clutching her stomach, and moaned more and more.


    At first, when Concubine Shao first entered the house, he could still hear a few words, but then the two people''s voices gradually became softer and softer, and more sounds could no longer be heard. Just as her heart was in turmoil, she suddenly heard Su Xin''s surprised exclamation, followed by a low groan.


    Something must have happened!


    Madame SHen''s heart tensed up, she raised the blanket that was covering her body and was about to get up, but after lying down for so long, her body was weak and weak, and when she woke up, she felt the sky spinning and the earth spinning, and she was about to fall off the bed.


    "Mother!" Upon entering, Jin Lan immediately saw such a scene and hastily strode forward, barely supporting Madame SHen who was already halfway out of the bed.


    Mama Shang, Mama Zhu, Bi He and Bi He were originally waiting by Madame SHen''s side, but when Jin Lan suddenly entered just now, they were unavoidably shocked. After being stunned for a moment, they quickly surrounded Madame SHen and carefully helped him to lie on the bed.


    "Mother, are you alright?" Her hair was pale, her temples were wet, and her eyes were slightly out of focus. She knew that she was getting anxious, and after thinking for a bit, she said gently, "Mother, you can leave it to me." As she said that, she winked at Mama Shang.


    The Mama Shang understood and quickly left the room.


    Compared to Concubine Shao, what she cared about was her mother.


    Concubine Shao didn''t know that Mama Shang''s indenture contract had already been handed over to him, so she had always believed that Mama Shang was someone close to the Old Ancestor. With Mama Shang present, Concubine Shao would naturally stop thinking about it.


    "Mama, change your clothes." After a while, Madame SHen regained her senses and slowly opened her eyes. The first sentence she said to Mama Zhu was:


    Mama Zhu was already burning with anxiety. Now that she saw that Madame SHen had woken up and was acting this way, she could not help but recall the friendship between master and servant. Immediately, she cried, "Miss ¡­"


    In the past, this girl was also a pearl that her parents had held at the apex of her heart. Ever since she had married into Ye Mansion, everything had changed. The bright and beautiful smile on her face lessened as Kang Tai''s body became weaker and weaker. Especially after that incident, the girl''s body collapsed. It was a good thing that the old heavens opened their eyes and the girl became pregnant once again, allowing her to successfully give birth to the current Second Miss, if not ¡­


    "Mama!"


    A shout that caused Mama Zhu to quiver, when she looked up, she was greeted with golden ripples of shock and Madame SHen''s expression was as calm as water.


    A cold shiver went down her spine. Did she miss something?


    Maybe Madame SHen felt that she had overreacted and calmed her tone a little, but she still said: "I will have to trouble Mama to help me get dressed one more time."


    Man Ping left the house to invite a doctor, and Hui Xiu was also sent away by Jin Lan to the Jiayu Hall. At that moment, other than Jin Lan and the Madame SHen, there were only three people left in the room: Mama Zhu, Wan Ju and Bi He.


    After all, Wan Ju and Bi He were her daughter''s personal maidservants.


    Jin Lan suppressed the shock in his heart, and chuckled: "Mother''s body isn''t feeling well, so you should rest more. Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu also said that she needed to be recuperated properly, how can she recuperate well with all this effort?"


    Although those words were not heard clearly, they still entered her ears. However, this was not the time to ask about them. Once she settled the matters outside, she would find a way to get a clear understanding of the situation.


    Madame SHen held onto her daughter''s tender and small hand, shook her head and said: "Lan Er, you are still young, there are some things ¡­"


    "Mother." "After the second month, your daughter is already ten years old. In the past, it was your mother who protected your daughter, but this time, it''s your daughter''s turn to protect your mother!"


    This matter had not been decided yet, and the stomach ache of Concubine Shao was still not real. However, once mother appears, even if it was fake, it would immediately become real!


    She absolutely could not allow her mother to step into this trap.


    Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan in a daze, suddenly feeling that his daughter was a little unfamiliar. After a while, he said: "Concubine Shao, in her stomach, is actually the blood of the Ye Family."


    Jin Lan nodded his head, "Your daughter got what she wanted and got Qiu Wen to go get a doctor. And let Big Sister Hui Xiu... "


    Before she could finish her sentence, a shout came from outside the house, "The old lady is here!"

 C135

    Jin Lan and the Madame SHen looked at each other, squeezed Madame SHen''s ice-cold hand a little, and then got up to welcome him.


    Madame SHen looked at his daughter''s slim but straight back, his heart felt like it was pierced, the corners of her mouth moved, she wanted to say something but stopped, in the end she decided to hide, and laid back down on the bed according to his daughter''s wish.


    Wan Ju and Bi He who were at the side followed closely behind Jin Lan, and Mama Zhu took two steps forward. After hesitating for a moment, she retreated back and put down the cloth she had lifted, quietly guarding beside Madame SHen''s bed.


    The Old Madame Ye received Hui Xiu''s message, she did not dare delay at all, she did not even have time to prepare the Soft Palanquin, and immediately went to the Shuixie Pavilion with the help of the Mama Wu and Yan Rong.


    As soon as she entered, she quickly scanned her surroundings, but didn''t see anyone. Her face immediately darkened, and just as she was about to shout out, she saw that the bead curtain in the room shook and a slender figure came out to welcome her.


    "Grandmother." The moment Jin Lan stepped out of the room, a charming smile appeared on his face.


    Without waiting for Old Madame Ye to react, she directly opened her mouth and said: "Lan Er has just returned home. I originally wanted to meet mother and paid respects to grandmother, but who would have thought that just as I was about to leave, Concubine Shao would coincidentally come to pay respects to mother."


    If he waited for the old lady to ask, he might as well take the initiative to tell him the truth. He might as well say something first, the clever mouth of the Concubine Shao was always a powerful one, adding to that round stomach, perhaps the old lady was spurred on by her flowery words, and the black became white.


    Jin Lan continued to ponder, "Although the Bright Autumn Pavilion is not far from the Shuixie Pavilion, there is still a distance. Lan Er is still young and doesn''t know what''s going on. Thus, she hurriedly sent Qiu Wen to get a doctor, and also got Big Sister Hui Xiu to invite Grandmother over here to make the decision. "


    Old Madame Ye''s face relaxed, and revealed a look of surprise, but she was still worried about Concubine Shao''s stomach, and asked: "Where is Concubine Shao?"


    Mama Shang had long heard the commotion, and was waiting at the side. When she heard Old Madame Ye''s question, she walked over and said: "Old granny, there are too many people watching from the outside. This servant and Su Xin have already helped Concubine Shao to place him on the green bed."


    When Old Madame Ye saw Mama Shang, a glint flashed past her eyes, but she did not say much. She nodded and let the doctor, who went into the house with her, help support Concubine Shao''s pulse.


    Jin Lan pondered as he saw this.


    The Bright Autumn Pavilion s were one in the south and one in the west. There was even a large half of the garden between them, yet the old lady had entered the house together with the doctors who lived near the Bright Autumn Pavilion.


    This was sufficient to show that the Old Granny did not have complete trust in the Concubine Shao.


    He narrowed his eyes and pulled her small hand as he said with a face full of love, "Just now, I heard from my servant that it was you who entered the residence, and they even thought that I was thinking highly of you when I saw you, making a ruckus. I never thought that you would really come back."


    Upon hearing Old Madame Ye''s words, Jin Lan blinked her eyes, smiled, and then said in a soft voice: "The Old Ancestor received my father''s letter and found out that mother was very ill, so she decided to send Lan Er back."


    Old Madame Ye raised her eyes and looked at Jin Lan. Seeing that her already thin face had shrunk quite a bit, she knew that the bumpy journey was not easy, and that she was still the grandson and daughter who cared for her. She sat him down and couldn''t help but ruffle her thick and smooth hair, saying: "Since we''re back home, why don''t you come and see Grandmother? Don''t tell me you dislike this old woman? "


    Jin Lan took the opportunity to cuddle into the Old Madame Ye''s embrace, and spoke in a tender voice: "Lan Er is always thinking about Grandmother, she really wants to pay respects to Grandmother with Jiayu Hall the moment she enters the residence!" As he said that, he sat up with a worried look on his face, "I heard from Sister Man Ping that Mother''s body is getting weaker and weaker, until today, she is already bedridden."


    Your mother has never been well," she said with a sigh. "When winter comes, she becomes even more ill." She stopped talking and looked up at Yan Rong, who was by the side with her head lowered. "Go and take a look. Madam, you must be feeling a bit uncomfortable. Hurry up and send someone to get a doctor.


    "Yes." Yan Rong kneeled down and replied, and then lightly walked inside.


    It was as if Jin Lan had unwittingly glanced at her, but unexpectedly discovered that Yan Rong had combed a simple bun. Her originally loose hair was completely tied up, and a Qing Yu hairpin was stuck at her temples.


    This ¡­ this was a plate made by the woman!


    Yan Rong was an unmarried girl, how could she have fallen for him?


    Could it be that the Old Ancestor had already betrothed her to someone while they were still in Shang Jing?


    In the instant that Jin Lan was stunned, Yan Rong''s figure disappeared behind the bead curtain, and she could only force herself to retract her gaze. With Mama Zhu guarding inside, Yan Rong didn''t dare think too much about it.


    Once Yan Rong left, Hui Xiu served tea with her hind legs. The ancestor and grandson carried the tea cup and chatted for a bit, and then the doctor who helped channel the Concubine Shao came out from the jade screen, along with Su Xin, who was serving beside the Concubine Shao.


    "Aunt''s mind was in a state of upheaval and panic, which was why she was able to use her womb''s energy. Fortunately, she was well-rested every day, so it wasn''t too bad. She just needed to rest for a while, and after drinking a few more Tieba pills, she would be fine." Doctor Pang gave Old Madame Ye a respectful salute and, without waiting for him to ask, told him about the situation there.


    Old Madame Ye frowned, she looked at Su Xin who had her head bowed down, "Everything is fine, why are you so anxious?"


    "Grandmother." Jin Lan placed the teacup in her hand on the table, her small face, which was the size of a palm, was filled with regret, "Speaking of which, it''s Lan Er''s fault. Concubine Shao was worried about Big Sister, so she asked her a few more questions, and it was only then that Lan Er mentioned that Big Sister became fond of the Old Ancestor and was left in Beijing for a while longer. Perhaps it was because Aunt was worried about Big Sister that ¡­ It''s all Lan Er''s fault. " She got up and knelt down.


    "Girl Lan, what are you doing? Hurry and get up! " Old Madame Ye hurriedly reached out to help Jin Lan up, yet she looked at Su Xin and asked with a deep voice: "Is that so?"


    Su Xin slightly raised his head, quickly took a glance at Jin Lan, and then bowed his head as she replied in a low voice, "Yes."


    A trace of surprise flashed past Jin Lan''s eyes. She thought that it would take more effort to explain, but she did not expect Su Xin to actually agree.


    Thinking about that, she couldn''t help but frown. Could it be that Concubine Shao had thought of something?


    Compared to Jin Lan''s doubt, Old Madame Ye''s face sank. Her cane heavily hit the limestone floor as she coldly snorted: "All of you are worried for nothing!"


    These words were obviously not only referring to the Concubine Shao, but Jin Lan did not care at all, sitting obediently at the side without lifting his head.


    Seeing that the Old Madame Ye had been angered, the Mama Wu hurriedly patted her chest and comforted her in a small voice: "It''s a good thing that you''re fine, the most important thing right now is to take care of the young master."


    The underlying meaning of his words was to remind Old Madame Ye that Shuixie Pavilion was his wife''s courtyard. It was against the rules to leave Concubine Shao here. Furthermore, with his wife lying on the bed, perhaps she would attack the Concubine Shao''s expensive stomach.


    Old Madame Ye nodded and looked at the giant man: "Is it appropriate to move now?"


    Her husband was Old Madame Ye''s trusted aide, how could he not know what she was thinking? He thought for a moment, then said: "Normally speaking, staying here is the best, but if you want to move it, it is not impossible. Get someone to prepare the Soft Palanquin, and we can lift it steadily."


    When the Mama Wu heard this, she looked at the Old Madame Ye and saw her nodding her head.


    It was probably because of Old Madame Ye''s orders, that the sedan arrived quickly, and the four women carrying the sedan were all around the size of a shoulder.


    He did not know what Su Xin said to the Concubine Shao after she entered the room, but when she was supported by the servants out of the room and fiercely glared at Jin Lan, she did not say a word.


    Jin Lan did not want to cause unnecessary trouble, so he simply ignored the Concubine Shao''s sharp knife and continued to chat with him.


    Only when the house gradually quietened down did Yan Rong return to the outer room.


    Seemingly, Old Madame Ye didn''t want to speak anymore in front of Jin Lan, after exhorting a few words, she was supported by Yan Rong, and left the Shuixie Pavilion to return back to the Jiayu Hall. From start to finish, she did not even take a single glance at Madame SHen.


    After the Old Madame Ye and the others left, Jin Lan finally let go of his worry of staying in the air. He slowly heaved a sigh of relief, gave Wan Ju a meaningful glance, then turned and entered the house.


    Wan Ju had followed Jin Lan for so many years, and she also had her trust, that the two master and servant had long ago developed an extraordinary tacit understanding. Receiving Jin Lan''s gaze, she immediately understood in her heart, and after rummaging for a reason, she stepped out of the Shuixie Pavilion, following the direction that Old Madame Ye and the rest had left in, carefully following them.


    Although Madame SHen was lying on the bed, her heart was in turmoil. She had been listening intently to the outside, afraid that Old Madame Ye would make things difficult for him.


    When the room was silent, she suddenly lifted the curtain. Just as she raised her eyes, she saw a white lotus arm passing through the bead curtain. Then, she raised it. Who else could it be if not Jin Lan?


    "Lan Er!" Madame SHen nervously looked at Jin Lan from head to toe. Seeing that she was safe and sound, a heavy burden was lifted from his heart. He gently waved his hand and said: "Come quickly, let me take a look. Are you alright?"


    "It''s fine. Mother, don''t worry." He quickly walked to the edge of the bed and sat down. Holding the hand extended by Madame SHen, he chuckled: "It''s just a false alarm.


    "How am I afraid of those long-tongued women?" Madame SHen sat up under the support of the Mama Zhu and leaned against the headboard. She lightly patted the tender little hands in her palms and sized up Jin Lan before saying: "You can''t be rash anymore. If you anger the old lady, even your father won''t be able to protect you."


    Jin Lan looked at the care and concern in his mother''s heart, and couldn''t help but feel sore in his heart, but he nodded cutely on the surface, "Lan Er understands."


    "Mother knows what you are thinking, but you are still young, so it is not appropriate for you to take part in some matters, lest it ruin your good name." Knowing a daughter but not a mother, how could the Madame SHen not see through Jin Lan''s perfunctory attitude? She only looked at this delicate little face, and a strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart.


    It was unknown when, but this petite person was no longer a little girl that needed her protection.


    Just as the mother and daughter were talking, Man Ping had led the Doctor Gong into the Shuixie Pavilion, and on the way there, she had already informed the Doctor Gong about Jin Lan''s return. As a result, when Doctor Gong saw Jin Lan, he was not surprised. Instead, he revealed a rare smile.


    The group of people did not talk much, the Doctor Gong raised his hand and started to support the Madame SHen, following that, he gently pressed down with his fingertips, and the smile on her face slowly faded.


    Jin Lan''s heart leaped into his throat.

 C136

    The room was quiet, and the lively atmosphere gradually died down.


    "What happened to my mother?" Jin Lan couldn''t help but ask when he saw Doctor Gong''s expression become more and more serious, he couldn''t suppress the anxiety in his heart anymore.


    Doctor Gong gave Jin Lan a quick glance before shifting his gaze back to Madame SHen''s face. Finally, he lowered his eyelids, and looked like he wanted to say something.


    The Madame SHen naturally did not miss the hesitation on Doctor Gong''s face, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he sighed: "The body is on its own, as for what happened, I am more clear than anyone else." With that, she looked at Doctor Gong and said softly, "You don''t have to worry too much. If you have anything to say, just say it."


    Although she had heard Madame SHen''s words, the color on Doctor Gong''s face did not decrease at all. She slowly withdrew her finger from Madame SHen''s wrist, raised her head, and swept her gaze across the crowd''s anxious faces, before looking into Madame SHen''s seemingly indifferent yet cautious eyes, "Mistress'' body is weaker than it was a few days ago, and there are signs of it being exhausted."


    "How could this be!?" Jin Lan''s face was as white as snow. She had already guessed this long ago, but she hadn''t thought that it would come in such an aggressive manner!


    Back then, when he was in the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu, he had said that the poison patients in the late stage would die due to the exhaustion of their Essence Qi!


    Although Mama Zhu and the rest were confused by Jin Lan''s words, it was not hard to tell from Jin Lan''s reaction and the serious expression that the Madame SHen''s body was not looking optimistic. In that moment, all of their complexions turned ugly.


    "Soo Soo, Madam''s body ¡­" Mama Zhu wanted to immediately go up and grab her daughter''s hand and ask her about it, but after taking two steps forward, she stopped.


    Doctor Gong slowly shook his head and did not answer. Instead, he looked at Jin Lan.


    Facing the Doctor Gong''s vigilant eyes, Jin Lan took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and tightly held onto Madame SHen''s cold hand. He turned his head and said to everyone in a deep voice: "Mother''s body is not feeling well, and is not allowed to disturb others.


    Wan Ju naturally listened to orders and Jin Lan, after getting lucky, she gently stepped out of the room. A trace of hesitation flashed past Bi He''s eyes, but he only paused for a moment, and followed Wan Ju out.


    On the other hand, Man Ping and Hui Xiu quickly looked at each other, then immediately looked towards Madame SHen, only to see her leaning against the headboard, eyes half closed, as if she had tacitly agreed.


    At that moment, other than the mother and daughter pair, only the Doctor Gong and the Mama Zhu were left in the room.


    Jin Lan sat by the side of Madame SHen''s bed, and looked fixedly at Doctor Gong: "I plead for Doctor Gong to tell me honestly."


    Now that he had nothing to worry about, Doctor Gong naturally revealed the thoughts in his heart, "Although the poison in my wife''s body has not been removed, she is still taking the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s medicine, and every day she recovers. Until the end of the year, when Madame was busy with matters of the manor, and accidentally caught a chill, but did not expect it to gradually worsen, and in the end, even the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s prescription, by chance, tried it out. "


    The fact that the Madame SHen was poisoned and the matter of the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s diagnosis was not hidden from the Doctor Gong, thus, although she always came to open his meridians, he still secretly used the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s method of medicine.


    "From this, it''s not hard to guess. Madam is probably ¡­" Doctor Gong paused for a moment, and then said solemnly: "I''m afraid the poison has worsened!"


    So it was like that!


    Jin Lan''s eyes were cold. Even though he hadn''t been able to promptly uncover the traitor beside his mother, the other party actually dared to make a move after a round of beating. It seemed like he had to make a move as soon as possible!


    In a flash, her thoughts changed and she asked, "Who has been waiting in front of Mother these days? How many people have access to medicinal herbs? "


    Doctor Gong looked at Madame SHen for a moment, then said slowly: "Madam''s medicine, from beginning to end, is handled by me. Whether it''s for catching medicine or to frying medicine, or even to sending a medicine bowl in front of Madam, I have never pretended to do anything to anyone else." After she finished speaking, she pondered for a moment before adding, "Not a single one!"


    Jin Lan nodded. Doctor Gong was his mother''s trusted aide and his daughter, so he naturally trusted her. Since it wasn''t a drug, then there was a good chance that something went wrong with the food.


    As she thought about it, she looked at Madame SHen, "Mother, do you still remember who served the food you ate after getting the cold?"


    The Madame SHen nodded her head: "Although there are two Female Cook s in the kitchen, my food has always been handled by Hui Xiu and the Female Cook Zhang."


    Hui Xiu and Female Cook Zhang? Jin Lan frowned.


    She had secretly filtered all the servants in the Shuixie Pavilion before, so she naturally knew about Hui Xiu and Female Cook Zhang''s family background. Hui Xiu needless to say, Female Cook Zhang was one of the rooms arranged by the Shen Family when his mother got married. Shen Family would not harm mother, but after staying in the household for so many years, life in Shuixie Pavilion was extremely difficult, so it was impossible to protect Female Cook Zhang from having second thoughts ¡­


    "Lan Er." When Madame SHen saw Jin Lan''s frown, she could not help but say softly: "Female Cook Zhang''s son has always been working in Mama Zhu''s shop."


    Jin Lan was startled, and turned to look at Mama Zhu.


    Mama Zhu hurriedly nodded her head.


    The meaning behind his words was that the Female Cook Zhang was trustworthy.


    The corners of Madame SHen''s mouth raised up slightly. How could she be careless when it came to the thing in her mouth?


    If it wasn''t Female Cook Zhang, could it be Hui Xiu?


    Jin Lan''s two long, shapely eyebrows instantly knitted together. All sorts of signs indicated that only those close to his mother could harm her. But Hui Xiu...


    She could not help but recall that day, when the Concubine Shao wanted to take this chance to send Hui Xiu and Hui Xiu out of the house. Hui Xiu''s tear-stained face and shocking black purple forehead, as well as the sorrow and determination in her eyes, did not seem to be fake.


    But if it wasn''t Hui Xiu, who else could it be?


    As he thought about it, Jin Lan could not help but grow a little restless. There were only two people who came into contact with food, but that was impossible. Could it be that his mother had swallowed the poison herself?


    Madame SHen had been paying attention to the changes in Jin Lan''s expression. Seeing the impatience on her face, he knew that his daughter had drilled herself into a corner, so he lightly covered his palms with his hands and called out softly, "Lan Er."


    The warmth from his hands caused Jin Lan to shudder. Lifting his eyelids, he met the eyes of the Madame SHen which were filled with concern and understanding. The irritation in his heart immediately vanished as if he had met a sweet rain.


    It seemed that his mother was not completely clueless about this matter.


    and Female Cook Zhang had been keeping the food in the Shuixie Pavilion for so long, and that already proved their innocence.


    In the end, it was because of her concern that she lost her rationality. If the spy hiding by her mother''s side was so simple, he would have been found out long ago. If she were to alarm him again, I''m afraid ¡­


    As he thought about it, a hint of understanding appeared in Jin Lan''s heart, and his face calmed down.


    Seeing that her daughter''s expression was at ease, Madame SHen heaved a sigh of relief. After all, she did not wish for Jin Lan to come into contact with these schemes prematurely.


    "Right now, the most important thing is still my wife''s body." Mama Zhu stayed by the side and listened until the room quieted down.


    Hearing Mama Zhu''s words, Jin Lan''s face tightened even more, and pulled Madame SHen''s hand as he asked: "Since the original formula failed, has mother ever gone to Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu to look for a new meridian?"


    Madame SHen and Doctor Gong looked at each other and said with bitter smiles, "Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu roams the four seas. We were lucky to meet each other last time. "


    Jin Lan''s face paled. That''s right, if the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was still here, how could his mother''s body be dragged to such a state?


    "Fortunately, the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu left a cure for the poison before he left." Madame SHen saw that his daughter''s expression was not right, and immediately tried to console her.


    A prescription for the antidote? Jin Lan''s heart was filled with bitterness. ''I''m afraid that recipe doesn''t amount to anything right now!''


    She took a deep breath and looked at Doctor Gong, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Since there''s a prescription, then the poison in mother''s body ¡­"


    The Doctor Gong shook his head heavily, "Although there is a prescription, and the ingredients written are about eighty to ninety percent done, the most important ingredient is still missing."


    So it was like that!


    Jin Lan''s heart fell to the bottom of the valley. When Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was supporting his mother''s pulse, he once said that his mother was afflicted with two poisons. If she wanted to cure the poison, she had to find a cure or the antidote would become a life-threatening poison! The medicinal herb would be ¡­


    "Snow Twig."


    "That''s right." Hearing Jin Lan''s muttering, the Doctor Gong nodded his head, and said: "Snow Twig s are hard to find. Ever since I found out about my wife''s situation, I had sent people to find medicine, but not just this huge Yangzhou palace, even Su Hang and the entire Jiangnan Region could not find it." After speaking, he sighed, looked at Madame SHen, and said: "Now, we''ve already sent people to the northwest, and we can only hope that we can find the medicine and bring it back."


    Jin Lan lowered his head, as if he hadn''t heard Doctor Gong''s words.


    When she mentioned the Snow Twig, a pair of deep star eyes appeared before her eyes. The night that she encountered within the Lingji Temple suddenly jumped out from the depths of her mind.


    "I know where the Snow Twig are."


    "I can find the Snow Twig for you, but you have to do one thing for me."


    "In the future, if you have any problems, go to Zhou Ji Rice Shop in East Gate Market and find a shopkeeper with the surname Shi. He will help you."


    Jin Lan suddenly stood up, suppressing his heartbeat that was about to burst out of his chest. He stared at Mama Zhu and asked anxiously: "Does Mama still remember who was the one that helped Shang Jing at that time?"


    was even more confused, "Last time, a servant on the boat reported to her that she was unable to hire a boat from Shang Jing. It was the East Gate Market''s Zhou Ji Mi Pao''s Manager Shi that wanted to enter the capital, and had taken a ride with her. Miss, do you remember?"


    Jin Lan felt relieved, no wonder she felt that the Manager Shi was so familiar.


    So, it was someone he left behind!


    In other words, there might be news of the Snow Twig at the Manager Shi''s side.

 C137

    The more Jin Lan thought about it, the more impatient he became. He wished that he could immediately find the Manager Shi and ask them about it.


    "Lan Er." Madame SHen looked at her daughter''s anxious little face and could not help but frown. "Is there something wrong with this Manager Shi?"


    Madame SHen''s words allowed Jin Lan''s fervent thoughts to clear up, and he immediately calmed down.


    Let''s not talk about whether there were actually any news on the Snow Twig at the Manager Shi s place, just the matter of her and Yan Ye would be hard to explain. Moreover, all of this was just his guess, whether or not the Snow Twig thing was done was uncertain.


    After thinking about it, Jin Lan laughed, and said softly: "No, Lan Er only thought about it, this time it is all thanks to Manager Shi, if not Lan Er would probably still be in the dark!"


    Hearing the dissatisfaction in Jin Lan''s words, Madame SHen''s eyes flashed. She no longer wanted her daughter to worry, so she took this opportunity to ask her about the matters in the capital.


    Jin Lan naturally didn''t mention anything that might cause Madame SHen to worry. He only picked up a few interesting pieces of news from the capital, causing the laughter and chatter in the room to become more frequent.


    Although Mama Shang who was waiting at the side also had a faint smile on her face, she knew very clearly in her heart that this young Second Miss who was only ten years old was living a soul-stirring life in the Ye Family''s ancestral home in the capital.


    The mother and daughter chatted for a long time, until exhaustion appeared in Madame SHen''s eyes, Jin Lan personally helped her rest, and the Doctor Gong also took his leave.


    "Doctor Gong, take care." Jin Lan tucked the blanket back in Madame SHen, then stood up and smiled: "I have been troubling Doctor Gong for these past few days, let Lan Er send you on your way in place of Mother."


    Seeing Jin Lan''s smiling face, a glint flashed past Doctor Gong''s eyes. He pursed his lips and said, "How dare I trouble young miss to send you off."


    Even though she said that, she slowed down her pace.


    Mama Zhu was worried, hence she decided to stay behind to take care of the situation for a few days. Jin Lan brought Mama Shang and left the Shuixie Pavilion together with them.


    On the way, Jin Lan didn''t say anything, and Doctor Gong didn''t even glance at him. The two of them slowly walked through the garden and walked along the corridor, heading to the courtyard.


    Doctor Gong couldn''t help but admire the Second Miss''s patience when he saw that the Flower Gate that separated the inner and outer courtyard was already in sight and the person beside him still remained calm.


    She reached out to stroke the few strands of hair that fell by her ear and said indifferently: "If Second Miss has anything to say, just say it out loud."


    The corners of Jin Lan''s mouth slightly curled up before quickly returning to normal.


    The silence along the way was a silent contest. Whoever opened their mouth first would be disqualified.


    Although the Doctor Gong was trustworthy, that was only for her mother and it had nothing to do with her.


    What she had to do next was too risky. She had to get the Doctor Gong to support her fully.


    Otherwise, with a single wrong step, the entire plate would fall apart.


    After some thought, Jin Lan turned his head and shot a look at Mama Shang who was behind him.


    The Mama Shang understood and turned around to find a reason, causing Wan Ju and Bi He to temporarily stay behind.


    These tricks did not escape the eyes of the Doctor Gong, and a meaningful gaze appeared in her eyes.


    It seemed that the Second Miss that his wife had given him was much more intelligent than he had imagined!


    This was to use this opportunity to express her trust in me. Furthermore, she had barged into the capital alone, and she could return back to the Yangzhou without incident ¡­ Perhaps, this time, he might be able to ¡­


    A trace of anticipation suddenly rose in Doctor Gong''s heart.


    Jin Lan didn''t make her wait long. He took a few more steps forward, glanced left and right indifferently, and then suppressed his voice as he muttered a few words in a low voice.


    It was just because these few words did not seem important, that Doctor Gong''s usually calm face instantly lost all color.


    "Hu, nonsense!" Doctor Gong''s throat tightened, a thin layer of cold sweat suddenly seeped out from his back. He no longer cared about his identity, lowering his pale face, and said softly, "This matter is not to be allowed!"


    "Doctor Gong." He was not discouraged. Instead, she looked around and said calmly, "Now that things have progressed to this point, no matter who the person hiding by my mother''s side is, it is no longer the most important matter." He paused for a moment and then said coldly, "The most important thing is what that person saw and heard!"


    On her young and tender face, there was a hint of coldness and sternness that caused Doctor Gong to be stumped for words. In fact, it was not that she didn''t know about it, it was just that the plan Jin Lan proposed was too risky.


    After thinking about it for a moment, she still hesitated, "What if ¡­"


    "Just in case!" She took a deep breath and said solemnly: "As long as everything is properly arranged, there can''t be any chance, and there can''t be any chance!"


    In her heart, there was nothing more important than her mother''s safety. Naturally, she would not allow anything to go wrong. If not for the fear of unexpected consequences, he would not have used such a dangerous method.


    "If I want to do this flawlessly, I''m afraid it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven." Having said that, the Doctor Gong started to weigh the pros and cons of the mission. After a while, he looked at the Second Miss with a complicated expression and asked softly: "How confident are you?"


    Hearing Doctor Gong''s question, Jin Lan knew that she had heaved a sigh of relief. He sighed in his heart and nodded his head heavily, "Doctor Gong can be rest assured. As he spoke, his voice gradually became softer, as he slowly spoke out all the thoughts in his mind.


    The more Doctor Gong heard, the more shocked she was. Although she felt that this Second Miss was intelligent, in the end, he still underestimated her. Who would have thought that this intertwining plan actually came from a ten year old little girl!


    After memorizing everything that Jin Lan had said, she mentioned a few things that people would easily overlook. The two of them thought about it for a while before coming to a conclusion.


    After confirming that it was completely exhausted, Doctor Gong nodded his head lightly, raised his voice, and said: "Second Miss has just returned from the capital, all the way here are exhausted, I''m afraid you are tired, send it here!"


    Jin Lan nodded his head, and smiled submissively: "If that''s the case, then Doctor Gong can leave." With that, he turned and called Bi He, telling her to send Doctor Gong out.


    It was only until the figure of the Doctor Gong disappeared behind the Flowerflower Gate did Jin Lan turn around and slowly walk toward the Lan Garden.


    Now that the flowers were blooming in the spring, the flowers in the garden were blooming in unison, causing the colorful butterflies to fly in the air. The air was filled with an intoxicating fragrance.


    Even though Jin Lan''s gaze fell upon the flowers, all he could think about was Shuixie Pavilion.


    How could she not hate her mother when her body had reached such a state?


    Although she could take care of all the servants inside and outside the Shuixie Pavilion, but looking at the current situation of Concubine Shao being favored, it was hard to not extend her hand twice. At that time it would be even harder to guard against.


    As a person who had experienced two lifetimes, she knew how to endure and scheme.


    Since he couldn''t find it, then let that person jump out himself!


    Jin Lan turned his head to the side and looked at the blue sky. A trace of hostility flashed across his slightly narrowed eyes.


    Mama Tang had already received the letter from Jin Lan to return home, and was currently waiting at the main entrance. When she saw Jin Lan and the others coming from afar, she couldn''t help but excitedly greet them: "Miss!"


    "Mama." Looking at Mama Tang''s caring and loving face, Jin Lan''s nose turned sour, "Long time no see, how''s Mama?"


    "Alright, alright." Mama Tang grabbed Jin Lan''s small hand and looked it over carefully. Seeing that she did not look uncomfortable, he then heaved a sigh of relief, "Miss, you have returned safely.


    Looking at Mama Tang''s abased face and the tears that were flashing in the corners of his eyes, Jin Lan''s eyes couldn''t help but turn red.


    As Wan Ju watched from the side, she recalled the dangerous situations that had occurred in the capital''s ancestral residence and couldn''t help but turn her head away.


    Although Mama Shang was also filled with emotion, after all, she had seen a lot of wind and waves in the palace, so she was still somewhat rational. She glanced at the few maidservants in the distance and walked up to them with a smile: "Elder sister, this lady is worried about Madam. As she spoke, she grasped Mama Tang''s hand tightly, and her chin slightly moved to the left.


    Mama Tang followed her instructions, although her eyes were misty, they still saw a few head poking and head poking maidservants, she immediately understood, and quickly used her sleeve to wipe the corner of her eyes, nodding: "Even this servant is confused! It''s cold outside, please come in quickly. "


    After saying that, he led Jin Lan and the rest into the courtyard. After Jin Lan entered, the Mama Tang called for Wen Zhu in a low voice, telling her to stand guard at the gate. She also told anyone who came to inquire about the news to tell them that they did not know.


    After making the necessary arrangements, Mama Tang relaxed and prepared to enter the house. However, after taking two steps, she suddenly turned around and hurried towards the kitchen.


    Even though it was spring and the Yangzhou was located in the southern part of the country, due to the continuous spring rain, warmth and cold weather, coupled with the fact that the Jin Lan''s body was weak and fearful of the cold, Mama Tang, after receiving the message, immediately had her men place a small basin of Silverfrost Charcoal in the corner of the main house.


    As soon as Jin Lan entered the room, he felt the heat pouncing on him. The thick jacket and cape on his body became a burden. A thin layer of sweat appeared on his body in just a short while.


    Fortunately, she had hot water prepared in her ears, Wan Ju and the Mama Shang hurriedly helped her wash.


    Just as she sat down on the white plum blossom bed, Mama Tang opened the curtain and entered the house, behind him was Mu Lan who was still holding onto the chicken wings wood and red lacquer carving case.


    "Miss didn''t ask anyone to send a message in advance when she returned home. She was in a hurry and couldn''t make anything good from the kitchen. I cooked some rice porridge, and Miss started with some food. If there''s anything you want to eat, feel free to tell me."


    Mama Tang took the food, and neatly placed the dishes on the small square table with red wood sculptures. For a moment, a tempting fragrance filled the air in the room.


    Jin Lan got off the boat and rushed back to the mansion. He hadn''t even had a few mouthfuls of breakfast before he realized how hungry he was after smelling the aroma. She looked at the food on the table and asked Mama Shang and Wan Ju to go down to eat too, leaving Mama Tang and Mu Lan to wait on them.


    But before Jin Lan could move his chopsticks, he heard Wen Zhu''s report from outside the door, "Miss, the third lady is here."

 C138

    Why is Ye Jinxian here? Jin Lan frowned slightly, then said, "Quickly invite the third sister in."


    Just as she said that, the door curtain rose, and Ye Jinxian''s petite figure appeared in front of her.


    "Third sister." With a faint smile on his face, Jin Lan got up and walked over to welcome him.


    "Sister Second Sister." Ye Jinxian bowed respectfully, a sweet smile hung on her crescent-like face, but when her gaze swept across the dishes on the small red wooden table, she could not help but be startled, "Elder sister, you still have not eaten?" She then reprimanded herself, "It''s all my fault. I''m afraid I have come to bother you."


    Jin Lan pulled Ye Jinxian''s small hand, and swept her gaze across her before chuckling: "Don''t worry, between sisters, who''s the one who doesn''t bother you? Besides, wouldn''t it be better for you to accompany me to eat than for me to eat without knowing the taste? "


    As she spoke, she pulled Ye Jinxian to the side of the soft couch and the two of them sat on both sides of a small square table made of red wood.


    Seeing that, the Mama Tang looked at Mu Lan, who nodded her head and closed the curtain, and in a moment she brought out a set of clean tableware and placed it in front of Ye Jinxian.


    Although the food on the table was simple, every dish was meticulously cooked by the Mama Tang. The jade-like porridge was fragrant and thick, the small dishes were crisp and refreshing.


    Even though Ye Jinxian had already eaten lunch, she felt hungry, so she did not reject anymore. She picked up her silver chopsticks and started to eat with Jin Lan.


    After the two of them finished their meal leisurely, Mu Lan quickly took down the small square table and offered her some new tea. Only then did the two sisters have time to talk.


    "I didn''t believe it when I heard that my elder sister had returned, but if it wasn''t for the aunt telling me, I''m afraid it would still be a joke right now!" Ye Jinxian held Jin Lan''s hand, and stared at her with his almond eyes, "Elder sister, quickly tell me, is there anything new and interesting in the capital?"


    Ye Jinxian was not clear about the true purpose of Ye Family in Shang Jing, and thought that it was really to congratulate his clan''s patriarch.


    But her words made Jin Lan''s heart move, he suddenly extended his white finger and touched Ye Jinxian''s round forehead, scolding: "Along the way, either the boat or the car, entering the residence and accompanying the Old Ancestor all day, I have never even stepped out of the door, how would I know if there''s anything interesting in the capital city?"


    "Huh?" Ye Jinxian cried out softly, she immediately pouted and her face was filled with disappointment, "I still want to hear from elder sister about the difference in Yangzhou!"


    The corner of Jin Lan''s mouth curved up slightly. He picked up the cup of tea with the blue and white pattern surrounding it and took a light sip, then said, "The feet of the Son of Heaven naturally have quite a bit more magnificence and prosperity than his Yangzhou." He then changed the subject, "Let''s not talk about what happened outside. How are things in the manor these few months?"


    When it came to talking about the residence, Ye Jinxian was clearly a little reserved, and the smile on her face slowly disappeared. After a while, she lowered her head and said in a low voice: "It''s not really anything good, it''s always the same whenever you see the sky."


    "I''ve been gone for three to four months. Now, seeing that my mother''s body isn''t feeling well and Concubine Shao is pregnant, I''m afraid that the matter of the house has fallen on the Old Granny''s shoulders."


    Ye Jinxian suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with surprise, as though she was surprised that Jin Lan Yuan knew about the matters of the Palace, even though he was in the capital, she nodded her head in agreement, "Ever since mother went to bed last year, everything that has happened outside and inside, from the ancestral worship feast to the cleaning and decorations, all of it is under the control of the old lady."


    "No wonder when I saw the old lady just now, I felt that her spirit wasn''t as strong as it used to be." Jin Lan revealed an expression as if he had expected it.


    In fact, when she was at the Shuixie Pavilion, she could tell from the situation her mother and Concubine Shao were in, that the authority in the manor definitely lay in the hands of the old lady.


    He looked at Ye Jinxian''s round face and said seriously: "Although little sister is still young, big sister and I are not in the manor yet. Little sister should be by the side helping the old lady, there are a lot of trivial things in the manor, and the old lady is already old, how can I let her worry so much?"


    Ye Jinxian never thought that the usually gentle Big Sister Second Sister would also reveal such a strict expression. She was stunned for a moment, but then realized something and stood up, arguing with a slightly surprised expression: "What Big Sister Second Sister is saying, Jinxian does not dare! Ever since my sisters went to the capital, I never once neglected them. It''s only because there was a mishap in the Concubine Shao once that the old lady avoided these rules and allowed the various courtyards to guard the gates. However, I am not the only one doing this, even the Yu Ge''er is the same. "


    These words were sharp and urgent, causing the Mama Tang and Mu Lan, who were serving by the side, to be surprised. Was the person who was arguing with them really that timid and cowardly Third Miss?


    Two deep gazes fell on Ye Jinxian''s wronged face and the embroidered handkerchief that was about to be twisted to a crisp. A hint of apology quietly emerged from the bottom of Jin Lan''s heart, but was immediately cut off on the spot.


    She stood up, and with an apologetic smile on her face, she gently pulled Ye Jinxian''s slightly cold little hand, "If that''s the case, then it''s my fault, wrong little sister. I hope that you will be magnanimous, and not remember wrong little sister."


    Such an attitude made Ye Jinxian''s originally slightly happy face turn slightly red, but she felt that she had made a big deal out of it. She immediately laughed embarrassedly: "Sister, how can you admit your wrongs, I was being rude."


    Jin Lan looked deeply at her, but didn''t reply. He only smiled and pulled her hand to sit down again.


    The room immediately quieted down. Aside from the occasional sound of clashing porcelain, everyone''s breathing had unconsciously become a lot softer.


    After a long while, the flush on Ye Jinxian''s face gradually faded, and her gaze unwittingly fell on Jin Lan''s face.


    Her hair was as black as ink, her skin was snow-white, and her beautiful eyes were clear as snow. There was also her small nose and a bit of the color of her red cherry lips ¡­ Since when did Second Sister, who was one year older than him, become like this!


    Her eyes blurred.


    The gentle and gentle voice of the Concubine Ning once again rang beside her ears. "Your Second Sister''s sister is the direct daughter of Ye Family, so her status is naturally unspeakable, but now your wife''s body is getting worse and worse every day. Not only does the Second Aunt have Yu Ge''er by her side, she is also carrying one with her."


    "Looking at the Old Granny and Old Master''s thoughts, I''m afraid no one can beat her this time. Even if the Second Miss were to fight them, they wouldn''t be able to get any good results. "Poor Second Miss, with Second Aunt''s personality, things that happened in the past might not be so easily taken away ¡­"


    Although Jin Lan was carefully savoring the tea, his attention was always on Ye Jinxian. Seeing her staring at him in a daze, he couldn''t help but call out softly: "Third sister?"


    Ye Jinxian''s heart shook, and immediately recovered her senses. She looked at the people who were faintly concerned, and quickly sipped the tea, using this as an excuse to hide her panicked emotions: "The things in elder sister''s room are exquisite, even the tea is different from the ones I drink in the past, and there''s a faint plum fragrance."


    Jin Lan didn''t poke an excuse at her and said softly, "These tea leaves are no different from those in my sister''s room." Jin Lan didn''t poke an excuse at her, and said softly, "These tea leaves are no different than those in my sister''s room. After she finished speaking, she beckoned to Mu Lan who was at the side: "Go get some tea leaves, let the third sister bring them back to have a taste."


    When Ye Jinxian heard this, her face reddened. She quickly waved her hand and said, "I was just casually saying it, there''s no need to trouble elder sister."


    "We sisters don''t need to use the word ''trouble''. I just wonder what kind of fragrance does little sister like?" Jin Lan laughed, then turned his head to look at Mu Lan who was already half-way out the door. "Take out some of the various scented tea leaves."


    Mu Lan smiled and replied, then closed the curtain, not giving Ye Jinxian the chance to even tactfully reject.


    Looking at Jin Lan''s good-natured appearance and recalling her sisterly relationship from the past, it was as if a stone had fallen into her heart, causing her to struggle slightly. However, this silence caused her face to reveal traces of hesitation.


    Jin Lan just waited quietly. She had already done enough, and the way down was up to her third sister.


    However, based on her understanding of her third sister, there was a high chance that it was possible.


    Sure enough, Ye Jinxian sunk into deep thought for a long while, then raised her head and said hesitantly: "Second Sister Sis, there is something that I do not know whether or not I should tell you."


    Jin Lan''s eyes curved. "Sis, if you have something to say, feel free to say it."


    Everything was difficult at the beginning. With such an opening, everything that happened in the future would come to fruition.


    "Ever since Aunt Shao''s abdomen swelled up, there have been many famous doctors and doctors in the house. The old lady has even specially invited the Esteemed Master Nian of the Pride Monastery to come and take a look."


    "Last time, Yu Ge''er accidentally pushed Aunt Shao, almost causing Aunt Shao to lose her family. That was why the old lady was so angry that she sealed the legs of all the courtyards, even Father had punished the Yu Ge''er."


    "When I was in the rear flower garden a while ago, I coincidentally met Concubine Shao''s Soft Palanquin passing by. From the direction that they came from, it seems to be the''s Shuixie Pavilion."


    Although Ye Jinxian didn''t agree with what she said, she pointed out the importance that the Old Granny and Ye Lin attached to the Concubine Shao. If even the Yu Ge''er, this beauty, was punished, how could any other person possibly be able to escape?


    However, these words that fell into Jin Lan''s heart had another meaning based on his conjecture from before.


    As Ye Jinxian finished speaking, she saw that Jin Lan''s face was still indifferent, as if there were no changes at all. Ye Jinxian could not help but feel apprehensive in her heart.


    Normally, she didn''t talk much. Just listening to her general words would make people feel that she was provoking them ¡­


    Thinking about it this way, Ye Jinxian immediately found it hard to sit still. Just as she was thinking about how to continue, Jin Lan opened her mouth in time.


    "Thank you sister for your reminder, otherwise, it would be too late for me to accidentally cause a big mess one day."


    Hearing this, Ye Jinxian heaved a sigh of relief in her heart, and said hurriedly: "It''s just a small matter, I cannot thank you enough."


    Jin Lan pursed her lips and laughed, changing the topic and continued to chat with her, only to see Mu Lan bringing in her red lacquer painting square plate.


    On the plate were five fist-sized white porcelain bowls filled with tea scented with flowers.


    Ye Jinxian rejected her offer slightly, but was unable to change anything and had to be taken care of by the servant girl, and stayed for a while longer before leaving.


    The smile on Jin Lan''s face slowly disappeared after her figure disappeared outside the door.


    It seemed that the water in this mansion was deeper than she had expected. The person hiding in the bottom probably could not hold it in any longer!

 C139

    "Miss?" Seeing Jin Lan''s serious face, Mama Tang''s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the third lady said something bad?


    "Mama, don''t worry, I''m fine." Jin Lan calmed his emotions and smiled at Mama Tang, then turned to look at the direction Ye Jinxian left in, but in the blink of an eye, the gloomy look on his face had completely disappeared, and his expression was still as gentle as before, but his eyes revealed a cold light.


    Although the news of her returning to the clan would spread sooner or later, Ye Jinxian''s arrival was too "timely", and from the casual conversation just now, it could be seen that the culprit behind all of this was not Ye Jinxian, but the Concubine Ning who did not reveal herself!


    When he thought about Concubine Ning, who was gentle, gentle, and humble, and always wished that no one could see him, Jin Lan felt chills in his heart.


    No matter if it was her previous life or her current life, in her eyes, Concubine Ning was a person with a soft personality. However, it was precisely such a person that could be like the old lady, able to sense all the movements in the manor at any time ¡­


    For Ye Jinxian to be able to "coincidentally" meet Concubine Shao in the garden who had left the Shuixie Pavilion, it was probably her arrangements, right?


    Jin Lan sneered in his heart. How could there be so many coincidences in the world? This was clearly a show that had been prearranged. Not only did they include her, her third sister, her mother, the old lady and the Concubine Shao, all of their manners and actions were extremely detailed.


    However ¡­ If everything was as he had expected, then why did this extraordinary Concubine Ning send Ye Jinxian to the Lan Garden in such a rush?


    Was it to express goodwill? Or help?


    No! Jin Lan immediately denied this conjecture. If Concubine Ning really had such thoughts, her mother wouldn''t have reached such a state.


    Now, the only possibility was that something was pressing on so urgently that this meticulous Concubine Ning did not care about exposing the danger, and wanted to drag her, and even her mother, into it!


    It was not as warm as the room with the charcoal brazier. In addition, she was wearing only a thin jacket after bathing and changing clothes. Although she only stood there for a short while, she felt a chill in her heart.


    Mama Tang had always been concerned about Jin Lan, but when she saw her complexion alternating between green and white, and her body shivering now, she thought that she had frozen, and immediately advised her: "In the end, the weather these three months is still cold, young lady should quickly enter the house!"


    Mu Lan hurriedly lifted the curtain upon hearing her words.


    Jin Lan suppressed the churning thoughts in his heart, he nodded his head and turned, but just as he was about to return home, he saw a figure quickly trotting into the courtyard.


    "Auntie, Miss." Bi He obviously did not expect Jin Lan to be at the door. Looking at the posture that seemed to be waiting for him, his face suddenly flashed with panic, and he quickly lowered his head and bowed.


    Perhaps it was because she was jogging along the way, but her originally neatly combed hair was slightly loose and draped behind her back. The hairpin on her head was crooked and her chest was rapidly rising and falling.


    Jin Lan only gave an indifferent glance before lowering his eyes.


    Just now, she had accompanied Doctor Gong to a place not far away from the drooping flower gate, only a small distance away. Since she had turned around and returned to the Lan Garden, she had showered, changed her clothes, and chatted with her third sister.


    Even if it was an old turtle, it was enough for him to crawl back and forth.


    Jin Lan did not make a sound, and Bi He''s heart was in turmoil, but he did not dare to stand straight. It was unknown if it was because of the cold or the panic he was feeling, but his body was slightly trembling, as though several years had passed. Just when her legs were about to give in and she was about to collapse from the pressure, a heavenly voice finally came from above her head.


    "Get up."


    Bi He was overjoyed in her heart as she hurriedly replied, "Yes." With that, she suppressed the soreness in her legs and slowly stood up.


    Seeing the relieved look on her face, Jin Lan suddenly smiled. "Did Doctor Gong send us out?"


    Bi He was slightly relieved, and hurriedly replied: "As lady has instructed, I have already been sent out."


    "Since that''s the case, you''ve worked hard all the way here, so you don''t have to wait on the main house today." Jin Lan glanced at her again before turning around and entering the room.


    Naturally, Mama Tang and Mu Lan followed closely behind.


    Bi He looked at the door curtain with a complicated expression, then quickly returned to the west wing.


    It was still early in the morning, so when the Mama Tang saw the exhaustion on Jin Lan''s face, she urged her to rest.


    Jin Lan wanted to go to the old lady''s room to pay his respects later, so he obediently climbed up, lying on the soft pillow.


    During these two months of travel, she rarely slept, but now that she had returned to the manor and personally confirmed her mother''s safety, her tightened heartstrings had relaxed a bit. Although she felt tired, there were some things that she wouldn''t be able to do until she was done with them.


    The Mama Tang tucked him in, and let Mu Lan place the charcoal pot in the corner. In a short while, the pot became warm.


    "Mama, sit." Jin Lan opened his closed eyes and patted the edge of the bed as he spoke softly.


    Mama Tang was full of love as she sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at Jin Lan''s face that was getting sharper and felt a bit sour on the tip of his nose.


    The corners of Jin Lan''s mouth curled up slightly. She had been in constant fear all day in the capital. In addition to the severe weather, her body was weak. It would be strange if she didn''t lose weight.


    But her thoughts were not on it, after asking Mama Tang to sit, she quietly ordered Mu Lan to close the door.


    As a result, Mama Tang and Mu Lan had a better understanding of the situation outside. After carefully looking into the situation outside, Mu Lan then closed the doors and windows one by one.


    "Do you have any news of the matter that I asked the Mama to investigate before we left the capital?" After quietly pondering for a moment, Jin Lan looked at Mama Tang, his tone filled with urgency.


    The Mama Tang nodded her head, "Miss has guessed it right. The last time Wan Ju went missing, there was indeed someone behind the scenes."


    Jin Lan''s eyes slightly narrowed. His hand gripping the quilt tightened. "Who is it?"


    "It''s Third Master Lu''s nephew from the Yue Clan." Without any hesitation, Mama Tang told everyone what she knew.


    Third Master Lu? Jin Lan froze. The name sounded familiar, but he had no impression of it.


    Mama Tang was not surprised by the doubt on Jin Lan''s face. She was also puzzled for a long time, and only came to a sudden realization after she discovered the relationship behind Jin Lan, "I''m afraid Miss has forgotten that our mansion has an aunt with the surname Lu."


    Aunt Lu? Jin Lan''s blank eyes suddenly turned cold, it was the Concubine Shao!


    Concubine Shao''s original surname was Lu! Not many people in the estate knew about this, but she was one of them.


    It really was her!


    When Wan Ju had gone missing, Jin Lan had suspected in his heart. However, he couldn''t find any evidence nor any clues, which was why he couldn''t find the answer to the question.


    Now ¡­ She took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and then asked: "Is this sure? Have you found any evidence? "


    "This is absolutely true!" Mama Tang pondered for a moment, then continued: "After Miss left, not more than a month ago, San-er had been thinking of ways to find out about the medicine store, San-er said that it was not appropriate to alert the enemy, and could only do so secretly, thus the results were minimal. Until one day, San''er captured a little beggar, who accidentally saw the portrait Wan Ju drew, and begged for mercy before saying that she recognized the person on the portrait.


    Little beggar? Jin Lan was slightly startled, but in his heart, he was suspicious. Could this little beggar have been arranged by someone else?


    But when he thought about it again, he felt that he was like a grass and wood in a war.


    Other than her and Mama Tang, no one else knew about it. Even the person who drew the portrait, Wan Ju, did not know who was the one that was scouting outside, so how could other people know about it?


    After figuring out the crux of the matter, only then did Jin Lan''s calm expression relax a little. She lightly nodded towards Mama Tang, indicating her to continue.


    "The little beggar brought Little San''er to a gambling den in the north of the city. Within two days, they met the person in the portrait! San''er used some methods to get close to that person, and it wasn''t until a few days ago that she figured out his identity. "


    The Mama Tang could not help but stroke her chest as she spoke. Although she said it lightly, it was actually extremely dangerous, that person was a lewd person who gambled with everything and did nothing, and was also cunning, almost causing San''er to fall for his trap.


    It was a good thing that they managed to capture him safely.


    Jin Lan suppressed the excitement in his heart and quickly went through everything from start to finish. Only when he had a few ideas in his mind did he ask, "Has that person taken control of him now?"


    The Mama Tang nodded, "San''er kidnapped him and locked him up in the cellar in the backyard of the shop. Every single day, I have to watch them personally, I won''t be able to escape. " Then, he thought for a while and asked, "How does the lady plan to deal with this person?"


    "Let''s keep them locked up for the time being. We just don''t want them to escape." Now that the Concubine Shao was in the limelight, it would not be wise to go head-to-head with it. Moreover, there was Concubine Ning''s plan before her, so she felt that there was something she had not figured out yet.


    If he didn''t make sense of the situation, he might lose out to the other party if he were to rashly make a move.


    Although Mama Tang didn''t understand Jin Lan''s thoughts, she didn''t say much. The young lady had grown up and had her own ideas, they only needed to listen to his instructions.


    The inside of the house was quiet for a while, then Jin Lan spoke again, and asked Mu Lan about the matters inside.


    Mu Lan reported what Jin Lan had told him before she left little by little. The things she told her were more or less the same as what Ye Jinxian had said before.


    The only thing that was out of her expectations was this.


    It meant that Yan Rong, who was in front of the old lady, had her face opened up to become Ye Lin''s concubine!


    No wonder when she saw Yan Rong just now, she was combing her woman''s hair.


    The old lady was really scheming! Jin Lan harrumphed coldly in his heart. His mother was in bed, and Concubine Shao had left her behind.


    He just did not expect it to be so fast, and the one he chose was Yan Rong.


    His life and his previous life had already gradually become distant. No matter what the old lady did, she would not change, and she would never be wrong!


    After some consideration, Jin Lan decided to put this matter at the back of his mind for now. He made some plans with Mama Tang and Mu Lan before deciding on a course of action.


    "Miss." Mama Tang suddenly asked: "Then Bi He..."


    Jin Lan said faintly, "Whatever we did before, we''ll do in the future. Let others keep an eye on us. Just don''t let them find out."


    "It''s not good to have more eyes in the room. Why don''t you go and deal with the lady?" Mama Tang was confused. There was something wrong with Bi He, even she could tell that, how could this lady not know?


    Eyes? The corners of Jin Lan''s mouth curled up in a cold smile. That''s right, it wouldn''t be appropriate to have two extra pairs of eyes from other people.


    However, she might be able to use the eyes of others.


    She closed her eyes for a long time, and said as if she was sighing, "Bi He has been by my side for quite a while now."


    Sometimes, it was not a good thing to know a person''s habits too well!


    "Miss?" Mama Tang and Mu Lan were both startled.


    Jin Lan quickly opened his eyes, and all the disappointment from before was gone. His eyes became clear, and she ordered Mu Lan: "Go and call Wan Ju over, I have some things to tell her."

 C140

    It was not yet dusk, and a silver, silky spring rain was falling. Wet moisture was seeping into the room through the gaps between the doors and windows, bringing with it a cold that made people shiver.


    Jin Lan rested for a moment, then stood up to wash up, preparing to pay respects to the old lady at Jiayu Hall.


    "Miss, this servant can''t stop seeing the rain outside for quite some time. Should we wait until morning before leaving?" As Mama Tang helped Jin Lan change his clothes, she advised, "The old lady has just received news that young lady has returned home today, so she will appreciate young lady''s efforts."


    Jin Lan raised his eyes to the slightly ajar window, looked at the drizzling and misty courtyard, then shook his head gently, "Why wait until tomorrow morning when things are going to come to an end? Besides, the old lady loves me dearly. As a junior, how could I not know what''s good for me? "


    When she returned to the residence, she immediately went to her mother''s place. Adding the incident at Concubine Shao, although the old lady didn''t say anything, she was definitely unhappy. If he delayed it until the next day, it would be even harder for him to say anything.


    And the rain seemed a sad thing to others, but to her it was a heavenly beauty.


    Therefore, how could he not go?


    When Mama Tang heard this, she knew that she was determined to go to Jiayu Hall, so she could only change her mind to persuade him.


    Not long after, Jin Lan had changed into a thick, yellow, flower-lined coat with fine silk lining. He wore white rice and white geese, and a plush plaid dress with a cloud pattern embroidered on her waist.


    Mu Lan took out a silvery-white, bottom colored, jade-patterned, brocade satin cloak from the rack and put it on her. She checked the cloak with Mama Tang a few times, to ensure that Jin Lan would not freeze after she left.


    The moment the closed door opened, water vapor that filled the sky poured onto their faces, giving them an ice-cold feeling.


    Jin Lan took a deep breath, tidied up the cloak on her body, and swept her gaze across the western wing unwittingly. Then, Mu Lan held onto the green bamboo paper umbrella, and slowly walked into the curtain of rain.


    Mama Tang was not by her side, the legal wife needed to be watched by people she could trust, but it was inconvenient for Mu Lan to be the only one there, so the Mama Tang called out to her twice, allowing Wen Zhu to follow along.


    It was still early in the morning, but the continuous drizzling rain was like a thin layer of smoke that covered the entire mansion. The strange trees and stones that could normally be seen clearly, the pavilions and pavilions were all misty, giving off a unique beauty.


    It was a pity that Jin Lanxin wasn''t here. After walking slowly across the small bridge and passing through the water, and passing through the small rear garden, he sped up his pace after entering the corridor, moving towards the Jiayu Hall without stopping.


    Just as the two oil-paper umbrellas arrived at the Jiayu Hall gate, the servants who were hiding under the eaves saw them with their sharp eyes. They hurriedly went forward to pay their respects, then led Jin Lan towards the main house.


    "The old lady just passed down the instructions for dinner, and the young lady just happened to come over. Miss Yan Rong and Pin Yue are currently waiting on them inside." The old granny led Jin Lan to the eaves of the house, and just as she was about to pull up the curtains, she saw Mu Lan and Wen Zhu following behind her.


    The Old Granny didn''t like too many people surrounding her when she was eating. This was a well-known rule in the Ye Family.


    However, it was not impossible for one or two maidservants to survive. It was likely that the old lady had intentionally done so.


    Jin Lan smiled faintly. "Wait outside for now."


    When the old woman heard Jin Lan''s words, she immediately smiled and said, "It''s raining today, the cold air is heavy, and the old lady feels sorry for the servants. She specially instructed the servants to prepare some hot tea and some snacks in the Side Chamber so that the servants can rest."


    The meaning in his words was that they couldn''t even guard outside?


    Jin Lan''s heart sank a little. This was to keep the people around her far away.


    A trace of nervousness flashed past Mu Lan and Wen Zhu''s eyes. They simultaneously looked at Jin Lan, only to see that their young lady''s expression did not change, and still had a gentle smile on her face, her gaze as calm as water.


    "Since that''s the case, rest at Side Chamber. You cannot forget the old lady''s grace." In just a short moment, Jin Lan had already answered with a smile.


    Perhaps it was due to Jin Lan''s calmness that Mu Lan and Wen Zhu''s hearts slowly calmed down. They respectfully paid their respects: "Yes."


    "Please, miss." After Jin Lan entered the room, she personally brought Mu Lan and Wen Zhu to the Side Chamber.


    Sensing that the curtain behind him had fallen, Jin Lan stabilized her mind, and immediately saw Pin Yue walking out from the inner room.


    "Second Miss." Pin Yue beamed as she blessed herself, "The old lady heard that the Second Miss is here, and told you to quickly enter."


    "Is the old lady eating?" Jin Lan had an obedient smile on his face. With his white fingertips, he untied the silk belt around his neck and removed the cloak that was covered in water vapor.


    Pin Yue quickly took the cape and smiled: "I only touched it a few times."


    Jin Lan nodded and walked inside.


    In the inner and outer room, other than the bead curtain in front of the door, there was also the four sandalwood Immortal Crane Soaring Cloud Lingzhi''s glass screen. The golden wave nimbly circled around the screen, but did not see the old lady, only Yan Rong was busy packing up the things on the table.


    "Second Miss." Seeing Jin Lan come in, Yan Rong immediately stopped what she was doing and bowed. Although she was no longer an ordinary maid, she was still a servant in front of Jin Lan.


    Jin Lan glanced at the dishes on the table. Red oil belly silk, Seven jade soup, dried goose with rouge ¡­ They were almost all the old lady''s favorite dishes, but seeing that the plates and plates were still in good condition, and thinking back to what Pin Yue had said just now, she could not help but frown, "Didn''t Grandmother just pass down the food? It looks like they''re going to take it before it even moves? "


    Yan Rong looked at Jin Lan''s concerned expression, and said helplessly: "From the start of the new year, this old woman''s appetite has been declining, and a few days ago, I was able to use a small bowl. I don''t know why, but I took my leave today with just a few movements."


    Was he trying to say that the old lady was like this because she was mad at him? Jin Lan glanced at Yan Rong and spoke indifferently: "The new year has just passed, and we have a feast full of fish and meat. I''m afraid that the old lady is sick of it, but we are still short on meat, how can we eat? "You can take all of this and get the kitchen to prepare some porridge dishes to bring over to us." Without waiting for Yan Rong''s reaction, she headed inside.


    Jiayu Hall was the biggest courtyard in the manor, and the inner rooms were also separated by two levels.


    Old Madame Ye was lying on her bed with her eyes closed, half lying on top of the Twin Moon Caves. On his forehead was a thumb-sized, emerald gold thread that was rolling and rubbing against his forehead. Her expression was slightly dispirited, completely different from the usual Grand Matriarch.


    Mama Wu, who had been serving Old Madame Ye for most of her life, personally carried her and punched her legs. When she saw Jin Lan, she stopped and prepared to stand up to pay her respects, but she smiled and called out in advance: "Second Miss is here."


    He seemed to be greeting Jin Lan, but he also seemed to be reminding the old lady.


    The Mama Wu was someone that the Old Granny relied on so heavily, that even Yan Rong could not compare to her.


    Their voices were not loud, but it was enough for the people inside the room to hear them loud enough. However, Old Madame Ye acted like she was sleeping, and did not move an inch.


    Mama Wu did not say much, but continued to beat on Old Granny''s legs, and the room immediately quieted down.


    Jin Lan lowered her eyes. It seemed like the old lady was really angry. She really wanted to beat him up, but since the old lady didn''t say anything, she could only wait on the side.


    As time slowly passed, the Old Madame Ye showed no signs of waking up.


    Suddenly, he took two steps forward, and looked at the old lady who still had her eyes closed, and said worriedly: "I heard from Yan Rong that Grandmother''s appetite is not good, and now that Grandmother seems much more haggard, in my opinion, it would be better to call a doctor." As he spoke, he turned around and was about to leave.


    Mama Wu did not expect her to leave just like that, so she was stunned for a moment.


    Old Madame Ye was already waiting for Jin Lan to deliver himself to her doorstep, so how could he let her go now? She didn''t even bother to pretend to be asleep as she opened her eyes and asked in a tender voice: "Is it Lan Er?"


    "Grandmother." Jin Lan had never planned to leave from the start. Upon hearing the old lady''s voice, she immediately stopped, and said, "It''s not the right time for Lan Er to come, I''ve troubled Grandmother." She bowed as she spoke.


    The dark color in Old Madame Ye''s eyes was thick, she waved her hand, gesturing for Jin Lan to come forward, "Quickly come over and let Grandmother have a good look."


    Jin Lan had no choice but to follow her orders. Mama Wu quickly stood to the side, and she agilely sat down on the edge of the bed.


    Old Madame Ye held Jin Lan''s hand and scrutinized Jin Lan: "I lost weight. I didn''t really take a good look at your mother earlier. It seems like it will be difficult for you this time in the capital."


    Jin Lan only smiled respectfully but didn''t reply.


    When it came to the matter of his mother''s room in the morning, it would inevitably involve the Concubine Shao, and the capital city was related to the ancestor of the family.


    Seeing that Jin Lan did not speak, the black color in Old Madame Ye''s eyes grew thicker.


    It seemed like this grandson and daughter he doted on since he was young had become more and more difficult to control.


    If it was in the past, that sort of intentional indifference would have caused her to panic. After that, she would have been able to dig out everything no matter what.


    But now ¡­


    Old Madame Ye''s gaze fell on Jin Lan''s palm-sized face. With this girl''s looks, she might have a chance to deal with the family matters, but she was unsure if she had succeeded. There was also Jin Wei who was still in the capital ¡­


    The more he thought about it, the more he hated the Madame SHen. If she did not take advantage of the time he was in to go to the capital to do something, she would not have allowed the Jin Girl Lan to leave the Jiayu Hall.


    After he thought about it for a while, Old Madame Ye''s attitude became more amiable, as though he was his grandchild''s son. She pulled Jin Lan and asked him a few questions that were not too painful.


    Jin Lan answered them one by one, the smile on his face unchanged as his heart slowly grew heavy. The old lady was obviously still angry, or else she wouldn''t have hit him right from the start. Now that she was like this, she probably had other plans in mind.


    Old Madame Ye listened and nodded. After a long while, she sighed, "Ever since you two sisters went to the capital, this Jiayu Hall has become colder and colder." There was even a hint of bleakness in her tone.


    "Grandmother." Jin Lan was slightly startled. When his gaze landed on the old lady''s snow-white temples, he suddenly felt a tingling in his heart. No matter what, the old lady had truly doted on her before.


    Old Madame Ye clapped her small hands together and smiled benevolently. "I still remember when you were young, you lived in the Jade Curtain Pavilion with Yu Ge''er.


    "At that time, the Yu Ge''er was mischievous and could not have been watched by anyone. The Second Miss was still the best. Mama Wu answered with a smile.


    After the Old Madame Ye heard Mama Wu''s words, she looked at Jin Lan and nodded. She then sighed, "That''s right, Girl Lan is still the best.


    "Where did Grandmother say that, why would Lan Er dislike Grandmother? I was afraid that Grandmother would not want Lan Er! " Jin Lan lowered his eyebrows and looked at Feng Feiyun obediently.


    "If the old lady likes it, you can ask Second Miss to bring back his Jiayu Hall, isn''t that better?"


    Jin Lan was shocked, and quickly raised his head, but when he saw Old Madame Ye''s meaningful gaze, his heart immediately sank to the bottom.


    No wonder the old lady suddenly changed her mind!

 C141

    In the evening, the drizzling rain that lasted for almost an entire afternoon gradually stopped. A smear of dark red drifted from the horizon, blending with the gray twilight. The air was filled with the freshness after the rain, yet also carried a hint of coolness.


    Jin Lan unconsciously pulled up the cloak on his body. The cloak that he was originally wearing was soaked with water vapor, so the old lady ordered someone to take out the peacock pattern, red and gold plate pomegranate cloak that was embroidered for her.


    Viper peacock tails were wrapped around the pomegranates that were embroidered with golden threads. Occasionally, the pomegranates that were revealed were inlaid with rubies that were grinded to the same size as rice grains. The entire cloak was extremely luxurious. The sky had already darkened. If it was daytime, it would be even more dazzling.


    I heard that this cloak belongs to the old lady. In her previous life, she had seen it once before, before her wedding, in a make-up case that the old lady sent over.


    Yet, he was already wearing it on her body. It was truly like a toy.


    Jin Lan laughed coldly in his heart and tossed this matter to the back of his mind.


    No matter what the old lady did, it was all for those purposes. At the very least, what she wanted to do now was similar to what the old lady had thought. Perhaps it would be easier to borrow the old lady''s hand.


    Mu Lan and Wen Zhu sat inside the Side Chamber uneasily until Jin Lan came out safely. Only then did they heave a huge sigh of relief.


    Jin Lan suddenly raised her hand to hold onto the hairpin, and used it to obstruct the Mama Wu as she quickly gave Mu Lan a meaningful glance.


    Seeing that, Mu Lan could only suppress the questions on his mouth.


    The Mama Wu ordered for two palace lamps to be brought out and said smilingly: "The sky is getting darker and the road behind the rain is slippery, so young lady should be more careful on your way." With that, she withdrew her smile and instructed Mu Lan Wen Zhu: "You must take good care of this lady!"


    Mu Lan and Wen Zhu accepted the lantern and replied respectfully: "Yes."


    Jin Lan made up a few casual words with the Mama Wu, and then released his Jiayu Hall under the crowd of people.


    Returning to the Lan Garden, Jin Lan asked the old gatekeeper to bolt the door early, then called Mama Tang and Mu Lan into the house. Only then did he tell her what had happened in the old lady''s room.


    Mu Lan could no longer hold it in and anxiously asked: "Miss, how can you agree to this old lady''s request?"


    Jin Lan looked at Mu Lan, who then realized that he had misspoken and immediately shut his mouth, his expression stuttering.


    The Mama Tang also did not expect that just by paying her respects, she would already be trapped inside the Jiayu Hall. But in the end, she understood Jin Lan better than Mu Lan, and knew that this decision had its own reasons. After thinking for a moment, she said, "If young lady stays by the old lady''s side, what about the old lady''s side?"


    Jin Lan then said slowly: "This is what I want to say. Since the old lady is determined to keep me in the Jiayu Hall, there is a high chance that I have something to do with mother. She is simply afraid that Mother will use me to make things difficult for Concubine Shao or hurt her stomach. Since mother and I don''t want to talk about it, so what if we agree to the old lady''s request? Besides, if I live in the old lady''s house, I might even be able to make those hidden people jump out accidentally. "


    Now, she just felt that the water in the mansion wasn''t enough.


    The poison in his mother''s body should be dispelled as soon as possible, but with the old lady''s plans and Concubine Ning''s plans, as well as the Concubine Shao with a big belly, they couldn''t avoid the poison even if they couldn''t avoid it. They had to completely muddy the water in order to find an opportunity.


    After pondering for a moment, she raised her head and asked: "Mama, have you delivered the things I asked you to send?"


    Mama Tang hurriedly nodded, "Don''t worry miss, this servant has already ordered some people to deliver the items to the Meng Mansion, I think that there will be news in two days."


    Jin Lan calmed down a little. Based on her relationship with Meng Ruhan, this small matter was nothing to her.


    After giving a few words of advice, she sent Mu Lan out, tightly gripped Mama Tang''s hands and said seriously: "Mama, from tomorrow onwards, you must personally help with the things that are sent to Shuixie Pavilion, you must definitely not do it yourself! Even when you are in my mother''s room, you have to personally attend to her, and do not let a third person get their hands on you, even Man Ping who is in front of my mother cannot! " With that, she thought for a while, then added, "If you meet Doctor Gong, it will be fine."


    Mama Tang also knew that this was a big matter. She nodded her head heavily and replied solemnly: "Young lady, please rest assured. I will save it all!"


    "In that case, I''ll leave the Lan Garden to Mama." In this house right now, the Mama Tang was the person she trusted the most.


    However, this matter was related to her mother''s safety. Although the matters of the Doctor Gong were already settled, both internally and externally, she was still unable to relax even a little.


    No matter what, she had to protect her mother and not let the evil scheme from her previous life succeed!


    Early in the morning on the second day, Jin Lan brought Mu Lan to the Jiayu Hall to pay respects to the old lady.


    Once this matter had been spread, the seemingly harmonious Ye Mansion undercurrents became even more anxious. Although the Madame SHen was anxious, she did not say much;


    "I knew it wouldn''t be a good thing for that damned girl to come back. She managed to win over the old lady in just a few days. What''s the point in trying to recruit her?" "That slut from before was almost unable to get up, but now, her spirit is getting better and better every day, and she could even wander around the garden yesterday. Seeing her smiling face, how could she be a dying person?"


    Su Xin glanced at her protruding abdomen, and pretended to be helpless: "Now that Second Miss is coaxing the old lady, and even the old lady''s expression towards my wife is much better, all sorts of tonics are being given to the Shuixie Pavilion, my wife is naturally more spirited than before."


    After the Concubine Shao heard this, her anger flared up even more. A demonic fire burned in her heart, and she used the teacup on the table to smash it onto Su Xin''s body, "Do you think you need to tell me about this? If I had said earlier, all of you would have been more nimble. You all drag your feet and think that I wouldn''t be able to see clearly if I was blind? "


    The cup of tea heavily smashed onto Su Xin''s body, it was extremely painful, but luckily the tea water inside had become warm, if not for the spring clothes on her body, she would have been scalded.


    Su Xin''s heart was filled with hatred, but her face still had a look of fear. She couldn''t be bothered with the broken teacup on the floor, and kneeled on the ground with a thump to defend herself: "This servant knows my wrongs, Aunt, calm down, don''t hurt my own body."


    Concubine Shao looked on coldly, only after a long while did the anger in her heart dissipate, and said snappily: "Alright, you can get up."


    Su Xin then quickly got up, endured the pain on her knees, and went up to support Concubine Shao, carefully sitting on the soft couch. She then neatly cleaned up the mess on the ground and brewed some tea, which was then sent up.


    The fragrance of tea lingered around the room as Su Xin waited quietly by the side. After Concubine Shao''s complexion gradually recovered, she opened her mouth and said softly: "According to Steward Li''s schedule, Mo will take another half a month to return home, and this servant did not expect that Second Miss would suddenly return."


    Seeing that she did not react, Su Xin continued to speak: "With Second Miss in front of Madam, if we take action again, I''m afraid that Second Miss will sense us. After all, Second Miss is not a wife. " She would trust the people in the Shuixie Pavilion to the end.


    The Concubine Shao thought for a bit, then said: "That''s true, that damned girl is really crafty, if she is not careful, she would take the chance to kill me."


    Su Xin nodded her head and continued in a low voice: "Now, Second Miss is serving in front of the old lady, he does not have free time all day, he even has less time to go to my house, with the old lady meddling, my wife will feel more at ease too."


    "You mean ¡­" Concubine Shao suspiciously sized up Su Xin for a good while, then suddenly his eyes lit up, "That''s right, I forgot about this, I believe that all the food in Shuixie Pavilion should be handed over to the old lady. According to the old lady''s thoughts, I definitely do not want the mother and daughter to get close, as long as the old lady gets caught up in that damned girl ¡­" After she finished speaking, she coldly snorted, her eyes filled with venom.


    Although she hated that Madame SHen slut for blocking her way, she also blamed the old lady.


    How many unclean things had she been doing all these years, and what hadn''t the old lady taught her? In the end, not only did the old bastard not gain any benefits, he even took Yan Rong out to fight against her!


    When she thought about how her master was resting in Yan Rong''s room all night, it was as if her heart was bitten by a poisonous snake. She wanted to tear the little slut apart on the spot!


    Although she loved Yu Ge''er dearly, she still treated him coldly. The peacock pattern, vermilion plate, golden-embroidered pomegranate cloak that she had secretly begged countless times for First Miss to not let go, she had easily given it to that damned girl.


    If he had that cape long ago, perhaps the First Miss would have been able to show his face in the capital!


    The more he thought about it, the harder it became for Concubine Shao to sit still, the more the handkerchief in her hand was almost torn apart by sher. Her initially hesitant heart immediately settled, and her sharp eyes stared at Su Xin as he viciously spoke: "This way, find an opportunity to secretly go to Shuixie Pavilion, and let that person settle this matter as soon as possible!"


    "Yes." Su Xin lowered her head and replied, a strange light flashing through her eyes.


    Three days later, the Meng Family invitation arrived in front of Jin Lan. Looking at the graceful little boy on the card, Jin Lan''s heart finally calmed down a bit.


    As soon as she returned, she wrote a letter and had the Mama Tang secretly send it to the Meng Mansion.


    It was a very elegant affair for a girl to admire a flower on a spring day. A piece of Meng Mansion Paste was enough for her to walk out of the Ye Family confidently while concealing it from the eyes of others at the same time.


    "Since that''s the case, you can go. I saw that young lady from Meng Family last time, and they were also good acquaintances." Old Madame Ye squinted her eyes as she read the invitation, but she was not opposed to it, "Just remember this, in Meng Mansion, you can''t compare to your family, so don''t be rude!"


    "Grandmother, rest assured, Lan Er will definitely not do anything that would disgrace our Ye Family." Seeing that the old lady didn''t stop him, Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief and replied obediently.


    The Flower Viewing Banquet was only the predetermined reason. She wanted to use this opportunity to personally find the shopkeeper with the surname ''Shi''!

 C142

    Early in the morning, a carriage drove out from the Ye Mansion gate, and after walking for nearly two hours, they slowly entered the Meng Mansion gate. According to tradition, the carriage stopped outside the second door, Mu Lan raised the curtain, and Jin Lan saw that the one waiting at the side was Madam Meng''s side, the first servant, Qing Yu.


    Qing Yu walked up to Jin Lan with a smile, bent his knees, and bowed, "Miss Ye has finally arrived. Our family''s young lady has been looking forward to it since she woke up, and has asked about it many times already."


    Recalling Meng Ruhan''s weird appearance, Jin Lan couldn''t help but laugh, "I came late, I''ll personally apologize to Sister Ruhan later."


    Qing Yu laughed, and was preparing to lead Jin Lan into the garden, but when she saw the two servants following closely behind, she laughed and said: "The young ladies are enjoying the flowers in the garden, I''m afraid that they will need to finish their lunch before leaving. Madam has specially instructed me to prepare some hot tea in the second hall, let the two Mama s and the big brother who is driving the carriage rest first."


    The two women, one tall and one short, who followed the carriage, were specially arranged by the Old Granny to follow them, to look at Jin Lan, just in case anything happened. Now that Qing Yu had mentioned it, they started to hesitate.


    Seeing the two wives hesitating on the spot, Jin Lan lowered his eyes, covering the cold glint that flashed in the bottom of his eyes. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly, and he said in a bland voice: "Two Mama s, wait in the small hall.


    Hearing that, Qing Yu knew that the two were not Jin Lan''s close friends, and immediately laughed: "Madam has specially cleared out the random people in the garden, only the girls are here to enjoy the flowers."


    The meaning of his words was that if all the young ladies at the side acted in such a way, then Ye Family''s actions must be really a little overboard.


    Among these two wives, the tall one was the old lady''s confidante with the surname Wang. Normally, the mansion called her ''Lady Wang'' and she was quite quick-witted. She immediately knew that she shouldn''t dream of following the young lady today. He didn''t continue to persist and bowed to Jin Lan with a smile before retreating to the side.


    Qing Yu nodded her head in satisfaction, she then called over Little Maid who was waiting by the side, and had her lead the two grandmothers towards the hall, and only after doing so did she lead Jin Lan and the rest into the Inner Court.


    Watching as the golden tide moved further and further away, the short granny lightly pulled at the old granny Wang who was walking in front and whispered: "The old granny has instructed me to follow Second Miss closely."


    Old Lady Wang glared at the old woman, her face full of impatience. How could she not know of the things that the old lady had personally instructed her to do? However, this Meng Mansion was not like other people''s. Forget about the others, what if they angered Madam Meng, then when the time came, they would be the ones unlucky enough to run errands for them.


    Furthermore, the old lady was just worried that Second Miss might have some tricks up his sleeve. As long as she protected the carriage, would she still be able to escape?


    The old woman retracted her hand after being glared at. However, when she thought of the old lady, her eyes rolled and she muttered in embarrassment, "This errand was ordered by the old lady. If it was delayed ¡­"


    "What are you talking about?" Old Lady Wang saw that she was becoming more and more out of tune, and immediately said in a low voice with a sullen face: "Now that young lady is in Meng Mansion admiring the flowers, let''s keep watch here, don''t make any noise with other matters!"


    After being yelled at by Lady Wang, the woman immediately became obedient. She lowered her head and obediently followed behind Lady Wang, lifting her feet and entering the small hall.


    However, the two of them did not realise that although they were speaking softly along the way, they could still hear the Little Maid leading them as she walked out of the hall, and ran back into the garden.


    About half an hour later, an ordinary looking green carriage slowly drove out from the Meng Mansion''s back door. Waiting for the carriage to disappear around the corner of the alley, the opened back door suddenly slammed shut, as if it had never been opened before.


    The green caravan looked as inconspicuous as the road, but the interior of the carriage was very comfortable. In addition to the sofa-satin cushions and pillows, there were fine snacks to be had.


    Mu Lan sat at the front of the carriage uncomfortably, and only after the clamoring sounds outside became clearer, did she finally relax a little, but she anxiously asked: "Miss, are we out of Meng Mansion?"


    "Yes." From the start, she didn''t believe that the old lady would let her down. Although that old woman Wang''s identity was hidden, in her past life, she had served beside the old lady all day and all night, so what could she hide from her?


    If it was her previous life, she would definitely bring Grandma Wang and leave behind the Mama Tang. But now ¡­ A faint trace of ridicule flashed past Jin Lan''s eyes. She was no longer a young, ignorant, and random Second Miss.


    When the carriage reached the bustling city square, it stopped. Mu Lan lifted the curtain and jumped off the carriage quickly.


    It was not a fair today, there were not many people coming and going in the market, but Mama Tang and Mu Lan still carefully crowded around the golden light, afraid that they would be hit by it.


    Jin Lan looked around, then turned to Mu Lan and said: "Mother''s appetite has not been very good recently, I remember that Mother really loves to drink fragrant apricot nectar, there is a hundred year old shop that specializes in selling various fragrant nectar, go buy some, and bring it back for Mother to taste later."


    Mu Lan followed Jin Lan''s gaze and looked forward. Indeed, not far away, sshe saw a sweet nectar shop with a golden signboard, looking at the crowds of people in the shop from afar, he could not help but grin: "Lady''s eyes are really sharp, this servant will go right away." She started to run in that direction.


    Jin Lan smiled lightly, calling her back, "It''s rare for me to come out today. You bought a box of fragrant honey, and then you went to the Hundred Flavors Temple to buy two boxes of milk powder and fragrant cake. Yes, I also bought a box of cream crumbs and cinnamon nectar each."


    "What''s the point of buying so many pastries? If young lady wants to eat it, wouldn''t it be better for us to make it ourselves? " Mu Lan was confused, doesn''t this lady normally only eat Mama Tang made pastries? Why did she have to buy so much from the outside now?


    "If I told you to go, then go. Why are you asking me so many questions?" Mama Tang laughed and scolded Jin Lan while protecting him.


    Mu Lan secretly stuck out his tongue, then laughed: "Then miss, please wait for a moment, this servant will go buy it right away."


    After seeing Mu Lan''s figure nimbly shuttling through the crowd, Jin Lan withdrew her gaze and brought Mama Tang to the rice shop on the left.


    Moreover, with regards to Yan Ye, the less people knew about him, the better. Even in the letters he wrote to Meng Family, she had only mentioned the rice shop, he did not say a single word more.


    He was not afraid that the Meng Mansion would send people to investigate. His men were most likely extremely appropriate, otherwise, he would not have allowed her to find this person the moment he opened his mouth.


    Thinking about Yan Ye, a pair of eyes that were as deep as ink appeared before Jin Lan''s eyes.


    I wonder if the wounds on his body have healed? How are you doing in the capital? Looking at the clothes she was wearing that day and the carriage that allowed her to borrow the Northern Prince''s Mansion, she was probably not an ordinary person ¡­


    Mama Tang carefully guarded Jin Lan, but discovered that she seemed to be absent-minded. She couldn''t help but call out softly, "Miss, what''s wrong? But what''s wrong? "


    Jin Lan felt as if he was in a trance. He blinked a few times before regaining his senses. A faint layer of blush appeared on his delicate face. "It''s fine."


    After walking about a dozen or so steps, Jin Lan and Mama Tang stopped in front of a grain store.


    The shop was not big and looked rather new. On the door hung a plaque with the words "Zhou Ji Rice Shop" written neatly on it in golden paint.


    It seemed like this was the place. Mama Tang walked towards the interior with big steps, but she had no choice but to follow along.


    There was only a shop assistant who was in his early twenties watching them enter. When he saw them enter, he thought that they had arrived for business, so he greeted them enthusiastically, "My greetings to you, young lady. May I know if young lady wishes to buy some rice or noodles? We have a new batch of top-grade green rice in our shop. Each of them is sparkling and translucent like pearls, and they are extremely sweet and sweet. Do you want to take a look, young lady? "


    Jin Lan didn''t bother with superfluous words and asked straightforwardly, "This young man, is your shopkeeper surnamed Shi?"


    Seeing that they were not here to do business, the shop assistant became less excited, but said enthusiastically, "Miss must have found the wrong place. It is clearly written in this shop that it is Zhou Ji Rice Shop. Our shopkeeper''s surname is Zhou but not Shi."


    How could this be? Jin Lan was startled, she clearly remembered that he was surnamed Shi, even the Mama Zhu said he was a Manager Shi, how did he become surnamed Zhou? Could it be that he had found the wrong place?


    "Girl, is it here?" Mama Tang was also a little suspicious.


    Jin Lan shook his head and looked at the waiter. He asked softly, "Little brother, is there another restaurant nearby called Zhou Ji Rice Shop?"


    "Who doesn''t know about Yangzhou City? There''s only one Zhou Ji Rice Shop in the East Gate Market." The shop assistant said in surprise.


    Only one? Jin Lan''s heart chilled. ''Did I really remember wrongly?'' She couldn''t help but want to ask more, but before she could, she saw the shop assistant''s eyes light up as he took two steps forward to greet her. "Manager, you''re back."


    Jin Lan''s eyelids twitched heavily. He turned around and saw a middle-aged man of around forty striding into the shop.


    "Who are these two?" The shopkeeper couldn''t help but be stunned when he saw Jin Lan and the Mama Tang.


    "This lady is here to find a shopkeeper with the surname Shi, so I said they probably found the wrong place." The shop assistant blurted out the situation.


    "Oh?" The shopkeeper''s pupils constricted as he once again sized Jin Lan up. After a long while, he asked in a deep voice, "I wonder why Miss is looking for Manager Shi?"


    Even though there was a layer of green cloth separating them, Jin Lan could still detect his probing gaze. His heart immediately skipped a beat, and he replied: "An old friend from Lingji Temple has come to visit."


    The storekeeper nodded his head and turned to the storekeeper. He instructed: "Quickly, bring the jade-green rice ordered by the Li Residence to the storekeeper." After saying that, he extended his hand to Jin Lan and gestured, "Young lady, please come in."


    Jin Lan and Mama Tang looked at each other for a moment before following the shopkeeper into the inner hall.


    The shopkeeper invited them to sit and personally brewed tea for them before returning to the main topic at hand. He asked, "Although they are old friends, they seem to be strangers. Does Miss have any proof?"


    "Of course." Jin Lan lightly took off the bag tied around his waist. He stretched out two fingers and took out something from within. He held it in his hand and after a moment of hesitation, he opened it in front of the shopkeeper.


    When the shopkeeper saw this, his expression changed greatly!

 C143

    The shopkeeper stared unwaveringly at Jin Lan''s outstretched hand. He saw an oval jade pendant that was the size of an egg lying quietly on his white palm.


    This, this was the black jade pendant Master had always carried with him since childhood. To the Yan family, this was the symbol of the next generation''s inheritance. How did it end up in the hands of this little girl?


    The shopkeeper''s face was green and white, but he quickly regained his composure. He looked at Jin Lan with a complicated gaze and said with a deep voice, "This jade pendant is indeed my master''s."


    That being said, he could tell her the whereabouts of Manager Shi? Jin Lan blinked. Before he could rejoice, he keenly noticed that the aura of the rice shop owner in front of him had gradually changed.


    The people who had been standing in front of him were busy making a living, but at this moment, the momentum that had erupted was majestic like the warriors of the Jin Gang-Tie Ma who had gone to war!


    This person was no ordinary servant at all!


    Jin Lan''s pupils contracted slightly. Somehow, she suddenly recalled the bloody night that she had forgotten for a long time. The people who were dressed in ordinary clothes but battling to the death with the assassin in black.


    The thick smell of blood still lingered in her nose, and the dull sound of sharp blades stabbing into flesh seemed to echo in her ears once again. There was also that murderous cold glint and the hand that had suddenly appeared in front of her ¡­


    In that instant, her face hidden behind the azure veil turned white as snow, and her slim body trembled. That night was a nightmare that she had deliberately forgotten but had never shaken off.


    "Miss, what''s wrong?" Mama Tang had been guarding Jin Lan the entire time. She immediately noticed that something was amiss and immediately reached out to support her trembling body, but the ice-cold feeling in her hands caused her to turn pale with fright. "Miss, where are you feeling uncomfortable?"


    She had only taken two steps when she was stopped by Jin Lan, "Mama, do not worry, I''m fine."


    "But ¡­" Mama Tang had a face full of worry. Although she couldn''t see Jin Lan''s expression, but through her cold little hands, she was able to find out that the young lady was hiding something.


    Jin Lan took a deep breath, stabilizing his churning thoughts, he slowly pushed away the hand that the Mama Tang was supporting and comforted softly: "Don''t worry, Mama." With that, he turned his head to look at the pair of probing eyes, and tried his best to speak in a calm tone: "Since the shopkeeper has already confirmed the evidence, do you want to inform me of Manager Shi''s whereabouts now?"


    As she spoke, she didn''t seem to notice that her small hand was tightly grasping the jade pendant.


    "Of course." The shopkeeper nodded his head, a look of admiration flashing past his eyes. He seemed to have watched Yan Ye grow up bit by bit, and was also clear about what Master was thinking.


    Just his determination was enough to make people look at him in a new light. One had to know that he was a soldier that crawled out from a pile of dead people on the battlefield. Even if it was an adult male, they would still not be able to withstand his pressure, let alone a ten year old girl.


    As he thought about it, his expression gradually slowed down, as if he had once again become a plain and simple commoner within the Yangzhou City. Only that pair of long and narrow eyes still flickered with a faintly discernible light.


    "It''s you?" Jin Lan and the Mama Tang looked at Manager Shi in shock. Didn''t the shop assistant outside say that the shopkeeper''s surname was Zhou? Why did he say that he was Manager Shi now?


    As if seeing through the doubt in Jin Lan''s heart, Manager Shi laughed out loud. "Regardless of whether I''m surnamed Zhou or Shi, Miss only needs to remember that I am the person you are looking for." With a wave of his hand, Jin Lan and his companion waited patiently in the inner hall. Then, he turned and entered the inner room.


    "Miss." Mama Tang looked at Manager Shi''s cold and passionate appearance and felt really uneasy. She had the thought of persuading Jin Lan to take this opportunity to leave.


    Jin Lan shook her head, ever since she had guessed that Yan Ye''s identity was not simple, Manager Shi''s act of deceiving others was actually extremely appropriate in her eyes.


    Sighing silently, she carefully put the black jade pendant back into her bag, then firmly tied it to her body.


    With regards to the jade pendant he was wearing, Jin Lan was somewhat confused. She should have returned it to its original owner in the capital, but after entering the ancestral home, everything became the same. She forgot about it in her panic.


    Fortunately, he had forgotten about it. Otherwise, he really would not know how to obtain the trust of this cautious Manager Shi.


    Just as Jin Lan kept his jade, Manager Shi carefully walked out with a purple brown wooden box that was about half a finger wide and about a foot long. In an instant, a faint fragrance filled the entire hall, causing everyone''s spirits to rise.


    "This is ¡­" Despite her two lifetimes of experience and experience in the capital, she could not see anything unusual about the wooden box. However, when she thought about the contents inside, no matter how hard she tried to remain calm, she could not suppress her pounding heart.


    Manager Shi gently placed the wooden box on a carved round table at the side before letting out a sigh of relief, "This is what the young lady is looking for."


    "Snow, Snow Twig!" She wished that she could immediately open it and see if it was the Snow Twig that she had been waiting for. But she finally understood in her heart, these precious herbs, there might be some sort of special method, but she did not want to rashly ruin the medicine, and then it would be too late for her to cry.


    After thinking about it for a moment, she calmed her agitated heart and bowed to the Manager Shi with a serious face, "I will not say my thanks for this great favor. In the future, if there is anything I can do to help, the Ye family will not refuse it even if it costs them their lives!"


    He was saying this to the Manager Shi, but the promise he made was towards Yan Ye who was far away in the capital.


    He slightly pushed the wooden box towards Jin Lan, "The Snow Twig lives in an extremely cold place, if you don''t have this top-grade water as the box and the cold jade as the base, it would not last more than a day, let alone the Yangzhou that is thousands of miles away. When all the other medicinal ingredients have been prepared, they can be opened before the pot is boiled. Quickly, take out the Snow Twig and throw it into the jar, don''t open it too early. "


    "Thank you, Manager Shi, for telling me." Although Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s antidote had also mentioned the use of Snow Twig, the other details were not made clear. Snow Twig were extremely difficult to obtain, if something were to happen to it, there would probably be no second one coming to save it.


    After explaining the situation, Manager Shi sent Jin Lan and Mama Tang out of the shop. At the same time, he also sent a small bag of Jade Gym Rice as a cover.


    Jin Lan tightly gripped the wooden box hidden in his sleeve. Even though a thin layer of sweat was already seeping out of his palms, he didn''t dare to relax even a little.


    With the Snow Twig, the poison in his mother''s body could be completely cured!


    The fate of his previous life had changed. As long as he could capture the murderer who assassinated his mother, then, then ¡­


    "Miss?" Mama Tang placed the bag of rice onto the horse carriage and was about to help Jin Lan up, but when she turned his head, he found her standing there, lost in thought.


    Mama Tang''s call caused Jin Lan to quiver, and she immediately regained her senses. The surrounding noise was like a tide that flowed back into her ears, and when she blankly raised her head to look at Mama Tang''s concerned eyes, she was shocked to find that she had been too agitated.


    Even if his mother could successfully cure the poison, if he wanted to recover after losing so many years, it was definitely not a one day achievement. Furthermore, other than the murderers that he had not yet found, there was still the old lady and Ye Lin.


    She definitely could not be careless!


    After taking in a few deep breaths, the excitement in her golden eyes gradually faded and they regained their clarity. She held onto Mama Tang''s hand and agilely got on the carriage.


    Just as Jin Lan sat down to remove the Drapery Cap, the carriage''s curtain moved, and was then opened by someone, and Mu Lan''s round red face appeared in front of him.


    "Miss, I''ve already bought all the sweet honey and pastries." Mu Lan painstakingly carried everything onto the carriage, and then climbed up and sat down close to the door, patting her chest as she panted. Although the pastries were not heavy, they were all exquisite items that could be easily broken into pieces. As a result, she had been extremely careful on the way, and it was inevitable that she would have to work harder than usual.


    "Look at you, is there even the slightest rule?" "Hurry up and sit down. If that old granny Wang sees this, the old lady will peel off your skin." Mama Tang couldn''t help but scold her when she saw her bedraggled look after placing the pastries and the fragrant honey.


    Upon mentioning the old lady, Mu Lan immediately put down her hands. She looked very upright, which made Jin Lan and the Mama Tang unable to hold back their laughter.


    The green carriage slowly drove back along the road they came from, back to Meng Mansion. The driver, who was Madam Meng''s trusted aide, had long been informed that he would only take care of the carriage and not the rest of the matters.


    Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief. She didn''t want to lie to her aunt, but she couldn''t say too much about her mother. Only by doing this wouldn''t harm their relationship.


    The moment Jin Lan and the others got off, Qing Yu, who had been waiting at the back door, immediately welcomed them and led them back to the garden.


    Therefore, the number of girls they had to invite this time was not as many as last year''s. However, when Meng Ruhan pulled and turned it, Jin Lan also felt that he was a little disoriented.


    After finishing their meal with great difficulty, the young ladies of each clan left one after another, leaving Jin Lan at the back. Firstly, she had to personally thank Madam Meng, and secondly, she had to find a suitable method to bring the items back to the mansion.


    Waiting until the last girl boarded the carriage and left, Meng Ruhan then found her mother''s instructions and brought Jin Lan to the Side Chamber.


    "Thank you Aunt for your help, Lan Er is extremely grateful!" The moment Jin Lan entered and saw Madam Meng in the hall, she immediately bent her knees and bowed.


    "Good child, what are you doing? Hurry and get up! " Madam Meng Madame Qin hurriedly helped her up and said in a strange tone, "You came to my aunt''s house to admire the flowers. Is your mother well? "


    When Meng Zhanxuan first arrived in the capital, he wrote a letter back and indistinctly pointed out the matter of meeting Jinlan. Madame Qin was grateful that Jinlan had helped his son, and because of that, under the circumstance of not asking any questions, he did not hold back to help Jinlan.


    Jin Lan nodded, and continued to chat with Madame Qin for a while, before asking her for a few Jade Tasselflower stalks that were in perfect shape.


    Madame Qin''s eyes flashed. Just now, when she held Jin Lan up, she could smell a faint fragrance, as she was experienced and knowledgeable, Madame Qin immediately recognized that this was an extremely rare fragrance of water.


    However, she did not ask any more questions, but was generous enough to allow people to carry the three best blossoms of the Jade Tusk Flower.


    With the rich fragrance of the Dai Yu flowers, it was enough to cover up the smell of the Agarwood, causing Jin Lan to feel relieved in his heart. He thanked the Madame Qin again and was pulled by Meng Ruhan to chat for a while longer before boarding her horse carriage and returning to the Ye Mansion.

 C144

    Jin Lan immediately headed towards the old lady''s room the moment he went back home, but he was stopped by Pin Yue who was guarding the door.


    "Second Miss, the old lady just rested for a while, she had instructed no one to disturb her, and also said that if Second Miss came back, she would let him go back to her room to rest, and then come over for dinner." Pin Yue bent her knees and said with a smile.


    Jin Lan naturally knew the old lady''s habit of taking a nap. The reason for walking this time was to show her face, and the second reason was because of the three pots of Jade Tender Flower.


    She told Mu Lan to move the two best Jade Tender Flowers under the eaves of the house, then smiled and said: "The old lady loves the Jade Tender Flowers the most, amongst these two, there is one that is a rare sight. I will trouble Big Sister Pin Yue to put it in the house later, when the old lady sees it when she wakes up, she will be happy as well."


    Pin Yue looked at the Jade Dai Hua that was lying in the pottery pot, and sure enough, it had bloomed extremely well, she laughed and answered repeatedly. After seeing Jin Lan off, she called for two servant girls, carefully brought the flowers in, and placed them on the window sill.


    Just as she was done, she heard Old Madame Ye cough out from inside: "Girl Lan is back?"


    Pin Yue quickly poured a cup of tea and gently helped the Old Madame Ye to lie on the bed. She whispered: "I''m back, and I even specially sent two stalks of Jade Tender Flower."


    "Oh?" Old Madame Ye raised hhereyebrow, she took a sip of the warm tea, his gaze swept around the room, seeing the flowers on the window, his gaze relaxed, "It''s difficult for this girl, remember me when you go out to enjoy the flowers."


    Pin Yue took the teacup in Old Madame Ye''s hands, and tweaked the embroidered bed. She could not help but laugh: "Second Miss has always been considerate to the old granny, so I naturally miss the old granny wherever I go."


    Old Madame Ye raised her head and looked at Pin Yue, her eyes deep and profound. Pin Yue did not know what she said wrongly, her heart feeling uneasy, but she still forced a smile on her face.


    After a while, the Old Madame Ye opened her eyes and stared at the two Jade Daughters on the windowsill. She said slowly and coldly: "Go and call old granny Wang over."


    "Yes." Pin Yue bowed her head and complied with a low voice, withdrawing from the room to find Old Lady Wang. Looking at Old Lady Wang''s disappearing figure behind the bead curtain, she felt a chill in her heart.


    Even Pin Yue, who was standing guard outside the door, had no way of knowing what the Old Madame Ye and Grandma Wang had said. Furthermore, since Jin Lan had returned to her East Wing, she had asked the Mama Tang to place the remaining red jade tofu on the red plum blossoms in the corner of the room. Soon after, the entire room was filled with a strong fragrance of flowers.


    Mu Lan left the house early in the morning and ran around outside for a long time, unavoidably feeling tired. She quickly brought hot water for Jin Lan to wash her face, and only then was she able to recover a little. Looking at Mu Lan who was about to leave, she said with a light laugh: "Alright, you guys bought some nectar and pastries today, it''s been hard on you. Go ahead and rest, leave the rest to Mama Tang."


    Mu Lan knew that the young lady wanted to talk with the Mama Tang, so she answered crisply, before turning around and walking out. She had just taken two steps when she suddenly stopped, turned her head to look at Jin Lan, and wanted to say something but hesitated.


    "What is it? What else is there? " Jin Lan put down the teacup in his hand and looked at Mu Lan in puzzlement.


    Mu Lan held onto the handkerchief in her hand, hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth: "Miss, there is a matter, this servant does not know, and does not know whether or not I should say it."


    Jin Lan was startled, Mu Lan had been waiting by her side since early in the morning, and when they went to the rice shop, they separated. The next moment, they were not even a step apart, why did they suddenly ¡­


    She gave a deep glance at Mu Lan, but didn''t reply. Mama Tang, who was watching on the side, couldn''t help but scold her: "What kind of nonsense is that? Didn''t I remind you of everything that I''ve told you? Now that you''re a servant of a young lady, you have to tell her clearly about whatever it is that you need to do! Could it be that he wants to hide it!? "


    Mu Lan never thought that the Mama Tang would suddenly change her expression, she was so scared that she did not even dare to breathe loudly, "This servant doesn''t dare!" Although the master was a lady, the person in charge of the courtyard was usually the Mama Tang, and although the Mama Tang was approachable, if any servant made a mistake, even Wan Ju and Bi He would not be able to escape punishment, thus the servants and wives of the Lan Garden were both respectful and fearful of the Mama Tang.


    "Alright, Mama." Jin Lan sighed, she lowered her eyes and said indifferently: "I reckon that the things that Mu Lan has to say, even she cannot do it, that is why she is hesitating."


    Jin Lan''s words made Mu Lan nod her head, she carefully glanced at Mama Tang, and then said: "This servant just finished buying the sweet honey, and just happened to see someone when I went to the Hundred Flavors Temple to buy the pastries."


    "Who is it?" Jin Lan couldn''t help but sit up and ask.


    "That person looks like, like the Big Sister Man Ping in Madam''s room." Mu Lan quickly spat out the words in her heart. Actually, at that time when there were many people passing by, she did not see it clearly. But ever since the young lady had walked across the Shuixie Pavilion from time to time, the people around her had always been familiar with the servants in the Shuixie Pavilion, especially with the close and close Man Ping and.


    Man Ping? Jin Lan was slightly startled, today was neither a festival nor was it the end of the month, there was no time for the head maid to rest and visit her relatives, how could Man Ping leave the Palace? Furthermore, she had secretly revealed to her mother that she was not allowed to let the servants in the Shuixie Pavilion go on leave. With how much her mother valued her, it was even more impossible for her to let Man Ping out of the house.


    However, if what Mu Lan said was true, then I am afraid...


    Jin Lan thought for a moment before asking, "Did you see it clearly?"


    Mu Lan thought about it, and in the end, still shook her head dejectedly, "This servant only looked at the side of my face, and was just about to look carefully, when that person disappeared into the alley beside the shop. This servant was worried that the young lady might get anxious from waiting, so I didn''t follow. "


    Jin Lan looked at Mu Lan''s vexed expression and suddenly laughed, "There are so many people who share similar views in this world. "Well, don''t think too much about it. Go and rest. We''ll have to wait on Grandmother in her room later."


    Mu Lan bit her lips and nodded, curtsied and left, closing the door at the same time.


    Only when the footsteps outside gradually disappeared did Mama Tang turn around and look at Jin Lan: "Miss, why don''t you explain it clearly?"


    Jin Lan''s white fingertips caressed the bracelet of Jade Seal Stone Buddha beads on his wrist as he smiled faintly. "When something comes to an end, just asking about it will only be counterproductive." She did not doubt Mu Lan''s loyalty, but there were some things that had not yet been announced to the public.


    "Could it be that I''ve truly misjudged him?" Mama Tang frowned and muttered.


    Jin Lan lowered his head and thought for a while, then sneered in his heart, "Why is Mama so conflicted? Whether it''s true or not, can''t you just have someone secretly check it out with your mother? "


    The Mama Tang listened and nodded, then said, "This servant will let Wen Zhu take a look at the Shuixie Pavilion." Finished speaking, she turned around and left the room, giving Wen Zhu instructions in a low voice before hurrying back.


    Jin Lan told her to close the door and windows tightly before taking out the Agarwood Box that she had been hiding in her sleeve. After thinking for a while, he took off the pouch tied around her waist and locked it together with the rest of the box in the corner.


    Although the Mama Tang was not clear about the black stone that Jin Lan had taken out in the rice shop, but since it was locked up with the Agarwood Box, it must be something very important. After pondering for a moment, she could not help but say: "Young lady, it is better to send the item to my wife''s room as soon as possible.


    Jin Lan shook his head, and put away the copper key before continuing, "Although Grandmother agreed that I should go to Meng Mansion to attend the banquet, I still couldn''t relax. Thinking about it now, since that old granny Wang has already entered the main house, if I were to head towards mother''s place again, I''m afraid that it would attract even more attention. Doctor Gong would only enter the Palace two days later. At that time, even if we go back in the past in name only, Grandmother still wouldn''t be able to say anything. "


    Mama Tang thought about it and felt that it was reasonable, so she did not speak anymore, and supported her up to rest.


    Presumably, the peace on this side of the East Wing was overcast.


    After Grandma Wang left, the Old Madame Ye called out for Pin Yue to enter the house. But at that moment, she no longer had a smile on her face.


    Pin Yue waited on her carefully, afraid that she would anger the old lady who was in charge of controlling the life and death situation in the Ye Family.


    Old Madame Ye was half-lying on the Twin Moon Caves'' artifact Luo Han''s bed, holding a string of emerald buddhist beads in her hand. Each bead was jade green and glistening, and as she moved her fingers, the atmosphere in the room became extremely solemn.


    Based on what Grandma Wang had said, the Meng Mansion Flower Viewing Banquet this time only invited a few insignificant families, such as the Bai Clan and Zhao Clan did not receive an invitation from the Meng Family. This did not seem like the style of the Madame Qin at all.


    It was sufficient to say that there was definitely something fishy about it. In addition to the relationship between Madame Qin and the Madame SHen, there was a high chance that it was related to Ye Family.


    Old Madame Ye''s expression became more and more unsightly. After a while, she slowly opened her mouth and asked: "Has Second Miss regained her East Wing?"


    Pin Yue knelt on the bed obediently, both of his hands holding the beauty hammer. As she was hammering on the bed, she suddenly heard the old lady''s voice, and his hands paused for a moment, before she quickly replied: "Second Miss sent the flowers to the main house and returned to East Wing as instructed by the old lady." After finishing her sentence, she continued, "Only Wen Zhu, that maid, left the courtyard. She said that she would bring two boxes of snacks to my wife''s room."


    Old Madame Ye glanced at Pin Yue, "You''re smart."


    Pin Yue''s face turned awkward, she did not know what to say, so she buried her head in silence, and continued to hammer herself.


    The Old Madame Ye did not argue with her. She narrowed her eyes and thought for a while, then said in a low voice: "Later on, you go ask Wen Zhu if she knows anything, and secretly check if anyone is out of the Shuixie Pavilion today. "Also ¡­" Pausing, she then said coldly: "Tell Girl Lan that he doesn''t need to wait in my room for a few days."


    Pin Yue was shocked, she was afraid that the old lady had angered the Second Miss!

 C145

    Second Miss was spoiled in front of the old lady!


    When it came to Second Miss, who in the entire Palace didn''t know that other than the Old Granny, the Old Master, and the Madam, the only honest and proper master had always been the center of attention for the Old Granny? Who would have thought that there would also be a day when he lost his power?


    It was likely that Second Miss had secretly done something bad, causing the Old Granny to be angry.


    For a time, all kinds of small news spread throughout the mansion. Of course, it was only between the maidservants. After all, the previous lesson was engraved in their hearts, so who would dare to brazenly announce it?


    "Miss, the maids and wives in this mansion are too presumptuous these days!" In the early morning, Mu Lan''s stomach was filled with anger. When she went into the kitchen to fetch the hot water, she accidentally heard a few Female Cook s and maidservants mumbling to themselves.


    In regards to Mu Lan''s indignation, she only smiled faintly: "The mouth will grow on others, whatever you want to say will be up to them, let us clear our own hearts of the shame."


    "But ¡­" Mu Lan pouted her lips, "It''s true that young lady did not personally hear it, but the words of those people are really unpleasant to listen to."


    "Alright!" "Early in the morning, don''t let these bad thoughts stain the girl''s ears." The Mama Tang glared at Mu Lan with feigned anger, she extended her hand and fiddled with the yellow copper bowl for a while, then took off the white cloth covering at the water temperature, waiting for Jin Lan to wash up, while she ordered her: Quickly go and check if breakfast is ready, the young lady still has to go greet the wife, don''t delay our time.


    Mu Lan shrunk her neck and quickly replied and left the room.


    After washing her hair, Mama Tang skillfully combed the thick and smooth black hair into her temples. She took out a Seven Treasures Exquisite hairpin and inserted it into his hair, and affixed a few peach flowers the size of a fingernail on the side, adding them onto his Heavenly Water Jade Lunisolar Dress. It made her seem even more beautiful and refined, just that the lump of light green in front of her looked a bit worse for life.


    Mama Tang put down the ivory brush in her hand and could not help but sigh. She advised sincerely: "Why does Miss have to worry about those things? Furthermore, the Old Granny allowed the young lady to live in the Jiayu Hall, so wasn''t that the best proof? In the future, all of those rumors will collapse on their own! "


    "Mama is overthinking it." Jin Lan looked at the tiny face in the mirror. Her skin was white and lustrous, her eyes were clear like water, her nose was small and straight, and her lips were pink and tender. Although the current Wu Qing had made her look more haggard, the smile on her face was still gentle and tranquil.


    Although she had not been able to sleep soundly these past few days, she had remembered that her mother had cured her of her poison and had nothing to do with these so-called rumors.


    Perhaps others might not know, but she was well aware that with the Old Granny''s character and methods, not to mention gossip, even if it was just a few words, as long as she dared to reveal even the slightest bit of it, she would be completely destroyed.


    The old lady was not as benevolent as her mother. A trace of coldness flashed across Jin Lan''s eyes. The fact that there were rumors flying all over the place was most likely because the old lady was doing it on purpose to force her to lower her head.


    If it was in the past, she might have compromised. But now ¡­


    Jin Lan pursed his lips, raising his eyes to look at Mama Tang, "What time is it now?"


    "It''s the beginning of the end." Mama Tang arranged the marriage mirror and then turned around to tidy up the bed. Hearing Jin Lan''s question, he paused for a moment, "Miss, do you need to go to the main house today to get well?"


    "Go, why not?" Jin Lan burst out into a smile. No matter how noisy the mansion was, as long as she kept her manners, what could others do to her? Even if the old lady had something in her heart, she would not be so sure of the truth.


    In other words, even if the old lady really hated herself, she would only be able to live a little longer in the future.


    In the end, she was still the direct descendant of Ye Mansion. If her reputation was bad, the first one to be implicated would be Ye Lin, how could the shrewd old lady allow this to happen?


    Jin Lan stood up and prepared to head for the main house after lazily drinking half a bowl of Jade Ginseng Porridge and eating two pieces of osmanthus cake. However, before she left, she took out the copper key that she kept close to her body and opened the box, carefully taking out the Agarwood Box that had been locked for several days and placing it in her sleeve just like before.


    The reason she got Mama Tang to specially pick out a skirt today was so that she could take out the wooden box. As long as they didn''t look carefully, they wouldn''t normally find any clues.


    As for the fragrance, Jin Lan''s eyes roamed around as he glanced at the Dancing Jade Flower Lacquer, which was placed on top of the red lacquered plum blossoms, with a smile on his face.


    Mama Tang and Mu Lan followed behind Jin Lan and headed towards the main house.


    "Aunt Yan." The moment Jin Lan stepped onto the stairs, he happened to see Yan Rong coming out of the house. His eyes flashed with a trace of astonishment, but he still revealed a faint smile on his face.


    "Second Miss." Yan Rong immediately bowed to Jin Lan, but even with her head lowered, it was difficult for her to hide the blush on her face.


    Jin Lan''s heart was moved. According to Mu Lan, Yan Rong was the one who served Ye Lin the year before, but she did not expect the old lady to suddenly bring her over as an aunt. She must have come here early in the morning to kowtow and thank the old lady.


    A potbellied Concubine Shao and a childhood sweetheart Concubine Ning was not enough, and now there was an obviously restless Aunt Yan. The old lady was really afraid that her mother''s days were going well, so she did her best to create trouble for her mother!


    Jin Lan ridiculed in his heart, but he did not show it on his face. He said with a faint smile, "Has Grandmother gotten up? I''ll pay my respects to Grandmother. "


    Seeing that she had taken two steps forward, Yan Rong suddenly regained her senses and quickly said: "The old lady didn''t sleep well last night, and now she is resting again."


    Still not seeing? Jin Lan sneered coldly in his heart, but his eyes were filled with surprise. "Grandmother''s body isn''t feeling good? Have you invited a doctor? "


    "Yes, I''ve already invited you over." A hint of unease surfaced on Yan Rong''s face, and he said embarrassedly: "How about Second Miss comes back later?"


    Jin Lan looked deeply at Yan Rong, who was avoiding her gaze, and suddenly revealed a smile. "Since that''s the case, I''ll come over when Grandmother wakes up." With that, he turned and left.


    It was not the first time, but it was just that the person who answered had changed from Pin Yue to Yan Rong.


    In any case, she only did it for the sake of complete etiquette. Today was the day that Doctor Gong would enter the palace to support her veins, plus the wooden box hidden in her sleeve ¡­ It was also good for the old lady not to see him.


    After leaving the main house, Jin Lan left the Jiayu Hall without even looking back. However, although she was anxious, she still walked with light steps towards the entrance of the Shuixie Pavilion along the way.


    "Lan Er." Madame SHen was lying on the bed and talking to Doctor Gong. Seeing Jin Lan come in, his face revealed a happy look, and he could not help but wave: "Come to mother''s place quickly."


    It had been a few days since her daughter came to Shuixie Pavilion, but she knew it was because of the old lady. Therefore, she didn''t blame Jin Lan in her heart, rather she felt sorry for her daughter, who had to shoulder such a heavy burden at such a young age.


    "Mother." Jin Lan walked up quickly and pulled Madame SHen''s hand to examine him closely. Perhaps it was because of Mama Zhu''s care, although Madame SHen''s face was still pale, but she looked much more spirited, allowing her worried heart to calm down. "Mother can eat breakfast now?"


    "Yes, I did. Madam just used a bowl of bird''s nest porridge." Man Ping smiled as she served the tea that she had brewed, and then quickly moved a small Wooden Pellet to the side of the bed for Doctor Gong.


    Jin Lan stared at Man Ping''s pretty face, and recalled Wen Zhu''s reply a few days ago. On that day, Man Ping was indeed not at the Shuixie Pavilion, and it was unknown whether she was in another courtyard or out of the Palace.


    In order to not worry her mother, she specifically ordered not to leak out the information, so she could not openly ask her mother about the matter, but she had sent people to investigate the alley that Mu Lan mentioned, hoping to find some clues.


    Man Ping saw that Jin Lan was staring at him, and could not help but laugh: "Why does Miss keep staring at this servant? Could it be that there''s something on this servant''s face? "


    "Nope." Jin Lan became serious, his eyes squinted into a half joking and half meaningful: "Sister Man Ping''s face is not blooming, but she looks more and more like a flower."


    Jin Lan''s teasing caused Man Ping''s face to immediately turn red, "Madam, what do you think Second Miss is saying?"


    The Madame SHen smiled as she looked, "Lan Er is right, you are the one with the most experience in my house, and your hands are coincidentally the most skillful as well. It''s about time to find a capable steward in the residence and set up some dowry, so you have served me well for so many years."


    "Madam ¡­" Man Ping lowered his head, the blush on his face had reached his ears.


    Everyone thought it was because of shyness. Only Jin Lan, who had been keeping an eye on her, noticed the fleeting panic in her eyes.


    This Man Ping, was most likely concealing something from her mother. A trace of coldness was added to Jin Lan''s eyes.


    "Alright, you can go now." Madame SHen laughed for a while, but seeing that she was extremely embarrassed, she spoke out to her.


    Man Ping''s heart was in a mess, she wished that she could leave as soon as possible. Hearing Madame SHen''s words, she quickly replied and then left.


    Jin Lan looked at her hurried back, then gave Mu Lan a meaningful glance. Mu Lan slightly nodded, and quietly followed her out of the house.


    For a moment, only the mother and daughter duo were left in the room, along with the two Mama s, and Zhu Tang, who had been sitting quietly at the side.


    "Mama." Jin Lan raised his head to look at Mama Tang, then looked at the opened door.


    Mama Tang realized something and immediately closed the door, standing guard by the door.


    Jin Lan''s gaze swept across the room once, and after ensuring that all the doors and windows were closed, he looked at Doctor Gong wrongly, "I wonder if Doctor Gong has gathered all the medicinal ingredients for this recipe?"


    Doctor Gong nodded, "Of course." As she said this, she gently placed the medicine box on the rosewood table, "Other than the medicine, I''ve already prepared the ingredients for the prescription according to the quantity. You can put in a jar of ointment anytime you want."


    Jin Lan nodded slightly, her eyes filled with gratitude. She looked at Madame SHen and then slowly took out the wooden box hidden in her sleeves.


    In that instant, a fragrant smell assaulted his nostrils.


    Doctor Gong''s pupils shrank as he stood up and stared at the wooden box in Jin Lan''s hand in shock. "Agarwood? It was actually the Agarwood! "Could it be that the contents are ¡­"


    "That''s right." Jin Lan solemnly nodded his head, then carefully placed the box on the side of the medicine box. "Inside the box is the medicine primer that mother wants, Snow Twig."

 C146

    The always calm and indifferent Doctor Gong stared at the wooden box on top of the rosewood square table. He was extremely excited, and even Mama Zhu''s eyes were flashing with tears.


    Only the Madame SHen who was half-leaning on the bed, looked more and more serious after her initial excitement. She glanced at the wooden box on the table, then shifted her gaze to Jin Lan.


    Jin Lan raised his head to look and saw that Madame SHen''s expression was extremely ugly. His heart shrank as he hurriedly stepped forward and held onto Madame SHen''s hand. "Mother, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"


    Unexpectedly, Madame SHen flipped his hand, holding her hand tightly, she asked: "Where did this thing come from? You, did you do something to make yourself feel wronged!? " At the end of her words, her voice had already become sharp with a faint tremble.


    She was from a prestigious family, and was also a pearl that was held in the palm of everyone''s hands. Since she was young, she had seen many rare treasures, so she naturally knew what kind of precious things Shui Chen Xiang was, not to mention that there was a Snow Twig inside that was hard to find even if it was worth ten thousand gold! How could she not panic when something that was hard to find in the whole of Jiangnan would appear in the hands of her daughter, who did not leave her house?


    "Mother." Jin Lan never thought that the Madame SHen would have such a huge reaction. He was stunned and did not know how to explain it.


    Seeing her opening her mouth but not saying a word, Madame SHen thought that she had guessed the secret behind it. Lan Er, you are so silly! If something were to happen to you, even if I have to live for a hundred years, it will be useless! "


    The mournful voice was like the blood of a cuckoo, shaking everyone''s ears.


    Jin Lan''s face paled even more, and endured the piercing pain that came from his wrist as he gently advised: "Mother is probably mistaken. You should calm down first, and Lan Er will explain it in detail to you later, alright?"


    Her gentle voice was like a spring, causing everyone to instantly recover from their shock. Mama Zhu hurried forward to support Madame SHen''s tottering body, helping Jin Lan to advise him: "Madam, please listen to what you have to say."


    Doctor Gong also nodded in agreement, "Second Miss is an intelligent person, she will definitely only do certain things."


    Madame SHen''s tightly clenched fist gradually recovered its strength. Mama Zhu and Doctor Gong comforted him for a while, and in the end, they slightly loosened their grip and spoke in a hoarse voice: "Tell me, if I don''t tell you everything today, even if I die, I won''t use this medicine!"


    Jin Lan''s shoulder trembled as he felt Madame SHen''s face that was as white as snow. His eyes that were filled with tears felt as though they were being sliced by a blade.


    All along, she had only thought of secretly changing everything in her previous life to prevent the tragedy from happening. No matter how difficult it was, she did not retreat. However, no matter how much she thought about it, she had forgotten that she was not alone in this life.


    Didn''t she clearly feel how much her mother loved her from the very beginning? However, deep in her heart, she was still holding onto the last bit of caution.


    As matters stood, this trifling and seemingly insignificant precaution had deeply hurt the mother who cared about her the most!


    She took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. She held Madame SHen''s cold hands tightly in front of her and choked with sobs, "Mother, it was Lan Er who was in trouble. Actually, all of this originated from the beginning of the Lingji Temple. "


    Following that, she chanced upon Yan Ye with her Lingji Temple, and then, Yan Ye requested for Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu to help her with the task, and then proceeded to tell her all about the trades the two had made with the Madame SHen in private. In the middle of it, there were some unspeakable details, such as his previous life''s and current life''s experiences, as well as Yan Ye''s charge into the other rooms.


    Madame SHen looked into her clear eyes, knowing that most of the things she said were true. Although she was unhappy about Yan Ye borrowing her daughter''s time to hide from the soldiers, the majority of it was still acceptable to her.


    Especially when Jin Lan mentioned the Manager Shi, he had long reported everything that had happened in Shang Jing as well as all that had happened in the capital to her. Now that he found out that the Manager Shi was Yan Ye''s subordinate, he could only sigh and suppress the displeasure in his heart.


    "In that case, why didn''t you tell me earlier?" The Madame SHen was anxious and frustrated to begin with, but upon hearing the truth, he calmed down. Although her face was still ugly, he had become much calmer.


    Jin Lan took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears on Madame SHen''s face, "Lan Er also wanted to tell Mother as soon as possible, but she didn''t know when she would be able to find the Snow Twig. Secondly, ever since our return to our residence from the Lingji Temple, there has not been a single moment of rest, and only now ¡­ " Saying that, she sighed, and lowered her head guiltily: "Lan Er is unfilial, and still made mother worry."


    Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan''s thin shoulders lovingly. Her daughter was probably in a difficult situation these few days, although she lived in a secluded place, but she still heard a lot about the matters in the palace, thinking about the unbearable rumors and how she went through such a ruckus, she knew that it must have hurt her daughter''s heart.


    "Don''t talk about it anymore. It''s mother''s fault. If it wasn''t for the fact that mother was useless, you wouldn''t have had to wrangle with those people at such a young age." She wanted to be more doting than the others had been when she was a child, but her Lan Er lived a life of constant fear. She not only had to think about how to protect herself, but she also had to shoulder the heavy responsibility for her useless mother!


    "Mother ¡­" "Hiss!" Jin Lan wanted to console her, but Madame SHen''s embrace had coincidentally knocked right into the hand that was slightly raised in front of her. She couldn''t help but take in a breath of cold air due to the intense pain.


    Sensing that his daughter''s body had instantly stiffened, Madame SHen immediately released her hand, "Did it hurt you?" After frantically sizing up the situation, her gaze abruptly froze. Following that, she also sucked in a breath of cold air and abruptly grabbed her daughter''s two small hands, her tears dazzling to the eye.


    Due to the wide sleeves of his clothes today, Jin Lan''s raised his hand a bit lower, revealing his wrist all of a sudden. There were two red imprints on his wrist, which combined with his fair skin made him look extremely shocking!


    "It''s me, it''s my fault." Madame SHen evidently had not expected that in her extreme rage just now, she would actually injure Jin Lan. Warm teardrops fell down one by one, and dripped onto the two eye-piercing red marks.


    "Mother, Lan Er doesn''t hurt, it''s true!" Seeing the tears that Madame SHen had struggled to hold flowing again, Jin Lan couldn''t help but feel flustered.


    When Mama Zhu saw it, she said, "Mistress, don''t worry. Let Soo Soo take a look at the young lady."


    The Madame SHen did as she was told and let go of his hand. Only then did Jin Lan heave a sigh of relief, and quickly stood and extended his hand to Doctor Gong.


    Doctor Gong looked at it carefully, then said with a chuckle: "Don''t worry, just wipe it twice with the medicinal wine later on."


    Only then did Madame SHen relax.


    "There''s no time to lose, let''s boil the medicine for mother as soon as possible." Jin Lan was afraid that the Madame SHen would let his imagination run wild again, and since there wasn''t much time left, he decisively pointed to the herbs on the table. "I''m afraid we can''t bring these herbs out.


    The Mama Zhu nodded her head, "It has been cold recently. There is a furnace in my ear room so that I can make tea for my wife anytime. I can put the medicine there to fry."


    "I''ve brought the medicine jar in the medicine box. Although it''s a bit small, it''s enough." Doctor Gong said as he opened the medicine box. Reality had taken out several packs of herbs wrapped in kraft paper, and in the end, he took out a small clay pot that was slightly smaller than a normal one. It looked like it was a new one and had not been used.


    "Where''s the prescription?" Jin Lan''s gaze swept across the items on the table one by one, and finally landed on Doctor Gong''s body.


    Doctor Gong did not say much, but he took out two warm prescriptions from his sleeves and handed them over to Jin Lan, "This recipe is hard to find other than Snow Twig, the rest of the ingredients are all in the shop. As for the older year of Mountain Ginseng, they were also prepared a few days ago, it''s just that the order in which the ingredients are used is a bit troublesome."


    Jin Lan looked at the two prescriptions in his hand. The first recipe had a lot of herbs and they were very heavy too, almost all the rare herbs were on it. The second recipe also had a lot of relief.


    After a moment''s thought, she asked, "How long will it take for the mother to heal?"


    Doctor Gong replied: "Ten days."


    Ten days? Jin Lan frowned, "But there''s only one Snow Twig, according to the recipe, it''s only enough for one use!"


    The Doctor Gong laughed and patiently explained: The Snow Twig is the first prescription''s medicine, so you only need to drink it once to dispel most of the poison. In the next nine days, you will be able to rely on the second recipe to slowly treat the poison.


    So that was it, Jin Lan''s tensed heart immediately relaxed, and without further delay, he returned the prescription to Doctor Gong, allowing her to go to his ear to fry some medicine.


    Moreover, there were a few main ingredients that had to be divided into several portions, and each part had to be added at a different time period in order to bring out the desired effects. Although a few ingredients were prepared, there was only one Snow Twig, so there was not the slightest difference!


    Jin Lan was afraid that the Doctor Gong wouldn''t be able to handle this, so he followed her to the listening room. The Doctor Gong didn''t object, he gave her some relatively simple medicinal herbs, and when the time came, he would open the lid and ask her to throw in the medicine.


    Not long after, a faint medicinal smell permeated out of Madame SHen''s room.


    Mama Zhu and Madame SHen were anxiously waiting in the room. Even Mama Tang, who was guarding the door, could not help but be nervous.


    As the sun rose higher, the servant girls who were scattered with Shuixie Pavilion became busier, but no one approached the main house, even Man Ping and the rest who were waiting for them were unintentionally distracted by various matters.


    After two hours had passed, a thin layer of sweat appeared on the foreheads and noses of Jin Lan and the Doctor Gong. They threw all the herbs placed beside them into the medicine jar, leaving only the wooden box.


    Doctor Gong kept track of the time in his mind, his gaze focused on the medicine jar. After a while, she suddenly raised his head and looked at Jin Lan, "It''s time."


    After hearing what Doctor Gong said, his nervous heart had calmed down instead. She held up the wooden box seriously, carefully unbuckling the wooden clasp that was tightly clamped on top of it, then looked at Doctor Gong and nodded.


    With the handkerchief in his hand, Doctor Gong suddenly reached out and grabbed the scalding pot lid. "Pa!" Jin Lan immediately opened the wooden box, and without even giving it time to examine it carefully, he quickly took out and threw the contents of the bottle. Doctor Gong immediately covered the jar, and with a series of movements, he opened the box without any delay.


    "Is that it?" Jin Lan stared blankly at the pot of medicine that was rising in heat. Just now, she didn''t even see the Snow Twig''s appearance clearly. She only felt that it was incomparably cold, as if it was colder than the snow in the capital.


    Doctor Gong was not sure if it would work either. After all, it was the first time she had seen the recipe and the Snow Twig, but he still comforted Jin Lan: "We just need to wait a while and we will be clear."


    No matter how anxious Jin Lan was, he could only remain patient.


    After half the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the smell emanating from the pot suddenly changed!

 C147

    Just as Jin Lan and the Doctor Gong were in a trance, the fragrance became more and more obvious. In the end, it overcame the stench of the medicine, and it was as if all the flowers in the flower had bloomed overnight. It was extremely fragrant.


    Jin Lan stared at the medicine pot that was constantly emitting a gurgling sound, his eyebrows tightly knitted together. "What''s going on?" Why did the taste suddenly change? " As she spoke, she couldn''t help but reach out to lift the lid.


    Compared to Jin Lan''s surprise, Doctor Gong''s eyes flashed with a look of relief and expectation, he suddenly grabbed Jin Lan''s hand and said excitedly: "It''s alright, Snow Twig was born with a thousand-year snow lotus in the first place. The ancient book also recorded that when Snow Twig enters the medicine, the room becomes full of fragrance, and the fragrance is like a lotus.


    Hearing Doctor Gong say this, Jin Lan finally understood. He heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, "Then how can this medicine be considered to be done?"


    Doctor Gong released Jin Lan''s hand, "Soon, wait for the fragrance to subside."


    Sure enough, after a short while, the fragrance from the medicine jar became fainter and fainter. In the end, it became indiscernible again. If one did not smell it carefully, they would not be able to detect it.


    Doctor Gong hurriedly used a handkerchief to pick up the medicine jar, and the brown Medicinal Juice trickled into the white porcelain bowl he had prepared.


    Just as Jin Lan was about to bring the medicine to the inner room, he was stopped by Mama Zhu who had come in unknowingly.


    "Miss, please let this servant do it!" Originally, Mama Zhu came to see if the medicine was ready, and coincidentally saw that Jin Lan was about to pick up the tray, probably because he was afraid that she would scald him or accidentally knock over this bowl of life-saving medicine.


    Jin Lan thought for a moment and stopped insisting. Although the room was only a few steps away from the inner room, she was careful to sail the ship for over ten thousand years. If this bowl of medicine really fell into her hands, she would never be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life.


    Mama Zhu smiled at Jin Lan, then carefully picked up the red lacquer square plate with the medicine bowl, and carefully walked to the front of Madame SHen''s bed, "Madam, it''s time to drink the medicine."


    Although Madame SHen was sleeping soundly on the bed, her heart was in turmoil and she was extremely perturbed. She could not see the situation in the room, but she could smell the scent of the medicine inside the room. If she wasn''t in a hurry, that would be a lie. However, the room was still as it had been before. There was nothing special about it, so all she could do was wait patiently.


    Now that the Mama Zhu had brought the medicine over, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the bowl in shock. The medicine looked no different from the ones she had consumed before.


    This bowl of extremely ordinary medicine could really cure the poison in her body?


    "Mother." Jin Lan, who had entered the room behind Mama Zhu, took two steps forward and adjusted the soft pillow of the large flower that was majority of the way crooked. Then, he gently sat on the edge of the bed and held her hands that didn''t feel cold at all and said softly, "It''s better to drink this medicine while it''s hot. Oh right, Lan Er has never seen his maternal grandfather and grandmother, when her mother is well, we can go to Su Zhou to visit them, alright? "


    The warm words and hopeful eyes of Jin Lan slowly crushed the fear in the Madame SHen''s heart.


    Yes, no matter how bad it was, it would not be worse than now. She was very clear on Soo Soo''s medical skills, adding the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s prescription, and the medicine that Lan Er painstakingly obtained, what was there to be worried about?


    Speaking of which, in Lan Er''s entire life, she had never been to the ancestor''s house before, and she had been married for so many years, the number of times she had returned to Su Zhou could be counted as well.


    No, she had to go back to Suzhou and kowtow to her father and mother!


    And there was also Lan Er. She was determined to ensure that Lan Er, who protected her, grew up safe and sound.


    Madame SHen''s gaze gradually became determined, and without hesitation, she received the medicine bowl from Mama Zhu''s hands. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, raised her head, and swallowed the Medicinal Juice in one gulp.


    Originally, she was worried that the soup would be too hot, but unexpectedly, when it slipped into her mouth, it brought a cool feeling with it. Moreover, the medicine didn''t have the slightest hint of bitterness, instead, there was a faint but sweet taste.


    It was only when there was not a single drop left in the white porcelain bowl that Madame SHen put the bowl down on a small plate. All these years, she had drunk countless amounts of medicine, but never once had she tasted such a sweet and refreshing bowl of medicine.


    She couldn''t help but sip the remaining Medicinal Juice s on her lower lip. That''s right, it was sweet.


    When Jin Lan saw Madame SHen drink all the medicine in one go without moving, he thought that something was wrong and immediately looked at her nervously, "Mother, do you feel uncomfortable somewhere?"


    Mama Zhu and Doctor Gong by the side also started to become nervous.


    Her daughter''s worried voice made Madame SHen recover, "It''s nothing, just this medicine ¡­" Before she could finish her words, she felt an irresistible tiredness. Her body suddenly softened and she fell onto the soft pillow.


    "Mother!" Jin Lan panicked and quickly held Madame SHen, but the cold feeling in her hand caused her heart to suddenly feel cold. Even the rise and fall of her chest seemed to have disappeared.


    "Madam!" Mama Zhu''s face turned white, the tray in her hands dropped to the ground with a clang.


    The Doctor Gong did not care too much and hastily squeezed away the golden light and grabbed the Madame SHen''s soft hand.


    Jin Lan was pushed aside by the Doctor Gong, causing her to stumble and hit her elbow on the bed pillar heavily. However, she acted as if she did not feel any pain as she stared at Madame SHen''s face, which was devoid of any blood.


    How could this be? It was obvious that they were going to use the prescriptions given by the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu to get the medicine, and the Snow Twig had no problems either. But why, why did their mother turn out like this?


    In a trance, she seemed to have heard the voice of the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu:


    "Foolish child, foolish child. Since it has already been settled, why must you continue to persevere?"


    "Doing something that defies the will of the heavens will only bear fruit in the end."


    "Don''t force yourself to do anything. Heaven''s will is already set. It''s not something that you can change on your own."


    The destiny had been decided, the destiny had been decided!


    Jin Lan smiled bitterly. Did the heavens want her to live a new life and see with her own eyes how everything happened in her past life? Was he going to punish her for her unfilial actions in her past life?


    No, she couldn''t accept it. Everything had changed!


    In her previous life, she didn''t know Yan Ye, didn''t go to the capital, didn''t know any Manager Shi, nor did she know what a Snow Twig was ¡­


    Why, why did he walk back to where he came from?


    She was unwilling!


    Doctor Gong''s expression became more and more serious, and in the end, became completely pale.


    "Soo Soo, Madam, Madame, she ¡­" Mama Zhu''s voice trembled, she could not even finish speaking.


    Doctor Gong bit his lower lip, closed his eyes in despair and shook his head.


    Upon seeing this, Jin Lan''s eyes widened as if a ball of fire had exploded in his chest. A stream of hot air rushed into her brain, and with a "weng" sound, it made her vision darken. In an instant, she no longer knew what it was.


    Mama Zhu, who was standing right beside Jin Lan, couldn''t help but be startled when she saw Jin Lan collapse softly. He only regained his senses after Jin Lan fell heavily on her body, and didn''t even bother wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes. He hastily held onto her slender body and shouted anxiously, "Second Miss!"


    The room fell into a state of chaos.


    Jin Lan didn''t know how long he had been walking in the darkness. He only felt his mind becoming blurry, as if something important had been forgotten. As he walked, he couldn''t see the light, and he couldn''t tell where he was going.


    Suddenly, a weak voice sounded in her ears. It sounded like she was crying, but also like she was laughing. One moment, she was far away from the horizon, the next, she was close by her ear.


    Who is it?


    Who was crying? Who was laughing?


    Jin Lan was at a loss. Where was she? Just now, he seemed to be in his mother''s room, right?


    By the way, Mother!


    Forgotten memories flooded in like a tide, engulfing her within in an instant.


    What had happened to his mother?


    Jin Lan opened his eyes.


    "Awake, lady is awake!"


    A surprised exclamation followed by a burst of footsteps could be heard. Jin Lan turned his head and saw the Mama Tang''s happy face.


    Jin Lan felt as if her head had been cracked, and waves of pain came over her. She forcefully opened her mouth, barely able to spit out two words. "Mother."


    Mama Tang was very happy when she saw Jin Lan wake up, but she quickly moved her mouth and went over to listen. It took her a while to understand what she was shouting, so she quickly spoke up: "Don''t worry, Madam, you are still fine. You just woke up for a short while and then went back to sleep."


    His mother was fine, but Jin Lan was startled. His eyes began to ache and warm tears fell from the corners of his eyes.


    "Miss, don''t scare Mama, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Seeing Jin Lan''s tears flowing, the Mama Tang panicked and asked.


    Jin Lan shook his head slightly. "I''m fine." When she recovered some strength, she said to Mama Tang: "I want to see mother."


    Mama Tang looked at the pale little face and advised: "Madam is currently sleeping, so I think you should rest for a while. Doctor Gong said that Miss must have been overly worried and anxious before she lost her consciousness, I''m afraid you need to recuperate well in the future."


    Jin Lan couldn''t get in and insisted on seeing Madame SHen. Mama Tang had no choice but to carefully hold her in her arms and walk into the room.


    Luckily the Jin Lan was not that heavy, and with Mama Tang''s sturdy body, she had some strength, so she walked rather steadily.


    The matter of the Madame SHen detoxifying the poison was a secret, thus, even if Jin Lan fainted, no one dared to shout and go out. Fortunately, the Doctor Gong had checked and found out that Jin Lan was safe, so he placed her on the soft couch outside. He took a few steps forward and entered the room.


    Doctor Gong and Mama Zhu had been keeping watch beside Madame SHen''s bed. They couldn''t help but be startled when they saw Mama Tang carrying Jin Lan into the room.


    Jin Lan leaned on Mama Tang, his gaze looking anxiously at the bed. Madame SHen was lying on the bed, his chest was moving up and down under the blanket, even his originally snow-white face had a hint of redness to it.


    "How is Mother?" Although seeing was believing, she still had to ask Doctor Gong.


    Looking at Jin Lan''s haggard appearance, the Doctor Gong''s heart softened. He said slowly: "Madam is fine, the poison in my body is almost completely cured. I just need to drink some more and I''ll be able to get rid of it."


    "That''s good." Jin Lan let out a long breath and closed his eyes.

 C148

    When Jin Lan closed his eyes and woke up, the crescent moon in the sky had already climbed up to the treetops. The time to pay respects had long since passed, and he was still worried about Madame SHen, so he decided to stay at Shuixie Pavilion and let Mama Tang personally report to the old lady.


    At first, Old Madame Ye didn''t really care, she only thought that Jin Lan was angry at the moment, but after five or six days, she still didn''t return. Only then did she gradually become interested in Shuixie Pavilion.


    After eating lunch, the Old Madame Ye leaned against the red wooden bed that had a conch embedded in it and rested with her eyes closed. There was only Pin Yue and her servant in the room, who stood by the side and held her body carefully in their hands. On the window sill, a fist-sized, jade-jade carved Hibiscus three legged furnace was burning with a fragrant smell.


    Mama Wu pulled up the curtain, and silently poked half of her body in. She first looked at the old lady who had also closed her eyes, then gave Pin Yue a look, and indicated for her to come out of the house.


    Unexpectedly, Pin Yue''s hand had just stopped moving, the Old Madame Ye woke up, seeing him peek out, her face immediately darkened: "Why are you not coming in? "What are you doing sneaking around outside?"


    Mama Wu''s face was suddenly covered in a smile as she walked into the house. "This servant is afraid of disturbing the old lady''s good dream, then I really deserve to die."


    Old Madame Ye''s face relaxed, and she jokingly scolded: "Look at how old you are, it seems like you have honey in your mouth all day long." As she spoke, she glanced at Pin Yue beside him.


    Pin Yue immediately stood up and retreated.


    Mama Wu hurriedly took out a royal blue colored Cloud Tattoo pillow, gently helped Old Madame Ye up, and then poured a cup of tea for the old lady who was sitting on the table.


    Old Madame Ye took a few sips before she pushed the door open. She used the handkerchief to wipe her mouth and asked: "Has Girl Lan returned?"


    Mama Wu placed the tea cup back on the table, covered the embroidered bed that had fallen off the old lady''s body, and softly replied. "Second Miss isn''t back yet, so this servant wanted to probe for more information on Shuixie Pavilion, but was afraid that Master would get worried. That''s why I wanted to call Pin Yue out and say a few words to her."


    Old Madame Ye''s expression immediately darkened again. She raised her eyes and looked at Mama Wu coldly, "For these future matters, go back and forth personally."


    The Mama Wu felt her heart throbbing with fear as she stared at Old Madame Ye. She hurriedly nodded and replied, "Yes, this servant will save it." After saying that, she paused for a moment, then asked carefully, "As for the mistress ¡­"


    Old Madame Ye waved her hand impatiently. "She is the legal wife after all, you go over first and tell her that I have something to see Girl Lan about.


    Mama Wu raised her eyebrows, her eyes carrying a deeper meaning, "If Madam steps forward to stop them ¡­" Second Miss had always been close to the old lady, but this time, she had actually stayed in the Shuixie Pavilion for a few days.


    Old Madame Ye glanced at Mama Wu, and snorted coldly, "If that''s the case, then that''s great, in the past two days, the palace has told me that her body is about to collapse, even doctors have to stay close to her to protect her, and it''s probably because of this that Girl Lan is stumbling on her every day. With you gone, if she still had the strength to stop you, it is enough to prove that all of this is fake.


    "Master is truly wise. This servant will go right away." Mama Wu cupped her hands lightly and got up to leave. However, just as she walked to the door, she heard Old Madame Ye instruct him: "Wait, go open the warehouse and take a look. Choose a few boxes of Blood Swallows and Old Ginseng and send them over, lest others say that our Ye Family has mistreated someone!"


    Mama Wu was naturally clear in her heart about who the other party was, so she replied with a smile, "Yes."


    After she was busy for a while, she picked her things and rushed to Shuixie Pavilion. Madame SHen had already finished drinking the medicine and went to sleep.


    Hearing the report from Qiu Wen outside, Jin Lan got Qiu Wen to bring him to Side Chamber.


    Just as Mama Wu stepped into the Side Chamber, before Qiu Wen even had the time to serve tea, Jin Lan had already followed in. Mama Wu quickly bent her knees and smiled: "Second Miss."


    Jin Lan waved his hand, and with a smile on his face, he said, "Mama doesn''t need to be so courteous, what wind did you have today to actually blow over here?"


    Other than herself, the old lady trusted Mama Wu the most. Sometimes, even Ye Lin might not be able to compare to this Mama Wu.


    At this moment, in her mother''s room, she was naturally willing to give her mother some face.


    Mama Tang was not at ease, shshefollowed Jin Lan into the house, and when she saw Mama Wu, he respectfully bowed.


    The Mama Wu smiled and nodded towards the Mama Tang, then said: "This servant is following the orders of the old lady, I brought over six boxes of high quality Blood Swallows and Old Ginseng to nourish Madam''s body." With that, he had the Little Maid, who was holding the tray, deliver the items to him.


    Jin Lan swept a glance at it and smiled as he told Qiu Wen to keep the things. "I haven''t been able to greet Grandmother for a few days, how is Grandmother''s health? Have you been sleeping soundly lately? "


    "Alright, alright. Thanks to Second Miss, this old lady is in good health. I have often talked to this servant about Second Miss''s situation when she was young and praised her intelligence. She is the most considerate person." The Mama Wu grinned and continued to flatter her. In the end, she continued, "When this servant was leaving earlier, this old lady had specially instructed me to invite Second Miss to return to the Jiayu Hall, she said that she wanted to speak with Second Miss."


    Perhaps the last sentence was the most important? Jin Lan laughed coldly in his heart, his face blushing slightly. He nodded and said, "It''s my fault. How could I let grandmother invite you? I should have gone with Mama originally, but when I was practicing calligraphy in Mother''s room, I was afraid that my clothes were stained. I hope Mama can go back first and allow me to change my clothes to talk to Grandmother. "


    Mama Wu''s gaze swept over Jin Lan''s body, and indeed, he saw that there were some ink stains on the sleeves of his right hand, his eyeballs moved slightly, and he said: "Don''t worry, it just so happens that the old lady asked this servant to come visit Madam. After Miss has changed her clothes, this servant will go back with you."


    As soon as she said that, the smile in the depths of Jin Lan''s eyes instantly became denser. However, at the same time, a sliver of a struggle appeared on her face. "Mother just drank some medicine and rested."


    Mama Wu immediately laughed: "There''s no rush, this servant doesn''t dare disturb madam. I''ll just take a look from afar by the door, and then I can go back and report to the old lady."


    As if hesitating for a moment, Jin Lan reluctantly nodded his head: "Mama, follow me."


    Mama Wu quickly followed Jin Lan to the main house. Just as she opened the curtain, the dense smell of medicine immediately assaulted her nose, causing her to pant heavily. She gritted her teeth and endured, then entered the house with her eyes.


    Jin Lan, of course, wouldn''t let her into the inner room. He only stopped when he reached the door. He lifted the bead curtain slightly to let her see the situation inside.


    Mama Wu looked at the pale Madame SHen who was lying on the bed with both of her eyes closed. After sizing him up for a while, his gaze shifted between the silent Doctor Gong and the haggard Mama Zhu. Finally, it landed on Jin Lan''s face.


    When Mama Wu''s figure disappeared outside the door, Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief, even the Doctor Gong and Mama Zhu inside were the same.


    Jin Lan and the Doctor Gong glanced at each other, then left the main house, changed their clothes at East Wing, and followed the Mama Wu towards Jiayu Hall.


    When the Old Madame Ye saw that Jin Lan had indeed returned with the Mama Wu, he was naturally happy. The smile on her face gradually deepened, but she deliberately made a face.


    "Lan Er would not dare." Jin Lan smiled as he came over and grabbed Old Madame Ye''s arm. He said with slight grievance: "Grandmother had always been unwilling to see Lan Er, and had also heard from others that Lan Er had done something wrong. I just wondered if Grandmother already disliked Lan Er." As he said that, he raised his head and looked at Old Madame Ye pitifully. His eyes were filled with mist.


    "Nonsense!" Old Madame Ye s face was full of fear, her heart aching, she pulled her into her embrace, "Which of the words of those girls can be trusted? It''s fine if you speak out normally, but this time you actually dare to provoke your master, you can''t be forgiven! "


    When the Mama Wu heard this, she quickly said, "This servant will go and clean up those nonsense!"


    Looking at Mama Wu''s retreating figure, Jin Lan, who was in Old Madame Ye''s embrace, slightly squinted her eyes, but recovered instantly. She sat up and complained: I''m used to eating things in Grandmother''s house, and then somewhere else, I can''t even taste it.


    "Gluttonous, I''ll eat at Grandmother''s place later. Grandmother will have someone prepare a delicious meal for you, how about that?" Old Madame Ye laughed as she nodded her head.


    "Thank you, Grandmother!" Jin Lan''s eyes lit up slightly, and the smile on his face became even more obedient.


    Old Madame Ye looked at her lovingly, then suddenly asked: "Is your mother well?"


    The smile on Jin Lan''s face faded bit by bit. She lowered his eyes and replied in a muffled voice, "Doctor Gong said that mother has been accumulating this disease for many years and it is not something that can be cured in a day and a night. Now, he can only carefully recuperate.


    Old Madame Ye''s sharp eyes were fixated on Jin Lan''s small face, trying to see what she was thinking through the surface.


    Jin Lan sat motionless, like a beautiful wooden sculpture. Her heart was already in her throat.


    As soon as she said it, she knew it was going to be bad. Her mother''s body was getting better every day, but the hidden hands did not show up. This made her, who had always been able to keep her calm, a little impatient.


    She had predicted that the old lady would call her to interrogate her, but the words she had said should have been revealed after her relationship with the old lady had been restored, so as to use the old lady''s hand to confirm that her mother was seriously ill.


    However, the old lady suddenly asked, and she couldn''t help herself.


    In just a short moment, a layer of cold sweat had formed on Jin Lan''s back. Her heart was beating rapidly, but she tried her best to maintain a nonchalant attitude, afraid that the old lady would notice something and everything would go down the drain.


    Slowly, Old Madame Ye''s gaze became sharper and sharper!

 C149

    Feeling those two sharp sword-like gazes, Jin Lan clenched his hands into fists, his nails pinching his flesh without the slightest hint of pain.


    In the end, she was still too young. Facing an old lady who had controlled her Ye Mansion for dozens of years, it was still difficult for her to be as calm as water.


    "¡­ ¡­." Forget it, just stay with your mother these days! " She raised her teacup and took a sip, before continuing, "In a few days time, Little Girl Jin Wei will be returning to the clan. Furthermore, your father is on his way to the capital to continue his work, and in two months time, it will be noon.


    As the Old Madame Ye opened and closed her mouth, Jin Lan felt as if the sound of her heartbeat gradually weakening. Only after a long while did she return to normal.


    That''s it?


    Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief.


    Fortunately, he did not make any mistakes.


    She laughed at herself and forced herself to calm down.


    The most important thing right now was to deal with the old lady and let everything proceed according to its own plan.


    She raised her head and pretended to be surprised and asked, "Big sister is returning home?"


    "Exactly." "The Attendant nodded his head," Yesterday night, Housekeeper Li sent a message to Attendant, saying that the ship has already passed the Xuzhou, and will arrive at the Yangzhou Pier in two or three days.


    Jin Lan was startled. The Attendant that Housekeeper Li sent? This meant that there was a high chance that the old granny knew about the matters in the capital and did not know how the other head of the family would explain them.


    However, since the old lady was still the same as before, things must have gone as planned.


    Jin Lan pondered in his heart, but she didn''t dare show it on her face. She said with a bright smile: "That''s really great, Lan Er originally left in a hurry, and didn''t have the time to talk to Big Sis in detail. I wonder if Big Sis will blame Lan Er for leaving her alone in the capital." As she spoke, she revealed a guilty expression.


    "How could that be? Your big sister also wrote a letter, and in the letter she even mentioned you, saying that she brought you a lot of gifts. " Old Madame Ye clapped her small hands and laughed.


    Ye Jinwei will bring a present for her? Jin Lan couldn''t help but slightly raise her eyebrows. If the letter didn''t say anything about her wrongdoings, she would have to thank the heavens and earth. She wouldn''t have dared to hope for a present.


    The Old Madame Ye did not mind Jin Lan''s silence. In the end, he was still young, so it would be difficult for him to not be overjoyed upon encountering this kind of thing.


    However, if what Steward Li said was true, then it was a heavenly great opportunity for the Ye Family.


    The more he looked at Jin Lan''s pretty face, the more he felt that making Jin Lan go to the capital was the right decision. After thinking for a bit, he said slowly: "You''re not young anymore.


    Jin Lan was thinking about the things he had neglected when he first returned to the capital, and upon hearing Old Madame Ye''s words, his face immediately revealed a look of surprise, "Learn to be a butler?"


    It seemed like this grandson of hers was not led astray by the Madame SHen, but her face still showed a serious expression, "In another two or three years, you and Jin Wei will get married. Since your mother is sick, and you have so many things to do in this house, it would be for the best if you could learn from her and help out the mansion."


    It seemed that the old lady had made up her mind. Jin Lan could only nod his head.


    Seeing Jin Lan''s gentle and obedient appearance, Old Madame Ye''s expression calmed down. The more she looked at him, the more satisfied she became with her only grandson. Her tone became more amiable too: "What do you want to eat for dinner?


    Jin Lan was just making up an excuse just now, and wasn''t really greedy. However, since the old lady had said so, she didn''t think it was appropriate for her to reject, so she simply smiled and agreed.


    Old Madame Ye''s face revealed a bit of weariness as she said to Pin Yue: "Bring Girl Lan down. No matter what she wants to eat for dinner, just let the kitchen arrange it for her. Today, there will be no need for you to go through with it."


    Pin Yue replied with a smile.


    Jin Lan happily gave the Old Madame Ye a gift. He merely followed Pin Yue for a few steps, then suddenly turned his head as if he had thought of something, and was somewhat hesitant to speak.


    When Old Madame Ye saw this, she could not help but raise her eyebrows, "What? Girl Lan, do you still have anything else to say? "


    Jin Lan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "With regards to Big Sister''s return, I''m sure that Aunt will be overjoyed."


    Old Madame Ye was startled, she did not know why Jin Lan suddenly mentioned Concubine Shao, but when she thought about Concubine Shao''s proud look when she received the letter this morning, she felt annoyed, the smile on her face immediately faded, "Why are you asking this?"


    Jin Lan twisted the handkerchief in her hand, looking extremely perturbed, "These few days, I have been serving mother by her bed, and have often heard Doctor Gong coaxing her, saying that great happiness and great sorrow always hurt her body. Lan Er only wanted to see how my body was doing now, and she feared that she would have to pay more attention."


    When Old Madame Ye heard this, she couldn''t help but feel happy for Jin Lan''s understanding. She smiled benevolently and said, "You should think about it more carefully, there''s no need for you to worry about it. Your aunt has a doctor watching her, I''ll get someone to send a message later."


    Jin Lan nodded bashfully. "Yes." Without further ado, he followed Pin Yue out of the room, and casually ordered a few preferred dishes without much effort before bringing Mama Tang back to the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Coming out from the Jiayu Hall, the corners of Jin Lan''s mouth gradually rose into a faint smile.


    Although this incident had almost aroused the old lady''s suspicions, it was fortunate that it had come to nothing in the end.


    With the help of the old lady, the news of her mother''s illness was much more reliable than the rumors she had secretly spread.


    Coupled with the fact that the news of Ye Jinwei returning to the manor had spread ¡­


    Those who were still hiding should not be able to hold themselves back.


    Jin Lan raised his head. Although the sun shone brightly at the end of March, it was dazzling. It was like a sharp blade that was about to be unsheathed, waiting for the moment it would choose a person to swallow.


    Ever since he had dined with Old Madame Ye that night, Jin Lan openly stayed the night at the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Everything was as she had expected. The gossip of the past few days had died down within two days, and now everyone in the house was reading about his wife''s illness.


    "Lan Er, I''m afraid that your method is inappropriate." After drinking the medicine, Madame SHen looked at her daughter''s busy figure and could not help but to say with worry.


    Jin Lan smiled confidently at Madame SHen, then reached out and opened the small round jar made of gold and enamel that was placed on top of the mirror. Inside the jar was a fine, white jade hairpin powder.


    She used her pinky to pick a bit of it and spread it out in her palm. Then she walked to the side of the bed and gently patted Madame SHen''s face with the powder, causing her rosy face to lose a bit of color and become pale.


    No matter how she looked at it, Madame SHen still looked sickly and haggard.


    Jin Lan carefully examined it and added in a few more omissions before withdrawing his hand in satisfaction. "Mother, do not worry. As long as you do not look closely, you will not discover any clues."


    Madame SHen shook her head helplessly and took the handkerchief from Mama Tang''s hands, carefully cleaning the powder on Jin Lan''s hands, "I don''t know what''s in your little brain, but you''ve found some strange methods."


    Jin Lan''s eyes curved upwards, but he did not reply and instead winked at Doctor Gong.


    Doctor Gong couldn''t help but smile.


    Now the net was open, and the rest was just waiting for the prey to come to them.


    It was a good thing that he didn''t make Jin Lan wait too long.


    Two days later, Steward Li''s letter of safety was delivered to the manor. The boat had already reached Hong Ze, and would be able to return to the manor''s Yangzhou in a short time.


    That night, the Shuixie Pavilion that was especially tranquil as usual, suddenly emitted a burst of noise, followed by a figure hurriedly rushing towards the East Wing that Jin Lan resided in. Following an urgent knock on the door, the candle flame inside the East Wing instantly lit up.


    Mama Tang opened the door and saw Mu Lan''s blushing face. Her eyes shone with excitement, and the moment she entered the door, she panted anxiously and said: "Miss, I got it, I got it!"


    "Speak clearly if you have something to say!" "What do you mean by ''fidgety''?" Although Mama Tang was excited in her heart, she still shouted out with a gloomy face.


    Only then did Mu Lan regain her senses, and patted her chest that was moving up and down intensely, and said: "A few days ago, didn''t Miss let this servant and Female Cook Zhang watch the kitchen secretly? Just as I returned from the latrine, I saw someone sneaking towards the kitchen. This servant then followed him anxiously, and coincidentally, Female Cook Zhang and I blocked that person from entering the door! "


    Jin Lan was ecstatic as he hastily asked, "Where is that person?"


    Mu Lan laughed: "This servant is anxious to report to miss. That person has already been tied up, and Female Cook Zhang is currently in the kitchen watching over him!"


    "Let''s go!" Jin Lan decisively looked at Mama Tang, and then instructed Mu Lan: "Go to the west wing and invite Doctor Gong over. Be careful not to alarm mother."


    Mu Lan thought that the lady would send her to invite a wife, but she did not expect to invite a Doctor Gong. He could not help but be startled, but he quickly regained his senses and nodded: "This servant understands."


    The night was much colder than the cold. Mama Tang hurriedly took out a embroidered fur cloak and put it on Jin Lan. Then, she picked up a palace lamp and followed Jin Lan to the kitchen.


    From start to finish, Jin Lan didn''t ask who the person was.


    She wanted to uncover all the facts bit by bit with her own hands.


    For his mother, and for himself in his previous life!


    Shuixie Pavilion''s small kitchen was located at the northwest corner, and they were looking at each other through the west wing. Thus, when Jin Lan was dressed and rushed over, Doctor Gong had coincidentally also went up the stairs.


    The small kitchen, which turned off the lights at night, was brightly lit. Not only was there a candle flame in the room, but there were also several lanterns hanging under the porch. Although they were not as bright as the day, they still illuminated a person''s hair.


    Female Cook Zhang guarded the entrance fearfully until she saw Jin Lan approaching. Then, she quickly opened the door and welcomed the group of people inside.


    After the small kitchen was turned off, it was cleaned up by the Female Cook on duty. Hence, other than the smell of dry goods, there was no other smell.


    As soon as Jin Lan entered, he couldn''t wait to look at the figure that was hiding in the corner.


    When she saw the face that had been gagged and filled with panic, she couldn''t help but furrow her brows, "Why is it you!?"

 C150

    The servant in front of him who was trapped tightly, with a rag stuffed in her mouth, and eyes revealing endless fear, Jin Lan was not familiar with her, but she did not look unfamiliar either. She was the third tier servant of Shuixie Pavilion, Little Xiu.


    Speaking of Little Xiu, Jin Lan suddenly remembered that when the Concubine Shao had released the servants, he had forced the Madame SHen to choose two servants who did not know the root of the problem. Luckily, at that time, the Madame SHen had let Qiu Wen and Mo Chu make up for the deficiency of the maids, and had raised Pi Er and Ji Er to the level 2 servant girl.


    Jin Lan did not even take them to heart, and upon seeing that the one who did it was Little Xiu, his face darkened.


    Little Xiu did not notice the change in Jin Lan''s expression, seeing her coming over, although he was still terrified, but his eyes revealed a look of hope, his shivering body suddenly twisted, as though he wanted to discern for himself, but his mouth was blocked, and he could only let out a low whimper.


    Jin Lan stared coldly at him. "Open her mouth."


    Female Cook Zhang, who was standing at the side, quickly took off the rag and a burst of wailing sounds immediately echoed in the small kitchen.


    "Miss, your servant has been wronged!"


    Little Xiu originally did not look bad, but now that she had cried like this with her teary eyes, coupled with her wronged expression, she looked like she had cried with tears, causing others to feel pity for her.


    It was a pity that Jin Lan was not a man. Seeing how she was crying and making a ruckus, he was afraid that it would get to the main house and disturb the Madame SHen. He immediately said seriously, "You can continue to cry.


    Hearing the two words "yamen", Little Xiu''s slim body shivered, then she lowered her head in panic. She gradually stopped crying, but only cried out from time to time, not daring to cause any more trouble.


    "What are you doing in the kitchenette instead of resting in the house in the middle of the night?" Mama Tang is a person from the Lan Garden, so logically speaking, she has no right to ask about Shuixie Pavilion''s servant, but since she had Jin Lan as the leader, she had no qualms about it, and immediately shouted sternly: "Don''t think that Miss will be able to get away with this just because you''re young and careful, you still aren''t honest enough!"


    "Mama, what are you saying? This servant doesn''t understand." Little Xiu raised her head, feigning calmness: "This servant is just thirsty, I want to drink some water from the kitchen, I didn''t expect to be blocked by Big Sister Mu Lan who is standing in front of Female Cook Zhang and Miss. This servant, this servant is truly wronged!" As she spoke, he began to wipe away her tears.


    When Female Cook Zhang heard her words, she immediately sneered and said, "Don''t mention the rest, regardless of whether it is the young lady''s room or the servant''s room, they will never lose tea. Even if you are thirsty, you shouldn''t come here to scoop up water to drink!"


    Adding tea and water to every room every day was the duty of Female Cook. If Little Xiu shouted that she did not have any water to drink, then wouldn''t he just say that they did not do well? Furthermore, she was in front of Second Miss, so how could she allow her to slander him?


    "There really is no tea in this servant''s room. If Miss doesn''t believe me, just call Qi''er from the same room and we''ll know." Little Xiu insisted that she was here to drink water, and her expression became more calm.


    Jin Lan looked at her coldly with a trace of mockery at the corner of his mouth. It seemed that the maidservant had made adequate preparations. Since she dared to bring Chi Er out, she must be an accomplice or the culprit. If they wanted to keep all the water in the house, which one of them didn''t have ten ideas?


    She lowered her eyes and gently ran her slender, white fingers across the soft fur of her cloak as she said indifferently: "If I remember correctly, the servant''s room should be at the back of the main house. Mother''s yard may be small, but it can''t be considered small either, it would take at least half a cup of tea for her to walk from the small room to the kitchen.


    "The girl is right." Little Xiu bit her lips. She was really unable to understand Jin Lan''s thoughts, this Second Miss gave her an illusion that she was even harder to deal with than her wife.


    "Then I find it strange," Jin Lan smiled faintly. "You''re willing to walk in the dark for such a long distance and yet you''re not willing to ask for water from the neighboring rooms. Could it be that all the rooms in the room are short on tea?"


    Little Xiu''s face turned slightly pale, but her eyes quickly turned, and then quibbled: "Of course there are other rooms, it''s just that it''s already deep into the night, so I can''t disturb the rest of the sisters'' rest." This time her tone was not as calm as before, and she was secretly trembling.


    "Oh? That''s even stranger. " The smile on Jin Lan''s face deepened, but his eyes were filled with a cold light. "The rooms of others are fine, but your room is the only one with problems. Why is that?"


    "Your servant, your servant ¡­" Xiu''er''s body stiffened. Then, she started to tremble violently. She opened her mouth, but was unable to utter any words of reply.


    Jin Lan was too lazy to pester her anymore, and immediately instructed the Female Cook Zhang: "Carefully check if there is anything wrong with it."


    "Yes." Female Cook Zhang replied and started rummaging through the kitchen.


    For a moment, the small kitchen was filled with endless rustling sounds, the Female Cook Zhang''s figure shuttled back and forth, but the closer she got to the stove, the more Little Xiu''s body trembled.


    Jin Lan and the Doctor Gong looked at each other, feeling even more certain that there was something wrong with Little Xiu''s heart.


    After a long while, Female Cook Zhang finished inspecting the small kitchen. She walked up to Jin Lan in a few steps and said with her hands hanging in front of him, "To reply young lady, the dry food in the small kitchen is normal."


    Hearing that, Little Xiu wanted to let out a breath of relief, but Female Cook Zhang continued: "But the iron pot on the stove has been touched!"


    "You''re lying!" Little Xiu said in a high-pitched voice, then turned to Jin Lan and sobbed: "Miss, this servant did not, this servant was wronged! It''s clear that she''s deliberately framing us! " Her tone got more and more agitated, but she still refused to admit it even at the cost of her life.


    Little Xiu''s sharp voice made Jin Lan frown uncomfortably as she glanced at Female Cook Zhang, "Do you have any proof?"


    "Yes." Female Cook Zhang nodded her head confidently, "Ever since I received Miss''s orders, I would personally clean up the kitchen every day. In order to avoid being tampered with in the dark, I used a thin layer of dust to coat the several iron pots'' lids. At night, no one will be able to see through it. Right now, a lot of dust has been removed from the cover of the big iron pot in the middle, so it has probably been stuck onto Little Xiu''s hand.


    Little Xiu never thought that the small kitchen would have such a profound mystery, her face immediately turned grey.


    Seeing her expression, Jin Lan was almost convinced. When Mama Tang stepped forward to help her hold the hemp rope tightly and open her hands, she saw that there were indeed a layer of grey marks on seven or eight of her ten fingers.


    Jin Lan''s slightly squinting eyes instantly widened, his face revealed a bit of rage, and fiercely glared at Little Xiu, "What else do you have to say?"


    "This servant does not know the meaning behind Miss''s words." Lifting his head to look at Jin Lan, the fear in Little Xiu''s eyes became even stronger, and his body trembled as he struggled to the point of death, "This servant has indeed touched that pot before, but it was also for the sake of seeing if there was hot water inside. Does this lady think that I would harm anyone? Just now, Female Cook Zhang and Sister Mu Lan had already searched this servant''s body, and there was nothing harmful at all. Furthermore, Female Cook Zhang had checked it just now, so there shouldn''t be anything wrong with the metal pot right? " Although his voice was trembling, his words were still clear.


    Even though Female Cook Zhang was hesitant, she still nodded her head to confirm that what she said was the truth.


    Jin Lan looked at Little Xiu coldly. It seemed that this servant girl had some tricks up her sleeve, to be able to continue biting on them even at this point. It was no wonder Concubine Shao went to all the trouble to bring her into his mother''s room. If mother did not pay attention back then and allowed Concubine Shao''s scheme to succeed, I''m afraid...


    Suddenly, her eyes focused on Little Xiu''s chest.


    Today, Little Xiu was wearing a green half-arm jacket, but there was a patch of pink on her chest, which made him look extremely conspicuous at first glance. It should be a handkerchief used to wipe sweat off her body. Just now, after a struggle, a small part of it was revealed. Looking at its texture, it looked like it was the same as the clothes she was wearing, only ¡­


    Jin Lan''s eyes flashed. "Bring the handkerchief over her chest."


    Little Xiu was shocked, the calmness she was pretending to be suddenly disintegrated, he could not help but retreat, but Mama Tang stepped forward and pulled the handkerchief out.


    "Miss." Mama Tang was afraid that there would be something harmful on the handkerchief, so she did not hand it over to Jin Lan. Instead, she gently pinched the two horns and opened the handkerchief before Jin Lan''s eyes.


    This time, not only Jin Lan, but even the Doctor Gong saw the change in the handkerchief.


    The pink cotton handkerchief was stained with many brown marks. It looked to be somewhat wet, and as the handkerchief was unfurled, a faint fragrance started to drift about.


    "This is ¡­" Smelling this smell, Doctor Gong could not help but frown. He extended his hand and took the handkerchief from Mama Tang''s hand, placed it under his nose and took a careful sniff, then suddenly raised his head and said to Female Cook Zhang: "Open the lid of the pot and place it in reverse."


    Female Cook Zhang was startled, she immediately went to the stove and used both hands to grab the handle of the lid, causing the entire heavy oak cover to be lifted. She then placed the lid on the stove, and turned it around agilely, turning it upside down, and faced the inside of the furnace under everyone''s gaze.


    Doctor Gong walked up quickly. Ignoring the remaining oil on the handkerchief, he smelt it once more. After a while, he opened his mouth and said: "There''s something wrong with the lid!"


    Little Xiu''s face changed.


    "What''s on it?" Jin Lan didn''t even look at Little Xiu and walked to the side of the Doctor Gong and asked, as if he had hit the nail on the head.


    "It''s the sap of a mulberry." "After the Mulberry Fruit was crushed, it had a light fragrance, but the smell was emitted extremely quickly. If it was any later, I''m afraid that I wouldn''t have been able to smell it."


    As long as you found out that the pot was passive, ordinary people would only pay attention to the pot to see if there were passive hands and feet, but rarely to see the lid. However, after he spread the ingredients on the lid, when the Female Cook was cooking by day, they would inevitably take off the lid and drip a few drops of water that were condensed from the steam.


    Jin Lan looked at the lid on the wok carefully, then glanced at the handkerchief, and finally turned to look at Little Xiu, "It really is a good move."


    Little Xiu''s face became pale, her lips trembled, and said with difficulty: "This servant, this servant only saw that my wife''s appetite was not good recently, so I thought of smearing some mulberry juice, so that she could develop her appetite. This servant definitely does not have any intentions of harming Madam! " As he spoke, he began kowtowing to Jin Lan.


    At this point, she no longer wanted to curry favor with her wife. She only wanted to think about how to save her own life.


    "A small amount of the juice of a mulberry fruit can actually make one''s appetite boil." The Doctor Gong glanced at Little Xiu indifferently, and then changed his tone and spoke in a stern voice: "However, if you eat the Mulberry Dropper Fruit, when you encounter the Hundred Mauna Fragrance, it will turn back into a snow of the sixth month inside your body!"

 C151

    "How could this be ¡­" Little Xiu could not hold on any longer, and his body was completely paralyzed on the ground. His face was completely devoid of blood, and he looked lifeless. It''s obviously not like that. "


    Jin Lan took a deep breath, suppressed the raging anger at the bottom of his heart, and stared coldly at Little Xiu as he opened his mouth to speak: "Tell me who instructed you, and maybe I''ll be able to take it lightly."


    Others might not be aware of it, but she knew that her mother loved it the most. Although it wasn''t burned in the incense burner, all the incense in the box was fragrant!


    Little Xiu was only a third-rate servant girl. Normally, she wouldn''t even be able to go to Jiaomen, so how would she be able to find the Sangyangzi Fruit? Furthermore, the matter of her mother being poisoned was right before Little Xiu even entered the palace. Even if it was Little Xiu who did it now, then who was the one who did it?


    Jin Lan''s words was like a clap of thunder, causing Little Xiu''s entire body to tremble, she immediately regained her senses. She did not care about the rope tied around her, and immediately knelt down, kowtowing to Jin Lan, and said with tears in her voice, "Miss, this servant is wronged, this servant really did not wish to harm Madam, but only wanted to do what was within my power. As for those beside me, even borrowing this servant''s one hundred and twenty guts would not dare to think! I beg Miss to spare this servant, this servant will definitely help Miss to catch that slut who harmed Madam! "


    Before Jinlan could even speak, Mama Tang spat at her, and angrily rebuked her with a green face: "Who the hell do you think you are? How dare he give a condition to a girl! "Based on your crimes, even if you drag it out and beat him to death, it would still be proper!"


    Little Xiu also did not hesitate, and shouted: "This servant was also framed, does this lady want to kill this servant''s pure and innocent daughter without discrimination?"


    "Pure?" Jin Lan was so angry that he laughed instead, and immediately took two steps forward to Little Xiu, looking down at her condescendingly, "Be honest with yourself and reveal your master behind your back, don''t think that you can get away with it, and even more so think that you can get away with it. Your indenture contract is in mother''s hands, if I want to take it, it will only be a matter of a few words!"


    After she finished speaking, she specially paused and looked at Little Xiu''s frightened face with an indifferent gaze. Suddenly, the corner of her mouth split into a demonic smile, "I''m not as magnanimous as mother, I might accidentally sell you into a lowly place or something shameful like that ¡­"


    When her tender voice entered Little Xiu''s ears, it became a talisman of urging her on where she had nowhere to run, causing her to shiver in fear. She wanted to scream out loud, but her cold eyes stared right at her, as though she was holding onto her throat with a pair of invisible hands.


    She suddenly felt that Second Miss was serious, as long as she did not admit it, Second Miss''s words would definitely become true!


    Little Xiu was finally afraid, she was both shocked and terrified, crying in an extremely miserable manner. Without waiting for Jin Lan to ask again, she trembled and said, "Yes, it was Sister Man Ping who asked me to do this!"


    Man Ping?


    Other than Jin Lan and Mama Tang, everyone in the room was shocked. Even the calm face of the Doctor Gong revealed a little ripple.


    Was it really her? Jin Lan closed his eyes, not knowing if it was disappointment or anger.


    Ever since she heard from Mu Lan that Man Ping had appeared at the Eastern City Square, she had become suspicious of him. She had asked the Mama Tang to inform her elder brother to explore the alley and also found some traces of spider silk.


    Man Ping was one of my mother''s most trusted maids. If I let my mother know that the person closest to me is the black hand that caused me to fall into such a predicament, how sad would it be?


    Even she had wholeheartedly trusted Man Ping and Man Ping initially.


    Jin Lan opened his eyes and watched quietly. His eyes were as calm as water. It was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry, but it made people feel inexplicably anxious.


    Seeing that something was wrong, Mama Tang worriedly called out, "Miss."


    Only then did Jin Lan turn his head and look at the concerned eyes of the Mama Tang. His heart warmed as he gently nodded and said, "I''m fine." After saying that, he looked at Little Xiu and asked expressionlessly: "Are you sure?"


    "This servant is sure!" Little Xiu gritted her teeth as she said, "This servant was originally a maid who was sweeping around the kitchen. Three months ago, Man Ping found a servant, saying that it was to help this servant woo his wife, and even gave me some fruits, saying that as long as I can find a way to get my wife''s food, my wife''s appetite would be greatly increased! As long as Madam can eat it and get better, this servant will have done a great service! "


    Female Cook Zhang was scared to the point that her whole body was covered in cold sweat. She had never been able to figure out why Second Miss had people guarding the small kitchen.


    She was loyal to the Madame SHen as a child, and when she heard the truth, she wanted to step forward and tear Little Xiu apart. However, because Jin Lan was present, she coldly said: "Aren''t you a fool? Do you believe her when she says that? Don''t you know that secretly playing tricks on your wife''s food, and poking it out, is a crime against your master? In my opinion, there might be something in your heart! "


    "Everything this servant said is true, otherwise I would have died a horrible death!" Little Xiu swore a oath and thought about what would happen to her. She didn''t dare to think about it, so she could only think of a way to get rid of him.


    "At that time, this servant was still curious, why would she give up such a good opportunity to someone else? In the end, Man Ping smiled and told the servant that she was supposed to be a servant in front of a wife and needed her trust, so she didn''t spend any more time thinking about it. But Hui Xiu would always try to steal from her in front of her wife, she was furious and wanted to help this servant. It''s just that she had one condition, and that was that this servant will have it in the future.


    "This servant thought that it would be beneficial and harmless for this servant, so I agreed with Man Ping, but this servant is not stupid, the fruits that I secretly fed to the brocade fish in the backyard are not harmful, that''s why ¡­" At the end of her sentence, her voice was hoarse from exhaustion. Her heart was filled with regret, and her eyes were as swollen as walnuts. It was too horrible to look at.


    Jin Lan pursed his lips, showing no mercy in his heart. She would never forgive someone who had hurt her mother! Thinking for a moment, he asked: This method was also taught to you by Man Ping? Do the mulberry fruit be applied daily or once every few days? "


    Little Xiu shook her head, and said hoarsely: "The method was thought of by me, but when it comes to applying the fruit, it was Man Ping who secretly instructed me. She said that Madam sometimes doesn''t like to eat things from the kitchen, so it would be white if I applied it, and it would cause mistakes."


    You''re smart! Jin Lan sneered, shshecould no longer be bothered to listen to her cry. She instructed the Mama Tang to first place her in the woodshed, then secretly whisper a few words to Mu Lan, he turned and left with the Doctor Gong.


    Seeing that Jin Lan was about to leave, Little Xiu struggled up and opened her mouth to shout, but was blocked by the Female Cook Zhang''s hand and only a few wuwu sounds came out.


    Deep into the night, the wind was cold and the dew was heavy.


    As Jin Lan stepped out of the kitchen, a gust of night wind blew past. A few inches of cold gradually invaded her slender body. She couldn''t help but pull up her cloak.


    Upon seeing all those harming methods, Jin Lan felt his teeth go cold. Fortunately, she was sharp enough to tell her mother not to touch the food inside the Shuixie Pavilion, and instead told Mama Tang to prepare them properly before sending them over secretly. Otherwise, it would be too late by now.


    When he thought that it was highly likely that the Madame SHen would go after him with hatred, Jin Lan''s heart trembled uncontrollably.


    Doctor Gong had always been paying close attention to Jin Lan. Seeing her pair of eyes that were flickering with fear and imprinted with orange light, he suddenly said softly, "Everything will eventually pass."


    Jin Lan was startled. Facing the Doctor Gong''s calm yet unusually bright eyes, his heart fell silent for no reason.


    That''s right, everything would pass. After working so hard for so long, spending so much effort, it was no longer the same as in his previous life.


    The poison in his mother''s body had almost been completely cleansed, and the only thing to do now was to follow Man Ping''s line and find out everything that Concubine Shao had done!


    Jin Lan smiled gratefully at Doctor Gong.


    With regards to Man Ping, it was impossible to hide the truth from her mother. Furthermore, what happened tonight was at the Shuixie Pavilion, but as long as one wanted to ask about it, there would always be traces, and if they did not deal with it quickly, once they recovered, it would be even more difficult.


    Jin Lan made up his mind to go to his mother''s room at dawn.


    Madame SHen woke up as soon as the sky turned gray. She had always been a light sleeper, and although she drank better than usual, she somehow felt that something was going to happen last night. She could only hear a faint noise, but not a sound. Thus, after tossing and turning, he waited for the light outside the window to slightly brighten before he stood up.


    Mama Zhu brought hot water and helped her wash up as she said, "Miss came over early in the morning and is waiting for you in the outer room."


    "Lan Er is here?" Madame SHen was startled, then said: "Quickly let her in."


    Just as Man Ping responded, she placed the clothes that she had prepared neatly on the bed, and turned to walk out.


    "Second Miss, Madam will let you in."


    Jin Lan was holding onto a cup of tea. Seeing Man Ping coming out, her eyes flashed and she smiled and got up to go inside. She only passed by Man Ping''s side and immediately smelt a faint fragrance.


    Madame SHen sat in front of the mirror and combed her hair. Seeing Jin Lan enter, he laughed: "Why aren''t you sleeping for a while longer? Why are you up so early?"


    Jin Lanfu snuggled up to her, "I slept early last night. I should wake up early now."


    A trace of a smile appeared on Madame SHen''s face. She rubbed Jin Lan''s head and said: "That''s fine, you''ll have breakfast with me in a while."


    As the mother and daughter chatted, Hui Xiu had already brought the breakfast over and placed it on the purple sandalwood sculpture''s square table.


    Madame SHen changed into her clothes and then took her seat along with Jin Lan. However, Jin Lan extended his hand to stop him just as he was about to pick up the note.


    Her eyes curved, and she laughed: "Mother, Sister Man Ping is someone who is able in front of you, and someone who has always taken care of mother''s body, Lan Er is grateful to you in her heart. For today''s breakfast, Lan Er would like to invite Big Sister Man Ping to sit at the table with us, is that alright? "


    Man Ping''s pretty face changed, as though she was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, and immediately waved her hand: "Taking care of Mistress is my duty, how could I dare to accept Miss''s thanks!"


    Jin Lan didn''t care how she rejected him, standing up immediately and pulling Man Ping''s hand, pushing her to sit on the round stool.


    Man Ping was afraid of hurting her, even though she was anxious, she did not dare to struggle, and was slowly pulled by Jin Lan to sit down.


    Seeing them coming and going, Madame SHen felt that it was rather interesting, so she said to Hui Xiu, "You can sit together with me, there''s no need to go through so many rules today."


    Hui Xiu stuttered for a bit, then sat down. This time, Man Ping had no reason to get up, and could only force herself to sit on the round stool.


    Jin Lan smiled as he returned to the side of Madame SHen and sat down, then he personally scooped up a bowl of Jade Mold Porridge and pushed it in front of Man Ping, "I wonder how this bowl of porridge tastes like, let Big Sister Man Ping have a taste."


    Man Ping''s eyelids jumped, her heart instantly becoming flustered, could it be that Second Miss knew something?


    "Why?" Jin Lan saw that she wasn''t moving, so he tilted his head and curiously asked, "Could it be that this congee isn''t compatible with elder sister''s taste?"


    "No, no!" Man Ping forced out a trace of a smile and reached out to scoop a spoonful of the jade-green porridge, but she didn''t dare to put it in her mouth no matter what.


    Seeing her hesitant appearance, Jin Lan suddenly slammed the table!


    Man Ping was shocked, the spoon instantly fell into the bowl, the boiling porridge splashed on her body, causing her to feel a burning pain. Before she could even jump up, she heard Jin Lan''s voice, which was as cold as ice:


    "Since the porridge doesn''t suit my tastes, could it be that there is something shameful added into the porridge?!"

 C152

    Man Ping''s face immediately paled, she could not even care about the wounds on her body that had been burned by the hot porridge, but she still held onto a thread of hope and forced a laugh: "What did the lady say? Why can''t this servant understand? This porridge was personally made by Female Cook Zhang this morning. It was only when Hui Xiu was there that the porridge was served.


    Jin Lan stared intently at Man Ping, then suddenly bared his teeth and smiled, "In that case, I was wrong about you."


    Man Ping lowered her eyes and muttered: "This servant doesn''t dare ¡­"


    At first, Madame SHen only watched with interest, but later on, she more or less felt that something was amiss. Adding the words Jin Lan had shouted at her, her heart sank.


    Although she had been enjoying her life being touched by the Shen Family since she was young, it was not rare for her to find out about the profanities within the Inner Court. Furthermore, after marrying into the Ye Family for so many years, there were many twists and turns within the Shen Family.


    Now that he saw his daughter acting this way, what could he not understand?


    But Man Ping was a servant girl that she trusted and supported wholeheartedly!


    Madame SHen''s heart slowly cooled down, and her spirit, which she had difficulty recovering with, was like a wilted flower petal in the autumn sun, slowly falling from the branch and turning into mud.


    Suddenly, she felt the back of her hand warm up. Her eyes shifted slightly, and a worried little face appeared in front of her eyes.


    "Mother." Jin Lan tightly held onto Madame SHen''s hand. What she was most afraid of was that Madame SHen would not be affected by such betrayal.


    In the inner room just now, the light didn''t look as bright as the outside, but now that she looked carefully, Madame SHen realised that her daughter''s usually unadorned face was covered with a thin layer of powder, especially under the autumn water cut eyes, it was possible to see that there was a light green under the powder.


    This child probably hadn''t slept well the entire night!


    Madame SHen''s heart suddenly felt a bit of pain, probably because Jin Lan had already noticed Man Ping earlier, no wonder he was always allowed to eat at the Shuixie Pavilion. It wasn''t until now that she found out. It was most likely because she was afraid that her body wouldn''t be able to bear the brunt of the blow.


    Lan Er, Lan Er... Madame SHen closed her eyes, covering the dense look in her eyes. She was only ten years old, but she was worried sick for her mother!


    How long had she been weak? So much so that these people had all forgotten her original personality!


    Madame SHen took a deep breath, and suddenly opened his eyes. She first smiled at Jin Lan, and lightly patted the catkin on the back of her left hand, then turned to Man Ping, his eyes shining, and said, "I don''t know if this porridge is thick enough, but you can help me taste it."


    Man Ping''s heart skipped a beat, she raised her head in panic, "Madam ¡­."


    The corner of Madame SHen''s mouth hooked into a sneer. Her pitch-black eyes were cold and sinister. "I told you to eat the porridge!"


    Hui Xiu was confused. In the past few days, her wife did not allow them to wait upon her, and all the food and clothing in the house were taken over by Mama Zhu. Although she had her doubts, she did not dare to say anything. It was still early in the morning when Mu Lan, who was standing in front of Second Miss, knocked on the door. She said that she wanted her and Man Ping to wait on his wife in her room, but did not expect such a thing to happen.


    Although Man Ping was still calm, but Hui Xiu knew her well, how could she not see her fear? But all these years, Hui Xiu and Man Ping had been serving inside Madame SHen''s house, and because they didn''t want her to do this kind of thing, they couldn''t help but advise, "Man Ping, your wife rewarding the porridge is also your honor, you should hurry up and drink it!"


    As matters stood, Man Ping had no other choice. Clenching her teeth, she picked up the spoon and scooped another spoonful of porridge, trembling as she tried to put it into her mouth.


    Following the cracking sound of the spoon hitting the ground, Man Ping suddenly knelt down. "Bang bang bang bang" She kowtowed fiercely, and started crying as she kowtowed: "This servant deserves to die! Mistress, please spare this servant! "


    Madame SHen only felt that her entire heart had sunk into the water. Letting Man Ping drink the porridge, wasn''t it also giving her a chance to wash herself clean?


    Now, what was there to deceive?


    She laughed at herself in her heart. Her expression became increasingly indifferent. "You deserve to die, but now is not the time. Say it, who instructed you to do so?"


    Man Ping raised her head and looked at Madame SHen in panic, the color of her face slowly drained. She had sold herself into the since childhood, and the first master she followed was her wife.


    Although his wife had a soft personality, and she was a kind person, even the old lady couldn''t compare to her stubbornness in the bones. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have choked until the old lady moved to Jiayu Hall, no longer caring about side issues. If it wasn''t for the fact that my wife accidentally dropped a brother and injured her body ¡­


    Most likely, this was not the case in the Residence right now.


    At this moment, under the''s gaze, Man Ping had the guts to face the Eldest Wife who had just entered the palace and was sitting firmly in a high seat! The thought almost came out of his mouth, but when he thought of the people outside, he swallowed it down and gritted his teeth, "This is all my doing. I have no one else to instruct me!"


    Hui Xiu was shocked and angry at the same time, scolding with a face full of heartache: "Man Ping, you, why are you this foolish! Madame has been very kind to us, but you actually did such a thing! "


    Jin Lan glanced at her indifferently, "Big Sister Hui Xiu, this matter shouldn''t be spread out. I''ll have to trouble you to stand guard outside the door, don''t let anyone in."


    Hui Xiu trembled, she knew that even she herself was suspicious, and wanted to explain herself, but in the end she opened her mouth and finally replied softly, "Yes."


    When Hui Xiu left the room, Jin Lan waved towards the Mama Tang, who neatly offered two cups of hot tea.


    Madame SHen took two sips from her tea cup, her heart becoming calmer, even if Man Ping did not say it, she could guess who the culprit was, but.. She glanced at Man Ping indifferently, "How long have you been serving in front of me?"


    Man Ping''s body trembled, she could not figure out what her wife was thinking, so she could only lower her head and reply with a trembling voice: "This servant has been following my wife for more than ten years already."


    "More than ten years." Madame SHen pursed her lips and asked: "What do I do to you?"


    "Madam, madam treats this servant extremely well." Man Ping''s voice gradually grew softer, as if her body was filled with guilt and regret.


    Madame SHen watched on quietly, as if she was reminiscing her memories. The most difficult days in the residence, was when Man Ping and Hui Xiu stayed with her, so she put down the last line of defense for the two maids. But she didn''t expect that ¡­ She narrowed her eyes as a trace of gloom flashed across her eyes. Her hand that was holding onto the teacup became tighter and tighter. "Since we''ve already been friends for so long, I''ll give you one last chance. Speak!"


    Man Ping only felt a cold breeze slide past her forehead, and an ear-piercing sound of something breaking resounded within the room.


    She closed her eyes in despair for a while before opening them again. She slowly raised her head and looked at Madame SHen mournfully, "Madam, do not ask anymore, this matter was indeed done by this servant alone, and no one else ordered it. Madame, please beat this servant to death!"


    "You think I don''t dare!?" Madame SHen slammed the table and bellowed.


    Jin Lan was afraid that she would be angered, so he tried to comfort her in a soft voice, "Why do you have to be angry at these heartless, ungrateful wolves? You can''t hurt your own body. "


    Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan. Although he was slightly relieved, his face was still gloomy.


    Man Ping was only a servant, and the indenture contract was still in her hands. Furthermore, she had always been good to the people around her, what reason did she have to make Man Ping use such a vicious method on her? She wanted to force Man Ping to reveal the identity of the person behind him, but she didn''t know what kind of bewitching soup that person fed the servant girl.


    Jin Lan persuaded the Madame SHen, then looked at Man Ping. Suddenly, he took out a letter from his sleeves and slowly crumpled it into a ball: "Man Ping, I have something here, do you think it looks familiar?" As he said that, he threw the ball of paper in his hand in front of Man Ping''s knees.


    Back then, when Madame SHen was resting at the Shuixie Pavilion, she had taught the two maids a few days of reading, so Man Ping was able to recognize a few words. She hesitated for a moment, then picked up the ball of paper and opened it.


    "Miss, you, how could you ¡­" Man Ping''s forehead was covered in cold sweat, her hands were shaking even more than before, like she was sifting through chaff. She suddenly raised her head and stared straight at Jin Lan, and screamed, "What did you do to them!?" He struggled to get up as he shouted.


    "How dare you!" Mama Tang bellowed with a dark face, yet she was afraid that she would violently injure Jin Lan, so she hurriedly reached out to grab her. After pressing down on her shoulders with a bit of strength, he pushed her down to the ground again.


    Seeing that, the Mama Zhu also rushed forward to grab hold of Man Ping with her hands, locking Man Ping in place from the left and right.


    Jin Lan watched coldly, until Man Ping was unable to move, then slowly opened the lid of the tea cup, and said indifferently: "You don''t have to be curious about how I found out everything. As for the person inside, you can be at ease, I think he''s doing well for the time being! However, it''s only temporary. "


    "Lan Er." Madame SHen frowned, "What''s going on?"


    Jin Lan laughed, signalling for her to calm down, then he continued to speak to Man Ping: "By all means, you still have to thank me, if I did not have people secretly watching, I''m afraid that the people there would not be able to see the sun rise this morning."


    Man Ping opened her eyes wide in disbelief, "How is this possible?"


    "You only want to help the person behind you take the blame. Have you ever thought about the fact that in the eyes of some people, only the dead can keep secrets?" Jin Lan said indifferently, then remembered something. He lightly nodded at Mama Tang and said: "I believe you have your doubts, but I still have some things here. After you finish reading, it''s not too late to make a decision."


    When Mama Tang received Jin Lan''s hint, she got the Mama Zhu to look favorably at him, and took out a stack of paper from his sleeves, different from what Jin Lan threw just now, it was ordinary grass paper, on top of it there were a few words written in black and white, and underneath it were red handprints, a total of six pages, Zhang did so.


    Man Ping swept one by one, his body suddenly felt as though all of its energy had been sucked out, and she slumped down on the ground weakly.


    All of them were familiar names. There were her parents, her sister-in-law, and a person that she had been yearning for day and night. The last one was a short story that was no different from what Second Miss had said.


    "How is it?" Jin Lan raised his eyebrows. "Are you still going to carry the burden for that person?"


    Man Ping slowly closed her eyes, as if she had lost all of her spirit, and spoke in a low voice: "This servant is willing to make a move."

 C153

    Old Madame Ye had been living a peaceful life these past few days. Ever since she had opened her heart to him, the atmosphere between her and her granddaughter had become more harmonious. It was as if they had returned to the past.


    It looks like Jin Lan had followed the old master this entire time. He would rather eat the soft than the strong!


    "Old lady." When Miao Ning who had just become a servant entered the room, she saw that Old Madame Ye looked to be in a trance, the words that were about to reach her mouth immediately started to come out.


    Old Madame Ye regained her senses. When she saw Miao Ning''s cowardly look, she was instantly displeased. She furrowed her brows and asked, "What''s so noisy about?"


    Miao Ning was so scared that she didn''t even dare to breathe, "Reporting to the old granny, the Second Miss is here."


    "The Girl Lan is here?" Old Madame Ye''s eyes lit up, but when she came into contact with Miao Ning, she immediately waved her hands in annoyance, "Then why didn''t you invite Second Miss in!?


    Miao Ning had always supported Yan Rong, so the servants who were in a hurry had never served him in the main rooms before. Therefore, they were not clear about the Old Madame Ye''s temperament, and upon being scolded like that, they became even more flustered. Their hearts thumped as they knelt on the ground, and stammered: "Other than you, who left the Second Miss, my wife is also here."


    Madame SHen also came? Old Madame Ye''s eyes suddenly became stern, didn''t they say that she was ill and was running out of time?


    Miao Ning did not know what she said wrongly, but she saw that Old Madame Ye''s face was as black as ink, causing her to immediately lower her head and tremble in fear.


    He originally thought that this girl looked smart, and was useful, but he never expected her to be so timid. Old Madame Ye turned her head in disgust and shouted: "Since Madam has come, let us enter together." As a result, she looked at Miao Ning who was still stuck on the ground like a log and became angry, "What are you still standing there for? Could it be that you want me to personally invite him? "


    Miao Ning shivered, she quickly got up and retreated, but immediately picked up the curtains and locked it on Pin Yue who was leading them in.


    Pin Yue had sharp eyes, and instantly saw Miao Ning''s reddened eyes, and immediately understood what was going on, so she revealed a comforting smile to her.


    Miao Ning smiled gratefully before hurriedly bowing her head to Madame SHen and Jin Lan. Only after everyone had entered the house did she hurriedly leave.


    Although Jin Lan felt that this servant looked unfamiliar, she wasn''t too interested in the matter of Jiayu Hall. She thought about it briefly in her heart before putting it aside and respectfully bowed to Old Madame Ye together with Madame SHen.


    "Old lady."


    "Grandmother."


    "Alright, alright. All of you, get up." Old Madame Ye still did not have a good expression towards Madame SHen, and did not even want to look at him once, so she casually said a few words to pass.


    Jin Lan''s smile was tranquil. He immediately grabbed Old Madame Ye''s hand and snuggled into Old Madame Ye''s embrace like a snake and gently called out: "Grandmother."


    Seeing her granddaughter being so dependent, Old Madame Ye''s expression became even more amiable. She patted her petite body and asked: "Why aren''t you here today to accompany Grandmother for breakfast?" There was a hint of complaint in his voice.


    After serving the tea, Pin Yue retreated to a corner and scanned the entire hall quickly. The old lady seemed to view Second Miss more and more seriously.


    When the topic of breakfast was brought up, the smile on Jin Lan''s face froze. He quickly lowered his head, as if he was unwilling to say more.


    The Old Madame Ye had always been looking at her, so how could she miss a single detail? Her face immediately darkened. "What?" But you were wronged by your mother? Speak of it, and listen to Grandmother. Grandmother will make the decision for you! " As she spoke, she glared fiercely at Madame SHen, who was seated below her.


    Only now did he realize that even though Madame SHen''s mental fortitude was not bad, his face was still pale and he looked like someone who was ready to fight at any moment.


    Only then did Old Madame Ye feel better.


    Jin Lan didn''t dare to let the old lady turn her gaze to her mother. If she revealed any flaws, it would be a waste of time. She immediately sat up and rubbed her eyes with the handkerchief. Her dry eyes quickly reddened, and two drops of tears fell down.


    "What the hell is going on? Girl Lan won''t cry, with Grandmother here, no one will be able to bully you today! " Old Madame Ye had never seen Jin Lan like this, she was even more certain that Madame SHen was the culprit, while she coaxed Jin Lan''s sharp sword like gaze to poke at her body, she wanted to pierce thousands of holes on her body to vent her anger.


    He slowly moved the handkerchief away and the tears that were falling gradually stopped, as he told her everything that had happened. Of course, he omitted many details that the old lady should not know, and only heavily pointed out the matter of Man Ping and Little Xiu poisoning him. As for what had happened previously, he did not mention anything.


    "What?" Poison!? " Old Madame Ye was furious, she wanted to order Pin Yue to call him over, but when her eyes met Madame SHen, they immediately lit up, "The Ye Mansion have always been strict, could it be that there is some misunderstanding?"


    "Grandmother, this matter has been investigated." Jin Lan sniffed, then shook his head: "There''s no misunderstanding, it''s true. Man Ping and Little Xiu admitted to it."


    Confession? Old Madame Ye scoffed in her heart, not to mention the fact that the two maids were both people of Shuixie Pavilion, the one called Man Ping was also a servant girl beside Madame SHen, so there was no way she could possibly have anything to do with Madame SHen.


    Thinking about Concubine Shao''s bulging stomach, Old Madame Ye felt even more certain that she was right. It must be because Madame SHen was afraid of Concubine Shao threatening her position as the baby, that she spent so much effort to make this play!


    While thinking about it, she looked at Jin Lan. Although this girl was intelligent, she was still young in the end. She might be kept in the dark by others.


    He immediately threw himself into the old lady''s embrace, taking the chance to block her view. Quickly, he wiped his eyes with the handkerchief, and the tears that he had stopped flowed down once again, "Grandmother, Lan Er originally wanted to hide it from Grandmother, he didn''t want to let Grandmother worry, but as matters are now, Lan Er cannot do it anymore."


    "Why?" Old Madame Ye frowned, she stared straight at her, and said in a serious tone: "There''s actually something you''re hiding from me? Hurry up and say it! "


    At this moment, Jin Lan said the words that he had heard from the Lingji Temple and Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu, "Lan Er is thinking, Mother''s noble residence has people secretly harming the Eldest Wife, if that person had evil intentions towards Grandmother and Father, then, what will Lan Er do!?"


    At the beginning, Jin Lan had used a method to make himself cry, but the more he spoke, the more he felt wronged. Everything that happened in the past, as well as this life, he had never experienced the pain of losing his mother.


    However, she could not say anything, she could not do anything. Otherwise, if she caused the old lady to feel disgusted, with the old lady''s strong personality, she would most likely call a deer horse, and admit that she had sinned!


    She lowered her head and bit her lower lip. Despite the fishy taste in her mouth, she did not notice it at all.


    The Old Madame Ye let Jin Lan hug him, one hand gently patting her slender back, her originally kind eyes became stern, and her anger that was dispelled by suspicion rose again. The actions of the Girl Lan did not seem to be fake, if the matter of Lingji Temple was really true ¡­


    Jin Lan could feel the anger of the Old Madame Ye. He leaned into her embrace and sobbed for a while, then slowly raised his head and looked at the old lady firmly with his wet eyes, "Grandmother, the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu is willing to testify for Lan Er."


    Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu had long wandered around the world and disappeared without a trace, it was simply impossible for her to testify to her words. However, no matter how Jin Lan gambled, the old lady wouldn''t be able to wait any longer.


    Of course, if one were to say that the old lady valued the person she cherished the most, it would be her own fault!


    Knowing that there was such a method and poison in this manor, how could she remain calm?


    Sure enough, the Old Madame Ye hugged Jin Lan as she slightly narrowed her eyes. The expression on her face was unfathomable, and after a moment, he suddenly said to Pin Yue in a heavy voice: "Go and Bright Autumn Pavilion bring the Concubine Shao here!"


    Pin Yue''s heart moved slightly, and she quickly replied and left.


    She had been serving the old lady since she was young. Although she did not receive much attention from Yan Rong, her thoughts were extremely sharp, and what Second Miss had said just now clearly caught the old lady''s attention, so she did not dare to say much about it in the Bright Autumn Pavilion. The only explanation was that the old lady had asked the aunt to go there.


    Concubine Shao slapped Pin Yue''s face and told her to wait outside, while she herself slowly went in to dress up.


    She didn''t dare to disobey the old lady''s orders, but Concubine Shao believed that Ye Jinwei was about to return home. If the old lady wanted to bring her to welcome her daughter, she had to dress up first before she could leave.


    Looking at the noble and graceful face in the water caltrop mirror, the Concubine Shao nodded her head in satisfaction. Then, with a big belly, she supported Su Xin and went out of the door, only to discover that Pin Yue did not arrange any Soft Palanquin s.


    With this twist, Old Madame Ye had to wait for more than half an hour. The anger in her heart, which was originally just a fiery spark, had already been ignited into a raging prairie fire!


    "Greetings to the old lady." Concubine Shao caressed her stomach, and then stood up with her knees bent indiscernibly. Her gaze turned to look at Madame SHen, who was sitting at the side, and Man Ping and Little Xiu who were kneeling on the ground with their mouths tightly tied up. Her heart skipped a beat, but her face revealed a perfect smile: So big sister was also with the old lady, but, look at the situation, did something happen to the servant girl from Shuixie Pavilion?


    Madame SHen had already regained her senses, the blood on her lips had been wiped away, but there was still a red mark left, which was not too obvious when matched with the color of her lips.


    She raised her head and looked at Concubine Shao, who was beaming with happiness, and suddenly let out a rare smile, "There''s no helping it, there are always some greedy servants in this world."


    Concubine Shao''s expression immediately became unsightly. She glared at Madame SHen hatefully, and smiled when she turned towards him, trying to curry favor with him. "Did the old lady summon me here for First Miss? I wonder where First Miss''s carriage is? "


    The Old Madame Ye was furious, but after sweeping a glance at sher fat stomach, he could only suppress his anger and gloomily stared at the exquisite face, "Do you recognize the maidservants kneeling below?"


    Concubine Shao laughed, "Seems familiar, the one on the left is the servant girl in elder sister''s room, she is called Man Ping right? I often come here to collect my monthly reports, so I''ve seen you a few times. "


    Hearing that this matter was unrelated to him, Man Ping''s face changed. He could no longer care about the hemp rope tied tightly around his body, and struggled towards her with all his might, shaking his head while shouting.


    Concubine Shao acted as though she was scared, holding her stomach, she leaned on Su Xin and retreated a few steps, and said anxiously: "This, this servant girl, she can''t have lost her mind, right? "Old Granny, quickly pry her out. If she really hurts you, that would not be good!"


    Jin Lan did not say anything, and just laid in Old Madame Ye''s embrace. Everything had already been arranged, and she only needed to watch.


    Man Ping shook her head fiercely a few times, and the rag in her mouth was actually flung out by her, as miserable wails instantly gushed out: "Old granny, everything this servant has done was done with the knowledge of the Concubine Shao, she caused people to break down and jump into the great god''s schemes, tricking this servant''s parents and siblings, forcing this slave to poison her wife, if not, then this servant''s entire family would have been sold off to a place that no one can see! This servant is the real thing, the real thing ¡­ I beg the old lady to enlighten me, I beg the old lady to enlighten me! "


    As he spoke, he slammed the green brick floor, causing a blood-red flower to bloom!

 C154

    Concubine Shao''s face suddenly changed, she angrily scolded: "Where did this crazy servant girl come from, don''t you slander me!"


    After she finished speaking, she turned around and looked at Old Madame Ye pitifully as she said, "To the heavens and earth, ever since my wife was laid on the bed and recuperated, I have been following the old lady''s instructions and serving her wholeheartedly. No matter if it was food or medicine that I eat everyday, which part of me is short or missing?"


    "This servant is someone who came out of my wife''s room. Only with the grace of my wife can I have the good fortune I have today. How could I secretly harm my wife? It might be because this maid had a big heart that she would do such a thing, begging the old lady to be enlightened! "


    Jin Lan raised his eyes to look at her, but in his heart, he smiled coldly. He sounded reasonable, reminding the old lady that she and the old lady were on the same boat. Whatever she did, she had to have something to do with the old lady.


    But unfortunately, with the old lady''s personality, even if she wanted to trample on her mother, she had to do it herself. The Concubine Shao was just a chess piece, and if the chess piece had not moved, the chess piece would not move at all, which was a complete provocation to the old lady!


    Besides, in the old lady''s eyes, no one was more important than her own life!


    Sensing the Old Madame Ye''s trembling body, Jin Lan lowered his gaze to cover the ridicule in his eyes.


    Man Ping saw that the Concubine Shao was very sly, and immediately struggled with all her might, "You''re lying! Madam has treated me as a mountain, if not ¡­ "Why would a servant do anything to a lady?!"


    Due to her constant struggles, the hemp rope that was tightly tied to her body grinded her delicate flesh until it was bloody. Under the intense pain and anger, her face contorted even more, "Not long after my wife was born in Second Miss, Concubine Shao had this servant secretly do things in her food so that my wife''s body gets worse and worse day by day. She is unable to control the affairs of my house! Furthermore, she initially wanted to use this servant to poison Second Miss, but before she could do so, the old granny carried Second Miss away! "


    "Later on, my wife''s health actually improved more and more every day, until First Miss and Second Miss went to the capital. Only then did Concubine Shao get Su Xin to send a message to this servant, saying that I must think of a way to get my wife before Second Miss goes back to her house ¡­ Being forced into a corner, this servant secretly schemed for Little Xiu to help this servant poison his wife! "


    "The rest of the poisons and Concubine Shao''s rewards, I hid them all under my bed. The old lady would send someone to search and find them!" Man Ping kept in mind what Jin Lan had said just now. She did not dare to hide anything in her heart, and she told Jin Lan everything that had happened without reservation.


    Even though Madame SHen had already known about this from the pavilion selection, when she heard it again, her heart was bleeding profusely.


    At first, he thought that Shaoyin was a good person, but ever since she was pregnant, he had placed her face into the house.


    For the first time, the Madame SHen felt grateful towards the Old Madame Ye. If not for the old lady bringing Lan Er away to raise him, perhaps Lan Er would be the same as him.


    She gripped the handkerchief tightly, afraid that she would be unable to resist stepping forward and strangling this wicked woman with her own hands!


    Old Madame Ye was so angry that her face was ashen and trembling. Back then, it was precisely Madame SHen that could not be the butler.


    She did not expect that everything would be meticulously planned by someone else, and never in her wildest dreams would she imagine that Concubine Shao was actually thinking of making a move against Jin Lan!


    Old Madame Ye slammed the table, "Shaoyin, how dare you!"


    Concubine Shao did not look good, and immediately gave Su Xin a look, allowing her to support him as she carefully knelt down, it was just that she was able to take care of her legs every month, and normally, she would recuperate well, her stomach looked even bigger than a normal woman''s arms, and currently, kneeling down was not a good feeling, and there was even a faint twinge of pain.


    However, she gritted her teeth and endured the pain. She pulled out a handkerchief and started crying, "Old Madam, please don''t believe this maid. She''s crazy! Not to mention the others, ever since Second Miss was born, how much did this servant treat her? Even the First Miss has always blamed this servant for being biased! "


    When Old Madame Ye saw Concubine Shao kneel down, her eyelids jumped twice as she shouted coldly, "What are you doing? Get up! It carefully hurt the child in her womb! "


    Jin Lan''s pupils shrank. As expected, the old lady still cared about Concubine Shao''s stomach. She sat up and rubbed her slightly red and swollen eyes, and took the opportunity to give Mama Tang a meaningful glance.


    The Mama Tang then bowed to the Old Madame Ye, and said: "Old lady, this servant has a few sheets of paper, I hope that old lady can have a look."


    Old Madame Ye glanced at Pin Yue, and the latter quickly took the thing in her hands and offered it to Pin Yue.


    It was fine if Old Madame Ye didn''t look at it, but once she did, the expression of worry for her unborn grandson immediately darkened, and became even deeper than before. After hurriedly sweeping through the paper in her hands, she couldn''t help but grab a teacup beside her and ruthlessly smashed it at Concubine Shao''s feet who had just gotten up, "Bitch! Kneel down! "


    Concubine Shao did not know what it was that Old Madame Ye was holding in her hand, but when she saw the old lady''s anger, both her legs went soft and she was about to fall onto the ground. Although Su Xin had dodged and supported her quickly, her knees still hit the green brick heavily.


    However, the Old Madame Ye was furious, and did not notice anything abnormal about the Concubine Shao at all. Su Xin, who was beside her, had her eyes flicker, but turned a deaf ear to her, and silently knelt to the side.


    Old Madame Ye was so angry that her cheeks were trembling, she hatefully threw the sheet of paper in her hands at Concubine Shao, "Look at what you''ve done! My hundred years of clear reputation in Ye Family have all been destroyed in your hands! "


    Concubine Shao endured the pain and anxiously took down a piece of paper that had not fallen to the ground yet. She looked at it and the blood on her face immediately disappeared.


    Not only was the matter of Wan Ju''s kidnapping written on the wall, it also mentioned how the Third Master Lu had borrowed the reputation of the Ye Family to put money on the table, opened a casino, forcefully sold it for money, forced the sale of good brothels and various other dirty deeds. It was only because it was not in the Yangzhou City but in the surrounding towns that the Third Master Lu had some methods to suppress the anger of the people.


    Jin Lan had also borrowed the power of the Manager Shi to investigate the tip of the iceberg. As for the specifics, he would probably need the government''s intervention to thoroughly investigate.


    However, if he could not handle this matter properly, it would be a fatal blow to his Ye Family, especially Ye Lin''s!


    That was why the Old Madame Ye was so flustered, to the point that she did not even care about the Concubine Shao''s stomach.


    "Old granny, this, this is slander, this ¡­" Concubine Shao was anxious and afraid, she had received a large amount of money from her family members as she knew about the issue of the stamp money, and she herself had also participated in it.


    As for the others, her elder brother only said that he was doing business in the town, and if he was anxious to ask, he would vaguely say that it was money.


    "Defamation?" Old Madame Ye laughed in extreme anger, "The black and white marks on my face and the blood marks of the victims are clear, you mean you want me to slander me!?"


    Afraid that the Old Madame Ye would be angered to the point of losing her health, Jin Lan hurriedly advised: "Grandmother, please calm down first. Lan Er has already sent someone to inform Father of this matter, we might be able to save him in time."


    Although she hated Ye Lin to the core, she knew that there were still eggs to be seen below the nest. When she got hold of the papers, she had already secretly sent the majority of them to Ye Lin''s table, leaving behind these, just in case the old lady was merciful.


    Hearing Jin Lan''s words, Old Madame Ye heaved a sigh of relief. With Lin''er''s connections in the Yangzhou, it shouldn''t be too difficult, but ¡­


    The Old Granny''s cold eyes stared at Concubine Shao, "Pin Yue, bring some people with you and search through Man Ping''s house. Also, thoroughly search her house thoroughly for me using the other Bright Autumn Pavilion!"


    "Yes." Pin Yue hurriedly went to pick people.


    Concubine Shao''s face was pale white. Although there was nothing shameful in the Bright Autumn Pavilion, the silver that she had hidden away was all gone once it was found out!


    What should he do? What should he do?


    She was shivering, cold sweat dripping off her forehead, but the old woman was staring at her and didn''t even dare to wipe it off.


    Suddenly, Concubine Shao''s gaze swept over Su Xin who was kneeling beside her, with a wooden face, her eyes could not help but glaze over. Scenes of the past quickly flashed past her mind.


    Su Xin had always been able to guess her thoughts easily, and solved all of her problems perfectly time and time again! At the beginning, when her brother asked for money, she had just been a butler and an old lady was watching over her. She did not have much silver and it was Su Xin''s idea to hide it from the old lady and secretly move to the east wall to replace the west wall.


    After tasting the sweetness, she didn''t want to let it go. After that, the ideas of dealing with her wife, dealing with Second Miss, and even dealing with the old lady, all of them were ¡­


    "It''s you!" You are the one who harmed me! " Concubine Shao''s eyes grew larger and larger as she suddenly raised her head to glare at Su Xin. Her exquisite face was twisted sinisterly as she pointed at her and screamed, "Old granny, it''s her! It was all her! It has nothing to do with this servant! "


    Everyone in the house, including Jin Lan, were all shocked by the ear-piercing scream. They froze and looked towards Su Xin along the Concubine Shao''s hand.


    Su Xin was like a rotten log, kneeling straight down with his head lowered, as if she felt everyone''s gaze on him. Only then did she slowly raise his head, but instead smiled at Concubine Shao''s ferocious face: "Yes, this is all servant''s doing."


    Seeing that Su Xin had acknowledged her, Concubine Shao was overjoyed. She quickly cried to Old Madame Ye: "Old lady, please listen, this is from her own mouth, she is indeed not going to do anything to me! Please enlighten me, old lady! "


    Jin Lan frowned, was Concubine Shao preparing to use Su Xin as a scapegoat? She pondered for a moment, then said: "Su Xin, do you know what kind of crime these are?"


    "This servant understands." Su Xin nodded her head, the smile on her face did not change, but changed the topic, "Although it is my fault, but if I do not have the support of my aunt, how can I order others to do anything?"


    "You, you ¡­" Concubine Shao did not expect Su Xin to retort, and was about to curse, but she spoke out first.


    "Aunt, don''t worry. Does Aunt remember what happened in the Shuixie Pavilion thirteen years ago?"

 C155

    Thirteen years ago? Madame SHen suddenly stood up, "What did you say?"


    "Madam!" Mama Zhu hurriedly stepped forward to help Madame SHen up, wanting to help her back to her seat. The young lady had said, in Jiayu Hall, everything must be handed to the old lady, telling her wife not to act rashly!


    He pushed away the Mama Zhu''s hand and walked in front of Su Xin. He stared at her face and asked with a trembling voice: "Are you talking about the accident thirteen years ago?"


    Faced with Madame SHen''s question, Su Xin acted as if she did not hear it, and quietly looked at the shocked Concubine Shao, her mouth curling into a strange smile.


    Concubine Shao''s expression completely changed, her heart started to churn violently.


    Thirteen years ago, she was the young lady''s concubine, and married into the Ye Family together with the young lady.


    The girl and the young master had a deep love for each other, and after only two months of marriage, the girl became pregnant, and later, the girl opened her face and became the young master''s concubine.


    However, in Young Master''s eyes, all he thought about was girls. He rarely came here and always accompanied the girl whose belly was swelling up as he read and wrote under the flower tree in the courtyard. As for her, she could only watch from afar.


    When had this enviable scene become a thorn in her heart?


    She hated him, she resented him. Besides being born into this family, how could she not be comparable to a girl? However, there was not a trace of her in Young Master''s eyes!


    Fortunately, the heavens were kind to her, but there were only a handful of affection between her fingers, and she already had her Young Master''s flesh and blood! Finally, Young Master''s gentle and refined smile gradually stopped for her.


    He originally thought that this would be enough, but he didn''t expect that his satisfied heart would have thoughts that he shouldn''t have, like a seed emerging from the ground of darkness, becoming crazier and crazier by the day.


    Until that day ¡­


    When the Concubine Shao thought of this, hherentire body suddenly trembled. She stared fixedly at the indifferent Su Xin, his face filled with disbelief. That matter was obviously done in secret, how could Su Xin have known about it?


    Moreover, at that time, Su Xin was not by her side!


    No, no, she must have deliberately lied to him. He could not believe it, absolutely could not believe it!


    Concubine Shao''s chest was violently rising and falling, her black hair had a faint sheen to it from the cold sweat. Her ice-cold hands tightly grabbed onto Ling Luo who was beneath her stomach, and she said while gnashing her teeth: "Wh, what nonsense are you spouting?"


    Old Madame Ye also noticed that something was amiss. She frowned and shouted coldly at Su Xin: "You''re being mysterious, if you have something to say, hurry up and say it!"


    "Why must the old lady be impatient? Since Aunt doesn''t remember anymore, this servant will help her to reminisce more. " Su Xin changed her usual cautious appearance and actually smiled faintly towards the Old Madame Ye. She turned her head and said to the Concubine Shao, "Thirteen years ago, at the Hu Ji Fragrance Inn in Jing Shun Lane, did Aunt recognize it?"


    "You ¡­" She knew, she actually knew! Concubine Shao''s round eyes were filled with fear, but his lips could not utter a single word.


    Su Xin did not mind, and immediately opened her mouth again: "Aunt did not remember it was natural, it was said that thirteen years ago, that the Hu Shi Fragrance Inn was completely burnt down by a huge fire. None of the people inside came out, and in the end the authorities determined that it was due to the dry weather."


    Fire? Not a single one of them came out? In other words, all the people inside were dead! Jin Lan frowned as she thought about it. There had never been any rumors circulating within the secret abode, but she had a hunch that it had something to do with her mother! Thus, he straightened his body and listened seriously.


    Su Xin was quiet for a moment, then suddenly took out a pouch from her body. The pattern on the bag looked very old, completely different from the current style, and the cloth was faded, but it was as though someone was rubbing it with their hand every now and then, and there, there were a few white marks on it.


    Because she often worked hard, her fingers that had a thin layer of calluses on them lightly caressed the satin which was no longer smooth. She suddenly turned her head, her bright eyes filled with bone-biting hatred, "In this mansion, I''m afraid no one knows that this servant''s family is surnamed Hu!"


    Her gentle voice was like a thunderclap that exploded in the ears of the Concubine Shao. She widened her eyes as the corners of her eyes nearly split open and she pointed towards the bag with a trembling finger. "You, you are ¡­"


    "That''s right." Su Xin nodded her head, "This servant is indeed the daughter of the owner of Hu Ji spice house. After all, my aunt thought that the fire that had caused my aunt''s death had given me all the authentication and evidence, and that no one in the world would ever know what my aunt had done! "


    "Nonsense! "They''re all dead, they''re all dead!" Concubine Shao could no longer hold back her screams. Her face was twisted and unsightly as her body became a ball while trembling.


    What happened that year had already been put to the torch. Third Brother swore that everything had been settled, so how could there be a shopkeeper''s daughter?


    A flash of understanding appeared in Madame SHen''s heart. She took a deep breath, and while not caring about Concubine Shao''s screams, she asked closely: "Does this mean that you were completely clear about what happened at the Shuixie Pavilion thirteen years ago?"


    Old Madame Ye glared at Madame SHen in dissatisfaction. Just as she was about to speak up, Jin Lan lightly tugged on her sleeve.


    "Grandmother, maybe Su Xin really knows something. Right now, the things outside are happening one after another, if there is another accident in the house, I''m afraid ¡­" The meaning of Jin Lan Yi''s words.


    Old Madame Ye''s expression became cold, as she sized up Su Xin and Concubine Shao, and became silent.


    Su Xin did not reply, but gently opened the bag, and took out a few shiny things.


    "This is ¡­" "Borneo?" Madame SHen always liked to mix incense. When she was a girl, she had only learned for a short while, so she recognized some ordinary spices.


    "Madam only knows that this is an ice shard, but she doesn''t know that if it were mixed with the yellow, it would make one''s blood boil with anger." Su Xin revealed a strange smile, "Especially those six wearing women."


    Borneol, yellowish... Madame SHen''s face was pale white, her body immediately crumbling.


    "Madam!" Mama Zhu quickly supported her and forced her back into the chair. However, her hands were like ice cubes in winter and cold, so she couldn''t help but call out anxiously, "Madam, what''s wrong?"


    "Mother!" Jin Lan could no longer sit still and quickly got up. He ran to Madame SHen in a few steps, only to see her face was frighteningly pale, her eyes were dim and lifeless. He was shocked and quickly grabbed onto her hands, "Mother, don''t scare Lan Er!"


    Although the Old Madame Ye was unhappy in her heart, in the end, she was still worried about her Ye Family and face.


    The husband lived in the west wing of the old lady''s garden. He was also someone the old lady trusted.


    Perhaps it was because of Jin Lan''s call, Madame SHen''s eyes that lost focus gradually recovered. She blinked her eyes, and tears started to fall.


    Thirteen years ago, she had just married into the Ye Mansion, and the love between husband and wife was extremely harmonious. Not long after, she was pregnant, but when her stomach was about six months old, it had unknowingly flowed away!


    It had been thirteen years. Every time she closed her eyes, she could still clearly remember her brother, who had just been formed and was floating alone in the pool of blood!


    At that time, it was already noon!


    Seated in a high seat, the Old Madame Ye also remembered this incident and her expression became extremely ugly. This was the first eldest son and grandson of the Ye Family! At that time, she hated that disappointing bitch Madame SHen no less! Unexpectedly, it was, it was actually...


    Old Madame Ye''s sharp eyes locked onto the Concubine Shao''s limp body, wishing that he could poke a hole through her!


    Su Xin did not care about their reactions at all, and only looked at Madame SHen, a trace of pity flashing past her eyes. However, her tone became increasingly cold: "Aunt has on her body a scented sachet mixed with ice shards.


    "However, what this servant did not expect was that Aunt''s thoughts were obviously not limited to just that. Aunt''s pregnancy was not long after Madame''s birth, so this is quite a blow to the mistress, isn''t it?" Pausing for a moment, she finally spat out a sentence that broke Concubine Shao''s heartstrings, "Could it be that Madame never suspected that all of this was just too much of a coincidence?"


    "Slut!" "You better shut up!" Concubine Shao''s eyes flashed with anger, fear, and despair. In the end, they turned into madness, and her body suddenly surged with an indescribable strength, struggling to stand up and pounce at Su Xin. Her hands fiercely clawed at that slender neck!


    Su Xin was stunned, but her neck was tightly gripped, the strength in her hands was extremely strong, strangling her to the point that she couldn''t even breathe.


    Old Madame Ye was also shocked by the sudden turn of events, she slapped the table and stood up, pointing at the two and bellowing: "Reject! Pull! Pull her away! "


    When they saw the old lady''s orders, they had no choice but to go forward and pull people. It was just that Concubine Shao seemed to be stunned, her strength was terrifying, and she was also carrying a treasure. The two Mama s did not dare to attack too heavily, and had no choice but to go forward to pull people in.


    Su Xin struggled instinctively for a while, before her vision became blurry, as if she remembered something, and suddenly grabbed at the side.


    "Mother, get out of the way!" Jin Lan had been paying close attention, and just when he felt something was wrong, he saw Su Xin extend her hand towards Madame SHen, and anxiously pulled Madame SHen to quickly move to the side.


    Su Xin lost her balance, and her half-kneeling body instantly fell onto the ground, along with the Concubine Shao who was tightly grabbing onto her neck.


    "Ah!!" A mournful scream suddenly sounded out. Even though there was Su Xin under it, more than half of Concubine Shao''s plump belly still struck the hard limestone floor firmly. The intense pain caused her to cry out in pain!


    Old Madame Ye panicked, and shouted loudly: "Quick, invite the doctor!"


    Concubine Shao had already let go of Su Xin''s hand, as she cried out incessantly while holding onto her stomach. A large amount of warm liquid, mixed with scarlet, unceasingly surged out from her legs, and in a short moment, dyed the hem of her skirt.


    The first thing Su Xin saw when she caught her breath was not Concubine Shao but Madame SHen. Seeing that Madame SHen and Jin Lan were standing properly at the side, she couldn''t help but lower her head, covering the regret that flashed past her eyes.

 C156

    When Pin Yue rushed over with her huge husband, the inside of the house was already in chaos.


    The Old Madame Ye turned pale, and ordered Pin Yue, Miao Ning and Tong Rui to send a few maids over to the side to carry Xia Li. Luckily, the midwife had already brought the baby in, and stayed in the servant''s room with the Jiayu Hall.


    Since the Mama Wu was not here, Pin Yue could only act as the Old Madame Ye''s spy and follow the midwife into the temporary delivery room.


    However, she was still a lady who had yet to exit the pavilion. Looking at the pots of blood and the Concubine Shao''s desperate state, she was already scared out of her wits. It was already rare for her to be able to stay inside the house and see everything.


    Hugging Xia Li''s main house was only a few steps away, but now that he was sitting inside the main house, he could clearly hear the screams that fluctuated between high and low.


    Miao Ning brought her two maidservants and fearfully cleaned up the room. However, the fishy smell mixed with the amniotic fluid and blood would not dissipate for a long time.


    Old Madame Ye was still seated at the high hall, her two loose white eyebrows were tightly-knit together, the prayer beads in her hands were spinning very quickly, and only when her gaze inadvertently landed on Su Xin who was still kneeling down, did she anger rise in her heart, "First place this glutton in the woodshed and lock it up!"


    Now that this matter was not only related to the Ye Family, Su Xin had been serving the Concubine Shao and also learned of many secrets, which she might be able to use to wash away the stains on her body.


    Old Madame Ye was truly an experienced man, she had already thought of the idea in an instant. Looking at the servants who were tying them up, she said in a deep voice, "You better watch out for him. If anything happens to him, pay attention to your mother!"


    The maidservants hurriedly replied, "Yes!"


    The servants and wives that could serve in the old lady''s room were all sons and daughters of Ye Family, and one mistake could easily implicate a family member that was working in the house. As a result, no one dared to slack off in the slightest, and they all used all their strength to tie the hemp rope.


    Su Xin''s body was immediately covered with red marks, but she remained expressionless as if she did not feel anything, and was half dragged out by a few servants.


    Jin Lan''s gaze never left Su Xin until the curtain was drawn.


    The scene just now repeated in her mind. The hand that Su Xin had suddenly extended out, was clearly aimed at her mother''s skirt. If she had not pulled her mother back in time, her mother would probably have fallen on top of Concubine Shao!


    But why? According to Su Xin''s confession, she hated the Concubine Shao. If she wanted to take revenge, she only needed to gently push for her wish to do so.


    Furthermore, when Concubine Shao was grabbing onto her neck just now, with Su Xin''s strength, it shouldn''t be difficult for him to struggle free, but she did not.


    There must be something wrong here!


    Jin Lan thought carefully in her heart. Suddenly, she felt her sleeves sink, and immediately, she retracted her gaze. It was Mama Zhu.


    The Mama Zhu glanced at her worriedly before shifting her gaze to the Madame SHen who was sitting at the side.


    It was only then that Jin Lan realised that the Madame SHen''s expression was sad, and her eyes stared straight ahead in a daze. She looked in the right direction, and saw that there was nothing else there. However, the Concubine Shao''s mournful cry came from the other side of the wall.


    She thought for a moment, then picked up the teacup on the table and brought it to Madame SHen, "Mother, drink a cup of tea to calm your nerves."


    Being called out by Jin Lan, Madame SHen finally regained her senses. She forced out a smile, accepted the teacup with trembling hands and took a sip absent-mindedly, before placing it down and continuing to look ahead.


    However, everything before her gradually blurred, as if a layer of mist had covered everything. She could only hear the heart-wrenching shriek growing clearer and clearer.


    How familiar was this anguished cry that was mixed with despair and pain? She had also cried out hysterically like this before, but she could not keep the gradually freezing life in her stomach. Especially when that small body slipped out of her body along with the warm stream, what was in so much pain was actually that heart that was full of holes.


    Even with Ye Lin''s comfort, it would be hard to forgethisr. In addition to the fact that he was exposed after his miscarriage, her body weakened day by day. The doctor had even asserted that if he brought her here, he might not even have a chance to conceive again.


    For a moment, her husband was disgusted, her mother-in-law treated her like a thorn in her side, and the status in the household plummeted. Even the experienced wives dared to step on her! Other than the Mama Zhu, there was only Shaoyin who guarded the bed night and day, groveling over her until she passed out from exhaustion. Only then did her wedding vein appear.


    She had hated him, but she had also hated him. When it was late at night and she was alone, she could not help but think that it was Shaoyin''s pulse that had crashed into her stomach, causing her to curse everything viciously.


    Until that day, when Shaoyin knelt in front of the bed and swore with tears in her eyes that she would keep the flesh and bones in his stomach under her knees and would never recognize her!


    Those glittering eyes were so sincere, not only did it break the defenses in her heart, it also made her feel extremely guilty. That was why she treated Shaoyin as a sister, but she never thought that in the end, it would still be ¡­


    Fortunately, she insisted on not having Jin Wei under her name. She was even more thankful to the heavens for allowing her to give birth to Lan Er.


    Madame SHen''s tears flowed like a dam that had burst. Her facial expression looked as though she was crying yet also smiling in a mournful manner, causing Jin Lan to feel a pinch in her heart.


    She had originally planned to discipline the Concubine Shao, but who knew that she would uncover this secret. Never would she have thought that she had another unlucky brother! Hearing Su Xin''s words, she could not imagine how her mother had endured all these years.


    Jin Lan clenched his hands into fists inside his sleeves. He was breathing rapidly and didn''t even dare to think any further.


    "Mother." She then took out another handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears on Madame SHen''s cheeks, and gently advised: "The past is like smoke. In the future, Lan Er will be filial and filial to her mother, and we will pay respects for brother!"


    Madame SHen was startled, raising her eyes to look at the bright light in Jin Lan''s eyes, the tip of his nose became sore, then he opened his arms to pull her into his embrace, and said with a choking voice, "My Lan Er!"


    Jin Lan''s eyes were slightly red, but the corners of his mouth were hooked upwards. Mama Zhu and Mama Tang at the side looked at each other and couldn''t help but secretly wipe away their tears.


    The old lady scoffed, and suddenly said: "Girl Lan, come here."


    Jin Lan''s body stiffened. She had almost forgotten about the old lady! Thus, she hurriedly got up from Madame SHen''s embrace and obediently walked to Old Madame Ye''s side. But before she left, she used Mama Tang as a cover to heavily squeeze Madame SHen''s ice-cold hand.


    "Grandmother." Jin Lanren''s eyes were red, and he had a wronged look on his face.


    The anger that had just gathered in her heart instantly dissipated. She let out a long sigh, looked at Madame SHen who was sitting quietly with his head lowered with a complicated expression, then pulled Jin Lan to sit beside her. "Forget it, you don''t need to think too much about this matter.


    Jin Lan was slightly startled. Were these words meant for his mother?


    She glanced at the old lady''s face and saw that her mother was looking at the old lady with a lost expression.


    The Old Madame Ye didn''t even look at Madame SHen, but continued to look at Jin Lan with a disdainful expression. She grabbed Jin Lan''s hand and asked in a diameter, "Girl Lan, where did you get those pieces of paper?"


    "Speaking of which, it''s a coincidence that the son of the Mama Tang opened a shop in the city, and often went to a few nearby towns to collect some rare and strange things. One day, my dear brother encountered a few rascals causing trouble in the family, but after a short while, he ended up finding out what was going on inside."


    She paused, and seeing that the old lady''s expression was still the same, she continued, "Later on, brother specifically scouted around the town, and after confirming everything, he found a way to retrieve all these scrolls. He rushed back and brought them in when Mama was back at home. "If not, I''m afraid we still remain in the dark. If something happens, there will inevitably be areas where we can''t handle it properly. This will only implicate Father."


    When he mentioned Ye Lin, Old Madame Ye''s expression became serious, and he nodded his head seriously, "You are right, it''s all thanks to Mama Tang''s family." With that, he asked Miao Ning to give him ten taels of silver as a reward to the Mama Tang.


    Mama Tang hurriedly stepped forward to decline, "This is my duty, how could I dare to ask for a reward?"


    Old Madame Ye''s expression slightly relaxed, and laughed lightly: "I have always heard from Girl Lan that you are a reliable person. It seems like you are not lying."


    Jin Lan pursed his lips into a smile, "Mama, you can take it. Since Grandmother gave it to you, it would be your honor."


    Seeing Jin Lan speak like that, Mama Tang could only kowtow and thank the old lady for the gift. Then she stood up and waited on the side.


    Old Madame Ye nodded her head in satisfaction. Just as she was about to speak, she saw the door curtain move and frowned.


    Jin Lan was shocked, he subconsciously turned his head to look at the door, only to see the curtain on the door being lifted, and Pin Yue''s white face entered the room anxiously, "We-Old lady."


    Old Madame Ye''s eyes instantly lit up, and she couldn''t help but stand up excitedly, "Is she alive? Is it brother or girl? "


    It was only then that Jin Lan realised that the Concubine Shao''s mournful cries had stopped, and only looked at Pin Yue with an expression that did not seem like a good thing.


    She quickly glanced at the wall between the hugging summer and the main house, as if trying to see through the thick stone wall.


    Pin Yue stuttered, as though sshe did not know how to start, he anxiously picked up his walking stick and knocked it heavily, "Why are you still not telling me!"


    "Yes, yes, old lady. I gave birth to a brother." Pin Yue replied with a tremble, but her body was trembling more and more.


    "Blessed be the Amitabha. Just as Grand Tutor Jining had said, he is indeed a brother." The Old Madame Ye was overjoyed, walking out while leaning on his walking stick.


    When Pin Yue saw this, she could no longer hold back the fear in her heart and kneeled to the ground. "Old granny, what Aunt gave birth to is a dead baby!"


    "Ah!?" Old Madame Ye was shocked, her eyes suddenly closed as her body fell backwards in a daze.


    "Grandmother!" Jin Lan hurriedly stepped forward to support Old Madame Ye, who also stood up quickly.


    The room was in chaos again.

 C157

    Old Madame Ye was sick.


    Not to mention the rest, most of the people in the mansion were the old granny''s trusted aides. If the old lady fell and the Ye Family was taken over by a new master, then the ones to bear the brunt of the disaster would naturally be these servants.


    For a moment, the atmosphere in the manor was heavy, and everyone was panic-stricken. Only after Ye Lin returned home in the evening and captured a few erroneous Attendant s to ruthlessly clean up did they gradually calm down.


    However, it was only a matter of time before the torrent turned into a gush of darkness.


    After Ye Lin finished cleaning up the servants, he rushed straight to the Jiayu Hall without even using his dinner.


    Pin Yue carried the newly brewed tea and left to guard outside the door so that the two manager could speak.


    The Old Madame Ye leaned against the headboard of the bed, her normally neatly combed hair tied loosely behind her head. On her forehead, there was an Ancestral Mother Jade Gem, about the size of a thumb, rolling and wiping her forehead with golden threads. A few strands of her white hair fell to the side of her face, making her look extremely gaunt and haggard. Her usually shrewd eyes were closed as the Jade Memory Beads in her hands slowly rotated one by one, occasionally letting out one or two crisp jade-like sounds.


    The Old Madame Ye did not make a sound, but Ye Lin seemed to have something on his mind. He sat by the side and drank his tea without speaking, the entire room was filled with a strange silence.


    After half a cup of tea''s worth of time, the slowly spinning Jade Bead suddenly stopped, the Old Madame Ye opened her eyes and raised her head to look at Ye Lin, "I''ve heard all about what happened outside, how do you plan to take care of it? This is a critical moment, if something bad happens, I''m afraid our entire Ye Family will be affected. "


    Hearing that, Ye Lin was surprised, "How did Mother know about this?"


    Old Madame Ye coldly snorted, and said: "What? Are you trying to hide this from me? "


    "That''s not what my son meant." Ye Lin frowned and hesitated for a moment before saying: "Originally, this is not a big deal, it''s just that recently, Fu Shan''s manner of doing things has become more unyielding, adding that the Yang and Song Families are also close together, I am afraid there are things that cannot be covered up."


    Old Madame Ye squinted her eyes and muttered: "Are you saying that the Yang and Song Families are already on the team?" Behind Cheng Fu Shan was the Second Prince. Being on good terms with Cheng Fu Shan, it was obvious that he was supporting the Second Prince.


    Ye Lin looked solemn, "There''s a high chance of that."


    Ever since he had rejected Fu Shan''s offer to recruit him last time, his days had become more and more difficult. It was one thing to not be on the team, but more importantly, he was leaving Shang Jing to continue his duties.


    At the end of the day, everyone was still out on the road.


    Ye Lin sighed.


    Old Madame Ye looked at his dejected appearance and said resentfully, "I had long told you this before, even if you couldn''t get close to Cheng Fushan, you shouldn''t make things difficult for him. As long as you can delay him until his appointment is completed, the evaluation on the mountain peak will be set. But now, with only two months left, if the Cheng and Yang Song families were to secretly make a move, Ye Family will be hard to guard against! "


    Ye Lin was extremely upset.


    Therefore, he would always leave some leeway for his work. However, ever since the mid-autumn of last year, Cheng Fu Shan suddenly acted as if he was a completely different person, getting stronger and stronger every day.


    Could it be that the Emperor ¡­ Ye Lin''s heart skipped a beat as he looked at Old Madame Ye in shock.


    But then she thought about it again and calmed down, "Lan Er had just returned from the capital and did not mention anything about it. According to Steward Li''s letter, the Old Ancestor had once brought Lan Er to the palace."


    The meaning behind his words was that the Emperor was relatively safe.


    Ye Lin raised his teacup and gulped down a mouthful of tea before suppressing his intense heartbeat. After recovering for a moment, he then said: "Now, I can only ask for Meng Family to help me deal with this."


    It''s just that according to the current situation, the Meng Family may not be willing to take the risk.


    Cheng Fu Shan was merely a newly appointed Yangzhou Prefect, how could he dare to so blatantly obstruct the way of the Ye Family? No matter how strong the Meng Family was, they would not dare to go against the imperial family.


    Unless, there was a reason that he had to do it.


    Ye Lin thought again as a plan suddenly emerged in his mind.


    Meng Family? Old Madame Ye suddenly thought of Madame Qin''s smiling face and her eyes froze, "You don''t have to worry about this matter, I will naturally arrange it. You just have to think of a way to get rid of all the rumors outside that are detrimental to Ye Family as soon as possible, in case it gets worse."


    Ye Lin hurriedly replied: "Then I''ll have to trouble mother."


    The Old Madame Ye nodded her head and closed her eyes in thought. Then, she said: "With the rules outside, even you have to take care of the matters inside the house, I am afraid this matter will not end well. How do you plan to punish the Concubine Shao?"


    Ye Lin frowned, "Let''s not talk about that at the side, why would that child... Didn''t Mistress Ji Ning say that the child in Shaoyin''s womb is a person of noble character, and that her future prospects are unspeakable? "


    Old Madame Ye had already sent her trusted aides to the yamen to pass on the news, so he only knew what had happened in the house. Although she was furious, it was still that child who pitied him more.


    "What Mistress Jining means is that she hurt her benefactor''s life because she was born before the time of her birth and became familiar with him." Old Madame Ye''s eyes flashed with an ice-cold light. The midwife and her huge husband were both under her command, as well as Pin Yue who was watching them from inside the room. In the middle of the afternoon, she had sent someone to invite the Master of Jining from the Pudu Temple, and thus came to this conclusion.


    "Since noble people and our Ye Family are not fated for one another, there''s no need to force the issue. Furthermore, from now on, do not bring up this matter any further, lest it spreads to the ears of those who are interested in it."


    Ye Lin trembled, "I can save my son, but since it''s like this, Concubine Shao, she ¡­." He paused, and seeing the old lady''s cold face, his heart sank. He could only clench his teeth and say, "I''ll let Mother handle this."


    He reached out his hand and took a sip from the teacup that was filled with purple sandalwood grass, then continued to speak: "I know that Shaoyin has been very considerate in serving you all these years, and also gave birth to the little girl Jin Wei and the Yu Ge''er, and your heart is unavoidably unwilling to part with them."


    After all, today''s matter is in my courtyard, and it cannot be spread out. At that time, she will only have to be announced to the outside world that she is in a difficult situation and others will not be able to be suspicious of her, but at least be able to give her some face. "


    There was no proof. No matter how hard the Lu Family tried, it was all to no avail.


    "However, Little Girl Jin Wei will be returning to the Manor in two days. At that time, if you ask about Shaoyin ¡­" If Ye Lin had a point.


    Old Madame Ye''s face turned cold, "You don''t have to interfere in the matter of Inner Court. However, Yu Ge''er, tomorrow, you will bring him to the outer court. For now, hide this matter for now.


    Ye Lin was helpless, and could only agree.


    Jin Lan didn''t know that Old Madame Ye and Ye Lin had already decided on the fate of Concubine Shao, so she accompanied him back to the Shuixie Pavilion.


    , who had not fully recovered in the first place, suddenly jumped over. Mama Zhu and Doctor Gong were busy, together with Jin Lan, they coaxed her into eating something, fried it up, and drank it before falling into a deep sleep.


    "Miss, why don''t you go take a rest as well?" Mama Tang looked at Jin Lan with a pained expression. Second Miss didn''t sleep well last night, he was probably even more exhausted than his wife.


    Jin Lan looked at Madame SHen''s sleeping face, nodded and stood up. She then went to rest on the soft couch outside, only tossing and turning, unable to close her eyes. Her mind was filled with Su Xin''s every move.


    In her previous life, she had always served the Concubine Shao and it seemed that she had disappeared without a trace when the Concubine Shao was supporting her. At that time, she did not care about such a small maid, but now that she thought about it, she could not think of any more memories.


    However, she still felt that Su Xin was not simple.


    Just as Jin Lan was thinking about this, Mu Lan walked in softly. "Miss, the Master sent someone to invite you in, she said that she wanted you to take a trip to the study room."


    "What is it?" It was rare for Ye Lin to take the initiative to look for her, let alone go to the big study room. That had always been the forbidden area of the palace, and other than Ye Lin, even his mother was not allowed to casually step in.


    Mu Lan shook his head, "I only said that you should move quickly."


    "In that case, I''ll just take a trip." Jin Lan sat up and said: "Accompany me there, Mama Tang will stay inside to help."


    Ye Lin''s big study was set up outside the second door, so much so that in his previous life, Jin Lan rarely stepped in, and when he walked along the corridor until he was not far from the big study, Attendant Wu Fu who was outside saw it with his sharp eyes and called out.


    "Second Miss is here." Wu Fai Luo bowed, "Master ordered, when Second Miss is here, you just need to go in." As he spoke, he opened the door.


    Jin Lan smiled and nodded to Wu Fu, then brought Mu Lan to cross the threshold, and Wu Fu immediately closed the door.


    The big study room was very spacious, and was almost double the size of Inner Court''s small study room. Although the big doors were closed, the four windows inside the room were all open and the light was extremely bright.


    Jin Lan knew Ye Lin''s temperament, and hated being disturbed the most at this time. She quietly waited until Ye Lin stopped writing before stepping forward to pay her respects. "Father."


    Ye Lin raised his head and saw Jin Lan bowing slightly, looking obedient and well-behaved. Her expression became a lot more amiable, pointing to the armchair at the side, she said slowly: "Lan Er is here, take a seat!"


    Jin Lan listened to him and sat down. She really did not understand what Ye Lin was trying to hide.


    Ye Lin once again lowered his head, as if he was thinking about what he had just written, and asked: "I heard that when you came back, Meng Mansion had invited you to visit their palace to admire the flowers?"


    Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat, but he still had a smile on his face. "Yes."


    Ye Lin nodded, and after a moment of silence, he asked, "Do you know the eldest young master of the Meng Family?"


    The young master of Meng Family? Meng Zhanxuan? Why did Ye Lin ask that?


    Jin Lan resisted the urge to frown and said in a normal tone as much as possible, "Not really. I''ve only met one or two times."


    Ye Lin suddenly raised his head to size up Jin Lan''s exquisite little face, and a strange light flashed past his eyes, "Forget it, since Madam Meng has good intentions to invite you to admire the flowers, you should know the etiquette. Since the flowers in the garden are blooming well, you should personally send out a few invitations to invite Madam Meng Family and the young lady to come to the residence to entertain them, treating it as if it was in return."


    What did that mean? Why would the perfectly fine Ye Lin suddenly want to invite Meng Family over to the palace as a guest? Even if she had to ask for it, it was not her turn to come forward. With her mother''s friendship with Madam Meng, shouldn''t it be better to have her mother come forward?


    "What is it? "You don''t want to?" Unable to hear Jin Lan''s response, Ye Lin frowned, and his tone became colder.


    "Your daughter is willing." No matter what Ye Lin planned to do, she had to endure and obey now. Everything had just started to change, so there was no need for her to give up everything just because of a moment of satisfaction.


    However, she would have to be more careful in the future.

 C158

    Ye Lin was very satisfied with Jin Lan''s obedience, so he asked her a few more questions before letting her go.


    After walking all the way back to the Inner Court, Mu Lan could not help but ask: "Miss, why would the old master suddenly mention Young Master Meng?"


    Jin Lan held back his anger and glared at her unhappily. "Who knows what he''s planning?" He paused for a moment, then began to ponder.


    Even if Ye Lin wanted to invite Madam Meng and Meng Ruhan, there was no need to specially ask Meng Zhanxuan first right?


    Based on what happened just now, if she had replied that she did not recognize Meng Zhanxuan, would Ye Lin not have mentioned about what happened afterwards?


    No, absolutely not!


    Thinking up to here, Jin Lan couldn''t help but secretly shake his head. Although he loathed Ye Lin, he couldn''t deny that his own father was a meticulous person.


    That meant that Ye Lin had long since known about her relationship with Meng Zhanxuan!


    So dangerous! If she had made the wrong choice just now, it would most likely have caused Ye Lin to become dissatisfied and become suspicious.


    She and Meng Zhanxuan had only met twice, once at the Meng Mansion realm, and the second time was when they were passing through Xuzhou. These two times were both at a distance from Ye Family, and the people beside them were basically all on their own side, so how could Ye Lin ¡­


    Suddenly, she thought of Bi He.


    "Miss?" Mu Lan looked at Jin Lan in puzzlement, only to see her expression turning ugly, and thought that she had said something wrong, "This servant''s mouth is broken, I hope miss does not get angry."


    "I''m fine." Jin Lan took a deep breath, then forcefully suppressed the raging waves in his heart. Ye Lin disdained reaching his hand into her room, so other than the old lady, who else could stand so close to Ye Lin in the entire Ye Family?


    That''s right, if Bi He was a person from the Concubine Shao, with her personality, how could she not have made a move when knowing all these?


    Only the old lady had purposely stayed put in order to preserve her reputation in the Ye Family.


    Jin Lan felt a chill in her heart. Bi He was the old lady''s person, so wouldn''t the person who poisoned him in her previous life be the old lady?


    However, at the bottom of her heart, there was always an indescribable voice urging her on. The old lady''s greatest concern, other than Ye Lin, was the reputation and prestige of Ye Family; she was merely ranked third, and might even be a little later ¡­


    It was true that they loved each other, but the marriage between her and the Marquis Anyuan Palace in her previous life was something that the old lady and Ye Lin had done all they could to make it happen.


    A wave of cold air rushed up from the bottom of his feet to the back of his head.


    "Miss, what''s wrong?" Seeing that, Mu Lan immediately went forward to help her sit on the railing, but when they were in contact with her pale white face and cold little hands, she was shocked, "This servant will immediately call for someone!"


    "Don''t go!" Jin Lan immediately pulled on Mu Lan''s sleeves and shook his head with difficulty, "There''s no rush, maybe I''m tired, I''ll rest for a while."


    "But ¡­" Mu Lan still wanted to say something, but seeing that Jin Lan''s eyes were determined, she agreed. However, she deliberately shifted from Jin Lan''s left to right, using her body to block the cold wind.


    Jin Lan slowly loosened his grip, but he was smiling wryly in his heart.


    What was going on? You still can''t let go of the events of your past life?


    He thought that after dying once, what he should have seen through should have been seen through a long time ago, but why was he still hoping for something that shouldn''t exist in his heart?


    So what if she was the direct daughter of Ye Family? In such a critical moment, for the sake of Ye Family, how could she be any different from an ordinary servant in the eyes of an old lady?


    Jin Lan''s face revealed a faint ridicule. Perhaps, she understood Ye Lin''s true plan.


    "Mother''s body has not fully recovered. I''m afraid that Aunt and the Sister Ruhan will not be able to pass the time!" She raised her head and looked at Mu Lan, and suddenly smiled faintly.


    Mu Lan was startled, suddenly she felt that there was something different about the peace in the Second Miss, but no matter how she thought about it, she could not find anything.


    "Alright, it''s about time for mother to get up. Let''s go back!" Jin Lan withdrew his gaze and slowly stood up. His slightly narrowed eyes were filled with coldness and calmness.


    Ye Lin told her to invite them, and she would do as he said, but what would happen next was unrelated to her, and the corners of Jin Lan''s mouth curved slightly.


    Facing the setting sun, that slim figure cast her on the bluestone path. She grew longer and longer, but her steps became firmer and firmer.


    When he returned to the pavilion, Lady Shen had already risen and was sitting on the soft couch in the outer room, eating porridge from a swallow''s nest. Seeing Jin Lan enter, she placed a blue and white porcelain bowl on top of a few small drops of water from a black carved flower.


    Jin Lan had a smile on his face as he bowed first. Then, he walked to the other end of the line and sat down, "Yes, father told daughter to choose a good day and send a card to invite Aunt and Sister Ruhan to visit and enjoy the flowers." In order to prevent the Madame SHen from worrying too much, she had purposely concealed this part with Meng Zhanxuan.


    Please ask Big Sister Qin and Ru Han to admire the flowers? Madame SHen frowned, how could she suddenly think of this? And for Lan Er to post ¡­ " What else did your father say? "


    The Madame SHen was truly worthy of being Ye Lin''s concubine. After pondering for a moment, he immediately mentioned the idea.


    Jin Lan tried his best to act as if nothing had happened. Smiling, he said, "It''s nothing for me. Father just asked about some trivial matters before my daughter left."


    Madame SHen nodded her head. Although she still had some suspicions, her tightened eyebrows clearly loosened up, and she ordered Mama Zhu to set up a meal as she said to Jin Lan: "Rest early today. Tomorrow morning, the old lady will send someone to invite you."


    "Daughter knows." Neither her mother nor she would be let off easily. The old lady definitely wouldn''t wait for them to come knocking and ask, otherwise she would be at a disadvantage.


    Even though he said those words, Jin Lan couldn''t fall asleep after washing himself in the bed by the time it was time to turn on the light.


    In her heart, she still could not let go of Su Xin''s matter.


    When the Mama Tang on duty saw her tossing and turning, she thought that she had attracted another nightmare.


    It was shiny, without even the slightest bit of sleepiness. Mama Tang tweaked her quilt, which had almost turned into silk, "Miss, why aren''t you asleep yet?"


    "Mama." Jin Lan simply flipped himself over and sat up, patting the edge of the bed as he said to Mama Tang. "Sit, I have something that I want to talk to Mama about."


    "What does the girl want to say?" The Mama Tang raised the blanket and closed it tightly. Then, she sat down on the edge of the bed and covered the two of them with a wide green cloth.


    Mama Tang was her milk Mama. She had been in the palace for a long time, so she might know something.


    Jin Lan thought for a moment, then looked at Mama Tang and asked seriously: "I wonder what Mama thinks of Su Xin?"


    Su Xin? The Mama Tang frowned, she looked at Jin Lan in doubt, why did the girl ask Su Xin that? But she still opened her mouth and said: "This servant and Su Xin are not acquainted, and would occasionally bump into each other, but I heard from the people around that Su Xin is not easy to get along with."


    Not easy to get along with? Jin Lan''s brows slightly rose as she said puzzledly, "I remember that Su Xin is always welcoming people with a smile."


    Mama Tang laughed, "Since you are still so young, you can''t tell the difference between a good and bad girl. Some people have a straight face and a bad heart, but there are some that laugh all day long, but their hearts are completely black! It is only natural that no one is close to her. "


    That''s right, the lower ranked they were, the better they would be at reading people''s eyes and trying to figure out their thoughts. Su Xin''s nature, was most likely known by her and her servants who came into contact with him.


    Jin Lan felt depressed, "Could it be that there''s no one who has a good relationship with Su Xin?"


    Mama Tang suddenly realized something. So this was what the lady wanted to ask. She thought about it carefully, then said hesitantly: "There might be one."


    Jin Lan''s eyes suddenly lit up, and immediately grabbed Mama Tang''s hand and asked anxiously: "Who is it?"


    "It seems to be Cui Wen, who was in front of Concubine Ning." The Mama Tang was not very sure either, "Once, this servant accidentally saw the two of them talking in the garden, and it looked like they were very close. But the last time Cui Wen brought something else into the house, it had already been sold off by the old lady. "


    She could no longer hear what the Mama Tang said after that. The only words she could hear were the three words "Concubine Ning"!


    That''s right, Su Xin is only sixteen or seventeen right now. In other words, thirteen years ago, she was only a three or four year old child.


    Furthermore, a three or four year old child, without the protection of his family, how could he safely grow up?


    No matter if it was buying servant girls or Attendant s, Ye Mansion had always only bought young girls who were eight years old or older. Su Xin would definitely not be younger than eight years old when she entered the Palace! But where was she in those years?


    If everything had been arranged in secret, then these questions would naturally be solved on their own.


    Using Su Xin''s hatred to bury her by Concubine Shao''s side, she slowly induced Concubine Shao to commit such a heinous crime, and then used her own hands to reveal everything! No matter how stable the position of the Concubine Shao was, it would all disintegrate in one fell swoop!


    And Su Xin''s actions, if his mother really fell to Concubine Shao, then the fact that Concubine Shao was born prematurely, or even gave birth to a stillborn child, would all be blamed on his mother!


    No wonder the third sister had specially come over that day. It turned out Concubine Ning had already had this intention!


    And that Cui Wen, maybe the matter with the Snow Root Iris was also ¡­


    Jin Lan''s complexion alternated between green and white. Even if she had suspected the Concubine Ning before, she never would have thought that this soft and timid aunt would actually set up such a flawless trap!


    If it were not for the fact that she was worried about Su Xin and refused to let him go, she feared that all of this would have been easily fooled!


    "What did you think of?" Mama Tang helped Jin Lan grow up, so he naturally knew her better than anyone else.


    Jin Lan shook his head. These were all her guesses. Without any evidence, it was impossible to be accurate. However, if everything was real ¡­ Her breath caught in her throat. "This is bad!"


    Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a faint clamor coming from outside!


    Mama Tang and Jin Lan looked at each other, then quickly lifted the curtain and opened the door. "Miss, it sounds like it came from the old lady''s side."


    Sure enough, Jin Lan''s heart shrank, and said anxiously: "Quickly tell Mu Lan to run over, and don''t spread the news, just quietly look for the old gatekeeper. No need to ask anyone else, come back immediately regardless of whether there''s any news or not!"


    She had always been purposely doing favors for the servants who were on guard duty, so that she could be of use right now.


    Jin Lan anxiously paced back and forth in the house, and after almost the time it took to make a cup of tea, Mu Lan ran back breathlessly, her eyes filled with fear, "Miss, Su Xin, who was locked in the woodshed, is dead meat!"

 C159

    "What!? Su Xin voted for me? " Jin Lan''s eyes widened, his small hand under his sleeve clenching into a fist. Had she really guessed it?


    Mama Tang looked at Jin Lan, who had a complicated expression on her face, and turned to Mu Lan and said: Why would I leave something like that? Furthermore, she is not tied with a hemp rope, so how can she do nothing? "


    "This servant doesn''t know either." Mu Lan patted her chest that was moving up and down, with a look of lingering fear on her face, "How about I ask around again?" As she spoke, he lifted her foot and prepared to leave.


    "There''s no need to go." Jin Lan suddenly came back to his senses and hurriedly called out to Mu Lan. He said in a heavy voice, "From today onwards, without the orders of the old lady, no one is allowed to go to the Jiayu Hall!"


    Mu Lan and Mama Tang looked at each other, although they did not understand why the lady''s expression suddenly became stern, they still nodded and replied, "Yes."


    After sending Mu Lan away, the Mama Tang closed the door and turned around to see Jin Lan sitting on top of the small Wooden Pellet, in a daze. The flickering light and shadows cast a shadow over his small face, covering it with a strange expression.


    The Mama Tang suppressed the peculiar feelings in her heart and quickly poured a cup of tea for Jin Lan, then said worriedly: "Su Xin is dead, no one knows what will happen to the Concubine Shao."


    Jin Lan reached out to take a sip of the tea before saying indifferently, "That might not be the case."


    Su Xin''s death would only make the old lady think that Concubine Shao wanted to exonerate herself and kill him, and then thinking that Concubine Shao actually dares to reach her hands into her own house, to the old lady, this was the most intolerable thing.


    After this incident, Concubine Shao, who originally had a slim chance of surviving, would probably die.


    Jin Lan raised his head to look at the flickering candlelight. His pitch-black eyes were tainted with a layer of brilliant orange. Not only did he thoroughly understand everyone''s thoughts, he even fully utilized human nature!


    The Concubine Ning was such a good method!


    After a long period of silence, Mama Tang looked out the window at the night sky which was getting denser and advised, "Miss, if you want to expose more weight, you should get some rest!"


    Jin Lan lowered his head, exhaling a mouthful of impure air. "Alright."


    No matter if Su Xin committed suicide or was killed, it was not her turn to worry.


    The lights in the Shuixie Pavilion were gradually extinguished, but the Jiayu Hall was as bright as day.


    Mama Wu commanded a few rough grandpas, who had already put down Su Xin who was hanging in the air.


    "Stop playing dead!" Get up quickly! " The guard girl slapped Su Xin hard in the face, one of them was trying to pinch him, "Wake up, don''t die!"


    Their bodies were trembling non-stop, their voices faintly tinged with tears. The old lady had specially said at that time, that if anything happened to Su Xin, everyone would not be able to bear the consequences!


    The fear in his heart turned into strength, the two servant girls fought again and again, and even splashed a bowl of cold water on Su Xin, but Su Xin still did not move.


    Finally, Mama Wu came forward and touched her cold corpse, and frowned: "Enough, stop messing around, I''m completely dead!"


    Unexpectedly, these words were like the last straw that broke the camel''s back, the two maidservants instantly went berserk, crying and shouting, their attacks on Su Xin''s corpse became even heavier.


    "What are you all waiting for? Hurry up and pull them apart! " Mama Wu was furious, she shouted at the two servants to grab them, "Lock them in the small hut at the back, wait for the old lady''s orders tomorrow!"


    The women did not dare to hesitate and quickly used something to gag the two maids, then dragged them off.


    Mama Wu had her hands on her waist, she coldly looked at the remaining servants and wives, and said sternly: "What happened tonight, you guys are all going to rot in my stomach! Even if you talk in your sleep at night, don''t say a word! "Otherwise ¡­" She sneered, showing her white teeth.


    The maids and wives shuddered as they replied in a low voice, "Yes!"


    Only then did Mama Wu nod his head in satisfaction, "Let''s disperse!" After she finished speaking, she hurriedly walked towards the main house. However, just as she reached the door, she raised her head to look at the sky and immediately hesitated.


    Ever since the incident had happened, the Old Madame Ye had been woken up. Pin Yue had already reported about Su Xin''s decision to drop the matter, but she had yet to find out the exact details. At this moment, she heard footsteps outside. She glanced at the curtain and said in a deep voice, "Come in."


    Mama Wu could only pull up the curtains and enter the house. She first returned to the woodshed to settle the matters, and then ordered the guards to deal with the maidservants.


    Old Madame Ye''s expression was baffled as the bead in her hand spun uncontrollably. Inside the room, other than the crackling sound of the candles, the needle could be heard as it fell to the ground.


    Pin Yue and Mama Wu lowered their eyebrows, and didn''t even dare to breathe loudly.


    After a long while, as if she was a god, Old Madame Ye finally raised her eyes and sized up Mama Wu, "You mean, Su Xin committed suicide?"


    Mama Wu was startled, could it be that the old lady suspects ¡­ She did not dare hesitate too long, and told him everything she had seen with her own eyes: "When I rushed over, Su Xin was already dead, the two guards'' maids were just about to remove her from the ground, no one else saw."


    Old Madame Ye squinted his eyes and a cold light flashed in his eyes, "She was tied up tightly and there are no ropes in the woodshed, how can we let her go?"


    "That''s a coincidence." The Mama Wu thought for a while, "In order to prevent moisture in the woodshed, I would usually make a few bundles of dry firewood to prevent emergencies. A few days ago, it was raining heavily and the firewood on the ground was soaked in moisture. I never thought that Su Xin would actually hang herself by stepping on the firewood. "


    Old Madame Ye''s face turned green, she leaned on the soft couch, her eyes staring straight at Mama Wu, could there really be such a coincidence? She had been in the mansion for decades, and had never seen such twists and turns. Yet, this little trick was still trying to blind her!


    Mama Wu stood at the side silently, she had already said everything that needed to be said, the rest all depended on the Old Granny''s judgement.


    After a while, she seemed to have made a decision in her heart. She let out a long sigh, opened her eyes and said to Mama Wu: "Is the thing that I asked you to prepare ready?"


    Mama Wu''s heart trembled, and replied in a low voice: "I''m ready."


    Old Madame Ye nodded expressionlessly, "Fine, you can personally accompany me!"


    Mama Wu clenched her teeth and replied: "Yes."


    Concubine Shao had long since moved from carrying Xia Xia to the west wing, when Old Madame Ye brought him in, there was only a maid waiting for him inside. Although it was not the delivery room, Concubine Shao had only just given birth to a child, and the dirty dew on her body had not stopped yet, a faint smell of blood lingered around the room.


    "Old lady." Upon seeing the newcomer, Azurewillow hurriedly curtsied.


    The Concubine Shao was half lying on the bed, holding a bamboo tenderloin in her hands, the threads were flying around, and it was unknown what she was embroidering, only when the sound of the green willow came out did she regain her senses. She quickly put down what she was doing and lifted up her blanket to get out of the bed to pay her respects, "Old granny, why have you come?"


    Old Madame Ye had a smile on her face as she stopped her: "Alright, your body is weak. There are no outsiders here, so there is no need to be polite."


    Seeing the old lady''s kind smile, Concubine Shao''s tensed heart relaxed, but he still saluted respectfully and stood up, "Thank you old lady."


    Old Madame Ye smiled as if she was not smiling. She looked at the bamboo block beside the bed with the wrong eyes, "This is..."


    "Reporting to the old granny, this is a undergarment that this servant made for Second Young Master." Concubine Shao picked up a bamboo stick, on top of it was a multicolored half-embroidered bat, it''s legs were fine and neat, it was extremely lifelike, and it was obvious that the person who made it was extremely skilled.


    The light in Old Madame Ye''s eyes flickered slightly. The child was too old, so Shaoyin fainted when she was giving birth, and she had personally ordered the servants to seal their mouths. As a result, even the mother herself did not know what she was giving birth to.


    "Old lady." Concubine Shao caressed the embroidered lines on the satin. Suddenly, she kneeled down with a bang, raised her teary eyes and said mournfully: "This servant really did not harm Madam. Those things were all done by Su Xin alone, please enlighten me!" As he spoke, he kowtowed twice, tears streaming down his face.


    The smile on Old Madame Ye''s face faded as she turned to look at the green willow at the side, "There''s an aunt''s bird''s nest porridge simmering in the kitchen, go take a look."


    Green Willow raised her head in hesitation, but when she met Mama Wu''s cold and severe gaze, she was so scared that she quickly lowered her head and quickly left the house.


    The thick and heavy wooden door closed once again, leaving Old Madame Ye, Mama Wu and the other two in the room.


    A trace of unease arose in Concubine Shao''s heart. She opened her mouth, but didn''t know what to say.


    Old Madame Ye walked to the side and sat down with her crutches, giving Mama Wu a look.


    Mama Wu went up and placed the red lacquer food box on the table. Opening the lid, she carefully took out a blue and white bowl, "Aunt, this is the medicine that the old lady specially made me to prescribe.


    The white bowl was filled with half a bowl of the pitch black Medicinal Juice, which was emitting heat.


    Concubine Shao stared at the medicine bowl, the uneasiness in her heart gradually increasing. She slowly stood up and forced out a smile, and said: "My body is very good, there''s no need to waste these precious things."


    The Mama Wu laughed: "What aunt said, you are now also a rich person, the old lady said, this house is very busy, there is no place without you, thus you have to prepare the medicine to help your body recover faster."


    Concubine Shao looked up at Old Madame Ye, but Old Madame Ye closed her eyes and rotated the prayer beads in her hands, her mouth seemingly mumbling something.


    "Auntie, you have to drink this medicine while it''s hot to be effective." Mama Wu raised his medicine bowl and brought it to Concubine Shao''s mouth.


    A strong smell of medicine entered her nose. Concubine Shao was startled, without thinking much, she raised her hand and swept towards the bowl.


    The blue and white bowl fell onto the ground and shattered into pieces. The majority of the Medicinal Juice in the bowl landed on Mama Wu''s body and dripped onto the ground.


    Concubine Shao breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. However, when she touched Mama Wu''s miserable state and saw Old Madame Ye''s ashen face, she immediately said in panic: "This ¡­ This servant deserves to die!"


    Mama Wu was expressionless, and said indifferently: "There''s no rush, luckily there are a lot of medicinal frying, there''s still some left." As she said that, she turned around and reopened the food box. Inside was a double layered plate, with a blue and white flower bowl placed underneath it. It was slightly smaller than the previous bowl, but the Medicinal Juice inside looked almost the same.


    Who would specially fry two bowls of medicine? Concubine Shao looked at Old Madame Ye, a flash of understanding appeared in her mind, the color of her face immediately withdrew!

 C160

    "Auntie, please!" Mama Wu walked over step by step while carrying a blue and white bowl. There was a meaningful smile on her face, and under the flickering candlelight, she looked like an evil ghost that had crawled out of hell!


    "No! ¡ª ¡ª" Concubine Shao screamed loudly, her eyes were bloodshot and she was both shocked and fearful. She once again extended her hand to try to knock the blue and white flower bowl off.


    As if he had already expected that she would do such a thing, the hand holding the blue and white bowl steadily shrank back, avoiding the hand that fiercely swung over. The Medicinal Juice in the bowl only swayed a little, but it did not splash out at all.


    She sneered. "Aunt, what are you doing?"


    Concubine Shao only glanced at the blue and white bowl before giving up on that thought. She knew that even if she were to break the bowl again, as long as the person making the decision did not change their mind, the bowl would always be there!


    In this life or death situation, Concubine Shao''s thoughts were extremely clear. She ignored Mama Wu and pounced towards the Old Granny with her soft legs!


    "Old lady!" The Mama Wu''s voice was urgent and panicked. Afraid that the Concubine Shao would hurt her, she didn''t even care about the medicine in her hands. She casually placed it on the table and reached out to grab her.


    Unfortunately, it only managed to reach half of his sleeve, and with a ripping sound, the huge impact ripped off the sleeve.


    Mama Wu grabbed the torn pieces of silk and retreated two steps.


    Concubine Shao suddenly fell forward, and fell down fiercely. However, she did not care about the pain from her entire body, as she crawled to Old Madame Ye''s side and hugged onto the old lady''s leg, "Old granny, this servant knows her wrongs, I beg the old lady to spare this servant''s life on First Miss''s and Eldest Young Master''s account!"


    She cried out loud, as if she remembered something, and then added in a fluster, "There''s also Second Young Master, he''s just been born, we can''t not have a mother! If not, not only would he ruin the future of the Second Young Master, but he would also bring shame to Ye Family! I beg the old lady to be merciful for the sake of Second Young Master, for the sake of accumulating Ye Family and morals! "


    The spinning prayer beads in the Old Madame Ye''s hands came to a sudden stop, and her closed eyes instantly opened, staring straight at the Concubine Shao who was miserably kneeling on the ground, her gaze ice-cold. "You are right, Second Young Master cannot lose her mother the moment she is born."


    Concubine Shao was happy, but when her eyes came in contact with the haze in Old Madame Ye''s eyes and the ridicule on the corner of her mouth, her lips that was just about to curl up slowly fell down.


    "Mama Wu, send Concubine Shao to see Second Young Master."


    As the emotionless voice of the Old Madame Ye fell, the normally curved eyes of the Concubine Shao instantly became round. Shock, fear, despair and unwillingness all flashed across her eyes.


    She shook her head in disbelief. "No, how? Obviously ¡­ Mrs. Jining had once said that the Second Young Master was an important person, so why? "Why would they ¡­" Suddenly, she raised her head and shouted, "It''s you! You wanted to take Second Young Master from me, so you wanted to kill me!


    In her panic, Concubine Shao did not care about anything else, she kept shouting, hoping that someone outside would hear the commotion.


    When and Yu Ge''er stayed in the front courtyard, no matter how hard the Inner Court was doing, as long as no one reported it, no matter how much she yelled and yelled, not a single person would appear.


    "Aunt!" Mama Wu''s face darkened, "The old lady has good intentions to send in medicine, it''s fine if you break it, but why are you saying ''live'' or ''die'', what nonsense are you spouting? Are you crazy?!"


    How could the Concubine Shao still listen? with all her heart, she believed that Old Madame Ye was the second young master who was going to leave her mother behind and monopolize all the treasures!


    She endured the pain from her body and stood up shakily. Then, she twisted her body and pounced towards the direction of the door while shouting "Help!" in a high-pitched voice!


    Mama Wu''s expression changed and she quickly chased after him. Before she could touch the door lock, she was already standing in front of her.


    Concubine Shao made a prompt decision, she turned and was about to rush to Old Madame Ye''s side. At this moment, she could only restrain the old lady, and that would give her a chance of survival.


    However, the Mama Wu didn''t give her any chance, she quickly grabbed her shoulders.


    Concubine Shao was shocked, she continuously struggled, her mouth still shouting "Help!", but her voice was hoarse, she did not hear anything, her heart was filled with despair, but her strength was increasing, there were kicks and kicks everywhere.


    However, she was a woman who had just finished giving birth, and was usually as delicate as a servant, how could she compare to a servant''s Mama Wu? In just a moment, she was completely subdued on the ground.


    "Aunt, why are you doing this? Obediently drink the medicine, even if you can have a decent servant, you can still save some energy, right? " Mama Wu''s expression was sinister, this was not the first time she was doing this, it was just that in the past, Concubine Shao had tried to seduce her, so she could not help but feel a sense of gratitude.


    Now that she had thought it through, her hands and feet became nimble. She straddled Concubine Shao and took out a few silk ribbons for her hair and tied up Concubine Shao''s hands behind her back.


    Concubine Shao''s face was stuck to the limestone floor, the cold limestone tiles were sprinkled with the stewed and sticky Medicinal Juice, and within the Medicinal Juice, there were still some small fragments of porcelain hidden. While struggling, her skin was cut by the pieces, forming streaks of blood on her face, mixing with the Medicinal Juice''s blood that was stuck to her wounds and forming a strange color.


    As if she didn''t feel any pain, she raised her despairing eyes. Suppressing the suffocating sensation in her chest, she forced out a few words, "Old granny, First Miss ¡­ Come back, old master and... "I know, definitely not ¡­"


    "I think you''re unwilling to give up, Shaoyin, ah, Shaoyin, I had thought that you were someone who would listen obediently to me, but you actually did so many things behind my back. It''s fine if you were scheming against the Madame SHen, but you shouldn''t have tarnished my reputation!" Old Madame Ye stood up and walked in front of her, coldly looking at the people who were struggling in death''s door, her eyes void of any trace of pity.


    "Originally I wanted to raise you up when you give birth to your brother, but in the end ¡­ Forget it, it''s also good for you to be able to rest in peace. Old master naturally knows about this matter, and the little girl Jin Wei and Yu Ge''er will naturally have a good place to go to in the future.


    With that, the Old Madame Ye did not want to stay any longer. She warned the Mama Wu to relax her limbs and left the house using her walking stick.


    "Aunt, don''t blame me. If you want to blame something, blame your bad fate. But don''t worry, when I return, I will definitely burn some paper money for you so that you can become a good family in the future!" The Mama Wu muttered as she turned the Concubine Shao who was lying on the ground upside down, then stood up to carry the medicine.


    Concubine Shao stared at Mama Wu in fear, her hands were tied up so she could only kick at the ground, trying to stop Mama Wu from approaching, "No matter what, I am still the biological mother of First Miss and the Eldest Young Master, I am the old master''s concubine. If I die for no reason, Ye Family would not benefit me at all! First Miss is going to return soon, if she knows that you have harmed me, she will definitely not forgive you! "


    With her back facing the candlelight, Mama Wu walked towards Concubine Shao step by step. The expression on her face was hidden in the light, causing people to be unable to understand what she was saying, "No one would know, Aunt, do you still not understand? In this mansion, as long as the old lady is willing, anyone can disappear in broad daylight. " She paused for a moment, her voice drifting. "Including Madam."


    Concubine Shao opened her eyes wide in disbelief. How could this happen?


    She would believe the old lady, believe that she really hated her and wanted her to die.


    The reason why she was so cautious and unscrupulous was because she believed that everything she had done was for the sake of the old lady!


    Now it was not his wife who had died, but she.


    Why? What went wrong?


    She was regretful. She had listened to Su Xin''s words and her many years of careful management had been ruined.


    If only she had known earlier, she would have been even more cold-blooded and ruthless. Even the old lady ¡­


    Concubine Shao''s eyes were filled with hatred, she clenched her teeth, tightly pursed her lips, and used all her strength to struggle, shaking her head to the left and right to prevent the blue and white flower bowl from getting close to her lips.


    Mama Wu was too haggard to defend herself, so she spilled some of the Medicinal Juice in the bowl onto Concubine Shao''s emerald green clothes, which left a small stain.


    She could not help but frown. She placed the blue and white bowl on the small Wooden Pellet that she could easily reach, and with a stride, she once again sat on top of Concubine Shao. Her buttocks heavily pressed against her chest.


    The Mama Wu took the chance and held the bowl up, grabbing her lower jaw and the warm Medicinal Juice started to drink!


    Feeling the bitterness in her mouth, Concubine Shao''s slightly blurry consciousness instantly recovered by quite a bit. She used all her strength to turn her head, and the overflowing Medicinal Juice flowed into her nose, choking on her words in an instant, causing her chest to feel a burning pain!


    However, being suppressed by the Mama Wu, her face turned red from holding back, and she did not even have the strength to cough. She could only shake her chest with effort, and unclearly scolded: "You, you will suffer, you will suffer retribution ¡­"


    Mama Wu sneered, "Aunt, think about what you have done to your wife, isn''t this your retribution?" As she said that, her attacks became even more ruthless, she forced her head to turn right, tightly holding onto her lower jaw, the Medicinal Juice flowed endlessly into her mouth.


    Although Concubine Shao wanted to shut her mouth, but the strength from her body gradually disappeared, the bitter Medicinal Juice still slid down the esophagus into her stomach. It occasionally succeeded in spitting out a few mouthfuls, but it was also choked into her lungs and wanted to cough.


    Looking at the empty blue and white flower bowl, Mama Wu released Concubine Shao. As she put the medicine bowl back into the box, she said indifferently: "Aunt, please rest early! This servant will take her leave. " With that, she quickly went out the door, closed the door with one hand and locked it from the outside.


    As the footsteps outside became further and further away, the dying Concubine Shao wriggled on the green stone floor covered with broken porcelain pieces and Medicinal Juice s. She tried to open her mouth to scream for help, but no sound came out except for the hissing sound of a poisonous snake.


    Her voice was hoarse!


    Concubine Shao was startled for a moment, then raised her head and laughed silently. Tears rolled down her face from her despairing eyes.


    Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. A large amount of warm liquid gushed out from her lower body, and the smell of blood in the air suddenly intensified.


    Am I going to die?


    Obviously, in her dreams, she was the only one who won. Madame SHen died, that bitch Jin Lan died, and finally the old lady died too!


    She was the only one left. She was the only one who enjoyed the most glory and wealth, and her life was coming to an end!


    She couldn''t accept it, she couldn''t accept it!


    Concubine Shao''s consciousness gradually blurred, and in the end, her head tilted. On her ferocious face, a pair of eyes that were filled with madness, was completely wide open.

 C161

    The Concubine Shao was dead.


    No matter how much they were doted on, in the end, they were still thin coffins. After hastily burying everything, they did not even stop their spirit, not to mention burying in the ancestral tombs of Ye Family or even inviting their ancestral tablets into the Ye Family Shrine.


    At the end of the day, she was just a concubine that had no status.


    For several days, Old Madame Ye did not send anyone to Shuixie Pavilion to invite Madame SHen and Jin Lan. The news of Concubine Shao''s death after the birth was like a small stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples but they quickly recovered because the Old Granny''s body was getting heavier and heavier.


    "Mother." When Jin Lan returned from the Jiayu Hall, he lifted the curtain and saw that Madame SHen was sitting in front of a square table with purple sandalwood carved into it, calculating what was going on. He smiled and walked over to her side, "This is ¡­"


    Several thick, threaded books were placed on the table. The top one was open, and the slightly yellowish pages were densely covered with words that Jin Lan couldn''t understand.


    "This is the account book that the old lady sent over last night." Madame SHen''s eyes were filled with smiles as she quickly calculated the final amount. After writing a few words on the account book, she placed the brush on the colourful porcelain holder, closed the account book, and walked out while holding Jin Lan''s hand. The mother and daughter sat on the soft couch together, and she asked: "Is the old lady alright?"


    Jin Lan shook his head, a complex expression flashing past his eyes, "My daughter did not see the old lady, Pin Yue said that the old lady ordered us to not see anyone for the next few days." Even Ye Lin was no exception.


    Madame SHen frowned, her face was full of confusion, "I''m fine, why didn''t I see you?"


    "Maybe it''s about the Concubine Shao!" Jin Lan didn''t want the Madame SHen to let his imagination run wild, so he persuaded her with a few words before changing the topic. "Mother, you haven''t fully recovered, why do you have to go through all this trouble?"


    "It''s fine. These few days, I feel much better than before. Soo Soo, take a look at my pulse after drinking the last pill. From now on, you only need to recuperate and it should be fine." Madame SHen laughed, but when she saw the account book on the table, the smile on her face dimmed.


    She was not greedy for power, it was just that with the incident with Shaoyin, she could not trust the people in the residence. It just so happened that the old lady handed over the account book and the rights to be the host, why did she not accept? At least, from today onwards, no matter if it was her or Lan Er, there would be less evil spirits around them.


    Jin Lan carefully looked at Madame SHen''s cheeks that were slightly more plump than usual, but he still wasn''t at ease in his heart. She gently held onto Madame SHen''s arm, "En, Mother will definitely be fine, I definitely will!" It was as if he was speaking to the Madame SHen or to himself.


    The Madame SHen gently patted Jin Lan''s small hands, "Alright, at such a young age, there''s no need to worry so much, there''s no need to think so much. It''s getting late, let''s stay here for lunch.


    Seeing that she was starting to settle the scores again, he quietly left the house. He planned to return to the Lan Garden for a trip, and after delaying it for so long, there were some matters that he should take care of.


    She walked slowly along the corridor, and it was the time of the Spring Equinox. It was the time of the ''Thousand Flowers and Hundred Flower Competition'', when the flowers in the garden were red and green, and the flowers were blossoming in clusters. With the addition of the fact that she had brought down Concubine Shao, this huge mountain, which was resting right in front of her, she felt that everything was good, that the sunlight was especially bright, and even the fragrance of the flowers in the air was especially tempting.


    Just as she was happily strolling around to enjoy the scenery, she suddenly heard a dispute coming from her left, hearing the noise, it sounded like Ye Yu and his ¡­ Third sister?


    She frowned, on the left was a fake mountain, but when she heard the sound, she did not even see Su Yun. After thinking for a moment, she gave a meaningful glance to Mama Tang, turned around, and walked down the corridor, and followed the pebble trail towards the fake mountain.


    As soon as he had circled around the fake mountain, the situation inside immediately became clear for Jin Lan''s eyes.


    Behind the fake mountain was a small apricot forest, with a few silhouettes clearly visible, but it seemed like the Yu Ge''er was blocking Ye Jinxian inside. Ye Jinxian''s round face was filled with panic, beside her, there was only the young maid Chun Xia who was tightly protecting her.


    "Second Young Master, how could the three ladies know about this? If you want to find out, you can ask the old lady. " With regards to Ye Yu, Chun Xia was truly afraid of him, but even if her legs became weak, she still stood in front of him, not allowing him to move a step.


    Ye Yu''s face was filled with anger, "Who do you think you are, daring to speak to me in such a manner?"


    Ye Jinxian happened to be facing the road, upon seeing Jin Lan approaching, she immediately came out from Chun Xia''s back, extending her hand to pull on Ye Yu''s sleeves, but she did not expect Ye Yu to be enraged, she raised her leg and kicked at her, "You bitch, you are not allowed to touch me!"


    Although Ye Jinxian was younger than him, her body was taller by half a head. This kick of Ye Yu''s did not hurt her vitals, but she was a man after all, so her strength was not small. Therefore, Ye Jinxian was kicked until she staggered and almost fell to the ground.


    "Miss!" Everything happened too fast, Spring Aurora was unable to stop it in time, and could only support the crumbling Ye Jinxian in time.


    Ye Jinxian said with a pale face and forced a smile, "I''m fine."


    Jin Lan''s eyes flashed sternly: "Yu Ge''er, what did you say just now?"


    Ye Yu obviously did not think that there would be someone behind him, he turned around and looked, the anger on his face became even stronger, and shouted: "Am I wrong? "She''s just a lowly slave, and yet she still dares to touch me!" The more he roared, the more malevolent he became as he glared hatefully at Jin Lan. "Don''t think that I don''t know. You were the one who killed my aunt. Just you wait, I''ll definitely make you pay for her death!"


    "Oh?" Jin Lan squinted, and looked coldly at Ye Yu. "If Third Sister is a lowly slave, then what are you? "Also ¡­" Her gaze swept across the two Attendant s following Ye Yu, "Who told you that I was the one who killed Concubine Shao? "Hmm?"


    Sensing Jin Lan''s cold gaze, the two Attendant s lowered their heads and retreated obediently to the side, not daring to even breathe.


    Ye Yu glared at them angrily, twisted his neck and shouted: "Who cares where you got this information from, in short, this matter is not over! "Just you wait, I''m going to find Grandmother and have her chase you and that evil woman out!"


    When the two Attendant s saw him, they had no choice but to bow to Jin Lan and quickly chase after him.


    Watching Ye Yu''s figure gradually disappear into the distance, Jin Lan only curled the corner of his mouth, his face didn''t show any sign of anxiety.


    She really wanted Ye Yu to go and fight in front of the old lady, so that she could use the old lady''s hand to beat up those restless people.


    "Sister Second Sister." Leaning on Spring Aurora, Ye Jinxian called out to Jin Lan in a low voice, her face full of unease.


    Jin Lan glanced at the fresh footprints on the hem of her skirt, then instructed Chun Xia: "Take Third Sister to Lan Garden first!"


    This place was the closest to Lan Yuan, and it only took them a few steps to get there.


    Jin Lan got the Mama Tang to place Ye Jinxian in the East Wing, and also got Mu Lan to bring the medicinal wine over. When Chun Xia carefully rolled up the crescent white silk brocade pants on Ye Jinxian''s left leg, revealing her injury, everyone took a deep breath.


    From this, it could be seen that Ye Yu did not even consider Ye Jinxian as his close relative, if not she would not have given her all.


    Jin Lan hurriedly got the Mama Tang to rub the medicinal wine that had scattered blood vessels all over Ye Jinxian''s body.


    Mama Tang rubbed the medicinal wine on her palms until it was warm and said to Ye Jinxian: "Third young mistress, I''m afraid it might hurt, just bear with it."


    "Mama, don''t worry, I can endure it." Ye Jinxian nodded her head obediently. However, when Mama Tang''s hand really pressed on the bruise, the heart-wrenching pain still caused her to cry.


    However, she endured the pain. Even though her whole body was trembling in pain, her left leg did not struggle at all.


    Mama Tang rubbed her hands together for a while before letting go, "Alright, I should be able to get rid of the swelling by tomorrow, but I have to walk more carefully these few days."


    "Thank you, Mama." Ye Jinxian sniffed and quickly used a handkerchief to wipe the tears and cold sweat off her face.


    "Everything is fine, why did you argue with the Yu Ge''er?" Jin Lan sat on a chair at the side, pretending to not understand as he looked at Ye Jinxian.


    She couldn''t help but be suspicious. Ever since she saw through the true appearance of Concubine Ning, she had the feeling that the next time she saw her third sister, it would be a scheme that Concubine Ning had secretly set up!


    After all, the place where the two of them were quarreling was just too close to the Lan Garden, and Ye Jinxian and Ye Yu, these two completely unrelated people, had actually appeared behind the unremarkable fake mountain at the same time.


    No matter how one looked at it, the coincidence that followed made them feel that something was amiss.


    "Speaking of which, it''s my fault." Ye Jinxian forced out a smile and said softly: "I saw that the weather is not bad today, and heard that the apricots in the garden were blooming well, so I wanted to turn them into bottles, but coincidentally, I met Yu Ge''er, and he grabbed me and asked, straight to the point."


    At this point, a hint of hesitation appeared on her face. She bit her lips and carefully looked at Jin Lan.


    Even if she did not say it, Jin Lan could guess the answer, but she smiled gently at Ye Jinxian, "Don''t worry, just say it, I will not take it to heart."


    Ye Jinxian hesitated for a while, before continuing: "Yu Ge''er only asked how Concubine Shao died, and whether it was mother and Big Sister Second Sister who did it." Then, she anxiously tried to explain, "Big sister Second Sister, don''t be angry, perhaps Yu Ge''er was bewitched by someone else. Everyone in the house knows, Concubine Shao only went there because it was difficult to give birth, even second brother ¡­" Gradually, the voice faded away.


    Jin Lan smiled faintly, "I am not angry. Yu Ge''er is still young, it is normal for him to not know his place, but I am afraid I cannot keep those servants that do not know how to serve."


    Just a few short words caused Ye Jinxian''s heart to turn cold. She looked at Jin Lan in a daze, as if she didn''t know him. Since when did the usually naive and straightforward Big Sister Second Sister become as strict as an old lady?


    Jin Lan raised the tea cup, and lightly stirred the tea powder. After taking a sip, she was just about to speak when she saw Wen Zhu rushing over: "Second Miss, the old lady has sent word for you to go with her to go to Jiayu Hall!"

 C162

    "I, I want to go as well?" Ye Jinxian was startled, then a look of panic appeared on her face. The old lady never liked her, and when he called her over, it was most likely because Yu Ge''er said something.


    She sent a comforting look to Ye Jinxian, then raised her voice to Wen Zhu who was speaking to the outside: "You go tell the person who sent the message that Third Sister and I will go greet Grandmother right now."


    Wen Zhu replied and left.


    "Sister Second Sister ¡­" Ye Jinxian grimaced, her hands continuously twisting the handkerchief. She really didn''t want to face the old lady!


    Jin Lan patted her small hand, and said softly: "Don''t worry, grandmother is not that unreasonable person. The hem of your skirt is dirty, if you return to Yunxiu House now, I''m afraid you''ll have to keep grandmother waiting." After saying that, she called out to Mu Lan, "Go open the box and take out the eight pieces of Peach Blossom Skirt and give it to Third Sister to wear."


    Ye Jinxian looked at the black footprints on her skirt, then thought about the old lady''s solemn face, and agreed to Jin Lan''s suggestion, "Thank you, Second Sister Sis."


    "These eight dresses were made last year. I can''t wear them, so they''re just right for Third Sister. However, that''s the style that was popular last year, so I''ll have to inconvenience Third Sister for the time being." Jin Lan put down the teacup in his hand and said with a smile.


    "How could that be?" Ye Jinxian hurriedly raised her head, "The things in elder sister''s room are naturally good, little sister is not feeling wronged at all!"


    Indeed, as the direct daughter of Jin Lan, regardless of whether it was food or clothes, every object was meticulously prepared.


    When Mu Lan took the skirt back and led Ye Jinxian to her ear room to change, she called out to Chun Xia who was about to go in and serve him, "There''s Mu Lan serving inside, you don''t have to worry."


    Chun Xia paused before replying in a low voice, "Yes."


    Jin Lan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the rosy clouds. After a while, he said, "If old lady asks about what happened just now, just tell me the truth."


    The meaning in his words was to not hide the fact that Ye Jinxian was injured.


    Chun Xianming nodded. "This servant will save it."


    Not long later, Ye Jinxian had changed into a new skirt, the peach-colored skirt with eight lines hanging down from the bottom of her head was covered with flowers, making her look extremely beautiful. It made her look like she was spitting flowers in the spring wind, which made people''s eyes light up.


    Jin Lan nodded in satisfaction. "As expected, it''s just right." She got up and walked over, then pulled Ye Jinxian along to size him up, then laughed: "Little sister is still suitable for this kind of color, I think Grandmother would like it even if she sees it."


    Mentioning the Old Madame Ye, the bashfulness on Ye Jinxian''s small face immediately receded quite a bit, and was replaced with timidness and unease.


    "Alright, let''s go pay respects to Grandmother!" She purposely landed behind, and while the curtain was being pulled down, she quickly whispered a few words into Mu Lan''s ear.


    Mu Lan was startled, then firmly nodded her head.


    Originally, when Ye Jinxian''s leg was injured, Jin Lan had planned to let her sit on the palanquin so that she could pass, but Ye Jinxian had no choice but to let go, so Jin Lan followed her along slowly, spending more than half of her time compared to usual.


    However, this was exactly what Jin Lan wanted.


    When he stepped through the door of Jiayu Hall, he saw that Mama Wu was already there. He came over and greeted them with a smile, and said: "The three young ladies of Second Miss, the old lady is inviting you to Side Chamber." As he spoke, he extended his hand and led the way.


    Why is he going to the Side Chamber? The old lady had always liked handling matters in the main house, so unless there was a guest from afar, she would only move to Side Chamber to receive the guest.


    Seemingly seeing through Jin Lan''s doubt, the corners of Mama Wu''s mouth raised in a profound smile, "The old lady has been very heavy these few days and has lost all her energy.


    Jin Lan''s heart trembled. In that case, the ones in the Side Chamber are his mother and Yu Ge''er?


    She subconsciously raised her head to look at Mama Wu, just in time to see a fleeting sneer. Her mind instantly cleared up, and more or less saw through the old lady''s intentions.


    So, he wanted to use this opportunity to intimidate his mother!


    Jin Lan lowered his gaze, concealing the glimmer in his eyes.


    With the incident in Concubine Shao, the old lady who was'' ignorant ''had no choice but to hand over the authority of the butler. However, why would the old lady be willing to watch her mother gather power and people''s hearts?


    Thus, the old lady would definitely find a way to let her mother know the difficulties and retreat. It would be best for her to take the initiative to return the housekeeper''s authority.


    With the old lady''s love for Yu Ge''er, if she allowed Yu Ge''er to enter the Jiayu Hall freely, how could she not make decisions for him? Instead, she had urgently invited her mother?


    At the end of the day, they just wanted to take advantage of Yu Ge''er''s incident to hit their mother!


    Yu Ge''er was the only male heir to Ye Mansion and was doted upon by the Old Granny and Ye Lin. If Mother said that it was too heavy, the Yu Ge''er would definitely ignore her, and when things got even worse, the Old Granny would take the chance to make a move. At that time, Mother would also only be able to suffer.


    Jin Lan coldly snorted in his heart, and recalled the instructions he gave to Mu Lan just now.


    Seeing her lowered her head in depression, she couldn''t help but sneer in her heart. Second Miss was also a fool, not only did she not serve the old lady, she even ran over to get closer to that tuberculosis patient. Sooner or later, she would regret it.


    After passing through the tree-lined path, Side Chamber was right in front of their eyes, but as soon as they stepped onto the stairs, they heard a loud noise coming from inside.


    "Who taught you such outrageous words just now?" Madame SHen''s face darkened, two balls of anger seemed to jump out of her dark eyes. No matter what, she was the owner of the Ye Family, how could she allow a bastard to humiliate her!


    "What has this got to do with you!" Ye Yu shouted loudly. His short finger that was as thick as a white radish recklessly pointed at Madame SHen, "Don''t think that just because Grandmother told you to come, you would be able to show off your might. In the future, when I grow up, I will definitely kick you out as a murderer!"


    Madame SHen was furious, but her tone became calmer, "Oh? In the future, you still want to chase me out? "


    "That''s right!" Ye Yu raised his head, his expression proud, he looked at Madame SHen with full of contempt: "Not only are you diseased, Ye Jinlan and Ye Jinxian, those two shameless bitch, also want to kick him out!"


    "How dare you!" Madame SHen raised his hand and smacked it hard, "As a son, you do not respect your elders, do not treat your brothers with kindness, and have a very arrogant and unreasonable personality. You are truly detestable!" With that, she turned her head to the side and ordered Mama Zhu: "Mama Zhu, go and request for the ancestral family''s punishment!"


    She was initially hesitant, since Yu Ge''er was the old lady and the master''s treasure in her heart, but when she heard that the Yu Ge''er was pouring dirty water on Jin Lan, she couldn''t suppress the anger in her heart anymore!


    "How dare you!" Ye Yu flew into a rage and screamed, "In the future, I will be the lord of this mansion, and you dare hit me?"


    Right from the moment Ye Yu was being attacked, everyone held him in their hands. The maids around him were all fighting to please the young master, and under his influence, he had long seen himself as the future master of Ye Mansion.


    Madame SHen was so angry that she started laughing, "Good, what a great uncle! Mama Zhu, quickly go! "


    Although she really wanted to take care of Ye Yu, the little bastard who had his own heart, but in the end, it was Jiayu Hall and the old lady was waiting in her room. If she beat Ye Yu up, it would be hard for her wife to leave.


    She hesitated for a moment, then whispered into Madame SHen''s ear, "Madam, the old lady, she ¡­"


    Before he could even finish his words, he was cut off by Madame SHen with a wave of her hand, "Since the Old Granny has asked me to come over and handed this matter over to me, then she must hope that I can properly discipline Yu Ge''er. You don''t have to say anymore, go quickly!"


    Mama Zhu looked at Madame SHen''s ashen face and knew that she had made up her mind. She gritted her teeth, turned, and walked out.


    Seeing that the Madame SHen was serious, Ye Yu extended his hand and grabbed the cup of tea on the table, about to smash it onto the Madame SHen!


    "Ah!" A miserable scream came out, but it did not come from the Madame SHen. It came from Ye Yu.


    Jin Lan was originally standing outside, and when the Mama Zhu lifted the curtains, she could see Ye Yu''s actions, and without thinking, she rushed in and grabbed onto Ye Yu''s hand that was held up high.


    Even if Jin Lan did not have the same kind of armor that Ye Jinwei liked, but after cutting it, it was still somewhat sharp. Adding Ye Yu''s tender skin, with such a forceful grab, the crystal clear armor immediately closed in on her, causing Ye Yu to unconsciously loosen her grip.


    The tea cup that was held high in the air suddenly fell onto his body, splashing all over his body with the tea leaves.


    "Lan Er!" Madame SHen did not expect Jin Lan to rush in. He was stunned for a moment before recovering, "Why are you here?"


    "Mother ¡­" Jin Lan was about to speak, but was interrupted by Ye Yu, "Bitch, let go of me!"


    Even though the tea had become warm, but the water was dripping wet all over his body making him feel uncomfortable. Plus, he had been through this since young, so he was so angry that his eyes were red. He didn''t care about anything as he started cursing, "Just you wait, I''m going to find the old lady, look for father, and beat you two to death!"


    Jin Lan held onto Ye Yu''s hand tightly, his cold gaze containing traces of pity. Did Yu Ge''er understand what he was going to say? How could he be so confident that the old lady and Ye Lin would definitely do as he said?


    Forget about the others, even if her mother did not give birth to her first son, she was still an official wife of an imperial concubine. No matter how much she spoiled him privately, when it was put on the table, he would still not enter the eyes of others.


    Especially the old lady, she wanted to develop his Ye Family to become a famous family like the one in the capital, how could she allow Ye Yu to do whatever he wants?


    Wasn''t the Concubine Shao the best lesson?


    "Let me go, let me go!" Ye Yu could not break free from the suppression and immediately shouted out loud, "Grandmother, Grandmother! Come on! Someone wants to kill me! "


    Jin Lan frowned when he heard that. Just as he was about to speak, he heard an authoritative voice shout from behind him, "What are you doing?"

 C163

    Ye Lin had received good news early in the morning, the haze that had enveloped his heart for the past few days had been swept away, his mood was extremely relaxed, after he had dealt with the matters at hand and was preparing to get up, he heard a message from Attendant outside the door, saying that a servant from Second Miss was asking to see him.


    After hearing Mu Lan''s report, Ye Lin seemed to have thought of something, but quickly made a decision.


    He was just about to go to the Madame SHen''s room, but he wasn''t able to get far from the old lady. It would be better if he went to visit the old lady first, so he could listen to her thoughts on that matter.


    Just as he was about to walk to the main house, he heard the noise coming from the Side Chamber. Ye Lin frowned as he walked over to take a look, but he did not expect it to be such a scene.


    Madame SHen and Ye Yu were both startled, and only Jin Lan lowered his eyes with an inexplicable expression.


    He finally came!


    She quickly adjusted the expression on her face, pursed her lips and frowned, as if she had suffered a grievance but wasn''t willing to speak anymore, causing the hand she was tightly holding Ye Yu to ease up.


    Ye Yu was obviously the person who wished for Ye Lin to appear the most, his face revealed a joyous expression. He subconsciously swung his hand up high, and immediately discovered that he had actually broken free from Jin Lan''s grasp, coupled with Madame SHen''s gloomy look, he immediately thought they were afraid.


    "Father!" Ye Yu jumped into Ye Lin''s embrace with his round body, his eyes that were almost squashed into a line due to the fat were opened widely, and there were even two blobs of tears inside, "Mother, please beat me down from the family, Sister Second Sister is pinching me too, Father, I''m in so much pain!"


    As he spoke, he tried to raise his thick and round arm. He saw that there were indeed a few blood stains on the tender flesh near his wrist. Some of them were even slowly seeping blood.


    Madame SHen was already full of anger, but when she saw Ye Yu complaining, the sternness in his eyes became even stronger, "Yu Ge''er!"


    Ye Lin was habitually about to throw a tantrum at Madame SHen, but when the news he had received this morning flashed through his mind, he immediately held it in and turned to look at Jin Lan. He shouted unhappily: "Jin Lan, as your big sister, how can you attack Yu Ge''er!"


    Jin Lan never thought that she would hurt Ye Yu, but in her heart, she did not regret it at all. Seeing Ye Lin indiscriminately reprimand her, a strange light flashed past her eyes.


    Ye Lin saw that she was standing there without replying, and was even more angry: "Is this the rule you learned? Not only are you bullying your little brother, even I, your father, am not listening to you. What arrogance you have! "


    "Old master!" Madame SHen was furious, did he not know how much of an impact these words have on a girl who had not left the pavilion? If word of this got out, wouldn''t Lan Er become an unreasonable woman?


    "From the moment you arrived, you immediately flew into a rage at Lan Er, and only said that Lan Er injured your little brother. Why didn''t you ask Yu Ge''er what exactly did he do to me, my mother, and then to this direct sister and this little sister, Jinxian?"


    Ye Jinxian who was standing outside heard Madame SHen mention her name, so she decided to not hide anymore. She braced herself and entered the house, feeling the tense atmosphere, she, who was not very daring to begin with, wished she had a hole in the ground to hide in.


    However, under the gazes of everyone present, Ye Jinxian could only endure the impulse to escape as she trembled and bowed, "Father, Mother."


    Ye Lin frowned, his eyes were sharp and immediately noticed that there seemed to be something amiss with his third daughter''s body. The tip of his left foot touched the ground, while his heel was slightly lifted, evidently showing that he did not dare to pull.


    He shifted his gaze to Ye Yu who was beside him and asked: "What did you do?"


    Ye Yu did not expect that his wounds would be exposed, but his pampered father did not immediately punish those two bitches. He was secretly anxious, but when he saw Ye Lin looking at his, his mouth immediately became flat, and he shook his head and cried: "I didn''t say anything, it''s mother and Big Sister Second Sister, they ¡­ "They ¡­" His voice became softer and softer, giving people a feeling that he was being coerced.


    "Alright, Father understands." Ye Lin looked at the tears that were hanging on Ye Yu''s cheeks with a pained heart, he raised her hand and gently patted his shoulders, "You go back first, get the Attendant to get a doctor to come take a look."


    "Yes, Yu''er respectfully follows father''s orders." Ye Yu wiped away the tears on his face and took advantage of Ye Lin''s inattention to raise his eyebrows proudly at Jin Lan, preparing to slip away.


    "Yu Ge''er, you stop right there!" Madame SHen''s expression was cold. He was completely disappointed in his husband, Ye Lin. She thought that he had appeared to uphold justice, but who knew that he would side with her.


    "How long do you want to make a scene?" The impatience in Ye Lin''s eyes gradually appeared. Although he had wanted to be more amiable towards the Madame SHen after hearing the news, but he could not change his habits easily. With Madame SHen rebutting him time and time again, the anger in his heart had gradually become uncontrollable.


    Madame SHen laughed coldly, but just as she opened her mouth, she was interrupted by Jin Lan.


    "Father, aren''t you curious as to why my mother is with my grandmother?" Jin Lan lowered his eyes, and said indifferently: "Just now, when my daughter was walking in the garden, she coincidentally bumped into Yu Ge''er and Third Sister. She wanted to go over and greet them, but unexpectedly, she heard Yu Ge''er fiercely questioning Third Sister."


    After saying that, she looked up at Ye Lin, and the corners of her lips suddenly curled up, "Does father know what Yu Ge''er is asking?"


    Ye Lin suspiciously looked at Ye Yu who had a pale face, "What did you ask?"


    "Yu Ge''er is asking, who exactly killed his aunt?" The who could not accept the shock asked in detail, and continued to speak: "The third sister can''t explain it clearly, but her leg was heavily injured by Yu Ge''er. Although my daughter brought the third sister back to Lan Garden to wipe the medicinal wine, the injury on the third sister''s leg is still there, so if father does not believe me, he just need to find a doctor."


    "Later on, when Yu Ge''er said that her daughter was the murderer, he even wanted to make her daughter pay with her life! When Yu Ge''er saw his mother, not only did he not show any respect, he even scolded his mother for being phthisic, scolding his daughter and third sister for being bitches! It''s even more obvious that he''s the boss of Ye Family, he will have to kick his mother, daughter, third sister and others out of his house in the future! "


    "Father, may I ask if mother has done anything wrong in asking for the family''s punishment?" After saying that, a hint of a sneer emerged from Jin Lan''s mouth, "Does that mean that father also thinks that what Yu Ge''er said is true?"


    Ye Lin''s face became extremely ugly. Jin Lan''s sharp words made him lose face, but he was unable to do anything about it.


    Originally, the death of Concubine Shao was not a big tragedy for Ye Lin, it even made him feel unlucky, since all the trouble outside was caused by the Concubine Shao, and now that she stirred up the family, Ye Lin felt even more disgusted, and even less fond of Ye Yu.


    He raised his eyes and glared at Ye Yu, his fury mixed with a tinge of coldness, "Yu Ge''er, is what your Second Sister said the truth?"


    The fat on his body trembled for a while, before calming down. Even though he was afraid, but after seeing Jin Lan''s provocative gaze, Ye Yu''s courage suddenly grew, and he bit his tongue: "Father, she has been taking medicine all day, is she not a phthisis? Furthermore, when I grow up in the future, wouldn''t I be the master of the Ye Family? At that time, I will naturally do whatever I want to do. Since they caused the death of Aunt, it is already cheap for me to kick them all out ¡­ "


    "Pah!"


    Before Ye Yu could finish speaking, a resounding slap landed on his face.


    "How dare you!" Ye Lin was so angry that his face turned green and black. It was not bad that he doted on his only son, but that did not mean that he could step on Ye Family''s face! Madame SHen was the main wife of Ye Family, he would never allow a bastard son to bully him, if this news were to spread out, then maybe he would just mock Ye Family being inferior to others, and not being polite!


    Ye Yu never thought that Ye Lin would actually spank his ears and ears, he was truly confused. When the stinging pain on his face finally came back to his senses, he immediately covered his already swollen face, and fell onto the ground, crying loudly.


    Seeing his perverted attitude, the anger in Ye Lin''s heart grew even stronger. He raised his hand to slap the other side of his face a second time.


    "Stop!"


    With an angry shout, the door curtain was raised high up into the air, and Old Madame Ye''s stooped figure appeared before everyone''s eyes.


    "Grandmother!" Ye Yu reacted quickly this time, and with a grunt, he crawled up from the ground and ran towards Old Madame Ye, "Grandmother, save me!"


    When Ye Lin heard this, he immediately became so angry that he started to shiver. He pointed at Ye Yu''s hiding spot and cursed: "Unfilial son, you unfilial son!"


    "Alright!" Old Madame Ye protected Ye Yu behind him, his cold gaze sweeping across Ye Lin''s face and finally landing on Madame SHen, "Is there anything that you cannot resolve properly? Those who cause such a ruckus, even the mansion would not be at peace! "


    These last words were obviously directed at the Madame SHen.


    Madame SHen expressionlessly stood up and bowed to the old lady, "Old lady, did you hear what Lan Er had said just now clearly?"


    Old Madame Ye never thought that Madame SHen would suddenly make a move. Usually, as long as she lowered her face, Madame SHen would lower her head and admit her mistake.


    The old lady sneered, "Yu Ge''er is still young, it''s common for him to not know what''s right and wrong. It might be possible that those chattering servant girls made up a story for him to learn, that''s just an unintentional mistake, how can he take it as true?"


    Seeing that Old Madame Ye was trying to avoid the topic and was trying to excuse Ye Yu, Madame SHen''s face darkened to the point that water almost came out.


    On the other hand, Jin Lan blinked his eyes, and a thin layer of mist appeared at the bottom of his eyes, "Grandmother, Mother will not bother with Yu Ge''er being like this, it''s just that the people outside do not think so! If we are not careful, the reputation of our Ye Mansion and the face of our fathers will all be lost! "


    This way, the right window could be seen from any angle. Mama Tang had already been hinted at this, standing motionlessly outside the window, as long as she saw the old lady coming from afar, she would kneel down and pay her respects.


    Just now, when she saw Mama Tang''s body suddenly stoop down, she had purposely revealed everything without waiting for Ye Lin to ask, so that Ye Lin could personally speak out and reprimand Ye Yu.


    In this way, no matter what the old lady planned in her heart, it would all be for her mother.

 C164

    The Old Madame Ye wanted to beat up the Madame SHen, but he did not expect Ye Lin to come at this time, and with the Mama Wu''s report that they had rushed over, the progress of the matter had exceeded her expectations and control.


    The old lady''s sallow face was instantly covered in a layer of thousand-year frost, and her muddy eyes flashed with a cold and stern light.


    However, every word that Jin Lan said was like jewels. Furthermore, with the wounds on Ye Jinxian''s body as evidence and the servant Attendant that was waiting on the side, the astute Old Madame Ye was unable to find any words to refute her words.


    Moreover, it was obvious that someone had purposely said those words regarding the Concubine Shao.


    Her cold eyes swept across Jin Lan''s little face, then he heavily kowtowed the purple sandalwood carving in his hand. He coldly snorted: "If that''s the case, then Yu Ge''er will be obediently staying inside the house from today onwards.


    Ye Yu obviously did not expect the old lady who loved him the most to not only stop at him but also punish him to stay inside his house.


    But how could the Old Madame Ye allow him to speak at this juncture, so that the Madame SHen could grab hold of some information?


    Mama Wu took a step forward and used her quick hand to cover her mouth just in time to cover Ye Yu''s open mouth.


    "Second Young Master, this servant will send you back." With one hand, Mama Wu covered Ye Yu''s mouth while the other hand passed under his armpits, tightly hugging that fleshy body, and almost dragged him out.


    Jin Lan looked at Ye Yu''s incessantly kicking legs as they disappeared behind the curtain, and felt that it was a pity in his heart.


    Even though she thought this in her heart, she did not make a sound. Just now, the old lady''s gaze caused her entire body to feel a chill. It seemed that the relationship that she had spent so much effort to resolve had deteriorated due to this matter.


    However, Jin Lan didn''t regret it. Even if she had to do it again, she would still choose to offend the old lady and protect her mother!


    "Alright, let''s forget about it. You all can go now!" I don''t want to cause a headache here. " Old Madame Ye ignored Madame SHen''s ugly expression and impatiently waved him away.


    "Yes." Madame SHen answered with a dark face, dragging Jin Lan and left, not even bothering to pay attention to Ye Lin.


    "Mother." Seeing that everyone had left, Ye Lin suddenly remembered his purpose, and wanted to open his mouth to discuss with Old Madame Ye.


    "I''m tired, let''s talk tomorrow if you have anything to say!" The Old Madame Ye was secretly annoyed by Yue Yang for ruining his previous plan, so he did not give him any face, and left without waiting for him to speak.


    Ye Lin closed his mouth in embarrassment, a look of annoyance flashed past his eyes, he thought for a moment, then walked out the door and towards Shuixie Pavilion.


    Looking at Ye Lin''s back as he hurried away, Mama Wu, who had thrown Ye Yu back to the wet nurse and the maid, quickly went forward to support Old Madame Ye and advised him in a low voice: "Master, why are you angry at the master? Isn''t this letting the Madame SHen off easy?"


    Old Madame Ye stopped and walked towards the main house step by step. Just that, when the cane hit the green stone floor, everyone''s heart became heavy, like the calm before a storm. Pin Yue and the other servants that were following behind them had extremely cautious expressions.


    After a long while, Old Madame Ye finally said indifferently: "I just want her to take advantage of me."


    As long as he could get away with it, he would be able to kill them in one hit!


    Mama Wu was confused, and did not dare to ask, only smiling, and focused on supporting Old Madame Ye back to her room.


    The Madame SHen and Jin Lan did not walk at a fast pace. Along the way, they were advised by Jin Lan, causing the anger in the Madame SHen''s heart to gradually dissipate.


    "Old master?" Although Madame SHen was surprised that Ye Lin had arrived, he did not have a single expression on his face. However, he naturally had the proper etiquette, and after bowing, he sent Hui Xiu to make some tea.


    Of course, it was still Ye Lin''s favorite pre-rain dragon well.


    She could not guess why Ye Lin had followed her here at this time, so she could only cover the unusual expression in her eyes and bowed slightly as she greeted, "Father."


    Perhaps because of what happened just now, when Ye Lin saw the only direct descendant, a trace of guilt flashed past his eyes, and his face immediately relaxed, "Quickly get up!"


    Jin Lan stood up, and when she raised her head, a cute smile was on her face. She tilted her head slightly towards Ye Lin, feigning happiness as she asked: "Did father come specifically to see mother?"


    The Madame SHen had been ill for many years, the number of times Ye Lin had visited could be counted on one hand.


    Being asked so naively by Jin Lan, Ye Lin immediately looked miserable. He coughed a few times, and said with a stern face: "Alright, I have something to discuss with your mother. You should go back to the Lan Garden to rest first!"


    You want to chase me out just like that? Glimmers danced in Jin Lan''s eyes as she looked at Madame SHen. She then suppressed the worry in her heart as she said in a low voice, "Daughter will take her leave now."


    No matter how unwilling she was in her heart, she couldn''t stop Ye Lin and her mother from getting along. After all, she was just a junior.


    She had always been on guard this entire time, but she didn''t know what her mother was thinking at all. Perhaps this way of staying alone might be good enough for her mother to figure out how she was going to go along the road in the future.


    After making up his mind, Jin Lan''s footsteps immediately became lighter. As for whether Ye Lin would hurt his mother, she wasn''t worried at all, unless Ye Lin really didn''t want his position and future prospects anymore.


    After Jin Lan left, Ye Lin dismissed Hui Xiu who was serving tea and Mama Zhu who was waiting by the side.


    Madame SHen was elegantly sipping her tea, looking straight ahead, he was unwilling to say a single word, as though Ye Lin was not by his side.


    On the other hand, Ye Lin was secretly observing Madame SHen while pretending to drink his tea. It had been a long time since he had seen his wife, and Madame SHen who had almost fully recovered had her previous appearance.


    In truth, Madame SHen could not be considered a peerless beauty, but her noble and dignified birth and elegant demeanor made her look like a blooming peony, magnificent and moving.


    This was something that could not be found on the other concubines and maidservants.


    Ye Lin and Madame SHen were originally sitting side by side, only separated by a square table carved with red sandalwood, with Madame SHen drinking tea with her head down. From Ye Lin''s angle, she coincidentally saw that slender and fair neck, with glistening skin.


    Ye Lin immediately felt his mouth going dry as an evil fire rose up from his lower abdomen. He gulped down a few mouthfuls of tea before suppressing his burning desire.


    "Don''t you have something you want to discuss with me?" Madame SHen put down the tea cup in her hands and rubbed her forehead tiredly. She really didn''t want to face Ye Lin, maybe the deeper her expectations were, the greater the disappointment she felt.


    For so many years, at night, she had always wished for that tall and straight figure to appear under the lamp. Even if she could no longer be as sentimental as when they were married, she could still be as respectful as a guest.


    But in the end, after countless nights when the sun had risen, the burning red candles and the mess of candles on the table bore witness to the heart that had gradually turned from heat to cold.


    Right now, she could only hope for Lan Er to grow up safely and find a good marriage in the future. As for the man in front of her, whether it was Seeking Flower or Liu, she would follow him!


    When the Madame SHen opened his mouth, Ye Lin suddenly came to his senses, and hurriedly coughed a few times. He then cleared his throat and cheerfully, "LinRong, when did the two of us become so new to each other? In the past, you always called me Zi Qian. "


    Madame SHen''s body trembled, she took a deep breath and suppressed her emotions, forcing herself to remain calm, she did not want to show any emotions in front of Ye Lin, regardless of whether she was happy or sad.


    After a long while, she raised her head and calmly said, "Master, if there''s something important, it''s better if we don''t delay it."


    Ye Lin did not expect the Madame SHen to deny him face, and was immediately furious in her heart. After thinking about it, he endured it and said in an amiable tone, "LinRong, have you communicated with your mother-in-law recently?"


    Madame SHen was startled, then why did she mention Shen Family? Could it be that something happened to his Shen Family? Her heart suddenly shrunk, and she stared at Ye Lin: "What happened to Shen Family?"


    After finding out that Old Madame Ye was secretly looking at her letter, other than writing a letter to her family members and to them to give their respects two or three months ago, she had almost stopped contacting her Shen Family. The previous letter seemed to have been sent over due to the New Year''s present!


    Sensing the worry in Madame SHen''s words, Ye Lin hurriedly explained, "It''s a good thing, it''s a good thing!" As he spoke, he couldn''t help but laugh out loud, "Lord Father-in-law has been resurrected!" "The Emperor has personally issued an imperial decree to raise the title of father-in-law, and has now become the head of the Cabinet!"


    "It''s good that you''re fine." Upon hearing that her Shen Family was safe, Madame SHen''s taut heartstrings finally relaxed. She took two deep breaths to calm her mind and understand Ye Lin''s words. She suddenly widened her eyes. "You, you''re saying that father is ¡­"


    That year, her Shen Family was unsettled, not only did father and brothers stagger into prison, they had also nearly implicated her in the process. Coincidentally, at that time, her attitude towards and the Old Granny had completely changed.


    Even though he had managed to save his father and brother''s lives after getting the help of an old friend from Shen Family, his official position had been completely stripped away. Fortunately, Shen Family was a family with a hundred years of history, so it was easy for him to live. And Father Shen was a man who was straightforward with making friends, even though he lost his power and a few close friends secretly helped him, they did not allow those vile people who coveted Shen Family to bully him.


    And it was precisely because of this, no matter how difficult the situation the Madame SHen was in with her Ye Family, he had never said a single word to his parents, afraid that they would be worried.


    Now, how could she not be shocked to hear that her father had been reused by the emperor and even entered his cabinet?


    The Madame SHen held onto the armrest of the armchair tightly, trying her best to keep her voice calm, "I don''t know about this matter. The last time I wrote back to Su Zhou was a few years ago, and mother didn''t mention about it in her reply."


    "Of course, it''s only a matter of time. If it wasn''t for the residence reporting to me, I''m afraid I would have been kept in the dark as well." Ye Lin''s eyes revealed a rare look of joy, with this relationship, even Cheng Fu Shan would not dare to act rashly, the matter of him going back to the capital to continue his post was certain, and even taking a step would not be a problem!


    The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.


    That night, Ye Lin rested at the Shuixie Pavilion.

 C165

    Next day


    Jin Lan remembered the Madame SHen in her heart. At night, she let Mu Lan scout twice, and after finding out that Ye Lin was resting inside the Madame SHen''s room, she didn''t sleep soundly the entire night. She tossed and turned until the sky started to brighten up, and when she stood up, the green shadows in her eyes were even heavier than they were a few days ago.


    "Miss, it''s a good thing for Master to go to her wife''s room! Why are you worried? " Mama Tang did not experience much from her previous life, and only from the perspective of an ordinary person, the old master and her wife''s intimacy was something he wished for, but the young lady seemed to be preoccupied.


    In the jade and porcelain jar that was half-opened, there was a little bit of the peach blossom powder commonly used by young girls, slowly smeared under her eyelids, "Mama, I am just worried, if father is tired of mother again, mother''s position in the palace will really fall into the mud."


    Even if Ye Lin did not intend to do this, with an old lady on his side, he could not be careless.


    However, no matter how much she didn''t want her mother to get closer to Ye Lin, the heartless person, there was nothing she could do to stop her.


    Fortunately, Ye Lin''s intimacy had somehow raised his mother''s position in the household. Those self-righteous female stewards all had to think carefully to not show their heads too much.


    At least for now, not all of it was bad.


    "Lady, there is no need to think too much into it. As the saying goes, once a soldier comes, there will be no obstacle. There is no obstacle in this world that cannot be overcome." Mama Tang persuaded Yue Yang to help her tie the conch, and then he searched around for a suitable hairpin.


    Slightly rummaging through it, she couldn''t help but let out a cry as she picked up a hairpin and said with a puzzled expression, "Didn''t you say that you lost this lamb fat jade Jasmine hairpin last time? "Why are you in the mirror again?"


    Jin Lan''s gaze moved to Mama Tang''s hands and slightly froze. This hairpin ¡­


    That''s right, this hairpin was probably taken away by Yan Ye in a hurry during Lingji Temple last time. It wasn''t until that night at the main house in the capital that a servant girl named Zhu''er used it as a keepsake, and it only returned to her hands once more.


    She took the hairpin from Mama Tang''s hand and held it in her palm to read it. She did not wear this hairpin often, and had lost sight of it for almost half a year, but the goatfat jade looked even more smooth and smooth, as if it was rubbed on her hand every now and then. The entire jasmine flower was glistening with light, as if it was about to fall down from the sky.


    "Is that him?" Jin Lan murmured softly. His scallion-like fingertip slowly moved along the jasmine flower on Tulily. A slight chill seeped through his fair skin and slowly seeped into his body.


    In a trance, a thick hand suddenly appeared in front of her eyes.


    His fingers were long and slender, and his joints were distinct. Perhaps it was because he had been practicing martial arts all year round, but a thin layer of cocoon had formed on his palm.


    It was precisely this kind of hand that had almost taken her life in the Lingji Temple, yet had gripped the cold blade for her in the bloody night of Yuanxiao.


    "Miss, take this!" Mama Tang picked out a red jellyfish Dengmei hairpin from the mirror. The little bird was even holding a round and smooth south pearl in each of its mouth, which looked very cute and elegant against the lustful red peach blossoms on Jin Lan''s body.


    Seeing that Mama Tang was about to insert the hairpin into her hair, Jin Lan suddenly extended his hand to stop him, "No need, just bring this along." As she spoke, she handed over the goatee jade hairpin in his hand.


    "This one?" Mama Tang took it and placed it on her head, and said hesitantly: "Isn''t it a little too pure?"


    Jin Lan was stunned. He lowered his eyes as if he had just returned to his senses, and covered the panic and shyness that spread from his eyes. He still insisted, "I just came to Mother''s room to pay my respects, so it''s alright."


    Mama Tang thought for a moment, then let her be. She returned the red jade hairpin to the mirror, and then placed the small hairpin onto Jin Lan''s head.


    Right after she was done packing, Mu Lan carried the box containing the breakfast and hastily entered the room. She placed the box on the table, walked forward and said softly: "Miss, there is something you need to tell me."


    Jin Lan quickly stopped thinking, and raised his head to look at Mu Lan, "What is it?"


    Mu Lan replied: "Just now, this servant heard from the woman who brought the ingredients from the large kitchen that First Miss had returned to the manor."


    "Oh? Big Sister went home? When did this happen? " After calculating the time, Ye Jinwei should have returned a long time ago. She did not know why she was delayed so long, if not, he should be able to make it to Concubine Shao for the last time.


    "He arrived early this morning." Mu Lan bit her lips, hesitated for a while, and then said what she had heard to Jin Lan, "I heard that First Miss went to the Shuixie Pavilion right after returning, and caused a ruckus in Madam''s room."


    "What?" Jin Lan was shocked. He stood up abruptly and asked anxiously, "Did you hurt mother?"


    "This servant doesn''t know." Mu Lan shook her head, "I heard that Master is also in her wife''s room, and became angry on the spot, and got someone to kick First Miss out. She also said that from today onwards, First Miss and Yu Ge''er will be grounded, and can come out again after learning the rules, so as to not ruin Ye Family''s reputation."


    That''s right, last night when Ye Lin was resting in his mother''s room, Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief. In front of Ye Lin, Ye Jinwei should not dare to hurt his mother, otherwise, it would not end up like this.


    However, why would Ye Jinwei come to his mother''s house to cause trouble the moment she returned? According to her usual personality, she would first go to the old lady''s room when she returned home, then it would be the others. As for her mother, she wouldn''t even think about it, but now ¡­


    Jin Lan thought carefully for a while before the light in his eyes flashed. He immediately understood a bit of what was going on.


    Mu Lan saw that she was silent for a long while, and couldn''t help but feel apprehensive in his heart, "Miss, what''s wrong?"


    "I''m fine." Jin Lan smiled faintly. "Let''s set up the meal!" Since Big Sis is back, I should pay you a visit. "


    Is this lady going to visit the First Miss? Mu Lan and Mama Tang looked at each other in astonishment and quickly replied, "Yes."


    The Mama Tang thought that she was anxious to find out more about the situation, she didn''t expect the golden light to order Mu Lan to go to the west wing to call the Mama Shang over.


    Mama Shang followed Mu Lan into the room and respectfully bowed towards Jin Lan, "Miss."


    "Mama, no need to be so polite." Jin Lan smiled and pointed at the chair at the side. "Sit first!"


    Although Mama Shang had not been by Jin Lan''s side for a long time, her eyes were extremely sharp, and could somewhat see through this Second Miss''s temperament, so she did not push him away, and sat down with her back leaning on the chair.


    Jin Lan got Mu Lan to serve the tea to Mama Shang, and he himself also reached out to pick up the cup of tea with the white porcelain enamel of the Four Seasons Flower, opening the lid, he gently stirred the tea leaves floating in the air. He took a small sip to moisturize his throat, and then said with a clear voice: "Mama has worked hard these few days, I wonder how they are doing?"


    Ever since they had returned to the residence, she made use of the excuse that they were going to give the old lady a birthday present and gave Bi He a job of embroidering a Ten Thousand Blessings Screen. There were ten thousand words of blessings of different sizes on the screen, enough for Bi He to embroider for the better part of half a year.


    Afraid that Bi He would be suspicious, she let Wan Ju accompany her in embroidering, and even allowed the Mama Shang to give pointers on the side.


    If not, how could he trip Bi He in the house so that Mama Tang could smoothly deliver food to her mother?


    Now that the poison in his mother''s body had been dispelled and the Concubine Shao had died, everything could be considered as settled.


    Mama Shang muttered to herself: "From what this servant sees, I probably can''t make it in time for the old lady''s birthday."


    "In any case, it''s just a backup. If we really can''t make it in time, then so be it." He gently put down the teacup in his hand and gave Mama Tang a look.


    Mama Tang turned and entered the room, and after a while, she came out with a few things in her hands.


    Jin Lan did not look much and asked the Mama Tang to pass the things over to the Mama Shang, "Mama, here, the location of Ling Shan and Little Rock is first recorded, and the other is Ling Shan''s indenture. As for the one at the bottom, it''s Ruifeng Bank''s silver notes, which is not a lot, I can just treat it as me thanking the Mama for protecting me with my life."


    Back then, Madame SHen did not make things difficult for Ling Shan, as she was forced to do so. After beating the board, Madame SHen had Xiao Shi and she secretly settle down in her own wedding manor, and Jin Lan went back to her house to ask Madame SHen about Ling Shan''s indenture contract, for the sake of today.


    Mama Shang''s hands trembled as she looked carefully at the words on it. It was exactly as Jin Lan said, exactly.


    Suddenly, she abruptly stood up and knelt in front of Jin Lan with a bang!


    "What is Mama doing? Hurry and get up! " Jin Lan was startled, and anxiously said: "Mu Lan, quickly help Mama Shang up!"


    Mu Lan hurriedly stepped forward to support her, but her hands were pushed away by the Mama Shang.


    Mama Shang looked at Jin Lan with tears in his eyes. His eyes were brimming with gratitude as he choked with sobs: "Second Miss, I will never forget your great kindness!" As he spoke, he kowtowed to Jin Lan.


    Seeing Mama Shang''s actions and appearance, Jin Lan let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with pain. She pressed down the corner of her eyes with the handkerchief, then personally went to help Mama Shang, her tone becoming gentler, "Mama need not say anymore, if not for Mama''s help along the way, I am afraid Jin Lan would still be in the capital. After she finished speaking, she gave a light bow.


    Mama Tang and Mu Lan also quickly bowed.


    "Miss, I can''t accept this!" Mama Shang hurriedly helped Jin Lan up.


    Jin Lan pursed his lips into a smile, "I won''t stand on ceremony with Mama. Since it''s still early, Mama should hurry out of the mansion! Ling Shan and Xiao Shi were at their mother''s wedding manor. It was a long journey, and at night, it would not be easy to travel on the outskirts of the city.


    "This servant can save it." Mama Shang nodded her head gratefully, but after pausing for a moment, she took out the silver note, "Miss, I cannot accept this silver note as my servant."


    "This is something that I have bestowed upon you and naturally, I will not take it back. If Mama does not want it, then tear it up!" Then, she extended her hand out and pushed the banknotes back into Mama Shang''s embrace, "If we''re in a mansion, it''ll cost money everywhere, and Mama still has to take care of Ling Shan and Little Rock, so I''m afraid that she won''t be able to move away for now. I''m afraid that Mama will have to keep this banknotes, in the future, when Mama becomes rich, I will have to return it."


    Mama Shang struggled a few times in her heart, but in the end, she still compromised. After all, Second Miss was right. Although she had saved up a lot of body parts in the past few years, if she wanted to let Ling Shan and Little Rock live a good life, it would probably be far from enough!


    Seeing that Mama Shang had kept the banknotes properly, Jin Lan smiled again. After saying a few words, she got Mu Lan to send him out.


    Watching Mama Shang''s figure gradually disappear into the distance, a trace of worry surfaced in her eyes, "Lady, let her go just like that, what if ¡­" What if the news of what happened in the capital were to leak out?


    "Mama, there''s no doubt about it. I believe in her." Jin Lan withdrew her gaze, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly. "Let''s go. It''s time for us to visit big sister."

 C166

    The Yunxiu House was located in the west corner of the Ye Mansion, which was more than half a garden away from Jin Lan''s Lan Garden.


    Jin Lan brought along the Mama Tang, and went down the corridor. They then went across the bridge over the lotus pond. Under the jade-green water, many palm-sized fishes happily swam their tails, swimming extremely happily.


    She only glanced at it once before withdrawing her gaze and continuing to walk.


    After the bridge is a tree-lined path, on both sides of a row of evergreen camphor trees.


    At the beginning of April, when the camphor tree blossomed, a faint fragrance entered his nose as soon as Jin Lan set foot on the cobblestone path. Unlike the orchid and cinnamon, this fragrance was like the morning mist that permeated the mountain.


    A cool breeze blew past. Occasionally, a few yellow-green, conical flower grains would float down from the branches and land in her hair. It was a rare type of natural hair ornament.


    After walking for a quarter of an hour, the end of the cobblestone path was already right before his eyes, and the end of the path was precisely Yunxiu House.


    Jin Lan was neither fast nor slow, but just as he was about to approach the Yunxiu House, he saw two figures standing in front of the gate of the courtyard.


    She was wondering who that person was when she noticed two figures moving towards her direction.


    It only took a moment for Jin Lan to see the person''s face clearly. It was indeed an acquaintance.


    "I didn''t expect to meet Aunt Yan here." Jin Lan''s eyes flickered, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth.


    Ever since Yan Rong was carried into the palace by the old lady, other than Jia Yu Xuan who was serving the old lady, she usually did not step out of the door at all and only waited for Ye Lin in her courtyard. Why did she suddenly appear in front of the Yunxiu House?


    "Second Miss." Yan Rong walked over, bent her knees in greeting, raised her head and smiled: "This servant has followed the orders of the old lady, and specifically came to visit First Miss." After pausing for a moment, she continued in a soft voice, "The old lady had me deliver a copy of ''Woman''s Ring'' and ''Internal Training'' to First Miss."


    Jin Lan could hear a hint of intimacy in these words.


    Her eyebrows were like the crescent moon, and her voice was soft like the spring wind. "I wonder what big sister is doing now?"


    Yan Rong pursed her lips and smiled, she looked at Jin Lan seriously, "First Miss is currently reading the book sent by the old lady, I don''t have the time to entertain Second Miss, how about Second Miss come back later?"


    Jin Lan''s heart was moved, he looked carefully at Yan Rong, only to see that her eyes were filled with sincerity.


    Ye Jinwei had just been grounded by Ye Lin and the old lady had even sent him a < Female Ring > and a < Internal Training >. It was obvious that she wanted to copy her book.


    Probably, Ye Jinwei was raging in the house right now!


    "Thank you, Aunt Yan, for your advice." "Even if you didn''t come, you still came. If you didn''t go in to meet big sister, wouldn''t that be disrespectful?"


    Seeing Jin Lan nod, Yan Rong''s smile revealed once again, "Since that''s the case, then this servant will not delay Second Miss any further, the old lady is waiting for this servant to reply."


    "Aunt, take care. As for Grandmother''s side, I''ll have to trouble you to help Jin Lan by saying that Jin Lan has seen elder sister and will pay respects to Grandmother." Jin Lan lowered her eyes and laughed, there were very few things that could be hidden from the old lady in this house, if she went into Ye Jinwei''s house, it would cause a huge commotion, and if she let the servants report it, it would be better for her to be honest with them.


    Yan Rong looked at Jin Lan deeply, "Alright, this servant will definitely carry out Second Miss''s words." With that said, she got lucky, brought along the maidservants and Jin Lan who were following behind him, and walked towards the Jiayu Hall.


    Jin Lan stood in place until Yan Rong''s figure gradually disappeared into the shadows of the small alley. Then, he withdrew his distant gaze, turned around, and continued walking toward the Yunxiu House.


    Mama Tang followed behind her, her face full of hesitation. After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke out. "Miss, Aunt Yan, she ¡­" Mama Tang didn''t know how to express the thoughts in her heart for a moment. She had actually heard a trace of flattery from Yan Rong''s words just now!


    "Mama doesn''t need to think about it too much." Jin Lan didn''t even turn his head around, his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at the Yunxiu House that was getting closer and closer, "Since she''s expressing her goodwill, then I''ll just accept her. Why do you have to keep her out?"


    What happened yesterday at the Jiayu Hall caused the old lady to dislike her. Yan Rong''s good intentions was definitely not from the old lady, so it could only be her own thoughts and decisions.


    Regardless of why Yan Rong expressed goodwill to her, as long as she maintained her vigilance, she would not be tricked!


    As for the old lady, she really needed someone who could speak for her. That way, she wouldn''t be blinded by the old lady''s thoughts.


    Yan Rong was undoubtedly a good choice.


    Of course, the prerequisite is that she shouldn''t have any thoughts of her mother, otherwise ¡­


    Jin Lan took a deep breath as a terrifying coldness flashed in his eyes.


    Yunxiu House''s gatekeeper was sitting on the stone block in front of the door, basking in the sunlight out of boredom. Seeing Jin Lan coming over, she hurriedly got up and bowed, "Second Miss An!"


    "Mama, no need to be so polite, quickly get up!" Jin Lan laughed, and then turned to look at Mama Tang.


    The Mama Tang took out a few copper coins from her bag and placed it in the hands of the old gatekeeper.


    That old woman was naturally beaming with happiness and kept bowing with her hands folded in front.


    After entering the courtyard, Jin Lan did not go straight to Ye Jinwei''s room, but first he went to the west wing. The door was tightly locked, and other than Little Maid who was working outside, there was no one else.


    Ye Jinxian was not in the house, and Jin Lan frowned, but she quickly relaxed and turned to the east wing. Before she could even go upstairs, she heard a wave of noise.


    After staying in the capital for such a long time, Ye Jinwei''s personality had not changed one bit.


    Mama Tang looked up, and seeing that Jin Lan had stepped onto the stairs, he quickly advised: "Miss, how about we do as Aunt Yan said, and come back later?" She was really worried, what if First Miss accidentally hurt the young lady in one breath?


    Jin Lan shook his head and climbed the stairs step by step.


    Seeing that, Mama Tang followed closely behind, ready to protect her from behind at any time.


    As soon as he went upstairs, Jin Lan ran into the maidservant, Qing Juan, who was guarding the door.


    Qing Juan obviously did not expect Jin Lan to come at this moment. With a panicked expression, she quickly curtsied and called out, "Second Miss."


    As the clear voice sounded, the noise in the room instantly quieted, as if it had never appeared before.


    Jin Lan smiled faintly. He glanced at his squatting body with his head lowered and lowered his eyebrows. He then said lightly, "Stand up."


    "Thank you, Second Miss." Qing Juan stood up, but remained standing where she was, blocking Jin Lan''s path.


    Jin Lan raised his eyebrows, but just as he was about to speak, Ye Jinwei''s angry scream came out from the house, "Ye Jin Lan, there''s no need to be so merciful, you want to watch me make a joke? I tell you, dream! Scram! Get lost! Get lost! "


    "Two, Second Miss." Hearing Ye Jinwei''s angry voice, Qing Juan''s face turned deathly white. She looked at Jin Lan who looked like he was about to cry, "I beg Second Miss to come back tomorrow!"


    "If big sister continues to cause trouble, isn''t she the one who will suffer?" Compared to Qingjuan, Jin Lan felt a wave of anger that was hard to explain. He immediately bypassed Qingjuan''s obstruction, ignored Ye Jinwei''s curses, lifted the curtain and entered the house.


    Ye Jinwei was sitting on the soft couch, both of her eyes were swollen like walnuts, the exquisite makeup on her face had long been melted away by her tears, adding the handkerchief, it stuck on her face, covering it completely, making her look extremely miserable.


    The floor was littered with broken pieces of porcelain. Some of them could be vaguely identified as vases, tea cups, etc. Some of them were almost crushed into powder. One could not even tell what they were.


    Si Ling and Qian Yun who were guarding the soft couch saw Jin Lan entering the room and immediately blessed themselves.


    "Who allowed you to come in? Get out! " Ye Jinwei glared at Jin Lan fiercely, as if he wanted to pounce on her and tear her apart.


    Jin Lan seemed to not have heard Ye Jinwei''s resentment, he carefully walked to the side, found a clean small Wu Dan and sat down, then looked at Si Ling and Qian Yun, "Hurry and clean up the broken pieces on the ground, if you harm big sister, who can take it?"


    Si Ling and Qian Yun were stunned. The two of them looked at each other and quickly cleaned up the mess on the ground as Jin Lan had ordered.


    Unexpectedly, this scene pierced Ye Jinwei''s heart, his pair of scarlet eyes suddenly widened until they were round, and she casually grabbed the pillow on the bed, fiercely smashing it towards the two servant girls, "Who allowed you to take care of those lowly hooves that eat inside and outside? "No one is allowed to clean up!"


    The two maidservants'' movements froze and slowed down, but they did not stop.


    Seeing that, Ye Jinwei''s heart was burning with anger, she stood up and was about to rush over to take care of them.


    "Big sister, what are you doing?" The smile on Jin Lan''s face faded bit by bit, and he looked at Ye Jinwei with clear and cold eyes, "Big sister wants to make the old woman and father disappointed?"


    Ye Jinwei''s body froze, she was not an idiot, she knew what would happen if her father and mother were to disappoint her, but she was not willing to accept the honor, so she said coldly: "This is my house, they are my servants, whatever she wants to do, I will decide, so there is no need for you to worry!" Saying that, he turned to the two maidservants and scolded, "What are you doing? Hurry up and clean up! "


    Jin Lan smiled faintly. When he was done tidying up the floor, he added, "Go get some hot water to clean up Big Sister''s face. If by any chance the old lady comes all of a sudden and sees Big Sister''s appearance, someone will be sent a copy of the" Female Classic ".


    "You ¡­" Ye Jinwei was like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, she was so angry that her face turned red but she was stumped for words, but she was afraid of what Jin Lan said, hence she anxiously looked towards the window, and urged Si Ling to get some water.


    After Si Ling finished preparing the cleaning and cleaning items, she glared at Jin Lan who was sitting at the side. With a cold snort, she turned and entered the house.


    Si Ling hurried in to serve her, while Qian Yun quickly cleaned up the broken pieces on the floor and exited. In a while, she had brewed some tea and brought it over.


    Jin Lan did not touch the tea that Qian Yun served, but sat quietly.


    She did not come here to comfort Ye Jinwei.


    He could still clearly see the scene before her death in his previous life. Even though Ye Jinwei was no longer able to use fraternal affection to gain trust from her, even if Concubine Shao was already reaping the consequences for herself, she was still unable to truly let go of the hatred and hatred in her heart.


    That kind of heart-wrenching pain, without personally experiencing it, was indescribable.


    She was not a saint and could not be forgiven for her forbearance.


    Therefore, she still hated these people.


    Jin Lan raised his eyes and looked into the inner room. Behind the slightly swaying bead curtain, he could faintly see the figures of people inside.


    Furthermore, Ye Jinwei and Concubine Shao were the same, jackals who were not fully fed.


    Mother was the best example. She would never repeat the same mistake!


    After waiting for close to half a cup of tea''s worth of time, Ye Jinwei finished washing up and changed her clothes before returning to the outer room. She walked to the soft couch and sat down, took two sips, her gaze coldly staring at Jin Lan.


    "Sister''s personality is always so impatient." Jin Lan seemed to be unable to see the hatred in Ye Jinwei''s eyes, his face still had a faint smile, but his tone dropped slightly, "Could it be that elder sister is not suspicious, why have I fallen to such a state?"

 C167

    "Why?" Ye Jinwei''s gaze was filled with hatred, as she stared coldly at Jin Lan: "Other than you, who else would harm me like that!"


    A hint of mockery appeared on Jin Lan''s face. How foolish was she in her previous life to be deceived by such a person, and walk into a dead end. "Then quickly tell me elder sister, how did I harm you?" Was it I who delayed my sister''s return trip? Or did you urge your elder sister to go to your mother''s room and make a ruckus, making your father unhappy? "


    "You ¡­" Ye Jinwei was momentarily at a loss for words, her face full of gloominess. She pinched her neck for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and forcing out a sentence: "You caused the death of my aunt!"


    "Be careful, sister!" A cold light flashed through Jin Lan''s calm eyes. "Concubine Shao is in a difficult situation where they give birth to babies, and this was what the old lady personally said. I wonder which ignorant fool is spreading rumors and making trouble in front of elder sister''s ears!"


    Ye Jinwei was startled, but immediately understood the meaning behind her words, the anger in her heart retreated a little, her brows knitted tightly, and suspiciously stared at Jin Lan: "What do you mean by that?"


    Jin Lan looked at her expressionlessly. "Elder sister, why don''t you think carefully? Even elder sister just returned to the mansion today, so how could the servants know beforehand what happened inside? Could it be that Steward Li personally said those words to elder sister? "


    Ye Jinxian immediately fell into deep thought. When she was sailing back to Hong Ze, she overheard the whispers of the two rough maids and knew that her aunt had gone away. At that time, she was shocked and angry, so she grabbed onto the two maids and asked.


    Once she returned, she ran over to Madame SHen''s room to interrogate him. She did not expect that her father would be resting at the Shuixie Pavilion, so she was kicked out and locked in the house.


    From start to finish, she had never doubted the words of the two maidservants. Now that she thought about it, she had probably been tricked!


    Ye Jinxian''s face instantly darkened, but she still clenched her teeth and looked Jin Lan in the eye, "Why should I believe you? You might have secretly sent someone to do it! "


    When Mama Tang heard this, his mouth almost crooked from anger. She took a step forward to seek justice for her young lady, but was stopped by a pair of soft and gentle hands.


    "Elder sister, you don''t need to believe me." "I believe that elder sister is an intelligent person, if you don''t like the sound of it, I didn''t come here for elder sister''s sake, I just don''t want others to take advantage of me. As long as elder sister has the heart, I can find out the truth about this manor''s matters."


    With that, she no longer bothered to look at Ye Jinwei''s reaction. She got up and walked out of the room, but as she just stepped through the doorstep, she slightly turned her head to look at the person who was deep in thought on the soft couch, "Of course, if Big Sister is able to deduce this matter and is able to do so, little sister would not be suspicious."


    Ye Jinxian''s face instantly flushed red. She suddenly stood up and walked two steps forward, pointed at Jin Lan''s leaving back and cursed sharply: "Ye Jin Lan, don''t think that just because you''re so smart you can treat others as fools. Just you wait!"


    Jin Lan didn''t even turn back as she brought Mama Tang with her and left the Yunxiu House. Only on the way, she recalled the undisguised hatred and hatred in Ye Jinwei''s eyes, and more or less, she felt a little helpless and worried.


    Although she was happy to see Ye Jinwei in trouble, but she did not want to see the person controlling her to be proud.


    Especially that person, he was most likely a Concubine Ning.


    However, it was not a good thing for her to wake Ye Jinwei up.


    After all, no matter what, Ye Jinwei would treat her like a thorn in her flesh, sooner or later.


    Jin Lan sighed inwardly. He had never thought that this was not the case.


    Seeing her gloomy face, Mama Tang could not help but say with concern: "Miss, if you''re tired, you should return to your Lan Garden to rest for a while. It''s not too late to pay respects to the old lady again before dinner."


    "No need." Jin Lan shook his head forcefully, as if throwing away the worries in his heart. His spirits were refreshed once more. "I''ve already asked Aunt Yan to send a message just now. If I don''t go, it''ll be hard to protect the old lady''s heart."


    Not to mention Jin Lan bringing the Mama Tang to the Jiayu Hall, within the Yunxiu House, after Ye Jinwei left, he chased all of Si Ling and Yun Qian out. He stayed in the house alone for a long time, unable to make any sound from the servants outside.


    When the servants finally decided to find the old lady, the locked door opened with a creak.


    Ye Jinwei''s face was expressionless as she swept the few maids with her gaze, and said coldly: "Si Ling, go find Steward Li, ask him where the two rough maids serving me are from, and ask him to bring them over. If he asks too much, just say that it is my orders."


    After counting, Si Ling looked at Yun Qian, "Come in to grind the ink, I want to copy!"


    "Yes." When Si Ling and Yun Qian saw that she was safe and sound, they heaved a sigh of relief.


    After a while, Ye Jinwei quietly sat in front of the table with the yellow poplar wood, holding onto the Jade Rabbit Hair, she copied the¡¶ Women''s Ring¡· word by word.


    With her aunt dead and Yu Ge''er so young, she could only count on the old lady. From today onwards, no matter what the old lady wanted her to do, she would do it obediently, and only by doing so would she be able to please the old lady.


    Ye Jinlan, just you wait!


    One day, one day, I will make you kneel in front of me and beg!


    Jin Lan naturally did not know of Ye Jinwei''s determination. At this moment, she was right in front of the main door of the Jiayu Hall, and Pin Yue was blocking her path in front of the old lady.


    "Grandmother still won''t see me?" Jin Lan sniffed with an aggrieved look on his face.


    The smile on Pin Yue''s face stiffened slightly, "Miss, what are you talking about? The old lady heard the message from Aunt Yan and was very happy when she knew that Miss was coming to pay her respects! "It''s just that I took a rest after taking the medicine, that''s why ¡­"


    When the old lady knew that she was coming, she even let Pin Yue block the door, showing that she was still holding back her anger.


    Since that was the case, she could only temporarily avoid the attack.


    Jin Lan thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "If that''s the case, then I can''t disturb Grandmother. When Grandmother wakes up, I''ll come pay my respects."


    Hearing Jin Lan''s words, Pin Yue heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, and immediately sent her out of the Jiayu Hall with a smile.


    Mama Tang turned around and looked at Pin Yue who was still standing in front of the gate and sending them off, and muttered: "Miss, I''m afraid that the old lady will still be angry at you, what should I do?"


    Jin Lan smiled lightly, "Mama, don''t worry. After a few days, Grandmother''s anger will disappear. I''ll come again to apologize to Grandmother, and everything will be alright."


    The old lady didn''t mind if she didn''t see her, since there was still Yan Rong there?


    Jin Lan had originally planned to return to the Lan Garden, since she had to take care of the matters regarding Wan Ju and Bi He after all. But after thinking about it, she decided to change her direction halfway through the journey and go to the Shuixie Pavilion.


    The atmosphere in the Shuixie Pavilion was a bit heavy, the maids and wives had their faces tightly-knit, looking extremely cautious.


    Looks like Man Ping''s matter had quite an impact within the Shuixie Pavilion.


    Just as Jin Lan stepped onto the stairs, Qiu Wen and Mo Chu, who were doing embroidery, quickly stood up and bowed, "Second Miss."


    Although her mother had already made Qiu Wen and into senior maids, she was still used to having Man Ping and Hui Xiu wait on her. As a result, the two of them stood guard outside the door, just like how they did when they were level 2 maidservants.


    Jin Lan nodded with a smile. "Is mother in the room?"


    He had to take charge of the main hall in front of him every day, and the stewards inside and out had to report to him about the matters in the residence. Whether it was the shops and farms outside or the food and accommodation inside the residence, he had to make decisions every morning so that the stewards could arrange everything.


    Qiu Wen pulled up the curtain and replied, "Yes, Madam is not feeling well today, and is resting in her room!"


    Mother is not in good health? Jin Lan''s heart skipped a beat. He quickly entered the house and ran straight into the inner room.


    Only Hui Xiu was left alone in the room, she was holding a blue and white ocean bowl and was standing beside the bed. Seeing the golden waves rushing in recklessly, he was stunned, "Second Miss?"


    Jin Lan quickly walked to the front of the bed and carefully observed Madame SHen.


    "Lan Er." When Madame SHen saw her daughter running over to him, she immediately glared at her, thinking that something was wrong. She hurriedly grabbed her hands and pulled her to sit on the bed, "What happened? "I''m flustered, come take a look at mom."


    Hearing Madame SHen''s voice, Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, although his mother looked somewhat haggard, she looked alright.


    She then raised her head and looked at the bowl in Hui Xiu''s hands. Inside the bowl was half a bowl of brown colored soup, but it was probably not medicine, at least it did not exude the scent of medicine.


    "Why aren''t you talking?" Madame SHen asked with concern as she lifted her hand to gently stroke the hair on Jin Lan''s face.


    Looking into the worried eyes of the Madame SHen, Jin Lan immediately laughed and explained: "Just now, I heard from Qiu Wen that my mother''s body was unstable, I thought something is wrong."


    The Madame SHen suddenly understood as she smiled and pointed at Jin Lan''s small nose. "I''m fine. I came to the Sky Sunflower this morning. My entire body is sore and soft, but I''ll be fine after a while ¡­"


    Sunflower? If that''s the case, Ye Lin wouldn''t stay in his mother''s room for the next few days. Although she felt that it wasn''t right, she felt a sense of joy in his heart.


    "No, the lady just finished her brown sugar water, and the girl came." Hui Xiu smiled and picked up the bowl of key on the table, then quickly brought it down for tea.


    When Hui Xiu left, only the mother and daughter remained in the room.


    Jin Lan looked around, "Mother, where are the people from Mama Zhu?" Normally, Mama Zhu would stay by his mother''s side, not even taking half a step away.


    The Madame SHen rubbed Jin Lan''s temples and laughed: "I should be busy in the kitchen right now!"


    Ever since she took care of Man Ping''s affairs, Mama Zhu had taken care of her daily meals, and did not allow anyone else to touch it.


    Just that, no matter how nice it was for Mama Zhu, she would not be the person by her side, so she could not stay in the manor for long. Even if the old lady did not say anything now, she would mention it sooner or later.


    Thinking about it, Madame SHen''s eyes immediately darkened.

 C168

    "Mother." "Lan Er thinks that Mama Zhu is willing to stay in the Palace."


    Madame SHen was startled, then smiled, "Silly girl, even if Mama is willing, I do not want her to continue working here."


    "But ¡­" Jin Lan was very worried. Without the Mama Zhu, Hui Xiu alone wouldn''t be able to do anything, and the others wouldn''t dare to use it. After all, they had yet to uncover the other black hand that had poisoned them.


    "Alright." Madame SHen patted Jin Lan''s small hands and raised the topic: "Jin Wei has returned to the Manor, do you know?"


    "Daughter already knew." Jin Lan nodded, and then he told Madame SHen everything that had happened in the Yunxiu House as well as his own speculations.


    After the Madame SHen heard this, her expression gradually became heavy. "So you''re saying that Jin Wei came to my house to cause trouble the moment we got back, because she was instigated by someone else?"


    "I''m afraid not only big sister, even the actions of Yu Ge''er yesterday were also the same, eight to nine times out of ten."


    Madame SHen looked fixedly at Jin Lan, and the expression in his eyes suddenly changed, "Do you have someone you''re suspicious of?"


    Jin Lan raised his head and met Madame SHen''s dark eyes.


    The mother and daughter looked at each other for a moment, then suddenly said a name at the same time, "Concubine Ning."


    Jin Lan was slightly surprised. She had been pondering along the way, wondering how she could remind her mother to be more vigilant towards Concubine Ning. She didn''t want her mother to be suspicious.


    Seeing her daughter''s surprised expression, Madame SHen pursed her lips and laughed, "On the surface, Shaoyin''s death was most beneficial to me, but in reality, it was only a mutual loss." As she spoke, she pulled Jin Lan into her embrace and sighed. "Lan Er, you''re still young. Some things are really too deliberate, to the point where the old lady is wary of you right now."


    Jin Lan laid in Madame SHen''s embrace and blinked his eyes. It was full of temptation, his mother was referring to...


    "Why don''t you think about it? Those papers and the anger of the people definitely can''t be suppressed in just two or three days. The Lu family must have some tricks up their sleeves. How come they came out so easily in your hands?"


    "Mother, actually, Lan Er had already secretly sent people to investigate this matter a long time ago." If it were not for the Manager Shi secretly helping him, it would have been difficult to find out. However, he could not tell his mother about this.


    "But the old lady doesn''t think so." "Now that Shaoyin is dead, and that you have attracted the old lady''s fear, Jin Wei and Yu Ge''er are forbidden from leaving. Instead, the most unremarkable Concubine Ning is still as calm as ever, one room.


    Praise the Concubine Ning? Jin Lan frowned. She didn''t expect the old lady to have such a thought, after all, Concubine Ning didn''t seem to have such a person in her residence normally. However, after knowing the true appearance of the Concubine Ning, she only felt that this person was cunning beyond words.


    No wonder Yan Rong would show goodwill to her today. The old lady already had this thought!


    If he really valued the Concubine Ning, there was a high chance that she would be a character similar to a Concubine Shao.


    No, it''s even harder to deal with than the Concubine Shao!


    Jin Lan was slightly distracted, he had finally managed to stabilize the situation with much difficulty and was now in a state of turmoil again. At the bottom of his heart, he unconsciously complained about Old Madame Ye, he really did not know why the old lady was so against her mother.


    When Madame SHen saw Jin Lan''s small face change between green and white, she knew that she had overthought things. She immediately changed the topic, "Lan Er, I forgot to tell you something joyous."


    Jin Lan came back to reality, and when his eyes made contact with the Madame SHen''s sudden joy, he couldn''t help but be taken aback, "What good news?"


    Madame SHen took a deep breath and calmed the agitation in her chest. "Your grandfather has been reused by the Emperor!" She then told her daughter what Ye Lin had said yesterday.


    Jin Lan showed a happy expression at the right time, but it couldn''t hide the shock and surprise in her eyes.


    Although she did not know why her maternal grandfather''s family had declined in her previous life, until her miserable death, when her maternal grandfather''s family was completely silent, other than her third uncle''s business, her eldest and second uncles, although they were full of poetry and books, were all idle at home. She had also seen her grandfather twice before, always looking depressed and depressed.


    Now, everything had changed!


    Did this mean that her fate in her previous life had been completely changed?


    Jin Lan''s slender white fingertips trembled slightly. He couldn''t describe what it felt like in his heart, like a person on the verge of drowning, only to suddenly realize that the pool of green water had yet to reach his chest.


    Madame SHen''s smile froze, she saw her daughter crying, "Lan Er, what''s wrong?"


    "No, Lan Er is crying tears of joy." Jin Lan was alarmed. He hurriedly wiped the water off his face with his handkerchief and said with a bright smile, "This is indeed a joyous occasion!"


    Yes, since there was already such a big discrepancy in this life, it was enough to prove that Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu was wrong.


    Fate is not irrevocable, man wins the sky!


    With this thought, Jin Lan was completely relieved. He calmed his heart and chatted and laughed with the Madame SHen until the Doctor Gong came back with the fried medicine.


    Mama Zhu and Doctor Gong entered the house together, but when she went out, she busily placed the meals in the food box on the table, and then called Hui Xiu to go out and help, and other than the mother and daughter pair, there was only another Doctor Gong.


    "Mother, please drink the medicine first!" Jin Lan personally brought the medicine to the bedside. The residual poison in Madame SHen''s body had yet to be cleansed, so she couldn''t be at ease no matter what.


    "Alright." Madame SHen listened to Jin Lan''s words, took the warm bowl and lightly blew on it twice. He closed his eyes, held his breath and gulped down a few mouthfuls of the medicine.


    Because the Snow Twig s were missing from the antidote that came later, not only was the smell strong, the taste was also extremely bitter. Every sip of the antidote made Madame SHen feel like vomiting, but she did not reveal it at all to prevent Jin Lan from being worried.


    Forcefully swallowing the last mouthful of the soup, Madame SHen used a handkerchief to cover her mouth, and gave the bowl to Doctor Gong. She then took the rinsed water that Jin Lan had prepared, and when the bitterness in her mouth subsided, she let out a long sigh.


    Looking at Madame SHen''s miserable state, Jin Lan couldn''t help but ask with a pained heart, "Doctor Gong, Mother doesn''t need to drink these medicine anymore, right?"


    The Doctor Gong smiled, "This can only be determined after one has passed through the meridians."


    Upon hearing these words, Jin Lan immediately stood to the side, making room for the Doctor Gong to check his pulse.


    Doctor Gong sat on the small Wooden Pellet beside the bed. He extended his slightly cold hand and placed his fingertips on Madame SHen''s fair wrist.


    Jin Lan''s face was nervous, his eyes wide open as he stared at Doctor Gong''s face, trying to find out what was going on from the changes in his expression.


    In just a short moment, she seemed to have endured several autumn winters.


    Seeing Doctor Gong slowly retract his hand, Jin Lan couldn''t wait and asked: "Doctor Gong, Mother, she ¡­"


    Doctor Gong was silent for a moment, then raised his head with a rare smile on his face, "The poison in Madam''s body has been cleansed!"


    "Really?" Jin Lan''s voice was somewhat dry. His ten fingers were tightly clasped together, but his eyes held an expanding amount of joy.


    Ever since she woke up, all she had done was protect her mother and detoxify her.


    Now that she had heard Doctor Gong''s confirmation, it was as if she had lost her soul. She stood there blankly, her tender lips slightly parted, but no sound came out.


    "Lan Er." Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan, water glimmering in her eyes. She extended her hand and gently held Jin Lan''s soft little hand.


    Feeling the warmth from his palm, the tears in Jin Lan''s eyes finally burst out. "Mother!"


    She threw herself into Madame SHen''s embrace and couldn''t help but cry loudly. That hysterical cry could break a person''s heart, as if it could turn all the pain she had suffered in her previous life into tears.


    Madame SHen hugged her daughter''s trembling body tightly. When she closed her eyes, tears had already started streaming down her face.


    Her life with Lan Er was too bitter, and too tired.


    For the sake of this useless mother, Lan Er, who was only ten years old, fought with the old lady, fought with the young lady, and even traveled all the way to the capital alone. She entered the ancestral house, which was extremely dangerous compared to Ye Mansion, and fought with the old ancestor, who was full of schemes!


    All of this was for her!


    In the midst of her misty eyes, an undetectable coldness stealthily emerged from the depths of Madame SHen''s eyes.


    From today onwards, she would definitely not let Lan Er suffer even the slightest bit!


    No one could even dream of harming her daughter.


    Don''t even think about it!


    Doctor Gong watched quietly from the side and could not help but sigh. He turned his head and wiped his eyes.


    When the Mama Zhu and Hui Xiu who were busy outside heard the crying, they rushed to the room at the same time in shock, but just as they lifted the pearl curtain and saw the mother and daughter crying on the bed, their hearts ached, and they retreated softly.


    After a long while, Jin Lan''s hysterical cries gradually weakened, turning into quiet sobs.


    Madame SHen patted Jin Lan''s back lightly with one hand until her slender body calmed down and then let go of her hand for her to sit up. "Alright, don''t cry like this ever again.


    Her tears turned into smiles as she lowered her head in embarrassment. She quickly wiped her face with the handkerchief, but she felt an unprecedented lightness. It was as if something that was tightly bound within her heart had been turned into nothingness along with her tears.


    Hui Xiu brought in a hot water basin at the right time, "Miss, come and wash your face! It''s almost time for dinner. "


    "Alright." Jin Lan smiled sweetly. He got up and went to his ear room to wash up. When he came out, his eyes were still red and swollen, but his face had a freshness that he had never seen before.


    She dragged Madame SHen to a room and forcefully pulled him, Doctor Gong and Hui Xiu to sit.


    Madame SHen only watched on with a smile, not stopping them.


    Mama Zhu and the rest were helpless, they could only sit down.


    Jin Lan was enjoying this lunch especially, even Madame SHen had to eat half a bowl more.


    After the meal, Jin Lan accompanied Madame SHen for a while longer, and only when a trace of weariness appeared on Madame SHen''s face, did he get up and prepare to return to the Lan Garden. But just as he walked two steps, after thinking for a bit, he still couldn''t help but turn his head and say: "Mother, it''s better to pay more attention to Concubine Ning."


    Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan''s worried little face, and said with a stern face: "You don''t have to worry about all these. You forgot about it before you even left the house." After pausing for a moment, he continued, "Now that I''ve seen her true face, I won''t let her be so carefree again!" As he finished, his words were as cold as ice.


    When Doctor Gong, who was packing the medicine boxes heard the words Concubine Ning, he suddenly remembered something.


    Only after hesitating for a moment, she put down the things in her hands and softly walked to the front of the bed, solemnly looking at Jin Lan and the Madame SHen, "Speaking of Concubine Ning, there is something that I nearly forgot about."

 C169

    Jin Lan and the Madame SHen were startled, then they raised their heads to look at Doctor Gong.


    "Something to do with the Concubine Ning?" Madame SHen looked at Doctor Gong, who wanted to say something but hesitated, frowning.


    Doctor Gong took a deep breath, "I wonder if Madam and Second Miss still remember the time when Concubine Shao diagnosed the pregnancy in the Old Granny''s house."


    When Jin Lan heard her mention this matter, he simply turned around and sat down by the bed. With a light voice, he said, "I remember."


    Of course I remember! Not only did he remember everything clearly, she hated him so much that the roots of her teeth itched. If not for Concubine Shao escaping that calamity when she discovered her wedding vein, her mother wouldn''t have suffered so much.


    Madame SHen carefully thought back, her face full of doubt, "But what does this have to do with Concubine Ning? If I remember correctly, she was not in the cabinet at the time. "


    "Mistress remembers, Concubine Ning was indeed not in the jade gauze cabinet when the pulse was checked, but the person who helped people enter the jade gauze cabinet at the beginning, was probably Concubine Ning?"


    At that time, Concubine Ning was the closest to Shaoyin, so she was able to support Shaoyin the moment she fell. Later on, when the room was in a mess, she was the one who helped Shaoyin into the blue chiffon cabinet.


    "When Yan Rong led me into the embrace of Xia, she coincidentally came out from it, and maybe she was close, and since I was young I have been very sensitive to various smells, so I could smell a light fragrance coming from her body." Doctor Gong tried his best to explain the situation as it was at that time, but it had been too long, so it was hard to avoid missing a few details.


    Madame SHen was surprised, "Could it be that there is something wrong with the aroma?"


    Jin Lan also frowned. At that time, she was sitting next to the old lady and was rather far away, so she didn''t smell any fragrance at all.


    However, in her heart, she chose to believe in Doctor Gong.


    It just has an extremely faint musk mixed within the fragrance. If one is not well versed in medicine, it would be difficult to discern, adding the fact that Concubine Ning had very few smears of it at the time, and if there was a faint fragrance, it would be impossible to smell it as long as one was not in close proximity. "


    At that time, she only sensed it once in a while when she passed by him, but after thinking about it more, she realized that it was already impossible. Forget about whether Old Madame Ye would believe it, even she herself was not sure.


    After all, she was a doctor brought over by the Madame SHen.


    As a result, she kept it a secret until she heard the Madame SHen mention that the Concubine Shao gave birth to stillborn babies, then she started to ponder in her heart.


    "This... Could it be that before your pulse examination, Concubine Ning already knew that Shaoyin was pregnant? " In the old lady''s room, the Concubine Ning should not dare to do anything brazenly. After all, there were so many pairs of eyes staring at her, so if she had anything on her body, it would all be before she entered the house!


    But at that time, even Shaoyin herself did not know that she was pregnant, so how did Concubine Ning, who did not even step out of the door, know about it?


    "The person who knows the most about Concubine Shao is none other than the close combat servant, Su Xin." Jin Lan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up.


    She had always thought that Su Xin pulling her mother into the water that day was to harm Concubine Shao, but now, it seemed that Concubine Ning had wanted to kill two birds with one stone from the beginning!


    "So it''s Su Xin." The Madame SHen muttered, and her heart inexplicably went cold, Su Xin reminded her of Man Ping.


    "It''s just that now that Su Xin is dead, and the midwife has been wiped clean by Grandmother, who desperately wants to protect her reputation in Ye Family, there''s no one left to tell her all this." Jin Lan sighed, his eyes full of regret. If only he had known this earlier, it wouldn''t have been so easy for the Concubine Ning to escape.


    "I will not spare her from now on." Madame SHen said softly, her face was gloomy and cold. She had initially planned in her heart that as long as Concubine Ning kept her peace and quiet, she could save a bit of energy to deal with the old lady.


    Now it seemed that the Concubine Ning''s silent and poisonous snake was the most terrifying existence within the Ye Mansion.


    After stepping out of the Shuixie Pavilion, Jin Lan''s mood had become a lot more relaxed. No matter what, his mother was already on guard against the Concubine Ning, so it would not be easy for the Concubine Ning to do anything in secret.


    However, he still had to hurry up and think of a way to end this once and for all.


    "Miss." The moment Jin Lan returned to the Lan Garden, Mu Lan came over to welcome her. "This servant has already followed the instructions of the young lady and sent the Mama Shang out of the manor.


    "Yes." Jin Lan nodded slightly, lifting the newly brewed tea from the Mama Tang to take a few sips, then he heaved a long sigh of relief.


    Many things had happened in the past few days, causing the string in her heart to be stretched to the limit. Fortunately, everything had passed.


    Jin Lan laid down on the soft couch, and the fatigue on his face gradually deepened. However, a rustling sound suddenly came from outside, followed by the sound of soft footsteps entering the room. "Wen Zhu, is the young lady inside?"


    "Bi He, you just listen to my advice and quickly return to your room!" Another voice sounded, filled with urgency.


    "No, I want to see the lady!"


    Jin Lan''s eyes, which were about to close, instantly opened. They flickered with light; he no longer looked tired. He raised his eyes to look at the door curtain as he laughed coldly in his heart, [I finally can''t hold it in anymore!]


    Mama Tang looked at Jin Lan with a pained expression, "Miss, you should lie down for a while before getting up!"


    "No need." Jin Lan shook his head, saying indifferently, "Since someone impatiently wants to see me, then let her in."


    The Mama Tang had no choice but to raise the curtain and leave the house with a stern face.


    Outside, Bi He and Wan Ju were pulling and pulling, Wen Zhu was at a loss at the side. When he saw Mama Tang coming out, it was as if he had seen his savior.


    The other two were shocked, and quickly let go of their hands and saluted, "Mama."


    Mama Tang snorted, "How dare you, you dare make a ruckus in front of a lady''s door!"


    Wan Ju quickly lowered her head, bent down, and admitted her mistake.


    Bi He''s face immediately paled, she imitated Wan Ju''s actions, but she clenched her teeth and said: "This servant doesn''t dare, it''s just that this servant has matters to attend to, I hope Mama can help this servant pass on the message."


    Mama Tang''s heart was filled with anger, but she still remembered Jin Lan''s instructions. She sneered: "Since that''s the case, come in!"


    "Yes." Bi He heaved a sigh of relief and quickly followed Mama Tang into the room.


    Wan Ju hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she stomped her feet and lifted the curtain.


    Once Bi He entered, she looked at Jin Lan who was sitting on the soft couch, and suddenly kneeled down with a thump. Her head was lowered, but her waist was straight, and her lips were pursed without saying a word.


    Mama Tang stared at her coldly for a moment before shifting her gaze, but Wan Ju, who came in from the back, was shocked, and did not know what she wanted to do, so she bowed and retreated behind Mama Tang, standing together with Mu Lan.


    Jin Lan held onto the tea cup, and glanced at Bi He indifferently. She looked a little reserved, thinking that she could endure a little longer, but she didn''t expect that the moment Mama Shang left, she would become so impatient.


    The room quieted down for a moment.


    Feeling the powder that was becoming more and more concentrated, Bi He suddenly felt a bit of regret in her heart. She slightly raised her head, and secretly glanced at Jin Lan from the corner of her eyes.


    Jin Lan placed the teacup in his hand on the table with a bang, then looked at Bi He with a smile that was not a smile, "Didn''t you say that you had something to ask for? "Why are you not saying anything now?"


    "This servant knows her wrongs!" Bi He''s face changed slightly, she secretly twisted the handkerchief, barely allowing her own voice to sound calm, "Seeing that the old lady''s birthday is approaching, and the Ten Thousand Creations'' screen is not finished yet, I and Wan Ju have been embroidering day and night, with little success, I am afraid it will delay the time for the young lady''s birthday present."


    "Oh? "So that''s how it is." Jin Lan raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze full of meaning. "Don''t worry. If you can''t be in time, I''ll prepare another birthday present for you. But you''ve also spent a lot of effort, so you should finish embroidering this screen!" When we send it to Grandmother''s room, it will also be a form of expression of your intentions. "


    Bi He''s expression changed drastically as a chill ran down her spine, "I-I don''t understand what you mean."


    Jin Lan lowered his eyes and looked coldly at them, "It''s fine if you don''t understand. You can go now!" The most important thing is to get the screen embroidered as soon as possible. "


    Bi He moved the corner of his mouth, as though he still had something to say, but when he looked into those cold eyes, he could only swallow it down, "Yes, this servant will save." Saying so, he staggered up and slowly left the room.


    Wan Ju looked at her soulless appearance and couldn''t bear to do anything, but she had no other choice.


    After Bi He left, Jin Lan looked at Wan Ju, and the coldness on his face was completely gone. Replacing it was a faint smile, "You''ve worked hard these past few days."


    Wan Ju hurried forward and replied: "This servant didn''t work hard, it was just Bi He, she ¡­" He opened his mouth, but did not know what to say. After all, Bi He''s fate today was entirely his own.


    Jin Lan sighed. People were not like plants and vegetation. Bi She had been by her side for so long, and if one were to say that she didn''t have the slightest bit of friendship with him, it would be all a lie.


    "Alright, you don''t need to keep your eyes on her from now on." Jin Lan suddenly lost some of his interest. He rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Just pay more attention to the person she often comes into contact with. You should leave as well!"


    "Yes." A trace of guilt flashed across Wan Ju''s eyes.


    After sending Wan Ju and Bi He away, Jin Lan could no longer hold on and fell asleep. Mama Tang really could not bear to disturb her.


    After washing up, she continued to touch a wall at the Jiayu Hall, and then went to the Shuixie Pavilion, she didn''t expect that she would coincidentally meet Ye Lin, who was also there.


    "Father." Jin Lan lowered his eyebrows and gave a respectful bow.


    "En, since Lan Er is here, I can accompany your mother." Ye Lin''s face was like a spring breeze, his mood was extremely comfortable, but he had something to do, so he casually spoke a few sentences and quickly left.


    Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief, she really didn''t want to be in the same room as Ye Lin.


    "Lan Er." Madame SHen lovingly waved at his daughter, pulling her hand the moment she walked over, and started sizing her up. The more she looked at her, the darker her smile became.


    Jin Lan was puzzled. "What is mother laughing about?"


    The Madame SHen patted her hands, "Just now, your father mentioned that he wanted to invite your Aunt Meng to visit his house to admire the flowers. He also said that this year''s Spring Festival, Young Master Meng Family has gotten a name as a flower seeker!"


    Jin Lan looked at his mother''s eyes, which were getting brighter and brighter. He suddenly had a bad idea.


    Her mother couldn''t be thinking the same thing as Ye Lin!?

 C170

    She and Meng Zhanxuan had only met each other in Xuzhou before, and had asked him to ride with Yan Ye on his own fleet to the capital.


    How could his mother and Ye Lin have such thoughts?


    Could it be that it was because Meng Zhanxuan had been hit by a flower scout?


    Jin Lan slightly frowned, feeling that things shouldn''t be this simple.


    However, her mother did not make this matter clear, so she followed along and pretended to be confused. "Since you want to invite me, why didn''t you invite me along with the family that we used to frequent here? It would be more lively this way."


    Madame SHen thought, that was not the reason, after all she had Ye Family, and did not know what Meng Family they would plan, so she recklessly revealed it, if Meng Family refused, not only would it hurt Ye Family ''face, it would also ruin Lan Er''s good name.


    "Alright, let''s do as Lan Er says." The Madame SHen laughed.


    Seeing this, Jin Lan slightly heaved a sigh of relief in his heart.


    In the following days, Madame SHen began to get busy. Not only did she have to manage the food in the house, when she was free, she also had to make the best use of her time to decide on the menu. The Yangzhou Palace was not that big, but it was not that small either. It was even more so a rich place in the south, where there were many famous clans that were similar to the Ye Mansion. The guests that were hosting the feast were all extremely particular about it, otherwise, they would offend people if they were careless.


    Fortunately, this time, he only planned to invite some of the families that frequented the Palace. Other than Ye Lin who added a few who needed to get close to him, all the others were people that Madame SHen recognized.


    After drawing up the list, naturally they still had to prepare the location for the feast. Madame SHen had originally planned to place it in the Ye Mansion, but the first great wife of Meng Family, Madame Qin, who had received the invitation, sent a letter.


    The purpose of the Flower Lover Banquet this time was for the Meng Family. Since Madame Qin had raised an objection, she began to seriously ponder over it.


    The Madame Qin who acted as a handkerchief naturally knew about it very well. However, other than staying with Ye Lin for a few days when they were getting married, they had never gone to the Garden of Ting Lan for a long time. He had usually given it to the concubine to take care of, so he decided to take advantage of this banquet to tidy it up and leave it for Lan Er to use as a dowry in the future.


    Madame SHen thought for a while, then nodded and agreed to Madame Qin''s request. She then placed the location of the banquet in the Ting Lan Garden.


    After Ye Lin heard about it, he wrinkled his brow but did not say anything.


    On the other hand, Jin Lan was stunned for a while before recovering. He heaved a long sigh.


    "It''s only the fourth month, and the ladies love sorrow even more. They would have to sigh if they were in good shape." Mama Tang went to the sewing room early in the morning and brought back the new clothes for Jin Lan. However, the moment he entered, he heard her sigh from the window, and couldn''t help but tease him.


    Jin Lan was stunned, then he smiled wryly in his heart. She wasn''t grieving for the spring and autumn; she was merely guessing the reason for Aunt Qin''s suggestion.


    Aunt Qin had always been a shrewd person, how could she not see what her mother was thinking? The reason why he proposed to place the banquet in the Tinlan Garden was because he clearly understood the situation. It was because he didn''t want to get too close to the Ye Family at this time.


    I don''t know if it was Aunt Qin''s or Meng Family''s intent, but according to the relationship between Aunt Qin and my mother, there was a high chance that this matter was a decision by Meng Family.


    She only hoped that Aunt Qin would leave some face for her mother.


    "Young lady, this year''s Chunchang has been completed. Five pieces of silk clothing, three pieces of silk clothing, half a wall, two scabs, two picking thread skirts, an eight-piece dress, a Moon Dress and a Immortal Leaving Dress." Mama Tang placed the bag in her hands on the table, and laughed: "It just so happens that in two days time, the Flower Lover Banquet will begin. Young lady should quickly try it, if not, this young lady will send it back to change."


    Seeing that, Mu Lan also walked over, "I wonder what kind of colour Chunchang has made this year, taking advantage of the time spent in these two days, this servant will embroider a new pair of shoes for this lady."


    Mama Tang smiled as she untied the bundle. When Jin Lan looked up, he couldn''t help but be stunned.


    Although her clothes had always been made from the same good material as the old lady''s, this Chunchang ¡­


    At the top most was a jade-green arm, Mama Tang shook it open and took a look, only to see that Jin Lan''s eyebrows were tightly knitted.


    After the rain green cloud brocade, the lotus stripes half arm, the collar flat sleeve, the hem adorned with weaving gold tapestry embellishment, everywhere shows the luxurious.


    "Miss." Mama Tang also seemed to have noticed that something was wrong. She hurriedly put aside the half-arm in her hand and picked up her skirt to shake it.


    This time, even Mu Lan took in a breath of cold air.


    The skirt was embroidered with thin silk-like threads of gold and silver at the hem to make a thousand leaf Begonia. On the blossoming petals, there were pearls the size of grains of rice. At first glance, it looked like real dew, the pearls reflected the golden silver threads and were indescribably precious.


    Jin Lan''s expression was slightly cold as he fixed his gaze on the dress in front of him. After a while, he asked, "Who is the manager of the sewing room now?"


    Mama Tang and Mu Lan looked at each other and said in unison, "It''s Concubine Ning!"


    The old lady was not willing to see her for the past few days, but she would frequently call Concubine Ning over to her side for a chat. Even Ye Jinxian''s frequency of entering and exiting her Jiayu Hall had gradually increased. But even so, she did not expect the old lady to actually give the sewing room to Concubine Ning.


    Her gaze once again landed on the spring clothes on the table. This time, almost all of the guests in the banquet were part of the renowned and influential families in the Yangzhou Palace, if she wore this set of clothes, she would definitely become the leader. At that time, forget about getting on good terms with the other young ladies, she would probably become the target of their eyes.


    Maybe, from now on, the Second Miss of Ye Family would even be crowned with a luxurious high hat.


    Furthermore, she was sure that even if Ye Jinwei didn''t wear these clothes, as long as she knew, she would definitely be burning with jealousy.


    The Concubine Ning would never let go of any opportunity to stir up trouble!


    Jin Lan laughed coldly, his pitch-black eyes lightly flashing. "Mama, seal all of these clothes in the box."


    Mama Tang did not dare to advise him, and quickly tidied up the clothes on the table and locked them up together with his luggage into the lowest box.


    Mu Lan hesitated for a moment before asking: What will the lady be wearing for the banquet?


    Jin Lan glared at her unhappily, then knocked on her forehead. "Don''t tell me I''m still missing this set of clothes."


    She would rather dress more simply than take the lead.


    As for the Shuixie Pavilion, Jin Lan did not reveal even a single word. After all, it was not a big deal, and recently, her mother had been so busy that her feet almost touched the ground, so she did not want to make her mother worry.


    After sending people to thoroughly clean up the inside and outside of the Tinlan Garden, Madame SHen sent a few maids from the manor. After the arrangements were done, the invitation card from Ye Family was sent to the various residences.


    The next day, a light drizzle before dawn made the morning air seem exceptionally fresh and pleasant.


    Jin Lan got up early in the morning and allowed the Mama Tang and Mu Lan to play with him as they wished. Sky Water Jade''s Cloud Feather Mold, half an arm, goosebumps on her black hair that was tied into a bun, and the red Fei Li Plum Blossom hairpin that was on hand came in handy.


    Mama Tang helped her get dressed, but it was not enough for her to open up the marriage dowry. She put on a thin layer of makeup on her palm-sized little face, making her originally delicate facial features appear even more beautiful, before she could finally retract her hand in satisfaction.


    When Jin Lan''s outfit appeared in front of the Flowerflower Sect, Concubine Ning''s eyes flashed with a trace of surprise. That kind of luxurious new clothes, as long as it was a girl''s house, she wouldn''t wait to put it on and show it off, right? Why did Second Miss...


    Sensing Concubine Ning''s probing gaze, Jin Lan suddenly turned her head and smiled at her, "What is Aunt looking at? But am I wrong in my makeup? "


    Concubine Ning''s heart trembled, she anxiously lowered her eyes and muttered: "How can that be? Second Miss''s makeup is extremely fitting. "


    Ye Jinxian stepped forward and held Jin Lan''s hand, his round face was filled with envy, "Big sister will look good wearing anything."


    Although Madame SHen felt that her daughter''s clothes were a little plain, her entire person looked like a lily blooming in the early morning. With a sense of elegance, she looked especially comfortable, so she just let her be.


    Jin Lan did not bother to pay attention to Concubine Ning, he turned and looked out, the carriage had been prepared, but Madame SHen was still standing motionlessly, he could not help but ask: "Mother, who are we waiting for?"


    The smile on Madame SHen''s face dimmed a bit, "Other than your big sister, who else could it be?"


    Ye Jinwei? Jin Lan raised his eyebrows. Wasn''t she still grounded? Why was she participating in the banquet as well?


    As if she had seen through Jin Lan''s doubt, the Madame SHen said indifferently, "Early in the morning, the old lady had someone send a message that both you and Jinxian have gone today and it would not be good for Jin Wei to be left alone."


    Hearing Madame SHen''s words, Jin Lan subconsciously turned his head to look at Concubine Ning, only to see that she was still hiding behind him with her head lowered, as if she had no reaction to her mother''s words.


    However, Jin Lan believed that the old lady suddenly changed her mind.


    After waiting for a while longer, Ye Jinwei finally arrived late. Maybe it was because she had been instructed by Mu Xuanyin that she dressed like this before, but she still dressed like this. A new set of light blue clothes with cloud patterns on it, was slim and graceful.


    "Since you''ve come, let''s go!" Madame SHen only glanced at her once before letting Hui Xiu support her into the carriage.


    Jin Lan followed closely, and Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinwei naturally rode on another green carriage, and the two carriages went out of Ye Family''s gate one after another, and slowly headed towards the outside.


    Concubine Ning only turned around and returned to the Inner Court after the door had tightly closed.


    Ting Lan Garden was located at the edge of the thin western lake, about a distance away from Ye Family. However, when Jin Lan got off the carriage, he didn''t notice the other mansion''s carriage parked outside.


    As the owner, Madame SHen was naturally the first to arrive, but not long after she entered the garden, Meng Family''s carriage arrived.


    "Sister Lan!" Before Meng Ruhan even arrived, her bell-like laughter sounded out in the room.


    Jin Lan couldn''t help but reveal a cheerful smile, and hurriedly went forward to welcome him. "Sister Ruhan!"


    Meng Ruhan held Jin Lan''s hand, looked up and down, then pouted and complained: "Last time, I agreed to meet you again, but who knew you would look for me this long, you really made me thank you so much!"


    Jin Lan pursed his lips into a smile and apologized, "Yes yes yes, it''s all my fault. I''ll apologize to you here. I''ll bring you to the park later, okay?"


    As expected, Meng Ruhan became excited after hearing it, "This is what you said, you are not allowed to bully me!"


    Madame Qin watched from the side with a smile. Seeing that Meng Ruhan was becoming more and more deformed, she pouted: "Look at you, do you still have rules? I haven''t even seen your aunt before, and I''m just thinking about having fun! "


    Meng Ruhan retracted her neck, and secretly stuck out her tongue at Jin Lan, then quickly went in to pay her respects to Madame SHen, "Aunt."


    Madame SHen laughed and quickly let her get up, "Look at Ruhan, she''s becoming more and more spirited."


    Madame Qin smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries before she let Jin Lan take Meng Ruhan for a walk in the garden. Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian naturally went along as well.


    Suddenly, only the Madame SHen and the Madame SHen were left in the room. However, after talking about family matters, they heard the report of the maidservants, "Madam, Madam Zhao is here."


    Just as the report ended, a sharp, ear-piercing voice rang out:


    "It is indeed a rare and good place. Madam Ye, you hide such a good garden yet you are usually unwilling to call anyone to visit. How petty of you!"

 C171

    The smile on Madame SHen''s face instantly disappeared, the Zhao Family was originally not on her invitation list, it was an invitation from Ye Lin to add her.


    However, as the owner, she still stood up to welcome him. "The garden is simple and crude, unlike the luxurious Zhao Residence. I heard that the backyard of the Zhao Residence is unique and special. I didn''t expect my garden to catch Lady Zhao''s attention."


    Everyone in the Yangzhou Palace knew that in terms of garden layout, the Meng Family was the most refined, the Ye Family the most ancient and refined, and the Lu family was the most refined.


    However, after thinking about it, she narrowed her eyes and laughed: "I thought that today, I would be able to see this strange stone that is famous for a bit of Ye Mansion. I didn''t think that it would be true ¡­ What a pity. "


    Madame SHen''s expression became completely dull, "I''ve disappointed Madame Zhao." The Zhao Family did not know the true reason why she set up the banquet in the Ting Lan Garden. These words were simply a stab at her, saying that she did not even have the right to be the main guest in Ye Mansion, and still had to come to the garden.


    Seeing that the situation was not good, Madame Qin hurriedly went out to smooth things over, "Speaking of which, I was wrong. I had long heard that Madam Ye had such a good point and was concerned about the view of the West Lake. That''s why I sent Madam Ye to place the feast in the garden.


    After helping Madame SHen out, she gave another small hug to the other party, "Yo, the one that Mistress Zhao has is the popular Yun Hua Jin in the capital right?"


    She wore a jade colored silk fairy dress, with her hair tied high in a bun. A single triple-tailed tasseled tasseled golden phoenix hairpin was stuck in her hair, and there were two emerald-filled silk peony hairpins in each of her hair. She even had a pair of red imperial concubine bangles on her wrists.


    Hearing the Madame Qin''s question, Madame Zhao''s raised chin, once again, proudly raised her head. "Madam Meng has good taste. However, my Cloudflower Blossom Pagoda is the reward of the palace, it isn''t the ordinary Cloudflower Embroidery that can be seen in the capital."


    Seeing that Madame Qin and Madame Zhao were having fun talking, the Madame SHen heaved a sigh of relief and looked towards Madame Qin with gratitude.


    Not long after, the wives and ladies of the various residences were invited, one after the other. As the owner, Madame SHen naturally could not treat them unfairly, and could only receive them one by one with a modest and courteous smile.


    When the ladies were tasting tea in the house, Madame SHen asked Hui Xiu to personally bring the girls to the garden to have a fun time.


    The Tinlan Garden was not big, but there were all sorts of pavilions, pavilions, and special stones. Moreover, because it was located in the West Lake, it had ingeniously drawn in fresh water from the lake, forming a glittering green lotus pond. Currently, the blooming period was not over yet, and there were only tender jade green lotus leaves in the pond.


    Jin Lan brought Meng Ruhan to go around the Lotus Pond to admire the scenery. Both of them had a wide smile on their face.


    "I see that there seems to be a pavilion in front of my head. Should we go there to rest?" Meng Ruhan''s sharp eyes could see the outline of the willow branch that was swaying in the wind from afar.


    "Alright." It was her first time back in the garden, so she felt that it was new everywhere she went. If Meng Ruhan likes it, she would accompany him.


    The two of them spoke and quickened their pace, while Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian, seeing the situation, quickly followed.


    Compared to last time at the Meng Family, Ye Jinwei was clearly more obedient this time, she merely followed quietly, and occasionally when Meng Ruhan''s gaze made contact with him, she would smile and nod, looking like a lady from a noble family.


    Only Ye Jinxian was still as submissive as before. At first, Meng Ruhan intentionally pulled her along and said a few words, but it could be seen that she was always timid and weak, and lost interest for a moment.


    Jin Lan and Meng Ruhan talked as they walked along the small road. A cool breeze brushed against the surface of the lake, blew on a pool of jade-green water, and also made some faint sounds of conversation.


    Jin Lan was slightly startled, but soon calmed down. Looking at the sky, he realized that the ladies of the other residences should have arrived as well.


    As he turned a corner, he saw seven to eight girls sitting in groups of twos and threes in the octagonal pavilion near the water. The most eye-catching one was the girl from the Zhao Family, Zhao Qianrong, who was surrounded by everyone.


    When Meng Ruhan saw Zhao Qianrong, the smile on her face immediately disappeared, "Why did you invite her, this detestable person?"


    Jin Lan also didn''t expect that his mother would invite the Zhao family. She remembered that her mother had always been at odds with the Zhao family''s madam!


    Seeing Meng Ruhan''s displeased face, she advised: "I don''t know either, it was probably invited by mother. If you don''t like her, let''s go somewhere else."


    Meng Ruhan understood that this matter could not be blamed on Jin Lan, but she was truly unwilling to see Zhao Qianrong''s arrogant appearance, so she nodded her head, "Then let''s change places! I don''t want to ruin this rare good mood. "


    Even though they were standing quite a distance from the octagonal pavilion, they were already discovered by someone from the pavilion. Suddenly, a mocking voice sounded out, "Hey, isn''t that Meng Ruhan? "Seems like she''s hiding from us!"


    The one who spoke was a girl dressed in an apricot-colored embroidered dress. She looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old and her appearance could still be considered beautiful, but her long and narrow eyes and slightly raised tail made her look even more sarcastic. At this moment, she was standing beside Zhao Qianrong, laughing loudly while pointing at Jin Lan and her group.


    For a moment, all the gazes in the pavilion were focused on Jin Lan and his men.


    Meng Ruhan''s expression instantly turned extremely unsightly. Her gaze was fixated on Zhao Qianrong, who was sitting proudly in the pavilion. It was obvious that the lady who had spoken just now had received Zhao Qianrong''s instructions.


    Jin Lan sighed helplessly. Although she was also extremely unwilling to interact with these people, she could not stay out of this matter, and even more so, could not allow Meng Ruhan, Zhao Qianrong and the rest to get into an argument. Otherwise, although it would be disrespectful to the Meng and Zhao Families, their Ye Family would not be good either.


    She lightly patted Meng Ruhan''s hand and said in a gentle tone: "Sister Ruhan, I can see that the scenery at the other side of the pavilion is still very elegant, and there''s no reason for us to be in the mood to go out and enjoy ourselves."


    Meng Ruhan glanced at Jin Lan who was filled with concern, and her small and tense face finally relaxed a bit. After pondering for a moment, she reluctantly nodded and gritted her teeth, "You''re right!"


    With Meng Ruhan''s personality, if not for the fact that she was embarrassed, he would have already walked away.


    "Meng Ruhan, I thought you would continue hiding at home, I never expected you to come too!" As Jin Lan pulled Meng Ruhan towards the octagonal pavilion, that Miss Xingyi spoke again with a mocking tone.


    "Why didn''t I come? Could it be that you''re the only one here? " Meng Ruhan looked at her coldly, before shifting her gaze back onto Zhao Qianrong.


    Zhao Qianrong raised her eyebrows in disdain, "Why are you looking at me like that? If I were you, I would have already found a place with no one to hide. "


    Meng Ruhan''s face darkened as she said angrily: "Zhao Qianrong, what are you trying to say!?"


    Xu Qing Ting covered her mouth and laughed: "What do you mean? "Everyone in the Yangzhou Palace knows that First Miss Meng is a despotic person. She was able to injure Little Sister Shu severely the moment she said something. Tsk, tsk, I really don''t know how the virtuous and virtuous Madam Meng could have raised such a daughter."


    "You ¡­" Meng Ruhan was enraged, she initially thought it was one thing to just say her, but now that it was Madame Qin, the anger in her heart immediately exploded, and she rushed over without thinking! However, just as she took two steps, she was suddenly stopped by someone from behind. "Little sister Lan, don''t stop me!"


    Originally, when Meng Ruhan was about to rush over, both Zhao Qianrong and Xu Qing Ting''s faces changed. Now, seeing that she had stopped, Zhao Qianrong rolled her eyes and said: "Look, First Miss Meng is going to hit me again!"


    Meng Ruhan was angered till the rims of his eyes were red, she turned her head and stared at Jin Lan with mist in his eyes, as though he was blaming her for helping Zhao Qianrong and the rest.


    Jin Lan sighed. These days, she had been busy dealing with matters of the mansion, and had not paid attention to the rumors outside. Now that she heard what Xu Qing Ting had to say, she understood a bit more.


    However, with her understanding of Meng Ruhan, she was afraid that there was some other person who did not know of the secret, and would definitely not be as terrible as what was said outside.


    Jin Lan squeezed Meng Ruhan''s hand hard, gave her a look that said "don''t be impatient", and then slowly walked forward.


    Seeing her coming over, everyone''s faces more or less flashed with unnaturalness. After all, this was the Ye Family''s garden, and they were only invited as guests.


    Jin Lan''s gaze slowly swept across the girls in the pavilion, almost as if he had seen them before when he was at Meng Family. However, this group of people seemed to be closer to Zhao Qianrong, so it was no wonder no one stood up to speak up for him.


    She stepped into the pavilion and greeted everyone with a smile, "It''s rare for sisters to be guests here. I''m overjoyed."


    They thought that Jin Lan was here to stand up for Meng Ruhan, and some of them even thought of a response in their hearts. With that, the atmosphere in the pavilion became extremely awkward.


    At this moment, quite a few other ladies hurriedly stood up to return the greeting, including Xu Qing Ting, who had mocked him just now.


    However, Zhao Qianrong still sat steadily, looking at Jin Lan with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.


    When Jin Lan saw this, the gentle smile on his face suddenly changed. "The husband''s market is devoid of tigers and the words of three people become tigers. All of you keep saying that the Sister Ruhan is despotic, and I will ask, who here dares to swear to the heavens that they have never bullied a sister who is born from a concubine? As juniors, forget about seniors, could it be that you''ve never gotten used to the "Female Ring"? Madam Meng has always been a sincere person, and has always been a kind person. I presume all of the parents and elders of your family have once praised her, so what right do you have to laugh at her!? "

 C172

    Jin Lan''s righteous words were like a loud and clear slap that fiercely landed on the faces of Zhao Qianrong and the rest.


    "You, you dare to insult me?" Since young, Zhao Qianrong had never suffered such a loss before. Her face immediately flushed red, but she didn''t know how to refute that. After all, everything was true.


    Upon seeing this tit for tat scene, the silent Ye Jinwei was overjoyed. She stepped forward and revealed her face, "Sister Zhao, this sister is still young and doesn''t know what''s going on, I hope you don''t bother with her."


    "Who do you think you are? Do you think it''s your turn to speak here?" Zhao Qianrong was in a rage, the moment Ye Jinwei took a step forward, she immediately became the first bird to take the lead, as all the anger in her body scattered onto her, "It''s only something made from a bastard, how can it be worthy to sit together with us?"


    Ye Jinwei was so humiliated by these words that her body started to tremble. She bit her lower lip and dared not look at Zhao Qianrong with venomous eyes, but instead, shifted her gaze onto Jin Lan.


    She sneered and turned her head, and said to Zhao Qianrong indifferently: "These words are not meant to insult Sister Zhao, but to tell Sister Zhao what it means to be fair and honest."


    "Ye Jinlan!" "You ¡­" Zhao Qianrong screamed in anger, she suddenly raised her hand and waved it down towards the little face that made her jealous!


    No one expected Zhao Qianrong to make a move, even Jin Lan was not able to react in time.


    Meng Ruhan had been staring at Zhao Qianrong the entire time, only to see her suddenly stepping forward and blocking in front of Jin Lan.


    Pow! Zhao Qianrong''s palm ruthlessly slapped onto the arm Meng Ruhan was blocking in front of him.


    "Sister Ruhan!" Jin Lan was shocked. He immediately grabbed her hand to check her injuries, but she gently pushed him away.


    "Zhao Qianrong, what you see is the truth. As the guest, you actually dared to make a move on the host. Just who is arrogant and despotic?" Meng Ruhan scrunched his face, and looked at them coldly: "So what if it''s like the rumors? What have I done to you? Could it be that you all want to have a taste of being seriously injured by me? "


    Xu Qing Ting was shocked and fearful at the same time. She couldn''t help but take a step back, "You, what do you want to do?"


    Zhao Qianrong also felt fear at this time, but she resisted the urge to retreat, raised her chin, and clamored, "You dare!" Her voice trembled imperceptibly.


    The corner of Meng Ruhan''s mouth raised into a cold smile, "You want to try?" With that said, she suddenly followed Zhao Qianrong''s actions and raised her hand.


    "Ah!" Zhao Qianrong finally could not hold on any longer and screamed as she retreated several steps.


    "You''re really as timid as a mouse, to be afraid of dirtying my hands even after hitting you!" Meng Ruhan''s hand did not swing out at all. Looking at Zhao Qianrong''s miserable state, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Meng Ruhan, you, you are too much! How does she look like a girl from a famous clan? " Xu Qing Ting was trembling as she stood off to the side.


    "Hmm?" Jin Lan turned his head to look at Xu Qing Ting, his eyes flashing with ridicule, "Could it be that you want to learn from the rumours outside that speak nonsense to become a girl from a famous clan?"


    Zhao Qianrong was played around with by Meng Ruhan in front of everyone, her delicate face turned green and purple. She looked at the faces of everyone, trying to find a helper.


    Among all the ladies, only Jin Lan, Meng Ruhan and Zhao Qianrong had the noblest status. Even though the other ladies were close to Zhao Qianrong, they weren''t willing to offend Jin Lan and Meng Ruhan at the same time for her.


    Zhao Qianrong cursed, she just stomped her feet and ran out, "Meng Ruhan, Ye Jinlan, just you wait!"


    Seeing that Zhao Qianrong had left, Xu Qing gritted her teeth and quickly followed along. Soon after, the beautiful figure in the octagonal pavilion disappeared, and in a moment, only Jin Lan, Meng Ruhan, and Ye Jinwei remained. Even Ye Jinwei followed along.


    Jin Lan was worried about Meng Ruhan, but Ye Jinxian was still by her side, so she did not say anything.


    After thinking for a moment, she turned her head and said softly to Ye Jinxian: "Third sister, I''m afraid that the banquet is about to begin. Go back and inform mother that Sister Ruhan and I are late."


    Ye Jinxian raised her eyes that were filled with worry, "Big sister Second Sister, what you did just now.


    Jin Lan''s gentle eyes suddenly focused. How did Ye Jinxian know what her mother planned to do?


    Feeling Jin Lan''s probing gaze, Ye Jinxian''s heart tightened, she lowered her head and blessed herself, "I hope big sister will consider, I will return first." With that, she ran out of the octagonal pavilion and returned to the room where the feast was being held.


    Jin Lan narrowed his eyes as he looked at her gradually disappearing back. He seemed to be deep in thought.


    "What is it? What''s wrong with your sister? " Meng Ruhan casually asked, as she sat down along the railing. She turned her head to look at the Blue Water Lotus and sullenly said: "After everything that has happened, do you also think that I''m a despotic evil girl?"


    Jin Lan retracted his distant gaze, looked at Meng Ruhan''s slightly disappointed face, sighed, walked to her side and sat down, then pulled her hand and said seriously: "Good and evil are only the eyes of the bystanders, you don''t need to care about them, as long as you have no regrets."


    Meng Ruhan stared at the golden waves until a gentle breeze brushed against her face. Suddenly, she felt her cheeks go cold, and realized that she was crying.


    She raised her hand to wipe it away and then looked back into her eyes. "I did make a move, but it''s because she wanted to help an outsider design big brother."


    Jin Lan understood, the one Meng Ruhan was referring to should be the injured little sister Shu.


    "At that time, I only gave her a push, but she fell to the ground and even crashed into a pillar. Father just happened to pass by ¡­" In her entire life, she had never seen her father act so strict.


    She sniffed with her nose and endured the bitterness in her eyes as she continued, "No one believes what I say. No one believes that she did it on purpose. Even mother ¡­"


    Jin Lan didn''t expect that in just half a month''s time, so many things would happen to Meng Ruhan from the time she came to the Meng Mansion for help.


    With Meng Ruhan''s and Meng Zhanxuan''s relationship, it was normal for them to attack each other when they first heard about such a thing. However, since this little girl wanted to scheme against Meng Zhanxuan, how could she let him know so easily? Lord Meng passing by was just too much of a coincidence!


    Jin Lan thought for a while, then said gently, "I think Aunt still loves you. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have brought you out to relax."


    "Of course I know that mother loves me, but ¡­" No matter how she explained, her mother was not willing to listen. In fact, she even asked Qing Yu to take her away the moment she opened her mouth.


    "Speaking of which, that little sister Shu is really unlucky, causing Sister Ruhan to receive a message. However, Sister Ruhan''s luck is not that good, Master Meng must be really angry, and might even implicate Aunt." Jin Lan lowered his head and muttered, as if he was secretly sighing with emotion, but that voice was not loud, which allowed Meng Ruhan to hear it clearly.


    Meng Ruhan turned her head and looked at Jin Lan in a daze. Then, she suddenly became enlightened and stood up, "So that''s how it is!" As she spoke, he took a few steps forward and was about to leave, but she remembered that Jin Lan was still in the pavilion. Then, she ran back and grabbed Jin Lan''s hand. "Little sister Lan, it''s all thanks to you this time!"


    Jin Lan tilted his head, feigning ignorance: "What does Sister Ruhan want to say?" This was, after all, a matter of Meng Family, and as an outsider, it would indeed be inconvenient for her to interfere.


    Meng Ruhan did not say much either, and only said one word at a time, "Little sister Lan, you only need to remember that I owe you one!" With that, she impatiently pulled her out, "We should hurry up and go back. If we can''t make it to the banquet, it would be terrible."


    Jin Lan pursed his lips and smiled. "Alright."


    From beginning to end, Jin Lan and Meng Ruhan who were walking further and further away, didn''t notice that not far away to the right of the octagonal pavilion, there was a craggy rock garden, and behind the rock garden, a lady wearing a big red flower dress was reading the whole scene from start to finish.


    "That girl with the lily on her back is not bad. Which girl is she?" The palace maid stared at the distant figure with interest.


    The other girl accompanying her was the daughter of the Lu mansion, Lu Jing. She thought about it carefully before replying, "It''s the third lady of Meng Mansion, the direct daughter of Lord Meng Zhiyuan."


    "So the other one is Ye Jinlan?" "She looks like a young girl who hasn''t grown up yet, but her mind seems to be very sharp, so she''s a good candidate." The interest on the woman''s face grew. It was as if she wanted to grab the person who had walked far away and examine them.


    "County ¡­" Cousin, let''s go back. It looks like the banquet is about to begin. " How could she have expected that this esteemed cousin of the County Princess would actually be interested in the Meng Family and the Ye Family of the lady? She insisted on letting her bring her to take a walk.


    It was important not to let her mother speak of her identity.


    The woman suddenly felt bored. She snappily glared at Lu Jing, "What are you so anxious about? It''s not easy for you to come out for a trip."


    Lu Jing pouted with a grumbling expression, "Cousin is definitely not in a hurry, but if mother knows that I''ve brought you out for a stroll on my own, I won''t be forgiven."


    "Alright, let''s do it like you. I''ve been muttering all day, and my ears are starting to get calluses." With a snort, the woman lifted her foot and followed the direction that Jin Lan had just left in. She slowly walked back as if she were taking a stroll in the courtyard. Behind her was Lu Jing, who had an aggrieved and resentful expression on her face.


    Jin Lan and Meng Ruhan purposely increased their pace, and before long, they saw the courtyard of the main house from afar.


    Seeing that they were in time, Jin Lan heaved a sigh of relief, "Sister Ruhan, ahead is the place for the feast, let''s quickly go."


    Meng Ruhan nodded and followed closely by Jin Lan''s side.


    But after walking a few steps, Jin Lan saw a figure running over from the courtyard. When he got closer, he saw that it was Hui Xiu.


    Hui Xiu''s hasty appearance shocked Jin Lan. Before he even got close, he asked from afar, "Big Sister Hui Xiu, what''s wrong? "So flustered!"


    Hui Xiu rushed in front of Jin Lan, and without bothering to catch her breath, she said with a panicked expression: "Miss, go back quickly! Just now when the old master sent the Attendant over to deliver the message, he said that something big has happened in the Palace! "

 C173

    The Flower Lover Banquet hosted by the Ye Family had ended without any complications, and not a single household would feel dissatisfied or resentful.


    "Mother, mother, are you saying ¡­" Jin Lan''s face was filled with disbelief, as he looked at Madame SHen who was sitting in the carriage with her mouth agape.


    "Yes, the carriage should be arriving soon. That''s why we''re in such a hurry." Madame SHen had already gradually recovered from her initial shock. Looking at her daughter''s small tense face, she couldn''t help but hug her lightly, "Lan Er, don''t be nervous.


    "Yes." Jin Lan closed her eyes and responded in a low voice, but her heart was like an avalanche, unable to control itself.


    The imperial edict, the imperial edict actually gave the Ye Family an imperial edict!


    Why? Such a thing had never happened in his previous life, but now ¡­


    In her mind, she suddenly recalled the day she accompanied the ancestor of the clan into the palace. When they paid their respects to each other at the Ganquan Hall, the emperor had only heard the name of the person and immediately revealed her identity!


    This was sufficient to prove that even though they were thousands of miles away, the Emperor still controlled every single movement within the Ye Family, whether it was from his own family or the side branch of the Yangzhou, the Ye Family.


    Could it be that her appearance caused the emperor to have some sort of ulterior motive towards Ye Family?


    No, she had an idea. Another answer came to her mind.


    Perhaps, it was the Old Ancestor.


    Jin Lan suddenly felt chills down his spine, and his body that was in Madame SHen''s embrace suddenly shivered.


    Sensing her daughter''s abnormality, Madame SHen hurriedly looked down, and a small, pale face jumped into her eyes, "What''s going on? Lan Er, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? " She raised her hand and placed it on Jin Lan''s forehead. Her palm was cold and clammy. "No, I have to see a doctor right away!"


    Hui Xiu immediately lifted up the curtain to let Zhang San, who was driving, change the way.


    "No way!" Jin Lan became anxious and quickly reached out to grab Hui Xiu. He turned his head and smiled at Madame SHen, "Mother, I''m not worried at all. Perhaps it''s because I''m too nervous, so I''ll rest for a bit." After she finished speaking, she added, afraid that the Madame SHen would insist, "If we miss the timing of the decree, then it would be extremely disrespectful to the emperor."


    Madame SHen painfully wiped away the cold sweat on her forehead, "Then you should rest for a while. When we get to the residence, I''ll look for Soo Soo for you to take a look."


    Jin Lan smiled and nodded, then took the opportunity to fall into Madame SHen''s arms.


    Only when she saw that the paleness slowly faded away and the redness slowly returned to her daughter''s face did she heave a sigh of relief. She turned her head and whispered to Hui Xiu, "In a while, go to the west wing and invite Doctor Gong into my room."


    Hui Xiu understood the seriousness of the situation and quickly replied.


    Maybe it was because of the elegant aura on Madame SHen''s body, but Jin Lan''s messy heart gradually calmed down.


    In any case, fate had already been biased, and this life was no longer a previous one. She was unable to foresee the future, and perhaps because of this, her heart was filled with fear for her unknown future.


    Even so, she was determined.


    No matter what happened, she would never let anyone hurt her mother or make use of her!


    When the carriage arrived at the Ye Mansion entrance, the crimson red door that was usually only half open had already opened. The Attendant s were currently busy splashing water and cleaning the place, when they saw the carriage inside, they hastily retreated to the side and quietly stood there.


    Steward Li had already been waiting outside the door for a long time, when he saw Madame SHen returning, he walked up to him and greeted him, "Madam."


    The Madame SHen was the first to arrange for the Soft Palanquin, and then personally extended her hand to help Jin Lan off the carriage. Finally, he shifted her gaze to the Steward Li, "When will the servant who sent the decree arrive?"


    The Steward Li hurriedly replied, "Just now, the news from the dock will probably be here in an hour."


    Madame SHen nodded his head, "Have you prepared the cloud table and censer for receiving the decree?"


    The Steward Li said: "Everything is ready. Master has ordered me to set it up in the main hall."


    Madame SHen continued to ask about the details, seeing that the Steward Li had finished arranging everything, he calmed down and instructed him to watch the cleaning matters outside, then led the three sisters to sit on the Soft Palanquin and return to the Inner Court.


    Usually, regardless of gender or age, they would all be gathered together to show their gratitude. Therefore, Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian had to be present as well, even the Concubine Ning could not be absent.


    Receiving the Madame SHen''s reminder, Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian hurriedly returned to their own rooms to wash and change.


    However, Jin Lan was immediately brought back to the Shuixie Pavilion by the Madame SHen, so Hui Xiu had long gone ahead of them and invited the Doctor Gong to wait in the main room. The moment Jin Lan entered, she was escorted to the soft couch and laid down.


    After a short while, Doctor Gong released his hand, "It''s nothing serious, it''s just that my lady''s overthinking and too much disturbance in her mind caused the blood in her body to become weak, if I take a while to rest, she''ll be safe and sound."


    "That''s good." Madame SHen''s hanging heart finally completely dropped, but when she looked at Jin Lan, she could not help but have a hint of complaint in her eyes, "Child, I told you a long time ago to not think too much, with such a heavy heart, what you hurt in the end was not your own body!"


    In the face of Madame SHen''s concerned eyes that were filled with anger, Jin Lan showed an apologetic expression. "It''s Lan Er''s fault, that caused mother to worry."


    Madame SHen sighed, went up and sat beside Jin Lan, lowering her eyes to look at Jin Lan''s beautiful face, "You have to know, in this mansion, the only person Mother can rely on is you." Nanny does not like, pillow side is such a cold person.


    As a woman, she probably married someone else.


    Jin Lan extended his hand to hold Madame SHen''s hand and instantly felt his fingertips go cold. He could not help but say with a pained heart: "Don''t worry Mother, Lan Er will definitely not do such a thing again in the future."


    Madame SHen was afraid that Jin Lan would see through her sadness in her heart, so she immediately patted Jin Lan''s hands, revealing a smile. "You can''t change your clothes, you can rest in peace.


    Jin Lan replied obediently.


    Madame SHen lovingly stroked Jin Lan''s forehead again, then turned and went into the room to change.


    She was different from Jin Lan. As a second rank celebrity, she had to wear her first rank clothing when receiving the edict. She had to wear a phoenix coronet as well.


    "Madam." Mama Zhu looked at the fully dressed Madame SHen with worry. Her wife''s body was slightly better, but compared to back then, the phoenix crown on her head, which was embedded with pearls and gems, was not light at all.


    Madame SHen took a deep breath, straightened her waist, and laughed: "Don''t worry Mama, I''m fine. It''s just that I haven''t worn it for a long time, I can''t help but be a little uncomfortable."


    Seeing that it was about time, Madame SHen got Hui Xiu to bring hot water to clean her face, and also got him to comb her slightly dignified hair into a bun. Although her clothes didn''t need to be changed, her appearance had to be serious.


    After Jin Lan had properly packed up, they sat on the Soft Palanquin with the Madame SHen and headed towards the main hall.


    Along the way, Madame SHen comforted Jin Lan softly, but it was nothing more than to be nervous, taking small details like standing, bowing, and so on.


    Although Jin Lan never respectfully welcomed an imperial edict in her previous life, she had learnt some necessary etiquette and etiquette from the Mama s who taught her how to marry them. However, even though Madame SHen was distracted, she still pretended to be serious and nodded her head in agreement from time to time.


    When they arrived at the main hall, Old Madame Ye, Ye Lin and the others were already waiting. Standing beside them was Aunt Yan and Concubine Ning, while Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian stood behind the old lady.


    Counting them down, they were actually the last.


    Old Madame Ye was also dressed up decently, and just like Madame SHen, she was a second grade great lady. When she saw Madame SHen enter, she could not help but snort coldly, so as not to look at Jin Lan. "Girl Lan, come over here quickly."


    Hearing Old Madame Ye''s call, Jin Lan couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows, but then quickly calmed down. With a smile on his face, he obediently walked in front of Old Madame Ye and bowed, "Grandmother."


    Old Madame Ye pulled Jin Lan''s hand, her expression surprisingly amiable. "I have to say, Girl Lan has the deepest fortune here."


    Jin Lan''s heart suddenly trembled, but her face revealed a hint of shyness, "Grandmother''s words are really killing Lan Er. If we are talking about someone who has a rich background, unless it is Grandmother, who can outdo Grandmother?"


    Old Madame Ye was so coaxed by Jin Lan that she could not even close his mouth, "Look at that clever mouth!"


    Jin Lan lowered his head, looking extremely embarrassed. However, his hidden eyes were filled with anxiety.


    The old lady''s attitude and words caused her to feel extremely uneasy.


    Could it be as she had guessed, that the ancestor had done something in the dark?


    She once again remembered the news that Ye Jinyu had braved so much to deliver to her at the Plum Pavilion.


    Fourth Prince, Fourth Prince... In the end, could he still not dodge it?


    Jin Lan clenched his fists.


    No one could sense Jin Lan''s emotions, even the Old Madame Ye beside her thought she was embarrassed. Only the Madame SHen looked worriedly at Jin Lan.


    Ye Lin was in a good mood today, so he had obviously gotten some good news, and after smiling and echoing with the old lady for a while, he realized that the Madame SHen was still standing, and turned to look at the Madame SHen as he spoke: "LinRong, come sit here first, when the attendant is close to the door, there will be a report from the Attendant."


    In the face of Ye Lin''s tender feelings, Madame SHen''s heart was as calm as water. She slightly nodded.


    Seeing Madame SHen being so indifferent, Ye Lin frowned in displeasure, but he still remembered the Shen Family. In the end, he did not show Madame SHen his face, but only turned his head and did not look at her.


    In that instant, everyone in the room had a different expression on their faces.


    He waited anxiously for the time it took to make a cup of tea, but no one came to report. Ye Lin raised his head and looked out the door frequently.


    Old Madame Ye glanced at Ye Lin who was impatient, "With Little Yellow Gate personally reporting, how can you fake it? If we can''t even settle this matter, how can we help the Emperor in the imperial court in the future?! "


    After being shouted at by the Old Madame Ye, Ye Lin''s mind suddenly became clear, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of impure Qi, his face becoming gloomy, "Mother''s teachings are correct."


    Not long after, a Attendant quickly rushed into the main hall, "Reporting to the Lord, the carriage has already passed through the Arching Tree Lane!"


    Ye Lin''s expression shook greatly. "Quickly, come to the door and respectfully welcome His Majesty''s decree!"


    Everyone in the room stood up, and even the Old Madame Ye was supported by Pin Yue to the door. Jin Lan took the opportunity to return to Madame SHen.


    Ye Lin and Old Madame Ye stood at the front, followed by Madame SHen and Jin Lan, and below them were Ye Jinwei, Ye Jinxian and the two aunts. The Attendant maid had long retreated to the end of the hall and knelt down.


    After a while, a group of people slowly stopped outside the Ye Mansion gate.


    "The imperial edict has arrived!" Following the sound of a sharp voice, a figure holding bright yellow silk high stepped into the Ye Family gate.


    Everyone from the Ye Family all knelt down, bowed their heads in silence, with respectful and cautious expressions.


    The attendant who passed down the decree first swept everyone with a haughty glance before carefully opening the silk.

 C174

    Following the will of the heavens, the emperor decreed that: Yangzhou Patrol in the History of Salt Management, Ye Lin, official, clean and honest, political achievements, actually is a pillar of the nation, today''s official position will be given to the Minister of Revenue, from the position of a first rank official, immediately entering the capital to take office after the afternoon, here!


    Ye Lin was overjoyed, and immediately kowtowed, "This subject thanks the Emperor for his grace, long live the Emperor!"


    Jin Lan followed the crowd and kowtowed respectfully, but in his heart, he was greatly relieved. A bright smile immediately appeared on his face.


    It was a good thing that everyone was smiling and it did not seem sudden.


    After kowtowing to show their gratitude, everyone stood up. Ye Lin walked forward to receive the yellow silk with the black rhinoceros horn as the axis and embroidered auspicious cloud as the auspicious crane, and also the flying silver dragon on both sides. With a face full of smiles, he stretched out his hand and led the way, "Young Master, please come in for tea."


    A faint, distant smile appeared on the attendant''s face. "There''s no need for tea. Our family still has to rush back to the capital to report to the emperor. We can''t afford to delay any longer."


    "Eunuch is a capable person in front of the Emperor, of course he wouldn''t be like the old me, who would like to receive all the silver, as he can just treat it as a form of entanglement along the way."


    Seeing the shining silver on the tray, the waiter finally revealed a satisfied smile. He cupped his hands and said, "In that case, we will not be courteous." He had already heard that the Jiangnan Patrol of the Salt Clan was a good-for-nothing. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have put in so much effort to get this task. He really hadn''t come here in vain.


    After sending the imperial edict away the servants, Ye Lin personally invited the imperial edict to the family shrine to be served. After that he hurriedly went to the great study and recruited a few trusted aides and aides, who knew what they were discussing.


    The rest of them naturally returned to their own courtyards. However, Old Madame Ye made a sound, saying that she would eat tonight with Jiayu Hall, as if she wanted to have a good time.


    Ever since the death of Concubine Shao, the Ye Mansion seemed to have been enveloped by a thick layer of haze, the decree was like a bright and beautiful ray of sunlight, instantly dispelling the haze in everyone''s heart.


    Jin Lan accompanied the Madame SHen back to the Shuixie Pavilion, and waited until the Madame SHen took off her thick and heavy first name attire before walking over to take a careful look at the Madame SHen.


    Looking at Madame SHen''s calm face, her heart was moved. "Mother doesn''t seem to be very happy."


    "Your father was promoted to the rank of an official, of course I would be happy." Madame SHen raised his eyes and smiled, but her smile did not reach his eyes, "However, like this, I''m afraid that once it is afternoon, the entire family will have to go to the capital."


    Ever since she knew that the ancestor of the clan had such thoughts about Jin Lan, she had not felt at ease for a single day. Fortunately, Yangzhou was a thousand miles away, so even if the ancestor had any ideas, she could not move her hands and feet at the moment.


    However, if he entered the capital, he would be at the mercy of the enemy. He would be a fish in the water. If he wanted to struggle, it wouldn''t be so easy.


    Jin Lan was stunned. So his mother was worried about Shang Jing.


    In fact, she had thought about it earlier this day, even if there was no decree in his previous life, Ye Lin would still stay in the capital to continue his position and become a minister in charge of the capital. That was a third rank official, the Emperor''s attitude towards Ye Family was downcast. But now that everything had changed, not only was the process of him entering the capital to continue his position removed, the emperor had even directly ordered Ye Lin to be appointed as the Minister of Revenue.


    Although she was not clear about what had happened and why the emperor would make such a huge change, the most important thing to her Ye Family in her previous life had not changed, and that was to enter the capital.


    It wasn''t that Jin Lan hadn''t thought about changing all of this, but she was truly powerless. Forget about how she couldn''t control the decision made by the current Son of Heaven, even the Old Madame Ye couldn''t, let alone Ye Lin, who wholeheartedly hoped to ascend to the top.


    When the Old Master moved to the Yangzhou, he had not dealt with the mansion in the capital. Until now, the servants who guarded the mansion had taken good care of it, and the old lady who wanted to return to the bustling capital had sent people to check it out every year. In her previous life, when Ye Lin came to the capital, the house he lived in was still the same house.


    Jin Lan secretly sighed, looked at Madame SHen''s gloomy eyes, and blurted out the words in his heart: "If only Mother and I could stay in Yangzhou."


    Hearing that, Madame SHen''s eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed down again, "Don''t speak such nonsense, if the old lady finds out, then it''s time to get angry at you again."


    She was already not Yun Ying''s unmarried daughter''s home. As the mistress of Ye Family, how could she let go of the burden and stay at Yangzhou to avoid leisure? Even if the old lady was happy in her heart, in the eyes of outsiders, it was still too outrageous. In order to prevent her Ye Family from being affected by someone else''s disease, the old lady would not let go.


    Jin Lan also knew that this was just her own imagination. In order to prevent the Madame SHen from worrying, she put up a look of yearning on her face, "Speaking of which, the capital is more prosperous than the Yangzhou. I heard that you can even see Hu Ren. This is great, when we enter the capital, Mom will have to take me to have a look when she''s free, okay? "


    While she was speaking, she held onto Madame SHen''s wrist and shook it a few times. Her bright eyes blinked as she stared, like a greedy cat.


    Madame SHen burst out in laughter at the sight of Jin Lan''s face. He reached out his hand and tapped her forehead, "I knew that you were a fool and would never find a good wife in the future."


    Jin Lan pouted, but there was nothing to be said in his eyes, "Lan Er doesn''t want to marry, Lan Er wants to accompany his mother for the rest of her life!"


    The Madame SHen was flabbergasted, "What nonsense! How can a girl not get married? "


    Jin Lan had a bright smile on his face, and did not bother with Madame SHen at all. "Mother, it''s already noon in half a month''s time."


    "Yes, the imperial edict allows your father to arrive immediately after noon. I''m afraid that from tomorrow onwards, he will have to busy himself with preparations." The Madame SHen sighed, Ye Family had taken root in his body for many years, and almost all of his business was done in his Yangzhou, so if he was in a hurry right now, it would be hard to deal with him.


    There was also Shang Jing''s words. There was a high chance that Lan Er would be in danger again, so no matter how she thought about it, she couldn''t think of any good methods.


    Seeing her daughter''s face which grew more and more exquisite, Madame SHen secretly decided that she had to hurry on with the matter of Meng Family.


    In the evening, Madame SHen brought Jin Lan to the Jiayu Hall, and the old lady specially placed the dinner there. The dishes were naturally more sumptuous than usual, other than the two aunts who served the cloth dishes while standing, everyone else, including Ye Yu, sat down.


    Perhaps knowing the importance of this family banquet, whether it was Concubine Ning or Ye Jinwei, both of them stopped thinking and obediently accompanied the old lady for her meal.


    This was perhaps the only time in all of Ye Family that the atmosphere was harmonious and harmonious.


    Initially, Cheng Fu Shan had already secretly made a move and wanted to make Ye Lin suffer, but this sudden decree not only disrupted his plans, it also allowed the Second Prince to reevaluate Ye Lin''s value, and immediately let his people send a secret letter, saying that he had to hand Ye Lin over well!


    However, after receiving the decree, Ye Lin, who had been conversing with his aide throughout the night, suddenly made the decision to close the doors and thank his guests.


    Otherwise, they would have to look for another method. After all, Ye Lin had been an official in the Yangzhou for many years, so he would at least know a little about secrets that could not be exposed. If news of this were to spread to the ears of the emperor, there would probably be a river of blood flowing through the official Yangzhou.


    Ye Lin was naturally clear of this point, which was why he accepted the gifts that each family sent over. This was to give everyone a peace of mind.


    Compared to Ye Lin''s caution, Madame SHen was extremely busy.


    After all, in order to enter the capital, one had to use silver everywhere. Although the Ye Family had a foundation, most of it were antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and other gold and silver artifacts that were passed down as family heirlooms. The public did not have much silver in stock, and other than the thousand silver that was given to the servants to pass down to them, there was only less than twenty thousand silver left in total.


    For a few days straight, Madame SHen held the account book and calculated until late into the night, causing Jin Lan''s heart to ache. He could only grind his way to Madame SHen''s side and think of a way to help.


    Seeing that her daughter seemed to have a talent for housekeeping, and that she was unable to do anything about it, Madame SHen handed over her private storage to count. Inside were all of Madame SHen''s dowry, all that needed to do was to look at the list.


    This was the first time Jin Lan realized that his mother''s wealth was actually this great. Other than the few priceless antique calligraphies and paintings, as well as all kinds of gold and silver items, as well as jewelry and items, there was no shortage of them in his private treasury.


    No wonder in her previous life, she had heard Concubine Shao mention that when her mother was married, it was as good as ten miles of red makeup.


    Seeing Jin Lan''s dumbstruck expression, Mama Zhu wiped the tears at the corner of his eyes and said proudly: "Miss, the glory of my wife''s marriage, has been mentioned by people within the Yangzhou City to this day."


    Jin Lan''s gaze swept across the boxes of precious treasures. He couldn''t help but sigh in his heart: That''s right! As the first daughter of Shen Family, her mother was so beautiful back then. If she hadn''t married Ye Lin, the heartless man, she probably wouldn''t have been so haggard.


    Although Madame SHen had been bedridden all these years, she still kept the private treasury tightly in her hands, not allowing Concubine Shao to calculate the slightest. As a result, the brocade waves were exceptionally relaxed.


    As the days passed by, although the villa outside was gradually completed, Madame SHen also slowly relaxed. In just two days, she would arrive at noon, other than preparing for the festivals in the manor, she finally raised her pen and sent a message to Madame Qin.


    In the morning of the second day, Madame Qin came to the Ye Mansion alone. Madame SHen had been waiting for a long time, and upon her arrival, she was invited into the Madame SHen''s room.


    The two of them sat down and chatted for a while, before Madame SHen couldn''t wait to speak.

 C175

    In fact, Madame Qin had understood Madame SHen''s intentions ever since she had received the Ye Family invitation card and Madame SHen''s cryptic letter.


    Speaking of this little girl, Jin Lan, Madame Qin was extremely fond of her. Adding the fact that she had a good relationship with Madame SHen, she had naturally had the same thoughts before. However, today, news was faintly transmitted from the side of the family, whether it was Meng Zhanxuan or Meng Ruhan, both of them were not allowed to be easily betrothed to each other.


    Madame Qin sighed, her eyes looking at the hopeful Madame SHen apologetically. "If I recall correctly, Lan Er is only ten years old today, isn''t it too early to discuss marriage?"


    Originally, Madame SHen had an 80% confidence in this matter. After all, Ye Lin was currently a saint with many family members and the two families were old friends. She and Madame Qin were the best, both of them knew each other well, so there was no marriage more suitable than this.


    However, for her daughter, she could only barely maintain the expression on her face, and said softly: "Lan Er is indeed still young, but she landed at the beginning of February, in half a year, she will be eleven. We can set a marriage, and we''ll get married at that time, and then ¡­"


    "Sister Rong." The Madame Qin laughed bitterly and interrupted the Madame SHen''s words, "It''s not that I don''t want to, I really like that girl Lan Er, but..." Madame Qin stopped talking. There were some things that could not be said easily.


    However, she touched upon the Madame SHen''s mournful eyes and stopped hiding it. She grinded her teeth and said: "Since it''s like this, I won''t hide it from you. Since Xuan''er fell victim to a flower scouring, I have sent a letter to the capital, saying that it''s related to Xuan''er''s marriage, so my husband and I do not need to worry."


    After hearing these words, the Madame SHen couldn''t help but be unwilling to give up. She sat on the soft couch in a daze and muttered: "Then, then what about my Lan Er?"


    Madame Qin was puzzled, "Lan Er, what''s wrong?"


    Madame SHen was dejected. She held the handkerchief and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, then told Yue Yang everything that had happened in the capital. In the end, she couldn''t help but cry, "Sister Feng, I was forced to do this."


    "Foolish!" After the Madame Qin listened carefully, she said resentfully, "If you don''t tell me, but Master Ye has reached the Sacred Heart, even if the ancestor of your family had any thoughts, he wouldn''t dare to go and harm Lan Er so blatantly. But if you, who is in such a rush to get medical treatment, if by accident or accident, really destroy Lan Er''s entire life, wouldn''t you?"


    Madame SHen choked with emotions a few times before saying, "That''s why I came here to look for big sister Lan today. I also thought that with Zhan Xuan''s good temper and your backing, Lan Er wouldn''t be wronged in the future. In this way, even if I were to close my eyes one day, I will be able to calm my mind. "


    "Don''t talk nonsense." Madame Qin sighed helplessly, and pulled Madame SHen''s hand as she earnestly advised: "Remember this, the only person in this world that can make Lan Er depend on is you, her mother. You and I both know what kind of family Ye Family is, without you, there will be another Madam Ye in the future, and Lan Er will call other women her mother, but you are the only one. If you really want to be good for Lan Er, then you have to take good care of yourself. You don''t need to live for a long time to live a hundred years, at least you have to live for a few years. "


    Madame Qin''s words were like a blow to her head, causing Madame SHen to shiver in fear. For a long time, she had only thought of arranging everything for Jin Lan. Even if she was unlucky, Jin Lan would not suffer in the future. Little did he know that a girl without her parents'' support would be able to marry her husband no matter how good his marriage was. Sooner or later, there would be a time when he would feel cold and self-aware.


    Even if it was Meng Family, a year or two would be alright, but what about ten years, or even twenty years later? Although the friendship between her and the Madame Qin was deep, it was not comparable to the benefits from Meng Family!


    When Madame Qin saw that Madame SHen''s gaze had regained her clarity, she knew that she had thought through it, and was thinking about the matters that she did not deal with in the house, so she did not stay any longer, "I still have some matters in the house, I''m afraid that I have to rush back. When are you going to set a date for our departure?


    Madame SHen nodded. "If that''s the case, I won''t stay for sister Lan anymore." After she finished speaking, she personally sent Madame Qin out, and only returned to the Shuixie Pavilion after she had gotten on the carriage and left the Ye Mansion gate.


    Jin Lan had been paying attention to the movement of the Shuixie Pavilion. When Madame Qin left, she entered the house immediately, and when she saw Madame SHen returning, she immediately went to welcome him. "Mother, Aunt left?"


    The Madame SHen rubbed Jin Lan''s temples and said softly: "I said that the mansion is busy, so I can''t stay for long."


    Although Jin Lan said that, his eyes was carefully observing Madame SHen.


    The jade hairpin powder on his face was obviously thick and uneven. Although the corners of his eyes were dry, it still looked a little red and swollen ¡­


    Mother must have cried!


    In other words, the matter had not been settled yet.


    Jin Lan suddenly felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. It was relaxed, but it was mixed with a trace of disappointment and loss.


    Although she was not familiar with Meng Zhanxuan, her Meng Family was still a rare good fate. Compared to being tricked by the Old Ancestor in the capital, she would rather choose her Meng Family.


    As for their relationship ¡­


    The corners of Jin Lan''s lips curved up in a self-deprecating smile. She had long given up any extravagant hopes and fantasies about the relationship between a man and a woman.


    She would never let her past experiences repeat themselves!


    As he thought about this, an ordinary face and a pair of soul-stirring eyes unknowingly appeared in his mind.


    Jin Lan was slightly startled. Why did he think of that person?


    She shook her head as if she wanted to throw out the figure in her mind. However, instead of disappearing, the figure became even more distinct.


    Madame SHen was shocked by Jin Lan''s sudden action, "What? Is Lan Er troubled? "


    "Ah?" "No, it''s nothing." Jin Lan came back to reality and looked at Madame SHen''s probing gaze. He felt weak in his heart and quickly smiled, "Mother, in two days time it will be afternoon, I wonder how is the bag of wheat going?"


    As expected, Madame SHen''s attention was diverted away from Jin Lan and did not let go, "I have already given the orders, but it''s always been like this every year, there''s nothing new to see.


    Jin Lan rolled his eyes. He had an idea in his mind, "Speaking of which, didn''t mother make some fruits and fresh flowers during the middle of last autumn? Since this corn can be stuffed with bean paste, it should be able to be filled with flowers just like the monthly team. "


    After saying that, she held onto Madame SHen''s hand and gently shook it, acting spoiled as she said, "Mother, why don''t you make some and try it? If it''s delicious, we can change the taste."


    With Jin Lan''s soft voice acting coquettishly, the last bit of gloom in Madame SHen''s heart immediately dissipated. He smiled and replied: "Okay, okay, we''ll do as you say.


    Jin Lan stopped and turned around with a chuckle.


    Mama Zhu, Mama Tang, Hui Xiu and the rest who were at the side, could not help but cover their mouths and laugh when they saw this.


    The room was suddenly filled with happiness.


    Jin Lan laughed for a while, as if he had thought of something, then he reached out his hand to brush the hair in front of his forehead that had become a little messy, and said in a delicate voice, "Mother, I heard that there will be a Dragon Boat competition at the West Lake on the afternoon of the Dragon Boat Festival. When that time comes, mother will bring me to see the show, will you?"


    When the Dragon Boat Competition was mentioned, the smiling expression on Madame SHen''s face darkened immediately, and some of the smiles even turned pale.


    Jin Lan thought that this suggestion wouldn''t be rejected, but he didn''t expect that Madame SHen would have such an anxious look on her face. He couldn''t help but ask: "Mother, what''s wrong?"


    The Madame SHen shook her head, hesitated for a while, then said: "At that time, the Slimming West Lake will be filled with a sea of people, it is easy for a mistake to occur."


    Jin Lan immediately understood when he heard this.


    Her mother was most likely thinking of the disaster of the Mid-Autumn Night last year.


    She gently held Madame SHen''s hand, "The Dragon Boat Competition is not like the Flower Lantern Association, it is held at noon. However, if mother is worried, then forget it.


    Madame SHen looked at Jin Lan''s smiling face. Even though she said that, the disappointment in her eyes did not escape her eyes.


    If nothing unexpected happened, then this should be the last afternoon of the Yangzhou. If he wanted to see it in the future, he probably wouldn''t have much of a chance.


    Lan Er had never seen such a grand occasion in her entire life.


    Thinking about it this way, the Madame SHen''s heart softened. She patted Jin Lan''s hands and gently said: "Since Lan Er wants to see, then let''s go over there!"


    Even though he said that, the Madame SHen still specially arranged for people to go to the Immortal Assembling Pavilion beside the Slimes Lake to take a seat.


    The Immortal Assembling Pavilion was the most famous restaurant in Yangzhou Palace. Not only were the dishes both delicious, they were also located at the edge of the West Lake. As long as one could get a glimpse of them, regardless of whether they were the long embankments, the spring willow, the lotus blossoms, or the misty rain from the four bridges, all of them could be seen, not to mention the Dragon Boat Competition.


    Before they even reached the afternoon of the next day, every single mansion had already booked up the private rooms of the Immortal Assembling Pavilion, and it was only because Madame SHen took Ye Lin''s name card that they were able to smoothly get their hands on one of the private rooms.


    After Ye Lin found out about this, he looked at Madame SHen''s face, and did not object to it. Furthermore, he agreed to the banquet held at noon with his colleagues at the Immortal Assembling Pavilion, thus he waved his hand and agreed.


    However, Old Madame Ye was still a little unhappy in her heart, so she went to find Madame SHen and pointed at Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian, asking her to bring them along.


    Madame SHen was extremely unwilling, but she still agreed with a smile, to prevent the Old Granny from thinking of other things to mess up the situation.


    Huan River May levee flow, the city will be floating rainbow boat.


    After washing his hair and washing them, he changed into a lotus root color and sowed flowers. He wore a yellow brocade dress, and the fresh color made Jin Lan appear slim and graceful, looking like a willow bud that had just sprouted in early spring.


    In order to make the trip convenient, Mama Tang only gave Jin Lan a simple hanging bun. However, it was tied with a headband decorated with pearls, and two fingernail-sized pink peach blossoms.


    Not only was Jin Lan''s attire simple, he didn''t even have much jewelry. On his white wrist, he only wore his usual Jade Seal Stone buddhist bracelet.


    first went out to visit his friends, and Madame SHen brought Jin Lan and the rest to watch the Dragon Boat Competition.


    When Ye Mansion''s carriage arrived at the Immortal Assembling Pavilion, there were already many commoners playing on the shore. The waiter smiled and invited Jin Lan and the others into the reserved rooms upstairs, then they went to the Dragon Gorge and several plates of exquisite pastries.


    In the private room, there were two yellow zhennan wood square tables, both under the windows. The windows were already open, and were facing the lake.


    Madame SHen was seated at the same table as Jin Lan, so Ye Jinwei and Ye Jinxian were naturally seated at the other table.


    Jin Lan was using his hands to support his lower jaw as he looked out the window with interest at the scenery and the crowd passing by. Since they were in a private room, there was no need to bring along Drapery Cap s.


    Suddenly, her gaze froze.


    In the crowd at the Immortal Assembling Pavilion, a green figure slowly walked over.


    He wore an extremely ordinary green robe and a bamboo hat. He was no different from the people around him.


    However, Jin Lan recognized him.


    In that instant, it was as if a rabbit was hidden in her chest.


    Suddenly, the green-robed man raised his head. His pair of cold eyes pierced through the crowd as he stared at the woman from the Immortal Assembling Pavilion.

 C176

    Jin Lan''s breath suddenly caught as he looked out the window and retracted his small head.


    However, she had shrunk to only half the size of a mountain before she suddenly stopped. She had not done anything shameful, so why did she dodge in such a hurry?


    As he thought about it, as if he wanted to prove himself, Jin Lan stuck his head out and looked in the direction of that person. His eyes were filled with all kinds of clothes, but they lacked the tantalizing cyan color.


    He left.


    An almost imperceptible hint of disappointment appeared on Jin Lan''s face. His small hand, which was supporting his lower jaw, drooped down. Unconsciously, he touched something that was slightly swaying.


    She picked it up and took a look. It turned out to be the black jade pendant that she had tied around her waist. It was hanging by her side right now, and it contained the ink-colored jade pendant that she had brought with her when she was worried about leaving it in the house.


    He felt a warm current slowly seep into his body through the tip of his finger, heading straight for his chest. As he got closer, the warm current, which was thinner than a strand of hair, instantly turned into a surging river.


    The beating heart seemed to be swaying in the wind with the willows and shadows of the sun, carrying with it a restless and restless feeling.


    This jade pendant should be an extremely precious item, right? Jin Lan thought, at least the Buddhist Abbot Hui Wu''s words and shocked expression all showed that the jade pendant inside this normal bag was not ordinary.


    I have to return it to him!


    Once this thought appeared, he couldn''t suppress it any longer.


    Jin Lan stuck his head out once again and carefully searched the crowd. Suddenly, at the corner of the Immortal Assembling Pavilion, a green figure slowly walked with the crowd.


    "Mother." Jin Lan suddenly stood up and pointed outside the window. "The corn sold by the old granny below seems to be very delicious. I''ll go buy some for mother to taste."


    Madame SHen looked towards the direction Jin Lan was pointing at, and indeed saw a white haired lady in her 50s or 60s selling corn, her cooking skills were not bad, the people surrounding to buy corn were in different layers, it was extremely lively.


    "If you want to eat it, let Hui Xiu buy it..." Before Madame SHen could finish her words, she realized that Jin Lan, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table, had already disappeared. Even the Drapery Cap on the table had disappeared as well.


    The Madame SHen was angry and amused at the same time. Fortunately, Mama Tang and Mu Lan had followed them, and there were still not many people, so they were downstairs. After thinking for a while, Madame SHen let her go, but her gaze would frequently sweep past the pile of people who bought the corn, trying to recognize her daughter''s petite figure.


    Jin Lan had never thought that he would actually do such a bold thing, but since he had taken the first hesitant step, it was natural that he would start moving faster and faster.


    In the end, she practically jogged down the stairs.


    "Miss, slow down! Watch your feet! Don''t fall anymore!" Mama Tang hurriedly chased after her, but she was too old for her to walk or walk, so she was not even comparable to Jin Lan''s nimble body.


    Mu Lan actually wanted to escape quickly, but with Mama Tang in front blocking her, she was unable to move fast, and seeing that Jin Lan''s figure was about to turn out of the door, she anxiously urged him.


    Hearing Mu Lan''s anxious voice, the Mama Tang, who was wholeheartedly chasing after Jin Lan, came back to reality and immediately told her to go down first. But when Mu Lan ran out to look, she was immediately dumbfounded.


    When Mama Tang finally caught up, she was already in tears. "Mama, what should we do?"


    Mama Tang was also panicking, but when she caught a glimpse of the cornered stall, she made up her mind. She gave Mu Lan a meaningful glance, "Go over there and take a look, maybe the young lady is buying corn for her wife."


    Mu Lan was looking around on her tiptoes, and when she heard Mama Tang''s words, she immediately dove into the corn stall. Mama Tang stood at the entrance and looked around a few times, but she still did not see Jin Lan. Gritting her teeth, she followed and squeezed through the crowd.


    Jin Lan didn''t know what was going on behind her. All she wanted was to catch up with the green figure, but after running for a while, she still couldn''t find him.


    Her steps gradually slowed down. Her mother was still waiting at the Immortal Assembling Pavilion. If she was delayed too late, she might be noticed. By then, it would be too late.


    After pondering for a moment, Jin Lan could only give up helplessly. He turned around and returned to the Immortal Assembling Pavilion in the direction he came from.


    However, before she could take two steps, Jin Lan suddenly felt his elbow tighten. Following that, a huge force pulled her into a small and dark alley.


    She was shocked and opened her mouth to scream.


    A hand covered her delicate mouth accurately with the thin veil of the Drapery Cap.


    This strange aura made Jin Lan''s frantic heart calm down.


    It was because of the familiar warmth from the palm.


    There was also the steady and forceful heartbeat sound beside his ears.


    "Why is it that every time I see you, you look so miserable?" It was a gentle voice, with a hint of ridicule but also a hint of a smile.


    Jin Lan rolled his eyes. Although her hair was a little loose from running, she still had Drapery Cap on her head. How could he see it?


    She tried her best to break his hand, but no matter how hard she tried, the hand that was covering her mouth remained motionless.


    Jin Lan felt wronged. She had come with good intentions to return the jade pendant, and had even lied to her mother about it.


    What an abominable lecher!


    Jin Lan cursed fiercely in his heart. He immediately retracted the small hand that he used to break his palm with all his might.


    She couldn''t pull it off anyway.


    He didn''t expect that the moment Jin Lan released his hand, the hand that was covering her mouth was let go.


    As soon as she was free, she quickly took two steps forward and turned around to face him.


    He still had an ordinary and unremarkable face, but his eyes that were so thick they seemed like they were about to drip ink did not move as he stared at the person in front of him.


    Seeing how he was so unscrupulously sizing her up, Jin Lan''s smooth and round earlobes were immediately dyed with a faint pink color. His originally calm heart was thrown into chaos once again.


    As if sensing her strangeness, a trace of embarrassment flashed past her eyes. She raised her hand that was tightly gripping her purse and waved it a few times. She then growled, "Next time, don''t cover me anymore!"


    She was clearly a delicate body that could be blown away by the wind, but she bared her fangs and brandished her claws like a wild cat.


    Yan Ye''s profound eyes instantly lit up.


    Jin Lan had only done this on impulse. When she calmed down, the pink hue on her earlobes grew thicker. However, when she saw that the people in front of her were unable to make a sound, she boldly raised her head and looked towards him.


    When she saw it, she could not help but be stunned.


    The alley was obviously just a passageway, with tall houses on both sides, so that most of the place was dark without the sun.


    However, Yan Ye was standing right at the exit, and a ray of bright sunlight shone onto his face and his green clothes. Jin Lan raised his head, and saw that half of his mouth was dyed gold, revealing a slight curve.


    His cheeks were covered in a layer of faint golden light, his long and narrow eyes were slightly open, his eyes were calm and serene, and there was a wisp of an almost invisible curve at the corner of his lips.


    Sensing Jin Lan''s baffled gaze, Yan Ye tilted his head slightly, avoided the ray of sunlight that fell onto his body, and completely disappeared into the darkness. Then, he parted his lips and said in a low voice: "Have you seen enough?"


    This low voice was like a clap of thunder, jolting Jin Lan awake from his daze.


    She became angry from embarrassment, but when she saw the calm and even a hint of coldness in her eyes, she could not get angry.


    Jin Lan didn''t forget about the cold light he shot out that night when he raised his hand.


    She lowered her eyes and silently took a small step back, deciding that it was better to stay away from him, to keep her own life, and not to provoke him over such a small matter.


    Looking at Jin Lan''s retreating figure, the coldness in Yan Ye''s eyes became denser, and even his tone became extremely cold, "Why are you looking for me?"


    Only then did Jin Lan remember his purpose for coming here painstakingly, and immediately, he extended his hand that was holding the lotus bag towards Yan Ye. He then flipped it over and opened his palm, "I''ll return this to you."


    Yan Ye looked at the small hands that suddenly appeared in front of his, which were as white and exquisite like goat fat. In the middle of his small palm laid a green lotus bag, and on top of it was embroidered a budding pink lotus.


    He watched for a while before he lifted his hand and picked up the bag. As if surprised by the weight of the bag, his sword-like eyebrows creased slightly before quickly smoothing it out.


    When Yan Ye received the pouch, he first held it under his nose and took a light sniff. A faint and delicate fragrance assaulted his nose, completely different from the spices he had smelled before.


    The most important thing about him was that he didn''t hate it.


    Seeing Yan Ye''s actions, Jin Lan''s face suddenly became hot, why is this person so rude, if he knew earlier, he would have taken out the jade pendant and passed it to him!


    Resisting the urge to rush forward and snatch the purse back, she dejectedly said, "The thing is inside."


    Yan Ye raised his eyes and looked at her for a moment before his gaze once again fell on his bag.


    He gently pulled the opening of the bag, stretched out two fingers and took out the black jade pendant that he had been hiding inside.


    "You have left this thing behind a long time ago. It can be considered as returned to its original owner." Jin Lan couldn''t help but heave a sigh of relief when he thought about how he wouldn''t have to hide this thing in the future. "I''ve been out for a long time. I need to hurry back. Give me back my bag!" As he spoke, he stretched out his hand to ask for his purse.


    Yan Ye''s gaze moved from the jade pendant to the small hand once again. He pursed his lips, and placed the jade pendant in his hand onto the pendant.


    Jin Lan saw him actually putting the jade into his hand again, and wanted to shake it off, but Yan Ye had already released his hand. If he threw the jade again, the jade would be broken into pieces.


    "What I want is a bag, not a jade pendant." Jin Lan felt helpless. He just had to say it again, "This jade pendant isn''t mine, the purse is mine."


    Yan Ye''s face was cold, his entire body releasing an unhappy Qi.


    Jin Lan didn''t know what she said wrongly, but when she felt Yan Ye''s obvious anger, she couldn''t help but take two steps back, timidly staring at the temperamental man in front of her.


    Although they were separated by the Drapery Cap, Yan Ye could still clearly see Jin Lan''s small white face and his bright eyes filled with grievance. His expression immediately relaxed, and after a long while, his lips slightly parted, "Bring it on."


    "What?" Jin Lan was stunned. Bring it? Bring what? Could it be this jade pendant?


    Yan Ye thought she didn''t hear clearly, so he calmly repeated, "Bring it on."


    Jin Lan stared blankly at the shiny jade pendant in his hand, not moving for a long time.


    She did not want to, and could not!


    Putting aside the fact that this thing didn''t belong to her, how was she supposed to explain to everyone after taking it with her?


    Jin Lan stood at the side, conflicted. However, Yan Ye seemed to have gotten impatient from waiting, the expression on his face went cold, and his long and narrow eyes narrowed into a dangerous arc, like a black panther staring at its prey.


    "Uh, I ¡­" Jin Lan chuckled dryly. Just as he was about to refuse, he saw a thick palm suddenly reaching toward his slender neck!