уАКTo Be a Mighty Empress, Or Not to BeуАЛ


 C1

    The heavy rain drew a long curtain between the sky and the ground.

    Lightning illuminated the hall outside the room. The moment the cold light shined on the temple hall, the temple boy, Guan Yin, had an eerie feeling. The next moment, thunder started to rush in, but it still couldn''t cover up the shouts coming from inside the room.

    "Eh бн ah бн"

    From high to low, Shi Anran tightly held onto the Twisted Golden and Silver Silk Silk Silk Slippers, trying to break down a bit of the pain. However, the tearing of her lower body still caused her to be immersed in pain.

    "Qing Yan, Qing Yan бн" Her fingernails had been violently torn apart. She only saw a mess of flesh and blood, and blood stains could be seen all over the blanket as it fell.

    Qing Yan stood in front of her and looked at the miserable state that Shi Anran was in, from the moment she had activated her [Body Fusion].

    "For the sake of our sisterhood бн" Tears streamed down her cheeks. She was in so much pain that she couldn''t even utter a complete sentence. She could only look pleadingly at her sister-in-law.

    No matter how much she shouted, no one came in. Her heart cooled a little, and no matter what face she had, she kept begging, hoping that her own flesh and blood would be born soon.

    Her delicate and pretty face in the dark room was like a devil walking out of hell. Qing Yan held Shi Anran''s hand and forcefully wiped it into the gaps of her fingernails, in exchange for a heart-wrenching scream.

    Blood was gushing out of his fingers like a fountain, and there was no need to say anything more about the pain he felt in his heart.

    Tears blurred her eyelids, and Shi Anran no longer had the strength left. Her breathing became weaker and weaker, but she still asked unwillingly: Why?

    Why did you follow me from the age of ten and treat me like this?

    Why do you treat me so cruelly when I treat you like a sister?

    "Why?" Qingyan kept murmuring to herself before she smiled gently, "Because you are so na?ve."

    She didn''t understand, but Qingyan suddenly slapped her, and with a "pa" sound, it echoed through the long silent night.

    Shi Anran was humiliated and she cried as she looked at her. Seeing her dark and cold expression, she replied, "Don''t show that foolish look. If you think about it carefully, you should understand who would benefit the most after your mother died. And did your disaster begin after your mother''s death? "

    Shi Anran''s eyes widened in pain, she sucked in a breath of cold air. She was originally the direct daughter of the Minister of Revenue, but after the death of her mother, she was so heartbroken about not eating for a few days, and almost fainted. When Shi Anyi, her little sister, kindly supported her back to her room, but fell down the stairs on the way back, almost disfiguring her face, she had originally thought that it was all an accident.

    Later on, the General''s Estate annulled the engagement and made her a laughingstock. Her father was also estranged from her at that time, so she didn''t suspect those two women.

    When Qing Yan saw that she understood, he said with a smile, "Third Madam used a mercury-mixed fish to kill your mother, but you chose to take her as your mother. Her daughter almost ruined your face, framed you for adultery, and even made you weak. You didn''t expect that because you felt that you had no face at all, you wouldn''t leave the house, so you moved her to send you food.

    Her voice seemed to come from the distant horizon. Only the waves of pain in her lower body were still causing her to stay awake. Why did this happen? She had always been kind to others, as her mother had said. Why did this happen?

    However, Qing Yan was not ready to let her off. His voice was taunting, "Do you know who it was that didn''t want you to give birth to this child today? It was the Crown Princess! You are doted on by the king, yet you don''t know how to scheme for yourself and your children. You don''t even have to think about how the Crown Princess can allow you to have your eldest son. Tell me, did you kill yourself, or did you kill your own flesh and blood!? "

    Because of the sudden stimulation, he was unable to breath, causing Shi Anran to not dare believe that it was actually true! He tightly gripped the brocade blanket under him. No matter how painful it was, it didn''t cause him to feel the pain in his heart to make him faint.

    Thinking back to the past, his originally dignified and amiable face turned malevolent, constantly attacking in front of his eyes.

    Qing Yan looked at her red face and gently helped her get angry. She was a considerate servant girl, but her words made people''s heart turn cold. "A man''s death is near, and his words are not bad. I''m about to die, so how can I lie to you?"

    Shi Anran''s lips moved, but she did not make any sound, upon seeing this, Qing Yan immediately understood, and could not help but sneer: "Miss, you want to ask me, how did I die? Right? Haha, you are still so naive and naive and foolish. Don''t you know, I came here on the orders of the Crown Princess to kill you, how could she allow me to live and reveal this secret? The dialogue between us will be forever silent in this room with our deaths. Yet those who have caused you great harm are able to live leisurely, live a life of wealth and dignity, hold up the face of a dignified and virtuous lady, and completely erase your existence without leaving a single bit behind. "

    Shi Anran stared blankly, and it was with much difficulty that she squeezed out two words: "Why?"

    "Why don''t you want to die? Do I want your life?" She slowly walked closer to Shi Anran, and then suddenly pulled on her collar crazily while shaking it, "Because, it''s good as long as someone like you dies, why would Wang Yuan die because of you! Do you know, after the Second Miss framed you for adultery, Wang Yuan was scolded to death by the staff, and when he died, he repeated himself, the young miss was innocent! It''s innocent! "

    Of course Shi Anran knew about this, it was just that at that time, she was unable to protect herself, so how could she dare to plead on his behalf?

    Tears blurred her vision. The skyline was covered by the pattern of the skyline, and she still remembered the ridiculing words of the Crown Princess.

    She was a skylark, but she couldn''t be a soaring phoenix. Who told her to be stupid!

    Feeling the life drain from her body, she laughed out loud, "Haha, if there is a next life, I will be a mouse for all of you. I will eat its flesh, drink its blood, and burn its bones for the rest of my life, never to forget this grudge!"

 C2

    When Qing Yan heard her words, he couldn''t stop laughing. After which, he acted as though he had gone insane as he muttered, "I''m going to take a look. Blood, it''s all blood. The lower half of my body is all blood." In panic, she caught a glimpse of Shi Anran''s lower abdomen, which was already covered with blood. Suddenly, she laughed and rushed over to the table, holding up the embroidery basket''s scissors, they were cold and sharp.

    She lifted up the quilt and looked at the bloody birth canal, smiling sinisterly, "Since you can''t be born, I''ll help you!"

    Ah!

    Shi Anran was so frightened that goosebumps appeared all over her body. Her lower body that had been cut open started to spread out from the bottom of her heart, and when she saw the arrangement of the spirit hall in front of her, before she could even react, she felt that her legs were numb, and that her body was aching as if it had been crushed. With a instability, she fell to the ground, and the cold ground caused her to regain some consciousness.

    She still remembered that her fingernails had been broken and her flesh had been cut into pieces by Qingyan. Now, they were completely fine, fair and tender.

    "Elder sister, what''s wrong? Are you too tired to kneel?" Hearing a familiar voice, she turned her head in confusion and saw a face like that.

    Her black hair was rolled into a pair of cones, tied up by the tassels of the Jade Orchid Silk Flower. Her oval face was fair and delicate, and her innocent big eyes seemed like they were seeing flowers through the fog. A small mole at the corner of her eyes added a hint of charm.

    However, when Shi Anran looked at this face, a cold feeling rose from the bottom of her heart, because this was precisely Shi Anyi''s face. Seeing the concerned look on her good sister Shu''s face, those sealed memories were all dug out. The bone-deep hatred made her body start to tremble.

    "An Yi, your sister is tired." Third Wife was kneeling at the side with a kind face. Although she was not even thirty years old, she still had the appearance of a beauty, but she did not seem like she was in the way of being virtuous and virtuous. Because of filial piety, her hair was tied with small white flowers, making her seem even more otherworldly. Besides the slight redness at the corner of his eyes, he was neither tired nor sad, but he still said worriedly, "My lady, go rest. You have not eaten for a whole day and have been kneeling the entire time, how can you rest if you are injured? If you''re thinking about your mother, you might as well meditate in your room and pray for your wife. "

    The amiable face and voice gradually merged together, sketching out the peaceful color of the Precious Appearance Mantle, causing this woman to become more and more amiable. However, Shi Anran was unable to understand the current situation, and could not help but sneer in her heart.

    Back then, he had listened to those words as well. When he went back to his room, he would be found out by those people in the future, often saying that he was not filial, that he was not a good person, that he had later contradicted his father, and that he was willing to be a concubine.

    Shi Anyi agreed. "That''s right, big sister, you бн"

    "Pah!"

    This slap caused everyone to be stunned. Some of the servants even wanted to rub their eyes. Did they see wrong? They actually saw their young miss hit someone.

    Shi Anyi hadn''t expected his usually weak older sister to suddenly hit him. His heart felt like it was about to tear to prevent him from getting angry. She got up and was about to hit her back, but was held down by his third wife.

    The third wife only had this one daughter, how could she not be angry?

    She widened her eyes and looked at the red palm mark on her daughter''s face. She then shouted, "What are you doing?!"

    Seeing the two of them like this, Shi Anran regretted her foolishness and hated herself for treating the jackal as her mother. Her face naturally revealed a hint of misery, and she said: "Sister, you have such a good intention, can you call others to listen to you? You will think that your sister is disrespectful to your mother! "

    In this era, the crime of disrespecting one''s mother was too great. To disrespect one''s mother was to be unfilial, and to not be filial was to not marry.

    Shi Anyi was startled, her face flushed red as she tried her best to defend herself: "I didn''t, I бн"

    "What little sister said just now was wrong." Shi Anran leisurely interrupted: "I am my mother''s daughter, how can I leave just because I am tired? Moreover, the elders such as the third wife, the young like the concubine sister, are still here. Those who know me understand my weak body, and those who do not know will probably say that I am not filial and will cause waves and chew the root of my tongue. As for his sister? "I was born from a concubine. If I leave with my sister because of this, others will be able to understand me. However, I will say that my sister has bewitched her and disrespected her mother."

    Shi Anyi originally did not want to accompany her to leave, but she had twisted him, and had even crowned him with the title of being inferior to her, the pain was indescribable. She couldn''t help but look at the third wife and see the doubt in her eyes. She was obviously a very easy person to deal with, so why would she suddenly have her own thoughts?

    Shi Anyi was unwilling, and had always looked down on this big sister, but she had to accept her for now. On the surface, she tugged at her sleeve, looking as weak as a pear blossom under the rain. "Elder sister hasn''t eaten for the entire day, and sadness is in everyone''s eyes. No matter what anyone says, I will be the first one to not forgive you."

    Shi Anran took the chance to kowtow and pull her sleeves out from her hands without batting an eyelid, then turned to the third husband and said, "Sister and concubine are both kind, it''s hard to avoid being influenced by your emotions. In the midst of my sadness, you could have said things that you don''t know, just like when an aunt scolded me just now.

    She deliberately dragged out her voice, as if she was thinking for her opponent.

 C3

    Third Madam''s heart tightened as she wondered if she knew something. He saw tears and tears on her delicate face. She looked worried and relieved. She felt that he had caught her by surprise.

    He couldn''t help but let out a disdainful smile, and then he quickly covered his smirk with the act of wiping tears, "Madam just left, leaving me with a girl. If I made a mistake, I would never be able to redeem myself, so please forgive me for worrying too much."

    Shi Anran gently wiped away the tears in his eyes as a cold light flashed across his eyes. She comforted her softly: "Aunt was doing this for my own good, why would I blame you?"

    I will only beat you to a pulp for your revenge.

    It''s only fair that you should go and die the way my mother died.

    Thinking of her mother, she turned around and looked at the mourning hall. Her eyes were filled with sorrow, tears flowing down like the autumn waves.

    Third Madam clenched her fist tightly. Anyone who dared to hit their daughter would have to call her ''Madam''. She was disgusted by herself as an aunt, and even raised the flag to show her superiority. She simply could not tolerate it.

    In his heart, he made up his mind. He would get rid of this thing as soon as possible and let her reunite with her mother.

    Shi Anran cried sorrowfully, but even more so, it was a form of farewell: Mother, your daughter is unfilial, I can''t listen to you anymore.

    Repaying kindness with hatred, how could one repay virtue?

    She was crying so much that it hurt, and Shi Anyi was not bad too. She pursed her lips and put on a sad look. She was already beautiful. When she cried, it was like a light drizzle in the third month. Drops after drops of rain flowed out from her eyes. However, because of this, it caused others to feel pity for her.

    Shi Anran knew that after her father finished dealing with the guests in front of her, he would definitely come to this place. She would naturally leave a good impression on him while crying, but how could she let them do as they wished?

    Since that''s the case, let''s collect on the interest first. She made a strange smile.

    Third Madam''s eyes were sharp and she was anxious to take revenge. When she saw him, she cried out in alarm, "Young lady, what are you laughing at?" The sound was so loud that it sounded like it was afraid the servants would not be able to hear it.

    Shi Anran''s expression did not change, she smiled and said to the Third Husband: "Aunt, did you see it? It was Mother, smiling at us. She said that the fish that Aunt ordered people to make for her is very delicious, and that I won''t be able to eat it in the future. I miss it a lot. "

    As if to set off this sentence, the sky darkened, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and a torrential downpour followed after. It was just like that night, cold and dark. However, Shi Anran was completely unafraid. What was she afraid of, to have walked out of hell?

    He was just afraid of someone who felt guilty.

    It was as if Shi Anran really saw her mother walking towards him, and it was a little regretful that she had reincarnated a long time ago.

    But now was also good. She made them pay a sky-high price, so they were only twelve years old. There were still a lot of things that they could do in the future.

    Third Wife''s body turned cold as if she had fallen into an icehouse.

    Everyone said that the Madam''s body was weak, so she left. Only she knew that it was because she had been eating fish with mercury all day. She thought that she had prepared it in secret and no one knew.

    But suddenly, Shi Anran made a suggestion, causing her to be unsure if she had truly revealed her true spirit, or if Shi Anran knew something, and used that as a threat.

    For the first time, the third wife felt that this person was very dangerous. She could not help but let her gaze wander a little.

    Shi Anran had died before, so she was very sensitive to looks. Almost in the instant she met those eyes, she saw the killing intent contained within them, and could not help but smile sweetly.

    The faint white wax burned the candle flame, and the wax rolled down like tears. In the flickering light, her face was very much like her mother''s. Even the smile at the corner of her mouth was the same.

    Shi Anyi was only a child, she was very timid. Even though she did not participate, she knew that it was strange that the woman died. She could not help but hold onto her mother''s hand tightly, and asked tremblingly: "Mother, is the Madam really back?"

    The Third Madam scolded, "Madame, what are you afraid of, even if you were to come back?" She was angry at her daughter for not being able to win, so what if she was a ghost? Even if he was alive, he wouldn''t be able to defeat her.

    However, even though he thought this way, he still felt a sense of fear, afraid that his shameful act would be exposed. He decisively shouted, "Miss, are you crazy? Quickly go and ask for a doctor!"

    She was not afraid of anything as long as she set down the crime of being a lunatic. What could a twelve-year-old girl possibly understand?

    If it was in her previous life, Shi Anran did not know anything, but she was a person on a chopping block, and I was the flesh of a fish, but I have died once, how can I allow others to mess with him?

    "What''s going on?" A calm voice was heard, and the sound of footsteps could be heard.

 C4

    Shi Anran was on the ground, so no one could see the smile on her lips. The heavens were truly helping her, letting her father come at this time.

    She crawled up, turned around, and saw a tall powerful figure walking over. It was Shi Yu. His eyes were bloodshot, and he couldn''t hide the fatigue between his brows. His black hair was white at the temples, so it was not hard to tell how big his mother had been to his father.

    Goodbye, Father. Her tears flowed uncontrollably as she threw herself into his arms, ignoring all the rules.

    In her previous life, ever since she was willing to be a concubine, Shi Yu had said that he would treat his as if he wasn''t his daughter.

    Shi Yu patted Shi Anran''s shoulder, her fatherly attitude showing no doubt. After sweeping a glance over the third wife, Shi Yu stopped and asked in a deep voice, "My daughter is fine and well, why has she gone mad?"

    The third lady''s face was stiff like a sheet of paper, but she reacted very quickly. She bowed and put on a look of deep concern, "Master, just now, young lady was too sad, you actually said that you saw Madam. I was worried that young lady had met with some mishap, that''s why I immediately cried out.

    As she said that, Shi Anyi pulled out her handkerchief and covered his eyes. His red eyes looked extremely pitiful: "That''s right, before Madame left, you had to entrust your big sister to Mother. If anything happened to big sister, how could Mother rest easy?! Furthermore, the pain of losing your mother has been a great blow to me. If something were to happen to elder sister, it would also be within reason for me to have a good relationship with her. "

    Not to mention Shi Yu, even the Shi Anran of his previous life thought that they were not his own mother, but what about the reality?

    She tugged at the corner of Shi Yu''s clothes, and with doubt in her eyes, she said: "Isn''t that place my mother''s? Why did my visit with my mother make my aunt react so much when I spoke to her? Aren''t we all watching over our mother? "

    There were a few questions in a row, but they were all words of understatement that made Shi Yu realize that he had misunderstood. He glanced at the two men and said unhappily, "Don''t play catch-up."

    Having been born in the backyard, he knew a lot of things. He also knew how difficult it was for a child to lose its mother.

    When Shi Anyi saw her father beating up her mother, she immediately stood up. "It was Big Sis who said something about fish or something бн"

    "Shut up, it''s my fault." How could Third Madam allow this matter to be mentioned? Although the evidence had been destroyed, there was no guarantee that there would be any mistakes. Shi Anran was also aware of this, so she maintained her indifferent attitude. Only Shi Anyi didn''t know anything, and she protected him out of kindness, but in exchange for this reaction, she couldn''t help but lower her head, and tears rolled down her face.

    The Third Madam only had one woman and thought of her as a treasure. Seeing how much she cared about Shi Anran, she could only bow weakly and say, "I was wrong, it''s my fault if I was worried. I will definitely not do it again in the future."

    Hearing her words, Shi Anran hid in Shi Yu''s embrace and revealed a smile to them, it was a kind smile that a mother would usually give, but in their eyes, it was like a Suicide Talisman.

    How could the third wife endure this? Her hands that were under her sleeves were about to tear the handkerchief into pieces, but she still maintained her usual amiable attitude and spoke to Shi Anyi: "Quickly go and help the big miss rest. You are all young, and have to kneel for such a long time. She wiped the corner of her eye and wiped away the tears that didn''t exist.

    How familiar that sounded. Shi Anran remembered clearly that when she had asked Shi Anyi to help her to leave, he had said those exact words. Then, they both lost their balance on the stairs and fell down.

    She fell to the ground. Fortunately she had protected her face, otherwise, her face would have been ruined. However, Shi Anyi had directly pressed down on her body.

    How could she not accept such good intentions and gifts? How could he not give her one?

    The Shi Estate was not small in the capital, and was divided into four courtyards. The main courtyard was to the east, and was decorated with peonies. Everywhere it went, it was lush and verdant, and the houses were exquisite. Not far away from the courtyard was a lake.

    Since Shi Anyi was willing to support her, Shi Anran might as well place more than half of her weight on top of her. Although the former was vicious, she was only ten years old, and with great difficulty, sweat trickled down her forehead.

    Shi Anran looked at her and faked: "Why not call someone to help me? I''m afraid my sister''s body won''t be able to take it."

    Shi Anyi hated that she could not throw her out, but for the sake of planning, she could only endure. She smiled and said: "Because my mother passed away, I did not eat for a few days, it was so light." After saying that, she covered her mouth with her hands, pretending to be worried. "Sister mentioned something about sister''s sorrows, I deserve to die."

    Shi Anran said faintly: "The scarier thing is not that the person I miss has died, but that the person I hate is still alive."

    Shi Anyi was shocked, but then she felt a cold feeling on her back, and the two of them were like butterflies with their wings cut off, flying down quickly.

    With this fall, both of them were injured.

    Relying on her only remaining consciousness, she shifted away from Shi Anyi and shouted for help. When she saw Shi Yu rushing over, she said sorrowfully, "Father, save me!"

    The imperial physicians from the palace came in and out, and they came to the conclusion that the young mistress was physically weak and had gone through a lot of torment before fainting due to unconsciousness.

 C5

    When he woke up, the sky was bright. The sun shone down from the bamboo window, casting a jagged shadow over the rosewood incense table like a forest.

    Shi Anran was awoken by the heat released by the light. It was her habit to despise the golden silk string because it was too thick and its Qi could not circulate, hence she chose to use a snowrolling muslin. Looking at the peony embroidered by her mother at the corner of the hall, she was dumbstruck for a long time. Only then did she believe that she had returned to the time she was twelve years old, because the curtain covering her true love had long been destroyed by Shi Anyi when she married.

    Although his mother had gone to visit when he was twelve, his father was not disappointed in him. He did not believe in others stupidly, to the point of dying in such a manner.

    It was good that there was still time.

    As she pulled open the curtains, the arrangements around him were no different from what she remembered. Exquisite but not tacky, with transparent windows and an inch of light stopping in front of the dressing mirror, Shi Anran thought that it was already noon, her stomach was already growling loudly, treating her unfairly, and the young maid was lying on the table sleeping.

    Before the maid had even opened her mouth, Shi Anran had already seen her future appearance and that scissor.

    She shivered, but heard footsteps and quarreling sounds outside. She immediately lay back down, her ears pricked up.

    "If Anran doesn''t wake up, then tell that evil being to go kneel in the ancestral hall."

    Shi Yu walked in quickly, only to see that the only servant was sleeping, he frowned: Why is the servant slacking off?

    When the Third Madam saw this situation, she seemed to find a reason for it, "Master, you should know that Madam just went there and did not know that there is not a single thing that I can do to help the Eldest Miss with her food and clothing. This is something that the Madam had arranged for me to send this disobedient servant away when I was alive, and Eldest Miss does not wish for me to die."

    Shi Yu hesitated, he felt that what he said made sense, but the third lady was secretly happy, and took an inch after getting what he wanted, "Since that''s the case, old master has seen this servant bully master, so he might as well sell it."

    Shi Anran who was lying on the bed heard everything clearly, but she did not say anything.

    The physical harm she inflicted upon him made him wish that he could return it all. However, he truly couldn''t say who was right or wrong. It was best if he didn''t meet her at all.

    He got up immediately and calmly kowtowed three times, and said in a sad voice: "It''s fine if the old master sold a few servants, but I can ask the old master to send a few more people over. If that''s the case, then even the goddamned Miss in the courtyard won''t be willing to be kept watch the night. The old servant has been guarding the night, and I can''t take it in the daytime, so the old master can help the young miss ah."

    How could Third Madam allow him to continue speaking? She berated, "Bullying Master, yet you''re still arguing."

    When Shi Yu saw that Qing Yan''s eyes were bloodshot and that there was no one standing guard in the dark ring, his anger immediately grew even stronger. He glanced at the Third Madam and said, "If you have time, you might as well take care of that vile creature of yours."

    "Master, why is it that you think An Yi did it?" "Maybe it was someone who lost her footing and fell down accidentally. How could she blame An Yi?" The Third Madam''s only daughter, being called a vile creature with her mouth shut, felt extremely uncomfortable in her heart. In addition to that, Shi Anran definitely saw through her daughter''s oath and pushed her down first.

    Shi Yu sat down on the side of the bed, and his eyes coldly swept across the third wife, "She was the one who said that Anran pushed her down, but look, she only broke her skin, and Anran still hasn''t woken up. Let alone pretending, I''ve personally invited the imperial physician from the palace."

    Third Madam was left speechless for a moment before she quietly tried to defend herself. "An Yi has also suffered a blow to her face."

    It was just a light knock, and although the swelling was frightening, the imperial physician had said that as long as he didn''t eat anything spicy or spicy, he would be fine. It would be gone in a few months.

    However, Shi Anran never woke up, and the fact that she slept for such a long time was because her body was too weak, so the fall actually became a period of time to recuperate.

    She had expected such a situation to occur, hence she dared to push Shi Anyi down.

    How did the pain feel? Shi Anran silently said in her heart: It''s not over yet, this is just the beginning.

    Ever since Shi Anran had awoken, she had become a person of noble character. Shi Yu even came over everyday to take a look, but the third wife felt that something was wrong and pulled Shi Anyi along to face him.

    She had always liked to pretend to be virtuous, even when she was here to fight, she had asked her body how it was first. After receiving a good answer, she changed the topic and pushed Shi Anyi out.

    Although her body did not grow, she could still be seen. Only her eyebrows had a ferocious purple color which was very eye-catching, looking at her fair complexion, and her almond-shaped eyes that were bright, it was even more unbearable to look at that wound.

    She stood up, but she was still timid. There was a layer of mist in her eyes, as if she could cry at any moment. "Why did elder sister push me? Sister, how can you make sister unhappy? "

 C6

    The Third Madam knew that her daughter had a clever mouth, and knew that Shi Anran was an idiot. She only needed to bicker and there would be differences in status, and using this opportunity to suppress him, it would be the best choice to put on the hat of plotting against her little sister.

    However, she did not expect Shi Anran to have such a strange reaction, her face was full of surprise: "I still want to ask, why did little sister jump down!"

    Shi Anyi did not expect her to say this and asked in surprise: "Why did Big Sister say that I jumped down? Am I going to lose my life? "

    Shi Anran then acted as if she had suddenly realized something, and laughed shyly: "So, it was my little sister who accidentally fell down. "In order to not hinder me, I even let go of the hand that was holding me. But how could I make my sister fall down and suffer? I subconsciously pulled her, but I overestimated myself. I didn''t expect my body to be so weak that I couldn''t bear the torture."

    Listening to the meaning behind her words, it turned out to be a misunderstanding. The meaning behind her words were actually very simple, while the meaning behind them were actually very dirty.

    If she said that Shi Anyi jumped down there by herself, then why did Shi Anyi say that she could do it?

    Seeing Shi Yu''s hesitant gaze on him, Shi Anyi knew that something was wrong. She immediately cried: "At that time, little sister felt like she had been pushed from behind by someone, and then, big sister pressed on me. But big sister just happened to be unsteady at the foot of the stairs, and that''s why you''re doing such a thing?"

    She cried so much that even when I saw her, she looked even more beautiful than usual.

    The third wife also chimed in, the two of them were used to being petty, immediately one crying and one mourning, as though there was a huge grievance in their words, and within their words, they were accusing Shi Anran of deliberately murdering her younger sister.

    She smiled, desperate and sad, her eyes red, two streams of tears running down her cheeks.

    Wasn''t it just crying? Who wouldn''t?

    She just cried quietly like that, but it was more depressing than any crying. Everything was happening in silence.

    Shi Yu looked and frowned, and when he thought about how so many things just happened after his wife passed away, he became angry and seeing his daughter not even making a sound, his heart ached even more. "You can''t jump, could it be that your big sister will use her own body to take the risk?"

    Shi Anyi bit her lower lip and slowly kneeled down. She looked at Shi Yu in grief: "Father, do you also know that looks affect women for the rest of your life? Will your daughter spend the rest of her life joking around?"

    Shi Yu hesitated. Both of them were daughters after all, and even though he liked one of them a little, they were still meat on his hands.

    "Since that''s the case, father, please investigate thoroughly. According to my daughter''s knowledge, there are three ways to leave the Clear River Brothel.

    It was only then that Shi Yu suddenly remembered that such a high step was the only path in the entire Palace. Seeing that he was moved, Shi Anran also kowtowed and said: "Father might as well check it out, see if anyone saw it. The girl is not afraid of slanted shadows, as long as there is evidence to prove it clearly, the daughter won''t say a single word."

    Of course, Shi Yu knew that it was impossible for there to be anyone on that road, because that road was used to set up the spirit hall.

    Then. He coldly looked at Shi Anyi, "Why did you choose which path?"

    Shi Anyi trembled, unable to speak. Why did she choose that path? Naturally, she wanted Shi Anran to fall and ruin all of her looks.

    Seeing that, Shi Yu understood everything, he picked Shi Anran up and placed him back on the bed, then casually picked up the teacup on the table and threw it at Shi Anyi, but in the end, it was still slanted slightly, falling to the ground and shattering in all directions, and even so, it still frightened Shi Anyi.

    The Third Madam''s heart ached and she wanted to speak up, but she was stopped by a single sentence from Shi Yu. "Look at this good daughter of yours." Now that the situation had developed to such an extent, no matter how much the two of them hated Shi Anran, they would be blamed for murdering her.

    If he didn''t want to eat any more, he would have to swallow the bitter fruit.

    At Jian Jia''s courtyard.

    The sky had been overcast for several days, and the white lotus in the porcelain vat in the courtyard bloomed, as if wanting to welcome the rain, but only two people could be seen in rage.

    The moment she returned to the house, Shi Anyi acted like she had gone mad, she glared and knocked everything down.

    When the third wife saw her like this, she became even angrier and scolded, "What are you doing? What are you saying! " Then, he motioned for the maidservants on both sides to withdraw.

    Shi Anyi sat on the bed, feeling wronged, she looked at the basket on the kang that was getting more and more annoyed, so she just knocked it onto the floor and cried.

    Tears moistened the back of her hands, making her fingers sparkle even more. When the third wife saw her current appearance, her face was very gloomy. "Your father''s impression of him was already bad. "Who was it?"

    Hearing that, Shi Anyi immediately crawled up to stop her crying, but she could not stop the tears from flowing down, and flapped her hands: "Mother, she really pushed me."

    The third wife had already calmed down. She used the handkerchief to wipe Shi Anyi''s face and said, "It''s no longer important who is pushing who. The important thing is, who does your father believe in?"

    Shi Anyi thought about the cup that had been smashed beside him. This was the first time her father got so angry, and she could not help but feel fear in her heart, "What should I do? "Mother?"

    Seeing that she had calmed down, the third wife finally said, "We don''t need to do anything. Your father would never let this sort of family disgrace get out, so you are still his precious daughter. And as long as your father can''t forget her dead mother, that bitch is still a bereaved woman. "

    But I''m also a poor girl бн She only dared to say these words in her heart. She timidly asked, "Since her mother is dead, Mother, do you have a chance?"

 C7

    When the Third Madam heard this, she was like a deflated ball. She lowered her eyes and laughed self-deprecatingly, "Since ancient times, I have never had a concubine support me. My life has ended here, but you are different.

    Shi Anyi nodded, and then, a sinister look appeared on her face. "Where''s that bitch? She framed me, so how can I just let her go like this? "

    Third Madam sneered, "I don''t know what this slut knows to make her an enemy of us. Naturally, she can''t stay. However, we don''t need to do anything. Her body is weak, her mother died long ago, and the people in the courtyard are too slow.

    Shi Anyi understood and laughed along with her hatred, "That''s right, after all the people in the courtyard were arranged by the First Madam, how could mother dare to interfere?"

    On the other side, because of the guilt in his heart, and thinking back to how his maidservants acted sloppy when he came, Shi Yu personally knocked down the maidservants in the courtyard.

    For a moment, even Qing Yan''s back was straight, but Shi Anran did not say anything about it, and it was still the same as before. After a few days, the old woman slowly started to relax after seeing her weak and bullying appearance.

    Qing Yan was very anxious about this and advised Shi Anran straightforwardly: "Miss won''t take advantage of this time to establish her might or win over people''s hearts, this group of people will be taken over by the third wife again."

    Shi Anran lowered her eyes and scooped up the lotus seed congee in a multicolored bowl, slowly and unhurriedly, "Now that the authority in the house is held by the Third Madam, is it possible for a direct daughter of mine to reward her?"

    She wasn''t in a hurry. Slow work was the only way to get the job done.

    Qingyan sighed helplessly when she saw her like this, but she did not say anything else.

    All of the servants in the house looked at each other, only occasionally glanced at Shi Yu, and the one in charge was the Third Madam.

    Even the blood swallow that Shi Yu dialed from his own examples became a normal white swallow. She smiled faintly and felt that it was enough.

    Sitting in front of the mirror, she had Qingyan comb her hair into a bun. She looked extremely weak. Then she put some powder on her face, but it was so faint that one could see the dark circles around her eyes.

    He had changed into a pair of brocaded brocade robes that were shortened by Qingyan. He also wore a silvery-silver magpie pearl between his hair. He looked weak and weak, cowardly and completely devoid of the bearing of a lady.

    Qing Yan immediately knew what she was going to do and asked anxiously, "Does young mistress know where you can find the old master? "The women outside are all third wife''s spies. When she finds out later on, she intentionally stopped us. What should we do then?"

    If it was a different day, Shi Anran would naturally not know, but today was her mother''s birthday, so Shi Yu would definitely be at the main courtyard in the Clear River Brothel.

    The moment he stepped out of the door, all of the servants in the courtyard went somewhere to rest. The ground was littered with fallen maple leaves, and it was so eye-catching that the ground was covered in crimson red.

    The autumn wind blew, the slender maple leaves swayed, rubbing against each other, creating "hualala" sounds. In the silent courtyard, the garden was desolate.

    Shi Anran looked, and said indifferently: "This year''s Maple Leaf is not red enough." She then gracefully left.

    Clear River Brothel.

    It was impossible for people to leave without tea.

    She sat down on a stone table that she could see as soon as she entered the courtyard. There was already a layer of dust on it. She told Qing Yan to put down the things and then left. She began to silently wait.

    The heavens were always merciful. Not long after, she heard the sound of familiar footsteps. She pretended that she did not hear them as she earnestly ate the cold porridge.

    "Anran?"

    Shi Anran pretended to turn back in shock, the happiness in her eyes, followed by embarrassment. She rubbed her fingers, not knowing what to do, only to see that her sleeve was one inch shorter.

    Seeing this, Shi Yu didn''t say anything, but remembered it. He walked forward, pulled her to sit down, and said in a low voice: "Today is your mother''s birthday, your father will treat you to something nice to eat."

    Shi Anran''s eyes became sour. Seeing that the boy had successively brought his mother many things she loved to eat while she was still alive, Shi Anran pushed her own bird''s nest porridge forward and wiped away her tears that had yet to fall. She smiled and said: "I''ll also invite daddy to eat bird''s nest porridge."

    And then, he said, "Although it was given to me by my father, it can still be considered to have been born from a sheep''s hair."

    Shi Yu pinched her nose, "You little thing, you dare to say that your father is a sheep." He lifted the lid but his smile froze on his face. He slowly put it down and said, "Have I been doing this the entire time?"

    Shi Anran shook her head in confusion, "It started with the red swallow''s nest. When I recovered, I''ll change it to this."

    She laughed coldly in her heart. Her father had always loved her dearly, and when her mother was alive, she had always been the best. But now that her mother had left, she had fallen into such a state. Furthermore, he personally beat up the servants in the courtyard. There was actually someone who dared to do such a thing. This was not only bullying the direct daughter, it was also looking down on him.

    You''ve recovered? Shi Yu looked at Shi Anran''s ashen face, which couldn''t even be covered with a foundation of powder, and throat slightly moved. "I remember you don''t like to put on makeup."

    Shi Anran was silent for a moment, then said: "I want to see mother." She spoke of her misery. It was as if she knew that she had no other choice but to use these things to conceal her current appearance.

 C8

    Shi Yu nodded, and did not say anything else, but she knew that he had achieved her goal. She felt that this was just a piece of skin. The real Shi Anran, how could he even use his mother?

    Sure enough, the news about Shi Yu leaving Jian Jia Yuan that night spread, and on the second day, a few servants came in from his room, the big one was called Yi Yue, the small one was called Liu Yue, a string of clothes and accessories, the larger one was dazzling.

    Yi Yue did not like to speak. She was dressed in a blue dress that had the color of a first-class maid, with delicate features and a graceful body. Looking at eighteen and ninety nine years of age, she seemed like an old lady. Liu Yue, on the other hand, was twittering. With this kind of lively atmosphere, as well as the sharp tongue and sometimes harsh words, but because of that moon-like face and big eyes, she couldn''t bring herself to loathe them at all.

    She knew that as long as it was a moon, they would all be maidservants that her father valued. It was already not bad to send two of them over at once. Soon after, he found out that all the servants in Agarwood had left her hands, taking out a fixed amount of silver from the accounts every month. Basically, he grasped the power of a servant''s life and death.

    Because she was still young, Yi Yue took care of all these issues. The two of them worked together, making sure that there was not a drop of water left in the courtyard.

    Qing Yan saw that the two of them had control of the courtyard and was extremely worried about his position.

    She also sensed the distance, so she tried to please him more and more, "Miss is really intelligent, it''s fine if you don''t make a sound, but in one move you''ll amaze everyone. It''s fortunate that I thought Miss was really close to them, and even tried to dissuade them repeatedly."

    Shi Anran thought back to her past life. Qing Yan had often advised her that Shi Anyi was not kind, but had always thought too much of it when she was scolded by her. Only when the guard, Wang Yuan, was framed and died did she finally become taciturn.

    Thinking about that scissor, Shi Anran trembled, and said in a heavy voice, "Comb your hair."

    Qing Yan felt a bit wronged, but Master told her that what could a servant do, so she picked up a wooden comb to tidy her hair.

    She had always been good at combing her hair. She gathered her hair, folded it like a conch, and placed it on top of her head. She was clear and elegant.

    Shi Anran took off the dazzling hairpin, and took out a completely white jade hairpin from the dressing case. She put it away in her hair, causing Qing Yan to be startled, and then realized what was going on. Not long after the wife passed away, she immediately knelt down, kowtowing and begging for forgiveness: "This servant will not investigate for now, this servant deserves death, I beg young miss''s forgiveness."

    Shi Anyi looked at her red forehead and cried out, but she did not say a word of consolation.

    Qing Yan felt wronged more and more. It was not that he did not notice his young lady''s thoughts were getting harder and harder to guess, but he did not think it was a bad thing at the beginning. A young lady like her had the ability to protect herself, so she did not have to be implicated. However, he had never expected that he would be alienated.

    After trying to curry favor with her, he felt very tired, but he didn''t see how highly Shi Anran thought of her, and instead calmed down.

    But because of this, Shi Anran rewarded her with a blue jade pearl hairpin, causing her to be extremely happy with this unexpected fortune. From then on, Qing Yan was very pleased with himself, but he felt that Shi Anran was the one who rewarded him for her safety, so he kept a lower profile.

    For a moment, the courtyard was very peaceful.

    However, there were always some people who hopped on their feet иC they didn''t want to bite others.

    For example, our Second Miss, Shi Anyi.

    Ever since Shi Yu left, he had never stepped into Jian Jia Yuan, even though the third wife was still holding onto the power of the family, she was no longer as popular as she was in the past. Looking at the situation before her, Shi Anyi deeply understood her limits.

    While carrying the gift, she was given to the old gatekeeper. Shi Anyi had instructed Old Lady Zhao to cause a lot of trouble, making Shi Anran feel very angry. "Thank you, Second Miss. Second Miss is as merciful as Guan Yin descending to the mortal world. My grandson will be relying on him to extend his life."

    She smiled and enjoyed the look of gratitude before entering the courtyard.

    Little did she know that the moment she left, the servant girl who saw this quickly slipped into the main house and recounted what she saw, "... Before this servant could see what it was, she heard Mama Zhao say that her grandson was saved. "

    Shi Anran nodded her head indifferently, she turned the young servant into a level two servant and gave the order for Lian Xing to serve him in the outer room.

    Liu Yue thought to himself. There were so many thoughts in Second Miss, she bowed and asked Shi Anran: "Does Miss need to report to Master?"

    "No, it''s just a small matter." In the past few days, she had loved to practice calligraphy the most and was the best at achieving calmness. However, when she finished, her hands became unstable and her brush trembled. The whole calligraphy was ruined. It was quite a pity.

    Reaching out to take the handkerchief, Yi Yue wiped the Chinese character on her hand, then she walked out. These words were like a human''s, it would be ruined if it was destroyed, just write another one.

    But somehow, his hands were still trembling.

    The young ladies of the noble families were all leisurely walking around. On one side, Shi Anran had already sat down and rested before coming over.

    Although Shi Anyi had not opened her body yet, she was still able to support her like a flower blooming in the wind. Along with her smile, her bright eyes looked all around while her lips were red and her teeth were white.

    Once she entered the room, she went around the four screens of red wood socketed shell and flower patterns. Shi Anran was sitting on the bed, with her thick black hair tied into a bun, and a three-winged bird feather pearl hairpin. Other than that, there were no other accessories.

    Shi Anyi''s heart suddenly clenched.

 C9

    This milky white pearl was a gift from the Empress before Lady Xu died. Shi Anyi had begged for it many times but had not managed to beg for it back, but now, seeing that she was staring at him in such a bright and clear manner, her heart was filled with anxiety. She asked in a sour tone, "Elder sister, are you feeling well? From the way she was dressed, it seems that she was planning it with all her heart. Evidently, she had also walked out from the shadows of Madam''s passing. This is truly a good thing. "

    The proverb was right, it was better to not hit someone''s face, but Shi Anyi''s words would pierce their heart, it was truly hateful to the point of making them clench their teeth.

    Liu Yue was a sharp-tongued person, and since sshe was also someone who came from beside Shi Yu, he was even more fearless. Holding the teacup in her hands, she said with a smile: "Second Miss is truly concerned about our young miss, we have to come everyday. Madam, if you knew underground and knew that Second Miss did not crawl out from her stomach, yet still mourned like this, you would definitely be moved to the extreme."

    These words made Shi Anyi feel awkward, but she did not say anything as it hindered Liu Yue''s identity. In her heart, she clearly understood that his words would not end well for her father.

    Looking at the cup of white tea in her hand, she calculated it carefully. Her eyes flickered with contempt as she said, "Elder sister''s white tea is really delicious. It''s not any better than my sister''s red robe from last year."

    A catty of white tea could only buy a tael of Da Hong Pao. Although she sounded humble, she was actually showing off, completely revealing the true nature of a child.

    Shi Anran was used to seeing wind and waves, so how could his expression change just because of her words? She only thought it was funny, and smiled lightly: "I don''t like tea, like cow chewing on peony, and it''s already wasted its good stuff, if you like it, I''ll get someone to pack it up for you and bring it back. For items that aren''t worth much, if you like them, it''s an honor for them to do so, it doesn''t count as a wasted trip."

    Liu Yue was the one who found people even more sarcastic than her the most, she walked up to her and smiled: "Young miss is merciful, the white tea that I bestowed to the servants last time, I will wrap it up later, when you drink tea next time, I will make you some Emei Bamboo Leaf Green that the old master sent over, anyway young miss does not like to drink tea, everything is good, so it will be fine."

    Shi Anyi''s smile froze. In front of Shi Anran, all of her so-called pride was gone. She fiercely pinched the peach embroidered handkerchief and forced herself to remain calm. However, her eyes turned red as she whispered, "I have a sincere heart towards big sister. Why would big sister use the things I give servants to trample over me?"

    Liu Yue was surprised: "Didn''t Second Miss say it earlier?"

    The servant girl by Shi Anyi''s side flared up, "That is something given by the young miss, how can our young miss not tell? We are all young mistresses from the Shi Family, how can you be so contemptuous? "

    Yi Yue, who was standing to the side and watching coldly from the side, suddenly said: "White tea needs to be refined. If the timing is right, then everything is as clear as jade and it cannot compare to the real thing. But once Tang Huo was lost, it had already become a normal product, just like the two misses in the palace.

    Isn''t that the Second Miss who was born in his wife''s womb? Yi Yue was cautious, and did not say anything, but everyone present thought that she was panting quickly. The reason she came here every day, was to leave a good impression on her father, and now that she had achieved her goal and received her ridicule, she did not want to stay any longer, so she got up and ran out, the servant quickly chasing after her. Liu Yue was not for nothing: "Second Miss, you haven''t taken your white tea yet?"

    Yi Yue looked at her reproachfully, bowed towards Shi Anran, and said, "This servant''s rules are set. If Second Miss goes to complain while crying later бн"

    Shi Anran smiled slightly. She had initially thought that since these two people were people in front of father, they would definitely treat him as a master, but she had never expected that they would treat him as their own. After leisurely drinking some tea, she said: "Yi Yue''s tea ceremony, very good right?"

    Yi Yue replied humbly: "A little."

    Shi Anran looked at the maple leaves falling outside the window, and said indifferently: "Next time let daddy soak in it, but right now, the maple leaves are not red enough, let''s gather all the women under the tree."

    Yi Yue bowed and immediately walked out. She remembered that when she first came here, she had observed for two days, noted down a few wives who liked to eat and do nothing, and even bully the owner. In the end, she prepared a list of names, and asked Shi Anran if it was possible to sell it. But call the people here. One is to scare them, two is to sell some of the more foolish ones, and Qing Yan is to sell them. "

 C10

    The maidservants by the ladies'' side had all grown up together. No matter how intimate their relationship was, it was still not bad. This was the first time they had heard of someone selling out their trusted aides for no reason at all.

    However, what he did not know was that when Shi Anran treated Qing Yan, even if he saw him, it would hurt. Her expression was still vivid, her voice was like maggots covering one''s bones, and the pain was like a shadow following her.

    Shi Anran, who was about to be tortured, went crazy. That night had been an endless nightmare for her, and the child that she had yet to give birth to was an eternal pain in her heart.

    Upon seeing Qingyan, it would hurt.

    However, to people who were unaware, such an action was very strange, but Yi Yue did not raise any objections, instead, it was Liu Yue who said: "Miss, what is the reason for this? Otherwise, after serving the Young Miss for so long, her sudden sale would cause others to panic. "

    At that time, Shi Anran was practicing her calligraphy when she made her last stroke. She said lightly, "The sapphire bead hairpin Mother left me could not be found. Go and check it out."

    Yi Yue remembered that the word "death" was written sharp on that piece of paper. Somehow, she shivered.

    Rice is to eat mouthful by mouthful, the road is to walk step by step, the person is dead one by one.

    Not long after, all of the female servants in the courtyard stood still. The maple leaves rustled under the wind, and the sunset was bright and red. The autumn scenery was magnificent, and under the tree, they were tiny, their clothes fluttering in the wind.

    Shi Anran sat on the stool she brought over, looking at Hong Feng who was leaning against the sunset, and felt that the scene was extremely suitable. Looking at the row of people in front of her, she had a look of curiosity or amusement on her face, but there was no fear.

    With that, he swung the teacup in his hand and smashed it onto Old Lady Zhao''s body. After pouring the tea all over her body, it fell to the ground and scattered in all directions.

    The sudden outburst startled everyone. They looked at each other in dismay. Mrs Zhao felt guilty, so she kneeled down, shivering. But she still said stubbornly: "Miss, what''s wrong with this old servant?"

    When Old Lady Zhao saw it, her face paled. Shi Anran admired it for a long time before saying: "Second sister came to see me, brought some gifts, and gave them to you, but you still secretly kept them. Isn''t that a big deal?"

    Old Lady Zhao kowtowed as if she was pounding garlic. "Miss, please enlighten me, this is Second Miss''s gift to this old servant!"

    Shi Anran laughed coldly, "Second Miss will give you such a precious gift as a servant?"

    Old Lady Zhao was speechless. She couldn''t possibly say that the Second Miss had instructed her to create trouble for the young miss, right?

    However, Shi Anran had long since stopped listening and pointed at the two of them with her staff, then beat them up. Old Mrs. Zhao was already used to throwing a tantrum, but just as she was about to use her status to make a ruckus, she saw Shi Anran brandishing the ginseng in her hand, and said indifferently: "This mama still has a grandson, right?"

    The old woman''s legs went soft as she was pressed down with all her might. The huge stick came down with a ''bang bang'' sound. That old woman had always been pampered, so how could she have experienced such a situation? She immediately cried out like a pig that was being butchered.

    "Little miss, have mercy, have mercy."

    Shi Anran did not allow anyone to stop her mouth, and allowed her to shout, one scream after another becoming more and more painful, until she was completely exhausted.

    The cry of a person of the same kind was the best form of deterrence. The people around her all sucked in a breath of cold air, unable to believe that the usually weak young miss was actually so ruthless. Their gazes were filled with deep fear.

    There was a gap between the two women that Shi Anran had pointed to, so their hands were not soft at all. With this swing of the rod, blood seeped through the clothes and flowed onto the roots of the maple tree below him. The bright red light made some of the servants not even dare to look at it anymore, and they sobbed in fear.

    When Shi Anran heard Old Lady Zhao''s mournful cries, she was not afraid. Smiling, she asked the people beside him, "Look, are the maple leaves a little too beautiful?"

    Liu Yue suddenly thought of those words, but she heard Shi Anran naturally mutter to herself, "However, it''s still not beautiful enough."

    Everyone was scared to the point that they did not dare say anything, and saw Yi Yue walking in with her men in tow.

    Anyone who was a servant and did not recognize this person immediately panicked. Those who were originally watching the show felt their hearts jump, and they obediently stood still.

    Shi Anran sneered, in her previous life, she treated them so well, but she might not be so obedient.

    Yi Yue said that she was going to sell them all to the servants and recited them aloud. Anyone who was called out would pale and kneel down to beg for forgiveness.

    Qing Yan was incredibly pleased with himself as he looked at their expressions. They must have had their retribution for bullying him.

    Who knew that the next name Yi Yue said would send her to hell, "Qingyan."

 C11

    Qing Yan''s eyes widened in disbelief. He walked up two steps and knelt down to pull at Shi Anran''s skirt: "Miss, did she read wrongly?"

    Shi Anran gently pushed her hand away. She didn''t use too much strength, but her hand fell to the ground.

    Liu Yue walked up, took out the drop of blue jade pearl hairpin, and said with pity: "Miss has always been kind and benevolent in your place, but you actually stole my things. Don''t quibble about it, by the time we searched, you have already found it."

    She sat blankly on the ground and stared at the hairpin, not knowing how it had developed to this point. She hugged her knees, curled up into a ball, and still stubbornly asked: "Miss, which part of me was wrong? Miss, what did I do wrong? "

    Shi Anran still remembered every single time they spent together and could not forget the pain when they died. She had treated the poor man honestly in exchange for betrayal, so, don''t worry about it.

    "Stupid!"

    After Third Madam found out, she gave a cold laugh, "What does she think she is? She is the daughter of someone who has yet to leave the pavilion. Do you want her to become so cruel and ruthless?"

    "Mother, what should I do?" After Shi Anyi heard about the woman''s appearance, she was a little afraid. After all, she had just finished giving her instructions, and something had happened to her back legs.

    A profound look flashed in the Third Madam''s eyes. "You don''t need to do anything. Just let her do it. The more difficult it is for her to be on the stage, the better it will be for you."

    Of course, no one knew about the conversation in Jian Jia''s yard, but the Agarwood had changed a lot.

    Qing Yan''s sale sounded alarm in everyone''s ears. The Eldest Young Miss did not care about her age nor how long she had served him. As long as there was anything that violated the rules, she would not care about his face at all.

    Ever since then, all of them held their tails tightly and acted like human beings. They would always chat carefully in fear of violating the taboo, and it was precisely in this sort of situation that someone came to plead for Qingyan.

    Seeing this person again, Shi Anran''s heart became indescribably complicated.

    Shi Anran became interested and began to stroll in the garden. Teng Qing dragged Luo Pingzi''s dress along the bluestone path, looking like a jade from afar. A light breeze blew past. The fragrance of the flowers was dense. The maidservant''s swallow tail, which was tied up in a bun, was flapped. Her four wings also shook as she stepped forward, as if she was about to fly into the sky.

    Shi Anran stopped and looked at all of them, they were dark and faint purple, melting and refining the yellow, adding the pine trees on both sides of the road, the vigorous and upright, just perfect for the phrase, wait until September 8th, I will kill with a hundred flowers.

    Even so, one could still see the scenery of the garden.

    By the side of the tall and straight pine tree stood a man, dressed in imperial clothing, with a resolute expression on his face. Under the sun and wind, what he left behind was an aura that had experienced through many hardships.

    In his previous life, Wang Yuan had a good relationship with her, because when his mother had yet to die, the third wife did not dare to provoke him, she was very polite, most beloved, and would often go to his father''s study and be taught to write the words, and every time she was brought by his mother, she would just happen to see him standing guard at the door. He looked young, and the sweat beads were all exposed by the blazing sun, but he did not dare look sideways.

    Shi Anran indifferently said no, but her heart was overturned. From Qing Yan, she found out that the person she trusted was completely deceiving him, and only Wang Yuan, who did not care at all, was defending him even when she died. The thought of him dying horribly because of her made him feel even more guilty, but that did not mean that he could change her decision.

    When Qing Yan was selling out, the woman came back to report that there was a guard in the mansion who wanted to buy Qing Yan, but she did not agree to the request to sell as far away as possible, so she knew who he would be, and now that Wang Yuan had followed, it was not hard to guess his intentions.

    "Eldest Miss, your subordinate has a presumptuous request." As a martial artist, he was already used to it.

    Liu Yue, who was standing next to her young miss, rolled her eyes when she heard her. Her speech was full of praise, and this boorish person had skipped over the two most important lines, and directly said that they fit each other.

    Shi Anran lowered her eyes, and stroked the nearby blue chrysanthemum. Liu Yue knew her attitude, and since she was familiar with Wang Yuan, he immediately said impolitely, "Since it''s a presumptuous request, why do you need to say it out loud?"

    Wang Yuan''s mouth was gagged, but he was unable to say a word. After a long while, he said: "Qing Yan was entrusted to me by his brother when he passed, I cannot do anything, furthermore she has been with the young miss since she was young, I do not believe that she would steal from me, please do understand, young miss, do not take offense now."

    Liu Yue laughed: "From your words, are you lecturing the young miss?"

    Wang Yuan lowered his head, "This subordinate dares not." He just stood there, waiting for an answer.

    Looking at him, Shi Anran patted Liu Yue''s hands, then pointed at the blue chrysanthemum and said, "Guard Wang, do you know what kind of flower this is?"

    Wang Yuan was a crude person, how could he know about this? He cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, Young Miss."

    Shi Anran explained herself, "This is called the blue chrysanthemum, or the fickle flower. When it was first opened, it was green, and after a pale green transformation, it turned pink. That''s why the word "changeable" is so suitable for this kind of flower. "

 C12

    This flower was even introduced to her by the princess consort in her previous life. She used the flower to mock her first betrothal, then a secret relationship, and then she was annulled and attached to the crown prince.

    When she used the flower''s insinuation here, she was saying that since Qingyan was the backer more than once, she would suddenly sell it in Lenovo, and everything would make sense.

    Wang Yuan was not stupid, he immediately cupped his hands, "This subordinate knows his wrongs." Looking at his carefree appearance, he must be thinking about how to save Qing Yan.

    Seeing his honest look, Shi Anran couldn''t help but laugh. But after her mother died, it was the first time she laughed from the bottom of her heart.

    Not far away, Shi Anyi who had just come out to relax saw this scene. She could not bear to see Shi Anran, but when she saw him, she immediately scolded him in a low voice, "Beautiful fox, do you have such a happy smile in front of a man? What did you say?"

    When the servant girl by her side heard this, she wanted to remind her that this was not something a big family''s young miss should say, but she saw the sarcasm and sarcasm on her young lady''s face, so she immediately did not dare to say anything, afraid that she would be angered like before, and thus miss the cold light that flashed in her eyes.

    Shi Anran stroked the Three Winged Enforcer''s feather hairpin in her hair as a vicious thought slowly formed in her mind.

    She turned around and walked in the direction of Jian Jia Yuan. Seeing her flying around the hem of her dress that was embroidered with butterflies, Danhong quickly followed and shouted, "Miss, slow down!"

    On the other side, Shi Anran heard the voice, turned her head, and faintly saw a figure leaving in a hurry, the smile on his face became wider and wider.

    The moment Shi Anyi returned to the house, she immediately dismissed the servant girl. The third wife looked at her in a hurry and frowned, reprimanding her gently, "What are you doing? "You''re already ten years old and a big girl. That slut from the Agarwood Courtyard is already engaged. Look at you, still acting like a child."

    When Shi Anyi heard this reprimand, for the first time ever, she did not act coquettishly and avoid her, but instead told her the plan that she had thought of. The more the third wife heard, the more her eyebrows furrowed. What if there was an accident? Besides, breaking bones and tendons, others wouldn''t care about your relationship. When word got out that the great young miss and her servant had a secret relationship, her reputation would be ruined. Don''t you also have the same surname, Shi? "It will be difficult to propose a marriage alliance later."

    At the mention of marriage, Shi Anyi''s face reddened, and she protested coquettishly, "Mother, daughter is still young, she still has six years, who would still remember her, Shi Anran? Moreover, this time, as long as that fiance Shi Anran is invited to attend, is who else important? "

    The third wife''s expression was unsettled, but when she thought about it, although she had already dealt with all the evidence regarding the fish, Shi Anran''s faint smile and vague words caused her to be unable to calm down. After hesitating for a long time, she finally agreed.

    Because Shi Yu hadn''t stepped in for a few days, the third wife could only choose to take the initiative. Before she left, she intentionally dressed up for a bit, wearing a satin robe with flowers tied to the lapels.

    When Shi Anran''s birth mother, Lady Xu, was still alive, the third wife had especially embroidered this to please her.

    Even in death, the pitiful Lady Xu felt that she was a good sister.

    The reason for putting it on this time to disgust her was because the third wife had a plan. First, to remind Shi Yu of her subservience when she was alive, and secondly, to remind him of her.

    Since ancient times, there had never been a celebration for a child''s birthday. It was just that the third wife was afraid that she wouldn''t be able to bear the pressure. The third wife was well aware of this, so she made other preparations.

    As soon as he entered the study, he asked the guards to inform him that he had coincidentally met Wang Yuan.

    When Wang Yuan saw the Third Madam, he was startled. How did the First Miss know that the Third Madam would come to the study room recently?

    But according to Shi Anran''s instructions, he was going to let her in. After hesitating for a moment, Wang Yuan turned around and gave the order.

    In fact, the place that the Third Madam didn''t like to come to was the study room, because every time she came here she would have to wait for a notice, which would only remind her that even if she was called Madam, she was still just a concubine. According to the proper address, she was still a Third Concubine.

    When the waiting became more and more annoying, Wang Yuan finally came out and gestured for his to come over.

    Only then did the third wife walk away leisurely.

    She put on a gentle smile and placed the food box on the table in the outer room. She held a blue and white porcelain lotus flower pattern plate, and on top of it, there were exactly five pieces of purple rice cake.

    Shi Yu had been flipping through ancient books the entire time, and even when he knew that she had arrived, he did not raise his head.

    Third Madam saw that the effect was good and maintained her dignified smile. She bowed slightly and placed the things in her hands on the table. She then sat down on the other side of the table, and said with her eyes moving, "Master must be tired. Why don''t we have some refreshments to rest?"

    Shi Yu''s brows tightly knitted, it was not as gentle as she had imagined. Instead, he asked stiffly, "Why are you wearing this set of clothes?"

 C13

    Third Madam''s perfect smile cracked a little, but she was able to make up for it in time. "Today''s kitchen brought me some pastries. I saw that it was my older sister''s favorite food, so I couldn''t help but think of the past and put on the clothes that my elder sister left for me. I have always carefully kept this clothes, and it seems that I can still smell some of elder sister''s favorite turtle shell fragrance."

    Seeing that he had been brought into the room by her, she laughed to herself and said softly, "When big sister was alive, she was most worried about big sister, so she forced herself to become sick to choose a marriage for big sister. Originally, it was pretty good too, but I heard that it was the eldest son of the family. "Old master is a man, you don''t understand the affairs of the inner chamber, so don''t blame me for worrying too much. This daughter-in-law has spent more time with my mother-in-law than with my husband.

    Shi Yu listened for a long time before gesturing for her to continue.

    This was her problem at first, but as a man, he had also heard about the matter of the harem. Back then, his wife had given birth and had been framed, causing him to be more than shocked.

    Thinking of this, he felt that it was a bit of a pity. In the past, his wife was kind and refused to take care of the Second Madame''s son. Otherwise, wouldn''t she have a familiar older brother to rely on?

    It was a pity that Taro wasn''t even close to him anymore.

    Recalling this matter, he frowned in depression.

    When the third wife saw that the situation was better, she added immediately: "I am a concubine, and I can''t go out. I don''t know this family''s character, so I thought that if I knew the character of the son of the family who was betrothed to me, I wouldn''t have betrayed my sister''s good intentions by trying to scare him."

    When Shi Yu heard this, he was slightly moved. The Madam had left early, so the direct daughter had not been given to her concubine to raise. But because of this, she could not learn even the slightest of methods in the inner chamber, and Shi Yu himself did not want to let go and let her learn, instead, he might as well find a husband who knew his place. If the husband and wife got along well in the future, there would be no need for any tricks.

    Around the time of her birthday, why don''t we have a birthday feast for her? It''s not too big of a deal, so we can find a crew to sing about her birthday and treat her to a round of drinks. The girls here are still young, only twelve years old, and those older brothers and sisters are no more than sixteen years old.

    Liu Yue had learned the last sentence, and had already completely understood everything Wang Yuan had heard and climbed up the wall. Just as she had finished learning it, she thought about it for a while and said: "Previously, I had thought that Third Concubine was not an easy target.

    Yi Yue pushed her a little, "What Third Concubine, it''s Third Madam, we are about to arrive at Miss''s birthday, do not cause any trouble."

    "What kind of third wife is she? She''s obviously an aunt, but because she''s in charge of the family, those people called her Madam. If she''s a madam, then wouldn''t Second Aunt be a madam as well?" Although the words were said brazenly, but he still lowered his voice. Liu Yue could not completely remember as she had also called her Madam before.

    But even so, Yi Yue still frowned: "In the future, don''t say such things anymore, and don''t talk about Second Aunt anymore."

    Liu Yue knew that she made a mistake and did not speak anymore.

    Shi Anran was just thinking that their bickering was interesting when she suddenly mentioned Second Aunt. However, she suddenly remembered that she actually had a brother, and for some reason, she seemed to be an unsightly person, and didn''t even have any impression of him. If she didn''t come back to pay respects to him during the New Year, it would be as if she didn''t exist.

    Since he mentioned it, there was no way he would throw it down so easily. Shi Anran asked curiously: "My birthday, is big brother coming back?"

    "Miss forgot." Yi Yue paused slightly, then said softly, "Eldest Young Master was sent to study at Hanshan Academy in Jiangxi Province."

    Only then did Shi Anran remember. His eldest brother was the same age as him, and since he was still having fun on his father''s knees, he was sent out of the house to stay at mister''s place. He returned home pitifully little, and although he was his father''s only boy, he could not be doted on at all. After he had become the Crown Prince''s concubine, he had never had any contact with this brother of his. However, when he heard the name of the ''Golden Rankings'', it became very popular in the imperial court.

    Many times, how well a woman had been in the inner chamber depended on who had the backing of her family. If she was a pillar of talent, why not be intimate with her family? She said, "I remember that Second Madame was very weak. I''ll go get some ginseng from my father''s side and send it over to her to help her recover."

    Yi Yue was slightly surprised, and nodded and agreed.

    Shi Anran looked at Liu Yue, and then said: "Before news of father wanting to set up a birthday banquet for me has spread out, go and tell Wang Yuan not to speak carelessly, and give him more silver. I heard that he wants to sell his house to redeem her family, so if you were to give it to him now, he would definitely decline hesitantly, and happily accept it."

    Liu Yue laughed: "Miss will tease Wang Yuan then, Qing Yan just stay there and eat and drink to his heart''s content, waiting for a good family to marry, yet Miss did not tell him, and even had a gloomy expression, making him nervous."

    Shi Anran said with a bland laugh, "You will go out in a bit, and then, tell someone to not come in and disturb me. I am tired, and want to sleep.

    Liu Yue replied as she carefully closed the door.

    Seeing that she had left her sight, Shi Anran hugged his chest and fell down. Her face was pale white, as if there was a sword in his chest.

    It was this year that his entire life had changed.

 C14

    Although Yi Yue and Liu Yue had performed very well, and Liu Yue had even actively moved closer to her, she still could not believe in the two of them. This would depend on the side effects of Qing Yan''s backlash, so she had to show slight excitement in front of them.

    As a girl, even if she was indifferent, she would still be happy during the banquet on her birthday. However, she had been reborn, and knew what had happened to her during that banquet, which led to many things happening in the future. She even knew what had caused her mother''s death, but she couldn''t find out anything.

    Her brows were tightly knitted together. The scenes of her past life were echoing in her mind, assaulting her brain. It was so difficult for her to even breathe. A wave of breath was stuck at her throat, making her want to commit heinous acts.

    She reached out a hand and grabbed the bedsheet tightly. Her good sister, her good aunt, thank you all for preparing this banquet for me. I will definitely repay you with all my heart and soul!

    As soon as the news of a birthday feast was spread for the eldest miss, it caused an uproar. The servant girls had nothing better to do, so they just sat there and discussed animatedly.

    He said, "You didn''t see that this morning''s gift was carried towards the Agarwood Courtyard like flowing water. I saw from a distance that the embroidered shoes were embroidered with peonies, noble and beautiful at the same time. Who knows how much time it would take to weave the peonies. The most important thing is that the pearls on them are as big as pearls!"

    As the old woman spoke, she gestured, causing the others to look on with envy. All of a sudden, they sighed. Previously, they had seen the third wife gain power, but the one they loved the most was still the eldest miss?

    After Liu Yue went back to the courtyard and learned all the things she had heard from Shi Anran, she smiled slightly, "Isn''t it because you want to hold onto that thing and want to expose it?"

    It was early in the morning, and the fall was just right. The air was slightly chilly, but it was too weak to withstand the haughtiness of the servants.

    After Lady Xu''s death, she did not say a word of regards. Shi Anran was summoned to her father''s study for her birthday, and in exchange, she received countless gifts, from the study room to Agarwood Academy. She had just been summoned to let the people from Jian Jia Yuan see the situation clearly and silently.

    Because Yi Yue was a servant in front of Shi Yu, she was well-versed in the ways of men, but she did not know a single thing about women''s hair bun. After Qing Yan left, he saw that Lian Xing''s cooking skills were not bad and called her over.

    In just a few moments, the bun had been formed, and the soft and weak hairstyle made her eyes look like water. She was looking forward to it and used her eyebrow pencil to draw out the image of the eyebrows, but she did not move her eyebrows.

    This was her birthday, and she was dressed in a gorgeous dress with white and gold flowers. The beautiful golden threads were densely packed, outlining the charm of the flower. In order to make it appear more exquisite, she even sewed some thumb-sized pearls in some places with golden threads to enhance its brightness.

    It was not hard to imagine the amount of blood that had come out of the third wife''s clothes.

    The female seating area was located in the main hall of the Clear River Brothel, and when she stepped in, she saw that the people who were close to Shi Family had already sat down.

    The person he was most familiar with was Murong Fei''er.

    Even after being separated by so many people, Shi Anran was still able to easily find her figure.

    Perhaps it would be impossible to find her. As the only daughter of the Prime Minister, she wore a butterfly dress with a hundred flowers on it. The butterflies on her dress looked like they were about to spread their wings but not their wings, looking like a proud swan gracefully sitting on the seat.

    Currently, she was not engaged to the crown prince yet, but the position of the crown prince''s consort was only a piece of cake for her. She was so contemptuous, so proud, that she let everyone circle around her as if this banquet was prepared for her.

    Shi Anran quietly enjoyed her beauty, she imagined how she would look when she was pregnant with a child, but would never be able to have one, after all, wouldn''t it be fair for her to die just like that?

    Shi Anran smiled, she felt that training in words was a good thing, it had made people''s hearts weaker, but it was still the best, why would a vengeful person need a heart?

    With Murong Fei''er in front of her, even if she were to enter, it would not attract too much attention. After all, that person was so beautiful, so beautiful that she looked down on everything, and was enough to attract everyone''s attention.

    As the host, Shi Anran stood up and bowed, then said: "Today is my birthday. Many thanks to all of you for being willing to personally come, I will first use the wine to thank everyone''s kindness. I hope that everyone will not be so restrained."

    Everyone congratulated her, except for one girl. She looked on coldly from the sidelines, and after a long while, she said, "Today is Miss Shi''s big day, why are you wearing a dress with a flower pattern on it? "Although this Ephemeral Flower is beautiful, it was only for a brief moment. I was lucky all the time, so why did Miss Shi turn it into something unknown?"

    The moment he said that, the atmosphere turned quiet.

    Shi Anran saw that the woman''s face was like the silver moon, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a heroic air around her, as if she was from Shu. A pair of phoenix-like steps were swaying on top of the bun. The pure gold ornaments matched her malt-colored skin color. Her eyes were slightly raised while her noble aura was oppressing.

    It was unknown who said this, but this was the young miss of Xiang Family, it sounds like he was his relative!

    And so she laughed.

    Their relatives were indeed, the man from Xiang Family that Shi Anran was betrothed to was actually Xiang Rongqing''s big brother. Normally, she would hate him, but with so many people around, she could only shyly smile, but in her heart, she did not take it to heart.

    Because of a frame-up in her previous life, she had missed out on that person, and now she did not have any intentions of doing it on purpose. Just by looking at Xiang Rongqing''s appearance, how much goodwill could she have towards her brother?

    Since ancient times, it had always been normal for sister-in-law to not be on good terms with each other, so everyone would just treat it as a show. Shi Anran did not want to become a show for others to see, but looking at the enemy''s hostile eyes, she felt that if she did not retaliate, she would be treated as a joke.

    He stroked the marigolds placed in front of him and smiled gently, "Miss Xiang, you''re overthinking it. These flowers are just flowers, nothing more.

    Xiang Rongqing snorted, showing her disdain.

    Ever since her mother had left, she and her brother had been relying on each other for life, but now, there was this girl. Her appearance wasn''t the best, and her figure didn''t seem like someone that could be raised, nor someone that her brother liked. She could only look at Murong Fei''er who had a good relationship with her. The latter received her gaze, indifferently put down the teacup, and said: "Since ancient poets are willing to praise beauties with flowers, even Yang Gui Fei has the nickname of Begonia. Miss Shi''s words are too harsh."

    Such a high and clear person who had read so many books of poetry, his status was extremely valuable. Even those who mocked themselves with flowers spoke of such poetic feelings that even ignorant people would not be able to understand.

    Who would have thought that such a noble and noble person would actually make people call him a corpse and two lives? However, she still had a faint smile on her face as she reached out her hand to pinch the marigolds. She casually threw them on the ground and laughed: "So, flowers can resemble people, but when you say they are like flowers, you degrade them. At the very least, life is more precious than this flower."

 C15

    Murong Fei''er looked at Shi Anran and did not say anything. She had always been a prideful person, a good family, erudite and talented, and even the position of noble princess consort was already available by the age of 15. She did indeed have the qualifications to be arrogant, so it wasn''t that all of them had not been sought after since she was little, but now someone had told her that she was wrong.

    Murong Fei''er retracted her gaze. She could not be wrong, she was just like a flower, she would be appreciated by everyone no matter how beautiful she was. The peony would be appreciated by the emperor, then she would be the Queen''s symbol.

    If one were to say that during the argument with Xiang Rongqing, everyone''s attitude was to watch the show, then when it was with Murong Fei''er, they would all stay silent.

    After all, the other party had an honorable identity. If nothing unexpected happened, she would be the most honorable woman in the world. Who would be so foolish as to offend such a woman?

    As Shi Anyi watched Shi Anran being coldly snubbed, she coldly laughed in her heart, but on the surface, she timidly said. The most important thing is still the beauty of blooming flowers.

    Xiang Rongqing was anxious to belittle Shi Anran, she immediately laughed coldly: "Good point, from the looks of it, these words are not from a bastard girl."

    If it wasn''t a concubine, then what was it? Of course she was the direct daughter, then what about the direct daughter, Shi Anran? She smiled faintly, and seeing Shi Anyi''s unsightly face, she felt pain from being poked by that sentence. The corners of her mouth curled up even more, and she thought: "He really isn''t a god-like opponent, I''m only afraid of a pig-like teammate."

    He was too lazy to argue. After all, this was a birthday feast that his father had arranged for him. No matter what was behind it, his father''s heart was good and he couldn''t be disturbed.

    He then instructed Yi Yue to call her over, and the game book was given to her. After playing a song, he saw Wu Song and Hu Pang, and continuously praised them.

    Seeing that the sky was getting darker and she was about to leave, Shi Anran stood at the door to send them off. The few of them left happily, but when Xiang Rongqing left, he could not help but stab them a few times, as she was blocked and left angrily.

    Shi Anran didn''t understand for a moment why her opinion of him was so huge. However, he didn''t really hate her. After all, to be able to display such an extreme and vivid expression of dislike to a person was in itself a type of kindness.

    "Elder sister." When Shi Anyi saw that everyone had left, she did not have any time to chat or even congratulate them. She smiled proudly, so what if it was given to you, how many people still remember you?

    However, when she saw the skirt on Shi Anran''s body, she couldn''t help but stop.

    This was the work that the third wife had asked the embroidery lady from Suzhou to do. Even the small, fragmented, and unknowable cloud patterns at the corners could be used for half a month, not to mention the epiphyllum on the dress. This was originally meant to be worn by Shi Anyi when she was 15 years old, and in order to showcase her extraordinary abilities, she even chose this kind of flower that bloomed day and night.

    But now this clothes were on Shi Anran.

    Remembering her mother''s words, she suppressed the jealousy in her heart and leisurely walked to Shi Anran''s side with a sweet smile: "Big sister looks so beautiful today, so beautiful."

    What was an autumn moon? That was to avoid the glare of the sun so that it could shine in the sky.

    Shi Anran saw that she was already leaving, but it could be seen that even though Murong Fei''er''s dress was fluttering, for the first time, she felt that her little sister wasn''t stupid and useless. At least her disgusting people and the ability to sow discord had improved.

    However, looking at her gloating expression, Shi Anran felt that she was still a little stupid. Because of such an obvious plot and provocation, she couldn''t see a single thing about her in her previous life.

    She smiled faintly, not knowing if it was a smile or a mocking laugh. "My dressing today is very gorgeous, even compared to Miss Murong, it''s not bad. This gold rune silver is inlaid with obsidian dragonfly worm hairpins, making my little sister''s eyes look like the stars in the night sky бн"

    Seeing Shi Anyi''s slowly revealing a proud look, she leisurely said. "The only thing is that my birth is a little worse, I didn''t come out from Madam''s stomach бн"

    Shi Anran was so agitated that her face immediately turned red. What she hated the most was for others to pinch their breasts to make themselves heard, and it was also the Shi Anran who was always looked down upon. Her heart felt as if it had been fried in a frying pan, and was thrown into a world of ice and snow. She suppressed her anger and said with a fake smile, "Big sister is right. Since this is the first life, then marriage is the second. When little sister heard that General Xiang is a hero, it''s a pity that your son бн"

    Shi Anran intentionally acted like she was a little concerned: "What''s a pity?"

    Shi Anyi hesitated for a long time before mysteriously saying: "I heard that a tiger father and son''s son was born, and is indeed Big Sister''s fiancиж. Just look at his little sister just now, and you will know."

    Seeing Shi Anran''s skeptical look, Shi Anyi was overjoyed. As long as she could take the bait, everything would be fine. She pretended to sigh, "Elder sister is the direct descendant and is also a delicate and beautiful person. How could it be good to marry someone like that!"

    Shi Anran remembered that in her previous life, she had believed everything she said and she was worried for a long time in her heart. The scene at that time and her own voice gradually overlapped each other and she could clearly hear her cry out: "How could that be? This is the family that Mother has designated for me! "

    Shi Anyi looked worried, and said tentatively: "Madam is a girl after all, even my sister is the same. If not, I will accompany my sister to take a peek, and no one will know. "This way, elder sister will be clear."

    Shi Anran had a face full of hesitation, "What is your goal?"

    Shi Anyi pursed her lips, and said with a gentle expression, "To put it bluntly, it was just a misunderstanding between me and Big Sister that happened that day. I have always imagined it clearly, but Big Sister also knows that I have always been a petty person, and because Big Sister estranged me from her, I said some unpleasant words in my heart due to my anger. I''ve always wanted to find a chance to explain things to my sister, but I''ve never had a chance. I just wanted to use this opportunity to get along well with my sister, just like before. "

    Shi Anran laughed coldly in her heart, but on the surface, she appeared to be moved, and said with a smile: "It''s also my fault.

    When Shi Anyi saw that she had agreed, she was practically jumping with joy. She forcefully held back her laughter and said: "This way, little sister knows of a place. It''s right at the place that connects the front courtyard to the back courtyard бн."

    The following process was no different from the one in his previous life. On that quiet and deep path, there were green bamboo shoots planted all the way down, tall and straight, slender and long, green in all four seasons, and beautiful in the rain. But because most of them were fake mountains, they were obstructed and darkened slightly.

    The wind blew, and the bamboo leaves rustled, emitting a clear song.

    Seeing that her plan was about to be completed, Shi Anyi couldn''t help but raise the corner of her mouth. Her footsteps paused, and then she unsteadily fell to the ground and cried out with all her might.

    Shi Anran looked at her clumsy acting, but did not expose her, and pretended to be concerned: "What''s wrong with little sister?"

    Shi Anyi said guiltily: "Elder sister, my ankle is sprained, it''s so painful."

    Coincidentally, the man''s voice came at this time. Shi Anyi immediately pointed at a fake mountain in front of them and said, "Elder sister, go quickly. I heard from mother that when she is arranging the banquet, any person who leaves the banquet will leave by this small path.

    Shi Anran was too lazy to bother with her anymore, so she just got up and left. This was something that exceeded Shi Anyi''s expectations, and she stared blankly for a while.

    This fake mountain was not steep. There were flower pots placed on the side to move the things down. She easily climbed up.

    Coming to this place, she couldn''t help but think of the next scene, which was simply a nightmare for her entire life. If she didn''t want to take this opportunity to get rid of Shi Anyi in one go, she would definitely not be here again.

    It was as if she did not feel the footsteps behind her. When she saw the two figures approaching, she closed her eyes and felt a chill down her spine. She pushed with her hands, and her body fell like a kite with its string cut, the sound of the wind howling beside her ears.

    When she was caught and her hands tightly wrapped around those firm and strong arms, her heart skipped a beat. She knew that she would be fine, but her feet couldn''t help but feel sore and weak.

 C16

    The man holding Shi Anran let out a weird laugh: "Guards?"

    Shi Anran suddenly opened his eyes wide, and it was not Wang Yuan''s voice. Raising her head, she saw that the person before him had a distinct face, with wheat colored skin that showed that it was tough and durable, and a hint of happiness in his eyes. Two parts of the face was lazy, and looked as deep and beautiful as the night sky.

    Shi Anran was embarrassed, she struggled to get down and said thanks, but maintained her composure. She never would have thought that the person she told Wang Yuan to bring along would actually be him.

    Seeing her current state, thinking back to how she had just been pushed down, Xiang Rongcheng''s heart couldn''t help but move. It seemed that his little wife''s days were not going well!

    When the maidservant heard this, many people were startled. However, when they saw this scene, they didn''t understand what was going on. Shi Anran secretly laughed, and thought that this man had become smarter. She did not expect that even so, she actually let his own servant girl do such a thing, and was afraid that she would not be dragged into it.

    He wanted to see how his father would decide and how things would end.

    On the other hand, Shi Yu sneezed in his heart. He was always in front, and when he saw that something had happened to Xiang Rongcheng and he did not reveal it, he had his principles. He was a handsome man, and his speech was filled with the boldness of a soldier.

    Waiting for the servant to send him off, he returned to the backyard to burn incense to comfort his madam''s spirit in heaven. Who would have thought that this servant would come in a hurry to report that something had happened at the Purple Bamboo Courtyard?

    When he hurried over, he discovered that his eldest daughter was interrogating a servant girl. He frowned and asked, "What happened? What nonsense are you talking about? "

    Seeing that his father had come, Shi Anran bowed slightly. He knew that his father had always been one to make small things out of nothing, which was why she chose to make a ruckus, and completely cut off Shi Anyi''s path of retreat.

    "Your daughter doesn''t know either. Her daughter looked out from the fake mountain, but then she was suddenly pushed in the back, immediately being caught by a passing Young Master Xiang. Afterwards, the servant girl jumped out and called her daughter бн "Howl бн" Looking down, she could see the red blush on her cheeks. Seeing her current state, Xiang Rongcheng''s heart moved, he walked forward and said: "You can call me your guard, but I just received some love from you, yet you call me a loathsome person. You even called me young miss for injustice."

    After Shi Anran finished speaking, she lowered her head and held the handkerchief. Wang Yuan understood that this was a hint that he had given, and walked out immediately, kneeling and kowtowing: "Reporting to the Old Master, this subordinate has seen, this subordinate was originally on duty, but was happily chatting with the Young Master Xiang, thus I wanted to send you off, but I didn''t expect to see the Young Miss fall down from the fake mountain. Luckily the Young Master Xiang was quick on his hands and knees, and after that the servant girl ran out. "A secret meeting, this subordinate is extremely afraid бн"

    When he said that, everyone understood. If Xiang Rongcheng was not here, then the one to receive him was him. Then, Yu Wei''s words would be true.

    Everyone knew that she had lost her mother this year. They thought that since her father hadn''t married again, his days would be a bit easier to live with, but they didn''t expect that there would be people who couldn''t tolerate a single direct daughter of theirs. They didn''t expect that they would use such despicable methods to frame a child.

    Shi Yu''s face was ashen, this could be considered his family''s shame, if he did not investigate everything clearly in front of everyone, anyone who made him his enemy in the future, would be found guilty of being unscrupulous in their families.

    He looked at the light red kneeling on the ground, took a deep breath, and asked: "Where is Second Miss?"

    A weak voice came from the crowd. "Father."

    Shi Anyi walked out of the house with her long skirt and a soft fur cloak wrapped around her body, which made her lips even more white.

    But in her heart, she was overjoyed. She naturally heard Xie Hong''s surprised cry, and naturally thought that the current Shi Anran could not argue at all, she prepared a pretense long ago in her heart, but did not expect to hear a crisp slap.

    "Pa!"

    Shi Anyi was startled, seeing Shi Yu angry, "Why is your servant girl here?"

    The gazes around were burning, Shi Anyi only felt ashamed, she wanted to hide in the crevices of the ground. After getting rid of that fierce slap, her face was pale white, and she said shakily: "I was walking in the forest with my servant girl, so when I got tired, I told her to go get some water. After waiting for a while, I vaguely heard that she was screaming, and came to find us."

    Her voice was trembling, but when it fell in Shi Anran''s ears, it was instead to vent her anger. How had she ever received a slap from her father in front of so many people?

    Shi Anran stood out and said in disbelief: "Didn''t you come with me because of little sister?"

    Shi Anyi gripped her sleeves tightly, her face was not blushing at all, and her heart was beating very fast: "Didn''t Big Sis say that she had matters to attend to, so didn''t she say that she needed to leave first? Furthermore, why would a good sister climb onto a fake mountain? "

    Seeing that the situation was getting more and more unclear, Shi Yu was so angry that he nearly lost his balance, but he promptly supported his father and bowed towards the crowd, "Today''s incident caused me to be especially amused, but the matter had already been resolved, and my daughter''s family''s disturbance could not affect my father. During my narration, I hope that all of you will stand up for yourself on account of your good relationship, and after coming out of this door, don''t speak of anything against my father, I will endure whatever happens next."

    These words were said with great force, and everyone''s hearts were filled with praise, especially when they heard her talk about falling from the fake mountain as a fight and how she was always defending her father. They couldn''t help but look up to her.

    In fact?

    It could be said that the words he said before was a trap in itself. Once he removed himself and his father, who would be left?

    A personal grudge flashed through, and the reason for his visit was made clear. In the end, he said, "The reason I came was to see my unmarried husband, while everyone else watched him, I didn''t even get a chance to glance at him before I became a kite with a broken string. Since I''ve finished what I wanted to say, all of you can say that I don''t know shame, but I regret that I''ve implicated my father''s reputation."

    If it was anyone else, they would have thought to themselves that Xiang Rongcheng was a person, but who was Xiang Rongcheng, the general of the northwest border guards, who was this person? All the women there were very shrewd and did not have many rules, when they saw that Shi Anran was neat and organized, they immediately became interested and shouted out, "Alright, Uncle Shi has a good daughter, and this is my honor!"

    The marriage between Xiang Family and Shi Family was something that everyone could see. Since he had already said so, what else could the others say?

    As a woman, Shi Anran could only lower her head bashfully as she stared at the ground at her feet.

    However, his heart still crumbled as he pulled Shi Yu along and cried, "Father, this is just a one-sided story, how can you believe it?"

 C17

    Originally, Shi Yu felt that his face had returned back to him. He wished that he could kill his daughter with one palm, this shameless thing!

    Everyone present watched coldly from the sidelines, no one could understand why. This was the result of the Shu Family''s evil scheme to kill their young mistress, if not for Xiang Rongcheng''s timely appearance, this relationship would have been completely destroyed!

    "Since Second Miss said that it was one-sided, then can I testify?" One sentence was cut off several times, and the weak voice was particularly clear in the silent crowd. Everyone opened up a path and saw a servant girl carrying a girl walk out.

    The woman looked to be in her thirties, but her hair was as white as old age, and her features were quite pretty. She seemed to be wearing a seventy percent new dress, and her whole body was very loose. She had only taken a few steps to rest.

    When Shi Yu saw her, a complicated look flashed past his eyes.

    Yun Zhu said indifferently, "Old master, you are aware of the grievances between the mistress and I. I can''t protect the eldest miss, but you know what I have and what I want to say." Then he patted the hands of the servant girl beside him, and the latter immediately helped her sit down by the stone table. He took two steps forward and knelt on the ground and said, "This servant will go get something for Second Aunt today, but I saw Second Miss instructing the servant girl to shout whatever it was. Because it''s far away, and I can only hear a few scattered words. "

    "Father бн" Shi Anyi did not expect to be seen by someone, and it was even in such a scene, her entire body shivered, and just as she was about to speak of begging for mercy, she saw Shi Yu glaring fiercely at him, slapping him across the face: "I don''t have a daughter like you, from today onwards бн"

    "Master Shang Shu." A clear and bright voice interrupted his words. It was actually a handsome youth. He wore a moon-white robe and white jade shoes. Only his waist was tied with a black belt and there were dragon markings embroidered on it.

    The moment he appeared, everyone was startled. They never expected that he would attract a prince as they all bowed.

    Shi Yu had no time to care about other things. Taking a few steps forward, he cupped his hands and said, "Why has Third Prince come? I actually don''t know.

    Third Prince gave a shallow smile and said softly: "I didn''t want Master Shang Shu to be like this. You even need to say it a few times without ceremony during the feast. That''s why I hid in a corner and took a break."

    Everyone laughed along.

    When Shi Anran heard that the Third Prince came, he could not help but look away. In her previous life, when the crown prince was crippled, even if he became the emperor, who would believe him now?

    He seemed to have caught Shi Anran''s gaze, she nodded her head and indicated, causing Shi Anran to feel that there was a spring breeze, so she became even more cautious of him. Who would have thought that this scene would fall into Xiang Rongcheng''s eyes? She took a few steps forward and whispered into her ear. "No matter how nice others are, they are still others.

    The hot air was flowing by his ears. Although Shi Anran was very calm in her heart, her body reacted naturally after being flirted with so clearly, as red as a flickering candle flame by the side of a road.

    Seeing her reaction, Xiang Rongcheng was satisfied. His personality was tough enough, and his boudoir was interesting enough. It wasn''t bad to take his back as a wife.

    If Shi Anran knew what he was thinking, she would definitely roll her eyes and be too lazy to pay attention to him.

    But the most important thing right now was why did the Third Prince stand out? She stared closely, not wanting to miss a single moment. She was not clear, but Shi Yu remembered.

    Third Wife Li''s surname was originally Li, and she was the daughter of a Prefect. She was clearly from a small family, but her family was numerous, and the two best married were them. One of them had become Shi Yu''s concubine, while the other was even more amazing, a talent who had entered the palace.

    Once, he got pregnant, and at the moment where the emperor was about to lose two children in a row, he gave birth to Third Prince Li Mu, bestowed him with a noble title, and gave him the title of concubine in the twin palace. After that, the empress was so angry that she killed the two princesses, and the emperor even made up for it by bestowing the title of concubine. Because her status was too low, the emperor invented the identity of a descendant of the emperor''s aunt. As time passed, everyone felt that she was a descendant of the royal family, and even forgot her original identity.

    It was also because Li Fei didn''t want to mention her lowly status, she rarely contacted them. Even Shi Anyi didn''t know that she had an imperial concubine.

    Li Mu took a jade pendant from his waist, on it were patterns of a lotus flower, he lightly broke it apart, and if closed, it was extremely close, he smiled and said, "This is the tribute from this year, royal father bestowed it to mother, and mother passed it to me. Today is the birthday of the big sister Shi. Although mufei has sent a box of One Color Palace makeup, Thousand Leaves Gem Gold Peony Jewellery, but I don''t have anything else to give, so I passed this on to my two little sisters. I hope both of you can be like Tilly. "

    Ordinary what? Normal?

    First, he mentioned Emperor Li Fei, then he pointed out the relationship between the Emperor and Li Fei, implying that he expressed his thoughts in an obscure manner, which even the dull-witted could see through.

    Shi Anran held her hand tightly. The reason for her arrangement today, was to make her father hate her, and then destroy her reputation. Everything was clearly in front of her eyes, but a prince suddenly appeared and messed up her plans.

    Shi Yu already hated this daughter of his and was about to say that he was expelling her from the family, but when the prince stood out, he had no choice but to consider it.

    In the end, he could only bow his hands in disobedience, "This humble subject was just infuriated just now."

    Li Mu smiled and gave the two pieces of jade to the man. When Shi Anyi held onto the jade, she was a little confused, but more importantly, it was filled with greed and ambition. She held onto the jade tightly and looked at him without blinking.

    Everyone knew about Li Mu''s good temper, they took out a piece of cold muscle ointment from their sleeves and placed it in her hands, gently instructing: "This daughter''s house needs the most minute details, sooner or later you will apply this on your face, and the swelling will disappear."

    Being treated by such a gentle man, especially when it was a prince, Shi Anyi''s face immediately flushed red. However, there were two handprints on her face and left, and right, on the left and right, it was impossible to tell at all.

    Li Mu thought to his cousin in his heart. Stupid. At this time, not only did he not admit his mistake to save some face, he even had unrealistic dreams here. As expected, he was unable to show his face.

    However, when he thought that she might have some use, he could not help but frown and become more gentle.

    Shi Anyi felt that her ears were extremely hot, she lowered her head and looked at her toes, only to feel a delicate fragrance coming out from the small box, refreshing him.

    After he finished one, Li Mu walked towards the thorn, but what she saw instead was that this elder sister who was not related in any way by blood was more like himself, who could use anything, and dared to use anything. He was very curious, what if Second Aunt''s servant did not see, or Wang Yuan did not find Xiang Rongcheng?

    But thinking about it, how could people like them allow an accident to happen?

 C18

    "This is the first time I''ve seen someone act so abruptly. Eldest sister, you should treat this as an apology. Today''s matter has already been overturned, okay?" As he said that, Li Mu gently placed the jade pendant in his hand into Shi Anran''s hands.

    Shi Anran lowered her head slightly, she looked at the jade pendant in her hand, and a smile that was not a smile appeared on her face, and she flipped it over just like that? That''s easy to say, then why didn''t you overturn the grudge after ascending the throne in your previous life?

    This show had just begun.

    "An Yi is still young, and has lived by Aunt''s side since she was young. She can''t help but be a little immature. As a big sister, I naturally wouldn''t be too sincere with my little sister. Third Prince, don''t worry." After saying that, Shi Anran raised her head and looked straight at Li Mu.

    Sensing the gaze from his side that looked like it was going to cut her up, Shi Anran''s mouth raised slightly. Shi Anyi, I will return the pain that you put on my body in my previous life a thousand times over. I will make sure that you will never be able to turn over your body again in hell. Shi Yu who was standing at the side naturally saw the reaction of his two daughters, and shook his head helplessly.

    "Third Prince, I hope that Third Prince will honor the banquet that I have set up." Shi Yu took a few steps forward and cupped his hands.

    Seeing that Shi Anran''s eyes were focused on his body the entire time, Xiang Rongcheng unhappily took a big step forward and stood in front of him. His movements were a little big, but everyone''s attention was placed on Third Prince, so Xiang Rongcheng''s actions did not attract anyone''s attention.

    "No matter how you look at it, he isn''t yours."

    Shi Anran''s impression of Xiang Rongcheng was still that of a stranger, so she only felt that his words were kind of funny and did not take it to heart. However, she still retracted her gaze and turned her head to Shi Anyi.

    From the moment Li Mu gifted this to her, she had probably been moved by thoughts that he shouldn''t have. Shi Anyi, tell me, how was it that I was so stupid in my previous life that I didn''t recognize your simple method earlier? However, this show was getting more and more exciting.

    "Miss, do you want to go back now?" When Yi Yue heard the news and rushed over, everyone was already there, quickly walking to Shi Anran''s side.

    Shi Anran nodded lightly. Her mood was still a little down because she didn''t receive a proper punishment today.

    "Miss, I heard about what happened just now. Second Miss is really too bad, and Miss, you said something so obvious, why is Third Prince still protecting Second Miss? Could it be that you have really taken a fancy to the Second Miss? "

    The two of them had only walked a few steps when Liu Yue appeared. Liu Yue, don''t speak carelessly, how can we guess Third Prince''s thoughts? "

    Seeing that Liu Yue was getting more and more outrageous, Yi Yue did not care that Shi Anran was still in front of him, and quickly spoke up to interrupt him. Liu Yue, after pondering for a while, finally understood what was going on, and vexedly stuck out her tongue, "Miss, this servant бн."

    "It''s alright, Liu Yue, what you said is the truth, but since it''s outside, it''s better to be careful when you speak, so that no one will catch you red-handed."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue vigorously nodded her head, "Thank you Miss for not blaming this servant."

    Suddenly thinking of something, Shi Anran stopped in her tracks, and turned to look at Wang Yuan who was still standing at the same spot, "Sometimes, you should complete your responsibilities, and be an idiot after that, Qing Yan has brought everything that happened today onto herself." After saying that, he walked away without even turning his head back.

    Yi Yue looked at the little girl who had not changed much and shook his head helplessly. When the Madam was still here, the First Miss had always loved to smile, but ever since the Madam had left, the place was no longer peaceful and the Miss had changed. This kind of change was too painful to bear, but the Young Miss should have grown up by now.

    Yi Yue was still lost in her thoughts, when the Agarwood Courtyard was already right in front of him.

    After the last time Shi Anran knocked on the servants in the courtyard, the maple leaves that filled the ground did not appear again. Shi Anran raised her head and looked at the leaves that had yet to fall, and sighed faintly: "You guys can leave, I don''t want to be disturbed tonight."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue hesitated, but she did not dare disobey her command, and nodded her head: "Miss, this servant will take my leave first."

    On the other side, Shi Anyi looked at the jade pendant in her hand and the box that was emitting a delicate fragrance, and the corners of her lips couldn''t help but curve upwards, her tone carrying a little bit of pride, "Mother, did you know, this was given to me by Third Prince?"

    Regarding what had happened in the front courtyard, Third Concubine had long arranged for a servant to come back and report. Seeing Shi Anyi somewhat excitedly talk about what had happened with Third Prince, for some reason, Third Concubine felt a little uneasy.

 C19

    "An Yi, let''s not talk about the Third Prince for now. What''s going on tonight? Didn''t you say that everything was arranged already? Why did you let her hide again?"

    Shi Anyi, who was immersed in Li Mu''s gentleness, was suddenly interrupted, and frowned impatiently, but she did not dare act rashly in front of his own mother, acting so coquettishly with half truth and half falsehood, causing Third Concubine to ignore the thick of complaints in her voice, "Mother, can you not mention her at this time? "Aiya, Mother, why do you think the Third Prince wants to give me this jade? Do you think he бн"

    Seeing the high-quality jade in Shi Anyi''s hands, Third Concubine was also excited, she grabbed her hand tightly, "An Yi, Mother has been like this for the rest of my life, but you are different. Third Prince is still talking about your cousin, you have to grab the opportunity to fiercely suppress that lowly bastard on the wedding matter.

    "Mother, please teach me. Tell me, what should I do next? Do you want to be more reserved or use this opportunity to contact the Third Prince? " Shi Anyi had already started to imagine her luxurious and luxurious life in her mind, and also the scene of Shi Anran crawling under her feet. The corners of her mouth hooked into a terrifying smile.

    So what if she was a concubine? As long as her daughter marries well, she would always be a high and mighty figure in this life. In the future, this family would depend on her to rule.

    "Third Madam, Second Miss, Master has sent someone to ask you to come to the front courtyard."

    Hearing the voice coming from outside the door, the mother and daughter looked at each other with some suspicion. Third Concubine was the first to recover, her face filled with pleasant surprise, "An Yi, your father is asking us to go over, could it be that Third Prince said something?"

    Shi Anyi shyly covered her face, "Mother, don''t tease me."

    "Foolish daughter, how is this teasing? This is a clear fact. Quick, quickly go and dress up. Pale red, dress Second Miss up better. "

    After he finished speaking, Third Concubine suddenly remembered that Xie Hong was already locked up. Somehow, he suddenly felt his right eye twitching really hard.

    "Mom, which of these two hairpins do you think is better?" Shi Anyi sat in front of the copper mirror and constantly gestured at the various kinds of jewelry on her body. Because she was too excited, she couldn''t help but raise the corner of her mouth and call out a few times, but the Third Concubine didn''t reply.

    Shi Anyi turned her head suspiciously, and just happened to see Third Concubine in a daze. She couldn''t help but frown, but she still put down the hairpin in her hand, walked to Third Concubine''s side and gently pulled her sleeves, "Mother, what are you thinking about?"

    "An Yi, I''m just afraid that бн This girl is not going to say anything she shouldn''t, right? " Hearing Third Concubine''s worried words, Shi Anyi walked over to the table at the side, poured a cup of water, and gave it to Third Concubine, "Mother, now that Third Prince has personally requested for my father''s hand in marriage, let''s just let this matter go.

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Third Concubine thought for a moment, and then nodded her head, "That''s right, this is what Third Prince said, your father will definitely not bring up this matter again, Mother must be thinking of interrupting," After thinking about it, Third Concubine''s face became complacent again, and placed her on Shi Anyi''s shoulders in front of the copper mirror, "An Yi, I will properly dress you up, this is an extremely good chance, whether or not we can turn back now, we will see whether or not Mother can catch up with Third Prince."

    Mother, I knew that you would treat my daughter the best, when my daughter has gotten rich, I will definitely make my mother be the best, "Shi Anyi held onto Third Concubine''s hand and said seriously." Even if I can''t change my mother''s mind in the future, my daughter will definitely do her best to let my mother enjoy all the treatment a proper wife should have.

    Third Concubine nodded her head in relief, and grabbed Shi Anyi''s wrist. "An Yi, Mother is very satisfied that you have such intentions, but compared to our family, the Royal Family is not as scheming as us. You have to be more careful, Mother believes that my daughter will handle this matter well."

    "Alright, An Yi, let''s go quickly as well. Don''t let Third Prince wait too long."

    Just as Third Concubine finished speaking, Shi Anyi''s face immediately flushed red, as she bashfully rubbed against Third Concubine''s arm, "Mother, you''re used to making fun of girls, hmph." With that, Shi Anyi stomped her feet and ran out. Looking at Shi Anyi''s back, Third Concubine smiled and followed behind him.

    At the other side of the Agarwood Courtyard, Shi Anran sat by the window, both hands on her chin as she raised her head to look at the stars in the sky. Because she had not successfully carried out her plan, even after a while, her mood was still somewhat low. Even though he allowed her to get off scot-free, Shi Anran still felt uncomfortable.

    "Dong Dong Dong"

    "Miss, Master has sent word that he wants you to go to the front yard."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s voice coming from outside the door, Shi Anran clenched her fists. Did her father want to settle the score after Third Prince left? Or бн

    Forget it, it was better not to think about it. There was no point in thinking about it too much. Once she went there, she would know what was going on. She only needed to calmly watch what was happening.

    "Mn, tell them that I will go now, you and Liu Yue can come in as well." The moment she finished speaking, Liu Yue impatiently pushed the door open and entered. Subtle voices came from the courtyard;

    "Miss, it is most likely because of tonight''s matter that the old master is calling you over, if there is a chance, you cannot let Second Miss go like this, Second Miss''s repeated offenses are too excessive, but in front of the old master, you still have to speak up for the Second Miss, this way the old master will know that you are different from the Second Miss, and he will be even more rude to the Second Miss." Hearing Liu Yue''s words, Shi Anran couldn''t help but be surprised. She had originally planned to do so, but didn''t expect Liu Yue to think the same way as her, and even come to instruct her, but that was only to be expected.

    The makeup on his face was much thinner than during the banquet tonight. As the two of them stood there, as long as they dressed up, they would give off a delicate and touching feeling.

    Miss, Second Miss has Third Concubine guiding you from the side, you must be careful, do not take advantage of the mother and daughter pair. Seeing that she was about to get dressed, Liu Yue turned around and looked outside. Only then did she softly whisper an instruction into Shi Anran''s ear, and upon hearing the worry in Liu Yue''s tone that did not seem to be fake, Shi Anran smiled and nodded, not saying another word.

    Liu Yue saw that her young miss seemed to be very confident, and her hanging heart also calmed down, "Young miss, please do not despise Liu Yue for breaking her lips, Liu Yue is just worried for you."

    Shi Anran stood up, and gave a casual grunt at Liu Yue.

    While speaking, the master and servant had already walked to the door, and automatically stopped the conversation, but only Yi Yue was left in the courtyard.

 C20

    "Miss, Uncle Yang has just left," Seeing Shi Anran and Liu Yue walking out of the house, Yi Yue hurried over and blessed himself.

    "Yes, did Uncle Yang say anything important just now?" Anran knew that Yi Yue and Uncle Yang''s relationship was not bad, and the two of them had chatted outside for a long time, before opening their mouths to ask.

    After hearing Shi Anran''s words, the smile on Yi Yue''s face became even more obvious, she walked to her side, looked around, and then said softly, "Miss, Uncle Yang must mean that it''s because of what happened tonight. Although Third Prince is pressing on top, but after all, this is still a family matter, and Third Prince''s hand has not stretched out for that long.

    Shi Anran lightly nodded his head. Even though she did not reveal it on the surface, ripples had already started to arise in her heart.

    Now that they had the confidence, the master and the servant all had smiles on their faces to varying degrees.

    Seeing that Yi Yue and Liu Yue were wholeheartedly thinking for her but did not seem to be lying, Shi Anran was also deeply moved in her heart. However, after learning from Qing Yan, Shi Anran still did not dare to truly treat them as her trusted aides.

    When the three of them reached the front courtyard, they just happened to meet Third Concubine and Shi Anyi walking towards them from the opposite direction.

    The mother and daughter pair were completely immersed in their dreams of climbing the big tree that was the Third Prince. Seeing Shi Anran was not like before, but instead, they were proud of him.

    "Miss, why is the Second Miss dressed up like this? Hmm, with such a beautiful appearance, does she think that the master will reduce her punishment?" Looking at the mother and daughter pair whose tails looked as if they were about to reach the sky, Liu Yue snickered.

    Shi Anran understood what the two were thinking with a glance, she smiled, what a foolish mother and daughter pair, they actually had thoughts that they shouldn''t have, but isn''t that exciting enough?

    The moment she stepped into the room, Shi Anran saw her father sitting at the seat of honor with a solemn expression. However, the moment she saw her, a faint smile appeared on her face.

    "Your daughter greets father."

    Shi Yu nodded, and pointed to the seat opposite to Third Concubine''s mother, indicating for her to sit.

    "An Yi, why did you say it was so late?" The moment Shi Anran sat down, Shi Yu immediately opened her mouth, and even people with discerning eyes could feel the low pressure in the room, but since Shi Anyi was immersed in her own world this entire time, and heard him being called, the smile on her face grew even more brilliant, and her mind was filled with the scene of Third Prince handing the jade over to her just now. She unhurriedly straightened the hem of her clothes, and then, she raised her head, "Father, your daughter''s marriage is naturally decided by father and mother, Third Prince himself бн"

    Hearing his second daughter''s ridiculous words, Shi Yu turned his head to look at Third Concubine who was sitting beside Shi Anyi. Seeing her flustered face, as if something had been exposed, Shi Yu threw out the teacup in his hand with a "Pa" sound.

    Suddenly, a cracking sound was heard, scaring Shi Anyi, he did not know where she had found Shi Yu, and looked at him in disbelief, "Father!"

    "Shut your mouth, I don''t have a daughter like you who doesn''t know shame," because of Shi Anyi''s words, Shi Yu couldn''t help but gasp in anger. Shi Anran hurriedly stood up, but before she could say anything, Shi Yu had already waved his hand.

    "Shi Anyi, kneel down." Shi Yu had already sensed that something was amiss with what he had said just now. If it was really the Third Prince''s orders, her father would definitely not say such a thing.

    Thinking about it, Shi Anyi did not dare to be careless, but she still did not want to lose face in front of Shi Anran, and asked aggrievedly: "Father, what did daughter do wrong?"

    Shi Anran sat at the side and watched as two lines of clear tears flowed down Shi Anyi''s small, white face. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and it was precisely this kind of fake look that fooled her out of her heart in her previous life.

    "Don''t know what you did wrong?" An Yi, did your aunt not teach you how important it is to have a clean family? I never thought that you would have such a vicious heart. If it wasn''t for the kid from Xiang Family today, where would you have wanted your sister to go? "

    Even now, when he thought of it, he felt a strong lingering fear. If not for the fact that Xiang Rongcheng appeared in time tonight, the innocence of his Shi Family''s direct daughter would have been ruined.

    "Father, you can''t believe the words of another person that wrongly accused your daughter right here," As she said that, Shi Anyi pointed towards Shi Anran''s direction.

    What Shi Yu did not know was that her small actions made him even more disappointed. He slammed his hand on the table fiercely.

    "Enough, An Yi. Do you think that your father doesn''t know about the things you''ve done? When you urged your sister to go to the fake mountain, there were people who happened to be witnesses, and light red has already confessed. Your father is giving you face by not asking the servants to testify for you, what else do you have to say? "

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anyi opened her mouth wide in disbelief. She collapsed on the ground and muttered to herself, "How is this possible, how could she dare to do so?"

    "Master, everything that happened today had nothing to do with An Yi. It was my idea. Master, An Yi is still young, so please spare her. You can punish me however you want. Please don''t vent your anger on An Yi, okay?"

    With a "bang", he kneeled beside Shi Anyi, and took all the blame onto her. She was just an aunt left and right, and now that the house was being kept by her side, the master probably wouldn''t punish her too severely, but it wouldn''t affect An Yi''s impression of him. An Yi was her lifeblood! The rest of her life depended on her.

    "Ridiculous! Do you think that your cover is a good thing for An Yi? How much have you taught your good daughter? Look at what she''s saying. What does she think all day? How old are you to remember to climb the dragon and attach the phoenix? To frame his sister just like that? And you think you have no responsibility at all? " Shi Yu pulled away from Third Concubine''s clothes with an ashen face.

    After watching so much, Shi Anran knew that it was time for her to make her debut.

    Father, just as Third Concubine had said, An Yi is still young. After all, Anran is still a big sister, how can she argue with little sister? Furthermore, they are family, it''s not a big deal to eat at little sister''s place. As she said that, Shi Anran used a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes.

    Seeing his daughter who had suddenly grown up since his wife passed away, Shi Yu heaved a heavy sigh, "Anran, Father knows that you have always been soft-hearted, but your sister is no longer young. It''s time for me to take responsibility for my own mistakes, furthermore, this is not a small matter. Saying that, Shi Yu''s eyes fiercely stared at Third Concubine who was still kneeling on the ground, "Shi Anyi, go and kneel in the Ancestral Hall."

 C21

    Just as he finished speaking, the Third Concubine tore off the jade pendant that Shi Anyi was wearing, and said aggressively: "Old master, even if An Yi did do the wrong thing tonight, the Third Prince had already spoken, and said that the events of tonight would be forgotten, how can you be so heartless?"

    "Bang!" Hearing Third Concubine''s words, Shi Yu''s anger grew even stronger, and he slammed his palm on the table.

    "Put aside your unrealistic thoughts, at that time Third Prince was indeed asking me to spare her, tonight I was punishing her for not repenting, this kind of character was taught to me by you, what qualifications do you have to plead for her?"

    "Ever since Madam left, the entire mansion has been filled with smoke and miasma. Do you think that I would not know about the petty tricks you were pulling behind his back? An Yi is your daughter, but Anran is also my first daughter.

    After saying that, without waiting for Third Concubine''s reaction, Shi Yu walked out in large strides, not even bothering to look at the mother and daughter who were kneeling on the ground.

    "Shi Anran, are you proud? I don''t need you to fake it, scram, I don''t want to see you, "seeing that Shi Yu had walked far away, Shi Anyi peeked her head out from Third Concubine''s embrace, staring straight at Shi Anran, his eyes filled with hatred," Shi Anran, I won''t let you go, hmm бн "

    After all, this was Shi Yu''s courtyard, and was Shi Yu''s trusted aides from inside and outside. When Third Concubine saw that Shi Anyi''s words did not go through his brain, he immediately raised his hand to cover her mouth, and comforted her in a low voice, "An Yi, don''t lose your mind, this is your father''s courtyard."

    After the Third Concubine''s reminder, Shi Anyi regained her senses, but her hatred for Shi Anran did not decrease in the slightest. The palm of her hand that was clenching her fist was almost pierced by her nails, and she turned her head to look at Shi Anran.

    "I''m afraid that since little sister An Yi is going to the ancestral hall tonight, she won''t be able to stay by Third Concubine''s side for a few days. Aunt, you should hurry up and give little sister some advice."

    Seeing Shi Anran''s satisfied smile, the mother and daughter pair from Third Concubine were so angry that their faces turned sinister. However, they knew that this was not the time for fighting spirit, so they could only suppress the anger in their hearts.

    Shi Anran also didn''t continue to waste time with the mother and daughter. She immediately started to walk outside and heard all of their punishments, and on the way back, the three master and his servant''s footsteps became noticeably lighter.

    Miss, tonight was really too satisfying, "Liu Yue heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Agarwood nearing him," Miss, you don''t know that Third Concubine and Second Miss have always been on good terms, but now, there''s finally retribution. This servant thinks that even half of Yue Yin would be happy to see this scene.

    "Mm. Alright." After hearing what Liu Yue had to say, the corners of Shi Anran''s mouth could not help but curl up. She nodded lightly and turned to Yi Yue with a serious face and said, "Since Liu Yue has spoken like this, then we''ll follow what she says with her silver moon next month."

    Seeing Shi Anran''s serious expression, Yi Yue was almost tricked by her, but when she saw Liu Yue anxiously jumping up and down behind her, she also nodded her head, "Yes, Miss.

    "Don''t, Miss, Yi Yue, I just said it casually, I can''t take it as real, Miss, Miss, I was just joking, I can''t take it as real." When Liu Yue heard that her silver moon was about to be reduced by half, she anxiously stomped her feet while begging for forgiveness.

    However, Shi Anran and Yi Yue acted as if they didn''t hear anything and steadily ignored her. On the other hand, Lian Xing, who was watching from the side, looked back and forth at the three of them with some suspicion.

    "Alright, I''m going to sleep now. You can all go out and let Lian Xing keep watch tonight." After washing up, Shi Anran sat on the bed, looked at Liu Yue who was still standing motionlessly in front of him, and spoke in a somewhat funny manner. On the other side, Yi Yue couldn''t help but laugh as well.

    He took off his shoes and leaned against the pillow. Shi Anran''s mind was filled with the things that happened tonight, "Lian Xing, you go out first, I''m not tired yet, and I don''t want to sleep." After receiving the orders, Lian Xing turned blissful, "This servant will take his leave."

    She raised her head slightly, and looked at the peony that her mother had personally embroidered at the corner of the snowy muslin. Mother, your daughter still remembers what you said to her, but before the enmity is avenged, your daughter cannot be like how you think. Although Shi Anyi did not receive any heavy punishment tonight, she will definitely hate her daughter to the extreme, and will definitely not stop.

    As he thought about it, tears rolled down the corner of Shi Anran''s eyes.

    Mother, father treats father really well towards daughter, but daughter has never understood before, always angered father, still disregarding father''s opposition to forcefully marry the crown prince, mother, do you think daughter''s suffering in her previous life was God knowing that I am not a filial daughter, and the punishment for me?

    But mother, your daughter''s enemy is even more troublesome. In order to take revenge, your daughter has other plans, in this life, she will not listen to father''s words and marry young master Xiang Family. In this life, your daughter only wants revenge, she does not want to be entangled in matters that only a girl can do.

    It was unknown if it was because she was too preoccupied with this the night before, but she woke up very early the next morning. Hearing that the courtyard was extremely quiet, Shi Anran put on a set of clothes, walked to the side of the table, sat on the embroidery chair, and poured herself a cup of water.

    But after a while, sounds of footsteps came from outside the house, Shi Anran was annoyed and buried her head in her arms, but the noise did not subside.

    "Phew." With a heavy sigh, he stood up and walked back and forth on the bed until he was completely covered by the blanket. Only then did he relax a little and drowsily fell asleep again.

    "How is Eldest Miss?"

    "Old master, the doctor just said that young miss suffered from a cold and a fright. That''s why she hasn''t woken up yet бн"

    Shi Anran was sleeping soundly when she heard someone talking nonstop in her ear. It was so noisy that she could not sleep soundly, and opened her eyes impatiently. Just as she was about to berate, she realized that her body was soft and weak.

    "Miss has woken up. Miss, are you feeling better?" Just as Lian Xing was about to change the handkerchief on Shi Anran''s head, she opened her eyes.

    Hearing movements, Shi Yu walked over happily: "Anran, have you recovered?"

    Seeing the surprise on Shi Yu''s face, Shi Anran forced herself to nod her head, she struggled to sit up, but was held down by Shi Yu, "My daughter worried father again, but everything is fine."

    "Anran, your fever has not subsided, you can lie down peacefully. Yi Yue, go to the kitchen and bring the porridge over. Tell the housekeeper what the young miss wants to eat these next two days."

    "Dad, your daughter just got the cold. It''s fine, just lie down for two days."

 C22

    As they spoke, Yi Yue had already carried the porridge in, and while smelling the fragrance, Shi Anran''s stomach cooed twice, and when she looked at the people in the room, Shi Anran''s face flushed red. Shi Yu laughed twice, and patted the back of her hand, "Anran hasn''t eaten for a whole day, so it''s unavoidable for his to be hungry."

    Hearing the ridicule in Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran''s face started to burn even more. He pulled up his blanket to cover her face and said sullenly, "Father, you should go and busy yourself, your daughter is fine here."

    Seeing her like this, Shi Yu knew that if he continued to stay here, his daughter would probably be bored out of her mind. Coincidentally, he had not finished today''s work, so he smiled and nodded, "Mn, then Anran will properly recuperate, father will go to the front courtyard first."

    "Yes, Father must also take care of his body." Hearing the footsteps that were gradually leaving, Shi Anran came out from under the blanket, but when she saw Liu Yue''s red face, she cleared her throat, "Yi Yue, bring the porridge over, you guys also go down first, I''ll call for you if anything happens."

    Smelling the fragrance of the porridge on the tip of her nose, Shi Anran endured her hunger until all the servants in the room left. Only then did she hurriedly bring the porridge over and start eating.

    After eating a bowl of porridge, he felt much more comfortable. He raised his hand to feel his stomach and satisfyingly lay back down on the bed. After all, the heat had not yet subsided. Not long later, he returned to sleep.

    After leaving the Agarwood Courtyard, he had only taken a few steps when he saw the approaching Third Concubine. Seeing her slightly haggard appearance, Shi Yu could guess why she had come to this place to stop him.

    Shi Anyi was also his daughter. When she found out that she had done such a vicious thing, the one who suffered the most was him, he had always known that the backyard fight was not inferior to the officials''. An Yi''s cute and tender appearance was still engraved in his mind, but he didn''t expect her to turn into such a jealous look in just a few years.

    "Master, I cooked some soup for you this afternoon and also ordered a few small dishes for you. Please come over for dinner tonight." Before she came out today, Third Concubine had purposely made herself as haggard as possible in order to arouse Shi Yu''s tender affection. With swollen red eyes and dark circles under her eyes, when she saw Shi Yu, his tears were like pearls with broken strings.

    "Shi Yu has lived in the backyard since he was young, and this kind of drama is what annoyed him the most." Anran was still lying on her bed with a high fever, and the look on Third Concubine''s face caused the impatience in his heart to grow even more. She waved her hand and said, "I still have matters to attend to tonight, if you really want to help An Yi, then don''t play such a small game under my nose.

    With that, Shi Yu turned and walked away without looking back. Third Concubine leaned weakly on the servant girl, the hand holding the handkerchief tightly clenched. Looking at Shi Yu''s resolute back, the hatred in his heart towards Shi Anran grew even stronger.

    Third Madam, what do we do with Second Miss? It has already been an entire day, and Second Miss is so pampered, can her body take it? Just as the servant finished speaking, Third Concubine grabbed onto her hand, "Since you can''t take it, then don''t let Second Miss persevere any longer."

    The servant girl was also intelligent, upon hearing Third Concubine''s reminder, she smiled and nodded, "Thank you Third Madam for the advice, I know what to do now."

    "Master, Second Miss fainted in the Ancestral Hall. This old servant has already sent people to find a doctor, shouldn''t we bring him out now? Second Miss has never suffered much since she was young, at that time, the one who will feel heartache will still be you." Shi Yu had personally sent people to watch the ancestral hall, but he did not know how Third Concubine did it, so he did not attract the attention of the people around. Hearing Uncle Yang''s words, Shi Yu did not doubt him and nodded.

    The back of his hand was covered with flesh. Although he loved his eldest daughter more, his second daughter, who was born in a brothel, enjoyed no less than his eldest daughter. In the end, Third Concubine still did not know how to teach her children.

    Thinking about it, Shi Yu felt a headache, and his emotions became complicated. He put down the things in his hands and stood by the window. The breeze that blew against him was slightly chilly, and it cleared his mind quite a bit.

    In contrast to the bustle of Jian Jia''s courtyard, the Agarwood Courtyard was as quiet as if no one was there. Yi Yue and Liu Yue stood at the door to Shi Anran''s room, one indifferent, the other with an anxious expression. They looked at the closed door, and without obtaining permission, they didn''t dare break in without permission.

    "Yi Yue, do you think the young miss has fallen asleep again? How come there''s no sound at all? Could the fever have made me faint? "

    Looking at Liu Yue who was walking back and forth in front of her eyes, Yi Yue raised her hand to rub her forehead, and pulled Liu Yue''s sleeve, "Don''t walk around here.

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words of ridicule, Liu Yue pouted his mouth, "You know my character, and yet you make fun of me. Yi Yue, in the past, when we served by your side, we did not know that you had such a bad mouth."

    "That''s because I didn''t know you talked so much." Yi Yue glanced at her.

    "Alright, both of you, stop arguing. Come in." Just as Liu Yue was about to reply, Shi Anran''s weak voice came from inside the room. The two of them quickly pushed open the door and walked in, Liu Yue quickly walked to Shi Anran''s bed and helped her pull up the curtains beside the bed, then slowly sat up with Shi Anran as a pillow was placed behind her, "Miss, did you know, during the time you were sleeping, Third Concubine used some sort of method to save Second Miss."

    Shi Anran turned her head with suspicion, but before she could clear up the doubts in her mind, Liu Yue had already explained, "Miss, you said that after kneeling for just a day in the Ancestral Hall, Second Miss would be so weak that she would faint? Last night, she was quite spirited too, but the ancestral hall was filled with people sent by the old master, what methods did Third Concubine use to deceive the old master? "

    Shi Anran rolled her eyes, feeling gloomy.

    Her mother had always been in a bad condition, and the power of the clan had always been in the hands of the Third Concubine. After so many years, naturally she had accumulated some of her connections, and although her father had also come from the backyard, he wasn''t too clear on the woman''s plans. Furthermore, Shi Anyi was also his daughter.

    In the past few days, she had been benefiting from her father''s attention, or perhaps it was guilt, but she had forgotten that Shi Anyi was also her father''s daughter. Last night, she was just faking it last night, and her second daughter had suffered, so naturally she flipped over.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s light laughter, Liu Yue also felt that it was a pity that this young miss had grown up all night. She couldn''t help but reach out her hand and gently pat her back.

    When Yi Yue came in carrying the hot porridge, she just happened to see this scene, and when she touched the pain on Liu Yue''s face, she immediately thought about how Liu Yue was flustered and exasperated outside because the Second Miss was exempted from punishment, and also guessed what was going on, so she put down the tray in her hands and walked over.

 C23

    "Miss, please eat something."

    Shi Anran looked at the two servant girls in front of her, and couldn''t help but chuckle. It was easy to add flowers to a flower, but hard to bring coal into the snow. After her rebirth, when she was at her most heartbroken, these two girls had always been by her side.

    Seeing the forced smile on Shi Anran''s face, Yi Yue did not say anything more and brought the porridge over, "Miss, have some porridge."

    Smelling the fragrance that was assaulting his nose, the smile on Shi Anran''s face became even more realistic. He took it, scooped a spoonful of it into his mouth, and nodded in satisfaction.

    After receiving the compliment, Yi Yue did not look proud at all. Her reaction was light, and this pleased Shi Anran even more.

    Liu Yue rushed to open her mouth, "Miss, it''s good that you like it, Yi Yue will make a lot of porridge, in the future, I guarantee that you will eat for a month without taking weight."

    "Miss, Master heard that you are awake and has come to see you." Shi Yu had already ran into the room to report before he even stepped into the Agarwood Courtyard. Shi Anran slightly nodded his head as the smile on his face retracted somewhat.

    "Yi Yue, help me up," As she said that, Shi Anran passed the porridge in her hand to Liu Yue. After lying in bed for the whole day, her body had gone soft, and with Yi Yue''s help, he had just stood up when Shi Yu walked in from the outside, "Anran, you''re not fully recovered, why are you so anxious to get up?"

    As they spoke, Shi Yu walked in front of Anran with large strides and forcefully pressed Anran down on the bed, preventing her from getting off the bed.

    "Is that how you take care of Miss?" The moment she said that, Yi Yue and Liu Yue did not dare to be careless, and immediately knelt down, not daring to beg, and quietly awaiting their punishment.

    Shi Anran reached out and tugged on Shi Yu''s sleeves, a faint smile hanging on her face, but because she was still sick, her voice was a little weak, adding a bit of the delicate look of a girl, making people feel pity for him.

    "Father, it''s not Yi Yue''s and Liu Yue''s fault, it was her daughter who forced herself up, and they did not dare stop her because of their status, Anran also missed father, so she anxiously stood up, if Father is angry, then it''s your daughter''s fault."

    Hearing his daughter''s coquettish words, no matter how angry Shi Yu was, it had already been extinguished, "Alright, alright, let''s do it according to Anran, the two of you get up first. In the future, when I send you over, from that moment on, your master will only have the young miss as his master.

    The two girls who had just stood up heard Shi Yu and nodded their heads together, "This servant will follow Master''s instructions, from now on, everything will be centered around the young miss, and I will not do anything that would betray the young miss.

    Hearing their words, Anran held both of their hands and gave a comforting smile, "Alright, I know what''s on your minds. Go down and guard outside the door first, don''t let any unrelated person in."

    After Yi Yue left the room, she closed the door considerately. Shi Anran took notice of him but did not say anything.

    "Anran, you were so well-behaved tonight. Are you blaming Father for lifting An Yi''s punishment?"

    Initially, Shi Anran thought that Shi Yu would only take a few turns to get to the main point, but she did not think that she would bring it up immediately. She was stunned, and although she was thinking about it this way, on the surface, she still shook her head, "Father, no matter what you are thinking about, An Yi is still my sister. I was very angry about what she did last night, but, Father, this page has to be taken away in the end. Your daughter doesn''t blame your father, because your daughter doesn''t want your father to be the kind of person who won''t show the slightest bit of mercy. "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Shi Yu let out a heavy sigh, the guilt in his heart grew even stronger, and he sat on the embroidered chair not far from the bed, "Anran, your father has let you down, failed to protect your mother, and failed to protect you thoroughly."

    After Shi Yu finished speaking, he looked down at his fingertips, and only after a while did he raise his head, "Father, everything will be fine in the future. Your daughter has also grown up, and she will help father in the future."

    Hearing little master Shi Anran''s tone, Shi Yu smiled and nodded, "That''s right, father''s Anran has already grown up, he''s already a big girl."

    "It''s getting late. Anran will go to sleep for a while longer, and she hasn''t finished settling the matters of the day. I''ll go back to the front courtyard to take care of myself."

    After saying that, Shi Yu walked out of the room. Looking at Shi Yu''s figure that seemed to have aged quite a bit within that day, Shi Anran felt his eyes sour and uncomfortable. She knew that his father''s last sentence just now was to console her a little.

    That''s right, if she wanted to stabilize her position in this family in the future, the first thing she would do was please the person in charge of this family. As for the Third Concubine and Shi Anyi, she believed that they would be the grasshoppers in the fall and wouldn''t be for long.

    Thinking to this point, Shi Anran smiled slightly, "Father."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s voice, Shi Yu suspiciously stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and asked, "What''s wrong, Anran, do you have anything else to say?"

    "Dad, An Yi has been kneeling in the ancestral hall for the entire day, and she''s fainted again. Please stop what you''re doing and go take a look at her."

    Seeing his eldest daughter being so sensible, Shi Yu also felt that it was useless, but he shook his head nonetheless, "No, Anran, An Yi did not make a small mistake, it washisr body that couldn''t take it anymore, and fainted today, so he was let out, but this does not mean that her mistake was done away with just like that. An Yi is a female, but her father has loved her a lot over the years, so this can also be considered as giving her another chance, seeing how she will behave in the future, if there''s a next time, she will definitely not forgive her."

    After talking for so long, Shi Yu still felt helpless when he remembered that her second daughter was still unharmed. He shook his head and said, "Anran, hurry up and rest." After which, he walked out.

    Shi Anran sat blankly on the bed and couldn''t recover for a long time.

    According to her father, tonight, that meant that if Shi Anyi made another huge mistake, she would not hold back anymore. But what was actually considered to be a big mistake?

    Furthermore, the reason why she was able to escape tonight was entirely due to her memories from her past life. If she were to try again, could she not guarantee that she would be able to escape?

    She had already died once. Although she was no longer afraid of death, she would definitely cherish her life before taking revenge.

    Thinking till here, Shi Anran buried herself under the blanket somewhat impatiently. She forced herself to think of a way to lure Shi Anyi to make another mistake, but that wouldn''t affect her at all. Otherwise, it would ruin the image that she had built up these days.

    After all, the fever had not yet subsided, and her body was not yet nimble. Not long after she was wrapped in the blanket, Shi Anran slowly fell asleep.

    That night, Shi Anran had a dream. In her dream, there were people scolding her for a long time and she had explained the whole situation in detail. However, that person refused to listen, and she was unwilling to explain any further. Her viciousness today was all thanks to the people in her previous life. If someone didn''t offend her, she wouldn''t offend them. Shi Anyi and Third Concubine, as well as Qing Yan, Miss Murong бн They would all be punished as they deserved. They couldn''t blame her for being so vicious.

 C24

    The mansion''s people were all intelligent, Shi Yu had just punished Second Miss and also humiliated him in the garden, at night Second Miss did not even show her face when she fainted. Instead, the eldest miss''s place, the master ran three times a day, and on the second day, the mansion''s wind vane changed.

    "Mother, I am going to die from anger at these lowly hooves. Look at what they have brought me!" How do you want me to eat it? " When Third Concubine finished her work and went to see Shi Anyi, she just so happened to see him lose her temper, so she went forward and asked a few questions.

    After hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Third Concubine looked at the dishes on the table and frowned. All these years, she had been the head of the household, and the authority in her hands was slowly growing.

    "Shen Hong, go and find the kitchen manager. I want to see if he wants to continue or not."

    Saying that, Third Concubine sat beside Shi Anyi and comforted her. However, Shi Anyi''s delicate personality immediately became unbearable, and pitifully leaned on Third Concubine, "Mother, you have to properly take care of them, and don''t let them forget who is in charge of this mansion."

    An Yi, it''s not that Mother doesn''t want to help you vent your anger, it''s just that the Agarwood Institution is always in a pitiful state, and your father is always fooling around her, and you know that all the people in the mansion will look at each other the best. When I went to check on the accounts today, I immediately changed my attitude, and one day, I will let them all know who is in charge of this mansion!

    Hearing Third Concubine''s words, Shi Anyi couldn''t help but nod her head, as if she was extremely angry, "Mother, we must not let go of those small hoof, and Shi Anran, I must also not let her go. If it wasn''t for her, I wouldn''t have been imprisoned in the ancestral hall by father, and all of this would not have happened."

    Every time something happened to this selfish mother and daughter pair, they would always push the blame onto someone else and never find fault with themselves. They truly deserved to be called mother and daughter.

    "Third Madam, the king of the kitchen is here." Just as the mother and daughter pair were resenting Shi Anran and cursing him nonstop, Shen Hong''s voice came from outside the door.

    Third Concubine patted Shi Anyi''s hands, "An Yi, lie down a little longer. Mother will go out and see what exactly is happening. Shi Anyi knew that she should be suffering from an illness now, so she did not try to be brave and leaned on the bed. Whenever she thought of Shi Anran, her face would turn sinister.

    "Manager Wang, as the saying goes, people should never forget their roots. I was the one who promoted you, but now you''ve done something like smacking my face. Or is it that you''re not worthy enough for this position anymore?"

    Hearing Third Concubine''s words, Manager Wang couldn''t help but sneer in his heart. This lie had lied to him for so many years, did he really think that he would never know that he was promoted by the Madam? Was this Third Concubine really stupid, or was she too confident?

    However, no matter how unwilling he was, his smile didn''t diminish in the slightest. He respectfully bowed and said, "This servant has always remembered Third Madam''s great kindness."

    "Oh? Remember? If you really do, why would you give Second Miss such food? Are you thinking that the mother and daughter are going to step on us even if we aren''t favoured anymore? "

    Hearing the fake smile on Third Concubine''s face and the undisguised anger in her words, Manager Wang knelt in front of her with a ''bang'', "Third Madam, you have wronged this servant, this servant doesn''t want to do this, but this is my order, even if this servant has the guts, I wouldn''t dare go against Master."

    Hearing Manager Wang''s words, the handkerchief in Third Concubine''s hand was grabbed tightly, a strong rage burst out from his eyes, and the idea that Shi Anran had no choice but to remove once again surfaced in her mind.

    "En, I understand. You can leave now. Nothing happened today. Do you remember?" After a long while, the Third Concubine finally calmed herself down, but there were still some tremors of extreme anger mixed in with her words.

    After Wang Shouchuan left, Third Concubine threw the cup in her hand away with a "pa" sound. Looking at the broken fragments on the ground, she finally felt better.

    "Mom, what''s going on?" Shi Anyi suddenly heard a sound from inside the house. She jumped in shock and asked with some suspicions.

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, the Third Concubine called Shen Hong over, "Go look for a doctor, tell him that Second Miss''s health is not good these two days, and that he needs to be treated, and let the young miss have a look as well."

    Seeing that Shen Hong understood her meaning, she turned and returned to the inner room.

    "Mother, what''s going on? Didn''t they say that this Manager Wang is one of your men? How could such a thing happen? "

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Third Concubine opened her mouth as if she had something to say, but when the words reached her mouth, she swallowed them back.

    Seeing her current state, Shi Anyi knew that there must be something she did not know of. She anxiously asked, "Mother, what''s going on?"

    "Manager Wang is not a person of Mother''s; it was Madam''s idea for him to be able to sit in this position. But Mother knows that many things would be much more convenient if they were on the same side, so she has always been misleading him, causing him to think that the reason he was able to sit in this position today was all because of Mother."

    Hearing Third Concubine''s words, Shi Anyi blinked her eyes in confusion, "Mother, the Madam is no longer here anymore. You are the head of this mansion, so what can he do even if he knows about it?"

    With that, Shi Anyi walked to the side of the table and poured a cup of hot water for the Third Concubine, "Mother, you really like to look around, Sect Leader Wang, if you sense anything amiss, then you should first try and see if you can bribe me. If it doesn''t work, then you can just settle it right away, you''re just a servant, what kind of waves can you cause?"

    After taking a sip of hot water, Third Concubine felt more at ease. Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, her face revealed a smile, and for some reason, that smile caused people to feel cold, "You''re right, I was too careful."

    The Third Concubine got up, "You go and lie on the bed first, Mother will go and take care of things first. Dang Hong is not here anymore, so it''s inconvenient for you to not have someone close to you.

    After helping Shi Anyi cover herself with the blanket, Third Concubine went out. When she walked to the door, for some reason, she still felt a little uneasy. She turned her head to look at Shi Anyi, and upon meeting her smiling eyes, she suppressed the uneasiness in her heart and walked out.

    "Third Madam, everything has been arranged."

    In the next few days, you will stay at Second Miss''s place and take good care of him. Hearing Shen Hong''s words, Third Concubine took off a high quality jade bracelet from her hand and placed it on hers.

    "Thank you Madam for your gift." Shen Hong''s title satisfied the Third Concubine''s vanity, and the smile on her face became even more brilliant.

    Agarwood

    "Miss, Third Concubine called Steward Wang over from the kitchen today, and he seems to be very angry. But I can''t find out for sure, that Jian Jia Yuan is filled with his own people that were arranged after the Third Concubine cleaned up."

 C25

    The longer she stayed by Shi Anran''s side, the more Liu Yue became accustomed to asking questions about the affairs of the Third Concubine. Shi Anran found it funny as well, but she continued to recall events that happened at this time in her previous life.

    However, it was a pity that she didn''t remember anything. It made sense, because at this time in her previous life, she was already imprisoned inside the Agarwood Courtyard by her father for reasons unknown to her guards, and and Third Concubine in her previous life were currently in high spirits as well, so such things shouldn''t happen. After thinking about it for a while, she couldn''t think of anything, so she decided not to waste her brain power.

    This Liu Yue had an impatient and unstable personality.

    Shi Anran could not help but speak out, "Liu Yue, be careful."

    Hearing that, Liu Yue''s face changed, but she did not say anything, "Miss, this servant is doing it all for you!"

    Yi Yue thought to herself, it''s not good, this Liu Yue usually looks smart, but why is she so muddled now, can''t you tell that Master is angry?

    Yi Yue secretly observed Shi Anran''s expression, she put down the things in her hands, walked to Liu Yue''s side and berated him, "If you continue being so dishonest, I will send you to the Human Ya''s place."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s "threatening" words, Liu Yue was enlightened. Although Yi Yue''s words were meant to help the young miss reprimand her, it was also to remind her.

    Liu Yue gratefully looked at Yi Yue, and said softly: "Miss, this servant will go and see if the soup Yi Yue gave you is done."

    Looking at her retreating figure, Shi Anran said indifferently, "Yi Yue, the road you are walking on, is entirely on your own."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue turned his head to look at her. Seeing the profoundness in her eyes, Yi Yue knew that Master had seen through his little thoughts just now, reminding him that the Miss''s thoughts were actually so meticulous. Yi Yue was shocked, but she still nodded his head, indicating that she understood.

    Shi Anran also nodded slightly. Yi Yue was good, and it wasn''t that she was bad, but after experiencing her past life, there were some things that she had to take precautions.

    In her previous life, she had always lived a carefree life, and others could not tolerate her survival. Even if she did not go and take care of them, they would not let her go.

    Moreover, she carried a blood feud with her, so she had to be careful with every step in her life. She couldn''t afford even the slightest mistake!

    Thinking of this, the expression on Shi Anran''s face became even more resolute.

    "Miss, this soup is done. It smells very good. Should I bring it in to you now?" Liu Yue, who had just returned from the kitchen, stood outside the door and carefully stuck her head out.

    Shi Anran was currently immersed in her own world, so she did not hear what Liu Yue said, and only subconsciously nodded.

    Receiving the orders, Liu Yue immediately walked in carrying the soup. Smelling the fragrance in the air, Shi Anran regained her senses: "Is the soup ready?"

    In the past few days with Shi Anran, Liu Yue more or less familiarized herself with Shi Anran. She knew that the young miss was really just asking about soup, so she nodded.

    "You may leave."

    After watching the two girls leave, Shi Anran thoughtfully looked at the soup, and after a moment, she took out a silver needle from her sleeve and tested it before drinking it.

    "Is Eldest Miss feeling better? You drank today''s medicine? " Just as he was about to take a sip from his bowl, he heard voices coming from outside the door.

    Just as Shi Anran put down the bowl, the door was pushed open from the outside, "Father. You are so busy every day, you don''t have to come and see your daughter every day. "

    Hearing his daughter''s considerate words, Shi Yu laughed out loud. "Anran has grown up, father feels gratified too, is your body better today?"

    It''s because father is too concerned about his daughter that he''s so nervous. You don''t know, under your orders, Yi Yue and Liu Yue, the two little girls, refused to let me go out and take a breather.

    Shi Yu stroked Shi Anran''s hair lovingly, "Silly girl. Hearing that you are sick, Xiang Family''s young master brought his sister, Rong Qing, with him. They will be at the front yard right now, and the two little girls will dress you up properly later. "

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran could not help but curse in her heart. Xiang Rongqing had always disliked her, how could she have sincerely come to visit her? Although Xiang Rongqing did not have any evil intentions and was very innocent, she could not resist being urged on.

    Thinking about how she still had to deal with this brother and sister, Shi Anran sighed heavily. She was not happy and could only get annoyed.

    "Anran, did you hear that the young master of the Xiang Family is here? I''m so happy, I don''t even know how to react."

    Hearing her father''s words, Shi Anran forced out a smile, but it was even uglier than crying. Shi Yu didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as she glanced at her.

    Liu Yue rolled his eyes and fawned on them, "Miss, last time, this servant did not see Young Master Xiang. I heard these little sisters say that when Young Master Xiang was the hero saving the beauty, all of their hearts were broken."

    Shi Anran glanced at her without expression, "At that time, all the young misses had already left, where did your heart come from?"

    Liu Yue curled her lips, somewhat embarrassed.

    Shi Anran did not say anything else, she turned her head and continued to look at the copper mirror where Yi Yue was busy.

    "Miss, which one do you want to wear?" Yi Yue brought the two hairpins up to her eyes.

    Shi Anran was upset, and casually pointed to the one closest to her.

    "Miss, take a look. Is this alright?"

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran raised her head and looked at herself in the mirror. Seeing that there were no problems, she nodded, "Let''s go over.

    As she said that, she walked forward. Yi Yue saw that she seemed to be in a bad mood, so she did not say anything more. She quickly ran to her side and followed behind her, step by step.

    On the other side, Third Concubine and her daughter, who heard that the Xiang Family siblings had come to visit them, felt that they would definitely climb onto the high branch of the Third Prince in the future.

    "Mother, your daughter really wants to marry to Third Prince as soon as possible. She really wants to see that bitch Shi Anran, who kneels in front of me every single day as a form of greeting. For the past few days, my daughter and mother have suffered a lot because of her, so I will definitely get them all back. " Shi Anyi raised her chin, it was as if she had already become the Third Prince''s Consort.

    Third Concubine reached out to pat her hand. "It''s almost time. Anyi, wait for your father''s anger to subside a bit in a few days. I''ll think of a way to contact the imperial concubine." That day, I saw that the Third Prince seemed to be interested in you and you are also his cousin.

    "Mom, your daughter knows that you love her the most." Shi Anyi was immediately amused when she heard it.

    "You are my mother''s daughter. If mother doesn''t treat you well, then who should?" Saying that, Third Concubine reached out her hand to pat her hand, "Since a guest is coming for our family, since you are Second Miss, how can you not show yourself? It just so happens that I have to take advantage of this opportunity to please your father. If I really can get to the top branch of Third Prince in the future, I will need your father''s help. "

    Standing in the front courtyard, Shi Anran took a deep breath. Just as she was about to take a step forward, she heard Shi Anyi''s weak voice come from behind.

    "Big sister, what a coincidence, when little sister heard that the young master and young miss of Xiang Family had come, she also came to see her future brother-in-law, but didn''t expect to meet big sister at the entrance."

 C26

    Shi Anran laughed coldly in her heart. Wasn''t one Xiang Rongqing enough, if there was another Shi Anyi, would the heavens send them to add some "fun" to her life because she was too peaceful?

    Thinking about that, Shi Anran looked at Shi Anyi with a smile that was not a smile, "Big sister did not have any other intentions, it''s just that what little sister did last time left a shadow in my heart, I don''t know what kind of words she will say in front of father that I will not control, and big sister will apologize to little sister in advance."

    After saying that, Shi Anran did not even look at the other party and directly walked in, leaving Shi Anyi alone there. She was so angry that her teeth were about to shatter, but because of the servant guards, she did not dare reveal it.

    The last time they met, she had already noticed Xiang Rong''s rejection of her. That was the first time they had met, and there were no grievances between them. If Xiang Rongqing simply hated her because she was Young Master Xiang''s fiancee, then that couldn''t be right. After all, it was the first time they had met, and also the first time they had met. It seemed like there was only someone behind all of this. As for who it was, it was truly an interesting thing. If she found out by accident, she would definitely not let it go.

    But the first thing she wanted to do was to take care of these two troublesome women. Thinking of this, Shi Anran could not help but have a headache.

    "Brother, this Miss Shi really has a lot of face. She actually made us wait for so long and still didn''t show up. Or is she afraid?"

    Hearing Xiang Rong Qing''s voice coming from the house, Shi Anran became cautious. Afraid? Had she prepared something to see her make a fool of herself? The more Shi Anran thought about it, the more she felt that it was possible. Otherwise, why would this Miss Xiang, who hated both of them, come to visit him?

    At most, she wouldn''t even be afraid of death, so what was there to be afraid of? She wanted to see who would be the last to be afraid.

    Thinking of this, the corner of Shi Anran''s mouth revealed a meaningful smile.

    "I knew that Miss Xiang was a straightforward person from the last meeting with Miss Xiang. Seeing her today, it''s indeed as I expected. However, I''m rather curious as to what Miss Xiang''s words are trying to frighten me with."

    After calming herself down, Shi Anran walked into the house with a smile.

    Seeing her so overbearing, Xiang Rong Qing stomped his feet in resentment, "Is your Shi Family really so hospitable to guests?" "Big brother, you''ve heard it. You''re not even married yet and you''re already teasing me all day. Will the Xiang Residence still be able to shelter me in the future?"

    Just as she finished speaking, Shi Anyi followed her in, "Miss Xiang, please do not be angry. "There''s nothing to worry about. If she has offended Miss Xiang in any way, An Yi will apologize on behalf of her sister here."

    From the moment Shi Anyi came in, Shi Anran had been quietly looking at her with folded arms. She did not say a word, and after hearing her apologizing for her, she could not help but burst out laughing, "Apologize for me? I don''t know if this Miss Shu can replace the eldest sister, or if An Yi''s next plan is to replace me as the eldest daughter. Kick me out of the mansion completely? "

    "An Yi, who told you to come out?" Don''t forget that you''re still in confinement. " When Shi Yu came, he had coincidentally heard Shi Anran''s words about replacing him. This was the first time he had heard Shi Anran speak so loudly, and also the first time he saw such a huge rage in her.

    Shi Anran also did not expect Shi Yu to come in at this time, and was shocked, but when she heard that Shi Yu was angry at him, she even helped him open his mouth to explain, which actually angered Shi Yu even more than before.

    Shi Anyi''s heart skipped a beat. After all, this was in front of the guests, so she pursed her lips in embarrassment.

    She also knew that if she rebutted her father now, she would only gain more disgust. The matter between her and the Third Prince had not been settled yet, so she still needed her father''s protection.

    In her opinion, if Shi Anran had not given her face just now, all of this would not have happened. It was Shi Anran''s fault, not only did she take the title of the first-in-line, he even made fun of her, which was simply unforgivable.

    Seeing that Shi Anyi was standing there pitifully without saying a word, Shi Yu''s heart softened as well. But due to face, he still expressionlessly waved her hand, "Go back and stay in confinement.

    Following the enemy''s principle of being friends, Xiang Rongqing stood up with a "whoosh" when she heard that Shi Yu wanted him to go back, "Uncle Shi, I don''t have any playmates at home, but I feel that Second Miss is very compatible with her temper now, so I might as well have him stay behind and accompany me."

    Xiang Rongcheng did not expect her to suddenly stand up, since the moment Shi Anran entered, he had been observing the lady in front of him, and it was extremely interesting to see his surprise. But after hearing Xiang Rongqing''s words, he could not help but frown, and looked at his sister with eyes full of disapproval.

    Sensing his gaze, Xiang Rongqing proudly raised her chin, and faced Shi Anran with a face full of provocation.

    Towards this inexplicable hostility coming from Xiang Rongqing, Shi Anran felt somewhat helpless. However, since she was a guest, she didn''t say much. She just kept her head low, pretending that she didn''t see anything.

    In the future, when Anran marries into the Xiang Residence, they would have to meet day by day. The only thing she could do was to make use of this opportunity to let the two of them contact each other more, so as to prevent them from making trouble for a single sister-in-law in the future.

    As he thought about this, Shi Yu nodded his head, "Fine, An Yi, you can stay behind for now," as he said this, he turned to look at Xiang Rongcheng, "I''ve long heard that Nephew Xiang has a deep understanding of famous weapons. I found a dagger a few days ago, how about we go take a look?"

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Xiang Rongcheng smiled and nodded, "As for Uncle Shi, you seem to understand Rong Cheng''s hobbies so well that it makes Rong Cheng''s heart itch."

    Seeing him like this, Shi Yu also nodded with a smile as he stood up, "Anran, bring Rong Qing and An Yi around. An Yi, take good care of your sister.

    Hearing the hidden meaning in Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anyi obediently nodded her head, but the hatred in her heart for Shi Anran grew even more, Shi Anran, I will snatch everything that you have right now, and let you taste the feeling of being stepped on by others.

    Thinking about it, Shi Anyi''s face revealed a terrifying smile.

    After Shi Yu and Xiang Rongcheng left, Xiang Rongqing sat down on a chair, completely devoid of the noble aura from before.

    However, Shi Anran also felt that this kind of appearance suited her more.

    She was also very envious of Xiang Rongqing. No matter what she did, her brother would always help her take care of everything. Unlike her, when her mother died, no one was able to support her. No matter what she wanted to do, she had to think things through. It all depended on herself.

 C27

    Ye Zichen sighed. What''s the use of thinking about this now? It would be better to properly plan out the path that he would take in the future, eliminating all those who had bullied her and betrayed her without any worries at all.

    "Although this is Miss Xiang''s second time here, An Yi wasn''t able to show Miss Xiang around when her elder sister was having her birthday last time. Today''s weather is also good, how about we go to the backyard?" The scenery there is pretty good. "

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Xiang Rongqing''s face also revealed a smile, as she nodded. "I had long heard that your mansion''s backyard is very special, I didn''t expect that I could see everything for myself today. "Also, if I call you elder sister An Yi from now on, you can just call me Rong Qing."

    Looking at the two people in front of him who were happily calling out to each other, Shi Anran felt bored. It was such a pity to waste such a great time walking around in the courtyard with them.

    "Miss, I don''t know if this servant is being overly cautious, but I feel that something isn''t right. Please be careful." After walking a few steps, Yi Yue came closer and whispered something into her ear.

    Shi Anran nodded, she had already noticed Yi Yue''s nervousness just now, she wasn''t a person who liked to chew her mouth to pieces. Since she had already said that, she might as well be more cautious. After all, Shi Anyi had a lot of malicious intents. In her previous life, she had suffered greatly because of her. Although it was hard to guard against, it was always right to be careful in advance.

    "Alright, I understand."

    Liu Yue gently pulled on Yi Yue''s sleeves, "Yi Yue, what did you just say to Miss mysteriously? You also noticed the handsome appearance of the young master of the Xiang Family? "

    Although Liu Yue lowered her voice, her usual voice was loud enough. For a moment, she thought that her voice was soft, but it did not reach Shi Anran''s ears.

    "Liu Yue, could it be that you have been so peaceful these past few days that you want to do all the miscellaneous work?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue reflexively shook her head. She knew it was just a joke, but she was still a little apprehensive, "Miss, this servant spoke too much."

    Shi Anran did not say anything, but she had a plan in her mind. Liu Yue, if she said too much, she might have some ulterior motives.

    Thinking up to here, Shi Anran looked at her with indifferent eyes. His tone did not have much fluctuation, but it still made people feel cold in their hearts, "Liu Yue, it''s best if you change your character."

    Liu Yue was not stupid, she hurriedly expressed her loyalty, "Miss, this servant knows my wrongs, I will definitely do my duty in the future."

    Shi Anran shook her head and turned her head, she had heard these words many times, it was a bit fake, a bit of playing on the spot, a bit of dealing with it, she knew very well in her heart.

    Liu Yue did not hear the consolation and answer that she wanted, a gloominess flashed through her eyes.

    Seeing this, Yi Yue fell into deep thought.

    Who was Shi Anran? Those who experienced life and death would naturally have much more meticulous thoughts than the average person. She could understand Liu Yue''s strangeness, but she did not point it out to him.

    There were some things that had to be said, but since these two people were people his father had bestowed upon them, it wasn''t appropriate to say too much.

    After thinking for a moment, Shi Anran could not help but burst out laughing.

    Hearing her laughter, the group of people in front stopped in their tracks. Xiang Rongqing turned her head around with a face full of anger, "Did Sister Anran think that what Rong Qing said just now was funny?"

    Shi Anran felt that Xiang Rongqing''s sudden anger was caused by some unreasonable provocation. From such a distance, she couldn''t even hear what they were saying clearly, how could she find it funny?

    Her lack of response made Xiang Rongqing think that she was feeling guilty. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Shi Anyi.

    "Elder sister, don''t blame your sister for being rude. Anyone would feel uncomfortable hearing your sister''s words just now. How can you laugh? Although An Yi is your little sister, she also feels that she''s gone overboard this time.

    When she heard how Shi Anyi had put on such a big hat on top of her from the very start, Shi Anran felt that it was even more hilarious. In her previous life, she had always remembered the teachings of her mother and had always thought that this little sister was a good person. We are so far apart, how could we have heard you clearly? Sister, please don''t force your thoughts on me. I can''t take it. "

    After he finished speaking, he didn''t even bother to see their reaction. Shi Anran led the two girls and continued to walk ahead, unaffected by what happened just now.

    On the contrary, those two people were thoroughly angered by Shi Anran''s words. Looking at her back, they wished that they could skin her alive to vent their hatred.

    "Sister Rong Qing, don''t take sister''s words to heart. I''ll apologize for sister here. Sister is the first daughter of the family, so you don''t have to worry about what you say. Don''t be angry."

    "So what if she is the eldest daughter. She is lawless because of her status. From the looks of it, she is the eldest daughter of the Minister of Imperial Household. This is truly a disgrace to the Minister. " As expected, after hearing what she said, Xiang Rongqing''s anger rose even higher.

    Looking at Shi Anran''s far away figure, Shi Anyi smirked. Shi Anran, it seems that you aren''t that smart either. Everyone knows that Xiang Rongcheng is extremely fond of this little sister, yet you didn''t try to please her and now you have thoroughly offended her. Do you think she will let you off in the future? Or did you naively think that Xiang Rongcheng would scold his little sister who was in his palms for you?

    Stupid!

    As if she had noticed something, Shi Anran walked forward a few steps before she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She turned her head around without any warning, just in time to see Shi Anyi staring at her with a face full of hatred, and smiled slightly. Shi Anyi, you must be secretly cursing me as an idiot in your heart right now, right?

    Shi Anyi did not expect Shi Anran to turn her head around, and all of the expressions that she did not have time to hide were seen by the other party. She did not know why, but she felt that Shi Anran''s look just now was like someone who had crawled out from hell, extremely terrifying.

    "Elder Sister An Yi, what''s wrong?" Xiang Rongqing saw that Shi Anyi had suddenly stopped moving and followed her gaze. She only had enough time to look at Shi Anran''s face for a moment, and seeing Shi Anyi''s appearance, she thought that Shi Anran was using a "trick" again, and worriedly called out to her.

    Hearing Xiang Rongqing''s voice, Shi Anyi came back to reality. Looking at hshe worried eyes, she suddenly had an idea. Thinking of this, he forced a smile on her face. "Sister Rongqing, I''ve made you worry. It''s alright. I''ve been getting used to it all these years."

    As expected, after hearing what she said, Xiang Rongqing looked towards the direction Shi Anran had left in, "I really don''t understand why Mother chose to be so despotic and make me my sister-in-law. Shi Anran is simply not worthy of my brother."

    "Little Sister Rong Qing, don''t be like this. After all, when Big Sister marries into the future, the two of you still need to spend time together. If Big Sister finds out that you don''t like her, I''m afraid бн" Although Shi Anyi did not clearly say what she wanted to say, the meaning behind her words could not be any clearer.

    "That''s right, let''s go somewhere else to take a look. Little Sister Rong Qing, don''t think about those troublesome matters anymore." As he spoke, he extended his hand out to pull Xiang Rong away, walking in the opposite direction from Shi Anran.

 C28

    "No, I definitely won''t let that malicious woman marry into the Xiang Residence. She isn''t worthy." Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Xiang Rong Qing stood rigidly in place, not moving no matter how she tried to pull him back, "I don''t believe that she can do anything to me.

    After he finished speaking, he pulled Shi Anyi''s hand, and aggressively walked in Shi Anran''s direction.

    "Miss, Miss Xiang isn''t a fool. Once she finds out that you''re trying to sow discord, won''t she be angry at you instead?" Looking at Xiang Rong''s back, Shen Hong was a little worried.

    Hearing her words, Shi Anyi smiled and shook her head, she was not in a hurry to explain and instead walked forward to follow her, "Shen Hong, Xiang Rongqing is extremely attached to her brother and cannot tolerate her brother being taken away. Furthermore, even without my words, this matter would have happened sooner or later.

    "Moreover, this decision was made by Xiang Rongqing herself. No matter what happens in the future, it has nothing to do with me, so didn''t I speak up for my elder sister a lot?"

    While they were talking, the two of them had already caught up to Xiang Rongqing. Shi Anyi pulled her hand, while panting heavily, "Phew, I''m so tired.

    "Big Sister An Yi, you don''t know this, but ever since I was very young, my father had called me up to train with my brother every day. My father always told me that we were all part of a family of martial arts experts, after all.

    As she said this, Xiang Rongqing raised her head and looked towards the distant sky, "Back then, my father wasn''t always free. Most of me was still by my big brother''s side, so I definitely wouldn''t have allowed my big brother to be snatched away like this, big sister Anyi."

    Shi Anyi patted the back of Xiang Rongqing''s hand with a face full of envy, "I don''t have a big brother, and I don''t know what you''re talking about. I''m just a Shu girl, and I don''t enjoy as much as you do, but I can imagine this kind of feeling.

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, the smile on Xiang Rong''s face became even more radiant. She liked to stick close to her brother, to the point where she felt that as long as she had her brother, it would be enough.

    It was not like she didn''t know that Shi Anyi and the others had purposely said something here to make her hate Shi Anran more and more, but in her opinion, if Shi Anran was truly good enough, there wouldn''t be so many people who would hate her. So no matter what, she insisted on not letting Shi Anran marry her brother.

    "Elder Sister An Yi, I''m a bit tired. I don''t want to walk around anymore. Please accompany me to find my brother." Xiang Rong Qing pulled on Shi Anyi''s hand, preventing her from continuing to walk forward, as he spoke with a slightly exhausted expression.

    Hearing Xiang Rongqing''s words, even though Shi Anyi was extremely unwilling, she could only nod her head. She was just a bit away from allowing Xiang Rongqing, this brainless person, to meet Shi Anran again, it was truly a pity.

    "Tired? Then why don''t we go to Jian Jia Yuan to rest? Your brother should still be busy right now. I have a very good cook in my yard, do you want to try it? "

    Catching a snake required grabbing seven inches. Xiang Rongqing only had two pleasures in total, one was sticking close to her big brother while the other was liking all sorts of desserts. In her own words, every time her big brother wasn''t around, every time he ate dessert, he would be as sweet as if he were still by her side.

    Sure enough, as soon as Shi Anyi finished speaking, Xiang Rong''s eyes lit up, "Really? The dessert made by the chef in our house is all about the same thing every day, and I''m getting tired of it. "

    "Sister Rong Qing, Sister An Yi has assured you that you will definitely like this dessert. The taste is very special. This is the chef my mother specially brought me a few years ago. I will definitely surprise you." As she spoke, Shi Anyi held Xiang Rongqing''s hand and turned around to look at Shen Hong, "When you go back, ask the kitchen to prepare the several types of dessert she''s holding in her hands. Also, prepare the Swallow Nest Yam Sweet Rice Soup, Minute Fragrance Cake, and Plum Freezing Cake.

    Elder sister An Yi, you make me drool. All these years, I''ve worked so hard to find a suitable chef to cook for me, but none of them caught my eyes. If I like them today, I''ll have to come here every day.

    Seeing her pleased look, Shi Anyi couldn''t help but laugh as well. The two chatted and laughed as they walked towards Jian Jia Yuan.

    After the two of them left, Shi Anran walked over from the side. Looking at their backs, he smiled and shook her head. Furthermore бн Two scheming people flattered each other and acted the role of pure kindness. Were these two really not disgusted?

    "Yi Yue, go investigate the background of the cook in Second Miss," Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue nodded, then continued, "When I was serving in the front courtyard, I accidentally overheard the lord finding a cook for Madam on her birthday. At that time, the Third Concubine went to find the lord to speak sour words, but as for what happened next, this servant does not know."

    Yi Yue''s words were perfect, she did not add any speculations, it could be said to be watertight. When Shi Anran heard that it even involved her mother, she couldn''t help but frown. She also remembered one time when her mother had her birthday, she invited a chef who was very good at making pastries.

    Could this be the chef who disappeared from her father''s mouth? But why was it in Jian Jia''s yard? She remembered her father saying that this chef had a weird temper and had spent a lot of money to invite her.

    Then where did this cook come from? Or was it just her father fawning on her? A string of questions swirled in her mind, but she couldn''t come up with an answer no matter how hard she tried.

    "Miss." When she heard Yi Yue whispering in her ear, Shi Anran finally regained her senses and turned his head. Sure enough, when she turned her head, she just so happened to see Xiang Rongcheng standing at the side of the fake mountain not far away, looking at her. The corner of his mouth seemed to have a faint smile.

    In the past two lives, she had only experienced the trashy brat, Crown Prince Li Gan, who had no opinions of his own, and Xiang Rongcheng was truly handsome. This time, when she saw him smile at her, her heart missed a few beats.

    "Anran is so interested."

    Hearing him use her name in such a low and deep voice, Shi Anran''s cheeks began to burn unbearably.

    "Young Master Xiang is really interested. He actually managed to sneak from the front yard to the back yard." Hearing the undisguised ridicule in her words, Xiang Rongcheng chuckled twice, "Anran is indeed an interesting woman, it even made me think of letting Anran grow up faster."

    Hearing the hidden meaning in Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Shi Anran felt like she was an outsider. It was as if the person he was talking about was not her.

    "I''ve long heard that Lord Shang Shu''s back garden is quite unique. Today''s appreciation is indeed true, and it even gave me the feeling of lingering here, as if I didn''t want to leave."

 C29

    After hearing his words, Shi Anran laughed alienatingly, "Then Young Master Xiang will just stay here and enjoy it. Anran will not disturb you any longer."

    With that, he turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

    Xiang Rongcheng stood at the same place, looking at Shi Anran''s back, he revealed a playful smile. This lady''s character was truly unpleasing to the eye, but isn''t that exciting enough?

    After she turned and left, Shi Anran could still feel the burning gaze of the man behind him, and was somewhat uncomfortable, his steps becoming faster and faster, but in Xiang Rongcheng''s eyes, it looked as if he was escaping: Shi Anran, you are my prey, do you think you can escape?

    "Yi Yue, go to the front yard and tell them that I''m not feeling well, and that I won''t be eating there. Tell the kitchen to prepare some food for me."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue was surprised. She wanted to ask a question, but no words came out, instead, it was Liu Yue who spoke quickly, "Miss, is it because of Young Master Xiang?"

    Shi Anran tapped Liu Yue lightly, but did not say anything.

    "Miss, you''re finally back." Just as she walked near the Agarwood Courtyard, Lian Xing ran over excitedly. Shi Anran suddenly felt that something was wrong, as expected.

    "The Young Master Xiang is here. Miss, we have been waiting for you for a long time."

    Hearing Lian Xing''s words, Shi Anran felt her vision go black. How did this young master know she would come to the Agarwood Courtyard? She had just gotten rid of him with great difficulty. How could this person not have a good memory?

    "My dad knows he''s in my yard?" Lian Xing followed Shi Anran into the courtyard from the side. After hearing her words, she hurriedly nodded her head and said, "They should know, because the butler personally sent Young Master Xiang here. He even instructed the servant to say that Young Master Xiang will be eating at the Agarwood Courtyard today."

    Shi Anran sighed heavily, why was her father so confused? But since she was already bullied to the door, she could not run away, this was her courtyard, the one who should leave was Xiang Rongcheng.

    "Anran, we meet again."

    Seeing Xiang Rongcheng''s courteous appearance, even though Shi Anran had already cursed at him a thousand times in his heart, but he still had a smile on his face and ridiculed, "Young Master Xiang is such a coincidence."

    Xiang Rongcheng did not know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at Shi Anran. He shook his head, "Unfortunately, I came to specifically look for you, Anran." Hearing her name coming out from his mouth, Shi Anran felt a strange feeling that he couldn''t breathe.

    He awkwardly turned his head to the side, "Young Master Xiang sure likes to joke around. We''re not familiar with each other, how could we even need Young Master Xiang to personally come?"

    Shi Anran could feel that those words were coming out from her gritted teeth. She laughed and stood up, "Anran, why are you so distant from me? Last time when you were going through your birthday, didn''t you specially climb up the mountain to peek at me? "This time, I''ve come. You can look at it openly now."

    Sensing that the woman in front of him looked at him as if she wanted to cut him into pieces, not only did Xiang Rongcheng not dislike her, he allowed her to stare at him with interest.

    "Miss, the old master said бн" Yi Yue, who had just rushed over from the front courtyard, could feel that the atmosphere in the room was a little weird before she could even finish her sentence. She could not help but look over and see that the male lead who she had just said was right in front of her.

    Looking at Yi Yue''s expression, Shi Anran waved his hand, signalling for her to not say anymore, and obviously set it up here, "Lian Xing, go to the kitchen and take a look, say that an important guest has come today, you must definitely prepare well, and it would be best if each one of you could take out their skills to act as your boss."

    Hearing the word "esteemed guest" that Shi Anran purposely emphasized, Xiang Rongcheng laughed, "Anran, do you still need to be so distant from me? After all, the two of us are engaged. What''s more, didn''t I save your life last time? Since there''s nothing to repay, we might as well repay it with our bodies. "

    With regards to such a glib tongue, Shi Anran was too lazy to bother. Gritting her teeth, he turned and walked out, "Young Master Xiang, you sit first, you are my savior and guest, I will personally go to the kitchen to take a look."

    Looking at her leaving figure, Xiang Rongcheng slightly pursed his lips.

    Different from the silent smoke in the Agarwood, Jian Jia''s Courtyard was very happy at this time.

    "Big sister An Yi, this is really very tasty. It''s been a long time since I''ve had such a delicious dessert," Xiang Rong beamed as he looked at the table filled with delicious pastries.

    "If you like it, then come every day. Coincidentally, I don''t have any interest in eating alone." Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Xiang Rong hurriedly nodded his head, "Big Sister An Yi, then I''ll come and disturb you everyday in the future."

    "Miss, the old master sent word that Young Master Xiang is staying at the Agarwood Courtyard''s young lady''s place for lunch this afternoon. She said that she wanted to invite Miss Xiang over as well." While the two of them were happily chatting, Shen Hong suddenly walked in with a strange expression on her face.

    Hearing this, not to mention Xiang Rongqing, even Shi Anyi was shocked. She had not expected her father to make such a decision.

    "Sister Rong Qing, why don''t you stay here for lunch today?"

    "No, sister An Yi, I''m going to the Agarwood Courtyard to take a look." As he spoke, Xiang Rong stood up from his stool, his face flushed red with anger.

    Shi Anyi reached out to pull her hand, but she brushed it away and said, "I''ll be going over first. Big Sister An Yi, do you want to come over with me?"

    Only an idiot would want to be with you, wouldn''t I be the one to take the blame when something happens? Shi Anyi silently cursed in her heart, but on the surface, she smiled and shook her head, "No, I''m still in my forbidden period. Being able to play with Little Sister Rong Qing for so long this morning is already very happy."

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Xiang Rong Qing felt that they made sense and nodded, "Then Big Sister An Yi, I''ll be leaving first. I''ll come over again if I have time in the future."

    Only after Xiang Rong Qing had left did Third Concubine come out from the inner room. He stared in a daze at the direction she had left in.

    "Mom, what''s wrong?"

    Seeing that there was something wrong with Third Concubine, Shi Anyi couldn''t help but extend her hand to push her arm.

    "Mom, why do I feel like you''re a bit abnormal?" Shi Anyi pushed away the dessert in front of him and poured herself a cup of water. She cleared the sweet taste in her mouth, "I really can''t stand this kind of sweet and greasy thing."

    "Since you don''t like her, just send her away some other time. At that time, it was just a whim of yours, and now you don''t need it anymore. There''s no need to keep this idle person."

    Hearing Third Concubine''s words, Shi Anyi shook her head slightly, "Mother, don''t touch that chef. Although I don''t like her, that doesn''t mean that everyone doesn''t like her.

    Since Shi Anyi had said so, Third Concubine could only nod her head. After all, this daughter of her had her own opinions since he was young.

    "Big brother." The moment she entered the Agarwood Courtyard, Xiang Rongqing started shouting at the door. The urgency in her voice made Xiang Rongcheng think that she had gotten into some trouble.

    In the end, just as he stood up, Xiang Rongqing ran in and looked around him. Only then did she pick up the cup in front of Xiang Rongcheng and took a gulp of water, "I heard that big brother is here, I just came over from Jian Jia Yuan."

 C30

    Xiang Rongcheng tapped her forehead with the fan in his hand, "Who told you to run so quickly? The girl at home doesn''t know to be quiet. "

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s pampered words, Xiang Rongqing''s heart grew sweet as he complained, "How can this be my fault? Just now, that Shi Anran didn''t seem to be interested in you, and now that she''s dragged you into her courtyard, she must have had a bad heart. "

    Although her voice was soft, but Xiang Rongcheng had been practicing martial arts since young and had a good hearing. When he heard what Xiang Rongqing said, his face immediately darkened: "Who did you hear that from? "Rong Qing, you are a girl, it''s alright if I am your brother. If these words are heard by others, what will others say about you in the future?"

    "Brother, didn''t you tell me not to care about the opinions of others and to do what I can for myself?" Xiang Rongqing complained.

    Xiang Rongcheng sighed somewhat helplessly, as he reached out to rub her forehead, "Rong Qing, you''re a girl. You''re almost at the age of marriage, not like the little girl from back then."

    "Oh, I know." When it came to marriage, Xiang Rongqing appeared very cold on the surface, she could not refute it, she could only pretend not to hear it, but there was a knot in her heart that she could not shake off.

    With regards to his little sister who had been sticking by his side since childhood, Xiang Rongcheng was also somewhat helpless. In the end, he could only shake his head and sit back down, nevermind, let her think it through himself. After all, it was impossible for him to accompany her for his entire life, so she had to learn and grow up.

    In the past, when big brother saw her like this, he would definitely say a few soft words and apologize to her. However, today was not like before, Xiang Rongqing felt even more certain that Shi Anran had said something bad in her big brother''s ear, which was why she treated her like this.

    Thinking about it here, the dissatisfaction in his heart towards Shi Anran grew even more.

    "Young Master Xiang, the dishes have been prepared. The young miss has asked this servant to invite you over." After receiving the instructions, Lian Xing walked in from outside the door. When she saw Xiang Rongqing, he was a little stunned, but she quickly calmed herself down, and said, "Miss Xiang, you should come with me. Just now, Miss had even instructed me to go to Jian Jia Courtyard to invite Miss Xiang over."

    But after hearing Lian Xing''s words, not only did Xiang Rongqing not appreciate it, she even snorted coldly twice. However, when they met with Xiang Rongcheng''s somewhat disapproving gaze, they still did not say anything that made everyone feel embarrassed, and followed him towards the dining hall.

    Seeing Xiang Rongqing''s rare good behavior, Xiang Rongcheng also felt a bit gratified. He thought this kind of "cold" method was not bad, but he did not know that Xiang Rongqing had not seen Shi Anran for a while, so he suppressed the anger in his heart with great effort.

    Before he even reached the dining hall, he smelt the fragrance that was assaulting his nose. Xiang Rongcheng pursed his lips, "There''s really quite a few cooks in this courtyard."

    "Big brother, it''s still a bit early to say this. After all, a dish that requires a lot of taste and fragrance can only be considered good. It''s just that the smell is not bad. We''ll have to try it later, won''t we?"

    After hearing Xiang Rongqing''s words, which were still aimed at him, Xiang Rongcheng could not scold him or scold him, he could only pretend that he did not hear anything. However, he still had to find out who instilled such thoughts into her sister''s ears. He was obviously a very obedient child, but why was his entire body covered in thorns when he faced her unknown sister-in-law?

    "Miss Rong Qing, Young Master Xiang, please come in, the two ladies are waiting for you inside."

    Lian Xing had long heard that Xiang Rongqing was always targeting Shi Anran, but after seeing him today, she knew that it was more than just targeting him. She was also a little worried in her heart, what if the young miss really gets wronged after marrying her?

    She was just a maid to begin with. If not for the young mistress'' promotion, how could she have such a good day? Hence, he blindly worshipped Shi Anran. He felt that whoever liked their Young Miss was a good person and whatever she did was right.

    After hearing Xiang Rongqing say that she despised the entire road, she more or less felt a little unhappy in her heart. But since the difference in status was this, it was fortunate that the distance to the dining hall was not that far, and would be reached in a short time. Lian Xing''s tone of voice was not as respectful as it was in the beginning.

    "Young Master Xiang, Miss Xiang." Seeing Xiang Rongcheng and his sister walk in, Shi Anran stood up, nodding slightly with a fake smile that resembled a mask, "Lunch is ready."

    Seeing her current state, Xiang Rongcheng felt that the smile on her face was truly annoying. Frowning, he looked at her but did not say a word.

    Shi Anran felt that his current appearance was somewhat funny and looked at him with interest.

    "Big brother, big brother."

    Xiang Rongqing called out a few times consecutively, but Xiang Rongcheng didn''t have any reaction. She once again thought that Shi Anran was using some trick to glare at her a few times, and blocked her way in front of Xiang Rongcheng, "Shi Anran, you''re just staring at a man like that, do you have any shame?"

    Seeing Xiang Rongqing like that, Xiang Rongcheng reached out and put her arm around her shoulders, "Rao Qing, don''t mess around, we are guests here."

    For the first time, Xiang Rongqing struggled free from Xiang Rongqing''s embrace, and said angrily, "I''m not messing around! Brother, I don''t want her to marry into our family! "

    Hearing Xiang Rongqing''s words, although Shi Anran did not reveal any expression on her face, she was secretly very satisfied. It would be good if she agreed, otherwise she would have to find a way to get Xiang Family to agree to annul the engagement, if she agreed right now, it would save her a lot of trouble.

    However, the three girls who followed behind Shi Anran did not think that way. After hearing her words, they looked at Xiang Rongqing furiously.

    Xiang Rongcheng was also shocked by Xiang Rongqing''s sudden words, he subconsciously looked towards Shi Anran''s direction, only to see that she did not seem to be abnormal like usual, and was immediately annoyed, frowning: "Rong Qing, stop messing around, just this one time, if you do not think about the consequences when you speak again, go and shut yourself up."

    This was probably the first time since she had become sensible that her brother had spoken such heavy words to her. Xiang Rongqing''s eyes immediately moistened, and he opened his mouth wide in disbelief, pointing towards Shi Anran''s direction. "Big Brother, you''re going to imprison me because of an outsider?" As he said that, Xiang Rongqing''s tears could not help but flow down uncontrollably.

    Seeing his sister losing control, Xiang Rongcheng became flustered and exasperated. Normally, although Xiang Rongqing was a little willful, but today she had gone too far! Xiang Rongcheng reached out and pressed Xiang Rongqing''s sleeping points, then lifted her up, "Anran, I''ll apologize for what happened today for Rong Qing.

    Shi Anran shook her head slightly, "It''s alright, Young Master Xiang should bring Miss Xiang back quickly."

    Xiang Rongcheng lowered his head to look at his little sister in his arms, but in the end, he still nodded and left.

    Seeing Xiang Rongcheng''s figure disappear, Liu Yue became extremely angry, "Miss, this young miss has gone too far, how can she say something like that? I think that this Young Master Xiang might not be a good person. Miss, let''s get Master to find a new house for you. Let''s keep this Xiang Family far away from us in the future. "

 C31

    Hearing Liu Yue''s words, Lian Xing could not help but nod her head with a face full of agreement.

    Looking at the two of them, Shi Anran couldn''t help but laugh and shake her head, "They are just unrelated people, why do you guys care so much?"

    Liu Yue clenched her small fists, "Miss, the main problem is that Miss Xiang has bullied us too much, do you really think that our Shi Clan is easy to offend?"

    Shi Anran knew that the two were worried about him, so she did not say anything more and nodded in consolation.

    "Alright, I have my own plans. Liu Yue will go to the kitchen to take a look, has Yi Yue cooked enough soup for me today?" Hearing their conversation, Shi Anran''s head started to ache, she found a reason to send them away.

    "Yes, this servant will go now." With the instructions, Liu Yue left.

    Looking at Yi Yue and Lian Xing who were standing at the side, Shi Anran waved her hand, "The two of you should also go down first.

    After they left, the room was completely silent. Shi Anran was a little tired, she sat on the chair with her hands behind her head, pretending to be asleep.

    She absentmindedly thought back to that night, reminding her of that child she could not meet in time.

    Shi Anran was in a trance, as though she was in a nightmare.

    Miss, the soup that Yi Yue made for you is ready.

    Liu Yue walked in from outside with a plate.

    He still had a smile on his face, "Miss, I just saw Lian Xing going to the kitchen, and said that she wanted to make you some snacks."

    As she said that, Liu Yue scooped a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Shi Anran, and said uncertainly.

    Shi Anran also realized that her body was a little weak recently, so she called Lian Xing over.

    "Lian Xing, who did you learn how to make this snack?" She didn''t know why, she was clearly very familiar with it, but she couldn''t remember, so she just started to eat it piece by piece. "Miss, is it delicious? This was taught to me by my mother when I was young. "

    Hearing Lian Xing''s words, Shi Anran''s hand that was holding the snack suddenly froze, "Your mother?"

    I don''t know if it was due to my mother''s influence, but ever since I was young, I also quite liked doing this. I always like to take a piece of dough and follow my mother''s example when she was cooking.

    That''s right, this feeling was something that had happened when her mother was born in her previous life. Could it be that Lian Xing''s mother was that missing chef back then? Then would the kitchen maid in Jian Jia Yuan be Lian Xing''s mother? Does Lian Xing know?

    A series of questions consecutively appeared in Shi Anran''s mind. "Lian Xing, where is your mother now?" Shi Anran laughed and asked, looking like she did not care at all.

    "My mother died when I was five years old," speaking up to here, Lian Xing''s tone was somewhat dejected, yet Shi Anran was still constantly calculating in her mind when Lian Xing was five years old. After all, a lot of things were the memories of his previous life, and she only had a general memory of it.

    No matter what, the time Lian Xing''s mother passed away coincided with the time that the chef went missing.

    Then who were those people in Jian Jia''s yard? Was Lian Xing being by her side arranged by someone, or was it just a coincidence?

    Shi Anran suddenly had the interest to investigate, and she also wanted to know, if it was really one person, then why did Jianjia Courtyard spend so much effort, was it really just to steal everything she liked? There was still something else.

    Thinking up to here, Shi Anran shook her head. Ever since her rebirth, she had always liked to think about things that were bad first, as if they were about to become a habit. But she really understood how terrifying the jealousy of Shi Anyi and her daughter was.

    "Lian Xing, let her go if she''s dead. Living is more important." Shi Anran uncertainly looked at Lian Xing, and spoke without thinking, no one knew who she was talking to.

    "Miss, your body has just recovered. Why don''t you go back and lie down?" Yi Yue moved closer to Shi Anran and asked.

    Shi Anran nodded and with Yi Yue''s accompanying, they headed to the bedroom.

    Only after closed the door did Shi Anran raise her hand and stroke her forehead, and her voice was somewhat low, "Yi Yue, do you think they are the same person? Or am I being overly concerned? "

    "Miss, I also feel that this matter is a little too mysterious, but I can''t guarantee it."

    As she spoke, Yi Yue supported Shi Anran and walked towards the bed, and even helped her pull the curtains.

    Just as he was about to walk out, he was stopped by Shi Anran.

    "Yi Yue, bring the two girls to the jewelry my father delivered a few days ago. The three of you have been serving me wholeheartedly."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s dispirited voice, Yi Yue nodded, "Yes."

    After Yi Yue left, and she was the only one left in the room, Shi Anran became even more sleepless, and fell on the bed in a daze.

    But with her current physical condition, her father might not agree. Forget it, it was better to take care of her body, and she still had to continue to curry favor with her father. As for the mother and daughter in Jian Jia''s courtyard, she did not plan to understand them for the time being, but of course, if they came in recklessly, it would be different.

    Although he wasn''t sleepy at the beginning, there were too many things on his mind. Soon, he fell asleep.

    On the other side, Xiang Rongcheng carried Xiang Rongqing and left, then sent a servant to brief Shi Yu on the situation.

    Shi Yu had always known that Xiang Rongcheng was a good person, but if Xiang Rongqing had always been this displeased with him, he would have to consider this marriage carefully. After the Madam had left, he had always felt that he owed his eldest daughter.

    After returning to the Xiang Residence and carrying Xiang Rongqing back to her room, Xiang Rongcheng finally reached out and opened her sleeping quarters.

    After moving around for a while, Xiang Rongqing glared at him and said, "Brother, I''m your sister, why are you continuously punishing me for an outsider these past few days?"

    Hearing Xiang Rongqing''s words of reprimand, Xiang Rongcheng was so angry that he became speechless, what do you mean by beating his retort, he had truly seen it today, "If you weren''t my younger sister, do you think you would be able to stand here safely? You Qing, I''ve told you before, Shi Anran is someone that I have my eyes on, and will be your sister-in-law in the future. What sort of opinion do you have towards her, or do you have about us marrying each other in the future?

    Ever since he was born, Xiang Rongcheng had said such heavy words twice because of Shi Anran, causing the discontent in his heart to become even bigger. However, he was afraid that if he really pissed her brother off and moved out, who would she cry with?

    Thinking about that, Xiang Rongqing decided to say something soft. She moved a few steps towards Xiang Rongcheng, carefully pulling at his clothes, and said softly, "Big brother, you know, I, I was afraid that you would get married in the future, so I didn''t care about me. Big brother, I бн"

    With that, Xiang Rongqing kept on thinking that because of Shi Anran''s continuous blowing of the wind by the pillow, he had become distant from her brother. Thinking of this, he could no longer hold back and started to cry loudly.

 C32

    Xiang Rongcheng was also a little helpless, he reached out and caressed her head, "Rong Qing, you are a big girl now, there will be someone who loves you more than your brother in the future. And, even if your brother marries Anran, there will still be another person who likes you, right?"

    However, Xiang Rongqing could not hear what Xiang Rongcheng was saying at all, and was crying even harder than before. Xiang Rongcheng held her in her arms, "Lian Qing, you are my sister. "Don''t worry, no matter what happens in the future, big brother will always love your little brother."

    Looking at his little sister who was crying so hard that she was out of breath, Xiang Rongcheng could only call Smoke Willow who was waiting outside to come in.

    "Go to the kitchen and bring me some pastries for the young lady."

    Smoke Willow looked at Xiang Rongqing who was crying non-stop, nodded her head, then turned and ran out.

    But this time, Xiang Rongqing was truly afraid. Even her usual sweet pastries were unable to heal her.

    Only after half an hour had passed did Xiang Rongqing finally stop crying, but her eyes were completely red and swollen.

    "Smoky Willow, get the kitchen to prepare lunch. Oh right, let them boil some porridge for Miss to simmer."

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Xiang Rongqing burped and said, "Don''t be so kind, go find your Anran, don''t worry about me."

    Yan Liu looked at this and then looked at that. She sighed lightly and said, "Young master, you should go back to your work first. You can leave the little miss to this servant."

    Xiang Rongcheng saw that his sister''s condition was still not too good, so he could only helplessly nod his head, "Alright, if you have anything to say, just call me. Take good care of your young miss, more or less, coax her to eat some food."

    After instructing Smoke Willow, Xiang Rongcheng turned her head towards Xiang Rongqing. He was just about to speak when she turned her head to the side, obviously not willing to pay attention to him.

    Xiang Rongcheng raised his hand to feel the tip of his nose, then turned and walked out.

    Seeing Xiang Rongcheng leave without even saying a word to her, Xiang Rongqing became angry in his heart. Just as he was about to continue crying, the willow tree squatted right in front of her, "Miss, don''t cry. Moreover, Miss, why do you have to go against Young Master? "

    "Why would he care about me? Ever since there was Shi Anran, my position had been snatched away by her. The most important woman in big brother''s heart, is no longer me. Xiang Rongqing laughed bitterly as a string of tears fell again.

    Seeing that her persuasion had no effect, YinLiu carried the pastries that she had just brought back from the kitchen. "Miss, this is something that has just been modified by Cook Wang. How about a taste?"

    Smelling the seductive fragrance, Xiang Rongqing''s mood improved a bit, as if she had thought of a plan all of a sudden, and nodded her head, "Smoke Willow, you''re right. I don''t want to make my brother unhappy because of that woman."

    Saying that, Xiang Rongqing used the handkerchief to wipe the tears off her face, Smoke Willow also nodded happily: "Young miss, if you really think like that, it''s really great, I''ll go get you some water." As she spoke, she ran out.

    "Miss, the temperature of the water is just right. Wash your face quickly, and I will help you apply the cold water on your face later. Otherwise, your eyes will definitely swell up tomorrow."

    Hearing what Smoky Willow said, Xiang Rongqing laughed and ruffled her hair, "I knew you were the best to me." However, because she had been crying for too long, her face seemed to be frozen and she felt very uncomfortable.

    "That''s right, Smoke Willow, go to the kitchen and tell them about the snacks you had at the Shi Manor today and see if they can make it."

    Although she had just cried over Shi Anran''s matter, she still did not forget her hobby. Hearing these words, Smoke Willow smiled and helped her wipe her face with a handkerchief.

    "This servant has been by Miss''s side for so long, how could I not know what Miss likes? When this servant went to the kitchen just now, I had already told Cook Wang and the others.

    Hearing what Smoke Willow said, Xiang Rongqing nodded her head in satisfaction, "My Smoke Willow is awesome. In the future, little miss will definitely help you choose a husband you love."

    Suddenly bringing up this topic, Yan Liu''s face flushed red as she stomped her feet. "Miss, please don''t tease this servant. This servant will go to the kitchen to see if lunch is ready."

    After the willow tree ran away, Xiang Rongqing who didn''t have any fun sat on the chair, picked up a piece of dessert and threw it into her mouth. After chewing it twice, she spitted it out.

    The famous cooks that she had spent a large amount of money to invite were all useless, they were not even comparable to the nameless cooks in Shi Anyi''s courtyard.

    Thinking about it, Xiang Rongqing felt even more greedy. In the past, when there was no comparison, she felt that the pastries made by the family''s chef could still barely be eaten, but now, after comparing them, she felt that she was really lucky in the past. She actually ate such a sweet and greasy thing with relish for so long, she sighed heavily, and stared at an unknown corner of the room with both hands holding her chin.

    "Miss, are these pastries not to your liking?" Smoke Willow who had just returned from the kitchen saw the residue that was spat out by Xiang Rongqing the moment she entered the door. She immediately became suspicious.

    After hearing what Smoky Willow said, Xiang Rongqing weakly waved her hand. "Don''t say anymore, today, I ate so much delicious food at big sister An Yi''s place. Now, I feel that it''s really hard to swallow."

    Looking at Xiang Rongqing who had an exaggerated puking expression, Smoke Willow smiled as she walked up and poured her a cup of water. "Miss, you have only stayed at Second Miss for an hour and you can''t take this anymore?"

    Sensing the mockery in Smoke Stub''s words, Xiang Rongqing unhappily tugged at her ears, "You damned brat, you dare to bully your young miss? See how I''ll punish you then."

    Yan Liu was happy to cooperate, so she pretended to be frightened. "Miss, Miss, this servant didn''t mean it. I beg Miss, please let me go."

    Xiang Rongcheng, who came to deliver a present to apologize to his sister, was standing outside the door. Hearing the conversation between the two, he could not help but frown, and did not knock on the door either.

    When he saw the pitiful begging look on Yan Liu''s face, he frowned even more. "Rao Qing, what are you doing?"

    "Big brother, let''s play here." With that, Xiang Rongqing remembered that she was still sulking. She turned her body around and ignored Xiang Rongcheng.

    When Smoke Willow saw him enter, she quickly put away her smile and bowed. Then, she stood there respectfully.

    "Yinliu, what did you say the young lady was doing?"

    Hearing the anger in Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Smoke Willow was surprised, but then she turned her head and blissfully said, "Young master, you misunderstood me, young miss was just messing around with the two servants."

    In the past few years, Xiang Rongcheng had been busy with outside matters, and wasn''t as attached to his sister as before. He didn''t know about the small fun between Xiang Rongqing and his master.

    When he thought about the past few times when his sister had seen Shi Anran, it was not because she had a nose but because she had a bad temper. In addition to what he had seen with his own eyes just now, he thought that his sister had been used by someone when he was being careless and was being spoiled.

 C33

    With a "whoosh", Xiang Rongqing stood up from the chair, "Enough Smoke Willow!" Saying that, she turned her head towards Xiang Rongcheng''s direction, "Anyway, in big brother''s heart, I''m that sort of mischievous girl, why would I bother explaining it to you?"

    Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Xiang Rongcheng was not stupid, he understood that he had been too rash, and actually misunderstood her, and blamed himself: "Rong Qing, I was wrong about you."

    "There''s no need for big brother to apologize, since big brother''s heart is entirely filled with Shi Anran, and always feels that Rong Qing is that kind of mischievous girl.

    In just a short span of half a day, she had already been misunderstood twice by her brother who had worshipped and trusted him since she was young. Xiang Rongqing felt her heart was stuck in place and even after opening her mouth several times, she still couldn''t finish her words.

    Xiang Rongcheng frowned, he glanced at the Smoke Willow, then grabbed her shoulders and anxiously said, "Rong Qing, I''m worried about you, all these years I wasn''t by your side, you are young and innocent, I''m afraid that someone will teach you ill."

    Xiang Rongqing stuck her head out from Yun Che''s embrace, "Big Brother, you''re not stupid enough to play scheming with others."

    "Yes, yes, yes. Rong Qing is the smartest girl in the world. Who said she was stupid? I will never forgive that person."

    After all, she was still a child. Xiang Rongcheng comforted her a little and then her smile blossomed again. She reached out her hand to pull the hook with Xiang Rongcheng''s.

    "Big brother, you said that you want to take me out to play, but even the willow can testify. You can''t act shameless."

    "Alright." Xiang Rongcheng nodded, extended his hand and scratched the tip of her nose, "Why would Big Brother lie to you? Eat quickly, and after you sleep for a while, Big Brother will bring you out. Where do you want to go?"

    "Then... "Rong Qing wants to go to the suburbs to ride with her brother."

    Hearing Xiang Rongqing''s words, Xiang Rongcheng nodded his head, "Alright, then let''s go to the outskirts to ride, quickly eat, Smoke Willow, go rush the kitchen."

    "Ah, this servant will go right away," Smoke Willow said as he retreated. After leaving Xiang Rongqing''s room, he quickly ran towards the kitchen.

    Eldest Young Master''s anger was really scary, but luckily, as long as Miss was acting like a spoiled child, saying a few soft words, he could vent his anger. All these years, how many times had he not been like this? It seems like бн If that young miss from Shi Family were to marry her in the future, she would suffer quite a bit.

    "Big brother, this is so cute."

    After the smoke willow disappeared, Xiang Rongcheng finally remembered that he was here to give Xiang Rongqing a present. He placed the box in his left hand into Xiang Rongqing''s hands.

    Receiving the gift, Xiang Rongqing couldn''t wait and opened the box. Inside was a little sugar doll, Xiang Rongqing immediately knew that it was made using her own appearance, she carefully picked it up and placed it on the side of her face, purposely asking coquettishly: "Big brother, who do you think is more cute among the two of us?"

    Xiang Rongcheng found it funny and rubbed the top of her head, "Silly girl, these two are you.

    Hearing the answer she wanted to hear, Xiang Rongqing smiled idiotically.

    "Alright, put it away for now. You need to eat more in a bit, otherwise, when you get to the suburbs, you''ll scream out that you''re hungry. I still have to buy food for you, you''ve troubled me quite a bit when you were young."

    Speaking of which, Xiang Rongqing stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, "Big Brother, don''t make fun of me, wasn''t that a little kid back then?"

    Xiang Rongcheng felt happy and somewhat uncomfortable seeing his sister who he had grown up with. He more or less understood why his sister was so against Shi Anran.

    "You still remember the incident when you were young."

    "How could I not remember?" Xiang Rongqing placed Little Sugar Man onto the table, and pouted. "Big brother, you keep bringing up such a shameful thing, even if I want to forget about it, I won''t be able to."

    That was a few years ago. At that time, Xiang Rongqing was only eight or nine years old and was born into a martial arts family. She loved to ride horses since she was young, and it just so happened that Xiang Rongcheng had to go to the suburbs to ride her horse.

    But Xiang Rongcheng had promised his brothers that he would go to the horse racing together, so he would obviously not allow Xiao Rong to go to such a dangerous occasion. He had originally wanted to persuade his to bring her back the next day, but in the end, he was unable to persuade Xiao Rong Qing, so Xiang Rongcheng could only compromise.

    Not long after they left the mansion, Xiao Rong smelled the fragrance that came from both sides of the road. Not long after they left the mansion, Xiao Rong smelled the fragrance that came from both sides of the road.

    Although Rong Qing wanted to eat it, she was worried that if she didn''t behave now, her brother would send her back immediately, so she could only endure it.

    When they arrived at the outskirts of the city, Xiang Rongcheng handed Rong Qing over to the nanny and a few guards. He and a few other brothers had agreed that the last place person on the horse would be treating him to a meal, and Xiao Rong had also heard it.

    "Nanny, Rong Qing is hungry." Xiang Rongcheng and the others hadn''t run for very long when Xiao Rong blinked her eyes as she rubbed her stomach and said that she was hungry.

    But Xiang Rongcheng had warned her before he left. After a great battle, she could only send a guard to look for Xiang Rongcheng and the others.

    The last group of people had not been able to enjoy themselves to their heart''s content. When they returned, Xiang Rong was still pitifully nestled in the nurse''s embrace, his eyes slightly red.

    Until now, every time Xiang Rongcheng''s brothers came over to play, or when everyone was out riding, they would tease her a little, "Sister Rong Qing, are you full today?" Little Sister Rong Qing, do you want me to buy some food for you? "

    "Big Brother, if you still laugh at me like that in the future, I''ll ignore you." After saying that, Xiang Rongqing pretended to be angry and turned her head away.

    "Alright, I''ll listen to you. Big brother won''t take this matter seriously anymore," while speaking, Smoke Willow also came back from the kitchen. "Young master, little miss, lunch is ready, are you coming over now?"

    Xiang Rongqing smiled and nodded, she turned her head and looked at Xiang Rongcheng who was standing there, "Big brother, have you eaten yet?"

    Seeing Xiang Rongcheng nod his head, Xiang Rongqing curled his lips a little disinterestedly, and went forward to take his arm, "Big Brother, you haven''t accompanied me to eat for a long time, I don''t care. You must accompany me today, eat a little more."

    "Alright, since that''s the case, big brother also feels a bit hungry. Let''s go."

    The brother and sister talked and laughed as they walked towards the dining hall. A few days ago, Xiang Rongqing had seen a lot of interesting things when she was looking at the records.

    Xiang Rongcheng scooped up a bowl of soup and placed it in front of her, "Here, drink some soup to moisten your throat.

    "Oh yeah, brother, there''s only the two of us this afternoon, right?"

    Hearing her ask that, Xiang Rongcheng knew that she was afraid that his group of brothers would make fun of her again. He smiled and nodded, "Yeah, just the two of us, Rong Qing is also a big girl, every time we go out riding, we have to wear a veil. It''s not convenient either."

    Xiang Rongqing nodded, she couldn''t wait for those people to not disturb her and Xiang Rongcheng''s time alone.

 C34

    "Alright, we''ve finished eating. Hurry up and go to sleep." As soon as she put down the chopsticks, Xiang Rongqing had already sent Xiang Rongqing back to her room without explanation. Before she left, he even specifically warned Yushu to look after the young miss.

    Smoke Willow was afraid of Xiang Rongcheng''s stern face the most. After receiving the orders, she agreed with a stern face, afraid that Xiang Rongcheng would be displeased and kick her out.

    "Big brother, don''t scare us like that." Lying on the bed, Xiang Rongqing rebuked.

    Xiang Rongcheng looked at her room a few more times, then turned and walked out.

    Smoke Willow sighed softly as she calculated in her heart. She didn''t know which of the two Miss Shi and Miss Rongqing were more important in the young master''s heart. Could Miss Rongqing be more important? After all, blood was thicker than water. It was impossible for her to be wrong to follow Miss Rongqing, but бн She couldn''t be too bad to Miss Shi in the future. If Miss Shi really married into her family, the relationship between master and servant would always make her suffer.

    Shi Anran laid on her bed and suddenly sneezed. She thought that she had caught a cold and thought that after he woke up, she would ask the kitchen to cook a bowl of ginger soup for her to expel the cold.

    "Miss, the old master sent someone over just now to tell you to make a trip to the front yard after you wake up." Not long after she woke up, Yi Yue knocked on the door and entered. Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran lightly nodded his head, "Do you know why my father called me in?"

    Yi Yue shook her head lightly, her expression emotionless, "This servant doesn''t know, it''s just that after this servant heard that Young Master and Miss Xiang had left, she sent a servant here to pass on a message."

    Shi Anran''s brows slightly knitted together. Was it related to the Xiang Family again?

    "Yi Yue, go to the kitchen and instruct them to prepare more food."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue nodded and helped her pull the curtains, "Your servant already gave the orders when the time is right, later you can go to the old master, the soup should be ready by now."

    Shi Anran nodded in satisfaction. She paused for a bit, and as if she had suddenly thought of something, Shi Anran took her hand and said in a deep voice, "Yi Yue, I know that you and Liu Yue have always treated me wholeheartedly, and I will be in charge of your marriage in the future. If you have a man you like, you must tell me in advance. In order to prevent the events of his previous life from happening again, Shi Anran had long ago reminded him.

    Yi Yue lowered her head, "I will follow young miss''s instructions."

    Shi Anran waved her hand, Yi Yue nodded and left, and then Liu Yue came in.

    Compared to Yi Yue''s depressing atmosphere, Liu Yue had much more to say. If Shi Anran''s mood was any better, she would happily tease her, and after the master and servant pair played around, Shi Anran ordered, "Alright, hurry up and dress up for me. I still have to go to the front courtyard."

    Just as he said that, Liu Yue became serious, "Yi Yue had even reminded me to quickly dress you up, do not let the old master become anxious, look at my brain, I was so happy that I forgot about it."

    Shi Anran did not respond. Her words were full of flattery, but even she did not see through it. The thing that happened in the past few days, was to teach Liu Yue a lesson. If he continued to indulge her in whatever she said, she would probably make a huge mistake.

    When everything was prepared, Yi Yue''s soup was also brought over. Looking at the large tray full of food, Shi Anran frowned, "Why is there so much?"

    "The kitchen has most likely prepared it for Master when they heard it. All of them put in great effort, wishing that they could bring out all of their skills."

    Listening to Liu Yue''s explanation, Shi Anran only shook her head lightly, "Let''s hurry up and go, don''t make daddy wait until he''s worried."

    The three master and servant walked towards the front of the courtyard, especially Yi Yue and Liu Yue, who were both holding large trays at the same time, had attracted the attention of others.

    Coincidentally, at this time, the front courtyard study room had also arrived. Looking at Wang Yuan who was still standing at the doorway like a pine tree, Shi Anran couldn''t help but recall her previous life and slightly suppressed the smile on her face.

    "Greetings, Eldest Miss."

    "Is my father inside?"

    The two of them spoke up at practically the same time. Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Wang Yuan was stunned for a moment, and then nodded his head, "The Old Master has already said that if Miss comes, you can enter immediately."

    Shi Anran smiled and nodded, she turned and looked at the two girls and said, "Give it to me, you two wait for me at the door."

    After saying that, she took the large tray, causing Yi Yue and Liu Yue to stumble back a few steps, "Miss, this tray is very heavy, how about you let Wang Yuan carry it in for you?"

    Seeing that Liu Yue''s eyes revealed worry, Shi Anran smiled and shook her head, "No need, it''s just a few steps, you guys have carried me all the way, so let me take the last few steps."

    The few of them were quietly bickering at the door, but Shi Yu heard all of them. Thinking that his daughter had suddenly grown up and became sensible, Shi Yu felt that his eyes were sore, and he further decided to persevere and think about his idea for the better part of the afternoon.

    Putting down the book in his hands, he walked out.

    "Master." Hearing the sound of the door opening and Wang Yuan''s not loud enough for them to hear, the three of them couldn''t help but stop what they were doing. The two little girls'' hands were inconvenient, they only slightly blessed their bodies, while Shi Anran walked up to them with a faint smile, "Father, did you call your daughter here for something?"

    Shi Yu patted the back of Shi Anran''s hand, and turned to look at Wang Yuan, "Help young miss bring this in. Yi Yue, the two of you should also leave for now.

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Yi Yue and Liu Yue placed the tray in their hands into Wang Yuan''s hands, blessed themselves with their bodies, and retreated.

    After Wang Yuan left, Shi Anran smiled sweetly and teased, "Father, my daughter originally wanted to show her filial piety in front of you. Now, all of the credit has been given to you and Wang Yuan."

    Looking at his eldest daughter''s innocent and naive appearance, Shi Yu felt as if he returned to the days before his wife passed away. He started laughing heartily, "How could my daughter do all these manual labor? Your father knows that Anran is a filial son. "

    Shi Anran smiled as she scooped up a bowl of soup for Shi Yu and placed it in front of him, "Father, try it, this was made by Yi Yue, her daughter is full of praise for her skills, no wonder she was able to stay in front of Father for such a long time despite her bored personality."

    Shi Yu nodded with satisfaction after taking a sip, and said: "Don''t underestimate this girl, Yi Yue is smart."

    Shi Yu did not say it out loud, but how could Shi Anran not understand? Although Yi Yue did not say it out loud, she already had a plan in her mind;

    "Oh right, dad, why did you send your daughter here today?"

    Seeing that his daughter''s mood had improved, Shi Yu suddenly didn''t know if he had made the right decision, and hesitated, not daring to speak.

    Seeing how preoccupied Shi Yu looked, Shi Anran''s heart was thumping hard. He couldn''t help but recall what had happened in his previous life at this time.

    "Anran, father has thought a lot today, do you have any feelings for Rong Cheng?" Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran naturally wanted to express her opinion immediately, but due to the fact that she was still unable to make sense of Shi Yu''s intentions, she said in a measured tone, "My daughter and Young Master Xiang have only met a few times, if we talk about feelings бн It seems too early. "

    These words were flawless, and not only did he not publicly refute the marriage her mother had arranged for her, he also kept a distance from Xiang Rongcheng.

 C35

    Hearing Shi Anran''s answer, Shi Yu seemed to have put down some heavy burden.

    "Dad, what''s going on?" Shi Anran asked tentatively.

    "Anran, your father has been thinking about it for a long time today. Even though Rong Cheng treats his sister extremely well, Rong Qing doesn''t like you. In fact, the few times we''ve met, he''s always been against you.

    Hearing that, Shi Anran''s heart suddenly jumped, she seemed to have guessed what her father would say next.

    She had even thought that after annulling the marriage with Xiang Family, her father would no longer dote on her like he did in his previous life, and he might even feel ashamed of her. But she didn''t expect that her father would actually bring up the matter of annulling the marriage.

    "Father also knows that this is not a good idea, but Anran, you have already lost your mother, Father cannot let you come here and lose the rest of your happiness."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran''s heart felt sour, his eyes also became moist, and his throat choked with sobs. "Father бн"

    "Anran, don''t cry, although this matter is not easy to handle, Father will make the decision for you." Shi Yu raised his hand to help Shi Anran wipe his tears, "Originally, this was just a thought, but after what you said today, father clearly knows that you do not have young master Xiang Family in your heart, and father will not make things difficult for you."

    "Your daughter won''t be troubled. Since father can consider your daughter until now, what your daughter does isn''t difficult at all." In his previous life, because she was determined to end the engagement, Shi Yu had ignored her. In this life, she was also a little disheartened and cold towards Shi Yu, she felt that in his eyes, her reputation was even more important than her daughter''s, but this time, Shi Yu''s words made her change her mind greatly.

    Shi Yu nodded his head in gratitude. Seeing Shi Anran like this, he knew that he had made the right decision, but he still warned Shi Anran not to say anything. After all, this matter had not been decided, or there would be other variables.

    After the father and daughter pair had adjusted their moods, only then did Shi Yu pick up his bowl and chopsticks to eat once more.

    "It''s been a long time since Anran gave father the ink." Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran smiled as she continued, "Then Anran will help father study it once more today."

    Shi Yu smiled and nodded. This could be counted as the first time the father and daughter pair had acted like this ever since Anran''s mother passed away.

    Because she had the memories of her previous life, Shi Anran had a unique understanding of many things. When Shi Yu was reading, Shi Anran also randomly picked one and started flipping through it.

    Suddenly, she remembered that in her previous life, about this time, a locust swarm had occurred in the south. Shi Anran raised her head and looked in the direction of Shi Yu, and immediately had a thought, she quietly put down the book in her hands and said: "Father, when daughter was reading a moment ago, she realized that there are a lot of methods to prevent and cure disasters."

    Shi Yu nodded his head lightly. After all, he was not interested in these things, so he did not answer.

    Shi Anran saw that her words did not attract Shi Yu''s attention, and became anxious. This was the key to pave the way for her father.

    She vaguely remembered that at this time in her previous life, although she had been grounded, she had heard that after the locust plague, the party opposing her father had proposed a countermeasure, and thus stood firm in the court.

    "But dad, your daughter feels that this method isn''t very good. Take this locust plague for example. Your daughter feels that it''s not practical enough, and your daughter feels that this should be the way it should be бн"

    Shi Anran''s mouth was a little dry, but Shi Yu merely responded from time to time, with no other reactions.

    Too much is too little.

    Shi Anran sighed lightly, but did not dare to bring it up again. After this matter truly happened, she would have to wait until it happened before she could come up with a plan, so as to not arouse her father''s suspicions.

    When he raised his head, he just happened to see Shi Anran sprawled on a table at the side in a bored manner. Shi Yu was dazed for a moment, his eldest daughter looked extremely like a madam, and especially so between her eyes, Shi Yu seemed to have possessed something, as he extended his hand out to stroke the spot where he was about to touch, and was pulled back by Shi Anran''s voice.

    "Dad, what''s wrong?" Seeing his daughter looking at him with a puzzled expression, Shi Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry and shook his head, "It''s nothing, Anran, if you''re tired, you can go back first. When dinner time comes, I''ll let Uncle Yang go call you."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran gently shook her head, went forward and grabbed his arm, and intimately said, "It just so happens that there''s nothing wrong, how about Anran play chess with father?"

    Shi Yu looked at her suspiciously, "When did you suddenly like playing chess? Why do I remember you disliking these things the most? "

    Shi Anran was stunned. She had forgotten that she was the last one to learn to play chess after being placed under house arrest in the crown prince''s mansion.

    "In the last few days, Mom had nothing better to do, so she liked to play chess with Anran. However, since Anran''s chess skills are not good, she can only play." Hearing Shi Anran''s explanation, Shi Yu nodded his head in understanding. At that time, when his wife was very sick, he was engaged in an intense battle with the other imperial parties, so he had no time to pay attention to the backyard.

    Thinking up to here, Shi Yu''s heart also felt a little heavy, and he nodded slightly. "Alright, father will see what level Anran''s chess skills are at."

    Sitting in front of the chess board, Shi Anran was a little nervous. Although she liked to sit in front of the board and enjoy herself, but she had always played by herself, and now that there was someone competing with her, her hands couldn''t help but perspire.

    Seeing that Shi Anran still had not played his chess piece, Shi Yu looked at her with some curiosity, "Anran, why aren''t you playing your chess piece?"

    Shi Anran intentionally blinked, "Father, you must let your daughter go, you must not let her lose too badly."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Shi Yu was both pampered and helpless, "If you make father satisfied, then I''ll quickly send you a present tomorrow."

    The corner of Shi Anran''s mouth quirked up in interest, "Since that''s the case, your daughter will definitely give it her all."

    As the father and daughter duo were happily killing each other on the chess board, the door was knocked. Shi Anran stood up somewhat impatiently, and just as she was about to go out to see who it was, she heard the Third Concubine''s voice sound out.

    Shi Anran turned around and glanced at her father, "Father, it''s Third Concubine."

    Shi Yu was also not deaf, so he naturally heard it too. He waved his hand impatiently, "Anran, come over here and sit. Your father will take a look outside."

    Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "Alright, daughter will be lazy, wait here for father." She suddenly thought of something and hesitantly raised her head, "Father, why don''t we let our daughter go to the back first, you should talk to Third Concubine."

    Seeing that his eldest daughter was so sensible, Shi Yu shook his head, "No need, I''ll go out and take a look, you can stay here for a while."

    With that, Shi Yu walked out with his hands behind his back.

    Shi Anran sat on a stool and turned her head to look at Shi Yu''s back. With the light behind her back, she seemed especially old, and her eyes moistened instantly. In her previous life, she had always misunderstood his father''s feelings towards her mother, so she had done so many unorthodox things.

 C36

    Shi Anran rubbed her eyes. Father, this time, your daughter will not disappoint you.

    Opening the door, looking at the Third Concubine outside who had lost control, Shi Yu frowned, "Are there any more rules?"

    Hearing his voice, the Third Concubine quietened down and adjusted the clothes on his body. "Master, it was this dog slave who stopped me from бн"

    "Enough," Before she could even speak, she was interrupted by Shi Yu. She impatiently frowned, "This is my decision, why do you still have to decide in the future?"

    Sensing the coldness in Shi Yu''s words, Third Concubine could not help but shiver, she retracted the insolence in her body, "Old master, I do not mean it that way."

    "Alright, if there''s nothing else, then leave. In the future, don''t come to the academy even if you have nothing else to do. Remember your own identity. Don''t force me to do anything that would make me lose my mind."

    After saying that, Shi Yu turned around and was about to walk inside, when Third Concubine quickly pulled on the corner of his clothes and spoke with a dismal tone.

    Before she finished speaking, Shi Yu ignored her and walked into the study.

    Looking at the door that was slowly closing before his eyes, a hint of madness flashed past Third Concubine''s eyes. His nails dug deep into his palms but he did not feel it.

    Seeing her like this, Wang Yuan suddenly felt a cold Qi emerging from the bottom of his feet, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

    "Dad, why are you back so soon?" Seeing that she returned so quickly, Shi Anran was a little surprised, but she heard all of his rebuke at the door.

    Shi Yu smiled as he walked in front of Shi Anran, "I never thought that Anran was also a lazy lass. Father had only been gone for a short while, and he was already lying on the table.

    Hearing Shi Yu''s teasing, Shi Anran blushed and shook her head, the bashfulness of her daughter was undoubtedly exposed.

    "You''re tired?" Seeing Shi Anran turn her head and yawn, Shi Yu thought that she had not slept well in the afternoon.

    Slightly shaking her head, Shi Anran walked forward and wrapped her arms around Shi Yu''s, "No, it''s just that father has been out for a while, and daughter feels bored, why not бн We''ll go for a walk in the backyard, and we''ll have dinner when we get back. "

    "Mm, that''s fine too."

    When the father and daughter pair pushed the door and left, not long after Third Concubine left, Wang Yuan was still standing in the courtyard, somewhat stunned.

    Seeing Shi Anran and the others come out, they opened their mouths a few times as if they had something to say, but in the end, they swallowed their words.

    However, Shi Anran did not see all of this. She thought to ask either Yi Yue or Liu Yue if they were to come over tomorrow to find out what exactly happened.

    "Anran, what''s wrong?" When Shi Yu saw her in a daze, he thought something was wrong and couldn''t help but call out to her.

    With Shi Yu''s voice calming her mind, Shi Anran smiled and shook her head, "Your daughter was just thinking about what to eat tonight. I''m a little hungry." As she spoke, she even rubbed her stomach.

    Seeing her cute and playful look, Shi Yu laughed out loud, "Alright, alright, if you want to eat something, just tell Uncle Yang, how can you cut Anran''s time?"

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Anran smiled and nodded, "Thank you father, let''s go out for a stroll."

    Wang Yuan stood in place, and looked at the backs of the father and daughter pair with a strange expression in his eyes.

    After eating dinner, Yi Yue and Liu Yue immediately came over as if they had a telepathic connection with her.

    On the way back, Shi Yu was not by his side, and Shi Anran was too lazy to act naive. He would frown from time to time, and kept thinking about why Third Concubine had come this afternoon.

    After returning to the Agarwood Courtyard, Shi Anran sent all the girls out of the room, leaving only Yi Yue and Liu Yue behind.

    "Miss, what happened to you tonight? Liu Yue couldn''t hold back the words in her heart. When there were only the three of them left in the room, she immediately asked.

    Shi Anran was not in a hurry to answer, seeing that Liu Yue was frowning, she finally opened her mouth: "Liu Yue, tomorrow you go find Wang Yuan and ask him what happened this afternoon when Third Concubine was going to the front courtyard."

    Hearing this, Liu Yue nodded, and said angrily, "This servant knows that every time Miss has a heavy load on her mind, it''s always because of Third Concubine."

    Seeing her indignant look, Shi Anran laughed, "I''m only suspecting that it might have something to do with the Third Concubine."

    Seeing her like this, Shi Anran smiled and said, "It''s fine, it''s just that when I''m going out for a stroll with Father this afternoon, I somehow felt that Wang Yuan had something to say to me, but I''m not sure either. I''ll let Liu Yue go scout tomorrow, we''ll talk about it later."

    Hearing her words, Yi Yue nodded her head, she did not say anything, but her expression turned serious, and the movements of his hands in brushing her hair did not slow down at all.

    "Miss, I still haven''t found any clues about that cook in Jian Jia Yuan. However, Third Concubine has protected her too well, which actually made me feel like there was something fishy about it."

    "Indeed, even if she went overboard, she wouldn''t make it in time. However, Third Concubine probably didn''t expect that I would have already detected her. Otherwise, based on her vigilant look, she definitely wouldn''t have acted this way." Looking at the him in the mirror, Shi Anran slightly curled the corner of her lips. This must be because the heavens couldn''t compare to the mother and daughter pair who had done all sorts of evil deeds, which allowed her to live a lifetime and reveal their true identities.

    Shi Anran raised her hand to stop Yi Yue from continuing to comb her hair, and Shi Anran took a comb from the side. She moved his hair to the side, tilted her head, and combed it a few times, "Right now, the manor is not very peaceful, and many people are the Third Concubine''s henchmen. I also want to comb this manor into my own people, but I still lack a comb."

    "This servant and this servant shall be the young miss''s allegiance." Yi Yue and Liu Yue lowered their heads at the same time and said in a low voice.

    Shi Anran was slightly moved as she put down the comb in her hands. She stood up and held both of their hands, "Since you two can say this, I will also do my best to protect your safety."

    Just when the three of them were hugging and opening their hearts, Jian Jia''s yard was filled with chaos.

    Looking at the group of little girls kneeling on the ground, Third Concubine''s face was filled with a dark fierceness. "Speak, who told you to do this?"

    The girls just kept shaking their heads, crying until they were out of breath.

    "Third Concubine, this servant was truly wronged!" Kneeling in the middle was a rather devilish looking girl, crying as she pleaded for mercy. Her slightly raised face looked especially pitiful as there were a few drops of tears on it.

    But it was precisely her words'' Third Concubine ''that stepped into the forbidden area, causing a shocking killing intent to burst out from Third Concubine''s face, "Shen Hong, drag this brat who doesn''t know when to stop, beat her until she admits defeat!"

    Hearing Third Concubine''s orders, Shen Hong nodded her head, and without batting an eye, she ordered a few servants to drag this girl out. Not long later, the sound of the little girl''s screams and the sound of the wooden stick hitting her body rang from outside, and even the few girls kneeling below could not help but shiver.

    After a while, the Third Concubine felt that the deterrence effect had been achieved, and felt that it had also become noisy. She got someone to stop the little girl from talking, and after a while, someone came in and said that she was breathless.

 C37

    Third Concubine nodded, "Go and take care of it." Looking at the girl below, the corner of his mouth slightly curled up, "If you still want to continue being stubborn, I don''t mind if someone comes to accompany her."

    When the girls heard this, they were so frightened that they stopped crying. They looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

    "Third Madam, we really don''t know."

    Seeing that the girls were still stubborn and the Third Concubine was about to be ruthless, Shen Hong came in from the outside and blessed himself, "Third Madam, Master has sent someone to ask you to come over."

    Hearing this, Third Concubine nodded and pointed to the few people below, "I will leave this place to you. When I return, I will definitely find out who ordered it."

    Shen Hong smiled and walked over, "Third Madam, you can go now. Leave this place to this servant."

    Watching as Third Concubine''s figure disappeared, Shen Hong kept up a straight face as she went back and forth between the few of them, "Our master is kind, so I can''t see any injuries on your bodies, but if I were to come, it wouldn''t be so easy to talk to them, whoever accepts first will suffer less."

    As she said that, Shen Hong used the stick in her hand to pick up a person''s chin, and made a few "tsk tsk" sounds, "Master is also very nice to you guys, how can you do this kind of thing? But do you think that the master behind you can fulfill your wish just because the seal is gone? "

    Just as she was full of energy from teaching Shen Hong, a little girl called Ru Nian ran in and whispered by her ear.

    "What?" Hearing Ru Nian''s words, Shen Hong opened her eyes wide in shock. She sensed that the few girls kneeling on the floor were all attracted by her surprised cries and berated them, causing Ru Nian to take a few steps forward, "Really?"

    Seeing Ru Nian''s serious expression, she felt a headache. She helplessly waved her hand, indicating Ru Nian to move her ear closer to her.

    You can''t let people know that the Madam misunderstood them, and that they were unlucky enough to be in charge of the seal. Go and secretly place the seal in the rooms of those girls, hide it well, and then I''ll send someone to look for it.

    Ru Nian nodded, then looked at the girls before running out.

    Ever since they entered, the maidservants felt that something was off. They kneeled on the floor and didn''t dare to make a sound.

    After running away for a year, Shen Hong had been walking around the house anxiously. She also knew the temper of the Third Concubine, if she found out that the seal of "Missing" was actually in her own cabinet, she would definitely vent her anger on her. Since that was the case, she might as well take care of these girls as soon as possible in hopes of bringing peace.

    After a long while, Ru Nian quietly made a hand gesture at the door, causing Shen Hong to have more confidence, "Are you guys not going to say?"

    Shen Hong was not the Third Concubine after all, so her deterrence towards the few girls was not that great. One of the girls, who was considered a favorite in front of the Third Concubine, bravely raised her head, "If we didn''t do it, then we didn''t. When we sisters were directly brought into the Palace by the Third Madam, there is naturally only one master, so who else can we betray?"

    Hearing that, Shen Hong''s mouth revealed a cold smile, "Someone, continue searching their room, I don''t believe that this seal can actually disappear without a trace, search around the corners more often."

    The moment Shen Hong gave the order, a few rough female servants walked into the room. The few girls saw the mysterious smile on Shen Hong''s lips, and for some reason, they felt that it was a little scary.

    Not long after, a few coarse mama ran back, holding a small wooden box in their hands. The girls felt their hearts thump as they thought about the series of events that happened after they ran away for over a year.

    Shen Hong took the wooden box and opened it to see the seal inside. She threw the box in front of them and coldly laughed, "The evidence is already here.

    Seeing that no one was talking, Shen Hong pointed to the two rough mama and said, "Drag them all out, and there will be a time to admit it."

    After hearing Shen Hong''s words, the little girl who had just come out of nowhere, broke free from her shackles with all her might, and asked: "Shen Hong, are you planning on using force to break the shackles?"

    "Heh heh, how can this be called giving in to a move? Now that we have the evidence, it was found in your room. The mastermind should be one of you, so we would rather kill a thousand wrongly than let one go.

    "Are you afraid? Do you think we don''t know what happened when you came in like a year ago? When people do what they are doing, the heavens are watching. Shen Hong, you will definitely have your retribution. "

    Hearing that, Shen Hong''s face changed, she shouted with all her might, "Capture them all out! "Beat him up until she admits to it!"

    Standing in the room, listening to the endless curses coming from outside, Shen Hong fiercely clenched her fists and said, "Stop talking so much that you can''t make a fuss about it in the middle of the night."

    Just as she finished speaking, Shi Anyi walked in from outside, "Have you found out what happened?"

    Seeing the impatience on her face, Shen Hong turned her body around and moved closer to her, "To reply Miss, I found this in the corner of a few girls'' rooms. It was hidden very well, and was almost run away by these little b * tches, but they are still unwilling to admit who the mastermind is."

    "In that case, let''s sell them all." Shi Anyi was a little disdainful, "Go find someone to find a few low grade fences to sell to, beating them to death would be too cheap."

    After all, Shen Hong had something on her mind, but she knew this young miss''s character, so she did not dare to refute, and could only bow her body and leave.

    Although Jian Jia Yuan was still filled with the Third Concubine himself, there was no wall in the world that was impervious to the wind.

    "Very good, Yi Yue, reward."

    After receiving the reward, the servant nodded the heavy, small bag in his hand and happily left.

    "Yi Yue, think of a way to mute him." Seeing the door that was slowly closing, Shi Anran wiped the smile off her face and ordered expressionlessly.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue lightly nodded her head, "This servant knows, then what about Third Concubine''s place?"

    "Didn''t she want to sell it to the gallows yard? Then just send someone to bribe this old procuress. Buy her back, tonight''s matter won''t be so simple, and бн Just with that seal, Third Concubine would not be acting in such a manner.

    "Miss''s words are reasonable, this servant also thinks that Third Concubine is making a big fuss today, but instead is a bit unusual, this seal seems to be just a primer."

    Seeing that Yi Yue was frowning and analyzing for her, and even understanding her meaning, Shi Anran nodded her head in satisfaction. With Yi Yue''s help, many things had saved her a lot of effort.

    "Miss, your servant will take my leave first."

    Shi Anran nodded slightly, "Mn, be careful."

    After Shen Hong walked out, he saw that the few little girls were lying on the ground, covered in blood. The corners of her mouth curled up, and just to be safe, she sent people to find a relatively distant place, which gave Yi Yue a good chance.

    By the time Third Concubine returned to Jian Jia Yuan, the girls had already been dragged away by an old horse carriage from the back door.

 C38

    "How is it?" Looking at her yawning daughter sitting on the chair, Third Concubine''s eyes showed pain, "Girl, if you''re tired, go sleep, why are you forcing yourself here?"

    Shi Anyi went into the inner room to wash her face and became more spirited, "I''m fine, Mother, why did Father call you over?"

    Third Concubine lightly patted her hand, "There''s no rush, let''s first talk about tonight''s matter. Is it over yet?"

    Shen Hong took two steps forward, and blessing her body, she said, "Third Madam, the seal was found in a few girls'' room, so it can''t be any clearer," as she spoke, Shen Hong took out the seal and placed it in Third Concubine''s hands.

    Looking at the seal in his hand, Third Concubine''s face darkened, she did not say anything, and raised her head to look at Shen Hong, only until Shen Hong''s forehead broke out in a cold sweat did Third Concubine retract her gaze and play with the seal in his hand, "Did you really search this place from the little girls'' rooms?"

    Hearing Third Concubine''s words, the heartbeat that Shen Hong had spent so much effort to recover suddenly started beating again.

    "In reply to Third Madam, I naturally found it in the girl''s room."

    Third Concubine looked at her with a smile that was not really a smile, "Alright, get up, where are the other girls?"

    "Mother, I allowed Shen Hong to sell those girls to the ticker fence courtyard," Before Shen Hong could say anything, Shi Anyi spoke up, "For these kinds of girls, killing them would be letting them off too easily, why not sell them to the low level fence courtyard? Only then would I suffer a fate worse than death."

    After hearing Shi Anyi''s words, the Third Concubine looked at her in disappointment, but in the end, she did not say anything.

    "Alright, you can leave first, tomorrow I''ll find someone to buy a few girls from, coincidentally young miss doesn''t have anyone close to her, so I''ll take this opportunity to buy two innocent ones."

    Shen Hong also noticed that Third Concubine seemed to be abnormal tonight, but she still obediently withdrew herself, the doubt in her heart did not dissipate one bit.

    "Mom, why do I feel like you didn''t finish your words earlier?" The moment Shen Hong went out, she frowned and asked.

    Third Concubine shook her head stiffly, "No, An Yi, you''re overthinking it. I just think that Shen Hong found this seal too easily, and I feel troubled."

    Hearing Third Concubine''s explanation, Shi Anyi did not suspect anymore, and laughed while nodding: "Maybe it''s just a blind cat meeting a dead mouse."

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Third Concubine still had a preoccupied look. Shi Anyi bit her lips and probed, "Mother, you still haven''t told me why Father called you over."

    Third Concubine walked over to the table, poured two cups of water and sighed, "What else could it be, it''s just a scolding."

    "Mother, I heard that that bitch Shi Anran was in father''s study in the afternoon. Could she have said something to father?

    Third Concubine slightly nodded her head, "I''m also worried that that''s the case. Ever since that bitch died, Shi Anran became harder and harder to control. I''ve been wondering if she knew something, but your father has been staring at Jian Jia Yuan these past few days, I don''t dare to do anything."

    Shi Anyi threw the cup in her hands out, causing the tea to splash all over the floor, "Dammit, if it wasn''t for her, how could I have such punishments? I only hate myself for failing to do it the first two times, I''m afraid that if she became wary, it would be even more difficult for us."

    "Alright, An Yi, you go back and sleep first. Mother will think of a way to discipline her. Your priority right now is to think carefully about how you can please Third Prince."

    Hearing Third Concubine''s words, Shi Anyi''s face revealed the shyness of a daughter, "Mother, I understand, I will rest first."

    Watching Shi Anyi''s retreating back, Third Concubine sank into deep thought.

    Shi Anran woke up early the next morning. She had had a nightmare all night, and after sleeping for a while at dawn, she was woken up by the nightmare.

    Wearing a set of clothes, he stood at the window position. In his mind, he couldn''t help but think about the disgusted faces of those people from his previous life, especially Shi Anyi and her daughter.

    Hearing that there was movement inside the house, Liu Yue and Lian Xing knocked on the door and walked in.

    "Miss, do you want to wash up now?" Liu Yue placed the pot on a shelf at the side, picked up a handkerchief, and walked to Shi Anran''s side and asked.

    "Mm, that''s fine too. Lian Xing, did you stew porridge this morning? "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Lian Xing smiled and nodded, "I''ve stewed it, but it''s still the lotus leaf congee from the day before."

    "The lotus leaf congee tastes pretty good. Bring more. I''ll go find dad for dinner later."

    Lian Xing nodded her head, "Then, this servant will go to the kitchen to have a look, it should be ready soon." Shi Anran nodded, Lian Xing then nodded and left.

    "Liu Yue, go and close the door, it''s a little cold," Shi Anran sat on the chair and looked in the mirror. A gust of cold wind blew past and she couldn''t help but shiver.

    Closing the door, Liu Yue walked to Shi Anran''s side and whispered, "Miss, Yi Yue went out last night. She isn''t back yet, and I don''t know what''s going on."

    Hearing the deep worry in Liu Yue''s tone, Shi Anran reached out and patted her shoulder, "I know, I''ve instructed her not to worry, she''ll be back in two days, but you must remember, if anyone asks, she definitely cannot reveal this."

    Liu Yue cautiously nodded her head, "This servant remembers. Miss, why should I hide this place from Lian Xing?"

    "There''s no need to intentionally hide it, you''ll know once you know," Shi Anran said as she took a jade hairpin and gestured it at her hair, "Try this one, okay?"

    Carefully taking off the original hairpin, Liu Yue sighed: "Miss, this servant still feels a little flustered." As she spoke, she fiddled with the hairpin in her hand, "Look, is that alright?"

    "Mm, that''s it."

    "Miss, this servant has already brought the porridge and prepared two side dishes," when Lian Xing returned from the kitchen, she was still strenuously carrying a tray, yet her face was filled with a smile.

    Seeing her strenuous appearance, Liu Yue immediately ran over to give her a hand. Shi Anran said, "Why are you so strenuous? Let Liu Yue be with you later, it just so happens that Liu Yue has nothing to do all day. "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue felt wronged, "Miss, how can you say that this servant has nothing better to do?!

    Lian Xing quickly pulled Liu Yue''s hand and explained, "Miss, actually, if not for Liu Yue giving a hand to this servant, this servant would not have done so many things."

    Seeing her sincere look, Liu Yue reached out and tapped her head, "Silly girl, young miss is joking with us."

    Hearing her words, Lian Xing looked at her, then looked at Shi Anran who was seated at the side. When she came into contact with Shi Anran''s faint smile, she somewhat embarrassedly reached out her hand to scratch her forehead, "Miss, I misunderstood you earlier, you бн"

    Just as Lian Xing was about to apologize, she was stopped by Shi Anran. She raised her head and looked at her, "Lian Xing, there''s no need to be so formal, although I''m the master and you''re servants, there are many times when I have to rely on you."

    "Miss, don''t talk about ''relying on'' your servant''s words. If it weren''t for you, your servant would still be an unknown, coarse servant girl. Where would the present comfort come from?" As soon as Shi Anran finished speaking, Lian Xing immediately waved her hand, her face filled with panic.

 C39

    Seeing her current state, Shi Anran no longer bothered to force her, and nodded. After all, their thoughts were different, and they should need some time to change their minds, "Whatever, if you''re sincere, I will naturally not treat you unfairly."

    "Alright, it''s about time. Father should have left the morning assembly already, right?" Liu Yue was standing very close to Shi Anran, so he naturally heard her mutterings.

    "Miss, according to the past time, we should head over now. Master should be back around this time."

    Hearing Liu Yue''s words, Shi Anran pondered for a moment before nodding her head. Previously, Liu Yue had waited on him in the front courtyard for a few years, so she naturally had an accurate grasp of the situation.

    As the three of them walked through the courtyard, they attracted a lot of attention.

    The main reason was because Shi Anran was too ordinary when his wife was still alive, she was just a little girl at that age. However, ever since his wife left, she had become even more favored by her master.

    Sensing the probing gazes from the people around, Shi Anran smiled slightly. She had enough confidence from her two lives'' worth of experience, but to cultivate a few more trusted aides from these people was not a bad idea.

    And for her future goal, she needed a confidant that wasn''t limited to the backyard, but taking care of a person also required strength. It was also troublesome for her, a daughter who lived in a deep room, to save up her wealth.

    Young miss, the old master has not returned, "the moment they walked to the front yard, Wang Yuan, who had done his duty, came over," However, the old master had ordered, if the young miss was here, we can wait at the back.

    Hearing Wang Yuan''s words, Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "That''s fine, otherwise, we would have escaped in vain. Liu Yue, Lian Xing and Lian Xing, please help me carry this tray to the back, we can return to the Agarwood Courtyard first."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue and Lian Xing looked at each other and could only nod their heads. After all, the front courtyard was considered to be the most important place in the palace, and they could not casually approach it.

    Looking at the straight and honest face of Wang Yuan, Shi Anran suddenly had an idea. In her previous life, Wang Yuan had died because of her, but in that other life, she could take him over to protect his wealth and fortune, which could be considered as repaying his kindness. But this time, she had to think of an excuse that was smooth enough, to prevent trouble from happening again in her previous life.

    "Miss, miss?" Hearing Liu Yue constantly calling her by her ear, Shi Anran finally regained her senses. She suspiciously glanced at her, and saw that Wang Yuan had been bowing the entire time, as if he had spoken to her about something.

    Seeing the confusion in Shi Anran''s eyes, Liu Yue thought that she was lost in thought again, and could only remind her softly, "Miss, Wang Yuan just said that this servant and Lian Xing cannot go in, and it would be better if they could help you bring it in."

    Hearing Liu Yue''s explanation, Shi Anran smiled and agreed, "Of course I can, I was careless just now."

    He then turned around to look at the two girls, "You two can go back first. If there''s anything else, I''ll send someone to look for you."

    The two girls handed the tray in their hands to Wang Yuan, blessed his body and then retreated.

    Wang Yuan also knew that he couldn''t send Shi Anran to the back alone, so he called for another girl who was waiting on her in the front yard to serve her.

    Just as she put down the things, Wang Yuan left. The rules were unmistakable. Shi Anran sat on the chair and waited for Shi Yu, bored out of her mind, but after waiting for a while, he still did not see him come back. She leaned on the table and napped, "Is my father back yet?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, the girl shook her head, she was also a little suspicious, "Reporting to the big miss, the old master has not come back yet."

    "What time is it?"

    "Reporting to young miss, it has already been a long time." Hearing that, Shi Anran frowned and stood up, feeling uneasy. It was well past morning, but her father had not yet returned. Knowing that she would come, Shi Yu would definitely not stay outside. This time, it was a little abnormal.

    "Wang Yuan, did my father send any news over?" After running a few steps forward, Shi Anran saw Wang Yuan who looked like a log on the ground.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Wang Yuan shook his head, "Reporting to Big Miss, Master did not send any news."

    After Shi Anran heard this, it was as if all the energy in her body was sucked out, she weakly took a few steps back, her mind a blank.

    "Wang Yuan, go out and find out what happened at the imperial court today."

    Looking at the heavy expression on Shi Anran''s face, Wang Yuan was a little suspicious.

    What he did not know was that in his previous life, Shi Yu did not return after leaving the imperial court, because he had been detained in the imperial palace. On that day, the crown prince was crippled, and the imperial court gave him a big cleaning.

    "Young miss, the old master had matters to attend to at the Imperial Court before and was late in returning to the Residence," Wang Yuan said as he turned his head to speak his mind before he left.

    Shi Anran waved her hand, her face also somewhat pale. "Go ahead and take a look, otherwise, I won''t be able to rest easy."

    Seeing her current state, Wang Yuan could only nod his head, cupping his hands and walking out.

    However, before he left the residence, he sent someone to inform the Agarwood Courtyard. He always felt that Eldest Miss''s reaction was to make a big fuss out of nothing.

    Not long later, Liu Yue and Lian Xing who had received the news came over and saw Shi Anran sitting dejectedly on a stone bench in the front courtyard. "Miss, the wind is blowing strongly outside.

    "Why are you two here?" Liu Yue''s voice suddenly sounded beside her ears, Shi Anran raised his head in shock, "Why are you not following the rules? "Hurry up and go back."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, the two young ladies resolutely shook their heads: "Young miss, the servants will not go in either, they will wait for you outside. You should go in and rest, the lord has not even dealt with the matters of the imperial court, the servants are not afraid of being punished."

    Shi Anran waved her hand weakly, "I''m not cold yet, I want to wait here for a while."

    Seeing Shi Anran insist, Lian Xing turned and looked at him, "Liu Yue, you stay here for now. I''ll go back and get Miss a cloak."

    "Mm, that''s fine too. Furthermore, the porridge that Miss has brought over in the morning should be cold already. Why don''t you go to the kitchen and have them boil it up a little more? "

    Lian Xing nodded her head and quickly ran in the direction of the Agarwood Courtyard.

    "Miss, Wang Yuan is back," Liu Yue stood by her side, and when she turned her head, she saw Wang Yuan rushing over, and couldn''t help but remind her.

    As expected, after hearing that, Shi Anran immediately stood up.

    "Subordinate бн" Before Wang Yuan could finish saluting, he was stopped by Shi Anran, "Is there any news?"

    Wang Yuan gently shook his head, "Reporting to First Miss, this subordinate went out to ask around. Not only is the Old Master not back yet, the rest of the officials also haven''t come back yet."

    Just as he finished speaking, Shi Anran took a few steps back, a little lost. Her face was filled with disbelief, but she still forced herself to calm down.

    "Something is not right... The time difference was too great. The locust disaster and the southern patrol had yet to happen. His current power shouldn''t change so much just because of her rebirth. He should just be thinking too much бн Wang Yuan also said that there was a similar situation previously, and I''m afraid it was only because of the official matters that were delayed. "

 C40

    Wang Yuan stood not far from Shi Anran, and could clearly hear her mutterings, the front was indeed blurry, but behind him, he heard his own name, and in his heart he was mumbling, why is the young miss so distracted today, and so abnormal?

    However, no matter how shocked he was, Wang Yuan''s face did not reveal a single thing as he respectfully stood in front of her.

    "I understand, I''ll wait here for a while longer. Wang Yuan, if my father comes back, you must send someone to inform me." Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Wang Yuan nodded, "Yes, young miss."

    Receiving his guarantee, Shi Anran heaved a sigh of relief, and turned around to look at Liu Yue, "Alright, you can go back for now, there won''t be anything else to do here."

    Liu Yue was still a little hesitant, but when she saw the determination on her face, she Blessed her body and walked back.

    Time continued to pass, but there was no movement from outside. Shi Anran could only force herself to remain calm.

    "Eldest Miss, Master is back." Suddenly, a knock on the door woke Shi Anran up. Hearing Wang Yuan''s voice, Shi Anran''s heart that had been hanging in the air all this time finally stopped.

    "Mm, alright, I understand."

    Just as he finished speaking, the door was pushed open, and Shi Yu was still dressed in his court uniform: "Anran, what''s wrong?"

    The moment he saw Shi Yu, Anran could no longer control his emotions. He ran forward and nestled into''s embrace, and couldn''t help but mutter under his breath, "Father, father бн"

    Ever since his wife had left, this eldest daughter had always given him the impression that she was an adult, giving him the impression that she was very sensible. When he saw the helpless her at first glance, he started to panic a little, "Anran, what''s wrong, did anyone bully you?"

    Shi Yu turned his gaze towards the little girl who was serving at the side. Under the pressure of Shi Yu''s gaze, the little girl could not help but ask, "Master, this servant does not know what happened to Eldest Miss."

    After a long while, Shi Anran managed to calm herself, and choked with sobs, "Father, your daughter is fine."

    "What is going on?" Shi Yu naturally did not believe her words, "Anran, you can tell this father about whatever grievances you have suffered, and this father will uphold justice for you."

    Shi Anran knew that her abnormality just now would definitely attract other people''s attention, and her mind was working extremely quickly.

    "Dad, your daughter really didn''t suffer any grievances. It''s just that this morning, you weren''t here, and you didn''t come back. Your daughter couldn''t help but think of the nightmare she had last night and couldn''t control herself. Now you''re making dad laugh."

    After saying that, Shi Anran lowered her head in embarrassment, her face also becoming a little red from shyness.

    "Haha, Father still hasn''t seen Anran''s wedding, and hasn''t seen Anran''s happiness, so sshe will naturally be fine, so Anran can relax," said Anran as he saw the tray on Shi Anran''s table, "Anran is planning to come over to have breakfast with Father?"

    Following Shi Yu''s hand, Shi Anran looked over, and Shi Anran nodded in embarrassment: "But it''s all cold, daughter, let the kitchen do it first."

    Seeing the guilt and apology on Shi Anran''s face, Shi Yu waved his hands, "What''s wrong with that? It''s good that it''s cold, in case it gets even hotter." As he said that, he pulled Shi Anran''s hand and walked towards the table.

    "Master, the Agarwood Academy sent someone to deliver this."

    Just as the father and daughter were about to sit down, Wang Yuan walked in with a new tray, and looked at the porridge that was still steaming hot. In Shi Anran''s mind, she suddenly recalled what Lian Xing and Liu Yue had said in the courtyard earlier, and accepted it with a smile, "Father, do the two girls in the daughter''s courtyard have to be rewarded?"

    Seeing that Shi Anran finally had a smile on her face, Shi Yu was naturally happy as well, "Of course, Wang Yuan, let Uncle Yang go to my private storage to take a look at some things to get my rewards. All the girls have a reward."

    "Then your daughter will thank father on behalf of the few girls," After saying that, Shi Anran stood up and blessed herself with her body, "Father, your daughter is currently eating with father everyday, Father cannot despise your daughter."

    Shi Yu reached out his hand and tapped her forehead, "You heartless little girl, when did father ever despise you?"

    Shi Anran turned her head away somewhat embarrassedly, "Father, you said it yourself. If you don''t like your daughter in the future, your daughter will not listen to you."

    With that, Shi Anran stood up and scooped up a bowl of porridge for Shi Yu and placed it in front of him.

    Seeing her mischievous look, Shi Yu laughed, and the father and daughter duo continued to chat and laugh as they ate. Shi Anran pretended to be indifferent, and asked: "Oh yes, father, why are you home so late today?"

    Hearing Shi Anran talk about this, Shi Yu''s face turned serious. She put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hands and asked, "Anran, Father has something to ask you. Last time in Father''s study room, you said something about how to cure the locust plague.

    Shi Anran nodded her head, looking a little embarrassed on the surface, "Does father think that my daughter is just fooling around like that, that was all her imagination the last time I was reading."

    "Originally, I shouldn''t tell you about this, but the locust disaster in the south is very strong for Anran right now. This is what His Majesty was talking about today, and even though father didn''t listen to all of your plans that day, he still thought that it was a good idea. Can you write it down and let father see?"

    "Dad, why are you and your daughter so polite? If it wasn''t for dad''s book, your daughter might not have had that kind of inspiration." As he said that, Shi Anran walked behind Shi Yu and helped massage her shoulders. "Father, since the matter of the imperial court is so tiring, don''t bother with your daughter anymore. When your daughter grows up, I can help you share your burden."

    "Father''s Anran has truly grown up. If your mother were to know about this, she would probably be happy, right?"

    "That''s right, father, the plague of locusts can be said to be very serious. If the emperor takes a fancy to father''s paper, will he make you go down south to manage the plague of locusts?"

    "Her Majesty''s thoughts are unpredictable, and Father doesn''t know either. Anran just needs to be happy, and stop worrying about such troublesome matters." Shi Yu patted the back of her hand. Although he was completely exhausted from the matters at the imperial court, in order to prevent his daughter from worrying, he still had a smile on his face.

    Shi Anran walked to his side and squatted down, "Father, are you still so distant from your daughter? Dad, you really can''t be so tired in the future, it''s just a big deal. In the worst case scenario, you can just let me help you manage things in the future, after all, I''ve grown up, right? "

    Originally, Shi Anran was only testing the waters, but she did not expect Shi Yu to agree so readily.

    "Father, are you really at ease leaving such an important matter to your daughter?"

    Shi Yu''s smile was a little ethereal, "Father''s Anran has indeed grown up, and the backyard is also very complicated. Your mother is no longer here, if you don''t learn how to manage the backyard, what should you do in the future? In the past, Father wanted to say something. It is time for Anran to learn how to protect herself. "

    The sudden great surprise caused Shi Anran to be unable to recover her senses. Only after a while did she manage to react, "Father, your daughter will definitely not disappoint you."

 C41

    "Wang Yuan''s martial arts are not bad, just let him stay by your side from now on. Otherwise, if you are still young, there will be people who will not be convinced by you."

    This was truly called "When you''re tired, someone comes and sends you a pillow". She was currently in a dilemma over how to pull Wang Yuan into her group to become her trusted aide, when her father had suggested it to her on his own accord. How could she not be happy?

    "Thank you, father. Your daughter will write down the method I thought of last time."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Shi Yu nodded, "Alright." Then, he turned around and instructed the servant girl to call Wang Yuan in.

    When Wang Yuan came in, he saw Shi Anran sitting in front of the table painting, Shi Yu went straight to the point, "In the future, young miss will also have to learn to be a butler, Wang Yuan, what I mean is that from now on, you will be by my side, your martial arts are strong, you are the best candidate, I will not force you, I will listen to your wishes."

    Wang Yuan stood in front of Shi Yu and did not say a word. After he finished speaking, Wang Yuan raised his head and said seriously, "Master, this subordinate is willing to be Miss''s guard."

    Hearing this, Shi Yu patted his shoulder, "Okay, you have to remember, in the future, your master will only have the First Miss as his master, everything must be done by her, can you do it?"

    "Yes, your subordinate vows to support Eldest Miss as the only master in the future and to protect her in every possible way. If there is a violation of this oath бн"

    Before he even finished speaking, he was interrupted by Shi Anran, "Alright, Wang Yuan, I believe in you. Since I''m your master in the future, I will definitely do my best to protect you two."

    Seeing the serious look on her eldest daughter''s face, Shi Yu suddenly felt that her daughter was acting more and more like a dead lady.

    "Dad, your daughter has finished writing. Your daughter has also specifically mentioned some things that she needs to take note of. Although there are some people who want to mess with you, your daughter doesn''t need to worry about that."

    Saying that, Shi Anran handed over the stack of papers in her hand to Shi Yu, and blessed himself, "Father, you must take care of your body, do not overwork yourself, your daughter will take her leave first."

    Shi Yu smiled and nodded, "It''s the same for Anran, don''t let daddy worry about you, take good care of your body."

    "Yes."

    Shi Anran had yet to return to the Agarwood Courtyard, but the news that the Old Master had decided to let the young miss take charge of the household and have Wang Yuan be her guard had spread throughout the entire journey. On the way back, all of the servants that he met respectfully bowed to her, and the looks in their eyes that they used to watch from the sidelines lessened.

    After hearing the news, Liu Yue and Lian Xing happily stood guard at the Agarwood Courtyard''s entrance, while Jian Jia Yuan was in a mess.

    "Mother, isn''t father slapping you in the face in plain, naked, and naked? What power does that bitch Shi Anran have to split your power? Mother, your daughter is unconvinced! " As she said this, she threw the row of porcelain pieces she was holding onto to the floor.

    Seeing that she was losing control, Third Concubine frowned, and became a bit agitated as well. Looking at her current state, her voice unconsciously became louder, and she berated angrily, "What''s the use of you throwing a tantrum here right now? Shi Anran already knows that she is holding power against me, and you only know how it is to get angry at me? "

    "Mother!" Shi Anyi stomped her feet in frustration, pushed Shen Hong who was about to support her away, and ran out.

    Third Concubine was also somewhat powerless as she sat in her chair. It was getting harder and harder to deal with Shi Anran now, not to mention that she had Wang Yuan by her side бн

    "Third Madam, this servant бн" Just as Shen Hong was about to say something, she was pushed by the Third Concubine once again. Because she was caught off guard and because the Third Concubine had used too much strength, she squatted on top of the broken pieces of the ground and couldn''t help but cry out from the pain.

    Third Concubine''s mind was immediately disturbed by her and she spoke with some impatience, "Can''t you see that I''m currently upset? "What are you shouting for!" After she finished speaking, she did not look at Shen Hong who had yet to recover from the pain and walked out cursing.

    Looking at her back figure, Shen Hong felt wronged, and her eyes turned red. She had no choice but to call Ru Nian in and help her out.

    "Sister Shen Hong, how did you do it? Why is there so much blood? "

    At this time, Shen Hong was already in so much pain that she had nearly lost consciousness. She didn''t even listen to the words that were in her ear for a year, and her lips also couldn''t help but tremble: "Ru Nian, quickly help me get back, like a year, like a year бн"

    After all, she was someone that Shen Hong had single-handedly lifted up, and to Ru Nian, Shen Hong was like a master and eldest sister. After seeing how much pain she was in, she didn''t dare be careless, and carefully helped her up, afraid that he would accidentally drag her wound into it, and the two of them walked out slowly step by step.

    Agarwood

    "Miss, you''re finally back. Should we celebrate a little tonight?" Upon seeing Shi Anran''s figure, Liu Yue went over and asked as if she was taking credit.

    Hearing Liu Yue''s words, Shi Anran shook her head: "I can''t wait, something has just happened in the south, and the imperial court is in a mess, we shouldn''t go and take the lead, furthermore, I am only helping the butler now, don''t spread your name too loudly, otherwise the people there will be even more resentful, and the road in the future will be difficult."

    Wang Yuan stood not far behind the three master and servants, and seeing how they were getting along with each other in a different way from the other master and servant, he was a little surprised, but when he heard Shi Anran''s logical words, he was even more surprised, he never thought that this young miss would actually have such intentions.

    Sensing the strange gazes from the people behind him, Shi Anran turned her head around, "What happened? Regret it? "

    She suddenly turned around, scaring Wang Yuan, "To reply young miss, this subordinate did not."

    After hearing Wang Yuan''s words, Shi Anran revealed a resolute smile, "Even if you go back on your words now, you still have to see if I agree or not."

    After he finished speaking, he no longer bothered with the astonishment on Wang Yuan''s face and Shi Anran directly walked into the courtyard, chatting and laughing with the two girls by her side.

    "Miss, you ate breakfast together with lunch today. Your body definitely won''t be able to take it. This servant will go to the kitchen and cook some more porridge for you, right?"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran shook her head, "There''s no need, Lian Xing, dad and I were pretty much done eating just now. Bring Wang Yuan to a room, I don''t need to worry about your matters."

    Hearing that, Liu Yue''s face immediately turned to one of resentment. She stared straight at Shi Anran and wanted to express her grievances, "Does Miss not believe this servant?"

    Shi Anran shook his head, she did not know if she should deny it or agree.

    Liu Yue felt even more wronged, she chased after Shi Anran into the house, and from afar, Wang Yuan could still hear her complaints floating over.

    "Is this how you usually get along with young mistresses?"

    Seeing the disbelief on Wang Yuan''s face, Lian Xing smiled and nodded, "Guard Wang, you''ll understand after you get along with the young miss for a while. The young miss is a very easy-going person, I don''t even know what good fortune I had in my previous life, to be able to meet such a good master in this life."

    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have readily agreed with his Master''s suggestion. At least in these short few times of interaction, he could really feel the kind of easygoing aura that was emitted from her body, but it wouldn''t cause anyone to forget about his identity. It was no wonder that a proud man like Eldest Young Master Xiang Family would be interested in their young miss.

    Wang Yuan nodded and said to Lian Xing who was beside him, "Indeed, First Miss is a good and rare master."

 C42

    Liu Yue ran and caught up with Shi Anran, "Miss, Yi Yue sent a message today, saying that it was done, and that you do not need to worry about her. She said that she will be back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

    Hearing Liu Yue''s words, Shi Anran stopped in her tracks, unable to conceal the joy on her face. "This is a good thing, Liu Yue, you should be at ease now."

    "Miss, you''re still talking about me!" Ever since Yi Yue went out, you haven''t been able to sleep well these few days, and your expression was rather ugly. If not for the powder on your face, I''m afraid that the old master would have to scold the servants. "

    Hearing Liu Yue''s words, Shi Anran gave her a sideways glance. She really did not expect her to display such an obvious reaction in the past few days, "You talk too much."

    After walking just two steps, Shi Anran suddenly remembered something, and turned to give an order: "Liu Yue, find Wang Yuan later and have him come find me. I forgot to instruct you about some things just now."

    Liu Yue smiled and nodded: "I understand, I''ll go over later."

    As they spoke, the master and servant returned to Shi Anran''s room. Liu Yue first waited for Shi Anran to change out of her clothes, then turned and walked out.

    Not long later, Liu Yue led Wang Yuan and walked in, but Lian Xing did not follow behind them.

    After all, she had been waiting by Shi Anran''s side for so long, without waiting for her to ask, Liu Yue smiled and blessed herself as she explained, "Miss, Lian Xing was still helping Wang Yuan clean the room, saying that after he is done, I will go to the kitchen to cook some porridge for you."

    Hearing that, Shi Anran nodded her head, and did not say anymore, and turned back to Wang Yuan.

    "Are you wondering what I called you here for?" As she spoke, without waiting for Wang Yuan to react, she continued speaking, "In the next few days, I''ve already thought of a way to make you my trusted aide. This backyard is dangerous, I can''t protect myself, and I do need someone like you by my side.

    "This subordinate is willing to follow Miss. As long as Miss doesn''t give this subordinate to anyone else, I have one master, and that''s Miss."

    Hearing Wang Yuan''s words, Shi Anran nodded her head in satisfaction, "Very good, then I will be direct. Liu Yue, go and close the door first."

    Seeing that the doors and windows were all closed, Shi Anran said, "There are not many people in my courtyard that are agreeable to me, Liu Yue and the others are all girls, so they are not suitable for me to reveal myself to the public, and will easily attract people''s attention. Your martial arts are not bad, and you are very attentive, so I can only entrust this matter to you."

    Taking the hot tea that Liu Yue had poured for her to moisturize her throat, Shi Anran continued to speak, "I plan to set up a shop outside, it would be best if it is a restaurant.

    The moment Shi Anran finished speaking, not only Wang Yuan, but even Liu Yue was a little surprised. She never thought that the young miss would have this kind of thought, and it was even something that was never revealed to her.

    Thinking about that, an additional injury appeared in Liu Yue''s eyes as she looked at Shi Anran, Shi Anran smiled and shook her head, "Actually, this idea has been in my mind for a long time, but I have never had the heart to help people, I even thought that I would give up on it, but today my father actually sent Wang Yuan over, adding that Yi Yue has progressed smoothly, I can''t support them for nothing, and I have to do some work for me."

    Shi Anran said these words to Liu Yue in order to let her understand her thoughts. She did not want to accept Qing Yan''s lecture again.

    "Miss, your subordinate does not know whether this matter will succeed or not, but I will definitely try my best and will definitely not disappoint you." Thinking about how Shi Anran valued him so much, Wang Yuan also felt that she had gained a bit more strength when she was doing things, so she cupped her hands, "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first."

    After Wang Yuan left, Shi Anran slightly closed her eyes as she constantly calculated in his heart just how much wealth she still had.

    "Liu Yue, help me calculate how much money I have in total, including the jewelry that my father gifted me. It should be enough for the initial operation of a shop."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue nodded her head, and went into the inner room to calculate. Shi Anran sat on the chair, and started thinking about what she should do next, which would allow him to earn the most silver in the shortest amount of time, as well as accumulate the most people''s connections.

    When Lian Xing returned from the kitchen, she was not done with her work. Lian Xing turned his body and said, "Miss, I got someone to cook the porridge for you, it will be done after a while."

    "En, go to the inner room and see how Liu Yue is still recovering. If not, give her a hand."

    "Yes, this servant will go now." Although Lian Xing was muttering to herself about what Liu Yue was doing in the private room, thinking about it, he could see it. She nodded and walked inside.

    With Lian Xing''s help, Liu Yue''s movements sped up. In half an incense''s time, two people walked out from the house. Liu Yue was still holding a stack of paper in her hands.

    She took the paper from his hands and flipped through a few pages. "Not bad, that''s more than I''d expected." He raised his head and looked at the confused face of Lianxin, then pointed to June, "Tell Lianxin what I plan to do, you all need to know what it is, and if you really work in the future, I will become a pauper for a long time.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue whispered into Lian Xing''s ear, and explained everything that Shi Anran had said to them in detail. After she finished speaking, Lian Xing nodded her head in realization, "Miss, no matter what you do, this servant will support you." As she spoke, she clenched her small fists to show her determination.

    Seeing her like this, Shi Anran couldn''t help but laugh.

    "Alright, I''ll depend on you guys from now on, let''s go out first. I just ate and I''m still a little tired, if anyone comes from Jian Jia Yuan, they have to wake me up, do you hear me?"

    "Yes, this servant understands." After the two little girls walked out, Shi Anran headed into the inner room, holding onto the list of materials that Liu Yue had just organized.

    She really didn''t think that her father would give her so many things in the past few days. If it wasn''t for that, her plan would have really come to an end. She sat on the bed and flipped through a few pages as her mind constantly tried to think of a way to take the first step.

    "Scram!" "Let me in, get out of my way, you bastards!"

    Just as Shi Anran was about to squint, she could hear the noise that was getting louder and louder outside. She didn''t need to guess to know that it was Shi Anyi who had come over to cause trouble.

    However, at the moment, she should thank Shi Anyi, since she caused such a ruckus, her sect head''s authority should be even more justified. Shi Anran sat up on the bed, and walked out.

    As soon as he opened the door, he saw that Lian Xing intended to knock on the door, but before Shi Anran could say anything, Lian Xing was the first to speak, "Miss, Second Miss is here. "Like a shrew."

    "Puchi" suddenly laughed, "Hmm, this description is really fitting, Liu Yue did well, but we are not in a rush, let her call for a while, there will naturally be someone to take care of her."

 C43

    As expected, before the two of them could reach the entrance, Third Concubine and Shi Anyi who heard the news immediately started pulling each other. Liu Yue just happened to see two people walking over and immediately ran to their side, "Miss, Third Concubine and Second Miss are arguing outside, it''s really too exciting."

    Shi Anran laughed, "Why isn''t there a proper form? Am I really too lenient? Should I give you some punishment? Waiting for Yi Yue to come back tomorrow, I must make her lock you up for two days. "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue could not help but wail, "Miss, please stop tormenting this servant, this servant will never offend you again."

    "Looking at your performance, what''s the situation outside now?"

    Once the topic of her interest was brought up, Liu Yue became interested once again. "Miss, it''s not that this servant is exaggerating outside, Third Concubine and Second Miss aren''t on good terms. This servant thinks that today''s matter will definitely spread to the Old Master''s ears."

    Hearing Liu Yue''s words, Shi Anran laughed, "It''s still not exciting enough, let them continue to argue, the most exciting part will be at the back. Liu Yue, remember, in half an incense''s time, you will open the gate."

    After Liu Yue heard her words, she was a little confused in the beginning, "Miss, why did you allow Second Miss and Third Concubine to enter? They will certainly make a scene. "

    Shi Anran shook his head coldly, "Lian Xing, explain it to this silly girl, in case you say that we bullied her."

    After receiving the orders, Lian Xing smiled and moved her head closer to Liu Yue, "Miss''s meaning is, even if Master hears the news, don''t say that Miss is rude, and Miss has just lied down, it is understandable that Second Miss and the others have not opened their doors for so long, but if Miss were to open them now, it is possible that Second Miss and the others would ruin the courtyard. Although Master will treat Miss with pity, and furthermore, Miss does not open the door now, Second Miss will feel even more angry."

    Listening to Lian Xing''s explanation, Liu Yue finally understood and nodded her head: "Miss is truly brilliant, why didn''t I think of that!"

    "Lian Xing, find a smarter girl to go outside and watch. If Third Concubine really has the heart to send someone to obstruct the news, let that girl think of a way to spread this matter to the front courtyard."

    Shi Anran left Liu Yue alone in that place, feeling extremely frustrated. She instructed Lian Xing coldly. Lian Xing accepted her orders, bowed lightly, and turned to leave.

    Today, he really should thank the mother and daughter pair. With this, he would be able to firmly control the power of the sect.

    Thinking of this, Shi Anran remained calm and collected on the surface, but in her heart, she was determined to win.

    Just as Shi Anran had expected, Third Concubine sent people to the front courtyard, but it did not have much effect. After all, in this family, the truth was that her father was the one in charge. Seeing that Shi Yu was walking in the direction of the Agarwood Courtyard with an unsightly expression, the little girl quickly went back to report.

    When Shi Yu rushed to the Agarwood Courtyard, Shi Anran had already sent someone to open the courtyard door, allowing the mother and daughter pair to enter.

    "Shi Anran, you slut! What right do you have to take away the power of my mother''s master? "

    The moment Shi Yu stepped into the courtyard, he heard Shi Anyi hoarsely cursing, without even a trace of a ladylike appearance, and although Shi Anran who was standing by the side was not lightly angered, she did not pay any attention to her.

    "Impudent, who gave you the guts?" Shi Yu''s expression was a little ugly, and even a little ashen. "Who gave you the right to speak to an elder sister like you? Are there any rules? Or could it be that this is the child raised by your Third Concubine? With that, Shi Yu pointed his finger at Third Concubine.

    A few rough envoys who were hidden in the shadows to watch the fun heard this and quickly walked out. Seeing the fierce look on Third Concubine''s face, they hesitated.

    "What is it? Did I say anything else about this family? If you don''t accept it, then get the hell out of my Shi Family gate! "

    Within a few breaths, the corner of Third Concubine''s mouth had traces of blood on it. Shi Anran walked over with small steps, blessed her body, and said in a deep voice, "Father, don''t be angry, Third Concubine has a lot of things that needs to be decided by Third Concubine, after all, there are a lot of things in the palace that need to be decided by Third Concubine."

    This was an obvious plea, but in reality, she was secretly criticizing Third Concubine, a concubine who held the authority in her hands. Hearing this, Shi Yu''s words were like adding fuel to fire, and just as she was about to say something, Shi Anran tugged on her sleeves, "Father, have you forgotten how you promised your daughter when we were at the front yard?"

    It was just that she felt that using twenty slaps from him now was not enough to beat her up with. She might as well wait until Shi Anyi got more and more angry with her father, then punish her several times, since Shi Anyi was her father''s flesh and blood after all, as long as it was not too excessive, she would definitely use the Third Concubine as a weapon. She only needed to watch by the side.

    "Alright, this time Anran is the one begging for mercy, I will let you go this once, both of you come into the house! Aren''t you ashamed of yourself? "

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran did not say a word, and supported him into the house. When they got there, he even turned her head to look at the mother and daughter pair who were in a sorry state.

    Shi Anyi, this is only just the beginning, it will only become more exciting in the future. I want you to repay what you owe me, and what you owe my mother, bit by bit.

    "Liu Yue, get some people to clean up the courtyard. Don''t make such a mess, Lian Xing, go make some tea."

    After instructing the two girls, Shi Anran turned and looked at Shi Yu, "Father, An Yi is still young, she should be slightly pampered by the Third Concubine, please do not be too angry later, her anger will hurt your body."

    When his wife was very ill, this eldest daughter''s smiling face was always few. He even thought that father and daughter would always be at a stalemate, but he never thought that after his eldest daughter left, their relationship improved by a lot. However, when he thought about his useless second daughter, he started to frown.

    Could it be that that shrewish woman''s appearance was purposely for him to see in the past? Thinking about it, Shi Yu frowned even more.

    However, when he saw his eldest daughter''s hopeful expression, he still patted the back of Shi Anran''s hand, telling her to calm down. "Anran, don''t worry.

    After Shi Anran heard this, she nodded with a slight smile. She stood by Shi Yu''s side quietly.

    "Speak, what happened?" After all the girls in the house left, Shi Yu finally opened his mouth.

    Actually, when Shi Anyi was in the courtyard, she was shocked by her angry roar. However, when she saw that Shi Anran was standing next to him with a smile on his face, she kneeled down, feeling that she was instantly a level lower than him, her face turned ugly once again.

 C44

    "Father, your daughter doesn''t have any other intentions. I just don''t understand why бн" Elder sister and mother are both housekeepers, did mother not do well enough? "

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Shi Yu''s expression turned a little cold, and the anger in her heart swept over as if overturning seas and rivers, and heavily placed the cup in her hand on the table. "What? Are you unhappy? Back then, if it wasn''t for Madam''s poor health, what authority do you think an aunt would have to run the household? Anran is the first elder sister to you, even if it''s the sect leader''s house, it would still be reasonable.

    It was fine as long as she didn''t have to hide it when she saw the situation, but because Shi Anyi had relied on the pampered him a little two years ago, and because she was jealous of the faint smile on Shi Anran''s face, she couldn''t help but speak in a flustered manner.

    "But dad, with Madam''s sickly body, how can she manage the household properly? If it wasn''t for my mother always by Madam''s side, how could the mistress'' housekeeper act so calmly? "

    When she finished speaking, Third Concubine suddenly felt as if her eyes had turned black, and she couldn''t even catch her breath. "An Yi, stop talking, shut up."

    Shi Anyi suddenly felt wronged. She was clearly speaking on behalf of her mother and not only did she not benefit, she had even scolded her mother. Shi Anyi felt bad inside as she turned her head to the side, feeling wronged in her heart.

    Hearing these words, Shi Yu''s lips trembled in anger. Although he also had two concubines, he still loved Madam. He immediately slapped the table fiercely, "Is this what a concubine like you should say? My lady? Mother? Shi Anyi, don''t forget, your mother is the only one! "It can only be Madam. If you don''t even understand the most basic of etiquette, don''t embarrass yourself in the future!"

    Shi Anran stood there like an outsider, not moving at all, as though she did not hear Shi Anyi''s words. She just stood there quietly.

    "Father, daughter бн" Shi Anyi still wanted to explain a little more.

    "Shut up, I don''t have such an outrageous daughter like you!" Just as Shi Anyi wanted to explain, she was interrupted by Shi Yu. Her face was ashen.

    After hearing Shi Yu''s reprimand, although Shi Anyi was a little unwilling, he did not dare to speak ill of her and could only place his gaze of hatred onto Shi Anran.

    When Shi Yu was seated on the chair, he naturally did the same thing. When he saw Shi Anyi''s actions, he suddenly regretted it, if not for his weak ears and two concubines, how could such a thing have happened today?

    Shi Anran hurriedly lifted the Tranquil Heart Tea by her side and placed it next to Shi Yu''s mouth, "Daddy, don''t be angry, little sister is still young, please don''t be angry with her."

    Shi Yu let out a heavy sigh and adjusted his emotions. "Anyi, do you think that once your aunt takes over the family''s rights, she''ll have the chance to become the legal wife?" What a joke! "There''s only one concubine in this mansion, and she''s a concubine. Even if your concubine is in charge, I can take back this power at any time. I can pamper your concubine, and similarly, I can bring one back from the outside and do the same thing!

    Although these words were said to Shi Anyi, every single word and sentence was said to the Third Concubine at the side.

    Seeing Shi Yu''s merciless look, Third Concubine was immediately paralyzed on the ground. She was not convinced, but in terms of her current situation, her resistance could only cause her to feel even more disgust. She could only lower her head, and the hatred in her heart only spread further.

    "Someone, come."

    Just as he finished speaking, Liu Yue and Lian Xing led the few old men who they had gotten their hands on into the courtyard and respectfully blessed themselves with their blessings.

    "Second Miss does not respect the Elders or the Mother. Let''s go to the temple to calm down for a few days. Third Concubine will pray for the Lady''s blessings in the ancestral hall."

    As he said that, he waved his hands, disregarding the mother and daughter pair''s struggle to escape, and let Liu Yue and the others command them to drag them down.

    "Father, your daughter doesn''t have much experience. Third Concubine has been in charge for a long time, and the people in the manor have their confidence too. How about бн"

    Before Shi Anran could finish her words, Shi Yu shook her head and said, "Daddy will find a mama to help you, but the rules cannot be broken, especially with An Yi. If she doesn''t repent and doesn''t change, then I''ll find a mama to teach her a lesson in a few days."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran could not continue to plead, and only smiled and nodded, "Daughter understands."

    "Yup, Anran, Leader can''t be too weak, and he can''t be too kind. If he deserves a punishment, then he has to be punished, and the rewards must be combined."

    Seeing that Shi Yu meant it for her good, Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "Father, don''t worry, your daughter will definitely not disappoint you."

    After sending Shi Yu away, Shi Anran called the two girls to his side, "Liu Yue, you and Lian Xing go and take note of everyone who can use this place. Oh right, Jian Jia Yuan also sent someone to count the number of people, and also brought all the books in the residence.

    Seeing the two girls happily heading off to work, Shi Anran sat there with a face as heavy as water, but in his heart, she was constantly calculating. Right now, her impression of Shi Anyi in her father''s heart had definitely plummeted.

    No, this was too easy for them. Catching a mouse was not like eating it in one bite. Watching a mouse struggle powerlessly in their palms was the most interesting thing.

    At this moment, there was no one in the room. Naturally, no one could see the usually calm and quiet, gentle, and virtuous Eldest Miss. At this moment, her eyes were as bloodthirsty as a demon.

    With the power of the sect master in his hand, he took care of Shi Anyi and her daughter. Yi Yue also received good news from her side, as three consecutive good things were thrown down to the table in an instant. When Shi Anran was eating at night, she even ate half a bowl more than usual.

    Lian Xing watched by the side, her face also brimming with a smile, "Miss, please urge this servant to make some more snacks for you."

    Hearing Lian Xing''s words, Shi Anran nodded her head, "Mn, alright, I will do it another day. I will send some over to father."

    After she finished speaking, Shi Anran lowered her head and continued to struggle with the red dates in her bowl. She actually did not like eating these, but in order to nurture her body, she forced herself to eat some nuts and drink some goat''s milk everyday. In these past few months, there had been a lot of changes.

    "Alright, you guys can go down first. We''ve been tired all day. Starting tomorrow, we''ll have a more difficult path ahead of us. We must take care of our bodies and recuperate."

    After drinking the goat''s milk and washing up, Shi Anran chased the two girls out to let them rest.

    Shi Anran sat on the bed, half kneeling on the ground, she helped her take her shoes and socks off, and also closed the window curtain. Only then did the two of them leave the room.

    Originally, she did not feel sleepy, but after lying on the bed for a long time, Shi Anran soon fell asleep.

    Yi Yue had rushed back after midnight, and carefully packed herself up without waking Liu Yue up. She just laid there, fully clothed, and entered slumber as well.

 C45

    On the second day, when Liu Yue woke up, in a daze, she saw a person lying on Yi Yue''s bed. For a moment, his mind did not come around, and only after he was dressed did he come to his senses.

    After she was sure that Yi Yue had returned, her mood immediately improved quite a bit, and her hands and feet also became lighter.

    However, after seeing the cyan in Yi Yue''s eyes, she decided not to disturb her sleep and tiptoed out.

    When woke up, Shi Anran also felt that there was something different about Liu Yue today. Her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of happiness, "What kind of happy event did you encounter? The corners of your mouth are almost reaching behind your ears. "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s teasing, it was rare for Liu Yue to not refute, but she still had a happy smile on her face. In her heart, she thought, young miss, when you see Yi Yue later, you will definitely be like this servant, laughing at me as much as you want, this servant will retaliate in a while.

    As he thought of this, the smile on his face did not stop. Instead, it became even more obvious.

    At this time, Lian Xing walked in with water in hand. Shi Anran glanced at Liu Yue: "Yi Yue is back?"

    Liu Yue opened her mouth wide, "Miss, how did you know?" Her young mistress'' foresight was truly godlike!

    It was not hard to guess from Shi Anran''s light smile that she was the only one who could make her so happy.

    "Miss, this servant will go to the kitchen first to see if breakfast is ready." With that, Liu Yue turned and walked out.

    The moment Liu Yue left, she could not help but burst out laughing, "Miss, did you see Liu Yue''s expression?"

    Shi Anran took the handkerchief that she passed over and slowly wiped it off without saying a word. She hadn''t finished speaking just now, and had immediately come over to her place when Yi Yue returned last night. Seeing that she wasn''t asleep, the two of them chatted for a while before she returned.

    Her mind was now on something else.

    "Oh right, Lian Xing, the stewards from the shop and the manor are coming over today. When the time comes, ask them to wait for me in the front hall.

    After saying that, her eyes became cold. Lian Xing, who was standing to the side, also stopped laughing when he saw her actions.

    Although her young miss looked easy to talk to, when her eyes turned cold, even Liu Yue, who had been playing hip-hop all day, would not dare to be rash.

    "Remember, as long as I''m not here, no one is allowed to leave. No matter how long it takes, they will have to wait."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue and Lian Xing both nodded their heads. Since their master did not say it, the two of them could sense that there was a problem with the account books.

    Even though Liu Yue was also being sold at such a young age, shshewas still a girl from the same generation as her father. Even though it couldn''t be said that she was filled with poetry, he recognized every single one of them.

    Shi Anran casually flipped open an account book, quickly browsing through it. She mumbled to herself, "The account book I made was really perfect."

    Shi Anran''s words, made the two little girls somewhat understand, "Miss, this servant does not understand." Isn''t perfection good?

    "Don''t you know that being too perfect is abnormal?" Shi Anran spoke faintly, seeing that the two of them still did not understand, she helplessly shook her head, "When the both of you are free, remember to listen and learn as much as you can. I do like your loyalty, but I have never needed useless people."

    Just this sentence alone made the two of them break out in cold sweat, and they lowered their heads in shame.

    The lesson of the young mistress was that their lives were too comfortable.

    Shi Anran looked at them who had their heads lowered without saying a word, and did not speak any further. What she said was the truth, her life in the past was too harsh, where would she have the leisure to raise useless people?

    She lowered her head to continue looking at the account book in her hands, but the more she looked at the messy account book, the angrier she got.

    "Lian Xing, go and get Wang Yuan."

    Shi Anran suddenly opened her mouth, scaring the two little girls who were talking to each other. Lian Xing quickly reacted and nodded her head, "Miss, this servant will go right now."

    Liu Yue quietly moved back behind Shi Anran, her eyes seemed to shine brightly, you could imagine how much anticipation she had for what was about to happen, "Miss, did you call Wang Yuan over to take this chance to beat up this manager?"

    Seeing her like this, Shi Anran raised the account book beside her and knocked on her head, "What are you thinking about all day, is it that you owe me a lesson again?"

    Seeing her like that, Liu Yue felt wronged and rubbed her forehead, "Miss, this servant will be beaten stupid by you."

    "It just so happens that if you are stupid, I will send you to the manor so that you won''t be wandering around in front of my eyes all day."

    "Miss бн"

    As the master and servant were talking and laughing, Lian Xing led Wang Yuan in.

    Shi Anran pointed to the chair in front of them, "Sit."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Wang Yuan was stunned for a moment, and then he waved his hand, her words became a little sloppy, "Miss, what is бн This subordinate will stand, just stand. "

    Shi Anran did not say anything, and just quietly looked at Wang Yuan. Not long later, Wang Yuan surrendered, and sat on the chair in front of Shi Anran.

    Seeing him like that, Shi Anran did not want to say anything anymore, in case she scared this capable subordinate out.

    On the contrary, Liu Yue was unable to stand seeing his reserved look. Walking to his back in large strides, she fiercely slapped his shoulder, forcing him to sit down.

    Shi Anran sat there and watched, a smile sweeping past her eyes, a little bit of skill in hand, as expected, a little girl was still useful.

    She never thought that the two girls that her father sent to her would actually be surprised at first, but they quickly regained their composure. There were many things that she needed someone with skill to take care of, with the two of them by her side, Shi Anran''s plan would be much more convenient.

    "Wang Yuan, do you know why I called you here today?"

    Shi Anran placed both her hands in front of her and said naturally on the surface. She picked up the cup of tea on the table and sipped from it at a leisurely pace.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Wang Yuan could only shake his head, "This subordinate does not know."

    Hearing this, Shi Anran nodded her head slightly, then casually picked up the account book on the table and threw it into Wang Yuan''s hands. It seemed to have been thrown so casually, but it accurately landed in Wang Yuan''s hands.

    This was exactly the kind of effect Shi Anran wanted. She had unknowingly put pressure on him, but she still maintained her composure, allowing them to freely guess and to be shocked.

    In fact, their guesses were wrong. Shi Anran Yi had only started to think that Wang Yuan might be able to use martial arts, even if she did not throw it accurately, Wang Yuan would still catch it, but who knew that it would happen so accurately in Wang Yuan''s hands before he could even react.

    Wang Yuan opened the account book and looked through the few pages. After all, he had been by Shi Yu''s side for a long time, so he had some ability.

    "Perfect, isn''t it?" Hearing Wang Yuan''s words, Shi Anran continued to speak, but the corners of her mouth revealed a mocking smile.

    Wang Yuan nodded his head hesitantly, "Yes, if we weren''t being careful with this account book, we would have been taken care of. I just don''t know what the Third Concubine''s clan head thinks of all this."

 C46

    Shi Anran smiled and shook her head, "Wang Yuan, are you pretending not to understand? You should be able to see how perfect this account book is. If there is no one behind you to tacitly approve it, it would not be to this extent, right? "

    As she said that, she seemed to be talking to herself, and couldn''t help but soften her voice, "Third Concubine was really smart, but if it wasn''t for that, I wouldn''t have been able to do anything, right?"

    Her voice was not loud, but Wang Yuan had heard everything, and at this time, he could only pretend that he did not hear. This kind of matter that involved the secret of the clan, the less the information, the better.

    "Wang Yuan, pick out a few reliable, smart, and unfamiliar people from the courtyard. Go to these stores and investigate what happened, and then get me to thoroughly investigate the background of these shops. The more detailed the better."

    After saying that, Shi Anran''s gaze turned towards Liu Yue who was at the side, "Go and get a few things for Wang Yuan to see and reward them. Oh right, Wang Yuan, if you tell them that it''s a success, I will naturally give them an even heavier reward."

    "Yes, your subordinate will go now."

    After chasing everyone out, Shi Anran started to prepare to open her own shop.

    And at this time, was forcefully being suppressed by him, while Shi Anyi, who was being kept in the temple, sat unhappily at the table, looking at the simple and crude food in anger.

    Shi Anran, it''s all because of that lowly person, Shi Anran! If only she knew earlier, she would have let Shi Anran and her unlucky mother die together. Only then would she be the only miss in the palace, and no one would look down on her anymore.

    Shi Anyi who was filled with jealousy, had an intense hatred burst out from her eyes, making the little girl beside him unable to continue eating. She could only carefully take a few steps back, in an attempt to avoid the anger of the Second Miss.

    However, what she did not know was that her seemingly ''I wish I could draw a clear line between myself and the Second Miss'', had even more so provoked Shi Anyi to such an extent that the chopsticks in her hand were snapped off instantly.

    "Pah!"

    Seeing the little girl who looked at her with a frightened face, the corner of Shi Anyi''s mouth curled into a crazy smile. Because she had used too much force to hit her just now, the center of her palm had become numb, but her heart felt extremely comfortable.

    "Second Miss, this servant doesn''t dare!"

    Hearing the little girl continuously kowtowing and begging for forgiveness, and that her forehead was oozing blood from kowtowing too fiercely, Shi Anyi did not have the slightest bit of mercy on her face, and instead became even more crazy.

    Seeing the food that was on the table, Shi Anyi''s heart felt more and more stuffed, and she lifted her hand to sweep all the food on the table to the ground. Such a loud noise naturally attracted the attention of the people Shi Yu sent to protect her.

    "Second Miss, is there something?"

    Hearing the meticulous words of the man in front of him, Shi Anyi smiled slightly, "Father truly angered me, and told me to come here and train, but she didn''t say that she would torture me. Wait, who allowed you to serve this kind of meal? Or are you really tired of living? "

    Seeing Shi Anyi being so arrogant, the bearded man took a deep breath and suppressed the flames in her heart, forcing herself not to be angry and not to forget her mission.

    "Yes, Second Miss, I will find someone to help you do it again. I will also send someone to report to my lord, so that everyone will not think that they treated Second Miss wrongly."

    Hearing the bearded man gritting her teeth, Shi Anyi laughed, "Are you threatening me?"

    Hearing this, the man with sideburns did not respond, he walked out without turning his head, leaving Shi Anyi alone in the hut.

    "Shi Anran, just you wait! I definitely won''t let you off that easily, you despicable person! "

    Shi Anran who was in the house suddenly sneezed twice, causing Lian Xing to ask anxiously, "Does Miss have a cold? This servant will cook a bowl of ginger water for you right now! "

    As he spoke, he turned and left.

    Shi Anran laughed bitterly. Why was she so nervous, she just sneezed, she did not feel cold at all, instead, she felt like she was being talked about behind her back.

    "Third Concubine and sister, which one of them is so concerned about me?" Shi Anran laughed, but that smile did not reach her eyes.

    Right now, the most important thing to do was to hurry up and clean up the accounts so that there wouldn''t be any worries and so that no one would know about the situation if they were intimidated by the stewards. Hmph, if they wanted to pull the wool out of her mouth, they would have to see if her silver pouch agreed or not.

    Miss, Wang Yuan is back. He said that he was prepared, and now it''s all up to you.

    Hearing Liu Yue''s words, Shi Anran nodded her head in satisfaction, "Alright, I understand. Tell Wang Yuan to be prepared as well."

    "Alright, there''s nothing else. Let''s go."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue obediently nodded her head, when she walked to the door, he suddenly thought of something, and returned to Shi Anran''s side, saying mysteriously: "Miss, today is a surprise!"

    To her surprise, Shi Anran only nodded, and didn''t seem to mind at all.

    Liu Yue was a little unwilling, but she still wanted to see the astonishment on Shi Anran''s face, so she could only endure and endure, turning her head back three times to move outside.

    When Liu Yue walked out and closed the door, Shi Anran couldn''t help but laugh. However, when she thought that Liu Yue had not gone far, she still forced herself to smile, and forced herself to focus on the account book in her hands.

    No wonder the Third Concubine didn''t resist this time, she was waiting for her here, looking at the messy account book in her hands, Shi Anran''s face became serious.

    "Miss, the Sect Leaders have been waiting for a long time. Do you want to take a look now?"

    Just as she put down her work, Lian Xing knocked on the door and walked in. For some reason, her face was red.

    Hearing Lian Xing''s words, Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "That''s fine, it''s time to look at them. Lian Xing will take these books and calculate."

    After Lian Xing finished speaking, she walked out of the room with the account book in her hands.

    When they first saw Shi Anran, the few managers scoffed at him. This kind of young miss, who was raised in a room, was not even close to them, so they did not need to be careful to fool him.

    Shi Anran sat in the seat of honor, because there was a curtain in front of her that blocked her from looking, Shi Anran did not need to worry about their expressions being seen, she could clearly see the expressions of the shopkeepers, understood in her heart, and remained calm on the surface.

    Just as they were about to start, Liu Yue and Yi Yue walked in. Liu Yue''s face had a little bit of satisfaction, but her eyes were staring straight at Shi Anran and Lian Xing, wanting to see some surprise from their faces.

    However, she miscalculated, the two of them looked very calm, even their eyes did not flash a look of surprise, and they even looked at Yi Yue calmly and smiled.

    Liu Yue was so shocked that her mouth gaped wide open, still unable to accept this result. Because she was too excited, she had also forgotten why the Yi Yue who had just woken up would know about today''s "settling accounts assembly".

    Shi Anran retracted her gaze. The moment she saw the astonishment on Liu Yue''s face, she couldn''t hold it in any longer.

    This girl, she would always be in this kind of situation. When she had time, she really needed to be taught a good lesson.

 C47

    She cleared her throat. "I don''t like to beat around the bush. Since father gave me this piece, I will definitely do it properly."

    "I''ve looked at this account book for the past two days. Although I don''t really understand the accounts, I can tell that it''s a perfect account book."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, the ridicule on the faces of the people below grew even more obvious. They couldn''t help but think how they should get more from this young miss at that time, other than being filial to Third Concubine, they must also go along with it.

    A bunch of idiots!

    Sensing the restlessness of the few people below him, Shi Anran laughed coldly for a while, and continued to speak, "However, it''s not impossible to find traces of it. Something that is perfect to the point of being excessive, can only mean that it''s concealing the dirtiness underneath! "

    "Eldest Miss, please don''t spout nonsense here. We brothers were personally chosen by the old master. Could it be that Eldest Miss is questioning the old master''s judgement?" Or could it be that the young miss really thinks that she can frame us brothers for these crimes just because of this? "

    The rest of the people were also filled with indignation. It was obvious that if Shi Anran didn''t give them an explanation today, they would never stop.

    "Manager Wang." Shi Anran ignored their clamoring and unexpectedly called out their names, "Shopkeeper Wang, according to this account, for the past few months, the pharmacy has always been unable to make ends meet, right?"

    Wang Shouchuan, who had been called out by name, nodded his head. "Indeed. Young Miss might not know this, but there are more and more pharmacies opening in the capital, especially the new ones. The competition is too intense."

    Hearing Manager Wang''s words, Shi Anran laughed and did not say anything.

    Seeing that Shi Anran did not speak, everyone thought that they had been intimidated, and looked at each other with tacit understanding.

    Ah, that''s not right. He should be making it up with reason. Liu Yue, do you think so?

    "Eldest Miss, what do you mean by that? If you don''t like us doing this, you can just say it, there''s no need to beat around the bush like that! "

    After hearing this, Shi Anran felt that she was about to be angered to the point of laughing, it really was Third Concubine who brought him out all by herself, the shamelessness and ability to lie without any shame was not bad, "Liu Yue, tell me what you saw in the pharmacy."

    "Yes."

    After hearing Shi Anran''s instructions, Liu Yue blessed her body and then said, "The location of the pharmacy is absolutely excellent. However, it definitely won''t affect you in such a big way. Besides, the business in the pharmacy isn''t as depressing as what Wang Shouchuan has said. "

    "If I really didn''t see it in advance today, I would have been fooled by this. Can''t I make ends meet?" You even need subsidies from the government? "Give me the gold and silver that you''ve swallowed, and then try to get something out of it. This matter will end here, but if you don''t know what''s good for you, don''t blame me for being rude."

    "Eldest Miss, you''re blaming us for our bad business in the pharmacy. It''s not something we can say. How can we blame it all on us?"

    "Lian Xing, give this account to these masters. If there is no solid evidence, they will not admit it."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s instructions, Lian Xing handed over the account books one by one. When a few managers saw the marks written in red, their expressions changed, and they no longer dared to underestimate this young miss, and just asked them to spit out the money they swallowed. How was that possible?

    Seeing the unwillingness on their faces and the looks between them, Shi Anran was not anxious at all, and patted her hands, "Lian Xing, give me more gifts for the Sect Leaders to go down as well."

    Picking up a tall stack of boxes from the table, Lian Xing accurately delivered them into everyone''s hands according to the color and pattern of the boxes.

    "Alright, let''s end it here for today. Everyone, go back and think about it. I don''t have much patience." With that, Shi Anran no longer bothered with their surprise and walked out from the back.

    It ended just like that? This was the first time seeing Shi Anran, and I don''t know how her personality was. Now that I have seen her leave, I also have to take my box and leave.

    Sitting in the carriage and looking at the beautiful box in his hands, one after another, he was unable to grasp Shi Anran''s temperament. Why else would he give them gifts?

    Manager Wang happily opened the box in his hand, but it was like a bolt from the blue. Wasn''t this his son''s jade pendant?

    When his son was three years old, he bought a jade pendant for a good price. After all these years, the jade pendant had never been taken off; could it be that his son had really been kidnapped by the eldest miss?

    Thinking of this, the emperor''s face turned blue. This was forcing him to vomit!

    But after so many years of living a life of squandering, where would there be money?

    Thinking of this, Manager Wang sighed. The remaining people couldn''t escape. They had still underestimated this girl.

    It was not that he did not want to report it to the yamen, it was they who had done the wrong thing first. If they were to be bitten by Shi Anran when the time came, the result would probably be the same.

    Thinking about this, Manager Wang could only sigh heavily. There was only one choice left for him to make, what else could he do?

    Even if he went to look for the Third Concubine, with such a huge mess, he was afraid that he wouldn''t be able to escape unscathed. He could only close his eyes and think about how he was going to raise money.

    "Miss, you did a good job with this move."

    The moment they left, Yi Yue smiled and gave Shi Anran a thumbs up. Shi Anran smiled, but remained calm and collected, "To deal with people like them, one should use this kind of crude method."

    Seeing her like this, the girls nodded their heads in succession and started to admire her even more.

    Liu Yue opened her mouth wide after realising what had happened. She looked at Yi Yue and then realized that she had been so excited for nothing.

    Thinking that she had been sneakily waiting to see them make a joke out of her, and not expecting them to make a joke out of her, Liu Yue stomped her feet, turned and ran out.

    As soon as Lian Xing saw that she was about to catch up, she puzzledly turned her head to look at Shi Anran. Shi Anran was in a good mood, so she told Yi Yue about everything that had happened today. In the end, she warned Yi Yue, "Although Liu Yue is a good person, her temper is unavoidably too impetuous.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue nodded her head seriously. She and Liu Yue were personally chosen by the old master to serve the young miss.

    As they spoke, the master and servant had already returned to the Agarwood Courtyard and closed the door. Only then did Shi Anran ask Yi Yue about what happened after she left this time.

    I bought the girls that were sold in Jian Jia''s courtyard back from the Third Concubine. At that time, in order to be safe, I sold them far away so I took some time to do so, but luckily I bought them all, and the girl that was beaten to death by the Third Concubine was actually thrown out alive as well. I was saved as well, and now that I bought a small courtyard in the outskirts and locked them up, the guard temporarily asked Wang Yuan for it, so it was rather reliable.

    Yi Yue reported all her gains during this period of time to Shi Anran in detail.

 C48

    Yi Yue took out a small cloth bag from her sleeve and placed it in front of Shi Anran, "On the way back, this servant still had some people check Lian Xing''s background and what I originally thought was true. She didn''t know that her mother was in Jian Jia''s courtyard, so she should be someone that can be used."

    There are a lot of things that I can only leave to Lian Xing and Liu Yue. If you have anything to do, it''s pretty diligent and clever, and since you said it like that, then I should set my heart at rest. You''ve been tired for so long, so you should rest properly in these few days.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue did not refuse. She smiled and nodded, she had not had a good rest these few days and was extremely tired.

    After receiving Shi Anran''s gift box, the manager did not dare to be careless anymore, and started to take out all the money she had dug up into her pockets one by one to make up for it. If she did not make up anything, she would temporarily detain them, take them back whenever they were needed, and after a thorough cleaning, the villas and shops outside would be replaced with reliable people.

    As for the ones that were devoured by the Third Concubine, she was confident that she would be able to make her spit it out.

    Ever since Shi Anran took over control of the household, she was sent by the Emperor to the south to manage the locust plague. But before Shi Yu left, in order to prevent his daughter from having to struggle so much, he beat around the bush at the mansion and even temporarily sent Uncle Yang to Shi Anran.

    However, Uncle Yang was still her father''s trusted aide after all. Shi Anran did not use Uncle Yang to carry out many of his tasks.

    After all, she was his own daughter. Before leaving, Shi Yu still brought Shi Anyi back from the temple, and even released the Third Concubine s along the way.

    In this one month''s time, the mother and daughter had also suffered enough, and both of them had lost a lot of weight. Shi Yu felt especially pained when he saw this, and from his own experience, he gave the mother and daughter a lot of supplements.

    "Anran, your father will be out for a few days, and I don''t know when this locust disaster will be cured, so I''m afraid that you might be exhausted if I pass the authority of the manor to your father. Since Third Concubine has some experience, let her help you out, don''t be too tired."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran nodded, and looked at Shi Yu with a face full of worry, "Father, compared to home, being outside is better. You must take good care of yourself."

    Shi Yu laughed and patted the back of Shi Anran''s hand, signalling to her not to worry, and gave the Third Concubine and the rest a few words of advice. Shi Yu then walked out with large strides, and set a time to set a departure for the imperial court, it was not something he could defy.

    After seeing Shi Yu walk far away, he thought about how he would no longer pretend to be the Third Concubine, who already had a falling out with his. He looked at Shi Anran with a smile that was not a smile, "Big Miss, you really have quite the might."

    "What is Third Concubine saying, Anran is just helping Mother with her business, but Third Concubine, after thinking about it in the Ancestral Hall for so long, did she still not remember to teach her a lesson?" When Shi Anran heard her words, she did not get angry at all.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, the Third Concubine glared viciously at her before walking out.

    "Miss, what do you plan to do with Third Concubine? What does old master want Third Concubine to continue helping you this time? "

    After Third Concubine walked out, Shi Anran followed along with Yi Yue as they walked out. When they reached a place with no one around, Shi Anran finally opened her mouth and asked softly.

    "Don''t you have confidence now? Yi Yue, my father is too soft-hearted in the end. " Shi Anran let out a cold sigh.

    Seeing Shi Anran''s expression, Yi Yue couldn''t help but remind her, "Miss, since the old master is soft-hearted, we can''t give him this chance."

    "I know, she caused me so much trouble, how could I let her go? Yi Yue, isn''t there a girl called Shen Hong in Jian Jia Courtyard? "

    "Mn, she was Third Concubine''s trusted aide before. I don''t know why, but Third Concubine alienated her a lot."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran laughed, "Third Concubine is restricted to the ancestral hall. Shen Hong is injured, and it is not light at all."

    With that, Shi Anran turned and looked at Yi Yue with a smile that was like a flower.

    Yi Yue was shocked by her rare smile and was startled.

    "Say, Yi Yue, is this considered as the chance the heavens have given me? If I don''t use this kind of person, who should I use? "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue laughed, "Miss is right, I was wrong just now."

    After returning to the Agarwood Courtyard, Shi Anran instructed Lian Xing. She gave some useless and tiring jobs to Third Concubine. As for the work on Shen Hong, Shi Anran believed that she would do it well.

    Nearly a month had passed and Yi Yue had not made any movements, so Shi Anran was not in a hurry either. She knew of Yi Yue''s abilities, so she was naturally not worried that she would ruin everything.

    "Yi Yue, why is the courtyard outside so chaotic? What happened? " That night, in the middle of the night, Shi Anran heard someone making a ruckus in the courtyard, and the sound was also becoming louder and louder.

    The doubt in her heart grew bigger, so Shi Anran could only put on a set of clothes and walked out.

    In the end, before she could even reach the door, Lian Xing saw Shi Anran''s room lighting up, knocking on the door and jogging in. There was a bit of excitement on her face, but also a bit of excitement.

    "Lian Xing, what''s going on?"

    Lian Xing repressed the excitement on her face, "Miss, the servants and Liu Yue found out that Shen Hong was stealing from Third Concubine''s side. A few trustworthy lass have gathered there, let''s see how she will escape this time. "

    "Yes." Hearing that, Shi Anran nodded her head in praise, "Come, let''s go take a look too."

    Lian Xing helped Shi Anran dress herself slightly, and the master and the servant then walked out one after another.

    Although this method wasn''t very honorable, he just needed to remember what happened in his previous life. How could Shen Hong help the evil? And Shi Anyi and her daughter. Shi Anran''s heart instantly turned cold when he was bullying her.

    "What''s going on?" When Shi Anran just entered the front hall of the Agarwood Courtyard, she saw Shen Hong and a chef in her courtyard. She knelt on the ground, her clothes in disarray, surrounded by a circle of people pointing fingers at him.

    "Miss, this is Shen Hong from Third Concubine''s courtyard. Just now, this servant couldn''t fall asleep, so I got up to stroll in the courtyard. Then I heard a sound coming from the courtyard, so I followed the sound and looked around.

    She didn''t finish the rest of her sentence, but as long as she had eyes, she would know what had happened.

    Hearing that, Shi Anran''s face immediately darkened, "Since Shen Hong is from Third Concubine''s courtyard, Liu Yue, then go to Jian Jia Yuan and invite Third Concubine over."

    Just as she finished speaking, Shen Hong pounced on her while crying: "Young miss, this servant knows my wrongs! Please don''t tell Third Concubine, I beg of you, this servant knows her wrongs! I won''t dare to do it again, I beg you! "

    As Shen Hong cried, she knocked her forehead against the ground with all her might. Not long after, the ground was dyed with a layer of blood.

    Seeing her painstakingly begging, Shi Anran did not say a word. She only waved her hands when she felt that it was about time.

    All of the girls in the room walked out, leaving only Yi Yue and Lian Xing, as well as Shen Hong who was kneeling on the ground.

    Liu Yue detected that Shi Anran was giving her a meaningful glance, and immediately walked over with Lian Xing to forcefully hold her back, not allowing her to continue knocking on the door.

 C49

    "Shen Hong, why do you think I should let you off so easily?" Shi Anran stood up from the chair, leisurely walked to Shen Hong''s side, and half squatted down as she whispered into her ear.

    That''s right, in the past, she had offered many schemes in front of the Third Concubine to frame the First Miss, but she had done it out of helplessness. If she did not do that, there would be someone else who would come, and furthermore, she had finally gained a bit of status in front of the Third Concubine, so how could she be willing to give up on the benefits at that time?

    Thinking about it, a look of despair flashed across Shen Hong''s face, but she still did not want to give up hope so simply, "Eldest Miss, please spare this servant, in the future, this servant will be your spy at Third Concubine''s side.

    After hearing that, Shi Anran''s face was expressionless, but she did not say anything bad, and nodded her head after a long while: "That''s not a bad idea, but Shen Hong, with your current position in Jian Jia Academy, why do you think I should believe you?

    After a long while, just when Shen Hong felt that there was no hope, Shi Anran then continued, "But it''s not impossible for me to let you go, I want you to help me do something, it''s just that I have yet to think about what it is."

    Upon hearing that she had the chance, Shen Hong hurriedly nodded her head to express her loyalty, "First Miss, don''t worry, this servant will definitely not disappoint you."

    After Shen Hong returned from the Agarwood Courtyard, she had lived a few days in fear. One reason was because of the wound on her head, and the other reason was because she had agreed to Shi Anran''s condition.

    However, her worries were unnecessary, there were already people in front of Third Concubine who suited her well. She was now a second class maid with the title of Eldest Servant, so no one was worried about her injuries.

    "Yi Yue, you''re too strong. Shen Hong actually did not sense anything." After Shen Hong left, Liu Yue couldn''t help but laugh out loud, and the gaze she looked at Yi Yue with was also filled with admiration.

    Seeing her current state, Yi Yue smiled and shook her head, "Actually, this is nothing much, it''s just taking advantage of the fact that Shen Hong doesn''t have any status in Jian Jia Yuan, and has been bored all day, I arranged for such a man who can help her solve her problems. Although his looks are not that outstanding, but his love for her is something that she has never experienced before, so going down is only a matter of time."

    "Yi Yue, you don''t have to be so modest. Really, when I first heard that you wanted to go out and stroll around the courtyard everyday, I did not understand what you mean. It was only after you gave me a general idea of what happened, and then I saw that Shen Hong clearly fell into a trap but did not know it. Just as Yi Yue finished speaking, Lian Xing also opened her mouth with her starry eyes.

    Yi Yue was embarrassed from being praised by the two. She sneaked a peek at Shi Anran and realized that although her young miss was still cold and indifferent, she was also looking at her with a rare smile.

    Immediately, Yi Yue lowered her head, embarrassed.

    Seeing the three girls having fun together, Shi Anran could only helplessly smile and shake her head, "Alright, everyone has worked hard these past few days, let''s go back and rest."

    Just when Shen Hong thought that Shi Anran had forgotten about her, Shi Anran received a letter from Shi Yu. Shi Anran knew that he had done a good job in the disaster relief south, and the Emperor also wanted to promote him. Furthermore, he mentioned the Third Concubine s a few times in the letter.

    "Yi Yue, my father has sent a letter, he will be back soon, and should make a move on Shen Hong as soon as possible."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue nodded her head, she had seen the change in Young Miss''s expression while reading the letter, and knew that she had met with some unhappiness.

    That night, Yi Yue invited Shen Hong to stay at the light spot of the fake mountain in the backyard.

    "What business do you have with me? If not, I will return to serve Third Madam." After all, no matter how bad Third Concubine was, she was still her master. But she did not know what she did wrong, so she was alienated by the Third Concubine, and all the useless trash in Jian Jia Yuan were happy to see her make a fool of herself.

    These days, her life wasn''t that easy. After a few moments of hesitation, she still decided to come.

    However, when she saw Yi Yue, she was already somewhat regretful, and anxiously wanted to return, so Yi Yue was not anxious.

    "Serving?" Do you really think I don''t know where you are? Shen Hong, you should know about Third Concubine. Do you think that you have so many shameful secrets from her, how long will she keep you inside? "

    Actually, Shen Hong had also thought about these things before, but she had always been trying to console herself. Now that Yi Yue had said it out so mercilessly, she collapsed a little and powerlessly retorted.

    "That won''t happen. I''ve been by Third Madam''s side for so long. Do you know her or do I know her?"

    Hearing Shen Hong''s own words, which were a little pale, Yi Yue did not refute her, but smiled at her.

    Yi Yue''s appearance made Shen Hong feel as if her privacy was being exposed, and she awkwardly hugged her head before squatting down.

    "I''m begging you, don''t force me, okay? We each serve his master, why are you being so aggressive?" Even if I betray the Third Concubine now, will she let me go? "

    Hearing Shen Hong''s words, Yi Yue smiled and shook her head, "Shen Hong, other than this matter, what do you think will happen if Third Concubine finds out? If old master finds out, what will happen to you? " Yi Yue''s tone was a little overbearing. "Have you forgotten whose small life you''re living?"

    Shen Hong said as her body shook, "But I don''t have any other choice. If Third Concubine knows, she will not let me go."

    "You don''t have to worry about that. After this is done, the young miss will not treat you unfairly. What else do you have to worry about?"

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shen Hong started to waver a little. She also wanted to live a good life, but she was afraid that she would not be able to live it out anymore by Third Concubine''s side, and furthermore, she didn''t even know how she had gotten into the Third Concubine''s disgust. Thinking about it, she stopped wandering around, stood up, and said, "Okay, tell me, what does Eldest Miss want me to do?"

    Yi Yue placed a small bottle into Shen Hong''s hands, "You should know what to do."

    With trembling hands holding onto the small porcelain bottle, Shen Hong nodded her head hesitantly, "I understand."

    Having obtained the desired result, Yi Yue no longer hesitated, and directly turned around and walked back, leaving Shen Hong alone, who was continuing to be conflicted.

    After Yi Yue returned, before sshe even had the chance to report to Shi Anran, he was mysteriously pulled back to their room, "Yi Yue, my good big sister, tell me quickly, what exactly are you planning to do with Shen Hong? I''ve been thinking about it for a long time, but still couldn''t come to a conclusion.

    Seeing Liu Yue like this, Yi Yue smiled and pointed at her head, "It''s useless to plan anything, I will listen to the young mistress. Don''t forget who our master is." While talking, Yi Yue couldn''t help but start lecturing her.

    Unexpectedly, Liu Yue was not convinced, she stomped her feet, turned and ran.

 C50

    Looking at her back view, Yi Yue helplessly smiled and walked out as well.

    Because she had been delayed by Liu Yue for a while, when she went to Shi Anran''s room, Shi Anran had already washed herself with Lian Xing''s help and was sitting on the bed, waiting for her.

    Yi Yue anxiously walked over and blessed herself with her body, "Young miss, everything is ready."

    "En, by the way, was she unwilling in the beginning?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue nodded her head, "It should be because she has gotten used to living a peaceful life these past two days, but she has forgotten, if this servant does not have complete confidence, how would I go so easily? Furthermore, if she was really that kind, why would she be invited? "

    "En, no matter what, the result is still good, and that is enough. Yi Yue, pay attention to Shen Hong, I am worried that she is not that obedient." Shi Anran instructed.

    Yi Yue nodded in agreement.

    had always known that Shi Anran should have some unknown secret, and could probably be considered a guide based on intuition. However, she did not think to inquire further.

    Miss, it''s late at night, you should go to sleep first, Shen Hong''s slave will also send people to monitor them, to prevent her from saying anything that she shouldn''t have said.

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran nodded, "When you do things, I always do not worry."

    After waiting on Shi Anran and her bed, Yi Yue and Lian Xing then left the room. Seeing that Lian Xing looked like she wanted to say something, but was hesitating, Yi Yue led her to the room with Yi Yue.

    The moment she pushed open the door, Yi Yue saw Liu Yue staring in her direction with a face full of anger.

    "What''s the matter now?"

    After hearing Yi Yue''s question, Liu Yue bravely turned her head to the side, but the corner of her eyes were still secretly sizing up Yi Yue and Lian Xing.

    Seeing her current state, Lian Xing could roughly guess what was going on. She walked over with a smile, "Liu Yue is actually angering Yi Yue and I so much that we''re getting close?"

    After hearing this, Liu Yue did not say anything, and only let out a "hmph" as a way to express her dissatisfaction.

    Yi Yue walked forward and tapped her forehead, "How old is this girl?

    "In the past, when I served you by Master''s side, you were always by my side."

    Seeing her current state, Yi Yue couldn''t help but laugh and shake his head, "Alright, I''m no longer a child, can I still accompany you for a lifetime?"

    "Liu Yue, I бн" Before Lian Xing could finish her words, Liu Yue turned her eyes away.

    She decided that if Lian Xing didn''t bribe her with some pastries, she would definitely ignore him.

    "Liu Yue, are you still angry at me? I, I didn''t do it on purpose бн" Lian Xing walked forward, gently pulled on Liu Yue''s sleeves and softly explained as her voice grew lower and lower.

    Seeing this situation, Yi Yue couldn''t help but reach out to touch her forehead. She had known Liu Yue for so long, how could she not understand his personality?

    "Lian Xing, you don''t have to be accustomed to her ailments, you are so greedy, looks like you have to let the young miss discipline you."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Liu Yue immediately became listless, she cupped her fists and looked at Yi Yue, "Big sister, please do not ever tell the young miss about this, otherwise, the young miss will definitely not forgive me." After the few girls chatted for a while, Yi Yue remembered that it was probably Liu Yue who was keeping watch today.

    "Aiya, Yi Yue, if you didn''t say it, I would have forgotten. I''m leaving first."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s reminder, Liu Yue slapped her own forehead, then hurriedly ran outside.

    After Liu Yue ran out, Lian Xing also followed and walked out, "Yi Yue, you rest first, I''ll be going back first."

    The next morning, Lian Xing woke up early and made several small plates of pastries for Shi Anran and Liu Yue. Then, Liu Yue stopped being "generous" and calmed down.

    Regarding the private matters of the three girls, Shi Anran did not care about them. Instead, she was somewhat envious of their friendship.

    But there was no news from Jian Jia Yuan for a few days, so Shi Anran and Yi Yue were not anxious at all, but Liu Yue was so anxious that there were a few bubbles in her mouth.

    Seeing her current state, Shi Anran could only ask Lian Xing to get a doctor, and gave her a few sets of antidotes. After the doctor left, Shi Anran reached out and tapped her forehead, "What a worried girl."

    Liu Yue felt wronged, but just as she was about to speak, she was stopped.

    "Alright, I know what you mean. If Shen Hong doesn''t have the brains to follow her orders, do you think I would let her go just like that? It''s just that she has other uses. "

    Seeing that Shi Anran didn''t seem to be joking, Liu Yue finally felt at ease and nodded her head. She wanted to force a smile, but because she accidentally pulled the bubble in her mouth, the pain made him grimace.

    "Alright, I''ll go back first. I''ll let Lian Xing find a clever girl in your room to protect you. You should get a good rest in the next few days."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue gratefully nodded her head.

    Shen Hong had not spread the news around, it was not because she had the guts to fight against Shi Anran, it was because her authority in Jian Jia Yuan was gone, although she looked like a maid on the surface, but in reality, she was not even as good as a second class maid.

    This was all thanks to her remaining prestige, otherwise, she would not have received such treatment.

    After recuperating for a few days, Shi Anyi had finally recuperated from her injuries. She was covered in oil and her complexion looked much better than when she was at the house temple.

    In this period of time, she was sitting in front of Third Concubine, and the mother and daughter pair were secretly plotting something, but Shen Hong''s current identity was so awkward that he couldn''t get close to her.

    "Mother, daughter heard that father is coming back soon, can we take advantage of when Father is still not back yet to take care of that lowly and despicable Shi Anran first?"

    "An Yi, you don''t understand Shi Anran at all. During the days when we, mother and daughter, were punished by your father, she had cleaned up the entire manor, and it''s not like the past anymore. It''s best if we don''t act rashly."

    Hearing Third Concubine''s words, Shi Anyi''s face revealed a little disdain. Her mother was good in everything, just that sometimes she was too cautious. She was just a Shi Anran, what was there to be afraid of?

    Thinking about it till this point, Shi Anyi decided that she would take care of Shi Anyi herself, and let her mother and father have a whole new level of respect for her.

    Seeing the happy expression that could not be hidden from Shi Anyi''s face, how could Third Concubine not know what she was thinking?

    However, he felt that persuading her now would be useless, so he might as well let her try. What if she really succeeds?

    Thinking about it here, Third Concubine''s face also gradually warmed up.

    Ru Nian who was just promoted to the Third Concubine was also chatting and laughing with them.

    Reaching such a happy state, Shen Hong tightly held the small porcelain bottle that Yi Yue had given her, and the cowardice in her heart all disappeared.

    "Originally, I did not wish to harm you. However, you brought this upon yourself."

    After taking another glance inside the house, Shen Hong carefully retreated. In fact, her current state was pretty good, at least it was quite convenient.

    She was well aware that in every alley in the courtyard, excavating the secrets of the Third Concubine would not be a difficult task.

 C51

    "Shen Hong, why are you here?" The moment Shen Hong stepped into the kitchen, the manager of the kitchen walked over and blocked her way.

    When she was red-eyed in front of the Third Concubine back then, every time he saw her, this manager would smile so much that he would flatter her. But what about now?

    However, no matter how angry she was, she wasn''t stupid enough to reveal her emotions.

    "What is it? "Master is just angry at me, so he doesn''t pay much attention to me these days. But in the end, I''m still the big girl in front of Master. Why is it that Mother Li, I can''t even enter the kitchen anymore?"

    Seeing Shen Hong like that, Li Ma became hesitant, Shen Hong''s words were reasonable, she did not dare try to stop him anymore, and could only allow him to enter.

    Actually, in these few days, every single one of them only received orders from the higher ups to rise up, but when Shen Hong was favored by the Third Concubine, their viciousness was deeply engraved in their hearts.

    When Li Ma was scared stiff by her, Shen Hong smiled, and walked towards the kitchen with big steps.

    "I came here today to help cook a pot of soup for our Third Madam. Do you usually cook this soup for her?"

    Hearing Shen Hong''s words, the other girls all shook their heads, seeing them like this, Shen Hong did not ask anymore questions, and called another girl to help.

    "You should also know Third Madam''s taste."

    As Shen Hong spoke, sshe casually plucked a few ingredients and sprinkled the medicinal powder between her fingernails into the seasoning. Then, taking advantage of when no one was looking, he pretended to walk towards the water jar at the side unintentionally and sprinkled all the remaining medicinal powder in the small porcelain bottle in her hand.

    Only then did he walk out with satisfaction.

    After Shen Hong left, the little girl who was called gave a blank look to Mother Li, "Mother Li бн"

    Seeing her like this, Mother Li waved her hand, "Alright, let''s do as she says."

    After walking out, Shen Hong looked back, and the corner of her mouth revealed a terrifying smile. Although she did not know what the medicinal powder was used for, as long as it could make Third Concubine uncomfortable, she would be very happy.

    She asked herself in her heart, when she was serving beside Third Concubine, she had never done anything that she felt guilty of. Now that she was being treated like this, how could she be willing?

    The Tang Third Concubine that she sent over drank it, but she did not feel the slightest discomfort. Shen Hong could not help but suspect that the young miss was testing out her sincerity, and was panicking all day.

    "Eldest Miss, the old master sent someone back to tell you that he will be back tomorrow."

    When Shi Anran was flipping through the account books, Uncle Yang came over. Hearing these words, Shi Anran''s heart became a little complicated, but her expression did not show it at all as she nodded with a smile, "Mn, got it, Lian Xing, send Uncle Yang out, and make some preparations for tomorrow from the manor."

    Receiving Shi Anran''s orders, Lian Xing turned around and led Uncle Yang out.

    When she walked to the door, Lian Xing stuffed a black bag into Uncle Yang''s hands, and said with a smile, "Our young miss has been worrying about the old master day and night, and has looked much more haggard than before. I''m afraid that even the old master cannot fully prepare for his return."

    After hearing Lian Xing''s words, she knew what to do. Laughing, she nodded her head, "Since that''s the case, then let Eldest Miss rest well, in case Master comes back tomorrow to worry about Eldest Miss."

    After saying that, Uncle Yang walked towards the front yard. Lian Xing had also been at the door watching Uncle Yang''s figure completely disappear into the distance, only then did he turn around to walk back, but unexpectedly, the moment he turned around, he discovered that there was actually another person standing behind her. Lian Xing was also shocked, and kept patting her chest with her hands, angrily rolling her eyes at Wang Yuan.

    "You scared me to death! Why don''t you move a little!"

    Hearing Lian Xing''s complaints, Wang Yuan did not speak either. Only when Lian Xing turned around and headed towards his room, did Wang Yuan stop her.

    "Is Eldest Miss not feeling well these two days?"

    Hearing Wang Yuan''s nonsense, Lian Xing was a little confused. It took him a while to react, he had said what she had said to Uncle Yang just now.

    He was even eavesdropping!

    Lian Xing was so angry that she had her hands on her waist like a teapot, "To think that I thought you were a gentleman, but I never thought that you were actually a petty person who liked to eavesdrop on other people''s conversation!"

    Wang Yuan also did not say anything, nor did he refute him, and just quietly allowed Lian Xing to bang his head on his head without stop.

    Only when Lian Xing had scolded enough and was gasping for breath, did Wang Yuan open his mouth once again, "Is the young miss sick?"

    Hearing Wang Yuan''s adamant words, Lian Xing helplessly rolled his eyes, and sighed, "I say, why are you so stubborn? Miss is in good health, what are you doing cursing Miss? "

    Seeing her like this, Wang Yuan finally understood the main problem, "Miss is fine."

    Thinking to this point, he did not say anything more. He turned around and jumped onto the roof, then hid himself.

    After returning to Shi Anran''s room, Lian Xing''s expression was still a little unhappy. Shi Anran knew her character, so he did not force her.

    Sure enough, not long later, Liu Yue couldn''t help but move to Lian Xing''s side and ask in a small voice.

    "Lian Xing, what''s wrong with you? Who made you angry? "

    After hearing what Liu Yue had said, Lian Xing finally found the person she was talking to and told them everything she knew.

    Shi Anran was sitting not far from the two of them, so she more or less understood what was going on.

    However, when he recalled that it was because of her in his previous life that Wang Yuan died such a wronged death, he frowned, what does Wang Yuan mean by this?

    It wasn''t that she was sentimental too much, but she was well aware of Wang Yuan''s habits. When he agreed to his father''s words and came to the Agarwood Courtyard, she already felt that something wasn''t right.

    If he continued to stay by her father''s side, after a few years, he would be able to get a position of an official. However, if he followed her, he would get nothing.

    Ye Zichen shook his head, then tried hard to get rid of the bad feelings in his head.

    Lian Xing and Liu Yue, who was standing behind her and talking softly, thought that Shi Anran had a headache again and hurriedly walked forward to support her.

    "Miss, you should go to the bed to rest first."

    Shi Anran turned her head suspiciously, just in time to see Liu Yue nod in agreement with a face full of worry.

    He couldn''t help but smile, "I''m fine, why should I lie on the bed?"

    "Miss, don''t hold back if you have a headache. Or else, this servant will go out and find a doctor to take a look for you."

    After saying that, Liu Yue was about to walk out. Shi Anran was truly helpless now, she called out to her coldly, "No need, I was just thinking about something just now. You, why can''t you be more steady?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue felt wronged, "Aren''t I also worried about young miss''s health?"

    Looking at her wronged expression, Shi Anran shook her head. This girl, she was really бн Unable to bear her sadness, she could only comfort Liu Yue with a few words.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue intentionally used a handkerchief to wipe her eyes, and laughed: "Young miss, this is the first time you are coaxing a servant like this."

    After saying that, she proudly raised her chin, looking very much like a mouse that had just finished stealing food.

 C52

    While they were talking, Yi Yue walked in with the medicinal food she made for Shi Anran. It was extremely pungent smell of herbs and Shi Anran could not help but wrinkle her nose: "How much longer do I have to eat?"

    "Soon, your servant will see that you''ve gotten better these past two days. Eat some more. When the lord comes back, you''ll be done."

    Shi Anran nodded, "Then let''s do it this way."

    After consuming the medicine, Shi Anran went to bed with the help of the few girls.

    Lian Xing squatted on the floor and helped her get her shoes and socks. Shi Anran moved her cute and round toes, then laid on the bed.

    "Miss, Uncle Yang has sent someone to say that Master has returned."

    In the afternoon, while Shi Anran was busy studying chess, Yi Yue walked in.

    Shi Anran stood up with a face full of surprise and surprise, "Really? It''s been a long time since I last saw father, speaking of it, I really do miss father." With that, Shi Anran stood up and was about to walk out.

    Seeing her so happy, Yi Yue suddenly could not bear to say the rest of her words, but now was not the time to hesitate.

    Just as Shi Anran was about to choose a dress, Yi Yue stood in front of her, "Miss, this servant hasn''t finished speaking."

    "Oh?" Shi Anran curiously raised her head and looked at Yi Yue.

    "When Master returned, he went straight to Third Concubine''s room in delight."

    Hearing that, Shi Anran''s face changed, "She went? "Why?"

    Yi Yue was a little hesitant, but after seeing Shi Anran''s persistent gaze, she still explained.

    "I heard from Shen Hong that Third Concubine secretly sent a message to Master last night. As for what it was, this servant does not know.

    "It''s none of your business. Since Third Concubine has been the host for so long, it''s only natural that she has some trusted aides. It was also my negligence."

    Putting down the clothes in her hands, Shi Anran no longer had the mood to dress up anymore, "Come, let''s go to Jian Jia Courtyard. I would like to see what kind of news could make my father so happy."

    With that, Shi Anran walked out of the room, Yi Yue quickly followed along, the current young miss''s entire body was filled with a vile aura, causing her to not dare to say anything.

    The moment he walked out of the Agarwood Courtyard, Shi Anran''s expression returned to normal.

    Looking at Jian Jia Yuan in front of him, Shi Anran suddenly remembered something, and said softly: "Yi Yue, could it be that Third Concubine suspected that she was pregnant and informed my father in a hurry?"

    Hearing her words, Yi Yue''s eyes lit up. That''s right, how could she have forgotten about that?

    "Old master, this concubine only suspects that I have it. I''ve yet to hire a doctor, and you should know that Eldest Young Miss seems to have some misconceptions about this concubine. She''s always бн"

    Just as they walked closer, the Third Concubine''s coquettish voice sounded. Shi Anran and Yi Yue couldn''t help but rub the goosebumps on their arms.

    Shi Anran now truly admired her father quite a bit, even he was able to listen to such a disgusting voice.

    And even though Third Concubine didn''t finish her words, all of them revealed to Shi Yu just how miserable she had been during the days he hadn''t been around.

    Shi Anran curled her lips, she was no longer in a hurry to go in, she was really curious about what kind of nonsense the Third Concubine would speak with her eyes wide open.

    Father, your daughter knows that she was wrong, and Aunt has been constantly lecturing your daughter these past few days. Father, don''t blame your aunt, after all, your elder sister is still an unmarried woman, so it''s not a big deal for her to show herself for the rest of the day.

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Shi Yu curiously raised his brows, "Wasn''t it your aunt who helped me before I left?"

    As soon as Shi Yu asked this, Shi Anyi looked at him with some difficulty, as if he did not know whether or not he should say it.

    "If you have anything to say, just say it."

    After hearing this, Shi Anyi felt like she had eaten a pill to calm herself, and said everything she had to say, "Father, you don''t know, big sister seems to be on guard against concubine at all times, and doesn''t let us get in front of her at all бн"

    "Alright, An Yi, let''s not talk about it. As long as your sister is happy, it doesn''t matter to me what kind of grievances I''ll suffer.

    Before Shi Anyi could finish her words, she was interrupted by the Third Concubine. However, she had said all that she wanted to say.

    Hearing that, Shi Yu frowned, and only after a long while did he speak, "There must be a misunderstanding. Anran is not that kind of person."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran felt that her heart had finally warmed up a little. She no longer hid herself and walked towards the house.

    Yi Yue took advantage of the moment when no one was looking, and opened the acupoints of the little girl who was guarding the door.

    The sudden appearance of Shi Anran shocked the mother and daughter of the Third Concubine. Shi Anran did not bother with the two of them and turned to Shi Yu, "My daughter heard that father is back, so she acted a little disrespectful and entered without waiting for a report."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Shi Yu smiled and reached out to touch her head, "Is this complaining that father hasn''t returned yet, to look for a little girl like you first?"

    "Un, there is one thing. Dad, you left for a long time this time. Your daughter really misses you."

    Hearing Shi Anran say that, Shi Yu''s eyes also turned red, "Foolish daughter, don''t you still have to leave your father in the future?"

    Seeing the father and daughter pair acting so happily, Shi Anyi clenched her fists in jealousy.

    "Oh right, Father, my daughter was outside just now. I heard the Third Concubine say that my daughter was suppressing her power and not letting it go? Every time this kind of account is sent to her daughter, her daughter would always have Yi Yue and the others personally deliver it to her. How did the atmosphere change when she came to the aunt''s place? "

    At the beginning, the reason the Third Concubine was so blatantly talking bad about Shi Anran with Shi Anyi was because she wanted to bury a thorn in Shi Yu''s heart. But who would have known, that it would actually be heard by Shi Anran, and she couldn''t think of anything else to say for a while.

    Shi Yu looked at Third Concubine with some suspicion, but when he thought about how Third Concubine should be pregnant, he reached out to pat Shi Anran''s hands, "Your aunt might be pregnant, and will inevitably be a little suspicious."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s reasoning, Shi Anran lowered her head. She naturally knew what her father was thinking right now; her father was only a son, and he was born from the second concubine. Since he was young, he wasn''t very close to them, and knowing that Third Concubine was pregnant, he would naturally be exceptionally happy.

    "Father, why don''t you call a doctor to come to the palace and have a look at Third Concubine. After all, we are not doctors, so we can''t let this happy event go for nothing."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, the Third Concubine felt uneasy for some reason. She kept having the feeling that Shi Anran had something bad going on, and so she rejected him subconsciously.

    Shi Yu frowned: "That''s fine too, let the doctor take a look, and it''ll be easier to confirm. What Anran said is right, they are not doctors, and my guess is wrong."

    "No, there''s no need, old master!"

    Sensing Shi Yu''s suspicious gaze, Third Concubine tried her best to squeeze out a smile, "Master, I mean, since you just came back today, it''s better for you to rest first. I''m not in a hurry."

    "It''s alright, Yi Yue, go and find a stable servant and ask for Doctor Li to come out."

 C53

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, the corner of Shi Anran''s lips curled. Today was truly exciting enough, he had originally wanted to let Third Concubine enjoy it for two days first, and the higher the praise, the more miserable his fall would be.

    However, since the blame was placed on her, how could she let them off so easily?

    You have to pay a price to remember.

    Not long later, Yi Yue led Doctor Li in, Yi Yue turned and said, "Master, Doctor Li has arrived."

    "This commoner greets Lord Shi."

    This time, Shi Anran and Shi Anyi had already retreated into the inner room. Pulling on the screen, Shi Anran''s fake smile made the Third Concubine feel goosebumps all over her body.

    However, Shi Yu was sitting right outside, so the mother and daughter duo didn''t dare to make any big movements.

    "Doctor Li, I''ll have to trouble you to check the Third Concubine''s pulse properly."

    When Yi Yue led Doctor Li closer, she specifically emphasized on the word "Aunt", to the point that Third Concubine''s face had turned ugly.

    Doctor Li gently placed his finger on Third Concubine''s wrist, and after a long while, he suspiciously opened his eyes, "Miss Yi Yue, Third Concubine''s body cannot be pregnant, how can she be pregnant?"

    Hearing Doctor Li''s words, the Third Concubine shook his body in disbelief. His voice was still trembling, "What do you mean by unable to conceive?"

    "It means that your body has been injured before, so it''s impossible for you to be pregnant again in this lifetime. Don''t you know that?"

    Shi Yu also walked in at this time, and just happened to hear Doctor Li''s words.

    "Impossible, two days ago, I was unable to eat due to vomiting. Furthermore, I have a wife in my courtyard who understands the nature of blood vessels, she has helped me take my pulse, you quack doctor!"

    Saying that, Third Concubine suddenly turned her head, just in time to see Shi Anran pursing her lips into a smile, her mind suddenly grabbed onto something, and frantically went forward to grab Shi Anran''s sleeves.

    "I knew it, it''s all you! You must have done something in there! Shi Anran, you bastard, human, why are you harming me like that! "

    With that, the hands of the Third Concubine started to move even more frantically. Yi Yue sensed the movements, and without caring about the master and servant pair, she immediately ran in and pulled the Third Concubine to the side.

    Shi Yu waved his hand, and Doctor Li respectfully bowed and walked out, while Uncle Yang led Doctor Li to the accounts room.

    "Enough, is this enough?!"

    As soon as Doctor Li left, Shi Yu slapped the screen open, "This is your own problem, who are you blaming all day! What did Anran do wrong? Li Ruomei, don''t forget that you''re just a concubine. Anran is my direct daughter, what right do you have to say this to her? "

    After hearing Shi Yu''s words, coupled with the fact that his wrist was tightly shackled by Yi Yue, Third Concubine finally regained some rationality, "Master, I''m really pregnant. If she and that doctor didn''t prepare a speech beforehand, how could I become a person that can''t get pregnant?"

    With that, Third Concubine extended her hand out and pointed in Shi Anran''s direction, her eyes filled with madness.

    Shi Yu did not have much patience for that, he called out a few rough grandpas and forcefully pulled Third Concubine away.

    "Third Concubine is a little crazy. From today onwards, let her think in Jian Jia Yuan. Anyi, don''t come here too often."

    As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Yu and Shi Anran walked out without waiting for them to resist.

    Before she left, Shi Anran turned around to take a look at Third Concubine, the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

    "Father, the Third Concubine should only be unwilling because she has been neglected recently, and did not truly want to frame her daughter. Don''t be angry, I just came back from the south, and you should rest for two days first."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Shi Yu smiled and nodded, "Since Anran is so obedient, Father will not be angry after hearing Anran''s words. Alright, Father will be going back first, Anran should also go back and rest."

    After sending Shi Yu off with his eyes, the smile on Shi Anran''s face instantly collapsed, "Yi Yue, go back."

    It wasn''t until they returned to the Agarwood Courtyard that Shi Anran smiled again. "Shen Hong has done this very cleanly."

    "That''s right, young miss, Third Concubine definitely did not expect that the pregnancy that she showed a few days ago was only because of those drugs. But young miss is still powerful, and was able to guess the reaction of the Third Concubine one by one."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran smiled and poured herself a cup of water. The reason he understood her so well was because she used her life in exchange.

    When she thought about what happened in her previous life, Shi Anran couldn''t help but remember the scissors Qingyan had given her before he died.

    "Miss, what''s wrong?"

    Yi Yue looked down and saw Shi Anran sitting there with a painful expression. She hurriedly squatted in front of her and raised her hand to touch her hand.

    "Miss, are you cold?"

    Shi Anran, who was still immersed in her own world, felt much better after being interrupted by Yi Yue, "It''s alright, it''s just that my stomach hurt a bit just now, but it''s fine now."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue did not doubt him at all and nodded her head, "Miss, I will help you rest first, I will go to the kitchen to cook some food for you."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran wanted to bite her tongue, why did she have nothing better to do than to say that she had a stomachache, wasn''t this just asking for trouble?

    Originally, she wanted to reject him, but Yi Yue simply did not give her the chance. After settling her down, she quickly ran out and could only accept her fate and lie on the bed. Forget it, she had eaten a lot, at worst, she would just think of another way.

    Originally, Shi Anran thought that she had slept enough, and couldn''t sleep at all for a while. However, not long after, she hugged her pillow and fell asleep.

    When Yi Yue returned with another pot of good soup, the moment she opened the bed curtain, and saw Shi Anran''s sweet-looking face, she did not have the heart to disturb her, and quietly left.

    However, she didn''t dare to leave his side, in case Shi Anran woke up with no one by his side to catch him.

    Thinking about it, Yi Yue called for the two girls. She went to her room to get a sewing box and prepared to embroider a handkerchief for Shi Anran.

    When Shi Anran woke up, the handkerchief in her hand was almost finished.

    "Yi Yue, do you know how to fight? I want one of those colored lines. "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue smiled and nodded, "Although this servant has never done it, I have seen this mama do it before, so I can give it a try."

    Shi Anran nodded, she still believed in Yi Yue''s culinary skills.

    However, upon hearing her say that there was medicine cooking on the furnace, Shi Anran could not help but frown.

    "Miss, have you forgotten what you looked like when you came back from Jian Jia Yuan?"

    Yi Yue placed the thing in her hand on a stool, and stared straight at Shi Anran, and said seriously.

    Hearing this, Shi Anran''s nose turned sour, the feeling of being cared for was really warm.

    "Thank you, Yi Yue."

    These words from Shi Anran caused Yi Yue to be stunned for a moment, but she did not say anything more.

    She could tell that in the bottom of Shi Anran''s heart, he actually didn''t feel safe at all. She would use her actions to tell him that she would always be loyal to her side.

 C54

    "Oh right, is Liu Yue better now?"

    Yi Yue nodded her head lightly, "It''s nothing serious, but Liu Yue has always been troubled, and likes to ask her about things that she shouldn''t worry about. Oh, she just got better two days ago, and in the end, it was because of that girl who was worried about her family and couldn''t sleep well all day, and because of Miss'' words, Liu Yue calmed down, but still managed to find a doctor to take her medicine, and increased the dosage."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran shook her head helplessly: "I really can''t do anything about this Liu Yue, how about this, Yi Yue, in a while you get the kitchen to prepare some more food for her."

    Yi Yue also knew that Shi Anran was sincerely planning this out for Liu Yue and was very grateful, "Miss бн"

    "That''s enough, if you really feel grateful, Yi Yue, pour or divide the medicinal food."

    Hearing that, Yi Yue immediately swallowed the last bit of gratitude back into her stomach, "Then this servant will choose to let young miss eat the medicine, quickly adjust your body."

    I still need to see a few stewards this afternoon. Don''t let them all think that sitting in that position will make them carefree. If they can''t reach the target that they set each month, then let them pack up and go home.

    Seeing that Shi Anran was trying to avoid the medicinal food by finding all sorts of strange excuses, Yi Yue didn''t know whether to laugh or cry and shook her head: "Miss, this medicine food slave has been simmering for so long, no matter how long, it''s not good."

    "Yi Yue, you''re really nagging more and more."

    Although Shi Anran said this with a bit of complaint on her face, she was actually very happy in the bottom of her heart.

    From her previous life to this life, she hadn''t felt this kind of feeling of being cared for for. Even though her father cared for her, there were many reasons for it. It was due to his guilt and longing for her mother.

    When Yi Yue first arrived, she was depressed, and didn''t talk much. Now that he was able to chat with her for a bit, it was likely that Yi Yue''s opinion of her had also changed.

    "Oh right, why haven''t I seen Lian Xing today?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue looked a little worried, "These threads are not enough, so I decided to let Lian Xing go out and buy."

    Why hasn''t he come back for so long?

    Shi Anran nodded her head, "It''s about time, let''s go take a look."

    Yi Yue smiled and nodded, then called for a servant to bring the things back to the house, then she followed Shi Anran out.

    "It''s getting colder and colder today. I wonder, are those areas that have just been plagued able to withstand the weather?"

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran turned her head and replied, "It''s alright, Daddy was already prepared before heading to the south. Right, I heard daddy say that you and Liu Yue are from the south, right?"

    "At that time, it was due to the floods in the south that I lost my family. The soldiers that were sent to cure the calamities in the south became greedier and greedier, and really could not take it anymore, which was why I came to the capital with the crowd. It was also the Liu Yue that I met at that time."

    Hearing that, Shi Anran laughed softly, "No wonder that Liu Yue girl was so reliant on you. However, you all were still young at the time, so you must have suffered a lot on your journey right?"

    Yi Yue gently shook her head, "It was a bit bitter back then, but I had to endure through it all." After pausing for a moment, Yi Yue continued, "Actually, the reason old master sent Yi Yue and I here was also for a reason."

    Hearing that, Shi Anran became even more curious, and fortunately, there was no one here either, so she slowed down her pace and walked side by side with Yi Yue.

    "At that time, this servant had just come to the capital, and the weather was very cold. The master and mistress passed by this servant, and it was madam''s benevolence that saved this servant and Liu Yue, although this servant has been serving in the master''s courtyard, this servant has saved my life."

    Shi Anran also didn''t expect that her mother''s simple actions back then would leave behind two such good assistants. But how come she didn''t notice that in her previous life?

    It was probably because she had attracted her father''s dislike and disgust long ago due to Shi Anyi and her daughter''s scheme in her previous life.

    "So that''s the reason. However, no matter what, so many years have passed, yet you all are still able to wholeheartedly help me. You all are truly considerate."

    As they spoke, the master and the servant had already arrived at the front courtyard that was specially designated for Shi An to discuss business with the stewards.

    Shi Anran, accompanied by Yi Yue, directly went in from the back. Looking through the pearl curtain at the few stewards who were seated down and whispering to each other, Shi Anran smiled apologetically, "It''s actually I who came late today."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, a few managers immediately shuddered. They were dealt with by Shi Anran, and after hearing Shi Anran''s words, they were promoted back to normal, as they had a better understanding of Shi Anran''s methods, and naturally did not dare to do anything rash.

    When I asked everyone to come and be the manager, I had already done some research, but I also told everyone that I would look at your results regularly. Of course, the locations of each store are different, and the goals that I had set are also different.

    Just as Shi Anran finished speaking, the expressions of the few people below changed. They looked at each other, and in the end, helplessly lowered their heads. No one expected that the first assessment would arrive so early.

    "Yi Yue, send down the accounts that you arranged for the previous two days, so that they can see for themselves."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue nodded her head, and took out the stack of accounts that she had placed in yesterday from the cabinet behind him, and handed it over one by one.

    "I marked the unqualified ones with a vermillion pen. Moreover, don''t think that just because I was in the residence all day that I didn''t understand the situation outside. But I really didn''t know that with such a good position and good reputation, why did I earn so little last month? Work under me, and it''s best if you keep all of your little Jiu Jiu Jiu. "

    Manager Lin''s complexion became ugly, but Shi Anran did not wrongly accuse him.

    From the moment he was promoted up here, he had been harboring little thoughts of his own.

    On one hand, no one knew that he was someone set up by the Third Concubine, and on the other hand, he was doing it for himself.

    He only thought that Shi Anran was a young miss who had never seen the world before, and wouldn''t understand this part. But today, it seems that he had really underestimated her.

    "Eldest Miss, because this store has been replaced, it is impossible for many places to be perfect, and a lot of customers have been lost because of this."

    After hearing Manager Lin''s explanation, Shi Anran smirked and suddenly asked in a stern voice: "What, does Manager Lin intend to shirk all responsibility?"

    The low pressure that was emitted from Shi Anran''s body made everyone present not dare to refute him, and they all lowered their heads.

 C55

    "Do you really think I don''t know what''s going on with the money?"

    As she spoke, Shi Anran sized up the few stewards below, and only continued to speak after cold sweat had broken out on their foreheads.

    "All of you have to remember who is in charge right now, and furthermore, I have invited you here to better manage your shops. If there is a problem with the sales, shouldn''t you all settle it? Why, do you blame it all on me? I didn''t invite you here for free. If you have such thoughts, then pack up your luggage and leave as soon as possible! "

    The stewards who originally wanted to argue with Shi Anran, seeing how unyielding she was, all of them swallowed their words. After all, a wise man knows his place.

    "Alright, since everyone has nothing else to say, let me continue." Seeing that everyone had behaved themselves, Shi Anran continued to speak.

    After leaving the front courtyard, Shi Anran turned her head and asked Yi Yue after walking for a while, "Yi Yue, do you think that the way I acted just now was enough to scare them?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue nodded her head, "That''s good, I believe they won''t dare to do anything underhanded in the future."

    "Yeah, or else would I have to spend the money to infuriate them?"

    In contrast to the happy appearance of the master and servant, there were a few managers who had just been called out, each of them with a worried look on their faces.

    Initially, they all swore that they would last until the end in front of the Third Concubine, but who would have known, that it had only been a month, and it had already been seen through.

    Furthermore, they had all stolen a large amount of money, causing the accounts to become even emptier. Thinking about how to explain it to the Third Concubine, each and every one of them had a headache.

    When it had just ended, they looked at each other and ordered the coachmen to take them to the place where they usually invited wine to drink.

    "Brother Lin, what do you think we should do?"

    A white-faced scholar dressed in green opened his mouth with a worried expression.

    Hearing this, Manager Lin let out a heavy sigh, "I was also worrying here. Who would have thought that this young miss would be so hard to deal with?" Back then Third Concubine had spent a lot of effort to push us brothers over, but now this opportunity has been wasted. Third Concubine will definitely not let us off this easily. "

    As soon as Manager Lin finished speaking, the remaining man''s eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of a good idea. "Tell me, if we surrender to Eldest Miss, will Eldest Miss spare us this time?"

    Upon hearing these words, Manager Lin was eager to give it a try, but he still hesitated. "Eldest Miss already knows who we are, I believe she will have some scruples бн"

    The white-faced scholar frowned, "Brother Lin, Third Concubine can''t tolerate us anymore, why take the risk and look for a way to survive?"

    Hearing this, Manager Lin seemed to have eaten something that reassured him, nodding his head, "That is a good idea, let''s do it this way, we can only pray that Eldest Miss is a kind-hearted person who can take us in."

    "Alright, then we''ll go back later to pack up and look for her again. Eldest Miss, let''s see what she has to say."

    The more they thought about it, the more they felt that this was a good idea. Their mood was also much better than before, as they began to eat and drink to their heart''s content.

    A person who was listening in on their conversation quietly left.

    Seeing the news that Wang Yuan had sent over, Shi Anran nodded her head with a smile, then passed the slip of paper in her hand to Yi Yue.

    After Yi Yue read through the slip of paper, she laughed, "Young miss'' foresight is indeed superb."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran laughed, "Isn''t this all thanks to you? If it wasn''t for you initially sending people to follow them, I''m afraid I wouldn''t have found out in time that they were people planted by the Third Concubine. But I really admire me, the Third Concubine, for being able to think of such a step. "

    Yi Yue poured a cup of hot water for Shi Anran and placed it beside sher, "When Third Concubine finds out about this, he will be extremely angry."

    Thinking about Third Concubine''s flustered and exasperated look, Shi Anran''s mood suddenly lightened.

    Lian Xing walked in and blessed himself, "Miss, I was just at the door, and heard your laughter, is there something good happening?"

    Shi Anran glanced at him, and Yi Yue began to recount. After she finished, Lian Xing''s face was full of smiles, and she was somewhat relieved as she said, "She deserved it, who asked her to do such bad things all day."

    "I was thinking that you guys haven''t seen anyone for the whole day, so you were holding a small gathering here behind my back."

    Seeing that the two of them were together, Liu Yue half joked, half grumbled.

    Hearing her words, the two of them turned their heads at the same time, only to see Liu Yue walking in, and the two of them laughed even more happily.

    "Miss, look at them, they actually mocked this servant, this servant is not by Miss''s side anymore, even my status is not as strong as before! Miss, I think it''s better not to let this servant rest, otherwise, Lian Xing this girl, will bully this servant to death!"

    Shi Anran laughed but did not speak, Liu Yue saw that she was not angry, and said: "Miss, I am almost done, but I am too angry, and have a small problem, please let me come back to serve you."

    "That''s fine too. Otherwise, you would be too bored to even talk." Shi Anran raised his head and looked at her, and joked.

    Without waiting for Liu Yue to show her gratitude, Yi Yue interrupted, "Since Liu Yue is here to serve you, then follow me to the kitchen to get the young miss some soup, so as to not disturb us."

    "I бн" Liu Yue was about to retort, but seeing that Shi Anran''s expression was bad, she swallowed her words and followed Yi Yue out with her head lowered.

    Lian Xing curiously squatted in front of Shi Anran, "Miss, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

    Shi Anran weakly shook her head. How was she going to explain herself?

    Not long later, Yi Yue and Liu Yue returned from the kitchen.

    Once she entered, Shi Anran was immediately alert. She noticed that it was obviously the smell of food, and raised her head to look, and sure enough, there was no more medicinal food.

    Shi Anran could not help but smile, "Yi Yue, how do you know I''m hungry this time?"

    "You haven''t eaten much all day, and it''s already so late. Even with your iron body, there should still be a time when you can''t take it."

    Liu Yue and Lian Xing both went up to prepare food. Shi Anran, by herself, ate alone, and did not care about etiquette anymore. She did not wait for the dishes to be done.

    "Oh right, you guys can leave now. You won''t be able to rest comfortably for the next few days. Since I have nothing better to do tonight, there''s no need to wait on me."

    After waiting on Shi Anran until she finished eating, the girls turned and left.

    Shi Anran sat under the lamp and continued to flip through the account books. Although the Sect Leader was tired, holding onto the power in her hands and looking at the mother and daughter, she felt extremely comfortable.

    After settling this matter, Shi Yu thought of his eldest daughter, whom he had only met once today. After the meal, he leisurely strolled over to the Agarwood Courtyard by himself.

    "Why isn''t there anyone serving in this courtyard?"

    Shi Yu suddenly came in. Shi Anran was in a daze, and was shocked, only after a while did he regain his senses and welcome his.

 C56

    "These two days, Liu Yue that girl was sick, and she was so sick that she was in a rush. Yi Yue and Lian Xing are also exhausted, but since our daughter has nothing to do today, I let them all rest."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Shi Yu raised his hand and lightly touched the tip of her nose, "You have to pay attention to your body too, don''t go too far and break down.

    Shi Anran nodded, "Father, why did you remember to come here tonight?"

    Hearing that, Shi Yu laughed as he raised his hand to pinch her fingers, "Isn''t this thinking about the fact that I haven''t seen Anran for a few months, Father just happened to have settled all of his matters, that''s why I''m here to see you."

    "So father was just here to pay a visit to his daughter." Shi Anran intentionally provoked her.

    Shi Yu was not only not angry, he instead said with a smile, "You talkative girl, your father can''t win against you, but just admit defeat, right?"

    Hearing Shi Yu''s pleading words, Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "Then your daughter will accept it."

    Seeing Shi Anran laugh so much that she resembled an old lady, Shi Yu''s eyes became a little absent-minded, "Anran, father has not seen your mother for a long time, why don''t we go see her today?"

    "Alright, your daughter is unfilial too. I haven''t seen your mother during my absence. I just hope that your mother won''t be angry."

    Shi Yu smiled as he shook his head, "Girl, your mother loves you so much, so she naturally wouldn''t be angry at you. Let''s go."

    Shi Anran wanted to nod her head, but suddenly remembered that she could not go empty-handed. She called for a little girl from outside and told her to call Yi Yue over.

    When Yi Yue entered, she saw Shi Yu seated on his seat, and quickly recovered, before turning her gaze to Shi Anran, "Miss, why have you come looking for me?"

    "Nothing, I just wanted to ask you, is there any untouched pastries in the kitchen?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue only thought that it was for Shi Yu to eat, and hesitated a little as she shook her head, "Master does not like to eat sweet food, so this servant did not instruct the kitchen to prepare these."

    "Dad has already eaten. We want to go see mom, so we want to bring some pastries."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s explanation, Yi Yue smiled and nodded: "That''s true, the lady''s taste is similar to the young miss''s. I have long instructed the kitchen to prepare some pastries so that you won''t be hungry again later."

    "In the end, Yi Yue, you understand my heart the best. Since that''s the case, I will find a girl to bring it over to the kitchen. Go back and rest, there''s nothing much for you to do tomorrow, so there''s no need to wake up early."

    Yi Yue turned around and looked at Shi Yu, and with a slight smile on his face, he said, "I am Shi Yu."

    Seeing Shi Anran being so sensible, Shi Yu''s eyes reddened. His daughter had already become so sensible without him realizing it, which made him both happy and sad.

    "Father''s Anran is really becoming more and more sensible. If your mother knew in the underworld, she would probably be pleased."

    With that, Shi Yu rubbed the top of Shi Anran''s head, "Anran has also grown taller than before Father left, she has become thinner."

    "Dad, don''t be like this. Your daughter has been willful for so long, shouldn''t she grow up now?" ''s eyes were also somewhat moist as she was infected by Shi Yu''s sorrowful emotions.

    "Alright, wipe your eyes. Otherwise, your mother will worry about you when she sees you later."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran nodded her head obediently. The little girl who was going to grab the pastries also came back, and took it from him with her arm. Her other hand held onto Shi Yu''s arm, and the father and daughter walked out together.

    Standing at the entrance of the Clear River Garden, Shi Anran suddenly had a feeling that she had come to a sudden realization.

    The last time she came, it was because she wanted to make use of her father''s feelings for her mother to achieve her own goals. After that, she had only come here to deal with Shi Anyi and her mother and never set foot in this place again.

    Would her mother be angry with her? It can''t be, isn''t it because she relied on it? Her mother would never be angry at her, so why did she keep on doing this?

    Actually speaking seriously, she owed him too much. Mother, there were too many things that he owed her. Furthermore, the things that Qing Yan had said to her before he died were still etched in her mind.

    After such a long time, she already had her own connections in the mansion. Although things were a bit far away, she believed that as long as she had the heart, she would definitely do it.

    "Anran, what are you daydreaming for?"

    As Shi Yu stood at the gate of the Clear River Garden, he had a lot of feelings for his and couldn''t help but think back to the day of their marriage and sigh.

    But after talking for a long while, without seeing any reaction from Shi Anran, she lowered her head and saw Shi Anran staring blankly ahead. However, because of the darkness of the night, she did not see the undisguised hatred on her face.

    Hearing Shi Yu''s voice resounding in her ears, Shi Anran finally regained her senses and raised her head to look at Shi Yu.

    "Dad, daughter was just thinking, if mother was still here, what would daughter look like now?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Shi Yu was also stunned, that''s right, if Madam was still alive, her daughter wouldn''t have suddenly become so sensible, right? It was still that innocent little girl from before. But everything had its gains and losses, so why did she need to think so much?

    "Foolish Anran, people can''t be revived even if they die. Let''s go, enter."

    With that, Shi Yu walked inside, Shi Anran stood at his original position and looked at Shi Yu''s back, suddenly realizing that her father seemed to have aged a lot.

    She hurriedly walked forward, and when she looked at the courtyard that still looked like it was when her mother was still alive, Shi Anran knew that this was her father''s intentions.

    "Dad, your daughter still remembers that Mom used to love this type of cake the most. Why don''t you try it?"

    After placing the plate of snacks on the stone table in the middle of the courtyard, Shi Anran picked up a piece of the cake and placed it next to Shi Yu''s mouth.

    Shi Yu looked at her. Although he didn''t like these things, he didn''t have the heart to refuse.

    By the time the father and daughter pair left the courtyard, the sky had already turned completely dark.

    Originally, Shi Anran wanted her to go back by herself, but Shi Yu was worried, so he insisted on sending her back. He thought about it and decided not to reject her, walking shoulder to shoulder with her.

    "Right, father, you''ve just returned today. Don''t you need to go to the palace and inform the emperor?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Shi Yu lightly shook his head, "There''s no need, yesterday I already passed a paper roll to the emperor, this is what the emperor wanted."

    "That''s good too, dad. When you get back, don''t think about work anymore. You should go to sleep early. Tomorrow at the palace, you won''t be able to relax."

    "Dad knows. Don''t stay up late when you go back. Your body is too weak to begin with, so stop being stubborn."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s concerned tone, Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "Your daughter knows. Dad is the same."

    As they spoke, Agarwood Courtyard was already right in front of their eyes. Shi Anran waved her hand at Shi Yu, lifted up her skirt, and ran into the courtyard.

    Seeing his daughter''s rare playful look, Shi Yu did not stop her. His eldest daughter was always so sensible now, but he really missed her mischievous look from before.

    After standing at the gate of the Agarwood Institution for a while longer, Shi Yu finally turned and walked back.

    After Shi Yu''s figure disappeared from the gate, Shi Anran turned around and looked at the gate for a good long while before walking back inside.

 C57

    "Why did the young miss just return?"

    Just as he walked into her room, she saw Liu Yue listlessly standing at her doorstep, occasionally yawning and hurriedly coming over to welcome him.

    "Go check on your mom. You should go back and rest as well. You haven''t fully recovered yet, why are you coming out to join the liveliness?" Just find a girl to keep watch tonight. "

    Hearing that Shi Anran was concerned about her, Liu Yue nodded her head, "Please go in quickly, the wind is strong tonight."

    Shi Anran looked at her, and without saying anything, she turned and returned to his room.

    Time passed like this. When news of Xiang Rongcheng arrived once again, Shi Anran was stunned for a moment. She had almost forgotten about this so-called fiancиж of hers.

    He frowned slightly, "Uncle Yang, it''s Xiang Family''s birthday, you want me to come over?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Uncle Yang nodded her head, "Yes, that''s right, First Miss, and this is what the most capable butler by Master Xiang''s side said. It can be seen how important Miss is in Master Xiang''s heart."

    Just as he finished speaking, Shi Anran''s eyebrows knitted even tighter.

    If she remembered correctly, she had not met this Old Man Xiang Family before. There must be a demon behind this abnormal event, she had to think about it.

    Seeing that Shi Anran was in a daze again, Yi Yue smiled and walked forward to lead Uncle Yang out. At the door, she gave Uncle Yang a stuffed bag on her back.

    After weighing the bag in his hand, Uncle Yang put it back into Yi Yue''s hands, "Ever since you were saved by Madam, I have always been the one to take you.

    After hearing Uncle Yang''s words, Yi Yue gave way a few more times. Seeing that Uncle Yang was not going to accept them, he decided to give up.

    You know that Uncle Yang has no children, and has already treated you as his daughter for many years. Occasionally giving you to me, I would accept you as my daughter''s filial piety, but I do not care about such things. From today onwards, I will not accept you.

    Hearing Uncle Yang''s words, Yi Yue felt a little ashamed. She had remembered all that Uncle Yang had done for her, but she hadn''t actually taken action against him.

    When he thought about it, his heart felt even more unwell, and he gently shook his head, "Uncle Yang, there is a little miss and a little me, Yi Yue has always treated you as a close relative, you can accept it, and let Yi Yue feel at ease."

    As she said that, Yi Yue pushed the bag in her hands towards Uncle Yang, "Yi Yue now has no parents, so Uncle Yang, you''re just like an adopted father to Yi Yue, don''t you think it''s better for a daughter to be filial to an adopted father?"

    Seeing the sincerity on Yi Yue''s face, Uncle Yang did not continue to push him, and nodded with a smile, "Alright, then I will be the one who was filial to my daughter."

    After sending off Uncle Yang, Yi Yue stood at the door for a while, blowing on the cold wind for a while, then walked towards the house.

    Shi Anran was still maintaining her initial posture, absentmindedly looking at the thread in her hands.

    This was an invitation sent personally by the Xiang Family. If he didn''t go, it would make it difficult for his father, but if he went, wouldn''t this marriage be a reality? In any case, this was not what she wanted to see.

    Just at this time, Yi Yue walked in and waved at her, "Yi Yue, tell me, if I send this over to my father and have him help me deal with it, would it be better?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue was a little confused, "Miss, are you not satisfied with this marriage?"

    As she said that, she suddenly remembered that these few times, her and Xiang Rongqing''s meeting had been separated on bad terms, and she couldn''t help but frown.

    "Young Master Xiang is indeed a good person, but he can''t tolerate Miss Xiang''s temper. Miss Xiang''s consideration is reasonable, even if Young Master Xiang is treating Miss very well right now, if this goes on for a long time, there will still be some friction."

    Hearing that, Shi Anran knew that Yi Yue understood her meaning, but she did not know the reason why she wanted to break off the engagement, but this was also good, it saved her the time to explain.

    You go ask Wang Yuan to send this over to my father. After all, he has been by my father''s side for a long time, so it''s a bit more convenient.

    Yi Yue took the invitation from Shi Anran''s hands, blessed her body, and walked out with the invitation.

    Thinking back to how her father was unsatisfied with the actions of the two siblings, Shi Anran finally relaxed. Her father would definitely be able to take care of this for her.

    "Miss, your servant made you mint red jujube cake today. Why don''t you try it now?"

    Not long after Yi Yue left, Lian Xing and Liu Yue walked in with a tray in their hands.

    Just as Lian Xing finished speaking, Liu Yue could not wait and went to gather contribution points, "Miss, this pastry also contains a part of your servant, I think I can make my own pastry for you now, why not let your servant come tomorrow?"

    Shi Anran raised her eyebrows, "That''s good too, it''s a good opportunity to see what kind of craftsmanship you have learnt by following Lian Xing around for the past two days."

    After receiving Shi Anran''s affirmation, Liu Yue nodded her head heavily, "This servant has put in quite a bit of effort in the past few days, Miss, watch and see."

    Hearing Liu Yue''s bold words, Shi Anran laughed and shook her head. She picked up a piece of cake and put it in her mouth.

    The mint''s coolness, the red date''s sweet taste immediately filled her mouth. Furthermore, she could also tell that Lian Xing had spent a lot of time and effort to handle these two completely different tastes.

    He nodded his head in satisfaction and swallowed the food in his mouth. Being able to eat what he liked was also a type of happiness.

    "Lian Xing, your cooking skills are getting better and better."

    Seeing Shi Anran''s endless praise, Lian Xing also felt that it was a kind of confirmation that someone could do something that others really liked from the bottom of their heart, and that that person could also feel her intentions.

    "As long as Miss likes it."

    Saying that, Lian Xing turned to look at Liu Yue, who was still immersed in her own world, and laughed: "Young miss, inside this pastry, there is also a portion of Liu Yue''s contribution, she really did help this servant by a lot."

    Upon hearing her name, Liu Yue turned her head around, a little at a loss.

    Seeing her like that, Lian Xing could not help but laugh, Shi Anran shook her head: "Just now, Lian Xing was praising your capabilities, and helped her out a lot."

    Hearing the praise, Liu Yue felt embarrassed, and her face blushed: "It was Lian Xing who taught you well."

    Shi Anran looked at the two servant girls in front of him, slightly lost in thought.

    She felt that she should also thank Liu Yue. If not for her outspoken and spicy personality, which made her laugh frequently, she wouldn''t be so relaxed right now, right?

    She still remembered when she was reborn, she was almost suffocated by hatred.

    But now, even though she didn''t forget her hatred, she knew what kind of method she should use to punish those who had hurt her. She had Liu Yue''s happiness by her side, Yi Yue''s delicateness, and Lian Xing''s concern.

    Yi Yue, who had returned from sending Wang Yuan her invitation, welcomed everyone as soon as she entered the door. Liu Yue took credit and said, "Yi Yue, quickly look, these pastries were made by me and Lian Xing. Miss, you were praising me just now."

    Yi Yue helplessly pushed Liu Yue, and walked to Shi Anran''s side, "Miss, this servant has sent you. I''ve told Wang Yuan everything I need to say, I believe he knows what to do as well."

 C58

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran nodded her head in satisfaction, "Come and have a taste of the dim sum Lian Xing made, the two of you come and try as well."

    As she said that, Shi Anran waved her hand at the three of them.

    When Liu Yue was eating there just now, Liu Yue was a little greedy. When she heard Shi Anran''s words, she did not hold back and immediately took a piece and put it in her mouth.

    Although the pastry was mainly made by Lian Xing, when she thought about it, there was also a portion of her contribution inside the pastry, she felt that it was especially delicious.

    Seeing Liu Yue''s happy face as she squinted her eyes, Shi Anran could only smile helplessly.

    Lian Xing and Yi Yue both stopped eating after tasting a piece, but Liu Yue was different. She was told to eat by the young miss, she had to listen to the young miss''s orders.

    Originally, when he ate all these all by himself, no matter how good the food was, he would still feel that the food was tasteless.

    The master and the servant shared a piece with each other, eating extremely vigorously.

    On the other hand, after hearing Yi Yue''s words, Wang Yuan who was holding the invitation walked into the courtyard with a complicated feeling in his heart.

    When he first met Shi Anran, he no longer had any impression of her. But after his wife passed away, he gradually realized that the young miss was actually different from what he imagined.

    Especially after doing such a small misdeed, the complacent look on her face seemed to have become even more captivating, as if there was a ray of sunlight shining on it.

    More and more, he liked to focus his attention on the young miss. As he was lost in his thoughts, the front yard was already here.

    "Brother Wang, why are you here?"

    Upon seeing Wang Yuan, the little guard that was waiting in the front yard ran over happily.

    Wang Yuan was their big brother. Although he had been transferred to the Agarwood Institution, his position in the hearts of these guards would not change.

    "Is the old master in?"

    Hearing Wang Yuan''s words, the little guard shook his head, "Nope, isn''t old master just returned yesterday? I''m afraid that there''s something else in the palace.

    "Good kid, now that you''ve been transferred here, you can be considered to have made a fortune by rising to the rank of an official. Do you not mean that you''re getting rich?"

    Seeing that their former brothers had improved, Wang Yuan truly felt happy for them from the bottom of his heart.

    "Hehe, isn''t this all thanks to you, Brother Wang? If it wasn''t for you telling the master about me, how could I handle such a good job? "

    Hearing Chen Ping''s words, Wang Yuan shook his head, "As long as you don''t mind this seat being bored, and you are a capable person, if not, even if I proposed this to you, Master would not choose you."

    "Brother Wang, you always like this. It was clearly your effort, but you still pushed it away."

    The moment Wang Yuan finished speaking, Chen Ping shook his head in disapproval. The two brothers looked at each other and laughed out loud.

    But unfortunately, Wang Yuan came for the time it takes an incense stick to burn and he came out from the palace.

    When he saw Wang Yuan, Shi Yu was startled. His intuition said that something had happened to Shi Anran and he frowned, "Wang Yuan, follow me in."

    After giving some instructions to the people around him, Shi Yu called Wang Yuan into the house.

    "But what happened at First Miss''s place?"

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Wang Yuan nodded his head lightly, he took out the invitation from his bosom and placed it in front of Shi Yu, "This was sent by Master Xiang this morning."

    Thinking back to what Xiang Zheng had said to him at the morning assembly, then looking at the thread in front of him, he could roughly guess what had happened. Shi Yu''s eyebrows slightly knitted together.

    The Xiang Family was indeed a good marriage and was well-matched, but Xiang Rongqing and her daughter did not come, but if they really did break off the engagement, even if they picked another family, there was no guarantee that anything would happen.

    Thinking of this, Shi Yu''s emotions became complicated.

    "Go back first and ask the young miss to come over in the afternoon." Looking at Wang Yuan who was still standing in front of him, Shi Yu waved his hand, telling him to go back first.

    Wang Yuan had seen the conflict on Shi Yu''s face earlier, he remembered Yi Yue''s warning to him before he left, and he cupped his hands, then turned and walked out.

    After receiving the message from Wang Yuan, Shi Anran frowned, but did not say much as she chased the girls out.

    As she sat on the bed, she stared blankly at the peony her mother had embroidered for her. It looked like her father was also hesitant about the decision he had made last time.

    No, she couldn''t continue like this. She had to find a chance for herself.

    She remembered that in her previous life, Shi Anyi sought for the chance to go out on the day of the Origin Festival and coincidentally met with a few princes. Although she was not clear about everyone, but it might be her chance during the Origin Festival.

    She was confident that as long as she could meet the Third Prince again, she would be able to realize her plan.

    Perhaps because she had thought it through, Shi Anran did not suppress herself anymore. After finishing lunch and resting for a while, Shi Anran headed back to the courtyard.

    Although she had already anticipated her father''s thoughts, she still found it hard to accept it when she heard it.

    "Anran, Father had thought about it for a long time, although Xiang Rongqing is not a merciful person, but other than that, the Xiang Family is a good home, and even if it is the other family, we do not know, there might be other problems, the decision Father made last time was too abrupt, I did not think it through, Anran, don''t think about it, we still have to do things safely, and do our best to not end our own path."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran knew that her father was doing this for her sake, so she did it this way. However, she had her own plans, but in this situation, she could only nod her head and agree.

    "Everything will be decided by father, Anran does not complain."

    Seeing that Shi Anran was sensible, Shi Yu nodded her head in gratification. Just as she was about to speak, there was a knock on the door.

    Shi Anran turned her body, "Daddy, go ahead. Daughter will not disturb you."

    Shi Yu knew that he had just returned, and there were a lot of things to do. He nodded and in order to avoid running into another male, Shi Anran took a detour to the back and left.

    The moment Shi Anran went out, she immediately saw Yi Yue, who was a little anxious, standing at the entrance. When she saw her figure, she heaved a sigh of relief.

    The moment Shi Anran walked out of the front courtyard, Yi Yue walked up to her. Seeing that Shi Anran didn''t seem to be unwilling or reluctant at all, she followed behind her and walked back.

    On the way back, Shi Anran gave a general summary of what had happened. After returning to Agarwood Courtyard, Yi Yue busied herself with preparing a present for Shi Anran''s birthday celebration at the Xiang Residence.

    No matter how much Shi Anran hated it, she could not lose the proper etiquette, or else it would be her fault.

    She was still an unmarried girl. Even if it wasn''t to curry favor with Old Master Xiang, she had to think for her own reputation.

    In fact, it would be false to say that her heart did not respond to it.

    If Shi Yu did not mention the matter of annulling the engagement, she would not be so disappointed now.

    Actually, the most painful thing was to be unable to obtain what one could originally have.

 C59

    On the day they set out, Shi Anran woke up early in the morning and sat in front of the mirror, allowing Yi Yue and Liu Yue to apply some medicine on her face.

    Fortunately, the two girls both knew that Shi Anran had a good foundation and didn''t change it too much. Adding on the clothes that Lian Xing had given her, she seemed to be very energetic.

    Because she had to stay in the Xiang Mansion all day today, Lian Xing was afraid that clothes that were too plain would appear too dull at night. Furthermore, today was Old Master Xiang''s birthday, so she chose a watery red dress, revealing a completely different feeling than before.

    Seeing Shi Anran dressed up, Liu Yue gasped in admiration, "Young miss, you''re so beautiful like this."

    Hearing Liu Yue''s words, and being stared straight at by her, Shi Anran turned her head away in embarrassment. She didn''t know that her appearance was even more charming.

    "Miss, if this servant is also a man, no matter how big the difference between your status and mine, I will definitely try to woo you."

    While saying that, Liu Yue nodded her head, her face full of sincerity.

    Liu Yue really felt that in her heart, her young miss always liked clothes that were a little lighter in color.

    Just as Liu Yue finished speaking, Lian Xing nodded her head impatiently, "Miss, this servant thinks so too, you are truly fitting for such clothes. Sigh, I only hate it that this servant is not a man."

    It was just that Liu Yue was not completely satisfied with her confirmation. She turned her head and looked at Yi Yue, who had been standing at the side without saying anything the entire time.

    Sensing her gaze, Yi Yue also could only nod her head and not say anything, but she still expressed her opinion.

    Shi Anran was also lost in thought. It was not that she did not like this outfit, it was just that she liked it a lot, but she also knew that her current appearance was a little eye-catching, that she was going to the Xiang Palace to participate in Master Xiang''s birthday banquet. Originally, she had been able to see everything today because of this marriage, and her and Xiang Rongcheng''s marriage wouldn''t last long.

    However, when she thought of her previous life, she always remembered her mother''s words. She had never dared to go against the rules and had always been cautious at every turn. In the end, she died miserably, even the child in her womb бн

    Could it be that in this life, as long as she didn''t continue to follow her mother''s words, she wouldn''t end up like that?

    Thinking about it till here, Shi Anran also opened her mind, and nodded coldly, "It''s fine, let''s just dress like this, the time is almost up, it''s time to go."

    After hearing this, Yi Yue immediately followed.

    The reason she brought Yi Yue along with her during this trip to the Xiang Mansion was because she felt that she had the ability to adapt to any situation, and even had martial arts on her. This way, no matter what happened, she felt that the two of them would be able to handle it.

    Moreover, she had a premonition that Xiang Rong would not let her off so easily tonight. Moreover, it was at the Xiang Residence tonight. By then, Xiang Rongqing would have even more leeway. She had no choice but to prepare in advance.

    When she went out, Shi Anran saw from afar that her father was still waiting for her at the entrance, and immediately greeted him with a smile. When she saw Shi Anyi, who was standing next to her father, Shi Anran''s expression became ugly for a moment, but in the blink of an eye, he had recovered her original appearance, so no one could see him.

    "Dad, your daughter is late." Saying that, Shi Anran blessed herself towards Shi Yu.

    The moment he saw Shi Anran, it was as if he did this on purpose to make her react, Shi Anyi immediately walked forward and affectionately called out to him as she tightly hugged one of Shi Anran''s arm, unwilling to let go.

    Seeing that the two of them did not seem to be at odds with each other, Shi Yu nodded his head in gratification. Fortunately, Third Concubine had not taught this daughter of his to an outrageous extent.

    "Anran, you''re the big sister. When we get to the Xiang Residence, if anything happens to An Yi, you can teach her."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "Father, I can wake up my daughter. After all, her and An Yi are representatives of the Shi Clan."

    Seeing Shi Yu and Shi Anran talking and laughing, in a place where he couldn''t see, Shi Anyi almost twisted the handkerchief in his hands into pieces.

    After giving some instructions, Shi Yu got on the carriage with a smile.

    Seeing Shi Yu''s figure disappear before his eyes, the smile on Shi Anran''s face also disappeared as he said expressionlessly, "Release."

    But Shi Anyi seemed to have done it on purpose, not only did she not let go, she even pretended that she did not understand, and looked up at Shi Anran, "Big sister, don''t make daddy wait, let''s get on the carriage quickly."

    Thinking about how she would be free once she got on the carriage, Shi Anran did not reply, but Yi Yue also hurried to Shi Anran''s side, using her ability to push Shi Anyi to the side and support him onto the carriage.

    Shi Anyi stood in place, while massaging her wrist that was hurting, and looked at Yi Yue''s back, his eyes revealed a little malice.

    She hadn''t thought that this little girl would actually know martial arts. It looked like today would be a lot more troublesome.

    She could also feel how much Shi Yu doted on her, to actually send such a little girl to her. However, when she thought about it, a malicious smile appeared on her lips.

    Shi Anran, I will snatch everything that you have now bit by bit! Those that cannot be snatched away, let''s just destroy them бн

    The little girl, Si Rong, who had just arrived at Shi Anyi''s side, couldn''t help but shiver when she saw Shi Anyi''s smile.

    It couldn''t be that this good-natured young lady had some bad intentions, right? From the start to the end, she had only been by Second Miss''s side for less than half a month, but the areas covered by her clothes were already filled with wounds.

    "Miss, get on the carriage." Hearing the trace of fear in Si Rong''s voice, Shi Anyi glared at her fiercely. She placed his hand on her arm and pinched her a few times with all her might, making her feel much better.

    Si Rong couldn''t help but take in a few breaths of cold air due to the excruciating pain.

    After helping Shi Anyi onto the carriage, Si Rong obediently followed by the side of the carriage. He did not dare enter the carriage, and did not wish to enter either.

    Seeing Yi Yue and the Young Miss getting along harmoniously, she was really envious, but she knew her identity well, she was just envious.

    "Why aren''t you coming up?"

    Just as he stood up, Si Rong heard Shi Anyi''s voice come out from the carriage. He sighed slightly, "Young miss, this servant will come up right away."

    As soon as Si Rong entered the horse carriage, he discovered that the seemingly ordinary horse carriage outside did not seem crowded at all even though there were four people inside.

    He quietly kneeled beside Shi Anyi, and although Shi Anyi seemed to be doing it unintentionally, she placed his hands on both sides of the table, but his hands were firmly on Si Rong''s arms.

    Ever since Si Rong came up, Yi Yue had been staring at her, and had naturally seen Shi Anyi''s actions. For some reason, she normally didn''t like to meddle in other people''s business, and in this moment, she couldn''t help but want to say a few more words.

    But she knew Shi Anyi''s personality. If she really opened her mouth, the pain that Si Rong would feel would be even worse. She opened her mouth a few times, but no words came out.

 C60

    Shi Anran also noticed Yi Yue''s abnormality, and looked in the direction of her gaze. She also discovered that something was wrong and slightly tilted her head.

    When they arrived at the Xiang Residence, Si Rong''s back was already covered in cold sweat as he helped Shi Anyi off the carriage with a slightly exhausted body.

    Looking at Shi Anyi who was greeting others with a smile, she felt that this kind of person was the most terrifying.

    Even though he was extremely ruthless in private, he was able to pretend to be innocent in front of others. His methods were also very powerful.

    "It''s time to go inside, An Yi." Seeing Shi Anyi constantly greeting others, Shi Anran slightly frowned.

    It was not that she was jealous, but that Shi Anyi had lost too much of her identity.

    As for Shi Yu, he had already entered through the main entrance. The female disciples could only leave from the back door, adding that they didn''t come too early, the alley behind the back door was already full of carriages, their carriages could only barely make it to the corner of the alley.

    Ever since she had parted ways with Shi Yu, Shi Anyi had returned to her normal arrogant appearance. After hearing Shi Anran''s words, she only nodded his head, and didn''t take it to heart.

    She thought that Shi Anran was jealous of her good luck with others, so she started to chat with the people around him even more fervently.

    Little did they know that a few of the rich and powerful madams were leading their young miss around Shi Anyi from afar. Only the unfavored concubines that were young ladies were chatting and laughing with Shi Anyi along the way.

    Seeing Shi Anyi like this, Shi Anran did not plan to waste her breath, she glanced at Shi Anyi and then walked forward, she had done what she should do anyways, if her father really had anything to say, she was not afraid.

    Looking at Xiang Rongqing, who was currently leading a few younger sisters and sitting in the middle of the banquet, Shi Anran felt her head aching. When Xiang Rongqing turned his gaze straight at her, attracting a majority of the crowd, this feeling became even stronger.

    "Miss, do you want to go over?"

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran could only nod her head helplessly. Xiang Rong was today''s master, if she had come and avoided the master''s house, coupled with their promotions, she would probably become the topic of discussion for everyone tomorrow.

    Thinking about it, Shi Anran could not help but sigh, "Let''s go forward, she can''t possibly be a jackal, a tiger, or a leopard."

    Even if it was true, she, Shi Anran, was not afraid!

    As they spoke, the master and the servant arrived in front of Xiang Rongqing, "Isn''t this my brother''s fiancee, the big sister Shi Family?"

    Xiang Rongqing''s voice was rather loud. Adding on her position, she naturally attracted the attention of the people around her in a short while as they all directed their gazes towards her.

    Shi Anran was not as carefree and elegant as when she casually allowed others to take a look. She frowned, "If there''s nothing else from Miss Xiang, then I''ll take my leave first. I haven''t paid Uncle Xiang a visit before."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Xiang Rong Qing gritted her teeth as she looked at her. Was she showing off to her?

    Shi Anran, I won''t let you fulfill your wish so easily!

    As he was thinking, he coincidentally saw Shi Anyi walking in with a few other Miss Shu. They were talking and laughing together, and as soon as he thought of it, he waved his hand at Shi Anyi.

    "Elder Sister An Yi, I''m here!"

    Actually, Shi Anyi had also seen Xiang Rongqing when she first came in. After all, the light surrounding her was so resplendent, and after hearing Xiang Rongqing''s voice for a while, she felt that she had face at every turn. After smiling and apologizing to the people around her, she walked in Xiang Rongqing''s direction.

    When she noticed the envious gazes from the few people who entered the room with her earlier, Shi Anyi felt even more pleased with herself.

    She didn''t think anything of it before, but this time she felt that it was a good thing for Xiang Rongqing to treat her as a friend.

    The moment Shi Anyi walked over, Xiang Rongqing intimately grabbed her arm, "Sister An Yi, you haven''t even come to play with me."

    That intimate look made Shi Anran feel that it was a little funny, but it caused the people around him to constantly look at the three of them in a serious manner.

    Why do they feel that Miss Xiang Family and Miss Shi Family are closer, or is it that this marriage has changed? Could it be that they had unintentionally obtained some secret information regarding the clan?

    Thinking about this, everyone''s eyes became more and more fervent, especially those who didn''t know anything. Although they turned their heads away, their ears and their eyes were all observing them.

    She didn''t want to continue watching them like monkeys. Shi Anran thought, since she had already said goodbye to Xiang Rongqing earlier, she turned and left.

    But before she could even take two steps, she was stopped by Xiang Rongqing.

    "Big Sister Shi, Rong Qing has a small question, but she doesn''t know if she should say it."

    Hearing Xiang Rongqing''s words, Shi Anran tried her best to make herself show the most appropriate smile, "Since Miss Xiang does not know whether she should say it or not, then don''t say it."

    Xiang Rongqing''s expression became ugly as she heard Shi Anran''s words. She looked at Shi Anran with a wronged expression, "Big Sister Shi, is there a misunderstanding with Rong Qing? Why are you speaking in such a manner? "

    Hearing Xiang Rongqing''s words, Shi Anran blinked innocently, "Didn''t Little Sister Xiang want to ask me a question? There''s a question I don''t know how to answer. Didn''t I answer it for you? Is there anything else you would like to ask? "

    The few people closest to them all heard Shi Anran''s words and could not help but have a whole new level of respect for him.

    They could all tell that something was wrong with Xiang Rongqing''s words just now, but they never expected that Shi Anran would actually say it with just a few words, and Xiang Rongqing had also been humiliated.

    Those who understood the situation between the two could not help but nod their heads at Shi Anran''s cleverness.

    Although Xiang Rongqing was not a bad person, she still could not stand this kind of attitude, like someone who would cause trouble whenever they meet.

    Seeing that Xiang Rongqing had nothing to say, Shi Anran quickly walked away, cursing in her heart. It seemed that the marriage between her and Xiang Rongcheng would come to an end soon, if not, the young miss of Xiang Family would inevitably cause her so much trouble.

    "Miss''s answer just now truly surprised me."

    After exiting the lady''s garden and seeing that there was no one around, Yi Yue could not help but smile.

    "What else can I do? Xiang Rongqing doesn''t have a bad personality, but I don''t want to make things too difficult for her. "

    The two of them walked forward a few more steps before realizing that something was amiss. The Xiang Residence had invited so many people today, but why had they not seen a single person along the way, not even a maid or servant?

    Shi Anran turned her head and glanced at Yi Yue. Both of them frowned, no wonder Xiang Rongqing didn''t interrupt them when they were walking out earlier.

    "I''m afraid that we fell into a trap the moment we entered the Xiang Residence."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue nodded her head, but continued to vigilantly observe her surroundings.

    "However, this servant is also very curious, who did this to Miss Xiang Family?"

    It was just a few people, yet Shi Anran did not say these words out loud, she only laughed coldly in her heart.

    In order to ruin the marriage, Xiang Rongqing had really put in a lot of effort. She had even cleared a path that was not even close to the left and right.

    However, this was more than enough for two people who had never been to the Xiang Residence to leave. Furthermore, as long as she did not present Old Master Xiang''s birthday congratulations in time and there were so many people from the female staff garden who had proven that she had left, she would not be able to explain it even if she had a hundred mouths to speak of.

 C61

    Everyone knew that the Xiang Residence was filled with generals. Naturally, there were quite a number of troops and defensive diagrams hidden inside the household. This move was truly vicious.

    "Anran, are you lost?"

    Just when the two of them were planning to return and try, they heard familiar voices coming from behind them. Shi Anran turned her head to look, and sure enough, wasn''t that Xiang Rongcheng?

    "Young Master Xiang, what a coincidence, we could bump into each other if we were to be lost."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s somewhat weird voice, Xiang Rongcheng couldn''t help but laugh and shake his head, "You and I are not enemies, why do you always sound like you have a thorn in your side?"

    In fact, when he saw Xiang Rong City appear here, Shi Ran had guessed that he had come here on purpose to lead them out. However, when he thought about the feelings that Xiang Rong City had for her, he could only harden his heart.

    With Xiang Rongcheng''s help, the master and servant didn''t spend too much effort to leave. Although they didn''t leave early to congratulate him, they were fortunate that they weren''t the last ones.

    Furthermore, Xiang Zheng was very satisfied with Shi Anran, so after a while, he started laughing out loud happily, "Madam has arranged a good marriage for Rong Cheng, Anran, I could tell that it was a good marriage just by looking at it."

    Hearing Xiang Zheng''s words, Shi Anran could only force a smile. To be honest, she would rather not have such praises.

    Xiang Rongcheng also saw the reluctance on Shi Anran''s face, and frowned slightly. He did not know what was the reason for her dissatisfaction, and could it be for the sake of letting Murong Qing down today?

    Thinking about it, Xiang Rongcheng felt a headache coming on. He had already told Xiang Rongqing countless times, but she had never listened to him. Instead, he had always treated him as an enemy.

    "Brother, why did you help her?"

    When no one was paying attention to them, Xiang Rongqing pulled Xiang Rongcheng and walked out. When they reached a place with no one around, Xiang Rongqing could no longer endure and asked.

    Although Shi Anran had walked in alone with the little girl just now, Xiang Rongqing knew how difficult the road to the study was. If there was no one to help, Shi Anran would definitely still be unable to come out from the study.

    Hearing that, Xiang Rongcheng could not help but frown, "Rong Qing, what are you talking about? Why can''t I understand you?"

    "What''s so good about her, Shi Anran? Why are you protecting her like this!"

    Seeing that Xiang Rongqing seemed to be slightly out of control, in order to not attract the attention of the bystanders, Xiang Rongcheng could only reach out and tap her sleeping points, then have Smoke Willow take her back.

    Xiang Rongcheng, who had quietly returned to his original position, did not attract anyone''s attention.

    "Cheng''er, where''s Qing''er?"

    Hearing Xiang Zheng''s question, Xiang Rongcheng cleared his throat, "Liangqing is not well, I''ve already had Smoke Willow carry her back to rest."

    Hearing this, Xiang Zheng nodded. He looked at the people in the room and said in a clear voice, "I thank all of you. I hope that everyone will be able to enjoy themselves today."

    As soon as Xiang Zheng finished speaking, the people below started chattering, but the scene was a little chaotic.

    "Yi Yue, did you see Shi Anyi?"

    After looking around and not seeing any trace of Shi Anyi, Shi Anran slightly frowned, and softly asked Yi Yue who was beside him.

    "Miss, this servant was also looking for you just now. Two, young, young mistress, I didn''t see you."

    When Shi Anran went out today, she felt that something was amiss with Shi Anyi. Then where is Shi Anyi now?

    If Shi Anyi dared to do anything to her today, and embarrass her, she would definitely not let her go.

    "Miss, this servant will definitely take care of you."

    Sensing the fierce aura from Shi Anran''s body, Yi Yue leaned on her and whispered.

    Shi Anran nodded, and did not say anymore words, but her heart could not help but become heavy.

    And in an unknown corner of the Xiang Residence, two figures were speaking in a low voice, one of which was the Shi Anyi that Shi Anran was looking for earlier. No one knew what the person opposite him was talking about, but Shi Anyi''s face revealed a somewhat twisted smile.

    "Alright, I''ll do it!"

    Our master said that if everything is done well, she will naturally help you realize your wish. Alright, it''s getting late, Second Miss should go back quickly.

    After obtaining what he wanted, the smile on Shi Anyi''s face became even more obvious, and he did not notice the taunting in the eyes of the girl.

    From the moment Si Rong was left behind by Shi Anyi, he had been constantly searching for her, in case there was still an even more unbearable punishment after he returned today.

    "Si Rong."

    Hearing that someone was calling her, Si Rong only thought that it was Shi Anyi, but he didn''t expect that the moment he turned his head, he would see the young miss and her servant girl.

    "Eldest Miss, may I ask if you have seen our Miss? "Just now, this servant wasn''t paying attention and ended up being separated from the Miss."

    After hearing Si Rong''s words, Shi Anran was even more certain of her guess, which was also the same for Yi Yue.

    Seeing the two people in front of her looking at her with furrowed brows, Si Rong thought they were going to blame her, so she could only lower her head and wait for her ''judgment''.

    After a long while, Yi Yue finally noticed that Si Rong was still waiting for their reply, smiled and walked up, "Miss and I were also looking for Er, little, big sis, I don''t know where she went. She''s unfamiliar with this place, so Miss is naturally worried about Second Miss."

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, in addition to her own understanding of Shi Anran after entering the Palace, she couldn''t understand why such a good young miss would always say things that would slander her.

    Just as she was at a loss, Shi Anyi walked over from another direction. Seeing Si Rong standing in front of Shi Anran, a wave of anger surged into his heart.

    Fortunately, she still knew that this was the Xiang Mansion, so she had no choice but to suppress her anger and force out a slightly twisted smile.

    "I wonder where that little girl Mo Er went. She is with big sister!"

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s fake smile, Si Rong couldn''t help but shiver. That''s right, the Miss said that she didn''t like the people in her courtyard dealing with the Eldest Miss, would the Miss misunderstand her?

    "Si Rong, why aren''t you coming over to help your young lady?"

    Seeing that Shi Anran did not have any intention to bother with her, Shi Anyi could only vent her anger on Si Rong.

    When Si Rong walked over to her side with small steps, Shi Anyi used all her strength to pinch her body a few times.

    Seeing Shi Anran looking at her with a smile that was not a smile, Shi Anyi did not know why, but she suddenly felt that she was short of breath.

    However, she felt that there was nothing to worry about when she recalled that man''s promise to her. She smiled proudly and led Si Rong forward.

    It was only when Shi Anyi''s figure disappeared into the distance that Shi Anran finally withdrew her gaze. She had just seen that kind of complacent and provocative gaze from the person behind her. Other than the malicious tricks the person behind her had given her and the promise she had given her, she really could not think of any other benefits that could cause Shi Anyi to be this arrogant.

    However, since Shi Anyi wanted to play, she would play along with her and have a good time!

 C62

    "Miss, why do I feel like Second Miss has thought of another scheme?"

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran nodded her head. She felt the same way, but the person behind Shi Anyi must be hiding very deeply. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been unable to find out who that person was until now.

    "After I go back, this servant will do the same. Otherwise, I will never feel at ease."

    "Alright, but you have to be careful of your own safety."

    On the other hand, when Xiang Rongqing woke up, it was already afternoon. She felt weak in the body, and suddenly remembered that after her brother tapped her a few times, she fainted. Xiang Rongqing got up from the bed angrily and went to settle the score with Xiang Rongcheng.

    Before he could step out of the house, Xiang Rongcheng pushed open the door and entered.

    "Rong Qing, where are you going?"

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Xiang Rongqing laughed coldly, "Helping outsiders to bully me, is this my big brother!?"

    "Rong Qing, don''t be willful. Didn''t I already tell you not to tease Shi Anran? But look what you did today? It''s not like you don''t know the importance of you luring Anran there, and whether it will harm her life or our Xiang Family! " Seeing Xiang Rongqing like that, Xiang Rongcheng also coldly said.

    However, what he did not know was that his actions had even ignited the fury in Xiang Rongqing''s heart.

    "I don''t blame Shi Anran for what! If it wasn''t for her, my brother wouldn''t have shouted at me like that! Brother, I am your younger sister! "

    Looking at Xiang Rongqing''s eyes which were gradually turning red due to grievance, Xiang Rongcheng''s heart ached. After all, she had been spoiled so much.

    Thinking to this point, Xiang Rongcheng could only force himself to continue to harden his heart.

    Brother cannot live without a wife for his entire life. Even without Shi Anran, there might be Wang Anran, Li Anran, could it be that you can truly chase away one? "

    Xiang Rongcheng sighed. Seeing that Xiang Rongqing still did not seem to believe that he did not do anything wrong, Xiang Rongcheng called the willow tree guarding outside the door.

    "Young Master."

    Smoke Willow Blessed up her body towards Xiang Rongcheng. She had heard the commotion inside the house from outside just now, and upon being called in, she had a bad premonition.

    Sure enough.

    "Yinliu, as the young miss''s servant girl, not only do you have to take good care of the young miss, but you also have to eliminate the people that harbored malicious intentions towards you. But look, what have you done? Back then, I didn''t ask you to come to the Young Miss''s side to serve her, so you came here to play dirty tricks on me! "

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, although the Smoke Willow didn''t know what had happened, it still abruptly kneeled down, its knees striking the ground making a muffled sound.

    "Young master, this servant definitely does not dare to have the slightest bit of ill intentions! "Young master бн" As he said that, the Smoke Willow used all its strength to bang its forehead against the ground, and the clear sound rang in Xiang Rongqing''s heart, one after another.

    Xiang Rongqing ran forward a few steps and tightly pulled on the willow tree, not allowing her to kowtow any further, "Big brother, if there''s anything, please come at me! How innocent is the Smoky Willow? "

    "What a great ''innocent'' man, then isn''t Shi Anran innocent anymore? A mere thought of yours almost took her life! "

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Xiang Rongqing forcibly pulled the Smoke Willow up, and placed it in front of her, using the handkerchief in her hand to wipe off the blood on the Smoke Willow''s forehead.

    "Big brother, no matter what you say, you''re doing it for Shi Anran! Just what is so good about her that you would be captivated by her! "

    At this very moment, Xiang Rongcheng felt that this was the first time his willfulness had reached the point where there was no cure.

    The Smoke Willow timidly hid behind Xiang Rongqing, and only after Xiang Rongcheng left did it finally let out a sigh of relief.

    The young master''s appearance was really too horrifying. Even the lord might not have the same murderous aura as the young master.

    After Xiang Rongcheng left, he slumped onto the chair, and silently looked in front of him without saying a word.

    Actually, she did not think that she would really harm Shi Anran''s life from the beginning, and what that person had promised was only ruining the marriage between and the Xiang Family.

    But after hearing her brother''s words, she started to feel fear. If something unexpected really happened, then she would regret it for her entire life. Fortunately бн It wasn''t too late.

    But why did she have to harm Shi Anran''s life? The two of them shouldn''t know each other, right? Furthermore, what kind of deep hatred or grudge did they have to come up with such a vicious move? Furthermore, she actually stepped into it as well.

    Thinking up to here, Xiang Rongqing felt a bit of lingering fear. She couldn''t help but shake her head, wanting to walk out from this shadow.

    Smoke Willow saw that Xiang Rongqing''s expression was unfathomable and she too, shook her head.

    The wound on her forehead was not serious, but it was still throbbing painfully. Seeing that Xiang Rongqing did not seem to care about her for quite a while, she could only stand quietly behind her.

    Actually, when Yan Liu Ji found out about Xiang Rongqing''s plan, he did not approve of it. But the helpless thing was, no matter how hard she tried to advise him, Xiang Rongqing seemed to have taken a huge burden and refused to listen.

    Now that she saw Xiang Rongqing like this, she couldn''t help but shake her head. It was a good thing that she didn''t make any big mistakes.

    "Yan Liu, I really never thought about it. It''s only because I don''t want her and her brother to get married that I want to harm Shi Anran''s life бн Smoke Willow... What should she do? I almost caused our Xiang Family to suffer too бн Am I... Too bad? "

    Hearing Xiang Rongqing''s words, Smoke Willow lightly shook her head and took a small step forward, "Miss, this servant knows about everything. You are not like that, isn''t it true that nothing has happened? You don''t have to suffer here anymore. "

    Xiang Rongqing felt her heart clogging up, she wanted to turn her head and talk to Smoke Willow, but when she saw the wound on her forehead, she remembered what Smoke Willow had experienced just now because of her.

    Just as Smoke Willow wanted to shake her head and say that it was alright, Xiang Rongqing ran over to the door and asked the other girls to call the doctor over.

    It was a good thing that her father had invited many of his colleagues for the birthday celebration, and the family even specially invited a doctor. Although she knew some basic bandaging techniques, it was still quite difficult for a woman to make a meal out of it.

    "Miss, this servant is just a little girl, how can I let a doctor treat this servant?"

    Hearing what Smoke Willow said, Xiang Rongqing shook her head disapprovingly, "Smoke Willow, you grew up with me. You''re my playmate, why can''t you take it?"

    Just as Yan Liu wanted to say something, Xiang Rongqing raised her hand to cover her mouth gently, "That''s right, Yan Liu, I remember that my father gave me a box of creamy liquid last time. I''ll go look for it, I heard that it is extremely good for wounds."

    After saying that, without waiting for Smoke Willow''s rejection, she ran into the inner room and started rummaging through. But because of this interruption, Xiang Rongqing no longer felt the discomfort she did in the beginning.

    When the doctor came, Xiang Rongqing found the Congealed Dew and placed it in the doctor''s hands, "Doctor Chen, look, do you think this can remove scars?"

 C63

    Just by opening it, he knew that it was a good item. He nodded and said, "Of course you can, but this lady does not have any scars on her forehead, so there is no need for it."

    After hearing these words, Xiang Rongqing nodded her head, but did not take the doctor''s words to heart.

    This woman''s face was more important than anything else, just in case.

    In fact, there were many times when Xiang Rongqing was extremely considerate and protective when treating her trusted aides. She was able to quarrel with Xiang Rongcheng for the sake of a mere servant girl, but she couldn''t tolerate Shi Anran staying by her side for even a minute longer. In the end, Xiang Rongqing''s willfulness was just because she loved her too much.

    In less than the time it took to make a cup of tea, the bandage was already finished. After seeing that Doctor Chen had left, Xiang Rongqing instructed the willow tree further, and then placed the Congealed Dew in her hands, allowing her to return.

    "Miss, Doctor Chen also said that this servant''s wound isn''t too deep, so there''s no need for this."

    The Smoke Willow looked at the Solidified Dew in his palm, and then pushed it back into Xiang Rongqing''s hands with some difficulty.

    "Smoky Willow, if a person misses, then the horse will lose its footing. What if the doctor misjudged her? The woman''s appearance is not anything else, just listen to your miss."

    After she finished speaking, without waiting for Smoke Willow''s reaction, Xiang Rongqing pushed her out of the door, "Smoke Willow, you must remember not to let the wind touch your forehead. You don''t need to come here for the next two days, rest for two days first."

    Hearing Xiang Rongqing''s voice as she entered through the door, the Smoke Willow helplessly smiled and shook her head. Looking at the creamy liquid in her hand, her heart was filled with warmth.

    When Xiang Rongcheng received the news that Xiang Rongqing had invited a doctor over, he thought something had happened, so he immediately put down what he was doing and rushed back to Xiang Rongqing''s Glazed Glass Academy.

    Just as he entered the courtyard, he saw Yan Liu standing dumbly in front of Xiang Rongqing''s room, and quickly walked over.

    "Miss, what happened?"

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Smoke Willow subconsciously shrank before she shook her head and said, "Young Master, no, little miss is fine."

    "Then what''s the matter with Dr. Chen?"

    Hearing that, Yan Liu finally understood why Xiang Rongcheng rushed over so quickly, "Young master, you misunderstood me, young miss is the person this servant invited, Doctor Chen." After saying that, she pointed at the gauze covering her forehead.

    Xiang Rongcheng lightly nodded his head and did not say anymore words. He only glanced at Xiang Rongqing''s house once more before turning around and walking out.

    The moment Xiang Rongcheng''s figure disappeared, Xiang Rongqing finally opened the door from the inside of the house.

    Seeing the two siblings in such an awkward situation, the Smoke Willow helplessly shook her head.

    Xiang Rongqing also noticed that she was still standing at the entrance, and spoke with a bit of malice, "Why aren''t you going back to rest? What are you standing here for? "

    After she finished speaking, without even waiting for the Smoke Willow to explain herself, Xiang Rongqing once again shut the door in front of him with a "Pa" sound as fast as lightning.

    Yan Liu shook her head helplessly. She stood there for a while longer before she walked back to her room.

    After Xiang Rongcheng returned from the Glazed Academy, he gave the guard, Ruan Lin, a lesson and walked into the study with large strides. Today was his father''s birthday, but he had more important things to do.

    "How is it, Miss?"

    As soon as Xiang Rongcheng stepped into the house, a group of people surrounded him.

    Listening to everyone''s concerned words, Xiang Rongcheng frowned slightly, then laughed, "It''s nothing, it''s just that the little girl made such a big fuss out of nothing."

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, a man dressed in red smiled as he continued, "Why don''t you all think about it? If there''s really something going on with Rong Qing, with his personality, would he still be able to come over?"

    Xiang Rongcheng did not want to bother with them anymore, especially this man in red clothes. Since childhood, the two of them had been at odds, and Xiao Luan liked to take him as a joke. He had already gotten used to it, "Alright, everyone continue."

    Once they got to the point, everyone''s expression turned serious. They lowered their voices as much as possible to exchange their opinions.

    On the side of the woman, Xiang Rongqing had not shown herself since the morning when she disappeared and said that her body was not feeling well. As she looked at Lady Xiang who was sitting on the main seat, she could not help but think of his mother, the woman who liked to laugh and laugh.

    It was no wonder that her mother and Lady Xiang had become good friends. The two were so similar.

    Mistress Xiang had also noticed Shi Anran''s line of sight. When she looked over, she could see that Shi Anran and her mother looked somewhat similar, and having seen them a few times, she immediately recognized them.

    "Anran?"

    Hearing Mistress Xiang call her name, Shi Anran stood up and blessed her with a smile.

    "Anran, do you still remember the last time I saw you?"

    Shi Anran nodded, "I remember that Aunt and Mother''s relationship is very good. In Mother''s final days, the one who brought it up the most is Aunt."

    Hearing this, Lady Xiang wiped the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief. With slightly red eyes, she waved at Shi Anran, who stood up and sat beside her.

    "Anran, you really look like your mother, and you look even more similar. Right now, your aunt only wishes that after your mother''s body wasn''t well, she wasn''t able to make it back in time."

    As she spoke, Lady Xiang touched some place that was difficult for her. She was crying uncontrollably. When the little girl behind her saw this, she hurriedly supported Lady Xiang and left.

    Seeing her like this, Shi Anran also felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. She was her mother''s only sincere friend, and she still remembered that in her previous life, her mother had always been muttering the name of Mistress Xiang before she died.

    After a long while, Lady Xiang finally came out from the inner room, her expression unreadable. As she sat beside Shi Anran, she only tightened her grip on her hand, but didn''t say anything more.

    Shi Anran also knew her limits. After all, Lady Xiang was her mistress today, so she couldn''t possibly continue talking about her mother while smiling and nodding her head in response.

    When Shi Anyi, who was sitting below, saw their expressions, the handkerchief in his hands were about to shatter. Why did everyone like to circle around Shi Anran? Was there really such a huge difference in status between a direct descendant and a concubine?

    Thinking about that, the expression on Shi Anyi''s face became even more distorted, but because of her identity, she was seated at the back, so no one paid attention to her.

    "Big Sister An Yi, your relationship with Miss Xiang is really good." He looked at the girl beside him who wore a yellow robe and spoke to her with a look of envy.

    The vanity in Shi Anyi''s heart immediately expanded by several times. "It''s not too bad, I''m just more talkative with Rong Qing."

    After hearing that, the surrounding people also turned their gaze to Shi Anyi, since there were very few concubines like her that would be willing to interact with young miss, and from the looks of it, Shi Anyi had some skills, so they all fought over it.

    However, there were also people who could not stand Shi Anyi''s arrogance, and coldly laughed, "Hmph, so what if your relationship with Miss Xiang is good, doesn''t that Lady Xiang not know who she is? What is there to be proud of here? Do you really think that just because Miss Xiang said a few words to her, she became a phoenix? Do you even know what kind of sh * t you are! "

 C64

    The voice was not loud, but it was at least not small. Just now, when the surrounding people heard it, for a moment, the people who were still flattering Shi Anyi earlier were a little embarrassed, not knowing how to react.

    To tell the truth, when they were at home, each and every one of them was only slightly better than the little girls. There weren''t many people who would try to befriend them, so now that they saw some powerful ones, they couldn''t wait to get on good terms with them.

    However, the people who spoke just now had quite the background and they didn''t dare to offend them. The people who were full of energy just now were now pretending to be a quail.

    Seeing them in such a state, Shi Anyi looked at them a few more times in disappointment. Then, she shifted her gaze to the woman who had spoken just now.

    Although Shi Anyi did not come out to participate in the banquet, she still knew who the woman in front of him was.

    Although they were both concubines, their circumstances were completely different. It was only because the main wife of the Li family didn''t have a daughter that she was able to raise a daughter that was born of a concubine. In addition, Miss Li had the ability to speak in front of them, which made her even more beloved by the Li family''s wife.

    Thinking about that, Shi Anyi became even more indignant.

    But no matter how angry she was in her heart, she had not lost her composure. After all, Shi Anran was not by her side right now, and if things really turned out big, then she would not be able to push the blame to Shi Anran.

    Seeing that Shi Anyi had quietened down, Miss Li turned her head back in satisfaction. This was the right thing to do, as she should be the focus of attention.

    Thinking of this, his expression became even more proud.

    Initially, when she heard about the marriage between the Xiang Family and Shi Family, even though she had praised Xiang Rongcheng to the point that there was nothing in the sky or on the ground, in the end, she had never personally seen it, and did not really believe it.

    But today, not only did she see it, she even exchanged a few words with it. Her heart had long ago started to undulate.

    Such an outstanding man should be hers, but Shi Anran snatched her away first. How could she be willing?

    When Shi Anran sat there, she had sensed that there were people constantly watching her, but when she raised his head, she didn''t discover anything.

    After a few tries, Yi Yue managed to guess what Shi Anran was doing. She lowered his head slightly, and whispered a few names next to her ear.

    Because she was standing, coupled with the fact that she practiced martial arts, she had good eyesight. Moreover, she was constantly patrolling back and forth, intending to understand some unknown malice in advance. Thus, she caught the eyes of those people, especially Miss Li.

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, the expression on Shi Anran''s face did not change much, as though she had just heard something normal, but she still secretly remembered those few people in her heart.

    In fact, the few people that Yi Yue mentioned were not very eye-catching. If it wasn''t for the fact that she had memories of two lifetimes, she wouldn''t even have known that there were so many unscrupulous things hidden behind this.

    Sure enough, there were a few people behind it.

    However, she really didn''t know how she had provoked them in this life. They were actually willing to pay such a large price.

    As she thought of this, the corner of her lips curled up in a mocking smile. She lowered her head just in time to conceal her expression.

    "Anran, I heard from Rong Cheng that since your mother left, you have not been feeling very well?"

    Suddenly, she heard the Lady Xiang beside him speak to her again. Shi Anran felt that they were extremely close, and laughed as she shook her head, "Actually, it wasn''t as exaggerated as Young Master Xiang had said.

    Noticing that Shi Anyi was about to make a move, Shi Anran briefly told her what happened on the day of her rebirth without adding to the story. However, the way she spoke was very important, even though the matter had not changed, it allowed one to think about things from a completely different perspective.

    What Shi Anran had just said had indeed achieved her goal. No proper wife would like a concubine, especially when it involved her good sister from before she left the pavilion.

    However, such an occasion today was not suitable for her to be the first to launch an attack. Madam Xiang was not a fool either. She immediately retracted her expression after a short while.

    After a long while, Lady Xiang finally managed to call out to the little girl beside her, "Which one is the Shi Family Second Miss?"

    Hearing her words, the little girl whispered back, "In reply to Madam, just sit behind Miss Li and wear a light purple outfit."

    After hearing the description, Lady Xiang looked over. When she saw Shi Anyi, her gaze intentionally paused a few more times, but Shi Anyi thought that it was because Lady Xiang had a good impression of him, and wanted to show off even more.

    As he straightened his clothes, his expression became more and more arrogant.

    Although the Li Family wasn''t bad, and Lord Li was of the second rank, it was still lacking compared to the Xiang Mansion. Adding on the fact that Xiang Family was in charge of most of the troops, his words naturally carried more weight.

    When he thought that he was about to receive the appreciation of Lady Xiang, Shi Anyi''s tail almost rose to the sky.

    "I just took a quick glance and realized that all the young misses in each house have their own spring and autumn years. I wish I could have a few more sons and let me have enough fun with them."

    Hearing Lady Xiang''s words, the rest of the people started laughing as well. However, due to the fact that they still cared about their image, each of them used a handkerchief to cover their mouths as they laughed.

    Seeing how Lady Xiang was chatting and laughing with the people around her, he couldn''t help but feel a little puzzled and resentful in his heart. If there wasn''t a chance, she could always create a chance for herself.

    Thinking up to here, Shi Anyi stood up casually and walked to the side of Lady Xiang, lightly blessing her body.

    Everyone''s eyes were focused on Shi Anyi the moment she stood up, but she did not feel ashamed of it. Instead, she felt proud, and walked forward with an even more imposing manner.

    Seeing Shi Anyi''s current state, Lady Xiang looked at her, feigning ignorance. "Girl, what''s wrong with you?"

    Hearing Lady Xiang''s words, Shi Anyi thought that she was smiling sweetly before continuing, "Lady Xiang, I''m Big Sister Anran''s younger sister. My name is An Yi."

    Seeing that Shi Anyi thought herself to be very appropriate, Shi Anran lightly turned her head, wishing that he could not recognize her.

    In this kind of situation, for her, a daughter born out of a concubine, to walk up without permission from her master, was this really stupid or was it just a sham?

    However, she could not let Shi Anyi lose face for the Shi Family. Thinking up to here, Shi Anran also immediately stood up from her stool, and blessing Lady Xiang by saying, "Aunt Xiang, An Yi has overstepped her limits. I hope Aunt can let go of An Yi today.

    Seeing Shi Anran''s generous and proper appearance, Lady Xiang nodded. "Fine."

    Originally, Shi Anyi was going to blame Shi Anran for being unreasonable and meddling in other people''s business. However, at this moment, she finally realised what kind of stupid thing she had done and her face instantly turned pale white.

    She hurriedly blessed her body and wanted to say something. However, when she raised her head, she saw that Lady Xiang had already pulled Shi Anran''s hand and started talking again, as she did not even look in her direction once more.

 C65

    Sensing that the surroundings were filled with looks of ridicule, disdain and watching the show, Shi Anyi bit her lower lip in dissatisfaction. Her hand that was placed beside her was tightly clenched into a fist, and her nails had already sunk into the meat, but she did not feel the slightest amount of pain.

    Lady Xiang hung Shi Anyi on the air for a while longer before smiling apologetically, "Look at me, I actually forgot that Second Miss Shi is still standing here, let''s go back and sit."

    After hearing this, Shi Anyi walked back in a daze, she had even forgotten about the most basic of etiquette.

    Looking at Shi Anyi''s somewhat weak figure, Shi Anran laughed secretly in her heart. Shi Anyi, you brought this upon yourself.

    When Shi Anyi returned to her seat, the surrounding people, who were still flattering her moments ago, now all wished that they could stay far away from her and pretend that they didn''t know her.

    However, all of them were glad that they had seen what kind of person she was. If they didn''t all become good friends, it would be too late to discover her. After all, humans came together in groups.

    Until the end of the banquet, Shi Anran had not expected any of the "accidents" to occur. Thinking to this point, Shi Anran did not know why, but the uneasiness in her heart, was also growing stronger and stronger.

    At this moment, Yi Yue also tightly furrowed her brows. After all, whether it was Shi Anyi or the people hiding behind, today was an excellent opportunity for them.

    No matter what, Yi Yue and Shi Anran still felt that they could not let down their guard.

    Thinking about it here, Yi Yue took a small step forward, and was almost right behind Shi Anran, at that time, no matter what accident, Shi Anran would be at a place that she could grab hold of.

    Lady Xiang stood up and greeted the ladies, who were about to leave, as she pinched Shi Anran''s palm, "Anran, wait for me for a while."

    Shi Anran nodded her head obediently. Coincidentally, her mind was in a mess, and she needed time to think about what to do next. Those people were already moving towards her, she could not sit still and wait for death.

    Thinking about it till this point, Shi Anran also had a plan, since she could not sit still and wait for death, then she would just lure the snake out of its hole, they would definitely not brazenly attack her, or hide behind someone else''s back, and as for who the other person was, it was very obvious, since their identity was suitable, and if they had the opportunity to attack someone, they would definitely not be her "good sister".

    It just so happened that at this time, Mrs Xiang had already sent them off, and had let the little girl by her side go and greet Shi Yu.

    "Anran, actually, I don''t have anything to say, but I have something for you," Saying that, she removed a high quality bracelet from her hand, and before Shi Anran could react, she directly put it on her wrist, "Anran, treat this as aunt''s present for you, don''t push it away."

    Hearing Mistress Xiang say this, Shi Anran who was'' fighting ''with the bracelet could only stop her actions, but she still looked hesitant, "Aunt, although Anran doesn''t understand jade, she does know that this bracelet бн"

    Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Lady Xiang, "Anran, although it''s because of your mother that Aunt started talking to you, after a night of interaction, Aunt also knows that you are a good person, a person worth befriending. If you also think that Aunt is a person worth befriending, then you should accept this bracelet."

    Seeing that Mistress Xiang had said it like that, Shi Anran could no longer refuse anymore. She nodded her head and said, "Then Anran would respectfully accept it, but she didn''t bring any presents today. She will definitely pay her respects to Aunt again in a few days."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Lady Xiang smiled and nodded. Only then did she send Shi Anran and her master out, and not long after, she saw Xiang Rongcheng walking towards them.

    "Mother, Anran."

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Mrs Xiang looked at the two of them dubiously, and laughed, "This old woman will not disturb you, and will be returning to rest first. Rong Cheng, you must definitely send Anran out safely."

    Xiang Rongcheng nodded, his face curling into a smile because of his mother''s words.

    The mother and son duo said this in unison. Her words did not give Shi Anran any chance to speak, and thus, unquestionably, it was decided. Lady Xiang waved her hand at Shi Anran, then walked back to where she came from.

    Looking at Lady Xiang''s back, Shi Anran only felt that she didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.

    "Anran, you are very beautiful today."

    Xiang Rongcheng suddenly said after Lady Xiang''s figure disappeared.

    Shi Anran had never tried to make love before. In her previous life, the only reason she had quarreled and wanted to be the crown prince''s concubine was because her reputation had been ruined by Shi Anyi and her daughter. Furthermore, the crown prince was a person who knew how to talk well, so she was naturally favored by Shi Anran, this kind of girl who had never seen anything in the world.

    So in this period of time, not only did Shi Anran not notice that Xiang Rongcheng was trying to please her, she thought that he was teasing her, and shamelessly smiled, "Thank you, Young Master, for your praise. But Anran''s beauty is also not just a day or two away."

    Xiang Rongcheng was startled, and immediately laughed. Shi Anran''s straightforward nature was really pleasing, at least, pleasing to him.

    "Young Master Xiang, there''s no need to send me off. I know the way."

    Hearing the unfamiliar name "Young Master Xiang", Xiang Rongcheng slightly frowned, but he did not say much. After all, he had to take it step by step.

    "I know her, but I can''t let Anran just leave like that at night. I have nothing better to do, so I''ll just send you off."

    After hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Shi Anran did not say anything else. She rejected him too strongly and deliberately, making it seem that she had no rules.

    "Anran, if you really marry into Xiang Family, what do you think?" Just as he was about to reach the door, Xiang Rongcheng suddenly said.

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Shi Anran was stunned, she never thought that Xiang Rongcheng would actually ask a question so bluntly.

    Shi Anran was afraid that she would get into trouble, so she did not say it directly.

    This answer was something he expected, so Xiang Rongcheng didn''t become flustered and exasperated, instead he replied calmly, "Is it because of condescension? I grew up with Rong Qing, so it''s hard to avoid her relying on me. However, this is not something that can not be changed. "

    After hearing this, Shi Anran stood at her original spot in no hurry to leave, and said estranged, "Young Master Xiang, if it''s for Miss Xiang''s sake, I won''t deny it, but this is only a small part of it. It''s my problem, and it''s yours. Young Master Xiang, do you love Anran? If not, please do not delay Anran''s life. "

    What Shi Anran had said was considered to be rejected, because no matter how much she did not understand love, she should know that in just a few short encounters, there would be no love. She wanted to let Xiang Rongcheng know the difficulties and retreat.

    After she finished speaking, Shi Anran stood there for a while. She did not wait for Xiang Rongcheng''s reply, as she was extremely clear in her heart what the other party was thinking about. She lowered her body and whispered, "Young Master Xiang, Anran will be going back first. Please halt, Young Master Xiang, there is no need to send me off."

 C66

    Shi Yu who was waiting at the door saw Shi Anran coming out, so he put down the curtain and went back to his residence.

    As she sat in the carriage, Shi Anran kept recalling the scene from before.

    I wonder if she has made it clear, for a smart person like Xiang Rongcheng, there is no need to explain so much to understand, right?

    Ever since Shi Anran had entered the carriage, Shi Anyi had been staring at Shi Anran''s wrist. She recognized this bracelet, she had personally seen it on Lady Xiang''s wrist, this bracelet was extremely beautiful, but she never expected it to be so easily given to Shi Anran.

    When she thought about the humiliation she had suffered in the Xiang Residence earlier, it was all because of Shi Anran.

    This was the nature of Shi Anyi and her daughter. Every time something happened, they would always push the blame onto others in order to show their "innocence".

    Sensing that Shi Anyi''s gaze was wandering over her body, Shi Anran suddenly raised her head.

    The unguarded Shi Anyi stared straight at Shi Anran, and seeing the hatred in her eyes, Shi Anran curled her lips but did not say anything.

    On the other hand, Shi Anyi was startled by Shi Anran''s sudden action, she could not help but pat her chest, and when Shi Anran smiled, a sense of fear surfaced in her heart.

    Shi Anran''s gaze made her feel as if she was naked in front of Shi Anran, as if she was being scrutinized by him, as if all of her secrets had been seen through by Shi Anran.

    With a little delay, she moved her head to the side, but Shi Anyi felt her heart still thumping hard against her chest.

    But Shi Anran did not care about that, and retracted her gaze with a smile.

    When they returned to the Shi residence, Shi Anyi was like a startled rabbit. The carriage had just almost stopped, when Shi Anyi got off it.

    Yi Yue also noticed it and smiled a little. In her heart, she felt quite disdainful, and when she helped Shi Anran down the carriage, it just so happened that Shi Yu walked down from the carriage in front as well.

    Shi Yu looked at Shi Anyi''s back as he hurried off and frowned, somewhat puzzled. "Anran, what''s wrong with An Yi?"

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Shi Anran pretended to be puzzled and gently shook her head, "Your daughter doesn''t know either. After all, An Yi and I are not close with each other, so she won''t tell her daughter anything."

    Seeing that Shi Anran also had a face full of worry, Shi Yu rubbed the top of her head, "Then it won''t be a problem, since we''re inside the mansion, nothing will happen, today you''re tired too, so go back and rest well."

    Shi Anran nodded her head lightly, "Then our daughter will go back first, Father must also rest early."

    After he finished speaking, the two of them walked towards the Agarwood Courtyard.

    After helping Shi Anran wash up, Yi Yue lifted her hand to test the temperature of the teapot. Feeling that it was a little cold, she got someone to change the teapot, then poured Shi Anran a cup of water and placed it in front of her.

    "Miss, what''s on your mind?"

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Shi Anran gently shook her head, "It''s not really a load on my mind. I''m thinking about who the person behind Shi Anyi is, to actually hide herself so deeply, and hide herself so that I can''t find him."

    "Didn''t you figure it out when we were at the Xiang Residence?" Yi Yue asked with some doubt. Could it be that she was distracted?

    "No, I can only guess who was behind all this, but I can''t figure out who was the real mastermind."

    "Then miss, could it be that they have joined hands, or maybe, think about it, is there anyone who has feelings for the Young Master Xiang that they shouldn''t have?"

    Hearing Yi Yue''s suggestion, Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "What you said makes sense, I have always been the center of attention, you are tired of this day, you can leave first, there is no need to rush over this matter."

    It was nothing much at first, but after hearing what Shi Anran said, Yi Yue also felt a little tired. She helped Shi Anran to sit on the bed, and after helping her to tidy up the curtains, he turned around and walked out.

    But Shi Anran lied on her bed and didn''t sleep for a long time.

    This was because she had the memories of two lifetimes. Many times, when she met with something, she would associate it with her past life. However, she had forgotten that her rebirth had changed a lot of things.

    In her previous life, those people used all sorts of methods against her just for the sake of power and status. However, in this life, there were many things that were quietly changing, and this was the most unspeakable of emotions.

    Thinking about it here, Shi Anran suddenly felt enlightened. Actually, if she did not become like that at the very beginning, things would not have gone this way.

    Once he understood what was going on, sleepiness naturally swept over him.

    Jian Jia''s yard that was different from her own quiet was in an uproar.

    Ever since Shi Anyi returned from the Xiang Residence, she had entered her own house and no one was allowed to enter, even the Third Concubine s.

    Third Concubine paced around outside the door anxiously, and only thought that Shi Anyi had suffered some sort of grievance while she was outside.

    "Tell me, what did Second Miss do outside today?" Looking at the Si Rong kneeling on the ground, the Third Concubine asked in a stern voice.

    Although her authority was almost taken by Shi Anran, but at least she had some prestige in Jian Jia Yuan.

    Hearing the Third Concubine''s words, Si Rong could only shake her head and cry, as she could not say a single critical word.

    Seeing her like this, Third Concubine felt a headache from the commotion and handed Si Rong over to Ru Nian. She continued to visit Shi Anyi''s room.

    However, Ru Nian''s methods were still too tender, so she could only wait here for her to stop crying.

    After a long while, Si Rong slowly calmed down.

    "What grievances did Miss suffer in the Xiang Residence today?"

    Upon hearing Ru Nian''s words, Si Rong shook her head lightly and suddenly thought of Miss Li''s matter. However, she didn''t know if it was a grievance or not, so she still whispered it out loud. As she spoke, she thought of Lady Xiang''s matter as well.

    After listening to Si Rong''s words, Ru Nian happily went to the Third Concubine to claim her credit.

    Only after leaving like a year did Shen Hong walk out from a corner. Today, her hair had been pushed to the side, and the wound on her forehead was especially obvious.

    She did not have a good master like Xiang Rongqing. The last time she was injured, she did not dare to openly seek a doctor.

    She was different from Ru Ru. She had only climbed to such a high position because she had guessed at Third Concubine''s thoughts bit by bit all these years.

    Hearing her words, the corner of her mouth curled up slightly. Her good days were coming soon, knowing that she was actually so happy about such a shameful thing happening in Second Miss, how could Third Concubine keep her?

    As expected, the Third Concubine who was anxiously wandering around Shi Anyi''s room saw Ru Nian walk over happily. Without even greeting her, she pulled her up.

    "How is it? Did you manage to find out something?"

    After hearing this, she repeated everything she had heard from Si Rong in detail. At this time, her mind was completely muddled by her work, and she couldn''t even remember to control her expression. When Third Concubine heard Ru Nian''s words, she frowned. She was also dissatisfied with Ru Nian''s actions, because her daughter was still in the house, not knowing what had happened. This little girl was actually so happy.

 C67

    Now was not the time to settle the score. Third Concubine waved her hand, allowing Ru Nian to go down first.

    Just like Shi Anyi, she felt that the responsibility for today''s matter lay solely with Shi Anran.

    Third Concubine felt that even though Shi Anyi was an unmarried woman, she had went out with Shi Anran. Then, Shi Anran would have the responsibility to protect Shi Anyi, how could she allow Shi Anyi to become everyone''s joke?

    What''s more, wasn''t Shi Anran''s mother good sisters with Lady Xiang? In this situation, as long as Shi Anran spoke a few good words, her daughter would not have to endure any more.

    The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was the case. Third Concubine walked forward and knocked on Shi Anyi''s door, "An Yi, open the door for me, Mother knows what''s going on.

    Listening to Third Concubine''s words, the sound of porcelain being swept away could faintly be heard from inside the house. After a long while, Shi Anyi had finished venting her anger, and then, she opened the door for Third Concubine.

    Seeing Third Concubine''s worried expression, Shi Anyi immediately threw herself into Third Concubine''s embrace. Her mood also instantly collapsed as she started to cry loudly.

    Shi Anyi had not cried in so many years, and seeing her crying in such a pitiful manner, Third Concubine felt her heart ache.

    Third Concubine lightly patted Shi Anyi''s back as she consoled her in a low voice, "An Yi, stop crying, stop crying. Mother will definitely think of a way to take revenge for you."

    "An Yi, your mother said that your father is still restricting your movements and preventing you from leaving. You can go and tell your father about your grievances."

    Hearing Third Concubine''s words, Shi Anyi stuck her head out from Third Concubine''s embrace and asked, sobbing, "Can it work?"

    "Sure, as long as you act a little more pitifully, your father will definitely believe you. How can mom lie to you?" After hearing this, Shi Anyi also felt that it made sense and gently nodded his head before burying his head in Third Concubine''s embrace.

    After a long while, she finally spoke again in a muffled voice, "Mother, today, my daughter suddenly felt like she knows everything. Moreover, my daughter actually had a secret that was opened up in front of her today, there''s no room for hiding. Do you think my daughter is overthinking it?"

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s words, Third Concubine sucked in a breath of cold air. Why, why had she also felt this way before, looks like Shi Anran really couldn''t stay any longer, regardless if it was true or not, she would rather kill wrongly than to let her go. She didn''t think that Shi Anran would let her go after knowing what she had done.

    However, although this was what Third Concubine was thinking, she didn''t let Shi Anyi know.

    It had to be said that although the Third Concubine was a bad person, she at least had a very good mother for Shi Anyi.

    Early morning of the second day, Shi Anyi was already waiting in the front yard. When Shi Yu returned, because she was standing there for a long time and the weather was right in front of her, she seemed to be exhausted.

    After all she was his biological daughter, Shi Yu hurriedly rushed forward to support Shi Anyi, so as to prevent her from falling onto the ground. He turned around to look at the little girl beside Shi Anyi and reproached, "How are you taking care of Miss? "All of you go find Uncle Yang for your punishments."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, every single one of them hurriedly kneeled on the ground, lowered their heads, and didn''t dare to even breathe.

    Shi Anyi gently pulled on Shi Yu''s sleeves, and weakly shook his head: "Father, what has nothing to do with them, is daughter persisting on her own, they can''t possibly force her to go back and rest."

    The reason why Shi Anyi said those words was not because she was being considerate towards these servants, but because of Third Concubine''s orders. Originally, Shi Anyi was hesitating whether she should obey or not, but the moment she touched Shi Yu''s soft eyes, she knew that she took the right step.

    Hearing Shi Anyi''s sensible words, Shi Yu nodded his head in gratification. "An Yi has also grown up."

    Actually, Shi Anran had already received the news when she had just arrived at the front courtyard. However, he didn''t say anything, and the corner of his lips curled up.

    As for Liu Yue, after hearing what happened last night, she was furious for a long time, and especially what happened with Shi Anyi in the morning, she was even more unconvinced, "Miss, how can you allow Second Miss to бн"

    While complaining, Liu Yue sized up Shi Anran''s expression, and was about to say something but stopped himself.

    Shi Anran held her back and frowned, "Have you forgotten the lesson last time? Or do you want to try out the feeling of not being able to eat? "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue immediately shut her mouth, and did not say another word.

    Seeing that, Shi Anran continued: "Third Concubine and the rest are just grasshoppers after the fall, they will only be for a few days. Why are you all in such a hurry here?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, the girls beside her all started laughing. Like I said, why would their young miss do such a thing to make me suffer a loss?

    Before long, the sound of someone walking in could be heard from outside the room. Yi Yue stuck her head out suspiciously as she could tell that it was a man''s movements.

    "H-Young Master Xiang?"

    Hearing Yi Yue''s surprised voice, Shi Anran frowned. She had already explained everything clearly last night, why was he still here today?

    Since the night before, when she had received the news that Shen Hong had secretly spread to her, she had already went to visit Wang Yuan at the Xiang Residence.

    It was just that he did not expect Lady Xiang to ask Xiang Rongcheng to come.

    "Anran, how come you saw me in a daze?" When Xiang Rongcheng entered, he saw Shi Anran sitting there in a daze, and couldn''t help but think of a joke.

    Shi Anran''s words pulled her mind back to reality as she frowned. She did not understand why Xiang Rongcheng acted as if nothing had happened.

    Actually, when Xiang Rongcheng said that to him yesterday, Xiang Rongcheng was also a little angry, but after calming down after going back in, he felt that Shi Anran''s worries were not unreasonable.

    There were too many changes in this world that he couldn''t control. Most importantly, he knew how important Xiang Rongqing was to him. What she said was very reasonable, if it was not based on her true love, how could she be willing to suffer grievances, and endure Xiang Rongqing''s teasing for him?

    After thinking it through, Xiang Rongcheng also felt that Shi Anran''s words were not so outrageous.

    Seeing Xiang Rongcheng like this, Shi Anran could no longer continue to keep a cold face. After all, she knew how unpleasant her words yesterday were.

    "It''s nothing. I just didn''t expect that Aunt Xiang would ask Young Master Xiang to come over personally."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s surprised words, Xiang Rongcheng felt that this trip was worth it.

    "I naturally know how much Anran misses me, but the most important thing right now is to first find uncle. Oh right, Anran, I came here late, right?"

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Shi Anran gently shook her head, "It''s not too late, my father also just came back not long ago, so the two of them went to the study room."

    Although Shi Anran did not exaggerate anything, but when Xiang Rongcheng heard this, his heart ached even more. He wanted to embrace the woman he spoiled in his hands, no one could bully him.

 C68

    "Alright, I''ll head over first. Oh right, do you know how to deal with things that shouldn''t be said by the people in the manor?"

    Shi Anran felt that he was making a big fuss out of nothing, but she still nodded her head, "I''m afraid that even Young Master Xiang doesn''t know about this.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, although Xiang Rongcheng did not reveal much on his face, his eyes still unknowingly opened wide.

    After sending off Xiang Rongcheng, Liu Yue, who had been constantly oppressing Xiang Rongcheng a few days ago, suddenly changed her mind. She stood in front of Shi Anran with a look of worship on her face, "Miss, this Young Master Xiang is definitely a good match."

    "How did you forget that you said something bad about Young Master Xiang a few days ago? Yi Yue, Lian Xing, she doesn''t remember, do you two? "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, the two of them nodded their heads. Liu Yue bit her lips in anger and muttered, "Both of them are bullying me alone бн"

    The three servant girls were in an uproar again, Shi Anran was also infected by their good mood.

    As for Xiang Rongcheng, after he walked out of Agarwood, he directly walked towards the front courtyard. Because of his previous visit, he had walked an exceptionally familiar path this time around.

    When he saw Xiang Rongcheng, Chen Ping was stunned for a moment. Even though the person in front of him had only seen Xiang Rongcheng once from afar, he had a deep impression of his face.

    "Young Master Xiang."

    "Un, I''ll have to trouble you to report to your old master that I have something important to attend to."

    Seeing Xiang Rongcheng''s serious expression, Chen Ping believed it was true and immediately walked in, afraid that he would delay the matter.

    Although Shi Anyi had already been in there for quite a while, she had not changed to the main topic of conversation. She had been chatting about some of the interesting things that happened when she was young with Shi Yu and the others, which was something that had already been arranged by the Third Concubine.

    It was only due to her bad luck that when she opened her mouth to say something serious, Chen Ping rushed in from the outside, and with a stern expression he whispered something into Shi Yu''s ear.

    "An Yi, your father still has things to do. Why don''t you stay here and play for a while?" Hearing Chen Ping''s words, Shi Yu immediately stood up from the stool, gave a few instructions, and walked out.

    Shi Anyi did not know why, but she suddenly felt unsettled, as though something was about to happen.

    But because she was crying and making a ruckus when she came back last night, the Third Concubine punished her severely and still couldn''t get out of bed.

    Without stopping to help her vent her anger, Shi Anyi paced around the house a little impatiently.

    "Uncle Shi." Seeing Shi Yu come out from afar, Xiang Rongcheng walked over. Seeing that Xiang Rongcheng''s face was not as serious as he had described, Shi Yu glanced at Chen Ping with some suspicion.

    "Nephew Rong Cheng, why are you here?"

    After hearing Shi Yu''s words, Xiang Rongcheng did not immediately reply. Instead, he took a small step forward and stood in front of Shi Yu, lowering his voice. "Uncle Shi, is there any other quieter place?" As he spoke, he glanced at his surroundings.

    Shi Yu immediately understood what he meant and led him to the room where Shi Anran normally met the stewards.

    After the door was closed from the outside, Xiang Rongcheng finally opened his mouth: "To be honest, I am here today because mother wants me to."

    Hearing Xiang Rongcheng''s words, the doubt in Shi Yu''s eyes grew, and after Xiang Rongcheng finished recounting the whole story, Shi Yu''s face was flushed red from anger.

    "Oh right, Uncle Shi, my mother also said that she was a little nosy today, but Aunt Shi has been good friends with my mother for more than ten years, and now that Aunt Shi is no longer around, only Anran is left. My mother is also afraid that Anran might have suffered some grievances, and furthermore, Second Miss''s place is indeed бн"

    Xiang Rongcheng had not finished speaking, but the meaning behind his words was very obvious.

    Shi Yu''s aged face looked even more furious. He never thought that his second daughter would actually do something so rude.

    Actually, when he first heard Xiang Rongcheng''s words, he had a grudge against him as well. After all, he had told her before, but after he thought about it, this was not Anran''s fault.

    "My mother called Rong Cheng over for this matter. I hope that uncle will forgive her if I disturb you. Rong Cheng will be leaving first."

    Shi Yu had not recovered from the huge impact of Xiang Rongcheng''s words just now, and he had actually not heard what Xiang Rongcheng had said clearly. After a long while, he sat down on the chair without strength, and a powerless feeling swept over him from the inside.

    Thinking about how his second daughter who had suddenly grown up had a behavior similar to Anran''s, Shi Yu was not stupid, and naturally understood what had happened.

    Ye Zichen sighed. He just wanted some peace and quiet, why was it so difficult?

    "Old Yang," Shi Yu suddenly remembered something, and called Uncle Yang in. Without waiting for Uncle Yang to stand still, he opened his mouth, "Go and tell Second Miss, I already know what she did, and I also know what her thoughts were. Tell her to be more obedient, otherwise, don''t blame me for being impolite."

    Hearing Shi Yu''s words, Uncle Yang was a little confused. He did not know what had happened to make the old master so angry, but he still bowed respectfully and left.

    As for Shi Anyi, who was anxiously waiting for Shi Yu, after hearing Uncle Yang''s words, his body swayed a little but he immediately supported himself on the table beside him. Shaking his head in disbelief, his mouth slightly opened as he kept mumbling.

    She kept repeating, "Impossible, impossible, you''re all lying to me, that''s impossible бн"

    Seeing that Uncle Yang was looking at her with concern, Shi Anyi pushed him away and ran outside.

    Uncle Yang stood in place, looked at Shi Anyi''s back, and revealed a mocking smile. However, he had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    "Mother, mother, they''re all lying to me бн" Shi Anyi ran while muttering to herself.

    Shi Anran stood on the road from the front yard to Jian Jia Yuan, looking at Shi Anyi''s disgraceful appearance, she was finally satisfied.

    Shi Anyi, you have suffered such a fate today, who can you blame? Shi Anyi, I didn''t want to hurt you, but you brought this upon yourself. In my previous life, this was the same, is this the nature of a "dog can''t change its way of eating sh * t"? These are merely small lessons, if you have a good memory, then that''s it. If you keep on committing these crimes, although I, Shi Anran have the same surname as you, I will not show you any mercy.

    The pain that you bet on me, I will take it back!

    Shi Anyi, who was completely immersed in her own world, simply did not notice Shi Anran hiding on the small path. However, all of the girls and attendants behind her saw him.

    Due to the hurried stopping in front of them, the few people behind them crashed into each other. For a moment, the entire scene was in chaos.

    Shi Anran slowly took two steps back. Seeing their appearance, even if he was angry, she wouldn''t be able to release it. She turned around and walked toward the Agarwood Institution.

    Seeing that, Liu Yue and Lian Xing quickly chased after her.

    Teaching Shi Anyi a lesson should clearly be something happy, but they didn''t know why, but Shi Anran had an abnormal appearance today.

 C69

    Shi Anran walked in a bit of a hurry while Liu Yue and the others had a hard time chasing him. It wasn''t until they stood in front of the Agarwood Courtyard''s door that Shi Anran stopped and didn''t move forward.

    "Miss, what''s going on?"

    Hearing Liu Yue''s question, Shi Anran gently shook her head, and didn''t say anything.

    Actually, when she saw Shi Anyi just now, she was only thinking of her mother. No matter how much grievances Shi Anyi had suffered, she still had a place to cry in, but she could only stand by herself.

    To be honest, she was jealous.

    But if it wasn''t because Third Concubine was too ruthless, she could still be playing in front of her mother.

    Thinking about it, Shi Anran wished that she could immediately find evidence to make the Third Concubine pay with her blood.

    "Miss."

    When Yi Yue came out after receiving the news that was stealthily transmitted to him, Shi Anran was still standing there quietly. She could not help but be a little worried and walked over.

    Hearing Yi Yue''s voice, Shi Anran regained her senses, and upon sensing her worried expression, gently shook her head, "Yi Yue, I''m just a little tired."

    Looking at Shi Anran, who rarely showed any weakness in front of them, Yi Yue''s heart softened. She walked over and supported Shi Anran on her shoulders, "Miss, what are you unhappy about?

    Hearing this, Shi Anran strongly nodded her head, but in the end, she did not say anything.

    After supporting Shi Anran back to the house, Yi Yue then called Liu Yue over to the kitchen to bring her the stew.

    "Miss, let''s have a drink first. You haven''t eaten since morning."

    Yi Yue scooped up a small bowl and brought it in front of Shi Anran, smelling the enticing fragrance, but she didn''t have any appetite, she gently waved her hand, "Put it there first, I''ll eat it later."

    Seeing the insistence on Shi Anran''s face, Yi Yue could only put the item down. After all, no matter what, master and servant were different.

    Liu Yue and Lian Xing''s face were also filled with worry, but seeing Shi Anran''s current state, they knew that they shouldn''t surround him and make her feel frustrated.

    Yi Yue looked at Shi Anran again, and shook her head helplessly, "Let''s go out and guard first, leave the young miss alone and quiet."

    Hearing that, the two of them nodded their heads and followed Yi Yue out.

    Shi Anran was the only one left in the house. She was quiet, like a needle could be heard if it was dropped onto the ground.

    "Anran, are you thinking so much that I can''t even think of eating anymore?"

    The voice that suddenly sounded out startled Shi Anran, she regained her senses and realised that she was still alone in the house. She turned her head and looked suspiciously, but there was no one else, she only thought that she was hallucinating.

    As if her movements were somewhat cute, a light laugh passed into her ears. This time, Shi Anran was sure that someone was playing tricks on him, and asked in a stern voice, "Who is it?"

    Seeing that Shi Anran was about to go berserk if she did not appear, the man nimbly jumped down from the roof over Shi Anran''s head, "Anran, you actually can''t even recognize my voice?" Saying that, Xiang Rongqing made a gesture that said that she would support him.

    Looking at Xiang Rongcheng who was standing in front of her, Shi Anran frowned in anger, why was it so troublesome? The corners of her mouth curled up as she sneered.

    "Who am I, it turns out to be the Young Master Xiang, why have I become the business of a gentleman?"

    Hearing the sarcasm in Shi Anran''s words, Xiang Rongcheng did not try to explain himself. He admitted that staying in this room with the young miss was not really proper, but he did not know what kind of demon he was under. He was worried about her, so he walked halfway before coming back.

    Coincidentally, she saw Shi Anran''s depressed look, and her heart was starting to ache a little. But the two of them had not met each other often, did he really let her think about it?

    Actually, he didn''t even know the answer himself. At this moment, he only wanted to dispel Shi Anran''s worries and let her be happy.

    As for Shi Anran, she fell into deep thought while looking at Xiang Rongcheng''s figure, it was really nothing. Since Yi Yue was in the house earlier, when did he come over? Before? But why did Yi Yue not even have the slightest inkling of how powerful Xiang Rongcheng''s martial arts actually were?

    But after that, after Yi Yue and the others left, without even opening the doors or windows, it was impossible for him to enter without moving, unless he wasn''t human at all.

    Thinking about the possibility of what would happen next, Shi Anran felt that it was a little funny. In fact, it was also possible, if not, why would he still look so unconcerned, no matter how heavy her words were?

    Looking at Shi Anran who was staring at him in a daze, he suddenly laughed strangely, and in that instant, Xiang Rongcheng felt goosebumps all over his body.

    "What are you doing?" The moment Shi Anran came back to her senses, she saw Xiang Rongcheng looking at her strangely, and frowned slightly.

    Seeing that Shi Anran had finally returned to normal, Xiang Rongcheng smiled and took a step forward, his expression serious.

    "Anran, I know that you have always been against me, but, I really hope that you can tell me everything no matter what happened. There are a lot of things that I might really be able to help out."

    Looking at Xiang Rongcheng''s current state, Shi Anran didn''t know what to do. Staring at him in a daze, after a long while, she laughed weakly, "I don''t even have the confidence to succeed, and I don''t even know what the result would be. So what can you help me with?

    Shi Anran, you are always protecting yourself like a hedgehog. You are not me, how do you know that I can''t do it?

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, which seemed to draw a clear line between them, the anger in the bottom of Xiang Rongcheng''s heart instantly exploded out.

    Looking at the back of Xiang Rongcheng who was walking far away, Shi Anran didn''t know why, but in her mind, there would always be those determined eyes of his.

    Because of Shi Anran''s words, Xiang Rongcheng was so angry that he immediately opened the door and left, scaring Yi Yue and the others who were waiting outside.

    Seeing Liu Yue''s ambiguous gaze, Xiang Rongcheng''s footsteps grew bigger and bigger, and in the end, he directly used a light movement technique to flip open the wall of the Agarwood Courtyard.

    After seeing that Xiang Rongcheng''s figure had completely disappeared, the three of them looked at each other in shock and hurriedly walked into the house. They actually did not hear anything from inside.

    When they finally regained their senses, Shi Anran had already returned to normal. She was drinking porridge with a bowl in her hands, and after putting it on for a while, the temperature of the porridge was just right.

    "Miss, did Young Master Xiang just walk out from here?"

    Hearing Liu Yue''s words, Shi Anran subconsciously frowned. Although she was in a hurry to train some trusted men, and Yi Yue did not seem to have any ulterior motives, it did not mean that she could tolerate these two little girls not showing him any respect.

    There was a difference between master and servant!

    Shi Anran looked up at Liu Yue, and casually said: "Liu Yue, haven''t you been living your life too peacefully, and have you asked me what I shouldn''t have asked, and haven''t my master taught you what I shouldn''t say?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue hurriedly lowered her head, and did not dare to say a single word more.

 C70

    Shi Anran avoided Liu Yue''s gaze and pretended not to see it at all.

    Liu Yue''s shocking words also caused Lian Xing to not be able to react for a good while. When she saw the look in Shi Anran''s and Liu Yue''s eyes when they looked at each other while avoiding a trace, he couldn''t help but be shocked. There was a difference between master and servant.

    Liu Yue lowered her head, no one could see the expression in her eyes.

    "Miss, Young Master Xiang, he бн"

    Seeing the hesitation on Yi Yue''s face, Shi Anran lightly shook her head, "Nothing much, there''s no need to worry."

    Although she said that, Yi Yue saw Shi Anran''s frown and knew that she was still in a bad mood. It was just that she didn''t know if Xiang Rongcheng had anything to do with her this time.

    Thinking about it, Yi Yue also felt that she could not understand Shi Anran''s thoughts anymore.

    Actually, Xiang Rongcheng was already considered a good partner. Although Xiang Rongqing was a bit more indulgent, but no one was perfect.

    And most importantly, Xiang Rongcheng''s good impression of her young miss was not low at all, why couldn''t his hold on it?

    After all, this was Shi Anran''s own affair, so she couldn''t say much. She could only helplessly shake her head and leave with Liu Yue.

    "Yi Yue, wait a moment." Just as she was about to close the door, Shi Anran put down the bowl in her hands and called out to Yi Yue.

    "Miss, what''s wrong?"

    "Yi Yue, according to what you are saying, if a person is really close to you yet you can''t detect his existence, what does that mean?"

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue opened her mouth wide in shock, and also guessed that the person Shi Anran had described was most likely Xiang Rongcheng.

    "Miss, this can only mean that her martial arts is outstanding." After Yi Yue finished, he looked at Shi Anran''s face as if she had thought of something.

    "Alright, I understand. You should leave first."

    Shi Anran was not used to the feeling of being sized up by someone, and that feeling was too insecure. Seeing that Yi Yue''s probing gaze was on him, she sent Yi Yue away.

    On the other hand, after Xiang Rongcheng left in a hurry, the more he thought about it, the more bitter he felt.

    He wasn''t without suitors, but why did she have to fall in love with a girl that wasn''t cold nor hot to him? Forget it, since Shi Anran had kept her nest in her turtle shell the entire time, he would be responsible for pulling her out. She was someone whom he had her eyes on, and would definitely not give her the chance to escape.

    Xiang Rongcheng knew that he was not someone who would give up easily. After understanding Shi Anran''s personality, he immediately thought of a series of plans in his mind.

    Xiang Rongcheng gently caressed his fingers. The feeling of Shi Anran''s hair was still in his palm, and for a moment, his heart became incomparably soft.

    That night, just as Shi Anran was about to go to sleep, she suddenly felt that there was someone in the room.

    "Yi Yue, go back and look."

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Yi Yue smiled and agreed. She naturally knew what the Miss meant by these words.

    "Yi Yue, what are you looking at?"

    Liu Yue and Lian Xing, who were carrying snacks in, asked curiously when they saw Yi Yue walk around the room with a nervous expression.

    Yi Yue gently shook his head. They did not know about Young Master Xiang, so she did not plan to continue talking about it. "It''s nothing much, it''s just that Miss thinks that there are bugs in the house.

    Hearing Yi Yue''s words, Liu Yue and Lian Xing put down the things in their hands and joined him.

    Seeing the three of them busying themselves in the room, Shi Anran also could not bear to see them. After all, Xiang Rongcheng could not possibly come and find her so late at night, so he let the three of them go and rest.

    "Miss, this servant will be keeping watch today. If anything happens, please just call me servant."

    Hearing Lian Xing''s words, Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "Alright, you all can go now, go back and rest."

    Xiang Rongcheng waited at the door of Shi Anran''s room for the most of the night. Only after she had fallen asleep did he slowly walk in, and instead of going to the inner room, he sat in the lobby, wanting to get closer to Shi Anran for no other reason, that''s all.

    The next day, the sky had already brightened when Shi Anran woke up. For some reason, she had slept soundly the night before. Originally, ever since she was reborn, she would frequently have nightmares, but last night, she rarely slept until dawn.

    "Miss, there''s news from Shen Hong again today, or are you asking when he called her out of Jian Jia Yuan, and she said бн"

    Thinking of the threatening words that she said at the end, Liu Yue hesitated for a moment before continuing, "She actually said that if the Young Miss didn''t save her now, she still doesn''t know what kind of words she would say."

    Hearing that, Shi Anran smiled and curled her lips, "Oh? "Then I''m really looking forward to what she can say to frame me."

    "That''s right, she also doesn''t look in the mirror, she''s already like that, she''s just a dog in Jian Jia Yuan, what conditions does she have to act so arrogantly with young miss, in my opinion, this Shen Hong just hates living too much now."

    Looking at Liu Yue''s face which had become completely red from anger, Shi Anran raised his eyebrows and said indifferently, "Why are you angry at such a person? It''s not worth it. "

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue nodded, "This servant understands. Oh right, Miss, how do you plan on dealing with Shen Hong? It''s always a problem to keep her. "

    "Send someone to look for a man in a remote place to marry her. It really is a bit unsightly in front of your eyes." Shi Anran said in a neither hurried nor slow manner, but hearing it carefully, the tone of her voice actually carried a bit of hostility.

    Hearing Shi Anran''s words, Liu Yue immediately became spirited, and nodded her head: "Ok, miss, your servant will go right away."

    With that, Liu Yue bowed and left, looking at Liu Yue''s figure as she left, Shi Anran began to ponder.

    "Mn, for Anran to have such thoughts about treating the person who wants to threaten you, I don''t need to be so worried." Shi Anran watched Liu Yue''s back as she left. Just as she turned her head to look at Xiang Rongcheng, he suddenly and mysteriously appeared in front of her.

    It was unknown if it was because of what happened yesterday, but this time, Shi Anran was not as scared as she was yesterday. However, that did not mean that she would be happy.

    "Young Master Xiang, is this the rule of your Xiang Residence?"

    Seeing Shi Anran''s cold expression, Xiang Rongcheng could not help but stare blankly, only until he noticed that the anger on the person in front of him was growing stronger and stronger, and finally regained his senses.

    "I don''t have any other intentions. I''m just here to see if anyone can bully my future wife."

    Shi Anran sat there in a daze, not knowing how to retort.

    "Alright, I won''t tease you anymore, Anran, I''m serious. If someone dares to bully you in the future, don''t hesitate to tell me, I won''t let you suffer grievances."

    If anyone were to say these words, Shi Anran would definitely be moved, but for some reason, when Xiang Rongcheng said them, other than being moved, she also felt a little bitter.

    Shi Anran turned her face away. She did not reply, but shook her head.

    Xiang Rongcheng didn''t know what she meant by shaking his head, and only watched quietly, without asking any questions. Perhaps Shi Anran had a knot in her heart, or perhaps she had a reason that was difficult to put into words. He should have given her freedom, but wouldn''t easily let go.

 C71

    Shi Anran hesitated to believe Xiang Rongcheng. His flowery words really caused her to not dare to entrust all of his sincerity. Not to mention that she still didn''t have any feelings for him, even if they were friends, Shi Anran would still have to guard against him a little.

    Before Xiang Rongcheng could say anything, a ruckus suddenly occurred outside.

    Shi Anran frowned, as she guessed in her heart, could it be that Shi Anyi was up to something again?

    Xiang Rongcheng stood with his hands behind his back, and stared straight into his eyes, where both of them could hear the commotion outside, but did not say a word.

    It was very obvious that Shi Anran''s frown had already told the other party that she was to be dismissed, but Xiang Rongcheng had a faint smile on his face, as if he didn''t understand what she meant.

    Seeing that the noise outside was getting louder and louder, Shi Anran took the initiative to break the record and stood up from the chair. Just as she was about to push open the door to see what was going on, Xiang Rongcheng suddenly grabbed her wrist without a care.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Where are you going?" He seemed to turn a deaf ear to the sounds outside.

    Shi Anran politely revealed a smile that could be called sweet, "Young Master Xiang, I''m going to take care of some family matters, feel free to do so."

    Xiang Rongcheng did not let him off, "You haven''t finished your words, how can you leave?"

    "Then, what else does Young Master Xiang have to say? I am all ears."

    "I want to hear your answer." Xiang Rongcheng really wanted to tear apart the mask he wore with a fake smile. In comparison, he actually liked the look of her frowning and thinking deeply. At least it was more real than it was now.

    "Young Master Xiang is smarter than others, how can Young Master Xiang not know what I want to say?" Shi Anran said with a stern expression, "Moreover, my answer was given to you on the day of Old Master Xiang''s birthday. Anran did not say it out loud, it was only for the sake of the dignity of the Shi Family, and also because of the reputation of the Xiang Family. "

    After being stunned for a moment, Xiang Rongcheng suddenly laughed, and came closer to her: "Don''t say such a thing, little Anran."

    "Miss." The two of them were in a stalemate, when Yi Yue pushed open the door and saw the two of them acting intimately, she blushed and lowered her head, saying, "This servant has offended you."

    Shi Anran bit her lips, seeing that there was no sign of panic on Xiang Rongcheng''s face, she angrily pushed him away, forcing herself to speak calmly, "What is it?"

    Without waiting for Yi Yue to speak, Xiang Rongcheng took the initiative to complain, "Why is your servant girl so rude? She even knocked on the door before entering the room, ruining this young master''s good fortune."

    Shi Anran was already holding her breath, when she heard Xiang Rongcheng purposely say these words to Yi Yue, he couldn''t bear it anymore, and laughed coldly and teased, "Young Master Xiang is right, it''s time to take care of these servant girls. They have already run off to where they are everyday, and I don''t even know where they are keeping watch by Master''s side.

    Although these words were said to scold Yi Yue, everyone could hear that Shi Anran was scolding Xiang Rongcheng as a rapist.

    The latter did not mind, and raised her eyebrows, "Anran, do not worry, if there really is such a thing, the one in front should be me."

    Shi Anran was too lazy to argue with him, she turned to Yi Yue and asked: "What are you guys arguing about outside?"

    "Miss, Shen Hong is dead."

    Shi Anran''s brows twitched, although she had expected such a thing to happen, she just did not expect Shi Anyi to take action so quickly.

    Shi Anyi was in such a rush that she wasn''t afraid of others daydreaming?

    Very quickly, the news of the fire dying in the manor reached Master Shi''s ears. However, Shen Hong was the only one who was burned to death, and no one else was even injured. This made Master Shi extremely angry, and it was not difficult to tell that this matter was definitely planned by someone.

    However, Shen Hong''s death could no longer be saved, so this matter, she had to uncover the truth.

    Master Shi gathered all the servants and maids in the mansion with a stern expression. On the other side, he gathered all the concubines and misses as well. All the servants lowered their heads, careful not to offend the master at this critical juncture.

    Since Xiang Rongcheng was an outsider, he was naturally not part of this group of people. Old Master Shi probably wanted him to stay in the study room first, since he was afraid that his family would be disgraced.

    Originally, Shi Yu wanted Shi Anran to go to the study room to accompany him, but the latter was naturally unwilling.

    When everyone had arrived, Shi Anyi arrived late under the escort of the third wife. Third Concubine saw that Shi Yu was still a little nervous, but on the other hand, she looked lazy and lazy.

    Shi Anyi followed the third wife and stood beside Shi Anran. With an unwilling expression, he muttered, "Mother, I don''t want to stand together with her. Let''s switch places."

    Third Concubine raised her head and glanced at Shi Yu, and unexpectedly, his gaze met with''s gaze at the same time. Third Concubine''s heart skipped a beat, and quickly shifted his gaze, tugging at Shi Anyi''s sleeve, and said snappily, "Stop being so noisy, we''re just standing here, so we can''t take even a piece of your meat."

    Shi Anyi was somewhat angry, her voice also became louder, "Mother, I don''t want to!"

    Shi Anran heard everything clearly from the side, but now was not the time to argue with Shi Anyi. Since she was being so domineering and arrogant, naturally, someone would come and take care of her.

    Sure enough, Shi Yu''s face darkened, his gaze swept across Shi Anyi''s body like a sharp blade. The third wife saw that Shi Yu''s face was growing darker and darker, and in a moment of desperation, she pushed him away, "Enough, don''t be so rude, you don''t know your manners. Didn''t you see that the Old Master is busy with some important business? "

    Shi Anyi was already complaining about it, who knew that she would get scolded. She felt wronged and tears fell from her eyes, "Mother, what are you doing? I just said a few words! "

    Shi Anyi felt a burning sensation on her face, as if she had been slapped.

    There were already many servants of the Shi Family around, and when they heard the words from their side, they looked over. Being scolded in front of so many people, it could be said that Shi Anyi had lost all face. Not only did she feel embarrassed, but she also started to blame her mother in her heart.

    Third Madam''s heart ached as well. She had scolded her own daughter, so how could it not hurt? However, her daughter was still unenlightened. She did not admit her mistake even after being scolded. She even had a face full of indignation.

    Seeing the rain on Shi Yu''s face, in order to prevent more anger from reaching Shi Anyi, the Third Concubine had to strike first to gain the upper hand.

    "You''ve had enough, yet you still dare to talk back?" Third Concubine raised her voice, this time everyone looked over, Third Concubine was not done, and scolded, "You unruly girl! You broke the rules in front of your sister, yet you don''t know your crimes even if you offend her? Kneel down and apologize to your sister and father! "

    Third Concubine deliberately emphasized the words "father", in order to remind Shi Anyi of something.

    Shi Anyi glanced at the servants standing around the room. If this was any ordinary day, she would have knelt if she knew she was wrong, but now бн She couldn''t afford to lose this guy.

    Third Concubine was angry and anxious, "Girl, you still don''t know how to repent!"

    Master Shi''s expression became more and more unsightly as he looked at Shi Anyi and the Third Madam, and berated them, "Have you caused enough trouble? You''re truly out of order. To force yourself to do such a thing in front of so many servants, I think my Shi Family is too young to accommodate you two."

    The Third Madam was just putting on an act, and upon hearing Shi Yu''s words, she kneeled down at his feet and cried.

    "Old master, old master, I was wrong. I truly know my wrongs. It was this humble one who didn''t discipline my daughter well. It was all my fault бн"

 C72

    Third Concubine sobbed, she was not sad at all, but it looked like she was really remorseful.

    But Shi Yu was not moved at all, he even had no intention of continuing his nonsense with the third wife.

    Shi Anran stood behind the third wife and looked at the two miserable girls. In her heart, she was only ridiculing them, with not the slightest bit of mercy. The wicked should be punished. Today, she had done nothing. She had not said anything. She had brought everything upon herself.

    "I will slowly find you and scheme against you in the future. The reason I called you here in the great hall today is to investigate Shen Hong''s death thoroughly."

    There was complete silence. Shi Anran glanced at Shi Anyi and saw her sitting on the ground crying. There was nothing strange about it. However бн Shen Hong''s death was still too strange. She did not instruct Yi Yue and Liu Yue to make a move, who else would make a move in this residence?

    "Third Madam, is Shen Hong your servant?"

    With her name mentioned again, Third Concubine was startled. She came back to her senses and hurriedly tried to curry favor with An Yi as she replied, "Yes, master. Shen Hong is indeed the personal servant girl that I have chosen for An Yi."

    "Do you know how she died?"

    "This бн" The Third Concubine frowned, Shen Hong was burned to death, how could the lord knowingly ask such a question? Third Concubine looked up and glanced at Shi Yu, then probed, "She was burned to death by the flames."

    "I was asking how the fire started. It''s in your yard, Third Madam.

    Seeing Shi Yu''s slightly reprimanding tone, Third Concubine''s voice slightly trembled, "Master бн I really don''t know! This fire is ignited just like that, it''s not something I can control бн "Look бн"

    Shi Yu interrupted her, "Since it''s like this, then there will be so many maids and guards in the courtyard. Tell me everything you people know, or else if I find out what you guys are deliberately hiding, don''t blame me for being impolite. "

    Master Shi spoke harshly to the servants. Anyone who wanted to know more could say one, two, three things. Although Shen Hong''s maid could not be considered to be his, but to have died so randomly, he had to give Shen Hong an explanation. If she knew underground, he would be able to rest easy.

    But after Master Shi finished speaking, the entire residence was unexpectedly silent again. No one replied to his question at all, which made Shi Yu extremely angry.

    "You won''t tell me, right? Fine, if you can''t find out for a day, then stand here for a day and don''t go anywhere."

    With that, Shi Yu left.

    Shi Anran saw all of this, but she was not surprised, because all of this was something she had anticipated for a long time.

    After Master Shi left, because he had ordered them not to leave the yard even half a step, everyone stood in the yard, waiting for what would happen next.

    Some people gloated, some people coldly watched from the sidelines, some people felt guilty, but even more people felt innocent and wronged.

    "Is there a need to make such a big fuss over a servant girl?"

    After standing there for a long time, someone began to complain in a low voice.

    No one agreed, and no one dared to agree, although even Shi Anran wanted to nod her head in agreement.

    Some of the older mama and servants gradually found themselves unable to hold on, and their bodies could be said to be shaking as if they were jade pendants.

    It was winter, and although it had been almost spring, and there were some signs of warmth, the wind was still cold. After standing for a long time, even Shi Anran felt that her hands and feet were stiff. When she looked again, those older ones'' faces had turned even paler and their lips had turned purple.

    Those young servants were also a little sad, afraid that they would be dismissed by Shi Yu because of this. Even though Shi Family was not considered one of the top in the capital, it was still a proper family. The monthly salary was not little either, where could one go to find such a good job?

    At this time, someone set their sights on Shi Anran. Shi Anran usually did not collude with the mother and daughter pair, and was extremely kind to the servants in the house. Thus, at this time, the only support the servants could think of was her.

    The braver servants saw that Shi Anran was also in the crowd, and wanted to walk over, and plead for Shi Anran to say some good words for them. Shi Anran saw that, and knew that the other party had something to say, so she prepared to leave.

    Shi Anran''s actions were caught by Shi Anyi, "What are you doing? Daddy said that you''re not allowed to go out without his permission. Or is it that the culprit is actually you? Shi Anyi let out a cold laugh at the end, as if she had confirmed the truth.

    Shi Anran laughed, "Little sister, I just feel that this room is too stuffy, and want to take a breather at the door, is that not allowed? Do you need to send someone to ask daddy? " Shi Anran did not wait for Shi Anyi to reply before she left the house. The servant who wanted to speak but hesitated and took a glance at Shi Anran''s figure.

    When he walked out of the door, he coincidentally saw Shi Anran standing at the door. The wind blew against her skirt, as if she could fly away at any time.

    "Eldest Miss." A respectful voice sounded out from behind Shi Anran.

    "You have something to say?" Recalling Eldest Miss''s unusual behavior recently, sweat kept appearing on the head of the servant. But now he could only beg Eldest Miss, the lord seemed to value Eldest Miss more and more, moreover, this Eldest Miss had always been very kind to them, and she never used her identity as a servant to suppress them, unlike the arrogant and despotic Miss.

    After some thought, he gathered up his courage and explained the purpose of his visit to Eldest Miss.

    "Eldest Miss, Master said that if we don''t say anything, we are not allowed to leave the courtyard. However, if the culprit doesn''t turn himself in, none of us know what is going on. Are we really going to stay in the courtyard?" After the servant finished speaking in a single breath, he glanced at Shi Anran''s expression, as if nothing was wrong.

    "Oh? "What do you mean?" Shi Anran asked despite knowing the answer.

    "This humble one hopes that Miss can plead with Master. I''m afraid some of the older servants in the courtyard won''t be able to hold on. It''s freezing cold бн" Young miss, I know, I am just a servant. Even if those servants in the courtyard fall, they wouldn''t have any effect on the Shi Family, but this would hurt the hearts of the other servants. They would think that in the eyes of the Shi Family, the lives of the servants are worthless. "

    After the servant finished speaking, he lowered his head in fear and trepidation. He knew that after he finished speaking, it was extremely likely that he would not be able to continue working at Shi Family. However, for the sake of those bunch of seniors, he had to fight for a chance for them even if he had to risk his life.

    Shi Anran thought, she never thought that there would be such a kind-hearted person amongst the people here, she knew that the servants of the Mu Clan all had masters behind them, this servant did not seem to have found an loyal master, if not he would not beg for her help.

    "In a while, go get a doctor in the living room and wait. If there''s anyone in the courtyard who can''t handle it, ask the doctor to take a look. As for pleading with your father, don''t worry about it for now. Just do as I say." Shi Anran knew that she had to beg for this from her father, otherwise, when the hearts of the people in his family were at a loss, sooner or later, his family would not be able to hold on.

 C73

    "Then will the old master бн" The servant looked worried. If the lord knew that the eldest young mistress had secretly invited a doctor, would he punish her?

    "Rest in peace. I have my ways with father." Shi Anran said calmly.

    "Yes, this humble servant will do it now. Thank you, Eldest Miss." The servant happily went to get a doctor. He knew that the eldest young miss would definitely help them out.

    Shi Anran looked in the direction of the courtyard and vaguely saw the figures of Shi Anyi and the third wife. The two seemed to be unwilling to accept it, but after seeing that she and her father were no longer around, they started to act mighty among their servants.

    She didn''t want to be alone with him, so she had merely been fortunate and prepared to leave. However, Xiang Rong didn''t give her the chance to, as she took a step forward, she placed herself right in front of Shi Anran, blocking the way.

    "Anran, why did you leave without saying anything when you see me? Am I so repulsive that you won''t even look at me? " The gap between Xiang Rongcheng''s words once again closed in on Shi Anran.

    "Young Master Xiang, please show some respect. This is the Shi Residence, not a place where you can do whatever you want." Shi Anran took a step back, her face full of fear.

    He looked fixedly at Shi Anran, and said with a half-true and half-false wry smile, "I only wanted to communicate with you through our relationship, but you treated me like a ferocious beast instead. It''s really disheartening."

    Shi Anran''s eyes were filled with contempt, "Young Master Xiang, please behave yourself, I still have things to do first, please do what you want." Without waiting for Xiang Rongcheng to make a move, Shi Anran turned and left.

    Xiang Rongcheng watched Shi Anran''s leaving figure from behind and did not go forth to chase after him. His unfathomable smile caused one''s hair to stand on end.

    "Let''s go." Only when Shi Anran disappeared from her sight did Xiang Rongcheng leave.

    Shi Anran, there isn''t a woman that I, Xiang Rongcheng, don''t want yet. Just you wait, I''ll definitely make you fall for me obediently, both physically and mentally.

    When Shi Anran turned around to leave, she knew that Xiang Rongcheng had been staring at him the entire time. Because she clearly felt a sharp glint on his back, and it was only after walking for a long time that this feeling disappeared.

    He didn''t expect that Shi Yu, who had opened the door from the inside, seemed to be just about to go out. Seeing Shi Anran standing in front of his door, she was stunned for a moment, then turned around and went in, and said, "Anran, come in."

    After Shi Anran entered, she closed the door and paid her respects to Shi Yu first, then quietly stood there.

    "What brings you here?" Shi Yuanyuan thought to make Shi Anran speak first, but she didn''t expect him to be so calm, and forced him to open her mouth to ask her.

    "Father, some of the older servants in the yard are almost unable to hold on. I''ve already sent servants to get a doctor. I wonder when father can take back the order?" Shi Anran stared at Shi Yu as she spoke, she did not avoid him at all.

    "Since the murderer didn''t come out, we can only let them continue standing." Shi Yu was expressionless, as though he did not have any feelings for his.

    "Father, if we do not properly pacify the servants in the family, I think they would not put all their effort into thinking for our Shi Family. Anran humbly requested father to agree to Anran''s request and allow a doctor to treat the servants in the family.

    "Oh? Do you know who the murderer is? " Shi Yu''s eyes flashed.

    Father misunderstood, Ran''er is saying that since the culprit dared to act so viciously in the Shi Family, he must have thought of a foolproof plan, so he won''t be caught easily by us, and even more so, he won''t easily step out and turn himself in, but Father actually punished one of the servants in the family for the sake of the culprit who is unknown, I think that the culprit might be secretly laughing in that corner. " Shi Anran said calmly.

    Shi Yu thought about it, what Shi Anran had said was reasonable, if he hurt the heart of the servants, then the losses would not be worth it. If the people in the family were not well versed, it was very likely that someone would take advantage of the situation, so it would be a good idea for her to ask a doctor to treat the servants.

    "But do we just let the murderer get away with it? To dare to openly kill people in our Shi Family, is this not a provocation? Shi Yu was already prepared to stop pursuing the matter, as he could guess who did it. But on the surface, he didn''t spare anyone with his words.

    Shi Anran knew that Shi Yu had let go, it was just a matter of face, she smiled slightly, "Father, you can rest assured, we will catch the murderer sooner or later, it is only a matter of time." Shi Anran looked very confident.

    "Since father has said so, I''ll go tell everyone. If father has nothing else to say, daughter will take her leave." Shi Anran bowed and went out.

    After exiting the room, the smile from earlier was gone, replaced with a cold expression.

    She could probably guess who the murderer was. There were only a few people who had connections with Shen Hong, how could they not guess? I''m afraid... Her father also knew what was going on, but he just didn''t say it out loud.

    Shi Yu looked at Shi Anran''s leaving figure from the window and sighed.

    Shi Anran came to the courtyard everyone was waiting for, and walked to the front, and said loudly, "Father showed kindness to everyone and found a doctor for everyone. Although the killer was not found, Father said that everyone can leave, because he believes that the killer will not be here." After saying that, Shi Anran gave a faint smile at the third wife and Shi Anyi.

    "Really? Old master said that he can leave now? "

    "That''s right, the old master even invited a doctor for us. What a benevolent man."

    The grateful voices of the servants rose and fell unceasingly, Shi Anran sneered.

    Only he knew that the doctor was invited by the young miss, and the master''s special order was also asked by the young miss, so the person that everyone should be grateful to should be the young miss.

    "When did Daddy tell you that?" Shi Anyi could not bear to see Shi Anran standing in front of everyone like a master, and thinking back to how Shi Anran had embarrassed herself back at the Xiang Residence, she could not help but grind her teeth and curse out loud, "Bitch."

    Shi Anran''s sensitive ears caught the words, and she looked at Shi Anyi with a smile that was not a smile, and asked: "Who are you scolding, bitch?"

    "Bitch is naturally scolding you." Shi Anyi had no idea that she had already been surrounded by Shi Anran, and was still feeling complacent. The third wife naturally understood Shi Anran''s words and hated him for not being able to bring him back to her own courtyard. She could not let Shi Anyi lose face here.

    "An Yi, shut up. Don''t you know that we''ve been tricked?" Originally, the third wife didn''t plan to stop Shi Yu from fighting with Shi Anran since he wasn''t here, but the more she heard, the weirder it got.

    Shi Anyi reacted, she was so angry that her face flushed red, she almost wanted to tear Shi Anran into pieces: "Shi Anran, you dare to scheme against me?" Shi Anyi escaped from the Third Madam''s hands and fiercely ran towards Shi Anran''s position. The servant looked at Shi Anran gratefully, and when he saw that someone was going to harm the big miss, he immediately rushed forward to protect the big miss, and the others, upon seeing him, went to protect the big miss.

    Seeing that her intuition told her that something was going to happen, the third wife hurriedly ran forward to pull Shi Anyi back.

    "What are you doing? It''s no good. " Shi Yu came to the courtyard and saw the chaos. He asked with a cold expression.

 C74

    When he wasn''t around, these people became so audacious. Did they think he was dead?

    When the third wife saw Shi Yu, she immediately rushed to grab him, preventing him from approaching him. What if Shi Anran took this opportunity to trick her? Shi Anyi also saw that Shi Yu had arrived, but she did not dare be impudent. In her heart, she was still afraid of this father.

    "Master, An Yi and I were just about to go back to our rooms, but I didn''t expect you to come. Third Madam said ingratiatingly.

    "If I don''t come, you all will destroy your Shi Family. Alright, you all can leave now, go back to your rooms, and take care of your patients or work, disperse now."

    "Yes, master." After everyone heard this, they all did whatever they had to do.

    Shi Anyi was unwillingly pulled by the third wife, but before she left, she fiercely glared at Shi Anran. However, Shi Anran did not mind, she only smiled and returned to her room. Finally, only Master Shi was left in the courtyard.

    After glancing at the empty courtyard, Shi Yu also flicked his sleeves and left.

    At night, Shi Anran was in her room reading a book, when a servant suddenly came to report that a servant wanted to see the young miss. Hearing that, Shi Anran laughed, as if she was not surprised, she said indifferently, Let him in.

    As expected, it was the servant.

    "Eldest Miss, it''s all thanks to you today, otherwise, no matter how warm everyone''s clothes are, they wouldn''t be able to withstand the cold. Many people might not be able to hold on, and this little one told them in hushed tones that today it was all because of Eldest Miss''s kindness that saved everyone, today I''m here to thank you on behalf of them." With that, he immediately knelt down.

    Shi Anran personally went forward to help him up, "I am not a cold-hearted person. Since others treat me well, I will naturally repay them.

    "Eldest Miss, from now on, this little one is willing to be an ox or a horse for you." Shi Anran smiled in his heart.

    She had never been scolded so harshly in her entire life. When the third wife talked to her, she did not even bother to argue back. At the beginning, the third wife had quietly coaxed her, but later on, she lost her patience.

    "An Yi, how come you still don''t know how to control yourself? If it wasn''t for me today, you would probably be kneeling outside right now." The Third Madam was upset, but Shi Anyi pretended not to hear it.

    "Alright, since you don''t listen to my advice, then think it over in the house. Don''t come out for the next two days." The third wife left after she finished speaking, she did not see the viciousness in Shi Anyi''s eyes.

    Deep into the night, Shi Anran quietly sat in front of the dressing table. She looked up at the window and saw that it had reached the full moon, he shook off her thoughts and laid down.

    Just as Shi Anran closed her eyes, she heard the sound of the door opening. The one who entered was Yi Yue, she walked in quickly and asked softly: "Miss, are you asleep?"

    "What''s the matter? Why are you bothering me at this hour?" She responded faintly, slightly complaining.

    "There are guests in the mansion, they say that they must see the young miss now or they won''t leave." Yi Yue was also helpless, if not she would not have come to disturb the Miss at this time.

    Hearing that, Shi Anran became curious, just what kind of person would have such airs? Thinking about it, she softly said, "Then let her wait бн"

    After approximately half an hour had passed, she finally saw Shi Anran finish dressing herself. She slowly walked over with graceful steps, her gaze landing on the cloaked lady, and leisurely opened her mouth: "Since it''s late at night, why do you not dare to reveal your true appearance to me?"

    Seeing that the lady still remained unmoved, Yi Yue was angry, and said unhappily: "My family''s young miss asked you a question, are you mute?"

    As soon as Yi Yue finished speaking, the woman took off her bamboo hat, revealing a familiar face, shocking the two of them. Wasn''t this бн Shen Hong? Yi Yue''s usual indifferent face also revealed a look of surprise.

    "Are you surprised?" Shen Hong seemed to be satisfied with their reactions, but even she was surprised. If she had not escaped by luck, the person standing in front of them would have really become a ghost.

    Shi Anran sat on the soft chair, calming down the surprise in her heart for the moment, and then changed it to a calm expression, and slowly said: "Since you are not dead, why did you not find a place to live, and instead come to see me?" Shen Hong was not stupid, otherwise she would not have been able to escape the fire.

    A trace of resentment flashed across Shen Hong''s heart, but she did not reveal it on her face. She still needed Shi Anran''s help! Shen Hong walked over and stood three steps away from her: "Eldest Miss, I don''t want to get involved with any grudges or grudges within the palace anymore. It''s just, when did Eldest Miss agree to our promise and send me out?" One had to know that she couldn''t stay in the Shi Manor now, but other than this place, where else could she eat and live? So... She could only turn to Shi Anran for help.

    Hearing that, Yi Yue fiercely swept his eyes over her and waited for the young miss to speak.

    Maybe she was tired, Shi Anran yawned lazily, and after being silent for a while, she said lightly: "Everyone knows you''re dead, do they still need to ask me if they want to leave? You have these legs on you, why do you need to ask others for their opinion? "

    What does Eldest Miss mean by this? Shen Hong felt a bad premonition, and after pursing her lips, she said honestly: "I personally think that young miss is not someone who goes back on her words, Shen Hong''s status is not even on the level of young miss, she is not as wealthy as you. As long as the young miss gives me enough silver for me to spend the rest of my life, I will definitely not appear in front of the young miss again. "

    In truth, Shi Anran did not believe Shen Hong''s words. She gently brushed the silk handkerchief across her forehead as if she was thinking about something, since that fire did not burn her to death, she should not have died, but it might have been a good thing for her to survive.

    Seeing that Shi Anran did not say anything, Shen Hong became anxious, she was unable to understand what the young miss was thinking. Currently, no one else in the Shi Family knew that she was still alive. If word of this got out, it would be extremely disadvantageous for her.

    The two had different thoughts, Shi Anran could naturally see through her thoughts, but she really didn''t like the feeling of being threatened, so she only pursed her lips and said, "If you want to go, then go, before I go back on my words, it''s best to go far away!" This was the last bit of patience Shi Anran had with her. If Shen Hong was just a little bit smarter, he shouldn''t have come back to find her. However, this kind of woman was too greedy. Even when facing a life and death situation, she didn''t forget to come back and ask for money. Did she really think her silver was so easy to get?

    Yi Yue looked at his young miss'' attitude and understood what was going on. She coldly ordered them to leave: "The young miss has already shown great kindness in letting you go, why aren''t you leaving? What are you standing here for?"

    A benevolent heart? Hearing the words, Shen Hong''s five fingers which were hidden in her sleeves tightened, if she had immediately nodded and gave him the silver, Shen Hong would not have been standing here. She took in a deep breath and spoke anxiously: "Young miss, you promised me, you clearly promised me!"

    "Why are you pestering me?" Yi Yue raised her hand to stop her from getting too close to Shi Anran.

    Shen Hong also felt that her actions were too intense, after calming down, she said apologetically: "It''s this servant that is lacking in manners, I was just too anxious, Miss, you won''t go back on your words now, right?" If she wasn''t cornered, she wouldn''t have come back to beg for Shi Anran''s help. She just hoped that she could fulfill that promise.

 C75

    As she listened to Shen Hong''s words, Shi Anran remained calm and collected as she drank her tea. She lazily raised her eyes and said slowly, "You don''t seem to understand my words very well, if I don''t hand you over now, it would already be the greatest act of kindness. If I were to take advantage of the dark night and leave this place, perhaps I might not be able to spread the news that you''re alive."

    "If eldest miss wanted to say it, she would have already sent someone to spread the news. Why wait here and waste time on me?" Shen Hong was worried, if she did not have any treasures, how could she continue living? With that, she looked at Shi Anran for a long while, then turned and sat on the chair beside her. Shen Hong felt that she had something on Shi Anran anyway. If she didn''t give him the silver, he would tell everyone about her. As expected, the people from Shi Family were not easy to deal with.

    This Shen Hong really deserved to be tidied up, so Yi Yue''s eyes darkened, seeing that she was minding her own business and pouring a cup of tea, she said as he drank: "The young miss is so smart, she should know what is better than wasting time, why hesitate if you can use money to settle things, does Shi Family still lack that little bit of silver, right?"

    Shi Anran, who had been silent for a long while, slowly stood up. With a pair of bright eyes, she said with a dangerous aura, "Shen Hong, do you know what it means to give face but not take it? In that case, you must think about the consequences! "

    When Shen Hong looked at Shi Anran, the smile on her face became deeper, and she continued to speak: "I think, young miss doesn''t want others to know about what happened to her, right? Why not? In any case, this servant is just a dead pig that is not afraid of boiling water.

    Yi Yue frowned, she actually dared to use such a tone to threaten her young mistress, but seeing that her young mistress''s expression did not change, she did not say anything.

    He thought that if Shen Hong died, no one would notice it, but since she was using it as a threat, then Shi Anran could not let her live. As he thought about it, he closed in step by step, and when Shen Hong met her slightly cold gaze, she actually felt goosebumps all over her body. Although she said "a dead pig isn''t afraid of boiling water", at this moment, she couldn''t help but feel a chill on her back, "You бн What do you want to do? Don''t forget, you have a weakness in my hands! "

    "That''s right, if you didn''t remind me now, I would have forgotten that there is only one kind of person in this world that can''t speak! How about I cut off your tongue? " When Shi Anran casually said this sentence, she immediately turned pale with fright.

    Shi Anran could not help but laugh. She lightly covered her lips, looked at her reaction, and said in a calm tone: "Since you love money so much, I have a way to let you live a life without worry about food, without worry about prosperity!"

    Hearing that, Shen Hong thought that she was moved, and probed: "What method?"

    "You will know soon enough, but before that, I have to remind you of a few things that you should know better. Don''t kill yourself just because of that sentence. If you can get out of this fire by a fluke, there might be a second or third time in the future, Shen Hong, do you understand what I mean? "

    Looking at Shen Hong''s pale face, Yi Yue smiled. It was fine for the young miss to not say anything, but to shock everyone with her words! This Shen Hong, no matter what outcome he gave her, was definitely appropriate.

    The teacup in her hand slipped and broke, while Shen Hong slowly woke up from the sound of it breaking. She bit her lower lip and pondered for a while, then looked at Shi Anran coldly, and said with a smile that was not a smile: "According to the tone of the young miss, you''re going to go back on your words, aren''t you?"

    "Miss going back on her word and not going back on her word will not allow you to talk too much." Yi Yue really couldn''t stand her gaze.

    "You lowly slave бн" She scolded him bitterly.

    Shi Anran''s eyes dimmed a little, and followed: "Slap!"

    "Clap clap бн" Two resounding slaps sounded out as Yi Yue looked at her with a smile: "How can you be so impudent in front of Young Miss?"

    Shen Hong pursed her lips tightly, covering her face from being slapped, and only felt a burning pain. You guys actually hit me бн Spread out! Anran, don''t forget what you did behind everyone''s back. You told me to poison Third Concubine, so that she thought you were pregnant yet exposed her publicly. You have a heart of a snake! Once these words have been leaked, will you still be able to sit here safe and sound like this Anran? "

    "Yi Yue, slap her face!"

    "Yes, Miss!" Yi Yue slapped towards the other side of her face ruthlessly, hitting her until her palm felt numb, but it was extremely satisfying!

    Shen Hong''s mind was in a mess as her vision turned black and she fell to the ground miserably. She immediately started crying: "Shi Anran, you malicious woman, you will die a miserable death, even your Shi Family people will die a horrible death бн"

    Shi Anran remained unmoved by her curse. Standing above Shen Hong, she looked down at her miserable state and said sarcastically: "The smart ones will secretly find a place with no people to live, while the greedy ones have chosen to return. Shen Hong, this is your own choice, you can''t blame anyone."

    "I am going to tell old master that I will make all the shameful things that you have done public. I am going to discredit you!" Shen Hong lay on the ground and roared crazily.

    This kind of person was indeed intolerable, and it was no wonder that Shi Anyi was unwilling to let her go. Shi Anran indifferently did not reveal any expression, and said extremely calmly: "Shen Hong, do you think I would give you this kind of opportunity?"

    "What do you want to do? What do you want to do? " Shen Hong did not stop crawling towards the door. She opened the small porcelain bottle and walked over, ignoring Shen Hong''s struggle to open her mouth, she forcefully stuffed the pill in, took the water bottle from the table and drank it all up, until she swallowed the pill.

    Shen Hong held onto her own neck, and desperately reached her hand out to her throat, trying to spit out the pill, but she was already too late. She looked at Shi Anran in fear and shook her head: "I don''t want to die, I don''t want to die, I just want some silver coins бн бн"

    How could Shi Anran not know that she wanted money? Originally, it was fine to give her more money, but this kind of greedy woman, it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn''t use this matter to pester her and demand even more silver. You... What did you give me to eat? " Shen Hong looked at them in shock. She stood up and was about to attack Shi Anran, but Yi Yue kicked him away.

    "This poison is very toxic, it won''t kill you in an instant, but once every month, without the antidote, it becomes extremely painful. That''s because there will be countless bugs gnawing on her organs, eating all of your flesh бн"

    Before Yi Yue could finish her sentence, Shen Hong''s face turned pale from fright and she immediately crawled in front of Shi Anran, begging him: "Young miss, I was wrong, I beg you to give me the antidote, I don''t want to die yet! "I swear, I won''t tell anyone бн"

    Shi Anran shook her head lightly, turned around and said with her back to her: "You don''t have anything to trust, I can give you the antidote, and the day before the poison appears, I''ll send someone to deliver the antidote to you. As long as you behave yourself, you''ll definitely be fine, otherwise you''ll have to experience that pain!"

    "Alright бн" "If I don''t say it, I won''t say a single word!" People like Shen Hong, who coveted wealth, weren''t they afraid of death the most? Even if Shen Hong looked as if she had seen through the mundane world, how would that confuse Shi Anran''s eyes? She was the real person who had died once. Since Shen Hong was still coming back, it was just because she was greedy for money and feared death.

 C76

    Shi Anran judged that she would not dare to gamble with her little life, and after receiving her gaze, she immediately knocked Shen Hong out. She clapped her hands and laughed: "This Shen Hong is really shameless, Miss, what do you plan to do with her?"

    "She thought it was poison, but it''s just an ordinary pill. With a method to restrain her, there''s no need to worry!" As he said that, his eyes unhappily swept over the unconscious Shen Hong. His face did not look bad, and a thought suddenly appeared in his heart.

    Yi Yue thought to herself: "Let''s see if she dares to speak anymore. She must be really worried about her own little life!"

    Shi Anran was also tired, her thin lips slightly parted to form a slit, and said in a shallow voice: "I shouldn''t have harmed her, but Shen Hong is still not someone I can tolerate. Didn''t she want to be rich and not need to eat or drink all her life? Yi Yue, follow Shen Hong''s instructions, buy her some teeth and give her some silver. Tell Fang Zi to send her to a remote place and find a woman to take her in! "

    Yi Yue nodded her head and replied: "Miss, do not worry, this servant will take care of this cleanly!"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes. Yi Yue bowed and said, "This servant will send young miss back to rest first!"

    Shi Anran took off her clothes and laid on the bed. She was clearly exhausted, but she couldn''t sleep for a long time.

    These days, one thing after another flashed through Shi Anran''s mind. In the auction house, Shi Anran recalled the words that Shen Hong had just said.

    She had once told Shen Hong to give the Third Concubine a pill to fake her pregnancy. At that time, her father was very happy to receive the news that he had returned from the outside the city to Third Concubine''s room, and he didn''t even hesitate to do so.

    If Third Concubine is really pregnant бн I''m afraid she''s unstable. At that time, if Third Concubine really gave birth to a son, with her father''s care, her life would definitely not be easy.

    Thinking of this, Shi Anran''s eyes suddenly turned cold.

    Sometimes it''s enough to go through something once. She, Shi Anran, had always been a person who would take revenge for whatever she had done, a person who would repay favors for whatever she had done. She wouldn''t let go of anything that was due to her.

    When the sky just turned gray, Shi Anran sat up from the bed. 3000 silky black strands of hair scattered behind him.

    "Creak." The door opened gently.

    Carrying a washbasin, Liu Yue looked at Shi Anran who was sitting on the bedside and was slightly surprised, "Young miss, you''re up so early?"

    "Yes." Shi Anran nodded, she stood up from the bed and said in a deep voice, "There are too many things worrying me at night, I can''t sleep very well."

    Liu Yue placed the washbasin on the shelf, walked to Shi Anran''s bedside and took a set of light green clothes, then put them on for him.

    Shi Anran opened her arms wide, allowing Liu Yue to help her put on her clothes. Looking at Liu Yue who tied her belt, the cold light in Shi Anran''s eyes faded, "Liu Yue, you said that Third Concubine would become pregnant in the future. "What will happen?"

    Liu Yue tied the belt around Shi Anran''s waist. She hung an emerald colored jade pendant on her waist, "Miss, that kind of thing wouldn''t happen."

    Liu Yue thought, the Third Concubine was not too well-liked, coupled with the way she taught him, how could the Old Master allow the Third Concubine to get pregnant?

    "No?" Shi Anran walked to the dressing mirror and sat down. Looking at herself in the mirror with a cold gaze, she suddenly smiled. "Yes, that would not happen."

    She would cut off all such possibilities. How could Shi Anran allow something like this to happen when she was being manipulated by others? Liu Yue, what happened at Third Concubine''s side today? "

    Liu Yue used a wooden comb to comb Shi Anran''s hair, "This servant didn''t notice anything strange, but it was a coincidence. When I went to the kitchen this morning, I bumped into a servant girl from Third Concubine and chatted with her."

    "A maid?" Shi Anran thought.

    "Mmm, judging from her clothes, she should be a second class maid." Liu Yue nodded.

    Shi Anran looked at Liu Yue who had inserted a jade colored hairpin into her hair, and her gaze turned slightly cold. "Liu Yue, help me do something. I want Third Concubine to never get pregnant again. "

    "Can''t get pregnant?" Liu Yue was shocked, she finally realised and realized what she wanted to do, "Miss, what do you want me to do?"

    Thinking about the things that Third Concubine did to frame her young miss, Liu Yue gritted her teeth. This time, she could finally repay the Third Concubine well.

    "Didn''t you just say that you saw a servant by Third Concubine''s side heading towards the kitchen? From her. Bring her here. Remember not to act rashly. " Shi Anran said softly, "I will wait for you here."

    "Yes." "Miss." Liu Yue replied. She turned around and walked outside.

    Shi Anran watched as Liu Yue left and slowly closed the door. A ray of light and shadow flashed across her eyes that were as deep as ink.

    Liu Yue and a few servants walked towards the kitchen together.

    "Sister Liu Yue, your clothes are so beautiful." A servant girl standing beside Liu Yue said enviously.

    "That''s right, that''s right. Sister Liu Yue, the young miss treats you so well. " The other maidservant also agreed.

    Liu Yue smiled slightly, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a servant girl walking over from the opposite side with soup in her hands, "Young miss has always been nice to people."

    Liu Yue looked at the few maids and casually said, "Young miss is in a good mood today, I was just thinking about going to the kitchen to make young miss a bowl of Snow Pear Soup. Young miss should have a taste of my cooking, if not young miss would have thought that only Yi Yue knew how to stew soup. "

    He slowly walked closer and closer to the maidservant.

    When Liu Yue got close to the servant, he accidentally bumped into her arm. The thing in the servant''s hand shook.

    Liu Yue hurried to apologize, "Sorry."

    Then, when the servant looked over, Liu Yue indicated to the sisters who were standing beside the servant, that the latter had received a signal. She quickly reached out her feet to trip the maidservant who was carrying the soup, then stopped her just as she was about to fall.

    Clang! Clang! Clang!

    "Ah, Sister Liu Yue, your clothes."

    "Sister Liu Yue, are you alright?"

    After the chaos, Liu Yue pulled at his clothes that were drenched in the soup and looked at the servant in anger, "What happened to you, the soup even splashed onto my clothes."

    "I... I... It''s not me. " The maidservant stammered as she explained. Someone tripped on her just now, so the soup would spill out.

    "Not you. Look, this soup is all over my clothes. Is there anyone else here who''s carrying the soup, yet you still say that it isn''t you. "Come with me and let my Miss judge me." Liu Yue stood up from the ground, and pulled the servant along, wanting to return back.

    "You can''t do this, my master is the Third Concubine." The servant was so scared that she did not want to follow Liu Yue.

    "So what if your master is Third Concubine? I have to be judged by our Miss. " Liu Yue acted like she was anxious and said, "This robe was given to me by our young miss. This is expensive material. "

    The servant was helplessly dragged into Shi Anran''s room by Liu Yue and the few sisters who were beside her.

    Shi Anran opened the door from her room, her gaze cold and purposely berating, "What are you doing, making such a ruckus?"

    "Miss, you have to help this servant." Liu Yue cried as she pulled at Shi Anran''s clothes.

    Shi Anran frowned, "Everyone come in first, what''s going on?"

    "Your servant originally went to the kitchen to make pear soup for young miss, but I accidentally bumped into this maid halfway. Your servant has already apologized, and she even spilled all the soup on your clothes." This servant said that it wasn''t her, and that her master was Third Concubine. "This servant was so angry that she dragged her here. Miss must seek justice for this servant." Liu Yue explained the situation to Shi Anran while sobbing.

 C77

    Shi Anran frowned as she looked at Liu Yue''s dirty clothes. She then ordered the other two maids, "Go and get some scalding ointment."

    "Yes, miss." The two maidservants looked at each other. They left the room together.

    At this time, only Liu Yue, Shi Anran and the servant who was dragged in was left in the room.

    Shi Anran''s gaze turned slightly cold as her index finger drummed on the table in a rhythmic manner.

    Dong, dong, dong! The sound seemed to strike at the heart, causing one to feel nervous.

    The servant and Liu Yue could not help but hold their breath.

    The knocking sound suddenly stopped, you are a servant girl from Third Concubine''s side?

    "Yes." The young maid replied without thinking.

    Shi Anran looked at her, "Your clothes must be a second rate servant, right?"

    The young maid was startled, she did not know what Shi Anran''s intentions were for asking this, and could only reply, "Yes."

    "Did you sprinkle the soup on Liu Yue?" Shi Anran suddenly changed the topic, returning to Liu Yue''s matter.

    The young maid froze again before replying, "It wasn''t me. There was clearly someone who tripped me just now. Otherwise, the soup wouldn''t have spilled out."

    Shi Anran smiled, "Do you know what punishment a second servant has for offending a first tier servant? Moreover, Liu Yue could be considered as half a master in the Palace. Furthermore бн A maid like you addressing yourself as'' I ''before her master? When did this mansion have such a rule? "

    The young maid gritted her teeth, "My master is Third Concubine."

    "Your master is the Third Concubine, but do you think that the Third Concubine will pay a small price to protect you?" Shi Anran smiled and asked, "Or should I say бн You think that since your master is the Third Concubine, I won''t be your master? Don''t forget... The Shi Clan is also my Sect Leader. "

    The young maid was startled, Shi Anran was right, she was just a second rate servant. Third Concubine would definitely not wade into this mess for her sake, if she were to anger the young miss, her future would definitely not be good, but бн

    The servant girl thought for a moment and hurriedly explained, "But there was clearly someone that got in my way just now бн" "Stop this servant."

    "Someone got in your way?" Shi Anran chuckled, "So what?"

    "What бн" The servant looked at Shi Anran and her pupils contracted.

    "Who would believe you? They were all my people, except you. " Shi Anran said expressionlessly.

    "Miss, what do you want me to do?" The servant girl swallowed her saliva, looked at Shi Anran in the eyes, and suddenly understood something, "What does Miss want me to do? That''s why you''re sparing your servant? "

    Shi Anran took a sip of the tea on the table and lightly smiled, "You''re not stupid."

    "Miss, if there is anything you need, please feel free to tell me. This servant will do his best." The young maid gritted her teeth. She had no other choice. She was like a prey, falling into the net set up by Shi Anran, unable to escape.

    Shi Anran put down her teacup and spoke word by word, "No, I don''t want you to do your best. I want you to definitely do it."

    She walked up to the young maid and squatted down to look at her. He placed a white paper bag into the other party''s hands, "How about this is placed in Third Concubine''s usual dishes?"

    The young maid was shocked, the paper package in her hands burned like fire in her palms. She was so scared that she threw the paper bag away and looked at Shi Anran, "This бн "This бн"

    He did not know what was inside. If it was a powerful poison, it would have taken Third Concubine''s life on the spot. Then, after searching for a few times, it would have found out that she had it on her body.

    Shi Anran curled her lips, even at that moment, she maintained her most appropriate smile, "Are you afraid?"

    The servant girl did not react. Shi Anran continued: "Don''t be afraid. This thing won''t take Third Concubine''s life, and she won''t even feel any discomfort. Don''t worry, it won''t be able to track you down. " This medicine would only end her future troubles.

    Seeing that the servant''s expression had loosened up, Shi Anran patted her shoulder: Don''t worry, I won''t lie to you. As for today, I won''t force you to choose whether you agree or not. "However, you must consider what the consequences would be if you were to disobey me."

    The young maid seemed to have awoken from a dream. Yes, she had no other choice. If she refused and the young miss used the crime of offending a first-rate maid, her fate would not be good at all.

    If she was pressured by such a crime, she knew that the Third Concubine would definitely not protect her. After all, she was useless to the Third Concubine.

    She had no choice but to accept it.

    Since this was just a death sentence, why not choose to live for a few more days? If this medicine was really as the young mistress said, and she wasn''t going to be discovered, wouldn''t she be able to escape a calamity?

    Shi Anran''s gaze at her slowly sank. If you help me with this matter, I will definitely allow you to prosper. Afterwards, I will no longer pursue the matter between you and Liu Yue. If you help me do something, you will definitely be able to obtain many benefits. "

    Shi Anran smiled and stood up, "Or бн How much time do you need to think? How long? Two hours? "One day?"

    Shi Anran slowly walked to the chair and sat down.

    The young maid held the paper bag tightly, "This servant has made up my mind, this servant agrees."

    "Remember what you said." Shi Anran said indifferently.

    The young maid nodded her head and looked at the paper bag in her hands, before probing, "This servant dares to ask, what exactly is inside?"

    Shi Anran looked at her, "If you don''t say it, I would have forgotten to remind you. Don''t touch this thing carelessly, or else you might not be able to give birth to children in the future. Don''t blame me."

    The young maid looked at Shi Anran''s cold eyes and winced.

    "You can leave. No one is to know about this. Otherwise... You should know the consequences. " Shi Anran ordered coldly.

    "Yes." This servant will definitely do it. " The young maid quickly fled.

    After the servant left, Shi Anran looked at Liu Yue beside him, her gaze dark and unclear, "Liu Yue, come over."

    "Miss?" Liu Yue inexplicably walked over to Shi Anran''s side.

    Shi Anran looked at her, and her gaze landed on her sleeves. She suddenly pulled Liu Yue''s hand and pulled up his dirty sleeves, the skin under the sleeves was bright red and slightly swollen, it was obvious that the soup had not been cooked long ago.

    "Creak." The door was gently pushed open, and the two maidservants who had left earlier walked in. "Young Miss."

    Shi Anran glanced at them, "Give Liu Yue some medicine and she''ll probably have found the scalding medicine. Liu Yue applied the medicine and went to rest. "You''re being honest with yourself. You actually thought of such a way to torture others and yourself."

    Liu Yue gasped, "There is no other way. Your servant will take my leave first. "

    Shi Anran nodded lightly, leaning on the beauty''s bed, thinking about something unknown.

    In the evening, a maidservant dressed in pink sneakily entered the kitchen.

    At this time, the dinner had just ended and most of the people in the kitchen were resting. The servant girl initially thought that no one was around, but upon entering, she discovered that there was a grandma making soup. Pretending that he accidentally bumped into his wife, the moment he entered the door he enthusiastically welcomed her. "Nanny Wang?" Why isn''t he resting? I see everyone outside. "

    The woman turned around, and seeing that it was the servant girl beside Third Concubine, she quickly smiled and replied, "It''s a bright red! After all, Third Concubine had just sent Xie Hong over, saying that he wanted to drink the Silver Ear Soup, so I stayed behind to make the soup. What? Was it Third Concubine who asked you to watch it? "

 C78

    "Not really, but Third Concubine just said that she wanted to eat the sweet potato, so I came to the kitchen to see if there were any ingredients and wanted to make some for him." Fiery Red opened her eyes wide and lied, but her face was not red at all. It was much easier to deal with a woman than Shi Anran.

    "Girl, you''re so considerate." Old Lady Wang''s face was full of praise as she spoke with mixed feelings.

    She had been in the mansion for a long time, how could she not know what the maidservants were thinking? For what? Even if he won the favor of his master, his future prospects would also be better.

    "There''s no need for that. We''re maidservants, this is our fate. Whatever master says, it''s our destiny." Yan Hong pretended to look helpless.

    "Isn''t that so? Being a servant means having a hard time. How can you compare with those masters? " On the surface, it was only a half-truth and a half-lie, but Mrs. Wang scoffed in her heart.

    She had lived most of her life and had seen through the mundane world. Although she loved money and power, if she was given a chance to be a master, she definitely wouldn''t be so stupid as to refuse. However, her current situation wasn''t that bad. She saw that the backyard was really not in a hurry to get to the kitchen to live peacefully.

    "Oh right, Nanny Wang, how long has your soup been going on for? Is it almost ready? " Yan Hong poked her head out with a face full of curiosity.

    Old Lady Wang answered with an "En!", "Just keep it warm for a while longer."

    "This soup is really fragrant. I could smell it from here. Nanny Wang, your cooking skills aren''t bad." Yan Hong took a deep breath and began to praise Old Lady Wang''s cooking skills. However, in her heart, she was thinking about how to send Old Lady Wang away.

    "Nanny Wang, what are the juniors doing? Instead of making the soup for you, I let you stay here by yourself. After working hard for an entire day, you still haven''t had the time to rest. Yan Hong''s tone was filled with tenderness, and her face had a look of indignation for Lady Wang.

    "There''s nothing we can do about it. The master ordered it. How can it not be done?" Old Lady Wang sighed with a helpless look on her face. As a servant servant, she was born to listen to her master''s orders. Her master said that they could not go west, but her master said that they had to drink soup. Even if it was the middle of the night, they had to get up and make a good soup for their master.

    Mentioning those little heartless people, Lady Wang also felt a little depressed. As soon as dinner was over, there was little work left for the kitchen, so they all went off on their own. Unfortunately for her, today was the day that she had to watch over the kitchen. When the Third Concubine wanted to drink the soup, she could only personally go up to battle.

    "I understand. As maidservants, we can only accept our fate." Yan Hong''s face was full of approval as she tried to lower Lady Wang''s guard, even though she looked kind and harmless. In truth, this was not the case. In the backyard, everyone looked like they had a temper and were easy to talk to. In fact, all of them were quite quick-witted. Although she had just arrived at the mansion, she still understood this principle.

    "Yeah." Old Lady Wang immediately echoed his sentiments. The two of them were singing and talking at the same time.

    "How about this, Grandma, I''ll help you look after the soup. It''s already so late, so you should go rest. This sort of thing can be done if someone as young as us comes. In any case, I don''t have anything to do." Yan Hong felt that it was time, so she said she wanted to help. She stared at Grandma Wang, wanting to see clearly what her reaction was.

    "That''s not too good, is it?" Old granny Wang seemed to be very surprised that a servant would make such a request, and could not help but be suspicious. Firstly, she and the servant girl beside Third Concubine did not have much interaction, at most, they could get along together. Secondly, she was afraid that she would break the rules. After all, her master had given orders for her to throw it to someone else before she went to rest. If there were any problems, what would she do?

    "What''s wrong with that? Although I''m not as skilled as you, I can still read the soup. Do you still not believe me? " The maidservant stretched out her hand to pick up Lady Wang''s hand and gently patted it. Due to her guilty conscience, the smile on her face was indescribably strange.

    Old Lady Wang didn''t notice and was a little hesitant in her heart. Yan Hong was actually quite right. She was already an old woman. She didn''t have much to live for, let alone fawn on her master for getting any rewards. However, she still had to boil the soup here. How could her body endure this?

    Seeing that Grandma Wang had already started to loosen up, the bright red continued to work harder. "In the past few days, it just so happens that Third Concubine''s mood isn''t good. I can take this opportunity to curry favor with you more. Grandma, just treat it as helping me. "

    "Fine, fine, fine. You just watch. I''m going to rest." If it was Old Lady Wang who was suspicious a moment ago, there was no doubt about it now. It was a common thing to curry favor with her master. It was the same when she was young, but it was still the same now that she was old. This was a way to survive. If she wanted to be better, she would have to learn to curry favor with her master.

    "Alright, take a good rest. I''ll help Third Concubine make some osmanthus cake as well." A smile couldn''t help but appear on her face.

    After confirming that Grandma Wang had gone far away, Yan Hong immediately began to take action.

    After taking away the only wife in the room, things became much easier.

    Yan Hong took out the powder wrapped around a piece of paper. After thinking for a moment, she put it back, feeling that something was wrong.

    She felt that someone was watching her from the shadows, but when she looked back, she couldn''t find anything. The kitchen was empty.

    Yan Hong shook her head, sighing to herself that she was too nervous and hallucinating.

    She took a deep breath and slowly pulled out the paper package from her sleeve. Her fingertips were trembling with fear.

    The arrow was already on the bow, so he had no choice but to fire it.

    When she held the powder in her hand, she suddenly felt less nervous. Instead, she felt as if she had seen through life and death.

    She took a look at the claypot on the stove and was about to lift the lid when she heard the sound of footsteps.

    Yan Hong was stunned. Before she could regain her senses, the woman had already pushed open the kitchen door. In desperation, Yan Hong threw the powder along with the paper bag into the simmering soup fire. Afraid that Nanny Wang would notice something wrong with her work, Yan Hong went up to her and used her body to block the crackling fire. "Nanny Wang, why did you come back?"

    "I was in too much of a hurry. The headscarf has landed on this side." Old Lady Wang didn''t notice anything, but she noticed that she was wearing her headscarf right next to the stove. She took it and put it on before saying, "Brilliant red, do your job well. Don''t let anything go wrong."

    "Got it, thank you grandma for your reminder." The bright red smile on her face was a bit forced, as if Lady Wang''s words contained some hidden meaning. However, as she carefully observed the other party''s face, she didn''t seem to know what it was.

    Her bright red heart slowly calmed down as she gazed at the woman''s departing back.

    She didn''t know if her luck was good or bad today and she didn''t manage to get the pill in, but old woman Wang also didn''t find anything. Otherwise, if Shi Anran did not want to deal with her, her life would have been lost on the Third Concubine''s side.

    He patted the place on his chest. Even after a long time, there was still some lingering fear.

    When he came back to his senses, he saw that the fire had burnt all the medicinal powder into ashes, even the paper wrapped in the medicinal powder had turned into ashes.

    Red began to make things difficult again.

 C79

    Shi Anran had only given her this bag of pills, and now that she had lost it, could it be that he wanted her to ask for another bag? If she lied to Shi Anran and said that she drugged him, and was discovered to have not, she would really be finished.

    Thinking about it, Yan Hong felt that Shi Anran might not be able to find out about this kind of thing so quickly. Furthermore, as long as Third Concubine was not pregnant, her own matters would not be exposed. Furthermore, the Third Concubine is not young anymore, so the chances of him getting pregnant should be very low.

    The more she thought about it, the more she felt that this was the case. She simply tossed all her uneasiness to the back of her mind and brought the soup to the Third Concubine''s house.

    Yan Hong was still hesitating on how to explain why she was the one who sent the soup over, but Third Concubine did not ask her. Thus, Yan Hong immediately came out after sending the soup. She did not dare to waste any more time. She did not know what would happen in the next second. She was afraid that her actions would be exposed, so she tried her best to escape.

    In the middle of the night, it was the turn of the brilliant red night watch. Third Concubine had already turned off the lights and was asleep. Yan Hong was quietly sitting by herself, but her mind was spinning abnormally fast.

    There were too many annoying things to deal with, and thinking about them made her feel sleepy. Looking outside, it was already the middle of the moon, almost time to change shifts. Yan Hong thought to herself that it wouldn''t be too late, Third Concubine wouldn''t wake up so quickly, there was no harm in her slacking off.

    Yan Hong got up and was about to sneak out when she heard a sound coming from outside while she was still in a daze. Yan Hong''s first reaction was that the servant had come early, she was ecstatic and quickly took two steps forward, who knew that she would see Liu Yue when she opened the door.

    "Liu Yue?" Thinking about how the Third Concubine was still sleeping, she lowered her voice and asked, "Sister Liu Yue, why are you here?"

    She wasn''t really close to Liu Yue, but in this house, calling someone else big sister wasn''t really a loss. If the servant girl who changed shifts came over and saw that she was in contact with Liu Yue, it would be unavoidable for her to speak to the Third Concubine about her in the future. It would be better if she sent Liu Yue away earlier.

    "How is it? Master has asked me to come over and ask you, how is the progress of the task she has entrusted to you? " Liu Yue looked at the bright red light, telling her to keep running in front of him.

    Yan Hong felt guilty, she subconsciously pinched the corner of her clothes, and pretended to be confident, "It''s done, Liu Yue, you can rest assured!"

    Liu Yue saw all of her small actions just now, coupled with her sudden change in attitude, Liu Yue felt that something was amiss, "Is that so? If you can do it, it''s for the best. Otherwise, if you betray your master, you won''t be the only one suffering. I think the poor people in your family will have to accompany you, but you can rest assured that since it has been completed, the master will certainly reward you well. I will return to report it to Master now, and find a leader to come over to check on Third Concubine''s body, and wait for everything to be done, you will definitely benefit. " Liu Yue did not expose her and followed along with what the servant said.

    Yan Hong was immediately frightened when she heard that her own family would be implicated by her. She had never thought of involving her family with this. After all, this was just a matter of the Shi Residence. But now бн

    Gritting her teeth, Yan Hong was afraid that Liu Yue would scare her, so she probed: "Third Concubine is her master after all, what method do we have to find a doctor for her body?"

    As long as they did, the fact that she didn''t use any medicine would be exposed without a doubt. At that time бн

    "We can''t do anything, but that doesn''t mean Miss doesn''t have any rights. If Miss can''t do it, then Old Master should be able to. This is not something you should care about. Alright, I won''t stay any longer. I''ll go and report to Miss now. "

    After Liu Yue finished speaking, he raised her leg and was about to leave, but Yan Hong quickly stopped her, and Liu Yue turned back as she smiled and asked: What else do you want?

    After hesitating for a long while, she was unable to say anything, Liu Yue''s smile became even deeper, and said after a while: Tell me, what other things are you hiding from me?

    Her bright red pupils constricted and her face was ashen white. She didn''t expect that бн Liu Yue had already seen through it, then her concealment was meaningless.

    Seeing Liu Yue''s expression, Yan Hong mustered up her courage and spoke out what happened that morning.

    Although what she said was the truth, but she could not help but add oil to the fire, after all, she had to scheme for herself, if Shi Anran could not see through it, wouldn''t she have to bring her own family to die with her?

    After Liu Yue heard this, her expression became indifferent, and only let out a "En", and did not say anything else. This kind of reaction actually made the servant girl extremely scared. If he gave her a basin now, she would probably be able to fill it with sweat.

    Liu Yue knew that Yan Yanhong was timid, otherwise, how could she not handle things? Furthermore, she didn''t really probe her, but she actually said it obediently. However, she never expected that the beauty''s courage was a bit small, but she did have an idea.

    "This is your last chance. Take it."

    Liu Yue took out a pink scented bag from her sleeve, and then, she took out a packet of medicinal powder to give to the servant girl. Finally, he said, "You should know, opportunities are not present every time. A single mistake from Miss might cost you your life. This time, I hope that you can handle this matter perfectly and don''t let me worry about it too."

    "Yes, I understand. Thank you, Sister Liu Yue." After receiving the powder, the servant girl tightly gripped it as if it were her life. She then hid it in her sleeve and bowed as she thanked him.

    "Then I''ll be leaving. You have to remember my words." With that, Liu Yue left.

    The servant stood where she was, waiting for Liu Yue''s figure to disappear before hurrying back.

    On the second day, when the gorgeous red was looking for another chance to go to the kitchen, she coincidentally bumped into Lady Wang. Because she had learned from the mistakes of her previous life, this time, she could be considered to have easily walked the same path as before.

    After finding an excuse to spend Old Lady Wang''s money, Yan Hong did not hesitate and carefully took out the powder, as if she was afraid that the old woman would return like yesterday. She quickly opened the paper package and poured the powder into the claypot, then picked up the spoon beside her and stirred it.

    "Granny Wang, this soup is good too. I will take it out and send it to the Third Concubine right now."

    Old Lady Wang didn''t doubt him at all. She was happy to have someone to work for her, so she nodded and left. After arranging the soup, Yan Hong quickly rushed back to the Third Concubine''s sleeping quarters.

    "Why is the soup so different from yesterday?" Third Concubine pecked it lightly, frowned and asked.

    Yan Hong''s heart tightened, afraid that the Third Concubine would discover some clues, she explained, "Yesterday, it was the back kitchen''s Old Lady Wang who was on duty. That soup was made by Nanny Wang. Today, we have a different person, so maybe the taste is a little different. "

    The Third Concubine did not ask any further questions and only tasted a few mouthfuls. Seemingly feeling that the taste was not good, he put it aside and did not move again until it was cold.

    Fortunately, Yan Hong had personally watched Third Concubine drink it this time, and her worried heart was finally at ease. As for whether or not drinking those two mouthfuls would have any effect, it was not her problem. The young miss only asked her to drug the Third Concubine, she did not guarantee that the Third Concubine would take all of them!

    With that thought in mind, Yan Hong hurriedly left while no one was paying attention to her.

    The earlier he reported this to Shi Anran, the earlier he could confirm the safety of his family and himself. She didn''t want to be afraid all the time.

 C80

    Seeing Yan Hong''s relaxed expression, Liu Yue knew that they had settled the matter.

    Sure enough, the moment Yan Hong walked closer to her, she spoke as if she was taking credit, "Sister Liu Yue, I have done everything!"

    "Well, did you see her drink it?" After all, there couldn''t be the slightest mistake in this matter. Otherwise, it would be difficult to find another opportunity.

    The bright red chicken nodded its head like rice pecking, and looked at her excitedly: "I personally saw Third Concubine drink it, so I came to report to you, Big Sister Liu Yue. Where is Eldest Miss?"

    How could Miss come to see a second-rate servant girl like her? Liu Yue smiled meaningfully and said, "Just wait for news from the young miss. When I need your help, I''ll come back and notify you!"

    Hearing that, although Yan Hong was unhappy, she could only nod her head and obediently follow their instructions. Before she left, she even said, "Then I would like to ask Big Sister Liu Yue to help me speak up in front of Big Miss, Yan Hong is extremely grateful!"

    "Alright, alright, I got it!" Liu Yue was too lazy to continue talking to her, she waved her hand and returned to the courtyard Shi Anran was staying in.

    Shi Anran had just finished bathing, and was draped with a pure white muslin. A pair of white jade feet stepped on a blanket, and her hair was like a waterfall of ink, which was casually draped behind her, allowing the maid to carefully take care of it.

    Liu Yue knocked on the door and walked in, and greeted her: "Young miss, everything has been completed, now young miss can rest assured!"

    "Mm, I understand. Tomorrow at this time, tell that servant to go to the Zither Heart Small Foundation to find me!" Shi Anran had already made a plan in her heart. In her previous life, it was because she was too merciful that she ended up like this.

    Zither Heart Pavilion was a very famous teahouse. During one''s free time, many of the nobles and young masters of wealthy families would come here to drink tea and listen to books.

    Shi Anran was bored by this, and rarely visited this place. Today, Shi Anran could be considered to have made an exception.

    She asked for a pot of Dragon Well of the West Lake to taste it for herself. After Liu Yue poured a cup for her, she stood to the side and said nothing more.

    Shi Anran lifted the teacup, and lightly closed her eyes. The aroma of the tea assaulted her nostrils, and her lips faintly curved into an elegant and attractive arc. Her cherry red lips moved closer to the exquisite wine cup, and lightly took a sip to savor the aroma of the tea.

    Several noble young masters in the teahouse had already noticed her. However, they didn''t dare to disturb her even though they were separated by the beaded curtain.

    "Go and check, see who it is." A man in a navy blue robe whispered to his attendant.

    The man beside him glanced at him and said, "What?" "Brother Lin is interested in this woman?"

    The man who was addressed as "Brother Lin" laughed, "Third Prince is flattering me. I indeed saw that the woman had an extraordinary temperament and wanted to get to know her."

    Li Mu smirked, "I''m afraid Brother Lin is not going to have the good fortune to go through with it."

    "What do you mean?"

    Li Mu''s gaze dimmed, "This is the big miss of Shi Family, he had long promised the young master of Xiang Family."

    "So that''s how it is бн"

    Shi Anran sat sideways, the corner of her eyes captivated by the interaction between the two of them, and she secretly sneered in her heart, Third Prince was the chess piece she was going to take the next step of, she did not expect to coincidentally meet him here today.

    "Miss, she''s here."

    In the pavilion, Liu Yue saw the pretty girl who was sitting next to the Third Concubine from afar, so she bent over and whispered a reminder into Shi Anran''s ear. Shi Anran nodded slightly, paid the tea fee, and the two left the teahouse.

    As she walked past Third Prince, Shi Anran seemingly inadvertently raised her hand and slightly hooked a few strands of hair that were scattered in front of her forehead. Her bright and beautiful eyes, however, did not look at him once.

    After Shi Anran left, Li Mu stood up and picked up the scented sachet that shedropped. Looking at Shi Anran''s back as she left, she actually had some sort of strange emotion.

    Yi Yue held up a parasol for Shi Anran while Liu Yue brought the servant girl to an alley. Standing in front of an unremarkable carriage, he said to the man with the servant girl on his back, "This is the wife that I have chosen for you. Are you satisfied?"

    The young man was only in his early thirties, so he naturally liked sixteen or seventeen years old girls like this. Moreover, the appearance of this servant girl wasn''t bad. He immediately nodded and praised, "Satisfied, very satisfied!" As he said that, he gave Liu Yue some silver and headed towards the servant impatiently.

    Seeing that Liu Yue had left, the young maid pulled her sleeves and asked anxiously, "Sister Liu Yue, didn''t you say that the young miss was here?" She faintly felt that something was wrong, but she couldn''t pinpoint exactly what was wrong for an instant.

    Liu Yue looked at her with a smile that was not a smile, and looked at the young man. The young man knocked her out with a wave of his hand, then pulled the young maid into his embrace.

    "There''s no need to be polite, this lady is also a servant of a noble family. Don''t bring her back here, otherwise there will be big trouble!" Liu Yue said.

    The young man nodded, "Don''t worry miss. This is the first time I''ve returned here to do business. I won''t be back in the future!"

    Liu Yue laughed and nodded, "Let''s go quickly, so as to not be discovered."

    Seeing Liu Yue send her away, Shi Anran still did not have the slightest expression on her face. When she was not scheming against others, it was someone else who was scheming against her. Rather than dying miserably in the end, it was better to pave a path for her future step by step.

    As the few of them strolled around the market, Liu Yue would always take a look at anything fresh that looked new. Seeing that she was too lively, Yi Yue became a little impatient, "Can''t you calm down a little?"

    "I would like to have a look and choose a scented sachet for xiaojie!" Liu Yue continued to rummage around the stall.

    Speaking of the scented sachet, Shi Anran remembered what happened just now. She had intentionally left the scented sachet at the teahouse, so she guessed that Third Prince was very curious about the scented sachet. Thinking of this, Shi Anran couldn''t help but shake her head and chuckle.

    "Get out of the way, get out of the way бн"

    It was unknown which family''s horse was frightened, but it actually started running in the market. Even after it had injured many people, it still did not stop. The crowd immediately became anxious, as if they were pushed into a mess, Shi Anran and Yi Yue also broke up. After she took a breath, she saw the horse rushing towards her. Everyone covered their eyes, unable to bear to look at this bloody scene.

    "Miss бн" Liu Yue shouted, even if they wanted to go and save him, it would be too late.

    Shi Anran had originally thought that she would be buried under the hooves of the horses. In a split-second, her waist suddenly tightened, and before she could even regain her senses, a pair of large hands grabbed onto her waist. The unique aura of a man assaulted her face, so close that she could feel his strong heartbeat.

    Shi Anran looked up. She only reacted half a day later, after she clearly saw who saved her. In her previous life, this had never happened before, and even she had never expected this to happen.

    With one hand around her waist, and the other around her shoulder, Xiang Rongcheng flew up. In other words, if Xiang Rongcheng had not saved him today, Shi Anran might not even be able to continue "Anran".

    The two of them steadily landed on the ground, causing everyone to suck in a breath of cold air. Liu Yue and Yi Yue hurriedly ran over, and upon seeing that Shi Anran was fine, they all heaved a sigh of relief.

 C81

    Liu Yue suppressed her beating heart, "Miss, you''re scaring me to death!"

    Liu Yue''s voice had also pulled Shi Anran''s emotions back, she pushed at Xiang Rongcheng''s chest, and her cheeks blushed, "You''re still not letting go of me!"

    It was clearly an angry sentence, but after it came out from her mouth, it was as though a woman was coquettishly complaining to a man she loved.

    Xiang Rongcheng took care of the situation, he could only release the warm jade in his arms, and then he quickly went forward and controlled the mad horse, and tied it to a big thick elm tree, then slowly walked towards her.

    When Shi Anran wanted to retreat, he had already stopped in front of him. The surrounding commoners endlessly praised this youth who had stood up straight, and the corners of his lips naturally raised up in a proud smile, "What, Anran, you don''t want to thank me for saving my life?"

    "Thank you Young Master Xiang for saving my family''s young miss!" Seeing that Shi Anran did not want to say anything, Yi Yue thanked her on her behalf.

    Xiang Rongcheng slightly raised the corner of his eyebrows, as if he was not very satisfied, and said: "What I want is your sincere thanks. Don''t tell me that you want to just say something like that to get rid of me?"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran looked up at him, her lips slightly opening. "Could it be that Young Master Xiang wants me to treat you to a meal?"

    "Alright, then I''ll have to thank the young miss for your good intentions!" He said this with a smile, causing the three of them to be stunned.

    Shi Ran didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He was obviously a young master, so how could he be so shameless? With a single sentence, he had suppressed her. If he did not treat her, then it would just make her feel petty! Seeing that it was still early, Shi Ran didn''t say anything else and took the lead. Xiang Rongcheng understood that she was acquiescing.

    The two specially chose a room. Xiang Rongcheng wanted to take this opportunity to get closer to his future wife, but what Shi Anran wanted to do was to avoid being seen by others.

    Yi Yue and Liu Yue were blocked outside by Xiang Rongcheng''s guards, no one knew what was happening inside.

    Xiang Rongcheng considerately served up food for Shi Anran, and said gently, "Anran, try this dish, it suits your appetite."

    Shi Anran looked at the pile of dishes in her bowl, and could only pout her lips and say: "Young Master Xiang, don''t you feel that you''re too bored?"

    "Is there? Eating with a beauty, how could he be considered too idle? However бн Don''t be too unfamiliar with me, Anran. What''s your Young Master Xiang, just remove the last word and call me бн " Saying that, he did not continue any further, and only smiled and looked at Shi Anran''s reaction.

    Shi Anran''s mind raced as she thought of this. After the last word, Elder Xiang бн Husband? This Xiang Rongcheng actually tried to take advantage of her in such a way?

    Since her rebirth, Shi Anran had never felt this helpless towards anyone, and it was probably only when she was facing Xiang Rongcheng that she would feel so confused and disordered, wanting to say something that she didn''t know what to say.

    Xiang Rongcheng looked at her with a bit of amusement as he pursed his lips and said: "I''m not teasing you anymore. From the time you served the dishes until now, you still haven''t eaten anything. Anran, could it be that I''m the one who made you lose your appetite?"

    Since you know about it, why are you still insisting on coming?

    Shi Anran secretly cursed in her heart, she did not say a word on the surface, but only ate a few bites before she said her fill, "Young Master Xiang, take your time to eat, it''s getting late, I will return home first!"

    "I''ll send you back!" Xiang Rongcheng stood up and followed behind her.

    Shi Anran looked at him, and Xiang Rongcheng immediately said, "You are not allowed to refuse."

    Shi Anran was startled for a moment, and then left by herself. Xiang Rongcheng rode on the horse''s back, and followed closely behind Shi Anran''s carriage, escorting her all the way back to the residence, before turning around and leaving.

    When Third Aunt heard that her servant had secretly left the house and had eloped with her lover, she scolded him and did not discuss the matter again. Since it was the new year, everyone was happy and no one had ever paid much attention to it, so it did not even cause a ripple.

    As the days slowly passed, unknowingly, it was already Chinese New Year. Shi Anran calculated that it was about time.

    "Miss, your hair looks really nice when you comb it. It''s like a fairy descending to the mortal world!" No, even a Heavenly Immortal descending to the mortal realm cannot compare up to Miss! " Liu Yue praised her as she helped her to fix her makeup.

    "Stupid girl!" Shi Anran pursed her lips and smiled, she had spent quite a bit of effort in dressing up tonight. Compared to Liu Yue''s liveliness, Yi Yue was much more stable. Tonight, she would leave Liu Yue in the Palace.

    Displaying the river lanterns during the Lantern Festival seemed to have become a tradition. Along the way, they saw many different types of river lanterns, and the annual Siege Poetry Meet was also extremely famous. It was just after nightfall, but the crowd had already swarmed over.

    "What a line, Mei Susheng lost three points of whiteness to the snow, while the snow lost an incense stick of time to the plum!" The old man who presided over the poetry meet stroked his beard as he looked at the young man in front of him with admiration.

    It was Xiang Rongcheng again. Shi Anran felt a headache, why was it that he could meet him everywhere? Xiang Rongcheng had obviously seen her as well, and was looking at her while smiling.

    "Let''s go somewhere else!" Shi Anran brought Yi Yue and walked in another direction. Just as she turned around and bumped into someone, her body unsteadily fell backwards.

    Just as Shi Anran was about to fall to the ground, someone pulled him.

    The corner of Li Mu''s mouth carried a perfect smile, the elegant young master''s attire was enough to attract countless women''s gazes. Shi Anran pursed her lips and looked him in the eye, as a strange feeling slowly spread out.

    Xiang Rongcheng who was standing on the stage cursed, why was Third Prince here? Seeing the two of them in such a state, Xiang Rongcheng gnashed his teeth. The woman he had his eyes on could not be coveted by anyone, so what if she was the Emperor''s son?

    "Is the girl hurt?" Li Mu asked carefully.

    It was originally arranged on purpose, so naturally, he wasn''t injured. Shi Anran shook her head slightly, and a gentle smile appeared on her lips, "Many thanks to Third Prince for your assistance. I, Anran, am deeply grateful!"

    Shi Anran was truly impressed by her noble demeanor, she immediately curled her lips: "Miss Anran is too courteous!"

    The two of them continued to chat for awhile, and just as they were about to leave, they heard Xiang Rongcheng speaking up on stage, "I heard that the great miss of Shi Family is famous for her zither and chess paintings, I wonder if I can teach you a thing or two?"

    This was so sarcastic that Shi Anran did not know when she did it, but when he said it, he did not care, "I do not deserve your advice, Anran is just a woman and nothing more!"

    Shi Anran did not want to let Xiang Rongcheng win. When it was her turn to set the topic first, Shi Anran laughed and said: "Young Master Xiang is truly talented, following with a sentence from Anran, if Young Noble is able to match up, Anran will concede!"

    "Alright!"

    "It doesn''t matter if you think twice about three feelings, four days, five days, six days, six days, you''ve actually said seven, eight, nine lifetimes. How laughable бн" When the words came out, the entire place became quiet, waiting for Xiang Rongcheng to make a move.

    Is Shi Anran saying that he has different intentions?

    Xiang Rongcheng pursed his lips, it was not that he couldn''t be right, but whatever he said now was completely wrong, and he immediately said, "I lost бн"

    The old man cleared his throat and reacted. This was an obvious rejection of love. Could it be that between this girl and this young man бн

 C82

    Xiang Rongcheng did not continue after that. How could Shi Anran not understand that he was intentionally giving in, that every word of her had a hint of rejection. How could a smart man like Xiang Rongcheng not know what was going on? Shi Anran only hoped that he would understand that there was no future between them. She was wholeheartedly devoted to revenge. Was she going to be tied down by her love for a girl in this life?

    Intentionally avoiding Xiang Rongcheng''s questioning gaze, Shi Anran smiled and pretended to be unfamiliar with him. Li Mu gently waved the fan in his hand, praising: "Miss Anran is truly talented, I''m impressed!"

    In an instant, the crowd started to discuss about the little girl Shi Anran. Some said that she was a heroine, while others said that she overestimated herself and dared to say such words in front of the crowd to humiliate such an elegant young master. Shi Anran acted as if she did not hear them, and indifferently swept her eyes over the group and prepared to leave with Yi Yue.

    "Miss, please wait!" The old man called out to her, and then he said, "Since this lady has won, this river lamp is yours!"

    The waiter walked towards her with an exquisite river lamp in hand. Shi Anran smiled at the old man, and accepted the water lamp to examine it carefully.

    This river lamp was very unique, a pair of colourful mandarin ducks floated amidst the peony flowers, whether it was peony flowers or mandarin ducks, all of them looked very lifelike, Shi Anran, on the other hand, was very happy.

    When she first set the question, she did not know that there were still prizes to be had, but now it could be considered a windfall.

    Seeing her happy expression, Xiang Rongcheng''s heart was at ease. If Shi Anran liked it, it was worth it to lose.

    In the next moment, Shi Anran turned to face Third Prince, and smiled, showing her flirtatious posture, before opening her cherry red lips slightly, "Third Prince saved Anran just now. In order to repay Third Prince for her kindness, I might as well give you this Lovers River Lantern, how about it?"

    The word "how is" was so melodious, how could anyone reject it?

    Li Mu was naturally a little surprised, it was as if this woman had shocked him in every aspect ever since she appeared, and this time was no exception. Li Mu immediately pursed her lips, a trace of gentleness appeared in her deep eyes. "Looks like I have to hide the lamp that Miss Anran gifted me! Otherwise, it would truly be letting down the beauty''s good intentions. "

    Yi Yue stood at the side and took Li Mu''s expression into her eyes, but she did not say much. She had a feeling that the Third Prince was extremely shrewd, and if she compared herself to him, she would not be as dependable as him. However бн How could she endure his kindness?

    The two of them talked as they walked further and further away, while Xiang Rongcheng, who was submerged in the crowd, wished that he could tear Third Prince apart. Could it be that he really had his eyes on the Third Prince?

    Under the weeping willow on the side of the river bank, the two stood shoulder to shoulder and admired the beautiful scene of the hundred people throwing out the river lanterns. Shi Anran''s eyes were bright and clear, which made the lakewater in the moonlight even more enchanting.

    Not long ago, Li Mu had someone make a divination, the divination said that this year he would meet a noble person, this person was of the opposite sex, could it be Shi Anran?

    Li Mu was not a superstitious person, but at that moment, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was possible. It could also be due to a psychological hint. He also wanted to have something to do with Shi Anran.

    Glancing at the river lamp in Third Prince''s hands, Shi Anran looked at it and asked carelessly: "Did Third Prince let the river lamp go?"

    Hearing this, Li Mu was slightly startled. As a member of the imperial family, forget about releasing the lanterns, even the most basic of mutual trust and friendship would not exist. His life was a plot and a plot, and if he wasn''t careful, he would die without a burial ground. How easy could it be to unload all the baggage and simply put on the river lamp?

    Shi Anran, who had been reborn, had long learnt a kind of observation skills. She calmly opened her mouth and said, "If Third Prince has any worries, why not spit out all of his worries and displeasure towards the river lamp. Then, let the river lamp carry all of your troubles and leave бн"

    Hearing this, Li Mu''s opinion of her deepened. He never thought that this little girl would be able to tell that something was wrong with him. Thinking of this, Li Mu smiled as he looked at her, "Miss Anran, what do you think is the most important thing in the world?"

    Understanding that this was a type of probing tone, Shi Anran went along with his words, "As the saying goes, blood is linked to the heart, isn''t the most important thing in the world love?"

    Li Mu smiled but did not speak. After a long while, he opened his mouth and said, "Blood and heart, what you say is true, but it is just that бн" It was just that he had forgotten about kinship when he was a prince.

    "Third Prince, quickly put on the river lamp. It won''t work after some time!" Shi Anran looked at the side of his face and muttered in her heart: The most important thing in this world is power. The greater the power, the more things one can obtain.

    The two of them lit the river lamp and walked towards the lakeside together. Shi Anran slipped on the grass for a while and quickly reacted, grabbing onto her waist with one hand as she smiled lightly: "Be careful бн"

    Shi Anran herself was shocked, if not for him supporting him, she would have fallen into the deep lake.

    Yi Yue heaved a sigh of relief, luckily Third Prince had acted quickly to save the young miss, if not she would not dare to imagine the consequences.

    Watching the river lamps gradually disappear with the flowing water, the two of them gazed at that glimmer of light with mixed feelings in their hearts.

    "Miss, it''s getting late!" Yi Yue warned her, but her voice was not loud so Li Mu could hear him clearly.

    Li Mu looked at the sky and saw that it was indeed getting late, he immediately said, "I''m afraid that it''s not safe for Miss Anran to return late, let me send you back to your home!"

    Shi Anran said with a faint smile, "How would Anran dare to let Third Prince send you off?"

    "Why didn''t I send you back to your residence after taking Lady Anran''s lamp? "If not, I will remember this River Lantern debt for the rest of my life." Li Mu said humbly and politely.

    "It''s not like this thing is anything rare. It was only obtained by chance, but бн" Shi Anran thought for a while, then smiled mischievously, "But if Third Prince is truly apologetic, how about this, Third Prince should give Anran a condition, if there''s a chance to meet him in the future, Anran should come and ask for it!" Her voice was exceptionally soft and gentle, as she spoke in a half-joking tone.

    Li Mu laughed and then nodded his head lightly, "Alright, no matter what condition Miss Anran offers, I will agree. This is a promise I made to Miss Anran." Shi Anran was also looking forward to the next meeting.

    The two of them walked back while talking and laughing, only to realize that the carriage which Shi Anran and the others had parked at the entrance of the alleyway had disappeared. Yi Yue frowned, feeling that a strange aura was approaching them.

    "If Miss Anran doesn''t mind, why don''t I send you back?" Li Mu smiled faintly. There were very few girls that he found worthy, and he was already a little interested in Shi Anran.

    "Looks like this is the only way!" also felt that it was strange, she did not plan for this previously, could it be that it was the Third Prince who did this? Shi Anran was unable to guess what it was at this moment.

 C83

    Before they could even reach the entrance of the alley, a group of black-clothed men blocked their way. Li Mu''s eyes turned deep, revealing a hint of coldness, he turned and said to Yi Yue: "Bring your young miss onto my carriage, I''ll come over later!"

    The princes did not get along with each other. It was no longer a new thing to fight openly or secretly.

    "Who are you people?" Li Mu asked coldly.

    "The person who wants your life!" The other party would not waste time talking to him, so after he said this, all the swords in his hands attacked him.

    Li Mu''s guards had also appeared at this moment, or perhaps it could be said that they had never left this place before.

    On the other side, Yi Yue was protecting Shi Anran as she walked towards the carriage. As soon as she opened the curtain of the carriage, she threw a fatal strike towards them. Luckily, Yi Yue moved quickly, but in the blink of an eye, they were surrounded.

    There were guards protecting her secretly by Shi Anran''s side, but before the guards appeared, there was already an extra person by their side. Looking at Xiang Rongcheng''s gloomy face, Shi Anran inexplicably felt at ease, as though as long as he was here, even if there was any danger, she did not need to worry.

    Still angry at Shi Anran for sending the river lamp to Third Prince, Xiang Rongcheng didn''t look at her and deliberately put on a cold attitude.

    "You dare to bully two weak girls in groups under the feet of the Son of Heaven? I think you are tired of living!" Xiang Rongcheng''s body was emitting an extremely frightening aura, especially when he thought about it, if he had not been following behind Shi Anran, she might have been injured right now, or even бн

    The black clothed man did not speak, as though he was determined to win against Shi Anran, and rushed towards him. Who was he, Xiang Rongcheng? How could a generational general put these assassins in his eyes? Xiang Rongcheng clenched his fingers tightly onto the sword hilt, blocking the attack in front of him. Then, with a beautiful turn of his body, he landed behind the black clothed man, and with a sweep of his sword, he injured several people''s right arms.

    Although Shi Anran knew that he was proficient in martial arts, her heart was still in her throat.

    The majority of the people had already fallen, but Xiang Rongcheng still remained standing as if nothing had happened. The cold glint in his eyes swept across everyone and he said coldly, "Who else wants to die?"

    The man in black looked at each other, and in the end, tactfully slipped away.

    The rules of the martial arts world were that no one was to pursue a desperate situation. Seeing that the black clothed man had admitted defeat, Xiang Rongcheng did not continue.

    Just then, Li Mu ran over. Seeing this, he was surprised: "Anran, are you alright?" Anxious, Li Mu didn''t even say the word lady anymore.

    Shi Anran shook her head at him. A normal girl would have already screamed at him when she saw such a bloody scene, but she was not afraid at all.

    There were many kinds of fate in this world, but when Li Mu saw so many beautiful women, he did not feel that it was too late for him to hate them. This level of appreciation was definitely higher than his father''s liking for those beautiful Consort Candidate s in the throne room. Li Mu actually had a feeling that he appreciated each other very much for a while.

    "Has Third Prince been injured?" Xiang Rongcheng asked indifferently.

    Li Mu did not explain any further, opening his mouth: "The young general just saved Anran, I thank the young general on behalf of Anran!"

    Anran, Anran, they were calling each other so intimately, how long have they known each other? He was clearly Shi Anran''s fiancиж, why did he save his own woman, and even want others to thank him? Xiang Rongcheng held back his anger, but because of his identity, he could not say much, so he just agreed and did not speak anymore.

    "You''re injured!" With her sharp eyes, Shi Anran saw that the hand that was holding the sword was bleeding, and the blood red bead was rolling down the sword blade drop by drop.

    Xiang Rongcheng glanced at her indifferently, and said without a care: "No problem, as long as Third Prince is well, I will take my leave!"

    Shi Anran quickly withdrew her worry, and then turned and looked at Li Mu, her eyes filled with worry, and she heaved a sigh of relief, "Luckily, Third Prince is fine!"

    In the imperial family, many things were done involuntarily, and this wasn''t the first time they had been assassinated. Hearing her say that, Li Mu started to blame himself. He frowned and said softly, "Anran, I nearly caused you harm this time, it''s my fault!"

    Shi Anran looked at him with her beautiful and mysterious eyes quietly, as if she was extremely surprised by Third Prince''s words, "No one expected such a thing to happen, how could it be Third Prince''s fault? It''s just that people do not have good intentions, the Third Prince must have many eyes, and should not allow others to take advantage of them. "

    Shi Anran knew in her heart that every man had some desire to protect, and after experiencing life and death, it would further increase the relationship between her and the Third Prince.

    Li Mu calmly looked at the girl with fair skin and extremely beautiful eyes, as a strange feeling flashed through his heart. His gaze inadvertently stopped at Shi Anran''s chest, seeing Shi Anran looking at him, his face blushed and he explained, "Anran, have you been carrying this jade pendant with you all this time?"

    "This gift is extremely precious, Anran will definitely wear it!" The two of them looked at each other and smiled. They had an indescribable and mysterious aura mixed in with each other.

    The carriage stopped outside the residence, and Li Mu actually felt that they were travelling extremely quickly. Shi Anran blissfully looked at him, lowered her eyes and smiled, "Anran thanks Third Prince for the gift, I will not be keeping you any longer for tea later!"

    "Alright, but I''ll remember this tea!" Li Mu''s gentle smile was extremely gentle and kind, and after seeing Shi Anran in with his eyes, he finally smiled and shook his head as he climbed into the carriage.

    After hearing that, Shi Anyi was so angry that she threw the hairpin in her hand. "Just what method did Shi Anran use on them, they all pasted it onto her, one by one, there is still a young general''s fiancиж left who is not enough, and now he still wants to fight over the Third Prince with me!"

    "Aiyo, you should lower your voice. What''s the point of saying those words to others if they were to hear them?" How could the Third Madam not feel heartache for her daughter? However, she did not have the control over the Third Prince.

    "Mother, I am just angry. What''s so good about her? Mother, tell me, what''s so good about her? " Shi Anyi was so angry that she almost started to cry, as she held onto her mother''s hand, crying incoherently.

    The third wife patted her daughter''s shoulder and consoled her, "Shi Anran can use such seductive methods to seduce people, how can you compare to my daughter?"

    She wanted to get the Third Prince''s heart, but Shi Anran had beaten her to it. How could she not be angry? She couldn''t lose to anyone, and even more so, she couldn''t lose to the elder sister she hated the most.

    When Shi Anran returned to her room, she had already gone to sleep, but a few messy images would always pop up in her mind, all of them relating to Xiang Rongcheng. Thinking about how he had been injured and lost so much blood while fighting the hitman бн The more Shi Anran thought about it, the more confused she became, and she finally fell asleep in a daze.

 C84

    "Miss, did you not sleep well last night?" Liu Yue helped Shi Anran change her clothes and was surprised to see that the corners of her eyes were slightly jet-black.

    Shi Anran was indeed very tired, her entire body did not have any energy, as she said indifferently, "I''m afraid she has a cold ailment, Liu Yue, go to the kitchen to get some ginger soup."

    Liu Yue nodded and handed the comb over to Lian Xing: "Miss, please wait for a moment, this servant will be right back!"

    Just as Liu Yue stepped out of the door, she bumped into Yi Yue, who supported her up, "Rashly, what are you doing?"

    "Miss went out to catch the cold last night. I''ll go get Miss some ginger soup!"

    "Miss Shi is sick?" The servant dressed as a servant asked in a low voice.

    It was only then that Liu Yue noticed the person behind Yi Yue, "Who are you?"

    The courtyard of her young mistress was not accessible to outsiders.

    Yi Yue explained lightly, "He''s someone from the Third Prince."

    Just as they were talking, Lian Xing had already walked out with Shi Anran. When the servant saw Shi Anran, he politely bowed and said, "Eldest Miss, my Third Prince has a feast at Mingyue Restaurant, and he had this subordinate invite Big Miss over. Since Eldest Miss is sick, this subordinate will go back to Third Prince!"

    Shi Anran never thought that the Third Prince would be interested in her so soon, if not, with his cautious personality, he would never casually invite women to a feast. She coughed a few times with the silk handkerchief, her smile becoming weaker, "No problem, since it''s an invitation from the Third Prince, why isn''t Anran going?"

    "Miss, your body is in danger too!" Lian Xing whispered.

    Shi Anran smiled, "What''s so special about this little bit of chilliness? How could it be more important than Third Prince''s invitation? How can I give face to the Third Prince? "

    Although these words were said to Lian Xing, they were all heard by the servant. Her words were just as she said. She didn''t intentionally flatter him. She also showed her respect, which immediately made the guard feel quite a bit of goodwill towards her.

    The attendant slightly lowered his head, gesturing with his hand, "Please, Eldest Miss, the sedan is right outside the residence."

    "Where is elder sister going?"

    Just as Shi Anran walked to the door, Shi Anyi leisurely walked over. Today, she dressed up like a butterfly, and there was a difference of heaven and earth between her and Shi Anran''s light green clothes.

    "Since when do I need to say hi to my sister before I go out?" Shi Anran was not willing to waste time with her, and followed the servant out.

    Shi Anyi had long heard that this was someone from Third Prince''s residence. She had come early in the morning to invite this bitch out, she must have gone to see Third Prince. After watching their palanquin move into the distance, Shi Anyi also sat in the carriage, and followed along at a distance. She really wanted to see how Shi Anran managed to seduce the Third Prince.

    Since she wanted to see it, then so be it!

    Shi Anran naturally noticed the sedan behind her, but she did not bother to pay attention to Shi Anyi who was behind her, as she gracefully walked up the Bright Moon Restaurant. From afar, she saw Third Prince alone, drinking tea and watching the show. Li Mu slightly raised her eyes and met with hers, the corners of her mouth curling up to reveal a somewhat gentle aura, "Anran, your complexion looks terrible, are you sick?"

    Shi Anran smiled and shook her head, "It''s just that I didn''t sleep well last night, Third Prince does not need to worry."

    "So big sister is here. Why didn''t you wait for little sister?" Shi Anyi barged into their line of sight, as if she didn''t know that the Third Prince was here. She happily bowed and greeted, "An Yi greets the Third Prince!"

    Li Mu''s face was still gentle, "Since you are outside, Second Miss does not need to be so courteous!"

    Shi Anyi''s heart was already blooming with joy. She grabbed onto her hair and sat beside Third Prince, Shi Anran''s eyes revealed a hint of ridicule and mockery, this little sister was really stupid, only a proper wife could get a seat, did she not know if she was faking it or not?

    Shi Anran lowered his eyes and blew the tea water lightly, but she still calmly took in the hint of displeasure in Third Prince''s eyes. Why did Shi Anyi never do things through her brain? Although Third Prince looked gentle and polite on the surface, but if Shi Anyi took all of this seriously and acted unscrupulously, then she would truly be stupid to the extreme. I''m afraid that after this, the Third Prince will not hold any good feelings for her!

    The waiter instructed the waiter to serve the dishes, but the dishes today looked very special, they were all side dishes that ordinary people would usually eat. Shi Anyi was usually spoiled, even if she did not eat the dishes on the table, it would be filled with a sumptuous meal. She immediately frowned and said, "How can she swallow these dishes?"

    Shi Anran tasted it and gradually revealed a smile, "It''s really delicious, I wonder how Third Prince managed to find this special restaurant?" Upon entering, Shi Anran noted that the restaurant''s signature dish, although it was crude, it was still an extremely rare delicacy.

    Li Mu did not blame Shi Anyi for being rude, but he said in a bland and gentle voice: "It makes sense that Second Miss is not used to these coarse foods." As she spoke, he had the storekeeper set up a new table for her. It was filled with all sorts of delicacies.

    Since disaster had come from the mouth, Shi Anyi could no longer take back what she had said herself. Now that the Third Prince had spoken, she did not dare to refuse.

    "As long as Anran likes it!" Li Mu did not compare her to ordinary girls. Even with this meal, it was naturally a special preparation.

    Shi Anran had already succeeded halfway, she still needed some time to get along with the Third Prince, so some words might not be suitable for her right now. "This dish is slightly bitter, but when you try the next dish, you will be able to taste a different taste. It''s just like how people often say, suffering is sweet, only after experiencing bitterness can you taste the sweetness. It would be a pity if you choose to give up before you even taste it!"

    A meaningful smile appeared in Li Mu''s eyes as he poured her a cup of wine, "Anran''s words have benefited a lot, let me toast to you!"

    Seeing the two of them chatting happily, Shi Anyi''s belly was filled with anger. She could only glare at the fish on the plate and ruthlessly insert her chopsticks, as if she was looking at Shi Anran''s smiling face.

    "If little sister doesn''t like fish, then you don''t need to be so wasteful, do you?" Shi Anran could not bear to watch any longer, so she reminded her indifferently.

    Hearing that, Shi Anyi raised her head and saw that the look in Li Mu''s eyes were no longer as gentle as before. Her face reddened as she bit her lip, "Third Prince, An Yi suddenly feels unwell and left first. With that, she bowed and left in a hurry, she was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would not be able to resist the urge to strangle Shi Anran to death.

    Shi Anyi''s departure didn''t change anything, it was as if no one paid attention to him. Li Mu had inadvertently brought up official matters, so Shi Anran was able to help him resolve his worries.

    "Anran, you are very special бн" After Li Mu said this sentence, even he himself was stunned. He actually started to care about what he thought in this woman''s heart.

    Shi Anran smiled sweetly, a touch of bewitching beauty added onto her fair face. "Third Prince sure is funny.

    Hearing that, the praise in Li Mu''s eyes became deeper, and just as he was about to say something, the Ninth Prince, who did not know anything, followed a few of the young masters upstairs. Seeing Li Mu, he was first startled, then said with a smile that was not a smile, "With the good wine, the beauty is by my side, third brother is so carefree!"

 C85

    Although Li Mu was a prince, he didn''t have much power, so who would have thought that he, who was mocked and ridiculed by all the princes, would become the overlord of the entire mountain and river in the future?

    The Ninth Prince''s lustful eyes fell on Shi Anran, his fingers rubbing his chin, "Which brothel is this girl from, she''s so beautiful. Third brother, why don''t you give her to me? Ninth brother will return the number of his beauties to Third brother and his wife, what do you say?"

    This Ninth Prince really has a pig''s head, he really wasn''t afraid of offending some powerful young miss that would affect his future.

    Shi Anran poured a cup of wine for Li Mu. Without waiting for him to speak, she spat out a sentence in a neutral tone, "The ancient saying goes, ''metal is jade, and it is wasted''. "It seems that what I just said is true!"

    At the same time, he heard someone say, "Ninth Prince, this woman is saying that your appearance is gorgeous and inside your head is a bag of grass бн"

    "Puff бн" The man who was sipping wine in the corner spat it out. The woman he had taken a fancy to was truly amazing. With a single sentence, he had reduced the Ninth Prince to nothing.

    "You, a prostitute, actually dare to insult this prince. Do you think your life is too long?" At this time, the ninth prince''s facial expression changed in an exceptionally wonderful way. In his entire life, no one had the guts to speak to him in such a manner.

    Didn''t he want to use her to humiliate Third Prince?

    Shi Anran smirked, "Oh? "Ninth Prince can tell that this is derogatory, it''s rare бн"

    Li Mu did not say anything, it was one thing for this Ninth Brother to be so mischievous, but he looked down upon others when he spoke.

    The ninth prince was burning with anger. The prince beside him pulled him back and said in a low voice, "Ninth Prince, please calm your anger. Why don''t we go somewhere else?"

    "Halt!" Li Mu coldly snorted.

    The Ninth Prince raised his eyebrows: "Is there something you need Third Brother for?"

    "Apologize to Miss Shi for what you said just now!"

    Hearing that, a few of them were stunned, so this was the great miss of Shi Family? But the Ninth Prince was so arrogant, how could he lower his head to her? Shi Anran covered her lips slightly, and casually said, "Forget it, Anran cannot afford the ninth prince''s apology!"

    This damned woman!

    Having his interest was swept away, the ninth prince coldly snorted and strode out of the pavilion. However, he tripped over something and cried out in alarm. His entire body rolled on the ground, and the scene was appalling to behold.

    Xiang Rongcheng leaned against the pillar with his arms folded across his chest, his lips curled into a devilish smile. To dare call his woman a prostitute, he must have more guts than his head!

    The Ninth Prince''s fall was not light. When he walked in, he was carried out; Shi Anran and Li Mu did not even spare him a glance.

    Shi Anran''s gaze swept across the street outside the window and accidentally saw Xiang Rongcheng''s figure. When she wanted to confirm again, she couldn''t see him anymore.

    Seeing that she looked extremely uncomfortable, and thinking about the guard''s report, Li Mu''s gaze slightly changed, "Anran, what''s wrong?"

    Just as Li Mu''s fingers touched the back of her hand, he was shocked by the scorching temperature. "It''s good as long as you''re sick, why do you have to persevere? The plain white weather is really worrisome. "

    Shi Anran''s face turned a faint scarlet red, she only felt that her eyelids were heavy, she had been holding on to even now was her limit, she smiled sweetly and shook her head, "Third Prince, I''m afraid that today will disturb your mood, Anran will return first, I will apologize to Third Prince when my body is better!"

    Li Mu did not know what to say to her, just as he stood up, a wave of dizziness hit him, he did not speak anymore, he carried her by the waist and ordered the servants, "Go and find the nearest infirmary!"

    Actually, Shi Anran could not hold on any longer. She was still worried about each other''s identities, and had already forgotten about everything else when she was down, so she rested her head on Yun Che''s shoulder and slowly closed his eyes.

    After the doctor gave her the medicine, Shi Anran fell into a deep sleep, but Li Mu persisted in not letting her go, waiting for her to wake up.

    Shi Anran moved but quickly reacted, she looked at him in shock, and after a long while, she finally said softly: "Third Prince, you бн."

    "Don''t say anything else for now. Sleep for a while longer, I''ll send you home now!" Li Mu''s voice was very serious, but it didn''t lose any gentleness, all of the women probably wouldn''t be able to resist, right?

    However, Shi Anran struggled out from his embrace and pulled away from him, "Anran''s body is disappointing, Third Prince is laughing at me!"

    Li Mu smiled and picked up the medicine the doctor made for him, "You need to rest now, stay in the residence to rest and take care of your body."

    This time, Third Prince directly accompanied her back to the manor, scaring everyone in the manor silly. Third Concubine rubbed her eyes in disbelief, and said in astonishment and resentment, "Is there something wrong with my eyes?"

    At this time, Shi Yu was still dealing with things and naturally did not return home.

    Shi Anyi immediately ran over when she heard it, but was stopped by his mother, "An Yi, calm down, don''t let Third Prince look down on you!"

    How could Shi Anyi still calm down? She grinded her teeth in frustration, "Mother, hurry up and advise me, don''t let that bitch succeed!" Third Concubine was also in a mess.

    Only after seeing Liu Yue and Lian Xing helping her fall asleep did Li Mu finally relax. Her gaze fell on the half of the jade pendant hanging around her neck as a warm and baffling flow flowed out of her heart.

    "Take good care of your young miss!" Li Mu left her courtyard after instructing his a few things.

    Just as Li Mu walked out, he bumped into Shi Anyi and the Third Madam. The two greeted them, and the Third Madam smiled obsequiously, then said to her daughter: "An Yi, why aren''t you sending Third Prince off?"

    "There''s no need, farewell!" Li Mu slightly nodded his head as a form of greeting.

    The third wife gave her daughter a meaningful glance. Shi Anyi smiled, then lifted her skirt to follow along, saying in a sweet voice: "Third Prince, I''ll send you off!" With that said, she followed behind Li Mu, one in front and one in back.

    "An Yi thanks Third Prince for sending my sister back!" She had nothing to say, so she really didn''t know what to say. However, she also wanted to get close to him.

    Li Mu''s gentle face did not change at all, and he indifferently said, "Second Miss is too polite!"

    Seeing that his carriage was getting further and further away, Shi Anyi was so angry that she stomped her feet. She called her big sister Anran, but called her Second Miss. Could it be that Third Prince treats big sister бн Impossible, definitely impossible!

    This time, Shi Anran was really sick. She was sick for a few days and during this time, Third Prince came over once and took a quick look before leaving.

    The afternoon sun shone brightly on the courtyard.

    In the courtyard laid a soft blanket, with Shi Anran lying on the side lazily, a snow-white blanket covering her body. With one hand holding his head while the other hand flipping through the book of poems, she couldn''t help but think of the night when she had poems with Xiang Rongcheng, why did he think of him again? Shi Anran shook his head in amusement, shaking off the thoughts in his head.

    "Miss, look at this bird!" Liu Yue played with the canary in the cage.

    Hearing that, Shi Anran raised her head and looked at Xiang Rongcheng who was standing not far away in surprise. Seeing that he was still wearing the armor, he must have been in a hurry and forgot to change.

 C86

    Xiang Rongcheng walked over with big strides. Liu Yue glanced at the two of them and tactfully carried the caged canary away.

    "Anran, are you alright?" Xiang Rongcheng was tall and slender, squatting in front of her, he asked her with a low voice, but he could not hide the anxiousness in his voice.

    Shi Anran felt that it was very strange. Towards Xiang Rongcheng''s concern, she both hated it but she also felt that it was sincere. After staring at him blankly for a while, he opened his mouth and said, "Young Master Xiang has no rules, it''s fine that you came uninvited, are you not afraid that someone will make you a laughing stock by entering and exiting a woman''s courtyard?"

    "Anran, don''t get angry at me. The Emperor sent me out to battle, so I didn''t have the time to come back and see you. It was my fault." Xiang Rongcheng looked at the steaming hot medicine on the table, and personally passed it to her, "Drink it first!"

    It''s my fault... When these words came out from the mouths of Third Prince and Xiang Rongcheng, they had two different meanings.

    Shi Anran had never blamed Xiang Rongcheng for not coming to visit his, but she would not do so either. Taking the medicine bowl, he lightly glanced at him with a hint of amusement and asked, "So you came just like that?"

    Xiang Rongcheng''s handsome face reddened, and he coughed lightly: "Isn''t it all because of you, heartless girl, if I don''t hurry back, I would be taken advantage of by others."

    "Nonsense!" The Third Prince was very shrewd, if not for the fact that she knew how ambitious she was in her previous life, Shi Anran would have long been deceived by his gentle and jade-like attitude. In this rebirth, Shi Anran had a lot of faith in everyone, even the most trusted person beside him did not.

    "Anran, don''t piss me off, I''ll give you a pet!" As he said this, he turned around and entered the flower bush. Not long later, he walked over with a small Fire Fox in his arms.

    Shi Anran opened his eyes wide and looked at the little fellow in his hands. She felt that he was extremely fond of this little fellow, and raised his eyes to look at him, "This is бн"

    "This is called a fox. Its fur is red, so people call it a fire fox. It''s very hard to see!" Xiang Rongcheng said, as he placed the Fire Fox that was not much bigger than his palm next to her.

    The little guy stuck out its pink tongue and licked Shi Anran''s finger. Its little head rubbed her arm as it begged for mercy, causing Shi Anran to be filled with joy.

    Xiang Rongcheng unceremoniously poured himself a cup of tea and drank it up, and then he leisurely said: "On the way back, I went to a forest to rest, and seeing that the little guy was abandoned, I brought it back, thinking that you will definitely like it, Anran."

    Shi Anran stroked the little fox''s fur, and revealed a rare gentle smile to Xiang Rongcheng. "Thank you for your gift бн"

    "Then you forgive me?"

    "Hmm?" She was slightly puzzled. "When have I ever blamed you?"

    Hearing that, Xiang Rongcheng was so excited that he almost pounced on her, and kissed her face. This was the first time he was at her place, and he was not scolded by Shi Anran, "Anran, if there''s any movement at the border, I can go out and fight at any time. When the world is at peace, I''ll definitely bring along a generous betrothal gift and marry you!"

    Shi Anran felt her heart palpitating. That kind of feeling could not be described with words, so she changed the subject, "War occurs frequently, just be careful!"

    "You still care about me." Xiang Rongcheng looked at her with shining eyes, as if he wanted to see something else from those beautiful eyes.

    Being unrestrainedly stared at by a handsome man, Shi Anran felt like her face was hanging, with a suspicious blush on her cheeks.

    "Miss, the Third Prince sent someone to deliver tonic for Miss!" Liu Yue was full of smiles, but when she saw Xiang Rongcheng''s unhappy expression, she pouted. How could she have forgotten that there was a future Young Master here?

    Shi Anran just glanced at it and opened her mouth wide, "Leave it!" At this moment, she was like a completely different person compared to her usual gentle and gentle self.

    was somewhat astonished. She was initially troubled by the good things that the Third Prince did for her, but now that she saw Shi Anran''s unmoved expression, she was a little pleased with herself. If Anran was truly interested in the Third Prince, she would be happy, but her emotions were very calm, so calm that it seemed like she didn''t care at all.

    Not knowing why, but in front of Xiang Rongcheng, Shi Anran was too lazy to pretend. She used one hand to support her chin and fiddled with the little fox''s head, the corner of her mouth raised up, "Young Master Xiang, what name do you think I should give this guy?"

    "This... You decide then, Anran! " As a man, he couldn''t compare to the delicacy of a woman.

    Shi Anran seemed to think about it, then laughed, "Look at its red fur, it is as hot as fire, why don''t you call it Little Flame? Do you think so? "

    "If you say so, let''s call you Little Flame!" With the little fox''s help, Xiang Rongcheng could use the reason of coming to see Xiao Yan to get along with Anran more in the future.

    Shi Anran''s gaze fell on his arm, and asked tentatively, "Last time you saved my arm, how is it?"

    Although it had already been a few days, Xiang Rongcheng was still very pleased to be able to hear her concern. "What''s wrong with that little injury? During the war, you had to endure even more serious injuries!"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran frowned, then quickly collected her emotions: "Young Master Xiang has already been here for a long time!"

    Why was he flipping through books faster than he was flipping through books? Xiang Rongcheng reached out and stroked Xiao Yan''s head, and said to Shi Anran: "Anran, you promised me, you are not allowed to get too close with Third Prince бн"

    "Don''t the Young Master Xiang feel that he overdid it?"

    "You are my fiancижe, how can I not care? Other than my fiance, you are not allowed to smile at other men, especially at Third Prince! " Xiang Rongcheng felt that a man like the Third Prince could make women fall for him the most, but he couldn''t let his Anran take it too.

    Shi Anran looked at him with a smile that was not a smile, and slowly took a deep breath, "I think Young Master Xiang still doesn''t understand what I mean.

    "Even if it wasn''t for the agreement from before, I want to marry you as my wife. Anran, you cannot escape!" The woman that Xiang Rongcheng had recognized would be recognized for the rest of his life.

    "Haha бн" A light laugh that carried mockery broke the silence between the two of them. Shi Anran looked up and met his gaze with undisguised indifference, "Has Young Master Xiang always been this tyrannical?"

    "Yes бн" But only against you! It was a pity that Shi Anran did not give him the chance to finish her words.

    "Don''t say there''s nothing between me and the Third Prince, what does it have to do with you? If we were to explain everything in detail, Young Master Xiang would feel that we are only strangers who are unfamiliar with each other.

    Her words caused Xiang Rongcheng to be heavily injured, and after staring blankly at Shi Anran for a good while, he forced out a sentence, "You''re protecting another man like this?"

    Shi Anran did not say anything, and could be considered to have tacitly agreed to something.

    Xiang Rongcheng''s almond-shaped eyes contained a hint of anger, his five fingers tightened, and he turned to leave.

    Shi Anran didn''t understand what was worthy of his liking, and was extremely agitated in her heart. As if it felt its master''s displeasure, the little fox shrunk into her embrace.

    Young Master Xiang was angered by the young miss to leave? Liu Yue and Lian Xing looked at each other, and could not help but smile, her young miss really had the ability to piss people off, every single time she could make Young Master Xiang leave in anger.

 C87

    The past few days were rather peaceful, but the increasingly peaceful days made Shi Anran feel that something strange was happening. She had a feeling that something was about to happen, and in the past few days, she had been feeling a little uneasy.

    The morning air was thin. Shi Anran stood by the window, holding the little red fox in her arms and stroking its head time and time again.

    Liu Yue placed the dim sum on the table, and sighed: "Miss, if you are bored, then this servant will accompany Miss to the garden to take a walk. Spring has started in the front garden, and it is even earlier than in previous years!"

    Shi Anran''s expression was indifferent, and it was unknown what she was thinking. She slowly retracted her deep gaze, and her eyes landed on the plate of snacks. Her long fingers gently pinched a piece of it and fed it to the little fox: "Liu Yue, did anything happen in the Heaven Palace?"

    Liu Yue thought for a while, then smiled and said: "Nothing happened, but there is one more strange thing that happened. This servant is not used to the fact that the Second Miss hasn''t caused any big trouble recently. Eh? Why do you ask? "

    "I''m fine. The weather seems to be not bad today. Let''s go out for a walk in the afternoon! "

    "Sure, where does Miss want to go?" Liu Yue waited for her answer in anticipation.

    Seeing that the little fox had started to eat, Shi Anran smiled lightly and said, "Let''s go to the Bright Moon Restaurant!"

    Isn''t that the place where the Third Prince invited their young miss to banquet? Could it be that Miss has feelings for the Third Prince?

    Although Liu Yue was suspicious, she did not ask further. She nodded her head and replied: "Then I''ll go prepare the carriage first!"

    "Hiss бн" When Shi Anran was in a daze, he suddenly frowned and looked down at her finger that had been bitten. Her eyebrows slightly furrowed, then slowly relaxed. It seemed that the fox was still a fox after all. No matter how hard it tried to feed and take care of her, it was still a fox. Perhaps one day, it would turn around and pounce on her.

    Other than using each other, Third Prince wanted to get what he wanted, while Shi Anran only wanted to escape the fate of her previous life. When helping him become the ruler of the world, she could also obtain the most noble status, so wouldn''t this be the same as killing two birds with one stone?

    The Third Prince was a very shrewd and scheming city. She only hoped that the person he had decided on would not disappoint her.

    As he thought about it, the corner of Shi Anran''s lips curled up into a trace of an indescribable smile.

    It was about the afternoon when Liu Yue finally walked into the Bright Moon Tower. The shopkeeper seemed to have recognized her, or perhaps it should be said that this was the territory of the Third Prince, and had paid more attention to Shi Anran.

    The simple dishes on the table were the same as last time. Seeing Shi Anran eating alone here, the shopkeeper left calmly. After instructing a few words to the doorman, the doorman nodded and left.

    Liu Yue looked at this scene and smiled back at Shi Anran, and now she was only waiting for the arrival of the Third Prince.

    As expected, after an hour, the Third Prince went in by himself. He was not surprised to see her, "Anran бн"

    "The news from Third Prince sure is fast!" The Shi Anran today was very different from usual. She restrained her usual pretentious manner and a faint smile appeared on her beautiful face. After she was covered by a cup of wine, her lips slightly curled up, and with a hint of a finger: "But Third Prince came late, do you want to punish him?"

    Li Mu secretly said in his heart, pretending that he couldn''t understand the look in her eyes. He lifted up his clothes and sat with her, taking the opportunity to receive the cup of wine.

    "Is the Third Prince not afraid that Anran will poison the wine?" He covered his mouth and chuckled. She clearly meant to remind him, but he said it in a joking tone.

    Li Mu looked at her with a smile and swallowed the alcohol.

    She ate a few mouthfuls of food, and then said very casually, "Do you still remember the question that Third Prince asked Anran before. What is the most important thing in the world?"

    Under Li Mu''s puzzled gaze, he heard Shi Anran slowly say: "Anran thinks that the most important power and wealth will only be wealth when the power is greater, Third Prince, what do you think?"

    Her words had a double meaning, Li Mu''s expression changed slightly, but quickly recovered back to her usual calm demeanor, and then she gently said: "As the Young Master of the imperial family, I am already rich."

    "Is that so? But Anran does not think that the Third Prince is rich. " Shi Anran still spoke in a casual tone.

    "What does Anran mean by that?" Although her words did not sound good, Li Mu was very interested in hearing what she had to say.

    After Shi Anran took a sip of the wine, her lips lifted slightly, and a cool breeze brushed up a few strands of hair on her forehead, "The real wealth is... "With a flip of her hand, she turned the clouds over into rain, and sat at a high vantage point looking at all the beautiful mountains and rivers бн" Shi Anran refused to believe that someone as sensitive as the Third Prince would not be able to understand the meaning behind her words. She was betting on the ambition of the Third Prince!

    After being silent for a long time, the look in Li Mu''s eyes turned warm, the look in his eyes became serious, and his actions of tasting the wine secretly thought: How does this little girl know about these things?

    "Sometimes, relying on your own strength is indeed not enough. Does Third Prince feel that Anran''s words are still reasonable?" Shi Anran smiled, seeing that he did not even say anything, the odds of winning were already more than half in her heart.

    Li Mu took in a deep breath. With a slight frown, a dull look flashed past his eyes, but it was not an angry look, "Anran, you have passed бн"

    The topic passed by just like that, the Third Prince continued to chat happily with her, as though she did not hear what she had said just now. In that moment, Shi Anran was also unable to decipher what he had said. However, she would not give up just like that. There would be more chances for them to get along in the future.

    After leaving Bright Moon Tower, Shi Anran began to stroll in the market.

    "Miss, what are you going to do with these silks?" Liu Yue followed behind her.

    Shi Anran smiled lightly, "You''ll know when the time comes."

    Seeing that the mirror on the stall was extremely exquisite, Liu Yue picked up the mirror and looked at it: "Young miss, this mirror is really unique!"

    Shi Anran unintentionally took a glance and was shocked. Through the mirror, she could see two sneaky people staring at him, which meant that they were being followed.

    She took a deep breath and pretended that nothing had happened. It wasn''t dark yet. No matter how brave these people were, they wouldn''t dare to attack her in this bustling city, right? Thinking about it, Shi Anran walked forward: "Liu Yue, it seems very lively over there, let''s go take a look."

    Didn''t Miss dislike lively places? Liu Yue scratched the back of her head and followed her in a small jog. The two men who were hiding in the dark looked at each other, revealing an extremely vulgar smile.

    Although she had experienced life and death in her previous life, Shi Anran was no longer afraid. Although death was nothing to fear, she did not want to lose her life so easily. From the looks of it, she had been following them for a long time. At this time, she suddenly thought of Xiang Rongcheng, as though every time she had something on her mind, he would immediately appear.

    Liu Yue focused on the people on stage singing, and when it was exciting, she would even clap and cheer. However, Shi Anran was still worried. She discovered that there was a hand on her waist that was slowly moving upstream. Gritting her teeth, she raised her hand and ruthlessly stepped on that person''s leg.

 C88

    "Ah бн" "You bitch!" The short guy with the sharp mouth shouted loudly, startling Liu Yue.

    Liu Yue immediately turned and stood in front of Shi Anran, frowning as she looked at the two of them, "What are you two planning to do?"

    Perhaps because the commotion was too big, it had already alarmed many people. With whispers, everyone''s gaze had already shot over. The two men could only grit their teeth and leave. They didn''t dare do anything to Shi Anran at this time.

    Shi Anran originally thought that things would end like this, but just as they were about to walk towards the place where the carriage would be parked, she saw them walk in from the opposite direction.

    Hearing that, Shi Anran did not move a step, the two did not look like martial artists, if they dared to make a move, Wang Yuan, who was secretly protecting her, would appear. Wang Yuan was more than enough to deal with the two scum by himself.

    "Where is the little beauty going? How about we brothers send you on your way? " The big bloke rubbed his chubby hands and walked over with a lewd smile.

    "If you guys come over again, I''ll call for reinforcements!" Liu Yue protected Shi Anran as he retreated, until she reached a dead end. She secretly wiped off his cold sweat.

    The two of them opened their mouths and laughed, revealing yellow teeth. They were extremely disgusted, "Just scream, scream, and let''s see who will save you!"

    Shi Anran, who had been silent all this time, pushed Liu Yue away. Both of her hands were placed on her abdomen, her fair and beautiful face was welcomed by the moonlight, and she was actually so beautiful that she seemed like she didn''t care for the world. She smiled slightly, but looked at the two of them with a smile that was not a smile.

    "Stupid bitch, stop scaring people here! "I''ve just stepped on your foot, and I haven''t even settled the score with you yet. In a while, I''ll have a good fight with you to get back at you!" After he finished speaking, that person smiled obscenely as he approached.

    "* Sigh *, it seems like the moon tonight won''t keep us quiet either бн" A magnetic male voice suddenly sounded.

    "Who?" "Who''s playing tricks on us?" The two of them looked around and cursed, "Stop being so scary in the dark. If you have the guts, come out and see if the boss won''t beat you to death!"

    Hearing the man''s voice, Shi Anran''s smile unconsciously grew more sincere.

    Xiang Rongcheng jumped down from the high wall with a beautiful turn of his body, and steadily stood in front of Shi Anran. He crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at the two of them with a smile that was not a smile, "You guys will have to pay a price for disturbing my mood to admire the moon!"

    At first glance, this scene truly frightened the two men. Then, he thought for a moment and pulled out a dagger from behind his waist. "If you know what''s good for you, then scram. Otherwise, don''t blame the sword in your hand for being merciless!"

    "Tsk tsk бн" This young master would like to see how heartless of you all are! " Saying that, a stone flew out from Xiang Rongcheng''s hand and struck the big sized man''s back.

    The big bloke screamed as the dagger in his hand fell to the ground. Following that, he took a heavy kick on his face and fell to the corner of the wall. Seeing this, the sharp-tongued man also knew that they were not going to fight against a small character, so he immediately turned around and ran, but he didn''t seem to have the chance.

    Xiang Rongcheng''s feet kicked the dagger on the ground, which stabbed into the man''s thigh. The man immediately fell to the ground and cried out in pain.

    He, Xiang Rongcheng''s fiancee, dared to make a move?

    "You, you, you бн" The two of them huddled together and looked at the man in front of them in fear. They had only done it for money. They thought it would be a trivial matter to deal with the two girls, but they didn''t expect it to turn out like this.

    Xiang Rongcheng took out a silk handkerchief and wiped his hands clean and threw it on the ground in disgust. He swept a dangerous glance at the two people who were in his way and coldly shouted: "I shall spare your little lives.

    "Thank you, thank you for not killing me бн" The two of them supported each other as they limped away.

    "Wait, did I give you permission to leave?" Shi Anran walked out with light steps, her expression was as indifferent as Xiang Rongcheng''s.

    The man with the sharp beak smirked, "Miss, please forgive us for not doing anything to you!"

    "I didn''t say I will kill you two. Just tell me who ordered you two to come here!" Shi Anran spat out these words in an indifferent tone.

    The two of them looked at each other, gritted their teeth and said, "When we saw that you were dressed extravagantly and thought that you must be the miss of a big family, we lost our minds for a while and then decided to be rich. We beg you to let us go!"

    Liu Yue snorted, "My family''s young miss''s plans are also yours, young miss, why not let the yamen handle them!"

    Hearing this, the two of them kowtowed again and again, begging for mercy. "This little one was wrong, this little one was wrong. This little one is really blind бн"

    Shi Anran was not moved by this: "Liu Yue, go report to the officials!"

    At this time, Xiang Rongcheng said with a smile that was not a smile, "If you feel angry, then you can just beat them up. Even if you give it to the yamen, it won''t do anything to them."

    "According to what Young Master Xiang said, I should let them go?" Shi Anran lifted half of his willow leaf eyebrows and looked at him with a ridiculing smile.

    Xiang Rongcheng stopped himself from speaking, he actually felt that he was speechless.

    "Eldest Miss, I''m too late!" Wang Yuan bowed, then took out a rope and tied the two of them up, throwing them into a corner, "Thank you, Xiang Family Gongzi, for saving us!"

    Xiang Rongcheng rolled his eyes at him, looking like he didn''t care at all.

    "Take them away. You must find out who ordered them. If anyone tries to keep it a secret, just kill them!" After Shi Anran finished, he walked towards the carriage.

    Beneath the carriage, Wang Yuan pointed his sword at the two of them, "Do you want to say it or not?"

    "No one is really ordering us, ah бн" Just as the big bloke spoke, he received a sword blow on his arm, causing him to tear up.

    The sharp-mouthed man shook his head and tightened his body. "I don''t know, I really don''t know бн"

    Wang Yuan stepped him onto the ground, then raised his hand to grab the dagger on his leg and thrust forward. The sound of bones and flesh shattering immediately resounded in the silent night, followed by the pointed beak man''s painful howl.

    Xiang Rongcheng frowned, he turned and looked at the lady inside the carriage who was calmly eating her dessert. She was only looking at the tragedy in front of her as an outsider, many of the women who saw this scene had already vomited, and she was actually able to eat without batting an eyelid, how many more of these women was something they did not know?

    "Anran, perhaps you''re thinking too much." Xiang Rongcheng also got on the carriage, snatching a piece of dessert from under her finger and stuffed it into his mouth.

    Shi Anran unhappily swept a glance at him, but ridiculed him: "Young Master Xiang''s martial husband has probably thought of all of these things too simply!"

    Hearing this, Xiang Rongcheng did not get angry, instead he smiled, "Anran is too cautious, and is worried about getting harmed by others all the time, why not marry me soon, and I, Rong City, will definitely protect you for the rest of your life."

    Rong City will definitely protect you and keep you safe for the rest of your life бн Shi Anran''s mind was in a mess because of these words. She raised her hand and rubbed her temples as she lazily said, "Young Master Xiang, don''t use this as a joke anymore. Anran doesn''t like to play this kind of joke."

    "You can take it as a joke and listen to it, but this won''t stop me from doing anything. Anran, there will be a day when you understand my feelings!"

 C89

    Liu Yue pursed her lips and laughed. Actually, Young Master Xiang is much better than Third Prince, it was not wrong for Miss to choose Young Master Xiang.

    The two of them could still take it easy, but Shi Anran swept his eyes over their miserable state, but she was still not willing to speak? She smiled lightly, and said indifferently: "Wang Yuan, go and check what kind of family they have, send all of them to the borders as slaves!"

    Wang Yuan agreed: "This subordinate understands!"

    When the two of them heard this, they were dumbfounded and immediately kowtowed while crying for mercy, "My lady aunt, please spare me. I''ll say it, I''ll tell you everything бн" Don''t, don''t, don''t touch my family. "

    A hint of coldness flashed past the corner of Shi Anran''s mouth, which was taken into Xiang Rongcheng''s eyes. He thought to himself: When did Anran learn how to use such methods to harm others? The expression on his face changed as he became uncertain.

    The big bloke''s face turned pale and he spat out, "Yes бн" It was a lady who gave us a lot of money to take advantage of us! "

    Hearing that, Xiang Rongcheng''s brows tightened, so it turned out that they were really ordered by someone, upon seeing Shi Anran giving him a disdainful look, Xiang Rongcheng awkwardly coughed lightly.

    Wang Yuan stepped on his injured arm and mercilessly crushed it down, saying coldly, "Continue talking!"

    The big man grimaced in pain. "I don''t know the name of the young lady. She gave me the money and left in a hurry."

    Liu Yue became displeased, raised her chin and said: "You don''t know the name, but you should be able to see it clearly right? Describe her to us! "Don''t make me sound perfunctory, or else бн"

    "Yes, yes!" The big bloke was already scared out of his wits. He quickly added, "That young miss looks beautiful бн" The man stammered and stammered for a long time, but suddenly, he started to talk nonsense.

    Shi Anran lost her patience, and spoke in a deep voice: "Stop playing around in such a roundabout way in front of me, if you don''t explain everything clearly, be careful of my ruthless actions."

    The sharp-mouthed man glanced at her timidly, as if he had thought of something, and his eyes lit up. "I remember now. The piece of jade around that young lady''s neck is exactly the same as the one around your neck."

    Hearing that, Shi Anran''s entire body released a cold aura, she had already guessed that it was Shi Anyi''s doing, and since she was already so restless, she could not let her be! Thinking of this, Shi Anran said indifferently, "Tie him up, bring him back to the house!"

    The two of them panicked. They didn''t understand, why was this young lady still unwilling to forgive them even after they told the truth? However, they had no way to refute his words. They could only be driven to their deaths by Wang Yuan бн

    The horse carriage slowly drove on, but Xiang Rongcheng had no intention to go down, on the contrary, he just dragged it along. He said in all seriousness, "I want to see Little Flame!"

    Shi Anran could not be bothered and turned to look elsewhere, then opened her mouth and said: "Does Young Master Xiang still think that Anran is worrying too much?"

    "Cough бн" Xiang Rongcheng coughed lightly while covering her lips. She was incredibly embarrassed, "Anran, do I not consider you well enough, or are your thoughts meticulous?"

    "Is that so?" Shi Anran disagreed, and laughed sweetly: "I thought that Young Master Xiang would say that Anran did all the work for the sake of the results, but I wasn''t wrong! Anran is indeed such a person, to the disappointment of Young Master Xiang! " In her previous life, she had been too naive and did not think about anything. He would not be on guard against others and end up like this.

    Xiang Rongcheng''s face turned red, his lips formed a smile: How could I be disappointed? My woman is so clever, and cannot be compared with ordinary women, and also, this is not some random method, it''s called brilliant!

    Shi Anran unceremoniously accepted his praise: "Thank you, Young Master Xiang! But... Anran has been through a lot of calculations, and also learned a few tricks. After all, a person''s heart is far from their stomach, so people need to be on guard against thirty to fifty percent, don''t you think so? "

    "Anran is right!" Xiang Rongcheng knew that his words were insufficient, and only knew that he had to agree. This also allowed him to understand Shi Anran a lot more. Actually Shi Anran was right, as long as she could protect him, he did not mind standing behind her and cutting off any trouble for her, no matter what the cost. It was a pity that the women he took a fancy to were too attractive. He had to think of a way to make others give up on her.

    "Don''t trust others so easily Young Master Xiang. For example, the person in front of you?" She pointed the spear at him.

    How could Xiang Rongcheng not understand her meaning? He replied right away: "I know Anran only wants to protect himself, and I also said before, as long as you are willing, I can marry you right now!"

    Why hasn''t he stopped?" This was the first time she felt depressed and had a headache for a man. She slowly closed her eyes and said slowly, "Young Master Xiang is really a person who only knows fist arts. He has neglected the small details by his side, but those small matters can potentially be fatal бн

    Xiang Rongcheng did not speak, he only looked at the lady in front of him quietly. Tonight, Shi Anran had truly surprised Xiang Rongcheng time and time again. Gentle, stubborn, cold бн Which one of them is the real Anran?

    Their voices were not loud, but who was outside the carriage heard it clearly. She pursed her lips and did not dare to laugh out loud, Young miss was truly powerful, she was using a different method to talk about the Young Master Xiang, her mind was simple but her limbs were well-developed! Perhaps, only a talented girl like the young mistress would think this way. Sigh бн I wonder how all the girls from other families are begging the Young Master Xiang to take an extra look.

    Upon returning to their Shi Family, everyone looked at Shi Anran in shock, and the person following behind her. What was the young miss doing?

    Master Shi was about to rest when he heard the butler report, "Master, it''s bad. Please go take a look!"

    Third Madam looked at the butler unhappily. "Why are you making such a fuss in front of Master?"

    Thus, the butler gave him a general idea of how Shi Anran had escorted the two of them back to the residence. Master Shi''s face became stern: "Let''s go and take a look first!"

    In the front hall, there were two people kneeling in a sorry state at the door. Shi Anran bowed and said, "Good morning, father!"

    "What happened?" Old Master Shi was surprised, his gaze sweeping across Wang Yuan.

    Wang Yuan replied honestly, "Reporting to the old master, when the young miss was returning to her house, she was almost taken advantage of. It was the young master of the Xiang Family who saved the young miss, and I interrogated the two of them, but I did not say anything. This subordinate thinks that someone must have ordered them to do something, so I brought the two of them back to Master to punish them! "

    Hearing this, Master Shi''s face was filled with anger as he kicked him out. "How dare you!"

    "Daddy, don''t be angry!" Shi Anran obediently stood beside him.

    Master Shi took a deep breath, "The two of you, go ahead and tell them. Otherwise, don''t blame me for using a heavy punishment to force a confession!"

    On the way, Shi Anran had already promised them that she would let go of their families as long as they acted out this show.

    The sharp-mouthed man lowered his head and said first, "Old master, please calm your anger. We are only doing business with money."

    "Oh? Whose money did you take and what did you do for her? "

    Just then, Shi Anyi walked over with the third wife. Seeing this, Shi Anyi panicked step by step, if not for the third wife supporting her when she entered the door, she would have almost fallen to the ground. She turned around in a hurry, "Daddy, daughter suddenly remembers that the painting on the table has not been kept yet, so daughter will leave first!"

    The big sized man pointed at Shi Anyi''s figure and said, "Master, it was this woman who was commanding us!"

 C90

    "You бн What are you talking about? " When the third wife saw that someone had slandered her daughter, she immediately became angry. However, she was also wondering if it was really An Yi''s doing.

    Master Shi frowned and shouted, "Stop!"

    Shi Anyi had only taken two steps when her legs stiffened. Her heart suddenly jumped wildly, as if it was about to burst out of her throat. Gritting her teeth tightly, she mechanically walked in and timidly called out, "Daddy!"

    Master Shi glanced at her and asked the big bloke, "Do you know what happens when you tell a lie?"

    The big bloke wiped off his cold sweat and said while trembling, "This little one doesn''t dare to be presumptuous in front of Master!"

    The man with the sharp beak quickly took out a large bag of silver and said, "Second Miss, give this to us brothers and let us tie up Eldest Miss and sell her in a remote brothel. Now that the money is returned to you, we won''t work on it!"

    "That''s not what I said at all!" Shi Anyi was scared and angry at the same time, so she said this without thinking.

    Hearing this, everyone understood, that all the servants of the Shi Family had heard it clearly, and thought to themselves: Second Miss is normally spoiled, but he actually dares to be so vicious, wanting to sell his elder sister!

    The moment the words left her mouth, she immediately reacted and took Master Shi''s slap on her face. Shi Anyi''s body unsteadily fell to the ground in front of Shi Anran as she covered her face and shook her head continuously, "Daddy бн Daddy, I was wrong, I really didn''t do that! I just... I just want them to scare sister, it''s really not like what they said! "

    Third Madam quickly reached out to hold his hand. "Master, An Yi lost her mind for a moment. Please forgive her this time. She''s fine now, isn''t she?"

    As soon as she opened her mouth, Master Shi gave her a resounding slap. With a gloomy face she said, "How many times have I given her? It is you who have pampered her time and time again, resulting in her having such a daughter. "

    Shi Anran also knelt in front of his father, lowering her eyes to beg for mercy: "Daddy, please don''t injure your body too much with your breath, since your daughter is fine now, it''s fine, just forgive me this time!"

    Third Madam covered the side of her face with her hands and ignored the pain in her face. She nodded repeatedly and said, "What big miss said is that everything is good at home and at ease. Old master, please spare An Yi!"

    Liu Yue supported Shi Anran and timidly said: "Second Miss is very vicious, young miss is your eldest young mistress after all. If not for the fact that Young Master Xiang appeared in time to save young miss, I''m afraid young miss would have already been sold to a brothel by Second Miss without anyone noticing!"

    "Liu Yue, stop talking!" Shi Anran ''timely'' stopped her, and then continued to ponder: "It was only because little sister wasn''t very sensible that she made such a mistake. Daddy will look out for my daughter''s safety, don''t bother with her!"

    Master Shi was furious now, what Liu Yue said made the fire burn even brighter. Master Shi kicked away Shi Anyi''s hand that was hugging her thigh and said angrily: "Such a vicious and merciless daughter, really shames me!"

    Shi Anran''s begging was already useless, and the more she begged, the more Shi Yu got angry.

    During this time, Xiang Rongcheng, who had not spoken all this while, just watched her put on an act like this. It was hard to say what kind of feeling he had in his heart, but he was growing increasingly determined to win against Shi Anran. Such a woman бн He was becoming more and more obsessed with it. He wanted to understand it, wanted to get closer to it бн How could he miss it?

    "Men, lock them up in the woodshed. No one is allowed to visit them without my permission!" After leaving behind these harsh words, Master Shi left in a huff.

    Shi Anyi struggled, as if she had lost all reason, and shouted at Shi Anran, "Shi Anran, you bitch, you set me up, you must have set me up бн" After the voice faded, Shi Anran also withdrew the expression on her face with a cold expression. Her father was so angry this time, so she was afraid that Shi Anyi''s future days wouldn''t be easy either.

    The first was to let him know just how ruthless and merciless he was. To tell him that he was different from the woman in his imagination and let Xiang Rongcheng''s good impression of him fade away. The second reason was to let him know the difficulties and retreat. Unfortunately, she didn''t seem to have expected this, and this only served to strengthen Xiang Rongcheng''s resolve.

    It was already too late, so Xiang Rongcheng stayed in the guest room of Shi Family. Shi Anran did not have any reactions, but since he insisted on making trouble, then let it be!

    heaved a sigh of relief. In his previous life, she had destroyed his looks and he would never have the opportunity to do so again.

    She played with the little fox, and the little fox seemed to like her a lot. It was as if the little fox liked her every time it used its head to rub Shi Anran''s hands, in an attempt to get her hands on it.

    "Miss!" Wang Yuan walked in from the back door.

    Shi Anran nodded her head, laughed lightly, and asked: "Is everything ready?"

    Wang Yuan replied: Those two people took the silver and left with their families. "I also swear that I will never come back бн"

    "Knock, knock, knock бн" A knock on the door was heard by the two, Wang Yuan had already quietly retreated.

    Shi Anran asked softly: "Who?"

    "Anran, it''s me!" Xiang Rongcheng tossed and turned the bed, wanting to walk around, but seeing that the light in her room was still on, he naturally saw the shadow that flashed past her room. Xiang Rongcheng didn''t need to guess what was going on.

    "Young Master Xiang, it''s already very late. Rest for now!" Shi Anran stood behind the door and hesitated for a moment before deciding not to open it.

    There was a door between the two of them, and looking at the beautiful woman''s figure, Xiang Rongcheng felt his heart move. Thinking back to that time when she intentionally revealed a ruthless side to him, instead, she felt even more sorry for her, and then, said softly: "Do you think I would leave because of this matter? Anran, if you are wrong, I will definitely protect you well from today onwards. This kind of thing will definitely not happen again. "

    "Young Master Xiang, have you been following me around today?" This was just a guess. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be so coincidental every time he saved someone, right?

    Xiang Rongcheng denied it and explained, "This time, it was really unexpected. Maybe even the Heavens were helping us so that I could meet you on my way back to the residence and save you."

    Shi Anran did not question his words. With a slight smile, she said, "Thank you for today."

    "How can words of thanks count?" "It''s best if you keep your thanks for now!" With that, Xiang Rongcheng left with a light smile.

    The next day, all the people from the Shi Family were gathered in the courtyard, and during this period, there was even an outsider, Xiang Rongcheng, who was present. Master Shi sat on the chair, looking at Shi Anyi who was being escorted, seemingly waiting for a decision.

    Liu Yue stood behind Shi Anran while holding up an umbrella, and said softly: "Miss, what is the old master waiting for?"

    Shi Anran also discovered that something was amiss. Even if his father wanted to punish him, he should have already done so. After the time it takes to make a cup of tea, a young man dressed like a scholar walked in. He bowed to everyone and said, "Master Shi!"

    Master Shi slightly nodded his head and ordered someone to prepare a chair for him. He then stood up and said, "Today, this old man will punish my own family бн"

 C91

    Shi Anyi''s mouth was stuffed, and she could only shake her head at the third wife, who was so anxious that she looked around, but had no other choice. She could only beg Shi Anran: "Anran, on the account that you and An Yi are sisters, go and plead with your father! In any case, both of you have the blood of the old master in your bodies! How could you bear to see her so severely punished? "

    While she pleaded for others, who would come forward to plead for her? Shi Anran was clearly a victim, but now it seemed that it would be her fault if she did not plead with her father. It was truly ridiculous to the extreme! However, Shi Anran did not express her dissatisfaction at all. She smiled and agreed to it, then walked over and bowed in front of Master Shi: "Father, little sister is still young, if father really wants to punish her, then let daughter be punished along with little sister. As her eldest sister and the patriarch of the backyard, I also have the responsibility to discipline her well."

    Master Shi was satisfied with his eldest daughter''s explanation. Her eldest daughter was still someone who understood everything, if An Yi was also as knowledgeable as Anran, he wouldn''t have used this method. It was just that he had already decided on this matter and no one could change anything. He slowly took a deep breath and put it down, then said lightly: "Anran, you are just too kind. Father will definitely uphold justice for you in this matter!"

    Hearing this, the third wife felt despair. Her originally hopeful eyes instantly dimmed. She could only look at her daughter lovingly.

    Old Master Shi spoke in a deep voice, "The Shi Family Second Miss is unscrupulous, unruly and willful, disrespectful to the eldest sister Anran. First, she plotted and plotted against her, and now, she has been expelled from the Shi Family and will never come back."

    No... Father, how can you treat me like this?

    Hearing that it was actually such a heavy punishment, Shi Anyi struggled with all her might, yet couldn''t break free even after using all of her strength.

    Then Master Shi said, "This scholar is of good character and is a loyal and honest man. Just follow him!" With that, he turned around and left the scene of the farce.

    Shi Anran finally realised that her father actually wanted to marry Shi Anyi off to this poor scholar who came in after he had married her, so she could take her far away. It had to be said that Shi Anran was quite satisfied with such a method of handling things, as there was not even the slightest bit of sympathy in walking past him.

    Unexpectedly, Shi Anyi grabbed her thigh, took out a piece of cloth that was stuffed in his mouth, and was about to open his mouth to bite her. In that critical moment, Xiang Rongcheng raised her leg and kicked her out, causing her to heavily hit the stone steps and lose consciousness.

    "My poor daughter! Why did you hit her? " The third wife was unwilling to let him go and wanted to tear him apart.

    The more miserable Shi Anran saw, the happier and happier he would be. She innocently shrugged her shoulders, and said in a calm voice: "Third Concubine, please clearly see who it is before you attack. Otherwise, if you offend anyone, daddy will not be happy!"

    "You бн" Since the third wife was angry, she didn''t dare to say it. She knew that Shi Anran wasn''t asking for mercy sincerely, and it seemed that it was indeed the case.

    Without waiting for her to mock him, Shi Anran slowly spoke up. "Rather than wasting time here, why don''t you go take a look at that scholar''s son-in-law? After saying those words with a smile that was not a smile, accompanied by the female servant, Shi Anran walked away leisurely.

    The third wife didn''t dare speak, but stared at Shi Anran instead. In her heart, she had already called out Shi Anran''s name and cursed him a few hundred times.

    Xiang Rongcheng looked at her back as he curled the corner of his mouth and revealed a meaningful smile.

    Inside Shi Anran''s courtyard.

    "Young Master Xiang is so comfortable. He stays in my Shi Family all day, aren''t he afraid of rumors?" Shi Anran brewed tea amidst the flowers and said unhurriedly. She slowly raised her eyes to look at the elegant man who was walking closer.

    "Anran is indeed skilled, I wonder if I can get a cup of tea to drink?" Although he said that, Xiang Rongcheng still sat down unceremoniously.

    Shi Anran unhappily rolled her eyes at her. Could this person be more shameless?

    Unexpectedly, Xiang Rongcheng actually said in an especially beatings manner: "Daughter''s house, rolling your eyes is not an elegant action, from today onwards, I think it''s best not to do it, although it doesn''t look like it will.

    "You''re really unlikeable!" His mouth was really annoying.

    Xiang Rongcheng poured himself a cup of tea and drank it. He slowly closed his eyes and savored the aroma of the tea. Anran''s cooking skills were not bad.

    Seeing his expression, Shi Anran could not help but smile. Was there a need for him to exaggerate so much?

    "Squeak, squeak бн" The little fox climbed up Xiang Rongcheng''s leg and onto his shoulder, then obediently squatted on his shoulder.

    Xiang Rongcheng raised an eyebrow at Shi Anran, then grabbed the little fox to rub its ears, and indifferently asked: "Is this little thing naughty to you?"

    "Naturally, she''s not as mischievous as Young Master Xiang!" Shi Anran said snappily, and indifferently turned her gaze away.

    "Haha бн" Xiang Rongcheng laughed helplessly. The current Shi Anran was truly enchanting, her face had a faint blush, and she deliberately avoided his gaze.

    Shi Anran calmed her emotions, she turned and looked at her, her beautiful eyes flowing, "What is it that makes Young Master Xiang so funny?"

    Young Master Xiang, when will Anran be able to say the last word?

    He pursed his lips, his eyes filled with unconcealable tenderness, "Anran, you''ve given me one accident after another. Tell me, how can I stop me from chasing after your determination?"

    She actually asked her about it? Shi Anran was both amused and angry. She only felt that Xiang Rongcheng was unreasonable, and although he had the demeanor of a humble gentleman, people did not like him. Or perhaps бн It was because she didn''t like him.

    Returning to the main topic, Xiang Rongcheng said in a serious tone, "Anran, if you are to return late, send someone to inform me so that I don''t have to worry about what happened last night."

    "How can I not be at ease?" The guards for my Shi Family are not used as decorations, could it be that following Young Master Xiang''s orders, I will not be able to live without you, Anran? "

    "You clearly know that I didn''t mean it this way, but you still want to misunderstand my meaning!" Xiang Rongcheng was afraid that when he was careless, some people would take advantage of him and he would regret it even more.

    Shi Anran did not reply, she looked up at the sun and thought, it''s getting late, why is she still not leaving?

    Xiang Rongcheng was not someone who liked to pester others, he understood that for a woman like Shi Anran, he could not force her too close, or else the consequences would be dire. As he thought about this, he stood up. Her tall and slender figure, which was reflected in the sunlight, became even more handsome, "Anran, I''ll be returning to the residence first. If there''s anything else, you can come find me anytime!"

    "Liu Yue, send Young Master Xiang off." Seeing that he was about to leave, Shi Anran relaxed and opened his lips.

    Liu Yue bowed slightly, "Young Master Xiang, please!"

    The little fox squatted in the flowers and watched as Xiang Rongcheng walked far away before returning to Shi Anran''s embrace. Shi Anran stroked its fur and laughed: "This little guy is really cunning, I only remembered who your master is now." Looking at the little fox, Shi Anran remembered the man who just left and what he had said. The smile in his eyes slowly faded.

 C92

    Coincidentally, Xiang Rongcheng coincidentally met Li Mu on his way back. Seeing that the Third Prince seemed like he was going to look for Shi Anran, Xiang Rongcheng naturally did not allow it to go that smoothly.

    "Young Master Xiang is really early!" Li Mu gave a gentle smile, with a bit of warmth on his face, yet this "so early" seemed to indicate something.

    Xiang Rongcheng bowed in return and said with a smile, "Third Prince isn''t too late either."

    "Miss, this jade pendant must have come from Young Master Xiang!" Liu Yue picked up a jade from the back of the chair, looked at it, and sighed.

    Shi Anran lightly swept a glance over it, and thinking that Xiang Rongcheng had just left, and should not have gone far, she instructed: "Take this opportunity while Young Master Xiang is still far away, quickly send him there."

    Shi Anran would never accept Xiang Rongcheng''s kind intentions, he could not give his the thing she wanted. She was well aware of what the jade pendant represented.

    Liu Yue ran out and saw Xiang Rongcheng board a blue carriage from far away. Before she could stop him, Liu Yue saw him sitting in the carriage. Liu Yue covered her mouth in shock: "It''s Third Prince, did he come to see young miss?" No wonder why she felt that the carriage looked familiar, it was actually the Third Prince''s carriage. However бн Why did the Third Prince leave with the Young Master Xiang?

    Thinking about that, Liu Yue immediately turned around and ran back.

    "Liu Yue, why are you still so rash!" Yi Yue couldn''t help but remind her.

    "I do have something important to report to Miss!" Liu Yue did not even turn her head as she asked while running.

    After Shi Anran heard his explanation, she couldn''t help but find it funny. It seemed like Third Prince could no longer hold it in and wanted to look for her so quickly, but even if he did come, Shi Anran would find an excuse to not see him. She would say it again after he had truly thought it through.

    "Miss, why do you think the Third Prince left?" Liu Yue could not help but ask.

    Hearing this, Shi Anran glanced at her in displeasure, then opened her lips and said, "It''s a big deal."

    Liu Yue pursed her lips together and lowered her head, "Yes, this servant knows my wrongs!"

    Shi Anran shot a glance at her but did not say another word.

    He couldn''t help but think in his heart: I wonder what Xiang Rongcheng would say if he were to stop Third Prince halfway бн

    Shi Anran smiled meaningfully. She was only waiting for Third Prince to look for her again.

    In the carriage, Li Mu poured a cup of tea for Xiang Rongcheng. The latter started to savor it without any trace of politeness, and praised: "The tea is not bad бн" However, compared to the one that Anran had personally soaked in, it was far worse, he said these words silently in his heart.

    Li Mu took a sip of the tea and spoke gently: "Last time, Young Master Xiang saved Anran, which was equivalent to saving me, and has never found the chance to thank him properly.

    "Then I''ll accept it. Moreover, to be able to receive Third Prince''s invitation is truly my great honor!" The two of them exchanged pleasantries.

    pretended not to glance at the name of the restaurant. Unavoidably, he was surprised, Third Prince and Shi Anran had met at the Bright Moon Restaurant, and exchanged places with him. It seemed like Shi Anran was a special existence in the Third Prince''s heart. Thinking about it this way, Xiang Rongcheng felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart, then he walked in, maintaining his composure.

    Seeing that only alcohol was not seen after the meal, Xiang Rongcheng was slightly suspicious, and laughed: "Could it be that Third Prince is not good enough for wine?"

    "Wine can be easy to deal with but it can also be misleading. The best way to do so is not to drink it. What does Young Master Xiang think?" he asked back.

    Young Master Xiang replied with a smile, "How can a man stop drinking? Since today is the Third Prince''s welcome day, why don''t we just get drunk? " After saying this, he called the waiter over for a drink. If he didn''t get drunk, how would he continue with the topic at hand?

    The servant stood at the side in a daze, watching as Xiang Rongcheng continued drinking with Third Prince, the conversation between the two slowly shifting from normal interesting stories to women.

    Xiang Rongcheng looked like he was already three-fifths drunk. Raising his head, he let out a light sigh, "Actually I''m rather envious of Third Prince. I''ve had a rich and beautiful woman by my side my whole life.

    Li Mu had naturally heard about the relationship between Xiang Rongcheng and his. He put down the exquisite wine cup on his fingertips, smiled, and said: "Young Master Xiang has a clever and clever fiancижe, which is indeed enviable!"

    "Haha бн" He laughed lightly and shook his head before speaking slowly, "Even though she is beautiful, I am unable to guess what she is thinking. The way she does things is really hard to understand."

    "Oh? What do you mean by that, Young Master Xiang? " The Third Prince seemed to be interested, waiting for his next words with great interest.

    After muttering to himself for a moment, Xiang Rongcheng then continued to speak: Last night, Anran met with a little person''s flirting, and coincidentally, I saved her just like that, so I wanted to teach her a lesson and let her go, but Anran was able to tell with a single glance that this little person must have received some sort of instruction, and only after ordering the guards to force him to confess did she find out, that this little person really received instructions from someone else. He calmly swept his gaze over Third Prince and continued to speak when he was unmoved: "How can a small girl not be alarmed when handling matters and be certain that I have come under the orders of another? Third Prince thinks that this is the only explanation? "

    "Was that true last night?" Li Mu had a look of surprise, and immediately started to praise Shi Anran. "Looks like Miss Anran is really special, ordinary women wouldn''t have the heart to ask such a despicable person about this matter, they would have already been scared to the point of losing color, Miss Anran''s courage to take a step from this superhuman person is truly admirable!"

    Hearing this, Xiang Rongcheng was shocked, could it be that the proverbs he said was to lift a stone to smash his own foot?

    "I''m afraid the Third Prince doesn''t know yet that the person who instigated this behind the scenes is actually the Second Miss of the Shi Family. This is really incomprehensible!"

    "Their own sisters are also framing us like this, it really makes them ashamed." How could Xiang Rongcheng not understand Shi Anyi''s thoughts, only this kind of unintelligent woman would do such a thing.

    After that, Xiang Rongcheng told his how Shi Anran faked a request to add oil to the fire, but what he did not know was that this made Li Mu even more interested. Thinking back to yesterday afternoon at the Bright Moon Restaurant, Shi Anran''s conversation with him, and thinking back to Xiang Rongcheng''s words, Li Mu became even more interested in Shi Anran. Could this little girl really be his benefactor?

    "Young Master Xiang is also a blessed person. In the future, being able to marry this young miss is a rare opportunity!" With a ''whoosh'', Li Mu opened the fan in his hand and shook it leisurely.

    On the other hand, Xiang Rongcheng was no longer calm, the more he tried, the more he felt that something was not right. As Xiang Rongcheng thought this, he couldn''t help but curse in his heart. He shouldn''t have said these words on an impulse today.

    After watching Xiang Rongcheng leave, Li Mu withdrew the smile on his face. A few complex thoughts flashed across his forehead, how could a weak girl like Shi Anran say those words to him? Was there someone behind her? However, he had tried to investigate, but found nothing.

    If Shi Anran was a friend, then she was a noble. But if she was an enemy, then she was a strong opponent. It seemed that he had to be more cautious of Shi Anran, as long as he could make her her.

 C93

    "Miss, the Third Concubine is coming towards us!" Liu Yue hurriedly ran back and reported the letter before she even had time to catch her breath.

    Shi Anran was originally resting with her eyes closed. After hearing what Yun Che said, she lazily opened her eyes and said, "Let''s see what she actually wants to do." After saying that, he closed his eyes and took a nap.

    "Get out of the way! How dare you block my way?" The third wife''s loud voice could be heard from far away.

    "Third Madam, apart from Master, everyone else in the Young Miss'' courtyard must have the approval of the Young Miss. If the Third Madam insists on barging in, then this servant will have to offend you!" Yi Yue said these words calmly, not putting her in her eyes at all.

    The third wife put on her own airs, thinking to teach Shi Anran a lesson while the old man was out these few days. The two servant girls behind her helped Yi Yue up, one on the left and one on the right, "Are you ignoring what the third wife has said?"

    Hiding behind a tree, Liu Yue nodded towards Yi Yue, signalling that she could let the Third Madam in. Yi Yue took a deep breath and said, "Third Madam, please enter.

    A nap? On the other hand, she was very leisurely, and did not know that her poor daughter was going to be married to that poor scholar. When she thought about how all of this happened because of Shi Anran, Third Concubine was especially unhappy in her heart.

    "Shi Anran, if you have the ability to frame my daughter, how come you don''t have the ability to come out?" The Third Madam was so angry that she did not care about her words and actions. Instead, she started cursing as she walked. It looked as if he wanted to pull Shi Anran out of the situation.

    "Liu Yue, when did my courtyard allow you to yell like a cat or dog?" Shi Anran slowly opened her eyes and shot a ray of cold light. She then said with a smile that was not a smile: "Who do I think it is, it''s actually Third Concubine?" Others would call her Third Madam if they were afraid, but Shi Anran didn''t.

    "Miss, no matter what, I am still your father''s woman and your elder. Is this the tone you use when talking to your elders?" Third Concubine took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in her heart and said while gnashing her teeth.

    Liu Yue picked up the blanket that was scattered on the grass and covered it once again. After pondering for a long time, Shi Anran finally asked each word, "When did our Shi Family become a place for an aunt to stand up and speak? Could it be that due to Lord Father''s absence, even monkeys want to climb up to be masters?"

    When Third Concubine heard this, his entire body trembled in anger. This little bitch.

    Third Concubine snorted coldly. "Don''t think that I don''t know about you framing An Yi. Now that An Yi is going to marry that poor scholar, are you satisfied?"

    "What did Third Concubine say? How could Anran be satisfied? Although the scholar is poor and his looks are not very impressive, but if someone were to marry Shi Anyi, then it would mean that they have received a lot of money from their father. Shi Anran did not want to continue the nonsense with her.

    Shi Anran though in her heart, there was one more layer of consideration, what if Third Concubine was not pregnant? But she had already taken the antidote, and she would never be pregnant again in her life.

    Third Concubine was so angry that she was about to spew smoke, she bit her teeth and laughed, "I will tell Master everything that you have said today, it is true that I cannot do anything to you, but once Master sees your true appearance, will she still care so much about you?"

    Hearing this, Shi Anran burst out in laughter. She held her forehead, and as if she had heard some huge joke, turned her head to look at the maid behind him. "Tell me what you saw today."

    Liu Yue smiled, "Miss, this servant saw Third Concubine bringing a servant girl to Young Miss''s courtyard to cause trouble, and even insulted Young Miss with his words."

    Shi Anran raised her eyebrows in satisfaction and nodded. Then, she smiled as she looked at Third Concubine who had turned pale from anger, and said lazily: "I think Third Concubine still hasn''t figured it out. Daddy should kiss you or this daughter of mine, right? I don''t mind telling Third Concubine, even if I did do something, if you told Daddy, Daddy would think that you were framing me, right? "

    "You бн "You, you, you бн" The third wife pointed at Shi Anran with trembling fingers and couldn''t utter a word for a long time.

    Can an aunt point fingers at a girl?" It''s not like it''s been one or two days since Third Madame came to the Shi Family. You don''t need a single junior to remind you of these rules, right? " After finishing her sentence, Shi Ran took the tea from June and drank it slowly.

    Third Concubine almost could not hold back and erupted, she thought that she could not afford to lose this time completely, and could only suppress herself a little, "Shi Anran, just be proud, let''s see how long you can be proud, there will be a day when you will not have a good ending!"

    "Oh? Then Third Concubine will have to live well, and wait for Anran''s good ending in the future! " Not only was Shi Anran not angry from her anger, she was even happier.

    After she unhappily dispersed, Shi Anran thought of Third Concubine''s pale face when she left and could not help but smile leisurely. She asked: "Where is Shi Anyi currently locked up?"

    Yi Yue bent over and answered, "Previously, when she was locked up in the woodshed, Master was so busy that he did not let her out.

    "In other words, Shi Anyi''s days are pretty good?" Shi Anran said with a smile that was not a smile, and continued: "Let''s go take a look!"

    Originally, he did not think that with Shi Anyi''s situation, the disturbance in the Third Concubine would allow Shi Anran''s free time to pass.

    In the afternoon, when Shi Anran and her group were heading over, they coincidentally met the servant girl beside Third Concubine who was hurriedly leaving. Liu Yue called out to her: "Stop, why are you running when you see big miss?"

    "This servant greets Eldest Miss." The servant girl bowed, lowering her head, not daring to look at her.

    Liu Yue asked softly: "Did you do something shameful? What are you sneaking here for? " From the looks of it, they were here to give Shi Anyi food.

    The servant girl was so scared that her shoulders started to tremble. "Your servant бн" This servant just happened to pass by! "

    "Forget it, you can leave now. Don''t let me know that there''s a second time." After Shi Anran spoke, the servant girl ran off after thanking him.

    "Open the door!"

    The two old wives guarding the door looked at each other, then replied: "Eldest Miss, please don''t make things difficult for this servant, this old master had instructed that no one is to visit Second Miss!"

    Yi Yue shouted coldly: "Do you want us to explain what happened just now to old master? What benefits did the Third Concubine give you to not listen to Eldest Miss''s words? "

    Hearing this, the two old wives trembled in fear. "This servant was wrong. Eldest Miss, please."

    Hearing the sound of the door opening, Shi Anyi ran over quickly. When she saw that it was Shi Anran, he immediately bared her fangs and clawed at her: "You bitch, you actually framed me, you''re the one who framed me бн"

    "Clap clap!" Shi Anran took the handkerchief that Liu Yue passed over and wiped her hands, then casually threw it away as if she had met something dirty, and said indifferently: "I''m afraid that you didn''t figure out something. If it wasn''t for your methods, I wouldn''t even have wasted my time.

 C94

    Shi Anyi covered her flushed face, looked at Shi Anran with hatred, and said angrily: "Shi Anran! I want to curse you, curse you that you will not die a peaceful death, even if you die you will not be able to reincarnate! "

    "Pah!" Looking at the bloodstain on the corner of Shi Anyi''s mouth, Shi Anran smiled and said slowly, "I''m afraid you won''t see that day again. Shi Anyi, do you think that your life here is too carefree? Someone sent bedding, clothes, and food? If I had really guarded this place a little tighter and ended all these things, would you have been able to continue living in peace? "

    "You wicked woman!" Shi Anyi was afraid that she would get beaten up again, hence she could only grind her teeth and spit out a few words. She did not dare say anymore, and did not dare to forcefully rush forward.

    "Don''t blame anyone, because your current path was created by you and that Third Concubine who indulged you. If you want to blame someone, you can only blame yourself and your mother, but you can''t blame me!" After she finished speaking, Shi Anran did not linger, and immediately turned and left.

    Shi Anran lightly swept a glance over them, opened her mouth and said: "Go and exchange for a few robust guards to guard, the two of you can go take your punishments!"

    "Thank you, young miss бн" The two women secretly let out a sigh of relief before running off gloomily.

    On the day of Shi Anyi''s marriage, the Shi Clan didn''t even dare to let her walk out the front door. After all, they were married to a poor scholar, so there was nothing to brag about them.

    Third Concubine cried continuously for a few days but to no avail, she could only accept her fate.

    Shi Anran watched coldly from the side. It would be impossible to say that she did not have a trace of compassion. However, in her heart, she was mostly admonishing herself. If she hadn''t done it so ruthlessly, she was afraid that she would be the one to end up with such a disgraced person in the future.

    In order to avoid the same fate as in her previous life, she could only harden her heart.

    On this day, Shi Yu called Shi Anran into his study, and said with a stern expression: "Anran, from today onwards, everything in the entire Shi Family will be handed over to you.

    And it was also true that Shi Anyi was no longer the daughter of Shi Family. Even though Shi Anran had a brother, she didn''t have much of a difference and the entire Shi Family could only rely on Shi Anran in the future. She did not decline either.

    "Mm, that''s good!" Master Shi looked at his eldest daughter in satisfaction. The more he looked at her, the more he felt that she was very similar to his wife. A trace of nostalgia and yearning gradually appeared in his eyes.

    During the next two months, Shi Anran passed by relatively calmly, learning to manage accounts and manage small businesses within the family. The third wife did not come to cause trouble again. Without Shi Anyi by her side, the Third Madam looked like she had aged a dozen years in an instant. However, most of the people here were picky people who didn''t care about her, and no one would sympathize with her.

    "Miss has already watched for a long time. Why don''t we go swim in the lake as well?" Seeing that Shi Anran rarely came out of the East Mist Lake and yet only stared at the lake water without saying a word, Liu Yue thought that she had this plan.

    Shi Anran shook her head and said: "It''s already the third month." The palace talent show was about to begin. She had to find a way to enter the palace.

    Looking up at the willow tree, Liu Yue laughed, "Young miss, look, this willow tree has blossomed!"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran looked over curiously. The blossoming of willow trees was indeed a bit strange, but she did not know whether this was a good omen or not.

    "I have never heard of a willow blooming before, but Anran has a calm expression, it''s truly rare." Following this voice, Xiang Rongcheng, who was dressed in crescent white embroidered robes, only had not seen him for two months, and he had actually become more and more handsome.

    As though she had been shocked by his previous thoughts, Shi Anran immediately stopped thinking about it. She glanced at him with a calm expression: "Young Master Xiang seems to be very bored everyday?"

    "I wanted to come here to have a look, maybe I might be able to meet a beautiful woman to accompany me, but I didn''t expect to meet you, Anran! This is fated. " Xiang Rongcheng walked over with a smile, and kept the fan with a ''whoosh'' sound.

    His smile and action carried the aura of a noble young master, furthermore, Xiang Rongcheng''s face was incomparably handsome, it immediately attracted many women''s gazes, and they even had the guts to ask which family''s young master it was.

    Xiang Rongcheng did not like being looked at so naked, so he extended his arm and wrapped it around Shi Anran''s shoulder, and gently said: "My wife, let''s go somewhere else!"

    The handsome young master was actually married? Seeing that Shi Anran did not comb her hair, some of the women started to size her up, but they were all stared at back by Yi Yue.

    "You don''t understand бн" As he said that, Shi Anran''s face could not help but turn red, as he anxiously tried to struggle free from Xiang Rongcheng''s restraints.

    Shi Anran actually blushed? Xiang Rongcheng looked like he had seen something strange and was nearly struck dumb.

    When they reached a place with no one around, Shi Anran was finally able to let go of his hand and unhappily said: "Don''t say that you and I have nothing to do with each other, even if there is, Young Master Xiang can''t be so disrespectful to a weak girl like me in broad daylight, right? If this gets out, how can Anran still get married in the future? "

    "That''s easy, why don''t I marry you?" Xiang Rongcheng felt that Shi Anran was being too persistent, so he smiled and said: "Isn''t your second sister already married? As the eldest sister, you''re still alone, don''t you think it''s time to consider our marriage?"

    "Xiang Rongcheng!" This was the first time Shi Anran had called out his name, but she used a displeased tone as she said, "Do you know that it''s not a gentleman to pester and pester like this?"

    If he were a little more noble, then his wife would have been taken away!

    Xiang Rongcheng coughed lightly as he covered his lips. With a dazzling smile, he said, "In front of Anran, I can put down any kind demeanor I have."

    Shi Anran clenched her teeth, and was once again at a loss for words, as though every time she was with this man, she would feel a sense of speechlessness, "Forget it, it''s really incomprehensible!"

    "Don''t be angry! Am I wrong? " Xiang Rongcheng kept up with her footsteps and asked.

    Liu Yue and Yi Yue looked at each other, and Liu Yue laughed lightly: "Do you think that Young Master Xiang treats the little miss in a very special manner?"

    Yi Yue rolled her eyes at her in annoyance, "You talkative fool, be careful that Miss will also lock you up in the woodshed. If you stop eating and drinking, you will suffer for a few days!"

    Knowing that it was a joke, Liu Yue smiled at her and did not say anymore.

    Looking at the boat on the lake surface, Xiang Rongcheng thought: If I can swim with Shi Anran, it should be good бн Thinking about this, Xiang Rongcheng looked to the side and asked: "Anran, how about we go for a swim in the lake?"

    Shi Anran rejected indifferently: "If Young Master Xiang wants to swim the lake, there are many beauties that would like to accompany you. Anran will not disturb Young Master Xiang!"

    "Could it be that Anran is jealous?" Xiang Rongcheng laughed out softly.

    What do you mean? Anran did not understand Young Master Xiang''s words, and took his leave! Shi Anran didn''t spare him another glance as she left in large strides.

    Xiang Rongcheng laughed and shook his head, which part of him was not liked? Shi Anran had the urge to run far away when she saw him.

    Liu Yue turned around and looked at Xiang Rongcheng who was standing still in his original spot, and warned his worriedly: "Miss, Young Master Xiang is still there!"

    "Let him like it. Let''s go!" Shi Anran was a little angry, but she could not figure out where that complicated feeling in her heart came from.

 C95

    The matter of the talent show had already begun, and Shi Anran was a little nervous in her heart. But after thinking about it, if she were to bring it up, Shi Yu might not even nod her head in agreement. She could only wait until the Imperial Palace came to deliver the news first.

    Shi Anran had nothing to do today, so she told Shi Yu that she would be going to the temple to burn incense and worship Buddha.

    It was still early in the morning, and the fog in the mountain had already retreated, leaving behind some sparkling dew. Even so, there were already quite a few people who came to burn incense and worship Buddha.

    Shi Anran''s palanquin could only stop at the foot of the mountain. The stone steps leading to the Han Mountain Temple had more than a thousand levels, so a person would need to quickly take a detour around the mountain and take a carriage.

    Today, Shi Anran brought Lian Xing out, it was obvious that Lian Xing had never been to this kind of place before. She raised her head to look at the endless stone steps, swallowed her saliva and said, "Miss, do you really want to go up?" It would take at least four hours to get there. How could it be more convenient than sitting in a palanquin?

    Shi Anran kowtowed three times at the foot of the mountain, and with a sincere expression on her face, she asked, "If you''re not pious to Buddha, then why did you come to Hanshan Temple?"

    Lian Xing understood and nodded, then said sternly: "I wish to pray for Madam as well!"

    "It''s spring rain, many passers-by бн"

    "What a great phrase бн" The voice was very gentle.

    Shi Anran did not seem to have expected that Third Prince would also come, and was about to turn around and bow when she heard Li Mu say, "There''s no need to be so courteous outside!"

    "Yes бн" Shi Anran did not hesitate and agreed softly.

    Li Mu looked at the basket that Lian Xing was carrying, and smilingly said, "Does Anran want to enjoy the incense too?"

    "Anran came here to pray for mother''s blessings, it was a coincidence that we met Third Prince together, it was Anran''s fortune!" Shi Anran smiled charmingly.

    Coincidence? Li Mu did not say anything, he raised his hand and gestured, "If that''s the case, then let''s go up together!"

    Shi Anran nodded her head in agreement, who knew that before even walking half the distance, a misty spring rain would fall down from the mountain, Li Mu stood under the lush ancient trees, staring at the red silk cloth, in a daze, as though she did not understand what it was.

    Shi Anran received the red oil umbrella from Lian Xing and walked over slowly. However, she placed the umbrella on him instead. Third Prince''s tall stature also made it difficult for Shi Anran to move the umbrella.

    Li Mu turned around and saw the petite girl in front of him. On her beautiful face were a pair of eyes that could captivate souls, staring straight at him.

    "Let me do it!" Unexpectedly, Li Mu had covered her umbrella hand.

    Feeling the faint warmth that came from those thick and broad palms, Shi Anran was surprised for a moment. Was such warmth really what she wanted in the future?

    Li Mu stood by her side while holding up the umbrella, Shi Anran saw that he was curious about the ancient tree in front of them, and said: "Third Prince, this is a marriage tree that begs for marriage."

    "Marriage Tree?" Li Mu muttered these three words indifferently.

    At this moment, little Shamei walked over: "Are the two benefactors begging for marriage?"

    Hearing this, Shi Anran''s beautiful face flushed a little. Although she intentionally looked to the side to avoid Li Mu''s gaze, it was still clear to him. Li Mu could not tell what kind of feeling Li Mu had, but he felt that this was a woman with means, and it would not be bad if he stayed by his side. Immediately, he agreed to Little Shamei''s words and said with a nod: "Indeed!"

    Two pieces of red silk were given to the two of them respectively. When Shi Anran finished writing, he inadvertently glanced at Li Mu with a gentle and shallow smile. I wonder if I''ve found such a person? "

    "Never бн" Facing Third Prince''s burning hot gaze, Shi Anran pretended to be shy and lowered her eyes, she did not ask Third Prince what he had written. If she pushed it too hard, it would backfire.

    reached out his hand. "Anran, if you don''t mind, why don''t you help me walk on!"

    Shi Anran stared at his hand for a good while. Then, she took it and said: "In that case, Anran thanks Third Prince a lot!"

    After walking and stopping, they met Buddha. The two of them ate some food in the small pavilion and arrived at Han Mountain Temple four hours later. It was actually much later than he had expected.

    Shi Anran looked up at the Great Buddha in front of him who was kowtowing sincerely, she lit a incense and said to herself: Please protect my daughter, everything goes smoothly!

    "Miss, what did you draw?" Lian Xing asked curiously.

    Shi Anran opened it and smiled, "Sign it..." Hopefully, Li Mu will be her signature!

    The old monk undid the lot and stroked his white beard. He looked at her seriously and said, "This lady''s lot is really lucky. The unhappiness from the new year will also disappear with the rich.

    What was this old monk doing?

    Lian Xing did not really understand. Young miss was already rich now, it was said that Han Shan Temple''s signing was very good, now it seemed that all of the rumors were not believable!

    Shi Anran donated some incense money, thanked the old monk, and then slowly walked away. From afar, she saw Li Mu at the entrance of the temple, was he waiting for him?

    Shi Anran thought for a moment, then went up to welcome him, and said happily, "Third Prince, Anran asked for your signature just now."

    "Oh? But to sign on? " Seeing the smile on her face, Li Mu guessed boldly.

    Hearing that, Shi Anran nodded her head and smiled: "Then Master said, Anran will have the help of a noble this year, Third Prince, do you know who the noble person is?"

    A smile appeared on Li Mu''s face, it was filled with warmth and gentleness: "I am looking for my benefactor, but unfortunately, she has never appeared."

    It was unknown what was on Li Mu''s mind. On the way down the mountain, the two were very silent.

    "Third Prince still remembers that you accepted one of Anran''s conditions during the Lantern Festival?" Her words broke the silence.

    Li Mu retracted his deep and profound gaze, and looked at her seriously. His gentle voice sounded a little cold and clear: "What do you want?"

    "Father wanted Anran to take care of the family''s business, but this was not what Anran wanted. Now, I want to request for Third Prince''s help, so that Anran can enter the palace to become my Consort Candidate!"

    Hearing this, Li Mu looked at the woman in front of him with a slightly astonished expression. To a family like Shi Anran, inheriting a family business was much better than entering the palace.

    He slowly took in a deep breath and put it down, then looked at Shi Anran and said seriously: "The life in the palace is not as simple as you think. Anran is so smart, there''s no need for me to remind you about it, right? Do you understand what I mean? "

    "Anran understands, but that is fate. Anran is not willing to follow the arrangements of fate."

    Li Mu said somewhat helplessly, "Sometimes, a person''s fate is already decided. Doing too much won''t change anything."

    Shi Ran didn''t think much of it. Her eyes were determined as she said seriously, "Your Highness has heard of a saying: ''My life is mine and not the heavens''!" As long as it''s something I want, I will definitely get a reward for my hard work. What I lack is only an opportunity, a chance, a time, a place, a person and бн If Your Highness does not work hard, how will you know that you cannot escape this fate?

 C96

    After not seeing her for two months, Shi Anran''s tone of voice had also changed a little. At the very least, it had become a little more mature than before. Li Mu''s opinion of her had already changed, but she was right. Those things could only be changed if she made a move on them herself, no one would give away their wealth for nothing.

    Thinking up to here, Li Mu immediately coughed lightly. There was an unfathomable color to his eyes, his thin lips formed a warm curve, and he said softly: "Perhaps what you said is correct бн"

    "Then, Third Prince''s meaning is бн "Did you agree to it?"

    If she said that, how could he deny it?

    Li Mu laughed helplessly, he was not angry because she had made such a small move, but instead found it interesting, "Fine, I promise to help you this time, but Anran, have you thought about how to thank me?"

    Hearing this, Shi Anran smiled, the boulder in her heart felt as though it was as easy as landing on the ground, "I will follow Third Prince''s arrangements!"

    Li Mu did not say much, as the time was not right. Seeing Shi Anran''s smile, the complicated feelings in Li Mu''s heart seemed to have left as well.

    "It''s getting late. Let''s go down the mountain first." The profoundness in Li Mu''s eyes dimmed, and what replaced it was only a faint warmth and gentleness.

    On the way back, sshe sat in the palanquin. As soon as Shi Anran lifted the curtain, he could see Li Mu, and coincidentally met his gaze. Shi Anran asked softly: "Just now, under the Marriage Tree, what wish did Third Prince have?"

    "You don''t know?"

    "Hmm?" Shi Anran was confused by his question. What did it mean? Should she know? She wasn''t a worm in his stomach.

    Li Mu smiled lightly and asked again: "You really don''t know?"

    Shi Anran really didn''t understand what he meant, and looked at his handsome face with unparalleled suspicion: "Forgive Anran for being stupid, but I don''t understand what Third Prince means!"

    "Whatever. Since you don''t understand, then don''t think about it. You''ll know in the future бн"

    Actually, Shi Anran was also a bit curious, what would Li Mu write? However, from the looks of it, Li Mu would not tell her.

    "Anran..." Reaching the fork, Li Mu suddenly called out to her, and then walked out of the palanquin and walked over to her.

    Shi Anran lifted the curtain and looked at him with a gaze full of gentleness. She thought about what Li Mu had done in her previous life, but she could not tell if his gentleness was real or fake.

    "I think I know who my benefactor is. I''ll meet you at the Bright Moon Tower tomorrow afternoon. I have something to say to you."

    Anran also had something she wanted to tell Third Prince. The two of them agreed to part ways here.

    The next day, Liu Yue was sweeping around the desk when she found a few books. She asked in surprise: "Miss, are these all military books that you have read?"

    Shi Anran laughed disapprovingly, the woman knew about the art of war but had never heard of it before, yet she wanted to try it out. There were some things that she had never tried before, so how could she know that she was incapable? She put down her pen and said softly, "When I''ve taken these out, I''ll order them together and make them into a book."

    "Yes бн" Liu Yue did not disturb her and continued copying, then silently retreated.

    He took a look at the sky and saw that Shi Anran had changed into a green muslin dress. Her pale makeup looked as if it didn''t have any makeup on, and her lips were red instead.

    Bright Moon Tower бн At the place where she met the Third Prince, she saw Xiang Rongcheng coming from another direction. At this moment, he was wearing a royal blue robe and riding a white horse. He looked down on her with eyes that seemed to be mocking her. Shi Anran was about to say something, but Xiang Rongcheng turned his horse around and rode away without saying a word.

    The horse galloped all the way until it finally stopped in the middle of a small forest. Xiang Rongcheng angrily punched the tree, not caring that his hand was already dripping with blood. As expected, Shi Anran still came to see him бн

    Shi Anran had come early for a few hours, but she did not expect that Third Prince would already be waiting there.

    "I came early." Li Mu said with a humble smile.

    "Third Prince seems to be exceptionally thrifty." Compared to the other princes, Li Mu was indeed more low-key. Which prince didn''t wear gold and jade, only his embroidered robe and sleeves were light, he looked like he didn''t care about anything?

    Li Mu slightly raised his brows, then said gently: "A person''s appearance and heart needs to be disguised, Anran only saw my surface."

    "Then that''s just a coincidence, what Third Prince sees is only Anran''s surface."

    "Anran, the matter that you entrusted to me that day has been completed, the Consort Candidate''s namelist will probably be distributed to the palace in a few days, you need to prepare."

    Shi Anran seemed to have already known about this, but she did not reveal much of an expression on her face. Instead, she gave an extremely calm and collected nod her head as she said her thanks, "Many thanks Third Prince for your help. It seems like Anran''s benefactor should be Third Prince without a doubt!"

    "This trip to the deep palace is not something you can choose. Anran, you still have a chance to regret it." Not knowing why, Li Mu instinctively felt that not letting her enter the palace would be harming her. That place was a huge cage, and people ate people without spitting out their bones. However, he didn''t understand. Why would there still be people willing to be imprisoned?

    "What does Third Prince have to say about regret? Anran will definitely walk a path for herself, and be as fearless and fearless as the Third Prince. " There was a rare touch of gentleness in her voice.

    Li Mu usually did not like drinking alcohol, so he could not help but drink a few more cups in front of her. After that, he slowly took a breath and gently put it down, "Sometimes a choice that one does not have to make is also a choice one can make бн"

    "A man''s thoughts are meticulous, but sometimes it is not as meticulous as a woman''s. If Third Prince trusts Anran, Anran is willing to stay by Third Prince''s side to help you!" Shi Anran''s gentle voice revealed her intentions. This was also the reason why she came today, as every single place that she entered the palace required his help, and she could only rely on him to perhaps be safer.

    She was indeed a bold woman. Wasn''t he afraid that he would kill her and silence her?

    As he thought about it, Li Mu''s eyes revealed traces of admiration. She drained the cup of wine in one gulp, opened her lips with a warm smile, and said, "Very good бн I admire Anran for being so bold, but she is far braver than a real man! "

    Hearing that, Shi Anran knew that she had succeeded, so she immediately stood up and bowed, lowering her beautiful eyes and smiling: "Then Anran will first thank Third Prince for your acknowledgement."

    "With your help, what do you want?" he asked softly, as if they were not conspiring against each other, but talking about old times.

    Under the gaze of many people, Shi Anran''s lips faintly curved upwards: "A woman''s life is filled with the love of a husband and the laughter of their children, what else can they ask for?"

    "Is that all?" As the young miss of a noble family, if Shi Anran wanted to marry someone, what good man would she do? Li Mu could not help but think, what exactly did she want to obtain?

    His intuition was an answer that would even shock him. If a woman like Shi Anran wanted it to be too ordinary, it would only surprise him even more.

    Shi Anran poured a full cup of wine for him, "In the future, Anran will toast the first goblet of wine to Third Prince. In the future, Anran will be able to successfully complete the second goblet of wine to Third Prince.

 C97

    Shi Anran had toasted Li Mu three cups of wine in a row, and these few simple sentences already expressed his intentions.

    In the midst of his silence, Li Mu''s pair of deep eyes gazed at her. He naturally knew that this wasn''t a joke, so when he was on guard against Shi Anran, he also took her words into consideration.

    In the end, Li Mu raised his wine cup to toast her. His breathing was a little heavy, and his thin lips slightly opened: "Listening to Anran''s words actually surpassed ten years of hard reading!"

    Immediately after, Shi Anran''s smile was lifted slightly, and a trace of gentleness appeared on her face. The hair on her forehead was gently fluttering in the breeze, and her lips were slightly parted: "If there comes a day when Third Prince can soar to the skies, Anran only wants to be around the Monarch."

    How could Li Mu not understand what she meant when he heard her? Although he did not dare believe that a girl could be that good, but since she was a noble, staying by his side was fine, and then бн Maybe she really did fit in that spot.

    Thinking about it this way, the gloominess in Li Mu''s heart disappeared like smoke into thin air, and he said with a gentle yet serious tone: "If I become a king in the future, I will definitely grant you my blessing, is that alright?"

    It was enough for smart people to reveal their secrets, and both sides were well aware of each other. There was no need for too much speculation or doubt. Once he said it, he would not be able to keep up with it.

    These words were exactly what Shi Anran wanted to hear. She pursed her lips into a smile, raised her wine cup, and said in a carefree manner: "Anran will definitely remember what Third Prince said today."

    "After obtaining the list for the Consort Candidate, there will be a senior servant from the palace who will come to teach you etiquette. I will begin the ceremony in advance, be careful and listen to the arrangements, don''t cause unnecessary trouble." Li Mu''s handsome face carried a light smile, but the meaning in his eyes weren''t clear.

    Three days later.

    After looking around for a while, Shi Anran felt that the atmosphere was not right. The entire Shi Family was solemn and oppressive, as if it had never been there before. Shi Anran''s gaze swept across Lian Xing, and asked: "What happened?"

    Lian Xing lowered her eyes: "Reporting to Miss, after Master told Miss to return to the residence, she immediately went to the study room. The servants did not know what happened."

    "Yo бн" "This lady went out early in the morning. Some people might think that she went to meet someone!" Now that the third wife had nothing left to offer, she would naturally not let go of an opportunity to hurt her.

    Liu Yue replied unhappily: Young miss is just walking around in a hurry, Third Concubine shouldn''t open your mouth to slander others.

    "You servant girl, how dare you talk back to your master!" Third Concubine raised her chin. Recently, without Shi Anyi as a burden, she had been through a lot, but Shi Yu had just given her some expensive brocade clothes recently, which allowed her to straighten her back.

    Shi Anran lightly glanced at it, and said in a neutral tone: "Liu Yue''s words are indeed mine, is there any other problem with Third Concubine? If there''s nothing else, Anran will be going to the study room first. "

    "Hmph бн" The moment Master came back from court, his face looked odd. He said that he wanted to meet the big miss, could it be that the big lady has offended Master? " Third Wife said sharply.

    After she finished speaking, she was met with a cold glare from Shi Anran.

    Shi Anran was naturally aware of what had happened today. Not only did she know about it, she also knew that Shi Yu was definitely extremely unhappy. She calmed herself and walked towards the study room, lightly knocking on the door: "Daddy, it''s my daughter."

    "Come in." Shi Yu''s voice sounded very tired, and it was also the only one who looked likehe wanted to keep her daughter, the successor of Shi Family, as she was about to enter the palace to become the Consort Candidate, how could she not make him sad?

    Shi Anran blessed her body and asked softly: "Does father have anything to do with finding my daughter?"

    Master Shi took a deep breath, as if he was trying to figure out how to start the conversation. After a long while, he said slowly, "Father heard that the palace is starting to select a Consort Candidate бн"

    "Daddy, could it be that daughter бн" Shi Anran had already guessed it already, but she intentionally did not say the next half of the sentence.

    Hearing this, Master Shi shook his head helplessly. "Father originally wanted to let you manage the family business, but it''s difficult to disobey the imperial decree. What should we do if we enter the palace?"

    Shi Anran only pretended to be very surprised and only reacted after a long while: "Daddy, you mean that my daughter is now in the Consort Candidate''s namelist?"

    "Sigh бн" I think that this time, even Father can''t do anything as you have to prepare for the arrival of the ceremonial nanny in the womb. " He shook his head again and sighed.

    Shi Anran smiled and replied, "Father, daughter understands."

    Shi Anran let out a light breath, and when she opened the door to the study, she saw that the third wife had immediately retracted her neck, and let out a light cough, as if she had just passed by. However, she couldn''t hide the pleased look in her eyes, and thought to herself: This slut is about to enter the palace to become a Consort Candidate.

    However, Shi Anran didn''t even look at her. She was determined to get the Phoenix position, and this Shi Family wouldn''t fall into the hands of an outsider.

    "Miss, did something happen?" Liu Yue saw that her emotions were calm, but the calmer she became, the more it meant that something bad was happening.

    Shi Anran stood under the weeping willow in the backyard, her sleeves gently swaying against the wind. Her white and tender chin was slightly tilted upwards, and her pair of eyes faintly contained a hint of anticipation. She smiled meaningfully: "Yi Yue, I''m afraid that I''m going to enter the palace soon. Pay more attention to whatever is happening in the Shi Family from now on."

    Hearing that, the two of them were startled, Liu Yue could not hold back her words, and asked: "Could it be that Miss wants to enter the palace to become Consort Candidate?"

    "Yeah." She faintly spat out two words.

    Young miss, how can you not have someone by your side? Young miss, bring this servant and Yi Yue along!

    This was exactly what Yi Yue wanted to say, and the two of them stared straight at her.

    Shi Anran normally read a lot of books, not just anyone could be a maid in the palace, even the selected Consort Candidate s could not secretly bring their servant girls out. She could only smile helplessly: "The palace will naturally have its own etiquette, if all of you follow me, then who will watch over the palace for me?"

    "Miss is right, I was inconsiderate!" Although Liu Yue was a little disappointed, she knew that she had to consider the big picture. She had to guard the Shi Family for the young miss, and could not let anyone take advantage of her.

    The master and servants talked for a while, but it was only noon when the ceremonial mama of the imperial palace arrived. Shi Anran courteously welcomed her with a blessing, "Anran pays her respects to the mama!"

    "Mm бн" Chen mama nodded her head in satisfaction, thinking that this big miss Shi Family was actually quite obedient, and immediately said with a touch of gentleness: "In the next few days, this old servant will teach big miss about palace etiquette, speech and manners."

    Shi Anran smiled and nodded, "If that''s the case, I''ll have to trouble Senior Sister to take care of it. Anran will definitely study hard."

    Chen mama lightly replied, "That''s good. This old servant has been to many of Miss Guan''s homes these days. Miss Shi Family is the most courteous of them all. After entering the palace, I will definitely speak up for Miss on her behalf."

    "Anran thanks Senior Sister first бн"

    Liu Yue pursed her lips. Their young miss was naturally gentle and demure, although entering the palace was good, it was not as free as being within her own clan. She felt it was a pity when she heard that the emperor was already in his forties and the young miss was still in her prime.

 C98

    "Eldest Miss is serious, this old servant is very pleased." Originally, it should have taken him a few days to learn all of the etiquette, but Shi Anran only used half a day.

    Shi Anran smiled politely, "It''s all thanks to the mama who taught you well."

    At this time, the Third Madam was walking towards the garden with her head held high, looking at Shi Anran with a smile that was not a smile. "My lady, you will become my concubine in the future, you need to learn well."

    "Not all Consort Candidate entering the palace will be favored by the emperor. There are also some young masters who won''t be able to see the emperor once they leave the palace. They''ll have to rely on their own efforts."

    "Aiya!" The Third Madam looked like she was shocked as she covered her mouth and looked at Shi Anran sympathetically, "Isn''t it miserable like that? Young lady, you must work hard. After all, opportunities do not exist for everyone! "

    Chen mama glanced at Third Concubine, her heart already had a guess as to her identity, but she still purposefully said, "Where did this rude woman come from, leave!"

    "You are only a servant, don''t speak so arrogantly." When the Third Madam heard the words "unreasonable woman", she was angered at first, but then she shook her head proudly. The Old Master had promised that she would rule from now on, so what could Shi Anran count as?

    "Even if I am a servant, I am still a servant that you can''t afford to offend!" Even the grasshoppers in front of the Emperor would be fiercer than others. " Chen mama pointed out.

    Third Concubine couldn''t find any words to refute him.

    "Momo, don''t be angry." Shi Anran glanced at the Third Madam. Although she was happy to see that she had been humiliated, if Chen mama''s impression of her was not good, then it would not be worth it. Shi Anran quickly stopped her, "Third Concubine isn''t going to apologize to Chen mama?"

    Third Madam raised her head and puffed out her chest as if she did not care and asked, "What did I do wrong?"

    "Forget it. A concubine is still a concubine. I can''t compare to the main character of a concubine." What Chen mama meant was that Third Concubine was just a concubine, she couldn''t compare to Shi Anran at all. On one hand, he praised Shi Anran for understanding the general situation, and after getting a good impression from him, he heaved a sigh of relief.

    After they left on bad terms, the third wife cursed under her breath and left. In any case, she would have plenty of opportunities to kill this little bitch in the future. She would be the first to act arrogantly!

    "Brother, have you heard? Shi Anran is going to enter the palace to become a Consort Candidate!" When Xiang Rongqing heard this news, she was extremely happy, and immediately ran over to Xiang Rongcheng''s room to tell her brother.

    The Consort Candidate''s name was already on the list, how could he not know? Xiang Rongcheng glanced at her indifferently, then said: "Go back to your room." After saying that, he opened the door and left.

    "Big brother, big brother, wait for me бн" Xiang Rongqing chased for a long time before finally seeing Xiang Rongcheng riding on his steed and galloping away.

    Xiang Rongqing looked at her back and sneered in her heart: "Big brother must have gone to look for Shi Anran. What''s so good about this woman? She already wants to become a Consort Candidate herself, yet now she''s still seizing big brother and isn''t willing to let go бн"

    When Xiang Rongcheng had just arrived outside the Shi Family door, he just happened to pass by Chen mama''s carriage. Shi Anran, who was standing at the door, came forward to send his off, but when their eyes met he looked away coldly: "Liu Yue, don''t look, let''s go in."

    Liu Yue replied and thought: Young Master Xiang probably heard the news too when he came this time.

    "Shi Anran..." Xiang Rongcheng called her by name immediately.

    Shi Anran stood still and indicated for Liu Yue to return to her residence first. She turned around and walked out for a while before her lips opened and she said, "Is the young master of the Xiang Family here to congratulate Anran?"

    "Shi Anran, you are really heartless." Xiang Rongcheng cursed angrily. With that, he grabbed her belt with one hand and mounted the horse and left.

    The horse kept on running until it reached an empty forest. Shi Anran did not struggle at all and only allowed himself to be hugged calmly.

    Xiang Rongcheng helped her off the horse, and his emotions also gradually relaxed a little as he ran. He took a deep breath and slowly let it go, asking with uncertainty, "Why do you want to become a Consort Candidate?"

    "It''s a register that came from the palace. Anran doesn''t have a choice бн"

    "Is that right? "Miss Shi is so intelligent, I don''t believe that you can''t even refuse such a thing, unless you want to!" Xiang Rongcheng looked deeply into her eyes, with a bit of ridicule in his gaze.

    Shi Anran smiled, "Young Master Xiang has overestimated Anran. Anran is just a small girl, how could she have that kind of ability?"

    "Heh бн" After a sneer that was no longer gentle, Xiang Rongcheng continued to speak, "I am not overestimating you. Furthermore, I have underestimated you and your ambition from the very beginning."

    "Thank you, Young Master Xiang, for your praise!"

    "Did I praise you?"

    Shi Anran smiled lightly: "Young Master Xiang has never praised me before?"

    Xiang Rongcheng looked at her with a smile that was not a smile.

    "If there''s nothing else, then Anran will be going back."

    Hearing this, he raised his eyebrows, the corner of his mouth slightly raised, but there was no trace of a smile in his eyes: "Alright, you can do whatever you want!"

    Looking at the green mountains and water around him, Shi Anran secretly pursed her lips and glanced at the surroundings: "Young Master Xiang, do you think it''s fun to tease a little girl like this?"

    "My little girl? Based on Anran''s clever methods, I might have to bow in front of Anran in a few days! " Xiang Rongcheng sarcastically said.

    "You don''t need to say anything more than that. Anran will take her leave." Shi Anran was unwilling to speak any further with him, since he did not want to send him off, as long as she walked out of the forest, she would definitely run into him.

    Shi Anran walked at the front, and followed closely behind while leading the horse. Inwardly, he was blaming her for being heartless, but at the same time, he was also worried. This woman! Would she not even say a good word to him? If that was the case, then let''s see how long the stalemate between them would last.

    No matter if it was talking or walking, they all had a different kind of grace and poise than a girl from a famous clan. This was the first time Xiang Rongcheng had looked at her so carefully.

    Maybe because she was tired, Shi Anran found a clean rock and sat down on it, admiring the beautiful scenery in front of him. Not only did she not look depressed, she even felt relaxed. She naturally knew that Xiang Rongcheng was behind her, and also knew that he was waiting for her to take the initiative to show weakness. Unfortunately, after experiencing death once, Shi Anran no longer knew what it meant to show weakness. In a situation where a powerhouse lived, showing weakness only made the other party look down on her more and more. She was not one to admit defeat, and neither was she willing to accept her fate.

    "Anran, why didn''t you ask for my help?" Xiang Rongcheng could not help but chase after him, flustered and exasperated. He had never ridden, and even he felt a man was a long way off. Did she intend to go out on foot?

    Shi Anran pursed her lips and did not say a word, but her eyes were slightly red, and this scene did not escape Xiang Rongcheng''s eyes. He only felt her heart tighten all of a sudden, as if something ruthlessly poked him. She slowly walked over to squat beside Anran and said in a gentle voice: "You are the wife that I have accepted. As long as you reject me now, I can bring you away no matter what you want.

    What a great ''end of the world''! If she were an ordinary woman, she would definitely follow him through life and death. But she wasn''t, and that wasn''t what she wanted.

    "After walking for so long, you sure are cocky. I''ll help you. " Xiang Rongcheng saw that she was moving her ankles from time to time, so he came over to help her massage them.

 C99

    Shi Anran avoided his touch, "How can a woman''s foot be casually seen by a man?"

    "You women are just troublesome. I''ve already said that I will marry you!"

    "Can this joke end here? Young Master Xiang, even if you do not care about your identity, please worry about Anran''s reputation. " Shi Anran spat out each word, her eyes shining as she waited for his reply.

    Xiang Rongcheng looked at her seriously for a while before nodding his head: "Yes, but can I see your feet now?" The way she was walking just now was very strange. He must have injured his foot.

    Shi Anran was unable to withstand his determination, and could only allow him to take off his embroidered shoes with a blush. Looking at the sparkling blisters on the toes, Xiang Rongcheng frowned, then reprimanded: "Where did you get such a strong temper?

    "Nonsense!" Shi Anran spat, disliked him being numb, and turned her face away to ignore him. However, this was the first time in her life that a man held her foot and examined it closely. It made her feel at a loss of what to do.

    Xiang Rongcheng let out a light sigh, took out a silver needle and a small porcelain bottle from the secret pocket he carried with him, and said seriously: "It might be a little painful, but you have to endure it, otherwise when the day of entering the palace in three days, you might not even be able to walk! That would be a huge embarrassment! "

    Shi Anran bit her lips. In her previous life, what kind of torture and pain had she not suffered?

    Don''t look at Xiang Rongcheng who was holding his sword and killing the enemy without blinking his eyes. When it really came to, he would always feel at a loss of what to do. The hand holding the silver needle trembled slightly, as if it couldn''t bear to let go.

    "Hurry up, I''m not afraid of pain бн" Shi Anran said with a clear and indifferent voice. The more hesitant they were, the more they tortured others.

    Hearing that, Xiang Rongcheng nodded his head, returning her a peaceful smile, and finally started attacking. After he broke through blisters of different sizes, Xiang Rongcheng smeared the ointment on the little porcelain bottle and explained, "This medicine can cure injuries and quickly stop pain. I brought this along with me when I was brandishing my blade and spear, so you should keep it for yourself, but бн I hope you''ll never need them after this time. "

    The palace, what kind of place was that? To put it nicely, it was a land of wealth that everyone yearned for. To put it harshly, it was a golden tomb. Once they entered this grave, it would be entirely up to them whether they could live and bring wealth out of it. Shi Anran sighed softly, "I will have to borrow your blessings."

    Xiang Rongcheng carried her and placed her on the horse. He then jumped onto the horse and hugged her from behind. The two of them walked slowly, and after a long while, said sorrowfully, "Make yourself look a little uglier, it''s best if you make the emperor look down on you."

    This was the first time she felt that Xiang Rongcheng was somewhat cute. She pursed her lips and smiled along with the spring breeze, "Didn''t you say just now that you would bow down and greet me in the future? Why did it have to be another way of putting it? You don''t want me to do well, do you? "

    "Are you angry? I was just teasing you, how could I be willing to watch you enter the palace? " Xiang Rongcheng''s chin was placed lightly on her shoulder, spitting hot air at her neck. After a moment of silence, he said again, "How can I not wish for you? It''s just a pity... "This really wasn''t given by me бн"

    Shi Anran winced a little, as her cheeks blushed slightly, and purposely changed the topic, "Xiang Rongcheng, are you disrespectful to me?"

    "How dare you?" Xiang Rongcheng inhaled a deep breath of the fragrance off her body, and a faint satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

    "And something that you don''t dare to do?" Shi Anran replied unhappily.

    Xiang Rongcheng raised his head and laughed, ignoring him as he said, "To be honest, I really want to take you away now."

    Shi Anran did not want to play such a joke with him, and did not want to continue with this messy topic. She immediately said: "People have many choices in life, there are people who are obsessed with love and hate, and people who are obsessed with prosperity and riches, maybe I am the latter."

    "Why do you have to make yourself sound so terrible?" Shi Anran, if this is a method you want to use to force me to retreat, then I am afraid you have made the wrong decision, "

    "Young Master Xiang, this is the real Shi Anran, he''s in such a terrible state." Without a doubt, this was indeed one of Shi Anran''s methods. However, wasn''t what she said the truth?

    Xiang Rongcheng did not reply, but after a moment of silence, he spoke with even more determination than before, "I still have the same words. If you are truly willing, I will take you as my wife бн At worst, I''ll just go and plead with the emperor бн "

    Shi Anran closed her eyes and remained silent along the way. The horse wobbled back to the market, and in order to avoid talking, Shi Anran separated from him, enduring the discomfort and returning to the Shi Family.

    "Miss, what are you doing?" Lian Xing''s eyes widened as she looked at her limping back at him.

    Shi Anran said in a low voice: "Do not make any noise, prepare hot water for me to bathe in!"

    Shi Anran was not able to sleep soundly that night. During this period of time, she did not know what sort of nightmare she had to wake up to wake him up. Thus, when she woke up in the morning, it was obvious that she was not energetic.

    There were still two days left. She would enter the palace in two days, and as she thought about it, a faint sense of excitement rose in Shi Anran''s heart.

    "Right now, she could only continue to work hard and obtain even more things so that she wouldn''t feel pain when she lost them." Miss, are these dishes not to your liking? " Liu Yue asked in a low voice.

    Shi Anran did not deny it. "But the kitchen has a different cook?"

    Liu Yue nodded her head, and said angrily: "Third Concubine relied on Master to spoil her, and actually sent away many of the servants in the mansion, and replaced them with her own people. Naturally, she changed all the servants in the kitchen, Master did not say anything."

    "Mm, let her do whatever she wants!" No matter how much her father doted on her, her stomach wouldn''t give birth to anything. It was not because Shi Anran was cruel, but rather, it was because this was their retribution.

    Liu Yue said in a soft voice: "This Third Concubine is too arrogant, if young miss is not in the house, wouldn''t she be able to rule the world?"

    Shi Anran did not have much of a reaction. "She has no child and no daughter by her side now, so no matter how great the commotion, it would only be carried by her alone.

    "Yi Yue, after I enter the palace, you all must return to your fathers'' side to serve. That way, the Third Concubine won''t be able to bully you all." Shi Anran said with a stern expression.

    Yi Yue nodded in understanding. "This servant understands."

    Liu Yue lowered her eyes and said in a low voice: "Then, when will we be able to see Miss again?"

    Shi Anran herself was not clear about this either. She sighed lightly and put down the chopsticks in her hands: "Put it away."

    Lian Xing walked over quickly, and with a bow of her body, she said, "Young miss, this is a letter for young miss."

    "Did you clearly see who gave it to him?"

    "Never seen it." Lian Xing lowered her head and said.

    In the room, Shi Anran opened the envelope and took a look: "Everything is fine, do not worry!"

    It was a very simple sentence. Even though it was not signed, Shi Anran knew that it was a letter from Third Prince, and immediately calmed down a little.

 C100

    On this day, which was the day for all the Consort Candidate s to enter the palace, Shi Anran had already changed into palace attire and waited inside.

    Liu Yue, for once, did not smile at her, but instead walked her all the way to the palanquin, her eyes red. She did not dare to wipe her tears, and only choked with sobs: "Miss, I don''t know when I will see you again, Miss will definitely take care of yourself, this servant will not be by Miss''s side, Miss will also need to eat and sleep well бн бн"

    "Liu Yue, when did you become like an old lady?" Shi Anran smiled as he looked at her, but in truth, she was also upset.

    Hearing that, Liu Yue laughed, "Young miss is still joking around at a time like this!"

    "Alright, you guys hurry up and go in."

    Seeing Liu Yue''s reluctant look, Master Shi could not help but shed tears, endured the pain in her heart and said seriously: "Anran, go to the palace and learn more. Remember to speak your mind, and be extremely cautious when doing things, don''t let others hold you in.

    Shi Anran''s gaze was slightly stained with water as she knelt in front of her father and kowtowed three times.

    Watching the sedan chair gradually disappear into the distance, the third lady felt even more proud of herself. "Master, let''s go back!"

    Today, the capital city was exceptionally bustling with noise and excitement. The spectators from outside the city were endless as well. The talent show competition that only happened once every three years was far too lively this year.

    Two rows of guards were walking along the street, escorting a palanquin that was being carried by eight people. The surroundings of the palanquin was empty, and only a thin veil was draped over it, allowing one to see the lady seated inside. Although the Consort Candidate''s guards were all dressed in the exact same palace attire, every one of them were carefully selected beauties, all of them wearing veils, which undoubtedly created a dazzling sight.

    After the sedan chair landed on the official road, the number of people gradually lessened. Even those who wanted to join in the fun had no choice but to stay far away from the sedan.

    "Why did you stop?" Eunuch Zhao, who accompanied the Emperor, was a popular figure by his side. He stretched out a finger and lifted up the veil covering the palanquin.

    "Reporting to eunuch, something has happened in front!" The guard said anxiously.

    Eunuch Zhao snorted, "Let''s go take a look."

    After the guard shouted at the crowd of commoners to retreat, Eunuch Zhao was so frightened that he covered his mouth with a handkerchief. "That''s incredible. Why do you have to commit suicide when you''re fine?"

    The palanquin was right in front of Shi Anran. Seeing that, Shi Anran took the initiative to walk forward: "Elder, this little girl knows some medical skills, can you take a look?"

    "Quick, quick, quick! We won''t be able to protect ourselves after losing so much blood!" If one of the twenty Consort Candidate s was missing, how would he account to the Emperor? Eunuch Zhao immediately spun around in circles. Although it wasn''t his fault, the emperor would probably vent his anger on him if she was unhappy!

    Shi Anran moved closer, and saw that Consort Candidate had a pair of sharp scissors in front of her chest, it was obvious that she had stabbed it herself, what was the use of that? The woman held onto Shi Anran''s hand tightly and said weakly: "I бн "She would rather die than enter the palace бн" After saying that, the woman stopped breathing.

    "Aiya бн" "This, this, this, this бн" Eunuch Zhao was completely discouraged.

    Just as Eunuch Zhao was scratching his ears and scratching his cheeks in anxiety, he saw a woman walking past him who seemed to have been startled by the horse.

    When he reached the entrance of the First Dao Palace, a large group of people appeared, led by the current emperor''s favorite, Xiang Rongcheng. He was dressed in a silver robe with a long cape fluttering in the wind, giving him a graceful appearance.

    "The young general is too early!" Eunuch Zhao''s shrill voice sounded.

    Shi Anran looked towards the man not far away. It had to be said that this man was not handsome in any way, but it was a pity that they were destined to become strangers.

    Although Shi Anran''s face was covered by a veil, those eyes of hers were not something an ordinary woman would have. Xiang Rongcheng only needed a single glance to recognize her.

    After glancing at it without batting an eyelid, Xiang Rongcheng bowed slightly, "Eunuch Zhao, this general has received your majesty''s orders to welcome you to Consort Candidate!"

    "Yes, everything is fine. Young General can be at ease." Eunuch Zhao was after all, an old man who had lived in this palace for several tens of years. He was able to keep things calm, and it was as if nothing had happened before when Consort Candidate committed suicide.

    Xiang Rongcheng rode on the fine steed in front, and behind him was Shi Anran''s palanquin. Shi Anran''s gaze never landed on his body. She knew that it wasn''t easy to survive in this deep palace. Sometimes a misunderstanding or a battle of words could cost his life.

    "Well, this is where the young masters will live for the time being!" Eunuch Zhao stood at the entrance of a palace.

    Some of the officials were displeased. "Eunuch Zhao, do we live in such a palace with so many people?"

    "That''s right, every room has the names of its young lords, and we will send a palace maid to serve them. Don''t underestimate this storage palace, which year''s concubines didn''t leave from here? Young masters, please go find your rooms first. We''ll report this to the emperor! " With that, Eunuch Zhao turned and left.

    At the door, a few Consort Candidate who had good family backgrounds started to give the money to Eunuch Zhao. Eunuch Zhao refused a few times, but in the end, he accepted all of them.

    Previously, the Consort Candidate that had been added in had timidly stood in place and did not know what to do. Seeing that everyone seemed to not be getting along, in the end, she walked over to Shi Anran who was also watching coldly: "Are you all alone, sister?"

    Shi Anran smiled at her amicably and nodded lightly. Originally, the room belonged to the two of them. Coincidentally, the Consort Candidate who committed suicide was separated from Shi Anran.

    "Big sister Anran, you''ve been with me for more than a month, is it okay for Hong Ling to call you big sister?" On the other hand, Hong Ling started to chat with her quite naturally.

    You''ve already called me, how can I not tell? Unable to determine whether this Hong Ling was a good person or a bad person, Shi Anran said with a smile, "Of course it''s good бн"

    Not long later, a group of palace maids came over, and''s palace maids called him Xiu Er, they looked gentle and friendly, probably because the palace maids were all trained, so they were naturally more sensible than the servants outside.

    "Young master, it''s time for dinner. This servant will bring young master to the kitchen to have a meal." Xiu Er was also around fourteen or fifteen, her voice was very crisp and pleasant to hear.

    Shi Anran somehow had a good impression of her, and immediately smiled gently: "Alright!"

    Xiu Er heaved a sigh of relief. The young masters served by the other sisters were hard to get along with, but luckily she met a good person.

    As soon as the Consort Candidate sat down, they began to whisper to each other about how terrible the Imperial Palace food was. Senior Servant Chen, who had been teaching etiquette, walked in with two palace maids and said solemnly, "Does anyone need this old servant to remind them that they shouldn''t eat or sleep?"

    Although they did not have a good impression of this serious mama, the Consort Candidate''s people did not dare to say too much due to her status. They thought to themselves: Wait till I become the Empress, then we''ll see how I''ll punish you, this old tricky slave.

    Senior Servant Chen was used to seeing these misses and had encountered more difficult situations before. She was not moved by them and instead became more serious. "If the young lords think this old servant was wrong, they can stand up and correct them."

    Once he said that, there was no more discussion. He just lowered his head and continued to eat.

 C101

    When Chen mama walked past Shi Anran, her eyes were filled with praise. Just now, she seemed to be eating with her head lowered, her actions graceful and dignified.

    The first night Shi Anran came to the Imperial Palace, she did not sleep at all. The crescent moon hanging by the window seemed to be accompanying her, and did not fall for a long time.

    The next day, she would be facing a new round of tests early in the morning. There were probably not many who would be able to stay, but it was only for poetry, so Shi Anran was not worried at all.

    "Young master, you can''t say anything when you''re in front of the emperor later. If you make the emperor unhappy, that would be bad." Xiu Er spoke in a low voice, so that both of them could hear each other.

    Shi Anran naturally understood this logic, and nodded her head to answer: "I understand."

    Chenyue Hall was the place where the Consort Candidate was being tested. Originally, they thought they would be disappointed to see the Emperor sitting on a chair, covered by a crystal curtain. They could only vaguely see a figure, but who would dare to stare at it?

    Shi Anran was pushed to the last row, which agreed with her original intention.

    "The emperor is busy with his affairs, so he''s not coming himself!" The one who spoke was a woman, which was extremely surprising, even Shi Anran did not manage to react at all.

    Eunuch Liu cleared his throat: "This is Imperial Noble Consort Lan. Young masters, please pay your respects!"

    "Greetings Imperial Noble Consort Lan!" After being stunned for a moment, an orderly and clear voice resounded within the Hall of Chenyue.

    Li Ruolan nodded with satisfaction, and raised her chin, sweeping across all the Consort Candidate in front of her. "All you sisters should know that being able to be chosen by the emperor is not a simple matter, what I want to tell my sister is how to behave." The meaning behind her words was, you''d better give me some of your responsibilities. Don''t come and fight with me for the emperor, otherwise, she won''t be polite.

    Shi Anran laughed coldly in her heart. Finally, she had met her nemesis in her previous life once again. She faintly lowered her eyes and listened to Li Ruolan''s words, knowing that they were completely irrelevant, and also conveniently beating them up with her words. Presumably, the Emperor doted on her very much, otherwise he wouldn''t have given such an important matter to the Imperial Noble Consort Lan to do?

    "Alright, I have nothing to say today. Little Sisters, please go back first. I will have someone pass on the message!" Li Ruolan waved her hands lazily and opened the curtain as she walked out.

    She was dressed in luxurious and dazzling golden palace clothing, a light blue tasseled at her waist, her skin was as smooth as snow, her eyes were as clear as water, her exquisite face had a faint smile on it, it truly caused the Consort Candidate s to be stunned. So this Imperial Noble Consort Lan was actually so beautiful. No wonder he could get the emperor''s favor.

    Shi Anran kept her head down and did not look at her. On the other hand, Li Ruolan did not waste any more time on them. Everyone seemed to heave a sigh of relief, afraid that they would offend this imperial concubine before even meeting the emperor. What should they do then?

    After returning, Xiu Er said, "The reason Imperial Noble Consort Lan was able to obtain the emperor''s favor was because she had some methods up her sleeves. They were only lowly palace maids, and they had not been in the palace for long. If their master''s success was great, they would naturally be able to follow him and lead a good life.

    "Xiu Er, since you are one of my men, I will not let you suffer any further." Shi Anran''s words had already been said very clearly, so she believed that she would make it clear.

    Hearing that, Xiu Er bowed: "This servant is willing to follow little master!"

    On this day, the emperor was leading his imperial concubine in the imperial garden to admire the flowers. The Consort Candidate followed closely behind him. This greatly disappointed them, but in their hearts, they knew that power and status were the most important, so why would they care how ugly the emperor was? He could only silently say these thoughts in his heart.

    "Your Majesty, what do you think of this White Peony?" Li Ruolan''s every frown and smile was perfect, she really knew how to curry favor with others.

    How could a grown man like flowers? However, since his beloved concubine liked flowers, he agreed with her. "It''s really pretty, but it''s not even the slightest bit as beautiful as his beloved concubine."

    Women like to listen to nice words, let alone these words from the mouth of the Supreme Nine Five Supremes? If it was any other woman, she would probably be grinning from ear to ear, but this Li Ruolan was a special case. She only smiled lightly and brought Qingcheng along, "Your majesty would make chenqie happy!"

    Li Ruolan weakly leaned on his side, playing with the emperor''s fan in his hands. Not only was the emperor not angry, he had a doting look, which really surprised all the Consort Candidate, and caused them to become even more vigilant of the Imperial Noble Consort Lan.

    "Which one of you can make tea?" The Emperor said unhurriedly as his gaze swept across the group of Consort Candidate.

    All of the Consort Candidate s looked at each other. They were all young miss of an official family, their fingers would never touch the Yang Spring Dew, how could they brew any tea? No one spoke for a long time, and the emperor''s expression turned slightly ugly. At this moment, he saw a young girl take a step to the side, "Reporting to the emperor, this little girl understands."

    "Come here бн" The Emperor held out his hand to her.

    Hearing that, Shi Anran walked over with her head lowered, but didn''t grab the emperor''s hand, and blessed herself.

    The Emperor''s brows slightly creased, but he wasn''t angry. His gaze swept over the tea set. "If you make me satisfied, then I''ll reward you greatly!"

    "Yes sir!" Shi Anran skillfully washed the tea leaves and soaked them in boiling water for a while before pouring them all out.

    Li Ruolan was instantly displeased. "How dare you pour the emperor''s tea down?"

    As the Consort Candidate was feeling proud, Shi Anran unhurriedly explained: "In reply to Imperial Concubine, this is called washing tea, and during the process of drying the tea leaves, they would inevitably be stained with dust. After the tea leaves have been boiled for the first time, they have already dispersed. At this time, if you add in boiling water and soak for a while longer, you will be able to taste a different flavor. "

    Hearing this, Li Ruolan had nothing to say. She could only shut her mouth and glance at Shi Anran in displeasure. After offending the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, how will you be able to win the emperor''s favor in the future?

    The emperor did not say anything, but took the tea from Shi Anran''s hands. He lifted the lid and took a sniff, and the aroma of the tea entered his nose. After blowing on the tea and taking a sip, his face revealed a joyful expression. He put down the teacup and asked, "How long have you been learning the art of making tea?"

    "In reply to the Emperor, my father was fond of tea, so this young woman started studying at eleven or twelve." Shi Anran said in a light voice.

    "Whose daughter are you?"

    Shi Anran replied politely: "My father is Shi Yu!"

    "So she is the daughter of the Minister. No wonder бн" "Very good, very good бн" The emperor said two excellent sentences in succession, but it made all the girls'' faces change.

    After returning to the Storage Hall, Eunuch Zhao brought a group of palace maids over. He smiled at Shi Anran and said, "This servant has come under the orders of the Emperor to deliver a reward for young master, why aren''t you thanking me, young master An?"

    "Anran thanks the Emperor for his bestowment. Long live the Emperor!" The other Consort Candidate s looked at her as if they were looking at a fox spirit.

    Xiu Er looked at the jewelry and brocade in front of him, and said happily: "This servant congratulates little master!"

    What''s the point of congratulating me for that? Looking at the Consort Candidate''s envious eyes, Shi Anran smiled gently and said: "If you all like it then take a look, then take it!"

 C102

    "Who cares? It''s just some cheap stuff, why don''t you just give it to me for free!" The one who had spoken was none other than Li Ruoxue, Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s younger sister. The moment she said those words, all the Consort Candidate present were stunned.

    Shi Anran''s gaze swept across the jewelry bestowed to her by the Emperor, and then, her lips curled up slightly, and said: "Chen mama said before, a disaster would come from the mouth, so it''s best for this little sister to restrain herself. "These things were all bestowed by the Emperor himself, but they were completely worthless in his sister''s mouth. If the Emperor were to find out, who knows what would happen?"

    Hearing that, Li Ruoxue puffed up her cheeks in anger, and thought: You are just a little daughter who only received a reward and then died, my sister is the most favored Imperial Noble Consort Lan, if you offend me, I will let you have enough of the suffering in the future.

    Thinking about it this way, Li Ruoxue did not seem to be angry anymore. She walked over, fiddled with the jewelry, and casually picked an agate hairpin, raising the corner of her mouth, and said with a smile that was not a smile: "Big sister is truly good at talking."

    After that, a few Consort Candidate s took the items they liked as well. After thanking her, they all went back to their own rooms, and it was obvious that they were very afraid of Li Ruoxue, as she had Li Ruolan''s backing, and couldn''t afford to offend them.

    Shi Anran did not intentionally provoke her, she naturally knew that it was best to take things step by step, but if she let Li Ruoxue trample on her head today, the other Consort Candidate s in the future would think that she was easy to bully, and become even more unscrupulous. After what happened today, everyone knew that she wasn''t someone to be trifled with and that she saved a lot of trouble.

    When it was time for dinner, Shi Anran opened her food box, but discovered that there were only leftovers. She slightly raised her gaze and saw that all the Consort Candidate s were eating with their heads lowered, and not a single one of them dared to say a word. Xiu Er was already used to these little lords'' methods in the palace, so she immediately said: "Master, let''s go back, this servant will go to the kitchen to bring Master some food to eat."

    "Yo, where is big sister going? I''m afraid it''s not too good to leave without permission during dinner time, is it? " Without waiting for Shi Anran''s reply, Li Ruoxue pursed her lips and smiled, looking at her with extreme pride.

    After Shi Anran heard this, her eyebrows slightly swayed as she said: "Xiu Er, let''s go."

    After she turned around, Li Ruoxue slammed the table and stood up: "Shi Anran, how dare you, say you''ve come and gone!"

    In her previous life, Li Ruoxue had slapped her right here, so Shi Anran wasn''t angry at her. Instead, she just stood there, waiting for her to come over, the corner of her mouth still carrying a thirty percent gentleness. Her gaze swept over the little eunuch who had a face full of smiles as she lightly said: "Anran just wanted to ask Momo if the imperial kitchen was full of leftovers for the new Consort Candidate, or if it was because Anran was different. Anran just wanted Senior Sister to come out and preside over the justice. "

    As expected, the young eunuch''s face paled as she subconsciously looked towards Li Ruoxue. Li Ruoxue rolled his eyes and walked towards Shi Anran in large strides, raising her hand to stop him.

    In that moment, everyone opened their eyes wide and looked at the two, but Shi Anran seemed to have already expected that she would make such a move, she quickly grabbed her wrist, and used her strength secretly.

    You still want to hit her? In this life, she would live well and see the miserable fates of these people.

    A faintly discernable coldness flashed past the corner of Shi Anran''s lips as she thought about it.

    "What are you doing?" After sweeping a glance at the two of them, she understood what had happened. She said in a deep voice, "In this storage palace, this old servant doesn''t care what kind of status the young lords have, but from now on, the ones who walk out from here might be the emperor''s favorite concubines or concubines. It wouldn''t be good to offend anyone."

    Li Ruoxue snorted lightly and retracted her hand. She glared at Shi Anran fiercely, as if to say: Just you wait!

    After re-arranging the meals, Shi Anran sat down and started to eat. Her actions were still graceful and dignified, neither fast nor slow.

    After Li Ruoxue left, Hong Ling came close to him and said in a low voice: "Big sister Anran, I heard that Li Ruoxue is the blood sister of Imperial Noble Consort Lan, you have to be careful big sister Anran бн"

    Careful? Shi Anran carelessly walked side by side on the way back, but it was hard to tell what she was thinking. After a long while, Shi Anran finally asked: "Hong Ling, what do you want to get?"

    "Me? "Of course I wanted to ask for the emperor''s favor. At that time I was selected to be the Consort Candidate, but I didn''t expect that I would still enter the palace by mistake, so I wanted to risk it all for myself." She said confidently.

    Shi Anran saw that she did not seem to be lying, but she muttered in her heart: When she was selected to enter Consort Candidate in her previous life, Hong Ling did not appear to be by her side.

    Hearing her words, it was rather ordinary. However, one''s goal was too simple, making it seem that they couldn''t understand it. Naturally, she would not completely trust Hong Ling''s words.

    Looking at the half-opened door, Shi Anran acted as if she did not know anything. She secretly took off an earring and held it in her hand, then turned to Xiu Er and said: "Aiya, one of my earrings seems to be in the kitchen. I have to go back and find it."

    Xiu Er was startled, then nodded: "This servant will go with master."

    Just as she turned around to walk a few steps, she heard Hong Ling scream in pain. She turned around and saw that her entire body was drenched in the dirty water. Flour covered her face, making her look neither human nor ghost.

    Sure enough, it was this move again. Shi Anran slightly curved her lips into a dazzling smile. When the Consort Candidate saw Hong Ling''s miserable state, one by one, he covered her mouth and laughed, and some of them came over to send towels to Hong Ling. When she looked at Li Ruoxue again, she saw that she was still standing beside the two Consort Candidate s watching the show.

    Li Ruoxue looked at Shi An and saw a leisurely expression that didn''t seem like a smile. Since childhood, she had always been a spoiled child, so how could she be looked down upon like this? Her resentment towards Shi Ran deepened.

    Walking in the courtyard, Xiu Er asked in a low voice: "How did Master know that someone was playing with you?"

    "Did I tell you?" Shi Anran asked.

    Xiu Er immediately lowered her head, "This servant spoke too much."

    Shi Anran had a very deep impression of Li Ruoxue and Li Ruolan. There was still a long way to go, so if they wanted to play, they had to accompany them.

    At night, Shi Anran was reading books under the lamp while Xiu Er was grinding ink at the side. Suddenly, he seemed to have seen something that was full of fear. There''s a snake on the windowsill! "

    Snake? She still remembered that in his previous life, Shi Anran had almost lost his life because of this poisonous snake. Unexpectedly, everything happened just like in his previous life.

    Xiu Er did not dare to stop for a moment, she immediately grabbed one and threw it over. The poisonous snake immediately shrank its neck, and then quickly slid down, but in truth, Shi Anran was also nervous. When she went to look at the window, she saw that the poisonous snake was crawling towards the house opposite him.

    "Young master, luckily, you had your servant bring some lime back, otherwise бн" Saying that, Xiu Er looked up in surprise, how did Master know that there would be snakes, and had already prepared some lime?

    Shi Anran pointed to the dust that had fallen from the wall at the corner of the wall. "It''s just that I saw the dust on the wall early in the morning, so I wanted to find some lime to mend it."

    So that was the case, Xiu Er heaved a sigh of relief. If Master knew about this in advance, then it would be too scary! Even if a person did not have the ability to predict the future, to be able to foresee these things, he must have very meticulous thoughts and observations.

 C103

    "Ah бн" There are snakes and snakes, save me! " Not long later, Li Ruoxue''s frightened voice came from the opposite room. Seems like Shi Anran was as afraid as she was in her previous life?

    The news of Li Ruoxue being bitten by a poisonous snake quickly spread. Not only did it startle the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, even the Emperor himself had come late into the night, "How is Ruo Xue?"

    The imperial physician bowed. "To reply Imperial Concubine, the poison in this body has already been expelled. It''s fine now, but I still need to rest in bed for a few days."

    "Why would there be venomous snakes in this good storage palace? It''s all because the hands and feet of these Consort Candidate s aren''t clean. I''ve always thought that the emperor must seek revenge for Ruoxue! " Li Ruolan said angrily.

    The Emperor''s expression was dark as his gaze swept across the Consort Candidate in front of him one by one. After that, he coldly glanced at the guards and asked unhappily, "Where did the poisonous snakes from the Hidden Soo Palace come from?"

    "Your majesty, the forests around the palace are huge, connected to the mountains and rivers бн" It meant that there was a poisonous snake, and the person who spoke was Imperial Noble Consort Zhao.

    Hearing this, the emperor''s expression eased a bit, as if he felt that her words made sense. He nodded, "Your beloved concubine''s words are reasonable, but we still have to investigate thoroughly. If someone is scheming against us, I''ll absolutely not let them off lightly!"

    Li Ruolan''s eyes reddened as she held onto his sister''s hands. "Ruoxue, wake up quickly. Tell Big Sis who harmed you, I will definitely seek justice for you."

    The emperor waved his hands impatiently. "Back to the palace. I''ll send someone to investigate this matter thoroughly. No one is allowed to discuss it in private!"

    Even if Li Ruolan had any objections, she didn''t dare say anything when the Emperor said it. She could only bow her head and say: "Chenqie only loves my little sister dearly, maybe I was bitten by a poisonous snake today, maybe I would be poisoned tomorrow. Chenqie pleads for Your Majesty to arrange another residence for my little sister."

    When he heard these words, the Emperor was obviously displeased. When Li Ruoxue was bitten by the poisonous snake, Li Ruolan thought that it was a trap and immediately asked to be investigated, this action was a little immoral, and now it became even more outrageous, the Emperor looked at her for a good while, and then indifferently said: "Everyone in the is equal, no one has any privileges."

    After that, Li Ruolan did not say anything, and at this time, she had offended the Emperor, so she did not have any good days ahead of her, and in the end, she tactfully kept her mouth shut.

    Shi Anran slept soundly that night. The next day, the emperor sent someone to thoroughly investigate the Sage Storage Palace. Naturally, they did not manage to find any clues.

    When Li Ruoxue woke up, she ordered her men to release the snake, even if it was herself who bit it, she did not dare say anything, for fear that someone might find out and cause it to fly up to her feet.

    "Mistress, everyone has gone to see Young Master Li. Aren''t you going?" Xiu Er asked softly.

    Shi Anran drank her tea and said lightly: "Let''s go back later." Li Ruoxue should really want to see her now, right? However бн She would not act too eagerly. Instead, she would make those who did not understand the situation feel that she was trying to curry favor with them.

    In the afternoon, when everyone had left, Shi Anran then slowly pushed open her door: "I heard that little sister was bitten by a poisonous snake last night, is it okay?"

    "Hmph бн" Li Ruoxue''s body was still weak, he could only snort and turn his head away from her.

    Shi Anran smiled. "Since there''s nothing else, then Big Sis will be leaving."

    "Halt!" Li Ruoxue shouted: "Don''t be complacent, I won''t let this go."

    "Oh? "Why does little sister say that?"

    "Stop pretending to be stupid, Shi Anran! From today onwards, I, Li Ruoxue, will be irreconcilable with you!" Li Ruoxue said angrily.

    Shi Anran smiled without a care: "Then little sister, you need to take care of your body first." Otherwise, they would have been tormented to death too early, how could they continue to play?

    Looking at her leisurely walking away, Li Ruoxue was so angry that her face turned white. She bit her lips and muttered: "I won''t let this go."

    After failing to deal with her several times in a row, Li Ruoxue had a bad taste in her heart, and could only curse her even more fiercely. Shi Anran probably wouldn''t be so lucky next time.

    During the night, Hong Ling laid on Shi Anran''s bed with the fruits in her hands and spoke into his heart. After taking a bite, she said unclearly, "Big Sister Anran, I heard that Imperial Noble Consort Lan is almost forty.

    "Hong Ling, it''s best not to discuss these matters in order to prevent others from hearing it. If I denounce you in front of the imperial concubine or the emperor, what will happen to you?" Shi Anran said faintly.

    Hong Ling''s eyes brightened, and nodded her head: "Big Sister Anran is the best."

    "Alright, let''s rest early."

    After a few more days, the emperor selected a few Consort Candidate s to watch the duels between the princes. Shi Anran was fortunate enough to be selected.

    "Why would a little girl like you need to go to such an extent?" Li Ruoxue said with a taunting tone as she walked past her.

    The few of them were waiting for her to make a joke out of them. Unexpectedly, Shi Anran sat on the ground, with a generous and proper smile on her face, she slowly stood up with extreme elegance, and walked out of the storage palace without even looking at them.

    When the scene entered Hong Ling''s eyes, she thought to herself: This Big Sister Anran looked like an extremely quiet and quiet lady, but her every movement and smile seemed to be even more noble than a noble daughter, as if she was born with an indescribable noble aura.

    Shi Anran''s performance had really angered Li Ruoxue, and the two of them could be considered to be at odds with each other.

    The Consort Candidate''s identity was naturally inferior to that of a concubine, so she could only sit at the side of the concubine. The huge fighting stage had already been set up long ago, and at the moment, there were already guards beating their drums.

    "This son greets royal father." The princes cupped their hands and bowed simultaneously.

    The Emperor nodded in satisfaction and said, "All of you, dispense with the formalities."

    While everyone was watching the match, Shi Anran''s gaze was searching for Li Mu''s figure within the crowd of people, and finally found him in an inconspicuous spot. Third Prince was good at camouflage, at this point in time, he would not reveal his true abilities, otherwise he would make the princes suspect him or even become wary.

    When Li Mu went up on stage, with a playful posture, he jumped onto the horse with a beautiful flip of his body.

    The one in his group was the current famous Crown Prince, Li Gan. The targets were all hit by the red heart, and only Li Mu missed his targets, there were even some targets that did not hit.

    The emperor originally didn''t have much hope for him, so he shook his head and said, "Third Bro, you have to train more. If you lose like this against an outsider, where would I put my face?"

    Hearing that, Li Mu lowered his head: "This son will work hard!"

    While he was speaking and working hard, he didn''t seem to be practicing much. When the emperor''s gaze turned towards the crown prince, he smiled in extreme satisfaction, "I am very pleased that the crown prince''s archery skills have improved!"

    "Thank you, royal father, for your praise. This is something this son should be good at." He spoke with extreme modesty, causing the emperor to laugh and cheer. It seemed that the emperor was still extremely fond of this crown prince.

    No one would have noticed Shi Anran''s position. Using the reason of going to the restroom, she left by herself, and when she reached a corner, she met the Third Prince. Her expression was not the least bit surprised, and she said calmly: "There might be someone assassinating the Emperor in a while, be more careful."

 C104

    "How do you know?" Li Mu asked in a low voice.

    Shi Anran smiled lightly, and didn''t think about telling him the truth either. She deliberately said, "Because I came down from the heavens, so I know the past and the future, is Third Prince satisfied with the answer?"

    Li Mu looked at the girl in front of him with a smile that was not a smile, what she said was the best case scenario, he took a deep breath and nodded: "I believe you бн"

    Third Prince would also be one of the last contestants in the competition, and the Crown Prince would be the best of the best.

    The emperor sighed lightly. "Third brother, you''ve come бн"

    Li Mu remembered what Shi Anran had just said in her heart, she walked down the stage and headed towards the emperor. At this time, a flying dart flew out from nowhere and headed straight for the emperor, and Li Mu practically pounced forward to block it without hesitation, with a groan: "There''s an assassin, protect father!"

    In an instant, the entire place was in chaos, no one knew where this dart came from, in a blink of an eye, a Consort Candidate dressed in emerald palace robes pulled out her sword, wanting to attack again.

    When Li Mu fought with her, he had his arm cut ruthlessly. A few black clad men flew out from the crowd and fought with the imperial guards, scaring the servants into screaming.

    "It''s really the opposite!" The Emperor reached out his arms to embrace the Third Prince. "What are you all doing? Hurry up and ask for the imperial physician!"

    The guard led by Xiang Rongcheng rushed over and quickly captured the man in black, "In the future, your majesty, please forgive me!"

    "Forget it, lock them up and interrogate them one by one." The emperor said with a heavy expression.

    Unexpectedly, the black-clothed man clenched his teeth and took the poison, grabbed the Consort Candidate''s chin with one hand and forced the poison that was just brought to his mouth to be spat out: "Speak, who was the one who instructed you to do this?"

    "Heh бн" Consort Candidate glanced at him coldly.

    Li Ruolan calmed her emotions, walked over and asked condescendingly: "Are you the one who released the poisonous snakes from the storage palace?"

    Consort Candidate spat at her: "So what if I am? All of you deserve to die бн "

    Li Ruolan slapped him: "How can the palace allow you to cause such a ruckus? "You dragged it down and killed me!"

    "Wait!" Xiang Rongcheng stopped her, then turned and bowed to the emperor. "Your majesty, the assassins mixed together with the Consort Candidate, entering the palace to assassinate him, perhaps you have some accomplices. This humble general thinks that we should force our way into this matter, otherwise, it would be hard for subject matter to calm down."

    When he said that, Xiang Rongcheng was actually thinking about Shi Anran. His heart was unsettled, but it was because Shi Anran was also in such a dangerous place in the Imperial Palace.

    The emperor''s eyes were filled with seriousness. "I also have the same intention."

    Following that, Consort Candidate looked at them fiercely, and then bit down hard, blood flowing out of the corner of her mouth, and actually bit her tongue to commit suicide. In her previous life, after Shi Anran died, she didn''t know if this matter had been investigated, but who was the real mastermind?

    The Third Prince was sent to the Palace, which was the emperor''s usual residence. The princes looked at each other in surprise.

    "Father, how is Third Brother?" The Crown Prince asked anxiously.

    The Emperor''s heart that was hanging on his chest slowly sank. "Fortunately, my heart wasn''t injured. You brothers should take care of him more."

    The other princes nodded in agreement, "This son shall obey!"

    After Consort Candidate, who was biting her tongue to commit suicide, bore the burden of the poisonous snakes, Li Ruoxue visibly heaved a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she became even more arrogant.

    In the afternoon, the Consort Candidate was playing in the courtyard.

    "Shi Anran, tell me, you are just a small daughter, what right do you have to be chosen into the Consort Candidate?" Li Ruoxue hugged his arms and said to her with a smile that was not a smile.

    Hearing that, Shi Anran replied without looking up: "Could it be that everyone relied on relationships to get here?" If not for Imperial Noble Consort Lan, she would not have been able to become one.

    "You''re slandering me!" Li Ruoxue was immediately infuriated.

    "Little sister, why are you so excited? Anran didn''t say that she entered the palace through relationships." Shi Anran smiled faintly, it was as warm as spring wind, but her gaze was extremely cold.

    Li Ruoxue poured the scalding tea she was holding onto her. Fortunately, Shi Anran was prepared for it, as she quickly dodged and poured it on the little palace maid''s arm, she cried out in pain.

    "What happened?" Li Ruolan was followed by a long line of female servants, slowly walking towards the storage palace.

    Unexpectedly, Li Ruoxue was the first to complain, "Please make the decision, esteemed imperial concubine!"

    "Get up."

    "This Shi Anran is going too far, the imperial concubine should have taught her well." For people with the same heart as the two sisters, even if it was Li Ruoxue''s fault, who could do anything to them?

    Li Ruolan''s scrutinized gaze fell on Shi Anran: "You are the Consort Candidate who made tea for the emperor at the imperial garden last time?"

    "Yes бн"

    "What is it? Did he really think he could make the emperor look at him in a different light just by relying on this? Before you leave the Palace, all of you are just Consort Candidate. If you are so presumptuous right now, what will happen if you become master in the future? " After Li Ruolan finished speaking, she thought for a while and said, "Then I''ll punish you to clean up everything outside of the storage palace, all the way to the Supreme Harmony Palace!"

    When all the Consort Candidate s thought that Shi Anran would make use of her glib tongue to beat up Imperial Noble Consort Lan and Li Ruoxue, she instead blessed herself and calmly accepted it: "Anran obeys!"

    Shi Anran, who hadn''t even eaten lunch yet, was still cleaning up. Li Ruoxue carried a plate of melon seeds and threw it away as she walked, "Aiya, Big Sis, you have to clean up a bit more. Otherwise, Imperial Noble Consort Lan might not be happy about it.

    Shi Anran did not bother with her and continued to scan the ground. Xiu Er felt sorry for her: "Master, now that Master Li has gone, you can rest. Let this servant take care of these menial tasks."

    Shi Anran smiled amicably: "It''s fine, I have done these before in my residence, it was just a simple physical action, I won''t waste any energy."

    Besides, what about fortune and disaster? Shi Anran looked at the sunset.

    The sun quickly set and the palace inner courtyard was completely quiet. Only Shi Anran was still calmly sweeping the ground, and everyone knew that this was the Consort Candidate that was being punished by the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, so no one dared to help her. Hong Ling also hid in her room and did not come out. After all, she did not have any background, and was not a smart person, even though she felt indignant for Shi Anran, she did not dare to offend the Imperial Noble Consort Lan.

    "Mistress, you must be starving. This servant will go to the kitchen to get some food. Mistress is waiting here for me." Xiu Er put down the broom and ran off.

    Around a hundred stone steps were scattered with leaves, Shi Anran swept and sat down, picked up a clean leaf and brushed off the dust on the surface, then blew out a tune lightly.

    If her mother was still alive, perhaps her path wouldn''t have been so difficult. Right now, she had to rely on herself to walk on everything, even the road in the future.

    On the high platform, the emperor, who was about to go to bed, stopped when he heard this special song. He raised his hand to stop the palace maids behind him, then slowly walked over. A petite girl dressed in a green Consort Candidate Palace attire was sitting on the stone steps, holding onto the leaves and playing with it. She was looking at the full moon in the night sky, her eyes sparkling.

 C105

    When the song came to its end, just as Shi Anran was about to continue cleaning, she saw someone behind him. Looking up, he realized it was the emperor himself, she immediately bowed and said, "Anran greets your majesty, long live the emperor!"

    "Rise." The emperor seemed to still be reminiscing about the tune as he smiled warmly. "A song made by someone of such a young age yet has such a desolate taste. Girl, you''re rather special."

    Upon seeing the broom in her hand, she was slightly surprised. "What are you doing here, not staying in the storage palace late at night?"

    Shi Anran lowered her eyes and said in a low voice: "Reporting to your majesty, it was Anran''s mistake that had displeased Imperial Noble Consort Lan, so she deserved to be punished!"

    Imperial Noble Consort Lan? It seems that I have spoiled her too much over this long, what kind of mistake can a little Consort Candidate do for her to clean up late at night? As she thought, the Emperor took a deep breath, seeming to have thought of something, and said, "If I were to give you a chance to go against the current, would you be willing?"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran immediately replied: "I, Anran would never dare to бн."

    "I am very satisfied with your tea. I happen to lack a maid by my side. From tomorrow onwards, you will come to the Palace to serve me." The emperor didn''t give her the chance to refuse. How could such a ruler give her the chance to reject him?

    However, this also perfectly responded to Shi Anran''s feelings. With a bow, she lightly said, "Anran thanks the Emperor for his grace!"

    "Alright, go back and rest. We will explain everything to the Imperial Noble Consort Lan." The emperor''s voice was filled with gentleness. This was the first time she spoke in such a manner to a girl aside from her concubine.

    When Shi Anran returned, all the Consort Candidate s were washing their faces and preparing to rest. Seeing that she had returned, Li Ruoxue frowned, there were so many places that needed cleaning, and even if she was given three days time, she might not be able to finish cleaning. She threw down the water basin and walked over with her chin raised: "Shi Anran, you actually dare to not listen to Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s words? "Believe it or not, I бн"

    "Young master Li, the emperor asked my master to come back!" On the way, Xiu Er heard about this matter from Shi Anran. She was first surprised, then she was full of joy, as she would not need to be bullied by Li Ruoxue anymore.

    Your majesty? Since when has this woman seen the emperor''s face? Li Ruoxue wanted to say something but she kept it in her throat, forcing herself to swallow her anger. Sooner or later, she would take revenge.

    Early morning the next day, Eunuch Zhao and his palace maid arrived. He looked at Shi Anran with appreciation, "We came to congratulate Little Master Anran.

    "What?" Li Ruoxue was the most surprised, and was unable to react for a long time.

    Xiu Er asked joyously, "Eunuch Zhao, will Master still be staying in the Palace?"

    Eunuch Zhao raised his eyebrows and said in a high-pitched voice, "Of course the emperor''s maids live in the palace. The benefits of staying with the emperor must be great."

    Shi Anran blessed her body: "Anran thanks Eunuch Zhao first."

    After Shi Anran changed into the palace clothes that the palace maids brought to the house, she dressed her up before following Elder Zhao out. Shi Anran wore a plum red dress. Although she was only a maid, all of the jewelry she wore was much higher than the others from the Consort Candidate. There was a personal plate of the Emperor hanging on her waist.

    The Consort Candidate s looked at her with different expressions as she walked past them. They could not avoid being envious and jealous, and''s eyes seemed to spew out fire. Hong Ling reluctantly said a few words to Shi Anran, and then the two separated.

    It had to be said that the palace was very large. The room given to her by the emperor was at least five to six times larger than the one they had been given, and the furnishings and decorations were all several times better. Two more palace maids appeared in the room, both serving Shi Anran together. Several guards were stationed at the entrance as well.

    "Servant Cui Yun, servant Cui Yu greets Aunt!" The two palace maids said politely.

    Shi Anran nodded her head, and smiled: "All of you, get up. This house is too big, it''s been a long time since I last saw anyone staying here.

    "Auntie, please rest. Let the servants come." Xiu Er supported her.

    It was also true that she was now one of the emperor''s maids. Even the selected Consort Candidate s, as well as the palace maids and eunuchs, would have to respectfully call her aunt after seeing her. The real show would begin from here.

    After settling everything in the house, Shi Anran was about to go see the emperor at the Carnage Hall. In this life, she was no exception as she met Imperial Noble Consort Lan, who was purposely here.

    Li Ruoxue had already sent someone to deliver the news, but after seeing her dressed, Li Ruolan''s heart was stifled. She suppressed it and said gently: "Quickly get up, I am here to congratulate you."

    Shi Anran, this woman, was indeed outstanding enough among the Consort Candidate, but now that the emperor had promoted her to a maid, it meant that she had no chance of being her concubine. Thinking about it, the anger in Li Ruolan''s heart dissipated a bit.

    "I did punish you a bit too harshly yesterday, but the way things are in this palace is like this. If you occasionally suffer some losses, just treat it as your memory."

    "Anran will remember the teachings of the Imperial Noble Consort Lan." She still did not intend to offend this woman.

    The two of them went into the Heart Nurturing Palace one after the other. Seeing that the emperor was busy dealing with the papers, Shi Anran did not disturb him, but quietly brewed a cup of tea and set aside an exquisite plate of dim sum and stood quietly at the side.

    Li Ruolan slowly walked over and whispered, "Your Majesty, you promised chenqie that you would accompany her for lunch."

    Hearing this, the emperor put down the paper in his hand, but noticed Shi Anran. After glancing at him, she asked, "Is it customary for the Palace to live here?"

    "The Emperor has bestowed a favor to Anran." Shi Anran lowered her eyes and said softly.

    Li Ruolan looked suspiciously at Shi Anran, before turning back to look at him. "Your majesty, it''s already noon, you should rest first, it''s so tiring to look at so many debts in a moment, your concubine will accompany you to have lunch, then go for a walk, is that alright?"

    Only then did the emperor give Li Ruolan a bland reply, "That''s good too."

    Before he left, the Emperor did not forget to tell Shi Anran to organize the papers.

    Shi Anran tidied up the messy reports on the table and put those that had been read on the side and those that had not, on the side. Only then did she exit the room.

    Actually, what she did every day was to wait by the side during the emperor''s morning assembly. She was only waiting to receive orders from the emperor, so she could be considered a simple and leisurely position.

    "Mistress, are you used to it?" Xiu Er asked with a light smile.

    Shi Anran slightly nodded, and said gently: "If you can''t even do such a small thing, it''ll be my fault."

    "This servant only thought that Master was originally a young miss at home and was taken care of by others. Now that I''m doing this service, it would be difficult for me to do."

    "It''s alright, but you''re right. In the future, I still have a lot of things to learn from you."

    In the morning court, no one really paid attention to the new maids around the emperor, only Xiang Rongcheng was secretly happy in his heart. Since Anran was now the emperor''s maid, then he would no longer be the imperial concubine.

    The emperor put down the paper in his hand. "There was a flood in the south, and countless commoners were killed or injured, yet none of them came to inform me. If it wasn''t for the government officials secretly sending a letter, I''m afraid that I wouldn''t even know about this matter.

 C106

    "Your Majesty, please calm your anger бн" The officials shouted.

    "Then, who can stand up and give me an explanation?" The emperor''s voice wasn''t loud, but every word and sentence revealed a certain majesty that caused others to not dare to offend him.

    The rest of the officials looked at each other before lowering their heads, not daring to speak. The Crown Prince then stepped forward and bowed, "This son believes that the matter is extremely important, yet such important news has been suppressed. I think someone must have done something to conceal the disaster in the south."

    "Continue!"

    The Crown Prince cleared his throat and continued, "The people are in dire straits. The most important thing for us to do is to provide relief and stabilize their minds. Then, Father will send someone to investigate them thoroughly. We must catch them and get to the bottom of this."

    Hearing this, the Emperor nodded his head in appreciation and opened his mouth, "The Crown Prince''s words are reasonable. Who would be willing to go to the south to deal with this matter?"

    There was another silence. This was no trivial matter. If he couldn''t find a reason, how could he explain it to the Emperor? Furthermore, the officials from the south had always been difficult to deal with. No one wanted to take over this mess.

    Shi Anran''s gaze turned deep. In her previous life, the person who took over this matter was the crown prince, but in the end, it all went wrong. Not only was he beaten up by the victims in the south, he was also scolded by the Emperor when he returned.

    After the imperial court dispersed, the emperor was discussing some matters with a few ministers. Shi Anran tactfully left, passing by the Third Prince on the corridor, and continued to walk forward after receiving the note from her. No one noticed what she was doing at all.

    After going back, Li Mu opened the note Shi Anran had given him, and the deep look in his eyes appeared. This woman told him to take the initiative to report to the Emperor and then head south to investigate this matter. However, if this matter was successfully completed, then royal father would definitely look at him in a new light. This was truly a dangerous move. Li Mu immediately felt that this woman was actually quite clever.

    The moon was bright in the sky, and the palace was still brightly lit.

    "Your majesty, it''s late at night." It was indeed late, Shi Anran could not help but remind him.

    After seeing the color of the sky, the emperor tiredly closed his eyes. He picked up the cup of tea on the table, took a sip, and said, "I''ve been worrying too much lately бн"

    "Your majesty, this matter will be resolved eventually. If you are too worried, it will harm your dragon body." Shi Anran said with a clear and bland voice.

    Hearing this, the emperor smiled slightly: "Anran, you don''t know much about the matters of the imperial court. Forget it, I''ll look at this place first, you should go back and rest."

    Shi Anran put the paper away. "Anran respectfully sees your majesty."

    At the morning assembly the next day, the Third Prince took the initiative to go to the south to investigate the local officials. Although the Emperor did not believe that he had the ability, he was on time.

    After the morning assembly, the Ninth Prince, who had been beaten up by Xiang Rongcheng at the Bright Moon Restaurant, looked at Third Prince with a smile that was not a smile and said: "Third Brother, you better think things through. Taking credit is not how you play, it''s fine if you don''t get anything in the end.

    Li Mu smiled faintly but didn''t say anything. Coincidentally, at this time, the crown prince came over. Li Gan looked at him with a little complexity in his eyes and said, "Third brother, this is a very important matter, you бн"

    "Don''t worry big brother, third brother will do his best!" Li Mu spat out a sentence and successfully suppressed the words he was about to say. Originally, the crown prince had planned to ask for an edict but the Third Prince was one step ahead of him, so it was inevitable that he had some thoughts in his heart.

    After he left, the ninth prince held onto the crown prince''s shoulder and said, "Looking at him, he doesn''t seem to be any great expert. After he left, the ninth prince held onto the crown prince''s shoulder and said,"

    Li Gan frowned slightly, and pushed his hand away: "Ninth Brother, that''s not what I meant. You should be clear about what you''re not allowed to say in the Imperial Palace."

    Hearing this, the ninth prince was immediately at a loss for words. He let out a dry laugh, unsure of what to say.

    The night before the Third Prince was going to leave, the emperor laid down a banquet in preparation for his successful return. All of the officials had brought their families and families to attend the banquet, while Shi Yu and his third wife accompanied him at his side.

    When she saw his father from afar, Shi Anran went up to him and greeted him, "Father!"

    Seeing that his daughter''s identity was now different, Shi Yu felt a sense of relief between his brows, "Anran, be more careful of everything by the side of the emperor. Everyone knew the saying of accompanying a monarch like a tiger.

    Shi Anran nodded in agreement, "Father, daughter naturally knows."

    Shi Yu could not stay any longer, and walked forward. After Shi Yu left, the third wife glanced at Shi Anran and said in disdain, "No matter what, isn''t she still the emperor''s servant? "Why are you so arrogant?"

    "What did you say, woman? In front of Aunt, you are not to be presumptuous! " Cui Yun walked over and stood behind Shi Anran, one on the left and one on the right. They were maids personally arranged by the emperor to stand by Shi Anran''s side, so they naturally had to protect Shi Anran.

    "Where did this servant girl come from to be so arrogant, and why does big miss Shi Family still have to call me ''concubine''? Who do you think you are?" Perhaps Third Madam''s voice was too loud and attracted a lot of attention.

    Shi Anran laughed and shook her head: "Forget it, let''s go!" Arguing with such a person would only reduce his own character.

    Unfortunately, how could Third Madam let her leave so easily? She immediately went to block her way. "Would it be that after a few days, even your father will not be called?"

    Cui Yun stood out and pushed her away, "She''s just a concubine, why are you being so arrogant!

    When the Third Madam heard her concubine''s words and was extremely unhappy, she looked at the little girl who was following Shi Anran and felt that she was not scary at all. She then clamored, "I am the Third Madam of the Shi Family, don''t you people respect me wherever I go?

    Cui Yun didn''t retreat at all, and said: "We are aunt''s subordinates, aunt is someone close to the emperor, if you say this, do you think the Emperor''s teachings are wrong?"

    Hearing the two words "emperor", the third wife remembered that Shi Anran was different from her previous self and was already someone who served the emperor. The person beside her wasn''t like Yi Yue, who belonged in her own residence and could freely scold him. She wanted to say something fierce, but she didn''t dare to. After holding it in for a long time, she finally said, "I can''t be bothered to haggle with you maids."

    Shi Anran indicated for Cui Yun to not speak. After the third wife left, Shi Anran then said softly, "It''s not worth being angry over. Just ignore her in the future."

    "Aunt is right." Cui Yun lowered her head and acknowledged, she felt that Shi Anran was indeed someone who could keep her cool, and was different from the others.

    At the banquet, there were many people wishing the Third Prince a smooth return. In reality, their words were filled with sarcasm, hoping that he wouldn''t be able to do anything and lose his identity as a prince to the emperor. That would be the happiest thing.

    It was not a common thing for princes and ministers to form alliances, but no one was willing to support Third Prince. Perhaps the ministers all thought that this'' useless and useless'' Third Prince would not become a great figure in the future, and naturally did not waste their time thinking about it.

    After Shi Anran poured wine for the emperor, he stood behind her and guarded the entire time. Countless gazes were fixed on her, not moving at all, as if he did not see any of them. In this period, Xiang Rongcheng did not say a single word, and only drank her wine in silence.

    The emperor had left with the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao halfway through, and Shi Anran had also become free to do so. Just as she was about to go and relieve the situation, she was stopped halfway by Xiang Rongcheng, "Anran, how did you become the emperor''s maid?"

    "Does this have anything to do with you, Young Master Xiang?"

    Hearing this, Xiang Rongcheng was startled, then coughed lightly in embarrassment: "Of course it''s related, the palace maids in the palace will change once every five years, which means after five years you can leave the palace, and we can get married!"

    He spoke so naturally, as if the five years of waiting for Shi Anran in the middle were just the flick of a finger.

    Shi Anran looked at him without leaving a trace, but it was as if she had completely forgotten about his last sentence. She lowered her eyebrows and said indifferently: "Young Master Xiang, if you have nothing to say, please move aside.

 C107

    "Anran, do you really have to be so heartless to me?" There was not a single trace of anger in Xiang Rongcheng''s tone. Instead, it was mixed with an innumerable amount of charm.

    Shi Anran gently smiled, and then said: "Anran and Young Master Xiang are not good friends, and are not related to each other, so what do you mean by ''heartlessness''?"

    After hearing what he said, Xiang Rongcheng was obviously slightly displeased. No woman could cause ripples in his heart, only the expression and smile of the woman before him were still fresh in his mind. Immediately, Xiang Rongcheng became a little overbearing and said: "Whether you admit it or not, in the end, you are still my fiancee, so what if I wait for three to five years?"

    "Young Master Xiang, please behave yourself!" Shi Anran said in a soft voice, as she raised her eyes and gave him a nonchalant glance. It was as if she was not moved by what he had just said.

    "I''ll be leaving first. If you have anything to say, send someone to tell me!" The palace is full of deceitful people, you must be careful! " Xiang Rongcheng withdrew his previous gentleness with a grave expression on his face.

    After watching Xiang Rongcheng''s back gradually disappear, Shi Anran only felt a slight chill in his heart. It was hard to say what she was feeling in his heart, but it was as if something had flowed out, and it was completely empty.

    After returning to the Palace, Shi Anran slept soundly until daybreak.

    Li Ruolan could no longer stay calm as she and Li Ruoxue stood at the entrance of the main hall of the Palace. She glanced at the maids guarding the door and unhappily said, "Everyone, get out of the way, I want to see the Emperor now!"

    "In reply to the imperial concubine, the emperor has already said that he won''t meet anyone!" The palace maid replied respectfully.

    Again! Li Ruolan no longer had any patience, she ordered his personal palace maids behind him to pull them apart, and was about to force their way in when she heard a voice before she could even step in.

    "Imperial Concubine thinks twice before acting. If she angers the emperor, then things won''t be good!" Shi Anran slowly walked over, bowed respectfully, and said slowly.

    Hearing this, Li Ruolan slightly lifted her chin, a noble aura of grace was displayed on her beautiful face, and she took a step back. With a slightly unhappy look, she glanced at, "Where''s the emperor?"

    "Reporting to imperial concubine, the emperor is currently bathing and changing his clothes. Imperial Concubine, please wait a moment!" Shi Anran''s voice did not contain any warmth, but no one could tell the displeasure in it.

    Li Ruolan only glanced at her indifferently, then ignored her, why would she place such a small maid in her eyes?

    However, Li Ruoxue did not give up, and sarcastically said to Shi Anran: "Aiya, some people are really funny, I thought that you flew up the tree branches and became a phoenix, in the end, you are also a hairless chicken, even if you flew up, you would fall down and die!"

    Seeing Shi Anran not saying anything, Li Ruoxue felt extremely satisfied in her heart. Walking up to her, circling her a few steps, and repeatedly clicking her tongue, "It''s only that much, you''re not qualified to compete with big sister!"

    She merely wanted to enrage Shi Anran and play some tricks when the emperor came out. Unfortunately, she seemed to have made a mistake in her plans, because Shi Anran seemed to not have heard anything at the moment.

    "Shi Anran, are you deaf or are you dumb? I''m talking to you!" Li Ruoxue pushed her, but she did not know that behind Shi Anran was the stage.

    Seeing that Shi Anran was about to roll down, Li Ruoxue opened her eyes wide to look at this scene. She only wanted to teach Shi Anran a lesson, but she didn''t want to kill her.

    In a split-second, Xiang Rongcheng held onto Shi Anran''s waist with one hand, and the two of them steadily stood back, after which they coldly looked at Li Ruoxue, "Why did you push her?"

    "I... It''s not like I did it on purpose! " Li Ruoxue paused for a moment, then opened her mouth and said. The Xiang Family was a loyal subject for generations, and the current Young General was also someone that the Emperor highly valued. No one wanted to offend such a person.

    Li Ruolan saw that the matter was not going to end well, so she laughed and said, "What did the young general make such a big fuss about? It''s just that there''s been some awkwardness between sister and sister. "

    Imperial Noble Consort Lan is pregnant.

    It was just a little bit of awkwardness, but in her previous life, Shi Anran was rolling on the floor until he bled, and in the end she could only endure and pass by, but this time, don''t even think about it бн

    "What happened?" At this time, the Emperor had already walked out.

    Shi Anran was his maid, so she naturally had to return to the emperor''s side. Her limping steps were extremely painful to look at, so the emperor''s eyes flashed as he asked in concern, "What happened to her leg?"

    "Your majesty, Anran is fine!" She replied in a soft voice.

    Xiu Er, who had been standing quietly at the side, opened her mouth and said: "It was obviously because of Young General Li. If it wasn''t for Young General Li, I''m afraid Master would have already tumbled down the stone steps."

    Hearing that, the emperor''s eyes became gloomy. He still had not cleared up the matter regarding Lin An city, so he was not happy. "Without my orders, who would have allowed you to come here?"

    Under her sister''s pale white expression, Li Ruolan hurriedly knelt down and begged, "Reporting to the Emperor, it was chenqie who had her younger sister come here. It was really she who was depressed and wanted to talk about family matters with her younger sister. It was all chenqie''s fault!"

    "It is indeed your fault!" The emperor''s cold eyes swept across the place, just as he was thinking about how to deal with Li Ruoxue, he saw Imperial Noble Consort Lan clutching her stomach and wailing.

    Li Ruoxue quickly supported her sister, and a few palace maids surrounded him: "Empress, are you alright, Empress?"

    "Your Majesty, chenqie''s abdominal pain is unbearable бн" After she said that sentence with great difficulty, Imperial Noble Consort Lan fainted. This matter had also occurred because of him fainting all of a sudden.

    It was only around dusk that Li Ruolan finally woke up. She looked in a daze at where she stood, and weakly asked: "Where is this place?"

    "This is the Palace!" The Emperor would never leave any woman to spend the night here, but she was the first of the three.

    Li Ruolan struggled to get up, but was stopped by the emperor, and said gently: "Since you are pregnant, why didn''t you inform us?"

    "What?" Your concubine is pregnant? " At this moment, Li Ruolan was so overjoyed that she nearly jumped up from the bed, but when she thought of the dragon in her stomach, she could only endure her impulse. She grabbed the emperor''s arm and gently said, "Your concubine has the emperor''s child now бн" The emperor was naturally overjoyed, she had long thrown the matter of Shi Anran to the back of her mind, and only focused on being warm with the Imperial Noble Consort Lan.

    This news had spread throughout the entire palace, and only Shi Anran had a look of worry. Since Imperial Noble Consort Lan was pregnant at this time, did that mean that the following matter was about to happen? She raised her eyes to the full moon outside the window, and her gaze gradually lost focus.

    "Aunt, it''s not early yet. It''s time to rest!" Cui Yun helped her collect all the books on the table.

    After hearing that, Shi Anran gradually came back to reality as she was inexplicably lost in thought.

    On the morning assembly the next day, news of Third Prince receiving praise from the citizens in the south spread. The emperor happily praised them a few times, saying that Third Prince was not a useless person. Shi Anran was also relieved. At least this man had not disappointed him even now.

 C108

    If this matter was done well, it would definitely improve Third Prince''s perspective in the Emperor''s heart. Only, this way, it would push him to the heart of the struggle, and Li Mu didn''t know whether it would be good for him or not, or the outcome would be bad.

    In the afternoon, the emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao were taking a walk in the imperial garden. I heard that the emperor was very good to the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao as well, and it was she who spoke up last time at the storage palace. From then on, Shi Anran had a good impression of this Imperial Noble Consort Zhao, but none of the people in the palace were simple people, so no matter who it was, they had to be on guard against them, and so when she thought about it, she just smiled faintly.

    "I heard that the emperor has a maid who''s very skilled at making tea. Is that you?" The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao looked at Shi Anran with a smile. Her smile carried a sense of elegance, making people feel warm just by looking at her.

    Shi Anran took a step forward, and answered politely: "Yes, Anran pays her respects to Imperial Concubine!"

    "You''re obviously a smart girl. With you by the side of the emperor, I''m relieved!" The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao said in an elegant manner.

    Shi Anran quietly brewed tea, with every gesture, she had the demeanor of a lady from a noble family.

    "Your majesty, now that Little Sister Lan has a son of the dragon, the emperor should spend more time with her!" Imperial Noble Consort Zhao said with concern.

    After hearing her reminder, the emperor recalled, "It''s still my beloved concubine who knows all too well about my heart!"

    After the emperor left, the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao looked deeply at Shi Anran and said, "The people of the palace can be said to be plotting everywhere. I heard about what happened a few days ago. "In the future, if you have any troubles within the palace, you can rely on this item to find me within the palace."

    Hearing that, Shi Anran received the jade pendant, and quickly reacted: "Anran thanks the imperial concubine for her good will!" So the palace that Third Prince had said would have someone helping her, it turned out to be the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao. What was the relationship between the two of them? Thinking about it, Shi Anran''s heart also did not know how to react.

    "You don''t need to think too much. This is a secret between you and me, I believe Miss Anran understands what I mean, right?" Imperial Noble Consort Zhao said with a gentle voice.

    Shi Anran''s eyes were clear as water, she nodded: "Anran understands!"

    "What a sensible child!" No wonder the Third Prince was worried. Then, she continued, "Take care of everything, especially the people around you. Of course, you can trust me completely."

    As someone from the Third Prince s, she naturally could trust him. Shi Anran said this silently in her heart.

    Imperial Noble Consort Lan, who was already arrogant enough in the past, now that she had a prince in her stomach, it could be said that she held the limelight. Everywhere she went, she would bring a long string of palace maids and guards with him.

    On this day, Shi Anran had once again returned to the storage palace. She had received the orders from the emperor to pick out the Consort Candidate s that would be sleeping tonight, which made it difficult for her to choose.

    "Mistress, if Mistress had not been a maidservant then, she would probably be a concubine of the harem now!" Xiu Er unintentionally said.

    Shi Anran gently said in a gentle voice, "Actually, what does it matter if you become master? "It would be better to be more comfortable like this бн" There were so many concubines in the emperor, and they all needed to be showered with rain and dew before they could be reborn. Sometimes, it would be better for them to just be ordinary people living their lives. However, Shi Anran was different. After she was reborn, she knew that she would not be ordinary again in this life.

    "Greetings, aunt!" The Consort Candidate all saluted in unison.

    Only Li Ruoxue stood at the door with her arms crossed, and said with a smile that did not reach her eyes: "What wind blew our Aunt Anran over here?"

    Shi Anran did not bother with her rudeness, and said to the Consort Candidate: "Tonight, the Emperor will choose one of you to serve."

    Before she could finish her words, Li Ruoxue had already jumped up: "Is what you said true?"

    "Young Master Li, Anran cannot afford to bear the crime of falsely passing down an imperial decree бн" The meaning behind her words was true.

    In an instant, all the Consort Candidate s returned to their rooms and started to tidy up and dress up. Some of them even stuffed treasures that they had brought from outside the palace into Shi Anran''s hands, but they were all politely rejected by Shi Anran.

    Hong Ling walked forward shyly, and only after a long time did she say a single sentence. "Big sister Anran, my family is poor, so I don''t have anything to give you бн"

    Towards Hong Ling, Shi Anran still had a good impression of her, she just felt that this woman was not as simple as it seemed, ever since she first appeared in Consort Candidate''s team, she had already suspected her.

    The corner of Shi Anran''s mouth slightly curved upwards, "Hong Ling, sometimes things are not as easy as you think they are. The higher you climb, the more people would target you."

    Hearing this, Hong Ling was so anxious that she was about to cry. "Big sister Anran, I know that you''re a kind-hearted person and Hong Ling doesn''t want to die of old age in the palace forever.

    Shi Anran only looked at the young lady in front of him with a calm expression. There were specks of light in her eyes, as she attempted to use her grief to obtain the sympathy of others, but unfortunately, Shi Anran was not a merciful and soft-hearted person. She straightforwardly answered: "Hong Ling, I cannot make a decision on this matter, it all depends on the drawing of lots!"

    Hong Ling''s eyes were red as she watched her back. Shi Anran did not have the slightest bit of sympathy as she turned around and sat on the soft chair. Consort Candidate, who was trying to curry her favor, had already served her tea and snacks.

    Why would the Emperor hand this matter over to Shi Anran? Li Ruoxue clenched her teeth as she looked at her with hatred, feeling extremely depressed and unreconciled in her heart. Her sister had said that she would definitely help her, but she had not heard any news of her at all, it was truly worrying to death.

    When the time was right, Shi Anran ordered Xiu Er to bring the prepared lots, and after fiddling with them in front of all the Consort Candidate, he gently said: "Every young master who draws a bamboo stick, only one of the bamboo sticks has words on it, whoever draws it will be able to sleep tonight."

    As a result, under the excited emotions of the Consort Candidate s, the Imperial Noble Consort Lan walked over slowly under the escort of the palace maids: "Those who choose to sleep, why hasn''t anyone come to inform me?" As she spoke, she shot a cold glance at Shi Anran.

    Under Li Ruolan''s gaze, the palace maid walked over and took the lot from Xiu Er''s hands: "Leave this matter to me!"

    Shi Anran slightly nodded her head to indicate her permission before letting go. It seemed that there were many things that one could not avoid just because they wanted to change their mind.

    "I got it, I got it!" Li Ruoxue''s joyous laughter broke the silence in front of them, and the s sighed in grief. If Li Ruoxue became their concubine, their future life would probably not be easy.

    This was already within his expectations. With the Imperial Noble Consort Lan coming out personally, how could she fail? Shi Anran smiled slightly: "Congratulations, young master Li. Please follow me now!"

    The Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s lips curved up in a satisfied smile. After glancing at the storage palace indifferently, she left in a formidable array.

    Along the way, compared to Li Ruoxue''s excitement and unease, Shi Anran was also immersed in her own emotions. In her previous life, she had been tortured by the Li sisters to the point that she was about to die.

 C109

    "Shi Anran, actually, you''re not that hateful. As long as you''re willing to admit your wrongs to me obediently, I can guarantee that I won''t cause you any more trouble in the future."

    Li Ruoxue was in a good mood, seeing that Shi Anran was not that bad looking, she said something that even she would not believe.

    If it was the pure and kind Shi Anran in her previous life, he would have fallen for her eyes long ago. She would be so happy that she would say "yes" repeatedly, but it was a pity that the current her could not be compared to the past anymore.

    After hearing what she said, Shi Anran did not plan to take it, but after glancing at her with an indifferent gaze, she said lightly: "Young Master Li, quickly leave. There will be many things you will have to tell me later! "Don''t be late."

    Li Ruoxue, who had never liked to be ordered around by others, suddenly obeyed for some reason. As she thought about what would happen next, her face reddened, as if she had the flirtatious attitude of a girl. Following behind Shi Anran, he slowly stepped onto the long stone steps in front of him.

    Watching Li Ruoxue being led away by Elder Zhao, the corners of Shi Anran''s lips curled up slightly. With a slight smile on her face, his graceful figure slowly turned around and left. Xiu Er who was behind her could not help but be dumbstruck, as if the person in front of her was not the emperor''s maid, but an honorable controller.

    Based on Li Ruoxue''s personality, she was already so arrogant when she was still a Consort Candidate, how could she be let go after becoming a master? However, after having the memories of her previous life, Shi Anran didn''t feel the slightest bit of fear.

    "Aunt, something happened!" Just as Shi Anran fell asleep, she heard Cui Yun''s voice.

    She opened her tent, stuck her head out and softly asked, "What''s wrong?"

    "Young Master Li angered the emperor, and the emperor ordered someone to kick him out while he was still untidy. This servant heard several sisters say that the emperor was displeased by the fragrance on Young Master Li''s body!"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran replied indifferently, and said: This is not something we should be concerned about, I am only in charge of bringing the person over. No need to think too much about it, go rest! " Shi Anran knew the reason for this matter. The Emperor had once doted upon a concubine, and it was said that the concubine was good at mixing various spices, while Li Ruoxue had untactfully used the same type of spice as the concubine tonight. Presumably, this idea was coming from her good elder sister, right? Now that she had slapped her own clan''s face, Li Ruoxue would probably be more cautious and wary of Li Ruolan in the future, right?

    Early the next morning, news of Hong Ling being bestowed the title of noble spread. In comparison to the astonishment of the crowd, Shi Anran was extremely calm, as if all the news did not attract her attention.

    Xiu Er, however, sighed with some pity. "If Master hadn''t become the emperor''s maid, he might have also become the empress dowager by now." Master is not worse than Li Ruoxue or Hong Ling! On the contrary, their looks, etiquette, character, and intelligence were all much higher than theirs.

    "Xiu Er, I don''t want to hear it again!" No matter if she was saying it unintentionally or not, Shi Anran didn''t like those words.

    Xiu Er bowed her head in apology: "This humble servant spoke too much, master, please calm your anger."

    "Never mind, you can withdraw for now. I''ll go see if the Emperor has any orders in a bit!" Since the Emperor did not go to the morning assembly today, then the Third Prince should be coming back by now.

    Hong Ling was dressed in beautiful silk clothes, and upon seeing Shi Anran from afar, she ran over, "Sister Anran, Hong Ling is now a noble person too!"

    "Congratulations, lord Ling!" Shi Anran gently and courteously blessed himself.

    "What is Sister Anran doing? Why do sisters need to perform such a great ceremony?" Hong Ling personally held her up with a bright smile on her face. It was not hard to see that after Hong Ling''s wish was fulfilled, she became much more confident than before.

    It had to be said that Hong Ling was also a rare beauty. A brilliant and pure luster flashed through her beautiful eyes that were like water and like the moon. In this life, Shi Anran had never thought of becoming close friends with anyone, so how could Hong Ling possibly trust him?

    Honorable Ling is already a nobleman, so he should be like a lord. To address a maid like this, I''m afraid that it would be too much of a waste of time!

    Hong Ling pursed her lips, "Are there so many rules? The Emperor even said this morning that he would allow me to spare myself so much courtesy! "

    "Alright, noble Ling should go rest now бн"

    Hearing this, Hong Ling''s face reddened, shyly lowering her eyes. "Then big sister Anran, I''ll go first. When I''m free, I''ll talk to big sister at the Palace to relieve my boredom."

    Looking at Hong Ling''s back as she walked far away, Shi Anran felt as if she could see her shadow on her body all those years ago.

    "Shi Anran you slut, stop right there!" Li Ruoxue roared from behind.

    She came, and Shi Anran turned to look at her indifferently, "Little Lord Li, this is the entrance of the main hall of the Palace, I hope that you will take note of your words and actions."

    Li Ruoxue''s face became increasingly ugly, "You want to use your status to pressure me? Let me tell you, as long as I tell my sister, you won''t even be able to stay in the Imperial Palace.

    "Please do as you please, Young Master Li!" Shi Anran said in a soft and gentle voice.

    "Let''s see how long you can continue being so arrogant!" Li Ruoxue was furious, she walked over and slapped her in the face.

    You still want to hit her? Shi Anran held onto those two hands with one hand and exerted some force through her five fingers, causing Li Ruoxue to immediately frown in pain: "You bitch, let go of me!"

    Shi Anran shook off her hand, her gaze still maintaining the gentleness from before as she said gently, "Let''s not talk about why you didn''t bow when you saw me, even if it''s the crime of insulting an aunt, it''s enough for the emperor to drive you out of the palace. Do you know why I didn''t do that?" This was because she hadn''t had enough fun yet. She hadn''t even seen how one or two of them were in such a miserable state. How could they let her leave so easily?

    Li Ruoxue clenched her teeth as she held onto her red wrist, and stared fiercely at Shi Anran, as if she wanted to use the anger in his eyes to burn her to ashes.

    The corner of Shi Anran''s mouth formed a faint smile, then, with a brush of her sleeves, she turned and walked out. She did not even look at them, nor did she care how ugly the curses of the people behind him were.

    Looking at the rows of ministers walking up the stairs, Shi Anran quietly stood at the corner. She knew that Li Mu must have returned at this moment, and he must have done a very good job.

    "What are you doing hiding here, woman?" Xiang Rongcheng suddenly patted her shoulder, scaring Shi Anran away, stepping on the back of his feet.

    It was clearly just a light stomp, yet Xiang Rongcheng seemed to have received quite a heavy injury. He sucked in a breath of cold air. It was really the most venomous thing in the world, how could Anran be so heartless? Do you really want to kill me? "

    "Young Master Xiang has overestimated a little girl like me. Where did Anran get that much ability to touch Young Master Xiang?" Shi Anran said in a bad mood. Just as she was about to leave, he was stopped.

 C110

    "Are you waiting for the Third Prince?" He didn''t know why, but it was obvious that he already had the answer to this question in his heart. When he really said it out loud, Xiang Rongcheng felt extremely uncomfortable.

    Shi Anran raised her eyes and looked at him for a good while before opening her mouth slightly: "Since Young Master Xiang knows, then why are you asking for trouble? The young general was right, Anran was here to see the Third Prince. I wonder if he has lost weight after going to the south for so many days! "

    What''s it got to do with you if he gets thinner or fatter? This sentence was stuck in Xiang Rongcheng''s throat, when he opened his mouth to say it, he realized that he could not utter a single word, and only after a long while did he squeeze out a word from between his teeth: "Do you really have to use this kind of tone to speak to me?"

    "What kind of tone does the young general mean?" Shi Anran pretended to be stupid, her smile was appropriate, and she did not know whether she was happy or angry.

    "Shi Anran, you have no conscience!" Xiang Rongcheng, who had said those words in the end, looked at the woman in front of him with an aggrieved expression.

    Shi Anran scoffed, and did not say another word. After maintaining a certain distance from him, she no longer looked at him, but continued to search for Li Mu''s figure within the crowd. Unfortunately, she could not find him even after a long time.

    Xiang Rongcheng clenched his teeth, became angry in his heart, and said depressingly: "You don''t need to look for it, Third Prince was ambushed on the way back, and is still lying in his mansion!"

    "Third Prince is injured. How are you?" Shi Anran asked urgently.

    "He won''t die бн" Xiang Rongcheng continued to spit out these three words with gritted teeth.

    Shi Anran''s heart tightened, she turned around and walked back the way she came. Xiang Rongcheng called her a few times, but she did not reply. After muttering a few curses, he secretly cursed herself, why would she tell her about this when she had nothing to do?

    The emperor and the other officials were still praising Third Prince for not disappointing his expectations, but no one had thought to go and see how his injuries were. Thinking about it, Shi Anran let out a light sigh, thinking that this Third Prince was probably just a pitiful person like her. Right now, she actually felt that they were on par with each other. They were both lonely people who had reached the end of their road and lived a life filled with scheming and bloodshed. Compared to that, Xiang Rongcheng could simply be described as simple.

    After the Minister left, the Emperor took a deep breath and put it down, as if he was thinking about something. The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao took the tea from Shi Anran''s hand and passed it over to him, then asked gently, "Is the emperor troubled about something?"

    The Emperor gave a faint smile and didn''t speak. He put the paper roll to the side and held Imperial Noble Consort Zhao''s hand. "Third brother has done meritorious service this time. What rewards does Imperial Consort think we should give him?"

    "Your majesty, chenqie is only a woman, how would she understand these things?" The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao said in a gentle and soft voice.

    "I think it''s better if we go and see him!" As he thought about it, the emperor turned his head and swept his gaze towards Shi Anran. "Go and prepare some things, I want to personally pay a visit to the Third Prince!"

    Shi Anran bowed: "Anran understands!"

    When the emperor''s carriage arrived at the Third Prince''s palace, the crown prince and the others had already arrived a step earlier. Li Gan bowed and said, "This son pays his respects to royal father!"

    "How is Ol ''Three?" Seeing the tightly shut door, the emperor''s brow creased slightly, as if he was truly worried about something.

    Li Gan lowered his eyes slightly, "The imperial physician has been inside for quite a while, I haven''t heard any news yet!"

    After the inconspicuous Shi Anran handed over the precious supplements she brought to the butler, they were forgotten in a corner. Everyone was only concerned about the Third Prince.

    The imperial palace had matters to attend to so they left, leaving Shi Anran here to guard and order her to report the situation when she returned. Shi Anran naturally readily agreed.

    After about two hours, the door slowly opened. The servant girl brought out a basin of blood-red water. The sight of it was shocking. Shi Anran could not help but crease her eyebrows, how heavy was his injury after losing so much blood?

    In order to avoid contact with others, Shi Anran stood under the eaves of the house. At this time, most of them had already left, but the crown prince, Li Gan, had still been waiting for them.

    "How is third brother?" Li Gan asked anxiously.

    The imperial physician wiped the sweat off his forehead and spoke sincerely: "Third Prince had weighed two arrows, and one arrow had almost pierced through his heart veins. This official has already treated Third Prince''s wounds, I''m afraid that he will need a few months to recuperate in bed."

    Hearing this, the ninth prince laughed mockingly, "Big brother, I said it like this, who let him steal big brother''s contribution, this time you want to teach him a lesson?"

    "Ninth Brother, shut up!" Li Gan shot a glance at him, as if he was slightly displeased with the Ninth Prince''s words.

    The Ninth Prince shrugged his shoulders with a nonchalant expression: "If Big Brother wants to go in and see him, then go. Ninth Brother is going to leave!" After the crown prince stayed in the room for a while and saw that Li Mu still had not woken up, he left a few words behind and then left.

    Shi Anran gently pushed the door open and entered the room, she looked at the pale white face of the man on the bed, even though his entire body was covered in wounds, his face was still extremely handsome. Seeing that he was injured so badly, Shi Anran started to suspect if she was too decisive in sending him to the south. If not, maybe he wouldn''t have been hurt.

    The moment this thought appeared in her mind, it was quickly tossed to the back of her mind. Furthermore, Li Mu was born with a meticulous and meticulous train of thought, who knows if this injury was caused by someone else, or if he did it on purpose. Thinking about it, Shi Anran didn''t even have that bit of sympathy anymore.

    An hour later, Li Mu slowly opened his eyes, which were met with a pair of eyes that were as clear as a stream of water. The four eyes shifted their gazes away from Shi Anran first, and said indifferently: "Third Prince, you''re awake?"

    "At this time, I''m afraid you are the only one who will come and see me бн" Li Mu coughed a few times, affecting the wound, and the pain made him frown slightly.

    Shi Anran brought the half-cold medicine on the table over and said warmly: "This is the medicine that the imperial doctors have just brewed. Drink it first!"

    Seeing that she was so calm that he looked abnormal, Li Mu frowned, and laughed bitterly: "Anran, you don''t think that I was the one who did this?"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran looked at him with a demure expression. After a long while, her lips slowly parted. "Why would Third Prince think that way?"

    "That''s what your expression tells me." Li Mu said with a smile that was not a smile. His pale white face was still as gentle as ever, but the glint in those eyes made no one dare to underestimate him.

    Shi Anran smiled faintly, and did not say anything more. After a while, Li Mu asked: "Did royal father make you stay here?"

    As expected, nothing could be hidden from him. Looks like this Third Prince was far more scheming than he had imagined. Shi Anran muttered in her heart, but didn''t even flinch as she replied, "The emperor is also worried about your injuries!"

    Li Mu swept a glance at the gentle looking Shi Anran. He did not understand why the woman was still calm and collected even at this point of time. Was there anything in this world that could change her mood?

    "Anran, how are you doing in the palace?"

    However, she just wanted to ask if anything had happened to her recently. Shi Anran lowered her eyes, and said with a calm voice. "Other than the addition of a new noble, there''s nothing special about the Emperor."

 C111

    "Mm бн" Li Mu replied, and said: "The disaster in the south has been solved, and at the same time, we have garnered the hearts of the people. Anran, how do you know that I will definitely be able to successfully pass through this? "

    Was he referring to the flood? As the future Son of Heaven, if she was unable to do such a thing, Shi Anran would definitely doubt her judgement in choosing people. Of course, she would not easily say these words out loud.

    "Anran naturally believes in the Third Prince''s strength. Now it can be seen that Anran''s gamble this time is correct!"

    The corner of Li Mu''s lips slowly curled up, carrying a hint of a smile that spoke with an unknown meaning, as a slight trace of calculation appeared on his deep facial features: "What do you think royal father will decide at this moment?"

    "Firstly, the Third Prince does not have much of a position in the dynasty, and secondly, although the crown prince is somewhat clever, but in the end, he was still unable to compare to the wisdom of the Third Prince. Furthermore, this trip to the south could not prove anything. Let alone the Emperor, even the ministers and princes in the capital thought that the Third Prince was just lucky.

    Her words could be said to hit right into Li Mu''s heart, and he became even more interested in her: "You''re right, just based on this matter alone, it doesn''t mean anything, so, what do you think I should do from now on?"

    Shi Anran turned around and sat on the chair. After thinking about it for a while, she said seriously: "I heard that Young General unintentionally mention that he might be fighting with an enemy country in the near future, and that the food in the treasury is almost used up by the time we head south. If two armies were to fight, there would definitely not be enough food for the time being. If the Third Prince''s food could be used at that time, then it would solve the urgent problem.

    "Anran, you really are a god sent by the heavens to gift me a noble person! A foresight that does not lose to any man or advisor! " Li Mu was overjoyed, as if he had already forgotten that he was still wounded.

    Shi Anran laughed disapprovingly, and said slowly: "Third Prince is flattering me. However бн Why did the Third Prince trust Anran so easily? " What she said was indeed very convincing and she believed it herself. However, it wasn''t easy for Li Mu to believe her.

    "When I first saw Anran, I felt that she was different from the masses, moreover... I also want to take a gamble. " It was rare for Li Mu to have such a deep smile on her face, but he quickly asked back, "Then Anran better explain it well, and why did you offer to help me at that time?"

    Shi Anran laughed but did not say a word. Could it be that he wanted to tell him that she already knew of this, and also knew of what would happen in the future? If these words were spoken, no one would believe it, right?

    "What if I say that from the very first time we met the Third Prince, Anran felt that the Third Prince was not an object within a pool? I don''t know how much more you can trust in this sentence, Your Highness. "

    The two of them had different thoughts. Third Imperial Consort Qi Siyan knocked on the door and walked in. However, she quickly concealed it and walked over with a smile. "Your Highness, you''ve finally woken up. You''ve caused chenqie to worry for a long time!"

    Li Mu caressed her long hair and comforted her softly: "Love, no need to worry, it''s only a small wound!" It hadn''t been long since he was injured one after another, so Qi Siyan''s heart naturally ached for him.

    Seeing how the two of them were acting, Shi Anran bowed respectfully and said lightly: "Since Third Prince is awake, then we shall not disturb Third Prince and his wife''s love, Anran will return to the palace to report to the Emperor."

    It turned out to be the person sent by the Emperor to visit His Highness. After hearing what was said, Qi Siyan''s face became a little more refined as she smiled sweetly, "Thank you, your majesty, for your concern!"

    After Shi Anran slightly nodded her head, she left in all seriousness. On the way back, he felt unsettled.

    The palanquin slowly walked forward, shaking Shi Anran until she was drowsy.

    After a hissing sound, Shi Anran suddenly woke up. Just at this time, a carriage came out from somewhere and crashed into them.

    The few people carrying the palanquin were already fleeing in fear, but Shi Anran was still sitting inside, in a daze, as if she had not realised what was happening.

    At that moment, a silver sword came out of its scabbard and swept across the roof of the carriage. Then, a pair of powerful arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her up.

    "Phew бн" When Shi Anran saw all of this, besides being shocked, he also slowly heaved a sigh of relief. After feeling the tight chest behind her back, she inexplicably felt at ease. This scene was almost exactly the same as the one before. The mad horse, the stunned her and the timely Xiang Rongcheng.

    Xiang Rongcheng could not help but curse in a low voice, holding her waist and firmly landing on the ground, he turned to look at the palanquin and the mad horse, he was silent for a moment, then asked: "Who wants to kill you?"

    "I don''t know." This time, she was truly at a loss. Looking at the man who appeared in time to her, regardless of the danger she was in, she suddenly felt a faint sense of heartache and reliance.

    "Anran, I hope you can understand that staying by his side is of no benefit to you! When you came out of Third Prince''s residence earlier, you were already targeted by others. I advise you to stay away from him in the future! " Xiang Rongcheng was not just saying this out of jealousy, she was simply trying to remind her.

    Shi Anran looked into his eyes for a while, then suddenly pouted and smiled, and replied: "Young General has saved me several times, Anran really cannot thank you enough!"

    "You know, I don''t want your thanks!" Xiang Rongcheng frowned. He only wanted an affirmative answer.

    Her heart tensed up, Shi Anran felt that it was a little strange, she forced herself to remain calm, and then she slowly opened her mouth: "Why is the Young General so stubborn?"

    Xiang Rongcheng said calmly: "I''m not persistent, Shi Anran, you think too highly of me. It''s just that I want to do it. "

    It''s just that I want to do it...

    When she came back to her senses, Shi Anran then pretended to be relaxed and said, "It is already late, Anran is still rushing back to report to the Emperor. Anran will repay Young General for saving his life another day!"

    With that, she walked forward, her heart also puzzled over what had just happened. Just who was it that wanted to deal with her?

    Only after watching Shi Anran''s figure gradually disappear from his sight did Xiang Rongcheng retract his gaze, called out to the shadow beside him, and said in a low voice: "Go and check what happened just now, and see exactly who did it." He would definitely not allow anyone to have any designs on Anran.

    Xiang Rongcheng stood firmly in place, his gaze deep and profound. After a long while, he smiled bitterly, and every time he appeared and saved Shi Anran, it was not a coincidence, but he had been paying careful attention to this whole time. Shi Anran said that he would repay Shi Anran for saving his life another day, but after saving him with his life so many times, how could Shi Anran not be grateful? He was afraid that he would only be able to accept it if he gave it to him.

 C112

    After returning, Shi Anran told everyone about the matters of the Third Prince, and a few eunuchs who carried the palanquin knelt in front of the entrance of the Palace while trembling, "Please punish us, Aunt!" Shi Anran didn''t say anything to the emperor regarding this matter, which saved their lives.

    Xiu Er glanced outside the window, and turned around to say: "Master, what do you think they are doing? Do you want to beg for forgiveness? "

    Shi Anran drank his tea without batting an eyelid, and as sshe drank the tea, his movements were graceful and dignified. After hearing what was said, he gave a quick glance at the tea, then ignored them: "Get them all to leave, don''t disturb my tranquility!"

    "What are you still standing there for? Aunt said to tell you to leave as soon as possible!" Xiu Er said unhappily.

    The four eunuchs looked at each other in the face but still kowtowed and admitted their mistake, "Please punish me, Aunt!"

    "It''s useless to punish you. This matter has nothing to do with you. If you don''t want to cause more trouble, don''t bring it up again." Shi Anran slowly walked out, her expression clear and indifferent, and one could not tell what her feelings were, but her noble attitude made her feel even more respect.

    "Aunt, are you really going to let us off scot-free?" After all, they had left their duties without permission at that time. If the emperor were to find out, he would lose his life and probably implicate his family. Who wouldn''t be worried?

    Sweeping her eyes over the thorny branches on their backs, Shi Anran''s expression was faintly gentle, and then she slowly said: "If you really want to be punished, then cut off one of your arms. In any case, you don''t have to carry palanquins anymore. "How about it?" Seeing that everyone was quiet, Shi Anran laughed coldly: What''s wrong? Do I have to ask for punishment? If I really want to punish them, then it will be even more cruel than what any of you would think. "

    It was not wrong for her to fear death, Shi Anran was also a person who was afraid of death. Otherwise, why would she cling onto Third Prince and use him as support to slowly climb up the stairs step by step?

    "Go back, then forget everything that happened today."

    "Yes, Aunt."

    The emperor had invited a few concubines to speak with him in the garden, and among them was the most favoured person, Honorable Ling. She was probably the first to be conferred the title of Honglin.

    Shi Anran didn''t know whether Hong Ling was really stupid or was too naive, she looked at the little bug inside the cup of tea that was thrown in, and couldn''t help but remind her: "This cup of Venerable Ling''s tea is too dirty, why not change it to a cup to drink?"

    "Mn, thank you, Anran!" Hong Ling held onto a plate of fruits as she ate, not forgetting to feed them to the Emperor.

    Li Ruolan had an indifferent expression on her face, but in truth, she was already unhappy in her heart. When she had entered the palace, she had only been chosen by the emperor a year or so ago, yet this girl had turned into a noble person. Was it possible that in a few days, someone would take over her position as imperial concubine? As she thought about it, Li Ruolan started to grow more and more anxious.

    "Your majesty, chenqie learned a new tune and then played it for Your majesty!" Li Ruolan gently opened her mouth and said.

    The emperor was talking to Hong Ling, but after hearing her words, he only slightly nodded his head and didn''t say anything else. Suddenly, Li Ruolan sucked in a breath of cold air, as she held onto her currently flat lower abdomen. "Your Majesty, chenqie suddenly feels an endless amount of abdominal pain, and will allow chenqie to leave first!"

    "Since my beloved concubine is pregnant, we should rest in her chambers more often. Men, send Imperial Noble Consort Lan back first!"

    Li Ruolan was unwilling in her heart, but she was helpless. She felt that to her, this was an unprecedented humiliation. She pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "Chenqie will take her leave."

    "I''ll come over to see you in a while!" After she had taken two steps, the Emperor said another sentence in a gentle tone.

    After being chased out by the Emperor the last time, not only was Li Ruoxue unable to remain at ease, she became even more arrogant, and started to wantonly insult Shi Anran from behind.

    With regards to her childish tricks, Shi Anran only treated her as an idiot. If she liked to curse, then scold, and it''s not like she would lose a piece of flesh. However, there was a saying, disaster comes from the mouth, Li Ruoxue would definitely suffer a loss sooner or later, why did she have to make a move so early?

    "Mistress, you are my aunt. Young Master Li is cursing so harshly behind my back. Is Mistress going to let him continue scolding like this?" Xiu Er was furious for her.

    Hearing this, the corner of Shi Anran''s mouth curved slightly, as she unhurriedly opened her mouth and said: "Don''t tell me after being bitten by a mad dog, I still have to bite back?"

    "Slash бн" In the room, Cui Yun couldn''t help but laugh out loud. She thought to herself, this aunt had a very wide mouth, if not, her words would have angered him, if it were anyone else, they would have already responded back in anger.

    Xiu Er could not help but laugh as well, "Master is right, we should not get ourselves into such a mess by the time the time comes!"

    "Oh right, why are there so many soldiers in the palace today?" Shi Anran indifferently asked.

    Cui Yun took a step forward, placed the snacks in front of her, and said softly, "I heard that some city was occupied by the enemy, the Emperor is currently worrying about the various generals, and seems to be discussing a plan to retreat!"

    Looking at the dry and hot weather outside, Shi Anran got up and walked to the window. Looking into the distance, he said, "It should be about time бн"

    "What did aunt say?" Jadeite didn''t seem to understand and asked.

    Shi Anran smiled as she shook her head, "Today''s a very stuffy day. All of you shut your doors and windows tightly, and if some mosquitoes or ants were to crawl in, it would really get in the way!"

    After hearing that, the three of them closed the windows. Although they felt that it became a lot hotter like this, their aunt''s words seemed to make sense. Thinking about those disgusting worms crawling in, they all felt uncomfortable.

    In the afternoon, just when the sun was at its strongest, Shi Anran brewed a pot of fragrant tea, placed a few delicate plates of dessert, and brought the three people to the house to chat and laugh.

    But just when everyone was caught off guard, a bolt of lightning streaked across the clear sky. In the time it took to make half a cup of tea, a heavy rain of ice crystals that were the size of a thumb came roaring down along with the bolt of lightning. The center of Shi Anran''s brows slightly gathered, revealing a hint of worry.

    "Phew бн" This white rain has finally stopped after a day and a night! " Xiu Er patted her chest and took a deep breath, then said: "Master, I heard that all the flowers and plants in the palace have been destroyed, and all the farmland in the villages outside the city have been razed to the ground! Sigh! Master said that she was worried that there would be bugs coming in, so I''m afraid those bugs won''t be able to hide from this white rain, right? "

    Shi Anran''s heart slightly trembled, but she still asked in an extremely calm manner, "Has the Emperor said anything yet?"

    "The Emperor is furious. Right now, the army is about to set off, but they don''t have enough food. The people who were sent to collect the food have all returned empty-handed. All the ministers are panicking!"

    This time, Bai Yu''s attack was just too sudden, it was unknown how many innocent civilians were going to starve to death, Shi Anran closed her eyes tiredly, it was not that she did not want to help those people, it was just that she was powerless. Was she going to go out and tell everyone that she knew when there was going to be a rainstorm? She was afraid that before the disaster had arrived, she would have already been burned to death like a monster.

 C113

    "He''s usually good at talking, but why is he so quiet now?" The emperor''s solemn voice resounded in the silent great hall.

    This time, all the officials were quiet. All of the families had suffered under Bai Yu''s attack. If they stood out and spoke now, could it be that they wanted to reveal everything about their families? It was better to shut up now.

    "Crown Prince, what do you think?"

    Li Gan, who had been called out, stood up and cupped his hands: "royal father, this matter happened too suddenly, this son бн I don''t know what to do either. "

    He took a deep breath and slowly put it down. Afterwards, he slammed the table and stood up, "I don''t care what you discuss after you leave, but you have to give me a solution within three days. Otherwise, why would the imperial government raise you?"

    "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The storm was too sudden this time, and it just so happened to choose the day our troops set off for the war. This humble subject feels that there''s something fishy going on here!" One of the ministers stepped forward.

    The emperor''s gaze was dark. After a long time, he slowly asked, "What do you mean, beloved official?"

    "This humble subject heard that the enemy country has a Magus who specializes in witchcraft, so I boldly guessed that it was the enemy country who came up with this method to disrupt my morale!"

    This explanation was indeed the best one that they had come up with at the moment. Unfortunately, everything was just a psychological hint for them to shirk their responsibilities for this natural disaster.

    Shi Anran stood motionlessly beside the emperor and kept all of the expressions of the people below in her eyes. She couldn''t help but sneer.

    At this time, Li Mu, who had not fully recovered from his injuries, was already sitting on a horse carriage and hurrying towards the Imperial Palace. After finding out that what happened was exactly what Shi Anran had said, she had an extremely complicated feeling in her heart, but she was unable to put her finger on why.

    After the carriage slowly entered the imperial palace, Li Mu''s mouth raised into a confident smile.

    "Your Majesty, Third Prince requests an audience!" Eunuch Zhao shouted with a shrill voice.

    Hearing this, the emperor frowned, "Proclamation!"

    Li Mu''s injuries recovered a little after a few days, but the wound was too deep, so it was naturally impossible to quickly recover. At this moment, his face was still as pale as before, but it wasn''t as frightening as it was a few days ago. He walked in with large strides, cupped his hands, and said: "This son greets royal father!"

    "Why are you not recuperating in the manor? What are you doing here at this time?" The Emperor''s mood was somewhat unhappy, and his words were filled with a bit of chilliness.

    A few of the ministers could not help but mock him, wasn''t Third Prince here at a time like this?

    Thinking this way, the several ministers could not help but stand to the side, as if they were watching a show.

    "Father, this son heard about the matter of the entire capital being attacked by the white rain, so I rushed here in a hurry!" With that, he continued slowly, "A few days ago, I was thinking of gathering some food to send south. Now, with the war approaching, we are short of food and fodder. Therefore, this son thinks that we should look at the bigger picture, and put the rations into the army first! "

    When these words were spoken, the entire imperial court was deathly silent. There were those who were frightened, those who were disdainful, and even those who took in deep breaths.

    After the emperor heard this, he became silent at first, making it difficult for others to fathom his thoughts. Then, he laughed heartily, "Haha бн" "As expected of my prince, he has the demeanor of my youth!"

    This time, he also donated the rations to the great army for use first. Now, Third Prince was already standing on the edge of the blade, anyone could swing their sword and cut him down, was that really okay for him?

    Li Mu''s expression was very calm: "For this son to help royal father with his worries, it is truly an honor!"

    "Alright!" The Emperor walked down to him and patted Li Mu''s shoulder with his powerful palm. There was an unconcealable praise in his eyes, he nodded and said: "When my army returns in triumph, I will reward you heavily!"

    "This son does not dare to praise himself, it is good to be able to contribute to the army at this time!" After saying that, he turned to look at the officials, "I think all the ministers would be happy to extend their hands as well, right?"

    After Third Prince said this, all the officials felt a pang of pain, but they could only smile and admit their misfortune, and silently cursed in their hearts: Third Prince usually looks like he is playful and disrespectful, why is he so clever now? He even dragged them into the water бн

    In the study room, after discussing it with the Third Prince, the Emperor looked at his son again. It was as if he had always neglected the talent of the Third Prince.

    "Ol ''Three, you are a smart person. Father is old, so sooner or later, this domination of the rivers and mountains will be handed over to you brothers. Father only hopes that you two brothers can get along peacefully, do you understand what royal father means?"

    Li Mu slightly nodded his head and replied: "This son understands!" Everything has already been decided. It was at this time that Li Mu suddenly remembered Shi Anran''s words: "My life belongs to the heavens, so I have to rely on myself to walk the entire path."

    "Alright, you can leave now. There''s no need to go to court for the time being. Just stay here and recuperate!" The Emperor looked at him benevolently and said.

    Shi Anran guarded the outside. Although he did not know what they were discussing, she could guess what was going on. After all, the crown prince was the son of the empress, and his son had always inherited his father''s legacy. Compared to the other princes, the Third Prince was indeed more outstanding, and was also the most suitable place to become emperor. Even without Shi Anran''s suggestion, he had still walked step by step to the position that she wanted to climb. This was also the reason why Shi Anran chose him to be her backer.

    Shi Anran sent him out and said indifferently: "Royal father seems to value the crown prince more. Anran, why do you think so?" He had obviously done all these just to prove that he was stronger than the crown prince. Unfortunately, these things seemed to be insignificant in the eyes of his father.

    Knowing that he was not convinced, Shi Anran gently said: "Sometimes, many things look hard to change because the effort you have made is not enough. Third Prince, Anran thinks that you need to calm down now, because there is still a long way to go."

    Hearing this, Li Mu''s heart also became a bit more at ease. Seeing Shi Anran''s indifferent expression, his heart also calmed down, and between her brows, a hint of gentleness appeared: "Anran, with you helping me like this, I will naturally remember this in my heart.

    Shi Anran smiled faintly, but did not speak.

    When these words came out of Li Mu''s mouth, other than being shocked, there was also the question of whether she believed him or not. She and Li Mu both knew what the other wanted, so she didn''t need to guess to know that they were just putting on an act. Rather than saying that he was helping him ascend to the throne, what he was doing now was more like wanting the supreme throne. Only that position was the most honorable existence in her eyes.

 C114

    "There are too many people in the palace, so I won''t stay any longer. You better be careful! If you really meet with an unresolvable situation, go find the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao and she will help you! " Li Mu''s usually gentle eyes also carried a hint of complexity. When she saw Shi Anran''s clear and indifferent eyes, she also gradually calmed down along with her emotions.

    Shi Anran smiled sweetly, and said with a gentle voice. "Anran understands бн"

    Looking at Third Prince''s leaving figure, Shi Anran''s mind was filled with thoughts. The situation in front of her was complicated, so she was extremely anxious.

    Seeing that there were a few young palace maids looking over at him, Shi Anran regained her senses and hurried back to her room.

    Seeing her return, Xiu Er ran over: "Master, you''re back. Her Majesty had just sent someone to invite aunty over! "

    "Alright, I''ll be there shortly!" Why would the Emperor look for her at such a time? The imperial court was not peaceful these days. Every night, the emperor would review the imperial reports until deep into the night. Naturally, she would accompany him. Occasionally, with her sharp eyes, she could see what was written on the paper. In the eyes of the emperor, the crown prince was the best choice. To the people who disagreed with him, they would naturally be displeased, and every time the emperor saw this kind of paper, he would let out a displeased snort. In addition, there were many different opinions on the Third Prince and the crown prince in the imperial court. Some supported the crown prince, while some thought that the Third Prince was actually quite good. It was a good thing that Third Prince was recuperating in the palace at this time. Otherwise, according to the Emperor''s temper, he would probably vent his anger on him again. Could it be that the Emperor wants to discuss the Third Prince''s matter?

    Shi Anran entered the room and called Cui Yun to help her change her clothes. Seeing Cui Yun''s serious look with her head lowered, Shi Anran suddenly thought of something, "Oh right, Cu Yu, you should take these silver. With that, Shi Anran took out quite a bit of silver from his bag and placed it in her hands.

    Seeing that, Cui Yun was overwhelmed: "Aunt, all of this is the emperor''s monthly allowance to Aunt, if this servant took Aunt''s food, what would I eat?"

    "How can I not be full in the palace? "Don''t worry, I don''t need money right now." Shi Anran patted the back of her hand, "Hurry up and accept them. Tomorrow, I will be at the palace for three months. The emperor has given him permission to visit her at home.

    Cui Yun bit her lips, and with a plop, she kneeled down. Tears flickered in her eyes, and she sobbed: "Auntie''s favor, this slave cannot repay you. From today onwards, I am willing to serve Aunt wholeheartedly!"

    "Alright, alright. Quickly get up!" Shi Anran gently looked at the little girl in front of her. Yi Yue was not by her side, and there was no one she could trust, so she had to cultivate someone she could trust in the palace. Xiu Er was a little quick-witted, but her mouth was a little open. She was the best choice.

    From afar, when Shi Anran saw the emperor standing with her hands behind her back and no palace maid eunuch following him, Shi Anran slowly walked over and greeted with a bow, "Anran greets your majesty!"

    After the emperor covered her lips and coughed a few times, her expression did not look good, but slowly recovered afterwards. She turned her head to look at her and slowly said, "Anran, I feel that if I don''t drink the tea that you make every day, it''s like I''m missing something."

    These words caused Shi Anran''s heart to tremble, and then, without batting an eyelid, she said: "Then Anran will serve the emperor everyday, and the emperor can drink anytime he wants."

    "Looking at the size of the palace, I don''t even have someone I can talk to. Forget it бн" Walk with me! " As he spoke, the Emperor walked in front, seeming to have something weighing on his mind.

    It was also because the Emperor viewed the crown prince as his successor that a small portion of the people started to turn towards the Third Prince. Right now, in the emperor''s heart, she must have thought that the Third Prince was fighting over a favor. According to the emperor''s suspicious personality, he would definitely be secretly investigating the forces of the Third Prince, so she had to think of a way to notify the Third Prince.

    "Chenqie pays her respects to Your Majesty!"

    Just as Shi Anran was thinking, Hong Ling and Li Ruolan came up from the pavilion in front to welcome them.

    "Both of you, rise!" The emperor faintly said a few words before walking in.

    Hong Ling winked at Shi Anran mischievously. "Sister Anran, come over here quickly!"

    Li Ruolan covered her lips with a silk handkerchief and said with a smile that was yet not a smile: "Noble Ling really has a good personality. You actually think that you can do it just by following a maid. You truly have made me look at you in a new light!"

    "In elder sister Lan''s heart, status is the most important, but in Hong Ling''s eyes, friendship is the most important!" Hong Ling was not the least bit angry at her words. Instead, she replied with a smile.

    Li Ruolan seemed to have heard some kind of joke, "If we don''t even have the slightest bit of status in this palace, then wouldn''t the harem be in chaos?"

    "Sister Lan is too serious. Sometimes things change according to the person!" Hong Ling smiled like a flower as she spoke, and in that moment, she had also left Li Ruolan speechless. However, she had an innocent and innocent look, making people unable to breathe in her anger.

    "Anran, what do you think?" Suddenly, the emperor tossed the question to her.

    Shi Anran, who was called out, turned and smiled, then said in a shallow voice: "The imperial concubine speaks of courtesy, there is indeed something else."

    The corner of Li Ruolan''s mouth curved up in a particularly smug smile, and she gave her a rare praise: "This maid has some opinions on this matter, Your Majesty, why don''t you give Anran to your concubine as your personal maid? Those palace maids have always been rough with their hands and feet, and always make me unhappy. "

    The emperor looked at her lower abdomen, and slowly took a deep breath: "How about this, after our dynasty, Anran can go to Ruo Lan''s palace to wait upon her, my beloved concubine, what do you think?"

    "Chenqie thanks Your Majesty!" Li Ruolan''s voice was extremely gentle, and when she looked at Shi Anran, a hint of calculation flashed across her eyes, the good show had just started.

    Shi Anran knew that she didn''t really want him to be her maid. She probably wanted him to torture her somehow, right? Just like her previous life, the emperor didn''t even give her the chance to choose, so naturally, he didn''t allow Shi Anran to refute. Therefore, right now, she could only agree: "Anran will do as you say!"

    "Since that''s the case, chenqie will return to the palace first and not disturb Your Majesty and Honorable Ling!" Li Ruolan stood up and glanced at Shi Anran.

    The Emperor nodded slightly. "Go!"

    Along the way, Shi Anran followed closely behind. Li Ruolan seemed to be in a good mood as she said, "Do you know why I asked the Emperor for you?"

 C115

    "Anran doesn''t know, please enlighten me, esteemed imperial concubine!" Shi Anran replied in a neither humble nor haughty manner.

    Seeing her expression, Li Ruolan was still somewhat unhappy in her heart, and said slowly: "Because I can''t bear to see you act so high and mighty, so this servant should have the appearance of a servant. What''s the point of pretending to be like this all day?"

    In contrast to Li Ruolan''s passionate speech, Shi Anran remained unmoved as she said: "Anran has been well-mannered since primary school."

    Li Ruolan''s expression changed as a dangerous look appeared in her eyes, "Are you saying that there is no etiquette in this palace? You brave Shi Anran, I really want to see how long your tough bones can hold out for. "

    Shi Anran knew that there were a lot of things that even if she wanted to avoid them, it was impossible. If there was a day when she was in a high position, she wouldn''t need to be treated like that.

    After arriving at the Phoenix Maiden Palace, Li Ruolan used her words of opposing the imperial concubine to punish Shi Anran for standing in the courtyard. It was noon, and the sun was too hot. Even a strong man wouldn''t be able to handle a weak girl, much less one with a weak hand.

    Li Ruolan sat at the end of the long corridor, lazily lying on the soft bed. There were servants helping her peel the grapes, their posture looked really uncomfortable. At this moment, she looked at the people below with a smile on her face, and said with a bland voice: "Shi Anran, don''t you plan on begging me?"

    "What mistake did Anran make?" Facing the blazing sun, Shi Anran''s face was already completely red from the sun.

    "Good бн" Very well, you can continue to stand here! When will the anger in my heart subside, and you can leave again! " With that, Li Ruolan waved her sleeve, stood up and slowly walked in.

    Looking at Li Ruolan''s back view, Shi Anran laughed coldly in her heart, she had endured past the complicated matters, she did not want to ruin her plan because of this.

    "Aunt Anran, what''s the big deal if you ask for forgiveness from the Empress? Our women aren''t as important as the dignity of men, so standing down like this isn''t really a solution! " A kind-hearted young palace maid whispered to her.

    Shi Anran did not think so, she only laughed lightly, and no matter what she said, Li Ruolan would not let her off that easily. Seeing this, the little palace maid felt that she did not know what was good for her and left after saying a few words in a low voice.

    "What should we do now?" Xiu Er was anxious.

    Cui Yun asked in puzzlement: "What''s wrong?"

    "I heard from my sisters that Master had been brought over by the Imperial Noble Consort Lan. I wonder where she had angered the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, and now she is being punished!"

    Hearing this, Cui Yun frowned: "It''s best if we don''t go over right now, otherwise we will only create trouble for Aunt. If Imperial Noble Consort Lan is unhappy, the punishment for Aunt might be even heavier!" The Imperial Noble Consort Lan was originally here for her aunt, did she really have to worry about not being able to find a reason to punish?

    "But the sun is so high, I''m worried that Master won''t be able to take it!"

    "Xiu Er, don''t worry, aunt will go to the morning assembly with the emperor everyday. I believe the Imperial Noble Consort Lan won''t do anything to aunt, if the emperor sees anything, she won''t be able to explain it бн" After Cui Yun patted her hands and said that, she busied herself with her own stuff.

    Xiu Er looked at Cui Yun''s back as she walked out. She had a nagging feeling that Cui Yun was different now. Could it be that Mistress brought her out of the palace and gave her something?

    The reason why Shi Anran did not open her mouth to beg for forgiveness was just as Cui Yun thought. She was certain that the Imperial Noble Consort Lan did not dare to do anything to him now, as she was a popular person in front of the Emperor after all.

    "Yo, isn''t this Shi Anran? Do you have such a day?" Just as Shi Anran was in a daze, Li Ruoxue walked over with a laugh. She circled around her once, then raised her fair chin to look at her: "Even with this appearance, you''re still so arrogant. Just where did your arrogance come from?"

    "Young Master Li, please don''t forget your identity."

    "Tsk tsk tsk tsk бн" You can''t even take care of yourself, and you''re still reminding others? Shi Anran, wait until I become your master before coming back to teach you a lesson, just in case your mouth is still so eloquent, making others dislike you. " Li Ruoxue groaned, seeing that she was being punished, she was especially pleased in her heart.

    Shi Anran said as she curled her refined lips, "Then, I wish that Little Master Li can become master soon!"

    Hearing this, Li Ruoxue became even more happy: "I''ll take your blessing!"

    "Ruoxue!" Li Ruolan saw that it was about time, and did not want Shi Anran to really get into trouble, as the emperor was currently worrying about the war, she did not want to cause any trouble at the moment.

    "Elder sister, I heard that this maid displeased you. Why is she the only one being punished? Isn''t this punishment a bit too light?" Li Ruoxue took her arm.

    Li Ruolan glanced at the expressionless Shi Anran, and then said softly: "The most interesting part is yet to come, don''t worry, big sister will definitely avenge you!"

    After that, Li Ruoxue relaxed, she looked at Shi Anran meaningfully, and said slowly: "The more I look at this woman, the more I hate her. Elder sister, is there any way to discipline her, the best way is to get rid of her!"

    "Ruoxue бн" Li Ruolan called out with displeasure.

    Knowing that she had gone overboard with her words, Li Ruoxue pouted. "I just don''t like her, ever since the first time I saw her, I''ve always felt disgusted with her!"

    "Alright, even though the emperor sent her to my side now, she''s still the emperor''s maid. It wouldn''t be good if I went too far." "If you don''t like her, then elder sister has plenty of ways to make her stay in the palace from now on. Now, you have to take it one step at a time, it''s not good to be too anxious."

    "Yes, big sister, you have to help me, if not Shi Anran will bully me in the future!" Li Ruoxue was the youngest daughter of the family, and she had always been arrogant and willful.

    Li Ruolan nodded her head and replied: "Let''s return to the storage palace first. If there''s nothing else, don''t look for me at the Phoenix Nest Palace, in case anyone decides to speak ill of you and spread it to the Emperor."

    "I understand. Elder sister, take care. You must give the emperor a fat and white little prince. Let''s see who still dares to speak up on elder sister''s head like this."

    This was without a doubt Li Ruolan''s intention, and right away, her lips curved up in a smile as she said, "Big sister also had the same intentions."

    Time passed bit by bit, Shi Anran only felt dizzy from being scorched by the sun, not because her body was extremely delicate, but because she did not sleep well last night and did not have much energy, now standing still made her entire body feel weak.

    "Alright, it''s about time. You can leave now. However, I still have to remind you." "You should know your limits. Do whatever you need to do with your identity. Don''t try to climb higher, because the higher you climb, the more miserable you will fall!" After Li Ruolan said these words in a neither fast nor slow manner, she elegantly turned around and left.

 C116

    Shi Anran''s body could not hold on any longer. She forced herself to walk backwards, but before she even reached the Palace, her vision went dark and she lost consciousness.

    When she woke up, she was surprised to find that the emperor and the others were also by her side. She opened her mouth to bow, but was stopped by the emperor. "If you''re injured, you don''t need to stand up and greet бн"

    "Anran, you''re serious too. Since you suffered from the cold, why didn''t you inform me?" Li Ruolan looked very concerned.

    Shi Anran sneered in her heart. This was the exact same method Li Ruolan had used in her previous life to torture her. Unfortunately, she no longer had the chance in this life.

    After seeing her, Shi Anran was clearly frightened. Her white fingers gripped tightly onto the quilt as she timidly said, "It''s Anran''s fault. The imperial concubine really deserves to be punished."

    The Emperor swept over his questioning gaze. "Anran has only been at Phoenix Maiden Palace for a few hours, how could such a thing happen? Ruo Lan, don''t let This Emperor''s love for you become the capital for your indulgence! "

    In front of so many servants, the emperor had not given her any face at all. After hearing what was said, Li Ruolan strangely raised his eyes, and his eyes flashed with an innocent light: "Your majesty, how did chenqie do anything wrong? chenqie only punished a disrespectful maid."

    It''s enough, Anran has been by our side for a long time, I know her character better than you, I do not wish for such a thing to happen again, do you understand?

    Li Ruolan felt so wronged that tears were about to fall, she could only lower her eyes and say, "Chenqie understands!"

    "If you understand, then leave!" The Emperor glanced at her, then ignored her.

    This made Shi Anran very surprised. In her previous life, because of this, Shi Anran was scolded by the emperor, and she ordered her not to be disrespectful to the Imperial Noble Consort Lan.

    This time, when Li Ruolan walked out of the room, she looked back and glared at her fiercely. Shi Anran knew that from today onwards, their hatred could be considered sealed. However, she didn''t mind at all. The grudges from her previous life were caused by her revenge in this life. She wanted to see who would win in the end.

    After saying a few more words, the emperor left. Xiu Er took care of him the entire time, "Master, Imperial Noble Consort Lan is too much, it''s clear that she was the one at fault by wanting the villains to sue first, but after seeing the emperor berate Imperial Noble Consort Lan, this servant is happy!"

    Looking at the angry and indignant Xiu Er, Shi Anran thought of Liu Yue, who was also lively like her, and immediately became much more fond of her: "Oh you, you always talk so much, I really wonder if you and Liu Yue are blood sisters!"

    "Master, who is Liu Yue?" She curiously blinked her large, intelligent eyes.

    Shi Anran pursed her lips and smiled, "My personal maid in the Shi Family is also of the same temper as you."

    Xiu Er laughed somewhat embarrassedly: "Then this servant has a chance to see that Liu Yue again!"

    The night gradually sank.

    Shi Anran stood at the window as usual, and looked towards a certain direction. She only felt that there seemed to be someone there that she was worried about, and did not retract her gaze for a long time.

    "Aunt, it''s late at night. Why aren''t you resting? Your body is in danger!" Jadeite took the cloak and tied it around her.

    Shi Anran suddenly thought of that night as she slowly closed her eyes, "Jadeite Jade, go rest first!"

    The next day, Shi Anran had long since been waiting at the entrance of the emperor''s sleeping quarters. When the emperor saw her, his gaze darkened, and he said with a calm and gentle voice, "Didn''t we promise you three days of rest?"

    "Your Majesty, Anran is fine now бн" She did not know why she had insisted on coming. After hearing what was said, the Emperor did not speak anymore. Shi Anran followed closely behind the Emperor.

    In the imperial court, after the civil and military officials had said all sorts of nonsense, a guard rushed in and cupped his hands as he presented the letter. "This lowly general greets Your Majesty. There''s news from the borders!"

    "Speak!"

    "We won the battle, but due to the spies in the military camp, the young general was heavily injured in the night battle last night. He hasn''t woken up yet!" The guard said solemnly.

    "Pah!" The emperor almost instantly slammed the table and rose to his feet. "The young general is heavily injured?"

    The officials were all discussing amongst themselves. The number one general of the imperial court was injured, who could take on such a heavy responsibility?

    Shi Anran felt a cold wind blow against her heart, and she could not help but take half a step back. Xiang Rongcheng was heavily injured?

    The Emperor did not plan to send his troops out, the troops that were left in the capital would not be able to leave, what if Xiang Rongcheng did not get any reinforcements? Shi Anran only felt that she seemed to have never been so worried for anyone before. Xiang Rongcheng only hoped that they would return safely.

    When he entered the palace to pay his respects to the Emperor, he ''coincidentally'' met Shi Anran. As he walked, he said softly, "I heard that Xiang Rongcheng''s army was trapped in a valley of death. They are in a dilemma now!"

    "Why is Third Prince telling me this?"

    "The night before the expedition, you and Xiang Rongcheng were alone together for an entire night?" Although these words sounded like a question, Li Mu had actually long confirmed it in his heart.

    Shi Anran laughed faintly. After being silent for a while, he said: "What do you mean by that, Third Prince?"

    Li Mu''s expression was calm to the point where not a single ripple could be seen, but then, his eyes shone brightly: "I hope that you can recognize your own identity. You and I are on the same boat;

    Was he afraid that if she were to help Xiang Rongcheng, she would put him aside? Thinking about that, Shi Anran gave a very gentle smile and said: "Third Prince is overthinking it. I believe that Third Prince has also heard of that absurd marriage between the young general and Anran.

    "This is for the best бн" With that, Li Mu unhurriedly swept his eyes over her, and then walked into the study.

    Looking at his back, Shi Anran''s expression turned indifferent. Third Prince wanted to grab onto her weakness, but unfortunately, she would not let this man do as he wished. What she couldn''t figure out was, how exactly did the events of that night leak out. Cui Yun? It should be impossible. It looks like Third Prince has really wasted some of her attention on me, I wonder how many pairs of eyes she had sent behind her back to stare at me.

    Within the study.

    "Father, your son shouldn''t have sent the people from the capital out!" Li Mu said seriously.

    The emperor also had the same intention, nodding his head, "Continue!"

    "If the people in the capital were to be absent, they would inevitably become a piece of fat in the eyes of the enemy. If they were to turn around and attack the imperial city at this time, the consequences would be unimaginable!" After saying that, Li Mu took a deep breath before continuing to speak, "The army from the south is currently on their way back, and they can be used to assist the young general in his urgent needs."

    "With the army trapped, even if there were more troops going, it would still be easier to win the battle."

 C117

    Li Mu did not think so, and looked at the map on the table, he patiently analyzed: "Royal father, please look, since our army is trapped in this position, there is only one exit, if our reinforcements were to attack from the back, we would be able to kill him. "This way, the young general''s men can come out from the inside and attack them from the front and back. Are we still afraid that we won''t be able to kill them?"

    In the midst of his silence, the emperor''s hearty laughter burst forth. The emperor''s hand slapped Third Prince''s shoulder, and the praise and joy in his eyes was hard to conceal, "That''s right, these generals had discussed this for an entire afternoon and failed to provide me with an accurate solution. My son''s few words solved my worries, and with that, I am very pleased!"

    Even while standing at the door, Shi Anran could hear the Emperor''s happy laughter, but she was secretly worried in her heart. Although the Emperor admired the Third Prince so much, he wouldn''t give him any rights at all.

    When he came out, Li Mu looked meaningfully at Shi Anran who had her eyes lowered, and said in a voice loud enough for the two of them to hear: "We''ll meet tonight at the Drunken Heart Pavilion!"

    Immediately after, when Li Mu had just left, Crown Prince Li Gan and the Ninth Prince came over. When Li Gan entered the study room, the Ninth Prince was waiting outside. Shi Anran kept her head down the entire time, and the Ninth Prince also didn''t talk to her.

    After Li Gan came out, his expression was solemn. With just a glance, Shi Anran could tell that he did not receive any kind words from the emperor. Regarding the crown prince, Shi Anran really couldn''t bring up any good feelings for him. He really didn''t understand why he would randomly choose him in his previous life.

    "Big brother, how is it?" The ninth prince asked.

    Li Gan huffed out a breath of indignant air, "I let third brother beat me to it!"

    "It''s Li Mu again, why is he still lingering around?" The Ninth Prince cursed and then unintentionally glanced at Shi Anran, as if he had only just discovered her presence. His eyes lit up: "Raise your head and let this prince have a look!"

    There were countless beautiful women around the Ninth Prince, and he had probably already forgotten what Shi Anran looked like. Thus, she bravely lifted her chin.

    The crown prince was not in the mood to mess around with the Ninth Prince. He did not even glance at Shi Anran before he turned and left, filled with a belly full of anger.

    "It''s such a pity for the little beauty to stay here. How about you follow this prince back to the mansion to enjoy the heavenly pleasure?" As he spoke, his eyes lustered as he reached out his hand to touch her.

    Shi Anran looked terrified and immediately lowered her eyes. "Ninth Prince, Anran is the emperor''s maid бн." The meaning behind her words was that he did not have the qualifications to say such words, but she did say it intentionally. The Ninth Prince was not a smart person, but his thoughts were vicious.

    "What about the maid? Isn''t it just a lowly slave? This prince has taken a liking to you because of your good fortune. The Ninth Prince hated people who used the Emperor to suppress him.

    "Sister Anran!" At this moment, Hong Ling walked over. She was dressed in very ordinary attire today, and if it wasn''t for those who knew her identity, they would probably think that she was just a palace maid from one of the palaces, right?

    When the Ninth Prince heard this melodious voice that sounded like an oriole, his heart immediately became perverted: "Another peerless beauty has arrived. It seems like today''s entry into the palace of this prince is worth it!"

    Before Hong Ling could react to what had happened, her wrist had been grabbed by the ninth prince. She fearfully said, "Let me go, otherwise I''ll sue you in front of the emperor!"

    "Haha бн" You should go and sue now, it''s just taking away a beauty, what else can royal father do to me? " As he spoke, he ignored Hong Ling''s struggles and forcefully pulled her into his embrace.

    Eunuch Zhao heard that there was a commotion outside and walked out. He was so frightened that his eyes widened, "Ouch! Ninth Prince, let go of him quickly. We can''t let him go!"

    Before the Ninth Prince could regain his wits, the Emperor slowly walked over, his serious eyes suddenly filled with intense flames. He raised his hand and slapped towards the Ninth Prince''s face, his chest slowly praying, "Unfilial son, unfilial son бн"

    While the Ninth Prince was still in a daze, Eunuch Zhao shook his head: "Ninth Prince, this is the new title for the Emperor, the Honorable Ling!"

    Hearing this, the ninth prince immediately knelt down, "Imperial Father, please calm your anger бн"

    "Your Majesty, chenqie is so scared бн" Hong Ling sobbed softly on the emperor''s chest.

    Seeing this, the Emperor raised his foot and kicked out towards the Ninth Prince, saying angrily: "When is it your turn to do whatever you want in my palace?"

    "Father, this son knows his wrongs. I really do not know that this is Venerable Lord Ling. Otherwise, even if this son was given a hundred times more courage, this son still would not dare to do such a thing! " The ninth prince was trembling as he spoke.

    The emperor was fuming, so he waved his hand and said, "Pass down my decree that the Ninth Prince is unrestrained, does not behave properly to molest the imperial concubine, and loses all face for the imperial family. I, on account of his mother''s early death, spared his life, which means that today, the prince will be stripped of his status and will be demoted to a commoner.

    Eunuch Zhao nodded. "This servant accepts the decree бн"

    The Ninth Prince''s entire body froze on the spot, he didn''t even have time to react to what had happened, he then grabbed the Emperor''s dragon robe: "Royal father, this son knows his wrongs, I plead for Royal father to retract his order!"

    "Scram бн" After the emperor shouted his anger, he led Hong Ling into the palace hall.

    Shi Anran still stood there with a calm expression on her face. Just a moment ago, she was still worrying about how to make the Ninth Prince step down, but Hong Ling''s intervention actually gave her a push. However, this Ninth Prince was really not worth sympathizing with. It was one thing to do evil deeds outside the palace, but to dare to speak so shamelessly in the palace, the Emperor had already tolerated this many times. However бн After all, he was his own son. The reason the Emperor could so easily downgrade the Ninth Prince to a commoner was most likely because he saw many maids in the courtyard and made him lose face. That was why he said so on impulse. "Eh бн" One could only blame the ninth prince for not knowing what was good for him.

    It was night. Yun Che looked at the back of the Third Prince who was currently standing with his back facing him. He could actually feel the loneliness and helplessness radiating from his body.

    "Third Prince бн"

    Li Mu replied with a faint smile: "Coming!"

    "Has Third Prince received the news that the Ninth Prince has been demoted to a commoner?" Shi Anran asked in a very soft voice.

    He nodded slightly, then said, "Ninth Brother has been spoiled by Imperial Father since he was young. His current personality бн"

    Actually, Third Prince''s later words were to say that since the Ninth Prince had become like this, the Emperor was already used to it. However, who would dare to speak to the Emperor in such a manner?

    Shi Anran''s clear eyes were as clear as spring water, and were exceptionally beautiful under the moonlight. She could not help but take a few more glances, and then said seriously: "Royal father might send me to battle."

    "Right now, the princes are very few in strength. The crown prince is the emperor''s favorite and naturally wouldn''t let him take the risk. I don''t know if this expedition will be good or bad for the Third Prince!"

    That was exactly what Li Mu was thinking at the moment. He took a deep breath and lightly put it down, "In the end, this matter, I am still a target бн" As he said that, he let out a faint chuckle.

 C118

    Shi Anran didn''t know how to console him, and there was an odd look in her eyes: "Third Prince had been in the limelight twice in a row, and this time, he is definitely going to fight a beautiful battle and return. Now that the Ninth Prince has lost his power, the Crown Prince is missing an arm and a hand to help him come up with some ideas. If Third Prince is able to return victoriously, I believe that the officials will be able to decide on the choice of the Crown Prince. After all, the current Crown Prince does not have much to do.

    Her words made Li Mu much happier, as he turned around and looked at her with shining eyes and said, "Anran, ever since you''ve been by my side, I''ve improved a lot."

    So this was how things went? The true great calamity was still far away, Shi Anran pursed her lips and formed a faint smile, "Has Third Prince''s injury recuperated already?"

    "It''s not that serious!" He just pretended to be in bed for a few days.

    Shi Anran knew it was going to be like this, but she did not expose him, and continued to speak: "I heard that young general has spies in her army, and was ambushed. This time, Third Prince has to be careful!"

    Li Mu nodded his head, and laughed meaningfully: "Are you worried for me?"

    "Since the Third Prince is Anran''s future backer, naturally, Anran has to worry about it." She did not avoid her gaze and looked straight into his eyes.

    Li Mu looked at her with a smile, feeling exceptionally satisfied. "It''s getting late, you should go back and rest early бн"

    After Shi Anran walked a few steps, she said in a low voice, "Be careful of Imperial Noble Consort Lan бн"

    Was it too late? Shi Anran smiled and turned to leave.

    Early the next morning, news came from the palace that the Third Prince was about to lead his troops out for the battle. Everyone had always disagreed with what the Third Prince had to say, but this time, they could not figure it out.

    After heading down, Shi Anran continued to head towards the Phoenix Nest Palace as usual. As soon as she walked in, a teacup flew towards him, and Shi Anran was no longer able to dodge it as it smashed into her forehead.

    Li Ruolan narrowed his eyes, "What, are you still unwilling for me to let you come? Do you know what time it is now? "

    Shi Anran slowly raised her chin, only to see that the bead of blood on her forehead had continuously flowed down her face. The light in those eyes seemed to be capable of killing someone. Li Ruolan was scared witless by her gaze, and then, with a slightly dodgy look, she said. "I didn''t do it on purpose.

    "Yes бн" Shi Anran replied indifferently, and turned to leave.

    "Stop, did I let you go?"

    Shi Anran slowly turned around. She had an elegant posture but her voice was cold, "Then, Imperial Concubine, do you want Anran to do something like this?"

    Seeing that the wound on her forehead was extremely shocking, Li Ruolan became annoyed and waved her hands: "Someone come, bandage her up so that she won''t hear that I was the one who bullied you again!"

    Isn''t it? Shi Anran remained expressionless as she allowed the palace maid to fiddle with her forehead. In her previous life, she used a dragon to frame him, according to the temper of the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, he was afraid that she would not let go of such a good opportunity. She just did not know when she would make her move.

    Now that Third Prince was no longer by his side, Xiang Rongcheng would not be able to return for a while. If something were to happen to her at a time like this, who would save her? Third Prince, perhaps even he would not help to save his? Thinking about it, Shi Anran only felt that it was somewhat ironic. He wanted to help someone who wholeheartedly control his, and it just so happened that he was just using him, which was even between the two of them.

    "Shi Anran, you injured yourself this time. I didn''t touch you, so I advise you to speak with caution in front of the emperor. Otherwise, you won''t be able to bear the consequences бн" Li Ruolan said as she looked at her with a fake smile.

    "Little sister, what are you talking about? What kind of consequences can''t be endured?" Imperial Noble Consort Zhao slowly walked over, accompanied by a group of palace maids.

    Li Ruolan was enraged: "You bunch of dog slaves. When Sister Zhao arrived, no one informed me.

    "Empress, please calm your anger!" The palace maids and eunuchs were so frightened that they knelt down and begged for mercy.

    Seeing that, the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao gently said: "Little sister, why do you need to do this? I have always disliked these things and am used to being low-key. Naturally, I don''t like being informed either.

    Hearing that, Li Ruolan could only force herself to suppress her anger, she then took a deep breath and said with a smile that was not a smile: "Big sister, you aren''t coming here this time, you aren''t thinking of taking my people away again, are you?"

    "Oh? Why would my sister say that? " Imperial Noble Consort Zhao stood there for a long time but no one came to give her a chair, so she walked over and gracefully sat down.

    "Hmph бн"

    Imperial Noble Consort Zhao said gently, "The empress'' birthday is here. Elder sister is here to ask Little Sister Lan if you have any plans!"

    "Empress бн" Li Ruolan was even more unconcerned. This empress, who rarely came out to walk around the palace, posed no threat to her at all.

    Shi Anran quietly left the place and began to clean the interior and exterior of the Phoenix Maiden Palace. She was not interested in listening to their topics.

    After a day of hard work, she was so tired that she could not even straighten her back. Xiu Er helped her apply the ointment, "Master, there is no need to agree, according to the Emperor''s trust and love for master, as long as master says the word, you can definitely return to the Palace."

    Although she said that, Shi Anran didn''t want to start a fight with them at this time, in case the one who suffered in the end had to eat him. Lying on the bed, she slowly closed her eyes, enjoying this rare moment of leisure. "Xiu Er, what''s the date now?"

    "Mistress, it''s the end of the month!"

    "Mm бн" That means Xiang Rongcheng will be back for another half a month? I hope nothing happens to them.

    The battle ahead was still going smoothly. The reinforcements led by Third Prince blocked the enemy''s retreat path, and attacked the young general from the front and back. This battle was considered a victory, and there were a few more fierce battles.

    At this time, Li Mu looked towards Xiang Rongcheng who was in the army camp. Didn''t they say he was heavily injured? After feeling his gaze, Xiang Rongcheng walked over and cupped his hands: "Third Prince is indeed mighty, and doesn''t seem to be the same as the rumors?"

    "Is that so? Since when did the young general listen to such false rumors? "

    Xiang Rongcheng did not like wasting time talking to others, so he took out the battle map that he had chased out the entire night: "Although the enemy troops have retreated, our city is still in their hands. Look at this blueprint, if there are no problems, we can wait for the soldiers to recuperate and make a big fuss!"

    It has to be said that this battle diagram is very perfect, even Li Mu started to admire him, but the man in front of him is a man with courage and scheming, if he can be of use to me бн

    "That''s right, the young general''s plan is perfect. I believe that we can win for sure!" Li Mu praised. Noticing that the people washing the horses had quietly retreated, the two looked at each other and smiled.

    "This time, I will definitely find out who the traitor is!" The reason why Xiang Rongcheng was injured was naturally to make the enemy think that they did not have a leader, but they did not know that they had fallen into a trap.

 C119

    At this time, Li Mu remembered the words Anran had said the night before he left the Intoxicated Heart Pavilion, as if intentionally or unintentionally, it was a hint of something.

    However, in the blink of an eye, he had forgotten about it. He slowly said, "It is said that military generals are not as meticulous as civil officials, but I have seen the side of a young general that is both civil and martial."

    Hearing that, Xiang Rongcheng seemingly swept a glance over him, but did not think much of it and replied: "Third Prince is flattering me, as a general, how could I not know military tactics? Doesn''t this make you what people call a reckless person? "

    "The young general''s words are courteous, but since ancient times, it is not uncommon to see a martial general as resourceful and resourceful as the young general!" Li Mu said unintentionally, and then stopped the topic.

    On the other hand, Xiang Rongcheng started to carefully mull over these words. Seeing that he did not say anything, he only accompanied him with a smiley face before standing up, "I''ll go check on how the injured soldiers are doing!"

    Li Mu slightly narrowed his eyes. Xiang Rongcheng was indeed a rare talent, if Xiang Family held a heavy weapon, it would sooner or later be handed over to him. Presumably, the crown prince was also thinking about how to rope Xiang Rongcheng in. The reason why Li Mu was willing to bring his troops here, was firstly to provide assistance, and secondly to reach an agreement with Xiang Rongcheng, to probe just which side he would stand on.

    At this time, the capital was still bustling with activity, but this kind of prosperity was obtained by exchanging the blood of soldiers on the front lines.

    This year, the emperor had planned to hold a grand banquet for the empress, but now that the border war had not subsided and the empress didn''t want to cause too much commotion, the matter was put to rest.

    "Anran, serve us some tea!" It was only after Eunuch Zhao''s second scream that she regained her senses.

    Shi Anran lowered her eyes and placed the teacup onto the table, then said softly, "Anran is feeling a little unwell, Your Majesty, please forgive me."

    "I didn''t say I would punish you, what about it?" Haven''t you recovered after all these days? " He could feel that Shi Anran was a little different than before, especially today, where he was a little absent-minded.

    "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Anran is actually much better now."

    "Although the empress''s birthday banquet isn''t going to be held, we can''t let her down. After all, she''s the mother of a nation. Tell me, how should I make the empress happy?"

    Eunuch Zhao pondered before his eyes suddenly lit up. "Your majesty, didn''t the empress always chant buddha during Ramadan? This servant heard that there was a temple outside the capital called Hanshan Temple. Countless people went to burn incense to worship Buddha and all said that it was very successful.

    Hearing this, the emperor happily nodded his head. "This method is very good. I''m sure the empress will like it, so it''s decided!"

    A lot of things still happened бн Shi Anran still remembered that in his previous life, the Emperor stayed in the temple for three days and three nights, and at the same time, used the reason of him blessing the young generals to sightsee. In his previous life, Shi Anran had been tortured by the Li sisters to the point where she had almost died. Now that those who could protect her as her backer were not by her side and the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao couldn''t protect her, what could she do now?

    After Shi Anran returned to the Palace with a heavy heart, she felt extremely tired, so she took an afternoon nap, and before she could even wake up, she heard some people arguing outside.

    "Aunt is taking a nap. If there''s nothing else, you can''t disturb her!" Cui Yu stopped the palace maid who wanted to barge in.

    At this time, Shi Anran had already woken up. She slowly walked out, and her tone carried a trace of laziness. "What''s going on?"

    "This servant is from Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s side. It''s already past noon, and the Empress still hasn''t seen any trace of Aunt, so she called this servant over to take a look." The palace maid spoke in a neither humble nor haughty manner, it was obvious that she relied on the Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s support, and did not place Shi Anran in her eyes.

    Shi Anran used a gentle and gentle voice to speak slowly, "The emperor has granted me the privilege of not being able to serve for three days. Go back and tell this to Imperial Noble Consort Lan when you return!"

    "Aunt, don''t make things difficult for this servant!" If he couldn''t get her to come, and the Imperial Noble Consort Lan wasn''t happy about it, she would be punished.

    Shi Anran ignored the pleading eyes of the little palace maid and covered her mouth while coughing, as if she was in great pain. Cui Yu quickly supported her body and asked worriedly: "Aunt, is your illness worse now?"

    "Cough, cough бн" Shi Anran only replied with an even more hurried cough.

    Seeing Shi Anran being supported in, the young palace maid stood there stunned for a moment, then rushed back to report to Feng Yi Palace.

    After hearing this, Li Ruolan questioned: "You didn''t lie to me?"

    "This servant doesn''t dare, Aunt Anran seems to really be sick, and very sick as well." The young palace maid explained in detail.

    If she was not truly sick, the Emperor would not have let her rest. Thinking about it, Li Ruolan immediately became happy, she stood up and slowly walked forward: "This Shi Anran always looks to be extremely arrogant, but now that she is sick, isn''t it something to be happy about? However, if that''s the case бн It''s far from enough! "

    "Empress, what do you want to do?" Pearl, the personal maid, came over and asked.

    Li Ruolan looked at the canary hanging by the window, stretched out her hand and teased, then said with a meaningful smile, "Your majesty wants to go to Han Mountain Temple with the Empress early tomorrow morning to stay for a few days, are you afraid that you won''t have the chance to kill Shi Anran then?"

    Pearl smiled and added, "What the Empress said is true!"

    "Alright, since she''s sick, how can I not go see her? "Zhu Er, go prepare some bird''s nest porridge to mend your body. I will head over right now." As he said that, the smile on Li Ruolan''s face gradually became deeper.

    Shi Anran knew that Li Ruolan would not let it go so easily. After knowing that she was sick, she would definitely bring people with her to mock and ridicule him. However, Shi Anran was just pretending to be sick, and now she was using a rock to smash her own foot.

    Cui Yun said softly: "Aunt, do you want to take a bath now?"

    Shi Anran shook her head, and then laughed lightly: "Cui Yun, go and bring me two steamed buns that just came out of the furnace, and also some ointment grass."

    "Yes бн" Cui Yun lowered his eyes and agreed.

    Shi Anran used a hot towel to cover her face, under her arms, were two steamed buns which made her whole body hot, and after the wormwood was burnt, the room was filled with the strong smell of herbs. Presumably, Li Ruolan was already there, she handed a towel to Cui Yun and covered herself with it, pretending to be asleep.

    "When I heard that Anran is sick, I specially brought an imperial physician for you to see!" Accompanied by the still loud voice, Li Ruolan already slowly walked in.

    Cui Yun bowed respectfully, "This servant pays respects to the imperial concubine!"

    Li Ruolan swept a glance over her and then walked in: "Doctor Zhou, I''ll leave it to you!"

    "As you command!" Doctor Zhou walked over to check, checked Shi Anran''s forehead and then opened her eyelids, immediately beginning to check her pulse.

    I hope my aunt doesn''t get caught... Cui Yun clenched her fingers anxiously. This was too infuriating!

    After a while, Doctor Zhou shook his head and sighed, "The illness of Lady Anran..."

    "How is it?" Li Ruolan was afraid that she was faking it, hence she brought the imperial physician.

 C120

    "Eyes are red, tongue fur is white, whole body is burning, veins... "My pulse seems to be stable, this is a sign of my body''s weakness. If I don''t recuperate my body from now on, I''m afraid I''ll be sick for the rest of my life!" As he spoke, the imperial physician shook his head and sighed.

    Hearing this, Li Ruolan was already elated in her heart, but she had a look of worry on her face: "Is it that serious? Looks like Anran really needs some rest, Doctor Zhou, let''s go! "

    Seeing that the group of people had finally left, Cui Yun wiped her cold sweat and hurriedly closed the windows before jogging in: "Aunt, they have all left."

    Shi Anran lazily opened her eyes. Doctor Zhou wanted to say that the condition of his body did not match with his pulse, but he did not know if he could see anything. However, she finally took a deep breath and said slowly, "I avoided it this time. I don''t know if I can last until the emperor''s return."

    "Aunt, you can''t go on like this. It''s hard to ensure that Imperial Noble Consort Lan won''t come and cause trouble for Aunt next time." Cui Yun was also worried, after all, masters were good, and only servants would have a good life. If their master was not well, they would have to suffer.

    Shi Anran naturally knew about this problem, it was just that if she could trick him for a while, she would do it for the time being, she wouldn''t be able to think of other methods for the time being. As she thought about it, Shi Anran shook her head and took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat on her face that was created from a hot towel, and said indifferently: "I will walk one step at a time, I think that Imperial Noble Consort Lan will not come again in the next two days." As long as she could endure until the emperor returned and with the emperor''s protection, Li Ruolan wouldn''t dare to do anything excessive.

    Cui Yun gave Shi Anran a big thumbs up, and praised him, "Auntie, you actually had a way. You even tricked the imperial physician."

    "I was merely lucky this time around бн" She said this indifferently, but she was still worried. There were still a few more days left, how could she continue to pretend to be ill?

    "Since Aunt already knew that the Imperial Noble Consort Lan would come to make things difficult for us, why didn''t Aunt ask the Emperor for help that day to bring Aunt over to Han Mountain Temple? Isn''t this equivalent to avoiding Imperial Noble Consort Lan? " Cui Yun said softly.

    It wasn''t that Shi Anran hadn''t thought of it, but now was not the time. If the emperor felt that he was intentionally getting closer, then it would be the opposite. She shook her head and said earnestly, "Let''s do it like this. No matter who comes looking for me these few days, just say that I''m bedridden!" In order to not let others see anything, Shi Anran continued to lie down.

    Cui Yun pulled up her blanket, looked at Shi Anran who was resting with her eyes closed, and felt that even the Empress would be inferior to his aunt in terms of her looks! The moment this idea appeared, it also gave Cui Yun a fright. What was she thinking about just now? She was actually comparing his aunt to the empress?

    After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, when she woke up, the sky was already dark. Shi Anran could faintly hear someone crying outside her room, and upon waking up, she heard such a conversation, "Xiu Er, do you think Aunt doesn''t like me?"

    Xiu Er answered honestly: "How is that possible, master treats all three of us very well, right?"

    "But why do I feel that my aunt treats Big Sister Cui Yun better? Even if Aunt was sick, she would only let Big Sister Cui Yun serve by her side. " Cui Yu lowered her voice and said.

    "Alright, Sister Cu Yu, don''t be sad. Aunt is a kind person. If your family has any difficulties, go and tell the master, she will definitely help you!" Xiu Er comforted her.

    Jadeite Jade acknowledged: Thank you, Xiu Er!

    Shi Anran slowly laid back down. This Jadeite didn''t seem to have any tricks up her sleeve, but she wanted to use Xiu Er to test him. What did she want to do?

    At dawn the next day, the emperor brought the Empress out of the palace to pay respects to Buddha, and the palace became Li Ruolan''s domain. All of a sudden, many of the imperial concubines began to fear her even more.

    Shi Anran hastily finished her breakfast, and just as she was about to go back and lie down, she heard Xiu Er say: "Master, something seems to have happened to Jadeite Jade''s family."

    "Mm бн" She only replied with a simple "En", and nothing else after that.

    Seeing her like that, Xiu Er bit her lips, but did not continue.

    When she was done serving Shi Anran and lying down to rest, Cui Yu pulled Xiu Er outside of the house and whispered to him: "How is it, Xiu Er, did Aunt agree to it?"

    "Sorry, Sister Cuiyu, I didn''t say anything, master might be tired and doesn''t want to hear anything else." Xiu Er blinked her eyes.

    Hearing that, Cui Yu''s eyes instantly turned red: "A few days ago, big sister Cui Yun''s mother was sick, my aunt gave her some silver, and told her to take it out to see my mother. Why is my aunt not willing to help me, did I do something wrong that my aunt doesn''t like?"

    "Sis Cui Yu, lower your voice. Master has just slept, Master will hear about it later!" Xiu Er said in a low voice, and then the voices of the two gradually became much softer.

    Inside the room, the corner of Shi Anran''s lips curled up into a cold smile. It was not that she was unwilling to help Jadeite, it was because Jadeite had recently secretly leaked news of herself to Li Ruolan''s servant. This was also the reason why Shi Anran had been pretending to be sick even in her room.

    Thinking about that, Shi Anran closed his eyes, but she could not hide the fatigue in his eyes. Trust was the hardest thing between people. When would she have someone she could completely trust by her side?

    "Sister has the right to have it in her hands, why don''t you just kill her like that? She''s just a maid anyway, if she''s dead, what can you say when the emperor comes back?"

    "This you don''t know, right now the emperor values this woman a lot, but I don''t know what kind of fox like method Shi Anran used to get her to be highly valued by the emperor!" Li Ruolan twirled the Agate ring on her finger tip and frowned.

    Li Ruoxue raised her chin, and said unhappily: "So what? Elder sister, you are the imperial concubine, don''t you have the authority to handle a maid?"

    Ruoxue, in this deep palace, it is not as simple as you think it is. If you are not careful enough, someone might catch your weakness, and that weakness might become your fatal injury.

    Hearing that, Li Ruoxue nodded her head, then raised her confident face: "Elder sister, don''t worry, even if you didn''t say it, I would still have known what to do. In this life, if I did not destroy Shi Anran, I would never feel comfortable, who asked her to be so haughty all day, just looking at her makes people feel disgusted."

    "Alright, Ruoxue, don''t do things that I don''t know about in private. If this matter gets out of hand, perhaps I won''t be able to protect you, understand?" It was rare for Li Ruolan to have scruples, so she sincerely and earnestly taught her sister.

    Li Ruoxue let out a light grunt, as if she understood, but at the same time, it was also a perfunctory reply. She smiled and said: "If Xue Xue understands, since Big Sister has nothing else to do, Ruoxue will take her leave first."

    Li Ruolan waved his hand, closed her eyes and said: "Go, do things cleanly, do not leave any evidence for others to catch you."

 C121

    After Li Ruoxue left, she turned her head to ask the palace maid behind her: "Did you find anything?"

    Pearl lowered her head and said: "Jadeite Jade is currently thinking of a way to obtain Shi Anran''s trust. Empress, rest assured! It definitely won''t be a problem. "

    After hearing this, Li Ruolan''s mouth curved in a happy smile, and she said, "Very good, let her continue watching over me. Just tell her that I will give her the money her family will spend, and don''t worry about any expenses! "Let''s just let it go and do it, don''t worry about it later."

    Pearl nodded her head, "This servant understands!"

    As she caressed her stomach, which was currently not too obvious, Li Ruolan said with some anticipation, "My son, you must work hard. Your mother will have to rely on your mother in the future!"

    In the past few days, the side hall of the Palace was filled with the strong smell of medicine. The moment Hong Ling got close, she squinted her eyes, "Sister Anran, why are you so sick?"

    "Cough, cough бн" Hong Ling, you''re here! " Shi Anran propped herself up.

    Hong Ling supported her and asked worriedly, "Why is it so serious? "No, I have to get an imperial physician to take a good look at my sister. What if the situation gets worse after this?"

    "Imperial Noble Consort Lan has already asked for an imperial physician, but it''s just a physical problem. If there''s no rush, I still need to recuperate slowly."

    At this time, Cui Yun walked in with the medicine, and blew on the hot air: "Aunt, the medicine is ready!" Upon seeing that there was someone in the room, she immediately bowed and greeted, "This servant pays her respect to Lord Ling!"

    "Get up, give me the medicine, I''ll feed it to Sister Anran!" Hong Ling said gently.

    In fact, the medicine that she brought in everyday was poured into the potted plants, Cui Yun pretended to glance at Shi Anran unintentionally, and seeing that she still had a gentle expression on her face, she carefully handed the medicine bowl over to Hong Ling. These were all medicines to treat the cold. Even if her aunt wasn''t sick to drink them, she would still be fine. Thinking about it, she felt slightly more at ease.

    "Sister Anran, how long has it been since I last saw you? How did you lose so much weight?" Hong Ling looked at her lovingly.

    Shi Anran had indeed lost a lot of weight in the past few days. She raised her hand to rub her face and smiled faintly.

    "I asked for some good ginseng from the hospital, Sister Anran can use it to heal her body! "He''s still so young right now. It''s not good to be sick forever like this." Hong Ling told the maid to put down the box, and then she grabbed her hand and said smilingly: "I heard from the ministers that Third Prince and the young generals have always won after joining hands, and would probably be back before long!"

    Shi Anran gave an indifferent grunt, and pretended to be unconcerned: "Didn''t the young general receive heavy injuries? How can we fight? "

    "This is unknown. I believe that the Emperor will be very happy to receive the news." As she spoke, Hong Ling pursed her lips and smiled. The two of them chatted in the room for a long time before Hong Ling stood up and left.

    On the second day after the Emperor''s death in the Li Palace, Li Ruolan came again. This time, she even brought her arrogant and despotic little sister Li Ruoxue with him.

    "What''s that smell? It''s so smelly!" Li Ruoxue covered her nose and thought: It would be best if this Shi Anran died from illness.

    "Esteemed Empress, Young Master Li, my master just drank some medicine and fell asleep. The both of you бн"

    Without waiting for Xiu Er to finish speaking, Li Ruoxue glared at her and pushed her to the side. She strode in and said, "Shi Anran, don''t think that just because you''re sick you can have no rules.

    At this time, Shi Anran was wearing a dress under Cui Yun''s care, and then walked out weakly, coughing as she said, "Anran''s body is unwell, so I did not have the time to greet the Empress, please forgive me!"

    "Oh? Forgive? "What if I don''t spare you?"

    "Cough, cough бн" "But I''ll leave it to the Empress to deal with." The emperor had already returned to the palace the next day. No matter how stupid Li Ruolan was, he wouldn''t do anything to her at this time.

    Li Ruoxue glanced at her: "Elder sister, do you see that? I don''t even put you in my eyes, you sure have a lot of guts."

    "You are only a servant, Shi Anran, I advise you not to be arrogant, otherwise, who knows who will be the one to suffer!" As she said that, Li Ruolan lifted her hand to feel her stomach, as if a dragon would jump out of there in the next second.

    "What is the Empress saying, Anran doesn''t understand!" Did they just come to scare her with these words?

    "Stop pretending to be confused, don''t you understand? "In that case, I''ll let you understand what it means!" After saying that, Li Ruoxue walked over and slapped Shi Anran''s face.

    "Pa бн" The crisp sound was exceptionally loud in the room.

    Xiu Er covered his mouth in shock, Cui Yun pursed her lips, they were too much, forget about her pretending to be sick, if she was really sick, how could she withstand such a heavy slap?

    Shi Anran knew that it would be even more miserable if she avoided her, and if he let her hit him like this, she would definitely beat her up a hundred times over. Shi Anran slowly lifted her beautiful eyes as the weakened look on her face became even more obvious, "Cui Yun, Consort Candidate struck the imperial palace''s first-rate palace maid, how should we punish her in the palace?"

    Cui Yun blessed herself, "Reporting to Aunt, the best is to expel them from the palace, and the worst is to behead them!"

    Hearing this, the complexions of both Li Ruolan and Li Ruolan changed. Li Ruolan narrowed her eyes: "What a great Shi Anran, you dare to threaten me?"

    "Empress, you said that Anran threatened the Empress, could it be that the slap that Young Master Li gave Anran was caused by the Empress?" Shi Anran said in an indifferent tone.

    Li Ruolan immediately slammed the table and stood up: "Truly raving nonsense!"

    Li Ruoxue''s face paled, but she quickly regained her arrogance: "Right, stop using these things to threaten big sister, big sister is the imperial concubine, who are you?"

    Shi Anran covered her lips and coughed out a few times. She bit the tip of her tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood.

    "It was Young Master Li who came to the Qing Palace to cause trouble, and he beat Aunt up. That''s why Aunt''s illness worsened!" With that, Cui Yun immediately supported her into the room. "Aunt, slow down!"

    "Shi Anran you slut, you deserved to die from sickness!" Although she said that, Li Ruoxue was actually still worried. She had just seen Shi Anran spitting out blood.

    Li Ruolan was not sure either. What if this woman really said something in front of the emperor? As she thought about it, she glanced at Li Ruoxue with annoyance, "Isn''t it all your fault? If it''s just you, you have to find trouble with her, and now it''s okay. Shi Anran will definitely blame the matter of vomiting blood on you.

    "Elder sister, you can''t ignore me. I only wanted to teach her a lesson. Who would have known that she would become so sick?" Li Ruoxue was starting to get anxious. She had gone into the palace with much difficulty, and now that she couldn''t get chased out and didn''t want to get beheaded, the more she thought about it, the more afraid she became.

 C122

    Li Ruolan rolled his eyes at her. "Enough, enough, go back to your storage palace. Don''t look for me at Phoenix Nest Palace if there''s nothing else."

    After they left, Cui Yun hurriedly took some ice cubes: "Aunt, put it in your mouth first, this way your tongue won''t hurt anymore."

    Shi Anran didn''t say anything. The palm on her face was still burning in pain, her skin was tender to begin with, and a purplish-red palm print was especially clear!

    Seeing that she was going to rub the medicine on him, Shi Anran stopped her: "You don''t need to rub the medicine on yourself.

    Hearing that, Cui Yun''s heart ached for her, then she nodded: "Aunt is right, I think the seal will not go away for more than three or five days."

    What she wanted was this kind of effect. Shi Anran smiled faintly, how could her face still be weak at all?

    Xiu Er was anxiously walking around outside. When she saw Shi Anran coming out, he went up to him. "Master, are your face injuries serious?"

    Shi Anran covered up a thin veil and spoke gently: "I''m fine, just do whatever you need to do! "You don''t have to worry too much about me, I can still take on such a small matter."

    "Aunt, what do you have to say to this servant?" Cui Yun asked softly.

    It had to be said that Cui Yun was a very smart girl. Shi Anran nodded gently: "Is your mother better now?"

    A few days ago, she asked a young eunuch to bring a letter to a servant. He said that when Aunt has the chance to leave the palace in the future, she will go home and have a meal. "Cui Yun said happily.

    From her eyes, one could tell her genuine gratitude and sincerity, and Shi Anran heaved a sigh of relief: "That''s good, in the future, just tell me what you lack, and don''t hide it!"

    Hearing that, Cui Yun was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, and her eyes reddened: "This servant thanks Aunt for taking care of me!"

    Actually, Shi Anran wanted to say, it should be me who should be the one thanking you, if it wasn''t for Cui Yun by her side, it would be hard for her to do anything by herself.

    Finally, after a day of peace, Shi Anran received news that the Emperor had returned to the palace. Because it was raining heavily on the way here, Shi Anran received news from Eunuch Zhao that she was going to deliver a change of clothes for the emperor.

    After Shi Anran prepared the dragon robe, she sat on the palanquin and left the palace. On the way, she saw many commoners gathering, as if they were waiting for someone.

    "Alright, you can go back to the palace!" After speaking, Eunuch Zhao turned around and entered the inn.

    The emperor left the palace in a humble manner. Logically speaking, the commoners shouldn''t have known, right? Why are there so many people gathered here?

    Just as Shi Anran wanted to return to the palace, she realised that the palanquin that brought her here had disappeared. It seemed that she had to return today.

    After walking for an hour, and not even a third of the way, Shi Anran''s mind started to wander. Suddenly, she remembered that before she had entered the palace, Xiang Rongcheng had brought her to a forest. At that time, she was the same as she was now, stubbornly wanting to walk back, but Xiang Rongcheng led her horse and followed right behind her. When her feet touched the ground, he squatted down in front of her and gently picked up the blisters бн

    "Get out of the way!" The generals in front of him shouted. Behind him were an army of soldiers.

    Shi Anran turned her head, searching for someone in the crowd. Did they return?

    "The young general is mighty, the young general is mighty!" Accompanied by the loud cheers of the commoners, Xiang Rongcheng spurred his horse forward with an impeccable appearance of beauty.

    Just as he was about to fly away from in front of him, Shi Anran couldn''t help but call out with a faint voice, "Xiang Rongcheng бн" The sound was very soft, so soft that it had long since been submerged in a sea of people.

    Xiang Rongcheng who had already walked a distance suddenly stopped, he then rode his horse and ran over, his gaze sweeping the crowd.

    When his eyes met with hers again, Xiang Rongcheng smiled slowly.

    Although she was wearing a veil, Xiang Rongcheng still recognized her with a single glance. He rode past, and when he passed by Shi Anran, he grabbed her belt and quickly sped away, not allowing anyone to clearly see what the woman in his arms really looked like.

    The mighty army followed closely behind her, carrying the domineering aura that a general should have. After running for a long distance, seeing that the people behind him could no longer catch up, he lowered his voice and laughed. "You still have some conscience. You know how to come out and greet me!"

    Who had come out to meet him? Shi Anran wanted to explain something, but Xiang Rongcheng said happily: "Anran, do you know how long this Yi Yue has been here, how much I have missed you?"

    "Xiang Rongcheng, quickly put me down, don''t let anyone see me!" She whispered.

    "So what if you see? Whoever dares to say anything more, I will cut off their neck! " Xiang Rongcheng said smilingly as he placed his chin on her shoulder and lightly breathed in the fragrance that belonged to her.

    Shi Anran''s heart was beating quickly. She turned her head to look at the man behind her. "Why does she look so energetic?"

    "Stupid woman, this is not a scheme!" Xiang Rongcheng laughed softly, liking the gentleness she couldn''t help but reveal when she was concerned about him.

    "Why is he wearing a veil? How ugly!" Following that, without saying a word, Xiang Rongcheng pulled off the veil covering her face. In the next moment, his eyes darkened, and he asked with a bone-piercing cold tone: "Who did it?"

    "Why should I tell you?"

    Xiang Rongcheng turned her face to face with him, and asked once again in a serious tone: "I''ll ask you again, who did it?"

    "It''s the Imperial Noble Consort Lan and Li Ruoxue. I can avoid them, but бн" But after avoiding it, perhaps she wouldn''t be standing in front of him so perfectly fine.

    Along the way, Xiang Rongcheng didn''t speak any further. Only when they were almost to the palace gate did he put her aside. After all, he was going to enter the palace, so he didn''t want to make things difficult for this woman.

    Shi Anran silently retreated into the crowd, but she could not help but look at him, since when did this man start, make her feel at ease?

    Just then, the troops led by Third Prince rushed over to meet them, the two of them rode on top of the tall horses side by side, slowly heading towards the imperial palace, the sound of the Emperor''s driving came from behind, causing everyone to be stunned, Xiang Rongcheng and the rest led the troops to the two sides, and escorted the Emperor to continue forward.

    When Shi Anran returned, she could not help but smile. Xiu Er ran over: "Master, why are you only just back!"

    "The young eunuch who carried the palanquin left me outside the palace. I was walking all the way back!" she whispered.

    "This is too much! Master must sue them in front of the emperor!" Xiu Er was indignant for her.

    Shi Anran pursed his lips and laughed, as if she was in a good mood, "Forget it, I think they just followed orders!"

    Xiu Er looked at her back in puzzlement, why did she feel that her master was so weird today? Logically speaking, she should be very angry, why does she look so happy? Xiu Er was at a loss.

 C123

    At night, the palace held a grand banquet to celebrate the young general''s triumphant return, but from beginning to end, no one mentioned that the Third Prince was also someone who had contributed greatly.

    Shi Anran poured wine for the emperor beside him. From this angle, they saw the Third Prince sitting in an inconspicuous position, occupying an entire table''s worth of food by himself. No one went up to greet him.

    Looking at Li Mu who was still sitting and drinking silently, Shi Anran felt a little uncomfortable. He had done her best and allowed others to see her strength, in the end, only to marry for others and defend others with blades.

    "Hahaha бн" "I am very happy today. The young general is so young and yet so mighty. He is truly a rare and powerful general!" The emperor personally stood up to toast him. From this, it could be seen how great of a gift this was.

    Xiang Rongcheng had always been calm and collected, but now, even if the gods were to toast him, he would remain indifferent. Xiang Rongcheng raised his head and drained his cup in one gulp. He did not want to thank the Emperor for his kindness, but suddenly said, "Your Majesty, this subject has a request to ask of you!"

    Shi Anran was suddenly startled, he could not possibly want to say that бн

    "If you have something to say, young general, I can satisfy you!" The Emperor was also in high spirits.

    Just then, Xiang Rongcheng looked at her and said: "This general has set his eyes on you бн. I wonder if I can get a cup of wine from the jug of wine on the emperor''s table? "

    Hearing this, Shi Anran heaved a sigh of relief, as if she had heard the sound of someone inhaling. Most likely, they were all thinking that this young general did not know what was good for him, and actually wanted to drink the wine used by the Emperor.

    The emperor was not surprised in the slightest as he instructed, "Anran, why aren''t you pouring the young general a cup of wine?"

    Shi Anran carried the exquisite jug of wine and walked over slowly, and carefully poured a cup of wine for him. However, she heard Xiang Rongcheng use a voice that could be heard only by two people: "What? Anran, did you scare me? "

    Shi Anran knew that he did it on purpose, and at this time, Shi Anran did not want others to notice anything. She only glared at him, blessed herself, and then retreated.

    When the banquet was bustling with noise and excitement, Consort Candidate went up on stage to perform, and the first one to step up was Li Ruoxue.

    Today, she purposely dressed up. Wearing a light yellow dancing dress, she appeared in front of everyone like a swallow. Following the beautiful melody of the zither, she waved her long sleeve and bent her slim waist, causing the officials to be stunned.

    Shi Anran knew that she was going all out now, in her previous life, Li Ruoxue had been chosen by the Emperor, and was bestowed the title of noble.

    The emperor was drinking with a group of officials, and would occasionally raise his head to look at the girls in the arena. Shi Anran took the opportunity to pour some wine for Xiang Rongcheng, and lightly said, "Could Young General help Anran with something?"

    "Call me Rong City!"

    "Rong Cheng бн" She called out in a soft voice.

    Xiang Rongcheng nodded his head in satisfaction, then asked: What do you want me to help you with?

    Shi Anran leisurely poured wine for him. "When Li Ruoxue steps down from the stage later, help me give her a slap so that she can take revenge for beating me up that day!"

    "Alright!" Xiang Rongcheng agreed without thinking. Even if Shi Anran did not say it, he did not plan to let this woman go easily.

    "Alright, alright, alright бн" At the same time, cheers erupted from the competition. The officials stared at Li Ruoxue''s enchanting body, some even staring.

    Li Ruoxue felt that the emperor''s gaze towards him was burning hot, so she decided to take his leave. As she passed by Xiang Rongcheng, he took out a peanut and pointed it at Li Ruoxue.

    Li Ruoxue''s center of gravity became unstable, so she pounced towards the old man.

    In the next second, Xiang Rongcheng quickly retreated to the side, and stared coldly at the innocent looking woman. His eyes darkened, and he raised his hand to fiercely slap her.

    Li Ruoxue who was beaten up held onto her burning face with a confused look on her face. Before she could even react to what had happened, the other side of her face had also received a slap, but the slap behind her was obviously heavier, causing her to fall flat on the ground.

    "Hiss бн" The civil and military officials sucked in a breath of cold air.

    "You бн "You бн" Before Li Ruoxue could say anything, she spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the ground.

    Li Ruolan was shocked and quickly ran over: "Little sister, little sister бн Xiang Rongcheng, why did you hit her? "

    "Hmph бн" A cold voice came out from his nostrils, Xiang Rongcheng raised half his eyebrows and said coldly: "Where did this ugly woman come from, to actually attempt to seduce this general? Shouldn''t you hit his instead?" Everyone saw it, when Li Ruoxue walked over, she directly pounced towards Xiang Rongcheng, if Xiang Rongcheng was slow, wouldn''t she...

    Li Ruolan stood up and forced her, "You''re just a general, you dare to hit the emperor''s Consort Candidate?"

    "Oh? Your Majesty, so this is the newly advanced Consort Candidate. If not for the fact that he had a dragon in her stomach, Xiang Rongcheng would even beat her up.

    The Emperor waved his hand and had his unconscious Li Ruoxue brought away. Then, as if nothing had happened, he said, "Since Young General doesn''t know, then let''s just let this matter pass. We will celebrate for Young General tonight!" It was just a few words, but what happened just now was already thrown to the back of their minds. Right now, Xiang Rongcheng was a meritorious general, and the entire nation''s security was tied to their Xiang Family. The emperor would naturally not offend him at this time.

    Shi Anran admired him a little, with two slaps that made him spit blood, he, Xiang Rongcheng, was definitely someone who had never been seen before. However, this time, the resentment in Shi Anran''s heart had disappeared. Presumably, from today onwards, Li Ruoxue''s dream of becoming''s master would never come true, right? Thinking about it, Shi Anran''s mood also involuntarily became cheerful.

    Xiang Rongcheng exchanged a glance with her, and the joyous expression in his eyes seemed to ask: How are you going to thank me?

    Shi Anran pretended that she did not see it, and after suppressing her chaotic heartbeat, she stood beside the Emperor as if he was a log.

    When the emperor returned to the palace, the officials had all dispersed. Only Third Prince was still drinking quietly.

    Shi Anran looked at them, and then left with the others. She thought that it would be best if she didn''t go at this time, lest she stirred up trouble.

    Shi Anran''s footsteps were neither fast nor slow. When she passed by a fake mountain, she accidentally caught hold of a hand and brought in. Before she could even be shocked by the smell, Shi Anran immediately knew who it was.

    Shi Anran''s entire person was currently bound in front of his chest. She raised her head to look at''s eyes, which were even clearer than starlight, and said in a low voice, "You were really ruthless just now бн"

    "I only used 10% of my strength, otherwise I could have killed her with a single palm strike. To dare hurt my Anran, this is just a lesson to her!" Xiang Rongcheng said in an extremely overbearing manner.

    "Rong Cheng, let me go. Be careful not to get seen!" She lowered her eyes shyly.

    The moonlight shone down on her beautiful white face, and looked at the little girl who was peacefully in his arms. Xiang Rongcheng suddenly had the urge to take her and fly far away: "So what if I see his? I, Xiang Rongcheng, am together with my own fiancee, who dares to have any objections? "

    Shi Anran already did not want to continue arguing with him about her fiancee, no matter how much she said, he wouldn''t be able to take it in.

 C124

    Seeing her lowered eyes, seemingly bashful to the point that he didn''t know what to say, the thought of playing tricks on her floated in Xiang Rongcheng''s mind.

    His long index finger lifted Shi Anran''s chin to face herself, and against the bright and clear bright moon, her flickering eyes were sparkling and translucent, almost causing him to be unable to extricate herself from her intoxication. Half a day later, she smacked her lips together, "Anran, I originally thought that the women of the world were all ugly, but now I know that only Anran can be called the" Qingcheng "."

    This was not the first time Xiang Rongcheng had said that her looks were exceptional, but this man who always praised others didn''t know that he was the one who deserved to be called that kind of peerless beauty.

    Shi Anran took in a light breath. The cool breeze of the night engulfed her heart, and also gradually retracted the emotions that she had somewhat lost control of. Following that, with a gentle expression and light voice, she asked, "Do you always praise women this way?"

    "Yes, and no!" Although the unhappiness that flashed past Shi Anran''s eyes disappeared quickly, he was caught by surprise. Xiang Rongcheng lowered his body, and her eyes, that were burning hot, stared straight into the woman''s eyes: "Why aren''t you looking at me anymore? Before, you were so daring to let me slap you on the face, but now, you don''t even have the courage to look at me. Anran, why am I getting more and more confused about you? Can you tell me what kind of woman you are? "

    "Those are the real me." In this chaotic world, she already knew how to disguise herself and how to protect herself, but she couldn''t hide herself in front of him.

    "Then tell me, are you welcoming me outside the palace today, or is it him?" This question seemed so plain, but it carried the jealousy of a man.

    Shi Anran was someone who had experienced many emotions in her previous life, so she naturally understood what he meant. While she was secretly laughing in her heart, she asked in a serious tone, "I wonder who he is бн"

    "Stop playing dumb! Forget it, it doesn''t matter if it''s made clear. He''s the Third Prince I''m talking about. So, can you tell me the answer now? " Xiang Rongcheng''s expression was currently too persistent, it was as if if if she didn''t give him an answer today, then the two of them would have been stuck at this place forever.

    Regarding his current attitude, Shi Anran just didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She then explained: "Do you think I can freely enter the Imperial Palace like you? "If it wasn''t for the news from Eunuch Zhao asking me to send a change of clothes to the emperor, perhaps I wouldn''t have met you."

    "So you don''t have any intention of welcoming me? Is it all just a coincidence?" When Xiang Rongcheng finished speaking these words, the corner of his mouth had a thirty to fifty percent coolness, and he stuck one bite onto her waist, and brought her closer to his embrace.

    Xiang Rongcheng went over to take a close look at the woman who was holding back her laughter. Anger surged up as he said: "It''s fortunate that I rushed back in the middle of the night to see you. Along the way, I didn''t even rest for a moment.

    Saying that, Xiang Rongcheng''s voice had a hint of grievance, compared to the other people who saw him as the valiant and cold Young General, how did he look like the same person?

    "Rong Cheng, you бн" "There''s no need for that." Shi Anran knew the path that she would have to walk in the future, and she and Xiang Rongcheng would not be the same type of person.

    "In the future, you are not allowed to look at Third Prince. If I find out, I will definitely torture you!" Xiang Rongcheng said while gnashing his teeth.

    Shi Anran laughed helplessly, she looked down at his handsome features: "Why do you keep bringing me and Third Prince together?"

    Hearing that, Xiang Rongcheng became even more unhappy: "The way you look at him is different from the way you look at me. Anran, I''m not stupid, how can I not see through it?"

    Hearing him say that, Shi Anran was also startled, she truly placed too much importance on the Third Prince, she clearly did not have that kind of intention, she was just a partner, but in the eyes of others, it was that kind of intention. It looks like, in order to prevent her trade with Third Prince from being seen, it would be better for her to keep some distance.

    After thinking about it, Shi Anran gave a faint smile and curled her lips: "Looks like you''re really thinking too much. Because Third Prince saved me a few times when I was still in the palace, I gathered together when I had nothing to do, and it''s not what you think."

    Originally, Xiang Rongcheng thought that it was fine that she had explained it, but he said depressingly: "Then I also saved you, why didn''t you just meet me? Even if you see me every time, it''s like you''re avoiding a god of pests. You really don''t have a conscience when you say you don''t have a conscience!"

    The reason why Shi Anran did this was because she did not want him to sink any deeper into the abyss. After all, the paths that they had to walk were different from each other, and she did not want to harm Xiang Rongcheng because of it.

    Shi Anran did not answer his question, "Rong Cheng, have you thought about what you want in the future?"

    Hearing this, Xiang Rongcheng did not think much into it, as if he had thought about this in his heart many times over. He replied: "Even if you ate a few acres of fertile land and were to settle down as a woodcutter in the mountains, it would be sufficient to have one''s heart бн"

    It was enough to have one person in his heart.

    What an enviable sentence, but unfortunately, these things were already too far away for Shi Anran. She faintly raised her face, and after being silent for a while, her lips slowly parted as she said. In her previous life, she could have thrown everything aside and sought only for a single freedom. It was a pity that the heavens had allowed her to be reborn in this chaotic world, and they were already destined to have her change her fate.

    "Anran, what do you want?" He had thought about this question for a long time and had already answered it before, but he did not believe that this would be the future that Anran would want.

    "Me? "I want everyone in this world to not disappoint me бн" Her eyes shone as she said those words, regardless of whether Xiang Rongcheng could understand what she meant, she immediately turned and left, since this was not a place to stay for long. The palace was filled with hidden struggles and battles. This was the only way for her to protect herself.

    "Anran..." Xiang Rongcheng''s soft call came from behind.

    With incomparably complicated feelings in her heart, Shi Anran quickened her pace towards the direction of the Qian Qing Palace. Not long after, she discovered a silhouette rushing towards the back of the bamboo forest. She could already tell who it was with a glance. Although she already knew that the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao was someone from the Third Prince, what was she doing here so late at night?

    Under the pressure of her curiosity, Shi Anran quietly walked over. Just as she was about to greet him, she heard a calm voice from the Third Prince, "How has royal father been recently?"

    "Your Highness, don''t worry. The Emperor won''t notice."

    "Mm, that''s good."

    Imperial Noble Consort Zhao pondered for a moment, then said, "I was worried that if the dosage was too high, I might be discovered by the Emperor, so I used half of my normal self."

    Hearing that, Li Mu looked slightly unhappy, but he also nodded his head indifferently. Just as he was about to say something, a light flashed in his eyes, he saw a shadow flash past and covered Imperial Noble Consort Zhao''s mouth: "There is someone here!"

    The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao nodded in agreement. Li Mu quickly chased after him as he was relatively familiar with this place. Afraid that the people behind him would chase up to them, she crouched down in the cave beneath the fake mountain.

 C125

    Sensing that Li Mu''s presence was in the vicinity, she held his breath. He had heard that martial artists were very knowledgeable, if Li Mu knew that he had overheard those words, who knew what they would do.

    "Who is it?" Hearing footsteps, Li Mu turned around.

    Xiu Er was frightened by his cold gaze, she shrunk her neck and said timidly: "Good day Third Prince, this servant is here to look for my master!"

    "Is that so?" Li Mu looked at her doubtfully, then waved his hand: "You may leave!"

    "Yes, your servant will take his leave!" Xiu Er felt goosebumps all over her body, and then she quickly escaped. But in Li Mu''s eyes, it was a completely different story.

    It was only after Li Mu and Imperial Noble Consort Zhao had left for quite a while did Shi Anran take a deep breath and carefully crawl out of the stone cave.

    She was undoubtedly working with Li Mu, and now that Li Mu did not attack her, it was because he could use her. But if there came a day when he was no longer of any use to her, would he kill her for the sake of not letting others know? Shi Anran didn''t dare to be certain of any of these things.

    After returning to the storage palace, Shi Anran took a bath in the hot water and wore a white cheongsam as she stood at the window in a daze. Watching Xiu Er carefully pour the bath water out, she asked in a soft voice, "Xiu Er, how many years have you been in the palace?"

    Xiu Er was startled, then she laughed: "This servant has been in the palace for five years, and since I have no relatives outside, I have not left, but even if I am not willing, I will be kicked out by the time I reach twenty-five."

    Yes, even the ordinary palace maids have to be changed once every five years. Some of the more special ones would even be released by the emperor for marriage at the age of twenty-five. Xiu Er was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and to her, this was just the beginning of her life. Shi Anran held her hand, gently smiled at her and said: "If I were to tell you that I can give you some money to leave the palace and start a small business outside, if it really doesn''t work, find a reliable man to marry to."

    Hearing that, Xiu Er''s eyes immediately became red: Master, do you want to chase this servant away? Did this servant do something wrong to make master unhappy? "

    "Xiu Er, you did well. It''s just that this palace is too complicated. How about this, you go and work at the Shi Family Palace, I coincidentally happened to tell you before, Liu Yue''s personality is just as lively as yours, I believe you two are able to get along very well. "

    "No, this servant will wait on Master!" The girl stubbornly said.

    Hearing this, Shi Anran also revealed a little helpless expression. She laughed and sighed: "I had originally wanted you to occasionally pass some information to me at Shi Family, looks like you''re not willing to do this бн" Xiu Er had already been found out by the Third Prince tonight. Regardless of whether she had heard or not, the Third Prince would never let Xiu Er go to protect this secret.

    After hearing that, Xiu Er''s eyes lit up as she looked at her, and then nodded her head: "I am willing to work for Master!"

    "That''s good. Then, pack your things tonight and you can probably leave the palace tomorrow afternoon. Before that, I still have to go inform Senior Servant Chen." Shi Anran said gently.

    A night of silence, a night of wind and rain иC Shi Anran slowly fell asleep.

    In the imperial hall on the second day, the emperor rewarded Xiang Rongcheng with many things, and bestowed him with the status of a main general. Of course, the Third Prince also received some, but compared to Xiang Rongcheng, they could not be compared.

    After the assembly, Shi Anran went to find Chen mama, she was in charge of all the matters concerning the palace maids.

    "Aunt, why are you looking for this old servant?" Senior Servant Chen said with her usual gentle voice.

    Shi Anran bowed and did not care about her status, "Chen mama, Anran indeed has something to say today."

    "Speak!"

    "Anran has a palace maid named Xiu Er by her side. It''s been five or six years since she entered the palace, can this mama let her go?"

    Hearing this, Chen mama nodded and replied, "Since it''s aunty''s people, how can this old servant not say that I''m letting them out of the palace? Furthermore, this old servant Xiu Er knew this palace maid, she was young and obedient when she first entered the palace. When Consort Candidate was newly entering the palace this year, this old servant arranged for her to stay at the storage palace. I didn''t expect her to leave the palace now. " With that, she turned around and took out a tablet from the table. "This is the identity token of the palace maid, Li Palace. With this, we can smoothly exit."

    Shi Anran took it and held it in her hands, and nodded as she smiled, "Anran thanks Chen mama!"

    On the way back, Shi Anran was very preoccupied with many things. She kept feeling very uneasy in her heart, but she couldn''t quite tell where this uneasiness came from. She couldn''t help but speed up her footsteps.

    "Master!" After seeing Shi Anran from afar, Xiu Er walked over with her backpack as she smiled at her.

    Shi Anran heaved a sigh of relief, passed the palace tablet into Xiu Er''s hands, and warned: "Remember, you have to be careful in everything you do. Once you''re in the palace, send someone to deliver a letter to me."

    Xiu Er reluctantly agreed, and then she turned around and left. As she watched Xiu Er''s figure slowly walk away, Shi Anran felt that the burden in her heart had been gradually lifted, and he returned to the Palace.

    Shi Anran was busy for a while, but just as she was about to go to Li Ruolan''s Phoenix Nest Palace to do something, she saw Cui Yun anxiously walking in, and with a strange expression, she said: "Aunt, quickly go take a look, Xiu Er was caught, and said that she secretly stole the palace''s treasures, and is currently being escorted to Ning Xiao Yuan!"

    Ning Xiao Residence was the place that dealt with the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace. Shi Anran couldn''t be busy with the messy dress so she ran out, her heartbeat speeding up all the way: "Xiu Er, she won''t, why would she steal those things?"

    Not long after, Shi Anran arrived at the Calore Courtyard. Before she could even catch her breath, the arrow in the guard''s hand left the bowstring and shot right through Xiu Er''s heart. Shi Anran''s footsteps were so hurried that she almost fell to the ground. Xiang Rongcheng, who was quick on the uptake, quickly supported her, with gentleness in his eyes: "What''s wrong, why are you in such a hurry?"

    "Xiu Er... "Who was it? Who was it that wanted to kill her?" Seeing Xiu Er''s tiny body lying in the pool of blood, with a pair of eyes filled with unwillingness to die looking at him, Shi Anran felt her heart clench.

    Xiang Rongcheng said with a stern expression: "This palace maid was found on the way to the Li Palace. She carried a treasure stolen from the Palace in her bag.

    "Heh бн" "I got it бн" Shi Anran gave a bland smile, and when she looked up, her eyes were filled with a hazy mist. She said in her heart: Xiu Er, it''s me who harmed you, I thought that as long as you left the palace, it would be the safest option, but I didn''t expect it to turn out like this.

    "What''s wrong? "You don''t look too good." Xiang Rongcheng whispered.

    Shi Anran closed her eyes and had her back facing him, a drop of cold liquid flowing down her cheek, which she then quickly wiped clean: "This is my personal palace maid, who gave the order to kill her?"

 C126

    Xiang Rongcheng didn''t say anything, only looked at her with a complicated gaze. With his cold lips, even without saying anything, she could already guess who it was.

    Li Mu, this man with deep thoughts, in his eyes, other people''s lives were as lowly as grass and flowers. Xiu Er followed beside her peacefully. How could he steal the treasures of the palace, even if he did steal them?

    In the end, Li Mu had still killed everyone for his own plan, and he never would have thought that he was the one who would hear those words, while Xiu Er had to die for him in vain.

    As he thought about this, Shi Anran''s expression became colder and colder. In the end, he laughed softly and said, "I think that the bud is only a Ephemeral Flower, he used his life in exchange for leisure бн" Smiling, she turned around and left in a desolate manner.

    Xiang Rongcheng did not understand what she wanted to express. After a long while, he ordered his men to deal with the dead Xiu Er, and sighed: "What is the point of this woman having so much emotions?"

    Seeing that Shi Anran did not move at all after returning, Cui Yu said softly: "Aunt, although Sister Xiu Er is no longer here, I will do my best to serve aunt."

    Your service is to deliver my daily message to Li Ruolan?

    Shi Anran glanced at her indifferently, then said: "Jadeite Jade, how do I usually treat you?"

    "Aunt treated me extremely well." She lowered her eyes and said.

    "Oh? Since that''s the case, can you give me a reason? "

    Cui Yu''s eyes seemed to dodge, but she still acted dumb and said: "What did aunt say, this servant doesn''t understand aunt''s meaning."

    Shi Anran closed her eyes tiredly, as if she was unwilling to die, "Cui Yun, you better tell her what I mean."

    Cui Yun nodded, and then raised her chin: "Do you think that Aunt does not know about the news that you secretly delivered to Phoenix Maiden Palace behind her back? Aunty is only giving you one chance after another, but you don''t care about it at all.

    Hearing that, Cui Yu only felt a loud sound in her head, then she kowtowed and begged for mercy: "This servant knows her wrongs, please spare my life, ah, truly this servant''s family members did not have any money to treat them, so when Zhu''er found me, this servant was blinded by the thought of money, and begged Aunt for mercy!"

    "Is that so? If I remember correctly, your family didn''t seem to be sick when you hooked up with Zhu''er. These were not excuses! So, Jadeite, do you now understand why I treat you differently? You''re right, this is indeed a prejudice. "

    After saying that, Shi Anran slowly stood up and walked to her side. She looked down at the jade at her feet that was kneeling down, and said with an indifferent voice: "You intentionally tried to trick me by speaking to me in front of Xiu Er, but you also purposefully told me everything. Do you think that I wouldn''t know about all of this? I was just thinking, what other tricks do you have that you haven''t used yet? "

    "Servant бн" "Your servant бн" While Cui Yu was stuttering, she had nothing else to say.

    Shi Anran waved his hand, "Go back to whomever you are. I can''t tolerate your existence any longer."

    As Cui Yu cried and begged for mercy, Cui Yun chased her out. When she came in, she saw that Shi Anran had already fallen asleep and did not disturb her.

    Inside Phoenix Hall, Li Ruolan was laughing excitedly when she heard about this. "Is what you said true?"

    "This servant dares not lie!" Jadeite spoke with her eyes downcast.

    "Alright, reward!"

    Zhu''er blessed her body and passed the silver taels she had prepared over. "In the future, there will still be plenty of money for you to enjoy by my side."

    Jadeite received the silver with trembling hands, pursed her lips and said, "This servant thanks the imperial concubine for her gift."

    "This Shi Anran is sensible!" In regards to the previous matter, Li Ruolan had thought that she would report him to the emperor, but he didn''t expect her to not tell him at all.

    "She doesn''t know her own identity, how can she compare with you, esteemed Empress?" Pearl flattered with a smile.

    "Alright, alright, stop flattering me. Follow me and see if my sister is better!" When he thought about Li Ruoxue, Li Ruolan couldn''t help but feel infuriated. Relying on her status as the meritorious general, Xiang Rongcheng actually dared to hit even the emperor''s Consort Candidate? Unfortunately, the emperor didn''t punish him at all, the more she thought about it, the more infuriating it made people feel.

    The news of Li Ruoxue getting slapped twice by the young general, to the point of him spitting blood on the spot, was as though she had grown wings. Now that he saw her, she could only spit at her. She was just a Consort Candidate who seduced the young general, fortunately the Emperor didn''t chase her out of the palace.

    Everyone said that words were fearsome, and in the past few days, Li Ruoxue had been driven mad by all these news. She frantically smashed everything in the room that she could get rid of, and continued to cause a ruckus throughout the day.

    When Li Ruoxue entered the room, she saw the mess on the ground and sighed in relief, "Ruoxue, what are you doing?"

    "Elder sister, I don''t want to live anymore бн" The moment Li Ruoxue saw her, she started to cry loudly, as if she wanted to use this chance to express her grievances and unwillingness.

    "You were too obvious at that time. Even elder sister could see that. Do you really want to become the young general''s man?" Li Ruolan was a little confused now. Didn''t Li Ruoxue want to become her concubine after pushing her head out of control at the beginning? How could she have her sights set on the young general in just a few days?

    Hearing this, Li Ruoxue immediately held onto her sister''s hand tightly, and pleaded: "Elder sister, this matter was not what you had imagined at all. I did not intend to molest Xiang Rongcheng back then, it was бн "Yes бн"

    "What is it?" Don''t tell me who pushed you. I saw clearly that there was no one around you. Ruoxue, your elder sister doesn''t want you to destroy yourself, understand? "

    "Sis, I really didn''t do it. Someone must have set me up on purpose!" Even in her dreams, she dreamed of becoming the emperor''s woman, so how could she possibly throw herself into the arms of a general? Li Ruoxue pulled her and explained nonstop.

    In the end, Li Ruolan could only slowly exhale a breath of air and sincerely said, "I hope that won''t happen a second time in this kind of situation. Otherwise, even as a noble empress, Big Sis will not be able to save you!"

    "But did I get beaten up for nothing?" Li Ruoxue''s face was now bluish purple, and half of it was swollen.

    Li Ruolan got the maid to take out the good ointment, "This is Snow Skin Ointment, apply some on it every night, and it will be fully healed soon!"

    "Elder sister, you have to report that Xiang Rongcheng in front of the emperor, or else my face will be slapped for nothing!" Li Ruoxue pleaded pitifully.

    There was no need for her to remind me about this. Li Ruolan glanced at her for a moment, then stood up and said: "Alright, I even made an appointment to travel with the emperor in the afternoon. Take care of yourself!"

    Looking at her sister walking out, Li Ruoxue''s face had a look of anger. Based on her intuition, she felt that she was being framed, but everything was so flawless, she could not find any gaps or loopholes. Other than Shi Anran, she already could not find anyone else who wanted to deal with her, and she was the only one who dared to do so.

    As he thought about it, Li Ruoxue''s eyes gradually darkened. Gritting his teeth, he squeezed out a few words from the gaps between his teeth, "Shi Anran, it must be you who wanted to harm me бн"

 C127

    The plants in the imperial garden had been destroyed by the last rain, and the gardener had brought fresh potted plants from other places. Looking at the flowers in the garden, Hong Ling picked one and played with it in her hand. When she turned around, she unexpectedly took a picture with the emperor. Hong Ling was startled. She looked at the woman beside the emperor, her abdomen clearly covered by her hands. This was truly ironic!

    Shi Anran saw that, without batting an eyelid, Shi Anran had retracted her gaze and looked at Li Ruolan who looked like a small, obedient bird. Accompanying the Emperor was an indescribable sense of discomfort.

    "So Sister Ling is here as well?" That shrill voice sounded like an ordinary father-in-law''s voice. Thinking this, Shi Anran couldn''t help but laugh in her heart.

    The pregnant noble Ling of the Imperial Noble Consort Lan who was currently being pampered had undoubtedly become a thorn in the side of everyone''s eye. Shi Anran stood at the side and looked at them without batting an eyelid, but in her heart, she could not let go of Xiu Er''s death.

    While Shi Anran was brewing tea for the emperor, Li Ruolan whispered into Hong Ling''s ear. "I heard that the Ninth Prince had taken liberties with Little Sister Ling a while ago, and thus the Ninth Prince is still confined to the palace. Is this true or false?"

    Hong Ling''s eyebrows slightly knitted together. After which, she seemed to be wronged as she said, "Elder sister, what do you mean by this?"

    "As the saying goes, a fly doesn''t bite a seamless egg. What do you think Sister Ling means by that?" Right now, only Hong Ling made the emperor happy. She had to plan for her son in the dragon''s womb, and sooner or later, it would be better to get rid of this woman.

    Shi Anran remained calm and collected as she brewed tea for the emperor, and said lightly: "Taste this, your majesty. This is Anran''s tea that is brewed from rootless water, is there any difference from the tea your majesty drinks?"

    The corner of the emperor''s eyebrows lightly knitted together. After tasting a slight mouthful, he seemed to have savored the aroma of tea and nodded with a sigh. "That''s right, there''s indeed a difference in taste! More refreshing. "

    Li Ruolan turned around and looked at the emperor who was laughing merrily, and her eyebrows knitted together. Why was this Shi Anran always so haunting? If it wasn''t for her becoming the emperor''s maid, with her fox like methods, she would probably be able to talk on top of her own head.

    "Anran, I heard that your servant stole the treasures of the palace and wanted to sell them. In the end, she was caught red-handed and looted, do you know that you were my master?" Li Ruolan, who feared that the world would not fall into chaos, spoke a few words in a rather casual manner, then lazily sat down next to the emperor.

    "Is that true?" The emperor asked lightly.

    At that moment, Shi Anran had no choice but to explain. She lowered her eyes and said: "Reporting to the emperor, Anran is not aware of this matter!"

    Li Ruolan''s eyes were bright and her teeth were white. Her lips were slightly raised as she said, "What a good ''don''t know what''s good for you, but you can push it clean. As a servant, your hands and feet are not clean.

    Shi Anran allowed her to speak, but did not speak. Seeing that, Li Ruolan used her veil to cover half of her lips: "A person like him will stay by the emperor''s side, you better watch out for him!"

    Hearing that, the emperor''s eyes were filled with disgust, he vigilantly glanced at Shi Anran, and then recovered her expression: "The words of my beloved concubine are reasonable, according to my beloved concubine, how should I handle this?"

    Shi Anran had originally thought that by wholeheartedly serving the Emperor, he would be able to protect her life at a critical moment. However, she discovered that she was wrong. The person in front of her was not an ordinary man, but an emperor who controlled the lives and deaths of everyone in the world. He could turn the tables on her, and even if an order were to kill him, who would stand up and say anything?

    The Emperor''s words made Li Ruolan very happy. She pouted and snuggled beside the Emperor, and said with a soft voice: "If the punishment is too severe, I''m afraid someone will say that chenqie is not virtuous. If it''s too light, they will say that chenqie doesn''t properly discipline her subordinate, so let your majesty decide this!"

    Hong Ling, who had been silent all this while, was about to speak when she saw Shi Anran lightly shake his head towards her, signalling her to be quiet at this time.

    "Anran, what do you have to say for yourself?" the Emperor asked, his lips slowly parted.

    Shi Anran stooped down, and her gentle and gentle voice flowed out like a spring: "This matter was indeed caused by Anran''s negligence.

    The emperor only glanced at Li Ruolan lightly, and she nodded in agreement, then gave a faint smile at the person kneeling in front of her, and did not forget to put on her haughty airs? No wonder he had to suffer бн

    Li Ruolan slowly raised her fair chin: "Following the rules, stealing treasures in the palace should be severed, but since the palace maid has already died, it''s fine. But as the mistress, you should also take responsibility.

    Fifty slabs was enough to split a grown man''s flesh, not to mention that she was just a weak girl. The emperor had tacitly accepted this punishment without saying anything. Shi Anran clenched her teeth and accepted her fate, "Yes бн"

    Hong Ling anxiously twirled the silk handkerchief in her hands and could not help but say, "Your majesty, isn''t fifty boards a little too heavy? Even if Anran was in the wrong, she wouldn''t use a heavy punishment! It''s not like Anran stole it бн "

    "I do not have the time to care about these things, leave everything to Imperial Noble Consort Lan!" After saying that, he flicked away Hong Ling''s hand and left.

    Li Ruolan covered her lips and laughed lightly: "Little sister, don''t waste your energy.

    Shi Anran knew that she was definitely going to be beaten. Fifty points, how long could she last? Thinking about it, a bitter smile surfaced at the corner of Shi Anran''s lips.

    At this time, the sun was about to set, but the entrance of the palace was already filled with people, they pointed at Shi Anran who was being suppressed and discussed softly.

    "Aunt!" In the crowd, Cui Yun wanted to step forward but was stopped by the guards outside.

    Li Ruolan sat on the imperial concubine''s chair, with the posture of a mother honoring the world, her lips slowly parted. "What are you doing in a daze?

    Shi Anran closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to come, she was already prepared for it, and when the first board fell, it was so painful that she was sweating, followed by the second and third boards hitting her back with all their might, the timid palace maid had already covered her eyes and did not dare look straight at her.

    Shi Anran bit her lips until they were bleeding. However, Li Ruolan, who originally wanted to hear her miserable wails, was now unwilling: "Hit, beat her heavily for me!" Today, she was determined to beat this woman to a kneeling position and beg for her life.

    Li Mu had just come out from the emperor''s study with a few ministers. Upon seeing this scene, he was also surprised, wasn''t this woman always very smart? How did I end up like this?

    Li Mu moved closer to his without warning, and looking at Shi Anran who was biting his lips and not letting go, he felt as if a needle had lightly pricked his chest. It was neither painful nor itchy, but it gave him a very strange feeling.

 C128

    Cui Yun wanted to ask Li Mu to save her, but when she saw the cold gaze that was looking at him, Cui Yun understood that even if her aunt was beaten to death here today, he would absolutely not help.

    Shi Anran''s vision started to blur. She saw the look in Li Mu''s eyes as she looked at her with indifferent eyes. There was a hint of disdain in his eyes. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, but the bone-piercing pain behind her reminded her that she was still alive.

    Finally, a hint of yellow appeared in her eyes. She knew that she could be saved бн

    "Stop!" The Crown Prince was just passing by, but he didn''t expect to see such a scene.

    The two guards who were executing the punishment were also sweating profusely. After hearing the crown prince stop them, they obediently moved to the side and said, "We pay our respects to your highness, the crown prince!"

    Li Gan looked at the dying girl on the ground, and looked up suspiciously: "The Imperial Concubine is punishing a weak palace maid like this, I wonder what crime she has committed?"

    Li Ruolan scoffed coldly in her heart, even though she did not put this useless crown prince in her eyes, she still had to worry about his identity on the surface, and said: "Your majesty, let me punish you as I please, I do not dare to show favoritism!"

    Shi Anran''s finger moved, and she slowly raised her head. Her bright eyes stared straight at the crown prince, using her gaze to convey her begging. After Li Gan''s throat moved up and down, she glanced sideways and said to Imperial Noble Consort Lan: "Let this palace maid go. If Imperial Noble Consort Lan thinks that it is not enough, how about you invite royal father over to take a look? "

    He actually brought out the emperor? Li Ruolan curled her lips coldly, "Since the crown prince has said so, how could I dare not to let him go?" After saying that, he waved his hand and stood up as well. This time, he felt very satisfied! It was a pity that he did not see Shi Anran kneeling and crying for help!

    "What are you standing there in a daze for? Hurry up and send him back! Have the imperial physician come and take a look!" Li Gan took in a light breath and put it down. After seeing that Shi Anran had been carried away, an image of her eyes, which were even clearer than starlight, suddenly surfaced in her mind.

    "Your Highness, we should leave now!" The guard whispered to himself, before he pulled his thoughts back to reality.

    Li Gan nodded, and before he left, he looked back at Qian Qing Gong. So this woman was his father''s servant, why had he never seen her before?

    Shi Anran had been struck twenty times, and was extremely weak. If she were to be hit by the remaining wooden boards, how could she still have a chance of survival? The medicine woman cleaned her wounds, applied the ointment, and left after saying a few words.

    Cui Yun had been guarding by her side the entire time, but seeing that Shi Anran had slept for an entire day and had yet to awaken, she stretched out her hand to inspect her forehead, immediately frowning. "Not good, Aunt has a fever, what should we do now?" She had to get a doctor again.

    Cui Yun ran too quickly, and when she turned the corner, she bumped into someone. She hurriedly apologized and looked up, and immediately became ecstatic: "Young General, it''s you! Great! Hurry up and save your aunt! "

    "What happened to Anran?" Xiang Rongcheng''s handsome eyebrows slightly knitted together.

    Cui Yun knew that this was not the place to talk, so she brought Xiang Rongcheng to the side hall of the Qian Qing Palace, which was also the courtyard where Shi Anran lived.

    Seeing the dying Shi Anran on the bed, Xiang Rongcheng almost shattered the table in front of him with a single punch. He gritted his teeth and asked: "Who did it?"

    "It''s Imperial Noble Consort Lan. Aunt has been beaten up and has slept for an entire day but she still hasn''t woken up. The imperial physician also hasn''t come back to check her pulse! "In the palace, a little servant girl like me couldn''t get imperial doctors бн" Cui Yun sobbed.

    "Damn it!" It had only been a few days since he last saw her, yet he was already like this. Xiang Rongcheng''s five fingers clenched into a fist, he took off his own medallion and handed it over to Cui Yun: "Bring all the female doctors in the Grand Hospital over to this general!"

    At this moment, he did not care about his status, nor did he care about the consequences of a single word from someone that he had put in effort for. He only knew that if he could not even protect the person he loved, then he was not worthy of being a man.

    Not long after, the entire room was completely surrounded, with Xiang Rongcheng standing outside with a gloomy face, not saying a word.

    Xiang Rongcheng cupped his hands in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "This subject greets Your Majesty!"

    "Junior General, please rise!" When the emperor first heard of this, his face was filled with rage, but on the way here he calmed down quite a bit.

    Because of the matter of Xiang Rongcheng beating her sister up the last time, Li Ruolan still bore a grudge in mind.

    Hearing that, even the emperor''s expression changed, and he heard Xiang Rongcheng say indifferently, "What does Imperial Noble Consort Lan mean? Should I wait for her to die of illness before I send for the best mortician in the capital? "

    The Emperor gave a light cough. "Alright, this matter shall be decided by us! "Young General is a great general of the imperial court, but he''s actually being taught to do this by a palace maid in private. How is that proper?"

    Xiang Rongcheng had originally wanted to frankly admit that Anran was his own fiancee, but the words were about to come out of his mouth when he swallowed them back. "This subject is lacking in manners, but life is more important.

    Deal with him? Now that the border war had just subsided, who knew when the enemy would attack again. At this time, the Emperor still had to rely on his Xiang Family to rule the world, so how could he possibly be punished? He then glanced at him and said sternly, "Go back to your residence!"

    In the dead of night, Shi Anran slowly opened her eyes. In her previous life, she had escaped death once because of the crown prince, could it be that all of this was already predetermined? When she saw Li Mu when she was receiving her punishment, his clear and cold eyes did not contain the slightest bit of sympathy. Shi Anran started to suspect if she had made the right decision.

    But she already knew what kind of person Li Mu was, so before deciding to cooperate with him, she first understood his viciousness. Was there any possibility of him turning back now?

    After Cui Yun helped her drink some rice porridge, she said gently, "In the daytime, the young general has come over!"

    "What?" Did he say anything? " Shi Anran was suddenly startled, and when she tensed up, a tearing pain came from behind him.

    "The young general invited all of the female officials of the entire Grand Hospital to treat his aunt''s wounds. Afterwards, he alarmed the emperor. It''s strange that the young general didn''t even receive a single sentence from the emperor before he was sent back to the general''s estate." Cui Yun said in detail.

    At this time, the emperor would not offend the Xiang Family because of this. Xiang Rongcheng''s father had an army of several hundred thousand and Xiang Rongcheng''s soldiers were all brave and good at fighting, so how could the emperor vent his anger on him? Shi Anran was quite at ease with this, and as she thought about it, she slowly opened her mouth and asked: "Has the crown prince ever come here before?"

    "Never бн" Cui Yun replied with lowered eyes.

    Shi Anran slightly nodded her head, her gentle and exquisite face had a deathly pale complexion. This time, quite a few people in the palace probably knew of Xiang Rongcheng''s actions for her sake, so how would she explain it? As she thought about it, she felt a headache coming on. She closed her eyes and lay back down. Because she had been hit by a plank, she had no choice but to sleep on her stomach.

 C129

    After Shi Anran recovered from her injuries, she went back to work beside the emperor. Because of what happened last time, the emperor had obviously not doted on her like before. But Shi Anran didn''t care too much about it. It was just a matter of time before she would have the chance to regain the trust of the Emperor.

    On this day, the Emperor, as usual, was in her study, reading a paper, and occasionally coughing a few times. If she had heard that the emperor was sick, Shi Anran would have no choice but to continuously pour tea for them.

    But slowly, this cough became more and more serious. The emperor suddenly clutched his chest and began to cough violently, as if he was about to pass out from anger. Seeing the handkerchief in the emperor''s hand stained with blood, Shi Anran was immediately frightened, "Your majesty, Anran will call the imperial physician!"

    "No need!" The emperor drank some hot tea to ease himself, then closed his eyes and said indifferently, "It''s just an old problem with cough. Go get the Pills of Pure Heart from my table."

    "Yes." Shi Anran''s gaze fell on a small porcelain bottle, picked it up and folded it back. "Is this what your majesty is talking about?"

    The Emperor nodded slightly and took out two pills to consume. Only after a long time did his expression improve slightly.

    "Don''t spread this news!"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran lowered her eyes and said sternly: "Anran doesn''t dare!" Looking at the tired-looking, middle-aged man in front of him, who had lost his status as an overlord, he was just an ordinary father. But his son was plotting against him one by one. It was probably quite laughable.

    Seeing that the emperor had fallen asleep on her soft bed, Shi Anran guarded at the side and was bored out of her mind. Back then, the empress dowager kept coughing up blood. There was almost no other way for all the imperial physicians to treat her, but later on a female doctor came looking for her. Only after the empress dowager ate did she feel better, and perhaps this method could be used on the emperor as well.

    After making her decision, Shi Anran recalled all the medicinal ingredients in her mind, and then sent people to handle them.

    There was actually a kitchen in the Palace, but it had not been used for a long time. After Shi Anran had someone clean it up, she started to make the medicinal food, "Cui Yun, mix the lemon grass and hay with one and cook it."

    As she instructed them, Shi Anran grinded the Snow Lotus and Lingzhi into powder and put them into the flour. After it was cooked, it was placed in the prepared soup, placed in a few red dates, and closed the lid.

    "Cui Yun, send him to the ice cellar!"

    "Aunt, why are you doing this?" Cui Yun was puzzled.

    "Of course I did, or what?" Shi Anran smiled mysteriously, she had spent a lot of effort in this medicinal food.

    After approximately an hour, a layer of ice that was not very thick was formed from the water in the bowl. Shi Anran carefully took it out and gave it to the emperor.

    When Shi Anran entered the room, the emperor just happened to wake up from her sleep. Seeing her holding onto something, she let out a long sigh and said, "Didn''t I say that I''m not going to eat anything?"

    "Your majesty, this is not an ordinary meal. Anran had meticulously made this dish for a long time and the emperor had only given it a small bite. How about it?" She raised her fair chin and said softly.

    "Alright, let''s have a taste." Knowing that Shi Anran had personally done it, the emperor was a little curious, so she nodded in agreement.

    Shi Anran opened the lid, and the cool feeling that came from welcoming him felt like it was a relief from the heat, but also had an appetite, "Your majesty, try it!"

    She purposely sprinkled some of the petals of the osmanthus flower inside so that the fragrance of the osmanthus flower could cover the smell of the hay and the Lingzhi medicine.

    After swallowing it, he felt a cool and refreshing feeling in his throat. He revealed a happy expression: "Anran, tell me, how should I reward you this time?"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran bowed: "How dare Anran take this opportunity to ask for rewards from the Emperor? Isn''t that Anran too unkind? "

    Her words made the emperor laugh. "Just based on your words, Zhen will definitely reward you!"

    The parched pain in his throat had already abated by more than half, and it felt even more comfortable than the Pure Heart Pill. The Emperor couldn''t help but ask, "How did you make this thing?"

    After Shi Anran pursed her lips, she explained, "Seeing that the emperor has been coughing non-stop these past few days, Anran had been thinking of a way to alleviate the illness and coincidentally saw this method in an ancient book. She wanted to give the emperor a try, but she didn''t expect it to actually succeed."

    "What a meticulous and intelligent girl. I really admire her!" The emperor looked at her with extreme satisfaction, then slowly opened his lips. "Since you don''t want any rewards, then I''ll grant you a gold medal. From now on, you can exchange this gold medal with me for a condition!"

    "The Emperor has personally bestowed it to Anran. Anran is greatly flattered!" Shi Anran bowed, and did not refuse.

    "I heard that you only have one palace maid? I''ll send you a few more in the next few days. " The emperor''s voice wasn''t as stiff as before, on the contrary, it carried a sense of gentleness that he hadn''t felt in a long time.

    Since the emperor had said so, how could Shi Anran let go of this opportunity? She lowered her eyes and softly said, "Your Majesty, Anran also has two intimate servants outside the palace. I wonder if it''s possible to have them enter the palace?"

    When the Emperor heard this, he thought for a moment before nodding his head in agreement. "That is feasible. As long as you observe the etiquette within the palace, everything will be fine."

    "Anran thanks the Emperor for his grace!"

    After obtaining the emperor''s permission, Shi Anran had her men bring the letter out early. In less than half a day, Shi Family''s carriage had stopped at the palace gate. Shi Anran personally welcomed Liu Yue and the others and led them back to their own residences. The master and the servants stayed in their rooms all afternoon, no one knew what they had said.

    In the past few days, Shi Anran had been sending medicinal food to the emperor as usual. Seeing that the emperor''s cough condition had improved, he was still somewhat happy in his heart.

    "Anran, our old ailment is all thanks to you." The Emperor put down his paper, drank a mouthful of Shi Anran''s medicinal porridge and said sincerely.

    Shi Anran lowered her eyes, her lips gently parted, "The Emperor has his own destiny, even without Anran''s medicinal food, it would still be good."

    Actually, the emperor''s illness hadn''t completely healed. Although he wasn''t coughing up blood right now, all of this was only on the surface. It was unknown when the emperor''s body would be unable to hold on. As he thought about it, Shi Anran''s heart also trembled.

    "He''s really becoming more and more talkative!" The Emperor laughed, then thought of something. He cast a sidelong glance at the Emperor and said, "That''s right, are those two girls of yours here yet?"

    "Reporting to the Emperor, we are already at the palace. Anran is asking Cui Yun to teach them court etiquette right now!" Shi Anran agreed.

    The emperor nodded and then chatted with Shi Anran for a while, talking happily.

    In the evening, Shi Anran prepared the medicinal food according to routine. Just as she was about to send it out, she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Not long after, cold sweat emerged from Shi Anran''s forehead and her hand that was holding onto the wall started to tremble as well.

    "Miss!" Liu Yue ran over and helped her sit on the soft chair, and asked her softly: "Miss, what''s wrong? You already said yesterday that you had a stomachache, why are you getting worse today?"

    Shi Anran also frowned in pain, but she still exhorted, "Liu Yue, have Cui Yun give the medicinal food on the table to the emperor first!"

    "But Miss, your body is more important!" She spoke in a muffled voice, her face contorting as if she was the one in pain.

 C130

    "Hurry up, don''t delay any longer. I''ll just go back to my bedroom and lie down for a while!" Shi Anran''s face was deathly pale, and her voice seemed to be somewhat powerless.

    Liu Yue nodded her head and replied: "Then this servant will be right back!"

    Shi Anran stood up, but before she could take two steps, she saw the traces of blood on her clothes. She was shocked, and quickly understood what was going on, and secretly laughed at herself for being slow.

    Since Liu Yue could not find Cui Yun, she was afraid that the emperor would blame him for delaying the meal. Thus, she decided to send the food over to the emperor himself.

    "Eunuch, this servant came to deliver the emperor''s medicinal food!" Liu Yue bowed.

    Eunuch Liu saw that it was not Shi Anran who had arrived, so she took a glance at Liu Yue and nodded: "Quickly go in!"

    At this moment, Li Ruolan was accompanying the emperor. Upon seeing Liu Yue come in, he knew that she was a person close to Shi Anran, and softly glanced at him before snorting, "No rules, don''t you know how to salute when you see the emperor and this palace?"

    Liu Yue immediately lowered her head in blessing, "This servant greets the Emperor, and the Imperial Concubine! Aunt was not feeling very well, so this servant came to deliver some medicinal food for the emperor in Aunt''s place. "

    Hearing this, the emperor raised his gaze and lightly said, "Bring it up."

    Opening the lid, he took a whiff of the fragrance, which also made Li Ruolan feel that it was extremely fragrant, and said in a soft voice, "Your majesty, even chenqie wants to taste it."

    Li Ruolan was naturally extremely happy in her heart when she ordered Liu Yue to scoop a bowl for the Imperial Noble Consort Lan. She took a sip of her lips and smiled, "The culinary arts of this imperial kitchens are not bad.

    The emperor laughed, the spoon in his hand stirred a bit, and just as she was about to put it into her mouth, Li Ruolan slapped away the porcelain bowl in his hand, and spat out a mouthful of black blood with a "Pu".

    Eunuch Zhao was shocked, he looked at Imperial Noble Consort Lan who was in the Emperor''s arms, and immediately called for an imperial physician, then turned his gaze towards Liu Yue who had an expression of ignorance. Before he could say anything, he heard the Emperor angrily say: "Capture him for me!"

    Shi Anran was awoken by a nightmare. When she opened her eyes, she immediately saw an anxious Yi Yue. She propped herself up and asked in a rather weak voice: "What time is it now?"

    "Miss, it''s already evening бн"

    After looking at the sky, Shi Anran seemed to have thought of something, and asked: Why am I unable to see Liu Yue, what did she do?

    Yi Yue knelt down beside Shi Anran''s bed with a thump. With lowered eyes, she said, "Miss, Liu Yue is now locked in the prison. The medicine she sent to the emperor was poisoned!"

    "What did you say?" Shi Anran was shocked, and ignored her own body. She covered her lower abdomen with her hands and lifted the blanket, enduring the discomfort she felt, she asked again, "Your majesty''s medicinal food was poisoned? How could there be poison? " It was personally made by Shi Anran, and there were no one around, so it was impossible for it to be poisonous. There must be someone framing or misunderstanding, she had to find the emperor to explain it!

    "Auntie, you can''t go. Right now, the Emperor is sending people to investigate this matter. If Auntie goes out now, she might be captured as the mastermind!" Cui Yun pulled her arm, and said seriously.

    Shi Anran pursed her lips, unable to calm her complicated emotions. She felt that her heart was beating even faster, as if something bad was about to happen. Cui Yun, go and investigate whether or not Liu Yue came into contact with anyone during her journey to deliver medicinal food to the emperor or where she stopped. You must investigate everything in detail! "

    Yi Yue pursed her lips, as though she had thought of something, and said: "That medicinal food was originally sent over by Miss to the Emperor. If it wasn''t for Liu Yue sending over, then the person locked up would have been you, Miss!"

    After hearing this, Shi Anran suddenly understood, and she lightly muttered: "So the person that person was trying to frame was me, Liu Yue was just trying to frame him for me бн" After saying that, Shi Anran tiredly closed her eyes, and after a while, she slowly opened her mouth: "Where did you go wrong?"

    In Phoenix Palace, the Imperial Noble Consort Lan who had been unconscious for several hours finally woke up. She blinked her eyes in confusion, and Pearl saw that she had woken up for a while and was overjoyed: "Empress, you have finally woken up.

    After hearing the commotion, the emperor walked in quickly and asked, "Is my beloved concubine better?"

    Li Ruolan placed her hand on her abdomen, and upon sensing that the child was still alive, she heaved a sigh of relief. In a weak and angry voice, she said, "Your majesty, you must find out who it is that wants to poison chenqie!"

    "My beloved concubine, don''t worry. This Emperor will definitely not let the mastermind off!" The Emperor said this solemnly. Furthermore, the person that wanted to harm him was not the Imperial Noble Consort Lan but himself. As he thought about this, the light in his eyes gradually deepened.

    Pearl, who was at the side, warned in a low voice, "Your Majesty, that palace maid called Liu Yue is one of Aunt Anran''s people."

    After hearing that, Li Ruolan immediately understood. Holding the emperor''s hand, she said in a daze, "Chenqie had punished her earlier, so Shi Anran must have acted against chenqie out of the hatred in her heart. Your majesty must make the decision for chenqie!"

    The emperor naturally knew that it was Shi Anran''s man, but he still understood in his heart, that Shi Anran had taken good care of him during this period of time. Moreover, if she wanted to poison him, she already had so many chances. There was no reason why she would wait until now. It was precisely because of this reason that the Emperor had delayed sending people to the Palace.

    "I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Once my beloved concubine has recovered, so be it!"

    That night, Shi Anran did not sleep until dawn, so she woke up early to wash up and prepare to go to the imperial court. Seeing her exhausted appearance, Cui Yun frowned: "Aunt, it''s not the time for the imperial court yet, you should rest for a while!"

    How could she still sleep at this time? Shi Anran shook his head and said: "No need, how is the matter that I told you to investigate yesterday?"

    Cui Yun was a little suspicious as her lips parted. "When Liu Yue took the medicinal bowl of food, she had already delivered it to the emperor without stopping. She also did not see anyone during this period. Aunt, could it be that the Imperial Noble Consort Lan poisoned her? After all, at that time, she was the only one who was exposed to medicinal food besides the Emperor. "

    Hearing this, Shi Anran thought for a bit, then said: "Imperial Noble Consort Lan values the prince in her stomach very much, she wouldn''t even think about poisoning me. Even if she isn''t worried about her own body, she would still worry about injuring the prince, so I don''t think that''s possible."

    "Aunt''s analysis is correct. But if that''s the case, who on earth would want to use such a malicious method to frame Aunt?"

    "I''m not sure about that either бн" In the palace, the only people who could not get along with her were the Li sisters. Currently, Li Ruoxue did not even have the chance to get near to the place, and it was even more impossible for Li Ruolan to drug them.

    In the morning court, the Emperor looked at her with the same expression as before. Shi Anran lowered her eyes. If the emperor was suspicious of him, she would have sent people to arrest her the moment the poison appeared in the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, because the emperor did not do so, which meant that even he was not sure who it was. Thinking about it, Shi Anran''s heart was filled with waves of confusion and doubt, but she was more worried about Liu Yue.

 C131

    "This son has heard that palace maids have poisoned royal father, luckily, he is fine!" Third Prince looked like he was relieved.

    After the emperor''s gaze swept over all the officials, he said in a low voice, "That palace maid couldn''t say anything. Third brother, I''ll leave this matter to you to investigate. Don''t disappoint me!"

    Hearing this, Third Prince was slightly surprised, but he quickly regained his composure and replied with a cupped fist: "This son obeys!"

    "Alright, since there''s nothing else, let''s adjourn the court!" The emperor''s voice was light as he spoke.

    After the emperor left the imperial palace, Shi Anran followed behind without saying a word. Seeing that the emperor had stopped, she too stood on her spot.

    "Don''t you have anything you want to explain to me?"

    "Reporting to the Emperor, Anran is right, there is no need to explain!" Even if she explained, it was just to confirm her suspicions. She believed that as long as the Emperor didn''t believe that she was the one who did it, nothing would happen.

    "I quite appreciate your calmness!" The Emperor slowly walked in front of him. After pondering for a moment, he slowly said, "Since I''ve ascended to the throne, I''ve already encountered a lot of matters like this. However, very few people were able to find out the truth."

    After Shi Anran heard the emperor''s words, she said seriously, "But the medicinal food Anran prepared for the emperor was made personally, and she didn''t give it to anyone else during this period. It just so happened yesterday. The people who come in and out of the Palace everyday are all complicated, but they have never come into the kitchen, so Anran''s bold guess is that there''s something wrong with the ingredients, I sincerely request the Emperor to let Anran follow Third Prince in investigating this matter. "

    The emperor was silent for a moment, then said with a stern expression, "Fine, I''ll give you a chance to cleanse yourself. But if you can''t find anything, then that palace maid will have to abide by the palace''s rules!"

    "Your majesty, Anran begs your majesty, can you not kill people before everything is true?" Liu Yue was undoubtedly wronged, and the Emperor naturally knew that. What Shi Anran was worried about was that the Emperor would order his men to kill Liu Yue without alerting him.

    "I have given you a chance. I shall be in charge of everything in this palace!" The emperor''s next sentence completely shut her up.

    Watching as the emperor''s figure disappeared from his sight, Shi Anran''s hand that was holding the silk handkerchief had already been tightly clasped together. If Third Prince was able to make a person like the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao be willing to work for him, then he must also have other eyes and ears in the palace. This was something that he might be able to do.

    She was still thinking about the Third Prince, and when she turned around, he saw Su Yun walking over. Shi Anran lowered her eyes and saluted: "Anran greets Third Prince!"

    "No need for formalities!" Li Mu looked at her pale face, furrowed his brows, and asked: "What''s wrong, are you feeling unwell?"

    "Thank you, Third Prince, for your concern. Anran is very good бн" Shi Anran calmly opened her mouth, and even her speaking voice had become very stiff.

    Li Mu''s thin lips curved into a slit, and after a moment, he said calmly, "Father asked me to investigate this matter, do you have anything you want to tell me?"

    Why, even he doubted herself? Shi Anran looked at him with a questioning gaze, and only after a long while did she leisurely say: "I have nothing to say, Anran has already requested an decree from the Emperor, she will assist Third Prince in investigating this matter."

    Hearing this, Li Mu raised her eyebrows slightly: "So what if you''ve found out? The best way now is to give it up бн"

    "There''s no need to trouble Third Prince with this. I will not abandon anyone." Xiu Er had already died because of him, so she would not let Liu Yue be covered by this unexplained grievance.

    Looking at her persistent expression, Li Mu knew that there was no need for him to say anything more. He thought for a bit, then said in a neutral tone: "Since royal father agreed to have you help me investigate, then he must trust you. Otherwise, the person who will be in trouble right now will already be you!"

    Looking at Third Prince''s serious expression, Shi Anran guessed something. She smiled and laughed coldly: "Anran understands!" Didn''t he want to be a spy for the emperor? When Shi Anran had smoothly entered the palace and become the emperor''s maid, she had already known that such a day would come.

    "Anran, I will remember what you and I did бн" Li Mu''s eyes were filled with gentleness.

    Shi Anran only sneered in her heart, and maintained a calm expression on the surface. "Then, should we be able to investigate the case now?"

    "There''s no need to rush. I think we should go somewhere first." With that, Li Mu walked in front, he turned and looked at the person that did not follow, and said softly: "Don''t you want to go and see how that young palace maid of yours is doing?"

    After hearing that, Shi Anran''s eyes lit up, and she quickly followed him. It was just that Third Prince walked too fast, the discomfort in her stomach made her struggle, and she quickened her pace to follow the man in front.

    "Ugh бн" Shi Anran''s mind was in a mess, her steps struck Third Prince''s back, she covered her nose and groaned, why did he suddenly stop?

    Seeing her angry look, Li Mu could not help but find it funny, after looking around to see that no one was around, he raised his hand and lightly tapped her nose, and laughed: "In my eyes, Shi Anran is not such a clumsy girl."

    This kind of intimate action caused Shi Anran to be a little stunned. She hurriedly took two steps back to stabilize herself, and her eyes flashed slightly after meeting his gentle eyes. This man was too good at concealing and disguising herself, whether it was her gentleness or gentleness, Shi Anran would never believe that he had done it from the bottom of her heart.

    After walking all the way back, they finally reached the entrance of the prison. Only after Li Mu revealed his identity card did the guard open the door for him. Looking at the rows of lights in front of his, Shi Anran was a little afraid, this was the first time she was in this place.

    As if he could feel her nervousness, Li Mu scanned his surroundings lightly before saying indifferently: "If I make you afraid of a place like this, then how are you going to walk on this hellish road from now on?"

    Listening to his words, Shi Anran''s expression gradually calmed down. As they walked in, they could see that there were many prisoners being imprisoned, and some of them were being punished. The miserable wails that sounded in her ears made her feel that it was incomparably ear-piercing: "Where exactly is Liu Yue being locked up?"

    "Just follow me!" Li Mu said softly and walked forward. Seeing him so familiar with this place, Shi Anran could not help but feel strange. Could it be that Third Prince came to this place frequently?

    In the corner of the cell, Liu Yue saw a familiar figure and immediately crawled back up: "Miss, I''m here!"

    After seeing Liu Yue, Shi Anran quickly walked over, her gaze swept over her. Seeing that she was alright, she heaved a sigh of relief.

    Liu Yue nodded her head then shook it: "I did indeed get beaten up when I first entered, but when Eunuch Zhao came over, he told all the guards not to use torture, so I was fine!"

    Shi Anran knew that Eunuch Zhao was giving her face, or else, not knowing how much pain Liu Yue had suffered from the people in the prison, she grabbed Liu Yue''s hands and asked seriously, "Think back to what happened that day if you came into contact with anyone!"

    "Your servant hasn''t, and the medicinal food has always been in your servant''s hands."

 C132

    Shi Anran nodded and looked sideways as she looked at Third Prince, "The medicinal food for Your Majesty was prepared by my own hands. It has been so long and there were no problems, yet something like this happened that day. Third Prince must have some connections in the palace, would it be possible to investigate it in secret? "

    "It''s not impossible бн" Saying that, Li Mu glanced at her thoughtfully.

    Shi Anran said seriously: "As long as Third Prince is willing to help me this time, Anran will definitely remember this favor."

    After hearing that, Li Mu''s eyes were filled with satisfaction, he nodded his head and said: "Alright, I''ll help you!"

    "I''m worried that something might happen to Liu Yue inside. Is there any way to make her leave this place?" Shi Anran waited for his reply with shining eyes.

    Li Mu squinted, then chuckled: "Anran, you are so smart, why have you not thought, that it would be the safest for her to leave the prison? The one who was poisoned was the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, so how could he let her off so easily with his personality? Even if she knew that it wasn''t you who poisoned her, she would still find a chance to shock you. Under such circumstances, are you still thinking of saving her? "

    Shi Anran closed her eyes in frustration. The throbbing pain in her lower abdomen still continued, and with her brows tightly knitted, she sucked in a breath of cold air. After that, she tried to calm down as much as possible, "Third Prince is right.

    Liu Yue held her hand and said with determination: "Miss, do not worry about this servant. There are people in the palace who want to use methods against you.

    If it wasn''t Li Ruolan, Shi Anran really couldn''t think of who it would be.

    She was silent all the way out of the prison. It seemed as if she was in pain. Li Mu asked again: "Your complexion isn''t good. Is your body sick?"

    It was truly a rare occasion that Third Prince would still care about someone else. Regardless of whether it was from the bottom of his heart or not, Shi Anran smiled faintly and said, "I''m fine. Thank you for your concern, Third Prince."

    "I will be at the palace for the next few days. If there is anything, you can come find me. Don''t act alone, otherwise, if something happens, even I won''t be able to protect you." Li Mu said seriously.

    He said he couldn''t protect herself? Shi Anran raised her eyes and looked at Third Prince''s eyes. Last time when Li Ruolan hit him on the head, did he open his mouth to say something? With Xiu Er''s death, when did he ever discuss this with him?

    Her gaze made Li Mu feel extremely uncomfortable, and after taking a quick glance, he shifted his gaze away: "Alright, you can go back now!"

    After separating with the Third Prince, Shi Anran went straight to the Grand Hospital, intending to grab some medicine to relieve her abdominal pain.

    Today was exactly the day that Zhou Imperial Physician was on duty, so when Shi Anran saw him, she bowed and said: "The matter that Imperial Physician Zhou hid for Anran previously, Anran will forever be grateful to him!"

    Hearing that, Doctor Zhou looked at her seriously. "How do you know?"

    "Imperial Physician Zhou''s medical skills are famous in the palace, Anran had long heard of him." How could such a skilled doctor not know that she was feigning illness? It''s just that, at that time in front of the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, why did he help me hide it, and even purposely say that?

    "You don''t have to thank me. I''m just speaking the truth!" At that time, Shi Anran was indeed in a critical condition. Any royal physician would have come to treat him with the same result, but he was still able to see through this. At that time, he only felt that if an ordinary girl could think of these methods to protect him, she wouldn''t be able to expose him.

    Shi Anran had always been a person who distinguished between gratitude and grievances. That day, Imperial Physician Zhou had saved his life once, and in the future, he would do his best to help the other person if he could. After asking for some medicine, she continued to ask: "Anran would like to ask Imperial Physician Zhou about something."

    "You want to ask what poison is in Imperial Noble Consort Lan?"

    "That''s right, the medicinal food is from Anran, if there really is poison, Anran would be able to smell it." Shi Anran''s sense of smell had always been sensitive, if there was poison inside, he would have discovered it long ago.

    Doctor Zhou found the prescription from that day and said lightly: "In my opinion, it is just an ordinary poison."

    "Didn''t Imperial Physician Zhou leave that day?" Shi Anran asked.

    "If he didn''t stay, perhaps he would have already been poured over by the palace maids. If he didn''t, he would have been able to find out what kind of poison it was. Just based on the blood that was poisoned by the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, it would be impossible to find out." As he spoke, he looked up at the confused man.

    Shi Anran nodded her head, and smiled: "No matter what, Anran will still thank Doctor Zhou today. There will not be much point in staying here today."

    "Bye!" Doctor Zhou watched her leave before retracting his gaze. It was as if he had let out a sigh of relief.

    On the second day, Shi Anran went to look for Third Prince immediately after arriving at the imperial court. On the way, she met Imperial Noble Consort Lan whose complexion had not changed at all.

    When Li Ruolan thought about how her own child was almost gone, she could not conceal the anger in her heart. She walked towards Shi Anran with large strides, and without even asking, she raised his palm to greet Shi Anran''s face. Shi Anran knew that she could not avoid it this time, and was waiting for the pain to strike him.

    Half a day later, he opened his eyes, only to see Xiang Rongcheng grabbing onto Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s slender wrist with one hand, and coldly speaking: "Imperial Noble Consort Lan, do you want to beat me up?"

    When she thought about how her own sister had been beaten up by Xiang Rongcheng to such a state, Li Ruolan could not help but feel annoyed. She said with a smile that did not reach her eyes, "Isn''t the young general being too nosy?

    "Imperial Noble Consort Lan can teach anyone a lesson, but not sher!" Xiang Rongcheng flung away her hand, and after his gaze clearly and coldly swept over the dumbstruck Shi Anran, he said in a low voice: "Huhuhu, what are you doing? Why aren''t you leaving?"

    Shi Anran lifted her eyes, and after looking at him gratefully for a moment, she headed towards the Third Prince''s palace. It was as if every time something bad happened to her, he would appear in time. However, Shi Anran didn''t know how he would return the favor in the future бн

    At this time, the Third Prince was about to come out as well, but just happened to meet Shi Anran. Seeing her in a hurry, he frowned and asked: "Did something happen?"

    "Third Prince, let''s go out of the palace!" Shi Anran simply could not leave the place. Now, she could only come to him to seek help.

    Very quickly, Li Mu knew what she wanted to do. In a clinic outside the palace, after the doctor had confirmed several times, he said: "This is called poison, this type of poison has already become a forbidden pill, where did you get it from?"

    Li Mu said unhappily: "You just need to tell me the origin of this poison."

    The doctor saw that the man beside Shi Anran was having a difficult time speaking, so he continued, "The poison was released from the palace a hundred years ago, and because it was extremely toxic, it became a forbidden pill, and no one used it anymore."

    "It came from the palace бн" Shi Anran muttered, as though she had thought of something, and it did not appear on her face.

    After leaving the infirmary, Shi Anran went to a few more infirmary to inquire about the matter. The results were all the same.

    In the afternoon, the two of them sat in the Bright Moon Restaurant, where they used to eat. Third Prince poured a cup of tea and drank it.

    "All the doctors know what poison it is, but the imperial doctors don''t know, don''t the Third Prince feel that there''s something strange about this?"

 C133

    "There is indeed something fishy бн"

    Shi Anran slightly nodded her head, and after lightly sipping a mouthful of fragrant tea, she slowly said, "Since this medicine comes from the Imperial Palace, then the perpetrator must be in the Imperial Palace. Furthermore, he must have some understanding of this medicine, which is why the poison is so colorless and tasteless, so I am unable to detect it."

    Li Mu frowned slightly, "Then are you doubting the Imperial Noble Consort Lan now?"

    "No, I feel that it can''t be her. Otherwise, when she saw me today, she wouldn''t be so furious that she would want to hit me. She would directly kill me!" Saying that, Shi Anran slowly stood up and walked to the window. Looking at the crowd on the street, her eyes flashed with a light: "I know! Since Liu Yue did not come into contact with anyone else during the process of delivering the medicinal food to the emperor, then that means the problem lies in my production. If I did not add the medicine, then the only possibility is that the medicinal ingredients were poisonous, or tableware.

    Looking at the girl who was analyzing seriously in front of him, Li Mu''s opinion of her changed more and more.

    "The problem with the medicinal ingredients might have originated from the Imperial Hospital or from the imperial kitchens. Is there anyone strange in the Palace?"

    "I cannot confirm this, but I cannot exclude this possibility either. After I return, I will have Cui Yun investigate the people from the Palace carefully, maybe they are still in the Palace right now." With these clues, Shi Anran was elated in her heart. Very soon, the truth would be revealed, and at that time, Liu Yue would be saved. Thinking about it, her heart gradually calmed down.

    "Anran, I have to say, you are very smart." Li Mu said from the bottom of his heart.

    Towards his praise, Shi Anran was not happy, but she also smiled and said: "If you can''t even think of these details, then how can you help Third Prince fulfil his wish so soon?"

    "Wishing?" Li Mu spat out three words, and then laughed: "That is our wish!"

    Shi Anran dodged his sizing up: "The Ninth Prince has always been coming up with some ideas by the crown prince''s side, and now that the Ninth Prince is restricted within the palace, why don''t Third Prince take this opportunity to make connections, and not give others the chance to take advantage of it?"

    After Li Mu heard this, he pondered for a while, and then muttered: "You''re right, but the person I want to rope in the most is Xiang Rongcheng." After he finished speaking, he quietly observed the changes in Shi Anran''s expression, but unfortunately, Shi Anran did not let him see anything.

    Shi Anran seemed to understand his meaning, and said indifferently: "I am not as familiar as Third Prince thinks, so Third Prince should decide this matter on his own!"

    "What? Aren''t you going to help me?" Li Mu''s deep eyes revealed a strange light.

    "How does Third Prince want Anran to help us?" Anyone was fine, but the only person Shi Anran couldn''t hurt was Xiang Rongcheng. If she could feel that he was sincere towards her, how could she do that?

    Seeing her unwilling, Li Mu lost his interest and immediately waved his hand: "Forget it, whatever you want to do, I won''t force you."

    Hearing that, Shi Anran became expressionless, and returned to her previous uncaring attitude, indifferently saying: "Thank you Third Prince!" Li Mu merely wanted him to be with Xiang Rongcheng, and then think of a way to rope him in. This kind of method was a bit too shameless, not to mention that Shi Anran wouldn''t even let Xiang Rongcheng participate in the struggle of a few princes for the throne.

    "Alright, let''s return to the palace!" Although Li Mu did not have any expression on his face, his eyes were filled with displeasure.

    "Zhu''er, where is the palace maid who poisoned me?" Li Ruolan reclined on the Imperial Consort''s chair. Although her face was pale white, her entire body was emitting an indolent aura. With the emperor''s concern, she was no longer afraid of anything.

    "In reply to the Empress, that palace maid called Liu Yue has been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice''s Prison. Rumor has it that the guards did not torture her, and she still eats three meals a day as usual." Pearl added fuel to the fire, not forgetting to look at Li Ruolan''s reaction.

    "If that''s the case, then if I don''t properly train him, the poisoned blood he vomited out this time will probably be vomited out in vain?" After Li Ruolan lazily said that sentence, she continued: "Bring that person over to Phoenix Nest Palace, I want to personally teach her the etiquette and rules of the palace!"

    Pearl smiled and said, "This servant will do it right away!"

    "Shi Anran, do you think that I wouldn''t know that it was you who ordered a little palace maid to poison me? This method is too shameless. If my children are gone, I will cut you into ten thousand pieces! " Li Ruolan clenched the fruit in her hand tightly and said those words fiercely.

    Cui Yu lowered her head and said, "Please calm your anger, Your Highness!"

    "How can I quell my anger? That slut wanted to murder me and my son, so why didn''t the Emperor execute her? " Originally, he thought that even if he didn''t execute her, the emperor would severely punish him and force him out of the palace. But when he thought about how Shi Anran would stand in front of him with the same arrogance as before, he couldn''t help but be extremely angry.

    Cu Yu shut her mouth and did not dare say anything. She was secretly worried for Shi Anran, although her aunt did not trust her anymore, Cui Yu had never wanted to harm her from the start.

    "Alright, all of you get the hell out of here. Stop standing here and blocking my way!" Li Ruolan said irritably, then closed her eyes and exhaled a long breath, finding it difficult to suppress the anger in her heart.

    When Shi Anran returned to the Palace, she immediately went to find a female Medical Officer and found out that the bowl of medicinal food was taken away by the Zhou Imperial Physician.

    Didn''t Imperial Physician Zhou say yesterday that he had never touched the medicinal food before? Thinking about it, Shi Anran scolded herself for being stupid, how could she throw away such important evidence?

    "Cui Yun, has everyone in the palace checked yet?"

    Cui Yun nodded. "Aunt, we''ve already checked. No one entered the kitchen that day."

    After hearing this, Shi Anran felt her mind go blank. Since no one had entered the kitchen before, then who was the one who poisoned the herbs?

    Poison was forbidden drugs in the palace, if there were some methods people couldn''t touch it, ordinary people wouldn''t think of harming people with this poison, only people who understood medicine would understand how to mix it. The poison was colorless and tasteless. No matter how sharp one''s eyes or how sensitive one''s nose was, one would not be able to smell what kind of medicine it was. Just what was the other party planning to do?

    On the next day, after hearing that the Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s body was unwell, Shi Anran followed along to look at the emperor''s side, only to see the Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s dying breath lying on the bed. She looked extremely serious, and there were many imperial doctors waiting at the sides of the bed for news.

    After a long while, the Imperial Noble Consort Lan finally woke up. She opened her eyes and blinked, then weakly asked: "Your majesty, where is your majesty?"

    "We are here!" The emperor strode forward and placed her hand in his palm as he spoke with incomparable gentleness.

 C134

    Li Ruolan said with great effort: "Your majesty, chenqie just had a very terrifying dream where someone tried to kill chenqie''s son. Your majesty, you have to avenge chenqie!"

    "Alright, that was just a dream. Don''t be afraid. With me by your side, we will protect our son." The Emperor gently embraced her waist and leaned against his chest. His voice was filled with a gentleness that had never been present before.

    Seeing this, Shi Anran understood in her heart that the Emperor must have some feelings for Li Ruolan, if not she would not have rushed over to the Feng Yi Palace early in the morning.

    "You leave. Did I allow you to enter?" When Li Ruolan saw Shi Anran, she could not control the anger in her heart and struggled to get up to seek justice from her.

    Let alone the fact that the prince was still in her stomach, she could already do such a crazy thing. If the prince really was gone, who knew what this woman would do!

    With this thought, Shi Anran could only stay far away from them. She then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, esteemed imperial concubine, Anran will leave now!"

    "Scram, scram бн" Li Ruolan was clearly more excited than before.

    Shi Anran, that slut, actually dared to appear in front of him. If it wasn''t for the presence of the emperor, Li Ruolan swore she would choose 100 different ways to die and torture her to death.

    "Doctor Zhou, why is the Imperial Concubine''s mood so unstable?" The emperor said in a low voice.

    After hearing that, Doctor Zhou cupped his hands in a salute, then explained, "The Empress must have cared too much for the prince in her stomach, which was why it caused such fear. I''ve given the Empress some medicine to drink, so she should be fine." He lowered his eyes as he spoke, and a bright light flashed through his eyes before quickly disappearing.

    Shi Anran stood guard at the door, when she saw Doctor Zhou come out, she stared at him expressionlessly.

    "Where is Doctor Zhou going? Anran still has some questions for Doctor Zhou!"

    "So it''s Aunt Anran!" Imperial Physician Zhou said, then he casually opened his mouth and asked: "I wonder what Aunt Anran has to ask?"

    "Actually, there''s nothing else!" While Shi Anran was speaking, he kept a close eye on his expression, but unfortunately, the face was hidden too well, so she could not see any clues, or maybe he hid it too deeply?

    Just as Zhou Imperial Physician was about to leave, Shi Anran suddenly asked him: "Has Imperial Physician Zhou heard of poison like poison?!"

    "Never!" He insisted, then said: "If Aunt is all right, then I will take my leave!"

    After she received Imperial Physician Zhou''s evasive gaze, Shi Anran suddenly laughed: "Imperial Physician Zhou, why are you so busy walking around? Anran had not even finished speaking, I wonder if Imperial Physician Zhou can tell me where this poison came from? "

    "Doesn''t Aunt think it''s funny to play with a man who''s seven feet tall?" Strangely, Shi Anran''s words had angered him. After Doctor Zhou finished speaking, he quickly left.

    "Hmph бн" Escape was not a way to explain things! I think Imperial Physician Zhou should answer this question! " Shi Anran smiled, but there was a hint of coldness in her smile.

    Doctor Zhou looked into her eyes, then acted as if he did not know what Shi Anran was talking about, as he raised his head and walked forward, ignoring the people behind him.

    Seeing his almost desperate and escaping figure, the corner of Shi Anran''s mouth slowly curved into a smile. However, that smile was not too hot nor too cold, so Shi Anran was unable to see what she actually meant.

    After that, Yi Yue quietly appeared behind her and said: "Miss, do you want this servant to follow him?"

    "No need, I believe the truth will be revealed soon!" At that time, these people who were hurting him behind his back would have to experience the taste of defeat.

    Yi Yue nodded her head in agreement, then the two of them left the place, Shi Anran went to look for Third Prince, and after obtaining the news, he headed in the direction of the flower garden.

    The so called Drunken Heart Pavilion in the palace was like a willow tree swaying in the water. The surrounding flowers were all around him, so how could he not be intoxicated by it?

    From a distance, looking at his lonely and helpless back, Shi Anran felt as if he could feel the desolation in his heart right now. However, whether it was desolation or loneliness, it had nothing to do with him in the end, right?

    "Since we met, why didn''t you come over?" The faint and gentle voice of the Third Prince was like a gentle breeze approaching autumn. It felt at the same time as it felt warmth, it also carried a bone piercing coldness.

    Shi Anran knew that shshecould not avoid it, so she went forward to welcome him. Moreover, he had specifically come to find him, wouldn''t leaving just be a waste of time?

    Shi Anran slowly walked to the back of the Third Prince and lightly said: "I want to let the Third Prince investigate the entire hospital''s situation. I keep having the feeling that this matter has something to do with the hospital."

    "Yes, your intuition has always been accurate." Li Mu nodded his head and agreed, then continued: "I will do as you say, but I will not have the chance from now on!"

    "Thank you Third Prince." Shi Anran lowered his eyes and lightly said.

    "There''s no need for you to thank me. You should keep your thanks for later!" After saying that, she smiled, which was extremely dazzling.

    Shi Anran also gave a shallow smile, but she then heard the Third Prince question: "Other than that, what else did you come find me for? There is no need to hide it from me. "

    He could even guess at this? Shi Anran could only smile helplessly, then continued to speak with a gentle and gentle voice: "Third Prince, actually, I have already suspected a certain person, but I have been unable to find any evidence, so I have come to ask for Third Prince''s help."

    Li Mu looked at her, deep in thought, and said: "If you have something to say, say it, what you are hesitating to say is not your usual style as to how you would dare to do things, right?"

    Was she such a person in her normal life? As she thought about it, Shi Anran pursed her lips and said, "I''m worried that during my investigation, someone might harm Liu Yue, so can Third Prince protect Liu Yue for me?"

    After hearing this, Li Mu seemed to have thought about it, and in the end, neither nodded nor shook his head: "You think too highly of me, I''m powerless to do what you want to do." Even if his ability could control everything, he might not do so.

    Shi Anran only felt that he was very cold and detached. But Shi Anran actually still held onto that small bit of hope, even though Li Mu had promised to do his best but to no avail бн Unfortunately, even this tiny bit of hope was not something Li Mu was willing to give her.

    "So it''s like that, Anran has disturbed Third Prince, farewell!" Since he was unwilling to help, then so be it. But at the same time, how could a man like the Third Prince only do things that were beneficial to him? Thinking about it, Shi Anran laughed coldly in her heart.

    It was unknown why, but when Li Mu saw her expression, he suddenly felt suffocated in his heart. The moment she turned around, he said: "I will do my best.

 C135

    "Thank you Third Prince!" Shi Anran secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He did not expect Li Mu to suddenly change his mind.

    After walking for a long distance, Shi Anran shook her head and muttered: "What exactly am I looking forward to?"

    Shi Anran thought about it for a while. She wanted to go and see Liu Yue, but she didn''t know if she was doing well in prison, or if those people had tortured her. Those people were all snobbish. They only accepted tokens and silver, rights and money, she had nothing.

    She didn''t know when it started, but Shi Anran felt that after obtaining a strong identity, she wouldn''t become a thorn in the side of others. Only by doing this would she be able to find the motivation to continue walking forward.

    Initially, he thought it would be difficult to investigate this matter in the palace, but on the second day, Li Mu sent him news. When Shi Anran saw the contents of the letter, he was immediately overjoyed. Now that all the accusations were pointed at the hospital, did that mean that Liu Yue had gotten rid of his suspicions?

    Shi Anran held onto the piece of paper tightly and immediately decided to report it to the emperor. However, before she even stepped out of the room, she calmed down. It could only be said that the Imperial Hospital was related to this matter. They hadn''t found out the specific details yet, but all the Emperor wanted was a result. Who was the innocent one, the Emperor didn''t care at all.

    Did Imperial Physician Zhou make it? But he is just a small imperial physician, how can he have the guts to harm the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, and then frame me? However бн Even if it wasn''t done by Doctor Zhou, it had to be related to him. Even if he had only been involved a single step, it would have been easy to investigate!

    It seemed like she could only take the risk and argue with Doctor Zhou. She had to find out who was the mastermind behind all of this!

    "Aunt, Third Prince invites you over." Yi Yue knocked on the door, and said while standing outside.

    Shi Anran stood up with a "whoa". Could it be that Li Mu had found a new clue?

    Shi Anran hurried to the location Li Mu mentioned, but when she entered the hall she was shocked by the scene in front of him, and then felt satisfied.

    Looking at the man who was controlled on the chair without saying a word, Shi Anran said slowly: "Doctor Zhou, I said it before, I am grateful that you helped me hide it and saved me. Therefore, this time, I have decided to give you a chance. As long as you tell me who ordered you to blame me, I can keep you alive. "

    "This subject doesn''t understand what aunt is saying!" When the time came for him to leave, Doctor Zhou did not forget to be stubborn.

    "Don''t you understand?" Shi Anran raised her eyebrows, then slowly opened her mouth and said: "Then I''ll be clear. I don''t need you to do anything as long as you stand out and point out that Liu Yue is not the culprit, then tell me the truth. At that time, the Emperor will also know that you are not the main culprit. If I plead on your behalf, you might even have a life to live. "

    Shi Anran slowly said. As long as he stood out and accused the Emperor, maybe the emperor would release Liu Yue first, and Liu Yue would also be able to bear a bit less hardship. At that time, it would not be too late to find out who the mastermind was.

    However, looking at the resolute look on Doctor Zhou''s face, it was clear that he would not do so.

    The atmosphere suddenly froze. Li Mu sat in front of the table, his slender fingers holding onto the small teacup, looking at his relaxed appearance, as though the scene in front of his was no longer present. Shi Anran didn''t know how to respond to someone who was able to stealthily drink tea in this kind of situation. After opening her mouth wide, she was still unable to speak properly, but now it was really too difficult to get the Third Prince to help him.

    Since he could not ask him, Shi Anran had to think of a way herself. Looking at Doctor Zhou''s silent appearance, Shi Anran pursed her lips and said faintly: "Doctor Zhou had saved me before, and now I can only see if you are willing to or not! If you don''t want to бн I also have a hundred ways to make you unhappy! "

    "There''s no need to say anymore. If you want to kill me, kill me!"

    Shi Anran laughed, she looked at the man in the seat mockingly, then poured a cup of hot tea and passed it to him. She then said softly: "Does Imperial Physician Zhou know what is the weakness of human nature?" As she said that, seeing that he was still unmoved, Shi Anran immediately laughed: "Now is the critical moment, I will not beat around the bush with Imperial Physician Zhou. If Imperial Physician Zhou does not even have the courage to personally admit it, then I will not hold back, it''s just that..."

    "But what?" Doctor Zhou was worried. He frowned slightly. Even his usual calmness was tinged with anxiousness.

    After Shi Anran saw the changes in his eyes, her lips curled up into a meaningful smile.

    Shi Anran muttered to herself for a while before opening her lips: "However, I am actually very curious to know what benefits Imperial Physician Zhou obtained from Imperial Noble Consort Lan, could it be that Imperial Noble Consort Lan allowed you to poison him and then purposefully ate the poisonous medicinal food, in the end you came to cure her of the poison again, right? Say, if I were to tell the Emperor so, would the Emperor believe me? "Imperial Noble Consort Lan and I had always looked down on each other, and always wanted to harm me. It''s not like the Emperor didn''t know about this бн"

    In reality, this was just a method for Shi Anran to get him to tell the truth. How could a small imperial physician think of committing a crime against the emperor, to exterminate the nine families, wasn''t Shi Anran afraid? Although Imperial Noble Consort Lan was a person who disgusted others, even she did not dare to use this kind of method to harm him.

    "Shut up!" Doctor Zhou shouted coldly. He stood up and was about to rush towards her.

    Li Mu''s hands were nimble, he raised his hand and grabbed onto his wrist, a pair of deep eyes contained a hint of coldness, his eyes were squinted slightly, revealing an endless amount of danger, his lips were pursed tightly, but he did not say a single word, giving off a strong sense of oppression, after that he spoke out slowly with a cold and emotionless voice: "You have two choices, the first is to honestly tell me who the mastermind is, and the second is to use a method to force you to say it, to first weigh the light and the light!"

    It had to be said that Third Prince truly had a domineering aura to him. It was just that his usual camouflage made him feel extremely depressed, and he was unable to differentiate which one of them was the real him.

    Shi Anran''s lips opened slightly, and said lightly: "Doctor Zhou is a wise man, this matter, from top to bottom, is just a death sentence, but it depends on whether Doctor Zhou wants to implicate others."

    "Heh бн" With a sneer, Doctor Zhou raised his chin and looked her straight in the eye. There was no fear in his eyes, "Do you want to use this method to force me to submit? "Then you are completely wrong!"

 C136

    Under Shi Anran''s burning gaze, Doctor Zhou continued: "I have never done anything that you think I have done. I will never admit to anything that I have not done. "What proof do you have that I had anything to do with this?"

    Hearing that, Shi Anran''s eyes flashed, she never thought that even at this time, Doctor Zhou would still not admit to it, he nodded his head and smiled: "Alright, then I will give you the evidence!"

    After Shi Anran finished speaking, she opened a box on the table, and inside was a stalk of ginseng. Seeing him in a daze, Shi Anran continued to speak: "This ginseng came from the Supreme Hospital, and there are records on the booklet, at first glance, there isn''t anything wrong with the ginseng, but after careful observation, she would realize that there are some small holes on it, that the poison must have been injected through these small holes."

    Imperial Physician Zhou tried his best to maintain his calm, but the fear in his eyes had already caused him to be betrayed. Shi Anran slowly took in a breath, and gently put it down.

    "The poison came from the palace, although it was colorless, tasteless, and couldn''t be detected by ordinary people, but some people with medical skills should know what kind of poison it is, but not a single person in the entire imperial hospital could detect it, could it be that even the highly skilled physician, Doctor Zhou, doesn''t know?"

    "Does Doctor Zhou think that everything he has done is perfect so that no one will notice him? But there is a saying бк if you want people to not know, do nothing but themselves. Has Doctor Zhou heard of it?" As Shi Anran spoke, her gaze fell upon the five fingers that he occasionally clenched before relaxing. He seemed to be struggling with something.

    Shi Anran knew that her words were already effective, and then she analyzed: "If I''m not wrong, Doctor Zhou originally wanted to use me to poison the Emperor, right? The injection of poison into the ginseng was indeed a brilliant method. No one would think that it was someone who had poisoned the ginseng, and no one would be able to find out who had poisoned the ginseng. "Doctor Zhou has been an official for over ten years. It is said that he is a cleaning official. Since when did he do such a thing?"

    After hearing what she had to say, Doctor Zhou calmed down. He kept silent for a while, and then he raised his head and laughed, "What a clever woman. It''s a pity that you will never get the truth!" After saying that, Doctor Zhou took out a pill from his sleeve and quickly stuffed it into his mouth.

    Not good!

    When Li Mu realized what he wanted to do and wanted to force him to vomit, it was already too late.

    Doctor Zhou sneered at the two of them and said with relief, "As long as I die, you won''t know anything. You won''t have any evidence to accuse her бн"

    Who was she that Doctor Zhou was referring to? Is it Li Ruolan? Or someone else?

    Shi Anran clenched her teeth, feeling mixed emotions in her heart.

    When Doctor Zhou spat blood and died, she was still standing there stunned. She didn''t think that she would be able to get the truth out of this situation.

    Doctor Zhou''s death not only harmed Liu Yue, but also protected the person behind him. That person must be a powerful being, if not, he would not have died so easily.

    Shi Anran and Third Prince looked at each other, opened their mouths, and said stiffly: "Now there''s no evidence, what do we do?" It was the first time she felt helpless.

    Li Mu remained silent. His eyes were dark, and after a while, he opened his mouth and said: "Everyone has their own fate, so you don''t have to be too far-fetched!"

    In his eyes, a person''s life was nothing. Shi Anran never asked any questions about Xiu Er''s death, and he seemed to have a tacit understanding to not say anything. Actually, Shi Anran also had her own selfish motives. Because she still wanted to cooperate with Li Mu, she couldn''t tear off the face so she wanted to coldly watch Xiu Er''s death.

    What about this time? Was Liu Yue still going to have the same ending?

    Who was it? Who was so vicious?

    Currently, the emperor''s health was getting worse and worse. Several princes were also fighting for power and secretly cultivating their own strength. If that was the case, who was it that wanted to poison the emperor?

    "Since when did you suspect Doctor Zhou?" Li Mu looked at the elegant and delicate woman in front of him. The woman, who had always been indifferent, now also had a hint of worry that she couldn''t hide.

    Shi Anran took a deep breath, lowered her eyebrows, and said with a shallow voice: "I told Cui Yun to go and check with a female doctor in the imperial hospital, and found out that medicinal ingredients like the Ginseng Snow Lotus required Imperial Physician Zhou''s records to be taken, but I took them away easily. Afterwards, I wanted to see what poison had been added to the medicinal cuisine, but that bowl of medicinal cuisine was taken away by Imperial Physician Zhou. When I asked him about it, he said that the palace maid had poured it out and refused to admit that he had taken it. And from here I just started to suspect... That bowl of medicine is evidence, how could it be casually dumped by a palace maid? "

    After hearing these words, Li Mu looked at her with a slightly confused expression, his dark eyes didn''t contain any warmth as he looked at her: "This matter shall end here. I will go and tell royal father that Imperial Physician Zhou tried to murder royal father, and thus brought about this series of events."

    "Then, how is the Third Prince going to explain this to the Emperor? Who exactly is the person that ordered Imperial Physician Zhou to do this?"

    "I have my own ideas on this!" Li Mu replied indifferently, and did not speak further.

    Since he said it like that, what else could Shi Anran say? On the way back, Shi Anran''s mind was filled with Imperial Physician Zhou''s cold smile before he died. Now that everything had been cut off, even if he told the emperor that it was someone else''s doing, it would only be empty words.

    Shi Anran''s mind was at a loss, she could not bear to see the bloody scene in front of him, so she drooped her eyes and said tiredly: "Third Prince, Anran will return to the palace first!"

    Lying on her bed, she had been sleepless the entire night. Doctor Zhou was just a minor imperial physician, there was no reason for him to harm the emperor. Since Li Ruolan was carrying a prince now, it was impossible for her to get the emperor''s love and care for her. She even wished for the emperor to live a few more years.

    Shi Anran could not help but think of two people, the Third Prince and the Crown Prince.

    Right now, it was most likely that the crown prince would inherit the position of emperor. Would it be because Li Gan had been suppressed so fiercely in the past few days that he thought of this idea? And how could the Third Prince, who had always been silent but secretly prepared to take action, allow all of this to go on so smoothly?

    However, if it was Li Mu who did it, why did he still accompany him to look for evidence? If it wasn''t him, could it be the crown prince? Thinking about it this way, Shi Anran became completely confused. There were support for anyone within the civil and military officials, but who knows who did it?

 C137

    In the dead of night in the palace, the entire Phoenix Nest Palace was abnormally brightly lit.

    At this time, Li Ruolan was lazily lying on the soft collapse, one hand holding onto that half of her exquisite face, while the corner of her mouth had a thirty to fifty percent smile, making her seem dark and cold.

    "Let her out!" The lazy voice came out lightly, with a hint of playfulness in it.

    Hearing that, the two guards untied the ropes from the gunny sack, and the woman who was unconscious inside finally revealed her head. Seeing that the girl was still unharmed, Li Ruolan frowned slightly in dissatisfaction.

    She had been poisoned and vomited so much blood that she had almost failed to save the prince. However, these people who had hurt her were able to eat and drink in the prison cell safe and sound. Immediately, Li Ruolan slowly opened her mouth: "Wake him up for me!"

    "Your servant obeys!" Pearl trotted out to get a pail of cold water, and without a word poured it over her.

    After being stimulated by the cold water, Liu Yue woke up from her stupor and looked around in confusion.

    She only knew that she fainted after eating, but why did she wake up here?

    Liu Yue looked around, and her gaze finally landed on the woman lying down on the soft bed, and was immediately stunned.

    "What a bold palace maid. She actually dared to stare at the Empress without bowing!" Pearl''s cold voice came out, and then she slapped Liu Yue''s face.

    Liu Yue who had not reacted to what was happening covered her face with one hand and looked at her in shock. After a long while, she opened her mouth, and spoke in a voice filled with fear and anger: "What are you guys trying to do?"

    "What are we not doing? Today, we asked you to come here because we wanted to ask you a question." You just have to tell me who ordered you to do this, and I''ll spare your little life. Li Ruolan said softly.

    Liu Yue was frightened, but at the same time she replied: "No one is ordering me!"

    "Oh? So you have already admitted that you were the one who poisoned this palace? " Li Ruolan looked at her with interest.

    "Imperial Concubine, this servant was wrongly accused. This servant didn''t poison him!" Liu Yue was a straightforward person, if not for what she did, how would she admit to it?

    Li Ruolan would not let her go so easily. She let out a cold snort, and with a light brush of her long sleeves, she stood up and slowly walked towards her: "You''re already at this point, yet you still don''t admit? "Damned duckling, you''re so stubborn бн"

    "Empress, her mistress is Aunt Anran бн" Zhu Er did not use too much strength, and it was coincidentally loud enough for Liu Yue to hear.

    After hearing that, Li Ruolan seemed to have thought of this question, and laughed: "So that''s how it is. That bitch Shi Anran, just doesn''t like me getting pampered, and is even angrier that I beat her up earlier, so you got someone to poison her, right?"

    Liu Yue quickly shook her head: "It''s not like that! The young mistress didn''t poison him at all! This servant doesn''t know what''s going on. "

    "You don''t know? Well, your master always knows, doesn''t he? As long as you obediently admit that Shi Anran ordered you to poison someone, I can let you go. " Actually, this was Li Ruolan''s real goal. She had long been unable to get used to Shi Anran''s noble and noble appearance.

    It didn''t matter if Shi Anran ordered it or not, she would push the blame onto Shi Anran this time and pull her into the water.

    So she was trying to force him to wrongly accuse the young mistress! A thought silently appeared in Liu Yue''s heart, and he forced himself to calm down as he said, "What this servant has never done before, this servant will definitely not admit it.

    Li Ruolan slightly raised her white and tender chin, her red lips slightly parted. "What a stubborn and lowly maid. Pearl, think of a way to make her speak."

    Pearl lowered her head and smiled, "Yes!"

    Jadeite''s hand that was holding the handkerchief tightened. What should she do now? This matter was getting worse and worse, I am afraid that even if Imperial Noble Consort Lan were to use this punishment, Liu Yue would not be able to live for long? Should she tell her aunt?

    As for Liu Yue, who was miserably kneeling on the ground, after she saw the torture instruments the guards had brought over, her pupils gradually dilated бн

    At the same time, Shi Anran, who had just fallen asleep full of questions, was disturbed by the noise. She asked in displeasure: "Who are you talking about outside?"

    "Aunt, it''s Jadeite бн" Cui Yun replied lightly.

    Jade? However, Shi Anran had already experienced too many things in her previous life. In this life, as long as it was someone who had lied to her once, she would no longer take the risk to trust. What was she doing here so late?

    "Let her go. If there''s anything, we can talk about it tomorrow. I''m very tired tonight, so I don''t want to talk anymore бн"

    "Aunt, Aunt, this servant really has something important to say!" She was very clear about the methods of the Imperial Noble Consort Lan. If that palace maid called Liu Yue was in her hands, she must be begging for death.

    Shi Anran was annoyed for a while, but after that she helplessly donned her clothes, and slowly walked out. Because of the Sunflower Dew, she did not look too good, and said indifferently: "Speak, what do you want to say?"

    "Aunt, the Imperial Noble Consort Lan brought Liu Yue, who was trapped in the prison, to the Phoenix Nest Palace. Jadeite simply explained everything.

    After hearing that, Shi Anran felt a loud bang in her head, and then she walked out with large steps, with Cui Yu following closely behind: "Aunt, if you go at this time, Imperial Noble Consort Lan will definitely not let you go."

    "Do I have to let them bully my people?" In his previous life, Shi Anran had already been miserably bullied by the Li sisters. In this life, he definitely would not allow them to harm anyone by her side.

    "But, but бн"

    "You don''t have to follow me!" If Li Ruolan found out that Jade took the risk to report this news, it was unknown what she would do.

    Cui Yu stood where she was and watched her leave before leaving in another direction.

    Cui Yun and Yi Yue quickly followed, and Yi Yue blocked her path: "Miss, you can''t go at this time."

    "All of you get out of the way, Liu Yue is still in her hands, if I don''t go, she''ll die бн"

    Hearing that, the two of them went silent. Cui Yun said in a low voice: "But, we can''t watch you rush off either. What difference is there between that and courting death? "Why don''t you go beg the emperor? The emperor usually dotes on his aunt so much, so he shouldn''t sit idly by and do nothing about it."

    Cui Yun''s words had also reminded Shi Anran. She nodded her head and returned back to him, "Yi Yue, go and invite the Third Prince over, Cui Yun, look after her at the Phoenix Nest Palace. I''ll go and look for the emperor at Changchun Palace right now." Tonight, the emperor was in Imperial Noble Consort Zhao''s palace. The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao stood by her side, she wouldn''t just stand there and watch.

    "Yes бн" The two of them acknowledged each other and went to do their own business.

    Shi Anran quickly headed in the direction of the Changchun Palace, feeling uneasy. If something happened to Liu Yue, she would really blame herself for her entire life, and if Xiu Er died, she would already be carrying an innocent life. If something happened to Liu Yue at this time, what would she do?

    When the palace maid saw him, she first bowed in respect before stopping him. "Auntie, the emperor has rested for a long time. No one is allowed to disturb him."

    "Right now, I have urgent matters to discuss with the Emperor. I''ll have to trouble you to go in and inform him."

 C138

    "This бн" The palace maid also had an awkward expression as she lowered her head and said: "My apologies, Aunt, this servant does not dare to rashly disturb the Emperor."

    Shi Anran clenched her teeth, "Then move aside, I''ll go in and see the emperor myself!" This was the first time since she was reborn that she could no longer remain calm because of other people''s matters, and she almost lost her mind regardless of the consequences.

    "Auntie, this servant has offended you!" After saying that, the few palace maids rushed forward. Although they did not touch Shi Anran, they still forced her to take a few steps back.

    Shi Anran was anxious like an ant on a hot pan, but she could only stand there powerlessly, staring at the name of the hall in a daze. Suddenly, her voice grew louder and louder as she shouted, "Anran requests to see your majesty!"

    "Auntie, you can''t yell here." The court ladies were also extremely anxious. If the emperor woke them up, they would blame them in their hearts for their unhappiness. They wouldn''t be able to bear the consequences if they left.

    "Why is it so noisy?" The Emperor, who was sleeping soundly, asked in a dazed voice.

    Imperial Noble Consort Zhao opened her eyes, and after she listened intently for a while, she said, "It seems like it was Anran who said she wanted to see the Emperor."

    His recent worries had caused the emperor to not have the energy to pay attention to anything else, so he unhappily opened his mouth and said, "This Shi Anran doesn''t have any rules! "You''re still being so presumptuous even in such a short time. It seems like I''ve really spoiled her too much, to actually have gotten used to these kinds of ailments."

    "Your majesty, do you want to go out and take a look? Maybe something really happened to her!" Imperial Noble Consort Zhao said gently.

    "Forget it, let''s ignore her!" The Emperor shook his head. Just as he finished speaking, he heard Shi Anran shouting outside again. He immediately felt a burst of irritation and said slightly angrily, "Someone, come!"

    The maid on night duty walked over quickly. "Your Majesty бн"

    "Throw away those who were shouting outside." He spoke without mercy.

    The maid lowered her eyes and complied, "This servant obeys!"

    After the maid came out, she called the two guards over, "Aunt, if you don''t leave now, then I''ll have to make a move."

    Shi Anran had no other choice and knelt at the entrance of the Changchun Palace, "Since Your Majesty does not wish to see Anran, Anran will continue to kneel бн "Kneel until the emperor is willing to see it!"

    When Yi Yue found the Third Prince, he had just lied down, and was slightly unhappy that she had fallen asleep, "Third Prince, please save our young miss!"

    Li Mu knew that he was Shi Anran''s servant, but after hearing what he said, he was slightly startled, then asked with his lips agape: "What''s wrong with your Young Miss?"

    Yi Yue narrated everything that had happened, and then said with concern: "The young miss had this servant come to find Third Prince, while she herself went to the Changchun Palace to beg the Emperor for help. Third Prince, please help young miss! "

    "Regardless of whether it is the Changchun Palace or the Fengyi Palace, they are both harem. A prince like me has no right to enter the harem, I''m afraid you''ve begged the wrong person!" Li Mu''s answer was beyond Yi Yue''s expectations.

    He thought that since Third Prince was outside the palace, he would at least have some friendship and no other feelings, but who would have thought that he would be so heartless. Gritting his teeth, he asked: "What must I do for Third Prince to be willing to help our young miss?"

    "Like I said, that''s the imperial harem. There''s nothing I can do about it бн" Such a result, was also something that Li Mu did not expect. This woman was so smart, why would she need his help? This time, he wanted to see how she would deal with it. Thinking about it, Li Mu''s eyes revealed a meaningful look.

    Yi Yue clenched her teeth, feeling unreconciled, she kneeled down at the same time: "This servant requests Third Prince to appear, if Third Prince does not appear now, I''m afraid Miss would бн" Yi Yue did not dare imagine that, although she did not have any good impressions towards Li Mu, at such an urgent moment, she had knelt down for the Miss''s sake.

    Li Mu looked at Yi Yue with slight disgust, then slowly opened her mouth: "I won''t say anymore, you can go!" If he could defeat her just because of this matter, then what qualifications did such a woman have to accompany him and lead a prosperous life in the future? Royal Father was also secretly investigating the person who poisoned him, and might set him up as a target for investigation. If she went out to plead on Shi Anran''s behalf at this time, she would obviously become the spearhead of Imperial Father''s investigations.

    He should have known earlier that he was a heartless person and that the young mistress had misjudged him! Yi Yue glared at him hatefully, then quickly left the place.

    Li Mu did not miss the hatred in her eyes, and thinking back, he could not help but smile, and then said softly: "Shi Anran, this woman is interesting, even the maids are a little interesting."

    Not long after, thunder and lightning flashed in the dark sky, and in an instant, heavy rain poured down. Shi Anran who was in the rain was still kneeling in the rain, but her eyes were filled with coldness. She had thought that she had done her best and had a clear conscience towards the emperor. She had received the recognition and love of the emperor, but she hadn''t expected that the emperor wouldn''t even bother showing his face when something happened. However, he did not come out. If this continued, Liu Yue''s side might not be able to hold on for much longer.

    The guard chased her out, and closed the vermilion door. Shi Anran knelt outside the door in a daze, her gaze unfocused and unfocused.

    "Your Majesty, it''s raining бн" The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao said softly. The thunder outside was loud, was that girl still kneeling? She didn''t know what had happened to make her disregard her identity and face so much.

    The emperor faintly opened his mouth. "Sleep бн"

    Inside Phoenix Maiden Palace, the already tortured Liu Yue lay on the ground with his ten fingers being clamped in place until they were bleeding profusely. Pearl raised her chin proudly, a bowl of chili concocted water in her hand, and asked, "Are you admitting it or not?"

    "Heh бн" I don''t know anything, so I won''t say anything. " Liu Yue''s breathing was weak, but she still stubbornly repeated herself many times. So what if it wasn''t the young mistress who did it? She didn''t want to say a word.

    Li Ruolan lost her patience, she rolled her eyes at Zhu''er: "To deal with a lowly slave, why didn''t you make her speak? Why do you all eat the things that I raise you all for?"

    "Imperial Mother, please calm your anger. This servant will definitely ask!" After saying that, Zhu''er walked forward and poured the entire basin of chili concoction over her finger, toe and various wounds. She silently thought to herself: You can''t blame me, you should blame yourself for offending Imperial Noble Consort Lan!

    Miserable screams filled the entire Phoenix Nest Palace. Cui Yun who was waiting outside for further news was shocked, thinking that she should hurry up and report to her aunt.

    Hearing Liu Yue''s screams, Li Ruolan actually felt at ease, and laughed twice, then said gently: "You still don''t want to say?"

    Liu Yue no longer had any strength to speak, and her pupils gradually began to dim. She felt that her consciousness was being swallowed bit by bit, and every slight movement would cause a bone-piercing pain. Only when the pain hit her did she realize that she was actually still alive.

    "I know that it wasn''t you who did it, as long as you obediently followed Shi Anran''s orders to poison me, I will release you today. If you continue to be so stubborn, I''m afraid you won''t be able to leave Phoenix Nest Palace tonight." After saying that, Li Ruolan laughed coldly. She did not expect that the maid of that slut to be so similar to her, and to still be stubborn to the point of death.

 C139

    Seeing Liu Yue faint once again, Li Ruolan said in a low voice: "Think of a way to wake her up. If you don''t say anything soon, return the punishment to me.

    Cui Yu could not bear to watch anymore, and stood by the side with a pale face. If one day she also offended Imperial Noble Consort Lan, would she also receive such a punishment?

    Outside the Changchun Palace, the rain was pouring down heavily. There was only a tiny kneeling figure that was shivering uncontrollably.

    Li Mu''s hand that was holding onto the umbrella tightened and tightened. Did this woman have to be so stubborn? After a long while, he still couldn''t help but walk over, placed the umbrella on top of Shi Anran''s head, and said indifferently: "You should go back; it''s useless doing this way."

    Shi Anran''s entire body was uncomfortable. He used one hand to cover his lower abdomen as he shivered, while painfully biting his lips. Seeing her expression, Li Mu vaguely felt that something was wrong, so he squatted down and looked straight into her eyes, with a faint gentleness in his voice: "Anran, listen to me, go back okay?"

    "No бн" Liu Yue was still in Li Ruolan''s hands right now, and in the entire imperial palace, only the words of the emperor could suppress her. If she were to give up her last chance at this moment, Liu Yue would definitely die.

    You should know that your royal father is not a merciful person. Your Majesty has already cut off all face, so how could I listen to you plead for mercy?" If he wanted to come out, was there a need to wait until now? Now stand up and come with me! " At the end, Li Mu''s tone was laced with an indescribable rage. Did this woman not bring her brain with her? He did not know how to avoid such a heavy rain, so he just soaked in it without a care.

    Shi Anran laughed powerlessly, and said with a slightly trembling voice: "I бн "I won''t leave бн"

    "It''s not up to you!" Li Mu said softly and pulled her arm.

    Shi Anran struggled to retreat, but her body fell down powerlessly. Li Mu squinted his eyes, and instantly embraced her waist, bringing her into his embrace. He felt her small body trembling in his embrace, and an indescribable desolate feeling filled his heart.

    "Let me go бн" Li Mu''s struggle was completely useless to him. Li Mu tightened his fingers even more, and then threw away the umbrella, he carried the struggling lady and walked forward with big steps, his voice calm and indifferent as he said: "Be obedient, you don''t have any use for this, don''t ruin yourself!"

    "But, but Liu Yue is also бн" Her hands tightly gripped onto Li Mu''s sleeves as she muttered to herself, as she was unable to differentiate exactly what her current mood was like.

    Li Mu did not speak to her again. No one guarded the palace where he lived, so no one would notice him entering from the back door. Li Mu then carried Shi Anran and entered.

    After placing Shi Anran on the bed, she immediately ordered the servants to prepare hot water. If she did not warm up like this, who knows if she would be sick or not.

    Cui Yun and Yi Yue both returned to the palace but they did not see Shi Anran. The two were so anxious that they did not know what to do.

    An hour later, with the help of a few female attendants, Shi Anran had finally washed up cleanly. She hugged her arm and curled up in a corner of the bed, looking at an unknown place with unfocused eyes.

    "How is she?"

    The maid lowered her eyes and replied, "Auntie, she бн" She had Sunflower Dew, so her body was very weak! "

    Did this woman not even want her own life? When he heard the maid''s reply, he did not know what had happened to him. He actually had a strong urge to ruthlessly scold her. However, he did not have the qualifications to do so.

    In the end, Li Mu took a deep breath, and personally brought Jiang Tang in, then sat by her side. Only after a long while did he speak in a leisurely manner, "When a person is walking to the place she wants, they have to go through countless hardships along the way. She needs to walk over the corpses of others to get what she wants! So, wake up now and don''t let these little things get you out of control. "

    A small matter? How could a living person only be considered a small matter in his eyes? Shi Anran wanted to struggle and get up, but she was stopped by Li Mu on the shoulder, and said with shining eyes: "Do you believe that I can knock you out right now?"

    "Why did you stop me?" she asked hoarsely.

    "I won''t stop you, but will I just let you stay there in the rain? I always thought you were a smart woman who knew what to do and what not to do, but now you''re going to let me down? "

    Shi Anran didn''t care about his disappointment at all. She only knew that Liu Yue was being tortured at this moment, she was normally afraid of pain, and didn''t know how long she could endure for.

    "You don''t know anything бн" He was such a cold-blooded person, how could he care about the life and death of others? The only thing he cared about was himself.

    "I don''t know. All I know is that once a person has the right, they can decide everything. On the contrary, those without the right can only leave it to the heavens!"

    Li Mu forcefully fed her hot ginger soup, and thought back to what the servant had said just now. His gaze swept over her a few times, and then said softly: "If your body isn''t good, then don''t take the rain. In this palace, no one will be worried about you."

    "Haha бн" Shi Anran laughed, then turned her head to look at the man in front of her in a daze: "Then what about you, are you pitying me right now as well?"

    "No rules!" Li Mu said in a low voice. After that, he stood up, "Tonight, you will rest well here. Tomorrow morning, you can leave from the back door."

    Looking at his back as she walked out, Shi Anran didn''t know what to feel at this moment either. That feeling of helplessness that could not be grasped was something that she could really do nothing about. Li Mu was right, power, as long as you have power in this palace, what else can you not do?

    "Empress, what if there is a human life?" Zhu''er started to worry, as the people on the ground were no longer breathing.

    Li Ruolan was even more agitated now. All she wanted was for this palace maid to stand out and tell everyone that it was Shi Anran who had poisoned her. She didn''t expect that after using all of the poison''s methods, Liu Yue still hadn''t said a single word.

    "I only used a little punishment. What''s there to worry about? It''s just a lowly slave. Where did she get such an expensive body? Let''s just continue beating her up after waking her up!" After Li Ruolan finished speaking, she turned and sat on the soft chair. It was almost daybreak, but she did not feel sleepy at all.

    Zhu''er looked at Liu Yue who was covered in blood, and secretly gulped down her saliva, where could she start from when things had already turned out like this? Immediately, she timidly shot a glance at Li Ruolan, who then smashed the cup in his hand towards her: "I''ll let you continue, are you deaf or mute?"

 C140

    "Your servant obeys!" Pearl spoke with her head lowered, not caring about her injured forehead. She only felt that the Imperial Noble Consort Lan at this moment was too terrifying.

    Pearl saw that the person on the ground did not react for a long time, and would not move no matter how she splashed him with water. She felt her heart tighten as she used her finger to probe, but she instantly retracted it. She бн "No more auras бн"

    After hearing this, Li Ruolan was also startled, a strange look flashing past her eyes. It was just a palace maid, the emperor shouldn''t do anything to her, right? After thinking about it like this, Li Ruolan also gradually calmed down: "Why are you panicking, get someone to throw it over to the unmarked cemetery outside the palace.

    After a sleepless night, until the sun rose, Shi Anran dragged her exhausted body out of the back door. As she watched her walk further and further away, a tinge of affection suddenly appeared in her heart. What she needed was not only to help her, but to hone her skills as well. If Shi Anran lost because of a palace maid''s death, from today onwards, he would be the one to make a mistake.

    "Aunty бн"

    "Miss!" Two voices sounded out.

    Yi Yue walked over quickly and supported her tottering body: "Miss, are you alright?"

    Cui Yun immediately opened the blanket and helped Shi Anran up onto the bed, then carefully covered her up: "Aunt did not return for one night, so this servant and Yi Yue have been worried for one night!"

    Shi Anran no longer had the strength to speak. She closed her eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep. When she opened her eyes, she was finally able to clearly see who it was. She said in shock, "Liu Yue, Xiu Er, why are you two together?"

    Liu Yue walked over to stand beside her and said with a smile: "Miss, this servant can continue to serve you."

    Xiu Er obediently nodded her head: "That''s right, I originally said that I would serve Aunt with Sister Liu Yue, but now I''ve finally gotten my wish!"

    Shi Anran felt that something was amiss, and suddenly thought about it. Thinking of this, Shi Anran broke into a cold sweat, and quickly woke up from her dream and straightened her body.

    Yi Yue who was guarding the side saw that something was amiss, she quickly walked over: "Miss, what''s wrong, are you dreaming?"

    Xiu Er was clearly dead, but she had actually dreamed that Liu Yue was with her, and it was definitely not a good dream, so Shi Anran quickly donned up her clothes, "Yi Yue, has the emperor come to the imperial court?"

    "Miss, it''s already noon. The emperor has left a long time ago."

    It was already noon, but what about Liu Yue? What happened to Liu Yue? Shi Anran quickly walked out and saw Li Ruolan from afar. Unexpectedly, the moment Li Ruolan saw him, she immediately turned and headed to the other side. Why was she so unlucky? She actually met her?

    Anxious, Shi Anran quickly chased and stopped her in her tracks: "Where is Liu Yue, where did you take her?"

    "What''s this July Liu Yue thing? I don''t know what you''re talking about, hurry up and get out of my way, don''t block my way." Li Ruolan''s eyes flashed.

    "Stop playing dumb. If you don''t tell us where Liu Yue is, then we''ll talk to the emperor." Shi Anran didn''t even give her a bit of respect right now, and Li Ruolan didn''t seem to realize this. It was probably because of Li Ruolan''s shameful deeds, that she was afraid of being exposed.

    After Li Ruolan straightened her face, she arrogantly said: "Alright, I''ll go then, it''s just the execution of a palace maid who tried to scheme against me, what other tricks can you play?"

    Execute him?

    These two words reverberated in Shi Anran''s ears. She took two steps forward and grabbed Li Ruolan''s arm: "You executed her?"

    "How dare you! Let go of me!" Li Ruolan was a little scared. At this time, Shi Anran''s eyes were filled with the cold aura of hell, as if he wanted to swallow her whole. Even if Li Ruolan was unruly and unruly, she was still a little unsure. What if Shi Anran went crazy and hurt her prince?

    Seeing that, Zhu''er immediately called two palace maids over, pulling Shi Anran away, and said: "That palace maid is disrespectful to the Empress, she threw the corpse away last night!"

    "You actually executed her?" Shi Anran''s mind went blank, Li Ruolan, she actually killed Liu Yue? In just a single night, Liu Yue had turned into a corpse.

    Shi Anran was still in a daze, with her sharp eyes, Li Ruolan had long seen the emperor walking over, he immediately grabbed her lower abdomen and shouted: "My stomach hurts!"

    "Empress, are you alright?" After her gaze turned towards Shi Anran, she said coldly: "You actually dare to push our esteemed empress, don''t you know that she has a prince in her stomach?"

    Shi Anran had long since been unable to hear what they were saying, only when she was dragged by a few guards to kneel on the ground did she finally react and raise her head to look at the Emperor with a dark and cold expression. If he was willing to appear, Liu Yue would not have died last night.

    "Do you know your crime?" The Emperor''s voice was lukewarm.

    "What crime did Anran commit?" Shi Anran replied indifferently.

    Eunuch Zhao saw that the emperor''s expression was dark and scolded him, "How dare you! What kind of attitude is this?" Saying that, Eunuch Zhao immediately looked at Shi Anran, why was she so stubborn? At this time, even if he were to speak a few more words, the Emperor would not punish him severely!

    Shi Anran lowered her head, her gaze unfocused, and said slowly: "Anran''s maid died at Phoenix Maiden Palace last night. Anran wants to ask Imperial Noble Consort Lan something today, why did you hurt my servant girl?"

    That palace maid died in the Phoenix Nest Palace? The Emperor''s questioning gaze swept over. Li Ruolan immediately pretended to be in pain: "Your Majesty, chenqie only said a few words to her. I didn''t expect that the palace maid would actually tame and discipline chenqie, and give her a small punishment.

    What a perfect reason. Shi Anran sneered in her heart, and didn''t say a word. Of all the men and women in this palace, who are the best? Let alone a palace maid''s death, even if Shi Anran was killed by Li Ruolan one day, the emperor would most likely still have a cold and detached look on his face.

    In that moment, Shi Anran understood what Li Mu meant. In this palace, if one did not want to be bullied by others, the only way was to constantly make themselves stronger, and to bully someone else, even if that person was himself, he could not ruin his dignity.

    "Whatever, get up!" The emperor glanced at Shi Anran, then said slowly: "We will send a few palace maids over to you."

    "Your majesty, Anran begs your majesty to bestow this servant out of the palace to search for Liu Yue''s corpse бн" There was a rule in the palace that those who were normally thrown around for burial would not allow anyone to identify or bury their corpses. But today, she actually did not have any concerns at all, all she knew was that she would not allow Liu Yue''s soul, which had been left behind after her tragic death, to rest in peace.

    The emperor''s face had always been dark. Looking at the usually calm and gentle woman, he actually seemed like two people today, yet a mere death of a maid could cause her to feel so anxious. Immediately, the emperor''s lips parted as she said, "Anran, you''re being too presumptuous today."

 C141

    "Your Majesty бн" She still wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Li Ruolan.

    Li Ruolan pursed her red lips, she gently caressed her lower abdomen with one hand, then looked at Shi Anran haughtily: "Could it be that you do not understand the emperor''s words, and are still not going to leave?"

    The emperor exhaled lightly. "Forget it, I''ll let you off this time!"

    Shi Anran had originally thought that the Emperor was also human, that he had emotions and desires, and knew how human things were. But now, she realized how wrong she was, to think that she would actually dream of having pity on such a heartless emperor. It turned out that everything she had done for him in the past wasn''t worth it. From today onwards, she would no longer have the slightest bit of sympathy towards anyone. No one would be worth it!

    After Shi Anran returned to the Palace, he promptly packed her things and only after sending her and Yi Yue to the Palace entrance did she return back. She coincidentally met with Third Prince who was about to leave the Palace and return to the Palace. Why are we here? "

    Cui Yun lowered her eyes and faintly replied: "Aunt has left the palace.

    "What is she doing?" After he asked, Li Mu felt that he was being too nosy. Thinking about it, he closed the curtain of the carriage without waiting for Cui Yun''s reply.

    Cui Yun stood there in a daze. Before she could even react, Third Prince''s carriage had already gone far away. She didn''t think too much about it and turned around to return to the palace.

    After leaving the palace, Yi Yue was worried that she did not have enough people, so she returned to the Shi Family and brought two strong guards with him. On the way, from start to finish, Shi Anran did not say a single word, nor did she have any superfluous expressions.

    Yi Yue looked at her worriedly, then poured herself a cup of water and handed it over: "Miss, no matter what, your body is the most important." She forgot that her eyes were red.

    Shi Anran took the cup, and unexpectedly, the cup fell from her hands and burned the back of her hand. After the pain had struck, she suddenly regained her senses: "Yi Yue, where are we?"

    "Miss, we are fast... "It''s an unmarked grave." Yi Yue took out some scalding ointment from the carriage and carefully applied it on her.

    Burial site, yes, her Liu Yue is already dead, she was tortured to death by Li Ruolan! Shi Anran''s hand that was holding the silk handkerchief was held tightly, and only after her sharp fingernails had sunk deeply into her flesh did she gradually calm down a little. She opened her mouth and said in a lukewarm manner, "Liu Yue must have been waiting for me to save her last night, but I don''t have a way бн" After she finished speaking, Shi Anran''s heart clenched, feeling only pain and self-blame.

    Yi Yue''s throat was dry. She was originally not good at speaking, and now, she didn''t know how to comfort this young lady who normally didn''t seem to care about anything, but in reality, was very weak in her heart. After a long while, Yi Yue finally said in a stiff voice, "Young miss must pull yourself together now, we can''t let Liu Yue die in vain."

    What you said is right, I will not let Liu Yue be the person to be killed by them, the person who hurt her, I will take revenge on behalf of Liu Yue! As he said that, the expression on Shi Anran''s face gradually became colder, and actually did not carry any warmth at all.

    Yi Yue had never seen such a lady before, she pursed her lips and did not say a word, quietly accompanying Shi Anran.

    Very quickly, the carriage arrived at the unmarked cemetery, and Shi Anran opened the curtain to instruct the guards behind: "You two, split up and search. You must find her!"

    "Yes бн" A powerful response resounded through the silent cemetery.

    Shi Anran stood under an ancient tree quietly, her eyes could not help but lose focus, and she did not know where she was looking, but from time to time, she could hear the cries of the eagles eating the corpses of the dead.

    "Miss, why don''t you go back to the carriage and sit down. If there''s any news, this servant will immediately inform Miss. Is that alright?"

    Shi Anran shook his head and said, "Forget it, you don''t need to mind me бн" As a master, she couldn''t even protect the people beside her. Wasn''t it because of her status? Whether it was Li Ruolan or the Emperor, they were all heartless people.

    Yi Yue did not speak further, looking at her gloomy and silent expression, a kind of unsteady feeling surfaced in her heart, like all the little things that she had gotten along with her in the past remained in her mind, and would not go away.

    "Eldest Miss, I found it!" One of the guards shouted, and brought him up from the pit. Although he had used a thick piece of cloth, blood still oozed out of the wound.

    When the guards opened the bags, Yi Yue, who had seen so many killing people, found it hard to look directly at them. However, Shi Anran''s gaze remained unmoving.

    Yi Yue bit her lips and said softly: "Quickly take him away!"

    The guard replied, and then carried the person over. Shi Anran had not been in a state of emotions throughout this period of time, as though she was a puppet with its strings cut, and did not have any signs of life.

    Unknowingly, it had started to drizzle. Unable to persuade Shi Anran, Yi Yue could only stay outside and accompany her in the rain.

    The heavy rain washed over her body, making her entire body calm down. She also looked like a completely different person. Her eyes were filled with a strange light.

    In a nearby forest, Li Mu sat upright on horseback, his eyes constantly focused on the woman who had acted foolishly in the rain. He knew that Shi Anran would come here.

    "Miss, the rain is too heavy. Let''s go back!" Yi Yue could not help but say, she was fine, but the young miss''s body was not fully recovered yet.

    Shi Anran closed her eyes, enjoying the washing away of the heavy rain. She actually felt such excitement, as though she had always been obedient and didn''t dare to do anything. Shi Anran''s mind flashed with the scenes of when she was together with Liu Yue and Xiu Er back then. They were innocent people, but the result was that they died because of him.

    Yi Yue was unable to force her, so she could only turn around and ran back to the horse carriage to retrieve her umbrella. Right at that moment, Shi Anran''s tottering body suddenly fell down.

    "Miss, Miss бн" Yi Yue did not care how heavy the rain was and immediately turned back.

    Li Mu, who was about to leave, saw this scene, his face turned cold. He immediately ordered the carriage driver to turn around and head forward, then he walked over to Shi Anran with large strides. He did not care about the fact that there were other people by his side, and took off his cape to tie it up with her, hugging her by the waist and reproaching her in a low voice: "Why are you so disobedient?" Life is rough all the way, inevitably have to sacrifice some things, in order to achieve the goal can only be like this. It was good to let her understand this earlier.

    After Li Mu carried her onto the carriage, Yi Yue helped her change into a clean set of clothes. She looked at Third Prince who was outside in the rain and extended her head out: "Third Prince, it''s done."

    When she opened the curtain, Shi Anran was already awake. She looked at everyone with a very unfamiliar gaze, and Li Mu said indifferently: "You shouldn''t be here today."

 C142

    "Cough, cough бн" Shi Anran coughed intensely while holding onto her chest. After a while, he laughed weakly, her eyes filled with determination: "I now only know that I cannot let Liu Yue die in vain, I need to avenge her!"

    "Alright, I can avenge you, but I can help you. But look at yourself now, are you qualified? Heh, wanting to take revenge is just a pipe dream. " Li Mu said mercilessly, word for word, as it struck deep into her heart.

    Shi Anran lifted her chin, her pale white face carried an untold amount of cold hatred. She took a few breaths, and closed her eyes: "What should I do, how can I protect the people around me?"

    Li Mu''s eyes suddenly filled with complicated emotions. A faint ridicule hung at the corner of his mouth, and his voice carried a kind of inexplicable coldness: "What you need to do is to constantly strengthen yourself, and can''t protect the people around you, because you''re not strong enough, and you don''t have the ability to control everything."

    Although these words were cold and merciless, every word was the truth.

    What Li Mu said was not wrong, if she had been more decisive this entire time, this might not have happened.

    As she thought about it, Shi Anran once again thought back to the past. Her mind was in a mess, and she didn''t know where to place the chess pieces next.

    "I was the one who killed Liu Yue and Xiu Er бн" She had pondered over this line who knows how many times, but at this moment, her voice trembled slightly.

    Li Mu turned his head and glanced at her, before slowly spitting out his words in an indifferent tone: "What do you plan to do with your current state? Should he continue to be depressed, or should he become stronger as soon as possible? But don''t forget, only the strong can do what they want and have the ability to take revenge. "

    Shi Anran was completely confused, after hearing Li Mu''s words, she could not help but nod her head and say, "I promise to do my best to help you бн"

    "Very good бн" After obtaining the accurate answer, Li Mu nodded his head in satisfaction. What she wanted was for Shi Anran to truly become strong, and to wholeheartedly help him, she would feel heartbroken because of the death of a servant girl.

    Then, he seemed to have thought of something and continued, "Go back to the palace. If you stay outside for too long, it will arouse suspicion. Leave the rest to me. You don''t need to interfere anymore."

    "Third Prince, thank you бн" After Shi Anran said that, he remained silent, and his entire being seemed to be in a daze.

    It was already late at night by the time she returned to the palace. Shi Anran had a high fever for the entire night and had not woken up at all. During this time, the Emperor also sent her royal doctors over to visit.

    Lying on the bed until dawn, Shi Anran finally woke up. SShe opened her eyes wide and looked at the ceiling blankly. He opened his mouth, but did not say a single word.

    When Cui Yun entered the room, he saw that she had woken up, and was elated. However, she then saw that her eyes had dimmed down, and said with a pained heart: "Aunt, you have finally woken up, your servant and Yi Yue are worried to death."

    "Cui Yun, has the emperor passed already?"

    "The emperor has already said that aunty doesn''t need to be on duty these few days. She can just stay at the Palace to recuperate and recuperate." Cui Yun said gently while blowing hot medicine for her.

    Hearing that, Shi Anran nodded, as though she had already accepted the news of Liu Yue''s death. She took a deep breath, put it down, and said lightly, "Put the medicine down, I don''t want to drink it right now."

    "Aunt, don''t hold back. Your body is more important, these pills were left behind by His Highness the crown prince." Cui Yun unintentionally said this, but unexpectedly it stabbed into Shi Anran''s sensitive nerves.

    The Crown Prince had come? Shi Anran was secretly startled, her face was still expressionless: "When did the crown prince come?"

    "The time at noon, I''ve already been gone for a long time."

    "Mm, next time he comes, remember to wake me up бн" After she finished speaking, Shi Anran pursed her lips and sank into deep thought.

    Every time the crown prince came, he would just leave in a hurry, and not stay for long. In an instant, she was also unable to understand what Li Gan meant.

    After Cui Yun covered sher cup with the medicine, she placed it on the table and quietly left. Cui Yun stood right outside the door, and after exchanging a glance with Yi Yue, he helplessly shook her head and said. "I wonder when aunty will be as happy as she was before."

    "This time, I''m afraid it will be a little difficult." According to Yi Yue''s understanding of Shi Anran, this matter seemed to have already scarred her heart. It was simply impossible for her to completely leave this place. No matter how long it took, the scar would not disappear.

    Time flowed by, seven days passed by quickly, Shi Anran, as usual, followed by the emperor. No one who did not know the truth would be able to tell what had happened to her, it was just that the previous gentleness in Shi Anran''s eyes had already been replaced by indifference.

    Xiang Rongcheng had also heard of what had happened, but at that time he was still investigating, and he could not separate his body and mind to accompany her. In the past few days, he had also written a letter to get someone to send it to Shi Anran, but when he heard that she was burnt to ashes without even looking at it, the more Xiang Rongcheng thought about it, the more speechless he became. In the past, even if she didn''t look at it, he wouldn''t let anyone burn it. But this time, she was heartless.

    "Young General, the Emperor is calling for you!" Someone reminded him.

    After Xiang Rongcheng regained his senses, he lowered his head and said, "Your majesty!"

    The emperor took in a deep breath, his eyes carrying a meaningful look. "The border war is in chaos. General Xiang has already handed me a paper, saying that he is willing to lead an army to guard the border. I wonder what Young General thinks? "

    Father is going to guard the border? Why had I never heard him talk about it? Xiang Rongcheng''s eyes slightly froze for a moment, then he cupped his hands and said: "This subject has never heard father mention it before."

    "Great General has been on the battlefield for decades, and he''s not young anymore. At any time now, there will be a war at the border. What I mean is that Great General should stay in the capital for the next few years. Young General should go and pacify the situation, then help your father guard the border, what do you think?" The Emperor spoke in a carefree tone.

    After hearing what he said, Xiang Rongcheng was obviously stunned. His father was only over forty years of age, what did the Emperor mean by that, when he was in his middle years of life, bravely fighting him?

    All of the ministers lowered their heads without saying a word. At this time, no one would step forward. They understood the principle of shooting the bird in the head.

    Suddenly, Crown Prince Li Gan took a step forward and said in a gentle voice, "Royal father, this son thinks that something is amiss."

    "Oh, what''s wrong with that?" The Emperor asked leisurely.

    The crown prince said seriously, "Great General Xiang is an old general of the imperial government after all. He is experienced and knowledgeable about the matters of the battlefield. This son believes that the young general should stay in the capital. This way, if something were to happen in the capital, with the young general in charge, the situation would not become so serious that it cannot be reversed. "

    The ministers from the crown prince''s party also agreed, "I think that the crown prince is very polite. The young generals are not suitable to stay at the border!"

    After hearing this, the emperor''s expression slightly changed, but he quickly concealed it. He opened his mouth and faintly said, "So, what''s the meaning of this young general?"

 C143

    If he stayed behind at the border, who knew if he would have to wait three to three years before being able to return to the capital. How could he be at ease with the Xiang Palace and his Anran? As he thought about it, Xiang Rongcheng''s gaze, whether intentionally or not, swept across Shi Anran with an indifferent expression. Seeing her expressionless face, Xiang Rongcheng felt stuffy, clenched his fists, and said with a thin lips: "This subject will obey Your Majesty''s decision!"

    "In that case, I''ll think about it." After all, it was not good to offend the Xiang Family at this time.

    After a while, Shi Anran was deep in thought on the way back. Is the Emperor worried about the power of the Xiang Family now? Otherwise, they would not have been in such a hurry to break up their main force and send Xiang Rongcheng to the border guards. There was no cure for the emperor''s illness. Although it didn''t seem like it was a big deal, the truth was that it had long since injured his very core. Right now, what appeared to be calm on the surface was merely his appearance. What Shi Anran couldn''t figure out was, does the Emperor intend to make the Crown Prince ascend the throne, or is there another candidate in his heart? It was hard for anyone to fathom the intentions of this sovereign.

    "Anran..." A male voice brought her out of her thoughts.

    Shi Anran looked back, and it was actually the Xiang Rongcheng he hadn''t seen for a long time, and he looked even more high-spirited. Shi Anran slightly bowed, counted as a greeting, then turned and left.

    It was so difficult for Xiang Rongcheng to see her again, how could he let go of this opportunity? Thus, he quickly followed and blocked her path. Looking at Shi Anran''s indifferent expression, she did not know how she made her unhappy. Xiang Rongcheng was at a loss for words for a moment, and said: "You are only sick for a few days, how can you be so thin. Did the people at the hospital not get you a good tonic? Do you want me to tell you something... "

    "If the young general is fine, then Anran will take his leave first бн" She said those words clearly, then went around Xiang Rongcheng and left, as though he was only a stranger.

    How did she become like this after not seeing his for a period of time? Could it be that it was because of Third Prince that she intentionally kept his distance from him? Thinking about it this way, Xiang Rongcheng felt that it was understandable, but his heart felt a bit awkward. If she were to choose the Third Prince, then it would be better for her to choose himself.

    At this moment, Shi Anran''s emotions were extremely complicated, and her leaving footsteps were also in disorder. For some reason, she didn''t want to use her mouth to face Xiang Rongcheng. These past few days, she had almost forgotten how to smile when Shi Anran lifted her hand and touched her stiff face.

    For the next few days, Shi Anran accompanied the Emperor back to the Palace, and even after that, Cui Yun would pass him a letter.

    "Aunt, when you followed the Emperor, the young general sent someone to deliver this." Cui Yun said as she handed the exquisite box over.

    What exactly did Xiang Rongcheng want to do? It was one thing to send a letter over the next few days, but now he even sent a gift box over to her? Shi Anran originally wanted to throw it away, but then again, what if there was something precious inside?

    When Shi Anran returned to her room, she opened the box. What entered her eyes was a fine red bean bracelet, the craftsmanship looked very fine, there was a small name carved on the red bean''s surface, if one did not look carefully, it was impossible to see.

    Shi Anran was holding onto the chain and suddenly lost in thought. Why did he give her the red beans? This was not some expensive item. It was something that was common even to commoners. They had thought that the dignified young general would give them some rare treasures!

    Thinking about this, Shi Anran''s mood gradually became better, and a hint of warmth unknowingly appeared on the corner of her mouth. She softly muttered, "I don''t even know if the Exquisite Dice An Hong Dou бн" However, her heart was bitter. She was bound to fail to live up to Xiang Rongcheng''s intentions.

    Over here, the crown prince and Xiang Rongcheng found a relatively quiet restaurant and sat down. Li Gan personally poured a cup of wine for him before chuckling.

    "Everything depends on what the emperor says. I have no objections." Xiang Rongcheng replied casually.

    Seeing his depressed look, Li Gan thought of something, pursed his lips and said: "Look at the young general''s look, it seems like he was hurt by his emotions. I wonder who''s young miss is causing you to be so worried?"

    "That is an extremely heartless woman." Xiang Rongcheng shook his head, and could not help but say, this was the truth, and Shi Anran was also heartless.

    Li Gan understood more than half of it, but he smiled and patted his shoulder: "Sometimes, women''s heartlessness is caused by men, as long as they give her some things or write a few nice love poems, can it not move her heart?"

    Hearing this, the corner of Xiang Rongcheng''s mouth twitched. Could it be that he wanted to tell the crown prince that he had already used all of these methods, and they were completely useless against him?

    Thinking about that, Xiang Rongcheng laughed and shook his head, then said: "It''s a pity that this girl is not an ordinary girl, if not I would not have had a headache because of her."

    "Oh? For a woman to be able to cause the young general to spend so much effort, she must be an outstanding individual. I wonder if I know her? " The Crown Prince looked interested.

    How could Xiang Rongcheng tell him who that person was? At the moment, he only smiled without saying a word. With a profound tone, he said, "Even if I told you, His Highness wouldn''t be able to recognize me."

    Li Gan poured another cup of wine, and said unhurriedly: "I never thought that a person like the Young General would be depressed because of a woman, and make people have a whole new level of respect for him."

    "What, don''t tell me that there are no women in His Highness'' residence?" Xiang Rongcheng''s words had successfully sealed the crown prince''s mouth. Honestly speaking, Xiang Rongcheng did not like to get along with people like the crown prince. He had spoken up for the emperor several times, but no one knew what he was planning.

    "Alright, let''s not talk about this. Let''s talk about something else!" Li Gan changed the topic, even though this method seemed very stiff.

    Xiang Rongcheng took a sip of the wine, and then looked at him with suspicion: "Then let''s chat a bit. Why is the crown prince helping me? "

    "I admire the young general''s talent, shouldn''t I help him?" Li Gan chuckled, and asked back.

    He knew a bit about the conflicts between the princes, whether it was in the open or in the dark, but he did not join them. Even if he wanted to stand on someone''s side, his father would probably not allow it. At that moment, Xiang Rongcheng took a deep breath. No matter what the crown prince wanted with him, his answer would be very simple, he was just a general, what did the Imperial Family''s struggle have to do with him?

    After leaving the restaurant, the two walked down the street, but Li Gan just stood there. Xiang Rongcheng raised his head and looked at the signboard of the brothel suspiciously, and his eyes darkened: "Why did you bring me here?"

    "Didn''t the young general say he wants to understand women? I did not think that it would actually work. Rather than sitting still and waiting for death to come, why not give the young general a try? " Saying that, Li Gan smiled.

 C144

    Xiang Rongcheng pursed her lips in slight disgust, and slowly opened them after a long while. "If Your Highness really likes it, you can stay behind.

    Li Gan felt that he had done it with a hot face today, hence he immediately scolded Xiang Rongcheng in a low voice when he saw him leave. It''s just that royal father has set his eyes on the strength of Xiang Family, do you really think you''re some kind of character? He really doesn''t know how to appreciate favors. Li Gan snorted, turned, and walked away.

    In the blink of an eye, a month had passed, and Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s stomach had also grown. The emperor''s gaze had also become increasingly focused on her, to the point where she had completely ignored the person she had just sealed for a few months, Venerable Lord Ling.

    Rumor has it that noble Ling has not been able to recover from her downfall, so Shi Anran decided to walk into her palace when she had free time to more or less comfort her.

    But after seeing Hong Ling''s expression, Shi Anran couldn''t help but be surprised. It didn''t matter much if the Emperor didn''t come to see her.

    Hong Ling placed the delicate snacks on top of the table, rested her chin on it, looked at her and slowly said: "Anran, what is important in your eyes?"

    Shi Anran had asked this question more than once, but she had never found a stable answer. This time, she had seriously considered it, and after a while she slowly said: "I believe in the most important thing in my eyes, to be able to keep one''s heart and one''s white head together, that''s all." Whether it was kinship, friendship, or love, she wanted them to last for a long time.

    After hearing this, Hong Ling pursed her lips and laughed secretly. "Looks like big sister Anran has someone you like. I wonder who he is."

    "You misunderstand, it''s not what you think." She was already beginning to dislike him, what right did she have to like others?

    "Looking at Sister Anran''s dejected look, could it be that she was just falling into a trap with ruthless intentions?" Hong Ling asked as she stared at him with her big round eyes.

    Shi Anran laughed and shook her head, she had obviously treated these words as a joke. When she met with Hong Ling''s puzzled gaze, she became suspicious, and looking at her again, she realised that she had recovered her usual expression. Shi Anran could not help but suspect, was she seeing things wrongly?

    "Has the Emperor not come to your place recently?"

    "Don''t mention it. The Emperor has the Imperial Noble Consort Lan and the little prince in her womb. If he had the time, he would have already gone to the Phoenix Nest Palace. As she spoke, Hong Ling lowered her eyes and sighed.

    Shi Anran did not miss the calm in her eyes. A sad person could pretend to be very ordinary, but eyes could not deceive people. As she thought about it, she became even more curious about Hong Ling. Just what kind of person was this woman? Could it be that she had hidden herself too deeply and didn''t notice it? Or was it that she had thought too much into it?

    Hong Ling poured a cup of scented tea for her. "Sister Anran, these are the petals that were picked a while ago. Do you like this taste?"

    "Hong Ling, aren''t you worried?" Drinking her tea, Shi Anran said, intentionally or not.

    "What are you worried about? Are you worried that the Emperor will not like me? Right now, Imperial Noble Consort Lan was only pregnant with the prince and was thus spoiled. After she gives birth to the prince, how could there even be a place for others in the imperial harem? What''s the use of worrying about it? " Hong Ling glanced at Shi Anran, and continued, "If she doesn''t have a prince in her stomach, let''s see how she will still be so arrogant."

    The person who said that didn''t mean to hear it, but he did. For example, Shi Anran. At this moment, her heart was already filled with indifference. She originally thought that Hong Ling should be someone who she could befriend deeply, but now it seems that it might not be so.

    Shi Anran stood up and said gently, "I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. Hong Ling, I won''t be accompanying you now, I''ll talk to you another day."

    Hong Ling nodded her head and watched her leave. Finally, she withdrew her expression and put on a meaningful look. She curled her lips and took a sip of fragrant tea as she raised her chin to examine the cup on her fingertips. It was as if there was something that attracted her attention.

    "Mistress, will you write a letter today?" The maid whispered.

    After lightly glancing at her, Hong Ling slowly shook her head, "There is no need, I have my own plans for this matter." She didn''t like the feeling of being held down, just like now.

    Just as Shi Anran walked out of the imperial flower garden, she met Imperial Noble Consort Lan. Seeing that she was alone, Shi Anran lightly swept her gaze across her body, and sure enough, he heard Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s cold shout: "Stop!"

    "Is there something the Empress needs?" Her voice, which was neither warm nor fire, carried that pair of clear and cold eyes, which made Li Ruolan feel somewhat astonished.

    Cold sweat covered Zhu''er''s forehead. After all, she had personally participated in Liu Yue''s death, so much so that just thinking about it made her feel afraid.

    Li Ruolan squinted her eyes, and revealed a sense of elegance, "What kind of attitude is this, you actually dare to not bow when you see me? Do you believe that I can get the emperor to take your head off with a single sentence? "

    Hearing, this was a person with authority, her speech was so arrogant, did she forget about Liu Yue who was killed by her just now?

    Thinking about it, Shi Anran''s heart turned cold. She retreated back, stood beside her palanquin, and said slowly: "Imperial Noble Consort Lan, take a look. What did Imperial Physician Zhou tell me when he died?"

    Hearing those three words, Li Ruolan''s expression changed greatly. She opened her mouth but did not say a single word, and her eyes constantly flashed, after that she said calmly: "I do not understand what you are saying."

    "Since Empress doesn''t understand, then let''s not ask the emperor and see if he can understand her?" Although Shi Anran did not know what benefits Li Ruolan had given to Imperial Physician Zhou, the two of them must have a deep relationship.

    After hearing that, Li Ruolan glared evasively at Shi Anran, and then lowered her voice: "What are you trying to do?"

    "It''s simple, I''ll pay with my life for my Liu Yue, then I''ll let you go!" Seeing her compromising attitude, Shi Anran was sure that she and Imperial Physician Zhou were hiding something from the rest, and did not care anymore, and said this.

    "You бн Shi Anran, don''t go too far! Li Ruolan held onto her lower abdomen, and said while gnashing her teeth.

    She was going too far? When had she ever lied to anyone? It was just a simple counterattack from these people and she couldn''t take it anymore? Then, who would bear the slightest bit of the pain of Liu Yue being beaten to death?

    Looking at Li Ruolan''s pale face, Shi Anran felt a little happy in her heart. Even her smile gradually became brighter, and then she lazily said: "I knew that the Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s methods were brilliant, so Anran wrote a letter and placed it in the hands of a friend outside the palace. If something were to happen to me accidentally, he would probably pass the letter to the emperor.

    "Shi Anran!" Li Ruolan yelled out with a pale expression on her face. Her fingers were tightly clasped on the edge of the palanquin, and she was about to bite down on her rosy lips until they bled.

    Shi Anran raised her head to look at the brilliant sunlight, and said with incomparable satisfaction, "Today''s sun is extremely hot, I''ll be leaving first. With that said, Shi Anran casually left. Shi Anran''s current goal was to stop Li Ruolan from attacking her in secret, so right now, she didn''t have the energy to accompany her to play.

 C145

    Seeing her disapproving expression, Li Ruolan bit her red lips without saying a word, and only retracted her venomous gaze after Shi Anran had walked far away, thinking in her heart: What exactly does Shi Anran know?

    Originally, she only wanted to hit Shi Anran, but since she knew so much now, she couldn''t blame her for being ruthless. However бн She said that she had written all the evidence in the letter, so it seemed that she would not let go of even one of her friends outside the palace.

    Since she was going to deal with Shi Anran, Li Ruolan naturally thought of her own little sister who had always hated Shi Anran.

    Ever since Li Ruoxue was humiliated at the palace banquet last time, she no longer had the arrogance she once had. Other than going to see Li Ruolan, she hid within the storage palace, but the hatred she had for Shi Anran became stronger and stronger. Just as she was thinking about how to kill Shi Anran, she heard the news that her servant was beaten to death by her elder sister.

    When she heard the news that Imperial Noble Consort Lan had come to the storage palace, she immediately came out of her room. From afar, she saw Li Ruolan with reddened eyes, "Big sister, I thought you didn''t even want to recognize this little sister of yours!"

    That period of time that Li Ruolan had was only to avoid those words, which was why she did not come over. At the same time that she let out a small breath, she also pulled Li Ruoxue''s hand and entered the room. After muttering to herself for a while, she said seriously: "Ruoxue, big sister needs your help right now."

    "Elder sister, please speak!" Li Ruoxue looked straight into her eyes.

    "Shi Anran caught hold of my weakness, and I want you to obtain the emperor''s favor as soon as possible. This matter cannot be delayed any longer." she said sternly.

    "Big sister, it''s easy for you to say that. The emperor doesn''t even look at me directly, let alone any pampering. If you hate me, you won''t make it in time!" As she spoke, Li Ruoxue lowered her eyes. Thinking back to the humiliation from the other time, she felt that she would not be able to swallow this insult.

    Li Ruolan smiled enigmatically, "Three days from now, the Emperor will be bathing in Jade Wave Garden, and the Jade Wave Garden is right behind the storage palace. Do you still need me to remind you what to do?"

    Hearing that, Li Ruoxue''s eyes lit up, and pulled her hand: "I understand! However бн There''s someone guarding that place, and I can''t even get in. "

    "Aren''t there still Chen mama?" I don''t believe that she would not dare to help you. " With that, Li Ruolan smiled. She finally had a glimmer of hope. This Shi Anran was already so arrogant that she dared to speak to her like that, who knows when she would be riding on her head. She had to make Ruoxue the favorite concubine of the Emperor, otherwise she wouldn''t believe that the Li family''s forces wouldn''t be able to fight against such a small daughter.

    Li Ruoxue was at a loss of what to do. "Elder sister, then what do I need to prepare?"

    "You don''t need to prepare anything, just dress yourself up beautifully. I''ve brought some rouge and cosmetic powder, but they''re all top quality items. Even the empress of another palace might not be able to get them, so I''ll give them to you." As Li Ruolan looked at her young and beautiful appearance, she couldn''t help but reminisce her past. She was both envious and jealous. But no matter what, she was still a sister of her own family. It was still better for her to be doted on by the Emperor than for others to snatch him away before going against her.

    "Thank you elder sister, I will definitely try my best to make the emperor set his sights on me." With that, she lowered her eyes with a blush. Any woman would be embarrassed when they met.

    After Li Ruolan left, Li Ruoxue couldn''t wait to find Chen mama and get her to help him enter the Jade Wave Garden. Naturally, Chen mama didn''t easily agree, "Little Master Li, the emperor might not be able to justify his decision."

    "Don''t mind so much. Just help me in. I can explain the rest." "Moreover, the Jade Wave Garden is only one wall away from the Sage Storage Palace. Even if it appeared inside, it could only be a coincidence. The Emperor won''t say anything."

    Chen mama was still frowning worriedly. She had followed the emperor for decades, was she going to betray him? But if she didn''t do so, the lives of her family members would still be in the hands of the Li family. After biting her lip, Chen mama raised her eyes and said, "What does Young Master Li want to do with this old servant?"

    Seeing that she had agreed, Li Ruoxue said excitedly: "Chen mama need not feel troubled, sooner or later, the Consort Candidate s of the storage palace will all become the emperor''s people, it''s just a matter of late. Now that Chen mama has helped me, if Xue''er becomes master in the future, and stands at the top, I will definitely not forget Chen mama."

    Inside the Palace, Cui Yun was helping her wash up. "Aunt, did you notice that you have gotten prettier again?"

    "Is there?" This Shi Anran had lived two lifetimes, and after seeing his face, she was tired of it.

    "Of course, aunty''s appearance is even more heroic than before. Even if you don''t look at her palace attire, people would still think that aunty is a noble person."

    Shi Anran smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. Indeed, she had changed a little compared to before, and Cui Yun was a careful little girl.

    Cui Yun placed a blue hairpin onto Shi Anran''s hair tip and sized her up with satisfaction: "It''s not Cui Yun who is talking nonsense. Yi Yue, take a look, doesn''t Aunt look like a great beauty no matter how you look at it?"

    Yi Yue pursed her lips and said indifferently: "Miss has always been like that."

    Seeing the two of them echoing each other like that, Shi Anran couldn''t help but laugh: "Alright, what are you guys doing in your room in such a good weather? You can go out and take a walk!"

    "If even aunt isn''t going, then what are we going to do with our servants?" Cui Yun curled her lips. Ever since Liu Yue and her death, she rarely went out to walk, especially after she had died. It was as if she had really changed into a different person.

    After hearing that, Shi Anran just smiled, the situation in the imperial court was not serious, the emperor''s health was getting worse, she only stared coldly at the grudges and conflicts in the palace, right now, all of these things had nothing to do with her.

    "Today, the emperor is going to Bibo Garden to soak in a medicinal bath!" Cui Yun unintentionally said.

    "Green Pao Garden?" After thinking for a while, Shi Anran stood up and said, "Now, Yi Yue is going to bring the congee for the emperor, it''s time for us to take a walk at the Jade Wave Garden."

    Yi Yue lowered her eyes, turned around and went into the neighboring kitchen to take out the rice porridge. Cui Yun was puzzled: "Miss, why didn''t you wait for the emperor to return to the palace? It''s too early to carry it out now. It''ll probably get cold. "

    "It''s also good to be early, lest the emperor gets hungry." Shi Anran said with a bland expression. With Li Ruoxue''s temper, how could she let go of such a good opportunity?

    Along the way, Shi Anran did not have much of an expression. After meeting the Third Prince, she calmly greeted with a bow. "Greetings, Third Prince!"

    "No need for formalities!" Li Mu looked at the porridge in Yi Yue''s hands, and without saying anything, he walked past them.

    What was Third Prince doing in the palace at this time? From the looks of it, he was also going to the Jade Wave Garden бн Shi Anran did not have much time to think, and followed closely behind.

    When Chen mama and Eunuch Zhao, who were guarding the door, saw that it was two people, they did not think much about it and let them in. However, today, Chen mama''s expression did not look good.

    He actually didn''t even have the courage to look her in the eye.

 C146

    Li Mu had already walked in, and as he came back to his senses, he followed behind, trying his best to increase the distance between the two of them. Li Mu seemed to feel that she was trying to distance himself from him intentionally as he glanced at her with a strange expression in his eyes.

    Seeing him stop, Shi Anran was actually stunned in place, and did not know what to do. Lowering her head, he restored her previous expression, and calmly walked past him, not even sparing him an extra glance.

    Seeing that, Li Mu opened his mouth, as though he had something to say, but did not know what to say. He kept having the feeling that there was something different about Anran compared to before, but he couldn''t quite pinpoint it. Could it be that something had happened to her recently?

    At this moment, everyone below the emperor''s neck was immersed in a medicinal bath as they closed their eyes to rest. He seemed to have heard something and opened his eyes. It was as if someone was breathing.

    The emperor''s expression straightened. If one listened carefully, they would realize that it wasn''t an illusion. In that instant, the drowsy mind cleared up. After putting on his outer robe, he slowly walked to the shore. However, when he turned around the corner, he saw a quiet and sleeping woman.

    This woman had a beautiful face, but what the imperial harem lacked the most was beauties.

    The woman seemed to have sensed his presence and slowly woke up. She yawned and looked at the newcomer with misty eyes. She immediately reacted and somewhat panickedly said, "Your servant greets Your Majesty!"

    "Which palace''s maid are you?" The emperor''s lukewarm tone made it difficult for her to figure out what was going on in her heart.

    Li Ruoxue was depressed, she had purposely dressed up today, why did the emperor think that she was a palace maid? After all, how many times had she met her before? Had the emperor forgotten about him so quickly? She lowered her head and said with some disappointment: "Reporting to the emperor, this servant is the newly advanced Consort Candidate Li Ruoxue."

    "Li Ruoxue, so it''s you." The emperor still had some impression of her. Looking at the delicate woman in front of him, he slightly narrowed his eyes.

    "Your Majesty бн" Li Ruoxue lifted her chin, and her eyes that contained starlight stared fixedly at the emperor''s eyes, as if she was waiting for the emperor''s next words.

    The Emperor took in a light breath, her fingers pinching her chin as she faced herself. Just as she was about to open her mouth and say something, Shi Anran walked in, and said softly with a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, Anran has prepared a new medicinal food for Your Majesty. How does Your Majesty like it?"

    After hearing what was said, the emperor simply nodded and then released Li Ruoxue without a care in the world. He then turned around and left.

    Li Ruoxue, whose bashful expression was still hung on her face, was stunned in place, and only reacted after a long while. Why was it Shi Anran again? Why did this woman keep lingering around like a ghost? She was ruining her good fortune time and time again!

    Thinking, Li Ruoxue clenched her five fingers tightly and followed along, the cold light in her eyes seemed to want to freeze Shi Anran.

    Shi Anran meticulously made the porridge using the ingredients. It was a completely different taste from the imperial kitchen, the emperor had only taken a bite before he praised, "It''s not bad!"

    "Your majesty, how could there be a Consort Candidate from the Palace? This has always been a forbidden area." The group training that was passed down from the previous emperor didn''t allow anyone to enter without the emperor''s orders, not to mention that this was a Consort Candidate that the emperor hadn''t even set her eyes on before.

    Li Ruoxue seemed to know that she had gotten into trouble, and immediately turned pale white and explained in a hurry: "It''s not like that Your Majesty, this servant had only dropped the kite here, and accidentally fell asleep here while I was looking for the kite. I didn''t know that this is a forbidden area!" In truth, she also did not know that the Jadepoint Garden was a forbidden area. Otherwise, no matter how daring she was, she would not dare to enter.

    The emperor''s face did not look good. After sweeping a glance at Li Ruoxue with disgust, she turned her head and asked, "Who dared to let her in?"

    After Shi Anran glanced over, she already understood that Chen mama was not a person who coveted money. Most likely, Li Ruoxue had used some method to threaten her, which was why Chen mama agreed to help Li Ruoxue.

    Li Ruoxue said in a trembling voice: "Reporting to the emperor, this servant saw that the back door was not closed so I entered through the back door. This servant really does not know where I am, I beg your forgiveness, your majesty."

    "Scram, write down the palace rules a hundred times and hand them to Anran. If there is a next time, we will definitely not let them off lightly." The Emperor was currently in a good mood and the punishment wasn''t too heavy, which was why Li Ruoxue was able to leave so easily.

    "Yes, thank the Emperor for his kindness!" Li Ruoxue lowered her eyes and walked out. Her teeth were about to shatter. She definitely wouldn''t let those people who had stopped her go! Especially this Shi Anran, she would get rid of her sooner or later!

    "Your Majesty, the Third Prince has arrived!" Eunuch Zhao reminded from the side.

    With these words, he broke the silence. The Emperor slowly raised his eyes and said, "Let him in."

    After a while, Li Mu walked in and bowed respectfully: "This son greets royal father!" He was a little curious, why did royal father let him come to this place? Even if he had something to discuss, this place didn''t seem to be too suitable, right?

    "Get up." The emperor was dressed in bright yellow inner clothes. Shi Anran picked up the outer robes from the ground and helped him wear it. Her movements were skilled and gentle, as if she was extremely proficient in it.

    "Ol ''Three, how is the matter that I told you to investigate?" The emperor slowly asked.

    After hearing this, Li Mu said in a bland voice, "Reporting to royal father, we have already investigated everything. The poison in the medicinal food was all administered by Imperial Physician Zhou, and he even joined forces with a few people in the Imperial Hospital to cheat and deceive us. As for the evidence we have gathered, this son has already sent someone to deliver it to royal father''s study."

    "Hmm, that''s good too. I''m afraid the poisoning won''t be that simple this time." The Emperor wasn''t a foolish person, how could he not know that it was someone behind the scenes?

    Shi Anran looked around quietly, as though she did not hear anything. How would Third Prince explain himself this time?

    Li Mu said in a shallow voice: "This son also suspects that I have been ordered by someone, but all the evidence and clues have only reached Imperial Physician Zhou, and will not be able to be investigated in the future."

    The emperor naturally knew that this was a thorny task, so he didn''t say much. He lightly breathed in and put it down before replying, "Just pay more attention to what''s going on behind the scenes. It''s also very difficult to find out what''s going on in a short period of time."

    "Your son knows what to do now!" Li Mu lowered his eyes and agreed.

    After a long while, the Emperor put down the spoon in his hand, and turned his gaze towards Shi Anran who had been silent all this while, "If someone really orders us to do this, no matter when we find out, we will definitely give you an explanation."

    Heh, why would I need to account for my death?

    Shi Anran indifferently replied: "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Were the royal family so hypocritical? Even though she said that there was another trick to it, she should spend more time to understand them.

 C147

    "Pa бк"

    Li Ruoxue swept the cup in front of him down to the ground, and then smashed everything that could be smashed, as if it was not enough.

    It was clearly such a great opportunity in front of him just because that slut Shi Anran had appeared. It was she who had destroyed everything he had!

    Li Ruoxue rubbed her messy hair in pain, scaring the little palace maid who was serving her. Seeing that she had calmed down a little, she dared to ask timidly: "Master, are you alright?"

    "Scram..." Get out! " Li Ruoxue shouted in agitation, as though she had gone mad.

    Just as she walked into the palace, she heard Li Ruoxue''s angry roar. She pursed her lips and laughed coldly, the pain she had endured in her previous life was nothing compared to what Li Ruoxue had experienced now, where she would have to leave her good moves behind!

    "Greetings, aunt!" The Consort Candidate all bowed respectfully.

    Li Ruoxue walked out unwillingly, and stared straight at Shi Anran, and seeing that Shi Anran was not even looking at her, she suddenly rushed towards her: "Shi Anran, you slut! I will strangle you to death! "

    "Young Lord Li, don''t be rash." Consort Candidate, who usually gave her rotten ideas, immediately stopped her after seeing this and whispered into her ear, "We still can''t afford to offend her."

    She pushed away the people beside her and walked towards Shi Anran with large strides. As she walked, she scolded: "You slut, no matter how high you climb, you are just a lowly slave, do you really think that the Emperor values you so much that you can bully others?"

    Bullying others? Shi Anran didn''t think that she had ever done such a thing. With a calm expression, she looked at her and slowly spat out a few words: "The hundred and thirty-sixth rule of the palace, the one who insults others will slap his face twenty times. Men!"

    "Yes, Aunt." Cui Yun lowered her head and replied.

    "Slap him!" Shi Anran said calmly.

    She looked at Shi Anran in disbelief, and when she thought about how she had been beaten up by Xiang Rongcheng the last time, she fearfully covered her face. "Shi Anran, what qualifications do you have to hit me? Do you believe me when I tell the Emperor? If you randomly use the punishment, you will also be punished! "

    "What, I''m only following the palace rules. Moreover, Young Master Li just angered the emperor. Are you sure the emperor will pay attention to you after this time passes?" Her clear and indifferent voice was especially indifferent. Misuse of punishment? Compared to Li Ruolan, she was just an insignificant skill.

    Li Ruoxue clenched her teeth, staring at her with a look of fear and yet not admitting defeat, and continued to speak with her head held high and chest out: "Don''t you forget, Imperial Noble Consort Lan is my blood sister, what happens if you offend her? Haven''t you tried enough little palace maids?"

    "Pa бн" Shi Anran raised her hand and slapped him, then laughed out loud: "As a maid by the side of the emperor, all those below my level have to respectfully call me aunt, little master Li is rude, and offending me is offending me, shouldn''t I hit you?"

    Li Ruoxue covered half of her face, as though she was going to fight with her, at this time, a palace maid pulled both of her hands, she could not struggle free, so she scolded: "Bitch, you''re using your status to bully people, I''m going to ask my sister to tell the emperor, when the time comes, the emperor will remove your identity, what are you being so arrogant about!"

    "Call me." Shi Anran spat out three words indifferently.

    "Stop!" Caught off guard, Li Ruolan opened her mouth and stopped them all. Once everyone heard the voice, they all looked towards the door.

    Consort Candidate immediately bowed: "Greetings Imperial Noble Consort Lan!"

    Li Ruolan gave them a quick glance before slowly walking over, "Shi Anran, are you using the Emperor''s favor to abuse your authority? Is the person in this palace someone you can beat just because you said so? "

    Hearing that, Shi Anran looked into her eyes: "Imperial Noble Consort Lan misunderstood Anran when she said this бн But when it comes to abuse rights, since the people in the palace aren''t people that can be beaten up so easily, then can the Imperial Noble Consort Lan return a complete Liu Yue to me? "

    After she finished speaking, under Li Ruolan''s heavy expression, Shi Anran continued to speak coldly: "I''m only following palace rules. If Imperial Noble Consort Lan feels that Anran has done anything wrong, you can always go over to the Emperor to reason, what about it?"

    Li Ruolan could only stand where she was, speechless, and only after a long while did she react. She then said while gnashing her teeth: "Because I''m the master, and you''re only a palace maid. What do you want me to do? Do you want me to lower my status to discuss things with a palace maid like you?"

    "Since that''s the case, then isn''t Anran teaching an ignorant Consort Candidate a lesson have nothing to do with him?" Her words caused Li Ruolan and the rest to be rendered speechless.

    When did this bitch become so eloquent?

    Li Ruoxue had already taken a slap from her earlier and said bitterly, "Elder sister, you have to help me beat him back. This slut really has no rules. She attacked as soon as she said she wanted to бн"

    "Don''t worry!" Li Ruolan patted her hands, and after she replied indifferently, she turned her gaze towards Shi Anran, and said unhappily: "If you want to teach Consort Candidate a lesson, with me here, it doesn''t seem to be your place to intervene."

    Shi Anran laughed, she gently lifted her chin and said with a stern face: "Imperial Noble Consort Lan is the master of the Phoenix Maiden Palace, it is indeed only right for you all to take charge of small and large matters, but I believe that it is not Imperial Noble Consort Lan''s place to settle the matter of the storage palace, right? However, if Imperial Noble Consort Lan feels that I didn''t handle it well enough, then бн " With that, Shi Anran deliberately stopped, and looked at Cui Yu with a side of his eyes: "Go ask the emperor to come over, I also want to ask the emperor to be the judge, and see what kind of crime it is to collude with a palace maid and commit such a crime!"

    "This servant will go now." Cui Yun very obediently nodded her head, but didn''t move a step.

    "Shi Anran, you are getting bolder and bolder!" Li Ruolan coldly spat out a sentence.

    "Sister, what should we do? You must help me. " This matter can''t be known to the emperor, otherwise, she definitely wouldn''t be able to stay in the Imperial Palace anymore. Li Ruoxue worriedly grabbed her sleeve.

    Facing her younger sister''s pestering, Li Ruolan was also annoyed. She took a deep breath and let it go, then calmed herself down and said: "How about this, let me handle it this way. I will decide how to punish her, what do you say?"

    Shi Anran raised her hand, signalling to Cui Yun that she did not need to go, smiled, and spoke without any warmth in her tone: "My apologies, Anran will only follow the rules of the palace, Cui Yun, attack!" After saying that, she slightly tilted her body, completely ignoring Imperial Noble Consort Lan.

    Cui Yun nodded his head, took out a ruler from the tray, and threw it towards Li Ruoxue''s face, which became more and more ruthless, until Li Ruoxue cried for her parents. However, the two guards at her side restrained her and she was unable to move at all. In an instant, the entire storage palace could only hear her crying voice.

    Li Ruolan stood at the side, holding back her anger. If it was in the past, she would not have to worry about anything and save him, and then severely punish Shi Anran, but today, she could not. Shi Anran still had traces of her and Zhou Imperial Physician, she could not act rashly.

 C148

    If the Emperor had known about that, she would have suffered a terrible fate.

    Immediately, Li Ruolan endured her anger. For the time being, she could only let Ruoxue suffer some grievances, but she will definitely take these grievances back from Shi Anran one by one in the future.

    After twenty strikes, Li Ruoxue''s originally delicate face had swollen to the point where she couldn''t tell her original look. She didn''t dare to touch her wound, and could only cry non-stop.

    "Alright, it''s fine if you''ve punished me today. From now on, you must pay attention to speaking. Sometimes, disaster will come out of your mouth and that is the reason. Do you understand what the rest of you are saying? " Although she was asking the Consort Candidate present, she had made an example out of this incident so that those who had ulterior motives would give up on that idea as soon as possible.

    All of the Consort Candidate s were scared silly, they could only lower their heads and say, "This servant understands!"

    It was good that they understood. What they were afraid of was that they would not understand, and would secretly form gangs to do something that would make people upset.

    Li Ruoxue swore at Shi Anran to die a long time ago by biting her lips lightly. Shi Anran shot him a cold glance: "I''m afraid that you''ve done it too lightly with these twenty slaps? If I hear it again in the future, it will not be so easy to talk to. "

    When Li Ruoxue heard this, his entire body shivered. It was unknown if it was due to anger or fear.

    After she finished speaking, Shi Anran did not stay any longer. After leaving the storage palace, Cui Yun then gave an exaggerated smile: "It''s simply too satisfying. Aunt, you should let me slap you a few more times, twenty slaps is too easy for her."

    "Don''t worry. If she talks back in the future, there will be plenty of chances for you to hit her!" It was just a slap on the face for a while, compared to Liu Yue''s death, it was nothing. There were still a lot of things in the future that they hadn''t tried yet!

    Cui Yun nodded excitedly: "Thank goodness I''m here, if the one who came with Aunt was Yi Yue, then this Li Ruoxue would probably need the Imperial Physician to treat him."

    After she finished speaking, Cui Yun didn''t forget to click her tongue.

    "Alright, I have to go to the emperor first. It''s hard to protect the Imperial Noble Consort Lan from being the first to complain, so I have to tell the emperor first. It''s always better to be the first." Shi Anran said indifferently.

    In the study, the emperor was drawing and seemed to be in a good mood. Shi Anran slowly walked over and placed the tea down, then said softly: "Your majesty, Anran has finished, it''s just that a Consort Candidate has insulted Anran, he spoke so arrogantly, and Anran has decided to follow the palace rules."

    He didn''t seem to mind at all, because he knew that Shi Anran wasn''t someone who would abuse her power. When it came to matters that were smooth, he too felt at ease. Immediately, he raised his eyes and said slowly, "It''s settled then, you can handle this from now on!"

    Shi Anran replied, her heart becoming a bit more at ease. If she didn''t guess wrongly, Li Ruolan would come and report her to the emperor very soon, right?

    As Shi Anran thought about this, she inadvertently glanced at the Xuan paper on the table and could not help but praise, "Your majesty''s calligraphy skills have truly broadened Anran''s horizons. Even those calligraphy masters may not have had your essence."

    With these words, the emperor became happy. He raised his head and laughed twice, then looked at her with a burning gaze. "I''ve heard that Lord Shang Shu is proficient in the art of zither, zither, calligraphy, and calligraphy. How about I display a skill of calligraphy for me today?"

    "Then Anran will be making a fool of herself!" Shi Anran turned her body around and walked to the table next door. She spread out the paper, and with one hand, she gently grabbed onto the blue sleeves, and with the other hand, she dipped the brush into the ink.

    The Emperor just stood at the side and watched as the woman in front of him wrote a few lines of poetry. Putting aside the fact that the meaning of the poetry was incisive, just the words made people click their tongues in wonder, "Not bad, it''s really not bad at all. A woman who can write a character as vigorous as a man''s, really makes me have a whole new level of respect for her."

    "The Emperor''s calligraphy is the best. If Anran can catch up to the Emperor, she might have to spend even more time to learn it." she said gently.

    Hearing this, the emperor laughed. Hearing his laughter, Li Ruolan, who was stopped outside the door by Eunuch Zhao scowled, "What is the emperor doing inside?"

    "Reporting to Imperial Concubine, the Emperor is painting with Aunt Anran." Eunuch Zhao answered truthfully.

    Who would have thought that this slut would beat her to it? It was a pity that Ruoxue was beaten up by her to such a state. If she left a mark in the future, how could they meet again?

    Immediately, Li Ruolan came up with a plan, and painfully held onto his stomach: "Why does my stomach feel a bit sore, quickly inform the emperor!"

    Seeing this, Eunuch Zhao knew that this was not something to joke about, so he knocked on the door and entered. Seeing that the emperor was unhappy, he said: "Your majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort Lan is here, it seems that she isn''t well."

    Hearing this, the emperor''s eyes showed an expression of worry. It was obvious that he cared a lot about the Imperial Noble Consort Lan, or perhaps it should be said that he cared about the prince in the Imperial Noble Consort Lan the most.

    Immediately, he strode out and instructed Eunuch Zhao to call the imperial physician.

    Shi Anran quietly cleaned up the things on the table. At this time, she did not know if the emperor would be dissatisfied with her, or if he would blame her in the short term in the Imperial Noble Consort Lan. In the end, no one could figure out the Emperor''s thoughts.

    The Emperor sent the Imperial Noble Consort Lan to the side hall to rest, and kept watch by the side of the bed without leaving even half a step.

    Li Ruolan was clearly pretending, this was something the imperial doctor naturally knew. However, in order to not offend the emperor and to not offend the imperial concubine, she could only say seriously, "The Empress must be too tired these few days, so she needs to rest more.

    After the imperial physician left, the emperor asked worriedly, "What depressed my beloved concubine? "Why didn''t you tell me that?"

    "Your majesty, chenqie''s heart is aggrieved!" Li Ruolan said, she looked down at his stomach, that look, even if it was a woman, she would still pity him.

    "What''s wrong?" Even the Emperor was surprised to see her like this.

    Li Ruolan sniffed, and then said gently: "Chenqie isn''t even comparable to a maid in this palace, to think she was bullied by them. Chenqie doesn''t dare to say a single word."

    After hearing what she said, the emperor''s eyes narrowed as he swept his gaze over her palace maid. "What''s going on?"

    "In reply to your majesty, the Empress went to see the Consort Candidate in the Sage Storage Palace today and wanted to give them some things, but when she met Aunt Anran, she spoke rudely to the Empress and even beat up little master Li in front of her."

    "Ah, I already know about this matter. That little sister of yours is indeed a little too unruly. If you don''t restrain yourself, I can only let her leave the palace." It was fine to say other people, but unfortunately, he had no interest in the Emperor Li Ruoxue at all, and his voice also became clear and cold.

    Li Ruolan was flabbergasted and she began to feel even more wronged, "Your Majesty, chenqie only wishes to personally administer this little sister of mine. Then, Shi Anran would use her identity as the emperor to suppress chenqie.

    Alright, let''s put this matter behind us. This emperor doesn''t feel that An Ran has done anything wrong. If everyone in the palace is as willful as your sister, how about giving me a headache?" At this moment, in the emperor''s heart, Shi Ran had become a well-liked maid. Normally, if he wasn''t feeling well, she could always find a way to ease his discomfort, and when she was in a bad mood, she could also make fun of him. The emperor didn''t plan on dealing with her.

 C149

    With regards to Shi Anran, from the point of view that she could not bear to look at him from the start to the present, the little by little accumulation caused her to only think about how she could vent her anger in her heart. But when she heard the emperor praise Shi Anran, she became even more jealous. Although her expression was indifferent, one could not see the rage in her eyes. However, one could not hide the viciousness in her eyes.

    Cui Yun quickly rushed back to the palace and said to Shi Anran, "Aunt, you did not guess wrongly. Imperial Noble Consort Lan actually went to the emperor to cry and complain, but the emperor doesn''t seem to like her."

    This was within Shi Anran''s expectations. Her thin lips slightly curved, and she spoke with a clear and bland voice. "Imperial Noble Consort Lan must be itching to eat me alive right now?"

    "That will depend whether she has the ability or not. Aunt is favored by the Emperor, so what if Imperial Noble Consort Lan has Dragon Children? So what if she is a princess for her forever?" in the end, it''s impossible for you to inherit the throne. " Cui Yun said leisurely.

    Shi Anran remained silent. Imperial Noble Consort Lan would definitely not let things go so easily after what had happened this time, she had to be completely prepared. Otherwise, he would be falling for her.

    The next day, Shi Anran deliberately walked around the lake that Imperial Noble Consort Zhao often visited, and as expected, she met Imperial Noble Consort Zhao.

    She slowly walked over and bowed towards Ying Fu: "Anran pays her respects to Imperial Noble Consort Zhao!"

    "Exempt!" Imperial Noble Consort Zhao sat on the soft chair, holding a small delicate wine cup with her fingertip. She smiled as he watched her walk over, and said gently: "Come and sit here, why are you free today to look for me?"

    How did she know that she had come to see her, not by chance? Although Shi Anran was suspicious, she did not explain anything. She slowly walked over and sat down beside her, muttering to herself: "Since Anran has nothing to do, why can''t she come and chat with the Empress to relieve her boredom?"

    "Of course you can. However, I have never missed the opportunity to see others'' eyes. In your heart, there are things that cannot be hidden from my eyes." Saying that, Imperial Noble Consort Zhao pursed her lips and laughed.

    Shi Anran, on the other hand, preferred to talk to smart girls, so she didn''t need to hide anything. She said softly: "Imperial Noble Consort Lan seems to be too arrogant this time, Empress, what do you think?"

    "She doesn''t know what''s good for her, but I have many ways to make her depressed. It''s just that I didn''t have the mood to play tricks with her until now. Since she still doesn''t know how to repent, then it looks like бн" It''s time for me to take action. " Imperial Noble Consort Zhao slightly raised her chin, a trace of undetectable coldness appearing in her eyes.

    After hearing what she said, Shi Anran smiled faintly, and her pursed lips slowly opened a crack, as she said in a lukewarm voice: "I''m worried that she will make a move in the next two days, I just don''t know what method she will use to harm others this time."

    "Does Third Prince know about her framing you?" Imperial Noble Consort Zhao suddenly asked.

    Her seemingly careless words caused Shi Anran to be stunned for a moment. What did that mean?

    After thinking about it, she replied, "These are just some insignificant questions, I don''t think there''s a need to let Third Prince know about them, so I didn''t say anything." Third Prince did not only have Imperial Noble Consort Zhao as a spy in the palace. Even if Shi Anran did not say anything, she did not believe that the Third Prince would not know!

    Imperial Noble Consort Zhao pursed her lips and laughed, then asked: "Anran, in your eyes, what kind of person is Third Prince?"

    Why did the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao ask these insignificant questions today?

    Shi Anran pondered for a moment before opening her mouth: Third Prince is a prince, Anran does not dare to judge him recklessly, but in Anran''s eyes, Anran has always thought that his Highness is a dragon and phoenix amongst men, maybe one day, there will be a chance for him to change something.

    These words also caused Imperial Noble Consort Zhao to be stunned, but she quickly covered up her emotions. Her eyes revealed a faint emotion that made it difficult to tell what she was thinking, "Even you think so.

    When the two of them looked at each other, the look in the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao''s eyes was still unreadable. Shi Anran took the cup from her, and she spoke out slowly: "When people are born with death, if one is unable to accomplish anything before dying, then wouldn''t one have walked the world in vain? Anran, sometimes human nature is scary. The key is how can a person use it and grasp it, do you understand? "

    Does she mean that I should completely become a member of the Third Prince?

    For some reason, the outcome had clearly been set in his mind, but when he heard these words, he still felt very uncomfortable. It was as if countless feathers were poking at his heart. It did not hurt, but it made him feel uncomfortable.

    "Empress, Anran no longer has a choice бн" Ever since she decided to work together with the Third Prince, she had put aside some of it. Their ending had long been decided at Han Mountain Temple.

    That piece of red silk was tied to her heart''s desire. Although she had always doubted her own decision, there was no way out even if she regretted it now.

    Imperial Noble Consort Zhao filled a cup of fine wine for her. Her voice contained a hint of a smile, and although she looked gentle, it was hard to find any warmth in her. After a long while, the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao finally said faintly: "Why don''t you tell this palace, what are you still worried about?"

    Are you worried? He lowered his sharp eyes for a long time before slowly opening his mouth, "I don''t know if what I have done was right or wrong, but since I was wrong and did not turn around to shoot, the Empress can rest assured that Anran will definitely help the Third Prince out."

    Seeing her serious expression, Imperial Noble Consort Zhao finally smiled and nodded in satisfaction, then said gently: "It''s naturally for the best that you can think like this, everyone has their own choice, your choice is wise."

    After talking for a while, Shi Anran inadvertently asked: "Oh right, what has Third Prince been busy with recently? Why are there so few people who have seen him enter the palace? "

    "Haha бн" The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao covered her lips with a silk handkerchief and laughed. She looked at her with a dubious expression, "Yo, wouldn''t you see the Third Prince every day since you follow the Emperor into the imperial court? Why? How long has it been since we last saw each other, and yet you miss him again? "

    After hearing that, Shi Anran felt a bit awkward. She did not expect that such an unintentional sentence would actually make the Imperial Noble Consort Zhao joke around.

    Behind him, Li Mu''s footsteps stopped in place. He had only heard what Imperial Noble Consort Zhao had just said, but his eyes were still as calm as water. The gaze he used to look at Shi Anran''s back also contained a little confusion.

 C150

    "Greetings Third Prince!" The palace maid''s voice rang out.

    At this moment, Shi Anran felt as if her entire body had been struck by lightning, she had the feeling that she had just done something bad, and was even caught on the spot. She was so ashamed that she wanted to find a hole to hide in, but it was too late, because Third Prince was already walking towards her. He had no idea how much he had heard from the conversation he had with Imperial Noble Consort Zhao.

    "Raise your head!" Li Mu said in a calm and gentle voice.

    Shi Anran bit her lips, she could not hide her blushing face at this moment, she did not want Third Prince to misunderstand her. Seeing that she did not react for a long time, Li Mu''s eyes had a hint of playfulness in them as she slowly walked over and squatted beside Shi Anran. Her slender fingers gently lifted her chin, and the boundless gentleness in his eyes dispersed.

    Shi Anran, who had never been looked at like this by a man before, was anxious and angry. What exactly did this Third Prince want to do? Even the most shameless Xiang Rongcheng had never treated him like this, but he actually бн

    Her handsome face seemed to be a little bad, but her eyes were clear and clean like the bottom of a crystal. Shi Anran was extremely displeased to be looked at in such a manner. She was about to avoid her gaze, but then he realized that she had actually pinched her chin.

    Li Mu only thought of the words, she likes him? Looking at the unhappy expression in Shi Anran''s plain and indifferent eyes, he suddenly had the urge to tease her. "Anran, was what Imperial Noble Consort Zhao said true?" Even though he knew it was impossible, he still couldn''t help but ask this as though it was a joke.

    As expected, he still heard it. Did he not hear the previous few words? What the hell! This was the first time Shi Anran felt so embarrassed while facing a man. She raised her chin and said: "Third Prince must have heard wrongly!"

    Seeing that it was rare for her to joke with him, Li Mu laughed: "What, don''t you want this to be real?" Wasn''t that what she wanted?

    "Third Prince, you really heard wrong. Can we skip over this topic and not talk about it anymore?" She pursed his lips and pretended to be calm.

    Her current appearance was completely captured in Li Mu''s eyes, but it became another meaning. But even if she didn''t explain himself, Li Mu understood that this woman was currently not thinking about him at all. When that thought appeared in his mind, Li Mu''s heart suddenly rippled, and then, he helped her stand up.

    Shi Anran just stood to the side with her head lowered, trying her best to not speak. However, Li Mu''s expression was too strange, causing her to not know where to look.

    Imperial Noble Consort Zhao looked at the two of them and could not hold back her laughter: "Alright, if you two have anything to say, you two can''t finish it. From now on, it''s not like you have time to say it, and this isn''t the time to be in a rush either, right?"

    "Empress, Anran still has things to do, so she''ll be leaving first!" Shi Anran really could not stand the current atmosphere, all she wanted to do was to quickly slip away in front of Third Prince.

    Li Mu was still in the middle of his interest, he raised his hand and blocked her path: "I still have something to say, where are you going?"

    "Third Prince, you бн" Shi Anran turned her head, met his deep eyes, and then quickly shifted her gaze away.

    "Haven''t been together for a long time. Don''t you have something to tell me?" Li Mu walked over and sat down, and said with an indifferent voice.

    Shi Anran did not feel that she needed to tell him anything, so she lowered her head and said: "I have nothing to say!"

    "Hmm?" After hearing that, Li Mu slightly raised his eyebrow, his eyes slightly narrowed, and then laughed at her: "Then why are you so anxious to leave after seeing me?"

    If he did not deliberately make things difficult for her, would Shi Anran even think about leaving? She bit her lips and spat out a sentence: "Third Prince, do you think that this is very interesting?" They were all smart people, so they naturally knew that all of this was just a joke. No one would take it seriously.

    "Alright, let''s get down to business!" The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao smiled at the two of them. Seeing that Shi Anran was really embarrassed, she spoke out.

    There would be no outsiders coming in, so the three of them could talk without having to worry. Li Mu straightened his expression, "The crown prince has started to try to rope Xiang Rongcheng in secretly, what do you think of this?"

    Imperial Noble Consort Zhao waved the fan in her hand unabashedly, and after hearing what was said, he slowly opened her mouth: "This young general is a stubborn person, I think he isn''t easy to deal with."

    "What do you think, Anran?" Li Mu did not look at her, as her voice slowly came out of her throat.

    Xiang Rongcheng... Shi Anran bit her lips, trying her best to look calm. Then, she said with a calm expression: "I think the Empress is right, the Young General is not someone who can be easily talked to, she doesn''t even sell the crown prince any face, and she might not even give Third Prince a chance to recover. So, I feel like this is not the time to rope him in. " In reality, Shi Anran did not plan to drag Xiang Rongcheng in from the start, but looking at Third Prince''s intentions, she would inevitably take Xiang Rongcheng as her own. If he already decided to do this, then it would depend on Xiang Rongcheng''s decision.

    After listening to what she had to say, Li Mu also nodded in agreement, "That''s right, I also think that it''s not the time to make a move, but my royal father''s body is obviously getting worse by the day, so it''s best to decide on this matter as soon as possible."

    Shi Anran acknowledged lightly: "Then, what is your Third Prince''s plan?"

    "As far as I know, Xiang Rongcheng doesn''t have a single concubine by his side, so бн" After saying that, he deliberately paused for a moment.

    Imperial Noble Consort Zhao immediately understood and laughed: "This method is not bad, we just need to see what kind of woman he likes."

    Shi Anran didn''t know what was going on, she only felt her heart stifling, as if something was blocking her, causing her to be unable to breathe. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

    With a ''whoosh'', Li Mu opened her fan, leisurely waved it, and said: "Since you don''t know, then choose a few more, I don''t believe that he will look down on any of them."

    If that''s the case, then I''ll tell the emperor about this matter. If the Third Prince were to personally deliver it, then I''m afraid it would be a bit unjustifiable. If the emperor were to open his mouth, I don''t believe that this young general would have the guts to reject. The Imperial Noble Consort Zhao said meaningfully.

    Seeing the two of them talking with each other, Shi Anran was a little absent-minded. In her eyes, men would always feel sorry for beauties, would Xiang Rongcheng be able to withstand such enticement?