《Mistress of the Mysterious Inn》


 C1

    When Xiaowan woke up, she discovered that she had been tied up by all sorts of flowers and wore red bridal clothing. The bridal veil fell to the side and her mouth was tightly stuffed with cloth, only able to emit a weak moan.


    Two streams of clear tears rolled down her face. Mu Xiaowan never thought that she would be tied up and married off one day.


    Half a month ago, the matchmaker came to their door and said that in terms of Baisha Town, they were missing an inn''s boss, but she didn''t pick anything. As long as they didn''t lose an arm or a leg, the matchmaker said that the Mu Family had made it in time.


    Xiaowan was seventeen years old this year, and was born with a pretty and delicate appearance, a famous little beauty in Qingling Village. Unfortunately, when she was born, her mother died in childbirth, and her older sister and grandmother were gone as well.


    Her stepmother, Madam Xu, had wanted to send her out long time ago, so she accepted the betrothal gift without a second thought. A hundred silver coins was enough for Xiaowan''s father to earn money from overseer work for three years.


    Getting married to the owner of the inn might seem like a beautiful thing, but everyone in the village knew that Ling Xiao Inn was a black shop that sold human meat buns.


    Upon hearing about this marriage, the townspeople came over to congratulate Yue Yang while scaring the hell out of Xiaowan.


    The women would often burst into laughter and continue their nonsense.


    At first, Xiaowan just refused on the surface, but the more she heard, the more uneasy she became. She was determined that they couldn''t marry into the Xiaowan, so she packed up her things and went to find her father to decide on their marriage.


    However, the wedding day was approaching, if she were to leave, not only would she lose the hundred silver taels, she might even be charged with the crime of annulling the marriage. How could the Madam Xu agree to that?


    This morning, when her stepmother loosened the rope in her hand in order to dress her up, Xiaowan desperately scratched her face, refusing to marry no matter what. Her family was in a mess, and when she got married, she even got beaten up.


    At the moment, Xiaowan''s heart was thumping, the house was very quiet, there seemed to be no one outside, and no one could hear the laughter of the families, only the faint sound of sharpening blades, as though a long blade was scraping against a grindstone, one after another ¡­


    Suddenly, the door was pushed open, the Xiaowan closed her eyes in fear, and in that instant, she saw a tall and big man. The man walked to the side of the bed and paused for a moment. His large hands gently touched his body a few times, and then took out the piece of cloth from her mouth. Xiaowan felt that the binding on her body had disappeared, and her hands and feet were placed down naturally.


    The man seemed to want to do something, but there was a thunderous noise outside, and not long later, Xiaowan heard the door close, and she timidly opened her eyes, only to see that there was no one inside.


    The stepmother was afraid that she would not be able to hold back and would not give her water or food to eat before the wedding. Xiaowan''s mouth had already dried up and his eyes were blurry from hunger, he could not care less and threw himself onto the table, drank a cup of tea, grabbed another piece of biscuit and hid under the bed to eat.


    Just as he was about to grab another biscuit, he suddenly heard ghosts wailing and wolves howling outside. A man begged in pain, "Manager Ling, please spare me, Manager Ling, let me go, let me go ¡­"

 C2

    She bravely walked to the window, only to see a dozen or so people gathered downstairs. The carriage was covered with horses, and on the carriage were many boxes and flags. Unfortunately, Xiaowan did not know how to read and write.


    At this moment, the crowd had dispersed. A tall man wearing a black robe slowly walked over. He held a long sword in his hand with an oppressing cold aura. There were four or five people on the ground who were pressing down and shouting at each other.


    He raised his sword and blood splashed everywhere. The person on the ground whimpered and fainted, while Xiaowan watched as the person who was called "Manager Ling" chopped off another person''s toes.


    The man turned his body slightly, and blood splashed onto his face. The fierce and bloodthirsty look in his eyes scared the hell out of Xiaowan.


    Xiaowan''s legs went limp and she fell onto the ground. The furniture in the room was neat and tidy, there were large red and joyous words stuck on the walls, and the bed curtains were filled with mandarin ducks and ducks performing. At the head of the table, under a pair of red candles, were silver ingots and strings of copper coins.


    This was her wedding room, and she knew that the Manager Ling who wielded his sword was the man she wanted to marry, Ling Chaofeng.


    Before they were married, they were tied up in the woodshed. Every day, they would listen to the women outside talking about Ling Xiao Inn, saying that whenever passengers entered their shop, if it wasn''t a few that came out, they would either have lost their belongings. Every time this happened, the store would send someone to the town to set up a stall to sell buns. Those who had eaten it all said that the buns were definitely not stuffed pork, but were definitely made of human flesh.


    The women all said that after Xiaowan marries, she would sleep on a bed made of bones and eat soup made from human flesh. In less than a year, she would become a murderer who wouldn''t kill a mother.


    "Dad, where are you?" Xiaowan wiped her tears and curled up her body.


    Originally, before she was tied up, she had packed her luggage and wanted to go to Baisha Town to look for her father''s good brother, Blacksmith Zhou, and ask him where her father was. Now that she couldn''t go back to Qingling Village anymore, and the Xiaowan wasn''t willing to marry Ling Chaofeng, the only way out was to find her father so that he could end the marriage for her.


    Raising her head, she saw the small mountain of money under the red candle. Xiaowan pursed her lips tightly and unknowingly, she stood up.


    "First, let me borrow some money ¡­" She turned and grabbed the red cap on the bed. She took two strings of coins from the table, poured out a plate of dry snacks, tucked them into her arms, and bravely reached for the door.


    As soon as he opened the door, he saw a tall and sturdy man carrying a sack the size of a man. He walked out of the bag, and as he did so, red blood dripped from the bag, and the night shook with fear at the thought that the man had been killed in the sack.


    If they were caught running, they would die, but if they stayed here, they would die anyway. If they could escape, they would be able to survive.


    When the big sized man came back, she clenched her teeth and opened the door to go downstairs. She could hear the ruckus at the back of the shop, and the blood on the ground was flowing towards the front door. There was not a single person in the shop, only about ten square tables of the Eight Immortals.


    Outside, the sun was already setting, and as he tried to figure out the direction of Baisha Town, Xiaowan ran without looking back.


    Furthermore, even though Baisha Town were governed by Baisha Town, they were still five kilometers away from the town. Ten kilometers east of the inn was Baisha River.


    When Xiaowan wanted to return to Baisha Town to look for Uncle Zhou, she headed west to welcome the sunset. The golden sunlight shone onto her face and for some reason, it ignited hope for life.


    Ten li away, even if it was far, it wasn''t close. After this fierce march to the head of the town, the sky was already completely dark.

 C3

    At the blacksmith Zhou''s house, Xiaowan had followed her father twice before she entered the house. At the blacksmith Zhou''s house, Xiaowan had followed her father twice before he entered the house. It was not easy to encounter one or two, or those who did not know, or those who did not know, or those who did not know, who could not tell where they were after circling the streets a few times in the dark.


    She thought that if she could not find Uncle Zhou tonight, she would have to find a place to stay first. However, just as she reached the intersection, she saw two big men carrying a white-haired granny out, throwing her heavily onto the ground while cursing.


    However, this mother-in-law immediately got up and hugged the big guy''s leg and begged, "Let me see my daughter-in-law. I''ve already given her the silver, let me see her ¡­"


    Stunned, the young woman swaggered out the door again. A stout old man with a pipe in one hand and a beard in the other scoffed, "How dare you call it money? "Old woman, your son owes me a thousand taels of silver. Now that he has run away, your wife will pay him back. Since when did your daughter-in-law earn a thousand taels of silver in the Ten Thousand Flowers House? If you come again and ask for more or even give me a thousand taels of silver, I will let her go.


    The white-haired granny asked in despair, "Isn''t it a hundred taels? How did it become a thousand taels?"


    The man laughed heartily. "Tonight is a thousand liang. If you come again tomorrow, it won''t be this price."


    That doesn''t make sense. My daughter-in-law won''t be able to come out of the house for the rest of her life. Master, I beg of you, please let her go, you ¡­" "Ahh!


    Xiaowan saw with her own eyes that person use a smoke gun to burn Granny''s hand. Instinctively, she ran over to help and angrily asked, "How can you all do this?"


    Just as he finished speaking, a few men surrounded him fiercely. The old man walked over unsteadily and said: "Hey, where did this handsome young lady come from? Old woman, could this be your daughter?"


    Xiaowan realized that she had caused trouble, but seeing the old granny in such a miserable state, she could not hold it in any longer.


    "I-I''m not her daughter, you can''t bully the elderly, I-I have the money." Xiaowan trembled as she opened her bundle and took out the two bundles of coins. "For, for you ¡­"


    "What''s two sticks of money for?" The old man sneered, squatted down, and ordered people to bring the lanterns closer, seeing Xiaowan''s wedding dress, he could not help but frown, "Why is young lady wearing a wedding dress? Was this a newlyweds, or was this something to sing about? "Her appearance is really ¡­"


    The old granny woke up from the intense pain, seeing the old beast staring lewdly at her daughter, she hurriedly stood in front of Xiaowan and said: "This is not my daughter, I do not know her. I, I will go back to raise more money, I beg you, please let my daughter-in-law go."


    As she spoke, she crawled up to leave, but the old man scolded her loudly, "Stop pretending, this young lady must be a member of your family. Otherwise, where did he come from in the middle of the night? You old fogey, so you actually hid such a handsome boy at home. Alright, give me this young lady, and I will exchange your daughter-in-law. "


    The old man waved his hands grimly, ordering them to come and get him.


    The Xiaowan screamed and struggled, she was so small, a man was enough to carry her, but she had just escaped from the black shop and brought back her life. The man, filled with the desire to live, actually bit the man''s neck, causing the man to throw the Xiaowan on the ground while holding his neck and falling to the side. When the others saw this, they also came to grab, but Xiaowan could not beat him, so she just bit down on it. One of the man''s face was bitten, he howled and slapped Xiaowan, doing his best to throw her out.


    When the Xiaowan was about to lose all hope, a gust of wind blew over, and her body was held up by a pair of arms. She was dizzy, and could vaguely see her sharp face.


    "Who is it?" Do you know where we are? " Everyone cursed.


    Xiaowan vaguely heard the man who was carrying her say: "Ling Xiao Inn, Ling Chaofeng."


    After that, his vision turned black and he no longer knew anything.

 C4

    In the middle of the night, a carriage stopped outside the inn. Ling Chaofeng walked into the shop, and just as he picked up the bride from the Baisha Town that escaped, the little girl in wedding dress was already unconscious, lying obediently in his embrace.


    When the chef Uncle Biao and his wife Aunt Zhang came out, Ling Chaofeng did not say anything and directly went upstairs.


    Ershan who was running in the shop stopped his horse carriage and entered: "Aunt, the shopkeeper wants some hot water for the bride to bathe in."


    Soon after, the big bath barrel was brought to the bedroom and hot water was poured into it. The room was filled with steam and the Aunt Zhang rolled up her sleeves wanting to help, but when she saw the shopkeeper quietly sitting down, she raised her eyebrows and laughed: "What does it matter to me?"


    After the door was closed, Ling Chaofeng disapproved and carefully took care of all the clothes on Xiaowan''s body.


    Xiaowan had her eyes closed tight. Her waist was so small that it couldn''t fit into her arms. Although she was only seventeen years old, she was still too skinny.


    However, what made Ling Chaofeng frown wasn''t the bride''s weakness, but the wounds on his body. It didn''t seem like it was caused by a fight just now, but more like an old scar that had been whipped by a cane or whip.


    His heart sank as he picked up the tiny figure and held her in the bath.


    The unconscious man seemed to be completely unconscious. It was only when they were halfway there that he started mumbling to himself, "Mother, don''t leave me behind ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng silently washed her body, caressing her wounds. Since he was his new wife, this was what he had to do.


    Ling Chaofeng placed her on the bed, wanting to help her put on his sleeping clothes. However, the person in his dream held onto his arm, and refused to let go as their bodies subconsciously curled together.


    Ling Chaofeng took back his hands and tucked her in. Then, he quietly left the bedroom.


    When he closed the door, he saw that there was a lock on it. He thought for a moment, then took off the lock and went to his room.


    The tavern was completely silent. Mu Xiaowan seemed to have slept for seventeen years in her most peaceful and peaceful sleep, when she woke up, she was stupefied. She only waited for her stomach to rumble, and an intense sense of hunger made her feel that she was truly alive.


    She felt sore all over her body as she struggled to get up. Seeing the steamed bun on the table, which was so hungry that her chest was pressed against her back, she ran to the table and grabbed the steamed bun and stuffed it into her mouth. But she suddenly realized that this was the room she had seen yesterday when she woke up.


    Oh right, the person who was carrying him, said his name was Ling Chaofeng ¡­ Suddenly, he remembered what happened last night.


    "Could it be that he saved me? "Then what happened to the old lady?"


    Xiaowan looked down at herself. She was no longer wearing a wedding dress, but a clean white bedclothes. The bedding was soft, and her jet-black hair flowed down her back.


    "Who gave me a bath?"


    Suddenly, the door creaked open. Xiaowan was startled, and half of the steamed buns rolled out on the ground. She quickly squatted down to pick them up, and saw a tall and big man pressing over like a mountain.


    She timidly raised her head. The man''s face was reflected in her eyes. He had thick eyebrows like a cold sword, deep eyes like a sword, a straight nose, and a godly temperament.


    The legendary Ling Chaofeng was eight feet tall, barbaric and ferocious, killing people without blinking an eye, but the person in front of him, the man who was as mighty as a mountain, had such a beautiful appearance. In Mu Xiaowan''s entire life, she had never seen such a handsome man.


    Her legs gave way and she collapsed onto the ground. The man frowned as he stretched out his hand and lifted her onto a stool beside the table. He set down his plate and coldly said, "Eat."


    There were actually two of them. At home, only his father and brother were qualified to eat eggs, and not even his sister was qualified to eat eggs. Xiaowan''s eyes were wide open, saliva almost flowing out.


    However, when she saw the fried dough floating on top of the soup and the meat pieces faintly peeking out from beneath the noodles, she remembered what the villagers had said and looked at the man in front of her with fear. She timidly asked, "This is ¡­" "Broth, huh?"


    Ling Chaofeng sat down and looked at her coldly. He did not reply and asked: "Do you know who I am?"

 C5

    Xiaowan shook her head and nodded immediately. "You are Manager Ling, right?"


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "Since you know, why did you run last night?"


    Xiaowan lowered her head and pursed her lips, her fingers twisting around her belt as she fearfully said: "Regarding the marriage proposal, since my father is not at home, I, I also do not know who you are. Since we have never kowtowed before ¡­ Our marriage is not counted, I want to go find my father. "


    "Where''s your father?"


    "I don''t know." Xiaowan shook her head. Her face was pale, her beautiful eyes seemed to be filled with autumn water. She mumbled, "Uncle Zhou from the blacksmith''s shop must know about this, so ¡­" "I ¡­"


    At this time, there was a voice from outside, saying that it was looking for the shopkeeper. Ling Chaofeng responded, he got up and was about to leave, but when he turned around, he pointed at the noodles on the table, and said with the same ice-cold tone: "Whether you eat it or not is up to you."


    The Xiaowan lowered her head and did not dare to reply. Ling Chaofeng left very quickly, but she suddenly discovered that he was wearing a Jade Ring on the ring finger of his right hand. He did not remember if he was wearing it when he woke up, but at this moment, it was her first time seeing this ring.


    He raised his hands and looked around, thinking that perhaps Ling Chaofeng had helped her to wear it, and wanted to take it off, but could not.


    Suddenly, her stomach rumbled as she began to growl. She was extremely hungry, and the fragrance of the noodles was too enticing. However, when she thought of the villagers'' words and the person whose toes had been chopped off yesterday ¡­ Thus, he picked up the half steamed bun and slowly ate it with the tea.


    After eating her fill and gaining strength and vigor, Xiaowan was still determined to leave. She noticed the clean clothes on the bedside and went to put them on, then took a handkerchief to wrap two steamed buns and put them in her arms before coming out.


    He timidly walked down the stairs and met the burly man from yesterday who was carrying half a big fat pig. When he saw her, he waved his bloody hands and greeted, "Yo, Manager, you''re up."


    Xiaowan was so frightened that she hid behind a pillar. Suddenly, a woman stretched her head out and smiled: "Our owner is really spirited."


    "Aunt, hello ¡­" When Xiaowan saw a woman, she felt slightly more at ease.


    Call me Aunt Zhang, this is my man, just call her Uncle Biao, he is the chef in the shop, I am a servant. Aunt Zhang looked at the little beauty benevolently, sizing her up.


    Xiaowan said in a weak voice: "Aunt Zhang, I, I want to find him."


    "Him?" Aunt Zhang was startled, "You mean the shopkeeper? The shopkeeper is talking to the people from the Mighty Escort Office behind us, come with me. "


    Aunt Zhang brought Xiaowan out from the back door, where a group of escort officers were waiting for them. Ling Chaofeng was talking to the escort leader, and the Aunt Zhang shouted: "Innkeeper, the new wife is looking for you."


    The group of bodyguards all turned around and looked at the beautiful young lady with shining eyes. They all smiled and asked: "Manager Ling, have you gotten married?"


    Xiaowan was hiding behind Aunt Zhang. She was extremely frightened, but she saw a man limping out from behind while leaning on a cane. His left leg was wrapped in layers and layers of gauze.


    "Manager Ling, thank you for saving my life, but we cannot delay the escort team anymore, I must get going now. In the future, when my injuries are fully healed, I will come back to express my gratitude and congratulate you on your marriage." The man said, he cupped his fists at Ling Chaofeng, and bowed towards Xiaowan.


    She saw that Ling Chaofeng''s expression was indifferent, neither serious nor fierce, his attitude was much more gentle than talking to his. After warning the man a little more, she urged the escort team to move, causing sand to billow everywhere, and the group of people left.


    "Aunt." The Xiaowan was very curious, she asked softly, "Was that man injured in the leg just now?"

 C6

    Aunt Zhang patted the dust off her body and said: "He is a powerful escort from the escort team. Yesterday, the owner cut off her festering toes, which were bitten by poisonous insects during the summer, but they were useless when many of the herbs were tried. The worse they rot, the harder it is for them to walk, if you do not cure them, they will go along with the blood vessels, and they will lose their lives once they reach the heart."


    The Xiaowan blinked her eyes and did not say anything. So she had wrongly blamed Ling Chaofeng, he did not want to kill her, she wanted to save her.


    Seeing Ling Chaofeng turning around and walking over, the Aunt Zhang smiled at the Xiaowan: "Innkeeper, you and the shopkeeper talk slowly, I''m going to work."


    Ling Chaofeng then called her over and instructed her, "The official ship will docked at the Baisha River Pier at night. You all should have made your preparations earlier."


    The Aunt Zhang left as well. Ling Chaofeng walked to the front of the Xiaowan as well, and the tall figure looked down at the petite person from above.


    Xiaowan muttered: "I want to ¡­"


    "Looking for your father?" Ling Chaofeng said.


    "Yes, I want to look for my father. My father doesn''t know anything about our marriage ¡­ "I don''t know." Xiaowan tried her best to speak, "Manager Ling, I beg you, please let me go."


    Ling Chaofeng''s face was expressionless: "I will send people to find your father, although you are unwilling, in the end, I am still your wife who has already become a citizen. If anything happens to me, it will be my fault, so I won''t be able to explain it to your father. "What should we do after that? We can explain it to your father when he''s here, but before that ¡­"


    Xiaowan thought that things had turned for the better, and raised her head to look at Ling Chaofeng.


    The gaze of the person in front of him sank. "Before you find your father, if you dare run again, I''ll break your legs."


    Xiaowan trembled, her eyes filled with fear, her face completely red.


    Ling Chaofeng continued: "Since you''re not willing to be my wife, then how do you plan to return the two pieces of money that you gave to others last night?"


    "Did, did you see that?" The Xiaowan trembled as he spoke incoherently: "I, I know how to work, how about I compensate you with my work?"


    "Then from today onwards, you will work in the shop until you earn enough money or until your father arrives."


    Xiaowan felt wronged, and in the end, she was choked with sobs. "Manager Ling, will you really go find my father?"


    Ling Chaofeng sized her up before indifferently leaving.


    Xiaowan rubbed her face, trying very hard to not let herself cry. Seeing him walk away, she remembered what happened last night, so she jogged to catch up to him and asked timidly, "Manager Ling, did you save me last night? "Thank you, what happened to the mother-in-law?"


    ignored her and went straight into the inn, ordering everyone to prepare for the guests. Then, he looked back at Mu Xiaowan with a complicated look in his eyes. Xiaowan''s heart skipped a beat. She quickly ran in and took the cloth from Aunt Zhang who was wiping the table, and diligently wiped the table until it was bright.


    "This ¡­" The Aunt Zhang did not understand as she smiled and asked, "Shopkeeper, how can the bride be so straightforward? This can ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "Just let her do it." With that, he called over the young lad who was about the same age as Xiaowan from the back kitchen and instructed: "Ershan, follow me to the pier to wait for the official ship to welcome Lord Sun."


    After that, Ling Chaofeng went upstairs as the Xiaowan wiped off all the tables in the restaurant in one go. He swiftly ran over and asked the Aunt Zhang, "What other work do you have?


    Aunt Zhang did not comment. She turned around and saw that her husband had walked out. Her husband nodded at her and she said: "Let''s go clean up the guest room. We have an important guest tonight."


    Xiaowan was a hardworking girl. Although she was curious about everything in the inn, she did not slack off in her work. The two cleaned up the rooms one by one and soon, it was noon.


    "Young bride, let''s go eat. The food is ready." Aunt Zhang stood in front of the door of the guest room and said to Xiaowan who was kneeling down and wiping the floor, "You have been working all morning, you must be hungry."


    The Xiaowan was brought downstairs and there were still no customers in the store. On one of the eight immortal tables, there were three meals, a soup and a steamed bun with rice. The valiant looking Uncle Biao and the tanned Big Brother Ershan were already waiting there.


    After a long time, Ling Chaofeng finally changed into a new robe. The sky-blue robe made a few bland spots on his body, but Xiaowan did not dare look at it closely, and she was arranged to sit on the same bench as Ling Chaofeng.


    Although the lunch was a simple three dishes and one soup, the soup was still chicken broth. The bright golden oil flower floated above the broth and stewed the meat of the chicken until it was soft, with a light ripping sound, Aunt Zhang placed the entire chicken drumstick into Xiaowan''s bowl. There was also a plate of dark green vegetables, and a table of red and green ones. Even Xiaowan would not have been able to eat such good food during New Year''s.


    "My new bride, you should eat more. You must be exhausted. You must be exhausted after cleaning all the rooms." As if Aunt Zhang was telling the story on purpose for Ling Chaofeng to hear, she gave the food to Xiaowan and very quickly, a small hill formed in front of her.


    Ling Chaofeng calmly ate a bowl of rice, seeing Xiaowan chewing on a steamed bun slowly, he indifferently stood up and ordered Uncle Biao: "Show me tonight''s menu."


    The Uncle Biao replied and went upstairs. He tore off the other chicken leg and stuffed it into Ershan''s mouth, licking his fingers as he looked at the Xiaowan who was gnawing on steamed buns and looked at her wife. Then, the Aunt Zhang went close to the Xiaowan''s ear and whispered: "The table is full of pork and chicken, and the fried vegetables are fried with peanut oil that we squeezed ourselves, it''s really fragrant."


    The Xiaowan raised her confused and fearful eyes, and said gently: "Our shop does not kill people, and does not sell meat buns, so do not listen to the nonsense of others. "Good child, eat."


    "Aunt ¡­" "Cough, cough ¡­" Xiaowan felt wronged and wanted to say something again. She didn''t want to choke on the steamed bun so that her pale face turned purple.


    "Slow down." Aunt Zhang immediately gave her a bowl of soup, "You only have to eat steamed buns, how can you not choke?"


    Hearing movement, Ling Chaofeng leaned out from the second floor and looked down. Aunt Zhang followed her back and after some hesitation, she finally brought a mouthful of food to her mouth.


    Separated by a floor, one could see her eyes light up, feel her spirit rise, and her body once again emitted the aura of the day before, when she valiantly rushed toward Baisha Town.

 C7

    The food prepared by the Uncle Biao was really delicious. After a full meal, the Xiaowan became more and more spirited and energetic, and when working, her face was full of happiness.


    When Ling Chaofeng went downstairs to prepare to welcome the official ship at the pier, he saw Xiaowan carrying a large pile of replaced sheets and pillows. She and Aunt Zhang walked over with a smile, but when they saw him, they immediately stopped laughing and slowed down their pace and hid behind Aunt Zhang with their heads lowered.


    Beneath the building, Ershan was waiting with the whip in his hand. Ling Chaofeng took big steps and could only hear the howls of the horses coming from outside. Then, the swift and nimble sound of the horse''s hooves could be heard.


    "Let''s go to work." The Aunt Zhang said to the dazed young lady, "By the time the sun sets, guests will arrive."


    Xiaowan quickly followed, and the two of them went to the well water to wash the sheets and pillows. When they were halfway through the washing, Uncle Biao brought two big apples over.


    Uncle Biao gave the big one to Xiaowan. Xiaowan wanted to eat the small one, but when she refused, she once again exposed the wounds on her wrist, and when she was working first, Aunt Zhang saw it. She extended her hand out to take a look, but Xiaowan dodged it. Clutching her sleeves, she lowered his eyes and ate the apple.


    "Sweet?"


    "Yes." The Xiaowan said softly, "I haven''t eaten an apple in a long time."


    Aunt Zhang stroked her head: "Eat slowly."


    Xiaowan did not say much. If she ate, she would eat. If she left this place in the future, she would not be able to eat these good things again. Although Aunt was a good person, Uncle Biao was not as bad as she looked ¡­ But she was afraid of Ling Chaofeng, afraid that Ling Chaofeng would break his legs.


    After finishing the apple, she first washed her hands and then washed her clothes. When Xiaowan saw the Jade Ring, she couldn''t take it off even though she was in the water. She extended her hand and asked the Aunt Zhang: "Aunt, did I wear this ring last night?"


    Aunt Zhang shook her head: "I don''t know, why?"


    Xiaowan said, "This ring is not mine, I can''t take it off either."


    Aunt Zhang reached out to help her. Sure enough, she couldn''t take it off, so she found Uncle Biao to rub some peanut oil on it. The beautiful young lady, however, had weak hands. It looked like she had frostbite, and her joints were slightly swollen. It was unknown if it was because of this that she was unable to remove them.


    "Did I wear it when I was bathing last night?" Xiaowan asked.


    "You have to ask the shopkeeper." Aunt Zhang held up the washed bed sheets and was about to go dry, saying very naturally, "It''s the shopkeeper''s bath for you."


    Xiaowan looked at Aunt Zhang in a daze. Aunt Zhang looked at her strangely, and after a long while, she finally understood, and asked awkwardly: "You don''t know?"


    After that, Xiaowan hid upstairs and sat motionlessly at the head of the stairs. The Uncle Biao and his wife busied themselves with going in and out of the house, and from time to time, they would raise their heads to look. young lady was like a statue, frozen in place.


    But now, they had no time to take care of Xiaowan. Dusk slowly descended, and the rumbling sounds of horses'' hooves and wheels were approaching.


    "Lord Sun is about to arrive." Aunt Zhang said to Xiaowan from downstairs, "You can go back to your room. They have a lot of people, so if there''s nothing else, they won''t come out."


    Xiaowan was startled, hearing that there seemed to be a lot of activity outside the door, she then stood up from the stairs and returned to her "wedding room".


    As soon as she closed the door, she heard a bell-like laughter. She curiously looked through the crack of the door and saw a young woman with rosy red lips gracefully walking in. She was dressed in beautiful clothes and had a seductive figure.


    "Stop talking nonsense." A man around thirty to forty years old came in, dressed neatly. Xiaowan did not know whether that was an official''s robe or not, but they had never seen such a gorgeous person in their little place.


    He was dressed in a sky blue robe and had a clear and bright temperament. However, the moment he entered the door, he seemed to have realized something and suddenly raised his head, meeting Xiaowan''s gaze.


    Xiaowan was trembling in fear as she hurriedly hid himself.


    Xiaowan''s heart thumped loudly as tears rolled down her face. She lifted her hands to wipe them as she squatted down along the wall with her arms wrapped around herself.


    "Mom, what should I do?"


    She, a girl with yellow flowers, was actually seen by everyone. How could Ling Chaofeng do this, how could he help her bathe?


    "Evening." suddenly called out to her from outside. After one day, they were already familiar with each other, and Xiaowan begged Aunt Zhang not to call her shopkeeper or bride, so Aunt called her by her name.


    "The shopkeeper wants you to go down and do something." Aunt Zhang said through the door, "There are too many people, there''s too many people."

 C8

    The Xiaowan followed the Aunt Zhang downstairs with difficulty. She went straight to the kitchen to help and was unwilling to meet anyone in the hall. She only knew that it was very lively outside. The young lady seemed to have something to be happy about, so she always smiled and called out "Old Master" one after another. It was extremely soft and cozy, and numbed to the bone.


    When Aunt Zhang entered the kitchen to get the dishes, she would occasionally whisper a few words to Uncle Biao. Xiaowan didn''t like to meddle in other people''s business.


    "Uncle Biao, long time no see." Suddenly, a gentle voice rang out as a calm and proper lady slowly walked over.


    She looked different from the young man from before, as if he was about the same age as Lord Sun, and spoke in a gentle tone, "There''s no need to busy yourself with so many dishes.


    The Uncle Biao s all bowed to her, and said: "My respects to you all."


    "There''s no need to be polite. Without the Manager Ling and you, where would the Mrs. Sun come from?" She glanced at Xiaowan and smiled, "The new servant girl?"


    Aunt Zhang wanted to explain, but she did not want others to know about the relationship between her and Ling Chaofeng, so she spoke up first: "Lucky Mrs. Sun, I am the new servant girl from the inn."


    Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang looked at Xiaowan.


    Mrs. Sun walked over and rubbed her head. "He looks really pretty and he looks so cute. He must be a good child."


    Not long after, Mrs. Sun left. Xiaowan seemed to have understood that Lord Sun had two wives, but she was not interested in the affairs of other people''s families. She was still thinking about how to settle the matter of her marriage with Ling Chaofeng.


    Lord Sun and his wife stayed in the guest rooms on the second floor, while the guards and servants stayed in the hall. They did not have the qualifications to sit on equal footing with their master, even if there were a lot of empty rooms in the tavern.


    "Evening, bring the hot water to the Cloud Lai room, Mrs. Sun''s room." Aunt ordered the Xiaowan, "The store is full of tough guys, I''ll deal with them."


    Xiaowan remembered that every room on the second floor had a door sign outside, every room had a name, although there were many strokes, only a few could recognize the word Yun, but she recognized the word Yun, so she braced herself and brought hot water upstairs to look for the word Yun.


    The room that Lord Sun and Second Madam stayed in was called "Cloud Peng." Xiaowan stood in front of the door and recognized the word "Cloud." Then, she heard sweet voices from inside, the gentle female voice seemed to be begging for mercy, as she shouted, "Master, don''t ¡­" Ah ¡­ "Old master, I can''t take it anymore, old master ¡­"


    "What are you listening to?" Suddenly, a hot breath sprayed into his ears. Xiaowan trembled and almost dropped the water basin in her hands, but Ling Chaofeng caught it.


    Xiaowan was no fool. She had never seen a pig run before since she had never eaten pork. This was the most common thing between husband and wife.


    "Bring it in, this is Mrs. Sun''s room." Ling Chaofeng said coldly.


    Xiaowan trembled as she took the water basin again, trying her best not to touch his hand. However, when he held onto her arm just now, it was still a little painful.


    "I''ll return to my room after sending the water. It''s none of your business." Ling Chaofeng said as he went around to the other side and went up to the third floor from the stairs.


    Xiaowan was relieved. She knocked on Mrs. Sun''s door and brought hot water in, only to see Mrs. Sun wiping away his tears. She asked Xiaowan to put down the water basin, and casually gave her a silver coin.


    When they walked out of the room, Xiaowan''s eyes were shining while holding the broken silver. Her heart quivered and she quickly ran to the third floor and met Ling Chaofeng head-on.


    "Silver, silver!" This was the first time in her life that she had earned silver. She excitedly asked Ling Chaofeng, "Is this enough to earn two sticks of money? Is that enough? "

 C9

    "Back to my room." Ling Chaofeng''s gaze was cold.


    "I want to pay you back." Xiaowan carefully held that piece of silver.


    Ling Chaofeng only frowned slightly, but the little person in front of him was already trembling. He said: "If you want to return the real money to me, you have to pay me two taels or two taels of silver in three thousand gold at once.


    With that, the man walked away.


    Xiaowan understood now, the broken silver in her hands was not even worth two sticks of money, but today, throughout the entire day, there were no customers in the shop at all, and it was rare to see someone willing to reward her, so when would she be able to save up two sticks of money? Or ¡­


    "Manager Ling ¡­" Xiaowan followed and asked softly, "How much is my salary?"


    "2 taels of silver a month." Ling Chaofeng stopped, "Deduct the food and lodging, leave behind 1 silver. If you have enough for 1 year and 8 months, you will pay it off."


    One year... Eight months?


    Xiaowan was dumbstruck. If this wasn''t a criminal shop, then what?


    Ling Chaofeng left. There were only two rooms on the third floor, one was their "wedding room", the other was Ling Chaofeng''s room.


    Just as he reached the door, the people behind him caught up to him and said, "If Mrs. Sun can give me two taels of silver, I will give you everything at once. Am I free now?"


    Ling Chaofeng turned around indifferently: "It''s just repayment, what are you thinking?"


    What? Xiaowan was confused.


    Ling Chaofeng seemed to be angry: "There''s an important guest at the store, go back to your room immediately, don''t disturb our guest''s rest."


    Xiaowan''s eyes reddened as she gathered up her courage and said: "But how do I know if you will go find my father? I don''t know you and I didn''t provoke you so why are you forcing me to marry you? What right do you have to trap me here? "


    The petite girl was so angry that she was panting heavily. She tried her best to glare at him, but she didn''t seem to know how beautiful and cute she looked. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t muster up any momentum.


    Ling Chaofeng bent his body slightly, and came closer to Xiaowan, so close, that he could feel each other''s Qi. Xiaowan took two steps back in panic, but was caught by one of the man''s hands.


    "The door is open. You can leave anytime you want."


    "You''re lying. You said that you would break my legs." Xiaowan was struggling, she did not like being held by Ling Chaofeng by the waist.


    "If I don''t find you, you''ll be free." Ling Chaofeng smiled slightly, "If I catch you, I''ll break your legs. You can bet."


    Xiaowan''s entire body tensed up as her cheeks swelled. His eyes became more and more moist, as if they were filled with tears.


    She was so wronged that she choked and stubbornly refused to cry.


    Ling Chaofeng loosened his hand, and berated: "Go back to sleep."


    Xiaowan glanced at him, her entire body was filled with unwillingness, but she had no ability, and could only be bullied for nothing. She slowly walked towards the "Marriage Room". When she saw the red and happy word on the door, she glanced back and saw Ling Chaofeng still staring at him, seemingly provoking him. She tore off the "Happy" character and walked in majestically.


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head slightly and closed the door as well. However, very quickly, the sound of footsteps came from the stairs.


    He walked to the door and looked through the crack of the door. Mrs. Sun quietly went up the stairs and looked in two directions.


    Xiaowan was completely unaware of this, and she did not do anything abnormal either. She only looked at Big Red''s "Joy" character, then quietly put it down and went down the stairs.


    Ling Chaofeng''s vision was limited as he stood inside the door, and was unable to see the scenery on the second floor, but he could imagine the expression on Mrs. Sun''s face as he passed by the "cloud cover".


    Her gaze turned towards the door of the Xiaowan, not knowing what the young lady was thinking at the moment. No, she should be thinking about it, wanting to end the engagement.


    In truth, when Xiaowan closed the door, he was stunned by the room''s bright red wedding arrangements.

 C10

    In the whole day, she had done a lot of work and ate a lot of good food. She had witnessed everything in the inn, and she did not believe that this was a black shop.


    Even if it was Ling Chaofeng, who had always been scaring her, it was only on his lips. Not to mention whether he had saved her last night, he had gone to look for his or to grab his. At the moment, on the table close to the wall, there were still piles of silver and copper coins under the red candle light, as if no one was worried that she would take this money.


    Xiaowan stepped forward and weighed the silver ingot in her hand. How much was two taels of silver?


    If his stepmother were to see so much money, her eyeballs would probably pop out.


    She raised her eyes and saw a mirror next to the cabinet. It was a very rare item. She ran to the mirror and saw herself in the candlelight.


    Only now did he have the heart to take a look at the clothes that he took out in the morning. On the moon-white lapels of his clothes, there were embroidered blossoms of peach blossoms, tied under them was a peach-colored Ruyi Dress, and there was even a silver tassel hanging from the belt. The Xiaowan touched the clothes lovingly, it was truly a waste to wear them all day.


    She wanted to find if there were any clothes that were firmer and rougher, so she subconsciously opened the wardrobe. Xiaowan was stunned.


    Inside the wardrobe, there were all kinds of new clothes. Cotton silk was stuffed full to the brim, and at the very bottom, there was a large cloak. The snow-white fur was soft and slippery, and all of the clothes were the style of a woman. All hers?


    After his stepmother entered, it had been more than ten years since Xiaowan wore a new set of clothes. Earlier, people in the village would point at her stepdaughter and say that she had mistreated her. However, her stepmother was very fierce, often pushing her out by the ears and scolding them, "You guys cherish this lost star, but you guys want to bring it back to raise?"


    After a long time, no one cared anymore whether or not she would be bullied and mistreated by the Queen Mother, and it became a common occurrence for Xiaowan to starve and get beaten up.


    Looking at the closet full of clothes, then looking back at everything in the room, she was at a loss.


    The next morning, Xiaowan came out early at dawn. She had woken up early when she was at home, but she was thinking about it today. There were so many people staying in the shop, so she had to busy herself with breakfast.


    Avoiding the people in the hall, he sneaked into the kitchen. The Uncle Biao was already cutting vegetables and when he saw the Xiaowan, he waved his kitchen knife and said, "Why are you up so early? Hurry and go sleep for a while more."


    Xiaowan was already full of sleep. In such a soft and comfortable bed, no matter how she slept, she would always feel comfortable. Even in her dreams, she would feel like she was lying on a cloud, her spirits soaring: "Uncle, what can I do for you?"


    Uncle Biao said: "Go to the well and see what work your aunt has to do. I don''t need you here."


    Originally, she was happily going to look for Aunt Zhang, but her head knocked against her firm chest, causing her to feel pain. Opening his eyes, he saw Ling Chaofeng standing in front of him. He was wearing a deep blue robe and looked even more serious than yesterday.


    "Why are you running around blindly if you don''t have eyes?" Ling Chaofeng looked down at her with ice-cold eyes.


    Xiaowan did not dare talk back, she rubbed her forehead and stood to the side, her skinny body sticking to the wall as she moved past Ling Chaofeng, and immediately disappeared.


    The Uncle Biao smiled and said nothing, while Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "Second Madam is ordering dishes today, you decide."


    "Heh ¡­" Uncle Biao stabbed the kitchen knife into the chopping board and turned around.


    Xiaowan was helping Aunt Zhang wash the dishes and chopsticks by the well at the back door. Afterwards, she had breakfast right in front of him. Lord Sun was a high official in the capital and they had to be attentive to him. Today, they had to welcome him to the Baisha Town inspection, and a large portion of the guards followed him, making the inside of the shop much more peaceful.


    After the Aunt Zhang finished her breakfast, a servant girl said that the Second Madam wanted hot water and immediately sent her life over. As the Aunt Zhang was helping the Uncle Biao pluck the feathers, the Xiaowan agreed.


    When she was about to knock on the door in front of the Cloud Pao, she heard the ear-piercing laughter from inside, and then ridiculed: "You, a hen that can''t lay eggs, what kind of proper house are you trying to set up in front of me, to teach me a lesson? "You don''t have to take a look at yourself in the mirror. I advise you to behave yourself, otherwise, you won''t even get to eat leftovers."


    Xiaowan''s hand was hanging in the air, unable to knock. Suddenly, the door opened, and Mrs. Sun appeared in front of his with bloodshot eyes. When she saw that it was Xiaowan, she forced out a smile and left for her own room.


    "What took you so long to get a basin of hot water?" The servant girl beside the Second Madam scolded the Xiaowan, "Do you have any spring water here? Our Mistress only drinks the tea that is made from the spring water."


    The Second Madam tried to coax his, "What are you trying to do by scaring a little girl? Little girl, what''s your name?"


    Xiaowan didn''t want to get involved with them, so she put down the hot water and ran.


    When they reached downstairs, Ling Chaofeng was standing behind the counter, calculating the debt. The two looked at each other, and then, Ling Chaofeng hooked his fingers and told her to go over.


    Xiaowan did not dare to ignore her. Walking up to her, the man coldly instructed her: "Don''t meddle in other people''s business. Guest''s business has nothing to do with the inn."


    Xiaowan guessed that since Ling Chaofeng and Lord Sun seemed to be old friends, she definitely knew many stories. But since he was so cold-blooded, of course she wouldn''t care about being bullied by a concubine.


    Moreover, this person had clearly said this to her. When she went back to her room upstairs at noon, she saw Second Madam and Ling Chaofeng standing together at the corner of the stairs. The woman was smiling, her long fingers and bright red nails almost touching his face.


    Ling Chaofeng met his gaze with an indifferent look, as if he did not care at all. He turned around and continued to chat and laugh with Second Madam, Xiaowan had looked down on him.


    After lunch, she was washing the dishes by the well when a person suddenly appeared beside her. Her gentle voice said, "Lady, let me help you."


    Seeing that it was Mrs. Sun, Xiaowan immediately replied: "Madam, I can''t."


    Mrs. Sun''s eyes were no longer red. She smiled amiably: "Miss, you aren''t a servant, right?"


    Xiaowan pursed her lips, not knowing how to respond.


    Mrs. Sun said, "You are Manager Ling''s wife, right?"


    Xiaowan waved her hands repeatedly. Without waiting for her to explain, she rolled up her sleeves and helped her wash the dishes, "I heard you talking to Manager Ling last night. Although I don''t know what happened, I know you need money. If I hear Aunt Zhang call you that, can I also call you Yue''er? "


    "Madam, please do as you wish."


    "Huang''er, how much silver do you want?"


    Xiaowan was dumbfounded.


    Mrs. Sun said: "I will give you as many as you want, but you have to help me with one thing."

 C11

    "Madam ¡­" "I don''t want silver taels." Xiaowan already knew that the silver would not solve the problem, she felt that Mrs. Sun was a little strange, but she had no choice but to reply, "I am working in the shop, please feel free to tell me anything, madam."


    Mrs. Sun looked at her with a smile. He returned the bowl and chopsticks to the water bowl and suddenly grabbed Xiaowan''s wrist.


    Because she was afraid of exposing the wounds, Xiaowan did not dare to roll up her sleeves to work, and could only let them get wet.


    "Did the people in the shop mistreat you?" Mrs. Sun asked in pain, "I saw it yesterday, Xiao''er, does Manager Ling treat you well?"


    "No." Xiaowan hurriedly hid her hands behind her back, lowering her head with her long eyelashes.


    When she was young, her stepmother would beat her, and when she was cared for by the people in the village, her stepmother would say that she went to find someone to complain about her reputation, and then beat her even more. Time and again, the Xiaowan would never show her wounds to anyone.


    "We brought medicine with us, how about I apply it on you? Otherwise, with scars on his face and his beautiful hands, he won''t look so good. " Mrs. Sun was as gentle as a Buddha, "Evening, are you still in pain?"


    "I''m fine." Xiaowan shook her head and raised her eyes, "Madam, what do you have to tell me?"


    "Nothing important ¡­" The Mrs. Sun''s eyes seemed to hide a myriad of emotions as he slowly said this.


    In the afternoon, the two ladies were having dessert. Uncle Biao looked at the big and sturdy people, but had extremely exquisite culinary skills.


    A bowl of red bean soup, with its small and exquisite glutinous rice balls scattered around. Like a white snow and red plum, it was poured with a spoonful of crystal clear cinnamon nectar.


    "Send it to the ladies. Aunt left you a big bowl, come back and eat it." The Aunt Zhang smiled merrily and wiped the soup clean, then said to the Xiaowan, "It''s not easy to serve that Second Madam, so you don''t have to bother with her. If she wants to eat anything, just listen to her and tell the Uncle Biao."


    Xiaowan replied and carefully sent the red bean soup upstairs. She went to "Cloud Lai" first and only after a while did she knock on "Cloud Pen" ''s door with another bowl of soup.


    The servant brought her in. Xiaowan placed the red bean soup on the table and said softly, "Madam, this is a dessert. Please enjoy it."


    The enchanting woman got down from the couch, lazily sat down at the table, and fiddled with her spoon a few times.


    The round glutinous rice ball was bobbing up and down in the soup. She glanced at Xiaowan with ill intentions, and the servant girl beside her pretended to say, "You''re from the countryside, so you don''t dare to give my wife random food to eat. Who knows if your soup is clean or not.


    "Me?" Xiaowan hurriedly took two steps back, "This is a snack for the mistress, I can''t eat it."


    The master and servant looked at each other as if they were suspecting something. The servant girl then went up to capture them fiercely. "The mistress has given you food, why can''t you eat it? Quickly come and eat it."


    Xiaowan was pushed to the side of the table, while the servant girl used a spoon to send the soup into her mouth. Since Xiaowan refused to obey, the two of them pushed each other around, causing the servant girl''s hand to slip and throw the bowl of red bean soup out, smashing it on the ground.


    He looked panicked as he saw the red bean soup on the floor. His eyes flashed as he said: "What are you doing? This is outside, don''t embarrass the Master."


    Just as Second Madam was about to flare up, he saw Ling Chaofeng coming over. He stood in front of the door and did not come in, and asked politely: "Madam, are you shocked?"


    Aunt Zhang also came upstairs, as if she was used to this kind of scene, she laughed and chatted, and quickly cleaned up the mess on the ground.


    The group returned back to the kitchen. Aunt Zhang took out a silver hairpin from her hair bun and inserted it into the brooch that she prepared earlier. A dark shadow quickly covered the silver hairpin.


    Everyone''s gaze turned to look at Xiaowan, who retreated back in a panic, her face pale from fright.


    "Wan-Er, what''s going on?" The Aunt Zhang asked nervously.


    Ling Chaofeng was furious, with one hand, he pulled Xiaowan and sneaked her out of the kitchen. She was almost carried upstairs to their "wedding room." Ling Chaofeng did not have the slightest bit of compassion for his and threw her into the room. With a stern expression, he said: "Don''t meddle in other people''s business."


    The two of them stared at each other. Ling Chaofeng was angry, but he did not know what Xiaowan was feeling. She had always been afraid of trembling the moment he saw his.


    "Stay in the house. It''s none of your business." Ling Chaofeng scolded in a low voice, "I''ll come take care of you after the guests have left."


    Xiaowan did not reply him. With a stubborn aura, she quickly closed the door.


    The Second Madam did not become a demon, nor did the Mrs. Sun come to look for him. She secretly peeked outside through the gap in the door, only seeing a few guards and maids chatting softly below.


    It was not until before sunset that the Aunt Zhang quietly came and brought the Red Bean Soup for him to eat.


    The red beans were soft and rotten, the soup was sweet and refreshing, the dumplings were soft and didn''t stick to one''s teeth, and the fragrance of the osmanthus nectar was refreshing. Xiaowan''s depressed mood was completely swept away.


    "Aunt." Xiaowan held onto the bowl of soup tenderly and said softly, "I didn''t poison it."


    When she was young, when the stepmother came to see her swollen face, she whispered to the stepmother that she should not mistreat the child. She should be careful not to make her poison the food.


    Then the stepmother pulled out the silver hairpin from her hair and said, "I''ll stir it into the food. If it''s black and poisonous, I''ll feed the food to the little beast one bite at a time and poison her to death." He even called Xiaowan in front of him and stuck him into her body while she cried and begged for mercy to make him happy.


    That was why Xiaowan knew that the Aunt Zhang''s hairpin had turned black and that the bowl of Red Bean Soup was poisonous. If she had not struggled to eat it just now, her life would have been in danger.


    "Of course, how could it be you?" The Aunt Zhang caressed Xiaowan''s head affectionately to comfort her, "Don''t be afraid, there''s a shopkeeper here."


    But when Xiaowan thought about how Ling Chaofeng said that he would take care of her, she couldn''t be thinking of beating him up, right? She helplessly looked at Aunt Zhang and opened his mouth slightly, wanting to say something but stopped himself.


    Aunt Zhang sighed, "It''s not easy to get her. She better be careful not to think too much."


    So it turned out that Lord Sun was born in the cold, and Mrs. Sun was his worthless wife.


    Six years ago, when the Lord Sun came to the capital to rush the exam, he suddenly contracted an illness and was placed at Ling Xiao Inn. Ling Chaofeng had saved his life, and not only did he manage to make it to the Imperial Examinations, he even made it as a high school scholar.


    After that, when the Lord Sun became an official in the imperial court, they would advance step by step and would send their wives and families to the capital. It was only because of heaven''s will that the Mrs. Sun had become infertile for so many years, and the Sun family was unable to continue on in the future.


    I heard that Mrs. Sun had to ask for medicine for a few years, until two years ago, Lord Sun married his master''s daughter into his family. Although he is a concubine, his status and treatment in the household is no different from a legal wife. The poor childless Mrs. Sun, was left with only a few years to live.


    "Madam came to find me at noon. He instructed me to bring tea to Second Madam after that, I will bring it to her room first." The Xiaowan said, "Aunt, I am not lying."


    "It''s alright, the manager is here." His aunt laughed disapprovingly, as if she had been in the martial arts world for a long time and didn''t find it strange. Instead, she comforted the Xiaowan, "When they leave, it will be quiet."


    But tonight, Lord Sun had to leave the Baisha Town tomorrow. During dinner time, he called all the shop assistants in the shop over to receive their rewards, so Ling Chaofeng had originally tacitly agreed that there was no need for him to go. However, Second Madam intentionally said: "Where''s that beautiful little girl, why aren''t you seeing her?"


    When Xiaowan went downstairs, she just so happened to see Mrs. Sun coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of soup. He smiled warmly at him, and then, he walked to the side of the table and put it down, smiling: "Old master, I made this soup, you can taste it."


    Lord Sun took a sip, his eyes lighting up as he looked at his wife in shock. After drinking a few more mouthfuls, he asked, "Isn''t this the soup that I drank while recuperating here? Why do you know how to make it?"


    Mrs. Sun laughed: "I knew that old master misses this, I specifically learned it from Uncle Biao."


    "Master, I want to drink too." Second Madam said coquettishly, "Master give me one too."


    Mrs. Sun said indifferently: "Let me serve it for you."


    As she spoke, she personally scooped up a bowl of soup, took a spoon from the side of the table and placed it in front of Second Madam.


    "It''s better if elder sister drinks it herself. I''ll taste it once in the old master''s bowl." Second Madam, on the other hand, sent the soup back. He acted like a spoiled child and drank two mouthfuls of the soup from her husband''s bowl.


    "You drink too." Lord Sun smiled at his wife, "It''s hard for you to cook for me."


    The soup that was originally in front of Mrs. Sun was brought back by her. She looked at it in a daze, then looked at his husband.


    Xiaowan stood at the side and watched as the scene unfolded, when she suddenly thought of the Red Bean Soup in the afternoon. Her heart twitched as she watched Mrs. Sun pick up the bowl of soup to drink, but she subconsciously opened her mouth to shout out, but was pulled from behind by someone, and even covered her mouth.


    Xiaowan was dragged all the way to the bottom of the stairs.


    "Shut up." Ling Chaofeng said.


    "But ¡­" "Ugh ¡­" Xiaowan''s mouth was covered again.


    There were not many people in the store, the Lord Sun found the guards and maids annoying, and sent them out to wait. Aunt Zhang, Uncle Biao and Ershan stood at the side, looking at the three people on the table indifferently, then watched as the Mrs. Sun drank his own soup.


    Master, where are we going tomorrow?" "Ahh!" As Second Madam Ye spoke, he suddenly shrieked. He only saw that the Madame Sun sitting across from her spat out blood and sprayed her face.


    Xiaowan was stunned, but Ling Chaofeng finally let go of her and walked forward alone.


    The side of the table was in a mess, the guards had also heard the commotion and barged in. Xiaowan watched as Mrs. Sun laid on the ground, spitting large mouthfuls of blood.


    "Madam? "Madam?" Lord Sun hugged his wife and shouted loudly, but the person in his arms was already unconscious.


    Xiaowan was trembling from head to toe, her legs were weak and unable to move. What was going on? Could it be that Ling Chaofeng knew something? How could he be so heartless, so cold-blooded?

 C12

    The shop was in chaos, but the chaos consisted of the Lord Sun''s family, along with his servants.


    Xiaowan did not remember how she went back to his room. When she woke up, she was sitting on her "marriage bed". Looking at the bright red decorations, she only remembered to see Mrs. Sun spitting out a large mouthful of blood. She got up and rushed to the door, but when the door opened, Ling Chaofeng stood there holding food.


    "Lady ¡­ Madam, she ¡­" The Xiaowan''s voice trembled, she unconsciously grabbed onto Ling Chaofeng''s sleeves, "Is the Madam dead?"


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "The doctor is currently treating."


    After he finished speaking, he didn''t care about the fact that his sleeve was being grabbed as he walked straight into the house.


    Xiaowan let go of her hands, but he did not follow him in. As if she was going to look for Mrs. Sun, a foot had just stepped across the threshold when Ling Chaofeng called for him: "Stop."


    She stopped and turned around again, anger on her face. "I want to see her."


    Ling Chaofeng said lightly: "Lord Sun and the doctor are by her side, you won''t be able to help."


    "I just want to see her ¡­"


    "Are you very familiar with Mrs. Sun?" Ling Chaofeng said heartlessly, "For people who only know each other for two days, what does life or death have to do with you?"


    "You!" The Xiaowan was extremely angry, "Even if it has nothing to do with me, she is still a customer in the shop, and is your friend right?"


    "Yeah, what about you?" Ling Chaofeng''s eyes were cold, as though even if the Mrs. Sun were to pass away, he would not feel the slightest bit sad.


    But Xiaowan said with sadness, "You guessed that Mrs. Sun would poison me, right? But you stopped me from shouting, and you just watched her take the poison. Manager Ling, you''re really ruthless."


    Ling Chaofeng raised his head and looked at his coldly with a strange glint in his eyes. It was as if Xiaowan''s words had touched him, or perhaps it had some other meaning.


    He laughed coldly, "Madam is not poisoned. She is sick, so don''t let your imagination run wild."


    Xiaowan was startled, she rushed in front of Ling Chaofeng: "Impossible, in the afternoon, you clearly ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng suddenly pinched her mouth. Although it wasn''t very hard, it still made Xiaowan''s face change shape. This kind of action would cause people to be afraid, but it was the same for Xiaowan.


    Ling Chaofeng saw the fear and stubbornness in his crystal eyes and an indescribable emotion in his heart. He loosened his hand, but his words were still as cold as ever: "Don''t speak nonsense, stay in the house obediently. There''s nothing for you to do downstairs."


    Xiaowan refused to listen, and turned around to leave. Ling Chaofeng berated: "Mu Xiaowan, don''t refuse a toast only to be punished."


    "Are you going to hit me or tie me up?" Xiaowan''s eyes were brimming with tears, "Or kill me?"


    "You mean, I killed Mrs. Sun?" Ling Chaofeng''s eyes were like ice.


    "Otherwise?" The Xiaowan stared at him.


    The two of them stood very close to each other as Ling Chaofeng looked down from above: "You seem to really like to meddle in other people''s business. If you didn''t meddle in other people''s business, you might have already found the person you were looking for and know where your father is.


    Xiaowan made up her mind. Before she left the Ling Xiao Inn, no matter what, she had to return the money to him.


    But unexpectedly, Ling Chaofeng changed the subject: "If you''re looking for your father, and you want to end the engagement with me, then the one hundred silver coins for the betrothal gift and the money I gave to the matchmaker will both be returned to me. "A total of one hundred and twenty silver taels, plus two taels."


    It was one hundred and twenty ¡­ 2 taels. The little bowl subconsciously began to calculate. It even slightly lowered its head, and its fingers were exposed from its sleeves. It seemed like it could not calculate and was breaking its fingers.


    Ling Chaofeng slightly shook his head and said, "One hundred and one year and eight months."


    Xiaowan suddenly raised her head and said: "Using the wages to pay for it, you will have to stay in the shop for such a long time. Of course, if your father pays for you, then we''re even. If you want to break off the engagement, it means that you have to break the engagement. You or your father will have to go to the yamen to get beaten and even go to jail. If I come to break off the engagement, it means that you have to divorce your wife.


    Xiaowan lowered her eyes and unconsciously clenched her fists. However, her mind was completely blank.


    Then she hoped that Mrs. Sun would not die, that Mrs. Sun was a good person, she would care if he was abused, and she still wanted to apply the medicine on himself. If ¡­


    He could only wipe it with the back of his hand. Raising his slightly embarrassed face, he said to Ling Chaofeng: "If there was someone who was meddling in other people''s business, I wouldn''t be beaten up by the empress every day. If there was someone who was meddling in other people''s business, I wouldn''t always be full of food, and it''s because no one was meddling in other people''s business that I was married to you. No one has ever come to bother about me, nor would anyone save me.


    She was very sad, and it was hard for her to say anything, but she still said forcefully, "I will definitely pay you back, just let me go, okay? I would rather go to jail than to marry you."


    The delicate person trembled from crying as she looked at Ling Chaofeng with longing.


    "Didn''t I come to save you?" Ling Chaofeng said, "That night when I didn''t come to save you, you were sold to a brothel."


    Xiaowan was startled, then Ling Chaofeng extended his hand to pinch her face, but rudely wiped away her tears: "What are you crying for, I hit you, you got scolded?"


    "I ¡­"


    "Before we break off the engagement, you are my wife, and no one will hit you or starve you." Ling Chaofeng said, "If there comes a day that I break the engagement, you will have your wish, but before that, work hard, and save up enough money to return it to me."


    Xiaowan looked at him blankly. Why couldn''t she understand?


    "Eat the food, don''t wait for it to turn sour. It''s a waste of food." After Ling Chaofeng finished speaking, he was about to leave.


    "But ¡­" Xiaowan was confused. What just happened?


    "Oh right, if you really want to calculate the money clearly, then the money Grandma redeemed her daughter-in-law that night should count as yours?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "Huh?"


    "One thousand taels." Ling Chaofeng said.


    Xiaowan''s heart trembled, her face lit up: "You, you''re saying?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I have paid off her debts, and have also redeemed my daughter-in-law."


    The sky in Xiaowan''s eyes immediately turned blue as he asked in surprise, "Really?"


    Ling Chaofeng pointed to her hand: "Grandma left this ring for you."


    So the Jade Ring on the ring finger that she could not take off was given to her by her grandma. Xiaowan raised her right hand in shock: "This ring?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "This ring, spent one thousand gold."


    Xiaowan swallowed her saliva. If she couldn''t live past a hundred years with a thousand taels, then wouldn''t she have to be together with Ling Chaofeng after reincarnating for a dozen or so lifetimes?


    "Be honest." Ling Chaofeng was still as fierce as ever, "Don''t make me angry."

 C13

    "I''ll give you the ring." Xiaowan said with a serious face, "Then a thousand silver is not mine."


    Ling Chaofeng rolled his eyes at her as he tried his best to take off the ring, but the ring seemed to be growing on her hand and he couldn''t take it off.


    "This ring ¡­" Ling Chaofeng had already left, without saying a word, the Xiaowan grumbled, "One thousand gold, I don''t even know what the next life is going to be like, what exactly is this person thinking?"


    She subconsciously walked to the door and opened it slightly, wanting to see what was outside. However, she saw that when Ling Chaofeng went downstairs, the Second Madam was waiting for him with a smile.


    Xiaowan saw her give something that looked like a money pouch to Ling Chaofeng, and then, as if she was afraid that Lord Sun or someone else would see, she quickly ran away.


    Could it be that the Second Madam gave Ling Chaofeng money, bribed him, and killed the both of them?


    Thinking about that, the Xiaowan was scared and angry at the same time, she slammed the door shut. Ling Chaofeng heard his and lightly looked up the stairs. Xiaowan was regretful that she did not manage to understand Ling Chaofeng. Would this anger him, provoke him, and what kind of ending would it bring about?


    Suddenly, his stomach growled, causing Xiaowan to be hungry. He turned around and saw a bowl of wontons on the table. Each of them was wrapped in a filling bag. The white and fat rice was extremely alluring.


    She sat down to eat first. She ate a mouthful of lentinus pork, shrimp filling, and shepherd''s purse filling, eating a total of ten silver ingots, making Xiaowan''s stomach swell to the point that it almost burst out of her body.


    She rubbed her stomach and sighed softly. If there really was a butcher selling meat buns here, I don''t know what she just ate, but it''s really too delicious. Unknowingly ¡­ Since yesterday, she felt as if she had eaten more food than she had in the past seventeen years, so she naturally didn''t exaggerate anything. Since yesterday, she felt as if she had eaten more food than she had in the past seventeen years, so she naturally didn''t exaggerate.


    It''s not cold and hungry here, it''s not cold and cold here, it''s cold." She remembered what Ling Chaofeng had said. Ling Chaofeng had said that before the marriage annulment, she was his wife, and no one would ever hit her again.


    Xiaowan raised her sleeves. The bruises on her wrist that were tied up were still very eye-catching, and if she went up any further, there would be old wounds that had been whipped by the thorns, causing her back to be filled with wounds.


    Since she was young, she would beat her with whatever her stepmother got. The worst case scenario was if her stepmother lent the family''s silver to her good brothers before New Year''s Eve, but her stepmother was so angry that she didn''t dare to cause trouble with her father. She would beat her to death while her father was busy with the New Year stuff.


    She walked over to the mirror and brushed her thick black hair away. Her white scalp was scarred, and she was covered with wounds, everywhere, and in her heart.


    Xiaowan looked at the house again carefully. This was her wedding room, even if she was unwilling to admit it, she had already married. She didn''t know what kind of person Ling Chaofeng was, but he was actually the first person in this world to say such a thing to her.


    She no longer had to be afraid of getting beaten, and no longer needed to go hungry. However, she had to be Ling Chaofeng''s wife and stay in the Ling Xiao Inn.


    "Mother, what should I do ¡­" Xiaowan was choked with sobs, but at this time, she heard someone crying downstairs. Someone was crying, "Madam, Madam ¡­"


    Mrs. Sun? Xiaowan''s body tensed up, she ran to the door and stood at the top of the stairs to look down. The weeping of the female servants became even clearer, their mistress, was dead.


    Xiaowan fell to the ground. A good person, a good person died just like that?


    Ling Chaofeng walked up from below and instantly felt that the Xiaowan was here. He didn''t know how the Xiaowan understood the gaze he passed over, but he wanted him to return to his room and stay there.


    There was no place forhisr to get involved to, and he was not too familiar with Mrs. Sun either. Regretfully, her life was inevitable, and because of this, Xiaowan could not even do something as heartbroken as dying. She was afraid. When she gradually began to feel that this wasn''t a murder shop, he could only watch one person die before his eyes.


    It seemed that even the magistrate was alarmed. When dawn arrived, Ling Chaofeng pushed open the door and entered the room, knocking over the person who was hugging his knees and sitting on the door.


    Xiaowan crawled up in a daze, looking up at him blankly.


    Ling Chaofeng was furious: You sat on the ground for an entire night?


    Xiaowan was a bit more clear-headed, her lips moved slightly, she did not say anything, but the man had already reached out her hand, pulling herself up from the ground.


    Ling Chaofeng said coldly, "Wash your face and rinse your mouth. Lord Sun is going to the pier to send off his guests."


    Xiaowan asked: "Where''s the Madam?"


    Ling Chaofeng replied: Let the servants carry the coffins back to the village. The Lord Sun has other matters to attend to, they need to complete some tasks first, as for the matters that they need to complete, after leaving the inn, it has nothing to do with me.


    Sure enough, this man was cold and merciless. Xiaowan smiled bitterly and turned around, feeling weird: "I''m going to send you off too?"


    Afterwards, the Xiaowan sat in a carriage and followed the Lord Sun''s group to the Baisha River Pier. The official ship was big and beautiful, with guards waiting for the Lord Sun along the shore. She was wearing a bright red dress, with a head full of jade like golden hairpin. It was such a joyous look, as if nothing had happened, as if the night had passed and they had completely forgotten about Mrs. Sun.


    Second Madam was in high spirits, as if he had met a great fortune. He followed Lord Sun to meet Ling Chaofeng and warmly pulled him along: "So you are Manager Ling''s wife. This jade bracelet will be treated as a greeting gift. young lady, we will meet again. "


    As she spoke, she slipped her bracelet into Xiaowan''s wrist and then said to her husband: "Master, it''s about time, I don''t dare to delay your business."


    Lord Sun brought her onto the boat. When Xiaowan thought about how Second Madam had insulted him yesterday that she was a chicken that could not lay eggs, and how she had flattered and seduced Ling Chaofeng with enchanting words, she became inexplicably angry. She glared at the man beside her and unconsciously clenched her fists.


    Xiaowan thought as she took off the bracelet. Suddenly, someone screamed and looked up, to see that the Second Madam had actually stepped on empty air and fallen head first into the Baisha River.


    The guards panicked and jumped into the water one by one to save her. When Second Madam was dragged up, he was so scared that his face turned pale and his body became miserable.


    The Xiaowan was startled, but Ling Chaofeng did not move. He watched indifferently as the official ship left, and the pier immediately became quiet.


    "Let''s go." Ling Chaofeng said, "Return to the inn."


    However, Xiaowan suddenly ran towards the riverside. Ling Chaofeng frowned, but saw that she forcefully threw the jade bracelet into the Baisha River, patted his hands angrily, then ran back with an angry look on his face and said: "Let''s go."

 C14

    Ling Chaofeng originally thought that Mu Xiaowan was going to escape, but she just threw the jade bracelet on the ground and ran back to him. He didn''t know why, but he was furious when he saw her clumsily climb onto the horse carriage. When their gazes met, two days ago, she had seen the fear of the plague, but today, she always carried a bit of contempt, as if he looked down on himself.


    Along the way back to the inn, the two of them were both silent. Ling Chaofeng recalled how many times he had talked privately with the Second Madam, but was met each time by Mu Xiaowan.


    When the carriage returned to the inn, he extended his hand to Xiaowan to help her off the carriage. Xiaowan glanced at him and slowly climbed down.


    Aunt Zhang burned paper money in front of her door and asked the two of them to step over the brazier. Xiaowan didn''t know so many rules, so when her aunt asked her to do it, she did. However, when the flames were extinguished and the bronze pot was pitch-black, it seemed as though it had been used to burn something. Could it be that countless people had died here?


    The Main Hall became empty again as he followed Aunt Zhang to clean the guest rooms. Every room was empty, and sure enough, in the past three to four days, other than Lord Sun, the rest of the guests had never come back.


    Perhaps they had to avoid the officials of the capital, as ordinary people did not dare to come and stay, but today, Lord Sun had left. After staying in the hall for half a day, countless people rushed to the door and stayed far away from the inn, as if they were afraid of being sucked in if they got any closer.


    That night, Xiaowan was woken up by the noise in her dreams. The rhythmic sound was like she was chopping meat. She walked out of the room, leaned on the railing and looked down. There was a light in the kitchen.


    His hands unconsciously covered his chest, listening to the "duo duo" sound. Tears flowed from his eyes. Could ¡­ could it be that they were chopping off his grandson ¡­


    At this time, in the darkness, with a hand on Xiaowan''s shoulder, she was so scared that she lost her courage.


    Everyone came out. At the third floor''s staircase, Xiaowan was sitting on the floor, holding onto the railing and trembling, while Ling Chaofeng stood at the side with a blank look on his face.


    Xiaowan kept on crying. Even when she was brought downstairs, she still cried. When Aunt Zhang asked her what was wrong, she could not say anything. At this time, Uncle Biao came out from the kitchen with two kitchen knives, his bib was covered with blood, such a tall and sturdy man, it seemed that with every step he took, a hole could be made in the ground, who knows when, the knife in his hand would be used to chop himself into pieces.


    Terrified, she crawled under the table and begged, "Don''t kill me, don''t kill me ¡­"


    "What happened to the child?" Aunt Zhang squatted beside the table and tried to pull her out, "Evening, what happened?"


    Ling Chaofeng pushed away the heavy table with one hand and because he was carrying the legs of the table, Xiaowan was dragged along the floor. But in the next moment, Ling Chaofeng bent down to pick her up, and the little girl cried so much that she looked pitiful.


    Ershan held the candlestick, and softly spoke from the side: "Uncle, did you wake up the inner manager?"


    Uncle Biao was startled: "I''m chopping meat, preparing the filling."


    Upstairs, the Xiaowan knew that her struggles were useless, or perhaps she was scared to the point of exhaustion. Ling Chaofeng carried her all the way back to the house.


    Even after lying down, his body was still trembling, Xiaowan bit her lips, but his body was suddenly ripped apart, she opened his eyes, and Ling Chaofeng''s face was in front of him, his eyes were extremely beautiful, with pitch black pupils, as though she was hiding her world.


    "You, what are you trying to do?" Xiaowan''s heart trembled as she used her strength to push the man''s body away.


    Her heart almost jumped out of her throat. She wasn''t frightened just now, but at such a close distance. A man of such beauty, her nominal husband, she didn''t know what would happen next.


    He had already seen her naked body. If anything else happened, she would ¡­ Wait, Xiaowan suddenly remembered that on the night of their marriage, she was brought back by Ling Chaofeng and was unconscious for an entire night. Aunt Zhang only said that it was him who gave her a bath, then what about after that? Could it be that on that night ¡­


    "Did you do anything to me?" Xiaowan asked with tears in her eyes, "On the night I escaped, what did you do to me?"


    "What do you want me to do?" Ling Chaofeng coldly asked, "I gave you a bath, then what?"


    The Xiaowan was furious, embarrassed and anxious. Hot blooded, she raised her hand to slap Ling Chaofeng on the face, but Ling Chaofeng caught him, not touching him at all. He sneered: "You want to hit me?"


    Even Ling Chaofeng did not expect Mu Xiaowan to be so "unyielding", and perhaps unyielding was not the most appropriate way to describe it. But at this moment, the petite girl pounced forward, and when one of her hands was grabbed, she seized the opportunity to grab hold of her own hand and bit into her wrist with her mouth, as though her strength was going to pierce through flesh.


    Xiaowan was once again thrown onto the bed, the tall and big man glared at her fiercely, his wide chest rising and falling like a flame. Only then did she feel a bit of fear, not knowing whether he would beat her to death to vent his anger, and what was terrifying was not a beating, but a beating ¡­ Xiaowan held onto her chest, thinking about how she would die if Ling Chaofeng dared to rape her.


    "Uncle Biao is chopping pork, preparing to sell the meat stuffing to the tomorrow." Ling Chaofeng shook his hands, it had been so many years since someone hurt him, he was angry now, "Don''t make everyone uncomfortable, if you keep making trouble, I won''t be polite anymore."


    Xiaowan hugged her chest and stared at him. She wasn''t afraid since she was dead anyway. This man took Second Madam''s money to help her harm Mrs. Sun. She had a valiant temperament, but was actually so filthy deep down in her bones.


    "Sleep early. Tomorrow morning, I''m going to the Baisha Town to sell buns. Don''t be unable to wake up, the shop doesn''t feed idle people." After Ling Chaofeng finished, he turned and was about to leave.


    "I''m not going." The Xiaowan said.


    Ling Chaofeng looked back at her coldly. "What did you say?"


    "I''m not going, and I''m not asking you to raise it. I''ll be working for you for the next few days. One hundred silver taels will be lying in my house. If you have the ability, go and get it from my stepmother." Xiaowan threw caution to the wind, no one knew who gave her the guts, and she stretched out her right hand. "You can take this ring off if you want, or cut off my finger, since I don''t owe you anything."


    Ling Chaofeng walked over and grabbed her ring finger. The faint pain made Xiaowan''s entire body tense up, and he asked: Break her now?


    Xiaowan was extremely righteous, but Ling Chaofeng took the opportunity to push her backwards. After she lies down, he pulled over her blanket and said, "If you continue talking rubbish, if you move even a little, I will strip you naked and tie you outside the inn. Do you believe me?"


    "It''s up to you to kill or cut, who are you trying to scare?" In the past, every time she was beaten into despair by her stepmother, she would want to court death. But she did not have a chance, she did not even have the courage to seek death, she wanted to escape, but she did not have a chance either. If she could not walk out of the Qingling Village, she would be caught, and would then be given a fierce beating.


    Actually, marriage was the last hope of her life, but in the end, she couldn''t help but come to this baffling place.


    "How could Mrs. Sun let you down? You want to help others and harm her? You are so malicious." Xiaowan sat up, her face red, she had even taken off her pajamas by herself. "You want to tie me up outside? You tie me up, I''ll take it off myself, you tie me up?"


    Ling Chaofeng was stunned for a moment, seeing Xiaowan''s shoulders being exposed and her chest being exposed, he frowned, wrapped him up tightly in the blanket, and threatened her with a fierce tone: "Don''t refuse a toast, do you really want to be beaten?"


    "Don''t you know? I was beaten up since I was young, would I be afraid of you? " Xiaowan gasped heavily, her body was bound by a quilt. Somehow, it made her feel at ease. The man had no intention of taking off her clothes, and he didn''t seem to know how to hit her.


    Imagine, if she had gone crazy from talking back to her stepmother, her stepmother would definitely have hung her up and beat his up. However, Ling Chaofeng had only used a quilt to cover her naked body.


    Xiaowan''s eyes were brimming with tears, but she asked. "Why do you want to harm Mrs. Sun?"


    This guy, how much jumping was he thinking, how did he end up thinking about Mrs. Sun?


    "It''s not me who killed her, nor is it Second Madam who killed her." Ling Chaofeng said, "I never kill people."


    Ling Chaofeng was at a loss. Ling Chaofeng wiped away her tears: "I already said, the inn''s door is open, you can leave at any time, and you won''t be able to leave. With your ability, you have to understand, before we go to the yamen to break the engagement, you will be my wife even if you walk to the ends of the earth."


    "If you don''t leave, you''re someone from the Ling Xiao Inn. You''ll understand what''s going on in the inn sooner or later." Ling Chaofeng said, "You will be afraid, I don''t blame you, but you won''t be able to finish after a few words. You are so agitated now, you won''t be able to hear it even if you say it."


    Xiaowan looked straight at him, and after a long while he said, "You won''t kill me?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head: "No one will kill you, but you are the most obedient. I already said that, don''t make me angry, if you continue messing around, I will not be courteous anymore."


    Xiaowan''s gaze softened. She was extremely tired from tormenting herself like this, so Ling Chaofeng rudely wiped away her tears. Under the candlelight, she saw a circle of teeth marks on the man''s wrist.


    "Close your eyes." Ling Chaofeng said.


    Xiaowan pursed her lips, blinked her eyes, and closed her eyes.


    She felt that Ling Chaofeng had not left, that person seemed to have been by his bed all this time, she wanted to open his eyes to take a look, but he did not have the guts. Or perhaps she was too tired, and did not even have the strength to lift his eyelids.


    Xiaowan followed the fragrance and ran into the kitchen. Coincidentally, a tray of buns came out of the wok, when she opened the box, a white mist permeated the air and Xiaowan''s stomach rumbled. She blushed shyly.


    Aunt Zhang took out a fat meat bun and gave it to her. "You must be hungry.


    Holding the scalding meat bun in her hands, Xiaowan hesitated. Thinking back to last night when Ling Chaofeng said that Uncle Biao was chopping pork, she bit it and the soup came out, scalding her lips, making her flustered.


    "Silly child, be careful of the heat." Aunt Zhang quickly passed a bowl to her.


    When Ling Chaofeng returned from the outside of the shop, he heard the laughter and looked towards the kitchen. The Xiaowan was in high spirits as he smiled and said, "I have never eaten meat buns before.

 C15

    As Xiaowan ate her buns, she inadvertently saw Ling Chaofeng. Seeming a little guilty, she pretended not to see it and deliberately carried him on her back.


    Aunt Zhang walked out and said, "Shopkeeper, after breakfast, we will be going to town."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, "Go early and come back early."


    Xiaowan finished the steamed bun in her hand slowly, then turned around. The person had already left.


    Not long after, Ershan got a carriage and they put a tray of buns on the carriage. The Aunt Zhang and the Xiaowan sat inside the carriage and watched as the carriage was opened.


    The carriage leisurely drove towards Baisha Town. Aunt Zhang even grabbed two oranges when she left the house and leisurely skinned them to give to Xiaowan. Xiaowan was stunned for a moment and did not dare to pick them up.


    Her aunt asked her, "Won''t you eat the white tendons? If you eat the fire."


    Xiaowan took the tangerine and held it in her hands as she continued to peel it. Suddenly, she heard young lady say: "These few days, I have been eating a lot of good things every day. If I can''t eat them in the future, I will be very sad."


    "How can it not be eaten? As long as you like it, you can eat it every day." The Aunt Zhang laughed, "This is also not a good thing, it''s just a common food."


    Xiaowan laughed as she tore an orange and placed it in her mouth. She had sour, sweet and juicy taste, completely removing all the fat from the meat buns that she had eaten. She had eaten orange before when she was young and had almost forgotten the taste of oranges.


    Aunt Zhang was eating an orange. Seeing that the young lady was deep in thought, she thought about what she had said just now and asked: "Evening, do you still want to run? When we get to town, will you run? "


    Xiaowan quickly waved her hands, "Aunt, I won''t run. I ¡­ I promise Manager Ling to wait for my father to come pick me up."


    Aunt Zhang thought for a moment, then asked: "So you still have to leave. Evening, are you that unwilling to marry into our shopkeeper?"


    Xiaowan lowered her head, holding onto the orange, unwilling to eat it.


    "Do you believe my aunt?"


    "Yes." The Xiaowan nodded.


    "Didn''t I tell you? We don''t sell meat buns, we don''t kill people, and we don''t rob people. We do business properly, not undercover shops." The Aunt Zhang patiently and gently said, "The shopkeeper is a good person, and a good man. "And you being so beautiful and obedient, it''s his fortune to marry you. What a good couple, why don''t you want to marry them?"


    "But ¡­" The Xiaowan was speechless, that''s right, if it wasn''t a black shop, if Ling Chaofeng didn''t kill people to steal their goods, why wouldn''t she marry him?


    "With regards to the Mrs. Sun, you''ll understand in a few days." Aunt Zhang rubbed her head, "I''ve seen it a lot in the shop, so you won''t be surprised. If you trust me, look carefully at our shopkeeper, and see if he is someone worthy for me to entrust. "Moreover, you two have already gotten married. If he were to divorce you, how will you marry in the future? If you don''t marry and stay at home, your ¡­"


    When Xiaowan saw that Aunt Zhang had suddenly stopped, she reached out and gently lifted her sleeves, and said with a pained heart: "I know that you were tied up on the day of your marriage with a wound on your wrist, but I didn''t know that you still have a wound on your arm. Mrs. Sun asked me why, but how could I answer that? Poor child, if you go home, won''t you be abused by her again? "


    Xiaowan''s eyes were hazy with tears and she said grievingly: "Aunt, even if my father comes, he must be trying to persuade me to be more obedient. He won''t take me away after following Manager Ling for a long time."


    She knew better than anyone that her own father did not care about her. If he only cared about her, how could he let her be mistreated at home for more than ten years? In the past, even if she purposely showed him her scars, he would pretend not to see them.


    Aunt Zhang took a handkerchief and wiped her tears, saying, "Since you know about it, what else do I need?"


    Xiaowan was stunned. Yes, what did she expect?


    The Aunt Zhang smiled and said: "Look, you''ve run past and cried too. I saw a bite mark on the shopkeeper''s wrist, did you bite it?"


    Xiaowan''s face flushed red. She laughed and said, "If the shopkeeper was a bad person, could he possibly allow you to go through so much trouble? Broke your legs. "


    That''s right, Ling Chaofeng was very fierce, but he had never even touched his.


    Very quickly, they reached the Baisha Town. Xiaowan was no longer crying, instead she leaned on the window and looked outside. She noticed that when the passersby saw the carriage containing the Ling Xiao Inn, they all stopped to look, or to point in groups of three or five, and everyone''s eyes flashed with a sense of curiosity.


    The horse carriage stopped at the end of the bridge. Ershan and Uncle Biao jumped off the carriage and neatly and familiarly set up a stall.


    In the blink of an eye, the steamed buns had been steamed and the hot fragrance of the steamed buns was drifting in the wind. Uncle Biao stood at the top of the bridge with his hands on his hips and shouted to the passersby, "Sell the steamed buns!"


    Xiaowan stood at the side, looking at the people who were passing by, many of them seemed to be afraid of Uncle Biao, they would stay far away from the bridge once they got off, and there were even some who did not dare to go onto the bridge, muttering in their hearts, could this steamed bun be sold?


    But very quickly, a regular customer came over and bought ten steamed buns in one go. He even exchanged a few words with the Uncle Biao and sized his up with a new gaze.


    Xiaowan used to rarely go out, so it was inevitable that she would be shy when she was looked at by so many people.


    After this wave, more and more people came to buy buns. Before noon, the five boxes of buns had all been sold out.


    The Uncle Biao said, "You guys go back first, I''ll go drink some tea and listen to the book twice."


    The Aunt Zhang was displeased: "Tea or wine? "If you want me to smell alcohol when you come back, it''ll be even better than that!"


    Uncle Biao laughed as he sent her wife and Xiaowan to the carriage. He repeatedly reminded Ershan to be careful when driving the carriage before he parted ways with them.


    The carriage passed by the street, Aunt Zhang saw someone selling candied fruits, so she made Ershan stop the carriage. She bought a bunch of candied fruits from the window, which Xiaowan happily received and gave to her aunt to eat first.


    The horse carriage left. A middle-aged woman wearing a coarse robe walked over and asked the person selling the candied fruits, "Where did this horse carriage come from?"


    That person said, "Did you not see the lantern hanging in front of the carriage? Did you hear about the famous Ling Xiao Inn? The lady of Lord Sun who came to the capital died in their shop. "


    Xiaowan ate a sweet gourd as she watched Aunt Zhang count the money. She remembered the rumours she heard from the village women while she was being tied up in the woodshed, and asked Aunt Zhang why they ran to the town to sell buns at the tavern.


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "Every time you receive an esteemed guest, there will always be a lot of leftover ingredients. We can''t finish them all either, so we''ll just leave the leftovers here to rot. Your Uncle Biao will chop all these ingredients into filling buns to sell."


    That said, Xiaowan felt that it made sense. That day, she saw Uncle Biao carrying half a plate of fat pigs, so she asked: "We all came out, and Uncle Biao is not here, what if there are customers in the shop?"


    The Aunt Zhang looked at her and laughed deeply. In fact, the Xiaowan herself knew the answer, there was no business in the inn.


    When they returned to the inn, she had been sitting in the shop for most of the day. When the sun set, Uncle Biao wobbled back to the inn, but there wasn''t even a shadow of a customer in the shop.


    Xiaowan shook her head. This was not something she should worry about. After dinner, she took the initiative to go to the well and wash the dishes. Now, she dared to unceremoniously roll up her sleeves, unwilling to let such good materials soak in the water.


    Just as he was fetching a bucket of water, he suddenly saw a woman walking towards him. Borrowing the light from the back door, with a clang sound, the bucket fell and the Xiaowan opened his eyes wide.


    Her voice trembled as she asked, "Se-Mrs. Sun?"


    The night was dark, Ershan closed the shop door, bolted the door, and checked every inch of the place with a lantern. Lifting his head, he saw a shadow of a bride walking past on the third floor, heading towards the shopkeeper''s house.


    Xiaowan carried Ling Chaofeng''s clothes and washed them neatly. After hesitating for a long time, she still knocked on the door.


    "Come in." Ling Chaofeng said from inside the house.


    "I''m coming in." When he opened the door, he found that the room was actually the same as their "wedding room". The only difference was that there were no red and happy words written on the bed, and the room was neat and tidy. Ling Chaofeng was currently sitting in front of his desk, looking at her expressionlessly.


    "My clothes are all washed. I''ll leave them here." Xiaowan put down her clothes. Seeing that Ling Chaofeng was still writing with her head down, she wanted to leave, but after thinking for a moment, he turned back and lowered her head as he softly said, "Manager Ling, I am sorry. I have wronged you."


    It turned out that Mrs. Sun did indeed want to poison Second Madam to death. At that time, the souphee cooked did not have any poison, but the soup he cooked had poison on it. When she gave it to Second Madam, she wanted it to kill her, including the red bean soup in the afternoon.


    However, when she saw the Second Madam bringing the soup back to her, she felt that this was fate.


    Ling Chaofeng had long since sensed the Mrs. Sun''s murderous intent. No matter if it was to kill the Second Madam or himself, the poison had been lost, and although the appearance of someone spitting blood and fainting was extremely terrifying, it was not life-threatening. The doctor that was invited, was naturally also Ling Chaofeng''s person. The doctor was not going to treat Mrs. Sun, but to ask her, if she wanted to live or die.


    The Mrs. Sun said to the Xiaowan: "Grief is greater than death. Evening, I don''t want to live with that man anymore. However, the head storekeeper said that it was not worth dying for them. Since I have already died once, I am free now. "


    There were some words that the Xiaowan could not understand, but after Ling Chaofeng brought his men over, they took the carriage and brought the Mrs. Sun away.


    No matter what, she knew that she had wronged someone.


    At this moment, Ling Chaofeng did not make a sound, but continued writing by himself. After he was done, he slowly put the letter away and stuffed it into an envelope before saying, "I will write and send someone to look for your father. If everything goes well, your father will be able to come by around the fifteenth of the eighth month. Of course, if we can''t find it, then we have to find something else. "


    Xiaowan''s heart was inexplicably empty. She looked at Ling Chaofeng with sorrow, her red lips slightly trembling: "My father will not care about me, look for him ¡­ ¡­ "It''s useless. I just have no other choice, that''s why I said that."


    Ling Chaofeng stood up and walked in front of her: "Then what do you want to do?"


    Xiaowan held her hands together, her left hand held onto the Jade Ring on the ring finger of her right hand tightly, her head drooped down until it was almost buried in her clothes, she said: "Manager Ling, can you keep me here, I''ll work for the shop, I don''t need to take money, I don''t need to live in such a good house, don''t need to wear such good clothes, as long as there is a place to sleep, I can eat."


    Ling Chaofeng lifted her chin, and then raised his other hand, revealing the teeth marks on his wrist: "You even bit me."


    Xiaowan muttered, "I''m sorry ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Then let me bite back."

 C16

    Xiaowan looked at Ling Chaofeng foolishly, but he used his bitten hand to grab his own hand and placed it by her mouth, exposing her dense white teeth.


    "Then you ¡­" "Can you be a bit lighter?" Tears welled up in young lady''s eyes. They moistened her long and thick eyelashes, and suddenly became crystal clear, causing people to be unable to help their eyes from staring at her beautiful eyes.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "The shop does not lack people, if there is one more you, it would mean that you are raising idle people. Your so-called work, is not worth the expenses for your living, what do you think should be done?"


    "Really?" Xiaowan was very disappointed.


    "How about I bite you twice?" Ling Chaofeng said, "Let me take a few bites, then you can stay."


    Xiaowan''s heartbeat stopped her from breathing. What kind of logic was this, would he really bite her? How heavy was she going to bite her?


    Tears rolled down her face as she thought about it. She held her head against it and said softly, "En, go ahead and bite."


    "You''d rather let me bite off your hand than be my wife?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    Xiaowan raised his eyes in panic. His eyes were filled with doubt.


    However, Ling Chaofeng used the hand he used to lift her chin before, and wrapped it around his slim waist, fixing his gaze on Xiaowan''s face: "Bite it back, from now on, you are my shop''s assistant. I will go to the yamen to dissolve our marriage, and you will be free."


    Freedom?


    Today was the second time she heard someone saying this word, but the "freedom" that the Mrs. Sun said was definitely different from what Ling Chaofeng said. She could feel the ease with which the Mrs. Sun felt the pain of suffering being released, why did it come from Ling Chaofeng''s mouth, causing her to feel a little disappointed.


    Seeing that the man was about to stuff his hand into her mouth and his white teeth was about to touch her skin, Xiaowan subconsciously wanted to retract his hand. "Don''t bite me, I''m afraid of pain, I don''t want to ¡­"


    She struggled very hard, but her wrist was held tightly by Ling Chaofeng. It hurt when it touched the wound left by her by the bundle, as if she had forgotten that she was being hugged by Ling Chaofeng.


    Suddenly, a gentle kiss landed on the back of her hand. Another time, that fierce man smiled warmly at her. His silent mouth seemed to say three words, "I can''t bear to part with it."


    Xiaowan stared at him in a daze. Her rapidly beating heart seemed to have stopped in an instant.


    His eyes were moist and filled with a man''s face. Even if the candle light was not as bright as the day, it did not diminish his handsomeness and elegance. He was so good-looking. How could such a good-looking man be a bad guy?


    Ling Chaofeng saw that she had gone stupid and laughed helplessly: "Still the same old saying, the inn''s door is open, tomorrow you can leave whenever you want, and I won''t come after you again. Once you leave this door, I''ll be responsible for my life and death later, if you get caught meddling in other people''s business and want to sell to the brothels, I won''t come to save you. "After you leave, I will go to the yamen to cancel the engagement. From now on, you will be free."


    Xiaowan lowered her eyes. She really wanted to leave.


    Ling Chaofeng loosened all of his restraints on her, "The day after tomorrow, I will be moving to the other side to sleep, you can leave, but you can''t stay either, understand?"


    She had two days to think about being his wife. Mu Xiaowan seemed to have become smarter.


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "If you don''t leave after two days, you''ll never be able to leave in this lifetime. If you don''t listen to me in the future, I have plenty of ways to make you listen to me."


    In his eyes, there was a domineering aura that could conquer all. But why was it that Xiaowan saw a touch of gentleness staring right into her heart?


    The night quickly passed, and early in the morning, everyone sat together to eat breakfast. Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng sat together on a bench, and from the corner of their eyes, they could see the man''s face, but no matter what, they did not dare look him straight in the eye.


    She didn''t know that her face was flushed red, causing Aunt Zhang to touch her forehead worriedly: "Evening, are you having a fever? Why is my face so red, I can''t get it hot just by touching it. "


    Xiaowan stuffed an egg pancake in her mouth and said vaguely, "I don''t have a fever ¡­"


    After that, all day long, Xiaowan wiped the floor of the tavern clean. Aunt Zhang told her to go up the mountain to pick some wild vegetables, but she did not go, as she wanted to go to the town to listen to the books and ask if she wanted to go. Xiaowan waved her hands and said, "I''m waiting for Aunt to come back and pick some vegetables with her."


    Since there was nothing else she could do, she moved a chair and sat in front of the shop, looking at the Baisha Town, which was also the direction of the Qingling Village.


    When the Aunt Zhang returned from the mountain, she thought that the Xiaowan wanted to leave. When Ling Chaofeng saw this, he also thought that Mu Xiaowan was seriously considering whether she wanted to leave or go somewhere else.


    But in reality, Xiaowan was hoping for the sun to set in the west, while Baisha Town and Qingling Village were both in the west side of the inn.


    Finally, a day had passed. As he lay in bed in the dead of night, he remembered Ling Chaofeng''s words that he would be coming to this room tomorrow night. Then, he would be lying on the bed ¡­


    Seeing that the oil lamp on the table had not been extinguished, she joked that it would be better if it was extinguished just by blowing it once. She was too lazy to get up, so she blew on it lightly.


    Xiaowan immediately sat up. The curtains were quiet and no wind blew in from the outside. The bed was so far away from the table, how could it be blown out in one breath?


    "Is the oil gone, or is the wick burnt out?" It must be a coincidence, Xiaowan thought as she collapsed again.


    At dawn, the Xiaowan woke up. The inn was quiet, as there were no guests in such a large building, it was completely empty.


    She went down the stairs and saw Ling Chaofeng coming out of the kitchen. He had already changed his clothes.


    They looked at each other, and saw that Xiaowan was dressed neatly. Was she leaving at this hour to bid farewell to Aunt Zhang?


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart sank. What he had said, was obviously something to be reckoned with. On the night of their marriage, he had already understood that if Mu Xiaowan was unwilling, then no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn''t be able to force it.


    He walked past Xiaowan indifferently, when he heard the question from behind him: "Are you coming back for lunch?"


    Ling Chaofeng looked back at her: "Come back at night."


    Xiaowan seemed to tremble. "Then ¡­ Be careful on the way back early. "

 C17

    Her eyes reflected her face, and she was no longer afraid of the mess of emotions. She looked at him so clearly.


    Ling Chaofeng gently lifted her face, and said with great concern: "It''s even colder today, add on a set of clothes."


    Xiaowan nodded, when this person wasn''t fierce towards her, he was really good-looking, to the point that people would become infatuated with him when they saw him.


    The two of them walked to the door, and not long later, Ling Chaofeng rode on his horse. Xiaowan held the door open, looking at the dust that had settled, the faint figure hoped that he would return soon, she still had a lot of things to say.


    "Evening?" He suddenly heard the Aunt Zhang''s exclamation and hurriedly ran to the door, grabbing his hand and said, "You''re leaving so early in the morning? "Evening, where are you going?"


    Xiaowan shook her head, laughing until her eyebrows curved: "Aunt, I won''t leave, as long as you don''t hate me, as long as Manager Ling doesn''t kick me out, I will stay here for the rest of my life."


    Aunt Zhang held her chest, and said excitedly: "Really, really?"


    At this time, the sun rose from the east and rose above the horizon. The golden sunlight shined into the shop and the whole world became bright once more. Xiaowan looked carefully at the floors above and below.


    Aunt Zhang looked at young lady''s devout eyes and couldn''t help but to turn red. They, the shopkeeper, finally had a wife.


    After breakfast, Xiaowan was washing clothes by the well, and washing dishes were chatting. She could not help but ask, "Aunt, there''s no one inside the shop to drink and eat. How do we do business?"


    Aunt Zhang picked up the dishes that she had just washed and smiled leisurely, "Of course I''ll come if there''s a guest."


    These few days, the clothes and food were plentiful, the food was plentiful and good, as well as endless snacks and fruits.


    Also, Ling Chaofeng said that he paid a thousand silver for his mother-in-law''s family, and her betrothal gift was no less than a hundred silver. Other people in the village would already be very impressive with twenty silver, so even if the stepmother tied her up and married her off, he would definitely not allow Xiaowan to break the engagement.


    He kept feeling that Ling Chaofeng was very rich, but where did he get his money from? He wouldn''t be able to get a single business deal in this inn even after two to three days.


    Xiaowan raised her hand and looked at the beautiful Jade Ring on her ring finger. If she could not take it off, then she would wear it.


    She continued to wash her clothes, thinking that if only there were a customer in the store, she wouldn''t have to idle around every day and start a business. As time passed, people would not think that this was a dark shop.


    As he was thinking, he heard someone call out from the shop, "Is there anyone in the shop?"


    The Xiaowan wiped her hands and ran out. A young man entered the shop, he looked to be about Ling Chaofeng''s age, the man was tall and handsome with a gentle temperament, the woman looked like a fairy, her hair tied up in a bun. She must be the man''s wife. They dressed simply, but for some reason, Xiaowan felt that the person in front of him was a very noble person.


    They only wanted two bowls of tea, and had the Xiaowan pack two bags of water. After sitting for a short while, they prepared to leave. The young mistress seemed to be muttering something, sizing up Xiaowan, but she hesitated. However, her husband dotingly looked at her and whispered something, finally making his wife laugh.


    "Evening, a guest has arrived?" "Aunt Zhang came out from the kitchen and scolded," That little thing Ershan, instead of running around the store, kept following your Uncle Biao.


    Xiaowan passed a piece of silver to her. "Look, Aunt, they only drank tea and gave me two bags of water."


    Aunt Zhang looked and saw that it was real silver, she smiled at Xiaowan: "Look, I said, let''s open the door for business, if there is a guest, it will naturally come."


    She returned the money back to the Xiaowan and smiled: "Xiao''er, I am just a servant. I don''t control the business of the shop, but you are the new bride, the owner of this Ling Xiao Inn. From now on, this is all your business."


    Xiaowan''s face turned red, she carefully held the broken silver and said softly: "I, I am also a servant."


    In the afternoon, Ershan returned from town with Uncle Biao. He was scolded by Aunt Zhang until his head was drenched in blood, but the Uncle Biao was such a burly man, he was as gentle as water towards her wife. Aunt Zhang scolded him and listened obediently, then he apologized back with a mischievous smile, coaxing Aunt Zhang to be angry and amused.


    Xiaowan remembered the pair of sweet and sweet guests in the morning, and then looked at Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao. For more than ten years, she had been living through threats and mistreatment of the stepmother every day. Marrying someone was her only way out, and when she was tied up in the woodshed waiting for her to get married, she already despairingly thought of death, and never thought that such a good family would be waiting for her.


    "Aunt." Xiaowan came looking for Aunt Zhang with a red face.


    "Hungry?" Aunt Zhang had a pampered look.


    "That... Manager Ling is going to move into my house tonight. I, I want to move all of his things over. " Xiaowan''s face was like a ripe persimmon. It was sweet and soft, red to the point that it made people feel tender towards him.


    Aunt Zhang grabbed her hand: "Let''s go and pack up."


    When it was deep into the night, Ling Chaofeng returned. Ershan left the door open for him and the two of them chatted for a while. He walked to the third floor, looked at the marriage room, and then subconsciously turned towards his own.


    But Xiaowan, who had heard the commotion, was already waiting inside the door. She lightly opened the door and stood in front of the door with a red face.


    When Ling Chaofeng saw her, he smiled slightly and said, "I''m still awake."


    Xiaowan said, "I''m waiting for you to return home."


    Ling Chaofeng walked over and forced Xiaowan to retreat through the door. He closed the door with a flip of his hand and asked with a smile: "You''re really not leaving? If you continue to run after tonight, you will suffer greatly. "


    Xiaowan nodded strongly and said weakly: "Manager Ling, you are a good person."


    "Won''t you change your mind?" Ling Chaofeng hugged her, then moved closer and closer, "Call me Windward, or ¡­"


    "Hubby?" After spitting out those two words, Xiaowan''s mind went blank. Not waiting for her to recover her senses, her lips were gently pulled, causing her heart to suddenly tighten. A strange sensation spread from her heart to her entire body.


    When Xiaowan was let go, she gasped for breath in large gulps. However, Ling Chaofeng looked at her carefully with a tender and loving gaze, "Are you afraid?"


    Xiaowan''s eyes were clear as water, she shook her head: "I''m not afraid."


    Although she was only seventeen years old, she grew up in a village where every household only used a fence as a wall. When she was six or seven years old, she had seen things that shouldn''t have been seen by the village boys. Naturally, she was still young and didn''t understand. Every time she came back, her stepmother would tie her father up at home for a day or two. Her stepmother''s voice was loud, but Xiaowan had already grown up gradually.


    Even though she wasn''t taught by her mother, she knew everything about what couples should do. Now that she was put down by Ling Chaofeng, she looked at her husband in a daze, thinking back to the conflict between them in the past few days after they got married. She softly said, "I''m sorry, I treat you as a bad person."


    As she said this, she could not help but choke. She had thought that the devil who was the bad guy was actually the person who treated her the best in the past seventeen years.


    "I scared you." Ling Chaofeng lightly pecked her lips, "There was a customer in the shop that day and you were delivered here. I didn''t care about that anymore and left you here tied up for so long. I didn''t know that you were also tied up at home. If the matchmaker had told me, I would have come to save you earlier. "


    Xiaowan''s tears fell like rain: "But, why did you marry me?"


    Ling Chaofeng said gently: "Fate."


    Fate? Xiaowan did not understand, but she did not need to understand. She should just treat it as the arrangement of the heavens, should she use the past to finish all the hardships of her life?


    His clothes were all spread out and he was eating and drinking. Even the wounds on his body that hadn''t faded yet didn''t look so hideous anymore.


    "I ¡­" Xiaowan thought about the scars all over his body, and suddenly said with teary eyes, "I am very ugly, my body is covered with scars ¡­"


    "Xiaowan." Ling Chaofeng gently called her name.


    "Manager Ling ¡­" Xiaowan replied.


    As soon as he finished his words, he was lightly slapped in the face. It didn''t hurt, but on the contrary, it burrowed deep into his heart. Ling Chaofeng asked: "Still not changing your mind?"


    Xiaowan looked at him pitifully.


    Ling Chaofeng said, "Xiaowan, I will treat you well. Don''t you ever cry again."


    She promised with tears in her eyes that she would finally be able to live again.

 C18

    It was a beautiful night, and Xiaowan officially became Ling Chaofeng''s wife. There was no pain, no trace of unwillingness, and the mighty and domineering attitude of her husband was indeed unbearable for the young lady who had experienced such things for the first time. However, after falling asleep amidst every inch of care and love, in these seventeen years, her heart was calm and peaceful even though she was sleeping with others for the first time.


    When she was tied up in the woodshed, she heard the women talking about the man under the window. She knew what that meant. She was humiliated and afraid, and she imagined Ling Chaofeng to be countless terrifying people. In the end, the man she married was beautiful and elegant, with a majestic appearance.


    He woke up feeling sore all over. When he thought back to last night, he couldn''t help but blush when he opened his eyes.


    The birds outside the window chirped, and the sun shone in. The sky was already bright.


    The door opened, causing Xiaowan''s heart to tremble. He quickly closed his eyes, but Ling Chaofeng sat on the side of the bed, scratching her waist gently: "I''m awake, why are you still pretending to be asleep? You want to be lazy and not work? "


    Xiaowan tenderly opened her eyes and pursed her lips, reminiscing about last night''s warmth. Even though it was already the night of their marriage that she was completely exposed in front of this person, last night was truly a memory that was worthy of her collecting for her entire life.


    She had married, she had married such a handsome man, she had married such a loving husband, she thought, she would never have a good thing in her life.


    He sat up slowly and used the quilt to cover his naked body, revealing the bed sheets underneath. A brown mark was left on the bright red bed sheets.


    The shy people quickly covered her up with a blanket, and were in a panic, trying to ignore her. They thought that Ling Chaofeng should laugh at her, but he pulled another blanket over her and wrapped it around her.


    A few days later, the ferocious person disappeared, and the person who threatened to break her legs had also disappeared. Also, during those few days, he had gone to heaven and earth to try to escape.


    Xiaowan laid on Ling Chaofeng''s shoulder and said weakly: "I thought about it these few days, there''s been so much delicious food in the inn, and Aunt and Uncle Biao dotes on me, and you aren''t a bad person either. I don''t feel that it''s wrong to marry you, but I''m not just greedy for the peace here, I ¡­"


    "If you were a bad girl, I wouldn''t want to marry you. I''d want to marry a good man, and every girl would think that, wouldn''t they?" Ling Chaofeng patted her back lightly, "Your whole life, you are destined to have no choice. If I force you to marry me, you will only be unwilling."


    "Hubby." Xiaowan read softly. She really liked that word.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed, he released his embrace and looked at Xiaowan carefully: "What?"


    Xiaowan''s gaze was dazed as she asked with a smile: "You already knew me before I entered, do you know what I am like?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded. "I heard about all the little beauties in the Qingling Village from the matchmaker."


    Xiaowan''s expression changed and became anxious. Her voice became softer and softer as she lowered her eyes and muttered: "Then you should know as well ¡­ "My life is too tough, my mother, big sister, and even grandma ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng stuck out a finger and pressed it against Xiaowan''s lips, "It''s just a coincidence, it''s the mouth of someone unrelated, and it''s not your fault. Mother, Big Sister, and Grandma, they''re all in the sky, hoping for you, so that they can protect you with all they have. Look, didn''t you find me? "


    This was the first time Xiaowan had ever heard of such a novel and warm way of speaking. Even she herself felt that it was because of fate, that her mother and elder sister were killed, and that her grandmother, who had yet to age, had caused her to live so arduously.


    "Withdraw your tears." Seeing that his wife''s eyes were moist, Ling Chaofeng straightened his face and said in a displeased tone, "How can there be so many things to cry about? I don''t like to see you cry."


    "I won''t cry." Xiaowan hurriedly rubbed her eyes. As she raised her hands, the blanket on her body naturally fell down from her shoulders, revealing her snow white skin. She was afraid that Ling Chaofeng would see those scars, after all, they were all over the place.


    Seeing the petite girl anxiously pulling up the blanket to cover up the wounds, Ling Chaofeng had actually already seen them before. Of course, there were also some who had already grown new skin, leaving only faint scars. However, they all relied on their young self healing, as if they had never used any medicine before.


    "I''ll go find some ointment to treat your wounds and remove your scars and apply it on you. After a few days, the scars will all be gone." Ling Chaofeng said.


    "I don''t want to ¡­" Xiaowan lowered her head, she did not want to let him see those terrifying existences.


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "Let Aunt Zhang apply the medicine on you."


    Xiaowan shook her head harder.


    Ling Chaofeng sighed softly, not willing to force her into a corner. "Then, why don''t you apply the medicine yourself?"


    "Yes." She secretly glanced at Hubby, but he didn''t show any displeasure, so she quickly smiled, causing Ling Chaofeng to lightly scratch her nose, "Hurry get up, let''s go eat breakfast."


    Xiaowan gently pushed him. "You go out first, I want to clean up a bit. If you want to change into something else ¡­"


    After Ling Chaofeng left, the Xiaowan got up and washed her face and rinsed her mouth.


    When she was dressing herself in the mirror, she thought that since she was already married, her hair should be tied up. However, she had never coiled her hair before, and clumsily served her for a long time without being able to do anything. She thought that it would be great if she could ask Aunt Zhang to teach her.


    Not long later, the Aunt Zhang suddenly asked: "Evening, do you want me to help you comb your hair?"


    Xiaowan watched in shock as she walked in. Was it a coincidence? Could it be that after marrying Ling Chaofeng, her luck had started to get better?


    No matter what, the young woman was a girl or a young woman. When Mrs. Sun and the others came, he was still combing his long braids, so naturally, he treated her as a servant girl.


    At this moment, breakfast was already downstairs and Ling Chaofeng and Ling Chaofeng were talking by the counter. Uncle Biao walked out with fragrant fried noodles, raised his head and saw the beautiful young lady, and praised, "Our new bride, could it be that the heavenly fairy has descended to the mortal realm?"


    Ling Chaofeng looked up. The person dressed in red had her hair coiled into a bun, revealing a delicate face. She had snow-white lips, timidly following behind Aunt Zhang, and would sneak a peek at from time to time.


    Seeing that everyone was in a daze, Aunt Zhang laughed: "Aren''t you hungry after eating breakfast?"


    The fragrant and tempting shredded meat fried noodles, the bright yellow scrambled eggs, the refreshing, sour and sweet pickled cucumber, and the fiery-red, spicy cabbage. On the table was a big pot of japonica porridge, which was steaming hot.


    Everyone sat around and happily ate breakfast. Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng sat on a bench close to each other.


    After breakfast, Xiaowan returned to her room to pack up. Ling Chaofeng entered and handed her a bag of money.


    "This is the money bag that Second Madam gave me the other day." "This is separate from the account in the shop. I''ll leave it to you from now on."


    Xiaowan said in shame, "Master, I can''t read, and I won''t write down the accounts. You can still manage the money."


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "Can''t read?"


    Xiaowan blushed and nodded, "Yes, I have never read a book and can''t read a few words."


    Ling Chaofeng pulled her hand and sat down: I just left in the afternoon, so I''m free now, why don''t we talk for a bit?


    Seeing that her husband did not look down on her, Xiaowan became more at ease: "I also have something to say to you."


    At the bottom of the building, Uncle Biao was looking for the shopkeeper to check the menu for tomorrow''s guests, when he was called down by the Aunt Zhang, "Stupid thing without eyesight, you can decide for yourself, don''t disturb the two."


    Uncle Biao stroked his beard and laughed: "It''s really not easy, our inn already has the boss lady."


    He quickly made lunch and brought it to his men. Passing by Master Mu''s house, when they saw him sitting under the eaves and rubbing corn, the women shouted, "Mother Wen Bao, why is your family still eating corn?"


    Madam Xu laughed: "Speaking of which, is our family rich?" "Come in and drink some water. I fried the melon seeds in the morning and they are so fragrant."


    The women came in and each grabbed a handful of melon seeds. Their families talked about other people''s gossip, but suddenly someone said, "It was from the Li Family, but we saw your Xiaowan in the town a few days ago."

 C19

    "Isn''t the Ling Xiao Inn located five kilometers away from the Baisha Town? What is she doing in the town?" The Madam Xu poured water for them and asked curiously, "What''s with her?"


    I saw a little lady," said the woman, as they pulled her out of the field and into the hedge yard, "wearing a rose-colored jacket, bright and bright, looking very much like your little girl, and a woman a few years younger than us, who was sitting in a carriage and buying her a string of candied fruits to eat.


    Everyone listened, and started to talk about the lady that had just died a day before Ling Xiao Inn, and sure enough, every time someone from their shop died, they would come to the town to sell buns.


    Someone said: "Looks like the people at the inn treated your Xiaowan quite well. That woman might be your mother-in-law."


    However, someone said: "That Ling Chaofeng doesn''t seem to have parents, but there is a servant girl in the inn."


    Madam Xu spat out the melon seeds, her legs crossed as though she was deep in thought. Aunt Wang next door to her asked: "Xiaowan didn''t return?"


    "I just want to send her out, how can I expect her to come back? Don''t make trouble for me, I''ll just have Amitabha if she comes over to cause trouble." Madam Xu waved her hand, "That little demon girl, it''s better to stay as far away as possible."


    The man at the village entrance said: "Don''t mention it, Xiaowan looks good anyway. When I saw him wearing good clothes sitting in the carriage that day, I was afraid that I was going blind. He didn''t look like the kid from a poor family, but more like the girl from a rich family."


    Madam Xu glanced at her and said with a sneer, "She didn''t suffer at home ¡­" Ye Zichen swept his gaze across everyone, then patted the skin on his body, "Hurry up and go back to cook, don''t starve your man."


    The women laughed and left, secretly whispering that the Madam Xu must have been accused of mistreating the Xiaowan before. She unhappily spat and used a broom to sweep away the skin on the melon seeds.


    The Aunt Wang next door pulled her and said softly, "Sister, don''t blame me for talking too much. Think about it, Wen Bao''s father is always outside, and Wen Bao is still so young. "The work in the house, from top to bottom, is all on you. If the son-in-law is someone you can order around, even if he doesn''t put in any effort, he can still help the family, right?"


    Madam Xu''s eyes lit up, she said: "Just the betrothal gift alone costs a hundred gold. Forget about our village, even the big families in Baisha Town are not so generous.


    "Her aunt, you mean?" The Madam Xu frowned, her long and narrow eyes filled with calculations. She said timidly, "I can''t afford to offend Ling Xiao Inn, they killed people, and Ling Chaofeng is a monster."


    Aunt Wang said: "Seeing is believing. If you want to know and take a look, it is also your duty as a mother to do so. Who can still say anything about you? If I can get some from the Xiaowan, won''t they all belong to Wen Bao in the future? "


    Madam Xu rolled her eyes and said: "Let me think."


    In the afternoon, when Ling Chaofeng went out to do some work, the Uncle Biao took Ershan to purchase some things. When they heard that there were merchants who were going to stay at home the next day, the Xiaowan quickly followed the Aunt Zhang to clean the guest rooms.


    The Aunt Zhang passed on the words on the door plate to the Xiaowan and asked: "How much does it cost to stay in this room for one night?"


    "Here are the four rooms in the south, 10 taels of silver for one night, the four rooms in the north, 5 taels of silver for one night, the wine and food separately."


    Xiaowan was stunned. Although she had never touched money before, she knew how valuable it was. Ten taels of silver. Meeting a thrifty family, a family of three or four would not starve for a year if they bought food. If they stayed here for a night, wouldn''t that be considered as money for a meal?


    "No wonder there are no customers." The Xiaowan said, "So expensive."


    Aunt Zhang laughed leisurely: "Don''t say it, we have a lot of guests."


    Xiaowan was skeptical, but she secretly laughed at herself for worrying so much. She did not understand anything at first, so the shop was naturally run by people, and she really started to think of herself as the boss.


    Although Mrs. Sun and the rest had changed their beds in the past, and had only changed their rooms in Cloudy Clouds, in order to meet the cost of staying in the eight rooms, they had to be courteous and replace them.


    She carried a pile of sheets and pillows to the back door and filled a large basin.


    It was already late in the morning, he didn''t know if he could finish washing before sunset. Xiaowan poured water from the well as she thought about how good it would be if she could finish the work quickly.


    She turned around with the bucket and was shocked to see a whirlpool appear in the basin. The sheets and pillowcases flew around in the water, and the bucket in her hand flew over with a swoosh. Dirty water was poured out, and the clean water was poured in again.


    Aunt Zhang heard the Xiaowan screaming from inside the shop and quickly ran to the back. Seeing that the Xiaowan was sitting down by the well, she nervously asked, "Evening, what happened?"


    "Water, water ¡­" The Xiaowan stammered, but when the Aunt Zhang appeared, the water bowl returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.


    "Water Mouse?" The Aunt Zhang laughed, "Are you scared? It''s autumn and they''re coming to find food to prepare for the winter. Don''t be afraid, just wait for me to sprinkle the rat poison and see if they still dare to come. "


    Aunt Zhang helped Xiaowan up and ran over to prepare the rodenticide poison. Xiaowan squatted beside the water basin and stared at the water and bed sheets for a long time.


    Was she seeing things? Was she seeing things?


    Suddenly, the water in the water bowl started spinning again, Xiaowan immediately ran back to find Aunt Zhang, pulling her to look, but when Aunt Zhang appeared, everything calmed down.


    "Where is he? Where''s Mouse?" Aunt Zhang looked around and did not see anything unusual. Seeing that his face was flushed red, he said, "Don''t be afraid.


    Xiaowan wanted to say something but she hesitated. How could she explain it to her aunt?


    "Shop owner?" A soft woman''s voice came from the front door. "Is anyone there?"


    Speaking of Ling Xiao Inn, there were often uninvited guests, and there weren''t any afraid that there wouldn''t be no guests.


    Xiaowan followed Aunt Zhang to welcome the guests. Two horse carriages stopped in front of the door and a young girl walked over gracefully.


    The woman''s figure was tall and slim, like a willow branch beside a river embankment in spring. One swing, one swing. She was graceful and graceful. However, she was not as enchanting and enchanting as the Second Madam s of the Sun Manor. She wore a goose yellow dress, her hair was tall, and her eyes were gentle and gentle.


    "Dear guest, would you like to eat or stay in the restaurant?" Aunt Zhang asked with a smile.


    "Give me a bowl of tea." The woman laughed leisurely as she gently waved the fan in her hand. She looked up and down the inn and said, "The road from the pier to the town is so long and desolate. To think that there would be such a decent inn."


    The Xiaowan brought the tea and placed it on the table. The woman scrutinized her and laughed: "Why don''t you wipe the rouge off the face of the young lady? Although she is a natural beauty, I have to take care of her once I see the breeze here."


    As she said that, the maidservants that came with her brought bottles and jars over, saying that they would be used to clean and maintain her face, she smiled and said, "I don''t know which one of you is the shopkeeper. I will pay a visit another time.


    Newly arrived?


    Seeing that, Aunt Zhang seemed to have understood something, the servant girl beside her said: "The new Rouge Shop that is opened in the town is our young miss''s business. You have rouge and cosmetics. Whatever is in vogue in the capital and in Jiangnan, we have everything in our shop. "


    The lady faced Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan and said, "My daughter, Yue Huaiyin, greets you."


    She drank some tea before leaving with a group of servants in carriages. As dusk fell and the group of people left into the golden sunlight, the Xiaowan said, "Aunt, that woman is so beautiful, like a fairy."


    The Aunt Zhang patted her head and laughed: "It''s not rare, our family has a little deity''s daughter."


    Xiaowan quivered and immediately went to take a look at her pillow and towel. She was dumbstruck, like a wooden block nailed to the back door.


    What was going on? What was going on?


    As the sun was setting, Ling Chaofeng rode his horse back from the Baisha Town and met two carriages that were heading towards the town. He made way for them and passed by the carriages, straight towards the tavern.


    "Miss, the young master riding by just now was so handsome and elegant. To think that there would be such a character in such a small place." The young maid leaned against the window and looked into the distance.


    "Is that so?" Yue Huaiyin gently waved her fan, and smiled faintly.

 C20

    When Ling Chaofeng returned to the tavern, the sky was already dark. What was waiting for him was not the lantern in front of his door, nor was it Ershan. A petite figure leaned on the door frame, and upon seeing him, she ran out.


    The bride, still very shy, did not run up to him, but stood a few paces away, looking at him with shy delight, her hands clasped behind her back.


    Ershan ran out from inside and took the reins to lead the horse towards the stable. Ling Chaofeng walked to the front of Xiaowan and smiled. He blushed as he looked at her husband and asked softly: "Are you hungry?


    Although there would always be people waiting for his return, and Ling Chaofeng did not lack three meals a day, his and his assistant''s feelings were indeed different when it came to his wife''s care and concern.


    After so many days, facing the Xiaowan''s stubborn resistance, he thought that this marriage would be impossible to sustain. He never thought that things would turn for the better.


    The Xiaowan walked back to the shop with him, and talked about the things that happened in the afternoon with great interest. She mentioned that not long after he returned, a group of people passed by the door of the tavern, and the Mistress was about to go to the town to open her Rouge Shop.


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "I met a lot of people on the road, I wonder which one you are talking about."


    Xiaowan said, "That girl said she will come visit us again in the future. She left many bottles and jars for me and Aunt Zhang. "Aunt said those were women from rich families, with creams on their heads and rouge and powdered honey."


    When she went upstairs to her room, Xiaowan had already prepared his everyday clothes and placed it on a stool. She got some water to wash the hands of a man and held a towel in his hands as he stood by the side, doing these things meticulously and meticulously. Ling Chaofeng said: "You don''t have to serve me, I know how to do these things myself."


    Xiaowan was stunned for a moment, then said softly: "My stepmother serves my father in this way too, as do the aunties and aunties in the village. This is what a woman should do for her husband."


    Ling Chaofeng took off his jacket and hung it on the side, looking at his new bride with a gentle gaze: "We should take care of each other, it''s not about who serves who, understand?"


    Xiaowan lowered her eyes to think, then raised her head, a smile shining in her intelligent eyes: "I understand."


    However, regarding the matter of the sheets, pillow, and towel being mysteriously washed clean, how was Xiaowan supposed to describe and explain it to her husband, was he supposed to believe her?


    "What''s wrong?" Ling Chaofeng saw that the Xiaowan was unsettled.


    "No, nothing ¡­" Xiaowan was still unable to say it.


    They went downstairs to eat. Ling Chaofeng told everyone about receiving the caravan the next day while Xiaowan focused on eating by the side.


    Uncle Biao cooked oil to stew the prawns. A prawn was as big as his palm, the ointment in the prawn''s head was fresh and sweet, the prawn meat was tender and tasty, Xiaowan ate until her eyes shone, and Ling Chaofeng''s prawn was in her bowl some time ago.


    Seeing her hesitation, Ling Chaofeng smiled and said: "Eat."


    After dinner, Xiaowan would always take the initiative to wash the dishes, and when she reached the well and saw that the bed sheets were still hanging up, she got some water and brought it over to a stool to sit on. She pointed at the water basin and said, "Wash it yourself." Seeing that there were no movements, he ordered again, "Quickly wash up."


    However, the pot, water and chopsticks and plates were not made sound, which made Xiaowan feel at ease.


    Deep into the night, the inn closed for the night. Xiaowan shakily came up with a large basin of hot water to wash Ling Chaofeng''s feet. Ling Chaofeng told her to go and rest since he knew how to do it himself.


    Not long later, Ling Chaofeng walked through the screen wearing his pajamas. Xiaowan stood up quickly and was about to clean up the room when her husband stopped her: "We''ll do it tomorrow morning. The stairs are too dark, so you shouldn''t step on them."


    Xiaowan was carried to the bed. She thought that her husband wanted it again, but ¡­


    "Sleep early, I''m very busy tomorrow." But Ling Chaofeng just laid down and turned to look at her, and said gently, "The caravan is full of men, if you are not willing to deal with them, you can just rest upstairs. "But they are not bad people, you are my wife, even if they have lust, they don''t have fear, and won''t hurt you."


    Xiaowan said, "I''m not afraid. This afternoon, only Aunt and I are in the shop. I''m not afraid either."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "So powerful."


    Xiaowan was very happy to be praised.


    Her husband was a very mysterious person. He could be so fierce that her heart would tremble, and he could be so gentle that he could almost melt her. He could help the Mrs. Sun "revive", and also accept Second Madam''s silver to teach her how to "avoid disasters."


    But he was good to her, and everyone here was good to her, the Xiaowan never thought that there would be a day where she would be pampered by others.


    "Hubby." The bride read softly.


    Ling Chaofeng looked at her deeply, but after his red lips moved slightly, he did not say anything.


    Now that everything was fine, only that strange thing. How was she going to explain the whirlpool in the basin when the bucket and the laundry stick flew up? If it never happened again, could she pretend that nothing had happened?


    "I''m asleep." Ling Chaofeng covered her with a blanket, "Wake up early tomorrow."


    Xiaowan''s body rubbed against each other as she tried to lean against Ling Chaofeng''s body. This was an instinct to him, and after determining that this man was the other half of her life, she couldn''t help but want to stick together.


    Ling Chaofeng smiled faintly as he embraced the petite girl. After finding a comfortable position with her, the Xiaowan went to sleep contentedly.


    Another morning, the bride woke up early today. She foolishly looked at his husband through the window until Ling Chaofeng woke up.


    She got a sweet kiss before she got up, and the bride''s face never left it without rouge.


    Xiaowan showed Ling Chaofeng the things left behind by the Miss Yue, while Ling Chaofeng gave her another bottle of ointment. "I brought it back yesterday and forgot to give it to you.


    After they had eaten breakfast, they opened up the shop. Ershan used a big broom to clean up the fallen leaves and dust in front of the door. Xiaowan came over with a bucket of water to sprinkle it. People with Qingling Village passed by the door. They clearly knew each other, but they didn''t greet the Xiaowan. They went around far away and quickly left.


    Not long after, dust started to rise from the direction of the Baisha River Pier. Ershan took a glance at it, then walked into the shop and said loudly: "Innkeeper, the customer is here."


    When Ling Chaofeng slowly walked out, the Xiaowan ran over to his side and asked curiously: "It seems like there are a lot of people here.

 C21

    Ling Chaofeng teased her: "If you don''t have enough space to stay, then why don''t you vacate our house?"


    Xiaowan was so innocent, she agreed immediately: "As long as you follow your husband, you can live anywhere."


    Ling Chaofeng smiled, and held her hand as they stood by the side of the road. Not long after, the merchant caravan approached, and the few people in the lead were all very happy to see Ling Chaofeng. They clasped their fists and greeted him, and Mu Xiaowan''s new face naturally attracted their attention.


    "This is my wife''s Xiaowan." Ling Chaofeng introduced to the others, "You are still young, I hope Boss Feng can give us some pointers."


    The man surnamed Feng opened his eyes wide, and immediately said to the person beside him, "No way, we didn''t even prepare a wedding gift." It''s all Ling Chaofeng''s fault, "When did the shopkeeper get married? Why didn''t he wait a little longer? to buy us a cup of wine. "


    Ling Chaofeng did not mind, and stepped aside: "The shops are already prepared, according to the old rules, we should rest first."


    Xiaowan saw that there were four to five carriages from beginning to end, each with two big boxes tied to them, with big locks and seals on them. Four people followed each car, with one person leading a donkey and leading a horse, while the other three stayed at the back and left and right sides of the line. Right now, they were unloading the boxes from the carriages and carefully moving them into the shop.


    Since the Xiaowan could not help with the work, she went to the kitchen to help out the Uncle Biao. After listening to the chatter of the Uncle Biao, he finally knew the origins of this group of merchants.


    Every year at this time of the year, they would come here to sell rare items from other countries. They were brought to the capital and sold to officials and nobles.


    "At this time of year, he will definitely come." The Aunt Zhang said, "We have to return to the capital before the Mid-Autumn Festival. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the capital city or the Imperial Palace will have countless banquets. There is nothing rare about the few nations bordering our Daqi. We must take a boat and go further afield to the Western Ocean or the Eastern Ocean to find something that no one has ever seen before. "


    Hearing these stories, Xiaowan quickly took out the dishes and chopsticks. Outside, Boss Feng and his brothers had a table, and there were three other tables for the waiters to sit at.


    The young warriors were all exhausted, it was as if they had been eating rations for too long, when they saw the dishes made by Uncle Biao, their eyes lit up.


    Following that, Boss Feng and the others went upstairs and stayed in the south rooms to rest. The remaining workers split into two groups and made a bunk in the north room. Then, they went to sleep in broad daylight.


    Xiaowan was busy taking the dishes and food, she was calculating the room fees in her heart. She heard from Aunt Zhang that it would take half a day to collect and the money to eat here, she could not calculate any further, but she knew, the restaurant had business, once business came, it would be enough for one day to eat for one year.


    The group of twenty odd people filled up three large wooden bowls, bowls, chopsticks, and plates. Xiaowan took three buckets of water in one go and sat on the bench with her sleeves rolled up, preparing to go all out.


    Seeing the sheets she had washed last night still fluttering in the wind, she pointed at the wooden shed and chanted, "Wash it yourself. Quickly wash it and quickly fly up ¡­"


    "What is this silly child doing?" When the Aunt Zhang came out, he was amused by Xiaowan''s chatter. She rolled up her sleeves and said, "Don''t be afraid, let''s bathe together. It will be done very soon."


    Xiaowan also laughed. It must be because she was dizzy and dizzy yesterday, so she must have forgotten about that matter.


    There were three big bowls and chopsticks, and the two of them washed for an hour. Aunt Zhang kept asking if she was tired.


    Although Xiaowan had not washed so many bowls in one go before, she still worked when she was home, only laying down when it was late at night and her family was asleep. Unable to stop her hand, the stepmother panted slightly before waving her broom and coming over. She could bear the hardships, but she was not afraid of tiredness. When she had no guests two days ago, she had felt rather depressed.


    "Last night, I sprayed some medicine, but this morning, I didn''t see a single one of them die from poison. The rats these days have all become sages." Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan carried the bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen and said, "Don''t be afraid. If you keep the pill with you, they won''t dare to come."


    Walking into the Main Hall, suddenly, Xiaowan heard the sound of the door slamming heavily upstairs, as if there was a quarrel. The person who appeared in the corridor, Xiaowan remembered that she seemed to be Boss Feng''s younger brother.


    His face was full of hostility and he glared fiercely at Xiaowan. Xiaowan quickly retracted her gaze and followed him into the kitchen.


    "Evening, the store is full of men. Don''t be alone with me or with me or with the shopkeeper." The Aunt Zhang warned the Xiaowan, "It doesn''t matter what personality others have, it''s always good to be careful."


    As expected, when Ling Chaofeng entered the kitchen, due to what happened just now, he warned everyone to not bother with the other people in the caravan. When he saw the Xiaowan standing there smiling, he said: "It''s you who meddles in other people''s business."


    Xiaowan was not convinced at all, she wanted to retort, but she could see that Uncle Biao and the others were happily watching the scene. As if they wanted to see the couple bickering, she blushed and glanced at Ling Chaofeng unhappily, before turning around to put away his bowl and chopsticks.


    The people of the caravan needed to sleep until night to not eat lunch, but after noon to prepare their dinner, Xiaowan followed Aunt Zhang to the back door to pick up some vegetables to wash. Speaking of what happened these past few days, she said: "Morning, Ershan and I will sweep the ground outside the door.


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "I''m afraid that once you enter our inn, you will be chopped into meat buns."


    Xiaowan laughed and said in a normal tone: "But they didn''t like me before. The villagers all said that my life was too hard and that my family had died. When I was young, the children learned from adults and bullied me whenever they saw me. When I grew up, I became more good-looking, but the boys treated me better, occasionally stuffing me with fruits or something. But if their mother sees it, she will drag me home to complain, causing me to be beaten by her. "


    When the Aunt Zhang heard this, she frowned. She washed the pear and gave it to the Xiaowan for her to eat, then said with a pained heart: "Your village people have bad hearts, it''s fine that they don''t return. Since they are married out, we will never return. With the shopkeeper here, we''ll see who dares to even touch you once. "


    Xiaowan held onto a pear. A few days ago, she had seen some delicious things, and was reluctant to eat them. These two days, she had really eaten too much.


    Aunt''s words were so kind, why were all the women in the village so mean? Was she a fool? A few days ago, she was so noisy and even dared to run away. She almost missed out on so many good people and almost let down the good days the heavens had arranged for her.


    "Aunt, it''s about time. Let''s send some water in." Ershan ran to the back door and said, "They should get up."


    Thus, the Xiaowan helped out together, fetching some water to send upstairs so that the guests could get up and wash up.


    She and Ershan brought the water inside, and came over from the two northern rooms. She wanted the workers to get up first, so that Boss Feng could order them around anytime.


    Xiaowan was guarding a bucket of wood as she waited in the hallway. Suddenly, she saw the door to the southern building being kicked open and a man with a completely scarlet face shouting, "Someone, come!"


    Xiaowan looked at him blankly. When the person saw him, he pointed at her and shouted, "You, come over here." But when he saw that the Xiaowan did not move, he became furious and ran over in a hurry, reeking of alcohol.


    Xiaowan retreated step by step. Just as she was about to be caught, her husband''s figure suddenly appeared in front of him. He blocked her path high up in the air, her tone cold but polite: "Second Master Feng, you''re drunk."


    However, the drunkard was unconvinced, and wanted to fight with Ling Chaofeng, so he shouted and alarmed everyone. After a fight, he was carried back by the people, and he was drunk to the point of being unconscious, so he quickly fell asleep.


    Aunt Zhang was still used to it, she swiftly collected all the wine bottles in the house and changed her breathing, but she was already brought back to Ling Chaofeng''s room. When she saw her husband again, she did not scold her like last time to meddle in her business. Don''t be afraid, he''s just drunk. "


    Xiaowan shook her head: "I''m not afraid."


    Ling Chaofeng said with a gentle smile, "You are becoming more and more capable."


    Afterwards, because Second Master Feng had fallen asleep, the inn was very quiet. The waiters were drinking tea and chatting below, but no one shouted loudly.


    When Xiaowan came out with the dishes, she heard Boss Feng say to Ling Chaofeng that she brought some good wine from Dongyang and wanted to go to the cellar to open the boxes together. She said that she wanted to give them to him as a wedding present.


    Unexpectedly, something big happened. Second Master Feng, who was lying on the ground in front of the cellar of the inn, was bleeding profusely from all seven orifices.


    Xiaowan only remembered that the people in the caravan were in a mess, she watched them coldly from behind the counter. At night, the people in the yamen came, and after half a day of work, they finally saw Ling Chaofeng following them.


    "Hubby?" Xiaowan panicked and woke up to chase to the door.


    The Fast Catcher said coldly: "Manager Ling, come with us."


    Xiaowan was so frightened that her entire body was trembling. She grabbed Ling Chaofeng''s sleeves and begged those people: "Don''t capture my husband, he didn''t kill anyone."

 C22

    It was late in the night, and there was still a long way to the yamen from here. Without much impoliteness, he only said coldly: "Manager Ling, it''s getting late, I don''t dare to keep you waiting."


    Ling Chaofeng understood and patiently took Xiaowan''s hands away, "No need to worry, I will be back soon. There will be a death in the shop, so there must be an explanation."


    "But ¡­" Xiaowan''s eyes trembled, anxious until they were red.


    "Follow Aunt Zhang and wait for me at home." He smiled and turned to walk out the door.


    "Zephyr!" Watching her husband disappear into the night, Xiaowan''s heart felt as if it had been dug out.


    Although his back was facing Xiaowan, he smiled. This was the first time he had heard a Xiaowan call out his name.


    "Xiao''er, don''t be afraid. The manager will be back soon." Aunt Zhang followed up, hugging her and advised, "I''ll send you back to your house."


    "Aunt ¡­" Xiaowan choked with sobs. She was about to cry, but when she turned to see the merchants pointing at them in groups of three or five, she unconsciously straightened her back. She did not want to cry to them.


    The one who died was number two, and there was also a third master who stayed here. When the Xiaowan followed the Aunt Zhang upstairs, Master Feng was sitting at the table of the Eight Immortals on the stairs, and the Xiaowan could faintly hear him chanting, "It''s good that you died."


    Aunt Zhang also heard it, the two of them looked at each other without making a sound, and quickly went upstairs.


    Second Master Feng''s corpse had already been sent to the yamen. The coroner would examine the coroner to determine the cause of death. Only after the murderer was found would the corpse be returned to the yamen. But this did not seem to be important, what was important was that the priceless goods of the caravan were still in the cellar of the inn, so most people stayed here, not to wait for the result of the yamen, but to guard their goods.


    Since they were here, they would have to wait on them to eat and drink. Naturally, they would receive the money to stay in the inn. After some jingling downstairs, the waiters of the caravan finally ate and went back to their rooms.


    Xiaowan sat in front of the window while leaning on the windowsill. Her sister-in-law had told her to not go downstairs again, that she would clean up after dawn, but once the sun rose tomorrow, would Ling Chaofeng be able to come back?


    It had only been a few days, a few good days had passed and he had already gone from Mrs. Sun to Second Master Feng.


    "Hubby." Xiaowan could not help but choke.


    If the heavens wanted to take Ling Chaofeng away from her, it would be better not to give it to her in the beginning. If he were to let her return to her previous life, it was not because he couldn''t take the hardships, but it would be because he completely understood that there was no hope in her current life.


    As the moonlight shone in, Xiaowan raised her eyes.


    It was from this window that she first saw his husband. Although he was scared out of his wits at that time, when she thought back to it, she only remembered that he was majestic and that Ling Chaofeng had surpassed her imagination about his future husband.


    One day, a relative of hers came over and said that she had been slapped in the face and that it would be hard for her to get married in the future if she were to be disgraced. Even if she sold herself to someone else, it would still be worth more than being ugly. Thus, if the stepmother continued to hit her, she would not hit her face. The more she grew, the more beautiful she became, and she became the most beautiful little beauty in Qingling Village.


    Unfortunately, her life was too tough, and her stepmother was too shrewd. The people from the same village did not dare to take her.


    Actually, it wasn''t that it was hard for her to marry, nor was it that no one really wanted her. It was just that the stepmother wanted to use her face to earn more money.


    Now that he had met Ling Chaofeng, even Xiaowan did not know if she was lucky, or his stepmother was lucky. Now that things had developed this way, if Ling Chaofeng were to go to jail, no matter how much suffering she had to endure, he would have to wait for his husband to come out.


    Xiaowan shook her head fiercely, "That won''t happen, Hubby did not kill him."


    A gust of wind blew in from outside, and the sound of the sheets flapping could be heard. The day was so busy that they had forgotten to bring the sheets in.


    Xiaowan hurriedly ran downstairs to the back door, but she was petite and couldn''t hold many. She had to go back and forth a few times to collect them all.


    What happened next left her dumbstruck.


    She saw the sheet break free from the clip and fly up into the wind, flying straight through the window of her room. In the blink of an eye, the rope was empty and even the sheet she was carrying flew away.


    All of the hair on Xiaowan''s body stood up, he stiffened for a moment, then quickly ran back upstairs. The bed was covered entirely in sheets and pillows, and was neatly placed on a chair on the table. When Aunt Zhang heard the commotion, she went upstairs to look for her, seeing the situation, she quickly said: "Aiya, I forgot about this matter.


    The Xiaowan looked at her blankly. The Aunt Zhang said, "There''s a lot of noise while opening up the warehouse, so don''t make them think that we''re just opening the cellar and thinking about their things. I''ll come take them in tomorrow morning.


    "Aunt ¡­" Xiaowan was speechless.


    "Don''t worry, your uncle, Ershan, and I will stay at the second floor tonight, so those people won''t dare to come up." After the Aunt Zhang had finished speaking, she closed the door and left. She even warned the Xiaowan to lock the door, and only left after hearing the sound of the lock dropping.


    Xiaowan stood in front of the door and looked timidly at the pile of sheets and pillow towels. Swallowing her saliva, she suddenly shuddered and ran over to the table to kneel.


    She begged and bowed towards a pile of sheets. If anyone else had seen it, they would have thought that she was crazy, but Xiaowan knew what had happened.


    After she finished bowing, she knelt on the ground and put her ten fingers together. Inadvertently, her gaze fell on the Jade Ring on her ring finger.


    A ray of moonlight passed through the window and landed on her hand. The Jade Ring s gave off a lustrous luster under the moonlight as she touched her ring and muttered a few words. Then, she went from the side of the table to the bottom of the window, deeply kowtowing and praying towards the vast starry sky.


    It was a peaceful night. The next day, Uncle Biao and the Aunt Zhang woke up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for the guests. Ershan went down to open the shop door, hurriedly ran back and said: "Aunt, let''s go downstairs."


    "Could it be that the shopkeeper is back?" Aunt Zhang frowned and quietly went up to the third floor. He poked at the new door with his finger and it actually opened.


    The room was empty and the bed was neatly made. It was unknown if it had been made during the night before he had slept or if he had woken up early. As for the bride, she was gone.


    "Evening?" She quickly ordered Ershan, "You go and chase him, you must be going to the yamen to look for the shopkeeper."


    In the meantime, the genius had just risen, but Xiaowan had already left when the moon was high in the sky. By the time Ershan left the tavern, she had already reached Baisha Town.


    All the shops and stalls along the street were preparing to open up. In the morning light, all the shop assistants were busy going in and out of the various shops. Xiaowan stepped forward boldly and asked: "Little brother, do you know where the county magistrate is?"


    Those people looked at Xiaowan and asked where the yamen authorities were early in the morning, which naturally made them feel weird. They raised their hands and pointed: "Go north, it''s the northernmost area."


    She thanked him profusely and was about to look for him when she saw the shop opposite her. She took off the door and opened it. A beautiful young woman walked out from under the eaves.


    When he glanced back, he met eyes with the Xiaowan on the side of the street. The Xiaowan recognized him, it was the Miss Yue who claimed to be the one who opened the rouge shop.

 C23

    Yue Huaiyin also recognized the Xiaowan. She gracefully nodded and smiled towards him.


    When she entered the tavern that day, and saw that the young lady and the older woman were both dressed in coiffure, she thought in her heart that there must be a wife of the Manager Ling. I wonder what age Manager Ling is, and which one of them is the real Madam.


    Even though she was anxious to get out this morning, she still dressed up well and was unwilling to go to the yamen to embarrass Ling Chaofeng. She was still a newlyweds, and the wardrobe was filled with festive colors. She wore a bright red dress, with a black gold cloud on a white background, and a red silk belt tied to one side, floating long in the wind.


    As for Xiaowan, she was a bashful and gentle little woman. She did not understand the etiquette of a large family, but since she was young, she knew how to be polite.


    It was not a good day to exchange pleasantries, and she was not here to visit Rouge Shop, but to look for her husband.


    After saluting, Xiaowan headed towards the north. After walking a few steps, someone shouted from behind him, "young lady, head towards the south.


    Xiaowan looked back in panic. North or south? She was even more confused. Seeing that, Yue Huaiyin picked up her skirt and walked towards her, as if she wanted to ask what was wrong.


    "Xiaowan?"


    It was at this moment that a familiar voice sounded from afar.


    The Xiaowan turned around when she heard her husband''s voice. Ling Chaofeng was still very far away from her, but just by looking at her back, he could already recognize his.


    "Hubby, hubby ¡­"


    Yue Huaiyin had yet to reach Xiaowan when she saw the petite one lifting up her skirt and running towards a man in the distance. From a distance, she could not see the face of the man, but his tall and straight body slowly came from the morning light.


    Xiaowan was in a hurry to run, but she still kept up with the train. She had never worn such clothes before, so when she started running, her legs felt like they were tied up with ropes. Her steps could not keep up with her anxiety as her weight pushed forward and she fell to the ground with a thud.


    Ling Chaofeng rushed over and carried the person on the ground. His small face was filled with shock and his eyes were filled with tears, she looked at him very carefully, almost as if he was afraid to recognize the wrong person.


    "We''ve only been apart for a night, and you already don''t recognize me?" Ling Chaofeng helped the Xiaowan stand up, and asked with a dark expression: "What are you doing here, so early? Weren''t you supposed to be waiting for me at home?"


    Ling Chaofeng was out all night, not having a shave, with some stubble on his chin. Xiaowan reached out to touch it, and yesterday morning, she even got some hot water to heat up her husband''s face and shave, he was her husband.


    Ling Chaofeng bent over and brushed off the dust on the Xiaowan''s dress, asking: "Did it hurt when you fell, did you run out by yourself?"


    Xiaowan was just laughing idiotically, the corners of her mouth raised to her ears.


    "I''ll deal with you when we get back." Seeing how happy Xiaowan was, and knowing that she was worrying about her safety, Ling Chaofeng couldn''t help but feel his heart soften. He patted her forehead, "Alright, let''s go home."


    The shop assistants at the side were originally playing with Xiaowan and pointing her in the opposite direction. Fortunately, there were still people with a bit of conscience, when they saw that the man from young lady had arrived and that such extraordinary looking people were all hiding in the shop.


    Naturally, the Xiaowan would not drag Ling Chaofeng to make a fuss about it. Instead, he saw Yue Huaiyin standing by the side of the road, and thought of how the other party had taken the initiative to greet him, so he said to his husband: "This is the Boss Yue that passed by our inn that day."


    Ling Chaofeng signed his name with a bow, Huai Yin Fu returned the gesture, raising his eyes. He looked into the eyes of the man with the extraordinary temperament, even though the stubble on his chin looked somewhat aged, if he were to tidy it up, it would definitely be a shockingly handsome face.


    The young woman''s heart trembled. Could it be that the handsome Young Noble that Little Cui talked about in the carriage was him?


    "Miss Yue, next time you pass our inn, please come and have a cup of tea." Xiaowan said politely as she gave her husband a sweet smile, "Hubby, let''s go home. Since Aunt has lost me, she must be worried."


    As they walked side by side, the man''s footsteps were like the wind and the young lady''s lovely and clumsy. In the morning light, he gradually walked further and further away, and the streets became more and more lively, all sorts of shops were opening. Yue Huaiyin was startled for a moment, and then the shop assistant next door ran over and asked: "Boss Yue, you know them?"


    Yue Huaiyin nodded: "That day, when I came from the pier, and went to sit at their inn, it was the Ling Xiao Inn''s shopkeeper and ¡­ His wife. "


    The shop assistant was startled, he looked around and asked: "That man is Ling Chaofeng?"


    Huaiyin asked back, "What''s wrong?"


    The shop assistant kept on telling her the legends of Ling Xiao Inn, and they had heard quite a few stories about Ling Chaofeng, but very few people had actually seen this kind of person before. He advised Boss Yue not to enter the shop again, so as to not lose his life and to not harm his wealth.


    "Miss?" The servant Little Cui ran out sleepily, "Miss, why are you up so early?"


    Yue Huaiyin rolled up the silk on her arm and went inside the shop, saying indifferently: "If you have anything on your mind, you won''t be able to fall asleep."


    In this side chamber, Ershan rode the carriage and arrived before the shopkeeper and the Xiaowan who were walking side by side. He immediately brought them into the carriage.


    Only after getting in the car did Xiaowan lift up her skirt, revealing her slender snow-white legs. After getting rid of the old scars, she rubbed a fresh patch of skin on her knees.


    Even though he said that, Ling Chaofeng still protected her carefully, and blew on her wound. Xiaowan''s heart was sweet, the pain in his knees let her know that this was not a dream, her husband had returned, and the heavens did not want to take Ling Chaofeng away.


    "Is everything alright? Why isn''t Boss Feng back yet?" Xiaowan asked.


    "Boss Feng intends to go straight to the town to take care of his brother. When I go back to the inn, I will arrange for San Ye and a few waiters to go to the town." Ling Chaofeng did not think much of it, and said: "It''s fine now, Second Master Feng was drunk and ate the rat poison in the shop."


    Xiaowan remembered that she misunderstood that Second Master Feng had drunk too much that everyone could see him clearly. If someone wanted to kill him, it would be easy, but if he was really muddleheaded enough to put the rat medicine in his mouth, it would be easy for him to do so.


    The Xiaowan felt that she needn''t worry too much about this matter. It was just that she was very concerned about one thing, and she asked in a weak voice, "Husband, we ¡­ Do people often die in shops? "


    "Afraid?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "No ¡­" The Xiaowan shook her head and looked down as she said, "I''m afraid that my life is too tough, and I might harm the both of you ¡­"


    With a light pinch of her chin, his cherry like lips pouted, making his unable to speak. Ling Chaofeng was a little angry, and said in a serious tone: "If you say something like raising your life a little too hard later, you''ll be punished."


    Her back was gently caressed as her husband said gently, "You don''t know the way, and even ran out by yourself, even if I asked Aunt Zhang to bring you along, did they not tell you that I often go to the yamen?"


    "I was afraid that my aunt would find me annoying, so I didn''t pester her to ask." Xiaowan muttered, "There are still customers in the shop, they are busy."


    "You are quite considerate, but unfortunately you are disobedient." Ling Chaofeng said.


    "I want to see you. I''m afraid that they will beat you. I''m afraid that you''ll get hungry ¡­" The Xiaowan was terrified, she grabbed Ling Chaofeng''s arm and said, "You can''t abandon me, okay?"


    Everyone in the village said that the Xiaowan''s mother was a beautiful and gentle woman. If she had not died at that time and lived to this day, the Xiaowan and her sister would definitely be the most pampered girls in the village.


    "If you abandon me, I will also go to the ends of the earth to find you." Xiaowan looked at him and said, "If we are separated by life and death, I will go with you."


    "It''s early in the morning. Nonsense." Ling Chaofeng was somewhat shocked in his heart. He could not imagine that the person who fought against the marriage a few days ago, who had a pure heart would say such words, would treat people and things very simply.


    Ling Chaofeng gently held her cheeks and pecked his on the mouth. young lady delicately dodged, was caught, was kissed deeply, and let go.


    "I won''t abandon you no matter where I go. But, it''ll be hard for me to live in peace." Ling Chaofeng said, "Our inn does not have many deaths, but the guests that enter are definitely not ordinary people, late at night. The Fang Jin Inn is also a martial arts place, loyal, filial, righteous, right and wrong, the martial arts world naturally has its own rules."


    Xiaowan didn''t understand, but she understood. She had a husband now, so with Ling Chaofeng here, she wasn''t afraid of anything.


    Leaning on her husband''s chest, Xiaowan saw her right hand. The Jade Ring seemed to light up for a moment, perhaps because the carriage''s curtain was being blown up and the sunlight was shining in, but it reminded her of those miraculous things.


    The wheels rolled, the carriage jolted, and the Xiaowan woke up early in the morning to walk away. She seemed to be tired, lying comfortably in her husband''s embrace, and actually unknowingly fell asleep, having dreamed of the wedding night.


    "Miss?" Opening her eyes, she saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face. The white-haired old granny kindly smiled, "Miss, you''re awake?"


    "Granny ¡­" Xiaowan was at a loss. Looking around, the night was dark, she sat on the side of the stairs, she had her Baisha Town back, where was Ling Chaofeng?


    "Do you like this Jade Ring?" However, the old granny grabbed Xiaowan''s hand and gently asked, "Is it appropriate to wear it?"


    "I can''t take it off. Nanny, I can''t take it. Can I give it back to you?" Xiaowan said as she forcefully picked them up.


    The white-haired nanny held her hand and said with a smile, "If you can''t take it off, it is fate. Good child, this ring is not worth much. You can keep it. But she is a little spiritual, and if you ever have a wish, tell her that she will do anything for you as long as you clench your fist and make a wish. But remember, you can only make one wish for the next day. Also, you must not tell anyone else, and it will never work again. "

 C24

    Xiaowan seemed to understand some of what was being said. Could it be that the strange thing that happened these few days was because of this ring?


    "Remember, do not tell anyone else. It will not work if you tell them."


    Xiaowan''s number one was thinking about Ling Chaofeng, and immediately asked: "Even my husband can''t say?"


    Everything before her was so real that even her husband could not speak of it. Xiaowan could clearly see the wrinkles on her face, but she hurriedly left after reminding him that it was a secret that even her husband could not speak of.


    "Granny, I still can''t accept this ring." Xiaowan wanted to give chase, but she tripped on Qu Fu who was tied up. Seeing that she was about to fall, she panicked and opened her eyes once again. It was actually a dream.


    He sat up and realized that he had already returned to the tavern and was lying on his bed in her and Ling Chaofeng''s room.


    "Morning Wind ¡­" Was it also a dream to find a husband? Was he not back yet?


    Xiaowan got up from the bed and rushed to the door and opened it. Ling Chaofeng was just standing there with his hands raised, about to push open the door, when he saw her so anxious, he couldn''t help but laugh: "Are you afraid that I''m not there anymore?"


    Xiaowan''s heart dropped back to her stomach and she hugged the man. Ling Chaofeng smiled and brought her back to his room, admonishing her: "At least wear a pair of shoes."


    "I''m not cold." held Xiaowan''s feet in his embrace, while her eyes stared at her husband and asked worriedly, "Husband, is Second Master Feng okay?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "I''m fine."


    Xiaowan remembered something as she said cautiously, "The other day I heard Master Feng talking to himself, saying that his second brother died well. Husband, do you think ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng shushed her and said gently: "This matter is over, don''t think about it anymore."


    After that, Xiaowan brought some hot water to cover Ling Chaofeng''s face, and watched him shave with curved eyebrows. Ling Chaofeng splashed some water on her face and the two played for a while. Then, he and the rest of the merchants would return to the Baisha Town to take care of Second Master Feng''s affairs.


    The only thing left in the shop were a few reliable shop assistants, who were probably there to guard their goods. The goods were locked in the cellar of the tavern, with one key in Ling Chaofeng''s hand and the other key in Boss Feng''s own hands.


    "It''s very common for merchants to keep their goods in our stores." The Aunt Zhang told the Xiaowan, "The rumors of us stealing their money were naturally made up. They only saw the boxes being moved in, it is normal for them not to move them out."


    It was the first time that the Xiaowan had come to the cellar. Although she had burnt some paper money in front of the door with the Aunt Zhang, she had not noticed a door that led underground from the back of the stable.


    "Wait until Boss Feng leaves, then get the shopkeeper to take you in and take a look." The Aunt Zhang said mysteriously yet proudly, "Evening, follow the shopkeeper and live a good life in peace."


    Xiaowan blushed and said guiltily: "I went out myself this morning and made Aunt worried. I am truly sorry."


    Aunt Zhang laughed instead. "Young man, how can you do without hot blood? Your aunt has also been young before."


    When she looked at the bride and saw her devoutly praying for the dead, she felt assured in her heart. The shopkeeper had never wanted to start a family, but after looking for her, he found a good girl for her.


    After finishing her business at the shop, Xiaowan went back to her room to pack her stuff. She suddenly remembered her dream, and rubbed the ring on her right hand.


    She still remembered what her mother-in-law had said. It was so clear that it didn''t seem like a dream.


    Thinking back, after the night of marriage, many incredible things had happened, not just the sheets that could fly and wash. Further up, that day she angrily hoped that Second Madam would fall off the pedals and he fell into the water in the blink of an eye. That night, when she wanted to blow on the oil lamp to extinguish it, it went out immediately.


    Although it was just a small matter, it was too much of a coincidence.


    Looking around the marriage chamber, Xiaowan wanted to find something to give it a try. It didn''t matter if it was weak, if it was intelligent ¡­ Her gaze landed on the Lovers Terrace, which was embroidered with mandarin ducks and ducks, as well as graceful butterflies. It was almost mid-autumn, and no butterflies could be seen anywhere, so Xiaowan followed her mother-in-law''s instructions and lightly clenched her fists.


    The colorful butterflies surrounded her. Xiaowan opened her eyes in shock, timidly extended her finger, and a butterfly stopped at her fingertip, gently flapping its wings, showing no sign of being afraid of anyone.


    "Evening!" Outside, Aunt Zhang suddenly called out to her.


    "I''m here ¡­" Xiaowan replied. In an instant, all the butterflies disappeared.


    After dealing with Aunt Zhang, she went back to her room and looked at the butterfly on the cloth. She remembered that her mother-in-law had said in her dreams that there could only be one wish a day.


    Sitting on the bed, Xiaowan''s heart was thumping hard. It was true, the things in her dreams were actually true.


    But as she calmed down, thinking back to last night when Ling Chaofeng was taken away by the yamen, she felt as if someone had dug away a part of his heart in pain, so she secretly made up her mind.


    After the marriage, she no longer suffered, she ate well and dressed warmly, she lived in a spacious and clean house, someone who cared for her and loved her appeared at her side. God gave her all the good things in the world at once, how could she be capable of that?


    Perhaps this ring was a test from the heavens, and one shouldn''t be too greedy.


    Thinking this way, Xiaowan became at ease. She touched the ring and whispered, "If you are truly intelligent, then I will protect my husband and you well. I will be satisfied with the rest."


    She got up and knelt in front of the window. She kowtowed to the heavens and said something to thank the heavens.


    That night, Ling Chaofeng still did not return, but the Ershan that followed him, brought a message with him. He was going to watch the night with his brother with Boss Feng, so Xiaowan was relieved.


    As for Second Master Feng''s funeral, it was arranged on the spot. After it was cremated, it would be sent back to the capital. Two to three days later, the whole town would be in an uproar.


    Early that morning, in the Siyun Pavilion of the new rouge shop in town, the servant Little Cui hurriedly ran back and curiously told her young miss, "That day, at the inn we went to, it was a black shop. Miss, their shop specializes in killing people and robbing their goods. A few days ago, another person died, but fortunately, we did not stay for long. "


    Yue Huaiyin was quietly mixing the powder in her hands. Hearing Little Cui''s chattering, she could not help but have a headache as she said: "Alright, what haven''t I seen before? I''m just making a big fuss, why don''t we go watch the business?"


    Little Cui laughed: "It''s almost the Mid-Autumn Festival, there''s a market in the Mid-Autumn Festival, at that time, all the women from the eight villages will come. Young miss, on that day, we will be earning a lot of money. I went to a few rouge shops in town and walked around. It was very cold and there weren''t even any boxes of proper powder. "


    Huai Yin sniffed the newly made scented powder and passed it to Little Cui, and laughed: "Do you smell good? "I plan to put it in a small box and take it to the ladies on the street on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival."


    On the same day, Second Master Feng''s back affairs were settled. Boss Feng followed Ling Chaofeng and rushed back to Ling Xiao Inn, delaying their return to the capital.


    The Aunt Zhang said that it was rare for them to open the cellar and let the Xiaowan take a look. However, just as she reached the door, she heard Boss Feng speak.


    She turned around to leave, but he heard Boss Feng say: "Manager Ling, thank you for this matter. Only by staying with you will I be able to take action. That beast deserved to die. If I kill him, I''ll be safe. "Leave this box of stuff here as a thank you gift."


    Xiaowan''s heart suddenly tightened and two men slowly walked out. Seeing her here, they were also startled and Boss Feng frowned: "Manager Ling? "What''s going on?"


    Ling Chaofeng quickly replied: "It''s fine, Boss Feng only wants to go to the capital. As for Second Elder, we will end it here."


    As he spoke, he invited Boss Feng to move forward. Walking past Xiaowan, he coldly glared at her and said softly: "Stand still and don''t move. Wait for me to come back."

 C25

    The Xiaowan''s heart was in a mess, Ling Chaofeng treated her very well, but Ling Chaofeng was also very mysterious. It had only been ten days since they married into the Xiaowan, and so many things had already happened, no matter what the truth was, in the eyes of outsiders, they had already lost two lives in a row, no wonder everyone said that Ling Xiao Inn was a black shop, it was not unreasonable.


    The tunnel was dark, and the deepest part was dark. It was as if it was Ling Chaofeng''s secret.


    Boss Feng left in a hurry, causing Ling Chaofeng to return quickly. Seeing Xiaowan looking into the cellar, he asked coldly: What are you looking at?


    Xiaowan''s body trembled. She turned around timidly and said weakly, "I didn''t see it."


    When he first came here, he would always shiver whenever he made a sound and it was very pitiful and helpless. Ling Chaofeng did not wish for his wife to be afraid of him, but he did not know if it would be a good thing if he could raise her courage again in the future.


    "Since you heard something just now, you should just walk in." Ling Chaofeng walked over and scolded with a dark face, "You are my wife, why can''t you listen to me? Don''t sneak around, remember? "


    Xiaowan secretly raised his head and looked at him. Her husband tapped him on the forehead and said: "Go take a look. That place is full of your things."


    "Mine?" Xiaowan was stunned, then she was led by Ling Chaofeng to the cellar.


    The man took out a poker and lit the torches in front of the cellar door. All the torches on the wall immediately connected, lighting up the huge cellar.


    The Xiaowan did not know how big this cellar was, but she felt that it was even bigger than the inn on the ground. She could not see the end of it at a glance, and there seemed to be a door that led to another place in the distance.


    Nearby were rows and rows of boxes and cabinets. Seeing her husband signal for her to open them, Xiaowan carefully opened one box.


    "Is this gold?" The box was filled with neatly packed gold bars. She stretched out her hand to touch them and weighed them in her hand. Each small gold bar weighed a ton.


    Ling Chaofeng seemed to be indifferent towards these gold and silver treasures, but he said to Xiaowan: If you like it, it''s all yours. There are still some jewelry and jewelry in the chest over there, just take them to play with.


    Xiaowan closed the box, she was not in a hurry to find jewelry, instead, she asked his husband, "Since you have so much money, why open an inn?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and asked: If you have the money, how do you plan to live your life?


    Xiaowan thought about it seriously, but still shook her head and laughed: "I don''t know."


    Ling Chaofeng walked over and opened another chest. He casually took out two hairpins and handed it over to her, saying, "So, people have to have some meaning when living.


    "But ¡­" She had never read a book and wouldn''t speak of great principles, but when she was seventeen, she could be considered to have seen all the cold warmth in the world. She had her doubts towards Ling Chaofeng and was even more confused now, asking, "Since you don''t care about this money, then why did you earn money from the Second Madam to help her avoid disasters? And why would I help Boss Feng kill his little brother? I''m sorry, I ¡­ I heard it just now. "


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "The battle of concubines is another person''s family''s matter and should not be interfered with by outsiders. But no matter how harsh and vicious Second Madam''s words are, it is not the reason why Mrs. Sun killed her. Do you really think that if Second Madam was poisoned to death by her, he would be able to live a peaceful life? "


    Xiaowan blinked her eyes, she felt comfortable listening to these words.


    Ling Chaofeng then continued: "Second Master Feng stole a national treasure and smuggled it abroad, then sold it over from the East Ocean. Boss Feng only dealt in proper business in his entire life, but as the number of merchant ships that could travel to the ocean increased, the proper business became more and more difficult, thus his little brother forced him to go out of the way. That day, when he charged at you, he was not just drunk. He took the Soul Shifting Powder and became delirious, and now he is going to sell it to the capital. Boss Feng wanted to use his own methods to deal with his younger brother, rather than sending him to the court to hand over to the yamen, so ¡­ "


    Upon saying that, the Xiaowan did not understand what she meant. Ling Chaofeng saw that she was stunned, and laughed: "How can I not understand?"


    "I don''t know." Xiaowan held the golden hairpin and thought for a while before saying, "I won''t ask in the future, but I believe you. I''ll believe in whatever you do."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Everything here is yours, if you want it, you can have it."


    Xiaowan asked: "Then what about the silver I owe you?"


    Ling Chaofeng hugged her back, "That will naturally be returned with my entire life."


    Their eyes met, and Ling Chaofeng leaned forward. Their faces were so close, and even though the cellar was somewhat cold, their hearts still warmed. Xiaowan was shy. She twisted her waist and said, "Hubby is bullying others again."


    Ling Chaofeng extinguished the torch and locked the door to the cellar. When they arrived at the store, Xiaowan was putting the golden hairpin onto Aunt Zhang''s bun, she chimed in, "Beautiful, so beautiful."


    Aunt Zhang said, "Evening, the Mid-Autumn Festival is going to be a lot more lively. Why don''t we go to the market?"


    Xiaowan nodded her head repeatedly. After the Queen Mother entered, she never went to the market again. Every time she saw the children of the village or her brother and sister going to the market in their new clothes, she was especially envious.


    "Master, are you going?" Xiaowan ran over and asked Ling Chaofeng. His eyes were sparkling and his tone was soft, "Can we go together?"


    How could he refuse? Ling Chaofeng then said: "Since the Mid-Autumn Festival is not open, go to town."

 C26

    The atmosphere in the shop was extremely good. When the Xiaowan followed the Aunt Zhang to clean the guest rooms, they suddenly thought of the murders that happened one after another. It was as if a curse had been placed on this Cloud Lai room. It would never be safe for anyone to live inside it.


    Aunt Zhang went downstairs to get a feather duster. When she came up, she saw Xiaowan staring blankly at the door plate, she smiled: "Are you afraid?"


    The Wan shook her head. "I can''t say. Aunt, I can''t be as open as all of you. Even if you are a bad person in my eyes, it is still a life, not to mention a good person. But I know there is a rule in the inn, and I will catch up with you early and stop making such a fuss, and don''t be afraid.


    The Aunt Zhang gently said: "It''s your kind heart, and it''s not like it''s a fault.


    While the two of them were cleaning the house, Aunt Zhang asked, "Evening, now that I think about it, do you hate your stepmother? How much do you hate her? Don''t you want revenge?"


    "Revenge?" Xiaowan looked at him blankly.


    "She beat you like that and mistreated you. Do you want to take revenge on her, or at least beat her up?"


    "I ¡­" Xiaowan thought about it seriously, and said, "Aunt, it has been quite a while since I''ve decided to follow my husband. When you asked me, I realized that I have not thought about my father, nor about my stepmother, but only about my husband and all of you."


    The Aunt Zhang laughed leisurely, "Is it because the shopkeeper wants more?"


    Xiaowan blushed and said, "It''s true."


    Aunt Zhang asked, "Then do you still hate him?"


    Xiaowan nodded, her gaze dark: "I actually forgot to mention it, but when I mention it, I still hate her. The only thing I can say is that I won''t care about her no matter what. If I ask if she hates me or not, I hate her. I will never forgive her for mistreating me in my entire life. "


    After Ling Chaofeng came to Xiaowan and heard this sentence and half of it, he was naturally concerned: "What''s wrong?"


    When Xiaowan saw his husband, his gaze softened. "Nothing much, you''re looking for us for something?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I just received a letter, the people I sent to find your father."


    "But ¡­" Xiaowan no longer needed a father.


    "He won''t be able to come back until mid-autumn." Ling Chaofeng said, "When he comes back by boat, he will have to pass by the inn, do you want to invite him in?"


    Xiaowan lowered her eyes: "I''ll listen to you, but, just don''t let my father take me away, I''m not going anywhere."


    Aunt Zhang took her broom and brush and left quietly with a smile. Ling Chaofeng smiled, hugged Xiaowan and asked gently: "Where can you go?


    Xiaowan pouted and said, "You always scare me so much that you want to break my legs again?"


    Unlike when she was first here, young lady''s eyes were filled with fear, or the stubbornness of someone willing to throw their lives away. Now, with a few points of pout, her gaze made people feel tender towards her, so she pouted slightly and said: "Master, please don''t scare me in the future, okay?"


    Ling Chaofeng lightly tapped her lips: "But what if I don''t listen?"


    Xiaowan muttered: "Which one of you is not listening to me?"


    Ling Chaofeng was annoyed: "Who ran out early in the morning yesterday?"


    hugged her and said: "You won''t be allowed to do it again in the future. You can do whatever you want, but you have to protect yourself well.


    "Yes, yes." The Xiaowan repeated her agreement and suddenly gave a start. She hurriedly left his husband to find the Aunt Zhang and muttered, "Look at how you''re messing with me, we still have work to do."


    At night, Ling Chaofeng and the rest discussed the matter of the tavern, while Xiaowan took a bath upstairs. She had initially said that it would be inconvenient to carry the hot water up and down, so she wanted to bathe together with the rest in the bathhouse in the backyard. But her aunt said that she was the head manager, and although she worked the same job as she ate and worked, there was still a difference between the masters and the servants, and she was the boss''s wife.


    This was the legendary life that only the young miss and the mistress of a large family could enjoy. young lady''s heart softened after being bathed in this soft water.


    However, when he raised his arm and raised his leg, he could not help but see the scars on his body. The wounds he had received during the marriage had all disappeared, and the bruises on his wrist had also disappeared.


    Xiaowan crawled out of the bathtub, and after drying herself a little, she looked at herself in the mirror. She had never seen her own back before, but now she looked at herself in the mirror with the round mirror, she could see everything.


    Her skin was so white that the scars were more pronounced.


    The year before last, his brother had stolen a piece of persimmon from the house and threw it in the woodshed. The stepmother found it and insisted that she was the one who had eaten it, tearing her flesh apart. The Xiaowan was in so much pain that she wished she were dead. On New Year''s Eve, there were tens of thousands of lights burning in the night, but her wounds were festering and she was burnt to a dazed state.


    The wound that had been repeatedly split open finally had a cocoon-like scar on her tender body. It had been almost two years, and it hadn''t even faded in the slightest.


    Xiaowan used her own clothes to wrap herself up. Although Ling Chaofeng didn''t mind the scars on her body, she was still a girl.


    Unconsciously, she raised her right hand. Xiaowan could not help but clench her fist, but her heart trembled and she quickly let go. After hesitating for a while, she got up and kneeled in front of the window.


    After thanking him in such a way, he began chanting in his heart. He clenched his hands into fists, and just as he finished chanting his wish, the Aunt Zhang outside the door asked: "Night Child, are you done bathing?"


    Xiaowan hurriedly got up and replied, "I''ve finished washing."


    After that, he busied himself with tidying up the room, and set aside the matter. In the dead of night, when Ling Chaofeng returned from washing up, he could smell the faint fragrance of flowers.


    Under the moonlight, the charming young lady was quietly folding his clothes. Her heart warmed up as she slowly walked over and said, "It smells good."


    The Xiaowan laughed: "Aunt gave me a lot of flowers."


    Ling Chaofeng then stepped forward, "You want me to smell it?"


    Being gently kissed on the neck, Xiaowan giggled and struggled in fear. However, she was quickly carried by her husband to bed, and when they were making love, Ling Chaofeng''s grip became soft. She suddenly froze, wanting to flip Xiaowan''s dress over and over, to the point that young lady moaned in embarrassment that she didn''t want it.


    "Later, the scar is gone." Ling Chaofeng then ripped open Xiaowan''s clothes, only to see her skin was as white as snow, perfect as snow, he asked in shock, "The scars are all gone, was it because she had applied the ointment?"


    Xiaowan was startled, she suddenly understood her husband''s meaning, she thought she had failed to make a wish, but did not expect ¡­ Raising her arm and seeing her smooth and undamaged muscles, her eyes warmed up and she choked with sobs. "Thank you for your blessings, my husband."


    Ling Chaofeng was very happy. The always calm person revealed a bright smile, kissed Xiaowan again and again, and said gently: "I will love you very much."


    That night, the bashful and bashful girl gradually learned to take the initiative, which naturally made her more interesting.


    The next morning, although she felt a little sore, she was in high spirits. When she went downstairs and saw the bright sunlight shining in, she ran to the front of the store and stood in the sunlight with her hands on her hips. The autumn wind was slightly cold, and the sun was warm and comfortable.


    "Evening, you woke up so early?" Aunt Zhang came over from behind with a smile, "There are no guests today, so why don''t you sleep a little longer?"


    As he was speaking, Ling Chaofeng took the opportunity to descend the stairs. Seeing that the person in front of the door had turned around, his bright and beautiful smile was exactly the same as the first time Ling Chaofeng had seen her.


    In a blink of an eye, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ershan and a group of people were driving to the town. It was almost noon, and the town was already packed with people.


    Xiaowan saw something new, but although her eyes were looking everywhere, she held onto Ling Chaofeng tightly.


    "Yo ¡­" Isn''t this Xiaowan? " Suddenly, a woman ran in front of him. She sized up young lady, who was dressed beautifully, in surprise, "Married to someone is really different, I can''t even recognize him anymore."

 C27

    "Aunt Wang?" Seeing the person in front of him, Xiaowan shuddered instinctively.


    Before she was married, it was this woman who tied her up with her stepmother in the woodshed. She even took turns with her stepmother every day to strip her clothes and supervise her toilet, making her live a life worse than death.


    Xiaowan could only force herself to forget this humiliation, but how could she forget it so easily?


    When Ling Chaofeng''s hand was grabbed by his wife, naturally, she could feel her trembling. Putting a bit more strength into her fingers, she held her hand instead and when Xiaowan felt her strength, she immediately calmed down. She looked at Ling Chaofeng and said: "Husband, this is my aunt who is next door."


    Lady Wang''s gaze had long fallen on the haughty Ling Chaofeng. It was said that a few days ago, there were people in the village who saw the Mu Family''s daughter splashing water outside their Ling Xiao Inn, chatting and laughing with a young boy. They thought that the boy was Ling Chaofeng, but the women did not believe them.


    Ling Chaofeng was a monster. With a height of eight feet, he was valiant and powerful, killing as though he was made of hemp ¡­


    Aunt Wang''s heart was trembling. Right now, her eyes were firm, she was not even eight feet tall, but she was taller than most men, especially her face, high nose bridge, pitch-black pupils, and eyes that were filled with heroic spirit.


    She exclaimed: "Xiaowan, this, this is Young Master?"


    Xiaowan nodded and said softly, "We still have matters to attend to, so we will be leaving first."


    After she finished speaking, she dragged Ling Chaofeng into the crowd. Ling Chaofeng naturally followed her step by step, but Aunt Wang shouted from behind her, "Xiaowan, wait a minute. Your mother is here too.


    Xiaowan dragged Ling Chaofeng away quickly, but was stopped by his husband''s pull. Ling Chaofeng brought her to the side of the road where there were less people, and asked gently: "What''s wrong?"


    "Actually, I know that when I come to the town fair, I will definitely meet people from the village, and even my stepmother." The Xiaowan''s eyes were downcast, he did not panic at all and he said calmly, "But I wanted you to be with me, so there''s no need to be afraid of them. I just had to say a few words and my heart is already in such a mess. I''m not afraid anymore, but I don''t want to see them. I''ll never want to see them again. "


    Her eyes were slightly moist as she tried to hold back her tears.


    The Xiaowan had never told Ling Chaofeng about the details of the dozen days she was tied up in the woodshed, waiting for her marriage. However, Ling Chaofeng only thought about it briefly, he had to eat, drink, and drink when he was alive, how he was tied up all the time.


    It was very clear that her stepmother would definitely help her resolve the problem, so the deepest injury that Xiaowan suffered was not the physical pain, but in her heart. She had never been treated as a person before.


    "Go take a look happily." Ling Chaofeng bent over and looked straight into his wife''s eyes, "If we meet again, it will only be this one time. From today onwards, I will make sure that they will never dare to appear in the same place as you. It''s a big world. You can go anywhere you want, but they''ll never show up at the same time as you. Is that good? "


    The Xiaowan was stunned and asked subconsciously: "Want to kill them?"


    Ling Chaofeng did not know whether to laugh or cry. Your aunt was dressed so beautifully for you, and you''re going back home just like that? "


    Xiaowan had put on a new hairstyle today, Aunt Zhang''s hands were quite lucky, the same jade hairstyle, which Xiaowan herself wore, no matter how it looked, it was awkward to wear. Her aunt helped her pick it up, and the flowers made her skin as white as snow, while the jade hairstyle was dignified and dignified.


    Wearing a white jacket and a green skirt, her waist was as thin as a bundle, and her clothes fluttered in the wind. As she walked in the crowd, it was like she was in the middle of spring.


    Xiaowan touched her hair, a little hesitant, and indeed felt that it was a pity. Her husband then said: "If we really don''t want to, then let''s go back now, or take a bus to a town twenty miles away to visit the market. How about it?"


    Immediately, a smile appeared on his face, and he nodded: "Next time let''s go somewhere else, it''s better if we stay here for a stroll. Once we leave, it''s time for Aunt to spoil the fun, Uncle Biao and Ershan are still waiting for the afternoon when we go to the teahouse to listen to books."


    With that, she grabbed Ling Chaofeng''s hand and returned to the bustling crowd.


    There were all sorts of things on the stalls along the street, things she had longed for since he was young, things he had never been able to get his hands on. When the trap failed, Ling Chaofeng begged for her husband to replace her, causing the stall owner''s eyes to turn red from anxiousness.


    The Xiaowan gradually let go of his husband''s hand, while Ling Chaofeng silently held onto the thing she liked. He wanted to let the Xiaowan be truly "free" and let her be brave enough, but at this moment, he subconsciously slowed his pace, and the flow of people gradually separated him from the Xiaowan.


    He wanted to buy a handkerchief to give to Aunt Zhang as a thank you for taking care of him. Suddenly, someone grabbed onto her shoulder, and Xiaowan thought that it was Ling Chaofeng who was following behind her. She smiled and asked: "Look at this handkerchief, what do you think?"


    The voice that answered was that of a man, also tall, but very unfamiliar to the ears, and what he said was: "Don''t run around, it''s time for us to go on our way."


    Xiaowan turned her head in a daze. The man was startled and quickly let go, then said: "Sorry about that, I recognized the wrong person. I''m really sorry."


    Wrong person? Before Xiaowan could react, that person seemed to have seen the person he was looking for, and directly chased after him. Xiaowan tiptoed to see, not far away, there was a woman also wearing a white dress, but was quickly overtaken by that man.


    "Big Sis?"


    Suddenly, a familiar voice came out, causing Xiaowan''s heart to tremble.


    "Mother!" "It''s Big Sis. I saw Big Sis here." Her brother''s loud voice was completely inherited by her stepmother, as well as her evil nature.


    Very quickly, two children around the age of seven or eight years old surrounded Xiaowan. One of them was his younger brother Wen Bao, and the other was his younger sister Wen Juan.


    The stepmother came in and gave birth to a daughter in succession. The daughter was unsatisfied. Xiaowan was only nine at the time, but when she cried, her stepmother went crazy. She used the needles at the bottom of her nail-shoe to stab her, and then used the wooden board to spank her. Now that she thought about it, her small body was really strong.


    "Tsk tsk tsk tsk, isn''t this our bride?" Madam Xu walked over unsteadily, and recognized that this young lady with bright clothes and gold on her body was her stepdaughter, an indescribable feeling arose in her heart. She sized her up and sneered, "Such a good life, even her conscience was eaten by a dog, I have never seen a girl get married, and don''t even know the rules of returning home."


    Madam Xu acted as if she had gotten used to it and pinched her cheeks, saying hatefully: "Why didn''t you call for people when you saw me, did you mute yourself?"


    "Let me go!" Xiaowan used all her strength to push Madam Xu away, staring at her angrily, she shouted, "Speak as you say it, don''t touch her."


    His son, Wen Bao, saw that his mother had been pushed away, and came up to kick her. As he did so, he continued to kick her: "I told you to push my mother, you unlucky star."


    But the next moment, he was lifted up by the collar by someone. The little guy kicked with both his feet and shouted in fear, "Mother! Mother, save me. "


    Madam Xu watched as the tall man held his son up in the air. Finally, he came to his senses and shouted, "Murder, come!" He jumped over and kicked Ling Chaofeng, "Let go of my son, let go of my son."

 C28

    Ling Chaofeng used only a little strength to throw Mu Wen Bao out. The child rolled on the ground crying in fear. Madam Xu turned around and carried her son from the ground as he screamed, "Wen Bao, does it hurt! Wen Bao, let Mother see!"


    Xiaowan ran over to her husband''s side, and Ling Chaofeng held her hand. More and more bystanders gathered, but they did not come to pay attention to his and her. Instead, they saw the beautiful Ling Chaofeng and the beautiful young lady standing beside his.


    The couple walked in the crowd. They were a very conspicuous couple, but when people came and went, everyone was focused on their business and playing. However, at this moment, they stopped and their gazes were locked on each other.


    The familiar people whispered amongst themselves, trying to guess Ling Chaofeng''s background, and why he had to go against a child.


    "Let''s go." Xiaowan said.


    Ling Chaofeng did not say anything, and held her hand as they left. Ling Chaofeng''s aura was extraordinary, he did not need them to push aside the crowd, so wherever he went, the people passing by would naturally make way for him.


    But after walking a few steps, he heard Madam Xu crying and cursing, "Mu Xiaowan, I worked hard to raise you up so that you can eat and wear. "Everyone, please give your judgment. I treated my stepdaughter as my own daughter and raised her as my own. In the end, she brought her son-in-law back to beat us up. Look, she threw our child into such a state ¡­"


    Within the crowd, there were many villagers of Qingling Village who recognized the Xiaowan and knew that the man beside her was the owner of the Ling Xiao Inn. So the legendary Manager Ling was like this, and not to mention his appearance, when they saw him treat the Xiaowan like this, they all secretly lamented that the bitter days of the Xiaowan had come to an end.


    When they got further away, the Xiaowan''s heart also calmed down. Looking at the direction of the sun, he said to his husband, "Let''s go find aunt and have a meal together. Hubby, I''m hungry."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded. "Uncle Biao has reserved a private room in the teahouse.


    "Yes." Xiaowan smiled and looked at his husband with eyes full of gratitude, "Husband, thank you."


    "What''s there to thank me for? Stupid." Ling Chaofeng laughed.


    "As long as you are here, I am not afraid of anything. I will never be afraid of her again." "Even if I were to meet her alone in the future, I would not allow her to bully me again. I will eat a lot, and once I grow taller, I will be able to beat her."


    It was evident that what she feared were her past experiences, and not her stepmother''s own. At the very least, she wouldn''t need to fear that old woman now, but the hardships of the past were etched in her heart, so she was definitely very afraid that one day she would live like that again.


    "Go home and I''ll teach you a few moves to capture him, okay?" Ling Chaofeng laughed, but as he thought about it, his gaze turned perverted.


    "Why do I feel like you want to bully others?" The Xiaowan smiled weakly, looking extremely pampered. "You''re not allowed to bully me."


    The moment he finished speaking, a woman''s voice came from not too far away, shouting angrily: "Wei Tengfei, I''m warning you, if you catch me again, I''ll bite my tongue and commit suicide."


    The man calmly said, "You asked for it yourself."


    After speaking, he hoisted the young girl onto his shoulder. Just like Xiaowan, the young lady wore a white dress, and the man carrying her was the one who had mistaken him just now.


    "Let me go, let me go ¡­" The girl punched and kicked the man''s shoulders, and even desperately grabbed his hair. It looked painful and painful, but the man didn''t budge. He carried the girl and quickly left.


    Xiaowan was stunned. She glanced at Ling Chaofeng and saw him smiling. Then she asked weakly: "If I don''t listen, would you treat me like this?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head, but said: "You don''t dare to disobey?"


    Xiaowan raised her eyebrows and said: "Why would I not dare? Anyway... You don''t want to do this to me. "


    The two of them joked around as they went to find Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao. They completely forgot about the incident in Madam Xu, and after eating lunch and listening to the story in the teahouse, Ling Chaofeng felt that this beautiful wife who seemed to be in a daze was much more interesting than the story in the mouth of the storyteller.


    During this time, Madam Xu brought her son and daughter back to Qingling Village, and along the way, they met some villagers who were secretly talking about how their mother and son were beaten up by their eldest son-in-law, causing her to be so angry that she almost went crazy.


    In the past, she had beaten her stepdaughter to death. But now, when Aunt Wang pushed open the door and came in to persuade her, she only saw Madam Xu pulling the quilt off the brick bed with a bamboo ruler. Her son and daughter were not lightly frightened, but they did not even hit their bodies.


    Aunt Wang curled her lips and came up to advise him: "It''s such a festival, why do you need it? Quickly drink some water to calm down." "Don''t cry, go to my aunt''s house and get some mooncakes."


    Madam Xu was so angry that she sat down on the brick bed and wiped away her tears as she said, "In my entire life, when have I ever lost face like this? If I had known this earlier, I would have asked her father to send this evil creature away."


    She sobbed and cried. Aunt Wang tried to persuade her for a long time, then said: "When your man comes back, let him try to reason with you. He doesn''t even put you in his eyes. Don''t be in such a hurry, the days are long. Just look at Xiaowan''s dressed in gold, I don''t even know how wealthy she is in the inn, it doesn''t matter if I suffer a little. If only I could get some from her in the future, it would be more important.


    Madam Xu snorted: "How do you want to take it? Look at that Ling Chaofeng, he doesn''t look too bad, but when he attacks, I''m afraid he will snap Wen Bao''s neck with one hand."


    After saying that, she wailed in fear, "I only have this one son. I''m marrying into this family. What exactly is my goal? I can''t count on any of them ¡­"


    The Aunt Wang advised: "The ancient saying goes, it is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge. Why are you so anxious? Let''s see what the situation is in the tavern. There will be a day when you make them kneel at your feet and kowtow to you. If she doesn''t recognize you, she has to admit that you are Old Mu. Wait until Old Mu comes back, don''t quarrel with him, just coax him first, let him know that you feel wronged, let him know that his daughter has let you down, you have found such a good home for Mu Xiaowan, she will repay your kindness with hatred. "


    Madam Xu squinted her eyes, revealing a cold glint from the cracks, she clenched her teeth and said, "I will not let her go even if I die."


    At this moment, within the Baisha Town teahouse, laughter was unceasing. It wasn''t until sunset that the story finished. Xiaowan was not done with her words, she then urged him on: "Sounds good. Evening, let Uncle bring you here again later to listen."


    Aunt Zhang then scolded her husband, "You came all the way here to listen to a book, and you still can''t do business. Don''t lead Nian`er astray."


    And they ate a lot of refreshments while they were at school, so they did not eat dinner in the town, but went back to the inn together in the carriage.


    Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang snuggled up to each other as they walked like a mother and daughter. Gradually, the number of people lessened and Aunt Zhang suddenly said, "Xiaowan, smell this fragrance, I saw it on the street just now."


    Following the scent, they found a Rouge Shop called Siyun Pavilion on the side of the street. The shop was already brightly lit, and all kinds of exquisite rouge and water powder filled their eyes. The fragrance outside the shop was a little mixed, but when they were far away, the unique scent was the most obvious.


    "My wife, come in and take a look." "We have the best rouge in the capital in our shop," said a dignified middle-aged woman, "and all the ladies of the palace use it."


    Aunt Zhang suddenly stopped and said politely: "It''s getting late, let''s check again another day."


    Xiaowan naturally listened to her, and the men also followed along, as they left.


    When Ling Chaofeng returned to his room, Xiaowan was already lying down. When he lay down, her wife had already burrowed into his embrace and wrapped him up, softly saying, "Husband, I''m sleepy."


    But today, playing around with books, and even having a fight with his stepmother, he experienced too much and fell into a state of confusion.


    In her dreams, she had become a child and followed others to catch up with the market. In the end, she was captured by her stepmother, and all kinds of whips and sticks were whipped around her body, the pain that she once felt was deeply engraved in her memories. Thus, her dreams became real.


    "Did you have a nightmare?" Ling Chaofeng gently wiped away her tears and comforted her gently, "Don''t be afraid, I''m here."


    Xiaowan sobs a few times, and suddenly hugged his husband. Ling Chaofeng slowly sat up and hugged her. Xiaowan stuck close to his husband''s heart and could feel the firm strength in his chest. She suddenly asked, "Husband, why did you marry me?


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "You don''t remember me, right?"


    Xiaowan blankly raised his head: "Don''t remember you?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "We have seen each other before, before we got married."


    Xiaowan was at a loss. Even though Ling Chaofeng had told his about the experiences of their first meeting, Xiaowan still couldn''t remember anything. She could not remember seeing someone as tall as Ling Chaofeng, or if he had seen such a handsome man before, how could he not?


    To think about it, she had forgotten the fear in her dreams.


    In the next few days, Xiaowan kept talking to Aunt Zhang, saying that she did not remember meeting her husband. Aunt Zhang was annoyed by her, saying, "Do you remember what''s the matter?


    Xiaowan was overjoyed when she heard this.


    However, on this day, people from the yamen suddenly came. Xiaowan hurriedly ran over to the store, thinking that something was wrong with the inn.


    The Xiaowan didn''t recognize any words, and could only hear the Fast Catcher say to Ling Chaofeng, "The Emperor declares to abdicate, and passes the throne to the Fourth Prince.

 C29

    Ling Chaofeng invited him in to have a cup of tea, the Fast Catcher thanked him and said: "When the new ruler ascends the throne, we will be getting married. These few days, all the gold of the nobles will be heading to the capital to participate in the selection.


    The Aunt Zhang wrapped up the sliced beef mini and enthusiastically shoved it into the Fast Catcher''s hands: "Add a dish to the dish tonight. If you''re not on duty next time, come and drink in the restaurant."


    After exchanging a few polite words with each other, that person left. Xiaowan looked at the notice on the wall again, and really did not know any words.


    Just because from Baisha River Pier to Baisha Town, there was no village or shop for ten miles of road, the Ling Xiao Inn became the only place that could be used for business. Although the reputation of the Ling Xiao Inn was not good in the mouths of the local citizens, Ling Chaofeng was rather good at handling government affairs.


    "How many words can you read?" Ling Chaofeng walked over and asked with a smile, "Read it out for me."


    Xiaowan''s face was flushed red as she mumbled, "You clearly know that I can''t read, but you still make fun of me."


    However, Ling Chaofeng asked: "Do you want to learn? If you want to, then let''s just learn seriously and not play around. When we have children in the future, how will mother teach them if she can''t read? "


    Xiaowan''s face became even redder. Seeing that Aunt Zhang was covering her mouth as she walked away with a smile, she lightly patted her husband and anxiously said: "Daytime, who wants to have children with you?"


    She turned around and was about to run away when she was caught by Ling Chaofeng.


    Xiaowan immediately stood still, then nodded her head seriously: "Yes, but is it too late to study now?"


    "I can make it." Ling Chaofeng called Ershan out, and asked him to look for the Enlightenment Book that he had read before.


    They returned back to the shop and sat down. Not long later, Ershan delivered a < Three Character Classic > and a < Thousand Character Classic >. "Keeping accounts is also good, in the future ¡­"


    The Xiaowan didn''t wait for him to say anything about teaching the child and snatched the book away. He smiled and glared at him, not allowing him to speak any nonsense. He then lovingly opened the book and even brought it close to his nose, smelling the fragrance of the ink.


    Aunt Zhang laughed and asked, "Who will teach you and how should I learn? Would you like to invite a proper teacher or would you, shopkeeper, to teach them yourself? "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Only in September do I have a big guest here, I have nothing to do, I can teach you."


    Xiaowan focused on flipping the pages of the book. Although she could not read many pages, she could finally read and write. Although only males could attend school in the village, as long as their families weren''t poor, they would still send their daughters to the Elementary Scholars'' families to acknowledge their daughters. Naturally, Xiaowan did not have such opportunities.


    Flipping through the pages, his eyes suddenly lit up. Xiaowan pointed at the words, "The national wind, the beautiful song of the day." Four verses, the chant of irony. " With the word wind in his hands, he looked at Ling Chaofeng with a smile, "Husband''s name."


    Aunt Zhang cried out, "I can''t stay any longer."


    Seeing that they had all run away, the Xiaowan was so embarrassed that her face was flushed red. However, Ling Chaofeng said: "Since you want to learn, do not fool around. You have to memorize the ''Three Character Classic'' by September. After the Double Sun Festival, let''s learn a thousand words. "


    Xiaowan held the book, and nodded seriously: "I will definitely memorize it."


    The Uncle Biao brought out the stir-fried chestnuts for Xiaowan to eat. Seeing her holding onto the book, he smiled: "Is there another scholar in our shop?"


    Xiaowan thought about how the book was Ershan''s, and asked: "Big Brother Ershan, are you studying as well?"


    Ling Chaofeng said, "In the beginning of next year, Ershan will be taking the Elementary Scholar examination."


    The Xiaowan was very surprised, seeing Ershan standing at the side laughing, he shyly touched his head: "I might not even pass the examination."


    Ling Chaofeng said solemnly, "The new ruler has ascended to the throne, so you must elect your talent. If you have intentions, then don''t waste it."


    Ershan immediately said: "Innkeeper, I will remember it. I will not waste it."


    In the next few days, there were not many customers in the store, so Xiaowan stayed with the books every day. When Ling Chaofeng taught his a few words, she would recite them.


    That day, a boat was leaning on the Baisha River Pier, and more than a hundred people came down, all of them leaving their villages to go to work, Ling Chaofeng had long told Xiaowan that her father was on this boat too.


    She stood at the door of the inn and watched the waves of people pass by. Soon she found her father in the crowd, but it wasn''t until she reached the door that she recognized her daughter.


    "Xiaowan... Is it really you? " Master Mu put down the bag in his hand and rubbed his eyes, "My daughter, is that you?"


    Xiaowan''s eyes grew warm as she stepped forward to help her father carry the items. "It''s me, I don''t even recognize my own daughter?"


    Ling Chaofeng slowly walked out and shocked the Master Mu. To his surprise, he saw a handsome young man bowing and bowing to him, and said: "Son-in-law Ling Chaofeng greets father-in-law."


    Master Mu opened his mouth and stammered, "Okay, okay ¡­"


    They sat down in the shop as the Aunt Zhang brought them tea and snacks.


    Although he was rarely at home, he had heard rumors of Ling Xiao Inn before. They had to pass by this place whenever they went to the pier, and Master Mu remembered that about a dozen years ago, an inn was suddenly opened on the road. When he returned home, people in the village would say that this inn was a dark shop when they mentioned it.


    "Dad, your shoes are all mud." The Xiaowan said, then said, "Take it off, I will wash it for you. Otherwise, mother will be talking about you when we return home."


    In front of his son-in-law, Master Mu felt embarrassed, but Xiaowan had already prepared something for his father, he took out a new pair of shoes from his bag, which Master Mu could only change out of.


    "I''ll be right back." Xiaowan held onto his father''s shoes and said to Ling Chaofeng, "You can talk with my father for a while."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, after Xiaowan left, he said to Master Mu: "I originally thought that Father-in-law''s betrothal gift was something my father knew about, but who would have thought that Father-in-law would not know of this matter. The wedding was in a hurry, and even Xiaowan was wronged, this is truly something that a son-in-law should not do."


    If Ling Chaofeng had not sent people to find him, Master Mu would not have known that his eldest daughter was already married. Looking at the scene in the tavern, and looking at how talented his son-in-law was, he couldn''t help but mutter in his heart, Wen Bao''s mother actually married Xiaowan to a good place. It was just that with the reputation of his Ling Xiao Inn, he was still a little nervous.


    At the back door by the well, Xiaowan was sitting on a wooden bench, washing Daddy''s shoes when she suddenly heard a sound. She looked towards the woodpile and saw a shadow moving about, as if someone was hiding there.


    Xiaowan panicked, but thinking that her husband and Uncle Biao were all in the shop, there was nothing to be afraid of, so she summoned up her courage and walked over.


    "You all ¡­" Behind the pile of firewood, there was a mother and daughter. The younger ones looked to be about the same age as him, and the older ones were probably her mother.


    "Auntie, Miss, can I give you some water to drink?" The older one pleaded, "We''d like some water."

 C30

    Xiaowan had suffered countless hardships and could not stand to be pitied by others. She squatted down and said gently: "Aunt, please come and have a seat at the store, I''ll get some water for you guys to eat."


    Xiaowan could see the skin below from the young woman''s sleeve. With the familiar scene that she was familiar with, she subconsciously grabbed the girl''s arm, lifted her sleeve, and saw the lines of whip marks that were extremely shocking.


    "This is?" Xiaowan''s heart suddenly clenched.


    "Miss, we only want some water, please don''t let anyone see us, please Miss." The older woman hid her daughter behind her, tears in her eyes as she begged, "Miss, please don''t let anyone find out where we are. Please."


    Xiaowan''s heart was already in pain, there were tears in her eyes as she said repeatedly: "I got it, auntie, wait a moment, I''ll go get the water for you guys now."


    "Well water is enough, we ¡­" Seeing the Xiaowan walk into the shop, the aunt stopped him and said that it should not be too troublesome, but the Xiaowan had already ran away.


    In the main hall of the inn, Ling Chaofeng was still chatting with his father in law, while the Master Mu was considered a person who travelled extensively, gaining some insights. They chatted about the major engineering matters of different regions, causing the atmosphere to be quite good.


    At this moment, Master Mu shifted the topic back to his daughter, and said with a little guilt: "I don''t know how Xiaowan told you about the past, but I myself understand that I have let down this daughter of mine for seventeen years. However, I want to support my family and will not be home for many years. It''s really ¡­ Sigh, no matter what you say, it''s useless. I only hope that Manager Ling can treat her a few more times.


    As his father said these words, Ling Chaofeng saw from the corner of his eyes that the Xiaowan had snuck back. While no one was looking, he went to the kitchen, and then sneaked out to pack a few things in a wooden basin. He was in a hurry, it seemed like there was something wrong with the back door.


    However, he still calmly dealt with the Master Mu, "Please be at ease, your son-in-law will take good care of Xiaowan."


    Inside, there was a pot of tea, two bowls, a few big meat buns and two side dishes. She placed the food down and said: "Aunt, you guys eat first, I''ll bring some more for you guys to eat on the way. How much longer do you guys have to walk for, you guys ¡­ ¡­"


    She asked, but the two of them didn''t have time to answer. They hadn''t eaten for several days, so they had already gone mad with hunger.


    Xiaowan ran back to her own room, wanting to make more rations. Coincidentally, her father saw, and said angrily: "My daughter, stop washing your shoes, why don''t you come sit down and talk. How can you leave Young Master alone, and have father look at you properly."


    "I-I''ll be here soon. I''ll be ready soon." Xiaowan made an excuse and ran away. She wrapped up the leftover white bread in the kitchen and filled up two bags of water. The dried radish sticks under the eaves also grabbed a few pieces and stuffed them into the bag.


    However, the woodpile was empty. Besides the wooden bowls and plates, the two ladies and the food were all gone.


    Xiaowan carried her backpack and looked to both sides, heading towards the direction of Baisha River Pier, where two figures dove into the bushes by the side of the road.


    "What are you looking at?" Ling Chaofeng''s voice suddenly came out, causing Xiaowan to panic as the backpack in her hands fell onto the ground.


    Ling Chaofeng slowly walked over, picked up the bundle, and untied it to have a look.


    The Xiaowan waved his hand and said, "I am not running away, nor am I taking it for my father. Hubby, I ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng did not pursue the matter and did not question further, but only said: "Father-in-law is about to leave, we will send him off."


    As they entered, their luggage was casually placed at the side, and the couple walked to the door, instructing Ershan to get a carriage and send Master Mu back.


    Master Mu thanked him profusely before looking at his daughter again. After hesitating for a while, he took out a piece of silver from his purse and stuffed it into Xiaowan''s hands, saying: "My daughter, your father has let you down and also has let your mother down. From now on, you must live a good life with the shopkeeper."


    After all, she was still his father. She promised with tears in her eyes, telling him to be careful on the road.


    The carriage gradually moved further and further away, and Ling Chaofeng went forward to hug his wife''s shoulder. "The wind outside is heavy, let''s go in."


    "Hm." Xiaowan held back her tears and wiped them away as she said softly, "Husband, thank you for receiving my father. Thank you for returning so many things to him."


    Ling Chaofeng did not say anything, and brought her back to the shop. Coincidentally, he heard from Aunt Zhang that something was strange: "What is this bag for, did Master Mu leave it behind for you? Now, will we be able to catch up? "


    Xiaowan hurriedly said: "Aunt, leave it to me."


    She took the bag and turned to see Ling Chaofeng looking at his indifferently. Xiaowan felt his heart tremble, whether or not she should speak the truth, but that aunt begged her not to let anyone discover their whereabouts.


    After half a day passed without incident, the Xiaowan followed the Uncle Biao in the kitchen to help with the pickled vegetables. After Ershan sent the dishes to the Master Mu, he took over another job from Ling Chaofeng to do and did not return for a while. The Aunt Zhang laughed and said: "I would like to hear about your family after Ershan returns.


    Xiaowan shook her head. "I don''t care about her."


    As soon as he said that, the sound of horses could be heard from outside the store. They thought Ershan had returned.


    Xiaowan poured a bowl of tea and offered it to Ershan to drink, only to see five well-dressed people barging in from the front. They were not from the yamen, and did not look like they traveled the world either.


    "Which one is the shopkeeper?" They said it bluntly, and guessed they weren''t natives. The accent sounded like it came from the north.


    Ling Chaofeng walked out indifferently and glanced at them. The leader was startled, he would have never thought that they would meet such an extraordinary person in the wilderness. He paused for a moment, then arrogantly said, "We are from Beijing, and we lost a servant girl in our residence. We chased them all the way here." He warned the shopkeeper, "If we see a mother and daughter in such dire straits, if we tie them up and inform us to come get them, my master will definitely reward us handsomely." If you want to chase them away, we will not hold it against you. However, if you want to hide them and protect them, my master has a great background. If the shopkeeper still wants to do business here, you better listen to me. "


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "The store is open for business, customers are coming and going, only for tea, wine and food, no need to meddle."


    That person snorted a laugh. "That would be for the best." After thinking for a while, he said, "Since you guys are here, bring me some food. I''m hungry."


    They ate and drank to their heart''s content, threw down their silver, and set off, as if to go to the wharf and see, and rode away.


    After Ling Chaofeng put away the silver, he did not see Xiaowan in the shop, he was busy packing up and did not care much about it. He thought for a bit, then walked towards the back door, indeed he saw that in the dusk, Xiaowan was holding the package, looking around.


    "Where are you going?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    Xiaowan turned around in panic, her lips tightly pursed. His husband had a stern expression as he coldly said, "Go back to your room."


    When she returned to her own room, Xiaowan was still holding onto her bag. She was really worried that she wasn''t able to give these food to the two of them.


    The people who claimed to be from Beijing seemed to be looking for them. They were so far away from the capital, how did they get here? And those people were vicious, they didn''t seem like good people no matter how one looked at them.


    Not long after, Ling Chaofeng also returned to his room and closed the door. The couple looked at each other, Xiaowan''s expression was not weak, she had her reasons. Ling Chaofeng did not scold him directly. Instead, he patiently asked what was going on.


    He then sighed, "There are all kinds of people coming and going here every day, begging for food in misery and poverty. Can you manage every single one of them?"


    Xiaowan lowered her head and did not make a sound.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "You don''t know their background, so you just casually struck out to help them, what''s the point in doing so if you bring disaster upon yourself, and cause yourself to be unable to help them?"


    He reached out to take out the bundle held in Xiaowan''s embrace: "Give me the thing, don''t bother with this matter anymore."


    "But ¡­" The Xiaowan held onto her backpack tightly, and said angrily, "Hubby, that girl has many wounds on her body. She must be the same as me in the past, getting beaten up everyday. "Why, why do so many people like to beat people to death? What''s so fun about it?"


    Ling Chaofeng frowned: "Is her entire body injured?"


    Although he could understand why the Xiaowan would miss out on these two strangers, Ling Chaofeng couldn''t help but send people to look for them. They would definitely cause a commotion, and might even harm them.


    When she heard that her husband was willing to save the mother and daughter, Xiaowan was at ease and even admitted her wrongs. She shouldn''t have hidden it from her husband.


    However, after more than ten years of torture, the Xiaowan was extremely sensitive to this kind of thing. The wounds on that girl''s body could not be removed from her sight, and she was unable to sleep soundly.


    Ling Chaofeng watched as she quietly got up and sat in front of the mirror to comb her makeup. He wasn''t as bright and lively as he usually was.


    "Bang, bang, bang ¡­" The sound came out suddenly, the shop door was knocked, Xiaowan recovered her senses and stood up, her heart seemed to have sensed something, but seeing that Ling Chaofeng had also stood up and donned her robes, the two of them hurried downstairs. Ershan also dressed up to see what was happening.


    Ershan stepped forward to open the door, and as soon as he did, a soft body fell on top of him, causing Ershan to panic. An older woman followed in, her body covered with dust as she knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "Save us, shopkeeper, please save us ¡­."


    Ling Chaofeng''s thick eyebrows slightly knitted, and he heard the faint sounds of horse hooves chasing after them. He also heard Xiaowan shouting, "Miss, are you awake?"


    He looked at Ershan, who quickly carried her and ran to the back. Ling Chaofeng supported the old lady: "Aunt, follow me."

 C31

    The mother and daughter pair were sent to the backyard, where the young woman was unconscious. Only then did Aunt Zhang manage to catch her breath.


    Without waiting for everyone to understand what happened, Ershan returned and said, "Innkeeper, four or five people have come. I don''t know if it''s the same ones from yesterday."


    When that group of people came yesterday, Ershan had not returned, but he had heard of the incident, and now that Ling Chaofeng had followed him out, it was not bad, it was the people who claimed that they were from the high officials of the capital.


    "Innkeeper, we''ve chased two women here and now, they have disappeared. There is only one place within a radius of ten miles that you two are at." The leader of the group pulled out his saber and placed it on the table as he snorted, "Yesterday, I made myself clear. Don''t blame us for being impolite."


    Xiaowan sneaked over to hide at the bottom of the stairs to take a look. Those few people''s eyes were rolling around, trying to find something.


    "It is precisely because the store is only a place to settle down within a circumference of five kilometers, why should I look for trouble? Leaving those unrelated people in the store, could it be that I''m waiting for everyone to come and find me?" Ling Chaofeng remained indifferent, "There is no one here that you are looking for."


    How could they believe it? They threatened, "If you tell us to turn him over, you won''t be able to bear the consequences. You don''t know who my master is. If you do, you''ll be scared to death."


    Then they rolled up their sleeves and threw the tables and stools, and made a show of turning the place upside down.


    The leader of the group commanded, "You guys go upstairs and search. You guys go and search the back. Dig three feet into the ground and find the people for me as well."


    As he said that, he reached forward and pushed Ling Chaofeng away, but did not expect him to remain as steady as Mount Tai, his eyes stared wide, and he was extremely shocked. Just as he was about to use more strength, Ling Chaofeng pushed him directly out of the inn.


    The few people at the side panicked and ran out to support him. The man''s chest was in a pain that was hard to describe, his face was pale white, supporting his last bit of anger, he extended a finger, trembling while pointing at the people in the shop, as though he wanted Ling Chaofeng to wait and see.


    However, they were not stupid. Since they were sure that there were people hiding here, they left two people to guard the back door. The others who supported the injured one must have to think of a way to call for reinforcements.


    Xiaowan came back to the kitchen to boil some water. She said that she wanted to give the mother and daughter a bath, and Xiaowan ran over to get her clothes, while Aunt Zhang gave the aunt her clothes. It took two hours for the mother and daughter to clean herself up, eat something, and recover some energy.


    "Aunty, are the people chasing you all so tall and so strong? Are they all wearing brown robes ¡­?" The Xiaowan gestured, but the more she spoke, the more terrified the mother and daughter both became. They crawled on the ground as the aunt begged, "My lady, please do me a favor and don''t let them take my daughter back. If they do, she''ll be dead."


    Under the consolation of the Aunt Zhang, the mother and daughter pair gradually calmed down and slowly talked about their origins.


    The young lady was the concubine of a rich family in the capital, she was only two years older than Xiaowan. Two years ago, her brother had sold her for fifty silver and married her into the capital.


    One month ago, the mother of Shang Jing wanted to go see her daughter, but she was not allowed to. She spent a lot of money at the back door before she found out that her daughter had been tortured to the point of no return.


    "I had to exchange everything for money before I got someone at the back door to bring my daughter out for me to take a look. Her body was full of wounds, her face was swollen, and her mouth was crooked, so much so that I couldn''t recognize her ¡­" As the aunt spoke, she trembled and held her daughter in her arms. "I made up my mind and pulled her along to run, but before I could leave the capital, someone from the mansion came to capture her. This month, we have been hiding here and there and have to eat all the way here, but they have been chasing us all the time ¡­ "


    The mother and daughter pair cried like the rain. Xiaowan could not help but sob when she heard this, she had a straight face as she asked hatefully, "Who beat you up like this?"


    young lady sobbed, "I got a favour from entering the door, but the First Madam wasn''t happy. She took the opportunity to hit me. "Master likes to be tyrannical and likes to hear us cry, saying that my shouting sounds are better, just night, night ¡­" She covered her face and cried. She was in so much pain that she wished she were dead.


    Aunt Zhang was furious: "Who are they, for them to act so recklessly under the feet of the Emperor?"


    The aunt trembled as she said, "Master is the brother-in-law of the Ministry Of Justice''s president. I heard that he is tyrannical in the capital."


    The Xiaowan wiped away her tears and asked: "Aunt, is Ministry Of Justice official very much?"


    Aunt Zhang snorted a laugh: "He''s only a third rank official, furthermore, he''s just a brother-in-law."


    If it was in the past, she would have been unable to protect herself. But now, she was the owner of the Ling Xiao Inn, so she believed in Ling Chaofeng.


    "My husband will definitely save you." The Xiaowan said, "You guys can stay in peace for two days, first take care of your health."


    The Aunt Zhang sighed: "I''m afraid that if they find your son, your son will be open-minded about money and will be at home waiting to capture you. Even if you have a home, you won''t be able to return. Aunt, don''t blame me for speaking too much. How did you give birth to such a son?


    The aunt caressed her daughter and said softly, "I stopped him at that time, begging him not to sell his sister. He made a ruckus, saying that I am not their biological mother, and that his father''s death is his family''s decision."


    Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan were stunned. The young lady said in a weak voice: "My mother was gone a long time ago. My mother was married to my father later on."


    My stepmother? This aunt was actually young lady''s stepmother?


    Xiaowan''s tears fell. So it turned out that under the heavens, there really was a stepmother who treated her stepson and stepdaughter like her own. But why, why was she so pitiful?


    "Evening, you can''t cry." The Aunt Zhang comforted her softly, "Now, we have to save him, don''t we?"


    The Xiaowan hurriedly raised her spirits and wiped away her tears, "I won''t cry."


    At this time, Uncle Biao brought in chicken soup and said solemnly: "They left some people at the front and back doors. You guys be careful." There was no one in the shop, making it look weird. The Aunt Zhang then went out.


    After that, the tired mother and daughter both fell asleep. Xiaowan found some ointment to coat the young lady with. However, she woke up from her dream in fear, her entire body trembling. Xiaowan knew very well that this kind of fear came from the bottom of her heart.


    "Don''t be afraid, my husband is very powerful. He will help you." As Xiaowan spoke, she comforted her and helped her apply the ointment, allowing her to sleep soundly.


    Exiting the house, he saw the Aunt Zhang coming over from the main hall, with a cold expression he said, "They''re here again, don''t go, I''ll go look for your uncle."


    But the Xiaowan was both curious and worried about Ling Chaofeng, so she quietly ran out and hid at the foot of the stairs to watch.


    It was still that group of people, but they were still evil and fierce this morning, and now they had changed their faces, it was unknown if they found out about the name of Ling Xiao Inn, and they became very courteous to Ling Chaofeng.


    Xiaowan saw that the man in the lead had brought over a small wooden chest, and the chest was opened by Ling Chaofeng. The inside of the chest was shining with gold and silver light, filled to the brim with gold and silver.


    "Manager Ling, if you dare, please forgive me. This is just a small matter and it is not worthy of respect." That person smiled obsequiously, and said, "But that young lady is someone important to our master, we must bring her back. Manager Ling, if you meet him, hand him over to us, and we can do it a hundred times over. "


    Ling Chaofeng picked up a piece of gold and weighed it in his hand, then said with a smile: "Sure."


    Xiaowan was startled. What did that mean? How could Hubby take their money? Could it be that he wanted to give the mother and daughter pair up? She had to trust Ling Chaofeng so much.


    Xiaowan ran back into the house, her heart thumping. The mother and daughter pair were still unconscious, they must be exhausted.


    "What should we do?"


    Her heart was in a mess, but when she thought about how Hubby had behaved, and how he had repeatedly told Ling Chaofeng not to meddle in other people''s business, Xiaowan realized that she did not understand Ling Chaofeng at all.


    Unconsciously, his hands clenched into fists, Xiaowan''s heart quivered as he raised his right hand and looked at the glistening Jade Ring. He closed his eyes and muttered ¡­


    At this time, the Aunt Zhang came to find her. She pushed open the door and entered, "Evening, you ¡­" However, the room was empty, the mother and daughter pair who were lying on the brick bed just now were both gone, along with Xiaowan.


    Aunt Zhang looked around and then looked forward. Those people had already left, she anxiously ran to the entrance to find Ling Chaofeng, "Innkeeper, night is gone, so is mother and daughter."

 C32

    Hearing that, Ling Chaofeng immediately followed Aunt Zhang to look for them. Sure enough, he did not see any trace of Xiaowan, and the mother and daughter duo also went missing.


    "Is there anything missing in the house?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "Let me see ¡­" Aunt Zhang looked around and replied, "Shopkeeper, I didn''t lose anything."


    The Uncle Biao and Ershan both came, and said with a solemn face: "Could it be that the mother and daughter were human beings who pretended to be a pitiful kidnapper and took Yue''er away?"


    Ling Chaofeng frowned, he walked to the back door, checked the marks on the ground, and was unable to determine which direction they were going in, while the two roads were straight, he could see very far from where he stood. The last time he saw them, they were not even able to go far on horseback, in the direction of Baisha River Pier, just now, that group of people were still on the road.


    However, on both sides of the road were desolate mountains and wild forests. If one were to drill into the forest, they would be unable to find any traces of them. However, the mountain wilderness was vast, and was vast. Ling Chaofeng secretly clenched his fists, he was too careless.


    But at that moment, Xiaowan opened her eyes. She, together with the mother and daughter came to this place from the backyard of the inn.


    The autumn wind blew against the shore, so it must be Baisha River Pier, only to see the young servants and their husbands bustling on the dock, a large ship had just docked, and many people had alighted, those who rented the goods were quickly heading towards Baisha Town.


    No one had noticed that three people had suddenly appeared on the stone bench by the roadside.


    Xiaowan''s heart almost jumped out as she instantly arrived at the Baisha River Pier.


    Just now, she had closed her eyes, wishing that she could immediately leave the inn and bring the mother and daughter pair to a place where they could leave their hometowns. Who knew that she would open her eyes and immediately fulfill her wish?


    "This is?" The mother and daughter pair were awoken by the bustling crowd, and the place suddenly changed in front of them, scaring them so much that they snuggled together. Seeing Xiaowan there, they timidly asked, "Miss, where are we?"


    "They''ve found an inn. We ¡­ we can only send you here. Take a seat aunt. I''ll go ask around." The Xiaowan could not explain, and did not know how to explain either. She told a lie and ran to the pier to ask where the boat was heading to.


    She was so busy bringing the mother and daughter pair out that she did not want them to be handed over by Ling Chaofeng. However, she had forgotten to bring some silver or dried food.


    However, making another wish didn''t work. She remembered that her mother-in-law had told her in her dreams that she could only make one wish every day.


    A carriage slowly passed by, Xiaowan looked up, and saw the scene that was blocked just now.


    On the other side of the carriage, a young lady dressed in a red dress, with a black cloth wrapped around her arm and a golden thread hanging from her sleeve. Her long sleeves fluttered with the wind, the Xiaowan recognized her as the Miss Yue of the Rouge Shop.


    Yue Huaiyin seemed to realize that she was being watched, and turned towards him. Seeing that it was Xiaowan, she smiled gently.


    At this moment, there were horses hooting in the distance, and there were also people shouting. That group of people were all sitting on big horses, and there were a lot of people disembarking from the boat. They were obstructing the horse as they rode past, making a lot of noise.


    Xiaowan recognized him at a glance and looked around frantically. Where could she hide in this place, she turned around to see Miss Yue commanding people to carry boxes onto the horse carriage. Her heart quivered, and without caring about anything else, she ran over with a red face and begged: "Miss Yue, can I ask for your help?"


    Huaiyin asked curiously, "What can I do?"


    The Xiaowan did not have time to explain, and only said: "I beg of you, please help me hide these two."


    As for that group of people, as they continued to search for Baisha River Pier, they coincidentally encountered a boat docking on the shore. The docks were filled with people, and there were even donkey carriages and carriages passing by.


    It was not easy to push the crowd aside like this. Since they were not officials, how could others easily agree to it? Clashes broke out from time to time, finally angering the crowd. Seeing that they were outnumbered, they could only leave dejectedly.


    Just as they were arguing with the people on the dock, Siyun Pavilion''s carriage slowly walked past the crowd and slowly headed towards Baisha Town. The carriage was filled with rouge and water powder that had just arrived at the shore, and every step it took gave off a fragrance.


    The Xiaowan and her mother were both in the carriage, while the Xiaowan was sitting beside the Miss Yue. The mother and daughter pair were hiding behind the boxes, filling the carriage to the brim.


    The mother and daughter shivered at the sound of the noise outside the car, but they seemed to notice that the driver didn''t seem to be someone to be bullied. They merely gave a few angry shouts and hurried away.


    The horse carriage continued to move forward unhurriedly, a gust of wind blew past, lifting up the carriage curtain, Xiaowan saw her own inn.


    Yue Huaiyin then asked: "Madam Ling, do you want to get off the carriage? We have arrived at the inn. "


    Madam Ling? This was the first time Xiaowan was called this way.


    She was afraid that Ling Chaofeng would give the mother and daughter pair up for money, so she saw with her own eyes that her husband was still talking and laughing even after receiving their silver. She thought of the weird and unfathomable way he usually acted ¡­ The more he thought about it, the more confused he became.


    "Madam Ling, do you want to get off?" Yue Huaiyin said gently, "If you don''t get out of the car, you will have to come back with me to the shop."


    Xiaowan regained her senses and said guiltily: "Miss Yue, I''m sorry, we cannot return to the inn for the time being. I don''t know where to send them either, I might even bring you trouble."


    After getting on the carriage, the Xiaowan explained to Yue Huaiyin that the pitiful young lady had suffered under the abuse of her husband''s family. She just didn''t understand why the Xiaowan girl didn''t ask for her husband''s help.


    After being in the Baisha Town for so long, Yue Huaiyin had already known that there was nothing Ling Xiao Inn could not do.


    "My shop is lacking manpower. If you wish, you can stay." Yue Huaiyin said to the mother and daughter, "Of course, if you guys want to return to your hometown, I can also provide support for you guys, but whether or not I''ll meet those people on my way back is hard to say."


    The aunt said timidly: "To tell you the truth, we are homeless. I am afraid her disappointing brother is waiting for us at home, and he will continue to push his sister into the fire pit. My mother was in the same village, and there was no avoiding her. For the past month, we have been running and hiding aimlessly, one step at a time. We have decided that even if we were to die on the road, we cannot let our daughter return there. "


    Yue Huaiyin''s gaze was gentle: "Since that''s the case, why don''t you stay in my shop and work? With a bite to eat and a place to stay, I will even pay you. In the future, if you''re let off and I don''t chase after you anymore, you can leave anytime. You can be at ease with me, but even if those people do not wander around in the Baisha Town, they would not dare to step into the shop. "


    The two of them looked at each other. They had been floating around in fear and hunger for a month, and they had already lost all hope. Right now, if someone was willing to take them in or even protect them, it would be better than starving to death outside or being caught and beaten to death. They would die anyway, and if they had the chance to live, why not give it a try?


    The aunt quickly kowtowed. "Thank you for taking me in, thank you so much miss."


    Yue Huaiyin reached out to support her as she smiled and said, "I am not the one who should be thanking. The one who saved you was Madam Ling."


    Xiaowan''s eyes sparkled. She was very touched as she looked at her with gratitude, "Miss Yue, you are really a good person."


    Yue Huaiyin laughed lightly: "It seems like we will still interact a lot. Your words are really strange. Seeing that I''m a few years older than you, can you allow me to call you by your name? You don''t have to be so polite, call me by my name. "


    Xiaowan nodded, but Yue Huaiyin continued, "I can take them in, but I can''t take you in. Xiaowan, it''s time for you to get off the car, if you don''t get off now, you''ll be walking further away."


    As she spoke, she told the carriage to stop, and with a gentle smile, she waited patiently for Xiaowan to leave.


    If they really had to separate, the Xiaowan was worried. She couldn''t even trust her husband, so what right did she have to trust a person she met by chance?


    Yue Huaiyin seemed to be able to see through her thoughts, "Do you not believe me?"


    Xiaowan immediately shook her head. "No."


    Things had already gotten to this point, since there was no better place to go, and since the aunt herself was willing to follow the Miss Yue, this might be the best arrangement.


    The Xiaowan didn''t have any other abilities, she only had the Jade Ring in her hands, the Jade Ring was indeed mystical, but she wasn''t smart enough, and wasn''t perfect. Previously, she had relied on the Jade Ring to make a wish, but then what happened?


    "Xiaowan?" Yue Huaiyin laughed, "Get off."


    "En, then I will be going, Miss Yue, thank you." Xiaowan bowed in gratitude, but before she got off the car, she remembered to ask, "Aunt, I still don''t know your surname."


    The aunt immediately said: "The husband''s surname is Chen, and my daughter''s name is Susu."


    Miss Susu kowtowed to Xiaowan: "Miss Xiaowan, thank you for saving my life."


    Xiaowan said, "You guys follow Miss Yue, I''ll come again."


    When she got off the carriage, Yue Huaiyin waved goodbye to her at the window. The carriage once again proceeded slowly, all the way to the Baisha Town.


    Xiaowan did not have a firm footing. The way things were unfolding was completely different from what she had imagined.


    She regretted trusting Ling Chaofeng, regretted doing such an impulsive thing. However, she only had one thought at that time, she couldn''t hand the mother and daughter over no matter what.


    Perhaps, only Miss Susu could understand how much distrust and uneasiness a person, who had been abused year round, had towards this world. However, Ling Chaofeng was still her husband, so he treated her well.


    "Hubby ¡­" Standing in the wind, Xiaowan calmed down. She started to miss her husband.


    She turned around uneasily, the inn was behind her back not far away. Unexpectedly, Ling Chaofeng was standing in front of the inn.


    "Hubby!" Xiaowan''s heart tensed up, she ran two steps forward, but her heart was trembling, thinking about what just happened, she stopped.


    How could she explain to Ling Chaofeng that she, together with the mother and daughter of the Auntie Chen, had "suddenly disappeared"?


    The Jade Ring was very clever, but it seemed like after every spiritual test, they would have to lie to hide the truth. Lying made people uneasy, at least the Xiaowan did not want to become a person with a mouth full of lies.


    The last time she used the Jade Ring to remove the wounds on her body, she had casually mentioned that it was the effect of the ointment. At that time, she did not realize that it was a lie, but now, she had to make up a story to explain their disappearance.


    This way, the Jade Ring would become a normal ring. But if Hubby did not believe it, the Jade Ring would not be able to pass the test, and then, how would the Xiaowan be able to prove that what she said was true?


    In this world, where could one be perfect? There was no way to get something without working hard. There was no way to achieve something without paying.


    While she was thinking so much, Ling Chaofeng had already slowly walked over. The wind made his clothes flutter in anger.


    Xiaowan remembered that her husband had said not to anger him, and her most direct fear of her anger was that she wouldn''t be beaten up. Seeing her husband getting closer and closer, she unconsciously took two steps back.


    Yet it was these two steps that truly infuriated Ling Chaofeng.


    In the tavern, when Aunt Zhang saw Xiaowan and the shopkeeper walking back together, her heart immediately dropped to her stomach. She pulled Xiaowan and asked repeatedly, "Evening, where did you go? We thought you were kidnapped. "


    "I ¡­ I''ll send them away." Xiaowan stammered, but just as she spoke out, she heard her husband say from behind, "Go back to your room and wait."


    Aunt Zhang looked at Ling Chaofeng and tactfully let go of his hand. Xiaowan weakly looked at her as if she was begging her for help, but there was nothing she could do.


    After returning to the house, Xiaowan''s body relaxed. She was extremely tired after being so busy for the past half day. Only now did she realize that she had not cleaned up the entire room even now. She hurriedly tidied up the room.


    While she was kneeling on the bed folding the blankets, the door was opened. Ling Chaofeng walked in and set down a bowl of noodles.


    Xiaowan got off his bed and chased after him to the door. She stood behind and whispered, "Hubby ¡­" He didn''t know what to say.


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "Eat the food, I''m going out now. If you have anything to say, wait for me to come back first."


    Xiaowan''s eyes were lowered, but his husband suddenly turned around and looked at her closely, as if he was truly angry and couldn''t suppress his anger, "Mu Xiaowan, do you think you can listen to everything I say?"


    "No, no ¡­"


    "No matter where you go, you have to tell your family." Ling Chaofeng said in a patient manner, "If I''m not here, you can talk to Aunt Zhang, and you can tell Uncle Biao Ershan. If no one''s home is here, you can stay put. Do you think that you have all sorts of abilities? You know how dangerous the outside world is, yet you believe in others so easily. Who gave you the guts? "


    Xiaowan''s gaze was crystal clear, as if tears would fall if she trembled.


    Ling Chaofeng was conflicted. He hoped that Xiaowan would become more daring and not be afraid of the fear brought about by her stepmother. He was also worried that if he let go of a person that had been suppressed for too long, he would not be able to restrain her. The Xiaowan''s nature was lively and cheerful, but she was not allowed to live by her nature in the past.


    If they were normal people, Ling Chaofeng would have been fine, but he had always doted on them, but they managed inns and opened doors to do business, and every day they were in the Jianghu. He could not allow the Xiaowan to turn back and act rashly. There were too many pitiful people in the world and they could only save people, not the world.


    Looking at the wronged person, how could he bear to really become the Evil Xiaowan? He was just worrying too much, and was too angry.


    Ling Chaofeng''s face was gloomy as he said: "I''m going to the town, I''ll be back soon. Stay in the room, you''re not allowed in the shop, which one of my feet is going to leave ¡­"


    "What are you doing in town?" Xiaowan became nervous. Could it be that her husband saw Miss Yue''s carriage and wanted to go to Rouge Shop to capture him?


    "You sent them to town?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "None ¡­" Xiaowan denied it flatly, but when she met her husband''s gaze, she quickly lost, and could only hold up the last bit of justice. She mustered her courage to ask, "You took their money, and wanted to hand them over, right?


    Ling Chaofeng frowned: "What are you talking about?"


    Xiaowan explained the situation in the shop to Ling Chaofeng and imitated him saying "let''s talk about it later". She angrily asked: "If you have so much money, can''t you just let Auntie Chen and Susu live on? How much do you need to satisfy it? "


    Ling Chaofeng finally understood that this fellow misunderstood that he had to hand his over before he brought the mother and daughter pair to escape. What made people angry was that she did not believe him, but he was pleased too.


    "Where are they?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "I won''t tell you even if I die." Xiaowan glared at him angrily.


    "Then what did you come back for?" Ling Chaofeng asked again.


    "I ¡­" Xiaowan was startled, one yard, one yard. Don''t tell me, he doesn''t want me anymore.


    Ling Chaofeng hugged her and carried her out the door. The Xiaowan struggled: "Where are you bringing me to ¡­"


    "I took their money. Since I can''t find them, I can only hand you over." Ling Chaofeng held onto Xiaowan''s waist, and brought her downstairs, saying coldly, "You are much prettier than that young lady, maybe she will even give me more money."


    Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao looked at each other in confusion. Xiaowan''s voice sounded from outside the door, "Aunt, save me!"


    Aunt Zhang pulled Ershan, who was about to go watch the show: "Silly boy, what do you want?"


    As for Yue Huaiyin, she brought the mother and daughter back to the shop and ordered someone to take care of them. She took all the goods that she had received from the pier and locked them in the storage room, and just as she walked out, the servant girl Little Cui anxiously ran over and said: "Miss, it''s bad, the Ling Xiao Inn person is here."


    Hearing that, Huai Yin went straight to the shop, only to see Ling Chaofeng standing in front of the door, with Xiaowan following right beside him.


    "Manager Ling." Huaiyin stepped forward and bowed in greeting, "What are you guys ¡­"


    Xiaowan winked at her and quietly waved her hand, seemingly hoping that Yue Huaiyin would not mention the Chen mother and daughter, but Ling Chaofeng cut to the chase and said, "My wife is too reckless, for no reason at all, bringing Miss Yue into the mess, thank you Miss Yue for including that."


    Xiaowan glared at her husband. Did he really guess correctly?


    Ling Chaofeng then embraced Xiaowan and bowed towards her: "Since Miss Yue has accepted them, then please take care of them for a few days. Once I have resolved the problem, we can discuss the arrangements after."


    The Xiaowan was confused, but Ling Chaofeng and the Miss Yue explained everything in a few words. Without waiting for her to look at Lady Chen and her daughter, her husband grabbed her and sneaked her into the saddle.


    She looked down at Ling Chaofeng from above. Ling Chaofeng glanced at her indifferently, then jumped onto the horse and protected her in his arms. His tone was ice-cold as he said, "Go home, I''ll deal with you when I get home."

 C33

    After his wife went missing, Ling Chaofeng had an instant of anxiety, but he quickly calmed himself down and analyzed the situation. Xiaowan shouldn''t have been kidnapped or taken away, it was likely that she had fled with her people.


    She didn''t take anything, she must have been a long way off, or perhaps she was afraid that the group would search the inn and take the mother and daughter into the mountains for the time being.


    Aunt Zhang called out for a long time, but there was no response. Ling Chaofeng then decided to take a look at the Baisha River Pier.


    Before he even went out, he saw the group of people walking back from the pier. Not long later, he saw a horse carriage slowly approaching from the distance, passing by the inn and stopping slowly. Xiaowan actually jumped down from the horse carriage.


    Ling Chaofeng did not see the person in the carriage, but when he walked closer to his wife and smelled her fragrance, he knew who was in the carriage and could guess where the Chen mother and daughter went.


    At this moment, Yue Huaiyin bid farewell to the couple. She watched them until they disappeared at the end of the road before returning to the shop.


    Little Cui blabbered on at the side. She was surprised that the elegant young master she met on the day of Baisha Town was actually the shopkeeper for the Ling Xiao Inn, and even married to such a silly little girl.


    "Miss, this matter of going to the dock to pick up the goods will be left to the servants." Little Cui said, "You should head out early in the morning. It''s been a long time since you came back."


    Huaiyin smiled faintly, "It''s good for me to go out for a walk. This place is small, it''ll be boring if I stay here for a long time."


    After sending Little Cui out to do other things, she went to the inner courtyard bedroom alone. She did not want to give the errand of going to the dock to pick up the goods to anyone else, only by doing it personally would she have the chance to pass by and see that person.


    Actually, she didn''t understand why someone like Ling Chaofeng would marry Mu Xiaowan.


    The sun gradually went west as dusk fell. On the way home, Ling Chaofeng did not ride his horse at all, as the bumpiness on the horse was not comparable to riding a car.


    They slowly walked back, and the shadows on the road grew longer and longer. Ling Chaofeng pulled on the reins to change the direction, and said to Xiaowan: "Look over there."


    Facing the sunlight, Xiaowan was blinded by the piercing sun, slowly adapting to the splendor of the setting sun, seeing the bright red big fireball slowly sinking down from the horizon.


    At the end of the road, the scene of Baisha Town was no longer visible.


    "So beautiful." Xiaowan could not help but say, "Why haven''t I seen it before?"


    "You never had the heart to look up at the sky before." Ling Chaofeng changed his direction again and returned to the inn, saying gently, "But from now on, you should look at the sky and look at the flowers and plants, there are many interesting things waiting for you to do in the future."


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan felt her heart warm up, and could not help but say in a soft voice, "Aren''t you scolding me?"


    "Of course I want to curse you, and I even want to beat you up. Why do you like to run when you suddenly run away and scare us senseless?" Ling Chaofeng said. As expected, the moment he said he wanted to beat her, Xiaowan trembled. Her fear of violence far exceeded his imagination.


    "But I can''t bear to part with it." He lowered his head and kissed Xiaowan''s forehead. The horse moved slowly forward and he said, "I will teach you slowly. After all, in the past ten years, besides working and beating and starving, you have never learned anything."


    Xiaowan said softly, "I also feel that I am not worthy of you. You know everything.


    Ling Chaofeng smiled, "There are so many smart people that can''t see you clearly. It''s already amazing that you know you''re dumb. "But how can you not be worthy of me? You''re not allowed to speak nonsense."


    When they returned to the tavern, Uncle Biao had already prepared dinner. Everyone sat down to eat, talked about what had happened today, and asked Xiaowan how she had run, but there was no one on the road. She said that she had brought the mother and daughter pair through the forest.


    Although everyone felt that it was inconceivable, they never could have imagined that the Xiaowan would instantly send the Jade Ring to the dock to make a wish. Naturally, they would believe whatever she said.


    The secret of the Jade Ring was preserved.


    When they were bathing at night, Xiaowan tried to take off the ring in the water. As expected, the ring still looked like it was growing on her skin and couldn''t be taken off at all.


    "Next time, I will think it through and make a wish with you. I want to keep you alive so that I can do something for my husband in the future. I won''t do anything rash again.


    Just then, Ling Chaofeng pushed open the door and came in. When he heard the latter half of the sentence, he thought that Xiaowan was just about to apologize, but the person in the bathtub was really shocked.


    However, Ling Chaofeng shut the door behind him, and walked towards her with a smile: "I''m not finished with the shower, don''t faint, can you stand up?"


    As he spoke, he reached out and pulled her out of the water, then pulled her out by the blanket and wiped her dry. Xiaowan was ticklish and shy, he grabbed Ling Chaofeng''s hand and said, "Husband, can I do it myself?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "You forgot, I said I would take care of you when I get home."


    Sure enough, they would be punished for wrongdoing, but this punishment was different from what Xiaowan had imagined.


    Her fart had not been slapped, only gently stroking and kneading. Her more beautiful and exquisite body was held in her husband''s palm. He doted on her so much that even if he forced himself to stand firm, he wouldn''t make her feel any pain. He would only want more, one at a time.


    The weak body fell into her husband''s embrace. Xiaowan didn''t have any strength left, Ling Chaofeng lightly patted her back: "You''re lying on my body, how am I going to sleep? Quickly lie down."


    Xiaowan rolled over, rolled into the bed, and quickly rolled back, sticking close to Ling Chaofeng''s body.


    They each found a comfortable position and said: "Late at night, if you can''t see others getting beaten up and feel pity for them, then you''ll be excited. If you want to save someone, then you must first save yourself. Naturally, I will do everything that you want to do for you. However, if what you have done is wrong, how can I help you?


    "Master, shouldn''t I save Miss Susu?" Xiaowan was originally drowsy, but now she became clear-headed.


    "This time''s matter was not wrong, it was just that you did not do well. However, there is no guarantee that you won''t be tricked the next time." Ling Chaofeng said sincerely, "Don''t easily believe in others. Since you don''t even believe in me, why do you have to believe in people you don''t know?"


    "It''s not that I don''t trust you, I ¡­"


    "You are hot-blooded and lose your mind the moment you see someone being abused, don''t you?"


    Xiaowan nodded her head, her heart was moved.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "But you have to understand, your miserable life has already ended. You have to become a smart and calm person, and live our lives well. If you want to help others and take care of them, then turn yourself into someone who has the ability to be useful. Otherwise, if you were to act on impulse and act on impulse, it is very likely that you will be unable to help others and cause them to lose their chance of survival. "


    Xiaowan had already sat up, clutching her chest, she listened to Ling Chaofeng''s words seriously, wanting to remember every word in her heart.


    She said: "I often don''t understand why you do such strange things. I think you''re a big hero, but you can talk to those bad people and be polite. When I get confused, I get scared. In the morning, I really thought you accepted the money and wanted to hand Miss Susu over. "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "They made a mess in the shop, I''ll take some silver as compensation, isn''t that too much? "Of course it''s my fault, I can''t tell you everything in time. Late at night, are you tired? Do you want to hear about my matters?"


    "Yes." The Xiaowan became more spirited, "I want to hear the story of my husband''s past."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and said, "Actually it''s nothing. I''m the same as you, I don''t have a mother, but you still have a father. I haven''t even seen a father before."


    Xiaowan was stunned. She then found out that her husband was from the capital, that he was an abandoned baby by the side of the road who was taken home by his adoptive parents to raise after being swaddled. His adoptive parents were the owners of the tavern in the capital.


    Twelve years ago, his adoptive father passed away from illness, and his foster mother sold him to an inn to bring him back from the capital.


    Ling Chaofeng was twenty-five years old this year, and at the age of thirteen, he was forced by his adoptive mother to take charge of the family. In a blink of an eye, twelve years had passed, and he had long since become a famous Manager Ling.


    "Where is Mother now?" Xiaowan asked.


    "He died." Ling Chaofeng regretfully said, "The son wants to be raised, but does not kiss."


    The Xiaowan felt that Ling Chaofeng had lost his family members, but she couldn''t understand the last part of the sentence.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed, and after explaining again, he said angrily: "Look at you, are you familiar with the < Three Character Classic >? You haven''t even finished reading your own book, and yet you still care about the affairs of others, making the inside of the inn chaotic."


    Xiaowan laughed foolishly and leaned on his chest: "I am not crippled. I can carry it well, even Ershan praised me for being smart."


    However, she was still very confused. Since Ling Chaofeng both ate black and white and his reputation was impressive, why did he treat Ling Xiao Inn as a hoodlum shop within a circumference of ten miles?


    However, Ling Chaofeng smiled lazily. "I just don''t want to do business here. If the villagers treat this place as a scam, they wouldn''t come and save themselves a lot of trouble. "We only work for the big boss and earn a lot of money. Naturally, we don''t refuse anyone who opens the door to welcome us."


    "So we were the ones outside saying that this is a dark shop, and we''re even selling meat buns. Did we tell these rumors ourselves?" The Xiaowan asked in surprise.


    "Look, this time you''re smarter." Ling Chaofeng looked angry as he laughed, "Sure enough, I need to train more."


    Xiaowan was really smart now as she waved her hands and begged, "Husband, I can''t do it tonight." She heaved a sigh of relief. "So that''s how it is."


    Ling Chaofeng replied, "When Father and Mother were in the capital, they both had good friends. In the past ten years that I''ve been wandering around, I''ve also gained some popularity among the people. It''s not difficult for me to do some things. For example, regarding Miss Susu, it is useless for you to just hide her. Could it be that she will never leave the Rouge Shop, and will stay there forever? "


    That night, the couple chatted until midnight before going to sleep. Xiaowan listened to the story of his husband and the inn, and also learned the principle of living in the world from him.


    Ling Chaofeng knew that the Xiaowan was not stupid, and not stupid either. It was just that for so many years, she had not learnt anything.


    This matter had temporarily stopped after the Rouge Shop Miss Yue had taken in the Chen mother and daughter pair. After wandering around in the Baisha Town for two days, that group of people then went somewhere else to look.


    Ling Chaofeng had interacted with them before, so he knew their capabilities. To be able to let an opponent''s mother and daughter, who were helpless, flee for a month, that group of people were simply idiots.


    On this day, Aunt Zhang accompanied Xiaowan to town to visit the Chen mother and daughter in Rouge Shop. Susu was still recuperating, so Auntie Chen was too embarrassed to eat and drink for free. Miss Yue was not in the shop, she was afraid to give trouble to others, seeing that they were safe, she quickly left.


    Aunt Zhang was going to buy some cotton clothes for the winter. She took Xiaowan to a street and heard the sound of metal being forged. Xiaowan smiled and said, "So the person I am looking for is here."


    She went to the blacksmith shop to greet her father''s good friend, Uncle Zhou. Uncle Zhou did not recognize her anymore, and Manager Ling, who knew that she had married into Ling Xiao Inn, was very surprised.


    When Aunt Zhang bought the cotton, they wanted to return to the tavern. Xiaowan looked around, but she could not remember that night when she saved the white-haired old granny or where she was saved by Ling Chaofeng.


    But now that she thought about it, that old granny must have some sort of ability. In order to protect the Jade Ring''s secret, she no longer planned to ask Ling Chaofeng about that night.


    They headed towards home, but the Aunt Zhang complained. "If I knew that Ershan would drive us there, seeing that the cotton is so good and cheap, I would have bought too many. I want to change the bed and blankets in the shop."


    Xiaowan trembled, sshe secretly clenched her right hand, and when they reached the street corner, he saw the regular customers, the one who had bought the buns before, pulling the donkey cart, and saw them. She took the initiative to say: "Aunt Zhang, I will send you guys back."


    Along the way, the Aunt Zhang muttered to herself, "I really get what I want. What good day is it today? How can it be so smooth?"


    Xiaowan smiled but did not say a word. She felt that doing these small things with the Jade Ring''s wish, there was no need to lie and she did not need to burden herself with it. However, fulfilling this small wish did not mean bringing trouble to the Heavens.


    It was noon, and the sun was high in the sky. They headed towards the inn. In the village that was ten miles in radius, the villagers had also taken up their work in the morning and were returning home to eat lunch. When the Aunt Wang returned home, she saw the Master Mu repairing the fence in their courtyard. She quickly poured water for them and laughed: "It''s rare to come back, why don''t you take a rest and go around working for your fellow villagers. Big Brother Mu is really warm-hearted."


    Separated by the fence, Madam Xu walked over while twisting her waist, and laughed: "He wants to do some work for you guys, he''s outside, so it''s easier for you guys to take care of our mother and your son." He then called over to Lady Wang, "Show me, why is my pickled vegetables not tasty?"


    Lady Wang came to the yard and tasted it in front of the pickled vegetable jar. After she added some ingredients and chatted with each other, she asked him, "You won''t leave until after the new year? "Just work harder and give it another try."


    Madam Xu spat lightly: "What nonsense are you talking about, you''re already an age. Furthermore, the number of silver this year is much less than the previous, so how can one more live on? "


    Lady Wang asked again, "Has he seen the Xiaowan?"

 C34

    Madam Xu pulled Aunt Wang to the side, afraid that his own man would hear them, and said in a suppressed voice: "I have seen him. On the way back, I went to the inn to sit down, wearing my new shoes, and said that it was my daughter who gave it to me."


    Aunt Wang asked: "Did you give me the silver? Ling Chaofeng is so rich."


    The Madam Xu spat out: "Not a single copper, only his clothes, shoes, and two bags of tobacco, and give Wen Bao a cotton jacket. I''ve looked through all the bags inside and out, and that''s all. I''m dead. "


    Aunt Wang laughed: "I''m afraid he was given some silver, I taught him to hide it from you."


    Madam Xu scolded under her breath: "If that''s the case, then I don''t have hope for this family. I listened to you for the past few days and didn''t cause trouble with him. I was so anxious that I wanted to have a big fight with him and ask him how she was going to compensate me for my hard work in pulling her away for more than a decade after giving birth to such a shameless and heartless daughter. "


    After the Master Mu finished his work, Lady Wang quickly went over to say his thanks, and then dispersed and went back home to eat.


    Wen Bao was studying in the academy, he rushed out at noon. Madam Xu was afraid that his son would get hungry, so he chased after him to give him a beating.


    However, his son said with disdain, "I don''t want to eat a nest. I want to eat steamed buns and meat buns. I want to eat dumplings. Mother, why is it that my dad is back? We''re eating worse and worse?"


    "Shut up, don''t speak nonsense in front of your father." The Madam Xu chided his son and quickly chased him away.


    Master Mu did not hear her from inside the house. He was currently asking her daughter, "Wen Juan, do you want to study?"


    When Madam Xu heard this, she shouted, "Come on, what kind of school is this, and besides, we can''t afford it either. You earn more and more every year, only then will you be able to support Wen Bao in his studies.


    The Master Mu sighed, "If you save your money and don''t spend it, your days won''t be easy."


    Madam Xu was furious, she pulled her daughter down from the table and told her to go out to eat, then angrily said to his husband: "What, are you thinking about your daughter''s one hundred silver betrothal gift? I raised her for more than ten years without spending any money or effort. Instead, you dug out her mother from the ground and asked her why she didn''t take her daughter away cleanly. "I''m a stepmother, but I''m too hardworking to please you. Furthermore, I''m being pointed at everywhere. Am I that easy?"


    Master Mu glanced at her: "Alright, why are you saying all this."


    Madam Xu laughed and cried at the same time: "Are you alright? Open your eyes and take a look at who''s running this house. You''re making so much money, and if it wasn''t for me saving money, my family would have collapsed a long time ago. I worked so hard, but no one said anything good about it. They even blamed me for hiding the silver and not spending it for your family, what do I need it for? It''s all for your son, Wen Bao is a child of your Old Mu family. "


    A good meal was boring. Master Mu put down his tableware, picked up a cigarette, and sighed: "Then what do you want to do? How can I be satisfied? You didn''t like the Xiaowan in the past, and now that she is married, what are you doing? "


    Madam Xu wiped away her tears and came over to say: "You saw how well I married her. Since that''s the case, don''t you think she should go and fix it at home? "You''re her biological father. Go and ask her to send ten silver taels to our family every month."


    "Ten taels a month?" "You''re crazy!" The Master Mu said angrily, "I only earn so much a year."


    "Isn''t it because you earned less that I made you count on your daughter?" Madam Xu grabbed his arm and said, "Go ask her. She will definitely give it to you. Manager Ling is so rich."


    The Master Mu snorted, knocked on the brick bed and said: "I was wondering, which one of the tendons is wrong, or did you see a hundred silver taels unable to move your legs, how did you marry Xiaowan to Ling Xiao Inn? No one in the Eight Mile Village doesn''t know what kind of person the Manager Ling is, right? Think about it, if you continue to scheme and plot against the Xiaowan, touch your own neck, aren''t you afraid that Ling Chaofeng will snap it with one hand? "


    Madam Xu was shocked, her hands unconsciously covered her neck, and the scene of Wen Bao being lifted up and thrown onto the ground that day made her afraid even if she thought about it.


    Master Mu said: "You must be thinking that since Ling Chaofeng is a man-eating monster who married Xiaowan, he will not live past a few years. Even if you were someone else''s family, no one would be able to afford a hundred silver gifts. I never thought that it would be better than what you wish. The Xiaowan was truly lucky, the heavens had found a good man for her.


    Madam Xu''s face was flushed red as she said hatefully: "When it came to your mouth, it became like this. Why didn''t you say anything?


    Master Mu snorted: "It''s easy for me to ask for money, but I''m not stupid. If you want to think this through, don''t piss them off one day, and settle old debts with you. If you beat your child to death in the past, do you want to be whipped to death?"


    Madam Xu looked at the man in a daze, and advised her: "I''m not scaring you, if you want to cause trouble, then go cause trouble. If worst comes to worst, I''ll just go back and collect your corpse."


    Hearing these words, the lady was scared stiff, after eating, she started discussing with the other family members, causing Aunt Wang to feel a chill down her spine, she said: "Xiaowan is so lucky, in the end your looks are still good, if not Ling Chaofeng would not be so compatible."


    Madam Xu was furious: "Are we just going to let it go and let it go like this?


    Aunt Wang rolled her eyes and said: "Xiaowan''s heart is soft, even her ears and ears are soft. Let''s slowly scheme, there must be a way, don''t be anxious. As for her father, he''s still her man after all. If you serve him well and he''s happy, wouldn''t he listen to you? "


    The Madam Xu became even more unhappy and whispered, "Now that I''m old and can''t get up at night, I hate them to the core."


    The Aunt Wang laughed and the two of them whispered to each other. They discussed and went to the town to get some tonic medicine for the Master Mu.


    In this side room, there were no customers at all in the inn as usual. After eating, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang picked cotton from the backyard.


    The Aunt Zhang said, "Aunt will make a new mattress on your bed. It''s warm when you sleep in winter."


    Xiaowan laughed: "When I came to the inn, I slept on a cotton mattress for the first time. In the past, when I lived in the woodshed, I slept on straw mattresses and never wore cotton clothes."


    Aunt Zhang asked with a pained tone: "Then how do you live your winter?"


    Xiaowan was not miserable at all. Instead, she smiled and said, "I used reeds to sew my clothes. I washed and dried all the feathers and ducks on the ground normally. In the winter, I sewed them into my clothes. It''s very warm."


    Aunt Zhang tried her best to insert the scissors into the wooden chair. His face turned green from hatred: "I didn''t meet her last time, if I meet your stepmother next time, I will definitely tear off her face and kick her on the ground."


    The Uncle Biao came at the right time and said smilingly: "Aiyo, who''s bullying my wife. Tell me which one you want to kick."


    Xiaowan laughed: "It''s my fault for angering my aunt."


    Aunt Zhang was still very angry: "Look at Susu''s mother, she is also a stepmother. Auntie Chen is even risking her life for her stepdaughter.


    Uncle Biao smiled and turned around, his hand caressing his wife''s back. "Don''t be angry, I will help you to ease the air."


    Aunt Zhang blushed as she waved the scissors in front of him: "Get lost, don''t get in my way."


    Seeing the Uncle Biao obediently walking away, the Xiaowan giggled on the side. Thinking back to the first day she saw the Uncle Biao, carrying a gunny sack dripping with blood, thinking that he was going to transport the corpse to be buried, and then carrying half a big, bloody pig''s hand to greet her. Such a crude and domineering manner, it was something that anyone would be afraid of.


    But it was this kind of person who was so gentle and considerate towards his own wife and his own people. There were many wonderful things in the world and once someone stepped out of the Qingling Village, Xiaowan''s horizons would be widened.


    That night, the Uncle Biao cooked Sesame Rice Ball for supper. The Xiaowan carried the Sesame Rice Ball upstairs and when she entered the room, she saw Ling Chaofeng writing a letter to his. She asked, "Hubby, do you want to eat Sesame Rice Ball?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I will come to eat after I write the letter, you eat first."


    As a result, Xiaowan sat by the table and ate the white and fat Soup Dumplings one after another.


    Only after arriving at the inn did he realize that there were so many delicious dishes in the world. Only then did he realize that he had a snack in the afternoon and that he could live such a good life if he was hungry at night.


    After Ling Chaofeng finished writing the letter, Xiaowan also finished eating her Soup Dumplings. He sat down to eat supper, and when he saw that she was looking at him eagerly, she passed over the spoon. Xiaowan actually opened his mouth to eat it, but Ling Chaofeng instead retracted his hand and placed it into his mouth.


    "Bullying ¡­" The Xiaowan muttered. Ling Chaofeng teased her again, but before she could take back her hands, she grabbed onto both of them and forced them into her mouth.


    "Later, when you become a little fatty, I''ll be able to sell you." Ling Chaofeng said.


    "You''re the one who''s reluctant." Xiaowan ate the Soup Dumplings and carefully savored it. After she was done eating, he said, "I''ll eat less tomorrow."


    Ling Chaofeng said that he was writing a letter to the capital to settle Susu''s matters. Xiaowan had heard of everything, so naturally, she did not ask about it, but she had something she was curious about.


    "Aunt dotes on me. I almost think of her as my mother." The Xiaowan said, "At first, I thought Ershan was the son of my aunt and uncle, but that''s not it. Husband, my aunt and my Uncle Biao are so fond of each other, why aren''t they giving birth, or are they not here?"


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "Have you asked Aunt Zhang before?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "I''m too embarrassed to ask."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "The time has come, and the time has come. They will naturally tell you why. Although I can tell you, I think it would be better if you let them say it themselves. "


    Xiaowan asked again, "What about Ershan, is he also a fatherless child?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Why do you have so many questions tonight?"


    Xiaowan said, "If it was you who wasn''t curious, I would have married into your family for a long time already and only then would I know where you came from. We will always be together from now on, and sooner or later you would have to tell me."


    Ling Chaofeng stroked her head: "Because they all love you."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the doors of the inn were knocked so hard that it rumbled. Who was it now that it was the middle of the night? Xiaowan did not wait to go downstairs before saying to Ling Chaofeng, "Master, I will not meddle in your business."


    Ershan had already opened the door and barged in, the young lady was dressed nicely, but looked exhausted. He took out a piece of silver and placed it on the table and said: "Buddy, please find a room, I want to stay here."


    Xiaowan stood on top of the building and looked at her.

 C35

    Ershan looked up the stairs, and seeing that Ling Chaofeng had slightly nodded his head, he enthusiastically brought the young lady upstairs.


    The rooms in the tavern were all prepared and clean, but the most inferior room facing north cost at least 5 taels of silver for one night. The silver ingot the lady bought seemed to be not small, Ershan sent her to the south side room, where the clouds were gathered.


    Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan were standing at the stairs on the second floor, but the guests had already climbed up tiredly and followed Ershan. They turned a blind eye to them and didn''t even think about whether they were the master or a guest.


    As expected, Ershan closed the door and said: "Innkeeper, customer doesn''t want anything."


    Aunt Zhang asked softly from below, "You don''t even want hot water?"


    Ershan said: "I''ve already lied down and slept, it seems like I''ve fallen asleep."


    Ling Chaofeng instructed them: "Go to sleep, get up early tomorrow and prepare to receive them."


    Just like this, the crowd dispersed and brought Xiaowan back to his room. Xiaowan brought down the supper bowls and chopsticks, and used hot water to wash up together with her husband. After passing the second floor, she saw that Yunze''s room was completely silent. This was the most relaxed guest she had ever met since marrying into the inn.


    However, no matter what happened this time, she would not meddle in other people''s business. If she could not hold it in, she had to discuss it with her husband first.


    After that, they slept peacefully one night. The next day, Xiaowan woke up even earlier than Ling Chaofeng did. She wanted to help Uncle Biao prepare breakfast, but she was caught by Ling Chaofeng and kissed again and again on the bed.


    When there were customers in the shop, no one would eat in the lobby. Now that they had all come to the kitchen to eat breakfast, Ershan said: "Innkeeper, Yun Ze''s Room has not had any movements throughout the night. Up till now, the door has not been opened. When I came out of my room last night, the girl was already lying on the bed. I don''t know if she got up and locked the door. "


    The Aunt Zhang said: "Young lady is out, you can''t stay here without locking the door."


    Xiaowan said: "Is she tired? When I saw her going up the stairs last night, her legs were all soft."


    No one knew what to do, so they could only wait for the guest to appear.


    Because of Miss Susu, Ling Chaofeng had to go out today, and there was nothing to do at the side of the store. Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang continued to pick up cotton at the backyard, and memorized the Three Character Classic at the same time for Aunt Zhang to hear.


    They continued on like this all the way until noon, when everyone had finished their lunch in the kitchen. There was still no sound from the Yunze Room.


    In the afternoon, some passersby came to ask for water. Xiaowan arranged some water for them and said a few polite words.


    She leaned against the railing and said, "Buddy, please give me some hot water and some food."


    Xiaowan hurriedly replied, "I''ll be right there. Please wait for a moment."


    So she quickly ran to the kitchen from the back. It was unknown if the young lady wanted hot water for washing up or eating and drinking, but she and Aunt Zhang were prepared to go downstairs together with hot water and hot tea pastries.


    In the room, the girl was still lying on the couch, half asleep. She saw them put down their things, stood up, poured a bowl of tea and drank it, then said, "Excuse me, can I take a bath here?"


    Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang then busied themselves with preparing a bath kit for her. After boiling several pots of hot water and sending it upstairs, Xiaowan said, "Esteemed customer, please remember to lock the door."


    The young lady was startled, then suddenly raised her long eyebrows, as if she remembered that she was definitely not locked from the inside, and that nothing had happened. With a lingering fear in her heart, she followed Xiaowan out and locked the door.


    It was less than an hour before the girl came down. Her clothes were still the same as the night before, and they were still stained with dust. They were all of the best quality, and the style was also new.


    In every room of the inn, there was originally a few pieces of rouge and cosmetic powder prepared to entertain the female guests at any time. At this moment, the girl''s face was not covered in soup, but a thin layer of rouge that was lightly swept over. It could be said that she had used it before, and was very particular about people.


    Her long hair that had been washed clean had yet to be dried, so she only had a hairpin gently tied to the back of her head. Even though it was so simple and simple, it couldn''t cover up her natural beauty.


    Xiaowan watched on enviously. If the owner of Rouge Shop was a fairy, then this lady''s beauty was rather valiant. Boss Yue''s gaze was gentle, seemingly filled with a myriad of emotions. However, this person''s appearance was so clear that it made people feel that he was being open-minded for no reason.


    "Miss, you must be hungry. This is a steamed buns that has just been steamed. Please have a bite or two first." Aunt Zhang brought out two exquisite cages, on top of them steamed pink little dumplings, each of them were moist and full, just by looking at them, one could imagine how delicious the juice would be if they were to bite it.


    "There is a duck hanging soup in the kitchen, I''ll get the chef to prepare a bowl of noodles for you right now." The Aunt Zhang said passionately, "Or, do you have anything to eat?"


    "I won''t choose. Eat whatever you want. Sorry for troubling you." The lady seemed a bit cold, but she was very polite.


    Xiaowan walked past her. Seeing her carefully blowing on the soup dumplings to dissipate the heat and puffing up her cheeks, she immediately made her look a little cute.


    The Xiaowan''s heart skipped a beat. She quickly ran back into the kitchen and said to the Aunt Zhang, "Aunt, I''ve seen this girl before. She wore the same white clothes and green skirt as me during the Mid-Autumn Festival fair, and someone already mistook me for her. "Later on, that person chased after her to capture her. Later on, my husband and I met up with each other as well. She had a huge argument with that man and was carried away."


    The Aunt Zhang said with great interest: "As expected, those who are able to come to our shop are definitely not ordinary people."


    Xiaowan then said to her aunt in all seriousness: "Let''s not meddle in other people''s business."


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "Did you get scolded badly by the shopkeeper?"


    Xiaowan blushed. It was not a miserable life, but of course she wouldn''t be able to say what kind of punishment she had received.


    Uncle Biao quickly prepared a bowl of noodles. As the soup was ready, he pulled on a duck leg and placed it on top of his face, sending it in front of the young lady with a fragrant smell.


    She took a sip of the soup and her eyes immediately lit up. She curiously looked at Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan beside her.


    "This duck soup isn''t fishy at all. It tastes great." She was very grateful and very polite. After eating so much, she ate up two cups of steamed buns and a bowl of noodles in the blink of an eye. Her complexion also became better.


    Aunt Zhang came to collect the tableware, put down a plate of green bean cake and a pot of tea, and asked with a smile: "Listening to my lady''s accent, do you come from Chuanyu?"


    The moment she said those words, without waiting for the lady to reply, she felt the trembling buildings beneath her shake slightly, causing everyone to look towards the door in alarm. Could it be an earthquake?


    He saw that they were coming from the direction of Baisha Town. The smoke was billowing and everyone was riding on their horses. For this battle, at least two to three hundred people, the Xiaowan was dumbstruck.


    Aunt Zhang frowned, she turned to look at the young lady, seeing that she did not seem to care about the commotion, she sighed heavily, and put down the tea that was sent to her mouth.


    This large group of people were indeed rushing towards the inn. Outside the door, a carriage came up from behind, seemingly empty, and only the leaders of the carriage jumped off their horses. They didn''t greet anyone, but rushed into the inn.


    Xiaowan remembered that the man who stood at the very front of them, was the one who had mistaken her at the market that day. As he stepped through the door, he saw the person sitting at the table and immediately became furious. His voice was loud like a bell: "Why aren''t you running anymore? That''s great. You''re waiting for me to catch you?"


    The girl slowly got up, her expression calm, "Even if you run to the ends of the earth, you will catch me and bring me back. I don''t want to continue tormenting you. "If you let me go upstairs and comb my hair, I''ll come down when I''m done."


    The man lightly waved the horsewhip in his hand and agreed.


    Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang looked at each other, wondering if she would jump out of the window and escape. However, the inn was already surrounded by people, unless she flew away on her wings.


    Xiaowan could help her, but she promised her husband that she wouldn''t be impulsive and stop meddling in other people''s affairs. Furthermore, at the market that day, although this mighty elder brother of hers admitted he was wrong, he politely apologized and apologized. There must be a reason between them.


    A quarter of an hour passed. Someone from the outside came in and whispered to the man, seemingly asking something. That person was not anxious, and instead ordered them to retreat and wait. After another quarter of an hour, the girl finally came out.


    She slowly walked down the stairs. Xiaowan and the Aunt Zhang were standing right next to her, but they saw her eyes were slightly red, not looking like she was smeared with makeup, but red like she had just cried.


    "Let''s go." The man stood up, but didn''t touch the girl. Xiaowan remembered that she carried her on her shoulders on the street that day.


    The girl walked a few steps before suddenly stopping. She turned around and looked at Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang, bowing slightly: "Thank you for receiving me. The food in the shop is so delicious."


    After she finished speaking, she gracefully turned around. Xiaowan suddenly spoke out: "Miss, please wait."


    The people in front of the door were all startled, the man frowned and looked over, Aunt Zhang was also nervous, could it be that Xiaowan was going to go and "save people" again?


    But young lady just went up and swiftly wrapped the plate of untouched green bean cake with a clean handkerchief and gave it to the young lady. She smiled gently and said, "The green bean cake made by our shop is so delicious.


    She stared at Xiaowan in a daze, her eyes filled with tears, but then she turned and looked at the man beside her. After seeing him nod his head, she slowly took it down, suppressing her sobs.


    Xiaowan said, "If it''s delicious, come again in the future."


    The man took a piece of silver from the servant and placed it on the table. He said, "Let''s go," and led the way out. Xiaowan followed the young lady to the door. Seeing that she was supported onto the carriage, he did not struggle or force her, but everyone was extremely nervous. He immediately led the young lady to the carriage and left.


    The inn was full of dust, and Xiaowan and Ershan had no choice but to clean the place after them. When the Xiaowan walked in, she saw the Aunt Zhang and the Uncle Biao holding onto that piece of silver and said, "It really is the people from Chuanyu. This silver was made in Shu."


    She didn''t ask any further. She went to the back door to wash the dishes, but she couldn''t shake off the sadness of that girl. Why was it that all the women in the world were so helpless?


    The Aunt Zhang came to see her and smiled: "Our child really has a good heart. Although that girl is unwilling to be taken away, but if you give her some heart to eat, then she will more or less be happy."


    Xiaowan asked: "Aunt, why is it that women are forced to do this, why are our lives not theirs?"


    The Aunt Zhang laughed: "Most of them are the young ladies of aristocratic families, who have read many books to have such thoughts. You sure are open-minded."


    "Is that enlightened?" Xiaowan did not know that what she had said was originally a very profound matter.


    Aunt Zhang laughed leisurely, and rubbed her head: "Our late son, must have great wisdom."


    Xiaowan waved her hand and said, "I haven''t finished reciting the Three Character Classic. Hubby said I can''t recite it all in September.


    "If you are studying in the academy, you will be beaten until your palms become swollen, even if you can''t memorize it. It''s something you have to learn yourself." The Aunt Zhang laughed, "Let''s fight for the honor, don''t let the shopkeeper have the chance to punish you."


    Xiaowan nodded her head: "I have washed the dishes, I will go recite them."


    Thus, when Ling Chaofeng returned, the Aunt Zhang said that the Xiaowan was working hard in the bedroom. When he returned to the house, he saw her sleeping on the table while holding onto a book.


    Ling Chaofeng took a set of clothes and lightly draped it over her body. Xiaowan immediately woke up. Her face was covered with marks as she said sleepily, "Husband, you''re back."


    "It''s getting colder. Don''t sleep at the table. If you''re tired, go lie down under the covers." Ling Chaofeng said, "If you catch cold, you will suffer."


    Xiaowan gradually woke up. These words sounded really fresh, how could she lie in bed in the daytime? She was not as lazy as the stepmother, but her husband said that it was fine, but she was still happy inside.


    She quickly helped Ling Chaofeng change his clothes, and the two of them talked about what happened today. Xiaowan seemed to have taken credit and said, "I didn''t meddle in other people''s business today, I didn''t even ask about it."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Should I praise you?"


    However, she was in a very good mood. She remembered something and asked, "Aunt said that the silver was made by my brother Rat. What is my husband? And the pike, the place, or the fish? "


    Ling Chaofeng was startled, and asked back: "You don''t know?"


    Although the Xiaowan felt ashamed, she asked sincerely, "Can you tell me?"


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart ached, it was truly not easy for a girl like her, who had suffered so much, to still have such a character.


    He went to the opposite room and brought out a large roll of paper, then pushed open the candlestick teapot on the table and slowly spread it open. It was a map, then he took out a few copper coins and a few pieces of silver from his money pouch and placed a copper coin down. He placed two pieces of silver on the table, "This is the capital, and this is the land of Shu. The Chuanyu is not a fish, it''s a place, the Ba Shu State of Yu."


    The Xiaowan listened very carefully and only after comparing the small nations surrounding him did she realize just how big the Daqi was. Looking back at the distance between them and the Baisha Town, she sighed with emotion at Susu and her daughter''s arduous journey.


    Tomorrow, when we go to town, I have something to ask her. If you''re still here, she might be willing to speak. " Ling Chaofeng said, "This time, there will be an unexpected result. If I''m late, I might have blamed you wrongly."


    Xiaowan did not understand, and only laughed: "Then just hold on, next time I do something wrong, do not scold me."


    Ling Chaofeng stepped forward, "How about I apologize to you properly tonight?"


    Xiaowan saw the anger in his eyes and said tenderly: "All you do is bully me. Let, first let me pack my things. The table is a mess."


    With that, Xiaowan carefully rolled up the map and arranged the tea bowls in the candlestick neatly. She was a diligent and capable little housewife. But she still did not forget what happened during the day. She asked Ling Chaofeng, "Husband, where do you think that girl will be taken to?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed deeply, as if he had already guessed something, but he only said: "We shall meet by chance, if fate allows it, we will meet again."

 C36

    Xiaowan said, "I always felt that there is nothing in this world that Hubby doesn''t know. Why are you so powerful?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "It is you who has not seen many people. You must know that there is always someone above you, do not be too arrogant."


    Xiaowan held onto the map. She understood the meaning behind her words and asked hopefully: "Will you bring me to see the place on the map? Will you take me on the big boat?"


    "You want to go outside and take a look?" Ling Chaofeng was very surprised. He thought that since the Xiaowan would no longer suffer and be abused, they would obediently stay in the current situation. Even if they had to stay in this inn forever, they would not feel bored.


    The Xiaowan nodded her head. "I do, but I need to complete the business of the shop first, and bring Uncle Biao and Ershan along in the future."


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "Where do you want to go first?"


    "Beijing." It''s not that Xiaowan''s "appetite" is big, she said. "I only know of the world outside Qingling Village and I have always wanted to go to the capital to have a look."


    Ling Chaofeng smiled and did not speak, he hugged her waist: "I went to sleep earlier."


    The next day, when he was in the kitchen early in the morning, he heard the Xiaowan chattering about how he recognized a lot of places from looking at the map last night. Only then did he understand the meaning of the Chuanyu that the Aunt Zhang was talking about yesterday.


    Aunt Zhang was amused, and laughed: "Chuanyu cannot be eaten, it is not a big green fish or a bass."


    Uncle Biao waved his kitchen knife and said, "Evening, Uncle will go to the dock today to buy a big green fish for you to eat with the fried smoked fish."


    Xiaowan did not understand what smoked fish was, it must be delicious, but she was excited because when Ling Chaofeng agreed to not be busy in the future, he would bring her to the outside world to take a look, and at the first stop he would go to Beijing.


    "Auntie, can we go together?" The Xiaowan passionately extended an invitation.


    But the atmosphere in the kitchen was like a stove with its fire extinguished. It gradually cooled down, so naturally Aunt Zhang still raised her smiling face: "Alright, we''ll go together then."


    Xiaowan was very happy, she carried a large bowl of porridge to the great hall and laughed when she met Ershan, saying that in the future, when Ershan would go to the capital to become a big official, she would be able to receive them.


    A few words passed into the kitchen. Uncle Biao cut a plate of pickled vegetables and fished out the Herbal Tea Eggs that had been soaking in the sauce for an entire night. The two remained silent.


    Uncle Biao nodded: "I know."


    When they were eating, they thought that Xiaowan would continue to go far away excitedly, but when Ling Chaofeng talked about Miss Susu, Xiaowan finally remembered that she was going to accompany her husband to the town to visit Susu.


    After breakfast, Aunt Zhang used a small jar to fill up dozens of Herbal Tea Eggs, making them her gifts.


    When Ling Chaofeng was driving, the Xiaowan did not want to sit inside, so she sat beside him, and with the sound of the wheels, he recited the Three Character Classic. After reciting it once, although there were a few people who had to remind her, he was finally able to recite it all. Ling Chaofeng praised her for her intelligence.


    Xiaowan asked happily, "Hubby, how old are you with the Three Character Classic?"


    Ling Chaofeng casually said, "Three years old."


    Ling Chaofeng teased her, "It''s not too late to start from the age of seventeen. I heard that you''ll live to the end of your life."


    "I''m thinking that in the future, whether it''s girls or boys, our children will learn the Three Character Classic at the age of three." Xiaowan hugged the Herbal Tea Egg and said seriously, "Don''t be like me. You can''t read a word or understand anything. You''re stupid and stupid."


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "You''re so anxious to have kids?"


    Xiaowan was pleased with herself: "Of course, who told my husband to be so powerful?"


    Ling Chaofeng immediately retorted: "It''s broad daylight, you''re talking nonsense."


    They were chatting and laughing, and very quickly they reached the Baisha Town, at this time, the shops along the street had long since opened up, the Fast Catcher was patrolling the streets, meeting them, and greeting them from afar.


    Ling Chaofeng saw that the Xiaowan was nervous, and said: "Don''t be afraid when we meet Fast Catcher Li in the future, he has a hard and soft heart, he''s a very kind-hearted person."


    "Really?" Naturally, the Xiaowan believed what Master Lu said.


    Reaching the Siyun Pavilion, before shsheeven entered the door, a burst of fragrance permeated the air, Yue Huaiyin was currently instructing the shop assistant to place the new goods on the shelf. When she saw Ling Chaofeng, he could not help but have her eyes brighten up, but then seeing Mu Xiaowan come out from behind him, she immediately restrained herself.


    "Are you here to see Susu?" Yue Huaiyin said, "She has already recovered, now with Auntie Chen, she is in charge of cleaning the backyard, and also has some work to do in the kitchen. Manager Ling, Xiaowan, what do you think this is okay?"


    The Xiaowan nodded her head repeatedly, "Thank you, Miss Yue. This is the Herbal Tea Egg that our shop made, please have a taste."


    The servant girl Little Cui stepped forward to receive it, and cried out: "It''s so fragrant, Madam Ling, can this servant have a taste of it?"


    "Of course you can. If you can''t, I''ll send some back later. I don''t know how many people you have here. If there are too few, please don''t mind them." With her husband by her side, no matter what, she had to have the attitude of a manager in an inn.


    Yue Huaiyin naturally would not mind eating all of that in one go, and said: "I''ll bring you guys to see her."


    Ling Chaofeng went straight to the point: "I have some important things to ask Miss Susu, if I am to disturb her in her work, I hope that Miss Yue can take it."


    "Manager Ling is always this polite. Xiaowan and I are sisters, we''re all on the same side." Yue Huaiyin smiled gently and with light footsteps, he brought them to the backyard.


    After a while, Susu brought them to the house alone. The Auntie Chen felt it was strange and asked Yue Huaiyin: "I guess the Manager Ling doesn''t want you to have to be stuck here for your entire life, you can go anywhere and go home."


    In the room, Ling Chaofeng explained the reason why he was here, then Susu shook his head and said, "Manager Ling, I am only a concubine. I do not know the secrets of my family."


    Although Xiaowan didn''t understand, he comforted her patiently: "Don''t be afraid, think slowly, it doesn''t matter what you think."


    Ling Chaofeng analyzed that, it was not that he did not know the secrets of the palace, but that he did not know the secrets, so he guided her and helped her think.


    Susu held onto Xiaowan''s hand, when she suddenly thought of something, and said: "Manager Ling, Shang Shu Manor''s wife, who is also Master''s sister, goes back to his parents'' home for sure every month at the age of seventeen. No matter if it''s rain or shine, on that day, Master would close the door with her and talk for a long time, is that considered a matter?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, "Is there anything else?"


    Susu tried her best to recall that every autumn, there would be people who delivered crabs to him. However, the crabs in the crabs basket were only covered with a layer of crabs, and the bottom of the crabs were all in silver.


    He had also heard the old master mention that because these two years happened to coincide with the Emperor sending troops to attack the Liang Empire, every time they fought a personal battle, the capital would loosen up. The old master was extremely busy during that period of time, and he would be especially happy every time he went in and out, and would also beat her up a little less.


    "Manager Ling, I''m sorry. I get beaten up everyday and fear filled my heart, and I really can''t pay attention to other things." Susu said guiltily, "I know why you are asking this. It''s not that I am afraid of not telling you, it''s just that I have no way of knowing. If I think of something else, I will tell you the next time we meet."


    Ling Chaofeng had already memorized each and every one of them, and said with a smile: "It should be enough, just the Mid-Autumn Festival crab, is enough for him."


    Xiaowan was standing at the side, and as she heard this, she became confused. After she finished what she was doing, they were about to leave, but Yue Huaiyin was still waiting outside.


    Yue Huaiyin laughed: "Nothing, I am from Baisha Town, and do not have any friends. I am very happy that you all are here."


    The Xiaowan said: "When will you be invited to our inn to take a seat? When you go to the dock to retrieve your goods, stop and rest."


    Ling Chaofeng did not say anything, he only stood at the side with a kind smile, waited for them to be courteous, and then left with the Xiaowan.


    Yue Huaiyin watched as her upright posture disappeared in front of her eyes, and the bottom of her heart was empty again. Ling Chaofeng moved forward and retreated appropriately, she kept her sense of propriety, but did not know if he would end up like her if he was not married. I heard that he and Xiaowan had just gotten married, if only she had come here half a year earlier.


    Before leaving the Siyun Pavilion, Xiaowan mentioned that she only used cosmetics once in the guest room to throw them away. Although the room fees were expensive, the shop did not care about these, it was too wasteful.


    He then asked Ling Chaofeng if he could trouble Miss Yue to do some small and exquisite things, it would not be a waste or lose quality, and it could also do some small business with Siyun Pavilion.


    Ling Chaofeng praised the Xiaowan as he started to calculate for the life of the inn, but there were not many female customers in the inn every year.


    Xiaowan laughed, "I thought I had a good idea. Yesterday, after cleaning up Yunze, I saw that Shuiyan rouge had only moved a little, so I threw it away. I want to keep it for myself, said my aunt.


    Ling Chaofeng replied: "That''s only natural. After you become my wife, you are only allowed to use the best in the world. How can you use the leftovers of others?"


    On the way back, he took Ling Chaofeng to the blacksmith shop to greet Uncle Zhou.


    Blacksmith Zhou saw the legendary Ling Chaofeng, he stared straight at his, only to see that his cheeks were even redder than when they met a few days ago, before he said: "Evening, your mother will definitely protect you in the sky."


    On the way back, Ling Chaofeng asked, "Late at night, where will mother be buried?"


    Xiaowan said, "In the cemetery behind the village."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at the sky, it was getting late, so he said: "Tomorrow morning, we will go and bury Mother, I will go and pay my respects to Mother."


    Xiaowan''s eyes were red as she choked with sobs, "Husband, thank you."


    When they returned to the tavern, when they heard that they were going to bury Xiaowan''s mother in the morning, Uncle Biao immediately cooked some vegetables and steamed buns before dawn the next day.


    In the dim light of the morning, Aunt Zhang watched as the horse carriage drove off and smiled at her man: "I wonder when Xiaowan will be pregnant with a baby, at that time, our shop will be bustling with noise and excitement. I have never brought a child in my life before."


    Uncle Biao looked at her, and then hugged his wife''s shoulders. "Once my child is born, we will be of the same generation as grandfather and grandmother."


    Aunt Zhang snickered: "What, you think I''m old?"


    Uncle Biao held her face and took a sip, "Wifey, shall we go back and sleep for a while?"


    On the other side, the carriage was shaking all the way. After passing through the Baisha Town, they would have to walk west to reach the Qingling Village, but since they had left the house early, Ling Chaofeng drove the carriage quickly and steadily.


    After his mother was buried in the village, it was originally in the Old Mu Family''s cemetery, but when Madam Xu entered, he made a ruckus. She said that the old Mu Family had to get rid of the ghost, so the Master Mu had no choice but to move the Xiaowan''s mother out and bury her all by herself.


    Every time Xiaowan went up the mountain to chop firewood, she would secretly visit her mother to pull up the weeds at her grave.


    Unexpectedly, the person who was coaxed by the village said something in front of the stepmother, saying that Xiaowan''s mother''s grave was especially neat and clean. Madam Xu knew that Xiaowan would often go to pay respects to her mother. She thought that by doing this, the Xiaowan was cursing her and wanted to give her a hard time at home. She beat her up and threatened to dig out her mother''s bones and throw them into the wilderness if he saw her go to the grave again.


    At the moment, Ling Chaofeng was plucking the grass on the grave, fetching water from the stream, washing the stones that were slightly weathered clean. Although it was called a stone, it was still a stone, although it was simple and crude, and was not too bad, and he still had respect for the dead.


    Xiaowan placed the vegetables one by one, lit a candle, and burned the paper money with Ling Chaofeng. She knelt in front of her mother''s grave and started chanting with her palms together, secretly asking her mother if she had brought this Jade Ring over.


    Ling Chaofeng greeted his mother-in-law and told his mother who he was. He hugged Xiaowan and said, "Mother, don''t worry.


    After that, they went to the Mu Family cemetery and paid respects to Xiaowan''s grandfather and grandmother. When Xiaowan''s sister passed away, she was only three years old.


    Others might not be able to recognize Ling Chaofeng, but they could also recognize Xiaowan. Someone ran back and shouted through the fence: "Wen Bao''s mother, Xiaowan and your young master have returned to the village."

 C37

    With this shout, the entire village became lively. Everyone was curious about Ling Chaofeng''s appearance, and the people who had seen him in the town''s bazaar all had their own opinions of him. The more the news spread, the more bizarre it became.


    Everyone knew, however, that Ling Chaofeng and Madam Xu did not get along well. Last time, when Mu Wen Bao was smashed into a pulp, everyone said that Xiaowan got married to such a powerful man, and it was finally possible for her to vent her anger after so many years.


    The villagers thought that even if Madam Xu met her son-in-law in the future, she would still have to hide and leave. Who knew that she would have plotted against the Aunt Wang next door in order to earn money from Ling Xiao Inn through the Xiaowan. Right now, it was too late for her to find a chance to interact with them. She didn''t care about face, she only knew that there was no way she could live without money.


    At this moment, Madam Xu was in the kitchen making corn porridge. Upon hearing these words, she hurriedly scooped out the porridge and rushed into the house, beating up her son and daughter who were still sleeping soundly. She could not even open her eyes as she shouted: "Go, your Big Sis and Brother-in-law are back, quickly go and bring them back."


    When Mu Wen Bao heard it was Ling Chaofeng, he was so frightened that he saw a ghost. He hid in a corner and cried, "I won''t go, I won''t go, he''s going to throw me out again. Mother, my butt is still hurting."


    Madam Xu picked up the broom that was used to sweep the dust on the brick bed and threatened, "Do you want to go?


    However, Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng had never planned to return to the village. Since they had decided to follow their husband and live in an inn, unless something happened to their father, she would definitely not go back to that house.


    He had originally thought that the Xiaowan would be overly kind, and because he had coincidentally married a good person, he would be able to forget everything from the past and take care of his younger brother and sister. But she didn''t do that at all. Aunt Zhang had also told him that he said that he would never care about the life or death of his family, and that he would never forgive Madam Xu.


    But now, when they returned to their mother''s grave, they put away the incense burner, unwilling to let anyone else spoil it or call it a stray dog or cat, and decided to bring them all back again next year during the Qing Ming Festival to pay their respects to their mother.


    Ling Chaofeng supported Xiaowan down the mountain, but Xiaowan was smiling: "Going up and down the mountain makes me more nimble, I used to go up and cut firewood everyday."


    But just as he finished speaking, he tripped over a dried twig beneath his feet, fell into Ling Chaofeng''s embrace, and was scolded by his husband: "Did you slap your mouth? I told you to be naughty. "


    The two of them held hands as they walked down the mountain. When they reached the foot of the mountain, the Xiaowan took one last look back and said to Master, "Actually, I''ve never told Mother about my hardships. I was afraid that she might be worried about me from the sky."


    "Then what did you say?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "I said I was fine, so I assured my mother." Xiaowan snickered, as if she was afraid that her husband wouldn''t believe him. "It''s true, anyway ¡­"


    She hadn''t cried at all, but now she couldn''t hold back her tears. She looked at her husband and choked with sobs, "It doesn''t matter what I say, it''s not like mother can come and save me, but I''m really healed now. I have a husband who loves me and protects me."


    Ling Chaofeng said gently: "Then why are you crying, am I bullying you?"


    Xiaowan sniffed with her nose, feeling even more sad. "My dear husband, I was not willing to marry at the beginning, and wanted to fight with you to the death. Fortunately you didn''t lose me, so what would I do if you lost me?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "I still wanted to ask you. At that time, all you wanted to do was run, have you thought about where you could have left me?"


    Xiaowan wiped her tears and said, "At that time, I was not stupid."


    They slowly walked down the mountain, where the carriage was tied up. Most of the people inside the Qingling Village were donkeys and mules, and they were all very curious to see a horse.


    Ling Chaofeng supported the Xiaowan up the carriage, but just as he sat down, the voice of a child came from afar. The two children ran frantically towards the carriage, and shouted out, "Big sister, big sister!"


    It was her little brother and sister. Xiaowan looked at Ling Chaofeng and saw his husband nodding, so she got out of the car again. The two children ran over to her and Mu Wen Bao hid behind his second sister Wen Juan.


    "Eldest young mistress ¡­" Wen Juan was also timid, and did not dare to look at the tall and big man beside him. She pulled at Xiaowan''s sleeves and stammered, "We made breakfast at home, and Father and Mother call you, Big Sis, and Brother-in-law out for breakfast."


    Wen Juan''s hair was in a mess, Wen Bao''s face still had a pillow mark, she must have just been dragged out of bed.


    He touched his sister''s hair and said, "We''ve finished eating breakfast. We still have things to do, so we''re in a hurry to leave. Tell Father that I''ll come see him next time."


    Wen Bao shouted, "Big sister, go back first. If you don''t come back with us, my mother will beat me to death."


    His little sister, Wen Juan, also begged, "Big sister, mother said that she will definitely bring you back."


    "Juan''er, I can''t go back." Although the relationship between the Xiaowan and her sister-in-law was not close, they were children who did not understand. If they followed their mother and bullied others, they would not be able to differentiate between the right and wrong.


    But this was the same thing, she could only say that she did not care, but she did not intend to bear any responsibility for their present future, even with such a small matter.


    "Hubby, let''s go." Unexpectedly, Wen Bao acted shamelessly and sat down on the ground while hugging her leg, "Big sister, I won''t let you go, go home and eat breakfast with me, if you don''t go, my mother will beat me up."


    Xiaowan could not push it away, nor could she persuade them to do so. Thus, the two of them decided to just cry, the sound spread far and wide, and the villagers who came to see them became more and more.


    Seeing that the Xiaowan was not moved, and that there was nothing he could do, Ling Chaofeng took out two silver ingots from his bosom and gave one to each of them, "Bring this back, and Mother will not beat you up. We are leaving today, we will come back next time."


    Mu Wen Bao took the silver from his brother-in-law''s hands shakily and whispered to his second sister. The two of them were young, but understood money, and seemed to have followed their mother, taking the silver ingots and immediately running back.


    "Don''t give them money next time." But Xiaowan was not grateful to Ling Chaofeng, she showed a somewhat wifely attitude, "Didn''t you say that all of the money is mine, I still haven''t nodded my head."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed, then said: "That is my private money, sending the little brat away is not worth anything."


    Xiaowan insisted, "You have to promise me that you won''t give me any money. That woman is a bottomless pit, if you give her this, she will taste the sweetness.


    Ling Chaofeng happily carried his wife, ignoring the people watching from afar, and kissed her on her tender cheek: "Evening, you aren''t stupid at all, you will always surprise me."


    "What''s wrong? Are you laughing at me again? "


    Xiaowan didn''t know what his husband was happy about, sshe was still brooding over the two pieces of silver. On the way back, he muttered for a long time, secretly thinking of using the Jade Ring to make a wish to "bring back" the silver. But when she thought about how the Madam Xu would turn his family upside down if all the money disappeared, how would he be able to run over to the inn and cause trouble instead?


    Moreover, this Jade Ring was so sacred, she wanted to use it for a good deed.


    On the way back, after going through the Baisha Town, Ling Chaofeng went to the charcoal shop to set a deposit for the winter, and then brought a few workers back to the tavern to check up on the kang.


    Their bedroom was on the third floor. Since they did not burn the brick bed in winter, this year, when the Xiaowan was newly married, they set up a new charcoal stove.


    Xiaowan watched her husband as he lit up the fine charcoal in the stove. However, there was not a speck of dust.


    "Husband, why is there no smoke?" Xiaowan was surprised, as she circled around the charcoal stove.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Not surprising, this is not the best, the smell is bad. When the boat from Beijing arrived, I ordered better charcoal and brought it in for the winter to burn only in our house. "


    Xiaowan felt that it was really extravagant, but after seeing the gold and silver in the cellar, she knew that Ling Chaofeng did not care about it.


    Ling Chaofeng moved closer to her ear and whispered: "Like this, we will roll over in the winter, aren''t you afraid that it will get cold?"


    Xiaowan blushed red and pushed him away. She turned around and said, "I won''t speak to you again, it''s not proper at all."


    Ling Chaofeng caught her and asked, "What did I say?"


    Xiaowan said anxiously: "Ignore you."


    Ling Chaofeng happily kissed his lips: "Didn''t you say that we want to give birth to babies and teach them to memorize the Three Character Classic?"


    Xiaowan laughed softly and struggled gently. She said softly, "Then you have to treat me well."


    The husband and wife were sweet and sweet, Xiaowan forgot about what happened in the morning.


    But on this night, Xiaowan sent Yue Xin, so they couldn''t travel together. In the past, when she had no one to take care of her, she would only use straw and paper to cover herself. She was worried that it would leak out, and because of lack of clothes and food, her body would become cold.


    This matter was naturally taken care of by the Aunt Zhang. Only then did Xiaowan find out what kind of cushion the young miss of a wealthy family would use to deal with this matter, and found out that the egg red sugar was so sweet and fragrant.


    Aunt Zhang wrapped a towel around her belly and comforted her gently, "Don''t worry, just sleep for a bit. Go to the town and find a doctor to prescribe some medicine. We''ll recuperate properly so that it won''t hurt anymore."


    Xiaowan smiled weakly: "I only got spoiled here. It used to be painful, but I still had to work. I just had to grit my teeth and endure."


    Aunt Zhang felt her heart ache, and she covered her with a blanket. "You don''t have to endure anything in the future. She thought for a moment and asked again, "Xiao''er, do you understand what''s going on with women? Do you know that if you don''t show up in the future, you might have a baby?"


    Xiaowan blushed and nodded, "I know. Although no one taught me, how could my stepmother do anything? She has served me for so many years, I think I have seen it for myself."


    Aunt Zhang said: "That''s good. Anyway, there will be things that I don''t understand from now on. Aunt will teach you."


    Xiaowan thought for a moment, then said softly: "Aunt treats me like my own mother."


    "I actually want you to be my daughter." Unexpectedly, the Aunt Zhang didn''t have any displeasure, but she laughed, "But we can''t let the shopkeeper follow you and call me mother. In any case, we''re together every day, so what''s it matter? As for me, I have been looking forward to see the shopkeeper getting married everyday, or if it''s Ershan getting married, I never thought that I would be looking forward to seeing a treasure here. "


    He crawled up and was about to lie in her arms. Naturally, Aunt Zhang liked it too, so she caressed her to coax her, making her forget about the pain in her lower abdomen. Slowly, Xiaowan fell asleep.


    Seeing her happily walking down the stairs, Ling Chaofeng asked: "Is she feeling better?"


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "It''s fine, as a woman, bringing her to see a doctor later on, must be because she suffered too much in the past and her body is weak."


    Ling Chaofeng was deep in thought. Aunt Zhang had known him for many years, so he was not afraid of it, and said straightforwardly: "Shopkeeper, why don''t you listen to my advice.


    "That''s what she was thinking, and she was a child herself." Ling Chaofeng smiled faintly, "With aunty taking care of her, I also feel at ease."


    This way, after Xiaowan nurtured her body for a few days, she was not allowed to do any work in the shop. Since she had nothing else to do, she recited the Three Character Classic over and over again.


    In a blink of an eye, it was already the beginning of September. That night, she had finished dinner and memorized every single word in front of everyone. Aunt Zhang clapped continuously and gave her a big chicken leg prize, praising her: "This time, we don''t need to touch the palm anymore.


    The Xiaowan looked at Hubby proudly. Ling Chaofeng said, "Also, you have memorized the [Thousand Words]. You must be proud of yourself."


    As soon as he finished speaking, someone knocked on the door. It was the sound of knocking normally, and when Ershan went to open the door, it was the person who delivered the letter.


    Aunt Zhang poured tea and sent water to the people. She asked if they had eaten yet, and those that came back to hurry back had already learned how to treat their guests. Before Aunt Zhang even opened her mouth, she had already packed some food and a kettle for them.


    After Ling Chaofeng read the lettehee did not reply on the spot. Instead, he invited the person to return, and upon returning, she saw that Xiaowan was waiting by the door. She knew, she had an answer to the question about Susu these few days.


    Ling Chaofeng passed the letter to her, then asked with a smile: "Can you read it?"


    Xiaowan looked at it a few times, but could not make up any sentences. Even when reading, she could not understand it at all, only heard her husband say, "The Ministry Of Justice Emperor has been investigated for dereliction of duty and corruption, the Imperial Court has already taken him."


    Aunt Zhang and the others were all indifferent, as if these things were nothing out of the ordinary. However, Xiaowan asked excitedly, "Then is it that no one is going to capture Susu again?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "They are unable to protect themselves, as for Susu''s indenture contract, someone will send it over in a few days, I have already sent people to find a way to redeem it."


    Xiaowan asked again: "That what? Were Susu''s words really effective on that day?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "That''s not it, there are people watching those things, I am only going to verify with her, is it true? If you want to help people, you can''t casually harm innocent people, right? "


    Xiaowan nodded her head repeatedly. Seeing that the sky was already dark, and it was too late tonight, she said that she would deliver the good news to Susu and Auntie Chen early in the morning.


    However, the Aunt Zhang said: "Evening, just ask Ershan to send a message tomorrow. We need to clean the inn.


    Xiaowan immediately agreed. "Then I won''t go, I''ll work with you." But she curiously asked, "What kind of guest is more noble than the Lord Sun, where did he come from?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "It''s from Beijing, have you forgotten? I said that there''s a boat docking in Beijing."

 C38

    On the next day, Uncle Biao brought Ershan to gather the ingredients, and also went to inform Susu and Auntie Chen that they no longer needed to hide and hide. On the other hand, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang stayed home to clean.


    In each room, he replaced a few big pots of bed linen, Xiaowan carried them to the back door and went to the well, then ran over to see Aunt Zhang wiping the floor. He said to her, "Evening, go to the kitchen and boil some hot water.


    Xiaowan secretly laughed and ran back to avoid Aunt Zhang. She lightly clenched her right fist in front of her chest as she thought.


    In the blink of an eye, the bedclothes flew up from the wooden basin, and the well rope flew down with the wooden bucket to fetch water. In the blink of an eye, the bedsheets flew up from the wooden basin, and the well rope flew down with the wooden bucket to fetch water.


    She was no longer panicking, but had her hands on her waist while she waited for Aunt Zhang to finish what she was doing and come help. Seeing that Xiaowan was drying himself, she could not help but ask: "Evening, why are you so quick, did you wash up?" She touched it and smelled it again. It was very clean.


    "Oh my god! You''re too hardworking!" The Aunt Zhang praised again and again, "If I didn''t become the boss, I''m afraid the boss would have kicked me out."


    Xiaowan hurriedly said: "No, no, even if he did, I would not agree to it. I am the Lady Boss after all."


    The Aunt Zhang laughed: "How can you do crude work like Lady Boss. The previous day, you were at loggerheads with each other. What about now?"


    Xiaowan picked up the wooden basin and thought for a moment, then said with a smile: "Outside from Princess Xiang, inside my Lord."


    The two of them laughed and talked as they entered the door. Ling Chaofeng was just returning from outside, and seeing them being happy, he asked them something.


    Ling Chaofeng smiled as he shook his head, and asked: "Tomorrow, will you follow me to the pier to welcome the guests? I''ve ordered the fine charcoal, and it''s also from the same boat.


    Xiaowan was naturally very willing. After a whole day of hard work, she cleaned up the entire inn and helped Uncle Biao prepare the ingredients.


    Night time crawled in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace, while Hubby crawled in her body. After that, he fell asleep in satisfaction, and the sky lit up the moment he opened his eyes.


    Ling Chaofeng wore a deep indigo robe today, and Xiao Yan rummaged in the closet for the same kind of robe. The blouse outside was white with an indigo lining, and it had a wide belt with a red rope tied with an agate bead. It would not be too white, and the indigo would not be too dark. Everything was just right.


    She had already learnt how to fix her hair and jewelry. Coming down from the stairs to stand by Ling Chaofeng''s side, she was like a pair made from heaven and earth.


    Today, he had picked up two carriages. As the guests were privately interviewed, although they could rent cars at the pier, since they were customers of the store, it was up to them to complete the mission.


    On the way, the Xiaowan asked Ling Chaofeng what kind of guest he was, and how much authority he had.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "It''s much bigger than the Ministry Of Justice." In fact, even if he told the Xiaowan, she couldn''t tell the difference between high and low, so there was no need to be too complicated.


    When the sun rose up high in the sky, a large ship slowly entered the Baisha River.


    "Lord Tang has arrived." Ling Chaofeng''s eyes were sharp, as he led his wife to welcome his.


    Xiaowan watched curiously as a middle-aged man walked down from the stage. He looked to be about fifty years old, and compared to the Lord Sun from before, he did not look any higher ranked.


    "Lord Tang." Ling Chaofeng cupped his fists in greeting, and just as he was about to introduce the Xiaowan, the man waved his hand and turned, as though he was waiting for something.


    Then, a man and a woman got off the boat. The man''s temples had turned white, and that lady, even though she was not a young girl, she looked younger than Aunt Zhang. She was definitely more beautiful, her temperament was more gentle, and when Xiaowan saw her, her heart trembled.


    "Chao Feng, are there any rooms available for you to bring your two friends here today?" The Lord Tang said gently, "I will only be staying for two days."


    "You two are?"


    "My friend."


    Hearing Lord Tang''s reply, Ling Chaofeng knew he could no longer ask, and politely welcomed them in front of the carriage.


    The lady looked curiously at the busy docks with a smile in her eyes. She spoke to her husband from time to time. The man looked at her with mild eyes and listened patiently.


    Although they were not old husbands and wives, they were still younger by quite a bit, but the older man had an indescribable aura, causing Xiaowan to not dare to look at him, but the Madam was much more gentle, and was extremely courteous to Xiaowan.


    The husband and wife drove together and the guests sat in the carriage. From time to time, they could hear the conversation inside. The Lord Tang was very respectful as he constantly said, "Old Master and Madam, it''s better to be careful outside. Two or three days is enough."


    The lady smiled leisurely and said indifferently, "Go on."


    Outside the carriage, Xiaowan asked her husband softly, "Husband, are they officials that are even bigger than Lord Tang?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed lightly: "Maybe, we will just entertain the guests."


    "Mm, I don''t care." Xiaowan vowed, "No matter what happens in the future, I will discuss it with you."


    Very quickly, they returned to the tavern. Xiaowan jumped down from the car and carried a small stool from the door to help her wife get off.


    Madame''s hands were white and tender, different from Aunt Zhang''s. Clearly, she had never worked, and her jade-like skin was her lifetime of living a life of luxury.


    However, she was different from a person who lived like a prince. In her eyes, there was a sense of nobility that seemed to be able to contain everything.


    When the shop heard the movement of the carriage, they knew that the customer had arrived. Aunt Zhang came out with a cup of tea and smiled: "Lord Tang, may I look forward to seeing you ¡­"


    Xiaowan led the guests in and walked towards them. But halfway through her words, she suddenly froze in place, not moving at all.


    The three guests entered the shop and took a seat. The atmosphere was a little strange, Aunt Zhang put down the tea set and said indifferently: "I wonder if there are other guests.


    Even the Xiaowan felt that something was amiss, but when she saw Ling Chaofeng giving her a look, she dismissed the crowd and went back to the kitchen.


    As expected, Aunt Zhang was standing at the kitchen door with a teacup in hand. She quietly walked forward and asked: "Aunt, what''s wrong?"


    Aunt Zhang regained her senses and laughed lightly: "It''s nothing."


    After thinking for a bit, he stuffed the teacups back to Xiaowan and said: "Your uncle is busy. I want to be his assistant, so I won''t be going to the front.


    "Oh." Xiaowan naturally agreed, but Aunt was a little weird today. So many things had happened before, so many strange people had appeared, but she had never seen anything strange before.


    He came back to serve the tea, and when he saw his husband and Lord Tang standing by the side to talk, Ling Chaofeng gave her a meaningful glance so that she would do as he pleased. Xiaowan was clever, furthermore, it would not be difficult to deal with two polite elders.


    "How old is young lady now?" the lady asked her.


    "Seventeen years old, just married in the early autumn." The Xiaowan said shyly, "I''ve been learning in the tavern not long ago, if there''s anything I can''t take care of, I''ll have to ask Madam to take care of it. My name is Xiaowan. "


    Xiaowan would never dare to look directly at him, but he smiled at his own wife, "You''re about the same age as me back then."


    However, he was laughed at by his wife. "What about you back then?"


    At this time, the Lord Tang and Ling Chaofeng came over and said to the Xiaowan: "Let Madam go to her room to rest. There is still an hour before lunch."


    The Xiaowan cordially invited them: "Madam, this way please."


    The Lord Tang was originally a side house, but he refused. He insisted on staying in the house facing the north, and the Xiaowan did not force him, as every room was completely cleaned.


    Only Xiaowan and Ershan were the only ones in the shop who brought tea back later on. Normally, they would always hear the laughter of the Aunt Zhang, but today, she had entered the kitchen and did not show herself again.


    "Husband, is Aunt alright?" Xiaowan was very worried.


    "Do your thing and take good care of the guests." Ling Chaofeng did not say it half-heartedly. After all, he did not know where to begin talking to the Xiaowan.


    If Aunt Zhang was certain that she didn''t want to talk about those things, then she would turn everything around and explain it to her. If she wanted to explain it, then she would be better off telling Xiaowan herself.


    The Xiaowan''s mind was simple. If the Aunt Zhang did not come, she would work hard to take care of everything, going up and down busily, waiting for lunch to start, and then bringing the dishes and broth to the table with Ershan. No matter what, the Lord Tang refused to eat with the two of them, and could only set a table at the side.


    As for Xiaowan marrying into the Xiaowan and eating all kinds of delicacies under the heavens, every customer within the restaurant was amazed at his culinary skills. It was as if the two of them had seen the world before, although they praised the delicacy of the dishes, they were only so-so, and were very different from the customers that they had seen before.


    As for the Lord Tang, he had always been restless and unable to eat a proper meal. After that, the Xiaowan seemed to have heard her wife say to him, "If you keep going like this, you can leave first. We won''t be able to rest in peace."


    When it was the Xiaowan''s turn to eat with Ershan, they were at the back kitchen while the Aunt Zhang had already returned to her room. Only the Uncle Biao was preparing for dinner, and when he heard the Xiaowan ask Ershan, "It seems like it has a huge background. Hubby said that the Lord Tang is even bigger than the Ministry Of Justice, bigger than the Lord Sun, then older than the Lord Tang, how big is it?"


    Ershan scooped up the rice in his mouth, his speech slurred and seeming to be intentionally flippant: "It must be very big."


    Uncle Biao was cutting the vegetables at the side without saying a word.


    In the afternoon, Ling Chaofeng and Lord Tang brought the two to the town. Xiaowan busied herself for the entire morning, and was initially resting in her room, but because she was worried about Aunt Zhang, he crawled up and went downstairs to the backyard to find Aunt Zhang.


    Just as he was about to open the door, he heard Uncle Biao''s voice saying, "They don''t recognize you?"


    Aunt Zhang''s voice was cold, as if she had become a completely different person. "I recognize him, he''s smiling at me."


    Uncle Biao asked again: "Does shopkeeper know?"


    Aunt Zhang did not make a sound.


    Uncle Biao continued, "Since it''s like this, what else can we do?


    Xiaowan was dumbfounded. Could it be that the guests who came today were old friends with Aunt Zhang? Why did they bring her back?

 C39

    Just as his mind was wandering, the door opened and the tall Uncle Biao stood out. Seeing that it was the Xiaowan, his slightly nervous eyebrows softened as he said: "Silly child, what are you standing here for?"


    When the Aunt Zhang heard the commotion, he did not get angry, but laughed: "Evening, what did you hear?"


    Xiaowan quickly waved her hand, but she quickly lost her courage and said, "I did hear a bit, Aunt ¡­ Where are you going? I don''t want you to go. "


    "I''m not going anywhere." Aunt Zhang rubbed her head, "Even if it''s for your sake, Aunt won''t leave."


    Uncle Biao walked quietly to the kitchen. Aunt Zhang looked at his man, then asked Xiaowan: "Have you eaten lunch well, Sir?"


    The Xiaowan nodded her head: "They are all full. Only the Lord Tang can''t sit still and doesn''t taste good. He seems to be especially afraid of those two."


    The Aunt Zhang laughed, and finally revealed her indifference to all kinds of weird things, and said to the Xiaowan: "We''ll just serve him then."


    Her husband might have white hair, but he had an extremely extraordinary aura. He was not like the other men in the village who at his age, had become bad old men, and was even more spirited than the Lord Tang.


    "Dinner will be ready soon. Ladies and gentlemen, would you like to wash up or eat first?" Aunt Zhang watched silently from the side. She only saw the Madam give a gentle smile and replied, "Wash your face first."


    Xiaowan and Ershan hurriedly went to carry out their bath tools, while Lord Tang did not need them to do so. After repeatedly saying that they would take care of those two, a pot of hot water was delivered to them and only after closing the door and treating them to guests did they heave a sigh of relief.


    She wanted to ask the guests to remember to lock the door, but Lord Tang was guarding the stairs like a door god, she did not need to worry at all, and even pointed at Xiaowan, indicating that she could go down, so the Xiaowan quickly ran away.


    Ling Chaofeng changed into his regular clothes and looked at Xiaowan who was busy moving around, but before they could speak properly today, he dragged them to the foot of the stairs and said: "Don''t be busy, take your time, you are just like a headless fly who is moving around, it makes one''s heart flustered."


    In the beginning she did not know how to treat guests, while Ling Chaofeng always scolded her head and face, she could only tremble, but now it was different, even when Ling Chaofeng''s tone was not strong, the Xiaowan still dared to talk back, and said unwillingly: "I have been busy for an entire day, you can walk around outside."


    Seeing that her husband had slightly raised her face, Xiaowan was even more unafraid. "I didn''t do anything wrong, why are you being so fierce towards me?"


    Ling Chaofeng had already thought that if he let this little thing''s guts out, he would not be able to take it back in the future. However, he had never planned for night to be afraid of him, it was just a joke, so he took advantage of no one to secretly kiss his, "I haven''t seen you for a long time, I missed you."


    The Xiaowan was at a loss for words. With a red face, she said, "Your esteemed guest is here, stop messing around. "Moreover ¡­" Her expression suddenly turned serious, "The guests this time won''t be easy to deal with. I want to protect my aunt."


    Ling Chaofeng frowned slightly. It seemed that Xiaowan knew something.


    But in reality, there were no conflicts, nor was there any trouble. The two of them went downstairs after washing up. Their appetite was in high spirits and the aroma of the dishes on the table was alluring. Unfortunately, before he could even touch the chopsticks, he saw the Lord Tang holding silver needles stabbing and stabbing into the food, causing the Madam to say angrily: "Are you even letting me eat?"


    Lord Tang was sweating profusely. "Madam, please have a meal."


    After serving dinner, the guests all went back to their own rooms to rest. Xiaowan gave them tea and went to the back door to wash the dishes.


    "Tonight, that soft and sticky thing is really delicious. Uncle Biao put quite a bit more in my bowl." Xiaowan wanted to find some topic to break the silence, "Aunt, what is that thing?"


    "Horseshoe tendons." Aunt Zhang replied indifferently, "If you like it, I''ll make it for you another day."


    Xiaowan pursed her lips and asked softly: "Aunt, did you come here twelve years ago?"


    Aunt Zhang nodded her head: "Old Madem, it was your mother-in-law who saved us, Ershan was only six years old then. Normally, when he said six years old, she would be able to explain the family''s identity clearly, but when he asked, he did not know, so Old Madem searched for a long time but still could not find his family. After greeting the yamen, she left him in the shop."


    Xiaowan said in a soft voice, "Aunt, if we go further in, you and Uncle Biao are ¡­"


    However, a gentle voice suddenly came from the back door as he smiled and said, "So you were here."


    They turned around at the same time, only to see a lady, even more noble than the Lord Tang, leisurely walking over. She wasn''t wearing a particularly gorgeous dress, it was just something ordinary people would wear, and even so, he had a noble aura about his, this kind of temperament seemed to be born in his bones.


    "Madam, what do you want?" Xiaowan stood up to receive him.


    "It''s nothing. I can''t sleep right now, so I want to chat with someone." "You guys are washing the dishes. I''ll help."


    "No, no." Xiaowan stopped her, "Madam, if you wash the dishes, I will die of anxiety."


    Everyone knew that he was nervous. Xiaowan''s words made the lady laugh, but she turned towards the Aunt Zhang and said: "I thought that Xiaowan was your daughter at the beginning, she was so beautiful, so cute, and so likeable."


    Aunt Zhang stood up and coldly sneered: "How could I have such good fortune like you, I have both children."


    Xiaowan felt that the atmosphere was getting better and better, the two of you are truly going through the past, her presence here was probably too much of an eyesore, her heart was thumping hard, and she said: "Aunt, I will take the clean bowl in first."


    The lady stepped aside and smiled: "Xiaowan, I will give you a job, help me block the Lord Tang, don''t ask him to follow me, okay?"


    Xiaowan nodded her head vigorously: "Madam, I understand, I definitely won''t let him come."


    Watching young lady run away, Aunt Zhang was worried and reminded him, "Later, go slowly, you better be careful not to fall."


    "You love her." "However, this kind of child will hurt anyone who sees him."


    The Aunt Zhang sat down to continue washing the dishes, and the clanging of the porcelain was heard. She said: "Before, no one had pain, her mother died early, and was abused at home by her stepmother. If you had seen more than a month earlier, all you would have seen would be a pitiful worm whose voice would tremble. "


    "He''s been reborn just a month ago." The Madam sat at the seat of the Xiaowan, next to him she said, "It''s been twenty years since we last met, and you have changed completely. If you weren''t so beautiful, I''m afraid I wouldn''t have recognized you."


    The lanterns illuminated the area, making it so that everyone could clearly see each other''s faces.


    At a similar age, the Madam''s skin was exquisite, there were barely any wrinkles on her body, and the Aunt Zhang had already caught wind and frost. She was dressed in simple clothes, with a flowered kerchief tied around her head and an apron tied around her waist. Her hands were red from soaking in the cold water of the well.


    She rolled up her sleeves and put her hand in the water. The cold feeling made her smile and said, "Before I married the Emperor, I worked for Grandmother at home. There were not many people at home, and eating was simple as well. Naturally, I didn''t wash so many bowls and chopsticks."


    Aunt Zhang''s expression was cold. "Is he the emperor or the emperor now? Should I call you empress or empress?"


    Inside the store, Lord Tang had indeed come to chase after the empress, and Xiaowan had obstructed his way, but how could Lord Tang be willing to agree? In the end, Ling Chaofeng still came out, and finally managed to persuade him.


    The Xiaowan moved a chair to sit at the back door. No one was allowed to disturb the two of you right now, but how could she know that the man who was resting on the second floor was the grand Emperor of Daqi Nation, and the person who was chatting with the Aunt Zhang outside was the legendary Queen Qiu.


    At that time, the Qi Nation was still the State of Zhao, and at the time, the current emperor Xiang Ye was still just a city guarding the borders. The people of Zhao did not have a peaceful life, and for the sake of the common people''s survival, she led her troops to create a rebellion, annihilating the Zhao Dynasty, changing the name of the nation''s Daqi, and changing the year''s number.


    For the past three years, Emperor Tianjing had lived a peaceful life in the inner city and expanded the territory abroad, allowing the Daqi to be rid of the sickly state of the State of Zhao and become a tyrant of the Central Plains. In the past two years, the Emperor had led the Empire, and the news of his victorious return had spread throughout the entire continent before the marriage of the Xiaowan. However, not long after the marriage of the Xiaowan, the Emperor had announced his abdication.


    An emperor who abdicated the throne when he was still alive was a rare sight in history, and even rarer was his empress.


    Even Xiaowan, a countryside girl, knew of the legend of the legendary Empress Qiu. The daughter of a sinner, however, had the ability to make the Emperor disperse the entire six palaces for her. The women in the village often fantasized about what kind of Heavenly Immortal Goddess their esteemed empress was. They couldn''t imagine a man willingly abandoning women who could rightfully claim their lives and remaining alone for the rest of his life.


    Beside the well by the back door, two beautiful women were calmly conversing. Empress Qiu said, "Although the Liang Empire was destroyed, the emperor retained his imperial family and conferred the title of vassal. If you want to return, he can arrange it for you."


    Aunt Zhang lowered her head to wash the dishes and said disdainfully, "Are you going back to be a prisoner? You came here specifically to humiliate me? "


    Empress Qiu continued, "After you disappeared from the place you were placed under house arrest, the emperor did look for you for a while, but later on he decided to follow you wherever you went. Whether you live or die, it is your own choice. We have already destroyed your first half life, we cannot ruin your second half. Meeting each other like this today is the greatest surprise of this trip. "


    Aunt Zhang raised her eyes and looked at her, laughing desolately: "Do I still have half a shadow of the past in me? Even if I return to the Liang Empire, will anyone still be able to recognize me? It''s been more than twenty years, and all my angles have been worn away. I don''t even remember now, that I was once the princess of the Liang Kingdom, that I was once his imperial concubine. "


    Queen Qiu smiled and said, "He''s already white-haired and an old man. Do you still love him?"


    The Aunt Zhang scoffed, "Why don''t you ask me if I really loved him back then? But when I was doing odd jobs here, and the Manager Ling entertained court officials from time to time, I had thought that I would probably be recognized one day or perhaps I would even meet you guys. I didn''t expect that you guys would really come. "


    At this moment, the Xiaowan would never have thought that there was such a noble and complicated identity behind the person who treated her like her own mother''s aunt and looked at her as if she were no different from an ordinary woman.


    The Aunt Zhang''s surname was not Zhang, but Zhang, and was known as Da Biao. He was one of the guards that was in charge of watching over the crippled Imperial Consort Liang. There was no need to describe the desolation and helplessness, but because of his gentleness and kindness, he had actually developed feelings for the Liang clan. Finally, on a dark and windy night, he brought her away from the place where they were placed under house arrest.


    That year, as if it was Susu and the Auntie Chen, they hid around for a while and one day, they realized that no one was chasing after them. However, many years later, they were still in different places until they met Ling Chaofeng''s mother in the Baisha Town.


    Twenty years ago, the State of Liang was still an ally of the Daqi. Aunt Zhang was an unfavoured concubine sent to reconcile with her and supervise the internal affairs of the Daqi.


    The Emperor wanted to get rid of this spy, so he joined forces with the Empress to force her to go crazy from jealousy, causing chaos in the palace and even endangering the life of the Prince. In this way, not only would he be able to put pressure on Liang Guo, he would also have a way to make her disappear.


    At that time, the Aunt Zhang thought that she had been defeated by the empress and was out of the door, infatuated with her love for the emperor and her desire to change her fate, struggling at a place under house arrest.


    But before long, she was tired and despairing. She finally understood that her relationship with the Emperor was just a fleeting dream. She was only a sacrifice in the politics of the country, a discarded chess piece.


    However, the Aunt Zhang didn''t think that it was worth it. This impressive empress was someone who couldn''t tolerate any woman snatching men from her. From the moment she became the empress, everything was destined to happen.


    Naturally, all of these were things of the past, the Aunt Zhang disdained to bring it up, and would not care about it anymore.


    After following Uncle Biao, although he had suffered a lot in the open, a man never complained, and did his best to let her live a good life. He even learned how to cook, and knew that she was once born into a rich family, his fingers never touched the Yang Spring Water, and did not want her to worry about food and drinks.


    After a series of fates, they finally settled at the Ling Xiao Inn and Aunt Zhang became a normal woman who could take charge of her family and live her life.


    At this moment, Empress Qiu was washing the dishes in her hands as she smiled, "You must have experienced a lot in the past few years. Actually, I''m rather envious of you. After he agreed to abdicate, he brought me to travel around the world, but in the end he decided to wait for the new ruler to ascend the throne. He promised to not leave until next spring, but I couldn''t wait any longer.


    Aunt Zhang said: "In the past few years, Lord Tang comes over every year for the Double Sun Festival. Ling Chaofeng has some connections with the officials of the capital, but we do not ask about the things inside, and only work to entertain the guests. Although I do not have the qualifications to say it to you, but, it would be best if we did not meet again in this life, and you all should know your limits as well. The Baisha Town is peaceful and quiet, and you all should not cause any big ruckus because of you all, and cause me trouble, and also harm the citizens of this place. "


    Queen Qiu smiled. "Since we know you''re here, we''ll never come back. But this inn is really mystical. I just feel that fate has its limits."


    Aunt Zhang''s expression had finally calmed down, and she laughed: "You actually dare to eat the food we make, aren''t you afraid that I''ll poison you to death?"


    Queen Qiu smiled. "You haven''t seen Lord Tang, so you''ve been stabbing us with silver needles for a long time. To be honest, we really want to travel around the world. It''s not that easy. We''ll do as we want."


    After the dishes were washed, Aunt Zhang quickly picked up the wooden basin. Queen Qiu shook the water off her hands and wiped it on her skirt.


    When the two of them came back, they saw Xiaowan holding onto a bench and blocking the back door. Her back was taut and she was doing her best to guard the door.


    Aunt Zhang and Empress said, "This child is very likeable, right? Back then, we could not protect ourselves and did not dare to give birth to children to suffer with us. When I saw her, I just liked her, like I was my own daughter. "


    Empress Qiu said, "This is fate. I like her too." He continued, "We will leave the day after tomorrow. The palace is waiting for the new Queen of the Sovereign''s Selection, if there''s anything, we can go to the capital to look for the Lord Tang. Anything will do, as long as you say it."


    Aunt Zhang snorted and laughed: "I''m already in trouble, why aren''t you looking forward to me? In this life, don''t ever meet me again, I still hate you to the bones."


    But when he finished speaking, he raised his smiling face and said to the young lady that was blocking his way: "Evening, we are done with the shower."


    Xiaowan turned around and moved the bench away. She received the wooden basin and quickly headed to the kitchen.


    Aunt Zhang and Empress Qiu walked into the hall. They saw the emperor standing with his hands behind his back. Aunt Zhang bowed slightly towards him. In her eyes, he was no longer the handsome man, he was old, and even though he looked a hundred times stronger than his peers, he was still old.


    Xiaowan put down the tableware and returned. Seeing that the Madam had gone upstairs, he hugged her and smiled: "Evening, let''s go take a bath."


    "Yes." Xiaowan followed her aunt and left, but she couldn''t help but turn back to look at the second floor. The old master had picked up his wife, and the two of them were talking and laughing.


    This was how Hubby doted on her. Uncle Biao viewed his wife in this way too.


    After washing up, the fragrant people quietly went back to the third floor. Ling Chaofeng had just finished calculating the accounts and seeing that she had returned, he asked: "Are you all resting downstairs?"


    "They''re all asleep, the store is closed." Xiaowan came over to help pack up the ink, and muttered, "Aunt is fine, I can rest easy, but she was unwilling to tell me what happened. She told me not to ask, she won''t leave, and will stay with us for the rest of her life. "Husband, although I''m rather happy, I seem to be confused again."


    She came closer to Ling Chaofeng and asked: "Do you know who the customer downstairs is? Do they have enmity with my aunt? "


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "I don''t know, it''s late, I shouldn''t have asked, I''m the same as you."


    Xiaowan puffed up her cheeks. "Alright." However, she quickly comforted herself, "It''s okay, I didn''t know before, but it''s also good. The most important thing is that we are together and happy."

 C40

    That night, the Xiaowan made a wish with her Jade Ring. She wanted to ask the heavens what the two guests were like, but in the end she fell asleep and woke up with a blank mind. She could not remember if the heavens had told her or not.


    Therefore, he thought to himself, although Jade Ring were intelligent, they could not be used to do unreliable things.


    Oh right, there was one more thing that Ling Chaofeng had said they had met before, it was at the riverside outside the Qingling Village. But no matter what, the Xiaowan couldn''t remember it.


    Today, during the day, Lord Tang and Ling Chaofeng still brought the two of them out for a walk. Xiaowan did not follow them, and when they returned in the evening, the Madam actually gave them a present. The female servants chatted and laughed together, but no deep hatred could be seen.


    On the morning of the third day, Lord Tang and his friends were about to leave. Xiaowan did not send them off, but instead followed Ling Chaofeng to the edge of the wharf.


    Xiaowan and Ershan watched as Uncle Biao wandered to the front of the tavern from time to time. He even clenched his fists, a tall and big man covered in an uneasy aura.


    "Ershan, is the Lord Tang a big official?" Xiaowan could not help but ask Ershan out of curiosity.


    "Lord Tang is a first rank official." Ershan explained, "Other than the royalty, the strongest official in the imperial court."


    The Xiaowan was even more curious, "Such a big official, why is he in contact with us? Furthermore, when we were outside, they did not even bring a follower. Lord Sun had followed a large group of imperial guards and maids on this trip. "


    Ershan laughed: "Why don''t you ask the shopkeeper? Actually, I don''t know much, and I don''t want to talk about what I know."


    The Xiaowan sighed and said, "You guys know everything. Only I don''t know anything."


    When Uncle Biao entered the room, he heard these words and comforted her, "A muddleheaded person has luck. Evening, people know everything in their life. If you live, you''ll be tired."


    Uncle Biao immediately ran out, and Xiaowan and Ershan followed. Seeing that it was their own carriage, Ershan went forward to lead it.


    When the wheels stopped, Aunt Zhang revealed her head and ran to the front of the carriage to carry her.


    When Aunt Zhang saw the man looking at her so emotionally, as if he was afraid that she would leave and not return, his eyes became hot as he scolded, "Idiot, why aren''t you letting go?"


    Ershan laughed from the side: "Uncle, carry my wife in. We''ll cover our eyes."


    Aunt Zhang opened her eyes wide and rolled up her sleeves: "Brat, your skin is itchy isn''t it?"


    They were playing around when Ling Chaofeng walked over to say to his wife: "Late at night, go back to your room, I have something to tell you."


    Xiaowan originally thought that no one would explain the relationship between Lord Tang and the inn to her, but unexpectedly, her husband still told her.


    Unlike the Lord Sun he met when he was in a daze, this Lord Tang of the first rank had been fated to be an inn since the previous generation. Back in the generation of the Xiaowan''s father and mother-in-law, the Lord Tang relied on the inn to connect to the martial arts world. In the generation of the Xiaowan''s father and mother-in-law, the Lord Tang relied on the inn to connect to the martial arts world.


    In truth, Ershan and the Aunt Zhang were also not clear about this. Ling Chaofeng then said to the Xiaowan: "Go to the town and meet Susu and the others, don''t just mention that the shop has entertained any guests. This is a form of respect to customers, it is also the rule of the inn."


    Xiaowan nodded her head again and again. She promised her husband that she wouldn''t casually mention the inn to anyone else.


    Now that she had heard the story, her heart was at ease. She was not stupid. If she thought about it, a person who could cause even a top official to be so respectful, could it be a prince or an emperor? Of course, she didn''t dare to believe that the one who came was the empress. How could the empress of the emperor run out of the palace so easily?


    Not to mention that after the Heavy Sun Festival, after a few autumn rains, the weather had turned cold. The Ling Xiao Inn was originally located in the wilderness, and under the autumn colors, the scenery was even more desolate.


    Seeing the trees behind the front gate wilting and turning into a grey field, with the strong wind blowing the dried leaves into the air, even Xiaowan herself felt that if she were to meet such a shop outside, she would not have the guts to knock on the door and live there.


    On this day, there was no business in the shop, Xiaowan followed Ling Chaofeng to read the [Thousand Character Classic], the cool autumn wind blew in, bringing with it a burst of fragrance. Before long, a beautiful young lady appeared in front of the door, and said joyously, "Xiaowan, I''ve come to see you."


    The one who came was Susu, she was no longer that frail and pitiful looking person she was before. Her clothes were clean and clean, her hair tied into a bun, and a jade hairpin. She moved to the side and smiled, "Our young mistress is here as well."


    Yue Huaiyin leisurely walked over. The sky had turned cold, and her silk dress had become green and tender, a color that didn''t match with the season and was exceptionally eye-catching. But on her body, it just so happened that it was just right.


    The beautiful lady came over and started to smell the fragrance step by step. Xiaowan asked: "Miss Yue, what type of powder did you use? Why do you smell so nice?"


    Huai Yin replied: "My newest powder, when you say it tastes good, I''ll be relieved. If you want to go out with Susu for a few days, you should go to the dock to wait for the boat.


    Susu put down her backpack and took out an exquisite box to place on the table. Xiaowan touched it and laughed: I do not need powder.


    Ling Chaofeng said from the side: "Miss Yue, all of you chat slowly."


    The man seemed to be unwilling to participate in the women''s gossip and directly went upstairs. Yue Huaiyin''s gaze followed his retreating back, but since this was someone else''s house, she didn''t dare look too closely at it.


    Even if Xiaowan saw him, he did not think too much about it. Instead, he said, "Miss Yue, do you want me to show you our inn?"


    Huaiyin tactfully declined, "It''s not good to be in a hurry to reach the dock and miss the boat."


    Glancing at the table, he saw that there was a book on the table, and on it was written, "One must not forget to change what one knows." "Talk is short, talk is long ¡­" It was'' Thousand Words''. It was a child''s book.


    She asked, "Who''s studying?"


    Xiaowan blushed as she laughed, "That''s me, I learned how to read from my husband."


    Yue Huaiyin laughed: "Ling Xiao Inn, is indeed a unique place."


    Not long after, she brought Susu to the pier. On the way, Yue Huaiyin asked Susu: "Do you recognize words?"


    Susu replied: "I know a bit, when I was young, I also memorized the¡¶ Thousand Character Classic¡· that Xiaowan recited with big brother."


    Yue Huaiyin smiled, although she did not say anything, she thought in his heart, no way, that''s a book meant for children. Mu Xiaowan had only started learning at such a young age, she has no strong points, other than her pretty face, what else does she have?


    However, when he thought of this, he recalled the words "to talk about other things while being short" in the book. He had learned the teachings when he was young, but now he had completely forgotten them because of jealousy and envy.


    She asked Susu: "Now that you have freedom, if you meet someone you love, you should tell me earlier, I will give you your dowry."


    Susu shook her hands: "Miss, I''m not clean, how can I marry again? "No one will want it. I don''t know if I''ll meet another bad man if I marry him again. I''m very satisfied with the money I earned from working with my mother in the shop."


    "Why is it not clean?" Yue Huaiyin''s usual gentle expression immediately became serious, carrying a sharp aura, as though she was especially angry, and repeated, "How can it not be clean? It''s just that you can''t control yourself in the past, even the ladies of the brothel can''t.


    Susu was shocked, and did not dare to make a sound. Huai Yin also realized that she had lost her composure and hurriedly calmed her emotions, and turned her head to not say anything more.


    They didn''t return until the end of September.


    They passed through the Ling Xiao Inn again, but Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan were not home. The Aunt Zhang said that they would go to another town to visit a market and would not be able to come back until nightfall.


    Yue Huaiyin smiled and replied politely, only then did she understand, Ling Chaofeng really knew how to love people, Mu Xiaowan had such good fortune.


    In the blink of an eye, the Xiaowan had been married for more than two months.


    In the past, it was always Xiaowan cutting firewood, but now, one person was missing to help, so Master Mu couldn''t busy himself with it. The two kids were still young, so they could only do it himself, Madam Xu. Every day, he would be tired to the point of cursing his father and cursing his mother, resenting the fact that he had no future at Master Mu. Otherwise, he would be able to spend a few coins to ask for someone''s help.


    On the same day, she came down from the mountain with firewood, and met the Aunt Wang next door. The two of them walked home, and the Aunt Wang said that they heard from the people on the streets that Ling Xiao Inn had bought the most expensive charcoal in the town. They also ordered a new charcoal stove, and the workers that followed said that it was placed inside a bridal chamber.


    "Your Xiaowan is going to have a good winter. It should be very warm in the house." Aunt Wang tsk-tsked, "Just how rich is Ling Xiao Inn? Even the county magistrate doesn''t have the guts to do so. I heard that the charcoal in the town isn''t enough and they even shipped it over here from other places. The porters at the pier loaded several carriages with it."


    Madam Xu threw the firewood on her shoulder onto the ground and spat: "I really am f * cking blind with my heart, if I knew earlier that she would live a good life in exchange for a hundred silver taels, even if you gave me a thousand silver taels, I wouldn''t have agreed. Why would I agree?


    Aunt Wang laughed: "Don''t be in such a rush, didn''t you already give her two silver ingots? She is the only one who is enjoying life and still has a long life ahead of her."


    "After that, there wasn''t even a shadow of a ghost." Madam Xu carried the firewood on her back with effort and panted as she said, "If you say you want to come back and visit us again, I think she wouldn''t have come back if not for giving her the grave and waiting for her father''s death."


    The Aunt Wang said: "She won''t come. You guys just go, take the children to see her, it''s almost winter, remember your daughter, send some things over to greet her, what''s wrong with that?"


    Madam Xu rolled her eyes, "Will it work, will Ling Chaofeng beat me out?"


    The Aunt Wang said: "In my opinion, Ling Chaofeng is not as scary as what the rumors say. Also, if you don''t try, how would you know? It''s fine if you have the money, but who cares. "


    When the sun had set, Ling Chaofeng drove Xiaowan through the market and returned. After passing by the Baisha Town s, the sun had just set, there were tens of thousands of lights on the streets, and smoke was rising in spirals, the carriage had passed through the town gate and it was very lively outside. The Constable Li saw them and said: "You''re here, take this notice back and paste it in front of your door."


    "What''s the matter?" Ling Chaofeng jumped down from the carriage and received the notice.


    "Our new Queen has chosen the sister of the Great General of the Chuanyu. It''s said that this result is unexpected." The Constable Li laughed, "The New Year''s wedding is the same day as the new Emperor''s inauguration. The capital is going to be bustling with noise and excitement this year. "Now, the county magistrate is worried about how to present himself to the capital. A sesame seed official like him won''t be able to get anything out of this. But if he doesn''t give it away, he''s not at ease."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Master, if you need anything, please instruct me. Brother Li, please pass a message for me."


    The Constable Li thanked them and said that it was getting late, he told them to hurry over, and then separated from each other.


    "Husband, isn''t the empress''s wedding especially grand?" The Xiaowan asked curiously.


    "Brides are never tied up." Ling Chaofeng laughed, "He can''t run either."


    Xiaowan pouted: "Seriously, you actually harmed me with that. You''re still joking around."


    Ling Chaofeng hurriedly apologized: "I am not, don''t be angry. The empress''s grand marriage is naturally grand and grand. When the time comes, the world will be pardoned and delicious food may even be distributed among them. "


    The Xiaowan chuckled and leaned on her husband''s shoulder, "I really want to see what the Empress looks like. She must be extremely beautiful.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Let''s take care of the inn''s matters. The Tian Family''s matters are too far away."


    Xiaowan said, "Of course not, our little days are good. I will be satisfied if I stay with you everyday."


    When Ling Chaofeng let Xiaowan sit in the carriage, she refused and insisted on squeezed together with his husband. Ling Chaofeng, on the other hand, asked: "It''s cold, do you want to go to your house?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "They don''t need anything. When I''m at home, I''m the only one who gets frozen. They aren''t cold, so you don''t need to worry."

 C41

    Seeing that the Xiaowan was still so determined towards his family, Ling Chaofeng felt that he should not say anymore, and said to her: "Since that''s the case, I will no longer ask about father-in-law and my family, but if you need me to do anything, there''s no need to worry too much. We are husband and wife, we can discuss anything."


    "Husband, don''t worry. I know it in my heart." Xiaowan said, "Right now, I am not afraid of anything, I am not worried about anything, I am wholeheartedly following you."


    "You''re not running anymore?" Ling Chaofeng asked with a smile.


    "Hmph, don''t always bully me." Seeing that he was bringing up that matter again, the young lady was dainty and extremely proud. "When I become more powerful, you''ll have it all."


    In the cold wind and the dark night, laughter rang out in the air. The carriage was originally traveling alone on the desolate road, but the two of them were in their own world, warming each other''s hearts.


    Xiaowan continued to mutter, "Hubby, I still can''t remember when I saw you and wasn''t just playing with you."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Maybe you didn''t see me. Next time, I''ll bring you to visit, maybe I will remember."


    Xiaowan asked: "Did you want to marry me because you found me attractive?"


    Without hesitation, Ling Chaofeng replied, "Or rather, it''s destined to happen in the underworld. I asked the matchmaker if there''s a girl like you in the vicinity, there really is one."


    "What if she marries someone who isn''t who you''re thinking of?" Xiaowan asked.


    "I will treat you well too. It doesn''t matter whether you are the girl by the river or not. What matters is that I marry you." After Ling Chaofeng said this, he wrapped the clothes on his body tightly to protect her from the cold, "Evening, if I had honestly come over to propose marriage myself, I wouldn''t have made you suffer so much."


    With just a few sentences, young lady''s heart was filled with passion. Her husband was so smart and powerful, but when he spoke of love words, she was mesmerized. She no longer wanted to think about whether or not she deserved it.


    When the carriage arrived at the inn, Ershan was already waiting for them. Xiaowan tiptoed to put up the notice, and Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang came out to look. When they saw each other, they smiled, and Xiaowan asked: "General Chuanyu, are you from the same place as last time when you saw that lady?"


    The Aunt Zhang said, "The Chuanyu is big, they might not come from the same area." She looked at the words on the notice and said to herself, "A generation in the blink of an eye."


    Uncle Biao read it twice as well: "He only said that he had established the empress, and not a concubine?"


    Xiaowan hurriedly said, "I know about this, there was no concubine in the palace in the past, and the founding emperor of our Daqi did not have a harem."


    Aunt Zhang pulled her in to avoid the wind and laughed: "The previous generation is a special case, but in the future it will not be easy to say. If this generation can bear with it, it will not be easy."


    From their point of view, the imperial concubine Emperor and Empress Qiu''s passing should be over by the time they die. They might even break this rule before they even pass away.


    I wonder how much of her mother-in-law''s charisma this new Empress Wei has.


    As for the new empress''s background, although the Xiaowan didn''t understand, they knew that the young great general of Chuanyu was a well-known figure. There was the Shen Family Army to the north and the General Wei to the south, an existence that caused the hearts of the people to be at ease and the nation to be called the leader of the nation or an enemy that was trembling in fear.


    After that, it was just as Ling Chaofeng had said. The imperial government had issued many policies to reduce taxes and other benefits to the citizens, so that the citizens of the entire country could bless the new ruler.


    By the middle of October, it was already snowing in the capital. The Baisha River was a little to the south, and it was snowing all the way until November.


    After waking up in the middle of the night, the back mountain of the front gate was a vast expanse of white world. When Xiaowan married, she had a snow-white fur in her closet, and now, she was wearing big fur clothes as she stood in the snow, blending with the snow behind him.


    In the past, Xiaowan was most afraid of snow. Her clothes and shoes didn''t avoid the cold, and when snow got wet, it would freeze on her body, so cold that her fingers and toes were about to break. Having grown so much, this was the first time she felt that snow was so fun and beautiful. With the beautiful scenery of the snow, she wandered around in the snow before Aunt Zhang called her back for breakfast.


    Early in the morning, there were people heading to the dock to catch the boat. Since the winter road was not easy to traverse, they didn''t need to worry about the money. Most of them would ride in donkey carriages to get there. In front of the Ling Xiao Inn door, Ershan had long since swept away the snow and thin ice. Although the people here kept saying that the Ling Xiao Inn was a hoodlum shop, once winter came, only this section of road in front of the inn that led to the dock was the easiest to walk on.


    They would also heat a stove on the side of the road with a kettle on and a table at the side for passers-by to drink hot tea.


    Naturally, those who had the courage to stop and drink tea were few and far between.


    These days, the inn received a few guests one after another. They all ate and stayed for the next few days before leaving peacefully. It was not like when the Xiaowan had first entered, where there were thrilling events occurring one after another.


    Xiaowan was very smart, she had long memorized the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic, and recognized even more words than before. The notice that was posted in front of the door was no longer difficult for her, even if she learned the accounting from Ling Chaofeng, her calculations would be very quick.


    Gradually, she was able to handle everything in the inn, but no matter how spacious the inn was, it was still limited. After a while, she would inevitably feel bored.


    These days, she was whispering to the Aunt Zhang, feeling restless and unsatisfied. This was not good.


    Aunt Zhang laughed. "This is the human heart, if there really is no desire, there is no difference between living and dying, right? You''re still so young, you should be full of blood and liveliness. "


    It was also true that the Xiaowan did not covet gold and silver, but wanted to experience even more new things. When she first arrived, he was scared half to death by the grudge between the guests. Only now did she realize that the world was really very interesting. No wonder Hubby and his aunt were able to stay here for twelve years.


    When they entered La Yue, Uncle Biao cooked two big pots of porridge, leaving Ling Chaofeng to look after the house. The rest of them rode in a carriage to the town, and under the bridge, they spread out the poor and beggars.


    Not only was there porridge to drink, each person even received a hundred gold. As for those who wanted to cheat and eat, Uncle Biao stood at the side with his hands on his hips, staring daggers at them, not daring to go forward.


    Xiaowan was responsible for holding the porridge, and always filled them up to the brim. The two pots of porridge were finished very quickly, so Aunt Zhang brought Xiaowan to the town''s restaurant to buy some food to eat, then give them some food.


    As luck would have it, when she met Susu, she was waiting in front of the restaurant. She said that she had saved some money and wanted to buy a roasted chicken for the Auntie Chen.


    "Although the food in our restaurant is pretty good, we can''t just casually eat it. My mom always leaves the meat in her bowl for me." Susu held the bag of money and said with a pained heart, "I saved it myself. I was just thinking about giving her a good dinner for the holidays."


    Not long after, the waiter took out a roasted chicken with a lotus leaf bag. Susu poured all of the copper coins out of his money bag just enough.


    When she heard that the inn was under the bridge, he followed to help out. Her package was placed right beside her, and after another round of eating, Susu turned around and her roasted chicken was gone, along with her new pair of cotton shoes.


    The people who came and went a while ago had not noticed that perhaps it was a beggar who had gone with them. He had truly betrayed their good intentions.


    Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan had to fork out some money to buy more for her. Susu waved her hands: "Forget it, just treat it as giving out some money for me. When I save up more money, I''ll buy more for my mother. If I take your money and my mother finds out, she will feel bad and won''t be happy eating. "


    He told her that he would send her back to the Rouge Shop and that if he was willing, they would go to the tavern for the holidays on New Year''s Eve.


    When they returned to Rouge Shop, Little Cui went out and smiled: "I heard some movement from the horse carriage and thought that young miss had returned. Why haven''t you come back so late today?


    But at this moment, ten miles away from her, Siyun Pavilion''s carriage was stuck in the snow, while Yue Huaiyin and her two boxes of expensive spices were being flung out. The heavy wooden chest pressed against her feet, causing her to almost faint from the pain.


    Coincidentally, he fell not far from the Ling Xiao Inn, and when Ling Chaofeng heard the commotion, he came out to look. He just happened to see this scene.


    Yue Huaiyin''s leg was severely injured, and she could no longer walk, but when Ling Chaofeng walked towards her, her heart was beating so hard that she almost forgot about the pain in her leg. When the man gently hugged her, her mind went blank, and the pain and coldness caused her face to turn completely red, covering the excitement in her heart.


    She and the servant were brought to the tavern. The wooden chest was sturdy and the spices were good, but Yue Huaiyin''s ankle was swollen like a big bun, causing Ling Chaofeng to spin slightly, in pain causing her to scream out loud. His eyes were watery as he trembled and said, "Manager Ling, you can''t touch it, you can''t."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I want to see if my bones are injured. Miss Yue, you just have to endure it."


    As he spoke, she held onto her ankle and turned. A sharp pain assaulted him, but Yue Huaiyin was unable to keep up with it.


    Ling Chaofeng carried the unconscious person to the guest room and told her: "First take the things back to the shop, and then bring two maids here to take care of your young miss. I don''t have any female servants here, so it''s inconvenient for me to take care of them.


    But at the moment, Yue Huaiyin was already awake. She closed her eyes, listening to Ling Chaofeng''s voice, not long after, the room did not have any movement. She opened her eyes, and Ling Chaofeng had indeed left.


    The furnishings in the guest room were simple and exquisite. The mattress and quilts were all made of fine satin. The winter clothes were made of plain silk, and even the tablecloth was an exquisite brown brocade.


    There was a charcoal stove burning under the window, and with a slight opening, it wouldn''t get too cold nor too stuffy. The air in the room was especially clean, unlike Siyun Pavilion where even the corners were suffused with the fragrance of makeup.


    Ling Chaofeng should be downstairs, he just said that all the women in the shop were not there, Yue Huaiyin knew that. When she was preparing to go to the dock to pick up the goods, he heard from the shop assistant that Ling Xiao Inn was coming to the town to be distributed, and she knew, Ling Chaofeng would never show himself.


    As the carriage approached the inn, she jabbed the horse in the rump with a blow needle and sent him into the snow.


    Her ankle was in so much pain that even her bones were broken. However, this fall was not only visible to her, but also brought her body into contact with his arm. His arm was so powerful that his chest was boiling hot ¡­


    As Ling Chaofeng was downstairs, he suddenly heard the sound of someone falling on the floor above him. He went upstairs to see, only to see Yue Huaiyin rolling on the floor, struggling to get up, and seeing him, he timidly said: "Manager Ling, I, I just want to try, and see if I can stand up."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "You better not move about recklessly. The bones are not broken, but I''m afraid that there are cracks too. If you don''t recuperate properly and leave behind the root of your illness, you will suffer for a long time in the future."


    No matter how he looked at it, it looked very pitiful. Ling Chaofeng couldn''t just stand there and not move, so he attacked again and picked her up.


    He looked at her swollen ankle: "Wait for your servants. We should delay them. We have cold compress on you now!"


    Not long after, Ling Chaofeng came back with a water basin in his hands. The basin was filled with ice and snow, and after using a towel to dry it, he placed it on Yue Huaiyin''s ankle.


    "If it wasn''t for Manager Ling, I would have frozen to death in the snow." Yue Huaiyin said gently, "I am also a businessman. I am in the martial arts world, how can I have the rules of those rich families."


    Ling Chaofeng did not say anything, her ankle was badly swollen, and the towel was quickly warmed up by the wind, repeating this process over and over again. Outside the tavern, his own carriage had also returned.


    Xiaowan ran home excitedly, and the moment she entered the door, she shouted, "Hubby, we''re back!"


    Ling Chaofeng replied: "I''m here."


    Yue Huaiyin''s expression darkened immediately. When she heard the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs, she saw a beautiful figure appearing in front of the door and tried to focus her attention again.


    Xiaowan ran over with a pair of knee guards in hand. ShShewas originally so excited that she wanted to give them to Ling Chaofeng to wear so that he could ride the horse in winter to protect herself from the cold. He did not want to barge in and only saw a beautiful woman leaning on the bed, with half of her legs exposed.


    Inexplicably, Xiaowan felt a little stuffy in her heart. It was unknown if it was because she suddenly ran from a world of ice and snow into a room that was as warm as spring, and was heated up.

 C42

    "Xiaowan." Yue Huaiyin said gracefully as she propped herself up, looking as intimate as ever, "You''re back, is it snowing outside?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "It''s not snowing, but it''s very cold. The wind is strong. Miss Yue... What''s the matter with you? "


    She slowly walked closer, seeing that her husband had removed his hand from Yue Huaiyin''s bare ankle, reaching into the melted snow on the water basin to grab a cold towel, before he was about to put it on again, Xiaowan subconsciously said: "Husband, let me do it."


    She stuffed the knee guards into Ling Chaofeng''s arms and practically took off the towel, gently covering Miss Yue''s ankles and asked with concern: "Miss Yue, how did you fall down like this?"


    "It was the box." Yue Huaiyin explained the entire situation unhurriedly, and said, "I''ve caused you and Manager Ling trouble."


    Xiaowan laughed: It''s no trouble, your injury is more important, and we don''t have a doctor here either. We should take advantage of the light of day to return to the town quickly, if not it''ll be difficult to walk when it''s dark. She turned around and said to Ling Chaofeng, "Husband, tell Ershan not to keep the carriage and directly send Miss Yue back."


    Ling Chaofeng replied: "The staff from Miss Yue has gone to fetch the person. They will be back soon."


    Xiaowan nodded, "That''s good."


    After that, he meticulously took care of Yue Huaiyin and asked her if she was hungry, thirsty, or thirsty. When Aunt Zhang went to take a look, she also said that her injuries were not light, and that she would not be able to recover even during the new year.


    During this time, when Ling Chaofeng was not in front of him, when Xiaowan went downstairs to get food for Miss Yue, he saw the set of knee guards that she had bought were casually placed on the account book.


    Yue Huaiyin did not even have time to eat before the people from her shop arrived. They were followed by Little Cui and a middle-aged woman.


    Ling Chaofeng did not intervene, they were all surrounded by women, then the Xiaowan waved her hand and sent them off.


    Outside, the wind was blowing strongly. Aunt Zhang rubbed her hands and said: "Evening, are you hungry? Let''s make some broth to eat. It''s hot."


    The Xiaowan shook her head instead, "I''m not hungry. Aunty, you guys eat. I''m going to rest for a while."


    She returned to the shop and headed straight up the stairs. Aunt Zhang followed her in and said to herself: "Could it be because Susu was unhappy?"


    When Ling Chaofeng heard his, he asked her what was going on, and Aunt Zhang said that the roasted chicken that Susu had bought was taken away smoothly from her stall.


    Then, she returned to the kitchen and told her husband that Xiaowan didn''t have any appetite. She should cook something sour and spicy for him to eat, but Uncle Biao asked him, "Why are you still eating sour and sour?"


    Aunt Zhang was startled for a moment. Suddenly, she shuddered and said softly: "Could it be that young lady is jealous?"


    Uncle Biao said that just now when Xiaowan came to get the food, she did not look too happy. She even stuffed the kneecaps that she bought for the shopkeeper into her pocket and muttered something about how it was nothing special. He smiled at his own wife: "Why are you not as smart as me?


    Aunt Zhang punched him, "Didn''t I follow you for twenty years? Don''t worry about me."


    It was fine if it was an accident when Yue Huaiyin was mentioned, but if she had any intentions towards the inn, or the shopkeeper''s thoughts, she would have two whenever she had one.


    "What else have I not seen?" Aunt Zhang said in disdain, "Although I was the one who lost, but it was precisely because I lost that I knew this was a road of no return. If my son doesn''t have any future, the shopkeeper can''t be confused, the Miss Yue won''t have any results, why would she degrade herself? "


    Uncle Biao said: "I hope we overthought it."


    Aunt Zhang was curious: "Speaking of which, where did this Miss Yue come from? A girl opening a shop and doing business at such a young age, if she doesn''t have background, she must have some special ability, what do you think?"


    Uncle Biao smashed the dough onto the chopping board and said: "I think our Xiaowan is not some useless girl. Don''t worry, who cares what background she has, no matter how big she is, how could she be stronger than those two?"


    The Aunt Zhang understood and laughed, "What do you want to make?"


    Uncle Biao said, "I love eating wontons. I''ll roll out some wontons skin."


    At this time, Xiaowan was roasting a fire in her house, holding the knee guards she bought for her husband, she was originally rushing back to present her treasures to him.


    She didn''t know why she didn''t want to see Ling Chaofeng and Miss Yue alone in the room.


    Especially since Miss Yue was still lying on the bed, her ankle was exposed.


    Xiaowan fiddled with the charcoal in the furnace, her heart lit up when she saw the ring on her right hand. She quickly put down what she was doing, opened the window and stood by the window.


    He had originally wanted to make a wish, hoping that Yue Huaiyin would recover early in the morning and cause more trouble later on. However, after thinking for a bit, if she recovered, he would immediately run over and thank her. Anyway, Xiaowan was not too happy to see her now.


    The Xiaowan took a deep breath and coughed. Ling Chaofeng hurriedly closed the door and closed the window again, he frowned: "It''s so cold, why are you standing outside?"


    Xiaowan stopped coughing and turned around to ignore him.


    "So it was you who brought up the knee guard. I even said that I couldn''t find it." Ling Chaofeng said as he reached for it. Xiaowan quickly took it and held it in her arms.


    No matter how she looked at the situation, it seemed like she was in an awkward situation. When she ran into the guest room happily, her expression immediately froze when she saw Yue Huaiyin.


    Ling Chaofeng knew then that his wife was jealous.


    He had a sense of propriety and didn''t want to come into contact with Yue Huaiyin in the first place, but her injuries were serious, and if he didn''t deal with her promptly, she would cause future troubles.


    "Not for me?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "Ugh ¡­" The Xiaowan muttered, she did not know how to answer to make herself seem more powerful, but she was not a spicy person, even when she was acting coquettishly, her temper would still be soft. In the blink of an eye, they had already been married for four or five months. The couple was so intimate that not even a needle could be inserted in it.


    So she couldn''t throw a tantrum for no reason. It didn''t make any sense, but she wasn''t happy. What should she do?


    "Jealous?" But it was Ling Chaofeng who spoke first, held up her flushed face and pinched it lightly: "I''m just treating someone else''s injuries, are you jealous now?"


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Xiaowan turned her face away, her mouth pouting.


    "You don''t like what I''m doing, so I''m not going to do it anymore. Even if I have to save the dying and help the wounded, I have to have other people by my side." Ling Chaofeng said in a serious tone, "I am someone with a family, I should have known what to do.


    Xiaowan looked at him weakly and muttered in a low voice: "I''m not that jealous, so I''m not that stingy.


    Ling Chaofeng did not know whether to laugh or cry. "I''m not jealous, but are you jealous?"


    "Nope." Xiaowan stomped her feet lightly, but was carried away by her husband into his embrace. She said softly, "I know, women cannot easily get jealous and throw a tantrum, those women in our village who cry and hang themselves when they have nothing better to do are all tried to persuade her on the surface to say that she was wronged, but everyone said that if it was just making a ruckus like this, it would be undesirable for any man to like her."


    Ling Chaofeng hugged her as his chin brushed against her hair, saying: "What they said doesn''t make sense, why must women live for the sake of making men like them? I just want you to be happy and live for your own good, then throw a tantrum whenever you want to, everything is wrong, it''s all my fault."


    "Even so, we can''t push ourselves too far." The Xiaowan said, "Hubby loves me, so I want to be sensible too. You helped the Miss Yue out of good intentions, I know that. If it was me, I would also help, but Miss Yue is too beautiful. She''s so beautiful, like a fairy. When you were alone with her and she was barefoot, I felt petty. "


    "Those people who are discussing are not decent. Don''t listen to these kinds of words." Ling Chaofeng said.


    "I know that." The Xiaowan stood up straight and said angrily, "Today, we were kind enough to go and give out rewards, but Susu''s roasted chicken was stolen. It''s fine if it''s a thief, but if it''s someone who''s given out rewards, then he''s too unscrupulous and ungrateful.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "This is a profound principle, in this world, good and evil are not divided, the poor are not necessarily weak, the rich are not necessarily strong, and the righteous and the kind are so simple, doesn''t that mean that the world is clear and there isn''t even a need for the yamen."


    The Xiaowan listened attentively, her dry words seemed hard to digest, but she tried to think about it. She more or less understood her husband''s meaning, just like their Ling Xiao Inn.


    "You must take care of your manners next time. Can you not be angry?" Ling Chaofeng pressed his hand against her forehead, "The knee guard that you bought for me, you aren''t willing to let me try?"


    After being coaxed like that, the Xiaowan didn''t have anything to be unhappy about. She happily pulled Master to sit down, lifted his robes, and carefully tied the knee guard to his knees, touching and touching it and saying, "This time, you won''t be cold when you ride. If your knees get cold, you''ll definitely have to wait for a long time."


    The Xiaowan was very happy, she said that her needlework was not meticulous enough, so she did not dare to do it herself. She was afraid that if she were to run back, she might fall from her knees as she was on the way, waiting for the Aunt Zhang to learn more needlework, she would personally do it for her husband.


    At this time, Aunt Zhang shouted from downstairs: "Eat wontons tonight?"


    Xiaowan was serving porridge in the town. After being tired for an entire day, she was hungry. Now that she was in a good mood, his appetite was at its peak, and when she heard the wontons, her eyes lit up. She pulled Ling Chaofeng downstairs.


    Seeing the young lady happily eating her wontons while the shopkeeper silently looked at her with a smile, the Aunt Zhang and the shopkeeper looked at each other, knowing that they had explained everything clearly.


    As the Xiaowan contentedly ate the prawn wontons, she suddenly thought of Yue Huaiyin. Since she had thought about it, and wished that her injury would recover soon, she decided to give her this wish of his. She secretly clenched her right hand and recited her wish in her heart.


    On the Baisha Town, even though she had invited a doctor to treat Miss''s injuries, Yue Huaiyin was too lazy to entertain him and dismissed the servants, thinking of resting alone in her room.


    She lifted up her skirt and legs, and saw her ankle, which was swollen like a steamed bun, and the pain was heart-wrenching pain. However, the coldness that Ling Chaofeng felt when he was under her cold compress, and the heart that was inches away from his own, were currently occupied even more tightly in her heart.


    Yue Huaiyin caressed her ankle and laughed coldly: "What''s wrong with me, I am a married man, could it be that I can''t skin it, and am destined to die ¡­"


    She clenched her fists, her long eyebrows knitting together, trying to calm herself.


    Uncle Biao cooked the porridge very carefully. Peanut, jujube, laurel, walnut, red bean, black rice, rice, glutinous rice, all eight pieces melted into the glistening yellow sugar. Xiao Huo cooked until the middle of the night, Xiaowan could smell the fragrant scent in her dreams.


    The whole family sat around eating porridge for breakfast. When it came to the examination in the Li Province in February, Ershan had to go and take a look, if he managed to pass the Elementary Scholar examination, he would go to the capital for the examination in August and become a High Scholar. If he succeeded, he would take the examination in March next year.


    The Elementary Scholar from Xiaowan village had never passed the examinations in her entire life. Now that she was in her fifties, she was only an Elementary Scholar. Even Elementary Scholars were stronger than ordinary people. Even if they taught the children in the village to read and write, or wrote a letter to someone, they would still be able to eat.


    But Ershan''s ambition was huge, he wanted to become an official.


    Just as they were laughing, someone came in front of the inn. A woman''s voice asked: "Xiaowan, are you there?"


    The child''s voice called out, "Big sister, let''s bring you some rice porridge."


    Xiaowan''s face changed and she immediately became unhappy.

 C43

    She glared at Ling Chaofeng, his eyes seemingly saying: "See, you came to ask for money."


    Ling Chaofeng, on the other hand, remained indifferent as he stood up and walked out the door.


    Xiaowan was unhappy to see Madam Xu and wanted to hide upstairs. Aunt Zhang held her hand and said: "Are you not afraid of her? Why not personally chase her away and let her know how strong she is so that she won''t dare to come back again?"


    Furthermore, the Ling Xiao Inn was given to him in the town yesterday, not only was he given the porridge, he was also given a hundred gold coins. Very quickly, people brought this scene back to the town and spread it, saying that the Master Mu had an extraordinary son-in-law.


    Madam Xu almost drooled when she heard this. It was said that even a few nearby villages could get dozens of gold coins from their children. After a whole day, they would at least give twenty silver coins.


    The Madam Xu loved them for their extravagance, and also hated them for having the money to give to outsiders. She also didn''t know how to give some to her parents, but after the couple came to sweep the tomb, they couldn''t wait for the arrival of La Yue. They didn''t even hear the sound of the copper coin.


    Before daybreak, he dragged the two children out of the house, from Qingling Village to Baisha Town by donkey carriage. Afterwards, the two children walked over five kilometers while treading on the snow, and were so tired that they were half dead.


    When Ling Chaofeng went out the door, he saw that Xiaowan''s brother and sister were trembling with cold all over, their faces were flushed red from the cold. Madam Xu''s lips were also purple from the cold.


    There was a fire burning inside the shop, it was as warm as spring. Even Aunt Zhang s were wearing simple jackets, it was already warm enough when they saw their stepmother walk in, their eyes were all wide open.


    The two children ran to the table and saw the porridge, buns and oily poached eggs on the table. They licked their lips and asked Xiaowan, "Big sister, you guys are having breakfast.


    Madam Xu went up to chase the two children away, put down the pot of porridge she was carrying and said: "Look at how meddlesome I am, I was thinking about Xiaowan''s love of eating porridge and sending it over. How could I have known that there would be a lack of food in the inn."


    She chuckled, and raised her head to look at the people around her, and was shocked by the strong and rough looking Uncle Biao, and realised, could it be that the people around them were talking about this?


    He saw the two people next to him, the beautiful middle-aged woman. It was impossible to tell her age at a glance. She wore clean and decent clothes, and her skin was very white. She had a smile on her face, which was quite polite. There was another young brother, someone from Madam Xu had heard about him before, and passersby would always see him sweeping the ground in front of the inn.


    "Evening, the porridge is cold, do you want to warm it before eating?" Madam Xu had a kind mother''s heart and said to Xiaowan, "Your father knows that you love eating peanuts. He even picked up the peanuts in the pot and told me to definitely watch you drink a bowl before coming home. "He won''t be able to leave today, or else he would also come to visit you. We all know that the inn is busy with business, and you all will not be able to leave."


    Xiaowan''s face was cold. She did not even look at her and really did not understand what face this woman had. Ling Chaofeng was too courteous. Previously, when they were sweeping the tomb, if Hubby still threw Mu Wen Bao out instead of giving him money, this woman wouldn''t have the guts to come and pester him. At this moment, he even invited them in.


    young lady looked at her husband unhappily, as if to say: "You handle this matter, I don''t care."


    This person had clearly promised herself that they would never be able to see each other in the same place again, even if they had to say that they would never meet again in their entire lives. Xiaowan felt that he might have forgotten.


    Ling Chaofeng did not forget, he was thinking that these problems could be easily solved through violence, but Xiaowan had once suffered so much, and now that the heavens had made them a husband and wife, alleviating her suffering, it must be out of consideration for her kindness, piety and strength, that it was a blessing for her.


    If they were to use violence or design to hurt others, they could truly vent their anger, or scare the Madam Xu until she did not dare to bother them anymore. But like this, they could perhaps blame the industry report on the Xiaowan.


    If Madam Xu had retribution, the heavens would send it to her sooner or later. Now it was enough as long as she could ensure that this woman wouldn''t hurt Xiaowan again. He was unwilling to commit sins for the sake of such an evil man.


    Ling Chaofeng was a person who wandered in between black and white. He had impulses and passion, and might be able to survive for a long time.


    "Big Sis, we''re hungry. We haven''t had breakfast yet." Mu Wen Bao hid behind his mother and stared fixedly at the poached egg on the table. He said to Xiaowan, "Big sister, can we have a bite to eat?"


    The Aunt Zhang was still the most enthusiastic one. She immediately said, "Eat, Aunt will bring the two of you a bowl and chopsticks."


    However, the two children were very unruly and immediately climbed onto the table to grab it. The poached egg was so fragrant that they couldn''t eat it at home even a few times a year.


    Their eldest sister ate a few dumplings a few days after she got married, but her days soon became short again. Their mother loved to hide her money, and only then did she feel at ease. The words that were hanging on her lips were always, "In the future, won''t this silver be used for your marriage?"


    They ate the egg in a few bites, and there was even one lying on the plate. The siblings looked at each other, who was faster than them, and they quickly fought over it.


    Madam Xu''s face and ears reddened as she saw this. She pulled the two little things down, and almost greeted them with her ear scraps as she said courteously to Ling Chaofeng, "Manager Ling, I hope I have disturbed your breakfast. It''s alright, you guys eat while we sit by the side for a while.


    "I have nothing to say to you." Xiaowan, who had been silent the whole time, finally opened her mouth. She ate and drank at the inn for four to five months, her body was long, her husband and wife were moist and full of energy, even her chest was bulging, her waist was tied up with a fine silk belt, she was young and dignified, when she spoke, she was not as meek and pitiful as before. Her eyes were bright, revealing a sense of power, as she said to her stepmother coldly, "From now on, you don''t have to deliver anything.


    That day, when they rushed to the market, she did not know Ling Chaofeng was there. At that time, she had already done it casually, and even when she was at home, she had always hit him with words. On that day, she had unknowingly pinched Xiaowan''s face, but who would have known that she would offend them?


    And today, among the people in the inn, even if Madam Xu had the guts to eat the Bear-Heart Leopard, she would not dare to show the Xiaowan face, much less make a move.


    However, she shamelessly came over and wanted to ask for a few taels of silver, so she could only swallow her anger and pitifully say, "I know we''re leaving now, but your brother and sister''s feet are still frozen. Can we just let them roast the fire and warm it before we leave?"


    Ling Chaofeng did not say anything. The Xiaowan did not bother with him and sat down to drink the remaining porridge. After the Aunt Zhang came out with a bowl and chopsticks, she walked halfway and went back inside.


    Thus, he sat like this for a good fifteen minutes. Xiaowan kept the tableware on the table, glanced at the mother and son duo and asked, "Can you guys leave now?"


    Madam Xu had imagined that it was time for Ling Chaofeng to pay, but after waiting for a long time, there was no movement. She steeled her heart, rolled up her sleeves and said: "Yue''er, let me help you wash the dishes.


    Xiaowan didn''t want her to touch him, so they fought over it. Madam Xu suppressed her anger and said with a smile: "Don''t be busy, let Mother wash it for you."


    Suddenly hearing the sound of porcelain breaking, Xiaowan threw her chopsticks on the ground. Ling Chaofeng looked over coldly, and was ready to attack at any time.


    But Xiaowan did not panic, nor was she afraid. She stared straight at Madam Xu and said: "You are not my mother, my mother is long dead, who do you think you are? Do you think I''ve forgotten what you''ve done to me for the past ten years? "For father''s sake, I will let you off this time, but you better not refuse a toast and drink a forfeit. Since you''ve married me and didn''t kill me before, you should know that sooner or later you will have your retribution, right?"


    Everyone was stunned. Aunt Zhang held her chest as she looked at her daughter in another light.


    In her entire life, Xiaowan had never spoken so loudly. In the past four to five months in the inn, she had truly lived up to her character. She had once resisted her stepmother, but she was too small and weak.


    Now, she didn''t need to endure anymore. As long as she was willing, Ling Chaofeng would pinch Madam Xu to death like an ant.


    Xiaowan knew that even in the < Three Character Classic > and the < Thousand Character Classic >, people were taught to be lenient. But she could not do it, she would treat everyone in the world with kindness, excluding her stepmother.


    "You, you ¡­" Madam Xu was enraged, she could not take this lying down.


    Aunt Zhang walked over, her sharp gaze stabbed into her face like a knife. She laughed coldly: "It''s going to get windy outside, it''s harder to walk when the wind is blowing. It''s a big festival, don''t make the three of us freeze to death on the road."


    She waved her hand and called Uncle Biao over.


    With a cigarette in hand, Uncle Biao squinted and walked forward a few steps. Such a tall and big wall-like figure caused Madam Xu''s legs to go limp, rolling and crawling as he dragged a pair of children outside. When he arrived at the door, he couldn''t hold back and scolded loudly: "You heartless little slut, just you wait for retribution.


    Xiaowan picked up the pot of porridge and rushed towards Madam Xu to throw it. When the pot was broken, it fell onto the ground and she said with hatred: "Of course God will open his eyes and watch how you defile another person''s daughter. Sooner or later, I will return it to you one by one."


    When the Madam Xu was about to erupt again, the people in the shop all came out, a row of them stood behind the Xiaowan, scaring her so much that she didn''t dare make a sound, and carried the two children away.


    She was really unlucky this time. Not only did she not get a single cent, she even lost a pot of porridge after being humiliated, making Madam Xu grind her teeth in hatred. She scolded and beat the two children all the way back home after noon.


    In the tavern, a few foreigners came over for lunch. They did not stay at the restaurant but only ate, and the Aunt Zhang and the rest greeted them warmly. After her stepmother left, the Xiaowan did not come out of her house, but after the guests had eaten and left, she went downstairs to help with the dishes.


    Aunt Zhang boiled a pot of water and came to the back door by the well. She saw young lady sitting on a chair and wiping her tears, crying sorrowfully.


    "Allow me." Ling Chaofeng appeared from behind him, took the pot of hot water, and walked towards his wife.

 C44

    Seeing Ling Chaofeng coming over, Xiaowan hurriedly turned around and wiped her tears. She was about to reach her hand into the cold water to wash the dishes, but he was stopped by Ling Chaofeng: "Add hot water and then wash."


    Xiaowan forced a smile: "Are you silly? Well water is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, how could I be so delicate and expensive?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "The reason you feel warm is because the ground is cold, but in reality it is still cold. It is much colder than summer, don''t freeze your hands."


    He poured the hot water evenly into a few pots, rolled up his sleeves and helped her wash them, before carefully drying them with the Xiaowan. Seeing that Ling Chaofeng''s hands were so nimble, she smiled and asked, "Hubby, you''ve also worked before?"


    Ling Chaofeng said, "In the two years that I''ve been here, I washed the dishes and changed the sheets to slop them. I did it every day."


    Xiaowan asked in shock: "You''re the young master."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "My mother said, as a boss, one cannot do everything personally. However, one must know how to do everything, or else how to know if the both of you are doing it well."


    The Xiaowan felt that this made sense, and asked with a smile: "Did I do well?"


    Ling Chaofeng looked at her, he extended a finger and gently wiped the tears on her face. Xiaowan quickly dodged, using his wet hands to feel, he did not know whether it was tears or water. She said, "I''m not crying."


    "I didn''t say you were crying." Ling Chaofeng smiled. Xiaowan''s plan was still simple after all.


    "Hurry up and work. It''s cold outside." The Xiaowan lowered her head and ignored him, muttering to herself, "Why don''t we just enclose this place in the backyard? Everything in the restaurant is fine, it''s just that this well is outside, it''s not convenient."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Well water is the same as river water, it should not be private. My mother knows that there is a well here, that''s why she built the building next to it.


    The Xiaowan asked: "What if someone had evil intentions? Our village has wells in our hands that lock them after taking out water, afraid that others would degrade them. "We don''t have a well at home. I have to bring water every morning, and that woman is very particular about it. The well water can only be used to clean clothes. She has to eat the spring water flowing down from the back mountain, and every day I ¡­"


    With that said, Xiaowan did not say anymore. When she first arrived, she did not complain or show her wounds, as she always did. She would rather her sleeves were wet than show her wounds.


    But now, with not a single scar left on her body, she was more and more accustomed to speaking carelessly about her past suffering. However, it wasn''t because she wanted others to know how miserable she was that she would unconsciously speak out.


    She didn''t think this was good. She didn''t want to be pitied. Everyone here doted on her, so she didn''t need to do anything unnecessary. Anyone who talked too much would get annoyed.


    Ling Chaofeng listened quietly and did not say anything, but he held onto Xiaowan''s hands tightly, the warmth in his husband''s embrace flowed through his fingers and into his heart. Xiaowan looked at him and his tears could not help but roll down his cheeks as he sobbed, "Hubby ¡­"


    "Crying in the wind, your face is going to burst." Ling Chaofeng smiled gently, "Those expensive ointments are not wasted."


    Xiaowan buried his face in Yue Yang''s chest and sobbed, "What if she comes again? I feel so ashamed, even if I don''t recognize her, I can''t change their family. I can''t hit them, and I can''t kill them. Didn''t you say that there''s a way to make her afraid to appear before me again? "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I failed to do what I promised you would happen, late at night. I''m sorry, don''t be angry."


    Xiaowan shook his head: "I''m not angry, and I don''t want you to be sorry. The ones who hate you are them, I know you have your reasons."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "That''s not much of a reasoning, it''s just that I feel that they aren''t worthy of us being absolutely good at what we do, not worthy of our efforts. But if you really want me to break their legs, or even their lives, I will definitely do it."


    A killing intent colder than snow rose from the man''s eyes. Xiaowan''s heart trembled. It would be troublesome if she hurt or killed her. Even if Ling Chaofeng managed to escape the yamen, he was afraid that he would end up in the hands of others.


    Xiaowan had long since felt that Hubby''s friends were everywhere in the world, and at the same time, he must have enemies on his side. There would definitely be people who would be jealous of him, would there be people who would hate him for being a hindrance, and wouldn''t he have to go through so much trouble for the sake of that Madam Xu woman?


    Even for the Xiaowan himself, if she used a Jade Ring''s wish, it might be enough to kill the Madam Xu. The Jade Ring were so sacred, that no matter which immortal or Bodhisattva bestowed it to her, they must have seen her kind heart. If they used it to do something like that, then it would truly be unworthy of the heavens'' kindness.


    In this way, without needing Ling Chaofeng to explain, Xiaowan understood herself. Her eyes gradually lit up, and in the end she only said: I''m afraid that over time, when you all see my family members, you will be so irritating, even I will hate you. I don''t care about anything else, it has nothing to do with me whether she is dead or alive.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Next time she comes back, if you chase her away, and scold her like that just now, at least you would feel a bit better."


    Xiaowan waved his fist: "Actually I even want to punch her. I just think that there are too many people in the shop.


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "She has to say whatever he wants to say, and he didn''t even need us to advertise it ourselves."


    They used to say that once I got married, I would become a yaksha very soon. I had already thought about it, so I decided to become a yaksha to scare them to death. And then I did it every time, every time I saw one.


    At this time, Madam Xu sneezed loudly at home, but her nose was blocked, causing her to be unable to breathe.


    The mother and daughter pair laid on the bed. She pointed at Master Mu, who was sitting beside them, crying and laughing, "Your good daughter was born. Why didn''t I strangle her then? "When I''m done, I''m going to dig out that woman''s grave and feed it to the wild dogs."


    The Master Mu knocked on the brick bed with his pipe, and said quietly: "You just care about causing trouble, if you die, I''ll collect your corpse."


    The Madam Xu was burning with anxiety, she almost vomited blood as she pounced on Yue Yang, and twisted into a ball.


    She then pulled her hair and bit into her face, causing him to become angry, and then she smashed him onto the brick bed. Madam Xu wailed like a ghost and howled like a wolf, startling everyone outside to come watch the commotion, Wen Bao became even more foolish, and started crying as she sat at the door: "My father hit my mother, my father hit my mother."


    By the afternoon, everyone in the village knew that Madam Xu had asked her to clean up the mess.


    In fact, the villagers had already felt it was strange. Madam Xu had mistreated Master Mu''s eldest daughter like this for so many years, and as her father, she had not uttered a single word. Now that his daughter was married, he was rather stubborn. She began to argue with his wife, and even attacked her.


    Aunt Wang came to visit them in the afternoon and brought Jiang Tang over for them to drink. Madam Xu was in a sorry state as she laid on the brick bed, sick, her body was full of pain and tears, and he said to Aunt Wang: "He wants to kill me so that he can find a young girl for her daughter. But even if I die and become a monster, he won''t let them live peacefully."


    "I already advised you, don''t mess with him." The Aunt Wang said, "In my opinion, the reason why he always let you go was because he was afraid that you would abuse the Xiaowan even more when you were outside. Now that the Xiaowan is married out, he has nothing to worry about."


    Madam Xu spat fiercely. "His wife, others are spouting nonsense, you can''t spout nonsense. When did I mistreat his daughter?"


    "Yes yes yes, I''m talking nonsense." The Aunt Wang changed her tone, "In short, listen to my advice. There are still many days left, why are you in such a hurry?"


    Madam Xu felt a splitting headache, she sighed, and muttered: "Not hard, not soft, I think it would be better for me to give up early."


    Aunt Wang laughed: "When Wen Bao grows up and gets married, it''ll be at least eight or nine years. In this eight or nine years, will nothing happen to them? You just have to watch coldly and attack as soon as you get the chance. "


    "Sigh ¡­"


    "Right." The Aunt Wang asked, "It''s been four or five months since we got married, and there''s no movement from inside?"


    In the village, the most important thing to do after marrying a wife was to give birth to a baby, to take pity on a lady, to have a body that was more important. After entering the village for four or five months without any movement, the old granny should show a face.


    However, Xiaowan did not have such considerations at all. Things happened as scheduled these few months and they were extremely intimate on the bed. She did not eat any of the hidden medicine because Ling Chaofeng was very careful.


    She had asked his husband why he didn''t want their dolls. Ling Chaofeng told her to wait two years for her, to first let her recuperate her body, before she grew up a little.


    On the same day, because of Xiaowan''s wish, Yue Huaiyin''s ankle healed completely when she woke up in the morning.


    Little Cui said that the Bodhisattva Spirit had appeared, and she could not bear for the Young Miss to suffer, yet Yue Huaiyin was thinking whether she should go to Ling Xiao Inn in two days and thank Ling Chaofeng.


    Yue Huaiyin did not have any appetite for the entire day. In the evening, Susu brought over a bowl of porridge and advised her: "Miss, you should at least have a bite to eat."


    Yue Huaiyin reluctantly moved the spoon, seeing that Susu was standing at the side hesitating to speak, he asked: "Is there something?"


    Susu said: "Miss, when does our shop close for the new year?"


    "It will close at twenty-eight in the year. It will open at five o''clock in the year." Yue Huaiyin said, "Do you want to go home with aunt?"


    Susu said: "Not home, my brother is at home, there is no telling where he''s going to sell me off to, it was Xiaowan who asked me to go with my mother to the inn for New Year''s Eve, I want to ask if you can do it."


    Yue Huaiyin laughed: "Of course, you and my aunt are just working here, not selling me as a slave. Don''t ask me what you want to do during your rest days."


    "Thank you, Miss."


    "How many days will you be there?" Yue Huaiyin was actually very envious. She also wanted to spend New Year''s Eve at the inn with Ling Chaofeng.


    "We should be staying for a few days, but on the first day of the new year, we will definitely come to pay our respects to you." Susu said.


    "There''s no rush, you can play with Xiaowan. If there''s anything fun, come back and tell me." Yue Huaiyin took out two sticks of money from his money box and gave it to her, "It''s the new year, it''s not good for you to come empty-handed.


    Susu did not dare accept it, Yue Huaiyin allowed her to take it, and after pushing it aside a few times, she kept the money. Just when she was about to leave, the young miss warned again: "If there''s anything fun, remember to tell me when you are back."


    "I have." How could Susu think so much?


    As Yue Huaiyin sat down, she lost her appetite for porridge. Thinking back to yesterday when she was temporarily alone with Ling Chaofeng, if such a man was his own husband, how happy she would be.


    ''s expression suddenly changed when she barged in the door, and she wanted to send him away with her entire body. Although young lady was silly, it seemed like women had their own instincts, they could sense that someone was missing their man.


    Since Xiaowan had a conflict in her heart, she would definitely be on her guard against her. She did not plan to break off all decorum with her just like that, but she was thinking about the future, and how she would be Ling Chaofeng''s woman, even if she had the same husband as Xiaowan.


    Just then, Little Cui opened the door and came in. Seeing that she had almost nothing to eat, she spoke another bunch of words.


    Laifu from the neighboring shop said that before noon, he saw an old woman leading two children and cursing all the way. They rented a donkey cart and went to Qingling Village, and they knew each other, saying that they were Manager Ling''s mother-in-law. Little Cui said, serious. "It''s also about the Mid-Autumn Festival, when they were still fighting on the road."


    Yue Huaiyin asked: "So that''s the Xiaowan''s mother?"


    Little Cui shook her hand: "I heard Susu say that it was my stepmother, Xiaowan''s mother had long died. She initially saved Susu because she could not bear to see Susu being mistreated, and said that she was also her stepmother.


    Yue Huaiyin was deep in thought. "Laifu said that the woman probably went to an inn and came back shamelessly."


    Yue Huaiyin had already fallen into her own deep thoughts. She wanted to get Ling Chaofeng, even if it meant having a partner with Xiaowan, if she could get him for herself ¡­ Why? Why can''t all the good men under the heavens belong to her?


    "Miss?" Little Cui suddenly called out to her again.


    "What''s wrong?" Yue Huaiyin regained her senses.


    Little Cui said, "New Year ¡­. Won''t you go home? "


    In fact, even Little Cui, and everyone else in the shop were people who had bought all the way to Baisha Town, but none of them knew where Yue Huaiyin had come from.


    Yue Huaiyin laughed: This is my home, you guys can go back home or keep it for New Year, you can make the arrangements yourself. "If you are going home, I''ll pay the fare. If you aren''t going home, I''ll give you all new year''s money."

 C45

    Little Cui had been with Yue Huaiyin for the longest time, and knew that asking Miss too many questions would annoyed her, as for where her house was, no one had mentioned it before.


    After she was bought by the little miss in the capital, she immediately followed her out of the capital. As for whether the little miss was from there, she did not know.


    After knowing that New Year''s Eve had been arranged like this, he excitedly went to inform the others. And as soon as La Ba passed, the New Year approached.


    This was the first time in Mu Xiaowan''s life that she had truly experienced the New Year. On the twenty-seventh night, Ershan went to town to bring Susu and Auntie Chen over and arranged a room for them under the cloud.


    When did the two of them live in such a good house? At first, they didn''t want to sleep, but after Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang said they would sleep together, they decided to stay.


    At night, four people would cut the window flowers. Auntie Chen had a very coincidental hand, happy character could be cut out with just a few cuts, and Susu could also cut out beautiful window flowers. Aunt Zhang did not know that, and said that she had bought them in the past.


    They were talking about their family and the interesting things they had experienced recently. They were laughing and laughing, and it was very lively.


    The Auntie Chen said that she and Susu had decided to settle down here. Although there was someone to take care of them, it was not very convenient to stay in the shop. After saving up enough money in a few years, she would think of a way to build a house on the mountain.


    Susu said: "Last time, Miss also told me that if I get married, I should tell her earlier. She gave me some dowry, but after talking for a while, she got angry."


    "Why are you angry?" Xiaowan was very curious. Why would she be angry at a woman as gentle as water in Miss Yue?


    "I said I was dirty and had been abused by others. No one would want to marry me." Susu sighed, "Miss is so angry, saying that she''s dirty just like that, it''s because she can''t help herself, and that even if it''s the ladies of the brothel, they can''t do it, they mustn''t insult themselves."


    Aunt Zhang said: "That is correct, Miss Yue is a businessman."


    The Xiaowan did not say anything, but Susu said: "What you say makes sense, but I really do not want to marry, I am afraid that I do not have the life to meet a good man, so I might as well work hard, as long as I can support myself and my mother, it is enough."


    Aunt Zhang nodded her head repeatedly. "Where did all these good men come from? Even if there are, it doesn''t necessarily mean that they don''t belong to anyone."


    Xiaowan cut the window clumsily, thinking that since Miss Yue was that intelligent, she probably wouldn''t do anything to Ling Chaofeng. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but she was too considerate back then.


    However, she had only thought too much and had not hurt anyone, so there was no need for her to feel guilty. It was not a wrong thing for her to want to protect her husband.


    As the four of them talked, Susu and Auntie Chen had unknowingly fallen asleep. The Xiaowan did not sleep, but thought about Ling Chaofeng who was upstairs, suddenly, the Aunt Zhang beside them crawled up, quietly grabbed his pillow, grabbed his clothes, and pushed the door open.


    Hearing that they were about to go downstairs, and should be returning to her and Uncle Biao''s own house, Xiaowan chuckled. She also crawled up and quietly closed the door, then ran back upstairs like a little kitten.


    Ling Chaofeng did not lock the door, but also did not sleep. Hearing the creaking sound, a petite figure appeared within the dim candlelight, and slowly crawled onto the bed. Originally, she did not want to wake Hubby up, but Ling Chaofeng suddenly sat up and threw her down.


    "Hubby ¡­" The Xiaowan said, "If I''m not by your side, I won''t be able to sleep."


    Ling Chaofeng hugged her in his embrace, feeling really comfortable. He said lazily: "Me too."


    The next day, at twenty-eight, the female servants were pasted with window flowers. Although Ling Xiao Inn was located in the wilderness, when the window flowers were pasted together with lanterns, the New Year''s ambiance rose.


    After lunch, Xiaowan and Susu were washing dishes by the well. Ling Chaofeng had sent hot water to them, but Xiaowan asked Susu, "Is the capital very big?"


    When Susu first came to the capital, he had been pampered for a while and it could be said that she had witnessed the beauty of the capital before. She had even been a guest in a different house with the old master.


    She told the Xiaowan everything that she knew, "The capital city should be around the size of four or five Baisha Town. They might be even bigger than that. But there''s no concubine in the palace, only an empress. The wife of the mansion often talks about it, but she doesn''t understand that there''s only a few people living in such a big place.


    The Xiaowan said, "They are really strange. On one hand, they can''t tolerate you, and on the other, they are worrying about the Empress."


    Susu sighed: "Let''s not talk about them anymore. Now that I have become a prisoner following the old master, I wonder what kind of days they are living, it''s all about retribution."


    Xiaowan thought of the Lord Sun, Mrs. Sun and Susu''s old master. It seemed like the men in the capital were either heartless and heartless, or they treated women as playthings. It was a place with no human feelings, so she suddenly didn''t want to go anymore.


    He then said, "I was hoping that my husband would bring me to the capital to broaden my horizons. I really don''t want to go now."


    Susu said: "In terms of prosperity, the capital is like a heaven. If you''re just going to have fun, then you might as well go and have a look. If you want to stay here for a long time, it will be difficult. The new Queen who will be conferred the title on New Year''s Day comes from the Chuanyu. I think it would be difficult for her to get used to living in the capital. "


    "Are you not used to eating?" The Xiaowan asked, "I heard from Uncle Biao that the Chuanyu is spicy."


    Susu nodded his head: "This is only one of them. The most important thing is that the things in the capital and the people here are all very complicated." She laughed as she spoke. "A person like me can''t even touch the empress''s toes, what''s there to worry about?"


    The Xiaowan laughed: "That''s not true, we shouldn''t worry, we can wish them well. The emperor and the empress are fine, the Daqi is good, the Daqi is good, we can live and work in peace. Look at the Liang Empire on the side, they have been fought by us for two years.


    The water in Ling Chaofeng''s hands was almost cold, but he was amused by Xiaowan''s words, as she began to use idioms, about living in peace and working hard, about how the citizens were not living well, about how he was still small, and started to worry about the country''s affairs.


    He quickly sent out the hot water, and after he left, he vaguely heard Susu say: "Xiaowan, your fate is really good. I did not say that Manager Ling dotes on you so much, but I have seen those noble people before.


    Ling Chaofeng did not continue listening, but Xiaowan said proudly: "Aunt said, him marrying me is also his good fortune."


    The young lady s were laughing by the well. In the afternoon, they heard the Uncle Biao telling them everything he had heard, that winter was short and winter was long. In the blink of an eye, two days passed, and it was New Year''s Eve.


    After dinner, they went to the back door to set off fireworks. Xiaowan was so scared by the firecrackers that she went into Ling Chaofeng''s arms, but when she saw the dazzling fireworks, she became dumbstruck.


    "Hubby, you look really good." The Xiaowan said, "So this is the legendary fireworks."


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "Do you like it?"


    Xiaowan nodded furiously. "I like it."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Every New Year''s Eve, the imperial palace will burn with fireworks. When I was young, I would stand on the roof of my inn with my father every year to watch. Those fireworks are unobtainable outside, and the fireworks are even bigger and higher, able to illuminate half of the capital city. "Next year''s New Year''s Eve, let''s go to the capital to celebrate the New Year''s Eve. How about we take you to see the fireworks?"


    The Xiaowan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Let''s go for the new year. We won''t stay here any longer, let''s just come back immediately, shall we?"


    Ling Chaofeng knew that he had chatted with Susu during the afternoon and was afraid of her.


    Xiaowan felt itchy in her heart and took the initiative to ask her husband for it. In the end, she couldn''t take it anymore, so she asked her husband to let her go after begging and acting like a spoiled child.


    young lady fell asleep exhausted. In the morning of the next day, she was kissed and woke up. The sky was bright.


    It was still quiet inside and outside the tavern. Xiaowan looked at her husband and her heart quivered.


    "Why did you call my name?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "I suddenly want to shout." Xiaowan laughed foolishly.


    "From then on, I will call you by your name. I love hearing you call me by my name." Ling Chaofeng said as he handed over a red embroidered bag to the Xiaowan, "This is your new year''s money."


    Xiaowan sat up and opened her purse. Inside was a gold ingot, the last time she collected the money was when she was five years old and it was given to her by Uncle Zhou from the Blacksmith Shop.


    She threw herself at her husband and kissed him again and again. Ling Chaofeng patted her butt and asked: "Who couldn''t take it last night?"


    "I don''t know ¡­" She smiled coquettishly, her face red as she mumbled, "Chao Feng, how could I have such a good life? I''m not dreaming, right? Please don''t wake up, please don''t wake up."


    His life had undergone a tremendous change, and even in the past four to five months, his heart would occasionally feel uneasy, because he was too satisfied and happy. However, if he was like Susu, who had escaped hell and returned to the human world, it wouldn''t be a big deal anymore, but she would have just gone from hell to heaven.


    On the first day of the new year, the inn was brimming with joy. Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang had also prepared New Year''s money for Xiaowan, Susu and Ershan, causing the few young people to be extremely happy.


    Xiaowan stood in front of the door, watching the sun move to the middle of the sky. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past and blew down the notice for the empress''s grand wedding.


    The Xiaowan hurriedly picked it up and ran back to the counter to ask Ling Chaofeng for some paste. Ling Chaofeng said that after today, the notice would not be needed, and it would be fine even if it was not, but the Xiaowan asked, "Hubby, in this short period of time, has the emperor and the Empress gotten married?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "It should be done already, it''s time for the national banquet at night."


    "What kind of person is our new empress? If only she was a chef in the palace, she could make spicy food for her."


    At this time, the Aunt Zhang, the Auntie Chen and Susu came down from the stairs and called out to her. "Evening, let''s go for a stroll and let the shopkeeper and your uncle look after the house."

 C46

    Hearing about the temple fair, the Xiaowan became energetic and said to Ling Chaofeng: "Hubby, I''m going."


    Ling Chaofeng took a bag of copper coins for her: "Don''t be reluctant to spend anything that you love to buy."


    Xiaowan waved her purse and said happily: "Don''t worry. If by any chance I meet someone I shouldn''t have met, I will raise my head and walk past them. I won''t be afraid anymore."


    "Go, tell Ershan to drive the carriage slowly." Ling Chaofeng escorted them to the door and instructed them a few times. After the carriage had gone far, he turned around and said to Uncle Biao, "I will go to the cellar to retrieve some things."


    The Uncle Biao understood: "I''ll be watching in the shop, you go and get busy."


    The town on the first day of the new year was especially lively. The group of people arrived at the temple of the city''s god, inviting Xiang to kowtow and make a wish in front of the city lord.


    Susu asked Xiaowan in a soft voice, "What wish did you make, why are your face so red?"


    Xiaowan blushed as she lowered her eyes. Susu then laughed, "Are you begging Old Master City Elder to give you a little kid."


    "Don''t speak nonsense." Xiaowan punched her, "Don''t say anymore, it won''t work if you say it out loud."


    Susu laughed, "Don''t be anxious, this Manager Ling loves you so much, and this will happen sooner or later. In the future when you have a little kid, you''d better ask me to be a godmother. "


    Xiaowan was shy but also looked forward to it. She had promised her husband this wish and wanted to give birth to a little child as soon as possible. After all, she was a young lady who had grown up in a village, and having children was a top priority between husband and wife. She wholeheartedly loved Ling Chaofeng and thought that what she could do for him was to pass on his legacy to the Ling Family.


    But Xiaowan was also curious. Hubby was not the biological son of the previous shopkeeper. He was lost while he was still a baby.


    After exiting the City God''s temple, young lady went shopping along the streets. After the young lady bought some new and interesting things, he was going to bring Ershan to the study room to buy some brush, ink and paper so that she could prepare for her examination in February.


    At the other end of the bridge, Xiaowan and Susu were jumping and jumping on the bridge when suddenly, someone rushed over and crashed into them. The Xiaowan was silly and repeatedly apologized, but that person left in a hurry.


    Susu asked her: "Are you alright?"


    Xiaowan patted her clothes and said, "It''s nothing, it''s just that ¡­" But when her hand found her waist, the purse was gone, and she carefully touched both sides, the purse really was gone, she suddenly quivered and looked into the distance, and sure enough, she saw the person who had just bumped into her sneakily running forward.


    "My purse, my purse!" When the Aunt Zhang and the Auntie Chen heard him, they immediately asked them what was wrong. When Ershan heard that the Xiaowan had lost his purse, he immediately went to chase after the man.


    When the man heard the commotion, he also ran, and with everyone chasing after him, Xiaowan became angry, her right hand formed a fist, and with a thought, she fell to the ground, allowing Ershan to catch up and push him down.


    "Where did this little thief come from?" Ershan grabbed onto his hat, causing the people below to struggle, they all had their hats pulled off, causing their hair to fall apart. Ershan was startled, was it actually a woman?


    Everyone gathered around, and upon seeing that it was a girl, they found it inconceivable.


    That girl was stubbornly struggling when Susu suddenly said: "My cotton shoes." She pointed to the shoes on the man''s feet. "These were the cotton shoes I bought for my mother. They were in the same bundle with the roast chicken that day. They were stolen."


    He stole Susu''s roasted chicken and shoes, and then stole Xiaowan''s purse today. Xiaowan angrily took the purse, patted it again and again, and reproached: "You''re a girl, why aren''t you doing well, you''re a thief. Do you know that Susu spent a lot of money just to buy a chicken for her mother to eat? On that day when we gave our porridge and money, how could you steal it? "


    In such a cold day, it was unknown how many families he had stolen in order to not starve to death. No matter how kind the Xiaowan was, he was not used to seeing such people, so he said: "Ershan, let''s send her to the yamen, and hand her over to the Constable Li."


    "Wait."


    Aunt Zhang walked forward and pinched the girl''s face. The black color on her face looked like it was purposely smeared on it, revealing her tender skin and tender flesh underneath.


    She then grabbed a pair of hands. Although her hands were dirty, her fingers were thin and delicate, and her fingernails were neat and tidy. The Immortal Phoenix Flower juice on her little fingers had not been completely washed away yet, so she asked, "Miss, you don''t look like a thief, do you?"


    "Does it have anything to do with you?" She turned her face away and said righteously, "Since it has fallen into your hands, you can do whatever you want to me."


    Aunt Zhang sneered: "Deliver it to the yamen, strip naked and fart 20 boards, you don''t have any shame, are you willing?"


    The girl''s face immediately turned red, she struggled for a while, then shouted at Ershan: "Let go of me, in broad daylight, you want to snatch my daughter?"


    Originally, Ershan felt a little uncomfortable pulling a girl away. After being yelled at like this, he really did let go.


    The young lady nimbly jumped back. She originally wanted to take the chance to escape, but she did not know that Xiaowan had "read" her name before, and as long as they did not say anything, she would not be able to escape. She only took two steps back.


    "Be careful!" Ershan was quick to react and rushed forward to grab the girl''s waist. If she was even close, she would have hit the back of her head on the stairs.


    The two of them stayed in a stupidly deadlock for a moment. Ershan quickly let go of his hands and the bashful little brother actually blushed red. The girl said aloud, "What are you going to do with me?"


    The Aunt Zhang looked at her from head to toe, then turned and said to Xiaowan and Susu: "If you haven''t lost your purse, please spare her. I''m afraid there aren''t many people who are on duty here today. Susu will not bring back her roasted chicken, you will not take this pair of cotton shoes, just treat it as a good thing and let her wear it, this board will be good for a beating at the yamen, I am afraid that she will not live long. "


    Susu looked at the cotton shoes on the girl''s feet, and muttered: "It''s been a month, but she''s still wearing them cleanly."


    Aunt Zhang felt that this little thief had all kinds of weird looks, she did not seem like a thief at all. Maybe she was a young miss who came from a big family, full of herself, lawless, and did not want to get involved with this kind of person.


    "You can go." When the Xiaowan heard Aunt Zhang say this, she agreed and said to the girl, "You better not steal anymore. If you meet someone else next time and get caught, I really will drag you to the yamen to take a beating."


    "Heh ¡­" The girl just sneered. She patted the dust off her body, put on her hat, turned around and walked away confidently.


    "Alright, let''s go buy pen and paper." The Aunt Zhang said, then warned Yue''er and Susu, "Both of you take good care of your own things, don''t run and jump."


    They returned back to the original road. Just as Ershan was about to leave, he saw an exquisite small purse lying on the ground. When he supported the girl just now, he felt something fall out from her waist.


    Ershan looked around, the young lady had long ran far away and kept her herself.


    After they bought paper and brush in the study, they turned around and headed towards the Siyun Pavilion.


    Half of the people in the store had returned to their homes, but the store had not opened for business. It was quiet and deserted.


    Yue Huaiyin came out to welcome them, and greeted them happily. Seeing that Xiaowan was dressed in a bright red new cotton-padded jacket, which was obviously a tacky outfit, but against her pretty and lovable face, it actually fit her perfectly.


    They greeted each other and left behind some gifts. Yue Huaiyin also gave them a few boxes of ointment as they hurried back to the tavern before sunset.


    On the carriage going home, Susu explained to the Xiaowan what the bottles were used for. She said that the noble ladies in the capital had to rub many things on their faces every day to maintain their skin.


    Xiaowan replied, "I''m lazy. I don''t want to go through all this mess everyday."


    Susu laughed: "Guess where the most sought after scented cream and powder in the capital, especially the ladies of our residence, they always sent people to think of ways to buy it."


    The Xiaowan tilted her head and said with a quiver, "The imperial palace must be the best place for the Empress and the princesses to use."


    Susu laughed: "That is impossible, those are the things that can be used, for ordinary people to use, they would definitely lose their head."


    Aunt Zhang smiled as she listened. After all, Susu had been to the capital before.


    Xiaowan really couldn''t think of anything. "What kind of place is that, a famous Rouge Shop?"


    Susu laughed: "Oh, the brothels, some of the courtesans in the buildings in the capital all have devastatingly beautiful appearances. Not only do they have good faces, their bodies and skin are also excellent, Qin, chess and calligraphy are omnipotent, if not for the fact that they are destined to be lowly in the wind and dust, even the noble clans would never be able to compare to their looks and talents."


    "Are the noble ladies willing to buy it?" Xiaowan felt that this was unbelievable.


    "They all secretly bought it, and secretly used it." Susu said, "Which one of you doesn''t want to be liked by your man?"


    Xiaowan remembered that Master said that he didn''t want Master to live to please him, so it can be seen that the men in the capital aren''t good. Could it be that in their eyes, their wives and beauties are all the same thing? "


    Susu held onto a jar of ointment and sniffed it: "All of our Miss'' things are really top quality, all of the ladies in the mansion didn''t use anything this good."


    Aunt Zhang asked: Susu, where did Miss Yue come from?


    Susu shook her head and said, "I don''t know."


    The Auntie Chen also said: "I saw that the girls in the shop did not bring up this matter, so we did not dare to ask too much."


    Aunt Zhang smiled, "So that''s how it is. My apologies for talking too much."


    When the carriage returned to the Ling Xiao Inn, Ling Chaofeng had already come out of the cellar long ago. Xiaowan vividly narrated the matter of them catching thieves on the streets, then went to wash their hands and change their clothes with Susu.


    Ling Chaofeng understood: "That''s how it should be."


    The Aunt Zhang asked again, "Shopkeeper, have you asked about the background of the Miss Yue?"


    Ling Chaofeng smiled faintly: "Why should I care so much about unrelated people?"


    Aunt Zhang was very satisfied: "You are right."


    Very quickly, the sky darkened. Dinner was set in the shop, and the dishes were the same as before. Xiaowan sat at the table and watched as the Aunt Zhang served her soup, laughing, "Right now, the palace is also eating the wedding wine of the Emperor and Empress."


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "Then let''s just treat it as a wedding feast."


    Everyone raised their cups to congratulate him, they were eating happily, but the happy days passed in the blink of an eye. After the new year, Susu and the Auntie Chen should return to the Rouge Shop.


    Early in the morning, Ershan was holding up a carriage in front of the gates when he saw Constable Li riding in on his horse. He asked: "Master Li, what is the matter with the imperial court now?"


    Ling Chaofeng walked out and greeted the Constable Li with a happy new year. He then said: "This time, it is not about the matters of the imperial government, but the daughter of the Lord Prefect. Sixteen Early in the morning, the wedding procession passed by. The county magistrate ordered me to inform you that everything that you need to take in should be brought back to you. "


    The Constable Li then said to Ershan: "In the second month, it will be the Academy Competition. If you pass it in August, then it will be the old master of the High Scholar.


    Ershan cupped his fists: "I would not dare."


    Thus, they walked together to send Susu and Auntie Chen back to the Baisha Town. Ershan then drove the carriage, which was entrusted to him by the Xiaowan, to the blacksmith shop to give a gift to Uncle Zhou.


    On the way back, seeing that the sky was getting dark and the snow was about to fall, he hurriedly drove the carriage and ran out of the Baisha Town, only to hear the sound of the wheels and the sound of the horses'' hooves. He did not even hear the shouts from behind him, and ran far away in one breath.


    On the night of the Lantern Festival, Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan to the city gate to see the lanterns. Because the Lord Prefect had married his daughter, this year''s Lamp City was especially lively.


    But Xiaowan had never seen a lanterns before, no matter how she looked at it, she liked it. After happily strolling around, she took the lanterns and followed her husband home.


    Last night''s blizzard, there must have been snow on the road this morning. They were preparing for the Prefect''s escort team to pass by, and they had already swept the door clean, even moving several miles away. Because the county magistrate usually took care of him, he did not want to cause him any trouble, so it would be difficult for him to get along with his superiors.


    In the middle of the morning, the wedding procession arrived. Ershan hurriedly put away his broom and stood at the side of the road, waiting respectfully for the procession to pass by. He carried the palanquin into the distance, and when he arrived in front of him, a gust of cold wind blew, and lifted the curtains.


    The bride did not have a red veil over her head, and looked at Ershan through the window.


    Ershan''s heart skipped a beat. The bride in the sedan was actually the little thief that he had pressed down on the ground that day?

 C47

    The bride seemed to have also recognized Ershan, and suddenly lay on the window ledge excitedly. However, the curtain had already fallen, and the sedan did not stop, as she once again lifted the curtain herself, leaving Ershan behind.


    Just as the bride was about to stick her head out, a group of bridal ladies surrounded her and tried to persuade her. They blocked her view of the situation and pushed her back in.


    However, all of this was seen by Ershan, in the end, the gaze that disappeared before his eyes carried melancholy and sorrow, as though he was begging for help, but also seemed to be asking a question. Ershan felt that he was overthinking it.


    He took a broom and slowly followed the group back to the tavern. The road in front of the tavern was swept clean, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang were hiding at the entrance to watch the excitement, Xiaowan asked the Aunt Zhang: "Where did I come from that day?"


    The Aunt Zhang smiled guiltily: "We are all busy receiving customers, you were directly sent to the third floor by the person who sent you out. It was Ershan who sent you food, only then did he discover that you were tied up on the bed, and he quickly called for the shopkeeper."


    The Xiaowan pretended to be angry. "So all of you don''t care about me, Brother Ershan is still the best."


    Aunt Zhang hugged her and laughed: "Right now, we all love you, is that not enough?"


    Ershan then said: "The new year is over, quickly go back to your room and read your books. There is no need for you to care about the matters of the shop before the Academy Competition.


    Ershan acknowledged her, and with Ling Chaofeng''s consent, he returned to his room to study.


    When they talked about the Prefect marrying his daughter, they realized that the Prefect had actually married his youngest daughter into his eldest son-in-law''s family in order to renew the marriage, and that his eldest daughter had passed away two years ago at an early age.


    Aunt Zhang said, "This is a common occurrence, if two families have a good relationship, most likely they would choose a sister from the original owner''s house to continue the marriage, but from what I see, if my daughter dies in someone else''s home, I would be more than happy if I did not kill myself and went to find them for revenge.


    The Xiaowan became quick-witted, and said: "The Prefect''s own family, is definitely bigger than the Prefect''s official."


    Aunt Zhang praised, "Our son is really smart."


    Xiaowan turned and showed off to Ling Chaofeng.


    But she had been playing like a mad woman for a whole year, and every day since the beginning of the month she had been eating, drinking, and hanging about the streets.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Take it back, we''ll see how it goes tomorrow. How do you think we should punish it?"


    Xiaowan pouted and said softly, "Then even if I''m not sure, so what?"


    Ling Chaofeng''s expression became serious: "Since you said you want to learn, then you have to learn! Didn''t we agree on that? "The dignified Lady Boss of an inn doesn''t even know how to pay her bills?"


    Xiaowan unconsciously put her hands behind her back. She recited her words very quickly and did not tell her husband to hold anything back.


    Although she was smart to be scolded twice, Ling Chaofeng''s demands were very high. Xiaowan always felt that he was looking for trouble on purpose, so her heart was not as active as when she read the words in the first few months.


    When Xiaowan came back to pick vegetables, she asked in a soft voice while beaming: "Been lectured?"


    "Yes." Xiaowan muttered, unconvinced, "In the beginning, she kept encouraging me to praise me, but now she likes to splash cold water on me. When he frowns, I immediately panic."


    The Aunt Zhang laughed: "A few years ago, when Ershan was studying with the shopkeeper, it was normal for him to be scolded and beaten up. At that time, the storekeeper was still half a year old, but he was solemn like an old scholar in a private school. However, the shopkeeper himself has never been frivolous, whether it is studying or learning, he has a steady mind. In the past few years, he studied hard to cultivate, and the Old Madem even asked him to do the shop work. He did not even have time to catch his breath every day, and did not waste any time.


    Xiaowan was very serious. Hubby was really something, and he laughed: "Look at this, since December, we have been playing everyday, and the shopkeeper has not cared about you. When the time comes to play, we can play, and when it is time to work, we can''t mess around.


    "I understand, I will definitely learn well." Xiaowan made her decision, "Aunt, until I clear up the debt, I will never go out again."


    Thus, after picking the vegetables, Aunt Zhang went to the kitchen to busy herself and pestered Hubby. Ling Chaofeng asked a few more questions with a cold face. Seeing that her face was serious and guilty, and then swearing that she was not interested in playing around, her heart, which was not tough to begin with, softened even more.


    Ling Chaofeng had long forgotten how to sternly teach Ershan how to enlighten him back then, and when he was facing his own young lady, he couldn''t possibly expect her to learn all of his abilities.


    Speaking of which, after being separated for so long, Xiaowan had just found out that Ershan''s surname was also Ling. Back then, when sshe could not find Ershan''s family, Old Madem had left him at the inn. Only, it was different from Ling Chaofeng''s. Ling Chaofeng''s surname was Ling when he was a son, Ershan was not his foster son, Ershan''s name was Ling Wu, he had gone to take the exam, and that was the name he used.


    In the afternoon, Xiaowan was sitting at the Eight Immortals Table, dozing off facing the account book and the abacus. A group of people hurriedly ran past the door, causing her to immediately become spirited and run to the door to see. They were heading in the direction of Baisha Town, so she could vaguely see that they seemed to be people who sent in the morning.


    After an hour, Constable Li arrived with his men. In a hurry, he found the time to enter the shop to talk to Ling Chaofeng, and was shocked that not long after the wedding boat left, the bride jumped off the boat and committed suicide. He was unable to find his at that time and wanted to send a boat and men to fish for his, but half a day had already passed.


    Hearing that, Xiaowan''s heart trembled, and looked at Ling Chaofeng. It was unknown if it was because Xiaowan had escaped the marriage, but she could understand the determination in her heart, and she asked him in a soft voice, "That young miss, is it like Aunt Zhang said, that because big sister died with hatred in their home, she was unwilling to marry?"


    Ling Chaofeng comforted her: "That''s also someone else''s problem. Later, we are business people."


    Xiaowan nodded. "Hubby, I know."


    By night, Xiaowan had already accounted for the debts that she did not know about during the day, but after a day, she did not do anything else. When she helped to carry the dishes and fill the stomach, she told her concubine that it was hard to imagine in the past, when Ling Chaofeng was so young, he had to study and learn all sorts of skills.


    The Aunt Zhang said, "It''s not all bitter."


    The family ate their dinner, which was just a plate of stir-fried vegetables, a plate of dried radishes, and a few pieces of decayed milk. Only a large chunk of meat was in the bowl.


    Today, in order to send off''s mother and sweep the snow, everyone woke up early, thus they closed up the shop and went to sleep. Only Ershan''s room was lit up, he was still studying hard.


    It was unknown what time of the night it was quiet, but the shop was quiet. Ershan came out to pour some water, he vaguely heard someone stepping on the snow outside the tavern.


    He brought the oil lamp to the door and was about to stand still when he heard two knocks on the door.


    He put down the oil lamp to open the door and was shocked. In front of the door stood a woman in a bright red wedding dress, drenched and frozen. Her black hair was scattered and her face was deathly pale, as if she were a ghost that had crawled out of the water in the middle of the night.


    But in the next moment, Ershan became serious, he recognized this person, the thief who stole the purse at the temple.


    "My purse, did you see it?" The woman spoke, but as she spoke, her frail body fell to the ground with a loud crash.


    "Girl? "Young lady!" Ershan cried out in alarm, shocking the people in the shop.


    When Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan took off her clothes, even the skin inside was wrinkled from the blisters. It was such a cold day, the temperature of her body was unable to cover her clothes dry, and a thin layer of ice had formed on her back.


    But now, her entire body was boiling hot, and her body was burning like a furnace. Ershan went to the town overnight to find a doctor he was familiar with, and the doctor took his pulse and said, "The cold enters my lungs, it''s hard."


    They met at the temple fair that day, and the young lady''s face was smeared with charcoal. Originally, she couldn''t see it clearly, but now that her eyes were closed, Xiaowan couldn''t really recognize her, but Aunt Zhang had seen her face carefully before, so she recognized him, and Ershan recognized him as well.


    Looking at his drenched clothes, he wasn''t dressed in the red of an ordinary household, but an exquisite and exquisite embroidered gown. Without a doubt, this was the Prefect''s daughter who had passed by his door in the morning and then drowned herself on the boat.


    However, how could a precious daughter of the Prefect become a thief in a town?


    Aunt Zhang said to Xiaowan: "Susu''s cotton shoes were clean on her feet. I had thought that she might not be a thief, she just wanted to play around.


    The Xiaowan felt that this was unbelievable.


    However, the unconscious man let out a sound. Her body was twitching from the pain, and she was crying out, "Big sister, big sister ¡­"


    Tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes. Seeing this scene, Xiaowan''s heart ached. She unconsciously raised her right hand, hoping that this girl could live on.


    For the entire night, Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan stayed by her side, wiping white wine on their bodies, opening their mouths to drink medicine, and then tormenting themselves until dawn. The two of them were so tired that they fell asleep with their backs against their backs.


    The person on the bed finally opened his eyes as he instinctively shouted, "Water, water..."


    Xiaowan suddenly woke up from her stupor and ran over to the bedside. "Miss, you''re awake?"


    She rolled her eyes slightly, asking for more water. "Water ¡­"


    Although he was still hot, but when the doctor saw that he did not want to lose his life, it was truly a miracle. Although last night was very busy, Xiaowan did not know if it was considered her wish, but to be able to live was definitely a good thing.


    As for the Prefect''s surname Meng, the one on the bed was Miss Meng. After the Xiaowan covered her with the blanket, Ling Chaofeng and the others came over.


    The moment Miss Meng saw Ershan through the curtain, he immediately started tossing and turning. He reached out his hand from the curtain: "You, did you see my purse?"


    Ershan was startled, thinking back to the money bag he had picked up at the temple fair, he immediately said: "I''ll go get it for you."


    Miss Meng''s maiden name was Lian Yi and her elder sister''s name was Meng Lianxiu. That purse was something that her elder sister had left behind for her, a treasure that she regarded as her life.


    When she took him back from Ershan''s hands, the sickly man''s tears fell like rain, tightly holding onto his chest, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. Ershan finally understood that the reason she saw him on the palanquin yesterday was because she wanted to ask him if he had seen the bag.


    After Meng Lianyi gradually calmed down, she took a look at the person in front of him. She knew all the Aunt Zhang s, had seen them before, and even stole them at the temple once, so Ling Chaofeng was a stranger. What made her even more surprised was that the foolish and beautiful young lady was actually his wife.


    In the eyes of a young miss like Meng Lianyi, the Xiaowan was a lively and cheerful person who had no shrewdness at all. With just a glance, she was already silly, and using the word silly to describe her, it was not because she was really dumb, but because Lian Yi was a person that indulged herself in the Shangguan Family''s world where only benefits between people, afraid that she would not be able to live in her world.


    Naturally, he was extremely worried.


    She coughed a few times. She was still as dizzy as she had been that day at the temple party, proud and stubborn. "Have you reported to the officials?"


    The Xiaowan said, "No, it was midnight last night. Now we are discussing whether we should send you off or go report to the officials first."


    Meng Lianyi stared at Xiaowan: "Do not report me to the officials. I will leave immediately. I will leave immediately." She gasped for breath and tried to get up, but she couldn''t muster any strength. Her face was red again and she looked miserable.


    The Xiaowan said, "You should calm down. Don''t get so excited, you can''t even keep your life anymore."


    However, Meng Lianyi held onto Xiaowan''s hand tightly, and used all of her strength, to the point of making Xiaowan feel painful, "Miss, I beg you, do not inform the officials, do not tell them that I am here, just treat it as my death, and treat it as my death in Baisha River ¡­"


    She gasped for breath, as though she was unable to connect at all. Xiaowan hurriedly said: "I got it, we will not report you to the officials, and we will not hand you over to anyone else. You lie down, if you continue tormenting me, you will really die."


    Meng Lianyi''s breath was erratic, he fell down and closed her eyes, but a moment before she fell asleep she said, "Thank you."


    Everyone was silent, they arranged for her to stay, and then went back downstairs. Seeing Ling Chaofeng''s serious expression, Xiaowan obediently stood at the side, not daring to make a sound.


    The Aunt Zhang and the Uncle Biao''s gaze at each other seemed to have already communicated. Ershan slowly walked towards the house, but suddenly turned and said, "Shopkeeper, why not listen to Miss Meng and keep her."


    Xiaowan quickly agreed. "Husband, I had no choice but to promise her just now. Otherwise, if she keeps on tormenting herself and her life is about to end, she can''t go back on her word." She shook her head. "I really didn''t care."


    Ling Chaofeng lightly tapped her forehead. "You saw someone who escaped from the marriage, so you just blindly tried. Do you know that she is the daughter of the Lord Prefect?"


    Xiaowan immediately replied obediently, "I''ll listen to your decision."


    Aunt Zhang laughed and hugged her: "You are getting smarter and smarter now."


    Ling Chaofeng naturally could not just watch as she died. Furthermore, it was rare for Ershan to request anything in return, and she could not disappoint him, so he replied: "Wait until she recovers, then we can discuss more. If the people from the yamen manage to find his, then we can ask her three questions."

 C48

    Being able to make Miss Meng stay, Xiaowan was the happiest of all. She pulled Ling Chaofeng and said, "My husband is such a good person."


    Ling Chaofeng appeared to be displeased: "You didn''t sleep last night, so you should go rest first. Taking care of the patient is more important, and you shouldn''t tire yourself out."


    At the other side, Ershan quietly went back to his room, but Aunt Zhang intentionally asked: "Ershan, why did you take his purse?"


    Ershan hurriedly turned around, and his shy little brother blushed as he said awkwardly: "I caught her that day, I''ll pick her up if she falls to the ground."


    Uncle Biao said to his wife in annoyance: "Why are you teasing him?" Then, they chased Ershan to study, saying that even if it was lunch, they would send it over to him.


    And on the seventeenth day of the first month, the sky had cleared in the morning and it was already snowing heavily. I heard that there were monstrous waves on the Baisha River, and those who were in charge of the government, those who were in charge of the county, those who could help along the way, had all gone up. After fishing for two days, there were no corpses to be seen.


    In the afternoon, Ling Chaofeng went out against the snow and wind. Xiaowan was very worried and looked forward to see him back before nightfall, but Ling Chaofeng was fine.


    "Next time, if you don''t know how warm it is, then I''ll let you see." Ling Chaofeng rubbed her hands together, his ice-cold fingers slowly warming up on his palm. He was both angry and pained, "Didn''t I tell you to come back at night and wait here foolishly?"


    "Such a heavy snowstorm, I''m worried about you." Xiaowan looked at her husband as if he had not seen enough. Even if he was angry and glared at her, she was not afraid.


    However, Ling Chaofeng chided him: "Your sweet mouth is useless. You are not allowed to get sick, do you hear me?"


    Xiaowan laughed: "I''m not tall, but I''m sturdy."


    At this time, Aunt Zhang came over from the kitchen, and said while carrying the medicine, "Evening, let''s go and feed the medicine to Miss Meng."


    "He''s coming." The Xiaowan ran over and came back, saying to his hubby, "Hurry up and go upstairs to change your clothes, I''ve already put all of these on the bed for you. Put them on a chair, I''ll go and clean them later."


    In the room on the second floor, Meng Lianyi was still unconscious. She was woken up by the Aunt Zhang and had to carefully feed the soup.


    The Xiaowan pressed her forehead against the fire and laughed: "The fever has subsided a lot, but it''s still warm, and needs to be taken care of. You burned your hands like a stove last night, and I was afraid you''d burn your head off. "


    Lian Yi was extremely weak, and did not have the strength to converse with Xiaowan. However, this person kept smiling at her, and her beautiful big eyes were shining like pearls in the night.


    "What''s your name?" In her heart, Lian Yi finally opened her mouth as she envied this young lady for being able to live a carefree life.


    "My name is Xiaowan, my husband is surnamed Ling, my father is surnamed Mu." The Xiaowan said passionately, "You can call me whatever you want. After the new year, I will be 18 years old. Miss Meng, how old are you?


    Meng Lianyi turned her face away and ignored her. Seeing her like this, the Xiaowan did not say anymore and tucked her in. Just as she was about to leave, Lian Yi opened her mouth and said: "You know who I am, right?"


    The Xiaowan said, "Let''s guess, you are the Miss of the Lord Prefect. After all, only a bride passed by his door yesterday."


    Lian Yi said: "If you want to send me back, let them come and pick me up."


    "My husband said that when you recovered, you should decide where to go." Xiaowan''s expression was gentle, "Don''t let your thoughts run wild, first take care of your body, this disease of yours is no joke, you almost died."


    Lian Yi sneered: "It''s good that he died, but I don''t want to die for them, so I fell into the water and unconsciously started swimming. I wasn''t willing to freeze to death, and I didn''t want to drown either, so I swam to the shore."


    Xiaowan moved a chair over and sat down to listen quietly.


    Seeing that she was quiet and did not say much, Lian Yi relaxed and told Xiaowan what had happened.


    She wanted to commit suicide by jumping into a river, but she didn''t expect her body''s instinct and didn''t want to die. Sadly, no one on board was really willing to jump into the icy river to save her. By the time they had to jump in, she was already behind the boat and had climbed onto the shore.


    I walked along the river bank back to the pier, fainted in the woods, woke up, continued walking, and arrived here. Seeing that it was an inn, I wanted to find a place to stay, but I didn''t expect that once I opened the door, it would be the person who caught me that day. Lian Yi coughed a few times, and continued, "I just want to take back the money bag that my sister gave me, even if she dies, I can still find her underground."


    "Miss Meng, since you''ve survived, don''t go looking for death." The little girl gently smiled and touched her hand, "Having revived, you better not disappoint yourself." "When one comes back from the dead, it would be great."


    Xiaowan showed the words she had just learnt.


    Lian Yi said in disdain: "Why are you always so happy, why are there so many happy things?"


    Xiaowan said: "Do you feel more comfortable raising the corner of your mouth?"


    Lian Yi was stunned, but Xiaowan gestured at her. She unconsciously raised the corner of her mouth, and in an instant, her heart became clear.


    "I haven''t smiled since my sister died." Lian Yi said, "She was forced to her death by her husband, but my father still wanted to send me there. When my sister had calmed down in the past, she told me to never go her way, but not only did my father not pity her, he also wanted to send me there."


    "Is Eldest Miss being abused?" Anger surfaced on Xiaowan''s face.


    Lian Yi shook her head and said: "She had given birth to a daughter on the first year of marriage. From then on, her health was not very good, but her mother-in-law forced her to give birth to a son. He finally had a son two years ago, but he died three days later. "My father didn''t shed a single tear, but when he rushed to the capital, he had already arranged for my marriage. The people there felt that my aunt would be better off with her sister''s child than marrying someone else''s child, so they agreed."


    The Xiaowan said in heartache: "Are the eldest young miss''s children still in the capital?"


    Lian Yi laughed bitterly: "That is their family''s incense, they will not treat it badly. I am willing to take care of a pair of children for my sister, but my sister repeatedly reminded me not to follow her path and not to be sent to the capital as a gift from my father. I hate that family to the bone. If I marry them, my life will be over. "


    Hot tears rolled down her face as Meng Lianyi stubbornly wiped them away, but she could not stop coughing, causing her to lose half her life. Xiaowan hurriedly said: "When you''re done, let''s talk again.


    It was like this until nightfall. When Xiaowan returned to her room to rest, she laid in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace and listened to the sound of the wind blowing outside her window as she told her husband the story of the Miss Meng. She sighed with emotion, "


    Ling Chaofeng smiled gently and teased: "Now when our manager speaks, he can change his words."


    "What is a phrase?" The Xiaowan asked seriously.


    "I really can''t help but praise him." Ling Chaofeng tapped her on the cheek, "Idiot."


    The Xiaowan was unconvinced and rubbed his body against her body, messily drilling into her clothes. Ling Chaofeng felt pain from being pinched and hurriedly grabbed her hands, saying fiercely: "You''ve grown in abilities, you''re going to make a move now, right?"


    In the blink of an eye, the young lady was stripped to nothing. She covered her face and curled up into a ball under his husband''s body: "Husband, I don''t dare anymore."


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t want to let go of her and kept her in his embrace, trying to scare her. He was just trying to scare her, how could he bear to hurt her?


    Xiaowan timidly revealed her beautiful eyes through the gaps of her fingers, tenderly saying, "I want, I want ¡­"


    In the early morning, Xiaowan arrived in front of the door to clean up the snow with a glowing face. When she turned around, she saw Meng Lianyi standing in front of the window.


    Xiaowan looked around cautiously, then ran back into the tavern and came upstairs saying, "How did you get out of bed? Don''t stand by the window, you''ll be seen."


    "I''ll get up and let you go." Lian Yi replied and then said embarrassedly, "Is there anything to eat, I ¡­ I''m hungry."


    Aunt Zhang was carrying hot porridge as she entered the room. Smiling, she said, "Knowing hunger means getting better. You''re still young after all."


    Those who were sick, even though they were hungry, ate with all their might. After drinking two bowls of porridge, they were so tired that they leaned against their pillows and panted. However, they didn''t forget to laboriously thank the two.


    On the other hand, she reminded Xiaowan of that young lady who was captured by a large group of people last year. Xiaowan did not know how she was doing, and only hoped that all the good girls in the world would not be bullied.


    Just like this, the Prefect''s daughter stayed in the inn for four or five days. Her body gradually recovered, and her complexion was also returning to normal. When the medicine in the tavern was almost finished, Ershan took the initiative to go to the town to catch some medicine. The Aunt Zhang said that he was bored studying in his room and that it would be good if he went for a walk.


    The doctor was an acquaintance of Ling Chaofeng, so he would naturally keep this a secret. However, when Ershan left the clinic with all those medicines, the patrolling Fast Catcher saw him and told him about the medicine. The smart Constable Li felt that something was amiss.


    The county magistrate had to see the corpse and force him to send people to salvage the place. However, on such a cold day, how many people could be swimming in the cold river and look back, yet could not find the corpse? This caused several innocent lives to be taken.


    If the county magistrate was suppressed by his superior, it would be hard to protect his Constable Li errand. He had both seniors and juniors, he could not easily lose his job, although he had a good relationship with Ling Chaofeng, but this matter, could not be casually resolved.


    The closest place to where Miss Meng fell into the water was where she could land with only Ling Xiao Inn. However, they had all thought that she would not be able to come out of the water or would be washed away, so they had never thought that she would be able to run to the inn.


    In any case, whether it was true or not, it was impossible to know by not walking around. If Miss Meng was really there, it would solve the problem.


    Just like this, the county magistrate immediately reported the news to the magistrate, in order to prevent himself from sticking out and clashing with Ling Chaofeng. When Prefect Meng heard that his daughter might be missing, he immediately brought his men and rushed to the Baisha Town.


    Night time, the entire family was eating dinner, there were many people coming from outside, a few Fast Catcher s rushed into the tavern, holding onto their swords, they stood at the door, and asked viciously: "Which one is Ling Chaofeng?"


    Ling Chaofeng frowned slightly as he stood up. A few more people came in from behind, led by a very arrogant person, and beside him, were the familiar county magistrate and Constable Li.


    "My daughter is in your shop?" Prefect Meng was angered until his face turned green, not giving Ling Chaofeng time to explain, he waved his hand, "Search him."


    Everyone left the table. Xiaowan also rushed forward, just as she was about to ask Jade Ring to solve this problem, her husband grabbed her right hand.


    Originally, Ling Chaofeng was afraid that the Xiaowan would rush forward to stop his from getting hurt by those people. He struggled a little, but Ling Chaofeng misunderstood that she had to go and stop him, so he said softly: "Don''t move recklessly, if you want to keep her, you will know that this day will come."


    Very quickly, they heard the lady screaming, and shouted "Let me go". Meng Lianyi was carried by two servant like men, and two middle-aged women followed inside, taking her in from both sides. Lian Yi''s body was not fully recovered, and could not even struggle.


    "Bastard!" Prefect Meng became angry from the embarrassment. He directly slapped his daughter in front of everyone, causing her to bleed at the corner of her mouth. She shouted sternly, "Are you trying to kill this old man? "What are you guys doing, take her back to me."


    "Let me go, let me go!" Meng Lianyi struggled with all her might, but in the end, she was carried out to the carriage by a servant and stuffed into it.


    Prefect Meng swept his cold gaze over the people in the store. Just as he was about to berate them, the county magistrate walked up and whispered a few words into his ear.


    After the large group left, Ling Chaofeng released Xiaowan. He rushed to the door and just as he was about to make his wish, Ling Chaofeng walked up to her from behind and said: "Late at night, everyone has their own fate. Don''t be sad, it''s not like everyone can struggle through fate, our abilities are limited."


    Xiaowan turned around and asked with tears in her eyes, "I was careful to hide her, how did I get discovered?"


    Ling Chaofeng comforted her: "When I go and find out, Constable Li will give me an explanation."


    Ershan stood at the side and said angrily: "Could it be that when I was going to grab the medicine, someone saw me?"

 C49

    Ling Chaofeng said calmly: As things are now, the Miss Meng has her own fate. This time, there is a conflict with the officials, and it is already a big taboo. These few days, all of you are staying in the shop and do not go out.


    Ershan walked back to his room, his entire body was stiff, as though he was sure that he was not careful in the town and that someone had noticed something amiss in the tavern, that''s why he was brought back to Miss Meng.


    On the other hand, Ling Chaofeng was most afraid of Xiaowan''s impulsiveness. He brought her back to the house and explained many things to her, but he didn''t know if his wife was thinking of using her ring to save Miss Meng.


    The last time she made a wish to instantly bring Susu and Auntie Chen to the Baisha River Pier, she didn''t know what to do next. When the next time she made a wish was at least beyond a son, anything could happen before then.


    That time, she had coincidentally met Miss Yue, which was why she saved Susu and Auntie Chen. This time, she did not know how Miss Meng would be treated, nor did she know where she was, and how Xiaowan would save her.


    "Late?" Seeing his wife in a daze, Ling Chaofeng said, "Don''t worry, I will investigate this matter and will not leave her alone."


    Xiaowan nodded her head obediently: "I will not run out, and will not force myself to do anything. Hubby, I know what is important and what is not."


    Ling Chaofeng heaved a sigh of relief and comforted her, "You just think, if she is married, at least her biological sister''s children will not get bullied by others, at least Miss Meng will have an explanation for her elder sister."


    "But what about her?" Xiaowan''s gaze was bright as he asked Yue Yang seriously.


    Ling Chaofeng actually could not answer that.


    He gradually realized that because of the appearance of the Xiaowan, he had undergone a miraculous change.


    "I am going to clean up Miss Meng''s house." The Xiaowan said as he left the bedroom and went to the guest room on the second floor.


    During the day, they were still talking about it here. Everyday, there was no taste in her mouth when she ate the porridge dishes, but when Lian Yi was better, they invited Uncle Biao to make a big table of delicious food for her.


    Xiaowan opened her window to take a breather. The moonlight was dim and cold wind was blowing across her face, she raised her right hand to her heart and muttered: "I hope Miss Meng can marry the man she wants to marry."


    Xiaowan did not know if this could be considered a wish, nor did she know if it would be realized in the future, but this was her most pious wish to Miss Meng.


    Two days after that, the tavern was quiet. Ling Chaofeng had gone to the town and the Constable Li had given him an explanation.


    Ling Chaofeng did not handle this matter thoroughly, so the Constable Li and the others were also dishonest and were even.


    Ling Chaofeng understood that this was after all, the daughter of the Prefect. Although in his eyes, the Prefecture Overseer was nothing special, but in the martial arts world, compared to Meng Lianyi, there were more important things, and even more important people.


    Ling Chaofeng did not say that it was Ershan who exposed his identity. He only told Xiaowan that he was recuperating at home. The Xiaowan did not pester him incessantly. Now, she had absolute faith in her man, even if there was something that did not suit her, she knew that her husband must have his reasons for doing so.


    At most, she would only feel regret: "Miss Meng promises her elder sister, that she will never follow her old path."


    That day, it was a clear day. Xiaowan woke up early to clean the door and saw that many people were walking towards the pier in carts and donkeys carriages. They were all carrying their luggage as if they were going on a long journey or had been gone for a long time.


    Xiaowan suddenly remembered that her father should be leaving in the next few days. Usually, he would come back in November. Last year, he came back early because Ling Chaofeng went to find him.


    Sure enough, within the Qingling Village, the men who had to go out to work were all ready to leave. Master Mu had already packed his stuff, and they were leaving tomorrow.


    In the beginning, Madam Xu wanted to take her child back to her parents'' home in a fit of anger, but under Aunt Wang''s persuasion, she swallowed her anger and served the man well.


    The Aunt Wang told her that she had served the man well, and only then did the Master Mu say a few good words in front of the Xiaowan.


    At this time, he was about to go away. His heart softened as he took out ten taels of silver and said: "I originally wanted to save it for myself. I knew it wouldn''t be easy for you, so go spend it and buy yourself some good clothes to wear."


    Madam Xu was carrying silver but she was muttering in her heart. I wonder if this old thing still hid silver, I wonder if this is his wages or her daughter''s pocket money, it could store 10 taels, maybe even 20 taels. She obviously searched through his entire body when she returned home, where did he hide this?


    "I''ll be back this summer." The Master Mu said, "Since I''m old, I might as well have some strength from before. I''ll be back in the summer to rest for two months, then I''ll go back in the early autumn and return in the middle of the summer."


    Madam Xu was embarrassed, but she did not say it: "Your body is more important, I see that you don''t have to go. If you ask your son-in-law to raise you, how can he not agree?


    The Master Mu said, "Listen to me, if you have nothing better to do, don''t go and cause trouble. How can you be so naive to anger Ling Chaofeng, are you not afraid of Wen Bao, and be abused by him in the future by the Queen?"


    Madam Xu ignored him and helped him pack his things as an excuse. She then touched her bag once more to see if there was any money hidden. She wanted to go with him, and then bring the silver back to the pier. However, the moment she asked him to, he rejected her and didn''t ask her to follow him.


    The next day, Xiaowan waited outside the shop with a bag in her arms. There was a boat at the dock in the afternoon, if father didn''t come now, she would wait for him tomorrow, but coincidentally, Master Mu was riding on this boat today.


    As the father and daughter met, Ling Chaofeng also greeted them from the side. He wanted them to be able to speak alone, so he took a carriage and prepared to personally send his father-in-law to the pier.


    Master Mu said to Xiaowan: "It''s been a few more months since we last met. Your complexion is getting better and you have grown taller."


    The Xiaowan said, "We ate well in the tavern. We had big fish and big meat everyday." She looked at her father and asked, "Has father been well this year? I know that you must be hoping for me to return and take a look at you, but now that I''m married, I don''t want to go back. I didn''t even live a good day in Qingling Village, and even though I miss you, there isn''t anything that''s worthy for me to stay for. "


    "I''m fine." Master Mu laughed. "She doesn''t dare to mess with me, if she leaves me then who would she rely on? Forget it, it''s all in the past now. Xiao''er, follow the Manager Ling well and give birth to a big fat kid as soon as possible. "


    Xiaowan laughed: "Take care of yourself, don''t think about me."


    After that, Ling Chaofeng brought the carriage over and helped her father into the carriage. Xiaowan placed the things she prepared for father onto the carriage, and stuffed a large bag of copper coins into her father''s arms, saying that silver was not easy to use, and that copper coins were more convenient. She reminded him to take care of her, so she did not follow, and only sent Ling Chaofeng to deliver it.


    She stood at the side of the road and watched as her father left. Aunt Zhang came out and gently said, "Don''t worry, your father will take good care of himself."


    The Xiaowan replied, "I''m not worried about anything. I''m used to him travelling far away like this in the past, but actually, it''s not possible to hope for his return. The Queen Mother is still hitting me, so he pretended not to see her. However, at least he did not beat me. Even if the stepmother was anxious to jump up and down, he would not do anything to me. I know this in my heart. "


    Aunt Zhang sighed, "Every family has its share of problems. That day when Master Meng slapped his daughter to the point where her face became distorted, could it be that he is already a father?"


    The Xiaowan said worriedly: "I wonder how Miss Meng is doing now. I hope she doesn''t get beaten up. I''d rather she continued to be a thief in town. "


    They entered the house and wiped off the chairs on the table. There was a chance that guests would come over to eat dinner when it was dark, so Uncle Biao came over to ask them what they wanted to eat for dinner. After that he went to look for Ershan.


    Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang both shook their heads. "He''s not studying in his room?"


    Everyone headed to the backyard, inside Ershan''s house, there were piles of books piled up on the brick bed. It didn''t look weird, but they had all disappeared, and had already put on his winter boots.


    "Where did the child go? When did he leave?" The Aunt Zhang muttered, "He would greet the shopkeeper everyday when he goes out. What''s wrong with him today? Did he only tell the shopkeeper about it?"


    An hour later, he finally managed to bring Ling Chaofeng back. Xiaowan ran over and asked, "Husband, do you know where Ershan has gone to?"


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "One of the horses is missing from the stable. I had thought that he had gone to ride his horse, looks like he really went out."


    Xiaowan asked, "Where will he go?"


    Ling Chaofeng frowned slightly, and became a little angry: "If he''s dizzy, then let him be. Since you''re asking for it, you can take it. "


    Xiaowan didn''t really understand, but she knew that her husband was angry, and after that, Aunt Zhang and him didn''t mention anything anymore, as if they had a tacit understanding. It was only when they were bathing that Aunt Zhang whispered to her, "That foolish brat might have gone to find Miss Meng."


    Xiaowan was surprised: "Ershan? Go to Miss Meng? "


    Aunt Zhang laughed leisurely and asked her: "You didn''t see anything?"


    "See what?"


    "Can''t you see the love in the eyes of others when you and the shopkeeper are intimate with each other all day?" Aunt Zhang laughed, "Silly girl, your Little Big Brother Ershan has fallen for the mortal world."


    Xiaowan finally understood and asked excitedly: "Ershan has set his eyes on Miss Meng?"


    She was originally a little happy, but since Ling Chaofeng was still angry, she could only obediently stay by his side, not daring to make a move. Otherwise, even she would be scolded, and the two of them would sleep in each other''s arms.


    Ling Chaofeng said coldly: "Sleep."


    That night, Xiaowan had many strange dreams, and the next morning, the inn''s door was knocked. Hearing the Constable Li''s voice, he shouted loudly: "Manager Ling, open the door."


    When they came down to open the door while wearing their clothes, it was usually Ershan who did it. Since he was not here today, Ling Chaofeng could only do it himself.


    Xiaowan hid behind his husband, and only heard him say: "Quickly go to the prefectural yamen, your family''s Ershan has been captured. We beat him up last night, but he still needs to be beaten up today.

 C50

    The local yamen office had no authority to kill. They did not dare to easily kill anyone. Beating people was usually limited to twenty boards a day. Once the score was finished, they would not easily be beaten to death.


    Constable Li was a member of the yamen, yet he still informed Ling Chaofeng like this. It could be seen that Ershan had been lynched, outsiders might not know, but in this case, there was no telling whether he would live or die.


    Ling Chaofeng cupped his fists: "Recently, I have been causing trouble for Brother Li. After I settle this issue, I will apologize to Brother Li, and then treat you to a drink."


    Constable Li sighed, "No need for the wine, the county magistrate has also ordered me to pass on a message. Manager Ling, the new king has ascended to the throne, one day, the new emperor has ascended to the throne. Although the inn has many contacts with the noble officials in the capital, no one knows how it will turn out, so I hope that you can be more cautious. "


    "Thank you very much." Ling Chaofeng''s expression was solemn, the Constable Li was not joking around, he ran out hurriedly and stuffed a big bag of salted duck eggs, telling him to bring them back for the children to eat.


    Xiaowan turned around and rushed upstairs, wanting to prepare some clothes for her husband to wear, but Ling Chaofeng was acting leisurely. He even asked Uncle Biao to prepare breakfast, and anxiously shouted: "Hurry up and change clothes, come over here."


    But Xiang Li also ignored her, only Aunt Zhang waved her hand, telling her not to worry.


    After waiting for an hour, Xiaowan tiptoed to pass a belt for Hubby s windbreaker. Ling Chaofeng intentionally said, "I still do not have a knee guard on."


    Xiaowan said, "It''s not cold today."


    Ling Chaofeng was annoyed and amused. "So Ershan is more important than me?"


    Xiaowan was actually extremely anxious. "Constable Li has said that if you go too late, Ershan will be beaten to death."


    After finally sending Hubby out the door, Xiaowan finally remembered her warning and shouted loudly, "Hubby, be careful on the way!"


    After Ling Chaofeng left, the Xiaowan heaved a sigh of relief. He then heard the Aunt Zhang say from behind, "He was not killed at the yamen, he was afraid that he would be crippled by the shopkeeper even if he returns."


    Xiaowan looked at her aunt in shock. "Hubby, he ¡­"


    Aunt Zhang said: "Didn''t I tell you before, the shopkeeper taught Ershan very strictly. Although Ershan is not the adopted son of Old Madem, he treats Ershan as his own little brother. Ershan did not like to dance with swords and spears, so the shopkeeper did not force him. He liked to read and write, so he invited the best private school teacher for him. "Say, what do you think of this matter? If the Prefect is angered, he will have the qualification to take the Academy Entrance Examination into his hands, which will bring about a lot of trouble."


    The Xiaowan asked, "What will happen then? Can you still take the Elementary Scholar examination? "


    The Aunt Zhang calculated and said, "The Academy Competition has happened three years and two times. This time, it won''t happen for long until next summer, but the homecoming examination only happens once every three years. If we miss this August''s homecoming examination, we will have to wait for another three years.


    If he couldn''t pass the examinations, then three years would be three years. In the blink of an eye, ten years would have passed. No wonder the old Elementary Scholar was able to pass the examinations for the rest of his life. Just thinking about it, Xiaowan felt that it was really hard.


    The Aunt Zhang sighed, "If we can make it in time for this year, then at least we''ll benefit from three years of rewards, no? The shopkeeper naturally wouldn''t let him slip away so easily, but he still had to go through a lot of connections. We didn''t have anything to do with the Prefect, so if we do get involved, we might get into trouble in the future. Not to mention the shopkeeper being angry, even I am angry. How could this child not understand? "


    Xiaowan said softly: "Didn''t Aunt say that he had a heart of a mortal?"


    Uncle Biao came out with Xiaowan''s breakfast. A large bowl of hot, knobbly soup was in front of him, and as he called for supper, he laughed and said: "Young people are full of vigor.


    Aunt Zhang stared at him: "I didn''t learn from you well."


    Uncle Biao extended his arm to hug her as he said with eyes full of love, "The ability to marry a wife naturally has to be learnt from me."


    Aunt Zhang blushed and scolded softly, "The child is watching us, we have no skin and no face."


    Seeing that his uncle and aunt were loving each other, the Xiaowan laughed heartily. Being urged by the Aunt Zhang to eat when it was still hot, his cheeks bulged out as he spoke indistinctly: "Ershan married his wife. Is he still staying in the shop?


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "Silly girl, if he became an official, he would naturally have his own residence. If he is not in the capital, he might not be with us.


    Xiaowan was startled: "We are going to split up?"


    Aunt Zhang replied, "Of course."


    The Xiaowan had long treated Ershan as her family''s older brother. However, she suddenly said that they would inevitably be separated far in the future, and couldn''t help feeling a little melancholy. It seemed that the relatives that she had lived for seventeen years were finally going to part.


    After breakfast, Xiao Wan cleaned up the inn diligently, and brought a few cups of water to passersby. When it was almost noon, a carriage arrived with a fragrant aroma.


    Yue Huaiyin and Susu were sitting in the carriage, they stopped and greeted the Xiaowan through the window, and Susu laughed: "Evening, are you waiting for us?"


    Xiaowan waved her hand and said a few perfunctory words. The so-called family was ugly and could not be made public, young lady understood this very well.


    Yue Huaiyin was as gentle and demure as ever, the horse carriage left not long after, but when they returned with the goods, Ling Chaofeng had also returned with the horse carriage.


    Ershan was carried out of the carriage by Uncle Biao. Not only was he beaten up, his face was also ugly, there was a wound on his forehead and his mouth was swollen like a mountain. Just looking at him made Xiaowan feel so much heartache that her eyes were full of tears.


    However, Ling Chaofeng was filled with anger, he did not pity him in the slightest and even berated the Xiaowan: "What are you feeling bad about, it hit you?"


    Xiaowan felt that Ling Chaofeng was too heartless, she didn''t want to bother with him for a while, so she followed him to take care of Ershan and forgot about him.


    Outside, Yue Huaiyin got off the car and asked kindly: "Manager Ling, what''s going on? How did you get beaten up like that?"


    "Causing trouble outside, you are still young and inexperienced, please tell Miss Yue to be worried." Ling Chaofeng was very polite, he did not kick anyone out and instead invited them in, "Miss Yue, come take a seat at the shop and drink some tea to warm your body."


    Yue Huaiyin was sensible and quickly said: "You guys are busy right now, how can I cause any more trouble, I''m leaving now. Manager Ling, we are all on the same side, if there''s anything I can help you with, please do not hold back. "


    Ling Chaofeng thanked him and watched Yue Huaiyin leave. A moment of anger appeared on his face once again, he walked towards the backyard, only to see Xiaowan blocking his way and chuckling at him.


    "Hubby." The Xiaowan''s voice was soft and gentle as she grabbed onto Ling Chaofeng''s sleeves and said, "Are you thirsty, hungry and hungry? I''ll make you some food.


    His fingers tightly gripped his sleeves, obviously wanting to stop from going to see Ershan. Ling Chaofeng said coldly: "I''m going to teach Ershan, don''t interfere, do you want to teach me?"


    Xiaowan wanted to say "I''ll teach", but if she said it, it would be her turn to be taught a lesson.


    Seeing her husband, who was covered in cold air, heading towards Ershan''s room, Xiaowan held her right hand, thinking to herself, she wanted Ling Chaofeng to go upstairs and rest, she must not hit anyone.


    He thought that Ling Chaofeng would immediately turn around and return, but he entered the door in the blink of an eye, followed by Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang being chased out. Xiaowan raised her right hand and looked again.


    The sounds of whipping came out, causing Xiaowan''s heart to jump. Fortunately, they did not hit for long, so after a few moments, the whole room was quiet. Aunt Zhang spoke faintly: "Did you get stunned by the whipping, or did you kill yourself?"


    Xiaowan was scared half to death. Aunt Zhang immediately laughed: "Silly girl, shopkeeper knows her place. Ershan deserves a beating."


    "Aunt, how severe is Ershan''s injury?" Xiaowan did not follow him in and asked worriedly, "Does our shop have any ointment?"


    Aunt Zhang said: "I remember that there is one in the warehouse. I didn''t finish buying it for Susu previously, but I need to find it."


    The two of them headed towards the storage room. There were a variety of things piled up here, and it would take a while for them to turn everything over and over again, causing Xiaowan to recall that her wish to Ling Chaofeng to fail, thus she had an idea. She raised her right hand, and when she opened her eyes, the two bottles of pills were in his hands.


    "Aunt, I found it." Xiaowan was very happy, the Jade Ring was not bad.


    When he came back with the ointment, Ling Chaofeng had coincidentally come out of Ershan''s room. When he saw them, he slipped away with Xiaowan, saying that it was inconvenient for a young man like Ershan to stay by his side.


    Returning back to the house, Xiaowan held onto her clothes as she watched Ling Chaofeng change his clothes. She was lost in thought as to why her wish did not work.


    After such a long time, Xiaowan had gradually understood the magic of Jade Ring, and she had to clench her fist when making her wish. Her wish had to be clear, if she were to think about all sorts of things at the same time, Jade Ring would not be able to hear it, but she definitely did not make a mistake just now, how could she not hear it?


    "What are you thinking?" After Ling Chaofeng was dressed neatly, he took the clothes in her hands and hung them on the shelves, and asked snappily: What are you doing in a daze?


    "It''s not like I made a mistake, so don''t get angry at me." The Xiaowan was getting more and more "courageous".


    Ling Chaofeng sighed softly. "If you had made a mistake, it would have been fine. What mistake could you have made, but that brat ¡­"


    Seeing that her husband was truly angry, Xiaowan did not dare to cause trouble and gently said, "Calm down, things can always be resolved, right?"


    Unexpectedly, Ling Chaofeng said coldly: "We should not have let them take away Miss Meng back then."


    Xiaowan thought she misheard, and immediately asked: "Why do you say that, could it be that Miss Meng is not good?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head: "After returning, Miss Meng suffered from repeated illness, and now he is on the verge of death. Last night, Ershan wanted to steal the person out, he is to blame for not being able to learn martial arts before. Prefect Meng was furious. If he did not still care about the inn, he would have killed himself with a stick. He did not save his own life, and almost compensating himself for it, you stupid brat. "


    Although her husband was strict with his words and showed concern for Ershan, Xiaowan was at ease, but when she thought of how Miss Meng was on the verge of death, her heart ached. However, in order to test if the Jade Ring was still alive, she used up today''s opportunity. She hoped that no matter what, Miss Meng would help her survive until tonight.


    When Yue Huaiyin saw this kind of thing happening in an inn, sshe couldn''t help but be curious about it. After returning to the Baisha Town, he inquired a lot, and heard that it was related to the Prefecture Overseer''s daughter who had committed suicide a while ago.


    "It seems like something that the Ling Xiao Inn would do." Yue Huaiyin said to Little Cui who had sent the news, "They always save the dying and help the wounded to show their loyalty to the hero."


    However, Little Cui said, "This servant heard that the little brother in the inn is a scholar. In the second month, he is going to participate in the Regional Academy''s examinations and take the Elementary Scholar examination."


    Yue Huaiyin was amazed: "Then it really is a crouching tiger hiding dragon."


    Little Cui said: "They said that since the Lord Prefect was unhappy, crippling his qualification to consult was just a waste of effort. "This little brother is not that light, he does not have the ability to learn from others. If he provokes the Prefect, his future will be ruined."


    However, it just so happened that he had the right to decide whether or not children were qualified to participate in the Academy Competition. There were even people who took advantage of the situation to accept bribes, and that was only because of those people who were able to pass all the trials in their journey, no matter how much thought they put into it, or how much luck they had, they were destined to be extraordinary.


    Miss, do you want to help Manager Ling? After following his for a long time, although they did not know where Yue Huaiyin truly came from, but she was extremely popular in the government, so everyone knew what he was up to. There was a reason behind why they were able to open the rouge shop within the Baisha Town. On the day they came, magistrate had personally paid them a visit in secret.


    Yue Huaiyin thought for a while: "We''ll see. You go and find Susu first, I have some orders."


    Ling Chaofeng did not come out of the house. When the Xiaowan brought the food over, he only saw Hubby standing by the window with his hands behind his back. When she left just now, he was already standing there, did he not move at all?


    "Don''t catch a cold while you''re standing." Seeing him turn around, he continued, "Ershan has already fallen asleep. Uncle Biao said that he has not injured any bones, and will recover after a few days."


    Ling Chaofeng indifferently nodded his head, seeing the dishes on the table, he asked: "Have you eaten yet?"


    Xiaowan said, "In the morning, after you left home, I had a big bowl of broth and held on."


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "Are you feeling bad?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "It''s not bad."


    She threw herself at her husband, wrapped her arms around his waist, and lifted her eyes to put his face in her eyes. "Don''t be angry," she said bitterly.


    Ling Chaofeng became a bit more gentle: "You''re so obedient, so considerate, and every time I see you, I feel so at ease in my heart. Why can''t I help you?"


    "Really?" Xiaowan gently touched his chest, "I''ll let you go smoothly."


    Ling Chaofeng kissed her lightly on the forehead: "It''s good to be late."


    The Xiaowan calmed down a little, and pulled the husband along to see him eat the rice. Ling Chaofeng did not have much appetite, he calculated in his heart, how to deal with the Prefect Meng, that was really an old cunning fox, detestable.


    Xiaowan said in a kind tone, "Hubby, wait for Ershan to recover, don''t hit him again. He''s a young lad, yet he''s beaten up at such a young age. He can''t even show his face."


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "Prefect Meng threatened me to abolish Ershan''s qualification to participate in the Academy Competition."


    Xiaowan was instantly angered: Threatening you, what is he threatening you with?

 C51

    "If you want gold and silver, it is actually the easiest thing to do. Right now, it is a bit complicated. After I finish doing it, I''ll explain it to you in detail." Ling Chaofeng rubbed Xiaowan''s head and said, "This time, if you meddle in other people''s business, hide Miss Meng or bring him away, if you do not tell Prefect Meng to find you, then there will not be such troubles.


    However, Xiaowan was not stupid and quickly said: "I won''t fall for your trick. Next time, if anything happens, I will just meddle and cause trouble. You will not remember what you said today and will only scold me until my head is drenched in dog blood."


    Ling Chaofeng was annoyed: "When did I scold you so badly?"


    Xiaowan said as she flipped through her old scores, "When I first entered the Xiaowan, you scolded me everyday. I was walking in a loud voice, yet you scolded me ¡­"


    "Really?" It was not that Ling Chaofeng didn''t remember it, but the Xiaowan was so lovable, he didn''t think that he would be willing to blame her.


    "Then I was just spouting nonsense." Xiaowan snickered and leaned on his shoulder, caressing Ling Chaofeng''s back, she said gently, "Hubby, don''t be angry, I will love you dearly."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed, "This is the first time in my life that I''ve heard someone say that they would love me dearly."


    Xiaowan said, "Then I am the only one. No one is allowed to speak of me again."


    Under her persuasion, Ling Chaofeng more or less ate something. Xiaowan knew that he had to think of something, so he stopped messing with him and brought a pot of tea up.


    In the afternoon, just as she was filling up the water for the foreigners that passed by, Susu came over on a cart with a bag in her hands. She put it down as soon as she entered the door and said: "These are some good medicine, my young miss asked me to send them over to Ershan for use. There''s still work to be done in the shop. Evening, I''ll be leaving now. "


    The Xiaowan thanked him and thanked him outside the door, then returned to rummage through his luggage. He paid particular attention to the things inside the Siyun Pavilion, and even the batons that were used to wipe his ass were stored in exquisite bottles.


    Although Xiaowan felt that Yue Huaiyin made her feel a bit uncomfortable, she was not so stingy.


    He had no appetite and did not want to eat what the Aunt Zhang had sent him. The Aunt Zhang had scolded him angrily for causing trouble, and now that Ershan was six years old and had come to the inn, the Aunt Zhang took care of him like a mother. Naturally, he did not dare talk back, and could only feel depressed and angry.


    Xiaowan persuaded her aunt to leave, put down the medicine, then squatted under the brick bed and looked up at the little brother lying on the ground, chuckling: "Does it hurt?"


    Ershan was shy to begin with, his face red, he did not dare look at Xiaowan.


    Xiaowan said: "I always thought you were older than me, so I treated you as my big brother. But today, I suddenly realised, I''m your sister-in-law, Ershan, I''m your sister-in-law right?"


    Ershan knew that the shopkeeper had always seen him as his younger brother. In his heart, the shopkeeper was also his elder brother whom he respected the most, so the Xiaowan was naturally his sister-in-law.


    "I have to listen to sister-in-law." The Xiaowan said, "Eat well and recuperate from your injuries, so that you can have the chance to save Miss Meng. Otherwise, if you can''t even get out of the door, what use is that?"


    Ershan nodded and did not say a word.


    Xiaowan laughed again: "Don''t be afraid of Ling Chaofeng, with me here, I won''t let him hit you again. How can I let a big brother see how badly his little brother has been beaten up and continue to beat him up even after death? "If anything happens in the future, let sister-in-law help you and stop him from harming you anymore. This person relies on his height to scare people at every turn. I''m not afraid of him."


    Ershan was amused by the Xiaowan, and the Xiaowan told him not to worry about the Miss Meng, and advised him to be at ease.


    In her heart, she knew that no matter what, using the Jade Ring s to make a wish would help protect the Miss Meng. Right now, what was most important was whether or not Ershan could successfully participate in the Academy Competition. Whether she should help Ling Chaofeng or to make a wish for him, it turned out that she had some kind of mysterious power.


    Seeing that Ershan had eaten, Xiaowan relaxed and happily retreated. She turned around and bumped into Ling Chaofeng.


    Ling Chaofeng had actually decided on something and came to tell Ershan, but he just so happened to hear the Xiaowan flaunting that she was her sister-in-law, even messing with him.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan felt guilty.


    "Sister-in-law?" Ling Chaofeng smiled, but his eyebrows held a powerful look.


    However, this was not the time to act coquettishly. Ling Chaofeng had something important to discuss with Ershan, and if he was unable to successfully participate in the Academy Competition this time around, he would have to wait three more years for the homecoming competition. At the age of nineteen, Ershan could still afford to wait.


    They spoke as they closed the door. Xiaowan was wandering around the backyard, and not long later, Ling Chaofeng came out. Xiaowan obediently ran over and asked politely, "Husband, is there anything you want me to do?"


    Ling Chaofeng bent his body slightly, and looked at her with a smile. "How can I have the nerve to work like a sister-in-law?"


    Xiaowan muttered: "I am just teasing Ershan to be happy ¡­."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head: "He is indeed happy, but I am not. Is he just a big stupid guy who relies on his tall stature to scare people?"


    Xiaowan was amused instead. She knew that he would not be angry and asked curiously, "Master, is there a good way?"


    Ling Chaofeng ignored him and went straight to the shop, Xiaowan following him all the way up.


    In the main hall, the Aunt Zhang was helping the Uncle Biao store tobacco, the two of them noticed it, and laughed: "I never knew that Chao Feng would like a girl like the Xiaowan, he is a proud and aloof person, a loner in the martial arts world, but he is called a cute and cute young lady."


    Uncle Biao said: "Everything has its limits, the temperament of other people are cold and aloof, how would they dare approach him, Xiaowan''s thoughts are simple, warm and considerate, she does not care about those useless people, she brazenly broke into the heart of Chu Feng, how can Chu Feng not like him. This is fate, right? When he asked the matchmaker to go and propose marriage, she didn''t even look at it herself. I had originally thought that things would be difficult for me. I didn''t expect such a cute child to come. "


    The Aunt Zhang helped him pack the tobacco, and then lit it up again, and laughed: "I was unable to give you a child, so the heavens sent me a pair too, Ershan and the Xiaowan are both my best children."


    Uncle Biao was not in a hurry to smoke, he hugged his wife and said: "This is all fate, us too."


    That night, after Xiaowan was severely "punished" by Hubby, instead of falling asleep lazily like usual, he opened his eyes and waited for midnight to come before immediately sending Miss Meng a "Life Protection Talisman".


    At the same time, tens of kilometers away in the residence of the Prefect, Meng Lianyi who was on the verge of death finally opened her eyes. Her servant girl said with tears in her eyes: "Miss, you have finally woken up.


    Lian Yi held onto the servant girl''s hand and asked: "How is that person?"


    She remembered that before she fainted, Ershan, who had picked up her purse, had suddenly appeared in front of her.


    Her father was furious, he had firmly believed that they were having a secret relationship, and before Lian Yi could argue, she had fainted.


    After soaking in the icy cold river, Meng Lianyi had fainted while walking ten miles while dragging her frozen body. It was not easy for Meng Lianyi to survive this ordeal, she had finally managed to recover half her life from the Ling Xiao Inn, yet her father snatched her back, waiting for her to die.


    The servant girl said, "It seems like someone came and took him away. Miss, don''t worry."


    There was someone coming from outside the door. The servant girl had gone to report the Miss''s awakening, and the Mrs. Meng had rushed over. As his own flesh and blood, how could the mother not take pity on him?


    Mrs. Meng tearfully said to his daughter, "Yi''er, today, the capital sent a letter saying that they would withdraw the marriage."


    Lian Yi opened her eyes, in disbelief.


    Mrs. Meng said: "They think that you went to the river to commit suicide, so even if they found you, it would be unlucky. Furthermore, your sister''s fate is too poor, I''m afraid you won''t be lucky, so taking this opportunity, they have annulled the engagement."


    Lian Yi''s eyes were brimming with tears. She did not care what others thought of her, no matter what, she did not need to marry anymore.


    Mrs. Meng continued, "But now that you have been annulled, it will not be good for the family in the future, so it will naturally be easy for you to rely on your father''s identity. Mother only advised you to stop messing around, to not sneak out to play, and to not make your father angry again. "Yi''er, you have to think about your mother''s position as well. If you''re not good, then he''ll blame me for not being able to teach him. If not, then I won''t have any face in front of my concubines."


    Lian Yi smiled desolately. She didn''t care about anything, since in this family, no one cared about her. The only person that cared about her, her sister, was gone a long time ago.


    Mrs. Meng asked: "Yi''er, do you and that man have anything to do with each other? Otherwise, why would you go to their inn and why would he look for you? Yi''er, you are the daughter of the Prefecture Lord, you can''t be so lowly with your status. Even if you can''t marry into the capital, there are still plenty of good families waiting for you to choose. Your father is very angry, so don''t ever bring this up again, okay? "


    But Lian Yi''s eyes lit up, she had imitated what the Xiaowan had taught her, even if she did not want to laugh, she had to do her best to raise her mouth, and her heart became bright for an instant. She did not expect that other than her elder sister, there was another person in this world who cared about her.


    The Mrs. Meng chattered on endlessly, saying, "I heard from your father that he is still a scholar who is about to participate in the Academy''s examination. Your father wants to cripple his right to consult."


    Meng Lianyi frowned, her heart was filled with chill. Could she do anything for Ershan?


    In a blink of an eye, the second month had come. Ershan relied on his young foundation to recover, the wounds on his body had almost healed long ago, the fifteenth of the second month was also the Academy Exam, there were only a few days left.


    Ling Chaofeng received the news and informed Xiaowan and Ershan that Miss Meng was safe, her body was gradually recovering, and once the marriage was annulled in the capital, she would not be forced to marry out of the city for the time being, so Ershan was more or less relieved. However, the question of whether or not he would be able to participate in the Academy Competition had yet to come to an end.


    Ling Chaofeng said that the Prefect Meng was too cunning, and maybe he would give them a hard time on the day of the Academy Exam, forcing Ling Chaofeng to compromise for his purposes.


    As for the Xiaowan, she had already made a wish for Ershan, hoping that he would successfully become an Elementary Scholar. However, when she made that wish, she was hesitant about giving up the issue with the Department of State because these two results were the same.


    However, the last time he had no effect on Ling Chaofeng, he felt uneasy. As a result, after making Ershan his wish, he had secretly tried to use his master.


    The other day when she was sitting in front of the shop, Ling Chaofeng was doing the accounts at the counter. Xiaowan stared at him for a long time and felt that something was amiss.


    Ling Chaofeng felt that it was weird. At this time, Uncle Biao came out from the kitchen, wanting to ask Xiaowan if he was going to dig bamboo shoots. Xiaowan looked at Uncle Biao, and suddenly, a man who was walking normally fell down and sat on the ground.


    The Xiaowan jumped up in fear and ran to her side: "Uncle, did it hurt when you fell down, is it important?" She deserved to die, how was she going to use Uncle Biao to test her? However, even after reciting it to Ling Chaofeng for half a day, it was still useless, she had only said a few words and she was already dead.


    Ling Chaofeng saw that her face was flushed red, it was very unusual for his from the start, so he crawled up and patted her butt, asking Xiaowan if he was going to dig bamboo shoots, and when he saw that she was not going, he left on his own.


    Xiaowan looked around from the back door and sighed lightly. She turned around and met Ling Chaofeng''s eyes, but she avoided him with a guilty conscience.


    Ling Chaofeng called her over and asked seriously: "These few days you''ve been looking at me strangely. What''s wrong?"


    "Nope." How could she dare say that? Every day, she would try to get her hands on her husband with all sorts of nonsense, but in the end, not a single one of them worked.


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "Really?"


    Xiaowan laughed awkwardly: "It''s really nothing, can''t I see you? I can''t get tired of it even if I looked at you everyday."


    Ling Chaofeng sized her up, then shook his head: "Let''s go play."


    Xiaowan came over sneakily. "I''ll help you settle your debts." "It''s strange," she said, flipping through the books, "why we don''t have a business, but there''s always an inexhaustible account."


    Ling Chaofeng said lightly: "These are all the government''s money."


    The Xiaowan trembled, then obediently let go. "You take your time to calculate, I will pour you some tea."


    Before she even arrived, the fragrance had already arrived. Xiaowan suddenly became petty, and before anyone could come out of the door, she suddenly and seriously said to Ling Chaofeng: "Master, I don''t like Miss Yue, am I too petty?"


    Ling Chaofeng understood her thoughts, and lightly tapped her nose: "I also don''t like people you don''t like."


    When Yue Huaiyin entered the room, he just so happened to see their intimate actions.

 C52

    No matter what, the person who entered the door was still a guest. The Xiaowan was very polite, she welcomed Yue Huaiyin with a smile and invited him to sit inside.


    The Miss Yue had helped her before, saved Susu and Auntie Chen, and kept them as workers. The Xiaowan would not forget her kindness and kindness, and she would not repay them with grievances, but she could not help but think in her heart. She really did not like seeing her husband together with her.


    But today, Yue Huaiyin was really rude as well. After taking her seat, she actually said to Xiaowan, "I have some things that I want to discuss with Manager Ling alone. Xiaowan, can you please excuse me?"


    Xiaowan felt uneasy in her heart. She sat down on the side and smiled: "It''s fine, I won''t disturb you guys. I''ll sit on the side. You guys can talk."


    Ling Chaofeng slowly walked over, but he was calm and magnanimous: "Miss Yue, what do you want to talk about?"


    Yue Huaiyin laughed awkwardly, then said: "Although the inn did not spread the news about this matter, but I coincidentally met them that day, and there were some news from the Regional Palace that spread throughout the town. I heard that little brother Ershan was going to participate in the fifteenth session of the Academy Competition this month, but was crippled by the Lord Prefect?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I did not expect it to be spread out, thank you Miss Yue for your concern, I''m fine now."


    Yue Huaiyin raised her eyebrows slightly: "Are you alright?"


    Ling Chaofeng said gently: "It''s just a small problem, I can still deal with it. Thank you, Miss Yue, for your concern."


    Yue Huaiyin suppressed her displeased feelings, laughed and said: "Since it''s like this, then it''s because I was being too suspicious. As for the Prefect''s side, I was able to say a few words, I was originally thinking ¡­ Forget it. " She said gently, "Ershan will definitely be able to pass the Elementary Scholar examination. When we go to the Beijing Elementary Scholar examination in August, remember to invite me here for a glass of wine to drink."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "This is Miss Yue''s blessing, at that time we will definitely invite him."


    The Aunt Zhang came over from the back and saw that Yue Huaiyin was there, she was very polite. She said that the Uncle Biao had made some snacks and had a taste together with him, but Yue Huaiyin did not refuse, instead, she sat there dry for an hour before taking her leave. The Xiaowan and the Aunt Zhang went to the door, while Ling Chaofeng had long been driven back upstairs by her.


    As usual, Yue Huaiyin did not reveal any emotions on her face, but after getting on the carriage, she could not help but look up the stairs, she had not had the chance to look around the tavern carefully, and did not know which window held Ling Chaofeng.


    Inside the window, there was Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan''s bed.


    She felt that a man like Ling Chaofeng would not feel his good intentions. No matter how she expressed goodwill, with Mu Xiaowan in his eyes, there would be no other woman, unless there was a day when Mu Xiaowan disappeared.


    Initially, he had thought that he would have to beg Xiaowan to accept him as her concubine one day, as long as he could be Ling Chaofeng''s woman. But now, nothing had happened and Mu Xiaowan had already decided to go against her. The kindness of saving Susu and Auntie Chen back then, let it go just like that?


    The carriage slowly headed towards the Baisha Town. Yue Huaiyin was so lost in thought that she had unconsciously reached the entrance of the shop. She came back to her senses and thought for a while, but did not know how to make Mu Xiaowan disappear.


    Just as he entered the shop, he saw Little Cui running over and whispered to her: "Miss, next door, Fu Fu said that there are two women, and the one wearing the flower pattern was the Queen Mother of Xiaowan."


    Yue Huaiyin''s heart trembled, she ordered Little Cui to retreat, then slowly walked over and said gently: "Excuse me, are you Xiaowan''s mother?"


    Madam Xu and Aunt Wang turned around and stared blankly at the goddess-like woman in front of them. Why did she suddenly mention Xiaowan?


    They had long since heard of Siyun Pavilion and were very curious about them. Today, they specifically dressed up and wanted to come take a look.


    The two of them entered the door and looked around carefully for a long time. The food was really exquisite, but the rouge and cosmetics were too expensive, so they couldn''t bear it.


    "Aunt, Xiaowan and I are friends. The servants in the shop did not recognize you. Yue Huaiyin instructed the servants to prepare some tea, of course it was necessary, she wanted to give them some rouge and water powder.


    The Aunt Wang and the Madam Xu did not understand how Mu Xiaowan was able to talk about family matters to her friend, yet this Boss Yue was so courteous to her?


    Until they took their bags and left the Siyun Pavilion, they still did not understand, so Aunt Wang said: "Maybe it''s because the Xiaowan asked for face, and she has to socialize with these shopkeepers, and even if she says some decent words, it doesn''t necessarily mean that you got her at home ¡­ "Cough, cough."


    Aunt Wang knew that she had abused her stepdaughter before.


    Madam Xu touched the bottles and cans in her bag and said: "So many things, about four to five taels of silver."


    Aunt Wang touched her face, "We two old faces, we have the chance to smear rouge on them. Let''s try it when we go back."


    Madam Xu curled her lips and said unhappily: "But you, on the other hand, dressed up like a demon to make your family''s Old Wang happy. As for me, I haven''t seen him much in a year, but you really don''t know, that old thing is getting worse. After coming back for so long, I''ve only served him well a few times, don''t be shy. "


    Aunt Wang laughed: I told you to grab the medicine, you are reluctant to part with the money, he is working hard outside, how can he not be tired after coming back? Ye Zichen rolled his eyes and smiled, "Speaking of which, since Boss Yue is so courteous, then let''s go back and take a look later. If it''s still the same, then it''s too courteous. We can go get some rouge powder from time to time and sell them to others in the village."


    The Madam Xu immediately became spirited and said, "The things in my possession, I can sell them."


    Obtaining benefits for no reason because of Mu Xiaowan, Madam Xu felt in her heart that she must definitely not let this piece of fat go, she must think of a way to fish even more from her Ling Xiao Inn.


    After returning home, he smeared powder on the face of Aunt Wang and stood in the courtyard, attracting the attention of other women. Even the men who passed by started to play with them, "Where did this white-skinned girl come from?" The Madam Xu scolded him harshly.


    The days passed one by one, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the 13th of February. He had already accomplished everything that the Prefect Meng had asked Ling Chaofeng to do, only because his daughter had resisted the marriage by herself and cut off their relationship, causing the Prefect Meng to be in urgent need of capturing the high officials in the capital.


    No matter what, breaking into the residence was a fact, the Prefect Meng could reasonably annul his reference qualifications, if Ling Chaofeng wanted to force the matter, they would have to alarm the higher ups, if the capital knew that Ling Tian had acted recklessly, even if Ershan relied on his own skill, it would affect his career and abilities.


    After considering it over and over again, Ling Chaofeng decided to satisfy the Prefect Meng''s request first. Now, it was time for the fifteen exams to start, and the final results. Fortunately, the exams had nothing to do with the Prefect Meng, so Ling Chaofeng did not need to worry that he would interfere.


    They rented a room at an inn near the research grounds, making it easier to enter the research grounds. Ling Chaofeng would go there the next day too, so the Xiaowan and the Aunt Zhang naturally had to join in the fun.


    At this moment, the two of them were escorting their father and son out. As they were exhorting each other, they saw a young man, who looked like a beggar, walking towards them from the side of the road. When they walked closer, they recognized him as Meng Lianyi.


    "Miss Meng ¡­" Xiaowan joyously ran forward, but she was stopped by Aunt Zhang who dragged her into the shop.


    Uncle Biao coughed dryly, then went to pull the carriage, and Meng Lianyi walked straight in front of Ershan.


    Ershan stared at her blankly. After a long while, he finally regained his senses, "Miss Meng, why ¡­ why did you come out? You look really weak."


    Lian Yi smiled: "Of course I can come out, otherwise how would I have met you all before? "Actually, no one at home cares about me. Since they don''t want me anymore in the capital, no one cares about me any more. It''s easy for me to come out."


    Ershan looked carefully at her face. Today, she did not put on any darkness, but was naturally dark and skinny. He had been sick for a long time, and after a period of hard work, her chin was so thin that it was sharp and thin.


    "I''m feeling better." Lian Yi said, "Where are you going? "Fortunately, I came at the right time. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to meet you and I wouldn''t have been able to go to the study grounds to wait for you."


    Ershan said: "We are going to the inn outside the examination grounds. So Miss Meng also knew that I was going to participate in the Academy''s examination?"


    Lian Yi nodded her head and took out a small talisman from her bosom. She passed it over and said, "This is for you, thank you for taking the money back for me. I asked for this from the teacher''s temple, to definitely help you become an Elementary Scholar."


    Ershan did not comment, but he was afraid that it would be difficult for Miss Meng to extend her hand, so he accepted it.


    Lian Yi asked softly: "That day, why did you come to my house? Why did you look for me?"


    Ershan''s eyes flickered as he looked at her. He pursed his lips and said, "I ¡­ Worry... "You."


    At this time, Ling Chaofeng came out of the shop with a serious face. He asked Uncle Biao to bring the carriage here and ordered Ershan to take a carriage to leave with a cold face.


    Ershan did not dare to disobey him, and turned back three times every step he took, just to follow the Uncle Biao.


    After the carriage left, Ling Chaofeng turned to Lian Yi and said, "Miss Meng, coming here like this will bring trouble to Ershan. I will send you back now."


    Meng Lianyi shook her head: "It''s fine, they won''t find out that I''m gone. Manager Ling, I''m no longer of use to my father."


    Ling Chaofeng said coldly, "This is only what you think." He was very serious, and did not hold back at all. He grabbed a carriage again, and forcefully sent Meng Lianyi away.


    Xiaowan was extremely angry at the side, but she didn''t dare to say too much as she felt that Ling Chaofeng was heartless and wanted to kill the couple. When Ling Chaofeng returned, he didn''t talk to him for a long time.


    Like this, on the fifteenth of the second month, Ling Chaofeng brought her and the Aunt Zhang to the examination grounds. There were many examinees there, and they would be with the Uncle Biao soon.


    When it was his turn at last, the examiner looked at the nameplate and said coldly, "Ling Qian, you are no longer in the reference list."


    With that, two yamen runner s stepped forward, supported Ershan, and pushed him into the back of the group. Ershan staggered a few steps, and Ling Chaofeng stood behind him to block.


    In the research grounds, Prefect Meng swaggered out and whispered to a few examiners as he looked at Ling Chaofeng with a cold smile. As expected, the old fox had changed his mind.


    But at this moment, someone hastily pushed through the crowd and ran in front of Prefect Meng, whispering a few words in panic.


    Lord Meng''s expression changed, and he immediately said, "Quickly, carry the palanquin to welcome them. Quickly disperse these people and allow General Wei to pass."

 C53

    After the Prefect Meng shouted, he led his people and quickly left the Academy grounds. The other examinees were still entering the competition grounds, but after being disturbed by him, they all started to frown. Ershan had been removed from the name, and everyone was panicking.


    Ling Chaofeng went forward to negotiate with the overseer, and they were intimidated by the man''s imposing manner. However, the reason why Prefect Meng was able to get rid of Ling Jie as a reference, was because he had trespassed into the official residence and even lured in women from respectable families.


    The last one was made up by the Prefect Meng, but with the last one, Ershan really did barge into the Residence of Prefect, but what Ling Chaofeng occupied was the fact that the Prefect Meng did not fail at the yamen, he said that he had no basis, and could not use the law to strip Ershan of his qualifications.


    The examiners also responded perfunctorily, and in the end, they could only say one sentence, "If you continue to pester me, I''ll arrest all of you for disturbing the field. I have no hope of surviving this lifetime."


    Ling Chaofeng took out a letter and handed it over indifferently. The examiner looked at each other in dismay, then looked at the letter together.


    However, in a flash, the main examiner came out in a fluster. Without saying anything more, he personally brought out Ling Chen''s household register and wanted to bring him into the exam grounds.


    They did not treat Ling Chaofeng too courteously. With so many pairs of eyes watching them, there was nothing they could say.


    Ershan bid farewell to Ling Chaofeng, and Ling Chaofeng said coldly: "We''ll torture you until the eighth month. We''ll break your legs first, you can crawl back to the capital first."


    "Brother, I don''t dare." Ershan called out for his brother, but was ignored by Ling Chaofeng. He waved towards Uncle Biao and the others, and was then led in by the main examiner himself.


    Before long, all the examinees had entered the stage. The yamen runner s raised their quiet signboards to clear the area, allowing the spectators to disperse, especially the people who were waiting for them, who were just ordered by the Prefect Meng. Then, he led the eight carriers palanquin to welcome the General Wei.


    "Is it Wei Tengfei?" Aunt Zhang said. "His reputation was already impressive to begin with, and now that he has become the Emperor''s brother-in-law, his family''s wealth is on par with the Shen Clan."


    Uncle Biao''s guards were originally born to worship the martial arts. However, they replied, "People who lead troops to war are disdainful to be outsiders."


    Just as he finished speaking, from the other side of Prefect Meng, there were over 10 people riding big horses slowly coming down the street. A few yamen runner''s went up and shouted, telling them to dismount and not to disturb the field.


    The one leading the group was tall and mighty. If it weren''t for the fact that his mount was tall enough to pull a horse over, he would have been like a mule under the leader. The citizens who had not dispersed, including Xiaowan and the others, were curiously sizing him up.


    "I''ve actually forgotten that today is the day of the various examinations." The man dismounted and threw the horsewhip to his guard without even looking at the yamen runner. He slowly walked to the entrance and looked at the plaque on the door.


    He casually made a circle, and a few yamen runner s wanted to stop him but did not dare. This man was at least one head taller than them, like a giant.


    "Aunt, we''ve met." The Xiaowan said to the Aunt Zhang, "It seems that the person who took away the young lady who came to the store in the middle of the night and was sleeping with all her might was this person."


    Aunt Zhang squinted her eyes to take a closer look and indeed, there were some similarities. She suddenly realized, if this person was Wei Tengfei, then the lady he took away, wouldn''t she be ¡­


    "General Wei! General Wei! " Suddenly, the Prefect Meng came back hurriedly, as if he had been played around by Wei Tengfei. He went out to welcome them with his palanquin, but the guards said that the general had already entered the city to look around.


    Although Wei Tengfei didn''t know anything about Prefect Meng, he was Wei Tengfei, he didn''t change his name at all. When people called him, he naturally responded, but seeing that the old man had ran in front of him, he hissed, "Be quiet, don''t disturb the examinees."


    The Prefect Meng ran and panted as he suppressed his voice: "When the general arrives, this official will welcome you from afar, from far away."


    Wei Tengfei seemed to be in disdain to ignore him. His gaze swept across the people around, swept past the Xiaowan, and then turned back.


    Ling Chaofeng''s temperament and stature was extremely eye-catching among the common folk, Wei Tengfei had also noticed him, but he was used to seeing tall men in the army, so naturally he was not surprised, and was more interested in young lady who was standing in the crowd.


    He remembered this face. That day, he took his little sister away from the inn, and the person who stood in the shop was her. That day, at the Baisha Town Market, he mistook her for his little sister.


    The third time they met was fate, especially because of young lady. The two siblings made peace and successfully sent the little girl to the capital.


    Wei Tengfei walked towards Xiaowan and openly said: "Miss, we have met a few times."


    Xiaowan stood behind Ling Chaofeng and did not reply.


    Ling Chaofeng said respectfully: "My wife is Xiaowan, I don''t know if I have offended you, General, but I hope that you will accept it."


    Wei Tengfei laughed, "So ¡­" Although seeing the Xiaowan''s hair stand up, Wei Tengfei never thought that this young and delicate young lady, who could be described as beautiful, was already married, but it was also true, why would a lady''s hair stand up, it was because he was too careless.


    "Miss Xiaowan, thank you." However, Wei Tengfei still addressed her as a lady and said, "Thank you for taking care of my sister and not letting her wander outside."


    Xiaowan lowered her eyebrows. She, as a small woman, shouldn''t casually talk with an unfamiliar man. Moreover, her husband was by her side, she only needed Ling Chaofeng to appear. Even more so, she didn''t want to bring trouble to her husband and the inn because of her. She simply continued to stand behind Ling Chaofeng without uttering a single word.


    Wei Tengfei was slightly disappointed, but Ling Chaofeng turned his body away and said to the Xiaowan gently, "Late at night, the general is talking to you."


    The Xiaowan nodded and blessed Wei Tengfei: "General."


    In fact, Xiaowan''s heart was already in turmoil. In her entire life, she actually had the chance to meet a mighty general, and although her reaction was not as sharp as Aunt Zhang''s, she still thought that the girl who came to sleep in the middle of the night, should be his little sister. Then, that girl should be ¡­ The current empress!


    Xiaowan really wanted to see what the new Empress looked like. She didn''t expect to see it before anyone else.


    "Miss, what''s your name?" Wei Tengfei asked.


    "Just now ¡­ Master said that his name was Xiaowan and his surname was Ling. " The Xiaowan replied politely. Then, he stood behind Ling Chaofeng.


    It was only then that Wei Tengfei focused his gaze on Ling Chaofeng. The two extraordinary men looking at each other seemed to be a scene on the street. Wei Tengfei''s thick eyebrows trembled lightly and he asked: "I ¡­ Have I seen you somewhere before? "


    Ling Chaofeng said softly: "General had once seen this lowly one in the tent of the General Shen."


    His voice was soft, and even the Xiaowan beside him could not hear him, but each word was powerful enough to directly enter Wei Tengfei''s ears.


    His eyes lit up as he became interested, causing the Prefect Meng to fawn over him with a face full of smiles: "General Wei, the weather is cold, please drive to the cold house and drink a mouthful of hot tea."


    "Heh ¡­" Wei Tengfei said disappointedly to the Prefect Meng, "I actually forgot about you, Master''s respected surname?"


    Prefect Meng hurriedly said: "This official is the Li Prefecture Prefect, Meng Kun. I did not know that General Wei would come, and was unable to welcome you."


    Wei Tengfei did not mind, and replied dispiritedly: "There''s no need to welcome me, I was just passing by to take a walk, and forgot about today''s examinations. Fortunately, the examinees were not delayed."


    Lord Meng courteously said, "General, do you want to go in and take a look? If the examinees see you, their momentum will increase greatly. Perhaps one of them will serve you in the future."


    Wei Tengfei laughed coldly, looking down on him, but what he looked down on was not the examinees in the field, but the Prefect Meng. Ever since he became the Emperor''s brother-in-law, he was surrounded wherever he went, not as free as he was in the past.


    "Never mind, just do what you need to do." Wei Tengfei was not willing to interact with the Prefect Meng at all, he looked at Ling Chaofeng, then looked at the Xiaowan. He knew where he could see them, so he smiled and left.


    Although the Prefect Meng was despised, he did not dare be negligent at all. He even jogged away while following Wei Tengfei''s mount, a group of Fast Catcher s following behind him. When had the locals ever seen their parents in such a sorry state?


    So what if the Prefect was at the fourth rank? An official at the first rank could crush anyone to death.


    Four hours later, Ershan was the first to exit the examination hall. Aunt Zhang said in displeasure: "Look at how arrogant you are, you''re not allowed to come out so early tomorrow."


    Ershan replied: "I knew you guys would wait for me here, I was afraid that it would be hard for you all to stand here."


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, he asked, "Are you staying here? What about the inn?"


    In fact, the Xiaowan was also worried about them hiding countless gold and silver in the cellar, coming out just like that after closing the door.


    However, Ling Chaofeng seemed to not care at all. He continued to treat Ershan seriously, "There are still four more days to watch out for Meng Kun. Naturally, I will come.


    Ershan lowered his head. The Xiaowan was afraid that he would feel uncomfortable, so she put on an air of a sister-in-law and berated Ling Chaofeng: "Ershan is tired, if you want to take a good rest, you can prepare for tomorrow''s exam. Don''t keep scolding him.


    They brought Ershan back to the tavern to eat, and after they finished eating, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang were about to return to the tavern. During the Imperial Examinations, it was not easy to rent a room in an inn, and the owner was also unwilling to offend future officials. He was more willing to rent a room to an examinee and didn''t have the spare room to give it to anyone else.


    Naturally, Ling Chaofeng would not cause trouble for his peers. After sending Xiaowan and his back, he would come back tomorrow morning when the exams started.


    "Brother, it''s been hard on you." After sending Ling Chaofeng and the Xiaowan off, Ershan stood under the horse carriage and said guiltily, "I forced you to come everyday."


    Ling Chaofeng ignored him, and the Aunt Zhang laughed: Ouch, how rare, to hear you call me big brother. "Foolish brat, don''t let your thoughts run wild. Concentrate on the exam. If you can''t get an Elementary Scholar and get killed by your brother, your aunt won''t help you."


    Ershan nodded his head fiercely, and suddenly said: "The Prefect''s residence is on the neighboring street, I hope that you can take care of yourself, and do not see Miss Meng again for the next few days."


    Xiaowan winked at Ershan, telling him to listen to her. Although Ershan was unwilling, she still agreed: "Yes, I won''t see her."

 C54

    On the way back to the inn, Xiaowan suddenly remembered something that happened first. She asked Ling Chaofeng, "Husband, what did General Wei say to you?"


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "Ask if I''ve met him."


    Xiaowan hurriedly said, "The last time he came to capture his sister, you weren''t at home."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head: "I have met him somewhere else, but I can''t be sure of it. We just met each other for a short while and did not say anything, so we don''t remember each other much."


    "Master, then did you recognize him at the Mid-Autumn Festival Market?" Xiaowan asked.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed but did not say a word, he only warned Xiaowan to sit still, the sky was getting darker, and if there was wind, he would make the horses run faster.


    Xiaowan looked at his husband in admiration. Was there anything in this world that Ling Chaofeng had never seen before? He predicted that the Prefect Meng would change his mind and leave a trump card in their hands, making that group of examiners completely obedient. No matter what the problem was, he did not need to be afraid.


    Mentioning the General Wei, the Xiaowan returned to the carriage and excitedly said to the Aunt Zhang, "Aunt, that young lady, is she the current Empress?"


    The Aunt Zhang also felt that it was inconceivable. The mother-in-law couple in the palace had actually went to the inn one after the other. The Qiu Family said that they were fated to be in the inn, and now that they thought about it, it did have another meaning.


    "No wonder she''s so polite. She would even thank me if I sent her a cup of tea." "Such a good person like her is also beautiful. The Emperor will definitely like her very much."


    The Aunt Zhang laughed: "But she is in the palace, so she doesn''t need to thank anyone. Everyone is her servant, and if she says thanks to others everywhere, she will be looked down upon or even bullied by others. "Of course, she''s the empress. No one dares to bully her. If they don''t, it''s hard to say in secret. Besides, once they have an imperial concubine ¡­"


    When the conversation started, the Aunt Zhang could not help but spout on as she consciously stopped herself. She said angrily, "What are we worrying about? They are only people in the clouds."


    Xiaowan hugged her knees as she sat, the bumpy carriage made her body tremble, but she said happily: "Our inn is truly an extraordinary place, what black shop, I have only been here half a year and have seen all the honorable people here. "So it turns out that those big shots also came to a small place like ours."


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "Even large areas come from small areas. As long as the land is fertile, as long as the local people are hardworking, spring and autumn harvest, how can there be any differences in size? The people in the capital may not necessarily be as comfortable as us.


    "I don''t want it either." The Xiaowan laughed, "As long as I follow my husband and all of you, even if I have to live deep in the mountains or in the forest, I am willing."


    As he joked around, he finished his thirty miles of road and returned home. The inn was still in good condition and there were no signs of an intruder. As expected, the dark shop was famous and ordinary people didn''t dare to approach it rashly.


    It was already late, the Aunt Zhang was cooking something simple in the kitchen. The three of them filled their stomachs and returned to their rooms to rest.


    The Xiaowan was quietly grinding ink at the side. His husband had already told her that the morning letter was from the Minister of Rites, it was from the highest official in charge of the imperial examinations, but it was not a threat test. It was just a recommendation letter to ensure that Ershan could refer to it smoothly.


    The Xiaowan asked: "Why doesn''t Lord Tang write a letter personally? I heard from Ershan that the Lord Tang is a very, very big official.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: Lord Tang is not responsible for the examinations, although his official position is large, he cannot overstep his authority, furthermore, it is only a small matter, he does not need to personally step in.


    The Xiaowan curiously asked: "Then are those who came with the Lord Tang some sort of prince or even bigger official?"


    Ling Chaofeng looked at her and laughed: "Maybe it is. Lord Tang is not willing to tell me, he only said that it is a friend."


    Xiaowan laughed: "So you don''t know either, then I feel comfortable. I thought I didn''t know."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and shook his head, he finished writing the letter and would send it out tomorrow. When he saw Xiaowan walking around with his hands on her waist, he asked her if she was feeling well and when Xiaowan said that the carriage was bumpy, she almost fell apart.


    "I''ll massage it for you." Ling Chaofeng brought her to the bed, but Xiaowan was ticklish. He twisted and turned around like a mud fish under his body, laughing until he was tired, then said softly in the end, "Master is tired, I still have to go for a few days, and run around for so many miles every day."


    She crawled onto Ling Chaofeng''s body and pressed him onto the bed. She groped around randomly with both hands and pulled at his belt. Ling Chaofeng caught her hand and asked: "What are you doing?"


    Xiaowan giggled as the two rolled around. She placed her sore body into her husband''s embrace and said contentedly, "Husband''s body feels warm. It''s so comfortable."


    Ling Chaofeng gently caressed her back and for some reason, he remembered the scene outside the training grounds.


    When Wei Tengfei looked at Xiaowan like that, he understood why Xiaowan would feel so disgusted with him. It turned out that he was also worried that others would fall for his wife.


    However, Wei Tengfei''s reputation was illustrious, and he was now the ruler of a nation. He would not try to steal another''s wife, and it was normal for men to take another look at beautiful and lovable girls.


    "Late."


    "Hmm?"


    "No matter what strange men you meet in the future, speak to them openly. You don''t have to be timid or shy." Ling Chaofeng said, "It''s the same whether I''m by your side or not, unless you''re not willing to acknowledge me."


    Xiaowan hurriedly asked, "Did I not do well today? I am thinking that the General Wei is too noble, I am afraid I might say the wrong things, and cause you to lose face. "


    Ling Chaofeng smiled, "There''s nothing wrong with that. It''s great, it makes my heart ache. Late at night, there is no one in this world you cannot meet unless you are unwilling. "


    Xiaowan lied on top of him, chuckling, "I don''t mind if I don''t do it well, I only care if Hubby likes me or not."


    Ling Chaofeng said softly, "I like it."


    Xiaowan held his cheek. "I want to love him all my life, all my life."


    Ling Chaofeng pointed to his lips and the Xiaowan laughed. He suddenly pounced and started to suck heavily.


    After that, a few days, Ling Chaofeng would rush to the study grounds to deliver the exam to Ershan during the day, the Prefect Meng had also seen the recommendation letter from the Ministry of Rites, causing his face to turn pale from anger, the main examiner of the Academy was no longer willing to offend the Ministry of Rites, he no longer bothered with Prefect Meng''s intentions and no longer made things difficult for him, allowing him to enter the exam grounds smoothly everyday.


    On the fourth day of the exam, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang didn''t care anymore. They could only hope for Uncle Biao to return quickly to cook. In the past, the Madam Xu was afraid that she would eat in secret or spit in the food so he didn''t let her go near the stove. Only now did the Xiaowan learn some cooking skills from the Uncle Biao, but she was nowhere close to being able to compare to her.


    Fortunately, in the past few days, other than drinking tea and asking for more saliva, there were no guests who came to eat and stay at the restaurant. Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang were so bored that they were flustered, while Aunt Zhang said that she had never lived apart from Uncle Biao for so many days.


    Now it was time for lunch. Xiaowan and his wife were sitting under the sun, lazily asking, "Aunt, are you hungry?"


    Aunt Zhang said, "I''m not hungry. Are you hungry?"


    Xiaowan nodded and said, "I ate too little in the morning, so I''m hungry now."


    Aunt Zhang was too lazy to move, she said: "There are still some steamed buns in the steamer, you should take care of them with the rancid milk."


    The two of them looked at each other and laughed. The sun was so comfortable and when a man wasn''t home, he would rather be hungry than move.


    It was at this moment, from the direction of the Baisha Town, that four or five people riding horses appeared. The leader was a tall and big horse, and Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang recognized Wei Tengfei with a single glance.


    Unexpectedly, after three or four days, he was still in the vicinity. Was he heading towards the inn or the dock?


    Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang had already stood up a long time ago. He threw the horsewhip to the personal guard and slowly walked over, smiling: "Lunch time is not up yet, come to the shop and have a bite. My guards won''t come in, do whatever you want with it, I''ll eat with them."


    Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang looked at each other. It''s over, how could they use their skills to entertain the Great General?


    The Aunt Zhang said respectfully, "Please forgive me, General Wei. The chef at the small shop is here to send the children to the Imperial examinations. I''m afraid I have neglected the General because of this woman''s culinary skills."


    Wei Tengfei laughed: As for us who are marching and war, we don''t care about food, as long as we have food. He asked, "Ling Chaofeng, is it your shopkeeper?"


    "Yes."


    "Then you ¡­" Wei Tengfei looked at Xiaowan, a look of helplessness flitting past her eyes, but she laughed amiably: "Is that the owner?"


    Xiaowan remembered her husband''s repeated warnings to be magnanimous in front of others, she then said: "General, please take a seat inside. This humble woman will prepare some food for you."


    Wei Tengfei openly walked into the shop and upon the second visit, he became more familiar and said: "I had thought that if I met Ling Chaofeng, when would he be able to come back?"


    Xiaowan replied, "Reporting to the general, he''ll be back after the Imperial examinations. He''s far away, I''m afraid we''ll have to wait until dusk."


    Wei Tengfei looked at her: "You don''t have to be so respectful to me. I''m not some official prince, I''m just a soldier. My men and I are both hungry, we should hurry up and get something to eat. "


    Aunt Zhang wanted to go back to the kitchen. Although her culinary skills were not as good as her man''s, and she could still deal with him eating one mouthful, Xiaowan called out to her. She smiled and said: "Aunt, let me, I''m a direct disciple of Uncle Biao."


    Aunt Zhang was startled, but thinking that Xiaowan was a young lady, staying behind to get along with the other men was indeed not appropriate, so she decided to stay behind herself, and warned Xiaowan, "Do simple things, and it won''t be easy for things to go wrong."


    She did not know how to cook, but she had a ring, the last time she mentioned Chuanyu, Uncle Biao cooked a meal of mah tofu and returned it to the pot for her to eat, and she still invited the Jade Ring to transform, wouldn''t that be fine?


    In less than a quarter of an hour, Xiaowan returned. On the table, there was a set of maimed tofu, pot of meat, spicy chicken and egg soup, and a big bowl of tomato and egg soup. She divided the dishes and sent them out to the several bodyguards for their big brothers to enjoy.


    But Wei Tengfei did not move while facing the dishes on the table, his eyes fixed. The Xiaowan panicked and asked cautiously: "General, is it not to your liking?"

 C55

    Wei Tengfei regained his senses, and said with a smile. "How can it not fit your appetite?" He scooped up a large spoonful of mahogany tofu and placed it over the rice and popped it into his mouth.


    Xiaowan heaved a sigh of relief. After that, she looked at the grand general, who had cleaned up the table of food, afraid that the guards outside would not be full, and went to get some ready-made snacks.


    The few big brothers said to the Xiaowan, "young lady, let''s follow the general to the capital. After half a year, our mouths have already gone dry from eating so much, and we have finally tasted the food from our home. Could it be that you are also from Chuanyu?"


    Xiaowan laughed: "I am a local, and guess that all the military lords love to eat spicy food. Please forgive me for the random food."


    Everyone kept praising him, saying that they had finally eaten a comfortable meal. Xiaowan put down the dim sum, received the tableware, and entered the room again. She saw that Aunt Zhang had also cleaned up the table and set down the tea and snacks, inviting General Wei to enjoy his meal.


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "That day when I brought Siyan and left, I did not speak on the way, but she suddenly called me over, and fed me a green bean cake, and happily asked if I was especially tasty, and spoke until we reached the capital, and she did not run away."


    The Xiaowan said, "The chef that made the green bean cake is not at home. He will only be back tomorrow night.


    He was completely different from that day when he came to arrest people and said: "I''m not here to eat green bean cake, don''t be nervous. I came to find Ling Chaofeng, wanting to talk to him, but unfortunately, I came at this time, causing you all to become flustered."


    The Aunt Zhang said: The shopkeeper will be back in the evening, so if the general wants to wait, he might as well ask you to go to the guest room upstairs to rest. It''s cold outside, and the soldiers won''t be able to stay outside for long, so tie the horses up in our stables and come in to roast the fire.


    The Xiaowan said, "General, you would like to see your sister ¡­. Isn''t ¡­ isn''t it the room the empress stayed in that day? "


    Wei Tengfei was overflowing with interest: "Alright."


    He followed Xiaowan up the stairs slowly. Xiaowan brought him to Yunze''s room, which was the one with the best view of the Ling Xiao Inn. The interior of the house was not decorated in a strange way, but was a little more elegant than the usual inns.


    Wei Tengfei wanted to turn around to talk to Xiaowan, but she was standing in front of the door without coming in. Xiaowan smiled embarrassedly and bowed: General, please rest.


    She carefully closed the door and was about to leave.


    The Xiaowan thought that things were simple, since she did not like seeing her husband and Yue Huaiyin alone in the same room, then she had to be careful herself. Although the people of the martial arts world were not that particular, but even if they only opened their doors to do business, they still had to know their limits.


    Coming downstairs, he said to Aunt Zhang: "If General Wei has anything you need, Aunt, thank you for your hard work."


    Aunt Zhang understood: "I''m here."


    But Wei Tengfei would not sleep during the day, so after walking around the room and looking at the scenery outside, he went downstairs.


    Seeing that there were only Aunt Zhang in the shop, he asked: "Where is your owner?"


    Aunt Zhang replied, "Reporting to General, she is washing the dishes at the back door."


    By the well water, Xiao Wan was working with her sleeves rolled up. She had made a meal out of a jade ring, so she couldn''t afford to be lazy after washing the dishes. Normally, if there was no one around, she would use her ring to steal a lazy moment. Especially since there were so many guests, she did not feel wronged when there were several large bowls and chopsticks.


    "Why is the shopkeeper washing the dishes in your restaurant, not the servants?" Wei Tengfei walked to the back door and looked around. It really was a desolate place, only this one and only this one, he said to young lady who was washing the dishes, "It''s so cold, aren''t you afraid of the cold water hurting your hands?"


    Xiaowan laughed generously: "It''s the same inside the shop, whoever has nothing to do will work, there''s no difference between master and servant. General Wei, why did you come down?


    Wei Tengfei said: "How can soldiers sleep during the day? These few months of being idle in the capital have already bored me. "


    Xiaowan laughed, and continued to lower her head to wash the dishes. Unexpectedly, Wei Tengfei moved a chair from the side, and sat not far away.


    Xiaowan was initially a little embarrassed, but seeing how calm the general was, and what could he do in broad daylight, she did not need to be too shy.


    "Is there anyone in your store taking the Imperial examinations?" Wei Tengfei started to chat casually.


    "Little brother, you''ve been studying since you were a kid. In the previous tests, you were first." The Xiaowan said proudly, "This time, I will definitely be able to become an Elementary Scholar, and then I will be taking the High Scholar examination in the eighth month."


    But Wei Tengfei laughed disdainfully: "How old is he?"


    Xiaowan replied, "Twenty years old."


    Wei Tengfei shook his head: "A twenty year old youngster. You still need so many people to accompany you to the Academy Exam? Since he had already gone to a chef, why would Ling Chaofeng go as well? Are all of you going to the capital to accompany him in the middle of August? "


    The Xiaowan was a little unhappy and replied sternly, "It is General that doesn''t know. My husband had no choice but to deliver the exam to the Imperial examinations every day. But then again, it''s not easy to nurture a scholar in an ordinary person''s house. If it''s important, you have to be more concerned about it.


    Wei Tengfei looked at her, the Xiaowan felt that he was being rude, and immediately said: "If this humble woman has offended you, please forgive me."


    "Then, what do you all have to do? Can I help?" Wei Tengfei asked.


    "It''s a family matter, it''s not appropriate to speak of it to an outsider. Please forgive me, General." Xiaowan was very polite, she had long since learnt these respectful greetings.


    As for the matter with the Prefect Meng, the Xiaowan was eager to have the high officials punish that old thing, but she was now a part of the tavern, and could not do things her own way. She had to consider her husband and the entire tavern.


    She knew that Ling Chaofeng did not put the Prefect Meng in his eyes, but he had compromised and cautiously made it to this step. He did not care if he was aggrieved or not, he only cared about Ershan''s future career.


    Wei Tengfei was a little surprised: "You''re so young, and I thought you ¡­" The Xiaowan''s words and actions surprised him. Being this courteous and knowing when to advance and when to retreat, it was very inconsistent with this tavern in the wilderness.


    In his imagination, people like this should have been ferocious characters. They were filled with the aura of the rivers and lakes, and once they started stomping their feet, they would curse their fathers and their mothers, bringing along eighteen generations of ancestors, eating fried sticks, bones, and drinking large bowls of wine.


    But the young lady in front of him was gentle and cute.


    Wei Tengfei thought about it, then smiled and asked: "How old are you?"


    Xiaowan laughed: "By May, I will be eighteen years old."


    "You''re the same age as Siyan." Wei Tengfei said, "You have already made the decision, she is still a small child."


    This was the second time Xiaowan heard the name "Siyan". She cautiously asked, "General Wei, is Siyan the esteemed name of the Empress?"


    Wei Tengfei nodded: "Her name is Siyan, and he is the same age as you."


    Xiaowan took note of this and continued to lower her head to wash the dishes. However, when she was growing up, she heard the man mumbling, "I was in the capital for a few months and couldn''t eat any of the food from my hometown. Just now when you brought the dishes over, I realized that Siyan would never be able to eat this again."


    Xiaowan had talked about this issue with Aunt Zhang before. Aunt Zhang had said that the imperial kitchens of the palaces could do anything, and only saw if the lords in charge wanted to eat it. If the Empress wanted to eat it, she could tell that it was only a matter of time before she invited the Grand Chef of Chuanyu.


    She raised her head to look at Wei Tengfei, the Great General was looking at the shallow layer of spring in the back mountain. Although it was cold, and all living things were thriving, in the end, there was still a desolation, and when it happened to him, it became sorrow.


    Xiaowan guessed that the Great General couldn''t bear to part with his sister?


    Wei Tengfei was thirty years old and had a life of war. After his father''s illness, he inherited the great army of Chuanyu at such a young age. When his sister was three years old, his mother couldn''t bear the pain of losing her husband and passed away.


    In the blink of an eye, she had grown up to be a slender and elegant young lady. However, as her brother, he had no choice but to send his sister to the capital, all for the sake of Chuanyu soldiers and their lives, all for the sake of marrying the Emperor.


    Wei Tengfei clenched his fists tightly, hating himself for being useless.


    "General Wei?" Xiaowan finished washing the bowls, and picked up the wooden basin, "I''m going in, the wind is strong, please take a seat in the shop."


    Wei Tengfei regained his senses, looked at her, and subconsciously said: "Miss Xiaowan, thank you."


    Xiaowan did not understand and asked: "What are you thanking me for?"


    Wei Tengfei said, "The green bean cake you gave Siyan, she likes it a lot."


    It was a very simple sentence, but Xiaowan was completely shocked. She had clearly seen the Great General''s eyes fill with tears, but he had quickly restrained himself and quickly stood up to walk into the shop. His emotions had naturally calmed down, but that moment just now, had left a deep impression in Xiaowan''s heart.


    The General Wei really couldn''t bear to part with his sister. That day when he came to capture the empress, the conversation between the brother and sister was very strange. He wasn''t as fiendish as the Prefect Meng, and the empress didn''t struggle either. Naturally, during the Mid-Autumn Festival at the market time, they had caused quite a ruckus.


    After that, Wei Tengfei and his guard sat in the store, speaking some words that the Xiaowan and the Aunt Zhang could not understand, and as the sun was setting in the west mountain, Ling Chaofeng returned on his horse. Before he even entered the door, he saw the horses tied up by the side of the road, and knew that there was a guest.


    He did not expect that it would be Wei Tengfei. After entering, he cupped his fists and greeted: "General Wei."


    Wei Tengfei said: "I wanted to talk to you for a bit, it was a coincidence that you came, but after waiting an entire afternoon, they were indeed right, it was not easy to meet you."


    The guards all retreated, while Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang also retreated to the backyard. No one knew what the two men in front of them were talking about.


    Wei Tengfei mounted his horse and looked around the tavern, but did not see Xiaowan coming out to send him off, he had no choice but to open his mouth to look for someone, he cupped his fists with Ling Chaofeng and galloped away.


    When Xiaowan saw her tall figure disappearing into the twilight, she ran over to Hubby''s side, her eyebrows curved and she said, "I''ve been hoping for you to come back. They''re sitting in the shop, so Aunt and I don''t dare to speak."


    Aunt Zhang said from the door, "Evening, the shopkeeper must be hungry, let''s hurry up and cook. Give the shopkeeper a meal from noon."


    "Huh?" Xiaowan was stunned, how could she do it?

 C56

    Xiaowan had already thought about it long ago, not lying easily because of the use of the storage ring. She wanted to solve all the problems herself, so she braced herself and went to the kitchen.


    But it took longer than noon, and the food was less than noon, and there was no chicken to save a dish, and finally a plate of mahogany tofu and a pot of meat to go back to.


    Ling Chaofeng was at a loss while looking at the two plates of food. Aunt Zhang raised his eyebrows, scooped a mouthful of rice up to the bottom, then dared to bring the food into his mouth.


    For lunch, Aunt Zhang looked like she was hungry, but at night, the difference in taste between them was too. It was hard to imagine giving General Wei and the rest lunch like this ¡­ Just as she was about to ask Xiaowan what was going on, Ling Chaofeng grabbed her chopsticks and started eating silently.


    Even though he only sent a few pieces of tofu with three or four mouthfuls of rice and two pieces of meat that could eat half a bowl, the shopkeeper had no choice but to silently eat the whole bowl of rice.


    When said that she was full, she scooped up the food and stuffed it into her mouth. Just as she was about to stuff it into her mouth, she almost vomited. Three times?


    Of course, it wasn''t that the Xiaowan didn''t know how to cook at all.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan looked at his husband who was walking upstairs and said guiltily, "How about I bring you some tea?"


    "No tea. I''ll go upstairs and write a letter. I''ll be down shortly." Ling Chaofeng replied nicely.


    At the bottom of the building, Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan had washed the dishes with water and ate them with difficulty.


    The Xiaowan did not understand why Ling Chaofeng was able to eat all of the food so calmly. On the other hand, the Aunt Zhang was curious. Speaking of which, when the dishes were served at noon, she was very surprised that Xiaowan''s culinary skills were so old.


    "Grandson ¡­"


    "Aunt, I''ll make breakfast tomorrow." Xiaowan calmed herself down and said, "I will do it."


    For his own husband to eat such a horrible thing, Xiaowan felt extremely pained, and hated herself for not being able to do it. However, Ling Chaofeng did not complain at all. Her husband was so considerate, she was even more determined to learn how to cook.


    As for Ling Chaofeng, he didn''t blame the Xiaowan for her lack of culinary skills, he was only curious, did Wei Tengfei really eat such a thing in one bite?


    The reason he could endure it was because he was in pain for the Xiaowan, but what about Wei Tengfei?


    It was a good thing that Wei Tengfei was about to leave. As a general of Chuanyu, if he had nothing to do in the future, he wouldn''t come to this small place again.


    At the moment, what troubled Ling Chaofeng was that he had formed a feud with Meng Kun, if it was settled in the future, the old cunning fox might be dissatisfied and want to pester him and ask for more.


    As she sat at the table thinking, Xiaowan brought in a cup of tea. Her timid look caused people to love him, and Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Next time, just put less salt, no one is born to cook, but no one dares to use such skills to entertain guests, don''t try to be brave, just don''t do business."


    Xiaowan asked, "Hubby, then are you still going to eat the food I make?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Eat, why aren''t you eating?"


    Seeing that the letter was empty, it had been a long time but the husband still did not say a word, Xiaowan asked with concern: "Is there something that you can''t write down?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head, "I want to kick Meng Kun out, so that the tavern won''t become tangled later on."


    Xiaowan nodded her head repeatedly: "That kind of bad thing is not fit to be a parent official."


    But Ling Chaofeng said: "What about Miss Meng, I know that Ershan is moved, and it is definitely not normal for Miss Meng to come and see him again, they have some feelings for each other, if it is Meng Kun who knows about it, he would use her own daughter to threaten us."


    The Xiaowan also understood this: "It''s easy for us to snatch the Miss Meng away, but if this were to spread, how would Ershan become an official in the future?


    Hearing this, Ling Chaofeng was very pleased with Xiaowan''s intelligence, but she should not have worried about it, and said: "Don''t worry, I will think about it, what I should do is the best."


    As a result, Ling Chaofeng only finished writing the letter in the middle of the night. Xiaowan had long fallen asleep, but when he felt his husband laying down, he sleepily crawled over and the two of them cuddled up with each other for an entire night.


    The next day, the Xiaowan woke up early and made breakfast in the kitchen. Without using the Jade Ring s, she fried a plate of eggs and dried meat herself and cooked a pot of viscous millet porridge. It was simple yet decent.


    Today was the final day of Imperial examinations. Xiaowan and her wife cleaned Ershan''s room together, and took the bedding and basked it under the sun. After finishing their work, Aunt Zhang stuck her waist and said: "Just based on Ershan''s current situation, wanting to marry a wife is not easy, but finding a little girl in the village is not difficult. If you want to marry a Prefect''s daughter, even if Prefect Meng agrees, Ershan himself would definitely not dare. Everything that he has now is given by the inn. Could it be that the rear courtyard is just a small room for the bride to stay in? "


    Xiaowan thought, with this much money, it would not be difficult for Ling Chaofeng to buy a plot of land. But it was just as Aunt Zhang had said, everything was given to him by the tavern, and Ershan himself did not have the ability to support a family.


    Aunt Zhang sighed: "It depends on fate."


    In the evening, Ling Chaofeng and Uncle Biao brought Ershan back. When Uncle Biao saw Aunt Zhang, she hugged and hugged him, making her embarrassed to the point of scolding him. On the other hand, Ershan went back to his room to put down his things, and changed back to the previous boy.


    When the family finally got together, they had an early dinner discussion about how to arrange for the country exam in August.


    The result of the Academy Competition was announced in the third month. If one could become an Elementary Scholar, August would be the time to participate in the hometown examination. This was how the commoners would be able to enter the imperial court and become nobles for generations to come.


    Aunt Zhang said, "If your own parents knew that you were so promising, they would be extremely happy. Even after so many years, I wonder if they have been looking for you this whole time."


    Ershan smiled faintly as he buried his head into his food. Aunt Zhang muttered, "That year, you were already six years old, how could you not remember your family members?"


    "I don''t remember that time, but I can''t remember now." Ershan said, "The man''s teeth were covering my eyes, I don''t know how many times he walked, even if I knew, I was scared silly at that time."


    The Aunt Zhang laughed, "That''s right. When we first arrived, you were so skinny and small that you would shiver whenever you see people. You wanted to cry but didn''t dare to, afraid that we would beat you. It''s only after a few days that we understand that we are gradually getting better because we treat you well. "


    Uncle Biao also recalled, "I was so young when I was young, now I have to take the High Scholar examination."


    Xiaowan casually said, "Hubby, why don''t you take the Imperial examinations? Are you sure you can''t take it?"


    Everyone laughed, Ling Chaofeng retorted: "I''m going to be an official, who wants to open an inn?"


    After finishing their meal, everyone was tired, so they went to rest early. Xiaowan asked if the letter had been sent out yet, and Ling Chaofeng said: "I still decide to kick him out."


    The person he wanted to kick out was undoubtedly the Prefect Meng, but Meng Kunlun was also not an easy person. Today, they were finally done with the Academy Competition and were able to catch their breath. The few officials had a round of drinks together before dispersing.


    He staggered back to his residence, where his wife, concubine and children were waiting to welcome him. He swept his son, wife, grandson along with them and asked coldly: "Why are you not seeing Lian Yi?"


    Mrs. Meng hurriedly said: "Her body is weak, he rested for a long time."


    Meng Kun sneered, "His body is weak and the heavens are trying to run away."


    The concubine at the side pouted and added fuel to the fire, "Master, when young lady is too old, she can''t be left alone. Naturally, her heart is devoted to outsiders."


    Although Mrs. Meng was angry, he did not dare to put on airs in front of his husband. He could only listen to a few complaints and watch his husband walk towards his concubine''s yard.


    She was unhappy so she came to the pavilion to find her daughter and ordered Lian Yi to pay respects to her father.


    He had just walked under the door, when he heard his father speaking from inside: "Although that Yue Huaiyin didn''t lie to me, but Ling Chaofeng''s origins are even greater, but I don''t believe that a strong dragon can''t pressure a snake, under the influence of my Li Prefecture, can he still disobey me? "In the future, think of a way for me. I must treat him."


    Lian Yi didn''t know anything about Yue Huaiyin, but hearing so much nonsense talk about him, Lian Yi should not be surprised at all. As the shopkeeper of Ling Xiao Inn, she knew that if anything happened to Ling Xiao Inn, Ershan would definitely be implicated. In the end, it was because she had barged into the inn that caused the trouble in the future. The inn was filled with good people, and not only was there no one who blamed her, they had helped her everywhere, and even Ershan ¡­


    Lian Yi''s heart felt warm, gratified and guilty. She was gratified that there were still people in this world who cared about her. Guilt ¡­ She wanted to go to the inn as soon as possible and tell them about this. She wanted to be on her guard against her father.


    But just as she turned to leave, the inner aunt came out and loudly said, "Second Miss, why have you come to pay respects to the old master?"


    She shouted loudly, and even said: "Master, what we said just now, I wonder if Lian Yi heard it."


    A half drunk man walked over with the smell of alcohol. When he saw his daughter, he immediately lowered his head and said, "Evil creature, why are you not staying in the room to make me angry?"


    Lian Yi said coldly, "Mother wants me to pay respects to father."


    The Prefect Meng laughed coldly: "I''m afraid you wish for me to die quickly so that you can go out and hook up with the men."


    Meng Lianyi''s heart was cold. Why would she need to count on her father for anything?


    Prefect Meng frowned and waved his hand: "Men, bring her back to the house for me to take care of. If you tell her to sneak out again, I''ll skin you first."


    He smiled coldly at his daughter, "Good daughter, just wait patiently at home. Your father will definitely find you a good home."


    Meng Lianyi''s heart was filled with fear, afraid that his father would ''sell'' him out, afraid that no one would warn the Manager Ling, afraid that his father would cause chaos in the tavern. All of this was her fault.

 C57

    Since his daughter had been annulled, and since he had lost his backing and dignity, and had no place to vent his anger on, Prefect Meng transferred his anger onto his Ling Xiao Inn, holding deep hatred for Ling Chaofeng.


    However, because of the influence of the capital, he dared not to make a move on him, so he could only make a move in secret.


    The day after Lian Yi was placed under house arrest, the Prefect Meng gathered a group of local ruffians, a dozen or so people, and ordered them to take advantage of the dark night and high winds to sneak attack the tavern. There was no need to be courteous, if there were anyone who could defeat Ling Chaofeng, injure him, or even take his life, he would heavily reward them.


    But that night, the Mighty Escort Office passed by, waiting for the first boat tomorrow to stay the night at Ling Xiao Inn. There were more than ten people in the escort team, and all of them possessed extraordinary skills. The group of hooligans that had barged in and were treated like darts immediately began fighting.


    He was half asleep, and seeing that her husband was not around, she wanted to get up to check on him. But before he could put on his soft shoes, Ling Chaofeng had returned and pushed her gently down, saying: "What are you doing? Be careful not to catch a cold, go to sleep."


    "Hubby, you should go to bed early as well." Xiaowan was in a daze, rolling over and going back to sleep.


    The next morning, she went down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast as usual. She didn''t care about the scene downstairs, but when she reached the stairs, she was startled and cried out involuntarily. Her husband stood on the third floor and said to her, "Don''t be afraid, they can''t move."


    In the main hall, the Eight Immortals Table was pushed open. More than a dozen black-clothed men were tied up tightly, their eyes and mouths covered. They just sat there, lying on the cold floor.


    Xiaowan thought back to the commotion she heard last night. How could she sleep so deeply, damn it.


    But the escort team were still waiting for breakfast, so she quickly went to the kitchen. Uncle Biao also got up, steamed bread and porridge to cook the small dishes, and when she came out again, the escort team had already chased them to the corner, arranging the Eight Immortals Table so that Xiaowan could bring them up.


    After they finished eating their fill, they were going to the dock to take a boat. Before the door, they bid farewell to Ling Chaofeng and said to the Xiaowan: "Thank you, sister-in-law, for cooking for us brothers early in the morning."


    Xiaowan''s face was flushed red. She stood beside her husband and said gently, "There''s no need to be polite."


    They then continued to speak with Ling Chaofeng: "No matter where this group of bastards comes from, if they dare to cross over with the inn, it''s just that they cannot cross over with us. If Manager Ling needs it in the future, he just has to greet the brothers."


    Ling Chaofeng thanked them and sent them on their way. When he returned to the shop again, he saw that people were piled up on the walls, struggling and moving about. He was truly afraid.


    Ling Chaofeng smiled faintly. On the other side, Ershan and Uncle Biao had already rolled up their sleeves and were ready for battle.


    The group of people were wrapped in gunny bags and were loaded onto the cart like goods. Uncle Biao and Ershan drove the carriage towards the Baisha Town and swaggered around the town in a ostentatious manner.


    Uncle Biao often showed his face in town, and many people knew that he was the head chef of the inn.


    There were more than ten sacks piled on top of the carriage. Could it be full of people?


    They went around once and then turned back, but as they ran towards Baisha River Pier, they did not stop at the tavern, Xiaowan watched as Uncle Biao and Ershan rode the wooden carriage and flew away, running back to ask Ling Chaofeng, "Hubby, where are Uncle Biao and the rest bringing those people to?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Sell them as slave traders and ship them away."


    Xiaowan already knew that Hubby Black and White were good at it, but she was still shocked when he heard that Hubby Bai and the other people were in the same boat.


    Ling Chaofeng asked her: "These people usually rob and rob women, what are they keeping them for? They are not qualified to be human. Since you''ve delivered them to my doorstep, I shall do as I please.


    The Xiaowan''s heart trembled when she heard this. She asked, "Since they came to the inn to find trouble, they have also been sold to slave traders like this?"


    Ling Chaofeng smiled as he looked at her: "Then what is there to look for? At that time, a new bride came to us, she wanted me to follow her around, running and biting her, so I didn''t want to sell her."


    The Xiaowan said anxiously: "I''m serious with you."


    Ling Chaofeng did not think much of it, "There will still be such things in the future, so you should not be afraid of us. In the martial arts world, we must have some enemies or else what would we call the martial arts world?"


    "I''m worried about you." The Xiaowan said, and used his hands to touch his husband''s body, "You fought last night, did you get injured? I should be damned if I knew anything when I slept so deeply. "


    Ling Chaofeng said gently: "There are few people in this world who can hurt me, don''t worry." He continued, "I told you this morning that you would be scared if you followed me. Didn''t you say that as long as I was here, you wouldn''t be afraid?"


    "I remember, I''m not afraid." Xiaowan said, "But ¡­"


    "But what?"


    "Nothing." Xiaowan shook his head and raised his head with a smile, "With Master here, I''m not afraid of anything."


    At this time, Aunt Zhang was going to clean the guest rooms, so she followed her upstairs. When she went down to change the water, she saw her squatting on the floor, touching the storage ring on her finger, staring blankly.


    "Afraid the ring is dirty?" Aunt Zhang asked, "Can you take this ring off or not?"


    Xiaowan acknowledged him and quickly wiped the floor with a cloth. She cleaned the entire floor of the room and went to the next room.


    Aunt Zhang looked at her and felt that young lady had something on her mind.


    There was something on Xiaowan''s mind, because she suddenly realised that the prank of the Jade Ring on Ling Chaofeng''s body was unable to be realized for her. Did this mean that her wish to be husband and wife safe and healthy would also fail her?


    Although the Jade Ring came for no reason, it shouldn''t have been her luck, but since she had it, she couldn''t use it, so she didn''t understand.


    Especially, why did she have to be so ineffective towards Ling Chaofeng? No matter how hard she tried, there was no result.


    However, Xiaowan had begged the Jade Ring more than once to allow her husband to live a peaceful life. She would rather never have the divine power in the ring again, she hoped that even if it gave her the chance to do so, so that Ling Chaofeng would never be harmed again in her life.


    "Evening?" Aunt Zhang followed him to this room, and asked in concern, "What happened to you today, were you frightened by those small fries?"


    Xiaowan shook her head. "I''m fine, Aunt. I''m really fine."


    Aunt Zhang sized her up, then laughed: "Silly girl, you really can''t hide the truth on your face."


    Xiaowan randomly found an excuse and said, "I, I''m worried about Miss Meng."


    Aunt Zhang believed it, and said as if she was worried: "I don''t know how she is right now, Ershan was standing alone in the courtyard last night, I think he is just thinking about his lover. However, whether that brat truly understands is or not, he can''t give his anything right now, it''s just that he can afford to wait, which is why Miss Meng can''t. "


    Downstairs, Uncle Biao and Ershan had returned. They had really sold that group of thugs to the slave traders, so Uncle Biao shouted downstairs, "Evening, tomorrow we will go to town to sell buns."


    However, at this moment, the entire Baisha Town, along with the surrounding villages, had spread word of the Ling Xiao Inn transporting over a dozen people. It was unknown whether they were dead or alive, but as expected, the dark shop was still a dark shop.


    When the news reached Prefect Meng''s ears, he finally knew why Ling Chaofeng had not come back after waiting for a long time.


    Prefect Meng panicked. Could it be that he was going to do it on the surface, but he couldn''t do it in the dark, but if he did, wouldn''t that give Ling Chaofeng a chance to deal with him?


    When he was distracted, a quiver flashed, and stood still as he said loudly: "Men, go and find Yue Huaiyin at Baisha Town."


    Inside the Siyun Pavilion, the servants were also discussing the matter of the Ling Xiao Inn using the wooden carriage to pull the people away. They knew that their young miss was interacting with the inn, and there was also the relationship between Susu and the Auntie Chen.


    In the afternoon, Yue Huaiyin received a message from the Prefect Meng, telling her to quickly go to the Prefect''s yamen.


    He didn''t know what the old cunning fox wanted to discuss with Yue Huaiyin about, but during this entire day, the Xiaowan was sullen, unhappy because the Jade Ring couldn''t help but test their abilities on Ling Chaofeng.


    In the evening, Ershan was in the stable brushing his horses, while the Xiaowan brought water for him. Seeing Ershan sigh lightly, he asked: "Are you thinking about the Miss Meng?"


    Ershan nodded, looked to the side, and said: "Don''t mention it to the shopkeeper, I don''t want to cause anymore trouble at the inn."


    Xiaowan thought, Ling Chaofeng is about to drive Prefect Meng away from the Li Prefecture, the inn might not be too troublesome, but Miss Meng had followed his father, so how could they meet again in the future?


    "When you become a High Scholar, marry Miss Meng and leave her in that family, you won''t be at ease right?" The Xiaowan laughed, "If she''s married, then it''s fair and right, and she''s no longer afraid of anyone who can take her away."


    Ershan laughed bitterly: "How can it be that easy. Even if Xiaowan were to be the High Scholar, I would have nothing. If she follows me, she will only suffer.


    The Xiaowan was angry: "You''re a grown up man, why are you being bashful? Don''t tell me you don''t like her? "Husband, he has already determined me to be his wife, but he immediately sent the matchmaker to marry me."


    How could it be the same? Xiaowan was simple, Ershan was not simple, he wanted to say something but hesitated. He clenched his fist tightly, turned and continued to rub his horse.


    That night, Xiaowan did something that she had never dared to do before. She had promised Ershan that she would smoothly allow him to participate in the Academy Competition, but after a series of twists and turns, even though he managed to pass in the end, Xiaowan still couldn''t understand whether or not the ring would reveal her spirit. As for Ling Chaofeng, she seemed to have given up on tormenting him. In the future, she could only rely on herself to take good care of her husband.


    But tonight, she clenched her fists and made a very malicious wish. She hoped that she could see the Prefect Meng and never see the sun tomorrow again.


    At that time, Ling Chaofeng was lying right beside her, and he could feel the ruthless Qi around young lady disappear in an instant. He turned his body to look at his wife who was peacefully sleeping, and actually felt that there was something wrong with the Xiaowan, but he couldn''t pinpoint it.


    It was during the night, when the residence of the Prefect was in an uproar, that the half asleep Meng Lianyi was pushed awake by her servant girl. The servant girl was so scared that her face turned pale and she said: "Young miss, young miss, the master is gone, the master is gone."


    What do you mean, gone? Dead?


    Meng Lianyi didn''t even have time to get dressed before she rushed to his aunt''s courtyard. That night, the harsh looking woman curled up in a corner, completely naked, as if she was playing with her master while the old man on the bed had already died.


    The doctor rushed over, touched Prefect Meng''s body and sighed, "My dear ladies and young masters, I hope you will forgive me."


    "Master ¡­" Mrs. Meng cried her heart out as the whole family fell into grief and panic. No one continued to watch Meng Lianyi, but she had no choice but to follow beside her mother.


    The next day, news spread, the Constable Li followed the county magistrate and arrived early in the morning to discuss how to deal with the aftermath of the battle with the other counties.


    On the other hand, Ling Xiao Inn had brought a carriage to the town to sell buns today. Unfortunately, other than the familiar customers, there were still many buns that could not be sold. After all, yesterday, they had pulled a cart full of people carrying sacks across the market, so naturally, no one dared to eat their buns today.


    "Uncle Biao, Prefect Meng suddenly died last night." The regular customer who came to buy buns said to the Uncle Biao, "I heard this morning that he died because of Ma Dong. While he was at home messing with his concubine, he suddenly died."


    Uncle Biao laughed coldly: "Really? What a pity."


    Xiaowan swallowed her saliva at the side. His heart seemed to have forgotten to jump, was it because of her?


    At this time, Susu ran over to the bottom of the bridge to buy twenty buns. She also said that the young miss had invited the Uncle Biao and the others to sell the buns and take a rest at the shop.


    Xiaowan was stupefied, she did not hear anything. Susu instructed them a few more times before carrying the hot steamed buns back to the shop.


    In front of the Rouge Shop gate, Yue Huaiyin was talking to a neighborhood under the eaves of a house, listening to their rambling, they said that the Lord Prefect had suddenly died.


    She held the furnace in her hand and gently stroked the bronze bracelet on the lid. She faintly smiled.


    Yesterday, she left Prefect Meng some things. It could help him lose his life, but if he accidentally lost his life, she couldn''t be blamed.

 C58

    Susu returned with a bun in her arms and said to Yue Huaiyin: "Miss, the bun is still warm, why don''t you try it too."


    Yue Huaiyin said indifferently: You guys go ahead and eat, I''m not hungry, have you told Xiaowan to rest?


    Susu replied: "I did, but Xiaowan''s mental state is not very good today, and I don''t think her complexion is good either."


    "Bad health?" Yue Huaiyin asked.


    "I don''t know." Susu laughed in joy, "Tell me, could it be that there is more? I really hope that she can quickly give birth to a big fat boy for Manager Ling. "


    Yue Huaiyin was unhappy and waved her hands, "The buns are getting cold, take it."


    However, Xiaowan was not pregnant, she was scared by him.


    After using Jade Ring for so long, they had done so many things, but they had never dared to do bad things. Last night, she had lost her mind and could not let go of this evil idea, so she cursed Prefect Meng for dying early. But it was really just a thought, he did not think of letting them die, but, the Prefect Meng actually died.


    The Xiaowan felt both guilty and terrified. She didn''t know how to explain it to others, so she could only suppress her emotions and stand under the bridge while the cold wind blew. She actually had a fever that very day, not waiting to even finish selling all the buns, Uncle Biao and the Aunt Zhang were already in a rush to send the child back.


    When Ling Chaofeng saw Xiaowan being carried in by the Uncle Biao, he immediately frowned and accepted it. The little girl was burning hot as he looked at him with tears in his eyes.


    Ershan went to get a doctor, and came over not long after. After looking, he said that it was from the cold, and after taking a few medicines, he should be able to quench his fever.


    A healthy person suddenly became ill, naturally, Ling Chaofeng''s heart ached. Yesterday, Xiaowan was not right, her entire person was strange, at night, her Qi was deep and violent, as if she had been possessed by evil.


    "Master, I didn''t catch a cold or have a breeze. I''m wearing a lot of clothes." The man with the fever said softly, "I am not ill."


    Ling Chaofeng had said before, he was not allowed to get sick. When he was sick, he had to take care of her, and that was just to scare people and play with her. Now that she was afraid, he could not help but blame himself and said patiently: "Just sleep obediently, and wake up."


    "I''ll listen to you ¡­" Xiaowan grabbed his hand and closed his eyes, but his tears still flowed down.


    Ling Chaofeng was curious, did he scare her, or did he really bump into something? He was not superstitious in the first place, but he was worried about the Xiaowan, and could not help but let his imagination run wild.


    After waiting for the Xiaowan to sleep peacefully, Ling Chaofeng withdrew himself from the room. The Uncle Biao told him that the Prefect Meng passed away suddenly when he was sleeping, but Ling Chaofeng had long received the news.


    Before, he did not pay attention, but now, thinking about it, Prefect Meng suddenly changing his mind on the day of the Academy Competition to make things difficult for Ershan, might have been a trick on Yue Huaiyin''s part. After all, she had taken the initiative to ask for help, but he had rejected his request.


    Ershan followed the doctor back to grab some medicine, and Aunt Zhang quickly used it to boil. Just as he was about to follow the doctor to the kitchen, he was pulled over by Ling Chaofeng.


    "Aren''t you going to take a look?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "Go..." "Where?" Being asked blindly, Ershan did not manage to react.


    The Uncle Biao laughed: "Foolish brat, Prefect Meng has braided her hair. Such a good opportunity, why don''t you go take a look outside the residence?"


    Ershan said with a red face: "It''s not good to take advantage of someone."


    Uncle Biao laughed and slapped him on the back, then said to Ling Chaofeng: "This brat, what do you care about taking advantage of others'' situation, how will you be able to get on stage in the future?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Go, let''s ask Miss Meng if you need our help."


    Ershan''s eyes lit up, and confirmed once again: "Brother, can I really go?"


    Upstairs, the sleeping Xiaowan heard the Uncle Biao''s laughter faintly and thought to herself, everyone is happy, that''s good. She did not have the strength to open her eyes, nor did she dare to. She was afraid that if she opened her eyes, she would see the ghosts of the Prefect Meng coming for her life.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan whimpered. He could feel that his hands were empty and Ling Chaofeng was not by her side.


    After sleeping for an unknown period of time, someone suddenly called out to her. "Late, late?"


    When the Xiaowan heard the gentle yet familiar voice, she opened her eyes in panic.


    Xiaowan had wished to see her again in his dreams countless of times. She either returned the Jade Ring to her or asked her who the hell she was, but she had never been able to meet her again.


    "Grandma, you should take the ring away." Xiaowan choked with sobs, crying out, "Grandma, I killed someone!"


    The white-haired nanny sat by the bed, gently caressing her cheeks, wiping away her tears, and said with a smile, "You didn''t kill anyone. This ring is just a toy, how can it kill someone?"


    The Xiaowan said anxiously, "I made a wish last night that this Prefect Meng would hurry up and die so that Ershan could be together with the Miss Meng without any problems so that the latter can experience less suffering. I didn''t want him to really die, but he died last night. He really died. Grandma, I cursed him to death, didn''t I? "


    The white-haired granny laughed, "There is a cause and effect for everything in this world. The cycle of karma repeats itself endlessly. Late at night, the time for Prefect Meng to die, is when his lifespan is coming to an end. It wasn''t because you cursed him to death, but because he deserved it. That was why you had this thought. Do you understand? "


    Xiaowan cried: "I don''t understand."


    The child was so honest that the white-haired mother-in-law was amused. "I already said that this ring cannot be used to kill people, do you believe me? Don''t you believe your mother-in-law''s words? "


    Xiaowan was startled, then nodded with tears in her eyes: "I believe you."


    "Then that''s good. Take her in peace. You can do whatever you want. It''s your blessing to be late." The white-haired granny spoke softly, wiping away her tears once more. "Late at night, when you smile so beautifully, don''t cry anymore."


    Xiaowan immediately thought of an even more important matter and asked, "Granny, why is it that my wish on Hubby''s body is always not working?"


    The white-haired mother-in-law smiled but didn''t say anything. She gently caressed her cheeks and said, "Child, go to sleep. Once you wake up from your sleep, you''ll be fine."


    Xiaowan felt very sleepy, his eyelids were so heavy that she could not lift them. She repeated the few sentences in her mouth, and unknowingly fell asleep again.


    When she heard the gentle voice calling her again, she suddenly opened her eyes. Aunt Zhang had a face full of worry.


    She was lifted up, she felt her husband''s embrace, and then, something extremely bitter was poured into her mouth. She sobbed and trembled, and in the end, curled up on Ling Chaofeng''s chest, and fell asleep again.


    It was a very long sleep. When Xiaowan woke up, at an unknown time, Ling Chaofeng was sitting on the bedside, dozing off with his eyes closed.


    "Hubby." Xiaowan gently called out, causing Ling Chaofeng to immediately wake up upon hearing the sound. He leaned on the bedside, touched her forehead and asked, "You''re awake? Is there something wrong with that place? "


    The Xiaowan shyly said: "I, I want to relieve myself."


    Ling Chaofeng smiled, picked her up, and lightly pushed her. "Get out."


    He retreated out of the room, and when the Aunt Zhang heard the commotion downstairs, they came up and asked: "Are you awake?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "He''s awake. Her mind is much better now, all of you go sleep."


    Aunt Zhang heaved a sigh of relief: "This child''s foundation is weak after all. He had suffered so much in the past, who knows how many diseases he has accumulated in his body, and needs to be taken care of. Every time I see her hand, I feel pain in my heart. Such a beautiful child, but because her hand was once full of frostbite, her fingers became so swollen and thick, she was so envious last time when she saw Susu dye her nails. "


    Not long after, Xiaowan said that she was done, she went in to take a look, and then went downstairs to rest. Ling Chaofeng took out a small dish called porridge, placed a small plate on top of it, and let Xiaowan eat it on the bed.


    "It''s not good to get dirty. I have strength. I can get off the bed." The Xiaowan said, she wanted to crawl up, but was pushed down by Ling Chaofeng, "It''s dirty, I''ll wash it, you just sit here and eat."


    Xiaowan did not insist and followed his instructions, slowly eating half a bowl of the porridge. As she ate, she thought about what had happened in her dream. Xiaowan was startled and stopped eating.


    "What''s wrong?" Ling Chaofeng still felt that his wife was a little strange.


    "Master, do you know? Prefect Meng is dead." The Xiaowan said.


    "Understood, Ershan has already gone to see Miss Meng, and is busy with the funeral matters, Miss Meng is doing well, please rest assured." Ling Chaofeng said, "Even if this matter is over, I do not need to alarm the capital, although it is bad for the people of the Meng family, but for us, it is still a good thing."


    Xiaowan remembered that Granny said in her dreams that she didn''t kill Prefect Meng, and Granny said that the storage ring couldn''t be used to kill people. Xiaowan decided to believe her.


    "When I''m done, I want to go to the temple and pay my respects." The Xiaowan lowered his eyes and asked softly, "Husband, can you?"


    "Of course." Ling Chaofeng promised as he carefully looked at his wife. He couldn''t help but say, "Late at night, no matter what happens, you can always tell me. We have nothing to discuss, understand?"


    Xiaowan nodded, but she could not say anything about the ring. She still wanted this ring, and still wanted to keep her divine power. She had no ability or intelligence, so she couldn''t help her husband in any way. With this ring, she could more or less do something.


    Xiaowan pushed the shorter one away and laid in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace. She had scared herself to death today, she really thought she had killed someone. Feeling the warmth from her husband, Xiaowan felt at ease. Her mother-in-law had said that the Jade Ring was her fortune, but she felt that Ling Chaofeng was hers.


    "You''re not allowed to get sick again, I''ll let you off this time." Ling Chaofeng lightly kissed her forehead, "You''re sick, my heart aches a lot."


    The next day, Susu went to the tavern. Yesterday, she was already worried about the Xiaowan''s health, but she didn''t see them coming to Rouge Shop to rest. She told Yue Huaiyin about it, and told him to let her have a look today.


    "I''m fine, don''t worry." Xiaowan and Susu were like sisters, naturally, they were very happy to see her.


    "What a pity. Yesterday, I was thinking, could it be that you''re happy? If your complexion isn''t good, then it might just be a bad thing." Susu peeled the oranges, tore them one by one, and gave them to Xiaowan, saying, "You have to take good care of your body, the weather will warm up soon, it''s a good time."


    Xiaowan smiled, blushing: "Don''t speak nonsense, I''m not ashamed."


    Susu said: "I''m no longer a big girl, what''s there to be shy about? If I could marry a good man, I would only hope to have our child. It''s a pity that I don''t have such a good life."


    Xiaowan stroked her hands and comforted her not to be discouraged.


    But suddenly, she thought, could she make a wish for the heavens to give Susu a good husband? Grandma said that the cycle of karma would repeat itself again and again, and that it was not necessarily her giving a good man to Susu out of thin air.


    But Susu then said, "But I don''t believe in men anymore, it''s good that I''ve been there myself. I told my mother that since we''re not born a mother and daughter, and have such fate, we might as well take care of a child that no one wants in the future and pass on this favor."


    Xiaowan hurriedly suppressed her thoughts. She shouldn''t think too much about it, Susu naturally had her life, so she didn''t need to worry too much about it.


    agreed. After Aunt Zhang left, she closed the door and ran back and said to Xiaowan in a soft voice, "Xiaowan, I think our young miss is a little strange right now."


    Xiaowan did not care about Yue Huaiyin at all, and asked lightly: "What''s wrong?"


    Susu said: "I don''t know if it''s because I was thinking too much, but I feel that she seems to be ¡­ "Cough, cough." Susu coughed dryly, then said hesitantly, "I think that in the past, she might have been a flower lady from the Cyan Plaza."


    Xiaowan was stunned, what did that mean?


    Susu muttered: "The scented powder she concocts is truly an excellent top quality product. When I was in the capital for two years, I could be considered to have some knowledge about it, but she did not become a female official in the palace. Furthermore, she is born so beautiful, and her origins are mysterious.

 C59

    "Qing ¡­" "A building?" Hearing Susu say that, the Xiaowan was stunned. Such a heavenly being, could it be that she came from the land of fireworks?


    "Maybe I was thinking too much, or maybe I was wrong." Susu said cautiously, "When I was in the shop, I didn''t dare to mention these words to my mother. I was afraid that someone would hear me, so I came to the inn to talk."


    Xiaowan hurriedly said: Yes, yes, if I say something wrong, then Miss Yue will not want you guys to die from anger, if I spread this out, I will say that you all are unkind, and it will be difficult to find a job elsewhere.


    Susu said: "Xiaowan, I think so too. The most paradoxical thing is, if she really comes from the Smoke Flower Land, it is not that I look down on her, it is not that I am ungrateful, but that I know of the power of that place in the capital."


    After hearing Susu''s explanation, the Xiaowan finally understood that running a prostitute courtyard in the capital was not as simple as she thought. The imperial government did not allow for the existence of fireworks on the surface, but the customs and customs of the market did not forcefully ban the existence of fireworks, resulting in the formation of a non-black non-white land.


    Those renowned and famous Flower Hall had powerful backers supporting them, especially in the capital. A cup of wine was filled with money, power, reputation, and even life and death.


    Susu said: "With young miss''s age and looks, she is definitely the number one courtesan in the capital, yet she came to this small place by herself to open her Rouge Shop. If she really came from that place, at her age, would she already have the money to redeem herself? Or perhaps, some noble or powerful official was willing to redeem her and raise her here in this small place to hide her charms. This is a common occurrence among the powerful and influential people in the capital. "


    The Xiaowan asked: "Susu, although being born like that is not good, but since you have come out, it doesn''t matter, so what are you worried about?"


    But Susu said: "I am afraid that our fate is sealed, and I do not know when people will barge in, whether it is the gold mine or the poor ones, all of our Rouge Shop will be turned upside down, and we will lose a portion of work, but Miss has good intentions, and we can''t help but be sorry, but there is no one by her side to protect her."


    "What is a potential financial backer?" There were too many things that the Xiaowan did not understand.


    "The potential customers are the men who paid to visit the Flower Pavilion." Susu laughed, "This is what the women in the family said, they claim to be the victims, because all the men were hooked up by the flower pavilion, and they are bitter in their hearts, but those outside may not be the case."


    Hearing that, the Xiaowan was startled, and had to digest it, then curiously asked: "A woman will come too?"


    Susu laughed bitterly: "That big lady brought her concubines and made trouble a few times. Once, the master brought someone to his house and had an urgent matter to attend to the next morning. After that, I''ll give some money to the madame, and the matter will be over. "


    Xiaowan muttered, "Do the men of the capital really have to do something important? Why did such a frightening thing happen in such a bustling and noble place like my imagination?"


    They talked for a long time. Susu was afraid that Xiaowan would be tired, so she took his leave. Carrying those snacks that Aunt Zhang had prepared, Ershan had already prepared a carriage to send her back. Susu said embarrassedly: "Every time I return, I have to trouble Ershan to send me back and forth.


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "A family doesn''t need to talk about two families, Xiaowan has been looking forward to your arrival every day."


    Not long after Susu left, Xiaowan went downstairs. Ling Chaofeng stepped forward and said, "Why have you come out? You''re wearing thin clothes, and you don''t even know how heavy it is."


    The Xiaowan said, "I''m feeling really bored inside the house by myself."


    However, Ling Chaofeng said with a fierce expression, "If you don''t take care of yourself, you should be more obedient. Otherwise, I will punish you to stay in your house everyday and not go out."


    Xiaowan pouted: "I''m better off, you''re so fierce, do you think I''m scared?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, he was carried upstairs by his husband. She did not dare to joke around on the stairs, and was forced back into the room. However, Ling Chaofeng had coaxed her there for half a day before he recovered.


    Ling Chaofeng went downstairs and heard the Aunt Zhang laugh: "Truly still young, when you act coquettishly, it causes one''s bones to go soft. How could you bear not to love her? If Xiaowan were a child raised by her own mother, with her tender, dainty, and beautiful appearance, then most likely the people who proposed to be married would need to go from Qingling Village to Baisha Town another two rounds. "


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "Others do not care about her." Then he said to the Uncle Biao and the Aunt Zhang, "I''m going to the cellar. If you find me late at night, tell her to wait and not to let her run around."


    The two of them replied, and Ling Chaofeng headed towards the cellar. When Xiaowan was first brought to the cellar by Hubby the first time, he found the interior to be extremely spacious. In the distance, there were also doors that seemed to lead to other places, but she had never gone there before and did not care either.


    Prefect Meng died, so a few of the county officials gathered together, along with the Meng family, to settle their aftermath. They were reported to the imperial government, and the imperial government gave them a pension, but no arrangements had been made for the vacancy in the Li Prefecture Prefecture.


    On the day of Prefect Meng''s funeral, Ershan came to visit and saw Meng Lianyi following behind the procession with her brother and mother dressed in mourning. The bystanders cried miserably, she was expressionless, but seeing Ershan standing by the side of the road, her eyes lit up.


    It was only on this evening that Lian Yi finally found the time to meet Ershan on the street, but the two of them simply looked at each other speechlessly. After standing there for a long time, Lian Yi said, "The inn is far away, you should head back earlier."


    Ershan said: "I will come to see you again tomorrow, Miss Meng. You must take care of your body and restrain your grief."


    Lian Yi glanced at him and said unhappily: "I already told you, don''t call me Miss Meng. When you caught me that day, didn''t you still call me a little thief?"


    Ershan scratched his head and smiled bashfully. Lian Yi said with a smile in her eyes: "Remember to call me by name?"


    "Then... Lian Yi, I will be going back now. " Ershan said, "If anything happens, send someone to find me at the inn."


    Lian Yi looked back at the residence, not knowing where the family would go from here. The imperial government did not say that they would take back the residence, but according to the rules, once the father''s funeral was over, they could not stay any longer.


    "Big brother has never been famous. Father had always wished to rely on the power of the capital to donate an official to brother, and had also thought that he could live for a hundred years. "Right now, my father''s closest friends are all running around for the family. Can you talk about the matters between us when the family is at peace?"


    Lian Yi was a miss of a Qian Jin after all, she had an idea in her heart, and said to Ershan: "Besides, I am very filial, I can''t give you any trouble, and the imperial officials are also very filial. If someone used this to falsely accuse your reputation, then it wouldn''t be good."


    Ershan hurriedly said: "It''s fine, I know what to do." His eyes flashed, but it was different from his usual bashful and honest look, but he said, "I also have something important to do, Lian Yi, wait for me."


    Just as Meng Lianyi was about to speak, a woman in plain clothes came out of the house. She was her sister-in-law and said to her: "Lian Yi, Mother wants to see you.


    "I''ll go back first. You go back earlier as well. You have to be careful on the way." Meng Lianyi was reluctant to part with her, but it was not the time for her to be attached to a girl. Without hesitation, she turned and followed her sister-in-law into the room.


    Ershan watched as the house door closed and they mounted the horses to return. The Li Prefecture s were extremely lively, even more bustling than the Baisha Town s and the capital city itself was at least a hundred times more lively.


    After being away for thirteen years, could he still go back?


    When he was six years old, how could he not remember where his home was? How could he not know his name? However, it was not time yet, so he did not need to remember.


    After a while, everything will remember, and there will be an end to it.


    Passing through the busy streets, Ershan whipped his horse and ran towards the tavern.


    In the Residence of the Prefect, after entertaining the guests for a meal, Mrs. Meng called his daughter over and said coldly, "Your father left in a hurry. He did not explain anything about the family''s matters, especially the matter of your marriage. Today, your uncles told me that they were willing to arrange a marriage for you and choose a good marriage for you. "Yi`er, your brother hasn''t gained a reputation yet, but he is still a Young Master of the Prefecture, he can''t be in dire straits like this. So, if I can use your marriage to exchange for something for him, I''ll say that you''ve done your best for this family."


    Meng Lianyi''s heart was cold. If it wasn''t for the fact that she was worried that it would affect Ershan''s career as a official, and that she wasn''t even willing to participate in her father''s funeral, she would have left this family with a great amount of filial piety.


    What blood ties, what blood is thicker than water, go to hell.


    "I heard from the people under the door that you saw that kid on the street again? He was just a wet behind the ears brat, running around the inn. He had just taken the Elementary Scholar examination, what could he possibly do? How can you not cherish yourself? You are the daughter of the Prefect. "


    Mrs. Meng chattered on endlessly: "Now that your father is gone, listen to me about everything in the family. Once I disperse all those monsters, I will have you and your brothers watch over them all day and night, don''t even think about going under my nose to look for that brat. Although I have no way of treating him, I can control you, so don''t force me to be like your father and lock you up."


    Meng Lianyi said: "Mother, don''t worry. Lian Yi will definitely do everything that I can for this family, for my brothers and my nephews. It''s just that my father''s corpse has not turned cold yet. I am filial and cannot discuss marriage for three years. Otherwise, others would gossip and look down on us even more. Mother, I will not see that person again. Don''t worry, after three years, you will marry me off so that you can change something for my family. "


    Mrs. Meng was overjoyed and hugged her daughter in his arms, "Yi''er still dotes on me, daughter is still the most considerate."


    Lian Yi, on the other hand, smiled faintly in her mother''s arms. Three years, after three years, Ershan would definitely be able to take her away.


    In the blink of an eye, three months passed and Xiaowan''s body had recovered greatly. It was a sunny day, so she got up early to open the shop. She stood in front of the door with a broom in her hand. The sunlight shone warmly on her body, making her feel as if her body was about to float.


    A carriage slowly approached from the direction of Baisha Town. Xiaowan looked around curiously, there was no fragrance in the wind, so was it possible that someone from Siyun Pavilion was rushing towards the pier so early in the morning to catch a boat?


    But the carriage slowly stopped, a slim lady jumped down from the carriage, she gave the coachman money, the carriage turned back, and she headed back to Xiaowan.


    Xiaowan was startled, she squinted her eyes and looked, immediately her entire body became tense, she raised her broom, she did not know what to do, but while she was flustered, she was already in front of him.


    "I''m here to eat green bean cake. Is there anything else?" Although she said that she was a girl, she wasn''t. Her hair was tied up, just like the Xiaowan. She was a little woman, no, not a little woman.


    The Xiaowan trembled and said, "You, you ¡­. "Why are you here?"


    Hearing the word "you", Siyan understood, her expression changed, her clear eyes dimmed, and asked: "You know who I am, do you know who I am? "Or ¡­" She looked around, but there were no pursuers.


    Xiaowan hurriedly threw her broom onto the ground and was about to kneel down and kowtow, but she was grabbed by Siyan. She gave him a pleading look, "Don''t be like this, you''re still the same as before, just pretend you don''t know me, alright?"


    "But ¡­" The Xiaowan stuttered as she carried a water basin to sprinkle water. She first saw a broom lying on the ground and asked loudly, "Evening, what are you doing?"


    As she walked out of the door, she suddenly saw another person, and Xiaowan was gesticulating at her with a nervous face, "Empress, Queen."


    Aunt Zhang was stunned at first, then she laughed, what had gotten into her Ling Xiao Inn? Ever since she married into the Xiaowan, the people of the palace had all rushed here, hoping that the Little Empress'' mother-in-law would not come again, so the Aunt Zhang did not like her.


    As for the little empress, I have no enmity with her. A young child, upon seeing her, Aunt Zhang laughed, "How come you''re so early? Could it be that you''re walking on the night path? Miss, do you want to go upstairs to sleep?"


    Siyan laughed then and nodded his head, "It''s already been six hours since you came over from the neighboring counties by carriage before daybreak. I really want to rest easy and take some rest."


    She was invited to stay in the former Cloud Lake. Xiaowan dragged Aunt Zhang and asked nervously, "Aunt, she is the empress, how can the empress run out of the palace so casually?"


    Aunt Zhang rolled up her sleeves and said: "Why can''t I? Could it be that in this world, everything belongs to her?"

 C60

    Although his aunt''s words were reasonable, as the royal family was extremely wealthy, and their entire nation''s Daqi was theirs, a storyteller''s words could only be heard of by the emperor who had secretly visited them.


    Furthermore, Xiaowan had seen the map a long time ago, the capital was far from the Baisha Town.


    When Aunt Zhang saw Uncle Biao coming out with breakfast, she said, "General Wei''s sister is here. He asked for your Mung Bean Cake, do you still have Mung Bean Noodle Soup?"


    "Yes. "He''s here, where is he?" The Uncle Biao looked into the store and laughed, "I''ve already gone to sleep, I can''t get enough of this child."


    The Xiaowan listened at the side and thought to herself, "Aunty is so amazing, she can even call the empress'' this child ''."


    After all, she still did not know the origins of the Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao. If the Aunt Zhang was still in the palace, she would be the imperial concubine and the most respected person in the entire Daqi Nation.


    "Uncle, I want to learn from him." The Xiaowan did not care about it, but seeing that Master did not mind, the Uncle Biao did not find it strange. Ershan was not surprised, but she was shocked himself, because it was too embarrassing, so he ran over to the kitchen to learn how to cook together.


    Uncle Biao said that the Mung Bean Cake looked fine, and it was easy to cook. He placed the Mung Bean Noodle Roll into a big pot and cooked it, the cooked Mung Bean Noodle Roll was filtered out using a sieve, then added in honey, cinnamon sugar and oil.


    Xiaowan tasted the Mung Bean Cake that she had made previously. It was still the same as before, sweet but not greasy. Her mouth was filled with the fragrance of green beans and osmanthus flowers, causing her to feel sweet eating.


    Wei Siyan had entered the Cloud Swamp, laid on the bed, and fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. When she woke up, there seemed to be a lot of people downstairs talking.


    Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that they had already caught up to her after she had finally made it here? Even two days later would be fine.


    But after a long time, no one barged in. Siyan walked to the door and stuck her ear in front of him to listen, then heard the laughter of the people downstairs.


    She pushed the door open and walked behind the pillar. Looking down through the railing, it was indeed a group of business-like guests, not soldiers of the imperial court.


    Seven or eight people sat at a table, the food on the table was almost done, one person waved his hand to settle the bill, and while chatting with a tall and handsome man, he saw that the young lady had arrived, standing beside the man and taking the silver ingots from the guests.


    At the bottom of the building, Xiaowan was holding a large chunk of silver, which was about four to five times the amount of money from the previous table of food. She happily ran back to the counter and placed it in the money jar.


    She hurriedly ran out and respectfully asked, "You''re up?"


    Siyan then appeared, nodded, and asked: "Right now ¡­ "What time is it?"


    Xiaowan said: "It''s only noon. It''s already dark the first time. It''s still early."


    Ling Chaofeng slowly walked over and cupped his fists and bowed to the people upstairs.


    Last time, when Wei Siyan was brought away by his brother from the inn, Ling Chaofeng was out in the open about Susu, and thus did not meet him at home. Although she had met him when she came in the middle of the night, she had been looking for a place to sleep and had probably forgotten it long ago.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "This commoner is Ling Chaofeng, the manager of this inn, and is my wife''s Xiaowan."


    Wei Siyan sighed, then slowly walked down the stairs. Seeing that Ling Chaofeng was about to greet him with Xiaowan, she said: "When I entered, I told you, treat it as not knowing me, or is it just like last time? "What empress? If you don''t say it, no one will know."


    Ling Chaofeng did not say anything. Xiaowan decided to listen to Hubby, and saw that Aunt Zhang was holding a wooden bowl to collect the tableware. Seeing them at the end of the stairs, she laughed: "Are you hungry? "Even though the green bean cake is ready, I still have some hot soup when I wake up. I''ll sit down and bring it over to you right away."


    Ling Chaofeng frowned and said to Siyan: "Miss Wei, please take a seat over here. We have guests here just now, they have not been tidied up yet, please forgive us."


    Wei Siyan was overjoyed, her eyebrows knitted together, it was a comfortable smile, and she laughed: Actually when I saw that you all still open your doors for business, I knew that you all did not take me too seriously, this is great, I am here to play, not in the palace.


    Xiaowan carefully brought her hot tea and helped her pack up the table. After that, she polished the table till it was shining bright, afraid that the smell of food and the smell of alcohol would remain. Uncle Biao, on the other hand, had already prepared a bowl of noodles and brought it out personally.


    When ordinary people saw the crude looking Uncle Biao, especially the girls and women, they would always be shocked. However, Siyan had followed her brother in the army as she watched men grow up bare-chested. When she saw that Uncle Biao only smiled normally, she immediately became attracted to the noodles.


    The last time she had eaten it was duck soup. The soup looked fresh this time, but the taste was not light at all. The sweet taste assaulted her brain and she couldn''t help taking two big gulps.


    Uncle Biao said proudly, "The soup was hung with dried kelp and dried fish. It was washed away with scallion wine. It looks light and light on the surface, but the taste is marvelous." As he spoke, he set down another bowl of pickled vegetables and said, "I kept the best vat of pickled vegetables from last winter for my own people to eat. I can''t bear to entertain the guests. It''s naturally different when Lady Wei comes."


    Aunt Zhang came over and said in displeasure: "Why are you talking so much, don''t stop me from eating."


    With that, he dragged Uncle Biao away, and the latter laughed at the kitchen: "After all, he is your old friend''s daughter-in-law, we must take more care of his."


    At this moment, Xiaowan stood at the side and looked at the Queen. No, Miss Wei was so angry that she gulped down a bowl of noodles and was stupefied by what she saw.


    When they were in the village, they heard that the empress of the palace didn''t even need to eat or bathe themselves. When someone fed them to their mouth, they would even take off their clothes, but they didn''t need to do anything themselves. Every day, a large group of people would gather around them.


    However, the person in front of her, she had just taken a big gulp of noodles and was holding a bowl of soup, gulping down the soup. It was truly refreshing.


    When she saw that the Xiaowan was still standing, she said, "Sit down, we will talk for a while."


    The Xiaowan sneaked a glance at Hubby and seeing that Ling Chaofeng nodded, she agreed. However, he first went to get a plate of green bean cake, then smiled and said: "You cooked a lot while you were sleeping. You have to slowly eat it, if it''s not enough, this humble woman will go and get it."


    However, Siyan said: "What about you, I don''t want all of my things, don''t worry about what we said the other day and what we said today, I know that if I stay here I will bring you trouble, I will not stay for long, don''t worry."


    Xiaowan quickly waved his hands and said, "No, no, you can stay as long as you want. After knowing that you are the empress, I did not dare to think that we would meet again.


    Siyan laughed and asked, "How did you know?"


    Xiaowan said: "General Wei has been here before. Since we know that he is from General Wei, we guessed that you are the Empress."


    Wei Siyan looked at her in a daze: "My brother came over?"


    The Xiaowan was confused. "You don''t know?"


    Thinking about it, it made sense. When General Wei returned to the Chuanyu from the capital, he might not tell the capital about the things that happened when he passed by.


    "What is he doing here?" Wei Siyan asked, "Are you looking for trouble?"


    Xiaowan shook her head. "General Wei only ate a meal, chatted with my husband for a while, then left."


    Wei Siyan looked at Ling Chaofeng, and greeted him with a nod of his head. Then, she turned back, and silently ate the green bean cake, and when Xiaowan poured her tea, she thanked him.


    Wei Siyan laughed: "Your words have hit the mark, I scared those Palace Maid nuns so much that they kneeled down. I already didn''t say anything more about it in the palace, but I said it again unintentionally just now."


    The Xiaowan curiously asked: "How long have you been gone? Did you come by yourself?"


    Wei Siyan continued to eat green bean cake, her gaze was fixed, but she still replied Xiaowan, "The Emperor brought me to the Qin Province to pay respects to our ancestors, I ran out halfway. She came all the way here on a donkey cart, which took him five days. "


    Xiaowan asked, "Why are you here?"


    Wei Siyan raised the green bean cake in her hand. "I told you, I''m here to eat green bean cake."


    In any case, the Xiaowan didn''t understand. As expected, the Empress was not an ordinary person.


    In the afternoon, a strong wind was blowing. Everyone stayed in the inn, and no one passed any customers. Upstairs, Wei Siyan was resting alone in her room. Xiaowan had sent her some tea, so she left without daring to disturb her.


    She was finally able to talk with her husband for a bit, so she asked Ling Chaofeng, "Will you go to the newspaper and tell them that the empress dowager is here, so they can come and pick her up?"


    But Ling Chaofeng said: "Didn''t I say, we don''t know her?"


    "Hubby?" The Xiaowan said seriously, "This time you are the one meddling in other people''s business, if there is any mistake in the future, you cannot blame me."


    Ling Chaofeng frowned: "Why do you like to calculate with me so clearly?"


    Xiaowan raised his head and said: "Who would that be, forget it, I will give you a hundred years of work, I will remember it, I definitely won''t forget it."


    Laughter came from downstairs, and Wei Siyan couldn''t help but look over. She saw Xiaowan playing with Manager Ling, twisting and turning in his embrace, and the way Manager Ling looked at her, was filled with love and doting, as if his wife was a rare treasure.


    Wei Siyan thought about it, what did the emperor think of her? She couldn''t remember.


    In the two months since their wedding, she had not looked into the eyes of the emperor. Even if it was a matter of marriage at night, she still kept her eyes closed, so naturally the emperor would only be on bad terms with her. A few days after their wedding, they never touched each other again.


    She didn''t like the emperor, and the emperor didn''t like her either. The eunuchs of Palace Maid all saw this in their eyes, and guessed that soon, she would be taking in a concubine.

 C61

    When night came, Siyan ate dinner with the Xiaowan and the others. The people chatted and laughed, and it was no different from usual. After spending a day together, the Xiaowan was no longer that nervous.


    When they had to prepare hot water for the empress to bathe her in, Siyan asked them how to bathe. When she heard that the Xiaowan and the Aunt Zhang were bathing in the backyard, she wanted to bathe together.


    While bathing, Aunt Zhang said, "The rankings will be released the day after tomorrow. If that brat didn''t become an Elementary Scholar, the shopkeeper would probably beat him to death. Ershan has been very obedient these two days, only eating one bowl."


    The Xiaowan said angrily: "Why not? Even back then, no one forced him to go wandering around for Ershan, and she would never even get a chance to enter the exam. He''s good, so why doesn''t he take the exam?"


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "When the time comes, that''s how you will say it. Don''t get the shopkeeper to hit him."


    However, the Xiaowan was terrified and said: "Ershan will definitely pass the examination."


    Siyan curiously asked what was wrong, and the Xiaowan explained it to her. She was very interested in hearing it and said: "The day after tomorrow, let''s go look at the rankings together."


    The Xiaowan was stunned. The day after tomorrow, could it be that she will stay until the day after tomorrow?


    The empress had clearly said that she wouldn''t stay for long to give them more trouble, but she didn''t seem to have any intentions of leaving. The next morning, when Uncle Biao was going to the mountain to search for bamboo shoots, she excitedly followed along, which Xiaowan had no choice but to follow.


    They wandered around the back of the mountain for a long time and dug up a big basket of bamboo shoots and mushrooms. They came back to make bamboo shoots and mushroom stew and watched the thin man eat two big bowls.


    In the afternoon, Aunt Zhang had to go to the town to tear cloth to make spring shirts, so she took Xiaowan and Siyan with him. They even went to the teahouse to listen to the reports and did not return until before sunset.


    Only Xiaowan would look around. On the way home, Siyan could not help but ask her what she was looking at, and Xiaowan said: "I was afraid that someone would suddenly rush out to catch you."


    She smiled without a care and said, "Then let''s catch them. Anyway, I ran out and was ready to be caught. Now that I''ve seen all of you and eaten the green bean cake that I yearned for, I''m satisfied."


    Xiaowan was relieved. So the empress knew that someone would come looking for her sooner or later.


    The carriage passed by the street, and inside the Siyun Pavilion, Yue Huaiyin was conversing with a guest. She sent the guest out the door, and then heard from the servant girl that the young lady who saw the owner of the carriage had walked over. Besides the Aunt Zhang, there was also a beautiful young woman.


    Yue Huaiyin looked at the street, but did not see anyone. She thought to herself, Ling Xiao Inn again, what kind of guest is there, it''s really interesting there, but it''s a pity that all this entertainment is unrelated to her.


    Letting Prefect Meng see the King of Hell was something Yue Huaiyin had done before, but she couldn''t let Mu Xiaowan disappear for no reason. Although only if Mu Xiaowan disappeared, would she be able to get close to Ling Chaofeng, if Ling Chaofeng found out the truth one day, he would definitely crush him into dust.


    She stared blankly at the clean and tidy street. In the eyes of the locals, Baisha Town was a lively place, but she grew up in the busiest place in the capital.


    However, it was not the quiet blood that soaked her bones. In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed and she was beginning to get tired of it.


    "Miss, the Academy Competition will be announced tomorrow. Can I go out for a while?" Susu walked over to her side and said with a smile, "Xiaowan said that if Ershan were to become an Elementary Scholar, he would bring me and my mother over for a meal at the Drunken Immortal Tavern."


    Yue Huaiyin thought, why did no one ask her to join them, was it because Xiaowan was unhappy?


    She smiled gently: "Go, help me congratulate Ershan." After thinking for a moment, he said, "I have an excellent jar of wine. You can take it with you."


    It was night, and after dinner, Xiaowan, Aunt and Siyan were all in Yunze''s room. The materials they bought in the town during the day were spread on the table, and Aunt was the one who measured the sizes of the Xiaowan.


    Aunt Zhang patted her butt and said, "I''m a bit fatter and taller than when I came here."


    Xiaowan touched her waist: Am I fat?


    Aunt smiled and said, "It''s not enough yet."


    While they were talking, Siyan had already finished drawing lines on the material. She picked up the scissors and cut the fabric in a few strokes, then used the needle and thread to sew it up.


    Aunt Zhang hurriedly said, "Night time is tiring. We''ll deal with it during the day."


    Xiaowan was extremely surprised. "You can make clothes?"


    Siyan''s hands moved swiftly and nimbly, making people dizzy as she said: "I don''t have a mother in my house, although there is a servant, but I love my brother. The people he leads, ride horses and train with the sword all day long, and crawl in the mud on top of the mountain, they waste a lot of clothes. Every year we have to make many clothes or sew them up. Since I have nothing to do at home, it''s always me who makes them. I made them myself so that he can wear them without worry. "


    When Xiaowan saw that she had left, he softly said: "That day, General Wei and I spoke at the back door for a while, and because I had cooked a few dishes for him at Chuanyu, he was a little sad. He said that he was afraid that you would never be able to eat another mouthful of food from his hometown. And you specifically thanked me for wrapping the green bean cake for you the other day, so that you two siblings can reconcile. "


    Siyan''s eyes were in a daze, and the thread in her hand was crooked as well. A layer of mist rose from her beautiful eyes as she choked with sobs: "Then why did he ¡­ why did he want to marry me to the Emperor?"


    Xiaowan timidly asked, "Don''t you want to be an empress?


    "Siyan sniffed, and laughed bitterly:" "I can''t say. Anyway, I did not treat him well, and he had no choice but to marry me.


    After they dispersed and everyone went to rest, Xiaowan returned back to her room. Ling Chaofeng was leaning against the bed, reading a book in his hands.


    "I haven''t spoken to my husband all day." Xiaowan rubbed her head against his husband''s chest and said in satisfaction, "I missed you."


    Ling Chaofeng said in displeasure: "I see that you''re having a good time, you don''t even want to think about me."


    "That would be quite happy, Aunt Siyan ¡­ "No, Esteemed Empress is particularly good." The Xiaowan said as she lifted her face to ask, "Hubby, she told me that she doesn''t want to be the empress and the emperor doesn''t want to marry her. Since that''s the case, why did they want to be together?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "You didn''t want to marry me in the first place right?"


    Xiaowan found it hard to process her thoughts. She felt that these were different things. However, a marriage was not something that she could decide. Listening to her parents at home, even if one did not have parents, one would still have to look from brothers and uncles like Ershan and Miss Meng.


    And just like this, she barely managed to marry into the inn. After making a ruckus for a while, she realized that not many people had married the right person. Since there weren''t many, she decided to cherish them with all her might.


    The Xiaowan gave Ling Chaofeng a kiss, and felt that was not enough before giving him another kiss, "Husband, in the next life, you still need to marry me."


    "Then you must let me obediently come and find you." Ling Chaofeng laughed, but was distracted for a moment, as though he remembered something, and was biased. But the thought flashed across his mind, and then it never came again. The little person in his arms squirmed, and the two of them rolled into the bed.


    The next morning, the entire family along with Wei Siyan, were dressed neatly as they prepared to go to Li Prefecture to look at the rankings.


    Ershan tensed up, for the sake of him taking the Academy Competition, the entire inn was in chaos. If he really could not become an Elementary Scholar, it would not matter if he was beaten or punished, but what was regretful was that he had let down everyone''s hard work.


    Aunt Zhang patted his back and laughed: "Silly brat, didn''t you do well in those few days? What are you so nervous for?"


    Xiaowan said ostentatiously: "Don''t worry, I''m here."


    On the other hand, Ling Chaofeng carried her onto the carriage with a straight face and helped Wei Siyan get on the carriage. Ershan and Uncle Biao drove the carriage.


    The Xiaowan and the rest were already too late, they could not squeeze in, so they stopped the carriage by the side of the road, and the whole family stood on the carriage to watch.


    Finally, when it was the auspicious hour for the rankings to be released, the chief examiner brought his men out. When the red paper rolled down, it was shockingly eye-catching.


    Both Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang were extremely happy, they jumped down from the horse carriage and pulled Ershan as they congratulated him.


    Ershan shyly laughed, then looked around, but in the vast crowd, there were no signs of Lian Yi, did she have to be looked after and not be able to come out, or was she not sure about the results today, or, where could she not find him?


    Compared to the bustling atmosphere outside, the inside of the restaurant at the side of the field was empty and quiet. The doors of the restaurant were closed in broad daylight. A few tall and big men were guarding the door.


    In the elegant room upstairs, a young man sat at the window facing the street and looked down at the rankings. Beside him, a middle-aged man respectfully said, "Your Majesty, that person should be the head of this Li Prefecture Academy Exam, his name is Ling Liu."


    The new master, Xiang Run, had an indifferent expression as his gaze slowly swept across them. However, on the carriage beside them, he saw the person he was looking for.


    As expected, the people around him caught sight of it and said in a fluster, "Your majesty, is that the esteemed Empress, is that the esteemed Empress?"


    He quickly called for people, ordering them to go find the Queen immediately. Xiang Run raised his hand, "There''s no need, I want to see what she is doing here."


    "But Your Majesty ¡­"


    "That''s it." Xiang Run drank a mouthful of tea calmly and instructed his subordinates, "Go and find out where this Ling Xu came from, but I don''t know if I can still see him in the Hall Competition next year."


    They waited until Ershan went to see the main examiner, registered for the examination in August, registered for the household and collected their tags. After many things were done, the family returned to Baisha Town to fetch Susu and Auntie Chen, and went to Drunken Immortal Tavern to have a meal together.


    Along the way, Siyan was ecstatic and happy. She actually said to the Xiaowan: "Wait till August, when she comes to participate in the Beijing examinations. If you guys come over, I''ll think of a way to meet you guys okay?"


    Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan looked at each other. Xiaowan said in a soft voice, "Empress, you shouldn''t have just run out. Of course, if the emperor knew, you would have come without any reservations. It would have been great to be able to see you again."


    Siyan''s gaze dimmed, and she laughed: "That''s right."


    Although this was somewhat depressing, today was a happy day. Wei Siyan was lucky to be able to get involved, and didn''t feel wronged, to be able to fetch the other two mothers and daughters that she had never seen before. The whole family enjoyed a hearty meal at the Drunken Immortal Inn, and only returned to the tavern before sunset.


    However, when he returned home, the carriage suddenly stopped before the door of the inn.


    Xiaowan opened the curtain and was shocked. Outside the tavern, there were over a hundred people standing, with Wei Tengfei at the head of the crowd and filled with anger, waiting at the entrance.

 C62

    Ling Chaofeng had already dismounted from his horse, and everyone had dismounted. When Wei Siyan saw this scene, she sighed in her heart, maybe she was the only person present who was not afraid of her brother, or if he was afraid or not, this was the result.


    Those people who looked like soldiers did not make things difficult for everyone, but made a path for the Xiaowan and the others to return home.


    Ling Chaofeng stepped forward and bowed to Wei Tengfei. Xiaowan timidly followed beside the empress and carefully asked Siyan, "Did the general come over from the Chuanyu?"


    Wei Siyan only smiled, and looked at her brother again. His eyes seemed to have caught on fire, she had never stared at her in such a manner in her entire life.


    As they entered the inn, the interior of the inn was completely dark. Aunt Zhang was busy lighting the candles, and their eyes were looking more and more clearly at each other. Xiaowan could see that the General Wei was covered in dust and his eyes were bloodshot, as if he had traveled through the night for a long time.


    Xiaowan looked at Ling Chaofeng and Ling Chaofeng shook his head slightly. They could already communicate through their eyes and hearts, when Xiaowan asked his husband if he had betrayed the Empress, Ling Chaofeng denied it.


    But at this moment, Wei Tengfei opened his mouth, and slapped the Eight Immortals table beside him, causing it to reverberate in the sky.


    "Wei Siyan, do you know what you''re doing? Are you trying to take the life of three hundred thousand Chuanyu¡¯s Army for a joke? Do you not hear anything I say?"


    Wei Siyan looked away, stubbornly not saying a word.


    Wei Tengfei was enraged to the extreme: "Father, for the sake of Chuanyu¡¯s Army, sacrificed his entire life to the army, you want to see my Chuanyu¡¯s Army destroyed? Without soldiers, where would you be able to live a life of peace? Wei Siyan, I don''t want you to go to the tiger cave or dragon cave, I''m not sending you to the sea of swords or fire, I just hope that you can be a queen and the most respected woman in the world, what can''t you do? Are you able to face the people of Chuanyu, the three hundred thousand strong army, or Father and Mother? "


    How could the tiger girl from the general''s household be a weak and delicate person? She took a step forward, stared at her brother and said: "Father and Mother gave birth to me, and I have never cared for them, so what should I do to them? And what do you expect me to do about what you three hundred thousand men can''t do? You are afraid that the Emperor will abolish the army, right? But it is a peaceful and prosperous world, so what do I need you guys to do? The Supreme Emperor has fought for two years and did not bring a single soldier with him, so it can be seen that this Daqi does not need you people anymore.


    Even she knew that she should not say it out loud. She was afraid that the General Wei would smack the empress''s head with his palm. How could the empress possibly withstand that?


    But what made her dumbstruck was that General Wei did not slap his sister. Instead, he turned around and picked up the broom that was leaning against the door. The huge broom that was normally in Xiaowan''s hands was like a toy in his hands.


    The tall man, with his agility, rushed back to the Queen''s side in the blink of an eye and pulled her by the arm. The bamboo pole whistled frighteningly in the air as it lashed out, one whip after another, against the Queen''s fart.


    "I can only blame myself for not teaching you well. I''ll teach you now." The General Wei was enraged, as if he could ignite a fire even if he were to be twenty meters away.


    Wei Siyan was stunned. When the pain woke her up, her brother still kept the bamboo pole in his hands without stopping. She instinctively struggled to escape, but was easily pushed down the table by her brother.


    Xiaowan was terrified, she wanted to rush forward to stop him, but her husband held her back.


    She was on the verge of struggling with Ling Chaofeng on one side, and the whipping sounds were still incessant on the other side, when she suddenly heard a cold voice from outside the door, "Stop it!"


    All that could be heard was the queen''s breathing and sobbing. Everyone''s eyes were focused on the front of the shop, and there stood the long-haired man, very young, around twenty years old, with an indifferent expression, not angry at all, he walked a few steps forward and said to the furious General Wei, "For my sake, stop fighting."


    Siyan who was lying on the Eight Immortals'' Table fell down limply. His face was filled with tears and her body was trembling. Gradually, she hid her face. It was unknown whether it was because she didn''t want to see others or because she didn''t want to be seen by others.


    Xiaowan ran over to help Siyan, and wanted to send her to the room upstairs. However, when she saw that Wei Tengfei was walking toward the young man, she blocked her with her hand, as if she did not want him to bow, and instead walked to the front of and Xiaowan slowly. He looked at the battered and exhausted person, and said: "Are you coming with me now, or do you want to stay for a few more days?"


    Wei Siyan looked at him with a conflicted expression, then looked at her aggressive brother who stood to the side. In the end, she stubbornly turned her face away, and without saying a word, limped up the stairs while holding onto the railing.


    Xiaowan did not know what to do, but when she saw Ling Chaofeng giving her a meaningful glance, her heart was at ease, and she immediately followed.


    After Siyan entered the room, she laid on the bed, buried her face in the bed, and cried softly. Xiaowan asked softly from behind: "Empress, does it hurt, does it hurt?"


    In the chaos just now, the Empress had been hit with at least a dozen sticks. His brother''s actions were quick and ruthless, causing Xiaowan''s heart to jump out of her throat.


    "He hit me, he hit me ¡­" Wei Siyan sobbed and sobbed, "If the emperor doesn''t come, then is he going to beat me to death? Is he still my big brother?! Wei Tengfei, that bastard ¡­"


    Emperor? Xiaowan''s head buzzed. She did not have the time to think about who the young man was.


    With a dong sound, Wei Siyan raised her tear-stained face and saw that Xiaowan had fallen onto the ground. She then said to her in a daze, "Is it the emperor, or is it the emperor?"


    If ordinary people could see the color of the sky, they would be able to boast for a lifetime.


    On the ground floor, Wei Tengfei and Ling Chaofeng had already bowed to the new master. Xiang Run looked around the inn and saw two people standing below the stairs. A tall, woman with a rough figure and a graceful appearance stood there. There was a trace of indescribable pride in her eyes, as if she was not the least bit surprised at knowing his identity.


    Xiang Run smiled faintly and did not bother with their greetings. He turned back and asked Ling Chaofeng: "Can you stay here for a few days?"


    Ling Chaofeng replied casually: "I am afraid I have neglected your presence in the inn."


    Xiang Run did not think so, but the court official who accompanied him was extremely anxious, and advised, "Your majesty, we cannot live in this wilderness. It would be better if you go to Li Prefecture, and even worse than that ¡­ "


    "With the General Wei here, what are you afraid of?" Xiang Run glanced at him in disdain, then clasped his hands behind his back and was about to head upstairs, saying, "With General Wei here, we can live anywhere. We are tired, let''s rest here for two days before we leave. "Send someone to tell the Zither Department that the Queen and I will return a few days later."


    As the Emperor spoke, he walked up the stairs and walked around the corridor, as if he did not know which room they were in. Coincidentally, the Xiaowan opened the door and upon seeing the Emperor, he was so scared that his legs gave way and he fell to the ground. Xiang Run walked over to her and asked calmly, "The Empress lives here?"


    "Yes ¡­" The Xiaowan trembled.


    "Then I''ll stay here as well. You guys should make some arrangements." Xiang Run stood in front of the door and peeked his eyes in. Seeing Wei Siyan lying on the bed, her pouting body was twitching as though she was still crying.


    "How much is your hotel?" the Emperor suddenly asked.


    "This ¡­ this room ¡­ it costs ¡­ ten taels of silver a night." Xiaowan replied shakily. She was talking to the Emperor, she was talking to the Emperor.


    "Ten taels of silver?" Even though it was Tian Jia, he was still frightened. He said somewhat angrily, "Are you opening a black shop?"


    "Yeah." Xiaowan replied.


    However, Xiang Run smiled and shook his head, then turned and went back down.


    Xiaowan held onto the door, her heart trembling as she recited, "Husband, where are you? I can''t stand up."


    Speaking of last time, when the Grand Emperor brought Empress Qiu to force the Lord Tang to bring them out for a stroll, when they did not reveal their identities, Ling Chaofeng still brought the evening to stay in his own room on the third floor. But today it was different.


    The Emperor and Queen lived together in Yunze, the General Wei stayed in a room facing north, while the rest of the people stayed outside to set up camp. When the Xiaowan came out to deliver dinner and tea, she saw that the tents around the tavern had been set up at an unknown time.


    The night had finally stopped. Xiaowan was lying on the bed with her heart still beating fast. She said stupidly, "Aunt, I''ve seen the Emperor. I''ve actually seen the Emperor."


    Aunt Zhang laughed in her heart: Stupid girl, you have already met the Emperor''s parents.


    In Yun Ze''s room, Wei Siyan turned over on her bed with a painful expression. After the emperor came up, he sat by the side of the table and read a mountain of memorials.


    But, it had already been four hours, Wei Siyan wanted to free herself.


    There was a bucket and a curtain in the guest room, but it could not be seen and could not be heard ¡­


    Xiang Run heard the commotion, he looked back and asked indifferently: "Are you feeling well?"


    Wei Siyan''s face was flushed red. Although they had been married for more than two months and had had sex together, but in truth, they had been like strangers for the past two months, and after a few days, they did not speak much even after meeting. The emperor was very busy, and when the new emperor was established, everything had to start over.


    "Can I go out for a bit?" Wei Siyan held back for a long time, she could not hold it in any longer, "Your majesty, please leave."


    "You want to let go?" Xiang Run asked.


    Wei Siyan''s face was like a ripe persimmon, her ears and neck completely red.


    "Isn''t it fine if you say so?" Xiang Run shook his head and turned to leave.


    But when Wei Siyan finished and was washing her hands in the water basin, the emperor took out a small bottle from somewhere and held it in her hands as she entered the door. She said to her, "This is a ointment to dissolve blood stasis.


    Wei Siyan glared at him. The emperor walked closer step by step as she reached out her hand in panic, "Your Majesty, your concubine will do it herself."


    Xiang Run said: Between husband and wife, why would you care about it?


    Before Siyan could react, she was pushed down, she felt her skirt being lifted, her mind went blank.


    "Don''t touch me ¡­" "Don''t touch me ¡­" Siyan cried.

 C63

    However, the giant palm was still smeared with ice cold medicinal paste. Siyan''s entire body tensed up, but her waist was still pressed down and could not move.


    She couldn''t see it for herself. There were many red and swollen marks crisscrossed on her jade-like skin. Her own brother had really hit her viciously.


    As for the Emperor''s carriage, it had arrived earlier than Ling Chaofeng and the rest, and it had also arrived earlier than Wei Tengfei. However, he had coincidentally parked at the back door. Wei Tengfei''s group had only just arrived and Ling Xiao Inn''s carriage had just returned. After he walked around the inn, he happened to hear the empress''s arrogant words towards Wei Tengfei.


    She was indeed rather infuriating, and running out by herself on the way to worship the Ancestor made her even more infuriating.


    Seeing her own wife being pummeled by her brother on the Eight Immortals Table as a fart was a scene that the emperor would never even imagine. She was helpless and furious and initially wanted to let Wei Siyan have a good memory, but who knew that she would actually stop her after hitting her a few times for real?


    The empress was beaten to the point that she felt wronged and wronged.


    "Alright." Xiang Run lightly slapped Siyan''s fart, although her body continued to twist and resist, in the end she had still applied the medicine, and said, "The medicine has been spread out, take the bed in your pants."


    But the person lying on the ground didn''t move. She continued to cry, burying her face in the pillow until the pillow was almost wet from crying.


    "If you keep crying, Wei Tengfei will come to beat you up again when he hears you." Xiang Run moved closer to her ear and said, "You are the Queen, no one in this world other than us can touch you, including your brother. Why didn''t you yell to stop him? Do you want me to punish him for the crime of cheating on the sovereign? "


    Siyan raised his crying face and glared at him fiercely. However, Xiang Run actually extended her hand and gently pushed away the hair fragments that had been wet with tears, revealing a beautiful and pitiful face. He said with a serious expression: "This is our empress? Wei Siyan, if you still can''t be a queen after this, we will come and teach you. No matter why you were chosen as the empress, or why you were a gift from your brother to the imperial government, or what else, since you have become the empress of Daqi, we will not allow you to lose any face for the imperial family and the imperial government until your death. "


    "Then kill me." Siyan was enraged, "You can find a woman that will not embarrass you and become your queen, I don''t care. However, if you do not kill me and keep me by your side, then from today onwards, if you dare to touch even a single person with Chuanyu¡¯s Army, or even harm my brother, I will start killing from the Longevity Palace and wipe out all the ancestors of your Xiang Family. "


    Xiang Run smiled lightly: "Then with three hundred thousand Chuanyu¡¯s Army, you and your brother will be buried together?"


    Siyan''s eyes trembled, she slowly got up, pulled up her underpants and put down her skirt, Xiang Run casually took out a towel from the shelf and gave it to her to wipe her tears, then returned to the table and opened a report.


    He paused for a moment, then asked: "You told your brother that the Supreme Emperor fought Liang Nation for two years without using a single person, do you know why?"


    Wei Siyan had originally wanted to sit on the bed with her legs crossed, but the pain in her legs was too much, she could only barely lean on the bed, not knowing the answer to the emperor''s question. She only knew that the rumor of the imperial government abolishing Chuanyu¡¯s Army had a long history. The imperial government had not used Chuanyu¡¯s Army for many years already, and the military expenditures were also decreasing.


    "Actually, in the past thirty years since our Daqi was founded, there hasn''t been a single matter that had anything to do with me." Xiang Run turned around and looked at Siyan, "Besides accompanying me to the capital, and to offer sacrifices to the ancestors of the Qinzhou Region, I have never stepped out of the capital before.


    Siyan was stunned. She seemed to have understood him, but she also didn''t seem to have understood him.


    "Chuanyu¡¯s Army, is the pride of my Daqi, the existence which royal father was able to extend his territory without any worries in the past. He will never have to worry about someone seizing the opportunity to invade our homeland from another direction during his military expedition. Compared to the defending troops at the east, south, west borders, and the Shen Family Army who is accompanying his father in his expedition, Chuanyu¡¯s Army is the heart of his Daqi Nation. "


    Xiang Run said calmly, "However, all of this has nothing to do with us. It is royal father''s achievements, and it is your father and brothers'' sweat and blood. I am just a ready-made emperor.


    The hostility on Siyan''s face gradually faded. She looked at the emperor at a loss, and couldn''t help but sob a little.


    The Emperor smiled and said with a carefree tone, "On New Year''s Day, the first day you become the Empress and the first day I become the Emperor. Actually, we are both at the same time, and we don''t know what we should do."


    Siyan sobbed and wiped her face randomly. The Emperor put down the imperial report and forced a towel to her and frowned: "But at the very least, don''t make yourself look dirty. You are the mother of a nation."


    Siyan pursed her lips, crawled up from the bed, and went to wash her face with a towel. However, her fart was painful, and she walked with a limp, provoking the Emperor''s ridicule. She glared back in anger, but Xiang Run just looked at her leisurely, and laughed: "Do you know why you were chosen as the empress?"


    Siyan washed her face and ignored him.


    "Because amongst the beautiful ladies, I have only taken a fancy to you." Xiang Run said.


    Wei Siyan turned around and looked at the emperor. His face that had been washed clean returned to its original beautiful state. Her skin was tender and white, a gem that could be blown away by the wind;


    She asked, "What did you say?"


    Xiang Run said: "What do you think, for the Chuanyu army, for your brother? Or some terrifying conspiracy? "


    Siyan wiped off the water droplets on her face. It was clearly cold water, yet it was getting hotter and hotter.


    "It''s just a coincidence that your brother sent you to the talent show. When I took a fancy to you, I didn''t know that you were Wei Tengfei''s little sister." Xiang Run stood up and slowly walked to her side, "Did you know that my mother was a gift from her father that he had given to royal father? Although in the end, the two of them were lovers and fought coincidentally to form a good marriage, my mother had already told me from a young age that we should not bully girls in the future. In the future, we need to marry a woman we like."


    Siyan unconsciously took a step back, but the emperor walked closer. He frowned and sized himself up, looking at Siyan with a bit of disdain.


    "However, I am still a prince, and a future monarch. I can only look for someone I like within a limited range." Xiang Run gently lifted Siyan''s chin, "If I knew that you would be so noisy, why would I have chosen you?"


    Siyan choked and asked, "Your majesty, you don''t know how to deal with Chuanyu¡¯s Army?"


    Xiang Run asked: "Why did we insert a blade into the heart of Daqi? However, Jun Mo Xie was his subject, and this subject had no respect for him, so how could he control the world? I must have your brother, your three hundred thousand strong Chuanyu army respect the imperial government. Otherwise, even if your brother is loyal and devoted, it will be difficult to protect the day when his subordinates won''t betray him. But at that time, the world will only say that the one who betrayed them was the Chuanyu¡¯s Army, and it was Wei Tengfei. "


    Siyan''s eyes gradually became clear, as if the things she did not understand had become clear.


    "You are a child raised by the Chuanyu¡¯s Army, but from today onwards, you are my wife, the national mother of the Daqi, and tens of thousands of citizens are your subjects. You can''t just keep those three hundred thousand people in your heart, and countless others waiting for an impressive Queen."


    Xiang Run said with a stern expression: "If you are willing to bear all of this, follow me home. We will definitely not pursue this matter any further. However, if you don''t want to accept it, and if you don''t have the confidence to stand by my side for the rest of your life, then we will part here and you will be free. I will pretend that I have never seen you before. "


    After Xiang Run finished speaking, he turned around, but someone was holding onto his sleeves, causing him to pause for a moment. After a long while, Siyan stammered, "Your majesty, can you not tell anyone that I was beaten up by my brother?"


    Xiang Run laughed faintly, but kept his smile and asked: "Do you know how to lose face? I also feel that it''s very embarrassing. "


    That night, the Empress laid on the same bed once again. Siyan turned her body with her back facing the emperor and said in annoyance, "Sleep on the floor.


    The Xiaowan and the Aunt Zhang woke up before dawn. Ling Chaofeng and the others also woke up early.


    The Xiaowan was busy cooking in the kitchen, when she came out to take a breath, she saw Ling Chaofeng coming back from the outside and immediately ran over. Ling Chaofeng gently wiped the flour off her face and said in pain: I have to make so much food, am I tired of it?


    She shook her head and looked around her before whispering, "Husband, yesterday the emperor asked me how much I paid for my place. I was scared to death, so I honestly told him. He was very angry and asked if we opened a black shop.


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "Idiot, what are you afraid of?


    The Xiaowan said excitedly: "But that is the emperor! Hubby, you have seen so many noble people in the capital, but you have never seen the emperor right?"


    "We''ll talk about it later. Hurry up and help." Ling Chaofeng said, "There are so many people waiting to eat."


    Xiaowan ran away, but immediately turned back around, "Husband, will the people from the town come over to watch the show, how will they spread the legends about us?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "The road where the Baisha Town came from has already been sealed, and the dock is not open yet, so no one will appear on both sides, waiting for the emperor to leave first."


    "That''s good. I want so many tents. I want to scare the passersby to death." After Xiaowan finished, she headed back to the kitchen, only to hear someone calling her. Siyan had come down.


    "Empress." Xiaowan immediately ran over, "Empress, are you alright?"


    Siyan''s cheeks flushed red, she said softly: "Come up for a moment, let''s talk inside."


    The Xiaowan looked back at Hubby. Seeing that Ling Chaofeng nodded, she washed his hands and followed the Empress into the room.


    Inside the store, the emperor and the General Wei were sitting around a table talking. Siyan didn''t dare to look them in the eye as she timidly walked towards the wall.


    The Xiaowan unconsciously followed her, walking close to the corner of the wall. Only after they went upstairs did she think, What am I doing?

 C64

    The reason why Siyan went upstairs with Xiaowan was to invite her to help him with the ointment. They were already married at the same age, and had even bathed together in the bathroom, so naturally they wouldn''t be so bashful and bashful.


    Xiaowan gently helped her pack up. After a night passed, the whip marks had disappeared, but there was still a large patch of black and blue on the white flesh.


    "Empress, did you and the emperor make up last night?" Xiaowan asked.


    "I don''t know. He said a lot of things last night. I still haven''t come to my senses." Siyan laid on her pillow and muttered softly, "However, this is the first time he has said so much to me since we were married. Actually, it''s not easy to be an emperor. There are always people by our side. We rarely get to be together, eat and live alone, and have no freedom at all. It''s not convenient for us to talk when we want to. "


    Xiaowan smiled foolishly, "Your majesty looks like a god, but up till now, I still haven''t been able to look at it carefully."


    Siyan said: "Nothing much, just like us, a head and two hands."


    "That''s different. He''s the emperor, the ruler of a nation." The Xiaowan said.


    Siyan straightened her body and asked: "Then I''m still the Queen, what do you think of me?"


    The Xiaowan tensed up and hurriedly stood up, respectfully saying, "When I met the Empress, I didn''t know anything, and then, and then ¡­ Say it yourself. Don''t think of you as a queen. "


    "My brother must have told him that I''m a child that couldn''t grow up," Siyan said as she laid down on the ground again.


    Xiaowan laughed: "General Wei told me the same thing."


    "See ¡­" Wei Tengfei, that person, is already thirty years old and not young. He will not be able to live without a wife. " Siyan said as she choked with emotions, "How can I be at ease with him alone? When we''re training, he doesn''t rest at all times, and his stomach is always aching, so he won''t take care of himself."


    In the Empress''s eyes, General Wei was both a brother and a father. His brother was her heaven and she was the only one who could take care of his brother.


    "Xiaowan, do you have brothers and sisters?" Siyan asked.


    "Two half-brothers and sisters." Xiaowan replied.


    "Your family ¡­" Siyan asked, "Is it your father''s concubine or stepmother?"


    The Xiaowan did not tell the empress about his background, and now that he did, he talked about it a little. Naturally, he did not complain about how he had been treated, but laughed and said, "We aren''t very close, but we came to the tavern and treated Ershan as our big brother. We care about him a lot now. The Empress dotes on her brother, so I understand. "


    Siyan was very pleased and laughed: "No matter what, Manager Ling loves you. I saw you two talking downstairs that day, and in Manager Ling''s eyes, you are like pearls and jade. He really dotes on you."


    Xiaowan''s face was flushed red, she lowered her eyes and said: "You must be ashamed. Actually he always bullies me, relying on her big stature."


    Siyan calmed down and laid on her pillow, thinking back to the conversation she had with Xiang Run last night.


    It had already been more than two months, but it was the first time he had looked at her in such a way. He looked at her with a smile that was not a smile yet was filled with anger.


    Could she believe it? But she understood that Xiang Run was tolerant of her.


    "Xiaowan, tell me, how could there be a Queen like me in this world? A person like me being crippled would also be well-deserved." Siyan said, "I do regret it. If I run out like this, I will definitely cause trouble for brother, and anger the emperor as well. The emperor and emperor are still in the capital, and they must feel confused.


    Xiaowan squatted down and looked at her from beside the bed.


    Siyan choked with emotions: "But I can''t accept it, I just want to, even if it''s just once, to come and eat this green bean cake that I want to eat, for the rest of my life, I won''t live this life for nothing. For Big Brother, for the great army of Chuanyu, I am willing. "


    Xiaowan said, "You''re the Empress."


    Siyan did not understand the meaning behind her words and said with a sigh, "That''s right."


    The Xiaowan shook her head and said, "Empress, what I mean is, like me, Susu who came to eat together with us yesterday, Mrs. Sun who came to our store, Miss Meng, and many other girls in the world, our lives are mostly not ours. But you are now the Empress, the woman with the most respected Daqi. Perhaps you are the only one whose life truly is yours, and can live as you wish. My husband said that he hoped that I could live well for my own sake. Empress, you should do the same, right? "


    Siyan stared at her blankly. Last night, the Emperor had told her that under the rivers and mountains, under the heavens, and as a citizen, with a thousand kilograms on him, could he still live as he wished?


    Xiaowan held her cheek and said, "I am different from the Empress. My life was not good in the past, and no one loves me because of that. When I married my husband, I felt that I had been reborn, so until I died, I wouldn''t let myself suffer any more. I want to live well for girls whose lives are not their own. "


    Siyan said guiltily: "You are really amazing, I have never thought about this before. In the past, I only wanted to take care of my brother, but now, you have suddenly pushed me to the heart of the struggle, I just want to run."


    Xiaowan laughed, "Empress, I ran off on the first day I entered the room. I was caught by Ling Chaofeng."


    Siyan was interested: "Xiaowan, you also ran before?"


    The more they chatted, the more they speculated, and the more they actually heard laughter downstairs. At that time, Ling Chaofeng brought the food over to the hall and happened to hear it, he hurriedly said to the emperor and the general: "My wife has no complaints, please forgive me, your majesty."


    Xiang Run didn''t mind: "As long as they are happy." He instructed again, "After breakfast, I want to go out for a stroll. Naturally, it''s a private interview. The two of you are too conspicuous. Don''t follow me. Let them go together."


    The emperor''s attendant then went upstairs, respectfully inviting the empress down for a meal.


    The most common breakfast in the tavern was something that the emperor called for. Siyan was used to eating it, but felt that it was very new and new when she saw the emperor eating it in a casual manner.


    But hearing that she needed to take a carriage and go out for a stroll, Siyan rejected her offer. Wei Tengfei glared at her, and she refused. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to ride with him, nor was it that she didn''t appreciate his presence. It was because her fart hurt too much. If the carriage bumped, wouldn''t it hurt her to death?


    She then said to Siyan: "Esteemed Empress, I have a kind of powerful ointment, it will not hurt if I spread it on you later."


    When the sun was shining strongly, the emperor was going to go out. Originally, he was bringing Siyan and Xiaowan with him, causing them to be extremely quick-witted.


    These words were according to the emperor''s intentions, he looked at Xiaowan with satisfaction, and then left with Siyan.


    The horse carriage slowly left. Xiang Run looked at Siyan who was curled up at the side, and said: "Is my fart really painful? Do you want to sit in my embrace?"


    Siyan did not say anything, the emperor immediately pulled her over and let her sit in his embrace.


    "It doesn''t hurt anymore ¡­" Siyan said softly. "Before I left, Xiaowan gave me a kind of ointment. After I fix it, it won''t hurt anymore."


    Xiang Run was curious: "What''s so magical about that? There isn''t even such a good medicine in the palace. Let me see, are there any more wounds?" As he spoke, he began to poke his hand under his skirt, as if he was going to rip his underwear apart.


    Wei Siyan stared at him in shock. "Your Majesty, this is outside."


    Seeing how frightened the empress was, the emperor smiled faintly, "Yes, I''ve forgotten. Let''s go back and look at it. We''ll go sightsee for a while and see the land under the Daqi. We''ll bring some soil back to the palace."


    Siyan lifted her clear eyes and helped the emperor look right into his eyes. He was especially good-looking, but after seeing the Overlord, her imagination of a new master didn''t have much of a difference from the one in front of her. Actually, he was ¡­


    Xiang Run suddenly met her gaze, and lightly tapped her nose: "What are you looking at, you don''t recognize me anymore?"


    In this side room, beside the well at the back of the inn, Xiaowan was not shocked by the number of dishes. Instead, she was shocked by how there were so many dishes at the inn, as if Uncle Biao and his aunt had performed a magic trick and brought out bowls and chopsticks, could it be that they had entertained so many guests before?


    The Jade Ring was used to stop the pain in the Empress''s butt, so it could not help her wash the dishes.


    Fortunately, because the Empress and the emperor''s relationship had eased up, she was happy in her heart. She thought about the future, and when everything was unrelated, she would properly boast to Susu about how she had met the emperor.


    Ling Chaofeng came out from the back door and brought the hot water over to work with her. Xiaowan carefully rolled up his sleeves and sweetly said, "Hubby dotes on me the most."


    "It would be even better if you were not asked to do these tasks." Ling Chaofeng said guiltily, "I think it''s better to invite Susu to work here."


    "Susu is timid, there are so many weird customers in the shop, she will be terrified." "The Empress was beaten so badly by the General Wei yesterday, why did you stop me? What if she breaks?"


    Ling Chaofeng whispered next to her ear, "At that time, the General Wei still hadn''t fought, and the emperor was already outside the door.


    Xiaowan was stunned, Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Do you understand now?"


    So the Emperor and Wei Tengfei were playing a game, and the Empress who was stuck in the middle got beaten up for nothing?


    The Xiaowan said angrily: "You guys really can''t be cured."


    Ling Chaofeng said in displeasure: "Do you think the Empress is like you? She can''t be so willful, if the General Wei doesn''t make a move, how can the Emperor come down to the stage?"


    The Xiaowan said, "We can''t beat him up, does the emperor not feel heartache? The Empress is his wife."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "That is another person''s family''s matter, have you forgotten it yet?"


    The Xiaowan was not convinced, "Look, it''s my turn. This time, you left the Empress here and said that you won''t go and spread the news, so I''ll say that when the time comes, you must be my meddler again."


    Just then, Wei Tengfei walked over and looked at the couple curiously. Xiaowan quickly restrained herself, but Ling Chaofeng stood up and said: "General, what orders do you have?"

 C65

    Wei Tengfei''s gaze shifted away from the Xiaowan, and lightly said to Ling Chaofeng: "Nothing, it''s just that I came in a hurry, afraid that I wouldn''t be able to find Siyan, so I brought a few people with me. Surrounding the inn like this, I''ll be troubling you."


    "General''s words are too serious. This lowly one didn''t inform the empress in time. It was this lowly one''s fault." Ling Chaofeng said respectfully, "Please forgive me, General Wei."


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "There''s no need for you to tell me this, I''m guessing that she''s probably heading here. She''s been around for a long time and never left Sichuan. I sent her all the way to the Beijing talent show, but she ran off here instead. If she went somewhere else, I wouldn''t even know her. "


    He paused for a moment, and then looked at Xiaowan with an unrestrained gaze: "Besides, she likes Xiaowan."


    The Xiaowan was blessed and stood by her husband''s side. She did not say a word.


    "I don''t know when she''ll start fooling around again, but next time, she might be angry and come running over here." Wei Tengfei said, "Manager Ling and Xiaowan, please take care of her."


    Coincidentally, Ershan had something to discuss with Ling Chaofeng as he came over from the front door. He took his leave first and left.


    When he walked to the back door, he thought of leaving Wei Tengfei and Xiaowan behind him, and his footsteps paused for a bit, but he quickly entered the door. No matter what, he trusted Xiaowan, and that was enough.


    "General, this humble woman still needs to wash the dishes. Otherwise, if it''s lunch time, the military men won''t be able to eat anymore." After Xiaowan finished speaking, she sat back down to continue washing the dishes, but seeing that Wei Tengfei had also sat over, he said, "I will help you wash the dishes."


    Xiaowan shook her hands and said, "I can''t do anything, General Wei, you ¡­ you just sit there."


    Wei Tengfei didn''t know where to start, and stopped moving. Looking at Xiaowan''s hands and feet swiftly washing the bowls, he finally asked: "Is she heavily injured?"


    Xiaowan looked up and smiled kindly, "The Empress is fine now, you can rest assured."


    Wei Tengfei muttered to himself: "That girl has grown up so much, it''s the first time I''ve hit her, but when I hit her, it''s always better than being hit by others."


    The Xiaowan listened but did not say anything. Her husband had told her that the beating the Empress received yesterday was a battle between General Wei and the Emperor.


    Wei Tengfei continued: "If she comes again, Xiaowan, please take care of her well, and give her a place to settle down, I will come and take her away."


    young lady''s eyebrows curved up as she smiled, "General, the Emperor should be the one to come and get you. The Emperor will definitely come and bring the Empress away."


    Wei Tengfei laughed, that''s right, I hope that the emperor can treat my sister well and protect her. He likes her, but he is not afraid of the quarrels between husband and wife, he was just afraid that the emperor would not care about her.


    At that time, he had sensed that Xiang Run was just outside the door, so he had no choice but to do something so that the Emperor could descend from the steps. He hit his sister with the rod and the pain in his heart caused him to feel that it was fortunate that the Emperor had finally stepped out and stopped him.


    Wei Tengfei sighed softly. What was most shameful about this was that he had planned to marry his sister into a powerful family in the capital if she was not chosen to stay in the imperial harem.


    They had always been conceited and proud soldiers who disregarded the imperial government, but in the past two years, the sense of crisis they had felt grew stronger and stronger. They realized that even if three hundred thousand Chuanyu¡¯s Army was a lot more courageous, the imperial government would only be able to kill him in a blink of an eye.


    Marriage was the best way to win over her, but he never thought that his sister would actually be selected and become a Daqi Nation Mother in one night.


    During those few months in the capital, Wei Tengfei travelled everywhere and participated in countless of social events. Although he was feeling aggrieved in his heart, he was willing to not feel wronged for the sake of the 300,000 soldiers. He did not complain at all for the sake of his sister''s reliance in the capital.


    He didn''t expect that after returning to the Chuanyu, he would have received a report of the emperor''s flying horse within a few days. He said that the empress had disappeared on her way to the Qin Prefecture to offer sacrifices to the ancestors.


    At that time, Wei Tengfei was hot-blooded. Sadly, what qualifications did he have to sacrifice his sister?


    At this moment, Xiaowan had wanted to tell Wei Tengfei that the Empress missed him and couldn''t stop worrying about him, but Hubby was right, this was another person''s family''s matter and she didn''t dare interfere. When she said that the Emperor should take care of the Empress, she already went overboard.


    This time, he shut his mouth and concentrated on washing the dishes, only to hear the sound of the clashing of water and porcelain, Ling Chaofeng returned after a while. Seeing Wei Tengfei sitting there, Ling Chaofeng looked calm, and Xu Bu walked over: "General, what happened last time, may I borrow a step?


    Wei Tengfei stood up and laughed: "Manager Ling is being too polite, it''s time for me to ask for your help."


    The two of them quickly left. Xiaowan looked around for a bit, then breathed a sigh of relief towards the lush green of the mountain. She got up and stretched her body, continuing to wash the dishes.


    Not long after, Ershan came over to help him. The boy was strong, so the Xiaowan was afraid that he would fall for.


    Xiaowan asked: "In the future when you get married, do you dare to say that she is long-winded?"


    Ershan''s expression darkened, the Xiaowan said embarrassedly: "Ershan, did I say the wrong thing?"


    "No, I wanted to tell her, but ¡­" Ershan said, "I thought she would come to watch the announcement yesterday, I looked again and again, and didn''t see her in the crowd, if she didn''t want to come, that would be fine. I''m just afraid that if she wants to go out, she will be placed under house arrest. "


    Xiaowan sighed lightly: "Miss Meng is very filial, if she has anything to do with you, she will not mind if people say that she is not very filial, and she will definitely care about you, afraid that others will splash dirty water on you, which will affect your future as an official."


    Ershan laughed bitterly: "Xiaowan, how did you think of this? She did tell me that, you ladies, you are very thoughtful and wonderful. "


    Xiaowan laughed: "I am not as meticulous as you are, I heard from your brother that it was easy for him to deal with Prefect Meng regarding the Academy Competition, but he was willing to lower his head and compromise, and only took out the recommendation letter at the last step. The reason is the same here, he told me about it."


    Ershan unconsciously clenched his fists. The usually shy little brother was now very impatient: "All of you think of me and put in a lot of effort, I should be focusing on taking the credit for my studies, but I can''t let go of Lian Yi. She was in that house somewhere and was forced to do something, I want to bring her out, but she cares about my career and won''t follow me."


    Xiaowan said: "Ershan, don''t be anxious. Your brother is here." She rolled his eyes. "The emperor is here now."


    However, Ershan shook his head: "Xiaowan, I''m just an errand boy, I don''t have the qualifications to speak to the Emperor. I want to wait for my honorable examination to take place before I meet the Emperor."


    Xiaowan smiled, "I know that you have ambition and will definitely be strong enough to wait for that day to come."


    However, Ershan clenched his fists tightly and was unable to let go. He did not see Lian Yi outside the field of study yesterday, and up to this moment, his heart was still in his throat.


    Xiaowan saw that his mind was preoccupied with many things, and felt pained. She washed the dishes and sent them to the kitchen, then found Ling Chaofeng and Wei Tengfei, who had finished speaking. She blessed the general, and took Ling Chaofeng away.


    Wei Tengfei watched as Xiaowan gently pulled Ling Chaofeng''s sleeves and headed towards the backyard, he could not help but think, so this was the situation with''s beautiful wife by his side. After being involved in military affairs for so many years, he had never had any thoughts about his children, maybe he had only seen a few women, but still ¡­


    Wei Tengfei shook his head, what was he thinking about?


    At this moment, the Xiaowan was talking to Ling Chaofeng, "Ershan is very worried about Miss Meng, hubby, is there any news today?"


    Ling Chaofeng frowned: "The road ahead is blocked, my people can''t come in, unless I go out, but there are so many people, I can''t get through."


    The Xiaowan sighed: I hope that nothing will happen to Miss Meng, Ershan said that they agreed to meet each other on the streets on the day of release, but Miss Meng did not appear yesterday, what a good day, how could she not come?


    Ling Chaofeng comforted her: "Since you are not at ease either, I will go in the afternoon, okay?"


    Xiaowan was immediately overjoyed. She shook her husband''s arm and did not know how to praise him, but when she thought of the two emperors who were going out, she quietly asked, "Husband, with so many people eating and living together with the emperor, are we going to collect the silver?"


    Ling Chaofeng was annoyed: "You don''t want your head anymore?"


    In this side chamber, the Emperor brought Siyan to a faraway place. On the way here, he paid attention to the land that was in Li Prefecture. They were going to travel to Qinzhou by boat and never return. No matter what, they had to come and take a look.


    Siyan fell asleep from the bumpy ride and when she woke up, she found herself leaning on Xiang Run''s chest and touching her face in a hurry. Luckily there was no drool, Xiang Run smiled at her and said mischievously: "You''re snoring."


    Siyan said with a taut face, "Impossible, I never snore."


    At this moment, the carriage stopped and the emperor brought her down from the carriage. In front of her was an endless field. The farmhouses were already busy in the fields, the distant mountains were light and green.


    Seeing this scene, the Emperor breathed in the fragrance of the mud and felt relaxed and happy. He had been living in the palace for a long time and had been looking forward to the world outside the capital city.


    Xiang Run impatiently turned around. Just as she was about to berate them, he saw Siyan holding onto his skirt, carelessly following him in. The soft soil under his feet was like cotton, and she purposely stepped hard, leaving behind footprints.


    They walked to the fields and started chatting with the farmers, and then walked a few steps. Xiang Run stepped on the soft but not muddy soil and asked: "Why is the soil here so soft?"


    Siyan bent over and dug a few times into the mud, lifting up an earthworm that was still in the mud, she hung it in front of the emperor: "The earthworm can loosen the soil."


    Xiang Run coughed dryly, then extended his hand and received the small thing that was twisting and turning. Siyan laughed: "Your majesty has never come here before."


    "Yes." Xiang Run threw away the earthworm, he did not know where to put his dirty hands, and asked her, "You walk around frequently?"


    Siyan looked at the large piece of farmland and said: "Every year during the Spring and Autumn harvest, Big Brother will send people to help the farmers, I will often go with you."


    "So you''ve been to a lot of places?" Xiang Run asked again.


    However, Siyan shook her head: "I have almost never left the Chuanyu."


    Xiang Run rolled his eyes at him: "A person who hasn''t gone far yet dares to run? Aren''t you afraid of being abducted and sold off in the middle of the road, or of encountering a mob?"


    Siyan lowered her head, it was a principle, if there was nothing wrong, it would be fine.


    Seeing that she had guilt in his heart, Xiang Run did not talk about her anymore.


    When the carriage passed through the Li Prefecture, it was already noon. The emperor felt hungry and asked Siyan if she was willing to find a restaurant on the street to eat. She was naturally happy, but after being advised by the officials for a long time, the emperor was vexed, "You stay, don''t follow me anymore."


    After getting off the carriage, Siyan''s hands were led by the Emperor. Her big hands were warm, not rough like his brother''s, but they were still powerful.


    Siyan raised her head and looked at the words written on the wine glass. Suddenly, on the windowsill of a tavern across the street, half of the body of the woman stuck out, and was quickly pulled inside.


    Siyan pulled the emperor''s hand with all his might and stopped in his tracks. Seeing her nervous expression, she followed her gaze and looked over.


    It was at this moment that a woman jumped out of the window, fell down in an instant, and heavily crashed into the ground. The passersby were all panicking and screaming, and the woman that fell on the ground was unconscious.


    Siyan rushed over to take a look. The girl''s head was on the ground, and did not bleed. However, her eyes were closed and there was no reaction.


    Without waiting for Siyan to get up, a few men rushed out from the restaurant, cursing as they said, "Quick, look and see if she''s dead or not."


    Another man ran over, his entire body trembling as he pushed Siyan away. Hugging the girl, he shouted loudly: "Lian Yi, wake up, Lian Yi?"


    Siyan ran back to the emperor''s side. Seeing the emperor frowning, she wanted to say something but hesitated. Xiang Run intentionally asked: "What?"


    Siyan pursed her lips: "Your majesty, do we care?"

 C66

    "If you want to care, then you have to reveal your identity. That way, there will be people who will know that the Queen has ran away, and come over to the Li Prefecture." Xiang Run looked cold and indifferent, but in his eyes, he was waiting for Siyan''s choice and reply.


    Siyan was anxious about the young lady who jumped off the building. She wanted to go, but when she was at Chuanyu, she walked sideways, where was there a fight to bully the weak?


    "Your majesty, it''s good as long as you only reveal your identity." Siyan quivered, and said to Xiang Run with sparkling eyes: "I''ll just be a Palace Maid, no one will ask."


    Xiang Run looked at her coldly. He knew that it was impossible, so he lowered his gaze and looked at the young lady who was already being carried.


    The Emperor hooked his fingers and the people behind him ran up. He ordered, "Follow."


    "Yes." The order to wait on him disappeared right in front of his eyes.


    Siyan was startled, then uncontrollably smiled at the emperor. "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    Xiang Run walked forward slowly, towards the same direction, and said with extreme disdain: "You like to meddle in other people''s business so much?"


    Siyan followed along: "When I was in the Chuanyu, I often toured the streets with the Fast Catcher."


    Xiang Run sized her up in disbelief: "Going down to patrol the streets, what else do you want to do?"


    Siyan said: "Take care of my brother at home, help him cook and sew clothes, I ¡­"


    Seeing the emperor looking at her, Wei Siyan stopped herself in her tracks. She knew that this was not something a daughter of the General''s Estate should do. During last year''s selection, all the young mistresses from aristocratic families looked like they had come from the heavens. Only she seemed to have come out from the ground.


    Before entering the palace, that foolish brother of hers suddenly remembered to ask her what she knew and knew about zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. She didn''t know anything at all.


    However, this was not the time to talk about this. Before they left, the guards had already rushed back to inform them where the woman was. They had invited the doctor to return home, so it was not that they didn''t care.


    Xiang Run instructed, "Go and inquire about their origins and what happened just now. Tell me everything from start to finish." The Emperor paused for a moment and casually pointed. "Palace Maid and I are eating over there."


    Palace Maid? The guard was startled and looked towards the queen. Siyan smiled at him warmly, causing the guard to jump in shock, how could she stare at the empress'' heavenly face?


    Siyan brought Siyan to a nearby restaurant to eat, and ordered some snacks that were characteristic of a local place. Siyan was a little absent-minded, and the Emperor didn''t force her to use her chopsticks, but suddenly said: "After returning to the capital, how are you planning to explain this to royal father and mother?"


    "They''re not going out?" "Siyan remembered that before their wedding, her future mother-in-law had told her that they would be travelling the four seas in the future and she would be the one to take care of the both the palace and the emperor.


    Xiang Run sighed: "With us like this, will they be able to relax and leave the capital?"


    Siyan lowered her eyes. "I won''t run around randomly in the future."


    However, the emperor changed the topic and continued, "I always wanted to report to them first if there is anything that needs to be done. At the beginning, royal father was still waiting to see me, but after the first month, he didn''t even bother to see me anymore.


    Similarly, the Empress Dowager was very happy to see her. When he saw her, he would always smile, but after the Supreme Emperor, her mother-in-law would often see her before marriage and tell her some things about the palace. After the wedding, he was rarely seen, and every time he went to pay respects, he would return empty-handed.


    "They don''t want to see us anymore?" Siyan said, "Imperial Mother won''t see me either."


    "I''ve thought it through. From today onwards, let go of me and become the Emperor I want to be." Xiang Run gave Siyan food and said, "royal father doesn''t want to restrict me, but I feel like he can''t do it. It''s because he doesn''t want to be the emperor, that''s why he gave me the position.


    Siyan thought about it, then nodded her head.


    Xiang Run said: "In the palace, we do not have the chance to speak like this, words that cannot be heard by others. We cannot be petty, but you can. Why don''t you take out some courage to allow the eunuchs of the Palace Maid to follow us at all times, and chase them a little further away. "


    "Me?" Siyan thought she heard wrong.


    However, the Emperor said, "Imperial Mother has always done this, what rules are there?"


    "Can I?" Siyan opened her eyes wide, "I''m really not used to them always following me.


    Xiang Run was annoyed: "Eating, what did you say?"


    Just as she finished speaking, a horse galloped across the street. Siyan saw it very clearly, it was Ling Chaofeng. She immediately leaned towards the window and shouted: "Manager Ling, Manager Ling!"


    Hearing that, Ling Chaofeng reined in his horse, and turned to see the Queen waving at him from the window, he finally understood why the Xiaowan was able to get along with the Queen so well.


    Siyan was dragged back inside by Xiang Run, and berated her, "Is it to tell everyone that you''ve come?"


    When Ling Chaofeng went upstairs, the imperial bodyguard had returned as well and reported the background of the young lady who had fallen to the ground floor to the emperor. From what the people in the restaurant had said, it seemed like his elder brother had forced her to come and drink with him, and the one who was carrying her was his elder brother.


    Siyan recalled: "So it''s the Miss Meng that Xiaowan had told me about before."


    The Emperor looked at Ling Chaofeng, "You are involved with the inn too?"


    Ling Chaofeng knelt down on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, this humble subject has a presumptuous request."


    When Ershan and Xiaowan arrived at Li Prefecture in the carriage, it was already sunset. Just as the Meng manor was about to prepare for dinner, a large group of people barged in.


    Mrs. Meng stepped forward: "This is?"


    magistrate looked at the emperor behind him, cleared his throat and asked Mrs. Meng, "There''s a farce in the streets today, Miss said that he jumped down to kill herself, and I came to take a look."


    Mrs. Meng looked embarrassed: "I-It''s nothing." She sized up the group of youths behind his and recognized Ershan, but there were two other men who had an extraordinary air about them. Not daring to act rashly, she asked them softly, "Master, who are these people exactly?


    "Madam, that white-robed figure is the current emperor." The magistrate''s voice was also trembling. While he was joking with the Grand Master at the Prefect''s yamen, someone suddenly barged in. After knowing that it was the Emperor, they couldn''t even get up on their knees.


    "Huang, emperor ¡­" Mrs. Meng was so scared that his face turned pale. He was about to kneel down, but he was stopped by Zhi County and said, "Madam, do not spread the news. Since the Emperor secretly visited here, if Zhang Yang goes out, his head will fall."


    The Mrs. Meng trembled. "Your, your majesty, what are you here for?"


    The magistrate sighed, "Today, when our daughter jumped off a building and killed herself on the street, she fell right in front of the Emperor''s eyes. Madam, what do you think?"


    The Mrs. Meng could no longer deny it and reluctantly brought them to his pavilion. Xiaowan and Siyan went upstairs, where there were two servants guarding the entrance, and the two servants in bed. The one who was lying on the bed had his eyes opened wide, and he was already awake.


    When he saw Xiaowan at first glance, Lian Yi''s tears fell like rain. But when he saw the unfamiliar woman at the side, Xiaowan said to her, "Let''s explain this to her later."


    She helped Lian Yi dress herself a little, and not long later, all the men waiting outside came in.


    Seeing Ershan following behind Manager Ling, Lian Yi excitedly grabbed onto her hands and said softly, "Lian Yi, there is someone who can make the decision today. Tell us, what happened? Why did you jump off the building? "


    Mrs. Meng tried his best to wave at his daughter, but Lian Yi was already dispirited. Just now, she lay on the bed and thought that if he died twice, he would still be alive, but perhaps the heavens were destined to leave her in the world to suffer.


    Lian Yi calmed down and said calmly: "Big brother used to gamble and owe a debt. When father was here, the creditor never came to collect the debt. Now that father is no more, they come to collect the debt everyday." Her face was pale and very pitiful, but her eyes were filled with determination. "Brother, in order to repay the debt, you have to give me as collateral. Today, you tricked me into the restaurant, and those people started to make a move. I can''t hate them anymore, I would rather die than submit."


    Mrs. Meng sat paralyzed on the ground. He was finished, his son''s future was completely ruined.


    Ershan ran over the crowd and knelt down towards the emperor: "Your majesty, this student is Ling Yu, and has the same feelings as Miss Meng. Unfortunately, the Meng manor thinks of this student as lowly and lowly, and refused to allow it. This student humbly requests the Emperor to bestow upon you a marriage. This student is willing to take care of Miss Meng for the rest of my life, support the Mrs. Meng, and take care of my sister-in-law and brother. "


    Siyan ran to Xiang Run''s side, waiting for his reply. Xiang Run asked her: Do you want to agree?


    She nodded repeatedly, but Xiang Run said softly, "How about you give us a marriage? Let''s see how amazing being a queen is."


    Siyan was actually happy, but they agreed not to reveal her identity as the Empress. She pursed her lips and said softly, "Your Majesty, I''m currently a Palace Maid."


    This was the first time Xiang Run had met her, and this was how she smiled. She fed fish to a little Palace Maid at the side of the Imperial Garden''s Supreme Water Pool, but after the wedding, he had never seen her again.


    "This Emperor has agreed." Xiang Run said to Ershan, "Ling Yu, now that you have gotten the position at the table of the Li Prefecture Academy, you should have some rewards, so we will bestow this marriage upon you so that you guys ¡­"


    "Your majesty!" Suddenly, he heard a cry of alarm. Mrs. Meng crawled to the front of the crowd and knelt on the ground, begging with a sobbing tone, "Please retract your order, Your Majesty."


    Everyone''s face changed, Siyan said angrily: "Madam, could it be that you want to send your daughter to repay the bet?"


    The Mrs. Meng did not care who the little woman was, he just kowtowed and spoke while trembling: "My little girl, Lian Yi, I have an engagement with the Marquis Mansion of the Capital City, but I was seduced by this rascal and fled the marriage to seek death, causing my ex-husband and concubine to lose face. My daughter is someone who has an engagement, how can she be matched with others? Although this person is an Elementary Scholar, her future is uncertain. My daughter is a daughter of the House of Ye, how can she be compatible with such a wild man. Your Majesty, if you insist on giving me a marriage, then I will definitely not obey. I will just ram my head into this place to die and leave with my late husband. Otherwise, I would not have the face to face with the ancestors of the Meng Clan. "


    The Xiaowan supported Lian Yi, and they could feel her trembling and coldness. She softly said, "Lian Yi, don''t be afraid, no one can force you anymore."


    Meng Lianyi said with tears in her eyes and a hoarse voice, "But I don''t want to harm Ershan.


    Ershan knelt on the ground, listening to these words faintly. He looked at Lian Yi, and saw that they were only a few steps away from each other, yet they were like mountains and rivers. But he, a mere Elementary Scholar was unable to fulfill his own wish, so how could he promise his beloved?

 C67

    Your majesty, Miss Meng''s father has just died, so it''s not good for us to discuss marriage. Since Madam Meng thinks that the Second Mountain is a mere Elementary Scholar, why don''t we wait a little longer. When the Second Mountain has become an official and then marry Lady Meng? Madam Meng, you won''t be ashamed to see our ancestors, will you?


    Ling Chaofeng stood at the side with a complicated expression. The phrase "just passed away father" was something that he could not do anything about, since he had only recited the Three Character Classic before.


    Seeing that the Xiaowan was straightforward, the emperor''s expression slightly eased, but the Mrs. Meng said: "Could it be, could it be that my Lian Yi will wait for him for the rest of her life if he fails the examination all her life?"


    Xiaowan was very angry: "Mrs. Meng, you must be looking down on Ershan, even if you are looking down on Ershan, you shouldn''t torture your own daughter to death. Are you even Lian Yi''s mother? You actually tacitly allowed your son to send your daughter to repay the gambling debt, don''t tell me that you now have the face to meet with your ancestors? Mrs. Meng, you cannot slap yourself when you speak. "


    Mrs. Meng was still the wife of an official, and people he met normally were all respectable and respectable. But suddenly, a clever little married woman came to her and started lecturing, and although his words were rough, every word was reasonable, leaving her speechless.


    Ling Chaofeng had no choice but to walk forward and bring Xiaowan away. young lady was so angry that he was about to burst into flames, he lightly patted Xiaowan''s back: "Don''t be anxious."


    The emperor coldly replied, "No wonder everyone says that it is difficult to break a family''s affairs even if it''s a Manchu officials." He looked at Zhi County and said, "As a father and mother, I don''t want you to judge me. What should I do?"


    Kaixian was scared stiff, his mind blank, calculating that if he could get a High Scholar in August, he would be able to make it to the convention next year. Otherwise, they would have to wait for another three years. Three years. Three years ¡­


    Within these three years, Mrs. Meng and family members are not allowed to casually marry Miss. If Miss Ling emerges from the family within these three years, he can come and take Miss as his wife if he were to become famous. If not, then after three years, the Prefect''s filial piety has passed. Your Majesty, look at this ¡­ Or six years, or three years, or too short. "


    Xiang Run replied coldly: "That''s all. For the three year period, whether or not you can marry the one you love will depend on your own abilities."


    Ershan prostrated himself on the ground: "This student thanks Master for his grace, and will definitely give it his all."


    Xiaowan said from the side, "Your majesty, can you request for another decree?"


    Xiang Run had a good impression of the Xiaowan and agreed immediately: "Tell me."


    The Xiaowan looked at Ling Chaofeng timidly, seeing that his brother-in-law had no objections, she said: "Can you give the order that Mrs. Meng and Young Noble Meng are not allowed to lock up the Miss Meng? It allows her to go out freely."


    The emperor gently nodded. "I''ll do as you say."


    Xiaowan was overjoyed, kowtowing to express her gratitude.


    The emperor then said to the county magistrate, "The matter of you acting as the government official for the past few days is quite appropriate. Today, you will be officially promoted to the Li Prefecture Department. For the next three years, I shall assign you another mission to protect Miss Meng and not let anyone else take him to repay her gambling debts. If anyone dares to do so, the law will punish them without mercy. Not everyone is fit to be a mother in this world. "


    Mrs. Meng laid on the ground trembling, not daring to say a single word.


    The magistrate was completely shocked. Xie En directly stammered, he had risen by three levels consecutively, jumping from a small county to a government official. Originally, he was afraid that even if his Baisha County were to reach the peak of whiteness, it would not even reach his level.


    Lian Yi trembled as she climbed down from the bed. She had broken a leg and needed a few months to recuperate, but the pain made her break out in a cold sweat. However, she clenched her teeth and thanked the emperor respectfully.


    Xiang Run said: "No need to thank us, it is not a glorious thing for things to be like this. In the future, I hope you all will take care of yourselves."


    And to Ershan, "Ling Yu, since your name is set on success, and you are also involved in the affairs of your children, even if we meet you in the Hall Competition next year, we will still have to consider a few points. However, only those who have a true personality can think for their people. This is not a bad thing, I hope you do not think that you have wandered into the wrong path. "


    Ershan bowed his head and listened, not daring to refute.


    On the other side, Xiaowan and Siyan helped Lian Yi up. She was heavily injured and could not be moved, she could only be raised at home, but with the Emperor''s decree, knowing of the county, and the new Prefect looking after her, Mrs. Meng and the others should not bully her again.


    "There are so many guests in the inn, I''m too busy to come. I''ll come see you in a few days." Xiaowan wiped away the cold sweat on Lian Yi''s forehead and said with a pained heart, "Don''t think too much. Just wait patiently. Once Ershan obtains his name, Hubby and I will definitely arrange a marriage for him, and he will be here to marry you immediately. "


    Lian Yi promised with tears in her eyes. When she looked at Ershan again, they were both filled with love, who would have thought, that one would be captured on the Baisha Town, and that it would be the fate of her life. Today, in the restaurant, her brother''s creditor had taken advantage of her.


    The emperor and Ling Chaofeng both went out the door. They looked at Xiaowan and Siyan, where Siyan whispered a few words into her ears, and then the two of them went forward to help Mrs. Meng out of the room. Ershan and Lian Yi were the only ones left in the room.


    Ershan sat on the side of the bed and supported Lian Yi up. Looking at the people who were crying in confusion, his heart was about to break. What did Lian Yi do wrong? She wanted to torture her like this again and again.


    Lian Yi leaned into Ershan''s embrace as she sobbed, "I''ll wait for you to marry me. Ershan, I''ll wait for you ¡­"


    Ershan caressed her back and choked with sobs, "I can''t protect you all the time, Lian Yi, I''m sorry."


    Outside the door, magistrate was holding onto Mrs. Meng''s hand to persuade him to take advantage of the situation. The emperor was already angry. If she continued to cause trouble, there would be a dead end for his. Since Ling Tian had obtained the fate of the emperor, his future would definitely soar. Why would she hold on to the benefits in front of her? In the future, his son-in-law would have great prospects. If he were to help his sons instead, the Meng Residence would not decline.


    Mrs. Meng didn''t say anything. She didn''t ask for anything else, he only hoped that his son could have a future.


    The emperor was waiting outside for the carriage, he immediately wanted to return to the inn, and Ershan knew what to do, and quickly left the pavilion. The group of people walked out of the main entrance of the palace, and the emperor coldly said: "Don''t let anyone know that we have come here today, you go tell the people in the house, if there is any news, destroy the entire clan, and do not show mercy."


    magistrate replied with a tremble, then respectfully sent his group off on their horses. He heaved a sigh of relief, regained his senses, and remembered that he had been promoted to a higher official. Jumping about wildly, he hurriedly ordered his subordinates, "Quick, quickly go to Baisha County. Bring in Mother and Madam here."


    The Xiaowan followed Ling Chaofeng and sat in the carriage that they came from. The Empress walked in front, and the Xiaowan popped her head out from time to time to look around. Ling Chaofeng dragged her back and said, "Be careful not to fall down, what can you see from here?"


    Ershan drove the carriage outside, while Xiaowan laid in her master''s embrace without restraint, and said happily: "This is great, in two years, our inn will get married again. I, myself, married in a strange way, and will definitely arrange a grand wedding for Ershan and Lian Yi. "


    Ling Chaofeng poured cold water on them. "Let''s see if he has the ability to take the exam first, and how many people he has alarmed. Something useless."


    Xiaowan chuckled as she crawled up to cup her hubby''s face, "The Empress told me. There was clearly someone who asked the Emperor to bestow this marriage on them first."


    "Who?" Ling Chaofeng smiled, "Do you recognize him?"


    "I don''t recognize him." Xiaowan pretended ignorance and rubbed her husband''s face with all her might. However, when Ling Chaofeng opened his arms, she went into his embrace and happily said, "My husband is the best in the world."


    He was originally going to inspect farming today, but ended up taking care of his family''s affairs. If it was not for Siyan who was by her side at noon, when he saw someone jumping down from the stairs, would he take action?


    Suddenly, she opened her eyes and saw Siyan looking at her. In the dim light, she could see that her eyes were filled with smiles, but when their eyes met, she immediately turned away.


    But now, even though she didn''t dare to look him in the eye, there was still a smile on her face. Since the wedding, something happy had finally happened.


    Xiang Run had always thought that he had followed his mother''s teachings and married the woman he liked, but in the end, the one he married was not happy at all. He felt that he was wrong.


    It was a good thing that this person could be coaxed easily.


    It was late in the night when he returned to the inn.


    Wei Tengfei waited for a long time, and upon seeing that they had returned safely, he heaved a sigh of relief. He then reported to the emperor: "Your majesty, the royal boat has entered the Baisha River.


    Wei Siyan''s heart sank, she lowered her eyes and silently went upstairs.


    Xiang Run said, "Let''s go to Qinzhou, you should go back to the Chuanyu. Otherwise, if you gather so many people to follow, the bystanders will think that something has happened. "I''ll bring the empress back to peace in a few days, prepare well."


    Siyan, who was on the stairs, heard her and turned around to look at the emperor. Xiang Run glanced at her and then said to the Xiaowan beside him: "We are still not preparing dinner.


    However, Xiaowan was asking her husband, "Master, what is Turu Ning?"


    Ling Chaofeng embarrassedly replied his softly in front of the Emperor, "I''m just going back to visit my family."


    The Xiaowan was in high spirits as she shouted to Siyan who was on the stairs, "Empress, the Emperor wants to bring you home."


    The emperor couldn''t help but laugh. This little lady boss was really adorable. It was a pity that he couldn''t bring her back to the capital. Otherwise, how great it would be to be the empress''s companion.


    Ling Chaofeng was extremely embarrassed, he cupped his fists and said that he would immediately go prepare dinner and take his young lady away.


    After dinner, Xiaowan was busy preparing hot water for the empress and General Wei to wash up. She was busy to the point where she couldn''t even stop the emperor''s servants, and Siyan couldn''t go to the bathhouse to bathe today. The emperor didn''t make it difficult for her either.


    It was only late at night when the inn finally quieted down.


    The Xiaowan who had cooked for the entire day rubbed his back as he talked about the matter of them in the Meng manor. The Aunt Zhang said in a displeased tone, "That Mrs. Meng really doesn''t care about his life, he actually dared to ask the Emperor to take back his life.


    Xiaowan said bitterly, "That''s right, I really hate them so much that my teeth will itch out." "Aunt, our new Emperor and Queen are good people."


    In Yunze''s room upstairs, the emperor had already lied down. Siyan sat in front of the makeup table for a long time, she couldn''t sit there for an entire night.


    Just as he sat down and was about to lie down, the person who was dozing opened his eyes and asked, "Does your butt really not hurt anymore?"


    Siyan''s heart trembled, she did not forget that during the day, when she was in the carriage, the Emperor said that she would look at her wounds after she returned.


    Xiang Run sat up and gently pulled her into his embrace. "Let us see."


    During their first night, Siyan had not done anything with her eyes closed. There was shame and pain, but she did not feel any sense of hope or happiness, only an unwavering resistance.


    But at this moment, his body did not resist at all. Unconsciously, he stuck close to his chest and said very quietly, "I''m afraid of pain ¡­"


    Xiang Run asked softly: "Did it hurt you the last few times?"


    Siyan nodded, her face flushed red. "But the mama said that if there''s any pain, then it won''t hurt anymore, but ¡­ ¡­"


    "How about we try again tonight?" Xiang Run pushed her onto the bed, and gently pulled the straps on his sleeping clothes, "It definitely won''t hurt anymore."


    It was actually the first time in Wei Siyan''s life that she had completed it in a tavern in the wilderness. She was about to melt into the emperor''s arms, and she still didn''t know what love was, but right now, she liked this person.


    That morning, before the emperor left his room, he said to the person in the mirror who was dressing up: "Say your goodbyes to your brother. Although we are going to bring you back to peace, it is not immediately possible to see you. Perhaps once we return to the capital, something will drag you down.


    Siyan agreed. When she had finished dressing herself, Big Brother just happened to come out of his room at the same time and realized that the Emperor was already awake. He hurriedly walked over, but Siyan stepped forward and stopped him as she lowered his eyes: "Big Brother, I want to talk to you for a while."


    Seeing the emperor and Ling Chaofeng leisurely drinking tea below, Wei Tengfei knew that it was the emperor''s arrangements. He brought his sister into his own room.


    Just as he was about to close the door, his sister hugged him from behind and started crying: "Don''t be angry with me, I won''t dare to do it anymore. Big Brother, I will become a good empress for you, for the sake of my Chuanyu, for the sake of my soldiers and for the sake of my citizens. However, I cannot bear to part with you. I do not wish to part with you.


    Wei Tengfei turned around. His sister was crying so hard, how could he not feel pain in his heart? He asked: "Does it still hurt?


    Siyan shook her head hard and threw herself in front of his chest: "Big Brother, you''re by yourself, what should we do in the future?"


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "The military camp in the palace is filled with people, why is it only one person?"


    Siyan choked on her sobs, "That''s different, why don''t you marry a wife earlier? I have a sister-in-law, so I can be at ease."


    A smiling face appeared in front of Wei Tengfei''s eyes. He quickly shook his head and said calmly: "If you meet someone suitable, I''ll definitely marry you. Don''t worry about me."


    "It''s an agreement, don''t delay any longer." Siyan sobbed.


    "Yan''Er."


    "Yes."


    "Don''t be afraid of the emperor, if he dares to bully you, if the people in the palace dares to bully you, if he takes in another wife in the future and those women dare to bully you, brother will risk his life to protect you." Wei Tengfei gently wiped away his sister''s tears and said lovingly, "You have to be fine, don''t let yourself be wronged."

 C68

    "I am Wei Tengfei''s little sister, and my brother is a general of three hundred thousand soldiers." Siyan looked at his brother proudly, "It''s good enough that I don''t bully others."


    "Since you''re so incredible, why are you still crying?" Wei Tengfei lightly pinched her cheeks. Even though his little sister was now a noble empress, in his eyes, she was still a child that would never grow up.


    "But ¡­" It was actually these words that caused Siyan to feel grief. She immediately buried her face in his brother''s chest and sobbed, "I don''t care, I don''t want to be separated from you."


    This was his little sister that he had raised. After his mother died, fifteen years later, although he was too busy to take good care of her, his little sister never felt wronged. When she grew up, she would take care of him. With such a young age, she had organized everything in the family. In Wei Tengfei''s opinion, it shouldn''t be hard for her to take care of the emperor''s harem.


    It was a pity that they were too far away, and a pity that their military might was too great. At this moment, they were talking about protecting their little sister, and if something really happened, he wouldn''t be able to make it in time.


    "Everyone in the palace treats me well. You''ve also seen her before, especially his mother. Every time I speak to her, I feel especially uncomfortable, because I can''t help but think that if my mother is still alive, she must be this gentle. My mother-in-law likes me a lot, and so does my grandmother. Everyone likes me. "


    Siyan choked and then forced a smile on her face and said to his brother: "Really, brother, don''t worry."


    Wei Tengfei said: "The most important thing is whether the Emperor will treat you well. If there comes a day he ¡­" As he said this, he couldn''t help but sigh. He couldn''t bring himself to say the rest of his words.


    Siyan wiped the tears off her face. "If he treated me badly and I made such a ruckus, she would have crippled me long ago. When you hit me that day, he ¡­


    Siyan blushed, but they were after all, the children of generals, and they never squirmed when it came to doing things. She raised her head and said: "Now that he likes me, I will live a good life with him. Once fate has ended, begging for it will only lead to pain. I don''t want to force it, but if I don''t have any future, then no one can help me. "


    "Big brother understands." "From today onwards, only the Emperor can wipe your tears. The Xiaowan was right, the next time you run, it''s also time for the Emperor to come and pick you up, so I don''t have to come."


    Siyan purposely said: "It''s better if you don''t come, hit me the moment you come. If it wasn''t for the fact that Xiaowan gave me some ointment that''s extremely effective, and that I went to such a far place yesterday and sat in the carriage, my butt would have been smashed to smithereens."


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "You''re the Queen, you shouldn''t be so rude when you speak." He hugged his sister and kissed her on the forehead. "Alright, we can''t keep the emperor waiting. You still have to say goodbye to Xiaowan, right?"


    Siyan nodded, and held her brother''s hand as they walked out the door: "I really want to bring Xiaowan with me, even the Emperor has said that it would be good if she could go to the capital to be my companion, but Xiaowan is very happy here, she is here, I still have a place to stay after leaving the palace."


    Wei Tengfei hurriedly said: "Don''t always think about running out, don''t think that I really won''t dare to hit you again.


    Siyan unhappily made a face at her brother. breakfast was already prepared downstairs, but Siyan was not in a hurry to eat it, she followed Xiaowan to the kitchen, asked for hot water to wash his face, and then casually smeared some makeup on his face. The two of them chatted and laughed until her wife came to urge them to go eat breakfast.


    After breakfast, they would go to the dock to board the ship. Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan along to send them off, and then the group arrived at Baisha River Pier. The beautiful and grand boat was already stopped by the river side, with many more guards and palace guards added.


    Xiaowan filled a bag of green bean cake and gave it to Siyan. It was reluctant to part with it, and without saying a word, its eyes turned red.


    On the other hand, the emperor said gently, "Xiaowan, come and play in the capital and have the Empress entertain you. "In the future, I don''t know when the empress and I will pass by again, but you have to treat them well."


    Xiaowan nodded her head vigorously. "Your Majesty must come."


    Xiang Run supported his wife as they slowly walked up the gangplank. When they reached the boat, the guards at the back of the palace followed and most of them boarded the small boat at the back.


    Soon, the anchor was set off and the boat moved further and further away. The empress waved her handkerchief with all her might, her voice echoing through the wind. "Brother, you have to take care of yourself ¡­"


    Wei Tengfei waved his hand stiffly. His other hand was clenched into a fist and the veins on the back of his hand bulged. It was obvious that he was trying very hard to suppress his trembling.


    "Hubby ¡­" The scene of these siblings leaving made her heart ache. She and Siyan had long become good friends, and she couldn''t help but cry in Ling Chaofeng''s arms.


    Not long after, the large ship disappeared from the Baisha River.


    Wei Tengfei calmed down and saw that Xiaowan was crying while hugging her husband. He couldn''t help but laugh and met eyes with Ling Chaofeng so he said: "I will be troubling you for a few days, it''s time for me to leave. I am a coarse man who does not understand the ways of the world, but I must understand it now.


    "I do not dare, it is my fortune to work for a general." Ling Chaofeng said, "General, please be at ease, I will do my best."


    Wei Tengfei sighed: "You''re so loyal to the imperial government, yet you don''t ask for a position, nor for fame, it''s really too difficult."


    Ling Chaofeng smiled faintly: "I have inherited my parents'' legacy, what I have done is not even a hair''s breadth away from what they have done. I am very ashamed."


    Seeing that he was being modest, Wei Tengfei did not say anymore. From now on, some of the favors and even money from Chuanyu¡¯s Army would all come to the tavern to take a stroll. He would even come in contact with Ling Chaofeng.


    "Xiaowan, I have to go too. Didn''t you give me a bag of green bean cake?"


    "No, I gave the rest to the Empress." Under Ling Chaofeng''s comforting words, the Xiaowan calmed down and sputtered, "General, why don''t you wait a bit, and get the Uncle Biao to do it for you immediately."


    Wei Tengfei laughed loudly, "I''m just teasing you. In the future, ask Manager Ling to bring you over to Chuanyu, we have a lot of delicious things there, and it''s not just spicy beasts."


    Xiaowan agreed. Because sshe had cried too much, he kept her head lowered timidly, and only heard her husband say goodbye to him. Then, they all mounted their horses.


    When the dust dispersed, the hundreds of people disappeared.


    Everything around the tavern returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. There were only a hundred sets of chopsticks in the kitchen to prove that they had come here before.


    Finally, he went back to his own room on the third floor. Ling Chaofeng pushed open the door and came in, putting down a bowl of sweet soup. Seeing that Xiaowan was lying on the bed, he walked over and sat down, putting his hands on her waist.


    "Ugh ¡­" The Xiaowan wriggled for a bit, then turned around and looked at her husband weakly, "I missed you. I haven''t been able to talk properly these past two days and now I have to sleep separately."


    bent down and kissed her again and again. The Xiaowan was a little greedy and wrapped her arms around Ling Chaofeng''s neck, but hubby pulled over the blanket and covered her with it, "You''re tired, so take a good rest and continue to do business at the inn. You still have a lot of things to do at the Li Prefecture. "We''ll continue to operate the inn, and only then will we have more friends. In the future when the empress leaves home, will she have a place to stay?"


    Xiaowan laughed, "Empress said that she no longer dares to run away from home. However, if anyone bullies me in the future, she would welcome me running away from home to the capital to seek refuge with her."


    Ling Chaofeng gave a faint smile as his large hand lightly rubbed her soft and small butt. "Who gave you the guts to run away from home?"


    Her wife''s eyes were so clear and clean, it seemed like she did not feel anything strange from Wei Tengfei''s body. It didn''t matter, she was so lovable that anyone who saw her would like her, but there were many different kinds of things. No matter which one it was, he couldn''t care less what others thought.


    Xiaowan hugged her blanket and lazily rolled over. She closed her eyes and muttered, "I wonder where the next customer will come from. I now know why my master has so many friends. In the future, I will also have ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng left the room and walked to the second floor. He looked around at the rooms, and thought about all the guests in the past, why did his mother choose this place to build an inn that year, and why did she set her sights on this place?


    Downstairs, Uncle Biao had to go to the town to gather the ingredients. Hundreds of people ate up the entire inn, if there were any customers, they wouldn''t even be able to take anything out. He had originally wanted to ask Xiaowan if she was going, but Ling Chaofeng said she was asleep, so he asked his to buy some delicious food and bring it back.


    Not long after they left, Ershan cleaned the stables and came in to drink water. Seeing Ling Chaofeng at the counter, he walked over, lowered his eyes and said: "Brother, thank you."


    Ling Chaofeng glanced at him: "Go back and study, it''s about time for August, you will go to the capital early in July, you will go alone, I will have the people from the mighty escort team escort you there, but you will have to take care of other matters yourself."


    Ershan nodded, and turned to return to his room, but Ling Chaofeng suddenly stopped him.


    "Brother, is there anything else?" Ershan asked.


    However, Ling Chaofeng only looked at him with a deep gaze, as if he wanted to dig out Ershan''s heart. He looked away lightly and said: "You must prepare yourself, in this year''s country test, the imperial government will probably leave a group of people to teach in the capital, until next year''s test. If you pass, you might be able to stay in the capital for a while longer."


    "Yes." Ershan replied and left silently. When he reached the backyard, he heaved a sigh of relief. When his elder brother had looked at him that way, he felt like he could barely hide anything, but he had to hide it until the day he could take it out.

 C69

    After the empress left the Baisha Town, the sealed road finally opened up once again. No one knew what had happened in the past two days, they only knew that no one was allowed to enter the Baisha River Pier, and that they would be stopped five kilometers away from the Ling Xiao Inn.


    But yesterday, there was clearly someone who saw the carriage going in and out again, and the people on the carriage, other than the few people on Ling Xiao Inn, couldn''t really see anything else.


    The rumors in the town about this matter spread like wildfire. There were even people who said that over a hundred of the world''s great thieves had gathered in Ling Xiao Inn''s den.


    At that moment, Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang came to the town to buy food to buy meat and vegetables. They bought a whole cart with food, and the owner of the restaurant poured tea for them and gave them seats.


    The couple walked around the town and bought candy, lotus seeds, and sour plum cake for Xiaowan. They were about to head back.


    The carriage passed by the Siyun Pavilion s, seeing that Susu was right in front of the door, it stopped and spoke a few words, then Susu curiously asked: "The day of the announcement was fine, why did you suddenly seal the road? I was so scared and didn''t know what to do, I was worried about you guys."


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "It''s just a road construction over there, it''s nothing much. It''s spring now, so the bamboo shoots and wild vegetables from the back mountain of our mountain are extremely tasty. I''ll bring your mother here to play in a few days and get the Uncle Biao to make you some delicious food. "


    The heavy winter clothes had been changed into spring clothes, it was unknown whether it was because of the change in clothes or because Miss Yue had really lost weight. He looked at the beauty''s sharp chin and her complexion was not too good.


    Aunt Zhang knew that Xiaowan did not like Miss Yue, she was just being polite, and chatted for a bit, afraid that the cart would block the way, so she took her leave.


    Yue Huaiyin stood in front of the door and asked with a smile: "Aunt Zhang wants you to go play?"


    Susu replied, "Yes. "Miss, don''t worry. I won''t be lazy and run out. I will only be there on the day of rest."


    Yue Huaiyin laughed: "It''s fine, everyone is doing business on the Baisha Town, although we''re far away, we should at least have more traffic. It just so happens that the day after tomorrow, I have a box of goods that I want to transport out.


    Susu agreed. But when Yue Huaiyin left, she felt a little awkward.


    Previously, she told Xiaowan that she felt that young miss was a person from the brothel, but this time, when she went to the inn, how would Xiaowan feel about her? She could only blame her for talking too much. Why would she need to think so much to speak nonsense with Xiaowan again?


    When Ling Chaofeng just came out of the warehouse, he saw her rosy cheeks and was satisfied with her sleep. He said with relief: I''m really afraid that I''ll tire you out, when Ershan gets to the capital, we might as well hire someone else., what''s going on?


    Xiaowan despised herself: "I''m really getting more and more useless. I used to work all day and all night, I don''t feel tired even if I work every day."


    "That''s because you didn''t dare to get tired before." Ling Chaofeng brushed away her messy sleep and said lovingly, "From now on, I can''t bear for you to be tired."


    "I also can''t bear to see my husband get tired." Xiaowan laughed, and when she smelled the fragrance, she asked, "What is Uncle Biao cooking again?"


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "Tomorrow is Qingming Festival, we agreed to go to Mother''s grave."


    Xiaowan said in a serious tone: "I have forgotten my days, I should really die. But hubby, I should also bury my parents. I have been in the door for so long."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "My parents are both people of the martial world, they do not wish to leave anything behind in this world. They have all been cremated and spilled all over the river, telling me not to think about this memorial service, just put it in my heart. Naturally, what I said wasn''t to make you forget about your mother. Since your mother''s grave is here, we should pay tribute to it every year. "


    Xiaowan agreed, "I''ll listen to Hubby."


    Aunt Zhang came from the backyard and heard their conversation, laughing: "Tomorrow we will go together, I also want to go greet your mother, and thank her for sending me such an obedient daughter."


    Xiaowan had long treated her aunt as her mother and ran over to hold her by the arm while acting like a spoiled child. Only then did Aunt Zhang remember about the snacks that she had bought for Xiaowan.


    Thus, on the morning of the second day, Uncle Biao and Ershan stayed behind to look after the house.


    It was rare for it to not rain during the Qingming Festival, but the road was filled with people carrying incense paper money, hurriedly going to different places to offer sacrifices. Their carriage stopped at the mountain behind Qingling Village. Ling Chaofeng saw with his sharp eyes a child looking at them a few times before running up the mountain.


    Ling Chaofeng realised something, and brought Xiaowan and the rest of the Aunt Zhang up the mountain. A majority of the villagers had buried their ancestors here, and it was no longer desolate like last year.


    Xiaowan walked towards his mother''s grave in a familiar manner, but before she even got close, she was stunned. Madam Xu brought a pair of children with him and knelt in front of his mother''s grave, burning incense and paper, kneeling and bowing.


    "Which song is this?" Aunt Zhang sneered, she looked at Xiaowan, and the child''s face was filled with anger.


    Ling Chaofeng did not say a word, and quietly waited for the Xiaowan to settle the matter by himself. All he needed to do was to make sure that no one here dared to hurt his wife even once.


    "Big Sis, you''re here." Wen Bao shouted loudly, and it was clear that he was the one who was looking around at the bottom of the mountain, upon seeing big sister''s family, he ran over to inform them.


    Madam Xu turned around and wiped away some saliva on her face. Seeing her tears that were pouring down, she sobbed: "Evening, you came to see your mother too?"


    After all these years, the Xu family had threatened Little Night countless times with the intention of plucking her mother out of the ground and feeding her to the wild dogs. They had even dragged her to her mother''s grave, whipped her in front of her mother''s face, and then left her here without letting her go home.


    Her mother was originally buried in the Mu Family cemetery, forced out by the Madam Xu, and turned into a lonely person.


    The surrounding villagers all got closer, wanting to see what would happen to Madam Xu. There were three people from Xiaowan, the older woman, dressed well and looked very close to Xiaowan, they all started whispering to each other, wondering if she was Xiaowan''s mother-in-law.


    It was at this moment that Xiaowan walked up alone. She turned a blind eye to Madam Xu and her younger brother and sister, and kicked over the censer, then kicked away the food in front of the grave. She broke a branch from the side to clean the scattered paper money.


    With a whoosh, the branch landed on Wen Bao''s body. This brat''s skin and flesh was expensive, and he immediately shouted out: "Mother, Big Sis hit me! Big Sis hit me!"


    Madam Xu was anxious and embarrassed, all the surrounding villagers were pointing at him, she sat on the ground and started crying, saying that Mu Xiaowan had no conscience, that her stepdaughter was a cruel and ungrateful person, and that she had worked so hard to raise her, and so she ended up like this.


    She even threw herself onto the stone tablet and cried towards Xiaowan''s mother: "Elder sister, I was the one who was in trouble. I was the one who didn''t teach your daughter well ¡­"


    "Are you going to scram or not?" Xiaowan raised the tree branch in her hand and pointed it at Madam Xu.


    For so many years, she was the one pointing the whip at Mu Xiaowan, always beating the skinny guy to death. Who would have thought that one day, it would be the complete opposite, Mu Xiaowan''s turn to point the branch at her.


    However, she steeled her heart, thinking that this little slut still dared to hit her. She stood up, glared at her, and cursed, "You heartless animal, do you want to do something to me? What did I do wrong? I''ll sweep your mother''s grave, how can I let you down?" She pointed at the villagers and said, "You are all being reasonable. How have I let down this child? Mu Xiaowan, you dare to attack me, are you not afraid of the five lightning strikes? "


    This matter was completely different from what Madam Xu was thinking. She thought that since she had come to sweep up Xiaowan''s mother''s tomb, Xiaowan might be able to see that she was sincere and build a better relationship with her. Of course she was still thinking of the fact that the Xiaowan could make up for it at home, that if she could get something from her body, she could do anything she wanted.


    The Aunt Wang next door came over from the crowd, to support the Madam Xu, but her words were a little more tactful, and she said in a friendly tone: "Xiaowan, look at how kind everyone is today. The people in front of this grave are all your mother. One person gives birth to you, and the other raises you. Your filial piety is the same for any one of them.


    "Are you going to scram or not?" But Xiaowan did not say anything else.


    Madam Xu shouted in anger: "This is the Qingling Village, I want to be wherever I am.


    Xiaowan looked indifferently at Ling Chaofeng who was standing below. Their gazes met, and Ling Chaofeng slowly walked over. Madam Xu first shivered, then shouted to strengthen herself: "What, you, you guys want to make a move against me?"


    In the blink of an eye, before the surrounding people could even figure out what was happening, Ling Chaofeng had already appeared beside Madam Xu. He grabbed her collar with one hand, lightly lifted her collar, and hung his up.


    Wen Bao and Wen Juan were so scared that they were crying loudly. Wen Bao picked up a rock and was about to throw it at Ling Chaofeng''s body, but Xiaowan raised a tree branch and rushed in front of him.


    When the other villagers saw this, they came up one after another to persuade them, and even took the initiative to help Xiaowan clean up all the things that Madam Xu had left behind. They did not wish for Ling Chaofeng to get angry one day and clean them up one by one.


    Aunt Zhang watched all of this indifferently. She brought his incense and offering it to the Xiaowan to clean up. Not long after, Ling Chaofeng returned.


    After Ling Chaofeng kowtowed to his, he said to his, "Let''s move mom out today, we''ll move his to the back mountain of the tavern, okay?"


    Xiaowan looked at Hubby in a daze. Aunt Zhang said, "Find two villagers for help. Just give them silver." "Today is the day that we should invite your mother over. She lives in the back mountain, which is much more comfortable than here."


    Xiaowan nodded with tears in her eyes, then she stood up and laughed: "Which big brother wants to help me out? Today, we are going to move Xiaowan''s mother away. Naturally, our shopkeeper will not lose any money. "

 C70

    Hearing that they had money, the villagers knew that the Ling Xiao Inn was very generous, and since it was not a bad thing, they came to help out.


    It was rare for it to not rain today, so everything went smoothly. It was just that after eighteen years, Xiaowan''s mother died and had already turned into a pile of bones.


    Ling Chaofeng was originally worried that the Xiaowan would be scared and look down on her, but she was her own mother so what was there to be afraid of? Finally, he was able to bring his mother to his side.


    Just like this, the group of people rushed over before noon and sent Xiaowan''s mother to the back mountain of Ling Xiao Inn. With more people gathering, they quickly buried them again.


    Everyone was startled as they stared blankly at the dark sky. Aunt Zhang came over with an umbrella, and Zhang Luo and the others went down the mountain to get some silver.


    When it rained, neither Ling Chaofeng nor the Xiaowan held up umbrellas. He took off his robe and covered Xiaowan''s body, while the Xiaowan used his hands to cover his mother with stones that were piled densely on the grave so that the rain wouldn''t seep in. When he raised his head, he discovered that his husband had protected her from the rain and his hair was already wet.


    Xiaowan hurriedly stood up. "Let''s go back. We''re at the back of the mountain anyways, we can come here at any time."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded. "Don''t worry about it from now on."


    They supported each other as they descended the mountain step by step. Xiaowan asked, "Is father and mother worried that the enemy family would dig up the grave to take revenge on you? So they don''t want to leave anything behind in this world?"


    She had always been threatened by the Madam Xu, so she naturally thought of this.


    Ling Chaofeng said: Maybe it is, but in truth they do not know whether to leave anything behind, if I do not follow their orders, or build their tombstone for them? When a man dies, he will no longer know anything. When he is alive, it is better to live to understand. "


    When they returned to the tavern, the villagers who came to help had already scattered. Xiaowan went to the kitchen to heat up some hot water and pulled Ling Chaofeng into the bathroom.


    After being married for such a long time, although she had done all sorts of intimate things, this was the first time she had helped her husband to shower and rub his back. Although they were both naked, no one had any feelings for her.


    Lying on her husband''s sturdy back, she could no longer think of anything in this world that she could not rest at ease with.


    Ling Chaofeng said in displeasure: "You''re planning to stay like this forever, you''re going to wrinkle your skin."


    Xiaowan lazily said, "Hubby, your body is so warm. It''s so comfortable."


    The villagers who came to help returned to Qingling Village, and the news spread out. Aunt Wang brought along two nests to share with Wen Bao and Wen Juan, while Madam Xu was bored into the house, and had not seen anyone for a long time.


    "The children are starving, and you don''t cook." The Aunt Wang said, "What, is there no more time in the future?"


    Madam Xu said with a startled look: "What are you eating, I just want to drink her blood and eat her flesh."


    Aunt Wang said: "The men that went to help have returned, each person received 10 silver coins and a bag of rice, they are truly amazing, Ling Chaofeng was really generous with his money, and had amused them so much."


    Madam Xu spat out: "Even if she knows to give it to someone else, she''s not willing to give me a single copper. It''s fine if she hates me, but Wen Bao and Wen Juan are siblings of her father, she doesn''t care. I''ve thought it through, I won''t be able to hope for anything else. If Mu Xiaowan has the ability, then don''t fall into my hands.


    Aunt Wang advised: "Speaking of which, how is she going to tell the boss of Rouge Shop about us? In a few days, we will go back to town and ask around."


    Madam Xu frowned and stared at her. Aunt Wang said, "Don''t go against the money. Those rouge, we sold them for a lot of money, didn''t we?"


    And on the day after the Qingming Festival, Yue Huaiyin brought Susu to the dock to deliver the goods. When she returned, he went to the tavern to rest, saying that she had craved the wild bamboo shoots and vegetables Uncle Biao talked about that day, and wanted to eat before returning.


    She asked with a smile, "Why are there no Xiaowan and Manager Ling here?"


    Aunt Zhang did not mention anything about Xiaowan''s mother moving the tombs, she only said, "They are at the back of the mountain, and will be back soon."


    Susu followed Aunt Zhang to the back kitchen. Aunt Zhang wanted her to bring some bamboo shoots back for Auntie Chen to eat, leaving Yue Huaiyin alone in the store. She subconsciously stood up and went to the back door, just in time to see Ling Chaofeng bringing Susu down the mountain.


    They landed on the flat ground. Ling Chaofeng bent over and patted the dirt on Xiaowan''s skirt while Xiaowan plucked the leaves and petals on his husband''s head. After that, he did not know what kind of petting he had done, but Ling Chaofeng bent over slightly and Xiaowan suddenly jumped on his back, carrying her on his back.


    As they got closer, they naturally saw each other. Seeing Yue Huaiyin standing at the back door looking towards them, Xiaowan patted her shoulder and said: "Hubby, put me down."


    "It''s fine." Ling Chaofeng disapproved and carried Xiaowan all the way to the front.


    "You guys want to dig up bamboo shoots?" Yue Huaiyin asked.


    "To take a walk." Xiaowan tidied up her skirt and politely asked, "Miss Yue, why are you here?"


    Yue Huaiyin said that she wanted to try the bamboo shoots and wild vegetables here. They were walking towards the store, and seeing Susu coming over from the kitchen, the Xiaowan was immediately happy. She walked over and talked to him affectionately. All along, although the Xiaowan had been polite to her, they had truly parted ways.


    After a while, the food was served to him. Uncle Biao cut the bamboo shoot tip into shreds and fried the spring rolls until they were 3 threads, then used wild vegetables to make tofu soup. After cooking the oil in the wok, he fried a few more large pork chops, as well as some wormwood juice and green rice dumplings.


    Susu was eating happily, while the Xiaowan was chatting and laughing with her at the side. Only Yue Huaiyin did not know how to eat or taste, maybe she had eaten too many good things before, and did not care much about the skills of the Uncle Biao.


    As for Ling Chaofeng, she was standing far behind the counter, not even looking at them. There was not even a single person who spoke to her.


    Aunt Zhang came over with a food box. She said that she had made too many green balls and invited Yue Huaiyin to bring them back for her to have a taste for the shop assistant.


    Yue Huaiyin thanked her and, up to this point, until she left the inn, other than saying "Goodbye", she did not say anything else.


    On the carriage heading back, Susu carefully held onto the food box, not paying attention to Yue Huaiyin''s expression. After entering the shop, she distributed the snacks to everyone, naturally leaving a portion for Yue Huaiyin.


    After splitting the snacks, Susu moved her head forward, but she did not know that not long after she left, the young miss opened the door and threw the snacks out.


    This scene caught Auntie Chen''s eye. She held the dustpan with the broom and quietly retreated.


    In the tavern, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang prepared clothes for Ershan. They knew that he would be leaving for the capital in July, so even though they could buy everything there was to buy, it was still better to prepare clothes and shoes for themselves.


    Other than his summer attire and his winter jacket, everyone was looking forward to seeing him become a High Scholar. They were hoping to see him under the tutelage of some high official in the capital.


    Between the flying needles, her aunt laughed: "Wan''er, you don''t like Miss Yue at all. It''s fine if Susu isn''t here, but when Susu is, it''s even more obvious.


    Xiaowan did not stop what she was doing. She wanted to sew a thick insole onto Ershan''s shoes, so she held her hands down and said, "Little girl, since Aunt Wei understands, she will naturally stand on your side. But sometimes it is better to be a bit tactful when you are a person. Some people, you have to see her character, would rather offend the villain, not hypocrites. Perhaps, when you were being so polite to her, you angered her instead. "


    "So if I enrage her, she will be able to think about other people''s husbands in broad daylight?" The Xiaowan retorted, "Must everyone become her friends? What if I am unhappy, and who is she to me? I want to coax her to be happy? If you were to say that she had saved Susu and Auntie Chen, I will definitely not forget your kindness, but these are two different things. "


    Your uncle and I have always been worried that your ears are soft and kind, and that you would be easily deceived by others. "


    Xiaowan''s gaze was straight with a hint of hatred, "When I came to the inn, I met uncle and aunt, met my husband and Ershan, and found out that there are good people in this world. Yesterday, if it wasn''t because the three of us didn''t have enough manpower, we wouldn''t have been able to get Uncle and Ershan to go. There are so many people in the Qingling Village, so many years, yet no one has ever stood up to speak up for me, let alone those wives who are trying to cause trouble in front of that woman, watching her beat me up to get married. Aunt, before I came here to live a good life with you, every day, what I see is the ugliest face in the world, the most vicious heart. So many people, how can there not be a single good person? "


    "Xiaowan ¡­"


    "But now I understand." Xiaowan said, "Other than those who urged the woman to hit me, the others who did not care and did not interfere were not bad people. They were just too cold and detached, and I cannot mistake them for bad people just because others did not help me. My husband said, We are in the business of opening an inn, regardless of family affairs. Although I can''t understand what is going on here, I think the same is true for us. In this world, no one should do anything for someone else. What right do you have to make others take responsibility for your own matters? "


    Aunt Zhang listened in a daze and said while holding his face: "I thought you were happy all day long, but you don''t think that deep down inside your head. So you actually know about it in your heart?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "Now that we started to talk, I just started. I normally wouldn''t think too much. Aunt, when I barged in that day and saw Miss Yue leaning on the bed with her legs exposed, I knew that nothing had happened to them, but I was just unhappy.


    As they were speaking, Ling Chaofeng happened to be standing behind them. He did not expect the incident that day to have such a profound impact on the Xiaowan.


    Although he had barely looked at Yue Huaiyin, if Yue Huaiyin really wanted to deal with Xiaowan one day, the Xiaowan would not be her match.


    Yue Huaiyin was once the most famous courtesan in the capital. Under her skirt, it wasn''t that she had prostrated herself before many men, but rather ¡­ How many men had died.

 C71

    Ling Chaofeng turned around, but he heard Xiaowan continue: "But as long as I can help others, I will still do my best to help. It''s just that I won''t resent others for not coming to help me, so at the same time, when I''m unwilling, no one will force me. "My husband said that he only wants me to live for my own good."


    Ling Chaofeng was very pleased as he stared at the back of the Xiaowan with a smile. He felt that giving her all the good things in the world wasn''t enough. Xiao Yun did not expect that just from a glance outside the Qingling Village that day that fate had sealed it for him, even though this fellow did not remember that they had met before.


    Suddenly, a strange feeling flitted across Ling Chaofeng''s mind. It was as if it was the same feeling he had felt before, but this feeling disappeared in an instant. It would not let him think about it further, only when it passed would he be moved by something.


    That day, when it was deep into the night, Susu and her mother had already lied down to rest. They slept on the same bed as the other maids, they were usually kind and harmonious, but it was not convenient for them to talk about secrets.


    At this moment, Auntie Chen was telling her in a very soft voice about Yue Huaiyin throwing the snacks out. Susu''s heart tensed up, she crawled up and looked at the people around him.


    The next day, when the servant brought hot water for Yue Huaiyin to wash up, she found out that she had been sitting on the chair beside the window the whole night. The spring night was still cold, and her body was curled up into a ball.


    And today, Xiaowan was going to visit Lian Yi at the Li Prefecture, he followed Ling Chaofeng in the carriage and passed by the Baisha Town, and coincidentally met a doctor who was familiar with the inn and was invited to the Siyun Pavilion.


    Xiaowan replied blandly, Ling Chaofeng did not bring it up again, and quickly rushed to the Li Prefecture.


    After receiving the emperor''s decree, the Meng family could stay in the residence forever. However, without the Prefect Meng''s salary, they could not afford to raise so many servants.


    Mrs. Meng chased away his ex-husband''s concubine and dismissed his servant girl. However, he couldn''t open his sources of income and it wouldn''t be a long term plan either.


    Fortunately Lian Yi did not feel wronged, she looked better, and was happy to see the Xiaowan, but her legs were broken and she had to take care of it until summer.


    "It''s good that I can send him to the capital in time. Even if I have to limp, I still have to go." The current Meng Lianyi''s eyes were filled with hope and expectation. Her cheeks were slightly red as she said shyly, "This time, I will send him to the capital in an honorable manner to take the exam."


    "Ershan has been working hard recently, and will definitely be able to pass the examination." He wanted to help Lian Yi out, but he was worried that it would hurt her pride. So he decided to put this matter aside first and wait for her legs to heal first.


    Xiaowan sat for a long time, and just as she was about to go back, Mrs. Meng came over.


    Lian Yi told her that his mother and brother treated her like a Buddha, because as long as she was there, there would be hope for the future of the family. Although they were still using her, not really caring about her, Lian Yi didn''t care.


    As for Xiaowan visiting Lian Yi, Ling Chaofeng was busy with his own matters. He had agreed to wait outside the Meng manor at the agreed time, but his husband had already arrived. He picked her up and carried her onto the carriage.


    When they were far away, she tugged on Ling Chaofeng''s sleeve and said, "Husband, don''t joke with me. I don''t know what happened, but seeing such a person with such a face, such as how Mrs. Meng was so courteous just now, I, I ¡­"


    "What?" Ling Chaofeng laughed and asked, "Are you afraid?"


    "It''s not fear, it''s just ¡­" Xiaowan said, "I keep having the feeling that when they look at me, they are hoping that I will take out a silver ingot to give them. People like Mrs. Meng, those from the Qingling Village, are all thinking about my money."


    "Your money?" Ling Chaofeng purposely smiled at her.


    "Our money is ready." Seeing that her husband was still teasing her, the Xiaowan anxiously said, "I''m serious, I''m serious."


    Ling Chaofeng disapprovingly said: "As long as they don''t open their mouths, all of this is just your imagination. "Of course, you can start preparing it in your heart. If something like that happens, how should you deal with it? But after you finish, stop disturbing yourself."


    The Xiaowan asked: "Was it because in the past, I myself was always anxious for someone else''s help and assistance, and was afraid of hardship, that I became like this?"


    Ling Chaofeng felt his heart ache, as he pulled his into his embrace and said: "It''s because you''re too kind, that''s all."


    Coincidentally, Susu saw the guest to the door. Seeing Manager Ling driving the carriage, he seemed to have told the Xiaowan, who had obviously just met yesterday, to open the curtain and reveal her face. Today, she was still very happy.


    "Our young lady is sick and has a very high fever." said, "Originally, I had some things that I wanted to tell you, but I really couldn''t leave today. Xiaowan, I will rest the day after tomorrow, and by that time, Miss will have had a fever.


    "Alright, the day after tomorrow, I''ll ask my uncle to come and pick you up." The Xiaowan asked worriedly, "What is it? Is it too late to delay it until then?"


    Susu nodded her head, she looked towards the back of the shop, and at the moment, it was not a good place to talk, she could only laugh: "You guys can go back, I''ll come to find you at the inn the day after tomorrow."


    In Rouge Shop, Yue Huaiyin was truly sick, but in Susu''s eyes, she had been depressed ever since New Year''s. It was as if there was nothing new in the shop that deserved her happiness, and she did not care too much about doing business. She did not seem to be lacking in this small amount of money, so no one knew why she was unhappy.


    It was unknown what she had encountered in her dreams. It was Susu''s turn to take care of her as she twisted a towel in the cold water. Suddenly, she heard someone who was still half asleep mutter, "Why did you take responsibility for me? Why did you take responsibility for me ¡­"


    When Susu heard this, her heart jumped. She was afraid that Yue Huaiyin would suddenly wake up, but her fever was severe and she was unable to wake up for a while.


    Fortunately the others were here very quickly, so when Yue Huaiyin heard the commotion, he was able to sleep a little more peacefully. However, her body was delicate, and they had to take turns to guard him during the middle of the night.


    The people who woke up ate medicine and porridge with empty eyes. They did not speak to anyone, as if they were still immersed in her dreams.


    When the day after tomorrow came, when Uncle Biao came to buy vegetables, he brought Susu to the tavern and told him everything that had happened that day. He said: "I also know that I shouldn''t be talking about people messing things up behind their backs, but when I was in the capital, I had seen too many things and the longer we stayed together, the more I felt that Miss was a weird and strange person.


    Susu said: "I also do not have anyone else to discuss, I can only tell you that for the past half year, my mother and I have saved up a little money, plus, you have given me some from time to time, which is enough to rent a house in the village near the Baisha Town. We plan to move out, and I plan to quit the job with Rouge Shop.


    "I don''t know either." Xiaowan shook her head and turned to look at her husband. It was unknown if Ling Chaofeng had heard this.


    She suddenly remembered that Hubby previously said that she could find Susu to work in the tavern. Upon saying that, Susu hurriedly said: "You guys aren''t lacking in manpower, why are you supporting us for me? I''m only here to discuss with you, isn''t this too heartless of me? Other than you, there''s no one else who can negotiate with me."


    The Xiaowan said: "Why don''t you have a lot of manpower? Ershan is heading to the Capital in the middle of July, so he hasn''t really come out to work after reading. There are a hundred and ten people who came back last time, and they washed the dishes and washed my waist. However, strange people will always come to our inn. I wonder if they will scare you. "


    Susu said that she had seen such a bad person in the capital, there was nothing to be afraid of. However, because the inn had helped her too much, she couldn''t just cling to them. She was afraid that if she got annoyed one day, she would know when to stop.


    After discussing for a long time, Susu was willing to come to the tavern to work. However, she and her mother did not live in the tavern.


    The Xiaowan found his husband to discuss, so Ling Chaofeng simply took her and Susu to the closest village. The inn had a few acres of land and a tile house that his mother had bought when he built the inn. It had been empty all these years, and the grass on the ground was already half the height of a person.


    After a short while, the Auntie Chen was also brought over, and Ling Chaofeng said: "You guys can stay in this house, the rent will naturally be calculated. Aunt will clean up these acres of land at home, and whatever you plant and send over to the inn, we will pay for it."


    She actually wanted to kowtow to Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan, scaring them so much that Xiaowan picked them up and said, "Susu is my big sister, I can''t help much either. I''m the owner of the shop when I come back to work, if I don''t do things well, don''t blame me for cursing."


    After that, they brought Susu and the Auntie Chen back to town. When they returned, the Xiaowan was elated as she continued to laugh, "That day, you said that you were afraid that Susu would be cowardly and be scared of our customers. Look, Susu is very smart, she has her own thoughts."


    The Xiaowan asked, "Husband, can you really leave Susu in the store?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Are you saying that I shouldn''t ask you?"


    Xiaowan was startled, she thought for a long time before understanding the situation, and said hurriedly: "Susu is not that kind of person, it has been so long since I''ve treated her like this, Susu has never made me feel uncomfortable, but that person, I just don''t like her. If you were to say that she was good-looking, she wasn''t necessarily prettier than Susu.


    Seeing her husband smiling without a word, Xiaowan felt that she had been underestimated, and was pestering him to make a ruckus. Ling Chaofeng was originally just playing with her, but seeing that she was really anxious, she stopped the carriage to coax her. The commotion caused the Xiaowan to beg for mercy as she hurriedly rushed back to the tavern and shut the door. The two of them didn''t come out for a long time.


    That night, after Yue Huaiyin finished dinner, she had sent hot water for him to wash up. Seeing that the others had all left, she said to Yue Huaiyin: "Miss, my mother and I have rented a house in the neighboring village. As of next month, we will be moving out."


    Yue Huaiyin was startled. "It''s not convenient to live here?"


    Susu''s heart skipped a beat, "It''s not that it''s inconvenient, it''s just that our mother is determined to stay here.


    Yue Huaiyin nodded her head, it did not matter to him at all, but Susu suddenly said: "Please forgive us Miss, but for the work in the shop, we will also have to resign, if Miss Mu cannot find someone at the moment, we can wait for you to summon someone else before we leave."


    "Where are you going after leaving here?" Yue Huaiyin asked, a cold light flashing past her eyes, "Go to Ling Xiao Inn?"


    Susu awkwardly nodded her head, "Yes, after Ershan went to the capital, the inn just so happened to be lacking in people, I, I want to go there."


    "Is it because I''m in a bad position here, or is it because I want you to go there?" Yue Huaiyin sat up from the bed, stuttering with her soft shoes, Huanhuan walked towards Susu.


    Susu was panicking and she unconsciously took a step back. "I wanted to go over myself, so Xiaowan agreed."


    Yue Huaiyin''s gaze turned peculiar as she stared straight at Susu. Susu thought that this was definitely going to reveal her true personality, but then she turned around and went to the money box to take out two ingots of ingots and put them on the table: "Go, I don''t need any helpers here. Since it''s all been arranged, you can leave tomorrow."


    The result was beyond his expectations. Susu looked at Yue Huaiyin in astonishment. Her pale face had just recovered from a serious illness, and her skinny eyes had grown especially big.

 C72

    "Miss, you''ve already given us a lot, we can''t take your money anymore. Susu will never forget Miss''s life saving grace. No matter what happens in the future, as long as I am able to help, I ask Miss to speak up for me anytime. "


    Susu bowed, and without taking the money from the table, she turned and left.


    The hot water to wash her face and rinse her mouth was on the shelf, Yue Huaiyin grabbed the silver ingots in her hands and threw them into the basin precisely one by one. Water splashed out onto the carpet and she laughed coldly, "You know that I gave you a lot too. You know that I have saved your life? "


    The next day, Susu and Auntie Chen really left the shop, and did not even dare to ask for this month''s wages. The Rouge Shop clerk muttered to himself for a long time, until the pale Yue Huaiyin came out and asked: "Is there anyone else who wants to leave?"


    In the Baisha Village, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang had come to the tile house to help clean the grass. A few women in the village stuck their heads out to take a look, but after half a day, the grass in the few acres of land in front of the village was all cleaned up.


    The villagers all knew that the mother and daughter pair who would live here from now on would work in the Ling Xiao Inn.


    Only now did Susu hear from Xiaowan that this village was different from her family''s Qingling Village. Although there were people like her father who worked from afar in Qingling Village, there were only a few. Most of the men still stayed at home to farm.


    On the other side, most of the men were working outside, even the ones near by, working on the town''s docks, or doing business. The only men that could be seen in the village during the day were the white-haired grandpa, and the boy in open pants.


    When the Uncle Biao arrived in the afternoon, he changed them into new bolts and locks, wiped the paper on the window again, and brought the two of them to the restaurant for dinner at night.


    The aunt was very polite, she said that she did not dare to come to the tavern like this every day to eat and drink, hoping that Susu would properly work for her shop. After she returns to ask the villagers what was suitable for her to grow, she would grow fresh vegetables early so that she could send them to the tavern.


    Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan knew that they had their limits, so they naturally followed Auntie Chen''s instructions. In the future, when there were no new year holidays, they would not always invite her to eat.


    After the whole family happily ate their dinner, the sky had already turned dark and they had to walk seven or eight miles to the Baisha Village. The mother and daughter pair were about to head back when Uncle Biao pulled the carriage and said, "Now that Susu is here, she has washed all the kitchen food and told me to take a breather. You can come by yourself in the morning and uncle will send you back at night, it won''t be troublesome."


    When everyone bid farewell in front of the door, the Xiaowan shouted. "Susu, are you coming earlier tomorrow?


    A joyful laughter came from afar. "I know, internal manager ¡­"


    Seeing the Xiaowan being so happy, Ling Chaofeng intentionally said: "Don''t have Susu, all you know is to chat and gossip all day from now on.


    However, Xiaowan saw that no one was around. She gently caressed her husband''s waist and asked with watery eyes, "Do you need to be tidied up tonight?"


    Ling Chaofeng carried her in one go. Aunt Zhang, who was in the kitchen, heard Xiaowan call for help, but her heart warmed up.


    The next morning, when the sky brightened, Susu went out.


    The sky wasn''t clear today, and it was a bit gray. Rain was still falling in the wind, so Susu lowered her head and walked forward while holding the umbrella.


    However, not long after she left the village, she heard footsteps behind her. She subconsciously looked back, and saw that although a tanned and strong man was not as tall and straight as the Manager Ling, he was still a man, and was much taller than Susu.


    He was wearing a patched shirt and straw sandals. He was wearing thinner than this season. Was he not afraid of the cold? His arms were mostly exposed, and strong muscles could be seen on his arms. In his hands, there was a thick hemp rope.


    Susu swallowed her saliva. Her heart was thumping hard, the footsteps from behind were getting closer and closer, more and more urgent, and as she saw that she had caught up to her back, she hugged her umbrella and closed her eyes.


    However, the man walked past her without speaking or looking at her, and went straight ahead. He moved quickly, and very quickly, he left Susu behind by a large margin.


    Susu heaved a sigh of relief and hurried back to the inn. When she reached the door, Ershan coincidentally opened it and said: "Sister Susu, it''s been a long time since you came here.


    Susu waved her hand: "Not far."


    The people in the shop all got up, Xiaowan saw that Susu had really come so early, and laughed out loud, pulling her along and saying, the shop normally does not have much business, when there is free, everyone has nothing to do, and today it did not seem like there were any customers coming, so she was told to come late, wind or rain did not come.


    Susu said: "How can I do that, I only got paid, even if the shop has no customers, there will always be dust that I can''t not clean. "In the future, let me do all these. Don''t be polite with me, or else I won''t be able to keep you guys alive any longer."


    With that said, Susu picked up his big broom and swiftly swept it in front of the door.


    Ling Chaofeng walked over to Xiaowan''s side and said: "You are the inner manager, and the current employee is Susu. There might be others in the future, and you are sisters as well. If not, she will feel uncomfortable, and you will feel uncomfortable too. Why do you need to make things unnecessary for her, it would be better for her to go somewhere else. "


    Xiaowan nodded her head, "Hubby, I have remembered it. If I don''t do well, you have to remind me often."


    After they busied themselves in the morning, the dark clouds drifted by and it was clear as day.


    When she heard that Xiaowan had moved her mother''s grave to the back of the mountain, Susu wanted to pay respects. When she saw that there was nothing wrong with the shop before noon, the two of them took some incense and paper money and went up the mountain.


    They were all children that had no mother, and grew up with their stepmother. However, Susu had received love and care from the Auntie Chen like his own mother, so she did not have any feelings for his deceased biological mother. On the other hand, the Xiaowan was different.


    After saying these words, the Xiaowan could not help but have red circles under her eyes. Susu advised: "Now that you have such a good home, it is all thanks to you.


    Standing on the back mountain, they could look down at the Ling Xiao Inn and see the pyre and well at the back door. That day, Xiaowan was busy at the well, so she and her mother hid beside the pyre. They wanted to wait for Xiaowan to go in and drink a few mouthfuls of water from the basin.


    "It''s been so long in the blink of an eye. It seems like it''s still the same thing as yesterday." Susu said, sighing with emotion, "Xiaowan, are you the reincarnation of Guan Yin, the Bodhisattva?"


    Xiaowan laughed, thinking of sher Jade Ring, he then said to herself: "If I really know magic, it would be great."


    Speaking of her Jade Ring, the most contradictory thing she had done the past few days was to heal her leg for Miss Lian Yi. However, if it went well overnight, the people from the Meng family would be confused, even Lian Yi himself would be baffled.


    Thus, she could only make a wish for Lian Yi to experience less pain and then see her every now and then.


    After that, throughout the entire day, there were no more guests in the inn, so Susu was not surprised, because Xiaowan had already explained everything clearly to her, and Susu also knew that the Ling Xiao Inn was a hoodlum shop, so the local citizens definitely would not come.


    In the blink of an eye, three months had passed. At the beginning of April, Ling Chaofeng had secretly informed the Xiaowan that the Emperor and Empress had successfully returned to the capital.


    The Xiaowan was naturally happy, that day when they followed Susu to the town to buy vegetables, they pulled Susu to the city''s god temple to pray for their blessings. laughed at her again. really didn''t think this way, whether or not she wanted to be a baby. She hoped that the Empress and the Emperor would love each other forever.


    When they were waiting for the Uncle Biao outside the temple to come and fetch them, there was someone by their side who was holding a baby doll and crying loudly. Everyone gave a gentle and blissful look and wished that the child would grow up healthy and safe. The Xiaowan looked at him and said softly, "Don''t be greedy, just give birth to yourself."


    Xiaowan blushed and shook his head.


    She knew that her husband had said that she was still young and needed to wait, but she really liked little babies. He just wanted to give her a child as soon as possible.


    When Uncle Biao came to pick them up, he saw that the yamen''s people were beating gongs and drums on the streets. The original Zhixian, Lord Liang, was promoted to the Li Prefecture Department.


    When he returned to the tavern, he told Ling Chaofeng that the new county magistrate had already known about it. He said that the new county magistrate was the nephew of the neighboring prefecture magistrate, and that this official had donated the money to him.


    As Baisha County was not a political fortress or an economic agricultural land, the upper management would not care about it. To Ling Chaofeng, it was fine as long as he was a "obedient" person.


    Naturally, he would not say these words to Susu.


    Closing the door, the couple started to discuss. Xiaowan said: "There''s still Lord Liang up there anyways, we will definitely give him some pointers. Let''s not ask him to come and cause trouble for us."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "If he is a fool, I do not wish for him to know our secret, I have already informed Master Liang about it, there is no need to speak about it too clearly, if it is really inappropriate, we can just drive him away sooner or later."


    It was at this moment that Susu shouted from downstairs, "Innkeeper, a guest has arrived."


    The two guests who had suddenly arrived came by boat from outside the city. According to their accent, they were from the southwest. No one in the restaurant could understand what they were talking about. It was only after they had spoken official language that they knew to stay at the restaurant.


    Susu informed them about the living quarters''s price and they were greatly shocked. They looked up and down the entire inn and finally gritted their teeth and stayed in a room to the north.


    In order to save money, they didn''t eat in the restaurant. After putting down their luggage, they left. At night, when they were waiting for the Uncle Biao to send Susu home, they finally returned with a few steamed buns. They only needed a few mouthfuls of water before they went upstairs.


    There was a rule in the inn that regardless of the customers'' business, after Xiaowan married into the Xiaowan, the big and small Heavenly Family did not stop them. However, this time, two or three days had passed, and the two of them almost could not get out early or come back late, they did not care even if they wanted to.


    Xiaowan woke up early today, and coincidentally met Susu. Seeing that Susu was looking around while she was walking, she went up to him and asked: "What''s the matter, are there any bad people on the road?"


    Susu shook her head and laughed: "That''s the person who almost goes out with me every day, I didn''t see him today. Although he scared me half to death on the first day, and later, got used to it, meeting him on the road once a day, I am very at ease.


    The Xiaowan asked: "Those two from the north room went out again. Did you see them on the way?"


    Susu said: "No, I only saw the cart carrying goods twice on the way, I did not see the two guests."

 C73

    Xiaowan looked at the mountains on both sides of the road, high and low, the Xiaowan at the depth of the mountain had never been there before, she muttered: "Could it be that they entered the mountain?"


    And today, just before noon, the newly appointed county official sent someone to ask Ling Chaofeng to go to the yamen, not to target the inn, but instead, to invite all the merchants there today. The yamen''s main hall was completely filled with people, and Yue Huaiyin, who was as beautiful as a young fairy, was evidently out of place.


    However, she was the owner of the Rouge Shop, and everyone around her knew that the new magistrate was staring straight at her as he listened to his master''s explanation.


    Although Ling Chaofeng was standing in the corner and had an extraordinary temperament, he couldn''t hide it either. He looked at everything indifferently, and even though he realized that Yue Huaiyin was looking at him, he pretended not to see it.


    When the newly-appointed county official chattered for a long time and everyone was about to leave, Yue Huaiyin passed through the crowd and came to see Ling Chaofeng. Up until now, she had not had a chance to see Ling Chaofeng alone and Mu Xiaowan kept pestering him by her side.


    "Ling ¡­"


    But just as Yue Huaiyin spoke up, other people started to walk over. Ling Chaofeng was not really a loner, but on the Baisha Town, there were a few who had a good relationship with him, so after a few words, they left towards the door.


    "Boss Yue?" Suddenly, the magistrate of the yamen, with a face full of smiles, came up to her and said, "Your excellency, please speak to me from behind."


    Yue Huaiyin''s heart sank, all the men in the world were the same.


    She turned to look at Ling Chaofeng''s back. This was a different one, but unfortunately, it was not hers.


    "Right away." She smiled gently at Grand Master, "This humble girl also has something to say to magistrate."


    When Yue Huaiyin returned to the Rouge Shop, it was already dusk. Upon entering the shop, she heard the servants chatting, saying that Susu and the Auntie Chen had settled in at the Baisha Village, with a decent house and a few acres of land which had been arranged by the people from the Ling Xiao Inn.


    She walked past the shop with an indifferent expression. As she was about to head to the backyard, she heard someone say, "Why is her Ling Xiao Inn so good to her?


    Yue Huaiyin''s heart suddenly trembled, the people in the shop all laughed, and said something that was definitely not possible, but hearing it made them take it to heart, no matter what, they would never forget.


    Susu''s appearance, if it was in her previous place, would definitely be the best of the best. If not, she would not have been abused and envied by the Madam in the capital city. She had married before, and was no longer Huang Hua''s daughter. Ling Chaofeng really did take her as a child, so he did not need to worry about anything.


    Mu Xiaowan had been in the house for so long, yet she was not pregnant. Could it be that her stepmother had beaten him to a pulp before, making him unable to bear children? Ling Chaofeng, he ¡­


    The door was suddenly pushed open, and a servant girl brought water over. This broke Yue Huaiyin''s wild thoughts, and the servant girl in front of him, for some reason, was so angry that her eyes turned red and her fists clenched tightly. She trembled and asked: "Miss, magistrate is making things difficult for us?"


    Yue Huaiyin said in a faint voice, "It''s not a problem, you can go now."


    After the first ten days of April, there was no longer any drizzling rain. The green on the mountain gradually became lush, and wild flowers bloomed piece by piece. Xiaowan picked a big basket of flowers every day to make dried flowers to hide in in during winter when she wanted to take a bath.


    That morning, Susu left the house at her usual time. She randomly pulled a few willow branches at the entrance of the village and weaved them into a ring along the way. When she reached the inn, she gave the Xiaowan the flower hairpin to wear.


    The man he did not see that day, he met again as usual during the past few days. It was almost at the same place, but he had already surpassed Susu. However, according to the analysis of both the Xiaowan and the Aunt Zhang, the person who was doing the work at the pier was either a gigolo or a maid.


    The man walked further and further in, the willow branch in Susu''s hand was done, when Susu saw the pink and purple flowers blooming by the side of the road, he squatted down to pick a few, just as the beautiful flowers reached his hands, someone suddenly jumped out from the side of the road and hugged him tightly.


    Susu screamed, but her mouth was quickly stuffed, she felt dizzy and she was dragged into the forest, then thrown to the ground.


    In front of him were two men with obscene appearances and dirty bodies. It was unknown when they had hidden here to wait for him, but one of them said, "young lady, you have finally come."


    Susu''s hands were tied up, her mouth was stuffed with cloth, his legs that were frantically kicking about were caught by one of them. He smirked and took off Susu''s shoes and socks, her rough hands touching her exquisite jade feet, she even stuck out her tongue and licked them, then laughed out loud: "young lady''s feet are so fragrant!"


    On the other hand, the man took off his clothes and pants hurriedly put the dirty thing in front of Susu, scaring her to the point that she had to close her eyes. Soon they were upon her and began to tug at her clothes, touching her in the soft places before the moon.


    Susu knew that her time was up.


    With a ripping sound, Susu''s clothes were torn apart and her body turned cold. She had to force the two moons to retreat, and her heart surged with desire to die. She no longer had the courage to continue living.


    Susu opened her eyes and saw a man rolling on the ground under a tree at the side. His entire body was curled up from the pain, and the other man was shouting loudly: "What is that thing?"


    A piece of cloth suddenly flew over, covering Susu and also covering her exposed body, only hearing the two people crying and begging for mercy, and then being carried up, with her body tightly wrapped up, she finally revealed her head, and saw the man in front of her.


    His dark face, which he brushed past every morning, never spoke to her.


    Susu was already in tears, and the cloth bundle in her mouth was being pulled out. She trembled, her heart full of fear, but was unable to say a single word.


    That person heaved a sigh of relief. "I''ll take you home."


    He even knew where Susu''s family was. Almost every day, he would go out with Susu and go to the tavern while was just a maid at the pier.


    The man did not say a word and carried Susu on his back. Susu saw that the two people were tied up tightly with a hemp rope and thrown into the bushes.


    After bringing Susu into the house, she came out to thank the man a thousand times. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a wooden chair falling to the ground, and his aunt ran back in fright, her daughter actually hanged herself.


    "Susu!" The Auntie Chen screamed out in fear. The man had only taken a few steps before she came back. Seeing that the young lady was hanging on the beam, the aunt hugged his leg tightly.


    "Susu, how can you abandon mother ¡­" Auntie Chen cried as she hugged the unconscious Susu. Fortunately her daughter was still alive.


    "Auntie, you better guard her." "I''m afraid she won''t be able to get over it."


    Auntie Chen sobbed until she regained her senses, then choked: "Young lad, can I ask you one more thing? Do you know about Ling Xiao Inn, can you help me deliver a message?"


    When the people in the inn saw that the strangers had come to send off the message, inviting them to the village, Xiaowan did not know what had happened.


    Ling Chaofeng rode her over. On the way, he saw something hidden in the bushes, but it seemed to be rushing over to see Susu. It did not stop for even a second.


    After seeing the mother and daughter duo, knowing that Susu had been kidnapped by people on the way and her clothes were all torn, Ling Chaofeng finally realized that the beast that was tied up in the grass was actually the young man who saved Susu.


    Xiaowan was extremely sad. When Susu woke up, she hugged him and cried, boiling hot water to give him a bath. She rubbed him again and again, almost removing a layer of her skin.


    Ling Chaofeng came to ask her what he wanted to do with those two brutes. Susu shook her head and laid in the arms of the Xiaowan, she simply did not want to bring it up again.


    Because there were guests staying in the inn, they were afraid that they would suddenly return during the day, so they left Ershan to look at the shops. Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang came as well.


    The whole family sat under the roof and discussed, saying that they couldn''t let Susu go to the inn alone in the morning anymore.


    The Aunt Zhang said angrily, "We have been here for more than ten years. Although the road is desolate, this has never happened. It is truly an eye-opener."


    He then said, "Why don''t we go and live in the store? We can take care of each other, and you two are here too. We can''t be at ease."


    It was almost noon by then. Uncle Biao got up and said, "I''ll cook dinner for you."


    Auntie Chen hurriedly said: "Big Brother Zhang, I''ll do it. You rest."


    While they were being modest, Auntie Chen saw the little brother who saved Susu''s life. He seemed to have come here to take a look, but when she suddenly saw the people in the courtyard, she actually didn''t dare to enter anymore.


    "Thank you, young man." Auntie Chen ran out, "You haven''t eaten, right? Come and eat, let me thank you properly."


    Inside the room, Aunt Zhang entered and gently said to Susu: "Don''t be afraid, just treat this as a nightmare and once you wake up from your dream, everything will be fine. Are you really going to abandon your mother and die?"


    Xiaowan asked: "Aunt, who is outside?"


    Aunt Zhang said: "It''s the young lad who saved Susu. I think she was afraid that something might have happened to Susu and came here specially to eat with him."


    Susu''s eyes suddenly lit up, and said to Xiaowan: I want to see him.


    They helped Susu out, and the tanned young man said to the Auntie Chen: "Aunt, just call me Da Qing, I''m living at the back of the village, there''s food at home, I''m going back to eat."


    When Susu was supported to the roof, she knelt down towards Da Qing. Xiaowan did not stop him, scaring the young lad to the core yet she did not dare to reach out to support her, and said: "Miss, do not be like this, we will stay in the village."


    Susu''s tears fell like rain: "Thank you big brother, thank you ¡­"


    Seeing that, the Xiaowan ran over to tell him. He cupped her fists towards Da Qing and said: "I sold these two beasts to the slave trader, the silver that I sold you, I''ll give it to you, little brother."


    Xiaowan asked his husband, "Why did you sell them out? Did you ask them why they were stuck there?"


    Ling Chaofeng''s expression became serious: "Relax, I''ve asked all the questions I need to know."

 C74

    As it was bustling with people, all the neighbors gradually came to see what was happening, but Da Qing did not stay behind, nor did they accept Ling Chaofeng''s silver, and quickly left.


    The family had simply dealt with lunch, but Susu was naturally unable to eat anything. With great difficulty, she fell asleep in Xiaowan''s embrace, but when Xiaowan moved the slightest, she woke up in fear. It was only when Uncle Biao brought some tranquil medicine from the infirmary and gave it to her to drink that finally slept soundly in the evening.


    Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang returned to the shop first. Xiaowan still stayed, so Ling Chaofeng naturally accompanied her. Auntie Chen brought along some steamed buns that were steamed in the afternoon and said that she would go to the end of the village to look for Da Qing''s home.


    On the other side, the couple sat under the eaves, the sun shining brightly in the yard, the fragrance of food wafting through the village, smoke rising from the cooking smoke, and the women shouting at their naughty children to come home and eat.


    Xiaowan leaned on Ling Chaofeng''s shoulder and said, "It''s been a long time since I heard such a voice, I don''t remember coming from such a place. Following my husband and living like a god, my life is truly good."


    Ling Chaofeng asked her if she was cold, touched her hands and said: "It''s good that you''ve forgotten, why must you remember?"


    The Xiaowan looked at him and asked, "Hubby, now that the Auntie Chen is not here, and Susu is asleep, can you tell me now? Those two bastards, why are they snatching Susu? Where are they from? How did they know that Susu would go there every day?


    After a series of questions, Ling Chaofeng remained calm and composed, "Can I tell you after I''ve solved all of my problems?"


    Xiaowan didn''t want to know: "I want to know right now."


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "Now that you know, it only increases your worries. First, calm down and accompany Susu properly, make her forget about this matter."


    The two of them looked at each other and understood each other very well. Ever since they had given their hearts to this man, Xiaowan had always listened to everything he said.


    "Later, why don''t you wait a bit?" Ling Chaofeng persisted.


    "I know." Xiaowan was clearly angry, but she did not continue interacting with him, she secretly clenched her fists, just as she was about to make her wish, someone walked over from outside the wattled fencing, her husband stood up and said to the outside, "Is it Da Qing?"


    As the man walked closer, the setting sun illuminated his face. It was indeed Da Qing. His clothes were dirty, his pants were wet, and his arms were red, as if they had been strangled. It looked like he had been working at the dock for the whole afternoon.


    Da Qing working at the Baisha River Pier was a very tiring and heavy job, but the wages he earned were very little. It would be hard to earn a living at the pier, but no one was willing to give them more money.


    "Auntie Chen went to find you. So you haven''t come back yet." Xiaowan walked up to her and said, "Aunt has to thank you well no matter what. Brother Da Qing, if aunty wants to give you something, then you can accept it."


    Da Qing thanked him and knew that the mother and daughter pair were fine, and was about to leave, but Ling Chaofeng called out to him. On the other hand, Da Qing looked at Ling Chaofeng with a complicated gaze.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "But when I said I wanted to sell those two beasts to the slave traders, did you feel disgusted with me?"


    Da Qing saw all kinds of people on the dock every day, and he also saw those slave traders take away the innocent people who were kidnapped like goods on a boat. The people on the dock all knew that this was a place that was going to go across the ocean and travel a long distance.


    When Ling Chaofeng said this in the morning, his heart sank. Sure enough, his Ling Xiao Inn was as dark as the rumors said.


    Seeing that he did not say anything, Ling Chaofeng continued: "I do have some interactions with those slave traders. Since I can''t even kill the people from the imperial government, how can I deal with them alone? What I can do is to buy people from them from time to time. Every time I try to sell them something, I always buy a boat full of people. This is the only thing I can do. "


    Da Qing did not dare believe it, he was stunned for a moment, and then he saw the jade-like man smile: "Whether you believe it or not, it''s up to you, but right now, I have something I want to entrust to you, I don''t know, Brother Da Qing, whether you are willing or not."


    Xiaowan didn''t understand and used her gaze to ask his husband, but Ling Chaofeng squeezed her hand, telling her to wait.


    Da Qing looked at the quiet house with worry. He gently clenched his fist and lowered his head: "Manager Ling, please speak."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "We hope that Susu can get better like before. Today''s matter is just a nightmare. From now on, please drive her all the way to the inn in the morning and pick her up at night.


    Da Qing''s eyes lit up, but he quickly dimmed down and smiled: "Manager Ling, you do not know about the matters of the village. If I send Miss Susu off like this every day, the villagers will gossip quickly.


    Xiaowan said, "I know that there are some women in the village who love to talk their way out of things, but as long as you guys are honest and do nothing to them, they will only bully the weak and fear the strong. You guys ignore them and embarrass them, they will quickly shut up."


    Da Qing pursed his lips and nodded: "As long as Lady Susu doesn''t mind, I will take care of this matter from now on."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Naturally, we want to calculate the wages with you."


    Da Qing immediately said: "You have already prepared a mule carriage for me, there is no need for the money, I am just taking it along."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at Xiaowan, and seeing that she was smiling happily, he comforted his and said to Da Qing: "You keep it first, this way Susu will be more at ease."


    Seeing Da Qing heading towards his own home, Ling Chaofeng said next to the ears of the Xiaowan: "What happens afterwards, will depend on their own fortune."


    The Xiaowan asked foolishly: "What good fortune?"


    Seeing her husband''s profound smile, Xiaowan felt a jolt in her heart. However, she immediately understood what was going on as her face turned red: "Where did you see that?"


    Ling Chaofeng patted her head: "It''s not that I''m smart, it''s because you''re stupid."


    Xiaowan raised her fist, "Say it again?"


    With such a happy moment, Xiaowan forgot about what she was thinking just now. When Susu woke up later on, she calmed down a little and advised them to return early.


    The aunt also said that the village was very safe. Anyone who was called by the neighbors would come out. Don''t look at how the men had all gone out to work here. Because of this, the women were all exceptionally fierce, and not everyone could easily behave atrociously.


    Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan could not refuse, and did not want Susu to be too nervous, so they left as mother and daughter.


    Auntie Chen fed Susu some food and said that she had sent some steamed buns to Da Qing''s home. Only then did she realise that the situation at the end of the village was completely different from here.


    Most of the houses in this area were tile-roofed. Every household had their own neat and clean courtyard. However, to the end of the village, there were only thatched huts. They were simple and small, and lived in the hands of poor families. Da Qing only had an old mother in his house, anhee was very kind. When he first heard that she had gone to find Da Qing, she panicked and thought that his son had done something.


    "He is a young man who follows the rule of 22, but because his family is too poor, he cannot marry a wife." The Auntie Chen sighed, "The village''s conditions are better, I don''t think much of him, I just want to marry my daughter into a good family, and that will delay us. "Such a good child, whoever marries their daughter will be able to rest in peace for the rest of their lives."


    Susu laid on the bed in a daze. Ever since she started working at the Ling Xiao Inn, she would meet this person every morning. Although she was scared half to death on the first day, when she saw him afterwards, she felt especially at ease.


    He hadn''t seen her that day and was still thinking about it. What was even more unexpected was that something like this would happen today.


    Her body seemed to still have the feeling of being desecrated by those two brutes, and when Susu thought about it, she could only wash her face with tears. When Da Qing saw her, she was completely naked, with both her legs separated, she ¡­


    "Susu?" When Auntie Chen saw his daughter covering her face and crying, his heart broke. "Good child, forget about it, forget about it."


    "Mom, how can I live?" Susu was heartbroken.


    Separated by seven to eight kilometers, the Xiaowan seemed to be able to feel Susu''s sadness. Just a moment ago, she was happy about Da Qing, but when she thought about how Susu had been humiliated by others today, and how she hated Susu to the point of losing a layer of her own skin when she was bathing, her heart sank and she felt a chill down her spine.


    If it was only those two beasts who were overbearing, then it would not be a problem, but if someone was instigating them from behind, Xiaowan was very uneasy in her heart, she felt that she must be overthinking things.


    In the meantime, Ling Chaofeng went to wash his face and rinsed his mouth. Xiaowan was alone in the house, she laid down with her right hand clenched into a fist, and her eyes slowly closed.


    Very quickly, Xiaowan entered into slumber, and the "dream" brought her to the Baisha Town.


    It was a rainy day and there were very few people on the streets. Xiaowan entered a restaurant and just as she stepped onto the stairs, two vulgar looking men came in from outside.


    They passed through the Xiaowan and walked up the stairs. The Xiaowan subconsciously "followed" them and entered the private room. There, they saw a man wearing a gauze hat sitting by the window.


    It was a woman''s voice. She said coldly, "My concubine who escaped from our family, I''ll leave the lowliest things to you guys to handle. Here''s a hundred silver taels, go buy some wine."


    The two of them questioned him for a while, but they didn''t seem to feel reassured. In the end, they accepted the 100 taels of silver. The woman also warned them that she would know if they accepted the money and didn''t do anything.


    The two of them laughed out loud. They said that they would not let the women off if they paid back the money for free, so they swaggered away.


    Xiaowan hated them dearly in her heart and couldn''t wait to rush up and strangle them all. She suddenly turned her head and saw that the girl had lightly lifted her veil, revealing a sinister and cold face. Xiaowan was stunned, but it was just as she had thought.


    "Yue ¡­" The person in the dream suddenly woke up and sat up. Ling Chaofeng had just returned from washing up, and seeing this scene, he hurriedly went up and asked, "Evening, what''s the matter?"


    The Xiaowan looked at Hubby in fear, grabbing his arm and asked, "Is it Yue Huaiyin? Master, did Yue Huaiyin send someone to rape Susu? "


    Ling Chaofeng felt that it was not strange for the Xiaowan to doubt him, it was just that, why was she suddenly so sure of it, while he instead said calmly: "Those two people, they only know that a woman wearing a veil told them to do it, that Susu escaped from a rich family, and that they must clean up their family."


    "It''s Yue Huaiyin, it''s her." The Xiaowan said excitedly, "Hubby, do you know why Susu had to leave the Rouge Shop? It''s because she realized that Susu used to be someone who came out of a brothel, not because she looked down on her, but because she was afraid that in the future, someone would pester her. She was more afraid that she might be sold to that place one day.


    "Late at night, don''t get excited." Ling Chaofeng said, "I do not have any solid evidence, although I think it is her, but..."


    "It''s Yue Huaiyin, it''s her." Xiaowan said excitedly, "I saw it, I saw it with my own eyes."


    Ling Chaofeng felt that the Xiaowan was very strange and tried his best to calm her down. How could he know that the Xiaowan had made a wish with her ring, letting the ring tell her in her dreams who it was that wanted to harm Susu?


    If it were only two thugs harboring malicious thoughts, it would be easy to deal with them, but she had suspected since day time that it was Yue Huaiyin who took revenge on Susu. She thought she was being too stingy, but to be able to see it for herself, she was more willing to believe in the divine power of the Jade Ring than doubting that her dream would only come true.


    "Hubby, we will report it to the officials. Hubby, what if she finds someone to harm Susu the next time?"


    "Alright, we''ll report it to the officials. But first, you have to promise me. Calm down, don''t say anything else. Silence immediately." Ling Chaofeng embraced the excited person as his petite body trembled. He did not understand why the Xiaowan insisted that it was Yue Huaiyin.


    But if it really was Yue Huaiyin, it would be a very heavy blow to both her and Susu. Or perhaps they should be glad that they had instinctively wanted to stay away from that woman.


    Although she was now abandoned in this small place and no longer had her previous uses and meaning, since she was able to open her Rouge Shop, she had the guts to use her relationship with the capital to rope in the Prefect Meng, so she must still be connected to the capital.


    Indeed, Ling Chaofeng did not need to worry about Yue Huaiyin, but the power and influence of the capital was intertwined and the entire body was moving, he had to worry about a lot of people.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan still voiced her opinion.


    "Be good, don''t let your thoughts run wild." Ling Chaofeng hugged her and gently caressed his wife''s back.


    Xiaowan leaned on her shoulder and stared straight at him, "Why are there such vicious people, and why ¡­ It''s all my fault. On that day when I ran away with Susu and Auntie Chen, I didn''t provoke her, and I didn''t have any interactions with her. It''s all my fault. "


    Ling Chaofeng comforted her: "The heart has to change, and no one can stop me. Everything in this world and the people in it are cycle of karma, and both will repay good and evil.


    Xiaowan said in a daze: "What day was that? Could it be that before that, the injured person deserved it?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "There is a limit to what we can do.


    Xiaowan nodded: "I will remember this. I will remember every word that Hubby said. At that time, you scolded me for believing in others, but I didn''t want to believe you. At that time, I didn''t believe it, but now, it''s too late to regret it. Fortunately, nothing big happened to Susu today. "


    Ling Chaofeng kissed her, "Let''s go and report to the officials tomorrow, okay?"


    The Xiaowan nodded. Just as she was about to speak, the door to the inn downstairs was knocked so loudly that it shook the heavens.

 C75

    The two Fast Catcher s were unfamiliar with each other. One of them complained that the inn was too far away, while the other one shouted at Ling Chaofeng rudely: "Someone has reported that Ling Xiao Inn is involved in trafficking in human beings. Come with us to the yamen now."


    They even brought out shackles to bind Ling Chaofeng.


    Aunt Zhang gave each of them a few pieces of silver, but when they saw that there were benefits, their faces became much better. They warned Ling Chaofeng repeatedly not to act rashly, and did not cuff him anymore.


    When Ling Chaofeng walked to the door, he turned and looked upstairs. Xiaowan was standing on the second floor, and had not come down yet.


    Watching her husband being taken away by the Fast Catcher, the Xiaowan clenched his fists tightly.


    She knew in her heart that only her own family knew about the two beasts being sold to the slave trader. In the end, it was not necessarily Da Qing who went to the yamen to report it, so only Yue Huaiyin knew about the behavior of the two beasts.


    Xiaowan had never thought of herself as a smart person, but today, for some reason, her brain was working exceptionally fast.


    "What happened?" Two guests from the north room came out and looked around.


    "Nothing much, I''ve disturbed the two guests." Xiaowan immediately put on the airs of an inner manager, and amiably said, "Since the two guests are still awake, how about I send some supper for you two?"


    The two of them waved their hands as if they were afraid that it would cost them money. Then, they turned around and went back to their rooms.


    Uncle Biao and the other two were watching from below. Seeing that the guests had gone back, Xiaowan also went upstairs.


    He still remembered last year, when Ling Chaofeng was brought to the yamen to inquire about the matter with Boss Feng, Xiaowan was anxious and cried at the time. He even ran out to find someone early in the morning.


    When Xiaowan returned to her room, she looked at the hour clock with a determined expression. When midnight comes, if Ling Chaofeng could not return, she would have to think of a way to turn him back. No one could hurt her husband. Even if it meant risking her life, she had to protect him. Moreover, right now, she only had a tiny wish.


    He called Ling Chaofeng over, and also said that it was too late and he didn''t want to go to court yet, so he took to the magistrate''s prison, where they would try him again tomorrow.


    Thus, after midnight, the Xiaowan was unable to wait for her husband to come back.


    Although he had come to the yamen countless of times, it was still the first time Ling Chaofeng had entered a cell. However, the people in the cell were still yamen runner and knew that Master Liang had treated Ling Chaofeng extremely courteously in the past.


    Ling Chaofeng sat cross legged in his cell, closed his eyes and meditated, thinking about the Xiaowan at home. He thought back to last fall when she ran over to Baisha Town to find him.


    Ling Chaofeng unwittingly smiled at all the interesting things that the Xiaowan had brought him in the past half year. Suddenly, a clamor of noise came from outside the door as Zhi Xia barged in.


    He was wearing bed clothes and his hair was disheveled, as if he had crawled out from under the covers. He did not even wear a proper set of clothes, and also seemed to be drunk.


    Ling Chaofeng frowned slightly, he stood up and walked out of the cell, the magistrate was half awake, he waved his hand: "Let''s go, you can go now."


    "Yes." Ling Chaofeng did not say anything further. Under the guidance of the guards, he walked out of the cell, but hearing the commotion behind him, he looked back, only to see magistrate locking himself in the cell and ordering the people outside to lock the door, scaring them to the point where they did not know what to do.


    "Has the lord lost his mind?" The guard next to him whispered.


    After leaving the yamen, he went to borrow a horse from a friend he was familiar with in town. Passing by Siyun Pavilion, he slowed his pace down a little, took a deep look at Siyun Pavilion''s signboard, and spurred his horse forward at full speed.


    In the tavern, Aunt Zhang heard the sound of the door opening and came out to look. Seeing that it was Xiaowan, still wearing the same clothes, without taking anything, she went out the door.


    Just as Aunt Zhang was about to go up and stop her, she stopped her and said, "Take a look first."


    Xiaowan did not go to the town. Instead, she picked up a lantern in front of the door as if to give her husband directions, and stood by the side of the road with the lantern in her hand, looking at the pitch-black road from afar.


    A quarter of an hour later, the sound of hoof steps could be heard from afar. Xiaowan''s heart leapt up and her figure gradually became clearer, and Ling Chaofeng, who was on the horse, had long since seen the Xiaowan that was in the light.


    When he was still very far away, he saw a glimmer of light and thought that it couldn''t be the Xiaowan. He didn''t think that it would actually be her.


    "Hubby." Xiaowan threw away her lantern and ran towards her husband. Ling Chaofeng pulled his horse and jumped down, but just as he stood, the soft looking person went into his arms.


    He held his wife firmly in his arms and scolded, "You''ve been waiting here? If I don''t come back, you''re going to stand here all night? I''m not telling you not to go downstairs, so why aren''t you following me? "


    The Xiaowan said, "I only came out because I dreamt that you were coming back."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Nonsense, when I went out, you were wearing these clothes."


    "I just dreamed it." Xiaowan tightly hugged his waist, her heart finally returning to her stomach.


    When they entered, Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang had already returned to the backyard, the husband and wife pair had locked the door and were going to boil a hot water together. Xiaowan was going to wash Ling Chaofeng''s face and mouth.


    When he was done, he laid on the bed and looked every single inch of his husband''s body. He was afraid that the young man would suffer in the yamen.


    "Are you done looking? Aren''t you afraid that I''ll be cold?" Ling Chaofeng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He was almost angered by this fellow, he grabbed onto Xiaowan and wrapped the two of them in his blanket. Smelling her sweet fragrance, he said, "No one dares to touch me, don''t be afraid."


    "Master, we should not report Susu''s matter to the officials. This new county is unreliable. Xiaowan snuggled into his embrace, and actually said, "Then we''ll use the martial arts method, and settle it with a tooth for a tooth."


    Ling Chaofeng acknowledged, and gently caressed her body: "Sleep."


    The next morning, the two guests who had stayed at the inn for the past few days were finally leaving. When they left, Da Qing just happened to pass by the door, and since he knew them now, he had to greet them.


    Ling Chaofeng told him to rest for half a day, and went to the town to buy a mule with Uncle Biao. Da Qing said that there were many boats here today, and he could earn a lot of money. So they didn''t force it, and just bought the mule, and directly sent it to the Baisha Village.


    After the sky grew bright, Ling Chaofeng sent the Xiaowan to visit Susu. Susu''s expression was still as weak as before, when she was sad, she would wash her face with tears.


    After the Xiaowan heard from the Auntie Chen that when Susu was brought back, although Da Qing had used his clothes to wrap Susu tightly, he had peeled off all of his clothes. The inside of his clothes were all ripped apart, leaving only a few pieces of cloth hanging on his body.


    Although the two beasts did not get the time to enter, Xiaowan did not dare to imagine such a scene. If it really happened to her, she would probably commit suicide by casting her Baisha River.


    Therefore, when facing Susu, she was extremely patient, and did not rush to let her get up, only wanted to accompany her every day.


    At this time, Ling Chaofeng came in and said to Xiaowan: "I''m going to take care of a few things. magistrate lost his mind last night and went crazy. "Then..."


    Xiaowan looked at Susu beside him, and asked him silently: "Do you want to go to Siyun Pavilion?"


    Ling Chaofeng understood and nodded.


    Xiaowan grabbed his arm tightly, her fingers exerted a lot of strength, but Ling Chaofeng casually tapped her forehead with her other hand: "It''s grabbing so hard, don''t I feel pain?"


    Xiaowan puffed up her cheeks and did not say a word.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "I know what you''re thinking, you don''t believe her, and you don''t trust me either?"


    Xiaowan looked at him, and finally released his hand, pretending to be disdainful: "Go, go."


    Ling Chaofeng said gently: "I''ll be back soon. You stay with Susu properly, don''t be anxious."


    Xiaowan sent him out of the courtyard. When she returned, he saw that Susu had gotten off the bed to drink water. Xiaowan immediately wanted to pour her water. On the other hand, if you keep me company like this and disturb the work in the store, I will feel bad about it in my heart. It''s not that I can''t be good, it''s just that ¡­ "When I think about it ¡­"


    Xiaowan laughed: "You know that too, we are not in the business, what are you worried about?"


    Susu laughed bitterly: "That won''t do, there are still two guests staying in the inn, right?"


    The Xiaowan said, "They left this morning in a mysterious manner. After staying for so long, they still haven''t said a few words." She rolled her eyes and asked: "Susu, are you still willing to work at our store?"


    Susu nodded, but when she thought about that road, her heart started to rise.


    The Xiaowan saw through her thoughts and hurriedly said, "Master has an agreement with Brother Da Qing. When you go back to work in the future, he will send you off every morning, and when we pick you up at night, we will buy a mule cart for him. From now on, you don''t need to walk too hard anymore as you sit on the cart."


    Susu stared at Xiaowan blankly. Xiaowan stroked her hand and said, "Naturally ¡­ "If you are unwilling."


    But Susu asked: "He''s willing?"


    "I''m willing, I agreed without hesitation." The Xiaowan said, "Brother Da Qing is truly a straightforward person. He was especially hardworking today, let him rest for half a day, and went with Uncle Biao to buy mules. He said that there were a lot of work at the dock, and it would not be good for him to miss it. "


    Susu said softly, "I heard from my mother that her family is the poorest in the village."


    Xiaowan looked at her and asked with a smile: "Are you willing to let him send you off?"

 C76

    Susu sat back on the bed and buried her face in her arms. Xiaowan came over to her and asked softly, "Susu, are you angry?


    "How could he be angry?" Susu voice was like a fly, he reached out his hand and grabbed Xiaowan''s arm, "But like I said, you can''t laugh at me, and you can''t look down on me."


    Xiaowan nodded her head again and again. Susu''s eyes were rimmed red as tears glistened in her eyes, "Ever since I met him on the road the day before, and met him everyday, I have been feeling especially at ease. Actually, I didn''t dare to tell you guys that I was afraid to walk this far by myself in the early morning. Since you told me not to come so early, I''m happy. After all, the sky is bright, and there are a lot of people on the road. But I couldn''t meet him if I was late, so I come early every day. "


    "Susu?" Xiaowan blinked her eyes, "Are you ¡­"


    The two sisters had similar thoughts, Xiaowan had already understood. Susu cried like the rain, and said, "A person like me is not qualified, and in the end, something like this even happened. He saw me in such a sorry state yesterday, Xiaowan, I really can''t live anymore. I thought maybe I could keep it a secret and just assume, just assume, that I was a dead man, from somewhere else. "


    Xiaowan hugged the trembling person.


    Susu cried: "But now, there''s no need to even lie, there''s no need."


    Xiaowan wiped her tears, not knowing what to say to comfort her.


    If it really was Yue Huaiyin who sent people to rape Susu, she would definitely hate Susu for leaving the Rouge Shop Transfer Inn. She clearly wanted to make sure that Susu would not have a difficult life, and maybe there would be a next time if she didn''t succeed this time.


    As for Ling Chaofeng leaving the Baisha Village and heading straight to the Baisha County Yamen, it was said that the county magistrate had lost his mind and gone mad.


    As everyone had said that he was the one who had released Ling Chaofeng and locked him up in the prison, and was then forced back to his own home by everyone, even his wife and concubine had said this to him, the county magistrate was a little dazed.


    He couldn''t remember anything about what happened last night, not even a dream. If he wasn''t possessed, or if he had run into a ghost, this Ling Xiao Inn really had a lot of origins.


    It was the Constable Li that Ling Chaofeng was familiar with. He followed Master Liang and went to the Li Prefecture, and when they met again, he was still very polite, saying that Master Liang had asked the Prefecture Lord to make a trip.


    The magistrate did not dare disobey, he looked at Ling Chaofeng and waved his hand: "Let''s go, if there is anything else I can send people to find you, these few days, you are not allowed to go far, trafficking in human beings is a capital offense, you just have to be careful."


    Outside the yamen, Ling Chaofeng said his goodbyes to the Constable Li, who said: "Manager Ling, don''t worry, anything is up to Lord Liang, Lord Liang listened to your words and did not explicitly mention anything to this pus, but there is someone installed inside the yamen, if there is anything, it will be known by the yamen very quickly, and it will not affect you at all."


    The Constable Li was even more polite than before, and before they left, he added, "Furthermore, when we arrived at the Li Prefecture, we found out a few things. Last year''s newly opened Rouge Shop, the boss there seemed to have some background, Lord Liang had not completely figured it out yet, but I heard that she was related to Master Meng before. I heard that you guys are interacting with each other, so just take it that I''m being overly cautious. Manager Ling, be careful. "


    Ling Chaofeng cupped his fists and said: "Thank you Big Brother Li, Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao are very concerned about you. After a few days, we will come to Li Prefecture to pay our respects."


    After the two said their goodbyes, magistrate also rode on his palanquin and headed towards the Li Prefecture. Ling Chaofeng left the yamen and galloped his horse over to a familiar infirmary. After sitting in the infirmary for a while, he headed over to the Siyun Pavilion.


    The neighbors around them seemed to know that Susu was sick. Although they didn''t understand what had happened, they still came to visit enthusiastically and gave pickles and pickles to the First Mother. The Eldest Aunt had no choice but to talk to them in the courtyard.


    Xiaowan was having lunch with Susu inside the house. Susu didn''t have much appetite and only had a few mouthfuls of rice soup.


    At this moment, he heard his aunt say, "Miss, why have you come?"


    Susu did not expect that Yue Huaiyin would actually trick her, but the Xiaowan had already treated this person as the same as the Madam Xu, to the point that they would never forgive him.


    Auntie Chen led Yue Huaiyin in as she walked in, her body radiating with spring light. Her beauties wore the black garment with the skirt tied to her chest, and the light yellow muslin dress fluttered in the wind as she walked in, each step gentle and graceful, with the usual fragrance.


    This kind of goddess-like person, made the neighboring women unable to leave and followed over to take a look. Auntie Chen invited Yue Huaiyin to sit, then went to welcome them.


    "So Xiaowan is here as well. What''s wrong with Susu, are you sick? Your complexion is so bad." Yue Huaiyin asked in concern, and she said, "I just happened to pass by here today, and knew that you all were staying here, so I wanted to take a look. I thought that you would just see the aunt, but didn''t expect that all of you would be here. I even thought that Susu should be working in the tavern right now. "


    Susu bowed respectfully without saying a word. Xiaowan said lightly at the side, "Susu is not feeling very well today, let me accompany her."


    In her heart, she really wanted to charge forward and tear off Yue Huaiyin''s face so that she could tear off her skin and let others see the rotten feeling in her heart, but she couldn''t be impulsive.


    Although the Jade Ring had told her who the culprit was, she didn''t have any evidence. She acted blindly and recklessly, but if Yue Huaiyin got into trouble, she was afraid of nothing else, she was afraid that Susu might be humiliated again and her Baisha Village wouldn''t be able to hold up any further.


    She gradually realized that the more capable a person was, the more they would not be able to do as they pleased. It was because they could plan everything out well and control the general situation that they could do so much. And to be impulsive was just a moment of being straightforward. After that, it might be endless trouble.


    Wasn''t it just a moment of passion that she had impulsively sent Susu and Auntie Chen to the dock? So far, so many troubles had been involved.


    Xiaowan calmed herself down and said gently, "Miss Yue, Susu''s health is not good, I''m afraid I cannot accompany you to chat more. Wait for her to recover, we ¡­"


    Yue Huaiyin said: "Then let''s change the day. I''m at the inn, ever since I''ve eaten the food made by the Uncle Biao, the rest have become tasteless."


    Xiaowan did not say anything, but Yue Huaiyin moved closer and asked with concern: "Susu, why are you injured, who hit you?"


    Susu curled up her hands and feet, shook her head forcefully, and hid in Xiaowan''s embrace. Xiaowan said, "Miss Yue, you saw wrong."


    Yue Huaiyin nodded: "Perhaps I was mistaken. Whatever, since I know that you and Auntie Chen are doing well, I can relax." She got up and took a look at this tile room. It was plain and ordinary as she smiled, "The two of you should still be careful of the door if you want to live here. "Alright, I''ll be going. In a few days, I''ll have the people in the shop send you some things."


    Susu laid in the Xiaowan''s embrace as she protected him. She did not say anything as she endured her anger, but at this moment, there was the sound of hooves outside the door. Not long after, Ling Chaofeng''s figure appeared outside the door.


    Yue Huaiyin sashayed out and looked at Ling Chaofeng: "Manager Ling is here too? "Coincidentally, we met each other here."


    Ling Chaofeng had been worried that Yue Huaiyin would go to her home, and as expected, he was worried that the Xiaowan would not hold back, and would even start a fight with Yue Huaiyin.


    He never thought that everything would go on as usual after rushing over. Seeing that Xiaowan was accompanying Susu, he heaved a sigh of relief, and was even more relieved. He knew that Xiaowan was not stupid.


    "Evening. I''ll send Boss Yue off." Ling Chaofeng stood in front of the door and said, "Wait for me here."


    The corners of Yue Huaiyin''s eyes hooked up to a touch of coldness. With a cold smile, she lifted up her skirt and walked out, then went back to her carriage, and instructed the servants to move forward. She didn''t care about Ling Chaofeng at all, whether or not she wanted to follow along.


    But on the way, the sound of unhurried horse hooves could be heard from behind. Yue Huaiyin sat in the car and proudly smiled as she took out a small paper bag from her chest pocket and held it in her palm.


    Returning to the Baisha Town, Yue Huaiyin alighted from the carriage and saw that Ling Chaofeng was behind him. The shop assistant in the carriage was very enthusiastic: "Manager Ling, you''ve come, are you here to buy rouge powder for my wife?"


    Yue Huaiyin casually walked in and instructed everyone: "You guys do not need to be busy. Manager Ling and I have some business matters to discuss in the rear courtyard. You guys just have to take care of the business outside. If someone comes looking for me, tell them to come back another day. "


    Everyone agreed, and Yue Huaiyin did not deliberately lead the way, but instead, she followed her. When they reached the side room, the servant girl gave them tea and ordered them to leave, the back yard immediately became quiet, as though there was no one there.


    Yue Huaiyin walked to the door and locked it as if nothing had happened, then returned back to the table and brought a cup of tea in front of Ling Chaofeng, "Manager Ling, have some tea."


    "I''m not busy." Ling Chaofeng said, "Since I have come, I naturally have something to ask, so it''s better for everyone to get straight to the point."


    "We are all businessmen, we don''t beat around the bush." Yue Huaiyin looked at him with a smile and asked, "Manager Ling, what do you want to talk about?"


    Ling Chaofeng remained calm: "Miss Yue, do you come from the capital?"


    Yue Huaiyin raised her eyebrows slightly and asked coldly: "How is it?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "In the Green Tower in the capital, I have to visit the Immortal Pavilion. I only met Hua Kui in the Immortal Pavilion whom I haven''t seen before, and I heard that he has disappeared for the past two years."


    "Visit the Immortal pavilion ¡­" Yue Huaiyin lowered her head to fiddle with the teacup in front of her, and faintly said, "What a familiar name."


    "It is the place where Miss Yue was born and raised. You are naturally familiar with it."


    "You''ve already investigated carefully?" Yue Huaiyin''s sharp gaze surrendered to Ling Chaofeng, and pounced in front of him, "Since that''s the case, then you should know as well ¡­"


    Yue Huaiyin did not know what came out from his palm, but it struck right at Ling Chaofeng''s nose and mouth. The fragrance was strange, as it rushed towards her head.


    With a loud bang, the tall and big man fell from his chair. Ling Chaofeng''s eyes were tightly shut, and he was completely unconscious.

 C77

    Both of Yue Huaiyin''s hands supported herself on the table, her chest moving up and down, as she panted heavily. Then, she walked to Ling Chaofeng''s side and lightly nudged him with his feet.


    Her two hands touched Ling Chaofeng''s chest, and moved along her clothes as if she wanted to poke her head into his clothes. Her body slightly trembled, and her breathing gradually became hurried;


    Before she came to the Baisha Town, before she left to visit the Immortal pavilion, more than half a year ago, she had never known that her body was already devoid of men. She actually had the desire to be happy with men, she had so much hatred for men crawling on her body, but in the end, she was betrayed by her own body.


    Yue Huaiyin''s hand reached into Ling Chaofeng''s clothes, touching his firm chest, those warm and gentle skin, it carried with it the power of his heart, entering into her body all of a sudden. She felt her body heat up, and suddenly rode on Ling Chaofeng''s lower abdomen, extending his face, wanting to press his lips into his mouth.


    However, her hands were suddenly pulled out of her clothes and she folded her arms before her chest. Before she could regain her senses, her shoulder was pushed away and she fell backwards. The person who was lying on the ground earlier quickly stood up.


    Yue Huaiyin stared at Ling Chaofeng in shock, "You, you ¡­ How is that possible? "


    How could there possibly be a person who would not fall under the effects of the incense? Her incense had never failed before. How many men had fallen under her petticoat, how many men...


    "Although the Ten Thousand Flowers House on Baisha Town isn''t as impressive as the Immortal Pavilion, it''s still a place that men often visit." Ling Chaofeng''s gaze was like an ice awl, piercing straight into Yue Huaiyin''s heart, "You can go there and go back to your old ways. With your appearance, you will definitely be able to move Li Prefecture."


    "Is this something a man should say to a woman?" After a moment of fear, he gradually calmed down and stood up while supporting the table, then sneered, "I had thought that you were different from the masses, and I had thought that you were some kind of hero.


    "Since you don''t like hearing such words, why do you need to do such a thing?" Ling Chaofeng said coldly, "Coming here today, is not to accompany you in making fun of me, but to warn you, if you want to stay in the Baisha Town, it is best to be obedient. If you do not commit any crime, I will definitely not interfere, but if you do something that hurts others again, don''t blame me for being rude."


    "Since you know where I came from, since you know who I am, you still dare to touch me?" As Yue Huaiyin approached Ling Chaofeng, he untied the silk ribbon in front of her chest.


    The gauze jacket dress fell down, revealing a jade-like body. A faint fragrance wafted through the air as she lifted her hand. It was a dream-like scene and no man had ever been able to avoid being lost beneath her.


    "Do you know how many people I''ve killed? Do you know how many pieces of their bodies were split?" Yue Huaiyin smiled sinisterly. On her beautiful face, it was even more terrifying, but she was crying as though she was smiling. Every word was sinister, "I am a demon that kills people easily, do you think those words will scare me?"


    Ling Zhaofeng shook his head. "You''re not a demon. You''re just an assassin of the Ruler. You''re just killing people who deserve to die." Sadly, after struggling in the capital for so many years, you still haven''t become a demon, yet you''ve come to this peaceful place and become a devil. Su Su is just a weak girl. It would be so easy for you to kill her.


    "Those without a conscience, how easy it is for them to die." Yue Huaiyin''s eyes turned cold as she gnashed her teeth, "I saved her and took her in, but she abandoned me when her kindness was as great as a mountain. "Why did she go to your inn? Did she admire you? Did she want to be your woman? Such a lowly and ungrateful person should live a life worse than death."


    "You''re crazy."


    "I''m not crazy, it''s this world that has betrayed me." Yue Huaiyin looked at the man in front of him fiercely, "From the moment I left the capital, I swore that I would not let anyone disappoint me. Ling Chaofeng, including you, that foolish young lady. It would be best if Mu Xiaowan restrained herself a little. Otherwise, the next time she is dragged into the forest, she would be the one who would become violent. "


    "Do you think that''s possible?" Ling Chaofeng did not seem to be infuriated at all, but his calm and indifference, had truly provoked Yue Huaiyin.


    "How is that impossible, unless you kill me?" Yue Huaiyin laughed coldly, "Today, if you don''t kill me, you will just wait for your young lady to suffer a fate worse than death. As much as you owe me, I will make her pay a hundred times, and pay back a thousand times more. This matter with Susu, has only just begun. "


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "National Duke had already departed from the capital yesterday, if I am fast enough, I will arrive here the day after tomorrow."


    Hearing this, Yue Huaiyin''s body trembled, and she unknowingly retreated two steps back. Her wide sleeves covered the exposed body, but she remained still.


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "If I kill you now, how will you meet your lover? "I will give you a chance to live to the day after tomorrow, or even a lifetime, but if you are restless ¡­"


    Yue Huaiyin seemed to have suddenly become clear-headed, as she removed his crazed look. She picked up her jacket from the ground and covered her body, then asked with a trembling voice: "Are you serious, you said that he came here to find me?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "True or false, once you see him, you will understand."


    Yue Huaiyin stared at him in disbelief: "I know that you have dealings with the capital, but how do you even know about my affairs?"


    Ling Chaofeng did not think so, "There have never been any secrets in this world. If you were a secret, why would you leave the capital?


    Yue Huaiyin refused to accept it and said: "But I am still unable to find out who you are."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Ling Xiao Inn Manager, Ling Chaofeng, you don''t know?"


    Yue Huaiyin felt that she was being looked down upon, and coldly said. "Why mock me?


    "Open and honorable?" Ling Chaofeng said, "I am open for business, of course it is open to the public, and it is not that you do not know who I am, it is just that you do not believe me."


    Yue Huaiyin had already hurriedly passed her clothes to her, and even used her hands to cover her chest.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "About Susu, it''s not that I don''t want to pursue the matter with you, it''s because on the account of the National Duke, since you and I are fighting within it, we naturally understand the meaning of power. This is the Baisha Town, not a visit to the immortal pavilion or even the capital, I hope you can take care of yourself. Without those bewitching drugs, you are just a weak woman. Any ruffian in this town can take your life. Susu has obtained the heavenly dao, if there is anyone who can help you in times of danger, even the heavens would want to take you in, if you are completely devoid of conscience. "


    Yue Huaiyin said coldly, "In this world, what kind of people I have never seen before, and what kind of great truths I have never heard of, do you think that with just a few words, I will feel grateful and grateful?"


    Ling Chaofeng walked towards the door and with a light palm, he opened the door and said: "Whether or not you listen, is your problem. If you don''t say it, it is my responsibility. I have said everything that needs to be said. I will not kill people, but if there are people who deserve to die, then there is no need for me to live anymore. "


    With that, he disappeared in front of the door, causing Yue Huaiyin to regain her senses and rush to the door. Ling Chaofeng had already left without a trace.


    Inside the Baisha Village, Susu fell asleep after consuming the Spirit Calming Medicine. The Xiaowan and the Auntie Chen sat under the roof and sewed out the soles of Ershan''s shoes.


    Xiaowan dropped the needle and thread in her hands and ran over to welcome Ling Chaofeng. Before she even reached him, she smelt a rich fragrance.


    "Did you chase her away?" Xiaowan asked anxiously, "Or did you hand her over to Master Liang?"


    Ling Chaofeng got off the horse and thought for a while before saying, "Late at night, she will not hurt Susu anymore, and I will not make her do anything that would harm the heavens and the earth. But I can''t get rid of her for the time being, and the reason is very deep. I don''t know if I''ll be able to explain it to you in a short time. "


    Xiaowan asked, "Is she a prostitute from Beijing?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "She is not a prostitute, she is a killer."


    Xiaowan was stunned.


    Ling Chaofeng said, "There are many organizations in the imperial government that the people cannot see or know about. You already know that my parents'' inn, until now, has Ling Xiao Inn as one of them. As for Yue Huaiyin, she existed in another institution and was abandoned by her master, which was why she came here. Of course, all of this isn''t enough of a reason to forgive her. No one wants to forgive her, but late at night, I can''t even touch her for half a second. "


    Xiaowan asked: "Why did she treat Susu like that? I thought she liked you, that she would hate me, why didn''t she bully me instead of Susu?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "How can we understand what a madman is thinking?"


    The Xiaowan said, "If that''s the case, then leaving one lunatic here, who knows what she will do next, could it be that she will have to wait ¡­"


    She said it a little loudly but was stopped by Ling Chaofeng. She pulled Xiaowan and walked a few steps away, saying softly, "Let''s talk about the details when we return home. But from now on, you don''t need to have any interactions with her, nor do you need to say anything after meeting her.


    The Xiaowan stubbornly asked: "Then who is going to punish her? Susu''s humiliation, will you just be let go like that? "


    Ling Chaofeng replied: "Not really, it''s just that we can''t punish her."


    The Xiaowan clenched her fists tightly, thinking no matter how much the Madam Xu humiliated her, she had never done such a crazy thing.


    "I''m not begging you, and I''m not bothering you. I understand the reasoning behind your words." She did not feel that Ling Chaofeng had let her down too much. She calmly said, "But I want to wait and see. I want to see how the heavens will take care of her."


    "Late." Ling Chaofeng felt that a strange, vicious air was rising from his wife''s body again.


    "There will be retribution for evil, if she doesn''t get punished, Susu will be too pitiful." Xiaowan looked at him and said, "We must not let her go."

 C78

    At this moment, the Xiaowan in Ling Chaofeng''s eyes was extremely similar to the Xiaowan on the night of his death. The evil aura that shrouded his entire body seemed to have come from nowhere and he did not know how to resolve it.


    "Late at night, I''m more worried about you than those things." Ling Chaofeng spoke straightforwardly as he gently held his wife''s face and said gently, "There must be a way to solve this problem.


    Xiaowan''s body relaxed slightly. She felt very tired and fell into her husband''s embrace as she feebly said, "Husband, why is it that bad people can always live a peaceful life?"


    Ling Chaofeng comforted her: "They have no heart."


    On this day, knowing that it was sunset, they ate dinner at Auntie Chen''s place, and only then did they bid farewell to Susu. Susu''s spirit was naturally much stronger than yesterday, but she had no appetite for eating.


    When they were about to leave, Da Qing had returned from the dock. He left early and returned late, and every day, he would return with a body of dust and the bottom of his pants wet by the river.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "The mule and cart have all been sent to your house. Other than sending Susu away, you can also use it to do other things.


    Xiaowan smiled and asked: "Are you here to see Susu?"


    Da Qing laughed honestly and passed over a bag of things that was carefully wrapped in reed leaves, then said: "Today, there''s a boat that came from the Southern Ocean, the owner of the boat paid a lot of wages and also gave us a pack of dried fruits. I heard others say that it''s something very exquisite, so the ladies of large families brought it here to appetize it."


    The Xiaowan did not wait for him to finish speaking and received it. "It''s just right, Susu has not been able to eat for the past two days, she probably wants something sour and sweet."


    Da Qing was a little happy, he didn''t need to say anything further. Perhaps he felt that his body was dirty and that he was always standing far away, thanking Ling Chaofeng and giving him a mule. He said that his mother was waiting for him to eat, and was about to go back.


    Xiaowan couldn''t wait any longer and ran over to the house. She handed the bag of dried fruits to Susu and said happily: "Da Qing gave it to you."


    Susu looked at her blankly: He sent it? For me? "


    Xiaowan smiled: "Could it be, it''s for me?"


    Because of this, Xiaowan''s mood improved. On the way home with Ling Chaofeng, he leaned on his husband''s body and foolishly smiled, looking forward to the good news.


    Ling Chaofeng had seen it all, he knew that Xiaowan was easy to satisfy and easy to enjoy, he loved and hated things alike, although the martial arts world would one day grind these clean things off her, as long as it was still a day, it was worth cherishing them.


    Xiaowan suddenly thought of something and asked, "Hubby, are we done with magistrate?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Lord Liang stepped forward. Come to think of it, was he possessed last night? How strange. He came to the cell in the middle of the night to let me out and even locked himself in. It really seems like he has lost his mind. "


    Xiaowan smirked, she raised the Jade Ring that looked like the moonlight, and touched it: "Who cares, she deserved it."


    At this moment, Trusted Ancestral County''s servants were trembling in fear when they saw that the servants were losing their temper. They threw their cups and bowls to the ground.


    The Madam came over to persuade him, and asked him how he was unsatisfied, only then did she say that she was severely scolded by the Prefect Liang when she was at the Li Prefecture. She said that he had painstakingly operated his Baisha Town for more than ten years, so she didn''t let him waste it.


    The lady said: "Why not write a letter and ask uncle about Ling Chaofeng''s origins. As a government official, Uncle must know a lot of things. "


    Thus, the next morning in Zhixian, he sent a letter to his uncle''s residence in the neighboring region as soon as possible. At night, his uncle sent a letter back, but he didn''t know anything. However, this caused the county magistrate to be extremely worried. He could only hatefully say, "If you have the guts, don''t fall into my hands."


    On this same night, after Xiaowan returned from the Baisha Village, he was washing clothes at the back door well. When she thought about what happened in the past two days, she could not help but sigh lightly.


    The Aunt Zhang walked over and said angrily: "What are you sighing for at such a young age? You really look like an adult."


    Xiaowan muttered softly: "I''m already an adult."


    Aunt Zhang brought over a stool, rolled up her sleeves and washed with her, laughing: "When I was your age, I was also very self-righteous, gradually getting older, becoming an old granny. When I looked back at myself when I was young, I really could not be more foolish."


    Xiaowan laughed: "Aunt is not old, we don''t look like sisters."


    "This little mouth is so sweet." Aunt Zhang said happily, "It''s good to have a daughter, but there''s someone who doesn''t care about girls."


    They were chatting casually about Susu, talking about him giving Susu fruits to eat. Xiaowan did not hold back, and quietly told her that Susu had actually taken a fancy to Da Qing, and came to the inn so that she could meet him on the way.


    "How nice." The Aunt Zhang laughed, "She once said that she no longer trusts men and was afraid that she would meet a good fate if she lost her life. However, Da Qing had to be willing, and he could not force it. And if Susu wants to marry Da Qing one day, she must put aside the past and also put down this matter. Otherwise, even if she marries a good man, she won''t be able to live a good life. "


    Xiaowan listened attentively, trying to think of a way to pass this information to Susu. What she did not know was that her aunt had put aside everything from her past. Her origin, her feelings, and even her hatred, had only been able to live a peaceful and blissful life for more than twenty years by following Uncle Biao.


    Of course, this was all from the past, but there was one person right in front of their eyes, that Yue Huaiyin, that was really hateful, and also very pitiful.


    She was born in the capital''s most famous brothel, the Qing Lou, and visited the Immortal Pavilion. Her birth mother had been a prostitute in the past, but the pregnancy of a girl in the brothel was a taboo, so after giving birth to her, her birth mother was punished by the brothel and sold to the dirtiest brothels.


    As for Yue Huaiyin, she was raised by the National Duke at their expense. Although it was said that they were raising him, they were in fact only raising him.


    However, when Yue Huaiyin was five years old, the Old Duke had passed away. As she was one of the meritorious officials of Emperor Dingtian who had made great contributions to the kingdom, her third generation of family had not succeeded to the position of Duke of the Kingdom. The Old Duke''s son had inherited his family business, so naturally, he had inherited this young prostitute.


    However, the young National Duke had trained her to be a killer without blinking an eye, using her unparalleled beauty to kill corrupt officials who could not be executed in public.


    When Yue Huaiyin was thirteen, her hands were already stained with human blood.


    And all of these, she had fallen in love with the man who taught her. The National Duke seemed to have promised her that when she reached twenty years of age, he would take her out to visit the Immortal pavilion and marry her as a concubine.


    But when she waited until this day, the man she loved ditched her and chased her out of the capital.


    "Evening, what are you thinking about?" Seeing the Xiaowan lost in thought, Aunt Zhang asked, "Are you worried about Susu?"


    Xiaowan shook her head. She knew that the National Duke was going to come here, but Ling Chaofeng did not know if he was going to stay at the Ling Xiao Inn.


    She said: "Tomorrow or the day after, there might be guests coming. Aunt, tomorrow morning, Uncle Biao will go buy some good dishes for you."


    As the night deepened, the Siyun Pavilion had long since closed and the servants had all gone to rest. Only Yue Huaiyin''s servant girl, who had been bringing hot water to the house continuously, had been tormenting herself for a long time as Miss was burning incense to bathe in. It was unknown what she was going to do to wash herself clean.


    When she finally went to take a bath, she sat in front of the mirror to take care of her black hair. Seeing her servant standing timidly in front of the door to look at her, Yue Huaiyin smiled lightly: "Tomorrow morning, I will be going out.


    The servant girl asked, "When will Miss return?"


    Yue Huaiyin thought about it blankly. "I don''t know either, if only I could never come back ¡­"


    The servant girl could not hear the rest of the sentence clearly, but by the time they arrived early the next morning to bring hot water, the young lady was already gone.


    Yue Huaiyin headed north, welcoming the entrance of the Li Prefecture. Because Ling Chaofeng had said before that if one''s pace was a little faster, that person should be arriving today.


    On the same day, Xiaowan swept the floor in front of the tavern early in the morning and met Da Qing who was driving the mule to the dock. Both sides waved at the same time and the Xiaowan smiled as she watched.


    After breakfast, the sun rose high in the sky. Xiaowan helped Aunt Zhang to take out the bed and blankets for them to dry in the guest room, while they worked, the Baisha River Pier s seemed to have a large ship docking it. Many people descended and rushed there, even Da Qing had received guests to help bring the goods out.


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "This is more profitable than being a gigolo, this child is willing to suffer."


    After this group of people passed by, another ten people walked by. They rented the best carriage on the pier and slowly walked along. Although they didn''t know how many people were on the carriage, a dozen people followed them from front to back.


    Xiaowan hid behind the blanket and peeked out, seeing that the curtain on the carriage was raised, revealing the face of a man, he looked at the calm and collected, his expression indifferent. He looked at the Ling Xiao Inn signboard for a bit, and then put down the curtain.


    She put down what she was doing and entered the door to tell Ling Chaofeng. Ling Chaofeng followed her out and took a look, then said indifferently: Yes or no, it has nothing to do with us, let them be. "


    Xiaowan muttered: "If only this person could take Yue Huaiyin away."


    However, at this moment, Yue Huaiyin, who was bitterly waiting outside the Li Prefecture, did not know that the man she deeply loved had already reached Baisha Town through the water route. Time passed minute by minute, she had two thoughts running through her mind. One was to wait a little longer, even if she didn''t come today, she would have come tomorrow. The other one was that Ling Chaofeng had lied to her and humiliated her.


    It was almost noon when Xiaowan and the others finished Susu''s favorite big bun with leek and eggs.


    Just as she entered the restaurant from the back, four or five people barged in, led by a woman in her thirties. With a noble temperament and sharp eyebrows, she swept a glance through the store before asking in a clear voice, "Where is the owner? Do you have a room?"

 C79

    Xiaowan quickly put down the steamed bun and came over after wiping her hands: "There is a superior room on the second floor. Guests, do you want to stay here?"


    "Nonsense, hurry up and bring us to take a look." The people at the side were extremely arrogant, and were much more arrogant than the lady leading them. However, the lady did not say anything, but only shot a cold glance at Xiaowan.


    When everyone went upstairs, someone pinched his nose and asked, "What smell? Did you guys make the leeks? "


    "Yes ¡­"


    "We will be staying here for the next few days. You''re not allowed to get things like leek and garlic. It smells terrible."


    "Alright." Xiaowan agreed. She was not afraid of these people, she was just very curious about where they came from. She felt uneasy in her heart, but she still had to do business.


    When they heard that there were ten taels of silver in one night, they were stunned. However, they seemed to be unwilling to appear as if they had never seen the world. They could only bear with it. When Xiaowan was about to go get some tea, he heard someone inside saying, "Madam, this is too expensive. It''s in the wilderness again, if it''s a scam shop, how bad would it be if something happened to you?"


    However, the Madam said coldly, "That would be her good fortune."


    She or he?


    How could the Xiaowan be clearly separated? Five people came, the lady was the leader, two servants, and two guards, one servant, the other guard. They lived in the north side of the house, the lady lived alone in Yunpeng.


    The two maids also requested a look at the kitchen, but the inn''s kitchen was the most important part of the shop, and outsiders were not allowed to enter as they pleased.


    The two men who seemed to be guards hurriedly left after borrowing two horses from the shop.


    When they arrived, there were already no good carriages available on the pier. They probably didn''t want to condescend to ride on the cart. Thus, they had to travel a long distance to reach this place. Adding to the shaking on the boat, the lady must be tired. She didn''t show up after they went upstairs, and the two maids didn''t dare to yell again as they were afraid of waking her up.


    Xiaowan ran back to the third floor. Ling Chaofeng was busy settling accounts, and the books were piled high, so it was naturally inappropriate to do it in the Main Hall. He had been in the room for a long time already, but he had not taken a single look at the commotion downstairs.


    After hearing what the Xiaowan had to say, she said: "Today there are two ships, both from the capital. One is to unload the goods, and the other is to buy supplies by way of the shore, heading towards the East Ocean. This lady, I''m afraid she came by the boat in the back. "


    Xiaowan said: "Those two servants, they really relied on their power and influence to shout at me. Husband, how about you show your face to me later, will you definitely scare them to death?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Do I look scary?"


    The Xiaowan shook her head, "No, no. It''s this kind of beautiful man with such a graceful appearance that caused them to be dumbstruck, making them look down on people with their dog eyes."


    Ling Chaofeng glared at her, causing the Xiaowan to immediately submit. The monkey came up and sneakily said: "I''m serious, you know, back then I suddenly realized why my master was so good-looking. Such a good-looking person, he would definitely not open a black shop, so I followed you wholeheartedly."


    Ling Chaofeng could not help but laugh. Just as the two were about to whisper to each other, the servants downstairs started shouting again. Xiaowan sighed and quickly came to respond.


    When Xiaowan brought the hot water up, the lady woke up. The two servants served her from top to bottom, and she did not even take care of herself when she wore clothes and shoes. Xiaowan had also seen a lot of things, so she was afraid that the lady was from some noble family in the capital.


    "My lady wants a porridge dish. You guys make it more exquisite and have a lighter taste." The servant girl stepped forward and instructed the Xiaowan, "Don''t make the porridge too hot.


    Xiaowan recorded everything and then asked what they wanted to eat. The two looked at each other and Xiaowan said, "The chef can cook a few dishes randomly, two meat, two vegetables and a soup. What do you think?"


    They agreed, and only warned Xiaowan again and again to clean this place up.


    When Xiaowan went downstairs, the sun had already set and the backyard was dyed in gold. She raised her head and stared blankly as she did not know if Susu had a good meal today, or if she would be able to eat the buns Ershan sent over to her. She did not know if she would be able to come to work tomorrow.


    Naturally, he thought of that woman. He didn''t know ¡­ Xiaowan shook his head vigorously. With how venomous Yue Huaiyin was, even dying a hundred times wasn''t worth it.


    "Uncle Biao, the lady upstairs wants some porridge." Xiaowan ran towards the kitchen.


    And at this moment, Yue Huaiyin, who had been waiting outside the Li Prefecture for an entire day, sat on the carriage.


    "Miss, Miss." When he arrived in front of the Rouge Shop, the servant girl hurriedly ran over before he even got off the carriage, "You''re back. There''s a customer waiting for you in the shop, he wouldn''t leave even if you told him to."


    Yue Huaiyin entered with a dark face, thinking about some kind of foreign merchant, and impatiently looked at the shop. The tall, jade-like man stood up, walked to a bright place, and smiled gently at her: "Where did you go?


    "I... "I''ll be waiting for you." Yue Huaiyin suddenly seemed to realize something, and her voice became hoarse. Her tears fell like rain, her body fell weakly and was protected by the man.


    "I thought you didn''t want me anymore." Yue Huaiyin tightly held onto the front of his chest, "Don''t abandon me."


    The man carried the young lady to the backyard. Everyone had heard the conversation as they went in and out. They were curious as to where the young lady had come from, but this time, they were even more confused.


    And inside the Ling Xiao Inn, the two servants who were accompanying them were subdued by the Uncle Biao''s culinary skills. It was just a few small dishes and when they sat down, they were disgusted with them and could not stop once they moved their chopsticks.


    Xiaowan carried some tea and fruits to the ladies upstairs. Without raising their heads, they stuffed their mouths full and said: "Go send them. Don''t talk too much nonsense, just put them down and come out."


    Xiaowan did as she was told, but when she left the house, she coincidentally met two guards who had returned. They entered the house to report to the Madam, Xiaowan hurriedly closed the door, but heard her say: "Young Master has been waiting at Rouge Shop for an entire day, and when this lowly one returned, that woman still had not appeared."


    With the three words Rouge Shop, he barged into Xiaowan''s ears. Turning around, he saw that Ling Chaofeng had coincidentally come down from the second floor, and pulled his husband back to the third floor.


    After hearing these words, Ling Chaofeng came to a conclusion in his heart. National Duke must have reached the Baisha Town already, and this lady was most likely his wife.


    "National Duke''s wife is a relative of the late Grand Emperor and Imperial Concubine. He can be considered a relative of Master Shenwang''s family. Ling Chaofeng said to the Xiaowan in a soft voice, "I am not too clear about the specifics, but back then when Yue Huaiyin was unable to go to the National Duke Palace to become a concubine, this is probably the person who did not nod her head."


    "This lady looks very powerful." The Xiaowan said, "Her servant girl was especially fierce towards me, but when she arrived in front of Madam, she was extremely respectful, not even daring to breathe."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "It has nothing to do with us, as long as you take care of his food and drink, we are not her servants."


    As the night fell, Yue Huaiyin ordered the servants not to approach her bedroom, they did not even want to eat or drink.


    In the enchanting bedroom, there was only the sound of ''puchi puchi''. The man''s breathing was heavy, and the woman''s voice was soft and continuous. It was unknown just when it would come to an end.


    After waiting outside the Li Prefecture for an entire day, unable to advance despite being exposed to the wind and sun, unable to advance at all. In the end, Yue Huaiyin was unable to endure it and she fell to the ground and begged for mercy.


    "I''m afraid I''ll let you go and you''ll be gone. In fact, don''t abandon me. I can''t afford to lose you. "


    The man relaxed and laid down. His breathing gradually calmed down as he said, "I also missed you. I already knew that you would stay here, but I never had the chance to visit you."


    Yue Huaiyin reached out and stroked his slippery and sweaty muscles. "Why did you come here now? Jianshi, I''ve been waiting for you since autumn, all the way until now."


    "She went back to her hometown in Ji Prefecture." The National Duke snorted, "I will only be back in the capital after the summer. Such a rare opportunity, how could I not come and see you."


    "So ¡­" In the summer, are you leaving? " Yue Huaiyin sat up.


    "Nonsense, could it be that I''m leaving the matters of the imperial court to accompany you here? I just came to visit you. I''ll stay here for a few days and then head back to the capital. " National Duke''s hand gently caressed her lower abdomen, "After not seeing you for half a year, you have attracted so much love and affection from others. The mountains and rivers here, sure are good for you."


    "Will you come back?" In front of the man he loved, Yue Huaiyin had long ago trampled her dignity down to the ground, "As long as you come and visit me again, I will wait here for you. I won''t go anywhere. "You can''t stay any longer. Bring me back to the capital then. When she returns from Ji Prefecture, I will leave. I will return here and wait for the next time you come to see me."


    National Duke shook his head: "There are too many people in the capital. If I bring you back, people will definitely find out. I have done so many things for the Supreme Emperor. I was originally very nervous, afraid that I would be abandoned or even silenced, but luckily the Supreme Emperor was kind and the new emperor did not make any moves. Even so, I still have to be careful. Huaiyin, you have to understand me. "


    Yue Huaiyin''s tears fell like rain onto his chest. "Of course I understand you, as long as I say a word of yours and you succeed in doing it, will you still come and see me?


    "Since you were five years old and came to my side, you''ve been the one to understand me the most in the past ten years." National Duke gently caressed her back, "It''s a pity that my father married me back then. Huaiyin, I have wronged you. "


    Yue Huaiyin asked: "Don''t talk about this, I just want to hear you talk. Will you still come back?"


    National Duke sighed, "I will naturally come to see you. Am I not already here?"

 C80

    Yue Huaiyin bit his shoulder, leaving behind a deep impression: "Accreditation, as long as you come, I''ll wait here for you."


    That night, Yue Huaiyin felt as if she had returned to the capital, back to the Immortal Visiting Pavilion, as if she was still a fairy that was loved by all the stars.


    She had long since known that she would not be able to get anything out of her skin. The lack of desire in her heart made her almost go crazy. She longed to be held in the palm of the man she loved, and she also wanted to step on those overconfident idiots under her feet.


    When she woke up in the morning, the man was still by her side. Satisfied, she rolled over and hugged his arm, but her heart suddenly felt heavy.


    Ling Chaofeng actually did not lie to her, and knowing that the Duke of Guo was coming, it also meant that he knew what would happen in this room.


    Although Ling Chaofeng had not even looked at her properly when he had taken off his clothes that day, wasn''t she already seen completely by this man?


    "I have something to ask you." Yue Huaiyin said.


    "Hmm?" National Duke was drowsy.


    "Do you know the relationship between him and the imperial government?" Yue Huaiyin asked.


    "I don''t know." National Duke lazily stretched his body and hugged her, "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing ¡­" Yue Huaiyin was afraid that she would ask too many questions. Although she had killed many imperial officials for the National Duke, he had already warned her that as long as she killed someone, she would not ask why.


    National Duke laughed: "I''m hungry. Let''s go out for a walk after we eat. Bring me over to see what the local customs and customs here look like."


    Huaiyin was overjoyed, "How about the two of us?"


    It was a bright and beautiful morning. Xiaowan woke up in front of the tavern to sweep the ground, and was chased down by the servants to scold her, "You made such a big commotion and caused our wife to fall asleep.


    Xiaowan did not want to argue with them, so she asked in a bad mood, "Madam, what do you want to eat for breakfast?"


    That lady, on the other hand, was not picky with her food and drinks. She was still a porridge dish. After eating a little, she put it down.


    Very quickly, the guards went out again, but they were still in the store. If they didn''t move, it wouldn''t be good for Xiaowan to go out either.


    But as she had expected, when Ling Chaofeng came downstairs today and the two servants saw him, they were stunned. Even their mistress was a little surprised. After all, Ling Chaofeng''s appearance and temperament was rarely seen even in the capital.


    When the sun shone down brightly, Xiaowan sat in front of the tavern and looked around in boredom at the people coming and going. However, the two guards ran back and after entering the shop, they spoke some words and the servants quickly came and shouted, "Do you have a carriage in your shop? "I need to clean it up a bit."


    After a quarter of an hour, the group finally left.


    Aunt Zhang stuck her waist and said, "We''ve finally gotten out of here, let''s quickly go and stay for a few days. We''ve even received the Emperor Queen here before, we''ve never seen anyone who was as hard to serve as they are.


    Xiaowan looked back at Hubby. He went to the warehouse indifferently, but he must be the same as Xiaowan, able to guess what National Duke''s wife was going to do.


    But Yue Huaiyin didn''t deserve sympathy. Maybe she was pitiful, but she hated him even more. The Xiaowan calmed down and said to the Aunt Zhang: "I''m going to go see Susu. Aunt, are you going?"


    The Aunt Zhang said, "I won''t be going, there can''t be no one inside the shop. Who knows when they will return and let the Uncle Biao send you there."


    Xiaowan ran over to report to Hubby, then headed over to Baisha Village.


    When they met again today, Susu''s complexion looked a lot better. When Xiaowan asked her for a piece of dried fruit to eat, she was unwilling to give it to her.


    Susu pouted her lips, her weak and weak look causing people''s hearts to ache, Xiaowan then said: "I am not bullying you, don''t be angry, you are not allowed to complain."


    Auntie Chen carried a pile of scraps and said to his daughter, "Take a look and see if there''s anything you can use."


    The Xiaowan asked what she wanted to do, and Susu stammered: "I want to make a cushion for Da Qing and put it on the cart, and make a few pairs of cloth shoes for him, he always wears straw sandals."


    Xiaowan said, "This is the insole for Ershan. You can use it first."


    Susu was annoyed: "How can I do that, the shoe size is also different."


    "How do you know Da Qing''s shoe size?" Xiaowan asked, "Did he tell you?"


    Auntie Chen snickered from the side and then came over to pull the aunt. The two of them ran out and muttered to themselves, and Susu leaned out and said pitifully: "Mother, am I still your daughter?"


    In this way, when the materials at home weren''t enough, they decided to go to the town to buy some. Since Baisha Village wasn''t far from the town, they could pass by while walking. Susu had dressed neatly and was in high spirits, so she called Xiaowan to look at him with peace of mind.


    In this side chamber, the National Duke Mistress had already reached the Siyun Pavilion. Her subordinates told her that the National Duke had gone out with the Rouge Shop woman early in the morning.


    The shop assistant only thought that she was the wife of a rich family who was trying to curry favor with her. However, National Duke''s subordinates came over from the backyard, and when they saw her, they panicked.


    The Madam then raised her hand and instructed the people beside her, "Close the door." Then he walked straight to them and sneered, "Those who have the guts, go and spread the news, otherwise, just stay put. Open your eyes and see which one is the true master. "


    The atmosphere in the store became strange. The servants all knew that a man came yesterday and followed the young miss to the backyard. Afterwards, she didn''t come out for the entire night and went out together with her this morning. They were all certain that Yue Huaiyin was someone who was hidden by the house of gold.


    "Madam ¡­ Madam ¡­" Didn''t you go to Ji Prefecture? "


    The servants brought a stool over, and the National Duke Mistress sat steadily in the middle of the shop. "Wait a moment, it''s rare for me to come out and take a look."


    Not long after noon, Xiaowan and Susu arrived at the town hall, where they were pulling materials from the cloth shop on the same street as Siyun Pavilion. Susu was very elegant, the extremely sturdy materials seemed to be very rough, and the fine cloth were afraid of not being durable, she had chosen it for a long time, causing the Xiaowan to be very bored. She walked around the shop, and suddenly heard a commotion outside, and peeked her head out to take a look.


    Her heart skipped a beat and she unconsciously walked a few steps forward, just in time to see the two servant girls bringing out a large stool. The lady walked out leisurely, and the one standing opposite her, was none other than Yue Huaiyin.


    Xiaowan did not realize that after she walked a few steps closer, she heard a voice.


    "Search her first, don''t ask her to bring something as dirty as the incense." She struggled for a moment, then a servant girl rushed forward and slapped her face, and scolded, "Little slut, don''t refuse a toast!"


    Xiaowan''s heart was thumping hard. Inadvertently, she saw a familiar face, and that man slowly walked out of the crowd. Yue Huaiyin''s gaze was on him as she hid behind the human wall.


    A servant girl said loudly, "This woman is a prostitute from the capital''s jirga. She seduced my master and wants to marry her to be a child." After he failed, he would come here to take advantage of the Madam''s absence and steal her gold and silver jewelry. You guys actually dare to use this kind of rouge and cosmetic powder sold by lowly people? All the brothers bought it and gave it back to your wives, aren''t you afraid that they will go outside to recruit bees and lead butterflies? "


    "Madam, we''ve searched it thoroughly. There''s no such thing." The other person waved his hand and stepped forward to report.


    Xiaowan did not expect that the Madam who was always cold and aloof would actually be such a vicious person. She actually said, "Since she likes to let men play with her body, then let her be done with it. Let the neighbors and the men on the streets have a good look at her and see what the brothel lady in the capital looks like."


    "Yes." The two servant girls, their hearts as hard as stone, did not care for the fairer sex at all. They rushed up and slapped Yue Huaiyin twice, then began to take off her clothes.


    Yue Huaiyin had warned her before that she would be a weak woman with no power at all when it came to things like the Dancing Fragrance. Any rogue beggar would be able to harm her, but she never expected that what she said would be true.


    "Let me go, let me go ¡­"


    "Help me, help me, help me ¡­"


    Yue Huaiyin yelled out National Duke''s name, but this time, it angered the National Duke''s wife. She rushed up to pinch her lips and said with hatred: "Bitch, are you trying to throw away all your face for him?


    Sadly, the man below the name had long since disappeared from the crowd.


    Seeing that the Madam was unhappy, the two servants started to tear at Yue Huaiyin''s clothes even more forcefully. The shop assistant, on the other hand, had the intention of saving the Miss, but the guards of the National Duke did not dare disobey the Madam and kept them under guard.


    Some of the people on the street looked at Yue Huaiyin''s slowly revealing body obscenely, others pitied her, but they were afraid of angering the big figures and making them afraid to do anything. Although there were more and more people, none of them dared to help.


    National Duke''s wife saw the random items hanging in the shop across the street. He pointed at them and a servant girl ran over and picked two of them and asked, "Madam, how do I beat them?"


    The Lady turned round coldly. "She is naked, poor thing, and she is dressed all in red."


    She slowly walked to her chair, and the sound of the whip behind her started to resound. The feather duster had made a terrifying noise in the air, upon contact with Yue Huaiyin''s body, a sinister mark immediately formed on her tender skin. If Madam wanted to dress her in red, she would have to leave these marks all over her body.


    Under the intense pain, Yue Huaiyin did not scream, Xiaowan took a closer look, and her mouth was blocked.


    Yue Huaiyin was already on her last breaths, while the Xiaowan was slowly being pushed away by the crowd. Gradually, the scene inside the cave became indiscernible, only the sounds of whipping and familiar whipping could be heard ¡­


    She had once told her master that he must definitely let Yue Huaiyin be punished, and she had even more so, made a wish with her Jade Ring. She thought, it doesn''t matter if he was sent to a prison to be exiled, or if he was poverty-stricken.


    If it was anyone else, Mu Xiaowan would have definitely rushed up long ago, but she was actually currently struggling in contradiction ¡­


    "Xiao''er, what''s wrong? What''s going on?" Susu finally walked out of the cloth shop, and seeing the Xiaowan in a daze, she looked at the crowd.


    Because she could not see clearly, she walked forward a few steps and tiptoed. She was surprised to see that the woman who was beaten to death was Yue Huaiyin.


    Susu was frightened out of her wits, she threw the thing in her hand and rushed through the crowd shouting: "Young miss, young miss."


    Xiaowan suddenly regained her senses, Susu had already rushed in, throwing herself onto Yue Huaiyin''s body, she was scared pale white, trembling while protecting the people behind him: "You, what are you doing, why are you hitting me?"


    "young lady, it has nothing to do with you. If you still don''t leave, we will beat you up as well."


    "In broad daylight. Do you even have any laws?" Susu shouted loudly, begging for help to the people around him, "Our young miss is a good person, our young miss is a good person.


    It was at this moment that the Fast Catcher on the street received the news and finally rushed over. The crowd gradually dispersed, and a few people who saw this scene, were shocked, and the guards quickly stood in front of the Madame, not allowing any of the little yamen runner s to be disrespectful to her.


    Yue Huaiyin slowly opened his eyes and saw Susu blocking her path, and through the gradually dispersing crowd, she also saw Mu Xiaowan standing at the side of the street without moving. They looked at each other, but their eyes were all blank.


    "Miss, don''t be afraid. The officials are here." Susu cried as she took off his outer robes and wrapped Yue Huaiyin up, "Why did they hit you?"

 C81

    Yue Huaiyin''s consciousness started to blur, but the pain in her body was still not enough to stop the pain in her heart. She used her last bit of strength to search for the person who was in her mind, but he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Young miss, young miss ¡­" The last thing he heard was Susu''s voice. If that day, Susu was really sent by her to be a hooligan, she would either hang herself, or be lying in bed without getting up. Then, when she was beaten to death, no one would rush out to protect her, not even with a single sentence.


    With his eyes turning black, Yue Huaiyin''s last bit of consciousness disappeared.


    When the Fast Catcher saw that the assailant had a dignified and noble appearance with a few bodyguards, they settled the matter first and invited them to come inside to speak.


    In order to protect her husband''s dignity, the National Duke ladies did not reveal their identity. They only said that they came from the capital and stuffed some silver ingots inside, allowing the Fast Catcher to judge for themselves.


    "At the end of the day, it''s a family matter." The servant girl beside the National Duke lady spoke very quickly, putting on airs, "This errand boy, it''s hard to cut off a family''s affairs, don''t you think?"


    The Fast Catcher kept weighing the silver in their hands, hearing that Yue Huaiyin was only unconscious and still breathing, since no one was dead, they did not need to meddle in other people''s business, thus they exhorted the servants of the shop, went out to disperse the crowd, and brought the silver and left.


    Xiaowan wanted to come find Susu, but was seen by Madam and her servant girl. She was asked curiously why he was here, and Xiaowan didn''t know how to explain before she went straight to the backyard to find Susu and bring her out.


    At first, Susu thought it was strange, she was worried that the unconscious Yue Huaiyin would not be taken care of, so the Xiaowan pulled her along and said: "Those people have a huge background, they are also the victims that you have told me about."


    Susu had once said that the Grand Matron and her aunts in her previous residence had claimed that they were the victims because their husband had been taken away by a woman. They felt bitter in their hearts, but after hearing what Xiaowan said, they immediately understood.


    "Really?"


    "The financial backer is here as well." Xiaowan said, "This is a matter of their family, Susu, don''t blame me."


    The Xiaowan picked up the thing that Susu threw away and dragged her away. In front of the shop, the Madam''s servant girl looked around and returned to National Duke Madam and asked curiously: "Does the young lady at the inn also know this female slave?"


    As soon as his words fell, the man who had just disappeared into the crowd appeared. When the maids and guards saw the duke, they were all extremely respectful, and even the madam wasn''t arrogant. She blessed her husband, "Husband, why have you come to Li Prefecture?"


    Inside, Xiaowan brought Susu all the way home. Her Baisha Village was not far from the town and after a while of walking, he arrived at home.


    But the two children sat under the eaves in silence, exhausted, gasping for breath.


    "What''s wrong?" The Auntie Chen asked worriedly, "Did you meet a bad person?"


    However, Susu said, "Mother, we''re hungry. Give us something to eat."


    Auntie Chen was skeptical, but seeing that they all wanted to eat it, she did not ask anymore. She said that she would roast some bread, and headed to the kitchen.


    Susu poured two bowls of water and passed it to Xiaowan, and drank it all down. Just now, she had been scared out of her wits, but on the road back, it was obvious that Xiaowan looked even weirder.


    "Susu, I''m sorry." After holding it in for a long time, Xiaowan finally opened her mouth.


    "For... "Miss?" Susu pursed her lips, and continued, "Actually, I also wanted to ask you, why didn''t you go save the young miss? Your heart is so good, why would you stand by idly when you see such a scene unfold? "


    Watching from the sidelines, Xiaowan had learned this phrase before. She knew these four words too, and once she had studied them, she would begin to understand some general principles.


    Xiaowan thought back to what Uncle Biao had said. He didn''t need to understand or know everything, even if he was confused, he would still be lucky. However ¡­


    "Because." Xiaowan clenched her fists, her voice trembling, "She deserves whatever she deserves."


    "Did she seduce the lady''s husband?" Susu asked.


    "No ¡­" Xiaowan shook her head, as tears welled up from her eyes. She steeled her heart and said, "She was the one who found you and dragged you into the grass to ruin your body, she was the one who hated you for not having the heart to abandon her. She wanted you to live a life worse than death, and did not allow you to live a happy life."


    After saying these words, Susu immediately froze into a rock, the porcelain bowl in her hands also fell, but it was so strong that it did not break, rolling all the way into the mud.


    "Susu, I didn''t want to tell you at first, but ¡­ I didn''t save her just now. How can I explain to you that I don''t want to save her? " "I''m more afraid that you''ll pity her, or even take care of her. Susu, she doesn''t deserve you treating her well like this."


    "Is that for real? Is it someone the young mistress is looking for?" Susu started to cry, she grabbed Xiaowan''s hand and asked, "Is it really her?"


    Xiaowan nodded. "She admitted it to Hubby with her own mouth."


    Susu''s mind was in a mess, thinking back to how Yue Huaiyin was completely naked, how she was stepped on and beaten up, and how the two women did not even allow her to cover her body with her hands, as her private parts were completely exposed. At that time, Susu''s head was smashed, and she did not think of anything, she only wanted to rush up to cover her.


    It was unimaginable that when Da Qing saw him that day, he was also in this kind of situation. Just thinking about it made Susu feel that he would not be able to continue living.


    How ridiculous it was that the person she was protecting today was the one who had forced her into such dire straits.


    The aroma gradually wafted out from the kitchen. Normally, Xiaowan would have already run out of the kitchen to eat something secretly, but today, her nose was wrapped, as if the scent of rouge from her Siyun Pavilion had drifted out.


    Even Ling Chaofeng had received the news, he immediately rode towards the Baisha Village and saw two young lady s who were sitting steadily under the eaves.


    The old lady then carried the biscuit out and called Ling Chaofeng: "Shopkeeper, have you eaten yet? Xiaowan and the others just returned from a stroll in the town. The two idiots, when they were hungry, they bought some food from the town and pestered me to cook. "


    Hearing this, Ling Chaofeng understood that not only had they found out, they might even met each other.


    Susu stood up politely, but Xiaowan saw that she was motionless. Ling Chaofeng walked into the courtyard and thanked him, then said to Susu: "I''ll bring you back."


    Xiaowan nodded and without saying a word, she obediently followed her husband.


    However, Susu caught up to her and said: "Xiao''er, don''t worry about me. I, I did something good, and I don''t regret it.


    "Yes, we''re all fine." After Xiaowan said her piece, she was carried up to the saddle by Ling Chaofeng. After bidding farewell to Susu, the two of them went home.


    The horse walked very slowly, and Xiaowan practically rested all of her weight on her husband, along with the heaviness in her heart. Ling Chaofeng didn''t ask anything further, just sending her home.


    It was unknown why Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang were arguing in the backyard, but his aunt said, "You''re talking to me so loudly, why, do you still want to make a move?"


    Uncle Biao was immediately terrified. He smiled playfully and coaxed him on. Even at his age, he would act like a spoiled child and it didn''t take long for the two of them to recover.


    Xiaowan stood by the stairs and listened and unconsciously laughed.


    "Go upstairs and rest for a while. I don''t know if they will still come, but you don''t need to come out to receive them. Naturally, if you are willing, I will not stop them." Ling Chaofeng said, "Go."


    Xiaowan turned around and hugged her husband''s waist. After sticking to him for a while, she went upstairs and returned to her room. However, she did not say anything.


    It was a fine day, and the warmer the weather, the longer the sun. Outside the window, the sky was still very bright. He felt like he was a person who had slept for several hundred years, and had even thought that an entire night had already passed.


    "You''re awake?" A familiar voice came from behind the tent. The man that she was begging but refused to show, slowly walked out.


    "Create ¡­" But before Yue Huaiyin could call out his name, National Duke appeared from behind her husband.


    Her heart skipped a beat and she avoided their eyes.


    Fifteen years ago, when she was five years old, she had just started marrying the young National Duke. At that time, he was newly married to her wife, but Yue Huaiyin followed behind her sisters who were visiting the Immortal Pavilion.


    The prince had treated her very well, better than the old one who had died, the old one who had always touched her, even though she was only four or five years old.


    Yue Huaiyin didn''t know if anyone else still remembered her when she was four or five. In her memories, there was always a wretched old man who wanted to touch her body.


    But this young one wouldn''t. He just treated her like a child and gave her good food. He told the mother in the building not to hit her. Furthermore, when she was ten years old, she was almost beaten up by the drunkards from the Flower Pavilion. They helped her and even taught her how to punish that beast.


    When she was thirteen, she had killed a man on her own for the first time. Every year since then, two or three or more men had died under her skirt. Killing was one of them, and she often had to extract secrets from other people, such as corruption, treason, falsehood, and so many other things.


    She couldn''t care less about the right and wrong of this place, because everything the duke of Guo said was true.


    Yue Huaiyin''s first night was naturally given to this man. She clearly remembered that the Duke of Guo asked her at that time: "Huai Yin, if you''re not willing, I won''t force you."


    How could she not? She wholeheartedly wanted to be his woman, even if it was a servant girl pouring tea for her. She firmly believed that there was no better man in this world.


    And he had promised to bring her to him when he was twenty.


    She was already twenty years old, and even Emperor Tianjing, who had yet to abdicate his position, no longer wanted him to do such things. Yue Huaiyin could avoid wandering amongst the men, but he went back on her words, facing her own questioning and begging, he only said, "Huai Yin, go."


    Actually, Yue Huaiyin knew that a chess piece like her should have been killed afterwards. Since he did not touch her, she believed that they still had feelings for each other. Even if she had Baisha Town, even if she had thoughts about Ling Chaofeng, from the moment he appeared, she would have it all.


    However, the person who had hugged her body and said that she missed her greatly last night had been beaten to a pulp right before her eyes, unwilling to even speak a single word for her. Where did the person who saved her go? Where did the person who hugged her and told her not to cry ¡­


    Yue Huaiyin''s heart felt as though it was being stabbed by a blade.


    "After all, you and the duke have fifteen years of friendship." The National Duke Mistress spoke coldly, his words did not sound emotional at all. He only said, "This time, you should come with us and be a concubine at the Duke''s Palace. From then on, you should behave yourself and serve the Duke."


    Yue Huaiyin turned her gaze, and in the man''s eyes, there was finally a trace of pity: "Since Madam has agreed, then pack up your things and come back with me."


    "But there is only one thing. From now on, you are only allowed in your own house. You are not allowed to show your face, even in this mansion." The lady said, "When you go out, use a veil to cover your face. When I say go out, go out the door, not the house. Once you''ve entered the Duke''s estate, you''re not allowed to take even half a step outside in this life or until the day you die. "


    Her whole body was in pain, that day, right there, the man had warned her that she was just an ordinary weak and weak girl without any aphrodisiac incense. It was true, National Duke had searched her body the moment she came out, removing her "weapon." In this life, he had only used her to kill and protect himself, she was not a qualified killer, but a qualified woman.


    Her bones could not be replaced, her skin, perhaps, had never been shed.


    Yue Huaiyin laughed desolately, did she have any other choice?


    As the night deepened, the National Duke''s wife and his group did not return to the Ling Xiao Inn, and guessed that they should be staying in the town.


    Ling Chaofeng carried the dinner upstairs. Xiaowan did not come down to eat, when she entered the room, she found young lady lying on the bed. His heart tightened, and she touched her forehead.


    "Evening, it''s time to eat." Ling Chaofeng called her.


    Xiaowan slowly opened her eyes and looked fixedly at Hubby. She said hoarsely, "Hubby, am I wrong again?"

 C82

    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "Do you want to go to the roof to take a seat?"


    "Roof?"


    Ling Chaofeng turned his back and let Xiaowan lie on his back. He told her to hold his neck tight and then climbed out the window.


    Seeing her half floating in the air, the Xiaowan was extremely frightened. "Husband, I''m scared."


    But Ling Chaofeng easily went onto the roof. After he steadied himself, he put Xiaowan down and the two of them stepped on the roof as they walked towards the roof. The Xiaowan was trembling as he held onto his hand tightly, staggering every step of the way.


    Finally, she sat down on the roof ridge and inadvertently raised her head. The lights in the distance stunned her. He never thought that he would actually be able to see such a distant Baisha Town in this place.


    "It''s a pity that it''s blocked by a mountain. Since I can''t see the Qingling Village, naturally, the Qingling Village will be further away as well. Even without the mountain blocking my way, I won''t be able to see it clearly." Ling Chaofeng laughed, "If you want to see further, we can climb to the top of the mountain another day."


    Xiaowan said, "I can''t climb up that high."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I''ll carry you up."


    Xiaowan shook his head and leaned over while hugging his arm, "Hubby is going to be tired. I can''t bear to do it and I don''t want to see Qingling Village either."


    The spring breeze was slightly cool and cozy, and now, it could no longer be treasured properly. In the blink of an eye, it would enter a scorching heat, with distinct Baisha Town''s four seasons, making it the most peaceful and comfortable place.


    They sat in silence for a while. Xiaowan slowly opened her heart and talked about what happened during the day. She said that she watched Yue Huaiyin getting beaten up and did not help him with anything.


    "I couldn''t hold it in and told the truth to Susu." The Xiaowan smiled bitterly, "I won''t save her, and I won''t allow others to save her either. Hubby, why would I become so cold and indifferent right now? I once told my aunt that no one in the village would help me when I was a child, not even a word, and one day I became one of them. "


    Ling Chaofeng said: What if Susu was raped that day, and Da Qing was unable to save her?


    Xiaowan looked at him with sparkling eyes: "So you also think that?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "The grudge between her and the National Duke''s Madam has nothing to do with and you. She is not in the Baisha Town, and would be treated in this way elsewhere. Since I knew that the one who came was the National Duke''s wife yesterday, then I know what she wanted to do. But I didn''t do anything, right? Then, would you think that I am cold-blooded and heartless? "


    Xiaowan shook her head. "I don''t, but I don''t know either."


    Ling Chaofeng said gently: "Moreover, she treated Susu in such a vicious manner, to the point that he did not have any intention of repenting. It is only natural for you to hesitate, don''t make your kindness so worthless. Furthermore, everyone has their own selfish motives. If you don''t charge forward, I will be at ease. Under such circumstances, what if I attack you as well? Should I go beat up National Duke''s wife again? "


    Xiaowan laughed, of course, it was not a happy laugh, so she said helplessly: "You always have a way to coax me, even if I were to poke a hole in the sky, you would help me fix it right?"


    Ling Chaofeng said in displeasure: "Go and fill up the sky first, I''ll take care of you when we get home."


    Xiaowan was not afraid, she just laid in her husband''s embrace: "Frankly speaking, what does it have to do with me, I don''t need to cause trouble. On the other hand, Susu is much stronger than I thought she would be. Hubby, Susu is working hard, no matter what, I will not regret saving Susu. "


    Ling Chao Feng said, "Su Su has experienced a lot. She has seen a lot of similar things. After she has recovered from her shock, she will naturally be able to calm down and think about things calmly." Now, it seems that you were right to tell her. Otherwise, if she met Yue Huaiyin again, she would be pitiful.


    Xiaowan had heard of that fable before, but in the village, everyone called this person an ingrate, and she was the ingrate in the eyes of her stepmother.


    Xiaowan was extremely familiar with the sounds of the whip whistling through the air as Yue Huaiyin was being beaten up. She knew how painful Yue Huaiyin was, and she knew that she was in a miserable state this time.


    In the past, not to mention such a terrifying sight, even the few wounds on Susu''s body was enough to make her unable to control her emotions. How much hatred did she have?


    The Xiaowan said, "If Hubby you were lured away by her, what can I do? The National Duke''s wife is of noble birth, even if I beat her to death, she wouldn''t be afraid, so what can I do? No wonder I hate her, because if she succeeds, I''ll have to shed tears. "


    Ling Chaofeng lightly pinched her chin, turning her stiff face directly towards himself, and said coldly: "I don''t love you to think like this, and say whatever you say, so let''s not even joke around. If there''s a next time, let''s see if I''ll be merciful or not."


    Xiaowan''s mouth was being pinched, she could not help but mutter: "I was just analyzing why I hate her so much, not just thinking random thoughts, furthermore you being fierce is useless against me now, I''m not afraid of you anymore."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed, "You''re not afraid anymore?"


    Xiaowan shook herself off and raised her chin, "I''m not afraid at all."


    Instead of being punished, she was rewarded with a sweet and warm kiss, each of which was filled with her husband''s love. The empress said that when Hubby looked at her, his eyes were like pearls and jade like treasures. However, when Xiaowan saw him in his eyes, she only knew how to giggle.


    Their movements on the rooftop attracted the attention of Uncle Biao, who probably feared that they would be robbed. Xiaowan waved his hands at them and laughed heartily as she brought Ershan back.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Ershan is leaving early in July. If he is able to successfully stay in the capital, when we go at the end of the year, we will be able to see him."


    Xiaowan asked: "Are you really going to take me to Beijing?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed, "Didn''t you say it already? You can bring me to see the fireworks in the imperial palace. But if I tell the empress that you''ve gone, I might even bring you over to the palace."


    Xiaowan shook her hands and said, "I don''t want to go to the Imperial Palace. How can a small commoner like me go to the Tian Family?


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Then let''s put on our clothes and watch from the top of the tallest building in the capital."


    "The capital ¡­" Xiaowan sighed lightly. Her feelings for that place was really complicated.


    After sitting for a long time, they went downstairs. Xiaowan did not eat dinner, but her stomach was growling due to hunger. The food was already cold, so she went to the kitchen to get some hot water to soak in.


    Since the Uncle Biao was willing, he simply took out a large claypot, and used broth to boil the cold rice into soup. Then, he laid down a glistening yellow poached egg.


    As the Xiaowan was eating, she remembered that Yue Huaiyin had told her that she was coming to the tavern to try her cooking skills. Her heart sank as she silently clenched her fists and clenched her right hand.


    This was all she could do.


    After a night had passed, Siyun Pavilion s which normally opened their doors with a fragrant scent early in the morning had closed their doors. The surrounding shops had already opened and the silence here was especially conspicuous.


    As the passersby walked by, they were all pointing at each other. There were even some who said that they felt that such a beautiful woman must be strange if she went to a foreign land alone to do business. As expected, she was not a decent person.


    When the sun was a little higher, someone would knock on the door, wanting to return all the rouge and water powder they bought.


    In front, there was a ruckus, disturbing the people living in the backyard. If National Duke wanted to live here, Madame would have no choice but to obey, even if she loathed it. Only now did she get up to dress up, and upon hearing the ruckus outside, her servant girl said: "Those are commoners, they are coming to return the goods."


    The Madam sneered and looked at her husband, "Husband, do you want to help her with her business?"


    National Duke did not say a word, and ordered his servant girl to dress him up.


    "Let''s see if she''s dead. If she''s still alive, bring her here." With this order, the Madam dismissed the servant girl and personally helped her husband dress. She smiled and said, "Since she is unwilling to leave with us, whether she lives or dies in the future has nothing to do with us. For you, my husband, to raise her for fifteen years is also to sacrifice your kindness and benevolence. If such a person were to remain by your side, it will be a disaster in the end. "


    National Duke had long since gotten used to his wife''s power. He had to admit that when Emperor Dingdi and the current Emperor no longer needed him to assassinate some people, he would become useless among the nobles of the imperial court. The title of National Duke could only be passed down to three generations, and it wasn''t impossible for a person to be cut by his waist before three generations had passed.


    His wife was the relative of the late Imperial Concubine Fu, thus he was also the relative of the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion. The relationship between the women could be considered friendly, but no matter what, they were a part of a family that he relied on. Before, he didn''t care about his wife''s jealousy, but now, he couldn''t be stronger.


    He cared about Huaiyin, after all, he was the one who raised the most considerate person, but she was still a woman. In the face of the big picture, his wife could not be forgiven, and he could abandon her anytime.


    Initially, he thought that he would no longer hold her in his heart, whether she was alive or dead. He didn''t expect to find out that she was spending her days here.


    It was rare for his wife to come back to his hometown, so he came here for a while without any effort. Indeed, the beauty was still the same, making him change his mind.


    Yesterday, when he saw Yue Huaiyin being beaten to death in the crowd and even being stripped naked to the point of humiliation, his heart was only filled with helplessness and frustration. Thus, she decided to just walk away.


    And Yue Huaiyin was the person who understood him the most. Under the circumstances yesterday, she clearly knew what the National Duke was thinking.


    At this moment, the heavily injured person was being dragged over. She was weak and powerless, so the female servants kicked her, kneeling down on the ground.


    When the door closed, she said, "Today, the Crown Prince and I are going back to the capital. There are some things I need to warn you about, and I hope that this will be the last time I see you. The next time I see you, I''ll come to collect your corpse."


    Death, was that terrifying? Yue Huaiyin sneered.


    "You are laughing at me."


    Yue Huaiyin''s eyes were ice-cold. "Madame is tying down her man, but his heart has already detested you fifteen years ago. What meaning does such a person have?"


    National Duke bellowed: "Huaiyin, what nonsense are you spouting?"


    The person on the ground struggled to get up. Her entire body was covered with wounds, and every part of her body was filled with piercing pain. It was so painful that she was almost numb. She smiled desolately. "You told me that yourself."


    "Shut up!" The man was furious.


    "Don''t tell me you think he has you in his heart?" The Madam laughed coldly and said, "At this point, he will only tell you to shut up. What are you so proud of? You don''t even have the qualifications to take fifty steps and laugh at everything."


    National Duke looked at his wife angrily, but clenched his fist tightly, not daring to scold her in front of Yue Huaiyin.


    Madam Ye sighed and said in the end, "Since you are unwilling to go to the capital, then you are not allowed to leave this place even half a step. But if you leave this place, then I will make you wish you were dead, and do not think that I would not be able to see you. Don''t you think about how I found this place? "


    She looked at her husband. "Hubby, do you have anything else to say to her?"


    National Duke coldly turned his back, not saying a word.


    The Madam then called the servants over and ordered them to prepare for the journey. She then said: "That''s right, did you give me the money for the Ling Xiao Inn Shop?"


    The servant girl replied: "I paid for the room the other day, but I didn''t count the money for the meal. I don''t know if I''m going back last night, but I''m going to pass through anyway, so I''ll pay when the time comes." "The duke, madam, the carriage has been prepared. It''s time to start on the road."


    National Duke said: "You guys leave first, I''ll be there shortly."


    Yue Huaiyin raised her head to look at her man, holding back the last sliver of hope in his heart.


    "Do you want to see this woman naked and hanging on the street?" asked the Countess with a smile.


    National Duke''s eyes were bloodshot. He clenched his teeth and endured, looking at the people on the ground one last time before leaving with a flick of his sleeves.


    "Accreditation, Accomplishment ¡­" Yue Huaiyin shouted with all her might, but the people outside were walking further and further away.


    She weakly collapsed on the ground. After an unknown period of time, Little Cui''s legs were trembling as he squatted in front of the door and asked, "Little, Miss ¡­ Many people have come to return the goods, and the store is about to be destroyed. "


    "Go to my room and get some silver and return it to them." Yue Huaiyin opened her eyes, as if she could still see the man in her heart. A thought flashed through her mind, what did the woman just said, was she asking herself, why did she come to this place?


    The first to tell her that National Duke had left the capital with WeChat was Ling Chaofeng, and that this woman had come here to live in the Ling Xiao Inn. Yesterday, when Susu had rushed over to save her, she found Mu Xiaowan standing by the side of the road coldly.


    Her gaze was as dark as the night. When she closed her eyes, she used her sore spot to tell herself that she was still alive.


    On this side, when Xiaowan was pouring water for those who passed by, she saw a horse carriage slowly approaching, followed by more than ten people. It was similar to that day when she came from the pier.


    Yesterday, when Xiaowan saw that familiar face in the crowd, it was the man that she had seen sitting in the carriage back then.


    Putting aside all these matters, just looking at that face, it was no wonder that Yue Huaiyin would never forget it. However, who would have thought that under that face, there was not a single heart that was blissful.


    Yesterday, Xiaowan had personally seen him and coldly withdrew from the crowd. Hubby previously told her that the relationship between them was at least ten-odd years, but after more than ten years, they could not even exchange a single word.


    Since the carriage was also from an inn, they decided to rent it to the pier. Uncle Biao followed to bring the carriage back, allowing him to bring a few buns to give to Da Qing at the pier.


    But when the Uncle Biao returned two hours later, he laughed and said, "Da Qing is having a fragrant pancake for lunch today, what are we worrying about?"


    Xiaowan remembered that she didn''t have time to eat the cake that Auntie Chen made yesterday, so she was happy in her heart.


    After the commotion had passed, Xiaowan would go look for Susu every day other than working in the shop. It was not that Susu was not allowed to come to the shop to work, it was just that she felt embarrassed whenever she thought about riding on Da Qing''s cart. Naturally, the Xiaowan would not force her. After finishing her work every day, she would come to visit her home.


    The people of the village gradually got to know the Auntie Chen, and it was very easy for news of some things happening in the towns to reach their homes. The Xiaowan only found out from the aunts that some people went to the Siyun Pavilion and wanted to return the goods, but the next day, the yamen office appeared.


    They sat on the side and looked at each other, then Susu said: "Anyway, it has nothing to do with us."


    Xiaowan nodded: "I know."


    At this time, Ling Chaofeng arrived on horseback. All the aunts in the village loved to see him and smiled at him, "Manager Ling, why are you here so early today to fetch my wife?"


    Xiaowan also came over and said, "Why are you so early?"


    Ling Chaofeng alighted and whispered into her ear, "There''s some good news I urgently need to tell you, do you want to hear it?"

 C83

    Xiaowan never thought that the good news that Hubby would bring would actually be the empress getting pregnant. Furthermore, the Queen had personally written a letter to ask Ling Chaofeng to pass the message on his behalf. This joyous event was not known to the rest of the world, and would only be announced to the world after the birth of the child safely.


    This made Xiaowan extremely happy, and what was even more unexpected was that the dignified mother of a nation actually treated her, a young lady from the countryside, as her close friend. She had traveled a thousand miles to tell her that she could not even tell the world about this joyous event.


    A few days after that, Xiaowan made a wish to the Jade Ring every day, protected the Queen and her son safely, and then went to the City God Temple with Susu to pray for blessings.


    Susu naturally did not know that the inn had once received the current emperor and empress, and upon seeing the Xiaowan willing to settle down, she only thought that the Xiaowan hoped that she and the Manager Ling would get your son soon. Thus, she made up her mind and decided to return to the tavern as soon as possible, so that Xiaowan would not have to work too hard.


    When they returned to the village, they had to pass through Siyun Pavilion s, and the store was still closed when they arrived. Currently, it was already open, and a faint fragrance spread out from the shop, but it had attracted countless women from the Baisha Town s to take a look at the fresh Rouge Shop s.


    They walked along the opposite side of the street. Originally, they were walking along the way, and did not intend to avoid the Siyun Pavilion, but unfortunately, they heard the employees of the grocery store discussing with each other, "Did you hear? The county magistrate is currently raising that woman."


    Another person said: "I already knew that. Otherwise, those Fast Catcher would have settled the matter for her."


    The one who had spoken just now said, "She really is a trash from a brothel, no wonder she is so monstrous when she walks. That day, she was beaten up until she was wounded all over, and even the feather duster was broken. How could she possibly recover well in a few days? If she can''t, how did she serve the county magistrate?"


    After walking a distance, Susu could not help but ask: "The town is already so big, we can''t even see them from the back of our heads. Xiaowan, can we really pretend that such a thing did not happen?"


    Xiaowan thought for a moment, "Hubby said, if she doesn''t offend me then I won''t offend her, there''s no need to hide from her, so there''s no need to be afraid of her. Susu, don''t worry. If you don''t wait for her to make a move, Hubby will definitely take care of her. "


    "Of course, I don''t worry. I still want to return to the inn to work tomorrow." Susu said.


    "No rush, rest well, there''s not much business in the inn." Xiaowan was concerned about this while laughing slyly, "Of course, if you really want to sit on Da Qing''s cart, it won''t be good for me to stop you."


    Susu said anxiously: "You are getting worse and worse, when shopkeeper comes to pick you up at night, you must be well regulated."


    Xiaowan disdainfully said: "I''m not afraid of him. He''s afraid of me."


    Susu laughed: "Forget it, once I see the shopkeeper, I will submit. I am extremely obedient, I don''t know who it is."


    As they walked past the town entrance, they saw two people setting up stalls. They thought they were here to sell groceries, but when they got closer, they realized they were here to pick up goods.


    It was said that 500 years ago, there were nobles who built a palace here. After a landslide, the palace was buried in the mountains, and recently, someone had dug out from the mountains the precious treasures inside the palace''s vessels, which were all valuable antiques.


    Right now, they were going to ask the local citizens to collect them and see who had picked up or dug up anything. After they appraised them, they would definitely collect them at a high price.


    Xiaowan and Susu looked at each other, and then thought about the two guests who stayed at their inn previously. They would always leave early and return late, but Susu had never seen them on the road before.


    After that, they returned to the Baisha Village. Not long after, a few aunties came over, saying that there was a person here to collect antiques and they didn''t know what antiques were. However, the one at the village entrance that got pickled vegetables actually got five taels of silver.


    "Susu''s mother, your tiled house is also very old, go ahead and check if there are any strange things. If you show it to those people, they might be able to exchange it for a lot of silver." The women of the village were all very excited, each of them going home to look around.


    Auntie Chen said that the house belongs to Manager Ling, so even if there were treasures, they should not have them.


    At night, Ling Chaofeng came to pick up Xiaowan. Da Qing also returned, he had recently gotten a mule cart, so he was no longer toiling on pulling boats. He would go back and forth to deliver some goods to the customers every day, giving them more money than being a gigolo.


    As for the cushions and cloth shoes that Susu made for him, he was reluctant to wear them. He also cherished the use of the cloth shoes and refused to let the merchants sit on them.


    When Susu heard this, she weakly replied, "I''ll cook for you a few more times.


    Sitting under the roof, the Auntie Chen shared the melon with everyone. Da Qing was not willing to eat it, he said that the melon was very rare, and wanted to bring it back for his mother to taste, so Susu pushed the two pieces over, lowering her head without saying a word.


    After being rebuked by Ling Chaofeng, she gave a dry cough and said in a serious tone, "From tomorrow onwards, you will need Da Qing to take care of Susu and we will pay for it. From now on, you can also be considered to be part of our Ling Xiao Inn."


    Da Qing and Susu looked at each other, and Susu''s face was so red that it reached her ears, she nodded, and Da Qing said: "I don''t dare to take the money, shopkeeper give me the mule and cart, the money I''ve earned recently, is even more than what I earned by pulling a boat for two months."


    Xiaowan said: "Of course I need to earn more money to be able to get married."


    Da Qing stuttered, scratched his head and said: "Yes, yes."


    Susu''s face was completely red, she said that she would get everyone water, then turned and ran.


    Ling Chaofeng whispered into his wife''s ears: "You are not allowed to bully Susu, is it your ability?"


    Xiaowan chuckled. "I didn''t say anything."


    She had said to Xiaowan that she had her eyes on Da Qing too, it was just that Susu had married before, even if Da Qing''s family was poor, she would not allow them to be particular about him.


    On the way back, Xiaowan chattered incessantly to Hubby, "Susu has always been keeping his promise, and anyone who sees can understand why. If Da Qing is afraid, he would not interact with us. Furthermore, after such an incident occurred, not only did he not mind it, he even came to take care of it, telling me who it was that they met on the road the other day. "


    Ling Chaofeng listened to her blabbering on and on, but only smiled and did not speak. He thought to himself that if he could save this trip, this young lady would be proud for life.


    Their horses were moving slowly, and they had actually called for people who were walking fast to catch up, but those people weren''t heading towards the Baisha River Pier. After turning a corner, they all went into the mountain.


    On the way, Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng saw many people like this. She remembered that the Baisha Town had antiques, so the news had already spread far and wide, and people that were ten miles in circumference had all come to the mountains to search for treasures.


    The next morning, Susu sat on Da Qing''s cart and went to work. On the way, she saw many people holding a sickle and hoe, they did not even go down to the ground, it was more important to dig treasures in the mountains.


    Susu asked Da Qing: "Are you going to dig for treasures?"


    Da Qing laughed: "Last night, my mother told me, if I could find a treasure, I would not be so poor. She said it would be easy to get praise from the shopkeeper, it is more important to work hard."


    Susu said softly, "You can''t bear to leave your aunt behind, so you didn''t go to a faraway place to work. You weren''t hungry and you froze your aunt, how can you be poor?"


    Da Qing looked at her and said seriously: "I have already saved up two taels of silver."


    Susu was startled, she did not know whether it was because of her imagination, but she smiled embarrassedly.


    When she arrived at the inn, the Xiaowan was already sweeping the floor. Susu quickly ran over to receive the broom, and said with a smile: "Innkeeper, rest in your room and let this little one clean the floor."


    Xiaowan and Da Qing waved their hands, seeing that the carriage was slowly leaving, she teasingly said: "In the past when you were not working properly, I could still take care of you. But now that there is someone protecting you, how would I dare work hard on Miss Susu?"


    Susu looked behind her and said: "Innkeeper, it''s good morning."


    The Xiaowan was immediately terrified and turned around with a mischievous smile, afraid that her husband would scold her for bullying Susu. In the end, no one came out of the door, Ling Chaofeng was so happy that he came up to tickle her.


    Seeing the two young lady so happy, she laughed: "What are you guys so happy about, could it be that you guys have also dug a treasure?"


    The Xiaowan had a bad look on her face as she pointed to the east side: "Aunt, Susu''s darling, we just went to the dock."


    Just then, Ling Chaofeng walked out and glared at her. Xiaowan immediately ran over and acted good, "Hubby, have you finished breakfast?"


    However, Ling Chaofeng told everyone, "During the Dragon Boat Festival, we will go to Li Prefecture to gather there, and we will also be able to visit the Miss Meng.


    Susu was very cautious: "Is it important that no one is looking at it? "Shopkeeper, I came in the morning, and the people are all on their way to the mountain. The people near us are all here, and I don''t know how long they''ll be digging. When we''re not at home, how can they barge into the inn?"


    Ling Chaofeng smiled lightly: "It''s alright."


    The Xiaowan asked curiously: "Why haven''t I heard from the villagers before, what kind of palace was this place 500 years ago?"


    Susu said: Many people in my village took out items to exchange for money. Some of them said that if there was anything that could be dug out from the mountains, it would be worth even more, and they could even afford to give us hundreds of silver. This morning, all of them went into the mountains.


    Xiaowan looked into the distance: "This is really strange, where did the treasures come from?"


    Susu was not exaggerating, the news of this spread around the village. The villagers who depended on the heavens to survive all year round, seeing such a rich road, how could they miss it.


    Even the people from Qingling Village were alarmed, and did not hesitate to walk a few miles into the mountain. At this moment, the Madam Xu arrived with her daughter, Wen Juan, and the family of the Aunt Wang next door.


    When they arrived, there was someone carrying a sack of food out. The crowd gathered around him and asked if he had it, and where he had dug it, but the man kept it to himself, saying he would find it himself if he wanted to make a fortune. He carried the treasure he had dug up and ran to town to collect the antiques for money.


    That afternoon, news came that the person''s sack had been exchanged for fifty taels of silver. Instantly, almost all the villages within a five kilometer radius were mobilized.


    Xiaowan had been married for so long, but she had never seen so many people on the road before. Gradually, they approached the inn or passed by it to get to the Baisha River Pier. Uncle Biao circled the inn twice with his Pig Slaughtering Knife, and none of the villagers dared to go down the mountain.


    Before sunset, Xiaowan came to hang lanterns outside the shop. Seeing a little girl standing by the roadside, she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Juan''er?"


    "Big Sis." As expected, Wen Juan ran over, the child''s body was covered in dust, one foot was in the mud, and there were tears on her face as she sobbed, "Big sister, I lost my mother and myself."


    "How did you get lost?" Xiaowan took out a handkerchief and wiped her face.


    "She took me to the mountains to find treasure. I couldn''t walk anymore and rested under the tree. I didn''t see her coming back." Wen Juan sobbed, "Big sister, did my mother get eaten by wild wolves?"


    If Madam Xu was really eaten by a wolf, Xiaowan would be really happy. Unfortunately, her little brother and sister were still young, even if they were not obedient, they were still innocent children. Xiaowan could not help but bring Wen Juan back to the shop to wash her face and hands, and also brought her food.


    When Ling Chaofeng came downstairs, the husband and wife duo decided to send Wen Juan back to the Qingling Village first.


    "What about my mother?" Wen Juan cried and asked.


    "It''s dark now. The mountain is so deep, where can we find it? And the Aunt Wang? " Xiaowan asked her sister, "Did you not see any of them?"


    Wen Juan nodded. "I don''t even see her, big sister, does my mother not want me anymore? She doesn''t even bring her little brother to dig for me, only me."


    Xiaowan sighed lightly. "It''s probably because Wen Bao is too young, so don''t cry anymore. Big Sis will send you back first."

 C84

    Thus, Xiaowan brought some food and stuffed a few candies into Wen Juan''s mouth. Ling Chaofeng drove the carriage, and the two of them brought the child to Qingling Village.


    In fact, the Xiaowan had already muttered to Master, maybe the Madam Xu had deliberately let Wen Juan go so that they could think of another trick, but Ling Chaofeng said that if the Madam Xu was plotting against them again, then they wouldn''t care about it the next time, it would be in front of their younger brother and sister''s Corpse Crossing Inn.


    Xiaowan made up her mind and decided to send her sister home. No matter what, for her father''s sake, her younger brother and sister were still his flesh and blood.


    Along the way, they saw many people coming down from the mountains, some of them returning empty-handed, while some of them were digging something out. Wen Juan said to the Xiaowan: "Big sister, there are a lot of people coming down from the mountains, some of them even started fighting."


    "Is that so?"


    "My village''s Uncle Li''s family exchanged money, my mother didn''t even want to work anymore, she just followed Aunt Wang''s family and came here."


    Xiaowan felt that it was weird, she had not heard of this Baisha Town giving out the appearance of a Marquis in the past, 500 years was not too long, if there really was such a story, how could it not be passed down, or was she ignorant and ill-informed?


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt that the two people who had stayed in their store for a few days and barely met each other was very strange.


    The carriage headed towards the Qingling Village. The sky was already completely dark, and before they could even reach the village entrance, they could hear the sharp cries of the Madam Xu.


    That person shouted loudly, "Kong''er, where are you? Wen Juan, where are you? "


    Ling Chaofeng stopped the carriage, and when Wen Juan heard his mother call her, he immediately jumped off the carriage and ran over: "Mother, I am here."


    "Wen Juan!" Madam Xu''s voice was as though she had lost a stone in her heart. However, when her daughter came over, she slapped her in the face, and then continued to spank her butt, while scolding her: "Little bastard, where did you go? I told you to run around, I told you to run around."


    Wen Juan cried, struggled to get away, then ran back to the carriage. Xiaowan also got off the carriage, and seeing her sister running over, she cried: "Big sister, my mother hit me."


    Madam Xu did not see it clearly, she only cursed: "Get over here, you still dare to run, see if I won''t skin you alive."


    But after walking a bit closer, he realized that the two people were Ling Chaofeng and his stepdaughter, he was startled.


    "Mu Wen Juan, come over here." The Madam Xu scolded loudly.


    "Kong''er, go home and tell your mother that she won''t hit you. You can take these snacks and snacks to share with Wen Bao. If you like them, I''ll give them to you next time. " Xiaowan placed a burden on his sister and pushed her towards Madam Xu. She got on the carriage and was about to go back.


    Xiaowan had originally thought that Madam Xu would scold her when she saw her and that she wouldn''t look after her daughter properly, but after meeting her for real, she didn''t want to say anything more. Why should she meddle in other people''s business? With regards to Madam Xu, she treated him as a passerby, even if she did not want to think about it, she would never hate him.


    The carriage slowly drove off. Wen Juan carried something as her mother walked up from behind, pulling her by the collar and scolding: "Little bastard, go back and flay your skin."


    Wen Juan begged for mercy in fear, "Mother, don''t hit me ¡­"


    In fact, what happened today, was not Madam Xu''s plan, nor was it Wen Juan deliberately coming to the tavern to ask for help. Madam Xu followed Aunt Wang''s family to dig around in the mountains, digging out a few jars, and excitedly went into the town to show it to the antique dealer. Although it wasn''t worth much, she was still very happy to receive five hundred gold coins.


    Just like that, he had forgotten about her daughter, even the people next door couldn''t remember her. It was only when they were eating and arranging the tableware that Madam Xu realized that her daughter had disappeared. She didn''t expect that Xiaowan would send the child back after she found her along the way.


    "She gave it to me?" Madam Xu touched her bag, "All of them were for food?"


    "Wu, for Wen Bao and me." Wen Juan trembled as she begged, "Mother, don''t hit me, I''ll listen to you."


    On the way back, Xiaowan leaned on Ling Chaofeng''s shoulder. Just now, they had all seen Madam Xu hitting children, so Ling Chaofeng asked: "Are you worried about your little sister?"


    Xiaowan shook her head. "That woman treated me maliciously and her own child well. Although a man respects her son more than a woman and views him as a treasure, she didn''t treat Wen Juan unfairly either. From the looks of it, she really does seem to be afraid of losing her daughter. If she did, my father would have torn her to shreds. "


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart sank. Whether it was his real daughter or just acting, they all felt disgusted. It was hard to imagine how she used to torture Xiaowan, no wonder Xiaowan always said that she would never be able to die.


    He hugged Xiaowan and suddenly gave her a kiss on the cheek. Xiaowan pouted.


    Ling Chaofeng smiled but did not say a word. With such a treasure by his side, all he wanted to do was to bully her everyday.


    Xiaowan counted with her fingers. The empress should be in labor by the end of the month, at the beginning of the month. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she looked forward to seeing the fireworks in the capital city at the end of the year.


    If it was just right, the Empress would have given birth at that time. This was the Emperor''s first prince and princess, and it was also the New Year. When the time came, the entire capital would be illuminated by the fireworks.


    Xiaowan looked forward to see the world, "Master."


    Inside the Qingling Village, how could Madam Xu admit that she lost the child? After Wen Juan returned home, he received a solid beating that made everyone outside the door hear him. The Aunt Wang came to persuade him that the child had returned, and told him not to hit the child anymore.


    Madam Xu then told her to get some food to eat as she untied her backpack. Inside it were snacks for children to eat, and then she got some food to take back to her family.


    Wen Juan weakly said from the side, "This was given to me by big sister ¡­"


    Madam Xu scolded: "Shut up, you''re hungry for three days, let''s see if you''re honest or not."


    Aunt Wang took a piece of cake and gave it to her, then smiled: "Don''t worry, your mother won''t give you food. Go eat at my aunt''s house. "But you''re not allowed to be naughty next time. If you disappear, your mother will cry until she''s blind."


    Madam Xu still had some lingering fear. She couldn''t blame herself for losing her child. She threw her daughter out to eat, poured a bowl of cold water and drank it all up, then sat on the brick bed and panted heavily.


    Aunt Wang said, "That brat from Xiaowan, she was just soft-hearted, you see."


    Madam Xu rolled her eyes: "That''s her blood sister, she doesn''t care, she''s worse than beasts."


    Aunt Wang laughed: "There''s still a long way to go, we don''t know what day will come, and how will your relationship change? Don''t be anxious, from the looks of it, she still sees Wen Bao and Wen Juan as brothers and sisters."


    Madam Xu rolled her eyes and called her daughter over. Wen Juan was afraid of getting beaten up, so she stayed far away from her mother and asked her how to find an inn. Wen Juan told her everything, and sure enough, Xiaowan brought her back without thinking.


    Aunt Wang whispered to Madam Xu, "Take good advantage of these two children."


    Madam Xu nodded her head, but she still had one more thing to take care of, and she didn''t believe that she wouldn''t be able to find any treasures. Her daughter was also a burden, so she said: "Tomorrow, you guys can take care of the house, your wife and I will go to the mountain, don''t run around, if you run around, I''ll break your legs."


    That night, Xiaowan was completely finished off by her husband. She shouted weakly that she did not want to, and was about to fall asleep in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace. A pair of big white rabbits on her chest also jumped up. Ling Chaofeng let out a pained laugh and quickly covered her with a blanket.


    Xiaowan held onto her chest and said anxiously, "Master, they dug so randomly, what if they find our cellar? Wouldn''t that mean they have really dug a treasure?"


    Ling Chaofeng said calmly: "How deep do you think they can dig? They are anxious and envious of the others.


    Xiaowan was not at ease, "What if we were to find them?"


    The villagers were digging on the mountain. Although it was not a mountain peak which shot straight up to the clouds, it was still a proper mountain, and if they could dig to the ground, it would at least take a few months, not to mention how deep the cellar was. Furthermore, the location of the underground cellar was actually right below the inn.


    The Xiaowan watched with unease as Ling Chaofeng spoke again, "Moreover, a large amount of goods have been moved away recently.


    "It''s been shipped away?" Xiaowan looked at Ling Chaofeng. Could it be that she came to visit Susu''s home to transport her away? Otherwise, why would she be at home and have no one come to pick up his things?


    "Didn''t you see it last time? There are other doors leading to other places in the cellar." Ling Chaofeng laughed, "It was from there."


    The Xiaowan said in a strange tone: "Really, I saw it last time, but I didn''t notice it after that."


    What Ling Chaofeng found interesting was that since the first time he went back to the cellar, although he claimed that the gold and silver treasures were hers from time to time, she didn''t go there. His nature wasn''t greedy for money, he was just joking normally.


    At this moment, he muttered unhappily, "My treasures are all gone ¡­ "Husband, I haven''t really touched it yet. Didn''t you say that everything there is mine?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "The chest of gold you touched is still here, and the jewelry is also here."


    "Really?" young lady was immediately happy, she did not want to see it for herself, so she leaned on her master and said happily, "Then I am at ease."


    Even though he said that, the next day, on the quiet road, there were still many people, even more than the day before. Xiaowan and Susu stood on the road and looked around, muttering, "They won''t be in the fields for a few days, the grass should be growing by now. There hasn''t been any rain in these two days, how can they not water it?


    When noon arrived, Auntie Chen cut off the leeks that she grew and brought them to the inn. She walked all the way here and was told by Xiaowan that he wanted to get her to go back in the carriage.


    However, the aunt said in a fresh voice, "I came all the way here to watch the fun. "Those people are truly insane. If they cannot be dug up by themselves, then they would go and buy the treasures that others have dug up. They would even rush to buy them. They said that they might be able to buy treasures cheaply and increase their value tenfold in one go."


    Ling Chaofeng frowned slightly as if he had realized something. In the afternoon, he changed into a set of casual clothes and brought along a young lady who was wearing a cloth shirt and bandanna as he brought his hoe to the mountain.

 C85

    The mountain was indeed filled with people, all of the nearby villages had all come, but not everyone could recognize Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan, some people even shouted at them, "If we can''t dig here, let''s go somewhere else."


    The Xiaowan whispered to her hubby, "They must be afraid that we will snatch it away."


    Ling Chaofeng indicated for her not to make a sound, and they strolled around the mountain, heading to places with more people than the inns.


    In that place, there were Auntie Chen''s rumors that someone had dug up something and sold it to someone else.


    As they approached, a few of them came running back from the house with a large bag of money, while the man said that he had bought a copper pot from here that morning and had sold it for thirty taels of silver at the antique dealer''s.


    Xiaowan watched as the group of villagers shouted out the price higher and higher. She didn''t know where this dirty vase came from, but it was actually selling for 10 taels of silver.


    At this moment, two of the younger ones came out of the mountain and dug out a sack of stuff. The crowd gathered around them and asked where they had dug it up, but the two did not say anything to them, they said: "If you want it, I will sell it to you cheap, but if it''s not worth to buy it, we will not care."


    Ling Chaofeng and the Xiaowan were gradually pushed away by the crowd, and the bidding grounds were bustling with noise and excitement. In less than an hour, all of the items in the gunny sack had been separated.


    From their words, they knew that the antique dealer had received the goods in the morning and returned temporarily. He said that he didn''t have enough money with him and would bring back a batch of items first. He would bring enough money in the morning of the day after tomorrow. Not only was it said that there were more treasures than they had imagined, the villagers were also warning them to not spread any more information to the outside world. Otherwise, if more and more people were to dig up treasures, they would not be able to earn any more money.


    Xiaowan felt that things were going crazy, but the villagers'' enthusiasm increased greatly. It was already sunset today, and there were still people walking around the mountain with lanterns and torches.


    But there was always someone who could dig it up, and that was a pile. Others, such as Madam Xu and the others, walked around the mountain for a few days, but could not even find a single decent brick.


    Xiaowan and Susu were drying themselves in front of the door. She said: "I heard from them the other day, those who are coming to pick up the goods this morning, they are probably all waiting to sell."


    Susu sighed: "How can it be so easy to earn money, Da Qing and I don''t believe it."


    Xiaowan snickered: "You and Da Qing, why are you not going along with me?"


    Susu came up and pinched her waist: "You only know how to bully me."


    However, Xiaowan happily said: "I will wait until I marry you, then marry Miss Meng back, then that will be perfect."


    Susu shyly replied as she lowered her eyes, "On the contrary, I''m not in a hurry right now. It''s already pretty good right now."


    After they finished drying their blankets, they just happened to see Da Qing pulling a cart from the pier, with a customer asking him to deliver the goods, so they did not greet him. The Xiaowan said that she would call Da Qing in to eat lunch when she returned home, before leaving.


    It was already noon, and as expected, Da Qing rushed back with an empty carriage. They were by the side of the road, and Da Qing got off the car and said: "It''s not good, the town''s full of people. I heard from them that the antiques merchants said that they would come today, but they did not see anyone."


    Xiaowan remembered what her husband had told her the other day, that the antique dealer would definitely not appear the day after tomorrow. She immediately ran back to look for Ling Chaofeng and told him emotionally, "Hubby, those two antique merchants really did not come."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "They will never come again, this is just a facade. I wonder if there will be more things appearing in a few days."


    "What is it?" Xiaowan asked.


    "These days, every family has come to dig the mountain and every village is empty. What do you think?" Ling Chaofeng sighed, "When they come to their senses, I wonder if the gold and silver hidden in their homes are still there."


    When Xiaowan heard this, she trembled with fear. She was smart and asked, "There are more than one or two people there, isn''t it a bunch of swindlers and thieves?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "The ones who are stirring up a ruckus, raising prices, bragging, are all in the same group."


    Xiaowan asked, "Since you can see it, why did you ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng looked up at her quietly: "We are an inn, not a yamen. If you do what you need to do with the county magistrate, the county magistrate will not thank you.


    Xiaowan sighed heavily: "Pity those commoners, it''s fine if they were cheated, but if the money hidden in their families were to be taken away, they would have no reserves left in their entire lives."


    "Therefore, the human heart cannot be greedy." Ling Chaofeng smiled, "Late at night, you are not greedy, I am at ease."


    Xiaowan muttered, "With you, I don''t dare to think of anything else. With you, I''m afraid the heavens would suddenly think of giving me too much, so I want to take some back."


    Ling Chaofeng said in annoyance: "How could that be? I''ll be guarding you for the rest of my life."


    After another night, this matter had become unavoidable. The antique dealer had disappeared without a trace. Some villagers discovered that the young people who could be dug up and then sold down the mountain were not from your village, nor from our village, but from some unknown place. At the same time, they had also disappeared.


    Only at this point did some people wake up from their stupor. They had been deceived.


    The villagers who had gathered at the entrance of the town to wait for the antique dealer to return home one by one. Although not every family had their doors broken, the families that had been stolen had no trace of them at all, and had stolen all their tightly hidden silver and copper coins.


    Within the Qingling Village, the Madam Xu''s wails shook the heavens. Everyone gathered around, only to see that she was holding onto the empty jar and sitting at the door, bawling loudly. The silver she had hidden under the stove was all gone.


    Wen Bao and Wen Juan hid in the corner. The day before, when Wen Bao was taking care of the house, he ran out to play. In the end, the brother and sister took care of the house together, and also ran out to play. Madam Xu hated them to the point that she wanted to strangle his children to death, but even if she strangled them to death now, she wouldn''t be able to get the money back.


    "Let''s go report to the officials. The Lee family at the village entrance has also been stolen. They were still enjoying themselves a few days ago, but now there''s nothing left." The villagers talked amongst themselves. They must have stolen all of Xiaowan''s one hundred taels of silver.


    In front of the Baisha Town yamen, there had never been so many people gathered. The Baisha County governed over all the villages, so if anything happened, they naturally had to look for their parents. Fast Catcher was already extremely anxious, he closed the yamen''s doors and went into hiding.


    The county magistrate paced back and forth in the lobby, and those who went down to investigate came back saying that there was no trace of the swindlers. He didn''t know where they came from, nor did he know where they had gone.


    "What should we do? How could such a big thing happen? My lord, I have truly met with great misfortune."


    The county magistrate was extremely anxious. A few days ago, the Grand Master had mentioned that he should wake up, but he felt that it wasn''t a big deal. Who knew that the moment he woke up, the sky would change. If he tried to poke his way up and investigate his dereliction of duty, he might even end up in jail if he failed to become an official that donated money.


    "Master, master." Seeing the servant rush over, he frowned, "What now? What happened again?"


    "Boss Yue from Siyun Pavilion, tell me her injuries have recovered. Please come and have a seat in the shop." The servant replied.


    Right now, it was not the time to ask about flowers and ask about the warmth of the village. The county magistrate angrily said, "Do you think I''m in the mood to see her now?"


    The Grand Master said, "Your excellency, the outside world is completely sealed off from the outside world. It would not be good if those commoners were to barge in. Why don''t you go hide somewhere else for now?"


    He grabbed the Grand Master''s collar and asked, "Can this matter be resolved?"


    The Grand Master helplessly said, "Unless we catch the thief."


    Compared to the chaotic scene outside the yamen, the Siyun Pavilion at this moment was completely deserted. Most of the shop assistants had left, only leaving a few homeless people behind, they stayed by her side. Yue Huaiyin, on the other hand, did not treat those who left unfairly and gave them a huge sum of money, hoping that they would stay somewhere else and not mention the things here.


    "Huai Yin." In the end, the county magistrate had come sneaking over to touch her hand as soon as they met. "Have you recovered from your injuries?"


    "Thank you for your concern, my injuries have all healed, but the medicine sent by my master is the most effective." Yue Huaiyin was blessed by him. The person that she would never put in her eyes, was the one that could make her stand firm in the Baisha Town. This county magistrate was a fool, and a pervert.


    "Tell the old master to take a look, I am worried." As the county magistrate spoke, he reached out to touch her buttocks. Yue Huaiyin blocked and said, "Master, I heard from my servant that the town has not been peaceful for the past few days. Can I help you share your worries?"


    The county magistrate sighed as he pulled her down to sit. Yue Huaiyin helped him pack his cigarettes, and said after listening, "This kind of scam has happened in many other places as well. Those hateful people came and went without a trace.


    "If I had listened to Grand Master a long time ago, I wouldn''t have ¡­" The county magistrate was filled with regret as he squinted his eyes at Yue Huaiyin, "Master, if anything happens to me, I won''t be able to protect you in the future."


    Once upon a time, that person kept calling her Huai Yin and keeping it in her heart. She had given everything she had to that person, but he had abandoned her. But Yue Huaiyin did not blame him, because she knew from the very beginning that he was not going to be able to control herself. For at least fifteen years, she had been loved.


    But she hated, hated another person, and trampled on her feelings alive.


    "I heard that the Manager Ling s with Ling Xiao Inn have quite a bit of prestige in the martial arts world. Think about it, those people must be hiding from the officials. If you go out to arrest them, you won''t be able to do so. "Since the officials have already sent them away, they will have to leave through the streets to meet the higher ups."


    Yue Huaiyin passed the tea to the county magistrate and said gently, "Old master, why don''t you send a message to Ling Chaofeng and have him think of a way to look for you? He is also a merchant in the Baisha Town and has received kindness from the yamen.


    The county magistrate frowned. "Is that alright?"


    Yue Huaiyin said: "Then you can go to the yamen and tell the people that you have captured the thief within three days, and similarly, give Ling Chaofeng three days. No matter what, you have to ask him to give an explanation, or else, those people would hide the treasure in the mountain over at the inn, who knows, maybe they are together?"


    The county magistrate waved his hand and said, "I heard Prefect say that we cannot touch Ling Xiao Inn."


    Yue Huaiyin said: "You cannot touch it, but the commoners who lost their money have long had their eyes turn red."


    The county magistrate''s hand followed Yue Huaiyin''s sleeves and touched it. Her skin was as smooth and smooth as jade.


    In the afternoon, a group of Fast Catcher came. They wanted Ling Chaofeng to go to the yamen, so they said very openly: "You guys naturally have to take responsibility for the things that the swindlers have buried near the inn."

 C86

    Xiaowan was no longer as afraid as she was in the past. She could make the county magistrate lose his mind for once and that would make him lose his mind for the rest of his life. It was just that he was confused as to what the county magistrate was thinking and could take anything from Ling Chaofeng.


    "Husband, I''ll wait for your return." The Xiaowan was more and more calm, this made Ling Chaofeng very pleased, and he smiled at her indifferently, "I''ll be back soon."


    When they left, Susu saw that nobody was nervous, especially the Xiaowan. She didn''t dare show her face, so she quietly accompanied the Xiaowan and waited together.


    When Ling Chaofeng arrived at the town''s yamen, the county magistrate was already standing in front of the yamen as he shouted loudly. He said that within three days he would definitely give an explanation to all the villagers, and hearing that, Ling Chaofeng had a plan in his mind.


    He placed the blame on Ling Chaofeng, saying that if his underworld path was open, there must be a way for him to find out more about those people, and allowed him to hand over the clues of the thieves within three days, if possible, he could capture them immediately.


    While they were talking, Master had already registered the names of all the victims. The dozens of families who had been cheated for buying antiques had suffered a loss of five hundred silver taels. The county magistrate frowned.


    The Grand Master said, "But in the past two days, hundreds of families have been robbed. Each family has their own coffins, some hundreds of silver taels, some even dozens of silver taels. They are all crying and crying because they want you to be the judge for them."


    Unexpectedly, that county magistrate snorted lightly. "I didn''t expect that in this small county, the families of the commoners would be rich, no wonder the Prefect Liang was so angry at me. When he was serving as the county magistrate, he was always trying to get something out of it."


    Ling Chaofeng listened on the side with an indifferent expression, while the Grand Master used all his strength to give the county magistrate a look, reminding him to be careful with his words.


    The county magistrate then said coldly, "I''ve instructed you to take care of this matter. You will be taking care of it now, since this inn is in charge of my Baisha Town and is protected by the yamen. Now is the time for you to repay my gratitude."


    Master was very polite, he went up and said: "Manager Ling, if there is anything you need assistance with, just tell me."


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "Three days later, this little one will see Master again."


    The county magistrate waved his hands, telling him to investigate the case as soon as possible.


    When Ling Chaofeng walked out of the main entrance, a large majority of the people had already left. Just now, the place was extremely crowded, it was possible that in three days, this group of people would barge into the Ling Xiao Inn with jealousy, and they could tear down the inn.


    Although the county magistrate did not say it out loud, his goal must be the inn. If he could not catch the thief, he would treat the inn as his accomplice, and the Prefect Liang would naturally not allow him to do so.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed coldly, this idiot, how did he suddenly become enlightened, could it be that someone was giving him some advice from behind the scenes, was it the Grand Master, or was it ¡­


    "Manager Ling!" Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice, and it was also the voice that Ling Chaofeng loathed. Seeing Madam Xu running out from the crowd, when she saw her, she was surprised.


    It was as if he had aged ten years in just a few days, and no longer had the aura of acuteness. When he saw Ling Chaofeng, he cried and wailed, "Our family has been robbed, Xiaowan''s betrothal gift has been stolen, Xiaowan''s father''s savings from so many years of work has been gone as well ¡­"


    She sobbed and pleaded, "Manager Ling, I beg you, you have seen too much. Do you know how to catch a thief? Without money, what will our future be like? Xiaowan''s twin brothers and sisters are going to starve to death ¡­ "


    The pity was pitiful, but Ling Chaofeng didn''t have that much sympathy to give to her. He indifferently looked and listened, and after seeing that Madam Xu had finished crying, he took care of himself and left.


    "Aiya, I''m not going to live anymore ¡­" Madam Xu sat on the ground as she cried out, "You beast of the Heavenly Demon Realm, how am I going to live if you steal my money ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng had already left. The yamen runners had come to drive away the remaining commoners, so it was naturally intolerable for Madam Xu to do this. No matter how spicy she was, she was afraid of the board that was in yamen runner''s hands.


    Madam Xu cried as she dragged her legs weakly. Suddenly, someone stopped her.


    Inside the tavern, Susu was looking around. When she saw the shopkeeper, she immediately shouted to the Xiaowan: "The shopkeeper is back."


    Although she was no longer afraid, how could she not think about her husband? She quickly rushed forward and tightly hugged him.


    "Idiot, Susu should be laughing at you." Ling Chaofeng took a whiff of the fragrance coming from Xiaowan''s hair and hugged her, "If you reply in such a way, then I won''t dare to go out anymore."


    "That''s not the same." Xiaowan touched Ling Chaofeng''s body, "They didn''t do anything to you, right?"


    "I''m fine. No one can hurt me."


    Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan back to the inn, and the whole family sat down to discuss it.


    How could this be accomplished within three days? Those scammers had already gone missing for two days, and there was still a two days'' journey to go.


    The Uncle Biao said hatefully: This unconscious official, even if this matter passes, I''m afraid that he will have more things to deal with in the future.


    Susu looked at everyone in fear. Xiaowan had told her before that there was nothing much to be afraid of when she came to the inn to work, but she was afraid that something bad would happen someday. A few days ago, when the mountain was full of people, they were still watching the commotion, but it suddenly became their problem.


    It really didn''t make sense.


    "No matter what, I have to think of a way. If it doesn''t work out, we will pay the villagers." Ling Chaofeng said, "I heard it at the yamen. Three thousand silver taels are prepared, it should be enough."


    Susu''s eyes widened, three thousand taels of silver was a gigantic sum of money. Even in the capital, selling off her previous family and her house was not even worth three thousand taels, and many of the rich and powerful families in the capital were living off the salary of the imperial government.


    But in this small tavern, Manager Ling was actually able to take out three thousand taels of silver in one go.


    Susu raised her head and looked over the entire inn again.


    Aunt Zhang said angrily: "This idiot did not do anything, he threw the blame onto us, not to mention three thousand gold, he wouldn''t even give us three coins."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "He''s not stupid this time, he knows he can''t go against me openly, but the angered citizens are not to be trifled with, as long as he incites his fellow villagers to come at us with anger, he can rest easy. "Our reputation was not good to begin with. Everyone here believes in us."


    The atmosphere in the shop was heavy, the Xiaowan sat by the side in silence, Susu seeing her like this, did not dare to casually interrupt.


    Ling Chaofeng, on the other hand, was very calm. He first warned Ershan to not meddle in other people''s business and to focus on studying in the house. He would invite Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang to watch the tavern. He would like to avoid entertaining guests for the next few days, and only open the door to do business after the commotion had passed.


    Then he said to Susu: "Maybe one day the villagers will come over. You can stay at home for the next few days and don''t have to come to work. In a few days, Xiaowan will naturally come to notify you."


    Susu pursed her lips and did not utter a word, only the shopkeeper saying to Xiaowan: "Tomorrow, let''s go out together and think of a way."


    Xiaowan nodded, but asked: "Is there any way?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "They should be planning to move on to another location, let''s go further away and ask."


    The Aunt Zhang was so mad that she slammed the table and said, "It''s only been a few decades since the Daqi and the local officials have already started to do whatever they want. Are they preparing to go down in the country if they don''t get more than three generations? "


    Xiaowan was a country girl who had never thought of saying such disrespectful words before, but Susu had stayed in the capital before, and when he heard her, she became even more frightened. How could she know the origin of Aunt Zhang?


    The Aunt Zhang was afraid that it would scare the children and left angrily.


    Uncle Biao said, "No matter how angry you are, you have to eat. I''ll go cook for you guys and when you''re full, I''ll take the Pig Slaughtering Knife and sit in front of the door. I''ll see who dares to cause trouble."


    On the way home, Susu said what she had to say and Da Qing said angrily: "This new county magistrate really isn''t anything good. You know, he is still taxing at the pier, not even sparing our pitiful wages."


    Susu sighed: "The shopkeeper told me not to go to the shop for the next few days, he was afraid that the villagers would cause trouble and hurt me, but I cannot hide, I am also a part of the inn, I still need to go, tomorrow morning, come and pick me up, alright?"


    Da Qing quickly agreed and said: "I won''t be going to the pier tomorrow. These few days, I will be staying at the inn too.


    Susu''s heart grew hot, she took out a handkerchief and handed it over: "The sky isn''t hot yet, look at the sweat on your head, wipe it."


    Da Qing did not dare to accept it, and casually wiped it with his sleeves: "Your handkerchief is so clean, do not let me dirty it."


    Susu could not help but pout, and threw the handkerchief at him: "A handkerchief is used to wipe the skin, if not it would be used for nothing, you can just wash it and give it back to me."


    Da Qing laughed and kept the handkerchief.


    As they talked, they quickly returned to the village. The majority of the Baisha Village were for women and children, and those who were deceived and left empty doors were more than any other village. At this hour, there were very few people who cooked, the children were crying from hunger, Auntie Chen made some bread and sent it from house to house.


    As the night fell and the inn closed, Ling Chaofeng suddenly realized that the Xiaowan was not in front of him.


    Ling Chaofeng walked up the stairs and pushed the door open. Seeing that Xiaowan had stood up from the window, and seemed to be kneeling down there, young lady''s expression was relaxed, his eyes shining brightly, it made him feel at ease.


    "What are you doing?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "Nothing." Xiaowan placed her hands behind her back and shook her body. She gently stroked the Jade Ring on her right hand.


    Ling Chaofeng looked at her curiously. "Are you making a wish to the heavens?"


    Xiaowan ignored him. "Don''t ask, don''t ask."


    It was a peaceful night, and on the morning of the next day, Da Qing and Susu left the house before daybreak. They wanted to protect their Ling Xiao Inn, but the moment the carriage arrived at the door, it frightened them all.


    "Shopkeeper ¡­ Shopkeeper ¡­" Xiaowan was still dreaming when she was awakened by the commotion downstairs.

 C87

    Xiaowan opened his eyes, jumped up from the bed and rushed towards the door, wanting to see if her wish had been fulfilled. Ling Chaofeng grabbed her and said: "You''re just going to run out like this?"


    She leaned against the window and looked down. Indeed ¡­


    The couple quickly dressed up. When they went downstairs, Ershan and the others also came out, opening the shop door, only to see ten or so people lying on the ground in front of the inn. Susu was afraid and hid behind Da Qing, while Da Qing used his leg to touch the people lying on the ground, causing them to be unconscious.


    "Xiaowan, take a look, isn''t that the customer who stayed at our store last time? And that person, he was the one who collected the antiques at the town''s entrance." Susu ran over and said excitedly, "We just arrived here and they''re lying on the ground. We don''t even know where they came from."


    Ling Chaofeng went forward and checked, and sure enough, the two guests from before were there as well. Although they had their eyes closed, they could still recognize them, there were antiques people from the town, some were selling antiques in the mountains, and some were trying to raise the price.


    Xiaowan ran to the stable and shouted, "Master, come and see."


    Everyone followed the horse and saw a heavy chest placed at the foot of the horse. Inside the chest, there were all kinds of money bags. The amount of silver in each bag varied, it must be the money they stole from breaking in the gates.


    Aunt Zhang looked around, and Amitabha recited, "Is this Bodhisattva showing his power, or a hero secretly helping out? How could there be such a good thing in the world?"


    Everyone was very happy, the Xiaowan even more so, proudly opened a purse, weighed the silver ingot in it, and said, "This time the unconscious official has nothing to say."


    Ling Chaofeng was looking at her silently. The others seemed to be happy, and did not realize, why did Xiaowan know that there was such a box in the stable. And what did she say last night when she was kneeling in front of the window? She had just woken up, as if he knew what could have happened, and was so excited that she was about to run out and see.


    "Shopkeeper, should we send it to the yamen or sell it to the slave traders?" Uncle Biao asked.


    "Let me think. First, tie them up tightly and pile them in the backyard. Don''t let anyone see them." After Ling Chaofeng finished, he went upstairs alone.


    Xiaowan followed along as she said happily, "Hubby, let''s see how they will make things difficult for you now."


    Ling Chaofeng was inexplicably serious. "Could it be that Bodhisattva has appeared, or a friend from the underworld is helping me? This is a story for the future. I have to think about how to deal with the County Magistrate now."


    Xiaowan was a little guilty, afraid that Ling Chaofeng would see through her. Furthermore, she was too excited just now. If Master asked her what to do, if she could not tell him clearly, could it be that he had to tell him about the Jade Ring''s magic? That would not do, she still wanted to keep this ring.


    She made up her mind. No matter what, she would pretend not to know.


    "Late." Ling Chaofeng stopped and looked at his wife deeply.


    "Hmm?" Xiaowan tried her best to look fine.


    Ling Chaofeng frowned, looking at his wife''s beautiful face in front of him. He suddenly felt that he had gone too far.


    Maybe it was because of his curiosity that Xiaowan saw the boxes in the stable or because she really made a wish to the heavens and thought that she could do it. She was always so lively, and anything was worth being happy for a while.


    He was the most clear about the background of the Xiaowan s, and that was all.


    Ling Chaofeng''s vision went blank, and that strange feeling ran away again. It was just that every time it happened, it would happen in an instant. But in an instant, he felt nothing and returned to normal. He would not think about what was going on after this feeling passed.


    Moreover, at this moment, he felt that his wild imagination had let down the Xiaowan.


    "I''m hungry, hurry up and get the Uncle Biao to make breakfast." Ling Chaofeng said, "We will discuss on how to handle this matter."


    The Xiaowan heaved a sigh of relief and ran downstairs happily, yelling, "Uncle Biao, I want to eat noodles."


    Uncle Biao entered the kitchen, and in a few breaths, he fried a bowl of soy sauce and noodles. He cut the cucumber shredded onion, and with the green bean soup that he cooked last night, the whole family was completely full.


    Xiaowan rubbed her stomach as she went to the backyard and took a look, but she still couldn''t wake them up. Naturally, this was all thanks to her.


    When everyone was discussing the arrangements for the next few days, Xiaowan was filled with thoughts on how to make a wish with the Jade Ring.


    She had to consider whether these people would be able to see the people here after they were "captured", and what she would do if something went wrong and someone ran away or the county magistrate let them go.


    Thus, Xiaowan carefully thought through the details of this matter in her mind and made her wish in one breath. For example, these people were still unconscious, so when this matter was resolved, they would naturally wake up.


    Right now, she would not change Susu and Auntie Chen onto the wharf, and did not know what to do next. Xiaowan also felt more and more that the owner of her storage ring must be extremely powerful.


    Although she often wondered if it was all a dream, such as this moment, where she was in a dream.


    But everything around him was real, there was nothing to doubt. The food that Uncle Biao cooked was so delicious, every bite was eaten well, how could it be a dream?


    "Late." Ling Chaofeng called her over and told his to sit back down, and the whole family listened quietly, "If I send him to the yamen now, it will indeed solve the problem of Zhixian making things difficult for us, but he seems to have a few clever people by his side, who might not necessarily persuade him to continue making things difficult for us. Firstly, not to mention one night, even if it was three days, it still shouldn''t be something an ordinary person could do. There must be something amiss, he wanted to ask us why, but right now we don''t know either. If he were to bite back and say that we are accomplices, how are we to get out of it? "


    Xiaowan was very serious when she heard this. Hubby was hubby, she thought that she had thought through everything carefully, there were still loopholes.


    Ling Chaofeng continued to speak, "Secondly, even if he believes that we have nothing to do with these people, he would still think that we are so nimble and capable, and that we are truly capable. Then, the next time we meet some trouble, he will do the same thing and look for trouble with us.


    The Aunt Zhang said: "This time, the most important thing is to not let him incite the villagers to make trouble for us. Next time, we will ask Lord Liang to step in and tell this unconscious official to scram as soon as possible."


    Ling Chaofeng sighed lightly: "I have thought about it too, but Lord Tang sent a letter, telling me to endure it a little. His official donation involved some favor, so now is not the time for him to scram."


    The Aunt Zhang scoffed, "Could it be that the new monarch only has this bit of ability? The place is not safe, how can the country be safe?"


    Now was not the time to discuss the new ruler of the nation''s policy, so Ling Chaofeng naturally wouldn''t argue with Aunt Zhang. He calmly said: "We better think of a foolproof plan."


    Susu said from the side: "How about we just let them go with the plan and continue collecting the antiques at the town entrance. That way, at least the antique dealer is serious, it has nothing to do with us anymore. There might be someone else who is trying to barge through the gates. We will just refuse to admit it. "


    Xiaowan looked at Susu seriously. She felt that Susu was smarter than her.


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head, but said: "I have also thought about it, but if our antiques merchant is serious, then the next time they will be tricked, and if they change their name, and do the same thing, it will harm even more innocent people."


    Xiaowan nodded furiously, "Hubby is right."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I want to do this, and protect their lives. If you wake up, cover your eyes and cover your mouth, if you can''t hear or hear me, don''t say anything. Leave them here for three days. Three days later, I went to the yamen to beg for forgiveness, and on the fourth day, early in the morning, we found a way to transport them all to the yamen as we had done today. No matter who it was that did this good deed, this favor was conveniently given to the county magistrate. What do you think? "


    Everyone discussed their countermeasures carefully, including how they could secretly transport so many people to the yamen. In the end, they decided to do as Ling Chaofeng said, and try their best to get rid of this matter from them.


    Ershan then thought of one thing. "Shopkeeper, if the county magistrate were to spout nonsense during a trial and force them to say that we are partners, or if the county magistrate insists on forcing us to admit it, what should we do?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Although it is possible for him to do so, at that time the villagers would have already taken back their money, and wouldn''t have come all the way to make things difficult for the inn. From the very beginning, we weren''t afraid of the county magistrate, but of the villagers who were infuriating them. "


    When Xiaowan got excited, she casually said, "Don''t worry, I won''t."


    Everyone looked at her and only laughed at how simple her thoughts were. However, Ling Chaofeng''s heart thumped once again, but he did his best not to let his thoughts run wild.


    Naturally, Xiaowan had already made up her mind long ago. She would properly ask the ring to stop this matter from having anything to do with the inn.


    He didn''t expect Ling Chaofeng to really come empty-handed, and as if he had lost his mind and gone mad, he ignored Grand Master''s advice to be wary of the Prefect Liang and sent Ling Chaofeng to prison.


    And when he went to look for Yue Huaiyin in the Siyun Pavilion at night, even Yue Huaiyin found it strange that there was something that Ling Chaofeng was unable to do.


    But she quietly said, "Sir, there is so much gold and silver in the inn, why don''t we have him bring it out first to pacify the villagers?"


    The county magistrate, who slept soundly with his concubine in his arms, was woken up by a servant the next morning. He rushed to the entrance of the yamen to check, only to see ten people tied up and thrown in front of the door, along with a large box.


    At this moment, the villagers had already come to the yamen to wait for the county magistrate to respond. Seeing this scene, they all rushed out to inform him. Before the county magistrate could order people to carry the boxes in and count the money, the villagers had already flocked over.


    Zhixian had no choice but to endure the pain of the Grand Master''s death. According to the losses registered by each family, he would return them one by one and start another court case, ruthlessly punishing those swindlers and bringing honor to himself.


    Inside the Qingling Village, Madam Xu was humming a song as she cooked rice porridge for the children. The two kids didn''t need to shout today, they just crawled back up themselves.


    She smiled and said, "It''s not fragrant at all. This is the best kind of rice. Mom hasn''t even eaten it a few times before."


    He then saw the Aunt Wang next door rushing over from the village entrance, and shouted at her: "Wen Bao''s mother, you''ve sent the money, the yamen has sent the money, quickly go and get it."

 C88

    In front of the Baisha Town yamen, the villagers who were tricked and stolen stood in line, not only did they take back the money they were tricked about, the money they had stolen from others was even the same. Without waiting for the Grand Master to flip through the records, they all pointed to their own money bags and excitedly said: "It''s that, it''s that."


    Although the magistrate was angry and could not get some out of it, he still stood at the side proudly. Every citizen who had received money came to kowtow to him and thank him for his kindness, to praise the Old Master for knowing that he was still alive.


    Master also told him that after breaking such a big case, he might even be able to get a reward from the Emperor. If that was the case, in the future, he would be able to stand up straight in front of the Prefect Liang.


    When it was finally her turn, her sharp eyes caught sight of her own money bag. The money she had painstakingly saved up came back, and she held it in her arms, heavy, afraid that someone would take it away from her, so she forcefully dragged Aunt Wang over. Luckily, she was able to take care of him on the way here.


    "Let''s hire a donkey cart." The Aunt Wang said, "Don''t run into robbers on the way back."


    "Pei pei pei! So many people are hiding money, why must you try to rob me?" Madam Xu snorted, she turned her eyeballs and said, "No, I want to go to Siyun Pavilion."


    When Aunt Wang asked her what she was doing, she told him everything that had happened that day.


    Originally, when she was with others that day, she had come to beg the county magistrate for justice. However, after meeting Ling Chaofeng and complaining about nothing, she was stopped on her way home. It was a servant girl from the Siyun Pavilion who brought her to the Rouge Shop.


    Madam Xu had long heard of the matter of Yue Huaiyin being the beauty of the capital city, the fact that she was almost beaten to death by the noble woman. Madam Xu also knew that the Rouge Shop was a dangerous place, and had never planned to have anything to do with it again.


    But that day, she was crying until her head was spinning, when she smelled the fragrance that woke her up, she drank a mouthful of the sweet and hot tea, her heart warmed up, and ignored those things. She then cried together with Yue Huaiyin, saying that all the money she painstakingly saved had all been stolen.


    Unexpectedly, Yue Huaiyin immediately took out 50 silver and gave it to her, saying that she should first take out the money she had lost to spend at home. After a few days, she would gather some and give it to her. She also gave her a bag of rice and two bags of dry goods, telling her to go home and cook for the children.


    Madam Xu said, "Although she has yet to give me the remaining silver, but since she has already spoken, I guess she will not be relying on me. My heart is at ease now, otherwise, I might not be able to live for the next few days."


    Aunt Wang curled her lips and laughed dryly. It seems like others should give it to him.


    Of course the Madam Xu was not polite, she even became smarter as she hugged the silver in her arms and said: "Then since Miss Yue is so generous, I cannot let her think that I am a greedy person. I will go and return the fifty silver taels to her now, we will definitely have endless benefits from now on. "Her sister-in-law, come with me and get to know each other. If there''s something good about me, there''s naturally something good about you. It doesn''t matter whether your mother is a girl or not, even if people are dirty, there''s no money that is dirty in this world."


    As they spoke, they reached the Rouge Shop. Coincidentally, Yue Huaiyin had something on the shelf, and when he saw them come, he took a few boxes of rouge powder and passed them over.


    The Madam Xu pretended to give her back the fifty silver, but she turned around and gave the Madam Xu another bag of silver, and gently said: "I am going to have a fight with the sisters, her family matters are naturally my matters, don''t be so polite, Aunt. Although the money is back, it''s a pity that you''re scared, take it to buy some tonics, then buy some food for the children to cheer them up."


    The Madam Xu was dazed for a moment. How was this Miss Yue a girl? She must be the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Yin. How could there be such a good person in this world. In comparison, Mu Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng who knew that their home was stolen and could not live anymore were simply worse than beasts.


    "However ¡­" "I presume Aunt and Aunt also know about what happened a few days ago, so I won''t say much. But if you guys don''t understand, I won''t force it."


    Madam Xu continued, "That wicked woman, she can''t control men. She''ll only bully the weak. Even though I haven''t seen her, she must be an ugly woman with a fierce face. Someone like her should just wait to go to hell. "


    Yue Huaiyin laughed bitterly and said: "Let''s not talk about that, but because of this matter, Xiaowan and I had a misunderstanding. We can''t be sisters anymore, I don''t want to make her feel bad and force her. You are the mother of Xiaowan, and in my eyes, you are also my mother. I just hope that if you don''t mind, you can come visit me later on, and I can have half a family here too. "


    Madam Xu and Aunt Wang looked at each other, and she scolded: "That little bitch Mu Xiaowan, she really isn''t a thing. Miss Yue, to tell you the truth, don''t miss her. She doesn''t even care about me, her mother, because someone poured water on her. Miss Yue, from now on, we will often come to chat with you to relieve our boredom. If there is anything that you can''t handle in the shop, just say it, and even if you put down your work in the fields, we will come to help you. "


    Yue Huaiyin bowed slightly with a smile: "I am really happy with what you have said."


    Madam Xu and Aunt Wang looked at each other, their eyes filled with happiness and satisfaction. They had brought some money with them and wanted to return home earlier, but Yue Huaiyin had even specially sent a servant to escort them.


    As for Ling Chaofeng, he was only released by the county magistrate in the afternoon. What was laughable was that the county magistrate actually didn''t remember that he had imprisoned Ling Chaofeng before, he only remembered that he had gotten angry and was talking to Yue Huaiyin about it, but no matter how the master reminded him, he couldn''t remember that he had locked Ling Chaofeng up.


    That was only natural, because Ling Chaofeng had said that it would be best if he went to the prison, only then would it prove that he was not the one who sent the person to the yamen. Although this was just a mention by Hubby, the Xiaowan was already satisfied. It was a piece of cake for the county magistrate to "lose his mind".


    Although this matter was very strange, Ling Chaofeng still could not let go of the fact that someone was secretly helping him, but in the end, it was still satisfactory. If he really had asked the county magistrate to incite the villagers to cause trouble at the inn, he would not be able to handle it, after all, they were all innocent people who had been forced to despair.


    When she returned to the tavern, Xiaowan was already waiting in front of the door. After boiling the hot water, she dragged his master into the bathroom and thoroughly cleaned him.


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He said that even his skin was about to be rubbed off by Xiaowan, but young lady said that after all, he had sat in prison for an entire night.


    "Speaking of which, about the Qingling Village, do you want to take a look?" Ling Chaofeng said, "But since you have returned the silver, you should take back your family''s money."


    Xiaowan said, "Then there''s no need to worry, when my father comes back in the summer, I will give him some more." Xiaowan was still cold and detached, and didn''t forget to reply, "Of course, this is all money earned by my husband."


    Ling Chaofeng pulled her arm, but the Xiaowan did not take off her clothes, her clothes were already wet.


    He said, "You take care of me all day long and work in the shop. You share the happiness, anger, and sorrow with me. No matter how much money we earn in the future, it will all be earned by us. You can spend anything you want, okay? "


    "I know, I know." Xiaowan pouted. "But where are you going to put your hands? Manager Ling, it''s not dark yet."


    They were warm for a moment, after washing up and coming out, Uncle Biao cooked a lot of food, the whole family sat around, and waited for Da Qing to come over, and ate their meal happily.


    Xiaowan had thought it through. Before they set off, she would make a wish, which was that during those two days, no one was allowed to go near the inn, not even a fly was allowed to fly in.


    The night gradually grew darker, and Baisha Town and the surrounding villages, which had been restless for the past few days, finally returned to their former tranquility.


    Although this time, every family had revealed their family background, this place was not considered to be destitute, and the Daqi Nation was rich and powerful. In a place with abundant water and soil, it was only right for the citizens to have some personal belongings.


    But since he couldn''t earn a sum from the villagers, the county magistrate felt uneasy in his heart.


    The man behind her had finally disarmed and was panting on the bed. Yue Huaiyin stood up indifferently to clean up her body.


    She was disgusted by the random gesture of his hand, but she treated him gently as soon as he turned his face away. This ability to change one''s face was something that everyone knew about. Whatever a man liked, she could transform into. It was something that was carved into his very bones.


    "Huaiyin, follow the old master from now on and you won''t dare to be bullied by anyone else." "You don''t have to be afraid of my family, either. I will keep my word at home, and if you are willing, it won''t be difficult for me to marry you."


    The familiar words that came out of her mouth made her feel nauseous. However, every word that came out of Jianshi''s mouth was like pearl jade. It was the purest and most beautiful feeling she had in her heart.


    Now, even if there was no one else, it would not be anyone''s turn to trample on him. What right did Ling Chaofeng have, what right did he have.


    "Huaiyin, are you willing to go to the Old Master''s Mansion and be an aunt?" He sat up and took her in his arms. "Master will be able to love you fair and square from now on."


    Yue Huaiyin''s eyes wavered as she gently said, "Master, a wife is never as good as a concubine. A concubine is never as good as a prostitute. This servant loves you to come here secretly, it''s good that we came here secretly. "


    Zhixian laughed and kissed her again and again. "Truly a heart''s flesh."


    Yue Huaiyin said: "Master, I just want to open a makeup shop and live a good life. I can serve you well and not ask for anything else. However, the people of the town all hate me. If someone comes to bully me in the future, I hope that you can protect Huai Yin. "


    "Do I need you to say such a small thing?" The magistrate snorted, "In a few days, I will carry over a few other makeup shops, I will make sure that the women have no place to buy them, and all of them will come to you."


    Yue Huaiyin laughed but did not say a word, she turned her face away, endured the disgust, and continued to rest.


    She wanted to live on here. Only by living on, would she be able to get the Crest of Man back. Only then, would she be able to look after Ling Chaofeng and Mu Xiaowan and reap the consequences.


    In a blink of an eye, it was the fifth day of May. The entire Daqi Nation was filled with excitement, the two horse carriages steadily rushed over, Susu and Xiaowan lifted the curtain, laughing and looking at the scenery on the streets.


    The Xiaowan asked Susu: "I used to think that Baisha Town was very lively. Only after coming here did I realize that I have less experience, but Li Prefecture are already like this, could it be that the capital is even more lively than Li Prefecture? How are people in the capital supposed to get through the afternoon? "


    Susu laughed: "The customs are about right, but the streets are wider, the buildings taller, and there are more people than here. There is even a majestic palace."


    She took out her purse and said to Xiaowan, "You have your birthday today, so I have brought all the money I have saved. Choose something you like and I will buy it for you."


    Xiaowan was startled, that''s right, she was about to have her birthday, it had been more than ten years since her birthday. Although she remembered which birthplace she was born into, she would wait until after every year, only then did she remember that she was already one year older.


    After getting off the carriage, the Xiaowan ran over to Ling Chaofeng''s side and asked, "Husband, when were you born?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Why did you ask this? Oh right, your birthday is coming."


    Xiaowan said, "That''s why I also want to know my husband''s birthday. We''ve been married for so long already, why haven''t we mentioned it?"


    Ling Chaofeng lightly patted her forehead. "You''re the one who''s stupid, you don''t remember, but I was picked up by my parents and they don''t know when I was born, so naturally it''s not a big deal if it''s just birthday.

 C89

    Although the Xiaowan knew that Ling Chaofeng was a child that had been picked up, she still treated him as a normal person''s child.


    After all, the deceased grandfather and mother-in-law had raised him as their biological son and had even passed all the blood and sweat of their lives to him to inherit. It was as if they could not tell that Susu and Auntie Chen were not their biological mother, and that the Xiaowan would never consider them as her stepmother''s children.


    "How about that? From today onwards, my husband and I will be having our birthdays together. We are born on the 27th of May, okay?" Xiaowan raised his smiling face, "This way, I can celebrate the birthday of your birthday with you."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: How do you plan on celebrating?


    In the past, when his younger brother and sister were having a birthday, Madam Xu would give them a bowl of noodles and lay down with an egg. Although Xiaowan had never eaten it before, but now that she had eaten it everyday, it was no longer strange for her to eat it.


    "I can''t think of any way I can if I can." Xiaowan asked.


    "That depends on what you want. Do you want the stars in the sky to be picked by me too?" Ling Chaofeng said deliberately, "You have to ask me first."


    "Stingy, even if you agree to my request, I can''t really make things difficult for you." Xiaowan wrinkled her nose at him.


    They walked along the market, and Susu called out to her. Ling Chaofeng then laughed: "Go, don''t run too far, if you''re separated, then stand in place and don''t move, I''m here for you."


    "I remember." The Xiaowan replied and ran over to Susu''s side, playing around with her. From time to time, she would turn her head to look at Ling Chaofeng and wave at him.


    After they bought a few things, they first went to the inn to rest. After eating lunch and bringing some fun and delicious food, Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan, Susu and the others to the Meng Manor to pay a visit.


    Mrs. Meng did not make things difficult for them, and very smoothly let them go to see Lian Yi. Originally, there were only five or six servants who were looking after Lian Yi. Even in the entire family, they might not be able to find so many servants.


    Xiaowan felt that Prefect Meng must have left some private property in front of him, but Lian Yi said that she would take it to return the bet to his brother.


    "My sister-in-law took the child back to her parents'' home." Lian Yi laughed bitterly, "My brother went to chase after him, but was left behind by his own family. He was just discussing how to be their son-in-law.


    Lian Yi recounted the changes in his family, but her expression was faint, not at all sad. She warned Xiaowan repeatedly: "I am only telling you what kind of situation my family is in, not crying and complaining about poverty with you, don''t misunderstand, and even more so, don''t help my brother. Although his nature isn''t too bad, he is lazy, and if you help him, he will definitely not improve."


    The Xiaowan said, "I will leave the silver with you. You can look at the flowers yourself, or you can even make up for it. Is that not okay?"


    Lian Yi shook her head and gave a wry smile, "My mother will definitely think of a way to give it to my brother. I would rather eat chaff with them than be used by them, to ruin your good intentions. Even if Ershan were to soar to greatness in the future, I would still have to think twice about taking care of them, not raise them for the rest of their lives. They are my biological brother, and not Ershan''s. "


    Xiaowan knew that Lian Yi was a girl who had her own ideas. Since she didn''t want money, it would only make things difficult for her if she forced it on him. However, Susu nudged her from the side and said softly, "Ershan is still waiting."


    Thus, they supported Lian Yi together. Her legs couldn''t even land on the ground, so she could still use her walking stick to barely walk. Then, they went to the courtyard outside the pavilion to sit.


    Ershan and Ling Chaofeng were originally waiting outside the courtyard door, but they still knew their limits and did not let Ershan directly rush into Miss''s room. Only when Lian Yi came out did they meet him in the courtyard, while and went to clean the bedroom for Lian Yi.


    At this moment, a gust of wind blew past and the flower petals gracefully landed on Ershan''s head. Lian Yi reached out to pick at the flower, but just as she was about to do so, Ershan grabbed onto her hand. She smiled sweetly. "What are you doing?"

 C90

    Ershan said: "I will go to the capital in July, maybe I will only be back in the autumn of next year. Lian Yi, you have to take good care of yourself and don''t let others bully you. If you are willing, you can move to an inn and stay in my house. "


    Lian Yi shook her head with a smile: "Don''t worry about me. No matter how weak my family, it''s still my responsibility. However, the future is for you. In the future, if you are rich and powerful, I will not let my mother become a burden or a burden to you.


    "Family ¡­" Ershan''s gaze darkened.


    "Are you unhappy about what I''ve said?" Seeing that his expression suddenly became gloomy, Lian Yi could not help but ask, "When was I wrong?"


    Ershan hurriedly shook his head: "What you said is very true, I only ¡­ I can''t bear to part with you. "


    Lian Yi laughed: "A year will pass quickly, we have to take care of ourselves, I will wait for your return."


    Ershan held her hand and gently kissed his delicate fingers. Lian Yi''s face immediately flushed red and he struggled a little.


    Susu and Xiaowan saw it from upstairs, laughing as they quickly retreated back into the house. Xiaowan mischievously asked Susu: "Has Da Qing ever held your hand before?"


    Susu glared at her: "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    The Xiaowan asked: "How are you guys doing?"


    Susu laughed: "He seems to be saving his money, it''s probably because of how much money he has to save that he dares to speak to me, I am not in a rush, when the time comes, it is naturally done, there is nothing left for me to wait for."


    Xiaowan held her cheek and said: "Both you and Lian Yi are so good. We first got to know each other, and then we fell in love.


    Susu replied: "You''re still not satisfied, the shopkeeper is such a good man, it''s hard to find another one like you. Even now, I am still hesitating on whether or not I should clearly explain this to Da Qing. If one day he hears it from someone else, if one day my darn big brother comes to find me, just think about it and my mother and I will be trembling. Xiaowan, even until now, I could not truly be at ease. If you say that you are envious of me, then you have truly failed to live up to the blessings the heavens had bestowed upon you. "


    Xiaowan took her hand and said, "Don''t be afraid, as long as your shopkeeper is here, there''s nothing he can''t do."


    Susu nodded her head, there was no need to worry about the things that had not happened, she laughed: "Our shopkeeper is truly powerful, who do you think was the one to kidnap all the scammers and send them to the inn?


    The Xiaowan did not make a sound as she ran to fold the blankets.


    In the past few days, his husband had been interviewing all over the place and asking about the origins of those swindlers. However, he still hadn''t found the person who had helped him in the dark. How could he know that the person who had helped him was by his side every day?


    Xiaowan was a little pleased but also a little uneasy. She thought about how she should not underestimate the divine power of Jade Ring, should she protect Ershan as the top scholar and make a wish? This miracle, would it disappear one day? Without the ring, the Xiaowan could not do anything, she reminded herself secretly, she could not rely too much on her.


    "Tell me, it must be the appearance of Bodhisattva." Susu mumbled to herself as she wiped the table and chairs clean, and said happily, "The shopkeeper''s person is kind and good, the heavens are unwilling to let him suffer such injustice. Wait a little longer, after Brother Ershan has finished his test and become a high ranking official, the darn county magistrate will be obedient."


    Mentioning that foolish county, Xiaowan remembered that the person at the grocery store on the street said that he was the one who had raised Yue Huaiyin. If that was true, then why did Yue Huaiyin insult him like that?


    Even though it was no longer related to them, Xiaowan still remembered when they first met, she was shocked by Yue Huaiyin''s beauty and thought of her as a fairy. In the Baisha River Pier, she didn''t hesitate to help either. In her heart, there were at least some good points.


    Even Susu suddenly remembered and unconsciously sighed, "At that time Yue Huaiyin told me in the carriage that women shouldn''t be so mean to themselves. She was so angry and excited, and said that she couldn''t help it. But now she has forgotten everything she said. "


    The Xiaowan said, "Master said that no one can stop her from changing her heart. But just where did she start?"


    Susu shook her head: "As she adored Shopkeeper and was infatuated with her former master, she has no hesitation to throw herself into his arms now. This person is truly strange."


    Xiaowan''s heart quivered. "Aunt once reminded me, if I were to purposely give birth to her, it might provoke her. Could it really be my fault?"


    The two of them had no solution. Xiaowan said angrily, "But why should I take responsibility for her? It''s too unreasonable."


    Susu advised her: "It''s all my fault. That''s why you owe her a favor.


    The Xiaowan laughed but did not say anything, she thought in her heart, if this continued, then there would be no end to it, and if she, Yue Huaiyin, did not come to Baisha Town, then everything would be fine.


    Her husband was right, just the grudge between her and the National Duke would have happened in other places.


    In the end, it was Yue Huaiyin herself who did not know how she could live well.


    "Never again." Xiaowan made her decision, "Susu, we will never mention about her again. The favor that we owe her, when you rushed over to save her that day, could be considered to be repaid."


    "Yes." Susu agreed, and laughed, "We will be going back tomorrow, you must remember to buy something for me to give to you, after we pass this village, there will be no such shop."


    Xiaowan actually had a wish that she really wanted to fulfill in her heart, but his husband had said that he had to ask him everything first. And regarding this matter, if he were to ask him, he would definitely shake her head.


    During the night, they went to visit the afternoon market in Li Prefecture, then returned to the tavern. Xiaowan was bathing in her room, Susu ran over to her room and calculated on what she would buy for Xiaowan as her birthday present.


    Aunt smiled and said, "Speaking of which, I really don''t know what I want. This child is neither greedy nor wasteful, so it''s easy for him to be satisfied."


    Susu thought back to every time she made a wish in the city temple. Although she had misunderstood the direction of her wish, it was still to the heart of Xiaowan, and quietly said to him: "What I wanted the most is a fat doll. She always wanted to give birth to a child for the shopkeeper, but she said that the shopkeeper is worried that her body is too weak, and needs to wait for another two years."


    Aunt Zhang said: "That''s true. I had originally reminded the shopkeeper, Xiaowan had suffered too much in the past and her health was not good. It''s not easy for a woman to have a child, and I''m afraid she won''t be able to bear it. "


    On the other side, in Ling Chaofeng''s and Xiaowan''s guest room, the young lady had already finished showering and was lying prone at the window enjoying the cool breeze.


    It was already the early summer. The people who came out of their baths were boiling hot. The gentle breeze caressed their faces, making them feel extremely uncomfortable.


    This inn was built right on the street, and it just so happened to be a festive occasion. The people downstairs were very lively, unlike their families who were standing in the wilderness. When night fell, the only sounds that could be heard were the barking of wild dogs and wild wolves.


    However, Xiaowan still liked his own inn, it was not too quiet, and it was not too lively. Every few days, it would not be tiring to do business, and everything was just right. And at night, even if there were wild wolves howling, she was not afraid at all while lying in her husband''s arms.


    Xiaowan touched the ring on her hand, thinking in her heart, If the Divine Buddha is willing to take away the ring, but to grant her and her husband a safe and sound life, she is willing, extremely willing.


    Someone knocked on the door. Ling Chaofeng, who went to visit a friend, had returned. Xiaowan ran over to open the door, and smiled brightly when she saw Ling Chaofeng.


    After a few more months, they would be married for an entire year. However, every day, it seemed as if their relationship had just started. No matter how hard they looked at each other, they just couldn''t get enough of each other. Ling Chaofeng held her, locked the door, and smelled her fragrance, and laughed: "New pancreas, so fragrant."


    "Does it smell good?" Xiaowan said, "Susu has also bought it, aiya, when you smell it later, what do you think of Susu as me?"


    "Nonsense." As Ling Chaofeng took off his clothes, he smiled and said, "Then you can give them all to Susu, don''t use them anymore.


    Ling Chaofeng also washed up, and the two sat by the window and watched the lights of the Li Prefecture together. Xiaowan took out a box of pine nut dumplings, wanting to give one to Hubby to eat.


    As a man, how could Ling Chaofeng love to eat these snacks? Xiaowan insisted on eating them, and the sweet taste melted into her mouth along with the fragrance of pine nuts. He smiled and said: "I remember now, I seem to have not eaten any more candy since leaving the capital."


    Xiaowan laughed and asked, "When Hubby was young, did he have a playmate?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head: "Beside our inn, is a cloth farm. Their family''s young lady, is the same age as me."


    Xiaowan suddenly raised her head, pouted her lips and glared at Ling Chaofeng: "Are you childhood friends?"


    Ling Chaofeng smiled and pulled her into his embrace. "You know about childhood sweethearts too?"


    Xiaowan muttered and asked softly: "Is she pretty?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head, "He''s beautiful, with big eyes. He''s very fond of smiling and being very mischievous. Before I went to school, we played together every day. Until after I went to school, I gradually lost any opportunity to meet his. After that, I followed my mother. "


    Xiaowan fiddled with the belt on Ling Chaofeng''s clothes and said indistinctly: "If you didn''t come to Baisha Town, would you have married that girl?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "I treated her as my younger sister, furthermore, she was still a child at that time, and they were just playmates together. How could I have imagined such a faraway matter?


    Xiaowan said, "If Mother doesn''t bring you to the Baisha Town, what should I do?


    "Yeah." Ling Chaofeng couldn''t help but say, "If I don''t come to Baisha Town, how would I be able to find you?"


    The Xiaowan looked at her in a daze, and Ling Chaofeng also found it strange that he had said those words, but as they looked at each other, the Xiaowan gave him a soft kiss.


    The sweet sugar melted in his body, and no one bothered to investigate those words. But when they were in someone else''s territory, being careful and excited, when Ling Chaofeng was about to pull away, Xiaowan grabbed his arm, her eyes filled with desire. "Husband, don''t go out."


    Ling Chaofeng frowned, he was almost unable to hold back and continued to plead: "Husband, my body is fine, I really want our child."

 C91

    Could it be that Xiaowan''s wish was not accepted even before the date of her birth? In the instant that Hubby left, her body and heart became empty. Even though Ling Chaofeng took advantage of her and coaxed her, she was still unhappy.


    On the way back, young lady pouted and kept quiet, but she purposely avoided Ling Chaofeng''s words. How could there be any secrets hidden on her face, Aunt Zhang, Susu and the others could all see it.


    Even when the Xiaowan was in the shop, she remained absent-minded. Since she did not greet the customers who had passed by, and they had come to beg for water, she was not as enthusiastic as she was in the past. Fortunately, Susu was there so she helped him.


    As to whether or not to comfort her, said her aunt, give it to the grocer. Even the Xiaowan herself found it embarrassing to tell others that she wanted a fat child but was rejected by her husband.


    Aunt Zhang secretly told Susu that this young lady was extremely stubborn.


    That night, after he packed up and returned to his room, he opened the door and entered. In the time it took his to turn around and close the door, Ling Chaofeng silently stood behind her.


    Xiaowan jumped in shock when she turned around. Her husband forced her to stick close to the door and not be able to move.


    He looked down at himself with a stern gaze, as if he had returned to the days after their marriage. Since then, he had never stared at him with such malevolence, even if she brought Susu and Auntie Chen away, in his eyes of anger, there was more worry for her.


    However, at this moment ¡­


    Xiaowan felt wronged, her eyes became hot, but she still stubbornly pursed her lips, not telling herself to cry. Don''t move if you don''t want her to, she said, sticking to the door, her face turned away, not looking at him.


    "You want to keep making a ruckus like this?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "I work and eat well every day, which one of them is making a fuss?" The Xiaowan said, "Shopkeeper, don''t speak nonsense."


    However, when she opened her mouth to speak, she couldn''t hold it in. Tears gushed out of her eyes, and just as they were about to fall, she raised her hand to wipe them away.


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart softened as he carried her and placed his on the bed. "Don''t tell me that from today onwards, you will no longer pay attention to me. From today onwards, have we always been like this?"


    Xiaowan whimpered as she turned around to bury her face in her pillow. Ling Chaofeng gently leaned on her back as her warm breath drifted to her ears, "Can you wait another year, just another year? Late at night, I want our children, but I want to be with you even more. We''ve only been married for a year, and both of us haven''t had enough. With so many little things out, you want to split your thoughts with him, and you want to make me feel wronged? "


    Xiaowan turned around, and their faces practically touched. Ling Chaofeng''s straight nose lightly rubbed against her charming little nose: "That little thing still hasn''t come, and I was already thrown away. Really come, do you still have to deal with me?"


    "How can that be the same? I-I didn''t throw you away." The Xiaowan mumbled as she reached out to grab his husband''s neck. Ling Chaofeng held him in his arms.


    Her face was pressed against his chest, and the sky grew hotter. Yet, her husband''s body did not turn hot, nor did it have a sticky or sweaty smell. It was pure and refreshing, causing her to be in love and unable to let go.


    In the past few days, in order to vent his anger, he did not sleep close to Su Yun. Instead, he carried the blanket and turned his back, but his body and heart were both empty.


    "For such a trifling matter, tears fall from your eyes." Ling Chaofeng rebuked, and touched her face, "With such abilities, you still want to be a mother?"


    Xiaowan said weakly, "The empress is the same age as me, how can the empress be the empress now."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "The Empress has always lived a life of luxury, I have never suffered since I was young, my body is stronger than yours."


    Xiaowan said, "I''ve suffered before, which is why I''m stronger. Look ¡­"


    She took hold of her husband''s hand and touched her waist, which was originally so thin that it didn''t have any flesh, only a layer of skin that wrapped miserably around the bone. Now it was plump, and although it was still slim, it was still tender and lovable.


    Xiaowan took the opportunity to get up, pushed Ling Chaofeng down and lightly sat on his abdomen. Ling Chaofeng lightly patted her fart and laughed: "You want to be on top tonight? You think I can''t escape just because you''re up there? "


    Xiaowan''s face was burning with embarrassment. In the blink of an eye, his husband pressed his down on the bed, and Ling Chaofeng said hatefully, "I''m going to turn you around, where did you learn this skill from? I have to teach you a lesson."


    The two of them stopped quarreling, Xiaowan could be considered as convinced. Compared to wanting a fat kid, she naturally cared more about her relationship with Ling Chaofeng, since Hubby was so protective of her, she wouldn''t accept his kindness.


    After the two of them left in the rain and clouds, the Xiaowan was finally satisfied with the most beautiful love in the world. Whether or not she had a fat doll was up to fate. As long as she could spend a lifetime with her husband, everything in her life would be worth it.


    Under the same night, the overbearing voices in the Siyun Pavilion had stopped, and the few female servants who stayed behind to follow Yue Huaiyin felt more and more that under the gentle and dignified appearance of the young miss, they were actually the most disorderly and disorderly characters. It was unknown if it was because magistrate liked listening to it, but their happy movements became louder and louder. They cried and laughed as they begged, making the few girls feel uncomfortable.


    At this time, the county magistrate had a satisfied smile on her face and she fainted. Yue Huaiyin stood up to clean herself up and then took out a fan.


    She was covered in sweat, her arms were red from clutching them, and the moon was scorching hot from the shit, but she didn''t feel humiliated.


    The county magistrate was nothing more than a tool for her. When she needed it, he could satisfy her body and he wouldn''t feel wronged.


    The moonlight was clear and elegant. In the past, it was the best time for her to enjoy the moon and drink with him. As the night breeze blew, it brought with it a bit of the heat and restlessness of early summer.


    Yue Huaiyin waved her fan with all her might, and her perspiring skin became extremely cold, her heart also calmed down. She had to clearly see the reality, and understand how she had to survive in the future.


    She was not in a good mood, and other people would not be in a good mood either.


    After the Dragon Boat Festival, the sun became more and more domineering, and summer finally came. Even if he woke up early in the morning and opened the door, the sky was already completely bright. He had to sweep the door clean as soon as possible, otherwise, the sun would be poisonous after a while.


    When going to the market with Li Prefecture, Xiaowan and Susu both bought a beautiful paper umbrella. Every morning, Susu would come to work on a cart with an umbrella to block out the sun, but Xiaowan didn''t have the chance to go out.


    Ling Chaofeng had been rather busy recently, he did not have time to accompany her out, but when he had free time, he wanted to bring her to a place other than Li Prefecture to visit, and also pay respects to a few of his friends.


    But in the blink of an eye, it was already the end of May. The twenty-seventh birthday was also the birthday of the Xiaowan and it was also the birthday of Ling Chaofeng.


    But when Xiaowan opened his eyes today, she immediately felt uncomfortable, and could not describe her discomfort. She stood up to put on her clothes, but his eyes were blurry and her legs went soft, so she sat on her feet.


    Could it be, she thought, that her body was too weak, and that the ailments she had accumulated in the past had come out?


    On Baisha Town, the servant girl from Siyun Pavilion came to the pharmacy to grab some herbs, and was about to bring them back to make sour plum soup when she saw the carriage from Ling Xiao Inn rushing over, quickly bringing the old doctor from the clinic over.


    When the servant girl returned to the Rouge Shop, she then told Yue Huaiyin about the situation. Her eyebrows slightly knitted, could it be that she was sick in some inn, or ¡­


    At this moment, Xiaowan was lying on the bed, timidly looking at the old doctor who was sitting at the side. Her husband, Aunt Zhang and the others were also present, causing Aunt Zhang to squat down and caress her forehead, asking politely, "What happened to this child?"


    The old doctor waved his hand and Xiaowan sat up, nestling into Aunt Zhang''s embrace. The doctor asked her about Yue Yang and she shyly replied, "Then in another ten days, if Yue Yang really doesn''t come, then that would be right. This old one thinks that my wife is pregnant, and the discomfort and dizziness that she is experiencing is a bad omen. "


    The room went silent for a moment. Xiaowan was the first to recover and asked excitedly: "Doctor, are you serious?"


    Aunt Zhang became nervous and said quickly: "Doctor, please take a look."


    The doctor laughed, "It''s not difficult to have a wedding vein. I still have this ability. In a few days, if I don''t come back, I will be sure to make a mistake." "My wife, you must rest well for the first two months. If everything goes well, your shop will have to make an appearance early next spring."


    Ling Chaofeng''s expression tensed up, and he stood there motionlessly.


    Aunt Zhang gave him two large silver ingots. They were all familiar with each other, but the old doctor was unwilling to take them. He only smiled and said, "I have been dating you two for more than ten years, I am happy for you."


    Susu was watching the shop from the bottom of the stage. When she heard her aunt say that Xiaowan was not an illness, she was afraid that she was happy and was about to run up to congratulate them.


    As expected, the third floor''s bedroom was completely silent. The Xiaowan had already laid down and smiled foolishly at his husband who was standing there. She asked in a soft voice, "Husband, how long are you going to stand there for?"


    Ling Chaofeng slowly walked over. Seeing how serious he was, the Xiaowan restrained his smile: "Husband, are you unhappy?"


    "I''ve always said that I would have to wait a bit longer, but it''s my fault every time." Ling Chaofeng felt guilty in his heart, "If I don''t listen to you, naturally, nothing will happen to me."


    "What do you mean something has happened? I''m really happy now." Xiaowan pouted, "Didn''t we say to leave it up to fate? Since the child wants to come, we should properly love him."


    Ling Chaofeng carried Xiaowan, his eyes filled with worry. "I was worried about your body.


    Of course Xiaowan knew in her heart that her mother gave birth to a child, and that half her life was on the road. Whether she stayed or went, would depend on the heavens'' arrangements.


    "I''m just asking you, are you happy?" Xiaowan said.


    "Of course I''m happy." Ling Chaofeng gave her a deep kiss on the forehead, "Evening, we''re going to have children."


    Seeing that his husband had finally become excited, the Xiaowan became happy and said happily, "Husband, I did not make a wish and my wish has come true."


    Ling Chaofeng naturally didn''t understand, she only thought that today was Xiaowan''s birthday, and that was probably what she meant. However, he didn''t know that Xiaowan had said that she didn''t ask for a fat kid from Jade Ring, but the kid had come as well.


    "Windward." Xiaowan looked at her husband deeply, every inch filled with love. "You''re going to be a father now."

 C92

    Thirteen years ago, Xiaowan''s mother-in-law had saved the six year old Ershan from a human tooth pendant and there was an extra child in the tavern. If this were to be counted, then after fourteen years, there was finally a need to add a child to the Ling Xiao Inn.


    Xiaowan looked forward to the baby in her belly. Whether it was her son or her daughter, they were both her precious daughters. She used to hope that she could spend time with her husband, hoping that time would go slower. Now, he couldn''t wait to open her eyes until next spring.


    When he went downstairs again, all of Uncle Biao''s Ershan were already there. Xiaowan was very shy with a red face, but she still laughed out loud: "When a baby is born, should I call him grandpa or grandpa?"


    Ershan smiled at her. "Sister-in-law, congratulations."


    Xiaowan was annoyed, "You always call me by my name, why are you calling me sister-in-law today? "Then, when uncle comes back next year, I will have to let my son have a first and second uncle."


    Aunt Zhang helped Xiaowan to sit down, and asked happily: "Tell your uncle what you want to eat, don''t be wronged, for this year we will pamper you."


    Ling Chaofeng stood at the side and watched his wife being surrounded by the stars with a gentle gaze. When Xiaowan looked at him, his heart felt warm.


    Husband was not unhappy. That was the best. She would still cherish her body, hope that her mother and child were safe, and not teach her husband to worry.


    Even when she was not pregnant, she was doted on by her family every day. She did not have to worry about this year being taken good care of. Instead, he hoped that this year, there would be no more weird customers coming to the inn, and only a few things to worry about.


    At night, Da Qing came to the tavern to pick up Susu. Since Aunt Zhang had said that it would be inappropriate to reveal it in the first few months, she didn''t know if she could tell Da Qing, so she decided not to mention it. She went back home as usual and watched Da Qing head towards the back of the village before entering the courtyard.


    Auntie Chen was already tired from digging and had just rested. After knowing that her daughter had returned, she reminded her to sleep earlier, so she continued sleeping. But when she woke up and wanted to drink water, she saw Susu sitting under the roof alone in the middle of the night.


    "Susu, what''s wrong?" Auntie Chen sat beside his daughter, "Are you uncomfortable, are you hungry?"


    Susu said: "Mother, Xiaowan is pregnant."


    Auntie Chen was overjoyed, "Really, this is great. It''s been a few months.


    Susu told her everything, and the mother and daughter pair would go to the city''s temple tomorrow to pray for Susu''s blessings. However, Auntie Chen suddenly came back to her senses and asked, "This is a good thing for Xiaowan, why do you look unhappy?"


    "It''s not that I''m unhappy, Mother. I was wondering if I could have such a day." Susu lowered her eyes and said, "Originally, I didn''t think that there would be no life for me to meet good people, and that I would adopt a child that no one would want with mother in the future. But now that Da Qing is so good, my heart is greedy. "I want to marry him, and I want to have children with him. However, with my unbearable past, if he knew that I was being abused by a forty to fifty year old man to ride on his back everyday, I ¡­"


    When it came to grief, Susu covered her face and cried. The people who once lived in the Infernal Realm were already begging for death with all their hearts, who would have thought that it would happen again.


    Auntie Chen hugged her daughter and said with a pained heart: "Susu, why not find a chance and explain it to Da Qing clearly. If he really doesn''t care about it, then we might as well settle this happy matter quickly. At worst, we can just find a thatched cottage in the back mountain of the inn. As long as you don''t feel wronged, Mother will do whatever you want. "


    Susu cried: "Mother, I let you suffer with me."


    However, Auntie Chen said: "Foolish child, I have let down your father and mother. I was unable to take good care of you and also failed to teach your brother well. Susu, since you have escaped, you must live well and stop thinking about those things. With mother here, Mother will help you. "


    Thus, on the morning of the second day, after sending Susu and Da Qing off, Auntie Chen brought some snacks and fresh vegetables that she picked and headed towards Da Qing''s home at the tail of the village.


    Da Qing was naturally happy to see her, but Auntie Chen went straight to the point, "Elder sister, I am here to propose marriage with Susu."


    She described everything that happened to Susu in the two years she was in the capital, how she brought her daughter out of the capital, how she was being hunted, how she escaped to the Baisha Town, and how she was being saved by the Xiaowan.


    The Auntie Chen said honestly: "Susu is not a virgin, we do not want to hide anything from him, now that the two children are having a good time, they are not young anymore, there is no need to delay any further, some people might even want to gossip. I thought that if you and Da Qing are on good terms, I will hand my daughter over to you two. Or else, we would have left long ago and wouldn''t have held up Da Qing''s child. "


    Hearing that Susu had been in such a terrible situation in the past, Da Qing''s mother sighed and said, "The two of us have already planned this out and always feel that Susu''s past has been bad. Otherwise, if she were to just die as a man, how would she be kicked out? She would be forced to stay in a foreign land, and even her parents would not be able to return home. I just didn''t expect that child to be so miserable. "


    Auntie Chen looked at her worriedly. "Elder sister, you are ¡­"


    Da Qing''s mother waved her hand and said, "How can you turn your back on me? We, Da Qing, are such good children. It''s just one thing, our family is too poor, just look at this shack, how can we get married. I think that if they were to get married, I should let Da Qing follow you. If they are in the same village, it would only take a few steps. I only have one request, nothing more. "


    Auntie Chen''s eyes were brimming with tears. Her two mothers held each other''s hand while laughing. She was about to tell her daughter that they had traveled seven to eight miles to an inn under the bright sun.


    Seeing her mother walking so far while drenched in sweat, Susu became anxious and asked worriedly, "Did something happen at home?"


    Auntie Chen sat down and drank a bowl of cold tea, then grabbed onto her daughter''s hand. Without opening her mouth, his eyes reddened, she said to her daughter: "Susu, mother was afraid that you would be embarrassed to speak, so she didn''t discuss with you. After you left this morning, I went to Da Qing''s home and told his mother about your matters."


    Susu was shocked, and asked hesitantly: "H-how?"


    The Auntie Chen said: "She said, if you want to marry Da Qing, she only has one condition, and that is to have Da Qing come live with her. She said that her family is too small, and you cannot be wronged."


    Susu asked in a daze, "Does she ¡­ not care?"


    The Auntie Chen nodded her head, "The two of them had actually already discussed this matter. It''s decided that no matter how you used to be, they wouldn''t mind, so if you don''t believe me, go and ask Da Qing yourself."


    Ling Chaofeng stood at the counter and heard the words. When he looked up, he saw that Xiaowan was watching his from upstairs, she must have heard the commotion and came out. young lady''s eyes were red, he must have been moved to tears.


    He walked forward and said to Susu: "I''ll send you to the pier and ask Da Qing clearly."


    "Manager?" Susu sobbed.


    Ling Chaofeng pointed upstairs: "There''s someone over there who''s very anxious. If you don''t settle this matter for her, she won''t be able to sleep at night, are you willing to?"


    Susu raised her head and saw that the Xiaowan was about to come down, and quickly said: "Wait for me obediently, I''ll be back right now." She wiped away her tears and said to Ling Chaofeng: "Innkeeper, please send me."


    By the side of the Baisha River, Da Qing had just pulled a boat. The fine young girl was wearing only a pair of underpants during the summer, which prevented her clothes from getting worn. It was said that in some places, she did not even wear underpants. At this time, a few naked men on the shore were waiting for the owner of the boat to split the money. When Susu arrived, he was so frightened that she turned her body around.


    Da Qing quickly put on his clothes and ran over while panting heavily, "Innkeeper, why are you guys here? Susu... "Why are you here?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: She has something important to ask you, you two speak.


    Seeing that a beautiful young lady was looking for Da Qing, the servants behind him all whistled and jeered. Susu was embarrassed to the point that her face was flushed red, but at this point, she steadied her heart, and said loudly: "This morning, my mother went to your house to propose to you ¡­"


    Suddenly, he heard Susu''s voice. He turned around and saw Da Qing holding Susu horizontally in his arms, and Susu bashfully buried her face in his chest while Da Qing proudly said to the servants and porters: "I want to marry my wife."


    Ling Chaofeng could not help but smile. Thinking of the scene when he married Xiaowan, his heart ached.


    After an hour, Da Qing followed Susu back to the tavern. Da Qing kowtowed to Auntie Chen and called her mother, causing her to cry so hard that she could not make a sound.


    The family and Meimei went back in the cart. Susu was going to kowtow to her future mother-in-law. As for the marriage, he would discuss it with everyone later.


    The Aunt Zhang stood in front of the door happily as she watched the family walk away. She said, "The Heavens are finally not someone who eats nothing.


    Uncle Biao hugged her and laughed: "The heavens have always been working properly, what do you think?"


    Aunt Zhang slapped his hand away and chided: "You''re not serious."


    Ling Chaofeng watched on silently and took a plate of fruits, walking upstairs to his room. He saw Xiaowan sobbing on her bed, wiping away her tears, and upon seeing him, she timidly said, "Hubby, I cried because I was happy."


    "You should laugh if you''re happy. What are you crying for? You''re just silly all day long." Ling Chaofeng wiped her face and pretended to be angry, saying, "You always cry, in the future our baby will also love to cry."


    Xiaowan sniffed and said, "I won''t cry, I won''t cry anymore."


    Ling Chaofeng gently hugged her, the night was cold and comfortable. He said, "Evening, I''m sorry."


    Xiaowan was startled, she pushed Ling Chaofeng away and worriedly looked at him: "What''s wrong?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "At first, I didn''t ask if you were willing, and I married you right away. Even if we were fine, I also made a mistake at that time. I should come to your house and let you know who I am first, ask if you are willing, and then happily marry me. I will never be able to make up for this matter in my entire life. You should have been extremely afraid of being tied up, beaten and starved, and made a bride with tears in your eyes. "


    Xiaowan laughed, "I don''t even remember, I only remember that someone asked me to pay a thousand silver taels. I had no choice but to follow him for the rest of my life, to be bullied by him.


    Ling Chaofeng pecked her lips, "Nonsense."


    Xiaowan said tenderly, "Hubby, you can bear with it. When our child is born, I''ll kiss you everyday."


    Ling Chaofeng lightly kissed her forehead. "I''ll be waiting."


    Everyone was happy that there was a happy occasion in the inn. Although it was a difficult and hot day, Ershan was going to the capital in July so he could have a cup of wine.


    Thus, when Susu and Da Qing returned, everyone discussed and decided to arrange the marriage on the fifteenth of the sixth month.


    If there was to be a joyous occasion, it would have to be arranged. Aunt Zhang took the intention of marrying her daughter with him and went to the town to buy things. She was extremely busy, and everyday, Uncle Biao would return with a cart full of things, directly heading to Baisha Village.


    The Baisha Town was a small place after all, and the news traveled quickly. In less than three days, Yue Huaiyin had heard from the servant girls that Susu was going to be married off.


    She asked in a daze, "Who will marry her?"


    The servants replied: "The man who sends her to the inn to work everyday, who is said to be from the poorest family with the lowest Baisha Village, Susu will not pick him. But ah, as long as he''s a good person, then so be it. He has the money in Ling Xiao Inn anyway. "


    Why was it that a woman who had been humiliated like Susu could obtain a man''s sincerity, be able to marry successfully, why did she give up everything, and get nothing?


    Why was the hearts of this world so unfair?


    Yue Huaiyin was startled for a long time. The servant girls did not dare to say anything else and only warned her carefully, "Miss, the county magistrate is coming tonight."


    Her eyes lit up and her lips curled up into a cold smile. She wasn''t in a good mood, so no one could be better off.


    Time flew. In the blink of an eye, it was the tenth day of the sixth month. After the rain, Auntie Chen was checking out the vegetables she grew in the fields in front of the tiled houses. A villager at the side of the fields called out to her: "Mother Susu, someone is looking for you."


    Hearing that, Auntie Chen straightened up and saw a man standing outside the courtyard. He had a familiar face and on his body was a thin bundle, he looked around and met her gaze. He smiled coldly and shouted: "Mother, I''ve finally found you guys."

 C93

    Susu had never thought that her biological brother would actually find him here.


    That night, when Da Qing saw her home, he saw a familiar man sitting under an eave with his legs crossed. Susu''s heart twitched, and when his brother saw that her sister had returned, he exclaimed: "The new bride is back?"


    "You, how did you find me?" Susu''s heart was thumping hard.


    Her mother came out from the kitchen carrying a bowl of food, put it down, and came to welcome her. With a terrified look in her eyes, she said, "Susu, he finally found me."


    "So this is my future brother-in-law?" Susu''s brother had already eaten a few cups of wine, she walked over shakily and sized Da Qing up, then snorted: "No way, I don''t agree to this marriage, for a beautiful girl like me, marrying you who''s so poor, how can you be embarrassed?"


    Susu was so angry that his entire body was trembling, "It has nothing to do with you, you don''t need to care."


    Her brother sneered and said, "My brother is my father, and you are my sister. This is also the truth of things when it comes to the universe. If I don''t agree to this marriage, you can forget about getting married. "At your daughter''s house, do not disobey a woman. If you dare to run outside with a wild man, I will break your legs."


    As he spoke, he stood in front of Da Qing. Although he was not as tall as Da Qing, he could not be bothered with the people who were drunk, and said coldly: "Remember this, I am the master of the Chen family, the one who has the final say in this family. "If you go against me, what are you afraid of? We can go to the yamen and take a beating in prison. What are you afraid of?"


    Da Qing was already extremely angry, but Susu rushed up to push her brother away, and said to Da Qing: "Go home, I''ll tell you about it tomorrow."


    "Susu, get the hell back here." His brother staggered back to his seat under the eaves, took a gulp of wine, and swore. "Go get me a bath water."


    That night, Da Qing tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He knew how shameless Susu''s brother was, so he couldn''t be at ease no matter what.


    But outside the door, he heard the sound of something falling inside. He kicked open the courtyard door and rushed in, only to hear Susu screaming. His brother was cursing loudly: "Slut, tell you to wake me up, I haven''t settled the score with you yet. You ran away from the capital, causing me to get beaten up by them, I''ll properly return it to you today."


    Da Qing pushed the door and came in, only to see the surnamed Chen grabbing Susu''s hair and punching and kicking her, Da Qing rushed forward and pulled him away, a punch landing on his face, knocking him over and rolling him under the table.


    "Bastard!" Da Qing grabbed him by the collar and dragged him up from the ground, roaring, "If you dare hit Susu again, I''ll wrench your head off!"


    Although her brother was beaten badly, everyone still said that it was his brother''s fault for wanting to chase him out of Baisha Village.


    "Fine, just you wait." Susu''s brother was forced to the entrance of the village in a sorry state. She covered her wound and cursed loudly, "Chen Susu, just you wait, I won''t skin you alive, I''m your grandson."


    Inside the Ling Xiao Inn, today, Susu did not come to work today, nor did Da Qing come from the front of the tavern, so everyone could not help but feel that it was strange, but these few days, they had been busy preparing for their marriage, afraid that something might have happened and no one could have imagined that something might have happened to their family.


    When noon arrived, the sun was scorching hot. However, Susu ran over in a daze, her face full of sweat and tears mixing together. At that time, the Xiaowan was sleeping upstairs, only Ling Chaofeng and the Aunt Zhang were in the lobby.


    Who would have thought that after Susu''s brother was driven out of the Baisha Village, he would go to the town''s yamen to cry about her wrongdoings and sue Da Qing. The yamen people took Da Qing away, and Susu wanted to chase after him, but she thought that she could not do anything, so she turned and ran towards the Ling Xiao Inn.


    The weak man ran seven or eight miles under the scorching sun. His face was already pale as he sobbed about the matter of her brother''s visit and the matters of the morning.


    Ling Chaofeng immediately pulled his horse from the stable and rushed over to the Zhixian yamen. Uncle Biao took a carriage and sent Susu there with him.


    Just now, she was not able to wake her up. Susu also did not forget to tell Aunt Zhang that her baby was safe, so he did not want her to worry so much.


    The Aunt Zhang naturally knew what to do and didn''t want to scare the Xiaowan. However, she didn''t expect that when she went to get Ershan some tea, the Xiaowan would wake up and come down from her bed. Seeing that the store was empty, she went to the backyard.


    When he arrived in front of Ershan''s door, he heard the Aunt Zhang say to Ershan: "There are so many good things to see, we are about to get married. Tian Sha''s unlucky brother is here, that bastard is really something."


    "Aunt, what happened?" Xiaowan asked, "Whose brother is he?"


    In the yamen, Ling Chaofeng spent a lot of silver and finally let the county magistrate let go of his hold. When he rushed over, Da Qing had already been pinned on the ground and hit a board. It was unknown how many times he had beaten the young man, but he could no longer make a sound.


    Susu cried his heart out as she carried the person to the horse carriage to send to the infirmary. Ling Chaofeng then found a familiar Fast Catcher at the yamen to ask: "Where did the plaintiff go?"


    Fast Catcher replied: "He''s gone. He''s a foreigner anyway, who knows where he went."


    In the infirmary, the doctor was treating Da Qing''s injuries. On such a hot day, he was only afraid that the poison would not dissipate, and he also said that if the wound was festering, he would definitely squeeze out and use salt water to wash it.


    As a result, Da Qing was sent to Susu''s home and laid down in his bedroom. His room was small and stuffy, it was not suitable for recuperating.


    Ling Chaofeng followed and comforted Auntie Chen, telling her that he had made some arrangements at the yamen. The yamen would no longer make things difficult for Da Qing, but if that bastard comes again, don''t be afraid of him.


    However, even Ling Chaofeng did not know where that bastard had gone to. He had already asked his friends to look for him, but it was hard to say if he would find someone who had never seen his face before.


    Ling Chaofeng asked Susu: "If we catch him, what do you plan to do? After all, he''s your blood brother. I''ll ask you. "


    Susu looked at Da Qing who was unconscious on the bed and replied indifferently: "Innkeeper, sell him to the traffickers. I don''t want to see him again in my life.


    As for the Auntie Chen, she was even more unconcerned, she was not her biological father. Furthermore, she had always been bad to Susu and her.


    When Ling Chaofeng and Uncle Biao returned, under the bright sun, he saw Xiaowan waiting in front of the door with a paper umbrella. Ling Chaofeng did not know whether to laugh or cry, and his young lady even said proudly, "Master, my umbrella is finally useful."


    They entered the room and the Aunt Zhang said: "I''ll talk to Ershan and tell her to listen. This girl just has to hold up her umbrella and wait for you in front of the door, I won''t listen even if I scold her."


    Xiaowan petite complained to Uncle Biao: "Uncle, Aunt just scolded me, I''m so fierce."


    Uncle Biao quickly said: "No, Uncle will take care of her later."


    Naturally, Aunt Zhang glared fiercely at him, and Uncle Biao immediately became terrified.


    In this corner, Ling Chaofeng was actually quite curious. Other than insisting on waiting for him at the entrance, the Xiaowan was not worried about Susu or Susu at all, nor was he anxious to ask about the situation with the beast. Instead, he advised him, "Husband, don''t be anxious.


    But this is good too. If something were to happen to the Xiaowan in a hurry, that would be even more of a headache. Ling Chaofeng had already thought that Xiaowan was more sensible and calm when compared to when she first entered. Even if he met with some troublesome matters, he wouldn''t panic, and he didn''t spend too much effort to teach her.


    At night, Ling Chaofeng''s friends came to the tavern, saying that they couldn''t find the man surnamed Chen.


    Xiaowan sat at the side silently eating. She did not know where Susu''s brother went, she only said to the Jade Ring that whoever brought that beast back would bring it back themselves and never harass Susu again.


    Da Qing finally woke up. Susu had prepared some green bean porridge for him, and after drinking a bowl of it, Susu said: "I want to change the medicine for you. It''s very painful, bear with it."


    Da Qing covered his fart and panicked. "No way, that place is so dirty, I, I ¡­"


    Susu said angrily: "Do you hate me, or do you hate yourself? The doctor said that if I don''t change my medicine and the poisonous gas and blood won''t dissipate, I can take your life if it becomes serious. Are you going to abandon me? "


    This was the first time she had ever done anything in front of a woman. She felt her heart heat up from the cold warmth of her small hands, afraid that her thoughts would go wild, so she quickly buried her face in the pillow.


    To spread the blood clot, one had to use more strength. Even though the big sized man could not endure the pain, Da Qing moaned and laughed, but he still cried from the pain.


    As she sobbed, Da Qing panicked. He grabbed her hand and said, "I don''t hurt, not at all."


    Susu then casually slapped him, Da Qing gasped, he was actually able to endure the pain and not scream out loud. As he was laughing foolishly, Susu suddenly pounced on him and stopped his mouth.


    "Susu..."


    At the same time, within the Siyun Pavilion, Yue Huaiyin was reminiscing about the beauty of the past and the establishment. Suddenly, she felt that someone was touching her, and she abruptly opened her eyes, revealing her obscene face in front of her, causing her saliva to almost fall out as she stupidly said, "My wife, that day I saw you, I just couldn''t forget about you. young lady, I''ve done what you wanted me to do.


    Yue Huaiyin slapped him, but the man caught hold of her hand. She berated: "Bastard, how did you get in?"


    This man was actually the brother of Susu that Ling Chaofeng was looking for. He had already jumped into the Siyun Pavilion''s backyard and hid in the woodshed during the day, and it was not because he wanted to catch someone.


    It turned out that Yue Huaiyin remembered that Susu had a big brother who wasn''t worth anything in her hometown, so she got someone to find him and gave him a hundred silver coins.


    He didn''t expect that this animal would actually...


    Yue Huaiyin, who didn''t have the Luan Huan Fragrance, was just a weak girl who couldn''t even hold a chicken. She was held down tightly by Susu''s brother, and just as she was about to use her power, the door suddenly opened.


    The county magistrate laughed heartily as he shouted, "Huaiyin, darling! Master is here. Master can''t sleep, and he''s missing you."


    But what entered the eyes of the county magistrate was such a terrible scene. Susu''s brother was scared senseless, the county magistrate was so angry that her face turned green, he roared and called for the people outside.


    It was late in the night, yet the servants of the Siyun Pavilion were frightened by the sound of the whip, hiding in their rooms and trembling. The Miss''s miserable cries of begging for mercy were heard, and the county magistrate scolded, "Scoundrel, you actually dared to carry me and steal a man."


    Yue Huaiyin was beaten up until her entire body was covered in wounds, but the county magistrate still felt pained by her. He held her up and said, "My darling, why are you so disobedient?"


    "It''s not me ¡­" "It''s not me ¡­"


    Yue Huaiyin''s breath was erratic. Why did things turn out like this, why did things turn out like this ¡­


    The next morning, Aunt Zhang came over to visit Susu and Da Qing. She said that it was not appropriate for Xiaowan to ride on a carriage for it to bumpy distance, so she did not come.


    When Susu heard that Xiaowan also knew, she was very worried. Aunt Zhang replied, "She''s pretty calm.


    Just as he finished speaking, a few yamen runner s barged in, they were at the front, and asked sternly: "What''s wrong again?"


    Those few people were not fierce, but they impatiently said to Auntie Chen: "Your son stole something from the county magistrate''s mansion, and then hanged himself in the prison, are you guys going to collect the corpses?"


    "Dead?" Everyone was shocked.


    When the Xiaowan heard the news, she jumped. She really did not curse Susu''s brother to die.

 C94

    When Auntie Chen and Susu rushed to the yamen, her brother''s body was already cold. He said that she had snuck in to steal from the county''s house last night and was temporarily imprisoned.


    Susu and Auntie Chen also understood that this disgraceful thing must have angered the prefectural city. A foreigner might even die, and as long as Susu and Auntie Chen did not pursue this matter, no one would take it seriously.


    After taking them out of the cell, Ling Chaofeng, who had received the news, had already brought the people from the candle shop over for treatment. They were about to send them to the cremation grave then sprinkle them inside the Baisha River.


    Ling Chaofeng asked them: "If you do not pursue this matter, this matter shall end here."


    Susu said indifferently, "Before he died, did he not know that human life was actually so lowly? When he looked down on me and my mother, did he not even think that there would come a day when he would take revenge on himself?" She said to Ling Chaofeng, "Shopkeeper, it''s quiet from then on, I have nothing else to worry about. We don''t want to pursue the matter."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, promised a few taels of silver to the bailiff, and went with the mother and daughter to take care of matters behind their backs. Susu was worried that this matter was unlucky, so it was a taboo for the Xiaowan to be pregnant.


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "Our inn is free from any restrictions, as long as a person can live properly, everything is enough."


    In the tavern, Xiaowan had been fidgety ever since she heard that Susu''s brother had died. She had only wished for the person who brought Big Brother Susu here to bring him back, then, even if it was Susu''s brother who found him, she would have been able to go back by herself.


    But once he went back, why did he go back to the Yin division?


    The Xiaowan was indeed shocked, but she was no longer as scared as the time when the Prefect Meng died. Instead, she turned to the silent and silent Jade Ring and said: "Even if you didn''t discuss it with me, how could you be so ruthless. That is also a human life."


    At that time, Ling Chaofeng was just returning from the outside, when he pushed the door open, he heard the Xiaowan muttering. It was not very clear, but it sounded like the Xiaowan was talking to someone else, he was stunned for a moment, and there was only the Xiaowan lying on the bed, not anyone in sight.


    "What are you talking about?" Ling Chaofeng asked casually as he took off his clothes and replaced them with clean ones.


    "Nothing." This time, Xiaowan was even more nervous than when she found out that Susu''s brother was gone. Her eyes shook slightly and she lied, "I''m talking to the child."


    Ling Chaofeng did not think much about it, and only laughed: "He''s still so young, how could I hear you?"


    The Xiaowan asked him: You''ve settled the matter with Susu?


    Ling Chaofeng came over and sat down, explaining in detail that''s brother definitely did not commit suicide. He must have provoked the prefecture, or found out about some unspeakable things.


    The unconscious officer did not go with the flow and push the blame to Da Qing, or push the matter to the inn. It was clear that he did not want them to investigate it and dig up something shameful.


    The Xiaowan sighed, "If I ever have the chance to meet the Emperor and Empress again, I want to sue them and cripple this unconscious official."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "The matters of the imperial government are not something we, the martial arts people, should handle."


    The Xiaowan said, "But Hubby is clearly someone who does things for the imperial government."


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "My parents originally wanted to help the common people, for example, when they were raising funds for the disaster, or when the imperial government was short on money, but in the end, the common people took advantage of them. Naturally, I also want to inherit their will and run this inn. "


    Xiaowan said in admiration, "Father, Mother and I are such great people. It''s a pity that I didn''t get the chance to see them."


    Ling Chaofeng rubbed her head: "A mischievous little wife, always being silly, they definitely cannot like her."


    Xiaowan knew that he had done it on purpose and laid in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace, "It''s enough for master to like me." She counted with her fingers, "In a few days, Susu will marry Da Qing. In a few days, Ershan will rush to the capital to take the exams.


    When he was first here, that guy who got so nervous and agitated, had become so calm and free in less than a year. The most precious thing was that she did not lose her edge because of it.


    "Husband, do you like your son or your daughter?"


    "You asked it eight hundred times."


    Xiaowan said shamelessly, "Why don''t I remember ¡­"


    Thus, the disturbance in Susu''s family could be considered to have passed. Although it was strange that they came, and the ending was unthinkable, by the fifteenth of the sixth month, the injuries on Da Qing''s body had healed a lot. Even if it did not heal, it could not affect his marriage.


    Thinking back to when Susu was sold to the capital by her brother, the pain of mother and daughter parting from each other was so painful that even Auntie Chen didn''t dare to imagine that they would one day reunite and live a good life together.


    to Ling Chaofeng, to Xiaowan, to Aunt Zhang, it was a thousand thanks, and he almost kneeled down and kowtowed.


    On the other hand, Aunt Zhang said, "If you had not gone to the capital to bring her out, we would not be where we are today. It is more important that you took that step forward first, you are our daughter''s savior."


    The wedding wine lasted from noon until night. Uncle Biao drank until he was drunk, he hugged his wife and wanted to kiss her mouth, then was disdainfully pinched on his thigh by the Aunt Zhang.


    Ershan, on the other hand, drank a few mouthfuls before being chased back to his room to study. Susu felt that he was pitiful, but Ershan disapproved and said that if it wasn''t tough now, then he would be miserable in the future.


    The Xiaowan was making a ruckus, Susu was afraid that she would be too happy, so she injured his child and begged Ling Chaofeng to bring her back. Ling Chaofeng smiled and picked her up, and said to Xiaowan: "Shall we go back and make trouble?"


    The people of the village still did not know that the Xiaowan was pregnant, they laughed merrily, so shy that the Xiaowan hid her face. As such, they blessed Susu and Da Qing and wanted to return to the tavern, and granted Susu a few days of leave so that she could settle her wedding and return to work.


    As the night deepened, the shops on Baisha Town closed one by one. The town quieted down, and the doors to the Siyun Pavilion were also closed. The shop assistant who was closing the door looked at the street and sighed.


    He didn''t know if the county magistrate would come today, but he was worried that one day, his young mistress would die in his hands.


    At this moment, Yue Huaiyin had just finished her bath and was wrapped in silk. As she walked past the mirror, her clothes suddenly slipped off her shoulders and a reflection of her scarred body appeared in the mirror.


    Every inch of his skin was once a precious treasure that had been created on the palm of his hand. But now, it had been casually trampled upon by others. Would he know, would he feel sad? Would he still care about himself?


    "Miss, let''s clean up the bathtub." Outside the door, the servant knocked on the door. Yue Huaiyin put on his clothes and let them in.


    When they were busy, Yue Huaiyin suddenly asked: "Is Susu married today?"


    The servants replied: "That''s right, I heard that the Baisha Village is very lively today, so the people from the Ling Xiao Inn have all gone. They said that, somehow, this year, Ling Xiao Inn has gradually become a little different from before. More and more people have seen the Manager Ling, and they began to not believe that it was a black shop. "


    "Not in the first place." Yue Huaiyin sneered.


    "It''s a pity that Susu didn''t come to invite us." The servant girls muttered, "I thought she would definitely come to invite the young miss to have some wedding wine with us, I even prepared a wedding gift for her, but she can''t give it to us anymore, it''s such a big thing and she''s not thinking about us anymore, Susu is seriously."


    They talked and carried their things out, and the room was quiet again.


    Yue Huaiyin sat under the window while blowing on the hot and dry breeze, and was unable to calm her heart.


    Although he was kicked out of the capital, his journey back was smooth sailing, and there wasn''t anything difficult about his landing at Baisha Town.


    However, she didn''t know when it had started, but everything had turned sour. Everything she planned would eventually come to her.


    Yue Huaiyin curled up and accidentally knocked her ankle against it. The pain had assaulted her and caused her to be extremely agitated, but a thought flashed through her mind as she remembered what happened last winter.


    That day, when she intentionally threw herself in front of the inn in the snow and ice, it attracted Ling Chaofeng''s warm welcome.


    At the moment, Yue Huaiyin found it strange that her ankle had swollen like a steamed bun that day, and was filled with unbearable pain. It had almost hurt her bones, but the next day, it had actually completely recovered.


    At that time, she had been completely immersed in the regret she had towards the elegant Ling Chaofeng, and had very quickly forgotten about this doubt. Thinking about it now, how could an ordinary person fall like that, and be cured on the second day?


    Calmly thinking about it, everything that had to do with Ling Xiao Inn was so strange. They were indeed not a black shop, but they must have something different about them.


    Yue Huaiyin sat up, if there was really something strange, how would she go about investigating it? Was the weird one Ling Chaofeng, or Mu Xiaowan?


    "Miss." Suddenly, he heard the servant girl''s voice coming from outside the door. "magistrate is here."


    Yue Huaiyin closed her eyes in disgust, but the man quickly broke through the door and laughed, "Huai Yin, the old master has brought the ointment for you."


    The servants closed the door and quickly retreated. They did not know how the young miss was being tormented by the magistrate tonight, but they did not understand why the young miss had to rely on the county magistrate. Even if she had to leave the Baisha Town and go somewhere else to settle down, it would be better than becoming a plaything in the prefectural city.


    A few young and beautiful maidservants were most afraid of a day when the young miss would hand her over to the county magistrate as well.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already the end of June. The scorching summer had yet to leave, and July was about to arrive.


    The newly wedded Susu had already returned to work, and over the past few days, everyone had been busy packing up Ershan''s luggage. This time, Ling Chaofeng had entrusted a person from the mighty escort team to bring Ershan to the capital, and the people in the inn would not go any further after sending out the Li Prefecture.


    On this day, Xiaowan''s father came back. After passing through the Ling Xiao Inn, he came to see her daughter.


    Xiaowan asked, "Why did you only come back after the summer?"


    The Master Mu laughed: "After taking over a job, and getting to where I am now, and giving me a lot of money in the summer, I wanted to come back after I finished my work and go out next year. As I get older, I get older and older. In another two years, I''ll be going home to farm. "


    As he spoke, he sized Xiaowan up and smiled: "Looks like it''s even better than January. Xiaowan, have you gotten fatter?"


    Xiaowan didn''t want to talk about him having a child. He didn''t want his father to go back and talk to him, so he was silently cursed by the woman. He only laughed: "Eat good food and drink everyday.

 C95

    Master Mu looked at Xiaowan again and said, "Fat is good, fat is good."


    The Xiaowan had originally prepared a few things for her father to take back home. Coincidentally, Da Qing had brought the goods back to the pier and passed by, so he told him to send the Xiaowan father back to the Qingling Village.


    When Master Mu saw that there were new faces in the tavern, and that there was a girl of similar age accompanying him, he knew that she was getting better and better, so he relaxed and went back.


    After Da Qing sent him to the door, the Master Mu thanked and thanked him, and after getting off the car, he carried his luggage in. The villagers were all in the fields, there were not even a shadow of a neighbor, and the two children had gone somewhere to play.


    He walked straight home. Just as he was about to open the door, he heard his own woman''s voice shouting, "My dear brother, my dear father, I''m going to die ¡­"


    Master Mu''s head buzzed, he kicked on the door, which was locked from the inside, dropping the thing in his hand, he swung the sickle on the wall down.


    The house was suddenly in a mess. The Madam Xu actually hooked up with the Aunt Wang''s house next door, driving the two children out for fun, pulling the man to secretly have sex at home.


    When Master Mu rushed in, they did not have time to put on their clothes. Madam Xu casually pulled on his clothes to cover his body, but they could still see that it was as bright as a big white pig.


    "You! "You!" Master Mu was furious.


    That Aunt Wang family member was also a coward. She actually knelt down and kowtowed towards Master Mu, begging Big Brother Mu to forgive him once, saying that he did not dare, and that it was the Madam Xu who lured him in.


    Master Mu ignored him and returned the clothes on the bed. He threw them outside the door and brought a sickle to a bench to block the entrance, waiting for the people next door to come back. He wanted to wait for the people next door to come back so he could have a good look at the dog-couple.


    At that time, Da Qing had not even gone far from the carriage, when he heard the noise, he would naturally look back. Old Man Mu had already thrown many clothes out, and the woman in the house was crying for the man.


    As she quickly returned to the Ling Xiao Inn, Susu welcomed him with a bowl of green bean soup. She wiped his sweat with a smile, but Da Qing held onto her hand and said softly: "Susu, something has happened to the Xiaowan family.


    Susu was startled, and asked: "What''s wrong?"


    Da Qing then told her about the matter of Master Mu going home to capture a traitor, and sighed: "It''s unknown what this will be like. If something like this happens in our village, both men and women will be dragged to the pig cage."


    Susu sighed: "That woman deserved it. She pitied Xiaowan''s little brother and sister, and her father."


    Da Qing continued to return back to the pier, Susu came back with an embarrassed expression, she brought the green bean soup bowl to the kitchen and was seen by the Aunt Zhang, he asked her what was going on.


    Susu looked up the stairs, and reckoned that Xiaowan was still sleeping, so she gently told Aunt Zhang. Aunt Zhang did not know whether to laugh or cry, and stuck her waist up: "I can do all sorts of useless things, I have really broadened my horizons these two years."


    Susu said: "Do you want to tell Xiaowan or not?"


    Aunt Zhang nodded: "Tell her, if she doesn''t know when others do, that would be too embarrassing. Whether Madam Xu is dead or alive, she will not care, if she really is going to die in the pig cage, then Xiaowan will be able to raise her father properly. "


    Inside the Qingling Village, Aunt Wang had just returned from the fields, and as soon as she got close to home, she was dragged here by someone. There were already seven to eight villagers watching the show, and she didn''t think that something would happen.


    She was shocked to see her man being locked up in the Master Mu''s house, with a Madam Xu on the brick bed holding onto a few pieces of cloth to cover her face. She immediately understood what was going on, and angrily rushed in to grab the Madam Xu to beat her up.


    Aunt Wang went crazy. As sshe fought, he scolded loudly: "How am I letting you down, you want to steal my man? You b * stard, I''ll help you look after the children and do so many things for you. How can I let you down?


    The number of villagers gathering grew more and more, one after another, berating the Madam Xu and even finding out the old grudge she had with the Xiaowan. Someone had called the Village Chief over, following the rules of the village, and after such a thing happened, both the male and the female dog would be stripped naked and hung on the ground for three days.


    It was currently the most scorching season. Not to mention three days, he wouldn''t be able to survive even if he were to bask in the sun for a day.


    At this critical moment, Aunt Wang still faced his own man and did not come to fight him anymore. Instead, she kneeled on the ground and begged Master Mu to bypass his man and ask the village chief. Aunt Wang''s father-in-law also brandished her walking stick and hit her son, begging the village chief and Master Mu to be merciful.


    Master Mu was angered to the point that his face turned green, he continued to smoke with all his might, the village head said that as long as he nodded, he would spare this pair of people.


    Aunt Wang knelt at his feet and begged bitterly. She said that after so many years, she had helped take care of this family, and since they had seniors and juniors, her forehead was about to be smashed. Master Mu finally nodded.


    Aunt Wang cried as she dragged his man back. The surrounding villagers were also chased away by the village chief, the house became quiet once again. Wen Bao was so scared that he did not dare enter, sitting at the door and crying.


    In the house, Madam Xu was beaten into a pulp by Aunt Wang. Suddenly, she saw her man carrying a thorny branch inside, causing her to scream in fear. She rolled on the ground into a corner, begging the man: "His father, you can''t hit me anymore, I can''t hit you anymore ¡­"


    Master Mu said hatefully: "Either you get beaten up, or you get lucky. Or scram, wherever you want to go, from now on, you are not allowed to step into this house."


    When she heard that she had to be chased out, Madam Xu became angry instead. She rushed up and roared with all her strength: "Every time you leave, you leave me at home for half a year and a year. Do you know how much pain I have endured? So what if you''re back? You''re not even a man anymore, it''s no use even if I serve you like that. You''ve been out all year, who knows if you''ve ever raised a little girl outside, what are you pretending to be a big tailed wolf in front of me. "You still want to chase me away? Pfft, without me, who would give birth to your son''s daughter? I''m telling you, if you dare to touch me today, don''t wait for me to strangle you one night."


    He could be considered to have had enough in his entire life. Thus, he stepped forward and grabbed onto Madam Xu''s hair, and amidst her loud cries, he pushed her out of the courtyard. Carrying a pair of his children in, he closed the door and roared at her: "Go ahead. If you come in here, I''ll beat you to death. "


    Wen Bao wailed and cried, shouting for his mother, while Madam Xu sat in front of the door and cried, making waves and waves of noise. But Master Mu did not care about it. He went home to pack his stuff and cook for his two children.


    Madam Xu did not have the guts to run, since there was nowhere for her to go. She would be despised by her brother and his wife when she returned to her parents'' home.


    Inside the Ling Xiao Inn, Xiaowan was full of sleep. After hearing about this matter between Susu and Aunt Zhang, I sighed: "Speaking of which, I also let my father down. I had long known that she and the man in the village were having eye contact, but I didn''t dare say anything.


    Susu replied: "Your father isn''t home, she can''t help it, there is still someone at his place, can''t she just steal people?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "Don''t worry about it. If she really dies, I will raise my father, my brother and sister, until they can work on their own."


    She looked at Ling Chaofeng, "Hubby, do you agree?"


    Ling Chaofeng smiled slightly: "Don''t worry about it."


    Xiaowan, on the other hand, timidly said to Susu and Aunt Zhang, "I''m really not worthy of him at all. Just that small matter at home is enough to make me lose face."


    The Aunt Zhang gently pinched her cheeks and said lovingly: "What kind of words are these? The shopkeeper has been blessed over several lifetimes and managed to get a young lady like you."


    At night, Xiaowan laid in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace, completely motionless. Ling Chaofeng knew what she was thinking the most and asked, "Are you worried about your father?"


    Xiaowan cried, "In the end, he''s still my father. Even if I kill that woman, he won''t be able to raise his head up in the future. He is already an old man, what should he do in the future when he brings Wen Bao along? "


    Ling Chaofeng then said: "How about I go and take a look tomorrow, so that you can relax. If you are worried, I will not be at ease, and everyone will not be at peace."


    "Husband, I''m sorry." Xiaowan whimpered.


    "I''m crying again, and I''m disobedient again." Ling Chaofeng gently kissed her, then dotingly said, "If you really want the stars in the sky, I will pick them for you too. If you don''t want me to do something I can''t do for you, this is such a small thing, your father is my father too. It''s all the same to me. Don''t even think about it, you still have a little kid in your stomach. "


    Xiaowan felt extremely sorry for her husband, she still needed his help to clean up the mess. She was living a better life, and her heart was indeed becoming softer and softer, unable to negotiate with Madam Xu.


    She told Ling Chaofeng that at least her father was someone who her mother had followed wholeheartedly. The villagers also said that her father had doted on his wife when her mother was around.


    Ling Chaofeng did not think so, because wherever there were people, there would be trouble. Furthermore, it was his wife''s home.


    Thus, on the second day, Ling Chaofeng headed over to the Qingling Village early in the morning. While he was still on his way, the villagers were already rushing over, and when they passed by the Master Mu''s house, they saw him leaning on the door in a sorry state, and started pointing their fingers at him.


    Madam Xu''s entire body felt hungry and painful, crying until her head swelled up. She was on her last breath, when she was suddenly kicked by someone, it was the Aunt Wang next door. She put down her bowl of water and sloppily said: "Eat, don''t starve to death."


    Madam Xu was startled, but Aunt Wang said: "I will give you a way to return home, give me a hundred silver coins, you stole my man, but he was beaten up by his father until he could no longer get out of bed, and he can''t do any work on the ground, so it''s only right that you compensate him."


    Madam Xu was startled, she extended her hand to grab a bowl of water, then kicked the bowl to the side and coldly looked at her: "One hundred liang, we will write it off, if not, I have ways to kill you."

 C96

    When Ling Chaofeng arrived at the Qingling Village, the Madam Xu was no longer sitting in front of the courtyard door. Instead, he was very surprised to see his father-in-law seated on the doorstep smoking a cigarette.


    After they entered the house, the Master Mu said embarrassedly: "It''s rare for you to come here, but you actually don''t have any place to stay."


    Ling Chaofeng put down a few things and said: "The person who brought you back yesterday saw that and went back to tell Xiaowan. Xiaowan was worried that you would be sick from anger, so I helped her take a look. Since father is fine, she can finally relax. "


    Master Mu''s eyes grew hot, and he turned around: "What face do I have, tell Xiaowan to treat me well, I caused her to suffer alongside that woman."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Regarding the past, Xiaowan will not care about it anymore, don''t worry about it."


    Master Mu then asked: "Whatever Xiaowan says, how does she want to deal with that woman, I will listen to her."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Xiaowan does not care, she is only worried about you, you can decide at home. In the future, if there is anything Xiaowan and I can do for you, please do not be courteous, you will always be my father. "


    Master Mu''s nose was sour, he nodded continuously, and busied himself to pour a bowl of water for his son-in-law.


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "The other thing that I had forgotten about was that we moved Mother''s grave to the back of the inn. If you want to exterminate Mother, you just need to go to the back of the mountain, and the rest of us will not need to go."


    Master Mu made an "oh" sound, and it was at this moment that father Wang and her daughter-in-law Aunt Wang next door brought the cleanly scrubbed Madam Xu over. Seeing Ling Chaofeng here, Madam Xu trembled, but Ling Chaofeng did not meddle in his business, and after bidding farewell to her father-in-law, he indifferently walked over.


    At this time, Madam Xu was kneeling in front of her man, begging her husband to forgive her.


    Father Wang and Aunt Wang told Master Mu that after all these years of living together as neighbors, after all this had happened, they had all let down each other. However, in the future, they would all live in the same village with walls attached to their walls.


    Seeing that the two children were still young and could not be without mothers, Master Mu decided to forget about this matter. The two families were still on good terms with each other, taking care of each other in the future.


    In the end, Ling Chaofeng did not know, nor did he care. When he returned to the tavern, he told Xiaowan that his father was fine.


    When she heard that the Madam Xu and her family had not been tied up by the village chief for three days, she sighed: "Although I hate her, if she really dies like this, then how will Wen Bao and Wen Juan perform in the future? When she commits crimes, she shouldn''t think about a pair of children."


    On the other hand, Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Since you''re alright, don''t worry anymore, take good care of your body."


    Xiaowan''s eyebrows curved up as she tiptoed to give her husband a kiss. "As long as Hubby is here, anything is fine."


    Ershan and Aunt Zhang coincidentally came over from the back. When Ershan saw this, his face turned a little red in embarrassment, and the Aunt Zhang said in annoyance, "You silly boy, hurry up and take the test to marry Lian Yi. You don''t have to be envious of your brother anymore."


    Ling Chaofeng was always strict with Ershan, and only coldly said: "Everything have been packed, all the books that you should bring have been brought along, if you go to the capital and do not have any, you will find a way to buy them yourself. Don''t be unwilling to spend the money, I have arranged for people to take care of you in the capital, and if there is anything I can do for them."


    Ershan listened to them respectfully, and after hearing everything, he turned to Xiaowan and said: "If I want to stay in the capital, when the child is born, please send me a message."


    The Xiaowan said, "Then next year Uncle will be taking the top scorer''s test. In the future, I will bring your seal to play with."


    Just like that, in the blink of an eye, it was already the beginning of July.


    After Ershan came to the Baisha Town at the age of six, he had never once left the Li Prefecture. Aunt Zhang had brought her up with one hand, and if she really were to leave this time, it would be to the complicated capital.


    Uncle Biao followed Susu to fetch Lian Yi. She was now able to walk with a limp and sat in a carriage with Ershan on the way to the dock. The escort team carried the things on the boat.


    In the end, Lian Yi was still a young miss of the Shangguan Family. Even though there were tears in her eyes, she still spoke calmly: "A year''s time is going to pass. You must take care of your body, I''ll be fine at home, don''t miss me."


    In the first month of January, Meng Lianyi boarded the ship in her wedding dress and was about to be sent to the capital.


    Right now, her lover was about to board the ship, but she didn''t know if his departure could change the fate of both of them.


    The time had come, the boat was about to depart, Ling Chaofeng ordered Ershan to not linger, Ershan did not dare be disobedient, and was also not willing to see him being bashful, so he kowtowed to Ling Chaofeng and the Uncle Biao, then picked up the things and rushed onto the boat.


    The big ship slowly left. Lian Yi staggered a few steps along the riverbank as she chased after her. She shouted, "Ershan, you have to take care of yourself."


    Susu ran over to support her. "Miss Meng, be careful of your legs."


    Lian Yi''s tears fell like rain: "I can''t bear to part with him ¡­"


    Before they left, they had already told Mrs. Meng that they would need to stay in an inn for the night. Thus, Xiaowan, Susu and Lian Yi would sleep together tonight.


    Knowing that Xiaowan was pregnant, Lian Yi looked at her stomach in shock. Xiaowan said, "I don''t know much, and I don''t study much either.


    Lian Yi laughed: "Of course, your child, Susu''s child, I will teach all of you."


    Xiaowan looked at Susu evilly: "When are you going to give birth to a baby for Da Qing? Did Da Qing really love you at night?"


    Susu blushed and retorted: "You are the most dishonest one in young lady, we still have our daughter Huang Hua here, don''t speak nonsense."


    Outside, Ling Chaofeng came up from downstairs and passed by the guest rooms on the second floor. Hearing the young lady''s laughter, he smiled with gratitude.


    Looking at this tavern, although it had been unchanged for more than a decade, it had started changing little by little since Xiaowan had married into the tavern. It was unknown what kind of life it would be in ten years from now, whether it would no longer be a "black shop", or whether they would abandon the inn, seek another life, or even leave the Baisha Town.


    Ling Chaofeng climbed the stairs and suddenly felt a gust of wind pass through his body. He frowned in shock, he could clearly feel that the gust of wind had penetrated through his body. After all, how could the wind penetrate the body?


    He looked around vigilantly. There was nothing wrong with the shop, only the laughter of the young lady could be heard.


    In the autumn of this year, the Xiaowan had already been married to Ling Chaofeng for a whole year, and a lot of things had happened in that year. When spring came next year, their baby would fall from the sky, and their days at home would become better and better, the young lady would always stand in front of the inn with curved eyebrows, and the people that saw it would not believe that this was a black shop.


    But in the tavern, there were still weird customers doing business. A group of martial artists came over, and actually started fighting in the lobby. Ling Chaofeng watched indifferently from the side as he hugged Xiaowan.


    After fighting for three or four days, the inn had returned to its original order. Susu had even followed Uncle Biao to the town to sell some big meat buns.


    She had talked about Susu''s marriage for a long time already. She knew that although Yue Huaiyin''s situation wasn''t good, the others were innocent and were all homeless. They were very pitiful. However, Yue Huaiyin had been able to give them a bite to eat.


    She bagged a few meat buns, but she heard the girl say softly: "Sister Susu, now that Miss has followed Zhi Xia, that man is so perverted and fierce, he always makes Miss unable to get out of bed. Seeing that we are also perverts, I am really afraid that someday, he will find trouble with us."


    This was exactly what Susu was worried about initially, which was why she left the Rouge Shop without any hesitation. She was afraid that since Yue Huaiyin was from the Qing Hu Island, if one day she lost his business, she would be dragged into it. She did not dare say these words to anyone and could only say them to the Xiaowan, who at least believed her. After that, she would never want to bring it up again in her life.


    "I shouldn''t say such words. However, if there is anywhere else, you should also think of a way to leave." Susu said, "It''s not that everyone has no conscience, they should all be fine for themselves, right?"


    When the girl brought Steamed Bun back to the Rouge Shop, and brought it in front of Yue Huaiyin, Yue Huaiyin asked her: "How is Xiaowan?"


    The servant said: "The Xiaowan is not here, only Susu is with us."


    Yue Huaiyin raised her eyebrows. "Xiaowan is not here?"


    The servant girl nodded and put down the bun. The girl beside her said, "Don''t mention it, it seems like I haven''t seen the Xiaowan in a while. In the past, I would occasionally go around with the people from the inn to buy vegetables, but during this period of time, I have seen the people from the inn, but I have never seen Xiaowan before. "


    "What did Susu say?" Yue Huaiyin asked.


    "I didn''t ask, and Susu didn''t raise it either." The servant girl stared blankly and guiltily said, "Miss, how about I go and ask her now?"


    "Whatever, you guys can leave now. Eat while it''s hot." Yue Huaiyin waved her hands and muttered to herself, "No need to ask."


    Yue Huaiyin also knew that the Xiaowan used to frequently come to the town to buy things, they must have passed by the Rouge Shop door. She had even seen Ling Chaofeng before, seeing him riding past while riding on his horse.


    However, during the entire summer, when they had never seen the Xiaowan before, they suddenly remembered that when the summer came, the servant girl had gone to the pharmacy to get medicine and make sour plum soup, saying that someone from Ling Xiao Inn had picked up the doctor.


    Yue Huaiyin raised her beautiful eyes coldly. Was that young lady pregnant? She was definitely pregnant, what virtue or ability did Mu Xiaowan have? Why did everything under the heavens belong to her?


    "Why ¡­" I''ll let you live a good life. " Yue Huaiyin clenched her fists tightly, her long and thin nails nearly digging into the skin of her palms.

 C97

    In mid-August, the capital held a country level exam. In previous years, the country level exam would always be held in the various provinces. This year, because of the inauguration of the new monarch, the examinees from various places would be gathered in the capital. It was rumored that the examiners would choose to remain in the capital and would be taught classes under the supervision of the Crown Prince.


    On this day, with autumn rain pouring down, Ershan was the first to walk out of the examination hall. Outside, there were many family members waiting for him, he walked through the crowd alone, into the drizzling rain.


    Just then, a beautiful carriage came over from the street, the crowd was pushed away, the curtains of the carriage were lifted, revealing a noble face, Ershan was startled, his gaze was frozen.


    More than ten years had passed, but she was still as beautiful as ever.


    One after another, exam candidates walked out of the field, the servants following by the side of the horse carriage immediately held up umbrellas to welcome the young man who sat in front of Ershan just now, was escorted by everyone to the carriage.


    "Mom, I''m done with the exam. Wait until I become the top scorer. Dad can''t scold me because I have no future, but I will give you face." The young man smiled proudly. The beautiful madam extended her hand and caught him in the carriage.


    As the carriage moved forward, the curtain was lifted by the wind. The woman was wiping the sweat off her son. The mother and son were talking and laughing, and it was as if the sun had risen.


    The people outside the training grounds gradually dispersed, and the rain gradually gathered. Ershan unconsciously walked towards the direction of the carriage.


    He could still remember the road, and he could still remember where the house was headed, all the way until he reached a large house. It was heavily guarded, and no one was allowed to come near it.


    In the past, he was the little gongzi of this mansion. But now, he was just a commoner.


    Ershan laughed coldly. A complicated hatred emerged in the eyes of a person drenched in sweat.


    "Time is up. I have never forgotten about it." Ershan looked at the beautiful door and said slowly: "I am here to take back everything that belongs to me."


    After August passed, most of the places in the Daqi Nation had already entered into the late autumn. The ranking for the hometown examination would be released in the middle of September, and news of Baisha Town coming from the capital would take at least three or four days.


    In the ninth month, other than Ling Chaofeng, everyone else in the inn was looking forward to Ershan''s good news. The stomachs of the Xiaowan also gradually surfaced, and the rich and beautiful young lady''s personality became soft, and became extremely lovable.


    In those seven and eight months, Xiaowan had been vomiting heavily. She would make delicious food for her every day, but she would always try her best to push it down, and although she would vomit cleanly in the blink of an eye, she would lie in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace. She would even laugh and say, "Run out from my mouth, I''ve tasted it again, it''s not wasted."


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart ached, he carefully protected her and until now, he finally did not vomit, and he slowly recuperated. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief.


    Xiaowan would softly say, "Hubby, it''s so hard to raise a child, why would your parents be willing to part with you?


    But in this world, there were still countless abandoned children. Just as the Emperor said, not everyone in the Mrs. Meng was qualified to be a parent.


    In the latter part of September, when everyone was eagerly waiting for news from the capital, Ling Chaofeng finally had some expectations. He said to Susu behind his back, "That person only likes to pretend to be calm.


    Susu laughed: "Then only you know."


    On this day, a merchant gave Da Qing two baskets of crabs. He then sent them to the inn and invited the shopkeeper to have a taste.


    Naturally, Ling Chaofeng and the others weren''t interested in crabs, but it was rare for Da Qing to be so kind, so Uncle Biao said that he would cook a few more dishes tonight, to bring over both Auntie Chen and Susu''s mother-in-law.


    The Xiaowan was pregnant so she could not eat too many. Ling Chaofeng broke open two legs of the crab for her, and the sweet crab meat also made her eat happily.


    As everyone was talking and laughing, the door to the inn was knocked, causing everyone to be stunned. Xiaowan quivered and said: "Could it be that Ershan has some good news?"


    Da Qing immediately ran over to open the door, but when he did, he was stunned. He quickly turned around and said: "Innkeeper, a guest is here."


    Ling Chaofeng stood up and welcomed them. A family member walked in from the darkness, including an old couple, a young couple, and a young married woman carrying a five to six-year-old girl. She seemed to have carried the child for a very long time as she slowly put the child down.


    "Will you be staying in the restaurant or eating?" Ling Chaofeng asked gently, his gaze sweeping past the crowd and landing on the young lady, his eyes trembling, while the other side dodged frantically.


    There really is an inn in this desolate mountain and forest." The older woman snappily said, "If I don''t take the good waterway, I''ll have to change to the dry one. If I miss a day, that will be the end of me.


    The young lady lowered her head and said, "Mother, Little Xuan is really dizzy. I ¡­"


    Old Madem glared fiercely at her, then said to Ling Chaofeng: "Open two rooms, we will stay here, how much do you guys want for one night?"


    Ling Chaofeng said lightly: "Two hundred gold for one night."


    At the Xiaowan''s side, when everyone heard Ling Chaofeng''s bid, they could not help but look at each other in dismay.


    All along, it had been 10 taels of silver from the south and 5 taels of silver from the north. Why did it suddenly become 200 taels of silver a night? Even the inns in the town required five hundred taels of silver for one night. Was he afraid that ten or five taels of silver would scare away these guests?


    "It''s not expensive at all. It seems like the store is clean as well." Old Madem muttered a few sentences, then turned to his husband and son and said amiably, "I''m tired, go to sleep early."


    Susu came to lead the way for the guests and the young woman picked up her daughter. Aunt Zhang walked forward and said with concern: "Are you seasick? We have some medicine in the store, do you want to get some for the kids? "


    "Thank you so much. I also want a bowl of porridge. The child has vomited for two days and hasn''t had anything to eat." The young woman was filled with gratitude, but when she saw Ling Chaofeng walking towards her, she immediately carried the child and ran upstairs.


    After the Xiaowan saw them go up the stairs, her gaze turned towards Ling Chaofeng. It had been a while since she last saw her master revealing such a serious expression, even when the Sky Martial Gang came to kill, he still felt as calm as the wind. What happened today?


    Especially since he had returned the money back to Yunpeng Clouds in one night, did he really want to keep these guests here?


    Since the guests had arrived and everyone was more or less done eating, they didn''t stay any longer. Da Qing sent the mothers back first. He stayed back to help clean up the dishes and bring some hot tea and hot water as well as porridge to the customers. Then, he came back to bring her back.


    "Aunt, I''ll come earlier tomorrow. Don''t make Xiaowan move, sher body is more important." Susu was very considerate, after speaking with the Aunt Zhang, he followed her master and went back.


    Along the way, Da Qing said: "I saw that Old Madem was very fierce to her daughter-in-law. When the young wife came here, her forehead was covered in sweat and her entire body was trembling.


    Susu sighed: "The shopkeeper said that we only need to eat and not meddle in other people''s business. We can just take a look at other people''s affairs." She reached out to help Da Qing straighten his clothes, "I''m blessed to have met you and my mother, who both love me."


    Da Qing chuckled, seeing that there was no one else on the road, he took a sip of the soup, and the two of them went home happily.


    Ling Chaofeng closed the door. The Xiaowan and the Aunt Zhang took a bath in the bathroom, and then the husband and wife went upstairs together.


    He had just walked past the second floor and reached the third floor when he heard a ruckus downstairs.


    The cloud mist door suddenly opened, and the young woman was pushed out. The old lady raised her hand and slapped her face, scolding, "How many times do you want me to tell you? If you can''t do it, then you can''t. If you continue pestering, be careful of my family."


    The young wife did not bother to cover her face as she knelt down to hug her mother-in-law''s skirt and said, "Mother, Little Xuan is still young, but she''s only six years old. Mother, I beg of you, don''t marry her out."


    Old Madem kicked her away and said fiercely: "Then you should be the one to give birth to a grandson. After entering the sect for so many years, you already gave birth to such a money-losing guy. Fine, if you want me to let you go, then kneel here. If you have the ability to kneel until tomorrow morning, I will consider it. "


    The door closed with a bang, and the frail and weak woman kneeled straight in front of the door. She seemed like she was really prepared to kneel until tomorrow morning, Xiaowan felt very uncomfortable, but Ling Chaofeng said: "Go back to your room."


    Entering the door, Xiaowan said: "Then Old Madem is also a woman, how can he say that our granddaughter is a money loser. Hubby, is she going to send a six year old child to be a child''s wife?"


    Ling Chaofeng''s expression was solemn: "Mind your own business, you''re here again."


    The Xiaowan asked in reply, "Master, since when did our inn''s inn became a one night business? Who in the world is meddling in other people''s business?"


    Ling Chaofeng said lightly: "I just feel pity for that child, thinking that it''s too expensive to scare them off, so what should I do with the child? As for their family matters, we can''t do anything about them, and we shouldn''t. "


    The Xiaowan still wanted to speak, but Ling Chaofeng made a bed and looked at her seriously, telling her to go to bed earlier.


    Xiaowan muttered in dissatisfaction: "Tonight, you are acting very strangely. If you don''t tell me, I won''t bother with you."


    Ling Chaofeng became softer and continued to coax her: "Otherwise, what should we do, go beat up that Old Madem? Do you know why? "Be obedient, close your eyes and sleep. Even if you don''t sleep, the child will fall asleep too."


    Xiaowan turned his body and ignored him, he was angry.


    As the night deepened, Xiaowan was worried about the young wife. Furthermore, she only woke up during the day and slept until dusk.


    After an unknown period of time, she suddenly felt Ling Chaofeng move, so she closed her eyes. Her husband seemed to be checking to see if she was asleep, so he got up and quietly left the room.


    Xiaowan opened her eyes and turned around. Seeing that there was no one on the bed, she got up and walked to the door as well. Through the crack of the door, she saw her husband slowly walking down the stairs.


    Ling Chaofeng walked towards her. She turned around and saw Ling Chaofeng reaching his hands out to her, as if he wanted to hug her, but the lady pushed him away forcibly.

 C98

    The scene in front of him caused Xiaowan to be startled, her husband once again extended his hand out to the woman, and she once again pushed Ling Chaofeng away.


    They obviously knew each other.


    Xiaowan opened the door and stopped moving forward. She slowly returned the door back to its original position and softly climbed back onto the bed.


    She listened intently, but there was no sound coming from downstairs. She could not guess how they were doing, but not long after, Ling Chaofeng returned.


    He could feel that the people behind him were filled with anger, and it wasn''t because of the pampering they gave him when they were strict. He was truly angry.


    That night, Xiaowan was in a daze as she dreamt of many scenes. When she saw that his wife was bullied by her mother-in-law and that her daughter was taken away, she woke up with a start, her heart thumping.


    She sat up. The bed was empty and her husband was already up.


    This time, he could easily open the door and exit, but the person who was kneeling outside Cloudburst''s room on the second floor had also disappeared.


    Just as Xiaowan went downstairs, she saw her husband returning from outside. Early in the morning, he went to the town and brought the doctor over.


    The husband and wife looked at each other, Xiaowan did not have time to see the look in Ling Chaofeng''s eyes, so the doctor followed him up to the second floor.


    It was not the wife''s mother-in-law''s room, nor was it hers and her husband''s room. Xiaowan followed them all the way to the door and saw that the wife was lying on the bed, unconscious.


    At this time, there was movement in Yun Peng''s room, the door opened a little, as if the woman kneeling in front of the door was nowhere to be seen, a sneer came from the Old Madem, and he closed the door.


    After that, he seemed to have put on some clothes. He opened the door and saw Xiaowan in the corridor, and said: "Lad, get me some water."


    The Xiaowan did not reply. She walked closer to her and examined her body, then snorted: "I can''t tell, but she''s a young lady who''s pregnant, right? In this world, every woman can have a baby, but my family just can''t lay an egg."


    She stood in front of Yun Lai''s room and yelled, "Jinxin, how long are you planning to sleep? Still not coming to serve me and your father-in-law?"


    However, there wasn''t any reaction in the room. How could there be any reaction? The other party had already fainted. Xiaowan thought, so her name was Jinxin.


    Old Madem knocked on the door. Seeing that there was no lock on the door, he might as well rush in. A voice came from inside: "Son, where is your wife?"


    She quickly ran out and looked around. Seeing that the door to Yunze Room was open, she barged in and saw her daughter-in-law lying unconscious on the bed.


    The Xiaowan followed them in. Without waiting for Ling Chaofeng to speak, he said first, "She fainted in the corridor. We were afraid that someone might lose our lives so we invited a doctor."


    Ling Chaofeng was startled, and did not say a word.


    Old Madem went up to take a look, and impolitely slapped his daughter-in-law''s face twice, scolding: "Lazy guy, what are you pretending to be dead for, wake up."


    Jinxin rolled her eyes a little, but she was too weak and couldn''t even open her eyes. Her mother-in-law scolded her instead: "You must have deliberately pretended to die to delay our trip. Let me tell you, even if I leave you in the wilderness, I can''t miss this chance."


    But at that moment, her son, the wife''s husband appeared from outside the door. He looked at his wife who was lying on the bed with a complicated look in his eyes, and said: "Mother, Little Xuan has a fever."


    Old Madem was startled, then said to the doctor: "Go see my granddaughter first, she must not get into trouble."


    The doctor was dragged to the next room, and the only ones left in the room were the unconscious Jinxin, Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng. She walked forward and covered Jinxin with the blanket and turned around, and his husband was right behind her.


    "Late, thank you." Ling Chaofeng said.


    Xiaowan looked at her with a smile on her face. She didn''t want her husband to feel sad, so she guessed that there must be a reason behind it.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and helped her: "What is happening here, if there is any disturbance, I might hurt you. Go to the third floor to rest, don''t come down if there is nothing else."


    Xiaowan was very obedient, she knew that Ling Chaofeng could take care of everything.


    Not long after, Susu came to work and brought Xiaowan breakfast. After hearing what happened last night, she sighed and said, "Da Qing also said that his wife is very pitiful. "We''re both women, why do there always be nanny in the world who love to have a hard time with their daughter-in-law?"


    The Xiaowan said, "Susu, take care of that wife. If she wakes up and finds out that her daughter is sick, it will be even more worrying. That Old Madem is really too evil, to actually want to send their six year old granddaughter to be a child''s daughter-in-law, this is something that only the poor families would do, their families are not poor, how can they bear to do that? "


    When she heard the husband and wife talking in the room, the man seemed to order her around, as if he wanted her to help him out. When she refused, he scolded her and said that she had ruined the mood.


    As a result, the people in the inn were extremely angry at the Old Madem''s family. The pitiful young woman wanted to protect her daughter, but she couldn''t.


    Not long after, the family came downstairs to eat breakfast, inquire about the distance, and agreed to rent a carriage, but the Uncle Biao said that the carriage in the inn could not be borrowed, and they had no choice but to send their young son to the town to see if they could borrow a carriage.


    Miss Jinxin was in a coma for the whole day, so Susu would visit her often to take care of her. When she went upstairs, he quietly said to the Xiaowan: "I helped her wipe her body, and found that there were wounds on her body, as if she had been abused."


    When she walked out of the room and looked downstairs, Ling Chaofeng was indifferently standing behind the counter. At first glance, he looked no different from any other times, but only Xiaowan could feel the killing intent that was rising from his back.


    Jinxin and him... Xiaowan''s heart quivered. She remembered that during the Dragon Boat Festival, when she was at the Li Prefecture Inn, they spoke about what they had said as children. Hubby said that the daughter of the house next door was at the same age as him, a playmate who had grown up together.


    From the looks of it, Lady Jinxin was a bit older than Xiaowan and Susu. Could she be the daughter of the cloth farm?


    It was getting late in the night, and Da Qing had already finished working to pick up Susu, but the son of the family did not come back. When Jinxin''s wife woke up, she ran back to her room to take care of her feverish daughter, but after dinner, she still did not see her son back.


    "It''s all your fault. Why do you have to walk on such a dry road? Do you really think that you can escape by delaying every day?" In Yun Lai''s room, the sound of cursing could be heard. It seemed like the sound of someone hitting someone could be heard.


    "Mother, Little Xuan is still having a fever, I beg of you ¡­" But no matter how Jinxin begged, her mother-in-law did not stop tormenting her.


    It was at this moment that two thin yet ferocious men entered the inn. They were either hoodlums or hooligans, and between them stood a seductive and vulgar woman.


    She cautiously and curiously looked around the inn, but did not directly rush in, and asked while standing at the door: "Who is Manager Ling?"


    Just as he was about to go upstairs, Ling Chaofeng turned around and said, "This one is."


    The woman was startled by Ling Chaofeng''s attitude, her eyebrows immediately softened and she laughed: "Manager Ling, sorry for disturbing you late at night. This humble one is from the Ten Thousand Flowers House, you have a guest here who eats wine at our place and doesn''t pay. We have temporarily detained him and have come to ask his family for silver, so we will naturally release him. "


    Ling Chaofeng pointed upstairs: "Go ahead."


    The Old Madem would never have thought that the son who went to the town to look for a carriage, would end up in a whorehouse, spending all sorts of money just like that. It was already the middle of the night when she accompanied him to bring him back.


    That night, the man in black woke up from her drinking, as though she wanted to use force against her wife. When Jinxin refused to obey, the two of them started an argument, which alarmed the old granny next door.


    Old Madem rushed towards Yun Lai. Originally, she was already filled with anger, but when he beat her daughter-in-law to death, he said that it was because she was useless and wanted her son to go out and have fun.


    "Lift her up and beat her. Let''s see if she''s willing to submit!"


    Xiaowan was upstairs, but hearing such a clamor, she was so angry that she was about to go crazy.


    However, Ling Chaofeng, who was lying on the side, was completely indifferent. He was still so nervous last night, so nervous this morning ¡­


    "Hubby!" Xiaowan could not hold it in anymore and sat up while holding onto Ling Chaofeng''s clothes, "You''re just going to watch your family torture your playmate when you were young? "She''s your childhood sweetheart, right? Hubby, I won''t be angry, I won''t be jealous, go save her!"


    In Ling Chaofeng''s indifferent eyes, there was clearly killing intent, but he was still calm as he said: "Evening, go to sleep."


    "You don''t have to care, I''ll care. I won''t allow anyone to beat someone up in our inn." Xiaowan was very excited, but Ling Chaofeng supported her and pushed her gently onto the bed, saying with a resolute expression, "Don''t meddle in other people''s business, sleep."


    Xiaowan was so anxious that she almost died. Suddenly, she remembered about her ring and immediately clenched her fists and made her wish. She hoped that Miss Jinxin would not suffer anymore.


    As expected, not long after, the commotion downstairs stopped, and they did not know how Jinxin''s wife was doing. Xiaowan believed in the Jade Ring and would not let her down.


    The next day, she woke up earlier than Ling Chaofeng. When she went downstairs, the woman also pushed open the door and came out, her face was swollen to the side and her body was covered in blood. When she raised her hand, half of her arm was revealed from her sleeve.


    "Morning." Xiaowan choked out a word; she really didn''t know what she should say.


    "Manager, good morning." The wife was very amiable. She went downstairs with Xiaowan and asked, "My family''s father-in-law is so used to eating breakfast from me. May I borrow the kitchen?"


    Uncle Biao heard about it and said, "How about I build a stove at the back door for you?"


    Jinxin was very grateful: "Thank you."


    She followed Uncle Biao to the back door. Xiaowan watched in a daze, then raised his head, only to see Ling Chaofeng standing upstairs, looking at his wife. Ling Chaofeng shook his head at her, but he didn''t know what that meant.


    Xiaowan went to the kitchen to eat breakfast, while Uncle Biao steamed some delicious barbecue for her. Xiaowan ate two of them herself, filled four or five in a plate, then came towards the back door to give them to Jinxin.


    Jinxin sat on a small stool at the side. Just as Xiaowan stepped out, he saw her take out a packet of medicinal powder from her chest, with a apathetic expression, she sprinkled all the medicinal powder into the pot.

 C99

    As she watched the medicinal powder seep into the porridge, Xiaowan thought of Mrs. Sun, who would rather die than be separated from his husband.


    In this world, there were too many women whose lives were not theirs. Perhaps the saddest thing was not the oppression of men towards women, but rather, it was the oppression of women like Jinxin''s mother-in-law, like Madam Xu, like, and the most tragic thing was the oppression of women.


    Even so, there were still many women who struggled and resisted with all their might for the sake of their own destiny, unwilling to submit even if they died.


    Also, this person in front of him.


    Xiaowan felt that she had changed, no longer the same person she was a year ago.


    "Our chef made it. It''s very delicious." She walked over as if nothing had happened. Jinxin felt a moment of fear, but Xiaowan pretended not to know anything as she gave her the barbeque. "Taste it."


    Jinxin stared blankly at him, both hands holding onto the plate as she bowed to thank her.


    She came down from the stairs to look for his mother. Jinxin hugged her daughter in her arms and gave her some barbecue, probably because she was thirsty because of it before. She waved her hand: "Mother, I want to drink congee."


    "What Grandma and Daddy are drinking are porridge for adults. Little Xuan is a child, so she has to have a stomachache if she drinks it." Jinxin coaxed her, coaxed her to eat a mouthful of barley.


    "Your name is Little Xuan, right?" The Xiaowan said gently, "Aunty will bring you to eat delicious food, can you let the granny in the back sew a rabbit doll for you?"


    Aunt? Jinxin''s brows trembled as she stared at Xiaowan. Seeing her slightly bulging waist, she finally realised that this young lady was pregnant.


    ~ Is this Ling Chaofeng''s child? She is Ling Chaofeng''s wife?


    "I''m not going. I''m going to guard my mother." Little Xuan hugged her mother, she saw the scars on her mother''s face and choked with sobs, "My father wanted to hit my mother, even my grandmother wanted to hit her, I want to protect my mother."


    However, Jinxin panicked and warned her repeatedly in a low voice, "Little Xuan, don''t speak nonsense.


    Her daughter looked at her mother with tears in her eyes, her small hands touching her wounds, and said with a choked of sobs, "When Little Xuan touches it, your mother will not feel any more pain."


    Jinxin gently caressed her daughter''s back: "Little Xuan be good, mother isn''t in the slightest bit of pain, don''t be afraid."


    She was about to become a mother. She could understand the pain Jinxin felt when her mother-in-law wanted to send her six-year-old daughter to be a child bride, but no matter what was in that pot of porridge, she would not care.


    This was Jinxin''s fate, and only she could dictate it herself; no one could interfere with it.


    Ling Chaofeng stood upstairs and watched as Xiaowan entered through the back door. She rubbed his eyes, obviously crying.


    He seemed to feel that he was here. He raised his head, and his usually soft and sweet eyes were filled with anger, as if he was asking him why he was treating his old friend so indifferently.


    At this time, Old Madem and the others had already woken up, and were yelling for their daughter-in-law to serve them. Jinxin placed a pot of porridge on the table, and after exchanging glances with the Xiaowan, she took out her handkerchief and covered the pot lid, as if wanting to leave a mark so that no one else would touch it.


    During breakfast, her father-in-law and her husband remained seated. She swiftly arranged everything and hugged Little Xuan as she sat at the other table. No one asked her if she had eaten breakfast, nor did anyone care about her little granddaughter.


    Xiaowan had already gone upstairs. She stood upstairs and looked at the people below, drinking the porridge in one gulp. She didn''t know what Jinxin had put in the pot, but she saw her husband staring at Jinxin without blinking.


    The Xiaowan did not have a childhood friend, so she did not understand what kind of relationship a childhood friend was. However, those ten years of childhood must have been very beautiful. She was very envious, but she wasn''t jealous nor was she against it. This was because she was the one who came after him in the first place and now, she was Ling Chaofeng''s wife.


    As long as Ling Chaofeng still treated Jinxin as his playmate, then Xiaowan would support him in anything he did for her.


    It was a pity that after that night, his husband had ignored everything in front of him. Could it be that he was worried that he would be jealous and angry?


    "Can you let your shop assistant rent a carriage for us?" Old Madem was full as he said to Ling Chaofeng, "It''s such a long way, who would be able to walk out? I was really tired out last night when I came back, if I knew earlier, I would have gone to the town."


    Ling Chaofeng replied indifferently: "Sure, how big of a carriage do you want?"


    Old Madem thought for a moment: "It''s a bit small, let''s squeeze in."


    After finishing their breakfast, nothing had happened. They were neither poisoned nor unconscious, so Xiaowan was even more confused as to what Jinxin had put into the porridge.


    However, Uncle Biao didn''t come back even after renting a carriage in the town. Old Madem was very impatient, he went downstairs to inquire what was going on, and laughed: "I''m afraid that fellow went to listen to some books. Don''t be anxious, he''ll be here in a moment."


    Just as Old Madem was about to explode, his face suddenly twitched. He covered his stomach with his hands and hurried upstairs.


    The Aunt Zhang snorted: "What''s wrong?"


    However, the next moment, Old Madem, her husband and Jinxin''s husband started to have diarrhea from their stomachs one after another. They occupied the buckets in the bedroom, and when the in-laws couldn''t get their hands on them, Jinxin had no choice but to ask Aunt Zhang for another one.


    The three of them repeatedly had diarrhea. Before Uncle Biao managed to borrow the carriage, they had already collapsed onto the bed, their legs weak.


    "Mother, you and daddy are like this. Hubby won''t be able to get up either. I''m afraid it won''t be good for us to travel." Jinxin stood beside the bed and meekly said, "Why don''t we rest for the night? We''ll leave tomorrow."


    Old Madem squinted his eyes and looked at her sinisterly. Even though his face was already a light color, his vicious aura did not lessen as he said fiercely: "Despicable person, are you trying to use medicine in the food, or are you trying to drag the time out? Don''t dream too much and even if you delay Lord Zhou''s birthday, I will not let you and you, that money-losing thing, off even if it''s cheap, I will still sell her."


    Jinxin''s eyes dimmed. Old Madem propped himself up and said: Go and see if the carriage is here.


    "Yes." Jinxin agreed, while walking towards the door, she heard his mother-in-law clamoring, "If you still can''t produce a son this year, I''ll sell you to the brothel."


    Jinxin glanced at her, gently closed the door, and went downstairs.


    In the store, Susu had just cut a plate of pear, coaxing Little Xuan to eat. For the burning child, eating the pear was very right for his appetite, he raised his eyes and saw his mother, and waved her hand: "Mother, you eat pear too, it''s so sweet."


    Jinxin walked over, gently took a bite from her daughter''s mouth and said: "Look, your hands are dirty." She said to Susu, "Can I trouble you to bring this child to wash your hands? We are on our way now, I want to pack my things."


    Susu''s expression became heavy, she did not know if this lady would suffer more if she left, but there was nothing she could do, they were an inn, not a hall of kindness.


    "Little Xuan, come, Aunt will bring you to wash your hands and bring you some sweets. You can eat them on the way." Susu left with the child.


    On the plate on the table, there were still some pears to eat. Under the pear skin was a shiny knife.


    Ling Chaofeng stood at the counter and looked at him. Both of them looked at each other for a moment, then Ling Chaofeng turned and walked away.


    Xiaowan was resting upstairs. At this moment, she wanted to come out and see what was going on, but she saw Jinxin walking up from downstairs with a deathly gaze, as if she had felt her presence. Her face lit up again as she smiled gently: "Sister-in-law, you should go in and rest, your health is more important."


    This calling her sister-in-law was similar to calling herself Aunt in Xiaowan this morning.


    In the house, Old Madem had already forced himself up and was packing his things. Jinxin was standing behind her, but he suddenly kneeled down and begged: "Mother, don''t take Little Xuan to be a daughter-in-law, I beg of you."


    "Shut up!" The old granny flew into a rage, "Just how long are you going to pester us? Fine, don''t follow us anymore. Immediately scram back home. If you dare to pester us again, I''ll sell you to the town''s courtesan."


    Jinxin slowly stood up. The old granny turned around to support her husband, she suddenly jumped up and hooked her neck. In that moment, the knife that was just buried under the skin of a pear had pierced the old granny''s throat.


    The old woman rolled her eyes. She didn''t have time to say anything and immediately died.


    Her father-in-law was gaping at her as he shouted, "Murder, kill!"


    Jinxin threw herself at her and stabbed his knife into her father-in-law''s heart again. She pulled out the knife and fresh blood splattered, dyeing her face a terrifying scarlet.


    "What''s wrong?" Suddenly, he saw his parents lying in a pool of blood while his wife stood there like a bloodthirsty devil. His whole body shook as he subconsciously retreated, and he subconsciously ran down the stairs, but his wife chased after him, causing his weak legs to tumble down the stairs.


    Jinxin chased her all the way down to the bottom of the building. His husband crawled on the ground and begged, "Jinxin, are you crazy?


    "She is your own daughter, and you want to send her to a sixty-year-old man to be a child''s bride?" Jinxin approached her step by step, and fresh blood dripped down from the tip of the blade one drop at a time. "How can you treat me like this, I''ve already acknowledged that she''s your daughter, your daughter!"


    Her husband crawled to the door, wanting to run away. However Jinxin pulled on the hem of his clothes and pulled him back, falling onto the ground.


    Upstairs, when the Xiaowan heard the commotion, she saw the footprints of blood all the way down the cloud. A woman covered in blood stood in front of the door, stepping on her husband''s feet.


    But suddenly, the man resisted. She was still a man, even if she had diarrhea to the point of losing all her strength, her physique was still bigger than his wife''s. With a counterattack, he suppressed Jinxin and knocked out the blade in her hand.


    "Bitch, you want to kill me?!" The man was furious, he slapped Jinxin''s face, and just as he was about to grab the blade on the ground, a figure flashed and grabbed his collar, throwing him out.


    The man hit the corner of the table, his face contorted in pain.


    "Jinxin." Ling Chaofeng bent down and helped the lady who was covered in blood up.


    "Dong, Feng ¡­"

 C100

    "You ¡­ you all ¡­" The man lying on the ground suddenly realized that his wife was acquainted with the owner of the inn. He viciously said, "Bitch, so you intentionally lured us here. So you were stealing a man outside."


    Jinxin helped Jinxin to stand up, she was covered in blood, with each step she took she picked up the blade on the ground and forced it towards the man.


    "Don''t kill me, Jinxin, spare me, I, I promise I won''t say anything, I promise ¡­" The man was scared to the point of peeing, he hugged his head and curled up into a ball, "I was wrong, Jinxin, I was wrong ¡­"


    "It''s too late, you bastard. Where are you going to touch your hand? Where are you going to touch your daughter?"


    "I didn''t, I really didn''t ¡­"


    Jinxin screamed and rushed forward crazily. She stabbed the back of the man''s hand with his blade and the man shouted in pain as if he was about to kill a pig. He wanted to push her away, but she pulled out her blade and stabbed it into his heart.


    The man twitched twice and no longer made a sound. The entire inn became quiet.


    Xiaowan stood on the third floor. The other day, when she was watching the fight between the Wu Lin gang and Susu, she and Susu were extremely shocked. But today, after seeing the Bloody Red Inn, the expression on her face was very similar to that of the usually calm Ling Chaofeng.


    Ling Chaofeng carried her up horizontally. She reached out his bloodied hand and gently stroked Ling Chaofeng''s chin: "I know, you will definitely protect me."


    In the backyard, Susu was carrying Little Xuan. The Aunt Zhang indicated for her not to let her child go out, so she picked up her stone water basin and cloth, and headed towards the main hall.


    Xiaowan went downstairs and followed the bloody footprints to Yunze''s room. The weak woman laid on the bed and when she saw her, she revealed a gentle smile.


    "Sister-in-law ¡­"


    weakly called out. Her heart trembled, immediately her eyes filled with tears, she quickly walked up, but Jinxin fainted.


    "Jinxin!" The Xiaowan called out to her. Ling Chaofeng supported his wife and said, "Let her sleep for a while. She''s tired."


    Downstairs, Uncle Biao had finally returned. He did not go rent a carriage, but rather went to the mountain to pick some wild hawthorn stalks, intending to make candy for his child to eat.


    Seeing the scene in the shop, he silently closed the door and cleaned the bloodstains together with Aunt Zhang. He wrapped the three corpses in straw mats and stacked them beside the firewood at the back door.


    Not long after, the inn returned to normal. Apart from the faint smell of blood on the second floor, it was hard to tell that there had been a massacre here.


    In the evening, Jinxin woke up. After she had bathed and changed into a clean set of clothes, she went to see her daughter.


    Little Xuan used a handkerchief to give her a little mouse to scare her mother, and laughed: "Mother, I really like it here, there''s delicious food, and there''s even someone to play with with me, the big grandpa made me sweet hawthorn, it''s delicious."


    Jinxin laughed: "In the future, mother will cook delicious food for you everyday and play with you everyday."


    Little Xuan asked, "Mother, where are father and grandmother? I''m not seeing them."


    Jinxin said worriedly: "They don''t want us anymore. Little Xuan, are you willing to follow mother?"


    The little girl stared blankly. A six year old child, she knew a lot of things, but she was still a child in the end. She wouldn''t think about whether or not her grandmother and father had met with an accident.


    However, she understood that since she was separated from her grandma and father, no one would ever hit her mother again.


    "Don''t want them." Little Xuan said, "I only want mother, I will be fine with mother."


    She heaved a sigh of relief as she hugged her daughter and fondled her petite body lovingly. When she looked up and saw Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan standing there, she wiped her tears and said embarrassedly: "I''ve troubled you guys."


    "Little Xuan, Auntie will bring you to eat delicious food." Xiaowan thought that his husband and his childhood sweetheart should have something to say, so she trusted Ling Chaofeng. Jinxin was also a strong woman, so he was naturally at ease.


    Little Xuan was not afraid that her mother would get beaten up, and was happy to follow Xiaowan. She even charmingly asked, "Aunt, why should I call you Aunt?"


    Hearing that, Jinxin asked Ling Chaofeng: "You told her, do you take me as your little sister?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "Always."


    Jinxin laughed helplessly: "It''s just that you are, and I am not, but ¡­. We are not fated to be together.


    Ling Chaofeng frowned and asked: "I only know that you''re already married, how could you be married to someone like me?"


    Jinxin laughed coldly: "I was blind."


    In the great hall, Little Xuan was pressing her head against Xiaowan''s stomach and asked curiously, "Is Aunt going to have a baby? Aunt, my grandma always asks my mother to give birth to my little brother. If my mother could give birth to my little brother, my grandma wouldn''t beat her up. "


    Xiaowan rubbed Little Xuan''s head and said gently: "It''s grandmother''s fault. Even if your mother didn''t give birth to your brother, she still shouldn''t be hit. Little Xuan, little sister, little brother, even you are your mother''s precious baby. Other people can like you, but no one has the qualifications to despise you. "


    The little guy did not seem to understand and grinned. "Anyway, no one else will hit my mother."


    Upstairs, Ling Chaofeng did not linger, and quickly followed.


    Uncle Biao made hawthorn ducks, Zhang Luo and his family ate dinner, the whole family sat around them, and although three people had died in the tavern today, it seemed as if nothing had happened.


    But when they were eating, the door suddenly rang. He thought that Da Qing was here to pick him up, but when he opened the door, he walked into Constable Li and his subordinates.


    Jinxin''s body trembled, her expression immediately changed as she pulled her daughter into her embrace.


    "You have guests?" However, Constable Li smiled and said, "Manager Ling, I''m here to ask for money."


    Ling Chaofeng slowly unfurled the scroll and revealed a smile. He turned around and said to his family: "That brat, the Awareness Source, is a document sent by the imperial government."


    The Constable Li laughed: "The Lord Prefect asked me to come immediately to congratulate you. I''m afraid you guys don''t know yet, but it seems like I came the right way. Your inn is truly an impressive place. I estimate that next year, there will be a top scholar appearing here. When we get back, you guys can change your name to the top scholar tower. "


    The Uncle Biao said that they were currently on duty and could not drink. The Aunt Zhang then said: "How late do you think it is for you to be in town? It''s only a trip back to the Li Prefecture, you can''t be at ease in the middle of the night. I immediately went to get a room. Several officials are staying in the inn for the night. I have always been under your care and have never entertained you properly before. "


    Ling Chaofeng also said: "The Li Prefecture is too far, Brother Li, let''s leave tomorrow morning."


    Jinxin nervously hugged her daughter. The three corpses were still stacked up at the back door, they would need to keep the officials to stay for the night. How great would that be if they found out that she had gone to save her daughter''s life, leaving Little Xuan for someone else to take care of?


    "It''s fine." Xiaowan held Jinxin''s hand gently and smiled confidently, "Hubby, he will make the arrangements."


    Jinxin froze for a moment, then stiffly nodded her head.


    That night, the Fast Catcher stayed in the main rooms on the south side of the second floor. After cooking a few more dishes, the officials were all drunk and carried upstairs to sleep.


    On the other hand, Jinxin brought her daughter to live in Ershan''s room in the backyard. Just now, Ling Chaofeng told Constable Li that she was the niece of the Uncle Biao and had come to visit him.


    Xiaowan didn''t know if the corpses were still piled at the back door, but she wasn''t afraid at all. She lied on the bed and thought about everything that had happened today, and very quickly, Ling Chaofeng returned.


    "Still awake?" Ling Chaofeng leaned on the side of the bed and asked lovingly, "Did I scare you today?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "With you here, what am I afraid of? Besides, this is not the first time that someone has died in our inn. "


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "I don''t know if it''s good or bad for you to be so indifferent to life and death."


    Xiaowan caressed his face and said, "Of course it''s good."


    Ling Chaofeng laid down and hugged his lovely wife in his arms. The attitude that Xiaowan had during these two days made him feel extremely gratified, but it was not at all a pleasant surprise, because in his heart, late at night was always like this.


    "Master, Jinxin is really good-looking." Xiaowan said as she raised her head to look at her husband. "As for me, I will compare myself to her. Which one of us is prettier?"


    Ling Chaofeng deliberately looked at it carefully. Xiaowan pouted and said angrily: "You still have to think about it, Ling Chaofeng. Have you grown some skills?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Don''t you already have the answer?"


    "That''s my answer, too. What about you?" Xiaowan crawled up and sat on his body, domineeringly holding his face, "Quickly tell me, which one of us is prettier?"


    However, Ling Chaofeng frowned, and coughed dryly: "Where are you sitting, are you doing this on purpose?"


    The Xiaowan wriggled her fart. Ling Chaofeng didn''t dare to press the Xiaowan down on the bed anymore so he could only lift her up and put her down. He covered her with a blanket and said hatefully, "If you continue to provoke me, I won''t be polite anymore."


    Xiaowan was fearless: "You dare?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Take every note, once you''re done, we will slowly calculate."


    Xiaowan smiled weakly, as gentle as water. "Master, kiss me once, okay? Just once."


    Ling Chaofeng kissed her as if he was kissing her, but then said angrily: "What should I do now, why are you so evil?"


    With the gentle help of the Xiaowan, Ling Chaofeng finally resolved the "trouble". The happy occasion in his room was naturally not something that could be told to others, and with this peaceful night, although there were a few people from the yamen who lived in the shop, everything was peaceful.


    In the morning of the second day, Uncle Biao made the sobering wine soup and wrapped a few bags of salted pork. After breakfast, Constable Li and the others left.


    When Ling Chaofeng sent it out, the Xiaowan asked the Aunt Zhang, "Why didn''t you give me the money?"


    The Aunt Zhang laughed: "The current silver is too much of an eyesore, shopkeeper has a sense of propriety."


    She only saw Jinxin walking in from the back door. Her face was pale from fright as she timidly asked, "Th-how did they ¡­ It''s gone? "


    Xiaowan laughed: "They have been taken away, rest assured, at this time, I am afraid that they have already turned to dust."


    Jinxin nodded her head in a daze, but still felt it was inconceivable. She had come to the inn right away, she knew that unless she died, she would only be able to survive if she came here.


    When Ling Chaofeng returned, the girls were no longer in the store. Aunt Zhang came in with a bucket of water to wipe the floor, and said to him: "Xiaowan and Jinxin are at the back door well. Susu and Little Xuan will go with my son to pick up the chestnuts."


    Ling Chaofeng walked towards the back door. Beside the well, Jinxin was using his sleeves to wash the replaced pillow towel, while Xiaowan sat at the side to give her the soap horn. Jinxin said: "I was willing to marry him, but now that we are married, everyone has changed. Actually, I was able to endure the fact that they treated me badly. However, they did not even let their child go.

 C101

    Jinxin had said the same words to Ling Chaofeng yesterday. At night, he had wanted to explain it to the Xiaowan but his wife had played around with him.


    He turned around and left, allowing them to continue their conversation. Perhaps, rather than listening to her explanation, Xiaowan would be more interested in listening to Jinxin''s story.


    Beside the well, Jinxin said with fixed eyes: "After he gave birth to her daughter, his body suddenly went bad, and she was unable to speak humanly. Even though he was still in the mood to ask questions or torment me, I didn''t know what was wrong, and even a doctor wouldn''t be able to cure him. She warned me not to tell anyone. My mother-in-law asked me why I didn''t allow him to take a concubine, but in reality, it was he herself who refused to take one out, afraid of being found out. "


    Jinxin rolled up her sleeves and continued to scrub the pillow and sheets. Her arms were riddled with wounds, just like how Xiaowan used to be.


    Jinxin said: "He''s still alright. After all, when we were together back then, we could also be considered to be in love. "It''s my mother-in-law. She was waiting for me to give birth to her grandson, so she wanted to beat me to death so that I could renew her son''s song and find excuses to beat me up for all sorts of things."


    However, Xiaowan was furious: "What does it mean to be lucky, it will definitely hit you once, it will definitely slap you in the face. There was no difference between fighting once and fighting a hundred times ten times. The first time he hit you, you should have ¡­ "


    She was getting excited, and felt that she had talked too much. Back then, when she was being tormented by the Madam Xu, she also had no other choice. With the current result, no matter if it was her or Jinxin, she had experienced countless resistance and struggles, but her life was fortunate. When she met Ling Chaofeng, Jinxin would not have such good luck.


    "Your parents don''t care about you either?" Xiaowan looked down and changed her mind.


    "I still have a few brothers and sisters in my family, as well as a whole house full of them." Jinxin laughed bitterly.


    She knocked on the laundry stick very rhythmically, and said: "My parents only send me a letter every year, and the letter always says that business is getting worse every year. To put it bluntly, no matter what happens to me, I will try my best not to cause trouble for my family. I am a married man, so I am a member of another family."


    Since her family was like this, what else could the Xiaowan say. Thus, in her heart, she admired the Auntie Chen more and more.


    Jinxin continued: "Husband''s family is also a businessman, it''s not easy to do it in these two years. My mother-in-law really wants to rope in her big client and knows that Master Zhou likes girls. "In fact, if you don''t even count as a daughter-in-law, a daughter-in-law would at least grow up. But once Little Xuan goes, he will be raised by that old b * stard ¡­"


    Her two hands covered her face, and while trembling, she suppressed her tears. She grinded her teeth even more tightly: "Before we left, I personally saw that damned beast reach out his hand to touch Little Xuan. His parents are also by his side, perhaps to check his body for Little Xuan. When I rushed in, he just carried me on his back as if nothing had happened and told his mother that it was all right. Then he ran away. "


    Jinxin lowered her hand, but her eyes were dead as she gnashed her teeth, "From that day onwards, I wanted to kill him and her parents. But at home, I was powerless to resist. I once tried to run away with Little Xuan, but they found out and almost beat me to death. No one can save me, no one can help me, and for the sake of my daughter, I can only endure. "


    Her face finally regained its color, "When we went out together this time, I knew that we would pass a place called Baisha Town. Although Zhaofeng and Aunt Ling had left the capital very early, there were still some correspondence coming and going, and I knew that they were staying here. Here is my last hope, and luckily the heavens did not end my path, allowing me to see the sign on the Ling Xiao Inn. "


    Xiaowan pursed her lips and asked: "But when you entered, did you not recognize him? She came to see you at night, so why did you push him away? "


    Jinxin asked: "Did you see what happened at night?"


    Xiaowan nodded. "I heard the commotion, so I came out to take a look."


    Jinxin replied, "I am afraid that my in-laws will find out, and that my husband will find out. Before I have the chance to kill them, I do not want them to discover that I am related to them, nor do they want them to be on guard against me. I did not acknowledge the morning breeze, hoping that he would treat me as an ordinary guest and then let me do what I had to do. The Ling Xiao Inn was like this in the past, I think that it should be the same now. "


    This time, it was the Xiaowan who was curious.


    Jinxin said: "I have seen it a few times, and Chao Feng also told me that although I didn''t understand it when I was young, I know that this is my daughter and I''s last chance to live."


    Jinxin lowered her eyes and muttered softly, "I know that there is still someone in this world who will protect me."


    Xiaowan held the Sapphire Box in her hands. She had a strange feeling in her heart, she was naturally sympathetic and was willing to do her best to help Jinxin and Little Xuan. She shook her head. She couldn''t be so stingy.


    Jinxin looked up at her. Seeing the young lady at a loss on what to do, she smiled deeply.


    Xiaowan said: "I saw you scattering the medicinal powder in the wok, I thought you were going to poison them to death."


    Jinxin shook her head: "Under their noses, where do I get the poison from? It''s already scary enough to be able to save up all these laxatives. How could it be so easy to kill? In fact, at the very last moment, I still hoped that Grandma would change her words so that I wouldn''t have to kill her. But in the end, she was still so cruel and cold-blooded. "Sorry for the trouble."


    The Xiaowan hurriedly said: "It''s not a problem, we are just passers-by that we met by coincidence. We even made a move on you, not to mention you ¡­ Besides, you were once a good friend of my husband. "


    Jinxin laughed, a profound look in her eyes. In the end, she was not a country girl like Xiaowan, who married in a big place like the capital city.


    This part of the story made Xiaowan''s heart heavy. It wasn''t until Little Xuan and Susu came back from picking up chestnuts that the mood finally eased a little.


    The boy told his mother excitedly that he had seen a squirrel in the mountains and that the squirrel had to pick chestnuts for the winter, so they picked a little less, so that the squirrel wouldn''t starve in the winter. "


    Uncle Biao took his children to cook Sweet ''n'' Sour Chicken with chestnuts, and from time to time, would laugh. Every time he did so, he would smile at him, smiling the whole time as he finished all the work.


    She stood among the sheets that flapped in the wind, the sun shining on her face. Perhaps it had been a long time since she had felt the warmth of the sun.


    In the afternoon, Xiaowan woke up from her sleep and walked up the stairs. Seeing Jinxin and Ling Chaofeng chatting happily by the counter, looking at how intimate they were, as if they had never been each other before, Xiaowan''s heart skipped a beat and she swallowed her thoughts.


    After dinner, Aunt Zhang and Jinxin took a bath together with Susu, and the girl''s laughter kept on coming out. Xiaowan saw that Jinxin''s clothes were thin, and gave her her Qiu Chang.


    When he fell asleep at night, Ling Chaofeng entered his room later on. Seeing that she seemed to have fallen asleep, he didn''t wake her up. Xiaowan had his back facing Hubby, and only now did he faintly feel sleepy late into the night.


    Suddenly opening his eyes, Xiaowan''s heart tensed up. Turning around, he saw that the sky was lit up and Ling Chaofeng was still by his side.


    "What''s wrong?" Ling Chaofeng was very alert, as if he felt the Xiaowan''s unease. He opened his arms and pulled the unsettled people into his embrace, "Have you had a nightmare?"


    Xiaowan made a sound of agreement, but in the end, she did not say the words in her heart.


    After being warm for a while, when she heard the sound of the door opening downstairs, she stood up and put on her clothes. A new day had begun, and Xiaowan did not know if it was every day from now ¡­


    "Manager."


    When Ling Chaofeng clumsily combed his hair, he heard Aunt Zhang''s movements from downstairs. When they came out, they saw Aunt Zhang standing downstairs and said: "Innkeeper, Jinxin and Little Xuan are gone, there''s only a letter on the brick bed."


    When Ling Chaofeng came downstairs, the Xiaowan helped him up the stairs. Ling Chaofeng looked at the letter and gave it to her, saying, "It''s for you."


    "Mine?" Xiaowan was stunned.


    The sound of the early morning door opening was not because Aunt Zhang was awake and opening, but because Jinxin had left with her daughter. In the letter that she left for Xiaowan, she said thank you and also said that she was sorry.


    She said she was a murderer and that she had given the inn so much trouble that she couldn''t stay here any longer.


    The father-in-law and the husband were also known to the local people. There were even relatives and uncles at home. The three survivors had suddenly disappeared, and there was a chance that someone would come to investigate this matter one day.


    She did not plan to tell the people at the inn, nor would she tell Ling Chaofeng where she was going. She would bring the money her in-laws had looted from her body, and bring her daughter to a place no one knew about.


    The only thing she needed from Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng was to invite them to the capital to burn some paper money and burn some incense for her if her parents were gone in the future.


    Xiaowan read the letter with tears in her eyes.


    Ling Chaofeng quietly stood beside her and deliberately asked: "Are there any words you don''t recognize?"


    She was so petty, she thought that just like that, Jinxin took his children to seek refuge with Ling Chaofeng. She had thought that they would ¡­


    Ling Chaofeng lowered his head and whispered into her ear, "Did you think that something would happen between me and Jinxin?"


    laughed: "Let''s not talk about whether she has that intention or not. I have a little tigress in my house, do you dare?"


    Xiaowan lowered her head and muttered: "I don''t even belong to the tiger."


    This day, only when Da Qing brought the goods from the pier to the town and returned back to the village and informed the shop that he came back with his daughter, did everyone know that Jinxin had left on a boat.


    It was easy to find out where the boat was going, but no one knew where it was going to go next, or where it was going to go next.


    Ling Chaofeng consoled Xiaowan, saying that she was definitely not the narrow-minded one, and said, "The inn will always be here, this is Jinxin''s mother''s house. Little Xuan has the most beautiful aunt in the world."


    That day, Ershan''s letter had finally arrived. He couldn''t just send it to Lian Yi, he was afraid that the Meng family would intercept it, so he sent it to the inn as well, asking the shopkeeper to deliver it on his behalf.


    It was a pity that the Xiaowan was not in a position to travel and bumpy. Since Ling Chaofeng could not bring her to visit the Li Prefecture, he rode his horse back and forth alone to deliver a letter to Lady Lian Yi.


    As expected, Ershan was left in the capital, with the Crown Prince controlling the work, he invited the ministers, elders and generals to take turns teaching him, like this was New Year''s Day, so he could not return home. And next fall, there will be a conference and hall test.


    Ling Chaofeng''s horse was passing through the town in a hurry. Yue Huaiyin happened to be standing in the shop and she saw it.


    He heard the person from the shop opposite and said, "The Manager Ling rode his horse over there just now. Did you all hear that the hall in their shop was infected by the Top Scorer of our province?"


    When Yue Huaiyin heard her, she looked at them in a daze. Seeing how strange she was, the other men did not dare approach her even if they were jealous of her beauty.


    She remembered that she had promised Ling Chaofeng that after Ershan became a High Scholar, she would go to an inn to have a cup of wine. But now, they were like strangers walking down the road.


    She hated him, hated him for luring the National Duke''s wife here and trampling on her love.


    But she was also grateful to him. In this world, only Ling Chaofeng had ever told her that without the Lust, she was a weak and powerless woman. Anyone could hurt her.


    No one had ever told her that.


    Yue Huaiyin''s heart was at a loss. She walked into the shop and saw the servants packing the newly made makeup into boxes, which were shipped out in a few days. Her hands were clenched into fists, she had not been to the Baisha River Pier for a long time.


    In the capital, when the Imperial Guards started their shift, all the students were all in uniform. They could not see through the aristocratic families and wanted to be treated equally. Many of them had already found high-ranking officials and some of them were already born noble, so they did not need to be anyone''s student.


    Ershan sat in his own seat, quietly looking at the book in his hands. He was the Top Scorer from the province where Li Prefecture resided, and other Top Scorers in the same hall.


    The youth who had stood beneath the horse carriage and proudly told his mother that he was going to be struck by the Top Scorer sat right in front. Ershan put down the book, only to see a few people walking over, bowing respectfully and saying: "Young Master Bi, I have heard a lot about you."


    Ershan laughed coldly, he had almost forgotten that his surname was not Ling, it was Bi.


    But at that moment, when the people outside called out for the Emperor''s arrival, everyone trembled and bowed down to greet him. Xiang Run walked over with big strides, and suddenly, he came.


    "Get up."


    Xiang Run was in high spirits, and wanted to see the pillars of the future. All the faces turned to look, but walked closer to Ershan, giving off an imposing air.


    "Ling Yu, you really did come. Hopefully, next year, we can see you again in Announcement Hall. In this year, anyone can surpass you. Don''t be too arrogant."


    Ling Chen kowtowed to show his gratitude, while the surrounding people looked at him with astonishment. This unknown youth actually knew the Emperor?


    When the Emperor returned and brought something interesting with him, he wanted to give it to her first. After knowing that the Emperor had gone to see Ershan, Siyan said in a displeased tone, "If the Emperor treats him this way, wouldn''t that mean that others will be jealous of him?"


    Xiang Run smiled faintly: "It''s exactly what you mean. In this year, he will suffer many setbacks, especially when it comes to being pushed and suppressed by others. If he doesn''t struggle and carve out a thick layer of cocoon, how can he withstand the bloody rain of the imperial government in the future?"

 C102

    "What if he can''t break through?" Siyan asked.


    "Naturally, there will be even better people for us to use." Xiang Run gently stroked his wife''s bulging belly, "It''s really getting bigger and bigger, Yan''er, do you have a hard time?"


    "I''ve gradually gotten used to it, so it''s not hard at all. The mama said that the last period would be a bit harder." Siyan laughed, "Anyway, they always scare me, I don''t think so."


    "At that time, I will accompany you." Xiang Run said, "Don''t be afraid, even if mother is not here, royal sister and aunt will come to take care of you."


    "With the Emperor here, with royal sisters and aunts here, I feel at ease. It''s a pity that big brother can''t come." Siyan said, "I really want to show him my nephew."


    "He is from a military family. If there are no major events, he cannot leave the base. When he returns to the capital next year to report, just stay for a few more days." Xiang Run laughed, "If it is the little prince, we will hand him over to uncle and have him ride the arrows and learn martial arts. He will become an indomitable man."


    Siyan was naturally happy, but she also understood the hidden dangers of being a relative of another person. In the future, whenever she met her brother, she had to remind him of some things, as this was also her responsibility.


    However, it was better for the emperor to announce during the Dragon Boat Festival that he would not hold any concubines in the six palaces, and that there would be no princes born of concubines competing for power in the future.


    Now, instead of worrying about these things, it was better to worry about when her brother would get married. There was always no one by her side to take care of her. In a flash, Siyan had already left the Chuanyu for more than a year, so how could such a beautiful girl enter his heart?


    As for Ling Chaofeng going to the Li Prefecture to write a letter to Lian Yi, when the Mrs. Meng heard that Ling Ershan had taken the Province''s Top Scorer seriously, he knew that he truly had talent.


    He had initially thought that it would be difficult to become an Elementary Scholar, but once he became a High Scholar and became the top scorer, even if he failed the Elementary Scholar examination, he could still become an official with a bright future ahead of him.


    The attitude of the Mrs. Meng was completely different from before. When he heard that her daughter wanted to visit the Xiaowan at an inn, she took the initiative to pack up a few bags for her since they were staying at an inn which was very far away. She told her to stay here for two more days and accompany Madam Ling properly.


    Lian Yi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, but she was still her mother after all.


    As a result, everyone gathered at the tavern to celebrate with Ershan. They prepared a few pastries and shoes, and wrote a thick letter to him, and asked others to take him to the capital city.


    On this day, the academy was dismissed and everyone went out. Outside were carriages, naturally most of the students were from outside the city, just like Ling Yu, living in the capital. The imperial government would reward them with silver taels and allow them to stay in the capital for a year.


    However, walking on the streets of the city and living among the commoners, what they would encounter would be a test that all of them would have to go through this year.


    Although passing the examination was the most important thing after a year, whether one would still be able to live to that day and have a healthy physique to take the trials in succession for several days, this was also the key to fate.


    At this moment, everyone came out in twos and threes. After a few days of getting along with each other, the students had gotten to know each other very well. They were still on good terms with each other even before the final competition.


    Today was different from normal days. Usually, when it was time for classes, the Bi¡¯s Mansion carriage would wait outside the door. But today, Bi Zhenye left with the rest, but no one came to his house to fetch him.


    Ershan walked behind him and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that they were of similar age. In fact, they were about the same age, and Bi Zhenye was even a year older than him.


    turned around and saw that Ershan had walked out. These few days, everyone had been discussing about Ling Xu, and some people even found out that he was born in some countryside inn. But how did such a person meet the emperor?


    "Ling Yu, shall we go together?" Bi Zhenye opened his mouth and invited, "Today, my family members have not come to pick me up."


    Ershan smiled lightly: "It doesn''t seem to be on the way."


    Bi Zhenye looked at the road ahead, and said: "It''s fine, let''s walk to the front, maybe they will come, standing here waiting, it''s boring."


    As the two of them walked together, the other students all watched on. Bi Zhenye was the Prime Minister''s son, so he had an illustrious family background, and participated in the Country Exam as the supervisor of the country. He was different from Ershan and the other Elementary Scholars who had to pass the examinations.


    It was so much so that if he did not participate in the Imperial Examinations, he could rely on his family''s background to become an official and a member of the imperial court.


    With such an identity, how could other people dare to easily cling onto him? Even though many people had already become sworn brothers with the Prime Minister, they did not dare to call Bi Zhenye brother. And this little rascal from the countryside actually dared to travel alongside Young Master Bi.


    "The day the emperor arrived, he gave you a few pointers." Bi Zhenye asked politely, "When did you meet the heavens?"


    "I forgot." Ershan looked indifferent, "That is a matter of the Tian Family."


    Bi Zhenye understood, to put it bluntly, this was also a personal matter with the emperor. The emperor would definitely not want others to find out about his private affairs, so Ling Yu had a responsibility to keep it a secret.


    "Ling Chen, where are you from? Do you have any family in the capital?" Bi Zhenye said, "If you are alone, why not come to my house to stay for the night? In the future, we can come to school together and study together."


    Ershan was about to answer, only to see a familiar horse carriage flying over.


    The horse carriage came to a stop. A beautiful girl jumped off the carriage. Her clothes were bright, and in the deep autumn, they were bright and beautiful.


    She was in high spirits, her movements was lively, she flew towards Bi Zhenye like a butterfly, and said happily: "Brother, I''m back, the moment I return, I came to pick you up."


    Bi Zhenye smiled, "Don''t be so rude, how can you be rude in front of Big Brother''s schoolmates?"


    The little girl quickly and gently bowed, then politely blessed herself. "Greetings, Young Master."


    Then he took his brother''s arm and said with a beaming smile, "Brother, I missed you so much."


    "Little sister Hanxi, you are still young and inexperienced, I hope that you do not take offense to it." Bi Zhenye said in a gentle voice, "Today, our family''s elders have come back to pay their respects to Buddha, so we cannot entertain you at home. When we leave tomorrow morning, we can go home to drink a cup of tea, so that we can discuss some essays together."


    Ling Tian raised his head and seemed to agree. His gaze landed on Bi Hanxi''s face, but the girl with bright eyes and white teeth was stunned, her gaze fixated on his face.


    "Hanxi, don''t be rude." Bi Zhenye reprimanded, "Why are you staring at Young Noble Ling like that?"


    Hanxi regained her senses and retracted her gaze. Waiting until her brother had gotten on the carriage with her, and the carriage gradually moved further and further away, she finally saw Ling Yu who was walking by the side of the road. She asked: "Brother, who is that young master?"


    Bi Zhenye said: "He''s also the Top Scorer for this year''s Country Test."


    Hanxi asked, "Child of a Venerable family?"


    The elder brother shook his head and said, "I was born in the cold."


    Bi Hanxi thought for a while, then laughed: "That''s weird, I thought I saw him in a big house somewhere, I seem to have met him before."


    Even Bi Zhenye said: "His appearance is impressive, wearing the same clothes in school, and he doesn''t look like someone from the Humble Class. The important thing is that the Emperor has an old friend with him. I have already reported this to my father, who told me to pay more attention to him. "


    Hanxi did not care about the temple matters between these men, it was just a glance, and it fiercely intruded into her heart.


    Naturally, it wasn''t the initial throbbing of a young girl''s yearning for love, but a deep feeling that she had seen this person somewhere before.


    Yes, they had.


    When Ershan left home, he was already three years old. However, Ershan couldn''t even remember how he looked like, so Bi Hanxi definitely wouldn''t be able to remember him. At that time, she was only three years old, so where did his memories get to his? A dozen years later, the appearance of both siblings had greatly changed, and even Bi Zhenye did not remember him anymore, right?


    The blood of the same father remained in their bodies, as they each had their own mother.


    Ershan returned to the tavern he stayed in, the shopkeeper gave him a huge bag that came from Baisha Town. When he returned to his room, he unfurled each bag one by one.


    Lian Yi''s handwriting was beautiful, Xiaowan was clumsy and stiff, every stroke of the shopkeeper''s pen was vigorous and forceful, and Uncle Biao had drawn a picture for him.


    Ershan laughed. His family only had enemies in Baisha Town.


    Furthermore, after staying at the inn for a few days, Lian Yi still had to return to the Li Prefecture. As the journey was long, she had to go out early in the morning.


    It was a sunny day, so Uncle Biao took the carriage. He said that he would go to Li Prefecture to gather some good ingredients to nourish Xiaowan''s body, and then, he would leave.


    When everyone bid farewell in front of the door, Xiaowan said, "I won''t be able to come see you until next year. You have to come and see me often."


    Lian Yi stroked her belly and said, "Don''t miss me, take care of your body. My mother now understands, Ershan has hope, it will be easier for me to come than it was in the past. "


    The Xiaowan laughed: "You can''t go out on the streets and pretend to be a thief. Ershan won''t be able to catch you in time."


    Lian Yi quickly said to Susu: "Oh Susu, I still owe you a roast chicken pair of shoes.


    They then laughed and talked as they escorted Lian Yi to the carriage. Uncle Biao and the others brought her to the Li Prefecture. Today''s sun was neither too hot nor windless, so Xiaowan and Susu stayed in front of the door to watch for a while.


    But at this moment, Siyun Pavilion''s carriage just happened to come back from the Baisha Town Pier, the people in their store had a nice smell wherever they went, Xiaowan and Susu noticed it, and started supporting each other, walking towards the shop.


    On the carriage, Yue Huaiyin lifted the curtain slightly, and saw the Xiaowan and Susu turn to enter. This was not strange, there was no doubt that her appearance was not welcomed, but no matter how the Xiaowan grew fat, from the view of her back, her waist was thickened by a whole circle.


    "She really, really has a child?" Yue Huaiyin clung onto the carriage, the carriage did not stop, and the inn started to get farther and farther away, her nails digging into the wooden frame of the carriage, "Mu Xiaowan really has a child? "Why ¡­"


    Very quickly, she returned to the Baisha Town. Yue Huaiyin sat on the horse carriage, not wanting to move at all, but when she was invited down by the servant girl, she unconsciously looked up and saw two women walking over from afar. They were Xiaowan''s stepmother and her neighbors.


    "Prepare some tea and snacks." Yue Huaiyin instructed the servants, then changed her expression, smiling sincerely as she stood in front of the door and waved to them.

 C103

    The reason why Aunt Wang was able to get along with her after she had been stolen by a man from the Madam Xu, was not because of past friendships, but because she had set her eyes on Master Mu, the eldest daughter of the Master Mu family.


    She was even more greedy than the Madam Xu, hoping to obtain the benefits of the Ling Xiao Inn. To her, the Madam Xu was merely a tool used to earn money.


    On this day, Yue Huaiyin invited her to the shop for tea, and Yue Huaiyin also casually said: "It''s been a long time since we last met, aunty''s complexion isn''t very good."


    Aunt Wang snorted with laughter: "Being poked in the spine every day, can she be well?"


    She purposely brought up that matter again, but Madam Xu was unable to refute her even if she bit off a mouthful of silver teeth. Now that she was grabbed by Aunt Wang, she really couldn''t lift her head anymore.


    Unexpectedly, Yue Huaiyin advised: "The seven emotions and six desires can make people dizzy, I''m afraid that at that time, they would be struck by evil spirits and be called the possession of perverts and monsters, and do things that they are unable to do."


    Madam Xu looked at Yue Huaiyin as if she was looking at a buddha, and said gratefully: "Miss Yue, thank you. I''ve been through these past few days, I''m neither human nor ghost. "I''m a proper and proper person, why would I steal a man?"


    Yue Huaiyin said: "Or perhaps it is someone who secretly asked the immortals to do something to you and curse you. In the past, I have often heard of this sort of thing, the people who were cursed were all delirious and unconscious. The better ones, will be able to survive.


    It was as if Madam Xu had finally met someone who stood up for her. She said to Aunt Wang: "Listen, listen. Good sister, how can I let you down." She trembled with fear as she asked Yue Huaiyin, "Miss Yue, tell me, am I being cursed?"


    Aunt Wang was startled, although she did not believe it, but she had heard it before. She glanced at Madam Xu and said: "Even if you were to be cursed, could it be that I will treat it as if nothing happened?"


    The Madam Xu was aggrieved and indignant as she muttered to herself, "Which Heavenly Demon cursed me?! I ¡­."


    His eyes suddenly lit up, he remembered someone. The day after the incident, Ling Chaofeng had come, no matter what reason he had for coming that day? Could it be to see a joke?


    "It''s Mu Xiaowan. That slut must have cursed me." Madam Xu was furious to the extreme and immediately started cursing.


    "How could that be? You''re her mother." Yue Huaiyin intentionally added oil to the fire, she reckoned that Madam Xu and the rest did not know, so she said: "Xiaowan is pregnant, no matter what, we should at least give her some blessings."


    "She has it in her stomach?" The Madam Xu was surprised and said, "You are really smart. You don''t say anything, but you do? How old are you? When was he born.


    Yue Huaiyin acted as if she did not know: "I heard from a person who passed by the inn, I saw the owner of the Ling Xiao Inn revealing his waist, it seems to be there. I don''t know if it''s true that I haven''t seen her in town since the summer. "


    Madam Xu said, "Then there must be. It can''t be wrong."


    This matter had been lingering in Madam Xu''s mind the entire way home. With Yue Huaiyin''s words, she insisted that she had gone insane due to a curse and could not remember what she did at that time.


    The Aunt Wang coldly said: "Then why don''t we try it out? If the curse is really effective, I will believe you."


    Madam Xu''s eyes were sinister as she said fiercely: "Curse the child in Mu Xiaowan''s stomach?"


    He was quickly stopped by the Aunt Wang and asked: "Are you crazy? If one corpse and two lives, it would mean that you no longer have anything to do with Ling Xiao Inn. Where are you going to earn enough money for Wen Bao to get married and build a house?"


    Madam Xu hurriedly came to her senses and spat: "Let her off this little life of hers first."


    The Aunt Wang said: "This is the end of the year. If we leave it in someone else''s home, then our daughter should send some form of filial piety to her parents'' home. Why don''t we find a goddess-like woman to recuperate and see if the Xiaowan can give you a hundred silver taels to compensate me?"


    Thus, the two of them made up their minds. They went to the neighboring village to find a Goddess, read "Xiaowan''s Birthday" and said that they needed something close to their body. Madam Xu was at home rummaging through her clothes, finding the Xiaowan he had worn before.


    They made the Goddess Curse Xiaowan''s mind was muddled and sent a hundred taels of silver to her house. The Goddess''s eyes lit up and she said that if the Goddess was not efficient and did not take responsibility afterwards, she had spent two days and two nights reciting the curse for them and had earned two taels of silver.


    But on the third day, when Xiaowan was supposed to deliver the silver back home, she woke up early and was shocked.


    She rummaged through the boxes and found the silver she had hidden. She took out a hundred taels and tied them heavily into the bag.


    Furthermore, when they stole the engagement gift from Xiaowan, Yue Huaiyin gave her a large amount of money, so even if she was scammed by Aunt Wang a little, she still had a lot of secrets.


    The Master Mu watched on helplessly as he carried a bag of silver towards the Wang family next door. When he saw the man who was riding on top of her that day, he wanted to give him the money.


    came over to scold his wife, but Madam Xu did not respond. She only chased after his wife and let the man keep the silver.


    Madam Xu''s eyes turned black and she fainted for the whole morning.


    Master Mu turned around and stared blankly at the person in front of her. He completely could not remember what he had done.


    They had originally cursed Xiaowan to come and give them money, but she didn''t come when they had to, so they were the first to be shocked.


    When she heard what Aunt Wang had to say, Madam Xu did not believe it at all. After that, her man scolded her in such a manner, and others outside said the same thing as well. She really believed it, and pulled Aunt Wang along on the farmland, muttering about whether or not she should go to the neighboring village and find the Goddess to destroy the signboard.


    Aunt Wang felt that it was strange, so she encouraged her: "Let''s go ask Miss Yue, she is experienced and knowledgeable."


    Yue Huaiyin originally wanted to make the Madam Xu curse the child in her stomach, since the crime wasn''t committed by her, but she didn''t expect them to be greedy and didn''t wish for the Xiaowan to die so quickly. After messing around for a bit, the strange thought in her heart was confirmed once again.


    Why did the curse on the Xiaowan rebound onto its own body? Could Ling Xiao Inn really be the place where gods and ghosts lived?


    On a certain night, the magistrate came looking for him through the Siyun Pavilion. After he was in a state of ecstasy, he played with a pair of snowballs in his hands and angrily said: "It''s almost the new year, the big case was solved last time, the imperial court still has not presented him with a reward, but I don''t know if that bastard Prefect Liang stopped me, trying to stop me, the lord, from rising to the rank of an official, making a fortune."


    Yue Huaiyin was so uncomfortable with him that she did not have the heart to worry about him, but then she heard the county magistrate say: "Speaking of which, this case is really strange, even the teacher told me that there must be something strange inside, after all, it is impossible to do."


    Only then did she gain her interest and did she try her best to please the man. She asked, "Does sire think that it''s strange?"


    The county magistrate said: "Master has something strange to tell you. Last time, Ling Chaofeng was suspected of trafficking in human beings, so I took him into the prison overnight. That night, I rushed into the prison as if I had lost my mind and let him go. I even locked myself in there.


    "Really?"


    "Everyone says so. It''s for the yamen, it''s for me at home." The county magistrate was infuriated as he retorted, "Old master, have I really lost my mind?"


    Yue Huaiyin''s eyes turned slightly as she acted cowardly, "I really can''t afford to offend that Ling Xiao Inn, could it be that some demon or god is suppressing them?"


    The magistrate said: "The words of the ghosts are all superstitious. As an official of the imperial government, I cannot just trust them. However, that inn must not be a proper business, when I have the chance to carefully investigate it, I will turn it upside down."


    Yue Huaiyin was worried that Yue Yang would do something rash and actually anger Ling Chaofeng, which was not even worth it. It was with great difficulty that she managed to coax this disgraceful thing to help him gain a foothold in the Baisha Town.


    He hurriedly tried to coax him, using his true abilities to make him happy. That was why he had temporarily forgotten about it.


    Xiaowan had long since fallen asleep, but she had been dreaming lately, and it was the same tonight.


    In the late autumn and early winter, everything was depressed. The cold wind wailed, but the Xiaowan dreamt that everything would come back to life in the spring.


    There was a petite girl washing her hair by the stream. Her hair was as black as jade and her skin as white as snow, but her back was facing Xiaowan, which couldn''t really see her face.


    In the distance, there were people riding their horses. As they approached, they saw that the man on the horse had an extraordinary stature and demeanor. However, the sunlight was too glaring, blurring his features.


    The woman by the stream was embarrassed when she saw someone coming. She immediately packed up her things and was about to leave, not wanting to step on the slippery moss.


    Xiaowan suddenly felt cold all over her body. She wanted to go and support him, but she felt her feet slip. Crap, she still had a child in her stomach.


    Ling Chaofeng, who was beside her, also woke up and sat up to cover her with a blanket. He chided: "Why did you start kicking the blanket now?


    Xiaowan looked at him in a daze, thinking back to how her husband had told her that he had met her before their marriage.


    In this dream, it was unknown what she thought of, or whether she was talking about the scene that she created, but she felt that the girl who washed her hair was definitely her, and the handsome man on horseback was definitely Ling Chaofeng.


    "Master, I saw you in my dreams." Xiaowan smiled and said sweetly, "Hubby, before we got married, we must have seen each other before."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "It''s because you don''t believe me, I have indeed seen you before by the river outside the Qingling Village. You fell into the water and I helped you up, you really don''t remember?"


    Xiaowan said, "Is it a stream or a river? However, the river outside the Qingling Village is shallow and narrow, so it can''t be considered any river, only a river like the Baisha River can be considered. "


    This was not something worth rebutting, whatever the Xiaowan said was fine, it was not important, now that they were together, even the children were about to be born.


    Ling Chaofeng laid his body lightly on the Xiaowan''s stomach. A person who had always been strict smiled and said: "He seems to have woken up as well.


    Xiaowan said: "Looks like he''s a mischievous little guy. It''s going to be hard on you from now on. He has to take care of the children and me."


    Ling Chaofeng leaned against the headboard, hugged Xiaowan to his chest, and retorted: "Be more obedient, I don''t care what you do, don''t tell me you''re like a child."


    Xiaowan found a comfortable position and closed his eyes. "Let me try again to see if I can see you in my dreams. I can even see you with my eyes open and closed this way."


    Ling Chaofeng did not know whether to laugh or cry.


    Xiaowan happily and satisfyingly said, "Why would I hate it? I like my master the most."

 C104

    It was a windy night. The snow was still falling when he opened the door. In the blink of an eye, it was a freezing day.


    At this moment last year, the capital was busy with talent shows, preparing for the ascension of the new monarch, and preparing for the empress dowager''s wedding. It was hard to find a new year where one could finally take a breather at the end of the year.


    From the 24th until the 2nd of the new year, there were no classes for seven or eight days. The ones whose families were closer to the capital, were able to come back home to celebrate the new year, yet Ershan was still unable to leave.


    And right now, they were just past Laba Eight, so they sent some food over from the Baisha Town. Ershan could no longer finish eating all of it, so he picked some good stuff and gifted it to the innkeeper and servants.


    However, in the classroom, he was still acting alone and didn''t make any friends.


    Today, when the senior officials of the imperial court, General Shen Shen Zhe, came to the academy to teach, bringing all the scholars to the academy grounds in a world of ice and snow. Although he did not force them to brandish their swords or use their spears, he still hoped that these young students would have a strong physique.


    Furthermore, it was necessary to let these future court officials understand that the path of war was not a barbaric one. The word ''peace'' was built on the defense of a powerful army.


    The sky was cold and the ground was freezing. Although the students with weaker physiques were unable to bear the cold, Bi Zhenye was weaker.


    He was the only son of the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi, and it was said that the clan''s elders raised him like a treasure. Although he had talent, he didn''t seem like a man.


    However, he himself was extremely strong. He felt free to do whatever he wanted in the snow.


    The General Shen was naturally familiar with these few young nobles. Others would not find it strange if he were to speak a little warmly to them.


    However, that unknown person, first received instructions from the Emperor, and now that the General Shen saw him, he was very friendly.


    Someone heard from the General Shen, "Your brother is proficient in martial arts, he could fight one against a hundred, why didn''t he teach you well?"


    Brother? Ling Qian still had a brother?


    Just where did he come from, why did the Emperor recognize him, and why did the General Shen recognize his brother?


    After everyone returned from the drill grounds, they dispersed from school. Everyone was drenched in the snow and shivering due to the cold, and the people from Bi¡¯s Mansion saw that the young master was almost drenched from head to toe. They were extremely anxious.


    At home, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi and his wife were having dinner in their mother''s courtyard. Hanxi ran in and said, "Grandmother, big brother is back."


    The grandmother ordered her to sit down and said in a displeased tone, "Your daughter always runs and jumps about, what a shame."


    Not long after, Bi Zhenye entered the door, his entire body was drenched in cold, his face was pale, this caused his grandmother''s heart to break, he scolded the servants, and immediately went to clean up the young master.


    The Prime Minister coldly replied, "It''s rare for you to act like a man today. Normally, I would even pretend to only have two daughters of my own."


    Bi Zhenye lowered his head and did not speak, only seeing her mother walking forward, gently saying: "Don''t make Old Madem anxious, quickly go wash and change clothes, then grill it to be warmer, then come back, are you not afraid of bringing the cold qi to your grandmother?"


    "Yes." The young master agreed and left gloomily.


    When he left, the old mother refused to comply and scolded the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi fiercely, "My beloved grandson is mine, don''t always scold him harshly. If you force him to his death, then bring me along to collect his corpse.


    Everyone stood up and listened to Old Madem''s scolding. Old Madem said with tears in his voice: "I wonder if that child from that industry is still alive. If he is, and I could see him before I die, I would have no regrets. If this industry was still alive, how would I be able to protect Zhenye alone, or if you were to open up a new marriage for him? He is already twenty-one, why are you still not giving him a place to build a family, what are you waiting for? "


    The meal became dull. Only after serving the old lady did the crowd withdraw.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi went to his study by himself and brought his daughter to his son''s bedroom to look for him.


    "Mother, have I seen Brother Xingye before?" Hanxi suddenly asked, "I can''t really remember anymore, but the servants said that I was already there when it happened."


    "When he disappeared, you were already three years old. You played together when you were young." Mrs. Bi said indifferently, "I can be considered to have seen it before, but you are too young, so I''m sure you won''t remember."


    "Yeah, I don''t remember a thing." Hanxi laughed as she led him to her brother''s bedroom. She shouted loudly, "Bi Zhenye, I''m coming in now.


    Mrs. Bi laughed, then went forward and slapped her daughter''s forehead: "You made Grandma hear you speak so rudely, and wanted to beat you up."


    Hanxi pouted and said: "Grandmother has always been very strict with me, she always needs to be treated by the family rules. Only big brother, other people can''t even touch him with their fingers, so it''s weird, I''m not a boy."


    Mrs. Bi sighed lightly as he pulled his daughter into the room. He was afraid that his son would roll in the snow today and cause a chill when he looked back.


    In this side room, Ershan returned to the tavern to wash up and change his clothes. Although he was not forced to practice martial arts by Ling Chaofeng, he was definitely not a young master who was tender and pampered.


    However, the innkeeper suddenly knocked on the door, saying that a few scholar like people had come to look for him. Ershan went out to see that they were his schoolmates in the academy.


    They passionately said: "Ershan, let''s find you for a talk."


    In the academy, forming cliques was a very important matter. Most of them would be eliminated in next year''s competition, but even if they were eliminated, with a High Scholar''s status, as long as there was a promotion, they would be able to obtain a position in the imperial court. Thus, finding the right person to be a friend was as important as reading books.


    Ershan didn''t know why the Emperor and General Shen had all come to express their intimacy with him, which would push him to the heart of the struggle. But things had already come to this point, he had no choice but to face it.


    At the same time, within the Prime Minister''s Estate, Bi Zhenye had already changed into clean clothes. He went to her father''s study and stood there for a long time before the Prime Minister asked: "What is it?"


    Bi Zhenye said: "Father, when General Shen saw that youth called Ling Yu whom you mentioned before, he seemed to be extremely friendly with him, as if they were old friends."


    The prime minister frowned, "Really?" He stroked his beard, and thought for a while. "The threshold of Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion is extremely high, and very few people can interact closely with the residences.


    "How is your relationship with him?" The Prime Minister asked.


    "He is a loner, a loner, not easy to get along with." Bi Zhenye said, "I only say a few words occasionally."


    "Useless fool, I''m afraid that your classmates have already gone to chat with him, yet you are still standing here." The Prime Minister reprimanded him. "Bring him home in a few days and let me see him. I''ll wait for you for three days. If he doesn''t come within three days, I''ll skin him alive."


    Bi Zhenye withdrew himself from the study and his sister peeked outside the courtyard door. She came up and asked with a smile: "Did you get scolded again?"


    "You came to provoke me after you found out?" Bi Zhenye stretched out his hand to pinch his little sister''s face, "You are so mischievous, but Daddy never scolds you. This is unfair."


    Hanxi pulled him along as he walked out, and laughed: "Isn''t that the same. Grandmother protects you, but she never dotes on me. When I was in the temple, I got beaten up several times. She let those old nuns hit me with such a thick stick, and it made my butt swollen. "


    "What did you do? Are you going to get beaten up?"


    "I''m playing with my gold-threaded cassock as a cape."


    Bi Zhenye laughed: "Serves you right."


    Seeing that his brother was smiling, Hanxi relaxed and said gently: "Daddy hopes that brother will have a bright future. Daddy doesn''t want you to be protected by Grandma as a white-faced young master, if Daddy doesn''t care about you, Daddy will not care about you. Brother, don''t feel so bad. I heard mother say that Daddy is very happy that you got first place in the capital. "


    Bi Zhenye''s mood became better, and his heart lit up, and he said: "Our academy''s Ling Liu, has a solitary personality, and is unable to eat meat. In the future, you can come and pick me up from school and use your clever mouth to drag him over to my residence as a guest. If he succeeds, brother will grant you a wish.


    Hanxi said happily: "Then it''s a deal."


    On the other hand, Lian Yi came over to help out. She also mentioned that last year, she stole Susu''s crime of roasting chickens and cotton shoes and then returned home. Today was the day of celebration, and the shop had been bustling with noise and excitement since a long time ago.


    Xiaowan was standing downstairs. Seeing Lian Yi and Susu wiping the floor, she said: "Young miss, you should rest."


    Lian Yi was annoyed: "In our family, how can we afford to have servants? I have long done this myself, and I even have to serve my mother."


    Xiaowan''s belly was very high, she said: "I haven''t worked for half a year, once I''m done, I won''t even have the strength to wring the cloth."


    Just as he finished speaking, the child''s voice came from outside. It was Wen Juan who had shouted: "Big sister, big sister..."


    It was almost the same situation, could it be that Madam Xu would cause another ruckus again this year? However, the one who followed the two children in was the Master Mu. He had brought many things with him as he stood in front of the door and laughed, "Evening son, daddy has come to see you."


    Wen Bao and Wen Juan circled around Xiaowan, yelling: "Big sister, your stomach is so big!"


    Aunt Zhang came over and took them away, then said: "Have some sweet rice porridge. Don''t make big sister dizzy."


    Master Mu put down everything and helped his daughter to sit down, saying, "I heard Wen Bao''s mother say that you are pregnant, so I wanted to come and take a look. I brought some food and some diapers, see if they work. "


    Xiaowan asked, "How did she know?"


    Master Mu said: "I heard it from the town."


    Ling Chaofeng came down the stairs to receive his father in law, the family sat down and chatted for awhile, but when her father asked her when she was born, Xiaowan said that he did not know, and that it was his first time being pregnant, so he did not understand anything.


    Although she knew that her father would not casually say those words to his stepmother, with the two little ones by the side, they had already sent word that Xiaowan did not want to have anything to do with the family, and did not intend to invite them to take a look once the child was born.


    Before noon, his father left. He didn''t want to stay for lunch either, the Xiaowan didn''t force him, so he packed some snacks for his brother and sister without stuffing any silver.


    After they left, Xiaowan strenuously sat down and said, "I wonder if she instigated my father to come here. It''s such a cold day, and we have walked such a long way. Really."


    Susu advised: "Maybe uncle is worried about you, don''t think too much of it, I heard from Aunt Zhang that when that woman came last year, you guys did it very fiercely, at least you did not leave unhappily this year, and next year will be even better."


    Just as Xiaowan wanted to happily say something, her stomach started to churn and the child''s kick to the back nearly made her pass out. Everyone quickly supported her back to the third floor. After she laid down, they saw her belly rise and fall. The little guy was causing a ruckus inside.


    "It''s fine if she''s a son, but if she''s a girl, then she''s going to be a hero." The Aunt Zhang smiled happily, "It''s so energetic inside your stomach. Little darling, take it easy, don''t burst your mother''s stomach."


    Xiaowan took a long time to recover from the pain, causing Ling Chaofeng to frown. He had been in the sect for a long time, but he did not seem to be able to calm down due to any mishap.


    "I wonder how the empress is doing? If the empress knew I''m also in labor, she''d definitely be very happy." The Xiaowan asked, "Would you know if I thank you?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Our correspondence with the Emperor is one-way, I cannot go overboard, so I am unable to send our message to the palace, unless the Emperor himself wants to know, maybe the Empress already knows, maybe she doesn''t."


    The Xiaowan replied, "I wonder if the Empress likes the Little Princess or the Little Prince. I wonder if our child will have the chance to see the Empress and the Empress again in the future."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "That is a ruler of nine or five years."


    The Xiaowan was also deeply moved, "A villain like me is actually able to see the Emperor. Now that I think about it, my legs and stomach are still trembling."


    Ling Chaofeng coaxed her to rest, and Xiaowan snuggled into his warm embrace, quickly falling asleep.


    However, she was still dreaming. Even though Aunt Zhang comforted her and said that she was dreaming, her dreams were still very difficult.


    However, occasionally dreaming of peaceful and beautiful scenes, I always wake up feeling happy inside.


    During that afternoon''s nap, maybe it was because she was talking about the Queen with her husband before she went to sleep, but in her dreams, she saw potbellied beauties. Xiaowan had never seen the Empress pregnant before, so she must have imagined this.


    They ate green bean cakes together on the edge of the huge, smoky lake, each with his or her belly high. When the palace brought them fish food, they sprinkled it into the lake.


    Suddenly, the surface of the lake turned, the whirlpool like wind, only to see a Golden Dragon coming out of the water, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as it pounced towards them.


    "Empress ¡­"


    "Xiaowan ¡­"


    Xiaowan was jolted awake. It was a dream again.


    Her heart was beating rapidly. The Golden Dragon in her dreams was so lifelike, not like the dragons and lions dancing in the market, but rather like flying, incredibly huge, with sharp golden claws, dazzling scales, and a dazzling brilliance ¡­


    The bedroom door opened and Aunt Zhang entered carrying a piece of dessert. Seeing that she had sat up, she hurriedly asked: "Evening, are you feeling well?"


    The Xiaowan shook her head. "Aunt, I dreamt that when I was with the empress, a Golden Dragon rushed out of the water and charged towards us."


    "And then?"


    "Then I woke up."


    "Looks like our Empress is going to give birth to the little prince." The Aunt Zhang smiled as she calculated the time, "If it''s soon, the Empress will have a month. Evening, you must have dreamt for the Empress."

 C105

    The Xiaowan thought that it was real and when she saw Ling Chaofeng again, she gestured excitedly for a long time. She told him how she met a flying dragon in her dreams, and Ling Chaofeng only smiled at her.


    As for whether his dreams were real or fake, he had never been superstitious. As long as Xiaowan was happy, it was fine.


    But after that afternoon''s nap, Xiaowan finally stopped dreaming. She ended the torture of having too many dreams, and the night became more peaceful.


    This day was the day that Bi Zhenye and his sister had arranged to meet, and had Hanxi come to invite Ling Qian to the residence to take a seat.


    Hanxi ran over to them, dressed in her peach cloak embroidered with white plums, in this grey and white miserable world, people couldn''t help but stare at her. The girl with the white fox fur had a smile that was like a flower. She bowed towards Ershan and said, "Greetings, Young Noble Ling."


    Ershan bowed, but seeing that the brother and sister had walked in front of him, he knew in his heart that they were going to invite him to visit Bi¡¯s Mansion for another cup of tea.


    Even the teachers in the academy viewed him differently. First, there was the Emperor, then there was the General Shen, and that was the day of the Daqi Nation. No one dared to look down on him again.


    But, would he be able to go to the Bi¡¯s Mansion? The two people in front of him had been the same young people all those years ago, and it was impossible for them to recognize him now. However, it was hard to say for the rest of the people in the mansion.


    As long as he denied it, no one could force him back into the business. As long as he persisted in not remembering what happened back then, even if his own father recognized him, it would be useless.


    Meeting is only a matter of time. It is also a good thing for some people to start feeling anxious and in pain earlier.


    Hanxi smiled innocently, "Young Noble Ling, my brother wants to invite you to his house for a cup of tea. As a person whose face is very thin, if you don''t come back soon, he won''t be able to speak anymore. I came here today specifically to help him invite you. Our family has excellent tea and the snacks I made myself. Young Noble Ling, please welcome. "


    "I dare not. Young Master Bi has invited me many times. If I were to go against your wishes again, it would be truly disrespectful." "Miss, please forgive the many interruptions you have caused today." Ershan agreed.


    Hanxi''s eyes lit up as she rushed towards her big brother proudly. Bi Zhenye also heaved a sigh of relief.


    When Ershan got on the carriage, he sent his sister to the carriage at the back. When he helped her up onto the carriage, he said: "I thought you had some skills, but you pushed me out instead."


    Hanxi laughed: "I don''t want to lie, lying is meaningless. We are big brother''s friends anyway, don''t tell me I want to invite him? If grandmother knew that I am casually communicating with the young masters outside, wouldn''t she beat me to death? "


    Bi Zhenye dotingly said, "Next time, if Grandmother makes things difficult for you, brother will help you."


    Laughter came from behind him. They were brothers and sisters, and they were very close. Anyone could feel that. But Ershan was not envious. The heavens pitied him, allowing him to settle in the Ling Xiao Inn. Over the past ten years, he had not lived alone at all.


    Bi Zhenye got on the car, and said that he had prepared a small courtyard for Ling Yu, that it would allow him to eat and sleep. It would definitely be more peaceful and peaceful than the inns outside, and would be beneficial for his studies. If he felt that it was a waste of money to eat and live here, he could also give food and lodging the silver taels. This was something that could be easily agreed upon.


    "The most important thing is that my father loves talents. He often looks forward to me and interacts with those with knowledge." After Bi Zhenye finished speaking, he said gently, "Today, you go take a look, if you are willing, I will immediately send a servant to get the items for you."


    Ershan smiled as he thanked his and didn''t answer directly. Not long later, the carriage entered a quiet street, and the people here were all high-ranking officials and nobles. It was just like ten years ago, there wasn''t much of a change.


    Being an official in the capital was not as comfortable as being in a proper place. Under the nose of the emperor, it was impossible to move his family even an inch.


    It was the same appearance as before, except the flowers, plants and rocks in the courtyard were slightly different. Naturally, the furnishings in the room also became a bit more gorgeous.


    "Father is not back yet. Mother and Grandmother are at the Buddha Hall. Let''s go to my study first. I''ll see them later." After Bi Zhenye was reported to the servants, he brought Ershan to the study room with his sister.


    Ershan recognized this study room. He had been studying with the six year old Bi Zhenye since he was five, and at that time, the two tables were facing each other. They were both mischievous kids, who tore off books and threw them at each other.


    Once, he was caught by his father and dragged into the yard to be beaten up. His mother rushed over to stop him, but was scolded by his father for not teaching the child properly.


    However, in Ershan''s memories, he had never seen his father blush and shout at that woman before. It was unknown when, but his mother had already become someone he loathed.


    "You guys sit down. I''ll go back to my room first. When Grandmother sees me here, she''ll have to read me. She told me to embroider the handkerchief; I haven''t finished embroidering." Hanxi bowed towards Ershan, "Young Noble Ling, please enjoy some tea, I will take my leave first."


    Ershan stood up and sent it off, but Bi Zhenye took out an article and said: "This is your essay from two days ago. I copied it and showed it to my father. Since I was in school this time, he avoided coming here to teach. If I wasn''t here, he would have come. He said that in all these years, I''ve never seen a student as intelligent as you. "


    "I don''t dare." Ershan calmly replied, "Prime Minister Meng, please appreciate my kindness."


    Bi Zhenye asked: "Ling Xu, who did you learn from in your hometown?"


    Ershan replied: "We have an elder brother at home."


    Bi Zhenye thought of the brother that the General Shen had mentioned. He did indeed have a brother, and with Ling Tian''s abilities, his brother must be even more amazing.


    However, why would such a talented person hide in the countryside? Why wouldn''t he become an official instead of an official? Both the Supreme Emperor and the current emperor were wise kings who loved talent.


    "There are so many talents in your family." Bi Zhenye said.


    Ershan smiled meaningfully. Which family, and what kind of person is someone from this mansion?


    In the buddhist hall, the Old Madem only paid respects to the buddhas. He heard from the servants that the young master had come back from school and brought his friends to his house to be his guests. Since this place was dedicated to the buddhas, he did not come over to pay his respects and instead asked if he should invite them to come greet him.


    Old Madem said: "I am just an old granny, why would I need these future young people of the imperial government to bow and kneel to me? I am merely Zhenye''s granny. You guys go ahead and get some snacks. I''ll go and say my farewells myself. "


    The wife walked along the long corridor, the Old Madem said to Mrs. Bi: "It''s very important that he makes friends, the child''s eyes are small and clean, it''s not good to see. Whether those friends are good or bad, you have to help him look around, don''t let him be led astray by others, he''s being despised by his father again."


    The Mrs. Bi listened to them one by one, and the group arrived at the study room. Bi Zhenye and Ershan were debating about ancient books, and it seemed like they were on good terms with each other.


    "Zhenye, your classmate is here?" Old Madem chuckled as he came over. Standing beside the desk was a young man, who was taller than his grandson, with a robust physique. His head was lowered, and his appearance could not be clearly seen.


    "Junior pays his respect to Old Madem, Madam." Ershan bowed respectfully. After the ceremony, he lowered his head.


    "Zhenye, are all of you the same age?" Old Madem was supported and sat down, observing Ershan, and laughed: "You truly are a genius, my child, raise your face and let me have a look."


    Ershan''s heart trembled slightly. He tried his best to calm himself down, he had not seen his grandmother for more than ten years. Back then, only his grandmother had treated them fairly.


    He raised his eyes and saw an old woman with gray hair at her temples. Her grandmother was currently in the flowery body, but she lived like a prince and was naturally younger than most people. She looked just like she used to, but there were deep wrinkles around her eyes.


    The old lady''s heart trembled when she saw Ershan''s expression. She didn''t know why, but with her eyes filled with tears and her hand holding onto her walking stick, she suddenly dropped it. She quickly walked to Ershan and grabbed both of his arms.


    "Industry, is that you, industry?" Old Madem was extremely excited, crying, "Industry, is it really you, I am Grandma."


    Hearing this, everyone was stunned, the Mrs. Bi''s gaze was tightly locked onto Ling Tian''s face. This young man, looked really familiar, but ¡­


    "Industry..." Old Madem felt that he would not recognize the wrong person, and kept calling his grandson''s name, but Ershan coldly replied, "Old Madem, this junior''s name is Ling Qian."


    Bi Zhenye was also extremely shocked. He went up to his grandmother and explained: "Grandma, this is my classmate, Ling Yu. He came from the Li Prefecture, you must have recognized wrongly."


    "It can''t be, how could I recognize my grandson wrongly?" The Old Madem was agitated and refused to let go of Ershan''s hand. He asked him repeatedly, "You''re a business, you''re a business right? You found your way home right?"


    Ershan said gently: "Old Madem, you are really mistaken."


    They wanted to send Old Madem back to the Inner Palace, but Old Madem said to his grandson, "Zhenye, don''t let him go. Let your father come back to take a look, Grandma can''t be wrong, he must be your brother."


    Everyone crowded around Old Madem and left, the study room immediately became quiet, leaving a few servants behind who stared curiously at Ershan. Outside the study, Mrs. Bi followed along, but he could not help but stop in his tracks and look at the person in the room from afar.


    ''Like, it really is similar, but he should be dead by now. How can he still be alive in this world? ''


    Ershan sat alone in his study, waiting for Bi Zhenye to return so he could take his leave. His guess was right, he shouldn''t have come so early, to think that his grandmother would recognize him at first glance.


    Was this the legendary kinship that was thicker than water? Did the heavens pity him and let him experience true happiness, or did they want him to soften his heart and let go of his hatred?


    No, he couldn''t do it. He had waited for more than ten years, not for today''s situation.

 C106

    The Old Madem was already old, and after this chaos, his body was no longer able to continue eating. Bi Zhenye was no longer able to keep Ershan in the manor, and by the time he returned to the study, Ershan was already waiting to take his leave.


    His memories of his younger brother were completely blurry. After knowing Ling Qian for so long, he had never thought that this person would be his younger brother. But why did his grandmother determine that he was in the business with just a glance?


    However, Ling Qian seemed to be very calm, and was no different from the past. He must be thinking about his grandma, thinking about his grandchildren. He must be.


    After that, Ershan did not know what happened in the Prime Minister''s Estate anymore. On the way back to the inn, he only thought about how he would explain it to the shopkeeper on the day that he fulfilled his wish.


    Ling Chaofeng treated him as his own brother, but he had lied to him for more than ten years.


    It was just that Bi Zhenye did not want to get too close with him for the time being. After his father found out about this, he said that he did not need to get close to Ling Yu for the time being. After he received orders from Ling Yu, he thought that his father must have sent people to investigate the background that Ling Yun had revealed.


    Occasionally, they would meet eyes with each other. Bi Zhenye couldn''t tell what Ershan was thinking, but Ershan could understand that this young master must be thinking this.


    A thousand miles away, there was a snowfall at the Li Prefecture. The Baisha Town and snow from the neighboring villages reached to the knees.


    The four seasons were distinct. It was never too cold nor too hot. The heavy snow had almost become a disaster. Some of the houses in the village were even crushed by the heavy snow.


    Ling Chaofeng took out some silver coins, entrusted his close friends to go to the neighboring towns to buy some things, and send them to the villages to meet the disaster. Naturally, he would not use the name of Ling Xiao Inn.


    Aunt Zhang said that since the shopkeeper had done so many good things, he would definitely bless the child in his womb. However, Xiaowan smiled, "Just split half with the empress''s child."


    After a few days, the disaster in the village was over. The hardworking villagers would always find a way to get out of this predicament. It was the New Year, and everything was about to start anew.


    The sky was clear, Susu piled snowmen in front of the door and said: "Let him watch the door."


    However, this joke was actually true.


    The next night, Xiaowan was woken up by the rumbling sound. Ling Chaofeng also woke up, they turned around and started to look outside.


    "Husband, I''m afraid." Xiaowan nestled in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace.


    "It''s just thunder. This layer of clouds will be fine once it passes." Ling Chaofeng looked up at the sky. It was completely dark outside and he could not see anything clearly.


    But the rain never stopped.


    The next morning, although the sky was bright, it was still dark and gloomy. The rain was still pouring down, and there was not a single person on the road. Xiaowan had repeatedly warned Susu that the heavy rain must not come, and he could not leave the aunt and her mother at home.


    Aunt Zhang stood in front of the door and said: "The previous blizzard is now completely melted by the rainwater. It will take almost an entire day and night, if this goes on, Baisha River will be flooded, and all the small and large villages here will be drowned in the water."


    Uncle Biao said: "The Baisha River is far away, that''s not necessary. We are fine, the village will definitely be fine."


    The Aunt Zhang said worriedly: "Even if we can''t get through the water of the Baisha River, we would still die if we can''t get through such a heavy rain. What''s going on? It''s a snowstorm and a torrential downpour, what''s wrong with the heavens? "


    Sure enough, Baisha Town, as well as the surrounding villages, and even the Qingling Village that were a bit further away, after going through a violent snowstorm, were unable to hold on any longer.


    At this time in Master Mu''s house, the water had already seeped into the house, the fire on the brick bed had long been extinguished. Master Mu stood in the cold rain and scooped up everything one by one.


    "Don''t fish, don''t freeze to death, hurry up and come up." The Madam Xu shouted, "This water is getting higher and higher."


    Master Mu could not hold on any longer. When he got on the brick bed, he was shivering all over.


    On the other side of the door, Aunt Wang shouted amidst the rain, "Big Brother Mu, how are you guys? We have to go up the mountain. This won''t do. The water is rising faster and faster, so hiding at home is not a good idea. "


    The Madam Xu saw that the water was getting higher and higher and said fearfully, "The child''s father, let''s go too. When we turn around, it would be too late for us to escape."


    Although there were a few rivers within the borders of the Daqi and disasters happened unavoidably every year, Baisha Town had never been in trouble. The sudden arrival of these rivers without any forewarning startled everyone.


    Everyone dragged their families and mouths and fled to a place high above the ground. Seeing their own Tian Family''s house being submerged in the flood, the villagers started to cry to the point where they wanted to die.


    In such a cold winter, such a big thing had happened. It was truly heaven-defying.


    The county magistrate''s office was also in the water, and the county magistrate was in the mountain to avoid the disaster. Yue Huaiyin and the Rouge Shop maids were running away as well, and when they reached the top of the mountain, they could see far ahead.


    Yue Huaiyin and the people around him all looked over, some of them were pointing at the Ling Xiao Inn far away, the water from the Baisha River had already flooded, but the water that was rushing over seemed to have avoided the Ling Xiao Inn, as though that building was surrounded by some kind of barrier.


    Everyone at the top of the mountain could see it, and Yue Huaiyin just so happened to be inside, helplessly watching the Ling Xiao Inn stand unmoving in the midst of the flood.


    She no longer doubted her own thoughts. There must be something strange within the Ling Xiao Inn, there must be something inside the Divine Spirit and Ghost Town. Perhaps, Mu Xiaowan was a demon.


    In fact, it wasn''t just the citizens who were dumbfounded. Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan, Aunt Zhang and the others were all dumbfounded.


    With Susu''s pile of snowmen as the boundary, their inn seemed to have erected an invisible barrier around them. The flood rushed over ferociously, but not a single drop of water could enter the store.


    Xiaowan watched on dumbfoundedly. She was trying her best to recall the joke she made with Susu that day, to ask the snowman to take care of their house. Had she held up her right hand?


    "Susu''s home must be flooded as well. I wonder if they escaped all the way up the mountain." Aunt Zhang could not be surprised at the situation in front of him, and anxiously said, "How great is this, Da Qing will take care of three women by himself, is that alright?"


    At this time, a small boat with Baisha River Pier was washed over, and the Uncle Biao said, "I''ll take the boat and take a look."


    The Aunt Zhang said nervously, "But water is so urgent, how are you going to come back?"


    Uncle Biao said, "If you can''t come back, when I see them, I will hide with them on the mountain. After the water recedes, the rain will stop."


    Ling Chaofeng stepped forward and said, "I''ll go, Uncle Biao, you stay here."


    Uncle Biao said, "No way, Xiaowan has a big stomach. If there''s anything you need, you can naturally take care of it. "I know how to swim, even if the boat capsized, I wouldn''t drown."


    With that, Uncle Biao jumped onto the boat. The water was very tight and he was dragged tightly by the boat. The moment he boarded the boat, he was instantly flushed out.


    Aunt Zhang held her heart as she watched her husband leave. She quickly ran back upstairs to check on him.


    Ling Chaofeng stood in front of the store and looked at the mystical barrier like scenery. He, who did not believe in ghosts and gods, suddenly had a strange thought.


    In the past year, there had been many strange things in the inn. Many unfathomable things had become inexplicably easy to deal with. No matter how hard he tried to investigate, he couldn''t find the reason ¡­


    He subconsciously turned around and walked upstairs to the third floor. The bedroom door was ajar and she saw Xiaowan kneeling under the window with her stomach hanging out, as if she was making a silent wish to the overcast sky.


    This was not the first time Ling Chaofeng saw the Xiaowan making a wish to the heavens. Making a wish was a normal thing, the Xiaowan was always pious and devout, but what made him surprised was, it was as if his wife''s every wish would always come true.


    Just as he was looking at the Xiaowan, the sound of the rain outside the house became softer and softer. The overcast sky started to brighten and a ray of sunlight shone through the clouds, as if it was the hope of life.


    In the blink of an eye, the rainstorm stopped and the river slowly retreated. Ling Chaofeng walked to the window to take a look, the ground in the distance had begun to reveal itself, Uncle Biao''s boat had stopped halfway, he was able to stand up and walk normally.


    Xiaowan struggled to get up from the ground. Ling Chaofeng supported her and looked deeply into her eyes, while she looked curiously at the scene outside, and said happily: "The water has retreated, Hubby, the water has retreated."


    Ling Chaofeng was in a daze, wanting to see something from Xiaowan''s eyes. However, even though her eyes were so clear, as if they could see the bottom of his heart, he could not see anything.


    Xiaowan was purely happy that the rain had stopped and she had retreated. Or perhaps, she was happy that her wish had been fulfilled.


    Ling Chaofeng blamed himself. What was he thinking, thinking about the Xiaowan?


    After the disaster, the villagers all went down the mountain to return home. Although their homes showed signs of being soaked in water, and the houses were not damaged, it was not too bad.


    Many people went to see what was happening in the fields. Although there were no more crops to be planted in the middle of the month, the soil had not been washed away, the fields had not been turned into swamps, and there would still be crops to be planted in the next year.


    However, the yamen was a complete mess. Just as he sat down to catch his breath, someone came to report and told him that Ling Xiao Inn was the only thing that survived the flood. It was as if a demonic art had created a world in the midst of a flood.


    "Really?" The county magistrate frowned.


    "Many villagers saw it." "It''s just a legend."


    The county magistrate stroked his beard, and snorted. "This Ling Xiao Inn, is truly strange."


    On the other hand, on the day that their Baisha County suffered from a water calamity and quickly escaped from danger, news had spread throughout the imperial capital that the Empress had successfully given birth to a princess and that the mother and daughter were safe and sound.


    A few days later, his Baisha County was sent to the imperial city due to the snowstorm and the water calamity. The emperor had seen this and found out that the day his daughter was born was the day his Baisha County would escape danger.

 C107

    The birth of a princess was a joyous event throughout the world. Both Kang Di and the Princess had given the Li Prefecture food as relief so that the citizens could live a peaceful life.


    The losses of the villagers could be big or small. As usual, Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan took out their own money and entrusted their friends to help them. Ling Chaofeng even personally came to Qingling Village himself, and gave his father-in-law fifty silver, to make up for the losses suffered at home.


    This was Madam Xu''s first time seeing Xiaowan deliver real money home, so she was naturally unlucky. However, it was only silver, so she could only stare blankly at it.


    However, she did not dare to be stubborn in front of the Master Mu, who said that he would use the money to buy wood bricks to build a house, and give some to the village''s poor family.


    Therefore, they thought of another person coming over. With Aunt Wang''s family''s plan, the two of them brought some food that was cooked by their own families and rushed over to the town on the muddy road, regardless of whether the fence yard was still in a mess.


    At this time, the servants of the various stores were busy picking up whatever they could and even fighting with the common people to pick them up. Everywhere was a complete mess, causing people to feel annoyed.


    Rouge Shop were pretty good, the shelves were originally built very high and were firmly nailed to the ground, so the loss in the store was not that big. The shop assistants only needed to clean up a bit, but the place to live in the backyard was extremely pathetic.


    When the Madam Xu and the Aunt Wang came here, they rolled up their sleeves and helped her to clean up without saying anything further. Yue Huaiyin repeatedly said that there was no need to, but the Madam Xu put on an act, "We were just worried that you girls would not be able to handle it, so we specially came to help.


    As expected, Yue Huaiyin would not let them down.


    Although Rouge Shop could not be used to do much business, there were still a lot of things that had to be done in the outside world. With her savings and income, even though Madam Xu and Aunt Wang were bottomless pits, she could still afford to have them.


    One had to know that it was the easiest thing in the world for someone to do with money.


    The Madam Xu and the Aunt Wang each received twenty silver. Yue Huaiyin even said that she was embarrassed to say that the money in the store was insufficient, and since the bank had not yet recovered, it would be difficult for them to get the silver.


    Not to mention twenty liang, even two liang of silver, the two women were happy. Not only did they bring back silver back to the village, they even brought back the legends of Ling Xiao Inn.


    Very soon, everyone in Qingling Village knew that, in this disaster, only Ling Xiao Inn was unharmed.


    Originally, they were afraid of the inn because they wanted to kill people and rob them of their meat buns. But now, no matter how scared they were, they were afraid of demons and ghosts.


    It was unknown who started it, but they told the county magistrate''s yamen that they needed Ling Chaofeng to move out of the inn, and that they needed the county magistrate to drive them out of the Baisha Town, causing an uproar.


    On the 28th of the Moon, Ling Chaofeng was taken away by the Fast Catcher, but before that, he found out from his friends in the town what the citizens were thinking about these past few days.


    When Ling Chaofeng left, he brought silver notes with him. When he arrived at the yamen, he immediately denied that his own inn was not affected by the water and was soaked to the brim in a similar fashion. It was just that the inn was tall and the people did not have anything to do with it.


    After saying this, he sent the banknotes, which were worth a thousand taels of silver, to the old master to provide assistance to the victims.


    The county magistrate''s eyes lit up, his eyeballs were about to fall out of his sockets. Hearing Ling Chaofeng say that he would make another trip to Li Prefecture to request Master Liang''s help for the commoners, no matter how foolish he was, he would understand.


    Ling Chaofeng used money to appease the situation, but if he was not satisfied with his kindness, he would have to use his relationship with the magistrate to deal with him.


    He was only a sesame seed official and his annual salary was not even fifty taels of silver. Previously, when he broke the big case, he was waiting for the imperial court''s reward, but now that the New Year had arrived, he couldn''t even hear the sound of a copper coin.


    From this, one could see just how wealthy Ling Xiao Inn was. However, he could let the long line fish go, and slowly grind up with them in the future. If he really drove away this God of Fortune, then wouldn''t that just ruin his own road to wealth?


    As a result, Ling Chaofeng left the yamen and returned to the Ling Xiao Inn s under the strange gazes of the people on the streets.


    Yue Huaiyin stood in her own shop and watched. If Ling Chaofeng wanted to go back, he would have to pass by here, he was still as elegant as ever, how could he be so good-looking?


    The weather was cold and the people on the street were all cowering. Only he, wearing a black robe and with a grey fur collar, had such a cold and noble temperament. Why would such a person appear in a rural area like this?


    Yue Huaiyin lied on the door and stared at it for a long time.


    That night, the county magistrate arrived, this disaster had him busy throughout, and half dead from exhaustion. Finally, he found comfort on the beauty''s body and laid on the bed with a face full of sleep, allowing Yue Huaiyin to clean him up.


    Yue Huaiyin endured the disgust, doing inhuman things, and suddenly heard the bastard say: "Ling Chaofeng is such a generous person, now master I am the one with the true power and wealth, a thousand gold, if it was silver, could you bury me here? "Hahaha ¡­"


    "A mere inn, to have so much silver. Sir, aren''t you surprised?" Yue Huaiyin scoffed.


    "Who cares how he got the money. If he gets the money, I will get the money. What can those noisy commoners give me?" The county magistrate spat out the words, "I thought that we could peel off a layer of the government''s food aid, but that old thing Prefect Liang personally visited all the villages. He thought he was too high-profile, so he must have filled his stomach before deciding whether he lived or died. "Old thing, if I can get past him one day, I''ll definitely kill him first."


    A plan formed in Yue Huaiyin''s mind, she acted like a spoiled child and said: "Master, I have never seen such a large amount of banknotes, can I take a look at it?"


    Zhi Prefecture was also quite alert. He said in a displeased tone, "What? If you take it and run far away, what will you do about it, Master?"


    However, Yue Huaiyin held his life foundation and said: "I am your man in life, and death is your ghost, I am afraid that in the future, when I am old, I will be despised by the great masters. Now that I am young, I will have to serve you with all my heart. This humble one''s heart is as clear as the sun and moon. I never thought that my lord would doubt my heart so much. "


    She looked like she was about to cry, and her words stirred the old pervert''s soul as she hurriedly said, "Alright, alright. I''ll come over tomorrow night and let you have a look." However, on New Year''s Eve, you won''t be able to come here on New Year''s Eve. After the fifth day of the new year, the master will have to stay here for three days.


    Yue Huaiyin laughed, but avoided his gaze, and immediately revealed a sinister expression, "Just you wait, one thousand gold, I will make sure you do not even have a single silver coin, if you want to leave safely, dream on."


    The next morning, after sending off the old pervert, Yue Huaiyin closed herself in her room. The servant girl came over to deliver some tea and saw that she was concocting something.


    However, at night, Zhi Xia came and showed the banknote to Yue Huaiyin. She took the opportunity when the old fellow was sleeping to spray some water on the banknote, and then placed it back when it was dry.


    On the morning of New Year''s Eve, Yue Huaiyin sent him out and promised to meet him again on the fifth night. Yue Huaiyin purposely reminded the county magistrate to check his silver notes, and he said smilingly that she would put it in a box to pay respects to her ancestors. She would have to show it to the old mother for a long time.


    Yue Huaiyin was even more happy.


    In the blink of an eye, it was another New Year''s Eve. Although Ershan was not at home, Da Qing and Susu had brought their two old mothers over, the entire family was bustling with noise and excitement, and there was also the baby that was about to be born in Xiaowan.


    After the meal, Xiaowan was worried that the child in her stomach would be scared, but she never thought that this little fellow would be so excited that it would drill around Xiaowan''s stomach, instead saying that Xiaowan could not eat it, Ling Chaofeng had already sent her back to her room long ago.


    He angrily said to his wife, "If you continue to torment Mother, when you come out, you''ll be beaten everyday."


    Xiaowan snickered: "What does a child know? You are not allowed to hit a child, that''s the flesh that fell out of my body."


    However, Ling Chaofeng said seriously, "If you''re still going to be so mischievous in the future, then we can''t avoid a fight."


    Xiaowan said: "It''s better for Ershan to be obedient because of you. What if we are really stubborn girls or kids, and the more you beat him, the more rebellious he becomes? Furthermore, it''s fine if you have a son, but if she''s a daughter, would you be willing to part with her? "


    Ling Chaofeng said seriously: "It doesn''t matter if they are girls or not, as long as they dare to do something that makes you sad, I will not forgive them."


    "Don''t be angry, it''s the new year." "Why are you so blushing? Our child is definitely the best in the world, he''ll listen to you if he loves me. Let''s not talk about anything else. Just by my birth, how can it not be good? "


    Ling Chaofeng calmed down a little and said with a pained heart: "I can''t bear to see you suffer."


    The Xiaowan smiled warmly: "It''s not hard, it''s not hard at all. "If there''s anything I''m unhappy about, it''s probably the fact that the county magistrate cheated me of so much money for no reason at all."


    Ling Chaofeng advised her, "Wait until Lord Tang gives his permission for me to make a move and kick him out. I''ll give you a thousand silver and bring it back to you."


    The Xiaowan laughed happily: "I will wait and see. Buying rice and oil for the citizens is better than giving it to that beast."


    Aunt Zhang''s laughter, it was like a year had passed. Xiaowan cuddled in her husband''s embrace and said, "I wonder how Ershan is doing in the capital. I really hope that she can be with Lian Yi next year."


    Ling Chaofeng replied: "Definitely."


    "Right." Xiaowan thought of something and cautiously said, "Hubby, with a promising future like Ershan, his reputation in the capital and even in the entire country, with more and more people knowing about him, there will definitely be more and more people knowing about our Ling Xiao Inn, is that alright? If the matter of us collecting wealth for the imperial government were to be discovered and spread out, wouldn''t the Emperor abandon us? "


    Ling Chaofeng looked at Xiaowan in shock. Unknowingly, she had already turned from a silly countryside girl into a smart and steady little woman. Although she was still as delicate and soft as before, making people love his, he gave him a whole new level of respect for the things in his heart and mind.


    "Husband, if the emperor abandons us, will we no longer work for the imperial government, or will we completely disappear from this world?" The Xiaowan was very serious, "Should we hide our identities and start a new life elsewhere?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head, "If that day really comes, then the inn and I will definitely disappear. Naturally, the Emperor won''t want our lives, and I won''t easily compromise, but if that day really comes, I''ll have to bring you and the Aunt Zhang out of this place."


    The Xiaowan said, "That''s only natural. After all, if we were to be exposed, it would be of no use to the Emperor."


    Ling Chaofeng said again, "But you don''t have to worry about it because of Ershan."


    "Is that so?"


    "Ershan still has things he needs to do. That matter will cause others to ignore our existence."


    The Xiaowan asked curiously: "What''s wrong, Ershan, he ¡­" Those who were becoming more and more quick-witted suddenly understood, and whispered: "Master, could it be that he is Ershan''s background?"


    As for New Year''s Eve, it was a celebration of the emperor getting his daughter. The streets and alleys in the capital were decorated with colorful lanterns and lanterns. The scene was bustling and lively, as if it was a paradise on earth.


    Inside the Bi¡¯s Mansion, after eating dinner, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was sent back to the Inner Palace. Then, he and his wife went back to their bedroom.


    Mrs. Bi helped him change his clothes and held onto his thick cotton-padded robe. Seeing that the man was calm and relaxed, she said: "It''s been so long.


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi looked at her and said indifferently: "He''s just a country bumpkin. What do you want to hear? Mother''s eyes are blurry, and you take it seriously. "


    "But ¡­" Mrs. Bi looked panicked, "What if it''s true?"


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi sternly replied: "How is that possible, he''s already dead."

 C108

    Mrs. Bi rushed to her husband''s front and pressed him, "Then why don''t you go see him and see if he looks like a business or not? With one look my mother decided he was his grandson, and I thought he looked like that woman. "


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi said angrily: "If I say it''s not true, then it''s not! Don''t pester me recklessly, the industry is already dead, how can dead people come back to life?"


    "Then go take a look!" She retreated a few steps back and clutched her chest in panic as she muttered, "I knew it. He would definitely come back. He definitely would take revenge for his mother ¡­"


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi went forward to support her, and gently said: "For the past dozen years, with me here, no one can hurt you, don''t be afraid. Moreover, the industry has already died, trust me."


    Mrs. Bi''s gaze froze as he blankly shook his head. Suddenly, he cried: "It''s not my fault, Master, it''s not my fault."


    Outside the door, Hanxi was carrying a sweet soup. She was originally going to attend to her parents so that she could act like a spoiled child and ask for some new year''s worth of money. She would go to the temple fair in the capital tomorrow.


    Father and mother started an argument for Ling. Does Mother think that he looks like the Brother Xingye?


    At this moment, Grandmother was still muttering to herself that she still wanted to see Ling Yu, but her family seemed to be keeping it a secret and did not mention this matter.


    Speaking of which, the first time she saw Ling Chen was that he seemed to have met him before. There was an indescribable shock in her heart that caused her to be stupefied at that moment. Due to the fact that men and women were not close with each other, they were afraid that others would misunderstand their thoughts and did not mention these words to anyone. However, thinking about it now, could it be that he really was Brother Xingye?


    Would a three-year-old have a memory? Would she remember the half-brother she had met before?


    Hanxi returned to her room and sat down. The moment the mama sat down, she said, "Eldest Miss, Old Madem wishes to see you."


    "What did I do wrong again?" Hanxi was startled. Maybe it was because she did not know what she did today and her grandmother was going to punish her. It was the new year and she was not supposed to feel at ease.


    However, she did not dare to disobey her grandmother. Trembling, she came to the inner courtyard and stood in front of her grandmother''s bed. She obediently said, "Grandmother, I''m here."


    However, Old Madem suppressed the others, held her granddaughter in his arms and said softly, "Little Xi, Grandmother will go to the National Guardian Temple tomorrow to burn incense, are you going or not?"


    Hanxi had an appointment with Shuntian''s elder sister tomorrow to go to the temple fair. If he followed his grandmother there to pay respects to Buddha and meditated there for an entire day, he would feel bored to death.


    "Grandma, I ¡­" I want to be at home with my mother and receive guests. " Hanxi said timidly, "You should know that on the first day of every year, an endless stream of people come to pay their respects. Father, Mother and I are always so busy, I ¡­"


    "Little Xi, Grandma has burned some incense and will be leaving immediately. We''ll go for a stroll in the temple then." "Whatever you want to do, Grandma doesn''t care."


    Hanxi was afraid of his grandmother, and felt that his grandmother knew what she was going to do the next day.


    Who would have thought that Grandma would change the topic of her words and plead for her granddaughter, "Little Xi, send Grandma to that person''s inn and let me take another look at him. Grandma will be waiting there for you.


    Hanxi was startled: "Grandma, you''re talking about Young Noble Ling?"


    Grandma said with tears in her eyes, "Little Xi, Grandma wants to take a look and see if she''s your brother or not. Little Xi, you''re the most obedient one.


    Hanxi knew that her father had denied this matter from the start, and became even more furious at her grandmother.


    The servants in the house were afraid of the old master, so they didn''t dare to send Old Madem out. Grandmother probably couldn''t think of any way, so she came to look for her.


    "Little Xi, don''t you hate Grandma for worrying so much about you being so tight, and don''t misunderstand that I value my sons more than my daughters." Old Madem cried, "You are all grandmother''s darling, you are a girl, if no one is willing to stop you from being lawless, the people outside will laugh at us, your future family will look down on you, Grandma is doing it for your own good."


    Speaking of which, last year''s Imperial Court Elite Tournament, Hanxi was already very old, and his father was also very nervous, his heart hoping that she would be chosen, even if he did not become the empress or the concubine.


    Who knew that in the days before she entered the palace, her grandmother would suddenly get angry and give her a severe punishment. The beating wasn''t too bad, but she was too emotional and felt wronged, so she fought back with all her might. She had a high fever that night, so she missed the talent show and stayed at home.


    Later, when she was feeling drowsy, she heard her mother say to her father: "Mother did it on purpose. She was unwilling to let Little Xi go to the imperial harem to be her concubine. Don''t you know what kind of place the harem is? As your biological father, you want to push your daughter into a fire pit? "


    After that, Grandmother seemed worried that Daddy would send her to the palace again, and with the excuse that her brother was going to prepare for the examination, she was not allowed to fly around the house. She was forced to live in the temple for more than half a year, and during the summer, when she heard that the Emperor had declared that there would be no six palaces, Grandmother read Amitabha.


    Hanxi understood that her grandmother really loved her.


    "Little Xi, even if he isn''t, Grandma wants to take another look." The old granny said tearfully, "Otherwise, when granny dies, she will not be able to rest in peace. granny will lose your brother. Little Xi, granny will lose her grandson."


    Hanxi''s eyes were already brimming with tears, she could not bear to see the old granny sad, so she said while choking back her sobs, "Empress, don''t worry, I will definitely send you there. We won''t tell Father nor Mother, just the two of us will be fine."


    The grandfather and grandson held their heads as tears streamed down their faces. Old Madem cried, "Your father is too heartless ¡­"


    Early in the morning on New Year''s Day, the emperor was busy offering sacrifices to the gods. The streets were sealed off from the public, but the commoners could not go out to the temple fair to pay their respects. The entire capital was bustling with noise and excitement.


    Ershan got up early, and while the streets were still quiet, he warmed up his books for a while, waiting for the people below to get excited, so he went downstairs to chat with the shop assistants and customers.


    The beautiful young lady jumped down from the carriage and helped her grandmother out. The servants of the carriage went to welcome her and Hanxi smiled: "Lad, are you open for business?"


    The assistant smiled and said, "It will be open for business all year round."


    When the Madam was welcomed in, the shopkeeper went forward to congratulate her on the New Year, but seeing that Ershan had come out from the inner hall, and was helping the servant carry the boxes, he put them down and brushed off the dust with his hands. When he turned around, he saw the grandfather and grandson pair smiling at him.


    "Young noble Ling, Grandma wanted to see you, so we sneaked out." Hanxi was lively and adorable, supporting her grandmother on the side, she said, "Young Noble Ling, can you come to your room to talk for a while?"


    Ershan was startled, the shopkeeper said: "So it''s your customer, quickly go upstairs and invite her. I will bring good tea."


    Old Madem hurriedly said: "Shopkeeper, there''s no need to rush. We just ate some tea and are about to leave."


    The shopkeeper saw the old lady''s dignified bearing and elegant speech. He knew she was the wife of some rich family. This was, after all, the capital. If she could throw a stone, she could become an official.


    Ershan was helpless, he did not want to cause trouble for the inn, so he brought them to his own room.


    The inn''s guest room was elegantly decorated. Although it was not spacious, it was sufficient for one person to stay there.


    Ershan had gotten used to it when he was at home. Every day, he would clean and tidy up, and other than the mountains of books and books on the table, the rest of the bed and cabinets were all neat and tidy.


    "You live here?" The Old Madem sighed. In her eyes, it was still inappropriate, so he said pitifully, "The people here go in and out. It''s very noisy. How are you going to study?"


    Ershan replied: "I woke up earlier in the morning, and slept late at night. Furthermore, I''m usually at the academy, and when I come back, it''s only to eat and sleep.


    Hanxi asked straightforwardly: "Young Noble Ling, does your house also have an inn?"


    Ershan smiled, "Yes, I was a gatekeeper in the past, so I grew up in an inn. I only feel at ease living here."


    Old Madem shakily asked: "Which life''s child are you?"


    Ershan stared at his grandmother blankly. In her aged eyes, she seemed to have already assumed that she was her lost grandson, and this was the most difficult thing for Ershan. In that cold and heartless big house, there was actually someone who could change his mind. Naturally, he wished his grandmother a long life.


    "I''m a child they picked up." Ershan said honestly, "A child saved from a man''s teeth."


    Old Madem''s entire body shuddered, and his voice trembled: "Then, then do you remember who your parents are? Do you remember where you are from?"


    Ershan shook his head. "At that time, I was so scared that I forgot everything except that I was six years old and I couldn''t think of anything else."


    The Old Madem cried and grabbed Ershan''s hand: "Industry, you were lost at the age of six. You were lost at the age of six.


    Trembling, she turned to her granddaughter and said, "Little Xi, go out."


    Seeing that her grandmother wanted to take off Young Noble Ling''s clothes, Hanxi naturally could not stay there. She quickly left, but Young Noble Ling did not seem to be willing to leave, her grandmother had actually said that she was going to kneel down to Young Noble Ling.


    On the first day of the new year, a friend of Ling Chaofeng''s delivered Ershan''s letter to him from a thousand miles away. On a good day, he came to his home on the first day of the new year to pay New Year respects to everyone, saying that he was fine in the capital.


    Aunt Zhang missed him a lot, he read the letter again and again, then said with red eyes: "This child, when did he leave us for so long, I wonder what he will be like in the future.


    Xiaowan thought back to last night when Master said that for Ershan to go to the capital this time, he had to take the rank test first. Secondly, he had to settle his background. Only then did Xiaowan know that Hubby had long known that Ershan had lied to them. He said that Ershan remembered whose family he was from and that he had "forgotten" about it.


    From the looks of it, neither the Uncle Biao nor the Aunt Zhang knew what Ershan had been thinking for the past ten odd years.


    She asked Ling Chaofeng if this matter will affect his career, and her husband said: "I''ll do my best to send him to the capital, my responsibility will end here, the next step, will depend on how he goes about it."


    At this moment, the Xiaowan could not help but let out a light sigh.


    Xiaowan said half-heartedly: "My stomach is heavy, I feel suffocated inside."

 C109

    The Aunt Zhang believed her and was extremely worried, "It''s a pity that aunt has never had a child before. I don''t know how to take good care of you, but the doctor said that the last few days will be very tough.


    Xiaowan had to comfort her: "I just need to go out to take a breath of fresh air. Aunt, help me up."


    When they walked to the door, the snow man that Susu had piled up was still there. That day, the strong wind, heavy rain, and flood of water did not do anything to him. Early this morning, Xiaowan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry when she offered the snow man some incense.


    However, she did not know whether it was because the snowman really had the ability or because she had made her wish with the Jade Ring with just a few words. In any case, she had already experienced such miraculous things one or two times, so she was not surprised.


    "The weather is really good. It seems like there''s never been a blizzard or a torrential downpour." Xiaowan looked at the cloudless and sunny sky, both of her hands on her waist, and said with a happy smile, "Hubby is right, a storm will eventually pass."


    Aunt Zhang said: "How could it be so coincidental? Our princess was born that day, and at that time I stood upstairs and watched your Uncle Biao get blasted out on the boat. My heart is in my throat, if there were any mishaps with him, I wouldn''t be able to live. "Who knew that the rain would suddenly stop and the water would suddenly retreat? Your uncle sat on the boat and didn''t even have the time to retreat with the water before the boat crashed into the mud, scaring him senseless."


    Aunt Zhang laughed heartily. She was afraid yet also interested at the same time. She then sighed with emotion, "That person''s granddaughter must definitely be an outstanding person as well."


    Xiaowan still did not know about the relationship between the Aunt Zhang and the Imperial Family, so she did not pursue the matter further. She was more curious and had to ask her sister-in-law, "You said that I gave the Empress a dream of giving birth to a baby, that the Golden Dragon is in my arms, and that the Empress is going to give birth to a little prince. But since the Empress gave birth to a princess, could the dream be reversed? "


    Aunt Zhang propped up her cheeks and said: "Maybe I was just daydreaming."


    Xiaowan innocently asked: "Or maybe, Aunt, is there a mother or a dragon?"


    Aunt Zhang was startled for a moment, then laughed out loud. When Uncle Biao came out to ask her what was so funny, he said: "This child asked, does a dragon have a mother, do you think so?"


    Historically, dragons were the totems of the emperor, the heavenly family. They were the legends of the ancient era, symbolizing the supremacy of monarchs. As for the empress, they were mostly made up of phoenix birds.


    Xiaowan also thought that she had told them a joke, amused them a little, and no longer brought it up.


    In the afternoon, Susu came over. Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao, Da Qing and his two mothers went to the temple fair together, leaving the two young young lady at home.


    When Ling Chaofeng went to the cellar, he went over to Xiaowan and bit his lips lightly. His face was flushed red from embarrassment, and Xiaowan asked in surprise, "Really?"


    "I don''t know yet. I''ll go to the clinic in a few days and ask the doctor to take a look." Susu blushed and said, "Fortunately, you will be born next month. If I do have one, I won''t hold up the shop''s work any longer."


    Xiaowan asked: Are you afraid that no one will be working in the shop?


    Susu shook her head: "Nothing, the two of us have been doing fine all this time, the child will come when he comes, and he won''t force anyone no matter what."


    Xiaowan said happily: "In the future, if we give birth to sons and daughters, let them marry us!"


    Susu laughed: "That requires your child to be willing."


    Xiaowan was nervous again as she said: "If you have it, why don''t you ride on the carriage and ride on the bumpy road?"


    Susu laughed: "Da Qing is driving really slowly, and this time, the road has become much more flat after being washed by the heavy rain. Today, when we are riding on the carriage, it is stable and does not budge at all. Furthermore, my body is stronger than yours. Even though I''ve been suffering in the capital for the past two years, I''ve never experienced such hardships since I was young. "


    Xiaowan advised her to take care of herself. She didn''t worry about the shop''s work, she just wanted to ask the Jade Ring to protect her so that Susu could give birth safely, just like the Empress.


    A day passed quickly. In the evening, Bi Hanxi accompanied her grandmother back to their home, where everyone was extremely anxious.


    The National Guardian Temple said that Old Madem had left a long time ago, but she did not return home for a long time. Furthermore, Old Madem did not bring many servants with his today, but he was closely followed by a few servants.


    "Hanxi, where did you bring Grandma?" Mrs. Bi, who had been worried for half a day, scolded her daughter in anger, "You''re getting more and more out of control. Go back to your room and kneel down. I''ll come back later to take care of you."


    The Old Madem said disdainfully, "It''s the new year, you didn''t try to have some fun, and you even put down your pride. What do you want to punish her for? What can happen to her if he stays by my side? Are you trying to show me because you don''t believe me? "


    Mrs. Bi immediately kneeled down: "My daughter-in-law doesn''t dare to do that, it''s just that you are too old to bring more people to serve you. Your daughter-in-law is afraid that you might get cold and get chilled."


    "No, my little granddaughter and I are going out for a stroll, and it''s more interesting than dealing with people at home who want to pay New Year respects." The Old Madem said coldly, "Alright, we will all be back eventually. No one is to pursue this matter, neither you nor her father are to investigate it. It''s the new year, let''s celebrate it with good fortune, don''t put on a bitter face. "


    "Yes." Mrs. Bi agreed helplessly.


    Hanxi couldn''t bear to see her mother being scolded by her grandmother, so she was stuck in a dilemma and had no choice but to help his grandmother return to the Inner Palace.


    Before the child left, Old Madem warned her repeatedly: "Little Xi, this is our secret. No matter how much your mother asks you, don''t tell her. Little Xi, you have to do what you promised Grandma, okay? "


    Hanxi stiffly agreed, but she was a little uneasy in her heart.


    She didn''t know what had happened in the room after her grandmother asked Young Master Ling to take off her clothes. Afterwards, it was quiet. She was afraid that her grandmother would suddenly come out and find out that she was eavesdropping, so she went downstairs to sit and wait.


    To put it bluntly, it was the problem of whether or not she recognized Ling Qian as the descendant of Bi Family. However, from her grandmother''s reaction, if it wasn''t, she would have died openly, could it be?


    But since he was, why didn''t his grandmother marry him? Why didn''t she bring him back to recognize his ancestors? It was said that up until now, his father had never seen him either.


    The situation here was truly complicated.


    Furthermore, Hanxi knew that the Brother Xingye was born from her father''s original wife, and even though her mother was now her father''s legal wife, she was only a concubine at that time.


    Could it be ¡­ Hanxi felt very sad in her heart. She felt that something extraordinary must have happened in this family all those years ago.


    At night, Mrs. Bi came to visit his daughter and apologised for his harsh words towards her in the evening. How could there be any enmity between mother and daughter?


    Mrs. Bi laughed: "It''s always like this between daughter-in-law. When you become my wife in the future, you will understand. "As long as you can get along with them peacefully and have disputes occasionally, you don''t have to worry about them."


    Hanxi pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, as she thought back to what happened that day. When she and her grandmother left the inn, Ling Ying appeared very calm, almost as if he was the same as the first time they had met.


    Grandmother, too, did not cry or feel sad, as if nothing had happened.


    "Little Xi, where did you and Grandma go?" Mrs. Bi suddenly asked.


    "He went to the temple fair." Hanxi answered, but she did not dare look straight into her mother''s eyes. She avoided her mother''s gaze and said, "I was just strolling around, and forgot the time to go home."


    Mrs. Bi looked at her daughter. She was the child raised by her, so she did not need to ask clearly to know the answer.


    His daughter was innocent, and he couldn''t hide anything from his heart. If his mother-in-law wanted to find Ling Chen and find out if he was his grandson, she could go by herself. Was she intentionally bringing this child, who couldn''t lie, with her?


    What did her mother-in-law want? What did she want? Was he still hating her after so many years?


    "Mother ¡­" Hanxi took the initiative to speak.


    "What?" Mrs. Bi looked at his daughter.


    Hanxi rushed forward and hugged her mother.


    Mrs. Bi snickered: "Mother is so tired today, my bones are hurting so much, stop tormenting me. "You''re so old, and yet you act like a spoiled child."


    Hanxi rubbed her mother''s shoulder. No matter what happened, she would protect Mother and would not let anyone hurt her.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already the fifth day of the new year. Aunt Zhang accompanied Auntie Chen and brought Susu to the town''s infirmary to see a doctor.


    The Auntie Chen was overjoyed, and they all went to the city temple to burn incense to pay their respects. When they came out, the Auntie Chen said: "We agreed to adopt a child. Now that you and Da Qing have children of your own, but after a few years, if fate wills it, if we meet someone who doesn''t want a child, we can still adopt one of them.


    Da Qing and Susu were both willing, but Da Qing was even more gentle and considerate. When carrying his wife onto the cart, he had to be careful.


    When they stopped at a roadside stall to buy dates for Xiaowan, they heard people gossiping that something had happened at the Prefecture Lord''s house. It had turned the world upside down and several concubines had been tied up in the yamen to be beaten, asking if they had stolen anything.


    Everyone was curious as to what treasure the county magistrate had lost. It was a new year''s worth of fighting and killing.


    When they returned to the tavern, he told Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan about it. Xiaowan joked, "It can''t be that you gave me that one thousand taels of silver, hubby, right?"


    During the new year, he had kept the one thousand taels of silver in a box as a sacrifice to the ancestors. Later, after showing it to his mother, he had locked it in the treasury, which no one could get their hands on.


    However, on the fourth night, he was about to take out the one thousand taels of silver to see if it was real. However, the box he took out from the vault was empty, and there was only a layer of paper left inside, but it was impossible to tell if it was real or not.


    The county magistrate was infuriated. From his wife to his concubines, he interrogated his maidservants, even his sons and daughters. His two concubines who had been by his side all the new year were beaten to death, asking them if they had stolen the master''s banknotes.


    How could he have imagined that he would bring silver notes to the Siyun Pavilion that day to show to Yue Huaiyin. Yue Huaiyin had sprayed a medicine on the silver notes when he was sleeping at night.


    This was her trump card when she was working for the National Duke in the capital. The paper that was sprayed with this medicine would disintegrate into a pile of powder after a few days.


    At this moment, the Grand Master was trembling as he whispered into the Master''s ear, "Master, look, this silver was given to us by the Ling Xiao Inn. Could it be that they used some kind of spell to change this silver back into something else?"

 C110

    The county magistrate was skeptical. "Is that possible?"


    The Grand Master said: "If you believe me, then believe me. That day, many commoners, including the Miss Yue, saw their Ling Xiao Inn being flooded unharmed. Could it be that many commoners were slandering them? The commoners and Ling Chaofeng did not have any enmity towards each other, why would they? "


    However, the muddleheaded things of the past were now even more astute.


    The county magistrate held his head, which was swollen from the pain, and thought about it again and again before saying, "I had originally relied on these words to extort so much money from Ling Chaofeng. Not to mention that he did not have any magic, if he did, wouldn''t he have made Master continue to suspect him? "Think about it again, if he really has a magic technique that can change silver notes back into silver notes, isn''t that stupid? Isn''t it easier for him to control the old master and make things easier for him?"


    The Grand Master was taken aback. This was truly a rare opportunity. As expected of someone who had opened his eyes in the face of money, even his brain was opened to it.


    "There must be a thief in the family. Let''s interrogate him again. I want to see whether their mouths are tough and their bones are hard, or my board is tough." The county magistrate was infuriated. He struggled to get up and shouted, "Have they admitted him yet?"


    It was one of those days when the county magistrate, who was half-dead from exhaustion, suddenly remembered that he and Yue Huaiyin had promised to stay at the Siyun Pavilion for three days.


    After ruthlessly tormenting Yue Huaiyin, she pounded the bed and wailed, "Huaiyin, the master''s thousand gold is gone just like that."


    Yue Huaiyin snickered in her heart, but on the surface, she advised: "Return all of your gold. Master, don''t be anxious."


    The county magistrate replied, "It''s not difficult to extort him, but he has a good relationship with the Prefect Liang. I''m afraid that if we irritate him, my gains will not be worth it."


    Yue Huaiyin faintly said: "Master, a thousand gold is not a small sum. Many people would not be able to see this much in their entire lives, Ling Chaofeng would rather give you so much money than trouble Prefect Liang.


    "Really?" The county magistrate was shaken.


    "It''s still the same logic. It''s not that you''re making things difficult for him, it''s the commoners that are making things difficult for him."


    Yue Huaiyin crouched by the man''s side, coaxing him into being happy, and said gently: "Master, it was the citizens who feared that there were demons and ghosts blocking the way, and that the citizens wanted you to come forward and kick them out. You are a parent, naturally you have to work for the citizens, Prefect Liang cannot make things difficult for you. And Ling Chaofeng himself felt guilty, so he was willing to give you money, right? If he does well, does he care about the rumors and gossip of others? "


    Liu Qingping held his head and thought for a while, "If it''s more or less like it, Huaiyin is much more trustworthy than Grand Master."


    Yue Huaiyin said: "I am just speaking the truth. Master, think about it, this matter does not have anything to do with you. It was because the commoners came to cause trouble that you called Ling Chaofeng here. You only asked him a few questions, and he immediately brought the money here.


    "Indeed, he seems to have come prepared. He''s in such a hurry to hand over the money." The county magistrate seemed to have believed Yue Huaiyin''s words.


    "There must be something strange going on in that inn." Yue Huaiyin said, "They don''t have much business, where did all this money come from?"


    "But if there really are demons and ghosts, I do not have the ability to kill demons and exterminate devils." The county magistrate was endlessly frustrated. "If there is, I don''t need to stay here and become a sesame official."


    Yue Huaiyin''s eyes moved slightly. She knew that she could not be impatient, she had to take things step by step, this stupid thing had already started to believe her. In the future, as long as he slowly guided, he would definitely be able to follow what she told him.


    He then continued, "My lord, being an official is tiring. If I were to take a look, I would feel more at ease with being a local sesame seed. As long as you have silver, you can do whatever you want. If one day, Ling Chaofeng and the rest were expelled, then a thousand silver would probably be no problem for them. "


    If he could get his hands on the Ling Xiao Inn, then there would definitely be a lot of gold and silver hidden in the inn, and they would all be his at that time.


    "For you to cause such a commotion at home, the citizens will definitely discuss about it." Yue Huaiyin said, "We can also think of a way, and bring about conflict with the Ling Xiao Inn, the common people are the easiest to stir up, and at that time, push everything onto the common people, and Prefect Liang won''t be able to do anything to you. The common people will support you."


    A few days later, a strange rumor began to spread through the town. It was that the government had allocated a large sum of money to the county magistrate''s office to provide food for the disaster.


    In order to not delay the court''s pension for the commoners, the county magistrate took his own and made up for it.


    When the news spread to the Ling Xiao Inn, Ling Chaofeng''s friend passed by and drank a cup of tea, and said with a sneer: "I heard that the capital''s money was allocated to the Li Prefecture, and the Prefect Liang himself personally delivered it. I simply didn''t know what was going on in the county''s yamen, and what kind of person he is pretending to be. But as long as the commoners have the money to take it, their parents will be their heaven. "


    When Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng heard this, they felt that the county magistrate might really have lost his money.


    A few days later, originally a year had passed, and he thought that no one would bring up the words again, but after it had spread out, it caused quite a stir, so the fact that his Ling Xiao Inn had retreated unscathed from this water disaster was, in the end, a strange thing.


    There was even someone who talked about how there was never any business with Ling Xiao Inn, yet Ling Chaofeng seemed to be extremely rich. When he first married the little girl with Qingling Village, his betrothal gift was worth a whole 100 gold taels.


    The commoners started to suspect where Ling Chaofeng''s money came from. They also started to suspect that it was related to him breaking in and cheating on them using antiques.


    All kinds of suspicions, all kinds of suspicions, and some bold ones, under the instigation of someone, had actually come to the Ling Xiao Inn in groups and shouted at them, telling them to get out.


    Uncle Biao brandished his Pig Slaughtering Knife, they retreated a few steps in fear, but when they realized that this wild man was only bluffing, they became even more confident.


    Xiaowan''s stomach was growing bigger and bigger. She would not go and confront these foolish villagers, but looking at this scene, she felt that it was not worth it to exchange her family''s kindness for this.


    Ling Chaofeng advised her not to think too much, it was more important to first settle the matter of the womb before it was born. When the villagers see the wind, it would rain, and after a while, they would quiet down.


    The Xiaowan said, "Hopefully it will be like a torrential rain. This layer of clouds is great.


    How could she have known that the storm clouds had just gathered and the rain was still falling?


    During the Lantern Festival, the Baisha Town was decorated with lanterns and decorations. People shuttled back and forth between the various lanterns, guessing the riddles and playing with them. It was very lively.


    Although she did not say anything, Ling Chaofeng was worried that she would not be able to eat it, and that he would not be able to sleep soundly during the night. Thus, he spurred his horse over to the town, and hurried over to the New Year''s Eve market.


    At this moment, everyone was playing at the lantern festival. The shops on the street all went to a bustling place to set up their stalls, and the surrounding Siyun Pavilion s were completely deserted.


    When Ling Chaofeng rode past, a black shadow suddenly rushed out, shocking the horse to the point that its hooves were raised. Luckily, Ling Chaofeng managed to reach out and did not fall down.


    Just now, when Yue Huaiyin was preparing to go out with the servant girls to look around, she saw Ling Chaofeng riding past, she had dismissed the servant girls and waited foolishly in the shop. Hearing the clatter of horses'' hooves, he rushed out and risked his life to block him, and finally managed to stop him.


    Ling Chaofeng subconsciously adjusted her Qi, unwilling to be trapped in a passive place like this with her enchanting scent. He could not imagine a woman who was so crazy to not care about herself, he could only say that Yue Huaiyin was already not an ordinary person.


    "I just... I want you to tell Xiaowan that she needs to take care of her body. " Yue Huaiyin stood under the horse and gently said in a moving tone, "After all, she and I have met before. We once had the chance to be friends, and I have always wished for her well. Manager Ling, your child is about to be born. "


    Ling Chaofeng remained silent as he coldly looked at her.


    However, Yue Huaiyin walked forward a few steps and looked at her. Under the cold moonlight, sparkling and translucent tears flowed down her face. The beauty had tears in the corners of her eyes as she said sorrowfully: "Manager Ling, I know my wrongs. I''m alone here right now, and the county magistrate treats me like a toy. I can''t help it, otherwise, how can a weak girl like me survive? Manager Ling, can you help me? Help me get rid of the county magistrate''s control and hide from the National Duke''s wife to help me escape this place. "


    "There''s nothing I can do." Ling Chaofeng spat these words coldly.


    Yue Huaiyin''s heart trembled. This was practically the last chance she had to give Ling Chaofeng, but this man was actually so cold and heartless.


    Her eyes were full of hatred as she said angrily: "Did you lure the National Duke''s wife here so she could torture me?"


    Ling Chaofeng turned a deaf ear to her, reined his horse and moved it away from her, without waiting for her to pounce on him, he spurred his horse and galloped away.


    Yue Huaiyin had originally wanted to throw herself forward to stop it, but she missed in the blink of an eye and fell onto the ice-cold ground. Her palm had been grinded open, and the cold wind blew on her wound, stinging her heart.


    She laughed coldly, "Since you are so heartless, don''t blame me for being unjust. Don''t you care about your silly country bumpkin wife the most? Just wait and see."


    When Ling Chaofeng returned to the tavern, he did not mention anything about Yue Huaiyin. Seeing the Xiaowan happily eating the sour dates cake, he was comforted in his heart.


    After the Xiaowan had gone to sleep, he went downstairs to discuss with the Uncle Biao and the Aunt Zhang about how to deal with the increasingly impatient commoners. He reckoned that the county magistrate was the one who was acting as a demon again, and the matter of the antique scam had woken him up, and he realized that he had tasted the sweetness.


    Aunt Zhang said: "Prefect Liang, please come forward."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, "That won''t be difficult, but since the citizens have been incited, the Prefect Liang is powerless to do anything. Now that they have the guts to come to the inn to cause trouble, I''m afraid one day they will barge in. "


    Aunt Zhang said coldly: "Why not make an example out of them? Since they think that we have some strange divine ability, then they must really do something. We should scare them until they piss their pants and see if they still dare to come."


    On the third floor, Xiaowan was standing in front of the door. She heard everything clearly, she had not fallen asleep, and had originally wanted to play with Ling Chaofeng, but she did not expect her husband to come downstairs to discuss such a troublesome matter with Uncle Biao.


    Actually, there really were some strange divine abilities here. All of them were in this ring on her hand.


    Xiaowan raised her hand, touching the Jade Ring, secretly making up her mind that when the citizens come again tomorrow, she would scare them.

 C111

    The moment she lowered his head, Ling Chaofeng coincidentally raised his head and saw her. The couple looked at each other, and Xiaowan returned to her room.


    Not long after, her husband returned and sat on the bed. "You were just pretending to be asleep?"


    Xiaowan laughed weakly: "I wanted to tease you."


    Ling Chaofeng lightly pinched her face, his eyes filled with love: "Then let''s talk for a while."


    He leaned on the headboard, making Xiaowan lean on his chest. His lovely wife was much heavier than before pregnancy, and his slender fingers had also become chubby.


    "Do you feel bad wearing this ring?" Ling Chaofeng saw that the Jade Ring was slightly stuck inside his skin and said worriedly, "I probably won''t be able to take it out now."


    Xiaowan was a little guilty, she casually said that it was not unpleasant and changed the topic.


    And Ling Chaofeng also had something to say to her, that on her way to buy the sour date cake, she had met Yue Huaiyin.


    "She was waiting for you?"


    "Maybe he will wait for me there after seeing me." Ling Chaofeng said in a bland voice, "The few words that she just said seemed to have changed. He looked really pitiful, but after I rejected her request, I immediately fell out with his."


    Xiaowan was listening quietly to her grandpa speak, she was not too angry, she had seen through Yue Huaiyin.


    She had chatted with Susu before, saying how Yue Huaiyin was willing to lie under the county magistrate''s body. Susu had said that if it was her, she would definitely strangle the county magistrate first, and then kill herself.


    Xiaowan said that for women who had no reason to be tainted, they should show their sincerity to their deaths, and they should live a better life. However, she could not understand why Yue Huaiyin would be willing to compromise from now on, if she took the initiative, it would be even more inconceivable.


    The two of them from the countryside could only assume that the women from the courtesan courtyard in Beijing were not impolite or shameless. They only had benefits and benefits. They were completely different people in the first place.


    At this moment, when she heard that Yue Huaiyin was still trying to get close to Ling Chaofeng, the Xiaowan was no longer angry, but she remembered what the Aunt Zhang had said.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed faintly: "Putting aside the grudge between you and her, why would Susu be guilty? Could it be that Susu was not finally tainted and decided to treat it as though that had never happened? "Late at night, there''s no need to be kind, nor do you need to be kind. Any excuse or reasoning is meaningless in the face of evil."


    Xiaowan nodded, "I''ll listen to Hubby. However ¡­ This time, the villagers have also been incited to find trouble with us, so how should we settle this? The Ling Xiao Inn has been here for more than ten years, has there been such a thing in the past? "


    Ling Chaofeng sighed lightly: "Strange things, it really only happened in the last two years. Forget about other things, even if we denied it completely, there were still many villagers who saw it. Compared to our explanation, they definitely believe their eyes more."


    "Then we can only allow them to bully us?" The Xiaowan was indignant, "If they knew that you, your husband, sent those charity food over, would make them feel ashamed and guilty?"


    Ling Chaofeng did not care, but he helped the Xiaowan sit down, and faced her face to face, and said earnestly: "But here, it seems like we can''t stay any longer. For one thing, the people who are unconscious or in charge are stupid, and Yue Huaiyin is causing trouble, not because I''m afraid of them, but because I don''t want to hurt people, and I don''t know how to kill. Furthermore, your premise is that if Ershan were to become an official in the future, although his own background would cause people to ignore our existence, it is hard to guarantee that no one would come to investigate. This is a secret that must not be leaked out. My parents were a court for the rest of their lives, because we had kings worth following, and so did I. So, I want to wait until you give birth, and when you''re well, we''ll move on and get somewhere else. The Ling Xiao Inn is still the Ling Xiao Inn, but this Baisha Town, we will part ways with it forever. "


    Xiaowan hurriedly said: "How about we leave now, we''ll leave immediately ¡­ ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "It''s not convenient for you to move around. If there were any mishaps on the road, I would lose my Ling Xiao Inn, I would not need to work for the imperial government, I cannot lose you."


    Xiaowan''s heart warmed, and she leaned into his embrace, "Are you silly? I''ll be with you forever, hubby won''t lose me. "I will listen to you. When I have children, we will move away. Actually, you don''t need to discuss it with me. I will definitely listen to you."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "We are husband and wife, if there is anything, I would like to discuss with you, to have your permission."


    Xiaowan laughed tenderly: "You are clearly so overbearing and fierce towards me, and yet you are about to break my legs. You must be pretending to be a good person."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Late at night, the thing I''ve let down the most in my life is that I wasn''t able to personally ask if you were willing to marry me."


    Xiaowan raised his head, her eyebrows curved in delight: "I will ask you one more time in my next life."


    They snuggled up to each other and spent the night in peace. The next morning, there were indeed more villagers who came to demonstrate their strength, and the number of people was even more than the previous few days.


    Uncle Biao rushed out with a Pig Slaughtering Knife, only to see a few officials riding horses coming from behind. The leader of the guards jumped down from his horse, and berated the villagers: "What are you doing here?"


    The villagers talked at the same time, saying that the Ling Xiao Inn was the place where the demons and monsters lived. The feng shui that affected the Baisha County here wanted to drive them away and raze the inn to the ground.


    The Constable Li scolded loudly: "You all listen to the wind is the rain. The Ling Xiao Inn s have always been obedient for more than ten years, never owing a single coin in taxes. "The lord has sent me here today to properly reason with you guys. If you still don''t listen and want to gather more people to cause trouble, then come with me to the yamen. Pick whatever you like!"


    In the tavern, Ling Chaofeng supported Xiaowan out. Xiaowan did not have the time to make a wish to teach this group of foolish villagers a lesson, but he did not expect Constable Li to come over and make the decision.


    Not long after, a few shops that were on good terms with the tavern, the mighty escort company''s branch in the Li Prefecture, and even the villagers who were on good terms with Susu''s family in the Baisha Village, many people came over.


    They tried their best to guarantee that the Ling Xiao Inn was definitely not a place of gods and ghosts, to guarantee that Ling Chaofeng''s character would not harm anyone if the inn was here.


    Xiaowan was surprised, even Ling Chaofeng did not expect that he would be the one to go and resolve the troubles and conflicts for the others, although he would still ask his friends in the underworld to do something for him, but before he could even open his mouth, he had come to help him, and he never thought that such a day would come.


    The excited citizens all reluctantly compromised and left under Constable Li''s furious glare. Aunt Zhang invited everyone to come in and drink and eat, she said that she still had to report back to Prefect Liang. After passing on the message from the Prefect Liang, Ling Chaofeng didn''t need to be polite. If there was anything else, he could just go to the Li Prefecture to discuss.


    As such, they only left behind a few of their friends who were like the martial artists. They sat in the shop and drank together with the Uncle Biao, talking about the matters of the martial arts world.


    Xiaowan stood on the third floor and watched with a smile, feeling extremely happy in her heart. She understood that even though Jade Ring had a sacred art, in life, they could only rely on the protection of some unknown divine art, and it was ultimately unreliable.


    Today, so many people had come to help solve this problem. Hubby was able to benefit from many benefits, and was able to repay the kindness with kindness. Good and bad, good and evil between people, were not things that a single ring could control. Even the Immortal Bodhisattva couldn''t estimate everyone in the world.


    People had to rely on themselves to survive and do good deeds.


    Everything that had happened here had been spread back to the town. Before Constable Li returned to the Li Prefecture, he stopped by the county yamen and passed on the words of the Prefect Liang, telling the county magistrate to take care of himself.


    In all of the counties within the entire Li Prefecture realm, his Baisha County had almost dropped from the richest county to the last place. If he continued like this, his black gauze hat would not be able to hold on any longer.


    Now that he had suffered losses for his husband and his soldiers, there was no need to talk about other things. Who could compensate him with a thousand taels of silver and the relief money he gave to the people just to put up a show.


    Yue Huaiyin was the one who thought of this idea, so naturally, he came to find the woman to settle the score. Yue Huaiyin was almost beaten up again, but she was quick with her thoughts, and her words caused the county magistrate to be stunned.


    Coincidentally, on the second day, Madam Xu and Aunt Wang went to the town to buy things. Master Mu had to go out to work, so she came to buy some tobacco for the man to bring with her.


    When they came to visit Yue Huaiyin, they saw that her complexion looked terrible. They knew in their hearts that she must have been tortured by the county magistrate, so they comforted her.


    However, Yue Huaiyin''s eyes suddenly lit up, and asked the Madam Xu: "Last time, could you find the Goddess that you invited to cast a curse on?"


    Madam Xu and Aunt Wang looked at each other in dismay, "I can find her, but Miss wants that Goddess ¡­"


    Yue Huaiyin knew, that if she cursed Mu Xiaowan, she would probably counterattack. She would not be so foolish, but she could curse the county magistrate, or even the National Duke Mistress in the capital.


    Since the Madam Xu had taken effect last time, although the counterattack had landed on her body, it could still be seen that these deceptive tricks were still effective.


    Aunt Wang and Madam Xu went to find the Goddess from the neighboring village. Because it was a business deal that they had recommended and they couldn''t come and calculate with her even if they failed last time, it was set. No matter how much Yue Huaiyin gave them, they would still split it evenly.


    The doctors went a few times, but were unable to find any major symptoms on him. However, he was sickly and listless, and would occasionally drag his body to the Siyun Pavilion, not in the mood to torture Yue Huaiyin again. He only spoke with her a few times, and then fell asleep.


    Yue Huaiyin would mention a few weird words, causing the county magistrate to gnash his teeth in anger. He clenched his fist and said, "Ling Chaofeng, don''t fall into my hands."


    In the blink of an eye, the first month passed.


    On the first day of the second month, Master Mu left to work. After passing through the Ling Xiao Inn, he brought some food for his daughter and brought some toys for his grandson who was about to be born.


    The things that Xiaowan had prepared for his father was about the same as it was in the old years, it was just that there was twice as much silver, and since Master Mu had not opened it to take a look, she naturally did not know, but what Xiaowan thought about was, when her father returned from work, she had already moved away with Ling Chaofeng. In the future, they would be far from each other, so she could only rely on her husband''s friends to help him out.


    Naturally, this was all later on. Xiaowan didn''t say a single word.


    But when Master Mu went to the dock, for some reason, all the boats were stuck outside. It was not easy to get a boat, so they were not in the direction that Master Mu wanted to go. He and some people had to wait from morning until night, they had no choice but to return along the same route.


    The shop was just about to close, and seeing Master Mu carrying his luggage, the Uncle Biao went up to greet him. Hearing about this matter, he invited the master of the family to stay the night in the shop.


    The Master Mu felt bad staying over, since the Xiaowan said that her daughter''s house was of no importance, so the father decided to stay at the north side of the second floor for a while, and the father and daughter talked for a bit before going to bed.


    At night, Xiaowan slept soundly. Without knowing when, she was suddenly pushed awake by Ling Chaofeng. Ling Chaofeng carried her up and rushed out the door.


    It was only then that the Xiaowan smelled a scorched smell. They had rushed out from the main entrance, and the inn was already surrounded by blazing flames. No one knew who it was, but someone had actually come to the inn in the middle of the night to set it on fire.


    When Ling Chaofeng smelled the wood oil, he knew that the fire would soon spread. It was more important to save his life, after sensing the fire, he immediately brought Xiaowan out.


    The Uncle Biao also came out. Seeing the fire flying upstairs quickly, they had no way to save it.


    "Father, my father ¡­" Xiaowan suddenly remembered that her father was still in the north room on the second floor. Her father was always sleeping soundly, so she might not even be able to notice the fire.


    "Husband, my father is still on the second floor." Xiaowan was scared out of her wits and shouted loudly, "Father, Father... Wake up, there''s a fire! "


    This shout had actually stimulated the fetus in her stomach. Xiaowan only felt something flowing out from her body, followed by a sharp pain in her stomach, causing her to be unable to stand back up.


    Just as Ling Chaofeng was about to rush in to save his father, he saw Xiaowan lying on the ground.


    "Late ¡­"

 C112

    "Husband, save my father ¡­"


    Watching the fire engulfing the inn, even though Xiaowan was in excruciating pain, she was still concerned about her sleeping father. However, she did not know why her childbirth was so painful, she felt as if her stomach was going to explode.


    "Night, are you okay?" Aunt Zhang panicked. She had never given birth to a child before, nor had she ever delivered a child. She simply did not know what to do.


    He had already told the midwife of the town that he would stay in the tavern by the middle of the month so that he could wait for the Xiaowan to give birth at any time.


    "Aunt, my stomach''s about to explode. Ah ¡­" Xiaowan screamed in pain, as though his entire body was going to fall apart. Could this be the pain that the doctor mentioned?


    Ling Chaofeng rushed out, and the fire spread inside the shop. There was no way for him to reach the second floor, and his body was already on fire.


    The moment he came out, he heard Xiaowan''s piercing shout. What was even more unimaginable was that his wife''s stomach was pushing up so hard that it seemed to want to hang her up.


    knew that if her father-in-law died in the tavern, Xiaowan would feel guilty for the rest of her life. However, he could not abandon her wife, as she had never seen any woman give birth to a child like this.


    He rushed towards the Xiaowan, but before he could even reach her, he saw the Xiaowan screaming involuntarily. The sound broke through the night sky, causing her to nearly die from the pain.


    In that instant, a golden light rose from her stomach and rushed into the night sky, illuminating the night as if it were day.


    A Golden Dragon hovered above the tavern, its roar shook the world, as torrential rain came out from its mouth, extinguishing the fire in the tavern.


    Ling Chaofeng was shocked. Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao were so scared that they seemed like they were carved stones. Xiaowan was tormented to the point of death, but she had also seen this hair-raising scene.


    The fire had been extinguished, and the buildings that had been burned to the ground were slowly repairing themselves in the rain. The heavy rain did not stop, and it was as if a cloud was standing in the sky.


    However, after the Golden Dragon rode the cloud and wandered around for a bit, it once again turned into a golden light and rushed down.


    Amidst the crackling sound of the rain, the loud and clear cry of a baby could be heard. Right beside Xiaowan, in the midst of the heavy rain, a baby lay there.


    Lightning flashed between the clouds, illuminating the night sky. Everyone could see that there were a pair of horns on the child''s head.


    "My god ¡­" Aunt Zhang exclaimed.


    Xiaowan, on the other hand, fainted after feeling extreme pain and shock.


    "Late!" Ling Chaofeng rushed over and carried his wife in his arms. He looked at the infant in shock, who was lying on the ground. This child had a pair of horns on his head.


    Uncle Biao was brave. He took off his clothes and wrapped the baby up.


    But at this moment, Master Mu, who had no idea what had happened, finally woke up.


    He was completely unaware of the fire, and when he came out, he saw that everyone was standing in the torrential rain. In Uncle Biao''s arms, there was actually a baby.


    "Such a heavy rain, such a cold sky ¡­" Master Mu shouted, "What are you doing, come in!"


    Xiaowan had long passed out and did not know anything. After a long period of darkness, her eyes finally lit up.


    She then came to the beautiful spring garden, where there was a vast lake. The empress dowager with a potbellied belly was waving at her, but when Xiaowan looked down, her stomach was still there.


    They sat at the edge of the lake and ate green bean cake while the Palace Maid delivered fish food.


    Suddenly, the water surface started to churn violently, a deep whirlpool appeared in the middle of the lake, and a Golden Dragon rose up from the lake, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, a bright golden light shone, the Xiaowan looked at him in fear, did they meet again?


    After the Golden Dragon roared into the sky, it circled in the clouds once before charging down.


    "Ah ¡­" The Xiaowan fell onto her back, falling onto the ground. The Golden Dragon rushed into her stomach and disappeared without a trace.


    "Xiaowan, what''s wrong? Are you alright?" In her dream, the Queen was anxiously supporting her.


    "Mother, Empress, you ¡­ Do you see anything? " The Xiaowan asked in fear.


    "No, Xiaowan, hurry up and get up, did you lose your stomach?" the Queen asked her worriedly.


    "Late, late ¡­"


    Hearing her husband''s voice, Xiaowan looked around, panicked and suddenly opened her eyes.


    As expected, it was a dream.


    "Late at night, you finally woke up."


    Her husband''s face appeared before her eyes. Ling Chaofeng''s hair was still wet and his body still had traces of being burned by the smoke. His chin was already covered by a layer of black stubble.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan was completely exhausted, and her limbs and bones seemed to have been torn down and rebuilt. She weakly reached out her hand towards Ling Chaofeng and suddenly felt that her body was a little strange.


    The bulging belly was gone, as was the little guy who went through the waves every day. The flat belly was the same as when she was a girl. It was as if she was never pregnant.


    She gradually recalled what happened before she fainted. Xiaowan couldn''t tell if it was a dream or real, but her stomach had indeed disappeared.


    "Where are our children?" Xiaowan cried and asked, "Hubby, that child, he, he ¡­"


    "He has a pair of horns on his head. He doesn''t look human." Ling Chaofeng''s eyes were scarlet red, he was still in shock, "Xiaowan, did you see that Golden Dragon?"


    Xiaowan nodded her head stiffly. Of course she saw it, she never would have thought that the dream of the Golden Dragon entering her bosom was not for the Empress, but for herself.


    "The child is there. Do you want me to show it to you?" No matter how much blood and gore Ling Chaofeng had experienced, he never thought that he would encounter such a thing. He felt that right now, he was completely wooden and could only stiffly do what he needed to do.


    The Xiaowan nodded her head, then watched as his husband got up and walked to the side of the cradle. The moment his father touched the baby, the baby that was originally asleep began to cry loudly, Ling Chaofeng carried him over, and carefully placed him in the Xiaowan''s embrace.


    The baby fell, revealing the horn on the child''s head. Xiaowan was so scared that she sucked in a breath of cold air.


    However, the child suddenly stopped crying. His large eyes stared at his mother for a moment, and then he pouted his small mouth, sucking on it as if he wanted to drink some milk.


    Xiaowan subconsciously untied her shirt, and as if by instinct, she brought Feng Lu to his mouth. The child immediately opened his mouth, and took a big gulp, with her small hands holding her mother''s breasts, she started to eat them.


    "It''s a boy." Ling Chaofeng said, "Besides this pair of horns, he''s like a normal person."


    "But ¡­"


    Xiaowan''s eyes were filled with tears. No matter how much she said, she could not hide it, as she had been born a freak.


    "Late at night. I''m sorry, you forgive me for saying that, but I thought you were very strange a long time ago." Ling Chaofeng said painfully, "Ever since you came, strange things have always happened in the tavern. Until now, I still can''t figure out how you brought Susu and Auntie Chen to the Baisha River Pier. Late? Am I wrong? "


    "Master, do you think I''m a monster?" Xiaowan said tearfully, "I, I ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head vigorously, "No, how could you be a monster? But do you know how to explain why so many strange things have happened? Can you tell me? "


    Outside the door, Aunt Zhang sent some soup. When she heard the couple talk, she wanted to come in and see Xiaowan, but she felt like disturbing them at this moment. She brought the soup back down, and the Master Mu asked worriedly: "Is Xiaowan better now? Can I go see her?"


    They temporarily did not intend to tell Master Mu that he had given birth to such a strange child, that he might not speak of it for the rest of his life.


    Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao looked at each other before Uncle Biao said, "Brother Mu, let me send you to the dock."


    "This... I''m already here. I''d like to take a look at my grandson before I leave. " Master Mu said, "I was just looking, can you help me ask Xiaowan?"


    Aunt Zhang replied, "I just asked. Nian`er told me to remind you to be careful on your way here."


    Seeing this, the Master Mu knew that it was useless if he insisted. He turned around and walked out of the inn and was sent to the dock by the Uncle Biao.


    While boarding the ship, he chatted with the others, saying that it had rained heavily last night. He was worried that it would become a disaster again, but fortunately, it stopped very quickly.


    However, everyone curiously said, "It didn''t rain last night. Are you dreaming?"


    Master Mu was stunned. He saw such a heavy rain with his own eyes, how could he say that it didn''t rain?


    However, it was rather strange. The people in the inn seemed to be possessed. Also, how could a daughter give birth to a child in the heavy rain?


    However, when they saw the heavy rain last night, other than the people from Ling Xiao Inn, there were also people sent by Yue Huaiyin to set the fire, and Yue Huaiyin herself.


    She stood at the peak of a distant mountain. She wanted to see her Ling Xiao Inn turn into ashes, but not long after the flames shot into the sky, a heavy rain suddenly fell and a cloud of smoke and dust passed by.


    Within the borders of the Baisha County, only the top of the head had rained. Even the people who went to set fire to the place had returned, and they also said that it had rained in a strange manner.


    The only difference was that Yue Huaiyin and the others did not see the Golden Dragon soaring into the sky.


    The person who set the fire told Yue Huaiyin that they heard the cry of a baby and guessed that Ling Chaofeng''s wife was probably born.


    The sinister cold glint in Yue Huaiyin''s eyes grew deeper and deeper, as though she had gone mad.


    who exactly was Ling Xiao Inn? It allowed Mu Xiaowan to have a child safely even when the water was drowned and the fire burned to death.


    In the tavern, the baby who had eaten his fill fell asleep sweetly. Other than a pair of horns, the child was probably slightly older than the other babies. There was nothing else out of the ordinary about him.


    His eyes were big, his nose was straight and perky, his skin was as white as a Xiaowan, and he was a very beautiful male doll.


    But even so, it was impossible for others to not pay attention to that pair of horns on his head. After last night''s experience, everyone understood that the Golden Dragon was this child.


    It was very possible that Xiaowan had given birth to a dragon.


    In the bedroom, Xiaowan clenched her right hand and chanted a incantation. The teapot on the table flew up to him and poured him a cup of tea. The teapot flew right in front of him.


    Ling Chaofeng watched this scene in shock. Xiaowan reached out to grab the teacup and returned the teapot back to its original position. Everything was the same as before.


    The Xiaowan said: "It''s that white-haired old lady we saved the night we got married. She told me in her dreams that she could use this Jade Ring to make any wish she wanted and that she would realize everything. But I can only use it once a day, and I quickly realized that it was useless against you. Maybe you don''t remember, I was watching you every single day for a while, but when Uncle Biao walked past you, he fell down right in front of you. "


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, "I remember that time, I taught you a lesson, so you just stared at me."


    The Xiaowan said, "However, anything I do to you is useless. Thus, I made a clever wish that I could use my wish to do something for you. You were locked up by the county magistrate, and if I wish for you to come back earlier, then you won''t be able to do it. So I wish for the county magistrate to release the people he shouldn''t have captured. Furthermore, the antique swindler was also caught by me using the Jade Ring. Initially when I brought Susu and the Auntie Chen to disappear quickly, it was also a wish made by me using a ring. You think that all the weird things are the sacred arts of this ring. "


    After Ling Chaofeng heard these words, for some reason, his heart became a lot less heavy.


    Xiaowan thought for a moment and tried taking off the ring. As expected, the ring that she could not take off at all was taken off easily.


    She said to her husband, "Granny told me in her dreams that if anyone else knew about this secret, even you, the ring would not work from now on. Husband, look. I can take it off now. She will never be able to fulfill my wish again. "


    Ling Chaofeng took the ring and looked at it again and again. It had always been like a normal ring. He had never thought that everything would start to turn weird the night of his wedding.


    Xiaowan walked to the side of the cradle and looked at the child who was sleeping soundly. The baby had wrapped itself around his horns, and he looked no different from an ordinary child.


    From the moment she gave birth to her life, her motherly heart had been stationed in the Xiaowan''s heart. This was the flesh that fell from her body.


    "Husband, what are you going to do?" Xiaowan turned around and subconsciously blocked the space in front of the cradle with her body, and looked at Ling Chaofeng with teary eyes, "Can I keep my son?

 C113

    Ling Chaofeng didn''t say anything, but seemed to have realized that the couple''s hearts were at ease.


    Even she understood that if she kept such a child by her side, would she want him to live in shame for the rest of his life? Would she want him to hide forever?


    How was she going to face her future life? Was she going to be able to give birth to children for her husband in the future? She didn''t know if this child would hate them for turning him into a freak when he grew up.


    But Xiaowan felt that her son wasn''t a freak, he was a dragon, he could be a god, he could be ¡­


    "This is our child, of course we have to raise him." Ling Chaofeng started to speak, he then said calmly, "But for the child''s sake, and also for our own sake, Xiaowan, let me think, how about we think of an absolutely safe method?"


    "Hm." The Xiaowan nodded, but still unconsciously stood in front of the cradle, as if she was afraid that her husband would carry the child away.


    For the sake of her child, she was willing to bring him to live in seclusion in the mountains, never to see the world again. But what about her husband?


    She could not abandon the person who loved her the most in the world, and she did not have the qualifications to force her husband to "disappear" from the world along with them.


    "Lie down and rest." Ling Chaofeng stepped forward to support his. He understood the Xiaowan''s heart too well, so he said, "I placed the child by your side. I won''t take him with me tonight. As I said before, I must discuss everything with you. "


    "Husband, I''m sorry ¡­"


    "You''re right about everything. Why are you apologizing?" Ling Chaofeng hugged her, kissed her cheeks, kissed her lips, and pacified her fearful and uneasy heart, "With me here, what am I afraid of?"


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan cried, she did not know what to say, she was just feeling guilty, after all, this child was born from her womb. If she had given birth to a normal child, at that moment in time, how happy would they be?


    "Don''t cry." Ling Chaofeng supported Xiaowan onto the bed, and then carried the child in her embrace, and said, "Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang, I''m afraid they are still in a state of shock, but Jade Ring''s matter is too mystical, the more people who know about it the more troublesome it becomes, can I not tell them about this?"


    "I''ll listen to my husband." Xiaowan replied.


    Ling Chaofeng comforted her a little more and then went downstairs.


    Below, Uncle Biao had already sent Master Mu away and returned to sit at the entrance to smoke. Aunt Zhang sat blankly by the table, the soup on the table had long since turned cold.


    The two looked at Ling Chaofeng who was walking down the stairs, and slowly walked towards him. Ling Chaofeng said: "Xiaowan''s mood is still a little agitated, she''s afraid that I''ll abandon this child. Other than that, she seems to have accepted the fact that this child is not a mortal. "


    Aunt Zhang held onto her heart, and fearfully asked: "If she isn''t a mortal, then what is ¡­ I remember the Xiaowan telling me that she once dreamed of a big Golden Dragon, and last night she also ¡­ "


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, he also remembered this. It could be seen that from that time onwards, and even from the night they got married, everything was destined to happen.


    "The child will stay for the time being. As for the matter of the horns, do your best not to let anyone else find out." Susu and the others will know that Xiaowan is pregnant soon, and they will want to see the child. " Ling Chaofeng said, "The fewer people who know about this, the better."


    Both Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang agreed. Ling Chaofeng then said, "I need to go and make some arrangements. We will leave this place once Xiaowan has fully recovered. "Uncle, Aunt, it would be for the best if you are willing to follow us. If you don''t want to leave this place, or if you have somewhere else to go, I will definitely arrange something for you."


    Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao looked at each other and said at the same time, "Let''s go with you."


    Ling Chaofeng cupped his fists in a salute, he was going to investigate the flames last night. Although they had decided to leave, it did not matter who the enemy was, but what if the one who set the fire was not too far away?


    The most incomprehensible thing was naturally, Ling Xiao Inn being able to "reincarnate" within a great fire. It was obvious that the entire building was almost engulfed in flames, yet it was actually completely unharmed after a storm of torrential rain.


    Now, Ling Chaofeng understood why the inn could stand firmly in the water without moving an inch when Baisha River flooded the dike. Under the water was the Xiaowan''s wish and the reason why the barrier protecting the inn was set up was because of that child.


    Could it be that these commoners were going to raise a child for the heavens?


    When the Xiaowan heard the sound of horse hooves, she knew that her husband had gone out. Not long later, the Aunt Zhang delivered the hot soup.


    She walked closer to the bed with a complicated expression on her face. She looked at the child beside Xiaowan.


    Xiaowan''s body did not show any signs of having given birth, as though she had never been pregnant. She even lost weight overnight.


    She didn''t give birth to the baby normally. All she could say was that the child was in her womb and had found a place to wear it. When the time came, he would run out by himself.


    However, the Xiaowan had milk. This was the only proof that she was pregnant in October, the only proof that she was a mother now.


    "What a beautiful doll." The Aunt Zhang gently carried the infant up, and the swaddled shape covered his horn. He looked no different from a child from another family.


    This smile really melted Aunt Zhang''s heart. She tearfully said to Xiaowan: "Evening, look, this kid is smiling."


    Half a day after Ling Chaofeng left, he was the farthest from the Li Prefecture. After passing through the Baisha Town, he saw a tiger hat that was sold to children in a cloth village.


    After passing through the Siyun Pavilion, he saw that the door was closed. A cold killing intent flashed past the man''s eyes, and without stopping, he galloped his horse and left.


    In the tavern, Xiaowan and his son had already slept soundly together. When Ling Chaofeng came back, the little fellow was drinking big mouthfuls of milk.


    Seeing him, it was as if they were afraid that someone would steal their grain and hug Xiaowan''s breasts tightly.


    Ling Chaofeng took out a tiger hat from his bosom. Xiaowan was startled, then watched as his husband helped his son put it on. Although he was only born a day ago, he was still a little big, and his head was not small.


    The tiger''s ears covered a pair of horns. Naturally, they did not know if the child''s horns would grow longer, or they would slowly disappear, or they would always be like this. In the future, they truly did not know anything, nor did they dare to imagine it.


    This little guy seemed to know that he was a dragon, so how could he be willing to wear a tiger hat? Once the hat was put on, he didn''t even care about eating his milk as he shook his head and wailed.


    It was only until Xiaowan took off the hat that he was satisfied.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Your last wish, if he lost his horns, would it be realized?"


    Xiaowan was stunned.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Have you wasted it?"


    The Xiaowan regretted her decision too much and raised her right hand. The Jade Ring was still in her hand and she was not willing to abandon it.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Let''s give it a try, maybe I''m back to normal."


    However, they did not succeed in their wish, the Jade Ring had failed, and the white-haired old lady did not appear in her dreams. Xiaowan had tried everything, but none of them were able to awaken the ring to fulfill her wish.


    From now on, she was once again the useless Mu Xiaowan, and no longer had any abilities or strange things happen.


    "The Jade Ring has failed, but my heart is actually very at ease."


    In the middle of the night, the couple couldn''t sleep. They stayed at the cradle and looked at the little kid who was laughing in their dreams.


    Xiaowan said, "Otherwise, I will always hide something from you. I am always very apprehensive in my heart, although every wish can always be fulfilled, but I am too stupid, I cannot be completely thorough every time. I have always regretted it, if I had not impulsively turned Susu and the Auntie Chen away, if I had not met Yue Huaiyin at the Baisha River Pier, then nothing would have happened afterwards. Forget about what she did to you and to me, at least since Susu didn''t have anything to do with her, she wouldn''t be nearly raped. "Master, although the ring has helped us a lot, I have never truly felt at ease in my heart."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head, "We are all ordinary people, we should not have this kind of godly strength, it''s good if we don''t have it."


    The Xiaowan finally smiled and snuggled into her husband''s embrace. Satisfied, she said, "Hubby, your body feels warm. It''s so comfortable."


    Ling Chaofeng kissed her, showing her concern. "Wait until I arrange a place to stay, and then move the things in the cellar properly, we will leave this place. The fastest would be four to five days, the slowest would be ten days. In these days, you should take care of your health, and there''s no need to pack up anything.


    "My body is fine. It doesn''t look like I''ve had a baby at all. I''m fine." The Xiaowan said, thought for a moment and asked, "What about the matters regarding the imperial government?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "I am temporarily out of the picture. Without me, there will still be others who will help the Emperor out for the Lord Tang, but you can''t do it without me.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan''s eyes brimmed with tears.


    "One thing alone, don''t cry." Ling Chaofeng smiled with displeasure, looked at his charming wife and intentionally said: "We have yet to settle the debts from the time of your pregnancy, don''t look for trouble for yourself, do you want to get dealt with?"


    Xiaowan smiled foolishly. In this kind of moment that made people feel frustrated and uneasy, her man still had the mood to coax her to be happy. They hadn''t had skin to touch for a long time, but now, was it alright?


    "Husband, do you miss me?" Xiaowan asked lovingly, her eyes were already filled with gentleness.


    "Yes." Ling Chaofeng replied without hesitation and turned around to carry his wife onto the bed. "Evening, we are still the same as before, it''s just a change of living, it''s just another life. Children are our fortune, not grievances, nor burden."


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan was moved, she could not wait to untie Ling Chaofeng''s clothes, but her husband held her down: "Don''t move, let me."


    In the cradle, the little guy that was only born a day ago already knew how to turn around.


    It was a deep night on the Baisha Town, and the county magistrate had brought his Siyun Pavilion here to recuperate. He looked at the beauty with a dispirited expression and said, "Huaiyin, what do you think happened to me? Even after taking so much medicine, I still haven''t recovered."


    Yue Huaiyin lowered her head and said: "Master, could it be that you have been possessed?"

 C114

    The county magistrate was disconsolate. "If I''m possessed, what can I do to cure it?"


    Yue Huaiyin gently said: "Let''s give it a try, I ask Goddess to chant an incantation and invite the God of Plague to leave, what do you think?"


    The county magistrate hastened to reply, "My lord, I am an imperial court official and cannot be trusted with these ¡­"


    "Lord, just think of it as Huaiyin''s heart and hope for your health." Yue Huaiyin smiled, "It has nothing to do with you, if it''s a spirit, then it''s also because of Huai Yin''s sincerity that moved the heavens."


    The county magistrate frowned. "Fine, I''ll give it a try."


    Yue Huaiyin was secretly happy in her heart, as expected, this stupid thing was led away step by step by her nose.


    In the morning of the next day, Xiaowan got up and went to the cradle to look at the child. The little fellow was sleeping soundly, only his hands and arms were outstretched, exposing his clothes.


    But...


    "Husband, come take a look. Has he grown up a lot?" Xiaowan pulled Ling Chaofeng up and ran to the side of the cradle.


    "A lot bigger." Ling Chaofeng frowned, "It''s not just that, it''s that it''s twice the size."


    Xiaowan reached out to hug his son. It was heavy, much heavier than yesterday. The child woke up and looked at them in confusion.


    Ling Chaofeng lightly patted his butt. "So impolite?"


    Xiaowan stood there, unmoving. She could only sit down and let her son eat in her arms.


    She didn''t know if it was just an illusion, but she felt that her son''s horn had become a little smaller, so she asked Ling Chaofeng, "Husband, will his horn disappear when he grows up?"


    Ling Chaofeng continued: "Even if one of the horns disappeared, he grew up too fast, I''m afraid that when you wake up tomorrow, he would be able to walk."


    Xiaowan laughed: "In the blink of an eye, you are even older than me, to be able to get married and get married?"


    Naturally, this was not something to be happy about. Having grown up at such a speed, it would be strange for him to be here sooner or later. However, if he were to go somewhere else, it would make him curious. Their only option was to go to a place devoid of people and wait for their child to grow up so that he wouldn''t spend a whole night and a hundred days before meeting him.


    Or perhaps, he would be stuck in the depths of the mountains for the rest of his life, never to be seen again.


    "In the next few days, I will move the things in the cellar out. You have to be very careful at home. If Susu and the rest are here, they can do so as and when they please. Ling Chaofeng warned the Xiaowan, "There are too many people for us to travel, but if Susu and the others are willing to follow us, they will come to pick them up after we settle down. You can discuss these things with Susu, or wait for me to come back and we can talk. "


    The Xiaowan remembered and warned Hubby to be careful. She held his son and waved him away.


    Aunt Zhang happened to be upstairs as she smiled: "Have you all decided on the child''s name?"


    Xiaowan said, "I''ve forgotten about that."


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "Last night, I thought about it.


    Afraid that the Xiaowan did not know the word, she went over to the table and wrote it down. The Xiaowan muttered, "There are so many strokes."


    But she really liked it when she hugged her son and called out to him, "Little Pei, you have a name now, Little Pei, Little Pei."


    Aunt Zhang was surprised that he had grown so much in one night. After looking carefully, she muttered to herself, "Isn''t the horn on his head a little smaller?"


    Xiaowan hoped that one day, this pair of horns would completely disappear and that his son would be able to live a normal life. However, he grew up too fast, afraid that one day, he would surpass her and her husband.


    When the sky was bright, Da Qing drove a wooden carriage and brought Susu here. It turned out that yesterday, Da Qing had heard from the people at the pier that Master Mu was talking about her daughter, which meant that she was the inner manager of Ling Xiao Inn.


    They asked Da Qing if he knew anything about it. When Da Qing arrived at the tavern, he only saw that the door was tightly shut. He did not dare to go up and disturb them.


    Susu was told by Xiaowan to stay home to rest her womb, and didn''t come to work these few days. She was also curious why Xiaowan was born, but didn''t report the good news to the Baisha Village. Today, no matter what, she would come and see.


    When Susu went upstairs, Little Pei was already asleep in the cradle. The Xiaowan came to welcome her and Susu said in shock: "Why are you on the ground? You should be lying on the bed.


    "I''m fine, I ¡­" Xiaowan didn''t know how to explain the situation, but Susu had already walked to the cradle''s side, holding onto the cradle while smiling happily, "You really are a big fat son, no wonder you looked like you were born seven or eight months old. No wonder you worked so hard."


    The Xiaowan said embarrassedly: "Yes, I am so tired of living."


    Although his complexion was not good, but he did not look like a person who had just passed away. She felt that it was a little strange, so she reached out to hug the child, Xiaowan said: "He, he just fell asleep, it''s time to make trouble again after he wakes up. Susu, hug him later."


    "Alright, I still don''t know how to carry a child." Susu laughed, she extended her hand and teased the sleeping child, and when the little child saw that his head was wrapped up tightly, he reached out to move it away, saying, "Your house is burning with coal, isn''t it too tightly wrapped?"


    "Susu..." The Xiaowan exclaimed in shock, but Susu had already flipped open the corner of the baby.


    When he saw the pair of horns in front of him, Xiaowan''s heart almost jumped out. The child in the cradle also woke up as he looked at Susu with his round eyes.


    But Susu didn''t seem to be surprised, she smiled happily: "Little darling, you''re awake. You know that your aunt is here, right? "When did you come? Your aunt couldn''t even pick you up, so why don''t you hug her? Why don''t you hug her?"


    Xiaowan looked at Susu in shock. She thought that Susu would be scared out of her wits and would faint, or else ¡­ Wait a minute, could it be that Susu couldn''t see the horns on Little Pei''s head?


    "Aiyo, it''s so heavy, little chubby boy. You made her suffer in your mother''s stomach." Susu carried the child and kissed him on the cheek, "Look at this tiger-headed little fellow, let me see who it looks like."


    When the Aunt Zhang came, she was already prepared for it. After all, if Susu fainted from fright, she was also pregnant, but when she entered the door, she saw Susu happily holding the child and nothing abnormal happened.


    Aunt Zhang gave Xiaowan a meaningful glance. Xiaowan was also confused. After mustering up her courage, she walked over and asked Susu: "Look, look at his head ¡­"


    Susu looked and said, "This little kid''s brain is too high, I have to become a high ranking official in the future, and he''s even stronger than second uncle."


    Xiaowan''s heart skipped a beat, "There''s nothing strange?"


    Susu laughed: "What''s there to be surprised about, with such a good appearance, other people would not be able to ask for it even if they wanted it. Just look at his thick earlobes, she will be a fortunate child in the future. Have you decided on the child''s name? "


    Xiaowan nodded her head stiffly: "It''s called Ling Pei, the one with the head of the rain, the one with a lot of strokes."


    "Little Pei." From her bosom, she took out a longevity silver lock and hung it up, then said to the child, "Little Pei, your aunt doesn''t have much money to give you. You keep this silver lock first, when you grow up and get married, your aunt will give you a gold bracelet, okay?"


    "I called you a spendthrift." Xiaowan believed it. She believed that Susu could not see through her son''s horn, so she gathered up her courage and said, "Let Uncle Biao bring your mother-in-law and your mother-in-law over as well. Tell Da Qing to come and see his nephew as well."


    Susu was annoyed: "I was afraid that something might have happened to you, so I didn''t dare call them over. Why did you suddenly appear and not tell me?"


    Xiaowan said: "The whole family is in a mess, and I''m so tired that I''ve gone crazy. I gave birth to a child, but it was so short that it almost made everyone tired to death. I forgot about it."


    Susu pretended to be angry: Even I have forgotten, you''re really good. Then she looked at the child in her arms happily and made him laugh, saying that when his uncle came, he would piss his pants and let him have a good time.


    If Da Qing and the others could not see the horns on Little Pei''s head, it would mean that, other than the four of them, no one else could.


    But with eyes on others, Susu would never lie to her, nor would Da Qing lie to her. Who knows if the others would actually see, as expected, this matter was unreliable, and could not be easily taken advantage of.


    Da Qing and Auntie Chen had all come, and were surrounding the little guy, hugging him one by one. He did not cry, nor did he make a fuss, but he still knew how to laugh, and the Auntie Chen said: "It''s only been a few days and you guys are already laughing, and you guys are even growing so big. This child, don''t think he has any background."


    Maybe it was just a joke, but it was enough to make the Xiaowan anxious. Her son did indeed have a background, didn''t he?


    When Ling Chaofeng returned from the cellar, he saw so many people in the tavern, and Da Qing carrying Little Pei, Little Pei''s pair of horns was especially eye-catching.


    His heart trembled, but he only saw Xiaowan waving at him, walking over to his side and whispering, "Hubby, they can''t see me."


    Ling Chaofeng was even more determined to leave this place. If his son was really a dragon, what did this mean? Their family worked for the imperial government all their lives, so what did the imperial government avoid the most?


    "Da Qing, Susu, it''s good that you came. I have something to tell you." Ling Chaofeng walked over while holding Xiaowan''s hand, "The villagers here are very fearful of us, we have decided to close our Ling Xiao Inn and settle down elsewhere."


    After suddenly saying that he needed to leave, Susu''s mind was hurt and his eyes immediately turned red: "You guys are going to leave? "Where are you going, to a far place?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: We have not decided where we will go, but we have already discussed this beforehand, if you all wish to go together, after we settle down, you all will immediately come and pick us up, but if you all wish to take root here, we will also send you a message and will come back to see you.


    The Auntie Chen and her mother-in-law did not speak, but Da Qing asked Ling Chaofeng: "Shopkeeper, did you still open an inn somewhere else? Then what about Brother Ershan? "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "This is a matter of the future, now, we just want to leave this place as soon as possible."


    Da Qing asked her wife: "Susu, do you want to follow the shopkeeper and the others?"


    Susu said with tears in her eyes, "I''ll listen to you."


    Da Qing immediately made a decision: "Innkeeper, when you have settled in, you will come to pick us up. Susu cannot be separated from the Xiaowan, and I will be able to have a meal wherever I go. I do not necessarily earn much here, and it will be good to change locations and start anew. "


    Susu looked at his mother-in-law, who smiled and said, "Of course I''ll go with my son. Foolish child, you don''t need to look at me."


    The Xiaowan was overjoyed, so was Susu. It would not be too late to tell her about Little Pei''s matter in the future, at least she would not have to separate from her close sister. Susu recited: "We cannot separate, I am looking forward to having a daughter, being Little Pei''s wife."


    The Xiaowan asked: "Isn''t that golden bracelet just for the dowry? How do you know how to count it?"


    Everyone laughed, the heavy atmosphere in the shop had dissipated, and at least they could feel at ease that, even if someone saw Little Pei, they would not discover the horn on his head, if not they would let others know that the Xiaowan was a freak and that they were treated as monsters, which would cause a huge commotion.


    Ling Chaofeng quickly moved the things in the cellar away, and when he asked the Emperor to leave, news would naturally reach the capital. To the Xiaowan, the most unfortunate thing was that he would never be able to see the Empress again.


    It was one night when the county magistrate woke up. He felt refreshed and relaxed as he walked around the house. His wife and servants were all reciting Amitabha, even calling for a doctor. The doctor also said that the lord was in good health.


    When he saw Yue Huaiyin kneeling in the courtyard, with the incense table in front of him, he felt his heart heat up. He went forward and hugged her: "My dear son, are you doing this for the old master?"


    Yue Huaiyin struggled to speak: "Master, it''s so late, why are you here?"


    The county magistrate replied, "Look at me. I''m feeling refreshed. I knew it was because of you, so of course I came to tell you immediately." Huai Yin, where did you get that old granny? Hurry up and tell the old master to take a look. "

 C115

    Yue Huaiyin feigned weakness: "Goddess said that as long as I pray sincerely for you, you will be able to recover."


    The county magistrate looked up and saw that there was a thick layer of dust on the incense table that had been stored away for at least four to five hours. He was emotionally moved as he picked Yue Huaiyin up in his arms, "My dear son, you knelt for me for such a long time?"


    As they went back to their rooms, they naturally had endless words to say. Yue Huaiyin had mesmerized this man with her words, and then spat out a few words from this muddleheaded thing: "Bring Goddess over tomorrow. Old master I still have a lot of things to ask her."


    Yue Huaiyin leaned on his arm, a sinister smile gathering in her eyes as she thought in her heart: Mu Xiaowan, if you want to blame someone, blame your man for being merciless, blame yourself for being unrighteous. "


    One night passed, and in the morning, Xiaowan heard some movement in her room and opened her eyes in alarm.


    But he saw his son tumble out of the cradle, stagger to the bed, crawl awkwardly to the bed, climb up to her chest, and rip open the collar to get some milk.


    Xiaowan was dumbstruck. If Little Pei could speak tomorrow, she would not be surprised.


    Ling Chaofeng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. After accepting his son''s mystique, they looked forward to see how he would react in the future. However, they had to leave this place as soon as possible.


    The tavern didn''t open for the past few days as it did not want anyone to barge in and see the child. and Uncle Biao had also accepted Little Pei''s marvel, and when they saw that he could leave, they were all in the hall teasing him.


    The more they looked at their children, the more they liked them. Gradually, they got used to it. Even those horns looked very cute.


    It was a pity that Xiaowan did misconception yesterday. Because the child had suddenly grown up, she felt that her son''s horn had shrunk.


    But that didn''t matter anymore. They were leaving now, and seeing that no one else could see, they just didn''t want to take the risk.


    Ling Chaofeng was still busy moving all the gold and silver in the cellar. He hadn''t gone to the town for the past few days, but he didn''t know that the town had started to talk about the Ling Xiao Inn again. The Goddess that Yue Huaiyin had invited had told the county magistrate that a banshee was wandering within the borders of the Baisha County, and the Ling Xiao Inn was her old nest.


    People recalled that the Ling Xiao Inn had been in the Baisha County for more than ten years. Although the fame outside caused people''s expressions to change, they could still be considered to be peaceful.


    Since the year before, when Ling Chaofeng married that young lady, all sorts of strange things started to happen in the town.


    And nineteen years ago, the day Mu Xiaowan was born, her mother died as well. Although there were a lot of women who died in childbirth in this world, there were still more that died, including their older sisters and grandmothers, as well as the few uncles in the clan. In any case, none of them were related, and all of them were blamed on Mu Xiaowan, who said that she was indeed a demon.


    When the gossip spread to the Qingling Village, the Madam Xu cried towards the people. "If I wasn''t a bit more powerful, I would have forced her to submit. You people just treat her like I abused her and didn''t know that her body wasn''t clean. "Do you mean to call her a demon and eat you guys at night when you climb up to the brick bed?"


    Coincidentally, on this day, news came from the Li Prefecture. Prefect Liang could only return after reporting in the capital for three months.


    That night, Yue Huaiyin leaned into his embrace and said: "The reason why you have taken down demons is also for the sake of the citizens. As long as the citizens love you, what can the Prefect Liang say? No matter how strong the people from Ling Xiao Inn are, they can''t compare to the large number of people. The villagers do not wish for another heavy rain to fall in the coming month of this year, which would cause the Baisha River to become a disaster as well. "


    The county magistrate frowned. Yue Huaiyin''s hand gently waved in front of him, and a bizarre fragrance struck his heart and soul. He immediately turned into someone else as she smiled and said, "What you said makes sense, makes sense."


    Yue Huaiyin said: "Then we might as well do as the Goddess said, ignite the flames from the censers at the city''s god temple, and burn the demon to death."


    The county magistrate foolishly replied, "Very well ¡­"


    Another night passed. This morning, Xiaowan woke up earlier than her son. She was looking forward to see what kind of changes her son would undergo today.


    Little Pei grew bigger and bigger, he could not fit in the cradle anymore, so he moved the small bed over to the side. Now that he was awake, he sat up to look at his mother, and immediately beamed as he climbed down from the bed, walking steadily to the side of the bed and ripping off Xiaowan''s clothes to eat some milk.


    "Little Pei?" Xiaowan was thinking if his son had spoken, but the little guy was sucking hard, ignoring her.


    Ling Chaofeng sat up and saw that the little fellow, who was getting bigger and bigger, was pestering his mother to eat. He was actually a little bit jealous, and said: "He can eat now, right?"


    "Aunt, I don''t know if I can give you any, but he has teeth." Xiaowan said in pain, "My strength is also getting stronger and stronger."


    Ling Chaofeng patted his son''s butt and said angrily: "Don''t hurt mother anymore."


    Little Pei stopped and looked at his father. He seemed to be very unsatisfied with the fact that his butt had been slapped, and he started to cry immediately.


    "Don''t piss him off, he''s still so young." Xiaowan''s motherly heart made her unable to resist spoiling her son.


    Now that her son had acknowledged her, he was closer to her. Just like his father, he held her in his arms and felt warm and comfortable.


    "Little Pei, father is giving you a hug." Ling Chaofeng opened up his arms towards his son, and the little fellow looked at him while sobbing. In the end, it pounced towards Ling Chaofeng, who placed the little fellow on his shoulder and walked around the room, making the little fellow giggle.


    The Xiaowan looked on happily and said worriedly, "Don''t throw him, be careful."


    Ling Chaofeng purposely wanted to throw his son off, but it was so thrilling. Not only was his son not afraid, he was even more excited, dancing with joy for another try.


    But today, Ling Chaofeng wanted to transport the last part of the things in the cellar away, and he also had to go to a far away place, so he couldn''t accompany his son to play. When he left, he said to Xiaowan: "I can return tomorrow, why not leave tomorrow?


    Xiaowan agreed to send him off at the entrance of the cellar with his son. After coaxing Little Pei to sleep, they would pack up together.


    Standing in the great hall, Aunt Zhang looked around the entire inn and sighed emotionally: "I had thought that I would end my life here. Although this place is only a square inch, I could see the outside world with my eyes."


    Xiaowan said guiltily: "Aunt, it''s all my fault."


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "If you say it like that, what about Little Pei? "Since you''ve come, our lives have been even richer. Every day we have new things to enjoy, and it''s our destiny to be with this place."


    After nightfall, Xiaowan placed her son by her side and told him a story to coax him to sleep. She looked at her son with a silly smile for a long time, but now, she no longer cared about the horns on his head.


    When her son fell asleep, she stood up and blew out the oil lamp, thinking about how she had used the Jade Ring to extinguish the lamp.


    It was indeed a waste for her to use her last wish on the teapot. However, if she made her son''s horn disappear without a trace, then what would she wish for?


    In truth, Xiaowan''s mind was blank. Even at this moment, she couldn''t think of who she should make the last wish for, if she were to make a comeback.


    Inside, the furnishings were the same as on the day of her wedding, except that the curtains and drapes had been changed and some small things added, and when she saw this place as her own, she would go.


    The day of their wedding was still vivid in his mind. Their wedding was filled with all kinds of regrets, but because of that regret, it would be fun to think about it for the rest of their lives.


    First, it was better than first, then it was better. She had to be satisfied.


    The Xiaowan laid down, hoping to wake up tomorrow and leave this place forever with her husband.


    After falling asleep, at an unknown time, the child beside her suddenly got up and gently pushed her awake.


    "Little Pei, hungry?" Xiaowan was drowsy.


    "Mom, I''m going to look for Daddy." Ling Pei suddenly opened his mouth and spoke in a childish voice, as if he were a child.


    "Little Pei..." When Xiaowan heard her son calling her mother, she was stunned.


    Ling Pei crawled off the bed and walked towards the door. Only then did Xiaowan wake up from her daze and chased after him: "Little Pei, where are you going? Daddy will be back soon."


    The child slipped down the stairs and headed straight for the cellar. Just as Xiaowan chased up to the stairs, the inn''s door was suddenly slammed.


    Her heart skipped a beat. Just as she turned around, the door was slammed open.


    Many people barged in. There were yamen runners and villagers. They brandished their torches and brandished their sticks in a threatening manner.


    "Where''s Ling Chaofeng?" they shouted.


    Xiaowan was disgusted. If it was the previous her, she would be as timid as a mouse, and would not know what to do. But the current her, with her back straightened, she arrogantly berated: "He''s not at home.


    Everyone looked at each other, but they were overjoyed that Ling Chaofeng was not at home.


    Xiaowan only saw that everyone had rushed over. Before she could run, they had surrounded her and tied her up.


    In the backyard, Uncle Biao rushed over when he heard the commotion. Seeing the situation, he naturally wanted to snatch them away, but although Uncle Biao was powerful, he had to take care of Xiaowan on one hand and Aunt Zhang on the other.


    Someone shouted, "Bind the demon spawn first and send him away."


    These demonic villagers were clearly mortal bodies, but at this moment, they were as crazed as demons, tied up and carried away by the Xiaowan. On the other side, the Uncle Biao and the Aunt Zhang were tightly blocked by the crowd, and the moment before the Xiaowan was stuffed into their mouths, they shouted, "Little Pei, Aunt, go and find Little Pei ¡­"


    In front of the Baisha Town yamen, under the arrangement of the old Daoist Priest and the Goddess, they set up the Eight Trigrams Formation. Yellow talismans filled the sky as they piled up firewood high up in the sky.


    It was unknown whether he was possessed by the devil, or if everyone in the town was infected by the evil. At this moment, everyone believed that as long as Mu Xiaowan was burned to death, Baisha Town would restore its former tranquility, and there would no longer be a storm or snowstorm.


    "It''s here, it''s here ¡­" Someone shouted. Everyone looked towards the source of the voice and saw several carriages rushing towards them.


    Very quickly, Mu Xiaowan, who was tied up, appeared in front of everyone''s eyes. She was thrown onto the ground, with the county magistrate standing on top of her, saying, "Demon, today Master Japan is going to exterminate the people, burning a banshee like you to death."


    Then someone took action and tied Xiaowan to a pile of firewood. The people around the place held torches up and glared at the people like tigers stalking their prey, the flames burning their eyes until they were blood-red, reflecting the eyes of the spectators around the place.


    Amongst the crowd, Yue Huaiyin revealed her face, looked at the people on the pile of firewood and laughed coldly, then chanted: "Mu Xiaowan, if you die, I will take good care of Ling Chaofeng for you."


    But when Xiaowan saw her, she looked away indifferently. She didn''t want to be distracted by such a person at all.


    If she died, that would be her life. If she did not die, her husband would definitely come to save her.


    The Goddess Taoist started to do something. Seeing how the Xiaowan was awestruck by righteousness, they were a bit afraid.


    They were well aware of the matters regarding the gods and devils, but they couldn''t do anything about it since the county magistrate had ordered them to do so.


    "Burn!" The county magistrate gave the order, and the commoners grew excited as they shouted, "Burn, burn, burn ¡­"


    "We can''t burn it, we can''t burn it!" Outside the crowd, the white haired old man shouted. He was a doctor that was familiar with Ling Xiao Inn, at another place, there were also friends that he had met to speak up for Xiaowan.


    But they were weak, they could not stop the berserk Demons'' citizens, the flames ignited the pile of firewood, the Xiaowan felt the hot air on her skin, the smoke and dust made her unable to breathe.


    Suddenly, a golden light flashed in the sky. Although no one saw it, the Xiaowan saw it.


    Soon after, the sound of the horses broke through the night sky and the noise of the people. For a moment, the world was quiet.


    The sound of galloping horses came closer and closer. In the darkness, a strong killing intent rose.

 C116

    Before he could even see the person''s face clearly, the Xiaowan was certain that Ling Chaofeng was the one who came to save her.


    However, the people of Baisha County only stared at the sound of the hooves in the darkness, completely unaware of the golden light in the sky.


    At this moment of life and death, the Xiaowan was actually thinking, if they couldn''t see the golden light, or Little Pei, then they definitely wouldn''t be able to see the horns on Little Pei''s head. In the future, when he no longer grows up overnight, he will be able to live a normal life.


    But now, it was not the time for her to express her mother''s feelings. The fire burned even more intensely, and sparks of fire danced on the hem of her skirt, and very quickly, it burned into pieces. Her skin was engulfed by the raging fire, and the smoke choked her nose, making her unable to open her eyes due to the intense pain.


    Suddenly, they heard a scream from the crowd. A white horse stepped over their shoulders and jumped off the white horse. A familiar figure jumped into the fire.


    Xiaowan could vaguely see Ling Chaofeng brandishing the sword, it was like the scene she saw upstairs when they were married. That day, she thought that her husband wanted to kill him, but he had only chopped off the tip of the escort''s foot to save her life.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan forgot about the pain and forgot about the thick smoke coming out from her nose. She knew that with Ling Chaofeng here, she didn''t have to be afraid of anything.


    Ling Chaofeng flew down, one hand holding onto Xiaowan''s waist while the other hand holding onto the cold and oppressive longsword. At this moment, it was as if the flames on the fire had lost its frightening aura, and everything was covered by the man''s killing intent.


    He looked at the scene in front of him in a panic. Seeing Ling Chaofeng taking a step towards him, he bellowed, "You stop right there, what are you trying to do?"


    Ling Chaofeng pointed his sword at the unconscious official and shouted: "For killing your wife, I shall take your head!"


    The county magistrate''s legs instantly went limp. Seeing that there were so many commoners below, and seeing Huai Yin''s face flash through the crowd, and thinking back to what she had said, no matter how strong Ling Chaofeng was, he could not hold up against the numbers.


    He gathered his courage and said loudly: "She is not your wife, she is a demon. She has caused many disasters to the Baisha County, Ling Chaofeng, don''t be bewitched by the demon spirit, quickly wake up and kill the demon together with me."


    The county magistrate loudly shouted to the commoners, "Kill this demon and we will be able to return peace to everyone. There will no longer be any snowstorm or floods in Baisha County ¡­"


    The commoners were shocked by Ling Chaofeng at first, but when they thought back to the snowstorm and the flood in La Yue, they immediately became spirited again. One by one, they started to shout "Burn her to death!", and gradually, groups of people began to shout "Burn her to death!".


    "Burn her to death! "Burn her to death!"


    "Get out!"


    "Get out of the Baisha Town ¡­"


    Cursing and expelling people came one after another, their ugly faces reflected in the light of the flames. This was the place Ling Chaofeng treated the villagers well, this was the place he had been protecting for the past ten years.


    Suddenly, his hands felt heavy. Xiaowan no longer had the strength to stand on her own.


    Her originally tender and beautiful face had turned jet-black from the smoke of the fire, and her skirt had been burnt to smithereens. Her fair legs were exposed, and the skin on her calves was no longer visible.


    "Burn her to death... Burn her to death ¡­ "


    Ling Chaofeng''s sharp eyes swept past them, and then he stabbed his sword into the fire. He tried his best to pick them up, and with the spreading of the fire, the burning firewood flew all over the place, landing on the roofs of the houses around, and then entering into the courtyard.


    Everyone was stunned at first, but after seeing that the house was on fire, they finally understood what was going on and quickly dispersed to their own homes to put out the fire.


    Ling Chaofeng set the firewood on the fire aside and scattered it all over the houses. He had invited the flames from the City God Temple''s censer, if he wanted to extinguish them, it would be difficult.


    In the midst of their screams, the fire rapidly spread outwards from the houses surrounding the yamen. Before long, the entire Baisha County would be engulfed in a sea of fire.


    turned a deaf ear to the shouts that came from afar. With one hand holding Xiaowan and the other holding onto her longsword, she pressed on and forced the county magistrate into a corner.


    Who would protect this unconscious official right now? When the county magistrate saw that he was about to be killed by a sword, he suddenly saw Yue Huaiyin standing alone at the other end of the hall. She looked at everything with a terrified expression, as if he had been frozen in place.


    "It''s not me, hero or hero, Manager Ling ¡­" The county magistrate was at a loss for words, "It wasn''t me who wanted to kill your wife, it was Yue Huaiyin who instigated me."


    Ling Chaofeng did not hesitate to stab down with his sword, but he did not kill the officer. He had only injured his shoulder, but the cowardly bastard had fainted from his own fear, and closed his eyes.


    This sword was dirty, Ling Chaofeng did not want it, so he threw the sword on the ground and picked up Xiaowan with both hands.


    The commoners had all left, thus, Yue Huaiyin''s actions became even more abrupt as she stood there. The Goddess and the old Daoist Priest were scared to the point of peeing their pants, but they still said to Yue Huaiyin when they were escaping, "We don''t need the silver, you should never come look for us again."


    Yue Huaiyin looked at them in shock, then looked at Ling Chaofeng. His eyes were blazing, he was even more terrifying than the bonfire earlier, or the sea of flames behind him, but he completely ignored his own existence.


    "She''s a monster!" Yue Huaiyin suddenly looked like she had gone mad, screaming in pain, "Ling Chaofeng, how am I inferior to her? How am I inferior to her ¡­"


    It was to the point where he even rushed forward and grabbed Ling Chaofeng''s arm: "Just look at me, even if you look at me once."


    Suddenly, a large hand grabbed Yue Huaiyin''s neck, and lifted her skinny body up.


    Her slender neck looked like it was about to be crushed. As she kicked, she instinctively hit Ling Chaofeng''s arm and struggled to spit out a few words, "Let me go ¡­"


    But very quickly, she fell silent. Without strength, she could no longer struggle, could no longer tangle with them, could no longer secretly persecute the tavern and the Xiaowan.


    Yue Huaiyin''s neck was broken, but when Ling Chaofeng released his hands, his body fell to the ground limply, no matter how miserable wails sounded around his, she would never wake up again.


    Ling Chaofeng carried the Xiaowan and passed through the sea of flames like a god or a devil.


    He turned a deaf ear to the cries that filled the place, but a baby''s cry that came from an unknown place burrowed into the Xiaowan''s heart. The unconscious her suddenly woke up and saw a sea of fire.


    "Little Pei... Little Pei... " Xiaowan looked at the Golden Dragon hovering in the sky, and extended his hand out to his son.


    Their hearts were linked as the Golden Dragon roared into the sky. It took a long period of time before it opened its mouth and spat out a heavy rain.


    In the torrential rain, the fire was gradually extinguished. Amidst the thick smoke, cries and cries filled the air. It was an incomparably miserable scene.


    Xiaowan did not have the strength to speak anymore. Once again, she entered into darkness, only knowing that her husband was hugging her. Her husband''s embrace was the most peaceful place in the world.


    In the tavern, when the citizens had left, Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang let go of each other and the Uncle Biao took their Pig Slaughtering Knife, wanting to save Xiaowan, but in the darkness of the cellar, a dazzling gold light suddenly lit up, Ling Chaofeng ran out from the cellar, directly rushing towards the stables and jumping on his horse.


    At this moment, Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang were standing by the side of the road with lanterns in their hands. Just now, they saw that in the direction of the Baisha Town, the fire was blazing high into the sky.


    After waiting for a while, Ling Chaofeng finally returned with Xiaowan on his horse. He jumped off the carriage and rushed into the tavern with the others.


    "Auntie, take the scalding medicine, ice water, scissors ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng repeated his instructions, and after he placed Xiaowan down, he tore off her clothes. Xiaowan''s legs, from the knees down, had already been burnt to the point where they were not even recognizable as white bones.


    "Late at night, wake up, late at night ¡­" Ling Chaofeng slapped Xiaowan''s face. He was afraid that his wife would pass away in her coma.


    Xiaowan''s consciousness gradually returned, but the moment she did so, the intense pain engulfed her life, and she felt that she was really going to die soon.


    "Husband, I''m sorry ¡­" Xiaowan struggled to say these words, but then she forced herself to laugh. There were no tears, no fear, and no sorrow.


    "Master, this life... To be able to meet you, anything is worth it. "


    "Late ¡­"


    "Husband, you must remember to come find me in your next life ¡­"


    "Late!" Ling Chaofeng roared in anger, his eyes scarlet red, "You cannot die, Mu Xiaowan, wake up!"


    "Father, move aside." Suddenly, Little Pei came out of nowhere and pushed her father hard. He crawled onto the bed and knelt beside his mother.


    Long eyelashes open and close, big eyes squeezed hard, glanced at the unconscious mother, suddenly sad, tears like rain.


    Her burnt wound gradually healed, and her blackened face recovered its snow-white skin. Xiaowan''s eyeballs turned slightly, and as she took a deep breath to recover, she opened her eyes.


    "Late?" Ling Chaofeng lifted his wife''s body. He already had no time to be surprised at his son''s miracles. Seeing Xiaowan wake up once again, she shouted, "You''re not allowed to sleep anymore, Mu Xiaowan, wake up."


    Xiaowan stared at her blankly. The frightening pain had disappeared, as well as the difficulty of being unable to breathe from her chest. Her body became light as if she was unharmed.


    Her husband''s eyes were filled with tears and they even slipped down. Xiaowan reached out his hands and gently lifted them up as she smiled innocently, "Aiya, are you crying?"


    "Mother ¡­" Little Pei crawled over to her and shouted in a childish voice, "Mother, I''m hungry, I''m hungry."


    The little guy started to tear apart his mother''s clothes without saying a word, wanting to drink her milk. However, Ling Chaofeng panicked and slapped his son''s butt, pushing him away, "Where did your mother get her strength from to feed you, you despicable thing."


    Little Pei pursed his lips and tears welled up in his eyes. The tears that he had suppressed earlier, was now gushing out.


    "He''s hungry, why did you hit him?" Xiaowan''s heart was in her throat, she immediately opened up her bosom and hugged her precious son, lovingly kissing his cheek, "Little Pei be good, Little Pei is not afraid of father, with mother here, you can eat until you''re full, Mother won''t be willing to let you starve."


    As he watched Jiao Er drink the milk from his mother''s embrace, Ling Chaofeng realized that his son was actually still very young. He no longer wished to pursue what had happened just now;


    The most important thing was that the Xiaowan was unharmed, and the Xiaowan was fine.


    "Master, wait until Little Pei is full, let''s go." The Xiaowan said, "I don''t want to stay here anymore."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, "We will leave immediately."


    At this moment in time, on the Baisha Town, the torrential rain after the great fire, the rain had stopped and everything was a mess. The wailing and crying did not stop, and even though the torrential rain had extinguished the sea of fire, many people still lost their lives in the great fire.


    When the county magistrate woke up in front of the yamen, he realized that only his shoulder was injured. It was painful, but not life-threatening.


    He stumbled to his feet. Under the moonlight, he saw a familiar figure lying on the ground in the distance. He walked over shakily. The people on the ground had been drenched by the rain and had no signs of life.


    "Huai Yin? Yue Huaiyin? " Liu Qingping kicked the person on the ground, and fear arose in his heart. He trembled as he squatted down and touched the woman''s nose; she was dead.


    "Dead?" The county magistrate fell to the ground and looked around. The walls and walls of the originally peaceful and prosperous town were all broken, and the air was filled with a burning smell. His ears were filled with the sound of miserable wails ¡­


    "Oh god ¡­" The county magistrate cried out miserably before fainting once more.


    The people of the surrounding villages rushed over, only to see that the Baisha Town had been destroyed to the point that it was completely unrecognizable. The eyes of the people of the town seemed to be dead as they cleaned up the mess, wrapping the straw mats around the person who had been burned to death.


    When the news spread, Susu and Da Qing flew to the Ling Xiao Inn, but as the people left, no matter how Susu shouted, the Xiaowan did not come out to answer her.


    "Xiaowan, Xiaowan ¡­"


    Thousands of miles away, in the imperial palace, on top of the majestic Announcement Hall, the emperor, Xiang Run, was sitting on a dragon throne.


    The emperor looked at a book, one hand holding his chin and mumbling, "Ling Chaofeng... Mu Xiaowan... "

 C117

    Lord Tang''s eyes were downcast. Within his wide sleeves, he was lightly clenching his fists. Some things were destined to happen from the beginning, but he just did not expect that everything would happen so quickly.


    "I understand." The emperor closed the paper and said to the Lord Tang with a cold expression, "If there''s anything else that needs to be reported, come and tell me. But as for where they''re going to go, you don''t need to worry."


    The Lord Tang cupped his fists and bowed. Then, he slowly retreated and prepared to leave.


    When he arrived at the entrance of the temple, he turned around and heard the Emperor calling out to him: "My beloved disciple of the Tang Dynasty."


    Lord Tang quickly returned. "Your Majesty, what orders do you have?"


    Xiang Run stood up and said, "Don''t let the empress know about this matter, and don''t disturb the interest your royal father and mother have in traveling around the mountains and rivers."


    Lord Tang kneeled down, "Your Majesty, this old subject is now your subject." After pausing for a moment, he asked, "Your majesty, what about Ling Yu?"


    "They probably won''t contact him again." The emperor felt assured and said slowly, "Whether or not Ling Xu has the ability to serve the imperial government is entirely up to him. It''s not impossible for him to return to the Bi Family. However, if he has a grudge against the past and does not harbor any grudges against the world, I will not accept such an official job. "


    Not long after he left, another piece of news spread into the palace. The emperor changed his cold and indifferent expression and directly went to the Middle Palace from the Announcement Hall.


    Inside the Culture Hall, the empress was hugging the little princess, feeling like she was spitting spring flowers as she watched from the garden.


    In less than two months, the child was lying in a small ball in the crook of his arm. The emperor gently hugged his daughter and smiled as he said, "You look more and more beautiful, just like you."


    Siyan laughed: "Your eyebrows are like the emperor, but with this mouth, you are a member of my family."


    Xiang Run said: "Speaking of our family, your brother has already left from the Chuanyu, if he''s fast, we can arrive at the capital by the end of the month. At that time, we''ll stay for a while longer and ask him to come visit our niece."


    "Thank you, your majesty." Siyan was very happy.


    "Also, in the early autumn, let''s return to the Chuanyu to settle down." Xiang Run laughed, "For the citizens of Chuanyu, they will definitely want to see their queen again."


    Siyan said respectfully, "On behalf of the people of Chuanyu, chenqie thanks Your Majesty."


    When the emperor saw her happiness, he also rejoiced. He gently hugged his daughter and asked her, "At that time, will you be able to walk by yourself?"


    Siyan then asked, "Your majesty, at that time, can we take a detour around the Li Prefecture?"


    The Emperor replied, "Naturally."


    The Queen was overjoyed, "I miss Xiaowan very much, she should be giving birth soon. Your Majesty, there''s good news, you have to tell me now."


    The emperor lightly replied, "I am thinking of it for you."


    He carried her daughter and walked to the next flower bed. Siyan seemed to be muttering to herself, "I still want to go to the Baisha Town market during the Mid-Autumn Festival."


    But at this moment, the wails of Baisha Town resounded, a large fire had taken many lives and burnt countless houses. Needless to say for the citizens who were spectating, there were still many innocent people who were not participating at home, and they were implicated.


    People from the nearby villages rushed over to take a look. The usually bustling and peaceful town was now in ruins.


    Madam Xu and Aunt Wang found the Siyun Pavilion, and this place was also burnt beyond recognition. From the store to the inner courtyard, nothing was left.


    When they walked out of the shop, they saw two female servants who were familiar with each other. They asked for someone to use a cart to pull Yue Huaiyin''s body back.


    They cried miserably, saying that someone had seen strangling their young miss, causing both Madam Xu and Aunt Wang to tremble. Although they would not be able to get even a single tael of silver from now on, at least they had some conscience and helped to settle Yue Huaiyin''s affairs.


    The news in the town started to spread, saying that the Ling Xiao Inn was already empty, and after Ling Chaofeng killed and set fire to the town, he took his wife, children and all ran off.


    A group of excited citizens brought sticks to the inn and smashed the empty shops.


    When Susu and Da Qing came over, all the things that the shop could take out had been snatched away, there were not even half a chair or table left, all of the bedding and blankets were gone, the doors and windows were crooked, and a few stairs were broken.


    Susu''s tears fell like rain. She did not know where Xiaowan and the shopkeeper had gone to, nor did she know if they would come to pick them up again.


    Da Qing said to her: "After those people finish venting, there will be no more trouble. I will come to fix it every day and clean it.


    Susu sobbed and said: "The people here are all crazy, I''m afraid even we will have to fight for them in the future. I don''t want them to come back, as long as Xiaowan is safe, the further they go the better."


    Da Qing said: "Don''t be afraid, if worst comes to worst, we will also go. It''s fate, we will definitely meet again."


    At this time, Ling Chaofeng, together with his wife and children and the Uncle Biao s, had already left for a great distance on the ship. The big ship had floated out of the Baisha River and entered the river, heading towards the south.


    Aunt Zhang could not bear the waves and fainted weakly. Uncle Biao had been guarding her the whole time and came over to take a look at the cabin. She felt her heart ache.


    The moment he turned around, Little Pei ran over, ran into the house, and touched his grandmother''s body a few times, causing Aunt Zhang''s complexion to improve. He crawled into the Aunt Zhang''s embrace and asked them to play with him.


    Xiaowan heaved a sigh of relief, warned Little Pei not to cause trouble, and left.


    On the deck, Ling Chaofeng was talking to the owner of the boat, the river wind whistled, the momenthe saw the Xiaowan, she took off his clothes and put it on, saying, "If there''s anything, go back to the boat cabin and wait for me, it''s cold here."


    The owner of the boat was Ling Chaofeng''s friend, but he smiled and said, "I''ll take a look at the back. You guys go back to your cabins as soon as possible.


    Thus, only the husband and wife remained on the deck. Xiaowan gave the clothes back to his husband and allowed him to carry it with him, nestling it against his chest.


    The sunset gradually fell and golden light scattered from the west. The change happened too fast and sudden, but Xiaowan could already accept the peace in front of her eyes.


    Ling Chaofeng said guiltily: "Later, I caused you to suffer with me."


    She laughed. "When I was young, I was beaten up every day and wished to die. I thought that as long as I could get rid of that kind of life, no matter how miserable and poor I would be in the future, I would still strive to live."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and asked: "Do you know of the term wandering here?"


    Xiaowan pouted and said angrily: "I''m just seriously lamenting about life, and you only know how to laugh at me. Let me tell you, I can''t write those four words right now, so what?"


    Ling Chaofeng kissed her on the lips, and kissed his heavily. Xiaowan said that as long as he was here, she was not afraid of anything. But to Ling Chaofeng, as long as Xiaowan was here, he could always be at home.


    The two of them kissed until the boat shook violently, then stopped.


    Xiaowan gasped slightly, "Hubby, let''s go to a new place and start all over again."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, but a look of worry flashed past his eyes.


    He did not regret what he had done in his rage that night, and he did not regret it no matter who died in it.


    However, murder and arson were facts. It was impossible for him to walk the path of the world impartially. Whether they could start over or not depended on the imperial court investigating the matter.


    It was very likely that the moment they reached the next location, the imperial government''s wanted posters filled the streets and alleyways.


    "Maybe we really will be wandering around for a while." Ling Chaofeng said, "But I will never let anyone hurt you again.


    Xiaowan laughed until her eyebrows curved, "Now, we still have our son."


    Ling Chaofeng said in disbelief: "I''m still on my way back, so far away. Little Pei suddenly appeared and coiled around me, and in the blink of an eye, I appeared in the cellar, and he told me that you were robbed."


    Xiaowan frowned slightly as she listened, "But when he ran out, I was not taken away yet."


    After Ling Chaofeng heard what the Xiaowan had to say, he asked, "Can Little Pei predict the future?"


    Xiaowan hurriedly said, "Go and ask him."


    The couple came to Aunt Zhang''s cabin and took his son away. Little Pei looked at his mother greedily, then gently pulled at Xiaowan''s clothes, preparing to drink her milk.


    But Ling Chaofeng said: "You can already eat. From today onwards, you are not allowed to drink milk."


    Little Pei looked at his father in shock, his big eyes filled with tears. He felt wronged, but he did not dare to disobey his father even if he could swallow the clouds in the sky and spit out mist.


    He pitifully looked at Xiaowan, and even broke Xiaowan''s heart. In fact, Little Pei was still very young, at least Xiaowan could still hug him.


    She turned her back on her husband, opened her dress wide, and held Jiao Er in her arms. Her son immediately became happy and obediently started to eat.


    "You can''t let him go on like this forever. He looks at least two years old now." Ling Chaofeng said.


    "There are a lot of two years old babies still drinking milk. I''m happy to feed them to you, so why are you in such a hurry?" Xiaowan held his son and patted him lightly, "This is all I can give him. This mother of mine is already very unqualified. Besides, he looks like he''s two years old, but he''s only been born a few days ago. "


    Ling Chaofeng was speechless. Of course he wouldn''t be jealous of his son or be jealous of him. He was worried about Xiaowan''s body.


    When Little Pei was full, he laid in Xiaowan''s embrace with satisfaction. Xiaowan had already gathered his son up, lowered his head and kissed him again and again, asking, "Little Pei, Mother wants to ask you something, can you answer us honestly? If you really can''t say it, then say it, and we won''t ask anymore. "


    The little guy nodded, looked at his father, and spoke in a childish voice, "Father, Little Pei is still young, I just think he is."


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He opened his arms to let his son come over and then asked, "Little Pei, how did you know that they are going to capture their mother and burn her to death?


    Little Pei shook his head: "I can hear their voices from far away. I heard them coming, they said they want to burn Mother to death."


    Ling Chaofeng asked again: "Then do you know what you are? Are you human, or a dragon, or a god, or a demon?"


    The little guy smiled and said, "I''m the son of my parents."


    This kind of answer evidently meant that there were things that could not be said. Xiaowan thought for a moment, then asked: "Then why did you not directly save mother, and instead go and find Father?"


    He replied seriously, "I''m too young to beat them."


    Everything he said was true, but what he said seemed to completely deny the fact that he could swallow the heavens and spit the earth.


    Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan looked at each other. They didn''t need to ask, because even if their son couldn''t say it, they couldn''t. Whether or not they could raise him up, what would happen in the future, all depended on fate.

 C118

    Xiaowan carried his son from her husband''s embrace and told him to sit properly on the bed. She said solemnly: "Little Pei, Mother will not care where you came from, and will not care whether you are human or a dragon. From today onwards, you will be our son. But so many things have happened, father and mother both do not know what will happen in the future, but we will love you and protect you. "


    Ling Pei nodded his head vigorously, about to entangle him and act coquettishly, but Xiaowan ordered him to sit properly with a stern expression. The little guy had his hands behind his back, and didn''t dare disobey.


    Ling Chaofeng looked at Xiaowan in shock. A girl was her mother, this was her natural instinct, even though she herself was still so young.


    Xiaowan continued, "Although you can''t say it, but Father, Mother, and Grandfather can see that you are different from the other children. They all know that you have the power to transcend the heavens. If no one comes to hurt you or hurt us, when we meet others in the future, you can''t casually use your ability to bully others. Do you understand?


    Little Pei nodded his head, the pair of horns on his head swaying, his fleshy face showing a serious expression, was extremely adorable.


    Xiaowan asked: "Do you really remember? If you don''t listen to these pranks and bully people, mother will beat you up. Even if I can''t beat you, I will still beat you up."


    Ling Chaofeng could not hold back his laughter, being stared at by the Xiaowan, he immediately stopped smiling.


    Little Pei crawled up to her and snuggled into her embrace, tenderly wanting her mother to pat him to coax him to sleep.


    He was really young. He could act like a spoiled child and be mischievous, make Ling Chaofeng angry, make Xiaowan happy, and make Uncle Biao smile. He was everyone''s precious baby.


    The large ship floated slowly on the river, laughter could be heard. If the years were peaceful and beautiful, even if she had to wander around for a lifetime, the Xiaowan would be happy and happy.


    In the blink of an eye, several days had passed. In the latter part of February, spring gradually returned to the earth.


    On the Baisha Town, the citizens were busy repairing the houses, reopening the shops, and the days had to start anew.


    The county magistrate had suffered from a serious illness and had not yet recovered.


    At this moment, the master told him that Yue Huaiyin had died, her Rouge Shop had been burnt to a crisp, and the servants had all dispersed. Now, he could not find the land deed and no one was to take it over.


    The Grand Master asked, "This house has to be taken back by the yamen. It can be used for public use, or it can be resold. The money it sells is naturally also from the imperial court. Master, what do you think should be done? "


    The county magistrate was sickly as he lazily said, "Whatever you want to do, just do it according to the rules. Pitiful and frail looking, ah ¡­"


    But at this moment, a Fast Catcher of the yamen hurriedly ran over and reported: "Master, great general Chuanyu has led the troops past the Li Prefecture and is currently heading towards the Baisha Town. Do you want to go welcome him?"


    "General Wei?" The county magistrate sat up, feeling dizzy as he struggled to speak. "Go greet them ¡­"


    However, the county magistrate rushed over with his sick body, only to see a thousand people neatly stopping outside the Li Prefecture, with no sign of Wei Tengfei at all.


    When the county magistrate met with the other counties, he had long spread the news of the recent events. Fortunately, the place was empty now, and the county magistrate had said that he would send someone to take down the Ling Xiao Inn in a few days.


    But at that moment, Wei Tengfei brought a few people and rode through Baisha Town. It was strange that the small town which was so rich and peaceful would suddenly become so desolate, and he felt uneasy in his heart. He immediately spurred his horse to go towards the direction of Baisha River.


    When they arrived at Ling Xiao Inn, they saw from far away that the signboard was broken and crooked. A young woman was standing below and a man was leaning on a ladder, about to take the signboard off.


    But they were not Ling Chaofeng, nor were they Mu Xiaowan.


    "What happened?" Wei Tengfei looked imposing as he walked over. When Susu and Da Qing felt uneasy, they jumped down from the ladder and protected their wife behind them.


    "Where are the people here? And Ling Chaofeng, where''s his wife? " Wei Tengfei asked again, then rushed into the tavern, it was completely empty, it was obviously destroyed by a robbery, and there was not a single person inside.


    "Are you a friend of our manager?" Susu and Da Qing came in, she bravely asked, "Do you know Manager Ling?"


    Wei Tengfei''s starry eyes were deep as he said, "We are friends. What happened here, why did it become like this, where did they go? "


    Susu said tearfully: "Just a few days ago, the people from the town said that the Xiaowan was a monster that wanted to burn her to death. The shopkeeper rushed over to save her, set the town on fire, and even killed someone. The people in the town fought over the items here until they were smashed into pieces, and then became what they are now. "


    "Xiaowan? "Monster?" Wei Tengfei was already infuriated, her sword-like eyebrows knitted together, "On what basis are they?"


    Susu cried, "In our county, last year''s La Moon Blizzard and floods happened one after another. The county magistrate invited the Goddess to do it, saying that the Xiaowan is the cause of disaster ¡­ "Wha ¡­ wha ¡­"


    Wei Tengfei clenched his fists tightly, trying his best to calm himself down, and asked: "Then who are you?"


    Susu said: "I am a shop assistant in the shop, and also a sister of the Xiaowan. This is my husband, we want to slowly fix the inn and wait for them here. Xiaowan said that she would not separate from me, and she even said that she would tie the knot with me. "


    "Child marriage?" Wei Tengfei asked, "Does she have a child?"


    Susu nodded, "She was born on the second day of the second month. She hasn''t even reached the full moon yet, she has a son."


    Wei Tengfei slowly nodded and muttered, "She should be blessed."


    Afterwards, he walked out with large strides, and called his attendants over, ordering them to find twenty wood carvings from the group that had stopped at Li Prefecture to help build the inn.


    He gave all the silver he had with him to Susu and instructed her to take care of this place from now on. Then, he rode his horse towards the town alone.


    The county magistrate was still waiting for the General Wei. He was called over by the yamen to tell them that the General Wei was already waiting for him at the Baisha County Hall. They hurriedly rushed back, knowing that the county magistrate was seriously ill.


    He did not expect that the General Wei would knock him onto the ground the moment he saw him, and he was so scared that the magistrate trembled all over. If not for the fact that Wei Tengfei''s attendants were trying to persuade this scoundrel to stay alive, he would have died on the spot.


    "Today, I will spare your life. Remember, if Ling Chaofeng and his wife ever comes back here, you and the rest of the citizens will not be able to make things difficult for them. If anyone dares to go against my words, I will bring troops to flatten the Baisha County and flatten your prefectural yamen. "


    "Yes, yes, yes, this official will remember this. General, please calm your anger." The county magistrate kowtowed as if he was pounding garlic. He was already scared out of his wits.


    He really did not expect that Ling Chaofeng would actually be friends with the famous General Chuanyu. Just how powerful was Ling Chaofeng''s background? The county magistrate was increasingly confused. Just what in the world was going on that made him want to go against Ling Xiao Inn?


    Wei Tengfei didn''t want to argue with him any longer, so he brought his men and left the yamen. Seeing the ground charred black by the bonfire on the night before, and imagining the Xiaowan being tied to the bonfire, he clenched his fists in hatred.


    "General, we should be on our way." The attendant came to remind her. "The emperor already knew we''d set off and delayed our journey. I''m afraid it''s disrespectful to the emperor, and the Empress must also be very anxious to see you."


    Wei Tengfei frowned, and shook his head: "You guys lead the way first, I''ll come over later, don''t worry for a few days. If the Emperor wants to find fault with me, he can find me anything. If he doesn''t want to make trouble for me, he wouldn''t bother with such a small matter. You guys go first, I''ll naturally catch up in a few days. "


    He rode alone back to the inn, where the soldiers were quick, the broken parts repaired, tables and chairs were brought in, and the shop began to look better, but it was not something one could do in a day or two.


    "You guys leave with the army." Wei Tengfei instructed, "I will return to the team later. Regarding this matter, don''t say anything to the others, do you remember?"


    The military order was like a mountain, and the soldiers did not dare to act rashly. They received their orders and quickly left, and the inn regained its peace and quiet.


    Susu and Da Qing walked out of the shop and knelt down towards Wei Tengfei. Although they did not know who Wei Tengfei was, he must be a big official, a very big official.


    Wei Tengfei invited them to get up and said to Susu: "I have already warned the prefectural city that he will no longer come to the inn to make things difficult for you, nor will he allow the people here to cause trouble. I will temporarily hand over the inn to you all for management. If Ling Chaofeng and the others ever return, I will naturally return it to them.


    Susu and Da Qing were extremely grateful, but Wei Tengfei asked again: "Where are they going? Can you think of any clues?"


    They shook their heads. Da Qing thought for a while and said: "I only know that they should have left by boat. Early that morning, there was a boat heading towards the south."


    Wei Tengfei nodded: "Let''s go to the pier now, do we still have a boat?"


    Da Qing was very familiar with the matters at the pier, and had a conversation with the boat people. As long as they had money, they would be able to do anything, and very quickly, they arranged a boat for Wei Tengfei.


    As for the people around Wei Tengfei, there were still seven or eight who came chasing after him. They said that they didn''t trust the general and would definitely accompany him on his journey.


    Susu and Da Qing stood on the shore, watching the boat leave. Susu clasped her hands in prayer, hoping that Xiaowan and the others would be safe, hoping that they would meet again one day.


    At this side, Ling Chaofeng brought the Xiaowan and the others to bid farewell to the owner of the boat. They changed the boat into a small boat, left the river, and followed the branch river into the valley.


    The small boat slowly moved, the two sides of the river were silent, as if there was no one around, but Ling Chaofeng was familiar with the road, as if he had been here before.


    Gradually, there were signs of human habitation ahead. It looked like a small village, but there were only a few tiled buildings. On the shore, there was a small pier, allowing the boat to approach the shore.


    The boat had not yet stabilized when Little Pei suddenly jumped out from Xiaowan''s embrace, gently leaping over.


    "Little Pei, don''t run around. Stand still." The Xiaowan scolded, but the little guy was skipping and jumping around, very mischievous.


    Just then, someone heard the commotion and walked out of the tiled room. Little Pei immediately ran back and said: "Mother, there''s someone there."


    Xiaowan looked over and saw a middle-aged woman slowly walking over. She could not help but feel her heart heat up: "Mrs. Sun?"


    In the capital, Ershan returned to the tavern from studying at the academy, and asked the shopkeeper: "Have you written a letter from Baisha Town?"


    The shopkeeper shook his head. "No."


    Ershan felt that it was weird, it had been almost a month, why was there no news about his home.

 C119

    After some time, when the Xiaowan was about to be born, Ershan could only console himself. It was because the family was too busy taking care of their mother and children that they couldn''t take care of him right now.


    However, if the family letter did not come, Lian Yi''s letter would not be sent either. After returning to his room, Ershan pondered for a while, then decided to send the letter directly to Lian Yi. He wanted to ask Lian Yi if he knew anything about his family.


    In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed since his arrival at the capital, and all of the correspondence between him and the Baisha Town had been arranged by Ling Chaofeng.


    Although because of the Emperor and General Shen, more and more people started to pay attention to him and try to rope him in, he could rely on any noble or powerful person to get connections from those people and obtain all sorts of information from the distance.


    However, Ershan did not want to rely on anyone. He wanted to rely on his true skills and walk up to the Announcement Hall.


    This was his dream, but in his heart, every single person in the inn, and even Lian Yi, were more important than his dreams.


    He hurried downstairs and got someone to send a letter to the Baisha Town. As he faced the innkeeper, he said: "If anyone comes looking for me, when I''m not here, please leave them waiting for me to see them."


    Just as his letter was heading towards the Li Prefecture, Ling Chaofeng had already settled down in the valley with Xiaowan and the others.


    There were a few tile-roofed rooms, where Mrs. Sun and two white-haired elderly men lived. Ling Chaofeng brought his family to live in a tiled room, with two rooms in the east and one room in the east.


    Although the tiled rooms were small, they were neat and tidy. They could block out the wind and rain, and even if the family lived here, they wouldn''t feel crowded.


    Walking out of the door, although it was surrounded by mountains on all sides and the outside world could not be seen, there were fertile fields in the valley that could be cultivated for pig farming. There were grass on the hillside that could be farmed for cattle and sheep.


    In this place, everything had to be cultivated and reaped by oneself. However, if one loved this peace and quiet, it was truly a paradise.


    The Mrs. Sun was naturally sent over by Ling Chaofeng, and the other family was originally here.


    Being able to build this place into its current state was something that Ling Chaofeng had unintentionally discovered, and with the permission of the two elders, spent money to manage.


    The Xiaowan asked him, "Master, the people outside do not know of this place. If we can''t find this place, it is right?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "Anybody can find this place, but normal people wouldn''t come here, it''s surrounded by mountains, although the slope is slow, but if you look up the cliff, it''s impossible to see the top, it''s very difficult to leave and enter, you can only go by the water."


    Xiaowan said, "Other people will come by boat?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "How many people do you think are willing to hide in seclusion in this world? If we had no other choice, we wouldn''t have come here. He came here to temporarily settle down, to see if the imperial government would pursue the matter of me committing murder and arson, and to see how Little Pei will grow up. If the imperial government were to give me a hand in the past, after Little Pei has grown old enough, nothing surprising would happen anymore. We can still return to the outside world, there''s no need for us to hide our names for our entire lives. "


    Xiaowan pondered. Now that everything was quiet, she felt peaceful, as long as she was with her husband and children, she was willing to live in seclusion.


    However, thinking back on his two years in the inn, rushing to the market to buy and sell, helping the strong and helping the weak, all sorts of strange and interesting things happened. He knew a lot of people, including the Empress, Lian Yi, Susu, and many other stories that had happened, even the conflict with Yue Huaiyin, and the fight with the Madam Xu, they were all part of the story.


    But here, all of this will disappear, and from now on, life will be the same every day.


    Although peaceful days were good, Xiaowan had also said that her wish was to just get rid of her Qingling Village and stepmother.


    But if life can choose, why not choose better, more suitable for their own way of life.


    Mu Xiaowan had already gotten used to living in the tavern, and had already treated herself as a genuine internal manager. "Being nosy" had become the greatest joy in their lives, and like Ling Chaofeng, she had already become a person of the martial arts world.


    Standing in front of the door, he saw that Little Pei had scared the chicken that the Mrs. Sun was raising flying around. The Xiaowan called out to him to reprimand him, at the same time, she raised her head to look around.


    When they were lighting a fire and cooking at night, Mrs. Sun boiled a lot of water for them so that they could have a comfortable hot bath. After that, he sat in his room and heated up the fire while the Mrs. Sun listened to the story of the Aunt Zhang.


    After the Mrs. Sun finished listening to what had happened to them, he looked at Little Pei''s head in surprise and said, "I really can''t see any horns. In my eyes, this child is beautiful and cute, he''s too likeable."


    The Xiaowan said, "He will grow up very fast. In less than a month, he will be as tall as us, so I''m afraid that others might think of him as a demon."


    Mrs. Sun laughed: "What monsters, only monsters will look like monsters. Those people are the first to be possessed, they are not human anymore."


    She took Little Pei, who was already sleepy, from the Xiaowan and said lovingly: "Such a good child naturally has a background. When I walk around the mortal world, even I am fortunate enough to have a hug. "With all this kindness, I hope that in the next life, I won''t meet any bad people again."


    Aunt Zhang asked her: "Are you used to living here?"


    The Mrs. Sun laughed: "I am originally from the village, so everything is fine here, but I won''t hide it from you guys. It''s really quiet. "Thus, the aunt and I would go out occasionally. We would take a boat and go around. There is a town behind these two mountains, and I have been there twice."


    The Xiaowan listened quietly. Indeed, it was not that she was impetuous, they had come from "the world" and had not transcended the mortal world. How could they possibly be isolated from the world for their entire lives?


    As the night deepened and the Mrs. Sun and his men left, Ling Chaofeng returned with a faint smell of alcohol.


    He laughed, "Since you made it yourself, I''ll just treat it as a sweet wine. I didn''t expect it to have such a strong aftertaste."


    Xiaowan stood up and saw that his son was sleeping soundly, he quietly crawled over to his husband''s body and felt his warm chest.


    Ling Chaofeng seemed to have put aside one thing in his heart for the moment. He was able to throw aside everything and immerse himself in the rain clouds.


    Before Xiaowan fell asleep, she vaguely heard her husband say: "Late at night, we won''t stay here forever. I want to give you a better and more stable life."


    As long as you follow Ling Chaofeng, everything will be fine.


    The next day, when the sun shines bright, Xiaowan was awoken by his son. Under her father''s complicated gaze, Little Pei fearlessly pestered Xiaowan to get some milk, since his mother would definitely spoil him.


    However, Xiaowan had discovered today that Little Pei seemed to not have grown up for several days. His clothes and pants were something he had worn when leaving the Baisha Town and had not shrunk even now.


    Xiaowan stared at his son for a long time. After he finished eating her fill, she brought him out for Aunt Zhang to see. They also felt that Little Pei did not crazily grow overnight.


    The Aunt Zhang laughed and said, "But we can''t wait any longer. After a few days, we''ll take a look."


    "I hope that he can slow down a little and buy a few more. I want to hug him for a few more years, but I''m afraid that he will become an adult overnight. If he''s taller than me, how can I still be his mother?"


    At this time, the aunt was going to dig in the ground for vegetables, so the Uncle Biao followed her. When the Mrs. Sun went to kill chickens, he had to replenish the Xiaowan''s body, so no matter what, she had just been born.


    When they were eating, Little Pei climbed onto the table and stretched his hands out to eat chicken legs. When he was scolded by Ling Chaofeng, he stood to the side and watched pitifully as the adults finished eating before he got on the table.


    The Xiaowan did not protect him right now, respecting the elders was the most basic of being human, since he could speak, he would run, he would jump, if he did not follow the rules now, he would become a bastard in the future.


    After everyone had eaten, Ling Chaofeng invited his son to come over, and asked him if he knew his wrongs and taught him the right to be a good person.


    As for the elders, they had all given him the chicken legs. Ling Chaofeng said in annoyance: "You''re still eating milk in your mother''s embrace, why are you eating chicken legs and rice?"


    Little Pei sobbed, "Daddy, I want to eat them all."


    It was a good thing that he was his son. If he was a daughter, Ling Chaofeng would definitely not be able to endure the child''s coquettish actions. He also could not completely harden his heart when facing Little Pei, and properly explained the situation to him.


    Aunt Zhang tidied up the tableware, and said to the couple: "Our master talks about playing cards, and rummaged through the ground, and a day passed just like that. But Little Pei is just a child, he is very lonely. I think it would be better for the two of you to work even harder and give birth to his younger brother and sister. "


    "Aunt!" Xiaowan was coquettish, she was actually shy.


    Seeing her run off to chase after Little Pei, Aunt Zhang finally said to Ling Chaofeng: "In the future, if you all have peace and quiet, don''t feel burdened in your hearts. I think Xiaowan is afraid that she will give birth to some strange child, but so what?


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "In two years, I still don''t know what will happen right now."


    Aunt Zhang asked, "Are you going to go out and take a look?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head: "I''ll go out for a look tomorrow and see what the imperial government is up to."


    Aunt Zhang sighed softly, "You have to be careful."


    In the blink of an eye, a few days passed. In this Heaven Li Prefecture Meng Mansion, a letter from Ershan was received.


    It was just that they had heard of the change in Baisha County. Mrs. Meng said worriedly: The entire family of Manager Ling is gone, and he still went on a rampage. Could it be that this was all because of Ling Qian, and said that his family was unclean, and that he had been stripped of his name?

 C120

    It was not that Lian Yi did not consider his mother''s words, if Manager Ling was not worried about the imperial court investigating, he would not have brought his wife and children''s family out of the Baisha Town overnight, or perhaps they had some other reason.


    The Ling Xiao Inn had always been mysterious and unfathomable. Lian Yi knew that she did not have to worry too much about it, but she still hoped that the Xiaowan and the others would be safe.


    As for Ershan''s letter, as expected, he asked about the situation at home. It seemed that Manager Ling had not contacted him for a long time.


    But they treated Ershan as their own brother, no matter what, they would not leave him alone, and suddenly cut all contact, was it because they did not want Ershan to be involved, or was it because they were worried about his family, and did they not want him to delay his achievement?


    Lian Yi was unwilling to let her actions spoil Manager Ling''s painstaking efforts.


    She thought about it a lot and wrote Ershan a reply, saying that she couldn''t leave because she had something to do at home and hadn''t been to an inn for a long time. Since she probably hadn''t heard of anything, it should be that she was safe and sound.


    Three days later, Ershan received a reply. After knowing that Lian Yi was alright, he was at least half relieved, and in the inn, with her brother present, he was not too worried. After all, there were no matters of injustice for Ling Chaofeng.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already March.


    Spring had returned to the earth, and all things had recovered. A hundred flowers bloomed in the Imperial City, and there was a luxuriant purple color.


    Inside the Culture Hall, the Empress Wei Siyan was playing with the little princess who had just woken up.


    A mama hurried in from outside the hall. The empress glanced back and asked, "Has the general arrived?"


    The mama frowned, then shook her head. "Still not here yet. I heard that the thousand man team from Chuanyu stopped ten kilometers away from the capital. I don''t know the reason."


    Siyan was very uneasy in her heart. Even though her Chuanyu was far away, her brother shouldn''t have been able to reach the capital after walking for such a long time.


    She had asked the emperor twice, but the emperor always said he didn''t know. There was also the Xiaowan.


    "I feel as if the Emperor is hiding something from me. As the Middle Palace, I have my own untouchable responsibilities and also my own responsibilities for the Emperor, but I still do not know how to grasp them. " Siyan confided in her heart to the mama and let out a light sigh. "There seems to be a burden that I can''t let go of on my body. He''s the sovereign, so I''m afraid of him."


    The mama said gently, "You''re the original wife of the emperor, and the only woman to date. The emperor has also announced that you don''t have six palaces under the heavens. If this servant says something inappropriate, who wouldn''t be confident?"


    The mama laughed and said, "After the Supreme Emperor passed away, your mother-in-law who was the successor to the Supreme Emperor and also had a beauties in the imperial harem. Even so, she lived a free and easy life. If the Emperor loves her, then she also loves the Emperor. If the Emperor abandons her, she can pretend that she has never met him. "


    "Muhou, is it like this?" Siyan was stunned, "Imperial Mother dare to be so decisive towards royal father?"


    The mama laughed. "Your mother-in-law said that her life is her own."


    Hearing her words, Siyan suddenly remembered that Xiaowan had told her that the lives of countless women in this world were not hers.


    Furthermore, she was the most respected woman in the Daqi Nation. If even she was not free, then what hope did the women of this world have?


    Siyan suddenly stood up and instructed the mama, "You guys keep an eye on the Little Princess. I''m going to take a trip to the Qingming Pavilion, the Emperor can''t possibly lie to me. He can''t treat me like this."


    Xiang Run was in the midst of reviewing the imperial reports. Seeing his wife barging in, he made a few guesses before putting down Zhu Chi and standing up to greet her. "Let''s talk outside the window."


    Siyan was startled. When she was brought here, the aura around her had decreased by half, and when she mustered her courage to ask the Emperor what had happened, the Emperor just smiled. "I know, I can''t hide it from you."


    The emperor took the initiative. Siyan pursed her lips, held in for a long time, then said, "Your majesty, please tell me everything."


    Just like that, from the moment the villagers thought of his as a demon wanting to burn her to the moment Ling Chaofeng charged into the sea of flames to save his wife, he punished the commoners in anger and the people in the tavern disappeared in one night.


    As for the fact that someone like Yue Huaiyin, who wasn''t even worth mentioning had died, the Emperor didn''t care at all. However, he continued, "On the day when the villagers were going to burn the Xiaowan to death, Ling Chaofeng had already applied to the imperial government for leave. He had also moved all the gold and silver away. His decision has nothing to do with Xiaowan being burned to death by the villagers. Something must have happened inside the Ling Xiao Inn, causing him to have no choice but to leave with his wife and children. "


    Siyan''s heart felt like it was being suspended by a huge boulder, heavy and painful. As the most respected girl in the world, so what?


    "No matter what happened to them, he doesn''t owe the Imperial Court anything. The Emperor and I shouldn''t interfere in their private affairs." But setting fire to the Baisha Town ¡­ " Wei Siyan got up from her seat and knelt towards the Emperor, imploring him solemnly, "Your Majesty, can you spare them?"


    "Over a dozen people were killed or injured. Whether they deserve to die or be innocent, they are all lives." The Emperor had a cold expression. "You''re called me, how can you be merciful?"


    "Your Majesty ¡­"


    "Yan''er, it was because Ling Chaofeng knew his own limitations that he was able to escape in one night." Xiang Run reached out to support her, "We can not arrest him, but the crimes he committed cannot be ignored."


    Siyan said tearfully, her eyes lightly trembling. "They are my friends, and Xiaowan is my good sister."


    Xiang Run''s eyes were brimming with the aura of a monarch, but he still maintained his prestige, "And you, are still the empress of Daqi."


    He paused and ordered, "Get up!"


    Siyan trembled, but it revealed that she was a bit stubborn. In the end, she was pulled up by the Emperor, so she avoided his gaze and didn''t want to look at him.


    The emperor lightly shook his head. Ever since their marriage, the empress had been proper and proper in front of outsiders, talking and laughing generously, able to cleverly resolve diplomatic awkwardness even when facing foreign envoys. She truly had the demeanor of a Daqi Nation''s mother, being impeccable.


    But unloading all that, just to face him, she was his lovely wife. She had a temper, a personality, bold ideas, and was very stubborn.


    Xiang Run understood that he could only force Siyan to accept this matter because it was her responsibility. She had no choice but to agree to it.


    "If fate wills it, we will naturally meet again. If fate wills it, it is also the best memory of this life." The Emperor said coldly, "In the future, you will meet many other people and even more good sisters and friends. This life of yours and mine has only just begun."


    Siyan didn''t say anything, she just silently walked away. When she reached the door, she suddenly remembered to ask: "Where''s my brother? "Why hasn''t he arrived in the capital yet?"


    Xiang Run was obviously angry, but he did not come for the empress. Instead, he said snappily: "Who knows where he went to."


    There were no wars in the world, and Daqi were flourishing and powerful. With the Chuanyu in his hands, for over a dozen years, Wei Tengfei had never dared to slack off even a single bit.


    But now, in order to find a person, he threw his group to the capital. He ignored his little sister who was waiting for him in the palace and unhesitatingly followed the river for her.


    He wanted to take a look at Xiaowan. No matter whether she was safe or severely burned, he would only look at her once.


    He''d left White Sand last spring and spent the whole year thinking about that sweet, smiling face of a man in his early thirties who had never been tempted by a woman and who, damn it all, had taken a fancy to a married woman.


    If Xiaowan was still an unmarried big girl, he would definitely bring his great Chuanyu army to propose marriage, marry her into their family, and then love and cherish her for the rest of his life.


    But she was Ling Chaofeng''s wife and sister''s friend, Wei Tengfei could not hurt anyone, he could only wish Xiaowan a good life from afar.


    In this year, in his little sister''s letter, he mentioned that the Emperor had treated her well, just like how the Manager Ling treated the Xiaowan. Seeing those words, Wei Tengfei did not know whether to laugh or cry, but his heart hurt.


    Today, Wei Tengfei came to an unfamiliar town. The town was a little smaller than Baisha Town, but the people on the streets were all dressed neatly and all of them had smiling faces. It was obvious that the people here were living a life of ease and prosperity.


    At this moment, it was like there was a market, it was bustling with noise and excitement. The young and beautiful young lady people, dressed in bright red, shuttled around the crowd.


    "Little Pei, if you keep running, dad will get angry." Suddenly hearing the familiar voice, Wei Tengfei''s heart shook, he followed the voice and looked around. In front of the windmill stall, a petite wife wearing a white blouse and green skirt picked up a child and gave him a windmill.


    Wei Tengfei walked closer, and then heard a familiar voice laughing: "If you blow, he''ll turn around, is that fun? What mother do you want? You''re not allowed to run around, you''ll end up spanking your father if you chase after him. "


    "Xiaowan?" Wei Tengfei could not help but ask.


    When he first met her, he remembered that she was wearing a white gown and a green skirt at the Baisha Town Market. At that time, he was so angry that his head went blank because of his sister.


    When Xiaowan heard this, he turned around. She was initially afraid that she had met someone, she did not expect them to be from General Wei.


    "It''s really you!" Wei Tengfei''s eyes quickly sized her up. She wasn''t burned, Ling Chaofeng must have saved her in time, he could be at ease now.


    "General ¡­" Xiaowan said half of her sentence and did not dare to continue. Seeing Ling Chaofeng slowly walking over from the back, she held Little Pei and ran over to her husband''s side.


    Seeing Wei Tengfei, the center of his brows twitched, he had a bad premonition, he looked around cautiously, and the people that were moving ahead understood the meaning of his gaze, and he immediately said: "Don''t worry, I came alone."


    They found a place with less people to talk. Wei Tengfei said that he had come to the capital to visit the empress and wanted to give some green bean cake to Siyan to eat. He never thought that when she was empty and only a pair of unfamiliar young people were cleaning the place, he would know that such a big thing had happened. He was worried and afraid that he wouldn''t be able to explain it to his sister, so he came looking for her.


    Of course, not giving Siyan an explanation was his excuse.


    "Those villagers are crazy." The Xiaowan laughed in a sad and cold manner, "No wonder I was beaten up when I was young. No one came from the Qingling Village to save me. But it doesn''t matter, we''ll never go back. "


    Ling Chaofeng then said to Wei Tengfei: "I should have left before the news arrived at the Chuanyu, I have resigned from my job for the imperial government, and have sent people to deliver the money related to the Chuanyu to you, I presume I have not met you."


    Wei Tengfei nodded his head: "We did not meet, but you all ¡­."


    He thought for a moment. Since they had met, he had been the one who had been speaking the entire time. Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan only listened, but didn''t say anything about what had happened to them.


    And then there was the child, about two years old, who knew how to talk, called him uncle in a childish voice, and then played by himself.


    He called his father, but... Wei Tengfei knew from his sister''s letter that Xiaowan was also pregnant, but no matter how he looked at it, he couldn''t be two years old.


    "Little Pei." When Xiaowan saw his son struggling wildly on the side of the road, she pulled him into his embrace and wiped his hands.


    Ling Pei leaned into his mother''s embrace, looked at the tall and big Wei Tengfei, and smiled with narrowed eyes, which was extremely likeable.


    "This child ¡­" Wei Tengfei really didn''t know how to ask.


    "We adopted it." The Xiaowan said, "My own child is gone. In order to comfort me, my husband brought me this child."


    Wei Tengfei suddenly stopped struggling, thinking that the child in Xiaowan must have died from the shock of being burned by the villagers, causing him to feel even more heartache.


    They talked while they walked, and they gradually left the town. Ling Chaofeng did not want to bring Wei Tengfei to the valley, although someone would find the place sooner or later, he felt that there was no need to get involved with the General Wei anymore.


    Therefore, together with the Xiaowan, they sent Wei Tengfei on his way, and asked him to pay respects to the empress, saying that they were fine. As for the emperor, Ling Chaofeng didn''t say anything, he believed that Wei Tengfei would think things through on his own.


    Wei Tengfei did not want to create trouble for them, and furthermore, he did not want to cause the Xiaowan any trouble.


    Xiaowan heaved a sigh of relief: "Why did General Wei come here?"


    Ling Chaofeng did not say anything, he brought his wife and child back to the valley, and turned to the other side. But after walking a few steps, he suddenly felt the killing intent around him, and his heart tensed up, he carried his wife and son and hid under the carriage.


    In the blink of an eye, a rain of swords flew over, densely covering the carriage. After that, dozens of people rushed out from the trees on both sides.

 C121

    General Shen once told Ershan that your brother being able to fight one against a hundred was no problem. But right now, he was not alone, with his wife and children by his side, and the dozens of people that came were experts, approaching menacingly with blade and sword, Ling Chaofeng was at a disadvantage, and very quickly got into a disadvantageous position.


    Xiaowan only felt that the sky was turning dark as she hugged Little Pei tightly and was being pulled around by her husband. She did not know who it was, but they were being chased all the way and even though they were retreating, they had unknowingly been forced to the edge of the cliff.


    During the battle, the opponent had already lost more than ten people, Ling Chaofeng''s arm was also injured, he had snatched the sword from the enemy''s hands, it''s blade was stained with blood, protecting his wife and children behind him, it was filled with killing intent.


    "Who sent you?" Ling Chaofeng''s gaze was ice-cold, as he understood what was going on in his heart.


    "You should understand."


    "You want to kill me?"


    "Think about it on your way to the Yellow Springs." The person shouted, commanding the rest of the people to charge forward, even if they could not defeat Ling Chaofeng, they had to force them to fall off the cliff and die.


    Ling Chaofeng grabbed his wife and son and leapt away, the three of them rolled to the side. Ling Chaofeng''s injured arm could not hold up anymore, and accidentally threw Xiaowan onto the ground.


    Seeing his son rolling towards the cliff, Xiaowan shouted in shock and rushed forward. Seeing that he was in a situation where his son was about to fall, the people there immediately swung their swords at his back, Ling Chaofeng jumped up and stood behind her, and stabbed his sword into his abdomen.


    "Hubby ¡­"


    In the distance, the horses were whinniing. Someone was riding their horses over, kicking up their hooves and kicking some of the men away. The tall figure jumped off the horses and began to fight with them.


    "Zephyr, zephyr ¡­" Xiaowan knelt beside Ling Chaofeng. There was a big hole in his stomach, and fresh blood continued to flow out. She took off her clothes crazily to cover it, but the clothes were quickly soaked in fresh blood.


    "Don''t let anything happen to you, Ling Chaofeng. Don''t let anything happen to you." Xiaowan raised his blood-stained hands to wipe her tears. She was afraid that her tears were blurry, causing his to be unable to see his husband''s face. Ling Chaofeng laid on the ground, blood flowing from his abdomen to his mouth.


    "Who can save my husband? Who can save him ¡­" Xiaowan cried loudly. He suddenly quivered and pulled his son over, using all his strength to pinch his butt. He forced his son to cry, forced his son to cry in order to save his father.


    Little Pei cried in pain, his tears flowing as they fell, just like the Jade Ring s that did not test Ling Chaofeng''s abilities previously. His son''s tears could heal Xiaowan''s wounds, but they were unable to stop Ling Chaofeng''s blood.


    After exchanging a dozen or so rounds, the remaining people seemed to have recognized Wei Tengfei, they looked at each other and quickly retreated.


    Wei Tengfei originally wanted to chase after him, but when he heard the heart-wrenching wails of the Xiaowan, he rushed back.


    Ling Chaofeng was lying on the ground, his entire body covered in blood. Wei Tengfei seemed to have understood something and clenched his fists tightly, to the point that his bones were about to shatter.


    "Late ¡­" Ling Chaofeng struggled to raise his hand and hold onto his wife''s blood-stained face. He knew that he had reached his end and that was his last sentence.


    "Husband, I''ll go find a doctor. I''ll go find a doctor to save you ¡­" Xiaowan sobbed as she tightly blocked Ling Chaofeng''s wound, but the blood could not be stopped.


    "Late at night. In my next life, you have to wait for me by the river." Ling Chaofeng spat out a mouthful of blood and spoke with great difficulty, "I''m sorry, but I will be leaving first in this life."


    "Don''t leave, don''t get off me, Zhaofeng, don''t leave me behind ¡­" Xiaowan did not care about blocking her husband''s wound, and shakily picked him up, "I can''t leave you alone, Chao Feng, don''t leave me behind ¡­ ¡­"


    "I don''t like you crying. Late at night, don''t cry ¡­" Ling Chaofeng looked up and saw Wei Tengfei standing there. His body was also stained with blood.


    Ling Chaofeng was powerless to pursue the matter. Whether it was the people Wei Tengfei brought here, or the people who followed Wei Tengfei here, he knew that this man would take care of his wife in his place.


    "Husband, don''t die." Xiaowan held his face, she could not see anyone else in front of her.


    "Late at night. In your next life, remember to wait by the river ¡­"


    "Hubby!" "Hubby!"


    Ling Chaofeng''s hands slowly fell and he closed his eyes, never opening them.


    "Chao Feng, Ling Chaofeng, wake up, don''t leave me behind ¡­"


    Xiaowan''s crying echoed in the mountains. Even the birds and beasts in the mountains seemed to be shaken, and the spring air around them suddenly dimmed, as if the sky had fallen.


    "Xiaowan, Xiaowan." Wei Tengfei walked over, touched Ling Chaofeng''s nose, and sorrowfully told her, "He''s dead."


    Xiaowan''s face was covered in blood. She carried her husband in a daze, staring at Wei Tengfei blankly. She coldly spat out a few words: "General Wei, is it you who brought him here?"


    Wei Tengfei was startled. "No, Xiaowan, I came alone."


    It was at this moment that seven to eight soldiers who were following Wei Tengfei had caught up.


    Xiaowan looked at them mournfully, then looked at Wei Tengfei again: "General Wei, you can kill me too."


    Wei Tengfei shook his head: "Xiaowan, it''s not me, it''s not someone I brought."


    Xiaowan cried. "Wei Tengfei, kill me too!"


    Suddenly, a strong gale arose, causing sand and rocks to fly in all directions. The sky and ground to turn dark, making it hard for one to open one''s eyes.


    Without further ado, Wei Tengfei carried Xiaowan and her son and ordered his subordinates to carry Ling Chaofeng''s corpse. This place was close to a cliff and was extremely dangerous, he was really afraid that Xiaowan would leap down the next moment.


    At the same time, in the capital a thousand miles away, the Empress was feeding the fishes while hugging her daughter. It was unknown if it was because of the sand that entered her eyes or some other reason, but Siyan was crying for no reason.


    Her heart was in pain, and she felt unspeakably uncomfortable. She slowly began to sob, and the daughter in her arms, seeing her crying, also cried with her. She hugged the baby, unable to stop her tears as she coaxed her daughter to not cry.


    "Empress, what''s wrong?" The wet nurse and the Palace Maid were all very worried as they surrounded him.


    "I don''t know either." Siyan wiped her tears and said helplessly, "I suddenly want to cry."


    Palace Maid at the side said, "Empress, the Emperor has come."


    Siyan hurriedly wiped away her tears. When the emperor walked closer, he could still see her reddened eyes and face that were covered with makeup. He naturally asked: "Why are you crying?"


    "I don''t know." Siyan shook her head, "I suddenly feel like crying, my heart is especially sad, I don''t know why I feel so sad."


    As she spoke, she shed tears again.


    Xiang Run helplessly embraced her and said, "Did you miss your brother? Did you miss your hometown? We have already sent someone to pick up Wei Tengfei, and he will be coming to see you very soon. "


    Wei Siyan laid on his chest. Although she was comforted in her heart, she understood that she was not missing her brother, nor was she missing her hometown.


    Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan and Little Pei out, but he didn''t come back even if it was this late. Although Ling Chaofeng had confirmed that the imperial court did not send any arrest warrant to hunt him down, she had always warned them to be careful when they went out.


    "He''s coming." The Uncle Biao said as he pointed to the small boat floating slowly towards them.


    But, wherever the small boat went, the clear water would be dyed in red, and when they got closer, they saw that Xiaowan was covered in blood, Little Pei was seated at the side, and Ling Chaofeng was lying on the boat without moving.


    "What happened?" Aunt Zhang''s entire body tensed up, and she forcefully grabbed her husband''s hand.


    Behind Xiaowan, there was a boat with four to five people on it. The leader stood at the bow of the boat with his hands behind his back, staring at the Xiaowan who narrowed his eyes and said, "General Wei?"


    Seeing Ling Chaofeng covered in blood and lying lifelessly in the boat, while the Xiaowan''s eyes were gloomy, as if she couldn''t see them at all. She only dragged her husband and said, "Hubby, we''re home."


    "Zephyr!" Aunt Zhang cried. She already understood that this child was dead.


    She had personally witnessed the death of the child of a man who had grown up to be an indomitable man.


    "Morning Wind ¡­"


    Sobbing and crying echoed within the gorge. Just a few days ago, this place was still a paradise, and it was still filled with cheers and laughter. In the blink of an eye, the sky and earth shattered.


    Wei Tengfei, who had followed him, was not welcomed by anyone. He wanted his subordinates to clean up for Ling Chaofeng and was forced out the door with a broom. She closed the door and did not let anyone in, nor did he want to see anyone.


    The crying Aunt Zhang gradually calmed down and walked towards Wei Tengfei. The elder''s sharp eyes forced Wei Tengfei to feel weak, and he said: "He is not one of the people I brought."


    Aunt Zhang asked: If it wasn''t you, then who was it?


    Wei Tengfei''s men had already gone to check on the assassins that were killed, but they couldn''t find any mark of someone that was subordinate to them.


    The world might not know it, but Wei Tengfei was still a soldier. He understood very clearly that from the Great Emperor to the current emperor, he had a secret organization that was formed from a top tier assassins.


    They came and went without a trace, slaughtering people without a care for right or wrong, and only killed the people the Emperor wanted them to kill.


    At this moment, the Aunt Zhang asked with a hoarse voice, "Is it the Emperor?"


    Wei Tengfei clenched his fists tightly: "If it''s the emperor, I can only say that it''s Ling Chaofeng''s fault for knowing too much of the imperial government''s secrets."


    The Aunt Zhang scoffed, "He really is a good emperor ¡­ What did the two of them give birth to? "


    Wei Tengfei did not know of the feud between the Aunt Zhang and her wife, so he had naturally heard these strange words. At the moment, he cared more about the Xiaowan, worrying that the Xiaowan would follow after him.


    There were occasional sounds in the room, but no crying. He watched her with concern and murmured, "Could she be upset?"


    The sky slowly darkened. In the house, Xiaowan had already cleaned up Ling Chaofeng''s clothes and helped him put on his clothes. She had also finished packing up, she did not want Hubby to see her in such a sorry state.


    Xiaowan sat on the bedside and used a comb to comb her husband''s hair. Tears flowed unknowingly, but her expression looked very calm.


    She said: "Ershan has not been promoted to the top scholar yet, has not become a high official, and has not married Miss Meng. The child in Susu''s stomach has not been born yet, if it''s a daughter, then she''ll be our daughter-in-law. Young master, when we left, there were some debts that had not been settled yet, right? Others owe us, forget it, we will definitely repay the debts that we paid elsewhere. "


    After combing Ling Chaofeng''s hair, she laid his head down lightly on her husband''s chest. Under the teardrops, she forced a smile, "My husband''s body feels warm, it''s so comfortable."


    The pain of tens of thousands of arrows piercing his heart, pain that was worse than death, pain that could not be compared with the pain of skin and flesh. Mu Xiaowan felt that she no longer had any meaning to live, and her sky had collapsed.


    "Late, late, late ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng gasped in shock, then suddenly opened his eyes. Smoke rose in spirals, and a light muslin fluttered about.


    He sat up. There was a white jade bed underneath him and everything around him was carved in jade.


    Ling Chaofeng saw a woman slowly walking over with a bottle in her hands. Their gazes met, and Ling Chaofeng''s mind was in a whirl as he experienced life and death in the process. His heart suddenly trembled, and he blurted out, "Muhou?"


    "Chaofeng, you''re awake?" The woman had a head full of black hair, and her face was pretty. However, the last time Ling Chaofeng had seen her, her hair was completely white, and she begged the evil tyrant to let go of her daughter-in-law.


    "Muhou, so it was you who gave the Xiaowan the Jade Ring?" Ling Chaofeng stood up and rushed towards his mother, "It''s you?"


    Just as he finished speaking, several men rushed in from outside. Seeing that he had woken up, they all said: "You''re finally awake. Your soul is actually wrapped around a lover. No matter what, you won''t be able to call it back."


    The other said, "Third brother, for you, we were forced to run around for you by the Queen Mother, but you still couldn''t escape your fate. This is over, go obediently and squat in the great hall. We''ll pick you up a thousand years later. "


    The woman said angrily: "Shut up, all of you step back. I have something to say to Chaofeng."


    Everyone shrugged, walked up and patted Ling Chaofeng''s back, then disappeared into the wind.


    He followed his brothers to the front door. Seeing the smoke rising from the fairyland, all of Ling Chaofeng''s memories came back to life.


    The nine sons of the dragon, the prisoner Niu, Ya Ming, Feng Ji, Pu Prison, Suan Ni, Bibi, Bi''an, Xie Bi, and Jiao Qing, he was Xing San''s scoffing wind, and was one of the most respected princes of the dragon clan.


    However, 500 years ago, when he was chasing down the demons, he accidentally injured a mortal and was demoted to the cycle of reincarnation. He had to do all sorts of good deeds for the world to be able to return to the Heaven Realm.


    This life was none other than his ninth life. If he achieved great completion, he would be able to return to the throne.


    The woman was Ling Chaofeng''s mother, the Dragon Queen of Dragon Clan. She had calculated that in this life, her son would not be able to achieve perfection, would commit murder again, and in the end, wouldn''t be able to return to his position. He would be sent to the emperor''s palace to be a guardian beast of the mortal world.


    "I turned the scale on my chest into a Jade Ring and gave it to Mu Xiaowan. I had originally wanted to turn all your hostility towards her." Dragon mother helplessly smiled and brought her son to the mirror.


    In the mirror, he could see that Xiaowan was igniting a raging fire to cremate her dead husband.


    Dragon Mother said, "Every wish she made was made by your brothers who ran off for you, but in the end, she still screwed it up. She''s your sinner. "Son, tomorrow, you must go to the palace in the mortal world and guard the palace as the ruler of the world. You will only be able to return after a thousand years."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at the Heaven Mirror and looked at Xiaowan. She seemed to be within reach, but she was thousands of miles away.

 C122

    "As she continues to live her life, her fate has long been decided. But now that you are too preoccupied with your own matters, why should you care about a mere mortal? " The mother''s expression was cold. With a soft sigh, she turned around.


    In the Heaven Mirror,''s body turned into ashes while being enveloped in the flames. Xiaowan knelt to the side and looked at the flames that soared to the sky without moving an inch.


    Ling Chaofeng clenched his fist, afraid that in the next moment, she would jump in.


    "Late at night, I need to live well ¡­" Although the Xiaowan ignored him, he stayed in his mother''s embrace and did not move. This way, at the very least, would be able to stop the Xiaowan from burning herself to death.


    It was only then that Ling Chaofeng remembered his son. Now he completely understood where the Golden Dragon came from, and where the horns on his son''s head came from.


    Little Pei was his son, his father had nine sons, and each of them had their own form. Little Pei, on the other hand, had the might of a five clawed Golden Dragon, and if he were to return to the Heaven Realm, he would definitely be doted upon.


    As expected, Dragon Queen returned to the front of the Heaven''s Mirror, looking at her grandson lovingly as he muttered to himself.


    "Muhou, late at night is just a mortal body, why would you give birth to a dragon grandson with me?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    His mother looked at him but said nothing.


    Ling Chaofeng was about to speak again when a ray of golden light barged in, only to see a small Golden Dragon circling the hall. The gigantic Golden Dragon that he saw in the mortal world actually came to the Immortal World and became so small. It was just as Little Pei had said, he was still very young.


    Very quickly, the little Golden Dragon took human form, and it was still the little guy with the horn on his head. It happily ran towards its grandmother and shouted, "Grandmother, Grandmother ¡­"


    Dragon Queen was overjoyed. He hugged his grandson to his chest, unwilling to let go.


    "Little Pei?" Ling Chaofeng walked forward, but pulled him out from his mother''s embrace and asked sternly, "If you come back, what about Mother?"


    Little Pei pouted: "Grandma called me back."


    Dragon Queen looked at his son coldly. "Little Pei is not a mortal, how long do you want him to stay in the mortal world? He was sent by me to reduce your sins, but what happened? It wasn''t easy for you to get to the ninth life, but you actually committed murder and arson for a woman.


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t want to argue. When he had no memories of his previous life, he was just a mortal being influenced by the seven emotions and six desires, which was why he developed all kinds of personality traits.


    Thinking back to the nine lifetimes of reincarnation, no matter how hard it had been, no matter how helpless he had been, he always felt that he had lived a full life.


    "Good night! If you lose me, and if you lose Little Pei, she won''t be able to continue living." Ling Chaofeng said solemnly, "If she was forced to death, muhou, could it be that this isn''t my sin, nor is it your sin?"


    Dragon Queen said angrily: "Take care of yourself first and wait for the judgement tomorrow. In the next thousand years, you will only be able to stay trapped inside the stone statue and squat on the roof of the Announcement Hall, and watch over every single part of the mortal world. I really want to know, how else do you still want to care about her life and death? "


    "Muhou ¡­"


    "Grandmother." Little Pei spoke in a childish voice as he grabbed onto Dragon Queen''s skirt. His beautiful big eyes were filled with pleading eyes.


    "I came to visit royal father, I''m going home." Little Pei said obediently, "The tens of years that have passed have passed in the blink of an eye. When my mother''s time is up, I will come back immediately."


    The Dragon Queen sighed, squatted down and hugged his grandson, then said solemnly: "Don''t leak out the secret, those few people only know that you are a Golden Dragon, maybe you got lucky, but this is all. Just as they once asked you, and you did not answer, so it will be from now on. Little Pei, if you dare to tell her or anyone else a single word, you will immediately fly back and never be able to return to her side.


    "I know." Little Pei nodded strongly, and said to Ling Chaofeng even more, "Father, I will protect mother."


    The Dragon Queen continued, "You can''t recklessly use your mana in the human world. Although Grandma can''t stop you, if you violate the rules like your father, you have to accompany him to guard the palace as a stone statue. Little Pei, promise Grandma that you will never follow in your father''s footsteps. "


    "Grandson has remembered it." Little Pei earnestly promised, and ran over to bow to his father, but his eyes were filled with tears, "Father, you have to take care of yourself, don''t worry, I will protect mother."


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart warmed, and he hugged his son in his embrace.


    Mother and son were connected so the Dragon Queen could feel his son''s feelings at the moment. She sighed helplessly and shook his head.


    She put down the treasure bottle she was wearing in the future and coldly said, "You will guard the Imperial Palace and protect the fate of our Daqi Nation for a thousand years. Within a thousand years, you are not allowed to leave the Divine Statue for anything else but to defend the Emperor against external enemies. There''s Soul Divergence Pill in here. If you need it, you can detach your immortal soul from the divine statue, but you won''t be able to sense anything and won''t be able to sense any magic power. You have to be careful. When leaving the soul, if you are attacked and devoured by fiendish demons, even Heavenly Emperor Buddha won''t be able to save you. "A thousand years may be long, but I know that these few decades alone won''t be enough to keep you locked up."


    kowtowed to his mother to express his gratitude. Dragon Queen walked away with a brush of his sleeves, Little Pei placed the precious bottle into his father''s hands, and said: "Father, I will visit you at the Imperial Palace to bring you something nice to eat."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Keep it yourself. You have to be obedient and not cause mother to feel sad. Little Pei, Father will leave Mother to you. "


    Ling Pei agreed, and after bowing to his father, he transformed into a chubby little Golden Dragon. In the mortal world, he was so imposing and domineering. When he returned to the fairyland, he was truly still a child.


    A golden light rode the wind and flew past. Ling Chaofeng walked to the front of the Heaven Mirror and saw Xiaowan gathering the ashes.


    When Little Pei returned from the Heaven Realm, a large gust of wind blew away the uncollected ashes, but Xiaowan did not feel sad. Whether it was blown away by the wind or scattered into the river, her husband would always be by her side when he was everywhere in the world.


    She placed all the flowers inside a box and carefully put them away. She then said to his son who was beside her, "Little Pei, can you send father off with your mother tomorrow?"


    The child nodded, the Xiaowan looked at him and suddenly woke up, and immediately asked: "Little Pei, are you hungry?"


    As he spoke, he opened the front of his robe, revealing his snow-white breasts, and pulled Jiao Er into his arms.


    Little Pei was startled. He had planned to never drink milk again, grow up, and protect his mother properly. However, he thought that if he did not need his mother to feed him now, she would be even more disappointed.


    "Mother ¡­" He called softly.


    "Be good, eat your fill, mother will coax you to sleep." Xiaowan held her son, her body warm, just like his father, "Little Pei is not afraid. Your father is no longer around, your mother will protect you, and no one will hurt you."


    After the fire was extinguished, it was already pitch black. The mother and son pair nestled against each other in the darkness. In the distance, Wei Tengfei stood straight and still, not moving an inch. Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao, as well as Mrs. Sun and Aunt did not come closer.


    Everything that she had done, was done by the Xiaowan herself. She did not let anyone intervene in the matter, and even used her frail body to carry the burly Ling Chaofeng out. She fell countless of times, crawled up countless of times, and did not shed a single tear.


    The soft and gentle young lady of the past had become so strong.


    At night, the Xiaowan slept with his son. Little Pei did not want her to work hard, so he pretended to sleep with his eyes closed.


    When he opened his eyes, his mother was curled up in a ball with her back to him. Her body was trembling and she let out a very faint whimper.


    The next day, her swollen eyes were evidence of her tears, but she didn''t shed tears in front of others. She calmly brought her son into the river on a boat, scattering her husband''s ashes like a river.


    In the valley, Aunt Zhang looked like she was about to faint as she drank half a bowl of porridge. Even if she did not want to move, Mrs. Sun advised her to cheer up and they had to take care of Xiaowan.


    Wei Tengfei walked over and asked with a calm expression: "Are you staying here or going somewhere else, or ¡­ Come back to Chuanyu with me, I won''t let anyone harm you guys anymore. I am going out with a friend Ling Chaofeng, his family, I will not ignore them. "


    Aunt Zhang shook her head: "Wherever Xiaowan goes, I''ll go. I''m her mother."


    She was dressed in white clothes, and was pale as snow. She held her son''s hand and walked over slowly, and when she saw Wei Tengfei, she no longer resented him, but ignored his existence.


    Wei Tengfei could not stay here forever, so he had no choice but to ask again: "Xiaowan, what do you plan to do next?"


    The Xiaowan didn''t say a word and brought Little Pei back to the tile room.


    "General Wei, you should go." "It''s already not easy for her to be alive now. As time passes, we''ll naturally have an idea."


    Wei Tengfei knew that Xiaowan had misunderstood and brought her troops to chase after Ling Chaofeng. Right now, she had lost her husband and could not stay calm. However, he knew what would happen to the Xiaowan in the future. He was willing to spend his entire life to protect this woman.


    "General, if we delay any longer, I''m afraid Long Yan will be angered. You have to think about this for the Empress." The servant cautiously reminded Wei Tengfei, "General, things have gotten to this point, let''s go first."


    Wei Tengfei sighed deeply, "Let''s go."


    In the capital, after the assembly had ended, under the leadership of the emperor, the Ministry of Rites and Works had worked together to invite the new guardian beast onto the Announcement Hall to fly over. Empress Wei Siyan carried the little princess and came to watch the ceremony.


    The ritual officer solemnly told them that this divine beast could deter demons and eliminate disasters. Please stay on the roof of the Announcement Hall and protect the national destiny of the Daqi for ten thousand years.


    Xiang Run said coldly, "Although divine beasts are intelligent, they are still unable to stop the mediocre and incompetent children. No matter how good the rivers and mountains are, they will still be defeated by them. I am unable to control the events that will happen a hundred years from now, but as long as I am in power, my heart must be with the people, and the country must be the priority. "


    Siyan held the baby and looked up at the dignified and solemn stone statue. Her heart ached a little and that indescribable sadness appeared again.


    "Yan''Er?" Xiang Run thought that the Empress was moved by the solemnness and said with a smile, "Is what I said too serious? After all, our children are our children. "Don''t worry, in the future, if we have any sons or grandsons, we will definitely teach them well."


    Siyan smiled, and her tears glimmered: "It''s probably because the sand has entered my eyes, I''m really happy in my heart."

 C123

    As soon as the Queen finished speaking, a hurricane swept past and dust flew in front of the Announcement Hall. She quickly used her wide sleeves to cover her daughter from the sand and wind, while the Emperor pulled up his sleeves and embraced both his wife and daughter.


    Fortunately, this gust of wind passed by very quickly, and the world became clear once more without any clouds.


    "Send the Empress back to her Culture Hall first." Xiang Run instructed and said to Siyan, "We will be there shortly."


    Siyan nodded. "Your majesty, slow down.


    The palace servants clustered around the queen as she slowly left. On top of the roof, the craftsmen had already fixed the statue of the Divine Beast firmly. After cleaning the Jin Wa, they quickly retreated.


    Xiang Run clasped his hands and prayed as he recited these words in his heart. The people around him also bowed down, begging the divine beasts to bless the fate of Daqi Nation.


    Ling Chaofeng''s Immortal Body was within the stone statue. He was looking down at the ground and at the moment, the Emperor was as insignificant as well.


    Nine lives in cycle of reincarnation had experienced many different kinds of life. Who would have thought that in the last life, he would be so helpless? The Emperor had killed him, but he was still the guardian of the mountains and rivers for him.


    After the ceremony, Xiang Run returned to the Qingming Pavilion. Just as he arrived at the door, someone delivered a secret report to him and went to the inner hall to read it. After finding out that Ling Chaofeng had disappeared into thin air, his heart sank, and he said: "Let his wife and children go, but watch them. Normally speaking, there is no need to make things difficult for them, and no one else is allowed to make things difficult for them. "


    He stayed in the Qingming Pavilion for a long time, his heart trembling for no reason.


    And at this moment, within the Culture Hall, after the wet nurse carried the little princess over, Siyan didn''t look at her normally for a while. Today, she stood blankly by herself in front of the main hall''s entrance, the hem of her skirt spread open behind her.


    She looked in the direction of the Announcement Hall, staring intently at it.


    Announcement Hall, Qingming Pavilion, and Culture Hall; the three halls lined up in a line from south to north with Announcement Hall at the highest level, followed by Qingming Pavilion, with of the middle palace only slightly lacking in comparison to Qingming Pavilion of the middle palace.


    Standing there, she could see the golden roof of the Announcement Hall, but it was a pity that the stone statue of the God Beast was blocked by the roof.


    "Empress, are you alright?" The mama brought over a bowl of tea and said respectfully, "Last night, the emperor privately asked the servants if there was anything on your mind. If there is, the servants said so; it''s not that they''re unfaithful to you, it''s because they hope for the emperor to enlighten the imperial concubine." However, these servants can''t explain why. Empress, if you have any worries, can this servant help you resolve them? "


    Siyan smiled gently, "If I had known about this, how would I have hidden it from you, Grandma? I was particularly sad, but I wasn''t unhappy, and I worried that my brother wouldn''t be like that. It was as if someone close to me was in pain, and I felt the same way. "


    Holding her heart, she smiled helplessly. "When did I become such a hypocritical person?" She said to the mama, "I will tell the emperor myself not to talk too much."


    The mama hurriedly said, "This servant wouldn''t dare."


    Two hours later, the emperor finally arrived at the Middle Palace. He hugged his little daughter to tease her for a while, and then told Siyan that his big brother was already on his way to the capital.


    Siyan looked at him quietly and said, "It''s a good thing that the emperor is concerned about me, but if you have something you want to ask me directly, I will naturally tell you what I should say.


    Xiang Run''s face slightly darkened, "Yan''er, I was just worried about you."


    Siyan smiled, "I know."


    The emperor then asked, "Then why have you shed tears in the past two days?"


    Siyan told the Emperor what she said to the mama just now. She asked, "Your Majesty, who could it be?"


    Xiang Run''s heart skipped a beat again, he pretended to hug his daughter to tease her, and avoided his wife''s gaze.


    Was it Mu Xiaowan, the so called sadness that Empress had sensed, that Mu Xiaowan was crying?


    But he heard Siyan say from behind him, "Your Majesty, please be at ease. I won''t always be like this, I''m the national mother of Daqi, I must put my heart at ease for the citizens, I should not be so hypocritical anymore."


    Xiang Run lowered his heart, and turned to embrace her: "You don''t have to suppress your emotions, I hope you can live a carefree life. If there''s nothing else you can do, then let us bear all of it."


    In a valley thousands of miles away, the Xiaowan had locked herself in her house. In the blink of an eye, three days had passed and she had not eaten a single mouthful.


    Mrs. Sun made porridge and stood in front of the door: "Xiaowan, if you don''t eat it, what are you going to feed Little Pei?"


    Only then did the door open. The person dressed in white, with a dark and pale face, walked out of the room and took the bowl of porridge from Mrs. Sun''s hands and gulped it down.


    Aunt Zhang was standing in front of her door. After she finished eating the porridge, Aunt Zhang would step forward and hold her hand: "Evening, you must be fine. If anything happens to you again ¡­"


    "Aunt, I want to go back to Baisha Town." Xiaowan suddenly said.


    "Return to the Baisha Town?" Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang said in unison, "It''s not good to go anywhere, there''s no need to go back to that place."


    Xiaowan''s gaze was cold: "I want to bring Little Pei along and live in an upright and upright manner in this world. I want to do what Hubby has not done yet, to raise Little Pei up, to let those people who think I''m a demon see how good our lives are."


    "Grandson ¡­"


    "I don''t want to hide here, I don''t want Little Pei to suffer alongside me." Xiaowan was firm in her decision as she said to Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao, "Follow me, I don''t want you guys to stay here, I can''t leave you behind, and neither can you leave me and Little Pei."


    Aunt Zhang nodded his head: "Wherever you go, I will go."


    Xiaowan looked at Mrs. Sun: "What about you?"


    The Mrs. Sun said: "I''m here to farm and rear the sheep. If you guys think it''s annoying outside, then come and rest for a few days. No matter what, to be able to hide from the wind and rain, to be able to eat, this is still the hard work of the Manager Ling, isn''t it? "


    Xiaowan slowly looked at the valley once more. Her husband had made this place a paradise, maybe he really wasn''t using it as a place to hide from the world, but to occasionally bring her or his children to play. The next time he came, she hoped that she would be happier.


    Although her husband had died and there was nothing in the Xiaowan that was worthy of her laughter, she still had Little Pei. No matter what, she had to bring up her son.


    Whether Little Pei was a human or a dragon, a god or a devil, she did not care at all.


    They quickly packed their luggage. When they came, they did not bring much, did not stay for long, and did not have much to take with them. Thus, Mrs. Sun stuffed some dry rations and water into the boat.


    However, it was very dangerous for the small boat to travel far into the river. It would only be able to land after exiting the valley and rent a carriage to return to Li Prefecture.


    Xiaowan brought her son along with Uncle Biao to the place where Ling Chaofeng met with trouble. The bloodstains there had not yet been washed away by the wind and rain, and had already dried to a sinister dark brown.


    The Xiaowan ordered Little Pei to swallow the clouds and spit out the water, washing this entire place clean with torrential rain. She then stood on the cliff and scattered the paper money everywhere.


    "Master, I''m going to take Little Pei back to the Baisha Town. That''s where we get married.


    Xiaowan looked at the endless mountain range and the endless sky with tears in her eyes, trying her best to smile.


    "Master, when you were by my side, it was always home. But now that you''re gone, I don''t have the courage to come home from all over the world. Don''t laugh at me, there are all the traces you left in the inn, you can make me feel at ease. But Ling Chaofeng, you must remember, in the next life, I will be waiting for you by the river. In the next life, you must come and find me. "


    The paper money was like pieces of snow as it fluttered in the air. The thin and weak person stood tall on the cliff, looking miserable and tragic. Xiaowan decisively turned around and called out to her son.


    "Time to go home." Little Pei shouted, and ran forward and held onto his mother''s hand, running towards Uncle Biao. They got on the carriage, and the Uncle Biao drove the carriage, running all the way to Baisha Town.


    Every word that Xiaowan said while standing at the edge of the cliff echoed for over five hundred kilometers.


    Furthermore, although Ling Chaofeng would have to stay here and guard the place for a thousand years in the form of a Divine Beast that was guarding the palace, his mana had already recovered.


    If not, leaving the stone statue without permission would be a crime, a crime even worse.


    The Xiaowan was too far away, and if he were to go to the Xiaowan''s side, it was very likely that he would be attacked by demons halfway through her journey. When that time came, her soul would be destroyed, and she would truly be separated from the Xiaowan for eternity.


    Unless she came to the capital, which was closer and the atmosphere was solemn under the feet of the Son of Heaven, the demons and ghosts would not be able to come in for a while.


    But as long as the Xiaowan had peace for the rest of his life, anywhere was fine. If someone wanted to hurt her, even if they violated the rules, Ling Chaofeng would fly out and protect her with all his might.


    The eldest son, Captive Cow, was by his side and said worriedly, "Mother, logically speaking, Third Brother should have ended his life. Even though he still has his memories, he shouldn''t have had anything to do with the person in this life, why would he keep thinking about this woman called Mu Xiaowan?"


    The Dragon Queen said with a heavy expression: "The bad fate has yet to come, and the future is bumpy. We have forcefully changed his fate, and we have not avoided the final result, this Mu Xiaowan''s life is truly hard."


    Captive Cow said, "Should we send our son to the Underworld to take a look? How much longevity does she still have? And who is his next life?


    Dragon Queen waved his hand: "Love is in your brother''s heart, so what if Mu Xiaowan dies? Let them be. Immortals have a unique path, they will never achieve anything in their entire lives. "


    When she heard that her brother was entering the palace today, she carried her daughter and stayed outside the Culture Hall, where the palace people ahead of them reported that the Great General had already entered the palace, and wanted to go to the Announcement Hall to report to the Emperor first.


    "After the great general sees the emperor, come quickly to Culture Hall and tell him that the little princess and I miss him very much." The empress didn''t try to conceal her thoughts as she instructed the court lady, "I ordered him not to change his clothes. He''s from his own family, so there''s no need to be too particular."


    He slowly walked up the stone steps with a solemn expression, the imperial guards went up to take off the sword and armor in his hands, Wei Tengfei advanced again, he was unknowingly shocked. Raising his head, he looked at the Announcement Hall inscribed board, his gaze inadvertently rested on the eaves.


    There was a new divine beast guarding the palace, and it was powerful and domineering, causing people to feel reverence towards it. When he was focused on, the palace maid politely told him, "It''s just that the new divine beast invited by the Emperor is different from the last time you entered the palace."


    Wei Tengfei nodded and continued inside the palace. There were hundreds of civil and military officials in the palace, and the emperor sat on the seat of honor.


    He kowtowed to pay his respects, and with a loud voice, he congratulated the Emperor on winning the favor of the princess. After a round of heartless greetings, one of the officials asked, "General Wei, why did you take such a long time to arrive at the capital after just half a month''s journey? "If you have any news on the way, this official would like to hear more about it."


    Wei Tengfei laughed coldly: "Master has been in the capital for a long time, like a frog in the well, if you want to know about the world, you have to go out and take a look, I''ve told you, do you understand?"


    Everyone was shocked. Didn''t he say he was a frog in the well to include the emperor?


    Xiang Run looked indifferent, and said disapprovingly: "Imperial Uncle has worked hard, the Empress has missed you so much, go to the Culture Hall and meet the Queen first."


    Wei Tengfei accepted the decree to thank him and used his Announcement Hall.


    The court ministers were all at a loss. Some of them could not help but say: "Your majesty, General Wei is so angry that he ignores your majesty. This subject cannot tolerate it."


    Xiang Run smiled blandly: "Why are you guys asking for humiliation by talking to a soldier? You think you''re the smartest when you talk to him? Forget it, all of you can leave. The general has come to reunite with the empress.


    In front of the Culture Hall, Siyan paced back and forth, until she finally saw the mighty silhouette of a woman flying towards him. Wei Tengfei was stunned for a moment, but after a moment, she allowed her little sister to hug him.


    He said in annoyance, "She doesn''t look like the empress at all."


    Siyan said in a tender voice, "Big brother, where did you go? You''re worried to death."

 C124

    The brother and sister reunited, mutual talk, the emperor soon arrived.


    Siyan could no longer ignore her etiquette like before. She could only lower herself and sit beside Xiang Run, making small talk with her brother.


    After Wei Tengfei carried the little princess away, he followed the emperor to the Qingming Pavilion. Xiang Run''s Lifesaver Palace cooked some tea under the window, saying that they wanted to part ways from the emperor and drink some tea to reminisce the old.


    However, there was nothing to talk about between the two of them, but before Wei Tengfei came, he knew what the emperor would tell him.


    When he was facing his sister just now, Wei Tengfei couldn''t control himself and wanted to tell her about Ling Chaofeng''s death.


    However, if his little sister found out, the Emperor would send someone to kill Ling Chaofeng, forcing Xiaowan to lose her husband, making it worse than death. The relationship between the Emperor and the Empress would definitely be damaged or even broken down.


    Wei Tengfei was still a subject after all. He could not be too conceited, so he got up and knelt down towards the emperor and said, "I believe Your Majesty has already received the news that Your Majesty did not send anyone. During the battle, I had wrongly killed Your Majesty''s subordinates, and ask for Your Majesty''s punishment."


    Xiang Run glanced at him faintly: "Are you going to look for Ling Chaofeng, or Mu Xiaowan?"


    Wei Tengfei''s expression turned serious, and replied: "All of them."


    The Emperor rested his chin on his hand and asked, "What did you say when you saw the Empress just now?"


    "This subject did not say a word. In a few days, this subject will be leaving the capital. Even if the Empress finds out about what happened afterwards, I hope that Your Majesty will forgive me." The empress was still young, and had very little experience in the world. If there''s anything that''s rash and impolite, I beg the emperor to forgive her on account of my father and this subject''s loyalty to the Daqi. "


    "There is no need for you to worry about the relationship between me and Yan''Er. You are right, you will leave the capital very soon. Whether you speak of it or not, you will not be able to see or touch the rest of the matters." If the empress really misunderstands something, we will try our best to explain and comfort her. Since things have already come to this, as the empress of Daqi, she should have her share of responsibility. "


    The emperor lightly rapped his fingers on the table as a thought flashed through his mind. When he deeply fell in love with his wife and saw Yan''Er as the other half of his life, he began to understand what emotions were in this world.


    If he guessed wrong, it didn''t matter. It was indeed a good plan.


    "Tengfei, the Queen''s biggest worry is that you don''t have a wife or children. She''s afraid that you''ll be left alone with no one to take care of you." The emperor said, "The empress and Mu Xiaowan are like sisters. Even though the days we have known each other are short, it seems like we are destined to have a lifelong friendship. Now that Ling Chaofeng has passed away, it is very pitiful for him to be a young widow. Why don''t we help you two get married and marry Mu Xiaowan to you? If she were to become the wife of a general and be protected by you from now on, Ling Chaofeng would definitely be at ease as well. "


    Wei Tengfei stared at the emperor in shock and suddenly stood up. "Your Majesty, by doing this, you will force Xiaowan to death. She will definitely oppose the decree with her death."


    The Emperor raised his thick eyebrows slightly. He had guessed correctly.


    Wei Tengfei realized that his thoughts had been seen through by the emperor and felt a little embarrassed. He clenched his fists and bowed his head without saying a word.


    "I only mention it like that. Since you''re unwilling, how can I force you? I originally wanted you to marry a widow because I wronged you."


    He did not want to anger Wei Tengfei, nor had he ever thought of making things difficult for the Chuanyu army. But because of Ling Chaofeng and Mu Xiaowan, there was actually a disagreement between the monarchs and officials.


    "Many thanks for the emperor''s good intentions. This subject appreciates it. May Your Majesty and the Empress rest assured that this subject will take good care of himself." Wei Tengfei said stiffly. As a soldier, he was really not good with words.


    The emperor was unwilling to fall out with him, so he said, "I understand that this matter will never be brought up again. Coincidentally, next month, the thousands of horses that we bought from the Western Regions will arrive in the capital. You can pick some to bring back to the Chuanyu. "


    "Thank you, your majesty." Wei Tengfei thanked him expressionlessly, and had nothing else to say.


    Halfway through March, the feeling of spring became even stronger, and the Baisha Town gradually returned to its former tranquility and flourishing.


    After the matter with the Ling Xiao Inn had passed by for a while, they had realized that Ling Chaofeng''s anger was not ignited for no reason. If they had not heard and bewitched Mu Xiaowan into thinking that she was a demon, there would not have been anything that happened afterwards.


    But this matter, was as if everyone in Baisha County had been possessed. Thinking back, they really could not understand what had happened to them during that period of time.


    Susu still went to the inn. Although there were no longer people eating and staying in, and the kitchen stove was cold, she would open it everyday.


    Da Qing would drive the carriage very slowly, and when Susu was really unwell, the Auntie Chen would take her place.


    Susu said that she must wait for the Xiaowan to return or come to fetch her.


    When the mother and daughter sat down to eat, they saw two year old fat kids running in. When they first saw them, they were startled, but Little Pei recognized Susu and Grandma Chen. He immediately ran over and pampered: "Aunt Susu."


    Susu and her mother looked at each other. This child looked somewhat familiar, as if she was the son of the Xiaowan.


    But in the next moment, a carriage stopped in front of the door. Susu quickly ran out to see, only to see Uncle Biao jumping off the carriage.


    They were finally back, causing Susu''s eyes to fill with tears, but her heart suddenly twitched, the Xiaowan in her eyes, was covered with silk, who was she mourning for?


    Wait, why are there only three people? Where is the shopkeeper ¡­


    Impossible, Susu did not believe it. How could it be possible for Ling Chaofeng to be a god?


    When Susu heard the Xiaowan explaining everything to her, and even Little Pei''s miracles, she felt as if she had been separated from them for several lifetimes. How could she be alright, the whole world had changed.


    "Grandson ¡­" Susu held his hand with tears in her eyes as she sobbed, "Shopkeeper, really ¡­ It''s gone? "


    Xiaowan nodded: "You can''t revive after death, don''t worry, I will be fine."


    She looked around the inn and found that it was still familiar.


    She got up and went upstairs. Xiaowan touched the smooth and shiny arms of the stairs and stepped onto the solid stairs. When she arrived at the second floor, she saw that all of the clouds had disappeared.


    Pushing the door and entering the guest room, it was just as Wei Tengfei had said. The place had been robbed and the originally elegant and refined furnishings were all gone, she turned around and walked out, going to the third floor.


    Their bedroom, like the second floor, had been plundered. Only the unmovable things remained, but that was enough.


    The bed was still there, smashed and mended, at least it was still there.


    Xiaowan sat on the bed board without bed sheets, everything that had once happened between him and her husband surfaced in her mind.


    "Mother ¡­" Little Pei ran up and stood in front of the door.


    "Hungry?" The Xiaowan smiled benevolently and hugged his son in his arms. "Don''t bite me, it''s going to hurt mom. I''ll spank your butt."


    However, Little Pei said, "Mother, I''ve grown up. I don''t need to drink milk, I will eat a good meal."


    Xiaowan lightly tapped his chubby face, "It''s Dragon Boat Festival, so when you are born a hundred days later, can Mother not feed you anymore? Mother hopes that Little Pei will grow up to be like Father. "


    Little Pei smacked his lips. He''s still young, of course he would be greedy for it.


    Xiaowan hugged her son. The warm little fatty gave some comfort to her ice-cold heart.


    She could not live on whether he was dead or alive. He could not live like a ghost or a ghost. Her husband seemed to have known in the underworld that he would worry about her and not be able to live in peace. She couldn''t let Ling Chaofeng die because of her endless heart.


    Xiaowan asked his son: "I''m full, Mother will bring you to town. We will go buy some things and set up the inn once more. From now on, you will be the little shopkeeper.


    Little Pei was satisfied with his meal, he did not have time to reply, and was lightly patted on the butt by the Xiaowan: "Greedy Cat, why is your strength so strong?"


    Downstairs, everyone consoled Susu who was crying sorrowfully. Not long after, they saw the mother and son duo come down.


    Xiaowan asked Uncle Biao if she still had the energy to go to the town to gather the ingredients as she wanted to reopen the inn.


    Before she left, she brought her son to the cellar. What was unexpected was that the villagers who came to steal the treasures were unable to enter, or had not noticed, but had missed out on this place.


    The Xiaowan had the key to open the cellar''s door, and sure enough, it was completely empty inside, but there were still a few boxes of gold and jewelry that Ling Chaofeng had promised his wife.


    The Xiaowan led her son deeper inside. She remembered that there was a door there, and that was where Little Pei had originally went to find his father. Unfortunately, now that she had walked over again, the ground behind the door was completely sealed up.


    It didn''t matter since he no longer had to work for the imperial government and there was no need to transport the gold and silver away from here.


    The family rode on the carriage and entered the town. From the moment Uncle Biao appeared, the passersby were all stunned, then the carriage stopped, and Xiaowan alighted with his son. The young young lady was dressed in white, who was she mourning for?


    The Uncle Biao took her to the carpentry store''s rice shop and cloth shop, then the Xiaowan went to Uncle Zhou''s blacksmith shop. Uncle Zhou also shouted in the crowd that he could not burn the Xiaowan to death, and when he saw the child, his eyes filled with tears. When he saw her wearing a silk robe, he could only ask for the reason, and was shocked to see Ling Chaofeng''s death.


    The Xiaowan promised some silver, and asked Uncle Zhou to lock the shop up and build the wok again. After that, he said his goodbyes, and brought Little Pei to buy some snacks to eat. Then, he left the town with a cart full of food.


    Those shops were originally on good terms with the Ling Xiao Inn, so naturally, they were willing to do this business. But there were many families in the town who had lost their loved ones in the great fire.


    Someone took the lead and went to the yamen together, inviting the county magistrate to make the decision. The county magistrate had already been warned by the General Wei, so he didn''t dare make things difficult for Mu Xiaowan.


    Upon hearing that Ling Chaofeng had died accidentally, the county magistrate''s eyes widened: "Dead?"


    Master said: "It was said that Mu Xiaowan personally told the blacksmith shop''s people, and many people heard it."


    "Then, then it''s over ¡­" The county magistrate stuttered, "Go and tell those people that Ling Chaofeng is dead. If they dare to cross over with Ling Xiao Inn, then they will definitely cross over with me. Go and scare them, and don''t allow anyone to cause trouble. One day, General Wei and his cavalry would rush over and flatten this place. They would not even have the time to cry. "


    News of this spread far and wide, and even if Qingling Village were far away, they would quickly receive the news.


    Someone rushed over and informed Madam Xu that the Xiaowan had returned and was widowed. Upon hearing that Ling Chaofeng had died, the Madam Xu did not believe it, how could such a big and powerful person die?


    "Is he really dead?" She kept asking and then looked straight into Aunt Wang''s eyes. With Ling Chaofeng dead, there was no one left to support Xiaowan anymore.


    "Hurry, to the inn." The Madam Xu threw away the melon seeds in her hands and ran back to the house excitedly to take a bag of skin, but she did not put on any airs and urged the Aunt Wang, "Follow me to the inn, I will give you food and drinks to bring back. That slut has no one to support her now, her legs and stomach will tremble when she sees me."


    How smart was Aunt Wang, she felt that it was inappropriate, but Madam Xu was too happy, she couldn''t stop them. She used the excuse that she couldn''t leave the house and wouldn''t follow, but she lent her the donkey cart.


    Inside the tavern, Xiaowan had just returned from collecting all the things she needed, including some furniture, curtains, etc. She was still waiting for the people in the shop to deliver the goods to her.


    Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang were busy cooking at the back of the kitchen, wanting to start a fire in the shop again. Susu was pregnant, Xiaowan couldn''t bear to make it so hard for her, so she could only bring Little Pei to play.


    When everyone was extremely busy, someone barged in from the entrance. The Madam Xu shouted, "Xiaowan, you''re back!


    Hearing the disgusting voice, the Xiaowan laughed coldly, crawled up from the ground, and held onto the railing: "What are you doing here?"


    Madam Xu looked up, and just as she was about to speak, a cloth descended from the sky and hit her in the face.


    "Get out!"


    "You ¡­ you''re a widow ¡­" The Madam Xu said angrily, "What do you think if you still have a man supporting you? Get down, see if I break your legs or not, get down."


    Hearing the shouts, Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang came out. When they saw Madam Xu, they were filled with anger, but just as she was about to pull up her sleeves and attack, Xiaowan came down to block him.


    "Are you going or not?" Xiaowan forced her.


    "I, I ¡­" Seeing her approach, Madam Xu raised her hand to slap her.


    However, Xiaowan caught her hand and pushed her back. She was currently filled with hatred and grudges, yet she didn''t know that she was blocking Buddha''s evil aura that could kill gods and devils. Madam Xu wanted to crash into her right at this moment, but she didn''t know that what was rising in her body was Buddha blocking the evil aura that could kill gods and buddhas.


    Seeing Madam Xu on the ground, stepping on her leg, causing Madam Xu to scream like a pig being butchered, she said angrily: "If you come again, I''ll cut you into eight pieces and throw you into the mountains to feed the wild wolves."

 C125

    Madam Xu was dumbstruck. She had imagined that young lady, who had just lost her husband, would be miserable and weak, helpless and vulnerable to others. In the past, Mu Xiaowan had been in her hands for more than ten years, and every time she heard her voice, she would tremble.


    But right now, it was obvious that Xiaowan still had not gotten over her anger. She bent down and grabbed Madam Xu''s neck, scaring him so much that she grabbed at her and asked her to let go.


    However, her neck was being pinched so tightly that she couldn''t breathe, she couldn''t care less and could only desperately break Xiaowan''s hand, struggling to say: "You little slut, let me go, let me go ¡­ ¡­"


    "Do you remember? If I see you again, I will definitely make you meet the King of Hell. "Next time you see me, stay away from me. Don''t even let me see you." Xiaowan''s entire body was filled with a ruthless aura, as though she had lost control of it, she roared, "Those who want to live, scram."


    Madam Xu rolled on the ground, holding onto her neck with much difficulty as she gasped for breath and coughed, trembling as she looked at Xiaowan.


    This person no longer had his old shadow, nor did he look like a dead man''s wife. Her eyes were filled with murderous intent, almost like a devil.


    Uncle Biao walked up and pulled Madam Xu up like a little chick and threw him out of the door. She rolled a few times, then crawled up from the ground while crying and wailing.


    Xiaowan was so angry that she moved up and down, gasping for breath. Little Pei came out from nowhere and climbed up the hem of her skirt. Xiaowan carried him in her arms, and his son''s fat little hands touched her chest.


    "Mother isn''t angry. Mother, don''t be angry." Little Pei earnestly comforted his mother. His eyes were sparkling and translucent, a single tear fell onto the hem of Xiaowan''s clothes. In that moment, the ruthless aura around her body dissipated.


    "Little Pei..." Xiaowan felt very tired, he couldn''t even hold her son anymore, so he could only sit to the side and rub her son''s head, "Mother scared Little Pei, is that right? Little Pei isn''t afraid, Mother wouldn''t do that to you."


    However, her son comforted her gently and helped her calm down. He said in a baby voice, "Mother and Little Pei."


    The scene just now was in the eyes of both the Uncle Biao and the Aunt Zhang. The Xiaowan seemed to have become a completely different person. Hatred? Would there be a day when she would be completely engulfed by this hostility?


    However, Aunt Zhang said to Uncle Biao, "How does she have to endure the pain of killing his husband? When that day comes, it will be our fate.


    As for the fact that the Madam Xu had crawled and rolled back to Qingling Village, when the people nearby saw her in such a sorry state, they all knew that Ling Xiao Inn was not to be trifled with.


    Just like this, everyone spread rumors and added fuel to the fire. For a while, all sorts of rumors were spread. The people in the town had first been splashed with cold water by the county magistrate, and now they heard that the people in the inn were not to be trifled with.


    Little Pei was obedient and considerate, the Xiaowan felt that it was not that she was taking care of his son, but rather his son taking care of her. However, she couldn''t rely on Little Pei, nor could she force him to fear.


    "Mother seemed to have no reason today. She scattered all the hatred in her heart onto that person. She only wants some silver. Why would I want it?" Seeing that her son was sleeping soundly, Xiaowan said to herself, "Mother knows, once the evil in my heart is released, I will not be able to control it. Little Pei, are you very worried for Mother?"


    Little Pei could hear her, but he pretended to be fast asleep.


    "Little Pei, mother will properly control his emotions. "Otherwise, as time passes, I will change and go to see your father on the Road to River Styx. He won''t be able to recognize me." Xiaowan buried her face in her son''s small arms and looked at the sweet scent of milk.


    "Little Pei, I''m sorry. Mother frightened you." "But no matter what, Mother will protect you, protect the inn, protect Grandma and Aunt, Mother is your father''s woman, I am Ling Chaofeng''s woman."


    Xiaowan closed her eyes as she muttered in her heart, "Husband, will you fall asleep?"


    This kind of call could be heard thousands of miles away. Although Ling Chaofeng couldn''t hear what his wife was saying clearly, he could clearly feel the sorrow, joy, and anger that came late at night.


    This was a very strange thing, this life was already over, he should cut off this previous relationship, and have nothing to do with Mu Xiaowan anymore.


    It was as if he had watched over the lives of others, and it had nothing to do with him. The people he had met in that lifetime, no matter what, would never affect his emotions again.


    "Monster!"


    The Chaofeng who was crouching on the Announcement Hall could see all six paths clearly, and could see any movement within the imperial capital''s capital. At that moment, he only saw a gust of demonic wind pass through the main hall, attaching onto a Palace Maid who was holding tea, heading towards the Qingming Pavilion.


    Ling Chaofeng flew out, pulling the monster away from Palace Maid and stepped on it. This was a fox spirit that had thousands of years of cultivation, it was able to break through heaven''s weather and disturb the Emperor''s mind.


    "A thousand years of cultivation is in ruins. Bastard, die!" Just as Ling Chaofeng was about to tear the demon spawn into pieces, a gust of wind blew past.


    He kindly said to his brother, "Penglai Island is short of a man who cleans the back mountains. I will take him there. She is not a bad person, she just likes to play."


    Ling Chaofeng cupped his fists: "Please punish this demon." After he finished speaking, he immediately returned back onto the overhang of the Announcement Hall.


    When the Captive Cow arrived and saw that his brother was trapped inside the stone statue, he could not bear it anymore and said: "Chaofeng, I wonder if you could sense that your relationship has not been broken off in this life."


    Ling Chaofeng replied in a heavy voice, "Yes."


    The Captive Cow said: "Even though your soul has returned to your Immortal body and you have been demoted to the mortal world to guard the Sovereign King, your fate has not ended. Your ninth life does not seem to have ended yet."


    "What does Big Brother mean?"


    "Imperial Mother has calculated to this day, but not the future. Perhaps what she has calculated is only the calamity of your life." The Captive Cow said, "Chaofeng, you must calm your heart and not act rashly. Otherwise, you will be able to cut off our fates, and this life will be the end of your subordinate."


    After his brother finished speaking, he rode on the cloud and left. However, Ling Chaofeng''s heart seemed to have been lit up by something. He had to calm his heart and wait for the right moment.


    In the tranquil night, the sound of horses galloping could be heard from the capital. Ling Chaofeng opened his eyes to take a look and saw a horse carriage entering Prime Minister''s Estate.


    On the other side, the horse carriage stopped. Bi Zhenye jumped off the carriage and walked in, his entire body exhausted.


    The mother and her servant had been waiting outside for a long time. When they saw their young master, they all heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Mother, it''s already so late. Why are you still waiting for me?" Bi Zhenye hurried over and said worriedly, "Your health has not been good these few days, you should get some rest earlier."


    The Mrs. Bi, however, had a dark look in his eyes as he asked his son, "It''s so late, where did you go?"


    Bi Zhenye said: "Since grandmother wants to eat the jujube cake from Huai Xi County, I went to buy it. I travelled a long distance, and thus delayed my son''s time."


    The Mrs. Bi said hatefully: This is what the servants are doing, what are you doing?


    "Mother, I should also show filial piety towards grandmother. This is my duty." Bi Zhenye did not think so and came to support his mother, "It''s already late, Mother. Please rest early."


    However, Mrs. Bi berated him angrily, "These few days, you have always been assigned by her to do these trivial and troublesome tasks. You are the eldest son of the Prime Minister''s Estate, not the main butler.


    Bi Zhenye was shocked, and quickly stopped her: "Mother, since you said it like that, how is it for Grandmother and Father to listen?"


    Mrs. Bi was angered to the point that his face turned pale: "If she can do it, then why would he be afraid of others saying it? She doesn''t know that you''re going to participate in the examination soon, doesn''t she know that his grandson is going to get a good name? Don''t tell me that she doesn''t want you to become a top scholar, and is hoping that you will honor your ancestors with your Bi Family? "


    "Mother!" Seeing that her mother was getting more and more agitated, Bi Zhenye could only forcefully send her back.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi had already fallen asleep, and was woken up from his sleep by his wife and son. He impatiently asked, "It''s already so late, what are you doing?"


    The Mrs. Bi was already at his limit as he said to her husband, "What does your mother want? Is it to prevent Zhenye from getting the top scorer that makes her satisfied? Is Zhenye even her biological grandson? What is she trying to do by tormenting his own grandson? "


    "Are you crazy?" Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi got up, and although he said that, he already understood it in his heart.


    Bi Zhenye was stuck in the middle, feeling extremely awkward, he was scolded by his father: "You scoundrel thing, why aren''t you getting out of here?"


    "Why are you scolding him? How did he become a bastard? Is my son so worthless in your eyes? " Mrs. Bi was enraged, he suppressed the anger he felt for a long time, and asked with tears in his eyes, "What did I do wrong? "After so many years, she still looks down on me ¡­"


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi indicated for his son to leave. Bi Zhenye did not dare to disobey, and closed the door, letting out a heavy sigh.


    He brought his servants with him as he carried the dates that he had bought with great effort towards the inner courtyard''s grandmother''s bedroom. He even warned them along the way: "You are not to bring up this matter in front of the Old Madem."


    In the living room in the courtyard, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi held his wife in his arms as she trembled and cried pitifully. "Mother is already old, she can still live for a few more years. Don''t bother with her."


    Mrs. Bi choked with sobs, "I have endured for my entire life, no matter how she treated me, I will endure. But she can''t be unfair to my children."


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi said, "Don''t let your imagination run wild. Is it not good enough for mother to treat you and your child?"


    Mrs. Bi sat up, looking straight at his husband: "What about you? Do you hate me? "


    The Prime Minister sighed but didn''t say anything.


    "Is Ling Qian a business or not?"


    "No, the industry has long since died."


    Mrs. Bi''s gaze was sharp: "Fine, get him out of the capital, don''t let him affect Zhenye''s achievement in the exam."


    The Prime Minister was shocked. "Stop fooling around, don''t you know that the Emperor and General Shen are related to him? Don''t tell me you want me to anger the Emperor?"


    Mrs. Bi laughed coldly: "Come on, you have a way but you don''t want to do it."

 C126

    Seeing his husband fall silent, the Mrs. Bi quietly asked: "Did you believe from the beginning that he was a part of the business and wanted him to avenge his mother? Do you want him to watch over me until I die a horrible death?"


    "Nonsense ¡­" Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi glared at him, "Not to mention that his industry is already dead, if he really is, I cannot allow him to turn my family upside down, and cannot allow him to destroy my Bi Family''s gate."


    "Alright, then don''t just sit there and wait for death. You have to take the initiative." The Mrs. Bi held his husband''s arm tightly, and said with a fierce look in his eyes, "There are many people that the Emperor and the General Shen know, who would care about an unknown brat? You want me to live a peaceful life, you want to live a peaceful life, drive him out, and never let him step into the capital. I''ll give you three days. If he''s still here after three days, I''ll go home and look for him. "


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi said coldly: "Your father is busy with his own things, he will not care about you."


    Mrs. Bi laughed: "Really?"


    Although everyone knew from the noble officials and wives that the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was a concubine in the palace, she did not have a low birth.


    She was the daughter of the Marquis and Minister Bi from back then loved her wholeheartedly at first sight. Afterwards, she was willing to take her body as a concubine and marry into Bi Family.


    In the end, it was only the original Mrs. Bi who made arrangements and personally went to the palace to plead with Empress Qiu for help. Only then did the heaven''s clan step forward, causing the marquis to nod his head and agree to the marriage.


    The current Mrs. Bi originally married into his family with Bi Zhenye in her womb, but the original wife, who had been infertile for many years, was actually pregnant when she gave birth to Bi Zhenye.


    However, mother and son were born for a shallow reason. When they were six years old, their mother had left Ershan behind and passed away.


    At this time, Bi Zhenye had arrived at the Inner Academy and gave the date cake to his grandmother, who had already gone to bed.


    "Young Master, it''s been hard on you." "Old Madem''s character has been bad lately, and he always thinks of some strange things. Thank you for your hard work, but this servant knows that you are the most filial. However, the examination is going to be held in a few months'' time. Your daily work in the academy is also very tiring. Otherwise... As for Madam, I''m afraid you won''t be able to take it anymore. "


    Bi Zhenye said with a kind temperament, "It''s fine, being filial is what I should do, if Grandma is happy, it''s fine."


    He left the inner courtyard and brought along his servants. However, his heart was extremely heavy. His mother could no longer take it anymore. She had just lost her composure and was no longer as gentle and virtuous as she usually was.


    However, even Bi Zhenye himself thought it was strange. His grandmother never sent him out to do such a small thing, not even allowing him to ride his horse outside the door.


    He was afraid that his horse would fall, that he would be run into outside, and that his food would be dirty outside. Since he was young, Bi Zhenye had always been a flocking of servants everywhere. There were many people who laughed at him amongst the descendants of noble officials.


    He let out a long sigh. The problem was whether or not Ling Chen would be able to get out of this industry.


    From his point of view, if yes, then he would take them home and serve his parents and his grandmother together. If not, it would be a beautiful thing for Ling to be able to study and become an official in the same dynasty and serve the country and the people.


    It just so happened that things were not that simple. Bi Zhenye was not stupid.


    He had been seven years old when his brother had suddenly gone missing, when his grandmother had been so ill and his family''s uncles and aunts had all come to prepare for him. When he had gone to the main courtyard, his mother had hugged his sister happily, and she had laughed so happily.


    Later on, her mother was righted and her father was promoted to office by the emperor. She became the dignified and honorable prime minister''s wife.


    It was deep into the night, and the manor was extremely peaceful. In front, he could see his parents'' main courtyard, and in the back, he could see his grandmother''s inner courtyard.


    But right now, Ershan did not have the mood to retrieve anything from the Bi¡¯s Mansion. It had been two months since then, and it had been almost two months.


    The letter that Lian Yi had delivered, was getting more and more perfunctory. Every time, she would say that she was safe, but avoided the point and did not answer his questions.


    Ershan could no longer sit still. In his life, it was not only revenge, but his home, the Baisha Town.


    He had already made up his mind that if he still could not get news of his family by the end of the month, he would leave school and return home at the beginning of April.


    When he returned in early April, he would be back in time for August anyway, so as not to delay his request for a title or his visit home.


    Coincidentally, the next morning, after he went downstairs to eat breakfast, he wanted to go to school. A few merchants from afar came to the inn, and they were very tired. They called for the shopkeeper to prepare some food, then went to sleep.


    Originally, Ershan did not care, just as he was about to leave after eating breakfast, he heard the two merchants say: "The Manager Ling is really gone, I heard from the Mighty Escort Office''s people that they went to offer their condolences, the Madam brought them to the back of the mountain, but it is only a tomb so that the Jianghu brothers can burn their corpses and scatter them into the river. Sigh ¡­ Manager Ling is such a loyal person, we, who run the business at the pier, are all willing to deposit the goods there with him.


    "What did you say?" Ershan rushed over and stood behind the two of them, and pulled their lapels, "What did you say? Who died? "


    The people in the tavern thought that Ershan wanted to fight with other people, so they all went up to persuade him. This time, he explained everything clearly, and then said: "Little bro, don''t get excited, we are just listening to the mighty escort company, they their division is on the street in front, you can go and ask them yourself."


    Ershan''s chest image had been ripped apart, as though he could vomit blood at any moment. He threw his backpack and rushed towards the mighty escort company, while the rest of the people in the inn followed suit.


    The escort company confirmed that Ling Chaofeng had indeed died, but when they went to offer their condolences, the lady had invited them to the capital, so they could not tell Ershan.


    Ershan returned to the tavern in a daze, went upstairs to get a few things, and then went downstairs to walk outside.


    The shopkeeper came up and asked, "If you want to go back to Baisha Town, instead of taking leave from school, I''m afraid it might affect your future exams."


    Ershan''s gaze was cold, he did not say a word, and walked forward without even turning his head back.


    He only felt dizzy and dizzy today, and wanted to pull up the curtain to take a breather. However, he saw that Ling Yu was just leaving, and did not wear the uniform, but had instead donned ordinary clothes and carried a bundle, as if she was going far away.


    "Stop." With Bi Zhenye''s orders, he jumped off the horse carriage and ran towards Ling.


    "Where are you going?" After following Ershan, Bi Zhenye went straight to the point, "Ling Yu, you want to leave the capital?"


    When Ershan looked back and saw that it was him, he felt a strange sense of desolation. They were both born from the same father, but there was such a huge difference in their fates.


    He originally thought that the heavens would at least give him a bit of preferential treatment by sending him to an inn, but the shopkeeper actually died young.


    He was not even thirty years old, and he still had such a good years to live. Just what had he done wrong in order to cruelly take away his life?


    What about the people in the inn? Right now, compared to claiming back everything that should have been his, he wanted to protect his true home even more.


    "There''s something at home. I need to leave the capital immediately." Ershan looked at Bi Zhenye, "Coincidentally, I met you, so I have to take a leave of absence from my school, and take my leave from you, Sir. Time is of the essence, I cannot delay this matter for even a moment. "Goodbye."


    He quickly finished his sentence, and without turning his head, he left, not caring about whether Bi Zhenye would pass the message for him, he only wanted to rush home to see his family, and did not care about anything else.


    Bi Zhenye was confused, but he understood what Ling Qian had said. After returning to his studies, he asked for leave on his behalf.


    However, today was the day when the results of the previous exam were announced. In the academy, a big exam was held just like the previous exam. Everyone was looking forward to today''s result.


    After Mister released the rankings, as expected, Ling Qian was indeed in first place. Bi Zhenye was only ranked eleventh, and even if he was eligible to participate in the Hall Competition in five months, he would still not be able to get the first rank.


    When Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi returned home with such a result, he naturally poured cold water on his son, scolding him until he was covered in cuts and bruises.


    Unexpectedly, his daughter-in-law exploded at that moment, and questioned his mother-in-law in front of everyone. "You send Zhenye to run all over the place every day just to study for you, aren''t you afraid of delaying him at that time? I hope Mother can let this grandson go and let Zhenye study in peace. Whatever you want to do, just send your daughter-in-law over, even if it means mountains of blades or seas of fire, your daughter-in-law will not refuse you. "


    She suddenly kneeled in front of Old Madem, as if carrying out a great righteousness: "If my daughter-in-law is disrespectful, I hope mother will forgive me. I only beg that you do not torment Zhenye, I beg you."


    Everyone in the room had awkward looks on their faces. Old Madem''s expression changed because of anger, as he supported the mama beside him, he sneered: "It''s a pity, you only care for your own son, you won''t care about my grandson."


    These words were unclear, but those who understood immediately understood what the old lady meant. The missing second young master was her grandson, but he was not the wife''s son.


    Bi Zhenye did not want his family to become restless, he could only blame his inferior knowledge. If only he could take care of all of his grandmother''s chores, and get a satisfactory result, he would not have ended up like that.


    "Grandma, it''s your grandson''s own fault. Mother, she''s too disappointed and excited. She didn''t mean to offend you." Bi Zhenye stepped forward to persuade her, supporting her grandmother, "Grandma, I''ll send you back to rest. Father won''t scold me, he''s just annoyed that I can''t live up to his expectations."


    The back of her hand was covered in flesh. She did not stop caring about her big grandson just because her little grandson had returned, but hoped that industry would return to this house, that her two grandsons would support each other harmoniously. That way, Bi Family would definitely become more and more prosperous, but unfortunately ¡­


    That day, she had forcefully taken off Ershan''s clothes, and found the birthmark on his child''s body.


    However, Ershan begged his grandmother to keep it a secret for him. He hoped that after becoming the top scholar, he could openly return to the Bi Family to fight for his dead mother.


    Old Madem did indeed have his own selfish thoughts, wanting to affect his eldest grandson''s studies, so that he could give his the top scholar to his younger brother, but in reality, she was just too anxious and confused. Without Zhenye and the other family''s children, there would be people beyond the borders of the world, so why would she waste his precious treasures like this?


    "Zhenye, Grandma has let you down." Old Madem''s tears fell like rain as he followed his grandson and left.


    In the study room, Mrs. Bi was kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath. The servants had already left, and Hanxi did not dare to shoot his gun at this time, only Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was able to advise him against it.


    However, Mrs. Bi shook off her husband''s hand as he looked back and glared at him, "Three days. There is still one more day. I will wait for your reply."


    A thousand miles away, in the Ling Xiao Inn, there were many people who came to offer their condolences after receiving the grievous news of Ling Chaofeng''s death.


    There was no memorial hall in the tavern, and no memorial tablets. Since her friends had come, she did not know how to entertain them, so she set up a memorial grave at the back of the mountain so that everyone could pay for the incense.


    Most of the people in the Xiaowan didn''t recognize each other, but regardless of whether or not there were any grudges between them, coming to this inn was just to mourn Ling Chaofeng and to leave his widow, Xiaowan, with money and money, absolutely nothing bad would happen.


    Xiaowan did not dare to take a single cent, but if she did not want those people, she would be angry.


    In the blink of an eye, the cellar was filled to the brim with things. Xiaowan and Little Pei came over to clean up, and the son played with the gold ingot as he asked, "Mother, how many friends does father have?"


    Xiaowan said, "I don''t know either. Mother is very grateful to them, but when will they be able to stop. Mother wants to gradually pull herself together and stop being immersed in the grief of your father''s absence, but these people keep coming and reminding me that it''s really difficult. "


    Little Pei ran over and hugged her, smiling merrily: "Grandma said, mother''s complexion has improved over the past few days, she''s very relieved."


    Xiaowan squatted down and kissed her son''s little face. "Mother still needs to raise Big Little Pei, Mother must definitely be fine."


    The little guy laughed mischievously, and said in a childish voice, "Mother, Little Pei is hungry ¡­"


    It was not until early April that the mourners finally became quiet.


    That morning, Xiaowan woke up and opened the door. Coincidentally, Da Qing had brought Susu here, and Xiaowan had scolded her for being restless. While the two of them were conversing, someone on a horse rushed over and brought over a letter to the inn.


    The letter was sent by the Mighty Escort Office, saying that they had no choice but to tell Ershan that something had happened at home. When they heard that Ershan had left his studies and returned to the Baisha Town, they came to inform them.


    The letter stated that Ershan had left the capital for seven or eight days already. If he was to travel quickly, he would have arrived by now, even by carriage, he might not even be able to return.


    "The letter has arrived, but the person hasn''t arrived yet." Xiaowan frowned, nothing will happen to Ershan, right?

 C127

    On the fifth day of the fourth month, after the powerful escort team passed through the Baisha Town, the escort team specially came to visit Xiaowan. The escort team that had their toes sliced off by Ling Chaofeng once before as they gave the clothes made by their own wives to her and their children.


    Although everyone knew that Little Pei was an adopted child by Ling Chaofeng and the Xiaowan, they still treated him as the flesh and blood of the Manager Ling, and hoped that there would be a new owner for the Ling Xiao Inn in the future.


    It was just that at this moment, the people in the inn were extremely worried. It had been more than ten days, if they walked fast, they would be able to return back and forth between the capital and Baisha Town. But Ershan was nowhere to be seen, no one could find him here, and there was no news from the capital either.


    Xiaowan asked Uncle Biao to pay a visit to Li Prefecture and bring Lian Yi over. This matter could not be discussed with her, as she was Ershan''s fiancee after all.


    Not long after Uncle Biao left, Aunt Zhang came to the house to look for Xiaowan. Sure enough, she was packing up, causing Aunt Zhang to sigh.


    "If it''s not Shang Jing, then I will just search along the way." The Xiaowan said, "Ershan is Hubby''s most beloved younger brother, and I''m his sister-in-law. I can''t ignore him."


    The sky had fallen as she suddenly lost her husband, allowing the soft young lady to grow up overnight.


    Right now, she was the innkeeper, Little Pei''s mother. She had to take care of them, the big two and Susu''s family.


    young lady, who was beaming with joy after eating a bowl of noodles, looked at Xiaowan with a pair of strong eyes and full of courage. Aunt Zhang was not happy at all.


    She wished so much that the Chao Feng would still be around. wished so much that the Xiaowan would still be that delicate a young lady.


    Very quickly, Meng Lianyi was brought over by Uncle Biao, and after hearing news that her lover was missing, she was still relatively calm, and asked Xiaowan: "What plans do you have?"


    The Xiaowan said: "I want to bring you to find Ershan, and travel all the way to the capital. If you meet him on the way, persuade him to go back. "My husband is already gone and he won''t be able to change anything even if he returns. I hope that he can pass the examinations and marry you off to my family."


    Lian Yi immediately agreed. She said that she would set off later, and casually went back to her house to say goodbye, and pack up with Xiaowan.


    When came to pick Susu up in the evening, Xiaowan entrusted Da Qing with the task of taking care of him in the tavern. She followed Lian Yi and they set off together on the road.


    As the night fell, Little Pei slept soundly in Xiaowan''s embrace after eating his fill. Xiaowan looked at him without blinking, and the more he looked at the pair of horns, the more cute he felt.


    And now, if she calmed down, if she did not look at her son, she would miss her husband.


    Everyone thought that she had calmed down and was slowly getting better. No, she was just hiding her heart that was full of holes.


    She did not want others to pity her, she did not want anyone to sympathize with her, and even more so did not allow anyone to laugh at her. She was Ling Chaofeng''s woman, she could not lose face for her husband.


    "Evening, are you asleep?" Aunt Zhang asked from outside.


    "No, aunt, the door is open for you." The Xiaowan said as she placed Little Pei on the bed and covered him with a blanket.


    Aunt Zhang held a bowl of noodles, on which laid a bowl of egg. She said, "You didn''t eat much for dinner, so I''m afraid you''ll get hungry."


    The Xiaowan said, "Yes, I am hungry. Little Pei this little thing is never full, and has almost hollowed me out."


    She ate the noodles in big mouthfuls, but she was no longer as happy as she was before, as if she was drinking all these food into her stomach just to give strength to her body and to give Little Pei milk.


    After she finished eating, the Aunt Zhang said, "There is something I want to ask you."


    Xiaowan nodded: "Aunt, go ahead."


    The Aunt Zhang let out a light sigh. To the outside world, the reason Ling Chaofeng died was because he fell from a cliff, not because he was being hunted. This was Xiaowan''s intention.


    But they had all seen what happened at that time. She had misunderstood Wei Tengfei, and even now, she believed that it was Wei Tengfei''s fault.


    However, Wei Tengfei would not kill Ling Chaofeng for no reason. The only person who could dispatch Wei Tengfei was the current emperor.


    Aunt Zhang said, "If you want Second Mountain to continue with the exam, are you planning to never tell Chao Feng about the cause of death? "If not, how do you expect him to be that lecherous man''s courtier?


    Xiaowan nodded: "Whether or not you say it, Hubby won''t come back. I don''t want other people''s days to be messed up. Without these things, Ershan could soar to greatness and become someone useful to the citizens and his country. This was also the wish of his husband. However, if the Emperor can''t even tolerate him, then there''s nothing we can do. "


    Aunt Zhang thought for a moment before saying, "Your uncle and I thought that you would seek revenge against the Emperor."


    "I want to kill him." The Xiaowan''s gaze turned cold. "But that way, the Empress won''t have a husband. I know how much pain it''s going to be to lose one. I can''t let her suffer as much as I do. The Empress is innocent."


    "Grandson ¡­"


    "What''s more, I have no way of killing him. In my dreams." Xiaowan smiled bitterly, raised her calm eyes and said to Aunt Zhang, "Rest assured, I only hope that everyone can live their lives well. Whether it is hatred or resentment, I won''t pass on my life to anyone. That day when I treated the Madam Xu like that, it must have scared Little Pei and you guys, I was also very tired, and I don''t want to become like that again. "


    The once soft young lady would act coquettishly in her arms and whisper to her in secret. Even when she didn''t understand the private matters of a woman, she would still ask her, "They are not mother and daughter, but now ¡­"


    Xiaowan''s body was cold, her aura was cold, and she wasn''t even willing to open her heart to him.


    "Evening, aunty is waiting for you at home. You should come back early." Aunt Zhang said tearfully, "Remember to come home."


    "I''ll come back when I find Ershan. I don''t like the capital." The Xiaowan said.


    One night passed, and the next morning, they set off.


    Little Pei was very excited, the little guy couldn''t even be identified that his father had just died.


    Because Lian Yi had never seen the Little Pei of her birth, she just like the others, thought that Little Pei was an adopted child. Since it was adopted, it was normal for Manager Ling to not be sad without him. Seeing Xiaowan doting on this little kid like her own son, Lian Yi naturally liked it too.


    They kept on heading towards the capital, inquiring about Ershan''s whereabouts along the way, and walked very slowly. Even so, they were still unable to meet Ershan halfway.


    Everyone gradually lost their confidence, and even started to worry if Ershan would be walking on the water or not.


    On this day, the horse carriage entered a desolate land. When they arrived, they were immediately reminded of the appearance of the bandits. Last year, the Imperial Court had repressed them once, and they had suffered countless casualties. Thus, this year, they had made a comeback and continued to hurt the people on the streets even more.


    Xiaowan and the rest were very low-key and cautious, but it seemed that their luck was not good, and they could encounter any kind of bad luck. Seeing that the city walls in the distance were in their line of sight, and they were about to enter the safe zone, the bandits actually caught up, and began to surround them with their whips and whistles.


    Xiaowan had already taken out all of her gold and silver in the horse carriage. If she had no other choice, she would only ask for his life.


    However, the bandits rushed over and raised the curtains. When they saw and Xiaowan, they immediately shouted to their brothers. "What beautiful young lady, quickly come and look."


    "Bastard, get lost!"


    Uncle Biao was furious, he started to fight, although he was tall and sturdy, but he could not fight against so many people, and was quickly subdued.


    Xiaowan was not willing to let Uncle Biao get hurt, so she shouted loudly, "I''ll give you all the money, don''t hurt us!"


    A few bandits surrounded her, laughing and laughing as they stared at this tender skinned young lady, greedily swallowing their saliva, imagining what would happen next.


    "young lady, accompany me for a night. I''ll let him go." The bandit laughed and extended his hand to touch Xiaowan.


    Suddenly, the earth trembled and smoke billowed in the distance. The sound of the hooves shook the skies, scaring people out of their wits.


    "It''s the Chuanyu army!" Some of the bandits shouted loudly, they immediately ignored the beauty''s gold and silver, riding their horses and fleeing. Xiaowan saw the flag in the smoke, she recognized the character, Wei.


    The large army rushed forward like the wind, quickly sweeping through the bandits. These twenty odd people, were nothing more than small fries, Wei Tengfei was ordered to come and exterminate the bandits at their lair.


    Xiaowan and Lian Yi hid inside the carriage together with Little Pei. Uncle Biao stood in front of the carriage, blocking it, but they only saw the ground shake and the mountains shake.


    When the surroundings finally quieted down, Xiaowan stuck her head out and could not see anything from afar. She jumped onto the carriage and said: "Let''s go."


    Furthermore, Wei Tengfei had been ordered to eliminate the bandits, it was an easy task for him, he had nothing to do in the capital, the thousand soldiers that he brought could not let his efforts go to waste. Hearing that there was a place where people were disturbed by bandits, Wei Tengfei took the initiative to petition and brought people out to train.


    He did not expect to meet Xiaowan on the road. When he rode past the carriage and saw the Xiaowan hiding in the carriage, he could not believe his eyes.


    After exterminating the bandits, she led the troops back. In less than a day, she had caught up to Xiaowan''s carriage and ordered the team to follow slowly behind her.


    As for the Xiaowan, they would stop by and ask any villages or towns to find out if there was any trace of Ershan. With such a large group following behind them at such a slow pace, it would definitely delay them from reporting to the Emperor.


    Therefore, the large group had taken a detour far away from Xiaowan and passed her. Wei Tengfei and a few other people were there to protect her.


    Uncle Biao had long since sensed that someone was following them and knew that it must be Wei Tengfei. However, this person had an irreconcilable feud with her and she did not want to see him at all.


    They continued to walk towards the capital city and reached the river side that day. Uncle Biao took Little Pei out of the carriage to fetch some water, while Xiaowan and Lian Yi waited on the carriage, but for some reason, their horses were startled and suddenly started galloping frantically, causing the sky and earth to spin and the earth to spin around them. When Uncle Biao heard the commotion, he rushed over, but with his abilities, he was unable to catch up.


    Seeing that his mother was in danger, just as Little Pei was about to transform into her, he saw a white horse rushing towards him, catching up to the horse carriage. A tall and big figure jumped up from the horse''s back and jumped onto the horse carriage.


    The curtains were lifted, revealing Wei Tengfei''s face. He looked at him worriedly: "Xiaowan, are you alright?"


    Lian Yi did not recognize Wei Tengfei and looked at them dumbly. The Xiaowan looked away coldly but did not say a word.


    When Uncle Biao and Little Pei caught up, Lian Yi heard Uncle Biao bowing to Ling Chaofeng, "General Wei."


    She asked the Xiaowan softly, "Is it the great general Chuanyu?"


    Xiaowan nodded, then carried his son up, urging him to continue his journey, completely ignoring Wei Tengfei''s existence.


    However, on the road after that, Wei Tengfei had always been guarding a place not far from her, and after hearing that Ershan had disappeared, he even sent out a few people to look for him. Just like that, they got closer and closer to the capital.


    That night, a golden light rushed to the imperial palace of the capital. Ling Chaofeng opened his eyes and saw a gigantic dragon hovering in the sky.


    Once Little Pei arrived in the mortal realm, he became incomparably mighty. Who would have imagined that his Heaven Realm was merely a chubby little Golden Dragon.


    "Father, mother is coming." Little Pei''s voice was still childish and did not match his valiant and domineering appearance, "When the time comes, with me protecting father, I won''t be afraid of the demons and devils attacking you. I won''t let Mother see me, she won''t know. Father, mother misses you. She misses you every single moment, so you must go and see her. "


    Three days later, Xiaowan and his men finally entered the capital city.


    After crossing the moat and passing through the towering gates, the bustling and lively scene entered his eyes.


    "Little Pei, we have arrived at the capital ¡­" The Xiaowan sighed, "This little guy''s mind is on the capital, but he''s asleep now."


    She patted his son''s butt, seeing that Little Pei was not willing to wake up, she did not bother with him anymore, jumping down from the horse carriage and stepped onto the ground of the capital.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind blew over, but it did not go behind him, as if it had come to an abrupt halt before his eyes.


    Ling Chaofeng''s soul had left the stone statue. The current him was just like before, standing in front of the Xiaowan and looking at his beloved wife.


    Xiaowan looked ahead in a daze, but her eyes did not see the bustling streets, the passersby, or the empty houses.


    "Hubby ¡­" He did not know why, but after losing her husband for so long, he was so ruthless that he was not even willing to dream about it. But at this moment, she felt that Ling Chaofeng seemed to be right in front of her.


    "Late." Ling Chaofeng touched Xiaowan''s face and gently wiped away her tears. On Xiaowan''s face, there was a gentle breeze that blew away her tears.

 C128

    "Xiaowan, where are we going next?" Just then, Lian Yi got off the carriage, and seeing that she was standing motionlessly, she walked over and asked, "Are you alright?"


    Xiaowan shook her head and said, "It''s nothing, I just suddenly felt like it ¡­"


    She did not say those words. If she said them, no one would believe her. The onlookers would only think that it was her longing that caused the disease.


    The Uncle Biao replied, "Let''s go to the shop where Ershan is staying. The people there are familiar with him, so we can gather more information."


    Therefore, she got on the horse carriage again and headed towards the inn. Looking at the scenery along the street, Susu had told her before that the buildings in the capital were higher than the Baisha Town, and the streets in the capital were wider than the Baisha Town ¡­


    "Look, Xiaowan Palace." Lian Yi pointed in the distance, "Is that the Imperial Palace?"


    "It''s a pity that I can''t see anything. This city wall is even taller than the one I just saw." The Xiaowan muttered to herself, "Are the Emperor and the others all afraid of death?"


    The Uncle Biao was once a imperial guard and was very familiar with the Imperial City. He told Lian Yi and the Xiaowan, "There is a moat outside the Imperial City, you are correct.


    Xiaowan did not say anything. She felt a breeze blow her black hair away, causing her to gently stroke it. She subconsciously turned her face to look.


    Ling Chaofeng was right beside her, he had gently caressed her hair just now, her wife had lost weight, and she could no longer laugh, the once quick-witted and lively young lady had disappeared.


    In the past, she would throw herself into his arms and act coquettishly every day. If there was anything good to eat, she would give it to him with one bite. She would beg for forgiveness faster than anyone else.


    She said she couldn''t think of anything else in the world that was worth getting angry about or sad about. As long as he was there, everything was fine.


    But he was gone, and she couldn''t see him even when she was beside him.


    But at this moment, Xiaowan''s hand reached over and "touched" Ling Chaofeng''s chin. It was unknown if it was a coincidence or if she could feel it, but it actually touched his face accurately.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan read it in a daze, and her tears flowed again.


    Ling Chaofeng''s hand covered Xiaowan''s hand. "Evening, I''m here."


    Xiaowan''s eyes lightly flickered, but her husband''s face was not reflected. Her heart felt that her husband seemed to be right beside her, but she could not see, and could not reach out to touch him.


    The carriage stopped, they had arrived, and explained their origins to the shopkeeper. When the shopkeeper saw that the description of Uncle Biao and his appearance was exactly the same as what Ershan had mentioned, he believed them immediately.


    The house was neat and tidy, only the desk was piled with books, but when people went in, the house owner said that he did not see Ershan back after that day.


    This time, it was Lian Yi''s turn to shed tears. They had been looking for a way here and there, feeling disappointed and frustrated time and again.


    "Where did you go ¡­" Lian Yi found a stack of letters she had written for Ershan on the desk. From the initial inn to the recent correspondence, every single one of them were precious to him. She even carefully tore open the envelopes.


    "There aren''t many empty rooms in the inn. If the ladies could please take care of things for a moment, the two of you will share a room with me. I''m sorry, but I can''t spare more rooms." The innkeeper said.


    This was the most prosperous place in the capital, so it would be terrible if there was no business here, just like their Ling Xiao Inn.


    "It''s already very good. Shopkeeper, sorry to trouble you." The Xiaowan thanked him and took out the silver and handed it over to the shopkeeper. After giving it to each other, the storekeeper took them to another room and left.


    Xiaowan placed his sleeping son on the bed and softly said, "Why is this little thing still sleeping?"


    However, she did not know that at this moment, her husband was by her side, while Little Pei, in order to not let her mother find out, had concealed his Golden Light and Immortal body.


    Ling Chaofeng could not leave the stone statue for too long, his immortal soul would lure the demons over here. If he stayed by Xiaowan''s side, the demons might attack him together with the others.


    "You have to be fine tonight. I can see you directly from the capital. Don''t be afraid, I won''t let anyone hurt you."


    Along the way, father and son didn''t say a word. When his soul returned to his body, Little Pei said, "Father, don''t worry, I will protect mother."


    As soon as he finished his words, someone on a horse galloped towards the Imperial Palace, dismounted from his horse and unarmored it before the doors of the palace. He then strided into the Imperial City with his head held high, and Little Pei said: "Father, this General Wei has been following us the entire way, he seems to be protecting Mother. Father, did he fall in love with his mother? "


    Ling Chaofeng replied: "You''re just a little kid, and you know all this?"


    Little Pei churned in the sky as he laughed, "Father, I am a god after all. But Mom didn''t even look at him. Mom seemed to hate him a lot.


    "Alright, quickly go back to your mother. Little Pei, you definitely cannot tell me about this. Otherwise, you will have to go back to the Heavenly Court and be separated from your mother forever. " Ling Chaofeng warned again, "Your mother is very smart, you have to be careful."


    With a word from Ling Pei, he disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    As Wei Tengfei walked along the palace path, he felt a large gust of wind blow past him from above. Naturally, he could not see any Golden Light Golden Dragon.


    His subordinates had long returned with the head of a bandit chief, but he had followed the Xiaowan around and only returned at this moment.


    Inside the Qingming Pavilion, the emperor was looking at the paper money that was presented to him. The attendants brought Wei Tengfei in, saw him bowing, and said: "We''re family, no need to be courteous, you''ve worked hard all the way here."


    Wei Tengfei got up, and then knelt down on one knee: "This official is guilty."


    Xiang Run smiled faintly: "It''s just that you returned a few days late, there was no delay in proper matters at all. I heard that you swept away the bandit''s nest in one day, and Royal Uncle had always been praising you in front of us."


    Wei Tengfei lowered his head in silence, completely uninterested in the emperor''s polite words. He suddenly said, "Your majesty, Mu Xiaowan has arrived at the capital."


    Outside the palace, the empress came in quietly with the little princess in her arms. She had no idea that her big brother had returned, and had wanted to bring her daughter to relieve the emperor''s boredom. But when she reached the door, she heard her big brother''s voice.


    His brother had even said that the Xiaowan had arrived at the capital.


    "We knew about it not long after she left the Baisha Town." Xiang Run put down the paper in his hand and said casually, "Do you know the teenager from their inn called Ershan also called Ling Yu?"


    Wei Tengfei said: "I was not familiar with him before, but on the way here I noticed that the Xiaowan was looking for this person. I sent people to ask around and only found out that he is very promising."


    The Emperor smiled and asked, "Are you going to help the Xiaowan find him?"


    Wei Tengfei looked at his calmly and nodded: "I want to do something for her. With Ling Chaofeng dead, she is very pitiful.


    The emperor couldn''t help but frown. Wei Tengfei also turned around in shock as he saw the empress walking in with the little princess in her arms. He stopped in front of the door and asked him, "Brother, what did you say? Who did you say was dead? "


    He couldn''t hide it any longer.


    Siyan had been waiting for news from the Xiaowan. She wanted to know if she was safe and healthy. The change in Ling Xiao Inn caused her to worry for her sister. She didn''t know where Xiaowan and the others had drifted to.


    But she had always thought that as long as Manager Ling was here, nothing would happen to his. No matter where she was, he would be doted on and protected.


    But now, his brother said that Ling Chaofeng was dead.


    "I want to know everything." Siyan looked at her husband firmly. She knew that her brother would not tell her, but the Emperor would not let him, so she asked her husband directly without asking her brother.


    Xiang Run was furious, he ordered Wei Tengfei: "You can leave."


    Wei Tengfei wanted to say something, but he hesitated. However, when he thought about how his sister and the Emperor would have to spend the rest of their lives together, it was inevitable that there would be conflicts between them.


    She hugged her daughter as she slowly walked closer to Xiang Run, and coldly said. "In the opinion of the Emperor, chenqie isn''t worthy of knowing these things. Is the Emperor afraid that chenqie will cause trouble without reason, or that chenqie will disregard the entire situation? In the eyes of the Emperor, what kind of person is chenqie exactly? chenqie is only fit to bear your child and then muddle along for the rest of your life? "


    Xiang Run raged: "Don''t tell me that even I have to report to you about the matters of the imperial government. Are you the emperor, or am I the emperor?"


    Siyan was not afraid in the slightest. Instead, she walked closer step by step, "Naturally, we have to take care of things. In the end, the Emperor does not have the confidence that his concubine will always stand on your side, or the Emperor feels that he has done wrong from the start, so he does not dare to say anything."


    "Wei Siyan!" Long Yan was furious.


    "Did the emperor''s thoughts get straight?" Siyan looked straight at him, the tears in her eyes glimmered, "But even if you did wrong, even if tens of thousands of citizens are against you, no matter what, I will stand behind you. I work so hard, and I work so hard to become someone who can stand by your side, but you don''t believe me."


    "Siyan..."


    At this moment, Ling Chaofeng was squatting on the Announcement Hall''s eaves, and from afar, he saw the Xiaowan bringing Little Pei and Uncle Biao Lian Yi away from the inn.


    Bi Zhenye walked behind them, and the Bi¡¯s Mansion carriage was not far away. But for some reason, he took a glance at the person standing at the side, a tall and sturdy man with a rough appearance, and two young and beautiful women standing by his side. Someone behind him walked past, and said to each other: "They seem to have come to find Ling.


    Bi Zhenye''s brows slightly trembled, he took the initiative to walk over and asked: "May I ask, are you looking for Ling Yu?"


    Lian Yi turned around and said: "Young Noble is courteous, I would like to ask if young master has seen Ling Yu before, he is also a student here."


    Bi Zhenye asked: "You are... His family? "

 C129

    "Greetings, Young Master. I''m Ling Yu''s sister-in-law." The Xiaowan stepped forward, "May I ask Young Noble if you have seen Ling Qian before? Do you know where he went?"


    That day, I met him on the road. He said that he had matters to attend to at home and that he wanted to return home immediately. He asked me to go to school and take a leave. Bi Zhenye answered them nicely, of course he was smart, and asked, "Did he not go home?"


    Xiaowan nodded her head: "A friend that I''m familiar with sent a letter saying that he has returned home, but we waited for a long time and still haven''t seen him back. We then found all the way to the capital, but there wasn''t even a shadow of him."


    Bi Zhenye saw that the young lady''s complexion was pale white, although his tone and actions were polite and appropriate, but he did not use any refined words, he spoke clearly and smoothly.


    He knew that Ling Xiang''s elder brother was called Ling Chaofeng and was the shopkeeper for Li Prefecture and Ling Xiao Inn. He even knew about the person who cooked in the inn and that his elder brother had married a village girl two years ago.


    Lian Yi said politely: "If Young Noble meets Ling Yu, please tell him that the family is extremely anxious. We are currently staying at the inn where he stayed at, and will not be leaving for the next four to five days. If Young Master has any news, please give us some time at the inn to let us know, we will definitely be extremely grateful. "


    Bi Zhenye felt that this lady, could it be that he was from a noble family, or was the daughter of a rich family? However, in the inn that he knew of, there was no such person. That inn was truly miraculous. Just how many stories had happened in the end?


    The people from the Bi¡¯s Mansion saw that the young master was talking to a stranger, so they came over to ask him what was going on. Afraid that the young master would be entangled by some bad person, Bi Zhenye shouted at them to retreat, and then said to Xiaowan in a kind tone, "Ling Qian and I are classmates, so we naturally cannot ignore his matters. If there is any news, you will definitely come to the inn to inform me. If it is inconvenient for my wife in the capital, please do not be polite. You can find me here. "


    "Many thanks, Young Master." Both Xiaowan and Lian Yi were very grateful, even though they did not know who this person was.


    Bi Zhenye left the academy, thinking about what had happened to Ling. When he reached his home, even his sister was waiting for him in front of the door, he did not care.


    "Brother, are you possessed?" Hanxi walked up and flashed in front of him, "You can''t see me?"


    "Damned girl, can''t you remember me well?" Bi Zhenye replied, "If you speak such nonsense, Grandma will blame you again."


    "Yes, you are a gem, you are a gem, you can''t even say that you are bad, but for me, my skin is very solid, if I don''t play a few rounds I won''t be honest." Hanxi refused to admit defeat, and said: "Grandmother is biased."


    Bi Zhenye laughed: "Grandmother does not blame you so much recently, and I do not need to threaten you with family rules anymore."


    Hanxi said complacently: "Of course, now I have a secret with Grandma."


    As soon as she said it, she covered her mouth.


    Bi Zhenye glanced at her: "What secret?"


    Hanxi waved her hands nonstop: "I didn''t say anything, I don''t know anything."


    Bi Zhenye sighed lightly. Seeing that his family was looking for him, the Old Master was waiting for him in the study room.


    In the eyes of his family, the young master was afraid of the old master, but Bi Zhenye was not afraid of his father, he was just helpless against him.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have the ability to stand up straight in front of his father. In the last exam, he only had eleven candidates, and even he felt that he had lost all his face, so how could he dare to be impudent in front of his father?


    "Father." Bi Zhenye stood respectfully in the study room.


    "Come closer." Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi looked at his son for a while, then said, "After changing my clothes, follow me to the General''s Estate. The General Wei has done meritorious deeds for the king, the emperor has given him royal wine, he wants the ministers to go to congratulate him."


    "Yes." Bi Zhenye agreed.


    "One more thing." Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi said, "I want you to propose for Hanxi."


    Bi Zhenye was startled, he looked at his father: "Who are you proposing to?"


    "Idiot." The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was furious, "I don''t know what to do."


    "To Wei Tengfei?" Bi Zhenye unconsciously read out the name, but upon thinking about it, he said hurriedly, "Father, Wei Tengfei is already 32 years old, he is only 17 years old."


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi frowned, "So what? If the original owner of the house died, and the young successor entered the door, not to mention being fifteen years old, he would be more than fifty years old."


    "Since we are separated by a thousand miles from each other by the Chuanyu, Grandmother will definitely not agree to marry." Bi Zhenye still wanted to fight for his sister.


    "Shut up." "As long as you ask General Wei at today''s gathering that you want to marry your sister off to him, you don''t need to care about anything else. I want you to be like a man. Be more decisive in the face of the situation. Don''t be shy and make my teeth itch. "


    Bi Zhenye didn''t hesitate at all as he looked his father squarely in the eye, "If you want Grandmother and Hanxi to be involved in the major matter of Hanxi''s life, if you want Hanxi to be willing, even if Hanxi does not nod his head, I will definitely not say a word or agree to it. Even if father wants to tie her up and marry her, I will also go and snatch my little sister back."


    The Prime Minister was enraged and rushed forward to slap his son, but his useless son stared at him fearlessly. The father and son duo fought with their swords crossed, while the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi lowered his hand.


    He said heavily, "You don''t have to come out on this matter, but you have to do your best for me and mind your own business. Without realizing it, he has already washed the old cards in the imperial court. Whenever my black gauze hat cannot protect my life, you will no longer be the Young Master of Prime Minister''s Estate, and even you do not have the qualifications to pass the examinations to become famous. Your grandmother, your mother, and your sister will all be out in the open. Accompanying a monarch like a tiger, Bi Zhenye, you are still very young. "


    The young man pursed his lips, unable to refute his father''s words. However, he still choked out a sentence, "Father, if you want the marriage to consolidate your status, let me do it. I''m willing to marry anyone from the Duke''s Mansion. Father, don''t force Hanxi. She''s not sensible, she won''t understand, she ¡­ "


    "Get out." Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi turned around after he finished speaking.


    Bi Zhenye took a few steps before turning around, and said: "Ling Fei is missing, does father know?"


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi did not speak.


    "Father, his family ¡­"


    "Scram!"


    When the servants outside saw their young master dejectedly walking out of the study, they guessed that his young master must have been scolded by the old master again. The servants then passed on these words to the inner courtyard.


    Old Madem sighed, "Does he want the Bi Family to be extinct? This little one didn''t want it, the big one didn''t hurt, and he wasn''t willing to have a few more concubines with him. I can only blame myself for having such a disgraceful son, who has always lived up to his expectations and deserves his retribution. "


    When Old Madem was saying these words, he happened to be carrying some tea, and standing outside the bedroom, he heard everything clearly.


    That''s right, more than ten years had passed. In the eyes of her mother-in-law, she was still a concubine after all. So what if she came from the house of the Marquis?


    At that time, when her husband wanted to fix her, Old Madem was also extremely unwilling. She said that there was no rule for me to do so and that a concubine is my concubine.


    Mrs. Bi handed the tea leaves to the servants and left.


    It was already dusk, but the capital was still bustling with activity.


    On the way back to the inn, Xiaowan bought a big meat bag for his son to eat. Holding his son''s hand, they walked into the shop.


    A noblewoman was sitting at the Eight Immortals Table. When she saw them, she hurriedly stood up.


    "Xiaowan, you''re here ¡­" Once Siyan opened her mouth, tears came out.


    The person in front of him was wearing a simple azure robe with an azure belt. His black hair was tied up in a silver hairpin. His pale face and eyes were calm, and his body exuded a cold aura.


    The young lady who had hastily wrapped up the green bean cake in a handkerchief and handed it to her and gently invited her to eat it on the road before him, was the person who made people feel warmth and vitality at first glance really the person in front of them?


    "Empress." remembered that this person had also appeared in the Palace at the time. Thinking back to it now, could it be that he was the current Empress? She knelt down with him.


    Siyan hurried forward and helped Xiaowan up. She choked: "Why are you kneeling down? Xiaowan, what do you want me to do ¡­"


    Her gaze landed on the chubby little fellow beside her. As he was eating a big meat bun, his mouth was filled with oil. Suddenly, he smiled at her.


    This smile looked extremely similar to the Xiaowan, but Siyan heard her brother say that this was a child that the Xiaowan and the Manager Ling had adopted.


    Not long after, the Xiaowan and the Queen went to the guest rooms upstairs, Lian Yi hugged Little Pei, and waited downstairs with the Uncle Biao. The Uncle Biao sighed: "Miss Meng, I said something that''s inappropriate, but I''m afraid the current emperor knows where Ershan is.


    "What does that mean?" Lian Yi asked, "You mean..."


    "Whether it''s a blessing or a curse, it''s hard to say." Uncle Biao felt in his pockets, wanting to smoke a cigarette. Seeing that the imperial guards and the eunuch from the Palace Maid stood in the room, he decided to give up.


    Upstairs, the two sisters had just reunited after a long separation. They should have been hugging each other as they spoke of their happiness while laughing and crying. But now, they were in such a miserable state.


    "The little princess must be very cute, but it''s a pity that I didn''t get the chance to meet his." The Xiaowan said, "After we find Ershan, we will need to return to the Baisha Town."


    The Xiaowan obviously didn''t want to talk about those things. She briefly explained the reason why they came to the capital, her gaze always downcast. She was clearly sitting opposite of the Empress, yet they were separated by thousands of miles.


    Actually, she had always understood that as a country girl, how could she be qualified to be the empress''s friend? That part of fate came and went as quickly as it came, but it was only to hide a precious memory in her heart.


    One had to know that they were separated by thousands of li, separated by clouds and mud. It was difficult for them to meet again, so why would they talk about friends and sisters?


    But Siyan had never thought of her like this. She treated the Xiaowan as her true friend and sister, and looked forward to every time they meet in the future. She hoped that she would live a good life, be happy for her, be sad for her.


    "I only know that you were bullied by the villagers. Manager Ling''s Baisha Town burned in anger, and many people died and were injured. The empress sobbed softly, his voice choked with sobs. "But I don''t know what happened to Manager Ling. I only heard about it from my brother today, I ¡­"


    "Empress, don''t cry." Xiaowan looked at Siyan and sobbed, not knowing what to do. She, who had lost her husband, was still calm.


    "These days, I always feel sad for no reason, and tears would unknowingly fall from my eyes." After Siyan calmed down, she said with a wry smile, "I thought that you had become pretentious, but I didn''t expect that it was real. Because you were sad, so I was sad as well."


    Xiaowan shook her head. "Empress, I am not worthy."


    "They won''t tell me what happened. My brother only told me what he saw." Siyan held onto Xiaowan''s hand, and lightly trembled, "But I''m not stupid, I understand ¡­ But, one of them is my brother while the other is my husband. Xiaowan, I don''t have the face to come and see you. "


    "Empress, no, this has nothing to do with you. It ¡­ it is the life of my husband and I." "I don''t want to blame anyone else. I just want people who are still alive to be able to live well. I want to find Ershan and bring him back to life so that he can fulfill his brother''s wish."


    "Ershan is missing?" Siyan felt that her own life was simply laughable.


    This was probably the sorrow of the people of the deep Palace Maid, the Emperor didn''t want her to know anything, even if the sky outside collapsed, she wouldn''t notice it at all. She was like a canary trapped in Culture Hall, and only needed to chirp happily.


    The two of them gradually calmed down. Xiaowan had said something, and Siyan had also said what she knew.


    "It''s not a good idea for you guys to go door-to-door like that." Siyan said, "Big brother is willing to help, he ¡­"


    The empress paused, her heart tangled with pain. She was certain that her brother would never chase after the Manager Ling, but was he supposed to push everything onto the Emperor just to get rid of his brother?


    That was his husband, the ruler of Daqi. The helplessness on his shoulder was something that many people could understand, and Siyan did not understand as well. However, she had to stand by her side and share the burden with him.


    "I will definitely help you find Ershan." The empress held onto Xiaowan''s hand tightly. "Xiaowan, trust me."


    "Empress ¡­" I really want to go back to that Mid-Autumn Festival. I really want to ¡­ " Xiaowan cried as her whole body trembled. Siyan held her in her arms and accompanied her to the point where she was about to cry.


    This was the capital, so not only could Ling Chaofeng feel the sorrow and joy from the Xiaowan, he could also hear what she was saying.


    If he could, he hoped that Xiaowan would always be that reckless and impulsive young lady. No matter what she did wrong, he would take care of it, and even if she were to poke a hole in the sky, he would make up for it.


    He didn''t want the Xiaowan to grow, he didn''t want her to suffer.


    Ling Chaofeng flew out, and just as he was about to make a move to capture the demon, a voice came from the sky, "Chaofeng, do not take action.

 C130

    Ling Chaofeng said loudly: "This little deity has decreed that Daqi Nation will protect the fate of the nation for a thousand years, if the emperor finds it difficult to pass through, wouldn''t that be this little deity''s fault?"


    A hole was dug out in the twilight, and a white-haired head peeked out. The old man had a kind and kind look on his face as he smiled and said, "Chaofeng, this is an emotional tribulation.


    "This way ¡­" Ling Chaofeng was stunned, then he quickly asked, "You are Yue Lao?"


    "Long time no see." The old man waved at him.


    In his eyes, he could see a red rope tied around Ling Chaofeng''s ankles, forming a long and continuous line connecting to a corner of the capital. There was an inn, and in the inn, there lived a young lady.


    However, in this world, only he could see. Ling Chaofeng could not see it for himself, neither could the young lady, nor could the other Immortal Elders.


    The red rope was unbroken, the relationship unbroken.


    The old man stroked his beard. "You don''t need to be bothered by the Emperor''s matters. Let him face it himself. This old man will be leaving now."


    At this moment, a group of people slowly entered the palace. The beautiful carriage was being escorted back and forth. It was the Empress who had returned to the palace.


    Ling Chaofeng returned to the stone statue. Since it was not under his control, he didn''t care anymore.


    Although he could not see the red rope beneath his feet, he could still see the Yin Qi that was gathered in the Qingming Pavilion. It was a fox demon that had cultivated for ten thousand years, and was able to charm and enchant the hearts of all men in the world.


    The emperor''s tribulation was approaching menacingly, but whether this was the emperor''s tribulation or the empress''s, if Xiaowan knew, she would definitely drag out the fox demon and tear it into ten thousand pieces.


    The Phoenix Carriage passed through the Qingming Pavilion and went straight back to the Culture Hall. The Little Princess was already crying loudly, and no matter how the wet nurses tried to coax his, they could not coax his.


    At this moment, an attendant came from the Qingming Pavilion and passed on the Emperor''s words, "Your Majesty, in two hours time, come and have dinner with the Empress."


    Siyan asked coldly, "Is he busy today?"


    The chamberlain awkwardly replied, "His Majesty said that it''s been a long time since he and the Empress have had dinner together."


    "I have no appetite." Siyan said, "I need to rest early today, I hope that Your Majesty can enjoy the meal."


    Although the people in the palace weren''t sure what had happened, the two masters'' faces didn''t look too good. The empress had suddenly left the palace with a large crowd. She left openly, but some people had heard that the emperor hadn''t agreed to let her out.


    The scene in front of their eyes made them tremble with fear. Could it be that they were going to return to how they looked after the marriage in one night?


    As the night deepened, the bustling capital finally quieted down.


    In the tavern, Xiaowan gave Little Pei a bath, causing him to feel itchy and churn in the water, causing the entire house to be covered with water. Xiaowan was angry, she slapped her butt, and seeing that he was about to cry, she said: "Don''t cry."


    Little Pei did not dare cry, but he felt wronged and hugged his while acting spoiled: "Mother, rubbing my butt, it hurts."


    The meaty little fellow drilled into his embrace, how could anyone bear to be angry at him? Xiaowan said in annoyance: "It''s only been a pat and it''s already painful, are you made of tofu?"


    "Mother, rub ¡­"


    Xiaowan could not resist his son''s coquettish actions. She used a blanket to wrap him up and hugged him warmly in his arms.


    Actually, her son had only been born less than a hundred days ago. If it was someone else, they would still be considered very small and small. As long as her son wanted to, she was willing to keep feeding him.


    But no, sooner or later a son would learn not to rely on her, no, or herself, but not on him.


    "Little Pei, when we were attacked the other day, why didn''t you change your position to become a Golden Dragon to save father?" Xiaowan asked.


    "I''m too young, I can''t beat them." Little Pei always replied in this way.


    Xiaowan sighed. She also knew that there was something that could not be revealed, so she understood that her son was not a mortal. There might come a day when he would leave to return to the world that was his.


    After losing her husband, Xiaowan was no longer afraid of parting with him. She only regretted not cherishing those days better when she was with her husband, and did not leave behind any more memories.


    So towards Little Pei, she had to give her son all of his love. Even if there came a day when they parted ways, she did not regret not being able to love and protect him properly.


    Originally, Xiaowan and Lian Yi had brought Little Pei to live in the same room, but today, the inn owner saw that they did not have a small background and did not dare to slight them, hence he arranged for an extra room for them.


    At that moment, Lian Yi was sitting at the window, looking at the unfamiliar capital. She repeatedly asked Ershan in her heart, asking him where he had gone to.


    "Lian Yi, are you asleep?" Outside, Xiaowan came.


    She quickly got up to open the door, only to see Xiaowan holding a food box in her hands, walking in: "I let the shopkeeper make some food and wine, I couldn''t sleep and wanted to drink a few mouthfuls before sleeping, are you willing to accompany me?"


    "Alright, I want to have a sip as well." Lian Yi asked again, "Is it okay if Little Pei sleeps alone?"


    "Never mind." Of course the Xiaowan knew that ordinary people could not hurt their son.


    The two of them sat facing each other, pouring wine. Neither of them was a person who could afford to drink wine.


    Lian Yi told her about their first meeting at Baisha Town and how Xiaowan had told her how she had gotten herself married into Ling Xiao Inn. The two of them laughed and cried at the same time, unable to control themselves.


    Lian Yi suddenly ran to the window, her hands supporting herself on the windowsill, he shouted towards the night: "Ling Ershan, where did you go? You bastard, get out here!"


    Xiaowan looked on dumbfoundedly, her heart suddenly heating up. She rushed to the window and shouted, "Ling Chaofeng, you bastard, you left me alone, what kind of man are you ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng could clearly hear from his Announcement Hall that he was indeed not a human.


    It was at this moment that the demonic qi on his Qingming Pavilion churned. He understood that the Ten Thousand Year Fox Demon was about to make a move against the Emperor.


    Inside the Culture Hall, the empress coaxed her daughter to sleep, then sat down on the bedside and looked at her blankly, not daring to speak with anyone.


    The mama was very worried. They brought over porridge and the empress''s favorite green bean cake and gently said, "Empress, you should eat something."


    "No need, I''m not hungry." Siyan did not even look at him, and instead asked, "Has the emperor eaten dinner before?"


    The mama did not reply. Only then did Siyan turn around and ask, "What happened?"


    It turned out that the emperor had not only used his dinner, but had also ordered the imperial kitchens to fill the entire table. There were over a hundred imperial meals on the long table, and even if he took a mouthful, he wouldn''t be able to eat all of them.


    In the end, he didn''t even take a few mouthfuls before he put down his chopsticks and left.


    "Empress, the Emperor is very angry." "Esteemed Empress, are you and the emperor ¡­"


    "No, how would I dare?" Siyan said coldly, "It''s fine now, kneel and rest while I sleep with the little princess."


    Qingming Pavilion and Culture Hall were just two different walls, but the Emperor and Empress were able to push each other thousands of miles away.


    She had left the Li Palace to find the Xiaowan, but the Emperor had not agreed at that time.


    Facing her angry and unreasonable husband, Siyan left openly, but after going to see Xiaowan, she immediately returned to the palace.


    She didn''t give up on her identity. She knew herself that she was the empress, and even when facing the Xiaowan, she didn''t push everything onto the emperor so that she could get rid of her brother''s misunderstanding.


    But after calming down and thinking about it, the Emperor took the initiative to ask her to eat with him because he wanted to be on good terms with her, but she heartlessly rejected his request.


    What did he do wrong? Siyan believed that she had her reasons for everything he did, maybe her only mistake was not believing in herself at all.


    How was he going to be a husband and wife for the rest of his life?


    Outside the palace, a few mama were discussing whether they should go report to the First Princess and ask the First Princess to mediate for them. Suddenly, they saw a young eunuch run over from the front, trembling as he whispered to the mama.


    "How impressive is this?" "Where did this lowly slave come from? Who sent her in?"


    "But the Palace Maid in this palace belongs to the Emperor in the first place." The other said, "Although the Emperor doesn''t have six palaces, who can control the Palace Maid the Emperor wants to be fortunate to?"


    Inside the sleeping quarters, hearing the sound of footsteps from outside, Siyan walked in with the veil over her head and asked through the door: "What is it?"


    The people outside were shocked, and then they became silent. Naturally it was even weirder, Siyan pushed open the door, and asked in an imposing manner: "What happened?"


    Inside the Qingming Pavilion, Xiang Run laid on the beauty bed with an indifferent expression as he watched the Palace Maid slowly climb up from under his feet. Her clothes were opened wide as he looked at the Sovereign King with a soft and charming gaze and said in a soft voice, "Your majesty, this servant will ¡­"


    Xiang Run pinched her chin and pushed her back. "Scram!"


    "Your Majesty ¡­" However, the Palace Maid was not afraid. After falling down, he crawled back up, and used all of her abilities to make him like him.


    When she fearlessly withdrew the Emperor''s belt, the door of the inner hall was kicked open.


    The slim and graceful woman barged in with the long sword in her hand. Because her height was not high enough, she did not have enough strength to lift the sword. The long sword slashed across the golden bricks, producing an ear-piercing sound.


    "Yan''Er, you?" Xiang Run looked at this scene in shock, and immediately stood up from the beauty''s bed.


    However, he did not expect that Palace Maid would cling onto his back, trembling as he begged, "Your Majesty, save this servant, save this servant."


    Seeing the undressed Palace Maid, Siyan''s eyes were filled with killing intent. From the moment she entered the palace until now, no matter if it was at first when she was on good terms with the emperor, or later when Qin Se and Ming En loved each other, the restless Palace Maid had always hoped that she could climb onto the dragon bed.


    Not only that, the wives also whispered amongst themselves, accusing her of being unlike a queen. Without the prestige of the Middle Palace, there was no need to talk about the contempt between the ministers.


    She tried hard to do everything she could, whether it was dealing with the imperial family internally or dealing with the envoys externally. She had overturned the records of the imperial court in the harem of Daqi and had even memorized every single law in this country.


    She didn''t care about all the efforts she put in and how others looked down on her, but her husband didn''t believe her.


    Now he had to take the other women in his arms.


    "Kill her, or kill me." Wei Siyan righteously looked at the Emperor, "Your majesty, please choose one."


    A disheveled woman clung to the emperor, begging him to save her.


    Xiang Run was unable to push it open even if he was pushed, and half of his belt had been taken out just now.


    Siyan could not watch any longer, she rushed forward and grabbed onto the lady''s sleeves, and with a scream, her sword was almost piercing Palace Maid''s throat, and was blocked by the Palace Maid nanny who rushed over, causing a few servants to rush in and drag the Palace Maid out.


    "Empress, please let go. Please give your sword to this servant." Trembling, the mama pried open the empress''s fingers and finally took down the heavy sword. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but the empress seemed to have frozen in place. They glared at each other, but didn''t dare to say anything more.


    "Not having six palaces is very depressing, right?" Siyan did not cry, "Your majesty, you can take back your orders, choose a concubine and sit down to enjoy the blessings of a concubine, I don''t care."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "It''s good that the emperor understands, it''s good that he doesn''t understand, chenqie will say nothing more." Siyan suddenly turned around and was about to walk out the door, but her hand was grabbed, the emperor''s fingers were wrapped tightly around her fingers, his ten fingers were clenched tight, it was slightly painful.


    "Yan''Er, I ¡­" "Afraid." The emperor said in a low voice, "Yan''Er, you are already an outstanding empress, but I, am not like an emperor yet."


    Siyan turned and looked at him.


    The emperor lowered his eyebrows. "Royal father had laid down an eternal foundation, so just how strong can his Daqi Nation become? I used to try to make myself an excellent heir, but now I find that anyone can come and be an emperor under such a great mountain and river, don''t you think? "


    Siyan''s hand was grabbed even tighter. Her husband, the Sovereign King of Daqi, once again said to her, "Yan''er, don''t go ¡­ I''m scared. "


    The yin aura above the Qingming Pavilion had dispersed, and Ling Chaofeng stood on top of the Announcement Hall, watching a cold gust of wind fly back into the Heaven Realm, he wasn''t sure if this could be considered as the Emperor having passed his tribulation. Just now, when he saw the Queen charging into the hall with her sword, he was conflicted.


    "So this job is actually this troublesome." Ling Chaofeng sighed, and then heard his wife''s voice from far away, shouting drunkenly, "Master, where are you?"

 C131

    That night, Xiaowan was completely drunk, and did not dare to feed Little Pei milk the next day, so her son was obedient and did not make a fuss. However, she pouted her lips and stared angrily at Xiaowan, as if she was her father.


    When both Xiaowan and Lian Yi came back to their senses, it was already noon. After half a day of searching, they walked downstairs and saw Uncle Biao returning from the mighty escort company.


    The Uncle Biao sighed, saying that after the brothers from the escort company in the capital received the news, they had helped them search the capital area, but they did not find any trace of Ershan.


    They didn''t want to see anyone die like this, but what they were most worried about was that there was no hope for them in the capital. They had no choice but to continue their search along the way.


    The Xiaowan told Lian Yi that if they couldn''t find him, they would look for him for the rest of the day. Even if Ershan had already turned to dust, they would bring him back to her hometown.


    They decided to stay in the capital for another day and leave early tomorrow morning.


    If he found that there was still no trace of Ershan in August, he would return to the capital to wait. Perhaps at that time, he would appear to participate in the examination. Naturally, this was also his last hope.


    Today, Lian Yi was going to visit the Hou clan to visit her two children left behind by her late elder sister. Xiaowan was worried that Lian Yi would be bullied by the family, so she came along with her.


    When the people in front of the door heard that it was the late mistress''s sister, they couldn''t help but be surprised. After sizing them up, they were informed to enter.


    Before long, a butler-looking person came out, said some harsh words and wanted to drive them away.


    Lian Yi said that she only looked at her children and would not do anything else. The butler was very impatient and ordered people to rudely drive them away.


    Just then, a carriage stopped in front of the door, Bi Zhenye''s mother got off and the servants immediately changed their expressions to welcome his.


    When Mrs. Bi saw the scene in front of the door, he naturally asked: "What happened?"


    The steward said softly, "The young sister of the late young madam wishes to see Miss Sun and Young Master Sun. If Madam does not agree, she says she is afraid that the new madam will not let her off on her face."


    Lian Yi''s elder sister was this Mrs. Bi''s niece. However, the two families were quite far away from each other, and practically did not recognize the people from the other families.


    As for the Mrs. Bi himself, because he had suffered due to the righteousness of his concubine, he naturally hated these people from his original home.


    He said coldly, "Sister-in-law is right. My daughter-in-law has been in the family for a year, and the two children have long treated her as their mother. Who would come from the family and want to see them? "Moreover, this lady is the one who tried to run away from the marriage at the start. Our house of the Marquis cannot afford to lose such a person. Let them go."


    With that, the Mrs. Bi shot a glance of disgust at Lian Yi and the two before he headed straight for the door.


    "Forget it, actually what can I do about it? If they were to have a good time, my aunt''s appearance would only cause them to think of their own mother and grief." Lian Yi gave up and sighed, "But if they don''t live a good life, what ability do I have to bring them out? Our family doesn''t even have money anymore, what ability do I have to take care of them. "I can only blame myself for not doing well. I really have the heart to help my two children, and shouldn''t have run away from the marriage at that time. Now, I can peacefully live in this mansion and raise them."


    Xiaowan always felt that there was nothing wrong with Aunt wanting to take a look at her nephew. If the two children didn''t suffer any grievances, then it was fine, but I''m afraid that the people of the house of the Marquis were guilty, and had ill-treated the child, not daring to show it to others.


    When they returned to the tavern, Little Pei was clumsily loading tobacco for Uncle Biao. Xiaowan brought his son upstairs and asked him softly if he could find a way to go to the house of the Marquis to see if Aunt Lian Yi''s two nephews were doing well.


    Without saying a word, Little Pei transformed into a Golden Dragon and walked away majestically. He greeted his father who was on the Announcement Hall from afar and Ling Chaofeng reminded him to be careful.


    Little Pei circled to the top of the house of the Marquis and saw that in the inner courtyard, a young lady was playing with two children. The children laughed and laughed all right, and the lady greeted the little boy in her arms and gently wiped his sweat. The older sister also came to act like a spoiled child and wanted her mother to wipe her sweat.


    From the looks of it, the new young madam of the house of the Marquis was very fond of her stepson. They could finally relax now.


    Just as Little Pei was about to leave, he saw an older lady in the courtyard who was pestering a man older than her. She shouted: "Brother, if you don''t help me, who else can help me?"


    The man said impatiently, "Didn''t I already help you find it? If I can''t find it, what do you want me to do? It''s not that I can''t help you, but how do you expect me to deal with him if I can''t find him? Sister, don''t you know the current situation of the imperial court? All of us old officials have mysteriously disappeared, and I don''t know when the Emperor will summon me to send me back to my homeland. My every move and action right now are all under the Emperor''s nose. That Ling Qian is a High Scholar after all, and it is said that the Emperor and the General Shen know him. Aren''t you afraid that I will anger the Emperor and bring about my own death? "


    Little Pei immediately flew back to the inn, the Xiaowan was already waiting for him at the window. His son leapt into his embrace and told her: "Mother, in that house, there is an older lady who is pestering her brother, seeking for Second Uncle."


    "Looking for Second Uncle?" Xiaowan did not understand for a moment, "You''re saying, look for your second uncle."


    Little Pei nodded his head repeatedly: "That madam is looking for Second Uncle. I listened to her brother and seemed to want to deal with Second Uncle.


    He cleverly repeated the entire story to his mother. Waving his little fists, he angrily said, "Why are they so evil? What are they going to do to Second Uncle?"


    Xiaowan was confused. What exactly was the relationship between the two of them? She caressed the little horn on her son''s head and her heart suddenly quivered, remembering what her husband had told her before. Ershan had a mysterious background, he said that Ershan knew who he was from.


    When she mentioned his elder sister''s aunt at her wife''s house, Lian Yi said, "She seems to have married the prime minister, so it''s possible that I remembered wrongly. After all, I didn''t care about the matters of the capital at all in the past, and maybe my mother and brother even knew a little more."


    She asked the Xiaowan, "What''s wrong?"


    was afraid that Lian Yi would be worried, so she said: "We will stay in the capital for a few more days, I have something to do."


    Although she felt that Ershan''s disappearance was related to his background, the Xiaowan did not have any leads. As a country bumpkin young lady, besides the escort team, there was no one else who could help out in the capital.


    Although Lian Yi was the daughter of the Prefect, the Meng Family had long since fallen. Even their families didn''t put them in their eyes, so who would help them?


    The Xiaowan actually had a powerful figure that she could rely on, but she didn''t want to cause trouble for the Empress. It was already difficult for the Empress to be stuck in the middle, but the Empress was the most innocent.


    It was getting late in the night, and it was almost noon. The weather was beginning to get hot and stuffy, and the little fatty was afraid of the heat. She held her son in her arms as she sat under the window, gently fanning him with a palm-leaf fan.


    The silvery-white moonlight sprinkled inside and landed on the Jade Ring. Xiaowan raised her hand to take a look.


    Last night, the Empress seemed to have spoken everything within the Qingming Pavilion. Aside from the morning assembly, the emperor had been together with the empress the entire time. The matters here should not be left to Ling Chaofeng.


    Thus, taking advantage of the clear day in the world, he came to the inn with the moonlight and the cool breeze, and sat down beside Xiaowan.


    "Master, I''m still that stupid and useless. I used to be a little smart and clever, all thanks to the ability of the ring." Xiaowan muttered, "Now she''s not working, I''m just a silly aunt."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at her lovingly and touched her hand. Xiaowan''s heart trembled as he looked at the back of her hand.


    She could feel it, but she couldn''t tell what it was.


    "Late at night, you are very smart, very strong, very amazing." Ling Chaofeng bent over and kissed the back of her hand. "You''re the same as the Empress, the most outstanding woman."


    Xiaowan looked at the back of her hand, her tears unconsciously flowing down. She "looked" at Ling Chaofeng and once again felt her eyes go blank, the pain in her heart made her unable to breathe. She asked, "Hubby, are you, are you by my side?"


    Ling Chaofeng gently wiped away her tears and a gentle breeze brushed against Xiaowan''s face. She reached out his hands to touch her face and then randomly scratched, "Hubby? "Young master ¡­"


    Little Pei was woken up by the noise, when he opened her eyes, he saw her father by her side, while his mother''s hand groped on his body accurately, but she could not see nor touch it.


    "Father, why is mother so powerful? She can actually feel that you''re here." Little Pei used his heart to listen in, causing the Xiaowan to not be able to hear anything.


    "I also think it''s strange. How could she feel me?" Ling Chaofeng''s eyes did not blink as he looked at Xiaowan, once again wiping away the tears on her face, "Little Pei, the relationship between father and mother has yet to be broken, but I am unable to calculate what will happen next. You must not remember Father''s words, and you cannot tell her even half a word.


    Xiaowan felt that it was laughable, she could not do this, it would probably cause her to be stunned for a long time. If she went crazy, how would she take care of his son? How would she take care of Uncle Biao?


    She pulled herself together and put Little Pei on the bed. When she walked to the window and was about to close the window, she felt a cool breeze blow by.


    It was at this moment, however, that a tall figure walked over from the street under the moonlight. Coincidentally, when Wei Tengfei raised his eyes to look up, he met the gaze of the Xiaowan who was standing in front of the window.


    Wei Tengfei, the great general, actually felt embarrassed and nervous as he turned to leave in a hurry.


    Xiaowan stood at the window and watched. She didn''t know why, but at this moment, she suddenly remembered that she was at the edge of a cliff in a valley. Wei Tengfei had explained again and again that it wasn''t him.


    When they met in the town, the General Wei said that he came alone. Would he lie?


    Wei Tengfei was worried about the Xiaowan, so he unknowingly walked to the front of the tavern. He didn''t expect to see her standing at the window, and at this moment, he hurriedly left.


    He suddenly turned around, and under the moonlight, the slender and delicate young lady stood there. It was unknown if it was because the moonlight was cool, or because her entire body was filled with a chilling aura, causing people''s hearts to ache for her.

 C132

    Ling Chaofeng''s Celestial Soul was floating in midair, quietly watching the night sky, Wei Tengfei slowly walked towards the Xiaowan.


    He still remembered that at the moment of his death, he had hoped that Wei Tengfei could take care of the Xiaowan in his place. The him at that time was a mortal, and he did not know what fate had in store for him.


    But now, his memory had returned, and his fate was not yet over. As he watched another man walk towards his wife, he struggled internally.


    He did not have the qualifications to entrust Xiaowan to Wei Tengfei. That would be unfair to Xiaowan, but if Wei Tengfei was willing to wholeheartedly treat Xiaowan, he also did not have the qualifications to stop him.


    "Xiaowan." Wei Tengfei walked in front of Xiaowan and after he read her name, he fell silent for a long time.


    "General Wei, I want to ask for your help. Please help me find my Ershan." Xiaowan also spoke up, begging her husband and enemies to help her, what an absurd thing to do, but she had no other choice.


    Perhaps he had already thought through something in his heart, but things had already gotten to this point. To Xiaowan, there was no difference between hate and not hate. Husband will never come back. It doesn''t even matter who killed him.


    "Do you have any leads?" Wei Tengfei was also straightforward and agreed immediately.


    Xiaowan looked up at him. General Wei was an upright and honest person, she would rather believe that her husband''s death had nothing to do with Wei Tengfei. But if she were to tell him now that she misunderstood, would there still be any meaning?


    Forget it, the most important thing was to find Ershan and bring him back.


    The Xiaowan told Wei Tengfei what she heard today, so she naturally did not say that her son had some sort of ability, and only said that she had asked around. She wanted to know which family''s wife this sister of the house of the Marquis actually belonged to.


    After Wei Tengfei heard this, he thought for a while. "Perhaps, it''s the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi Palace. I''ll go and find out in a while, no matter which family it is, I''ll come pick you up tomorrow to investigate."


    Xiaowan was very grateful. She blessed it and said, "General Wei, thank you."


    Wei Tengfei said, "Between you and I, there''s no need for thanks."


    Xiaowan did not think much of it, and only bid her farewell. But when she turned around, Wei Tengfei called out to her.


    "General?"


    "Xiaowan, Ling Chaofeng..."


    "I don''t want to talk about it anymore. General Wei, I''m sorry." In the end, Xiaowan did not say it out loud, she could not say it. Losing her husband was better than dying, she could not say the word "forgive", even if it was a misunderstanding, even if it was the wrong person.


    "Okay, let''s find Ershan first." Wei Tengfei said, "I will definitely help you find it."


    The two of them split up. Xiaowan walked back to the inn, and Wei Tengfei watched her enter before turning to leave.


    Ling Chaofeng stood in the air and watched everything happen silently. When he felt the evil wind pushing towards him, he flew back to the imperial city, and returned to the roof of the Announcement Hall.


    Here, he could still make out the Xiaowan and Wei Tengfei clearly. One of them sat in a daze in front of the window, while the other walked toward the General''s Estate with a solemn expression.


    Ling Chaofeng knew what the Xiaowan was thinking the most. This foolish woman, at this moment, still had not understood other people''s thoughts, but he did not know what it would be like if the Xiaowan were to have a day of enlightenment.


    He secretly clenched his fists and said, "Late at night. As long as you can have a good life, you will be fine."


    However, Mu Xiaowan who did not have a husband, would probably never be able to live a good life. She would just be strong for the people around her.


    The next day, Wei Tengfei dispersed the imperial court early in the morning, and came to pick up Xiaowan. They arrived outside the Bi¡¯s Mansion door first, and after a while, the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi returned, and the people from the residence went out to greet them.


    "General, the lady we met at the Hou Mansion yesterday was her." The Xiaowan said, "She chased us away, we are not allowed to see her nephew."


    "She is Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi''s wife." Wei Tengfei said, "Last night I asked a few people, they said that Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi''s wife was not the original owner, but that Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi''s original wife had a son. However, the son disappeared the year she died, and the second son was lost for only six years, almost fourteen years. I think he''s about the same age as Ershan. "


    The time just happened, and the Xiaowan nodded her head: "When Ershan left, he was six years old. But he said that she couldn''t remember her old home and family, we have never heard him mention anything before."


    Wei Tengfei frowned slightly: "As expected, what a coincidence!"


    The Xiaowan said, "General, is Ershan the child of the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi?"


    Wei Tengfei looked at the person who walked in deeply and said to Xiaowan: "I''ll go check, there''s news that you are waiting for me at the inn."


    The Xiaowan was extremely grateful, but she then asked, "Will it delay your time, or will it bring you trouble? Although I know that now is not the time to speak of it, it is meaningless."


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "I have nothing better to do in the capital. I''m very happy to be able to help you."


    Xiaowan''s thoughts were still as simple as ever. She bowed in thanks and did not say anything else.


    Thus, Wei Tengfei first sent the Xiaowan back to the tavern, and then when night fell, he managed to sneak into the Bi¡¯s Mansion. He could have sent his men to do this, but he wanted to help the Xiaowan as soon as possible, so he decided to do it himself.


    When night came, Wei Tengfei easily entered the Prime Minister''s Estate. The Prime Minister''s Estate was not small, he walked around a few times before finally finding the study where the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was. At that time, the Mrs. Bi walked in with something in his hands, and the door closed behind him.


    He leaned close to the window, wanting to eavesdrop on the conversation inside, but tonight there was someone else who wanted to hear what his parents had to say.


    At the moment, when Bi Hanxi had just gotten close to the study room, she saw a black shadow under the window, and her footsteps had already alarmed Wei Tengfei, before she could even cry out in shock, the man had already pounced on her, and they only glanced at each other, but Hanxi had already fainted from the impact.


    Wei Tengfei threw her under the window, and went to listen to the conversation between Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi and Madam. Madam was overbearing, and asked her husband if he was really going to find out where Ling came from, and if Ling Huang was really his son. Such a thing happened, but Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi only replied half-heartedly, and did not say anything.


    Not long after, Mrs. Bi came out. Wei Tengfei jumped onto the roof, remembered, and threw the young lady away.


    "Hanxi, what''s wrong? Hanxi... "Old master, quickly come, quickly come." Hearing Mrs. Bi''s exclamation, Wei Tengfei finally understood that this girl was the daughter of the Prime Minister''s Estate.


    Luckily, he had only knocked her out and not killing her.


    Bi Hanxi woke up very quickly. She told her parents that there was an assassin at home, causing Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi to panic and send servants to search everywhere for him.


    But Wei Tengfei did not leave, the people from the Bi Family went in and out, and after the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi and his wife left the pavilion, the young man was also chased out.


    There was only the white-haired old lady left in the pavilion. She held her granddaughter in her arms as Miss Bi told her, "Just as I approached, I saw a black-clothed person. Then, I was knocked unconscious." Grandma, I''m sorry, I didn''t hear anything. "


    Old Madem touched her granddaughter from top to bottom, asking her where the pain and discomfort was. After asking her again and again, he finally heaved a sigh of relief and hugged her granddaughter: "If something were to happen to you, what would happen to grandma?"


    "Grandmother ¡­" Hanxi wanted to say something but hesitated.


    "Go ahead." Old Madem looked at his granddaughter lovingly.


    "Is Ling Xu my second brother? Is he really Brother Xingye?" Hanxi looked at his grandmother with sparkling eyes, "Grandma, didn''t you already recognize him after taking off his clothes that day, why ¡­"


    Old Madem sighed lightly, "Little Xi, I can''t explain to you clearly about an adult, but Grandma knows that you and your brother are both good kids. Little Xi, if your second brother comes back one day, will you treat him like how you treat your eldest brother? "


    Hanxi repeatedly nodded her head: "I will, big brother will too. It''s a pity that big brother hasn''t grown up together with second brother, and also regretted not bringing him along when he was young, which was why he lost him."


    The Old Madem said with hot tears in his eyes, "What injustice! She has two good children like you."


    Hanxi timidly asked, "Grandma, is he your father, or ¡­ "Mother?"


    Hearing that, Wei Tengfei left, returned to the General''s Estate, and sent his subordinates to monitor Prime Minister''s Estate''s every movement. The next morning, he told Xiaowan everything that happened last night.


    After hearing that Ershan had taken off his clothes, Xiaowan asked Uncle Biao if there were any birthmarks on his body. Uncle Biao said that Ershan had a red birthmark on his back that he had had since he was young.


    No one could have imagined that Ershan was actually a young master of the Prime Minister''s Estate. Furthermore, after seeing the fate of the original wife and the six year old mother of Ershan, something could have happened to agitate him to the point where he could lose his memories.


    But right now, the most important thing was to find Ershan.


    On the Announcement Hall, Ling Chaofeng opened his eyes and saw his son hovering in front of him. He asked himself with a smile: "Father, do you know where Second Uncle is?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded.


    Little Pei said anxiously: "Then tell me, Mother is so anxious that she can''t eat anymore."


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "The heaven''s rules are strict. Little Pei, we cannot control the fates of others."


    Little Pei flipped a circle in the sky, looking mighty and domineering, his mouth wide opened and closed, breaking the record. He spoke in a baby voice: "Being a god is really not interesting, being a person is better, a child can even drink milk."


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. After all, he was Mu Xiaowan''s son, and his temperament was the same as her mother''s.


    However, he still could not understand how Xiaowan, an ordinary mortal, was able to give birth to Golden Dragon. His brothers and sisters, after combining with the fairies, were born with dragons and dragons that were not in the shape of dragons. However, Xiaowan, a mere mortal, was able to give birth to such a beautiful and mighty dragon embryo.


    Little Pei let out a cry as he flew back to his mother''s side. On the other hand, Ling Chaofeng saw from afar that he was riding his horse towards the direction of the outside of the capital.


    On this side, the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi drove into seclusion and arrived at a different house outside of the city. This place had been abandoned for many years, and no one had managed it for a long time.


    A servant came up to him and said anxiously, "Sir, Young Master hasn''t eaten for five days and hasn''t been willing to drink any water for the past two days. If this goes on, he will starve to death from thirst."


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi raged: "Are you guys dead? Pick his mouth open and pour him in."


    That person tremblingly said, "Young Master said that if we use force, he will bite his tongue and commit suicide."


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was furious: "Bastard."


    Wei Tengfei had already jumped up to the roof, the house was old and rundown, there were already cracks between the tiles, before he even had to move, he could already see the interior.


    Wei Tengfei had seen this young man before on the bed. Just as the servant had said, after not entering the water for a few days, his complexion was already pale and his aura was weak. There was even a scar on his forehead.


    A group of people barged in. Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was furious and anxious, he ordered some of his men to pry open Ershan''s mouth and pour the water down, seeing his son spitting the water out, he angrily grabbed onto his clothes: "Bastard, do you want to die?"


    Ershan laughed coldly. His gaze of hatred seemed to be complaining about the grudges he had felt all those years ago.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was actually flustered by his own son''s gaze. He released his hand and ordered the servants under him, "Fill his mouth with water and feed him. You guys are afraid that he will bite his tongue and commit suicide, so tie him up ¡­"


    "Milord, that''s not good, right?"


    "Then, what should we do? Watch him kill himself with the hunger strike?" To him, Ershan was clearly a burden, and was a source of trouble. He pointed at Ershan with a trembling finger and said, "If I didn''t give birth to you back then, this old man would not have been troubled."


    After the crowd tormented him for a while, they forced Ershan to drink the porridge and tied him up. Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi left the place and ordered the people to guard the place, and then returned to the city in a hurry.


    Wei Tengfei gently jumped down, in a few moments he had subdued the guard on the inside and outside, and then rushed in, causing Ershan to struggle in fear, he simply knocked Ershan out, carried him on his shoulder and quickly left the place.


    Inside Prime Minister''s Estate, seeing that his father had gone out and his mother had returned home, Hanxi went to the inner courtyard to help his grandmother put on her clothes. The grandfather and granddaughter duo quietly went out through the back door and the mama had already arranged a carriage for them, directly rushing to the inn Ling Tian stayed at.


    That day, when Hanxi heard from her brother that Ling Xu''s family had come to the capital, his grandmother had always wanted to take a look. It was a rare opportunity, so she naturally accompanied her grandmother on this trip.


    When they reached the inn, Hanxi stood under the carriage and helped her grandmother out. She then saw a tall and big man walking out of the inn, but he seemed to be in a rush to leave.


    Hanxi didn''t know if this man saw her, but she could see clearly that it was the man in black who was in front of her father''s study last night.

 C133

    "Little Xi, what are you looking at?" Seeing his granddaughter in a daze, Old Madem said anxiously, "Let''s go in quickly and take a look. Your father and mother should be back soon."


    Hanxi did not dare delay, and immediately helped her grandmother into the tavern, and asked the owner, saying that they had gone out and were not in the tavern.


    Since the Old Madem didn''t want to, he said that she wanted to wait at the shop. Hanxi naturally followed his grandmother and sat down.


    Upstairs, Ershan had just awoken and the unfamiliar and cold faces were no longer in front of him. In this one month of hard work, he had been placed under house arrest, his daily meals were good and his drinks were good. There were people who wanted him to take care of him, but he was not allowed to leave.


    He had tried all sorts of ways to escape, but none of them had succeeded. Although it was unlikely that someone would hit him because of this, they were getting impatient, so he finally thought of a hunger strike. Even if he died, he wouldn''t be locked up for a lifetime without knowing why.


    "We didn''t even wait for you to come home before we found our way to the capital. You really are in trouble." The Xiaowan said with tears in his eyes, "God bless us, Ershan, you are truly worried for us."


    Lian Yi held Ershan''s hand tightly, she could not say anything. If the one she loved could come back alive, then she would be willing to do whatever the heavens wanted her to do in the future.


    "Ershan, you rest first. With us here, no one will capture you again." The Xiaowan said, she looked at Lian Yi, "I''ll leave him to you."


    Lian Yi nodded with tears in her eyes. Xiaowan was about to leave without worry, but then she turned around and Ershan called out to her.


    "My brother ¡­" The moment Ershan opened his mouth, tears fell like rain, "Xiaowan, how did my brother die?"


    Xiaowan''s heart was twisted, she shook her head: "An accident like falling off a cliff, no one wants to, Ershan, you rest first. If you still care about him, take care of your body and prepare for the conference in August to be a useful person to the country and the people. "


    She did not turn back her head and rushed outside the door. The moment she mentioned Ling Chaofeng, it felt as if his body was going to be torn apart. She wanted to stay calm.


    Holding onto the railing, he saw a white-haired Old Madem and a young lady sitting in the hall.


    Although there were rich and powerful people everywhere in the capital, the inn was still a market, and the local nobles didn''t usually come.


    The people downstairs also saw Xiaowan.


    They looked at each other, and the Xiaowan nodded in a friendly manner. She turned her gaze away and was about to leave when she heard someone call out to her from downstairs, "My wife, are you Ling Yu''s family?"


    Xiaowan was startled. She looked at the shopkeeper below and helplessly nodded, meaning that they were looking for Ling.


    Old Madem did not wait for Xiaowan to agree as he shakily climbed up the stairs. When Xiaowan saw the old man working so hard, he unconsciously reached out to support him.


    "My wife, are you Ling Yu''s family? Who are you to him? "


    Old Madem saw that Xiaowan was very young, with her hair tied up in a bun. She did not dare call him by any random name, and even thought that she might be the industry''s own daughter-in-law.


    At this point, the Xiaowan simply confronted him openly, and said: "I am Ling Yu''s sister-in-law, why do I know my Ershan."


    "So it''s his sister-in-law. What about his brother?" Old Madem looked around, her eyes filled with anticipation. She wanted to thank this family for bringing up her grandson.


    "Hubby is no longer here. He left in three months." Xiaowan lowered her eyes.


    "Where did you go?" Hanxi was young, so she couldn''t understand what she meant.


    But when the Old Madem saw Xiaowan''s expression and simple yet elegant makeup, he immediately understood. It was a pity that good people did not live long, and he only said: "I wanted to thank you all for raising my industry, but who would have thought ¡­ Sister-in-law, please forgive me. "


    Old Madem followed Ershan and called him "Madam Sister-in-law". Naturally, Xiaowan did not dare to accept and wanted to carry her down to talk.


    He did not know what was happening outside and immediately asked: "Xiaowan, I will go and get some medicine for Ershan."


    Everyone was startled, the Old Madem thought for a bit and asked in surprise: "Is the industry here?"


    Furthermore, Ershan''s real name was Ling Wu, and his family called him Ershan. Furthermore, his real name was Ling Wu, and he was a good person.


    Only his grandmother, who cared about his grandson, could understand.


    The old man barged in without explanation and saw his grandson lying on the bed. Beside the bed sat a young and beautiful girl, but at this moment, she could not see anyone except her grandson.


    The Old Madem looked up and down while supporting Ershan''s arm, he said worriedly: "How are you so skinny? Industry, did they mistreat you?"


    "Grandma, did you know that I was arrested by him and placed under house arrest?" Ershan asked.


    Old Madem was conflicted. He stiffly nodded and said while holding onto his heart: "He promised me, as long as your brother can smoothly pass the top scorer''s test, after the exam is over, he will bring you back home. He said that if you hinder Zhenye''s future, that woman would definitely not forgive him. At that time, our family would not be able to return home, and we would lose all our face. I promised him, I... But I didn''t expect him to mistreat you. "


    The matter was a little complicated, and the people present were all confused. Bi Hanxi even more so, did Grandmother know where her grandson was?


    Old Madem said that she was afraid that his son would betray her and that he would tell his daughter-in-law in advance. He was afraid that Mrs. Bi would harm the industry.


    Uncle Biao, Xiaowan, and Lian Yi were all confused. They only understood after Ershan told them everything honestly.


    Ershan was the second son of the original wife of the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi. When he was six years old, he lost his birth mother and was sent out of the capital.


    What happened afterwards, was that during the Ling Xiao Inn for more than ten years, Uncle Biao knew about it, but not a single person knew. Ershan had always understood who he was and where he had come from.


    The problem in front of him was that after Old Madem recognized his grandson, he wholeheartedly wanted the industry to recognize him as its ancestor. However, Ershan had requested for him to recognize him after obtaining the title, otherwise, he would disappear without a trace. Old Madem was worried, so he promised Ershan that it would be kept a secret, but in the end, he was forced to tell Ershan by his son.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi came to a consensus with his mother, saying that in order to protect the industry, they would lock him up first and bring him home after Zhenye obtains his title.


    Old Madem was moved by his son and actually agreed to it.


    At this moment, Ershan coldly said: "He never thought of letting me back, he will keep me under house arrest for a lifetime, or directly kill me."


    Old Madem shook his hands and said, "That won''t happen, in the industry, your father has promised me ¡­"


    Ershan smiled bitterly and asked his grandmother: "You have never thought about how my mother died?"


    Old Madem was startled, and replied: "Didn''t she die of illness?"


    Ershan sighed lightly, avoiding his grandmother''s gaze, and said to Uncle Biao and Xiaowan: "Uncle, sister-in-law, I''ll have to trouble you to send my grandmother out, I''m tired."


    "Industry..."


    "Old granny, you should leave first. Your child can''t take the pain off his body. If there''s anything you need, you can come back in a few days to discuss it." Uncle Biao stepped forward and blocked his path. Looking at how tall and sturdy he was, Hanxi was a little afraid.


    After waiting for someone to go empty in the room, Lian Yi had not woken up yet. After hearing Ershan coughing, she came back to her senses and quickly went to pour him a cup of water.


    Lian Yi brought the teacup in front of Ershan, but Ershan took the opportunity to hold her hand. "I''ve been hiding this from everyone, and you as well."


    "Take care of yourself first. Nothing else is important." Lian Yi said, "Regardless of whether your surname is Ling or Bi, I do not care, as long as you are fine, I will be satisfied."


    "Lian Yi, I''m sorry, I did not accomplish anything, and I made you worry about making you run errands for me." Ershan said, "Now that my brother is no longer here, I can''t hold onto those grudges any longer. I have to take care of the tavern and the Xiaowan, compared to them, anyone within the Prime Minister''s Estate is insignificant. "Don''t worry, I''ll pull myself together and do what I have to do."


    Lian Yi nodded his head, "I have always trusted you. I know that you will not abandon me."


    In front of the door, Xiaowan originally wanted to ask Ershan a few more questions, but when she saw him and Lian Yi embracing, she could not help but reveal a smile, and gently closed the door.


    Ershan was safe and sound, a stone fell from her heart, but his mind suddenly went blank, not knowing what to do next.


    Returning to the Baisha Town, continuing to operate the inn, or would he stay here to protect Ershan until he successfully participated in the examination?


    Xiaowan shook her head. She remembered that she should go and thank Wei Tengfei first.


    At this moment, Wei Tengfei was in his Qingming Pavilion, reporting this matter to the emperor.


    It was not him betraying the Xiaowan, but was instead related to the leader of the imperial court. He could not treat it as a private matter, after experiencing Ling Chaofeng''s incident, he wanted Ling Chaofeng to understand the emperor''s intention, and that it was best to not let him suspect anyone.


    After Xiang Run heard this, he sighed lightly, "I never thought that they would cause such a ruckus. It''s also good to save them, if not the Xiaowan and the rest would be worried for them."


    Wei Tengfei said: "This matter happened too suddenly, and I was unable to report to the Emperor. This subject has done so, I hope that Your Majesty will forgive me."


    The emperor was actually very young, around ten years younger than Wei Tengfei. However, the Tian Family''s qi image, the majesty of an emperor, Xiang Run had been mature and mature since he was young. Even when standing in front of Wei Tengfei, he could not see the difference of ten years.


    He said: "If Ling Tian does not have any abilities, it can be considered that I have misjudged him. Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi is my father''s highly regarded subject, he has built a great family in the country, so there is no need for me to interfere in family matters."


    Wei Tengfei did not say anything. Xiang Run then continued: "Do you want to go to Prime Minister''s Estate to pass on my words to him? Does he want to be an inn runner or a young master? "You should think about what to say."


    "Yes." Wei Tengfei accepted the order.


    "Leaving you behind in the capital is actually dealing with domestic matters." Xiang Run laughed, "After this matter is over, you should return to the Chuanyu.


    "This official dares not."


    "However, I won''t be able to see Xiaowan once I return to the Chuanyu." Suddenly, the emperor stabbed into his uncle''s heart. "Tengfei, for the Xiaowan, you have done your best."

 C134

    Every word that came from the emperor reached Ling Chaofeng''s ears. He stood with his hands behind his back on the Announcement Hall, and looked at the people inside.


    Wei Tengfei and the emperor looked at each other, he had a resolute will, and at this moment, he put aside the difference between them as the emperor and said solemnly: "This subject humbly requests Your Majesty, do not meddle in the affairs of the Xiaowan. After losing Ling Chaofeng, her life has already turned into a mess. She had to endure it so hard that she couldn''t take any more blows. "


    Xiang Run smiled faintly, "But to Xiaowan, you will be the best home. If you two can be together, the Empress will be very happy."


    "The empress won''t be happy." Wei Tengfei said solemnly, "If Xiaowan is unhappy, she will not be happy. "She won''t be happy either."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the attendant came over to report that the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was asking for an audience.


    "Did he notice it already?"


    Xiang Run''s expression remained indifferent.


    Wei Tengfei was about to leave when he was stopped by the Emperor, who smiled and said, "Why don''t we listen to what he has to say? At this time, it does not seem like there is a country that needs to be discussed with me. "


    He saw that the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was dressed neatly and was walking in a hurry. Upon seeing Wei Tengfei standing there, he heaved a sigh of relief, smiled at him, and bowed to the Emperor.


    "Sir, why have you come to see me?" the Emperor asked.


    "Your Majesty, this subject ¡­" This subject has a daughter who is a virgin and has been raised by her mother since childhood. " Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi steadied his heart and continued, "My mother has always admired heroes and respected General Wei''s achievements and character. Ever since General Wei came to the capital, he has frequently urged this subject to propose marriage to his General''s Estate. This subject knows that his daughter is vulgar and cannot be raised, but Mother is too old to be at ease with her granddaughter''s marriage. This subject is extremely filial, and today I have the gall to come meet the Emperor, hoping to propose marriage to General Wei in front of the Emperor. "


    Wei Tengfei frowned, but in his heart, he was thinking, could it be that the emperor and the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi have schemed for this scenario? Who would have thought that one day, he too would become a suspicious person.


    Unexpectedly, the Emperor smiled. "My beloved one, you have arrived late. If you had opened your mouth earlier, I might have been able to protect you with this trip."


    Wei Tengfei and Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi were both stunned. The emperor laughed: "Before you came, there were already seven or eight people who came to us to ask us to grant them marriages for their daughters. They all wanted us to marry their daughters into our General''s Estate. Wei Tengfei only has one, could it be that all of your daughters will be married into a husband? "


    "Your majesty!" Wei Tengfei was a little excited.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll discuss your matters with the empress." Xiang Run indicated for Wei Tengfei to calm down, and continued, "Therefore, we have long since decided that we would not agree to any family. As for whether or not your children and General''s Estate are fated to be together, it will all depend on our own abilities."


    The two of them looked extremely awkward. The emperor ordered them to kneel and rest, then said to Wei Tengfei: "I remember that the general still has important matters to attend to with Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi, you two can leave together."


    Wei Tengfei bowed without saying a word, causing the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi to look at him strangely.


    Ling Chaofeng stood on top of the eaves, and when he turned around, he saw the emperor standing alone in front of the Qingming Pavilion gate, quietly gazing up at the sky in deep thought.


    Ling Chaofeng had been in the palace for a long time, and he gradually understood one thing.


    It was only natural for the Emperor to kill him. From his parents to his generation, they knew too many secrets of the imperial court.


    Xiang Run was an emperor because the nation was the world, tens of thousands of citizens.


    In fact, even if Xiaowan was unhappy or was unhappy, or even if Queen was happy, they were all insignificant. Even if everyone in the world believed that he had done the wrong thing, as long as it was beneficial to the nation, it would be his responsibility.


    It was hard to be an emperor, and even harder to be an emperor who wanted to serve his country and his people.


    After burning Baisha Town, he believed that the Emperor had the intention to kill. It was after he had made his request, before setting the Baisha Town on fire, but because he had committed the crime of murder and arson, he deserved to die even more.


    He suddenly felt the aura of the Xiaowan and turned to look. His wife had left the tavern alone, and as he questioned her along the way, she found Wei Tengfei''s residence in the capital.


    The person at the door was rather courteous. He said that the general was not at home and asked her to come in, but Xiaowan rejected him. She was standing not far away from the General''s Estate door waiting for him.


    Ling Chaofeng''s soul left his body and she flew to Xiaowan''s side. Xiaowan felt a gust of wind brush past his, so she naturally "looked" at Ling Chaofeng, and whenever that happened, her tears would unconsciously fall.


    "Master, is that you?" Xiaowan became more and more convinced that it was Ling Chaofeng''s soul that was accompanying her. She smiled with tears in her eyes, "Hubby, I found Ershan, Ershan is fine now."


    Ling Chaofeng kissed her forehead, making Xiaowan feel a bit itchy. She smiled with tears in his eyes, "Husband, am I very strong?"


    The people in front of the General''s Estate Sect all felt that it was very strange when they saw this young lady talking to herself. They all began to whisper to each other, discussing about what was going on with the Xiaowan.


    But at this moment, an evil wind swept over, and a sharp laughter entered Ling Chaofeng''s ears. A few Spirit Demons screamed out sharply: "The Chaofeng''s Celestial Soul is actually here, fellow sisters, quickly come and absorb his Celestial Soul, it will increase your cultivation for ten thousand years."


    When Ling Chaofeng''s Celestial Soul left the stone statue, it did not contain any magic power, but rather, it was demoted to being used to guard the palace. Only when the Daqi and emperor met with danger, would he be able to use his magic power to deal with the demons.


    At the moment, if he did not return to the Announcement Hall stone statue, he would instantly be torn apart by the demons. His soul would be scattered and there would be no Chaofeng in the world of Heaven Realm.


    Xiaowan stood at the corner and felt the cold wind wrap around her body. Just as she was scared, a golden light flashed in the sky and a Golden Dragon appeared in front of his eyes on a cloud.


    It was Little Pei, but he did not know what he was doing, but he kept churning in the sky, his bared fangs and claws releasing a terrifying aura, from time to time he would open his mouth wide, revealing his sharp dragon teeth, his anger shaking the heavens.


    "Little Pei..." Xiaowan shouted towards the sky, "Little Pei, what''s wrong?"


    Slowly, the black clouds dispersed and the gale disappeared. Little Pei then flew towards the direction of the palace, ignoring him. Xiaowan chased a few steps, looking at him blankly, what happened to her son just now?


    The people at the General''s Estate gate had all hidden themselves because of the wind, but when they saw the young lady yell towards the sky, they felt more and more that there was something wrong with her mind.


    At this moment, Little Pei was escorting his father''s immortal soul back to the statue of the Announcement Hall. Just now, when he was rolling in the clouds, he was fighting with those demons and devils, after all, he was the descendant of the Dragon Clan, and he had been born with ten thousand years of cultivation.


    "Daddy, in the broad daylight, if the sun is a bit hotter, I can still burn you to death." The little guy solemnly said to his father, "If you want to see your mother, summon me to protect you. Do not ever run out again. If you die, what will your mother do?"


    Ling Chaofeng was actually rendered speechless by his son. Just now, at that moment of life and death, if Little Pei had not hurried over, he really would have vanished into thin air.


    "Just now when you appeared, your mother saw you." Ling Chaofeng said, "She will definitely ask you what you are doing, how are you going to answer?"


    "I refuse to admit it." Little Pei chuckled, "Mother is very smart. She never compels me to do things that I can''t say."


    Ling Chaofeng felt that he was very useless, he could only remind his son, "Be careful."


    Little Pei somersaulted in the air, and laughed: "Daddy should be more cautious."


    On this side, Wei Tengfei followed the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi to the Prime Minister''s Estate, and the two of them did not speak for the entire journey.


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi understood his thoughts, and thought, Hanxi was beautiful, although she had a lively personality, not as dignified and gentle as the daughter of another family, but maybe people who practice the martial arts would like people like Hanxi.


    If he could promote the marriage between his daughter and General''s Estate, then even if one day he was unable to protect his black gauze hat, his Bi Family would at least not decline. Once Zhenye was able to take charge of his own affairs, he would naturally shine even brighter. As for the industry, he should never appear again.


    When they entered, and heard that her father had returned, Hanxi came to welcome them since her mother and brother were not at home. She did not expect that her father would bring a guest for them, which she should have avoided.


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was displeased: "General Wei is here! What are you doing here? Why aren''t you greeting me?! You have no rules!"


    When Bi Hanxi heard that this person was actually a famous great general Chuanyu, she even more could not understand.


    Why did he sneak into the house to eavesdrop on his father''s conversation? Furthermore, he appeared in the inn today, could it be that he knew Brother Xingye''s family, or ¡­ Was it him who saved Brother Xingye?


    "Hanxi?" Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi saw that his daughter did not move and stared at the customer rudely. He was angry, how could someone like this take a fancy to him.


    "There''s no harm, Sir Prime Minister. There are some words that I spoke on behalf of the Emperor. Once I''ve found a suitable place to speak, I should leave." Wei Tengfei disagreed, he looked at Bi Hanxi, and knew that he must have recognised him, he did not care, this was no big deal.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi invited Wei Tengfei to the study room. He never thought that at this moment, the second son had already returned to the tavern and was being protected by his family.


    "General Wei ¡­"


    "Your Majesty means that since Your Excellency abandoned this son many years ago, you have no right to decide what sort of person he will become in the future. If Ling Xiang wants to recognize his ancestors, you must naturally accept him. If he doesn''t want to be the descendant of Bi Family, you cannot interfere either. " Wei Tengfei said coldly, "Furthermore, do not disturb his family. Think about it, why would the emperor know Ling Qian, who is also from the Ling Xiao Inn?


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi looked at Wei Tengfei in a daze.


    When he walked out of the door, he coincidentally met Mrs. Bi who had returned. Mrs. Bi was in a bad moohehe did not have anyone in his eyes, and he did not even greet him, but her servant girl had been waiting for a long time. When he saw that his wife had returned, she came over and whispered: "Madam, today the young miss and Old Madem have gone out again.

 C135

    When he heard that his daughter was following his grandmother out again, the Mrs. Bi became furious. He couldn''t care less about the strangeness of the inn, he could only hate his daughter for following his mother-in-law wholeheartedly.


    She angrily ran over to look for Bi Hanxi, asking him what exactly she had done with her grandmother that scared the little girl so much that she didn''t know what to do.


    When the Old Madem heard that her daughter-in-law was forcing her granddaughter, he rushed over to argue with her. Mrs. Bi was filled with resentment, and could not care less as he charged towards the old lady.


    Asked her loudly what she despised about her, and she gave birth to children for Bi Family. She served the older, younger, and older ones for twenty odd years, so how could she let down this family?


    As for the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi, he was still immersed in the fear of his own actions being seen through by the Emperor.


    He came to scold his wife and mother angrily, blaming them for not understanding his difficulties, scolding his wife in front of the crowd, asking how long she was going to last.


    Mrs. Bi laughed desolately: "Alright, I was the one who caused this. I was the one who stopped your family from reuniting. If I die, all of you can rest in peace."


    He saw her head slam into the corner of the table. Fortunately, a servant girl blocked her attack, but the impact caused her to feel dizzy and angry.


    "Mother, mother ¡­" Bi Hanxi saw that her mother was unconscious, and started to cry anxiously.


    The Mrs. Bi was carried away, the old lady was escorted away, and Bi Hanxi was left alone in her room with only the wet nurse accompanying him.


    "Everything is fine, how did it suddenly become like this?" Hanxi asked her wet nurse with tears in her eyes.


    The wet nurse sighed helplessly, "Miss, I have to say something that should not be said. What should be done in this world must be returned."


    After calming himself down, Hanxi worried about her mother''s body and rushed to the main courtyard. She saw that all the servant girls had been sent away, afraid that her parents would quarrel again.


    As soon as he stepped into the doorway, he heard his mother ask his father, "The Emperor refused to help us, and Wei Tengfei rejected you as well?"


    "So he doesn''t seem to have turned me down." "He also seems eager to warn me about the industry. Either he forgot to refuse or he didn''t care."


    "Yet another industry... How did Wei Tengfei get involved too? " Mother sobbed a bit and asked, "As for the things that everyone knows, only I don''t know. Are we still husband and wife?"


    Father sighed and said, "Don''t make a fuss, can I discuss the industry with you? Now that even the Emperor has interfered, what else do you want? Right now, I am unable to protect myself. The old officials in the court poured out batch after batch. Unknowingly, it was my turn. Your brother rejected you, right? He knows that nothing is more important than keeping his black hat. It''s useless for you to go and find him. "


    But then, he turned around and heard his father saying: "I want to marry Little Xi to Wei Tengfei, so that I can at least save the reputation of our Bi Family and pave the way for Zhenye in the future, so that it won''t affect Zhenye in the future.


    Mother asked, "You''re going to use your daughter to protect this family?"


    His father sighed heavily, "The Emperor doesn''t have six palaces, so there''s no hope. The Shen family''s threshold is too high, and our only son has already married the princess, so we don''t have any hope anymore. There''s only Wei Tengfei left, although he''s a little older than Hanxi, but he can''t be considered old even if he''s thirty years old.


    "That won''t do, the Chuanyu are so far away, Wei Tengfei is even thirty-two years old now ¡­" The Mrs. Bi opposed with all his might.


    "Then watch as I lose my black muslin hat and see how Zhenye''s future is ruined. You just wait for his rise to the top in his industry and come clean up our debts." "Are you willing?"


    Hanxi was so frightened that she started trembling. So the guardian that Mother mentioned was her marriage. Father wanted to marry him to that person?


    She accidentally knocked into a flower rack at the corner of the door and a pot of flowers fell down, startling the people inside. When her father rushed out to see what was going on, he saw his daughter and his face darkened: "Are you hiding here to eavesdrop?"


    "I ¡­"


    Everything she explained now was useless. Her parents were not calm, and everyone was furious. She could only lower her head and listen to her father''s lecture.


    Later on, Hanxi was carried by his mother and his mother stroked her back. Their self-blame scared their daughter and they choked with sobs as they said, "Little Xi, your mother is unwilling to part with you. She is also unable to part with you ¡­"


    After her mother took the medicine and went to bed, the old granny also took the medicine and slept temporarily. Her father went to his study to discuss things with someone. Finally, the house was peaceful again.


    Hanxi walked out of the main courtyard, passing by the place where she met Wei Tengfei last night. When she thought that it was very likely that she would marry this man, her mind went completely blank.


    The only thing she knew was that her marriage could save her family and protect her brother''s future.


    As the sun set, Bi Zhenye returned home from his studies. He found out a little about what happened at home, but his father was busy not seeing him, and his mother and grandmother were still awake when he walked over to his room. As expected, he saw his sister sitting blankly by the pond.


    He sat down and snickered, "So the secret between you and Grandma is Ling Qian?"


    Hanxi nodded, and then shook her head: "It''s not Ling Qian, it''s Brother Xingye. Brother, when I first saw him, I felt like I''ve seen him somewhere before. Although you won''t believe me now, it''s true, I won''t lie to you. I recognized him almost as soon as I saw him. "


    "I''ve always felt that he was not ordinary, but I never expected him to be from an industry." Bi Zhenye sighed, "It''s good that he''s fine."


    The two brothers had been separated for many years, and speaking of brotherly love, it seemed to be too far-fetched. However, they had a classmate relationship, and after knowing each other for so long, they had a little more or less understood each other.


    "I want to see him. Are you going?" Bi Zhenye asked his sister, "Do you want to go with me?"


    Hanxi pouted and asked: "Big brother dragged me along because I was afraid of being scolded by father and mother?"


    Bi Zhenye laughed: "I see that you''re unhappy, I just want to take you out for a walk."


    However, Hanxi asked his brother, "Is brother confident that you can get the top scorer?"


    Bi Zhenye was rather carefree, he got up and pulled his sister''s hand: "There are so many talents, it''s a good thing for the Empire, as for me, I can serve the Imperial Court even without taking the top scholar''s test, I will do my best, but in the end, I will not force it."


    He was too lazy to wait for the servants to get into the carriage, so he rode his horse with his sister and came to Ling Xiao Inn. When he entered, he coincidentally saw Wei Tengfei hurrying downstairs, and almost brushed past the siblings without even looking at them.


    Hanxi stared at Wei Tengfei''s leaving figure in a daze. She still couldn''t imagine that she might have to marry this man, but hearing her parents'' tone, it seemed like it would be difficult. Wei Tengfei didn''t seem to want to marry her, which was why his father was worried.


    "Hanxi." Zhenye called out to his sister softly. As expected, he felt it was a little awkward to see Ling Tian in person.


    Furthermore, Wei Tengfei had left the inn in a hurry to return to General''s Estate.


    After he finished talking with Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi, he cautiously entered the palace to report to the Emperor. The Emperor didn''t say anything, but the Queen just so happened to want to see him. He went to the Culture Hall to talk with his sister for a bit before coming out again, and decided to take a look at the inn.


    Who knew that when he saw Uncle Biao, Uncle Biao would say that Xiaowan had gone to look for him alone at General''s Estate.


    He rushed back on his horse and from afar, he saw a frail and weak figure standing by the corner of a wall. Wei Tengfei dismounted from his horse and ran towards Xiaowan, his aura somewhat disordered: "How long have you been standing here for? "Why don''t you come in?"


    He turned around and angrily rebuked the servants in front of the door: "Did you block them?"


    "I didn''t want to go in." Xiaowan said, "General Wei, don''t blame them wrongly."


    "Xiaowan, come in. You must be tired." Wei Tengfei reached out to support Xiaowan, but he didn''t dare to touch her in the end and pulled his hand back.


    "I won''t be sitting, Little Pei is still waiting for me to return home. I just wanted to thank you, General, for saving Ershan. If it wasn''t for General, I''m afraid we wouldn''t be able to find him even if we searched aimlessly for our entire lives. "


    The Xiaowan sincerely said, "I don''t know how to express my gratitude. I can only say that if General is in need of us in the future, please do not hesitate to speak. Of course, if there''s anything the empress needs, even if I have to sacrifice my life, I''ll do my best to help the empress. "


    How could Wei Tengfei bear to have Xiaowan risk his life for them? On the contrary, he wanted to take care of her for his entire life, so that she wouldn''t receive any more harm.


    "Xiaowan ¡­"


    "General, thank you." The Xiaowan bowed deeply, straightened her body, and said very gently, "I am willing to believe your words regarding this matter with my husband. I know that the General is an upright and upright person, and you would never do something like that. I was too sad and too sad to judge right from wrong with a straight face, please forgive me. "


    Wei Tengfei said heavily: "Xiaowan, you don''t have to forgive anyone. You didn''t do anything wrong."


    Xiaowan shook her head. "It''s too tiring to hate someone."


    "Xiaowan ¡­"


    "General, I will return first. Thank you again. Once Ershan is fully recovered, I will have him kowtow to you and express his gratitude." The Xiaowan said, like a matriarch, he blessed Wei Tengfei and turned to leave.


    "Xiaowan!" Wei Tengfei stopped her.


    "Yes." Xiaowan turned around and looked at the tall man calmly. She did not have a single emotion in her heart.


    "Can I protect you?" Wei Tengfei said, "Xiaowan, let me take care of you for the rest of your life, as well as the children and everyone else in the inn, Xiaowan, will you allow me to protect you?"


    Mu Xiaowan stared at him in a daze. What was this person saying?


    However, Wei Tengfei walked forward with a few steps, and was very close to Xiaowan: "I can wait for you, until the day you are willing to. Let me take care of you, Xiaowan... I like you. "


    "Do you know what you''re talking about, General?" Xiaowan''s heart was in pain, an unspeakable pain. She smiled desolately, "General Wei, I think this is the last time we will meet. From now on, please take care. "

 C136

    Seeing the frail body walk further and further, Wei Tengfei''s heart felt like it was being stabbed with a knife. He rushed forward and grabbed Xiaowan''s arm.


    "I know that I shouldn''t have said those words to you at this time, but I mean it sincerely. Xiaowan, the first time I saw you, I ¡­"


    Xiaowan turned and stared at him, her eyes filled with tears.


    "I will wait for you for a year, two years, ten years, or even a lifetime," he firmly said. "Unless there comes a day when there is someone better who can take care of you in Ling Chaofeng''s place."


    "In his stead?" Xiaowan cried as she vigorously shook her head.


    "No, Xiaowan, that''s not what I meant."


    "General, can''t I live my life by myself?"


    "If you are alone, I will guard you for the rest of my life."


    "General, my life is too tough. Do you know, ever since I was born, my life has been too hard?" The Xiaowan gently struggled for a bit, before breaking free from Wei Tengfei''s grasp and retreating a few steps, "I cannot harm anyone anymore, General, thank you."


    She turned and ran, running very quickly. Although Wei Tengfei could catch up to her, he could not.


    However, he had not given up. If he could open Xiaowan''s heart and let her regain her composure, even if he had to wait a long time, he would still be willing.


    The Xiaowan left and it wasn''t until there was no one left that Wei Tengfei finally turned back home.


    As they entered, the servants at the door looked at each other. One of them said boldly, "General, there is something I thought I should tell you."


    "Speak." Wei Tengfei said coldly.


    The servant then told Wei Tengfei about how Xiaowan looked like when she was outside the door, and how the demonic wind was raging in the clouds.


    "Really?" Wei Tengfei was also surprised when he heard it. What happened to the Xiaowan?


    "Everyone in front of the door has seen it. Everyone is really looking at it." They all answered, "General, this woman seems to be possessed."


    "Shut up, don''t speak nonsense. She''s just feeling too much heartache over losing her husband." Wei Tengfei warned the servants, "If you see her at home again, all of you need to be well-received, do you hear me?"


    Everyone kept saying yes, but Wei Tengfei was not at ease. He told the Emperor that Xiaowan had endured very hard, and that it was from the bottom of her heart. He felt that the Xiaowan was doing it for the people around him, and not because she was truly spirited.


    Perhaps he had thought too much, but if he couldn''t see her smiling face, he would never be at ease.


    However, who would be able to make her reveal his true feelings toward Ling Chaofeng, unless he revives.


    Wei Tengfei sighed softly. He couldn''t scare the Xiaowan anymore, and couldn''t force her again. From today onwards, all he needed to do was to protect her and prevent anyone from harming her.


    "Someone, come." He waved his hand, wanting to arrange a group of people to protect Ling Xiao Inn s inseparably.


    On the other side, Xiaowan was already sweating profusely as she ran back to the inn.


    She got water and washed her face in the room. Looking at her reflection in the washbasin, she looked so haggard, her eyes were empty, and her face was so thin that it was concave. Even Xiaowan wouldn''t be able to recognize her.


    She remembered that on the first day they arrived at the tavern, Aunt Zhang said to her happily, "My master is really smart."


    Now, when she saw her, she would only sigh.


    Xiaowan touched his face and ran in front of the makeup table to sit down. She brought along some makeup and smeared it over his face, layer after layer.


    Tears fell down, washing away the makeup, forming distorted tears on his face, one after another ¡­


    "Mother." It was unknown when Little Pei had moved to stand at the side.


    Xiaowan turned around in panic, afraid that she would scare her son if she did this, and said while choking: "Good girl Little Pei, go play with Uncle Biao, and accompany your Second Uncle. Mother, Mother needs to rest for a while."


    Little Pei did not force her, and quietly went out the door, but he did not look for anyone else, rather he turned into a ray of golden light and flew towards the palace.


    Under the escort of his son, Ling Chaofeng once again came to Xiaowan''s side. She had just washed her face in a basin of water, and raised her clear face.


    His heart ached as he hugged his wife in his embrace, and kissed her forehead and cheeks. Xiaowan was startled for a moment as she felt that strange sensation once again.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan reached out her hand, and even though her hand was right on Ling Chaofeng''s face, she couldn''t touch anything.


    "Late at night, don''t cry. Forget about me and start living well again." Ling Chaofeng should not have any emotions or desires, but his eyes were moist, "Late at night, this life of his is very long. We haven''t even met for three years, but you still have thirty years and fifty years of life to meet a better man.


    Ling Chaofeng had not even finished speaking when Xiaowan suddenly stood up, rushed out of her room and called for Little Pei, he went to rooms after rooms and shocked everyone in the inn.


    However, at this moment, Ling Bai''s body was no longer visible. He had no choice but to send his father back first, before landing on the street and running in from the outside.


    Facing Uncle Biao, Uncle Biao chided him: "Little brat, why did you run out by yourself?" As he faced the building, he shouted, "Evening, the child is back!"


    Xiaowan rushed down the stairs and squatted down to grab her son''s arm. Little Pei''s whole body was covered in sweat, it was indeed as if she had just played outside. However, Xiaowan remembered that in the sky outside the General''s Estate, she saw her son.


    "Back to my room." Xiaowan''s face was solemn as he carried his son and walked back.


    Uncle Biao was worried that she would beat Little Pei up if she got anxious, so he said with a pained heart, "Just teach him a few words, Xiaowan, don''t scare the child."


    The door closed as Little Pei stood upright, trembling as he looked at his mother, "I''m right outside the door, I haven''t run far. Mother, I-I''ll be fine, don''t worry about me."


    "Did you go to the General''s Estate?" The Xiaowan squatted down and looked straight at his son, "What are you doing on top of the General''s Estate?!?


    "Mom, I told you not to be afraid." Little Pei said, "I''m going to protect Mother. There are a few demons wandering around, I''ll eat them all."


    "The Xiaowan shook her head:" This is not what I wanted to ask you, nor is it the answer I wanted to hear. Little Pei, you know mother''s heart, I don''t ask, but you also know right?


    Little Pei pursed his lips, he could not say anything, if he said it, he would immediately fly back to his Heaven Realm and would not be able to stay by his mother''s side anymore.


    The Xiaowan gasped for breath as she picked up his son and placed him on the table. She held his son''s face and said, "Little Pei, mother is a mortal, it is impossible for mother to give birth to you. But, you are indeed father''s and mother''s child. Little Pei... I ask you, is your father the same as you? "


    Xiaowan felt a chill down her spine and all the hair on her body was standing on end. Actually, she had been curious about Ling Chaofeng when he was still alive.


    Although their master had initially thought that their son was acting like this because of her, Xiaowan only had one Jade Ring. At that time, their hearts were in a mess, and even if Xiaowan wanted to, she did not say it out loud.


    Why did it have to be her, why couldn''t it be Ling Chaofeng''s? Maybe the reason why Little Pei was a dragon was because of his husband?


    "Little Pei, you know, right? Xiaowan''s tears fell. She could not control her emotions and asked, choked with sobs, "Little Pei, where is father? Is he right here?


    Little Pei''s voice was speaking to his father from afar, "Father, Mother is too smart."


    Ling Chaofeng''s voice transmitted over: "Little Pei, you can''t say."


    "I don''t know anything." Little Pei could only cry and refuse to reply to his mother''s words.


    As soon as he cried, Xiaowan''s heart softened. She hugged her son tightly and blamed herself: "Mother scared you. Little Pei, it''s Mother''s fault."


    At this moment, Lian Yi returned to Ershan''s room. Bi Zhenye and Bi Hanxi had not left yet, so Bi Zhenye asked in concern, "Have you found the child yet?"


    Lian Yi replied: "It''s fine, thank you Young Noble for your concern."


    She sat beside Ershan, looked at the two of them, and then looked at Ershan. It looked like she had some imagination, but she wasn''t the same mother after all.


    "Brother Xingye, we will be leaving first. If we''re late, Father and Mother should start reciting." Hanxi said, "I will come to see you again in a few days, Grandma misses you very much."


    Ershan nodded and did not say a word.


    Bi Zhenye said: "Take care of your health and come back to school. You have earned first place in the exam before you left, all the gentlemen are very worried about you."


    Ershan shook his head: "I want to return to the Baisha Town. My family cannot be left unattended."


    Lian Yi wanted to say something, but stopped himself.


    However, Bi Zhenye said: "I think they would rather have you obtain a rank. Naturally, I do not have the qualifications to say such words. Furthermore, if you go back to school, I don''t know if our news will spread. In the capital, it''s very difficult to keep it a secret, and if your classmates were to talk about these things, I don''t care, and I hope you don''t care either. "


    Ershan smiled faintly: "I might not be able to go back. Even if I don''t go back, I can still participate in the examination."


    Bi Zhenye said: "You are right, if you do not go back, the three ranks are still in your pockets."


    Hanxi bid farewell to Lian Yi and was about to leave with her brother. Bi Zhenye walked up to the door, turned around and said: "Industry, you''re still alive, and you''re still able to return.


    Ershan didn''t say anything. He just sent them out of the tavern and watched the two siblings ride their horses and leave before returning back up the stairs.


    "They don''t look like bad people." Lian Yi spoke the truth, "That old lady felt even more sorry for you, they all seemed to be hoping for you to return home. Ershan, you hate them, don''t you? "


    "Their mother, she poisoned my mother." Ershan said.


    Lian Yi looked at him in shock, and asked while trembling: "Really?"


    Ershan nodded his head, "To use poison, every day, little by little, to slowly poison her to death, in the eyes of others, would seem like a serious illness that cannot be cured."


    Lian Yi''s heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she sat beside Ershan, "How did you know that you were only six at the time?"


    Ershan said: "Before my mother died, she told me with her own mouth that she spat out large mouthfuls of blood. Not long after my mother died, I woke up one morning in a sack. His body kept shaking as if he were in a carriage, and when the carriage stopped, I heard someone say that it would be better to kill me and sell it away and earn another silver. "I was the one who was saved for being greedy. If it weren''t for that, I would have followed my mother a long time ago."


    "How can the Mrs. Bi be so malicious?" Lian Yi felt chills down her spine.


    In her family, the concubines would fight with her mother and also against each other. What they fought over was her father''s love and money, who would joke about their lives?


    Her heart tightened again. "Then, your father, do you know?"


    Ershan looked at her: "Perhaps he didn''t know beforehand, but there is no way he wouldn''t know afterwards. But in order to protect his position, as well as protect the reputation of his Bi Family, like this time, he can pretend like nothing happened. He only wishes to settle this matter peacefully. Without me, everything would be peaceful. Now that I have returned, things will no longer be peaceful for him. "


    Lian Yi hugged Ershan, her heart was in pain, and she asked: "Then, what do you want to do next?"


    Ershan gently stroked her back: "Originally, I wanted to drive out this entire family and make them pay the price. But now, I want to protect the inn and take care of Xiaowan on behalf of my brother. I am not sure if I should let go of the hatred, but compared to the hatred, the family that has raised me for more than ten years is more important. "


    "He should be the top scholar, Ershan." Lian Yi advised him gently, "When you become a senior official, you will be able to protect the inn. The villagers, the county magistrate, all of them will behave themselves and no one will ever dare to bully Xiaowan again."


    In the guest room next door, Little Pei and Xiaowan did not cry anymore. Xiaowan had coaxed her son to drink a few mouthfuls of milk.


    It was soon the Dragon Boat Festival, and after the mother and son had agreed on the Dragon Boat Festival, they would not feed it anymore, but Xiaowan was becoming more and more reluctant to part with it.


    "Little Pei, is it okay if mother feeds you for another month?" Xiaowan coaxed his sleepy son, "In another month, mother will feed you until you become fat."


    Little Pei shook his head. "Mother, I''m going to grow up."


    Xiaowan''s heart skipped a beat as she held back her tears and asked, "Little Pei, you''ve grown up.


    Little Pei shook his head and snuggled into his mother''s embrace, "I want to always be with Mother."


    Xiaowan held her son and looked around the house. She was sure that her husband was not by her side right now. However, she did not know when he would return, nor did she know where he would be when he did not come.


    Xiaowan remembered that after his son left the General''s Estate, he was flying in the direction of the imperial palace.


    "Little Pei..." When his son fell asleep, she asked softly, "Is Daddy like you, a dragon, not a human?"

 C137

    Little Pei fell asleep, he did not hear his mother''s question, but even if he did, he could not answer.


    Ling Chaofeng stood on top of the Announcement Hall roof, and looked at Xiaowan''s haggard appearance through the window of the inn. She used to say that he was foolish, and always said that she was too stupid.


    With her intelligence, if she had an immortal finger guiding her cultivation, she would definitely be able to achieve Immortal Ascension.


    But Ling Chaofeng did not want Xiaowan to become a deity. It was better to be a person than to be a deity.


    He thought to himself. Not long after, he saw the auspicious clouds fill the sky. His eldest brother, the Captive Cow, came over on top of the clouds and asked, "Chaofeng, what''s the matter?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Big Brother, is there any way to find out what else Xiaowan will encounter in this lifetime, and if we can find out when her lifespan ends?"


    Captive Cow sighed: "All of these are easy, but have you thought about one thing? For her, if you stir up chaos and cause chaos, aren''t you afraid that all of the crimes will be blamed on her? Even if she managed to safely pass through this life, the reincarnation of her next life would definitely be repaid. Chaofeng was a mortal. Her fate was already set, so it would be better to just wait and see her finish her life. "After a few dozen years, it was over in the blink of an eye."


    Ling Chaofeng asked his brother: "Do you have to spend the rest of your life losing me?"


    Captive Cow said: "Chaofeng, it''s not empty talk for mortals to say that people can defeat the Heavens. It''s just that this kind of person is too rare."


    Ling Chaofeng pondered for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."


    Night slowly descended, and another day passed. Wei Siyan, who stayed deep within the palace, did not know that so many things had happened in the world outside the palace walls. That night, she had a long conversation with the emperor, and Siyan also understood that ''not knowing'' was one of her duties.


    The little princess slept soundly. He thought that Siyan had also fallen asleep, so she turned around and laid soft on her back.


    "You''re messing around again. What if I''m nervous and treat you as an assassin? Why do you always love to scare me?" Xiang Run laughed and took the opportunity to embrace Siyan: "You must have had a hard time waiting."


    The empress shook her head. "I live like a prince, how can it be hard for me? It''s hard for the emperor."


    Xiang Run sighed lightly: "There are many things that have happened today, I don''t know which one of them I should start talking to you about."


    Siyan laughed: "Let''s talk about what I care about the most."


    The emperor thought for a bit, then mentioned the Xiaowan, then mentioned her brother. He said that he felt that Wei Tengfei and the Xiaowan were extremely compatible, but unfortunately, Wei Tengfei was not willing, and there were countless officials wanting to propose marriage to the, so he didn''t nod his head.


    When Siyan heard this, he was very calm. She said to the emperor, "Is it because the emperor felt that she owed Ling Chaofeng and the Xiaowan that she wished to find a reliable person for the Xiaowan to take care of her for the rest of her life?"


    Xiang Run remained silent.


    Siyan leaned into his embrace and said, "Your Majesty, don''t feel owed. You are the master of the world, and everything you do is for this country. You do not owe anyone, you only owe yourself a peace of mind. The Emperor''s decision is cold, but your heart has not truly cooled down. "


    "Siyan?"


    "No matter what, even if the people of this world all owe you, I will still stand by your side." Siyan said solemnly, "Otherwise, why would I have come all the way to marry you?"


    "Siyan, if We had not chosen you back then, what would we have done?" Xiang Run bent his head and kissed her.


    "Then I''ll probably fall in love with another man and be someone else''s wife." Siyan laughed.


    The emperor snorted lightly and pinched her waist. "Say it again?"


    Deep in the night, the Xiaowan stood at the inn''s window and looked towards the Imperial City. Although she couldn''t see clearly due to the obstruction of the other houses, she felt that there must be something waiting for her inside. Otherwise, why would Little Pei fly to the Imperial City?


    "Hubby, even if it''s only one time, let me see you again!"


    Xiaowan clenched her fist tightly, she had decided.


    The next day, Ershan''s body was much better. The whole family gathered in his room, discussing about what to do.


    Under Lian Yi''s persuasion, Ershan decided to stay in the capital to prepare for the examination. He would definitely become the top scholar for the examination, and then go and pay respects to his brother.


    Xiaowan did not inquire about what happened between Ershan and the people from the Bi Family. After discussing with Uncle Biao, she requested Uncle Biao to return to the Baisha Town first so that Aunt and Susu could feel at ease. Meanwhile, she and Susu stayed in the capital to accompany Ershan until autumn before returning.


    Two days later, Ershan returned to school. After apologizing to Mister, he was allowed to continue staying and studying until the day of the examination.


    His relationship with Bi Zhenye, however, did not spread, and the others did not notice the awkwardness between Ling Yu and Bi Zhenye. They met every day, nodded, and greeted each other.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi brought a pair of children with his. Originally, Mrs. Bi should have gone as well, but he had a tense expression and couldn''t sleep at night. He was extremely haggard these days, not daring to lose his memories in front of the emperor.


    Just as they were about to leave the house, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi warned their daughter to dress up well again and again. She sent several mama to clean up the room for her, making Hanxi look like a beautiful fairy.


    After entering the palace, his father walked in front, while Bi Zhenye followed behind him with his sister. He softly said to Hanxi: "Later, you will say that you feel uncomfortable, so leave the palace as soon as possible."


    Hanxi shook her head: "Big Brother, I know why Father brought me here today, I''m willing."


    "Hanxi?"


    "I also want to do something for this family." Hanxi smiled slightly, "In any case, I have to marry anyone I marry. Could it be that I will be a lady for life at home? Wei Tengfei should not be a bad person, I heard that there are so many delicious things at Chuanyu, I love to eat them. "


    "No, the Chuanyu is so far away, he''s fifteen years older than you, in the future ¡­" Bi Zhenye was excited, his voice turned loud.


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi in front turned around and said angrily: "How can we allow you to be so presumptuous within the imperial city? Don''t whisper anymore."


    Just as Bi Zhenye was about to rush towards her father to reason, he was stopped by Hanxi and said with a smile: "Big Brother, I''m really willing. Our family is already in a mess, no matter what, we must give father face today."


    Outside the imperial city, the carriages and horses of the noble officials were coming and going. The noble ladies who were being surrounded were all covered in shining jewels, and in comparison, the Xiaowan who was dressed in plain clothes looked very frail. Some of them had their gazes on her, looking a little surprised.


    The Xiaowan already dressed up carefully. She could not wear red or green, and could not be too slovenly, trying her best to look dignified. However, under these kinds of festivals, plain clothes were still inappropriate.


    When the adults and nobles saw the steward of the inner palace rushing over, they were curious which noble family was going to welcome them, but then they saw them run towards the plain-clothed woman and her children.


    "Madam Ling, you have waited for a long time. Please follow me." The steward kindly invited the Xiaowan, and even stopped a sedan chair inside to let the mother and son ride on it.


    The Xiaowan had never thought that she would one day step into the Royal Capital. She once told her husband that if someone like her were to go to the Imperial City, it was likely that her lifespan would be shortened.


    But now, even if her lifespan was shortened, she still wanted to take a look, so she agreed without hesitation after the empress invited her.


    The noble madams only entered the palace after the Xiaowan had left. They could not help but whisper amongst themselves, curious about the background of this young lady.


    The doors to the deep palace were opened one after another. Xiaowan sat in the sedan with Little Pei for a long time before she slowly came to a stop. The curtains were lifted and a beautiful and dignified Palace Maid came to welcome her, calling her Madam Ling.


    The Xiaowan brought Little Pei and carefully followed behind the people of the palace. They raised their heads to look at the tablet on the palace.


    Unfortunately, she could not recognize the word "han". Perhaps she had seen it somewhere before, or perhaps her husband had taught it to her, but she was unable to recall where.


    "Xiaowan." The Queen, dressed in a phoenix robe, welcomed him happily from the hall. Xiaowan was stupefied.


    She had imagined countless times to the Aunt Zhang what the Empress would look like when she wore her phoenix robe. Only when it was really in front of her did she understand what it meant by "heavenly weather".


    "Quickly get up, Xiaowan. Although it is the Imperial Palace, you should treat this as if you are a guest at my place. Who would be a guest kneeling to Master?" Siyan smiled and said to Little Pei who was at the side, "Little Pei, do you want to go see the Little Princess?"


    Little Pei nodded, and the mama came to fetch her.


    The Xiaowan followed the Queen nervously into the pavilion. The room was filled with fragrance, which was different from the rouge of the Siyun Pavilion.


    From behind the screen, a young noble woman appeared. Xiaowan took a glance and lowered her head, but she could not help but look again.


    Siyan introduced him to the Xiaowan: "This is First Princess, the emperor''s older sister. She once passed an inn with her consort, and asked you for a bowl of water to drink. It was only after I chatted with my royal sister later on that I realized that we had all been to Baisha Town before.


    Not long after she had entered the room, a young couple had passed by one day to drink a bowl of water. She remembered clearly that the man''s words and actions were filled with the love of his wife.


    Unexpectedly, really never would have thought that in her lifetime, she, Mu Xiaowan, had seen through everything about people she should not have met.


    At this moment, the citizens of Qingling Village dared not to believe that the poor little girl who was beaten half to death every single day was standing in the palace of Daqi, about to participate in the national banquet.


    However, Xiaowan was very nervous throughout the entire day, and the Queen couldn''t only speak to her at all times. Countless noble wives walked past, and Xiaowan was dazzled by what she saw.


    In his eyes, fireworks were set off in the palace to celebrate this holiday.


    Xiaowan stood in the crowd and held Little Pei''s hand, staring at the colorful and colorful night sky, thinking of how her husband had said that he would bring her to the capital city on New Year''s Eve.


    She had finally seen this flower fire, but next to her ¡­


    At this moment, Ling Chaofeng was right beside her, and perhaps becaushee was close to the Announcement Hall, the existence of his immortal soul was extremely strong. Xiaowan felt that he, himself, could see the figure of someone, but when she stretched out her hand, she saw nothing.


    Everyone was staring at fireworks, but Xiaowan was staring at her own side.


    However, Wei Tengfei, who was standing opposite of him, thought that the Xiaowan was staring at the emperor who was just following him. His heart tightened, could it be that the Xiaowan wanted to kill the emperor for revenge?

 C138

    Wei Tengfei quietly went around the crowd and moved behind Xiaowan, asking her softly: "What are you looking at?"


    The voice came from behind, the Xiaowan was in a daze as she looked at him.


    Wei Tengfei''s expression became gloomy, and he asked again: Are you looking at the Emperor?


    "Your majesty? What do I think he''s doing? " The Xiaowan asked.


    Seeing that her eyes didn''t have any light in them, but they were extremely clean and didn''t contain any resentment, Wei Tengfei heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Sorry, I was thinking too much." Wei Tengfei said, "When the feast is over, I will send you back to the inn."


    He looked down and saw Little Pei looking at him, the little guy''s chubby face had a kind smile, he could not help but squat down, and said to Little Pei: "It''s good to ride on Uncle''s shoulder, this way we can see it more clearly."


    Little Pei obediently looked at his mother, asking for her permission. Xiaowan then remembered how Ling Chaofeng once carried his son on his shoulder.


    Her smile was right in front of her eyes, but it was a matter of life and death. Her heart was filled with intense pain, she shook her head, pulled her son close to her body, and said to Wei Tengfei in a gentle tone, "There are many rules in the palace, I have been extremely nervous this day. General see, everyone else has been very well-behaved, how can I let Little Pei ride on your shoulder?


    Wei Tengfei did not force them and smiled: "I''ll wait for you outside the palace, I''ll send you guys back to the inn."


    In another place, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was currently staring at them with a pair of children. Not only him, but other people who desired to marry their daughter into the General''s Estate noticed that Wei Tengfei was speaking intimately with a plain-clothed young lady.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi already knew from his children that this woman was Ling Yu''s sister-in-law and was''s wife. And not long after Ling Chaofeng passed away, she was now a widow.


    "I''ve seen Wei Tengfei entering and exiting their inn many times." Hanxi said to her brother, "He must be an old friend of Madam Ling."


    Bi Zhenye pondered for a moment, not sure if he wanted to console his sister, but he replied: "Maybe I''m old friends with Ling Chaofeng, and take care of the widow for my friend."


    Everyone could tell that the way Wei Tengfei looked at the Xiaowan was different from the others. Even the Queen believed the Emperor''s words.


    But her brother had never revealed it to her. What would she do if her brother asked her for help? The Xiaowan loved the Manager Ling so much, he was afraid that he would never be able to accept anyone else in his life.


    With a soft sigh from the empress, a final firework flew into the night sky, illuminating the entire palace.


    Little Pei seemed to intentionally guide his mother to look upwards. The shining side was precisely the Announcement Hall, and above the overhanging eaves was the mighty and domineering divine beast.


    Xiaowan''s heart suddenly trembled. However, no matter how smart or intelligent she was, she never expected that at this very moment, her husband was trapped inside this statue of the God Beast.


    Ling Chaofeng had already left and returned to the roof of the Announcement Hall. In his eyes, he saw Wei Tengfei and Xiaowan standing side by side.


    Wei Tengfei was tall and powerful, he looked even more petite and weak compared to before. There was a reliable man standing by his side, but she looked lonely.


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart ached faintly, as though he was still alive. In the past ten million years, he had never known what it felt like to be heartbroken.


    After the fireworks, the empress returned to the great hall hand in hand. All of the officials and women returned one after another.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi brought Bi Hanxi and walked up, finally finding the chance to start a conversation with him.


    Hanxi was gentle and courteous, her slim body supporting her complicated and beautiful dress. She lowered her gaze and stood obediently in front of everyone.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi introduced to Wei Tengfei with a smile: "General Wei, this is my daughter, Hanxi, and my son, Zhenye."


    The Xiaowan led Little Pei and bowed to everyone, then followed the crowd and walked inside. There was someone specially bringing her to the empress''s side, so that she would not be alarmed at such a big occasion.


    Bi Zhenye saw Wei Tengfei''s gaze and followed Xiaowan. Although he was not married, he knew what was love meant. It was obvious that General Wei was concerned about him.


    "Greetings, General."


    The brother and sister duo bowed towards Wei Tengfei, only then did he turn his gaze back, only to see Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi pushing his son away, seemingly pushing his daughter in front of him on purpose, so that he could clearly see the young miss''s face.


    The prime minister should have been high and mighty, looking down on all the men in the world and not worthy of his daughter. But now that he had fallen to such a state, he couldn''t wait to send his daughter out.


    In Wei Tengfei''s eyes, even though Xiang Run was young, he seemed like a born emperor, and he was even more daring than his father.


    It was not because he loved the house, but because his sister only saw the emperor. In Wei Tengfei''s opinion, as the emperor, Xiang Run had the wrist to the point, but his heart was not strong enough.


    However, Hanxi was completely terrified, she stood there like a log.


    She never had the ability to flatter or curry favour with her mother. That was the bloodline love that blended into her body. She only needed to be herself and everyone would love her. She never knew how to please a person, or even make a person like her.


    Bi Zhenye forced himself past his father and stood in front of his sister, as he said respectfully to Wei Tengfei: "General Wei, there are many things that I would be puzzled about when I was reading a military book the day before yesterday. If I could receive your guidance, it would be my honor."


    Since there were people coming to help, Wei Tengfei immediately agreed. Following Bi Zhenye''s instructions, the two went back to the banquet.


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was naturally angry from embarrassment. Because this was the palace, he did not dare be rash against his son. As for Wei Tengfei''s attitude, he did not feel that it was abnormal at all.


    The end of the banquet was already in sight. Not long later, the Empress left her seat, and a servant came to invite the Xiaowan. Under the gazes of everyone present, she brought her son and walked towards the Culture Hall.


    The people present had long understood that this young lady, who was inappropriately dressed in plain clothes, was a distinguished guest of the Middle Palace. Like her mother-in-law, the new Empress was a straightforward person.


    Outside the Culture Hall, Xiaowan brought Little Pei and bowed once more, but Siyan said: "I had originally wanted to invite you into the palace to join in the liveliness and excitement, but who would have thought that I would restrict you. For the entire day, even if you sat, you wouldn''t be able to stand, so Xiaowan, you have been wronged."


    Xiaowan hurriedly said, "Many thanks esteemed wangfei, I had an eye-opener. Little Pei had a great time playing and ate a lot of delicious food."


    Little Pei was very smart and ran under the empress''s skirt, saying obediently, "Empress, I still want to come next time."


    Only then did Siyan feel more gratified. After knowing that her brother was going to send Xiaowan back to the tavern, she did not say much and instead told him to head back earlier.


    Outside the palace, the guests had left one by one. Seeing Wei Tengfei standing under the horse carriage, many people came up to greet him.


    Although he responded, he was naturally imposing and did not dare to smile. When other people saw this, they did not dare to get close to him.


    When the people of the palace brought the Xiaowan and his mother out, Wei Tengfei actually walked towards them with large strides. When the people at the side saw this, they guessed that something was amiss, and they all noted down Xiaowan to ask around.


    "Get in." Wei Tengfei said, and carried Little Pei, teasing him: "Is Little Pei sleepy?"


    There were so many people here, that the Xiaowan didn''t want to make things awkward for her, so he got on the carriage and let Wei Tengfei take her to the inn. Little Pei was really sleepy, and quickly fell asleep in his mother''s embrace.


    "General." Xiaowan put her son down, raised the curtain and said to Wei Tengfei who was seated outside, "I want to invite you to slow down, I am afraid I might push Little Pei too far."


    However, Wei Tengfei said, "Xiaowan, you don''t have to be so courteous to me."


    Xiaowan replied: But I am not familiar with General, we are neither family nor friends, this is the most basic form of courtesy.


    That''s right, they weren''t familiar with each other. Although Siyan and Xiaowan had only met for a short period of time, and a few green bean cake could settle their love for each other, Wei Tengfei and Xiaowan were not that familiar. Love at first sight was true, and it was also true that they would fall in love the next time they meet, but ¡­


    "Why did the general ask me if I was looking at the emperor when the fireworks were going off?" In fact, Xiaowan was also very curious. At that time, she was very curious about what she looked like and whether others could sense that there was a "person" standing beside her.


    Wei Tengfei was also frank, "Xiaowan, I told you not to be angry. At that time, the look in your eyes made me feel worried, and from the angle of my gaze, it was as if you were staring at the emperor.


    The Xiaowan laughed bitterly, "I''m afraid before I even reach the Emperor, the imperial guards have already pinned me to the ground."


    Wei Tengfei said guiltily: "Sorry, I misunderstood."


    However, the Xiaowan said, "The general did not misunderstand. Even though I did not want to kill the Emperor tonight, my hatred towards him has never been reduced or let down. I just want to, so what if I killed him? Ling Chaofeng won''t come back, and the Empress will lose her husband.


    "Xiaowan, you have such a big heart." Wei Tengfei was very moved.


    "That''s not true. He knows he can''t take revenge, yet he used such a reason to comfort himself." Xiaowan laughed desolately, "If it were an ordinary person, I would have gone all out long ago."


    Wei Tengfei looked at her. He had always been looking forward to the Xiaowan showing her face, hoping that she would smile like the past. Although there was a smile on her face now, this kind of smile was even more bitter than tears.


    "After Ershan passes his test, I won''t have anything to worry about." Xiaowan leaned against the carriage, her smile finally carried a sense of gratification, "General, our family''s Ershan has worked hard, and I heard that he ranked first in the college entrance examination, and will definitely pass the examination, waiting for the top scorer to come. My family''s master hasn''t doted on this little brother of her for nothing."


    Wei Tengfei listened silently, he did not know how to continue. Although the Xiaowan did not reject his existence, but even if they were this close, even if they were sitting in the same carriage, they were still people from two different worlds.


    The Xiaowan had hidden herself, she was no longer the young lady that was friendly to everyone she met.


    Just as Wei Tengfei was sending Xiaowan to the tavern, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi also brought his children home. As soon as he entered the door, he scolded his son to follow him.


    When Mrs. Bi heard that her father and son were going to choke, they rushed over with their frail bodies. Just as he entered the door, he saw her husband slap his face, as if she was crazy, she rushed over and blocked her son behind his: "What are you thinking, are you going to kill him?

 C139

    Although Bi Zhenye escaped his father''s rebuke with his mother''s disturbance, the family was not at ease, so how could he be at ease.


    After sending her mother back to her bedroom and seeing that she had gone to bed, the brother and sister withdrew.


    As Bi Zhenye headed towards his own courtyard, his sister suddenly pulled on his sleeves from behind him. When he looked back, Hanxi''s eyes were already brimming with tears.


    Hanxi choked with emotions: "Big brother, bring me with you to the General''s Estate, help me propose to the General Wei, once I become the wife of a general, father will not make things difficult for you anymore."


    Bi Zhenye shook his head: "Tonight, you saw it too, there''s someone in Wei Tengfei''s eyes, and that person is not you. Perhaps in the future, you might not be able to marry a man who loves you, but your brother wouldn''t be able to marry you to a man who loves other women. Little Xi, you don''t need to worry about this matter. With your brother here, nothing will happen to this family. Even if the sky falls, big brother will still be there to support you. You won''t be able to come out. "


    Hanxi sobbed as she was hugged by her brother. Bi Zhenye consoled her, "You can stay home peacefully to accompany your grandmother and take care of your mother. These matters will eventually pass."


    Although he said this, he was thinking about what his mother meant by her words just now. What did it mean to "avenge him"? What kind of enmity did Ling Chen have with this family? Was it because he lost his family and couldn''t find him, or something else?


    The scene from before surfaced in his mind once again. Bi Zhenye remembered it clearly, when his mother died, he laughed happily.


    Could it be ¡­


    Bi Zhenye''s heart suddenly tightened. He did not want what he was thinking to be true.


    Xiaowan stood by the window of the inn and looked deeply towards the Imperial City. She didn''t know how to describe the feelings in her heart, but she felt that Ling Chaofeng was there.


    "Mother ¡­" Little Pei woke up. Seeing that his mother was lost in thought, he ran over and hugged her.


    "Why aren''t you sleeping? Did you have a nightmare? " Xiaowan picked him up and placed him on the windowsill. He pinched his son''s cheek and said with difficulty, "Little fatty pig, it''s so heavy, Mother will not be able to carry you soon."


    "I am a dragon, I am a dragon." Little Pei laughed as he reached out to hold his mother''s cheek, as if all the flesh on his mother''s body had grown here. He gave her a heavy kiss, "Mother ¡­"


    "Mom, can I feed you again?" As the Xiaowan spoke, he untied his robes and carried his son to sit on the bed. Little Pei was startled, he licked his lips and buried his face deep into his mother''s chest.


    The Xiaowan lightly patted his head as she kissed his son''s forehead. When he wolfed him down, she said, "Little Pei, if mother leaves you before you leave, you don''t have to think about taking care of the family. They will be fine. Go back to where you should be. Mother knows that I must have been virtuous in my previous life to give birth to you. Mother is already very satisfied that you came here. "


    Little Pei raised his face and looked at his mother in a daze. Xiaowan kissed him: "Eat, after tonight, Mother will not feed you anymore."


    After tonight, Wei Tengfei decided to leave the capital and return to the Chuanyu.


    He could not leave the three hundred thousand strong army behind, and he could not leave his Chuanyu behind as well. He had already arranged for enough men to protect the Xiaowan, and today, he came to the palace to bid his farewells to the emperor before bidding his farewells to Siyan.


    Siyan naturally could not bear to see her siblings separate, but she knew that she and her brother were both responsible for their country. She endured her tears and told her brother, "Next time you come, you must bring back a sister-in-law for me."


    Wei Tengfei laughed bitterly: "Who would be willing to marry a brute like me?"


    The news quickly spread. The Chuanyu Great General was about to leave the capital, while the others who wanted to marry their daughters into the General''s Estate were getting more and more anxious, and within the few days, an endless stream of people came to the General''s Estate gate. Wei Tengfei decided that he might as well go to the outskirts of the city to watch the drill for the city''s defense troops.


    When Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was at home, he gathered his old mother, wife, and children and said with determination and sincerity, "This marriage is a must, regardless of whether you agree to it or not, Hanxi must marry Wei Tengfei."


    Bi Zhenye tried to turn white: "You saw what happened that night with your own eyes, Wei Tengfei doesn''t even like his little sister."


    "Shut up!" ", go find Wei Tengfei yourself. No matter what method you use, make him marry you."


    Mrs. Bi rushed to her husband''s front, pale and haggard, pointed at him and scolded: "You are crazy, do you still not know that you are a first rank official, what do you think of your daughter, to be able to please and bed with a man? Do you want Little Xi to become the laughing stock of the whole world? Don''t force me, don''t force me to do something that cannot be reversed. "


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi sneered, and actually ignored his wife, and asked Hanxi: "Are you going or not?"


    Mrs. Bi threw himself in front of Old Madem and begged while kneeling at her feet: "Mother, say something, I beg you to be the judge, do you love Little Xi the most, Mother ¡­"


    Old Madem trembled as he looked at his son. What else could she say?


    She was old, her son being filial was her fortune, her son being unfilial was her life, her daughter-in-law was so foolish, if only she could control her son, then Zhenye and Little Xi would not have been born.


    Back then, she had coaxed her husband into marrying her into the sect. Now, it was her reward.


    "I''ll go, I''ll go find Wei Tengfei." Unexpectedly, Hanxi actually agreed. She looked at her father solemnly, and blessed him with: "Father, I am willing to marry into the Chuanyu for this family. But I will do my best, and if Wei Tengfei doesn''t do it from start to finish ¡­ "


    "If there''s no such thing as'' if there''s no such thing '', you must marry him, even if it means that you''re about to be cooked." The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi said coldly, "He is an indomitable man, he is responsible."


    Mrs. Bi screamed in fear and rushed forward to slap his husband in front of his children and his mother-in-law.


    The corner of Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi''s mouth twitched. He pushed her away and continued to speak to his daughter: "Go back to your room and dress up. Someone will come to teach you what to do."


    "Father!" Bi Zhenye roared.


    "Someone, come!" Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi called in the servants and instructed them, "Lock the Young Master up. Without my permission, he is not allowed to take even half a step out of the room."


    Mrs. Bi cried bitterly as he rushed forward to hug his daughter and did not let her go. However, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi ordered for them to be separated.


    At the tavern, when she found out that Wei Tengfei was going back to the Chuanyu, she recalled how he had done so many things for his and his family, yet she had even misunderstood him. As for him saying that he liked his, that was already said clearly. The Xiaowan believed in Wei Tengfei''s character.


    Thus, she borrowed the inn''s kitchen to make some green bean cake according to the method that Uncle Biao had taught her.


    The Xiaowan brought Little Pei and the green bean cake that she had made as she came to General''s Estate s to send him off.


    The beautiful Bi Hanxi slowly got off the carriage. Her clothes were too heavy, and she looked like she was holding on very hard, but the weather was hot too. Xiaowan felt that it wasn''t necessarily good to be a young miss of a Qian Jin.


    They nodded in respect, and when the servants entered the door to report, they saw Wei Tengfei walking over with large strides, but in his eyes, there was only Xiaowan.


    Only when Xiaowan reminded him did Wei Tengfei realize that there was a young miss with gorgeous clothes standing there. He kindly said: "Miss Bi, come home please."


    The servants came to lead the way, and Bi Hanxi immediately walked in, and upon entering, anything else could be done, she told herself.


    Little Pei handed over the green bean cake and said coquettishly, "Uncle, Mother said that these green bean cake are all for Uncle to eat. I didn''t eat any of them."


    Wei Tengfei said tenderly: "Follow Uncle and I will give it to you. Take however much you want to eat."


    "Little Pei." However, his words were interrupted by the Xiaowan, who chided his son, "How much have you eaten while rubbing your stomach?"


    The little guy was lively and cute, all this while, he had been trying his best to resolve the awkwardness between the two of them. Ling Tong was very clear, whether or not his father could be with his mother again, no one knew, but if Wei Tengfei could, what wouldn''t be good for him.


    "General Wei, take care." The Xiaowan said gently, "General, thank you for taking care of me all this while. I really don''t have much to help you with, so I''ll make some snacks and treat you to them on the way. "


    Wei Tengfei thanked him. He would wait for Xiaowan to accept his kind intentions one day, but he wouldn''t pester him. He was already satisfied to be able to get along with him like this.


    However ¡­


    Wei Tengfei turned around and looked at his house. The servant then walked out and told him that Miss Bi was already waiting in the hall. He waved his hand to indicate for them to retreat, and then said: "Xiaowan, can you do me a favor?"


    The Xiaowan nodded, but she could not help but feel curious: "General, what can I help you with?"


    In the General''s Estate Hall, Bi Hanxi sat obediently on a chair bound with heavy clothes. She had a bag of medicinal powder hidden inside her clothes, the mama sent by father told him that if Wei Tengfei ate it, she would be the general wife.


    As for whether or not she really wanted to do something, she decided to do it on her own.


    Hanxi unconsciously twisted her legs together. A seventeen year old girl, knowing how to act, she was even more afraid.


    Someone came in from outside. It was not the tall and mighty Wei Tengfei, but the weak and frail Mu Xiaowan.


    Hanxi did not know Xiaowan that much, but every time she saw young lady, she felt that her entire body was filled with an aura of grief. Only later on did she understand that it was because her husband was dead.


    And at the Dragon Boat Festival, everyone saw that Wei Tengfei was especially concerned about her. His every word and action seemed to not look away. Hanxi thought, could it be that she was here to let him know the difficulties and retreat, could it be that she was the future mistress of the General''s Estate?


    "The general has gone out to socialize. He had a few words, requesting me to pass it on to the Miss Bi." Xiaowan felt a little awkward, but she felt pity for this girl. She thought that it would be very pitiful for Ershan to be abandoned by his family, but she never thought that even those who stayed at home would not be able to escape with their lives.


    "Sister-in-law." Hanxi stood up politely. Her dress was too heavy, she had no choice but to raise it. Xiaowan walked up and said, "Miss Bi, sit down."


    "General Wei went out?" Bi Hanxi looked towards the door.


    "Miss Bi, you probably don''t know yet. Your uncle''s cousin''s original wife is Ershan''s fiancee, Miss Lian Yi''s blood sister. " The Xiaowan laughed, "I can''t even figure it out by myself."


    Hanxi was also dumbstruck when she heard it, the Xiaowan laughed: "They really are a family, no matter what they do, they can still be linked. But the things in this world, it is really not something that can be casually said by just a few people. Originally, Lian Yi would have become your new cousin, but she didn''t want to follow the same path as her sister. Fortunately, she managed to survive and meet Ershan, but my Ershan is her true fate. However, if she had not fought for it back then, she would not have been able to meet her. "


    Saying this, Xiaowan''s heart trembled. Isn''t it true? If she didn''t fight for it, how could she possibly see her husband again?!


    "Really?" Hanxi, on the other hand, felt a burst of hot blood in her heart. The gentle and dignified lady who accompanied Brother Xingye by his side, was actually so strong and unyielding?


    "Miss Bi, do you like General Wei?" The Xiaowan did not beat around the bush and directly asked, "It was the General Wei who asked me to ask you. He wants to know your true meaning."


    Bi Hanxi shook her head hard. "I saw him being scared, how tall and sturdy he is."


    Xiaowan laughed: "Then that''s easy. Go home, I don''t know why you came here, but General Wei wants me to pass on his intentions. He hopes that you can meet a good man in Miss Bi and get along forever. Don''t easily give up your life for the sake of your family. If someone really wants to force you, then tell him, that person will stand up for you. If that person is your father, then since that person doesn''t care about your daughter, why should you care about him? "


    Hanxi''s chest was moving up and down, and her eyes were filled with hot tears. She didn''t know how to explain to her father when they got back, and whether he would punish her and beat her up?


    "Sister-in-law, then, will you marry to the General Wei?" Hanxi asked nervously, "I, I want ¡­ "My dad will ask me."


    Xiaowan shook her head. "General Wei and I are friends, I still need to go find my husband."


    Hanxi was startled, and asked blankly: "But the Manager Ling isn''t already?"


    Xiaowan smiled deeply, but she did not say the words in her heart.

 C140

    Bi Hanxi was a pure hearted lady, but under Xiaowan''s persuasion, she completely walked out of the General''s Estate.


    After exiting the door, she took out a bag of medicinal powder from her robes. Xiaowan saw it, even if Hanxi did not say it, she could guess the usage of the medicinal powder, and felt even more pity for this young miss Qian Jin.


    From Lian Yi to the Miss Bi, no matter how much the young miss of the Shangguan family was in their father''s eyes, it was just a bargaining chip for her hat and status. Although Xiaowan''s father had never taken care of her, but he had never thought of trading her for anything.


    Hanxi was waiting for her family to pull the carriage all the way to the General''s Estate entrance, and Xiaowan was right beside her. Suddenly, she heard the sound of rapid hoof steps from the horses, and saw Bi Zhenye riding his horse over, jumping down from the carriage without waiting for the horses to stop, and rushing to her sister''s side.


    "Brother ¡­" Hanxi couldn''t hold it in and threw herself into her brother''s arms and started crying.


    "Little Xi is not afraid, I''m here to pick you up." She did not know how he managed to struggle free from the servant''s guard, but the imposing aura she gave off was one that she needed to fight to the death with Wei Tengfei. Even if she did not have any chance of winning, she wanted to save her sister.


    Seeing such brotherly love, the Xiaowan couldn''t help but smile. Maybe it was because after Ling Chaofeng passed away, she laughed from his heart a few times, but because he saw such beautiful and sincere feelings, she always felt that people from the Bi Family wasn''t so bad.


    After they said their goodbyes, Xiaowan returned to the tavern. Seeing Lian Yi sewing a vest for Ershan, she said that Ershan was afraid of the heat at night.


    went to prepare some snacks for him. Originally, Xiaowan was going with them to the door, but after thinking for a bit, she turned back.


    "What''s the matter?" Ershan asked with concern.


    "I went to visit General''s Estate today. General Wei is going to return to Chuanyu." The Xiaowan said, "He asked me to pass on his message to you, there is no need for you to send him off. In the future, when you enter the imperial court, you will have plenty of opportunities to meet him.


    Ershan promised solemnly.


    Xiaowan continued, "And then ¡­ I met your sister. "


    Ershan immediately understood: "You''re talking about Hanxi?"


    Xiaowan told Ershan everything that had happened today. Naturally, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was not far from being utterly devoid of conscience.


    She said: "We met Young Master Bi outside the Crown Prince''s prison. He knew that we were your family, so he was eager to help us find you. He also said that if we had any difficulties in the capital, we would definitely look for him. Looking at the relationship between this brother and sister, and the fact that Old Madem has been thinking about you for more than ten years, Ershan, just think that my heart is too soft, and my ears are too soft, if one day you want to settle old scores with them, do not force them into a corner, your grandmother and brother and sister are both innocent. "


    Ershan remembered what Bi Zhenye said to him when he left that day. Although they had not interacted for a long time, they had been happy together, no matter what grudges there were between the elders, even if Bi Zhenye was only older than him by a year, he still had the appearance of a big brother, and was very good to him.


    "I feel that because you two are brothers, you and Childe Bi share the same character. You''re both good people." The Xiaowan laughed, "It''s really tiring to hate people."


    Ershan remained silent. Not long after, Lian Yi brought back the dim sum and the Xiaowan left.


    The second day, in school, Bi Zhenye walked into the room with a haggard expression. Ershan suddenly took the initiative to talk to him, he was startled for a moment, but Ershan asked: "Is Hanxi alright?"


    Bi Zhenye''s heart warmed, and he nodded: "Grandmother has brought her to the temple, for now, there''s nothing wrong."


    "Yeah, temporarily." Ershan said.


    The two brothers actually smiled, but it was a bit bitter.


    "If there''s anything I can do, just look for me." Ershan coughed dryly, "Hanxi... It was also my sister. I remember when she was young, she was like a small ball of pink. She was Grandmother''s precious baby. "


    For a long time, the oppressive feeling in the house had always made Bi Zhenye feel that the sky was gray every day when he opened his eyes. Only now did he seem to see a ray of sunlight shining in from the clouds.


    He smiled and said, "Now Grandmother is very strict with her, and she is also very leathery. She has to undress the house without fighting for three days. She is really spoiled."


    This was the first time they talked about their families, and it was also the first time they calmly recalled their previous lives. After Ershan returned home, he told Lian Yi and Lian Yi, and they found out that Ershan and his brother could live harmoniously, Xiaowan felt relieved.


    After two more days, Wei Tengfei officially left the capital. The emperor, dressed in light clothing, brought the empress to send off his brother, giving Siyan a huge surprise. Although it was sad that the brother and sister were separated, his husband''s heart was extremely precious.


    When they returned to the palace, Xiang Run took Siyan on a tour around the streets of the capital. Siyan pointed in the distance and said, "Your majesty, that is the tavern the Xiaowan is staying at."


    The two of them looked from afar, as if they saw the figure of Xiaowan at the window on the second floor of the inn.


    Siyan also looked up at the sky. Today was a sunny day, the sun was glaring, the weather was getting hotter and hotter, but for some reason, she suddenly felt a chill in her heart.


    "What''s the matter with you?"


    "I don''t know ¡­" Siyan wiped away her tears and looked towards Xiaowan, "Could it be that Xiaowan is crying?"


    The Emperor laughed. "Could it be that the two of you were blood sisters in your past life?"


    Time flew by, the scorching heat was approaching, and in June, Xiaowan suddenly remembered that his birthday had passed. The person last year had said that he would spend his birthday together with her forever, and he left her, there really wasn''t a need to have his birthday anymore.


    Naturally, when Ling Chaofeng came, the Xiaowan felt it too, but the sun was too hot, Ling Chaofeng''s immortal soul would be burnt to death. He hurriedly came to see the Xiaowan, and then, he left.


    But this summer, Xiaowan did not stay idle. When Ershan wanted to study, she and Little Pei took Little Pei on a stroll in the towns near the capital, whether it was a day or two, or four to five days.


    She would accompany Little Pei to play everyday and teach him to recite the Three Character Classic. Little Pei had memorized the knowledge of these mortals since he was born, but he still learned from his mother to please her.


    After teaching the Three Character Classic, after teaching the Thousand Character Classic, summer passed.


    In the beginning of August, Baisha Town sent over Uncle Biao''s handmade mooncakes, the Xiaowan sent some to the inn''s owner and the escort team. After Little Pei finished eating the rest of the mooncakes, the examination finally began.


    After a few days of examination, Lian Yi had finally finished. Lian Yi brought Little Pei to wait for Ershan, while the Xiaowan stayed by herself at the inn. She quietly packed all the things she had with her, and after tonight, she would leave.


    Originally, Xiaowan should have waited with Lian Yi for another month, but when she returned to her Baisha Town, she might even be able to catch up to Susu''s delivery. It had been hard for Susu to not be by her side during these past few days, so she truly let her down.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind blew into the guest room. As matters stood, Xiaowan was no longer in a daze.


    Ling Chaofeng was very nervous every time, and every time he thought that Xiaowan could really see him. In reality, Xiaowan could not see anything, but their hearts could sense each other.


    Almost every night, she would sit at the window and watch the imperial palace. Ling Chaofeng would "look at her" every single day, and he had thought that he could protect the Xiaowan and watch her slowly rouse himself before Ershan participated in the examination.


    Perhaps, in the eyes of others, Mu Xiaowan was already able to stand up for herself and take care of everyone. As long as it was a wife in Ling Chaofeng''s eyes, her heart was full of holes.


    "Late."


    "Hubby." Xiaowan acted as if she could hear him, and continued, but she was only mumbling to herself, and said, "I''m going home, back to Baisha Town, I know, I might only be able to see you in the capital, but I can''t leave my family behind. I want to go back and take a look at Susu, and Aunt, and when I take care of them, I''ll come and see you. "


    At that time, Ling Chaofeng only thought that the Xiaowan meant that she would come back to the capital again.


    Until he saw Xiaowan bringing Little Pei out of the capital, Ling Chaofeng never thought that a weak person like Xiaowan could cause such a huge commotion.


    In the beginning of September, when the wind had cooled down and was at its most comfortable, Xiaowan took Little Pei back to the Baisha Town. Uncle Biao had long since driven the carriage outside the Li Prefecture, received the two women, and carried Little Pei over his head on his shoulders.


    They directly went to the Baisha Village, and Aunt Zhang was also there. Surprisingly, the Xiaowan didn''t arrive earlier or later, she had just landed, and Susu was about to give birth.


    The two sisters were unable to speak. Susu was in excruciating pain as she held her hands tightly to protect himself. Four hours later, a healthy baby girl was born.


    "It''s my wife!" Little Pei happily walked around the adult, anxious to see his little sister. The crowd teased him, asking if he was his little sister or his wife.


    "You really gave me a daughter-in-law, how can you be so capable?" The Xiaowan laughed, "Are you not afraid that I will mistreat her in the future?"


    Susu held onto Xiaowan''s hand and said: "She will definitely be filial to you."


    The Xiaowan shook her head, "As long as the children are doing well, we can do whatever we want, right?"


    Susu said with tears in her eyes: "Evening, you''re back. Don''t go far, I really miss you for the better part of half a year. Even if you go out in the future, bring me along as well. I won''t be at ease if you''re alone outside. "


    The Xiaowan was annoyed: "Da Qing has to be impatient with me, I kidnapped his wife and ran away."


    They were embracing each other as the Xiaowan stroked Susu''s back. "I''m not leaving, I''m not going anywhere."


    Under the care of the Aunt Zhang and the Uncle Biao, the inn had already returned to its former state. However, other than a few familiar guests who passed by the inn, there was almost no business at all within the inn, making it especially deserted.


    On the other hand, Xiaowan felt that the reason for Leng Qing''s silence was not because there was no business, but because one person was missing. Ershan was not a small number, he could come back anytime, but Ling Chaofeng would never be able to return.


    "Wan''er, you''ve worked hard." The Aunt Zhang said to the Xiaowan tearfully, "Shall we go take a bath together?"


    "Yes." Xiaowan agreed with a smile.


    The days passed one by one. On this day, Aunt Zhang came to see Susu, who was sitting in her seat, while Xiaowan stayed at the inn to take care of him.


    While the family members were talking, the village suddenly became lively. Some people were beating the gongs and drums and said that the joyous news that was sent to them from Beijing, with Li Prefecture being released, would give them the first place in the examination. After a few days, it would be time for the Hall Competition.


    Uncle Biao hurriedly returned to the inn and informed Xiaowan of the good news. Today was still a good day, and everyone was immersed in the joy of seeing the future of Ershan, but on the morning of the next day, Aunt Zhang came to find Xiaowan for breakfast. The room on the third floor was completely empty, and the two of them had disappeared.


    When she found Baisha Village, Susu took the infant to feed him and shook her head in a daze, "I haven''t seen her."

 C141

    The Xiaowan had disappeared, and disappeared along with his son. The Uncle Biao rode on his horse and looked over his Baisha Town up and down, and even went to check his Qingling Village.


    Until the evening, when Da Qing met a familiar boat family at the dock. They actually said that when he left the ship early in the morning, there was a mother and son riding the boat, and their appearances and ages were extremely similar to that of the Xiaowan.


    However, right now, they were at the mouth of the river outside the Baisha River. It was raining heavily, and if they wanted to go chase them by boat, they wouldn''t be able to leave today''s ship.


    The whole family gathered together to discuss, and all of them held back their words, and in the end, the Auntie Chen said: "She brought Little Pei along, that''s not possible! If she seeks death, what will happen to Little Pei?"


    Everyone looked at each other, Da Qing said: "Let''s go to the pier and wait, we will leave the moment there is a boat."


    The Uncle Biao then said: "You guys wait for the water path, I will ride on my horse and head there first. She might be going to the cliff to pay her respects to Chao Feng, wanting to tell him about Ershan''s good news."


    If that was really the case, that would be the best outcome, but Little Pei was not a mortal. Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang both knew that, so Xiaowan didn''t need to worry about losing his son because no one would take care of him.


    He had been on guard for more than half a year, but in the end, he had still not escaped this calamity.


    At the moment, Xiaowan had already changed ships and was floating on the river.


    Little Pei was very obedient, and did not say much along the way. He did not dare to ask his mother where she was going, as he was afraid that she would not be able to answer him.


    But at night, when his mother was fast asleep, Ling Pei left his body and flew out, heading straight for the Imperial City.


    He could ride the cloud and ride the fog, and he could arrive at the destination in the blink of an eye. But today, he was stopped on his way to find his father.


    "Grandmother ¡­" Facing the gigantic dragon blocking him, his path was blocked.


    "Go back!" She said coldly and ruthlessly, "Little Pei you have to know, once your father leaves the stone statue unnoticed, he will be severely punished. Do you want to harm him?"


    "But my mother, she ¡­ she seems to ¡­" Ling Bi wanted to speak, but stopped himself. He hoped that he was overthinking things.


    "Go back!" Grandmother forced him into her mouth and flew back to the river.


    In a short period of time, the Xiaowan was shaken awake, but when she saw her son beside him, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Little Pei returned to his physical body, opened his eyes and looked at his mother.


    "What are you looking at?" The Xiaowan gave him a kiss, "Are you dreaming?


    Little Pei pursed his lips, not knowing what to say. He threw himself into his mother''s embrace and hugged her tightly.


    "Silly child ¡­" The Xiaowan comforted him softly, but his gaze was empty as he looked at the pitch black cabin, "We''ll be there soon."


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed and Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang had respectively gone out on a dry path to chase after him.


    And today, was the first Hall Competition since he ascended the throne.


    At that moment, the day dawned. The warriors who passed the exam were already listed under the gates of the Imperial City, waiting for the officials to bring them into the Imperial Palace.


    After entering the palace, he had experienced the etiquette of roll call, scatterings, worship, and salutations. Finally, he gave out the questions and handed in the papers at sunset.


    The results would be released soon after the papers were reviewed by the reading officials and submitted to the emperor for approval.


    But this session was different from the past. On the second day of the Hall Competition, the examinees were once again summoned to the palace.


    At that time, after the names of the examinees were hidden away, they would recite the theory written by them. Every examinee would then be able to know what was written in the essays of the others.


    Bi Zhenye was ranked fifth, he was a few places behind Ershan, but there were often people who did not get a good ranking in previous years, and in the end, they displayed their talents in the Hall Competition as the top scorers of the high school.


    At this moment, everyone was following the attendant as they walked towards the majestic and imposing Announcement Hall. Standing below the stairs, waiting to be summoned, Ershan inadvertently raised his head and saw the mighty and domineering stone beast standing above the eaves.


    Naturally, he could not sense that his brother was protecting him. He only thought of entering the imperial court as an official in the future. Every day when he walked by, he would be under the watch of this stone beast.


    He couldn''t become like his father. He couldn''t forget his original intention of revenge.


    Ling Chaofeng looked at his younger brother, who was standing openly in front of the palace. Although he had long known that Ershan was hiding the secret in his heart and that he would one day return to the Bi Family to take revenge, he had always hoped that Ershan would wake up on his own.


    When the palace maid brought the examinees into the Announcement Hall, Ling Chaofeng''s heart suddenly trembled. He felt that thousands of miles away, the Xiaowan was currently thinking about him.


    Ling Chaofeng unconsciously clenched his fists, trying his best to calm himself down. He could calculate the future, but he could not calculate the future of Xiaowan at all.


    Every word struck Ling Chaofeng''s heart. He wanted to go to the Xiaowan, but he was so far away from the immortal soul to experience the calamity that awaited him, but if he were to fly out right now ¡­


    Time slowly passed, and the examination papers in the Announcement Hall were nearing the end. There were two essays that had gotten the same result as the reading officials, and the emperor had revealed the names of the examinees in front of everyone, which happened to be Ling Xu and Bi Zhenye.


    The two of them looked at each other, smiled and walked forward.


    Even the Emperor didn''t expect such a result, but in an instant, he thought of a way to separate the top scholar and top scorer between them.


    "We heard that Ling Xu was the second son lost in Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi more than ten years ago. You and Bi Zhenye were originally blood brothers?" The moment the emperor''s words left his mouth, the entire hall went into an uproar. Only the two people involved could be considered relatively calm.


    The emperor''s gaze swept over them one by one, then said: "Back then, I was only a seven or eight year old child as well, but I remember very clearly, it was Ling''s mother who entered the palace to request for the Emperor to decide on the marriage, allowing Bi Zhenye''s mother to marry into the Prime Minister''s Estate. Everyone knew that after Mrs. Bi passed away at an early age, just when she passed away, Bi Fan also went missing. What do you think happened in the assistant minister''s residence that year? "


    Ershan''s heart tensed up, he looked at Bi Zhenye, only to see him looking down, clenching his fists, as though he already understood what the Emperor was trying to do.


    No one would have thought that at the very end of this Hall Competition, there would actually be an ugly story of a concubine being killed by someone from the Prime Minister''s Estate.


    However, the emperor lightly laughed and said, "Of course, all of this is just rumors. What''s happening right now is that we assume it to be true, but what if Bi Zhenye''s mother commits the crime of spoiling his concubine and destroying his wife, as well as abandoning his son. How will the two of you face this matter today? Your answer will decide who will be the top scholar and who will be the top ranker. Naturally, someone will investigate what happened in the Prime Minister''s Estate and not take into account today''s decision. "


    Silence reigned in the hall as the two young men standing below the steps straightened their bodies. They had stood there for ten years and had experienced countless trials. Who would have thought that the last thing they would face was the very first thing they would encounter in their entire lives?


    Ling Chaofeng stood on top of the Announcement Hall and shook his head with a smile. Following that, after accompanying him for dozens of years and protecting his children and grandchildren for a thousand years, it wasn''t too much of a grievance.


    But before waiting for Ershan and Bi Zhenye to reply, Ling Chaofeng''s heart suddenly trembled, this was absolutely not a feeling he should have.


    On the side of the cliff, the Xiaowan threw out money and the paper scattered into the valley like snow dancing. She said with a smile, "Ershan is going to be the top scorer, he will definitely make it.


    Little Pei stood at the side and tugged on his mother''s skirt.


    If his mother had leapt up, he would have been able to save her. However, he would have been able to save her for a while. If she could not die today, she would continue begging for death tomorrow.


    If he was born with a mortal body, even though he wouldn''t be able to save his mother, she wouldn''t abandon him. It was precisely because she wasn''t the same that her mother knew that she didn''t need to worry about her leaving him.


    "Mother ¡­" Little Pei called out softly.


    "Are you tired?" Xiaowan squatted down and rubbed his son''s head, "Do you still feel cold? It''s windy here. "


    Little Pei bit his lips as he looked at his mother with his big eyes.


    "Look, Little Pei, there are some red fruits." The Xiaowan suddenly pointed at a tree in the distance and said to his son, "Go and pick some red fruits for me to eat with you."


    "I can''t reach it." Little Pei said.


    "Don''t you know how to fly?" Xiaowan patted his butt, "You must be lazy, go quickly, Mother is hungry."


    Ling Bai turned his head three times, afraid that as soon as he turned around, his mother would jump down, but his mother stood there smiling and waving at him, urging him to go quickly.


    Little Pei was helpless. If this was his mother''s life, he would really be powerless to change it.


    Watching her son nimbly climb up the tree, Xiaowan smiled in satisfaction. She then looked up at the sky and said calmly: "Master, I have come to find you."


    Little Pei looked back from the tree, and saw that his mother had already disappeared. He immediately summoned his Golden Dragon and pounced over, but there was a flash of wind as he charged into the ravine even faster than.


    He closed his eyes and waited for death to descend. When he opened his eyes again, he could see his husband''s heroic soul, but his body was suddenly held back, and she no longer felt herself falling. The familiar aura, the familiar warmth, enveloped her body.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan''s tears fell like rain, but she asked with a silly smile, "Am I dead, or am I still alive? Are you a ghost or an immortal? Husband, you finally came to see me. "


    Ling Chaofeng landed steadily at the bottom of the valley, but immediately let go of his hands, he had to fly back, even so, he was afraid that he would not be able to escape from the Heaven''s Eyes.


    "Where are you going?" But the Xiaowan held onto him tightly, crying as she asked him, "Ling Chaofeng, do you want to die or live, and you want to abandon me again?"


    Ling Bai stood on top of the cliff and looked through the layers of fog at the bottom of the cliff. Suddenly, the dark clouds in the sky churned, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and layers of dark clouds parted.


    Ling Pei transformed into a Golden Dragon, blocking in front of them as he angrily roared: "What are you guys trying to do?"


    At the bottom of the cliff, the Xiaowan saw the golden light in the sky and her son was rolling in the clouds. She couldn''t see the people who came to capture Ling Chaofeng, but she felt uneasy.


    "Evening, I should go." Ling Chaofeng said calmly, "Promise me, no more seeking death, promise me!"

 C142

    "I don''t want you to leave ¡­" Xiaowan was choked with sobs, but Ling Chaofeng mercilessly opened her hands.


    was fighting with the Heavenly Soldier Tianyin. Dragon Queen flew over and took his grandson away, watching them rush down the cliff, using the Immortal Binding Lock to tie his son up and drag him into the Heavenly Court.


    "Chu Feng, Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan shouted loudly, but she couldn''t see anything. She could only see Ling Chaofeng rising straight into the sky and disappearing in an instant.


    When the black clouds dissipated and the sky returned to its bright and clear state, Little Pei struggled free from his grandmother''s mouth and flew back to his mother''s side.


    "Little Pei, did you see your father? Where did he go?"


    Her weak and strong body was pressed firmly onto the cliff wall. She could not breathe, and her neck was almost strangled off.


    He raised his head again and saw that Little Pei had already returned, throwing himself into her arms, crying as he said, "Mother, don''t die! Mother, don''t abandon Little Pei!"


    The Xiaowan looked around in fear, and a human figure gradually appeared in front of her. A noble lady came from nowhere and walked towards her step by step.


    "Since you guessed he was extraordinary, why did you force him to show himself?" Dragon Queen glared at Xiaowan, his entire body filled with hostility.


    Although her white hair had become black, she clearly remembered that this was the white haired old lady who gave her the Jade Ring.


    The Dragon Queen glared at her fiercely. "Everything was because of you, and because of you, he was punished to stand guard over the Imperial City for a thousand years. "As long as you live, he won''t be able to rest in peace. How about I bear the sins and end your life early? I''ll go to the Bridge of Helplessness and drink a bowl of Grandma Meng''s Elixir there, then I''ll forget everything else."


    Little Pei stood in front of his mother, begging his grandmother to let his mother go.


    The Xiaowan did not understand what the Dragon Queen was saying and was infuriated for no reason. She struggled to stand up and stared at the Dragon Queen without showing any signs of weakness: "Then tell me, what happened? Why did you steal my husband?"


    "If I kill you, the world would be at peace." Dragon Queen revealed a sinister look, he had already raised her hand, as his evil aura gathered in the palm of her hand.


    Seeing this, Little Pei thought that the Golden Dragon was going to confront her grandmother, but at this moment, all the uncles rushed over to bring her mother away. Now was not the time to be entangled with a mortal, they had to work hard to lessen the punishment for the Chaofeng.


    The wind stopped, the world was at peace. Xiaowan did not see Little Pei''s uncles, she only knew that the person Little Pei called granny had instantly disappeared. Her legs went soft, and she fell onto the ground.


    Could that person be her mother-in-law?


    "Mom, are you in pain?" Little Pei ran over to Xiaowan and hugged her, crying as he touched her neck. There was a purple mark on her mother''s neck, if there was even a little bit more, she would have been strangled to death by her grandmother.


    "Little Pei, you and your father are both dragons, are both immortals?" Xiaowan asked, "Your father went back to become a deity, so he can''t be with your mother anymore, right?"


    "I can''t say." Little Pei cried, "If I say it, then I can''t be mother''s son in the mortal world."


    Xiaowan''s heart skipped a beat and she immediately hugged her son, "I won''t say anymore, Mother won''t ask you. Little Pei doesn''t cry, it''s just that it''s not good for Mother, it''s not painful at all, it''s not painful at all. "


    "Mother, don''t court death anymore." Little Pei said.


    "If you don''t want to die, mother will never think about it again." Xiaowan promised while crying, "Little Pei be good, Mom won''t scare you anymore, okay?"


    The mother and son pair cried for a while. Although Xiaowan was still confused, she still could not figure out what had happened. But because of how scared Little Pei was, she could not bear to have her son cry.


    Little Pei conjured a Golden Dragon and brought his mother back to the top of the cliff. Not long after they landed, the sound of rapid hoof steps could be heard.


    Uncle Biao rode his horse and came here. Seeing that the mother and son were safe and sound, the tall and sturdy man actually cried.


    "Uncle ¡­"


    "Xiao''er, it''s good that you''re fine. It''s good that you''re fine."


    On the other side, the Xiaowan had experienced an incomparably mystical experience. No matter what, she finally saw Ling Chaofeng, and 1000 miles away, Bi Zhenye and Ershan would also give the emperor an answer scroll.


    Bi Zhenye answered the emperor first, saying that he was willing to give up his title, atone for his mother''s sins, and accept the punishment for her.


    The emperor looked at Ershan and asked, "What about you?"


    Ershan said calmly: "The students'' surnames are Ling, with the names of Ling and Ling, people with Li Prefecture, they operate inns at home. Students were not the end industry, and this had nothing to do with Bi Family. If we do not start a trial for the family affairs of the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi, we should not let outsiders meddle in this. "


    Bi Zhenye looked at Ershan in shock and the officials below him started whispering to each other. Only the emperor laughed clearly: "Is this your answer?"


    Ershan asked the Emperor, "Your Majesty, you just said that you assumed that Prime Minister''s Estate had once spoiled their wives."


    Xiang Run nodded: "That''s right, just a hypothesis. But what about your background? Was your answer just now just a hypothesis or a true answer? "


    Ershan looked at Sovereign King: "This student is Ling Chaofeng''s brother, the son of Ling Xiao Inn."


    Inside the Prime Minister''s Estate, because his own son had participated in the examination and the Hall Competition, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi had avoided taking part in the examination and was anxiously waiting for the results together with his family.


    His son had only made it to the fifth place in the examination, so if he made it to the top three, he would definitely be mocked by his peers.


    "Little Xi, go take a look. Why hasn''t there been any news yet?" The reason the Old Madem brought Hanxi back from the temple was to receive good news from her grandson. And her grandson was not only Bi Zhenye, he was also from another industry as well.


    Just as Hanxi got up, the servant ran back and said with a face full of hesitation: "Master, Young Master did not make it to the top three."


    Mrs. Bi fell heavily onto the chair. He let out a long sigh, feeling both anger and resentment. However, he heard his mother ask anxiously: "What about the industry?"


    The servant was startled, Hanxi quickly replied: "It was Ling Yu."


    That person hurriedly replied, "He''s not in the top three either."


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi looked at him in shock: "Really, Ling Xu isn''t in the top three?"


    At the moment, the officials under the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi had rushed over, wanting to tell him everything that had happened today. Thus, he brought them to the study room in a hurry.


    In the hall, the Old Madem sighed lightly: "It''s alright, we have already advanced. Little Xi, come and help Grandma go back to her room. "


    "That''s right. After all, he is a scholar, and that shabby inn has ties to the royal family. What is he worried about?" Mrs. Bi stood up and smiled mournfully, "He is the direct descendant of our son, Zhenye. He is just a concubine''s son.


    Old Madem sneered: "This is retribution, you can''t blame others, you can only blame yourself. Zhenye and Hanxi are innocent, don''t drag them into this, do you think that Zhenye has no hope? I don''t think so. Their brothers are very close, and they will support each other. "However, all of the good things are unrelated to you. All of the evil things are done by you."


    She could only persuade her grandmother and send her back to the Inner Palace for a rest. As soon as the grandfather and grandson pair walked to the corridor, they heard their mother wailing miserably, and she asked in a shrill voice, "Why, why ¡­."


    Outside of the imperial city, the top scorer led the group on horseback to receive congratulations from the people. As the long line of people left, the streets were filled with cheering civilians and family members of the top three. The whole city was filled with a sense of joy and excitement.


    Ershan was walking alone on the road back to the inn. Without the top scholar, no one would pursue him, and Bi Zhenye had long been carried away by his family.


    Suddenly, someone patted his back. He turned around and saw that it was his elder brother.


    Bi Zhenye laughed: Go have a drink? I haven''t had a drink in a long, long time. "


    Ershan asked: "Are you good at drinking?"


    The rankings for the top three new subjects were quickly released to the entire country. A few days later, the Prefect Liang received the news.


    As for the Li Prefecture, they had already made preparations to celebrate their top scholar. As a result, Ling Qian was not even in the top three, nor was he a flower scout.


    When the news spread to the tavern, no one was disappointed. Now that the Xiaowan and Little Pei had been found again, the entire family was neat and tidy. When Ershan returned back from his work in the capital, the family was reunited.


    Although no one brought up the matter of courting death, Susu was still very worried, and wanted Xiaowan to go to her house in Baisha Village to stay with her for a few days.


    Today, because she was receiving the Constable Li, Xiaowan had finally returned to the inn. As usual, Aunt Zhang would stuff some beef and wine dishes onto him, but today, she said: "If I knew earlier, I wouldn''t have stayed over for a night and not had a drink with the shopkeeper. Maybe I would have owed the wine, but Manager Ling is still alive."


    He sighed, put down the wine and dishes, and said goodbye to everyone before urging his horse to leave.


    Aunt Zhang looked at Xiaowan, and walked up to her and advised: "Don''t be sad, it''s because we are good to Feng Ren, that''s why everyone cares about him."


    Xiaowan nodded: "I know."


    Aunt Zhang pursed her lips and said worriedly: "Evening, no matter where you go, you have to tell Aunt that our family will always be together."


    Xiaowan still nodded. "Aunt, don''t worry."


    That night, Little Pei slept at Susu''s house while Xiaowan slept alone on the bed. In fact, in the past few days, she had been repeatedly thinking about what had happened that day.


    She gradually understood the meaning of his mother-in-law''s words, as if it was because of her that her husband died. On that day, when she was looking to die to find her husband, she called out Ling Chaofeng.


    "Is it all my fault?" Xiaowan sat up, hugging her blanket, "Could it be because of me?"


    It was at this moment, the window was opened by the strong wind, and a cold wind blew in. Xiaowan opened the curtain, and saw a woman walking towards her.


    Yue Huaiyin? How could she still be alive ¡­


    Xiaowan''s entire body tensed up, while Yue Huaiyin laughed sharply: "Mu Xiaowan, you also have such a day?"

 C143

    Yue Huaiyin had died a long time ago, and the current her was only a ghost that was about to be reincarnated. Unfortunately, her resentment was too deep, and did not hesitate to escape halfway to obtain Ling Xiao Inn.


    She had already wandered around for a few days, only then would she be able to get in if Little Pei was not by his side tonight.


    "Where do you think Ling Chaofeng is now?" Yue Huaiyin laughed sinisterly, she wanted to tell Mu Xiaowan so that he would be tortured for a lifetime.


    Xiaowan was not afraid, what else did she have to fear?


    "Because of you, he''s going to squat on the palace''s Announcement Hall and become a thousand-year stone beast." "Because of you, he received a heavy punishment. After a thousand years, he will be reincarnated and experience countless calamities, and extreme torture."


    Xiaowan stared at her: "How did you know?"


    "All the demons and demons in the world know about it. Even if you have transformed into a soul after death, you will also know about it." Yue Huaiyin scoffed, and wanted to stroke her cheeks, "It must be painful, living is better than dying, you have this day?"


    Xiaowan reached out her hand to block it, and just as Yue Huaiyin touched the Jade Ring on her finger, her soul was actually bounced off, and smashed into the wall.


    "What is this?" Yue Huaiyin''s soul became thinner, she was in pain, "What are you wearing on your hands?"


    But at that moment, Little Pei flew back and rushed into the bedroom, bit Yue Huaiyin and dragged him out.


    Xiaowan rushed to the window, only to see Little Pei berating her in the air: "Demoness, you want to harm my mother?"


    In almost an instant, the already thin soul was torn to shreds by Little Pei and turned into dust.


    Little Pei returned to his mother''s side and asked her, "Mother, are you alright?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "How is she?"


    Little Pei said: "It has been turned into dust, and I can''t reincarnate anymore. Mother, what did that monster say to you? "


    Xiaowan shook her head. "I didn''t say anything, the moment she touched me, she was knocked away by this ring. This ring was given to me by your grandmother."


    Little Pei looked at his mother suspiciously. "Really?"


    Xiaowan pinched his face lightly: "Why would Mother lie to you? Hurry up and go back, or else Aunt Susu will not be able to see you.


    Little Pei flew out of the tavern and drew a circle around the tavern, so that the demons and ghosts would not be able to come in.


    Xiaowan hurriedly closed the window and sat back on the bed. She touched the Jade Ring s on her fingers and recalled every word that Yue Huaiyin said.


    No wonder she felt her husband''s presence so strongly when she arrived at the capital. He was in the Imperial Palace.


    Yue Huaiyin''s words combined with Grandma''s words, Xiaowan understood.


    Hubby was a god like Little Pei, who had violated the rules because of her. He was punished to become a stone statue and had to stay there to guard her for a thousand years.


    She couldn''t care less about matters that would happen a hundred or thousand years later, but in her life, she had yet to drink Grandma Meng''s Elixir. She would never forget her husband''s life. She wanted to be together with him.


    Even if he had turned into a statue.


    Xiaowan sat there in a daze for the entire night, thinking about what she should do in order to not only avoid the wind, but also "stay together" with him. It was only when she heard the sound of the horse hooves downstairs and opened the window did she realize that dawn had arrived.


    "General Wei?" Xiaowan looked at the people on the horses in shock. He was travel worn, and did not know how long he had traveled.


    As she led the way in, Xiaowan saw his bloodshot eyes. She must be hurrying through the night, why did he have to come to the inn so urgently?


    Although the people at the inn had lost her, when she left early in the morning with her son, Wei Tengfei''s men followed.


    They watched as young lady jumped off the cliff, regretting that they could not save him in time. They hid in the bushes. Although they did not know what had happened, when things calmed down and they stood up again, they saw that young lady and her son had once again sat down on the cliff.


    There were three of them, and all three of them personally saw Xiaowan jumping off the cliff to kill herself. No matter what, they wouldn''t be able to come back alive, so one of them rushed back to the Chuanyu to report this strange matter to Wei Tengfei. Wei Tengfei remembered that back at the capital, the servants at the door said that the Xiaowan was extremely mysterious.


    Avoiding Uncle Biao, Wei Tengfei spoke to Xiaowan alone. He got straight to the point: "Xiaowan, your inn, or even, is there anything strange about it?"


    Xiaowan shook her head. "It''s nothing.


    Wei Tengfei frowned, "Xiaowan, are you really alright? My subordinates watched as you jumped off the cliff. In the blink of an eye, you have returned to the cliff.


    Xiaowan asked: "Are they seeing things? General, you ¡­ Send someone to follow me? "


    No matter how Wei Tengfei asked, even if Xiaowan did not admit it, Wei Tengfei could not bear to force her. As for Wei Tengfei sending people to protect her, Xiaowan did not object.


    "Whatever. You''re fine, so I''m relieved." Wei Tengfei gave up.


    "Since General is here, can you do me a favor?" Xiaowan laughed.


    "How can I help you?" Wei Tengfei felt even weirder.


    "I want to go to the capital, I want to become the empress''s Palace Maid." The Xiaowan said, "This way, I can accompany the Empress forever."


    Wei Tengfei was startled: "Become a Palace Maid?"


    The Xiaowan nodded his head: "You need to be a Palace Maid to be able to stay in the palace, right?"


    It was not easy for Wei Tengfei to agree to it himself, but he was afraid that if he rejected Xiaowan, she would be hurt, so he made an excuse that he should discuss with his family to get them to stop her.


    Naturally, the entire family was shocked by her. Only Little Pei understood why his mother would go there. The monster must have told his mother something last night, but the Xiaowan refused to admit it, so Little Pei could not point it out. Even if his grandmother said those words in anger that day, he could not say it.


    No one could oppose Xiaowan''s insistence. However, for Aunt Zhang and the others, it was not easy for him to be willing to live a good life, so she had to agree even if she did not agree.


    In the morning of the second day, the Xiaowan left. Wei Tengfei personally drove a carriage to bring her to the capital.


    The Xiaowan asked guiltily: "General, leaving the warriors behind for me, I am truly guilty."


    Wei Tengfei said: "The world is at peace, you don''t have to worry. Even if I am not here, they will train their troops as usual. All these years, I have been wholeheartedly devoted to the army.


    Xiaowan was blunt: "General, I will definitely repay you."


    However, Wei Tengfei laughed: "Don''t jump off the cliff anymore, you''re just trying to repay me."


    Of course the Xiaowan wouldn''t admit it, but she smiled.


    Wei Tengfei looked at her smile in surprise. Why was she so happy when he went to become the Palace Maid?


    Only Little Pei knew why his mother was so happy, but the mother and son couldn''t explain it to each other. He kept staring at his mother angrily, and every time he got angry, he would act exactly like his father.


    As the carriage sped towards the capital, Dragon Queen stood in front of his Heaven''s Mirror and saw everything clearly.


    "Imperial Mother, did you intentionally get angry that day and tell Xiaowan about it?" The eldest son, Captive Cow, stood at the side and asked gently, "Who released Yue Huaiyin''s spirit?"


    Dragon Queen smiled at his son: "What are you saying, I don''t understand."


    Inside the capital, the emperor had received the news very early on that Wei Tengfei was coming to the capital alone with Mu Xiaowan. He thought that he couldn''t hide this from the empress. After the husband and wife discussed things, they thought that Wei Tengfei had moved the Xiaowan and that they were here to ask the Emperor for a marriage.


    On this day, the imperial government issued a decree that, with the exception of the top three in this year''s imperial examinations, all those who had made it to the top three would become officials of the imperial court.


    Strangely enough, the new top scholar had only one scholar''s errand, high grade but no real power. As for Bi Zhenye and Ling Yu who had not entered the top three, one had gone to the work department, the other had gone to the Ministry Of Justice, and both had a bright future ahead of them.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi, for example, had started from when he was a teacher in the Ministry of Industry. Step by step, Bi Zhenye had come to this day, and could be considered to have inherited his legacy.


    The decree of the title of official, together with the decree of the Emperor summoning the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi, made him tremble with fear as he followed the palace maid into the palace. At home, Old Madem and Hanxi were overjoyed. Even the depressed Mrs. Bi had finally revealed a smile.


    However, Old Madem did not forget about his grandson. When he brought his daughter-in-law and grandchildren to the Ancestral Hall to burn incense, he even said that he would keep the trade on his lips, while Mrs. Bi knelt behind her with a cold look in his eyes.


    Deep in the palace, the emperor had seen the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi. Looking at his lonely back, he saw that someone from the palace had come to report, saying that the General Wei had already arrived outside the palace.


    "Ask the empress to come." Xiang Run instructed, but then said, "Forget it, I''ll just take care of the family matters, let''s go to the Culture Hall."


    The two emperors thought that since Wei Tengfei had brought the Xiaowan along, it would be impossible for it to be a national affair no matter what. However, their anticipated marriage request had not been accomplished, and the Xiaowan had actually said that she wanted to be the Palace Maid, to accompany the Empress.


    Xiang Run slightly frowned. Siyan was also very surprised, and smiled: "Even if you don''t become the Palace Maid, you can still accompany me at my side.


    The Xiaowan trembled as she said, "But a first-class lady, no, no, you can''t accompany the Empress every day."


    If that was the case, it would be very far-fetched. This matter was already very strange, and the Emperor ordered them to withdraw to discuss it with the Empress alone.


    Obviously, the Xiaowan had her own reasons for suddenly coming to the Palace Maid. For the peace of the imperial palace, the Emperor couldn''t agree to such a strange matter.


    Siyan also knew that she could not force him, but when Xiaowan asked for her help, she could not bear to refuse.


    Seeing through the empress''s thoughts, the emperor sighed lightly and said, "I can''t leave it by your side. I can''t be at ease even if other people who serve you feel uncomfortable. Your people will think that if they do their best and you don''t trust them, you''ll have to let one of your own go. "What do you think?"


    Siyan nodded repeatedly. Xiang Run thought for a bit, then said: "Let her go to the Announcement Hall to do the cleaning, and come see you everyday. He spends the rest of his time there, where there are a lot of guards, so she won''t do anything strange.


    "That''s it for now. Maybe she fulfilled her wish and left." Siyan said, "Your majesty, Xiaowan will not cause trouble. She is so kind, and seeing her today, her mental state is much higher than before, how nice is that."


    He had wanted to go to the last trial, at least the suspicious Emperor would not nod his head, yet everything had gone as planned by the Xiaowan. The place she wanted to go the most was the Announcement Hall.


    Ling Chaofeng stood at the top of the Announcement Hall, watched as Xiaowan stood below, and helplessly smiled.


    This young lady, how long was she going to pester him for? In this lifetime, even if she had to accompany a stone statue, was she going to stay with him?


    Xiaowan looked up at the stone beast on the eaves and said smilingly, "Master, I''m here. Can you see me?"

 C144

    Wei Tengfei stood in the distance and saw that the Xiaowan was smiling as he looked up at the sky. More accurately, he was looking at the roof of the Announcement Hall.


    He remembered that his family''s servant had said that he saw young lady mumbling to himself in front of the door. He believed that his subordinates would never run thousands of miles back to make up such an absurd lie to him.


    Wei Tengfei did not doubt that there was something special about the Xiaowan, but he did not want to force her to admit it. If possible, he was also willing to protect her for his entire life.


    "General, the Empress wishes to invite you to the side of the Grand Liquid Pool." Someone from the palace came to invite Wei Tengfei. He nodded, looked at the Xiaowan again, then turned and left.


    At this side, Xiaowan also left, bringing her palace maids to familiarize themselves with the Announcement Hall.


    From today onwards, what she had to do everyday, was to clean the jade stage before Announcement Hall. It seemed that the Emperor had intended for her to be exposed to the crowd, so that he wouldn''t give her any chance to do anything strange.


    The people of the palace knew of her relationship with the empress, and were curious as to why her former guest of honor had suddenly come to be the Palace Maid, and whether or not she would change into any other identity in a few days, they were naturally very courteous to the Xiaowan.


    Wei Tengfei was brought to the side of the Supreme Water Pool by the palace. The misty sky was like a fairyland, the empress was feeding her daughter the fish and the little princess was smiling happily as she looked at the colorful carp in the water.


    He reached out his hand and said, "Uncle, can I hug you?"


    The baby looked at him, not sure if he understood, but he smiled and opened his hand to his uncle.


    Siyan said: "I thought you came this time to bring my sister-in-law here, yet this is the case. When the Emperor first mentioned your feelings for the Xiaowan to me, I still thought that he was being too kind. But now, it seems that the Emperor is really very wise, as nothing can escape his eyes. "


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "So what? This is not something that can be done on one''s own, I do not wish for Xiaowan to be unhappy."


    Siyan said: "But she only needs to be your wife for a day, her happiness, anger and sadness are all her own business, it''s all a man''s business in the future. Even to the extent that it''s a matter of the deceased Manager Ling, it has nothing to do with you."


    Wei Tengfei disapprovingly said: "It doesn''t matter to me, she is fine with it."


    Siyan said worriedly: "Do you know that she would be willing to pay such a price?"


    Wei Tengfei looked at her, and the tall man revealed a gentle gaze: "Siyan, you can''t just look at everything from my perspective, then who will stand on the side of the Xiaowan? They are the ones who are living a good life, and I want to force them on her. She is already very pitiful, very polite, and very strong.


    The Empress replied, "I am not asking for too much from the Xiaowan."


    However, Wei Tengfei said: "Siyan, why must Xiaowan follow what we think is correct and live on?"


    Siyan looked at her brother helplessly and laughed: "But I want a sister-in-law."


    Just like this, the Xiaowan entered the palace smoothly and became a Palace Maid who cleaned the Announcement Hall. That night, when Wei Tengfei left the palace, he brought her out as well.


    Ershan had already received the Emperor''s title of residence, it was already considered respectable for a second in second place house like this one.


    The Xiaowan brought them quite a bit of money. Originally, Ershan was not willing to take it, but the Xiaowan said: "This is what your brother left for you to marry. Now you want to help me take Little Pei, this little guy might eat it."


    Although no one could understand why the Xiaowan wanted to enter the palace to become the Palace Maid, since things had already come to this point, they could only protect her from the side. Ershan said that from today onwards, he would have to go through Announcement Hall and perhaps, he would be able to greet Xiaowan everyday.


    The Xiaowan smiled, thinking that since Hubby was able to see his little brother doing well everyday, he must be very happy.


    After tonight, Xiaowan would live in the palace. The empress arranged for her to go out of the palace every ten days to reunite with her family. This was a completely different treatment from the other servants in the Palace Maid.


    At night, when Xiaowan was bathing his son, the little guy pouted his lips and was unhappy. The Xiaowan coaxed him patiently and said: "If you want to see mother, can''t you come in anytime? You can come to the palace at night and share a bed with your mother if you like. "


    Little Pei teared up, and the Xiaowan felt her heart ache. She hugged the chubby little fellow in her arms and said, "Mother, I''m sorry, but mother misses him too much. Little Pei, do you still have a thousand years to live? No matter what, I abandoned you at Second Uncle''s house, so Mother will let you down. Mother won''t dare to beg for your forgiveness, but you have to be happy, okay? "


    "I''m blaming myself for not being able to help my mother. I don''t want you to feel sad." Little Pei sobbed softly, "Why are they bullying you all? Is it because Father and Mother are good people?"


    The mother and son nestled against each other to comfort each other. Xiaowan talked about many things that she did not know whether it was right or wrong, Little Pei finally became happy again and played until midnight before falling asleep.


    Just as the Xiaowan had said, the palace walls could not separate them. On that day, Little Pei followed his mother and "entered the palace", sitting on the roof of the Announcement Hall, and watched over his mother with his father.


    In the blink of an eye, several days had passed and Wei Tengfei had already left the capital to return to the Chuanyu. Beforehe left, she did not go to see Xiaowan, as he did not want him to feel that she owed him.


    On the Emperor''s side, from time to time, there would be people from the palace reporting Mu Xiaowan''s situation.


    "She always looks up at the sky." "There''s quite a few people who''ve seen it. Mu Xiaowan has always been looking at the sky, sometimes in a daze, sometimes muttering words. But other than that, she''s also very obedient and diligent, and doesn''t interact much with others."


    The emperor frowned slightly as he couldn''t think of what the Xiaowan was looking at. He could only instruct, "Continue to watch over her and don''t let her do anything strange."


    In truth, others thought that the Xiaowan was always looking at the sky weirdly, but Ling Chaofeng, who was being stared at by her everyday, had already lost his patience.


    It wasn''t that he was angry, but rather, he was at a loss whether to laugh or to cry. This fellow would come by to greet him every morning and ask him if he was hungry. On rainy days, under umbrellas, scouring the stone steps with the other palace maids, she worried about whether the stone statue would be damaged by the rain.


    Every day, every day, no matter how long it took, there was no response at all.


    Since Little Pei had nothing better to do, he sat on the roof and looked at his mother. Ling Chaofeng asked him who it was that revealed it to the Xiaowan, was he not afraid of the heavenly punishment?


    Naturally, Grandmother''s words were an unconscious action under extreme anger. Dragon Queen was, after all, a respected Supreme Celestial who could negotiate anything.


    That night, the little Palace Maid who lived in the room next to Xiaowan was sick. She was in charge of keeping watch at Qingming Pavilion, so she couldn''t find anyone to replace her.


    The Qingming Pavilion would only disperse during midnight. Normally, the emperor would be busy until then before returning to the Middle Palace to visit the Empress.


    The Xiaowan had long realized that the emperor would go to court before daybreak and never sleep until the middle of the night. The Xiaowan could still make a trip out of the palace in ten days, even for the other Palace Maid servants. However, the emperor never stops to rest day and night, it was truly exhausting for him.


    Although he had killed Ling Chaofeng, every single thing he had done was to let the nation and citizens down.


    Tonight, the emperor was busy as well. Just as he walked out of the Qingming Pavilion Palace door, and the cool night wind blew through his body, suddenly, a strong wind blew over, covering the sky and covering the moon. Wind and sand invaded his eyes, making him unable to open his eyes.


    Xiaowan stood at the bottom of the veranda, staring at the sky in a daze. She could not see the demons who came to the imperial city to stir up trouble, but she could see Ling Chaofeng flying out.


    He seemed to be fighting with someone. After a few rounds, the wind stopped and the moonlight fell again, falling on her pretty face. Her beautiful eyes were filled with hope.


    Ling Chaofeng knew that the Xiaowan had seen him, and was about to open his mouth to call him, but if he called him that, others would definitely think that she was abnormal. He quickly flew down and pointed at the Xiaowan, as if he was lecturing her at an inn.


    Xiaowan hurriedly covered his mouth. Ling Chaofeng then said, "What are you covering your mouth for?


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan still let out a weak voice, and the moment she opened her mouth, tears fell down onto the ground, causing Ling Chaofeng''s heart to soften.


    "Be a bit more honest. I''ll come see you again when we leave." Ling Chaofeng shook his head, he had lost.


    Fortunately, within the borders of the imperial city, in order to protect the emperor, Ling Chaofeng could have flown out freely, and the Xiaowan was the only mortal who could see him.


    Previously, because she could not reveal her secrets, Xiaowan had only entered the palace once, so even if he could show herself, Ling Chaofeng could only use her immortal soul to stay by her side.


    However, everything had been broken, the Xiaowan knew everything, and his punishment was endless. Even if he broke the rules again, it didn''t matter anymore.


    Thus, the Xiaowan waited all the way until the emperor came out to go back to the Culture Hall. After she and the other Palace Maid had finished working, she laid on the window window and called out softly, "Husband, do you know where I live?"


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, and appeared behind her back. "What do you think?"


    Xiaowan turned around in joy and rushed forward without saying anything. She could feel her husband''s body and could feel his breath, it was just like before. It was warm and comfortable.


    From a weak whimpering to an uncontrollable crying, Xiaowan was almost turned into water. When Ling Chaofeng saw that she was crying so hard that he couldn''t even catch up, he pulled his face and said: "If you continue crying, I''ll be going."


    Xiaowan raised her tear-stained face, and began to sputter. "I won''t cry anymore, hubby ¡­ Don''t leave me, I won''t cry. "


    Ling Chaofeng frowned, his heart broken.


    Only after spending a long time did Xiaowan calm down. After calming down, she suddenly became alert and fearfully asked Ling Chaofeng: "You came to see me like this, could it be that you made a mistake again?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "In the palace, I can leave the stone statue. Other than the emperor, the entire imperial city is my responsibility. But without war, you can''t just casually go out of the palace. If you come to save you like last time, that won''t do. "


    Xiaowan asked softly. "Then tell me, does this count as exposing my secret?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "You sure know a lot, don''t count, because you already know about it."


    Xiaowan was relieved, she had originally been holding onto her husband''s arm, looking at Ling Chaofeng, seeing that her husband had nodded his head, she fell into his embrace.


    Ling Chaofeng gently brushed away the hair on her face that had been drenched with tears. Xiaowan''s clear eyes were filled with his husband''s facial features.


    However, the reality was still cruel. They were immortals, Ling Chaofeng could have come to see her occasionally, but if they stayed in the palace, the higher ups would have come looking for trouble.


    "Daring to the point of courting death?" Ling Chaofeng''s face suddenly turned ugly, and he chided, "Aren''t you afraid that I''ll get angry?"


    "I''m scared." Xiaowan replied weakly, tears flowing once again, "I know I''m useless, but, without you ¡­ I really can''t live. Even if I have to spend my whole life guarding that statue, as long as I know that it''s my husband, I will be satisfied. "


    "In this lifetime, you will clean up in the palace and will never go out?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "If you don''t go out, I will stay here with you for the rest of my life." "In my next life, I will be reincarnated, and I will even become a Palace Maid. I will even be here to accompany you."


    "Nonsense." Ling Chaofeng bent down, gently moved his lips, and steeled his heart, and kissed in the end.


    This kiss was real and carried the warmth of a husband. Xiaowan finally came back to life.


    "Hubby ¡­"


    "Alright, it''s time for me to leave." Ling Chaofeng said, "Be a little more obedient, we will slowly discuss further."

 C145

    Xiaowan, who had returned to her husband''s embrace, immediately lost all courage and courage. She looked at Ling Chaofeng with teary eyes and said, "Husband, can you wait for me to fall asleep before leaving?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "Then hurry up and close your eyes to sleep, how are you going to sleep with your eyes open?"


    Xiaowan said, "In the past, I would dream about you and could see you in my dreams. But this year, you didn''t even want to come to my dreams, so when I closed my eyes, I couldn''t see you anymore ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Then if you don''t sleep, will I always be with you?"


    Xiaowan nodded. Seeing her husband staring at her, she was not afraid at all.


    She was so happy that she wanted to laugh, but her tears also came from her own hands. However, those who were physically and mentally exhausted were unable to resist their husband''s warm embrace. In the end, they had fallen asleep.


    That night, Xiaowan slept soundly. When she woke up the next day, she saw the bright sky and the empty house. Her heart tightened as she was afraid that everything that happened last night was just a dream.


    But she quickly figured it out. Even if it was a dream, it didn''t matter.


    At most, from today onwards, she would treat her dream seriously. She would stay together with her husband, treating reality as a dream. When her "dream" woke up, she would be able to see her husband.


    She got up and put on her clothes. Just like how she usually did when she came to clean before the Announcement Hall, she also looked up at the divine beast atop the eaves. She greeted her husband in a very good mood.


    But today, Ling Chaofeng appeared in front of his. Standing with his hands behind his back, he frowned and said to her: "Don''t always look at me, and don''t talk to yourself. Aren''t you afraid that others will find you strange and chase you away?"


    On the way here, she had already assumed that she had just been dreaming. To be able to see her husband standing there and prove that everything that happened last night was not a dream, Xiaowan cried in joy.


    Ling Chaofeng flew down and stood in front of her: "Still crying, haven''t you finished crying yet?"


    He looked around and then warned, "There are already a lot of people who find out that you''re fine and just look at the sky, and they''re even talking to themselves. As time passes, they or the emperor will think that you''re weird and they should kick you out. Once I leave the palace gates, I will no longer be able to come to see you like this, do you think? "


    Xiaowan hurriedly wiped her tears and stared at Hubby with a serious look. However, this sight made Ling Chaofeng''s heart ache, as she was willing to do anything just to be together with him.


    "But I can''t let you stay here all your life to clean up. Late at night, we can discuss more in the future." Ling Chaofeng said, "No matter what, you have to listen to me. If you don''t listen, I will never come out to see you again."


    Xiaowan nodded his head vigorously: "I will listen to you."


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart ached, he could not help but kiss her on the forehead: "Evening, I''ve let you down."


    Xiaowan''s eyes grew hot, but she held back her tears. She smiled sweetly at Ling Chaofeng: "You don''t know, how happy I am."


    When Ling Chaofeng returned to the overhang, he was originally worried that the Xiaowan would stare at his again, but she did not raise his head again, continuing to act like her little Palace Maid. He did not even take another look when the others were leaving the Announcement Hall together with them.


    When it was night, Ling Chaofeng went to see her. She asked proudly if he was obedient. Then he snuggled up against her husband''s chest, touching his face, touching his arms until he fell asleep.


    Xiaowan didn''t make any request to Ling Chaofeng, nor did she chase after him and ask why. It was as if she was afraid that getting along with him would also be taken away, and she cherished it with extreme care.


    Four or five days later, the emperor heard from the servants that Mu Xiaowan was no longer mumbling to herself as she looked into the sky. She was no different from an ordinary Palace Maid.


    Xiang Run did not say anything, but he still felt it was strange. In that case, he could only mention it to the empress, and the two of them understood that the Xiaowan must have her reasons.


    "I don''t want to ask her." Siyan said, "If she can say it, she will definitely tell me. If she doesn''t, then she cannot say it. "Your majesty, she won''t hurt anyone, nor will she delay the matters of the imperial court. Let her sweep the floor there, and maybe one day, she''ll leave."


    Xiang Run nodded his head, "I will listen to you, but I will also say the ugly things first."


    Siyan covered his mouth and laughed, "Your Majesty, don''t say it, there won''t be any such thing. Even if there really is one, I have said it before, no matter what, I will always stand by your side."


    In the blink of an eye, the days of rest in Xiaowan''s Li Palace arrived. In her first few days here, she had always been thinking about when she left the palace and wanted to accompany her son.


    But now that she could see her husband, she didn''t want to go out. Thinking of this, however, made her feel even more sorry for Little Pei, she took a few snacks that the empress gave her from the palace and brought them to her son to eat.


    Ershan and Lian Yi were both very surprised to see the energetic Xiaowan.


    Having been in the palace for only ten days, she had simply returned to the past. She had changed back into the young lady, whose eyes were curved and filled with joy.


    One had to know that Lian Yi and Xiaowan had stayed in the capital for quite a few months, but he had never seen her smile before.


    However, this was not a bad thing. The fact that Xiaowan was able to recover was everyone''s wish.


    Only Little Pei whined, seeing that his mother was still angry, Xiaowan continued to coax his son, pouting his mouth, "My mother doesn''t want me anymore."


    Xiaowan hugged him in his arms, rubbing and scratching his head, almost wanting to kiss his son''s entire body. Seeing his mother so happy, Little Pei was naturally happy.


    However, although he was young, he was still a god after all. He knew that his parents weren''t like this, and wouldn''t be able to live for long.


    Sure enough, on the night of Xiaowan''s departure, Ling Chaofeng made a tour of the imperial palace at night before returning to his Announcement Hall.


    He brought along the Celestial Jade Pool Wine and sat by the side of the Grand Liquid with his younger brother, one pot each.


    After the two brothers drank the wine, Ling Chaofeng asked: "Did Big Brother come to warn me to not meet Xiaowan again?"


    The Captive Cow waved his hand and said, "They can''t do anything. Unless they retract the order, they don''t want you to protect the Emperor."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "But I can''t confine her here forever, I''m suspicious of Kang Di. As time passes, he will feel that the Xiaowan makes him restless, after all, he was the one who killed me. If he wants to kill Xiaowan, can I help? "


    However, the Captive Cow said: "The punishment you carry on your body, I don''t know when it will end, what more do you care? To put it bluntly, just because the higher ups are against our Dragon Clan and royal father doesn''t care, doesn''t mean he won''t be angry. Five hundred years ago, you accidentally injured the mortals for their sake, but they blamed you for it. We have endured for five hundred years, and if we continue to endure, our Dragon Clan will no longer have any status in the world anymore. "


    "What Big Brother means is ¡­"


    "The only person in this world that can defy the will of the heavens is not a god or a devil, but a human." Captive Cow drank and laughed heartily, "They shouldn''t have arranged this Mu Xiaowan for your ninth life."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Xiaowan is just a weak girl, there''s nothing she can do."


    Captive Cow frowned and sized her brother up: "What do you think of her? To be able to give birth to such a rare Golden Dragon, she is destined to be extraordinary. If Xiaowan were to seek for the cultivation of immortals, she will definitely have a place above the ninth heaven. "


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head. "What''s the point of being a deity?"


    Captive Cow said: "Third brother, listen to me. No matter what Mu Xiaowan does in the future, don''t stop her."


    Ling Chaofeng did not agree: "If she wants to die, do you think I will not save her?"


    His elder brother felt that his younger brother''s brain couldn''t wrap his head around this matter, no wonder he was bullied by the higher-ups. He said, "You''re fine, how can she bear to die? She can''t wait to live forever, I''ll accompany you for a thousand years."


    The next day, Xiaowan returned to the palace. After bowing to the empress with Culture Hall, he ran over with a broom.


    It was the season of the autumn leaves, and even if there were no trees before Announcement Hall, the gale would still blow all the fallen leaves here. It was the season of the autumn leaves, and even if there were no trees before Announcement Hall, the gale would still blow all the fallen leaves here.


    On this day, when the emperor came out from the main entrance of the Announcement Hall, she just so happened to see the Xiaowan cleaning up the fallen leaves. Someone was warning the emperor to come over, so she immediately stopped and knelt down along with the others.


    Xiang Run frowned, then said to the people around him: "It''s getting cold, we will arrange some tasks for her in the house. With the wind being so strong, it will snow in a few days."


    However, after thinking about it, he felt that it was inappropriate. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it, I''ll discuss it with the Empress."


    So on the second day, the empress invited Xiaowan to the edge of the Supreme Water Pool for a stroll. Xiaowan had come here for more than ten days and only came between the Culture Hall and the Emperor''s body to realize just how big the palace was.


    When she saw the Supreme Pond, she immediately thought of her womb dream before and after Little Pei''s birth. The empress had even brought her and sat in the same place.


    The scene before her eyes was so familiar. Because of this dream, her life had undergone a tremendous change. She had never thought that she would one day come to this place in her dreams.


    The Palace Maid s brought over snacks and a plate of the Green Bean Cake that the Empress liked. Siyan then shared the snacks with the Xiaowan.


    Siyan smiled and said: "This is the first time I''ve seen the Supreme Pond, and I was also shocked. I thought that the palace was a very restricted area, but I didn''t expect there to be such an open lake, and my heart is especially bright every time I sit here."


    Xiaowan took the green bean cake. She was thinking that another Golden Dragon would come out of the water, but it was mostly Little Pei who was being naughty.


    "The Emperor told me that it was cold, and you were always working outside. It was hard work." Siyan said gently, "The Emperor wants to transfer you to a warm place, but he is afraid of you misunderstanding.


    The Xiaowan was so shocked that she quickly kneeled down and said respectfully, "Esteemed Empress, by the way you say it, I am really going to lose my life. "Empress, I can go anywhere you want me to. As long as I work in the palace, I can go anywhere."


    Siyan laughed: "We are good sisters, friends, Xiaowan, do you think that I am not sincere?"

 C146

    Before their second trip to the capital, when they found out that Xiaowan was determined to become the Palace Maid, the Aunt Zhang couldn''t persuade her otherwise. Thus, she told her that if she wanted to maintain that sisterly relationship with the Queen, she needed to know who she was and who the Queen was at all times.


    Xiaowan kept that in mind. At this moment, she said to Siyan, "I want to be the Empress''s good sister for my entire life, but only by maintaining a sense of propriety will this wish of mine be realized. "The Empress''s heart is real. I know, but you, Empress, are the empress. You can''t change that."


    Siyan thought for a while, then ordered the Palace Maid to help him up. She smiled and said: "I understand what you''re thinking, but you have to promise me, this is the Imperial Palace, we can''t do anything about it, but if I were to go to the Ling Xiao Inn in the future, you can''t be like this, alright?"


    Xiaowan nodded. "Empress, don''t worry, I understand."


    Siyan said: "Then we will listen to the emperor, we will go to a warm place to work, it is very cold outside, and snow will fall soon in the capital city."


    Xiaowan looked up into the sky and thought back to last year''s snowstorm and flood. It was a pity that she hadn''t been able to be with her husband for more than half a year. Her life was so short, and she didn''t want to waste even a single day.


    She and the Queen ate green bean cake at the edge of the Supreme Pond and fed a golden carp. The two chatted for a long time, and in between them, the people of the various divisions of the palace came one after another to demand an order from the Queen. Xiaowan originally thought that the Empress was living a life of luxury in the palace, but now she found out that she also had endless things to do every day.


    In comparison, when Xiaowan had once lived her life in the Ling Xiao Inn, he was truly free and unfettered.


    When night fell, she would stand guard at the window, waiting for her husband to come see her. When Ling Chaofeng came to visit, he saw her lying on the window sill, full of anticipation. He flew over and scolded him, "Evening, Little Pei is not a human, and I am not a human either.


    Xiaowan shook her head. "She''s my son and my husband, there''s nothing to be afraid of."


    Ling Chaofeng was still in disbelief, how could the Xiaowan accept everything that had happened so casually? When Little Pei was born in such a strange place, even he, who was a mortal at that time, could not accept it, but she had immediately begged him to not send him away just because of his son''s curiosity.


    had never seen it before, but now, he felt that she was even more mysterious than he was.


    Xiaowan snuggled up against his chest and told him about what happened during the day. She said that from tomorrow onwards, she would not be able to clean outside the Announcement Hall, and maybe would not be able to see her during the next day. She told Ling Chaofeng to definitely come see her during the night.


    "Even if it''s just a single meeting." The Xiaowan said, "Otherwise, I would have been unable to hold back and come look for you."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "I''ll leave it up to you, to be chased out of the palace by the Emperor, you deserve it."


    The Xiaowan pouted and looked at him with a wronged expression. However, Ling Chaofeng actually went up to him and pecked him lightly: "You''re already a mother, yet you''re pouting?"


    Although her heart was sweet from being kissed by her husband, Xiaowan was still worried.


    She asked, "Won''t we hurt you by being together like this? Yue Huaiyin''s spirit told me that you have to stay here to guard for a thousand years, but because you ran out to save me last time, you have to go back to reincarnation right? "


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head: "It''s no big deal, I think it''s better to be a person than to be an immortal."


    The Xiaowan was conflicted as to what she was thinking. Ling Chaofeng asked curiously, "What are you thinking about now?"


    She then asked, "Master, is there really a Bridge of Helplessness or Grandma Meng''s Elixir?"


    "Yes, why?"


    "What can we do? Can we not drink?" Xiaowan said, "This way, in my next life, I can again ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "Be obedient, late at night, and forget about me in your next life."


    Xiaowan lowered her eyes and did not speak anymore.


    The two of them stayed quiet for a while, before Ling Chaofeng coaxed her, "If I don''t chase you away, unless there is a day when the Emperor wants to drive you away, and you are willing to stay with me like this, I will stay with you for the rest of my life. As for my next life, and thousands of years from now, as long as I can still find you, I''ll definitely come looking for you, okay? "


    Xiaowan nodded with tears in her eyes: "You have to come and find me. If I forget about you, wait for me to fall in love with you again, okay?"


    Ling Chaofeng replied: "Right now, nothing has happened. In this life, if we can stay together for one day, we can enjoy it for one day."


    The Xiaowan lay on her husband''s chest, afraid that he would leave in the next moment. She clutched onto his clothes as she spoke, all the way until she unknowingly fell asleep.


    Ling Chaofeng gently placed Xiaowan on the bed and covered her with a blanket, kissing her cheeks.


    He wished so much that he could lie down beside Xiaowan and sleep in her embrace. However hugging and kissing was already a matter of course, and he risked everything, not caring about how he would be punished, and not wanting the Xiaowan to suffer any more. However, in order to stay together for a longer period of time, he still had to endure.


    He flew back to his Announcement Hall, only to see purple energy roiling from the east, surrounded by immortal energy. Although they did not come towards him, he could vaguely feel that the Supreme Celestial had gathered to discuss something related to them.


    Ling Chaofeng thought in his heart, and in a moment he saw a Golden Dragon flying over. Little Pei yawned and asked his father what he wanted, and Ling Chaofeng said: "Go to the east and take a look, what are they doing?"


    Little Pei swam leisurely through the clouds, and the closer he got to the Immortal World, the smaller he became.


    Grandfather and Grandmother were present as well as Uncle. Dragon Queen took him into his embrace and leisurely accepted the praises and congratulations from the other immortals.


    Their Dragon Clan had not had a dragon-shaped offspring for more than ten thousand years, so Little Pei, this little Golden Dragon, had already become famous in the nine heavens.


    But today, they had gathered together not to admire Little Pei''s appearance, but rather to discuss his birth in the mortal realm. As well as Ling Chaofeng, more and more mortals were being drawn in to reveal the secrets of heaven. This was not a good thing.


    Logically speaking, even if Little Pei was born in the mortal world, Ling Chaofeng and Mu Xiaowan should not have been able to see it, let alone the other people at that time, in addition to the explanation Mu Xiaowan gave to her close friends, as well as the strange scene in the flood that the villagers of Baisha County saw, all of these violated the laws of heaven.


    The result of their discussion was to erase the memories of the relevant mortals, make them forget everything that had happened, and no longer allow Little Pei to appear in the mortal world as a Golden Dragon.


    Dragon Queen said faintly: "At that time, Chaofeng brought you and the others down, and hurt mortals by accident. You guys said that the taboo in Heaven Realm was to forcefully change the fate of mortals, so you forced Chaofeng to bear the guilt, and those commoners all died tragically. Why are they going to forcibly change their memories now? "


    The deities were silent for a moment, then said: "The Dragon Queen bestowed a magical artifact on Mu Xiaowan, transferring the sins of the ninth life to her, aren''t you also interfering with the matters of mortals?"


    Dragon Queen laughed: "Didn''t I receive my retribution?"


    The various immortals were all embarrassed and did not have any retort. After discussing for a long time, in the end, they still hoped that Dragon Queen would warn them not to show themselves to Mu Xiaowan. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for them too.


    The Chaofeng was full of crimes. If this carried on, he would be demoted to a mortal.


    However, someone''s words had also aroused the curiosity of all the deities, "Where did Mu Xiaowan come from? How could she endure so many things? If it were any ordinary person, they would have already been annihilated. Everyone, is it possible to calculate that?"


    Dragon Queen hugged the fat grandson in his arms and laughed: "She''s just an ordinary mortal. If you don''t believe me, why don''t you go to Xi Tian and ask her?"


    Not long after, Little Pei leisurely swam back and told his father about the discussions of the various immortals, then angrily said, "Why are they so free? There are so many monsters in the world that don''t want to surrender, and there are demons that don''t want to exterminate the devil way. They just want to break up their parents."


    Ling Chaofeng warned his son not to get into conflict with those Supreme Immortals. Those who relied on their cultivation to soar into the skies were extremely jealous that their Dragon Clan was born to be like an immortal. Only the west sky was truly clear.


    Little Pei was disdainful, so Ling Chaofeng ordered him to return.


    Standing on top of the Announcement Hall, he suddenly felt the aura of an emperor. Turning around, he saw a group of palace servants carrying lanterns, hurriedly luring the Emperor from the Culture Hall to the Qingming Pavilion.


    It must be some urgent matter that had spread to the palace. It was not easy to be an emperor.


    After tormenting for two hours, the emperor finally returned to the Culture Hall. He walked out of the Qingming Pavilion''s hall door, raised his eyes and looked at the roof of the Announcement Hall, just in time to meet Ling Chaofeng''s gaze.


    Xiang Run was actually unable to see anything, but in his heart, he had always felt that it was very strange.


    He didn''t think that he was the one being paranoid or that the Xiaowan would seek revenge on him, but something had already entrenched itself in his heart, making him unhappy.


    He walked towards the Culture Hall, and the late autumn wind was somewhat bone-piercing. He asked when it was snowing early last year, listening to the chatter of the palace people, then thought about the disaster that happened at the Baisha County as well as the legends regarding it.


    Siyan was waiting for the Emperor to return. After they laid back down, Xiang Run asked, "Yan''er, should we not kill Ling Chaofeng?"


    "Why did the emperor think of this? Is it the Xiaowan?" The Queen asked worriedly, "Did the Xiaowan do anything?"


    The Emperor shook his head, "It''s not that my heart is not as strong as my fist, but it''s just that I can''t let go of the guilt. I always feel that I should do something. "


    "For whom?"


    "I don''t know, I really don''t know."


    Whether it was the emperor''s hesitation, or the worries and warnings of the Eastern Gods, none of the Xiaowan knew.


    The current her was content with being able to live the life before her. She had personally turned Ling Chaofeng''s corpse into ashes, so she clearly understood that her husband had truly died. Thus, to be able to be together with her husband, regardless if he was a ghost or a god, or an ethereal soul, as long as they could be together, everything was fine.


    It was as if she had returned to the tavern and would wake up early every day to work hard, occasionally telling jokes to the Palace Maid servants by her side, or go to the Culture Hall to help the Empress take care of the Little Princess. Every ten days, he would leave the palace and bring Little Pei to various restaurants in the capital to buy delicious food for his son, accompanying him for one day and one night.


    What was left was her and Hubby''s meeting every night before going to bed. Sleeping in the warmth of his body was the happiest thing that Xiaowan cherished the most.


    In the blink of an eye, November arrived.


    Xiaowan followed the others as they passed by the Announcement Hall. When she looked at the stone statue from afar, she saw that there was a thin layer of snow on the statue''s head.

 C147

    It was night, and when Ling Chaofeng came to see Xiaowan, she had already sewed the hat on his head for the better part of the day.


    Ling Chaofeng was originally not afraid of the cold, but in order to make the Xiaowan happy, he put it on.


    They snuggled up to each other and chatted for a while until Xiaowan fell asleep. Only then did he leave.


    At that time, Ling Chaofeng had already forgotten that he was wearing a hat on his head, he flew back to the Announcement Hall, and after entering the stone statue, the hat was dropped outside, and he immediately used a technique to merge the hat with himself, not thinking too much.


    However, what he did not know was that when he left Xiaowan''s house, he was seen by a Palace Maid who was up all night in the courtyard.


    Naturally, the Palace Maid couldn''t see Ling Chaofeng, but she could see a hat flying out of his house all the way to the night sky.


    The Palace Maid was extremely frightened, but she was also afraid that she was too dazed from sleep. After being on tenterhooks for a few days, the Senior Servant that brought them all up asked a few questions about the situation finally came to her senses.


    This matter was not openly announced to the public. After all, the Xiaowan had a special identity, but the mama still reported it to the Emperor. On this day, the steward came to tell the Emperor that someone had seen a hat flying out of the Xiaowan''s house.


    Xiang Run looked at him suspiciously: "How can a few people believe what they see?"


    The Head Supervisor added, "This servant doesn''t believe it either, but this mama said that the young lady is honest and never lies. She also doesn''t have any conflicts with the Xiaowan, so there''s no need to frame him."


    "I understand." Xiang Run questioned her on the surface, but he had actually already trusted her forty to fifty times in his heart. He instructed, "Over at the Empress''s place, we will tell her not to say too much."


    After the attendant left, Xiang Run pondered for a long time on his own.


    He still remembered that at the beginning of the year, Xiaowan was said to be a monster and he didn''t know if his Baisha County had returned to normal or if the burnt house had been restored to its former glory and peace.


    At that time, what shocked the emperor the most was that many people saw that not a single trace of damage was done to the Ling Xiao Inn during the flood, and then, after a huge fire, there was not a single trace of anxiety in the inn.


    All of these, the emperor knew, although it was not the reason why he wanted to kill Ling Chaofeng, but at the moment, the emperor thought that the one who created the bizarre scene was Ling Chaofeng, and now he felt that it might actually be the Xiaowan.


    At that time, he thought that it was because the villagers did not dare to touch Ling Chaofeng that the weak Xiaowan was able to scold him.


    Hearing that the Xiaowan was at the Culture Hall, and that the emperor was going to look for the empress to discuss these matters, they came together to take a look. When they arrived, the Xiaowan was lying prone on the carpet, teasing the Little Princess to crawl forward.


    "No need for formalities." Xiang Run said, "Since you are here, the Empress and I have something to say. Carry the Princess to the Warm Pavilion for a while, don''t make her pester the Empress."


    The Xiaowan carefully carried the princess as she hastily walked past the emperor.


    In Xiang Run''s eyes, after the incident with Ling Chaofeng, the first time he saw the Xiaowan was during the Dragon Boat Festival. At that time, the young lady, who was dressed in plain clothes, stood out among the beautiful ladies of the noble family. Even though she treated people politely and obediently, her entire body revealed a sorrowful sadness and forced smile.


    But at this moment, the person walking in front of the princess with a red face looked extremely lively and energetic. The joy that came from her heart was like a soul that had followed Ling Chaofeng and returned to her body, and she had truly come back to life.


    "What is the Emperor looking at?" Seeing that the emperor was lost in thought following the direction of the Xiaowan, Siyan walked up and caressed her hand, exclaiming, "It''s snowing, even the emperor doesn''t know he''s wearing a set of clothes.


    "Siyan." However, Xiang Run had a serious face, "We have something to say to you."


    However, no matter how soft the emperor''s words were, if Ling Chaofeng didn''t want to listen, he wouldn''t listen. If he wanted to listen, no matter how cautious the emperor was, he wouldn''t be able to escape his ears.


    Naturally, Ling Chaofeng knew about the conversations of the Palace Maid nuns even earlier than the emperor. As expected, he and the Xiaowan could not stay together for long, even if the heavens did not come to cause trouble, the people on the ground would still be afraid.


    Perhaps the next time someone secretly peeked outside the door, they would see the Xiaowan talking to herself in the room. They might not even be able to see him, and would even think that she could fly into the air and lie on the bed.


    Ling Chaofeng was very contradictory. If he were to tell the Xiaowan, she would definitely be nervous and scared, but she did not do anything to hurt anyone else.


    Seeing someone who was getting more and more spirited after their reunion, Ling Chaofeng was truly unwilling to let her suffer any more.


    Xiaowan''s request and wish had become as low as it could get. She was even willing to guard a stone statue for her entire life, but unfortunately, the people of the heaven and the earth couldn''t tolerate her.


    She came early in the morning to bid farewell to the Queen. Siyan looked at her with a complicated expression and said, "Return early, Princess and I will not leave you until now."


    Xiaowan walked away with a smile on her face, completely unaware of the suspicion and wariness of others towards her.


    When she left the palace, there were people who searched for her house. Ling Chaofeng could see everything clearly, but luckily he had already taken away all the things that the Xiaowan had prepared for him.


    If not, although there was still an explanation for the special identity of the Xiaowan being able to find things used by men in the houses of Palace Maid, but for other Palace Maid s, if something like that happened, it would be a grave crime. On the other hand, it was possible to pin this crime on the Xiaowan.


    Ling Chaofeng could understand the fear and reverence the mortals had towards the ghosts and gods, but if the Empress wanted to expel the Xiaowan, he could do it for countless of reasons.


    If they were afraid, they also hoped that they would be able to kick Xiaowan out in the open. They definitely would not harm her, and not let her bear any unwarranted crimes.


    The Xiaowan was completely unaware of this as she happily returned to Ershan''s residence.


    Today was Old Madem''s birthday, so the old lady had already sent someone to invite Ershan. Although he had denied that he was a descendant of Bi Family in front of the emperor and officials, the old lady firmly believed that he was a part of the business. No matter what others said, she did not care.


    Ershan originally did not want to go, but after meeting Bi Zhenye in the imperial court, he said that his grandmother was looking forward to this year''s birthday and that she would finally have three grandsons and granddaughters by her side.


    When he had gone missing, it was said that his grandmother had been seriously ill and had almost passed away. In her own words, she wouldn''t be able to die until she found her grandson, so she had survived. Now that he heard it, Ershan who thought he had been abandoned was actually a lot of comfort.


    Not long after Xiaowan arrived home, Ershan returned from the imperial court. He changed into a set of formal attire, and was about to take Lian Yi to the Bi¡¯s Mansion to pay her respects.


    "Since you can''t leave the capital casually, then send someone to bring the Mrs. Meng over. I''ll get my aunts and uncles to come over and settle the marriage quickly. What''s wrong with you telling Lian Yi to follow you like this?" Xiaowan brought her son to see them to the door, and laughed, "We, Little Pei, don''t know whether to call them aunt or aunt, right?"


    Little Pei agreed and nodded, and said in a childish voice: "Second Uncle, I am confused."


    Seeing that the mother and son pair were doing well, especially Xiaowan, whose face was glowing red, Ershan felt at ease. He promised her that he would settle the marriage as soon as possible, and set off with Lian Yi.


    Inside the Bi¡¯s Mansion, Old Madem had sent some trusted mama to wait outside the gates of the residence, but she didn''t want her grandson to be troubled by his daughter-in-law''s people. They welcomed Ershan and Lian Yi in enthusiastically.


    The maidservants placed down red prayer mats and a pair of young people slowly prostrated themselves on the ground. They congratulated their grandma, Fu Ri Dong, for her better luck than Nan Shan, while the Old Madem flowed with tears, saying that she had not expected to live to this day.


    He ordered some people to help the children up, then called Lian Yi over and asked her some questions about her family.


    It was not a birthday party, so they did not invite many guests. They only invited a few close family members to eat together. In order to please the old lady, they all said that the industry looked like their late grandfather, causing their grandmother to burst into tears.


    Mrs. Bi catered to the guests. Seeing that Ling Tian was sought after and doted upon by the Old Madem, she had a bad feeling in her heart.


    When she heard Old Madem say that she needed to take out her body to arrange marriages for her children and meet Meng Lianyi''s family, she looked at his own son, Zhenye. He was already 22 years old.


    And today, there was another matter that caused everyone to be stupefied.


    He remembered his mother''s age, and was not in a position to take care of him in the past. Now that Zhenye had become an official in the imperial court, he could support his mother with his Bi¡¯s Mansion. He was determined to give his a congratulatory gift this year, and that would be to retire and be filial in front of his from now on.


    After he finished speaking, the dining hall went silent. There were several tables full of people, but no one dared to make a sound.


    and Hanxi had already stood up. Ershan originally had some hesitation, but since Lian Yi had stood up, he had no choice but to follow suit.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi kowtowed to his mother and said, "Mother, from today onwards, your son will serve you with all his heart.


    Seeing this, the Old Madem knew in his heart that his son had been abandoned by the Emperor, and felt sad for him. But he also felt that there was nothing wrong with it, could it be that he wanted the Emperor to come and make life difficult for his family for the sake of what happened over ten years ago?


    "I know, I know, son. You are not young anymore, so take care of yourself. "What else do I want? I just want you guys to be happy." The Old Madem said this and personally helped his son up. After the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi bowed, he left the birthday banquet and went to the palace to ask the Emperor for his leave.


    Anyone with a discerning eye would know that this was an arrangement by the Emperor to give the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi a stepping stone. During the Hall Competition that day, he took the ancient history of Bi¡¯s Mansion as the test question without any hesitation, and the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi''s vitality had already run out.


    After he left, the birthday banquet had slightly eased up the atmosphere. In order to cheer the old lady up, the crowd praised Ershan and praised him, leaving him and Hanxi even more cold on the side.


    The Mrs. Bi suffered a heavy blow. Gritting her teeth in hatred, he clenched his fist tightly as he suddenly stood up and said to the servant girl beside his, "I''m going to the kitchen to make mother a soup."

 C148

    When the guests present heard this sentence, they naturally wanted to praise Mrs. Bi for being filial and obedient. Only then did Old Madem Bi forcefully bring up her daughter-in-law, saying that she was the most gentle and considerate person.


    Mrs. Bi gave an awkward smile as he replied in an indifferent tone. In the end, he left.


    However, when she arrived at the kitchen, she found everything unpleasant. She smashed the bowls and chopsticks, throwing away the ingredients, which frightened the people in the kitchen quite a bit.


    Someone secretly spread the news, the servants did not dare to disturb the old lady, and when it reached Bi Zhenye''s ears, he used this as an excuse to leave his seat and rushed to the kitchen.


    My mother was sitting on the kitchen threshold, gasping for breath, her face pale and drawn.


    She had not been in good health for the past year. She had lost a full circle of weight compared to her old age, and her chin was so thin that her sharp cheeks were sunken. She had completely lost the noble beauty of her past.


    "Mother." Bi Zhenye walked over to his mother''s side and asked in concern, "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s fine, what are you doing here?" Mrs. Bi asked, "Why aren''t you staying in front of Grandmother? Otherwise, she will forget about you even more. She only has that bastard grandson in her eyes, not you and Hanxi."


    "Mom, I''ll walk you back to your room." Bi Zhenye said as he carried his mother.


    Mrs. Bi looked at her son in shock. It had been more than twenty years, but this was the first time she realized that her son had already grown up.


    "It''s rare for someone from the industry to come here. Grandmother wouldn''t even see him a year, not to mention the fact that she''s been separated for more than ten years." Bi Zhenye said with a kind temperament, "Grandmother has always been meticulous towards Hanxi and me."


    "But your grandmother will look down on Mother for the rest of her life ¡­." The Mrs. Bi said tearfully as he gently held her son''s chin, "Zhenye, mother has let you down. He didn''t let you be a proper and proper son.


    "No, no one has ever laughed at me." Bi Zhenye said, "I have always been the great Young Master of Prime Minister''s Estate, nothing more."


    Mrs. Bi was stunned, she did not believe it.


    "Your father suddenly wanting to resign, it must be the emperor''s intentions." The Mrs. Bi sneered, "All the hopes for this family rests with you. Zhenye, that bastard is now on equal footing as you, so you must surpass him.


    Bi Zhenye smiled without a word, carried his mother and walked her to the main courtyard. After handing her over to the servants to take care of, he wanted to return to the birthday banquet.


    Mrs. Bi held his son''s hand and said: "Zhenye, you don''t have to deal with that bastard, and you don''t have to call him brother. Since he denied it himself, don''t go crazy with your grandmother.


    Bi Zhenye''s expression was indifferent: "Since mother thinks that this industry is no longer in the world, why call someone who has no enmity with my family a bastard? Mother, if this is the case, then there will be no one who will laugh at you. "


    Even her brother had sent word to her, telling her not to go back home when she had nothing to do. In the eyes of the bystanders, she had already committed the crime of spoiling her concubine and destroying her wife. She didn''t need any evidence to explain herself.


    "Zhenye... You also believe that your mother killed that woman? " Mrs. Bi trembled, his eyes empty.


    "Is that so?" Bi Zhenye asked his mother.


    Mrs. Bi''s eyes were wide open as he shook his head with a stiff and twisted expression, laughing sinisterly: "It''s not me, it''s not me ¡­ Zhenye, do you believe in your mother? "


    During the birthday banquet, Hanxi didn''t see his mother and brother for a long time, so she wanted to go find them. The old lady said that they had all left, and she was not polite to the guests, so she was assured and waited.


    Hanxi was lively and pulled Lian Yi''s hand: "We''re all family members, what''s impolite, how about I take my sister-in-law for a stroll?"


    Lian Yi did not comment, but was pulled back by the passionate little sister-in-law, refusing. Seeing Ershan nod towards her, she followed Hanxi without worry.


    Hanxi brought her all the way to the kitchen, but they only saw that the floor was a mess, and his mother and brother were both not here.


    "Out... What''s wrong? " Hanxi asked awkwardly. Perhaps even without asking, she could already guess it.


    "Why don''t we wait here for a while?" Lian Yi was very meticulous. If they were to return just like that, the guest would have to ask what happened.

 C149

    Because he was worried about his mother, Hanxi brought Lian Yi to the main courtyard. Lian Yi knew that she could not enter the Mrs. Bi''s house, and insisted on waiting outside.


    But not long after she went in, Bi Zhenye came out. Whenhe saw Lian Yi, she laughed amiably: "That girl Hanxi, how can you just leave your guest outside to enjoy the wind."


    He thought for a moment and then said, "No, we are not guests. You and Ling Chen are family."


    Lian Yi laughed: "Since we are family, there is naturally no need to be so formal."


    Zhenye''s mood became a little better, and said: "Hanxi wants to accompany mother, I will send you back to your seat, we all ran out, Grandma should be worried."


    From time to time, Bi Zhenye would stop and wait for Lian Yi to walk forward before asking: "Is everything alright at home? "Ling Fei will not tell me, but as your brothers, I should be concerned about you guys. If you need anything, just tell me."


    Lian Yi laughed: "Everything is fine, thank you Young Noble."


    Bi Zhenye said as he walked, "I had originally thought that he would never come back to this house again. The fact that you came today, was not only because grandmother was happy, but also because Hanxi and I were very happy."


    But even if it was Lian Yi, she understood that these few people were happy, but Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi and Mrs. Bi would not. In their eyes, Ershan was like a god who was seeking his own life, constantly reminding them of their old grudge.


    "It''s a pity that my mother isn''t happy." Unexpectedly, Bi Zhenye actually said honestly, "Whenever I see you guys, she''ll feel uncomfortable for once. I think if I can in the future, I''ll send Grandma to your residence to stay for a while and then bring her back, what do you think?"


    Lian Yi was startled, and did not know how to reply. Bi Zhenye said openly: "Otherwise, if you all came to be restricted, grandmother would not be satisfied, and my mother would even be in extreme pain. "I know what happened in the past. Just because I came out doesn''t mean that it never happened. In my memories, my mother doted on me very gently, too bad ¡­"


    "Young Master?" Lian Yi did not know how to continue this topic. She did not want to take Ershan''s place to turn over old scores.


    But Bi Zhenye actually wanted to say these words. He said: "Only my parents knew best what happened that year, but no matter what they did, as their son, I have to bear the consequences for them. These words, I had originally spoken to the emperor before in Announcement Hall, and now I want to borrow your help, to convey it to the industry. Sister-in-law, if the industry can''t take this lying down, they still have to settle the score with my mother. Just tell her that if anything happens, it will all be up to me. But if he avoided me and directly injured my mother, I wouldn''t have just stood by and watched without doing anything. "


    "Young master is too serious, it''s alright." Lian Yi calmly replied, "Ershan has already explained everything clearly. He is the son of Ling Xiao Inn, so what grudge does Prime Minister''s Estate have over there have nothing to do with him."


    Bi Zhenye''s eyes were slightly hot as he smiled and said, "When I heard him say that on the Announcement Hall that day, I felt ashamed."


    Lian Yi said: "Ershan lost an elder brother who raised him all by himself. Compared to the old grudges, the most important thing for him right now is to take Brother''s place and protect that family. Of course, if the Manager Ling was still here, he wouldn''t allow Ershan to harm himself and those innocent people for the sake of the past. He is afraid of the Manager Ling the most, and listened to his words the most, so even if he cannot take it anymore, he will never go against his brother''s intentions. "


    Bi Zhenye said: "Manager Ling is an outstanding person, it''s a pity that we were not able to meet."


    Lian Yi nodded, and couldn''t help but sigh in her heart, as to why a good person would not live long.


    After the birthday banquet was over, Old Madem agreed that they would go and stay in Ershan''s residence for a while after the first month. Naturally, Ershan and Lian Yi would welcome them.


    But Lian Yi did not say those words to Ershan. Instead, she said what happened today when she was bathing in the water with the Xiaowan at night.


    The Xiaowan sighed: "The two brothers are the same. They are all good people. It''s such a pity. If it was a mother who was born together since childhood, how great it would be. "


    Lian Yi laughed and said: "Whether or not they are from the same mother, is not important. If they are willing, then from today onwards, they are all good brothers. "So what if you''re a mother? You forgot how my brother treats me. He''s going to use me to pay my debt."


    Xiaowan touched Lian Yi''s arm, "It''s fine, you will be Lady Mian Zhong from now on, who would still dare to bully you."


    Lian Yi said: "Those words that Bi Zhenye said, I do not wish to say to him. He has already put it down, there''s no need to make him misunderstand that others are on guard against him. If anything happens in the future, I will just have to watch out for it. "


    Xiaowan laughed leisurely: "My younger brother''s wife is truly virtuous and virtuous."


    Lian Yi blushed and said: "I''m not married yet."


    Xiaowan said mischievously: "You guys are all sleeping in the same room, why would you be so surprised? I have not kowtowed to my husband yet either."


    It was too abnormal for Lian Yi to see Xiaowan talking about Manager Ling with a smile on his face. A few days ago, Uncle Biao and his son had sent her some stuff, and even sent her a private letter, telling her to pay more attention to Xiaowan and not to do anything stupid.


    However, Lian Yi was afraid that Aunt Zhang and the others would not believe her. Ever since Xiaowan entered the palace to become the Palace Maid, she became better and better every day. Every time she came back, she would laugh happily.


    How did Xiaowan know what Lian Yi was thinking?


    Lian Yi''s face was flushed red, she shook her head with all her might: "No, I-we''re just lying down together, that''s all."


    "Aiya." The Xiaowan said anxiously, "That brat Ershan, does she not understand? How can I do that? It''s a pity that Master can''t teach him, otherwise, it would be good if Uncle Biao was here.


    Lian Yi looked at Xiaowan strangely. Was she really alright?


    During the night, when he returned to his room, he mentioned the Xiaowan''s feelings to Ershan and asked worriedly, "Could she be like what other people say?


    Ershan was also worried, "She''s not good, we''re worried. She''s fine, we''re worried too. However, she still insisted on entering the palace to become the Palace Maid. It was indeed very strange, as I have yet to find out anything from the palace. Otherwise, I would really like to ask her how she was doing in the palace. "


    Lian Yi thought for a bit, then said: "Maybe Young Noble Bi can ask around, even if Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi is dismissed, there will still be connections in the family."


    Ershan thought about it and agreed.


    As a result, when they met in the imperial court the next day, Bi Zhenye received Ershan''s request and had people ask for more information from the palace. Naturally, they were not able to get any details, but the people in the palace all said that the Xiaowan was diligent and obedient.


    This was a good thing, but Ershan and Lian Yi still felt uneasy. After all, running to become the Palace Maid with ease was too strange of a thing.


    Ershan and Lian Yi were like this, how could the empress not be suspicious of them? In the eyes of Ling Chaofeng, the Emperor of Kang was already a suspicious person.


    Xiaowan had returned today. After changing into palace attire, she should have gone to pay respects to the Queen, but she found that her room had been rummaged through by someone.


    Although Ling Chaofeng had already sent all the shoes he had prepared, such as the kneecap cage, back to where they were previously, Xiaowan was able to tell that her own room had been touched by someone with a glance.


    The things she sewed for Hubby were still there. Nothing was missing. She just couldn''t understand what the people in her room were trying to do.


    She ran to the door to take a look, and saw a few Palace Maid who were not on duty in the courtyard. She walked up generously and asked: "This sister, may I ask if anyone has been to my house."


    The two Palace Maid s'' eyes flashed, they said that they did not know, and quickly left.


    Xiaowan was confused. She looked up to the sky and saw Hubby standing on the roof.


    Ling Chaofeng flew down and stood in front of his wife. He had originally wanted to hide it from Xiaowan, but this guy was extremely meticulous, and was able to tell that his house had been rummaged through.


    "Master, they ¡­ Is it over my things? " The Xiaowan anxiously asked, "Did they discover what I''ve made for you?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head, looked around, only to see that no one was around, he brought Xiaowan back to his room.


    Only now did Xiaowan know that someone had seen a hat flying out of her house. Thus, the Emperor also found out and sent someone to search her house when she was about to leave the palace.


    "Could it be that the Emperor thinks I''m a monster too?" "I know it''s strange that I want to become a Palace Maid, but after so long, I have been working obediently and have not caused any trouble, and have not caused any trouble, why do they still not believe me?" From the very beginning, the General Wei was very worried that I would seek to seek revenge on the Emperor.


    "Late at night, he is the emperor. Every day, he suspects a lot of people, and no matter what he sees, he must have a heart of doubt, not to mention you." Ling Chaofeng spoke up for the emperor, "The problem is not whether or not he suspects you. I told you not to be afraid, the higher ups have already specially gathered all the immortals for our matter, and are discussing how to deal with it. "


    "They really are ¡­" Xiaowan''s eyes burned with hatred, "They really have nothing better to do."


    But in the end, she couldn''t say any malicious words.


    Ling Chaofeng held her and comforted her: "Late at night, immortals have different paths, we are destined to never end up with any results. Immortals have no emotions, they can''t even be compared to the emperor, and the emperor will still care about relationships, but they won''t. "They will only follow rigid rules. Right now, they aren''t looking for trouble with us, they just haven''t come to an agreement yet. They have already reached an agreement, we ¡­"


    Xiaowan said tearfully: "Then, from now on, you don''t need to see me anymore. It doesn''t matter if I can''t see you, but don''t let me go. Even if I can only see the stone statue, I''ll still be satisfied. Hubby, just listen to me. We don''t want to meet again. Quickly go back, don''t wait for them to break us apart. "


    "Late ¡­"


    "I won''t be sad, really." Xiaowan held back her tears, "Every day when I see the stone statue, I feel at ease. I always listen to you, Chao Feng. Can''t you also listen to me once? "


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "Not good, I want to come see you every single day, accompanied by you every single day, no one can stop us. I''m telling you, I just want you to be prepared, not separate from you. The Emperor and the people above, no matter who it is, no one can separate us. Even if the sky falls, I will still be here. "


    Xiaowan could not hold it in anymore, she laid in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace and choked with sobs, "What did we do wrong, the heaven and earth cannot tolerate it."


    Her tears fell and landed on the lotus flower on Xiaowan''s skirt.


    Within the Culture Hall, the Empress''s heart trembled. She lifted her face and a tear rolled down her cheek.


    She stretched out her hand and touched it, looking at the tears between her fingers with a strange expression. Just why was she crying?

 C150

    Siyan stood up and walked towards the entrance of the hall. The Palace Maid s saw that she was dressed in her usual attire and headed into the cold wind, so they hurriedly brought Feng Yixue along with them. They inquired about the Empress''s destination all the way, and unconsciously followed her to the Palace Maid''s residence.


    Most of the people were waiting outside, the yard was quiet, the Queen of Xiaowan''s house had come by once, she knew the way.


    Siyan ordered the Palace Maid to stop and rush in. At that time, Ling Chaofeng had already left, and when the Xiaowan was packing up, he was stunned to see the Queen standing in front of the door.


    "Empress ¡­"


    Siyan walked closer to Xiaowan and looked at her red and swollen eyes. The traces of her crying had yet to fade.


    "Did you cry? Why are you crying? " Siyan asked.


    "I didn''t cry, Empress. I had my eyes blown by the wind." Xiaowan immediately denied it.


    "You''re crying." Siyan said, "If you cry, I will feel uncomfortable, and if you cry, I will too."


    Xiaowan was confused by her words. "Empress, I don''t understand what you''re talking about."


    Siyan said: "I don''t know either, ever since Manager Ling passed away, I''ve often shed tears for no apparent reason. I was not sad or sad, as if I was sad with someone who was. Xiaowan, it''s you, right? "


    Xiaowan took a step back. She became even more confused and strongly denied it. "Empress, I wasn''t crying just now."


    Siyan saw that the Xiaowan was packing her things. She knew that the Emperor had sent people to search the Xiaowan''s house, so she asked: "Did you find that someone had touched your house before?"


    Xiaowan lowered her head and did not speak.


    Siyan said, "The Palace Maid saw something strange with you, the Emperor ¡­ In Xiaowan, the Emperor has no ill intentions. "


    "Empress, I''m not a demon ¡­" When Xiaowan opened her mouth, she could not hold back her tears. She had been tied up on a fire before, and those crazy villagers wanted to burn her to death. Even now, she still remembered the pain of a fire burning her flesh to death.


    That year, she had survived like a zombie. Everyone thought that under her strong exterior, her body and heart had long since been hollowed out.


    She had no future, and could not live without her husband. However, she did not obstruct anyone. She only wanted to be together with her husband, was that not okay?


    "I just want to be a Palace Maid. Really, Empress, don''t chase me away, okay?" Xiaowan kneeled down and begged Siyan, "I won''t cause trouble, I won''t hurt anyone, I just want to be the Palace Maid. Empress, can you let me stay in the palace?"


    "Xiaowan, get up ¡­" Siyan''s heart was about to break. Not only did she care about Xiaowan, he also felt her pain and helplessness. "I promise you, I definitely won''t chase you away."


    The Xiaowan bowed her head and kowtowed in thanks, "Thank you esteemed mistress, thank you esteemed mistress."


    Siyan was very helpless. Why did the two of them have to become like this? However, she no longer needed to doubt that it was definitely the Xiaowan.


    After leaving the Xiaowan''s residence, Siyan''s expression was solemn, the people of the palace slowly followed behind. No one knew what the empress said to Mu Xiaowan, but even so, someone still brought the scene here to the Qingming Pavilion.


    In the evening, Xiang Run came to the Culture Hall. The Little Princess was crying.


    He held his daughter in his arms. When the child saw that it was his father, he was momentarily at peace. He weakly sobbed for a moment before falling asleep.


    "Where''s the Empress?" Xiang Run asked, "Not in Culture Hall?"


    "The Empress said that she wanted to be alone for a while, that she was in her sleeping quarters." The Palace Maid s replied.


    The emperor used a blanket to hold his daughter''s head and carried her to the empress''s sleeping quarters. Siyan was sitting under the window in a daze as he said, "Your child is crying so loudly, why aren''t you going to take a look?"


    When Siyan regained her senses, the Emperor sent his daughter into her embrace, "Quickly coax her."


    "He''s already asleep." Siyan laughed, "Your majesty still has a way."


    "Are you thinking?" the Emperor asked.


    "That''s right. As I think about it, I feel that I''m being a bit unreasonable. However, my heart is clogged up, and I can''t let it go." Siyan kissed his daughter and looked at his child, smiling in the end.


    The Emperor sat down by the side and the two kept quiet for a while before asking: For the Xiaowan?


    Siyan was already used to the emperor knowing everything, so she didn''t feel that there was any need to hide anything from him. She thought for a moment, then asked the emperor seriously, "Can the emperor promise me one thing?"


    Xiang Run nodded: "Go ahead."


    Siyan said, "No matter what happens, do not chase away the Xiaowan. If there comes a day when something big happens, I believe that the Xiaowan will definitely sacrifice herself to protect the Emperor and me. Since that''s the case, Your Majesty, since you said that you regretted killing Ling Chaofeng, there''s no point in changing what you just said, so let''s grant it to the Xiaowan. Don''t worry about anything strange anymore, just let her talk to herself, let her look at the sky in a daze, let her peacefully live a life as a Palace Maid. "


    Siyan knew that to the Emperor, the Xiaowan was like a grudge to him. As an Emperor, he would not fear a weak girl, but fear the guilt and regret in her heart for what she had done wrong.


    "I promise you." Xiang Run said, "We will no longer send people to watch over Xiaowan, and no longer pay attention to her every move. She can be a servant anywhere she wants, is that alright?"


    "Really?"


    "A golden mouth and a jade mouth. Don''t tell me that I want to lie to you."


    "The Emperor said he wouldn''t send anyone to keep an eye on her?"


    "Did you not hear what I said?"


    Siyan was extremely happy, she gently placed her daughter on the bed and pounced in front of Xiang Run, heavily kissing him, then suddenly flew out, scaring the Palace Maid nanny outside into a mess.


    At this moment, Ling Chaofeng was eating with Xiaowan, so he naturally did not need to eat. He only watched her eat and chatted with her.


    The Queen suddenly barged in. Ling Chaofeng didn''t even have time to leave before he saw the Xiaowan being scared stiff by the Queen.


    The empress, on the other hand, was overjoyed. "The emperor has promised me that no matter what happens, he will not chase you away, that he will never send anyone to keep an eye on you. From now on, you can go anywhere you want in this palace. Xiaowan, can you be happier like this? "


    Xiaowan opened her eyes wide and was stunned.


    Siyan said happily: "You can stay here at ease in the palace. With me there, don''t be afraid."


    "Empress ¡­" Xiaowan finally understood and looked at her gratefully, "Is that true?"


    Siyan nodded: "Finally, I can do something for you. Don''t worry, there won''t be anyone who will chase you away."


    Xiaowan cried again. The Queen also cried. Ling Chaofeng smiled in gratitude and left the room with the wind.


    When he left, he seemed to have felt something, but it was not very clear. He thought back to his brother, saying that the people above did not know anything about the Xiaowan''s previous life.


    Ling Chaofeng made calculations with his fingers, but he could not calculate the future of Xiaowan, and sure enough, he could not calculate the past of Xiaowan either.


    However, the Emperor''s decision became extraordinary when it was spread to the heavens.


    The group of Overgods who were in charge of Heaven''s Note, were afraid of offending the Dragon Clan, and did not forcefully interfere in this matter. However, Ling Chaofeng''s constant appearance together with the Xiaowan was something that Heaven Realm could not tolerate, and it was difficult for them as well.


    They knew that the emperor had ill feelings towards them and had his guard up against Mu Xiaowan. They wanted to wait for the emperor to kick out the Xiaowan one day, so they didn''t have to worry about it anymore.


    In the end, the Emperor decided to allow Mu Xiaowan to stay in the palace forever. The golden words could not be changed, wouldn''t she be able to stay with the Chaofeng everyday?


    If Ling Chaofeng could not control himself, and something bad happened with the Xiaowan, would they, as Heaven''s will, have to be villains to take Ling Chaofeng''s immortal bones and devour him into the mortal world?


    If they angered the Dragon Clan and instigated a sky-high war, the consequences would be unimaginable, and their ten thousand year cultivation experience would also be damaged.


    In this way, in the days after that, an endless stream of immortals came to lobby Dragon Queen, Captive Cow and so on, hoping that they would warn Chaofeng not to offend the laws of heaven. It would be forbidden for him to appear in private with mortals.


    But Dragon Queen turned a deaf ear and only coldly stared at him. "If he made a mistake, then he''ll just add another thousand years. It''s good as long as you think it''s suitable."


    There was no way out on this side, so some deities descended to warn the Chaofeng in front of him.


    Ling Chaofeng stayed in the stone statue and ignored it.


    Several groups of people had arrived, but none of them were of any use. Gradually, they lost their patience.


    "We still have to get the emperor to chase Mu Xiaowan away." One of the deities suggested, "Why not, let him have a dream."


    The Overgod said: "Then we can only ask Duke Zhou to come and create a dream for the Emperor to expel Mu Xiaowan."

 C151

    Under the interference of the Upper Realms, it was unknown when the Emperor had been disturbed by the nightmare. In his dreams, he saw either Ling Chaofeng taking his life, or the Xiaowan taking revenge, or the old officials he had dealt with come to seek justice.


    He would often wake up in the middle of the night covered in cold sweat, unable to calm down.


    The empress was very worried. She asked the imperial physician to prescribe a prescription and even asked him to kowtow and worship her until the end of the month, with little success. The Emperor''s spirit was declining, and his body was losing weight.


    When the Xiaowan came to the Culture Hall today and saw what the Empress was sewing under the window, she knew that the Empress''s red face had always been nimble and agile.


    The empress stuffed handfuls of tea leaves into a cloth bag, gradually turning into a pillow. When she saw her, she said, "I heard from the imperial physician that using tea leaves as pillows can calm one''s breathing."


    "Is the emperor still not able to sleep well?" The Xiaowan asked, "Even after eating so much medicine, it still won''t work?"


    "He didn''t sleep well before for the government, but at least he didn''t have nightmares." Siyan was extremely worried. "But now, Yeye has been woken up by his nightmares. Whenhe sat up, she broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing that he has gotten thinner, Empress Dowager was also very worried. If I were to make the old lady worry later on, I will really be guilty of a great sin if I can''t even take care of the young ones. "


    The Xiaowan felt that it was strange. The emperor''s body would collapse if things continued like this, but the husband clearly said that he was in charge of protecting the emperor and the destiny of Daqi. The emperor should not suffer.


    At night, Master came to see her. Xiaowan asked Ling Chaofeng kindheartedly, "Is it because you always come to accompany me at night and have no one to protect the emperor? That''s why you''re working so hard, your majesty?"


    Ling Chaofeng understood clearly in his heart that the reason for the Emperor''s nightmare was because of the help of the people above. Since he was not a demon, he could not interfere, but if he were to tell the Xiaowan about it, she would definitely be hurt.


    In fact, to Ling Chaofeng''s surprise, the emperor endured the nightmarish torture time and time again, but he never followed the dream to expel the Xiaowan.


    He didn''t even tell the empress what he had dreamed of. He promised the empress not to expel the Xiaowan, and that was to use all his power to fulfill his promise.


    This shocked Ling Chaofeng, and made him helpless, if the emperor was unable to recover from his sickness, then who would blame him?


    It was also the eighth of the same year. Other than the southernmost area, all of the people within the Daqi realm were covered in ice and snow.


    Early in the morning, the door of the inn rang. Aunt Zhang, wrapped in a cotton-padded jacket, opened the door and saw him standing in the snow with her things.


    In the middle of the autumn, he took a boat home with a bunch of things for children, and excitedly went to the tavern to see his daughter and grandson. In the end, he was informed that Ling Chaofeng was no more, and his children were also gone as well.


    Master Mu sat in front of the door for a long time before he regained his senses and asked Uncle Biao if he would return. After finding out that he was coming back, Master Mu would come over from time to time to ask if his daughter was back yet.


    In Aunt Zhang''s letter to Xiaowan, she mentioned this matter. Xiaowan had asked them to prepare some gold, silver, and other things to help Father survive the winter, but Master Mu was unwilling to accept them. He said that he came only to see if his daughter had returned.


    "Drink a bowl of porridge to warm your body." The Aunt Zhang said, "A few days ago, Xiaowan sent a letter saying that everything was well for her and even greeted you. She has someone taking care of her from the capital, and our Ershan is currently a teacher in charge of Ministry Of Justice, so no one will bully her. "


    Master Mu listened attentively. After knowing that his daughter was well, he felt more at ease and prepared to leave without eating any rice porridge. He also said that if Xiaowan came back, I would have to trouble you to tell him.


    Watching his elder brother leave, the Aunt Zhang sighed to the Uncle Biao, "If only he could discipline his wife in the past and not make her mistreat Xiaowan. If that time you didn''t make it there, and the Xiaowan really jumped off the cliff, it would be too late. Humans, ah, are just people that we shouldn''t cherish in the past. There will be no time for us to cherish in the future. "


    However, Uncle Biao said to his wife, "If Xiaowan is truly disheartened and wants to reunite with Chao Feng, we can''t stop him. But if she is still willing to live, then we cannot be her burden. No matter what, we must be fine. "


    Aunt Zhang said tearfully: "The previous two years were quite lively. Even if Madam Xu were to make a ruckus every time, at least a whole family would be around. "Why did it turn out like this? Those two children were so kind and did so many good things. Is the heavens blind?"


    It was because the heavens could not control everything that so many deities came to assist them. The more deities there were, the more restricted they would be by the Heavenly Law Scripture, and once they had it would be up to someone to take control.


    The ones in charge had great responsibilities, and they did not have the seven emotions and six desires. It could not even be said that they were unyielding and cold, because there was only right and wrong.


    As for Kangti, he was troubled by nightmares. He could not sleep at night and was getting worse and worse. It was the eighth day of the Japanese New Year. From the beginning of the dynasty to the end of the Longevity Palace, they served the Empress Dowager together with the royalty. Just as everyone was rejoicing, the emperor fainted due to lack of strength, scaring everyone.


    When he woke up from his stupor, he still had the fear of a nightmare. Even if he didn''t have a nightmare now, he would still feel fear and fear to close his eyes. He was relieved to find that there were no nightmares to disturb his slumber.


    "Your majesty." Siyan gently called out to him with tears in her eyes, "Has the emperor woken up?"


    "This Emperor slept soundly and felt very comfortable." Xiang Run forced out a smile, "Don''t worry, I''m fine, I''m just tired."


    Siyan shook her head: "How could it be fine, just something is wrong, don''t try to be brave, okay?"


    The emperor gently caressed her cheek. With a doting look in his weak eyes, he said, "Where''s my daughter? Come and teach me."


    Siyan ordered the palace maids to carry the little princess, while she guarded the emperor closely. She wanted to write a letter to the emperor and his empress to invite them back to the capital, afraid that she wouldn''t be able to take care of her husband.


    "Idiot, I''m fine, don''t alert them. They''re very carefree right now." Xiang Run laughed, "In the future, when we are old, if my son is a promising child like us, we can also freely roam the four seas. Perhaps one day, this meditation technique will become the tradition of my Daqi Nation Imperial Family, and everyone in tens of thousands of years will be envious of us."


    "Your Majesty, what kind of nightmare did you have? Who was it that couldn''t get along with you in the dream?" Siyan had no time to think about the future, or the matters that would happen in ten million years. She could only hope that the person before her would be able to peacefully recover.


    Not only was the emperor troubled by nightmares, he began to fear falling asleep. Sometimes he would stay awake all night, and even his iron body would not be able to withstand such torture.


    "Can you tell me that? If not, it''s not good for you, and it''s not good for me either. Don''t tell me that we want to be the empress with the shortest lifespan in the history of Daqi Nation?" Siyan panicked and said whatever she wanted to say, naturally provoking the Emperor''s rebuke.


    On this side, Xiaowan carried the little princess who had just fallen asleep and carefully walked through the long corridor.


    Because of this, the other palace maids would not enter even if they were not summoned. After lifting the cotton curtain to send Xiaowan and Princess into the hall, they left.


    The Xiaowan walked over softly. Just as she was about to turn around the screen, she heard the emperor say to the empress, "When I promised you that I would never stare at the Xiaowan again, nor chase her away, I had a bad dream. I dreamt of Ling Chaofeng taking his life from me, of Xiaowan seeking revenge against me, of those old officials seeking justice, unable to rest at peace every night. Afterwards, I dreamt of the deceased Grand Tutor. In his dream, he told me that as long as the Xiaowan was sent out of the Imperial City, the world would be at peace. "


    Hearing this, the Xiaowan''s heart tensed up, and the emperor continued, "But we promised you that we would never go against the Xiaowan again. We must have thought about it day and night, and dreamed about the existence of the Xiaowan s. This dream was definitely born because we were worried about the existence of the Xiaowan s in our hearts. Don''t worry, it will be over soon. "


    "Your Majesty ¡­"


    "Yan''Er, I will definitely make it through this. You stay with me." The Emperor said, "From tonight onwards, I will no longer be afraid of nightmares. Even if I dream, I will ignore them. In the future, you should come to Qingming Pavilion around noon and coax us to have a nap. This way, we can more or less make up for it. "


    The Xiaowan subconsciously retreated, purposely making a commotion in front of the door before carrying the Little Princess in. She smiled gently like usual, but the Queen obviously avoided her gaze.


    Even if he avoided her, Xiaowan did not know how to face her.


    It was a good day, but the imperial city was shrouded in gloom. When Xiaowan left the Culture Hall, he met Hubby on her way there, but there was no one around him. She ran over and asked, "Hubby, did you hear what the emperor said?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I knew it from the beginning."


    Xiaowan asked, "Then why didn''t you tell me?"


    Ling Chaofeng was silent for a moment, then said: "I was selfish. I held onto hope, and hoped that the emperor would be able to endure. I didn''t expect ¡­"


    He had originally thought that the people above were only trying to use any means at all, but they had persisted in tormenting themselves for so long. Did they not care for their lives, or did they not care about ten thousand years of cultivation?


    The Emperor was the chosen one, not to mention the fact that those trashy kings had descended from the heavens, the background of the Xiang father and son wasn''t small. They had benefited the common people in the human world, and would return to the Divine Throne once their achievements had been achieved. In order to prevent himself from being together with the Xiaowan, those few people actually dared to make a move on the emperor.


    Ling Chaofeng said, "I thought that someone would stop them soon, but who would have thought that their act would get more intense."


    "They?" She laughed bitterly, "It''s still that bunch of deities who ate their fill of food. They hurt the emperor just to chase me away?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head, "I didn''t tell you because I was afraid that you would be hurt.


    "If I don''t leave, they will continue to torture the Emperor?" The Xiaowan asked Ling Chaofeng.


    "Maybe someone will stop them."


    "Husband, why didn''t you go and stop him?"


    "I can only deal with fiendish demons."


    Xiaowan shook her head. "Actually, you''re the same as them, you''re also following those unreasonable rules. Even if the Emperor is the emperor, he''s still a mortal after all. If you move your fingers, we won''t be able to live. "


    She suddenly shouted towards the sky, "You bastards!"

 C152

    Ling Chaofeng hurriedly covered Xiaowan''s mouth and pulled her away. Xiaowan was so angry that she no longer wanted to pay attention to her husband.


    It was true that Ling Chaofeng could go to the Heavenly Court for the emperor''s sake, but if he went, they would look into the matter of the Xiaowan.


    If he added another punishment, he would already be fearless. But after separating from the Xiaowan, she had to once again immerse herself in the pain of losing herself.


    Naturally, he knew that there was a best way to resolve Xiaowan''s pain, and that was to make her forget about him.


    However, altering the memories of ordinary people was not such a simple thing. For example, making the Xiaowan forget the existence of Ling Chaofeng, then everyone who was connected to this couple before, even if it was just listening to a passerby talk, all of their memories would have to change. This included the emperor and empress.


    "You blame me for not saving the Emperor, so don''t speak to me anymore?" Ling Chaofeng bent his body and asked Xiaowan, "Are you angry with me?"


    After returning to her residence, Xiaowan had been sulking for a long time. Ling Chaofeng knew that to her, if the Emperor did not allow her to stay, she would not mind if she tried to get rid of her.


    Yet the Emperor used his own life to insist on making the promise of his wife. This was what the Xiaowan felt about it, how could she allow others to sacrifice their lives for him.


    "I know, even if you go and solve this problem, next time they won''t even know what they''ll do to break us apart." Xiaowan said, "When you didn''t come to save me, and when I died and became a ghost, wasn''t it easier to meet you than it is now?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed bitterly: "The soul has no cultivation, and cannot enter the Heaven''s Gate trial, unless you die in the Imperial Palace. Furthermore, the souls floating outside will be taken away by the people of the Underworld very soon. "


    Xiaowan asked: "Then I will cultivate the immortal path. Once I become a deity, will I be able to be together with you?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook her head, "When you reach the point where you can fly, you will have to wait for at least five hundred years. No one knows whether you will ever be able to request an Immortal Medicine or learn the art of immortality. Maybe all your hard work has been for nothing. "


    Xiaowan looked at her husband in despair. "Hubby, why can''t we be together?


    Ling Chaofeng said calmly: "Late at night, was not their intention to make things difficult for us. It is true that they were heartless and unfeeling, but the reality is that if I died, you and I should have been separated by Yin and Yang. It is I who cannot bear you to be unable to extricate yourself from the pain and sorrow, to appear before your eyes in violation of the laws of heaven. If I don''t show up, you''ll accept that I''m dead, won''t you? "


    "I know." The Xiaowan nodded, "I already said it already, don''t appear again. Just let me guard you in the palace. Otherwise, if we do this, this time we will harm the Emperor, and we don''t know who we will harm next. "Husband, as long as I know that you''re here, even if I can''t see you, I''m fine."


    Ling Chaofeng held his wife''s face. His smooth and tender skin was still the same as before, she still existed as real as ever. However, he had to use his own mana to make the Xiaowan feel him. Actually, he had already known from the beginning that this was not a long-term solution. However, he could not bear the pain anymore on Xiaowan.


    "Husband, we can''t harm others." Xiaowan did not cry as she said bravely, "Husband, please do not see me again. I know that it is enough for you to be there. Let''s first save the emperor, alright? If he goes on like this, he''ll be sick and he''ll die. I know how much pain it''s going to be to lose his husband.


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, "Let''s split up for a while."


    Xiaowan tiptoed as Ling Chaofeng hurriedly hugged her. The two of them gave each other a deep hug as they kissed, Xiaowan''s tears flowed down her face and Ling Chaofeng could actually feel the bitterness. He should not have any sense of taste for anything in the world.


    "Husband, you can leave." After a deep kiss, Xiaowan pushed Ling Chaofeng away and turned around. "If we can''t save the emperor even like this, then we can think of a way. At worst, we can just die, I want to ask those bastards whether they''re worthy to be deities or not."


    The Xiaowan turned around, she could no longer see Ling Chaofeng, but she seemed to have sensed that her husband was still here. Just as she had thought, Ling Chaofeng had only hidden himself, he was still beside Xiaowan.


    "Husband, leave. Don''t secretly accompany me like this. They must also be afraid of you doing so." The Xiaowan said, "I can still live for a long time. You still have to stay here for a thousand years, right?


    A light gust of wind blew past. Only then did Xiaowan truly feel that the room was empty, and her heart was empty as well.


    He sat heavily on the bed and felt the soft bed. The empress was afraid that she would be cold, so she specially sent it to her to make it thicker. Anything the empress had, she would definitely think of her first.


    It was unknown if it was because Ling Chaofeng was missing to help warm her bed, but it was especially cold tonight. Xiaowan curled up into a ball under her blanket, and only dreamt of Hubby staying by his side until late in the night when she finally fell asleep.


    Inside the Culture Hall, the Empress accompanied her husband as he slept soundly. Only after seeing him fall asleep peacefully did she heave a sigh of relief. She shifted her body and gently leaned against the emperor''s shoulder, afraid that she would wake him up again if she used too much strength.


    He closed his eyes and thought about what had happened that year. Thinking about the Xiaowan, thinking about the Manager Ling, this year had really been long.


    As the night deepened, the sound of falling snow seemed to be heard within the quiet pavilion. In the silence, the door to the pavilion suddenly opened.


    Siyan woke up from her sleep after hearing the noise, only to see someone walking over with a candlestick in hand, she asked loudly: "Who is it?"


    Opening the curtain, she was shocked to see Xiaowan, holding a candlestick in one hand and an axe in the other.


    "Xiaowan, what are you doing?" Siyan panicked, wanting to wake the emperor up, but he remained motionless.


    "Your husband killed my husband. I will let you have a taste of the pain of losing your true love." Xiaowan was like a demon, she threw the candlestick in her hand towards the cloth, causing the silk cloth to ignite, she waved the axe in her hand, and chopped towards the Emperor.


    "Xiaowan ¡­" The empress subconsciously moved to stand in front of the Emperor, only to see blood flying in all directions.


    Siyan cried out in shock, her body suddenly dropped down, and she woke up.


    "Yan''Er?" In front of him was the peaceful sleeping quarters, as well as the worried look on his husband''s face. "I''ve had a nightmare."


    "Your Majesty ¡­" Siyan threw herself into the emperor''s embrace, "Why is it like this?"


    At the same time, Xiaowan woke up from her dream and sat up, sweating profusely and gasping for breath. She dreamt that she was about to kill the emperor while wielding an axe, and she dreamt that she was about to burn her Culture Hall.


    In the dream, there was an Emperor who was still unconscious, but there was an Empress who was still awake. She actually told the Empress to let her have a taste of the pain of losing her husband.


    Xiaowan got off the bed and opened the window. The chilly wind blew in, allowing her to finally calm down.


    Ling Chaofeng stood on top of the roof and watched everything, he remembered his brother telling him that no matter what Xiaowan did after this, he should not stop her.


    What would she do? Was he really not going to stop them?


    The next day, the emperor still went to court. He seemed to have slept a little better last night, but the nightmare did not disturb him. Instead, it entered the empress''s dream, which made him even more worried.


    When such a thing happened, the Emperor could only arrange matters of offering sacrifices to the gods. He hoped that his sincerity would be able to move the heavens.


    Inside the Culture Hall, the Empress finally became haggard. She no longer had the heart to make quiet tea pillows, and her heart was struggling with whether or not to expel the Xiaowan for the sake of the Emperor and herself.


    Without a doubt, even if the Xiaowan left the Imperial Palace, she would still be able to live a normal life.


    Would he have to sacrifice his life and the Emperor''s for her wish? This was not a question of whether it was worth it or not. As the mother of Daqi, the wife of a husband, and even a daughter, she could not do this for the Xiaowan ¡­


    However, she couldn''t bear it. Xiaowan was her best friend and the sister she cared about the most.


    "Empress." At this moment, the Xiaowan came to the empress''s side with a cup of hot tea and gently put it down. "This mama said that it was to serve tea and invited you to tea."


    "Alright, let''s leave it for now." The Queen nodded, she glanced at Xiaowan, afraid that her stare would cause her to be suspicious, so she quickly moved away.


    "The Empress''s spirit is not very good. Did you not sleep well last night?" Xiaowan kneeled on the prayer mat, accompanying Siyan, "Do you need me to pinch it for you?"


    "No need, they can do it." Siyan said, "I am tired, it is nothing important."


    "Last night, I dreamt of the Empress." Xiaowan suddenly said.


    "You ¡­"


    "I had a dream about the Empress before." "I dreamed that I was eating green bean cake with the Empress at the edge of the Supreme Pond, and later on, you really took me there."


    Siyan suddenly remembered that she had once dreamed of eating green bean cake with Xiaowan at the side of the Supreme Pond. No wonder she felt that the scene before her eyes was a little familiar.


    She could feel the pain and grief of the Xiaowan. Even their dreams were the same. Did this mean that in his dreams, Xiaowan had wanted to kill them to avenge Ling Chaofeng during that nightmare last night?


    "Empress, I want to go home." Xiaowan lowered her eyes and said, "I think I will go back to Baisha Town and might never come back. I wonder if Sir will allow me to?"


    Siyan sat up in shock and asked with his heart trembling, "You are going to leave, but didn''t you say that you are going to stay in the palace and work as a Palace Maid for your entire life?"


    Xiaowan laughed: "Empress, I''ve changed my mind." She raised her head and looked at Siyan, "Empress, can I go home?"


    Siyan nodded her head stiffly, "But... "Th ¡­ but ¡­"


    The Xiaowan said, "However, I would like to ask the Empress to promise me one thing."


    "Go ahead." Siyan immediately replied.


    "I want to take something from the palace. Will you promise me?"

 C153

    Hearing that the Xiaowan had volunteered to leave the palace, Siyan agreed without hesitation. After agreeing, she asked curiously: "What are you going to take away?"


    However, Xiaowan''s gaze was ice-cold. She could only ask the Queen to send an esteemed steward or chief steward to follow her.


    Siyan hoped that after Xiaowan left, the Emperor would no longer be troubled by the nightmares. If the condition of the Xiaowan did not improve, it would not be difficult to bring her back.


    Now that she was willing to leave, Siyan didn''t even need her to break her promise, she was willing to give her anything.


    Xiaowan left just like that. The empress had sent the head of the Culture Hall, Senior Servant, to accompany her and instruct them not to obstruct the Xiaowan from doing anything. Naturally, she was also very curious and could not understand what the Xiaowan wanted to take away.


    Ling Chaofeng stood on the roof as he watched his wife head towards the imperial kitchens. He had already realized what the Xiaowan was going to do.


    In the entire imperial palace, in order to ensure the safety of the empress and the imperial family, there was a definite rule that every needle, thread, and scissors would be used.


    In the imperial city, the Xiaowan could only find the most tools in the imperial kitchens. The people in the imperial kitchens would naturally want to expel her, but the Empress'' wet nurse followed them and helped them all the way out. She found the woodshed and brought out a heavy axe.


    She dragged this axe from the imperial kitchens all the way to the Announcement Hall. The nanny that followed them was someone who had seen a big battle before, and calmly followed her. When the imperial guards came to stop them, she took out the Empress''s medallion and ordered them to step down.


    The ear-piercing sound produced by the axe was similar to the time when the Queen brandished her sword and barged into the Qingming Pavilion. Ling Chaofeng felt more and more that the Xiaowan and the Empress must have had some sort of relationship in the past.


    Someone ran over to report to the Emperor, but no one touched Xiaowan. She stood in front of the palace with an axe in her hand, looking up at the sky.


    Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan looked at each other. Although she couldn''t see himself now, their hearts were one.


    At this time, a golden light flashed in the sky. Little Pei arrived above the imperial city in the form of a Golden Dragon, circled in the sky and asked: "Mother?"


    Everyone saw the Xiaowan saying to the empty sky: "Little Pei, bring your mother to the roof."


    Little Pei churned in the sky, looking at his father, he saw that the people who were originally standing on the eaves, had actually slowly entered into the stone statue, as he had no intention of stopping his mother from doing what she wanted to do next.


    "Father, if mother hacks the statue, your origin soul will be destroyed ¡­" Little Pei''s words were not heard by his mother.


    "It''s up to fate." Ling Chaofeng said lightly, "Little Pei, listen to your mother."


    He was rolling about restlessly when he suddenly saw the tears at the corners of his mother''s eyes. They made his heart ache in pain, and he steeled his heart and rushed down to lift his mother up with the help of the dragon.


    While the imperial guards and the eunuchs of Palace Maid were still in shock, the Xiaowan steadily landed on the overhang of the Announcement Hall.


    The axe dragged across the golden roof, producing a loud noise as it fell. The Xiaowan walked towards the stone statue step by step with a teary smile on her face, "Master, I will bring you along with me."


    At this moment, the empress had rushed over. Xiang Run was shocked, and said furiously, "Mu Xiaowan, what are you trying to do? Someone, get her down. "


    This stone statue of the Divine Beast was guarding Announcement Hall, protecting them. The Xiaowan''s stance was obviously to split the stone statue apart, how could the Emperor tolerate such a thing happening?


    The Xiaowan looked down and met the empress''s gaze. Seeing that the guards were about to go up to the roof to grab the person, Siyan turned around and kneeled in front of the emperor, "Your Majesty, I beg you to grant my wish, your Majesty ¡­ Please help yourself. "


    Xiang Run''s eyes were bright like torches as he looked angrily at Siyan. Seeing the resolution and pleading in her eyes, and how she was willing to give up everything to fulfil Xiaowan''s determination. He clenched his fists and waved his hand, ordering the imperial guards to retreat.


    On the roof, the Xiaowan raised the axe in her hand with all her might and smashed towards the base of the stone statue.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Another loud sound was heard, the rocks shattered, causing people to be unable to open their eyes, but everyone understood, Mu Xiaowan did not seem to want to split the stone statue, but to take it down.


    Siyan said to the emperor: "I promised her that I would let her take something away, but I didn''t expect her to take the stone statue away. Your Majesty, no wonder the Xiaowan was looking at the sky before, is she looking at the stone statue? "


    Suddenly, lightning flashed, thunder roared, black clouds churned, violent winds rolled up the sand and dust, causing people to be unable to open their eyes. In the extreme panic, all the people below were frozen, leaving only Mu Xiaowan on the eaves, who was still breathing with her heart beating.


    The black clouds parted, and the Heaven Ranked Tianyin walked over aggressively, his voice sounding like a loud bell as he bellowed: "How bold! How dare you harm the statue of the God, continue!"


    "This is just a piece of stone, you guys are taking it too far!" When the Xiaowan saw these vicious Sky Weapon Tianyin, he was not afraid at all. In front of them, she chopped down with her axe once again.


    At the same time, Tianyin unleashed a streak of lightning that knocked the axe out of his hand.


    She looked at them with disdain and smiled coldly, then ordered Little Pei to retrieve it for her. In the time that Little Pei took action, the axe had returned to his mother''s hands.


    Tianyin was furious: "Golden Dragon, you can''t help evil."


    Little Pei laughed out loud: "As a son in the mortal world, I have to listen to my mother''s words."


    With another rumbling sound, the Xiaowan used all her strength and smashed apart the base of the stone statue. Ling Chaofeng was already on the verge of collapse.


    And just like what his son said, if the stone statue split open, he would be destroyed. Even if it didn''t, the stone statue''s body would be damaged, and a single piece of broken stone would cost a thousand years of cultivation, but, he didn''t care.


    Although Xiaowan didn''t understand all this, she was unwilling to hurt Hubby. Therefore, she used to chop wood at home for more than ten years, even if she did not have enough strength, her accuracy was not bad.


    "Husband, will you hurt?" Xiaowan was gentle and considerate as she said to his husband, "Bear with it, I''ll take you away soon."


    "Mu Xiaowan, stop!" Tianyin was angry from the embarrassment. Thunder and lightning were crackling in the dark clouds, as if the sky was about to crack, it was extremely terrifying.


    Xiaowan turned a deaf ear. One more time and the stone statue will be free of the base.


    She raised the axe high up in the air, and the bits and pieces of her past relationship with her husband flashed before her eyes. It was Ling Chaofeng who gave her everything, allowed her to live like a human, allowed her to be doted upon, allowed her to experience all the beautiful things in the world.


    The Xiaowan laughed and used all her strength to slash down.


    In that instant, a bolt of lightning pierced through the sky and struck at her delicate body.


    Xiaowan''s entire body was in pain, her mind was a blank, the axe in her hand was knocked away, her body could no longer stand straight, and she suddenly fell from the eaves.


    "Late ¡­"


    "Hubby ¡­"


    When she fell, Xiaowan saw her husband emerging from the stone statue. He rushed towards him, but it was too late.


    She felt a sharp pain from her back, and her body fell to the ground. Her internal organs and limbs were all broken, and blood gushed out from her mouth.


    On that day, it was Ling Chaofeng''s blood that dyed Xiaowan''s clothes red. But today, it was her own blood that dyed hubby''s eyes red.


    "Late!" Ling Chaofeng''s angry shout was deafening, causing the Heavenly Soldier Tianyin to tremble uncontrollably.


    "Hubby." Xiaowan reached out to support his face.


    "Late ¡­"


    "In the next life, I, I, will wait for you by the river ¡­" With his hand down, Xiaowan closed her eyes. She no longer breathed, and her heart no longer beat.


    "Late!" Ling Chaofeng''s eyes were bloodthirsty, he raised his head and looked at the Sky Weapon Tianyin in the clouds, "You! "She''s just a mortal ¡­"


    With a roar that shook the heavens, Ling Chaofeng summoned his Chaofeng s and rushed towards the Sky Weapon Tianyin s, biting them into pieces and crushing them under his iron hooves. His Heaven Realm was immediately thrown into chaos, as the various immortals rushed over and the Dragon Queen s rushed over with their Dragon Clan.


    Just as the Heaven Realm was in a stalemate, the people from the Underworld came. They looked at the dark clouds churning in the sky and summoned the soul of the Xiaowan to bring her to the Underworld.


    "Hubby!" Xiaowan whose soul was now in her body could actually ''live'' again. After death, when she could see her husband again, the pure young lady smiled so happily.


    But the people of the Underworld had to bring her away, otherwise her soul would be burnt to death by noon.


    The sky was in a deadlock, the underground Xiaowan was about to be taken away. Ling Chaofeng could no longer care about those bastards as he followed the people from the Underworld down there, through layer after layer of hell, and arrived at the King''s Palace.


    Hades was currently eating a meal, and had gone to the mortal realm to buy roasted chicken. Suddenly, he saw that his Heaven Realm had returned to normal here, and before his hands could wipe them clean, he came out to welcome them.


    "It''s the Chaofeng. Long time no see." Although the King of Hell was in charge of matters of the Underworld, he was still one of the top gods in the Immortal Class. Five hundred years ago, during the Great Demonic War, he wanted to return the person that was accidentally injured by Chaofeng to the Yang World.


    "I''m here to look for Mu Xiaowan." Ling Chaofeng said aggressively, "Where is her soul?"


    King Yan was startled, and said: "Wait for me to go over it, is this Mu Xiaowan your wife in the mortal realm? "I remember that he''s still very young. How did he come down so quickly?"


    After that, he began to flip through it, but then flipped through it again and again. He narrowed his eyes and looked again, then pointed at Ling Chaofeng and said, "Chaofeng, are you mistaken? Mu Xiaowan still has fifty years of life left, and she can''t come down right now."


    Ling Chaofeng replied coldly, "Your men brought her down here."


    The King of Hell quickly waved his hands, "How is that possible? I saw last night that no one died today, and I''m currently enjoying the delicacies of the mortal world."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the ghosts came to report that a new soul had arrived.


    Hades and Ling Chaofeng looked at each other and he hurriedly ordered some people to bring them up. He then saw that the Xiaowan was locked up and sent to the palace.


    In the Underworld, she was afraid after all, and her petite body trembled as she was pushed along.


    Seeing her husband standing in the hall, Xiaowan''s gloomy face suddenly lit up.


    "Windward." Seeing the lock on her body suddenly drop, Xiaowan immediately pounced towards Ling Chaofeng.


    "Late." Ling Chaofeng opened his arms and hugged his wife.


    Although it was an ice-cold body in his arms, Ling Chaofeng heaved a sigh of relief after finding his wife.


    "Then take her back, she shouldn''t have come right now." Hades showed the Book of Life and Death to Ling Chaofeng, "Look, look who''s causing me trouble."

 C154

    The fierce wind dispersed, and the people who were locked in place began to move once more. The empress supported each other, originally wanting to avoid the sandstorm, but at this moment, all was gone. The sky was clear, as if nothing had happened.


    "Your Majesty, Empress!" someone shouted.


    Siyan and Xiang Run turned over upon hearing the noise, and were shocked to see Xiaowan spitting blood on the ground. Siyan only felt her heart being dug out as she ran over and threw herself beside Xiaowan: "Xiaowan, Xiaowan ¡­"


    "Siyan." The emperor rushed over, hugged the empress, and ordered the palace to inspect the body lying on the ground.


    The guard went forward to inspect, regretfully saying, "Reporting to Your Majesty and Empress, Mu Xiaowan is already dead. I think it was because she was blown down by the wind and fell to her death. "


    "Impossible, impossible ¡­" Siyan did not believe him and held onto the emperor''s clothes. "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Xuan, Imperial Physician Xuan is here to save her. Your Majesty ¡­"


    Xiang Run indicated for the palace maid to go to Imperial Physician Xuan so he released her hand. Siyan then returned to Xiaowan''s side and gently held her head in her arms.


    The imperial physician quickly arrived and did everything he could to the Xiaowan. In the end, he was unable to turn back the situation, so he prostrated himself in front of the empress and advised, "Empress, please grieve."


    "Save her, Imperial Physician, save her." Siyan was agitated and begged them with all her might, "Imperial Physician, save Xiaowan ¡­"


    The emperor stepped forward and snapped his wife''s neck. With just the right amount of strength, Siyan collapsed into his embrace and lost consciousness.


    He carried the empress in his arms and looked at the dead Xiaowan. Then, he ordered the palace maid, "After you have helped her well, summon Ling out of the palace and bring his sister-in-law back."


    When Ershan received the news, he was told to go into the palace to pick up the Xiaowan, and the person who sent the message was probably afraid that he would be too agitated. At that time, he did not say it clearly, but when he went into the palace and saw the people who were already separated by Yin and Yang, he suddenly struck him.


    "Lord Ling." "Hurry up and bring his back, so that Madam Ling''s soul can return to his home and reunite with Manager Ling."


    Ershan was dazed for a moment before asking: "How did she die?"


    The palace maid then told him all the strange things, saying that the Xiaowan had flown up to the roof of the Announcement Hall, that she had used a big axe to smash the stone statue of the Divine Beast, that the wind was raging, and that everyone was blinded by the wind, that she had been blown away by the wind and had fallen from the roof.


    This was a scene seen by countless people. The Emperor had also said that there was no need to hide it from him, and he had even ordered someone to inform Ling Yu that he would send two hundred kilometers worth of messages to Baisha County for him.


    Inside the Ling Xiao Inn, when the Aunt Zhang opened the door and saw that Constable Li had brought along an official, how could she have known that something had happened to him? Hearing the words "I''m sorry" and hearing the words "Xiaowan is dead", her vision went dark and she collapsed onto the ground.


    After receiving the news, Susu cried herself to death. The whole family packed their things, bringing their child that was barely a few months old, and headed towards the capital.


    They had forgotten to inform Master Mu. Only after going through Li Prefecture did they remember. They had no choice but to ask Constable Li for a visit.


    When they heard that their daughter had died in the palace, Master Mu sat at the door and did not come back to his senses for a long time. When Madam Xu and his daughter returned from the town and saw the man sitting motionlessly in front of the door, he yelled from afar, "You''re going to freeze to death just like that."


    When she got closer, she noticed that her husband was crying. She hurriedly asked, "What happened? or Wen Bao... "


    She got up and shouted: "Wen Bao, Kong''er, where are you?"


    "The Xiaowan is gone." The Master Mu said.


    "What''s gone?" Madam Xu asked impatiently, but her heart skipped a beat, "You''re saying, Xiaowan... "Dead?"


    Master Mu covered his face and cried: "My daughter is gone, my night ¡­ "I''m sorry dad."


    When Aunt Wang came to ask her what had happened, she couldn''t help but panic when she heard that the Xiaowan was gone. She hurriedly urged the Madam Xu: "Hurry up and do something, don''t make her ghosts go against you."


    "What, what can I do?" The Madam Xu was extremely frightened. She was really afraid that the ghost of the Xiaowan would come to her to seek revenge for her abuse.


    "Prepare some candles, paper and money. Then, give Brother Mu some money to hire a carriage. He''s my father after all, how can I not bring him back?" Aunt Wang thought quickly, "No matter what, you finally did your job decently. If there''s really something you have to say, you have something to say."


    Madam Xu quickly did as Aunt Wang told him and paid 10 taels of silver to the man to hire a carriage to the capital. She also said that she would burn some paper money at home to ask the monk to recite scriptures and so on.


    No one would have thought that the first time they came to the capital, they would come to Ershan''s official residence for this reason. They travelled day and night, and on the day they entered the capital, a heavy snowstorm fell, and the heaven and earth became a vast expanse of white.


    Susu had yet to enter the door, but she had already fainted from tears, and Aunt Zhang went to look for Little Pei the moment she entered the door.


    She had once seen Little Pei use his tears to cure Xiaowan''s burnt leg. She felt that maybe the child could save his mother, but Lian Yi had told her that Little Pei had always been unconscious, and that the doctor had also visited the child before.


    Uncle Biao and the white-haired Aunt Zhang had sent the black-haired man away. They had long treated Xiaowan as their daughter, and Aunt Zhang said while crying, "If I had known earlier, I would have separated with you. Why didn''t you come?


    Master Mu arrived two days late and knelt beside his daughter''s coffin, also crying sorrowfully. He said that if he didn''t want to go to his daughter''s side, he wanted his child to suffer, but no matter what he said now, it was useless.


    Deep in the palace, the emperor went back to visit the empress in Culture Hall. After the Xiaowan was taken away, he thought that his wife would pester him to do whatever he wanted. However, after she woke up, she didn''t cry nor make a fuss.


    "Ling Yun came out to take a leave of absence. Tomorrow, he will send Xiaowan back to the Baisha County." Xiang Run stood at the side of the beauty bed and said to Siyan, "Can I accompany you to send her off?"


    Siyan shook her head silently.


    The emperor thought for a moment before asking, "Yan''Er, are you blaming me?"


    Siyan still shook her head, and said with a hoarse voice: "Blame myself. The emperor was working so hard to endure, wanting to fulfill his promise to me and the Xiaowan, but after I heard about it, after a nightmare, I began to waver. If she wasn''t allowed to leave, then such a thing wouldn''t have happened. Your Majesty, do you still remember what I said before? "Look ¡­"


    "However, we have all seen what happened that day. Do you know how Xiaowan got onto the roof? The guards said that she flew up. Xiang Run held his wife''s hand and said, "Yan''Er, perhaps Xiaowan is not a mortal, or maybe she is just returning to a place she should be."


    Siyan stared at him blankly, then said with tears in her eyes, "Your Majesty, she is dead."


    No matter where the Xiaowan went, or whether they were destroyed into ashes, for everyone who was still alive, they had lost their friends and family.


    Above Heaven Realm, the war that almost broke out the day Xiaowan died, had finally subsided. Five hundred years ago, in the Great Demon War, almost all the deities had lost their cultivation. Only five hundred years had passed, and a single fight wouldn''t even be enough to make up for the five hundred years.


    While Chaofeng went to the Underworld and didn''t return, his brothers took turns to take turns watching over and taking his place. On the same day, was brought back to the human realm by his grandmother, unable to return back to the human realm.


    Today, his grandmother was asked to discuss how to settle the matter here. Taking advantage of when Xian''e wasn''t paying attention, Little Pei flew out and returned to the human world.


    At that time, Aunt Zhang was carrying Little Pei, wiping his face and arms, gently calling him to wake up.


    Aunt Zhang''s tears fell like rain, she hugged her child and cried, asking Little Pei if he could use her tears to save his mother, Little Pei shook his head.


    "Little Pei is not afraid, Grandma will take care of you." Aunt Zhang held the petite child and cried, "Your father and mother are both useless and untrustworthy, we don''t need them anymore. Little Pei followed her grandmother and they raised you up."


    On the day that his family brought Xiaowan out of the capital, Ling Chaofeng finally brought her up.


    In these few days in the Underworld, they had been reading the Book of Life and Death with the King of Hell, finding all Mu Xiaowan who had the same surname and surname. The other dead or unborn, every single one of them were as written in the Book of Life and Death.


    When Hades heard that it was Tianyin who killed Xiaowan, he laughed coldly, "They gave me trouble again, so this time, I won''t let them off so easily. They want me to change the Book of Life and Death again, how much face do they have?"


    In Xiaowan''s imagination, the King of Hell was an extremely terrifying existence that was filled with evil spirits. At least, that was how the legends went.


    However, after getting along with him for the past few days, Old Master Yama was actually a humorous, even amiable little old man, he was not scary at all.


    He claimed that if he wasn''t unlucky enough to get this job, he would also want to become a handsome and dashing deity. If he had nothing better to do, he would wander around the world and leave behind an ancient saying.


    He told the Xiaowan that death was not scary at all. What was scary was that even if someone were to live another life, they would not be able to live for long.


    However, since fifty years ago, Xiaowan had already reported in. Her Majesty the King of Hell did not agree, and on the day Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan back to the Yang World, Old Master Yama had also tidied up and went to the Heavenly Court to complain.


    Under Ling Chaofeng''s protection, the soul of the Xiaowan would not be harmed by the demons, nor would they be afraid of the scorching sun or the fierce winds. Furthermore, they were currently in a world of ice and snow, which was the most suitable for her to stay in.


    Looking at her family, escorting her own coffin all the way out of the capital, Susu''s face was pale white, Aunt Zhang''s expression was haggard, Lian Yi seemed to know that there must be someone to take charge, she worked hard to support him.


    They left sorrowfully, but on the city wall, the emperor and his queen quietly appeared. The queen''s tears fell like rain, reaching out her hands towards the distant Xiaowan, but she couldn''t grab them anymore.


    "Your Majesty and Empress, stop having nightmares." Ling Chaofeng said to the Xiaowan, "This time, we have to completely settle the matter of them disturbing the emperor''s dream with them. Late at night, I finally understand why big brother said that only people can go against the heavens, you''re really amazing. "


    Xiaowan lowered her eyes and said guiltily: "But I hurt innocent people, making them so sad."


    However, Ling Chaofeng said, "Perhaps you can give everyone a chance to try again."


    Xiaowan asked in a daze, "Again?"


    Ling Chaofeng then took Xiaowan and flew up into the sky.


    Even though Xiaowan was already a spirit, her thoughts were still normal people. Seeing that everything on the ground had become as small as an ant, she was quite frightened.


    Ling Chaofeng turned her into a small ball, hid her in his sleeve, and stepped into the Heaven Gate.


    Heaven Realm and the Underworld were indeed different. There was a clear and bright world here, with misty muslin and curling smoke; it was as if it was a dream.


    The Chaofeng had his own immortal residence in the Heaven Realm, so he left the Xiaowan at home and told her not to be afraid. He was going to solve his own problem. The fact that those people hadn''t come looking for him in so many days didn''t mean that he didn''t have any responsibility to bear.


    "Don''t worry, my family won''t hurt you here." Ling Chaofeng said to the Xiaowan, "But do not run out. Those who do not know you, will treat you as a demon."


    Xiaowan nodded her head, "I won''t go out. Hubby, I''ll wait for you to come back."


    Ling Chaofeng smiled gently: "It''s a pity that I don''t have anything good to eat here. Wait for me, I''ll go to the Jade Lake Peach Garden and pick peaches for you to eat."


    "Hubby ¡­" The Xiaowan said in disbelief, "Am I dreaming? Why has it become so mystical?"


    However, Ling Chaofeng answered Xiaowan the same way he answered before why he married her, and laughed: "It''s fate."


    He left his wife and headed towards the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, where important matters were being discussed. Before he could approach the Lingxiao Hall, he saw his big brother, Captive Cow, waiting for him at the roadside.


    When Captive Cow saw his brother, he smiled and said: "Chaofeng, this time, they have caused a huge mess. Do you know where they came from?"


    Ling Chaofeng looked towards the Ling Xiao Hall, where Buddhist light was shining. His brows trembled: "Could it be, that Buddha has arrived?"

 C155

    Ling Chaofeng and his brother rushed to the front of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, only to see that on the front steps, sat the big belly bag Arhat who smiled widely. He stepped forward and bowed: "Buddha is merciful."


    The burly man lightly caressed Chaofeng''s head: "Excellent."


    The Jade Emperor waved his hand towards Chaofeng, allowing him to step forward and speak. He softly asked: "Mu Xiaowan''s soul, where is it now?"


    "At this little deity''s home." Ling Chaofeng replied.


    "That''s good. Take good care of him. We''ll discuss the countermeasures later." The Jade Emperor sighed, he stood up and walked to the door, smiling as he spoke to the bag of arhats. Ling Chaofeng was completely confused by what he saw.


    The nearby God of Hell ran over, "Amazing. Chaofeng, Xiaowan is actually the Thousand Petal Lotus in front of Lord Buddha."


    Ling Chaofeng was startled: "Really?"


    King of Hell laughed. "Buddha bestowed her with the chance to return to the mortal world to benefit her. It''s great now. Her soul was shattered by those idiots."


    Chaofeng was suspicious. He went forward, bent his knees, and asked Bag Arhat: "Disciple is seeking advice. Does Xiaowan still have any sisters?"


    Bag Arhat always laughed and nodded, "The lotus stalk in front of my Buddha statue is not even close to lotus, both of them came down to earth, one was a supreme being while the other was humble, both lived and died together."


    The same life and the same breath?


    King Yan scurried behind Ling Chaofeng and whispered, "The Xiaowan is dead and the Queen is almost there."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at him in shock, then looked at the cloth bag Arhat. He was always smiling, and his true emotions could not be seen.


    Jade Emperor''s head hurt as he said awkwardly to the cloth bag Arhat: "Please return to the west, wait for this little deity to settle this matter and personally report this to the west."


    The cloth sack Arhat clasped his hands and said, "Excellent."


    He rode his cloud and leisurely walked away. The immortals sent him off with their eyes as he left, and then, the Jade Emperor flew into a rage. "What''s going on, who beat Mu Xiaowan to death?"


    However, the Tianyin that killed Mu Xiaowan had already been torn to shreds by Ling Chaofeng. He had originally come here to receive punishment, but now, no one was pursuing this matter.


    "The heavens are forbidding me from revealing the Lotus. For the time being, don''t tell Mu Xiaowan about it."


    The group of people discussed this outcome. As for how they were going to deal with this wisp of soul, they couldn''t delay any longer.


    If this dragged on, she would not be able to continue living if Mu Xiaowan''s body was burned. If this dragged on, the other lotus flower would also lose its life.


    To Heaven Realm, it was equivalent to an order. If he wanted to rain, he wanted to rain; if he wanted to blow the wind, he wanted the wind; if he wanted to die with the Queen, he wanted to cross the line with the Heavens. The consequences would be unimaginable.


    In front of their eyes, it was not as simple as breathing out immortal energy to bring the Xiaowan back to life. So many people had seen her die, and also saw her strange state before she died.


    Naturally, the heavens could change the memories of mortals, but this change involved countless people. Any one of them missing would cause chaos in the world, allowing demons and monsters to take advantage of it and bring disaster to this world.


    Ling Xiao Hall''s deities dispersed, Dragon Queen returned with Dragon Clan. When he saw her son, he asked coldly, "Is Mu Xiaowan in your residence?"


    Chaofeng nodded and looked at his mother with a sharp gaze. "I hope that Queen Mother does not touch him."


    Dragon Queen sneered: "She has an extraordinary background, do you think I would dare?"


    After the various immortals dispersed, Ling Chaofeng returned to his own immortal residence alone. Seeing that Hades was also on his way, and thinking of how he had taken care of Ling Chaofeng for the past few days, he walked over to send him off.


    The old man clucked his tongue and said, "I have to get down quickly. If they really send the Queen down later, I''ll send it back to you guys as usual." "Seriously, that group of idiots didn''t even open their eyes and they were just randomly killing people."


    Ling Chaofeng asked, "Do you know when the Queen''s lifespan will end?"


    Hades said, "In the Book of Life and Death, there is a lifespan of fifty years just like Xiaowan. But if I suddenly die, I won''t be able to calculate it."


    Ling Chaofeng sighed lightly. Hades smiled and said, "They are just timid and afraid, five hundred years ago, they did not dare to let the commoners that you accidentally killed return to the mortal world. The only reason is because they felt that altering the memories of ordinary people was too trivial and troublesome. This time, it''s the same. Moreover, this matter caused such a huge ruckus. "


    Ling Chaofeng laughed bitterly: "Even though it''s complicated, if they didn''t do it, I would have done it myself, but unfortunately ¡­"


    Hades laughed, "Actually, there''s another way. The Kitigarbha Bodhisattva has the Time Wheel in front of its seat. Turn it around, move it forward for three years, and everything will start anew. You don''t need to go through so much trouble to erase your memories."


    "Indeed." Ling Chaofeng said.


    However, he understood that if he were to return to three years ago, then everything that had happened in these three years would start anew. The fate of humans would change, but this was a law of nature, and even the King of Hell''s Book of Life and Death did not need to change.


    "Let''s see how they deal with it. I''ll be leaving first." King Yan bade farewell to Ling Chaofeng and returned to the Underworld.


    When Ling Chaofeng returned to the Celestial Residence, Xiaowan was looking at the lotuses in the pond by the window. He gently reached out his hand to take the dew from the lotus leaf, but unfortunately, she was just a spirit.


    "Hungry?" Ling Chaofeng stood behind her.


    "Hubby." When the Xiaowan saw that he had returned and that no one else was following him to arrest anyone, she immediately became relieved. It flew over and threw itself into Ling Chaofeng''s embrace.


    Xiaowan''s body was still ice-cold, and this made Ling Chaofeng''s heart ache. It was truly laughable that they were actually all dead.


    "How is it? Will you be punished again?" The Xiaowan asked worriedly, "Did they make things difficult for you?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "No, they don''t care about me right now. They are discussing how to return your lifespan."


    The King of Hades must have forced him to revise the Book of Life and Death in the end. He said that even if he had to compromise this time, he would have to grind them down and drag them out a bit. "If that''s the case, I can stay with my husband for a few more days. After he''s done, I''ll go and reincarnate.


    "Are you afraid?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "Not afraid." Xiaowan firmly said, "I already knew that a fight might not come to an end, but if I did not, I would never be able to take it lying down. I died of grievance. The only thing I am sorry about is that my family members are my friends, and I want them to suffer from my grief. "


    "They''ll be fine soon, don''t worry." Ling Chaofeng said, "In this life, the fate of everyone has been so deep.


    Xiaowan said: "In the next life, I want to be Aunt''s daughter, but unfortunately I died before her, could it be that Aunt is the one to be my daughter?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Dying early and dying late won''t affect your fate in your next life. If you want to be her daughter, it will definitely come true."


    "What a pity ¡­" I''m going to forget you. " "If I can always remember you, I would rather be a wild ghost. I truly have no future, and my heart will only think of you."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed, "That''s right, why do you only want me by myself? It''s obvious that there are so many people that you value very much. As for the love between man and woman, this General Wei truly treats you well, you don''t even give me the chance to do so. "


    Xiaowan shook his head: "I only know that you are my life."


    Ling Chaofeng gently tapped on her nose. It was so cold, it made his heart tremble. He kissed her, wanting to use his body to warm her, but Xiaowan pushed him away and said cautiously, "Hubby, I can''t hurt you."


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head. Just for a moment, okay? "


    Xiaowan pursed her lips, gave a blushing smile, and took the initiative to approach.


    After that, Ling Chaofeng took Xiaowan out from the cage and flew towards the Jade Pool, bringing him to the Immortality Peach Garden to pick some Peach of Immortality for her to eat.


    She looked around the peach garden and asked with a smile, "What are you looking for? Are you afraid that someone will come and capture us?"


    Xiaowan whispered: "Is there a Sun Wukong?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed loudly: "The Fighting Buddha does not steal peaches to eat."


    Xiaowan asked: "Did he really steal it?"


    Ling Chaofeng replied, "No, it''s a story made up by a mortal."


    Xiaowan asked again, "Master, can you take another peach? I want to leave it for Little Pei to eat. "


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head and said, "Take it. The Queen Mother and Queen Mother are like sisters. We have been eating these Peach of Immortality in the garden since we were young."


    After that, Little Pei was summoned by his mother and the Xiaowan gave him peaches to eat. As he accompanied his mother and ate the peaches, his clone arrived in front of his father.


    The little guy, on the other hand, was very serious. "Dad, what do we do next? Do they have the results?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "I have no results for now, but..." He looked at Xiaowan and said to his son, "You can go down. Don''t let them cremate your mother''s body.


    Little Pei agreed, then asked his father: "If I remove mother''s memories, will I have to return to the Heavenly Court and not be able to go down to the mortal world?"


    Ling Chaofeng''s expression became solemn, and said to him: "Accompany your mother more, maybe your mother and son''s fate will come to an end."


    Little Pei''s eyes burned with passion. Returning to his original body, his mother was currently using a handkerchief to wipe the juice off his face. He raised the peach and placed it in front of Xiaowan.


    "I''ve eaten. I''m full." Xiaowan said, "Little Pei will eat. Your father said that after eating this peach, you will train less for a thousand years, right?"


    Little Pei nodded, but he raised his finger and said: "Mother, I am only ten months old. I am younger than the Little Princess."


    A wise son could not be a mother. She said in a displeased tone, "You''re so greedy again. It''s a pity that mother isn''t a person right now. I can''t feed you anymore since I haven''t fed you since the Dragon Boat Festival."


    Little Pei''s eyes were moist as he snuck into his embrace, reaching out to tug at her clothes. Even though his mother''s body wasn''t as warm as it used to be, his scent was still there.


    "Alright, try it yourself." Xiaowan''s heart softened as she carried Ling Chaofeng on her back and opened her robes.


    But Little Pei pulled up his mother''s clothes, laid on her bosom and said: "If you want me to hold you, that''s good."


    Xiaowan touched his head: "Are you tired?"


    Little Pei sobbed, "Mother, in the next life, will you still remember me?"


    Xiaowan kissed him and couldn''t help but cry, "Yes, Mother will definitely remember Little Pei. I will also remember your father, your grandma and grandpa, as well as second uncle and aunt.

 C156

    After half a day of nurturing the mother and child, Little Pei was about to return to the human world. He promised his mother that he would take good care of his family, but his fate with them was also over.


    Little Pei followed the rest of the family back to Baisha County, begging them not to cremate their mother, and so everyone buried Xiaowan in the back mountain, next to their birth mother.


    Xiaowan saw all of this from the sky.


    She thought of her own mother and asked Ling Chaofeng if she could take her to see, but her mother and sister had already been reincarnated long ago. Her husband brought her to the south, where it was spring all year round and there was no snow or ice. Coincidentally, that family also owned an inn.


    "Mother and sister, in the next life, you''ll be mother and daughter again." Xiaowan was very pleased, she said to Ling Chaofeng with even more confidence, "In the next life, our family will definitely meet again."


    Ling Chaofeng smiled without a word and brought Xiaowan back to the Heavenly Court. On the way, she asked the empress how he was doing, but Ling Chaofeng only replied indifferently, everything was fine.


    In reality, the empress had somehow fallen ill. Seeing that it was almost New Year''s Eve, the palace should have been bustling with noise and excitement, but the empress was ill.


    Wei Tengfei had originally learned that the Xiaowan had passed away and was in so much pain that he wished he was dead. However, halfway to Baisha County, he received news that the Empress was gravely ill.


    The imperial physicians looked at the batches after batches of Siyan''s illness, drinking them one by one, yet the empress was only getting thinner and thinner. Although she forced herself to focus on her husband and the royal family who had come to visit her, she was unable to hold on any longer and her body continued to deteriorate.


    When Wei Tengfei hurried over, tired from all the work, he was lying on the bed and trying to get her daughter to crawl towards her. When he saw her brother coming in angrily, she weakly smiled and said: "Big brother, you''re here."


    Seeing her little sister who was like a flower and jade turning into such a state, Wei Tengfei truly had the heart to kill. He regretted forcing Siyan to go to the Beijing talent show and marrying her little sister to a place a thousand miles away in the imperial city, regretting that he couldn''t make her spend her life like a normal girl that was beloved by her husband. He regretted making her bear the burden of Chuanyu, and made her bear the burden of the world.


    However, it was too late for regret.


    The wet nurse carried the little princess away and the two siblings looked at each other with their hands together. Siyan said with tears in her eyes: "Brother, the Xiaowan is gone, I didn''t protect her well."


    Wei Tengfei shook his head: "The dead is enough, Siyan, big brother doesn''t want her anymore, big brother only wants you to get better. Why are you sick, is it because of Xiaowan? Siyan, you must pull yourself together. There are still many people who are worthy of you surviving well. "


    Siyan shook her head, a smile was hanging on her pale and gloomy face, "It''s not for the Xiaowan, even if it''s for her, I just want to live on and take care of my family. Why should I be depressed? "Brother, I don''t know what''s wrong, I suddenly got sick, how can I not get better?"


    After having played with her daughter and having expended some effort, she lay down on the bed and held her brother''s hand, saying, "Big brother, if I leave, you don''t have to be angry with the emperor, he will definitely be the one who hurts the most. If you want to continue to lead the Chuanyu army and protect the Daqi, then think about how your niece and uncle will need to pamper her. "


    Wei Tengfei steeled his heart, covered his eyes with tears and nodded: "Siyan, promise brother, that you will live."


    At this time, the palace came to report that the emperor had invited the great general to discuss the matter at Qingming Pavilion. He let Siyan wash up properly and brought along a body covered in wind and dust to the Qingming Pavilion.


    Walking outside the Qingming Pavilion door, he could see the majestic Announcement Hall in front of him. The divine beast stone statue on the Announcement Hall had already been repaired, and today, Ling Chaofeng himself was back on duty.


    Ling Chaofeng seemed to meet Wei Tengfei''s eyes, so naturally Wei Tengfei''s eyes were empty. He was thinking, what kind of background does Xiaowan have, and why did so many strange things happen to her? But now, even if he were to understand it, it would be useless.


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart suddenly tightened. He seemed to have sensed what was happening in the sky and couldn''t help but be worried for the Xiaowan.


    Today, the Xiaowan was left alone in the immortal residence. She listened to Ling Chaofeng and would not take a step out of her home, but being idle at home was too boring. Other than thinking about her family, there was nothing else she could do.


    Thus, she helped her husband cut the flowers and plants. The flowers and plants in the immortal residence all had intelligence, they would nod to her after Xiaowan took care of them.


    "The days in the Heavenly Court are cold and depressing. You have nothing to do, but I''m afraid you won''t be able to endure it in a few days." Suddenly, the sound of a woman''s voice came from outside the door. The Dragon Queen walked in with a smile, "You will come to the mortal world to deal with things. How can you be at peace here?"


    Xiaowan stood up, her hand still holding the scissors. Seemingly feeling that it was impolite, she quickly put it down.


    "Chaofeng doesn''t have to worry about leaving you here alone. Aren''t you afraid that you''ll get into trouble?" The Dragon Queen took a glance at the immortal estate and even the fairy maiden left. There was only the Xiaowan left, how much of a precious wife her son had.


    Seeing her lower her head and slightly move her lips, the Dragon Queen asked: "Are you hesitating? How should I address you?"


    Xiaowan nodded her head in embarrassment. She knew that this was her mother-in-law, but ¡­


    "Let''s call her Grandma. As for what it means, you and I both understand it in our hearts." Dragon Queen said coldly, "However, I don''t recognize you as a daughter-in-law."


    The last time they met, his mother-in-law had almost strangled her. Xiaowan knew very well that she did not like him, and she did not know what to do to make her mother-in-law happy.


    Suddenly thinking of Jade Ring, she carefully took off the ring on her finger and passed it to him with both hands. "Granny, I''ll return this ring to you."


    Dragon Queen lightly tapped on the ring and it flew in front of her. Xiaowan watched as she pressed the ring to the door of his heart and then the ring disappeared.


    Originally, I wanted you to protect Chaofeng. I didn''t expect you to make things worse, and even make him commit a murder for you. I have warned you, you can''t tell anyone, and you can''t tell Chaofeng either. Why must you tell him? Otherwise, you could have used the ring to save yourself. The Chaofeng wouldn''t have destroyed his ninth life to save you. "


    Xiaowan lowered her head, she had nothing to say, she was truly foolish, as long as she was clever, she would definitely be able to make good use of this ring, instead of acting like a bull in a haystack, the further she went, the narrower the road became, and there would be no way out.


    Dragon Queen approached Xiaowan, causing his to retreat in fright. Currently, she was only a strand of his soul, if he were to make a move, Dragon Queen''s finger would be able to destroy her.


    "Come with me." The Dragon Queen said coldly.


    "Master said that I am not allowed to leave the immortal estate." Xiaowan immediately refused.


    "I''m your husband''s mother." Dragon Queen''s eyes were filled with anger. He gently stroked his arm and turned around to leave, but Xiaowan followed his uncontrollably, as if he was bound by something and dragged away by his mother-in-law.


    "Where are you taking me?" Xiaowan struggled a bit, but to no avail.


    "Go and see what kind of life Ling Chaofeng will experience a thousand years from now." Dragon Queen said ashe brought Xiaowan into the whirlpool of clouds. She felt the world was spinning, but after that, she was forced to follow his mother-in-law and saw the world a thousand years later.


    A thousand years later, the clothes worn by the commoners in the mortal world had already changed from those of the Modern Realm. Daqi Nation was divided into several small nations, which fought back and forth all day long, filling the air with smoke.


    After Ling Chaofeng finished protecting his Daqi, his first life was to become a soldier. On the battlefield, he was squashed into meat pulp by the wheels of the wheels.


    In the next life, he became an evil official. After his death, his bones were turned into ashes, and he was even carved into a kneeling stone statue. All generations of people despised him.


    In the next life, he would be a bandit who would commit all sorts of crimes. He would murder and burn people, rob women, and be shot to death by random arrows.


    Later...


    The Xiaowan watched on fearfully. When she returned to the immortal residence, she was still trembling when she was slammed into the ground by the Dragon Queen.


    "This is everything you brought to Ling Chaofeng. You brought endless punishment to that husband you yearn for."


    Dragon Queen ferociously lifted Xiaowan''s chin, and said with hatred: "You only want to be with him, you only care about your own desires, do you think that just being together with him is equivalent to the peace of the world? "How laughable!"


    Dragon Queen flung the Xiaowan aside and glared at her. "Do you really have the heart to suffer such a transformation after a thousand years? The person you love will bring your love to him and do all sorts of evil things. You will be scolded, and your bones will be turned to ashes. Is this your love? "


    Xiaowan looked at her mother-in-law in shock. Seeing such a tragic reality, she was still unable to calm her mind.


    "No matter how we resolve this matter, if we cannot change my son''s fate, I will massacre the Baisha County and use the lives of everyone there to accompany you in death." Dragon Queen sneered, "Whether you want to protect your family and those innocent villagers, or not, will depend on how you show off."


    "I... What can I do? " the Xiaowan asked, trembling.


    "You can ¡­"


    But at this moment, Ling Chaofeng flew back. When he stepped through the door, he saw Xiaowan on the ground, while his mother was overbearing.


    "Late?" He rushed over to help his wife up and asked, "Is there anything wrong?"


    Since the Xiaowan was still a soul now, of course she wouldn''t feel any pain. She shook her head and said softly, "I''m fine."


    Dragon Queen frowned, he could not bear to see them acting in such a loving manner, but without saying anything, she turned and left.


    Ling Chaofeng chased after his and asked his mother: "What did you say to Xiaowan?"


    Dragon Queen said coldly: "Ask her yourself."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "It was you who intentionally lured Xiaowan to the Imperial Palace, it was you who deliberately let her know that I was in the stone statue, Mother.


    Dragon Queen turned around and looked at his son desolately. "Who was the reason I put in so much effort? Use her? If she could really be used, you wouldn''t have become like this. "


    When the mother and son duo were quarreling, a furious roar came from the mortal world. It was the Emperor Xiang Run''s painful cry, probably due to the Queen''s illness repeating itself.


    Dragon Queen made a calculation with his fingers and coldly said: "The other lotus is almost unable to hold on any longer, so this matter must be resolved as soon as possible. If you continue to be warm with your young lady for a moment longer, it would be the end of you. "


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "It won''t end like that. I''ll be with her for all eternity."

 C157

    Dragon Queen glared angrily at her son. He glanced at Mu Xiaowan standing in front of the door out of the corner of his eyes and intentionally said: "She is your sinner, she is also everyone''s sinner. Those who are with her will not have a good ending. Because of her, the empress was about to die too. "Alright, if you want to spend the rest of your life with him, I''ll just treat you as my son."


    She tossed her sleeves and left the immortal residence. Ling Chaofeng turned around and was shocked to see Xiaowan standing there.


    "Did you hear that?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    The Xiaowan nodded as she lowered her eyes and asked, "Husband, what''s wrong with the Empress?"


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "She will be fine, don''t worry."


    Xiaowan looked in the direction of his mother-in-law''s disappearance. She thought for a moment and said, "I''ll listen to you."


    Nanny and husband, which one should she trust? Of course it was her husband, but was the Empress really okay?


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t want to hide it from the Xiaowan, so he replied, "I said she''ll be fine, but it''s not that she''s fine right now. Because we''re in the same life, and you''re going to die, and the Empress is going to die soon as well.


    Xiaowan was stunned. "Why does the Empress want to share life and death with me?"


    Ling Chaofeng could not say too much about the Buddha, and only said: "In your last life, you two were sisters."


    "Really?" He should have been happy, but now he couldn''t be happy. Xiaowan was excited for a moment, and then she fell into sorrow.


    She wanted to protect the Empress and protect the Emperor, but in the end she had to take the Empress away from the Emperor''s side. Perhaps what her mother-in-law said was correct, she truly was a sinner.


    "The Empress will be fine." Ling Chaofeng said affirmatively, "You all still have fifty years of life left. The heavens must prevent this kind of thing from happening again, or else the entire world would be thrown into chaos."


    "I know." Xiaowan really wanted to take a look at the Empress, but she had already caused her husband a lot of trouble.


    It was her fault. What her mother-in-law said wasn''t wrong. Even though she didn''t want to get in the way of others and didn''t want to cause trouble for them, everything was still her fault. It wasn''t that she didn''t mean to, but that she didn''t have to take responsibility.


    "Late." Ling Chaofeng said, "Don''t feel guilty, it''s the fault of the heavens, not you."


    "I know." Xiaowan replied. She wanted to cherish the time she had with Ling Chaofeng, so she smiled and said, "Husband, I''m a little hungry. Can I go eat another Celestial Peach?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "I''ll let you eat however much you want."


    Xiaowan laughed: "Will you become a deity?"


    "No." He hid the Xiaowan inside his sleeve and brought her to the Immortality Peach Garden.


    The two sat under a tree and ate peaches, casually planting their peaches in the Celestial Land. After a thousand years, another peach tree would grow, growing a gigantic Celestial Peach.


    "If I can bring the peach to the Empress, will her illness recover?" Xiaowan asked.


    "The Empress may immediately ascend to become a deity." Ling Chaofeng laughed, "That will be even more troublesome."


    Xiaowan laughed and asked: "Why can''t I do it?"


    "That''s because you''re just a soul. You have to first become a human before you have a chance to become an Immortal." Ling Chaofeng wiped the peach juice on her mouth and said lovingly, "But no matter what form we take, we have to be together."


    Xiaowan blushed and said, "Being together, we can''t do what we want, right?"


    Ling Chaofeng asked: What do you want to do?


    Xiaowan''s eyes contained a hint of hope as she said softly, "About the baby."


    Ling Chaofeng was startled, he looked around, and immediately replied: "I can''t say for sure here, the Immortal World is a peaceful place after all."


    Xiaowan laughed, "Then how did Granny give birth to her husband? Would deities and deities do that? "


    Ling Chaofeng coughed dryly. The deities do not have seven emotions and six desires, so they would not act rashly. "


    Will?


    Xiaowan didn''t understand what ideas were. She leaned onto Ling Chaofeng''s arm and looked at him with narrowed eyes, "Hubby, do you want to think about it now?"


    However, Ling Chaofeng said frankly: "Yes, they had an impulse within the palace, that''s why they fear us. It is a taboo for all to be under the same sky. "


    Xiaowan rubbed her arm as she smiled blissfully. Although they could no longer be united, the beauty of the past was imprinted in her heart.


    Hubby''s body felt warm and comfortable.


    "If I think about it like this, I really won''t get what Grandma likes." Xiaowan said, "I have experienced countless hardships, and gave birth to Little Pei, but I can put him down for you. And Grandma only used her will to give birth to you, and did all the work she could for you. "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "It''s because you know Little Pei is not an ordinary person. If Little Pei was just an ordinary child, and if he is not even a year old yet, how could you abandon him.


    Actually, whatever she said now was useless. At this point, she had no idea what would happen next, and all she knew was that she had to cherish her days with Ling Chaofeng.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "That day, when you said it, I was actually also following these unreasonable rules of the Heaven Realm, so well said. But later on, do you know that if a mortal wanted to escape, there would always be a place for them to hide in? But we have nowhere to run. "


    He turned to Xiaowan and said solemnly, "We only have two choices, to turn into ashes, or to abide by their rules. The blood that is born in the bones of us immortals, is very, very pitiful, and very helpless. "


    Xiaowan listened quietly.


    Ling Chaofeng continued, "Imperial Mother blames you for being useless, and calls you my sinner. Don''t hate her, this is her mother''s heart. But in truth, the person she is helpless against isn''t you, but me and herself. It is because we do not dare to fight against the heavens. In fact, it is not you who caused everything wrong, it was us who did not dare to resist.


    Xiaowan asked: "When you saw that I wanted to smash apart the stone statue and didn''t stop me, you just wanted to rebel against them with me, right?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded her head, "In the end, I still have to place my trust in you in order for it to come true, this is all I have."


    Xiaowan shook her head vigorously. "You are the most amazing person in the world, don''t say that. You gave me a chance to live again, and you gave me all of my happiness. In my heart, there is no one who can compare to you. "


    "Late ¡­"


    "Chao Feng, I love you. I will love you for all eternity." Xiaowan looked at her husband as her tears gently rolled down her cheeks. They landed on the spot where she had planted the peach core just now.


    They were pleasantly surprised as they looked at the tender bud. They watched as it slowly extended until it became a small sapling. This would take at least two hundred years, yet it actually happened in an instant.


    "I''m so powerful." Xiaowan said in pleasant surprise, "No wonder Little Pei''s tears were able to cure my injuries. He is my son."


    When Ling Chaofeng saw her smile, there was no need to mention how happy he was. However, such a smile ¡­


    Indeed, there was someone riding on a cloud in the distance, summoning the couple and summoning them to the Hall of Soaring Sky to listen to the orders.


    Xiaowan once told Ling Chaofeng that for an ordinary person like her to meet the Emperor, her lifespan would be shortened. In the end, her lifespan would be shortened.


    But now, she had actually even seen the Jade Emperor, as well as the countless immortals, but she didn''t care at all. She didn''t even look at them directly.


    This group of immortals'' final decision was to ask Xiaowan to go to the Kitigarbha Bodhisattva and beg him to open the time wheel, so that everything could go back to three years ago.


    In their opinion, the face of the Xiaowan was much more than theirs.


    The Xiaowan asked them whether everything had happened again three years ago. Whether the Emperor and Empress would meet again, whether Susu and Ershan had yet to get married, whether Susu would return to the capital and be abused. The hateful Yue Huaiyin, did she also want to live again?


    However, they impatiently said, "A mere ghost, why do you have so many?"


    She then asked, "When I returned to three years ago, to my husband''s ninth life, if I didn''t kill him again, would I be able to eliminate all of the sins that I have now set down?"


    Xiaowan stood up and said angrily: "All livestock in the human realm will have feelings for Master. When I feed the pigs and lie on its body, it will not move to act as my pillow, letting me sleep in peace. The wild dogs that I fed on the mountain protected me from the mountain and banished the snakes and insects for me. You deities don''t have any feelings. You just think that you''re amazing. No matter how great your abilities are, you will never be able to match up to the beasts on the ground, let alone a human. What you can do with a move of your fingers, we can only accomplish with countless hardships. Who is greater, who is more extraordinary, and what makes you think that you can dictate our lives? Who do you think you are! "


    Some of the immortals were embarrassed after being humiliated like this by a ghost, but most of them were angry from embarrassment, talking at once to drive Xiaowan out of the Soaring Sky Palace, and even wanted to beat her up into ashes.


    Ling Chaofeng quietly got up, hid the Xiaowan inside his sleeve, and turned to leave.


    On the way to the Heaven Gate, a few brothers sent each other off. Once the Kitigarbha Bodhisattva turned the time wheel, the Chaofeng would once again transform back into Ling Chaofeng.


    When Xiaowan came out of her sleeve and met his brothers and sisters, everyone was very friendly towards him.


    They had transformed into their human forms, and were also people who looked down on the world like Master. However, their true forms were undoubtedly formidable and domineering, but compared to Little Pei, the Xiaowan understood why her little fat dragon was so popular with the gods.


    The group escorted the couple out of the gates of heaven and arrived at the Ksitigarbha Temple. The place was burning with incense, but no one could see them. After they arrived, the pilgrims gradually dispersed, leaving behind a tranquil and serene atmosphere.


    "Master, I want to discuss this matter with you. If you agree, I''ll do it again." The Xiaowan looked at Ling Chaofeng with a smile, "We have our own considerations. No matter what the outcome is, we will not regret it, right?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "No matter what decision you make, I will support you."


    "Husband, I want to ¡­"


    Suddenly, the emperor''s angry voice came from the sky. He seemed to be asking the heaven and earth why did they want to take his wife away.


    Within the capital''s Culture Hall, there was dead silence. Xiang Run stood guard by the sickly bed while the Queen''s aura lingered at the edge of life and death.


    "Yan''Er, you can''t leave me behind." The emperor''s tears fell like rain as he tightly held his wife''s hand, "Yan''Er, open your eyes."

 C158

    Hearing her husband''s call, Siyan tried really hard to open her eyes, but she tried really hard, and when she opened her eyes, what she saw was actually that year''s Mid-Autumn Festival.


    In the market of Baisha County, she avoided her brother''s chase and passed by the Xiaowan.


    She recognized the young lady beside her and wanted to turn around to call out to her.


    "Xiaowan ¡­"


    However, her body froze. She stood there heavily without moving a step, as if something was about to be pulled out from her body.


    In front of the Kitigarbha Bodhisattva Temple, Xiaowan gently released her husband''s hand, but reluctantly held it up again. After touching it for a while, she lowered her head, not daring to look at Ling Chaofeng''s face: "Husband, I''m going."


    "Late at night, I will come find you. I will definitely find you." Ling Chaofeng said, "Don''t be afraid."


    "If you meet a better girl, you have to treat her well." "I was afraid that if you came to me, I would cause you to be unable to complete the ninth life. No matter what, if I love you, I will have my husband''s full love. I have lived a good life, and I am satisfied. "


    "Late ¡­"


    "Husband, give me one last kiss." Xiaowan raised her tear-stained face and forced a smile, "Kiss me again."


    Ling Chaofeng lifted her chin and deeply kissed Xiaowan''s lips. Both their tears merged and his voice trembled: "Evening, let''s go."


    Xiaowan reached out her hands to tidy up his husband''s shirt, giving him a decent look. With a satisfied smile, she turned around and walked into the hall.


    "Child, you''re here."


    Kitigarbha seemed to have long predicted that Mu Xiaowan would come here, as she stood in the middle of the hall amiably. Behind him was the time wheel and the slowly spinning wheel.


    "Empress ¡­" Xiaowan''s heart tensed up, and she kowtowed deeply to Bodhisattva.


    "Child, do you hope that I can move the wheel forward three years?" Bodhisattva asked, "You were accidentally killed by the Heaven Realm, so what they owe you, you can indeed make such a wish."


    "No." "The Xiaowan kowtowed and replied in a calm and respectful manner," Bodhisattva, the Xiaowan wishes to beg you. Bodhisattva, you can do it, right? "


    The Kitigarbha Bodhisattva smiled mercifully, "If such a thing happened, everyone in the Heavenly Court would be able to accomplish it."


    Xiaowan shook her head. "They can''t, they have to find people one by one and delete their memories. They might miss something, when the memories of the mortals go awry, the demons will be able to take advantage of it. "Only you can change everything in an instant. This ¡­ this is what my husband told me."


    The Kitigarbha Bodhisattva nodded benevolently, and silently listened to Xiaowan''s words.


    "Although I don''t know why I''m not destined to be with my husband, we tried our best to struggle, and I also did a lot of foolish things to fight for it." The Xiaowan said reverently, as tears unknowingly rolled down his face. Every tear on his face caused a thousand-petal lotus to bloom on the hall.


    "Bodhisattva, these three years, everyone in the mortal realm, be it happiness or sadness, they worked hard and lived steadily, living with flesh and blood." The Xiaowan said, "No matter what happened now, for them, it would be the best result. If they were to try again, could there be a better result? If the people who love each other pass by one another, if the blood-related family members are never able to meet again, then it would be unfair for the villains who commit all sorts of crimes to get the chance to be reborn. "


    The Xiaowan deeply kowtowed: "Bodhisattva, I beg you, to only let me think back to when I was seventeen years old, to beg you to let my husband come back to life again."


    Bodhisattva slowly walked towards her, plucked a Thousand Petal Lotus from beside Xiaowan and put it on her hair. Then, he personally supported her up and walked towards the time wheel together.


    He lightly muttered, and the spinning suddenly stopped, and then turned around again, stopping at the spring of the year when Xiaowan was seventeen.


    "Child, go. Everything will be as you wish." Ksitigarbha looked at Xiaowan benevolently and pushed her gently on her back.


    Xiaowan glanced back at the door of the hall. Separated by a door, the fate of her and her husband had ended for the rest of their lives.


    She steeled herself, bowed deeply to Bodhisattva, and resolutely jumped into the roulette.


    Ling Chaofeng unknowingly was sucked away by a huge amount of energy. He pushed aside the layers of clouds and was just about to rush back into the Ling Xiao Inn.


    "Chaofeng, continue to live in this life. You must take good care of yourself and never offend the laws of the heavens again." Dragon Queen appeared, and accompanied his son towards the Ling Xiao Inn.


    "Mother, you''ve been using the Xiaowan since the beginning?" Ling Chaofeng asked his mother, "Now that you know her previous self, are you not afraid of losing cultivation experience?"


    "Finally, she is worthy of my use. I hope that after you wake up, you will not meet her again." "In order to allow you to return to your position smoothly, I have put in a lot of effort. Chaofeng, don''t disappoint me again."


    "Muhou ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t even have time to speak before a huge force brought him into the Ling Xiao Inn. The memories in his mind were quickly extracted, and as if he had fallen into a deep sleep, he opened his eyes and everything returned to normal.


    With his family members who were waiting by his side, Ershan said, "Big Brother, you''re finally awake. Aunt said that you''re critically ill, so Lian Yi and I came back overnight."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at them in a daze.


    Within the capital''s Culture Hall, Siyan slowly opened her eyes, the color of her face had gradually returned to normal, and her eyes had become clear as well. The emperor was pleasantly surprised, and gently hugged her, "You''re awake, Yan''er, did you hear us?"


    "Your Majesty ¡­" Siyan smiled weakly, "I had a very long dream, but when I opened my eyes and saw you, I could no longer remember."


    Xiang Run didn''t care as he kissed her again and again, unwilling to let go of her. "It''s good that you''ve woken up, it''s good that you''ve woken up." He asked loudly, "Where is the imperial physician?"


    Outside the Culture Hall, Wei Tengfei stood with his hands behind his back, looking far into the sky, just a moment ago, it seemed as though something had been pulled out from his body, causing his heart to feel empty, and he even felt a bit of pain.


    "General, the Empress has woken up. The Empress has woken up." The Palace Maid happily came over to report to him. "The Emperor invites you in."


    Wei Tengfei revealed a smile and strode into his sister''s chamber.


    Everything was the same, even the year.


    It was just that Xiaowan had returned to the Qingling Village, had returned to seventeen years old, and was the young lady who was still unmarried.


    On New Year''s Eve, the sound of firecrackers could be heard. Every household had the fragrance of food in the air, and the people of the Aunt Wang family next door were all celebrating New Year in their houses.


    Xiaowan lived in the woodshed, eating half of the white mantou her father had given her in the afternoon. Just as she swallowed it down, she heard the mother call out to her, "The brick bed is no longer hot, Mu Xiaowan, are you going to freeze me to death?"


    She quickly ran out and replied through the window, "Mother, I''ll burn some firewood right now."


    In fact, Xiaowan really liked to burn. Because it was warm, it was the only chance she had to heat the fire.


    The noise of his younger brother and sister came from inside the house, as if they were fighting over the chicken leg. The stepmother''s loud voice scolded them.


    Tonight was New Year''s Eve, so the stepmother began to get busy early in the morning. She carried the dishes in one bowl after another, but didn''t leave any skin for her. She fed them to the chickens.


    But my father secretly stuffed half a mantou into her mouth in the afternoon. Xiaowan ate very well, when was the last time she ate a white flour?


    Looking at the sky full of stars, the Xiaowan smiled foolishly. She couldn''t remember anymore.


    When the fire raged, Xiaowan could no longer stay here. The Queen did not allow her to roast the fire, and said that she had baked it, what were they using to heat it up. Xiaowan did not know what was logical, but it was better for her not to do what the Queen did not allow.


    She got up and left. When she passed by the window, she caught a whiff of the fragrance of the food, but then she heard the stepmother say to her father, "That girl will be 18 years old in the new year. "You are quite free, every year you would go out and leave me at home to listen to their gossip. Could it be that I, as his stepmother, will not allow her to marry me and have her stay at home as a laborer?"


    The Master Mu said, "Every year, I come back for two months, but I don''t have the time to work on it."


    The stepmother scoffed, "You have time, but you can''t reveal it. I''ve told you so many families, but once I heard that you killed off your own mother and sister, no one dares to take it. The silver that I gave to the matchmaker is worth a tael or two, and is all for nothing. However, I didn''t even hear the sound of it. Why did you give birth to such a lost star?


    "You are not allowed to sell her, I am warning you, no matter how much you treat her, I will not argue with you. If you dare to sell Xiaowan, I will sell you." "You can promise her whatever kind of family she wants. You need a name and a name, and you want me to find them. Do you hear me?"


    The stepmother said resentfully, "Why are you being so fierce? You want to sell me? You old bastard, I''m telling you to eat it. I''m telling you to eat it."


    The house was in an uproar. Xiaowan, hearing this, was terrified, so she ran back to the firewood house.


    But the stepmother was really mad. She rushed to the woodshed without saying anything, took a stick from the pile of firewood, and began to smoke on her body.


    Xiaowan curled up in the corner, holding her head. She was dragged out by the stepmother to the brick bed and stripped off her pants, then slapped her butt with her death hand. New injuries piled up and she was in so much pain that she almost died.


    "Are you crazy?" The Master Mu finally caught up, took the wooden stick from the crazy woman and drove her away.


    Xiaowan frantically pulled up her pants, curled up under the brick bed, and cried while shivering.


    "Grandson ¡­" Master Mu sighed, he caressed his daughter''s head and said, "You have to be obedient, don''t make her angry, okay?"


    She nodded with tears in her eyes. Her fart looked like it was about to split. She felt ashamed and choked with sobs. "Dad, I''m obedient."


    Master Mu threw down his wooden stick and said: "Let''s hurry up and get married next year. Once we get married, our days will be better."

 C159

    On New Year''s Eve, Ling Chaofeng who had just recovered from a serious illness and stood on the roof with his cloak wrapped around him.


    Although in the eyes of his family, he was on the verge of death, he didn''t suffer any pain. He only had a long, long dream, in which he dreamt of the Peach Blossom Forest, the Lotus Pond, and a delicate figure.


    However, other than this, he was unable to recall anything else. Furthermore, he was also unable to recall whether that figure was related to him or not.


    "Father ¡­" The chubby little guy stood downstairs with his head held high, "Father, Little Pei also wants to go to the roof."


    Ling Chaofeng lightly jumped down, and looked at the little kid with disdain: "Didn''t I already say, you''re not allowed to call me dad?"


    Aunt Zhang came out from the back door with steaming hot dishes in her hands, and laughed: "You''re not calling me father, what are you calling me? This is a child that you picked up yourself, and you''re unwilling to get married.


    She smiled and called out to Little Pei. "It''s so cold in such a high place, go eat delicious food with Grandma. Aunt Susu has brought her little sister here."


    Little Pei tugged on Ling Chaofeng''s clothes and said, "Daddy is also going. We''re going to eat."


    Ling Chaofeng bent over and carried the little fellow, purposely saying, "Since you''re so fat, you should eat less."


    Little Pei pursed his lips, but nodded obediently: "Daddy, Little Pei will eat one mouthful."


    Ling Chaofeng softened his heart and kissed her son, "So obedient. Tomorrow morning, your father will bring you to the market to buy candied fruits to eat."


    They walked in, the shop was bustling with activity, Susu''s family of four brought along their baby, the Uncle Biao was busy cooking, Ershan and Lian Yi returned from the capital and brought the Mrs. Meng over.


    Everyone sat together and raised their cups in congratulations. Aunt Zhang laughed: "Why do I feel like it''s missing something."


    The table full of people looked at each other, without a single missing person. Auntie Chen laughed: "It must be because Ershan and Lian Yi are not married yet, and lost a cup of daughter-in-law tea."


    Aunt Zhang smiled at Mrs. Meng: "It''s rare for you to come here, since both children are here, I wonder when Ershan will be able to return to the capital. How about we settle the marriage? "I''ve already prepared everything, come and take a look later."


    Although Ershan didn''t manage to become the top scholar, he was still an outstanding talent. The Emperor personally bestowed upon the Residence, bestowed him the title of assistant minister in Ministry Of Justice, and after four or five years, became a Minister. His future was truly limitless.


    Mrs. Meng had already been willing for a hundred thousand years, but when he heard Aunt Zhang say this, he said, "Do it, do it. Take advantage of their presence to arrange the marriage."


    The whole family happily ate their New Year''s Eve meal, and after the meal, they set off fireworks at the back door. Looking at the colorful fireworks, Ling Chaofeng''s heart inexplicably sank.


    He felt as if he had promised someone that he would go to the capital to see the fireworks, but he couldn''t remember who.


    "Little Pei, be careful..." Suddenly hearing Aunt Zhang''s shouts, the three-year-old kid jumped towards the exploding cannon while the adults weren''t paying attention.


    Ling Chaofeng rushed up, and before the firecrackers could explode, he grabbed the little thing and slapped it a few times on the butt, causing Little Pei to cry out loud.


    Aunt Zhang carried the child and said, "Seriously, it''s the new year, so a child without a mother is really pitiful. Little Pei is good, but Little Pei won''t cry. After mom, grandma will definitely find a mom for you, okay? "


    The little guy spasmed for a bit, but then it ran back to Ling Chaofeng''s lap. Reaching out to hug its father, Ling Chaofeng put it on his shoulder and rubbed its little butt, "Is it still painful?"


    Little Pei whimpered, then said: "Father, Little Pei also wants mother."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "What do you think mom is?


    Little Pei said: "I''ll go buy some in town."


    "Silly boy ¡­" Ling Chaofeng carried him back to the shop, "It''s very late, sleep early.


    Xiaowan was unable to sleep soundly, her body was cold and aching. In the morning, when she was still in a daze, she was woken up by a burst of firecrackers. When she saw that it was already dawn, she quickly got up and went to work.


    Burning the fire and fetching the water, cleaning the fragments of the firecrackers in the courtyard. The sun gradually brightened, shining a little warmth on his body.


    "Xiaowan." The Master Mu opened the door and stood inside the door while wearing his clothes to take care of his daughter.


    "Dad, happy new year." Xiaowan ran over and said.


    "Alright, alright." Master Mu took out some copper coins. Xiaowan thought that his father wanted to give her new year''s money and was feeling happy, but his father said, "Your mother ate until she was full last night and caught cold, so she is very impatient. Go take a look at the town''s infirmary, if anyone opens the door, bring her some medicine. More money... Buy yourself something to eat. "


    The Master Mu whispered the last sentence. He handed the copper coin to his daughter and reminded her to go back early.


    Although she didn''t take the New Year''s money, she unexpectedly went to the town on the first day of the new year to get medicine. It had been so many years since she went to the town, so she immediately felt happy.


    "Come back early and get someone to write you a note saying how much it will cost. If you want to steal the money, I''ll cut off your hand." Madam Xu lied down by the window and shouted, "Go quickly!"


    Xiaowan returned to the firewood house and changed into a clean cotton-padded jacket. Although the cotton-padded jacket was very thin, and there were flowers inside, and there were a lot of patches on face, it was already the best outfit in Xiaowan for winter.


    Her favorite thing was two pieces of red cloth at the bottom.


    To go to town, one had to walk ten miles. Xiaowan jogged all the way, sometimes stopping to take a look at the scenery of the mountains in the distance, and then took a deep breath of cold air.


    Walking out of the Qingling Village, her heart was especially open. Even though her stomach was still starving, even though her body was still aching, and she was at least satisfied with one good thing.


    It was indeed the first day of the new year. The town was bustling with activity early in the morning. As soon as they entered the town, they saw the God of Heaven''s worshiping palanquin slowly moving through the streets.


    Last year, Baisha County was plagued by snow and water, and Xiaowan''s home was also flooded. Later on, as long as it was a new year, the people would pay tribute to the heavens to avoid disaster.


    She watched the scene unfold for a while, and then suddenly remembered that she had to get medicine for the Queen, so she went to the infirmary with an old doctor. After hearing what the Xiaowan said, he gave her some medicine and wrote her a note.


    When the girl stretched out her hand, her arm was bruised. Looking at her clothes and her thin body, it was really painful.


    The old doctor asked Xiaowan to hold back and turned around to give her a small porcelain bottle. He smiled and said, "Ointment to disperse blood stasis and activate blood flow, rub on the wound and heal it quickly. Don''t leave the root of your illness lying around."


    Xiaowan was startled, she immediately waved her hand and said: "Doctor, I don''t have any money."


    The old man said, "I don''t want money. This is for a good child." He took a red paper bag from the side and handed it over to Xiaowan. "All of the children that come to the clinic today will be given new year''s money.


    Tears welled up in Xiaowan''s eyes as she thanked and thanked the doctor. After properly packing up the items, she took the warm money and went to the market to take a look.


    Although the patched up Xiaowan looked like a beggar among the crowd of new clothes pedestrians, she was laughing so brightly and was curious about everything. It had been a very long time since she had been so happy to have someone greet her for a New Year.


    By the side of the road, a group of children dispersed with laughter. Each of them held a sweet gourd in their hands as the Xiaowan ran over.


    "One string of three coins, two strings of five coins." The young man selling candied fruits happily said, "Miss, how about two?"


    He did not expect to save two more coins, so Xiaowan became even happier.


    She took out three pieces of money from the red paper bag and changed it to a string of candied fruits. Just as she was about to open her mouth to bite, she saw a chubby little fellow standing beside her, staring pitifully at her ¡­ Look at the candied fruits in your hands.


    "I want to eat too." The little fellow said in a childish voice, "Little Pei wants to eat candied fruits too."


    Xiaowan took a step back, and the little guy turned around and said to the little brother selling candied fruits, "Me too."


    The young man patiently said, "Go and find your parents."


    Little Pei shook his head: "I''ve lost father."


    He turned around, walked up to Xiaowan and pulled his pants leg, his eyes reddened as beads of tears fell as big as beans, "Little Pei also wants to eat candied fruits ¡­"


    Xiaowan hid her candied flakes behind her, but when this little guy cried, her heart would start beating for no reason.


    Xiaowan was afraid that she would be seen by the people of the village. She was afraid that if they went back to tell the stepmother, she would be beaten to death.


    "Lil ''Bro, can I buy another string? It''s a five cent deal, okay?" Xiaowan passed the red paper bag to the person selling the candied fruits and said apologetically, "I only have two coins."


    "Sure." The little brother readily agreed, and after smoking a full fruit, he gave it to Little Pei, "Come, little fellow, take this."


    Little Pei was overjoyed. With one hand holding onto a candied fruit and the other grabbing onto Xiaowan''s leg, Xiaowan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as she said: "Go find your parents."


    "Can''t find it." Little Pei said.


    He happily ate the candied flakes, but one of his hands held onto Xiaowan''s leg without letting go.


    The Xiaowan had no choice but to bring him to sit at a place on the side of the road that could be avoided by passersby. She had to finish the candied fruits quickly so that no one in the village would see her.


    "What''s your name? Where''s your home? What''s your parents?" Xiaowan asked the child as he ate, wondering if he should send him back home later.


    "My name is Little Pei." Little Pei replied. He didn''t know about anything else.


    "How old are you?" Xiaowan asked.


    Little Pei extended his hand out towards her, gesturing to three.


    The Xiaowan laughed and reminded him, "Eat slowly. Don''t make the hawthorn seeds hurt your teeth.


    Little Pei ate very quickly. After he was done eating, he continued to stare at the Xiaowan.


    "Here you go." Xiaowan had already eaten enough, she handed the rest to him, "Slow down."


    At this moment, someone shouted from afar, "Little Pei..."


    Little Pei heard it too, and immediately ran towards the sound and shouted: "Father, I''m here."


    Xiaowan stood up as well. Seeing that her falling figure had become shorter, she knew that it was already late and had to return home.


    Seeing the child in the arms of a man from far away, he was relieved and ran home.


    At this side, Ling Chaofeng angrily picked up his son, raised his head, and saw a frail looking figure running away quickly. He was in a trance, as if he had seen this in his dreams.

 C160

    Little Pei pointed to Xiaowan''s figure and happily said to her father. "Daddy, let Aunt buy me a candied fruit."


    But Ling Chaofeng just stared at him sternly. "What did I tell you before we left, not to run around, have you forgotten everything?"


    Little Pei lowered his head timidly and carried on his shoulder. The little guy accidentally dropped half a stick of candied fruits on the ground. He shouted that he wanted to pick up the candied flakes, but Ling Chaofeng ignored him, and even patted his bottom a few times, warning him to be quiet.


    Returning to the tavern, Little Pei cried bitterly after getting beaten up. After getting beaten up, he sat on the doorstep alone and sobbed, unable to be coaxed by anyone.


    Ling Chaofeng was a little impatient, he came downstairs to reprimand his child, but was stopped by Aunt Zhang at the foot of the stairs and said: "He is only three years old, if he is not naughty now, can he wait until he grows up? If you don''t like him, why did you pick him up? If you don''t send him away, then find him a mother, and in the future, you won''t have to worry. "


    Ling Chaofeng listened silently.


    Aunt Zhang said: "Don''t hit him anymore, you are such a young child, you can do it yourself."


    Ling Chaofeng hurriedly explained: "I didn''t use my strongest skill, and only lightly patted a few times."


    Aunt Zhang said, "Then you''ve scared him too."


    Although Aunt Zhang was only a shop assistant, Ling Chaofeng always treated her as an elder and did not dare to talk back. After she finished muttering her thoughts, she walked over to the door and sat beside Little Pei.


    The little guy looked at him, wincing and wincing, and cowered at the corner of the door.


    Ling Chaofeng reached out and pulled his son into his embrace, rubbing his little fart, he roared: "Does it really hurt? You purposely cried so loudly to make Grandma hurt you, right? "


    Little Pei laid on his shoulder and whimpered lightly. He was extremely wronged that Ling Chaofeng had lost the fight, he consoled him, "I won''t hit you anymore, I promise."


    Ling Chaofeng kissed him. "Alright, stop crying, you''re a boy, you can''t cry easily."


    Little Pei looked at his father foolishly and said, "I want the candied fruits."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "Daddy will buy it for you in a while."


    Little Pei shook his head: "I want to buy from my aunt."


    Ling Chaofeng thought about how when he came out, other people would buy him candied flakes for no reason. The next time he had the chance, he would have to thank that lady.


    He said, "You have to call me elder sister."


    However, Little Pei said loudly, "It''s not big sister."


    At this moment, Xiaowan had already returned home. Although it was delayed for a few hours, her luck was good today. His father''s good friend, the blacksmith shop''s Uncle Zhou, had brought his wife and children to pay respects to him.


    Xiaowan was smart too. When the guests left at night, she took the initiative to hand over the New Year''s money that Uncle Zhou had given her.


    Before going to bed, Xiaowan went back to the cold wooden house and burned another batch of firewood for the house. She curled up into a ball on the bed and took out the red paper packet given by the doctor from her chest pocket.


    The money was gone, but she still had the red paper.


    Xiaowan loved red the most, she knew that one day she would be able to get married in bright red clothes, and she wouldn''t have to suffer the mistreatment of her stepmother anymore.


    What kind of person would her husband be? Xiaowan thought dumbly.


    As long as he didn''t hit anyone and didn''t gamble, even if he was missing an arm or a leg, it didn''t matter. No matter who he married, she would live a good life with him.


    If she had a child, a big fat kid or a fat girl like the little guy she met today, she would definitely cherish them and love them dearly, not letting them suffer even a little bit.


    Xiaowan laughed mischievously, not feeling embarrassed at herself. She turned his body around and curled his body even tighter.


    On the second day of the new year, his father brought his stepmother, younger brother, and sister to visit the stepmother''s home, carrying large and small bags of things.


    The stepmother then warned the Xiaowan, "Chop some firewood for me at home and fill the water vat. If you don''t finish doing these things when you get back, I''ll chop you apart."


    Xiaowan agreed and sent them out of the house. She rolled up her sleeves and started working, splitting firewood and fetching water was a common occurrence for her, she would finish doing it before noon.


    For the next half day, when it was rare that there was no one at home, she took some clothes that needed mending and sat in the sun, warming herself in the sun while she did her needlework.


    From time to time, a villager would pass outside the fence. She would stand up to congratulate him. She was very polite.


    After they had walked a distance, one of them said, "Whose lady is this? Even if it''s the new year, with such a beautiful appearance, why is it that her body is covered with patches and she doesn''t wear any good clothes."


    She was from a foreign land, so she naturally did not know. The village people explained to her that the Xiaowan did not have a mother, and the stepmother had treated her very badly, causing everyone in the village to know about it, and they all laughed bitterly: "All year round, there is no time where people don''t get beaten up. This child''s body, if it was my girl, she would have already been beaten to death."


    "Why didn''t you say anything?" The woman said.


    The woman from the village clicked her tongue, "How could you say that, her stepmother is a famous shrewd character in our village."


    The woman said, "You look sixteen or seventeen years old. Why aren''t you getting married? Stay at home and be her stepmother''s servant? "


    Only now did he know that because Xiaowan''s life was too tough, she had exterminated everyone in the family at birth, leaving her father with nothing.


    People in the village didn''t dare to marry a daughter-in-law like that. They would go out as a matchmaker, but when they heard that someone with a tough life was going to marry her, they refused to take it.


    The women had already left long ago, so Xiaowan quickly finished her needlework. Although it was just some mending, she also cherished it and kept it away, afraid that the Queen would suddenly barge in and make things difficult for her.


    But today she was not unlucky either. The stepmother was drunk at her mother''s house, brought back by her father. How could a drunk person have the energy to torment her?


    On the morning of the third day, Madam Xu woke up with a splitting headache. When Xiaowan sent hot water in, she impatiently kicked him twice, cursed him a few times, and lost all her strength to continue tormenting him.


    After a while, the women of the village came to the door and sat in the sun together, eating melon seeds while the Xiaowan rubbed corn in the corner and listened to their stories.


    The Li family''s concubine walked past the wattled fencing and handed out candy for everyone to eat.


    Everyone asked her why she married but did not say a word. She laughed and said: "Our family''s hair has not been fully grown yet, which family should we marry, it''s the daughter of Prefect Meng who was originally married from the Li Prefecture today. I came over from the town, nice fellow.


    Everyone began to discuss why they had not caught up with such a good matter.


    "Evening, eat a piece of candy." The Li family''s aunt threw a piece to Xiaowan. She carefully caught it and looked at the Queen Mother timidly while holding the candy.


    Madam Xu impatiently said: "Auntie, you can eat if I give it to you. What, you still want to show off in front of everyone? "Little girl, you really don''t know anyone."


    Xiaowan hurriedly stuffed the candy into her mouth. It was sweet, even sweeter than the candy on the candied fruits on the first day.


    She couldn''t help but to laugh, feeling so happy that she didn''t know what she was happy about.


    Within the Ling Xiao Inn, Meng Lianyi, dressed in Feng Guanxia''s attire, was pushed into the inn by everyone. The inn had already been set up once again and large red and joyous words were pasted everywhere.


    Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang sat in a hall, looking at the high-spirited Ershan joyfully, proudly walking over to bring the bride in.


    After kowtowing and kowtowing, he changed the order and sent it to the bridal chamber.


    Ling Chaofeng had a lot of friends in the town, who all brought gifts for the wedding wine. The Prefect Liang also sent a big gift, ordering the Constable Li to come watch the ceremony for him.


    The inn was crowded with people, it was extremely lively, but Little Pei did not enjoy the bustle of shuttling through the crowd like he usually did, he just sat below the railing on the third floor, looking down.


    Ling Chaofeng inadvertently looked up and saw his son sitting there depressingly. He thought that if there was anything suitable, he should find a mother for Little Pei.


    But, what kind of woman should he marry? At the very least, he must treat his own child well, no ¡­ He should marry a woman he liked, and love her all his life.


    Within the Qingling Village, the women chatted until it was noon before they dispersed. This morning, Xiaowan had finished kneading a large basket of corn and listened to many stories.


    In the past, everyone said that it was a black shop, killing and selling meat buns, and the shopkeeper was a fiendish demon or demon. Every time Xiaowan heard it, her heart would tremble.


    However, in the past two years, their shop''s shopkeeper had gone all the way to the capital. Although he had not won the top scholar in the end, he was now a fifth ranked official, returning home in glory.


    And what the women discussed the most today was that Manager Ling had picked up a baby in its cradle at the entrance of the shop three years ago and raised it inside the shop. It was unknown whether it was a debt that he owed the woman or something else.


    They were very curious as to what kind of woman would become Ling Chaofeng''s wife in the end.


    Madam Xu asked, "Have you all seen his appearance? What does he look like?"


    The women all had their own opinions. There were also people who said that they had recently seen a beautiful and elegant woman.


    As the days passed, Xiaowan was used to being beaten and scolded. The year quickly ended.


    After the Spring Lantern Festival, Master Mu was about to leave the Baisha County to go work outside. Before he left, he said a few words to Xiaowan, saying that he would definitely arrange a marriage for his daughter when he returned this year.


    The Xiaowan just listened in silence, not saying anything.


    After her biological father left, Xiaowan had even more carefully taken care of her stepmother and brother and sister. Although she couldn''t avoid being beaten up and tortured, she still thought that she might be able to get married this year.


    So, no matter what, she had to live until that time. But if she married someone, she would live a dark life. If she could run away, then she would run away. If she couldn''t, then she would just die.


    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, winter had passed. The mountain gradually became greener after Qingling Village, and Xiaowan was always the first to go up the mountain to pick firewood.


    Madam Xu saw that she was diligent and did not hit her at all for the past few days. She did not know why, but she was always in a good mood. Of course her stepmother was in a good mood, it was all because of Xiaowan''s good fortune that she was able to avoid getting beaten up.


    In the middle of March, Xiaowan was sent to the mountain by her stepmother to dig up bamboo shoots. She was not allowed to go home until she had filled a big basket.


    She was lucky to meet her uncle and aunty in the village. They felt pity for Xiaowan who were always being abused by her stepmother, so they gave all the bamboo shoots they dug to her so that she could return home early to make friends with them.


    At this time, every household in the village had either gone up the mountain or went down to work. The entire village was silent.


    Xiaowan was afraid that she would wake up her stepmother so she lightly opened the door. Just as she walked to the window with a big basket of bamboo shoots on her back, she heard a sound she hadn''t heard in a long time.


    Madam Xu was shouting crazily, "Big brother, go easy on me, you''re going to kill me, ah ¡­" "My dear father ¡­"


    Every time she and her father did this, it was always very loud. When she was young, she thought that her father was beating up her mother, and only after growing up did she understand that it was because she doted on her mother.


    But, hadn''t her father left home to work? Could the man in this room ¡­


    The man''s voice was fierce as he said, "Jian, am I stronger than your man? "Hmm?"


    This was Uncle Wang''s voice from next door. Xiaowan''s heart almost jumped out of his throat.


    Carrying a basket full of bamboo shoots, she ran all the way out to the riverside outside the village.


    At the moment, the sun was shining brightly on the shallow river. The river water was crystal clear and Xiaowan was sweating profusely from running, hence she leaned over to wash her face.


    Looking at her reflection in the water, her heart stirred. She hadn''t washed her hair in a long time.

 C161

    The water in the early spring was still very cold. It was really inappropriate to use it to wash one''s hair, but the Xiaowan would still use ice and snow to melt the water.


    She sat by the river, untied her black hair, and used the flowing river to wash. The water was not as cold as she had imagined, and she could still endure it.


    The last time, they were caught red-handed by their father on the spot. Under Aunt Wang''s pleading, they were unable to capture them to dry for three days. Why was it that before long, they got into trouble again?


    Xiaowan sighed. Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps on the water in the distance.


    Halfway through, the horse was thirsty, hence he led it to the water''s edge to drink. When he walked closer to the river bank, he realized that a young lady was washing her hair.


    Ling Chaofeng immediately pulled the horse out of the water, not wanting to let the girl dirty the water, but he was curious, it was still so cold in March, how could he use the water to wash his hair?


    Naturally, he wouldn''t meddle. He pulled the horse by the reins and wanted to take it downstream for a drink of water.


    However, the Xiaowan was afraid that the people in the village would see it, or perhaps there was some other trouble, after drying her hair, she wanted to leave quickly, but instead, she stepped on the slippery moss and fell down onto a big horse.


    "Miss!" Seeing that, Ling Chaofeng immediately jumped over the river and helped Xiaowan up. When he held onto Xiaowan''s arm, his heart trembled, he was so skinny, so skinny that it was practically skin and bones.


    "I''m fine, thank you ¡­" Xiaowan stood there in a sorry state, her entire body was drenched, this time was bad, she raised her head, wanting to thank the people in front of her, but when she saw Ling Chaofeng''s face, she was stunned.


    She had lived for almost eighteen years, but she had never seen such a handsome man. He was tall and slender, tall and straight, neither too tall nor too thin.


    How could she describe the face of this man? She had never read any books and could not use beautiful words. She was just too good-looking.


    Xiaowan suddenly realized that she was staring at her impolitely, and quickly lowered her gaze, "Many thanks, Young Master."


    In Ling Chaofeng''s eyes, the frail and weak girl, with a pale face, was similarly an attractive face. He never thought that in this small village, there would actually be such a beautiful woman.


    The girl might be a little poor. Her clothes were worn and tattered, and her arms were exposed. Why was there a whip mark on her arm?


    Xiaowan tried her best to wring out her clothes, but it was all in vain. The sky was still very cold, it would take at least half a day for him to cover it all with her hands.


    If she went home wet like this, she would definitely be beaten and scolded by her stepmother. Although her stepmother never gave her good clothes to wear, she would still say that she did not cherish things.


    "If I do this, I''ll catch a cold." Ling Chaofeng said, "You must immediately take off your clothes, dry yourself, and use a torch to dry your clothes."


    Xiaowan shook his head and laughed: "Just dry it under the sun. It''s fine."


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "It''s all my fault that my horse scared you. Lady, I ¡­"


    But Xiaowan had already carried her bamboo shoot, bowed to Ling Chaofeng and said goodbye, then turned and left.


    seemed to have met this back before. Was it the person who bought the candied flakes for Little Pei in the New Year''s Day bazaar?


    "Miss ¡­" Ling Chaofeng chased after him.


    "Yes, is there anything else?" Xiaowan turned around with a shaky look as if she was shy. Her heart trembled when she heard such a handsome man talk to her.


    "May I ask if the young lady bought a candied fruits for a child of such a young age in the New Year''s Day Baisha Town market?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "That''s right ¡­" Xiaowan nodded and looked at Ling Chaofeng. Could it be his child?


    "That''s my son, he''s caused trouble for the girl." Ling Chaofeng bowed and said, "Thank you, Miss."


    Xiaowan was speechless, and a little disappointed.


    Sure enough, such a beautiful fat child must have a handsome father, and his mother must also be a great beauty.


    She was dazed for a moment. What was she thinking? What did it have to do with her?


    "I should go." The Xiaowan smiled and turned to leave.


    Ling Chaofeng stood by the river and waited for her to turn and enter the village before mounting his horse and returning to the inn. He sped along the way, but he couldn''t get a glimpse of Xiaowan''s face.


    Xiaowan returned to the village and peeked her head out of the door. When she saw Wen Bao from afar waving his schoolbag back, she immediately ran over to talk to her brother, and the two of them went back home.


    Fortunately, Uncle Wang had already left. Madam Xu walked out with her hair tied up, her face glowing. She gently asked his son if he had studied hard today, and if he was hungry.


    Seeing that Xiaowan had returned with a big basket of bamboo shoots, she was satisfied and could not be bothered with her. She sent her to start a fire to boil some water, she wanted to prepare food for her son.


    Xiaowan did have the chance to roast the clothes on her body dry, but when she stared at the flames, she could actually see the face of a man.


    She quickly patted her own face. What was she thinking? She really did have a wife and children. Even if she didn''t, it wouldn''t be her turn in this life. She really wanted to get married and go mad, but even if she did, she wouldn''t have such good luck. As a person, it was better to be more honest.


    At the moment, Ling Chaofeng had already returned to the inn. Everyone saw that he was worried, so they warned him not to be naughty and anger his father.


    Little Pei said proudly, "Father said that he guaranteed that he will never hit me again."


    Aunt Zhang was displeased: "Then you can go up to the room and take them down? "Don''t be so naughty, who can stop your father from throwing a tantrum?"


    Little Pei nervously covered his little butt, his eyes rolling around as he asked his grandmother: "Could it be that Little Pei has a mother, that Mother can stop him?"


    "This little guy really knows a lot." Aunt Zhang hugged Little Pei happily, "When your father has a wife, there will be someone to take care of him."


    But thinking about it, who could guarantee that their married wife would treat their child well? Who knows, they might even suspect that it was Ling Chaofeng''s illegitimate son.


    In the afternoon, the inn received two tables of guests. After the guests left, Aunt Zhang gave the silver to Ling Chaofeng to settle the score.


    As if he was absent-minded and took out the wrong account, Aunt Zhang smiled. "Is this morning''s matter very troublesome? Why are you going out on a trip?


    Susu walked past him while carrying a small bowl and chopsticks, and said with a smile: "Manager seemed to have something on her mind today, and when I came back, he didn''t even see me, and directly walked past me."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at Susu and thought back to the time when she and Auntie Chen fled to the tavern. His body was riddled with scars.


    As they were all family, there was nothing that could not be said. Ling Chaofeng told her about meeting an unfamiliar lady in the Qingling Village and even asked her if she bought Little Pei a candied flakes.


    After the Aunt Zhang heard this, she felt that something was amiss. She asked Ling Chaofeng, "What did you say about Little Pei?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I said Little Pei is my son."


    Aunt Zhang heaved a huge sigh and threw the cloth onto the table, "Are you stupid? If you say it like this, I will definitely think that you have become a family with a wife and children. Just say it directly that Little Pei is your adopted child. "


    Ling Chaofeng was dumbstruck. Aunt Zhang followed Susu and said something like "Serves you right to be single your entire life. You made me blind just by looking at your face."


    Little Pei carried his cloth tiger and stood at the side, chuckling towards his father.


    Ling Chaofeng said snappily, "Go play at the side."


    Little Pei ran off and returned after a while. He tugged at his father''s clothes and asked: "Father, when are you going to buy mother for me in town?"


    Ling Chaofeng squatted down, and nodded his head: "Mother didn''t buy it back, she wanted to use a big palanquin to carry it back."


    Little Pei then said, "Daddy, go and carry them."


    Ling Chaofeng said in displeasure: "You wish! With how thick-skinned you are, who would be willing to be your mother?"


    Little Pei pouted and said softly: "Daddy, I''m good."


    Ling Chaofeng carried his son and had him mount him on his shoulder, making the little fellow giggle out loud. However, Ling Chaofeng suddenly blanked out for a moment, as if he had seen this kind of scene somewhere before ¡­


    In a blink of an eye, it was already April. In these past few days, the Aunt Wang next door seemed to have sensed something, and seeing that the sky was with their man and they were not talking to Madam Xu, the two families remained cold.


    Madam Xu was unwilling and guilty at the same time. One day, when she saw Aunt Wang holding onto a man to wash his hair in the courtyard while the couple talked intimately with each other, she gritted her teeth in anger. Her internal organs were about to merge together.


    Xiaowan went up the mountain to pick up firewood and worked hard to come back. However, she didn''t know that wild flowers were floating on her hair.


    He happened to be on the same road as the young brother of the Wang family on the way home. After being praised as beautiful, the Xiaowan asked him where there were flowers and the young brother of the Wang family picked them for her.


    Unexpectedly, this scene happened to be seen by the two big families. Aunt Wang looked through the fence and shouted, "Really, there''s something wrong here, a little girl in her teens knows that I like alluring men. Naturally, it''s at home to imitate me."


    The Madam Xu hated him to the core, she rushed to the outside and shouted: Mu Xiaowan, come back here!


    Xiaowan didn''t even know what she did wrong. When she entered the door, she received two slaps on the face. Madam Xu took out a branch from her basket and directly whipped her body.


    The Xiaowan was so scared that she ran all over the place but she angered the Madam Xu. She went forward and grabbed her hair, pulled off her belt, and tied her hands onto the stone grinder, hitting her farts and thighs until they were dead. After pulling out the branches, she went to get a poker for herself.


    Xiaowan gradually lost all her strength to even cry, hitting her body time and time again.


    When the villagers saw that their children were about to be beaten to death, they finally had people coming to advise them against it. Aunt Wang pretended to advise as she sat at the side to catch her breath because she was tired.


    Xiaowan fainted on the ground, her entire body was in pain, she could only remember the people in the village talking about something, many faces flashed past his eyes, and then his eyes turned black, she did not know anything.

 C162

    Xiaowan was woken up by the splash of cold water. She opened her eyes and realized that the villagers had already dispersed.


    "Get up and take those clothes to the river to wash." The Madam Xu did not care about the injuries on Xiaowan''s body and ordered her, "If you can''t wash up by nightfall, you will have no food to eat once you return. If you want to starve, then just dawdle. And don''t wash my clothes, or I''ll cut off your fingers. "


    Xiaowan climbed up with much effort as her butt was in extreme pain. Luckily she had been beaten up in the courtyard today, and Madam Xu had not ripped off her pants, so she wouldn''t lose her skin. However, the pain had made it difficult for her to move a single step.


    Carrying a big basket of clothes, he walked step by step towards the river. The fiery red sunset shone onto the surface of the water, causing the Xiaowan to mutter to herself in her heart. She hoped that the sun would set a little more slowly so that she could hurry back home after washing up and see if her stepmother could give her a bite to eat.


    Xiaowan swiftly washed her clothes, but her butt was too painful. She couldn''t sit still, so she could only bend her body.


    Suddenly, she heard the sound of horse hooves. Xiaowan''s heart trembled as she looked towards the source of the sound.


    Under the setting sun, a tall figure was riding a horse and was slowly walking over. The setting sun painted his body with a layer of golden light, making him look like a god that came from the sky.


    Xiaowan recognized the figure of the Young Master from that day. Her heart was thumping hard, but she immediately retracted her gaze.


    She couldn''t be like this. She couldn''t imagine impossible things to numb her. People had wives and children. She shouldn''t even look at them.


    But when he retracted his gaze, he was shocked to see his stepmother''s dress floating in the air. Xiaowan did not have the time to grab it, and immediately jumped into the river to fish for it.


    Tonight, the water was a bit rushed, so she had no strength to withstand the impact. She was washed away by the water and fell face first onto the ground.


    Seeing that, Ling Chaofeng quickly jumped off the horse to catch up, but Xiaowan was already unconscious in the cold river.


    "Miss?" Ling Chaofeng carried Xiaowan up. He was unconscious in his arms, but no matter how he called, he did not reply.


    It was dark, Da Qing drove the carriage from the pier, and was about to bring Susu and the child home. Coincidentally, he met Ling Chaofeng at the same time, bringing a girl down from the horse he was on when he returned to the inn.


    As they walked into the shop, the lights were on, and everyone could see that the young lady was unconscious, her weak and frail body in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace, looking extremely small.


    "Daddy bought it for me." Little Pei ran over and looked at his father with surprise and joy, "Father, did you buy a mother for Little Pei?"


    Ling Chaofeng and his son did not have time to play around. He and Aunt Zhang looked at each other for a moment before he carried the others and went to the guest room upstairs.


    Susu handed the child over to Da Qing and went upstairs to help out. Together with Aunt Zhang, he took off Xiaowan''s drenched clothes. They were trembling with anger.


    "Too pitiful." Susu immediately shed tears, thinking back to the days when she was beaten up, she knew that this girl had suffered a lot. As she cried, she carefully wiped the medicine on her body and helped her put her clothes back on.


    Xiaowan couldn''t lie down to sleep, she could only lie on her side.


    Uncle Biao went to get a doctor. When the doctor saw Xiaowan, he sighed and said, "It''s that child again, she came to grab some medicine for me during the new year, and I saw that she was injured. Sigh ¡­ A heartless person, such a good child, beating him up like this. "


    waved for him to come in, then hugged him to let him look at Xiaowan''s face. Little Pei asked his son, "Is this your sister who bought you the candied fruits?"


    "It''s aunt." Little Pei corrected his father, "It''s not big sister."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed, that''s right, if his son calls his big sister then they are weaker than him by a generation, and that is ¡­


    He looked back at the unconscious man and felt pity for him. However, the first time he saw this girl, it was not only out of pity.


    "Father, is this my mother?" Little Pei asked.


    "Don''t spout nonsense, it will scare them off." Ling Chaofeng said softly, "Little Pei, be good. When my aunt wakes up tomorrow, can you give her some candy?"


    Little Pei nodded his head, "I will give all the sugar to Aunt to eat. That way Aunt will be able to become my mother."


    Ling Chaofeng did not know whether to laugh or cry.


    The little guy was lying on his father''s shoulder and was carried out. When he looked at the person on the bed, his tears fell, but he quickly wiped them away with his fat hands, not daring to let his father find out.


    Xiaowan had a very long sleep, her body was warm and comfortable, while her fart was cold and calm. She greedily immersed herself in such comfort, but in her dreams, she would still be uneasy.


    He didn''t know if he would be woken up by a splash of cold water, and he didn''t know if he would be woken up by his stepmother again.


    Skirt... Xiaowan opened her eyes in shock as she remembered Madam Xu''s dress floating in the river.


    However, in front of him was not the vicious and sinister face of the Queen Mother. Instead, it was a pair of gentle eyes and a gaze filled with heartache. A beautiful woman lovingly asked, "Child, you''re awake?"


    Xiaowan was in a trance as she looked at Aunt Zhang blankly, as if she had seen him somewhere. No, she couldn''t possibly have seen him before, this must be a dream, she must still be in a dream.


    "I''ll change the medicine for you first. We''ll eat when it''s over." The Aunt Zhang said, gently pushing the Xiaowan down, and pulled off her pants.


    The Xiaowan curled up in fear. The Aunt Zhang said gently, "Good child, don''t be afraid. We are all women.


    As he said that, he wiped away the remaining ointment on Xiaowan''s face. Because of the pain, Xiaowan clenched his teeth, she did not dare to gnaw on it, but her body could not help but tremble.


    As the cold medicinal paste was applied again, the pain gradually dissipated and Xiaowan''s body finally relaxed.


    "Just call me Aunt Zhang, I work in this inn." "Aunt Zhang touched Xiaowan''s face and smiled gently," Last night, you were picked up by our shopkeeper.


    There was a man''s voice outside the door. Aunt Zhang said she would let him in if there was nothing wrong. The young woman saw the tall, powerful, rugged man come in with a bowl and chopsticks.


    She was dumbstruck, but the aroma of the food seeped into her body in an equally domineering manner.


    "It''s hard to avoid the smell of porridge cooked with goose meat and duck soup, but it''s all fire and poison." The Uncle Biao said, "The meat has already been torn into shreds for you to digest. Child, you are too weak.


    Xiaowan was supported up and leaned into her embrace. She took the porridge bowl, scooped a spoonful and blew on it, then put it by her mouth.


    It must be a dream, it must be, or maybe, is she dead?


    Xiaowan looked at everything in front of her in confusion. She unconsciously lowered her head and drank a mouthful of the warm and delicious porridge, as if she had injected some strength into her weak body.


    At this time, there was a little guy wearing sleeping clothes. His hair was in a mess and he was drowsy as he looked at the door, then he turned and ran. Not long after, he ran back to Xiaowan''s bed.


    Xiaowan remembered that this was the child who pestered her to buy candied flakes on the first day of the new year. She never expected that they would meet again, even meeting family members.


    "I''ll give you some candy." Little Pei placed his sugar jar in Xiaowan''s embrace, "Aunt, I''ll give you TangTang to eat, but it won''t hurt if you eat it.


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "The sun is rising in the west, us Little Pei are willing to give the candy to others to eat."


    Xiaowan was overwhelmed by the favor. When did she ever have such a life to be doted on? She must have died and been reincarnated into someone else''s body.


    "Grandmother, I also want to eat porridge." As Little Pei said this, he crawled onto the bed and suddenly fell into Xiaowan''s embrace. The Xiaowan didn''t have the strength to bear the fat little fellow right now, so she couldn''t help but fall backwards, pressing heavily on the bed with her fart, causing her entire body to tremble in pain.


    "Little Pei!" Xiaowan opened her eyes when she heard the angry voice. The man standing in front of the door was him again.


    Ling Chaofeng walked in, and after bowing to Xiaowan, he used his gaze to force his son out of her arms. The little guy stood obediently by his father''s side, not daring to make another move.


    Ling Chaofeng then asked the Xiaowan: "Is Miss better?"


    The Aunt Zhang then asked: "Child, what is your name, which family are you from?"


    Xiaowan lowered her gaze and introduced herself. She did not forget to thank Ling Chaofeng for saving her and did not forget to ask, "Did you throw those clothes by the river?"


    But the people here didn''t care about their clothes, they cared about the Xiaowan and asked her, "Who hit you? The doctor who came to see you last night said that he saw you on New Year''s Day and that there was a wound on your arm. It''s been several months.


    Xiaowan''s tears were in her eyes as she nodded, unable to say a word.


    Aunt Zhang asked, "Who hit you, your father, or your mother?"


    "It''s the stepmother ¡­" Xiaowan choked with sobs, "My father is not at home, he is working in the countryside, he is the foreman who opened the mountain, his mother died a long time ago."


    "Poor child, you should stay here to recuperate and recover before leaving." Aunt Zhang said, "Don''t worry about other things, don''t worry about those tattered clothes. If your stepmother really wants to fuss about it, I will give her the silver."


    Xiaowan shook her head, looking at Aunt Zhang, then looking at Ling Chaofeng, he timidly said: "I ¡­ I can''t give you all any trouble. The stepmother is very powerful, she ¡­ "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I''ll go to your house for a trip in a while. You can stay here to rest and recuperate. With me here, don''t be afraid. "


    Xiaowan stared at him blankly. Unknowingly, she started blushing and felt the roots of her neck heating up. She quickly lowered her head.


    The Aunt Zhang smiled but did not say anything, she helped her lie down once again, and laughed: "Another worker will come to work later, your older sister, you youngsters should have a easier time talking, okay?"


    What''s wrong with that? Even now, the Xiaowan still felt that she was either in a dream or had already died. How could she possibly have such a good life?


    But thinking carefully, if it wasn''t death but a dream, dreams would wake her up, and she would still return to that home. The Madam Xu might not be able to hold back in her fury right now, and wanted to skin her alive.


    When Ling Chaofeng went downstairs, Aunt Zhang also came downstairs. She looked at the shopkeeper with a smile. "Leave her behind."

 C163

    Inside the Qingling Village, Mu Xiaowan did not return for the entire night. Madam Xu was looking for her everywhere with a broom in her hand, which alarmed the entire village.


    In the past, there had been cases of Xiaowan hiding outside and not returning home because of fear, but they were young and timid, and they only dared to hide and not leave home. Sooner or later, they would be found by her early in the morning and then given a beating.


    When Uncle Biao drove the horse carriage leisurely to the village, he was standing on the road with his hands on his hips and shouting, "Mu Xiaowan, come out. If you come out now, I''ll spare your life.


    When she turned around, she saw a tall and mighty man sitting on the carriage and glaring at her.


    But Uncle Biao jumped down from the carriage and walked towards her.


    Madam Xu had lived her entire life and had never seen such a valiant man before. On the other hand, not only was Uncle Biao''s body tall, her appearance was domineering as well.


    "You, what are you trying to do ¡­" When the Madam Xu realized that the Uncle Biao was heading straight for her, she could only retreat in fear.


    "Xiaowan is recuperating in our inn." Uncle Biao said, "Last night, the child was unconscious. We could not find out where he came from, so when he woke up today, he immediately came to inform us."


    "She ¡­" "Inn?" Madam Xu was confused.


    The Uncle Biao introduced himself, saying that it was someone they found in the river. At first, they thought that someone had killed someone and abandoned their corpse, but they never thought that they were actually a living person. However, the child was beaten up, so after they came to inform the Madam Xu, they went to inform the officials.


    The reason he said he wanted to report it was naturally to scare the Madam Xu, and the Madam Xu was terrified as expected.


    It was not easy for a woman like her to take care of a child. She said many nice things and begged the Uncle Biao not to report at the yamen.


    The Uncle Biao then said: "The child is severely injured, if you think it''s appropriate, we can let her rest for a few days."


    Madam Xu rolled her eyes and said timidly: "Let her go home, I, I will take care of her."


    Uncle Biao did not say a word. He just stared at her, scaring Madam Xu to the point that her stomach was trembling. She hurriedly said: "Yes yes, let her recuperate in the inn."


    Uncle Biao laughed, turned and got on the carriage, and leisurely walked away.


    Madam Xu was holding onto her chest as she panted heavily. Only then did the people from the village appear and ask who she was talking to. Some said that the man was from Ling Xiao Inn, and that she always came to the town to sell buns. Every year, she would also place porridge on the ground.


    "That scared me to death ¡­" Madam Xu sat on a rock. She couldn''t understand, how did they manage to find Mu Xiaowan twenty miles away from the Ling Xiao Inn. Could it be that the little bitch committed suicide by throwing herself into the river?


    When she woke up, the person accompanying her was a young and beautiful young lady. She was holding a baby in her arms and feeding it to the child.


    "You''re awake. Are you hungry?" Susu said, and then went to the door and called out, not long later, she saw Aunt Zhang going upstairs, bringing over a bowl of laying egg noodles.


    "There are customers in the store, Xiaowan, you take your time to eat, I will go and entertain them." The Aunt Zhang touched Xiaowan''s head and said gratefully, "You are still young, and your complexion is looking good now. What a good child."


    Aunt Zhang quickly went downstairs. Susu put the child down and came over to help support Xiaowan.


    In the morning, when they were eating a bowl of duck meat porridge, the Xiaowan was in high spirits. At the moment, there were two white, tender, yellow and clear eggs lying on top of the fragrant noodles.


    Susu laughed: "I am not a few years older than you, just call me by my name, I am Susu, and your name is Xiaowan, right? You go ahead and eat, I just ate it first. "


    Xiaowan nodded, holding a hot bowl and drinking a mouthful of soup, a smile suddenly blossomed on her face. She looked at Susu excitedly with sparkling eyes, as if saying, "How can there be such delicious food in this world?"


    "Hurry up and eat it, the noodles will pile up in a while." Susu laughed.


    When Ling Chaofeng went upstairs and saw that the Xiaowan was eating, she carefully bit off the egg and sucked on it contently. He smiled happily, satisfied that much, it was just a bowl of ordinary noodles.


    He didn''t enter the room and didn''t want to make Xiaowan nervous. He wanted her to enjoy this bowl of noodles.


    The moment he turned around, he saw Little Pei running down from the stairs and was about to rush into the Xiaowan''s house. Seeing that his father was there, he quickly put his hands behind his back and stood properly.


    "Finished writing?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "Finished." Little Pei replied obediently, "Daddy, I''ve finished memorizing the book."


    The Aunt Zhang recited the words several times for the sake of letting a three-year-old practice reciting.


    However, Ling Chaofeng felt that Little Pei was indeed smarter than the other children, so it didn''t matter if he studied earlier, since it wouldn''t affect his play.


    Since he was able to teach Ershan how to become an outstanding student, his own son definitely wouldn''t be weak.


    "Go on, don''t make things difficult for your aunt. Be a bit more obedient." Ling Chaofeng opened up a path.


    Little Pei stuck to the wall and took a few steps, then smiled at his father, and turned around and ran into the Xiaowan''s room.


    Not long after, laughter could be heard from inside the house, although Ling Chaofeng did not know why they were so happy, he could not help but smile.


    Aunt Zhang raised her head from downstairs and saw that there was a smile on her face. She calculated in her heart that it was finally time to get married to this brat.


    Besides, in the tavern, only during the first month of the new year would there be such a joyous event. By the time Ershan brought Lian Yi back to the capital, he would be accompanied by his legal and proper wife.


    But she wasn''t too happy about the way they had arranged the marriage. She felt that it was too hasty and not grand enough, especially since she hadn''t been able to attend her grandson''s wedding.


    There were a few complaints about this matter. Fortunately, Lian Yi was very considerate, so after everything was settled and tidy up, she told her that she would bring Grandmother over to the Lang Zhong Residence to stay for a few days.


    Although their house was not as spacious and clean as Prime Minister''s Estate, it was more than enough to serve the old lady.


    Old Madem immediately agreed. He even said that he would bring Hanxi along, naturally, it was because he was rejected by the Mrs. Bi.


    On this day, Lian Yi brought a servant to the Prime Minister''s Estate, and was about to bring Old Madem to stay at home. As for the things in the Old Madem, they had all been packed, and only brought two personal attendants with them as they waited for their granddaughter.


    However, after waiting for a long time, the nurse in her room came and said that the young miss was not feeling well, so she didn''t go today.


    Old Madem hurriedly asked with concern: "Everything''s fine, where you''re not feeling well, quickly tell me to go and take a look."


    "Old Madem ¡­" Unable to stop the servants, they could only follow the old lady towards the pavilion.


    Lian Yi followed behind her and went into her room. Sure enough, she saw Hanxi lying on her bed.


    Old Madem doted on his granddaughter as he sat on the side of the bed touching the child up and down. At the same time, he instructed the servants to go and invite some familiar imperial doctors over, and said to Lian Yi: "Wait a moment, let me see how Little Xi is, then I''ll think about whether or not I should go to your place."


    When the imperial physician arrived, the Mrs. Bi personally went to receive him. This way the imperial physician naturally knew what was going on. After building a pulse and examining him for half a day, he said that the young miss had caught a bit of cold and would be fine after resting for a few days.


    The Old Madem hesitated as he thought about whether or not he should leave home right now. Fortunately, Lian Yi was careful, and said gently, "Wait until my sister is well, then we can go together again. Otherwise, if you go to our house and think about my sister, you will never be able to live peacefully. Grandma, in a few days, Ershan and I will come together to see you and Hanxi. "


    "Alright, alright, I will wait for Little Xi to recover before going to your house, there''s no need to be anxious about the next few days." The old lady covered her granddaughter with the blanket and muttered, "This child, why is he so weak? He must have been scared by her father."


    Mrs. Bi stood at the side with a straight face, not saying a word. Lian Yi was courteous to her, he only treated it as not seeing it, but Lian Yi naturally would not care, she and Ershan both knew, that in this family, they would always be guests.


    "Grandma, I''ll go back first." Lian Yi said to the Old Madem, "If there''s anything you need, please just send a servant to the middle school''s residence to instruct me."


    "Good child, be careful on your way." Old Madem said, and ordered the mama by his side to send Second Young Madam out.


    Lian Yi bowed towards the Mrs. Bi, who turned his face away and ignored him. Lian Yi smiled warmly and followed the mama away.


    After they left, the Old Madem finally spoke out: "You are the daughter of the Hou clan, and the wife of the prime minister. To be disrespectful to a junior, no wonder those noble women kept on pointing fingers and looking down on you from behind your back."


    "Mother, aren''t these words too harsh ¡­" Mrs. Bi held back the anger in his heart.


    She had already been angry with her mother-in-law several times and had even spread it outside the house. The more she lived, the worse it was for her. She thought that even if her son married his daughter, he would still be able to give her face and make her proud. In the end, the bastard ran back and took everything from her and her child.


    "What''s wrong with what I''m saying? You don''t sound comfortable, do you? I''m not used to it yet! " The Old Granny reprimanded him, "For such disgraceful matters, even I was pointed at. Blame me, your mother-in-law, for not being able to teach a daughter-in-law."


    Mrs. Bi kneeled down and said emotionlessly: "My daughter-in-law is not filial."


    Old Madem snorted: "Don''t kneel before me, just treat it as me torturing you. How about I kneel before you and beg you to let my children reunite with me?"


    Hanxi sat up from the bed. She was truly happy to be with her mother, but ¡­


    At this moment, the mama by Old Madem''s side ran over anxiously and said, "Old granny, Second Young Mistress has fainted."


    Old Madem was extremely anxious, everyone quickly escorted her and left.


    "Mother." Seeing that his grandmother had left, Hanxi ran over to help her mother.


    Mrs. Bi sat paralyzed on the ground, chuckling coldly: "So what if they passed out, it''s good that they died, it''s good that they all died."


    Hanxi cried, "Mother, don''t be like this, mother ¡­"


    Mrs. Bi was also crying as he said, "Little Xi, Mother only has you and your brother now. You must not abandon Mother."


    At this time, Lian Yi was carried to the old lady''s bedroom in the inner courtyard. The imperial physician, who had just left, was found again.


    Old Madem was elated, he was so overjoyed that he didn''t know what to do. He instructed the servants to go find industry and at the same time hugged Lian Yi and said: "Poor child, you''re at home by yourself. You don''t even know if you''re pregnant?"

 C164

    When Ershan rushed over from the Ministry Of Justice yamen, everyone immediately knew about Lian Yi''s happy occasion. Currently, the Old Madem had ordered them to address Lian Yi as Second Young Madam, and only the few servants of the Mrs. Bi still had not changed their minds.


    When the news was sent to the main courtyard, Mrs. Bi was lying on his beauty bed, recuperating. Her maid by his side chattered on: "Old Madem has brought Ling out to the ancestral hall to offer sacrifices to the ancestors. He said that the one in his womb must be the eldest grandson of Bi Family, and he has to stay in the house to rest."


    The Mrs. Bi said hatefully: "He denies his own identity in front of the Emperor. This old fogey really doesn''t care about face."


    Hanxi was outside carrying a tranquil soup for his mother to consume. Hearing his mother call his grandmother an old man, he felt very sad in her heart.


    No matter what happened in the past, she had always been kind and amiable. Ever since the Brother Xingye came back, the whole house had been turned upside down without end.


    But Brother Xingye and Sister-in-law were both good people, and Hanxi liked them a lot. It was not that this was not my fault, it was Mother and Father''s fault.


    "Miss, give it to me, go back inside the house and lie down. Otherwise, Old Madem will suspect something." ''s mother''s servant girl saw that she was outside and hurriedly took the soup. At this moment, Hanxi did not want to see his mother either, so she turned and left.


    On the way back, they saw that their grandmother and Brother Xingye had returned from the ancestral hall, and that there were people escorting their sister-in-law out. Their grandmother tried to urge them to stay at home, but they insisted on leaving.


    Hanxi thought: "It''s better to leave, stay at home, who knows what kind of trouble we might cause."


    But Old Madem was not at ease, thinking that Lian Yi was alone, without any elders to protect him, coincidentally, today they already packed up and planned to move in, without a word, they followed them.


    At this time, Ling Xiao Inn had not received any good news, there were many guests today, and they were busy all the way until the evening.


    When Aunt Zhang went upstairs to take a look, she saw Xiaowan lying on the bed. Little Pei was lying beside her, and Xiaowan had a hand on her child''s back.


    Aunt Zhang thought happily, if Xiaowan could really stay here for her entire life, then it was really Little Pei himself who found a mother for him.


    But at this moment, the sleeping Little Pei was just his mortal body. He had already turned into a Golden Dragon and returned to the Heaven Realm, while his grandmother was waiting for him in front of the great hall.


    Without the usual kind eyes, the Dragon Queen glared at his grandson and chided: "Why are you bringing Mu Xiaowan to an inn? Little Pei, do you know how difficult it is for your father to obtain the chance to be reborn?


    Little Pei shook his head, "It was Father who brought her back, it has nothing to do with me."


    Dragon Queen said: "Since it has nothing to do with you, drive Mu Xiaowan away. As long as you don''t agree to let her be your mother, your father will not persevere."


    Little Pei turned into a human and stood in front of his grandmother. He raised his head and said loudly, "She is my mother to begin with, and he will never change. Grandmother, you saw what happened in the end when you forcefully changed my father''s fate. My mother is a lotus flower in front of Buddha, if you attack again, aren''t you afraid of harming my father, and even cause heavy penalties for your entire Dragon Clan? "


    Dragon Queen frowned: "What did you say?"


    Little Pei said fearlessly, "There are many obstacles in the human world, if they can survive, it will be for a lifetime. If they can''t, it will only be a temporary period of time. Grandmother, since Bodhisattva has bestowed me with memories and mana to live with them once more, then I will do my best to stop any obstructions from the Heavenly Court or the Underworld for them. Grandma, do you want to be enemies with your own grandson? "


    Dragon Queen clenched his fists. "Little Pei, are you not afraid that your father will commit another murder and be punished for a thousand years? If you only care about your mother, then what about your father?"


    Little Pei said: "I only care about my mother, my father only cares about his wife."


    As he finished speaking, he heard his mother''s voice. Little Pei bowed to his grandmother and left without looking back. Dragon Queen chased a few steps forward, only to see Buddhist light descending.


    Dragon Queen clasped his fists together in salute, then said with a smile. "I''m heading to the west, and I''m thirsty right now. I want to drink a cup of tea."


    Dragon Queen led the way: "Please."


    The little guy woke up in a daze. She said softly: "Little Pei, Manager Ling is outside. He wants me to wake you up and let you out."


    Little Pei exclaimed as he crawled back up. There was a puddle of water under him and his hands held onto his pants uneasily. He looked as if he was begging for help, causing people''s hearts to soften.


    "Thank you." Ling Chaofeng shouted from outside the door, "Come out quickly."


    "Daddy will spank." Little Pei started crying and buried his face in Xiaowan''s embrace as he said fearfully, "Daddy said that I have to spank his butt if I want to wet the bed."


    It was normal for a three year old to wet the bed, and the Manager Ling was too strict with it.


    Xiaowan knew a lot of things today, knew the relationship between Susu''s family and the inn, knew that she had been beaten up everyday, knew that Little Pei was an infant that was abandoned outside the inn, knew that the women in the village said that it was true that Manager Ling had not yet taken a wife.


    Xiaowan felt that she was imagining things again. Her face reddened as she took off Little Pei''s wet pants first, but the little guy said shyly, "I''m a boy ¡­"


    The Xiaowan tickled him while he laughed. As the two played around, he used a blanket to wrap Little Pei tightly, placed him on a chair, and then tidied up the bedding. When the Aunt Zhang came in with the food, he knew that the little guy had wet the bed.


    "You''re still wounded, I''ll do it." Aunt Zhang put down her tableware and stepped forward to stop him, "This mattress is very heavy, you can''t carry it."


    "Aunt Zhang, I''m fine now." Xiaowan said, "I can do these kinds of jobs, so it''s nothing."


    "I know that you started working as soon as you were injured, as you''ve been doing it day after day." Aunt Zhang swiftly rolled up the wet mattress and said, "But there is a rule here, people who recuperate can only obediently recuperate, quickly go recuperate."


    Seeing Little Pei squirming uneasily at the side, and knowing that he was holding onto the pain, he walked to the door and asked Ling Chaofeng through the door: "Manager Ling, can I ask you to get some hot water?"


    Xiaowan was wearing sleeping clothes that were so thin that it was hard to walk out of her room. However, she really wanted to look at Manager Ling again from outside the door.


    "Little Pei, that kid, is always messing around." However, Ling Chaofeng said, "There are too many guests today, I can''t bother to take care of him. It has been tough on Miss Xiaowan to take care of him for a long time."


    Xiaowan hurriedly said, "It was you and everyone else who were taking care of me, it was Manager Ling who saved my life. I still can''t repay you, so don''t say it like that, Manager Ling."


    Ling Chaofeng made a sound as though he was not good with words. Finally, he ordered: "Ling Pei, come out."


    Little Pei quickly climbed down from the stool, took off the blanket and ran out bare-butt. Seeing this, Ling Chaofeng frowned, picked up his son and carried him upstairs.


    The Aunt Zhang quickly tidied up the bed and laid a soft and clean mattress on it. Zhang Luo and the Xiaowan quickly ate up the food.


    She stood in front of the door and looked up to the third floor. It was quiet upstairs. She smiled and said, "This is really rare. I won''t beat up children today."


    Xiaowan asked worriedly: "Will Manager Ling beat Little Pei?"


    Aunt Zhang quickly explained, "Don''t be afraid, we can''t really hit him. We just hit him a few times. "For a man to be both a father and a mother is to be reckoned with by his impatience, especially when he is a child. He refuses to listen to reason, and only when he is beaten up will he know fear.


    It was also true that Little Pei had been raised to be fat and white, he didn''t look like someone who had received abuse before. There were parents who could teach their children to beat up their own children, and Madam Xu would also beat up her own sons and daughters. Just that kind of beating was completely different from hitting her. The Madam Xu had probably never treated her like a human before.


    "Hurry up and eat. Eat more, and your wounds will heal faster." Aunt Zhang helped Xiaowan to the side of the table. She was already able to sit on the cushions, although it was definitely painful, her heart was at ease.


    "You can stay here peacefully. After you''ve healed all the injuries on your body, we can discuss what to do next." The Aunt Zhang laughed, "I have already informed your stepmother, so I''m not afraid."


    Xiaowan had long since understood that sooner or later, she would have to go back, and when she did, her days would be just like before, perhaps even more miserable. However, since the heavens had arranged for her to meet so many good people, she might as well have a good dream.


    She slowly walked to the window to take a look. It was pitch black outside and she couldn''t see anything, but she could vaguely hear the howls of wild wolves coming from the mountains, so she quickly closed the window.


    Walking to the door, he opened it gently and peeked through the crack. There were only a few candles lit in the inn, and he could vaguely see the stairs and the tables and chairs. The restaurant was very quiet, as if there were no guests staying there.


    Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from upstairs. A child''s childish voice could be heard shouting, "Daddy, daddy ¡­"


    The door opened, and a ray of light shone. Ling Chaofeng''s voice asked: "What are you doing?"


    Little Pei said pitifully, "Daddy, I can''t sleep."


    The Xiaowan unwittingly smiled. She heard the Manager Ling berating his son for sleeping too much in the afternoon. After that, the door closed and he probably carried his son inside.


    The Xiaowan also closed the door and returned to the thick and soft bed. She comfortably lied on the bed with the blanket covering her body, and the smell of the bed was nice. She closed her eyes and thought, I hope this dream will last longer and longer.


    In the bedroom on the third floor, Ling Chaofeng was randomly telling the story of a temple in the mountain. Little Pei tossed and turned in his embrace, "I''ve heard it many times, I want to hear a new story."


    Ling Chaofeng unhappily patted his butt twice, and scolded: "Are you going to sleep or not?"


    Ling Chaofeng was afraid that his crying would wake the Xiaowan downstairs, so he patiently consoled, "I''ll tell you a new story, don''t cry, you''re a boy."


    Little Pei climbed onto his father''s body and laid on his chest. Ling Chaofeng kissed his little forehead, then rubbed his son''s back and coaxed him to sleep. However, he did not start a story but his son instead said: "Father, buy me an aunt to be your mother, okay?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed, "Daddy''s money is not enough, what do we do?"


    Little Pei said: "I have New Year''s money, Grandma will give me a big ingot."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Then let''s gather and see if it''s enough." He looked down at his son. "Do you like your aunt?"


    The little guy raised his head, and squinted his eyes. "If daddy likes it, Little Pei likes it."


    As if he was suddenly told something important, Ling Chaofeng pressed his son''s head against his chest and said viciously, "Close your eyes and sleep. If you open your eyes again, I won''t be polite."


    His son stopped playing around and gradually fell asleep under his coaxing.


    Ling Chaofeng placed his son on the bed and covered him with the blanket. After looking at him for a long time, he finally managed to raise his son into such a big baby in the blink of an eye.


    In these past few years, he had been even more cautious about getting a wife. He wanted to marry a woman he loved, and he also wanted to find a gentle and loving mother for his son.


    However, there was no such thing as perfect beauty in this world, and he couldn''t be too selfish.


    "Little Pei, father will buy mother some for you, okay?" Ling Chaofeng said softly as he moved forward to kiss his son. "Daddy likes Aunt Xiaowan.


    At the end of last year, he was severely ill. To be able to get Ershan to rush back from the capital on leave was already his last resort. Luckily, he had his life back, and this illness had changed him greatly.


    He always felt as if he had experienced love in a sick dream, and seeing the figure of the Xiaowan in the market on New Year''s Day had aroused his feelings.


    It had been a coincidence to meet him at the river, but he had gone to the river last night to see if he would ever see the girl again. Thus, he retrieved the Xiaowan.


    He turned out the lights, lay down, and hugged his son. He smiled and said, "After daddy buys your mother for you, I won''t be able to sleep with dad anymore, do you understand?"

 C165

    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed but the Xiaowan''s "beautiful dream" still did not wake up.


    She could eat hot food every day, could wear clean and beautiful clothes every day, had a big bath barrel filled with hot water for her to bathe in, and most importantly, everyone here treated her well.


    When the sun rose, Xiaowan woke up and cleaned herself up. She was determined to help the shop with some work today, as this was the only thing she could do to repay Manager Ling and the others.


    Just as she walked out of her room, someone knocked the door of the shop loudly. Ling Chaofeng came down from the third floor in a hurry with his robes draped over his shoulders and the two of them made a move towards the door. Xiaowan was blushing red, but Ling Chaofeng smiled and wanted to greet his.


    The Aunt Zhang was extremely happy as shsheread the letter horizontally. She muttered to herself: "Ershan, that brat, he is really capable."


    He did not forget to push Ling Chaofeng aside: "He''s much stronger than you."


    Uncle Biao prepared breakfast and called Xiaowan down to eat it. Little Pei stood on the third floor sleepily and shouted, "I want to pee ¡­"


    The Xiaowan was the closest to him, so he took the initiative to carry Little Pei and bring him to his own room to use as a toilet. Afterwards, she washed his face and combed his hair. After putting on his clothes, the little fellow immediately became lively.


    When they went downstairs, Susu and the child also came. Everyone discussed whether or not they should send someone to the capital to take care of Lian Yi.


    In the letter, Lian Yi wrote that she did not want her mother to go to the capital, saying that her mother would stay at home was fine, she was afraid that her mother would bring her brother''s family back to the capital, at that time, it would become Ershan''s problem. In the Li Prefecture, a mother could pass her later years peacefully with the care of a servant girl.


    "In her letter, she said that the Bi¡¯s Mansion Old Madem was currently in the palace and she felt very bad for her." Aunt Zhang said, "How about we wait for her to be born soon and make a trip to the capital to take a look at Lian Yi and the children. Their house is not big, we will be back in a few days."


    The Xiaowan led Little Pei to eat breakfast by the side. Hearing their agreement, the entire family clearly did not have blood relations with Little Pei, but they were very close to him. And she had nothing to do with the inn at all, yet they treated her so kindly.


    At this time, Ling Chaofeng happened to be looking at Xiaowan and their gazes met. Xiaowan''s heart skipped a beat and hurriedly avoided the gaze, giving the egg in her bowl to Little Pei to eat.


    After the meal, she took the initiative to clean up the tableware. Aunt Zhang did not allow her to do as she said: "Aunt, let me do something. Otherwise, I won''t be able to stay here any longer. How can I eat and drink for free?"


    Aunt Zhang was helpless, she said to Little Pei: "Bring Aunt to the well at the back door, help her move a small stool over there, and use a cushion to support her."


    The young girl and the young girl happily went to the back door. Susu brought the child to Aunt Zhang and whispered to him, "Is the shopkeeper interested in this or not?


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "Let him be. I won''t urge him, if he can''t marry my wife, I won''t lose a piece of flesh."


    The two of them talked as they looked at Ling Chaofeng. Ling Chaofeng knew that he was being discussed and looked helpless.


    By the well by the back door, Xiaowan stacked a small boat with leaves for Little Pei. He sat on the side and floated the small boat in the water basin, having fun.


    Xiaowan was quickly washing the dishes. This was something that she had to do every day at home, it was just that this scene made her feel a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Not only was he washing the dishes, ever since he had arrived at the inn, he had felt as if something had flashed past his mind, but unfortunately, he could not catch it.


    She told herself not to let her imagination run wild. The good days before her could end any day now. Everything would end, and the suffering would start anew. She could not stay here for the rest of her life.


    Xiaowan quickly washed the dishes and brought out the wooden basin, telling Little Pei to follow her. When she turned around, she saw Ling Chaofeng standing in front of him. The man easily received the wooden basin: "I''ll carry it for you."


    When Ling Chaofeng left with the wooden basin, she finally caught up to him: "Manager Ling, I can do it myself."


    ignored him and headed straight for the kitchen. Xiaowan followed him to the backyard, saw the kitchen, saw a few rooms beside, and also saw a small house at the end. Somehow, she knew that it was a bathroom for a bath.


    She asked Little Pei if he was right, and he nodded his head continuously.


    Xiaowan felt that she was weird, she must have never been here before, could it be that she had heard about it from the people in the village?


    Ling Chaofeng came out very quickly, seeing that the Xiaowan was following him, he said: "Go and rest well, someone is doing the things in the shop."


    Xiaowan lowered her eyes in embarrassment: "Manager Ling, my body is already better. I want to do some work, more or less, I can repay you guys."


    "There''s no need to repay me. Even I didn''t thank you when you bought the candied fruits for Little Pei."


    "It''s only a few coins, but I ¡­"


    "Little Pei has been following you for the past few days, and he''s been really happy. We left him alone on the third floor when the shop was busy. Now that you are accompanying him and he is happy, we can rest assured. " Ling Chaofeng said, "You have already helped me a lot."


    Xiaowan said in a soft voice, "Little Pei is very obedient and very cute, he was actually the one who helped me vent my boredom."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and walked towards the store. Xiaowan stood there in a daze as her heart raced.


    Had she fallen in love with this Manager Ling, or did it feel like being alone? Without feeling ashamed, she wished that she could marry this man, but how could she have such a good life?


    She was not worthy of the Manager Ling. Forget about other things, she felt ashamed of letting someone like the Madam Xu become the family of the inn. She did not know what kind of trouble she would bring to the inn in the future.


    The stepmother was very, very bold and powerful. She was also very tyrannical in the village, and no one dared to provoke her. As a result, she was only watching as she was beaten.


    It seemed alright, but there were some people who took this as a form of entertainment. They would gloat as they tried to dissuade their stepmother. They would purposely poke at her sore spot, further infuriating her and making her beat them up.


    The painful experience made her feel nauseous. Xiaowan suddenly realized what she was thinking. No matter what she thought about, even if there was only one day left, she would cherish the days she spent in the inn.


    Seeing Little Pei looking at her anxiously, she laughed: "Let''s go to the back of the mountain to pick some wild herbs and catch some bugs to play with."


    Little Pei cheered as he dragged Xiaowan and walked towards the back of the mountain.


    Ling Chaofeng caught up to them and stood at the back door watching them. He was extremely worried as the young and old duo drilled their way into the mountains.


    "You''re worried, so go take a look." Aunt Zhang, who was picking rice, stood behind him and said faintly, "What''s the use of staring at them?"


    Ling Chaofeng looked at her, at a loss of what to do.


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "You see, put on clean clothes, eat rice for two days, and you will be like a fairy. This kind of beautiful daughter is only hidden in the village and no one sees her, otherwise, everyone will love her, when the time comes you won''t be able to snatch her away."


    Ling Chaofeng''s expression was solemn, he held back for a long time before asking, "If you come to propose marriage, do you want to invite a matchmaker?"


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "If you nod your head, I will help you with everything. However, you must first ask the lady if she is willing. You have a three year old chubby boy to take care of here. "


    Ling Chaofeng thought about it, then followed the two of them into the mountain.


    In the mountain top, Xiaowan had already picked some wild vegetables, but Little Pei who had grabbed the bugs ran over to her side, tugging at her skirt to ask her to take a look.


    Xiaowan looked up, and sure enough, there was a bird nest on the tree, with a few birds chirping inside the nest.


    Little Pei carefully held up the young bird. "Aunt, let''s put it back."


    Xiaowan stood on her tiptoes and reached out her hands, but she couldn''t even touch a branch. She said: "Little Pei, let Aunt hug you, and try if you can."


    Normally, she would be able to carry firewood with a bit of strength, but she was really small, and her strength was limited. In the end, she was still short of that final breath, and was already sweating profusely.


    Suddenly, his arms loosened, and Little Pei was carried away. Xiaowan raised her head and saw that Ling Chaofeng had appeared out of nowhere.


    carefully put the little chick back down and counted. He happily said, "There are five birds, there are five."


    Ling Chaofeng took the chance and put his son on his shoulder, telling her to pick the white and tender flowers on the tree. Little Pei was clever, he immediately put the flowers on Xiaowan.


    Xiaowan blushed. She touched the pear blossoms on her temples and felt her heartbeat increase.


    It was as if she had asked the young brother of the Wang family next door to pick her flower because she had a flower on her head. The Aunt Wang thought that she was trying to seduce her son.


    Now the father and son had put the flowers back on her.


    "Aunt is so beautiful." Little Pei clapped his hands, and Ling Chaofeng told him to pick a little more, and to put it on for his Grandmother and Aunt Susu later.


    Little Pei was flustered, Ling Chaofeng despised his son for being stupid, the little guy sat on his shoulder and stomped his feet in worry, Ling Chaofeng said: "You want to break daddy''s neck?!"


    Xiaowan watched dumbly, seeing the pure white petals being shaken down by Little Pei. She suddenly understood in her heart, as tears unconsciously rolled down her face, and she actually blurted out, "Hubby ¡­"


    When the two words came out of her mouth, Xiaowan was shocked awake. From her cheek all the way to her neck, she covered her mouth.


    Fortunately, neither father nor son heard him.


    Little Pei picked a few flowers and put him down. He looked at Xiaowan and saw that she was blushing red as if she had a fever. He could not help but ask worriedly, "Miss Xiaowan, are you alright?"


    Xiaowan shook her head and took a step back. As she spoke, she went to pick the wild vegetables, but she did not know that her dress had been hooked.


    Their faces were so close to each other that even Xiaowan could not see Ling Chaofeng''s face clearly.


    "Are you alright?" Ling Chaofeng asked. If one looked carefully, why did Xiaowan look like she had been crying.


    "I''m fine ¡­" Manager Ling, thank you. " After the Xiaowan regained his balance, he quickly left the man''s embrace. However, his back was extremely hot and the area he hugged became hotter and hotter.


    Little Pei stood at the side and asked absentmindedly: "Daddy, do you want to kiss aunt?"

 C166

    Xiaowan was stunned, Ling Chaofeng was also embarrassed, he picked up Little Pei and brought him outside, while Little Pei shouted for help, asking Xiaowan to save him. Xiaowan regained her senses, she picked up the basket and chased after him.


    Once they were down the mountain, Ling Chaofeng put down his son. He ran towards the back door of the inn, yelling that he wanted to wear flowers for his grandmother, leaving only Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng behind. Ling Chaofeng waited for her for a while, and then the both of them walked back.


    "Little Pei is very mischievous. He is a small fry and there are many people coming and going in the inn, I don''t know when he learned some words from me. Ling Chaofeng said, "Miss Xiaowan, please do not mind."


    "Little Pei is very obedient and cute." Xiaowan said, and she laughed, "Manager Ling, you must have never seen a real naughty child before."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at Xiaowan''s smile happily and said: "I hope he doesn''t want to be so mischievous, then she won''t be so likeable. I also don''t want to teach him a lesson every day."


    He held out his hand. "I''ll get you a basket."


    After walking a few steps, she entered the shop. There were only a few handfuls of wild vegetables in the basket, so no matter how foolish Xiaowan was, she still understood why Manager Ling did this. She did not decline and passed the basket over.


    The handle of the basket was so long, yet they had to squeeze her hand with it. Her fingers touched it briefly and quickly, but there was a warm feeling flowing through her fingers and into her heart.


    "Miss Xiaowan."


    "Yes, Manager Ling."


    "Are you engaged?" Ling Chaofeng held onto the basket, he stood straight and asked: "Do you give your blessings to the others?"


    Xiaowan shook her head, "No, I haven''t ¡­"


    Their eyes met, and Xiaowan felt a burst of excitement in her heart. She tried her best to calm herself down, she did not lack arms nor did she lack legs.


    "My life is too tough, no one dares to take it." Mu Xiaowan had never brought up these words so happily before. She was anxious to prove to the Manager Ling that she was unmarried and had a clean background.


    Her heart was pounding. How could she do this? Her face was filled with ''Can I marry you?''


    "That is just a person who loves to stir up trouble. He is just pretending to be mysterious and spouting nonsense." Ling Chaofeng said, "Don''t worry about it."


    Xiaowan nodded her head. She agreed, but her mind was still blank.


    Ling Chaofeng smiled warmly, and without saying another word, he carried his basket and entered the tavern.


    Xiaowan''s heart sank, and she suddenly calmed down.


    Did she like Ling Chaofeng, or did she just feel that if she married into the tavern, she would be able to escape from the sea of suffering and live well? This was unfair to the shopkeeper. A man like him should be worthy of the best woman in the world. Perhaps only the princess in the palace was worthy of him.


    Xiaowan laughed bitterly, what was she thinking? She was not good enough to be Manager Ling, and she couldn''t hurt him.


    She patted her face to calm down and followed him into the inn.


    The Uncle Biao used the vegetables picked by the Xiaowan to stir-fry eggs. At noon, the whole family surrounded them to eat lunch, but after eating half of it, Susu''s daughter woke up. She cried and wanted to drink some milk, so Susu carried her upstairs to feed her.


    Aunt Zhang told Xiaowan to bring the food over to Susu so that she could eat when she sees the child sleep in a while. Xiaowan hurriedly brought the food up, and saw that Susu was hugging a baby, teasing her to drink some milk.


    Susu''s entire body emitted a maternal light. She laughed: "Look at this little girl''s anxious look, she''s not refined in the slightest. She''s going to be a fake brat in the future."


    The Xiaowan looked at him happily, saying, "She must be as beautiful and gentle as you, Susu."


    Susu''s eyebrows curved upwards: "How could I look as good as you? Xiaowan, how can you be so beautiful? I have been to the Baisha County for a few years, but I have never seen someone as beautiful as you."


    Xiaowan''s face turned red, she lowered her eyes and said: "Of course not."


    After Susu finished feeding the child, she took the initiative to take the child over so that Susu could have a meal.


    She copied what Susu taught her so that she could burp the child. She hugged her child and gently patted him, coaxing him.


    She was a bit shy. However, she felt that this scene was rather familiar. She was truly becoming more and more extraordinary. Could it be that she had once fed a child before?


    In the afternoon, Xiaowan helped clean the hall, and came to the second floor to clean the floor while carrying a bucket. Suddenly, she heard Ling Chaofeng''s rebuking voice from the third floor, so she took a look.


    The Manager Ling said in a serious tone: "If you don''t finish writing, or if you just stand here till nightfall, even if you move, it will still be ten boards. Let''s see if your butt is hard or if the board is hard."


    Little Pei sobbed a few times, and his father scolded him again: "If you dare cry, I''ll hit you twenty times."


    Ling Chaofeng went downstairs angrily, encountering Xiaowan head-on. His expression was somewhat awkward, but at the same time, it looked as if he was feeling extremely guilty, so he turned around and left.


    Xiaowan didn''t dare to say much. She only kept glancing up from time to time, and waited for her to clean the entire second floor before raising her head. Little Pei was still standing there.


    The little guy secretly wiped his face with his hand, as if he was wiping away tears, causing others to feel heartache.


    Looking down, she did not see Manager Ling around, so she quietly went up the stairs and walked in front of Little Pei, squatting down and asking gently: "What''s wrong, you made daddy angry again."


    Little Pei looked at her pitifully. Xiaowan''s heart softened and subconsciously reached out and hugged the child in her arms.


    The little fellow''s body was warm and meaty. As soon as she hugged him and heard the faint sound of him crying while leaning on her shoulder, Xiaowan felt her heart ache for no reason. Her tears started pouring out, she felt that she was very strange, what was wrong with her.


    "Little Pei won''t cry." Xiaowan lightly patted him, "Good child, don''t cry."


    Ling Chaofeng returned to the shop two hours later. Seeing that the third floor was empty and his son was not standing there, he quietly went upstairs and heard the faint sounds of laughter.


    The door was ajar, and he could see the interior just in time. The table was covered with papers, and beside the table sat Xiaowan and Little Pei.


    "Aunt wrote it so well." Little Pei said.


    "It was Little Pei who taught you well, you can even remember your name with so many strokes, how old are you now, why are you so amazing?" Xiaowan smiled and kissed Little Pei''s face, beaming this little fellow to the heavens.


    Ling Chaofeng left the room. A quarter of an hour later, the people upstairs also came down, their son proudly handed over the two large sheets of paper that he was practicing. Before he even opened his mouth, Aunt Zhang came out from the kitchen and praised him that he was capable, and brought the little guy to eat some snacks.


    Ling Chaofeng quietly put away the xuan paper. Just as he was about to thank Xiaowan when he saw him approaching, he heard him say: "Manager Ling, my body is completely recovered. Thank you for taking care of me and everyone else.


    The man frowned, he stared straight at Xiaowan, but the man in front of him had his head lowered, and spoke sincerely: "Manager Ling, great kindness, I do not know how to repay you. If there is anything that you need from me, please do not hesitate to come and find me."


    Ling Chaofeng did not say a word. Xiaowan''s heart trembled, but he made up his mind. She really should go now.


    She bowed and then silently turned around. But just after taking a few steps, someone grabbed her hand. Such a big and thick hand. The warmth from the palm warmed her heart.


    "Stay." Ling Chaofeng said from behind her, "Xiaowan, can you stay behind?"


    Mu Xiaowan turned around at a loss, but her tears had already betrayed her thoughts, she was not trying to take a step back to make Ling Chaofeng say these words, she really wanted to leave.


    She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would have more random thoughts. She did not want her fate to be so tragic and harsh, hurting these good people.


    He didn''t expect that Ling Chaofeng would actually urge her to stay.


    At this moment, Xiaowan was really afraid that he would be misunderstood, afraid that Ling Chaofeng would misunderstand him and make him say these words on purpose.


    Xiaowan tried her best to explain, "Manager Ling, I am really ¡­"


    When she said those words, she felt guilty in the end. She was worried that she would be misunderstood. In fact, deep down, she really wanted to see if it was right or wrong. She longed to stay, even if it was just a small job.


    However, Ling Chaofeng didn''t care about anything. Using a bit of strength in his fingers, he tightened his grip on Xiaowan''s hand.


    "Manager Ling ¡­"


    "I didn''t bring you back because I pity you." Ling Chaofeng said, "It''s not that I want to find someone to take care of Little Pei, it''s that I want to bring my wife home."


    Xiaowan''s mind went blank. Only her violently beating heart made her realize that she was still alive, right?


    No, she hadn''t woken up from this beautiful dream for so long. She must have died, this was the illusion after she died. She must have drowned on that day.


    Ling Chaofeng embraced her waist. Their faces were so close together, it was almost as if they were standing on a mountain in the morning. The rear part of their bodies were strongly supported, and the force was so strong that it felt like it could entrust their entire lives to each other.


    "Are you willing to stay? Just for me." Ling Chaofeng asked.


    Xiaowan''s eyes were brimming with tears. She gently shook her head and tears began rolling down her face. She moved her lips as if she could only utter the word "willing".


    Before she could say another word, her lips were already wrapped in a hot kiss. Xiaowan''s entire body tensed up, she was unable to breathe.


    His gentleness and familiarity was like a memory that had awoken from the depths of his heart, yet it was so ethereal, he couldn''t catch it nor see it. Xiaowan felt that she, as though she was destined to be this man''s woman.


    "Stay, and don''t leave ever again." Ling Chaofeng loosened his lips, but kept them tightly pressed together. Looking at the beauty who was short of breath, he said, "I will take care of other things. Xiaowan, will you be my wife?"


    Xiaowan was a little dazed. "Manager Ling, just, just a few days ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head, "Last month when I saw you by the river, I couldn''t forget about you. No, I should have seen your back at the New Year''s Fair and engraved that in my heart. "You don''t believe me?"


    "I believe it, but I ¡­" Xiaowan was worried about her troubled fate and her shameful family.


    "I''m asking you, are you willing?" Ling Chaofeng revealed a tyrannical look.


    "Yes!" The Xiaowan became anxious and blurted out the word.


    She didn''t dare say anything to anyone. Ever since she met Ling Chaofeng, she had been fantasizing about marrying this man, day and night. She had made many wishes in her life, but she didn''t expect that her only wish would be the one that was the most impossible to fulfill.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "That''s good."

 C167

    Returning back to her own house, Xiaowan saw a face that was so red that it turned purple in the mirror. She splashed it with cold water from a water basin and felt that it was even hotter.


    She pinched her arm with all her might, almost causing a dark green bruise to appear. It was so painful that she was trembling. Only then did she dare to be sure that she was not dreaming. Only then did she dare to believe that she was alive.


    God must have made a mistake to turn her into a good person.


    Xiaowan was happy, she was like a blossoming flower, anyone who saw her in the future would be able to feel the sunlight shining down from her body. She worked diligently and nimbly to help. She only needed to cover all the work that the Aunt Zhang and Susu did.


    Since they shared the same feelings, it was unavoidable for the two of them to look at each other. Now that Ling Chaofeng only had Xiaowan in his eyes, he did not even look at the accounts and did not care about the business anymore. As long as Xiaowan appeared, he would chase after her.


    In less than two to three days, everyone could see that Susu did not use the milk to feed the child after eating lunch that day. Da Qing enthusiastically gave up his seat so that Xiaowan and Susu could sit together, but was scolded by his wife, "Are you stupid?"


    Da Qing scratched his head in shock and was pulled down by Susu to sit down.


    The big sized Uncle Biao took a seat at one side of the table while the Aunt Zhang brought Little Pei to take a seat at the side. Susu and her wife sat side by side.


    Just as Xiaowan felt embarrassed, Ling Chaofeng actually pulled her hand in front of everyone and gently said: "Sit down and eat, don''t be busy."


    The Xiaowan was extremely embarrassed as she lowered her head to dig food into her mouth. She purposely said: "Aiya, shouldn''t we prepare a joyous occasion in our shop?"


    She choked from the shock and coughed loudly on her back.


    When the Xiaowan had calmed down, she pulled her into her embrace and said to his family: "Then Zhang Luo, get up. Aunt, invite a matchmaker for me first."


    Xiaowan lowered her head deeply. Beside her, Little Pei delicately asked Aunt Zhang: "Grandma, is Little Pei going to have a mother now?"


    Aunt Zhang gave him a heavy kiss and said joyfully: "Got it, got it."


    That night, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang showered together. She rubbed her aunt''s back as the two talked about their inner thoughts.


    Aunt Zhang said, "Although Chao Feng is not my biological son, I have watched him grow up. It has been more than ten years since he was born, and he has a thorough understanding of the situation. He was a person who would be strict and strict occasionally. He would always keep his word when doing things, but he was a loyal person who knew how to appreciate people''s kindness. He is the same as Little Pei, the child picked up by the shopkeeper on his behalf. Now that he has picked up Little Pei and brought him back, it can be considered his inheritance. "


    Xiaowan was surprised. "Manager Ling was also abandoned?"


    Aunt Zhang nodded her head, "Yes, father and son are both abandoned babies, but look, do they look like one? Some people outside said that Little Pei is Chao Feng''s illegitimate child, and we would often joke around and think that it''s true. It''s really because father and son look extremely similar. "


    "It does look like it. Eyes and nose, exactly the same." The Xiaowan laughed.


    "Evening." Aunt Zhang said sincerely, "Chao Feng is a good man, he will definitely love you. Can you calm down and stay, so you can be our family''s daughter-in-law?"


    Even though the Xiaowan s had wanted to marry her to this place, they still tried to persuade her to stay. What virtue or ability did Mu Xiaowan have, and it could be said that she had saved her entire life''s fortune here.


    "Aunt, my heart is filled with millions of wills, but my stepmother ¡­" Xiaowan said with shame and shame, "She is a very powerful person, I am afraid she will cause trouble for you all."


    "Powerful what? He must be someone who bullies the weak and fears the strong." Aunt Zhang said, "If you marry her, you will be our child. What else does she want to do? If she dares to hit you again, I''ll tell your uncle to chop off her hand and throw it into the mountains to feed the wild wolves.


    "Aunt ¡­"


    "Good child, you and Chao Feng are fated to be together. Otherwise, why didn''t he pick them up?" The Aunt Zhang laughed, "You have become our wife, from today onwards, you will only live a good life. You should forget about the matters of the past."


    "En!" Xiaowan promised. She wished that she would forget about it, wish that she could never think of those days where she was beaten up again. Since the heavens had given her a good life, she must cherish those blessings.


    The next morning, the matchmaker came from town. She was dressed in all sorts of clothes and looked happy. She had a sharp tongue and was very quick with her thoughts. When she came in for a cup of tea, she had already figured things out.


    After that, he took a look at the inn, as though he was considering how much he should pay. Ling Chaofeng generously took out a bag of silver, which was a full 20 taels.


    put down the silver and said: "This is the betrothal gift. I will have to trouble you to send it to the''s house for me.


    The matchmaker was so happy that she could not even close her mouth. After praising the newcomer to such an extent, she brought along the silver and the carriage driven by the Uncle Biao to the Qingling Village along with the matchmaker and Aunt Zhang.


    Inside the Qingling Village, Madam Xu was cursing and swearing about how Xiaowan wasn''t home and had to do all the work on her own. Suddenly, a carriage stopped in front of their house.


    One had to know that raising horses was something that only wealthy people would do. Although their village was not poor, no one could afford to raise a horse. Naturally, it attracted the villagers to gather around and watch.


    Aunt Zhang didn''t want to go in the house, so she asked the matchmaker to go out and tell her about it. The matchmaker chattered on and on about the marriage proposal, and then went to the woodshed to take a look.


    There was not much wood left in the woodshed, but it was still neatly stacked, and it must have been piled up by Xiaowan before she left home.


    Looking further in, although everything on the brick bed was shabby, it was neat and clean. One could see the character of the people who lived here. The more it was like this, the more heartbreaking it was.


    Madam Xu naturally wanted face and ran over saying: "What are you looking at? This is a woodshed, it''s not meant for humans."


    Aunt Zhang snorted with laughter and turned her gaze away. She did not like to see this face at all.


    When the matchmaker brought out the one hundred silver as a betrothal gift, the surrounding commoners became excited.


    Although the Qingling Village was not poor, nor did any rich or powerful families come, even in Baisha Town, they had never heard of anyone taking a wife and giving them a one hundred silver betrothal gift.


    This time, Madam Xu was truly rich.


    The greedy woman, holding the silver, was stunned. Aunt Zhang, as the family''s elder, coldly said: "We do not need the dowry, the things in the family are not rare either. Since the child is already with us, he will not come back. On the day of the celebration, I will bring you some wine and food to make you happy, and you can also invite the villagers over. As for everything else, naturally, we will have the final say, and Xiaowan has agreed to it. "


    "This ¡­" The usually ruthless and fierce person was now stuttering. Firstly, she was pressured by money, and secondly, the mighty Uncle Biao. With her eyes wide open, her legs trembled.


    Aunt Zhang naturally did not care whether Madam Xu agreed or not. Coming to gift the betrothal gift was just an act, to make everything fall into place. There was no need to discuss anything else with this person.


    The surrounding villagers were all envious of the bountiful betrothal gift. Madam Xu also wanted face and purposely said: "We should leave from our parents'' home after getting married. Why don''t we send Xiaowan back? I, I will prepare some for her ¡­"


    Aunt Zhang smiled faintly: "When children go to our place, they don''t have any good parts, so if we don''t leave some space for them, we won''t have to go against each other, right?"


    Madam Xu was startled and took a step back. He watched as they left and sat on the carriage, showing off their might.


    The villagers swarmed forward as Madam Xu chased them away with a hundred taels of silver. When she returned to the house, she even pinched her face.


    Only the Aunt Wang next door, who had a better relationship with each other, was able to enter the door.


    Aunt Wang''s eyes were rolling around as she calculated shrewdly, "It was all because of you painstakingly pulling her up that today, it''s all yours."


    Therefore, the marriage between the Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng was decided. They should have gone to the town s yamen to register, but their county magistrate of Baisha Town was a fool, and was not in a hurry anyway. On a lucky day, he would directly head over to the Li Prefecture Department to ask Prefect Liang to be his witness.


    The Aunt Zhang said happily: "It''s a pity that Ershan can''t come back to drink Big Brother''s wedding wine. Since Lian Yi is pregnant, and cannot endure such a bumpy journey, she should be able to walk on official business. and also cannot leave Lian Yi alone in the capital. "


    Right now, in the capital, he had just returned from the Ministry Of Justice and was rushing back to his house in the middle of the afternoon to take a look at Lian Yi.


    Seeing that he doted on his wife like this, and was exactly the same as his grandfather in the past, Old Madem naturally liked her more, but unfortunately, such a good grandson and daughter-in-law was unable to enter his home.


    Ershan did not care, rather than being the descendant of Bi Family, he was more willing to be Ling Chaofeng''s younger brother.


    Before he left early in the morning, he would only be back at night. Now, he wouldn''t be eating in the Ministry Of Justice, and would return everyday to accompany his wife.


    just threw up and laid on the bed to rest. Ershan lightly put his head on her stomach and scolded: "You still can''t hear anything can you?"


    Ershan hugged her, and asked her if she was feeling well, then shook his head: "I''m very happy everyday, I never thought that I would be a mother so soon, it''s all our children."


    At this time, a servant came to report that a guest had arrived, and it was the eldest son and miss of Bi¡¯s Mansion. Lian Yi asked Ershan to help her up and they both came out to welcome him.


    Outside the hall, Bi Zhenye and Hanxi stood together, behind them were female servants carrying gifts. When Ershan saw them, he said: "You''re so busy, and are doing some big work, why are you here."


    Bi Zhenye smiled and said, "I knew that you would come back every day at noon, so I took my time to come over as well. On one hand, congratulations to you and Lian Yi. Also, since grandmother is living here, Hanxi and I should come and pay respects. "


    As he said that, he brought them to the inner courtyard to see Old Madem. Hanxi supported Lian Yi and asked gently: "Sister-in-law, are you alright?"

 C168

    Even though she did not like her daughter-in-law very much, but in her eyes, no matter who the grandchildren were, they were all equal.


    She was extremely grateful that her industry was able to recover after more than ten years. Therefore, her son and daughter-in-law didn''t want them to recognize their ancestors, and she didn''t force them to do so.


    She hugged Lian Yi and Hanxi, looked at Zhenye and, and said: "Zhenye, has your father ever arranged a marriage for you? You saw that your brother got married earlier than you, and the child earlier than you.


    "Yes, if father has made any arrangements, I will definitely get married early and give you another grandson''s wife." Bi Zhenye had always been filial to his grandmother, he was just saying things like this, he would follow his grandmother''s wishes and please her.


    After that, he passed the things that his mother had ordered him to deliver to his grandmother one by one. Other than some snacks, there were some nourishing bird nest ginseng, and when Old Madem saw them, he said, "Pregnant women eat bird''s nest the most. These are perfect for Lian Yi to eat."


    Zhenye then said: "Both you and Lian Yi are eating, I will bring some back from home."


    Ershan said: "No need to be busy, I''ve also sent some things over, it''s not lacking anything, even grandma has enough food."


    Old Madem laughed leisurely, then said happily: "I am so lucky. There are many noble women my age in the capital city, but there are also many unfilial descendants. "Many families only look on the outside as good, but have long been corrupted by the internal strife over wealth and status. It is rare for my grandchildren to be so obedient and harmonious."


    Ershan and Bi Zhenye looked at each other and laughed.


    None of them dared to think that if one of them had entered the top three after the Hall Competition, or even become the top scholar, they would still be in such harmony with each other. But in the end, both of them were outside of the top three, and after putting down their reputations and glory, they would instead be able to calmly look at their brotherly relationship.


    Ershan grew up in Ling Xiao Inn, and from primary school he had always been a moral person. If he forgot all of this for the sake of hatred, he would truly forget his roots, and would also fail to live up to Ling Chaofeng''s painstaking instruction.


    In the afternoon, the two brothers returned to the yamen. Hanxi stayed for half a day to accompany her grandmother and coincidentally had Ershan''s female servant from a Ministry Of Justice colleague''s home visiting them. Lian Yi then used the snacks Bi Zhenye had brought to entertain the guests.


    The old lady took a bite of the same dessert. When she felt it was too sweet, she left it there. Hanxi ate a piece.


    Lian Yi originally did not have any appetite for the past few days, but after not wanting to taste it lightly, it had piqued her appetite. Unknowingly, she had eaten two pieces of dessert while chatting and laughing with her guests.


    The guest recited his old age from Old Madem, recited the hard work of Lian Yi''s pregnancy, and didn''t dare to disturb him too much. He was about to leave after sitting for two hours.


    Everyone had only just gotten up when Lian Yi suddenly threw up and the servants quickly came to support her. Originally, she thought it was just an act of joy, but her stomach was twisted and she fell down clutching her stomach.


    "My stomach hurts ¡­" Lian Yi held his stomach in pain, "So painful ¡­"


    The house was in a mess, those who went to look for a doctor, those who came to look for Ershan, the few wives who did not know what to do, and were afraid of causing trouble for the owner, took their leave.


    Ershan returned home from the outside with a serious face. The doctor told him that Madam had eaten a small amount of arsenic.


    Arsenic was small and harmless, but the Lady was pregnant, and that could be a small matter. Perhaps the fetus could not survive the spontaneous abortion, or perhaps it was preserved, but it was still infected by the deadly poison. It was unknown what kind of deformed child it would give birth to in the future.


    "What do you mean?" Ershan looked at the doctor solemnly.


    "Lord Ling, please forgive me for being so heartless. For the sake of my child and my wife ¡­" "It''s better not to." The doctor said bitterly, "Sire, the doctor is kind, we doctors, every life must be saved. But think about it, if the child she gives birth to should ever be damaged, have you ever thought about how you would be forced to come to this world when the child grew up? "It''s fine if you don''t know, but if you know that there are risks, then you still have to take them. In the end, if you can''t all be happy, then it''ll be you, Madam, and the pain of a child''s life."


    Ershan clenched his fists, clenching his teeth, he asked: "Can the child still be kept?"


    The doctor replied, "There are some signs of miscarriage. I''m afraid it won''t be a long term plan if I use the medicine first."


    "Does Madame know?"


    "Not yet."


    Ershan then called over the servants to ask about what had happened at home. He ordered the related food and tea to be sealed away before he went to the bedside.


    His heart ached when he saw his wife''s pale face and pale, bloodless lips.


    Lian Yi fainted from the pain, when she saw that her husband had returned, she broke out in tears. She reached out her hand to Ershan and said: "I''m fine, I made you worry again."


    "Just bear with it for a while, it won''t hurt anymore tomorrow." Ershan held his wife''s hand and said, "Lian Yi is not afraid, I''m here."


    Lian Yi said with tears in her eyes, "Husband, will my child be alright?"


    Ershan could not hold it in, his eyes scarlet red, he said with a trembling voice: "Lian Yi, this child is not very good, we don''t need him, okay?"


    "Why?" Lian Yi looked at him in shock. Because he was too shocked, he had some strength left in him as he jumped up slightly and asked, "Ershan, why don''t you want our child anymore?"


    "Because ¡­" Ershan said painfully, "Lian Yi, you are poisoned."


    He had no choice but to explain to his wife that he had invited the doctor to treat her again. When Lian Yi heard this, her tears fell like rain. Although Ershan stood by the doctor''s side, she still begged her husband to let her protect the child.


    Seeing that his wife was so pitiful, Ershan couldn''t bear it anymore. In the end, he agreed to it, and asked the doctor to think of a way to protect their baby.


    Hanxi saw all of this, her grandmother was extremely sad, she had ordered someone to send back a message saying that she would stay here for a few days to take care of her grandmother.


    However, at night, Hanxi also suddenly suffered from severe abdominal pain. Her entire body shivered, and the doctor rushed over to check.


    Ershan frowned, and immediately called for people to go and ask his comrades, only then did he realize that the three wives had the same symptoms as Hanxi, but they had already had it before sunset.


    The only thing these people had eaten together was the pastries that had been delivered from Bi¡¯s Mansion. Fortunately, the old lady had only eaten a small mouthful and it wasn''t too bad.


    "Are you trying to poison me, or Lian Yi, or our entire family?" The old lady was enraged, she pointed at Ershan and said, "You have to find out, you have to find out who did it."


    Ershan said to his grandmother coldly, "Grandma, back then, my mother also consumed a small amount of poison every day, and died from the poison in the end, didn''t she?"


    The old lady shook her head: "She is sick, Ershan ¡­."


    Ershan asked her: "Do you really know the truth?"


    Old Madem was stunned.


    After half a night, Hanxi and the other wives of Ershan''s comrades''s residences gradually recovered. Unfortunately, early the next morning, Lian Yi was unable to hold on and finally miscarried.


    Ershan held his extremely weak and soulless wife, his heart aching even more. Lian Yi asked him, "Husband, why must we forgive and treat others, and instead harm ourselves?"


    When the sun rose, Ershan, who did not go to the morning assembly, raised his sword and rushed into the Prime Minister''s Estate.


    But although the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi had already resigned, there were still many people left in the palace. There were many people from the guards of the house, but Ershan was unable to point his fingers at the wicked woman as he was unable to come to court on time, and instead got into a lawsuit because he was unable to injure her.


    Three days later, news spread to the Ling Xiao Inn. After knowing that Lian Yi had miscarried, Ershan stopped her duties to check. The inn that was always filled with joy these days, was instantly shrouded in dark clouds.


    Ling Chaofeng decided to go to the capital himself. Aunt Zhang was worried that Lian Yi would not be cared for by anyone, so he decided to follow him, leaving the inn in the hands of Uncle Biao and Xiaowan, as well as Susu.


    They had set off on the same day, and the Xiaowan had packed a lot of rations for them to take along with them on the road, sending them off in front of the inn. Ling Chaofeng shook the Xiaowan''s hand and said: "Once I''ve resolved the problem there, we''ll get married."


    Xiaowan said: "Don''t be in such a hurry. Take your time. Be careful on the road."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at his son, and said in a serious tone: "Don''t mess around, if you cause any trouble, you think about it yourself."


    Little Pei hid behind Xiaowan''s skirt, but obediently said: "Father, be careful on the road, help Little Pei greet Aunt, and tell Aunt to eat well."


    Ling Chaofeng rubbed his son''s head, their eyes met, and then they hurried on their way.


    The Xiaowan led Little Pei to stand in front of the door and send him off. They did not return to the tavern until they could no longer see the carriage.


    After that, he heard Susu talking about how difficult it was for Lian Yi to cultivate, about how she, a dignified daughter of the Prefect, couldn''t help but commit suicide by jumping into a river, and also jumped off a building to kill herself. After going through a lot of trouble to cultivate to the best of her abilities, the heavens had still bullied her and made her suffer such hardships.


    Xiaowan felt that everyone in the inn had a story, and that it was not easy for each of them, but they all worked hard and lived bravely, and each was more than the other. She believed that Lady Lian Yi''s body would definitely get better and that she would give birth to a fat doll in the future.


    As for when Ling Chaofeng suddenly left, Xiaowan was really not used to it. Seeing the empty space behind the counter, her heart was also empty.


    Fortunately, Little Pei kept her sleeping with him everyday, so Xiaowan also moved from the guest room to the backyard and slept in Ershan''s old room. Although the house in the backyard was not as comfortable and spacious as the guest room, she felt that living here was more like living together. Little Pei was not particular about things other than staying here.


    In the blink of an eye, another three days passed. They guessed that Ling Chaofeng and Aunt Zhang would probably be in the capital by now, they said that they would send someone to deliver the message once they reached there, if the messenger was faster, they would arrive in two or three days.


    Xiaowan hoped for someone to send a letter every day. Although she could not read, she could not be at ease with the news.


    This morning, she brought Little Pei to wash clothes at the back door well. Suddenly, someone shouted outside the door: "Xiaowan, Xiaowan, are you there?"


    Xiaowan heard the familiar voice and ran over.


    When she saw Xiaowan, she hurriedly ran over and pulled her, saying, "It''s late, something happened to your family. Your mother and the man from the Wang family next door were caught red-handed by someone. The village chief was furious, and was stripped naked and tied to the ground to dry."


    Xiaowan was dumbstruck when she heard this. Sure enough, something had happened, and they had already caused trouble once before. The Village Chief let them go without using any rules to deal with them.


    Susu and Uncle Biao were also flabbergasted when they heard this. Xiaowan trembled as she said, "The rules of our village are that men and women who are able to take off their clothes and be tied to the ground for three days."


    Madam Zhou said: "Your brother and sister have no one to take care of them. The two children have cried for the whole night. Xiaowan, you should go home and take a look."


    Susu had personally witnessed the terrifying wounds on Xiaowan''s body. She was lucky to be able to live to seventeen years of age.


    She said, "Never mind. When she beat you half to death, she didn''t see anyone save you."


    Xiaowan lowered her head and did not say a word.


    Sister-in-Law Zhou said embarrassedly: "young lady, you don''t say that. The two children are innocent and at least two people died, don''t you think so?"


    She then said to Xiaowan, "Actually, your mother won''t be able to save you. Aunt Wang kowtowed until her head bled profusely, and the Village Chief did not loosen her mouth, saying that they have to do shameless things again and again for the villagers to do according to the rules for the past three days. However, your younger brother and sister are too pitiful. Go back and take care of them first, and then write a letter to bring your father back.


    The Xiaowan sighed lightly and said to Susu and the Uncle Biao: "I''ll just go back and take a look and cook for my brother and sister. The rules in our village are like that, and I can''t save her. When my dad comes back, I''ll come back. Don''t worry, even if she doesn''t die this time, she''ll still be half dead. If you want to hit me, you won''t be able to. "

 C169

    When the Uncle Biao and Susu heard Xiaowan say that, they knew that they could not stop him. They said that he wanted to personally send the Xiaowan back to the village, so when Da Qing came, the Xiaowan would not move.


    Halfway there, he saw that his wife was still on her way, so he picked her up.


    It was still the first time that Madam Zhou sat in a carriage. She looked around curiously and asked the Xiaowan: "It''s too late, are you really going to marry the Manager Ling?"


    Xiaowan nodded lightly: "The betrothal gift has already been set."


    When he arrived at the''s house, he saw Xiaowan enter. There were villagers watching at the side, and when he looked back, they saw how domineering Uncle Biao was. They all quickly ran away.


    The Uncle Biao was still worried, he said to the Xiaowan: "If you have anything to say, run. If you can''t get to the inn, you can just go to the town''s infirmary."


    Xiaowan''s eyebrows curved up as she smiled, "Uncle, don''t worry, although the villagers are not good, they aren''t bad either. Rest assured, when my father comes back, I''ll go back. "


    "Big sister, big sister ¡­"


    Before Xiaowan even said goodbye, Wen Bao and Wen Juan came out of the house crying.


    The two of them were both disheveled, crying until their eyes were red and swollen. They held her as they spoke incoherently, causing Xiaowan to sigh and bring them to wash their faces.


    The Uncle Biao helped to scoop up two vats of water and started a fire. He found the millet and cooked porridge, and under the constant urging of the Xiaowan, he felt uneasy and left.


    Xiaowan sat at the side watching them. Someone called out to her from outside, and when she stepped out the door she saw that the Aunt Wang next door was sitting in front of her house.


    Her forehead was wrapped in layers of cloth, upon hearing that her head was bloodied, she opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was hoarse. She pulled on Xiaowan''s sleeves, begging her to come to the Village Chief''s gate to beg for mercy.


    "If I don''t go, then there''s no use." Xiaowan hardened her heart and said, "Aunt, that woman has let my father down. I''ll go and plead for mercy, then I''ll also let my father down. I came back to take care of Wen Bao. I didn''t care about him when my father came back. "


    Aunt Wang cried. "This shameless bastard has caused me so much trouble. How can my son marry a wife, and how can my daughter marry out ¡­"


    She continued to cry, her voice hoarse and still crying, her eyes suddenly lit up as she grabbed onto Xiaowan''s hand and said, "Silver, where''s your one hundred taels of silver? Xiaowan, can you dig it out for her and give it to the village head?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "How would I know where she was hiding? Furthermore, she would rather be shameless than want her life, than give up her money.


    Lady Wang stared at Xiaowan in a daze. This little girl was usually beaten and scolded, but it seemed like she had such an idea in her mind.


    "Aunt Wang, I am sorry only." The Xiaowan said, "I knew they were fighting, I didn''t dare to say it ¡­"


    How could the Aunt Wang not know about this? She could only blame the Madam Xu for being too despicable and for scolding him to the point that there was nothing left of him.


    She wanted to drag Xiaowan out to the fields to plead for the guards. At least they would give her some saliva to eat, but Xiaowan refused it no matter what. She said that she did not want to see such a filthy scene.


    When she finally got rid of them, Xiaowan entered the room and saw that her two siblings had already finished eating and had fallen asleep on the brick bed.


    After she cleaned up the wok and bowl, she could still hear Aunt Wang''s crying from next door. Although this kind of punishment was cruel, children were not allowed to see it in the village, and at least it would not scare them. However, Wen Bao and the others, who were in the village later on, could not even raise their heads among their peers.


    If something like this were to happen in someone else''s house, the Xiaowan would definitely sympathize with the woman who was tied up on the ground. It would be fine to just kill her after a beating, but there was no need to humiliate others like that.


    But she really couldn''t sympathize with her own family. She hadn''t read a book and didn''t know how to use the word ''avenging with virtue'', but she understood this logic, she couldn''t sympathize with the Madam Xu at all. She pitied her stepmother, and so she let down her own mother who had been born with her life.


    If one was idle, it was hard not to miss people thousands of miles away. The tavern had things to do, her family also had things to do, the young lady that was waiting to be married smiled foolishly, could this be considered fate?


    At the moment, Ling Chaofeng and the Aunt Zhang had already rushed to the capital, and it just so happened that the Emperor was about to pass down an order to settle this case. However, they caught a few maids and cooks in their Prime Minister''s Estate but did not touch the Mrs. Bi.


    When Ershan returned from the yamen, he saw Ling Chaofeng standing in front of the hall waiting for him when he entered the door. He lowered his head, raised it, and lowered it again.


    "How is it?" Ling Chaofeng went straight to the point, "When will you be able to resume your original duties?"


    "I have been reinstated, but am temporarily idle at home ¡­" Ershan replied, "As for that matter, they did not use torture or force anyone to confess. They captured a few people and locked them up in the prison, planning on wasting their time like this."


    "So from the very beginning, you charged in with your sword in order to shake the Prime Minister''s Estate?" Ling Chaofeng asked, "So you can make the Mrs. Bi surrender?"


    saw that his brother knew what he was thinking and immediately felt comforted. Although he had not been in the government office for a long time, he had already understood the profound meaning behind it. If he were to formally arrest him from the yamen, the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi would have countless of ways to cover this matter up.


    The only thing he could do was to make a big fuss and alert the emperor, but in the end ¡­ Still.


    He knew that if the Emperor wanted peace in this world, it was the most important thing for such a trivial matter to disturb the peace between the officials of the court or for him to stir up a certain force. The Emperor''s governance of the imperial government was based on balance, followed by right and wrong. Only when the world was at peace and didn''t affect anyone would there be right and wrong.


    "The world is clear, and the imperial court is not completely dark. However, the sun could not shine in this corner, so the emperor chose to ignore this." Ershan laughed desolately, "Brother, that woman killed my mother, and now she has also killed my child. In the end, you can''t even give a single justice to Lian Yi, nor can you give a single justice to your heavenly mother. "


    Ling Chaofeng walked up and patted him on the shoulder, and said calmly: "From the moment you decide to step onto the path of a official, you will have to shoulder this helplessness every step of the way, or leave it behind, distance yourself from the path of a official, or carry it on your shoulders, and go do many more meaningful things for more people."


    "But my child, and Lian Yi ¡­" Ershan''s eyes turned blood-red. In front of his brother, he was about to cry.


    "There will be a way. Don''t worry." Ling Chaofeng said, "Go and pack up, come with me to visit Lord Tang."


    Ershan''s eyes bloomed with hope as he nodded his head vigorously.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "You must also understand in your heart how you and your siblings should face this matter. Ershan, if you were to become the capital city official, you might have to live here for half a lifetime.


    After the two of them finished speaking, they went back to the inner courtyard and saw the Aunt Zhang making some soup and were feeding it to Lian Yi.


    Lian Yi had always been strong, and had experienced so many hardships. She was not afraid even if she died, but she could not take this blow.


    It was not only the pain of losing a child, but when all the good and virtue were exchanged for the evil in the world, it was as if the faith that was held in life had collapsed, as if living for so long in this life was wrong.


    Ershan walked into the room and took the bowl and chopsticks from Aunt Zhang, but when Lian Yi saw him, she couldn''t eat anymore. She threw herself into her husband''s embrace and cried, crying sorrowfully.


    When the Aunt Zhang left, she saw Ling Chaofeng standing outside the door, sighing: "A storm is brewing and you''re all here, this child better not be able to get by."


    An hour later, Lian Yi fell asleep under Ershan''s consoling. He changed her clothes and followed her big brother into the Lord Tang''s Palace.


    The Lord Tang was one of the top officials in the capital. The manor was tightly guarded, and even the respectable nobles and dukes would not easily be unable to enter through the gate. However, Ling Chaofeng and Ershan easily entered.


    On the contrary, it was extremely simple. The elder stood under the roof to welcome them and smiled leisurely at Ling Chaofeng: "I knew it, when you came to find me, you would definitely not have any good news. You sure are lucky. At the end of last year, I thought that you were sick and that you were going to abandon my old partner. "


    They had entered the room to discuss and research on how to resolve the situation this time. Naturally, what Ling Chaofeng and Ershan wanted was only the murderer''s method.


    Thousands of miles away, Qingling Village''s lynching still continued, but today, the sun was scorching hot, and in the early spring, people were waving their fan, the villagers said that the heavens had released their might, wanting to bask the dogs in the sun and kill them.''s family was so anxious, they had to take their breaths a few times.


    In the afternoon, the scorching sun had scattered, dark clouds gathered, and a light drizzle fell. Xiaowan saw that Aunt Wang was sitting on her donkey cart as she went out, and seemed to be looking for reinforcements.


    Although Wen Bao and Wen Juan did not see their mother''s miserable state, they still knew what had happened. When they woke up, they would cry, and they wouldn''t listen to their mother cry at all.


    When dusk arrived, the rain had stopped and Xiaowan was splashing water on the ground in the courtyard. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside and the Wang Family''s donkey cart came from the field. When it arrived at the gate, everyone carried a person in, and someone shouted at her, "Xiaowan, bring your mother back."


    Xiaowan ran out to see, and her head was revealed using a straw mat as a cover, as if she was dead. The people at the side said: "Quickly drag him back, there''s still one breath left, she''s not dead."


    He didn''t know who Aunt Wang went to beg from, but the Village Chief finally showed mercy and released him after three days of being under the sun. The naked woman rolled on the ground, scaring the Xiaowan so much that he hurriedly took off his own clothes and covered her up. Wen Bao and Wen Juan ran out to see, only to be scolded by her.


    In the end, he begged the people in the village to help him carry Madam Xu in.


    Wen Bao and Wen Juan were crying in a corner, making Xiaowan feel a headache. It was the first time in her life she had yelled at them, "If you continue to cry, I''ll tie you up and take you to the fields."

 C170

    Seeing that her brother and sister had become well-behaved, Xiaowan started to clean up her stepmother. She waited until she was covered in sweat and gasping for breath, finally cleaning up her half-dead body.


    Her younger brother and sister helped her drink a big bowl of rice soup together. Madam Xu was slightly relieved, but after suffering such a great torture, she began to have a high fever.


    Seeing the people on their last breath, Xiaowan couldn''t just stand by and watch them die, so she ordered her brothers and sisters to watch over their mother. She took the silver that Uncle Biao left her and prepared to ask the doctor in town for medicine.


    However, just as she walked in front of the door, the Aunt Wang next door suddenly appeared. She looked haggard and distressed, with traces of tears still on her face, she threw a bag of medicine at Xiaowan: "You must have a fever, let her drink it. Whether or not she''ll live, it depends on whether or not she''s alive."


    Xiaowan took the ingredients in shock, opened the paper package and looked at it again and again. Aunt Wang impatiently said, "It''s not poison, it''s a medicine that can cure fever, I''m not willing to poison her to death. It dirtied my hands."


    With that, she flicked her sleeves and left. Xiaowan thanked her repeatedly and went to the kitchen to boil some medicine for Madam Xu.


    In the capital, Ershan had already played two rounds of chess with the Lord Tang, and when the last piece landed, the Lord Tang laughed: "Young man is so patient, you can''t be impatient even in two rounds. With such a temperament, why do you want to gamble your future, and rush to the Prime Minister''s Estate with your sword?"


    Ershan got up and lowered his head, "This matter is urgent and serious.


    A servant of the Tang Mansion ran over and whispered into his ear. Lord Tang immediately stood up and looked at Ling Chaofeng, then said to them: "Follow me, an important guest has arrived."


    The three of them walked towards the front hall, only to see a handsome young man slowly walking over. The three of them recognized the beauty of the heavens as they all knelt down to pay their respects to the emperor.


    Xiang Run raised his hand. "Get up, everyone."


    And from behind him, a young and beautiful woman walked out. Lord Tang was startled for a moment, then hurriedly bowed and said, "Esteemed Empress, a thousand years old.


    The emperor said in annoyance, "This is the reason why the Empress''s presence brings light to your humble dwelling. As for me, will I only bring you trouble?"


    His gaze turned to Ling Chaofeng and his, and shook his head: "The ones who are causing trouble are here."


    Wei Siyan smiled and said to Ling Chaofeng: "Manager Ling, long time no see."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Empress, Milord."


    When they came in to talk, the ladies of the Tang household came to greet the Empress, and crowded around her to enjoy the garden. The Emperor, dissatisfied with the silence in the study of the hall, brought them with him.


    Although the Tang Mansion was simple, it took up a lot of land. A pond was dug out of the inner court and a few brocade carp were reared there.


    The Empress and her female servants were feeding the fishes there along with the children of Lord Tang. The emperor stood on the other side and pretended to feed the fishes, causing the fishes to leave to find the Empress when they had not eaten for a long time.


    Xiang Run laughed, "The fish in my beloved official''s residence are very shrewd." However, his tone changed as he asked, "What do you hope for this matter to end up with?"


    Ershan kneeled down and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject only requests that the murderer be executed."


    The Emperor glanced at him. "Is it really the murderer, or do you think the murderer is?"


    Ershan did not retreat at all. "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject thinks that the real culprit is actually the real culprit."


    "Ling Chaofeng, what about you?" The Emperor looked at the people standing by the side and felt that it was a pity.


    Such a wise, calm, and resourceful person would rather hide in the city and travel to the imperial treasury than become an official. It was a pity that such a talent was able to rise up so quickly, regardless of whether he stayed in the imperial court or led the troops.


    Ling Chaofeng calmly replied. This was not the place where he should talk too much.


    The emperor replied, "Even though Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi has already resigned, he is still a person of high moral standing in the capital. Naturally, Mrs. Bi is the same as well.


    Ling Yu interrupted, "Your majesty, Bi Hong has no morals. If he is a person of high moral standing, where should Lord Tang and the other loyal officials of the royal family be placed?"


    Lord Tang was startled, he coughed dryly and berated: "Ling Huang, how calm were you when you were playing chess? "Also, don''t involve me in this."


    The emperor laughed out loud and said to Ling Tian, "Lord Tang is the person who is the most afraid of matters. Be careful of the consequences if you provoke him, he will never help you again."


    Ershan said straightforwardly: "Other than this, this subject will not tolerate any more trouble."


    The Emperor shook his head and replied with the back of his hand, "Our ages are about the same, and we are all easily at the same disadvantage. The Emperor shook his head and said with the back of his hand," Our ages are about the same, and we are easily at the same disadvantage.


    Everyone was silent. Off in the distance, the empress looked over and waved at her husband.


    The emperor smiled, but his words were extremely serious, "Ling Yu, if you want to stay in the imperial court, there will be endless troubles. You can have your justice and blood, but I hope you understand at least one thing."


    "Yes."


    "No matter what happens in the future, don''t think about how you''re going to threaten me first. Don''t scheme how you''re going to embarrass me." The Emperor turned around and his dignified gaze descended upon Ling Yu. "This is the first and last time."


    Ershan was greatly embarrassed, and deeply bowed in admiration.


    "The empress came forward to settle this matter this time. I humbly request that you and your wife be the judges. Otherwise, I would never have interfered." The Emperor said coldly, "I, the Emperor, am not for you alone, not for your family. I am the monarch of this world."


    "..." "Yes." Ershan stiffly agreed.


    "When you see a person starve to death while I am indifferent, you will think, this Emperor, he can''t even save a single civilian, so what is he saying about the world?" Xiang Run said, "But did you see the other nine people coming back alive after eating their fill?"


    Ershan raised his head and looked at the monarch, his eyes shining with reverence.


    Xiang Run said solemnly: "Lord Tang is getting old, we want to keep you company as a follower. You and your brother Bi Zhenye are both talented, and of noble character. Ling Yu, we will command our Ministry Of Justice to investigate this matter thoroughly, but whether you and Bi Zhenye will continue to be brothers or become enemies from now on, you can decide on your own. "


    Ershan was stunned, although this question was in his heart long ago, but who was the one to make the decision for his deceased mother and child who had yet to see the light of day?


    Who would be able to relieve Lian Yi''s grief? Who would be able to tell Lian Yi that in this world, there would still be good returns and evil rewards.


    The emperor said: Ling Chaofeng, come and play chess with me. We have been planning to open up another mountain and build another weapons factory.


    Ling Chaofeng looked at his younger brother who was kneeling on the ground, and followed the Emperor.


    On this side, the Queen saw that Lord Ling was still kneeling, so she invited the various madams to stop and bring her Palace Maid over. After that, she also invited the Palace Maid to stay behind and come to Ling Xiang''s side.


    "Esteemed Empress, it''s been a long time." Ye Zichen lowered his head.


    "Lord Ling, please rise." The empress said, "Lord Ling, please get up and speak."


    Ershan stood up and retreated a few steps.


    Siyan went straight to the point: "If one does indeed commit a crime committed by a Mrs. Bi, then using the laws of the Daqi, one must face the consequences of their death. But if she died, perhaps it would be a kind of release for her. He could end this ridiculous life of hers early. Was this still considered punishment? It would be better to leave her alive and see how well the people he had hurt. In this way, for those who you care about, leave their loved ones with their lives, and you will do your best. "


    Ershan''s expression tensed, and did not say a word.


    Empress said, "Madam Ling is kind and tolerant. She will definitely get better."


    Ershan bowed deeply as he kowtowed to thank the Queen for her grace.


    The empress laughed and said, "It was a serious illness a year ago, almost separated from the emperor''s Yin and Yang. In my dream during my illness, I seem to see a woman who uses her little heart to contain the heavens and the earth. "


    Siyan looked up at the sky. In the blink of an eye, several months had passed, but the sick dream space had not become any clearer, but it had not become any blurrier either.


    "Empress, this subject has a presumptuous request." Ling Fei suddenly said.


    "Do you want to invite me to visit Madam Ling?" The Queen laughed.


    In Ershan''s eyes, there was a tinge of happiness, his aura had become clear, and he pleaded: "Empress, brother Ling Chaofeng''s marriage is imminent. May this official ask for a gift from the Empress, a gift for this subject''s sister-in-law who has not yet passed on. This subject has taken the liberty. Please forgive me, esteemed lady. "


    Siyan laughed and said, "How can the Emperor and I miss such a good thing? Tomorrow, I will send the bestowal to the Residence from Fate Palace. "But you have to return the gesture. Your majesty and I will wait for the wedding wine to eat the wedding candy."


    Ershan was overjoyed, kowtowing and thanking the Queen. Siyan looked at him, his heart filled with joy, the bride who was about to be married was someone he had never seen before. Why was he so close to her?


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed and Madam Xu''s fever had gradually decreased.


    No matter what, she had to rely on the Xiaowan to serve her. Even if she did not change her dead nature, she would not treat her stepdaughter as a human being and would not court death right now.


    That afternoon, she was cutting firewood in her courtyard. A strange face passed by the door and looked at Xiaowan a few times, but went to the Aunt Wang''s house next door.


    Xiaowan thought that their relatives must have come to see Uncle Wang. The Wang Family had really made a big heart out of it, to have committed such a thing, they felt too embarrassed to have their relatives come to visit.


    Of course, this had nothing to do with her. When she heard that her father was already on his way back, she would immediately return to the inn when her father came or when Madam Xu was able to wake up.


    But in the evening, when the relatives next door had left, Aunt Wang suddenly appeared in front of her house and coldly asked Xiaowan, "Is that lowly trash awake?"


    Xiaowan nodded her head stiffly. She then saw Aunt Wang pick up a broom, rolled up her sleeves and rushed into the house. Xiaowan came in to take a look. She saw Aunt Wang was grabbing her stepmother''s clothes, waving a broom and hitting her. Madam Xu wailed like a pig being slaughtered, and hid herself in a corner.


    Xiaowan brought Wen Juan out from the corner of the wall.


    "Nope." Xiaowan wiped away her tears, "I''m not afraid, big sister is here."

 C171

    After being at home for half a day, it finally stopped. Madam Xu cried until she was covered in tears, trembling while hiding in a corner while covering her face with her hands, Aunt Wang was also drenched in sweat and her clothes were all messed up.


    After gasping for breath, she grabbed Madam Xu''s clothes and said: "Do you know how I managed to get the Village Chief to loosen up and save my man and you?"


    Madam Xu shook her head and looked at her in fear.


    "A relative of my family, the county magistrate." Lady Wang panted as she said, "You also know that the county magistrate doesn''t care about the rules of the village, but this time he''s made an exception for us."


    Madam Xu looked at her blankly: "Did you spend a lot of money? I, I will compensate you."


    Aunt Wang said hatefully: "Of course I want silver, but there is one other thing, the person my relatives promised to the county magistrate is not silver, but a woman."


    "Woman ¡­" "People?" Madam Xu was stunned.


    "The county magistrate wants a beautiful young concubine. I''ve already promised my Xiaowan to the county magistrate." Aunt Wang''s gaze turned vicious as she said, "In a few more days time, it will be a lucky day. Liu Qingping wants us to send Xiaowan over."


    Madam Xu trembled as she nodded her head, but she rolled her eyes and said, "That won''t do, Ling Xiao Inn has already given the betrothal gift, this ¡­"


    Aunt Wang said: "Do you want to die or do you want face? What a shitty betrothal gift. You''re being polite if you want to return it, so what if you don''t? Now that the county magistrate wants the Xiaowan to be his concubine, can we stop him? You call yourself Ling Xiao Inn, if you have the ability, go and fight with the county magistrate. "


    "Yes, yes ¡­"


    "I will do everything I can to ask the village chief to let go of this matter. The county magistrate also said that if this matter were to become known, he would tie you all up and dry you in the fields for three more days." Aunt Wang said fiercely, "If you want to live, then watch over Xiaowan. If you tell her to run, then you won''t live anymore."


    Madam Xu looked out of the window and saw the Xiaowan and Wen Juan sitting in the courtyard. She trembled as she said to the Aunt Wang: "Her sister-in-law, don''t worry. However, this little girl is different from before. If she knew, she would definitely run. If she ran halfway that day, would she count as us? "


    Aunt Wang muttered to herself for a while before saying, "No matter what, we have to send her into the county magistrate''s house, it is still our fault. We should indeed guard against her escaping halfway. "Do it this way, tie her up that day, or feed her a bowl of soup and let her sleep."


    The two of them came up with an idea. No matter what, they could not reveal half a word during these few days.


    Madam Xu would continue to lie down and pretend to be dead, then Xiaowan would continue to stay behind to take care of her brother and sister. Even if someone came to pick her up from the inn, she would have to wait for her father''s return.


    "It''ll only take three days. After sending the person away, you''ll be able to live." As the Aunt Wang spoke, she warned the Madam Xu a few more times, then pulled on her clothes and walked out.


    Xiaowan and Wen Juan stood up as Wen Juan cried out, "Aunt, please stop hitting my mother."


    Aunt Wang ignored her and glanced at Xiaowan. Seeing that the girl had lived for a few good days, she became more and more beautiful, the skin on her face was white and tender, her figure was like a willow branch, the county magistrate would definitely like her.


    Of course, what kind of ''Three Virgins Nine Herbs'' was this? If the county magistrate broke the melon, then she would have to obediently follow him for the rest of her life. With that in mind, the Aunt Wang shouted towards the house, to let the Madam Xu remember her name, and walked away peacefully.


    Xiaowan did not know that she had been sold out by these two women. If no one came to pick her up in three days, and if she did not leave her home, she would be sent to the county magistrate''s bed.


    A gust of wind blew past. It was Little Pei who had just left, and he had been watching his mother from midair. He had learned that these two vicious women wanted to sell his mother to the county magistrate.


    He knew that only his father could save his mother, so he wanted to go to the capital to tell him the news. However, before he could even fly out of the Li Prefecture realm, Little Pei stopped.


    In this life, the things he could do for his parents were very limited. Sending off a disaster and creating a chance for them to get along with each other. These things were things that any mortal could do, so he could do it.


    However, if he were to use his magic power to deliver the news or to rescue his parents, he would unknowingly change his parents'' fate. He could not do so.


    The reason why Bodhisattva sent him into this world with his mana was because even the love between mother and son, the gods and gods, could not be sever.


    He could not be like his grandmother, whether it was out of good intentions or ill intentions, and change his parents'' fate. Everything that happened after that, even his entire life, would be affected.


    The worst result would be that his parents would die a horrible death and their whole life would be a wasted one.


    He told his grandmother that there were many difficulties in the human world. If his parents could survive through their entire lives, they would not be able to survive. Their fates were only temporary.


    Little Pei went back, he hoped that his parents could survive, and he hoped that they could survive through all sorts of hardships in this life by relying on their own strength.


    In the capital, after receiving the orders from the higher-ups, the originally incompetent yamen runners began to interrogate the several chefs and maids captured from Prime Minister''s Estate.


    How could they endure the torture? They admitted it after beating a few boards and found the cause of death of Mrs. Bi from more than ten years ago. They sent people to find a servant from a place far away from the capital.


    This matter had to do with the Prime Minister''s Estate as well as the Hou clan. It spread throughout the capital very quickly.


    When the Mrs. Bi was brought to the hall, Hanxi cried and shouted to not let the yamen runner take his mother away, but fortunately the Mrs. Bi came back that night. However, she seemed to have lost his soul. He ignored his husband and didn''t even look at his daughter. Instead, she shut himself in his room and didn''t eat nor drink.


    In contrast to the wretched state of the Bi¡¯s Mansion, even though the Lang Zhong Residence was grieving for a while because of the Madame''s loss of a child, the Middle Palace actually gave out generous rewards in a few days. Firstly, they comforted Madam Ling with her small fortune, and secondly, they congratulated Ling Sheng''s elder brother on his marriage.


    There were some who knew about Ling Chaofeng in the capital, but there were some who had not heard about him. Even at this moment, most people only felt that he had obtained a favor, bringing his brother along with him.


    When Ling Chaofeng found out that it was his brother who had asked the empress for his and Xiaowan''s blessings, he was very pleased. From all kinds of rewards, he picked out a Jade Lotus hairpin.


    Ling Chaofeng did not need to stay in the capital anymore. Instead, he decided to stay behind and take care of Lian Yi.


    will return home first, and after one month, Uncle Biao will come back to the capital to bring you home.


    Ling Chaofeng decided to leave that day. Ershan sent him to the door and smiled: "I haven''t met sister-in-law yet. Bro, when you guys get married, when you have time, you can bring her along for a trip to the capital. Lian Yi will definitely be happy."


    While they were conversing, a carriage came from afar, Bi Hanxi''s weak and frail body came down from the carriage, looking up to see Brother Xingye, she immediately ran over and knelt in front of Ershan.


    "Brother Xingye, I beg you, can you let my mother go, Brother Xingye ¡­" Hanxi''s tears fell like rain as he kowtowed continuously to Ershan.


    Ling Chaofeng sat on the horse and looked at his brother, telling him to make the decision, so he whipped the horse and rushed back to Li Prefecture.


    Ershan supported Hanxi as he stood up. Hanxi pleaded in tears: "Let me go to jail in place of my mother and let me receive punishment in her place. Brother Xingye, I beg you ¡­"


    "Hanxi, go and ask your sister-in-law if she can agree." Ershan said calmly, "Hanxi, you should know that I have already given up on pursuing this matter."


    Hanxi cried until she couldn''t breathe, "Brother Xingye, she ¡­ she''s my mother, my mother ¡­"


    Ershan asked her: "That year, when you were still young, you definitely did not remember. Did you ask Big Brother then, did he remember my mother? Hanxi, my mother and my children have all died in your mother''s hands. It is not that I want to let her go, it is just a Daqi Law, I can''t let her get away with it. "


    Hanxi cried and could not stand, she carried her and turned to enter the house.


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and it was the auspicious day that the Baisha County County Lord had chosen to bring Mu Xiaowan in to receive her concubine.


    In the past few days, he had sent people to ask around, and sure enough, he heard that Mu Xiaowan was the prettiest girl in the Qingling Village. He was overjoyed, if it wasn''t for the fact that he cared about her, he would immediately embrace the little beauty in his arms.


    When it finally came to this day, Xiaowan woke up early and was preparing a fire to cook. Suddenly, the Aunt Wang next door brought them breakfast.


    Aunt Wang watched as she and Wen Juan ate their fill. Wen Bao went to school, and Wen Juan was brought to her house to play.


    But when Xiaowan just opened the gate, before she had taken two steps, she felt dizzy and dizzy. Aunt Wang suddenly appeared and supported her, asking, "Evening, is it because you''re dizzy?


    As she lay on the brick bed, she could only feel her vision becoming more and more blurry. Suddenly, someone began to pull at her clothes, causing Xiaowan to struggle a few times, but she was unable to muster up any strength.


    He only heard his stepmother''s voice saying, "Quickly pull the donkey cart over and wrap it in a quilt so that no passerby can see it. "I thought that the county magistrate would carry a bridal sedan to pick his up."


    Aunt Wang then said: "Pfft, what do you take as an official marriage? "You''re still carrying the palanquin? In your dreams ¡­"


    Xiaowan was in pain, but she was unable to resist. Very quickly, she lost consciousness.


    She was wrapped in a quilt by Aunt Wang and placed on the donkey cart. She covered it with a few baskets and then drove the donkey cart towards the town.


    Not long after they entered the town, they met Ling Chaofeng who was riding a horse over here. They naturally did not recognize Ling Chaofeng, and immediately became anxious while stealthily looking around.


    When Ling Chaofeng saw the farmer pulling a donkey cart over, he was kind enough to open up a path. However, when he sat high, he could immediately see the things on the donkey cart.


    As they passed by, Ling Chaofeng looked back and then turned and ran back to the tavern.


    Aunt Wang pulled Xiaowan, her relatives were already waiting outside the county magistrate''s house. When they saw her, they immediately wanted to look at her, but when they saw the beautiful young lady wearing a red dress, they asked: "How come you''re not angry?"


    "He''s asleep. It''s fine. He''s still healthy." Aunt Wang said, "Hurry up and send it in, otherwise it will cause too much trouble."


    At this moment, the county magistrate ran out through the door. When he saw the pretty face, he was overjoyed. He instructed the servant, "Quick, bring the new aunt inside."

 C172

    Along the way, the donkey cart shook and the Xiaowan gradually regained some of her consciousness. She felt that someone was carrying her and was then sent somewhere, although the bed beneath her was as soft and comfortable as the guest room in Ling Xiao Inn, it did not have the comfort and comfort of a peaceful place. At this moment, the only thing remaining was fear.


    He didn''t know what was going on outside, but the high-pitched voice of a woman was laughing and crying, causing the world to turn upside down.


    It was none other than the county magistrate''s few concubines. Seeing that the old master had a new one, they blocked the entrance of the courtyard and refused to let him in. This disturbance gave Xiaowan time to wake up and did not let that perverted fellow come in to flirt with her.


    Xiaowan finally opened her eyes and could see everything clearly.


    Just as Ling Chaofeng arrived at the inn and saw Susu carrying a child to welcome him, Ling Chaofeng felt a little uneasy. Susu was also very clever, and said without waiting for him to ask: "Evening has returned to Qingling Village, if anything happens to her family, she will return to take care of her younger brother and sister."


    Coincidentally, the Uncle Biao came out, so Ling Chaofeng immediately asked him: "Uncle, where are we staying for the night?"


    Uncle Biao was startled, seeing Ling Chaofeng''s eyes filled with worry, he said: "I''ll take you there."


    Madam Xu was currently bringing a pair of children to sit under the eaves and bask in the sunlight for lunch. Suddenly, she saw Uncle Biao bringing a young man with an imposing aura over, her heart immediately jumped, and he quickly chased the two children into the house.


    "Where is the Xiaowan?" Uncle Biao asked.


    "She ¡­ she went to the back mountain to chop firewood ¡­" Madam Xu stammered in reply.


    Ling Chaofeng saw a firewood house on the side and looked around.


    The kang was in a mess. His clothes were scattered all over the kang as if he had not gotten enough time to clean it up. A wood chopping knife was leaning against the side of the door.


    "She went to chop wood?" Ling Chaofeng threw the firewood chopping knife in front of Madam Xu.


    "Go, go find firewood." Madam Xu tried her best to hold in her anger, purposely shouting out loud to attract the attention of the villagers, reprimanding them in rage, "Who are you people, what do you want to do?"


    Uncle Biao laughed coldly: "It''s fine if you don''t recognize our shopkeeper, but you don''t even recognize me? Poison Woman, quickly tell me where the Xiaowan is, or I will tear apart your bones. "


    Wen Bao ran out of the house and Uncle Biao coincidentally grabbed him by the collar. He did not really use any strength nor did he want to injure the child, but from the looks of it, he was going to snap Wen Bao''s neck anytime.


    The villagers gradually surrounded them. They were afraid of the domineering auras of the Uncle Biao and Ling Chaofeng, and did not dare to help them out.


    At that moment, Ling Chaofeng saw the farmers he met in the town. They were driving an empty donkey cart back, their faces were filled with joy, but they suddenly rushed in front of him and blocked his path.


    Aunt Wang was startled, seeing that there were so many people surrounding her house, and Madam Xu was shouting and shouting inside, her heart became anxious, could it be that the Ling Xiao Inn''s ¡­


    "Where did you send Mu Xiaowan?" Ling Chaofeng took a step forward and approached them.


    Ling Chaofeng had personally seen a person wrapped in a quilt wrapped in a donkey cart, along with the hesitation of Madam Xu. Ling Chaofeng had already determined that the person wrapped in the quilt was Xiaowan, no wonder he was worried about his beloved person in the town, because his beloved person was suffering.


    His aura was imposing and domineering like that of a god. He glared fiercely at the person in front of him.


    No, no ¡­" You''re talking nonsense... "Ahh!" Aunt Wang still wanted to defend herself, but Ling Chaofeng slipped up and grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up in the air.


    It was at this moment that Uncle Biao came out of the courtyard and said: "Chao Feng, that wicked woman has admitted it. Xiaowan has been sent to the county magistrate''s mansion."


    Ling Chaofeng left Lady Wang and was about to lead the horse away, but Aunt Wang instead grabbed onto his leg and begged, "Don''t look for Xiaowan, it''s too late. She''s already a part of the county magistrate.


    Ling Chaofeng kicked her away and got on his horse, rushing straight back to the prefectural mansion.


    Inside the house of the county magistrate, Xiaowan tried her best to escape while the group of concubines was still fighting.


    However, the windows and doors of the house faced the courtyard. There were guards in the courtyard, and outside the courtyard, there were a bunch of women and a man. She heard the women shouting "Master" before she fainted, and thought back to the words that the Madam Xu and the Aunt Wang had said before they fainted.


    There was no need to ask why she was here. She was wearing a red dress, so what else could she do? Xiaowan was desperate. In this kind of situation, the only thing she wanted was to protect her own innocence even if she died.


    There were no sharp weapons in the room, so she took out a silver hairpin from her bun. This was given to her by Aunt Zhang.


    Suddenly, the door opened and the county magistrate came breathing heavily. His mouth was beaming as he shouted, "Little beauty, little beauty ¡­"


    But the bed was empty. The man was startled but did not get angry and instead said happily: "Are you playing hide-and-seek with me, Master? I caught you, Master, but I have to punish you severely. Your little butt must be white and tender, Xiaowan, where are you ¡­ "


    Xiaowan''s soul was on the verge of dispersing from fear and was crying. Now was not the time to cry, as long as there was a chance, she would not let this beast touch her.


    "Ah, so you were hiding here." When the tablecloth was lifted, Xiaowan saw that perverted and terrifying face. She curled herself up, but her dirty hands came to grab her feet.


    "Come out, Xiaowan, come out ¡­ Master loves you." The county magistrate was about to drool. Seeing Xiaowan like this made him feel that it was rather interesting.


    The Xiaowan held the hairpin in his hand, and when he saw that his hand was holding onto her ankle to drag her out, he stabbed it towards the back of the man''s hand.


    The county magistrate felt the pain and cried out loudly. This time, he was truly enraged. He shouted for the servants to come in and move the table away.


    Without the protection of the table and the people blocking the door, Xiaowan could only hide in a corner. She raised her hairpin and threatened loudly: "Don''t come near me, don''t come near me."


    "Bastard, so you sent them here before they even finished teaching them?" The county magistrate''s hands were covered in blood. He gnashed his teeth in anger as he commanded his servants, "Drag this lowly person out and tie him up. Call all the concubines over. See how I''ll teach this disobedient lowly person!"


    Xiaowan could only point the sharp hairpin at her throat. "If you guys come over again, I''ll die here."


    The hairpin had already stuck onto their skin, pricking out beads of blood. When those guards saw this, they were somewhat afraid. Even if someone died, it could still be considered a small matter. The county magistrate pushed them aside and left. They were the unlucky ones.


    "Useless stupid thing!" Seeing that the guards did not dare to approach, the county magistrate was furious. He walked out the door and called for a whip, he used the whip to whip Xiaowan, and when Xiaowan''s hand was free from his throat, a few servants rushed forward and subdued him.


    The county magistrate laughed out loud as he ordered for the Xiaowan to be tied to a pillar in the courtyard.


    Liu Qingping pointed at Xiaowan and said, "Aren''t you guys jealous? Look, pick a whip stick on the ground and help me teach this new person a lesson. As his sisters, you guys better behave properly for your new sister."


    Seeing an aunt clumsily pick up a heavy whip, Xiaowan actually couldn''t help but feel pity for her.


    A woman like her, like the Madam Xu or the Wang Clan, had lived her whole life filled with pride and imagination. In reality, her whole life was spent as a man''s plaything and slave.


    With a loud noise, the whip struck Xiaowan, causing him to become more clear-headed and clear-headed. The county magistrate and his women laughed loudly as another whip struck him, ripping a hole in Xiaowan''s clothes.


    The county magistrate''s eyes immediately lit up. He felt that this was very amusing, so he instructed the concubines, "All of you, go one at a time. Use a whip to strip her clean."


    The women laughed and joked as they pushed whoever to go first. But at this moment, there was chaos outside the courtyard, and a servant ran in in a fluster and said, "Old, old master, someone broke in ¡­"


    Just as he finished speaking, he was kicked in the back by someone, and Ling Chaofeng appeared like a god in the courtyard. He looked at the Xiaowan who was tied up on a pillar, and rushed forward, saying: "Don''t be afraid, I''m coming."


    Xiaowan bit her lips tightly. Ling Chaofeng quickly untied her, but a few guards ambushed him from behind and Xiaowan shouted loudly to be careful. Ling Chaofeng turned around and kicked one of them flying.


    The Uncle Biao followed in, he could deal with them easily, Ling Chaofeng released the Xiaowan and hugged her.


    The guards were completely beaten up by the Uncle Biao, the concubines were fleeing in all directions. The county magistrate was still struggling at death''s door, threatening Ling Chaofeng and the others, saying that he was an official ordered by the imperial court.


    Uncle Biao gnashed his teeth in anger. He held the old thing close to the wall and held it up by the neck as he scolded, "Fucking imperial orders, I''ll clean up the mess today."


    Ling Chaofeng stopped Uncle Biao: "Don''t dirty your hands."


    Xiaowan said to him, "Put me down."


    Ling Chaofeng was startled, the Xiaowan struggled for a bit before falling to the ground.


    Uncle Biao had not let go of the teapot yet, when he saw Xiaowan take it from the stone table and throw it at his head with all his might. With a loud bang, the old thing''s head started bleeding, but it did not lose its life, scaring him to the point of crying and begging for mercy.


    Seeing that Xiaowan picked up the stone and was about to smash it again, Ling Chaofeng stopped her, "Let''s go."


    Xiaowan''s tense body gradually relaxed. The stone in her hands fell to the ground as she was lifted up by Ling Chaofeng and held firmly in his embrace.


    "I, I didn''t let him touch me ¡­" Xiaowan''s tears finally fell, choked with sobs. "I didn''t ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng lowered his head and kissed her.


    They left the house, Ling Chaofeng said to Uncle Biao, telling him to return to the inn and wait there first. He wanted to take Xiaowan to Li Prefecture to find the Prefect Liang as the judge, so he said to him, "There will be sanctions against him, so there''s no need to dirty our hands. We''ll take care of everything else, one by one, not letting a single one off."

 C173

    Xiaowan smiled as she placed her heart firmly into her beloved man''s chest.


    She no longer had the courage to smash the county magistrate''s head with the teapot. She no longer had the disdain and scorn of a bunch of crazy women. She weakly sat in the saddle and leaned into his arms.


    As he was "alive," the wounds on his body began to hurt from the whipping. He couldn''t stand the bumpiness of the horse and couldn''t help but show a painful expression.


    Ling Chaofeng felt sorry for her, so he made the horse walk slowly, and stopped to rest from time to time. Only after a long time did he arrive at the Li Prefecture.


    This was the first time that the Xiaowan had left her Baisha County since she was born, and the Li Prefecture was indeed more prosperous and lively. Her clothes were all messed up by the whips, and now with Ling Chaofeng''s clothes on, she walked on the horse with him, attracting attention wherever she went.


    Xiaowan buried her face in her clothes and was very shy.


    "Don''t be afraid. From now on, you have to welcome all sorts of guests every day at the tavern. This is the so-called showing off your face." Ling Chaofeng said, "But why can''t a woman speak openly in front of others like a man? Our inn doesn''t have such a rule. "


    The Xiaowan glanced at him, and then bravely revealed her head. Ling Chaofeng smiled and she smiled as well.


    When the Prefect Liang heard about this, he was so angry that his beard almost flew out. That bastard took over his previous position, but had messed up his good Baisha County.


    "Manager Ling, did you see the marriage between you and Miss Mu? As long as we can prove that you two were betrothed to someone, then that beast will not be as simple as robbing a commoner. " This time, he had to get rid of that bastard, and replace him with a reliable person to take over Baisha County.


    Ling Chaofeng said: The matchmaker can testify to that, and the villagers can testify as well. The Mu family should have a hundred silver coins, and below it is the fire seal made in the capital.


    Prefect Liang nodded his head: "Although all of these are useful, but if you have any marriage documents, it would be for the best.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I know who it was, who was unreliable and was unwilling to naturalize in the county magistrate court. He wanted to come before you in a few days time to naturalize in Li Prefecture, but unfortunately, there was a matter at hand in the capital. "However ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng took out a jade hairpin that was carved into a lotus flower and said to the Prefect Liang, "This is a gift from the Empress. The Empress already knows that I will marry Mu Xiaowan."


    The Prefect Liang''s eyes lit up. He knew that the young empress and Ling Xiao Inn had an old friend.


    Prefect Liang clapped his hands: "It''s done, this is even more effective than an official document. Rest assured, I will definitely not take legal action against that beast that had barged into the residence. You guys did the right thing. If you guys were to come and find me in advance, that beast would be in charge of your business if you were to leave. "


    Xiaowan had always been behind Ling Chaofeng, he protected his with one hand and now, she took the opportunity to place the hairpin on her head.


    Her heart trembled, as if some sort of memory had appeared. It was as if someone had once attached a lotus flower to her hair.


    However, this feeling only lasted for a short while. He didn''t even have time to turn around and think about it.


    What happened next, was that the Xiaowan was shocked that Ling Chaofeng actually knew the Queen!


    They did not stay in the Li Prefecture for long, so they rented a carriage and asked the carriage driver to drive the carriage. Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan to sit in the carriage, allowing her to lie in her embrace.


    Xiaowan took off the jade hairpin and touched it again and again, saying with regret: "The silver hairpin that Aunt gave me was probably dropped there. What a pity."


    "Aunt will give you better." Ling Chaofeng said, "What''s important is that you are fine now."


    But these words were spoken without much confidence. Xiaowan''s clothes had been torn to shreds, the skin underneath was exposed, and the lines of scars were extremely shocking. They had spent a great deal of effort to raise this young lady who was covered in wounds, and in an instant, it had changed into this state.


    "Don''t look ¡­" The Xiaowan said weakly.


    "Does it hurt?" Ling Chaofeng frowned, and said with hatred, "I really want to hack him into a thousand pieces."


    Xiaowan shook her head: "Killing is against the law, shopkeeper, if it is because of me that you are implicated, I will suffer for the rest of my life."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "I knew it, so I decided to endure. But the officer, and your stepmother, and the woman who sent you, they must pay the price. "


    Along the way, Susu had long prepared a hot water ointment and waited for her. After bringing her to the house, she wiped her wounds with tears.


    Susu said angrily: "What did I say? I told you not to go back, right? You refused to listen. You went back, but they had something to eat. In the end, you almost lost your life. "


    Xiaowan said in a weak voice: "I will listen to you in the future."


    "How do you think Uncle Biao and I should explain this to the shopkeeper?" Susu was angry, but most of it was heartache. She carefully applied the medicine on Xiaowan, scolding her and crying at the same time.


    In her entire life, Xiaowan had never seen anyone shed tears for her. Knowing that she was being pained, she felt both guilty and happy.


    Susu gently caressed her face and said: "Don''t easily forgive those who have done evil deeds, and don''t easily treat your enemies. We have already been worthy of the heavens for not doing evil deeds and not harming others. "What about tolerance and magnanimity? This is something that the heavens should do. Only by not forgiving will I be worthy of those who treat us well."


    The Xiaowan listened attentively, and Susu continued, "When I first found out that my brother was hanged to death in the yamen, even though I knew that he died a violent death, my heart was at ease. From today onwards, no one will come to mess with me again. As for you, even if your stepmother is dead, you shouldn''t send her to her death. As for whether or not your brother and sister eat food, your father gave birth to these two children. From today onwards, the children of the Madam Xu will be taught by their stepmother, and will be repaid. "


    Xiaowan lowered her head. Susu cupped her face: "Have you remembered?"


    Little Pei ran in from outside and said pitifully: "Aunt, don''t scold Aunt."


    Susu laughed: "When did I scold her? Ask away."


    However, Little Pei ran over to the side of the bed and touched Xiaowan''s hands, "I''ll help Aunt massage, Aunt won''t hurt anymore."


    "Little Pei, Aunt really misses you." Xiaowan carried him to the bed and gently hugged him in her arms. Her tears couldn''t help but fall and she really thought that she would never be able to come back.


    "Aunt will not go anywhere else, unless she follows you." The Xiaowan choked with sobs, "I''m not leaving anymore."


    Little Pei hugged his mother tightly as tears poured down his face like rain. He knew that his parents would definitely be able to survive this, and he knew that they wouldn''t live it all again for nothing. Perhaps in the future, there would be even more obstacles. The path a mortal had to tread would be filled with obstacles. He would always protect his mother and accompany her throughout his entire life.


    "Little Pei."


    Ling Chaofeng''s voice came from outside the door. He looked back and thought that his father must have blamed him for pestering his mother, so he obediently crawled out of the bed and ran out to stand respectfully in front of his father.


    He firmly believed that the Xiaowan would treat Little Pei like her biological son and that Little Pei would be a filial son to her mother. There would be a day when she would pass away from this world, and she wouldn''t have to worry about no one taking care of the Xiaowan.


    Naturally, this was something that happened a long time ago. He had to live for a long time, and protect Xiaowan for the rest of his life.


    "Daddy ¡­" Little Pei sobbed.


    "Father will pass Aunt to Little Pei to take care of." Ling Chaofeng squatted down and rubbed his son''s face, "These few days, you can sleep here. After Grandma comes back, father and aunt will be married, and Little Pei will have a mother. From that time onwards, you will have to sleep on your own, do you remember?"


    Little Pei nodded strongly: "I''ll remember it."


    Ling Chaofeng patted his butt, telling him to go back to his room. He then got up and looked at Xiaowan, who was sitting on her bed.


    Ling Chaofeng did not choose to stay by Xiaowan''s side. She had just suffered a humiliation, maybe his embrace could warm her up, but on the way back, she did not want to see her wounds. Ling Chaofeng was willing to wait, because he could not bear to scare Xiaowan.


    "Rest well. Don''t be afraid, I''m here." Ling Chaofeng smiled warmly. Seeing his son crawl into the Xiaowan''s embrace, he was actually a little envious. He repeatedly reminded Little Pei not to be naughty and went downstairs.


    After eating dinner, the sky quickly darkened, Xiaowan took a pill to calm her mind, then hugged Little Pei as she fell asleep.


    After Little Pei waited for his mother to fall asleep, he gently lifted the corner of her clothes and saw a few sinister looking wounds on her abdomen.


    His eyes reddened, and his tears dripped onto her wounds. Those sinister looking whip scars did not look like they changed, but they would not hurt again. Little Pei was afraid that the wounds would heal too quickly to scare his mother, but no matter what, he wanted to help her alleviate the pain.


    "Mother, Father and I will protect you for the rest of your life." Little Pei said as he sneaked into the crook of Xiaowan''s arm and slept with his mother.


    In the capital, a thousand miles away, it was already clear that the matter of Madam Ling''s small inheritance was being mixed with arsenic at the behest of the Mrs. Bi. More than ten years ago, when his original Mrs. Bi died, the mansion''s servants had already been found by officials. Tomorrow, they would be interrogated, and under Ling Yu''s request, the coffin would be opened to inspect his mother''s bones to see if she had died from poison.


    The night had gradually deepened, and the entire Bi¡¯s Mansion was filled with a deathly aura. Inside and out of the main courtyard''s sleeping quarters, there were female attendants guarding.


    Hanxi looked at the entrance of the courtyard and she was already crying so much that she had to turn around and walk back. Seeing her brother coming back from the outside, he ran over and asked excitedly, "Brother, where have you been these past few days, brother ¡­ ''Mother is going to jail! Mother might even die! Bro ¡­ '' "What should we do?"

 C174

    Bi Zhenye had not been in the capital for the past few days, and had not seen Ling Yu nor his parents. The only thing his family knew was that he had gone out to find him, perhaps no one would have thought that he was following someone from the Ministry Of Justice to find his family''s servants.


    Because of his identification, he had very smoothly found the woman who had once served his mother. He did not know how to explain this to his sister. She would definitely feel that he had gone mad.


    Seeing Hanxi crying so hard, he could only say: "Hanxi, your second brother has already let mother go once, it was mother who is not willing to let them go. If someone gave you poison, causing you to miscarry, if someone gave you poison, causing your mother to die, your brother wouldn''t be able to vent his anger even if he killed his enemy with his own hands. He''s done his best for us. "


    "But that''s our mother, brother ¡­" Let''s go beg the Brother Xingye again. " Hanxi knew that it was useless, but she could only plead for help.


    "Hanxi, stay at home with Grandma and take care of her. Leave the rest to brother." Bi Zhenye wiped away his sister''s tears. His gentle smile could not hide his exhaustion, "Go back to your room, the sky will not fall."


    He left his sister and went straight to the main courtyard. When the servants saw the eldest young master, they all hoped that he would be able to resolve the current predicament. One of them said to him, "The lord is in the study, while the madame is alone in her room."


    Bi Zhenye nodded, pushed open the door, and ordered the servants who were waiting in the room to step down, and walked over to his mother''s bedside.


    Mrs. Bi opened his eyes and saw his son.


    "Mother, have you eaten dinner?" Bi Zhenye asked.


    Mrs. Bi, on the other hand, retracted his gaze from his son''s face. He hadn''t seen her son for the past few days, and the servant said that the eldest young master had gone out. He didn''t know what the others were thinking, but Mrs. Bi was clear that his biological son had gone to the countryside to look for someone.


    "You saw her?" Mrs. Bi asked.


    Bi Zhenye understood that his mother had already guessed it.


    "I saw it and I asked." Bi Zhenye knelt beside the bed, "Mother, I would like to ask you one last thing, why did you kill the industry''s mother?"


    "Why don''t you ask me, did I kill him?" The Mrs. Bi laughed miserably, "If I say no, would you believe me?"


    Bi Zhenye nodded: "I believe you, but I do not wish for mother to lie to me."


    "If I don''t kill her, she will." Mrs. Bi''s eyes were ferocious, filled with hatred, "She always acts so haughty in front of me, as if she''s the proper wife. She''s only the daughter of a county magistrate, how can she compare to me? She is not as beautiful as me, not as good-natured as me, not as good as me, and your father doesn''t like her at all. But just because she was her original wife and her first wife, she was able to step me beneath her feet. "


    "Mother ¡­"


    "Zhenye, do you know what a concubine is? A concubine is no different from a servant, she can''t even be considered half a master. Mrs. Bi grabbed his son''s arm, "I am the daughter of the Marquis, how can I be someone else''s servant? You are clearly the older brother, yet you still carry the title of a concubine. Zhenye, Mother did it for you, I am ¡­ "


    She started coughing and was unable to catch her breath. Bi Zhenye quickly helped her mother up, but he remained cold and didn''t say anything.


    "Do you think that Mother is shirking her responsibilities?" Mrs. Bi said.


    "No." The young man smiled faintly and said, "Mom had taken the wrong path from the beginning, but now you won''t be able to listen to any of the truths that have been said. You will only deviate from the right path, and walk further and further away."


    "So you want to exterminate your parents and find a witness to testify against your mother?" Mrs. Bi stared at her son in pain. "Mother painstakingly gave birth to you and raised you, in exchange for this kind of ending?"


    Bi Zhenye shook his head: "It''s not that my son annihilated his family, it''s because mother deserves it. As for me, I only hope that Hanxi and my future children can honestly grow up, and not be like us, who suddenly have to face the fault of our parents and our ancestors one day. "


    Mrs. Bi''s eyes were filled with hatred, as he clenched his teeth and stared at his son.


    Bi Zhenye said with tears in his eyes: "You took the wrong path from the very beginning, look, even if the industry lets you go, you still crazily want to make them disappear. If you don''t get punished this time, the next time, even more innocent people will die in your hands. Mother, you killed two people, did you know that you killed another person? "


    "So what ¡­" Mrs. Bi looked at his son with trembling eyes.


    "Yeah, so what?" Bi Zhenye stood up and said to his mother, "In a few days, you will know what to do."


    "Bi Zhenye, I''m your mother ¡­"


    "Mother, have you really thought that Hanxi and I are your sons and daughters?" Bi Zhenye laughed bitterly, he retreated a few steps and knelt down towards his mother, kowtowing three times, "Your son is unfilial."


    Mrs. Bi was bawling loudly, his wails piercing through the night sky. Everyone in the house could only listen helplessly, and the Old Madem in the inner courtyard kneeled down, kneeling and sobbing non-stop. She caressed his child''s back and cried, "What a sin ¡­"


    The next day, in the Lang Zhong Residence, Aunt Zhang woke up early to make Lian Yi some fried dumplings. Last night, Lian Yi said that she wanted to eat fried dumplings, so she got up early to chop them.


    "Aunt." Lian Yi suddenly came to the kitchen and stood weakly in front of the door.


    "Why are you up so early and dressed so thin?" The Aunt Zhang hurriedly said, "You are still sitting there, don''t go down."


    Lian Yi shook her head, "It''s alright. I''m not a person who can only sit still after having a child, it''s already much better."


    Aunt Zhang said with a pained heart: "I always said that being a Xiao Yue Zi is more important, I can''t be careless. Good child, listen to me, go back to your room and wait. You will be fine after breakfast."


    However, Lian Yi said: "Ershan is going to attend the interrogation today. I don''t know if it''s time to eat yet, but I want to prepare some dry food for him."


    Aunt Zhang said, "Sure, let''s steam some steamed buns for him."


    Lian Yi said: "Aunt, can I help myself?"


    The Aunt Zhang thought for a bit, then stepped aside, allowing Lian Yi to enter. She taught how to mix noodles manually, and just happened to cut an onion.


    Waiting for the time to wake up, Lian Yi sat by the stove to add firewood. There was a faint smile on his face, but his face was too pale, making one''s heart ache.


    Aunt Zhang gave her a bowl of fermented eggs and told her to eat it slowly. She sat beside her and said, "Lian Yi, regardless of whether or not there are children in the future, you and Ershan will be the ones to spend the rest of your life with each other. You see, your uncle and I don''t have any children, so wouldn''t we be fine? Although I occasionally feel pity in my heart, looking at you all, I feel that I am very fortunate. In this lifetime, there are many possibilities. There are many ways to live. The most important thing is to not have trouble with yourself. "


    Lian Yi nodded, and laughed: "Aunt has taken good care of me, so I''m sure my body will get better."


    Aunt Zhang touched her head: "What a good child."


    However, Lian Yi said: "My body will eventually recover, and I might even have children in the future. But how will Ershan''s big brother and little sister get along with each other in the future? The two siblings are both very good people. They simply cannot believe that they have such a mother. No matter how strong the bloodline is, it will never be able to condense into that kind of person. "


    "Ershan will think of a way himself, don''t worry." Aunt Zhang said, "But you should think about it, if he doesn''t vent his anger this time, if something happens in the future, he will be furious for the rest of his life. We have already tolerated it time and time again, we have retreated step by step. As they approached us step by step, we could not always bully good people while feeling proud of ourselves. This is not fair. "


    "I know." Lian Yi nodded, once upon a time, she had collapsed because of this right and wrong that she had persisted for twenty years.


    "Recuperate well, and when you get happy, Ershan will be fine." The Aunt Zhang advised, "Let him handle the matters outside, that is his responsibility, he has an explanation for his mother."


    Afterwards, the two of them steamed rolls of mantou together. After a family breakfast, they brought some for Ershan. Even so, he brought the rations with him.


    Just as he was about to say his goodbyes, Bi Zhenye came over riding a horse. He was wearing a set of clean white clothes, and this was the first time they had seen Bi Zhenye since the incident.


    He dismounted and walked over to the group. Subconsciously, Ershan stood in front of his wife and Aunt Zhang.


    He remembered clearly that Bi Zhenye had asked Lian Yi to tell him that if he had anything to do, he should rush at him and not avoid him to deal with his mother. Ershan also did not know whether or not he had avoided this time.


    Unexpectedly, Bi Zhenye actually kneeled down, and Ershan was startled as he hurriedly said: "What are you doing, stand up and speak."


    Bi Zhenye kowtowed, "Let me help mother apologize to sister-in-law. I don''t beg for your forgiveness, I only hope that sister-in-law can take care of her health and cheer up."

 C175

    Lian Yi slowly walked down the stairs and extended her hand out to support Bi Zhenye. Bi Zhenye shook his head.


    "Big brother, I will not forgive your mother, but I accept your apology." said. "Even though Ershan chose not to pursue the issue earlier, in your and his heart, the grudge from the past is still a knot. From today onwards, whether you are brothers or enemies, there is no need to hesitate anymore. The so-called mutual reliance of fortune and misfortune may also be a good thing. "


    Ershan walked forward as he reached out to support his brother and said to Bi Zhenye, "I had thought of taking back everything that should belong to me after returning home, but I met you, Hanxi, and Grandma. Even though there was still hatred in my heart, I decided to give up on revenge on the day of the Hall Competition. "I never thought that it would bring disaster to my child. Big brother, this time, I won''t be able to do it. Don''t blame me."


    Bi Zhenye stood up, looked at Lian Yi, and asked: "Sister-in-law, are you better now?"


    Lian Yi nodded her head: "Thank you for your concern, if you have anything to say, you can talk to Ershan, I will go back and rest first."


    She bowed and said her goodbyes, then returned home with Aunt Zhang. Aunt Zhang said in a soft voice: "I had thought that he would come to plead on behalf of his mother."


    Lian Yi said: "I heard from Ershan that it was him who took the initiative to cooperate with the Ministry Of Justice to capture his mother''s former subordinates. Aunt, Ershan has two good older brothers."


    The Aunt Zhang laughed: "Now that you have a good sister-in-law, I hope that you and Xiaowan will be able to meet up with the higher ups soon. Xiaowan is really beautiful, the shopkeeper and Ershan are really blessed to be able to get married to you two."


    Lian Yi blushed and laughed: "I can''t be considered handsome, but I really want to meet this sister-in-law."


    At the moment, the sky was already bright, and on the road to the Baisha River Pier, there were more and more people. Da Qing had long sent his wife and children to the inn, then went back to work at the pier.


    When Susu came to see the Xiaowan, she had already woken up and was combing Little Pei''s hair and clothes.


    Little Pei was drowsy as he laid limply on Xiaowan''s shoulder. Susu laughed: "You''re still not awake, I won''t be able to memorize it later, it''s going to be miserable. Before the shopkeeper left, he instructed you to recite ten poems. Have you recited them yet? "


    Little Pei was startled, and immediately regained his senses. With his mana, reciting 100 poems was not a problem, but he did not remember which poems his father asked him to memorize before he left.


    "Aunt ¡­" Little Pei hugged Xiaowan''s neck, pursed her lips and acted like a spoiled child, making a whimpering sound, causing Xiaowan''s heart to soften. She hugged Xiaowan and patted him lightly, "Little Pei is not afraid, I have an aunt with me."


    Fortunately, Ling Chaofeng was not in the mood to care about his son''s studies, and had not resolved the issue from yesterday. He could not let Xiaowan suffer, and not mess with the two wicked women, or else he would be deceived by the kindness of the Xiaowan, just like Lian Yi.


    After breakfast, he brought Xiaowan out of the inn. Constable Li and a few other yamen runner s were already waiting at the entrance of the town.


    Aunt Wang and Madam Xu had committed the crimes of repenting their marriage, marrying more than one woman, and fraudulently abducting and selling goods, and Madam Xu was in front of them. When Constable Li came here today, it was in accordance with the laws of Daqi, so they had to be locked up and interrogated.


    Following that, they continued to beat the crap out of them. They went to jail with their sticks on the table and all sorts of punishments were waiting for them, scaring the two women to death in fear. They laid on the ground crying and begging Ling Chaofeng and the Xiaowan to give them a way out.


    However, this time, Qingling Village''s village chief was completely dragged into this mess by innocence. He did not know that the county magistrate had come forward to plead for mercy, and that there was such a despicable transaction. After finding out the truth, he went mad with rage. His innocence was about to be destroyed by these two wicked women.


    He brought someone with him to stop Constable Li. He said that he would execute the village rules and expel Madam Xu and the Wang family from the Qingling Village. After they had done so, he would ask Constable Li to take the people away.


    When they first came to the Prefect Liang, Prefect Liang warned Constable Li that they could not go to the countryside. There were rules in the village, and those that could be accommodated were accommodated as much as possible.


    Constable Li originally thought that it would be difficult, but after hearing that it was to punish these two wicked women, he naturally spread his hands out.


    The village chief then asked the Xiaowan, "Child, the Madam Xu once abused you, and everyone in the village knows about it. Today, I will listen to your orders, how are you going to punish her?"


    "Xiaowan, it''s too late ¡­ You saved my mother, I let you down, Xiaowan ¡­ " Madam Xu cried loudly.


    Her body had not fully recovered, and she could not bear the torment. If she were to strip her naked and lie on the ground in the sun, she would have no more life to live. But when she thought about going to the prison and getting bitten by bugs and mice every day in the smelly prison, she could not live any longer. The Xiaowan was her last hope.


    "Xiaowan, aunt is wrong. Aunt wants to save your uncle and mother, ah, Xiaowan ¡­"


    The two women kowtowed to the Xiaowan and begged him to save them. When the others saw this, they could not help but interrupt and encourage the Xiaowan to be merciful.


    Ling Chaofeng protected her with one hand, and said softly: "Don''t be afraid, just tell me what you want to do."


    Xiaowan nodded and bravely said to the village head: "I will only beg for their forgiveness. I hope that the village head will agree to me."


    The village chief immediately agreed, "Go ahead."


    Xiaowan continued: "No matter how you punish them, I beg that the village chief not take off their clothes. Don''t say anything about being surrounded by so many children in order to preserve their dignity. You shouldn''t show them such unbearable scenes. As for the rest, I don''t care about anything else.


    The Village Chief frowned and asked, "Is that all?"


    Xiaowan nodded: "That''s all."


    "Xiaowan... Save mother, Xiaowan ¡­ " Madam Xu screamed, but she could not move.


    The village head said angrily: "Beat these two wicked women up a hundred times each. If you want to kill them, that''s fine, but if you don''t want to die, you can just throw them outside the village and never step into the Qingling Village again."


    Constable Li then came forward to discuss with the Village Chief, saying that they still needed to be sued, and that it would be hard to settle the matter once they were beaten to death.


    Thus, the hundred sticks were reduced to fifty sticks. Madam Xu and Lady Wang were pressed onto a big rock by the side of the road and firmly hit by a few robust men. Xiaowan looked at it for a while and then could no longer bear it as she hid in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace.


    Help ¡­" "Ahh!


    The sounds of the lashes and the struggling of the two women caused the Xiaowan''s heart to churn.


    All of this had happened to her in the past, and she would be severely beaten up almost every single day. There was never a single spot on her body that was good, and Madam Xu would even rip off her pants and directly pull it over her flesh ¡­


    That was her nightmare for more than ten years. Perhaps she had been beaten until she was numb, she had never thought that there would be a day where she would take revenge on Madam Xu to seek for her happiness. But what she hated was that every day before, she wished for nothing more than for him to die.


    Sensing that the Xiaowan was trembling, Ling Chaofeng used his hands to cover his ears, making it impossible for him to hear the sounds of wailing and whipping.


    Madam Xu and Lady Wang gradually lost their strength to shout, the brambles were still whipping them around, and the fight was finally over. Everyone''s hands loosened, and they collapsed onto the ground.


    "Throw them out of the village and they will never step foot into the Qingling Village. We will meet those who ask for mercy at the ancestral hall." The village chief shouted and ordered his men to carry the two unconscious women to the entrance of the village and throw them on the ground.


    Constable Li quickly ordered some people to retrieve it. He borrowed a donkey cart from the village and threw the two wicked women on it. Then, he left for the yamen and waited for the Prefect Liang''s Baisha County to begin its interrogation.


    "Your excellency has no time to spare today. You will come down to the Baisha County tomorrow. You can go back first, see you at the yamen tomorrow." The Constable Li said to Ling Chaofeng, then to the Xiaowan, "My wife, that wicked woman is imprisoned in this prison. You have something you want to tell me, we brothers can take care of her more."


    Xiaowan understood what she meant, but she did not have any intention to take revenge. Madam Xu was already in a miserable state, I am afraid that I will not live for long in the prison.


    Ling Chaofeng said politely: "Brother Li, just follow the rules. As for the matters with the county magistrate, you need to find us to interrogate us. Don''t be polite, we definitely won''t deny anything we''ve done."


    Constable Li knew that Ling Chaofeng was a straightforward person, after knowing each other for many years, he had no doubts about the people in the inn, so he brought the two unconscious poisonous women and left with the other yamen runner.


    Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan and was about to mount the horse, when suddenly, someone threw a rock at them. The two looked back and saw Wen Bao crying his eyes out and standing at the village entrance, with a rock in his hand, he threw it at them with all his might.


    Ling Chaofeng took a big stride forward and grabbed Wen Bao''s clothes, pressing him down on a tree, scaring Wen Bao into shouting and crying.


    "You don''t want to go to jail with your mother. From now on, be a good boy. If you can''t tell right from wrong and you''re confused for life, then I''ll personally send you to jail in the future." Ling Chaofeng said angrily, "If you have the ability to grow up, come find me for revenge. "But listen carefully, if you dare hurt your sister, I will chop off all your limbs."


    Xiaowan walked over and pulled Ling Chaofeng''s arm. Ling Chaofeng loosened his grip and Wen Bao collapsed onto the ground, crying loudly. However, Xiaowan did not say anything.


    Her brother was crying at the back, crying as he told Big Sis not to go, but Xiaowan did not turn back.


    They rode their horses out of the Qingling Village, passed through the Baisha Town, and headed back in the direction of the Ling Xiao Inn.


    This kind of situation had happened countless of times before. Xiaowan sat on the horse and leaned into Ling Chaofeng''s embrace, his heart at ease.


    She unconsciously said, "Master, actually, when I saw how domineering the Village Chief was, I felt that he was extremely funny. Did you know that he had never cared about the matter of Madam Xu beating me up before?


    Ling Chaofeng said: "If you have nothing to ask for peace, then be a good person." "Just now, what did you call me?"


    Xiaowan was startled: "What should I call you?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Call again."


    Xiaowan replied: "Manager Ling."


    Ling Chaofeng whispered into her ear: "I''ll give you one more chance.


    Xiaowan''s face turned red and she stared at him blankly. Her heart trembled and she blurted out, "Xiang ¡­" "Male?"


    Ling Chaofeng was overjoyed. He gave her a kiss on his lips, "It''s nice to listen to."

 C176

    The Xiaowan''s eyes were sparkling, with some tears in her eyes, but she was happy when Ling Chaofeng kissed her. Her face was flushed red, adding to her tender skin, it made her look very lovable.


    She asked, "Shopkeeper, I''ve always wanted to ask, when the sun set that day, did you come by the river by chance, or did you just come looking for me?"


    "I didn''t mean that I wouldn''t be able to forget it the first time I see you." Ling Chaofeng smiled and asked Xiaowan, "What do you think?"


    "I want to hear it from the shopkeeper."


    "Manager?"


    The Xiaowan said shyly, "This one ¡­ "I haven''t married you yet."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Then that day on the mountain, what did you call me?"


    Xiaowan was embarrassed, her body tensed up. So, he heard it?


    "I don''t know why either ¡­" Xiaowan timidly wanted to explain, "Innkeeper, please don''t misunderstand me, I ¡­ I am ¡­"


    But how could he explain it to others? He couldn''t help it, why was he unable to control himself, at that time Ling Chaofeng had still not confessed to her, did she really think that he was such a likeable person? Aren''t you ashamed?


    "I always feel like we''ve had this ride home before." However, Ling Chaofeng opened his mouth and said gently and lovingly, "I''m not unfamiliar with that ''hubby'' you called me that day on the mountain. Late nights, perhaps fate has already decided us, don''t you think? "


    "Shopkeeper ¡­" The Xiaowan was moved. This man, even such a small matter was reluctant for her to not come down, so he didn''t want her to feel awkward.


    Ling Chaofeng lowered his head, gave Xiaowan a kiss on the cheek, and then lovingly said, "I like listening to it. I was extremely happy that day and couldn''t wait to confess to you. Late at night, when Uncle Biao goes to bring Aunt Zhang back, we will immediately get married. Tomorrow, Lord Liang will come and we will go to the yamen to register. "


    "Yes." Xiaowan snuggled into his embrace and told him that the scars on her body looked scary, but today it didn''t hurt anymore. Ling Chaofeng smiled deeply, "Before we get married, it will definitely recover."


    was very happy, he wanted her to say it again. Xiaowan was not willing, he said that he definitely had to pay respects to her, and the two of them laughed as they returned home.


    But now, in the capital, after Bi¡¯s Mansion''s servants confessed, the coroner opened the coffin and examined the bones, confirming that the original Mrs. Bi had died from poison.


    According to the confessions of the servants, it was the same method as now, poisoning the teahouse that was originally made with Mrs. Bi every day. Gradually, they all treated it as Madam''s illness and died in the end. Even the doctor who treated the Madam then was found and arrested. They were all accomplices.


    However, the person who was directing them was undoubtedly the current Mrs. Bi.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi also went to the yamen. He said indifferently that he knew nothing about these things and asked them to investigate according to the law.


    Thus, at the very moment he returned home, the official came with shackles and shackles to arrest him.


    This time, she did not courteously ask Mrs. Bi to cooperate with his questioning, but had formally identified her as a suspect and brought her to a hall to be interrogated. If Mrs. Bi did not confess, then he would naturally have all sorts of forced confessions.


    The dignified prime minister''s wife, the dignified marquis'' daughter, had lived in luxury all her life without a shred of hardship. Who would have thought that there would be a day when she would be shackled by a shackle?


    She was led to the door by the official, and the shackles on her feet clanged against the floor, causing the servants in the house to tremble. They all fell to their knees, begging for their wives to be released.


    But Mrs. Bi knew that they were only putting on an act. If she died and his husband married another woman, they would quickly forget that she existed in this house, just like how they quickly forgot about that woman.


    After all, she couldn''t even count on her own husband or her own son.


    Her man only wished that she wasn''t implicated, even if she had to immediately go to the guillotine, as long as she didn''t drag him in. And her son was actually helping an outsider to capture a witness.


    Her retribution was not an unforeseen event, nor was it something that had been snatched away by the industry. It was a betrayal of one''s loved ones.


    "Mother ¡­" "Mother ¡­" Hanxi cried as she broke through the obstruction of the mama and threw herself at her mother, hugging her. "I don''t want you to go, Mother, I don''t want you to go."


    "Little Xi..." The heavens had finally left her with one last bit of warmth, but it was a hopeless warmth. Her daughter was just a weak girl, what else could she do other than cry?


    "Let''s go!" The officials saw this scene too many times and did not care about whose tears it was. They urged the Mrs. Bi to immediately leave, forcefully pulling her away in front of everyone in the residence.


    "Don''t take my mother away, don''t take my mother away ¡­" Hanxi was stopped by a servant. She struggled desperately, but watched helplessly as her mother was dragged out.


    When she finally broke free, she rushed out of the door, only to see her brother returning from outside. He also stopped her and said: "Little Xi, if you continue to pester, you will only harm Mother."


    Bi Hanxi stared at his brother angrily, her entire body trembling, she suddenly slapped his brother''s face, and said fiercely: "You are not a son, Bi Zhenye, are you still human ¡­"


    Bi Zhenye hugged his little sister as her body spasmed. After days of emotional upheaval, her delicate body could no longer hold on and she fainted in his brother''s embrace.


    When Hanxi woke up, everything was already settled.


    Mrs. Bi did not struggle. As soon as she arrived at the court, she confessed all his crimes, saying that it had nothing to do with his husband and children, and that it was all her fault.


    His beloved concubine had killed his wife and his son''s murder had resulted in him being kidnapped and sold off. Many years later, he had attempted to poison his son''s wife and caused his wife to miscarry. The innocent were also poisoned and the two lives in his hands could not be washed away.


    When Hanxi went to look for her father in the study room, she heard her hanger-on tell him that his wife would definitely not have much luck going there, she would be punished with a death sentence at the very least, and she would be sent to the border at the lightest.


    But his father only said coldly, "She deserved what she did."


    Hanxi raised her head and saw his brother walking over, she laughed sinisterly, walking past his brother. Only when Bi Zhenye called her did she stop, and said coldly: "I will not trouble you, if Mother dies, I will go to the temple to be a nun and help her get rid of all her sins. If mother gets married, I will follow her and serve her all the way. "


    "Little Xi..."


    "I know, you want to say that Mother deserves it for her crimes, right?" Hanxi choked with sobs, "I also know that if I did something wrong I have to be punished. I also know that the mother and children of Brother Xingye are innocent. But she''s my mother. No matter what, I won''t leave her behind. I can''t change anything, but I will do what I can. As for you, as for Father, I have long given up on you. "


    However, the punishment handed down by the Mrs. Bi would not come so fast. It involved the lives of people and had to be reported in layers.


    To the other prisoners, they might still have a bit of hope in the days of awaiting trial. But to someone like the Mrs. Bi who lived a life of luxury, who already wholeheartedly wanted to die, life in the prison was better than death.


    The same torture, in Baisha County, had landed on the heads of Madam Xu and Wang Clan, causing their cases to be tried much faster, with both of them being sentenced to three years of imprisonment.


    Three years didn''t seem to be a long time, but they had already been expelled from the Qingling Village. After three years, even if they managed to come out from the prison alive, they didn''t know where to go.


    In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed. When Master Mu returned to the Baisha County in a hurry, he was already in prison.


    The two kids in the family relied on the frequent deliveries of food from the tavern to live. Ling Chaofeng casually used silver to find a house to cook and share some food for them.


    Both children were thin and dirty, and the house stank of filth and chaos.


    Master Mu sat on the doorstep blankly, no one knew when the Wang Family members next door had built a mud wall, blocking all the places they could see each other through the fence.


    Today, he came alone to the Ling Xiao Inn and stood in front of the inn, hesitating to enter.


    It was only when Little Pei ran out and saw him, then ran back to look for the Lord, that the crowd realized that Master Mu had arrived.


    "Dad didn''t know you were here," he said. "If I had, I would have been able to see you the other day." Master Mu laughed bitterly.


    He sat at the table and watched his brightly dressed daughter pour tea for him. The skin on her face was white and rosy.


    He always knew that his daughter was good-looking, but Xiaowan was dressed in rags in the past, her face was pale and skinny, how could she be compared to now?


    Susu brought over two prayer mats and placed it in front of Master Mu. Then, she brought Xiaowan and kowtowed.


    They had already registered at the yamen. They were husband and wife, and after their families arrived, they would be married. But he reckoned that the Master Mu wouldn''t come for the wedding, so the couple just kowtowed to their father.


    Tears welled up in Master Mu''s eyes as he reached out to support his daughter. He choked with sobs, "Evening, father has let you down. From now on, you must follow Manager Ling and live a good life."


    Xiaowan suddenly felt that she was familiar with the scene in front of her. It was as if her father had already said those words to her a long time ago.


    She said, "Daddy, don''t say that. You raised me. If there''s anything in the future, just come find me and your son-in-law."


    The Master Mu knew that he was not qualified to criticize his daughter''s affairs, and was about to take his leave soon. Susu saw Da Qing passing by and asked her husband to send uncle Mu home.


    When Da Qing returned, he said that Xiaowan''s family was left with only four walls and looked very miserable.


    However, Xiaowan was heartless as she said, "Even though my father had no choice but to go out and work, he did indeed hide himself for a lifetime. I will support him, and I will not care about anything else. "


    And in a few more days, Uncle Biao would go to the capital to bring Aunt Zhang back home. By the time they were back, it would be time for the judgement of the Mrs. Bi to come down from the capital.


    In the capital, Bi Hanxi would wander around the yamen everyday when his mother was imprisoned for a few days. However, if his mother did not see him, the prison guards would not let her in.


    Today, Hanxi came again and promised the guards some silver, begging them to let him see Mother.


    "Miss Bi, it''s not that we don''t want to meet, but your mother said that she won''t meet anyone." The jailer returned the silver back to Hanxi, "Miss Bi, please do not trouble us."

 C177

    Returning empty-handed once again, Hanxi walked on the busy streets of the capital alone. The streets were suffused with the fragrance of wormwood, and the young boys, girls and children were all wearing beautiful scented bags.


    After the family case had caused a stir for a while, it soon disappeared.


    It was as if in this place, there was no need to feel any emotions, be it happiness or sadness, because in just a few days, they would be replaced by other things. Even the Imperial Court did not want the people to be forever preoccupied with something.


    Therefore, as Hanxi walked on the streets, there was no need to worry about losing face or being unable to lift her head. In the vast capital, only a few people knew her. Even if they were to wander among the young miss of an aristocratic family, they would still behave themselves and not humiliate them. Naturally, the current Bi Hanxi no longer had the qualifications to sit on equal footing with them.


    When he returned to the Prime Minister''s Estate, he actually shouldn''t be calling her Prime Minister''s Estate anymore. The emperor had remembered his grandmother''s age, and his father had done meritorious deeds within the imperial government, thus he didn''t take back this mansion. However, he heard the whispers of the servants at home, as if he couldn''t stay here any longer.


    Since the first time Big Brother brought Brother Xingye back, this entire house had never been better. She did not blame Brother Xingye for this, as she knew that this was something that his mother had done for himself.


    "Bastard." Suddenly, a berating voice came over. Hanxi trembled for a moment, and looked towards the direction of the voice, only to see her father and brother standing halfway there and talking.


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi scolded her son angrily: "You are the only hope of this family. Do you want to watch your grandmother get displaced and beg in the streets?"


    Bi Zhenye asked his father, with the connections and wealth that he built up through dozens of years of immersion in the government, was his family really that destitute?


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi did not say a word and left angrily.


    Bi Zhenye turned around, saw his sister, then went forward and asked: "You went to see your mother again?"


    "I haven''t seen him. Mother still won''t see me." Hanxi lowered her eyes and said, "Actually, what I''m most afraid of is that Mother is no longer here. I''m afraid that they would deceive me."


    Bi Zhenye hurriedly comforted her sister: "It''s not going to happen, people will die, related people won''t get away with it, they won''t lie to you."


    Hanxi asked with tears in her eyes, "Then will they torture Mother?"


    Bi Zhenye shook his head: "I sent people to scout out the situation. Although it will definitely not be good, but ¡­"


    "Brother, why is it that you can speak so calmly?" Hanxi asked him, "What were you arguing with Daddy about just now?"


    Bi Zhenye''s expression became heavy: "When I hear the news, mother will be sent to the Siping Mansion, I want to escort mother all the way there, father will not let me, saying that if I leave like this, it will be hard to keep my position when I return, even the emperor will think that my way of filial piety will make people feel that he is too cold and heartless."


    "Daddy is right, bro, you can''t go." Hanxi said in a miserable voice, "When the two of us become like this, it will also be a punishment for Mother and it will be torture, so don''t become even more miserable. "Big brother, you are the only hope for this family. You can''t go, if you go, your grandma will be worried sick all day, so what should we do?"


    "Hanxi..."


    "But I''m going. Don''t stop me." Hanxi decisively told his brother, "If you stop me from going, or if Father blocks my way, even if I have to risk my life, I will definitely escape. If I have to, I will definitely die because Mother will definitely not be able to continue living. I will go down to the ground to accompany her."


    "You still have a lot of youth. Your life has only just begun." Bi Zhenye grieved.


    "But what do you want me to do in this lifetime? Facing mother''s misery, even if she dies so pitifully, will I be willing?" Hanxi looked at his elder brother with a sharp gaze, he was no longer that cute little sister, "It''s a promise then, I will send my mother to the Siping Mansion."

 C178

    On the day that Uncle Biao arrived at the capital and brought the Aunt Zhang back to Li Prefecture, the matter of the Mrs. Bi had come to a conclusion. Just as Bi Zhenye had heard, she would be exiled to the Siping Mansion.


    But after the Supreme Emperor Xiang Ye proclaimed as emperor, she sent powerful officials to spend huge amounts of money to build it. Then, a few years ago, the Supreme Emperor took down the State of Liang, making the State of Liang into the territory of Daqi.


    Most of the people would die on the road. Mrs. Bi, this delicate woman who had been raised to live like a prince for his entire life, was about to experience the heat right before his eyes. The torture that he would suffer on this trip was even more terrifying than the crime of death.


    In the end, under Bi Zhenye''s efforts, as well as with Ershan''s help, she managed to obtain the blessings of the Ministry Of Justice and allowed his mother to enter autumn before leaving for the Siping Mansion. If not for the heat and heat, she would have definitely died halfway there.


    In the Middle School, Bi Zhenye came to visit to thank Ershan. At this point, and Lian Yi already had an explanation for the death of their mother and children.


    If he said that he would let them go and let them go, it would be a respectable speech, after all, Bi Zhenye and Hanxi would be facing pain for the rest of their lives.


    The two brothers spoke out in front. Lian Yi helped Aunt Zhang pack, she had prepared some things that Aunt Zhang would bring to her mother along the way, as well as a congratulatory gift for Ling Chaofeng''s wedding.


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "In the future, I won''t dare to come here. Otherwise, if you were to come here to prepare, you would have to spend money and think twice. I''m going to become an annoying relative."


    Lian Yi said: "You have traveled thousands of miles to take care of me and raised me up to the point of making me fat and white.


    The Aunt Zhang gently said: "Good child, even though you suffered and got hurt, you see, Ershan is still a reliable man right? You guys will live a good life, better than anything else. In the imperial court, there will be many big waves waiting for him, accompanying Jun Wu Yi like a tiger. Lian Yi, I will hand Ershan over to you. "


    "I will look favorably on him, don''t worry." Lian Yi laughed leisurely, "If he ever has second thoughts, you must avenge me."


    "He dares!" The Aunt Zhang laughed, "His brother is the first to break his legs."


    Thus, after the Dragon Boat Festival, the Uncle Biao brought the Aunt Zhang back home. The two children sent them to the gates of the capital, and the Aunt Zhang told them to quickly return.


    The carriage gradually sped away. Aunt Zhang turned back to look at the tall and majestic city gates, holding onto her waist, she said: "Be careful, don''t fall down."


    "Then hold on to me tightly." Aunt Zhang laughed, "I still want to take another look."


    "Let''s see, maybe we won''t come back." The Uncle Biao said, "I know you don''t like it here."


    Aunt Zhang shook his head: "I have long since put it down. After wandering around for so long, I have finally decided to follow you.


    The Uncle Biao said, "These past few years have become better. In fact, every time I thought about it back in the past few years, I would have felt a lingering fear. I truly have the guts to eat a bear heart leopard, to dare to like the emperor''s woman, and to even bring you along to escape. "


    "I''m not his woman. I''m only a pawn in the Liang Nation and Daqi." Aunt Zhang looked at her man, "In my entire life, I have only been your woman."


    "It''s still the same in my next life." Uncle Biao said this as he held his wife tightly in his arms. The two of them laughed and chatted as they ran back to Li Prefecture.


    Every morning, he would bring Little Pei to take a look around the intersection. On this day, he finally saw Uncle Biao''s tall figure driving a horse carriage back, which made Little Pei run over to greet him happily.


    After not seeing Little Pei for more than a month, he had such a bad impression of him. Holding her fat grandson, kissing and rubbing him, when he saw him walking over to help his carry things, she intentionally sized him up and asked: "Now, is he really my wife?"


    Xiaowan blushed and said, "I haven''t gotten married yet."


    Aunt Zhang already knew that Xiaowan was almost humiliated by that darn county magistrate, and was extremely afraid.


    said that his father had decided to no longer work outside his home. In the future, he would farm and support his brother and sister at home, and and her would make up for it every month. Although she was embarrassed, Ling Chaofeng had said that supporting his father in law was his responsibility to begin with.


    Aunt Zhang said: "If they come out alive three years later, that woman would still be your younger brother and sister''s biological mother. Even your father did not divorce her, he would still have to go back. However, regardless of what she might be like, you do not need to worry about her. People like her are not worthy of being treated with kindness. "


    Xiaowan agreed and moved all her luggage into the tavern, waiting for Uncle Biao and his aunt to rest for a while. They would eat dinner together and discuss how to get married.


    Now that Lian Yi had fully recovered, and the couple had loved each other dearly, there was naturally no need to worry. On the other hand, that Mrs. Bi had fallen to such a pitiful state, taking pity on a pair of kind children.


    The Aunt Zhang said: "The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was punished as well. They stayed at home and meditated at home, and were not allowed to leave the Bi¡¯s Mansion gate for two years. But that lady will be in trouble. He has to go to the Siping Mansion.


    Xiaowan was at the side, listening to the story of the Bi Zhenye siblings, sighing with emotion, she wished that her brother and sister could also have such character and character.


    It was rare that Bi Zhenye was actually able to become brothers with Ershan. That Miss Bi did not transfer his hatred towards Lian Yi and Ershan, but her own little brother only used a stone to smash her.


    Ling Chaofeng watched from the side and guessed what the Xiaowan was thinking. After avoiding everyone, he grabbed the Xiaowan''s hand and said, "I will think of a way to ask father-in-law to send Wen Bao to a good school to study. If he really has no future, then this is the only way. Wen Juan is a girl, and she has to be treasured even more. If anything happens to her in the future, we will definitely not be indifferent to it. When she reaches the age of marriage, find a good home for her and don''t make it difficult for her with the matters of the Madam Xu. "


    Xiaowan was very grateful, but she said, "Let''s talk about the future. Don''t worry about it, I will feel guilty."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "I was abandoned the moment I was born, and now I can walk around and obtain so many family members, especially you, even if there are troubles, it''s fate. Furthermore, you and I need not to be so clear about each other. What is there to be courteous about between husband and wife? "


    The Xiaowan said as she gently pushed Ling Chaofeng''s hands away, "You haven''t even entered a hall yet, which one is your wife?"


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "Then do you know what we need to do after we pay our respects?"


    Xiaowan''s heart started to boil. She pursed her lips and looked at Ling Chaofeng with gentle eyes. "Then tell me about it."


    Ling Chaofeng stepped forward: "If you say you can do it then you can understand it. When the time comes, I will teach you with my own hands."


    Although they had yet to go to the bridal chamber, they had experienced rough times together and had long been intimate with each other. It was not taboo for them to say such words of love.


    Xiaowan pushed him away and said: "Seeing such an upright and proper person, it''s bad enough to bully others."


    She smiled and ran off to look for Aunt Zhang. Ling Chaofeng followed behind her, and seeing them winking at each other, he mischievously said: "Don''t trap me in the middle, don''t tell me you want to take me with you when you go back to the bridal room?"


    Xiaowan''s face flushed red. Little Pei ran over to pull her skirt, saying: "Aunt, can you bring me along too?"


    Ling Chaofeng was greatly embarrassed, he stepped forward and carried his son upstairs, wanting to properly teach him the rules.


    The two of them laughed as they watched the father and son duo go to the third floor. Aunt Zhang then said to Xiaowan, "Tomorrow morning, we will go to town to get married.


    Xiaowan was embarrassed: "Aunt, don''t spend too much money, I will bow to the hall with the shopkeeper."


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "This is not up to you. I promised Chao Feng''s mother that I would not let her son''s wife down.


    Thus, the next morning, Aunt Zhang brought Susu and Xiaowan to the town''s cloth farm and ordered the best materials for Xiaowan to make the wedding clothes. They invited the best embroidery mother and set a deadline of half a month.


    After that, he went to the gold shop to buy gold bracelets and jewelry, and set up new furniture. He went to Li Prefecture a long way away and strolled around outside for an entire day.


    When they returned home in the evening, they could see from afar that there were many people gathered in front of the inn. The three of them could not help but be worried.


    As he got closer, he noticed that they were all soldiers with imposing auras. They were neatly lined up in front of the tavern, like wooden stakes. They were motionless.


    "It''s Chuanyu¡¯s Army, right?" The Aunt Zhang said as she led the way and entered the door with Susu.


    In the tavern, Ling Chaofeng was talking to the General Wei. Seeing that they had returned, he pulled them over and introduced them to the General Wei: "General, this is my fianc¨¦e, Mu Xiaowan. "It''s a pity that the general came and went in a hurry. Otherwise, he would have been able to drink my wedding wine in half a month."


    He then said to Xiaowan, "Xiaowan, this is the great general of Chuanyu, General Wei."


    Xiaowan respectfully greeted: "Greetings, General Wei."


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "The bride is as beautiful as a fairy, Manager Ling, you sure are lucky."


    Xiaowan lowered her eyes and shyly took a few steps back, but Ling Chaofeng grabbed her hand and sat beside her.


    He would not stare at another''s wife for too long, but just now, when he saw Xiaowan, he had an inexplicable feeling of absent-mindedness. Luckily, that feeling had already disappeared, and all that remained was his blessings as he said guiltily to Xiaowan: "After it''s autumn, Manager Ling is going to leave with me for a month, so I hope that my new wife will take care of me."


    Xiaowan did not say anything. Before the sky turned dark, General Wei left with his people in a flurry. When they were out of sight, Xiaowan asked Ling Chaofeng, "Where are you going in a month?"


    Ling Chaofeng then said: "Follow me."


    He brought Xiaowan to the cellar, where she was shocked to find countless gold and silver treasures. Ling Chaofeng told her that he was openly opening an inn to amass wealth for the imperial government, and from his parents'' generation until now, he had always been working for the imperial government.


    The Xiaowan listened until she was dumbfounded. Ling Chaofeng said, "After autumn, I will go with the General Wei to open a new mountain. The Emperor will build another weapons factory."

 C179

    At first glance, the cellar was filled with gold and silver, causing the Xiaowan to be astonished. However, after hearing Ling Chaofeng explain what he had done for the imperial government, the young lady calmed down.


    It was as if she was listening to a story she had heard before, not unfamiliar at all. Or it could be said that to Ling Chaofeng, what he cared about was whether or not he felt fear.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "These two months are pretty good, maybe tomorrow, or even the day of our wedding, some strange guests will come to the inn. "Although I have inherited my parents'' legacy and worked for the imperial government, I am still a man of the martial arts world. I will interfere in their affairs."


    Xiaowan nodded and listened quietly.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "The ways of the world and the ways of the world are different from what you or I imagine, so, if there is any fighting or killing, it is very normal. Even if someone lost their life here, you would discover that the Uncle Biao and the others did not care at all. Even Susu was not afraid. Furthermore, these words that I should have told you before entering this world, I actually forgot. I should have first told you what to face when I followed you and asked you about it. "


    "Ask me what?" The Xiaowan asked.


    "Ask if you want to marry me." Ling Chaofeng laughed, "I was angered by that bastard, I just wanted to quickly bring you to invite Prefect Liang as a witness, and get myself naturalized at the yamen in a hurry. However, I forgot to tell you what I did, and I forgot to ask if you were willing."


    Seeing the Xiaowan pout his lips, Ling Chaofeng asked: "Are you angry?"


    "Why are you angry? "But ¡­" Xiaowan grabbed onto Ling Chaofeng''s sleeves lightly, his eyes drooping down and his face flushed, "You don''t need to ask me, no matter what, you only have one answer."


    Ling Chaofeng clearly knew what the Xiaowan wanted to say, but he still asked, "Tell me the answer?"


    Xiaowan''s eyes turned gentle as she laughed wickedly, "I don''t want to."


    Ling Chaofeng was startled, and pushed the Xiaowan onto the wall. He was a tall man, and when she looked down, the Xiaowan appeared to be even smaller, she shivered a little, and immediately smiled brilliantly. She pursed her lips, and stood on her tiptoes to hang Ling Chaofeng''s neck, and took the initiative to kiss him.


    It was a deep kiss that lingered on without end. It was so deep that the Xiaowan could not breathe as they parted ways.


    She panted slightly as her burning heart thumped and beat. There were crystal clear tears flickering in her eyes. Within the tears, happiness overflowed.


    "I don''t want to be separated from you again." The Xiaowan said, "In this life, I will follow you. Hubby, let''s start the mountain in the autumn, can you bring me along? I can cook for you and wash your clothes, I can take care of you, or else I will feel bad waiting for you in the inn every day. "


    Ling Chaofeng thought for a moment, then nodded: "I''ll bring you along, but in the mountains, I''m afraid it''ll be tough."


    Xiaowan was overjoyed: "I am not afraid of hardships. From today onwards, I am not afraid of anything. The first time I saw you, I had thought that I could marry a man like you. However, I knew that you were Little Pei''s father, and thought that you had already been married for a long time, so I knew that the heavens would never let me have such a good thing. "I was wrong, I was wrong, God, he made me suffer so much, he wanted to leave the best you in the world to me."


    As she spoke, tears unconsciously fell from her eyes, "Only now do I know that I did not commit any sins in my previous life. I must have done many many good deeds in my previous life ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng held her in his arms with a pained heart and gently stroked her back, "We are both at the same Baisha County, I came here over ten years ago, and you were born and grew up here. Tonight, your life has only just begun. From today onwards, we will be together for the rest of our lives. "


    Xiaowan laid in front of his chest, safely feeling her warm body, she choked with sobs as she asked, "Husband, what do you like about me, and why did you marry me?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Same as you, the moment I saw you, I knew that the woman I would be waiting for in this life, would be you."


    Xiaowan said softly, "If you see me, then... You can''t look at anyone else. "


    Ling Chaofeng deliberately asked: "Who else?"


    Xiaowan was anxious, she raised her head and looked at him: "Other women."


    Ling Chaofeng was annoyed: "You haven''t even passed the door and you''re already worrying about me?"


    "Of course, I will be in charge of you for the rest of your life." Xiaowan''s smiling face was like a flower, her curved eyebrows were extremely cute, "Aunt said, a man who listens to his wife''s words is fortunate."


    "Late?"


    "Yes."


    "Will you marry me?"


    "Yes."


    Emotions could be heard from within the cellar. Little Pei heard them loud and clear as he stood outside the door.


    He could trace his parents'' memories. He knew that his father had told his mother that he regretted not being able to personally ask her if she was willing to marry her. He didn''t properly go up to the door to propose marriage, and didn''t let his mother see him before she got married. He wishfully married her into his family, and in the end, his mother was tied up and stuffed into the bridal sedan.


    Little Pei smiled and carried his small hands on his back, then swaggered away. He knew that once his parents revived, they would definitely live a better life than before.


    After that, Xiaowan heard a bit more about the inn from Aunt Zhang and Susu. Aunt Zhang came here together with this inn, so naturally she knew about everything.


    However, she told the Xiaowan that she had personally witnessed the Martial Arts Sect killing each other in the tavern, breaking tables and chairs, and had even seen casualties. She had never thought that she would be able to see so much human blood in her life without being afraid.


    "I''ve seen so much anyway, so I''m really not afraid." Susu laughed, "Aunt said, here, only those who deserve to die, the shopkeeper would not let innocent people die."


    "I''m not afraid either. With all of you here, with the shopkeeper here, I''m not afraid of anything." The Xiaowan bravely said.


    Aunt Zhang and Susu looked at each other, and Susu said mischievously: "You are being serious in front of us, you still haven''t changed your words, and have not carried us on your back.


    Aunt Zhang nodded her head: "I heard it, I heard it."


    The Xiaowan shyly lowered her head, blushing as she mumbled, "I didn''t ¡­"


    Aunt Zhang laughed out loud and said to Susu: "Don''t scare our bride away."


    Furthermore, Xiaowan was currently living in the backyard. If they were to get married, they would always stay at the tavern to travel back and forth.


    The night before their marriage, Xiaowan followed Susu and went home, treating Susu''s family as her parents and married him over in a bridal sedan.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day that the wedding dress was ready. Little Pei was very quick-witted today, he had already left his father''s lesson early in the morning, and after not being abandoned by the adults, he followed them into the town. In the market, eating malt candy and waiting for his mother to try on her wedding dress.


    Aunt Zhang set up a full set of phoenix coronet and gown for Xiaowan. Because she took into consideration of the Heaven''s Heat, it was a light and thin piece of silk, beautiful but not heavy.


    When Xiaowan walked out with her skirt in her hands, everyone was stunned. All of the customers in the shop surrounded her and praised her, saying that they had never seen such a beautiful bride before.


    Xiaowan was shy and immediately retreated. She followed and laughed: "What are you afraid of, they are all envious of you."


    She whispered, "But... My husband hasn''t seen it yet. I just want to show it to him. "


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "No no, we''ll wear it again on the day of our wedding."


    In the carriage heading back home, Little Pei nestled into Xiaowan''s embrace, his mind filled with memories of his mother in her bridal dress. There was no one more beautiful than his mother in this world.


    The Xiaowan gently waved his fan, and Little Pei suddenly said: "Mother, don''t tell Father that I am eating malt candy in town, Father does not love it."


    Xiaowan stared blankly at Little Pei.


    This sound of "mother" entered into her heart, as if it was trying to recall some sleeping memory, causing her heart to fiercely tremble.


    Naturally, she was quickly moved and replaced. She didn''t feel that she was too young to accept Little Pei as her "mother", and it was definitely not because Little Pei was cute that she liked him. It was as if she was born to be this child''s mother.


    "Mother ¡­" Little Pei shouted again, acting coquettishly, giving off a sweet smell similar to malt candies, causing people to love him.


    Aunt Zhang and Susu who were at the side had tears welling up in their eyes as they looked at the mother and son without interrupting.


    "Mother understands." Xiaowan was choked with sobs. Her tears and smile were both natural as she hugged the fat little fellow in her arms and lightly patted and coaxed him into loving him. "Little Pei is so good.


    "I also like mother." Little Pei leaned on his mother''s chest and started to sob.


    "Little Pei, don''t cry, why are you crying?" Xiaowan''s heart ached, but she thought that she was laughing and coaxing the child, but her tears never stopped.


    Aunt Zhang sniffed from the side and laughed, "You two must be mother and son in your previous lives too."


    Xiaowan said with a smile in tears, "In my previous life, I might even be the aunt''s daughter."


    Aunt Zhang laughed: "Then in this life, will you be my daughter?"


    Thus, when they returned to the tavern, the Aunt Zhang announced that from today onwards, Little Pei would change his mind and not be her grandmother.


    No matter what his wife said, he was willing to do it. No matter what, Little Pei was their big fat grandson.


    When night fell, Xiaowan was about to follow Susu to her house, and Ling Chaofeng himself was going to send them back. A few passionate ladies of the village blocked the door and said, "The bridegroom is fine here, but tomorrow, bring the money and sugar, and come pick up the bride."


    They said, "Manager Ling, we know that you are extremely rich. If tomorrow''s red packet isn''t thick, we definitely won''t let the bride go."


    Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan were separated, the wives clustered around Xiaowan as they entered the door, both of them unwilling to part with him. Ling Chaofeng bowed to everyone, and asked them to take care of him, before he mounted his horse and looked at the distant Xiaowan through the wall.


    That night, the Xiaowan did not know when she fell asleep. In her dream, she stood by the Lotus Pond that was surrounded by immortal energy.

 C180

    Inside the Lotus Pond, the thousand petal lotus blossomed again. Xiaowan looked at the magnificent scenery in front of him with pleasant surprise, and only then did she realize that there was someone at the other side of the pond.


    There was smoke swirling around, and from a distance, the Xiaowan could not see the person''s appearance, but from the figure''s temperament, it was a woman, and she seemed to be looking at him.


    "Excuse me ¡­" What is this place? May I ask who you are? " Xiaowan asked, but her voice could not be transmitted, she could clearly see the woman opening her mouth, but she could not hear anything.


    "What did you say?" I can''t hear you. " Xiaowan wanted to get closer, but they were separated by the Lotus Pond.


    She walked along the edge of the pool, but they were getting further and further away from each other. She was anxious, as she stepped on something slippery. Her feet slipped, and her body plummeted ¡­


    Xiaowan woke up. The first ray of sunlight shone in and fell upon the red and joyous characters. Today, was the day she would be married off.


    In the Culture Hall, a thousand miles away from the imperial palace, the Palace Maid nanny sent tea to the empress. Seeing that she was smiling happily, she could not help but say: "The empress is in a particularly good mood today.


    Siyan laughed: "I don''t hope for him to do that. Who knows what kind of girl would be able to make him take an extra look."


    "Why is the Empress so happy?"


    "Last night, I had an interesting dream. I dreamt of a large area of lotuses, and they were as beautiful as a fairyland. After I woke up, my heart was filled with joy and indescribable happiness. It''s better to be happy than unhappy, isn''t it? " Siyan carried her tea bowl as she reminisced about the dream she had last night.


    Actually, there was another person in the dream. It was a young lady. Although her appearance could not be seen clearly, she felt very close to him. However, it was good that he kept those words in his heart.


    The mama laughed. "That''s only natural. As long as Empress is happy, the Emperor will be happy. Even the servants won''t have to tremble in fear."


    Siyan said: "In order to not make you all afraid of the emperor, I need to be happy every day."


    As he was speaking, the wet nurse led the little princess over. The little princess had already learned how to walk unsteadily and steadily. Siyan opened her arms and waited for her daughter to embrace her. The little child actually smiled and called out "Uncle ¡­"


    Siyan was startled, her mother quickly said: "Esteemed Empress, I don''t know who taught you this, but the Little Princess has been muttering to himself for a long time today, calling me uncle from time to time. It seems like General Wei is here to visit my niece."


    She smiled and said, "He just left the capital not too long ago. This year, the Emperor has entrusted him with many tasks. If we meet again, I''m afraid we''ll have to wait until next year."


    They made the little kid so excited that he wanted to catch a bird. The Palace Maid s all said that today was a good day, and that something good must have happened.


    At that moment, Xiaowan was dressed neatly. She was wearing a beautiful wedding dress, which accentuated her snow-white skin and picturesque eyebrows.


    Susu and Auntie Chen helped her sit on the bed. Before she could cover her face with the handkerchief, the sounds of firecrackers could be heard from outside. A village child shouted loudly, "The bridegroom is here, the bridegroom is here."


    The young woman felt her heart warm. She ran to the window and saw Ling Zhaofeng, dressed in a red wedding dress, sitting on a big horse. The smoke and dust from the firecrackers made him appear and disappear.


    "How can a bride be so impatient? It would be a joke if people saw her. You have to carry some." The Auntie Chen laughed and pulled the Xiaowan back, covering the bright red mandarin ducks.


    Ling Chaofeng always had a cold temperament, if it was his first time meeting someone he did not know, most people would not dare to come close, but today, they were surrounded by the women and children from the village, frantically giving out sweets and money.


    Xiaowan pulled on Susu''s sleeves, "Elder sister, don''t make it difficult for everyone."


    Susu laughed: "Just this once, you earn some money for your village people, you really want to be the owner''s wife, you''re so petty."


    After going through all five trials and tribulations, Ling Chaofeng finally entered the room. His robes were messed up, and Auntie Chen quickly went up to clean him up, then passed the red ball to him and smiled: "The bride is in her room.


    "Thank you, Auntie." Ling Chaofeng carefully held the ball in his hands and went into the bedroom. On top of the bed, which was covered with quilts, sat the bride of the phoenix coronet and wedding dress.


    The red veil covered her flower-like face, making it hard to see clearly. Ling Chaofeng really wanted to immediately lift it and have a good look at his bride.


    Susu handed the red ball over to Xiaowan, and the groom led the bride out. Xiaowan had a bridal veil over her head, so they couldn''t see the road ahead clearly.


    But even so, the moment he stepped over the threshold, because he was too nervous, his entire body stiffened, and his leg was not steady enough, causing him to fall forward. Fortunately, Ling Chaofeng''s hands were quick enough, as he turned around to support his lovely wife.


    The wind blew, lifting off the red hair, revealing a beautiful face that could topple nations. The surrounding villagers were all amazed, shouting out how beautiful the bride was, while some others teased, "The groom can''t wait anymore, he wants to have an affair with the bride, an incense stick ¡­"


    The Xiaowan was extremely embarrassed, and Ling Chaofeng did not know what to do. The two of them looked at each other foolishly, and laughed.


    The bride was finally mounted on a bridal sedan, Ling Chaofeng rode a horse to lead the way, causing a huge commotion and headed towards Ling Xiao Inn.


    As she sat in the swaying palanquin, listening to the endless sounds of joy outside, Xiaowan recalled her dream from last night. That dream made her feel even more real, but she did not dare tell anyone about it, lest they think that she was strange.


    He didn''t know why, but after meeting Little Pei and then meeting him again, she had always thought that the Aunt Zhang and Susu seemed to have known each other since the beginning. It was as if they were a family in her previous life.


    It was good to be alive.


    This was Xiaowan''s greatest regret and gratitude. She had not died under Madam Xu''s torture and thought that the heavens had not finished punishing her. Turns out it wasn''t so.


    As long as he was alive, he would definitely meet someone good, something good.


    The sedan chair had just stopped, but amidst the booming of the firecrackers, Little Pei''s childish voice could be heard shouting, "My mother is here, my mother is here."


    The door curtain was lifted, and Ling Chaofeng leaned his body over, his hand reaching underneath the bridal veil. Xiaowan placed her own hand gently into the man''s palm, and it was immediately held firmly by the man.


    This grip, from now on, would be for the rest of his life.


    After entering the main hall, Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang sat in the main hall, grinning from ear to ear. After all sorts of festive and lively etiquette, Xiaowan was sent to her bedroom on the third floor.


    When Susu came to bring food to him, she said: "The shopkeeper has been forced to drink too much today. Evening, you must be careful during the night."


    Xiaowan looked at her blankly, then Susu laughed sinisterly: "Evening, do you understand, do you want me to teach you?"


    "I don''t want to ¡­" Xiaowan lightly hit her, "You only know how to bully me."


    It was a bustling day, and the banquet lasted from noon until evening. In the eighth village, Ling Chaofeng''s friends received a stream of joyous news and came to congratulate him continuously. There were even some who did not receive an invitation and came to the village uninvited, only punishing him with three cups of wine after entering the door.


    Xiaowan peeked down from the gap in the door. Her vision was limited, and it wasn''t always possible to see Hubby when she returned, but she was worried that Ling Chaofeng would appear in her sight.


    Ling Chaofeng, who had never been drunk before, felt his feet go soft as he climbed the stairs today. He was escorted by his family into the wedding room.


    The scale with the red embroidered ball carefully reached into the bridal veil and with a flick, he saw the shy bride with her eyes lowered. Her long and light eyelashes slightly trembled, bringing with them some sparkling and translucent tears.


    It was unknown whether it was because he was drunk or because he had fallen deeply in love, but he was actually kneeling on the side of the bed, holding Xiaowan''s hand and looking at his face. Aunt Zhang and the others were all giggling, saying that the groom kneeled down to the bride in such a hurry.


    Xiaowan did not want Master to kneel to him. Ling Chaofeng reeked of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes.


    Everyone helped Ling Chaofeng to sit on the bed, then carried over a bottle of wine and watched the two as they drank it all up. After they completed the ceremony, they said that the Spring Festival Gala was worth a thousand gold and left.


    The Xiaowan followed her to the door, and Susu pushed her to say: "What are you doing here, why aren''t you taking care of the bridegroom? Aiya, don''t worry, we won''t eavesdrop, it''s not rare."


    "Ignore you." When she looked down and saw Little Pei standing at the side with a smile on his face, she squatted down and said gently, "Good Little Pei, Mother will sleep with you tomorrow, okay?"


    "Mom, dad said that I''ll keep pestering you to sleep from now on. He''s going to spank me." Little Pei hurriedly complained.


    "Don''t worry, from today onwards, Little Pei will be a child with a mother. Who would dare to hit you?" Xiaowan held his son''s face and kissed him.


    The Aunt Zhang carried the fat kid. Susu quickly closed the door and the family went downstairs, laughing.


    Xiaowan looked at the door and her heart skipped a beat.


    She felt warm inside, and her heart, which had been still for the better part of a day, started beating rapidly. She knew that tonight, she was going to truly be her husband''s wife.


    But when he turned around, he saw that the man was sprawled on the bed. Ling Chaofeng was drunk and had actually fallen asleep.


    Xiaowan was stunned, then laughed helplessly. She took off her complicated jewelry, took off her wedding dress, and started to untie Ling Chaofeng''s belt. Just as she reached out, the person sleeping suddenly opened his eyes, Ling Chaofeng carried her and turned, pressing Xiaowan down on him.


    "Hubby ¡­" "You''re not asleep?" The eyes of the Xiaowan moved about with an amorous gaze, her soft voice seemed to melt her bones, causing Ling Chaofeng''s mind to fly into the sky.


    "How could I bear to sleep? It''s so late at night and so beautiful." Ling Chaofeng looked at his wife carefully. As if he didn''t love her enough, he kissed her again and again.


    However, Xiaowan had already extended her hand to take off the belt on his clothes, her breath was a little ragged as she said, "I know ¡­ "Then ¡­ Then why didn''t you take off your clothes ¡­"

 C181

    "Take off your clothes?" Ling Chaofeng knew the answer and asked, "Why are you taking off your clothes?"


    Xiaowan was so embarrassed that she was about to cry. She lightly punched him on her chest and said, "You''re the one who said that you''ll properly love me ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng rubbed the tip of his nose against Xiaowan''s nose, "So the reason you love others is because you want to take off your clothes?"


    "I, I ¡­" Xiaowan covered his face with both hands and peeked at him through the gaps between his fingers.


    Ling Chaofeng gently opened her mouth and kissed his white cheeks. Xiaowan had already taken off her clothes, and with a light tug, he loosened her clothes.


    She curled up her body shyly as Ling Chaofeng supported her waist and gently said, "I''m not afraid."


    They had agreed on what they wanted to do after admitting him as their master, Ling Chaofeng would teach the Xiaowan. Thus, under the hands of his husband, the Xiaowan, after feeling weak pain, entered a state of warmth, unwilling to leave.


    That unprecedented feeling seemed to be able to melt her bones, but she wasn''t afraid. If it melted, she would be able to become one with her husband and never be separated from him.


    "Late? Does it hurt?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "Pain ¡­" The Xiaowan answered honestly, but Hubby did not "let her go".


    The bride fell asleep in exhaustion, a deep, heavy sleep, no dreams. The man beside him was still asleep when he woke up. He must be tired, too, and the wine was still there.


    Xiaowan crawled up slowly. She could feel the pain in her body and it was hard for her to forget.


    She sat by her husband''s side and foolishly looked at him under the light of the morning sun. At this moment, she truly felt the feeling of being married off to someone.


    In fact, Xiaowan''s wish was so low that it could not even be compared to dust. She even thought that as long as she could marry someone who would not mistreat her, no matter how ugly they were ¡­


    The Xiaowan shook her head. Previously, she only wanted to live and not get beaten up, but from today onwards, the pitiful Mu Xiaowan would never come back. She would live for the man she loved and his family.


    Ling Chaofeng moaned as he slowly woke up. Seeing Xiaowan sitting beside him, he immediately pulled her over and turned his body to completely restrict her. He said tyrannically: "It''s still early."


    Xiaowan said softly: "My new wife woke up late, it doesn''t look like it."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "My family''s rules, I have the final say, my new wife wants to sleep lazily."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a childish voice called out from outside the door, "Mother, I need to pee ¡­"


    It was Little Pei who woke up, not only did he scream, he also knocked on the door hard.


    Ling Chaofeng was completely awake now, he flipped over and was about to go clean up the little thing, but he was stopped by the Xiaowan and scolded: "Look at you, no matter what ¡­ Wear a pair of pants. "


    Ling Chaofeng coughed dryly, he simply coiled around Xiaowan and asked him to make her move, Xiaowan covered her eyes and threw her clothes over to her.


    "Little ancestor ¡­" Aunt Zhang''s voice came from outside, as though she was carrying Little Pei, and threatened, "Foolish brat, your father should beat you up."


    There were no longer any movements outside the door, so Ling Chaofeng pounced on Xiaowan and pressed him under the blanket. Xiaowan struggled and said tenderly, "Hot, you''re covered in sweat, Hubby, stop messing around, alright?"


    Ling Chaofeng was unwilling, but he kept rubbing against his. Xiaowan did not escape, but her husband did not take her.


    They washed up and dressed up, then came downstairs hand in hand. Little Pei was already sitting at the table eating breakfast, the moment he saw Xiaowan, he ran over to find his mother for a hug.


    Ling Chaofeng blocked in front of him on purpose, preventing him from approaching the Xiaowan. Little Pei pursed his lips, groaned in a low voice, and did not dare to resist.


    Aunt Zhang went to get a praying mat and called out to them, "Evening, come sit and ask Little Pei to kowtow to Father and Mother."


    Xiaowan immediately said that there was no need for these formalities, but Ling Chaofeng took her hand and sat down together with his. Aunt Zhang brought Little Pei here, telling him exactly what to do.


    Seeing this little girl, who had kowtowed all the way, Zhou Zheng called her mother. Xiaowan''s eyes were filled with tears and without waiting for Little Pei to get up, he left his seat and came to his side and hugged him.


    Little Pei laughed, seeing his father''s smiling face, he said smugly: "In the future, Little Pei will have a mother''s child, Daddy, you can''t scold me anymore, Mother will take care of you."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed. Xiaowan picked up Little Pei and turned to face him, saying in a serious tone: "Did you hear that? From now on, without my permission, you are not allowed to spank your son. How old is he?"


    Aunt Zhang exclaimed: "Our family finally has someone to make the decision."


    The days after the wedding were so sweet that everyone in the inn had smiles on their faces. Xiaowan was also smiling in her dreams.


    However, she was no longer alone. She had an aunt who doted on her, and a Susu who was extremely intimate with them.


    In the blink of an eye, three days after their wedding, Ling Chaofeng returned to the. Although she married in Susu''s home, his father was still there and he still had his brother and sister at home. His mother still lived in the Qingling Village.


    Even if they did not invite their father to attend the wedding, they had already agreed on it early in the morning. After all, for matters like the Madam Xu, even if she did not care, his father would not be willing to be laughed at in front of others.


    They returned to the Qingling Village with many gifts. When the villagers saw Xiaowan dressed in a red dress with her hair tied up and a hairpin in a bun, the newlyweds were filled with joy and all of them congratulated her.


    Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan were naturally generous as they distributed the prepared sweet pastries to their families. They even went to the mountain that day to give all the bamboo shoots dug up to their uncle''s house in Xiaowan.


    Perhaps, if she hadn''t carried the bamboo shoot down the mountain earlier that day, and didn''t run into the Madam Xu and man''s face, and then ran all the way to the river bank, she might not have had the chance to meet Ling Chaofeng again in her entire life.


    His uncle''s family had never thought that his unintentional act of kindness would change the life of young lady. Looking at the silver and sweets sent by Xiaowan, they really did not dare to accept them. The Xiaowan said that this was a gift from the media and requested that they accept it.


    He returned home after that. His brother and sister had gone to school, and Master Mu just happened to return from the fields. Seeing the pair of newbies standing in the courtyard, he put down his hoe, squinted his eyes and laughed: "Good, very good."


    Xiaowan originally thought that Ling Chaofeng was only going to accompany her home, and was about to leave after a while.


    But not only did Hubby help the family pick water and chop firewood, he also asked Xiaowan to make a few bites of food. He moved a chair over and sat down, then lit up a cigarette for his father and started chatting about opening the mountain.


    remembered that his husband had once said that he would follow him to open the mountain. She did not stop him, nor did she urge Ling Chaofeng to go home. She rolled up her sleeves and started a fire to cook, making simple stuttering.


    There were no women in the house now, and it was different from before. There was also a wall next door, blocking a piece of what used to be a wide field of vision.


    Some of the sister-in-law from other families came over to ask for the candy. When they talked about the Wang family, they all sighed and said, "The old gramps and grandma all fell ill. What a misfortune for their family."


    Aunt Wang didn''t have any sympathy, and neither did she have any pity. Aunt Wang had almost destroyed her entire life, she really wasn''t that generous, so she had heard these words before.


    Wen Bao seemed to have recovered a little and was not disrespectful to Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan, but he did not pay any attention to them either as he continued to eat under the roof with his bowl of rice.


    Wen Juan was still fine as she stroked Xiaowan''s dress enviously, "Big sister''s clothes are so beautiful."


    On the other hand, Xiaowan asked her if she was alright, and Wen Juan honestly told her about the bullying in the academy.


    She rubbed her sister''s head and said, "Juan''er, elder sister will not ignore you, but you have to do your best. If a girl wants to be strong, others will not dare to bully you. If there''s anything, come to the inn and look for your elder sister yourself, do you understand? "


    Wen Juan said with tears in her eyes: "But what about mother, Sister, will my mother be able to come back?"


    The Xiaowan said, "Worse comes to worst, you can just move out and stay elsewhere. As long as you reunite with your family, right? "Elder sister knows that no matter how badly she treats me, she will still be your mother."


    Although she would never forgive Madam Xu in her life, Xiaowan understood Wen Bao''s reliance on her mother and her kinship. Previously, she had heard from Aunt Zhang that the young miss from the capital, Bi¡¯s Mansion, had come to the Lang Zhong Residence countless of times to beg for her mother to let go of him.


    Today, Bi Hanxi came to the prison where her mother was imprisoned once again and begged to see her mother. She was already prepared to return empty-handed.


    Before Hanxi even entered the prison, he knelt down while crying. After that, she limped over to his mother''s side and threw herself into her arms while wailing.


    Mrs. Bi became skinnier, he no longer had his usual noble and graceful appearance. She caressed her daughter''s head with her hand that was covered in eczema, and said desolately: "Really, you''ve come here so many days, aren''t you afraid that people outside will bully you?"


    Hanxi sobbed for a long while, before finally recovering. She took out the food and refreshments she brought with him, and served them to her mother.


    She saw that her mother''s hands were wet with eczema, and her tears fell like rain as she held her mother''s hands, unwilling to let go no matter what.


    "Hanxi, Mother heard that you want to send me to the Siping Mansion?" Mrs. Bi asked.


    "Yes. Don''t stop me. If you stop me, I won''t live anymore." Hanxi sobbed, "Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild, I want to follow mother as well. I don''t want you to be alone."


    "Silly girl ¡­" Mrs. Bi said tearfully, "Mother caused you to suffer so much, Mother caused you to never be able to have a good family in the future."


    Hanxi shook her head. "I don''t care.


    Mrs. Bi hugged her daughter. She was very calm, but said to her daughter: "Mother did something wrong and deserves to be punished. Otherwise, your Brother Xingye will have your mother''s love, your sister-in-law will have your mother-in-law''s love, and their child will be safely born.


    "Mother ¡­"


    "Now that I think about it, when I loved your father so dearly, it was probably because I loved him so dearly. I''m the daughter of the Hou clan. If he marries me, naturally his career would be smooth sailing." Mrs. Bi sneered, "This fool, I only understood it after I was twenty years late."

 C182

    Hanxi didn''t know how much her parents had loved her twenty years ago, but she knew that this time, her mother was being punished under torture. Even though her brother stood by the side of the law and coldly sent her to prison, he still cared about his mother and did his best to protect her dignity so that she could eat less.


    But that person, from the beginning to the end, didn''t care at all. He didn''t even try to bribe the guards to treat his wife better. Now that the emperor had placed him under house arrest, it was even more reasonable for him to not care about the life and death of his wife.


    , in the future, you must not be blinded by your love for a girl. A man who is able to treat his original body innocently, how he treats his original body today, and how he will treat you in the future. "


    "Mother ¡­" Father should have known all those years ago, right? "Would you like to know after the fact, or would you like to know from the beginning?" Hanxi asked.


    "From the beginning, I knew that he would acquiesce." Mrs. Bi laughed coldly, "After sending your Brother Xingye away, he also knew that I had thought that he had deliberately released my own son. Only now do I know that it was because that child was lucky."


    "Daddy has always only cared about himself, whether it was you, me, my brother, or even Grandma." Bi Hanxi also sneered, "In daddy''s eyes, we can only be used by him and not give him any trouble. Otherwise, we can all abandon him at any time."


    "Don''t hate him, he is your father after all. Just don''t count on him anymore." Mrs. Bi caressed her daughter''s face and spoke sincerely and sincerely, "Little Xi, you have to listen to your brother. Your brother will protect you, and perhaps Xuelao Industry will also protect you.


    Hanxi remembered her mother''s teachings in her heart. The visiting hours soon arrived, and although the prison wardens were already very accommodating, they still had their difficulties.


    Hanxi explained that she would return the next day and when she was about to leave, her heart suddenly stopped. She turned around and kneeled in front of his mother, grabbed her hand and said: "Mother, I''ll come tomorrow, will I be able to see you again?"


    Mrs. Bi stared at his daughter and did not say a word.


    "Are you going to leave me behind?" Hanxi''s tears fell like rain, "Mother, you can''t abandon me. If you leave alone, I will immediately chase after you. "No matter if you are in the Underworld or the Underworld, I will not let you be alone. No matter where you go, I will take care of you. If mother commits suicide, I will also kill myself and follow closely behind you."


    "Hanxi, don''t..." Mrs. Bi panicked, "Hanxi, listen to me, you''re still so young."


    "Mother, don''t leave me behind." Hanxi sobbed, "You''re fine, I''m fine. My brother said that in the future, our Emperor and Queen still haven''t given birth to a prince, right? Our Daqi hasn''t even been used as a crown prince yet, so as long as there''s happy events in the royal family, as long as there''s good news in the imperial court and as long as there''s a chance for a general pardon, my brother will definitely fight for it for you. Mother, there''s still hope. No matter what, don''t leave me behind ¡­ "


    "Little Xi..." Mrs. Bi finally broke down and cried.


    The greatest punishment for her evil wasn''t imprisonment, nor was it the suffering from exile. It was the lives of a pair of children being messed up by her. They were such kind and good children, but because of their mother''s evil, they had to bear a stain for the rest of their lives.


    Under Hanxi''s imploring, her mother finally gave up on the thought of living a peaceful life, and agreed to meet her the next day, and to go to Siping Mansion together with her.


    Hanxi walked out of the prison exhausted. Outside, the scorching sun was shining on her body, making her skin feel hot in an instant.


    It was hard to imagine, but her mother almost had to walk to the Siping Mansion under this kind of scorching sun. But even if she could endure through the scorching heat, would she be able to endure the long road ahead?


    When she thought of this, her heart ached. She had just cried, and almost had no strength left in her body. One step at a time, she began to lose her balance. Suddenly, a pair of hands reached her shoulders.


    "Hanxi, are you alright?"


    When Ershan heard that his sister had gone to visit her mother, he waited outside. As expected, there was someone whose path was unstable.


    "Brother Xingye ¡­"


    When Hanxi saw his half-brother, she was extremely confused. In fact, father was already useless to them, and they did not care about the connection between them and their bloodline.


    Maybe she hated the industry, and could find peace in her heart, but she couldn''t hate it. She couldn''t hate an innocent person.


    Ershan carried Hanxi, and just as he was waiting for his sister, he already knew that she was walking over on her own, so he ordered someone to get a carriage for her. Coincidentally, the carriage had arrived.


    "Second brother will take you home." Ershan said, "It''s such a hot day, why did you come out yourself? At least you have an umbrella."


    Hanxi shook her head tearfully.


    "Do you want to go to second brother''s house?" Ershan said, "Why don''t we go together and take Grandma along? Second brother''s family is a little smaller, if you are willing to stay, can you share a room with grandmother? "


    Hanxi said: "Big brother, bring Grandma over, I''m not going. I''m going to take care of Big Brother at home. "Besides, I''ll be leaving in the autumn. Grandmother will have to get used to the fact that I''m not by her side sooner or later. With my sister-in-law here, I can be at ease."


    When they rode back to the Bi¡¯s Mansion together, Ershan told her that he wanted to send his mother away to exile. Ershan had no choice but to tell her that the imperial government would not allow its relatives to send prisoners there.


    Although there was some accommodation, it also meant that Hanxi could only go on her own journey and keep a low profile along the way. However, on the road, she and her mother''s life could only be left to fate.


    Exile was different from taking custody. Prisoners imprisoned in the prison could not die easily, but for exiles, it was difficult to predict what would happen to them in the future. Those who died along the way would die, and the Imperial Court would not pursue the matter of detaining the prisoners.


    "You must be careful." Ershan said, "Second brother knows, I can''t stop you."


    "Big brother, you have to take good care of grandma. I don''t want to die on the way. I still have to go home and see grandma." Hanxi said and stopped. She looked at her brother timidly, and after hesitating for a while, said, "Second brother ¡­ If there comes a day when the Emperor pardons the world, and my mother stops being exiled, will you be unwilling? "


    "I guess so." Ershan said frankly, "But if it''s like that, you would be happier, which is also a good thing. The court has already tried your mother and me for our grudges. It is enough for me and your sister-in-law to give the child and my mother their retribution. No matter what, the hatred in our heart for killing our mother and son will never be dispelled, so even if your mother dies in a foreign land, to us, we will lose our loved ones. She should be punished. I do not pity her, but if the imperial court were to pardon her, that would be her fate.


    "Big brother, when can we ask the Emperor for a general pardon?" Hanxi asked.


    "When the little princess was born, the emperor pardoned the world. Several prisoners were sentenced to life imprisonment, and dozens of ordinary prisoners were released." Ershan said, "Perhaps after the birth of a prince, the Emperor will extend amnesty to the world. As for the matters of the imperial court, it is hard to say. With your mother''s severe crimes, it would be very difficult to achieve complete freedom. At most, you would be able to avoid hard labour. "


    Hanxi listened intently, the hope in front of him was all on the Empress''s stomach.


    Ershan continued: "Big brother does not want you to suffer, you have really followed your mother to the Siping Mansion, Big brother and I will think of a way, to make sure that the people there do not make your mother suffer, after all, that place is too far away, and the capital is beyond reach.


    Hanxi said gratefully: "Thank you second brother, thank you ¡­"


    Ershan sighed softly, before warning Hanxi, "Don''t ever bring your mother along and escape half-way. That way, you two will never be able to raise your heads up again. Little Xi, just treat it as second brother talking too much, don''t take that road, don''t let me have no choice but to send people to catch you, promise me?


    "Okay, I''ll listen to second brother ¡­" Hanxi sobbed and fell into her second brother''s arms.


    She had always thought that it would be great if the three of them were born of the same mother, but then her mother would be too pitiful. She would be poisoned even if her husband was stolen, and there wouldn''t even be someone who would seek justice for her.


    They returned to Bi¡¯s Mansion together and picked up their grandmother. Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi glared at his son and daughter sternly the whole time, but none of them looked straight at his father.


    After Bi Zhenye received the news, in the evening, he went to the Lang Zhong Residence to see his grandmother, and asked Lian Yi to take care of their grandmother. He originally wanted to have his sister stay with them, but Hanxi said that she had to go back to take care of her brother.


    When Old Madem saw the deep affection between the three children, even though they were separated by a belly, even though the previous generation had a deep hatred for them, he did not dilute it with their blood ties. He knew that this was the greatest favor the heavens had for the Bi Family.


    She said with tears in her eyes: "Zhenye, why don''t you move out too? Let your shameless father destroy himself, Grandma has some savings, it isn''t difficult for you to buy a house in the capital. This isn''t your father''s money, just spend it comfortably."


    Of course, all of this would come later, and the establishment of the mansion would not be done overnight. At the very least, tonight, and his sister would reunite for a good meal before Bi Zhenye left together.


    On the way back, Hanxi said, "Big brother, when will you get married? If I have a sister-in-law like second sister in law to take care of you, I wouldn''t be worried about you."


    Zhenye laughed: "If you want a sister-in-law, that is for the sake of taking care of me.


    Hanxi chuckled: "That''s true, Brother Xingye really dotes on sister-in-law. "However, with our current appearances, even if there are good girls, they would not look down on you. If there are good young masters, they would look down on me as well."


    Bi Zhenye laughed: Who dares to look down on my sister?


    The horse stopped as soon as he finished his words. The horse carriage shook violently, and the servants alighted to inspect the carriage before returning, "Eldest Young Master, a carriage ahead of us has its wheels broken. They are parked by the roadside, waiting for someone to pick it up. It''s a narrow road, and we can''t get through it. "


    Bi Zhenye opened the curtain to look, only to see a young lady standing by the side of the road, accompanied by someone who looked like a servant. In the capital, he could easily meet any noble person, since he had to establish his position in the imperial court, not to mention trying to win her over, he should not offend others.


    Thus, he brought his sister out of the car, and proactively went up to ask about her concerns. The servant standing by her side introduced himself as he said, "The Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion Princess is here, who are you people?"

 C183

    and Hanxi both knew that it was from a Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion Princess.


    Master Shenwang Shen Zhe, one son and one daughter. The eldest son, Shen Yun, was actually First Princess Sheng Yuan.


    The Master Shenwang himself had always been the true noble that their father spoke of. After the founding of the Kingdom of Daqi for more than thirty years, the Grand Emperor had countless of important officials in his hands. However, among the important officials, the only one with overflowing authority was the Master Shenwang.


    Shen Zhe was the nephew of the Empress Dowager, and his wife, the Jiang family, was the cousin of the late Grand Emperor''s Imperial Consort Fu.


    But such a clan was completely loyal to the imperial government. Their family had been filled with talents for generations, setting up an empire, wiping out the enemies, and seizing the Liang Empire. The figures of the Shen family could be seen in every major event related to Daqi.


    However, more than thirty years had passed, yet none of those tragedies had happened. It could be said that the relationship between the king and his subjects was extremely rare.


    Although Bi Zhenye''s father was the Prime Minister, and was also someone of great authority and authority, he couldn''t be compared to the Shen Family. This was the reason why he wanted to marry Hanxi into the Imperial Palace.


    Bi Zhenye brought his sister and bowed towards Princess, but were stopped by Shen Qing. The few servants also became a bit more courteous, took the lanterns and illuminated the road here.


    Under the lamplight, the elegant and graceful woman smiled amiably. "We did not know that Young Master Bi and Miss Bi had offended us. Please forgive us."


    Bi Zhenye immediately retracted his gaze: "The weather is hot, if you light the lantern, only the mosquitoes will bite, if Princess doesn''t mind, you can sit in my carriage to go ahead."


    Shen Qing laughed: "What about Miss Bi, as a brother, how can I make my sister stand in the darkness and be bitten by mosquitoes?"


    Bi Zhenye felt a little awkward, as if he was deliberately trying to curry favor with the Princess. He smiled, not knowing what to say.


    However, Shen Qing said: "It''s been a long time since we last met, Young Master Bi is still young, I wonder if you still remember when we met?"


    "Yes ¡­" He had followed his father to and out of the noble residence since childhood, and indeed, he had seen Princess s of the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion at some family banquets. However, he was just a boy when he was young, he always played with boys of the same age wherever he went, so he really didn''t have much impression of Shen Qing in his memories.


    As for when everyone had grown up, even if he had the chance to meet at the Duke Palaces or other places, with the different etiquette of a man and woman, Bi Zhenye would not easily walk up to the Princess.


    Tonight was the first time he had clearly seen Shen Qing''s face. But Princess still remembered her appearance.


    He and his sister looked at each other. Princess smiled and said, "I know Miss Bi too."


    While they were speaking, Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion''s carriage had arrived, and there were another dozen or so servants present. They suspiciously sized up the Bi Family siblings, then gathered Princess in the carriage.


    The two of them watched as the Duke Palace''s carriage drove off. Hanxi asked his brother softly, "Have you interacted with the Princess before? I''ve never spoken to her. How does she remember me? "


    Bi Zhenye shook his head, at a loss, "I don''t have one either."


    Hanxi laughed bitterly: "It''s probably because she has seen us somewhere before, but we can''t see her. After all, she is the nephew and granddaughter of the Empress Dowager, and she is still at home in the palace.


    "Maybe." Bi Zhenye laughed and then asked his sister to get on the carriage.


    "Big Brother, don''t become like Daddy in the future, and dig your way up with your sharp head." Hanxi said straightforwardly, "Especially in the future when I have a nephew or niece, don''t treat them like your father is treating us."


    "Got it ¡­" Bi Zhenye laughed, "Didn''t you just say that neither of us will get the chance to?"


    At this time, the figures of people gradually disappeared from the streets of the capital. As for such a small place like Baisha County, every household had long since turned out their lights and went to sleep. On the way to Baisha River Pier, not a single ghost could be seen.


    Inside the tavern, Xiaowan had bathed Little Pei and was in hot pursuit of him to wipe away his hair. The door of the tavern was smacked so hard it shook the sky.

 C184

    Ling Chaofeng came down from the stairs and opened the door. Xiaowan carried Little Pei and prepared to go upstairs.


    With permission, someone went outside, followed by a young man with a high nose, blue eyes, snow-white skin, and an outrageous beauty.


    Xiaowan had never seen such a person in her life, nor had she ever thought of using beauty to describe a man. However, she knew that they must have come from somewhere else.


    The Aunt Zhang and the Uncle Biao came out to receive guests. After the Xiaowan brought Little Pei upstairs, they made a trip to the second floor of the tavern, where there were eight rooms. The beautiful man stayed in the south side of the forest.


    The Xiaowan brought the tea over, and the beautiful man chattered a lot of things to her. While the Xiaowan stayed there, he smiled and asked with a weird tone of voice: "How far is this place from the capital?"


    Xiaowan shook her head, "I don''t know either. Guest, please wait for a moment, I will go ask."


    Before long, Ling Chaofeng had followed the Xiaowan upstairs and told his guests how to go through the dry road and the water path. It was obvious that these people had stopped their boat at the Baisha River Pier in the middle of the night and had come by the water route.


    After settling down the guests, Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan returned to the third floor. Xiaowan felt uneasy, so she went to the opposite room and carried Little Pei over.


    Little Pei happily turned over his parents'' bed and fought even more. Being glared at by his father, Little Pei pouted and muttered, "It was mother who carried me here."


    Xiaowan looked around the second floor a few more times before returning to lock the door.


    Little Pei was the best at coaxing Xiaowan to be happy, coaxing his mother to hug him and kiss him again.


    Ling Chaofeng watched on from the side as the little fellow''s eyelids gradually grew heavy. It slept peacefully in the arms of the Xiaowan, and he said softly, "In the past, when you pestered me to sleep together, we never stopped until midnight. Sometimes, when I was tired, you would beat him up, and only fell asleep after crying."


    Xiaowan gently said: "Hubby is already very amazing, it''s not easy for males to bring up children, but Little Pei is still young, don''t always hit him, he''s scared."


    "He''s acting good in front of you, making you like him. He''s a ghost, you''ll know after a while." Ling Chaofeng laughed, "When he gets that far, your teeth will start to itch."


    "Then I can''t bear to fight either." Xiaowan looked at the sleeping Little Pei. With such a cute treasure, who wouldn''t like it?


    "But don''t spoil him." Ling Chaofeng said, "Boys cannot be spoiled."


    Xiaowan nodded: "I''ll listen to you. Little Pei is not obedient, but you scold him. I definitely won''t interrupt." But after that, his face reddened as he laughed, "That day Little Pei said he wants a little brother. He wants to be a big brother."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and asked: Let''s go to town to buy?


    Xiaowan blushed, she hugged Little Pei and ignored him.


    Ling Chaofeng came over and kissed her on the cheek, and said lovingly: "It''s late, and we''re not in a rush to give birth to children. We''ll let nature take its course, and do what we need to do."


    "Yes." Xiaowan laughed. She then asked, "Master, did those people come from another country?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head, "He should be quite a distance away, but since he can speak Chinese, he must have some background. We''ll just deal with it carefully, don''t worry. "


    "That person is really pretty, so it turns out that men can be this pretty, if Susu saw it tomorrow, she would definitely be shocked too." The Xiaowan said in a strange tone, "The inn is really amazing, we don''t even need to go out to know what is going on outside."


    Ling Chaofeng asked: "Do you like it here?"


    "I like it." Xiaowan said, "Especially since you like my husband."


    "Then why did you place this little thing in the middle?" Ling Chaofeng said, intentionally acting somewhat displeased.


    Xiaowan immediately hugged Little Pei: "I''m not at ease. Those guests are so strange, what do I do if I take my son away?"


    Ling Chaofeng then turned around and pulled both his son and wife into his embrace. "Is this it?"


    Xiaowan slept peacefully. The next morning, before her husband and son woke up, she woke up first. She combed her hair, woke Little Pei up and peed his pants, seeing that he was still unconscious, she put him back to sleep.


    The couple came downstairs to entertain their guests.


    Uncle Biao had already woken up early to make breakfast. It was a hot day and he was sweating profusely as he sat in the backyard enjoying the cool air. Aunt Zhang said, "I don''t know if those foreigners get used to eating rice porridge as a side dish. "Regardless of them, you guys eat your breakfast first."


    However, the group of guests seemed to be tired and only woke up when it was late in the morning. Susu curiously followed Xiaowan to look at them.


    They also did not say that they were used to eating breakfast and would eat whatever they gave. The group of people were quiet and did not talk much.


    After Da Qing went to the pier, he immediately ran back, saying that there was a huge boat parked there, none of the other boats could enter, and the people on the boat were in conflict with the people on the boat, so the group of pagans could not speak Chinese, so they were unable to communicate on both sides, causing a huge commotion.


    Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan turned to look at the man who was gracefully eating the porridge. The couple looked at each other.


    After breakfast, they went out. It was originally the look of a sightseer, but because of how eye-catching he looked, he was surrounded wherever he went. In the afternoon, Da Qing sent another message saying that Prefect Liang had rushed to Baisha Town and seemed to have picked up the morning guests.


    As expected, all the way until nightfall, that group of customers still did not return. After the family finished dinner, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang stood at the entrance of the store and looked around. There were no movements on the distant road, no one would come back at all.


    "Aunt, do we still count as room money?" Xiaowan asked.


    "If it''s related to the imperial government, then naturally, I won''t accept it." The Aunt Zhang thought for a moment, then muttered, "Could it be that he is a prince of some western countries?"


    When they slept at night, Ling Chaofeng told the Xiaowan that usually, foreign ships could not freely enter the borders of the Daqi and come to a place like the Baisha Town as they wished. There was only one possibility, and that was that the imperial government would allow them to enter the Daqi.


    "And if not?" Xiaowan asked.


    "If not, the first time I arrived at the port, I would have been intercepted and arrested." Ling Chaofeng said, "Otherwise, if anyone could just casually come in, wouldn''t the world be in chaos?"


    "Master, have you ever seen the sea?" Xiaowan asked, and she laughed, "I have never even seen Baisha River before."


    Ling Chaofeng asked in surprise, "You have never been to the pier?"


    The Xiaowan smiled bitterly: "I''ve never been there before. I''ve only been to the town the furthest."


    "Tomorrow morning, bring Little Pei with us to the dock to take a look at the big ship." Ling Chaofeng laughed, "Let''s go check out your Baisha River, once we are done with the mountain opening, we will bring you to the coastal areas and have a look at the ocean."


    Because they were separated by Little Pei, Xiaowan was unable to burrow into Hubby''s embrace happily. Ling Chaofeng guessed what she was thinking and laughed, "Serves you right."


    The Xiaowan was not convinced and said: "At the very least, I will have to wait until this group of guests leaves before I can send Little Pei back. He is so young, and lives in a room by himself. Even if he isn''t afraid, I am afraid. I was always worried that Little Pei would roll down from the bed and burn his hands due to the candle flame. Husband, have you never been worried? "


    Ling Chaofeng was stumped, and said guiltily: "It''s my fault."


    Xiaowan laughed: "There''s still time. In the future, you have to properly love and care for our son."


    The next morning, a few people came over and took away the things in the store. After settling the bill with the store, they didn''t say who they were, but Ling Chaofeng heard from the yamen that they were indeed princes from Xiluo.


    Xiaowan did not know which country the Xiluo was from, nor could she imagine where they were located. The happiest thing that happened this morning was that they followed their husband and brought Little Pei along in a carriage, arriving at the Baisha River Pier together.


    Da Qing waited here for them, then brought them to walk around the dock. Currently, the most eye-catching thing was that luxurious ship.


    In order to let other boats pass, the big ship moved to another location. Xiaowan stood on the shore in shock, looking at the boat that was two stories high, then looked at the Baisha River which was not as wide as she had imagined. She then asked Da Qing: "How did this boat get in?


    Da Qing said: "I''ve worked at the dock for more than ten years, but this is the first time I''ve seen such a big boat."


    At this time, a team of people rushed over. There were yamen runners, there were also foreign race people, Prefect Liang rode a horse, and the blue-eyed man also rode a horse. The official came to open a path, bringing all the servants on the dock to the side.


    The Prefect Liang respectfully led the man to the dock, but the blue-eyed man only smiled and waved at Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan.


    Ling Chaofeng nodded his head in greeting. Xiaowan bowed with Little Pei in her arms as she asked softly, "Are they heading to the capital?"

 C185

    Ling Chaofeng stood with his hands behind his back, watching the large ship sail out of the Baisha River, and felt a faint unease in his heart.


    The Xiluo was rich and powerful, and was currently the most powerful nation among all of the Western Kingdoms. Its position was comparable to that of a small surrounding nation''s, and this time, the prince had come, whether it was because the emperor had invited him, or because they had taken the initiative to express their goodwill.


    "Master, Lord Liang is over there." Seeing that Ling Chaofeng was not paying attention to her, Xiaowan reminded him, "Let''s pay our respects to Master Liang."


    Only then did Ling Chaofeng regain his senses and brought his wife and children over to pay his respects. After that, whatever they said to each other, they all had solemn expressions. When Xiaowan looked at them, she could not help but feel uneasy.


    After Master Liang and his group left, they bade farewell to Da Qing and returned to the tavern.


    When he returned home, he saw the Aunt Zhang and Susu cleaning the guest rooms, the Xiaowan came over to help.


    She went to clean up the cloud cover where the blue-eyed prince lived. When she changed out the bedclothes, a roll of paper fell from the edge of the bed and fell to the ground.


    When Little Pei ran in to play, the Xiaowan called him over to take a look. Although Little Pei had already learnt how to write behind his back, he still could not recognize that much.


    When Ling Chaofeng saw it, he said that it was indeed an instrument for to request for marriage from the Emperor of Daqi. However, even if such a thing existed, it shouldn''t be owned by the Prince himself. Naturally, it would be kept by the Minister, could it be that he intentionally left it here?


    "But our little princess is only a year old." Xiaowan said, "How can a princess who''s over one year old marry someone? Child marriage? "


    "A marriage alliance does not necessarily involve a marriage alliance with a princess. It involves the Princess in the royal family, the daughter of a noble family, and even the young miss of an official in the imperial court." Ling Chaofeng explained, "As long as the other party thinks it''s suitable, the title that the Emperor bestows upon the princess or Princess will be suitable for marriage."


    "Master, are the Xiluo far away?" The Xiaowan asked, "Is it further than the capital or Siping Mansion?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Very, very far away. I have also never been there, and am separated by a vast ocean from our Daqi."


    Xiaowan''s thoughts were simple, she heaved a sigh of relief and replied: "That''s good."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and asked: What''s good?


    Xiaowan said with relief: "Since they are separated by such a long distance, they will definitely not fight. They won''t be able to fight. When you were speaking with the Prefect Liang just now, your expression was serious, and I thought something big was going to happen. "


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and did not speak, but very quickly, Little Pei came and wrapped Xiaowan up, he then looked at the words on the scroll and thought, for generations past, there have been troubles caused by the sea bandits, it was not impossible to fight them from across the ocean.


    Daqi being an expert in land warfare, weakness in naval warfare was a fact. When he met the General Shen in the past, he was worried about this, and did not know if the Emperor was going to open another military factory this time round to prepare the navy.


    Little Pei''s laughter rang out as the Xiaowan tickled him, causing a huge disturbance between the two of them. Uncle Biao had prepared lunch to greet everyone. Aunt Zhang and Susu laughed out loud for some reason.


    All the happiness and bliss that came with it seemed like nothing special, but only when the country was rich and powerful and there was no war in this peaceful world could there be such a calm day.


    In the past, the Supreme Emperor loved to fight and had great courage. He expanded his Daqi Nation to the limit in the old Zhao Country''s territory, and even if he caused thousands of countries to come, he had still made countless enemies.


    The new monarch seemed to have taken on the peace of the world, but in reality, it was a heavy responsibility, and the emperor''s throne was not easy to sit on.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan called out to him, "Come eat."


    Seeing Xiaowan''s smile, Ling Chaofeng made up his mind.


    No matter how the world changed, he had to protect this family and do whatever he could for the people and the country. Only when the country was safe would he be able to see his wife''s smile every day.

 C186

    The scorching heat gradually dissipated, and in the blink of an eye, autumn arrived. The leaves on the mountain had not turned red yet, so it was still somewhat hot and dry during the day.


    At such a good time, Xiaowan''s skin would not move just because it was hot and lazy, nor would she shrink back because it was too cold. Under the cool night breeze, Xiaowan''s skin was as thin as silk, and with the faint fragrance of osmanthus flowers, how could Ling Chaofeng hold onto it?


    The young lady was no longer as bashful as she was at the start of their marriage, she would take the initiative to ask for help, and her body would gradually grow longer. She was no longer the skinny and weak one that Ling Chaofeng touched at the beginning of spring.


    Of course, the Xiaowan was getting more and more beautiful every day, and the various types of customers coming and going in the tavern would inevitably encounter some unpleasant things, but whether it was Susu, the Xiaowan or even the Aunt Zhang, they would never allow anything to happen to the girls within the Ling Xiao Inn.


    With how reliable Hubby was, the Xiaowan was naturally not afraid. She was gradually getting familiar with the inn and in just a few months, she was able to become the boss''s wife.


    During the entire summer, Xiaowan''s favorite thing was to study and write with Little Pei everyday. The mother and son pair''s teacher was naturally Ling Chaofeng, but since Little Pei wasn''t good at learning, he could stand and hit his palms. If Xiaowan wasn''t good at learning, then she wouldn''t be able to punish others.


    The entire family was filled with joy and excitement every day. Aunt Zhang often said, "One more person makes a difference. When I thought back to the past, I did not feel cold at all.


    But in the autumn, Ling Chaofeng and the Xiaowan would have to leave. It was unknown if this trip would last for a month or even half a year.


    explained, the weapon factory had to be built in a place that no one knew where it was hidden. If he did not follow, how would he be able to send the materials and silver into the mountains in the future?


    Little Pei wanted to follow them, but his parents refused him.


    On the day he left, Little Pei held Xiaowan and shed tears. Xiaowan also couldn''t bear to part with him, it was just that the conditions in the depths of the mountains were harsh.


    Ling Chaofeng carried his son and explained a few things to him. Little Pei kissed his father on the cheek, wiped away his tears, and then obediently ran back to his grandfather''s side.


    Just as he was about to leave, Aunt Zhang called Ling Chaofeng out, and warned him softly: "Be careful outside, I might get pregnant later, you better watch out."


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "I will pay attention."


    After getting on the carriage, the Xiaowan casually asked, "Why did Aunt call you out for just now?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Tell me to be careful, I''m afraid you''re pregnant."


    Last night, it was still warm, but young lady didn''t recognize it in the blink of an eye. She put on an act and shook her head: "How can that be?


    Ling Chaofeng hugged her, and said angrily: "Be careful in the car, you''ll faint soon."


    Xiaowan asked her husband, "Are we going to go to a place far away?"


    At that time, Ling Chaofeng said that it was not far, but the carriage still did not stop even after three days, the Xiaowan was gradually losing strength, after all, she had gone to the farthest place before, and had never left the boundaries of Li Prefecture.


    On the other side, Mrs. Bi had already served his sentence and was on his way. She was going to walk towards the Siping Mansion in the fall, and if the journey went smoothly, he would be there by the end of the month, but if anything went wrong, it would be hard to say.


    Hanxi did not cower as she followed her mother on the road resolutely. She only brought her shoes and clothes, and knew that on this journey, her mother and herself would definitely contribute a lot of shoes.


    Who would have thought that the dignified Miss Qian Jin would be able to endure such hardships. The few yamen runner s who were escorting Mrs. Bi and the other prisoners already knew that Miss Bi was following them from the start. They thought that she wouldn''t be able to hold on for more than a few days, but who knew that he would be following them every day?


    On this day, the sky became completely dark before they reached the previous village. Thus, they stopped and started a bonfire to rest while leaning against a large tree by the side of the road.


    Hanxi walked forward and timidly looked at the servants, who had brought two pots of wine and a bag of beef. They knew what Miss Bi wanted to do, so they took the things and ignored her.


    She immediately ran to her mother, handed her the water bag, fed her dry rations, and carefully removed her mother''s shoes. She bought ointments along the way, but her mother''s feet were already in a terrible condition.


    Mrs. Bi looked at his daughter as she squeezed out the blood and pus from his body and applied the ointment. The pain from her wound was not as painful as the pain in his heart. She wanted to die right away, so she wouldn''t make her daughter suffer anymore, but she was afraid that if she died, her daughter really wouldn''t be able to bear it.


    "young lady, we have blisters on our feet too. It''s so painful, why don''t you give us some medicine. If you had used your cherry lips to give us a fragrant, you would have definitely recovered immediately."


    They laughed out loud and used words to play with Hanxi. This kind of things often happened along the way, and this was what Mrs. Bi was most afraid of, as they hurriedly protected their daughter in their arms.


    She softly said: "Little Xi, go home. Mother is begging you, look at the road you''re walking, when I reach the Siping Mansion, can you tell your brother to bring you over again?"


    However, Hanxi always said with a smile, "Mother, you don''t need to worry about me going back there alone?"


    Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt someone grabbing her ankle. Hanxi lost control of her voice and screamed, attracting a few yamen runner who were drinking and eating meat. They did not even need to ask what had happened, as they casually grabbed their whips and whipped the three male prisoners.


    All along the way, those bastards had been beaten up many times, but Mrs. Bi had never suffered any "hardship", and even brought a beautiful daughter to serve them.


    Tonight''s whipping had even made them enemies with the yamen runner. How could the Mrs. Bi and Hanxi have expected that the person with the shackles on his feet would cause such a commotion as well?


    Two days later, at dusk, they were still walking on the desolate mountain road, not knowing how those beasts had knocked down the yamen runner. When they ran to the front of Mrs. Bi and Hanxi laughing out loud, they had already taken their keys and removed their shackles, restoring their freedom.


    Not to mention that Hanxi was as beautiful as a flower, even if she was middle-aged, even if she had suffered as much as she was in the past, she was still a beauty. Those animals were all greedy for her, and under Hanxi''s screams, they separated the mother and daughter.


    "Mother ¡­" "Mother ¡­" As though she was facing a disaster of annihilation, Hanxi, who had long since been exhausted, was simply unable to withstand any kind of binding.


    Along the way, there were a few people who were good to him, so not to mention making things difficult for her, they would often take care of the mother and daughter. They thought that they could smoothly reach the Siping Mansion, but who would have thought that their companions would be so deranged.


    "Little Xi... "I beg you, don''t touch my daughter, I beg you ¡­" Mrs. Bi also shouted loudly. Seeing her daughter''s clothes being torn apart, she wished that she was dead.


    Hanxi was already in despair, she wanted to do her best to preserve her innocence, but the man on top of him was getting crazier and crazier, the dirty mouth was just about to kiss him, when he suddenly let out a muffled sound and rolled to the side while shouting like a pig being slaughtered, Hanxi saw that an arrow had pierced into his butt.


    Almost in a split-second, arrows rained down like rain, but they did not hit the vital parts of the beast, but instead nailed it to its limbs. The one at the side hid behind a tree in fear, while the beast on the mother''s side was nailed to the ground.


    Hanxi was still in a state of shock, when Mrs. Bi crawled over with difficulty. Her shackles had been removed by the person who had tried to force her, and he could finally hug his daughter with both of his hands.


    saw seven to eight people riding over. The leading man was tall and mighty, causing Hanxi to look at him with tears in his eyes. That man got down from his horse, and slowly walked to in front.


    The man''s gaze looked down from above and Hanxi''s gaze gradually became clear as well. The person in front of him had a different stature and a warm expression. He took off his jacket and covered the mother and daughter pair''s bodies, asking, "Miss Bi? It''s you? "


    "Wei..." "General ¡­" Hanxi''s tears fell like rain, "Save my mother, save me ¡­"


    She never would have thought that Wei Tengfei would be the one who came like a god to save them.


    Just last year, he rejected his father''s proposal to marry and entrusted the Empress to convey her feelings, expressing her unwillingness to force it. Both of them had no feelings for each other, so if Bi Hanxi were to marry for the sake of profit, she would suffer for the rest of her life.


    The Queen encouraged Hanxi to rebel against her father and not become his chess piece. That kind of father was not worth of Hanxi to sacrifice himself for.


    "General, a few yamen runner s over there are bleeding from their heads, and still breathing." Wei Tengfei reported down.


    Seeing him frown, Hanxi was afraid that Wei Tengfei would misunderstand, and immediately said: "General, they are good people, they have never bullied my mother and me before."


    Wei Tengfei nodded, and instructed them: "Let''s see if we can still save them."


    As for the three beasts, Wei Tengfei said coldly: "Tie them up and drag them behind the horses. They must be tired from their journey, tell them to rest."


    Hanxi and the Mrs. Bi were shocked. They were on the mountain roads and there were almost no flat spots on the bumpy road. If they kept dragging it out like this, they would die if they were unable to walk more than two miles.


    Naturally, they would not sympathize with him, but Wei Tengfei was indeed a great hero. When it was time to kill, his brows did not even twitch.


    Coincidentally, not long after Hanxi and his mother were brought away by Wei Tengfei''s people, they met Ling Chaofeng and his wife halfway through the journey. She heard the General Wei laugh: "I was wondering why you were walking so slowly, you actually brought your sister-in-law here, I was actually waiting for you to come, I wanted to reward you with a military rod first, but if you''re so late, then since you''re bringing my little sister along, it''s best to slowly walk."


    Hanxi saw the beautiful and gentle lady on the horse carriage. She smiled sweetly, and said that she would cook for the soldiers and wash their clothes, and begged the General to spare her husband.


    Naturally, Wei Tengfei passed Hanxi and his daughter to them, and said: "I was hoping for a woman to come. Xiaowan, please take care of them."


    The Xiaowan looked at the mother and daughter duo who were on the verge of collapse in shock. She looked at her husband and said softly, "I recognize that young lady. They should be on their way to exile. Something must have happened to them. "


    "Get on the carriage." Xiaowan walked forward and said gently, "Madam and Madam, please sit in our carriage."

 C187

    Although they were saved, Hanxi and his mother were still shaken. When she glanced back, she was shocked to see that the three beasts that tried to rape them were left with blood and gore all dragged behind them. Mrs. Bi immediately covered his daughter''s eyes.


    "Madam, please slow down." Xiaowan stepped forward to lend a hand. She thanked them awkwardly and then led Hanxi to the carriage.


    They walked past Wei Tengfei, but Bi Hanxi suddenly stopped and timidly said to him, "General Wei ¡­ If this goes on, they will be dragged to their deaths, so let''s just let them go. "


    "If I hadn''t brought someone here to save you, would you still have said those words to me?"


    Wei Tengfei was not as gentle as before, and said with a ruthless gaze: "If you are so kind, will they let you go? In the future, after they have gained their freedom and been raped by innocent women, will you go and save them? "


    Hanxi looked at Wei Tengfei fearfully. He frowned as if he was angry, as if he was angry at the blasphemy. He waved his hand towards the Xiaowan and said, "Bring them to the carriage."


    "Miss Bi, please." Xiaowan was also shocked by General Wei, but with her husband here, she felt at ease.


    After the ladies had all entered the carriage, a soldier came to drive the carriage. Ling Chaofeng spurred his horse to ride with Wei Tengfei as they talked about important matters.


    Inside the carriage, Xiaowan took out some clothes she brought for the mother and daughter pair to wear. Seeing the wounds on Mrs. Bi''s body, they must have been shackled and left behind.


    At first glance, it might seem painful, but thinking about Ershan''s mother and his child who had not seen the light of day, she didn''t feel anything.


    Compared to the kind Miss Bi, Xiaowan felt that she was really heartless.


    "Are you Brother Xingye''s sister-in-law?" Bi Hanxi had also seen Ling Chaofeng before and knew that he was Ershan''s brother at Ling Xiao Inn.


    "Brother Xingye?" Xiaowan was startled, her heart turned, she knew the family''s relationship with Ershan, and asked: "Are you talking about Ershan? "Yes, I''m his sister-in-law, but we haven''t met."


    "Thank you, sister-in-law." Hanxi bowed towards Xiaowan, but after saying that, her tears fell like rain, and she couldn''t control herself for a while, as she cried together with her mother.


    Xiaowan did not know what to say, and could only silently stand to the side. After they calmed down, she advised Hanxi: "Miss Bi, don''t say anything about releasing those bad guys, they deserve what they say."


    Bi Hanxi nodded her head. Coincidentally, as a gust of wind blew up, the curtain on the door blew up, and two men on big horses appeared in front of them. Xiaowan unknowingly laughed when she saw her husband, while she blankly stared at Wei Tengfei''s back.


    After a short while, they passed through the mountain and reached a village. The Chuanyu¡¯s Army did not disturb the people and they set up camp outside the village, but the three women were entrusted by Wei Tengfei to a village family.


    Xiaowan helped prepare some hot water, the mother and daughter pair were bathing in the house, she then chatted with the villagers in the courtyard, and after a while, Ling Chaofeng came over and brought over some roasted game food.


    The Xiaowan asked, "Master, do I have to stay here tonight?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: General Wei said that Mrs. Bi is a criminal under the imperial government, and needs someone to watch over them, so I will leave this mission to you.


    Xiaowan pursed her lips slightly, "I want to stay with my husband. How about you stay as well?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "It''s rare that you don''t have to sleep on the carriage, go and sleep. Aren''t you afraid that I''ll feel sorry for you?"


    "Then you still need to get a good night''s sleep. Don''t drink too much wine." The Xiaowan said.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "General has led troops to do official business, why would they drink alcohol?"


    While they were talking affectionately, the mother and daughter pair had already washed themselves clean. Ling Chaofeng could not stay for long, so he took his leave.


    Xiaowan and her family prepared food, it was already late, the three of them lit a candle, and under the dim light, they started to eat.


    As he continued to eat, Hanxi started to sob. Mrs. Bi also could not eat anymore, he awkwardly held onto his bowl and could only advise, "Eat first, only when you are full will you have the strength to care about the rest."


    Xiaowan carefully took out the bowls and chopsticks, and used the moonlight to wash the dishes beside the water vat. Hanxi stood at the door and watched as she walked over.


    "Sister-in-law, I''ll help you." Hanxi said.


    "It''s pretty cold at night, go in." The Xiaowan said, "I''ll be fine in a while. I don''t have many bowls."


    Hanxi''s eyes were filled with tears, she did not know what to do, and stood there entwined with her fingers, her entire body was filled with uneasiness.


    Xiaowan felt her heart ache. At their age, even though she had suffered before, she already felt pain from her husband and began to live a peaceful and peaceful life. However, Miss Bi''s days of suffering had just begun.


    However, she loved to cry too much. She had cried quite a few times already in the time they had been together.


    "Can you stop crying?" The Xiaowan said, "When you cry, I go into chaos. I''m just afraid that I won''t take good care of you."


    "No, no ¡­" Hanxi said, and started sobbing.


    "Miss Bi, even if you cry, your mother will feel uncomfortable. Don''t cry." Xiaowan got up and wiped her hands on his skirt. She took out a clean handkerchief from her lapel and handed it to her, "Wipe your tears, don''t cry anymore.


    Hanxi took the handkerchief and wiped her tears, only then did she realize that this was Xiaowan''s handkerchief, and said that she would give it to her after she had washed it clean. Xiaowan laughed: "This is for you, I still have a lot."


    They returned to the house. Mrs. Bi was waiting anxiously, so the mother and daughter duo slept on one side of the bed while the Xiaowan slept on the other.


    The tired person quickly fell asleep, but neither mother nor daughter could sleep. Hanxi softly asked his mother: "Mother, will the General Wei still let the yamen runner take you away, and we can continue to head to the Siping Mansion."


    Mrs. Bi said, "What if not?"


    Hanxi said, "Can I beg him to beg the Emperor?"


    The Mrs. Bi laughed bitterly: Who are we, for us to help you up to this point? Little Xi, your mother is willing to go to the Siping Mansion. If I can redeem my sins, you and your brother won''t suffer anymore. Little Xi, Mother knows her wrongs. "


    "Mother ¡­" Hanxi was about to cry again, but thinking of Xiaowan''s words, she forcefully swallowed her tears.


    The night passed, and the chickens in the courtyard crowed, waking Xiaowan up.


    She slept soundly, and when she turned over, she saw the mother and daughter hugging each other and sleeping soundly.


    That Mrs. Bi had done something that couldn''t be changed by killing someone, but he was an irreplaceable existence to her daughter. She sighed in his heart, I hope that Madam Xu can come out of jail alive, otherwise, a child that doesn''t have a mother to take care of would be pitiful.


    She quietly got up, went out to greet the farmer, and helped him make breakfast. Then, she came back to wake the mother and daughter pair up. After eating breakfast, they would continue to follow Wei Tengfei.


    Returning to the main group, Xiaowan went to find Hubby and quietly gave Ling Chaofeng the boiled eggs that the farmer cooked this morning. Ling Chaofeng did not know whether to laugh or cry and replied: "It''s not generous at all."


    The Xiaowan did not care, letting her master eat her fill was the proper thing to do. It was rare that she gave him such a generous and passionate egg. She left the egg to him but didn''t eat it, wanting to make up for it for Ling Chaofeng.


    In that side chamber, yamen runner had rested for a night and recovered some of his strength. They were knocked unconscious by the three beasts, and their heads were wrapped in thick gauze.


    Therefore, Wei Tengfei ordered his men to send these yamen runner back, and arranged for two more people to replace the yamen runner to continue sending the Mrs. Bi to the Siping Mansion.


    Xiaowan told Hubby that both mother and daughter had bloody blisters on their feet and it was very pitiful. She could not even stop for a day or two.


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "She is out to be punished, not sightseeing, do you think she can stop?"


    Xiaowan did not speak anymore.


    The team was about to set off. Hanxi walked to the front of Wei Tengfei, who was already seated on a horse with his head lowered, looking at the delicate girl.


    "What do you want to say?" Wei Tengfei still carried his anger from yesterday.


    "General Wei, I''m sorry ¡­" Hanxi lowered her head, her moist eyelashes slightly trembling, carrying a bit of a sobbing tone, but she resisted the urge to cry, "I was ignorant yesterday, and failed to live up to your good intentions, I beg your forgiveness."


    "I''m fine." Seeing how weak she was, and thinking that she had climbed all the way from the capital to here with her mother, it was extremely difficult for her. Her filial piety could also move people.


    "Thank you, General." Hanxi gave him a great bow.


    Wei Tengfei dismounted from his horse and helped the person kneeling on the ground up. His strength was so great that Hanxi was almost able to stand up after being lightly lifted.


    "Accompany your mother well and continue walking. Persisting a bit more, you will soon reach the Siping Mansion. My people will follow you, and don''t worry along the way, it won''t happen again. " Wei Tengfei said, "Take care of yourself."


    "Yes." Hanxi''s voice trembled, she bowed towards Wei Tengfei, then went to find Xiaowan, wanting to say goodbye to her.


    Wei Tengfei watched as she walked over, but on the other side, the Mrs. Bi walked towards him. He frowned slightly, and saw that the Mrs. Bi was saying to him in a hurry: "General, please do me the favor and ask Hanxi to stay, or can you send someone to bring her back to the capital? She can''t suffer with me any longer, General, please. "

 C188

    The Mrs. Bi pleaded softly. In the end, Wei Tengfei agreed.


    Mrs. Bi had thought that he would use some kind of gentle and gentle method to keep his daughter. Who knew that she would be good at marching and fighting.


    With a wave of his hand, he caused the people of Mrs. Bi to leave, leaving Bi Hanxi behind.


    Just then, Hanxi was still bidding farewell to Xiaowan. When she turned around, her mother was brought away by someone, and just as she was about to give chase, two soldiers blocked her path, and said: "Miss, please wait."


    The people in the distance were in a hurry. Her mother was not forced to follow them, she did her best to move forward without looking back, and the two yamen runner s who were escorting her had no choice but to follow along.


    "Mother ¡­" "Mother ¡­" Hanxi shouted loudly, but her mother did not think of her. She was panicking and at a loss, yet she could not push aside the soldiers in front of her.


    She was so anxious that she turned around, but when she turned around, she saw Wei Tengfei coldly sitting on his horse as he commanded the two soldiers, "You two, bring Miss Bi back to the capital."


    Hanxi was stunned, she repeatedly shook her head in disagreement, then pounced on Wei Tengfei''s mount and kneeled, begging him, "General Wei, don''t send me back, I want to accompany my mother ¡­"


    But when she knelt, the horse thought that someone was trying to attack the horse''s hooves, so it raised its leg and kicked right onto Hanxi''s shoulder. Wei Tengfei was shocked, he cursed "Beast" and jumped down, picking up the person who was almost kicked away.


    Hanxi was extremely weak, yet her hand was tightly grabbing onto his sleeves as she implored: "General Wei, I want to find my mother."


    Her injury was not light and her shoulder was in pain. She was afraid that her bones would be broken by the kick. The person in front of her was cold and heartless. She turned around and asked, "Where is the military doctor?"


    Waiting for the military doctor to diagnose and confirm that Bi Hanxi was not internally injured, Wei Tengfei unhesitatingly led the team forward and threw Hanxi back into the carriage with Xiaowan. When the wound on her shoulder had healed, he sent someone to bring her back to the capital.


    Hanxi knew that she had nothing to struggle for, she just sat in the carriage without saying a word. Xiaowan didn''t know how to comfort her, she could only stay by her side. However, Miss Bi finally stopped crying. She only shed a few tears and then stubbornly wiped it away.


    The carriage jolted all the way back and forth, moving much faster than before. Even the Xiaowan could not support it much longer, and after half a day, the procession finally stopped at a certain location.


    Xiaowan jumped off the carriage. She discovered that it was getting more and more deserted, as if she had already entered the mountain. Standing at the foot of the mountain, she could no longer differentiate between north, south and west.


    Hanxi sat on the horse carriage, seeing that the soldiers were resting on the spot, she thought for a moment, then said to the Xiaowan: "Sister-in-law, I want to let go of you."


    "Oh, okay ¡­" Xiaowan looked around, then helped Hanxi out of the car to a sheltered area, she blocked the path, and told Hanxi to settle this quickly.


    The sound of someone undressing came from behind them. As the Xiaowan listened, she thought to herself, It''s really hard for Miss Qian Jin, I wonder how she managed to survive the whole journey, Xiaowan has been living a miserable life since childhood, this kind of thing is nothing strange to her, the poor pampered prime minister, she actually had to take off her pants in the wilderness.


    Xiaowan sighed, she did not know how long she waited, but she asked: "Miss Bi, are you alright?"


    In the silence, Xiaowan asked again. When she turned around to look, Bi Hanxi had already disappeared.


    frowned as he climbed onto his horse. However, he was still in the mood to tease Xiaowan: "You saved up another fifty military batons for your master again. Wait for me to come back and beat him up, then count them."


    "General ¡­" Xiaowan was stunned, but laughed at Ling Chaofeng: "Idiot, the general is just playing with you, why are you so stupid, you can''t even look at a single person."


    The Xiaowan looked at him with a wronged expression. Ling Chaofeng immediately changed his words, "Not stupid."


    "Husband, I''m sorry ¡­" Seeing Wei Tengfei riding away by himself, she muttered helplessly, "Miss Bi is also stubborn, this time the general is really angry."


    As for Bi Hanxi who was running blindly, they had already entered the deep mountains. Just like how Xiaowan felt that she was unable to differentiate between north, south, east and west just now. At this moment, she had no idea which direction she was running.


    Faintly calculating the time from morning until now, she could tell the direction by the direction of the sun, but everywhere she went, cliffs rose up and she felt trapped in a cove, unable to get out.


    As for the people who were on the march, Wei Tengfei was the best at tracking and searching for the enemy using the tracks made by the plants. If they wanted to find a random person to run away and trample over, Bi Hanxi, who was able to destroy the plants along the way, it would be as easy as flipping her palm.


    He very quickly saw Bi Hanxi, but when Bi Hanxi heard the sound of horse hooves, he immediately started to run forward, the weak ones were running on the uneven ground, and not long after, they fell to the ground.


    Before he could even get up, Wei Tengfei had already caught up with him. Hanxi looked at him in fear, but his heart was filled with stubbornness. He stood up shakily, and limped step by step as he continued to walk forward.


    Wei Tengfei rode on his horse and followed behind her at a steady pace. He followed her whenever she walked and stopped when she stopped. Hanxi was more and more afraid now and finally, he couldn''t hold back his tears and shouted at Wei Tengfei: "What are you trying to do?"


    "Go, keep walking!" Wei Tengfei''s face was filled with anger, "If you have the ability to leave this mountain, I will send you to see your mother. But be careful. They''ll tear you apart and eat your meat. "


    Hanxi sobbed. She was clearly extremely afraid, yet she actually asked him: "Then, where should I go?"


    Wei Tengfei said coldly: "Find yourself."


    Hanxi sat on the ground and cried, "I''m not here yet ¡­"


    When the woman cried, Wei Tengfei was helpless. He dismounted and asked coldly: Do you still want to run?


    Hanxi stubbornly said: "I''m looking for my mother."


    Wei Tengfei sighed, used a horsewhip to raise Hanxi''s chin, and said seriously: "Your mother is under torture, although you definitely wouldn''t like to hear it, she deserves it, and deserves it. Putting aside those, you followed your mother because you wanted her to take care of you, but look at yourself now, do you have to make your mother see you suffer everyday, make her suffer a fate worse than death? You think I''m cruel, don''t you? You''re the one who''s really cruel. "


    Hanxi looked at Wei Tengfei helplessly.


    Wei Tengfei said: "I have something on me, I can''t accompany you in your torments. You better behave yourself, if I have free time, I will send you to the Siping Mansion. "How about it?"


    "Really?"


    "It''s still stronger than if you followed your mother all the way here. Does your family not care about you? Wei Tengfei dragged Hanxi and placed her on the horse''s back.


    He thought back to last year, when this girl dressed up so well that he had charged into the General''s Estate. He could tell with a glance, that she must have wanted to do something to him so that he would have no choice but to marry her.


    Now that he thought about it, she was really a silly girl who didn''t care about the consequences when her head got hot. However, such filial piety, for the sake of my family, I would sacrifice anything, and endure all kinds of hardships was also rare.


    "General Wei, are you really willing to send me to the Siping Mansion?" Hanxi asked anxiously.


    "Why do you have so many questions to ask when a man is speaking so quickly?" Wei Tengfei led his horse and slowly walked down there, impatiently saying, "I found trouble myself, so of course I have to deal with it. But remember this, since you are going to follow my team, even if you are a member of the army, if you dare to secretly run away, you can capture me back with a military rod. How many times do you think you can take?"


    There was silence behind him, no sound at all. Wei Tengfei turned around, thinking that Bi Hanxi had escaped again. However, she only silently looked at him with teary eyes as he pursed his lips. He didn''t dare to make a sound or cry, which was extremely pitiful.


    On the other hand, Wei Tengfei''s heart softened. He turned around and no longer looked at her, and said: "It''s just nice, you will stay, and be the companion of the Ling Chaofeng Family''s Xiaowan."


    Not long after, they returned to the group. The soldiers had had enough rest, and today, before the sun set, they would enter the deepest part of the cove.


    Sitting on the carriage, Hanxi apologized to Xiaowan, saying that he had let her down. Xiaowan laughed and wiped her tears, saying, "It''s fine, it''s good that you''re fine. What should we do next? Are you going to follow us forever? "


    Hanxi said: "The general has promised me that after he is done, he will send me to the Siping Mansion."


    Xiaowan acknowledged, but she knew that this so-called "I''m done with my work" did not have a definite answer.


    She thought for a moment and advised: "Miss Bi, don''t blame me for speaking too much. I am a mother myself, I will definitely not bear to part with my son''s hardships for my sake. I can understand your mother''s feelings. What happened on that day must have broken your mother''s heart, making her want to die in exchange for your safety. When you go back, she can be at ease. With the people of General Wei protecting her, she will definitely be able to safely arrive at the Siping Mansion, so you can be at ease. "


    Hanxi was conflicted, but she had no other choice and could only nod her head with difficulty. After calming down, she could not help but feel curious. "Sister already became a mother? "You''re still so young, didn''t you say that you just entered not long ago?"


    Xiaowan laughed: "Hubby picked up an abandoned baby three years ago. He''s already been raised on the knee, and now he''s three years old, he''s very handsome. Even though he''s a boy, he''s considerate and obedient. "All in all, he''s still the matchmaker for me and my husband."


    Seeing this young woman talking about her children, she was in high spirits and had a beautiful smile on her face. Hanxi thought, could she really have the heart to become a mother for a child who was not related by blood?


    However, that Ling Xiao Inn was really magical, no wonder the Brother Xingye could be taught to be an indomitable man.


    "Since you''re already here, why don''t we be companions?" Xiaowan laughed, "I forced my husband to bring me here, so I can''t give the general any trouble. Miss Bi, don''t worry, I will take care of you, cook and wash your clothes, I don''t need you to work hard."


    "No need, no need. I know how to do it myself." Hanxi knew that Xiaowan must have thought that since she was young, she opened her mouth and opened her hands, unable to do menial work.


    "Then let''s make an agreement. We can''t run anymore. If you keep running, the general will beat up my husband." Xiaowan laughed, "I''m not running anymore."


    Hanxi nodded, and said timidly: "Sorry, sister-in-law, I won''t run anymore."

 C189

    On this night, the team entered the depths of the valley. It was desolate and overgrown with vegetation, as if several hundred years old large trees towered into the sky. The dense foliage covered the moonlight, making it impossible to see through.


    The team set up camp on the spot, saying that it was a tent, but it was a simple shack, but Wei Tengfei gave the best place to Xiaowan and Hanxi. His soldiers were self-disciplined and would never embarrass the two women.


    In the forest deep in the mountains, there was no condition for to wash up with hot water. Xiaowan thought that Hanxi would not be able to take it, but seeing that she had directly splashed water on her face and quickly passed the handkerchief to her, she asked with a smile: "Is it cold?"


    Hanxi shook her head and said weakly, "Sister-in-law, you wash too."


    Just now, Ling Chaofeng had come over to remind him that there would always be beasts around. Wearing their clothes, they could sleep quickly and escape from this place.


    The Xiaowan naturally wanted to follow her husband, but Hanxi was very pitiful. Thus, she separated her patience from her husband and secretly took a sip before peacefully accompanying Eldest Miss.


    Not long after they laid down, they gradually unconsciously leaned against each other. Like this, they were both warm and peaceful, with their backs against each other, the distance between them gradually shortened, and Xiaowan very naturally began to call out Hanxi''s name, no longer estranged from each other.


    Hanxi then asked her: "Sister-in-law, what is General Wei doing in the mountains, catching bandits?"


    Xiaowan did not dare to casually reveal it, so she replied: "I don''t know either, I followed them."


    Hanxi said, "Isn''t Manager Ling running an inn, why would he come into contact with General Wei?"


    Xiaowan thought for a moment, then laughed: "I didn''t ask for details, I asked next time, then I will tell you, okay?"


    Hanxi laughed: "Sister-in-law, can you not say?"


    Xiaowan turned over and replied shamefully, "You are a smart girl who has studied before, you are much stronger than me. Since you can understand, don''t blame me for what''s good for me."


    Hanxi also turned around and shook her head: "Why would I blame sister-in-law? I suddenly appeared and caused all of you so much trouble. "I''m just asking out of curiosity. I''m only thinking of my mother right now. My mother is fine, anything else is fine."


    "I heard my husband say that General Wei thinks that walking is too slow, he just needs to send the person over, he doesn''t care about anything else, so he would hire a horse carriage to send Mrs. Bi directly to the Siping Mansion." The Xiaowan comforted Hanxi, "On the road, you will definitely not suffer anymore, it''s just that once we get there, you will have to work or something, so it will not be good for you to get involved."


    "If that''s the case, then why didn''t he ask me to follow him?"


    "Once we reach the Siping Mansion, your mother will be put on trial again for punishment. She definitely doesn''t want you to see how miserable she is. "Do not misunderstand the general''s meddling."


    "Yes, I cannot misunderstand him. General Wei is a good person, I am very grateful to him. " Hanxi was full of guilt, "I don''t even know how to repay him, and I even made him angry, this is already the second time he has saved me."


    "You knew each other before?" Xiaowan asked.


    "Just last year ¡­" Hanxi told her about him being forced to marry Wei Tengfei once, and even made her try to seduce Wei Tengfei no matter what methods she used, and the more he said, the more sorrowful he became. "Father didn''t just let down Brother Xingye''s mother and son, he treated me, my brother, mother and grandmother, as mere pawns in his eyes. We were in a mess, and he was at home, and the world was unfair, and he was my father. "


    The Xiaowan touched Hanxi''s arm and covered her with more of her blanket, then said gently: "Right now, Young Noble Bi is setting up his own sect. If you and Ershan were to travel together in the imperial palace, you will definitely be even more amazing than your father.


    In her heart, she thought, "Every family has its own problems. Wealthy families may not be able to get along well, but she can marry her husband. To be able to meet such a good family, she must cherish them well."


    "Go to sleep, you might have to travel early tomorrow morning." The Xiaowan said and patted Hanxi. The two of them snuggled together and unknowingly fell asleep.


    The people outside the tent were also nestling together to keep warm. Ling Chaofeng closed his eyes to rest his mind, but suddenly he heard some movement in the forest around him. He stood up and vigilantly observed his surroundings to see if there were any signs of movement.


    "Are you alright?" Wei Tengfei also came over, holding his sword.


    "It''s fine, let''s go." Ling Chaofeng said, "Usually no one visits this place, the beasts here are quite fresh when they see us."


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "It''s been a long time since I''ve stayed in such a dangerous place. I''m so excited."


    General Wei was a few years older than Ling Chaofeng. He was already in his early thirties, but his entire body was exuding the vigor of a youth. "Of course, in places that should be calm and dignified, a single glance would cause a person''s soul to scatter in fright. The Chuan Yu army''s fame was not to be trifled with.


    The first time Ling Chaofeng and him met, was when they were rushing through General Shen''s tents. Then, due to a fortuitous encounter, the Empress came to an inn on his way to the capital, and after they met again, they became friends with Mo Ni.


    The two of them observed for a while, after confirming that no wild beasts approached them, they sat down by the bonfire. General Wei smiled: "I didn''t expect you to get married so quickly.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Fate has come. I can''t help but want to grab onto it, Xiaowan and I finally succeeded after going through some tough times. The general''s fame has spread far and wide. All the women in the world are willing to marry you, but fate has yet to arrive.


    Wei Tengfei instead laughed loudly, shook his head and said: "This isn''t like the Manager Ling, to actually tell me what fate it is."


    Ling Chaofeng did not think so, and laughed: "When the general''s beautiful woman appears, you will naturally think so."


    "But right now ¡­ "It''s not the time for me to be in love with a girl." Wei Tengfei''s expression suddenly became serious, "I heard that the prince of Xiluo stayed in the capital for the whole summer, he asked everywhere for my Daqi''s culture, and even wanted to study my Daqi''s defense military. The Emperor does not care about this and lets him do whatever he wants. Furthermore, he does not cause trouble and is a modest and courteous person, making others unable to find any weakness in him. "


    Ling Chaofeng listened quietly. Naturally, he had known about this a long time ago.


    "Just what does the emperor mean? I''m just a boor, I can''t figure it out." Wei Tengfei said, "There is a thousand miles between us and Xiluo, and we are separated by the ocean. If they really want to fight, should we go, or should they? "Attack or defend?"


    Wei Tengfei said many things and he was even more straightforward, "You all said that the Chuanyu¡¯s Army is infamous, but the truth is that your infamy is all with my father. After I had taken over the army, I had only swept through the bandits a few times. After I had taken over the army a few times, I had only swept through the bandits a few times. When the Emperor invades the Kingdom of Liang, he didn''t bring all of my Chuanyu¡¯s Army with him. I really can''t sit still anymore, that''s why I met you in the General Shen''s military camp day and night.


    Separated by the sea, wanting to open a new land is extremely difficult. On the other hand, in the thirty odd years that I have spent in the Daqi, I have made countless enemies. Ling Chaofeng said, "What I, an amateur, said, might not make sense, but since there are no battles in this world, that is the true way of life for An Bangxing."


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "If you want the world to have no wars, you can''t ask outsiders to not bully us, but to request for our strength, so that they won''t even have a thought."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "His Majesty is the same as you, he has never been to the battlefield."


    The two of them smiled at each other as they understood each other.


    Up until now, this enormous country had truly reached the hands of the young generation.


    A thousand miles away, in the tranquil capital, within the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion, the study room was still lit.


    Shen Qing heard that her father was still busy with official business, so she brought supper over from the kitchen and entered: "Daddy, you''re hungry, right?"


    Shen Zhe put down the letter in his hands, seeing his daughter''s shadow slowly approaching, he said lovingly, "Why haven''t you slept yet? This morning, I accompanied my aunt to the Temple of National Protection to burn some incense, and accompanied her for an entire day. Are you tired?"


    "If I have something on my mind, I won''t be able to sleep." As Shen Qing said this, she pulled his father''s hand and called him over to the table for supper.


    "What is father''s little Little Qing thinking about? Did she come here specifically to tell father?" Shen Zhe smiled lovingly, "Where''s your mom? Does she know? When she finds out that we don''t bring her along, she''ll be angry."


    Little Qing charmingly said, "Daddy thinks of Mommy with all his heart, I''m going to get jealous."


    Shen Zhe patted the back of his daughter''s hand, rolled up his sleeves and said, "Dad, let''s have supper. You take your time."


    Her daughter sat beside her and looked gently at her father, relieved to see him devouring his food.


    "Is it an unhappy thing?" Shen Zhe asked again.


    "I don''t know ¡­" Shen Qing lowered her eyes, lowered her heart, and said, "Outside, it is said that Big Brother Emperor is choosing a person, and is getting along with Xiluo and that blue-eyed prince."


    Shen Zhe slightly frowned and put down the spoon.


    Shen Qing asked: "Father, did Your Majesty''s big brother choose me?"

 C190

    "Nothing." Shen Zhe''s emotions were complicated, but he remained calm on the surface. He gently said to his daughter, "Don''t listen to people talking nonsense outside. Don''t you understand that everything in the capital is just a gust of wind?"


    "Daughter understands." Little Qing lifted his eyes, and his eyes revealed the same kind of temperament and light as her father. She was a Princess of the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion, the daughter of Shen Zhe, the country leader of the Daqi.


    "Rest early. Don''t let your thoughts run wild." Shen Zhe said.


    "But, if the wind cannot blow, father, Little Qing is willing to be like you and brother, for the imperial court and Daqi, and for the emperor''s brother, I am willing to go the Xiluo to reconcile the marriage." Shen Qing had a resolute expression, she was as brave as her father and brother, smiling as she said, "Father, Little Qing is not afraid."


    "Silly girl, how could your parents bear it? Your mother would cry to death." Shen Zhe said, "Stop daydreaming. This matter ends here. Don''t let your mother hear it. Don''t scare her."


    Shen Qing was naturally obedient, but she had already explained everything she wanted to. She only wanted to see how her father would choose, and she was willing to accept any decision.


    After sending his daughter to the door of the study, he urged her to return early to rest. Watching his daughter''s figure gradually disappear into the night, he let out a long sigh.


    But the new monarch had his own way of governing the country. Perhaps today, he would be marrying the daughter of another family, and tomorrow, he would be marrying his own daughter out. His parents were the most common political means between countries.


    But that won''t do. Shen Zhe made a decision in his heart. Even if he were to give up all of his glory to marry his daughter to such a faraway place, he still wouldn''t let her marry him. Otherwise, even if he was still alive, he would be like a living man.


    He didn''t want to see his wife and children sad. He had dedicated his entire life to Daqi.


    It was a deep, dark night. Deep in the palace, the little princess, who was indulged in nightmares, woke up crying. The wet nurse couldn''t coax her into hugging the empress''s bed, so she could only happily lie between the empress and empress, looking left and then right, beaming.


    "Little Scoundrel." The Queen kissed her daughter and patiently patted her shoulders, but the Emperor couldn''t help but tease her. He scratched his hands and feet, only to be glared at by Siyan in the end.


    However, the little princess was very close to her father. She climbed onto his chest and laid on his chest. After mumbling to herself for a while, it was as if she was talking to her father. She was patted so hard that she finally fell asleep.


    "Tell the mama to carry him away. Otherwise, the emperor won''t be able to sleep at ease tonight." Siyan said, she gently carried his daughter away, and went in front of the door and ordered the wet nurse to bring her away.


    When he turned around, he saw his husband saying dejectedly, "I still want to hug her."


    Siyan laughed, "Why didn''t the emperor hug me?"


    With one hand on his head and the other open, the emperor said, "Come."


    The two of them snuggled up to each other and quietly listened to what was happening outside. Their daughter''s voice didn''t come again.


    Xiang Run said with emotion: "In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed. "Thinking about it, I can still see the scene of how I was bullied by my royal sister when I was young, but with the flick of a finger, I was so fast that I didn''t even have the time to stop and take a look."


    No one in the world dared to even touch her. However, ever since she entered the palace, everyone, including the empress, had said that the emperor was bullied by his sister when he was young. She smiled and asked, "How did the royal sister bully the emperor?"


    Recalling the past, the Emperor was in an extremely good mood. These siblings were harmonious and loved each other. This was a rare occasion in this world.


    It was also because of this that he chose to protect their brotherly relationship as much as possible when facing Bi Zhenye and Ling Yu. Unfortunately, Mrs. Bi was too venomous, which almost ruined his heart.


    The couple continued their conversation late into the night. Siyan then asked, "The Emperor allowed that blue-eyed prince to stay in the capital. It''s not that I want to interfere in the politics of the court. Your Majesty, there''s word circulating outside the palace that you want to choose a lady from a noble family to go to the Xiluo to reconcile with your family. "


    Xiang Run asked: "What did they say?"


    Siyan said straightforwardly: "The most lively thing is that Little Sister Little Qing might have already been selected."


    Xiang Run let out a heavy sigh and held Siyan''s hand, stroking her slender and soft fingers, then said: "There aren''t many people in the world who knows how Second Sister married her to the Jin Nation. They only know that Second Sister has feelings for her husband, and that''s why they followed the fallen prince to that barbaric country.


    "Your Majesty ¡­"


    "I want to compete with second and third brother." Xiang Run laughed bitterly, "Thinking back, the arrogance you had when you were young, is truly laughable."


    "Second royal sister and the emperor of the Jin Kingdom are indeed good words to say." Siyan said, "At least Second Sister married the man she loves."


    "Perhaps ¡­" The emperor rolled over and hugged his wife. "But if I stay, I''ll meet someone even better."


    "Then what happened this time?" Siyan cautiously asked, "Does Your Majesty really have this intention?"


    Xiang Run laughed: "It''s not that I have that intention, it''s that the king of Xiluo wishes to marry us, but look at that blue-eyed prince. Among all the countries of the Central Plains, his position in the clan of Xiluo is equivalent to a concubine that is born in a concubine. Do you know, the succession to the Xiluo has been in line since birth, men and women can all be emperors, regardless of virtue or folly, according to the status and age of their birth, as long as they have royal bloodline, they can even inherit the throne to become a member of the royal family? This way, this blue-eyed prince can be ranked who knows where. Although it is honorable, it is insignificant in the Xiluo. To go to sea and travel such a dangerous place, no nation would send their important Crown Prince there. "


    Siyan understood and asked seriously, "So the Emperor doesn''t think much of it?"


    The emperor shook his head. "Of course he has to speak. He should have given the marriage contract to me the moment he arrived at the capital. If he does not speak, then what is there for me to be anxious about?" If you don''t like it, then say something else. "


    Siyan muttered to herself for a while and asked, "If they say yes, will the emperor agree? But the Emperor ¡­ That is a distance that we will never be able to return from, and any girl from any clan will be innocent. "


    She even stood up and kneeled beside the emperor, "Your Majesty, chenqie knows that everything should be done by the imperial government of the country, with the greater picture as the priority. But chenqie is the empress, and chenqie has the responsibility to protect the women of Daqi. Your Majesty, please allow this concubine to plead with you in her mother Daqi Nation to not sacrifice any of us girls. Our Xiluo is too far away, we will never be able to return once we go. "


    The emperor patted the back of her hand and said, "Yan''Er, go to sleep."


    Although the two of them were lying down, Siyan was unable to sleep. She looked at her husband, not knowing whether he was asleep or not.


    She felt that her husband was working very hard as an emperor. It wasn''t because he was busy with government affairs or worrying about his country''s plans. Just like how he had confessed to her before, he couldn''t let go of the burdens in his heart.


    Siyan''s heart ached, and she turned his body, sticking to his own body. As expected, Xiang Run did not sleep, and so she took the opportunity to embrace her.


    The night passed, and within the valley, the chirping of birds woke people up from their dreams. Xiaowan and Hanxi tidied up for a bit and then came out, only to see that the soldiers were already ready.


    The warriors under the General Wei were truly disciplined and well-trained.


    Ling Chaofeng then said to the two of them: "Today, we are going deeper so it would be inconvenient to bring you two along. There will be two soldiers here to guard you two, please do not run away. If you are unlucky enough to run into a beast, don''t run away with your back to them. It would be better to face them head on. If our auras are frightening enough, perhaps we might have a bit of hope. "


    Xiaowan was afraid in her heart, and did not want Ling Chaofeng to worry about her, so he only asked, "Husband, will you be coming out today?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "If you''re fast, you''ll be able to come out after noon. If you''re slow, no matter what, you''ll be out before nightfall."


    Hanxi stood at the side and did not say a word, but unconsciously, she raised her eyes and looked towards the distant Wei Tengfei.


    The mighty and domineering man inadvertently turned his gaze away. Their four eyes met, and Wei Tengfei smiled.


    This smile made the timid girl feel overwhelmed. Hanxi hurriedly retracted her gaze, her heart thumping hard, not knowing what had happened.


    "Husband, be careful with the general and everyone else." The Xiaowan warned repeatedly with worry, "Don''t try to be brave."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "I know, listening to my wife''s words is a blessing, isn''t it?"


    Hanxi had seen the two of them acting in such a sweet manner. After the men left, they stood under a nearby tree and picked wild fruits, although Wei Tengfei had brought enough food and fruits to kill the hour.


    After chatting for a while, Hanxi said: "Manager Ling dotes on sister-in-law. The way he looks at you and calls me a unrelated person, makes my heart warm. I''ve never seen a man look at his wife like that. "


    Xiaowan laughed: "Where''s Ershan, isn''t he like that?"


    Hanxi shook her head: "Brother Xingye naturally dotes on sister-in-law. It''s just that the house is a mess, I don''t have the heart to pay attention to the way he looks at sister-in-law."


    The Xiaowan said: "There will definitely be people who will look at you like this in the future. Hanxi, you are really good-looking."


    When she talked about how it looked good, she asked Hanxi, "Before you left the capital, have you ever seen a blue-eyed prince? He came from Xiluo, and stayed in our inn for the night before he went to the capital. I''ve never seen a man who was so beautiful. He''s a man, why do I only want to say he''s beautiful when I see him? "


    Hanxi had heard of it, but she had never seen it. Now, she was no longer able to enter and leave the Royal Banquet as she wished, because her brother was a fifth grade teacher, so he was not qualified to bring his family to the banquet. Her father''s resignation was also forbidden, and for the rest of the summer, she only cared about going back and forth from the prison everyday to serve her mother.


    "It''s quite lively in the capital, all the servants in the mansion are talking about it." Hanxi replied, "But I''ve never seen him before."


    "He''s been here for a long time. I thought ¡­" Xiaowan did not finish. She still understood the logic and swallowed the words of the marriage alliance.


    She took the initiative to say: "That prince, should be coming to Daqi Nation to propose marriage. It''s a pity that we don''t have any princesses of the same age, but if we were to choose from amongst the women in the aristocratic families ¡­"


    Her eyes lit up as she suddenly thought of something.

 C191

    "Hanxi, what are you thinking about?" The Xiaowan saw that she was dumbfounded and asked, "Do you miss your mother again? However, I also miss my Little Pei. I regret not bringing him along, but it was so arduous bringing him here, even I am reluctant to part with him. "


    Hanxi had something on her mind. She didn''t know if she could tell Xiaowan, but she smiled and said: "Little Pei must also be thinking of sister-in-law. When we return home, you must love him well."


    Xiaowan held the wild fruit and said, "This sour and sweet fruit is his favorite."


    Hanxi wanted to change the topic so that she could calm down a little, so he asked: "Sister-in-law, can you tell me the story of you and Manager Ling?


    "Do you want to hear it? But I''m sorry." Xiaowan laughed, blushing.


    Together, they fed the gathered fruit to the soldiers who protected them, then sat in the sun''s rays, warm and just right, and began to tell their stories as they ate the fruit.


    Hanxi listened to the experiences of the Xiaowan in shock. She could not imagine that such a sweet and gentle young lady that was filled with youthful enthusiasm would have such a tragic experience. It was not just for a moment, but more than ten years, a whole decade.


    She subconsciously pulled up Xiaowan''s arm and raised her sleeve. On her pure white and slender arm, there were indeed a few wounds that had not been healed yet, and they were plastered across her skin. One could imagine that they had once torn her skin, and had once been badly mutilated ¡­


    "Sister-in-law, how did you survive?" Hanxi''s heart softened as hot tears welled up in her eyes due to the discomfort.


    "Don''t cry, I''m fine now." Xiaowan laughed, "Thinking back, I also felt that it was inconceivable. Actually, at that time, I didn''t want to live, but if I didn''t die, I didn''t dare to seek death."


    She laughed and said: "Because I will always think, maybe tomorrow will be fine. Maybe tomorrow my stepmother will die, so it isn''t worth it for me to die first then, is it? However, people can change. If you push me back into that life now, my heart will grow big, but it should be a good thing. "


    "These days, I always felt that there was no one in this world who was more miserable than me. It was because I was being too hypocritical." Hanxi said, "Sister-in-law, I also want to be as cold-blooded and heartless as my father, then I won''t feel pain, or be as upright and upright as my brother, but I can''t do it either."


    The Xiaowan advised: "This is not your fault. You didn''t do anything wrong."


    In my eyes, she was gentle and virtuous. Even if I could tell that Grandma didn''t really like her, she had always been very filial to Grandma, doted on me and Big Brother, and took good care of our family. It was only until the appearance of Brother Xingye that her entire being changed. "


    "Hanxi..."


    "In the eyes of others, I must be extremely annoyed. I''m always crying, always pestering my mother about my mother''s matters. Everyone in the capital is laughing at me, and all the servants in my family are getting impatient."


    Hanxi lowered her head and wrapped his fingers around her belt, tying them until they became purple. She did not cry but instead asked firmly, "But like what you said, sister-in-law, you lived once so that you would not get beaten up. In my past life, my parents and family were my entire family. "My mother deserved to do something wrong. I know, but sister-in-law, I want to save her. I want to take care of her and serve her. Is that really wrong?"


    The Xiaowan shook her head, hugged Hanxi, and caressed her back: "Don''t be sad, when General Wei is done with the things here, he will send you to the Siping Mansion, and you will be able to always be together with Madam. I heard from my husband that our current Siping Mansion is neither poor nor bitter, and we can eat our fill there. "


    "Sister-in-law ¡­" As matters stood, even though the person beside him had only known him for two days, who among his close friends and relatives could accompany him. Hanxi steeled his heart and trusted Xiaowan, "I want to return to the capital now."


    "Return to the capital?"


    Hanxi''s expression was agitated as she nodded: "That blue-eyed prince, the news spread throughout the capital, saying that he travelled thousands of miles to come here for the sake of marriage. Then, I will ask the Emperor to pardon my mother. I won''t need to restore her title, and I won''t need to bring her back to the capital either. Even if I have to stay in the Siping Mansion, as long as I don''t serve any more sentences and don''t work hard, what do you think? "


    Xiaowan was startled, and said with difficulty: "Hanxi, do you know where the Xiluo is? Hubby said that if you marry someone far away, you will never be able to come back."


    However, Hanxi smiled and said, "But that way, my mother won''t have to suffer."


    Xiaowan shook her head. "Mrs. Bi will feel guilty for the rest of her life, if she falls sick because of missing you, the two of you will not even know that you are separated by five hundred kilometers. In my opinion, it would be better if they came now. Even if it was a bit more difficult, they could still meet each other, and they could still depend on each other. If I were you, I would rather watch my mother suffer every day, than never to see her again in my entire life. "


    Hanxi stared at Xiaowan blankly. Xiaowan said in a serious tone: "Give up on this idea and don''t think about it anymore. You have not been a mother yet, so you don''t understand. If my Little Pei were to sacrifice himself for me, I will not be happy, I will only blame him, I will only be unable to come out from the pain and guilt for the rest of my life. "


    "But sister-in-law."


    "Don''t but, since you called me sister-in-law from Ershan, and the family said that Ershan listened to their brother''s words, then you must listen to my words as well." Xiaowan said firmly, "Don''t think about it anymore. What''s more, why do you think you can marry the Prince? You are beautiful, but do you think that I would not care about your mother? "You, you''re too arrogant."


    The Xiaowan clumsily put on a fierce look and warned Hanxi: "Don''t even think about it, do you hear me?"


    Hanxi laughed instead.


    After the incident with his mother, his clan relatives and the families that he had been on good terms with all disappeared. Other than her brother and grandmother, there was also Brother Xingye''s family, no one else cared about her. Suddenly hearing Xiaowan''s words, Hanxi felt warm in his heart.


    Xiaowan said in all seriousness: "I advise you not to speak to the general like that. When he turned around and got angry, you were so scared that you died. When he went to find you that day, did he scold you?"


    Hanxi nodded, then the Xiaowan rubbed her head: "Then be more honest, do you hear me? From now on, put aside the matters about Mrs. Bi. Hanxi, believe me, if you can live a happy life from today onwards, your mother will be very happy. She will feel that there is still hope to live, because she can see your happiness. "


    Hanxi pursed her lips, her heart struggling in hesitation.


    Xiaowan coughed dryly and said, "If you continue to be conflicted, I will tell General Wei."


    Hanxi shook her head, she was afraid of Wei Tengfei.


    When she thought about how everyone would be able to fill their stomachs after returning, the moment she stood up, the ground suddenly trembled and the mountains trembled.


    The ground was jumping, towering trees were violently shaking, branches and leaves were swaying and falling, birds were flying and beasts were fleeing, both Xiaowan and Hanxi were smashed into the ground.


    "Madam, Miss ¡­" The two soldiers grabbed them and hid in a slightly more spacious area. They watched as a mountain collapsed in front of them, dust flying in the air, and their eyes were filled with charm.


    A moment later, the earth finally settled down.


    "Crap, I wonder if the general and the others will encounter an accident." The two soldiers rushed to the entrance of the mountain, which had been completely sealed off from top to bottom.


    "What happened? Was it an earthquake?" Hanxi and Xiaowan ran over.


    "It could have been an earthquake, or the general''s explosives exploded." The two soldiers were not sure what had happened, but if there was an earthquake, there might be aftershocks. The situation in the depths of the valley was not very optimistic. However, even with explosives, he still had to move this huge rock away in order to get the person inside to come out.


    Hanxi said: "How about heading out to the mountain to look for the local yamen to help?"


    The two of them looked at each other and shook their heads.


    It was very likely that this place would become the secret location of the weapons factory in the future. If outsiders were to come here, they would have to find another place. The general would definitely not agree.


    "There''s a hole here." Xiaowan shouted.


    She looked around and saw light at the corner, she stretched her hand out to look for it. The mountain rock was stuck in there and there was a hole, but the hole was very small.

 C192

    It was at this moment that the ground trembled yet again, but it was not as strong as before, as if there was an aftershock.


    However, because of this tremor, the hole shrunk a bit. It would probably be completely blocked up very soon.


    "What should we do?" The two soldiers asked each other. They were the only ones who could make decisions at the moment.


    Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew past, causing people to be unable to open their eyes, it was Little Pei who sensed that something was wrong with his father and rushed over.


    The Golden Dragon Immortal Body could have gone through the wall, but the chubby little Golden Dragon wanted to go through the hole and squeeze out through it with difficulty.


    He looked into the valley and found that the situation inside was not looking good. However, he could not interfere, so he quickly squeezed his way back through the hole and inch by inch.


    Some of the dragon scales on his body had been rubbed off. It was very painful, but they still fell onto the rocks in the cave and could support a weight of ten million jin.


    After another gust of wind, everyone opened their eyes.


    "I''ll go in." On her side, Xiaowan rolled up her sleeves and tightened her belt. She believed that if they did not go in, the cave might really be sealed. The people inside did not have food or water. Even if they were not crushed to death, it was unknown just how many days they could last.


    "Fill the bags with water and bring some dry food. Oh right, did the military doctor also follow them in? Does he still have his medicine box? " The Xiaowan arranged all of this calmly and then said to everyone, "If I don''t find them, I will return to my original path. You can rest assured."


    Hanxi quickly said: "Sister-in-law, I will go in with you."


    Seeing that she was determined and that he was indeed afraid, only the two of them could enter the cave, Xiaowan agreed.


    Thus, regardless of whether the two big brother soldier agreed or not, they went to fill the water bags completely. Xiaowan gave herself another set of clothes and tied up her belt tightly.


    She put on her clothes and came over to help with the bags of water and the food. She clearly remembered that she had used the leaves as a plate and gathered a bunch of wild fruits for her husband to eat.


    But now, only a few fruits remained, and there were no scattered fruits. Xiaowan looked around curiously. Could it be that some wild beasts were here to eat the fruits?


    But now was not the time to investigate who had eaten the fruit. Everyone moved their things to the cave entrance.


    Little Pei sat there and ate the remaining fruits. He wiped his mouth in satisfaction and watched his mother''s petite body crawl into the cave.


    He had drilled it just now and left behind its scales. Even if an earthquake were to occur, the hole wouldn''t collapse. It could guarantee his mother''s safety.


    However, this was not a matter of intentionally interfering in the affairs of the mortal realm, he could only blame himself for being too fat.


    When Xiaowan went through the cave entrance, she saw the golden light shining on the rocks inside. However, right now, she was really concerned about the safety of her husband and everyone else, so she was too busy to be curious about these strange sights.


    After successfully drilling through, he first received the water bag and the dry rations. After confirming that the cave entrance was not small, Hanxi also drilled into the cave.


    "Madam, Miss ¡­" the soldier shouted from the mouth of the cave. "You must be careful."


    The two of them carried the food and drinks on their backs as they walked deeper into the valley. Fortunately, the earth didn''t tremble again. The deeper they went, the darker it became.


    "Hubby ¡­"


    "General Wei ¡­"


    In the serene valley, the cries of the two could be heard. Finally, someone agreed in the direction of the light.


    Ling Chaofeng, whose body was covered in dust, looked at Xiaowan and Hanxi in shock. He asked worriedly, "You two aren''t going to the empty space, why are you here?"


    When the Xiaowan saw her husband, her heart dropped and she rushed into his arms.


    Hanxi stood at the side and watched, she only saw the injured people resting against the wall. Their injuries were all different, but she didn''t see General Wei. As for the soldiers who were uninjured, they were currently fighting against a huge boulder. Unfortunately, they didn''t have enough manpower, so it was impossible to pry them apart.


    "General Wei and a few soldiers are trapped inside. We don''t know the situation for now." Ling Chaofeng frowned and said solemnly, "We have explosives beside us that can blast away huge boulders. We are just afraid that if we do, it will cause a collapse or damage to the people inside."


    "Is there any place to drill?" Xiaowan immediately asked, she had experience drilling once just now.


    "The hole is too small, we can''t get through." The soldiers were all tall and mighty men. A mortal''s body could not be compared to Little Pei''s Immortal body.


    "Sister-in-law, we can do it." Hanxi laid at the entrance of the cave and looked around. It was pitch black inside, and she couldn''t see anything. She stretched out her hand to feel inside, and felt that the space inside could fit their bodies.


    Hanxi immediately put down the thing on her back and went into the hole without saying a word. Everyone looked at him fearfully, and just as Hanxi went in, the valley shook again and the hole shrank.


    Almost an instant later, Hanxi would be stuck inside, and right now, even if it was the Xiaowan s, they would not be able to pass.


    Her heart was beating extremely fast as she took the bags of water and the food from the small hole. Ling Chaofeng shouted from the other side, "Miss Bi, if you find the people inside, bring them to a safe place and stay a bit further away from this rock. We might blow it up in the end."


    "I know." Hanxi promised.


    "Hanxi, you must be careful..." The Xiaowan was extremely worried.


    Hanxi trembled as she ignited her torch, lighting up her surroundings. She carried the water and food on her back, and walked step by step towards the deeper parts of the cave.


    The depths of the valley were especially cold. It was like a natural ice cave. Even though he was holding a torch, it was not enough to keep him warm.


    Hanxi was extremely afraid. She had never thought that she would one day appear in a place like this, but right now, she only had one thought in her mind, to find the General Wei.


    After walking for an unknown amount of time, he suddenly heard someone shouting, "Someone is coming! There''s a light!"


    "General Wei? General Wei? " Hanxi shouted.


    "Who is it? "The general is here ¡­"


    Just as the Manager Ling had said, there were only three soldiers following the general in. They were all injured to different degrees, so Hanxi asked nervously, "Where is the general?"


    "I''m here." In the darkness, Wei Tengfei said calmly.


    "General Wei?" Hanxi walked over with a torch in hand, illuminating the area in front of him. was lying on the ground, with half of her body exposed outside.


    Hanxi was frightened out of her wits. She knelt on the ground and trembled as she asked, "General, General, what happened to you ¡­"


    Wei Tengfei being stuck there was already his fortune in misfortune. If he was pressed down directly, even if he didn''t die, he would still be crippled.


    However, he couldn''t escape. He wouldn''t be able to hold on for too long. Soon, he would be dehydrated or his blood wouldn''t flow properly. Right now, he could only wait for the people outside to come in and find a way to open up the cave.


    "Does it hurt?" Hanxi frantically rummaged through the items, "I, I brought the medicine."


    "How did you get in?" Wei Tengfei asked.


    "There''s a hole. I''m the only one who can get in." Hanxi replied.


    "Nonsense, what if you get stuck inside if it collapses again? Just like I am now. " Wei Tengfei said angrily, but laughed out loud. He had never been this embarrassed before in his life, he said hatefully: "So embarrassing me to death."


    "Don''t laugh, save your strength." Hanxi said.


    Wei Tengfei was startled. With a valiant and threatening gaze, he looked at the weak looking girl in front of him.


    "You can leave now. If it collapses, we will all die here." "Leave the water and the food and go at once."


    "General!" The three wounded soldiers walked over with difficulty. They were exhausted and had tried various methods to remove the huge rock for the general, but to no avail.


    "This is a military order!" Wei Tengfei bellowed, "Immediately bring the Miss Bi and leave this place."


    "I''m not leaving!" However, Hanxi said, "I promised Manager Ling that I would bring you out. Moreover, who will send me to the Siping Mansion when you die?"


    "Who said I was going to die?" Wei Tengfei glared at her, "Even if I die, my subordinates will honor their promise and bring you to Siping Mansion, scram immediately!"


    The three of them did not dare to disobey the order, obey was a soldier''s duty, staying here was useless, so they pulled Hanxi away and brought her out.


    Hanxi did not resist. The few soldiers were covered in blood, she did not want them to make things difficult for her.


    The three of them walked slowly out of the cave. The huge boulder was still there, and even the hole that had been able to deliver the water bag to them had been completely sealed.


    "Move further away, the Manager Ling might explode." After Hanxi helped the three soldiers to sit down, he looked into the depths of the darkness and bit his lips.


    "I can''t leave General Wei. He saved my life." Hanxi said to the three of them, "You guys stay here. If he dies, no one will pursue your disobedience. If we survive, he won''t be willing to punish us. "


    Finished speaking, Hanxi left the three of them and rushed into the darkness.


    After walking the same path twice, even without the guidance of a torch, she was no longer afraid. In one breath, she had already ran to Wei Tengfei''s side.


    Wei Tengfei currently had his eyes closed. He was very, very tired, and his eyelids were especially heavy.


    "General Wei, wake up, don''t fall asleep ¡­" Suddenly, he heard a woman''s voice. He struggled to open his eyes.


    With a loud slap, Hanxi slapped Wei Tengfei. The burning pain had awakened the man.


    Wei Tengfei bared his teeth and scolded: What are you doing?


    Hanxi said while trembling: "You, don''t go to sleep, this place is too cold, it will freeze to death."


    As she spoke, she took off her outer clothes and covered Wei Tengfei''s body.


    "Wear it quickly. Aren''t you afraid of dying from the cold?" Wei Tengfei''s hand was still able to move, he lifted his clothes and said angrily, "Put it on."


    "Don''t talk anymore, it''s a waste of your strength!" Hanxi was very angry, "If you have the ability, crawl out."


    Wei Tengfei said: "Wear your clothes, I''ll say it again."


    Hanxi was enraged, she took off another piece of clothes, placed it on top of his body, and pressed it down with her hands: "If you have the ability, climb out."


    The two of them were in a stalemate, causing Wei Tengfei to have more spirit, he knew that this girl was stubborn, and did not want to torture her anymore. After that, Hanxi fed him some water. He lay there unable to swallow, so Hanxi slowly raised his head and carefully fed him one mouthful at a time.

 C193

    Within the dark valley, no one knew what day it was outside, no one knew what time it was, Xiaowan only felt that a long time had passed.


    The soldiers tried their best, but they were still unable to shake the huge rock. They couldn''t even protect the only hole they had made just now. They didn''t know what was inside the hole and whether they could arrange the explosives or not.


    Xiaowan was at the side bandaging the wounds of the injured soldiers. Ling Chaofeng turned around unintentionally and saw her attentive and considerate appearance.


    In such an environment, she was neither flustered nor afraid. Furthermore, she had the courage to venture deep into dangerous situations to find him. It was truly extraordinary.


    "Manager Ling, let''s explode." Wei Tengfei''s subordinates came to discuss with him.


    "It would be great if you could blow up a small crack, but if you were to blow up the entire rock, it might cause another collapse." Ling Chaofeng said seriously, "Bring the others out first."


    Only to hear the thick voices of the men shouting, "We want to die together with the general."


    On the other hand, Xiaowan was shocked, and stopped the excited soldier beside her.


    "Brothers, you are all my most beloved subordinates, I am willing to die with you, but he does not wish for you to die together for him." Ling Chaofeng said calmly, "Please move outside, so that the giant rocks can be exploded as soon as possible to save the general."


    There was complete silence, as if no one was willing to leave, as if they felt that if any of them left, they would become the general''s traitors.


    "Big brother, slow down. I''ll support you." Xiaowan stood up and broke the silence. She supported the soldier by her side and then said to Ling Chaofeng, "Husband, Big Bro and I will be waiting for you outside."


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart warmed, and he immediately became a hundred times more confident. He said to everyone in a clear voice, "The safety of my wife is in everyone''s hands."


    The injured gradually moved outside, although there were some huge rocks blocking the way, Ling Chaofeng had thought about it, since he was going to risk the mountain collapsing again, he decided to blow the General Wei out first. After everyone gathered, the rest of the things would be easy to handle.


    Xiaowan and Hubby looked at each other, giving each other confidence before they left without turning back.


    When they were near the outside world, they could finally see the sky. Above their heads was a narrow stretch of sky, and it was already dusk.


    Outside the valley, Little Pei was flying back and forth. He would come in to take a look at his mother from time to time, and he was very surprised to see that she was not by his father''s side, but accompanying the injured.


    She still remembered when her mother had followed her father in life and death, yet when she was revived, she was able to calmly make a choice in the face of life and death. Was it because her feelings weren''t deep enough?


    Of course not.


    At this moment, deep within the mountain valley, Hanxi was leaning against the cold wind blowing in from the cave above, maintaining a breath of air. But the colder it got, the more Hanxi couldn''t help but shiver.


    "Put your clothes on." Wei Tengfei said, "Otherwise, if I don''t save you, you will die from the cold."


    "I, I''m not cold ¡­" "My name is Hanxi, and I''ve never been afraid of cold since I was young."


    "Born in winter?"


    "Yes."


    However, Wei Tengfei was very tired, he could not say more than a few words, and wanted to close his eyes. Being trapped like this was even more difficult than he thought. Even though Hanxi would occasionally feed him saliva, his body had already started to become severely dehydrated.


    His eyes blurred and he saw a shadow swaying. Wei Tengfei suddenly opened his eyes and said angrily: "Don''t slap me again, are you trying to take revenge?"


    Hanxi raised her hand right at the moment. She had wanted to keep Wei Tengfei awake, but after being stunned for a moment, she lightly patted his face with her hands: "General Wei, don''t sleep, please don''t sleep, you might not wake up after sleeping. Wait a little longer, Manager Ling will definitely come to save us."


    A soft hand kneaded her own face. What a strange feeling. Even though she had been playing with her little sister before, there would still be this kind of thing. However, that was her little sister, and the one in front of her was a woman.


    "I''ll talk to you, why don''t you scold me a bit?" Hanxi said, "General Wei, you must not sleep."


    "Your hands are as cold as ice." Wei Tengfei said, "Don''t wait for me to die, you will freeze to death first. Listen to me, quickly wear your clothes."


    Hanxi shook his head: "I won''t wear it. When you come out and scold me, you must scold me."


    Wei Tengfei frowned, and laughed helplessly: "Young lady, why are you so stubborn, you are even with Siyan now."


    Hanxi knew that the Middle Palace Mistress was named Wei Siyan and smiled, "Is the Empress also very stubborn?"


    "How stubborn. I didn''t expect that she would ask me to beat her up after she became the empress." Wei Tengfei said, "But that was also the first time I hit her, thinking about it now, it''s truly regretful."


    "General Wei is so brave." Hanxi said, "Aren''t you afraid that the emperor will be anxious with you? The emperor loves his mistress so much."


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "At that time, he must have been so angry that he wanted to attack, but men cannot hit women, furthermore, he is the Son of Heaven. But knowing that the Emperor dotes on her, I can finally relax. "


    Hanxi listened to his tone and saw his expression. Since she could die at any moment now, she asked without hesitation, "You don''t want your sister to become the Empress? "Then why, why did they send her to the talent show? My grandmother and mother were also reluctant to part with it, so they didn''t let me go."


    Wei Tengfei said, "My only sister, she married to such a far away place and now that I know the Emperor is good to her, what can I know at that time? "But for ¡­"


    He looked at Hanxi, and did not know if he should say these things, but when he thought that he could die at any time, and that he would be willing to accompany him even if he died, what more did he have to worry about?


    He spoke straightforwardly: "For the sake of the Chuanyu army, I sent her to the selection. Being chosen as the empress was unexpected, but it was indeed the result I had hoped for at the beginning, and was also the result I regretted. It''s a good thing that the Emperor didn''t have a harem. Otherwise, if I pushed her into a harem full of women and fought endlessly from then on, I would have killed my sister with my own hands. "


    Hanxi thought for a while, then said: "But the Empress is very happy. The Emperor didn''t set up a harem for the Empress, and it''s even different from the Grand Emperor. Your Highness is doing well. General, you can rest assured. "


    Wei Tengfei looked at Hanxi as he explained in all seriousness. He could feel that she wanted to comfort him, and his gaze slowly turned soft. The more he looked at his, the more he felt that the girl in front of him was beautiful and cute.


    The two of them looked at each other for a long time, and in the end, Hanxi was still a little embarrassed.


    She fed a few more mouthfuls of water to Wei Tengfei, covered his clothes, and curled up into a ball as she sat at the side.


    Because she wanted Wei Tengfei to stay awake, she kept talking, talking about how she had discussed things with the Xiaowan just now, saying that she wanted to go and get married to the blue-eyed prince in exchange for her mother''s freedom.


    Turning his head, he saw Wei Tengfei glaring at him. Hanxi trembled and asked softly: "Are you angry?"


    Wei Tengfei said: "Are you going to force your mother to death?"


    "Where ¡­" Hanxi was at a loss for words.


    "I''m not going. I promise sister-in-law." Bi Hanxi hurriedly said, "I''m just chatting with you right now, why are you so angry? Besides, I''m not your sister."


    "What about your brother, does Bi Zhenye not care about you? Why did they let you, a girl, send your mother into exile all the way? " Wei Tengfei was still angry.


    Hanxi laughed, "I threatened them, and if they don''t let me send them off, I''ll kill myself on the spot. Either let me go, or let me die. "


    "Bastard!" Wei Tengfei''s angry yells scared Hanxi to the point that he started to tremble, and his heart started to beat even faster.


    "In your eyes, what is life?" "Wei Tengfei did not know where he got the strength from, and shouted angrily," My brothers who have followed me to death are killing bandits for the imperial government, and are the brothers who have lost in the rebellion. Do you know how ashamed and guilty I am when I go to each of their homes to mourn? Do you know how important a life is to a family? Some people want to live, but can''t. As for you, you''re even using your life to joke around. "


    "General, you can scold me when you come out." Hanxi lowered her eyes, feeling guilty and worried at the same time, "It''s better to save your strength, don''t get excited, I already know I was wrong."


    "You don''t know anything ¡­" Wei Tengfei could not hold it in and cursed at the end.


    But at this moment, with a loud noise, the earth quaked and the mountains shook. Hanxi subconsciously threw herself over and used her body to hold onto Wei Tengfei''s head.


    The trembling did not last long, and after a while it subsided, only the sound of stone falling could be heard, but Hanxi was still using her body to protect Wei Tengfei, he was still in a state of shock.


    "Hanxi?" Wei Tengfei said.


    "Mm ¡­"


    "I''m fine now. You, what about you?" Wei Tengfei''s voice trembled slightly. In his life, there would actually come a day where he had to be protected by a woman.


    "I''m fine too." Hanxi sat up. The pain of her back getting smashed caused her to tremble, but she held it back.


    "My legs seem to have loosened." Wei Tengfei said.


    With this jolt, the giant boulder that was trapping him also shifted its position. Originally, just a single breath of air was enough to pull his body out. Now, he could feel that his lower body had loosened a bit.


    Wei Tengfei used both of his hands to support himself and wanted to pull himself out, but after being trapped for so long, his strength had reached its limit and his hands were weak without strength.


    "I''ll help you!" Hanxi immediately knelt on the top of his head and pulled Wei Tengfei''s shoulders out, but how could someone as weak as her drag a tall and mighty man away?


    "Hanxi?" Wei Tengfei was extremely nervous.


    However, people came in from outside and more and more flames were coming in. Someone shouted, "General? "General?"


    "It''s here!" Hanxi replied loudly, waving both her hands, "The general is here."


    Wei Tengfei looked at her. The stubborn girl had once made him impatient, but at this moment, the tears that rolled down her cheeks made his heart ache. It was an entirely different feeling from feeling sorry for Siyan.


    Once he had more people, and the cave was loose, Wei Tengfei was quickly dragged out. Everyone carried the general, brought Hanxi, and quickly left the cave, retreating to the outermost area.


    "Hanxi..."


    "Sister-in-law!"


    Xiaowan and Hanxi embraced each other emotionally. Ling Chaofeng was extremely pleased, he turned around and smiled at Wei Tengfei.


    At that moment, everyone lined up the remaining explosives, planning to use them to blow up the last huge rock. Seeing this, Little Pei immediately went back into the hole to remove his own scales.


    He happily flew out and waited to see the fireworks at the mountain entrance. Suddenly, his uncle''s voice came from behind, "Little Pei, what are you doing?"


    Little Pei looked over and saw his uncle and Captive Cow standing in the clouds with his hands behind his back.


    "Uncle." Little Pei stepped forward and bowed.


    "Don''t you remember? You can''t meddle in anything in the mortal world?" Uncle said solemnly.

 C194

    Little Pei hid the scale behind his back, and looked at his uncle timidly.


    He originally wanted to argue that it was because he was too fat that he accidentally scraped the scales off his body. However, it was better not to lie to a deity.


    "Uncle, I was wrong." Little Pei obediently offered the scale up with both hands.


    "Silly child." The Captive Cow let out a light sigh and took Little Pei''s scales. He ordered him to create a Golden Dragon and press the scales back onto his nephew''s body.


    "Uncle, I don''t feel pain anymore." Little Pei said.


    "Little Pei, you are a Golden Dragon with a rare Dragon Clan. The power of the golden scales on your body is limitless. "Did you hear what your mother said to Miss Bi? Similarly, she would never let you sacrifice anything for her. If she knew that you wiped away those precious golden scales for her, she would be sad."


    "Uncle." Little Pei lowered his head, appearing to be very obedient. However, he sincerely said, "No matter how precious my golden scales are, they can''t compare to my mother''s. Uncle, for my mother''s sake, Little Pei is willing to do anything."


    Captive Cow snickered: "You little idiot, how much lifespan is your mother, have you forgotten?"


    Little Pei stared at his uncle blankly, then suddenly understood. Due to the interference of the Heavenly Court, the heavens used heavenly lightning to kill her mother, causing her to die. But if it wasn''t for that incident, her mother''s lifespan would still be very long.


    The Captive Cow rubbed the child''s head, "Little Pei, you have to listen to me, if not, the next time Uncle comes, he will take you away."


    "Yes, uncle. I will do as you say."


    "Your uncle understands that you are worried about your mother, but you have to believe that mortals are more powerful than Deities." The Captive Cow flew over and his voice floated far away, "Little Pei, be an ordinary mortal child and properly enjoy your life."


    Little Pei bowed towards his uncle. Suddenly, he heard a loud noise, and a huge boulder exploded.


    When he saw that his father and mother were safe and that they were both supporting the injured, he felt at ease. He flew back to his Baisha Town with a peace of mind and waited for his father and mother to return home.


    On the other hand, everyone had moved to a safe zone. It was already dark, so they had to rest and count the number of people. The ones with the heaviest injuries did not cause any harm, so Wei Tengfei was at ease.


    As for himself, he might have to lie down for half the night to gradually regain his mobility. He was also worried that if he tried to move forcefully, he would injure his muscles and bones.


    Hanxi followed Xiaowan busily around, delivering water and food to the soldiers. Her back hurt, but she had forgotten to do it until everyone rested in the middle of the night. Hanxi couldn''t sleep because of the pain, and couldn''t help but make painful sounds.


    "Hanxi, what''s wrong?" Xiaowan woke up from hearing a commotion and lit a candle to bring it closer. She saw that Hanxi''s face was pale and beads of sweat were rolling down her face.


    "Sister-in-law, my back hurts ¡­" Hanxi said.


    "Let me see, was it hit by a stone?" Xiaowan hurriedly untied her clothes, but the moment she touched Hanxi, she trembled in pain. She took off half of her clothes with much difficulty.


    Under the candlelight, he saw that there was a bruise on her delicate back that was as big as a bowl, turning black and purple, and even swelling up high. Xiaowan was completely terrified.


    "Cough ¡­" Suddenly, Hanxi coughed out a mouthful of blood. She seemed to be on the verge of death, and after reciting some words, she quickly lost consciousness.


    In another place, Wei Tengfei was awake and was slowly standing up to stretch when he suddenly heard panicked footsteps outside. He thought it was an attack from a wild beast.


    Opening the flap of the tent, Xiaowan raised the candle and asked everywhere: "Doctor, where are you? Doctor, where are you?"


    Ling Chaofeng went up to welcome him, and Wei Tengfei also came out. The Xiaowan trembled and said, "Hubby, what do we do?


    Wei Tengfei was shocked upon hearing that, he followed Xiaowan to their tent, only to see the delicate girl lying there. Her back was exposed, and the huge bruises were shocking, but she had already fainted.


    Everyone''s eyes lit up the room. The military doctor did not care about the difference between man and woman and directly touched them. He was busy to the point where he was sweating profusely.


    Just like Wei Tengfei, who guaranteed Miss Bi''s life, the only problem was whether or not the girl''s family could endure this suffering. In the next half a month, Hanxi would be in extreme pain, and she would not be able to leave anyone alive to take care of her.


    Wei Tengfei clenched his fist tightly as his heart churned violently. He knew how Hanxi got injured, and that was when Ling Chaofeng had exploded the first huge rock. The earth quaked and the mountains shook. This silly girl was lying on top of him, using her back to block the stone that should have fallen on his head.


    "Xiaowan, you and Chao Feng go to my tent, you are tired too, you need to rest." Wei Tengfei said, "I''ll protect this place, it''s fine now, you can rest assured."


    Xiaowan naturally said: "General, it''s more or less convenient for me to take care of Hanxi. Let me stay behind."


    Ling Chaofeng embraced her shoulders, shook his head, and gestured for his wife to follow him.


    Finally, the campsite quietened down once again. Xiaowan was nestled in her husband''s embrace.


    Ling Chaofeng kissed her forehead and comforted her: "Sleep, you need to rest and recuperate before you can take care of Miss Bi."


    "Yes." Xiaowan was very obedient. She closed her eyes and asked out of concern, "Husband, are you full tonight?"


    "You''re full, are you hungry?" Ling Chaofeng asked.


    "No, I''m just worried about you." Just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly thought of the wild fruits during the day and said, "I had originally saved a big handful of fruits for you to eat when you came back, but who knows who ate them?"


    "Birds and beasts?" Ling Chaofeng laughed.


    "But it was shaking so badly that the birds flew away."


    "Let the person who eats eat happily." Ling Chaofeng laughed, "It''s better than wasting it."


    "Alright ¡­" Xiaowan naturally did not fuss over it, she only felt curious, but before she went to sleep, she mumbled to herself, "Hubby, I think of Little Pei, I don''t know if he slept soundly."


    Ling Chaofeng coaxed Xiaowan in a soft voice. Seeing that she was finally sleeping soundly in her arms and covered her with a blanket, she left the tent and came to see Wei Tengfei.


    He just saw Wei Tengfei holding the handkerchief, gently wiping the sweat on Hanxi''s forehead. Ling Chaofeng said softly: "General, you need to rest as well. Take care of your body."


    "I''m fine. I know what I''m doing. I''m not trying to be brave." Wei Tengfei said, "But I never thought that she would receive such a heavy injury because of me. At that time, I asked her if it hurt, and she was still stubborn. This little girl is too stubborn. "


    "Miss Bi may seem weak, but she''s actually very strong." Ling Chaofeng said, "To be able to send her mother into exile alone, with no intention of backing down, who would believe that she is the young miss of the Shangguan family in the capital?"


    Wei Tengfei shook his head: "This debt of gratitude, is not something I can fulfill."


    He paused for a moment, then asked Ling Chaofeng: "Why aren''t you sleeping, and how is your sister-in-law, is she alright? You should check on her as well. I heard that they''ve entered through a very narrow hole, so they didn''t have to go anywhere and just grind their teeth to hold it in. "


    "Yes, I will examine her." Ling Chaofeng said, "I just want to ask General how we can proceed with the opening of the mountain. Although we were in danger today, did you discover that there was a natural cave, enough to set up the boiler and make weapons?"


    Wei Tengfei said: "I''m afraid that this mountain is unstable. If there is another earthquake, wouldn''t that cause a huge disaster?"


    Ling Chaofeng then said: "Go find some experts to investigate, if there is a disrespect, you will lead your troops to war, but to open up the mountain, we still need to invite some experts."


    "That''s right, we came too recklessly this time." Wei Tengfei said, "I only want to, the fewer people who know the better. I want to consider this matter from a new perspective."


    "Miss Bi doesn''t look like a good place to move, we can find a place to rest and recuperate nearby, this will help her suffer a little less." Ling Chaofeng said, "We will open a mountain in the mountains, while she and Xiaowan will remain in the village.


    Wei Tengfei said: "When the sun rises, we can look at our surroundings and ask the commoners."


    Ling Chaofeng cupped his fists and retreated back into the tent, he saw that Xiaowan had sat up with her blanket wrapped around him, he recalled Wei Tengfei''s words and immediately asked: "Does it hurt somewhere?"


    Xiaowan said: "I don''t feel pain, but since I woke up, I''m afraid to not see you."


    Ling Chaofeng said in annoyance: "You charged into the valley so bravely, yet you weren''t afraid even if you saw the injured person covered in blood. Now you''re afraid."


    Xiaowan snuck into his embrace: "Anyway, I''m just afraid."


    Ling Chaofeng lowered his head and kissed her, saying softly, "Evening, let me check if you are injured or not."


    Xiaowan reached out her hands to push his face away, smiling sweetly she said, "Scoundrel, what are you trying to do? "Why don''t you look around and see where this is, you''re so lost."

 C195

    "Who was the one who lost his head?" Ling Chaofeng caught both Xiaowan''s hands, "I''m just checking to see if you''re injured, what are you thinking?"


    Xiaowan smiled so sweetly that it seemed as if she was going to melt in her husband''s embrace. She pretended to be sleepy and said, "Husband, I''m going to sleep ¡­"


    They snuggled together, and without saying much, Xiaowan fell asleep. Ling Chaofeng stared at his lovely wife for a while, before closing his eyes.


    Today was truly a soul-stirring day. Fortunately, it was a thrilling but not dangerous day, and everyone was able to retreat safely.


    However, Ling Chaofeng''s heart was stuck on something else. It was as if he had experienced something earth-shattering with the Xiaowan before, but he could not recall anything concrete. If he tried hard to think about it, his mind would turn blank instead.


    It must be fate. He was so sure that he must have been fated with the Xiaowan in his previous life.


    A peaceful night.


    Everyone was awakened by the sounds of birds chirping in the mountains. Birds and beasts could sense the signs the most. It seemed that the earth had returned to its previous calm after such a beautiful morning.


    After discussing with the rest again, Wei Tengfei decided to leave a portion of his people to guard this place. He took his people and left, waiting for the moment to find the expert who would open the mountain and pave the road.


    had promised her gold and silver. He asked them to vacate the room for Hanxi to rest, of course the Xiaowan had to stay and take care of her.


    The person that was sent to the capital to ask the emperor for an order was also ordered to find Bi Zhenye and tell him the situation there. This would allow him to decide whether he should personally come to pick up his sister or Wei Tengfei should send someone to bring her back.


    Hanxi would have to rest for at least half a month before being able to move, and on this day, when she woke up, she was in so much pain that she couldn''t stop crying.


    "Your tears, are they rivers and seas?" Wei Tengfei moved closer to her and impatiently said, "Why is it that you can''t stop crying?"


    "I''m in pain ¡­" Hanxi was pitiful, "I didn''t cry, but it hurt too much.


    "Alright, stop talking." Wei Tengfei frowned.


    "General, are you all right?" Hanxi asked.


    "What can I do for you? "You, ah, not only were you severely injured, but you even felt chills. I told you to wear it, but you refused to wear it no matter what." Wei Tengfei was furious, he could not help but berate them, "Now that you have suffered so much, you deserve it."


    Hanxi''s eyes were filled with tears, but she still forced a smile and said: "General is still alive, it''s so good."


    Wei Tengfei was furious: Who told you I was going to die?


    Hanxi laughed, "General, if you die, no one will send me to the Siping Mansion."


    Her back was in so much pain that even when she spoke, her words would be laced with pain. She was in so much pain that even tears streamed down her face. She couldn''t hold it in any longer. On the contrary, she was full of hope and confidence as she smiled and asked, "General, once I''m better, can you send someone to send me to the Siping Mansion?"


    "I have already sent someone to notify Bi Zhenye. He will decide whether to come and pick you up or send someone back to you. Siping Mansion? " Wei Tengfei said, "Don''t even think about it this year, if you can''t get there, you''ll die first."


    "That won''t do, what about my mother ¡­" Hanxi was so excited that she unconsciously jumped up, but she couldn''t raise her body. It was so painful that she almost fainted.


    Wei Tengfei shouted in fury, "Do you not want to live anymore? Bi Hanxi, behave yourself. "


    Hanxi felt wronged: "Why are you being so fierce?"


    Wei Tengfei slightly restrained himself, not knowing what he could say to coax his better. After thinking for a long time, he said: "It was you who said it, I will scold you after I come out."


    Hanxi looked at him in pity and buried his face.


    When Xiaowan came in with food and saw the General Wei staring at Hanxi aggressively, she carefully asked: "General, are you alright?"


    Wei Tengfei regained his senses and nodded awkwardly. "It''s fine, you can let her eat." He then said to the Xiaowan, "These few days, I have to trouble you. I was initially angry at Ling Chaofeng, but after becoming engaged to him, I wanted to bring along my new wife wherever I go. Only now did I feel grateful to him. It was fortunate that he brought you out."


    The Xiaowan laughed: General, do not laugh at us. In any case, no matter where Chao Feng goes in the future, I will follow him.


    Wei Tengfei nodded his head, "Husband and wife should be together, there is no reason for us to be separated."


    After saying all that, Wei Tengfei left. Before he left, he could not help but say to Hanxi fiercely, "You must listen to Xiaowan''s words, eat properly with medicine and don''t let your imagination run wild. When you''re better, where can you not go? Who can stop you? Forget about Siping Mansion first. Otherwise, if your mother has nothing else, you can go see the King of Hell first. "


    If she had to say all that she wanted to say, how could a girl take it? The Xiaowan could only console Hanxi, "That''s the way they march and fight. Don''t forget, the general cares about you."


    Hanxi tremblingly asked Xiaowan: "Sister-in-law, will I die from the pain?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "No, I won''t. I will grit my teeth. Tomorrow will be better than today, and the day after tomorrow will be better, won''t it? "


    Hanxi acknowledged her presence. After eating some food and consuming some medicine, he fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, it was already dusk.


    Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan to the river bank to wash her clothes. Wei Tengfei had been guarding the door the entire time, and when he heard the noise in the house, he immediately pushed the door open and asked: "What do you want to do, don''t move."


    On the other hand, Hanxi was feeling awkward. She pulled on her blanket to cover herself, and said timidly: "I''m thirsty ¡­"


    Wei Tengfei poured some tea and clumsily helped Hanxi drink it. After drinking a few mouthfuls of water, both of them were exhausted to death. Hanxi laid on the bed and panted, Wei Tengfei asked her: "Did it hurt to death?"


    "Mm. When I woke up, I felt that I was going to die." Hanxi laughed bitterly, "Even if I sleep, it hurts in my dreams."


    "The military doctor has a medicine that can relieve the pain, but it will make you addicted to it. I don''t dare to give it to you." Wei Tengfei was no longer impatient and said gently, "Hanxi, you bear with it."


    "I know ¡­"


    "Hanxi, I''m sorry." said the general guiltily. "It has done you such a great disservice."


    Hanxi turned her head, the kind lady smiled gently: "General, you are my savior."


    Wei Tengfei shook his head, "Now, you are my savior. If I get better soon, I will feel less guilty. "


    Hanxi laughed: "Then can we not talk about this, before I leave, stop scolding me, General Wei, do you hate me especially, the moment you see me, you become especially fierce, the moment you open your mouth to scold me."


    Wei Tengfei turned his face away, the redness and swelling on his cheeks had long since disappeared but there was still a nail mark left as he said: "You slapped me, why are you so strong? Who exactly hates who?"


    Hanxi giggled, the wound on her back caused her to grit her teeth in pain. She didn''t know where she got so much strength, and at that time, she was afraid that Wei Tengfei would faint.


    "I thought it was last year when I came to the manor and you saw through my evil intentions. From now on, you hate me." Hanxi was full of shame, she really shouldn''t have done that. If something really happened between them, what kind of situation would they be in, how could she be Madame Wei, but Wei Tengfei would definitely hate her even more.


    "General Wei, I''m sorry. Please forgive me." Hanxi sincerely apologized, "I did not have any bad intentions, and even more so, I do not wish to harm you, because your family ¡­"


    "No need to say anymore." Although it was already very light, Wei Tengfei still frowned as he felt the pain of the blanket on his back.


    His heart ached, and his tone grew more gentle. "I''ve forgotten about that matter. I''ve never hated you either. If I hated you, why did I still save you?"


    Hanxi laughed: "At the time of the general, he didn''t know that I was being bullied, right?


    "Are you smart?" Wei Tengfei saw that he had been exposed, and couldn''t help but scowl, "Stop talking, go to sleep."


    "You''re fierce again." Hanxi pouted and turned her head, muttering, "I can''t sleep anymore, that''s why I wanted to speak, talk, and even forget the pain. "General, where is my sister-in-law? Can you find her?"


    "She went to wash her clothes." Wei Tengfei coughed dryly, "Then... Do you want to hear about me bringing troops to fight bandits? "


    "Don''t listen, I don''t like fighting and killing." Hanxi''s answer was straightforward, but she said, "General, can you tell me the story of the Empress?"


    At that moment, beside the river in the village, Xiaowan was swiftly washing his clothes. Ling Chaofeng was helping them from the side.


    Xiaowan struggled to straighten her back and looked around. She saw a bunch of wild chrysanthemums blooming elegantly by the river.


    She ran over and held the flower in her palm. She touched the flower and smelled it. The fragrance was also so light and elegant that she couldn''t let go of it.


    "If you like it, then take it off. I can also show it to the Miss Bi when I bring it back." Ling Chaofeng followed and said, "There are so many of them here."


    Xiaowan shook her head. "Let her stay here quietly. I have to wash my clothes everyday, I can watch her every day."


    Ling Chaofeng placed Xiaowan''s hand on her palm. "Bringing you out here is actually coming to suffer. When we''re done here, let''s go sightseeing and play for a few months before returning home, alright? "


    Xiaowan hurriedly shook her head: "What about Little Pei, I miss him, he must miss me too. If he were to secretly cry at night, it would be too pitiful."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "That stinking brat is not as sentimental as you think. He will definitely be happy and happy."


    The Xiaowan didn''t believe it as she carried the washed clothes back to her husband''s side. She said that Little Pei''s mind was actually very meticulous, even though he was young and small.


    "In your eyes, is there any child better than Little Pei?" Ling Chaofeng asked, "In the future, what about our children?"


    Xiaowan looked at her husband with a smile, "Where are you from?


    Ling Chaofeng ignored her and walked forward with large strides. Xiaowan could only jog and catch up to her, Ling Chaofeng casually took the wooden basin from her hands, not willing to waste too much of her effort.


    Xiaowan said, "Hubby, wait until we have children, we must love Little Pei more and don''t let him feel disappointed. He knew he wasn''t our child, and that made it even more painful. In any case, Little Pei is like a child to me, I really like him. "

 C196

    Ling Chaofeng smiled and did not speak, he walked forward with large strides, and even if Xiaowan did not have anything in her hands, she could not keep up with her master''s footsteps. He jogged beside him, talking about Little Pei at home.


    "Even saying so much is not as realistic as doing so." Ling Chaofeng suddenly stopped and looked at his lovely wife with a smile. "You miss one now?"


    Xiaowan''s smile was like a flower, her face was red as she said: "Then we still can''t do it right now, wait till you finish helping the general, we will discuss this after we return home."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Once this is done, there will be another thing. This kind of promise is unreliable." He actually had the strength to release a hand, holding onto Xiaowan, he slowly walked, and said, "Let''s do as we agreed, everything will be settled as it comes."


    "I want to talk to you, but you can''t laugh at me." Xiaowan smiled mysteriously. Her eyes were brimming with happiness as she said, "Master, I have a feeling that we were husband and wife in our previous lives."


    "Is that so?" In Ling Chaofeng''s heart, he had the same thought.


    "Would you laugh at me?" The Xiaowan said, "But I really feel like we met a long, long time ago."


    "You and I are both at the Baisha County, perhaps we have actually met before?" Ling Chaofeng said, "I also have a similar thought, we seem to have known each other for a long time."


    "Foolish husband, foolish wife ¡­" Xiaowan pointed at Ling Chaofeng, then at herself. Ling Chaofeng grabbed her hand and kissed her on the back of her hand, only to see Xiaowan say in a soft voice, "Hubby, thank you."


    "Thank me for what?"


    "Come find me by the river."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at Xiaowan deeply: "Then should I thank you too? Thank you for waiting there for me? "What are you thanking me for, husband and wife ¡­"


    But he couldn''t help but put down the wooden basin in his hands, hug Xiaowan''s waist and kiss on his soft lips deeply.


    The autumn wind blew, rustling the grass and trees. The last rays of the setting sun shone down, lengthening their silhouettes.


    In the distance, when Wei Tengfei wanted to find the Xiaowan by the river, he saw the husband and wife embracing and kissing in the bushes. The man was startled for a moment, and then quickly turned his back to her, but he couldn''t help but take a glance back.


    Now, he suddenly understood one thing, but it was unknown if it was because of the love he had gained from looking at Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan, or because there was another person in his heart.


    The situation here reached the capital three days later. The emperor was extremely nervous when he found out that Wei Tengfei almost died in the mountains. If something really happened to Wei Tengfei, not to mention the fact that the imperial government had lost a large general, the death of Siyan''s dearest brother, how sorrowful would her life be in the future?


    Xiang Run was still very afraid. Without waiting for a conclusion to be reached, he first sent out a order to prevent Wei Tengfei from entering the dangerous region again until the mountain was stable.


    Then, he came over to tell Siyan that he had originally planned to calm Siyan''s nerves, but due to the fact that she was not in danger, Siyan instead muttered under her breath, "That Miss Bi is also miraculous.


    The Emperor had long heard from Siyan that the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi wanted his daughter to seduce Wei Tengfei. Thinking about it now, he could not help but smile: "I wonder what kind of fate exists between them."


    "Even so, we still have to be in love. If we can''t hurry, we won''t be able to get her to join us." Siyan laughed and said, "Big Brother''s marriage is delayed by so many years compared to ordinary people, so it''s even more impossible to deal with it casually.


    The Emperor nodded, extremely proud. "I want to be like me and marry my beloved woman."


    Siyan smiled slyly: "Then I reluctantly married my beloved man."


    Xiang Run said with a face full of anger: "How could I force you? Tell me, let us hear you call me."


    As she said that, she reached out and pulled Siyan into her embrace. Just as the two were about to get close to each other, someone from the palace came by and reported that it was the Prince of Xiluo that had requested an audience.


    Ever since he had arrived in the capital, unless the Emperor was holding a banquet or had an appointment to meet with him due to matters between nations, he had almost never come to see the Emperor on his own accord. Meanwhile, Xiang Run had been waiting for him to present the marriage proposal of the Emperor of Xiluo.


    However, that letter had long been thrown into the Baisha County by Haas, and after spending a beautiful period in the capital, he finally completed his mission. Even if he did not have the emperor''s documents, he had personally come to ask the emperor to bring a beautiful woman from the Daqi back to the Xiluo.


    Indeed, what was to come had finally come.


    His own daughter was not even two years old yet. In return, he asked Haas how he wanted to marry him, but Haas replied with Chinese that was becoming more and more fluent: "Your Majesty, I want to marry a beautiful Daqi girl to become my imperial concubine. Daqi girls are as precious as diamonds in my eyes."


    This person from the Xiluo had an elegant demeanor and beautiful, moving speech. He was not stingy with his beautiful words, causing others to feel that he was exaggerating but not sincere listening to him.


    It was as if everyone was like that, Xiang Run once thought, how exactly did they judge whether their words were real or fake.


    "It is a matter of the nation to be amiable with others. I understand your wish and sincerity. Wait a moment." The emperor said coldly, "I cannot forcefully order a girl to marry you. Since you are familiar with Chinese, do you know that there is a saying among the Chinese people called ''mutual love''?"


    Haas said politely: "Even in the Xiluo, there are words like that."


    "Since that''s the case, we''ll discuss the marriage after that. You can withdraw now." Xiang Run said.


    "But ¡­" Haas''s dark blue eyes, which were like gems from the ocean, carried a bit of mystery and allure. If they were grown on a woman''s face, they would definitely captivate one''s soul.


    "What is it?" However, in Xiang Run''s heart, he was already prepared.


    "In twenty days, Xiluo''s fleet will arrive at Daqi Coast." Haas lowered his gaze.


    "To take you home?" Xiang Run was calm and composed.


    Haas raised his eyes and looked at the young emperor. "... "Yes."


    The emperor was unmoved and only said, "We will send someone to prepare some fine wine and delicacies from Daqi to welcome the guests from afar."


    Haas wanted to say something but hesitated. After bowing, he left politely.


    As Xiang Run sat behind the desk, his heart surged with emotion. He didn''t know where his royal father and mother had gone to, but he really wanted to go tell his father that someone was finally coming to threaten this powerful nation.


    He did not want to bring the country and its people into war or danger. To a ruler, the only thing that could truly help them grow up was their enemy.


    "Someone, come." The emperor said in a clear voice.


    "What orders does the emperor have?" The chamberlain hurried over.


    "Imperial Uncle and Shen Yun are here to meet." Xiang Run stood up excitedly, "Tell them to come quickly."


    On the other side, Prince Haas gracefully walked out of the palace. Although he had already stayed in the capital for a long time, those who saw him were still curious and looked at all sorts of people.


    On the road to the Imperial Palace, an extravagant carriage slowly approached. Shen Qing sat upright in the carriage, the servant girl beside her suddenly said: "Princess is a prince of the Xiluo."


    Shen Qing lifted the curtain and saw that the blue-eyed prince was walking in the opposite direction. He had most likely just met the Emperor, and with a calm and graceful smile, he was very polite to everyone he met.


    "Princess, could it be that the thing he saw with his eyes was also blue?" The servant girl smiled curiously. "How can he have blue eyes? His skin is still so white."


    The palanquin from the Longevity Palace was already waiting for her at the entrance. She got off the palanquin and sat in it, but not long ago, she heard her grandmother and the rest of the palace saying that the prince and eldest young master had entered the palace.


    The Empress Dowager muttered: "Every time father and son enter the palace together, something big is about to happen. What''s going on?"


    Shen Qing comforted her aunt gently: "Maybe they discussed to go hunting."


    The Empress Dowager laughed: "Then you have to be envious of me again, I can''t walk anymore."


    As Shen Qing accompanied her grandmother, her heart was also thinking about his father and brother coming to see the emperor. At sunset, she returned home, but his brother and father had not come back yet. It was only when the sky turned dark did the servants hear that the prince and the eldest young master had returned.


    However, as soon as they returned home, the father and son pair entered the study room. The other officials also came, and there were a lot of people gathered in the study room.


    It was only when it was deep into the night that everyone dispersed. Shen Qing had his servants watch the movements in the study room, upon hearing that they had dispersed, she immediately brought food and soup over. It was likely that her father and brother had not eaten anything for a long time.


    When she arrived, her brother had just walked out of the study. He smiled and said, "I''m going home. Your sister-in-law will definitely be waiting for me. Don''t make her wait too long."


    Little Qing laughed: "Anyway, after I had my sister-in-law, big brother had already forgotten about me."


    Shen Yun rubbed her head. The brother and sister separated, but after walking a few steps, his brother called her down.


    "What is it?" Shen Qing asked.


    "In the past few days, no matter the occasion, do not come into contact with that Prince of Xiluo." Shen Yun said, "Don''t let anyone see it, what misunderstanding."


    "Misunderstanding what?" Shen Qing asked.


    "I''ll tell you later." Shen Yun refused to answer.


    "I know it even if you didn''t say it." But her little sister, Linglong, came forward and asked softly, "So you''re finally going to find someone to make you a friend, right?"


    "Not necessarily. Right now, the thing that the Emperor is more interested in is seeing the fleet from Xiluo." Shen Yun laughed, "If there is a chance, brother will bring you and your sister-in-law to have a look, the legendary Sea Lion."


    Little Qing could not imagine it, "How can we fight at sea?"


    Shen Yun laughed and said, "I am also very curious, there is a mountain outside the mountain, and my Daqi is merely a hegemon."


    Three days later, this news reached Wei Tengfei''s ears. Although the emperor had not sent anyone to tell him about it, Wei Tengfei himself had spies in the capital, and he had no intention of becoming enemies with the emperor. The emperor had never wanted to touch this uncle of his, but they were both prepared for each other, and it wasn''t a bad thing.


    When Xiaowan brought the prepared food over to the general, he frowned as if he had a heavy load on his mind. She placed the food down gently and said, "General, you should remember to eat while it''s warm.

 C197

    Wei Tengfei pulled back his train of thought. Seeing that there were two dishes and a soup with steam rising, and a big pile of rice piled high, he asked Xiaowan, "You made it today too."


    Xiaowan laughed: "My cooking skills are not good, please take care of it. If my Uncle Biao comes, I can eat delicious food for all of you."


    "What''s wrong with that? I''ve eaten your cooking these past few days, my appetite is huge, my waist is even thicker, I still think Ling Chaofeng is lucky." However, Wei Tengfei straightforwardly picked up his chopsticks and started to eat.


    No matter how hard the Xiaowan worked, it was worth it. She invited Wei Tengfei to eat slowly, and was about to leave, when the general asked her: "How is Hanxi?"


    Xiaowan replied, "Every day is getting better and better. Although it still hurts, I can endure the pain. I''ve eaten too much!"


    Wei Tengfei said: It''s hard on you to take care of her. If she wants to eat anything, tell her to just open her mouth.


    The Xiaowan laughed: "General you know, Hanxi only has one thing on her mind."


    Wei Tengfei laughed bitterly: "I got it, there should be news in two days. Tell her to wait a little longer."


    In the time it takes to speak, Ling Chaofeng had finished eating, and he praised Xiaowan to the point that his face turned red and he ran off. Ling Chaofeng waited for Wei Tengfei to finish eating, and the two of them walked towards the river side.


    As they walked past the unwithered chrysanthemums, the two men decided to avoid them. They couldn''t bear to step on the flowers.


    Wei Tengfei said, "The Supreme Emperor worked hard his entire life, and truly built a foundation of ten thousand generations. Look at this village in the mountains, where even the villagers can eat their fill, how hard is it for people to do such a thing?"


    "The current Emperor is also trying to encourage us." Ling Chaofeng said, "There are still the General Wei and other generals protecting their families, so the citizens can live and work happily."


    Wei Tengfei said: "Rumor has it that in twenty days, Xiluo''s fleet will arrive at my Daqi''s coastal area. I really want to go and take a look."


    He picked up a pebble and threw it. The pebble jumped continuously on the surface of the water, crossed the river, and sank to the bottom.


    Ling Chaofeng asked, "What does the emperor mean?"


    Wei Tengfei laughed bitterly: "The orders have not been delivered yet, and there is no news of them opening the mountain. What are they discussing for so long? On the other hand, news of Bi Zhenye had arrived, saying that after he finished what he was doing, he immediately came over to bring his sister back to the capital.


    "In all dynasties and dynasties, there has been the invasion of the sea bandits. However, there aren''t many people who really wanted to fight." Ling Chaofeng said, but this time, it doesn''t seem to be that simple.


    Wei Tengfei said dejectedly: "The Emperor did not bring us to Liang Nation. If there is a war this time, I''m afraid the Emperor ¡­"


    However, Ling Chaofeng said, "General, the Xiluo is not only coming from the coastal areas, there are also scattered small and small islands and island dwellers. If we allow the Xiluo''s people to occupy those islands as the base of reference, and then attack my Daqi from the shore, then that would be the best time and place."


    Wei Tengfei was not familiar with the sea area, upon hearing this, his heart was shocked. Xiluo did not come with good intentions, war would erupt at any moment, and under the flames of war, the most suffering were still the commoners.


    "Allow me ¡­" "Think again." Wei Tengfei clenched his fists.


    During the night, because Hanxi did not need anyone to be by her side at all times, Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng rested together.


    Xiaowan said that she had seen how worried General Wei was these few days. She asked her husband, "Is something big going to happen?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "It is possible that there will be a war along the coast, General is worried about the country''s affairs."


    The Xiaowan was stunned and asked puzzledly: "Someone from the Xiluo? "But we''re so far away ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng had heard from the Xiaowan that she was very at ease because the countries that were too far apart would not fight, but that was not the case. He said to Little Bowl, "They can come by boat, armed with gunpowder, and the most troubling thing is that our coast is so long that you don''t even know where they''ll land. Maybe this side is heavily concentrated, and the other side is already deep inland, undefended."


    Xiaowan nodded her head gravely. "Husband, I have never thought about who I would talk about national affairs with one day."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: How do you feel now?


    The Xiaowan said, "I want to go and cook for the soldiers and wash their clothes."


    Ling Chaofeng kissed her: "Aren''t you afraid?"


    The Xiaowan said proudly: "As long as Hubby is here, I''m not afraid."


    The next day, before the sky brightened, Xiaowan got up early and prepared to make breakfast for everyone. Just as she was about to light the stove with firewood, she saw two people riding over hurriedly.


    Ling Chaofeng and Wei Tengfei had come out, they did not expect that it would be the emperor''s decree. Yesterday, they were still muttering about how slow they were in the capital, and in the blink of an eye, the imperial decree arrived.


    As expected, Ling Chaofeng and Wei Tengfei could think of countless things. How could they not think of the emperor''s order for Wei Tengfei to quickly leave this place for the coastal areas to assist the local army and move all the people from the nearby islands into the interior?


    Wei Tengfei''s heart was in turmoil, he immediately sent people back to the Chuanyu to transfer troops, while he himself led the other people to the road, not wasting even a day, and left on the same day.


    He asked Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan to stay here. When Bi Zhenye came to pick his up, Xiaowan actually asked: "General, are you not bringing my husband?"


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "Xiaowan, you are willing to let your husband go to war."


    The Xiaowan nodded, then shook her head and said bravely: "We won''t be willing, but if our Daqi isn''t peaceful, we won''t have a good life either. "General, if we lack people to cook and light the fire, everyone in our inn can do it."


    "Truly an impressive young lady." Wei Tengfei laughed happily and then said to Ling Chaofeng, "Please take care of the supplies for my Chuanyu¡¯s Army."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "General, don''t worry, this is my expertise."


    While he was speaking, his subordinates had already equipped themselves and were moving extremely quickly. Wei Tengfei''s mount was brought over, the horses'' hooves scraping against the ground, he was already prepared to gallop a thousand miles.


    Wei Tengfei looked at the house, he moved a few steps, but immediately stopped, and said to Xiaowan: I''ll leave Miss Bi to you, you tell her, I will send her to Siping Mansion.


    "Yes, General." Xiaowan agreed.


    Wei Tengfei gallantly jumped on his horse, looked at Hanxi''s house, raised his whip, and rushed forward like an arrow leaving the bow.


    Inside the house, Hanxi listened to the sounds coming from outside the door as the rumbling sounds of the horses'' hooves faded away. She knew that the General Wei and her subordinates had left.


    They had all left, who would send her to the Siping Mansion? But that was not important now, the Xiaowan had told her that there would probably be a war along the coast.


    Right now, she could only hope that the General Wei would win without a hitch, drive the enemy far away, and pray that the General Wei could safely return to the Chuanyu. As for going to the Siping Mansion, she could go herself, but she believed even more that whatever Wei Tengfei promised her, he wouldn''t go back on his words.


    Not long after, Xiaowan came in with the medicine, and after Siyan finished drinking it, she said that Young Master Bi would come to pick her up very soon, and that time, they would naturally part ways.


    "Xiaowan, if I have the chance in the future, I will definitely repay you." Hanxi said gratefully.


    "Then it''s better if you don''t repay me. If you don''t, then it means that I''m fine, right?" The Xiaowan smiled leisurely as she said to Hanxi, "You are the younger sister of our Ershan, the younger sister of my husband. "In the future, I''ll come to the capital for a stroll. You can bring me to eat delicious food."


    Hanxi nodded her head repeatedly, she no longer liked to cry, although she was moved and grateful, it was laughable that she looked so much better than crying.


    They patiently waited here. As if sensing the impending challenge of a national affair, Bi Zhenye couldn''t bear to see his sister alone, so he hurriedly rushed over to pick her up.


    On the day they parted, Hanxi was unable to hold back her tears. Bi Zhenye thanked Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan profusely, and the two places separated. The carriage drove off into the distance, and Xiaowan used her strength to wave towards Hanxi.


    "Master, aren''t you going to the front?" On the way back, the Xiaowan asked Ling Chaofeng, "Don''t worry about me. If you want to go, and it''s inconvenient to bring me along, I won''t pester you."


    Ling Chaofeng said calmly, "I have something that I am most adept at. By arranging the food and supplies properly, it will allow the General Wei and soldiers to have no worries. This time, if we go against the Xiluo, our biggest advantage will be our food and fodder, and if they leave their homeland, they can only rely on looting for a long time.


    Xiaowan said, "They can fish and eat at sea."


    Seeing that the Xiaowan was serious, Ling Chaofeng could not help but smile and asked: "What about the water?"


    Xiaowan frowned as she thought about it. "Is it alright if it rains ¡­"


    After a few days of bumpy ride, Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan finally returned to the Baisha Town Realm. They bought some candy and snacks in town before rushing home.


    They came back very suddenly, and didn''t have time to send any messages to their home. Xiaowan had even said that she would give Little Pei a pleasant surprise, but she didn''t know that his son had already welcomed them in the air, and followed them back to their home.


    Before the horse carriage even stopped in front of the inn, a chubby little fellow ran out. Xiaowan saw it and immediately told her husband to stop the carriage.


    "Mother ¡­" ran over with her short legs and threw herself into her mother''s embrace. Xiaowan held him tightly, kissed him on the face and then kissed him again and again, saying, "Little Pei is so obedient, I missed you so much."


    "Mother has been gone for a long, long time." Little Pei charmingly mumbled, "I thought that you and Daddy would not want me anymore. Since Grandma said that it would snow and you guys would definitely come back, I''ve been looking forward to the snow every day."


    Xiaowan''s eyes became moist, she hugged Little Pei and said, "Mother is not good, Mother doesn''t know how to write either, I can''t even send you a letter."


    Seeing that his father had come, Little Pei whispered, "Mother, I haven''t finished the homework that father had given me."


    Xiaowan said lovingly, "I''m not afraid of father, as long as mother is here."


    She steadily carried the little guy and ran back to the tavern as Little Pei shouted loudly, "Grandma, my mother is back!"

 C198

    When she finally returned to his warm and comfortable home, Xiaowan finally felt tired. This time, following him out of the house was not just for sightseeing, but to do even more work than at the inn. It was just that she was too busy to feel anything. When she returned, she was so tired that she collapsed on the bed, unable to move.


    And today, since there were guests in the tavern, Xiaowan took Little Pei upstairs and did not come down again.


    When Ling Chaofeng returned to his room, and saw Little Pei in Xiaowan''s embrace, it was unknown when the mother and son duo fell asleep, but they both had red faces. He looked at them from beside the bed, and actually felt that Little Pei''s eyebrows were somewhat similar to the Xiaowan''s.


    He couldn''t bear to wake up his wife and children, so he went downstairs alone.


    The guest had already left. Aunt Zhang and Susu cleaned up the table and chopsticks, and asked him: "Why aren''t you coming down, it''s time for us to eat."


    "Sleep soundly, I can''t bear to call her. Xiaowan is tired." Ling Chaofeng said, "Eat after you wake up. You won''t be hungry."


    Aunt Zhang asked, "Why did you suddenly return? Is something wrong? "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "We''ll explain later, in the next few days I still need to go out, I won''t go far, but I won''t be at home during the day. I''ll ask you to take care of the business in the shop and the Xiaowan."


    Aunt Zhang said: "Family, what are you all doing talking about this? All you need to do is to be safe."


    Even though he said that, his family all knew about it, even Susu could sense that there was something important.


    That night, Da Qing came to pick her up. He told her that the words he had heard from the dock were from the Chuanyu who were moving towards the shore.


    "With whom?" Susu asked.


    "Everyone says it''s Xiluo." Da Qing clicked his tongue, "I don''t even know in which direction the Xiluo is located."


    Susu said worriedly: "If you fight too hard, will you recruit more troops?"


    Da Qing asked: "If it''s recruitment, are you going to let me go?"


    Susu shook her head: "How would anyone be willing to send their own husband or son to the battlefield to die, but with the justice of the nation in front of them ¡­" She paused, then said firmly, "If there really is a day, you can go. I''ll wait for you at home."


    Da Qing said: But I will only pull the boat and deliver the goods, what''s the point of going to the battlefield?


    However, Susu said: "If there is a war going on at the coastal area, wouldn''t you be using it?"


    Da Qing laughed: "You really want to send me to the battlefield?"


    In the tavern, Xiaowan finally woke up. She felt sore all over his body, and turned over with difficulty. Little Pei also woke up, and crawled over in a daze to lie on Xiaowan''s body.


    Ling Chaofeng brought the food over. Seeing that they were all awake, he patted his son''s butt and told him to get up. However, Little Pei swapped his body from mother to father, pestering them softly and tenderly. He just didn''t want to walk on his own.


    Ling Chaofeng knew that leaving Little Pei at home felt wrong and wronged, so he naturally allowed him to act coquettishly.


    Seeing the two of them eating, Little Pei gave the big piece of meat to his mother. Ling Chaofeng was very pleased, and said to Xiaowan: "Rest for a few days, don''t worry about the matters in the shop. In a few days, I will contact the Chuanyu¡¯s Army and clear the route for the food and grass transportation.


    Xiaowan nodded: "Of course I''m going. Didn''t we agree on it?"


    The two of them looked at Little Pei at the same time. Little Pei was chewing on a large piece of pork chop with his face full of sauce, his mouth stuffed with it as he said, "Daddy, I''m not going. I''ll be good at home."


    The Xiaowan''s heart ached. She wiped his mouth and said gently: "Wait until Mother comes back, I''ll bring you something nice to eat. Little Pei is the most obedient."


    Little Pei said: "Mother, I want little brother. Little brother is the most fun."


    Ling Chaofeng coughed dryly. "Tomorrow, let Grandfather take you to the town to buy it."


    Little Pei said, "I don''t want to buy it, I want it from my mother."


    When they were gone for a month, the child had grown up a bit. Finally, he understood that his mother could not buy it, and his brother could not too.


    Little Pei agreed, and gave the meat chop in his hand to his father: "Father will also eat."


    After that, Ling Chaofeng went around everywhere, returning home late at night. Xiaowan loved him dearly and did not dare to take it from him. He was afraid that he would have to go out in the future and be pregnant to delay matters.


    But Ling Chaofeng had been holding back in the mountains for a long time now, and he had to hug the beautiful girl tightly in his arms every night. Xiaowan was naturally satisfied, as she was even more unwilling to let go of his and fuse with his.


    Just as Ling Chaofeng was about to bring Xiaowan out again, Bi Zhenye had just returned back to the capital with his sister.


    As Hanxi was injured, she walked very slowly and quickly back. When she arrived in the capital, Lian Yi brought someone to pick him up and directly brought his little sister-in-law back to the brothel to take care of her.


    Initially, they had thought that after returning to the big house, although there were a lot of servants and aunties in the house, they might not be able to take care of him meticulously.


    They had originally thought this would be the best arrangement. Who knew that when Bi Hanxi returned with heavy injuries, she would be sold again by her own father the moment she stepped into the capital.


    That day, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi asked his former close colleague, who was still working, to pass a note to the Emperor, stating that he was willing to betroth her daughter, Bi Hanxi, to Prince Haas in order to conclude the contract between Daqi and Qin Jin.


    Surprisingly, the Emperor agreed.


    Bi Zhenye went to the palace gate and asked to see the emperor. Since the attendant said that the emperor had no spare time, he decided to wait. In less than an hour, Ershan arrived. He spoke a few words with him in front of the palace gate and then brought Big Brother away.


    Deep in the palace, the empress was playing chess. The little princess was sitting obediently at the side as she took a chess piece for her royal father and another chess piece for her mother. She was extremely adorable.


    The game was changing, the Queen''s victory was in her hands. She was frowning as she calculated how to win the game when she suddenly saw her daughter throw herself onto the board, waving both her hands and messing up the entire game.


    The chess pieces were scattered, and after a series of popping sounds, the emperor laughed loudly. As expected, Siyan became anxious, and said to his daughter: "Mother, it''s rare for you to win, what are you doing?"


    "What are you going to do to her?" The Emperor immediately protected his son and hugged his precious daughter in his arms as he said complacently, "How can I lose?"


    Siyan was not happy and reached out her hand to pat his daughter''s butt. The Little Princess screamed, but Xiang Run protected his daughter and berated Siyan: "You''re so petty, just a game of chess."


    Siyan said: "In the end, who is the stingy one. They were clearly going to lose, and yet you still said that they won''t lose."


    The Emperor said proudly, "Of course I won''t lose."


    The steward of the household came over and reported to the empress dowager that Bi Zhenye had left. He said, "It was Lord Ling Qian Ling who came to take Senior Bi away."


    The emperor picked up a few chess pieces and played with them for the little princess to play with. He said disapprovingly, "Ling Qian has improved."


    The empress motioned for them to withdraw, then picked up the pieces from the chessboard. Seeing this, the little princess climbed down from her father''s bosom and helped her mother pick them up.


    Xiang Run said: "This time, you promised. If your brother really doesn''t feel anything for Bi Hanxi, then I will marry you to Xiluo."


    Siyan said: "If it''s really like this, the emperor can just spare Mrs. Bi the hard labour, which can be considered a bit of compensation. Of course, if big brother snatches Bi Hanxi away, then it would be their mutual fortune. "


    The Emperor asked, "Can you be cruel? Didn''t you say that you would use your identity as the mother of Daqi Nation to beg us to not marry any other ladies? "


    However, Siyan said, "The emperor thinks so. I would like to find a good wife for my brother."


    Xiang Run rested his chin on his hand and lightly tapped the Go Board: "Do you really think that your brother and Bi Hanxi can get any results?"


    Siyan said: "A weak girl, who is severely injured in order to save him, my brother will definitely not sit by and watch Hanxi go to the Xiluo. Whether or not he has thought about it, he will marry this woman."


    Xiang Run said: "What if you lose the bet?"


    Siyan smiled, "Even I am the emperor''s. What else does the emperor plan to do?"


    The little princess imitated her mother''s tone and asked her father in a childish voice, "What do you want?"


    The emperor hugged his daughter and said, "royal father wants a powerful water body that belongs to Daqi."


    Siyan held the Go Board, looked at her father and daughter Tian Lun, and said: "Your majesty, aren''t you going to personally take a look?"


    Xiang Run looked up: "Are you going?"


    At this time, Ling Qian brought Bi Zhenye back to the middle of the mansion, it was quiet there. The middle mansion wasn''t big, and after walking a few steps, they would arrive at his grandmother''s bedroom.


    On the bed, Hanxi leaned into Lian Yi''s embrace, and her eyes looked straight ahead. Only when she saw her two brothers had returned did she reveal a faint smile.


    Bi Zhenye said: "Little Xi, big brother must beg the emperor to retract his order."


    However, Hanxi said, "Then I might as well ask the emperor to use me in exchange for mother. Brother, go beg the emperor, tell him that I''m willing to marry him, but ask the emperor to spare his mother''s life of hard labor, so that she won''t be tortured, alright? "


    Bi Zhenye shook his head. "No, how can you call it emotions? "You called me ¡­" He clenched his fists so hard that they cracked, hating his father.

 C199

    "Big brother ¡­" Hanxi comforted his brother on the other hand, "How can something decided by the emperor be easily taken back? Maybe ¡­ maybe father is also doing it for mother. If I can exchange it for mother not suffering anymore, then I am willing. Originally, I ¡­ I just thought about it. "


    Bi Zhenye glared at his little sister, as though he wanted to tear her up. Hanxi was naturally aggrieved, as he leaned on Lian Yi''s shoulder and no longer looked at him.


    The two siblings did not speak anymore. After a long stalemate, Bi Zhenye bid his farewell to his grandmother.


    Old Madem Bi pulled at his grandson''s hand and said: "Zhenye, your father isn''t a human at all. Don''t you dare clash with him, and even more so, don''t you dare do foolish things. It''s not worth it to give up your life and future for that bastard. "


    Bi Zhenye said softly, "For Hanxi, anything is worth it."


    Old Madem did not hear it clearly, he had only advised his grandson three times, that he had to think before acting.


    The young man angrily left his younger brother''s manor, leaving behind his servants. He walked forward with big strides, but everywhere he went, his killing intent was so strong that no one dared to approach him.


    On the main street, he passed by a horse carriage. On the carriage, Shen Qing who had just returned from outside the city, seemed to be able to feel the killing intent from the outside as she unconsciously lifted the curtain.


    Bi Zhenye''s face was filled with killing intent, his eyes were like torches, the impression of a gentle person getting angry until now, and Shen Qing already knew that her elder brother the emperor''s daughter who chose Bi Family, was going to betroth Bi Hanxi to Prince Haas.


    "Stop the car." Shen Qing said.


    The horse carriage stopped, and the servants came to ask for her instructions. Shen Qing got off the carriage and walked a few steps forward, but seeing that she could not catch up with the furious people, she shouted: "Young master Bi, please wait."


    The servant behind Bi Zhenye heard it first and hurried over to remind Master, "Eldest Young Master, there''s a young miss who can call you then."


    Bi Zhenye turned back unhappily, and when he saw the gentle and beautiful woman, the fury in his heart was immediately relieved. He only saw Shen Qing striding forward slowly and quickly approaching him.


    Shen Qing smiled, "Young Master Bi, there is a tea house nearby that is very quiet, would you like to take a seat?"


    Bi Zhenye was startled, he had never grown up, but it was the first time a young lady invited him to tea.


    If it was anyone else, Bi Zhenye would definitely not be in such a good mood today. However, when he saw Shen Qing, he did not know how he could not even move his legs, and Bi Zhenye was still comforting himself in his heart, saying that he might want to borrow the Princess''s power to turn the tides for Hanxi.


    When he came back to his senses, he was already sitting on the roof of the teahouse, watching as the owner meticulously prepared the tea and served the fragrant tea.


    A thousand kilometers away, Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan out of the house. This time, she had to leave the Baisha River in a boat, and once they entered the river, they would go ashore to change to a dry road.


    But even the Xiaowan understood that the river connected to the river and the sea. She thought that they would go to the sea by boat in one breath, so she curiously asked her husband why he had to change to a drier road.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed at her: "Is your family''s food planted in rivers? We are not going to the coast to look at the Xiluo''s fleet, we are here to clear the food passage. Although our friends from the martial arts world are all very reliable, I will personally go through them before I can feel at ease. "


    Xiaowan listened very carefully. Now, no matter if it was studying or writing, or opening her eyes wide, she was quickly and diligently absorbing everything new.


    She had long ago discovered that Ling Chaofeng could do anything and knew everything.


    But Xiaowan did not feel inferior to Ling Chaofeng. It was not because she was lazy, she would do many things that Ling Chaofeng would not do. Just taking care of Little Pei was 100 times better than taking care of herself.


    Her husband might not carry his child with him all his life, but sooner or later, she would be able to read everything he said, and sooner or later, she would be able to see the world outside.


    "What are you laughing about?" The two of them sat on the deck side by side, Ling Chaofeng took off his jacket and wrapped it around Xiaowan, "Let''s go back to the ship cabin, what''s so good about this place?"


    "But I''ve never seen one." Xiaowan said, "Next time, I won''t be surprised."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "You want to come next time? Do you want to live such a life? "


    Xiaowan looked at him with narrowed eyes: "Are you still unhappy being together with me?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I thought that you would be looking forward to a peaceful day. In the tavern, although I might meet some strange guests, it''s still better than sleeping out in the open. I once thought, "When we have children, I should care more about you and your children, about the court ¡­"


    Xiaowan interrupted his husband and said confidently, "Husband, I will catch up to you. You just have to move forward."


    Ling Chaofeng was startled. At this moment, he only wanted to kiss his beloved one, not caring if he would be seen by the other people on the boat, after a entangled kiss, he said: "Late at night, while I''m in the underworld, working for the imperial government, I might encounter some trouble. If one day I disappear, do not be afraid, wait for me where I am. No matter where I am, I will come back to find you. I will never abandon you in this life, do you understand? "


    "I know, I''ve noted it down." Xiaowan smiled sweetly, pouted slightly, and said weakly, "Hubby, can I give you another kiss?"


    Ling Chaofeng shook his head: "I was seen by others."


    Xiaowan said, "Why didn''t you fear being seen earlier?"


    Ling Chaofeng purposely bullied her: "What happened to us just now?"


    Who would have thought that young lady would become so valiant, unrivalled in the world, and actually take the initiative to pounce at him, pressing him down onto the deck.


    With the Xiaowan above and Ling Chaofeng below, they looked at each other full of affection. Suddenly, the owner of the boat walked over and said, "Chao Feng, do you guys eat dinner ¡­"


    The owner coughed dryly and turned to leave.


    The Xiaowan actually did not care and was not shy. A flame silently burned in Ling Chaofeng''s stomach, and it wasn''t until nightfall that he returned to the cabin. Following the rocking of the boat, the little girl in his arms was ruthlessly "burned".


    The river led to the sea and connected to the capital from the north. After that, Prince Haas and Bi Hanxi would ride the boat as if they had arrived at the same time, and head to the sea, returning back to Xiluo.


    At that moment, Shen Qing was bringing tea for her father from the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion of the capital. Shen Zhe was discussing it with a subordinate, she quietly put down the tea tray and the snacks, then left.


    Princess had been in and out of his father''s study since he was young. His highness had never shied away from his daughter, and his subordinates were already used to it so they naturally had to say whatever they wanted to say. Therefore, when Shen Qing was about to leave, he heard one of her uncles say, "The last war that happened in Xiluo was seven years ago. In that sea battle, they used at most ninety warships, and each ship had two hundred battle prowess, with nearly ten thousand people."


    Seven years ago, Xiluo was able to send out ninety ships in one sea battle. However, Shen Qing knew that the water masters in the Daqi only had a total of thirty ships, most of which had been left behind from the time of the State of Zhao until now.


    His uncle had expanded his territory and concentrated on the surrounding small countries. He had even annexed the former powerful Liang country. He was truly an invincible overlord.


    Naturally, in those years, the Xiluo had been busy establishing their own territory. Even though they had won the battle seven years ago, they had suffered heavy losses and had not had the opportunity to make contact with the Daqi. They both knew of each other''s existence, but neither of them was formally engaged in business nor had any enmity towards each other.


    Seven years to recuperate, it was unknown if they had created another gigantic and sturdy warship, just by looking at the ship that Haas was riding, it was enough to deduce one or two things.


    There were two generals in the family. The things that Shen Qing had played with since she was young, were spoils of war swept back from the battlefield. She had the aura of a young miss, and she had also seen everything that the young lady beside her had not been able to touch upon in her entire life.


    In Shen Qing''s heart, she was the same as her brother, the same as her father. As the son and daughter of the Shen family, she should be dedicated to the Daqi in her life.


    This time, she had already made her preparations to go to Xiluo and get married. She wasn''t certain that she wouldn''t be able to come back if she went, but instead wanted to make a scene there. The women of Daqi couldn''t be easily bullied.


    But in the end, Big Brother Emperor chose his daughter from Bi Family.


    Naturally, the current Bi Hanxi had a completely different impression compared to the past. Such a weak and gentle girl, to be able to have the courage and courage to follow her mother in exile, made others look at her in another light.


    Today, she had a chat with Bi Zhenye at the teahouse, talking about his sister. Shen Qing had sensed this long ago and wanted to say something, but she was unable to do so.


    However, Little Qing could guess that her status was precious and she could freely enter and leave the palace. With the Empress''s favor, the Empress Dowager treated her like a treasure.


    Bi Zhenye must have wanted to beg to go to the palace and fight for his sister, but since they were only indifferent friends, he couldn''t open his mouth, and wasn''t willing to make things difficult for himself.


    Shen Qing walked towards her own pavilion, not knowing that her brother had just come to find her father. As Shen Yun stood on the road and watched her sister''s figure leave, for some reason, he felt uneasy in her heart, unable to say what feeling she had.


    Lian Yi was currently applying medicine for Hanxi in the middle courtyard. Although Hanxi had said that her injuries were much better, the blood clot on her back that had yet to dissipate still looked very painful to people. Lian Yi said gently: "If it really hurts, tell me, I''ll be lighter."


    "Eldest Sister-in-law, she will only say to me, ''Endure it, no way''." Hanxi laughed, "However, if Xiaowan is elder sister-in-law, what about you two? Sister-in-law, you are the second sister-in-law, and only after my brother marries his wife will you be the eldest sister-in-law. But the Manager Ling''s wife, could it be the eldest sister-in-law? "


    Lian Yi laughed and said: "How can you call me that."


    Hanxi laughed: "Actually, she''s one year younger than me. Then let''s call her by her name, the next time we meet, I''ll call her by my name."


    "I heard he''s seventeen or eighteen?" Lian Yi replied as she asked curiously, "What does sister-in-law look like?"


    "Beautiful, really." Hanxi especially liked the Xiaowan, "I think all the beautiful girls in the world are coming to our house."


    "Someone like big brother naturally needs to be matched by a Celestial Immortal." Lian Yi said enviously, "I really want to meet her."


    "What a pity ¡­" I''ll never see it again. " Hanxi laughed, trying her best to hide her sorrow, and said to Lian Yi, "Sister-in-law, when you meet Xiaowan in the future, tell her, I am not crying, I am marrying with a smile, and Xiaowan does not like me crying."

 C200

    Lian Yi agreed and covered Hanxi with a blanket, telling her to rest early. She said that she had to take care of her grandmother again, and left the house.


    The Lang Zhong Residence was not big, the front yard was connected to the backyard, and now thathe lived with his grandmother and sister-in-law, it was filled to the brim, the moment she went out, she saw Ershan standing at the corridor, looking at the night sky.


    "At the penalty station?" Lian Yi laughed.


    "How old am I? Who''s punishing me?" Ershan laughed and waved Lian Yi over. Deep autumn night was cold, he was the same as his brother, doting on her wife the most.


    "Did the Manager Ling punish you when you were young?" Lian Yi asked.


    Ershan said: "It''s more than just standing, when I broke into your house secretly and was found by your father to ask for my brother''s ransom, I was fiercely whipped by him, and it was with a whip."


    Lian Yi opened her mouth wide: "Manager Ling is that ruthless?"


    Ershan smiled and said: "Even so, he wouldn''t beat them to death, and it was the same when he was young. Pity Little Pei, who was abandoned by his parents, in the end found such a father. "If you don''t study properly, be naughty and disobedient, or anger your sister-in-law, you''re dead meat."


    Lian Yi laughed: "Wouldn''t it be fine to be a good child? Little Pei is definitely stronger than you. My sister-in-law would also not be angry at Little Pei. I heard from Hanxi that when my sister-in-law is with him, she will never leave Little Pei. She''s very happy. "


    Ershan said: "Sigh, it just so happens that we haven''t met sister-in-law yet."


    Lian Yi shook her head: "But I feel like I''ve known each other for a long time, in the future when we meet again, I won''t be unfamiliar with them either."


    Ershan sighed: "You still have a chance to see her, Hanxi will never see her again."


    Ershan said that his grandmother decided to enter the palace tomorrow to beg the Empress Dowager. The Emperor did not take away her title, as she still had the qualifications to see the Empress Dowager. His Bi Family had already been scattered to such a miserable state, and then he sent his only granddaughter to the Xiluo.


    Ershan said with a pained voice: "I don''t want to take revenge on them, and it ended up like this. The most helpless thing is, everything is repaid by these siblings."


    "There must be a way." Lian Yi said, "We and the Empress can still be considered to be fated, and our marriage was even bestowed upon us by the Empress. Ershan, should I go to the palace to beg the Empress?"


    His grandmother wanted to go to the Empress Dowager to beg, and his wife wanted to go to the empress.


    Ershan kept in mind that the Emperor had warned him not to think about how to threaten the Emperor if anything happened.


    It wasn''t that he was now afraid, it wasn''t because he was trying to protect his position, or that he was afraid to do something rash. He understood that once the Emperor decided something, he would not be able to turn the tables.


    "Lian Yi, I can''t stop Grandma from going there. Even if she runs into a wall, she can''t do anything about it. But, listen to me. We still have a while before we leave the Daqi, and we''ll see if there are any methods to keep people here, not just blindly begging them for help. "


    Lian Yi nodded: "I''ll listen to you."


    The old lady requested an audience with Empress Dowager, and the news spread to the Longevity Palace. Beside the Empress Dowager was the Queen attending her breakfast, so she asked Siyan: "What do you think the people from Bi Family are here to see me for, could it be because of her daughter-in-law?"


    The Empress Dowager had been living in the rear palace for a long time now, so they did not know much about what had happened outside. The only thing the Empress Dowager knew about the Bi Family was that the Mrs. Bi was exiled, while Bi Hanxi''s marriage and marriage had not even reached their ears.


    After Siyan explained everything properly, the Empress Dowager sighed deeply. She didn''t feel good about her darling granddaughter marrying into the Jin Nation. The did not even know which direction the Xiluo was located at the sea. Furthermore, even the Empress Dowager did not know where the Xiluo was located at.


    "Even if I have to make things difficult for him, he''s still an old man. Now that his family has turned into this, it would truly be difficult for them to live in peace." The Empress Dowager was merciful, and someone from the Palace of Destiny invited Old Madem Bi in.


    "Grandmother, will you speak to the Emperor?" Siyan asked.


    "Of course not. Ever since his father, the emperor, I have never asked about matters of the imperial government. I did not even leave behind my own granddaughter, so how could I keep someone else''s granddaughter?" The Empress Dowager sighed, then said to Siyan, "But this old man is too pitiful, I haven''t even seen him once, I really can''t take this lying down."


    As such, when Bi Old Madem was welcomed into the palace, Siyan left ahead of time. Of course, there would be people who would come and tell her what the elders said, but this trip to Bi Old Madem was most likely a waste of time.


    In the meantime, the assembly on Announcement Hall had not dispersed. Just as she walked out of Culture Hall, her daughter ran out and said in a childish voice: "Go and see Grand Grandmother."


    Siyan squatted down, wrapped up a bundle of clothes for her daughter, and rebuked her: "Great Grandmother has no time to see you now, you''re always sleeping and sleeping, grow up a little longer, you''re not allowed to."


    Siyan carried her daughter and was about to take her to eat breakfast, but her heart suddenly sunk. One day, her daughter would definitely go to the marriage alliance.


    Once he returned to the Culture Hall, the manager''s Palace Maid came to report that the arranged marriage that had been bestowed to Bi Hanxi had been prepared.


    Siyan mustered up her courage. Let''s talk about the future later, whether Bi Hanxi was going to be the princess consort of Xiluo or the wife of her Wei Family, there was no definite conclusion, not to mention that this time, the Emperor did not advocate marriage.


    She should believe in her husband. Each generation was stronger than the last.


    Outside the palace, within the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion, Shen Qing woke up early in the morning to help his mother wash up. Not long after, someone else came to pick her up, inviting her to visit the Palace.


    It was almost winter, Shen Qing brought the servant to the kitchen and personally made the aca for her mother. It had a Chinese medicine smell, but the servant said that someone was seeking an audience with the Princess.


    "Who is it?" Shen Qing took off her apron and walked out, "Do I know him?"


    "It''s Master Bi Zhenye Bi, the original young master of Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi, I wonder if you know him." The servant replied.


    "He''s here?" Shen Qing understood in her heart, he should be saying something that she couldn''t say yesterday, so she said it right away, "We invited you to the hall."


    It was afternoon, and the cloudy morning had become bright. The empress had finished taking care of matters outside the palace and had finally found some time to accompany her daughter, when Shen Qing suddenly entered the palace. The little princess loved her aunt the most as she ran out at full speed.


    "Been to the Longevity Palace?" Siyan came out and asked, "Royal Grandmother was still thinking about you this morning."


    However, Shen Qing said: "There''s something I need to ask of sister-in-law."


    "Begging me?" Siyan guessed in her heart, but what kind of relationship did Little Qing have with Bi Family? As for running away for them?


    In the meantime, Ling Chaofeng had already brought Xiaowan ashore, and galloped his stallion to the next stop. This place was already neatly piled with food, and was going to be transported to the General Wei in the future.


    Xiaowan''s horizons were broadened. The warehouse was in the cave, it was so big that it was scary. Just the patrolling guards alone could see dozens of numbers. When they saw Xiaowan, they also swept their gaze over her from top to bottom, scaring the hell out of young lady.


    Although the master was being extremely courteous, Ling Chaofeng still wanted to continue his journey. After drinking a few mouthfuls of tea, he rented a carriage and brought Xiaowan along with him.


    The second time they went out, Xiaowan was already used to the bumpiness. Although she was tired, she could still endure it and still have the mood to talk to her husband. She was especially curious about what she saw today and kept asking why.


    Ling Chaofeng patiently explained that Xiaowan being curious was a matter that should be resolved by the imperial government itself.


    Ling Chaofeng said that because the Supreme Emperor liked to fight, he would bring his army to the west to fight. The imperial court would die, but the citizens would live on, waiting for the imperial government to gather the food and send it to the front lines. The soldiers would starve to death, and there was one more rule, which was to embezzle.


    Thus, the system of purchasing directly from the people was gradually put into practice. The imperial government would prepare to return to the imperial government, and the civilian would use it as a reserve in case of need.


    "It was from that time onwards that father and mother began to specialize in matters related to the imperial government." Ling Chaofeng said, "It was rumored that it was quite chaotic in the beginning, after all, not everyone has the ability to satisfy the needs of the army, and there are also battles between rich people from all over the world. And I''m just one of them. It''s possible that some stranger you passed on the way here was doing things for the court in secret. "


    The Xiaowan listened attentively. Ling Chaofeng was amused. "Are you afraid?"


    "I''m not afraid, I''m just shocked." Xiaowan said in all seriousness, "A country girl like me, one day, I will be able to handle matters for the imperial government. I feel more and more that as long as I live well, anything can happen. It was foolish of me to want to die and be released. If I were to live again, even if I were to chop Madam Xu to death with my scythe, I wouldn''t be able to wait until the day she beats me to death or makes her sell me. Husband, you have to fight for your life, right? "


    On the contrary, Ling Chaofeng was shocked, he laughed: "My family is late, it''s really amazing."


    But at this moment, another person was fighting for another person. When Shen Qing came to see the empress, she was indeed asked by Bi Zhenye to beg for mercy on behalf of his sister.


    Siyan countered with another question: "Do you have such a deep friendship with Bi Family? I came late, so I didn''t know. "

 C201

    Shen Qing slowly said, "I owe Bi Zhenye a favor. It happened when he was young, but he doesn''t seem to remember it anymore. Naturally, apart from this, we have no other interactions. "


    Siyan said: "I''m afraid that I cannot support such a huge favor with regards to what happened when I was young. Little Qing, there is actually another reason behind this matter, there is no harm in telling you, but I hope you won''t tell Bi Zhenye, because no one knows what the result will be. "


    Outside the Imperial City, Bi Zhenye stood in the cold wind. The bone-piercing cold wind blew into his neck, causing him to be exceptionally clear-headed.


    He had been raised to live like a prince. In the winter, he had a charcoal stove to go with him, and in the summer, the servants with umbrellas and fans came and went. He had never suffered a single bit.


    His memories suddenly drifted back to a very, very long time ago. He vaguely remembered one year when he was a child, in the late afternoon of the same year. He had accompanied his father and mother to the palace for a banquet, but somehow, he was tricked into going to the imperial garden and becoming the target of someone else''s snowball fight.


    On that day, when the cold snow had crawled down his neck, he was shivering from the cold. When the Palace Maid servants came to look for someone, and the children dispersed, he was drenched all over and almost wet his pants in fear.


    He remembered seeing a girl by the roadside when he was being taken away by the court, and it was the girl who had tricked him into going to the royal garden.


    The cold that day was much colder than the cold wind at that moment. Bi Zhenye shook his head and laughed.


    At this moment, the palace door opened, and Palace Maid s clustered around Shen Qing as they walked over. The servants of the Duke Palaces immediately went up to welcome them, but she ordered everyone to withdraw, and walked straight towards Bi Zhenye.


    Bi Zhenye was in a daze as he watched the elegant and gentle girl walk towards him. He remembered that the person who had tricked him into being a snow target back then seemed to be the Princess.


    Shen Qing bowed slightly, and immediately saluted with her hands folded in front, only to hear her say: "I have tried my best with regards to Miss, I am extremely sorry, but it is not possible to disobey Imperial decree. "But there''s still some time before we get married. Young master Bi, let''s think of a way."


    Bi Zhenye was not disappointed, he had already forced his into a corner. He had only met Princess a few times, yet he had actually begged her to do such a difficult thing, or maybe... Bi Zhenye looked at Princess. Could it be that he just wanted to meet her?


    In the palace, Shen Qing had only just left when the emperor came back from the Qingming Pavilion. She was originally just taking a break to play with her daughter.


    After knowing that his cousin had come over, and hearing Siyan had explained her intentions for coming here, Xiang Run laughed: "Little Little Qing is the most kind-hearted and obedient girl, extremely similar to Second Sister. How could a girl like this harm others so much that she would become a target for others?"


    Siyan laughed and asked, "At that time, why didn''t you remember about it when the Emperor was the same age?"


    Xiang Run said: "When I was young, I was a bookworm. All I ever did was study.


    Siyan shook her head. "Your Majesty''s life is truly boring."


    Xiang Run disapprovingly said: "This year, when it snows, you''ll accompany me to have a snowball fight?"


    The empress knew in her heart that if they fought with Xiluo, they would definitely not be able to rest during the winter. Furthermore, they would be leaving very soon, and it was very likely that they would start a war right by the seaside.


    For the first time in his life, the Emperor went to war with no chance of winning. However, this was in the Daqi, if one could not defeat those bandits that had landed here, the surrounding countries would definitely rejoice in the misfortune of others, and be ready to take action.


    He had to win this battle no matter what.


    The days passed one by one as Dong Ri''s footsteps grew more hurried. His Daqi stretched across a vast area and the northernmost area had already been covered with snow.


    Finally, after ten days, they arrived at the coastal area. The weather here was warm and humid, and when Xiaowan went out, he even brought some winter clothes along with him.


    General Wei brought his men to the ship to pick up the islanders. It was extremely difficult to persuade them to abandon their homestead fields and leave the island they were dependent on. However, once Xiluo attacked and occupied the island, they would turn into slaves, or even tainted women.


    Wei Tengfei saw that he did not listen to his advice, and in the next few days he had been using force.


    It was the first time for Xiaowan to see the sea in her life. She stepped on the soft sand with her bare feet, and the ocean waves pounced towards her ankles. She chased after the waves and ran, but was also chased by the waves.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Look at the sun, it''s tanned carefully."


    Xiaowan quivered and quickly covered her face. Although her family owned a "black shop", she could not become a black woman.


    She was so happy, but in reality, the beach had already been cordoned off. There were no signs of life, and all the fishermen had been ordered to go inland.


    However, the shore was long, so where would the end come from? Ling Chaofeng sighed softly.


    Such a peaceful and beautiful beach, once war broke out, would become a hell of slaughter.


    On this evening, the ship that had departed finally returned. The ocean was even vaster than Xiaowan had imagined, and they had obviously seen the ship coming, but they had waited for a long time and had only gotten a little closer.


    Seeing that the yellow sun was about to sink into the ocean, General Wei''s boat finally docked.


    It was just that the people that the Xiaowan saw, had separated for less than a month, had darkened, thinned out, and even if they were dark, it was possible to tell that their expressions were not good. After seeing them, she concernedly asked: "General, are you tired?"


    Wei Tengfei laughed bitterly: "I train in Chuanyu, and am a hundred times more tired than here. "I have been doing well these few days. On the first day, before I even got to the island, I vomited until my legs were weak. It was so embarrassing."


    Xiaowan realized that the people who disembarked from the boat were all walking in a strange manner. She understood this feeling;


    On the other hand, the islanders who were brought back walked steadily. They were used to using the sea as their home, while the soldiers warmly supported them and carried their children''s luggage.


    The soldiers were amazing. The people only knew that the Supreme Emperor loved war, but they didn''t know how strong his army was to defend the country.


    After returning to the camp, Xiaowan went to the kitchen to help prepare a hearty meal for the general. Although returning home this time was short, she still learned how to cook from Uncle Biao every day. She only thought about going out with her husband in the future and how she could cook good food for him.


    However, the army''s kitchen was a very important place, and people with nothing to do were not allowed to enter easily. Since Xiaowan was already familiar with the place along with the group, she was able to help them.


    Some of the people who did not know Xiaowan looked at her curiously. When the Xiaowan heard them talking, she thought it was the general''s wife and laughed: "The general has a wife, the sun is about to rise from the west."


    Xiaowan laughed. She also didn''t understand, why would such a great hero like General Wei, with such a great appearance and a good temperament, not getting married even when he was in his thirties.


    As expected, Wei Tengfei was used to eating dishes cooked by the Xiaowan. Two big bowls of rice went down immediately and asked the Xiaowan with interest, "Have the beaches been fun?


    The Xiaowan answered them one by one and then asked about the situation on the island. When they understood what was going on, the soldiers outside the tent came to report that the capital was in a rush.


    However, the truth was that the news had only come at this moment, and it could not be considered as urgent. The Empress had already left, and Prince Haas had also left with his fiancee.


    Wei Tengfei stared at the secret letter in a daze, only to have the atmosphere return to normal again. Ling Chaofeng and Xiaowan stood at the side and looked at each other, guessing what exactly happened that caused the general''s expression to change. Could it be that something happened to the Empress?


    At the end of the year, the empress and Ling Chaofeng were both severely ill. At that time, Wei Tengfei had rushed to the capital to send his little sister off, but the empress had turned her attention to the heaven and earth, changing into a safer place at the most critical time.


    Could it be that at this moment, the disease had taken a turn for the worse? The Xiaowan looked at his husband nervously. Ling Chaofeng shook his head and signaled her to be quiet.


    "The Emperor and Empress have come to the seaside. They want to personally send Prince Haas out of the Daqi." Wei Tengfei calmed down, and after speaking these words, he walked to the door and ordered the soldiers to call the deputy general and the local water master''s general over.


    Xiaowan could not believe her ears. Did this mean that she also had the chance to see the Emperor and Empress? young lady''s heart was thumping. From just one moment in her life, she had become an unstoppable miracle.


    "In the end, Prince Haas has asked the Emperor for your hand in marriage." Wei Tengfei then said, "Prince Haas, you will leave the Daqi with your fiancee. The wedding has not been held yet, so you said that you will go to the Xiluo to hold the wedding ceremony again."


    Wei Tengfei''s eyes became red, and his expression became gloomy: "Xiaowan, you know that the Emperor chose Hanxi."


    "Why did you choose Hanxi?" Xiaowan was stunned, her heart thumped, as she completely understood everything. She asked in shock, "You chose to marry Hanxi? Could it be that Hanxi still asked the Emperor? "


    "Heh ¡­" Wei Tengfei smiled bitterly, with a hint of anger, "She doesn''t believe me, would she send her to the Siping Mansion?"


    Xiaowan suddenly understood something. After that, the few generals came to discuss how to receive and protect the Emperor. She and her husband left the room.


    Ling Chaofeng smiled lightly: "You just noticed it?"


    Ling Chaofeng had long known from the mountain village that he had loved Wei Tengfei and knew what it meant to be moved. Only then would he be able to experience it so keenly. Maybe the General Wei wanted to see how he would react after settling the issue with the Xiluo, but it was a pity that fortune was messing with people. In the blink of an eye, Hanxi had become the fiancee of Prince Haas.


    "I suddenly hate that blue-eyed man, like a faerie." The Xiaowan was angry, but also furious. "Hanxi is really stupid, I''ve advised her eight hundred times, how can she not understand? Mrs. Bi truly harms himself, causing his daughter to suffer for her. "

 C202

    However, Ling Chaofeng believed that if the blue-eyed prince was sincere in his marriage with Daqi, he would have passed the marriage contract to the emperor very early on. He wouldn''t have left such an important thing in the inn.


    Naturally, if he wanted to throw it, he could throw it anywhere, and it would stay in the inn. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, or perhaps it was out of fear, and he believed that if he threw it in the inn, he would at least be able to find it.


    "We naturally have to rely on ourselves for the fate of the general." Ling Chaofeng said to the Xiaowan, "The Emperor will send General Wei, the person who has never brought a water master, to the coast to prepare for battle, and Miss Bi just so happens to be marrying out of here.


    Xiaowan looked at Hubby with her bright eyes and asked softly, "Will the general steal my wife?"


    But at the moment, Wei Tengfei was discussing about the matter of receiving and protecting the emperor without any distractions. If it was really as Prince Haas had said, the fleet of the Xiluo would arrive at the Daqi coast in a few days, and after calculating the route, the emperor would arrive a day earlier. As for the fleet of the Xiluo, they did not have a set amount of time.


    After everyone made their decision, they all left. Wei Tengfei looked at the long stretch of shore on the sand table, and the desire in his heart for Daqi to establish a strong water master became exceptionally strong.


    The battle at sea should be resolved by sea, how could they allow the enemy to step foot on the continent? Now that the Daqi navy was weak, they could only do this, but they were unable to concentrate their forces.


    However, when he found out that everyone had left and he was the only one left in the tent, a heart-wrenching pain came from all directions.


    He was very ashamed. The one feeling pained was not the people on the coast, nor was it the fact that the Daqi water master was weak. The one feeling pained was only a woman.


    How could he leave Hanxi in his homeland? Why was he not in the mountains, just to explain himself to her?


    Wei Tengfei never thought that there would be a woman who would be stuck in his sight, but when she closed her eyes and opened them, it was like she was in a valley, as if she was lying on a bed in pain and wished that she was dead.


    He had never thought that he would fall in love with a woman.


    In the next few days, when Xiaowan brought Wei Tengfei food, it was always piled high with food. After stuffing the food into a large bowl, Wei Tengfei could not help but say to Xiaowan after eating for two days: "There''s too much food, it''s not finished, it''s a waste."


    She wanted to tell the general that she would only be able to find a way to get Hanxi to stay if she had enough strength to eat, but her husband forbade her to talk too much, so she didn''t dare say anything.


    Ling Chaofeng watched Xiaowan tensely and casually every day. The first day he saw her bringing Wei Tengfei a large amount of food, his serious and serious expression was adorable and funny. Indeed, in less than two days, they were protested by the General Wei.


    Xiaowan was also unwilling to waste food, furthermore, she knew how difficult it was to transport grain in the army. When she was picking rice, she was unwilling to waste even a single grain of rice, and she was also reluctant to waste not a single grain of flour. But when he thought about how far Hanxi had to go, he couldn''t help but give all of his food to the General Wei, so that he would have the strength to deal with his enemies.


    These few days, the emperor was majestically escorting the empress to send off Prince Haas and Bi Hanxi, and naturally Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi and Bi Zhenye were allowed to go as well. Because they were not allowed to leave the capital due to official matters, Ershan was not able to come.


    Right at the front of the fleet was a guard, followed by the imperial ship that was surrounded by guards. Fortunately, the imperial ship of the emperor was comparable to Prince Haas''s ship, if not the dignity of the Tian Clan would be taken away by that huge ship called Xiluo.


    After the imperial ship was Prince Haas''s boat, followed by Hanxi''s boat to escort him. The other officials were always at the back, and whenever they saw the Emperor, they would have to paddle their boat and catch up to him.


    The long fleet came along the river, causing Siyan''s horizons to expand. Although she had traversed every inch of land in the Chuanyu, because her brother was busy with military affairs, she had almost never had the chance to see the outside world. Every mountain, every stone, and every tree was exceptionally fresh in her eyes.


    Halfway there, Siyan almost forgot her purpose for coming here, only when she looked back and saw the team behind him, did she remember what they were going to do, and the further they went, the more serious the emperor became, and the less she talked to her about it.


    Hanxi was riding on a boat by herself. The palace maids were meticulous and considerate towards her, it was the Empress''s will and Hanxi was very grateful.


    But she knew that once she left the Daqi Nation grounds and boarded the boat heading towards the Xiluo, perhaps there would be no one who would take care of her for the rest of her life.


    Looking back at the past, if he said he had any regrets, it was probably because when he and his mother had separated, he was unable to talk about their treasures properly. He always thought that no matter what, he would be able to catch up to the Siping Mansion, but in the end, he was getting further and further away.


    But she regretted it too late. At least if she left, her mother would no longer have to work hard at Siping Mansion and wouldn''t be bullied or humiliated. It was worth it.


    Hanxi walked onto the deck alone. She heard that Lian Yi''s sister-in-law had jumped into the river to fight for the marriage contract, but she didn''t have the guts to do so, so she couldn''t do so either.


    Hanxi said to herself over and over again, that she was neither going to make the marriage alliance nor throw away her life. She was using herself to exchange for her mother''s life.


    Even under the sunset, one could still see his skin as white as snow and eyes as the ocean. Hanxi remembered that the Xiaowan had told him why there was such a beautiful man here, that''s right, even Hanxi only wanted to use this word to describe the man in front of him.


    Prince Haas bowed towards Hanxi, who returned the greeting.


    During their journey until now, they would occasionally meet up and exchange a few simple words. At the very least, this person seemed to be extremely polite and gentle at this moment. But once they entered the ocean, he would change his appearance. Hanxi had already warned himself before to not think too highly of others.


    The blue-eyed prince looked at the delicate woman standing on the deck and sighed in his heart. Then, he turned around and walked back to the cabin.


    The Xiaowan was gradually getting used to it, and was not afraid in her heart. Every day, she would do her own work, hoping for the Empress to come, hoping that the General Wei would beat the bad guy from the Xiluo back.


    On this day, Ling Chaofeng went to fetch the food. The Xiaowan did not follow him, but instead came to the kitchen to help with the dishes. Wei Tengfei happened to be here, so he inquired about the food of the army, as well as the preparation for the Emperor.


    Seeing that Xiaowan was sitting beside a huge water basin and swiftly rolling up her sleeves to wash the dishes, he walked over and said guiltily, "Every time we meet, you always work. I''m afraid you don''t want to see me again in the future."


    The Xiaowan laughed. "General, but I can only do these things, what can I do for you and the warriors? I am very happy, does this count as my contribution to Daqi?"


    Wei Tengfei laughed. "It counts, of course it counts."


    He casually picked up a chair and sat down. Xiaowan gave him a sweet smile and then lowered his head to continue washing the dishes.


    This scene made Wei Tengfei suddenly feel that he had seen it somewhere before. It felt like they had already talked to each other in this kind of situation in the past.


    He could only explain that every time he saw Xiaowan, she would always be working, which was why he felt that they were so familiar with each other.


    "The emperor is almost here, I didn''t expect the empress to come as well." Wei Tengfei said, "She must be very happy to have Siyan meet you."


    Xiaowan laughed: "I have already heard about the story of the Empress and the inn. It''s a pity that I didn''t encounter such a good thing when I came here late.


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "She''s fine now."


    The Xiaowan asked, "Does the Empress and the General look alike? With how handsome you are, the Empress must also be very beautiful."


    Wei Tengfei coughed dryly, "Am I considered handsome? So dark, so rough. "


    Xiaowan shook her head continuously: "Of course you''re handsome. Hanxi said that you''re like a god, mighty, domineering and beautiful."


    Wei Tengfei''s expression darkened slightly, and Xiaowan also felt that she had talked too much, but she couldn''t help but lower her head and observe Wei Tengfei''s expression.


    In the end, she did not dare to say much. Her husband had taken care of her, so she could not speak nonsense.


    Xiaowan lowered her head to continue washing the dishes. However, General Wei suddenly asked her, "Xiaowan, do you and Hanxi have everything to talk about?"


    "I guess so ¡­" Xiaowan said, "When she was recuperating in the mountain village, because of the pain, we talked nonstop to divert her attention. We talked too much and after thinking about it for a moment, we felt that she did not say anything."


    Wei Tengfei asked: "Does she have a lover?"


    Xiaowan was startled, she could not help but raise the corner of her mouth, but she remembered her husband''s warning, so she said in a serious tone, "General, you want to know this, go and ask Hanxi yourself."


    Wei Tengfei lowered his eyes, his aura becoming weaker. His dry lips moved slightly, wanting to say something but stopped himself.


    The words in Xiaowan''s heart was about to escape her mouth, but Ling Chaofeng''s words were like an imperial decree to her, so she endured it in the end.


    But at this moment, there was a disturbance by the sea, Wei Tengfei stood up alertly, and climbed up a tree in a few steps. Standing high and high, he could see the distance, where the Sky Sea was connected.


    After a short period of chaos, the trained soldiers were immediately on alert. Wei Tengfei jumped down from the tree and ordered his subordinates, "Take Xiaowan and retreat.


    Then he said to the Xiaowan: "I can''t care about you anymore. Wait until your husband returns. If they were to land, they might be able to come out from anywhere. If they were to wander to the interior, they might kill and rob them.


    Xiaowan replied solemnly. She immediately followed the soldiers and retreated, the ground behind them was high, and from the top of the mountain, she could already see the densely packed boats in the distance.


    Xiaowan had already felt the might and might of the military ship that had been watching over the Daqi by the ocean. When she saw the fleet of the Xiluo, she realized why the Emperor and General were so nervous.


    "Madam, this way." A soldier led the way for the Xiaowan.


    Xiaowan quickly followed. However, when she raised her head, she saw a large group of dark clouds floating over from the east side. That dark cloud was moving much faster than the speed of ships.

 C203

    Above the clouds, Little Pei who had transformed into the Golden Dragon was pushing a large group of dark clouds and churned. Seeing that his mother had ''seen'' him, he flew down and circled around his mother.


    How could Xiaowan know that her son had come? She only felt a strong wind blowing at her, causing her eyes to squint. The soldiers supported her and said: "Madam, the wind is about to blow, let''s go."


    Little Pei forgot that this was a beach full of sand, he laughed and stuck out his tongue, then immediately returned to the clouds and used his mana, causing the dark clouds to grow larger.


    "General, look." On the coast, the soldiers pointed to the sky, astonished that the day had become so swift.


    Little Pei smirked and used his butt to prop it. The two black clouds clashed and suddenly lightning flashed and thunder roared.


    Little Pei took this opportunity to dive into the sea and take a hearty bath, causing the water surface to churn and surge violently.


    The shadow of the distant ship struggled in the waves. The waves were as high as the city wall. As the waves hit the ship, the mast broke and the canvas was torn. It was possible to vaguely see the crew fall into the sea.


    "General Wei, the heavens are aiding my Daqi!" Here, the navy general exclaimed, "I have guarded the sea for more than ten years. This sea area has always been calm in winter, and requires a summer typhoon to have this kind of scene. I was still thinking that Xiluo is indeed crafty, and chose to attack at the right time to avoid the stormy weather. "


    Wei Tengfei''s blood boiled as he watched Xiluo''s fleet struggle in the waves. However, he didn''t just kill them when he led his troops. This was the first time he came back to assist the navy, and his ways of fighting and defending were the same as before.


    Thus, he discussed with the navy general and prepared ten warships. After the wind and waves had calmed down, they would go up and not fight, but see if the Xiluo, if they needed any help.


    Little Pei churned in the clouds, his cheeks puffed as he blew towards the ground.


    In his eyes, these giant warships were the same size as the leafy warships her mother had folded for her. They could topple a piece of the ship in one breath and blow all the gunpowder from the warships into the sea.


    What made him most happy was that he didn''t come here to save his mother in secret. He was here to summon the wind and rain upon her.


    With the thousand years of national fortune in Daqi, there will be twenty-one emperors who will inherit this nation, and the top twenty will receive the assistance of the heavens.


    However, as long as the world lasts, it will always be the same. This is the destiny of this continent. A thousand years from now, it will be worth it. A thousand years from now, it will be the glory of a thousand years.


    With the help of the Emperor, as he was proud of himself, anything could be saved. His father fought in the east and was invincible, and he had the help of the heavens.


    However, the heavens only helped those who helped themselves. The father, son, or future grandson of heaven who was indecent and indecent, would naturally use Daqi Nation to compensate. A thousand years to change a hundred years to change a hundred years, to change ten years, it was possible.


    Just like how the Supreme Emperor overthrew the State of Zhao to establish himself as emperor, when the way of the world declined, there would inevitably be able to be born.


    Little Pei accidentally sneezed and the whole boat fell down in the gale. He reached out his fat claws and helped his up again.


    Furthermore, when the Xiaowan returned to the mainland, together with the protected citizens, they were able to gaze upon the scene on the surface of the sea from the high ground. Although the sky above was overcast, there was no wind or rain. However, the sea was very far away, and the sky and earth were truly dark and gloomy.


    The fishermen and islanders who had lived here all their lives were astonished. They were all sighing with emotion. Even the Heavens were helping them.


    Ling Chaofeng went to pick up the grains and came back, he knew that the fleet of the Xiluo had arrived, the soldiers were fighting, he naturally had to find Xiaowan first, before he could even find his wife in the crowd, Xiaowan had already spotted her husband riding on her big horse, and was galloping towards him.


    Ling Chaofeng bent over and hugged his wife, then climbed onto the horse''s back.


    "Husband, look." The Xiaowan pointed to the sea in the distance. Ling Chaofeng led the horses to a high place and raised his head to look, only to see numerous warships being tormented by the waves, falling to the ground in succession.


    "One, two, three, four ¡­" Xiaowan squinted his eyes as he tried to count the number of warships Xiluo had sent over. As he counted, his heart was still flustered, "Husband, why do they have so many warships."


    Ling Chaofeng said seriously, "With the help of the heavens this time, I won''t be so lucky next time. Our Daqi are constantly getting stronger, and countries outside the four seas are also getting stronger. If we don''t go, we can only be like today, trembling with fear, and beg the heavens for help. "


    "Master, do we have to build many ships?" Xiaowan asked.


    Ling Chaofeng said joyfully: "That''s right. After this storm passes, and I return to the Baisha County, I''m afraid I''ll have to complete a few more missions."


    Xiaowan asked: "Do you need to go out often?"


    Ling Chaofeng said, "It must have been for the first two years."


    Xiaowan''s eyebrows curved up as she smiled, "I will follow my husband. I won''t even faint if I ride on a horse carriage."


    Inside the carriage, Little Pei saw that his parents had come, and immediately flew over. The strong wind had alarmed his father''s mount, causing Ling Chaofeng to tighten the reins, and protect his wife.


    Xiaowan stuck her head out, sensing the invisible wind, it surrounded them like a circle.


    Although she felt that it was strange and did not dare to tell Ling Chaofeng that, at this moment, her skin felt as if Little Pei was acting coquettishly in her arms.


    The Xiaowan smiled. She smiled to the point that she was confused, but it was an extremely peaceful and peaceful smile.


    Little Pei got up and kissed his mother, then flew back to the sea and continued to play with the warship Xiluo.


    He had ordered the rainfall to not increase the amount of water dropped by even a third of a meter. Everything was set, and it was still too early for him to return home after finishing his work.


    On the other side, the emperor and his men had already successfully arrived. and the others did not receive them, he knew that someone from the Xiluo had arrived.


    Never would he have thought that the people who would come afterwards would actually say that the several dozen ships of the Xiluo were trapped by the ocean waves, falling and sinking right under the noses of the soldiers of the Daqi.


    Xiang Run and Siyan looked at each other. Siyan said in a soft voice, "The heavens are helping the emperor."


    The emperor, on the other hand, remembered that day when his daughter had messed up the chess game, as if it was a foretaste for today. Although he was overjoyed, the responsibility he had to shoulder was even heavier.


    How could they be willing to let their Xiluo fail this time? When they go back and regroup, their Daqi must establish a strong defense against the sea.


    He held the Queen''s hand as they stepped onto the desert, while Wei Tengfei and his soldiers welcomed them from afar.


    When Ling Chaofeng saw the emperor coming from a high place, he hurriedly brought the Xiaowan down and bowed down along with the crowd.


    Amongst all the men, Xiaowan was the only one that was naturally eye-catching, and the Queen saw at first glance that there was a lotus flower jade hairpin in Xiaowan''s hair. It was a congratulatory gift that she had chosen for both Manager Ling and the bride.


    She cheerfully laughed: "You are Manager Ling''s wife?"


    The Xiaowan was suddenly brought to see the Emperor Queen, and she was trembling in fear. Even though she knew that the Queen was asking her, and the words were stuck in her throat, she was still unable to say it out. It was still Ling Chaofeng who remained calm, reporting to the Emperor Queen, "My son, Xiaowan, first saw that Tian Yan is too nervous, I hope Your Highness can forgive me."


    The emperor and Siyan looked at each other and started talking. Xiang Run followed Wei Tengfei to the seaside, and the blue-eyed Prince Haas naturally followed along.


    On one side, the Palace Maid beside Siyan had already helped the Xiaowan up, and the female disciples retreated back into their tents.


    Xiaowan kept her head down as she carefully followed behind the empress. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice call out to her, "Sister-in-law!"


    She was wearing too much, but she didn''t have the time to think about it. She lifted her skirt and ran towards him.


    "Hanxi..." Xiaowan''s heart warmed, he ran forward and hugged the two sisters. Hanxi cried again.


    She held back her tears all the way, but when she saw Xiaowan, she finally couldn''t hold it in anymore. She cried sorrowfully on Xiaowan''s shoulder, saying "sister-in-law" one after another until Xiaowan''s heart broke.


    Siyan stood at the side and smiled as she watched, instructing the Palace Maid to support him and persuade him. She saw the people watching in the distance again, and she gave them a big smile and a wave. The people there became very lively, and the guards were so frightened that they quickly invited the empress into the tent.


    The Xiaowan supported Hanxi and followed the Queen into the tent.


    Hanxi was bestowed the title of County Lord, and matched with Prince Haas representing his Daqi, they headed towards the Xiluo to tie up with her. She was dressed in a complete set of court uniform, with heavy gold ornaments on top of her head, and her clothes were piled up one on top of the other, her sleeves dragged on the ground, and her movements were extremely clumsy.


    The Xiaowan asked worriedly: "Does your back still hurt? Is it alright to wear such bulky clothes?"


    Hanxi shook her head, and lightly sobbed without saying a word.


    She helped Hanxi to sit down, and saw that the Palace Maid was surrounding the Empress, in a few moments, she had removed the heavy clothes and accessories she wore. The Queen heaved a sigh of relief and looked at the Xiaowan, and smiled.


    Xiaowan hurriedly withdrew her gaze, but she could not help but raise her eyes again. She felt as if she had seen this goddess somewhere before ¡­


    It was a dream, Xiaowan recalled. The dream by the Lotus Pond, the person standing far away, seemed to be this Empress in front of him.


    "I think I''ve seen you before." The empress opened her mouth first. "It looks very intimate, not unfamiliar at all. It''s like we''ve known each other for many years."


    "I don''t dare to be a woman." Xiaowan quickly kneeled down, and was helped up by Palace Maid, saying, "Our Empress is the one who doesn''t pay attention to rules. Madam, don''t kneel down every now and then, how can you speak nicely?"


    After they finished speaking, they came to help Hanxi up, saying that they were going to take her to change clothes.


    "Sister-in-law, speak with the Empress for a while. I''ll be back in a moment." Hanxi was naturally not stupid, she understood that the empress wanted to talk to the Xiaowan after they took her away.


    For a while, the camp was empty. From time to time, footsteps could be heard outside, and the sound of thunder could be heard from the sea far away.


    "Your name is Xiaowan?" Siyan said.


    "Yes, this humble woman is called Mu Xiaowan, she is from the Li Prefecture." She hung her head, her fingers entwined, nervous, unable to speak if her husband was not by her side.


    The empress said cheerfully, "I didn''t ask where you''re from, don''t be nervous."

 C204

    The Xiaowan didn''t know what to do, but the Queen smiled and invited her to come closer so she could sit with her.


    "Esteemed Empress, I can''t sit with you ¡­"


    "Don''t be afraid, this isn''t a palace." Siyan said, and took the initiative to hold Xiaowan''s hand.


    Both of their hands intersected, both were warm and soft, Siyan''s heart trembled, Xiaowan was the same.


    A strange feeling seemed to burrow into his heart, the fear he had towards the Queen disappeared like smoke in thin air. Although she still respected and respected him, the person in front of her suddenly became extremely friendly.


    "Empress, I did not guess wrong. You are so beautiful." The Xiaowan dared to speak out, and happily said, "Since General Wei is so handsome and mighty, I have always thought that the Empress must be a celestial being."


    Siyan laughed and asked: "Are you very familiar with my brother?"


    Xiaowan said: "They are very familiar, I know what the general likes to eat. These days, whenever we are together, I cook for the general."


    Siyan looked at Xiaowan carefully. Although her thoughts were selfish, and she wished for a considerate girl to become her sister-in-law to be able to take care of her brother for a lifetime, but her brother getting married was definitely a woman he loved. How could he marry someone just for a bite of rice?


    "Xiaowan, during those days in the mountain, how did my brother treat Bi Hanxi?" Siyan went straight to the point, "Can you tell me what you saw?"


    Speaking of which, when Xiaowan was in the mountains, she was always busy and did not pay any attention to any changes that General Wei had to Hanxi. Instead, her initial fierce attitude had left a deep impression on him. When she realized it, her husband was still laughing at her. Why did she only realize it now?


    This was why the Xiaowan could remember that when she said she was in the mountains, it was just to take care of her. It was not strange for her to not feel warm at all.


    The empress shook her head and smiled wryly. "Looks like I''ve thought too much into this. It was originally my brother who only had weapons in his eyes. How could he have women?"


    The Xiaowan understood the Empress''s meaning and hurriedly said, "But when the imperial edict was sent over, knowing that Hanxi was going to marry the Blue Eyes Prince, the general felt really upset. She hadn''t been happy for the past few days."


    Siyan became excited, grabbed Xiaowan''s hand and asked: "It''s true, he''s very sad, did he say anything?"


    Xiaowan replied, "I didn''t say anything special. After that, I''ve been waiting for the Emperor and you to come together, waiting for the arrival of Xiluo''s boat."


    The more they talked, the more they speculated about it. Xiaowan had been taking care of Wei Tengfei''s daily life these past few days, so she was more clear about the general''s situation. The Empress asked a lot of questions, and in the end, discussed how she should let them meet again.


    On the other side, Hanxi had changed into light clothes and returned. She saw Xiaowan and the Empress sitting side by side, talking and laughing as if they were sisters. Although she felt it was new, but for a person as good as the Xiaowan, everyone would like her.


    On the sea, the storm gradually stopped. Little Pei blew away the dark clouds and finally stopped.


    He was so exhausted from this torture that he wanted to fly home and eat the meatballs his grandfather made. Knowing that his parents were fine, he left without a care in the world.


    The clouds dispersed, and the blue sea shone with a dazzling light, as though nothing had happened. However, the Xiluo Battleship had suffered heavy injuries, and Prince Haas, who was standing on the shore, had a complicated feeling in his heart.


    The emperor agreed with Wei Tengfei''s decision. He sent ten large ships to welcome him, but on the surface, he was assisting them, but in reality, he was trying to probe the enemy''s background.


    This trip of Xiluo was extremely aggressive, who would have thought, when they were about to face Daqi directly, they would encounter a rare storm, causing dozens of ships to be damaged, and their cannons had sunk into the ocean, losing all their fighting capabilities.


    Due to the fact that many of the warships had sunk to the bottom of the sea, the number of people on the other damaged ships were limited. These people could only hold onto the floating trees to protect their lives, and the Daqi soldiers could only rescue them up while guiding the warships with damaged Xiluo to shore.


    Although the two ships were heavily injured, they still carried a threatening aura. Xiang Run noted this scene and silently calculated in his heart how long it would take for his Daqi to establish such a strong defense against the sea.


    The young Emperor was very clear-headed. He understood that he would not be so lucky the next time.


    The Xiluo people who had lost all fighting strength were completely controlled by Wei Tengfei''s men the moment they landed on the shore. It was, after all, a Chuanyu¡¯s Army that was extremely valiant and mighty in battle, and just by standing in front of others, they could already guess what was going on, how could they dare to act rashly?


    The emperor was benevolent and sent the army doctor, the imperial physician, to treat the people from Xiluo, but because he could not put his words into words, Prince Haas and his subordinates could only go over and help. Of course he saw it, the general who brought his troops this time had brought him in front of the emperor of the Daqi.


    Inside the camp, when they heard that the Daqi had controlled the Xiluo army without spending a single soldier, the crowd cheered. The empress knew that with his brother here, she and the emperor could sleep peacefully. But now, Prince Haas was going to leave sooner or later. Whether or not he could take Hanxi away, all depended on his brother.


    The emperor only returned to the camp late at night. Although he was tired, he was exceptionally excited as he hugged Siyan and spoke about the many expectations he had for the defense of the ocean.


    Initially, Siyan wanted to tell the Emperor about his brother, but seeing him so excited, she decided to leave her private matters for now. Most likely, his brother was also thinking about how to drive out the people from the Xiluo now.


    The morning of the second day, Wei Tengfei brought people to the camp to bring the emperor to the beach, and when he crossed his blade and stood outside the tent, he saw six or seven Palace Maid s gathered with Bi Hanxi coming out from the tent. Hanxi wore the complicated county lord''s attire, and walked forward with difficulty.


    As he looked up and met eyes with Wei Tengfei, Hanxi remembered that this man had promised to send her to the Siping Mansion.


    She still loved to cry too much. A girl who cried too much would not be likeable.


    Hanxi quickly held back her tears and smiled at Wei Tengfei. She wanted to thank him for taking care of her all those days and thank him too, to protect the coast of Daqi.


    But this smile made the man''s heart ache, and he stiffly averted his gaze.


    Seeing Wei Tengfei turning away, Hanxi''s heart was empty, the unspeakable pain, as though there was something in the past. However, she did not dare to let her imagination run wild. There were many things she had to do today, and it was said that a great general who wished to meet Xiluo had appeared to be some sort of duke.


    Wei Tengfei was flocked by the Palace Maid. With Prince Haas bringing along people from the Xiluo, no matter what, there shouldn''t be a place for Ling Chaofeng and the Xiaowan. It would be even more difficult to use her in cooking and washing dishes.


    Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan to arrange the rations and look at the topography of the coast. Xiaowan followed their husband and ate a lot of local delicacies along the way.


    The large coconut broke open and directly drank it. The subtle taste, however, was especially suitable for the climate here. There was also the sweet and soft coconut rice, the incredibly delicious rice flour soup, the prawns that were even bigger than Xiaowan''s head, and the abalone that was even bigger than a fist. Xiaowan ate as she chanted, "Husband, can we bring Little Pei along in the future?"


    Ling Chaofeng advised her: "Eat slower, don''t choke on it."


    They enjoyed themselves to their heart''s content, but what happened on the side of the Emperor was incomparably dull. However, Hanxi''s body had not fully recovered yet, so the bumpy journey had made her tired. Now that she was wearing heavy jewelry and clothes, sitting in her seats, she was starting to run out of energy.


    At sunset, Xiaowan and Hubby returned. was escorted by the Palace Maid and was almost carried back.


    She ran over and asked: "What''s wrong with Hanxi?"


    The Palace Maid s said, "The County Lord is out of stamina, the Empress ordered us to send her back first."


    Xiaowan was extremely anxious, she followed along to take care of Hanxi, and the person who took off her jewelry and luxurious clothing took a deep breath. Xiaowan checked her back, and as expected, she still had not recovered.


    How could a person like that get on the ship or go out to sea? A strong and robust man like General Wei would definitely not be able to withstand the raging waves of the ocean, I am afraid Hanxi would die before she even reach the Xiluo. Then, would the people from Xiluo bring her to the Xiluo''s grave, or would they send her back to the Daqi, or perhaps ¡­ She threw it into the sea.


    Hanxi passed out very quickly as she stood guard at the side until nightfall.


    At this moment, the empress was still by the sea, chatting and drinking with the people from Xiluo. The tent was exceptionally quiet.


    When Xiaowan thought of her master, and saw that Hanxi had slept soundly, she wanted to go out and look for Ling Chaofeng. However, she didn''t expect that such a powerful and imposing figure would barge in head-on, causing him to almost fall down.


    However, Wei Tengfei quickly let go of his hand and said softly: "Xiaowan, it''s me."


    Xiaowan was surprised: "General Wei?"


    Wei Tengfei''s eyes drooped as he said solemnly, "I want to ¡­ Look at Hanxi, Xiaowan, can you help me stand guard outside? "

 C205

    Xiaowan immediately agreed as she glanced at the sleeping Hanxi. She thought about helping the general wake her up, but after thinking about it, what if the general just wanted to take a look?


    Although the Empress had entrusted her with the task of trying to arrange a match for this couple, her husband had already warned her to not interfere. In this way, no matter how far this progressed, it would still be the desired result.


    "General, I''m outside. Call me if you need anything." The Xiaowan was blessed, and left her tent to guard the door under the starry sky.


    Ling Chaofeng was watching her from afar. Xiaowan waved at his husband with a smile.


    In fact, he had always thought that with Xiaowan''s temperament, she would be impulsive and hot-blooded in the face of anything, not caring about the consequences. Perhaps what she had experienced was not enough and it did not show itself. However, everything she had encountered in the past few days was enough for an ordinary person to live a lifetime.


    However, it was as if something had settled in her body early in the morning. Rather than saying that she particularly listened to him, it would be more accurate to say that she would think twice before acting in times of trouble. She was very smart and calm.


    The Xiaowan waved her hand towards Ling Chaofeng, signalling for him to go back and rest. Ling Chaofeng nodded and turned to walk back into the tent.


    At this side, Wei Tengfei guarded the sleeping Hanxi for a long time as he watched. Finally, she made a sound and lightly woke her up.


    When he woke up from his dream, the moment he woke up, he was filled with fear. He didn''t know where he was. He didn''t know what time it was. He didn''t know if he had drifted to the sea with the ship.


    But when she opened her eyes, she saw a face that made her feel reassured, even though it was harsher than when she had reprimanded her.


    "General ¡­" Hanxi felt extremely wronged, the moment she opened her mouth, her tears fell like rain.


    "What are you crying for?" As expected, Wei Tengfei frowned, his heart was clearly filled with tender affection, and he pretended to be disdainful on the surface, "All day long, you cry, where did all these tears come from? Could it be that the ocean of my Daqi was filled with your tears?"


    As Hanxi sobbed, she was at a loss of what to do. She actually opened her arms and pulled her into her embrace.


    The person in her embrace immediately became quiet, Hanxi''s arms were bound, but she did not try to struggle at all, she only looked at the person who was hugging her in shock, and her tears also stopped.


    "Cough ¡­" Wei Tengfei cleared his throat awkwardly, "You''re not crying?"


    Hanxi was still looking at him in a daze. This hug was so steady and so dependable, why did she suddenly have a thought about hiding in this kind of shelter for her entire life.


    What was she thinking? What was she going crazy about? She was the fiancee of the Prince of Xiluo ¡­


    "General." Hanxi''s body lightly moved. Although he did not explain it, he understood what he meant. He hoped that he would let go.


    Wei Tengfei was in his thirties and had never taken a wife or concubine before. Even the maidservants in the mansion hadn''t looked at him properly, not to mention that military discipline forbade soldiers from touring or drinking in the flowerbeds. "For such a big man to have never even touched a woman''s fingers, there were actually quite a few people who laughed at him from behind his back.


    But Wei Tengfei did not care, he was a human, not a beast, so how could he not have this kind of self-control?


    After leaving Wei Tengfei''s embrace, his body still retained the feeling of being gently held. Hanxi hugged his arms, looking like he was afraid, but in truth, she was feeling the warmth brought by Wei Tengfei.


    "Did it hurt you?" Wei Tengfei was worried that his hand wasn''t light or heavy.


    "None ¡­" Hanxi''s wet eyelashes trembled lightly, covering the depths of her eyes.


    Wei Tengfei had a lot of things he wanted to say in his heart. For a while, he didn''t know which sentence to say to the straightforward person, so he was extremely agitated. He stood up and paced back and forth in the room.


    Hanxi secretly raised her head and looked at the man who was also looking at him.


    "Be my wife!" Wei Tengfei stood still, then said, "I truly regret not being in the mountain and telling you this, otherwise you would have been my woman a long time ago. Hanxi, don''t go to the Xiluo.


    Hanxi had already guessed about seventy to eighty percent of the truth in her heart, but when she heard these words, she was still shocked. Or perhaps, just because she did not want to go to the Xiluo, any random person was willing to bring her away and she was willing to follow?


    No, it was because the person who said that to her, was Wei Tengfei.


    Tears rolled down his face, blurring his vision. He could only feel the black shadow pressing down on him. He viciously said, "Don''t cry, what does crying mean? Stop it immediately."


    Han Xi is not a crybaby. She used to be happy and happy all the time, but she also made Grandma and Mother happy and happy all the time." Even if she did bad things in the temple and was ordered by her grandmother to beat her with a bamboo board, she could still act coquettishly in her grandmother''s arms. She definitely wouldn''t use tears to gain sympathy.


    She didn''t know why, but she had become a person that could easily shed tears. Was it because the family had dispersed, because her mother had served her sentence, because she had lost her protection and support, and because she was afraid?


    Wei Tengfei''s rough fingers gently caressed his cheeks, wiping away his tears and gently holding her chin. He said gently, "Don''t cry, from today onwards, I will never let you cry. Hanxi, follow me, I''ll take you with me right now. "


    His heart thumped loudly. Hanxi smiled. This life was worth it.


    But she couldn''t go.


    Hanxi gently pushed Wei Tengfei''s hand away, "General, you''re being too impulsive right now. You''ll understand when you calm down. General, if I didn''t want to marry into the Xiluo, even if I have already become sworn brothers with someone, I will still go with you. General, I can''t gamble the life of my entire family, and I can''t let you gamble on the army of Chuanyu, or even the empress. "


    Wei Tengfei''s eyes turned scarlet as he shook his head and said, "What are you betting on? What else can you do if you lost it? Can I be stupid and go tell the others that I was the one who took you away?"


    "What happens next? Do you want me to hide my name and live in shame for the rest of my life?" Hanxi asked Wei Tengfei instead, "Even if the people from Xiluo accept the matter of me escaping, the Emperor would definitely choose another lady as compensation, and there would be innocent girls who would suffer because of me. "Also, even if we can take care of them, someone will find out about our matter sooner or later. If we use it to threaten you, could it be that you will be controlled by others for the rest of your life?"


    How could Wei Tengfei not think of all these? However, he had never thought that in his entire life, he would impulsively do something that would not care about the consequences.


    He had experienced what love was. Ling Chaofeng said that fate has come, so he naturally wanted to fight for it. She did not lie to him.


    "You think so much about others, but has anyone ever thought so much about you?" Wei Tengfei insisted, "Hanxi, let me think for you, okay?"


    If this was the case, it would surpass a thousand words. Hanxi was very happy, but also very sad. She had only just obtained it, and was about to lose it.


    Hanxi strongly shook her head, her face was already filled with tears as she sobbed, "Go out, I won''t go with you, even if I don''t have to think for anyone, I still have to think for you. If my existence is harming you, then I''d rather never have met you before."


    Wei Tengfei clenched his fist tightly. However, Hanxi moved backwards and curled his body, covering his face with his knees. "General, you can go."


    However, her body was suddenly pulled, and she was almost dragged out by Wei Tengfei. He rudely pinched her chin, preventing her from turning his face away and forcing her to look at him.


    "You ¡­"


    "Let me ask you, if you didn''t have any Xiluo, or those random things, would you be willing to be my woman?"


    The two places were in a deadlock, Wei Tengfei did not have the slightest intention of letting go. His gaze was deeply fixed on Hanxi''s face, staring at every single expression on her face.


    "Bi Hanxi, speak!" Wei Tengfei said loudly, "If you still don''t speak, don''t blame me for being rude."


    "Aren''t you afraid that I''ll just treat you as a lifeline?" Hanxi laughed bitterly, "Are you not afraid that in order to not marry into Xiluo, anyone can?"


    The corner of Wei Tengfei''s mouth rose slightly: "So what? I have all the methods I can think of, to make you fall for me."


    He asked, "Answer me, will you be my woman?"


    Hanxi smiled, and said with a forlorn and tragic tone, "I am willing. But let me go. Wei Tengfei, we can''t do that. If not, I would have already married you last year, and would have been your woman a long time ago. We are destined to not be fated to be together, aren''t we? "


    "Whether you have fate or not, it doesn''t matter. What kind of master can you be for yourself? What else can you do for yourself other than constantly sacrifice yourself for someone else? " Wei Tengfei looked down on Hanxi and disdainfully said, "You really think too highly of yourself."


    Hanxi was startled, but in the next moment, she was carried up by the man. His broad shoulders were enough to support her waist, but he actually carried her on his shoulder and walked out.


    She wanted to shout loudly, but was afraid that she would attract the attention of others and harm Wei Tengfei. She didn''t know what to do for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, she was carried out of the tent.


    Xiaowan who was guarding the door, upon seeing this scene, jumped up in shock. She covered her mouth and did not dare to make a sound, as if she was afraid of attracting other people. But General Wei didn''t seem to care about how others would look at him. Carrying the woman he wanted to marry, he smiled towards Xiaowan, thanked her and walked out.


    Ling Chaofeng heard the commotion and came out. When he saw Wei Tengfei carrying Bi Hanxi out of the camp, and the Xiaowan running towards him, he spoke incoherently in a panic, "Master, what do we do? What do we do?"


    "It''s all right, General..." Of course he has his own responsibilities. " Even though he said that, Ling Chaofeng was unable to predict the outcome in his heart. What kind of situation is this?


    At this time, they were singing and dancing around the bonfire. From this kind of joyous conversation, it was hard to imagine that they would actually be carrying a large number of gunpowder cannons towards Daqi.


    Naturally, the Emperor''s smile concealed all of his hostility.


    However, at this time, the people at the side suddenly clamored up. The crowd automatically opened up a path, only to see a tall and powerful man carrying a weak woman calmly walking towards the Emperor Queen step by step.

 C206

    Before, when the emperor and Siyan were discussing, he was thinking about how Wei Tengfei would use tricks to keep Hanxi here, or secretly take away without telling him.


    They had prepared all sorts of ways to deal with this situation. Never would they have thought that Wei Tengfei would actually bring this person over and openly tell everyone that they had already reached an agreement with him long before he had requested for their marriage alliance. They had begged the emperor to give them Bi Hanxi for marriage.


    At this time, everyone was embarrassed, but Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was afraid that his daughter would cause a conflict between the two countries. He immediately stood up and angrily rebuked Wei Tengfei for going back on his words, saying that he had rejected the marriage right in front of his face last year, that even the emperor was in front of him, and so on.


    The Emperor was naturally angry, this old fellow actually dragged him in, the matter could have gone in another direction, how would he appear now that the Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was in trouble?


    Fortunately, Bi Zhenye was beside him. Seeing his sister carried over by the General Wei and his proposal, he was incomparably excited. Right now, he could only hope that his sister didn''t go to the Xiluo, and that she would marry any random commoner. Naturally, this was in a rush, so how could he not hope for his sister to marry a good man?


    However, seeing that his father was about to mess things up, he steeled his heart, stood up, and clasped his fists towards the emperor. "My father is very happy today. I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but I will take my father back with me. "


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi looked at his son in anger, but he was old in the end. Bi Zhenye ordered his subordinates to help him, but it would be more accurate to say that they would help him, or help him drag him away.


    The Emperor secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Seeing the general and duke of Xiluo, who did not understand Chinese, asking what happened to Prince Haas, the Prince of Haas instead said to Xiang Run: "Your Majesty the Emperor, I did not pass on the words of the old man just now."


    Xiang Run raised his eyebrows slightly, but Prince Haas said: "I have a woman I like at the Xiluo, waiting for me to marry her. I don''t want to marry any woman from your country.


    The emperor was startled, but Prince Haas was very quickly pulled back to continue his conversation. He was about to say something, but Xiang Run was so furious that he discovered that there weren''t many people who could speak the language of Xiluo fluently.


    They were indeed too conceited, and if this carried on, their Daqi would definitely suffer the punishment of being conceited. Xiang Run finally understood what kind of responsibility he had to shoulder to succeed the next powerful empire.


    Hanxi stood beside Wei Tengfei while trembling. He tightly held onto her hand, not allowing her to struggle free. As matters stood, if she continued to resist, if she continued to accuse Wei Tengfei of going back on his words like father had done, she would only harm this man. At this point, the only thing she could do was to fight for himself and for the two of them.


    The people from the Xiluo had finally understood what was happening before them and were all extremely shocked.


    However, the culture of Xiluo was different from that of Daqi. In that place, if there was no politics, if there was no royal power, how could anyone marry a person they liked? They didn''t need the words of the matchmakers, and they didn''t even need the consent of their parents. Although above all this, there was also the concept of sect level, nobles not marrying commoners, and so on, but compared to Daqi, they were much more open-minded.


    The unrestrained Xiluo people wanted Wei Tengfei to duel with Prince Haas.


    The emperor heard his wife whisper beside him, "Are they planning to send Prince Haas to his death?"


    He coughed dryly and shot Siyan a rebuking look: "Don''t let others hear."

 C207

    Although the Xiluo man was tall, Wei Tengfei was not smaller than Prince Haas. Even in terms of martial arts, he could easily knock down the pink-faced skinny man.


    However, things were not that simple.


    The people from the Xiluo had instigated them to duel, they definitely did not plan for their own prince to lose, so if they lost, would beat them up.


    Thousands of Xiluo soldiers were stationed at the edge of the sea. Although the current situation was such that the Chuanyu¡¯s Army could easily take care of them, now was definitely not the time to create conflict.


    The emperor needed time to build his own warship and train his own navy. He didn''t need Wei Tengfei to win a duel, what he needed more was time.


    The empress had thought of many ways to deal with this, but none of them worked, making her extremely passive.


    The bonfire party had temporarily dispersed and an appointment was made for tomorrow at noon. Wei Tengfei and Prince Haas would be fighting by the beach, but the victor or loser was not tomorrow''s duel, but tonight''s decision by the Emperor.


    In the camp, Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi who was under house arrest roared at his son, scolding him for calling him unfaithful and unfilial, and scolding him for wanting his Bi Family to become an eternal sinner in the history of Daqi.


    However, Bi Zhenye did not mind, and coldly said to his father: "Whatever you want to curse, just curse. It will be difficult for us father and son to meet again in the future. There is something I forgot to tell you. Before I left, I received my grandmother''s promise to buy a house here for your old age. "


    Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi was dumbstruck, and scolded angrily: "Evil creature, what nonsense are you spouting?"


    Bi Zhenye said: "Father, you better take care of yourself. Otherwise, I won''t even prepare a house for you. When you return to the capital, I will take away all the servants with me. I will not leave a single cent for you. "Stay by this fertile beach and enjoy your old age. If you want to return to the capital, use your own legs if you have the ability to."


    "Bastard!" Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi grabbed his son''s sleeves, "You dare!"


    "Mother is in Siping Mansion exile, come to the seaside to recuperate, it is very suitable. The weather here is warm, it is good for your body." Bi Zhenye looked at his father indifferently, "Now, please let go."


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi released his hand, but immediately slapped over, but Bi Zhenye was already prepared. He blocked his father''s hand and pushed him away: "You''re old, take it easy."


    After Bi Zhenye finished speaking, he turned around and left. One could hear his father calling him a evil being and calling him a beast, all the servants in front of the door trembled as they looked at the young master. He said in a cold voice, "It is the emperor''s will for father to rest well, consider what you should do."


    "Yes ¡­" Everyone agreed, and another person asked in concern, "Young Master, what will happen to the Miss?"


    Bi Zhenye looked at the emperor''s tent, where lights were shining, he clenched his fists and said: "The heavens will not treat Hanxi unfairly."


    At that moment, Wei Tengfei had already returned to his own tent, and was waiting for news from the Emperor.


    However, he had already decided that no matter what decision the Emperor made, he would follow his own wishes and go to the duel tomorrow. It was not only for Hanxi, but also for the Daqi, for the hundreds of thousands of brothers under his command. It would be for the best if he could match the emperor''s thoughts.


    General, Ling Chaofeng requests an audience. The guard outside reported.


    Wei Tengfei stood up and walked to the door, lifting up the curtain, he saw Ling Chaofeng standing there, and laughed: "Come in."


    He asked: "Did Xiaowan go to accompany Hanxi?"


    Ling Chaofeng replied: "Yes, please be at ease, Xiaowan will take good care of Miss Bi."


    Wei Tengfei said, "It''s great to have Xiaowan around. Chao Feng, you are blessed to have married such a good wife. "


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Because of this, no matter what unforeseen event I face in the future, I will be able to handle it calmly. After all, I have already obtained the best in the world."


    Wei Tengfei laughed and said that Ling Chaofeng was not modest at all, but no matter how good the Xiaowan was, in his eyes, it was not as good as Hanxi at all.


    The relationship between a man and a woman was truly marvelous. Once one fell in love, the world before one''s eyes would also become completely different.


    He did not like women''s tears, nor did he love people who were too weak. However, all of Hanxi''s shortcomings had now become existences that made him feel tender and loving towards them.


    "The Emperor''s side doesn''t seem to have made any decisions yet." Ling Chaofeng said, "The emperor must be in a very difficult situation. He could have sent Prince Haas away successfully, but he didn''t expect that conflict still couldn''t be avoided."


    Wei Tengfei said with a cold expression, "I will bear the consequences of the disaster that I have caused myself. Even if there is a conflict with the Xiluo, as long as the emperor still trusts me and leaves me by the coast, I will definitely use the fastest speed to build a powerful water master for him."


    He turned his mind, looked at Ling Chaofeng, and asked: "Do you want to advise me of something?"


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "Xiaowan entrusted me to tell the general that he must win Hanxi back. What''s so special about Xiluo?


    Wei Tengfei laughed and asked: "Xiaowan said so?"


    Ling Chaofeng cupped his fists and said: "General, we regard peace as the most precious thing, in the eyes of the bystanders, we might become cowards. Xiluo were powerful countries, they fought the weak whenever they saw strong warriors. If they were to covet my Daqi, there will be a war sooner or later. If so, General Wei, please let them properly understand who the overlord of this continent is. "


    Wei Tengfei''s heart was in turmoil, at a time like this, even if there was only one person standing by his side, it would still be worth it.


    It was undeniable that he was very impulsive and reckless tonight''s matter, bringing trouble to everyone. Perhaps even his younger sister wouldn''t forgive him for understanding him. However, even if one did not care about their love for each other and instead wanted to sacrifice a weak girl to build a good relationship with a country thousands of miles away, they were too useless.


    "Tell Xiaowan to wait for my wedding wine." Wei Tengfei''s aura surged, and he patted Ling Chaofeng''s shoulders, "Good brother!"


    When Ling Chaofeng walked out of the general''s tent, the lights inside the emperor''s tent were gradually extinguished. He smiled faintly, the young emperor must have also made a decision, Ling Chaofeng believed that his Daqi would become stronger and stronger without a doubt.


    On the other side, Hanxi and Xiaowan were lying on the bed. It was very warm here, and at night, they only needed to cover their stomachs with a thin layer of the muslin.


    Xiaowan said that she never thought that winter would be so warm.


    Hanxi asked Xiaowan if she had been to the north before. She said that it was a place even north of the capital. There, the summer was very cool. The aristocratic families in the capital would head north every summer to enjoy the scorching heat.


    "But as far south as you go, when you come back and spend all your time on the road, all you can do is roast fire and imagine how you''re going to spend the winter in the warm south." Hanxi laughed, "This is also my first time here, my first time eating fruits here, it''s so sweet."


    "I want to bring some to my family, to give my family''s Little Pei, my aunt''s Uncle Biao, and Susu and the others a taste." The Xiaowan said.


    "Time to rot on the road." Hanxi said, "Why don''t you bring them along to eat here."


    "It''s getting colder as we head north. It won''t rot, right?" Xiaowan calculated the time she spent on the way here, but she was in such a rush that her bones were about to break. Even if the weather was cold enough, the fruit would not be able to withstand the bumpiness, but if she walked slowly, the fruit would probably rot.


    The two of them chatted for a long time. However, they did not mention a single word about tomorrow''s duel.


    Until the moment when the Xiaowan was sleepy and heard Hanxi say, "Sister-in-law, I''m going to follow the General Wei. Even if I die, I won''t go to the Xiluo."


    Xiaowan acknowledged, but because she was too tired, she fell asleep immediately.


    The next morning, the weather was clear and the sun was shining so brightly that it was hard to open one''s eyes. As expected of the emperor, he allowed Hanxi to spectate the battle. After all, this was related to her entire life.


    Wei Tengfei, dressed in military attire, arrived in front of the tent. The first person who walked out was her sister Siyan, but she didn''t seriously make a face at him, and swaggered away with Palace Maid.


    The people following her were all stunned, but the Empress was the Empress after all. They could only pretend that they hadn''t seen her.


    In next to no time, the Emperor came out.


    stood in front of Wei Tengfei and placed a hand on his shoulder, then said: "General, no matter what decision you make, I will support you fully."


    Wei Tengfei was stunned, the Emperor actually did not ask him to lose the duel to seek peace.


    He had always thought that even though the new ruler had a heavenly aura, he was not as domineering as the new emperor. If the new emperor were to meet with this matter, who knows how long it would take for him to kill all the thousands of Xiluo soldiers by the sea, but the new ruler''s diplomacy was always gentle ¡­


    Wei Tengfei felt extremely guilty, regretting that he had underestimated the young emperor.


    "This official obeys the decree!" Wei Tengfei cupped his fists and acknowledged the order.

 C208

    This was a battle without suspense, a wager on whether or not the Daqi court was afraid of a powerful country thousands of miles away.


    However, the fighting in the west could not be underestimated. When Prince Haas fell on the sand, and when the Great General of Xiluo asked him to spar with him again, they had truly fought for a while, and only finally managed to deal with the enemy in one move.


    He stepped forward to support the robust man who had fallen to the ground. The sturdy man spoke a bunch of words, and in the end patted Wei Tengfei''s shoulder with a friendly attitude.


    He was probably a great general leading an army on an expedition, but their positions were different.


    And in the Xiluo, no matter if it was stealing women or stealing territory, the result of the duel was protected by the law. Hence, to them, since Prince Haas had lost, they could not bring him away.


    The soldiers of the Chuanyu¡¯s Army were very honest. Although they were very happy to see the general win, they still did not understand the outcome. Someone whispered to Ling Chaofeng, "Manager Ling, what will happen next?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "How is it? Your general is going to get married. "


    Hearing that, everyone erupted into laughter, and rushed forward to lift their general up into the sky. Wei Tengfei was greatly embarrassed, he was completely stunned by his own men, but he saw Hanxi standing in the crowd, smiling at him.


    The emperor naturally couldn''t be so happy. He ordered some servants to take care of the injured Prince and General Haas, then invited their Duke to come forward to speak.


    The emperor was willing to give two large ships to the Xiluo for their fleet to return successfully. In that storm, their ships sank quite a few times, but even after putting them together, there were still hundreds of people who were unable to board the ships. If they forcibly boarded the ship, once they were unable to bear the pressure, they would sink into the vast ocean, and even the gods would not be able to save them.


    However, Daqi Nation was willing to give them a boat to send them away, and did not detain a single soldier.


    This way, after the battles, there would be a lot of things to deal with. Wei Tengfei could not let his guard down when the thousands of enemy troops were gathered by the ocean.


    He didn''t have time to celebrate this with Hanxi, he didn''t even have time to say a word as he chased away the excited brothers and hurriedly left with the emperor.


    With the permission of her husband, Xiaowan ran into the crowd and tightly embraced Hanxi.


    She was extremely happy and she was crying, but she wiped away Hanxi''s tears, saying that she could not cry anymore. She turned her head to look at General Wei and saw that he did not want her, so she choked on her tears: "Anyway, he does not want me, I will follow him."


    Ling Chaofeng and Bi Zhenye met, and Bi Zhenye once again thanked the couple for taking care of him, but Ling Chaofeng said: "Ling Qian is in the capital, I hope Young Noble Bi can help out."


    When the siblings saw each other, Hanxi laughed with tears in her eyes. "Brother, I don''t need to go anymore, are you happy?"


    Bi Zhenye retorted by asking his sister, "Why didn''t you tell Big Brother about the matter between you and General Wei earlier?


    Hanxi laughed foolishly. In fact, back then, she had been in so much pain that she kept talking about when she would give her heart to that man. It was really last night when he suddenly hugged her. In that instant, everything that had happened before, whether it was life or death, tit for tat, had all resulted in feelings of camaraderie.


    A man descended from the sky when she was in need of him the most. They might still need a long time to get used to each other''s feelings, but she had already decided that she would only be Wei Tengfei''s woman in her lifetime.


    The General Wei might stay and build a water master for the imperial government. Originally, he wanted to leave his father at the beach and let him perish on his own, but if his sister and her husband were to stay, he would bring his father back to the capital for house arrest.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t let him interfere in any matters of the family." Bi Zhenye said coldly, "I also won''t allow you to sympathize with him anymore. He''s not worthy."


    "I know." Hanxi lowered her eyes, "I no longer care about that person''s life or death. He has harmed Brother Xingye, mother and son, and also harmed us. Elder brother, don''t worry. Even if he dies, I don''t want to wear mourning for him. "


    "Where''s Grandma? With me, industry, and Lian Yi, you don''t have to worry." Bi Zhenye said, "But I know that you cannot let mother go, but in the future, I will have your husband arrange everything for you, so don''t pester brother anymore."


    Hanxi said in a delicate voice: "When have I ever bothered you? I ¡­ I''m not married yet, and yet you don''t want me?"


    Xiaowan wiped her tears and said to Ling Chaofeng: "Hubby, it''s good to have big brother."


    Ling Chaofeng hugged her: "You don''t have a brother, but you have me. Your brother isn''t necessarily a good person. Look at Susu, he was almost killed by her blood brother. "


    Xiaowan''s eyebrows curved: "Then I would rather have my husband than brother."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Just be happy for a while, stop crying, if not Miss Bi will cry along with you. Late at night, we will help the general take good care of the Miss Bi for a few days. After the Xiluo army has retreated, it is time for us to return. "


    He wanted to bring all the fruits here for his family to eat. Ling Chaofeng couldn''t do anything about her, after agreeing to it, he would think of a way to bring the fruits back to her family.


    It was only until sunset that Wei Tengfei finally had the chance to see the Empress alone. As soon as he saw her, he was ridiculed by his sister, "There''s no rush to meet the bride.


    Wei Tengfei took the role of monarch and bowed to his sister. However, Siyan continued to speak in a pampered tone, "Aiyo, Wei Tengfei, are you getting married? "Why are you kneeling to me? Hurry up and greet the bride."


    Seeing that his sister did not have the dignity of a queen at all, as if she was a little girl who had been acting coquettishly all along, Wei Tengfei did not care about the etiquette of a king and spoke in a fierce tone, "Don''t be so impudent, that''s your sister-in-law."


    Siyan laughed: "Men with wives are really angry."


    Wei Tengfei was annoyed: "Great empress, what do you look like?"


    Siyan laughed leisurely as she looked at her brother. As she did so, her eyes filled with tears. Wei Tengfei''s heart softened as she said, "You women are so annoying."


    "Brother, hurry up and give birth to my nephew. You have to treat Hanxi well and don''t bully her." Siyan, however, could not hold it in. She ran even faster as she talked. She lightly punched her brother''s chest and choked with sobs, "How boring. I can''t bully you from now on. My sister-in-law won''t agree."


    Wei Tengfei rubbed his sister''s head, saying that she was the mother of her nation and her niece was already two years old, yet she was still crying. After saying a few words of consolation, he said in a serious tone, "For Brother to publicly humiliate the Emperor is, after all, wrong. No matter what kind of punishment it is, don''t go against the emperor. Don''t make it difficult for the emperor for you. The two of you are husband and wife; there''s nothing you can''t say clearly. Big Brother wants to live with Hanxi for a lifetime, and you, want to live with the Emperor for the rest of your life.


    "Of course I understand. Actually, when we came, we were just trying to figure out whether you would steal the bride. We thought of a lot of ways to deal with it, but in the end you directly carried them over and openly asked us for them." Siyan sighed, "Brother, are you stupid?"


    Wei Tengfei was annoyed: "How am I stupid, as a person I must be honest. Of course, I was wrong to push the relationship between the two countries to the forefront. " But he asked curiously, "How did you know that Hanxi and I ¡­"


    His sister said in disgust, "Someone like you, a woman is seriously injured in order to save you. Even if you hadn''t thought about your children, you still wouldn''t have let her die."


    "Oh!" Wei Tengfei said, but Siyan continued, "And Little Qing told me that Prince Haas told me that he has a woman he loves in his Xiluo. He was only forced to reconcile, so he doesn''t want to betray his lover."


    "General Shen from the General Shen?" Wei Tengfei asked.


    "Yes, it''s Little Qing. You recognize him." Siyan said, "I also don''t know what kind of relationship she has with Bi Family, but for this matter, she had silently ran away. That child is truly kind. This time, she will definitely be very happy. "


    "Thank her for me." Wei Tengfei said.


    "This is Hanxi''s problem, is it all yours now?" Siyan''s smile was like a flower, her head was slapped on by her brother, causing her to scream in pain, "I am the Queen!"


    At this side, Xiaowan brought hot water and washed up with Hanxi, telling her that the general had gone over to the Emperor.


    Although Hanxi was now Wei Tengfei''s fiancee, because everyone knew about their relationship, it would be inappropriate for them to meet each other in public. It was like this until the sky turned dark. The two of them had yet to see the sky above them.


    "Wait until Xiluo''s army leaves by boat. The Emperor will definitely arrange something for you." The Xiaowan copied what her husband had taught her and comforted Hanxi, "The general has been really busy these few days, please bear with it. Don''t be anxious."


    Hanxi blushed: "I''m not in a hurry."


    Xiaowan said, "When the time comes, I will also leave. I don''t know if I will make it in time to eat my wedding wine. If I miss it, when we meet again, you can keep it for me."


    Hanxi was reluctant to part with him, he grabbed onto Xiaowan''s hand and asked: "Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"


    The Xiaowan laughed, "Hubby has some important things to do, so of course I''ll follow him. Our inn will be located at Baisha County.


    Hanxi said: "Sister Lian Yi, Sister Lian Yi from the capital, she also really wants to see you.


    The Xiaowan said happily: "There will always be chances, I really want to as well ¡­"


    Before she finished her words, Xiaowan suddenly felt her stomach churning as waves of nausea rushed to her throat. She supported Hanxi''s hand and sat down, panting as she said: "I ate too many big prawns and crabs, support me."


    "Sister-in-law, are you alright?" Hanxi patted her back, "Do you want to vomit?"


    "I''ll slowly recover. I''ve been eating and drinking a lot these past few days ¡­" While Xiaowan was speaking, she felt a wave of nausea, and before sshe had the time to run out, he had already vomited.


    When Ling Chaofeng rushed over, Xiaowan was weakly lying on the bed. He was even smiling guiltily at him, "Master, I''ve been eating too much, I''m fine."

 C209

    Ling Chaofeng did not say a word and directly took the Xiaowan''s pulse. Her wife''s pulse was indeed somewhat delicate, but with his experience, he was not able to say why.


    Very quickly, the doctors under Wei Tengfei and the imperial physician who had accompanied him to the Imperial Palace arrived. The Xiaowan was actually a little scared and said weakly to Ling Chaofeng: "Master, I''m fine, I don''t want to see a doctor."


    "I''m here." Ling Chaofeng appeased the Xiaowan, and asked the two doctors to take his pulse.


    After they touched young lady''s pulse, they discussed for a while, then asked Xiaowan some questions. All the way until they asked: "Madam, when was the last time you wrote a letter?"


    Xiaowan did not understand, Ling Chaofeng whispered into her ear, then understood what the doctor meant. He tried counting with his fingers, but she could not remember.


    She had been out running all day and had only rested at home for a few days. She had really gone up to the sea and had been busy from morning to night. She had forgotten about it, but she vaguely remembered the day when she was at home again.


    The doctor then asked, "Have you had any matters to attend to these past few days?"


    Xiaowan was embarrassed to the point that her face was flushed red, she did not know how to reply, but Ling Chaofeng said generously, "I have done this many times."


    In front of a doctor, no one would care if he was shy. After the two discussed with each other, they smiled and said to the couple: "young lady might be happy, but the days are not long and my pulse is still weak. If he is really pregnant, he will be able to feel it in ten days or half a month. "


    Ling Chaofeng looked at the doctor blankly, then asked: "How serious is it now?"


    The doctor laughed, "Seventy to eighty. If it''s the Inner Palace Doctor Jin, they would be more adept. One of us is here to accompany the army while the other is here to manage the emergency situation. It doesn''t seem right."


    Ling Chaofeng''s heart skipped a beat as he sent the two doctors out. When he looked back, he saw Xiaowan standing there dumbly with a face full of anxiety, as if she had done something wrong. His heart immediately softened as she leaned on the bedside and asked, "What are you daydreaming for?"


    "Husband, I ¡­" Xiaowan regained his senses, lowered his head and looked at his stomach, then looked at his husband, his eyes gradually becoming moist, his voice choked with sobs, "Husband, is what the doctor said true?"


    "When we get home, the time will be right. There will be a definite number then." Ling Chaofeng held her hand and kissed it again and again, but the truth was that he couldn''t hide the excitement on his face.


    He had to consider whether or not he could achieve true results in half a month. If not, the excitement he felt right now would become a burden for the Xiaowan. He was not in a hurry to have children, and was even more reluctant to have any children.


    "If not, then what about me?" Xiaowan asked her husband. Her soft hands trembled as she caressed his cheeks, "Husband, are you unhappy?"


    "If that''s not the case, then it''s eating too much, gluttonous cat." Ling Chaofeng stood up and hugged Xiaowan, "If it''s not for that, don''t be sad, let''s go home and work hard, at that time you are not allowed to beg for forgiveness."


    Xiaowan moaned softly and buried her face in his chest: "When did you ever beg for mercy? "The worst person is Hubby."


    Ling Chaofeng was unwilling to let go, and wished that he could kiss Xiaowan''s entire body. His surging emotions and excitement in his heart surpassed everything he had experienced in the past few days, and he didn''t know how to describe his happiness. But if it was just the Xiaowan being full, then it was nothing, it was just experiencing this excitement and joy ahead of time.


    At the moment, the Xiluo army had yet to leave, and the emperor and the General Wei still had many important matters to attend to. The high officials and officials accompanying them, as well as tens of thousands of soldiers, compared to all of these, the Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng were insignificant. They were happy, but that was their business.


    As a result, it did not cause much of a commotion, but Hanxi understood that being pregnant at the beginning was not a good idea to brag about it, and he was happy with the Xiaowan in private.


    After working busily for three whole days, it was finally the time for the Xiluo people to leave the Daqi.


    Furthermore, during the storm, not only had they lost their gunpowder cannons, their rations and water had also sunk into the sea. In order to ensure their successful return to the Xiluo, the Emperor of Daqi had generously provided all the assistance they could.


    Looking at the military ships of the Xiluo, which were moving away from the coast in a well-trained manner, the emperor frowned. If not for the storm, what would it be like now?


    Could it be that their cannons would be able to bombard the shore, cause these tall soldiers to rush inland, and stop the Daqi''s troops?


    Prince Haas was about to board the boat and leave. He covered his chest with one hand and bowed to Xiang Run.


    He loved the culture of the Daqi and admired all the legends on this land. However, after expressing all of these, his expression became solemn and solemn: "Your Majesty, the people of Xiluo will take everything they like and own it. The next time I come, I will bring along the strongest battleship and warrior of the Xiluo."


    Xiang Run gave a cold and majestic laugh, "Finally, take a good look at my Daqi and scenery. After all, you will never be able to see them again in your entire life."


    The fleet slowly moved away from the territory of the Daqi, and watched as the black figure disappeared into the horizon. Xiang Run retracted his gaze, looked at everyone on the beach, and ordered Wei Tengfei in a loud voice, "Summon the troops."


    Xiaowan and Hanxi could hear it from the camp, and the thick roars shook their hearts. Hanxi stood in front of the door and looked in the direction of the beach, pricking up her ears, as if she was trying to find Wei Tengfei''s voice.


    The Xiaowan packed her things silently. She did not bring anything when she came, but now that she was leaving, she brought along gifts from the locals, from the Empress and Hanxi. She did not find any trouble with them, as every single one of them was precious. She even calculated that after she returned, she would give them to Susu as a gift to the Aunt Zhang.


    And ¡­ If you have a little girl in your belly, you should prepare a dowry for your daughter. The Xiaowan unknowingly started to laugh. He rubbed his stomach, if he was a little brother, Little Pei would be happy, but before he went out, he shouted for a little brother.


    However, Xiaowan''s heart sank. Little Pei knew that he wasn''t Ling Chaofeng''s child, and understood where his mother came from. Now that they had their own flesh and blood, would Little Pei feel uncomfortable?


    Although it was unfair to her child to think of it like that, if the new child would cause Little Pei to be harmed, she would rather live her entire life. As long as Little Pei was here, it would be fine to say that he had not come before.


    "Baby, if you really come, you have to love big brother, big brother will love you too." Xiaowan secretly thought, but suddenly there was a loud sound that shook the earth, causing it to shake. Xiaowan was shocked, but Hanxi said excitedly, "Sister-in-law, they fired the cannons over there."


    After the beach was lit, the smoke gradually dispersed. The emperor and his queen slowly walked along the coastal beach.


    There were still traces of the Xiluo warships left there, and every single trace was a reminder to Xiang Run that he mustn''t act complacently and forget his previous self. It was still far too early for the Daqi to truly become the overlord of this continent.


    "It is my good fortune that the battle didn''t start this time. Otherwise, I would have lost miserably." The emperor held his wife''s hand and looked out to sea and took a deep breath.


    The waves lapped against the shore fiercely, covering the empress''s legs, the emperor''s dragon robe, and the empress''s skirt all became wet.


    The seemingly gentle sea water had boundless power. The sand under their feet was quickly carried away by the sea water. Anyone who lost a bit of self-control would feel as if their feet would be taken away together with them.


    The instant they felt the fear of being swallowed up by the sea was something they had never felt before.


    "Your Majesty ¡­" Siyan was a little afraid and wanted to pull her husband back a little, but the emperor just stood there majestically, again and again, feeling the power of the waves hitting the shore.


    On the other side, Ling Chaofeng followed Wei Tengfei up. Seeing the Empress standing on the beach and letting the waves splash onto her body, the two of them looked at each other for a moment before they quickened their pace and walked over.


    When Xiang Run saw them, he finally returned to the shore with the Queen. The Palace Maid quickly gathered the Empress and left.


    Wei Tengfei and Ling Chaofeng bowed towards the emperor, who looked at Ling Chaofeng and said, "Oh yes, I heard that Manager Ling''s wife is pregnant? Congratulations. "


    "Thank you, your majesty!" Ling Chaofeng said.


    "However, I will not be courteous to you." The Emperor said, "If I want to build a strong defense of the sea, it will cost me countless gold and silver. Although the treasury is abundant, I can''t place all of it at the seaside. Ling Chaofeng, the imperial government and I really need you. "


    "It is this subject''s honor to be able to share his worries with the Emperor." Ling Chaofeng said, "This commoner will do his best."


    The emperor nodded. He then looked at Wei Tengfei and sighed softly, "How should I punish you? How about this, with the establishment of the maritime defense as the deadline, we will be satisfied one day, and marry Bi Hanxi off to you."


    Wei Tengfei looked at the emperor with a face full of shock, but still managed to get his brother-in-law to laugh loudly, signaling them to stand up.


    Xiang Run faced the ocean with his hands behind his back, pointed at the blue ocean surface, and said to them: "We will come here again next time, to see my Daqi''s warship, fill up this ocean surface."


    "Yes ¡­" Wei Tengfei''s voice was like a bell as he agreed.


    Three days later, the emperor brought the empress to investigate the affairs of the people, asking about the local fisheries and even conducting a few cases of wrongdoing. Three days later, the emperor was about to return to the capital.


    Wei Tengfei did not receive any punishment, the Emperor said that if a general who knocked down a Xiluo warrior was to receive any punishment, who would be willing to defend their country? Before he left, he married Wei Tengfei and Bi Hanxi together with the Queen. Even though they have not held an official wedding ceremony, they are already husband and wife in reality.


    Naturally, when the Empress left, the Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng had to leave as well. The Queen knew that the Xiaowan might be pregnant, so she brought her along.


    On the day of their departure, Hanxi, her brother and the Xiaowan parted ways. They stood by the shore and waved continuously, until the Empress brought the Xiaowan into the cabin.


    "You''re not crying?" Wei Tengfei looked at Hanxi and laughed, "Why aren''t you crying today?"


    Speaking of which, these past few days, they actually did not have a day where they could speak properly in private. They had been tormenting themselves until this moment, where they even drank their wine in front of the empress.


    "Because you don''t like me to cry." Hanxi looked at her husband weakly, "If I follow you, I won''t shed tears anymore."

 C210

    "You were left behind by me just like that, to marry a man who''s older than you by ten years. Hanxi, you''re willing?" However, Wei Tengfei said, "If you just don''t want to go to the Xiluo, and accept my offer, I will immediately send you off and let your brother bring you home."


    Hanxi immediately grabbed onto Wei Tengfei''s big palm with his two hands. Under the man''s dark and rough skin, he looked even more petite and tender. She needed to grab onto a finger with one hand to guarantee that she could use all of his strength to hold on to him.


    "If you don''t leave today, you''ll have to suffer a lot with me in the future. You won''t know when I''ll die on the battlefield and you''ll be widowed." Wei Tengfei said.


    Hanxi stared at this man in shock. Their marriage had not even started and he was already cursing her to die. The furious bride raised her hand and slapped the groom''s face.


    However, Wei Tengfei was still a practitioner after all, so he was able to dodge in time. He rubbed his chin with his fingertips, frowned, and then grabbed Hanxi''s hand and said: "I''m not scaring you, I''m serious."


    Hanxi trembled, she lowered her eyes and thought, yes, he was right, those who lead the troops to war, if they meet with trouble, then there would be no tomorrow.


    Wei Tengfei asked with a ferocious expression, "Tell me honestly, did you intentionally slap me in the valley?"


    Hanxi pursed her lips and did not say a word.


    Wei Tengfei snorted: "You have a habit of crying, and a habit of hitting others, I want to cure you of all things."


    However, Hanxi struggled a little, and continued to hold onto the man''s fingers tightly.


    Wei Tengfei asked: "Follow me closely, you don''t fear suffering, and aren''t afraid..."


    "Shut up!" Hanxi was angry, she fiercely said to his husband, "Who would want to die? So what if I die? Since you closed your eyes and don''t care about me, then even if I closed my eyes to chase you, you still wouldn''t be able to stop me. If you have the ability, then just die and take a look. "


    Wei Tengfei laughed out loud, and carried his bride in his arms, bringing her back home steadily. When the soldiers following behind saw this scene, they whistled and jumped in joy, but boldly instigated him: "Boss, give me a kiss!"


    Hanxi buried sher face in his chest, she was so embarrassed that her whole body was burning, of course Wei Tengfei wouldn''t let her down, he carried her into the saddle and ran all the way back to the camp.


    On the way, he said to his bride, "With you, I can''t stay in the tent forever. Tomorrow we''ll go see the house, although we''ll have to stay here for a long time, and we''ll have to have a decent home."


    Of course, Hanxi was happy. She then asked curiously, "But if you don''t leave here, what about the Chuanyu?"


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "They are just like a part of my body, wherever I am, everything will be arranged appropriately. If there are talented people who are skilled in water elementalists, I will bring them along for a year or two and let them teach me how to train their troops, I will naturally return to the mainland. Everyone has their own strengths, so why should I try to be brave when I''m still not used to sailing? "


    Hanxi said: "Then, no matter if it''s Shang Jing or my Chuanyu, can you take me to see sister-in-law along the way?"


    Wei Tengfei laughed: "That''s inevitable, since Ling Chaofeng and I still have a lot of things to take care of, we will meet again sooner or later, so naturally we''ll bring you along."


    Hanxi thought longingly, "Maybe the next time we meet, my sister-in-law''s child will be born."


    Wei Tengfei asked: "What about us?"


    There was complete silence in his arms. Hanxi did not utter a word, and Wei Tengfei thought that she was being bashful, so he did not have the heart to tease her. "Birth by yourself."


    Wei Tengfei stopped his horse and looked at the person in his arms happily. He gave a heavy kiss on his fair cheek: "Hanxi, I will treat you well. I will treat you well for the rest of my life."


    "Yes." Hanxi said in a sweet voice, "I won''t hit you again."


    On this side, the large ship went against the flow of the river, wanting to return to the capital. She also wanted to put down Ling Chaofeng and the Xiaowan halfway.


    Therefore, he kept a low profile and followed behind the fleet all the time, while the Xiaowan was left on the Queen''s boat, just like the other Palace Maid, appearing inconspicuous.


    Naturally, the Xiaowan had received very good care of him, but being served by so many people made her feel very embarrassed, and made her and the Empress feel somewhat distant. Hanxi not being by her side made her feel even more awkward.


    The empress had already noticed this, and let Xiaowan get used to the ship''s bumps and bumps. Early the next morning, when they were about to ask her to eat breakfast together, she said, "Are you still scared of me? Let''s discuss the matter of my brother and Hanxi together, at that time, wasn''t it great?"


    The Xiaowan nodded her head, "But the Empress, in the end, is still the Empress ¡­"


    Siyan waved her hand and ordered the Palace Maid to retreat. Holding her cheek, she asked: "Xiaowan, do you have any particularly deep memories of your dreams?"


    Xiaowan shook her head, but quickly nodded again. She looked at the Queen nervously, and did not say anything.


    Siyan said: "I think we met in a dream. Xiaowan, have you ever dreamt of a pond full of lotus flowers? The two of us can look at each other through the lotus pond. "


    "Empress ¡­" Xiaowan''s eyes widened in shock, she was at a loss for words, "Empress, I ¡­ I dreamt that it was the night before I married."


    The two checked the date and sure enough, it was the same night. Siyan said happily: "Why is it like this, we have never met. In fact, even in my dreams I could not see your face clearly."


    Xiaowan nodded her head, "I also didn''t see the Empress''s face clearly."


    Siyan patted the back of her hand and cheerfully said: "It seems that our fates are not shallow." However, she suddenly thought of something and calmly said, "But this kind of thing will be treated as weird and will have no meaning to others. You and I will just hide it in our hearts."


    They had breakfast together, then went out on deck to see the scenery on both sides of the river. They talked about their experiences, and the relationship between them gradually became more and more intimate.


    However, although she was treated very well by the Empress, Xiaowan was still worried about his husband. After eating lunch, she mustered up the courage to tell the empress that she wanted to be with Ling Chaofeng.


    Siyan naturally agreed, and ordered someone to use a small boat to send Xiaowan to her husband''s side.


    When the fleet was close to the Baisha River, Ling Chaofeng took Xiaowan and silently left the emperor''s team. Originally, the Xiaowan was still thinking of bidding farewell to the Empress, but Ling Chaofeng said that it was better not to be too flamboyant.


    They entered the Baisha River on the boat, all the way to the Baisha River Pier. Coincidentally, today, Da Qing came to the pier with Little Pei to play, so it was naturally Little Pei who found out that his parents were here today, and pestered Da Qing to come along. The moment he landed and saw his son, he was overjoyed.


    But her body did not let him go. Not long after she hugged Little Pei, her chest started to churn as she ran to the side of the river to vomit. Da Qing watched on from the side.


    Ling Chaofeng indicated for him not to be arrogant and asked him to go into the town to bring the doctor back.


    When the whole family returned to the tavern, Aunt Zhang was both happy and worried when she heard that the Xiaowan might be interested in them. She said that with her weak physique, how could she withstand the bumpiness?


    Xiaowan rested for a long time. Da Qing brought the doctor over, and from the last time, he checked the doctor''s pulse, and another ten days passed. This time, the doctor only touched the pulse a little, and said with a smile: "young lady is delighted."


    The inside of the tavern was full of joy. Little Pei laid on the bedside and asked the Xiaowan: "Mother, do I need to have a little brother now?"


    Xiaowan said, "Maybe it''s little sister. Little Pei, if it was little sister, would you like his?"


    Little Pei nodded his head: "I like both my brother and sister."


    After a long period of liveliness, everyone finally dispersed.


    Ling Chaofeng sat on the bedside and gently caressed Xiaowan''s face. Although he knew what was going on, hearing the doctor speaking the truth, he was still extremely excited.


    "Take good care of your body. Nothing else is important." Ling Chaofeng said, "It''s all my fault. I originally wanted you to raise your body a bit more, to be two years older."


    The Xiaowan replied, "That''s nothing. I''m still healthy. It''s a pity that I can''t accompany my husband out the door. "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I won''t go far. If there is anything I can do, I can do it with someone else. This year, I will be accompanying you." He carried Xiaowan in his arms and let her lie comfortably in his arms, "One year later, when the child is born, we will go out together."


    Xiaowan was satisfied. Her body was tired, so she slept in her husband''s embrace comfortably. She muttered: "We will be together no matter where we go."


    They had only been home for a few days, and that meant they had to go to La Eight. It was the custom at Ling Xiao Inn, to go to town every year the day before La Eight''s porridge was cooked.


    This year, Aunt Zhang had a new wife and children, so she prepared more attentively. She wanted to spread her good fortune and pray for Xiaowan and his children. Early in the morning, she brought Little Pei and majestically went out.


    When they left the house, Little Pei was still downstairs waving at the Xiaowan, shouting, "Mother, let me bring you something nice to eat."


    Master Mu brought a pair of children over from under the bridge. When Wen Bao smelled the fragrance of the porridge, he said that he wanted to drink the porridge. Master Mu snappily said: "Go see your mother first."


    Today, was the day that Master Mu was allowed to visit the prison. He had brought the two children along, but once they were outside the prison, Wen Bao refused to enter no matter what, and started crying loudly in front of the door.

 C211

    As Wen Bao was unwilling to go into the prison to see his mother, Master Mu left his son in front of the door. He placed a handful of copper coins in front of the prison guards and led Wen Juan away.


    The Madam Xu was thinner and dirtier. Although the cells would occasionally give the prisoners a bath, the winter water was too cold and some of the prisoners would rather not wash because they were afraid of the cold. This was the case for the Madam Xu.


    How could she have known that every winter, Xiaowan would wash her hair with cold water. She did not fall sick, but that child was lucky.


    "His father ¡­" Madam Xu shouted and her tears fell like rain. However, she only saw the man and her daughter come and anxiously asked, "Where''s Wen Bao? Why hasn''t he come?


    Wen Juan said: "Mother, he''s outside, he''s not willing to come in."


    Madam Xu was very disappointed, but her eyes suddenly popped out again, and she scolded Master Mu: "What if you throw him out and get kidnapped by someone?"


    "Someone is watching, don''t let your imagination run wild." Master Mu took out the food he was eating and said coldly, "With that silly brat of yours, who would be interested in him?"


    "So what if she is? You don''t like him anymore, he''s the only son of your Old Mu family?" Madam Xu stayed in the prison for so long, but she still did not reduce the hostility and viciousness on her body. "If you dare to mistreat my son, even as a ghost, I will not let you go. I will definitely go out sooner or later, and you guys will owe me your Old Mu family, so I will definitely repay you."


    "What nonsense are you talking in front of your child?" The Master Mu sighed, "I knew it, I shouldn''t have come to see you."


    The Madam Xu was furious, "Why am I spouting nonsense? Do you wish for me to die so you can get another woman?"


    The guard heard the noise and came over to scold: "What are you shouting for? Do you believe that I won''t beat you to death? "


    Madam Xu was so scared that her whole body was trembling, she did not dare to say a single word.


    After entering the prison, except for the fact that he had never been tortured by these guards, he had been beaten up to the point that his skin and flesh were torn apart. He could even do all the work that he could to the point where he could not straighten his back. During the summer bath, the other prisoners had stolen her clothes, forcing her to run naked out of the house. However, the guards had made things difficult for her and had not given her clothes for a whole day.


    In comparison, Aunt Wang''s days were much better than hers, because the Wang family would occasionally send gifts to the prison to beg the guards to accommodate them, but on the Madam Xu''s side, she never thought that they would do such a thing.


    After the jailer left, Wen Juan said timidly to his mother, "Mother, please eat something. It will become cold in a moment."


    Madam Xu woke up from her stupor and directly used her hands to stuff everything into her mouth. As sshe ate, he cried and asked Master Mu, "Did you bring any money?"


    Master Mu said he had some broken silver on him, so he cried: "You give them some, and when you go home and get some, didn''t I already tell you where I hid the silver? "His father, save me! They mistreat me everyday!"


    "Just you wait." Master Mu sighed, then took out the money from his pocket and counted it out, politely looking for a few jailers. On this side, Wen Juan passed the soup to her mother, telling her to give her some food so that she wouldn''t choke on it.


    "Mom, I''ve always wanted to see you." Wen Juan cried. She rubbed her mother''s hands that were covered with cold sores and asked, "Mother, when will you be able to go home?"


    The Madam Xu was not moved at all. Instead, she asked, "How is Wen Bao, has he grown taller? Has your father fed him meat? When Wen Bao was being naughty, was your father able to beat him up?"


    Wen Juan''s heart sank, but she still replied his mother one by one. Abruptly, his mother asked her, "How is Mu Xiaowan now?"


    "I don''t know. I''ve never seen big sister before." Wen Juan said.


    Wen Juan fearfully covered her face as she looked at his mother. Madam Xu suppressed her voice and scolded angrily, "That''s your sister, I climbed both of you out from my stomach, where did you get this sister from?"


    Wen Juan moaned and cried. Madam Xu raised her hand to hit her again, saying that his daughter wanted to provoke the prison guards to trample on her, but fortunately, she was back. Seeing that her daughter was pitiful, she decided to not stay anymore.


    "Juan''er, Juan''er ¡­" "You came to visit mother again, my daughter ¡­" The Madam Xu was only slightly more awake now, but the prison door was closed. Her daughter hid in her father''s embrace and left without looking back.


    "Be more honest, or you''ll be even more handsome!" The jailer took the Master Mu''s money but was still as fierce as ever. He kicked the food they brought with him onto the ground.


    Once the guards left, the few criminals who were originally sitting in the corner rushed over to snatch the food, and even forced Madam Xu into a corner. Seeing those people gobbling down the dirty food on the ground, Madam Xu felt waves of disgust.


    Sadly, however, she had long since swallowed stale food and dirty water in order to survive.


    In front of her eyes, the time of the past had suddenly come. Although her family wasn''t rich, a man could make money. She didn''t have to go to the fields and didn''t have to work, so she lived a full life.


    Usually, other than cooking food for the two children and himself, all the dirty jobs in the family were done by stepdaughters. She was afraid that Mu Xiaowan would eat them secretly. She had never let Xiaowan touch food, what she could give to Xiaowan was worse than pig''s food.


    The happiest thing was, if he was even slightly unhappy, he would be able to take revenge on his stepdaughter. was especially happy when he saw how Xiaowan was beaten up and rolling on the ground while her flesh was bleeding profusely.


    She didn''t know how many thorns were broken or how many whips were broken. She went to the town and saw that someone was selling feather dusters. When she picked them up, she was the first to feel if the beating was painful enough.


    The greatest joy in her life was stealing men to hide silver, and torturing Mu Xiaowan.


    Madam Xu''s eyes stared straight at the criminals who were eating their food. Her expression became more and more sinister, and the hatred in her heart became more and more intense. Suddenly, her body trembled and she fell down head first.


    Furthermore, Master Mu was out in prison, bringing his son and daughter back to Qingling Village, and had even passed by places where Ling Xiao Inn were laid out. Wen Bao was so angry that he slapped him twice, and dragged the child away.


    The Uncle Biao and the Aunt Zhang also knew each other, but when they saw him, they did not come over to greet him. Even if they asked him if he was alright with the Xiaowan, maybe because they felt that it was embarrassing, or maybe because they hated him in their hearts. The whole family looked at each other, but since the Master Mu was separated like this, they were too lazy to care.


    Little Pei was cute, plump, white and tender, he was likeable to anyone who passed by. The aunty and sister-in-law would stop to give him something, and the ones that were more familiar with him would say to Uncle Biao: "Be our son-in-law, my granddaughter doesn''t look too bad, she''s compatible."


    Everyone was laughing and laughing, surrounded by them, or helping them with their work. Little Pei was originally happy to be surrounded by the stars, but suddenly felt a wave of yin energy.


    He raised his head to look and saw a black shadow flying out from the yamen. He was startled, it was not a ghost, it was a Living Soul!


    Living Soul s possessed the will that the original owner resented the most. It did not differentiate good from evil, the only reason why it existed was to kill the person it resented for the sake of the physical body.


    Little Pei''s heart skipped a beat. He made the calculations in his heart, and this wisp of Living Soul belonged to her mother''s stepmother, Madam Xu. He ran towards Aunt Zhang and spoiled his sleep by saying that he was tired. Aunt Zhang then carried his grandson to the carriage and covered him with a blanket.


    As soon as the Aunt Zhang left, Little Pei flew out to chase after the Living Soul, but the beast didn''t seem to know what was happening and was floating all over the sky. The Living Soul''s level was too low, so he couldn''t see Little Pei''s gold body. Little Pei stared at it, only to see his laughing sinisterly, as if he had understood something, and immediately flew towards the Ling Xiao Inn.


    "Evil creature!" Little Pei roared out, but just as he was about to open his mouth to bite, the voice of his uncle and Captive Cow sounded out from the sky, "Little Pei, stop!"


    Little Pei bit the air, and called the Madam Xu to pick up her life. It continued to fly towards the Ling Xiao Inn, but Little Pei was stopped by his uncle.


    "That''s the Madam Xu''s Living Soul. She wants to harm my mother!" Little Pei was extremely anxious, "Uncle, if she was just a little bit later, she would have succeeded."


    Captive Cow sighed: "Foolish brat, why don''t you remember that your mother has a long lifespan? Your mother is a lotus flower in front of Buddha, how can a wisp of Living Soul hurt her?"


    "But ¡­"


    "Little Pei, have you forgotten something again? You can''t use your Fa Li to do anything that a mortal can''t do." The Captive Cow was furious, "Are you really going to let uncle take you back to the Heavenly Court?"


    Little Pei tumbled in the clouds, anxious and restless, but he did not dare go against his uncle, and rushed back to his body. When he woke up, he went to Aunt Zhang, crying and arguing about going home immediately.


    Seeing Little Pei being so disobedient, the adults were worried that the child was not feeling well, so they got Susu and Da Qing to send him home first. Susu hugging Little Pei all the way, was completely scared by the child.


    "Little Pei, are you unwell?" Susu was worried, "Tell me, where does it hurt?"

 C212

    Little Pei shook his head, leaned into Susu''s embrace and obediently sobbed. He didn''t know how he should respond to his aunt''s question.


    In the tavern, Xiaowan was addicted to sleep at the start of pregnancy. Not long after eating breakfast, she leaned on the bed and imitated the needle technique that Aunt Zhang had taught him, wanting to knit a hat for Little Pei. Without realizing it, she fell asleep.


    He was originally sleeping soundly, but suddenly something grabbed her by the neck, making it difficult for her to breathe. Xiaowan struggled to open her eyes, but she could not see anything.


    "Hubby, hubby ¡­" She cried out in pain.


    But at that moment, Ling Chaofeng happened to push the door open and enter the room. The Madam Xu was shocked, she immediately let go, she subconsciously wanted to hide, but her head suddenly burrowed into the Xiaowan''s stomach.


    "Late?" Ling Chaofeng realized that Xiaowan had closed his eyes in pain. He put down the food and came to wake her up.


    She nestled into Ling Chaofeng''s embrace, her husband gently caressing her back. "Have you had a nightmare?"


    "Mm ¡­" Xiaowan also couldn''t say anything, she could only breathe heavily, not wanting Ling Chaofeng to worry about her, he smiled and said, "Hubby, I''m fine, how can I become so delicate just because I''m carrying a child?"


    "So what if you''re delicate? Everyone in this world dotes on you." Ling Chaofeng supported Xiaowan who was leaning against the bed, he walked to the window and opened it a crack, the clear and cold air floated in, Xiaowan felt much more at ease.


    When Ling Chaofeng saw the carriage in the house, he asked: "Why did they come back so early?"


    Not long after, Little Pei ran up from downstairs while clamoring. The moment he entered the door, he threw himself into Xiaowan''s embrace.


    Susu followed him in, and laughed: "I don''t know what happened to this little thing today, but it''s making a huge ruckus. It cried and shouted to go home, and Aunt couldn''t coax it anymore, so she told us to send it back first. Look at him, Da Qing and I are going back to town. There are still a lot of porridge to be delivered. "


    Ling Chaofeng warned them to be careful on their way here and to send Susu to the entrance. He also asked Da Qing to deliver a letter to the town for him.


    Inside the house, Little Pei''s eyes were blazing as he stared at the house. The yin aura in the house had not dissipated yet, and he felt his heart clench as he looked down at his mother''s stomach.


    Seeing Little Pei looking at her stomach, she laughed: "Silly child, I can''t see his face anymore. In a few days, when even the trees behind the mountain grow green, Mother''s stomach will grow big."


    Little Pei still reached out his hand to touch her, and when he felt the Yin Qi churning inside his mother''s body, he actually slapped her with his palm, wanting to shake her out.


    "Little Pei..." Xiaowan was shocked, this slap was not light.


    "What are you doing?" Ling Chaofeng just happened to be in the door when he saw this scene. He rushed forward and pulled his son away from Xiaowan, berating, "How can you hit your mother''s stomach?"


    "He just touched it." Xiaowan hurriedly stood up and stood in front of Little Pei to protect him, "Don''t talk nonsense, he just lightly touched me a little. Look, I''m fine."


    Ling Chaofeng naturally believed in his own eyes. Just now, not only did Little Pei pat Xiaowan''s stomach, his eyes revealed a murderous light, with an expression that could chill the heart, such a young child, where did all this hatred come from?


    However, today, he did not make a sound. Xiaowan turned around and picked him up, and said to Ling Chaofeng: "Your child must be feeling sick somewhere. You don''t feel sorry for him, and you even scolded him. You may leave, I will just look at Little Pei. Husband, you can go and busy yourself. "


    Ling Chaofeng glared at his son, but instead, he turned and faced his son''s butt.


    Xiaowan carried Little Pei and laid him on the bed. Little Pei held her hand and Xiaowan smiled affectionately: "Alright, Mother will sleep with you. Come, take off your clothes."


    If Little Pei could use his powers, the Living Soul would have disappeared from his mouth long ago, but he could not do that. He was only a three or four year old child, and it would be difficult for him to force the Madam Xu''s Living Soul out of her mother''s body.


    The Living Soul was very cunning, when the mother and son just laid down, she immediately jumped out, laughed sinisterly in the air, and quickly flew away.


    Little Pei heaved a sigh of relief and lightly protected his mother''s stomach. The two of them snuggled up against each other, and so as not to worry his mother, they pretended to sleep.


    "Little Pei is so obedient." He heard his mother''s voice, felt her touch his body, and kissed his cheek twice.


    Xiaowan loved Little Pei a lot, and just as she had said to Ling Chaofeng, it was as if he was his own.


    Although what happened just now was strange, Xiaowan felt that Little Pei was not doing it on purpose.


    On the contrary, she reminded herself that she had to care for Little Pei more in these few days. After the child was born, she couldn''t ignore him.


    "Little Pei, even if you have your younger brother and sister, Mother will still love you a lot. Don''t worry." Xiaowan thought she was talking to a sleeping child, and lovingly kissed him twice more, pinching Little Pei''s chubby cheeks, "If his younger brother and sister looked like brother, how nice it would be! Little Pei, your biological father must be a very handsome person. "


    In the yamen prison, the unconscious Madam Xu finally woke up. Her Living Soul had returned to her body, but she would not have this memory in her mind.


    She was soaked to the skin, and when she opened her eyes, a bucket of ice-cold, bone-chilling water was poured over her head, causing her to scream in fear.


    "He woke up, he woke up!" Someone shouted.


    Madam Xu struggled to open her eyes, only to see a few jailers standing in front of him. They shouted angrily: "You finally woke up!


    Suddenly, a whip came over. Madam Xu wailed in pain as she curled up and hid in a corner, begging the jailers to stop hitting her.


    In the cell that was not far away, the criminals all stretched their heads out to see that Madam Xu was taught a lesson by the guards.


    Someone said, "Did you know that she stole men before she came in?"


    They chattered about their lies while the Aunt Wang dragged the door of the cell, staring fixedly at them.


    The scene in front of her eyes was too familiar. For the past ten odd years, Xiaowan had been this miserable every day. That child was often beaten to death by Madam Xu. There was no logic at all, Madam Xu just liked to abuse her stepdaughter.


    Until now, every rod and whip that the Xiaowan struck seemed to have become his own body.


    Madam Xu was thrown back into her cell by the guards. She laid on the ground motionlessly as her pants were torn to shreds, revealing the dirty flesh underneath.


    Aunt Wang curled up in fear as she held her heart and shivered. She had once urged Madam Xu to beat Xiaowan up, because she was afraid that Xiaowan would be too beautiful and hook her son''s soul. That brat was too stubborn, she couldn''t afford a daughter-in-law like her.


    The worst thing was, every time Xiaowan was beaten to death, she would only pretend to advise him otherwise.


    She had also let down the Xiaowan, so would she suffer this kind of retribution? But now, staying in a prison was already better than death, was this retribution?


    "God, please forgive me. When I''m out, I''ll go kowtow to Xiaowan and apologize. Please forgive me ¡­" She was afraid of getting beaten up, but she heard the Madam Xu''s moans which miserably echoed in the cell.


    In the next few days, within the Ling Xiao Inn, they saw Little Pei following Xiaowan, not even a step away from his. Ling Chaofeng was worried that the Xiaowan had worked too hard and blamed his son for not understanding the situation, but the Xiaowan was happy about it and was satisfied with everything.


    At first, he thought that being able to reason with others would allow him to be obedient. He was fine previously, but in the past two days, this child had been extremely rebellious, crying if he was not satisfied.


    The Xiaowan, on the other hand, followed Little Pei''s thoughts and advised him not to be impatient.


    On this day, Ling Chaofeng was going out for two days. Before he left, he brought his son up to him and said sincerely: "Little Pei, you are a big child now. When your mother is pregnant, she needs to rest. How can she always be around you? Listen up, don''t pester your mother anymore and act like a spoiled child. When your father comes back, I''ll buy you a kite that''s very, very long, okay? "


    Little Pei reluctantly agreed as Ling Chaofeng rubbed his head: "Son, what''s wrong?"


    However, he promised his father, turned around and started pestering the Xiaowan. The Xiaowan wasn''t in any trouble anyway, they couldn''t even stand watching the Aunt Zhang continue watching. Everyone was trying to speak reason for Little Pei, but he politely agreed on the surface and pestered the Xiaowan instead.


    He knew very well that once a human''s Living Soul left his body, it would lose control, and at first, he would need a very strong grudge to force it out of his body. However, once it appeared, and with just a bit of resentment, the Living Soul would decide that he should kill someone to help him rid himself of the grudge, and not stop until that happened.


    There were a few solutions. If the Living Soul was directly torn apart, the original owner would go unconscious forever until his life died. Or perhaps, he could directly kill the original owner and the Living Soul would no longer exist. The most ideal thing would naturally be to remove the original owner''s resentment, but how could someone like the Madam Xu exist?


    Little Pei couldn''t use his own mana to protect his mother, so he could only watch over her closely. He wanted to use his own immortal energy to force the Living Soul of the Madam Xu to not dare to come closer, as this would indeed have an effect.


    But also because of this, the Living Soul''s resentment became heavier and heavier. If they couldn''t kill the person they wanted to kill, it was very likely that they would turn into a demon in the end.


    Little Pei did not understand, this was obviously something that the Heaven Realm should do, what about the person in charge? Not only that, he was also not allowed to make a move.


    Two days later, Ling Chaofeng was about to return, and the Xiaowan could hear the sound of horse hooves from afar. He confidently thought that her husband had returned, and brought Little Pei downstairs to welcome him, but when they arrived at the head of the stairs, he remembered that their father and son''s relationship was not very good recently, and tried to coax her son, "Yesterday, I copied that thread, and Grandma praised you for writing it well. Go and bring it over for daddy to see later."


    Little Pei agreed, then ran back into the room and found the word he copied.


    This short separation had actually attracted Madam Xu''s Living Soul over quickly. She smiled sinisterly and threw herself forward to grab her neck. Xiaowan immediately felt suffocated, but she had no idea what had happened to her.


    Once Little Pei stepped out of the door, he immediately saw the Living Soul that rushed up to drive the Madam Xu away. He was the most respected Golden Dragon, he was born like a god among the gods, and even if she was an illusion made from mortal flesh, the immortal Qi was definitely not something the Living Soul could resist. Last time, the Living Soul burrowed into the Xiaowan''s stomach, and was only able to coexist with Little Pei for a short while.


    Xiaowan was suddenly untied, and her body naturally fell backwards. Unexpectedly, her foot landed on the stairs, causing her to miss her footing. Her body fell down heavily, and followed the stairs all the way to the second floor.


    "Mother ¡­" Little Pei had originally wanted to reach out to grab his mother, but he missed, just as Ling Chaofeng just happened to walk in through the door. Raising his head, what he saw was Little Pei pushing Xiaowan down the stairs.


    "Late!" Ling Chaofeng was shocked, he immediately rushed to the stairs and supported the Xiaowan, while looking up at Little Pei, that little child, who was standing on the stairs with a domineering attitude, suddenly regained his senses and revealed the side of a child. He ran over, but the man in anger reached out his hand to stop him.


    When Xiaowan opened her eyes, she was shocked to see Ling Chaofeng''s large palm striking towards Little Pei''s cheek. The little child was knocked onto the ground, and on his white and tender cheeks, a glaring palm print suddenly appeared.


    "Little Pei..." Xiaowan struggled up, pushed Ling Chaofeng away, crawled over and hugged Little Pei.


    "You still want to protect him when he pushes you down the stairs?" Ling Chaofeng was enraged, "Ling Qian, what exactly do you want to do?"


    Xiaowan replied anxiously, "A four year old child, what can he do? It''s not him who is pushing me, it''s him ¡­" Xiaowan didn''t know how to explain the second time that she was being held by the throat by an invisible person.

 C213

    Little Pei possessed the wisdom of a god, but he was still a child in the mortal world of immortals.


    When he sealed the wisdom of his Dragon Clan Immortal Body, he was just an ordinary little child. He would not listen and do foolish things, and normally when he acted coquettishly, it was only because he was a child, and not because he wanted to act like one.


    At the moment, being slapped by his father, he was truly wronged, the tears were in his eyes, he pursed his lips and frowned, his small fists clenched tightly, and in Ling Chaofeng''s eyes, he was unreasonably stubborn.


    He had personally seen his son push Xiaowan, seen him pat his mother''s stomach, and witnessed such a thing happening again and again. How could he not be angry? However, he still calmed down first and asked Xiaowan if he had anything to do.


    Only now did Xiaowan remember that she was pregnant with a child.


    Fortunately, it was just that her arms and legs hurt a little from the fall, and the clothes she wore in winter were not too bad. As for the fetus in her womb, she did not feel any abnormality, and had even forgotten that she was pregnant.


    The Aunt Zhang and Susu came to ask what was going on. Although they heard a lot of noise and did not see what was happening, they were still quite frightened when they heard that the Xiaowan was rolling down the stairs. They immediately supported the Xiaowan and went back to her room to lie down.


    The Xiaowan was pushed back into the room by the crowd, but Little Pei was still staring at the house vigilantly. After Ling Chaofeng settled the Xiaowan down, he walked in front of his son and glared at him: "Go back to your room!


    "I''m not going." Once Little Pei left, the Living Soul would come close to their mother again. If they didn''t kill their mother, the Living Soul of Madam Xu would never let this matter go. Even if his uncle said his mother''s lifespan was very long, wasn''t it just that she had already died once? Who could guarantee that nothing would happen to her this time?


    "You''re getting more and more lawless." Ling Chaofeng became furious, "Do you really think I won''t hit you again with the protection of your mother?"


    Aunt Zhang came over and advised: "Why are you angry at this child, what''s wrong?"


    Ling Chaofeng said heavily: "He previously patted Xiaowan''s stomach, and just now, he pushed Xiaowan down the stairs again. Aunt, how do you think I should teach him?"


    "How is this possible ¡­" Aunt Zhang couldn''t believe that Little Pei was such a malicious child, but wasn''t there a need for Ling Chaofeng to wish for his own son?


    "I didn''t." Little Pei cried, his chubby little hands rubbed his tears aggrievedly, and said while twitching, "I didn''t ¡­"


    As soon as the child cried, Xiaowan''s heart ached. She sat on the bed and shouted, "Little Pei, come over to mother''s side."


    Little Pei turned and ran towards the Xiaowan, but Ling Chaofeng held her son back and said coldly: "You cannot protect him, he will not be punished for what he has done, and will cause even more trouble in the future."


    If he were to become a mother, he would eventually have unexpected power. The young lady, whom everyone thought was gentle and sweet, actually shouted for his husband, and said angrily: "Ling Chaofeng, put down the child, he''s your son, if you don''t hold him tightly, if you let him go by himself, do you think he''s a beast?"


    Ling Chaofeng froze for a moment, then involuntarily let go of his hand. In the blink of an eye, Little Pei quickly ran towards his mother.


    The little guy wailed in Xiaowan''s embrace, it was extremely sad, and the Xiaowan also ignored Ling Chaofeng. She hugged Little Pei, rubbed his face which had been slapped, and patted his buttocks to calm him down. In the side room, Ling Chaofeng was persuaded by the Aunt Zhang to leave.


    Aunt Zhang said to Ling Chaofeng: "For this matter, you should first discuss it with Xiaowan. For the past few days, when you weren''t at home, the two of us will be fine. Although Little Pei pestered the Xiaowan, he didn''t do anything to harm her. Xiaowan might have accidentally fallen down, don''t be angry at children, how old is he, what do you know? "


    However, Ling Chaofeng had seen the evil Qi that lingered on Little Pei''s body countless of times. Such a young child, why did he have such a deep grudge against Little Pei?


    The Aunt Zhang muttered to herself, "Could it be that he was possessed? That''s right, when we went to the town to teach him, many people liked him and surrounded him, could they have seen something? Since that day, he has been pestering the Xiaowan every day. "


    Ling Chaofeng also remembered that in the days before La Ba, Little Pei had always been very obedient.


    Susu said fearfully: "If I am truly struck by evil, should I request the Daoist Priest to dispel the evil?"


    Ling Chaofeng said coldly: "Those Daoist nuns are all lies, how can you believe them?"


    The Aunt Zhang said in a displeased tone: "There are stalls on the streets, of course you can''t believe it. You have a benevolent relationship with friends in the four seas, so if Little Pei is truly abnormal, then why not invite a Taoist to come and exorcise the evil? "


    Ling Chaofeng frowned, seeing that Little Pei''s crying stopped, he calmed down and nodded: "Let me discuss it with Xiaowan."


    In the bedroom, mother and son lay together. Little Pei caressed his mother''s arm and asked in heartache, "Mother, does it hurt?"


    Xiaowan smiled gently: "Mother doesn''t hurt, Mother is so strong."


    Little Pei took a deep breath, walked over and kissed his mother''s arm.


    Xiaowan held his face and kissed the place where her son was getting beaten up. It was boiling hot there, and the force of her slap didn''t seem to have dispersed.


    "I''m not in pain either!" As Little Pei spoke, his tears fell and the Xiaowan imitated his crying look, teasing him while laughing, and said to him: "Ignore your father.


    But the Xiaowan could not forget the fact that she was being choked, and the first time was in a dream.


    Back then, if Little Pei had not come over, she would have been strangled to death. But now that he thought about it, what he was afraid of was not death, but true death. Did Ling Chaofeng think that Little Pei had killed her?


    "Mom will scold your dad and see if he still dares to make a move on you." Xiaowan hugged the warm little fatty and kissed him a few more times, coaxing him, "Little Pei is not afraid. With mother here, Mother will protect you."


    Little Pei sobbed, "I also want to protect Mother."


    Xiaowan snickered: "When you grow up, you will be as tall as Daddy, and then you will be able to beat him."


    Xiaowan doted on Little Pei, he was very moved and grateful, but doting on him was not her way, but if this matter was really her own fault, then ¡­.


    He lowered his head and looked at his hand. His fingers felt slightly numb. That slap just now was truly too heavy. He regretted it very much.


    Outside the Ling Xiao Inn, Madam Xu''s Living Soul lingered for a while, unable to approach Mu Xiaowan. Her resentment grew deeper and deeper, once again returning to Madam Xu''s body.


    "You old woman, recently you''ve really been too lazy to be bothered. To think that you would directly sleep in the pile of firewood to not wake you up. It seems like you won''t behave." The guard said in a fierce tone: "You should go back to sleep. You should go back to sleep and freeze to death."


    It turned out that today, when Madam Xu was working with the other convicts to chop firewood for the yamen, he remembered lying on the hot brick bed, watching Xiaowan''s frail body chop firewood in the cold and windy courtyard.


    Once, she woke up in the middle of the night because the fire on the brick bed had been extinguished. She rushed to the woodshed and beat Xiaowan up, forcing her to guard the stove all night.


    The her of the past, was as impressive as it was beautiful. Thus, she thought, once again, the Living Soul left her body, and she naturally fainted as well.


    In the end the guard treated her as lazy. He wanted to tie her up in the snow so that he could wake her up. But if he woke up now, he wouldn''t be able to wake up and would freeze to death.


    Madam Xu begged, but the prison wardens refused to forgive her. This place was hell on earth, no one would care about her.


    She felt that her fingers and toes were being frozen to the point that their bones seemed to have become crunchy. She felt the cold wind scraping against her skin like knives, causing her heart to be entangled with fear and resentment.


    In the Ling Xiao Inn, Little Pei, who was crying loudly, was tired. came in with a bird''s nest. He placed it on the table and coldly said to Xiaowan: "Come eat, Aunt is asking you to make up for it."


    walked over, wanting to see his sleeping son. Xiaowan was deliberately protecting Little Pei, not letting him see, and said: "What, you still want to pick up your son and beat him up?"


    Ling Chaofeng was annoyed: "It''s not like I hit him for no reason, but you''re blaming me for it. I''m afraid he''ll hurt you."


    The Xiaowan said angrily: "Will Little Pei hurt me? Don''t you need to think about it? "


    husband Ling Chaofeng asked majestically, angrily asking: "Who are you talking to?"


    Xiaowan sat up and looked at Hubby arrogantly, "Why don''t you give me a slap as well?"


    "Don''t mess around." Ling Chaofeng said, "Perhaps I''m the one who is seeing things today, but he slapped your stomach that day.


    "But ¡­" Xiaowan wanted to say something but she hesitated. It was also the first time that she felt like she was going to be strangled to death on that day. She calmed herself down and looked at Little Pei who was still sleeping soundly. She pulled her husband and walked a few steps away as she said softly, "Husband, I have something to tell you. Don''t be excited yet."

 C214

    When he heard that Xiaowan had twice been strangled by something he couldn''t see, he thought it was a nightmare at first. But today, he was standing perfectly fine on the stairs, almost strangled to death.


    The Xiaowan said: "Regardless of why Little Pei didn''t listen recently, the one who wanted to hurt me is definitely not Little Pei. If it wasn''t for Little Pei running out of the room earlier, even if he took a few steps later, I might have been strangled to death. Master, I stepped on empty space and fell down the stairs. When you saw Little Pei push me, he actually wanted to pull me down. Fortunately, he was not able to pull it. Otherwise, how could he be able to hold it back at such a young age?


    Ling Chaofeng''s face was ashen, he naturally believed in his wife. Thinking back at this moment, did he manage to see clearly just now, that memory had already begun to waver and blur.


    "But he patted your stomach." As Ling Chaofeng said till this point, he felt less confident.


    "A child is neither light nor heavy. Maybe he thinks it''s fun? After you told him about it that day, he didn''t do that again. " Xiaowan gently shook her husband''s arm and said in a good temper, "Chao Feng, Little Pei is really obedient, you scared him."


    Ling Chaofeng coughed dryly: "Is his face still swollen?"


    Xiaowan nodded her head: "It''s so swollen and hot, he''s so delicate, your hand is even bigger than his face, you''ve already sent him flying."


    "It''s my fault." Ling Chaofeng regretfully said, "I was worried then."


    Xiaowan gently said: "Chao Feng, promise me. No matter what happens in the future, don''t hit your child anxiously. If Little Pei really did something wrong, I have to explain myself to him, then attack him, then I won''t stop him. However, fighting indiscriminately will frighten the child. How about breaking up the relationship between father and son? "


    Ling Chaofeng said, "He''s still so young, what do you know about the relationship between father and son?"


    Xiaowan laughed and said: "Now you know that your son is still young?"


    The older man said guiltily, "When he wakes up, I''ll apologize to him properly."


    Xiaowan laughed and asked: "Where''s the kite, did you buy it?"


    Ling Chaofeng indicated that he would immediately go buy one, and agreed with the Xiaowan that tomorrow morning, he would head to the mountain to ask for the Taoist.


    But at this moment, Little Pei who was in slumber was summoned back to the Heavenly Court by his grandmother. The fat little Golden Dragon had a swollen face, causing Dragon Queen to feel extremely pained, and scolded his son eight hundred times out of anger.


    However, Little Pei was curious. He gave him peaches to eat, massaged his wounds, and talked about his father''s mistakes. However, he didn''t talk about his mother like he did in the past, nor did he talk about him.


    After Little Pei finished eating the two peach, he rubbed his round belly and asked his grandmother: "Grandma, the Living Soul of Madam Xu, did you run out yourself?"


    Dragon Queen lightly tapped his grandson''s nose and laughed: "Don''t tell me you think that Grandma is up to mischief again?"


    Little Pei chuckled: "This grandson doesn''t dare."


    Dragon Queen said: "Don''t worry, this time, even if your father pokes a hole in the sky, grandmother will not intervene. Ignoring everything else, since my grandson is already begging me like this, how can I not agree? However, Little Pei, you are right, there are many setbacks in the mortal world, even without your mother, your father would not be able to get away smoothly. If there were no difficulties, how would he have a smooth life? If he didn''t die, how could he possibly live it up? "Before, Grandmother was wrong."


    Little Pei was relieved. He grazed a Longevity Fruit beside his grandmother and returned to the human world satisfied.


    He stood on the clouds and watched as his father hurriedly returned from the town with a huge kite tied behind his back. The little fellow was happy for a bit, but just as he was about to return home, he suddenly saw the gloomy and heavy demonic energy condensing above the Baisha Town.


    Little Pei looked up to the sky, the people above the ninth heaven, could they not see what was happening here, or could they not control it?


    In the tavern, his father had brought back a kite and was gently calling him to wake up with his mother. Little Pei was helpless and could only return to his body.


    When he opened his eyes, his father''s expression was right in front of him. There was no impatience or anger on his face as he said gently, "Little Pei, Father bought you a kite."


    Little Pei didn''t have the mood to play with the kite right now.


    Ling Chaofeng leaned on the side of the bed, stared into his son''s eyes, gently held his face, and said guiltily: "Little Pei, it''s father''s fault. Daddy should not have hit you."


    Just as Little Pei was about to speak, he heard Aunt Zhang shouting downstairs: "Innkeeper, quickly come down and take a look, quickly come here ¡­"

 C215

    Ling Chaofeng went downstairs and saw that there were a few dressed cultivators standing in front of the inn. They were the exact cultivators that Ling Chaofeng and Aunt Zhang were looking for.


    But they were not acquainted with Ling Chaofeng, they merely passed by, and because they walked for five kilometers from the Baisha River Pier, they wanted to drink a bowl of water.


    "There are hot tea snacks and freshly cooked rice porridge." The Aunt Zhang was very polite as she said, "Fellow Daoists, come in and rest."


    "Many thanks, Mr. Manager. We still need to travel, so we don''t dare to disturb you." The old Daoist in the lead had white hair and a white beard, but he was brimming with vigor and vigor. He held a long sword in his hand, and his clothes were thin.


    Ling Chaofeng often said that the Taoists on the streets were liars that they could not believe in, but when Aunt Zhang said that there were cultivators in the mountains, he had true abilities. Ling Chaofeng had fortunate enough to meet a few in the martial arts world, so when the people in front of him saw them, he could tell that they had some sort of history.


    Aunt Zhang and Susu brought them hot water and also filled the water bags on their backs to the brim.


    Aunt Zhang pushed Ling Chaofeng and whispered: "Why didn''t you keep them?


    Ling Chaofeng said: "If you speak so easily, I''m afraid you might have offended you. Wait till I inquire about their whereabouts, then you can come and invite me."


    The Aunt Zhang said in annoyance: "What etiquette rules are these? Xiaowan and Little Pei having nothing to do is most important."


    Susu stood at the door and waved to the two of them: "Innkeeper, Aunty, look, what are they doing?"


    They followed him out of the door and saw that the Daoist Elders had only taken a few steps before sitting on the ground. They seemed to have some sort of formation and were seated in a very special position. They were chanting in silence. To be honest, they were looking at those weird people who were trying to scare people.


    After enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn, the few of them got up and continued to walk forward. Ling Chaofeng then followed and bowed to the Daoist in the lead.


    The few Daoists looked at each other, then spoke to Ling Chaofeng: "The demonic energy in front is very deep, we just calculated that it''s the version of a Living Soul demon. From the looks of it, the illness of the Living Soul is in the inn."


    They gave Ling Chaofeng a few runes and hurried towards the Baisha Town. At this moment, the demon spawn that had changed from Madam Xu''s life was wandering around the town, and the Madam Xu hated Mu Xiaowan the most. When they saw the girl with her age and stature, they went up to persecute his.


    If there were a passerby rushing over to help, then the yang aura would have been strong enough to scare the evildoer off. However, if there was no one to help, then three or four young girls in the town would have mysteriously died in half a day.


    He did not believe in ghosts or ghosts, but one after the other, strange things happened in succession, causing him to panic. However, what he could do was limited, so he could only send his men from the yamen to patrol the streets.


    He also ordered the people in the town to take good care of their girls and not to leave others.


    The citizens all had their own methods, some sending their children to the buddhist hall, some pasting Dao talismans on the houses, while the Madam Xu circled in the sky, seeing that she could not eat the girls, her resentment grew even stronger, her demonic powers became stronger, and she no longer stared at the young lady, seeing her, he pinch her, and even one of the Fast Catcher on patrol died.


    In just half a day''s time, the Baisha Town had become like a ghost city. When a few sect leaders rushed over, this place was already enveloped in demonic energy.


    The Daoist Priest set up a formation to deal with them and captured a few lesser demons. However, because of this, they angered those fiendish demons, and once they built up their momentum, the Daoist Priest''s mana would probably be insufficient to deal with them.


    The one who captured the thief and the King, the one who stirred up all the trouble, was that set of Living Soul s in the Madam Xu, and she could not vent her resentment, which was growing deeper and deeper.


    Upon learning that a master of the Dao was here to exterminate demons, he risked his life to personally greet them at the town gate. The elders said that the Living Soul came from the yamen''s prison, so the county immediately sent people to ask.


    Indeed, there was a Madam Xu in the dungeon who was unconscious. And these days, she would often fall asleep for no reason.


    When the Daoist asked about the history of the Madam Xu, the first case he had received in Zhixian was the two families'' wives abducting and selling a married woman in Qingling Village. As a result, he remembered very clearly that she had a grudge with her stepdaughter, and that her successor daughter was the owner of the Ling Xiao Inn.


    The Taoists came from the Ling Xiao Inn, and all these things formed a clue.


    They were casting spells and exorcisms everywhere in the town, but the Madam Xu was full of grievances, and did not hesitate to be hostile to a few young Daoists. The young Daoists'' cultivation was too shallow, and they almost lost their lives.


    They devoured each other, and then absorbed the Yang energy of mortals. If this continued, the old Taoists would not be able to resist.


    Madam Xu was extremely cunning and did not directly confront any of the Dao Elders. She roamed all over the Baisha Town and the Dao Masters were tired from chasing her down. After one or two hours, they were already exhausted. Even though they had cultivation experience, they were still mortal after all, so how could they fight against demons and demons?


    Within the Ling Xiao Inn, Xiaowan waited quietly inside the house with Little Pei in her arms. Yellow talismans were pasted on the windows and on the doors, since Little Pei''s body was that of a deity, he was not afraid of these Daoist magics, but he understood that these talismans were already unable to stop the increasingly stronger Madam Xu.


    Mother and son came to look at each other, then came out to look. They saw that the young Zhixian had brought the two Dao Elders here personally, his attitude was humble and polite, and was discussing something with Ling Chaofeng.


    When Xiaowan saw her husband''s solemn expression, she shook her head as if she had rejected something. It was a pity that she couldn''t hear what they were saying clearly.


    But Little Pei heard it clearly, magistrate had actually brought along a few Dao Elders. He wanted to invite Mother to be the bait and lure Madam Xu out, so that the Dao Elders could cast a technique to eliminate the Spirit Demon.


    He looked at his mother, his heart filled with reluctance. He decided that if his mother were to go, he would transform into a Golden Dragon and be ready to save her, even if ¡­ He would never be a mother and son in his life, even if he had to return to the Heavenly Court.


    Everyone suddenly looked up, as if they knew that the mother and son were here. Aunt Zhang said emotionally: "No no, she is carrying a child, if something were to happen ¡­"


    "This junior doesn''t believe in ghosts either, but more and more people in the town are dying. I beg Manager Ling and Madam ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng helped him up, and said: "Master, allow me to discuss this with my wife."


    very obediently moved to the side. He knew that he wouldn''t be able to stop them, his parents had their own calamities and wanted them to help themselves.


    Naturally, he couldn''t just sit by and watch his mother die. If there was a chance, he would definitely make his move.


    After the Xiaowan finished listening to Ling Chaofeng, the people downstairs wanted her to go to town to lure in the Madam Xu''s Living Soul.


    These words sounded unimaginable, but Xiaowan had actually been strangled twice. When she found out that the innocent girls in the town had also been strangled to death, she felt great pain, so she unwaveringly said, "Husband, I''m not afraid."


    "Late ¡­"


    "Since it has been to this inn, it will come sooner or later." The Xiaowan said resolutely, "With the Dao Elders here, I will be fine. I cannot let more people die."


    The people below saw the delicate young lady bravely walk down the stairs, arriving in front of them. She asked calmly and gently: "Daoist, what should I do?"


    Xiaowan didn''t need to do anything. She just needed to stand on the streets of Baisha Town. The Taoist Elders would naturally protect her from the side.


    After arriving at the Baisha Town, the bustling and bustling town became miserable and deserted. Even the Xiaowan, who was born of a mortal body, could feel the waves of yin aura around her. She couldn''t see those monsters circling in the sky, and naturally, she couldn''t see Little Pei, who was protecting her from afar.


    Ling Chaofeng followed right behind his wife. No matter what, he could not let the Xiaowan face the danger alone, he held the sword in his hand, but he did not know what happened.


    The yin aura above Xiaowan''s head grew stronger and stronger. Madam Xu had smelled her aura and as expected, she, who had been fleeing and avoiding the Daoist Priest, quickly arrived in front of Xiaowan.


    "Mu Xiaowan, Mu Xiaowan..." She roared sinisterly, rushed down and grabbed Xiaowan by the neck.


    A feeling of suffocation came from all directions, and just like before, the Xiaowan fell to the ground with her neck held tightly. Seeing that, Ling Chaofeng was startled, he brandished his sword and rushed forward.


    But in front of him, it was as if there was an invisible wall, and no matter what, he could not take a single step.


    The Taoists did everything they could, but what they did not expect was that even they were blocked from the barrier.


    "Late ¡­"


    "Husband, I''m feeling ¡­ terrible ¡­"


    In the sky far away, Little Pei saw everything as he rushed down recklessly, "Mother!"

 C216

    Xiaowan''s neck became tighter and tighter, and everything that had once happened broke through the darkness appeared before her eyes. Madam Xu had mistreated and beaten her up, torturing an innocent child like her without any reason.


    "Late ¡­" In that instant when her Qi became weak, Xiaowan heard Hubby''s shout.


    "As long as you are alive, anything can happen. It was foolish of me to want to die and be released. If I were to live again, even if I were to chop Madam Xu to death with my scythe, I wouldn''t be able to wait until the day she beats me to death or makes her sell me. Husband, you have to fight for your life, right? "


    She remembered what she had told Ling Chaofeng on their way to the seaside. She could not die in the Madam Xu''s hands, he could not be tortured by her for more than ten years, and in the end, he had even died in her hands.


    At this moment, Little Pei rushed down, creating the Golden Dragon Immortal Body. Opening his mouth wide, but in an instant, his mother''s entire body was covered in gold light, causing Little Pei to be unable to open his eyes.


    He reached out his hand to block it, and when he opened his eyes again, his father fell forward onto the ground. The barrier that was blocking him suddenly disappeared, and he was able to withdraw his strength in time. But he quickly crawled back up and rushed to his wife''s side. Little Pei swooped down as well, not sparing any effort to use his mother''s immortal energy to extend her life.


    But the Xiaowan didn''t die, she slowly woke up in Ling Chaofeng''s embrace. After taking a deep breath, she coughed a few times and smiled weakly to his husband, "Husband, I''m fine ¡­"


    Xiaowan raised her left hand, holding the lotus Jade hairpin tightly. It was Ling Chaofeng who brought it to her from the capital, a gift from the Empress.


    Xiaowan liked wearing them frequently, but just now, when she was on the verge of death, although she could not see what was pressing down on her, her instinct for survival made her remove the jade hairpin and stab it into the "thing" on her body.


    Even the Xiaowan himself and Ling Chaofeng did not see that beam of golden light, it was likely that even the Dao Elders would not be able to see it.


    Only Little Pei saw it.


    When mother was reborn in front of the Kitigarbha Buddha, the Bodhisattva once put a lotus flower that bloomed at her mother''s side onto her hair. Perhaps that lotus flower became the hairpin in front of her eyes, the Living Soul that was strong enough to stab a demon to death.


    When the Spirit Demon Qi dissipated, the Madam Xu''s Living Soul had long been turned into ashes by the Xiaowan. The other small Spirit Demons were easy to deal with, the Spirit Demons all cast their techniques to remove the Evil Demon Qi, and the dark clouds above the Baisha Town dissipated.


    What was even more inconceivable was that the innocent commoners who were killed by the Living Soul monsters were actually revived.


    Little Pei raised his head to look at the sky. A ray of purple light shot towards the east, it was unknown which deity had interfered in this matter.


    Ling Chaofeng supported the Xiaowan as he stood up. Little Pei escorted the people of the town along the way, and when the people of the town saw that the clouds had cleared up, they all went out on the streets to celebrate. The Dao Elders were all supported, and upon their arrival, the Xiaowan had already said that if this could be resolved, the magistrate and the Dao Priest should not tell anyone that it was because of her.


    Although the best result was obtained, the Xiaowan did not care about anyone''s gratitude, and so did Ling Chaofeng.


    In the tavern, the young parent official was extremely grateful to the Xiaowan. The Taoist had also gifted her a string of prayer beads as a peace and blessings to protect her smooth production.


    They promised each other that they would keep the secret. After all, Xiaowan was a weak young lady that could fight against demons.


    The Daoist said that the heavens should not be revealed. Some things, the less people know the better. If you don''t know something, don''t investigate it.


    There was another matter that magistrate had incidentally told Xiaowan. It was the Daoist saying that because the Living Soul had turned to dust, her original body would fall into an eternal coma. Therefore, the yamen had decided to have Master Mu bring the person back.


    Waiting for the Prefecture Lord and the Daoist to leave, Uncle Biao prepared dinner, and then called everyone over to eat. The whole family quietly sat around the table, and the Aunt Zhang was the first to scoop up a spoon to scoop up the soup, and said to everyone: "This matter, let''s just treat it as a dream. When we wake up tomorrow, let''s forget about it."


    Xiaowan said, "I don''t know how I did it either. I just took out a hairpin and stabbed it. "You all better not think that I have some sort of special ability. I ¡­"


    Susu smiled from the side: "If you had some special abilities, would you have been beaten half to death by her? "Tell me, perhaps the child in your belly has some background, and the child protected you?"


    Xiaowan nodded her head, "It must be."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "No matter if it''s true or not, Aunt is right. Just treat it as a dream. He picked up a chicken drumstick and sent it into Little Pei''s bowl.


    The Taoist told him that the children''s eyes were clean and that they might be able to see things that adults couldn''t, which was why he was acting strange.


    Hearing this, Ling Chaofeng felt even more guilty towards his son. That slap was enough for him to regret it for his entire life.


    "Wow ¡­" Little Pei was extremely happy, but he pretended to lift up his chicken leg and asked around at home. When the adults gave way to him, he started to eat happily.


    In front of his family, Ling Chaofeng said to his son: "Little Pei, your father blamed you wrongly, and even beat you up. Don''t be angry at your father, okay?"


    Little Pei was startled, his cheeks puffed up as he chewed the chicken, looking at his father warily. He was more used to his father scolding him.


    However, Ling Chaofeng just smiled and pretended to be affectionate, causing Little Pei''s hair to stand on end. He crawled into Xiaowan''s embrace, causing his family to laugh out loud.


    After a storm passed, Little Pei confirmed repeatedly that his Baisha Town was "clean". He did not pester his parents to sleep that night and obediently slept in his own room.


    But Xiaowan still coaxed him to sleep in his son''s room, covered him up tightly with a quilt, and used a wooden stool to cover his bed, afraid that he would roll down from the bed in the middle of the night.


    Ling Chaofeng had long been waiting outside the door, smiling as he replied, "You''re spoiling him too much, even if you roll out of bed and hurt him twice, he''ll be more obedient after sleeping."


    However, Xiaowan said: "I have never been spoiled since I was young. I just want to spoil Little Pei and give him everything that I haven''t enjoyed before."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed and asked: "Then what about this thing in your stomach, are you able to spoil it?"


    Xiaowan laughed: "I''ll pamper big brother, big brother pamper little sister, wouldn''t that do?"


    When they returned to the room, Xiaowan took off the lotus flower jade hairpin and carefully placed it under the pillow.


    This day was truly soul-stirring, but after experiencing so many things following her husband, Xiaowan''s courage grew more and more, and his horizons grew wider and wider. Even if he was on the verge of death today, thinking back, he could only let out a sigh.


    Ling Chaofeng caressed Xiaowan''s neck, asking her if it hurt, because he was being killed by a demon, not even a scar was left, and compared to those who died, being able to revive, this was nothing.


    The magistrate told the citizens that the Bodhisattva had appeared, and that with the help of the gods, the citizens could go home and pay their respects to the Buddha.


    "New lord, you are truly a good person. You actually kneeled to us for the sake of the common people." The Xiaowan sighed, "Look at that bad guy up ahead, he actually dared to snatch my husband''s wife."


    Seeing Xiaowan''s confident expression, Ling Chaofeng was very pleased and couldn''t help but kiss her a few times. young lady moaned, "Hubby, you can endure it for a while.


    Just as she was about to fall asleep, Xiaowan suddenly said, "Husband, can you send me home tomorrow?"


    Ling Chaofeng looked at her. "Is it about the Madam Xu?"


    Xiaowan acknowledged but did not say anything.


    The next morning, after Susu and the others came to work, Ling Chaofeng brought Xiaowan and Little Pei out of the house. When they arrived at the village, there were indeed a lot of people gathered outside Master Mu''s home, and when they saw them, they shouted out: "Big Brother Mu, your son-in-law is here!"


    When Master Mu came out and saw the child''s door, he sighed and asked Xiaowan, "You already know about your mother''s matter?"


    Xiaowan said indifferently, "Father, my mother died a long time ago. She is not my mother."


    Master Mu smiled awkwardly and let the children enter the door. Little Pei took the candy he brought and went to find his aunt and uncle.


    Madam Xu laid in the house. She had already been washed clean, so she lifted up the blanket for them to see.


    "She was beaten up every day in the prison. I''m afraid she was beaten to this state." The Master Mu who was unaware said, "I invited a doctor to look. He said that it was useless and was just waiting to die."


    When he thought about how this woman did not regret her evil deeds and was even more resentful than him, wanting to kill him, Xiaowan felt a chill in her heart, and did not have the slightest bit of sympathy for him.


    She coldly said, "I came here today to persuade father to be more open-minded and to send her to be cremated as soon as possible."


    "But ¡­" Master Mu was stunned.


    "Of course it''s up to you, but that''s what I said." Xiaowan said, "If it''s too long, then it''s your burden. Daddy wants to understand a little, send her back as soon as possible, and invite the master in the temple to recite scriptures for her. He can be considered to be worthy of her."


    Master Mu was confused. "I''m afraid there''s still hope. If I come back to life, wouldn''t that mean I''m the one who killed people?"


    Xiaowan said, "Then just wait for her. If she comes back to life, remember to find someone from the yamen to take her away. Her prison is not over yet."


    Seeing his daughter being so cold and merciless, Master Mu didn''t have anything else to say. He couldn''t ask him to just send her off like this, but he kept it at home, seeing it every day with fear in his eyes. He didn''t even have a home to look for.


    "Wen Bao and Wen Juan, I''m afraid they can''t bear to part with their mother. They ¡­"


    "Dad, when she hit me in the past, when you saw me covered in wounds, did you think about so many things?" Xiaowan asked, "Have you thought of saving me?"


    Master Mu smiled faintly and looked at Ling Chaofeng. After waiting for his husband to put down a bag of silver, he took her and left.


    "Little Pei, we''re back." The Xiaowan called out to her son. Little Pei ran over happily and shouted, "Go kite, kite!"


    The villagers and the Master Mu watched as the horse carriage left, and one of them said, "Why is Xiaowan so kind? Why did you come back to take a look? Big Brother Mu, good deeds bring evil and evil. Your daughter and your wife are the best witnesses. "


    Master Mu clenched his lips and clenched his fists. In his heart, he thought that perhaps, according to what his daughter said, he should have sent her away earlier.


    Ling Chaofeng brought his wife and son to the river side. Everyone said that he would fly kites in the spring, but who told him that he would buy a kite for his son in the winter?


    Looking at the kite that was flying very high, the Xiaowan smiled happily. Ling Chaofeng walked over and supported her, saying, "Be careful not to raise your head, you''re feeling dizzy."


    Xiaowan laughed: "I''m fine, wait until I can run and jump, I also want to play."


    However, Ling Chaofeng said: "I didn''t expect you to go home to bury Madam Xu because of what happened just now."


    Xiaowan nodded: "I''m afraid that she might become some sort of threat to me."


    Ling Chaofeng then continued: "Since you have such a wish, leave this matter to me, it''s almost the new year. After the new year, I will think of a way to let father-in-law cremate her."


    Xiaowan said: "I''m afraid one or two months will be enough for them. When the time comes, I''ll have to ask for your help. "


    Ling Chaofeng sighed: "If someone else''s family member is sick, even if they are ruined, even if they have to guard the living dead for their entire life, even if they die, their family will still remember it for their entire life. But someone like the Madam Xu, what exactly is your goal in coming to this world? "


    Xiaowan shook her head. "It has nothing to do with me anymore. From today onwards, everything is peaceful. She deserves it. Even if she dies, I will not forgive her. "


    "Then I won''t think about it." Ling Chaofeng hugged Xiaowan''s waist, "Let''s live our lives well. I''m going out for a trip before New Year''s, and I''m busy only after I''ve passed Yuan Xiao, accompanying you everyday."


    After that, Ling Chaofeng made a trip outside, and in the past few days, the matter of Baisha Town was naturally reported by the county.


    When the emperor saw the note saying that the Baisha Town Demons ran rampant, and the Bodhisattva appeared in public to undergo tribulation, he could not help but frown. He felt that it was strange and returned to the Culture Hall, handing the paper over for Siyan to see.


    Siyan read it and asked the emperor: "Isn''t that a very ordinary thing? From time to time, there would be people who would say that there was something strange going on over there and say that there were ghosts and gods. "


    Xiang Run asked: "Really?"


    Siyan laughed, "Your majesty has gone to the commoners too little, and knows too little."

 C217

    Before the Empress had gotten married, although she had not left the Chuanyu, the boundaries of the Chuanyu were so huge. What she saw and heard could not be compared to the emperor who had lived in the palace since childhood.


    And on the affairs of the people, the young miss of the General''s Estate had followed the warriors of the Chuanyu to plow the fields and dig the canals with the water. She had done all sorts of jobs before and the emperor was even less knowledgeable than her.


    Xiang Run forgot about his Baisha County at the moment and listened to Siyan''s description of the local people with great interest. He said that the strange things that had happened at their place, in Siyan''s opinion, was not strange for the common folk to hear about the gods and ghosts.


    "Reverence towards ghosts and gods can be used to restrain and pacify some people. Naturally, excessive superstition is undesirable." Siyan said, "Even your majesty needs to open an altar to worship the heavens every now and then. Don''t you have any thoughts in your mind that I hope to be blessed by the gods?"


    Xiang Run nodded his head: "We understand what you mean. We are not investigating about Baisha County, we just feel that it''s strange, and since they''re safe and sound, then it''s for the best."


    Siyan laughed: "If Your Majesty is free, why don''t you visit every corner of the country. You don''t even know what your country is like, how can you govern it better?"


    Xiang Run took the paper roll away from him and held his wife''s hand: "After the fifteenth day of the first month, we will bring you back to Chuanyu and call your brother back as well. This will be a joyous occasion for the people there, and will also make you happy for their great general. "I''ve always said that I would take you home to save your parents, and now that even your brother has been moved to the coast by me, the matter of saving your parents is becoming increasingly unreliable."


    Siyan was so overjoyed that she stood up and bowed, "On behalf of big brother, I thank Your Majesty for your grace."


    The Emperor took this opportunity and pulled her into his embrace as he smiled: "Let''s go walk around the city. There''s Uncle Huang and Shen Yun here in the capital, so I don''t need to worry."


    Siyan said, "Your majesty is even more carefree than royal father and mother.


    Xiang Run thought for a moment, then laughed: "Let''s turn around and run."


    The Emperor didn''t go into depth into the matter of Baisha County. He only reminded the Emperor that this place had once suffered from a snowstorm in the winter, and had to be extra careful. The young people of Zhixian were determined to protect the people. Naturally, they had been preparing for disaster since a long time ago.


    New Year''s Eve was approaching, and lanterns and decorations were being set up everywhere within the Daqi realm in preparation to leave for the new year.


    Susu said that in the past few years that she had come, this was the first time she saw an inn that had ''Blessed'' pasted on windows during New Year''s. This year, all her habits and habits had changed with just a single sentence from the Xiaowan.


    In front of the tavern, the father and son duo were arguing. Little Pei insisted on pasting his sloppy calligraphy on the door, but if Ling Chaofeng didn''t agree to it, the little guy would immediately come and call for reinforcements. If Xiaowan wanted to paste her son''s calligraphy on the door, Ling Chaofeng could only do it.


    The New Year goods that was prepared for Ershan in the capital had already been sent over by someone else long ago. The New Year goods that his family had prepared for him had all been piled up full of food.


    Last year, at this moment, Ling Chaofeng suddenly became inexplicably sick, which caused them to be extremely frightened. How could they have imagined that a year later, they would be married, and they would even be pregnant.


    Thus, the next morning, he got the Uncle Biao to drive the carriage and brought Little Pei and Susu to the town''s god temple to thank the god for the Buddha. Seeing that the temple was flourishing with incense, Little Pei suddenly remembered something.


    So that night, while his family were asleep, he went to the kitchen, took an elbow, a plate of roast geese, and a large bundle of sausage bacon and a jug of wine, and made his way to the Underworld.


    Next to the River of Forgetfulness, an old man and a young man sat side by side. Old Master Yama ate and drank, feeling really bad.


    He happily said to Ling Pei, "It is rare for people to think about me. Every New Year''s Eve, my heart is filled with grievance." Everyone is a deity, and no one has ever worshiped me. Look at the Kitchen King, he''s called ''nourishing''. I still want to go to his place in a few days'' time to get some incense from him. "


    Little Pei said: "You are in charge of the Underworld, mortals only seek benefits from the real world, and the matters of the real world have not been clarified. Who would care about the matters of the dead, it is not strange for them not to remember you. Then again, if the wicked worship you, and ask you to open up to me in the future, should you? "


    Old Master Yama laughed out loud. "This little guy has such deep wisdom, making me feel comfortable listening to you. Speaking of which, when will you be able to ascend to the sky and return to your position, Xiaolong Sun? As a little fatty in the mortal world, wouldn''t you feel aggrieved? "


    Little Pei laughed: "There is nothing more interesting than being a person. My father likes being a person so much, I like it too."


    Old Master Yama said, "If your father were to achieve perfection in this life, and your father returns to the Heavenly Court, where would your mother be?"


    Little Pei stared blankly, then said: "Is this the end of this lifetime''s marriage?"


    "If that''s the case, there''s nothing we can do." Little Pei said, "My mother is just a flower."


    "Look at me, I''ve made you unhappy." The Old Master Yama said, "I ate your food and wine, so I should thank you. Xiaolong Sun, you came to find me, you can''t possibly have the kind intentions to come visit me, right?"


    Little Pei then said: "This junior wishes for you to help me look at the Book of Life and Death, and see how old Madam Xu is. My mother told her father to send over the wicked woman as soon as possible, I''m worried that there might be a reward for her."


    Yama laughed, "Don''t worry. As long as the higher-ups don''t cause any trouble, nothing can go wrong. Do you understand what I''m saying?"


    Little Pei was overjoyed, and promised to send more food to the Yama in a few days, before returning to the ground happily.


    The next morning, Uncle Biao said that there were too few dishes and wine in the kitchen, but there were no traces of thieves at the inn, nor any footprints left behind by wild wolves.


    Uncle Biao said he definitely remembered correctly, and said angrily that if he caught the thief who stole the food and wine, he would definitely give him a good beating.


    Little Pei unconsciously covered his butt and quickly ran off.


    In the capital, the Lang Zhong Manor was also decorated with lanterns and decorations. Although the little grandson''s house was small, the Old Madem was very open and happy to stay here. Furthermore, he ordered her eldest grandson to tell the people of the Bi Family Clan that there was no need to disturb her at the middle age of the new year. As for whether or not they would go to the Prime Minister''s Estate, she did not care.


    The Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi had originally been grounded for two years, but this time, he was brought back home by Bi Zhenye, so he was naturally sent back to his home.


    On New Year''s Eve, both Ershan and Bi Zhenye received the Emperor''s grace to allow them to enter the palace for the feast. Their official positions were both only at the fifth rank, if it were other people, they might not have the honor.


    During the New Year''s Eve banquet, Lian Yi and the Old Madem were invited by the Empress Dowager and Queen to talk. When the other noble officials saw this scene, they knew that the Bi¡¯s Mansion was still there, and were a little more polite to Bi Zhenye and Ling Yu.


    Since he was young, Bi Zhenye followed his father around the government and knew more people than Ershan. Whenever he had the chance, his brother would lead his younger brother to meet people who knew him.


    As for the two youths, their appearances were handsome and handsome. They naturally attracted the attention of others wherever they went.


    On this side, the aristocratic ladies gathered together. The girls looked at the scene in the seats and whispered amongst themselves.


    Shen Qing had just returned from the rear hall and wanted to eat a few dishes before going to Empress Dowager to accompany his. Just as she sat down, he heard a few others speaking beside his, "My uncle went to the Prime Minister''s Estate to propose marriage, but unfortunately, there were too many Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi at that time, and he didn''t put anyone in his eyes at all. But now, with so many lawsuits going on in their family, even if they were to bring an eight carriers palanquin chair, my uncle would not be willing to marry his daughter. "


    "You can''t put it like that either. Bi Hanxi is the Empress''s sister-in-law now. I heard that even if her mother was in Siping Mansion, she wouldn''t need to work hard anymore. It seems like it will only be a matter of time before she is pardoned and brought back. "


    "This family is truly rare. Even with them like this, those two brothers can still live in harmony with each other." "My family''s brothers and sisters, for the sake of our father''s peace, we were on the verge of a fight."


    Shen Qing ate a few mouthfuls of food silently before putting down her chopsticks. She stood up and left, the bystanders bowed, and under the crowd of Palace Maid, she arrived at Empress Dowager''s side. At the moment, both Old Madem Bi and Madam Ling were still there, and Old Madem Bi said to Empress Dowager, "Today, my granddaughter is going to be blessed to be able to marry the general.


    Empress Dowager laughed: "After you enter the palace and walk around, now that you are relatives of the empress, you are like family." She said to Siyan, "That sister-in-law of yours left home with your brother. After this, the empress will help you take care of your family''s matters."


    Siyan smiled, "Grandson will remember."


    Empress Dowager continued: "Oh right, old lady, is your eldest grandson not married yet?"


    The Old Madem hurriedly said, "Before, that child wholeheartedly wanted to become the top scorer, but now he is going to represent the Emperor. I have talked to him about the matter of marriage several times, but he said that he was too busy and did not have time."


    The Empress Dowager laughed: "Young children nowadays are always like this. They are very stubborn. I''ll make the empress pay attention to this matter. Don''t worry, when spring begins, there will definitely be a happy occasion. "


    Old Madem was overjoyed. He pulled Lian Yi along and kowtowed to Empress Dowager and the Queen, then ordered Shen Qing to help the old lady up.


    Siyan sat at the side and saw Little Qing smiling gently at the Old Madem. She remembered what happened before, at that time, in order to prevent Bi Hanxi from marrying into the Xiluo, Little Qing had went around everywhere.


    The Empress shifted her gaze away and searched for Bi Zhenye''s traces below. Sure enough, he was sitting in the seating area, her gaze was looking in this direction, and it was unknown if it was because she was worried about her grandmother and sister-in-law, or was looking at someone else. The Empress looked at him for a long time, but Bi Zhenye was unable to detect anything.


    After that, Old Madem and Lian Yi left, and it was another family''s young mistress'' turn to speak. Shen Qing was still waiting by her aunt''s side, and the empress''s gaze once again landed on Bi Zhenye, meeting him again.


    The empress picked up a glass of wine and took a sip. This wasn''t something that could be easily done.

 C218

    On New Year''s Eve, although Ling Xiao Inn was the only shop on the way to Baisha River Pier, it was not lonely and quiet, and this year was even more lively than the previous years.


    The Xiaowan was wearing a windbreaker as she was being carried by Master to watch the whole family smoke at the back door. Little Pei was so excited that he jumped up and down.


    "Are you cold?" Ling Chaofeng asked her, and took the chance to hug his closer: "We will go back to the house later. If you like the smoke and fire, then you will be fine next year, how about we go to the capital to see the smoke and fire together?"


    When she went to the capital to look at fireworks, why was it that Xiaowan felt that this sentence was so familiar? However, she could not possibly have heard this phrase in her past life, so she could only smile and nod: "We still have to wait until the new year.


    Ling Chaofeng said: "I''ll listen to you."


    Xiaowan continued, "I''m not cold. Hubby''s body is warm and comfortable."


    unhappily pushed Da Qing away and said: When did you treat me like how the shopkeeper treated the Xiaowan?


    When the Xiaowan heard him, she immediately looked away from her husband. Susu then complained to her, "When we were just married, he was already awake at night, afraid that he might snore and disturb me. And now, sleeping like a dead pig, snoring like the sky, I patted him in annoyance and told him to wake up and roll over. He grunted and raised his arm, which was considered my answer. "


    Da Qing was honest, and upon hearing his wife''s words, his face immediately flushed red. He was also reluctant to blame Susu, so he could only beg in a low voice, "Please give me some face."


    When Xiaowan heard this, she couldn''t help but giggle. At the same time, Aunt Zhang also complained to Uncle Biao. Ling Chaofeng hugged Xiaowan and said softly, "You are not allowed to do this in the future."


    "No what?" Xiaowan looked up at him.


    "Don''t scold me in front of others." Ling Chaofeng''s gaze was still on the bustling scene in front of him, but he said to his wife in a domineering tone, "Did you hear that?"


    The Xiaowan pouted his lips and refused to accept it. She turned around and shouted towards the Aunt Zhang, "Aunt, Hubby said that he doesn''t allow me to say that he is not in front of others."


    Ling Chaofeng was greatly embarrassed. He carried Xiaowan and walked back. Xiaowan shouted, "Little Pei, come and save Mother!"


    Little Pei was about to run over, but was hugged by the Aunt Zhang, and laughed: "Silly boy, what''s the matter?"


    Although Ling Chaofeng had a tiger-like face, his expression was still full of love: "Sleep early, the year is still young, if you feel at ease tomorrow, it''s fine if you go to the temple with your aunty and the others to take a look."


    Thank you for the New Year''s money that you gave me last year. If I didn''t have the money to buy candied fruits to eat, I wouldn''t have met Little Pei and you wouldn''t have seen me. "


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "Then I''ll go with you."


    Xiaowan patted her side, telling her husband to lie down, then she leaned on his warm chest and said with satisfaction: "Chao Feng, what kind of amazing thing did I do in my previous life? To be able to be your wife in this life."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Becoming my wife in this life is also a very impressive thing. In the next life, we can still be husband and wife."


    Xiaowan giggled and rubbed her chest.''s laughter could be heard downstairs, followed by Susu''s family riding on a wagon back to the inn. After the inn gradually calmed down, Xiaowan had also fallen asleep.


    At this time, the New Year''s Eve banquet had also ended. The emperor usually stayed with a few powerful ministers and royal disciples, so Bi Zhenye and Ling Qian were naturally not qualified.


    When they were going to escort Grandmother out of the palace and onto the carriage, they saw his mother-in-law, Princess Shen Wang Fei, and his sister-in-law Shen Qing coming out from the First Princess.


    The Crown Princess invited the princess to return to the palace as soon as possible. Tonight, both her husband and her son would be staying at the palace to watch over the new year. First Princess naturally accompanied her.


    "When mother and Little Qing arrived home, she sent someone to the palace to notify everyone so that we would be at ease." With that, the First Princess drove the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion carriage back to the palace.


    With that, the other people started to move, Ling Tian helped his grandmother and Lian Yi into the carriage, and said his farewells to them, telling their grandmother to rest early, and then waited for the carriage to be pulled by the servants, before returning home.


    However, on the way back, he saw that Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion''s carriage had stopped right there. Recalling what had happened, he ordered the servants to stop the carriage as well and get off, wanting to greet him.


    Seeing that Princess was helping his mother out of the brightly lit shop, the shop owner bowed all the way to the entrance, saying thanks for your kind words.


    The wangfei told them not to send her off, and when she turned around, she saw a young man standing in front of her eyes, whom she seemed to recognize.


    When Shen Qing saw Bi Zhenye, she could not help but lower her gaze and whisper to her mother.


    "I remember now, it''s the young master of Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi."


    Bi Zhenye bowed towards them as he asked, "It''s already so late, why is Young Master here?"


    The young man calmly replied, "Seeing the carriage of the Duke''s Mansion stop on the road, I thought that there was something wrong. The last time I met Princess, it was because the carriage broke.


    "It''s nothing," said the princess. "We both love to use this family''s rouge and cosmetic powder. Seeing that they''re still open for business, we''ll say a few words and give them a new year''s money. "You are quite meticulous, child. No one has taken the initiative to ask about the number of families that have passed by."


    Bi Zhenye did not take the initiative to show off, and only said: "Sitting in the carriage and not looking out, I can see it, and I accidentally saw it myself."


    "If you have time, come to the estate. My prince loves talented young men, as well as my son. He should have a few friends to speak of, don''t be like his father."


    Shen Qing reminded his mother to be cautious. Her mother was spoiled by her father, and was still acting like a young lady. Thinking about things was easy, and treating people as one would normally would.


    Bi Zhenye watched the mother and daughter get on the carriage. After the people from Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion left, Bi Zhenye then continued his journey. However, there was a smile on his face, and every time he saw Shen Qing, he would feel extremely happy. However, he also knew that he wasn''t a match for them.


    In the palace, the empress had personally come to deliver supper to the emperor and all the officials. Naturally, they couldn''t eat much, but it was as courteous and dignified as empress should be.


    When he entered the door, he happened to hear from the Emperor that his younger cousin, Shen Qing, was not married yet.


    Everyone talked at once about which family''s young master was compatible with Master Shenwang, and said that Master Shenwang''s vision was too high. When the Queen came in, they stopped on this topic.


    It was soon time for them to turn in, so Siyan followed the emperor to the inner hall and helped him tidy up her clothes.


    Xiang Run drank today, and while he was drunk, he secretly kissed his wife, and scolded: "The ministers are outside, the emperor is making more trouble."


    The emperor had to kiss him personally before he was satisfied. He then heard Siyan say, "Your Majesty, you can leave the matter of Little Qing to me. How could the emperor understand his daughter''s thoughts? He had to make sure that she didn''t mess around with him. Little Qing was the flesh and blood of her royal uncle, and could not bear to see her daughter suffer any grievances, but Little Qing was a sensible girl, I''m afraid the Emperor and her royal uncle might have chosen the wrong Lovers Index, and for the sake of the overall situation, she would accept it. Doesn''t that mean it''s been a lifetime of suffering? "


    The emperor nodded his head: "I am not good at these things, then I will leave it all to you. Royal grandmother talked for a long time, Little Qing already has 20, it is about time to marry."


    Leaving Qingming Pavilion, she saw First Princess coming over from the Longevity Palace, laughing heartily, saying that Empress Dowager was already sleeping peacefully, so she came to see his husband.


    The empress urged him to stay. "They''re doing fine. My royal sister, do you have something to discuss with me?"


    "What is it?" As they spoke, the two of them turned their attention to the Culture Hall.


    The sound of exploding bamboo could be heard everywhere in the entire capital city, and it was the same for the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion. However, every year, Shen Qing would not have the time to enjoy the show, and would bring his subordinates to patrol the area, just in case the flames flickered, and they might even be able to find a stable in the backyard.


    Seeing the restless horses in the stable, Shen Qing thought about the times she had met Bi Zhenye. She wondered if he still remembered what happened when she was young, and whether he would hate herself in her heart. Although the result of Bi Hanxi marrying to the General Wei was not bad, she was still unable to help at that time.


    She sighed lightly, but she couldn''t help but smile when she saw him in the crowd today. He was brimming with energy, and every time they met on the road, she would be very happy. When she thought of him, she would smile for no reason.


    But Shen Qing knew that Bi Zhenye was unable to climb higher, and that Grand Councilor Counselor-in-chief Bi had come to probe him out years ago, but his father had simply looked down on his Bi¡¯s Mansion.

 C219

    The temple fair on the first day of the first month was extremely important to people of Ling Xiao Inn. That year, Ershan caught the little thief at the temple party and became his wife. Last year, Ling Chaofeng made a connection with his son, allowing him to meet the Xiaowan.


    This year, the whole family came again. Including the baby in the Xiaowan, there were two more people here, and it became more prosperous every year.


    They went to the infirmary to thank the doctor, and while they were there, they took a look at Xiaowan''s body and the child in her stomach. The doctor smiled and said, "Everything is fine, it''s good to walk around more."


    After thanking the doctor, he went to the city temple to burn incense to worship Buddha. When he came out for a stroll, he met the person selling candied fruits. It was unexpectedly the same young brother from the previous year.


    After Xiaowan married into the tavern, Ling Chaofeng would give her pocket money from time to time. He would also take care of all the income outside the tavern, and Xiaowan almost had nothing to spend.


    Now that the young lady was rich and imposing, she knew that Little Pei liked it so she had to fork out some silver to wrap all the candied fruits for her son.


    However, the little brother said happily. The children were taking the New Year''s money to the temple fair to get a few mouthfuls of delicious food. If they told the Xiaowan to buy them, then the other children would have all failed. In the new year, he did not want to earn any money, so he wanted to make the children happy and save some luck for himself.


    Last year, when she came to buy it, little brother had also given the biggest string to Little Pei. He then silently wished for a good reward in his heart, bought a string for Little Pei, and left.


    Time to eat, drink and play, passed by really quickly. The whole family went to Li Prefecture to visit the Lantern Festival, and this year was about to pass.


    And after the Spring Festival, it would become more frequent for Ling Chaofeng to go out to do business. After all, the Emperor had requested for everyone to quickly create a strong water master who belonged to the Daqi.


    Currently, countless skilled craftsmen gathered by the sea. They needed the best materials to build the strongest and largest warship, and a portion of the best materials would fall onto Ling Chaofeng''s shoulders.


    With regards to the things in the tavern, there were the Uncle Biao and the Aunt Zhang. Ling Chaofeng wasn''t worried in the slightest, it was just that the Xiaowan''s body made him uneasy. Every time he went out, he would remind his son repeatedly, especially when his son was so strong that when he was playing crazily, he would have nothing to worry about.


    They were about to leave home again today. Little Pei lay on his father''s back and went out the door together with him. Uncle Biao had already prepared a horse for him.


    Xiaowan held her son''s hand and watched as their husband jumped onto the horse. She warned him, "If you encounter a blizzard, please don''t rush there. Even if you are a day or two late, how much longer can you be on the road?"


    "I know, you too. Don''t go out on a snowy day." Ling Chaofeng spoke a few more words of advice, then rode his horse and left.


    After his father left, Little Pei immediately asked Xiaowan: "Mother, in the next few days, can I not study and write?"


    Xiaowan shook her head: "It''s only been a day, okay, or else mother will spoil you."


    Little Pei pouted his lips, the Xiaowan told him to enter the door and said: "Let''s work harder today and finish tomorrow''s homework, tomorrow we will follow Da Qing to the pier to play."


    Once he met someone who was studying and writing, Little Pei would become an ordinary child. He would have to settle down and work hard, simply not willing to do it.


    Even Xiaowan could not stand watching this anymore. She patted Little Pei''s butt and said, "Are you deliberately bullying your mother? If your father was here, would you dare to dawdle? A little spanking is easy. "


    Xiaowan still had a good temper as she said, "It''s okay, how can there be a child who doesn''t like to play and loves to study."


    The Aunt Zhang laughed: "It''s great to have a child that is in love with his mother. At that time, Little Pei was also young, and you were not here either. As soon as Zhaofeng met with the matter of the child, he became anxious and this little thing would be beaten every few days. "


    Xiaowan rubbed her son''s butt and said gently: "Little Pei is not afraid.


    At this time, Susu shouted downstairs, "Evening, your mother''s village is here."


    Xiaowan could not help but frown, and then slowly went downstairs, it was the uncle that she recognized but did not speak much, the man was tired of walking, he drank a big gulp of hot tea, after taking a breather he said: Xiaowan, your mother is gone, your father called me to come inform you, you should go or not, but I have to tell you.


    Xiaowan once wanted his father to directly send someone who was half dead, naturally because she knew that Madam Xu would never wake up again in this lifetime. Her father was timid and afraid, and she did not force him. Now that he was truly gone, it was unknown whether it was a natural death or his father''s impatience.


    Naturally, the Xiaowan would not go home to attend the Madam Xu''s funeral. She asked the uncle to bring ten taels of silver to his father, also wrapping two taels of silver and a large piece of beef with soy sauce for them to send away.


    It was time for lunch, but Xiaowan had no appetite, after accompanying everyone for a while, she returned to her own room.


    Not long after, Susu came over with a bowl of soup, and laughed: "At least take a bite, if not Uncle Biao will be worried that you''ll starve to death."


    Xiaowan laughed: "Uncle Biao is always worried about me getting hungry."


    Susu replied: "That''s great, even my own father might not be as good."


    It was a joke, but to speak of it now, it was indeed inappropriate. Susu hurriedly said: "Evening, don''t misunderstand my meaning."


    Xiaowan sat down to drink the soup and said, "It was always like this, my father did not treat me well."


    Susu knew why Xiaowan felt sad in her heart, so she told him about how she and her mother felt when her brother died. In the end, it was all because of them, who used ethics to restrain him, and how they always wanted to show mercy. However, the reality was very cruel.


    "Evening, it''s all over." Susu patted the Xiaowan''s hands, "The good will be rewarded the evil, it''s their time."


    Xiaowan sighed lightly: "My father is not old yet, I''m afraid he won''t be able to live by himself, but I hope he doesn''t marry, and that if he meets another bad woman, he''ll pity my younger brother and sister and make them suffer. No matter how bad Madam Xu is, a child is still innocent. "


    Not long after, Little Pei arrived upstairs after eating his fill, and pestered the Xiaowan to tell him a story.


    Little Pei, who was naturally asleep, flew out. While the Uncle Biao was not in the kitchen, he put on the remaining half of the beef sauce and a box of lousy duck palms and went down to the Underworld.


    Old Master Yama had been waiting by the River of Forgetfulness for a long time.


    Little Pei asked him, "Your Highness, how did Madam Xu''s lifespan come to this?"


    An old and a young agreement had been made. On the day that Madam Xu was gone, Little Pei had sent him delicious food. By the way, he wanted to verify if Madam Xu''s lifespan was up to today.


    The Old Master Yama pointed into the distance, and two brats floated away while carrying the Madam Xu''s spirit. Little Pei sighed lightly and asked: "Will she go down to the eighteenth level of hell?"


    Old Master Yama held up his duck''s paw, shook his head and said, "Go and rebirth, in the next life, I will taste all the evil that I have done in this world for myself. In my Infernal Realm, there can''t be that many people locked up. "


    Little Pei said: "Then doesn''t that mean that in the next life, there will be another bad person appearing for her?"


    Old Master Yama laughed: "Foolish brat, this world has never lacked bad people. Without bad people, where would good people come from?"


    "What about my mother?" Little Pei asked, "Could it be that she will torture the Madam Xu in her next life?"


    Yama narrowed his eyes and said, "Xiaolong Sun, did I not tell you before?"


    "Say what?"


    "I only have your mother''s lifespan for this lifetime. I don''t have any arrangements to be born into this world." The Old Master Yama took a sip of his wine and said, "I was looking forward to day and night, hoping that your mother''s time of life was up. I really wanted to know what kind of life she would be like in her next life."


    Little Pei swallowed his saliva, and patted the old fellow''s shoulder: "My prince, I know why there is no one here to worship you anymore."


    King Yan was startled, and asked Little Pei worriedly: "Did you even send me good food?"


    As for Little Pei, when he returned to the mortal world, he merely floated to the Qingling Village to take a look. Madam Xu was naturally angered, and was discovered by her daughter this morning. At this moment, the family home was already in the state of being a funeral. Aunt and Uncle were dressed in mourning attire as they received the villagers who came to offer their condolences.


    When Little Pei returned home, his mother was covering him with a blanket. He slowly woke up, and Xiaowan laughed: "What are you dreaming about?


    Little Pei was joking with Yama in the Underworld, but he didn''t think that the sleeping would also laugh. He lazily whimpered and was about to hug his mother.


    "You are even more spoiled than Aunt Susu''s little sister. Little Pei, you are a boy."


    Although Xiaowan said that, she couldn''t stop herself from pampering her son. The little guy sensibly said to her: "Mother, when I become a brother, I won''t act coquettishly. I want to act as an example for my younger brother and sister." Her heart softened.


    However, as Little Pei looked at his mother, he remembered that Yama Minamiya had said that he didn''t know what his mother would do in his next life. Perhaps his mother would return to the Buddha and continue being a lotus flower.


    Little Pei could calculate everything but his mother''s future. He could only live his days one by one.


    Yama urged him to say that there was nothing more realistic than living a good life. The relationship between mother and son over 50 years was more than enough.


    On the same day, in the capital, the empress took off for a journey. She was going to the Chuanyu to visit the empress''s parents.


    It was said that he had work to do at the Ministry of Industry, that the emperor had asked him to visit the Chuanyu on the way.


    And among the female servants accompanying them, there were also the First Princess and the from the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion family.


    Naturally, Bi Zhenye followed the other ministers. At the back of the group, the princess and Princess followed the empress to the front, and like this, they wouldn''t have the chance to meet again if they were walking along the way. However, knowing that Shen Qing was right in front of them, Bi Zhenye was brimming with energy every day, while the others only thought that he was young and strong.


    The empress had already planned that he would make a trip to Baisha County halfway. On the day he left the capital, she would order someone to deliver a message to Baisha County, telling Xiaowan to wait for her at home.

 C220

    When Xiaowan received the news at home, Ling Chaofeng had still not returned home, and did not know where the Little Demon Empress was. She was very nervous, and worried that he would not be able to take care of him.


    The Aunt Zhang disagreed and said: "They also have two eyes and one mouth, could it be that they have three heads and six arms? Just treat them as ordinary guests, and those who have stayed in the Imperial City for a long time would love to come to the commoners to live a dull life. They would not be willing if you treated them seriously. "


    The next day, he went to the town and bought two sets of pork ribs, stir-fried the coarse salt of pepper, and all sorts of spices. He finished them all and hung them under the eaves, calculating the time when the Empress arrived.


    At this time, it was already February. The trees at the back of the inn began to sprout. A hint of green was enough to make one look forward to the prosperity of life.


    When Xiaowan was washing clothes at the back door, she could look out at the back of the mountain. She could always remember last year when Ling Chaofeng had picked her up and they went to the mountain to dig up wild vegetables together. One love after another was still vivid in her mind. And now, her stomach was bulging slightly, about to give birth to a baby for his beloved man.


    She got up to shake off her clean clothes, and hung them one by one on the clothesline. Little Pei brought over the large meat buns that Uncle Biao had just steamed, and ate one for his mother.


    After eating, the Xiaowan finished her work. The two of them entered the door together and saw a few people walking in from the front.


    Xiaowan thought it was a guest coming to eat or to stay at a restaurant. He put down the wooden basin and was about to receive them, when suddenly those people took out axes from behind his back. One of them even stabbed them heavily into the table beside them.


    shouted in fear. Uncle Biao rushed over from the back door, blocking the view of a room full of girls and children. He shouted loudly, "Where did this bastard come from?


    The person that came over asked: Is this Ling Chaofeng''s home?


    Uncle Biao asked: "Why ask when you already know the answer? What exactly do you want to do?"


    "Humph!" The person in the lead sneered and shouted as he smashed the table. A few people brandished their axes and cleaved apart the tables and chairs.


    Uncle Biao did not attack them, and did not stop them either. Other than him, the rest of the men were women and children, and the Xiaowan was carrying one of them in her stomach. Protecting them right now was much more important than taking care of these beasts.


    Those people didn''t seem to want to hurt anyone. They were vindictive and vindictive, smashing the shop into pieces. Just as they were about to rush to the second floor, another group of people entered the restaurant. This time, it was really the emperor with his empress.


    When the royal experts saw this, they all rushed forward and knocked down the few muscular men in a few steps. They were shouting so loudly that their mouths were gagged shut.


    Only then did the emperor allow his wife to enter the door. Siyan jumped over the mess and ran to the Xiaowan: "Xiaowan, are you alright?"


    "Empress ¡­" Xiaowan''s heart relaxed, after all, a pregnant person was weak, after being shocked she could not hold on any longer, so everyone quickly sent her upstairs.


    When the empress was able to make it in time, allowing the Ling Xiao Inn to escape, she had also conveniently interrogated those few people. However, they loudly shouted that they had nothing to fear, saying that if anything happened to them, Ling Chaofeng would definitely die.


    When Xiaowan heard these words, she was extremely shocked. She did not care about obstructing them as she rushed down and asked them who exactly they were.


    When the people around the emperor heard their accents, they guessed a few points and then asked again. Only then did someone say everything out of fear.


    Never would they have thought that Ling Chaofeng would bring his men to the deep mountains to search for good wood, but he was treated as an intruder by the locals.


    He did not know why the angry villagers not only imprisoned Ling Chaofeng and the others, they had also come all the way here to destroy their Ling Xiao Inn and vent their anger.


    The Emperor did not reveal his identity to those people and instead ordered people to guard them before sending people to the mountain to search for someone. He planned to wait here for news before leaving with the Empress.


    The Xiaowan only wanted to follow along. Siyan knew what she was thinking and advised, "You will only be more worried once you go to the Manager Ling. Don''t worry, if the Manager Ling doesn''t return safely, I won''t leave. In a few more days, my brother will arrive. At worst, I''ll just ask him to go to Manager Ling. "


    "Many thanks, Empress." Although Xiaowan thanked the empress, she couldn''t be at ease no matter what. However, she didn''t even know which mountain her husband was in, even if she wanted to, there was nowhere for her to go.


    The only thing he could do was wait at home.


    That night at dinner, Uncle Biao stewed the dried chili peppers and beans onto his salted pork ribs, which had been dried by him for several days. The inn was overflowing with fragrance, and the emperor was indeed tempted to eat.


    On the other side, First Princess and Shen Qing were sitting at the same table. Shen Qing watched his sister-in-law eat the ribs with her hands while she elegantly tore off some meat with her chopsticks and put it into her mouth.


    People who were used to eating rare and precious seafood would have thought that the delicious taste of pork ribs would make her eyes light up. She wanted to learn from her sister-in-law and start eating directly, but she couldn''t do it.


    Everyone was eating heartily, and only the Xiaowan was sitting at a table at the side with no appetite at all.


    Aunt Zhang whispered into her ear: "The wind has been blowing in the past, and people can walk in the martial arts world, how can they not experience wind and waves, tonight, don''t be afraid."


    Even if she said she wasn''t afraid, it would just be to coax her. Xiaowan was extremely afraid, her only thought right now was to go to her husband''s side.


    If she didn''t see her husband with her own eyes, all other promises and guarantees wouldn''t work, but there was nothing she could do but wait.


    They seemed to not be worried about Ling Chaofeng''s safety at all. The originally entertaining attitude in Xiaowan''s heart towards the guests had unavoidably decreased by half.


    However, this couldn''t be blamed on the emperor and the Empress. If they hadn''t arrived in time, who knew what the house would have been like?


    Little Pei said to his mother in a soft voice, "Mother, this is not the first time our shop has been smashed. My father is so calm."


    Xiaowan scolded him, "This is not a good thing to be proud of, foolish child."


    After that, a few days, the empress settled down in the tavern leisurely, while the First Princess and the Princess gradually got familiar with the people in the shop. The First Princess even brought Little Pei out to fly a kite and wandered around the town together.


    The Xiaowan even saw Bi Zhenye at the tavern. She had specially come to pay her respects to the Aunt Zhang, so the emperor told him that since she was already here, there was no need to leave.


    As such, when Princess followed his sister-in-law and Little Pei back from town, and saw Bi Zhenye standing in the great hall, she was stunned.


    First Princess glanced at his cousin, picked up the fat Little Pei and said: "Come, let''s go see your mother."


    Unfortunately, these two young people, despite having intentions in their hearts, still maintained their identities. No matter what, they could not take a step closer to each other. After a few simple words of greeting, they separated.


    In the blink of an eye, a few days had passed. After some time, Wei Tengfei quickly brought Hanxi to the Baisha River on the boat, but there was no news of the person the Emperor had sent to find Ling Chaofeng.


    One day, someone finally came back and laid on the ground to tell the Emperor that he had been waiting outside for news to send to the Emperor, but when no news came, he realized that none of the people who had gone in had come out. There was a high probability that something had happened.


    He did not dare to go alone, so he came back first, begging for the Emperor''s permission.


    Xiaowan stood on top of the building and heard everything clearly. She turned around to pack, while Little Pei stood at the side obediently without stopping.


    However, he was curious as to why the situation in the mountains was completely different from the information the Emperor had gathered.


    On the day he was smashed to death in the inn, he flew to look for his father. His father was in the mountains, eating meat and drinking wine in huge bowls. Could it be that his eyes were playing tricks on him?


    "Little Pei, be good and stay at home. Mom will go find Daddy and she''ll be back soon." Xiaowan tidied up her salute, picked Little Pei up and placed him on the table, "You have to be obedient, don''t run out by yourself, your grandma and the others won''t be able to find you, you should be worried."


    Ling Pei nodded: "Mother, I will listen."


    With that, Xiaowan brought her luggage downstairs and just happened to arrive at Ling Xiao Inn with Hanxi. They entered the house in a travel-worn state and saw that Xiaowan was about to leave with her backpack.


    The empress looked at her husband as if she wanted to say something to him. Since they were all in the same boat, the emperor said, "Since they are all so orderly, why don''t we all go together? It looks like none of you can rest in peace if we don''t go together."


    When the Xiaowan heard that everyone was going to look for him, she was naturally grateful. However, she then saw the Emperor pointing at the Princess, Bi Zhenye and the others, saying, "You guys stay here, wait for our news, then directly leave. We''ll meet up halfway."


    Shen Qing was startled, but Bi Zhenye accepted the order calmly. Two hours later, the entire shop was emptied.


    The empress brought Xiaowan away. Before General Wei even sat down to drink a cup of tea, she brought Hanxi along with her. The First Princess didn''t even ask anyone and followed along herself.


    Before First Princess left, he said to his sister-in-law with a smile, "Keep an eye on the shop for Xiaowan. Don''t do the loser business."


    At this time, Shen Qing was standing alone in the shop, staring blankly into space. Little Pei pulled her hand and said: "Are you going to pick some wild vegetables?"


    After Bi Zhenye sent the empress dowager off to the door, Little Pei asked him: "Uncle, we''re going to pick some wild vegetables, are you going?"

 C221

    Bi Zhenye readily agreed to follow him up the mountain. However, he was a young master of a high official''s house, and a Princess who was raised in a deep palace, so how could he tell what grass was wild vegetables? Before going up the mountain, he couldn''t help but ask Shen Qing: "Have Princess picked wild vegetables before?"


    Shen Qing shook his head: "What about you?"


    Susu carried her basket and brought Little Pei to the front, while complaining to the little fatty: "It''s still so cold, where are the wild vegetables? "You little rascal, your heart is too big. Your father''s whereabouts are unknown, and your mother is walking out the door with her stomach puffed up. Do you still have the mood to go up the mountain and play?"


    Little Pei chuckled: "They will be back soon anyway."


    Susu replied: "That''s right, I can''t wait for them to come back tomorrow."


    As he spoke, he glanced behind him, and sure enough, the Princess who had lived like a prince ever since he was young didn''t walk on this trackless mountain, step by step, slow and nervous. Young Master Bi patiently waited at the side, one hand out to support and protect the people around him.


    "Aunt, let''s go." Little Pei tugged on Susu''s clothes, and headed deeper into the forest.


    On the other side, the empress and her group were heading towards the location of Ling Chaofeng''s disappearance. It would take them three to four days to walk slowly, and two to three days to walk quickly.


    First Princess Xiang Yuan, who had followed him here, squeezed into Xiaowan and his car. The shop only left behind Uncle Biao and Susu.


    The Aunt Zhang and the palace had a relationship, so she naturally knew about the matters of the First Princess. Seeing how this little married woman carried her mother''s temperament and also had a completely different personality, it was truly a novel experience.


    In the Daqi Nation, there was one person who could be tyrannical, and if he could even poke a hole in the sky, he would be in no big deal.


    But at a time like this, as a princess, the Aunt Zhang knew the ways of the palace and understood what was meant by "one man, one woman". As the daughter of an emperor, she could be lawless, but as the sister of an emperor, she might not.


    However, this was not a matter that the Aunt Zhang should meddle in, and the person in front of her was chuckling as if it was the same as before. Perhaps what she was sighing about was that, as a princess, one must be reborn in the Xiang Dynasty to truly have the meaning of having golden branches and jade leaves.


    "Xiaowan, have we met before?" First Princess asked this question several times along the way. "I keep having the feeling that we''ve met before, but I just can''t remember a single thing about it."


    Xiaowan timidly but surely shook her head. "First Princess, this humble woman has never been to the capital before.


    This time, she was just strolling along with her brother and sister. No matter how she looked at Baisha Town, she felt that they looked familiar, especially so this delicate and weak little lady in front of her.


    She asked again, "Is it all right for the child in your womb to be so bumpy?"


    Xiaowan nodded his head: "Thank you for your concern, this humble woman is fine, this humble woman''s body is very strong."


    The Xiaowan was very confident about her body. On the contrary, she could often see the First Princess looking out the window, the bumpy carriage and horses did not make her feel uncomfortable, but she did not seem happy.


    Sometimes, the First Princess would mutter to himself, "The outside world is good, but it''s a pity that he''s getting busier and busier, there''s almost no time to walk around."


    This "he" Xiaowan could already guess, so she was naturally Prince Consort Ma, the older brother of Princess. Xiaowan now knew a bit about the powerful people in the capital, but these powerful people were completely different from what she had imagined.


    When they raised their hands, their smiles were filled with nobility. However, they did not have the cold arrogance of arrogance from high above. Each and every one of them was very amiable.


    Indeed, those who were truly in the clouds no longer cared about their status. On the contrary, those who were a bit proud could not wait for everyone to raise their heads and look at them.


    Xiaowan had to laugh at herself. At this time, she was actually still in the mood to think about the lives of others. Her husband had disappeared, and she was already worried to death.


    But at this very moment, deep in the mountains, Ling Chaofeng followed a few white-haired elders and arrived under a towering tree.


    Pen straight into the cloud of the tree trunk, precipitated by the years and vicissitudes, it is awe-inspiring.


    Ling Chaofeng raised his head and looked at the people around him. "These pieces of wood can withstand ten thousand years of wind and rain without being eaten by insects, and as generations of emperors, they are all cut down to build palaces. If we were to use them to build ships, it would be extremely suitable."


    Ling Chaofeng touched the tree trunk, as if he could feel the power that came from the earth.


    The old man sighed, "But you need so much wood, if you cut it all down, this mountain would be dead. The Supreme Emperor had fought for many years to build his war chariot cannon emplacement. He had used up countless amounts of vegetation and had barely thirty years to recover, yet he still hadn''t recovered even a bit. Yet he had to be cut down in large numbers once again. Manager Ling, in the future when the mountain slides and the mudslides submerge the entire mountain, the people will still be the ones to suffer. "


    Ling Chaofeng nodded: "Yes elder."


    The old man continued, "Since the end of the kingdom of Zhao, we have spent all our efforts to protect the forest. I have never stepped out of the mountain in my life and have watched the lush and verdant mountains become barren."


    He brought Ling Chaofeng along and walked forward. The sunlight was no longer blocked by the dense foliage, the scenery in front of him suddenly widened, but what he saw was a barren slope.


    "With us mountain villagers, it won''t be enough to repair the mountain forests." The old man said gravely, "But the court thought that everything in the mountain was inexhaustible, and no one ever looked to see how this place had been ruined. The wood that is the best in our own Daqi, the wood that is most suitable for building palace warships, is grown here by us. I''m afraid in another twenty years, not even birds and beasts will be able to survive here. "


    In the beginning of the Daqi, it had been more than thirty years. After experiencing the Zhao Country''s corruption in the last year, the Supreme Emperor, in addition to conquering the east and fighting the west, had also helped the citizens across the country rebuild their homeland. He had used up a lot of wood from the front to the back.


    Even though Daqi was a vast forest, with just a few mountains inside of it, it was enough for the people to cut firewood and live. However, the wood could not be used to build palaces or ships, it''s best wood could only be found here, but here, a desolate scene had already occurred.


    "The Emperor should be arriving soon." Ling Chaofeng said, "It is time for him to see for himself, if the imperial court does not do anything, in the future when the current generation of emperors wants better wood, there will not be any left."


    The elder replied, "We have a lot of concerns, Manager Ling. You must also know that the ten officials are extremely greedy. If the court were to pay for the restoration of the mountain forest, it would be necessary to appoint officials to supervise it. We were originally free villagers, and no one knew more about this mountain than we did. If that is the case, we would rather not have the Imperial court interfere. But if the imperial government does not intervene, we will not be able to save these mountains. "


    "This junior understands the elder''s meaning." Ling Chaofeng said, "I will definitely ask your majesty to come up with a plan that is absolutely correct. Your majesty''s achievements are not in the present moment, but in this thousand years, he is a rational and wise person. You can rest assured."


    The white-haired old man caressed the trees beside him. "It would be our honor if they could transform into a warship to protect the common people with Daqi. However, if we cannot protect this forest in the end, then my entire life will be meaningless."


    At this moment, a young man neatly climbed up the mountain and told the elders and Ling Chaofeng, "Someone is coming. A lot of people are here, Manager Ling.


    Ling Chaofeng told the crowd, "Lead them into the mountain forest. Don''t act rashly or have a direct confrontation with the Emperor. If you trust me, let me negotiate."


    They, the villagers, had never left this place, and could not think of how to deal with the Tian Clan. Naturally, they trusted Ling Chaofeng and entrusted him with the task.


    This time, the method to lure the Emperor over on purpose was easily seen through by the Emperor, but Ling Chaofeng''s goal was for him to see through it, so that he would be curious about what exactly was happening here. Naturally, he had also expected that the night would come.


    When the emperor and his group reached below the mountain, the Xiaowan was still a day''s journey away. After agreeing to meet up and enter the mountain together, Xiang Run took Siyan and set up camp here.


    Siyan followed the emperor and stood at the bottom of the mountain looking up. She heard the official beside him say: "Your Majesty, in this mountain, there is the best wood for the Daqi. There are also the ridges of the Imperial City. The Supreme Emperor''s construction of the Culture Hall, the various palaces, the Qin Province''s Royal Tomb and so on all came from here. "


    Siyan said very naturally: "If I were to cut like this, wouldn''t this mountain become bald?"


    The emperor looked at her with a solemn expression. The official beside her laughed dryly, "What the Empress said ¡­" "It makes sense, but as you see it, Empress, this place is still lush and verdant."


    Siyan laughed: "If we were to be bald here, wouldn''t it be better if we didn''t come? "Master, look at these trees. They are neither tall nor short, they are not the wood you mentioned. They are trees that can be seen anywhere."


    The empress dowager came from the Chuanyu, and walked through countless of fields and mountains. In front of her, there was no need to force words.


    Xiang Run frowned, he seemed to have realized something.


    "Your majesty, you can''t blame me for speaking too much. When you enter the mountain later on, you must be prepared. Perhaps the scene that you see after passing through here will cause one''s heart to turn cold." Siyan sighed, "I hope we can keep some for us to use in the war. I''m afraid that after we use it all up, our children and grandchildren will not be able to use it for much longer."


    The emperor was quiet. He seemed to understand why Ling Chaofeng had gone missing.


    When she saw the emperor, she felt the atmosphere was heavy. How could she have expected that it was something related to the forest, her heart was filled with surprise, but seeing Xiaowan''s tense face, Siyan hurriedly comforted her, "Don''t think too much, we haven''t received any news yet, we''ve been waiting for you guys to arrive and we''ll head into the mountain together."

 C222

    Seeing the noble empress say such considerate words to him, the Xiaowan was touched and guilty. He immediately gathered his energy, "Empress, I''m fine.


    However, when the nearby villagers who had been asked to lead the way heard this, they advised, "It''s getting late, and the mountain road is a danger. It''s best if we hurry up early tomorrow."


    Xiaowan anxiously wanted to find a husband, the emperor coldly said: "You are pregnant, if we put you in danger, what would Ling Chaofeng do? I''ll rest tonight and make it early tomorrow morning. However, if the weather is not good tomorrow, you will also stay behind and not enter the mountain. "


    "Your Majesty ¡­" Xiaowan wanted to refute her, but how could a little woman like her dare to go against the dignity of an emperor?


    The empress smiled gently at her and said softly, "We''ll talk about it tomorrow."


    Xiang Run''s words were originally an order for him to be concerned about them, but he didn''t want it to turn out to be true.


    That night, Little Pei was sleeping on the kang with Uncle Biao. The grandfather and grandson pair were snoring non-stop when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. However, Uncle Biao didn''t seem to be alarmed by it at all.


    flew out of the door, and indeed, he saw a huge dragon writhing in the clouds. He politely called out "Xiaolong Sun", and Little Pei knew that it was also a Dragon Sun from the Eastern Ocean.


    Unexpectedly, Eastsea''s Dragon Sun had kindly come to remind him that he was going to the mountains to rain, while Little Pei''s parents and the emperor''s empress were all in that mountain.


    "Is it a disaster?" Little Pei cautiously asked.


    "Yes, but it won''t hurt the people. I won''t take care of that." "Let me inform you that we''re leaving now. If you want to do anything, just call me."


    Little Pei knew that under the rain, losing more than one drop was a huge crime, so he could not tell others to stop raining or to stop raining. The other side was kind enough to tell him, that if he caused any trouble, he would implicate the Eastern Ocean Dragon Sons. Although he was loyal and willing to bear the burden with him, he could not let others down.


    Little Pei remembered his uncle''s warning very clearly, and his parents had gone through wave after wave of troubles, if he could not get through this crisis, it would be their end. If he insisted, it would only bring about a worse result.


    "Thank you very much." He thanked Eastsea Dragon Sun and returned back to the house. Uncle Biao woke up and saw Little Pei sitting on the brick bed.


    Little Pei said honestly, "Grandpa, I miss mother ¡­"


    Uncle Biao hugged the child and patted him, laughing. "I also miss your grandmother."


    That night, Xiaowan was not able to sleep at all. Suddenly, a fierce wind and rain blew in the middle of the night, causing her to anxiously crawl back up to look. Aunt Zhang was also woken up by the rain and wind, she stood up and came to her side.


    They only saw the tent being shaken by the wind, and very quickly, water was poured in, the people outside shouted and panicked, Xiaowan stood at the door, the rain poured down her face, it was cold and bone-piercing.


    Separated by a mountain, was there anywhere that could shelter him from the rain?


    "Evening, don''t catch a cold." Aunt Zhang pulled her back and advised, "Chao Feng has experienced everything before, he will be fine."


    Xiaowan lowered her eyes and muttered softly, "Aunt, am I in the wrong?"


    Aunt Zhang was startled: "Silly child, what are you saying, what does this have to do with you."


    Xiaowan was full of guilt, "People from the small village said that I have a tough life. I killed my mother and sister, and I killed people from my family ¡­ Ever since he was married to his husband, he seemed to have suffered a lot and had to go around as hard as he could. It''s fine now. With the weather in February and March, it''s actually raining. It''s not normal at all. "


    "Xiao''er, if you say this, not only will I be unhappy, Chao Feng will also be furious." "Don''t think like this, and don''t dare let Chao Feng know, he will definitely be angry, you ask Little Pei, is his father afraid of losing his temper?"


    Xiaowan revealed a smile: Little Pei is afraid of my dad being beaten, but no matter how angry Xi Feng is, he will not make a move against me, I know.


    The Aunt Zhang heaved a sigh of relief, stroked Xiaowan''s back and said, "After you enter the door, how happy are we? The heavens gave you to Chao Feng, marrying you is his good fortune. "Good child, when you are alive, you will always have to go through some rough times before being able to take care of yourself. The days after the rough times come to an end, and the meals will always be more delicious."


    Xiaowan vigorously nodded his head, "Aunt, in this lifetime of trials and hardships, I will definitely accompany my husband."


    At this time, the emperor''s guards came over to ask if the Xiaowan was safe and sound. Their tents were only filled with some rain water, and nothing bad happened.


    On the contrary, the Xiaowan was concerned about the empress''s safety. However, the empress''s tent was naturally in the best position, so there was no need for them to worry.


    After four hours, the torrential rain finally stopped, and the mountain immediately became quiet again. He could hear the rain dripping from the branches, and the water in the Xiaowan''s tents had also retreated.


    The Aunt Zhang pulled her and said, "Sleep, if not how do you plan to climb the mountain tomorrow. Do you have the strength to climb it?"


    The Xiaowan muttered, "I''m afraid the Emperor won''t let me enter the mountain."


    The Aunt Zhang said, "Then you have to listen to me. Otherwise, if something happens between you and your child, how can you be at ease when you tell the Emperor? Even Chao Feng would be angry and hurt."


    Xiaowan thought for a moment, stroking her bulging stomach, she agreed: "Aunt, I''ll be good."


    The next morning, everyone came out of the camp account one by one. The forest that had been torrential storm and torrential rain did not show any signs of fatigue. Instead, it made the forest more verdant and lush. The air was especially good. If he breathed in, it would be able to wash all his internal organs clean.


    However, the sun was hidden behind the clouds and could not be seen. The early morning wind was biting cold, so the emperor reached out and tied up the Queen''s clothes tightly. When he looked up, he saw the Xiaowan walking towards them.


    Siyan asked: "Your Majesty, are we letting Xiaowan into the mountains?"


    Xiang Run shook his head: "It was raining heavily last night, so the mountain road would definitely be difficult to walk on.


    Siyan nodded, "I''ll listen to your majesty." Seeing that her husband was about to speak again, she quickly interrupted, "I said to listen to the emperor arrange for the Xiaowan. I''m not pregnant, I want to follow you up the mountain."


    The Emperor lightly glared at her, but in the end, he still agreed.


    Xiaowan guessed right, the emperor did not bring her along, she was very obedient, and this made the emperor feel at ease. He promised her that she would definitely bring Ling Chaofeng back, so she left behind people to take care of Xiaowan while she brought the empress into the mountains.


    First Princess insisted on following his. The brother and sister bickered for a while, but the Emperor couldn''t do anything about her, so they both headed towards the mountain forest.


    The storm from last night was extremely strange, the villagers were worried about the trees and flowers on the mountain, but the natural strength was indeed endless. At the most lush part of the mountain, there were no traces of a storm.


    The Elder let out a long sigh, "They were able to resist the natural disasters again and again, but they were unable to resist the man-made destruction. They have truly committed evil."


    A young man came and told them that the Emperor and his party had entered the mountain and were coming up from the other side.


    On the opposite mountain, the trees had all been cut down, leaving only a piece of bare dirt and rocks. The old man worriedly asked, "Why did they come in from there? Didn''t they see last night''s torrential rain?"


    On this side, the emperor was being led by the local villagers as he led his wife and the others up the mountain step by step. The road was muddy and slippery, with mud and water flowing down from time to time.


    At this moment, the emperor had climbed over the hill and arrived at the middle of the mountain. In his eyes, he saw the mountain peak where Ling Chaofeng was sitting on across from him, where ancient trees towered up into the sky, filling him with joy.


    Under such magnificent scenery, a few ministers came to ask for the Emperor for credit, and said to Siyan even more, "Empress, you see, the forest here is still well-preserved."


    Siyan laughed coldly and pulled the emperor''s sleeves, turning him around.


    Xiang Run turned around and looked; his heart suddenly twitched. The mountain they were on was completely different from the scenery they saw at the foot of the mountain.


    "Why is this happening?" "Why are there no trees here?"


    "The land is dead." Siyan said, "Your Majesty would definitely not be able to imagine, why would the land be dead?"


    Xiang Run really didn''t understand, but at this moment, screams came from behind him. The guards who had not caught up to him were actually struck by lightning, the mud avalanche from the mountains swept them away, washing them away alive.


    "Your majesty! Not good! Run!" Someone shouted out loudly. The area of the mudslide was constantly spreading. It coldly collapsed, and more and more people were being washed away. It was unknown whether they were still alive or not.


    "Is This Emperor going to die here?" Xiang Run was extremely shocked in his heart. He refused to accept this outcome, he turned around and saw Ling Chaofeng''s figure on the mountain peak opposite him.

 C223

    However, the current situation did not allow the Emperor to hold Ling Chaofeng accountable. The mountain was collapsing quickly, and more and more people disappeared from in front of their eyes.


    When Siyan turned around and wanted to pull her sister back, her feet slipped. Luckily, she was supported by the Emperor, so she took the opportunity to hand his wife to the guard in front of him and reached out her hand to his sister. Unexpectedly, a piece of the mountain collapsed and mud surged down, as if it was a calamity.


    "Your Majesty ¡­" Siyan cried out in shock as she watched the Emperor, his sister and the guards beside them being washed away.


    Siyan had lost all hope. At this moment, she had even forgotten about her daughter who was waiting for her at the palace. She only thought that if anything happened to the Emperor, she wouldn''t be able to live by herself.


    The emperor held his sister''s hand as the two of them were swept down by the mud avalanche. This was a calamity with almost no chance of survival.


    Perhaps it was because they did not intend to severely punish the mortals, but only wanted to scare them. Moreover, they did not reach a very high place, and there was still a river flowing down the mountain. After a moment of darkness, their bodies finally stopped.


    After an unknown period of time, the emperor weakly opened his eyes, his vision a blur, but his hands were still holding tightly onto his sister, while First Princess lay at his side, unconscious.


    "Sister ¡­" The Emperor opened his mouth and coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of muddy water.


    He struggled to turn over and crawl towards his sister, but the Emperor''s leg seemed to have been broken.


    At this moment, a lot of people suddenly rushed towards him. The black mass of people caused the emperor to feel dizzy, and to him, it was as if they were a little kid that came to capture him. The moment his consciousness dissipated, he saw a familiar face, Ling Chaofeng.


    A wave of anger surged forth, but it was too late for the heavily injured to do anything.


    When the Xiaowan and the Aunt Zhang saw that the river had turned muddy, they realized that something had happened to the mountain. Her heart was beating quickly, and with one hand on her stomach, she muttered to herself that the wind would not be able to blow, and her husband would not abandon her.


    "Xiao''er, it''s cold outside, go in and rest. You can''t be too worried." Seeing that the Xiaowan''s complexion did not look good, she said calmly, "If something really happens, we can only listen to the heavens'' will. There is no news of anything happening right now, so let''s not scare ourselves."


    Returning to the tent, Aunt Zhang draped a quilt over her body. Xiaowan shook her head: "Aunt, I''m not cold.


    Aunt Zhang did not have the experience to give birth to children, so she did not understand these feelings. However, since the child said that she was not cold, she did not force him.


    He did not know how to distract her attention, so he suddenly said: "Evening, have you ever been curious about the history of me and your uncle?"


    Xiaowan was stunned, then she said: "My name is Liang Rujun, is that nice to listen to? "After I married your uncle, he used his surname to call me that. Gradually, I forgot that my surname was originally Liang."


    Listening to her wife narrate her life, Xiaowan opened her eyes wide in shock. It was hard to imagine that someone who was so gentle and amiable, who looked after and doted on her like his own mother, actually had such a deep relationship with the imperial government and imperial family, and Liang Prefecture that was thousands of miles away.


    "Aunt, did you lie to me?" As expected, Xiaowan did not dare to believe it.


    "It''s up to you whether you want to believe it or not. It''s fine to just be a joke." The Aunt Zhang laughed, "However, in this life, I will never be able to think of a good thing waiting for you. Don''t think that the difficulty you are facing will be the end of your life."


    Just as she finished speaking, a voice came from outside the door. Xiaowan had sharp ears, she had long engraved her husband''s every move into her heart, and upon hearing the footsteps, she felt that Ling Chaofeng had come.


    She abandoned her sister-in-law and rushed out of the tent. Sure enough, a muddy man was standing there, talking to the guards.


    "Hubby!" Xiaowan was elated, and immediately rushed towards him.


    Ling Chaofeng''s body was covered in mud. He initially did not dare to open his arms, but seeing his wife pouncing towards him, he had no choice but to catch her. The mud all over his body rubbed onto her body.


    He knew that this kind of thought was very selfish. It did not care about righteousness, but when he saw that the hill opposite him had fallen, his only thought was to search for the Xiaowan in the crowd. Fortunately, the Emperor did not bring her in.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan was also at peace.


    "Later, I got into trouble." However, Ling Chaofeng smiled and kissed her forehead, saying, "If I get caught by the emperor, what will you do?"


    Xiaowan looked up at him blankly. "You''ve caused trouble?"


    "What a disaster. Wait for me here tonight. The road in the mountain is not easy, so I can''t bring you in." Ling Chaofeng said, "When the Emperor, First Princess and the others are out of danger, I will naturally come out."


    "Your Majesty ¡­" Something has happened? " Xiaowan immediately became nervous.


    "Something big has happened. Stay here and wait for news. I''ll come visit you every day." Ling Chaofeng said, "How long is it peaceful inside? Can I bring you over to take a look?"


    Xiaowan hurriedly said, "Don''t worry about me. There''s Aunt accompanying me. Husband, no matter what, don''t let the empress be sad. He''s such a good person."


    "I promise you, but I don''t know what the result will be." Ling Chaofeng was extremely calm as he instructed the Xiaowan, "I heard from those guards that the General Wei is going to handle some errands for the Emperor, and should be arriving tomorrow. After he arrives, please take a detour around the mountain and enter."


    Xiaowan took note of this. After Ling Chaofeng entrusted the Xiaowan to Aunt Zhang, he brought the imperial physicians and all the medicinal ingredients that had been left in the camp to enter the mountain again.


    As for what had happened in the mountain, Hubby had no time to explain in detail. However, Xiaowan and Aunt looked at the muddy water and could not see it clear.


    "It seems," said his aunt, "that Chao Feng deliberately led the Emperor here."


    Naturally, the Xiaowan looked at her husband wholeheartedly and muttered, "That was also something that the Emperor volunteered to do. As long as he doesn''t come, everything will be fine."


    Aunt Zhang laughed in displeasure. "Accompanying a monarch is like accompanying a tiger, foolish child."


    Deep in the mountains, the emperor woke up to find himself lying in a strange place. He turned his face to the side slightly and a teary face appeared in front of him. He moved his lips and said, "Yan''er ¡­"


    The Queen trembled all over and immediately ordered the imperial physicians to come and see. The emperor was surrounded by a group of people, and after a while they dispersed, Siyan returned to his side and cried on the bed.


    "I''m still alive, what are you crying for?" The Emperor caressed her head, saving her from a calamity, causing him to be filled with emotion. "But, am I right? I''ve died once."


    His heart tightened as he hurriedly asked, "Yan''Er, where''s your royal sister?"


    Siyan sobbed, "Sister Huang is fine. She woke up earlier than you did, and was even able to stand up and walk around."


    "She was so powerful, I remember she fainted."


    Siyan said: "The imperial physician said that royal sister fainted from the very beginning and didn''t eat much muddy water, but I''m afraid the emperor ate a lot, for the next few days it''s very important, if there are any other symptoms, it''s going to be troublesome. Listen to me, don''t move about, don''t worry about other things, and take good care of yourself, okay? "


    The emperor closed his eyes. "Naturally, I want to live as well."


    He then asked the others how they were faring, but he didn''t expect that they had all been rescued. It was truly fortunate that their injuries were severe.


    "Heaven bless you." Xiang Run said, "From now on, when we go to Chuanyu, we will pay respects to heaven and earth."


    "We''re not going to the Chuanyu. When big brother comes, tell him that we''re not going anymore. I don''t care if he goes back or not." Siyan said, "I want you to go back to the capital to recuperate."


    Xiang Run looked at his wife, only to see that Siyan''s gaze was resolute, as he said unwaveringly: "Listen to me."


    Although the Emperor was not convinced, he did not want to die right now. There was no point in wasting time on such things. The most important thing was to concentrate on waiting for his body to recover.


    "Where''s Ling Chaofeng?" When he asked this question, the Emperor was slightly angered.


    "Cleaning up the mud at the foot of the mountain, we are already on another mountain. This place is covered in lush greenery, there is absolutely no danger of the mud avalanche here." Siyan said, and then she added, "Furthermore, the Manager Ling seems to be fine, I don''t know why he was provoked and said that he is missing, I''m afraid this matter will have to wait for the Emperor to ask about it."


    The Emperor closed his eyes and said gravely, "He has great courage."


    Siyan said softly, "But did Your Majesty see that? That entire mountain was bald."


    The emperor opened his eyes and looked at his wife. "He wants me to come and have a look myself?"


    Dusk gradually descended. The emperor had a slight fever and did not have any major symptoms, but no one dared to relax. They had to observe for a few days before they could relax.


    The way Chuanyu had suddenly become like this, no one could have imagined that the Queen would be sitting by herself by the fire, roasting the flames. Looking at the flames, they couldn''t help but laugh.


    His husband''s life and experience began to get richer and richer. He would no longer be obsessed with the Emperor''s achievements. He would be able to explore his own world.


    First Princess suddenly walked over from behind and sat down beside the empress. She, too, had a slim chance of survival, but he was still full of spirit, which was quite amazing.


    "Why isn''t Imperial Sis taking a good rest?" Siyan said worriedly, "You are injured too."


    "I''m fine, I just want to ask ¡­" The First Princess wanted to say something, but hesitated, "Did you deliver the news to the capital?"


    "Ling Chaofeng said he was sending you off." Siyan said.


    "Oh." First Princess answered simply. He lowered his head, picked up a branch, and lightly fiddled with the fire.


    In the camp outside the mountain, Xiaowan was delivering food to the guards. They thanked him and requested him to rest early.


    She walked back with her coat draped over her shoulders and stood in front of her tent, looking at the pitch black mountains. She had discussed this with her aunt earlier, and guessed what Ling Chaofeng meant by "trouble".


    "The Emperor won''t." Xiaowan continued to mutter under her breath, "It definitely won''t happen, Your Majesty."

 C224

    On a night when there was no storm, it was exceptionally peaceful. Closing his eyes, he seemed to be able to hear the sounds of birds and beasts in the mountains.


    When the wind blew, Xiaowan thought that it was going to rain again, so she opened her eyes and sat up.


    But that was not the wind but Little Pei. He had come to see his father and mother and knew that they were safe and sound and was very at ease. He also did not expect that this calamity would actually belong to the emperor.


    Little Pei took a stroll in the mountains, then covered his father who was sleeping soundly due to exhaustion with a blanket and left.


    During the entire day, after the Emperor was in great danger, Ling Chaofeng was busy helping the villagers clean up the mud.


    After experiencing it personally, it was as the elders had said. They were relying on just a few villagers to restore their appearance, and they did not want anyone to try to criticize them.


    Not long after Ling Chaofeng had first entered the forest, he was driven away by the villagers as an intruder, causing the two sides to almost clash. When he was on his way to the mountain, he knew that the Emperor was bringing the Empress and his group to the Chuanyu to settle down. He guessed that they would definitely go to the inn, so he discussed with the elders and tried to think of a way for the Emperor to see for himself.


    The villagers had already agreed to give Ling Chaofeng the wood he needed, but they hoped that the imperial government would truly pay attention to this serious problem. The elder said, "It''s not just our mountain that is abandoned."


    In the end, the Emperor did come, but he didn''t expect such a huge incident to occur.


    That night, the tired people slept soundly, as did the Xiaowan. However, no one knew when the next calamity would befall them.


    In the morning, after waking up to the sound of birds chirping, Xiaowan and Aunt Zhang had breakfast made for the warriors guarding outside. She did not know when Ling Chaofeng would come today, so she even left a bite for her husband to eat.


    Deep in the forest, when Ling Chaofeng saw that the emperor did not summon him, he decided to continue working with the villagers.


    However, the Empress found him and said that her brother should be there today. He would definitely enter the mountain as well, afraid that some accident might happen again, so she invited Ling Chaofeng who was familiar with the mountain path to bring them in.


    Ling Chaofeng accepted the order, and the Empress continued, "If the journey is not difficult, bring the Xiaowan in as well. She is too concerned about you from the outside, and doesn''t dare to say it out loud, you can only blame her."


    "Yes." Ling Chaofeng responded as he took a detour down the mountain. When he arrived at the foot of the mountain, Wei Tengfei had just arrived with Bi Hanxi.


    Wei Tengfei had gone to do some errands for the emperor halfway. Who knew that such a huge incident would happen two days later, yet he was naturally puzzled and asked Ling Chaofeng: "Are you alright? "Didn''t they say that you were kidnapped and imprisoned by the people in the mountains?"


    Ling Chaofeng replied: "It''s a long story."


    When the sun climbed to its center, First Princess, who had just woken up, was leisurely sitting in the mountain people''s courtyard and eating breakfast. Seeing Wei Tengfei bringing Bi Hanxi along, Ling Chaofeng bringing Mu Xiaowan along, with his two pairs of arms facing the ground, his heart suddenly felt a little disappointed.


    When everyone came to pay their respects to First Princess, the princess waved his hand nonchalantly. "The emperor is awake, go and see him."


    At the moment, the emperor had long since woken up, his mental energy much stronger than yesterday. Just as he was talking to Siyan after taking his medicine, he heard from the outside that the General Wei had arrived.


    General Wei and Ling Chaofeng entered together. Seeing that, Siyan silently exited.


    Outside in the courtyard, Xiaowan''s body was drenched in sunlight. Her beautiful face was filled with bashfulness as she looked at Hanxi nestling her head on her stomach.


    Siyan slowly walked over and laughed: "You still can''t hear anything?"


    The Queen spoke and sat on a stool like them. Her skirt was covered in black mud, but she didn''t care at all.


    Xiaowan felt that it was inconceivable. Although she already had a sister-like relationship with the empress, the empress she imagined definitely shouldn''t be like this. But she really likes this kind of Queen, young lady thought timidly. It''s the fortune of a commoner to have such a mother in Daqi.


    The mountain people''s home was halfway up the mountain. They were sitting in the courtyard and were just able to see the mountain they passed yesterday. With the surrounding hillside and the lush greenery, the large piece of loess mountain rock suddenly became even more dazzling.


    When the First Princess saw that they were enjoying the show, he wanted to come and join in on the fun, but just at this moment, the Emperor came out with his bodyguards in their simple carriage, with Ling Chaofeng and Ling Chaofeng at his side, the Empress followed behind him with their wives.


    Those who were left alone forced a smile and decided to return to sleep.


    The Emperor''s group all the way to the edge of the cliff. He sat on the carriage and was unable to stand on his own. This attitude made him feel even more reverence towards the natural world.


    Looking down, the river was still murky. The mud and rocks that had rained down yesterday had not been washed clean. Looking back at the scene now, it was truly a blessing that he was able to live to see the light of day again.


    They bowed towards the emperor, and were supported up by Ling Chaofeng and Wei Tengfei. The emperor said in a gentle tone: "There is no need for the elderly to be so courteous, we should thank all of you, and protect the mountain forest for my Daqi."


    On the other side, Hanxi supported Xiaowan who was standing not far behind them, while the Queen stood by the side by herself with her back straightened.


    Her expression was solemn as she stared at the person in front of her. Her gaze immediately fell on the Emperor, and she saw that the atmosphere had changed, and Siyan revealed a smile.


    The Xiaowan looked on foolishly. Turns out the Queen was just as she had imagined, dignified and dignified. She knew that she wouldn''t be able to become such an amazing woman in her entire life, but she was already satisfied to see it with her own eyes.


    Although the emperor hated Ling Chaofeng for his arrangements, it was indeed as Xiaowan said, he was the one who agreed to come. He had felt that the two people who destroyed the shop were a little strange since a long time ago, and if he didn''t come, then everything would be fine.


    However, now that he had arrived, he did not regret it at all. He had personally witnessed the desolation and desolation behind this great river and mountain. The words spoken by the elders on the mountain were as if they had been enlightened.


    Xiang Run more and more understood that with his father''s outstanding achievements, he should be able to become a king.


    After the elders left, only Wei Tengfei and Ling Chaofeng followed behind the emperor. He said to the two of them: "We must build a warship, even if we have to cut all the mountains in this area, we cannot just watch as the coasts of the Daqi suffer threats again and again."


    "Yes." Wei Tengfei replied.


    "Before, I wanted you to build a weapons factory. Since a natural cave has been formed there, let''s put everything on hold. Transfer those people here to plant the trees and tell them to listen to the mountain people''s commands." I hope that when the next Emperor wishes to build the warship of the palace, there will be lush and verdant trees. "


    The Emperor did not speak any heroic words as he said very calmly, "I have always thought that what royal father left to me was an unshakable overlord. My entire life, I will be a king with no achievements. Only now do I understand, royal father had given the most important burden to us, today''s Daqi cannot be considered to be that of a powerful nation, so let''s see thirty years or even fifty years from now. "


    The two of them cupped their fists in acknowledgement, the emperor then ordered Ling Chaofeng: "This time you have cheated on the Sovereign, the death penalty will be spared you."


    Ling Chaofeng''s expression was solemn, he had long been prepared for this, for any punishment, he would not resist, this time, it was true that he was being too arrogant.


    "Xiaowan." The Emperor suddenly spoke.


    young lady stood at the back, she was stunned, then looked at the Empress, then at Hanxi, as though asking them: Is the Emperor calling me?


    Hanxi quickly supported Xiaowan up ahead. The Queen took a few steps, but did not come closer.


    The emperor asked the Xiaowan if she wished to forgive Ling Chaofeng for cheating on his husband.


    As expected, the moment she said those words, Xiaowan immediately kneeled down, looking anxious and wanting to plead for his husband. In the discussion she had with the Aunt Zhang before they entered the mountain, the worst case scenario would be that her husband would lose his head.


    However, what she did not know was that Ling Chaofeng might not have been afraid of death, but the moment he saw her kneeling down, the pain pierced through his heart and he felt ashamed.


    The Emperor ordered Hanxi to help the Xiaowan up, then looked at the mud on her Xiaowan''s skirt before glancing at Ling Chaofeng. The men understood each other, and the Emperor understood that this was already the biggest punishment for Ling Chaofeng.


    He leisurely said: "Since you are unable to escape from death, I want you to travel all the way from east, south, west, and even find the mountain forests that have been deserted by the imperial government in the Daqi territory. For a period of three years, help the people everywhere rebuild the mountain forest."


    Then he said to the Xiaowan: "In the future, he will not be able to follow you often, or you will have to follow him around often. Are you willing?"


    Xiaowan nodded, but she pursed her lips and thought that once they passed this village, there would be no such shop. She didn''t know when she would be able to personally say anything to the emperor, but she steeled her heart and said, "But Your Majesty ¡­ Master wants to find the materials for the boat for the General Wei, wants to earn money for the Lord Tang, and now he has to repair the forest. Furthermore, our family has an inn to do business, there are so many things that can''t be done by himself. "


    The emperor laughed, and Wei Tengfei also laughed. Ling Chaofeng walked over and supported his wife in place of Hanxi, smiling and shaking his head at her.


    Xiaowan was confused, but the emperor said: "He has done more than this before. I know that he has the capability. The only difference is that now that he has a wife and children, he will be worried about you. "


    His gaze swept past Xiaowan and Hanxi, and looked at her own wife. Siyan smiled, his eyes filled with joy.


    This matter, although the empress could not even go to the Chuanyu, the result was still beautiful. Although the Chuanyu could go at any time, it would not delay one day passing on the inheritance to the ten thousand generations of trees in the mountain forest.


    Everyone guarded the emperor who was resting in the mountains for another two days before they smoothly left the mountains. The emperor''s group had to return to the capital, Wei Tengfei originally wanted to protect them all the way, but when they had just reached the foot of the mountain, a group of people rushed over. It was Xiaowan''s first time seeing the person in the lead. Just when she was curious where this handsome man came from, she saw First Princess running out from the group towards him.


    Hanxi supported Xiaowan and whispered to her, "The little General Shen has come."

 C225

    Since the little General Shen had come to receive him, Wei Tengfei no longer needed to escort the General Shen to the capital. Like Ling Chaofeng, he had a heavy responsibility on him, and it was only the start of the new year.


    It was unknown when Hanxi and Xiaowan would be reluctant to part, and Siyan was also reluctant to part with him. Xiaowan had promised her that in the future, she would bring her to the capital to see the fireworks.


    First Princess, who had been depressed for the past few days, now had a bright smile on his face. He ran over happily and said, "Did you guys forget about our aunt?"


    Only then did everyone remember about Princess and Bi Zhenye. The emperor ordered Ling Chaofeng to bring back a message, telling him to send Shen Qing back to the capital to catch up with the group.


    After walking a distance, the three groups of people went their own ways. Xiaowan looked at her reluctantly on the carriage and smiled at her: "Evening, do you think you have a friend?"


    Xiaowan asked happily: "Aunt, how did you know?"


    Aunt Zhang held her cheek, and said with a smile: "Because I also had this day before, suddenly realizing, that I could still make friends."


    Xiaowan thought about how Aunt Zhang had told him about her background and when she found the chance, she asked Ling Chaofeng in private if she knew and if it was true.


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: "It doesn''t matter if it''s real or fake, Aunt will never come back, why should we investigate whether it''s real or fake? Aunt told you to treat it as a joke, let''s just treat it as a joke."


    "I know." The Xiaowan said solemnly, "In any case, I think of Aunt as the same as a mother, as long as we can be happy together."


    Ling Chaofeng looked down to see his wife''s bulging stomach, and said: "This time, when we return home, don''t go too far, or else your body will be unable to take it anymore. "If something happens to the child, you won''t be blamed for my heartache, but you will definitely blame yourself for not protecting him properly."


    "I will listen to you, but ¡­" "Husband, you can''t scare me anymore. If it''s like this, you can at least tell me in advance." The Xiaowan said very seriously, "Don''t mention that the emperor is angry, I am also very angry. I thought that something happened to you, I was extremely scared."


    "I was wrong. Late, please don''t be angry, okay?" Ling Chaofeng''s forehead was pressed against the Xiaowan''s forehead as he lovingly held her face. He couldn''t forget the Xiaowan kneeling in front of the emperor, the young emperor really knew how to control the people''s hearts, any punishment would not even compare to the Xiaowan kneeling. Thinking back at this moment, he was still frustrated and heartbroken.


    "I''ll remember. If you do something wrong next time, I won''t forgive you. Tell me, how can you scare me?" Xiaowan pouted, her face filled with anger, but the happiness in her eyes had long betrayed her. To her, as long as her husband was safe and sound, everything was fine.


    Because Xiaowan was pregnant, Ling Chaofeng and the others walked very slowly, and those who stayed in the tavern naturally took longer time to wait.


    Since the first day he was a stranger, he had been able to recognize even some of the wild vegetables in the rear mountain. Between Little Qing and him, he was already as familiar as a friend that had been with Bi Zhenye for many years.


    In the past few days, there had been guests who had come to the tavern. The Uncle Biao was in charge of cooking, Susu did odd jobs, and the Princess, who knew how to settle debts, became the owner''s guest.


    Susu gradually became more familiar with the Princess. When she talked about family matters, she was curious as to why the Princess would settle debts. When she heard that Susu had been in the capital for two years, Little Qing smiled and asked: "When you were in the capital, did you know my mother?"


    Susu was slightly familiar with the situation, but she only knew that all the women in the Palace were envious of Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion, that in order to love his wife, Master Shenwang did not take in concubines at home, and did not seek happiness outside.


    Little Qing then laughed: "In a family, when mother doesn''t care about matters, she will naturally have a capable daughter or daughter-in-law. Our family is all my business, and from the moment I started to study and write, I will account. "Ever since my mother had my help, she started to forget about everything else. Anyways, my father has spoilt her, so no one can say that she isn''t."


    Bi Zhenye listened at the side with a faint smile on his face. Little Qing inadvertently looked back, their four eyes meeting, and they both separated in panic.


    Bi Zhenye coughed dryly, "Why has the emperor left for so long? There''s no news either."


    Little Qing replied softly, "Yes."


    The two of them looked at each other again and laughed.


    Little Pei dragged his kite over, wanting Bi Zhenye to take him to play. Bi Zhenye carried him up, wanting the little fellow to sit on his shoulder. But Little Pei''s chubby weight was not light. Bi Zhenye''s raised it high enough and with a sway of his center of gravity, Little Pei fell down as well.


    Little Pei was almost sent flying and landed on the ground with a thud. This time, it was not light and the pain made him cry out loud, scaring Bi Zhenye out of his wits.


    Little Qing and Susu carried the child up. Seeing that there was blood at the corner of his mouth, they opened it to check his teeth.


    Uncle Biao came from the kitchen and upon hearing that he had fallen, he laughed out loud. He easily picked up his grandson, rubbed his head and said: "Man, just by falling twice, you grew up. Little Pei will not cry."


    Bi Zhenye panicked as he stood there, his hands still trembling. If he really wanted to throw Little Pei out, he could only apologize with his life.


    "Bringing a child is already like this. My family still has a daughter. His father was playing with his daughter and broke his forehead a few days ago." Susu comforted them, "Children grow up when they fall on the ground."


    Bi Zhenye asked nervously, "What happened next?"


    Susu looked at him, then looked at Princess, and laughed: "My dear grandmother beat me up with a broom, and chased after him through the entire yard, making me extremely happy."


    Little Qing also laughed, but Bi Zhenye still kept on blaming himself. He hated himself for being raised in a jar of honey by his grandmother''s mother, filled with soft bones, so much so that he couldn''t even hold a little kid.


    Susu went to look at Little Pei from the back. Only Little Qing and Bi Zhenye were left in the hall, so she walked over to his side and gently said: "Wait till Little Pei gets better, can we take him for a walk?"


    Bi Zhenye was startled: "Go outside?"


    Little Qing said: "Although we have been waiting for a long time, I think that royal brother and the others should have called us to leave already. I really like this place, but I don''t know when they will come back again.


    Bi Zhenye was quiet for a moment. His heart skipped a beat as he asked, "You want me to... "Take you there?"


    Little Qing said generously: "Aren''t you the only one here?"


    Bi Zhenye nodded his head, he then walked around the house and said excitedly: "I will go prepare the carriage."


    After a short while, Little Pei was brought out of the room, and the little guy''s mouth was swollen. Other things didn''t hinder him, but when he heard that he was able to go out and visit, he was already extremely happy.


    He told them seriously that if his parents came back and saw him hurt, they would have to prove that they didn''t mess around and run into him, or his father would punish him.


    Little Qing laughed: My Manager Ling is exactly like my big brother, my nephew''s character is extremely similar to Little Pei''s. He usually likes to jump up and down at home, but my brother isn''t afraid of him making trouble, nor is he afraid of him getting hurt. My brother said that if you can''t even protect yourself, what qualifications do you have to mess around? "


    Bi Zhenye supported them into the carriage as he personally drove the carriage. In his heart, he was thinking that the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion father and son were both great generals that could make his enemies tremble in fear, and how could such a mighty family possibly accept a soft son-in-law? He was truly unworthy of the Princess at all.


    However, a gentle voice came out from behind him. He heard Shen Qing saying to Little Pei: "But Aunt likes gentle boys. Little Pei, what kind of man do you want to be in the future?"


    Bi Zhenye''s hand trembled, but he immediately pulled tightly on the reins, his heart becoming hotter and hotter. Could it be that Princess was saying these words to him on purpose?


    The two adults brought the children and strolled around the few scenic spots in the Li Prefecture realm. When they were eating in a restaurant outside, the waiter thought that they were a family, and said to Shen Qing: "young lady is so lucky, to have given birth to such a cute, fat boy."


    Shen Qing felt a little awkward, but no one tried to explain. She looked at her uncle, then at the Princess, and continued to eat.


    On the way home, the tired brat fell asleep. Bi Zhenye cautiously drove the horse carriage forward, when Princess suddenly asked him from behind, "Young Noble Bi, are you cold? "It seems like there''s a wind."


    Bi Zhenye hurriedly said: "Not cold, just now I drank a mouthful of wine and it was still warm in my stomach."


    However, Little Qing asked: "Do you still remember what happened that year?

 C226

    The horse carriage slowly stopped, Bi Zhenye turned and looked at Little Qing, she smiled: "You don''t remember?"


    "I do, but I couldn''t remember that the Princess was that girl." Bi Zhenye replied, "It was a very cold day, and I still had a high fever when I returned home, which scared Grandmother and Mother."


    Little Qing said guiltily: "I already don''t remember why I had no choice but to lure you there, but I''m very regretful. Seeing you being treated like a snow target from that time until now, I''m very regretful.


    "Children are just playing around, Princess does not take it to heart." Bi Zhenye said, "Perhaps, Princess will think that I was trying to say some good words on purpose to pacify you. Actually, I was rather happy that day. I was doted upon by my mother and by my grandmother, and I have never crawled in the snow like an ordinary child. Although I was very scared that day, when I think back on it afterwards, it was quite interesting. "


    Little Qing said: "If that''s true, then I will believe it."


    Bi Zhenye nodded his head, "Please believe it Princess."


    Little Qing gently adjusted the windbreaker on her body. Her fine fur matched against her petite face, and her long and thick eyelashes fell as she asked, "Why didn''t I remember that girl was me?


    Bi Zhenye said: "The original memories are already blurry, but after seeing the Princess, I remembered seeing the girl''s eyes and recognised that it was the Princess. Although I remember everything now, I am afraid that a lot of the memories are from my own imagination."


    Little Qing said: "But I, I remember everything."


    Bi Zhenye was startled, and asked again, "For the matter with Hanxi, the reason why Princess helped him so many times was also because of that matter."


    Little Qing''s reply, seemed vague, but she smiled and turned back to accompany Little Pei.


    Bi Zhenye looked at the curtain that was about to fall, steadied his heart, held onto the reins, and continued his journey.


    In the next few days, everything in the inn was the same as before. Little Qing would stand behind the counter everyday and watch Bi Zhenye entering and exiting the inn. If it was really like this, it was not bad, but unfortunately, they were the same as the guests who came to eat and live in the restaurant, they were just passing by.


    Finally, on the day that the sky suddenly warmed up on the Baisha County, Ling Chaofeng returned with Xiaowan.


    Only then did Shen Qing and Bi Zhenye realize that something big had happened in the mountain. They wanted to immediately return to the capital to chase after the army.


    The wound on Little Pei''s mouth had almost healed already, but Xiaowan could still see that his son was injured with a single glance. After knowing that Bi Zhenye fell down on his son, she naturally could not say anything else, so she returned to her room and looked over his son''s entire body before calming down.


    He still didn''t know who would be the one to reincarnate and become his little brother or sister. When he went to the Heavenly Court to ask, his grandmother said that even they didn''t know about this matter, just like how no one had expected that Mu Xiaowan would actually give birth to a little Golden Dragon.


    This time, it was possible that Xiaowan would give birth to a small dragon, but it was also possible that it was an ordinary mortal child.


    After that, the mother and son duo went downstairs again. Bi Zhenye and Princess were about to set off on their journey.


    Ling Chaofeng intended to send them out of the Li Prefecture, but he was warned by Susu to stop her.


    Bi Zhenye invited the guests at the tavern to visit the capital one day and apologized to the Xiaowan for getting injured. After the Princess thanked them for taking care of him, they left with some guards.


    "Why don''t you let your husband send them off?" The Xiaowan asked Susu.


    Susu had been looking at her coldly in the tavern these past few days. It turned out that the affection between the noble young master and the young miss Qian Jin was so urgent that it could kill a person. The two of them were clearly in love with each other, but no one dared to take another step forward.


    She smiled and said, "Why don''t you ask why the emperor made them stay?"


    Ling Chaofeng came back from outside the door, seeing that the Xiaowan was still standing underneath the building, he hurriedly said: "Quickly go and rest, you must be tired from this bumpy journey."


    Uncle Biao came out with fragrant noodles, and laughed: "Go to sleep after you''re full, you miss your family''s food, right?"


    Ling Chaofeng helped Xiaowan to sit down, and as the family sat down, Little Pei suddenly raised his head and looked towards the roof.


    "Little Pei, what are you looking at?" Xiaowan also raised her head, but didn''t see anything.


    The entire family raised their heads up as well, but other than Little Pei, they were unable to see the golden light that was swirling above the tavern. Little Pei was unable to fly out at the moment, if he did, he really wanted to go up in the sky to check if his brother and sister were about to be reincarnated.

 C227

    The golden light above the tavern slowly faded. It was unknown which holy being had left, or if someone else had reincarnated. Little Pei was inside the little child''s body, so he couldn''t see anything clearly through the roof.


    However, with his parents by his side, and them constantly talking to him, he was unable to find an opportunity to fly out.


    By the time everyone had finished eating the noodles and the Xiaowan brought Little Pei upstairs, the golden light on the roof had already disappeared.


    Little Pei flew up to the top of the tavern, looked around, and only saw the borders of Li Prefecture, and even the entire Daqi, being extremely peaceful and tranquil. Little Pei thought that at least there would be no demons causing trouble. Thinking about it, the person who sought his mother out just now shouldn''t be a bad child.


    Unfortunately, he could not calculate it. Unless one day his little brother or sister appeared in his mother''s womb, Little Pei would not know whether his mother gave birth to a dragon or a flower until the birth of the child.


    Xiaowan laid on the bed, while Little Pei sat at the side. She reached out her fat hand to stroke his mother''s stomach, then said to the child in his stomach, "My darling, in the future, you have to listen to my words, big brother loves you the most."


    "I''m in love with my mother too." Little Pei came over, and the Xiaowan held him close to her chest, looking extremely affectionate and affectionate. She said happily, "The Empress and Empress have already made an agreement to meet up in the capital, and when the time comes, Mother will bring Little Pei there to watch the fireworks and eat delicious food. I heard that the capital is bustling with noise and excitement."


    However, everything that remained in Little Pei''s memories was not good in the capital. His mother experienced all the pain there.


    She wondered under what circumstances her father had committed treason when she set foot in the capital again. The Emperor did not pursue the matter, so she could not help but laugh it off the next time she stepped into the capital.


    The mother and daughter duo laid on the bed for a long time, until the tired Xiaowan fell asleep first. Little Pei snuggled up with his mother.


    His father looked at them for a long time by the bed, then kissed his mother and himself. He poked at his fat face and arms with his fingers as he said with a pained smile, "Little fatty, your father isn''t home. Did you eat with your belly open again?"


    However, she quickly kissed him again, and even rubbed her lips a little, unwilling to let go. She said very softly, "Little Pei, Daddy missed you."


    Little Pei slyly opened his eyes. Ling Chaofeng was startled, revealing a look of displeasure, but Little Pei extended his hands out towards him, asking to be hugged. The man''s heart softened. He picked up his son without hesitation.


    "You''ve gotten fat again." Ling Chaofeng replied, "No matter how fat you are, your mother won''t be able to carry you. In the future, your mother will only be able to hug your little brother and sister, aren''t you jealous?"


    Little Pei leaned on his father''s shoulder and muttered, "Aunt Susu said that I have grown up, not become fat. Mother hugged brother and sister, Father hugged Little Pei. "


    His son had indeed grown taller. He was not unbearably fat, but only as chubby as before.


    It had only been a year, but he had suddenly grown up so much. However, the amount of time he had left his children to accompany him decreased.


    Ling Chaofeng patted his butt, afraid that he would wake Xiaowan up, the father and son pair then went to the window to talk. He asked his son if he had been studying properly recently, Little Pei rolled in his arms a few times, laughing guiltily.


    Ling Chaofeng said unhappily: "You''ve already stolen lazily before, you''re not allowed to be idle in the future. You know that you''ve grown up, if you don''t properly study when you grow up, your father will no longer bother with you. A child who has no one to care about is the most pitiful. "


    Little Pei nodded obediently. "Don''t just nod your head, speak your mind properly."


    The little guy was acting coquettishly for a while, but in the end, he was still able to properly answer her question. As for the last time when he was slapped in the face, he completely forgot about it after he woke up.


    But Ling Chaofeng did not forget that the only thing he kissed the most was that half of his son''s face that had been beaten up. In the past, after beating the disobedient Little Pei up to the point of crying and his butt becoming swollen, he would never feel regret.


    Xiaowan woke up in alarm when she heard Little Pei''s coquettish movements, but what she saw was the father and son standing under the window. Little Pei was being hugged and adored by his father, and his son was talking a lot of things.


    So deep down in his bones, he loved his son so dearly. Could it be that the most precious thing was that Little Pei was not his flesh and blood.


    Xiaowan closed her eyes, wanting to bore the father and son a little more. In a few more years, the little guy would grow up, and the time a boy can act like a spoiled child in the arms of his parents was really too short.


    Not long after, the father and son pair left together, leaving Xiaowan alone in the room.


    How could her life become so beautiful? What should she do in order to cherish it even more?


    Xiaowan rubbed her belly and said softly: "You must love Big Brother more in the future. Big Brother will love you the most. "Little darling, are you little brother or little sister?"


    On the other hand, Bi Zhenye had already left the Li Prefecture with Little Qing, and was heading straight for the capital. They had to catch up to the rest of the army as soon as possible, because they heard that the emperor was heavily injured.


    However, Bi Zhenye felt that the Princess was weak and weak, and he, as a man, felt tired from the bumpy journey. Furthermore, the delicate woman, after thinking about it again and again, decided to continue at his normal speed, and would rest when it was night, not being able to make it to the next town, he was not in a rush to walk a few more miles, and would only leave after daybreak.


    With the guards by their side, the two of them did not say anything, but Little Qing''s considerate care made Little Qing feel it.


    Every time he went to a place to rest, he would find a local woman to take care of him, making Little Qing, who was amongst a group of men, feel a lot more comfortable.


    Finally, when they were still a day away from the capital, they caught up to the main force.


    Bi Zhenye was very far away when he saw someone riding on a large horse waiting for him. He led the group of Princess and slowly approached them, only then did he see that it was definitely the little General Shen.


    He and Shen Yun greeted each other with a cupped fist. Little Qing stuck her head out of the carriage and called out his big brother. Then, Shen Yun spurred his horse over and wrapped his arms around his little sister''s waist.


    As she sat in his brother''s embrace, she was able to look straight into Bi Zhenye''s eyes, which were on horseback. After their gazes intersected for a short while, Shen Qing was led by his brother to the main group. Bi Zhenye followed behind leisurely, the only sound being the hooves of the horses, she could not see anything else.


    "It''s been hard on you." Shen Yun said, "Little Qing has grown up, but this is the first time she has been alone outside, don''t blame your sister-in-law for leaving you behind."


    "Yes." Little Qing nodded, but then subconsciously shook her head, "It can''t be considered lonely. There was an uncle who cooked very well, a gentle and beautiful wife, and a cute little doll in the inn."


    Shen Yun laughed: "Aunt likes the kids from the other family, the two little demon kings in my family won''t agree."


    Little Qing replied, "I brought so many things for the Little Demon Kings. I eat things they haven''t seen before."


    His brother suddenly asked: "Little Qing, that Bi Zhenye, what''s going on?"


    His sister was stunned and after hesitating for a while, she only asked, "What ¡­" "What''s going on?"


    When she was almost in front of the emperor, Little Qing could not help but ask: "Brother, would you dislike your brother-in-law''s family background?"


    Shen Yun said: As long as I treat you well, as long as it''s someone who cares about you, then everything will be fine.


    Little Qing nodded, but Shen Yun continued to speak, "But being nice to you, no matter who you are, they will be nice to you. Big Brother does not want you to be interested in a person who is mediocre and does nothing for you. Otherwise, when one day the feelings fade, the rest of the time will be difficult to bear. Who could guarantee that after ten or twenty years, the Shen family would be unshakable? Little Qing, your brother doesn''t care about your future brother-in-law''s background, but you have to be someone with ambition. That''s the only way to protect you when you''re in danger. "


    "I know, I think so myself." As Shen Qing spoke, she could not help but stick her head out and look behind him.


    "What are you looking at? Your lover is behind you?" Shen Yun laughed out loud, but his sister was embarrassed enough to the point that her neck was red.


    The proud and reserved Little Princess didn''t speak at all. After that, he met the Emperor, the Queen and his sister-in-law. She only told them about his experiences in the inn.


    When Bi Zhenye was mentioned, it was similarly indifferent. The calm and dignified manner that was deep within their bones made the Empress and the First Princess speak to each other urgently in private, "It looks like if Bi Zhenye doesn''t speak, she won''t speak at all."


    In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed since the Xiaowan returned to the inn.


    In just these ten days, Ling Chaofeng had gone out three times, and he had always rushed back as fast as he could. The Xiaowan felt that it was hard work for him on the road, but he said that only when he returned home would he be able to sleep soundly and return.


    When he returned today, he brought back news that the Empress had successfully returned to the capital, that the Princess had arrived safely, and that Susu was curious about the happy occasion. Ling Chaofeng shook his head.


    Susu smiled at Xiaowan and him, "I really want to show you the appearance of that pair of people. I wonder if they will still be like this after we become husband and wife due to fate."


    Xiaowan wasn''t familiar with Princess, but she was familiar with him now. She thought that with Princess having such a cute and straightforward sister-in-law, a good marriage couldn''t be wrong.


    Within the capital, Ershan gradually found out about the happenings of the past few days, but the true reason of the Emperor''s death in the mountains was not announced. Because Bi Zhenye did not follow him into the mountains, he did not know much.


    It wasn''t until the Ling Xiao Inn sent him a letter to his home, reminding him to be more cautious when mentioning Ling Chaofeng''s offense against the Emperor, that Ershan realized that his brother had almost committed the crime of deceiving the Sovereign.


    Naturally, this brother was Ling Chaofeng, but Ershan''s other brother, Ershan knew that he had been alone with the Princess for a few days. They had met outside the palace, and Bi Zhenye asked his grandmother if she was fine, to pay respects to Lian Yi''s body, but Ershan smiled and asked: "Lian Yi is very curious, what are you doing with the Princess in my inn."


    Bi Zhenye was greatly embarrassed, and replied without answering the question: "I slept in the room where you came from, you really have a lot of books, did you get all of them from the Manager Ling? You don''t mind if I take a few, do you? "

 C228

    Ershan intentionally said, "Uncle Biao said, you and the other Princess of the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion have made this business sound and sound. "How come I don''t remember how I taught you how to escort a guest? If grandma knew, he would definitely say that we brothers are related by blood. Naturally, little brother will know about the matters that big brother knows, and little brother will know about ¡­"


    Bi Zhenye smiled, "That''s true, we brothers have hearts of our own, so it''s natural that I know how to do it."


    Ershan laughed: "But you haven''t married off yet, what I will do, aren''t there some things you can''t do even if you wanted to?"


    Bi Zhenye was stunned, but his brother quickly left. Bi Zhenye chased after him unhappily and asked: What do you mean by that?


    Ershan said, "Lian Yi and I both thought that you would bring back a wife this time."


    Bi Zhenye said with a stern face: "Children''s wedding, how can it be so casual?"


    Ershan asked with a smile: "Then do you have that person in your heart? Of course, the reason why I dared to face Lian Yi''s relationship back then was because I believed that I would be able to pass the examination. It was also because, in the end, I was still a son of the Prime Minister''s Estate and wasn''t truly poor enough to ask for the wealth of a Prefect''s family. However, the difficult problem that is in front of you right now is not just the threshold. "


    The person in front of him had a solemn expression as he attentively listened to every word.


    Ershan continued to speak: "In my opinion, for a small hall, the threshold to become a government official is very high. If it was in front of you, it wouldn''t be considered anything at all. But other than the Emperor, the threshold of Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion was as high for everyone in the world. Whether it is a son of a Marquis, or a commoner, I am afraid there is no difference in the eyes of the Master Shenwang. The only difference is that the Princess does not fancy him, and the person he likes, does not have good moral character, and does not treat his daughter well. "


    Bi Zhenye''s spirit was lifted, his brother''s words had truly touched upon his heart.


    Ershan saw that he had regained his spirit, and laughed: "Your mother''s matter, how you did it, the entire capital knows, your character is impeccable, what''s left is, do you have the guts to fight for it."


    Bi Zhenye muttered to himself for a while, then asked: "How do you know that I have feelings for the Princess?"


    Ershan patted his brother''s shoulder: "During the New Year''s Eve banquet, have you ever seen anyone else with your eyes? There is no need to dwell on what happened after that, at my inn. "


    "You saw it?" Bi Zhenye was extremely embarrassed.


    "I''m afraid there are a lot of people who saw it." Ershan said, "You have been together in the inn for so many days, how did Princess perform?"


    Bi Zhenye wanted to say a lot of things, but he did not know where to start talking. The assembly was about to begin, so he did not allow them to say anything more.


    In today''s assembly, the Minister of Public Works had asked the Emperor for his resignation in public. Some people guessed that the matter of the destroyed forest had implicated him, but since the Minister was already old, there was a chance he could resign at this time.


    As a result, the position of the Minister was vacant, and he would be chosen to be promoted. After the competition ended, when Bi Zhenye met Ershan again, he realised that he had a good chance of being promoted to assistant minister.


    Although he was only at the fourth rank official level with a lot of bulls in the capital, in his heart, he still felt a little more confident. After the brothers discussed this matter, they had made the decision that if Bi Zhenye could successfully be promoted to the position of assistant minister in the Ministry of Industry, then they would ask for Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion for his marriage.


    Inside the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion, Little Qing was still the same as before, attending to her parents at home and entering the palace to accompany her grandmother and sister-in-law. Other than going back and forth between the imperial city and the Duke Palaces, she basically didn''t visit anywhere else.


    In the eyes of the people around her, her heart was as calm as still water, as if Bi Zhenye was just a passerby to her. But why did she do this?


    Deep within the palace, the emperor endured the pain caused by the imperial physician''s acupuncture. His expression was one of puzzlement and bewilderment, while the imperial physician was nervous. It wasn''t easy for him to finish everything, so he wiped his sweat and immediately retreated.


    Siyan carried his daughter and placed her in his embrace. The emperor''s expression immediately became gentle, and the father and daughter pair became bored for a moment. Seeing that the emperor''s mood had improved, Siyan brought the medicine over and told him to drink.


    The Emperor returned to his face with a look of execution, and drank the medicine angrily.


    Siyan said in annoyance: "These few days, I''ve scared the servants until they were trembling, and exhausted. When my daughter has grown up, I''ll be able to leave her alone."


    The emperor smiled and said, "Don''t be like mother and aunt, throwing everything to your daughter. In the future, your daughter will not be willing to marry. You will have to worry about family matters."


    Siyan asked: "The Emperor said Little Qing?"


    Xiang Run nodded, "We cannot go to the Chuanyu, why is there no more to do? Did you and royal sister misunderstand? "


    Siyan shook her head, "Is Your Majesty not understanding Little Qing''s modesty? She knows her own identity, and she has the honor and dignity of a royal family and a prince''s mansion. Compared to who she''s marrying, she probably cares more about how she''s married. "


    The emperor scoffed, "The two mistresses in royal uncle''s family, aunt is a spoiled and noble woman, and royal sister is tyrannical and lawless. What they do not have, is all on Little Qing."


    He lowered his head and kissed the little princess, making her giggle. The emperor then asked, "Yan''Er, our daughter, what kind of girl will she become in the future?"


    Siyan laughed: "As long as you are like aunts."


    The Emperor shook his head. "Don''t be like her first aunt."


    A faint voice came from the entrance: "What''s wrong with being like me?"


    At this moment, Ershan wrote a letter home and had someone deliver it to his Baisha County. As soon as the messenger left, someone else came to visit, it was the letter from Lian Yi''s mother, Mrs. Meng.


    However, the words in the letter were vague, and did not say if it was serious or not, but there was always the feeling of wanting to trick Lian Yi to return. Lian Yi was confident that she understood her mother, and told Ershan, there was probably something strange.


    Ershan laughed: What can''t I blame, did I kidnap you and sell you off? "Amazing, it''s for your brother. What do you want?"


    Lian Yi asked: "Then do I have to go back or not? You can''t just call me back when she''s got something going on in the future, it''s been a long distance and it''s not something to be trifled with. "


    Ershan asked her in reply: "Is it because of me that you deliberately distanced yourself from your mother-in-law? If it was for me, there''s no need.


    Lian Yi said helplessly: "Then I''ll go, if you can''t leave, don''t bother about me, just send a few more people to follow me."


    The spring wind blew by quickly, but Lian Yi had not yet set off. In the blink of an eye, it was already the start of summer.


    When she sat down, she had no choice but to spread her legs. She looked very unrefined, but her stomach was too big, and her legs could not be closed.


    In the afternoon of the same day, Zhixian led the common people to compete in the dragon boat competition at the Baisha River. After winning the first place in the village, they received ten silver taels and a pig, and they were able to grind their fists in order to win more than the bounty.


    Xiaowan was standing inside the door with her stomach puffed up, when she saw her father, she came with Wen Bao and Wen Juan.


    Although Master Mu was now both a father and a mother, after his death, he actually felt less burdened and more cheerful. Previously, when he met the people at the inn, he would always hide far away, but today, he deliberately stopped and gave his daughter a basket of rice dumplings that he had cooked.


    The Xiaowan accepted the dumplings, telling them to be careful, and gave Wen Bao two copper coins as snacks. After that, when most of the people went to the riverside, he closed the door, and the family sat in a carriage, also going to the riverside to join in the fun.


    Little Pei brought Aunt Susu''s little sister and shuttled through the crowd. Ling Chaofeng repeatedly reminded her son not to play crazily, but Xiaowan said that it was rare to see such a lively day, so he didn''t restrain his children.


    Susu was afraid of the sun, hence she followed Xiaowan and sat on the carriage to enjoy the cool air. Seeing her daughter running with Little Pei, she said in a assured manner, "It''s fine, it''s normal for children to stumble and stumble."


    Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao brought some food over. A while ago, someone sent a boat here to deliver some fresh fruits, which were fruits that could not be grown in the Li Prefecture. The fragrance was immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding villagers.


    Today, everyone was no longer afraid of Ling Xiao Inn like they were in the past. Seeing that they were all beautiful wives, some women brought their children to chat, and the children would naturally get a bite to eat.


    The Uncle Biao was very hospitable, he took out all the food and distributed it to the children, and there were many people surrounding her. When the Xiaowan heard her aunts exhorting her to be more careful when giving birth, suddenly, someone shouted from afar, "The children are in the water!"

 C229

    Hearing that a child had fallen into the water, the crowd rushed towards the river, Xiaowan also stood up with her stomach held up, she was not tall enough, so she was unable to see the situation, her heart tensed up, she looked around, but did not see Little Pei and Susu''s daughter.


    "You wait here, I''ll go find it." Ling Chaofeng helped the Xiaowan to sit down, then turned and walked towards the river side. Susu and Da Qing followed along.


    Xiaowan''s heart was thumping hard. She had been looking at the crowd when Little Pei suddenly appeared beside him, holding a bunch of wild flowers in one hand and holding onto his little sister with the other. His little sister even had a few flowers on her head.


    "This is for Mother, this is for Grandma, this is for Aunt Susu ¡­" Little Pei divided the flowers into three parts and gave one to Xiaowan. When she raised her head, she saw that none of the masters were there.


    Xiaowan finally regained her senses, she pulled her son into her embrace and panted, "I''m so scared."


    On the other side, Susu realized that the child who fell into the water and was saved wasn''t hers, so she ran back to look. Seeing that they were by Xiaowan''s side, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Little Pei ran over and put the flowers on her aunt''s hair. She smiled and said, "Aunt is bringing you guys to find your father. They are all worried to death."


    Seeing that the child that fell into the water was not Little Pei, but was instead nervous, looking continuously in the crowd, when he turned around and saw Susu leading them here, his heart relaxed.


    Little Pei ran over and asked his father to ride his horse higher for him. Ling Chaofeng then lifted him up and placed him on his shoulder.


    Xiaowan laughed until her eyebrows were bent, but when she saw this scene, she suddenly understood.


    Why did she always have the illusion that the scene in front of her eyes was familiar, but it wasn''t a bad thing, she thought, maybe in her previous life they were a family.


    The county magistrate had instructed each family to keep an eye on their child. After that came the Dragon Boat competition, and the Baisha River''s gongs and drums were noisy, making it extremely chaotic. Every village was full of energy, and it was a full day of liveliness.


    Before the crowd had dispersed, the people in the inn had already retreated, no one knew which village had won the competition, but it wasn''t important, and it had been a long time since Baisha County had been so lively. The new father and mother officials were always considerate towards the people. Although they were young, they were immediately respected by the elders.


    Seeing the crowd walk past the tavern, some people greeted them and others came to ask for water, Aunt Zhang said to Xiaowan: "Before you were married, our tavern was a den of tigers and wolves in their eyes. For some reason, after you entered the door, it gradually changed. In the past, Zhaofeng did not like dealing with the people in the town. He would rather be treated as a dark shop and be deserted. Now, even he has changed. "


    Xiaowan looked back at Hubby. He was wiping his son who was sweating profusely from playing with him. His arms and legs were heavy, causing Little Pei to squirm uncomfortably.


    "Xiao''er, you should go take a rest. It''s all because of your tiredness." Aunt Zhang supported Xiaowan as she said, "Your stomach is getting bigger, you have to relax."


    Xiaowan felt that the child in her stomach was rolling and was indeed a little tired. She touched it and said: "I have never had a child before and I don''t understand either, but I have seen a lot.


    Xiaowan herself was even more confused. She sighed and said, "Some day, please ask the doctors to come and see again. I don''t know if they can see it, but if it''s a pair, then you must be careful. In the past, there were concubines in our palace who were born with twins. Only one of them lived while the other one suffocated to death in his stomach. "


    Xiaowan looked at her in shock. Aunt Zhang hurriedly said, "Look at what I just said. "Esteemed wangfei, aunty''s not good, look at me ¡­" The Aunt Zhang blamed herself, and tried to explain, "That was something that happened due to misfortune. There were so many twins born in this world, I was fine."


    Xiaowan anxiously said, "Aunt, my mother died in childbirth, will I ¡­"


    She had always been cautious, to actually say such things to a pregnant woman that she shouldn''t have said. However, the words she said, no matter how comforting it was, left a shadow on young lady''s heart.


    Therefore, Aunt Zhang discussed with Ling Chaofeng and called for a doctor the next day to carefully check Xiaowan''s pulse.


    The doctor told Xiaowan that she was not pregnant with twins and that she was in good health. As long as she did not lie down and walk around, it would not be too difficult for her to be born.


    When the Xiaowan heard this, his mood instantly relaxed.


    But when he turned around, the doctor told Ling Chaofeng that there was a high possibility that there were twins in Xiaowan''s stomach. When the time comes to give birth, he had to be extremely careful, and not go too far in the future.


    Although Ling Chaofeng was worried, in order to let the Xiaowan relax, he pretended that it was nothing. He did his best to entrust the matters at hand to his friends in the martial arts world.


    At first, she had advised Ling Chaofeng not to worry about his family, and to let him handle the matters of the Emperor. Now, seeing that his husband did not want to go out, if she did not say those words, his heart would be at ease once again.


    A few days after the afternoon, he received a letter from Ershan, informing him that Lian Yi had returned to Li Prefecture to visit Mrs. Meng, and would be coming to the inn later, so he invited his family to look after Lian Yi.


    Ling Chaofeng took out a hundred silver, counting the days until Lian Yi arrived at home, and asked Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang to send it over to the Li Prefecture. When they came back, they said that Mrs. Meng was indeed alright, it looked like she had some trouble and wanted her daughter to come back and help.


    The Xiaowan had long known about Ershan and her wife''s story. Miss Meng was still being held back by her family, if anything happened to brother, the Mrs. Meng would ask her to save the fire.


    Little Pei ate very happily, even Uncle Biao was praising the delicacy of the dumpling. Because Xiaowan felt that it was too greasy, she could not even eat a few bites, so Ling Chaofeng helped her walk down the back mountain for a breather.


    "Are you thinking of your dad and sister?" After reaching the back of the mountain and avoiding his family, Ling Chaofeng said gently, "Are you worried about them? If you have something to say, just say it. No one will laugh at you or say anything bad about you, so you don''t have to hold it in. "


    Xiaowan shook her head: "I can''t say, it''s probably about to happen. My heart is not at ease, I don''t even know what I''m thinking about."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "When the child is born, during the first month or a hundred days, I will invite Father-in-law and Wen Juan to join in the liveliness. Since Madam Xu is no longer around, there''s nothing to worry about."


    "Would Wen Bao and Wen Bao hate me?" Xiaowan asked her husband. She said sadly, "That day, my father came to deliver the dumplings for me. Wen Juan used to say a few words to me. Wen Bao was naturally still like that, and had never been close to me before. I thought I could put my family''s affairs aside and forget about it in the end. "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "The doctor said that the pregnant women have more worries, you will not be able to control your imagination, do not be afraid, when the child lands on the ground, your heart will be opened again, and after a while, you will be better."


    Xiaowan asked, "Master, do you think I''m being too unreasonable?"


    Ling Chaofeng nodded her head, "Even if it''s fake, it''s still very cute. With your current appearance, you won''t be able to see it in a few months, and I don''t know when the next time you''ll be pregnant, I cherish it too much."


    Xiaowan laughed, and poked his husband''s chest: "Are you speaking the truth, or are you coaxing me?"


    Ling Chaofeng lovingly rubbed her swollen fingers, taking her to continue walking forward. After that, he returned to the tavern and personally sent her upstairs.


    Xiaowan had thought that she would be able to sleep soundly this time, but in her dreams, when she returned to the Dragon Boat Festival, it was still the same scene as when she was surrounded by villagers and talked about family matters.


    Suddenly, someone shouted for their child to fall into the water. Xiaowan didn''t know why she could see so clearly this time, but she could see Little Pei flopping in the water, and Susu''s daughter floating in the water.


    She didn''t have time to worry about her big belly as she immediately ran towards the river.


    The river was urgent, so the Xiaowan jumped down recklessly, but seeing Little Pei and the others being washed further away, the Xiaowan shouted in shock, "Little Pei, Little Pei!"


    Suddenly, the turbulent river calmed down, and dark green lotus leaves rose from the bottom of the river. The lotus leaves were interconnected, like a long bridge over Baisha River, the Xiaowan couldn''t help but walk over the bridge and rush to the other side of the bridge, pulling the two children up.


    Little Pei, who was by his side, was overjoyed. He immediately rushed to the head of the bridge, reached out his hand and plucked the lotus flower, then ran back to his mother. "Mother, this is for you."


    Xiaowan was startled. Just as she received the hand, the lotus leaves beneath her feet suddenly disappeared and she felt her body suddenly falling towards the Baisha River. But this time, she woke up.


    Was it a dream?


    Xiaowan''s heart was still beating rapidly. She slowly sat up and held her stomach.


    "Was it a dream?" The Xiaowan laughed and rubbed her stomach, "My darling, are you your little sister?"

 C230

    That dream had caused Xiaowan to be in a very good mood. She had long since heard Aunt Zhang and the rest talking about it, and asked them if she had had a dream. Xiaowan did not know what a dream was, but the elders had said that if a dream came true, she would naturally understand it.


    Then, the Xiaowan determined that this dream was a gift from the heavens.


    In the following days, the family found that Xiaowan had become more cheerful again. Furthermore, after she became pregnant, her body became more well-developed and her face became round.


    Naturally, because the doctor said that the Xiaowan was carrying a twin, everyone was very careful. The weather was getting hotter and hotter, and the date of Xiaowan''s delivery was approaching.


    That day, Uncle Biao came over from the Li Prefecture and just as she was about to reach home, he received a letter from Ershan in the capital. He did not know if it was due to the glory of his elder brother that Bi Zhenye rose to the position of assistant minister of the Ministry of Industry, but the emperor had also added another title to Lian Yi''s life, telling him to return to the capital earlier to express her gratitude.


    This was naturally a joyous occasion for the family, but when Lian Yi and Xiaowan first met, the two sister-in-law did not have any relationship, as though they were old friends that had not seen each other for a long time. Just looking at Xiaowan''s big belly made Lian Yi feel extremely uncomfortable. If Mrs. Bi did not commit evil deeds, his children would already be born several months ago.


    Aunt Zhang was also emotional, "Time flies."


    During this past year, Lian Yi and Ershan had a sweet and loving relationship, but unfortunately, they had not gotten any good news. If it had not been in the beginning, she would not have let her imagination run wild. Now she had to worry about whether she would never have another child.


    If she was not able to open her heart to them, then there was no one that could be trusted by Lian Yi. This time, when she returned to his mother''s home, his mother did not care about her at all, and directly said that her brother''s children wanted to go to a good private school. Unfortunately, the threshold of the private school was extremely high, so she pretended to be sick to find her daughter and ask her to think of a way.


    Lian Yi was benevolent, only after coming to the tavern, did she have the feeling of returning home. After staying here for a few days, she would immediately return to the capital, and would no longer be going to her home.


    Currently, Xiaowan, Susu and the Aunt Zhang were sitting together with Lian Yi at the back door enjoying the cool. Everyone was holding a piece of cantaloupe, and only the cantaloupe of Xiaowan was cut into pieces and eaten with bamboo sticks.


    Lian Yi laughed and said: "When Aunt was taking care of me in the capital, she was also like that. She even peeled off the skin of an orange for me and tore it open one petal after another."


    Aunt Zhang patted Lian Yi''s hands: "In the future, when you are a baby, I will take care of you."


    Lian Yi shook her head. "This year, there hasn''t been any activity at all, I''m afraid there''s no hope."


    After saying those words, Lian Yi heaved a sigh of relief, and smiled to the group: "Don''t mind me, I will only say those words here."


    Xiaowan had her own way of doing things, so she could not see anyone bad. Her big belly could even be used as a table or a plate. Originally it was just to make it easier for her, but recently she had always been putting the small bowl and plate on her stomach. Now she quietly took it off, afraid that she would attract too much attention in front of Lian Yi.


    Lian Yi laughed instead, and then used her hands to place Xiaowan''s plate on her stomach. Xiaowan was so embarrassed that her face turned red, and she scolded: "You really know how to be lazy."


    The Aunt Zhang asked Ershan if he was anxious, Lian Yi shook her head: "He doesn''t seem to care."


    Susu then asked: "What about that old lady, are you looking forward to getting a great-grandson?"


    Lian Yi also shook her head: "Grandmother is always happy all the time and has never mentioned the matter of her child. Compared to my child, right now, what she is more concerned about is her eldest grandson''s marriage."


    She then brought up the topic from herself to Bi Zhenye, and talked about his every day at the inn and the Princess. Susu still remained silent and sighed: "It''s been so long, and they still haven''t moved.


    After chatting for half a day, Xiaowan was just about to return to her room to rest, when a guest just happened to arrive at the store. Susu and Aunt Zhang were there to help him up the stairs.


    In a room on the other side of the third floor, Little Pei was writing his calligraphy obediently. They took a glance at the door and quietly left.


    "Little Pei has grown up a lot." Lian Yi said.


    "I''ve been together for the past few days, but I don''t feel like it. Back when I went out with my husband a few times, every time I came back, I felt like he has grown up." Xiaowan said, "I was just afraid that he would grow up too quickly. I said that since boys grow up, I won''t be with my mother anymore.


    Lian Yi laughed, "That may not be so. Little Pei likes his sister-in-law this much, so when he grows up, he will definitely be intimate with you."


    The Xiaowan laid down on her bed and Lian Yi waved her fan lightly. She mentioned that Ershan was also very concerned about him and wanted to go home to see her sister-in-law.


    "If I don''t give birth to a child for Ershan in my entire life, how pitiful would he be?" Lian Yi lowered her head, the tassels on the fan handle wrapped tightly around her fingertips, she said softly, choked with sobs, "If it''s really like this, I want him to take a concubine."


    Xiaowan''s heart ached for Lian Yi. She held Lian Yi''s hand and slowly untied the tassels that had wrapped around his fingers. She touched his fingers and laughed: "What a beautiful hand, don''t hurt it."


    In comparison to the Xiaowan''s fingers which were filled with frostbite and wanted to swell up her joints, Lian Yi''s delicate fingers were something that only the young miss could have.


    "Sister-in-law ¡­" If it''s three to five years, I wouldn''t be able to have children, I want Ershan to take in concubines. " Lian Yi''s choked voice became heavier, every word was filled with unwillingness.


    Xiaowan had been married for a long time, so she already understood the story of Bi Family. Now that she heard Lian Yi say this, her heart trembled and she gently asked Lian Yi: "Is this really okay? Ershan is the same as Master, he has always treated us wholeheartedly, and they should be sad if they were to accept concubines. "


    Lian Yi sobbed, "But, I can''t let Ershan be the last one to live. When he''s in the capital, he''ll be laughed at by his comrades.


    Xiaowan pursed her lips, felt Lian Yi''s hands slightly trembling, and there seemed to be footsteps in front of the door. She could tell that it was Hubby''s movements, but he had already left.


    Xiaowan thought, if she were to marry Ling Chaofeng and not give birth to a child, what would she do?


    "Lian Yi, maybe it''s because hubby already has Little Pei. Even if Little Pei isn''t his own daughter, in my case, if I had the same kind of experience as you, I might happily raise Little Pei and live a lifetime with him." Xiaowan said, "Of course, anything I say now is easy, it''s impossible for me to truly put myself in his shoes, but what I can be sure of is that if Hubby knows that I want him as my child''s concubine, he''ll be angry and scold me."


    Lian Yi looked at her with tears in her eyes. Xiaowan continued to speak, "I have never seen Little Brother Ershan before, but I know that he must have the same personality as Hubby. Lian Yi, you better give up on this idea. Think about it, did you forget what happened to Ershan''s mother? "


    Lian Yi was stunned, was it not?


    In the past, when their mother-in-law met the public, her mother-in-law had accompanied her husband through many hardships. However, due to years of infertility, when her husband was rising to greatness, the Mrs. Bi broke into their household and snatched everything away from her.


    Coincidentally, the year Mrs. Bi gave birth to her son, she was finally pregnant. Perhaps in the eyes of others, it could be considered as great joy, but unfortunately, there was a tragedy later on.


    "Don''t tell me you want what happened to you and Ershan to happen again?" Xiaowan said gently, "Lian Yi, don''t think too much. Look at how uncles and aunts don''t have children, they are still as happy as ever. I don''t study much, and I don''t talk big, but I think it''s the same for people who live. If I were you, I would be sad for the rest of my life because I can''t bear to have children myself. But I will also never give my man to another woman. "


    Lian Yi stared at Xiaowan in a daze and said resolutely, "You can make anything you want, but not your own man. Lian Yi, let us stop talking here, and never mention it again, alright? I am your sister-in-law. You should listen to your sister-in-law''s words, right? "


    "Mm ¡­" Lian Yi was extremely sad. She cried on Xiaowan''s shoulder, but after crying, she made up her mind to forget about it.


    A few days later, Lian Yi took a boat from the Baisha River Pier to the capital, Ling Chaofeng personally came to send him off. Before Lian Yi boarded the boat, Ling Chaofeng said to her: "If Ershan dares to bully you, come back and tell me, if he dares to pick a fight outside, you must definitely not let him get away with it. Now that he''s proud, he can''t help but forget. You have to keep a close eye on him. Lian Yi, the inn is not your wife''s home, but your family, and there are only people who would speak up for you here. "


    Lian Yi comforted her and laughed: "It''s a pity that I have to return to the capital in a hurry to express my gratitude. Otherwise, I would really want to wait for my sister-in-law to give birth to her child before leaving.


    Ling Chaofeng nodded, and warned Lian Yi to be careful aboard the boat, only returning to the inn after watching the boat go offshore.


    However, just as he reached the door, the horses had not even stopped, when he saw the Uncle Biao running frantically out from inside, shouting the moment he saw him, "Zhaofeng, quickly enter, give the horse to me, I''ll go find a doctor, the stomach of the Xiaowan is extremely sore."

 C231

    The Xiaowan was about to be born.


    Back then, when Yue Huaiyin sent people to burn Ling Xiao Inn, Little Pei ran out from his mother''s stomach to save the fire. Furthermore, before the firefighting, he had cast a barrier to prevent the inn from being hit by the snowstorm and the flood.


    Thinking about it now, it was not only her grandmother who had interfered with her parents'' lives back then. Even Little Pei himself had done a lot of things unwittingly, causing his parents'' lives to deviate from their original path.


    This time, Xiaowan was like any other person, peacefully passing through their pregnancy. Even though they had experienced many things with Ling Chaofeng, they had still relied on their own strength to resolve it.


    However, the pure hearted Xiaowan believed the doctor and said that she was not pregnant with twins. It was only at this moment, when the pain made her want to die, that she realized that she was pregnant with two babies.


    When Ling Chaofeng rushed to the top of the stairs, Xiaowan had just endured the waves of pain. He closed his eyes weakly and felt his husband''s hand on his cheek.


    "Late at night. Aunty won''t let me stay here. I''m going out soon. I''ll be waiting for you at the door." Ling Chaofeng''s heart was in pain, although the doctors told him to prepare earlier, but when it really came to this day, he still panicked.


    "Husband, am I really pregnant with two children?" Xiaowan strenuously asked with a silly smile on his face, "Why are you so powerful?"


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "Now you''re still in the mood to joke? Besides, it''s not that I''m powerful, it''s just that you''re powerful. Late at night, you suffered. "


    "Not at all." The Xiaowan laughed, she still wanted to ask, "Has Lian Yi already left, and boarded the boat?"


    "She even said that she wanted to wait for you to give birth before leaving, but she wanted to return to the capital to express her gratitude." Ling Chaofeng said, "Although it''s a pity, it''s not a big deal, in the future we will bring our children to the capital to play."


    Xiaowan''s gaze looked into the house. Aunt Zhang and Susu were there, although the midwife and doctor hadn''t arrived yet, Susu rolled up her sleeves with a face full of calmness. Aunt Zhang was not in a hurry either, this made her feel at ease.


    "Where''s Little Pei?" Xiaowan asked.


    "At the door. He was not allowed in." Ling Chaofeng said.


    "I want to see him." The Xiaowan said.


    After a moment of hesitation, Ling Chaofeng went to the door and brought his son in. Little Pei ran to the bedside and held his mother''s hand to kiss it, and his tears unconsciously fell on his mother''s hand. Xiaowan immediately felt much better.


    "Silly child, you''ll be a big brother in a while." The Xiaowan comforted Little Pei, "Little Pei doesn''t cry, nor does it hurt his mother. It doesn''t hurt at all."


    But very quickly, another wave of pain came. Even though Little Pei''s tears could make Xiaowan less painful, the new pain was not only a test for her mother, but also a tenacious little life that was trying hard to come to this world.


    The doctor had arrived and the midwife had arrived. Ling Chaofeng took his son and left the room.


    He moved his hand a little but Ling Chaofeng realized that he had used too much strength. He squatted down and rubbed his son''s palm, hugging him and giving him a kiss.


    The painful groan of the Xiaowan could be heard from inside the house. Seeing how the little one revealed a nervous and distressed expression, Ling Chaofeng felt gratified but at the same time, felt very guilty.


    He brought his son and sat on the ground by the door, holding Little Pei in his arms as they spoke, "Little Pei likes mother so much, but Father still misunderstood that you were jealous of me and wanted to do something to hurt Mother. Little Pei, Daddy wants to apologize to you one more time, forgive Daddy, okay? "


    Little Pei immediately became proud of himself. "Then, are you going to be naughty in the future? Your father won''t beat me up anymore.


    Ling Chaofeng looked at his son without speaking, all of his dignity in his eyes.


    Of course Little Pei could understand it.


    Ling Chaofeng scratched his stomach, he twisted and turned a few times, but was still afraid of being mocked as a man. Then he jumped up to scratch his father''s itch, the father and son were playing, Little Pei screamed, and was covered by his father''s mouth.


    Separated by the door, the inside of the house was very quiet. Xiaowan had just endured a sharp pain, and just happened to hear the father and son duo arguing outside, causing the exhausted people to smile. She firmly grabbed onto the bed sheets, gritted her teeth, and made sure that the child would be safely born.


    In the capital city that was a thousand miles away, the sky was clear today. The lotus flowers in the palace pond were blooming, and Siyan brought her daughter to admire the flowers.


    The empress took her in her arms and held her out, but the little princess stroked the lotus before withdrawing her hand and looking at the empress with a smile.


    "No more?" Siyan asked her daughter.


    "Flower ¡­" The little princess was still trying to understand the meaning of his words, but was unable to speak out loud. She could only mutter, "Beautiful."


    Siyan smiled gently, "The flowers are beautiful, let her bloom in the pond, okay? Mother will bring you to see her every day."


    Her daughter agreed, and after playing with her mother for a while by the pond, she decided to go elsewhere.


    Siyan was holding his daughter''s hand and walking away. Unknowingly, she suddenly wanted to look back, but after one glance, she saw that lotus flower that his daughter touched earlier, slowly rising into the sky while emitting a translucent radiance.


    "Empress, what are you looking at?" The Palace Maid beside her, upon seeing the Queen''s surprised expression, all of them looked towards the pond as well.


    Just as Siyan was about to speak, the lotus flower gradually disappeared in midair. A gust of wind blew past, and it was unknown where it was headed.


    Obviously, the Palace Maid s did not see this scene. Siyan thought that maybe the weather was too hot and the weather was damp, maybe this was the so-called Mirage.


    "Let''s go." Siyan disapprovingly said, "The lotuses here are blooming well, I can''t help but take another look."


    But at this moment, the Ling Xiao Inn were enveloped by the golden light, causing no one in the inn to feel anything. At this moment, there were many people sitting in the great hall.


    Little Pei looked at his Grandmother, Uncle and the other uncles sitting on the ground, while Ling Chaofeng carried him over from the railing and said, "Be careful not to fall. What are you looking at?"


    In the blink of an eye, Grandmother had arrived by his side. Little Pei could only communicate with his grandmother in his heart, it turned out that the reason why so many people had gathered at Dragon Clan was to see if Xiaowan would give birth to any more little Golden Dragon.


    "Ah ¡­" After a heart-wrenching cry, there was the sound of an infant, and a golden light shone in the bedroom. Grandmother immediately rushed in.


    However, the pain in Xiaowan had not been resolved, she had to quickly give birth to her second child, otherwise, if the fetus stayed in her womb for too long, she would not be able to live.


    Fortunately, the midwife''s technique was brilliant, and Xiaowan had put in all her effort to successfully give birth to the second child.


    On the other side, Dragon Queen who was happily watching his grandson turned around, his eyes lit up. In the midwife''s hands, there was clearly a lotus flower.


    "One brother and one sister, both have children. young lady, you sure are lucky." The midwife was overjoyed. After handing the little girl over to Susu, she came to take care of the pregnant woman.


    Xiaowan was already exhausted. She could vaguely hear the midwife''s words. Under the sound of the baby crying, she fell asleep from exhaustion.


    Hearing his brother and sister crying, Little Pei could finally follow his father into the room. He saw his grandmother standing happily at the side, and even without his grandmother''s words, Little Pei could tell that his mother had actually given birth to a Golden Qilin for her Dragon Clan.


    "Little Pei, although your little brother and sister are Golden Qilin and Lotus, they are only ordinary babies. "You must protect them well, and must not let them know that you possess magical power, as well as the origins of each of them."


    Little Pei agreed. The grandmother looked at her grandchildren, then walked over to the bed and touched Xiaowan''s forehead. She was no longer as vicious to Xiaowan as she was before, but instead said gently: "Child, thank you for your hard work."


    Xiaowan felt a surge of energy enter her body from the top of her head.


    Aunt Zhang and Susu placed a pair of children in the crook of Ling Chaofeng''s arms. He held his son in one hand and his daughter in the other.


    Ling Chaofeng steadily squatted so that Little Pei could see his brother and sister. He smiled and asked: "You can only carry one person. Didn''t you always want your brother? "


    His little brother was a Golden Qilin, and was also a descendant of a rare Dragon Clan. Although the Golden Dragon was even more noble, the Golden Qilin still had enough Dragon Clan to be proud of itself in the Immortal World for a long time.


    Little Pei reached out and took his sister away. Ling Chaofeng laughed: "You like your sister now?"


    Little Pei actually thought that his little brother would have the entire elder generation from the Dragon Clan to pamper him, but since his little sister had flown back to her position, who knows where she would go.


    Ling Chaofeng handed the child to the Aunt Zhang and continued to stand guard beside her. He held her hand and waited for the moment she woke up.


    However, Xiaowan had a very deep sleep, so deep that she didn''t even have a dream. When she opened her eyes, she thought she had woken up. Unbeknownst to them, they were actually in a dream. Beside a pond of lotus flowers, the Queen stuck her head out and waved to her. Afterwards, she plucked a lotus flower and placed it on her hair.


    "Xiaowan, congratulations."


    "Empress ¡­"


    Xiaowan suddenly opened her eyes. She was not looking at the lotus, nor was she the empress, she was the man who loved her the most.


    "Hubby." Xiaowan made a sound, and was immediately carried by Ling Chaofeng, she saw the cradle at the side, where Little Pei was tiptoeing and looking in.


    "Little Pei, mom is awake." Ling Chaofeng called out to his son.


    The little guy immediately ran over and looked at his mother with a pained expression. "Mother, Daddy and I are here to take care of little brother and sister. You go to sleep."


    "Mom is full." Xiaowan laughed, "Little Pei, are brother and sister beautiful?"


    Little Pei replied after a while, "I lost one point to you."


    Ling Chaofeng laughed: "How nice are you looking?"


    As he said that, he helped Xiaowan to sit properly, then went to hug his children. Once the children touched the mother''s body, they immediately started crying loudly, wanting to beg for milk.


    "We''ll be leaving first." Ling Chaofeng stood up and said.


    Little Pei licked his lips. He missed the sweetness and warmth in his mother''s arms when he was born, but he knew that he was a big child now.


    The Aunt Zhang and Susu came in to help. Ling Chaofeng brought his son out, and the moment they closed the door, they heard Susu say: "Yue''er, are you okay?

 C232

    Ling Chaofeng and Little Pei looked at each other, then Little Pei said, "Father, you have to buy so many delicious things for mother. I will leave all of the chicken legs for mother in the future."


    "Good boy." Even though Ling Chaofeng praised his son, his heart was filled with worry. This was not something that could be endured by eating a few good meals.


    The joy and happiness a child brought was quickly replaced by worry for the Xiaowan. He knew that it was her mother who had the hardest time raising a child.


    However, Xiaowan worked hard. Every day, she would eat a big mouthful of food and drink a lot of soup, and in the beginning few days, she was unable to feed the two children, causing them to cry out loud.


    The whole family tried their best to take care of mother and son, but when Xiaowan had free time, she would call Little Pei to her side, preventing him from being ignored.


    When Lian Yi arrived at the capital on the boat, the letter from home just happened to arrive. After knowing that Xiaowan had given birth to a pair of dragons and a phoenix, Lian Yi sighed at her fate of not having children, to the point of not even being able to wait for Xiaowan to give birth.


    Ershan seemed to be able to read her thoughts, and coaxed her: "Zhenye said that he will take care of Grandma for a few days, I promise."


    "Yes." Lian Yi replied.


    "There''s a case to investigate. I''m going south." Ershan said, "Come with me, let''s take a look at the scenery along the way."


    Lian Yi was finally happy and quickly went home to pack up, following Ershan to the palace to express her gratitude.


    When they entered the palace, they just happened to see General Shen coming out of the palace. Ershan brought Lian Yi up to greet him, and after the two places were separated, Lian Yi softly asked his husband: "Did big brother go and propose marriage?"


    "The President of the Ministry of Industry has suddenly resigned from office. Many things have been tiring for a while, so everyone is busy." Ershan said helplessly, "Anyway, he has all sorts of reasons to hide. I think only when Princess becomes someone else''s wife will he know his regrets."


    But this time, Ershan did not hit the mark.


    It was night when Bi Zhenye returned home. The servants in the residence had already prepared everything for him, they had gone to visit the Prime Minister''s Estate and brought the young master''s clothes, including the clothes Mrs. Bi had made for his son when he was still in the capital.


    Bi Zhenye lit up countless of candles and oil lamps, shining brightly in the room. Facing the mirror, he tried on each and every piece of clothes, until he was drenched in sweat from the heat, and finally chose a set of sky green robes.


    After that was the preparation of gifts. From the Four Treasures of the study to the antique weapons, they were naturally all taken from his home.


    It was said that his father was very angry, but he could not do anything about it. Even though he was brought back to the capital, the emperor had punished him to stay in seclusion for two years. Thus, he could only watch on helplessly as his son took away all of the family''s most valuable treasures.


    His personal attendant reminded Bi Zhenye: "Young Master, your present is too valuable. Someone like Master Shenwang, do you think it''s your vanity?"


    "Although the item is expensive, it matches the temperament of your Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion. If you were to gift it with real gold and silver, then that would be true vanity." Bi Zhenye said, "For a dignified Princess, do you want me to marry his with a golden hairpin dress?"


    He knew that he only had one chance to propose to his. If he didn''t succeed this time, Princess would become someone else''s bride.


    A few years ago, when his father was still powerful in the imperial court, he hoped to be able to get married to the Duke Palaces. Unfortunately, Master Shenwang did not even look at his family directly, at that time, Bi Zhenye did not care, but now he understood, with his father''s character, how could he be willing to marry his daughter to another family.


    But now that he had established himself, he was himself. He no longer had anything to do with his family or his father.


    Just like that, the next day after the assembly broke up, Ershan would listen to his elder brother saying from outside the palace: "I will go to Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion to propose today, when the results come out, I will come to your house to announce my good fortune."


    Ershan was startled: "Really? I thought you were going to keep running. "


    Bi Zhenye laughed: "Are you looking down on me that much?"


    It just so happened that when they saw the Shen father and son coming out of the palace, Master Shenwang did not like being called around by others, so the other ministers only stood up to greet them and left in a hurry. Bi Zhenye walked up to them with big strides and cupped his fists: "Prince has some free time today, junior wishes to come and disturb you."


    The father and son duo looked at each other. They had long since heard the sound of wind, so they said: "Come in the afternoon."


    Ershan stood to the side and waited for the Shen father and son to leave. He patted his brother''s shoulders: "I''m waiting for your good news."


    The scorching heat had not yet dissipated, and the heavy rain in the afternoon had not only not made the weather cool, but also added a bit of sultry heat to the rising water vapor, causing people to be unable to breathe.


    In the palace, Shen Qing served her mother as lunch break and lightly waved her fan as she talked. When her mother had gone to sleep, she left the main courtyard and returned to her pavilion.


    Shen Qing said that her mother had gone to bed, if there was anything she could do it for her, she could help. Knowing that a guest had arrived, she brought a servant to welcome her.


    Today was strange, the people under the door only said that there was a guest, and forget about who it was, Shen Qing didn''t even think about it, just walking a few steps forward to see him, but instead walked into the hall, and saw Bi Zhenye standing there.


    Princess''s body was covered in sweat, walking into the cool hall, he only felt refreshed, but unexpectedly when he saw Bi Zhenye, his heart immediately lit up.


    "Why are you here?" Little Qing opened his mouth, but she still acted the way he did when she was at the inn.


    Bi Zhenye stared at her blankly. After going back to the capital, he hadn''t seen his for a long time, and at that time, he was still wearing his thick clothes and a windbreaker. Now that he met her again, he saw the beautiful young lady with his graceful body, which was covered in silk.


    "Looking for my father, or my brother?" Little Qing continued, "Father went out and returned only at night. Big Brother has long since left the Duke Palace and you''re looking for him to go to the Princess Palace."


    "His Royal Highness said that it was afternoon. I was confused, but didn''t ask what time it was." Bi Zhenye was upset, he was too excited at the time.


    "What''s the matter? Leave a message so that I can pass it on." Little Qing said, "Sit down and have a cup of tea. The weather is extremely hot, and if you walk out this time, the sun will be scorching."


    "I''m here to propose." Bi Zhenye went straight to the point, "I brought a big gift and a lot of sincerity. I originally wanted to propose marriage to you on my behalf."


    Little Qing then turned around, and was about to order the servants to bring the tea, but hearing her words, she turned back again in a daze, and looked at the person in front of her.


    "Naturally... "Excuse me." Bi Zhenye stared straight at Little Qing, his expression firm, "But I can''t wait any longer, if I wait any longer, I can''t wait for the day when you become someone else''s bride."


    Little Qing had still not recovered from her shock, and her heart also seemed to have stopped beating, as if they were the only ones left in this world for a moment.


    "I''ll wait a little longer, until the prince returns." Bi Zhenye said, "It doesn''t matter later, today, no matter what, I want to see His Highness."


    "But ¡­" Little Qing was in a bit of a trance. She was clearly happy, but she subconsciously suppressed it, as if she would never take another step forward in this relationship.


    "I should have asked you before. Blame me for not daring to speak to you at all in Li Prefecture." Bi Zhenye said, "And you and I are both children of Venerable families, I know that we need to be honest and come to propose marriage."


    Little Qing nodded: "Then ¡­ "I''ll wait for father to come back. Take a seat, I''ll ¡­ I''ll ask my servant girl to bring some tea."


    Thus, the two of them sat down in the hall, facing each other on opposite sides, so silently.


    Inside the Princess Mansion, Master Shenwang was fishing with his grandchildren at the edge of the pond. Everyone rushed over and asked indifferently, "How are they, what did Little Qing say?"


    The family reported with a helpless expression, "Your Highness, Princess and Master Bi are sitting quietly in the front hall, not saying a word and not moving at all. It seems like they are waiting for you to return home."


    First Princess, who was at the side, was so happy that he spat out his tea and made her child laugh.


    As his father-in-law was his own uncle who had watched him grow up, First Princess also felt embarrassed. After wiping his hands casually, he ran over and said, "Royal Uncle, if you don''t come back tonight, and if Aunt doesn''t care, those two idiots can sit until tomorrow morning."


    Master Shenwang threw down his fishing rod and was about to return home. He shook his head and said, "Who exactly is this child following?"


    He had already landed on the ground and walked over, and even came down to eat with the rest. Just as he finished eating, Ling Chaofeng supported her, and watched the sunset as they descended the mountain.


    The boat from who knows where docked, waves after waves of people hurriedly headed towards the sunset. Xiaowan looked around and saw a pair of mother and daughter looking people walking behind, suddenly, the young woman fell down.


    "Wake up, what are you faking? Wake up ¡­" The older woman, however, didn''t seem to be a mother at all.

 C233

    Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng looked at each other, before Ling Chaofeng asked softly, "Do you need to care?"


    Xiaowan did not comment, she wanted to control the situation, but she was afraid that her husband would think that she did not need to. She had been in the inn for a long time, so she understood all sorts of people going in and out of the inn.


    But what she did not know was that because of her appearance, this man had changed a lot. What he did not do before, he could do for the Xiaowan.


    Ling Chaofeng walked a few steps with Xiaowan and looked at the lady on the ground. His face was pale white and he was still unconscious.


    "It should be sunstroke, I can''t be careless. I''ll send him to the inn to rest." Ling Chaofeng said.


    "No need, this little bitch ¡­" The woman said impatiently, but when she suddenly raised her head and saw Ling Chaofeng''s sharp and serious gaze, she was shocked.


    Coincidentally, Little Pei ran over, and Ling Chaofeng was supported by his mother, he bent down and personally picked his up.


    When he entered, he saw his wife looking towards the front hall. Seeing that his husband had returned, she excitedly ran over and said, "Your highness, that child is really here to propose marriage, has someone come to marry my Little Qing?"


    Master Shenwang was annoyed: "What are you saying?" "They sat like this all the time, until now?"


    Princess nodded his head again and again, "When I wake up from my afternoon nap, the servants will pass on their message to you. Tell me not to worry, I''ll just watch them secretly. These two idiots just sit there facing each other without saying a word. I''m here to wait for you, or I wouldn''t want to come. "


    Master Shenwang held her hand and walked towards the hall.


    His wife had always been like this. No matter how old she was, she was still the same as when she was young. It was not her fault that she had a daughter. She had naturally grown into a pillar of support.


    It wasn''t that no one dared to marry their own daughter, nor that the prince didn''t look down on anyone. He had always been waiting for a young man who could fall in love with his daughter to appear, but his precious daughter had always held onto her identity, not daring to give even half a shred of face to her father.


    They sat like this for the whole afternoon. When Bi Zhenye came by, he had already prepared, he did not drink much and was sweating hot, so sitting down was nothing much. However, Little Qing could not hold it in any longer, there were always three things she needed to worry about.


    Without waiting for her parents to enter, she got up and said, "I''ll be right back."


    Bi Zhenye also stood up and watched the Princess leave from the back door of the hall. Just as she took a few steps, the Duke and Princess walked in from the front door.


    "Junior pays his respects to the prince and the princess." Although Bi Zhenye was nervous, he had at least brought the Master Shenwang back.


    "What about my family''s Little Qing?" Just now, she had seen her daughter here. Thus, she split away from her husband. She went to the back to find her daughter, while her husband spoke to Bi Zhenye.


    Master Shenwang warned her repeatedly, "Don''t scare your daughter."


    However, his wife had walked away happily, he shook his head, looking at her again, he saw Bi Zhenye bowing respectfully, and said with a serious expression: "Sit down and tell me."


    But when Bi Zhenye took his seat, he knelt down at the center of the hall, at Zhou Zheng''s knees, and went straight to the point: "This junior came today to propose to Your Highness, and hopes that Your Highness can grant my wish to marry the Princess."


    Master Shenwang looked at this young man. These two years, the new ruler had ascended to the throne, and he had to select many young talents to enter the imperial court. Bringing the young man along in the middle of the snow in the middle of winter, this Bi Zhenye in front of him was too spoiled and spoiled.


    Furthermore, he was Bi Hong''s son. Bi Hongyu had rendered meritorious services in the imperial court, but his personal virtue was still worrisome.


    But Bi Zhenye quickly made people look at him in a new light, and threw him into the snow again and again, and crawled up again and again. He did not whine or slack off, and instead became more and more excited. Clearly, he did not choose to be pampered by his pampered self. In his bones, he still possessed the courage and courage that a young person should have.


    After that, he would often hear people bring up the matter of this young man. Later on, when the Emperor made things difficult for him during the Hall Competition, when the matter of their family took place, he would personally go and capture the witness who poisoned his mother with his birth mother and personally send his mother to the Ministry Of Justice Hall.


    "You didn''t even let your own mother off. The one who travelled thousands of miles to send your mother into exile was actually your little sister." However, the General Shen said, "Is this what a man should do? A man is loyal and filial in life. You are loyal, but what about your filial piety? "


    Although these words came as a surprise, Bi Zhenye was mentally prepared. In the past few days, he had thought of all the things that the Prince might have asked him, and at the moment, he calmly replied: "He had once answered the Emperor''s question in the Hall Competition, and was willing to accept punishment on behalf of his mother. But at that time, when she injured my younger brother once again, causing his to lose his baby, my junior will understand, and I will let her know what I did wrong.


    Bi Zhenye said solemnly: "Your Highness, this junior will bear the responsibility of my mother for the rest of my life, but my mother will bear the guilt of her life. Even if this junior doesn''t understand, this junior will never regret it."


    Master Shenwang smiled and ordered him to stand up to speak, then he asked: "I heard that you moved out of the Prime Minister''s Estate and established your own sect? "Where do you live now? A few acres of the house, a few courtyards, and a few gardens and water in the house. How much is your family business?"


    Bi Zhenye answered honestly. He lived in a two-way house, without a garden and pond, it was less than a tenth of the palace. It was small, yet simple. A few servants were scattered around. They were all from the old residence, and he himself hadn''t been able to save up much money for them.


    "Where did you get these boxes?" Master Shenwang stood up and casually opened the chest. A cold weapon from the Zhou Dynasty entered his eyes and he thought to himself, That old fox, Bi Hong really did fish out a lot of good stuff.


    "At home." Bi Zhenye was very frank with all of this, "Junior is a descendant of Bi Family, inheriting the family business is natural for me, and it is also junior''s responsibility."


    Master Shenwang laughed and said: "This is the first time I''ve heard someone say that they relied on their parents to act so righteously. Your father is still alive."


    Bi Zhenye continued: "But the current master of the house, is a junior.


    "However, I don''t like people like you. For the sake of righteousness, you can eradicate our marriage. Or perhaps, it''s just for the sake of profit. In your eyes, kinship is nothing." Master Shenwang shut the chest, walked past with his hands behind his back, and said coldly, "If my daughter ever does anything wrong in the future, you have to treat her like this, even if you think about it, it will be unbearable."


    Bi Zhenye was stunned.


    Master Shenwang turned around and said to him, "If it was any other father, they would never hand their daughter over to someone like you. In the eyes of the world, you do indeed have great virtue, capable of destroying one''s loved ones to uphold justice.


    Bi Zhenye''s expression tensed up, he could not say a word.


    The Master Shenwang continued: "The Emperor''s kindness is great, your mother might have a day when she returns to the capital. Although my daughter does not need to attend to her, she is still your mother. This is all just talk in the future. Just by looking at it before you, you almost sent your own mother to the guillotine. Let me ask you, if Ministry Of Justice were to sentence her to death, how would you face it? Do you have the ability to go to the entrance of the marketplace and personally see your mother''s decapitated body? Do you dare to personally hold her bloodied head? "


    Bi Zhenye''s heart was thumping hard. As expected, no matter how much he was prepared, it would be useless. After this incident with his mother, the people of the world stood on both sides of him. People on one side denounced him, and people on the other side praised him. He himself, had once been at a loss.


    At the back door of the hall, Princess Hua-Yang had already returned with his daughter. He did not expect to hear her father asking Bi Zhenye if he would dare to pick up someone''s head as soon as he reached the door. The mother and daughter looked at each other and understood that Bi Zhenye was talking about the Mrs. Bi.


    "Mom, I''ll head back to my room first." Shen Qing immediately made her decision and turned to leave. When the wangfei became anxious, she could not help but yell, "Little Qing, don''t go!"


    The Princess''s voice came from the back door and entered the hall. Master Shenwang and Bi Zhenye were in a deadlock, and now he more or less heard a little of what they had just said.


    Master Shenwang was still calm and composed, but Bi Zhenye was already sweating profusely.


    "Go back." Master Shenwang said, "Take these too."


    Bi Zhenye clenched his fists tightly and stood there stiffly, as if he was stabbed deeply into the floor of the hall.


    Master Shenwang gave him a bland glance and was about to go to the back door when Bi Zhenye suddenly spoke: "My prince, I shall send mother off to confess her guilt. This junior will never regret it in this life. Killing to pay with one''s life, if there was no justice in this world, the people would all resent it. When the country collapsed in the future, where would this little family come from? Their first mother was innocent, and their unborn nephew was innocent. They were also the relatives of their juniors, but died tragically at the hands of their mother. To be able to make your mother be punished for her sins in her lifetime and not allow her to be reincarnated with sin to live a life of suffering, this junior admits himself as loyal and filial. "


    Master Shenwang frowned and did not say a word.


    However, Bi Zhenye kneeled down and bowed, respectfully saying, "Junior and Princess are of the same mind, I hope that Your Highness can grant my wish."


    Master Shenwang looked outside the door. Surprisingly, today was the first day that night, and at the moment, it was already dark and yellow. If he did not light the lamp, he would not be able to see the face.


    That''s right, summer was about to pass, and autumn was about to arrive. This year''s time was like a blur, and in the blink of an eye, he was going to marry his daughter.


    The setting sun of the Baisha County slowly sank into the horizon, the Ling Xiao Inn lit up the lamp, and the entire floor was lit up with light. In the guest room, the unconscious woman slowly woke up, her chapped lips moving: "Water, I want to drink water ¡­"


    Susu helped her up and brought a bowl of tea to her mouth. When she woke up, she grabbed the bowl and gulped the tea down.

 C234

    "You''re finally awake. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Does it give you a headache?" Susu kindly asked, "You''re welcome, heat stroke can be big or small, don''t delay it."


    The old woman who was sitting next to them was impatient. She came forward and said, "She is fine now. We should leave now. We don''t dare to disturb the nobles."


    "What noblemen? Are we officials or princesses?" Susu laughed, "The sky is already dark, we have only arrived at the town five kilometers away, let alone if your wife has the strength to leave. Even if we do, where do you live in the middle of the night when we''re not familiar with each other? "Stay here for the night. Our storekeeper will not ask you for money."


    Just as he finished his sentence, the sound of babies crying and the sound of children running around could be heard upstairs. Not long after, a man yelled, "Ling Bai, did you get your brother to cry?"


    He then heard the child complain loudly, feeling wronged, "It was he who peed on my face first. Mother, Little Qi peed on my face."


    "My wife, you have a baby at the inn?" The woman on the bed finally spoke up and asked Susu, "This crying sound is still young right?"


    "It''s not even a month yet. There are two babies, one fat baby, and the son of a cutie." Susu laughed, "It''s my family''s shopkeeper and her children."


    At this time, Aunt Zhang was bringing up some porridge, seeing that the woman had woken up, she said: "You must be hungry, let''s eat first."


    However, upstairs, the sobbing sounds were incessant. Her brother was crying, and her sister was crying too.


    Xiaowan was now able to drink from both sides, but this was truly tiring. In just a short month, all of her fat body parts were all gone when she was pregnant.


    Seeing his wife becoming thinner and thinner, unable to sleep well at night, unable to eat in peace during the day, Ling Chaofeng felt extremely pained. Now that he had three children, he was assured that he would never have to suffer any more from Xiaowan or be reborn.


    In the guest room downstairs, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were eating their meal in big mouthfuls, but the daughter-in-law seemed to be absent-minded. Aunt Zhang brought over a plate of freshly stir-fried beans, but the young lady was holding onto her chest with a pained expression.


    "What''s wrong with you? Does my heart ache? " Aunt Zhang asked, but just as she finished speaking, she saw that the front of the little woman''s clothes were wet. She awkwardly held onto her chest, while the old granny at the side said fiercely, "Hurry and squeeze out. Don''t go back to your mother''s milk, I don''t want you anymore."


    Aunt Zhang was stunned, she did not expect this thin and weak young lady was actually a person who had just given birth.


    After going upstairs to do some work, the two children finally stopped. Little Pei also washed up and changed his clothes, then returned to his mother''s side. Ling Chaofeng followed behind them and scolded his son with a fierce expression, "If you make your brother cry again, he''ll be beaten up for a good beating first.


    Little Pei pouted his lips and leaned into Xiaowan''s embrace. Sure enough, there was a mother whose child was unrivalled in the world, so Xiaowan immediately blamed her husband: "Who are you being fierce towards, brother is teaching brother a lesson, what''s wrong? If Ershan piss all over you, wouldn''t you be angry? "


    Ling Chaofeng didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, and said to his wife: "Just let it be, even if you can''t control the time anymore, don''t look for me."


    The Xiaowan said complacently: "Wait until Little Pei is successful again in the future, then you can say these words to me."


    Ling Chaofeng reached out to grab his son''s butt, causing Little Pei to yell out loud. He crawled around on the bed, causing Xiaowan to be unable to stop laughing.


    Aunt Zhang came in and scolded them: "What are you guys making trouble for, the two of you are just sleeping, don''t know where to call Xiaowan to sleep, and even pestered her to do it. You two, father and son, can you go downstairs?"


    Ling Chaofeng coughed dryly, then carried his son on his shoulder and walked out. Little Pei''s butt was even slapped by his maternal grandma.


    "Even the big ones aren''t sensible. Men are men." Seeing the two grandson sleeping soundly, the Aunt Zhang came to call him to sleep as well, saying with a pained heart, "Sleep for a while, a while. If they cry at night, you won''t be able to sleep anymore."


    "I''m not sleepy." Xiaowan smiled sweetly, "Little Pei and I have been bored for a while, I am especially happy now."


    She asked again: "Did they stay? I heard from Susu that Grandma is bringing her daughter-in-law away right?"


    Aunt Zhang then said: "That daughter-in-law is also a nurse, probably because she heard us crying, she swelled up, and her clothes were wet. Her mother-in-law told her to squeeze out, afraid that she would return the milk or something."


    The Xiaowan asked in surprise, "What about her child?"


    The Aunt Zhang shook her head: "I can see that the young lady is preoccupied with something, it probably won''t be anything good. Her mother-in-law even said that no one wanted her back, so I think that she might be going to a big family to be a wet nurse."


    Xiaowan sighed: "What about your own child? Who will raise him."


    The Aunt Zhang sighed: "This kind of girl is innumerable. In order to survive, she has no choice but to abandon her own child and go feed another person''s child. Some are very pitiful, and are unable to control themselves. However, there are also some who are willing and willing to do what they want to do. "


    "Previously, my husband asked me if I should ask for a wet nurse to help. I rejected him." Xiaowan said, "I really can''t bear to think about how no one is able to feed my own child."


    "Good child, but you''ve worked too hard." Aunt Zhang touched Xiaowan''s face, "It''s really his fortune to be married to you."


    The two talked for a while, then the Aunt Zhang coaxed the Xiaowan to sleep. When they went back downstairs, Little Pei was already sitting on the chair with his father as he calculated the prices behind the counter.


    Ling Chaofeng taught Ling Chaofeng patience, Little Pei was smart and learned quickly, the father and son were fine, it was easy to watch.


    Aunt Zhang walked over and said, "How great is that. When the two of you are causing trouble, Xiaowan is worried. Listen to me, these few days, Little Pei is not allowed to cause trouble, and you, Chao Feng, do not keep shouting at him, even if you have to endure, in the future, you can always beat him up. "


    Ling Chaofeng lowered his head and asked his son: "Did you hear that?"


    Little Pei nodded obediently and patted his father''s arm. "Daddy must be obedient too."


    Aunt Zhang wanted to go up and take a look, but Ling Chaofeng stopped her. Aunt Zhang understood, how could they control the matters of this world.


    Bi Zhenye was walking alone on the road home, and all the shops on the street were about to close for the night. The waiter carried the door board and looked at the people who were walking past, but seeing that they were not customers in the shop, he did not care.


    Bi Zhenye did not let his family pick him up, they had already driven off with the carriage. He wanted to be alone in peace, it was as if the events of today had hollowed him out completely.


    So it turned out that the matter of his mother was really a major obstacle in his life. He thought too simply that as long as he performed properly, he would be able to live comfortably.


    That''s right, what kind of life could someone who could send their own mother into exile be like?


    He thought about how he told Ershan that he had to go to his house and tell his grandmother about the news. At what time was it?


    Bi Zhenye smiled bitterly. He was delusional to think that the threshold of Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion was so high.


    But at that moment, a carriage slowly followed from behind, the carriage passed by Bi Zhenye and stopped in front of him. Once Bi Zhenye stood still, a familiar figure stepped down from the carriage, she gracefully stood there, and the carriage continued to move forward, and very quickly, it was long gone.


    The shops on the street were closing up, and the road was getting darker and darker. If they go any further, they wouldn''t be able to see each other''s faces. "It''s so late ¡­"


    Shen Qing smiled: I want to take a walk, do you have time to accompany me?


    "Yes!" Bi Zhenye agreed without hesitation. He hesitated for a moment, but still, he replied, "But ¡­"


    But Little Qing did not continue listening to him, she turned and walked forward, and Bi Zhenye no longer had any contradictions with her, he immediately followed along, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with her.


    "Are you hungry?" Shen Qing laughed, "I came to my house for a long time, and forgot to treat you."


    "Indeed, the sky has already darkened in a flash." It was a pity that even when night fell, he still could not get the result he wanted.


    However, although the Master Shenwang did not agree to it, he did not reject him in the end. It was Bi Zhenye who thought that the Prince did not want to make things difficult for him.


    "Actually, it doesn''t matter whether or not I can marry you." Actually, whether or not I can marry you doesn''t matter. Little Qing placed her hands behind her back, and with light footsteps, she revealed the lively posture that a girl should have.


    "Then... The empress dowager has the final say? " Bi Zhenye naturally asked.


    Little Qing turned around gracefully as her plain dress spread out under the moonlight, looking like a fairy that had descended from the heavens. She smiled lightly, "Of course it''s me."


    Bi Zhenye was startled, then laughed and said: "But you must ask my father, I can only let you ask, but you must know, in my father''s eyes, there is no man who is worthy of me."


    This time, Bi Zhenye was clever. He took a step forward and faced Shen Qing squarely: "Then let me ask you, Little Qing, are you willing to marry me? Little Qing, can I marry you? "


    Shen Qing was startled. This person, had suddenly shouted her maiden name, after knowing him for so long, he was always polite to Princess, so he was polite to him as well. She couldn''t let others think that she was a frivolous Princess.


    "Little Qing, I, I like you." Bi Zhenye''s face flushed red, her breathing became hurried, "Little Qing, are you going to be my wife?"

 C235

    Little Qing gave a brilliant smile, turned around and continued walking forward: "Then tomorrow you should find someone else to come by. Who would bring up the marriage proposal themselves?


    Bi Zhenye was overjoyed, and chased after his: "Who should I invite, is my grandmother okay?"


    Qing''er laughed. "It''s such a hot day, how can it alarm the elderly? I should go greet Grandmother. Why don''t you hire a colleague or a senior from the Board of Justice?" "It''s just a formality, and besides, you can be our matchmaker. It''s such a good thing, I''m sure they''ll be in a hurry to help you."


    Bi Zhenye memorized everything and protected Little Qing as he walked forward. But since it was so late at night, he might not necessarily bring the other person to his own home. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he said: "Little Qing, if you don''t mind, how about we go to the night market for supper? "However, the people coming and going from that place are all people from the market. I''m afraid that it would scare you. However, the food there is very tasty. I''m sure that you''ve never eaten it before."


    Shen Qing laughed and asked: How did you ever have the chance to go to that place in the past?


    Bi Zhenye said embarrassedly: "It''s just a recent matter. After I established my own sect, I am much more free now.


    Shen Qing said: "Since that''s the case, let me bring you over. I must be more familiar with you than you are."


    Bi Zhenye was startled, but Shen Qing actually took the initiative to take his hand and walk forward. She heard her say with a smile that her sister-in-law the Great First Princess was the strongest in the capital, and as her sister-in-law''s follower, she had seen many things in the capital. Naturally, outsiders would definitely not know about this.


    In the distance, Master Shenwang was riding a horse with his wife in his arms. Both of them had complex expressions as they watched their daughter leave with the person she liked, Master Shenwang turned around and brought his wife home. He smiled and said: "After our daughter gets married, let''s go for a walk, too.


    "What about the court?"


    "The emperor can handle it himself, but the youngsters can handle it for themselves."


    Xiaowan held his daughter and wandered in the corridor. Ling Chaofeng held his son and walked in circles around the house, so of course Little Pei was sleeping soundly in his bedroom.


    They had long since agreed that they didn''t need the Aunt Zhang''s help at night. Otherwise, with their entire family surrounding them, exhausted, who could they rely on in the day.


    When Xiaowan reached the stairs, he just happened to see the door of the guest room downstairs open. The young woman stood in front of the door and looked at Xiaowan.


    "Did I wake you?" The Xiaowan said apologetically, "I will coax them to sleep later. I am truly sorry."


    "Can I hug her? I ¡­ I''m really good at coaxing children to sleep." She looked at Xiaowan and the child in her arms with envy and said sincerely, "Can I hug you please?"


    Xiaowan was after all a mother, so how could a mother easily give her child to someone she did not know? Furthermore, it was already midnight. She immediately shook her head and said gently: "You should go to sleep early, didn''t you faint today? Your body is more important."


    In the house, when Ling Chaofeng heard the Xiaowan speak, he naturally came out to take a look. Seeing the young woman standing downstairs, he walked over.


    When the woman saw that the man had come, she became a bit more timid and left after thanking them.


    "Are you alright?" Ling Chaofeng asked the Xiaowan.


    "It''s fine, she said she wanted to hug Little Fei, I didn''t agree." Xiaowan saw that Little Qi was fast asleep in her husband''s embrace and said with gratitude, "Little Qi is such a good child."


    They returned to the room and put down their son. Ling Chaofeng took her daughter to coax her, because her father''s arms were definitely more powerful as he lied down comfortably in his mother''s embrace. Ling Chaofeng had hugged Little Little Fei for a while before she fell asleep.


    The Xiaowan said with a smile: "Little sister is just a little bit pampered, in the future I will always imagine how she will be spoiled by you big brothers."


    However, Ling Chaofeng was unwilling to let go of his daughter. Like how the Xiaowan was protecting Little Pei, he said indifferently, "Girls need to be pampered, and you."


    Xiaowan laughed and jumped up to hang her on her husband''s body. The two of them embraced each other and returned to the bed, but they were too tired and had no time to think about the matters regarding Yun Yu.


    The two little fellows actually didn''t wake up early. When Xiaowan woke up, her chest was already swollen and stiff, but luckily her daughter had also woken up, which was just about the right time to help Xiaowan solve her pain.


    Ling Chaofeng went downstairs to get hot water for the Xiaowan. Just as he walked down the stairs, he saw the long haired lady rushing out of her room, and shouted: "Little Claw, where are you?"


    Aunt Zhang raised his head and asked angrily: "What are you shouting about so early in the morning for?"


    He did not know where the little lady went or where she ran off to, but she was nowhere to be seen upstairs or downstairs. The woman was determined to flip through the entire inn, and the Aunt Zhang said angrily: "You really think too much of yourself.


    The woman insisted, "Don''t you have children that need to be fed? How can you raise two children? Did you leave my daughter-in-law as a wet nurse? "If you hand her over to me and refuse to hand her over, then give me a hundred taels of silver. I''ll send her to a rich family to be their wet nurse, and they will only give me a hundred taels of silver."


    Sure enough, he was going to send his daughter-in-law away to be a wet nurse. Aunt Zhang guessed right, whether his grandson could eat his fill or not, and even treat his daughter-in-law as a money lender. Moreover, which family would spend a hundred silver taels to invite a wet nurse?


    "Go to the office!" Uncle Biao walked over from behind with a pig slaughtering knife in his hand. The blade of the knife was still stained with blood.


    The woman was naturally intimidated. She sized up the inn once more, thinking that her daughter-in-law had probably run away. If she went to chase after her now, perhaps she might be able to catch up.


    Xiaowan heard the commotion upstairs and thought about the girl standing at the foot of the stairs last night. She must have missed her child so much that she would want to hug him when she saw his baby.


    There were countless pitiful women in the world, so why were women the ones who used their lives to reproduce, and the pitiful and lowly women too?


    Xiaowan said to the little girl in her arms: "Little Fei, mother will definitely protect you well and won''t let anyone bully you."


    The little kid who had just eaten his fill was contented as he looked at his mother with a smile. Naturally, his brother in the room woke up, and immediately started crying as well.


    Downstairs, Ling Chaofeng took some hot water to go upstairs. He took a glance at his own inn and said to Aunt Zhang: "Search again, maybe, you really are hiding somewhere."


    The Aunt Zhang agreed. When Ling Chaofeng returned to his room, Susu also came, and the two of them followed him. One blocked the stairs, and the other searched upstairs.


    In fact, she didn''t run or hide anywhere else, probably because she knew her mother-in-law. She hid under the bed, shivering when she was dragged out, and her clothes were soaked.


    "Save me ¡­" "Save my child ¡­" The little woman sobbed without a sound. She was extremely pitiful.


    After figuring out the ins and outs of the matter, Susu came upstairs to tell the Xiaowan that the little married woman came from a faraway place and was going to a merchant''s house in Li Prefecture to be a wet nurse.


    In fact, she had been there for two months, and because she missed her children too much, she had snuck home, been beaten up by her mother-in-law, and had to be sent back by boat.


    The most pitiful thing was that when she ran home this time to take a look at her child, she discovered that her daughter had actually been sold by her mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law and her husband stubbornly refused to tell her where her child had gone and wanted her to treat it as though it had died.


    "She said she doesn''t have a name, and is ranked third in her family. The villagers call her Third Lady." Susu sighed, "It''s really pitiful, if my sister was sold, I would probably kill someone."


    The Xiaowan sighed and asked Susu: "Then what do we do now?"


    Susu said: "She''s begging us to temporarily take her in, don''t make her mother find her, she wants to hide away for a while before thinking of a way to find her own daughter."


    "But she doesn''t have any leads, her Daqi is so huge, where can she find her child?" The Xiaowan said with a pained heart, "Her man is really not worth anything. His own flesh and blood can be sold at any time. This kind of man is not worthy of children."


    Susu said: "The laws of our Daqi do not allow people to kidnap or sell children, but in the countryside, there are no laws.


    The Xiaowan said with a startled look: "Isn''t Ershan at the Ministry Of Justice? Let''s write a letter to him and let him think of a way, alright?"


    Susu asked: "Help Third Lady find a child?"


    Xiaowan shook her head, "They are helping all the women who are mothers. Somewhere else, someone must have had their flesh and blood stolen. Now that I have become a mother, I really can''t bear to see things like this anymore, catching each one of them, what do you think? "


    Susu laughed: "Tell the shopkeeper that you need him to write a letter to little brother. Ershan will listen to his big brother the most, it might work."

 C236

    When Xiaowan discussed this with Ling Chaofeng, Ling Chaofeng said that he would be leaving for some matters in two days, and that he would be staying in the capital for a day. At that time, he would personally tell Ershan that he would try to see if he could improve on this kind of situation.


    Only now did Xiaowan hear from her husband that the second princess of the Supreme Emperor had married into the Jin Nation, and the first thing she did to change it was to forbid the trade of women and children. However, this was a matter that could not be tolerated by the law in the Daqi, so no matter how vast the empire was, there was always a time when the Emperor could not reach his side.


    Naturally, if Ling Chaofeng wanted to stay in the capital for a day, just calculating the distance between the Baisha County and the capital would allow his husband to only be able to return home at least ten days.


    Before and after the birth of the child, it had been a long time since the husband and wife had been separated for so long. But she knew that Ling Chaofeng had already delayed many things in order to protect her and her child. Also, he had to repay the favors of the people who had helped him in the past few days.


    "Master, Susu said that the sesame candy in the capital is delicious. I want to eat some, can you buy some for me? "Buy more and you can eat them even if you keep them for the winter." The Xiaowan laughed leisurely, "I will ask Susu which family ate it later."


    Ling Chaofeng knew that his wife was considerate and kissed the Xiaowan. "Don''t worry, I will settle this matter and the sesame candy for you."


    Xiaowan asked: "Then what about Third Lady, will she stay in our store?"


    Ling Chaofeng said: "If her mother-in-law can''t catch his, she will definitely come to the inn to find trouble and send Buddha to the west. I think that it would just be losing some money, why not leave Third Lady here with us, and wait for her mother-in-law to let her go, then let her think of a way to find her child. "Our shop doesn''t lack people. We can''t really leave her here."


    "Husband, you really are a good person." Xiaowan said gratefully, "I hope Third Lady can successfully find her daughter."


    As a result, before dusk, the old granny came back as Ling Chaofeng had said. Seeing her daughter-in-law sitting in the hall, she rushed up and slapped her twice, but Aunt Zhang and Uncle Biao came over and pulled her away.


    The Aunt Zhang said: "If you continue to beat him, don''t blame us for being impolite and sending you to the yamen. It''s just a meal on a board."


    She rolled up her sleeves and used her palm as a fan. Her forehead was full of sweat as she hatefully said, "I want to see what you guys told the officials. It was you who hid my wife. As for me hitting her, it''s my family''s ghost if she lives or dies, which grandma doesn''t teach her daughter-in-law a lesson? "


    Third Lady was curled up behind them. When her mother-in-law shouted loudly, she trembled in fear.


    Xiaowan watched as she held the child in her arms. She heard from Susu that her husband, the childhood sweetheart, had come with the family and in the end, had actually washed their Ling Xiao Inn with blood.


    A weak girl had personally killed a family of three and disappeared with her daughter. And what angered her wasn''t the abuse she had suffered, but the fact that her mother-in-law wanted to sell her daughter as a child''s daughter-in-law in order to save the family''s business.


    Why was the life of a girl so worthless? Although there were some who sold boys, in comparison, there were still fewer.


    Thinking about it this way, her father had treated her quite well. He had threatened Madam Xu with a loud voice, saying that he definitely would not allow his stepmother to sell him.


    Before Xiaowan could recover her wits, there was already a ruckus downstairs. That old granny was very powerful, she did not dare do anything in the morning, and now that her daughter-in-law was here, she felt like she was in charge. Her waist was also stiff, and she started making a ruckus downstairs.


    There were a few guests who wanted to enter the door, but upon seeing this scene, they hurriedly ran away. It seemed that this woman would not rest until she had achieved her goal.


    Ling Chaofeng walked over from the back, took a piece of paper, and a bag of money. He placed the piece of paper on the table and said: This is the contract, we are inviting your wife to work here, how much money do you want?


    That mother-in-law blinked and sized up the people here. The moment she opened her mouth, she said, "Five hundred silver taels."


    In the morning, it was still 100 taels, which became 500 taels after half a day. Such shamelessness and greed, it could be seen that there were countless people like the Madam Xu in this world.


    Ling Chaofeng laughed coldly: "One hundred liang, press your hand here."


    The lady spat and scolded, "A hundred liang, are you going to send the beggar away?"


    Ling Chaofeng said indifferently: You can either take a hundred liang of silver and leave, or use it to bury your Baisha River, what do you think?


    The woman was stunned for a moment, but she did not dare to do anything like killing someone. She forcefully lifted her nose and humphed, "Five hundred taels of silver, not a single copper can be missing."


    Ling Chaofeng looked at Uncle Biao, who snickered and rolled up his sleeves, walking towards the old lady, scaring her so much that she had to retreat and scream.


    However, Uncle Biao had already taken off her waist, and in the blink of an eye, her hands and feet were tied up. He put them on his shoulders and said to Ling Chaofeng: "I will tie a few more stones to her and sink her down tightly."


    "Let me go, let me go ¡­" The woman screamed and finally begged for mercy, "One hundred taels, that''s one hundred taels."


    However, Ling Chaofeng said coldly: "Ten taels of silver, take the silver and leave, not the silver that will sink the river."


    "Ten taels ¡­?"


    In the end, under the Third Lady''s old granny''s tears, she pressed the handprint, took ten taels of silver and left dejectedly. If she wanted to come and cause trouble again, it would be the court meeting.


    The granny finally left. Third Lady hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to everyone, thanking everyone for saving her life. Aunt Zhang suddenly remembered to interrogate the granny about where she sold her child to. When the Uncle Biao heard this, he immediately ran out and caught the woman.


    She made a ruckus and asked what they wanted. Knowing that she wanted to know the whereabouts of her granddaughter, she laughed, "If you want to know, bring me some silver, I''ll tell you." But if I were to tell you, would you believe me? "


    Ling Chaofeng said: "You should be honest, after we find the child, I will send someone to send a hundred silver taels to your home. If you do not, we will not be able to find the child. If you don''t believe me, you can give it a try. Even if you run to the ends of the earth, I can still find you. "


    The woman was skeptical in her heart. When she heard those words that threatened to drown her to death, she felt that this might be retribution. She trembled and said, "Child, child has been ¡­ Sell it and use it as a sacrifice for the river god. I mean it, or I''ll die a horrible death. "


    Third Lady''s entire body twitched, she rushed forward and grabbed her granny''s arm and asked: "Sacrifice for the River God?... "You ¡­ you all ¡­"


    Hearing that his daughter was sacrificed to the River God, who had long passed away, and that her grief-stricken mother had fainted, Susu and Aunt Zhang hurriedly helped her up. Ling Chaofeng''s heart froze as she looked at Uncle Biao, who angrily threw him out.


    Third Lady was helped upstairs to rest. When she woke up, her eyes were blank. Susu had prepared porridge and rice tea for her, she did not eat nor drink, so she put it aside for her to eat when she was hungry.


    After that, all the way until nightfall, Third Lady did not make any sound. In the middle of the night, Little Fei and Little Qi cried non-stop.


    When he went to the door, he saw that the second floor''s room was lit. Xiaowan and Ling Chaofeng looked at each other, and Hubby went to check on the second floor, and told her that Third Lady was eating.


    The Xiaowan said with a sigh, "She''s really pitiful. Now that there''s no hope, how are we going to live our lives in the future? We can''t take her in either."


    Ling Chaofeng said: "Arrange a place for her to go. If we just let his go, he might fall into his mother-in-law''s hands again."


    Xiaowan''s heart felt warm. Her husband being so kind caused her to feel at ease, but he was worried that if he was too soft-hearted, it would make things difficult for her husband. However, ever since their marriage, she had often felt that Ling Chaofeng was actually the kindest person.


    It was a peaceful night. The next morning, when Xiaowan came down to eat breakfast, she and Third Lady were talking at a table. Seeing her, Third Lady stood up and bowed. Xiaowan hurriedly said: No need to be so polite, your body is weak.


    While eating breakfast, she heard from Aunt Zhang that Third Lady wanted to ask them to find a good home with a wet nurse. She wanted to continue helping others take care of their children.


    Her own child would never be able to eat again, so she would feed a child that she could not eat enough. Bringing that child up in the future would also be her consolation.


    "Otherwise, I don''t know if there''s any meaning in living on. I don''t want to go back to that family ever again. My man and my mother-in-law are not things." The Third Lady said, but she did not cry anymore.


    "What about your parents?" Xiaowan asked.


    "I was sold to this house as a child''s daughter-in-law by someone else. I have long forgotten whose daughter I am." Third Lady smiled bitterly, "I don''t have a family."


    Buying a daughter-in-law and selling her granddaughter, that woman really didn''t do anything to lose money. How could such a person live with such peace of mind?


    Seeing Ling Chaofeng coming down the stairs, the Xiaowan said this to her husband. Ling Chaofeng looked at Third Lady, sighed in his heart, and said: I will get someone to ask, but this is not something that can be done immediately. In a few more days, will you be able to do it?


    Ling Chaofeng did not have the face to say those words, but Aunt Zhang said: "That''s right, could it be that you have already recovered? When the time comes, I will find you, but you will not be able to feed it to him, it is not a waste of effort."


    Third Lady shook her head. No one knew what Little Pei had done to his brother upstairs, but Little Qi''s crying voice came down through the stairs. Ling Chaofeng frowned and wanted to go up to take care of Little Pei.


    She embarrassedly covered her chest while Xiaowan was secretly envious of her. If she could also be so generous like this, she wouldn''t have to worry about the two children not having enough to eat.


    However, she really didn''t intend to let others feed their children.


    In a blink of an eye, two days had passed and Ling Chaofeng should be out. He had already sent people to settle the matter with the other party, but there was still no news of him in a short period of time, but he could not delay the matter any further.


    kissed his daughter''s little hand and said to Xiaowan: "Don''t work too hard, take care of your own body too. I''ll be back in a few days, I''ll bring you some sesame candy."


    The Xiaowan pouted. Just as he was about to give his husband a kiss, Ling Chaofeng said in displeasure: "On the main road, aren''t you ashamed?"

 C237

    Xiaowan tiptoed and took the initiative to kiss her husband. She looked at him proudly, but of course she would not be ashamed.


    Ling Chaofeng kissed her on the forehead and said lovingly: "Wait for me at home. Take care of your body."


    Her husband rode his horse and left. Xiaowan hugged her daughter and waved goodbye. She initially wanted to watch her husband leave, but when she heard Little Qi''s sobbing, she quickly turned back.


    When she went upstairs, she saw Third Lady standing at the top of the stairs, looking towards the top. Little Pei was looking at his brother, if she wanted to go up, there was nothing that could stop her.


    But it had already been two or three days, and Xiaowan still had not spoken up to invite Third Lady to help her take care of the child.


    The more it was like this, the more Xiaowan felt apologetic in her heart. She felt that she was too stingy, but suddenly asking her to open her mouth seemed like she was giving alms to someone else. After hesitating for a while, she walked up the stairs, smiled at Third Lady, and went upstairs alone.


    Third Lady did not say anything. After looking around for a while, seeing that the child did not cry anymore, he went to help and Aunt Zhang with their work. She was a very pleasant person who was diligent and gentle, but she did not go as smoothly as she did when she found someone who wanted a wet nurse for her.


    After all, they had to feed their children, and they were very concerned about the nanny''s background. The inn came out to look for her, but they couldn''t hide it from the nanny''s background. When they heard that their child had been sold and no longer existed, no one wanted this sort of person.


    Every time he heard that it would fail again, the Aunt Zhang would sigh: "How about we just hide it from them?"


    Uncle Biao naturally did not agree: "This is Breaking Dawn''s face, I cannot do that."


    In the blink of an eye, three days passed. Third Lady had finished eating and drinking in the tavern, and her pale body had already recovered, but she kept on eating as light as Xiaowan, milking herself every day, hoping that she would one day be able to feed a child.


    Since she was so persistent, the people in the inn all felt more sorry for her. When they found two families that were once guests of the inn, the Aunt Zhang went out personally to help Zhang Luo with this matter.


    Unfortunately, when the Aunt Zhang left, the Heavenly Xiaowan became ill.


    It was unknown whether it was because Little Pei had been sleeping by her side these past few days that she had to wake up and take a look at the big one a few times.


    That day, he had to see Little Pei fly a kite and sit in the wind to eat a bowl of noodles.


    In short, Xiaowan''s face was flushed red. Every time she finished feeding the baby, she would become exhausted and would be unable to move or speak.


    Chao Feng was not home, so Aunt Zhang also went out. Susu, Auntie Chen and Susu''s mother-in-law were the only ones in the shop, and they were busy with taking care of their granddaughter, Autumn Harvest, and were unable to come to help. As a result, Susu and Xiaowan discussed and decided to invite Third Lady to come upstairs to take care of the children.


    She took good care of the two babies while teaching Little Pei how to change his younger brother and sister. Even Little Pei liked her a lot.


    She helped Xiaowan to feed the child. Although the child''s cry would make her chest swell, she did not say that she would help the child.


    The next day, Aunt Zhang came back home. Seeing this, since Third Lady had already helped, Aunt Zhang requested for him to first recuperate and recover. Even if she wasn''t worried about Third Lady''s body, after staying in the inn for so many days, she had nothing to worry about.


    Xiaowan had reached the limit of her stamina and energy. She persisted until the day the child starved for her, then finally clenched her teeth and agreed.


    Third Lady tensed up, and trembled as she placed the red hair into the child''s mouth. When she saw Little Fei Jr. start to eat in big bites, her tears fell like rain.


    Xiaowan looked on, emotionally moved, and said gratefully: "Third Lady, thank you."


    Third Lady said tearfully: "It''s my turn to thank you."


    Thus, with the help of Third Lady, Little Qi was able to eat and receive stable care. Xiaowan was finally able to breathe, and after recuperating for two days, her body was quickly recovering.


    was once again able to feed a pair of children. In his heart, he was thinking whether or not he should not trouble Third Lady anymore.


    However, her face was thin and she could not open her mouth. Every time she saw Third Lady very naturally untie her clothes to feed Little Little Fei, she felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. Although blaming herself for being too stingy, what was more important than a child being full, but she really couldn''t resist being stingy. She was afraid that the child would not kiss her if she took someone else''s milk.


    That day, Third Lady brought Xiaowan''s portion up after the kitchen had drank the chicken soup made by Uncle Biao. She carefully walked to the third floor with the soup in her hand.


    Susu said. "How about you speak frankly, what''s there to be embarrassed about, if you don''t talk about it, I will talk about it."


    Xiaowan''s tone sounded conflicted: "I just feel that I''m too heartless to destroy the bridge after crossing the river. She treats her children so well, but I dislike them in my heart."


    Susu asked: "What do you dislike about her?"


    The Xiaowan said, "I don''t know either. As for her background, I don''t mind it at all. Anyway... I can''t say. "


    The person outside the door stared blankly at the chicken soup in his hand. He lightly bit his lips and used his free hand to knock on the door: "Xiaowan, drink the chicken soup."


    Inside the house, Susu and Xiaowan looked at each other. They didn''t know whether or not Third Lady had heard what they had said just now.


    A day after that, Third Lady continued to help take care of the child as usual. Xiaowan also did not manage to tell her to stop feeding the child.


    But that night, when the whole family was eating, Aunt Zhang did not discuss with Xiaowan and the rest, and just said: "Third Lady, there are a few people who are looking for a wet nurse to take care of the children. Do you want to do this?"


    Third Lady looked at Aunt Zhang noncommittally, her wife advised: "We will help you look for her, so we can''t hide the truth from you. When they heard that your child disappeared like that, they all have some scruples. After all, it''s an important matter of feeding a child, and we understand each other, and we can understand the feelings of our host. But if you don''t feed them and only take care of them, then they won''t care so much. They only want people who are gentle and hardworking, and you are the most suitable person. Listen to me. Break your milk and don''t go on. "How great it is to have a business and a place to stay."


    Third Lady lowered her head, pursing her lips without saying a word.


    Suddenly, Little Fei cried. instinctively stood up, Xiaowan put down her spoon and stood up as well, then reached out her hands to stop him: "I''ll do it, I''ll do it, Third Lady, eat your meal."


    After she finished speaking, she carried Little Fei up the stairs.


    Aunt Zhang followed him and brought Little Qi upstairs as well. The two of them stood in the corridor and looked down, and Xiaowan said softly, "Aunt, I don''t want to ask Third Lady for help anymore, but I can''t open my mouth."


    "Yeah, he''s so nice, how can we even talk about it?" Aunt Zhang held the baby and sighed, "But if she can think it through, finding a job for her in a rich family isn''t difficult, we can''t keep her forever."


    Downstairs, Uncle Biao handed a large piece of meat to Third Lady and said enthusiastically: "Eat more, and heal your body."


    Third Lady thanked him, then picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of chili sauce. He spread the spoon on top of the meat on his hoof and ate it whole.


    Aunt Zhang and Xiaowan looked at each other. From the looks of it, Third Lady had thought it through. After all, she had been following Xiaowan around everyday these past few days and had a light meal.


    Sure enough, early the next morning, Third Lady told Aunt Zhang that she was willing to take care of other people''s children. However, in other people''s houses, it was very troublesome to raise the milk, and they didn''t want others to misunderstand. Thus, they wanted to ask them to continue taking her in until she returned to her mother''s milk before leaving.


    The rest of the people agreed naturally, and Xiaowan finally heaved a sigh of relief. After that, throughout the entire day, Third Lady did not go to the third floor again, no matter how much Little Qi Little Fei cried, she did not look around at the stairs anymore. He continued to help the shop, but he could not resist it.


    That night, Little Fei seemed to be unwell somewhere. She refused to sleep even if she wasn''t fed, and continued to cry non-stop. Xiaowan carried her and wandered around the room, trying to coax her patiently.


    Xiaowan was completely exhausted, and did not sleep well the whole night. The next morning, after feeding the child, he fell asleep, falling into a deep sleep.


    But today, Susu had to help her family''s Autumn Harvest, so she did not come to work for a single day. In the tavern, Little Pei was playing at the back of the mountain after he ate breakfast. After rolling in the mud, the Aunt Zhang took him to take a bath.


    Upstairs, everything was quiet. Sanniang sat in a daze at the door, watching as a cart came in from the White Sand River Pier, with a young couple in it. She was dressed in red and carried a baby in her arms, a loving family member who seemed to be returning to their mother''s house.


    Third Lady''s tears fell uncontrollably. When the carriage went further away, she heard the cries of a baby. Although the crying sound was getting farther and farther away, as soon as she heard the baby''s crying, her chest would swell.


    Last night, Little Fei was crying non-stop upstairs. It was better to die than to live in a house, and Xiaowan didn''t even know how to take care of a child. Why was it that when she was taking care of a child, the child would always cry?


    Subconsciously, she stood up and was about to head upstairs when she looked up at the third floor. Her heart skipped a beat.


    When he entered the door, his mother was sleeping soundly. He ran to the side of the cradle and peeked inside, only to find that Little Fei''s cradle was empty, only the Little Qi was asleep inside.


    Little Pei ran over to his mother''s side to see if his sister was sleeping on the big bed, but his mother''s side was completely empty. The little guy''s heart tightened and he hurriedly tried to wake his mother up.

 C238

    Xiaowan woke up from her dream. Her daughter was gone, she had gone downstairs to look for her, Third Lady was also gone, her family was suddenly in a mess.


    Little Pei flew out and searched for traces of his little sister in the air. As expected, he saw Third Lady holding onto the baby, and was running towards the Baisha River Pier.


    But Little Pei could not use his power to stop her, he could not even remind his mother to head towards the Baisha River to look for him, but it was such a coincidence that the whole family decided to split into two, the Aunt Zhang would head towards the town, and the Uncle Biao would lead the Xiaowan to the pier.


    "Little Pei, can you watch over little brother at home? Can you do it by yourself?" Xiaowan was extremely worried, but there were really not many people left.


    Little Pei earnestly replied, "Mother, I''m looking at little brother. "Quickly get your sister back."


    Xiaowan only had one outer garment on, and sat on the horse carriage with her hair in a mess. Xiaowan also looked around nervously, afraid that she would see them coming and hide in the mountains.


    But now, with Little Fei in her arms, Third Lady was boarding a boat at the edge of the dock. With the wind and water being so anxious, the people on the dock said that the next boat would be to the south, so she thought that no matter where she was going, she would first find a strange place to stay. As long as she worked hard and did a few more jobs, she would definitely be able to provide for the children.


    But the boat had not arrived, so the child was hungry. Third Lady carried Little Fei to a place where they could hide from the wind and untied her clothes to feed her.


    But just as she finished feeding, when she tied up her clothes, she heard the people on the pier behind her shouting, "Uncle Biao, you''re here. Da Qing is at home cutting rice today, he''s not here."


    Third Lady''s heart tensed up. She hugged the child and wanted to hide, but Xiaowan jumped off the carriage and saw her daughter''s bright red cradle. She shouted, "Third Lady ¡­"


    Seeing that they were going to snatch the child back, Third Lady ran towards the river with the child in her arms. Xiaowan and Uncle Biao immediately chased after them.


    Third Lady was forced into a dead end. She jumped down from the Baisha River and stood on top of the huge rock by the river.


    Xiaowan immediately stopped and did not dare to move forward. The people on the wharf surrounded them and spoke at the same time, no wonder this little woman was so secretive, daring to steal Ling Xiao Inn''s child.


    "Third Lady, give the child back to me, I beg you." Xiaowan begged, "No matter what you want to do, I''ll promise you anything. I''ll let you be Little Fei''s wet nurse, okay?


    The Third Lady shook her head and cried, "You all despised me, I heard everything. You all despised me ¡­ "If you weren''t sick, you wouldn''t have let me touch your child. I know ¡­"


    "I''m sorry, it was my fault." Xiaowan looked at the rushing river, and thought that Little Fei might drown in it, her heart felt as though a knife was being twisted, and she continued to beg, "No matter what, do not hurt my child, I beg of you. Third Lady, you love Little Fei that much, you won''t hurt her right? "


    As Xiaowan spoke, she also attempted to jump down, but Third Lady took a step back. Her skirt had already been drenched by the water and she could fall into the river at any moment.


    "If you come over again, I''ll jump down. Don''t come over." Third Lady shouted, "You have three children, and you have so many children. Can you give me one?


    "Alright, as long as you don''t jump into the river, you come up first. We can talk about anything." The Xiaowan comforted her and took the initiative to retreat, "Look, we got out of the way. You should come up first."


    At this time, a boat slowly entered Baisha River. It was the ship that was about to head south, and after unloading a batch of goods there, it would immediately leave.


    "The ship is here..." Little Fei, let''s go to the south. "


    However, in order to prevent the Xiaowan and the others from stealing the child, she took off her hairpin and threatened them, "Don''t come near me. If anyone dares to stop me, I will stab the child to death."


    She brought Little Fei and walked towards the dock. No one dared to act rashly, and also surrounded the boat that was slowly walking towards the dock. The people on the boat had already unloaded the goods and were about to set sail again.


    Seeing that Third Lady was about to bring the child onto the boat, she ran up to her and kneeled down behind her. She begged while crying: "Let me see the child again, I beg you, Third Lady, let me see the child again."


    Third Lady was startled, Little Fei also seemed to have realised something, and started to twist and cry unsteadily. Third Lady could not be coaxed, and seeing Xiaowan kneeling on the ground, walking towards her, her heart softened, and said: "Then just one look, only one look is allowed."


    Xiaowan immediately stood up and ran over. She tremblingly brought the child in front of her, but she steeled her heart and grabbed the swaddled child.


    Third Lady was caught off guard. With both hands empty, she reacted and was about to grab Xiaowan and snatch the child away from him. Xiaowan subconsciously used her strength to push him, and with a scream, Third Lady actually fell off the pedal and into the river.


    The Uncle Biao rushed over to protect Xiaowan and Little Fei. The people on the shore shouted loudly, and some of them even jumped into the water to save them.


    But the water was too fast, she was unable to catch up with him while swimming. Xiaowan hugged Little Fei and trembled, as she watched him being washed far away by the water.


    Uncle Biao protected her child as he watched the scene in the distance with cold eyes. If Third Lady died, what would happen? With so many people watching, it was the Xiaowan who pushed her down. Even if she stole the child first, it was still a life.


    "Uncle, I want to go back now." Xiaowan didn''t seem to care about her life or death. She was worried about his family''s Little Pei and Little Qi, and how she would live no matter what happened to them.


    Uncle Biao was not at ease with his child''s safety, after entrusting a few words to the people at the pier, he drove Xiaowan home.


    In the tavern, Little Pei was watching over his little brother by the cradle. When he saw his mother return, he immediately rushed over.


    After settling down the Xiaowan, the Uncle Biao went back to the town to look for his wife. When he brought the Aunt Zhang back, the people at the dock came and told them that the woman had been washed to a distance of one mile. By the time they fished her out, she was already dead.


    Now that a person had died alive, the people on the pier did not dare to not report it to the officials.


    Xiaowan guarded her child inside the house. In truth, she had already thought about it on the pier, that if she really killed someone, she would be willing to accept any punishment. It was just that she couldn''t bear to part with her child.


    In the evening, someone came to the yamen to take Mu Xiaowan to the yamen to ask. The Aunt Zhang stopped them and said, "The two children are waiting for her to feed.


    The Fast Catcher was kind as well, and said: "We don''t want to make things difficult for you guys, but death is a big case, we cannot pretend that nothing happened. We should settle it earlier, it was the woman who stole the children first, and that will not be difficult."


    When Xiaowan heard the commotion, she dressed herself neatly. She had just fed a pair of children to Little Pei, so she helped him clean his face and put on his clothes. She smiled and said: "Little Pei, Mother needs to leave for a few days.


    Little Pei''s eyes were filled with tears, he nodded: "Mother, Little Pei is obedient, but you have to come back earlier."


    Xiaowan held him, touched his little body and said gratifyingly: "Little Pei is really a good child, you''re the big brother now. With Little Pei here, mother will be at ease."


    Not long after, she came down from the building by herself, leaving her son to take care of her brother and sister. Aunt Zhang begged Fast Catcher to be merciful, but he had to settle this matter no matter what.


    Seeing Xiaowan being taken away by the Fast Catcher, the Aunt Zhang asked the Uncle Biao in panic: "Where is Chao Feng now, when is he coming back?"


    The Uncle Biao comforted her: "Don''t be anxious, the Xiaowan did not intentionally kill people. Everyone was watching the scene at that time and Master Zhi County would not make things difficult for the Xiaowan. On the contrary, we should be concerned about how Xiaowan faces her own death. I am afraid that in her heart, she will never be able to let it go. "


    When Xiaowan arrived at the yamen, she asked her a few questions. After all, she was dead and had to report to the prefecture lord to wait, so it was not easy to resolve. She decided to temporarily take care of Xiaowan, but did not make things difficult for her.


    Xiaowan was isolated in a cell, but the prison was still a prison. There was a damp, cold, and unpleasant smell, as well as the wails of other prisoners.


    She quietly sat on the pile of hay as her chest expanded faintly. When she thought of how Little Qi and Little Pei couldn''t fill their stomachs, she started to shed tears.


    "Husband, I killed someone ¡­" Xiaowan curled herself up into a ball, "Husband, come back quickly."


    On this day, after Ling Chaofeng had just left the capital, the Xiaowan told him to pass on the matter of Ershan to his little brother.


    He was in a good mood as he went back. At the moment he was by the river and the horses were eating grass. He washed his face with the water. Suddenly he felt pain in his heart and an unexplainable uneasiness came over him.


    Ling Chaofeng frowned slightly, he turned and touched the horse, then jumped back onto his horse and whipped it towards his house.

 C239

    The Third Lady and the tavern were old friends. I heard that Ling Chaofeng''s wife accidentally killed the deceased and personally came down to Baisha County to settle the case. The Prefect Liang had personally promoted the new Zhixian County, so it was naturally easy to negotiate with them.


    After interrogating the people involved, he found out that the inn was already bustling with activity a few days ago, and was looking for a place to use a wet nurse for the Third Lady. The people who were watching at the dock all said that the woman had sneakily arrived by the river with the child in her arms. When the Xiaowan arrived, he begged her loudly to return the child.


    What happened afterwards, although Xiaowan did intend to snatch the child back, she definitely did not push Third Lady into the river on purpose.


    On that day, Feng Dushui was in a rush. If it was a normal calm day, even if the Third Lady fell into the water, she might not have died. She had chosen to steal the child that day, as if she had chosen her own life as well.


    The Prefect Liang said: "The Daqi rules follow the ancient laws, there are words about pardons, gold as a redemption punishment, all referred to as the wise man, there were mistakes, and unfortunately you have been caught."


    In this way, Xiaowan should have been sentenced to five years of imprisonment, but now they were sentenced to ransom. Uncle Biao and Aunt Zhang came to the yamen with a hundred taels of gold and redeemed their children.


    When Xiaowan walked out of the yamen, she was pierced in the eyes by the sun''s rays. The prison was a place without daylight, in just a few days, it was impossible for people to adapt to the outside world.


    Just as they were about to get on the carriage, they heard the sound of horse hooves approaching them from afar. Xiaowan could immediately recognize that it was her husband, and saw Ling Chaofeng riding his horse through the streets.


    "Hubby ¡­" Xiaowan shouted.


    When Ling Chaofeng heard his wife''s voice, he immediately tightened his reins and turned. Sure enough, he saw a family standing at the entrance of the yamen.


    "Hubby." Xiaowan ran over and Ling Chaofeng jumped down from the horse. He did not know what had happened, but he had to carry his wife fully.


    Ling Chaofeng smelled a strange scent from Xiaowan''s body. His brows trembled, as if he had realized something, and Xiaowan had also suddenly pushed him away. Tears hung on his face as he said, "Hubby, I ¡­ I''m too smelly ¡­"


    Ling Chaofeng hugged her: "Nothing. "What happened late at night?"


    There were more and more commoners watching by the side. Aunt Zhang stepped forward and said: "This young one has suffered, let''s return home first and talk about this later."


    Inside the tavern, Little Pei stood in front of the door and looked around. He knew that his father should be home by now, but he never expected that they would really be together.


    Once Xiaowan got off the carriage, she carried his son in his arms. Little Pei sobbed, "Mother, I''m so obedient. I take care of my brother and sister everyday, I don''t have the time to study or write anymore."


    went forward to comfort him. After he hugged his son, he saw Da Qing coming out with a brazier, telling Xiaowan to cross the brazier to get rid of the bad luck.


    After that, he took a bath and changed his clothes. Then, he threw his clothes into the brazier to burn them all.


    Susu and Aunt Zhang came downstairs with Little Fei and Little Qi in their arms. The two children seemed to recognize their mother and cried the moment they saw Xiaowan.


    It was just that after staying in the prison for a few days, although she was not troubled nor was she abused, the dungeon was still the prison. Her current milk supply was not as abundant as it was before the incident.


    She gulped down the fish soup and chicken soup, stuffing her greasy pig''s feet into her stomach. She was eating very hard, wanting to return to her former state and be able to feed her child.


    No one would have thought that Ling Chaofeng, a weak girl, would be able to cause so much trouble for the tavern.


    Unexpectedly, he had been too careless. A mother who had lost her child, how could she act like a normal person?


    The Uncle Biao called Ling Chaofeng to the back, he smoked and said: "I have seen everything that happened that day, and now that I think about it, I am still trembling with fear. If I am like that, I cannot wait, and furthermore, I stayed in the prison for a few days. "Don''t look at her immediately having the spirit to take care of his child. That is the natural instinct of a mother. If you care more about her, ask her if he has any problems that he can''t understand."


    Ling Chaofeng repeatedly said yes, the more he asked about the details of Uncle Biao, the more he felt sorry for his wife. But Xiaowan was so brave and calm, he had a whole new level of respect for her.


    In the bedroom on the third floor, Xiaowan had coaxed the two children to sleep. Little Pei followed behind her closely, whispering that he had not done his homework for the past few days. He was unable to finish the homework his father had given him just as he was about to leave.


    As Little Pei had previously been unable to finish the homework that Ling Chaofeng had left behind, this time, the father and son pair had decided. If they still could not finish it, then they would just come back with a meal.


    Xiaowan held onto her precious flesh and blood, touched his butt, and gently said: "Mother will be with you to do your homework in a while, wouldn''t it be fine if we just added it?"


    Ling Chaofeng watched from the door and quietly retreated. He would first let the Xiaowan and the children stay together and wait for the children to sleep before he accompanied the Xiaowan.


    In just a whole day, Xiaowan had never left her three children. She had always known that Little Pei really admired his younger brother and sister for being able to drink milk.


    The time that she had to give Little Pei was limited. However, Xiaowan had asked Aunt Zhang to bring food up today, so she ate a mouthful herself, fed his son a mouthful, and made the little guy happy.


    Finally, it was night and Little Pei was sleeping by his side. The two of them had not been crying since then, and the room was completely quiet. After Ling Chaofeng had finished washing up, he quietly walked to the bedside and said in a soft voice, "Carry Little Pei over there.


    "If you wake up, I think he will come over in a while. You go to sleep first, don''t wait for me." Ling Chaofeng promised softly as he carefully carried his son. Little Pei wiggled for a bit before falling asleep on his father''s shoulder again.


    Xiaowan said that the dungeon was cold and damp. Today, when she was bathing, she added a lot of ginger juice into the water, making her sweat profusely.


    The room was filled with the fragrance of babies'' milk and the scent of their clothes. It was sweet and peaceful, making people feel safe.


    However, Xiaowan couldn''t forget the unpleasant smell in the dungeon, nor could she forget the moans and wails of the other prisoners. Third Lady''s body was washed far away by the Baisha River.


    Tears rolled down from the corner of his eyes. Xiaowan was depressed, she had killed someone.


    In the dim light, Ling Chaofeng saw that Xiaowan had tears on her face. He bent down to kiss her eyes, Xiaowan''s body trembled, he stared blankly at his husband, and then Ling Chaofeng bent down to kiss her, following his ear and neck.


    Xiaowan had completely fused her consciousness into her desire. In that instant, her mind went completely blank, as if she could start over again just like that.


    She laid softly in her husband''s embrace, feeling his heart beating and the warmth from his body. She sincerely said, "Husband''s body is warm, so comfortable."


    Ling Chaofeng caressed her back and said gently: "It''s late, everything is over."


    Xiaowan made a sound of acknowledgement, then began to sob softly, afraid that her children would wake up. She didn''t dare to cry loudly, but in the end, all she did was cry merrily in Master''s embrace.


    The next morning, it was like the last thunderstorm of the year, gathering enough strength to pour down and smash into the ground with a crackling sound, making it difficult for one to move an inch.


    However, the yamen''s people wearing straw hats and straw coats came over. They stood in front of the door with their bodies drenched and said in a gentle tone, "I was unable to find the origin of the Third Lady. Do you have any leads? However, what the county magistrate means is that it will be too late when her family arrives. If you are willing, can you manage the affairs behind her back?


    Ling Chaofeng did not discuss it with the Xiaowan and had agreed. After the rain stopped in the afternoon, he and the Uncle Biao would head to the yamen to receive the Third Lady.


    In the morning of the next day, after taking care of her behind her back, he invited a few masters to help her transcend her cultivation. After cremation, he would scatter the ashes into his Baisha River.


    When they drove the carriage past their own tavern, they saw Xiaowan wearing clean clothes, standing in front of the door with Little Pei.


    Ling Chaofeng did not ask, instead he stopped the car to pick his wife up, and Little Pei followed along to climb onto the car, the whole family heading towards the river side.


    The people at the dock would meet with a few drowned people every year. After a while, they became numb, and were not afraid of these things. Ling Chaofeng and the others stayed at the shore to pay their respects to the Third Lady, and they even came one after another to burn an incense.


    The Xiaowan passed the paper money into the river, and Little Pei passed it over to her one by one. The surface of the river was a field of white and gloomy flowers, it was extremely desolate.


    "Little Pei." Ling Chaofeng called for his son from behind, telling him to find Da Qing to play. After their son had left, he came to Xiaowan''s side and sat on the shore beside her.


    "Hubby ¡­" The Xiaowan opened her mouth, "If not for the words that I said to Susu that Third Lady heard, if I agreed to let her feed the child, she would not have died."


    "Late?"


    "But, I mean no harm. I didn''t want to hurt her at all. I don''t want to let anyone else touch my own child, is that not okay?" Xiaowan said tearfully, "Why would she steal my child?"

 C240

    Ling Chaofeng quietly listened to Xiaowan''s words. He knew that his wife knew what was good and what was bad.


    If she could choose, Xiaowan would definitely not push her. If she could choose, she hoped that Third Lady could live, but she was still unwilling to let her feed her children.


    She had to find cause and effect for these sins. Perhaps, from the moment when Sanniang was sold as a child''s daughter-in-law, a good man was forced into a daze. With a single thought, he ended his painful life.


    Xiaowan scattered the paper money into her Baisha River and told Ling Chaofeng that she would put this matter down. She did not do anything wrong, no matter what happened, no matter who it was, she would do everything she could to protect her child.


    Ling Chaofeng guarded silently, his heart was already at peace.


    When the incense was burnt out, they would go home.


    On the other side, Little Pei was wrestling with Da Qing, so the Xiaowan called out to him clearly. "Little Pei, we''re going home."


    Da Qing carried Little Pei over, and laughed: "This little guy, is getting more and more lively."


    The Xiaowan invited Da Qing to the tavern for lunch and the family headed back. On their Baisha River, the snow-white paper money slowly sank to the bottom of the river, bringing with them Xiaowan''s blessings and wishes for the coming of this life of his.


    However, this case, along with the ransom that Ling Xiao Inn had paid, were all sent to the capital. That hundred taels of gold from Prefect Liang and Zhixun did not dare to misappropriate it, and had already been handed over to the national treasury.


    Within the Qingming Pavilion, the emperor looked at the reports that were being sent from all over the country and his heart sank when he flipped to this page. He called for the attendants and ordered them to send the reports over to the Culture Hall for the empress to read.


    At that time, the Queen was playing with her daughter, and the mother and daughter pair were rolling on the floor with blankets. Hearing that the Emperor had sent someone to send them something, Siyan bowed and walked out of the tent gracefully.


    He only saw the servants of the Qingming Pavilion handing over the memorials to her and taking it to a bright place to flip through it. The Queen couldn''t help but frown, the dead were pitiful, while the Xiaowan was even more innocent.


    "What does the Emperor mean?" Siyan asked solemnly.


    "The Emperor only told his servant to send it over for the Empress to see. He didn''t give any instructions." It was rare for the palace maids to see the empress''s cold face, they couldn''t help but panic.


    Siyan folded the silk on her arm, held the report in her hand and coldly said: "Immediately order the clan''s Ministry Of Justice people to come to the palace and see me."


    Everyone was shocked, the empress was meddling in government affairs, but they did not dare to go against her orders. They first transferred to Qingming Pavilion to ask the emperor''s intentions, but did not expect to be reprimanded by the emperor, and asked if he did not put the empress in his eyes.


    Thus, officials of the Ministry Of Justice and the Ministry of Revenue were summoned into the palace. They never would have thought that the empress would meet them personally and pass on a message from the Li Prefecture in the Culture Hall Hall.


    "Milords, what do you think of this matter?" The empress was very polite and spoke with a tone of agreement.


    The men who had immersed themselves in the official scene all thought that the empress was a woman. They all looked at each other with pity in their hearts, wanting to be perfunctory. The Ministry of Revenue''s men were even more confused as to why the empress had called them here.


    Siyan saw that these people wanted to trick her, so she was not polite and went straight to the point. She asked the Ministry of Revenue, from today onwards, to send orders to the officials in the various places, to improve the registration system for every town and village. From today onwards, Ministry Of Justice will be punished as long as there is the matter of casually buying and selling children. They will never forgive him.


    People in the Ministry of Revenue felt that the empress was dreaming. With such a big country, with so many people, it was impossible to count the number of people and prevent the commoners from buying and selling their children in private.


    He then asked the empress, "Empress, if there is a family that cannot afford it and has no choice but to sell it to keep the child alive, how can you calculate this?"


    Siyan laughed coldly: "Isn''t this what all lords should do? how to spread the emperor''s decree throughout the entire Daqi, how to establish a perfect punishment system, how to prevent similar tragedies from happening again, wasn''t this the responsibility of all the lords? Instead of asking me, you ask me, what should I do? "


    Everyone was momentarily at a loss for words, but there were some who were a bit bolder and sincerely said: "Empress, the Daqi Rules have already been perfected. However, it''s impossible for us to accomplish the same thing. The people in different places have different sentiments, and there are even people from the village who are united in their own affairs. Even if I have to put in a great deal of effort, I am unable to do what you wish for, this is the truth. "


    Siyan continued: "The second princess is far from married to the Jin Nation, and can save the Jin Nation''s woman, Yu Shui Huo. She once told the emperor, even if you can only save a woman, all that you have done is worth it. Even if today''s scene cannot be realized, as long as one less child is bought and sold, and one less woman is forced to death, then that is the merit of this world. "


    When the scenes from the Culture Hall were passed to the Qingming Pavilion, the emperor raised his head from the mountainous pile of memorials and rubbed his glabella. He smiled faintly, "They will definitely come and see us in the future.


    The palace maid accepted the order and waited in front of the Qingming Pavilion. As expected, the few lords who had scattered from their Culture Hall had rushed over to the emperor''s side, but were stopped by a single word from the eunuch in front of the gates, who advised them even more, "Milords, if the emperor were to discuss this with you, you might be angered, right?"


    Amongst them, only Ling Yu did not come. He was still in Culture Hall and had been left behind by the Empress to speak.


    As the assistant minister of Ministry Of Justice, Ershan was unwilling to let this matter go, especially since it involved his own sister-in-law. However, at this moment, what the Queen discussed with him was not national affairs, but happy private matters.


    The Emperor had long ago decreed that the Bi Chen and Bi Chen would marry each other, and that the fifteenth day of the eighth month would be their wedding. The next two families were preparing for the wedding, and although everything was fine, there was one thing that was hard for Empress Dowager to do.


    "Princess is the flesh and blood of the royal family''s elders. To be able to unite with someone you love, I am very happy." Siyan said, but now that Bi Zhenye has established himself and is living in such a narrow and small courtyard, he cannot even accommodate so many servants, which makes old granny very uneasy.


    Ershan replied: "Please advise me, Empress."


    Siyan said, "In truth, the Duke Palace had long prepared a private house for her daughter. Princess Shen Wang also wanted her daughter to start the wedding day in the mansion, but this way, it would seem that they would look down on Bi Zhenye. However, they did not have that kind of heart to begin with, and did not want to cause misunderstandings, so today was the perfect timing to see you. Regarding this matter, I will ask you to go discuss it with Bi Zhenye, and see if he is willing.


    laughed instead. She thought that her brother was tired by his parents and couldn''t be pleased by Empress Dowager, but it turns out it was just a small matter. Since the people from the Duke Palace were too attentive, it could be seen that they had already accepted Bi Zhenye.


    "Empress, this matter shall be done according to the wishes of the imperial concubine. This subject shall agree on Bi Zhenye''s behalf." Ershan said without hesitation, "Currently, Bi Zhenye is wild with joy everyday, it would be easy to get him to do anything."


    Siyan laughed: "Overjoyed? Isn''t this too exaggerated? My brother can''t bring Hanxi back to the capital. Hanxi won''t be able to drink this wedding wine, and there will definitely be a family reunion in the future, and at that time, we''ll have a good time. "


    When Ershan went to find Bi Zhenye with these words, Bi Zhenye agreed immediately and even personally made a trip to the Prince Shen¡¯s Mansion to show that he was willing to accept the arrangements of the Duke Palaces. He also didn''t want to disappoint Little Qing and force her to stay in the little mansion.


    The joyous news of Bi Shen''s marriage and the emperor''s strict prohibition of trafficking in women and children had both reached the Baisha County.


    Xiaowan was standing outside the door of the inn reading the words of the notice that was posted in front of the yamen. Listening to Little Pei reading it out loud one by one, it made her heart feel warm.


    Ershan''s family letter, on the other hand, mentioned that the one who had proposed a strict punishment was the Empress. The Empress had immediately had this thought when she saw that the Xiaowan had accidentally killed the Third Lady.


    A few days later, people from the yamen came over to interrogate the family members. Little Pei took his mother''s hand to register his great name with his younger brother Ling Ji and sister Ling Fei.


    Xiaowan complained to Hubby in a soft voice, "Why are there so many names and brushstrokes for children?"


    Ling Chaofeng was annoyed: "You better follow Little Pei and learn how to write properly. In the future, when the children grow up, do you have the nerve to not recognize the words?"


    Xiaowan glared at him. "Do you dislike me now?"


    On the other side, Aunt Zhang gave a few big boxes to the male servants and said happily, "Year after year, it''s going to be the Mid-Autumn Festival again. During this year''s Mid-Autumn Festival, is there anything exciting about this town?"


    The bailiffs smiled and said, "It''s the same old rule, Mid-Autumn Night Lantern Association. However, the county magistrate''s relatives are in the fireworks business. This year we''ve brought a lot of big guys. When the time comes, you can bring your children over to see them."


    Little Pei was extremely happy as he skipped around and pulled Xiaowan, telling his mother to take him to see Smoke Flame. He even said that he had personally hugged his little brother to prevent his mother from being affected too much.


    Xiaowan was afraid that Little Qi and Little Fei would be affected by the explosions, but Ling Chaofeng said, "Just cover their ears with cotton. Our children are not cute."


    That night, Xiaowan finally managed to coax the long-winded and excited little fellow to sleep. However, the moment Little Pei fell asleep, he was immediately summoned by the Heavenly Court and turned into a Golden Dragon and flew away.


    When Xiaowan reached the door, she felt a gust of wind. She looked at her son on the bed and saw that he was sleeping soundly, so she closed the door.


    Little Pei arrived at the Heavenly Court and saw his grandmother standing in front of the Heaven''s Mirror. He stepped forward and asked, "Grandmother, what are you looking for me for?"